The Twelve Sovereigns.
That was the name finally decided upon after nearly twenty minutes of increasingly chaotic brainstorming from the gathered Demon Lords.
Most of the suggestions had been terrible.
Ramiris had proposed names that sounded more like children's adventure groups.
Milim insisted that the title needed to "sound cooler," though nobody could properly understand what that actually meant.
Deeno suggested simply keeping the old name out of laziness.
Guy, naturally, encouraged every terrible idea purely because he found everyone's suffering entertaining.
In the end, the name had come from Sally. "The Twelve Sovereigns."
Simple, and Elegant.
And perhaps because it came from the quietest person in the room, nobody immediately argued against it.
Guy had accepted the proposal almost instantly.
Rimuru personally thought the name sounded a little too arrogant, however he couldn't exactly deny the logic behind it either.
After all, the beings seated around this table were quite literally the strongest existences on the continent.
If anyone had the right to call themselves Sovereigns, it was probably them.
Even so, once the issue of naming had finally been settled, several of the Demon Lords began taking their leave.
The first to depart was Luminous Valentine.
The Vampire Queen rose elegantly from her seat the moment she determined there was nothing else worth discussing.
Without wasting even a second more than necessary, she gave a small farewell and disappeared alongside her attendants.
Leon left shortly afterward.
Though before he departed, Kaede had stopped him and proposed some kind of collaboration between their territories.
Rimuru hadn't been able to overhear the full conversation, but Leon had surprisingly listened instead of immediately dismissing her.
That alone bothered Rimuru more than he wanted to admit.
He still didn't have a particularly favorable impression of Leon Cromwell.
The man was cold, arrogant, and difficult to read, even compared to the other Demon Lords. Not to mention his connection with Shizu.
Still, Kaede seemed unconcerned.
The remaining Sovereigns stayed for a while longer.
Food and drinks were brought out by Mizeri, and the atmosphere gradually became less tense now that Walpurgis had officially concluded.
Carrion and Daggrul drank loudly.
Ramiris stole food from other people's plates.
Milim somehow managed to start an argument with Deeno despite neither of them caring enough to properly commit to it.
Guy watched the entire scene with endless amusement.
For the first time since arriving at Walpurgis, Rimuru finally felt like he could relax slightly.
Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long.
Because sometime later, Sally approached him directly.
Her expression remained calm as always.
Then she said something that nearly caused Rimuru to lose control on the spot.
She was the one who had killed Shuna.
For a single instant, Rimuru felt his thoughts go blank.
An overwhelming surge of rage exploded through him so violently that magicules leaked into the atmosphere around his body.
The table cracked slightly beneath his hand.
Consequences be damned, Rimuru was genuinely prepared to kill her right there.
It didn't matter that they had just become fellow Sovereigns.
It didn't matter that Walpurgis had only just ended.
At that moment, none of it mattered. However, [Raphael] immediately intervened.
<
Rimuru barely managed to stop himself.
Then Raphael continued.
<
That alone was enough to halt Rimuru's rage for a moment.
And Sally did, in fact, have a reason.
While explaining herself calmly, she revealed that she had deliberately kept Shuna's soul separated from the other harvested souls after usurping Clayman's authority.
Then, without hesitation, she handed it over.
Suspended within Sally's hand was a beautiful sphere of phantasmal energy.
Soft pink light flickered gently within the soul like a fragile flame refusing to disappear.
Shuna's soul was intact.
Sally then explained her original proposal.
Sally intended to recreate her through a method similar to the creation of a Deathman.
And honestly, Rimuru had been fully prepared to accept that solution if it meant bringing Shuna back.
But once again, Raphael came through for him.
<
And that was what eventually led Rimuru to his current situation.
Returning to Tempest.
The familiar sight of the nation appearing before him should have been comforting, yet Rimuru's thoughts remained far too cluttered for him to properly appreciate it.
Following behind him was Carrion.
The BeastMaster had decided to accompany Rimuru back personally, wanting to speak with the people of Eurazania who had taken refuge within Tempest after Milim's attack.
Although the Beastmen had adapted surprisingly well considering the circumstances, Carrion still felt responsible for them.
Especially now that Eurazania itself had been devastated.
Kaede had originally wanted to come as well.
Rimuru had refused.
Firmly enough that even Kaede understood he wasn't willing to compromise on it.
The truth was simple.
Kaede was incredibly close to Sally.
That much had become painfully obvious during Walpurgis.
And while Rimuru understood the circumstances behind Sally's actions now, understanding something and accepting it were two entirely different matters.
He just couldn't bring himself to fully forgive the woman who had caused him that much pain.
Not yet.
And because of that, Rimuru had been worried those feelings might unintentionally transfer onto Kaede as well.
He didn't want that.
Kaede had done nothing wrong.
Still, the atmosphere would have become awkward eventually, especially while Rimuru was still trying to process everything involving Shuna's death and possible revival.
So instead, Kaede had remained behind with Sally.
Another reason for Rimuru's decision was the current condition of Tempest itself.
To put it simply... The entire nation was asleep.
After evolving into a True Demon Lord and completing the Harvest Festival, Rimuru had unintentionally triggered gifts for nearly every subordinate directly connected to him through soul corridors and naming bonds.
Which meant most of Tempest's upper leadership was currently unconscious while undergoing their own evolutions.
Benimaru.
Shion.
Souei.
Hakurou.
Gobta.
Even Ranga.
All of them were still asleep.
Thankfully, Raphael had already assured Rimuru that the process was progressing normally.
Still, that didn't make the situation any less nerve wracking.
Especially because Tempest had just survived a war.
At the moment, the Beastketeers alongside the remaining forces of Eurazania were helping maintain security around the city perimeter.
Carrion's people had proven themselves reliable enough during the aftermath of the battle, which was probably the only reason Rimuru felt comfortable leaving the nation even briefly for Walpurgis in the first place.
As for Maple Tree's forces, they had already departed shortly after the conflict ended.
Rather than remaining inside Tempest, Kaede's subordinates were currently combing through the Great Forest of Jura searching for hidden survivors, scattered enemy forces, or any lingering plans left behind by the human army.
Given the scale of the invasion, nobody was willing to assume the Kingdom of Falmuth had acted alone.
And with how absurdly competent Kaede's forces tended to be, Rimuru honestly felt safer knowing they were handling reconnaissance instead of him.
"…Still feels weird." Rimuru muttered quietly while walking through Tempest's streets.
Carrion glanced at him briefly. "What does?"
Rimuru looked around the unusually quiet city.
"…This place being so silent."
Carrion looked around as well. The silence truly was unsettling. Tempest was never this quiet.
Even during the night there was usually noise somewhere. Goblins arguing in the streets, dwarves drinking too loudly, adventurers wandering around, Shion accidentally causing some kind of disaster in the kitchen.
Something always happened.
Now though, the city almost felt abandoned.
Only the sound of the wind moving through the streets remained.
Carrion folded his arms. "Feels eerie."
"Right?" Rimuru sighed. "I knew everyone was asleep, but seeing it like this is different."
The roads were still clean. The buildings were untouched.
Nothing about Tempest physically looked wrong.
And yet the atmosphere felt completely different simply because the people who gave the city life weren't currently there.
Rimuru continued walking slowly.
A few Beastmen guards stationed near the streets immediately straightened upon seeing Carrion.
"The BeastMaster!"
Carrion raised a hand casually. "At ease."
The guards visibly relaxed. There was still exhaustion in their eyes though.
Not physical exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion.
Eurazania had been destroyed in a single day.
Even with Carrion alive and Milim no longer hostile, the scars left behind wouldn't disappear that easily.
Carrion noticed it too.
His expression darkened slightly before he continued forward again.
"…I'll rebuild it." he muttered quietly.
Rimuru glanced sideways at him. "You sound pretty confident."
"I have to be." Carrion replied immediately. "Those people followed me. If I sit around feeling sorry for myself now, then what kind of king does that make me?"
Rimuru smiled faintly. "Fair enough."
They continued through the city in silence for a while longer.
Eventually, Rimuru's steps slowed.
Ahead of them stood the large medical facility Tempest had prepared after the battle.
Several barriers layered the building.
Not because of danger, but because of the density of magicules leaking from inside.
Carrion raised a brow slightly. "They're all in there?"
"Most of the executives, yeah." Rimuru nodded.
Even now, he could feel the enormous waves of evolving energy radiating from within the structure.
It was honestly absurd.
Every named monster connected to a Demon Lord's evolution was undergoing massive changes.
And considering Tempest's leadership already consisted of monsters far stronger than normal…
The results were bound to be terrifying.
Carrion whistled lowly. "…Monsters."
Rimuru deadpanned. "That sounds kinda racist, man."
"You know what I mean."
Rimuru stared at the building quietly for a moment. Then Raphael's voice echoed in his mind.
<
Rimuru's expression immediately became more serious.
Right.
That was the real reason he'd rushed back.
Carrion noticed the shift in his mood instantly. "…You're doing it now?"
Rimuru nodded slowly. "Yeah." His hand unconsciously tightened slightly.
Even now, part of him was nervous.
Raphael had said the success rate exceeded ninety-seven percent. Objectively speaking, those odds were absurdly high.
But when it involved someone important to him, even the remaining three percent felt terrifying.
Carrion looked at him silently for a moment before speaking. "…Need help?"
Rimuru blinked slightly. Then smiled faintly. "Nah. Thanks though."
Carrion shrugged. "Was worth asking."
Rimuru exhaled slowly. Then pushed the doors open. The moment he stepped inside, the density of magicules increased dramatically.
Soft glowing barriers filled the room.
Magic circles rotated slowly beneath several beds where Tempest's executives rested unconscious.
Benimaru's body radiated scorching heat.
Ranga was floating slightly above the ground while crackling black lightning spread around him intermittently.
Shion...
"…Why does she look more dangerous while unconscious?" Rimuru muttered instinctively.
Carrion stared at the sleeping oni woman for a second. "…Honestly? I don't think I want the answer to that."
Rimuru nodded in complete agreement.
His gaze finally landed on the empty bed near the far end of the room.
The one prepared for Shuna.
His expression softened slightly.
"…Raphael."
<
Rimuru slowly approached the bed.
Then carefully raised the sphere of phantasmal light Sally had entrusted to him.
Shuna's soul flickered gently in response.
For just a moment, Rimuru thought he heard a familiar voice.
Soft.
Warm.
"Rimuru-sama?"