DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN NOW READ THREE TO SIX CHAPTERS AHEAD. CHECK MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK.
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Rimuru and Yuuki stood facing one another without moving, having remained locked in this silent standoff ever since Sally had departed nearly three minutes earlier.
The underground chamber was completely still.
There wasn't even a breeze, and yet the lingering dust and drifting smoke slowly revolved around the two of them as though they stood at the centre of a newborn typhoon.
"It was Sally, wasn't it?" Yuuki finally broke the silence. "She told you."
He let out a quiet chuckle. "I told Laplace she was a liability, and yet he wouldn't listen."
A slight smile tugged at Rimuru's lips. "Well, I would've figured it out eventually." He shrugged lightly. "So you had this coming, Yuuki."
"Obviously." Yuuki sighed. "I knew you were going to figure it out sooner or later. I was just hoping my plans would've already been underway by then."
He shook his head with a wry smile. "Now everything's been rushed."
'He sounds pretty confident, even though he knows I'm stronger than him.' Rimuru raised an eyebrow.
"You don't seem worried." His golden eyes remained fixed on Yuuki. "You don't actually think you're getting out of this, do you?"
"Yeah..." Yuuki nodded solemnly. "It's looking pretty bleak for me." A grin slowly spread across his face. "That doesn't mean I plan on losing everything here, though."
He rolled his shoulders once before tightening his grip on his weapons. "Stubborn to the end and all that."
Yuuki casually spun the knife in his right hand before settling it into a reverse grip, while his sword lowered slightly in his left. "Don't you think so, Rimuru?"
He vanished.
In the next instant, Yuuki was already in front of him, his sword thrusting straight toward Rimuru's chest.
Rimuru shifted sideways, the blade skimming harmlessly past him.
Closing the distance, he stepped inside Yuuki's guard and slashed upward in one smooth motion.
Clang!
Yuuki intercepted the strike with the knife in his right hand before immediately twisting his body, his sword flashing toward Rimuru in a seamless counterattack.
Rimuru leaned backwards just enough for the blade to whistle past his face.
The two of them broke apart once again, sliding across the cracked stone floor before coming to a stop several metres from one another.
Rimuru frowned. 'He's acting desperate.' His eyes narrowed slightly. 'That's completely unlike him.'
'Raphael... is his [Anti-Skill] still not applicable through his weapons?'
His grip tightened around his sword. 'Because I have a feeling that if I try tanking another attack like before... I'm going to regret it.'
<
'Just as I thought.' Rimuru's expression hardened. 'He's still hiding more tricks up his sleeve.'
This time, Rimuru was the one who took the offensive.
Lightning crackled violently around his blade as black flames coiled through it, the two energies twisting together while he charged straight toward Yuuki.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
Just as their swords were about to collide, Rimuru suddenly pulled back his right foot and spun sharply, turning the apparent clash into a feint.
Yuuki didn't fall for it completely.
Instead of committing to the exchange, he kicked off the ground and performed a backward flip, soaring directly over Rimuru's sweeping slash before immediately returning a strike of his own as he descended.
Rimuru calmly tilted his head.
Yuuki's sword whistled past his face, missing him by the narrowest of margins.
At the same moment, Rimuru drove his own blade upward.
"{Storm Break}!"
A massive torrent of roaring wind and violent lightning erupted from the sword, exploding upwards like a pillar of destruction before slamming directly into Yuuki.
BOOM!!
The blast engulfed him completely, hurling him through the chamber just as it had before.
Rimuru kept his sword raised, his eyes fixed on the cloud of smoke. "...Did that get him?"
<
Rimuru frowned. "Seriously?" He let out a small sigh. "So he's going all out now, is he?"
The smoke exploded outward.
Yuuki burst through it without the slightest hesitation, crossing the remaining distance in an instant.
Clang!
Rimuru raised his sword just in time to block another thrust.
Yuuki flowed seamlessly into a relentless barrage, his blade flashing repeatedly as one slash followed another with almost no pause between them. "You really are amazing, Rimuru-san."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Rimuru met every strike head-on. Although Yuuki's assault forced him to give ground, it was only by a few measured steps. 'He's gotten faster...'
Another slash came, but Rimuru deflected it effortlessly. '...But he's still not as fast as Hinata His eyes narrowed. 'Which means...'
<
'Are you serious?' Rimuru could only cry out internally as Yuuki's sword came flashing toward him once again.
'How is he even capable of negating Ultimate Skills? That's supposed to be against the rules.'
Clang!
Rimuru and Yuuki exchanged blades several more times, each collision sending showers of sparks across the underground chamber.
'And I still don't know what's changed about his sword.' Rimuru parried another heavy strike from Yuuki before forcing the blade away with a twist of his wrist.
"Yuuki." His voice remained calm despite the relentless exchange. "There is one thing I want to ask you."
"Oh?" Yuuki laughed lightly as he slipped around another slash. "We're back to talking now?"
Rimuru ignored the remark. "This whole time, Clayman was working for you." He met another strike head-on before stepping into Yuuki's guard, forcing the Grandmaster backwards. "Which means the Orc Lord incident... the birth of the Orc Disaster... the invasion of Falmuth... the Holy Church's attack on Tempest..."
His golden eyes narrowed. "...and the assassination of one of my own..." The words came out noticeably colder. "Were all caused by you."
Another clash rang through the chamber. "What exactly are you trying to achieve in this world?" Rimuru demanded. "Even now, you're scheming alongside that girl."
He raised his sword, pointing it directly at Yuuki. "For what purpose?"
Yuuki laughed again. There was no mockery in it. He simply sounded as though he was genuinely enjoying himself.
"Eh, Rimuru-san." He scratched his cheek with an amused smile. "You're giving me way too much credit."
He paused for a moment before grinning. "Just kidding." He shrugged. "Yeah. You're right. I had a hand in all of that."
"Why?" Rimuru shouted.
"It's because it'll create a whole lot of chaos, you know?" Yuuki replied casually. His grin only widened. "For when they come."
"Cut the bullshit!" Rimuru snapped. His voice echoed throughout the underground chamber. "This isn't some movie."
His sword remained levelled at Yuuki. "I know you're not working for anyone."
Yuuki burst into laughter once more. "Alright, alright. You caught me." He raised both hands slightly in surrender, though he never lowered his guard. "There is no 'them.' Nothing cheesy like that."
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "...Or maybe there is." A mischievous smile spread across his face. "Who knows? Maybe I'm telling the truth, and there's some ridiculously secret organisation pulling every string behind the scenes."
He chuckled to himself. "Wouldn't that be interesting?"
Rimuru frowned. "What the hell are you even talking about?"
'Now he isn't even making any sense.'
<
Rimuru's eyes widened internally. 'When did he manage that?' He frowned. 'I thought you were specifically keeping an eye on those so Yuuki couldn't teleport out and escape.'
His expression hardened. 'Keep your head in the game, Raphael.'
Throughout their entire battle, Yuuki had repeatedly attempted to escape by teleporting through the magic circles scattered around the chamber. Every single time, however, Rimuru had distorted the teleportation funnels before they could fully activate, preventing Yuuki from using them.
Unfortunately, Rimuru couldn't simply place a Dimensional Lock over the chamber. It wouldn't affect Yuuki in the slightest thanks to his [Anti-Skill].
At the same time, Yuuki couldn't make use of the magic circles either, because unlike his own body, the formations themselves weren't protected by [Anti-Skill].
The two of them had been locked in a stalemate.
At least... Until now.
<
'He's bringing someone in.' The realization struck Rimuru instantly. Without another moment's hesitation, he burst forward, charging straight toward Yuuki.
At that exact moment, the entire underground chamber erupted with blinding light. It became as bright as midday.
"...Bright."
Rimuru instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes from the sudden flash. 'Raphael.'
<
'Keep your eyes on Yuuki, okay?'
<
It was only thanks to the multitude of Skills and abilities Rimuru had kept active, combined with the effects of [Thought Acceleration], that he managed to perceive the attack in time.
A sword forged entirely from light. Wielded by a being of light. Swinging from a point made of light itself. Travelling at a speed that surpassed even light.
BOOM!!
The entire underground chamber vanished beneath a cloud of smoke and pulverised stone as the impact shook the cavern from end to end.
"That had better not have been all he was capable of." A prideful voice echoed through the dust. "It would be truly disappointing if that was the extent of his abilities."
"Nah, I doubt it." Yuuki chuckled. "I still can't use the magic circles. That means you didn't break his concentration even a little."
His grin widened. "Rimuru's just that cool."
"...You sound utterly pathetic right now." The voice replied with open disgust.
A sharp gust suddenly tore through the chamber.
Rimuru casually swung his sword once, the resulting pressure wave blowing away the smoke and scattered debris to reveal the battlefield once more.
"So..." He rested the blade over one shoulder as his gaze settled on the newcomer. "You're the one Yuuki was trying so hard to bring in to help him."
The newcomer was a young man with short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Draped over his body was a pristine white leather coat that fluttered gently despite the still air surrounding him.
<
'But he isn't one of the Ten Great Saints.'
Rimuru slowly rolled his shoulder, never taking his eyes off the man.
'Which means he's...'
A faint smile crossed his face.
"I wonder if Kaede knows one of her Spirit Riders has betrayed her." He tilted his head slightly. "Or are you going to tell me Yuuki manipulated you into all of this?"
The blond man's expression darkened immediately.
"Silence, you pathetic slime." Light erupted around his body as killing intent poured from him. "You dare suggest that I'm the one being manipulated?" He sneered. "If anything, it's you."
He pointed his blade directly at Rimuru. "People like you... and that bitch Kaede... are the ones manipulating this world."
His blue eyes burned with conviction. "Why would I ever serve a Demon Lord? The enemies of humanity."
A proud smile spread across his face. "I am the Hero."
He raised his chin confidently. "It's only common sense."