"But I didn't expect this transformation from Kurumi," commented Yukihime as she stared at Kurumi, who now possessed a completely different aura. Both of her eyes had turned red, and the inorganic golden clock had vanished from one of them.
"I think I'll also try to obtain a Demon Lord Seed and evolve into a True Demon Lord. Kurumi, who used to be weaker than me, has become incredibly powerful."
"Agreed. The title of True Demon Lord suits a final villain like me perfectly," Tabane smiled cheerfully. In her world, she was the ultimate villain—the playful type who loved playing both Demon King and hero.
"Well, even though I haven't evolved into a True Hero, I must admit my strength has increased insanely thanks to the Hero Egg," added Asuna. After obtaining the Hero Egg, her power grew immensely. She even gained an Ultimate Skill with Akira's help, making her extremely powerful for someone whose Hero Egg wasn't even awakened—comparable to the weakest of True Heroes.
"How should I say this… everyone is slowly turning into terrifying monsters," said Sui with mixed feelings. Even her own strength had grown so much that she could now be the strongest in her world without even needing something like a Demon Lord Seed or Hero Egg.
"We've accomplished most of our goals. All that's left is obtaining a seat on the Demon Lord Council, which will be resolved today," Kurumi said calmly as she sipped her tea. It was clear her mood had greatly improved after her evolution, and she no longer had that uncomfortable, terrifying aura.
"What I'm really curious about now is the new member joining us. Do you think it'll be a man or woman? Strong or weak?"
"I'm curious too, since it's the first time the group has added someone randomly," Akira added. During this mission, he had gained an incomprehensible power that made him nearly invincible. Because of that, he was more curious about the new members than the future missions they'd receive from the chat group.
[Master, a spatial fluctuation has been detected. It is presumed that the escorts to Walpurgis have arrived.]
Athena's voice rang in Akira's mind just as everyone felt the distortion in the space around them.
Boom!
Suddenly, a metallic gate manifested from nothing. It was a space-time gate linked to another dimension—the one where Walpurgis was held.
Shiing!
The metal doors opened with an ancient, unsettling creak, revealing two individuals on the other side. They stepped through the gate with gentle steps and bowed respectfully.
It was clear the two girls were subordinates of Guy. Their red hair and red eyes were enough evidence of their identity.
"We have come on orders from Guy-sama to escort your esteemed selves to Walpurgis," the two said in unison. It was obvious they were twins—identical in every way.
"Please accompany us: Milim-sama, Ramiris-sama, Luminous-sama, Akira-sama, Kurumi-sama, along with your respected companions."
The rules of Walpurgis were simple. Each participant had the right to bring two companions. This applied to all Demon Lords to prevent things from getting chaotic—since in the past, Walpurgis would devolve into power struggles, with participants bringing excessive followers just to show off their strength.
"Oh? We've finally reached the fun part." Kurumi smiled as she stood up gracefully, while her shadow beneath her moved unnaturally—almost like a living creature preparing for battle.
As Kurumi rose, both Yukihime and Sui stepped behind her, as they had already decided their accompanying positions earlier.
"Looks like things are going to get really exciting," Milim smiled innocently, but the terrifying battle intent in her bright eyes caused Honoka and Tabane behind her to flinch before regaining their composure.
"Let's go," said Akira as both Asuna and Shizu stood behind him. As for Velzard and Velgrynd, they were helping Rimuru free Veldora from his seal. However, due to the soul connection they shared with Akira, they could arrive at any moment if needed—though they doubted he'd actually require help with his current power.
"I can't wait to show off my new servants to the others!" Ramiris beamed, with Treyni and Beretta standing behind her.
"Is everyone ready?" one of the twins asked in a steady tone before waving her hand, opening another gate—different from the previous one. This one was decorated with golden engravings and pulsed gently with energy every few seconds.
It was the gate leading to the "Crimson Spiral Hall", the central venue of the Walpurgis meeting.
"Let's move," Akira said, taking the first step through the gate, followed by Kurumi and her group, then Milim, Ramiris, Luminous, and all their companions.
'Why do I feel this sense of unease and anxiety?' Akira wondered with concern. He had been feeling unsettled for a while but couldn't identify the source. Upon entering the gate, that unease intensified significantly.
"I just hope I won't have to deal with something troublesome," he muttered, already feeling that things were about to get much more annoying from this point forward—yet he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason.
Even though he had the ability to use Clairvoyance to glimpse the future and identify the source of this feeling, he refrained—because doing so would make things boring. If he knew what was coming, there would be nothing to look forward to, and life would become far too dull.
...
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