Rumbling Of The Heavens.

So.

As anyone could imagine, punching a government minister in the

face presented a number of issues.

But… this is bullshit.

A man knelt in front of the king, checking over something with

him.

After receiving permission, he stood up and read the affidavit.

"We will now begin the trial! Silence, everyone!"

For the next hour, both sides presented their cases.

As criminal suspects, we weren't allowed to speak—in the royal court. That right was reserved for those with a rank of Earl or greater.

Otherwise, you needed the king's express permission.

If you did speak out of turn, that apparently proved your guilt on the spot and earned you a bonus contempt-of-court charge.

Whether you were innocent or not, that was the way this place

worked. We were stuck having our representative speak for us.

He had paid us a few visits during our two days in custody, discussing the nature of our case.

Our kind-of lawyer, basically.

Rimuru: 「(Could we trust him, though?)」

Fubuki: 「(Nope. No, you can't.)」

Rimuru: 「(How can you be so sure?)」

Fubuki: 「(If there's one thing I've learned from my time in this world, it's that you should always expect the worst in these types of situations. Trust me. It works like shit.)」

Such were the things we discussed with our established communication link.

Anxieties like that had a tendency to crop up for a reason…

It seems he's had a piece of this world for some good time. Better take advice from the seniors.

Fubuki: 「(He's probably bought out or something. Pretty logical course of action to me…)」

Rimuru: 「(Another way of saying, "sounds like something I'd do.)」

Fubuki: 「(Can't blame me, dude.」

And the tyranny began.

"So there Sir Vester was," he continued, "sitting back at this club and enjoying an alcoholic beverage, when this gang pushed their way into the place and exposed him to dreadful violence!

This is not the kind of behavior that should ever be forgiven!"

"Is that the truth?"

"It is, my liege! I heard it from Kaijin himself, and I also have

written testimony from the owners of the club. There can be no

mistaking the course of events that night!"

…Um, what? What did he just say? I thought he was on our side,

and it took all of five minutes for him to go turncoat. That can't be good, can it?

I shot a look at Kaijin—his face turned bright red, then slowly

began draining of color.

I gave a fair gaze to Fubuki, who didn't seem bothered about it. He expected this outcome, huh?

I mean, he did give me a heads up. He told me not to get my hopes up.

I'll bet. Our lawyer wasn't even bothering to make excuses for us.

It went without saying that representatives for the accused weren't allowed to lie in court.

If they were found out, that would be another hanging.

It was impossible to think any would-be lawyer would attempt it, barring extreme circumstances, and yet ours was doing it right in front of us.

But what's with Fubuki's nonchalant attitude?

Wait—is it one of those moments where the side character turns out to be some big shot?

I definitely hope it is, 'cause I'll not like to hear some stupid excuse when he ends up in the dumpster.

I can already imagine him saying, "What? It was my last enjoyable moment. Gotta live it down..."

No—no, he's gotta be a big shot! I don't have hands to start digging up some random mine.

I looked over to Fubuki again, and this time, he had a satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

Only a king would smirk like that in this type of situation.

Yes, he's probably some King of an important nation and shit.

Then—then, these losers will end up licking his boots, trying to get 'em on their good side for the offense!

...… Or is it just because I read too many mangas and are imagining stupid fantasies coming into play?

I hope it's the latter.

Vester: 「My liege!」 Vester exclaimed, egging him on. 「You have heard it for yourself! I beg of you to deal with these miscreants harshly!」

He flashed us a smile of supreme confidence.

Bastard. Maybe I should've hit him after all. I also wish Fubuki had gone out of his way to end the generation of assholes.

Now I regret stopping him. Well, it's too late to wail over spilled milk.

The king remained motionless, eyes closed. In his place, one of the guards beside him spoke.

"Order! I will now give the verdict! Kaijin, the mastermind behind this crime, is sentenced to twenty years of labor in the mines.

His accomplices are sentenced to ten years of labor in the mines. With that, this court is hereby—!!"

"Wait," a deep, quiet voice interrupted.

The king opened his eyes and looked at Kaijin.

"It has been a while, Kaijin. Do you remain in good health?"

Kaijin: 「…Yes, my liege!」 came the instant reply. Presumably, he had the right to speak now. 「It gladdens me that you remain so as well!」

"Yes. Now, do you and your friends"—looking at us—"have any

desire to return to us?"

The audience in the royal court murmured among themselves. It

must have been an unusual development.

Vester immediately blanched. Our traitorous representative, meanwhile, had developed a

deathly pallor.

Kaijin: 「I beg your forgiveness, my liege, but I have already found two amazing masters to serve! I have made my vow, and it has become my treasure.

It's a treasure so fine that, indeed, not even the direct order of my liege could make me part with it!」

This clearly angered the audience. I could see the guards staring daggers into Kaijin's forehead.

But he stood strong—chest puffed out, the picture of dignity.

I almost cried…

Fubuki turned to look at Kaijin with a dumbfounded expression, knowing quite well what this could imply.

The king, seeing this, closed his eyes again. "I… see."

Silence ruled for another moment.

"I have made my decision. Listen well to my sentence! Kaijin and

his friends are hereby exiled from the kingdom.

After midnight tonight, when the new day comes, they are officially no longer welcome in my lands. That is all. Begone at once!"

Opening his eyes, the king made his proclamation in a loud voice.

Ah, the dignity of a born leader! His overwhelming presence sent

shivers through my body.

Although, being king around here seemed like a terribly lonely job to have.

The Heroic King of the dwarves.

Now that I was seeing him in person, his stately aura was almost awe-inspiring.

His Majesty Gazel Dwargo closed his eyes and sat deeply upon his

throne.

He was stocky, dwarflike in appearance, and his exposed

armor-like muscles positively radiated energy.

His skin was a deep, dark brown, and his black hair was pulled back on his head.

He exuded pure strength. My fight-or-flight instincts kicked in all the way for the first time in ages.

Two knights were stationed near him, one on each side. They were

equally muscle-bound, no doubt, but they still looked wispy compared to their ruler.

Seriously, this guy was a monster. I'd been planning to

beat a hasty retreat if I needed to, but now…

Not so much. The moment I was placed in front of him, my every nerve was wound taut.

It might have been the first time in this world that I actually

sensed a clear danger to myself.

But it seemed a certain someone couldn't "read the mood."

Fubuki: 「Uhh, hey—umm, Sir? King? Do you mind having a little word with me? You know, just the usual political talks and stuff.」

"""""...…"""""

Absolute silence…

Even I was forced to shut my mouth in awe (stupefaction).

Yep, he's a big shot. There's no need to care for his life. I don't know him. Simple as that.

And if he turns out to be some sort of big shot, I'll tell them about the last name we share.

Yes. That's how you seal a deal. It is the sweet part of reality.

I guess after the long period of silence, even he got uncomfortable.

The king was currently wearing a complicated expression with a raised eyebrow, seemingly analyzing Fubuki thoroughly.

He had his head supported by his chin, and his scrutinizing gaze never faltered.

Fubuki: 「Well, I guess that was sorta dumb.」

How did you not know how dumb such a statement was!?!

Now, I was simply speechless. This femboy was gonna get us killed, and I wanted to make my stance clear.

Rimuru: 「I… I don't know who he is—I swear!!」

Fubuki: 「Oi!! We were going all out with the elves yesterday!! How can you say such a thing!?!」

Rimuru: 「Who are you!? Stop talking to me!!」

Fubuki: 「You little—」

Gazel: 「—Enough!」

Ah, shit! He's got me roped in!!

Gazel: 「Why would you want to have "a word" with me? I don't believe I have ever laid eyes upon you before, have I?」

Right. If he denies it, then it must be true. But what's his deal anyway?

We were smooth sailing a moment ago. Why mess it up now?

Fubuki: 「I see… I believe I wasn't clear enough, no?」

Saying that, a sudden, intense, invisible pressure filled the air.

It seemed as if a mythical figure had suddenly descended—no small fodder at that.

Matching the sudden change to Fubuki's words, I turned to look at him, only to find out that it all came from him.

Well, shit. This was definitely not a small stuff, huh?

Even the king seemed stunned, as if dealing with some foreign deity.

I'm not really sure of it, but he always had a knack for keeping to himself.

Now I see why. Well, I was definitely caught off guard, so I guess he passed?

Now, time to hit the spot!

Rimuru: 「He—He's my brother!! We share the name Tempest!!」

Fubuki: 「...」

Gazel: 「...」

Kaijin: 「...」

"""""...…"""""

 ◇◇◇

So there we were, after the trial, back at Kaijin's shop.

That little celebratory drink we wanted to get sure broke bad, didn't it? Now we had to pack up and leave for good.

Well, at least Fubuki seemed cool throughout the journey. He even ignored some comments I made about his gender.

Perhaps he was in a good mood? As long as he didn't bitch about, I was cool with him.

Of course, we left him to his own device after that spectacular display.

Dunno about him, but I guess he needed to discuss some important issues with the king.

I've come to learn that with enough power, such things were possible.

So I wasn't going to be surprised by him again. He's definitely gonna teach me some of his skills, though. It's a must!

Oh, wait, is Gobta all right? We're still only at day three with him, right?

I was a tad nervous about that as I opened the door to his

punishment room.

Gobta: 「Ooh! Welcome back, sir! Did you have fun? Gee, I sure hope you take me with you next time!」

There he was, leaping up off the sofa to greet me! How did that

happen…?

He couldn't have gotten out of my spider silk that easy!

Taking another look, I realized that the cushion Gobta had been

using on the sofa was actually a tempest wolf.

Wait, seriously? He actually summoned the guy?

Rimuru: 「Uh, Gobta, how'd you get that wolf in here?」

Gobta: 「Oh! Right! That! I just thought to myself, 'Hey, can you come on over, please?' And he did, sir!」

He made it sound so easy, the bastard. None of the other

hobgoblins had managed the feat from such a long range before.

Maybe his brain cells were all devoted to his natural talents instead of, you know, actual intelligence.

It seemed crazy to me. I concluded that it must've been a coincidence.

As for the dwarf brothers—

Kaijin: 「W-wait a second!」 the panicked Kaijin spoke up. 「What on earth is a black direwolf doing in here?!」

"Yeah! You need to run! That's a B-ranked monster!"

And now they were panicking. They looked so ridiculous that I was actually amused.

Rimurh: 「Oh, he's fine! Really! No problem! He's like a big dog, really! We keep him indoors and everything!」

My attempts at calming everyone's nerves met stony silence.

Black direwolves, by the way, were a somewhat advanced version

of regular direwolves.

If they evolved in a more magic-oriented fashion, their fur would turn black.

The coats of the tempest direwolves were black as well but with a uniquely colored sheen.

Direwolves weren't really supposed to evolve toward the "storm" element in the first place—that was just a side effect of the name I gave out.

In volcanic regions, direwolves would evolve with a fire element

and become red direwolves. Near bodies of water, you would find blue direwolves.

In the forests would be green direwolves. In other words,

adopting elements was a fairly common evolutionary pattern for these guys.

The magic-infused black ones, meanwhile, were apparently a

notorious threat to any nearby humans and humanoids.

The tempest element gave our wolf pack an ever-so-slight purplish shine to their black color, something you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention.

Sorry that I spooked the dwarves, I guess. We didn't have the time for me to explain the whole story. I'll just call him Gobta's pet for now and move on.

After hurriedly pressing the dwarves to put on their best traveler's outfits, I pushed them out of the shop, went back in by myself, and proceeded to swallow up the entire contents of the building.

Capacitywise, I was still A-okay, but swallowing the building whole would probably have drawn a little too much attention, so I kept it at that.

Once our preparations for the journey were complete, we made

our way to where Rigur and the other goblins were waiting.

 ◇◇◇

Somewhere in the Barren Lands, an argument was sparked.

One that would decide a piece of fate for the heavens.

Dino: 「Don't rope me in with this, you demon!!」, exclaimed Dino.

Lunax: 「But... I'm not a demon.」

Dino: 「Yes. That's right. You're worse than that!」, Dino retorted.

Pico: 「Be reasonable, Dino! It's our fellow angel we're talking about.」

Dino: 「Yeah. But, but… even if you say that… it's Feldway we're talking about. Have you forgotten?

If he could do so with Norana, what stops him from doing so with us? We don't even have any proper intel on him.」

Hinting from the flow of the conversation, it was clear that a plan to receive back Norana, a fellow primordial, was being formulated.

The news of Norana being under the influence of Feldway had already been revealed to them.

To Lunax, this was the beginning of pure, unadulterated doom.

It was an outcome Lunax could not accept, so naturally, she intended to return her friend's salvation.

Knowing fully well how stubborn Feldway was, it would be stupid to expect an official meeting where results are derived from down-to-earth negotiations.

She knew that it was either all-out war or simple resignation.

Hence, she decided to seek the opinion of her fellow primordials.

Garcia: 「I understand Dino's talk. Even though it's all for his own convenience. But, I mean, we're just going to get ourselves captured whilst saving another, no?

Isn't it just a waste? I mean, he would rather kill us than have his plans go to ruin. Unless, of course, we're speaking in terms of value and worth–」

Before she could complete her words, she was interrupted by Lunax's raised arm.

She had a dissatisfied look on her.

Lunax: 「Stop. I've changed. I'm no longer the monotonous tool you take me for. I'd like to believe that a change has occurred.」

To this, Dino simply scoffed in mockery.

Dino: 「Yeah right. Tell that to the lesser demons.」

Lunax: 「...… I might not be able to take him down, but I can only try, right?」

Instead of being offended, Lunax simply ignored the primordial angel, leaving him dumbfounded.

Mind me! Look at me!! Hey you, I'm talking to you!!!

He could only scream internally.

He had always been treated as a nuisance since the beginning, only being acknowledged after a good deed done.

As for the number of times he's actually done a good job...

Pico: 「Quit dreaming. You haven't even mastered your skills yet. Are you just going to throw your life away? Or are you planning to only depend on the sword Veldanava-sama gave you?」

Garcia: 「You can't depend on that forever, you know.」

Lunax: 「*Sigh* I know, but… there's my ultimate ability.」

Garcia:「I thought you couldn't use that one properly. You can at least move at speeds reaching sub-light, but that's all.

With proper practice, one could possibly reach that level of speed. Though we aren't capable of such things yet.」

It was already known to most of them that she was incapable of utilizing the full potential of her ultimate skill.

If she was able to do so at such early stages, then she might as well be the strongest one among all the primordials.

But with so much to do, and with no worthy opponents, it was rare to see her improve in abilities.

This did not only apply to her, but to the rest of the primordial angels.

The demons were creatures born to fight.

They had been fighting since the beginning of their lifespans, and such a cycle repeated itself till they collapsed and dissappeared.

With their abnormally long lifespans, they were always gathering experience by living alone.

If a demon were to die, it would probably be in battle. This was why demons were ranked according to how long they lived.

They grow more powerful the longer they live due to them spending the rest of eternity dunking it out in battles.

The stronger a demon is and the longer they live without being defeated, the higher their social ranking.

The same could not be said for the angels who barely participate in thrilling battles for long periods of time.

For that, it could be said that the demons had an advantage over the angels in terms of experience.

Lunax: 「I don't know why, but I just believe that I'll pull through.」

Dino: 「If you say so. I totally believe in you, so I want you to believe in you, too. I'll see ya'll some other time. For now, this angel's out. (Run for it!)」

Before he could make a move, an arm was gently draped around his shoulder.

Lunax: 「Dino-kun~, I can't have you going somewhere alone, you know? Besides, you don't want to know what could happen if you were to walk all alone, do you?」

Lunax spoke in a rather intimate tone, but the meaning behind her words was as clear as day.

It was simple: "Die here or follow me."

She had a beautiful, friendly smile on her face, but the strong, murderous aura was not so convincing.

Dino knew this well, but his mind was elsewhere.

—on my neck? It's hot on my neck! Her hand is on my neck!! Her hand is hot on my neck!!!

She already had her palm adoring his neck, stroking it ever so lightly, but the light and heat radiating from it were definitely not friendly.

Dino: 「He-he-he. W-We're friends, right? No hard feelings and stuff, yeah?」

Lunax: 「Yes, yes. That's how it's said and done.」

She finally released the "friendly embrace," and Dino could finally catch his breath.

He definitely appreciated the gesture.

Sariel, where are you? I swear—I'll never make fun of you again, so please come and save me...

Garcia: 「Pff—can't help it with you guys. If that's the case, we'll tag along.」

Pico: 「Me too, me too. But you know, it won't be easy. Zalario and co.」

Lunax: 「Yeah, that's why we'll gather the required strength and strike at an unexpected point in time.

Preferably, the point in time when Feldway is down here working with that Michael stranger.」

Pico: 「Yeah. Who does that asshole think he is?! Commanding us and stuff—to hell with him!!」

Dino: 「Hmph. Even I feel discomfort with his presence.

Even so… how could Feldway trust someone so suspicious, and yet, treat us as mere pawns? It's kinda unfair if you ask me.」

Lunax: 「Let's forget about that. Feldway's been suffering for a long time with the absence of Lord Veldanava.

We were unawares at the time, but it was slowly killing him. I think it's already too late.

He's beyond help now. We can only place our hope in the slight chance of repentance.」

Pico: 「Yeah... hope so.」

 ◇◇◇

Feldway, who had never really considered the opinion of others, even his fellow primordials, had always preferred to do things solitarily.

Besides, in the situation where a particular result was desired, it was always tantamount to unnecessary arguments that would simply yield no result.

People with different ideals tend to disagree with each other.

It was a fact that existed since the birth of the world.

Even if a temporary truce was called, the act could be said to be hypocritical.

—And in this case, wouldn't it be better for the operation to be solitarily dealt with by a capable individual?

He considered himself a capable individual in every aspect, so he never really bothered to look at what others thought of.

Those who did not share the same ideals would only argue and continue to waste valuable time that could be invested into other productive activities to yield favorable outcomes.

Unity led to conflicts, conflicts led to time wastage, time wastage led to unproductivity, and in the end, unproductivity led to no results.

To simply put it, unity among different individuals with contradicting ideals was a pipe dream, making the concept of togetherness null and void.

There was no way to agree with each other with separate ideals and individuality.

This was why Feldway believed Rudra was a naive and foolish brat with the goal of unifying the world in the name of justice.

If a good ruler was capable of making the right decisions at all times, regardless of the case and time, wouldn't it be better to follow their orders without questions?

But for a ruler such as that to exist, they had to be the ultimate perfect being.

According to Veldanava-sama, no one was capable of living without making a single mistake, hence the problem.

Only an absolute being could live like that.

This was what Feldway wanted. Veldanava was that one perfect being, capable of ruling the world without any souths.

If he could create such a big, wonderful world, how was he, in any way, incapable of ruling it?

Just by being alive, he could be considered the "World's Ruler" with his status as a "God."

This was why Feldway desired the return of the God Veldanava.

If He wanted to see His dream come true, He needed to witness it.

Hence, Feldway had a desire: To revive the God of the world.

But he, too, had forgotten something crucial.

Veldanava had once spoken about how nobody was perfect.

If linked correctly, it also hinted that Veldanava himself was not perfect.

Feldway hadn't taken this simple detail into account, and from there, a big, adulterated conclusion was drawn.

 ◇◇◇

Feldway remembered...

The last moments he spent with Veldanava.

It was truly wonderful yet short-lived.

He considered it one of his most cherished moments, so he burned it into his memories for eternity.

Not only was it a memorable day, but it was also an event that strengthened his will even further.

Veldanava: 「Feldway… what do you think God-hood is?」

God-hood? What's with the sudden question?

Feldway: 「Hmm, from what I understand, it is the state of being a god or God.

The state of being a perfect deity or supreme being; a supernatural, typically immortal, being with superior powers, to which personhood is attributed.

Am I not right?」

Feldway turned to stared at the one he admired most with a look of curiosity.

The sudden question had caught him off guard, but he simply wanted to know what brought about the question.

Veldanava: 「Well, this world is mostly run on what folks believe. People live and judge according to their theories and beliefs, so this system could be flawed and still considered perfect by the next generations.」

Feldway: 「I… I see...」

He understood what this meant clearly.

If a winner of a long-term war were to decide to twist the details of the battle, there was nothing the losing side could do.

The simple information tweakage would become a strong belief that the future generation would hold seriously.

The truth would be cruelly twisted for eons, and the false information would be considered absolute.

This ultimately meant that the winners were right, and the fodders were simply fodders, beings reduced to history with no right to decide their own fate or history.

The words and interpretation of an important figure; be it a ruler or a god, could become a belief that the world would consider law and order.

In the end, that person's interpretation could be flawed, and this belief would be carried on to the next generation.

Is this what Veldanava-sama wants me to understand?

Veldanava: 「That also means that there could be millions of varying interpretations of a single term.

And with what I understand, your interpretation of God-hood is simply farfetched.」

Hmm, that's true. I see!

Feldway: 「If that's so, then what does Veldanava-sama believe God-hood is?」

Veldanava: 「Hehe, I knew you'd get me. To me, God-hood is not necessarily about being perfect in the literal sense—no, it has never been about perfection for me. Once you've created something truly yours, you can be considered a "God."

The level of power and authority you hold as a "God" all depends on the grandness, greatness, and quality of your creation. God-hood can be said to be one's status as a God, and your status is also determined by the level of your creation.

In short, God-hood is all about one's individuality over their very own creation. One must not be perfect to be a God, and a God must not be an all-encompassing being to begin with.」

Feldway was so focused that he almost seemed lost.

He hadn't expected Veldanava to throw all his beliefs about God-hood at him, but at the moment, he was only mesmerized.

Feldway: 「W-Wow… such wisdom, as expected of Veldanava-sama! I have been enlightened.」

Veldanava: 「Yeah, yeah, sure. (I almost feel insulted… Sariel, I miss you already.)」

 ◇◇◇

From that moment, his mind was set.

Veldanava-sama said it himself; the belief of the victor is law and justice.

Once you've lost, you're fodder, and if you won, your word is absolute.

If my will is right, I will surely win. Veldanava-sama wanted this outcome, too, right?

He knew that there was a reason for Veldanava giving him that particular lesson, and it was all left for him to interpret it in his own way.

To that, he knew it. This was his interpretation.

He needed to see his dream become reality, and anyone in his way was the fodder.

Since he had a goal in mind, he would achieve it without significantly depending on others with opposing ideals as it would only hinder his progress.

If they have no desire to revive our lord, then they can rot in hell—for all I care.

I will only work with those who want to see Him once more, so let the final round commence.

His final action would be set in motion with the upcoming Tenma War, a final war that would ultimately decide the world's fate.

—————————————————————————————————

「Note: Whew, another hot piece provided to you by yours truly. Dunno how you feel about it, but meh. I really feel lazy today, so I'm gonna have some timeout (You know my timeouts are always either short-lived or completely non-existent).

Well, I've been betraying tensura to read other fanfics like "COTE" and "AGK," so the time to make my chapters has been shortened. (Blame the authors, not me!!)

Well, this is just another example of me trash-talking to increase the word count, so viewers' discretion has been relayed. Be careful of what you read.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please make sure to smash that vote button. Thank you for your cooperation. See ya!!」

Word Count: 「4810」