Splat...
"......"
Gelmud died in a single blow from the sword of the [Orc Lord (Donduje)].
With his neck severed and his body rolling through the mud, it was a pitifully hollow end for someone who had spent so long boasting that he was an executive under a [Demon Lord].
Though for him, now nothing more than a corpse, it no longer mattered.
"......"
[Report. The life signal of the individual Gelmud has ceased.]
"...Yeah, I know."
Watching Gelmud's death from a short distance away, Rimuru was briefly taken aback by how absurdly easily he had died, but he quickly drew on the composure of his past life and began assessing the [Orc Lord (Donduje)].
Shizue was still only observing its movements for now, so he intended to wait until she made her move.
"Grrr..."
Before long, the [Orc Lord (Donduje)], which had been staring down at Gelmud's corpse, let out a low growl and bent over.
Crunch...
It was trying to eat him.
To evolve one step further from the King of Dondu, and to fulfill Gelmud's final order to become the new ruler of the great forest.
Whoooooom...!
Soon, after devouring the majin's torso and head whole, the body of the [Orc Lord (Donduje)] was engulfed in overwhelming magicules.
Its already massive body swelled even larger, and the horns that had grown like a crown sprouted even more thorns.
"...!!"
The omen of a new change.
In other words, the first step toward obtaining the qualifications of a [Demon Lord]—
[Report. The individual Geludo has evolved into [Orc Disaster (Dondu Demon Lord)].]
—an ascension into a [Demon Lord seed].
The Demon Lord of Dondu, elevated from the King of Dondu.
"Kraaaaaah—!!!"
As his savage roar rang out after completing his evolution, the marshlands trembled from the magicules naturally spilling from his body.
"I am the one who devours all things in this world. [Orc Disaster (Dondu Demon Lord)], Geludo! Demon Lord Geludo!!"
The birth of a new [Demon Lord seed].
Geludo had taken his first step onto the path of becoming a true [Demon Lord].
"......"
"...This looks really dangerous."
Still watching the [Orc Lord (Donduje)]... no, the [Orc Disaster (Dondu Demon Lord)], Geludo, Rimuru muttered under his breath, cold sweat running down him.
Before evolving, the [Orc Lord (Donduje)] had not felt stronger than he was. But against Geludo, who had just become a [Demon Lord seed], it was hard for him to even judge the gap in their strength.
"If I'd known this would happen, I should've attacked before he evolved..."
Sssshhk!
However—
Rimuru's worry vanished in an instant, along with the white flames that scorched the battlefield.
Fwoooosh!!
"A [Demon Lord seed]... It's been a long time since I've faced one directly."
"...?! You...!!"
Shizue charged in at a speed Geludo couldn't even react to and swung her sword once more.
At some point she had already put on the [Conquering Mask], and even though Geludo had become a [Demon Lord seed], she did not regard him as a threat.
Because she already knew.
Over the course of two hundred years, she had faced opponents roughly on his level several times, and had spent all that time being taught by masters hundreds, thousands of times stronger than he was. That was why she knew he was weaker than her.
"Don't call yourself a [Demon Lord] over something this pathetic. The [Demon Lord]s I know aren't this powerless."
And she had met [Demon Lord]s in person before, seeing their power with her own eyes.
Starting with [Platinum Saber (Platinum Sword King)], then [Queen of Nightmare], [Destroyer], [Labyrinth], and even [Lord of Darkness].
The [Demon Lord]s she had met had never been consumed by their own power like Geludo, and every one of them had been a true master who stood at the peak of their own field or specialty.
"Nngh... shut your mouth!"
Geludo, whose entire body had been carved with countless sword wounds and burns in the blink of an eye—so fast he hadn't even been able to react—roared in fury and gathered magicules into both hands.
Wooooong!
The magic he had acquired by devouring Gelmud: [Death March Dance].
It was a wide-area attack that scattered magic bullets with physical destructive force.
"I'll devour you too!"
Wheeeee!
Then the magic bullets split into dozens of fragments and flew toward Shizue.
It was a fairly useful spell, enough that a high-ranking majin could use it as a main attack... but unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong opponent.
"Devour it, [Predator]!"
While Shizue kept Geludo's attention, Rimuru rushed in to point-blank range and absorbed every last one of the spells.
Sluuurp!
Projectile attacks were the perfect prey for [Predator]. And Gelmud's magic happened to be both projectile-based and designed for physical offense... there was no way it would work on Rimuru.
"Ms. Shizu, I'm joining in too!"
"Mm, I'm counting on you."
On top of that, the two of them had spent weeks coordinating specifically to hunt the [Orc Lord (Donduje)], making them about the worst possible matchup Geludo could have faced.
And above all—
"[Great Sage], now!"
[Understood. Entering Auto Battle Mode.]
—Rimuru possessed [Great Sage], one of the strongest [Unique Skill]s of all.
And that could only mean one thing.
Geludo's defeat was certain.
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