Four days later.
A very small change had taken place in [Tempest], now that five days had passed since Phobio and the [Three Beastketeers] left.
First, there was the change in Youm's group.
Youm and the investigation team, seeing a nation of monsters for the first time in their lives, had spent the first day avoiding the monsters as much as possible, clearly wary of them. But from the second day onward, with help from friendly monsters like Shuna and Gobta, they decided to accept Rimuru's proposal.
As a result, Youm's group became one of the leading forces in subjugating the [Orc Lord], for the sake of Adelio's goal: the downfall of the [Falmuth] royal family.
For now, it was still nothing more than a handful of small rumors, much like the truth of Adelio's identity. But starting this morning, the fifth day, they had begun acting in earnest, so given enough time, they really would become heroes.
"......"
"...At this point, the only thing left is [Charybdis], huh."
The forest of the [Trent]s, near the dwelling place of the [Dryad]s.
Adelio, who had returned to that same forest where he had recently come with Rimuru to find Zegion and Apito, quietly thought to himself as he watched the two [Insect]s gathering honey under Rimuru's orders.
"By now, the clowns have probably recruited Phobio and turned him into the vessel for [Charybdis]."
[Charybdis] had not fully revived yet, so he could not sense its presence clearly. Even so, he could feel magicules almost identical to Veldora's flowing nearby.
And near the place where those magicules flowed, the sinister magic power of the [Deathmen] was also surging upward.
"[Odin]. If it has the body of a higher [lycanthropes], how long do you think it will take for [Charybdis] to fully revive?"
[Answer. Assuming the body of the individual Phobio, it is estimated that approximately three days would be required.]
"...Three days... just as expected."
Adelio habitually tapped the two beloved swords at his waist, both humming with a clear ring, then steadied his magic power once more as he waited for [Charybdis], which would most likely revive before the day was over.
"......"
Originally, he had no intention of stepping in personally until [Charybdis] reached [Tempest]. But this time was different.
*
A little later, in that brief span between evening and night, when the sun was sinking beyond the horizon.
As the sky split itself between darkness and red light, a blue storm began to churn across the ground.
Rumble...!!
"......It's coming."
Adelio had hidden the [Trent]s, the two [Insect]s, and the other monsters inside a barrier. The moment he muttered those words, Odin's voice rang out in his mind.
[Report. The revival of the individual [Charybdis] has been confirmed.]
The arrogant dragon's bastard child, now clad in the body of a beast.
As that monster, said in some ways to rival a [Demon Lord], announced its return by shaking the earth itself, the magic power of the [Dryad]s, guardians of the forest, poured toward it all at once.
Fwoooosh!!
"Just as I thought, they noticed quickly too."
Watching Treyni and her sisters descend in a torrent like leaves falling from the treetops to the ground, Adelio soon transferred himself to the dwelling place of the [Dryad]s.
No matter how powerful the [Dryad]s were, and no matter how calmly they responded to the revival of [Charybdis], there was no way they could defeat that monster, which was all but a split body of Veldora.
Srrk...
"Treyni."
"...!? Adelio? Since when were you..."
Treyni stared in shock at Adelio, who had appeared in an instant, then called out to him while leaving [Charybdis], which was steadily breaking through the earth and rising upward, unattended.
"...Have you come to defeat that [Charybdis] too?"
At that moment, Treyni saw hope.
There was no way they alone could stand against that calamity. But with someone before her who rivaled Veldora... perhaps even surpassed him... there was no chance this place would be destroyed.
However, there was one thing Treyni had wrong.
"Sorry, but not this time. For now, I'm only going to stop it."
He still had no intention of defeating [Charybdis] with his own hands. Not yet.
"[Multiple Barrier]."
He spread his palm, and just as he had done in the forest of the [Trent]s, Adelio wrapped the dwelling place of the [Dryad]s in layer upon layer of barriers, completely cutting it off so that [Charybdis]'s magicules could not affect the surroundings.
"This whole area is under the protection of the [Dryad]s. Which means, looked at another way, as long as the [Dryad]s themselves are unharmed, there won't be any problem."
If he wanted to, Adelio could cut down [Charybdis] at any time. But that only applied when he did not need to care about the surrounding environment.
In the current situation, if he tried to completely erase [Charybdis] without a trace, the surrounding area would inevitably be destroyed along with it. And if he held back his power instead, then that enormous body would come crashing down to the ground, crushing countless monsters and animals to death.
"Or I could wait until [Charybdis] moves to a wide open area. But if I'm going to wait that long, it'd be better to just leave it to Rimuru and the others."
From the very beginning, Adelio had regarded [Charybdis] as nothing more than experience points. As he watched the massive calamity climb higher and higher into the sky, he swallowed hard.
"...Come to think of it, I feel like I heard somewhere that meat made from [Charybdis] tastes pretty good."
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