Archive Of Potentialities.

What if? Shion and the citizens didn't get resurrected. Dawn.

BENIMARU'S POV
Pain, unbearable pain.
This is the only way I could describe what I and my troops felt, nothing better could make it through the red haze of said unbearable pain.

It was pain that felt like my very soul had been ripped apart, it was excruciating. Something that made me question the meaning of my continued existence.

"Rimuru-sama..!?"

I and the others reached this fairly obvious conclusion.

Something had happened to our Lord.
And we weren't there for him.

The soul corridor connected us with Rimuru-sama, it is something that signifies our connection with him.

Now, it served as a signal that our master was gone.

I am aware, I shall not sugarcoat it for my convenience. I knew, deep down, that my lord was now gone. I felt this from my soul.

I pushed the pain aside, struggling to my feet.
I had crumbled on the onset of the indirect attack on my soul by the soul corridor‘s disappearance.

I began to look around again, this was just like during the harvest festival. I was the only one here that was thinking straight.

All the monsters under Rimuru-sama had fallen into despair.

Weapons littered the ground, their former bearers looking into empty space, eyes devoid of any life or desire for it.

They had well and truly given up.

I was not much different from them, my resolve had shattered. I had no will to do anything anymore.

I also do not plan to motivate these guys to do anything.

We wallowed in our inadequacy and self hatred when it came.

Sadness, despair, hopelessness. Rage.

All these emotions were replaced by one, fear.

Every monster was petrified, a terrible aura was being released. It was like a god was angry at the world and decided to make it known.

All our previous thoughts fled, replaced by an intrinsic desire to survive. This didn't help one bit though, none of us could even move.

This aura was coming from the direction where Rimuru-sama was supposed to be, did this person kill him?

I asked this pointless question in the privacy of my thoughts. I call it pointless because I knew, this aura belonged to a grieving person, someone who lost what they considered everything.

How could I not recognise it? Rimuru-sama released something with a similar atmosphere after all.

I had sensed a sinister and immense energy gathering earlier. If anything killed Rimuru-sama, it was that.

I also knew who possessed this aura, it was someone that was very close with Rimuru-sama, someone who constantly called him her bestie.

It was the demon Lord Milim, and by the looks of it, she was totally enraged.

But as much fear as this aura struck into me, I wondered.

Wondered if she will be able to stand against the person who took away Rimuru-sama.

I gnashed my teeth and clenched my fist, as I am now, I cannot do anything.

I know you might not hear this selfish request, Milim-sama. But I want you to win, kill the bastard that took away our master and your friend!!

THIRD PERSON POV
As if in answer to Benimaru's request, the aura intensified even more, it spread to all corners of the cardinal world.

The various human nations and settlements were devastated. Aside from the enlightened and higher lifeforms, which could barely even withstand it, the regular humans were already dying of magicule poisoning.