Rimuru the sin of love

Meeting the Demon King

Rimuru's POV:

As we entered the demon realm, the air grew thick and oppressive, as if the weight of countless tormented souls was pressing down on me. The landscape stretched out before us, a twisted reflection of hell itself—jagged rocks jutted from the charred earth, and rivers of molten lava snaked through the desolation, casting an eerie glow over the barren wasteland.

Almost immediately, a sharp pain shot through my head, and I staggered, struggling to steady myself. Images—horrific, fragmented—began to flicker in my mind. A town in ruins, corpses littering the blood-soaked streets, the acrid stench of burning flesh in the air. The distant screams of the dying echoed in my ears, pulling at something deep within me, something I couldn't fully remember but felt in every fiber of my being. My heart raced, a cold dread seeping into my bones.

(Why do I keep seeing this? Why does it feel so real, like a nightmare I can't escape? Did I forget something so terrible, something that would haunt me like this?)

The images faded, leaving only a lingering unease. Meliodas, ever perceptive, noticed my discomfort.

"Hey, what's going on? Is everything still good in there?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, just remembered something that I had been keeping locked away for a long time, that's all," I replied, forcing a smile. "I can't falter now, or I'll make you look bad." I tried to shake off the feeling as we continued toward the imposing figure ahead.

As we stood before the Demon King, the very air around him seemed to pulse with a dark energy. To his side stood Zeldris, his expression unreadable. I gave him a small wave and a smile before turning my attention back to the Demon King, my face now serious.

(Ciel, please look for any weaknesses in the Demon King.)

{Already on it. Warning: There is some magic active that turns you into stone when lying. Please proceed with caution.}

(Thanks for the warning. That's definitely dangerous.)

I took a deep breath and addressed the Demon King. "It's an honor to meet you. My name is Rimuru Tempest." My voice was steady, but my senses were on high alert. The Demon King didn't respond immediately. Instead, he observed me in silence, his eyes cold and calculating, as if weighing my very existence. Each second stretched, the tension in the room thickening. Finally, he spoke, his deep voice resonating with a power that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What does the Demon King want from me?" I asked, my tone respectful yet firm.

He continued to observe me, then finally spoke. "I would like you to provide me with a demonstration with that katana you have."

(So, he wants to test me. He wants to know if I'm truly royalty from another family in the demon realm and to gauge my power. If I don't comply, I won't have enough time for Ciel to complete the analysis. I'll humor him for now.)

I nodded, a faint smile playing on my lips. "I am honored that you are giving me a chance to show off my skill with the blade." As I scanned the area, I spotted the perfect target—a cluster of rocks in the distance. Without hesitation, I drew my sword, infusing it with my demon energy. I focused on a single point, then slashed through the air, releasing a powerful energy wave infused with space-time magic. The slash cut through the rocks effortlessly, causing a massive explosion that echoed through the demon realm.

Satisfied, I sheathed my katana and bowed to the Demon King. "Would this count as a quick demonstration, Demon King, or do I need to continue?" I asked, my tone polite yet confident.

The Demon King contemplated my display, his expression unreadable. (It seems he has no intention of harming me at the moment. That's good, at least.)

After a moment, he spoke again, his voice tinged with a hint of curiosity. "Would you be willing to join the Ten Commandments? You seem to be strong enough and from royal blood, even though not my own."

The room fell into stunned silence. The Commandments looked at each other in disbelief. Even Meliodas and Zeldris seemed shocked—Zeldris appeared troubled, while Meliodas quickly masked his reaction behind a poker face.

(He really isn't himself here. I feel kind of bad for him.)

I carefully considered my response. "I'm sorry, but I have to decline the offer," I said, choosing my words with care. "I don't think I would work well with some of the others in the Ten Commandments, and my presence might make things harder for them. However, I am willing to collaborate if I find myself in the same situation as them. I work better without restrictions than with them. Would you be okay with that?"

A flicker of irritation crossed the Demon King's face, but he quickly masked it. He likely realized that losing my fighting ability would be worse than allowing me to remain a loose ally. He knew from Zeldris, and from our earlier staredown, that I could easily vanish if I wished, masking my presence completely. He couldn't read me, and that alone made him cautious.

"Suit yourself," he said, his tone dismissive. "If you change your mind, you can return and say so. You may go back to your own life."

The demons around me were even more flabbergasted than before. It was almost comical to see the mighty Demon King act this way, even though I had planned for this outcome.

{Analysis of Lesser Deity Demon King complete.}

(Perfect timing, as always. Thanks, partner. Now that I have what I came here for, I can excuse myself.)

"It was a huge honor to meet you in person, but I will have to excuse myself," I said with a slight bow. Turning to Meliodas, I smiled. "See you soon for what you had promised me, Sir Meliodas." With a quick wave, I took to the skies, flying away from the Demon King's domain.

After a while, I landed and looked around, my mind replaying the recent events. (Wow, I fooled the Demon King. This is my best performance yet. I got him off my back without promising anything. My wording was deliberately misleading, and I think only Meliodas caught on. Even if the Demon King realizes it later, there's nothing he can do about it. Maybe this will even give me more time with Meliodas. He must have noticed how familiar I was with him and Zeldris. He might use that to keep me on the demons' side.)

{Master did an amazing job of handling the situation. Rimuru is the best.}

I smiled at Ciel's praise but couldn't shake the unsettling images from my mind. (Why do I keep seeing that same image? A town destroyed, bodies everywhere, and I'm overwhelmed with grief and rage. Did I forget something so terrible? Are those my fellow shifters? Why can't I remember?)

{Rimuru-sama, I advise you not to dwell on it too much. If it's important, you will remember it when the time is right.}

(You're probably right, but it still feels like something is wrong, like there's a piece of me missing.)

Shaking off the lingering unease, I decided to leave a message for Meliodas. With a focused thought, I summoned a weaker form of my black lightning and carefully etched a message into the stone beneath my feet. Satisfied, I fired a black energy ball into the sky, ensuring it would be visible even from the Demon King's domain. They would receive my message.

With that done, I teleported back to the Fairy Forest and returned to my human form, feeling the weight of the recent events lift slightly from my shoulders.

"I was almost at my limit there. Good thing I didn't have to stay for long."