The Reincarnations of Veldanava

Damrada's Soliloquy: Chasing Extinguished Brilliance

I am agog. I am aghast. The truth comes out at last. The reigning Demon Lord has done the unthinkable; he claimed to possess divinity.

I hold in my hands a newspaper brought to me by the Primordial Purple, reading it again and again just to be sure.

Perhaps the gold's gleam has blinded me and made me see things that aren't there?

Perhaps the lack of sleep, of soul resting, has caught up to me?

Though it matters little how many times I blink, every letter remains the same. It isn't an illusion of the mind, but an unchallenged truth.

I haven't gone senile. It really is the face of Veldanava in the news article. This shouldn't be happening. That man is supposed to be dead, fragmented as far as I am aware, yet the Demon Lord has made quite a scene using his name and likeness.

The room suddenly feels hot, yet I barely registered the sensation, still aghast by it. It isn't until I feel uncomfortably cold beads of sweat running down my face that I come back to my senses. Even my hands are soaked in sweat.

Even I myself wasn't aware that I'm still capable of such bodily functions.

When was the last time I seeped out this level of anxiousness? Was it when I confronted the Primordial Purple for the first time, or was it when the worst combination of Noir and Blanc stood before me?

No, those can't even compare to the one moment that almost breaks me. It's been some time since, but I remember it clearly as if it was yesterday's ordeal.

The dreadfulness I felt when I first met face-to-face with Demon Lord Rimuru couldn't be put into words. I fretted for my own demise to come. I'm a Saint whose power rivals that of so-called Awakened Heroes, yet I couldn't see a possible future in which I can defeat that man.

These defeatist thoughts don't dawn on me often. I am strong. Even against the likes of Primordials or True Dragons, I believe that I can at least give them a proper fight.

There have only been three individuals which I deem resistance to be futile: Rudra the First Emperor, Veldanava the Star King Dragon, and Rimuru the reigning Demon Lord.

I would fight Demon Lord Guy Crimson or Frost Dragon Velzard to a bleak end if I have to, but nothing could encourage me to raise my fists against those three. They're walls unable to be crossed; fighting them is futile.

Maybe that was why I fear Demon Lord Rimuru so much; he reminds me of that rowdy chthonic god (Veldanava).

Respectfully, although I do see that man as a god, Lucia's shenanigans have twisted my perception of him quite a bit. That Demon Lord doesn't seem to be like that, though? Or is it just because Lucia isn't around?

I wonder what he would think of Lucia, the one the Empire has now.

"Merchant! Oi, merchant!"

"Hmm."

The Primordial Purple called me out of a daze. I've been spacing out, staring at the image of a god who I once believed to be forever gone.

Is he still the same, or is he renewed?

The mechanic of how gods operate has never been my profession. Asking Demon Lord Rimuru head-on might bear results, but it's also risky as well.

Merchants live harmoniously with risks. It's the way of the business. However, there are good risks and bad risks to be concerned about, and a direct confrontation is likely to fall under the latter label.

If there is anyone that I can entrust with this news, it has to be that person.

"Oh, by'r Lady..." I curse, remembering something annoying, if not against the plan. I'm about to rush out of the office, but the girl's call stops me.