A Broken Palace

(I am going to try to start daily uploading again! Or at the very least one chap every other day. I already took my "Vacation" from writing so gotta get serious for the "Finale". I have been a bit distracted the past couple of weeks reading other stories.

So if you are looking for another story to read while waiting for this one go check out "Supremacy Games" That's the story I have been reading the past couple of weeks. Hope you all enjoy the chap, and hopefully see ya tomorrow.)

A shining palace that floated in the middle of nothingness. The birthplace of the creator of the universe. A place that is the origin of everything. Were it not for the current inhabitants anchoring it to different worlds it would be outside of space and time.

This palace was surrounded by shining stars of different colors in the distance. From red to white according to their temperature. And though the stars were all around it the temperature remained pleasant. And the light shining from the stars was not too overbearing.

It was as if the universe around the palace was doing its best to keep it in the best condition possible. In case its owner should ever return.

Currently outside of this palace, stood the group that would be fighting its current residents. Standing outside of the locked doors with the star dragon etched onto them.

"I never thought I would be coming here again." Guy said with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

"Yeah… He told us we could come to visit him whenever we wanted… But after he married Lucia he never came back here. And neither did we." Velzard said while tracing the dragon etched into the door.

She turned towards Veldora before sighing.

"You probably don't remember, do you… You never came back here since the last time you died."

"No, but it does feel familiar." Veldora answered.

"You were never able to visit this place. But this used to be your father's home Milim. Veldanava and Lucia would have probably brought you here once you were old enough. They would be proud of you. And you are starting to look more and more like Lucia. I am sure that if given the chance Veldanava would have been a daughter-con." Velzard said as she gazed at Milim with sadness.

Milim, however, didn't answer. She had a slightly angry expression as she walked towards the door and kicked it open.

"Let's go. We can't waste any more time." She said as she began walking in with her fists tightly shut.

Walking through the main hallway we were greeted by several angels and phantoms that were quickly dispatched and captured into the void world inside of Rimuru.

With the strongest forces of the cardinal world all gathered in one location there was nothing they could do to put up their resistances. And the group continued to move forward through the halls with almost no trouble at all.

However, the group suddenly got forcibly separated. The palace itself moved the invaders into different locations. All but four of them. Milim, Rimuru, Velzard, and Veldora. The only ones who had more authority than the one who had issued the order, the current leader of the phantoms and the former right hand to Veldanava, Feldway.

…

(Some time earlier.)

Feldway was pulling at his hair from the stress. Something that should have never happened had occurred. He almost collapsed the moment he saw it. There was a crack all along the wall in the place Veldanava had been born. And it wasn't the first.

This palace should have been practically indestructible. It held within it the leftovers of Veldanava's magicules from all the time he had spent inside. Yet the palace was beginning to collapse.

The magicules that held this place together were leaving it. And if it continued to progress in this way the entire palace would break apart and disappear. One of the last physical traces of Veldanava's existence. The place in which not only Veldanava had been born but all of the primordial angels.

At first, he thought that Veldanva had returned and the magicules were simply returning to his owner. But as he laid there awaiting his master's arrival and his inevitable punishment he realized something. He wasn't coming.

He knew Veldanava, if he was back he would be here already. Angry at the destruction he had caused. Angry enough to cause the entire universe to feel it. But not a single wave of that anger was felt by Feldway.

So what did that mean? Was Veldanava watching his actions and did this as a sign of his disapproval? No, if he was really watching he would have stopped him before he would have laid a single hand on the other worlds. He wouldn't have waited this long.

Did his actions in destroying worlds cause the magicules in the palace to destabilize and leave it? No, he spent most of his time here. If something like that were to happen he would have realized it and stopped them from leaking out.

Maybe Veldanava had…. But if that was the case, why now? Had his actions in trying to awaken him actually backfired? Had he killed…

Feldway was walking through the halls with a lost expression. It didn't make sense.

Why now?

Was Zelanus right?

Had Veldanava abandoned them?

Did he really die at the hands of some humans? The creator of everything, a true dragon, a being that would never die, died.

Would he really leave them without telling them before?

After all the time they had spent together, after all he had done for him. Would he really choose to die without even bothering to inform him?

Not only him but everyone who served under him?

Would he really leave all of that behind for a single human woman?

Feldway was struggling to even breathe as he walked through the halls.

Even with all of the intrusive thoughts in his mind Feldway did his best to keep the palace from crumbling apart. Focusing his entire efforts on it, and using the connection he had created with the palace itself to keep it all together. It was exhausting, but he didn't want this last piece to break away in case it was needed to bring him back to life.

That was until he felt something enter the palace through the connection he had with it.

A familiar presence.

No, it wasn't familiar.

It had been tainted.

It was no longer pure.

It wasn't Veldanava.

It made sense, but he didn't want it to make sense.

Through the mess that was his head, a singular thought stood out against everything else.

A thought that created a new resolve

.…

Inside a small room with no exits or entrances stood two black-haired primordials. One wearing his signature butler suit and the other with pure white wings sprouting from his back.

"Kufufufu, Zalario, I didn't take you as someone who would follow such orders. I used to think we were quite similar. But I guess I was wrong." Diablo said as he stood in front of one of the primordial angels.

"I will admit it Noir, I am ashamed of my current position. The man I used to admire and work under has currently given me orders that I disagree with but cannot refuse. It is good to see that at least you seem happy with who you are serving."

"My name is Diablo now, my lord has kindly given it to me," Diablo said as he smiled happily.

"Congratulations Diablo. If I am being honest, I do not want to fight you. I know it is a fight I will not win. But I cannot go against the orders I was given. So f you promise to not move from your current location we can avoid this. Maybe you can tell me how you ended up in this situation."

"Zalario, it is truly a shame I cannot take you up on that offer. I would love to have the opportunity to share with you the amazingness of my Lord Rimuru. However, now it is not the time. I must go and assist my lord. And judging by the magic covering this palace it is not going to be easy to reach him. So I cannot waste precious time."

Zalario's wings opened up as he prepared for battle when Diablo spoke again.

"However, I am to follow my lord's orders and wishes above my own. It is due to my lord's undeserved kindness that I will assist you in regaining your own free will once again. Congratulations, you are being rescued. Do not resist."

Zalario let out a short laugh before standing ready for battle.

"I'll try my best."

…

(1st Pov Rimuru)

A haggard Feldway stepped in front of the intruders in the palace. Laying his eyes on me he asked. Ignoring the two primordial dragons and the daughter of his master.

"How?"

"Do you really want the truth?" I answered while showing a gentle expression.

"I need it. Did you speak to him? Did he entrust you with his power? Did he send you here?" Feldway asked with a trace of hope in his voice.

"No, I have never met him. It was during my awakening as a hero that the voice of the world gave me what remained of his power."

"Vow gave it to you? So does that mean?"

"Yes, he is dead. Though I know that this is not what he would want for you. You have gone too far. But it isn't too late to stop."

I was originally not going to answer his questions. It was without a doubt that he had crossed the line and that he had gone too far. But a conversation I had with Ciel before entering made me reconsider it.

'Ciel. What would you do if I did what Veldanava did? If I just left and chose to die.'

[It would depend on the circumstances. If I knew you had a good reason for it I would be extremely sad. I would do my best to convince you otherwise, as even with eternity on our side I would do my best so it never becomes numb and repetitive to live for so long.

But if you still chose to die I would respect your decision. And I would simply choose to die along with you.]

'Did Veldanava tell them he was leaving?'

[As far as I am aware, he did not inform them.]

'So Ciel, what would you do if I left without saying why?'

[...]

I swore I could almost hear Ciel sigh

[It shames me to say, but there is a high chance that I would lose it. And that I would do anything in my power to bring you back. No matter the cost. All so that I could know why.

It may be slightly different for Feldway and Veldanava than us. Since we have been connected since the moment you first awakened as a slime. But it would truly hurt me if I lost you without knowing why.]

"So it really was all for nothing," Feldway said.

"Feldway, I understand how you feel. So I am giving you one more chance. No more destruction. No more forced mind control using the lord of Justice skill. This is it, it's over.'"

Feldway began to chuckle to himself as he nodded.

"You're right, it's over." Feldway said with a hopeless tone.

The ground underneath his feet began to crumble as cracks began to spread all across every room of the palace as he stopped trying to keep it from falling apart. The palace itself began to break apart as it revealed the void and shining stars through the cracks.

A loud roar could be heard from the distance as chaotic energy began to leak into the surroundings.

Ivaraj, the dragon that had been forced into captivity had finally been released as the one who had been placed as a manager unlocked the restraints.

"Since nothing really matters, I'll bring it all down with me. Velgrynd." Feldway said as a second roar was heard from within the palace.