Chapter 44

(This just got really depressing...) I sighed while tapping the bridge of one of my horns.

The atmosphere had become rather dark and gloomy, not that I could really blame everyone for this but still. Sadly for us however it would seem that Clayman really had managed to out play us this time. With the beastmen army here at Tempest there was no one left to protect those that they left behind when they all came here, honestly, it was a grim situation to say the least. I myself was rather pissed off about it all, mostly because we had ended up being out maneuvered by that scumbag of all people.

"So what exactly are we gonna do now? Getting there before Clayman's forces would be practically impossible at this point through normal means." I muttered with a complicated expression.

"Damn it..." Suphia growled out as her right hand clenched into a tight fist.

"I mean I could try and make a rift from here to there using my skill...however I'd have to fly all the way over there first, after all I can only open portals to places that I have been before." I suggested with a shrug, I didn't really know what else to do at this point. "However, by that time I don't know if I'd be able to evacuate everyone before the enemy arrives."

(Maybe I could find some kind of a work around...if I use the memories of tuna fish or one of his friends while I activate and use the skill at the same time...) I thought but before I could say anything Rimuru spoke up which ended up getting everyone's attention.

"I don't know the faces or names of the people of Eurazania, however we are on friendly terms with them and I won't leave innocent people to die, so I won't be hesitating to help them with this."

"It seems that the Abyss will also be helping as well." I muttered, causing the Lycanthropes to look at me gratefully.

Nodding at that Rimuru turned to look at a certain red haired kijin. "Benimaru." 

"Yes?"

"Stop them." Benimaru simply grinned when he heard that.

"I'll destroy them." Seeing this interaction I spoke without turning around.

"Kaen..."

"Got it..." Kaen muttered as he suddenly sat up, his rather lazy appearance vanishing in an instant and being replaced by one of calm and focused seriousness. "Nice to meet you red hair, I'll be handling everything on the Abyss's end of things."

Benimaru was a little surprised by the sudden shift in personality, after all up until now all Kaen had really done was lay around with his eyes closed while occasionally speaking up. With Benimaru being a bit of a workaholic and Kaen being so laid back I had a feeling that their mindsets might end up clashing a little bit at first.

"You sure you don't want to keep sleeping?" He asked with somewhat narrowed eyes.

"I don't slack off when lives are counting on my instructions." My lazy and unbothered friend responded as the tail that came out of the back of his head whipped back and forth behind him.

Benimaru paused for a moment before smiling slightly. "Nice to be working with you then."

Rimuru nodded happily when he saw this before continuing. "Alright then, let's think of a plan shall we." So we did, we tried anyway.

There however was one very large problem that would make any kind of counter attack or defense much more difficult, a problem I had already noticed before. There was just no way currently to get there on time, I could possibly do it but there is a chance that the civilians wouldn't be able to evacuate in time and would end up getting caught in the middle of the fighting.

"Looks like there really is no way for us to get there in time..."

"We could try my suggestion." I muttered, I had explained my idea a moment ago but there was one thing I forgot to add. "Although I have no idea what will happen, after all the last time I looked into someone's mind his brain literally melted so I don't know what would happen this time."

[The chances of that happening are minimal and even less than that if I were to assist you with it, however it shouldn't be necessary.] I was a little surprised when the voice of Raphael echoed in my head and from Rimuru's reaction he heard her too.

(Why is that?) I asked with interest.

[Because I have already formulated a solution for your current dilemma.] That was a surprise to say the least.

(And what would that be?) Rimuru asked, he was apparently just as surprised as I was.

Raphael quickly began going through and explaining what exactly it was that she had done, her explanation was rather long and complicated however. Basically she had gone and made a new version of the transport skill, a skill that can teleport items but can't transport people because it'll kill them if they're not protected with some kind of barrier or other such things.

(Raphael is op as all hell.) I sighed, the abilities she had at her disposal really were terrifying but I wasn't really one to talk considering my own abilities.

(You're as amazing as ever partner.) Rimuru chuckled.

[Thank you very much.] She sounded rather proud of herself.

"It's okay everyone, I have just created a new technique that will help us with this dilemma." Rimuru announced, causing everyone to look at him in shock.

"""Really!""" They were all very impressed, if only they knew the truth of the situation.

(Wow...dad just took all the credit.)

[How shameless...] Raphael huffed and I sighed in disappointment.

(So shameless...)

(Hey! Don't be so mean.)

And so after Rimuru got done moping around he explained the new ability that "he" had created and we finally got to planning out our strategy. There was one last problem we had to deal with however, if we attacked Clayman's army he would probably escape before we could have the chance to catch him, thankfully Shion ended up making a rather interesting suggestion. Basically her idea was simple, go to Walpurgis and deal with Clayman there before he can escape.

"Hey nightlight." I said aloud much to the annoyance of a certain fairy.

"Don't call me that!"

"You think anyone would actually give a shit if we crashed this little tea party of theirs?"

"Yesss, tell usss little missss." Zeref hissed and Kuro nodded in agreement. Yin and Yang would have also said something as well, however they had fallen asleep some time ago after getting addicted to the manga Veldora had shown them.

She was still somewhat annoyed but answered anyway. "That will probably be fine but you can only bring two other people with you." She shrugged before continuing. "We ran into some problems in the past so we made this new rule"

"I see..."

Almost immediately a small argument broke out as various people volunteered to go with Rimuru, the argument itself was mostly between Shion, Diablo and Veldora. So while all of them tried to figure that whole mess out on their end I turned to look at my group of companions and subordinates.

It wasn't hard to pick who I'd end up taking with me, so in the end I didn't waste any time thinking much about it. "Fuyuko, Zeref, you want to come?"

"Very well mistress..."

"It would be my honour to ssserve you."

Getting their answers I nodded before a thought entered my mind. (That just leaves them to deal with I guess.)

"Legion." I muttered out loud getting the attention of several people, in fact I got the attention of everyone present when the silver liquid metal like body of Legion flowed out of the ground around me. "That means you'll have to stay here as well."

"Hellooooo there."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...HAHA...why am I laughing again?"

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU PIECES OF SHIT! YOU ARE ALL SO UGLY! SO HIDEOUS! I BET YOU EAT YOUR OWN CRAP YOU DISGUSTING BAGS OF ROTTING MAGGOT FILLED FLESH! GOD DAMN IT! JUST LOOKING AT YOU PISSES ME OFF!"

"Well I think that they are all very pretty."

"My god! I can't read..."

"Quack Quack? Quack!"

"My apologies for their disgraceful behaviour, they are a rather unrefined bunch of individuals. My name is-"

"The deep...the children of the light...they sleep within the deep...the deep must not be breached..."

"Did you know that sea cucumbers vomit out their own organs as a kind of self defense mechanism? Cool right?"

"I'm sorry about this idiot here, they have a kind of multi-personality disorder." I sighed while trying to ignore the looks that I was getting. "Also their name is Legion if that wasn't already obvious, they are kind of new to my entourage of weird followers."

Surprisingly it was Diablo that had the most interesting reaction to Legion's appearance, the shocked and almost excited expression he had was enough for everyone to know something was up. "The Twisted Maw..."

"You know him?" Rimuru asks, confused.

"We have never had the pleasure of meeting before this moment, however I know of their many, many legends and achievements." The demon said with an unsettling smile. "An anomaly cast aside by the very world that birthed it, the swirling incarnation of starvation itself that devoured an uncountable number of faces and identities from all walks of life, a being of endless gluttony that was driven by it's unending misery to devour the souls of countless beings throughout the ages."

"""Familiar...""" All the voices of Legion muttered softly as they looked at diablo. For a moment I thought that the two of them would end up fighting each other or something but Legion slowly sank back into the ground around me before disappearing from sight.

"To think you have not only tamed such a being but also named it as well! Truly you are extraordinary young miss." Diablo praised and I could only rub the back of my head awkwardly.

"Errm...thanks?"

And so after answering several questions about Legion we moved on. Things sped up quite a bit after that as time flew by and we planned for the battle that was soon to begin as well as the event that was Walpurgis.

A few days passed after that, we prepared for what was to come the best that we could in the time we had. Tempest and the army of the lycanthropes got to work on planning and training, as for the Abyss, well, I had sent Bels back to inform everyone of what exactly was happening and to tell them to prepare. Of course I made sure that she specified that only volunteers had to participate.

Moving on, Rimuru and I with the help of the three beastketeers were able to evacuate all the villages that were within the danger zone. Once that was done I worked with several people to help create different items that would help with various things such as logistics, taking care of the wounded, as well as cursed items that could be used to create portable traps and explosives.

Anyway, after some time the day had finally come, the day the combined armies would leave for war. This event was not signalled by a horn or anything of the thought, people knew it was time almost immediately when a massive black rip in space appeared outside of Tempest, a portal large enough to block out the sun.

(And so it begins...)