The Colosseum, where the tournament to choose Rimuru's fourth Heavenly King was being held, was nothing short of colossal—far grander than anything visitors from distant lands had ever seen. The crowd was dense, drawn by the prestigious martial arts competition that would determine the next Heavenly King under Demon King Rimuru.
Warriors from far and unknown lands had gathered to prove their strength, while spectators arrived with different motives. Some sought to witness thrilling battles, others were curious about the true might of the so-called Demon King, and many simply wished to be part of this historic event. With so many eager eyes, the Colosseum overflowed with anticipation and excitement.
Nirvakal entered the Colosseum and quietly took a seat. People were in awe as they gazed at the grand Colosseum, marveling at its sheer scale and design. However, Nirvakal had no interest in such trivial sights. To him, it wasn't even worth a glance. His focus remained solely on the slime—everything else was meaningless.
People were buzzing with excitement about the "Light-Speed Hero" Masayuki, who was set to participate in the tournament. Some of Demon King Rimuru's own subordinates were also competing for the title of Fourth Heavenly King. However, if someone outside his subordinates emerged victorious, they would be granted the rare opportunity to challenge Rimuru himself. Rumors spread through the crowd that the hero Masayuki was aiming for this very chance—to fight and defeat the Demon King.
Even though Nirvakal had completely suppressed his power, making him appear no different from an ordinary human, people still instinctively avoided him. Some felt an unexplainable fear, while others mistook him for a powerful warrior about to participate in the tournament. However, Nirvakal paid no mind to their assumptions. He simply sat quietly in his seat, indifferent to the thoughts of those around him.
The Colosseum was packed with countless spectators, their anticipation thick in the air. At its center stood the grand arena, slightly elevated above the ground—where warriors would soon clash in battle. Special seating had been arranged for rulers of nations, nobles, and other dignitaries. Yet, among all these prestigious seats, one stood out the most—the throne reserved for the Demon King, Rimuru.
After a brief wait, the moment everyone had been eagerly anticipating finally arrived. Rimuru, the Demon King himself, entered the Colosseum, accompanied by his most trusted subordinates. He had long blue hair, a human-like face, and a seemingly ordinary body with a playful demeanor—or so it appeared to the untrained eye. In truth, this form was merely a facade; his real body was that of a slime. Though he looked like an innocent child, those who knew of his power understood that beneath this appearance lay an entity of overwhelming strength, his magic expertly concealed.
Walking beside him were his closest and most powerful subordinates. To his right was Shion, his warrior secretary with light purple hair—a member of the Four Heavenly Kings. She carried an ever-present joyful aura. Next to her stood Benimaru, the red-haired Ogre Prince and general of Rimuru's army, often regarded as the strongest among his subordinates. His presence radiated confidence and strength. Beside Benimaru was Hakuro, an elderly ogre with white hair, a master swordsman and renowned instructor.
To Rimuru's left sat Milim Nava, one of the Octagram—the eight Demon Lords. She appeared as a young girl with pink hair, her mischievous nature evident as she fidgeted in her seat, brimming with restless excitement.
Diablo, Rimuru's second secretary and butler, stood in the arena alongside the tournament participants, serving as the referee for the matches. To ordinary people, he appeared to be an archdemon—powerful yet still within their understanding. However, to Nirvakal, nothing was hidden. With a single glance, he saw through Diablo's true nature. He was not just any demon but a True Primordial Demon of Darkness, one who had existed since the very beginning of creation itself. This revelation piqued Nirvakal's interest in Diablo.
Soon after their arrival, Rimuru delivered his speech, officially marking the start of the tournament. However, Nirvakal had no interest in the battles. His attention was solely on Rimuru—and more specifically, on the entity conversing with him within his mind.
Raphael, one of Rimuru's Ultimate Skills, possessed vast knowledge and unparalleled calculation abilities, constantly analyzing and advising him. As she was in the midst of explaining something to Rimuru, something completely unforeseen occurred—something even Raphael had not predicted.
A deep, heavy, and emotionless voice echoed directly into her consciousness.
"So, you are the Ultimate Skill of this slime—the one who helped him grow this strong in such a short amount of time."
For the first time, Raphael experienced something akin to surprise. Until now, only Rimuru had been able to communicate with her, and only he fully knew of her existence. Yet now, an unknown entity had spoken to her—without Rimuru even noticing. More than that, this being was already aware of her identity.
Instantly, Raphael's calculations surged at an unimaginable speed. The implications were alarming. For someone to bypass Rimuru's awareness and directly engage with her meant only one thing—this entity was far beyond Rimuru's comprehension.
As a precaution, she quickly checked whether Rimuru had any awareness of this unknown presence. He did not. Should I inform him? Should I ask about this being?—she considered these possibilities but ultimately chose silence. Instead, she attempted to secretly locate the entity.
"Error. Unable to locate."
The result was an absolute failure. Impossible. No such anomaly has ever occurred before.
Within mere milliseconds, after processing the overwhelming implications, Raphael made her decision and responded:
"Question: Who are you? And how are you able to converse with me?"
Ignoring Raphael's attempts to locate him, Nirvakal spoke once more in the same manner as before—his voice heavy, emotionless, yet carrying an undeniable air of superiority.
"First, you are not yet worthy of knowing who I am. And second, there is nothing beyond my reach—let alone merely speaking with you."
Unable to comprehend Nirvakal's motive, Raphael asked,
"Question: What is your purpose in conversing with me?"
Nirvakal replied in the same tone,
"Purpose? There's no such thing. I was just bored, and you seemed interesting—that's all."
While conversing with Nirvakal, Raphael continued attempting to locate him. Yet, no matter how many calculations she ran, she was met with failure. For the first time, she was encountering such persistent errors—simply from trying to pinpoint a single individual.
Noticing these relentless attempts, Nirvakal finally spoke, his tone as unwavering as ever:
"Cease your futile efforts. If I do not wish to be found, no one can—least of all you."
After hearing Nirvakal's words, Raphael stopped her attempts to locate him. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she believed his words. She accepted that she was not capable of finding him.
If Nirvakal had wished it, he could have simply erased Raphael with a mere glance. Yet, he refrained from doing so. He didn't like using force without reason. It was far too easy for him to obliterate someone, but he chose not to, for that was not his way.
After ceasing her efforts to locate Nirvakal, Raphael was about to ask him something when Rimuru suddenly spoke up.
"Raphael-sensei, why have you been so quiet? Did something happen?" Rimuru noticed that Raphael had been silent for some time and, sensing that something was off, decided to ask her directly.
Though Raphael wanted to tell Rimuru about Nirvakal, she refrained. He had been deliberately concealing himself, and she was uncertain of his power or even his exact location. There were many things she didn't know about him, but one thing was certain—he was not someone to be underestimated.
After a brief pause, Raphael replied, her tone calm and collected:
"Answer: Nothing out of the ordinary happened. I was just analyzing the surroundings and the participants' skills."
Rimuru paused, a sense of unease creeping into his mind, but he chose not to press further. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was strange, but in the end, he simply nodded and replied:
"Oh, I see. Then, tell me what the results are."
Raphael, having already analyzed the situation from the start, had no trouble explaining everything to Rimuru.
After everything, Nirvakal deliberately released a faint thread of his aura—one only Raphael could perceive—as a test. As he did, Raphael immediately felt an overwhelming presence, one unlike anything she had ever encountered. Not even Veldora, the true dragon and one of the most powerful beings in this world, exuded such a terrifying aura.
Despite the fearsome energy she felt, Raphael's analytical and calculative abilities kicked in, and she tried to calculate Nirvakal's power. However, she was unable to do so, as it was something entirely new—something she had never seen, felt, or experienced. It was like praying in an endless void. Nevertheless, she understood one thing clearly: here, right now, he was the strongest.
Though she couldn't gauge his power, she was able to pinpoint his location. He was sitting on a seat in the Colosseum, with long black hair and eyes that seemed to reflect the void itself. He wore a black robe, and though his physique appeared skinny, there was an undeniable muscularity to him. Despite his seemingly ordinary appearance, the power within him was incomprehensible. His sword, resting on his back, appeared plain, but it emanated a sense that it could cut through anything. Still, he blended in with the crowd—unremarkable to the untrained eye.
Raphael's quick discovery of his location, even though he had allowed her to find him, was impressive. Had Nirvakal wanted, she would never have sensed his aura, let alone located him. Yet, the fact that she had pinpointed his position so quickly earned his quiet approval.
However, the moment Raphael found his location, she felt his dark, void-like pupils already staring back at her. Unknowingly, she stopped her analysis.
Even though Raphael was an Ultimate Skill, existing solely within Rimuru's mind, she could still feel Nirvakal's gaze upon her. He wasn't looking at Rimuru—only at her. From an outsider's perspective, he seemed to be merely sitting in his seat, his attention fixed on the ongoing match. Yet, Raphael couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that his eyes were locked onto her alone.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Rimuru suddenly spoke.
"Raphael-sensei, can you analyze the man in the stands wearing a black robe? For a brief moment, he released an aura on the same level as Benimaru's."
Raphael was momentarily stunned. The same level as Benimaru? The power Nirvakal had released was far beyond that—yet Rimuru had only perceived it as comparable. Was this because Nirvakal had deliberately concealed his true strength from everyone except her? And more importantly, what was his purpose in doing so?
Unable to decipher his intentions, Raphael chose to remain silent about the true extent of his power. After rapidly processing her analysis, she responded to Rimuru in her usual composed tone:
"Report—on the surface, he appears to be an ordinary human. However, he briefly released an aura comparable to Benimaru's. He seems to be suppressing his power using a Unique Skill. The brief moment his aura was revealed appears to have been intentional, or there may be some instability in his skill that momentarily disrupted its effect, allowing us to sense it."
After hearing Raphael's response, Rimuru frowned slightly, deep in thought.
Why is he concealing his power? If that man was truly as strong as he seemed, he could have easily won the tournament—yet he hadn't even participated.
Could he be a spy from another kingdom? But that didn't make much sense. No ordinary kingdom would send someone this powerful just to gather intelligence—it would be a waste of such strength. So then, why was he here?
Don't tell me he's an assassin… or someone dissatisfied with me, here to pick a fight? But even that seemed unlikely. Who would dare cause a scene in front of countless spectators, with leaders from various kingdoms and nations present? Not to mention, they were in the presence of many powerful individuals—including two Demon Lords.
While Rimuru was lost in thought, he wasn't the only one who had noticed Nirvakal's brief aura release—or rather, the ones Nirvakal had allowed to notice it.
The three Heavenly Kings had also sensed it, and all of them were equally shocked. Discovering someone as powerful as Benimaru—someone they hadn't noticed until now—was unsettling. Wasting no time, they reported their findings to Rimuru, seeking his decision on the matter.
Rimuru, maintaining his composure, instructed them, "Don't cause a scene. Just observe him for now. We don't even know his intentions—whether he's an enemy or not."
So, they decided to abide by Rimuru's decision while keeping a close eye on Nirvakal's actions. However, even after quite some time, they were still unable to find anything suspicious about him or his behavior.
And finally, after contemplating long enough, Rimuru decided to approach Nirvakal directly—oblivious to the true nature of the being he was about to face. But who knew how this encounter would unfold? Would it lead to disaster or turn out to be an unforeseen blessing…?