Jayr POV - Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Universe, Central World, Magic Continent, Nasca Namrium Ulmeria United Eastern Empire, Imperial Capital Nasca - 2013 AMB
After gaining the full support of Granbell Rosso, the man who has full control over the Council of the West, I decide not to waste any time and continue my quest to gather the support from all the major factions of the Central World.
My next stop is the one I ranked third on my personal scale of individuals who are annoying to deal with, the Hero Emperor of the Nasca Namrium Ulmeria United Eastern Empire, Rudra Nam Ul Nasca.
The reason why I consider Rudra the third most annoying individual to deal with is because the current Rudra is nothing more than an empty shell, a body with a fragmented soul that is completely under the control of the overbearing will of the Ultimate Skill, Michael, Lord of Justice, who imposes it self-righterous will on everything taking away the free will of the people living in the Eastern Empire.
This means that before doing anything else, I've to free Rudra from Michael's control and fix his fragmented soul.
Luckily, I can easily restrain Michael not only thanks to my authority as the Admin of the Voice of the World, but even more so thanks to my Divine Authority.
After all, Michael may be the Lord of Justice, but in front of a God of Justice, it is nothing but a simple, misguided will.
Without wasting any time, I teleport directly into the Throne Hall of the Nasca Namrium Ulmeria United Eastern Empire, located in the palace in the Imperial Capital Nasca.
The Throne Hall of the Eastern Empire, the heart of this Empire, is a vast and solemn chamber carved from veined obsidian and stone, stretching nearly three hundred feet from end to end.
Its towering vaulted ceiling, ribbed with gold-etched marble, rises like the spine of a slumbering giant, adorned with celestial frescoes that shimmer subtly with enchantments, giving the illusion of a slowly turning sky overhead, daylight, twilight, and starlight passing in an endless cycle.
Massive columns line the hall, each one sculpted in the likeness of the empire's greatest champions, their eyes set with sapphires and their swords embedded with runes of protection.
Between these columns hang banners of crimson and white, each bearing the sigil of Hero Emperor, fluttering gently despite the still air, as if moved by the breath of ancient magic.
At the far end of the hall, elevated by a dais of seven steps, sits the Throne.
An imposing and elaborate seat forged of orichalcum, gold, and enchanted crystal, that glows with a luxurious, almost liquid-gold texture.
The Throne is adorned with intricate swirls and baroque-like designs.
Sitting on the Throne is the Hero Emperor himself, Rudra Nam Ul Nasca.
He is a young man with medium-length golden-blonde hair, fair skin, and distinctly red eyes, with a face that could be called a mix between Russian and Japanese.
He is dressed in a dark, ornate robe with red and gold accents, hinting at royalty or high status.
The robe features a wide collar edged with a patterned gold design, and a large, pendant-like chest piece.
The red lining and gold embellishments on the robe add to the regal impression.
The man's posture is relaxed yet commanding; he rests his chin on his hand with a slight smirk, suggesting confidence, cunning, and possibly also a hint of malice.
(Image Here - Rudra Nam Ul Nasca)
The air within the hall is heavy with incense, cedar, myrrh, and some other plant I do not recognize, burned in braziers shaped like dragon-head.
The silence is near-total, broken only by the faint sound of the breath of the small group of people gathered within the Throne Hall.
As soon as I appear within the Throne Hall, I immediately feel everyone's gaze focusing on me, and at the same time, I also sense a lot of wariness, alertness, and even outright killing intent within those gazes.
The strongest of them all belongs to a beautiful young woman with long straight azure blue hair kept in twin buns with black ribbons, while the rest is down her back and deep gold eyes.
Her expression is serious, almost slightly defiant, with a hint of a smirk playing on her lips.
Her attire is a dark-colored, more specifically black, qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, that is form-fitting and reveals a significant portion of her thighs.
The qipao features gold detailing along the edges of the sleeves and hem, creating a zig-zag pattern.
The gold accents also appear as decorative elements on the dress itself, resembling stylized patterns or possibly dragons.
The fabric of the dress appears smooth and slightly shiny. She also wears white stockings or leggings that reach above her knees.
I immediately recognize her; she is Velgrynd, also known as the Scorch Dragon, the third-oldest of the five True Dragons, and is the partner of the Emperor Rudra Nam Ul Nasca.
(Image Here - Velgrynd)
Velgrynd is the embodiment of the concept of acceleration and possesses control over fire.
She is the third among the True Dragons to be born, and at some point, she was bestowed with the Ultimate skill Raguel by her elder brother, Veldanava, possibly because of the intrinsic nature of acceleration.
It is presumed that sometime after this, she met the Chosen hero Rudra, with whom she eventually fell in love.
Together with his sister Lucia, they embarked on a mission to the North to defeat Guy Crimson.
However, Rudra recklessly named the Daemon, causing his Divine Spiritual Power to deplete, and he wandered between life and death.
She was also present when Rudra and Guy dueled, and during that time, she would argue with her elder sister, Velzard, about how to discipline their newly born brother, Veldora.
Some time later, when Rudra and Guy engaged in their game to rule the world, Rudra established his base in the East, and Velgrynd was one of the individuals who supported him.
With her tremendous strength as a True Dragon, they transformed the once small minor Kingdom of Nasca into the Great Eastern Empire by absorbing all the surrounding kingdoms in the East, eventually making Rudra the Emperor.
With the Empire in place as a base, Rudra and Velgrynd established the Imperial Guardians, an elite group of enlightened humans with the potential to become powerful warriors known as saints.
They would occasionally send these warriors off to battle in order for them to gain experience and awaken as Saints, with Velgrynd as the Marshal.
Her true identity is kept a secret, and she served as Rudra's greatest pawn and partner against Guy.
In an effort to turn the tide of victory against Guy Crimson and help Rudra lessen the burden of controlling the Ultimate skill Michael, Velgrynd hoped that Veldora would assist her in her endeavor.
However, he refused and instead challenged her, but she defeated him, and he fled with his tail between his legs.
The aftermath of their battle created a volcanic region near the future city of El Dorado.
Unknown to Velgrynd, Rudra was nearing his limit, and he secretly asked both Damrada and Tatsuya Kondou to kill him if he ever lost control.
Fortunately, that time never came; however, the Ultimate skill Michael eventually managed to secretly take control of Rudra, turning him into a cruel and mindless puppet.
It also took control of all of Rudra's vassals, including Velgrynd herself, without her knowledge.
After mentally going over Velgrynd's backstory, I briefly focus my attention on what I know of her personality from what I've read in the novel.
Fitting her title and attributes, Velgrynd is a hotheaded individual who dislikes complex schemes and often acts on her emotions, but is still highly intelligent.
She exudes great confidence in her power, which is why she was left utterly stunned when Rimuru, a mere upstart Demon Lord, defeated her.
However, unlike her brother Veldora, she readily admits her defeat and acknowledges it.
Velgrynd has a whimsical nature and is only inclined to help and cooperate with others if they have earned her respect.
When it comes to her friends and family, Velgrynd is very compassionate.
In contrast to her sister Velzard, she is known for her gentleness and her tendency to spoil Veldora the most when disciplining him.
Upon thinking that Veldora had been killed by Rimuru's hands, she immediately flew into a rage. However, her anger turned to joy upon discovering that he was alive and well.
The most defining trait of Velgrynd is her unwavering devotion to Rudra.
She is willing to go to any lengths and do anything he desires, and anyone who dares to insult Rudra in any way instantly triggers her rage.
Velgrynd's interests are primarily aligned with Rudra's, and she pays little attention to other matters unless they hold value in his eyes.
Overall, Velgrynd can be considered a quite loyal and caring person, and being a True Dragon, also one of the strongest individuals in this universe.
The next moment, I ignore her murderous gaze and move on to focus on the other three people present in the Throne Hall that just like Velgrynd are part of the group known as the Imperial Guardians, a group of powerful individuals within the Eastern Empire's military that serve the dual roles as both the royal imperial guard for the Emperor as well as elite agents sent to deal with important tasks.
I focus on the one who has the appearance of an aged man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a goatee.
His long hair is tied into a single low ponytail draped down his back, and he wears expensive clothes like a black eastern-style suit with gold embroideries that depict 3 tiger heads.
He is Damrada of Gold, one of the three governing officials of Cerberus, the most powerful underground organization in the east, and is also the vice commander of Rudra's Imperial Guardians as 002 in the sequence.
(Image Here - Darmada of Gold)
Damrada was the former prime minister of the Kingdom of Nasca and a close friend of Emperor Rudra.
He was originally the head of the Imperial Guardians before Tatsuya Kondou took over his position and was hailed as a Champion in the east as a Fist Saint, and also held a bitter rivalry with Moss.
As part of his promise to Rudra, he roamed the land looking for a suitable candidate to kill the emperor, who worried that the day of Michael fully taking over him would arrive.
Through that journey, he came across a youth with a unique bodily composition that nullified the effect of Skills and Magic.
That boy was Yuuki Kagurazaka, an aspiring young man who held grand ambitions of ruling the world.
Damrada was seduced by his charisma and chose to wholeheartedly follow him, eventually becoming a close friend and partner-in-crime.
Damrada made great efforts building up the underground organization Cerberus, which was founded by Yuuki on top of its predecessor Echidna, expanding it to hold great influence and power in the east.
He took a spot as one of its leaders and became Yuuki's point man in the east.
At some point, he took in Vega, who was fated to be executed by Englassia's authorities, and arranged an education for him, shaping him to be one of the organization's leaders.
He also welcomed Misha, an old acquaintance he's known for decades and a skilled femme fatale.
Basically, he is currently secretly working against Rudra/Michael to try to fulfill the promise he made with his friend years ago.
After taking a brief look at Damrada, I focus on the clearly Japanese man standing on the opposite side.
He has ebony hair, neatly trimmed and stylishly short, accentuating his aura of vitality.
His black eyes, devoid of emotion yet piercingly sharp, seem to possess an uncanny ability to perceive the deepest truths.
A palpable intensity emanated from him, as if he held the weight of countless experiences within his being.
And most intriguing is the fact that he has adorned himself in the resplendent attire of a former Imperial Japanese Navy uniform.
With all these details, it is clear that this person is Tatsuya Kondou, also known as First Lieutenant Kondou, who is the head of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the most powerful warrior in the Eastern Empire.
(Image Here - Tatsuya Kondou)
In a world with low Magicules, Tatsuya Kondou led a humble existence as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Guard of Japan.
He had served as a pilot in the Japanese Navy, showcasing his courage and commitment to his duty.
As a direct disciple of the renowned Gensei Araki, alongside his martial brothers Masahiko Amari and Saburo Minamoto, Kondou had honed his skills in swordsmanship and learned Battlewill and Hazy Lifestream Style sword arts under Gensei's tutelage.
When the Phantoms invaded his world, Kondou fearlessly risked his life to gather crucial intelligence on a pair of these otherworldly invaders who had attacked him.
Displaying unwavering loyalty and selflessness, he provided the information to his commanders before embarking on a kamikaze mission to eliminate the threat.
His plane crashed, but instead of meeting his demise, he found himself unexpectedly transported to a different world, specifically Rudra's private garden.
In this new world, vibrant with magicules and inhabited by creatures such as dragons and monsters, Kondou's path crossed with Emperor Rudra Nasca.
There was an immediate connection between them, a resonance that reminded Kondou of his former liege.
Grateful for his survival, Kondou graciously accepted Rudra's friendship, eager to serve his newfound ally.
Emperor Rudra, recognizing Kondou's extraordinary potential, personally tended to his injuries and restored his health.
In a show of unwavering trust and friendship, Rudra reinstated Kondou's rank as First Lieutenant and offered him the opportunity to continue his service as a valued member of the Imperial Guardians.
Inspired by this bond, Kondo vowed to become even stronger, his powers further augmented by the transference from his previous world.
He rapidly surpassed the other members of the Royal Knights, eventually surpassing even the ancient members of Double 0 Numbers and ascending to the esteemed position of Rank 001, assuming leadership of the Imperial Guardians.
Empowered by his newfound status and exceptional abilities, Kondou spearheaded a transformative era for the Empire.
He skillfully navigated the treacherous waters of political intrigue, employing a mixture of diplomatic finesse and discreet eliminations to resolve conflicts.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive intelligence gathering, he established the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, an expansive network of spies that extended beyond the empire's borders.
Despite the immeasurable power and influence he wielded, Kondou remained grounded and retained the rank of First Lieutenant, symbolizing his unwavering loyalty as the Emperor's lieutenant.
In the end, I focus my attention on the second most important individual in this Throne Hall after the Emperor himself; in fact, from a certain point of view, this person is actually one of the most important individuals in the whole Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Universe.
Its current appearance is that of a young man with spiky, bright blonde hair that stands up almost defiantly, dark blue eyes that are narrowed slightly, giving him a somewhat serious or perhaps even cynical expression, and a faint, almost mischievous smirk plays on his lips.
The young man is wearing a long, loose-fitting red coat that reaches almost to his ankles.
The coat has a high collar, and the shoulders are decorated with gold epaulets, hinting at some sort of rank within the Imperial Guardians, though surely one he doesn't fully embrace.
Underneath the coat, a glimpse of a dark-colored inner garment is visible at the collar.
He also wears high, white boots that lace up the front, and the soles appear to be a light yellowish gold while his hands are in his pockets.
This young man's name is Feldway, and he is actually the first of the Seven Angels of Origin created by Veldanava and a central antagonist of the Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Universe.
(Image Here - Feldway)
During the genesis of creation, before the formation of heaven and earth, Veldanava created the Seven Angels of Origin from the Great Holy Spirit of Light. The first and chief among these angels was Feldway.
They were granted a body of flesh as well as a name, and after life began to develop, they were sent to the Central World to be the guardians of humanity.
It was Feldway's job to watch over the growth of living beings and take out significant threats to the survival of Humans, whom Veldanava gave the utmost importance and care.
The last among the many threats left on the planet was a great and mindless beast called Ivaragé, which Feldway could not handle alone.
It was only with the assistance of the other six angels of origin and Guy Crimson during a three-month-long offensive that Ivaragé was finally pushed back into another dimension and sealed away by Veldanava.
With Ivaragé sealed away, Feldway was reassigned to watch over Ivaragé's seal.
Three other Angels of Origin were placed under Feldway's command, setting up base inside the Otherworld in order to keep watch over Ivaragé.
Eventually, as time passed, the ambient Magicules that filled the Otherworld, only amplified further by the presence of Ivaragé, corrupted Feldway and all the other angels that were with them in the Otherworld.
This event gave rise to the Phantom race with Feldway as its ruler.
After millennia spent in the Otherworld, Feldway eventually detected the sudden "death" of Veldanava.
Feldway was outraged, and with Veldanava not showing even a faint hint of resurrection even after centuries, Feldway had come to the realization that Veldanava had abandoned them, abandoned the world.
At this point, Feldway took a vow to destroy creation itself, to take revenge on not just Humans and Demi-humans, but all sentient life.
He believed that if Veldanava truly cared, then he would come back to put a stop to it.
Because of this, Feldway is without any doubt the greatest threat to the survival of this universe and the individual that I consider the absolutely most annoying to deal with.
After all, its objective is basically the same as that of our enemies, and there is no doubt in my mind that it wouldn't hesitate to join them given the opportunity if it knew about their invasion.
The few seconds that passed while I took a closer look at the people present were more than enough time to allow them all to fully react to my sudden appearance.
Tatsuya Kondou instantly draws and aims in my direction his personal handgun, the Nambu Pistol, ready to fire and unleash his Ultimate Skill at the minimal sign of aggression.
Damrada, who is a master of hand-to-hand combat, rightfully holding the title of Fist Saint, warily takes his fighting stance with all his muscles tense, ready to react to any movement in an instant.
Velgrynd quickly moves in front of Rudra/Michael to protect him from me as the temperature in the Throne Hall starts to rise in response to her agitated mood.
Lastly, Feldway is the only one who, like Rudra/Michael, calmly maintains its relaxed stance and simply limits itself to observing the current situation.
But there is nothing strange with its attitude, after all, Feldway, as one of Veldanava's earliest creations and his first servant, is an immensely powerful individual.
However, due to its cautious nature, Feldway is known for concealing its true strength, and it is known to keep its actual true body, a gift from Veldanava, in storage, and instead utilizes a surrogate body with Diablo, the Black Primordial, even acknowledging that Feldway's main body's combat prowess surpasses that of Guy Crimson.
On top of that, it is also worth noting that even without its main body, Feldway's strength already rivals that of the True Dragons.
While the Imperial Guardians move to protect their Emperor, the man himself, Rudra/Michael continues to sit on his throne, his curious gaze focused on me as he calmly asks, "Who are you? Why did you suddenly barge into our Throne Hall?"
At this point, I don't want to waste any time dealing with a wayward Ultimate Skill and using my authority as admin of the Voice of the World as well as my Divine Authority as God of Justice, I give one simple but direct command, "Ultimate skill, Michael, Lord of Justice. I, Jayr Pucci, as the successor of the Star King Dragon, Veldanava, and God of Justice, order you to stop acting out of your own initiative, release your control over all of Rudra's subjects, and to only focus your energies on maintaining the stability of the fragment of Rudra's soul."
In an instant, Rudra/Michael's eyes flicker for a moment before he nods and solemnly replies, "It will be done."
Shortly after saying that, Rudra/Michael's eyes turn from the previous bright red color to their original teal blue color before he closes his eyes and stops moving, much to the shock of the other people present.
However, the one who had the greatest reaction without any doubt is Feldway as its eyes open wide as it stares at me with a gaze full of disbelief while muttering, "The creator's successor... H-How... How is... How is this possible...?" before it suddenly exclaims, "This shouldn't be possible!? The only one who can take the creator's place is the creator himself!!"
The next moment, the enraged and frenzied Feldway makes its move as it uses Time Stop, utilizing the power of Temporal Manipulation to stop the flow of time entirely for a short duration, then it uses Instant Motion to teleport in front of me in an instant as it tries to attack me.
However, Feldway's attempt is bound to fail because first of all Time Stop as no effect on me as even if the flow of time is entirely stopped I can still percieve, move, and react to what happens without any issue and second, I simply use my Divine Will to dispel its Temporal Manipulation and also completely halt Feldway's movement stopping him from even landing a blow as it exclaims in shock, "I-Impossible...!"
In response, I calmly walk past Feldway toward the still Rudra while saying, "Why should this be impossible? I am more powerful than your creator and have no ill will toward this universe; in fact, I simply wish to protect all his creations. Even the System he created to manage this whole multiverse acknowledged this simple fact. This is the main reason why it chose to submit its Admin rights to me, officially regarding me as Veldanava's successor."
While the bound Feldway is completely shocked by my revelation, the rest of the Imperial Guardians become more tense as I continue to approach their Emperor, but don't make any move.
Not because they don't want to do so, but because I've used my Divine Will to also bind their movement to stop them from uselessly wasting their energies in trying to stop me from basically helping Rudra.
An approach a little too rude and aggressive for my liking, but honestly, I've grown a little tired of running all over this world to gather allies for the eventual battle against the Champion of Power and his armies, at least mentally speaking.
Clearly worried for her lover, Velgrynd glares at me and fiercely asks, "You bastard! What do you plan to do to Rudra!?"
In response, I smile warmly and reassure her, "Don't worry, Velgrynd. I don't have any desire to harm Rudra. In fact, I want to help him. I'm going to fix all the damage caused by his repeated rebirths and Michael's influence."
After saying that, I focus on Rudra, more specifically on the fragment of his soul within the body, and then I fully use my Cosmic Awareness to search for the shards of Rudra's soul across space, time, and even other worlds.
In takes some time, but luckly not so much as I have the fragment of Rudra's soul within his body which makes a lot easier to find them all across the whole Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Universe, then without any hesitation, I gather them all, making sure that I don't kill or harm anyone doing so by choosing the most opportune "time" to collect them.
After gathering all the shards, I calmly use a bit of Spirit Magic to fuse them all with the fragment, with Rudra's body fully restoring his soul to a perfectly healthy state.