I'm happy Tempest is thriving,
but I wish it didn't come with so much paperwork.
What the hell?!
Rimuru! I'm going on an adventure with Gaia!
Uh, an adventure?
This will be an important experience for Gaia!
After all, as apex predators,
dragons only eat prey they've killed themselves.
So I'm going to teach it how to hunt!
Go, Gaia!
Chaotic Breath
That's a former Chaos Dragon for you!
Oho?
Well done, Gaia!
Gaia was reborn as an Elemental Dragon once again.
Elemental Dragons are the progenitors of all dragons,
and it was the most powerful of the True Dragons, the Star King Dragon,
who brought them into existence.
There are only four True Dragons in existence, including Veldora.
Dragons are beings in a class all their own.
R-Regrettable...
Floor 50 Conquered!!
Even Bovix is no match for us now!
Right? Right? It's like we're a little too strong now, right?
We are invincible!
Uh, Milim...
Well, you look like you're having a lovely time.
Yeah! Super duper... fun?!
F-Frey?!
Did you not promise that you would come home once Gaia hatched?
W-Well, you see...
My Gaia...
Take care of my friend!
Sure. I'll raise it well for you.
The labyrinth is the only place Gaia will have room to grow.
Now...
I need to get my act together before Shuna gets cross with me.
Time to really get to work on the vessels I promised Diablo!
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 4
Episode 85: New Companions
Right, then.
Now that I take a good look, there sure are a lot.
I never expected them to prepare so many for me.
Great Rimuru.
What's up, Diablo?
I had forgotten to tell you how many subordinates I will be bringing.
Oh, okay. How many?
A few hundred at most.
Certainly fewer than a thousand.
That's a lot!
I do have all these ready, but...
Is he really gonna bring a thousand of them here?
I mean, knowing him, it's possible.
Master! This one next, please!
Hey, they're hard at work.
Vesta, you start collecting data!
Once you finish that, you can get the paperwork together, and then—
Heya.
Sorry I had to ask for your help, Ramiris.
I hear you brought in Veldora and them, too?
Great Rimuru...
Huh?!
What's wrong with them?
Nothing, except there's so much to do and not enough of us.
That much? But the vessels are already made...
An elemental core?!
That was my idea!
I figured having a powerful core would make it even stronger!
All of Lady Ramiris's ideas are so magnificent and intriguing.
You're gonna put one in all of them?!
Yep!
There's no way she can come up with elemental cores for a thousand vessels!
And she's putting pseudo souls in them, too?
Pseudo Soul
Well? Pretty cool, huh?
Just seeing Rimuru make that face was all I needed out of this!
Yeah, I can see why you're short-handed.
Which is why I want an assistant!
Hm?
I mean, Vesta and Master have other work to do.
And everything going on here is top secret,
so it's not like just anyone will do.
More help, huh?
Rimuru, I also have a favor to—
Great Rimuru.
Shuna?
What brings you all the way out here?
There's someone here to see you.
There is?
He says he knows you.
His name is Deeno.
Huh?
Wasn't Deeno...
Hey.
Been a while.
Yep. Demon Lord Deeno.
He's in Octagram, like me.
I think his nickname was "Sleeping Ruler."
Take your time.
So? You doing good?
Yeah. Lots of problems to deal with, of course, so it hasn't been easy.
And what about you?
What brings you here?
Just came to hang out as fellow Demon Lords.
And the real reason?
Thing is, I was run out of where I'd been living.
Huh?
Well, I don't have a home, see,
so I've been crashing with Daggrull.
Oh, also, I'm flat broke.
And you call yourself a Demon Lord?!
This guy's actually pretty useless!
Now you know, so... I wanna crash here.
Not a chance.
What?!
Huh?
H-Hang on just a minute!
What, you want me to just die by the wayside, then?!
No, just work.
Don't ask so much of me!
It's my aesthetic never to work.
I haven't done a thing to earn money in centuries!
Never ate or drank out of my own pocket, either!
Well, ain't that something? Leave after you finish that.
Rimuru... no, Great Rimuru.
Please allow me to become a citizen of this country and serve you.
Your wish is my command!
Deeno, dude... did you just cave in over a cream puff?
If it means I get to eat yummy stuff like this every day,
I wanna live here!
I wanna! I wanna!
He really is useless.
Go on, get outta here.
Can you still say that after seeing this?
It's a letter for you from the oldest of the Demon Lords, Guy Crimson.
Guy? The red-haired one?
"Please look after Deeno."
Say what?! Why do I have to take care of him?!
Answer.
It is highly possible that the individual named Guy Crimson
dumped the individual named Deeno on you because he didn't want to provide for him.
See?
Don't you "See?" me!
It sucks, but I don't want Guy on my bad side.
Okay, fine.
I'll take care of you, but you're gonna work for it.
Huh?!
Work?!
Well, I call it "work," but it's really simple stuff.
I want you to be Ramiris's assistant.
Ramiris?
Isn't she just like me? I mean, she was holed up in that labyrinth so long...
W-Wait, Master! Stop!
The capsule's cracked!
Hey! What're you guys doing?!
R-Rimuru?! And... Deeno?!
What?! You put Veldora's magicules directly into the capsule?!
I thought, with his help, the doll might mature a little faster,
and the vessel would be finished sooner.
So the magicule density inside the capsule rose to abnormal levels,
and it nearly blew up?
Correct.
I should scold them for this, but...
Notice.
Notice
The individual named Veldora's waves made the magisteel Bone Golem transform.
Magisteel Doll
Trans form
It is a form of Adamantite.
It could be provisionally named Dragotite.
Well, that was an unexpected result.
Why were you in such a rush to finish the vessel, though?
Well, um...
I wanted the beings that are going to idolize me
to have their own bodies as soon as possible.
That would make them happy, too,
and then I'd have more help around here, you know?
Lady Ramiris...
You should've just talked to me, then.
Diablo isn't back yet, anyway.
I'll get you some bodies for the Dryads first.
Really?!
Of course!
Thanks, Rimuru!
Also...
As for more help...
So... I don't wanna work,
but I wasn't really given a choice.
I'll be helping out.
Glad to have you!
Well, then, Mr. Deeno, shall we get started right away?
Huh?
"Huh?" is not an answer.
Now, our time is limited!
Uh, but... I'm a Demon Lord...
And?
Titles have no meaning here!
Y-Yes, sir.
I guess that takes care of our staff shortage.
I should get back to my own—
Wait.
Rimuru...
I have a favor to ask, too.
A favor? From me?
Yes.
I want an assistant, too!
An assistant?!
Sorry, but everyone's already busy.
No one has time to help you—
Now, wait!
I've been helping Ramiris and working as the guardian of the labyrinth.
Boooooored...
I do very important work!
I don't think it would hurt to have an assistant
who can calm me by showering me with gratitude and praise!
I get how you feel,
but I don't know if there's anyone who can do that for you...
No need to worry!
The truth is,
there's someone I have called a friend ever since I was in your stomach.
Huh?
Notice.
I surmise that he is referring to the greater spirit Ifrit.
Huh? Ifrit?
You mean the Ifrit who was attached to Shizu-san?
When did they become friends?
Answer.
When you Predated Ifrit,
the individual named Veldora intervened so that they were held in the same place.
Ever since, then two of them have been together and fostered a friendship.
All that happened inside my stomach?
Um... so you want me to bring Ifrit back, right?
I knew you'd catch on quick, Rimuru!
My feelings on that are kind of mixed.
Ifrit may have saved Shizu-san after she was summoned here,
but he also made her suffer a lot.
I can't agree to that so easily.
Y-You won't do it?
Rimuru! I'm asking you, too!
Please grant Master's wish!
I think Ifrit swore his loyalty to Demon Lord Leon, though.
If I do bring him back, will he actually serve you?
Hmm...
I see.
No need to worry about that.
My passion has gotten through to him, and now he is eager to be my assistant!
Really?
Also, were you just talking to Ifrit there?
Yes! Nothing is impossible for me!
Master's amazing, you know!
Ifrit summoned a bunch of Salamanders for the Magitrain because he asked!
I thought it was weird that Veldora summoned them.
So I think it'll be good to have him on our team!
Okay, fine. But you have to take responsibility for whatever happens.
Sure! You can count on me!
I'm so happy for you, Master!
Yay!
My first assistant!
Yay!
Hooray! Hooray!
I feel like my pet was just begging me for a treat.
You can leave those materials over there.
Sure thing.
Why do I have to do all this?
Is this okay for the core?
Yep, that's good!
Indeed!
That will make it adapt easily to my power.
Okay, let's get started!
The vessel is a bone golem transformed into Dragotite by Veldora's magicules.
For its core, we're using Charybdis's chaos core.
Notice.
Notice
Vestiges of Ifrit confirmed.
Confirmed
Transferring to Charybdis's chaos core.
Charybdis's Chaos Core
Successful.
Successful
Proceeding to creation of soul vessel.
Fusing with Dragotite vessel.
Whoa...
Huh?
Ejecting culture fluid.
Opening capsule.
Huh? Is that what Ifrit looked like?
Ah, Ifrit!
How does it feel to finally have a body and be back in action?
Lord Veldora, this is the first time we've met in real life.
And Great Rimuru.
I cannot thank you enough for reviving me.
S-Sure. I'm glad you seem well.
So... there's something I wanted to ask you...
Weren't you, um... you know, more... well...
I suspect this form was Lord Veldora's idea.
Ah.
But thanks to Lord Veldora's power,
even though I am a fire spirit, I can now control wind, as well.
Uh-huh!
In addition, Charybdis was also female.
If you'd rather have your old form—
Not at all.
Appearances aside, this form is far more powerful than my previous form.
Oh, okay.
But before... well...
Don't you have a grudge against me?
No.
Your attempt to eliminate me out of concern for Shizue Izawa was only natural.
She and I had differing opinions.
The two of us could never mix.
I'm sure there must have been some other way...
but all I can do now is lament what happened.
Ifrit and I talked about things after that.
We told stories of our struggles with Veldora,
and of Demon Lord Leon, the one she used to serve.
I am what remains after you defeated and killed me.
I had the good fortune to be saved by Veldora, so my ego was spared,
but I am aware that I am not the same being I was back then.
I believe that Lord Leon is a great Demon Lord,
but the one I wish to serve now is Lord Veldora.
Okay.
Then I'd like you to do your best as Veldora's assistant from now on.
Understood.
Ifrit!
As of today, your name is Charys!
Very well.
I, Charys, hereby swear my loyalty to Lord Veldora.
Is that...
Notice.
The greater spirit Ifrit has evolved into a Flame Lord.
Brilliant!
I know I can rest at ease leaving the balance of magicules in your hands!
Wait, what?
This...
Tch. You've reverted to your male form.
Huh?!
This power is unbelievable.
What is?
It appears that the power of my flames in this form is...
And...
in my female form, my wind powers are greater.
Hardly a surprise.
Charys, I'll be counting on you as my assistant from now on.
Understood, Lord Veldora.
I bet Veldora's gonna push her around even more now that she's stronger.
I think they just made friends with a Flame Lord...
Well, these things happen.
Deeno, if you're gonna hang around Rimuru and Master,
you can't be shocked by a little thing like that.
Uh, seriously, though...
I hope your shogi skills haven't gone rusty!
Would you like to find out?
I guess I was stupid for trying to make sense of it.
We gained other new companions, too.
There were nearly ten Dryads who evolved into Dryas Doll Dryads like Treyni-san,
and we were up to over a hundred Treants ready to work in the labyrinth.
Thank you, Great Rimuru.
We're not gonna be short-handed again for a while.
All that's left is to wait for Diablo to get back.
I'm sure Great Rimuru will be pleased with them, as well.
Next time, "The Black Numbers."
The Black Numbers