I am Rimuru Tempest (Another Version)

"When Clayman attacked, you were the one who saved all of my citizens. Without you, I know we would have lost many of their lives. When Milim attacked, Frey came in your stead and defended Eurazania with me. Thanks to her, Eurazania took only minor damage." Carrion's voice was steady, and each word was carefully thought out as he spoke. Then, with deliberate motion, he summoned his halberd from his spatial storage, its tip gleaming as he aimed it directly at Rimuru.

Before Carrion could even get another word out, Shion's blade was already at his throat, a massive gust of wind filling the room from the speed with which she had moved. Diablo, with his usual eerie grace, materialized beside her, his hands transformed into sharp claws, their deadly points hovering just near Carrion's heart. 

The Beasketeers all froze for a moment before reacting and preparing to defend their king. Their eyes were filled with the determination to die protecting him. Yet before they could act, Carrion raised his other hand, stopping them with a single, authoritative gesture. 

The room fell still again, a fragile peace hanging by a thread.

"Rimuru Tempest." Carrion began, his gaze locked on Rimuru, unfazed by the blade and claws poised to strike him down. "I know what I must do. As a king, it is my duty to do the best for my citizens. To secure their future, their safety. However…" He paused, his grip on the spear tightening. "I can't simply kneel before you without fighting first."

Carrion's voice remained strong, his pride and honor as a king clear in every syllable. 

"If it were Frey, or even Milim, I would have knelt. But I can't bow to you without testing myself, without proving my worth in battle." He exhaled slowly, his eyes hardening with resolve. "Which is why, I challenge you to a fight."

Rimuru sat on his throne, watching Carrion's expression carefully. He had been expecting something like this. As much as Carrion was a king, he was also a warrior and a Beastman. 

[Notice. Carrion's current behavioral patterns showcase more than pride and Beastman instincts.] Raphael chimed in.

'Hm?'

[Notice. It is believed that the subject, Carrion, is seeking closure.]

'Ah. I get it now…' Rimuru mused internally. 'He failed his people, and now he needs me to be stronger than him. Because if I'm not, that only makes him more of a failure?'

[Affirmative.]

"Shion, Diablo, it's fine." Rimuru commanded as he stood up.

Reluctantly, Shion withdrew her sword, her eyes never leaving Carrion. Diablo, too, retracted his claws but remained vigilant. The Beastketeers, sensing the de-escalation, stepped back, but stayed on guard for any unexpected movements.

Walking down the steps in front of his throne, he saw Carrion lower his halberd slightly, his muscles still tense.

"There are many things I could say right now," Rimuru began, looking at the Beastketeers for a moment before returning his gaze to Carrion."About the duty of a king, the choices you need to make. About this fight…"

He stopped just in front of Carrion's halberd, close enough to feel the energy radiating from him. As a smile appeared on his face, Rimuru stretched his arm, and in an instant, a spear appeared in his hand.

"But why bother?" Rimuru continued, his grin widening. "We both know that fighting will be the easiest way to settle this."

In the past, when he had been experimenting with his fighting style, he had ordered Kurobe to create different weapons for him to try. And though the katana suited him the best since he had Hakuro to learn from, he still kept the other weapons in his Stomach.

They had all been soaking up his magicules for a long time now, and even when they had gone unused, they still continued to strengthen. In the end, since he was fighting an expert with the halberd, he might as well learn something along the way. 

The weapon had a silvery blue handle made from orichalcum and had subtle engravings along the shaft. The blade was double-edged, with pure black Adamantite metal, and near its center was a small silver crystal mined from Fulbrosia.

Strangely enough, even though Magisteel and Orichalcum weapons could change their shape to best fit their user, they would usually do so slowly. With the spear, he could feel as if he could channel his Universal Shapeshift through it. In an instant, he would be able to change the spear's size and form to suit his needs.

The weight of the weapon felt right in his hand, and he gave the spear one twirl before raising it and aiming it at Carrion.

"I accept your challenge." Rimuru declared, activating Uriel as he spoke and teleporting everyone in the room to the Labyrinth in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, they found themselves standing in a seemingly endless field of grass. The horizon stretched out for as far as they could see without anything else in sight. This was one of the unfinished floors in the Labyrinth.

Rimuru couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement building inside of him as he stood in the wide open field, breathing in the fresh air. It was a nice change of pace after sitting on his throne all day.

The last time he had a real fight against someone had been against the Orc Disaster. Clayman had been a joke, and his fight with Frey was more experimental than anything else. Falmuth could be considered a fight, but he had simply dropped a meteor on them, and they had died.

Even if Carrion was nowhere near his level of strength, Rimuru knew that Carrion would go all out. And though Rimuru would have to limit his strength so as not to win instantly, it would be his chance to experiment and learn.

…

…

Well… who was he kidding? He was probably going to just have fun with it. He needed to give his brain a chance to relax.

"This is Ramiris' Labyrinth, is it not?" A wide grin growing on Carrion's face as he asked.

"Yes."

"Kwuahahahahahahaha." Carrion began laughing uncontrollably for a few seconds, causing his Beastketeers to look at him with concern. "Call Ramiris over. Since we are in her Labyrinth, let's make it a fight to the death. She can bring us back, can't she?"

The Beastketeers looked shocked, ready to stop him, before Rimuru began laughing too.

"Ah, that's right. Here, put this on. It will allow you to come back if you die. We have actually been creating them for our own people." Rimuru revealed, tossing a small bracelet to Carrion.

"Good… good…!" Carrion's voice boomed as he slipped on the bracelet. "I must admit, I had underestimated you, Rimuru. But you have exceeded all of my expectations. For a moment, I was worried you would talk your way out of our fight." His eyes were filled with anticipation as he slammed his halberd against the ground.

Behind him, the Beastketeers took a respectful step back, giving their king space for the battle ahead. Diablo and Shion mirrored their movements, standing on the sidelines, their eyes never leaving Rimuru and Carrion. 

Standing in his spot, Rimuru calmly spun the spear in his hand. He caught a glimpse of Frey, raising an eyebrow at Shuna and pointing at the spear. The two exchanged a look before Frey burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. Shuna, for her part, was also holding back a smile.

"Even I think that's a bit mean…" Frey said, still chuckling as she crossed her arms, her wings fluttering slightly as she regained control of her laughter.

'Have you ever wielded a spear?'  He heard Frey's voice through Thought Communication in his mind.

'I'm a quick learner.' Rimuru answered, causing Frey to bring a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Well, at least he's going to enjoy the fight." Shuna, who was unable to hold back her smile, whispered to Frey. She gave Rimuru a playful wink before sending him a subtle thumbs up

Rimuru didn't let their whispers distract him as he turned back to Carrion, who was clenching and relaxing his muscles in anticipation.

"Ready?" Carrion asked, jumping back and settling into a more aggressive stance. His muscles were tensed, and his halberd was shining as magicules began to flow through it.

Answering with a nod, Rimuru twirled the spear once more before settling into his own stance. Though slightly awkward, it was mimicking the fighting style of some of Tempest's own spearmen.

"Rimuru Tempest." Carrion growled, his voice now serious. "I will give you everything I have in this fight. Don't hold back."

"I look forward to it." Rimuru answered with a grin.

For the first time in a long time, Rimuru's Clairvoyant skill activated to its full strength. The countless possibilities settled into a single one as Raphael sorted and picked through the most likely futures.

[Engaging learning mode.]

[Activating Thought Acceleration.]

[Future has been calculated.]

Everything seemed to slow down for Rimuru. He could see the magicules swirling around Carrion's halberd as he vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of him with an earth-shaking roar. Carrion's halberd was raised high above his head, ready to come down in a strike that would have cleaved most opponents in two.

'There it is.' Rimuru thought, his body instinctively moving to dodge.

The massive attack, avoided with a simple side step, crashed down on the ground. The earth beneath them exploded from the sheer force of the blow, sending debris flying in every direction. Rimuru and Carrion both jumped back, gaining distance in the aftermath. Dust clouded the air, but Rimuru's Universal Sense kept Carrion in focus.

Carrion didn't waste a second, his body moving with the grace of a seasoned warrior. His halberd whistled through the air as he charged again, aiming a quick, heavy, piercing strike toward Rimuru's head.

Rimuru tilted his head, just enough for the blade to pass by without even grazing him. The gust of wind from the attack ruffled his hair, but he stood unscathed.

Carrion roared in frustration and followed up with another strike, this time a downward slash designed to force Rimuru to retreat. But instead of stepping back, Rimuru heard the words he had been waiting for all this time.

[Analysis Complete. Beginning replication. Transferring information… Transfer complete.]

[Notice. Incomplete Beast King's Halberd Arts has been generated.]

Rimuru used Shunpo to appear behind Carrion, dodging the attack and preparing for his counterattack.

Rimuru's spear shot forward with speed and precision, aiming for Carrion's exposed side. The strike was clean, but Carrion reacted in time, twisting his body to deflect the blow with the shaft of his halberd. A shower of sparks burst from the two weapons as they crashed, yet both of them stopped for a moment as their weapons clashed.

"So, you finally decided to fight back?" Carrion asked with an animalistic grin.

"You are one to talk. You are barely trying." Rimuru answered, causing Carrion to burst out laughing. He took a step forward before twisting his body to face Rimuru.

Carrion's halberd came down again, this time with more force, aiming to break through Rimuru's defenses. But Rimuru, guided by Raphael's precise calculations, moved like water. He stepped in close, using the spear's shaft to deflect the blow at an angle, and spun around Carrion's body.

As Rimuru pivoted behind him, he thrust the spear toward Carrion's back, aiming for a clean hit. Carrion, however, saw it coming. He slammed the bottom of his halberd into the ground, using the momentum to push himself forward and out of reach of Rimuru's strike.

[Analysis Complete. Beginning replication. Transferring information… Transfer complete.]

[Incomplete Beast King's Halberd Arts has been updated with new data.]

Rimuru's spear pierced the air, instantly feeling the adjustments Raphael had made to his own fighting style as he stepped back to dodge another of Carrion's attacks.

Carrion grinned wildly as he swung his halberd in a rapid series of strikes, each one faster and more powerful than the last. Rimuru's spear spun in response, parrying each blow with a fluid grace.

The ground beneath them trembled as their weapons clashed, neither giving the other any space. Carrion's ferocity was met by Rimuru's calm precision, and each time Carrion pressed forward, Rimuru danced around him, countering with pinpoint accuracy.

"Come on, Carrion. Didn't you say you would give your everything?" Rimuru taunted with a smile.

"You're the one messing around. Why the hell were you fighting like an amateur? You are good with the spear, but before, it was like you'd never held one properly. Are you messing with me?" Carrion asked with some confusion and annoyance.

"Touché." Rimuru answered with a chuckle. "Let me make this more interesting."

Jumping back, Rimuru decided to use the skill he felt the most comfortable with.

Even though they were far away from each other, Rimuru stabbed his spear forward onto the very air itself.

'Uriel.'

Rimuru commanded mentally, activating Spatial Domination and causing the space in front of his spear to warp.

— –Carrion– —

Carrion barely had time to react as the space around Rimuru's spear warped unnaturally. His eyes widened, instincts flaring in alarm. But he was just a fraction too slow. He felt the sharp pain as the spear tip pierced through his chest, barely missing his heart. He hadn't even had a chance to react to the attack.

'What in the hell…!? How is his control over space so good?' Carrion's mind raced as he gritted his teeth, trying to pull away, but it wasn't over. Many could perform basic Spatial Manipulation arts such as teleporting and the like, but manipulating space for combat tended to be much more difficult due to the increasing complexity. 

Rimuru wasn't letting up. The spear twisted in his grip, the length extending, and suddenly, the space around Carrion rippled again. Carrion's breath hitched as the spear tore through him once more, then again, then again…. 

'What the—!?' The spear seemed to pass through endless portals, piercing his body from every angle, warping through space as if the very laws of space were nothing but suggestions to Rimuru.

Pain exploded through Carrion as the weapon ripped through him over and over. His flesh and muscles screamed with each tear. He could feel the blood running down his body, the warm, wet sensation flooding his senses as he struggled to remain on his feet. His warrior pride kept him from showing weakness, but inside, the pain was overwhelming.

'It's like the damn thing's everywhere at once!'

In an instant, his body was bleeding from countless wounds, the spear puncturing him from every possible direction. Rimuru's attack was relentless, and Carrion's regeneration, formidable as it was, struggled to keep up with the damage being inflicted.

"Enough!" Carrion roared, his voice booming across the field, fueled by both desperation and defiance. His entire body surged with magicules, bursting outward as his Self-Regeneration kicked into overdrive, struggling to close the multitude of wounds.

At that moment, something primal snapped inside him. He wouldn't be beaten like this. He wouldn't allow it.

Carrion's body began to glow, the air around him crackling with raw power as he reached out and grabbed the spear's shaft, gripping it where it had first pierced him. He could feel the magic flowing through the weapon, but that didn't matter now. With a feral growl, Carrion yanked the spear out of his body, forcing it back through the space and through every single wound in his body until his body was finally free of it.

His wounds, which had been gushing blood moments before, began to heal almost instantly. As the energy of his transformation surged through him, Carrion's entire body began to change.

Fur erupted across his skin, thick and silver, as his hair grew longer and more untamed. His muscles bulged, tripling in strength, and a pair of massive wings sprouted from his back.

He could feel the surge of power inside him, his blood boiling with the strength of the Royal Beast.

Letting out a thunderous roar that echoed through the field, Carrion stood tall, fully transformed, and with a massive, animalistic smile.

"No more messing around, eh?" Carrion shouted, filled with power. A wide smile spread across his face, blood still staining his skin but fading rapidly as his wounds finished healing.

'This is what I have been waiting for.' 

Looking at Rimuru's faint smile, Carrion filled his spear with his own Battlewill.

With a roar, Carrion unleashed a barrage of Aura Slashes, each one flying through the air with deadly precision, streaking toward Rimuru in rapid succession. The sheer force of his strikes was enough to tear through the ground as they traveled, but then, in the blink of an eye, Rimuru was no longer there.

'I couldn't even feel the disturbance in space… did he teleport? Or did he–'

Before Carrion could finish his thought, Rimuru was suddenly right in front of him. His speed defied logic. Carrion's senses, sharp as they were in his Royal Beast Form, hadn't even registered the movement. His eyes widened as he saw Rimuru casually raise his hand, mimicking a finger gun.

"Bang." Rimuru said with a grin.

Before Carrion could react, a flash of Black Lightning crackled from Rimuru's fingertip. Carrion's body tensed instinctively, trying to dodge, but the lightning was too fast. It struck him square in the chest, electricity surging through his entire body. The pain was immediate and intense, his muscles locking up as the lightning coursed through him. The deafening thunder that followed rattled his senses, leaving him disoriented.

'Damn it! He's too fast!'

Carrion barely had time to recover before he felt the sharp sting of Rimuru's spear bursting through his chest once again. His eyes went wide as a searing pain spread through him, but this time, it wasn't just a simple wound. A deep, agonizing rot began to creep through his insides, spreading from the point of impact. It felt as though his very flesh was decaying, the intense pain threatening to overwhelm him.

'What is this...!?' Carrion's mind screamed in agony. If not for the regenerative powers granted by his Royal Beast Transformation, he knew this wound could have easily been fatal. His body fought back, his regeneration working furiously to stave off the corruption, but the pain still lingered, threatening to slow him down.

"Whoops, too much." Rimuru muttered, pulling his spear free and jumping back.

Carrion could feel the rot inside him begin to fade, his healing factor finally purging the decay from his system. Rimuru's words echoed in his mind, but he simply ignored them since he didn't have the time to think. His instincts screamed at him to move, to attack, to survive.

With a snarl, Carrion gathered his aura around his fist, channeling all of his energy into a single, devastating blow, his signature Roaring Lion Punch. His fist glowed with an intense aura, and with a powerful roar, he threw the punch forward, sending a concentrated burst of aura soaring toward Rimuru.

The attack tore through the battlefield, its sheer force leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. But once again, Rimuru's response was almost mocking in its ease. This time, instead of dodging or teleporting, Rimuru simply snapped his fingers.

In that instant, the burst of aura Carrion had launched vanished, disappearing from the air as if it had never existed. 

'Ah, shit.' Carrion thought as his Danger Sense began to scream in his head.

Before he could even process what had happened, his own attack suddenly reappeared right in front of him. The force of his Roaring Lion Punch exploded mere inches from his face, the shockwave throwing him off balance. The explosion rocked the ground beneath him, sending him staggering back, struggling to maintain his footing.

Yet, he simply took in a deep breath as he felt his regeneration kick in once again.

"So… this is your power…" Carrion muttered, wiping some blood off from his mouth. "Like husband, like wife. Both of you have control over space. But I know your secret now." Carrion roared.

"Really? Bring it on, then." Rimuru answered with a smile, spinning the spear in his hand.

— — —

Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)

Go Check out Basilisk's great story "I'm a Daemon, so what?" 

https://discord.gg/WTgN9J3YgK

~ A/N ~

So from now on all chaps are going to be 7k+ words. Thanks for sticking through with the story!