075, Heh, So-Called Betrayal

Rimuru naturally had no intention of reasoning with Saber. Or rather, in his understanding, reasoning might be somewhat...

Different?

Just as Saber thought Rimuru had changed his mind and froze in confusion for an instant, a black shadow flashed before her. Rimuru's face was now only a finger's width from her nose. Above his smiling lips, a ghastly, ferocious half-mask slowly condensed from magical energy.

Instinctively, reflexively, she tried to raise her hand, only to find her entire body rigid... She looked up in shock, her pupils contracting again. Half of Rimuru's face was now covered by the mask, and the exposed eye was indeed an indifferent crimson.

Dark red and pale gold, a savage mask of killing intent and the cold smile on his lips—at that moment, they formed a stark contrast that struck Saber with tremendous force.

But it lasted only an instant. When she came back to herself and looked at Rimuru again, that appearance had completely vanished like an illusion, and her body could move again!

As the pressure brought by Majesty of the Demon Lord vanished, Rimuru had already returned to his gentle smile. His golden eyes still held nothing but amusement, yet his attack did not slow in the slightest!

Wind!

It scattered Rimuru's long hair and sent Saber's tied-up golden hair flying loose. Amid that wind, Rimuru's sword suddenly unleashed a massive current of air—

Golden light flashed across Saber's blade. With the concealment of Invisible Air gone, it finally revealed its original form. She laboriously raised her sword and barely blocked the blow!

"Do you know what lies beyond the Root?"

Rimuru's voice was extraordinarily clear amid the endless howling wind. Saber laboriously narrowed her eyes and looked up through the gale—then heard Rimuru give a light laugh without pausing. "The void."