"Just as expected." Ancient One quietly lowered her head.
"To be honest, Ancient One, you may not know that I've already spared him twice." Rimuru sighed softly as well and explained, "Those of us in the void must fight each other over limited resources. As the victor of the first battle, I could have hunted him down and killed him... but because of Sakura, I chose to let him go."
"To be honest, I never expected him to grow so quickly, even faster than me... So when he came for revenge a second time, I only barely managed to force him back by fighting on my home ground."
"Now, this is the third time." Rimuru gave a soft laugh, shrugged, and said seriously, "Earth has an old saying: there is no fourth time after three, Ancient One."
"I could let him leave twice, but those two times told me exactly how deep his hatred for me had become."
"Hatred drives people mad, Ancient One..." Lilith descended slowly with a smile on her face. She raised her eyes and narrowed them, and the scarlet glow in her pupils pressed down with immense pressure. "You only saw his three parts of nobility, but not his seven parts of madness."
"Three parts of vengeance the first time, seven parts the second. If you let him go again... how can you be sure he will not completely abandon reason and become a monster of revenge?"
"Forget Rimuru..." Lilith slowly raised her hand above her head. Hideous blood vessels tore through the earth, thick tendrils twisting and spreading across the ground until they connected beneath Lilith's feet. Strands of blood spiraled upward, slowly gathering in her hand into a blood-red Demon Scythe—
"Even if Rimuru agrees, I cannot truly let him leave—" Lilith said. "Rimuru