173 Chapter 49 C.T.O.A.N

=========Guy Crimson Pov=========

(How very boring...)

So far nothing interesting has really happened, well, except for what happened in the beginning that is. Clayman had just been going on and on, it was frankly rather tiresome to be honest. He seemed to think that Carrion had something to do with these two becoming demon lords but he was clearly wrong. I could tell the moment I saw them even if some of the others hadn't noticed yet, they had awakened as true demon lords, a feat that even Carrion hadn't achieved.

What's more is that he seems blind to that girl's true identity. (He thinks that she is something else entirely but she isn't, I can smell it, that unique, almost alien spiritual aroma that they give off, yes, she is most definitely a Phoenix.)

I had to admit I had been excited to hear that one of their number still lived on even now, they were always an interesting bunch to have around after all. In fact the many secrets that they kept only made them more interesting, so I was rather furious when an old friend of mine collapsed as a lifeless husk as he was about to leave my halls. It is rather unfortunate that she doesn't seem to know about her heritage however, it might have been fun to see if I could extract some of those secrets they were so protective of from her.

(Unfortunately it seems that she is the only interesting thing about this meeting so far...) I couldn't help but smile to myself however when I noticed a slight spark from within her. (It seems the stories I heard from that old monster were true then, The Key is actually real and to think that it would choose a child of all things, how truly fascinating.)

(Still though, I have to admit that the look on his face was quite amusing to witness.) I muttered while my smile slightly grew across my face.

Clayman had been shouting angrily for quite a long time after his hand had up and vanished so "mysteriously" but no one came forward, and so the culprit was "never" found. After his hand regrew back he started on his rant, the fool didn't even notice that Carrion was still alive and currently in the room with us.

(Still though, why did it have to be a Phoenix of all things that ended up with The Key?) I grumbled knowing full well how annoying it would be to deal with her if she lost control and succumbed to the madness that followed anyone who somehow got their hands on any of the fragments.

Anyway, shaking that thought aside I focused on something else that had gotten my interest. (I thought Phoenixes were supposed to be immune to the corruption of the abyss, so how is she...?) I asked but soon let the question slide for now.

(Doesn't matter, I'll deal with it when the time comes.) I sighed after a second of thinking about it before turning my attention back to the conversation at hand. (Let's see what he has to say for himself.)

And so I listened and boy was it dull to say the least. (Does he really think that he can control Milim? If so then he's more of an idiot then I originally thought he was.) I groaned but stopped myself when I noticed something.

"Hmmm?"

The little Phoenix was about to lose it, in fact I could feel her aura leaking out and it was filled with a rather violent killing intent. (She held out longer than I expected she would.)

(Wait...that aura...it's similar to the one I felt a while ago.) I mused while remembering the event with ease. (This is going to be very entertaining, I can tell.)

===========Suu Pov============

(I'm gonna kill him...) I muttered internally while narrowing my eyes.

I had been getting better at controlling myself and my emotions but something about this pretentious asshole just rubbed me the wrong way. It didn't help the situation that he had also attempted to out right hit Milim on top of his shitty personality.

He rambled on about how me and Rimuru had no right to become demon lords and only achieved the feat thanks to Carrion's intervention. The dick head actually believed that I myself wasn't a Phoenix and was just using that as a cover. His reasoning for this was something along the lines of Phoenixes not being a black and gold color and not being as large as I was in my true form. Honestly, I was tempted to just kill myself just to see his fucking reaction when I came back to life a moment later but I held myself back for now.

Rimuru had already gathered evidence against most of his claims and bullshit, and honestly I also wanted to see Clayman's reaction to his plans falling apart in front of him. The reason I'm not just forcing him to tell the truth is because there is a chance he could turn that against us by saying that we are controlling him to say those things or something like that.

It was actually around this time that Rimuru showed the said evidence he had gathered beforehand. He actually ended up showing various recorded scenes from the battlefield that had happened over with Benimaru. Most of the scenes in question were of Clayman's minions and allies spilling his secrets without knowing they were being magically recorded.

(What do you say to that you bastard?)

"To think you would stoop solo as to fabricate evidence." The cunt said clearly taken aback but trying his best to keep calm. "Truly you have no respect at all, how disgraceful!"

My eye twitched at that. (Nope, I can't take this anymore.) I growled, unable to hold it in any longer. (He. Dies. Now.)

He was about to continue defending himself when I stood up from my seat. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You are by far one of the most irritating people I've ever had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting" I hissed with venom in my voice.

"So the child masquerading as a legend finally speaks up, nothing but a mindless savage following her father's commands like a lap dog." He was probably trying to get a more aggressive reaction from me by saying this but I just laughed at that.

"And what do you find so amusing?"

"There you go again, it's really fucking annoying." I muttered with a rather eerie smile. "The fact that you think you're a threat to anyone here is just down right funny to me."

"What did you just sa-!"

"Would you just shut your damn mouth already?" I sighed loudly, I was very sick and tired of his constant bullshit. "The only one here who gives a shit about hearing your constant unending yapping is your own damn self."

"You make yourself out to be this intelligent puppet master working behind the scenes, pulling the strings and manipulating those around you, and yet despite this you can't seem to see that nobody here cares." I hummed with a shrug. I knew nobody here really gave a shit about this damn fool, one of the perks of being able to sense emotions I guess.

"You talk about how weak we supposedly are, how unfitting for the title of demon lord we are and yet look at yourself for a moment." I said flatly while gesturing towards him. "You stand here babbling like a fool that's far too weak to do anything on his own, now I wonder, who is it that pulls on your strings?"

"How dare an insolent chil-!" Once again he tried to speak but I'd finally had enough.

"I'm going to say this one last time. Be. Silent." I said while activating my draconic oppression skill, almost immediately his mouth slammed shut as his body was forced to follow my commands. "I'm not finished speaking yet."

"Since you've arrived here all you've done is wine and wine, your like an annoying little bitch that didn't get what they wanted, so now they are complaining to their parents in hopes of getting their help." He had the nerve to call me a child yet he was acting like a brat who couldn't do anything without his parents permission. "Honestly it's pathetic, it really is."

"You claim that we are not fit for the title, you claim that we're too weak, you claim that you're superior to us, you claim many things yet look at yourself. If we were as weak and pathetic as you so claim then answer me this, why are you here?" He couldn't answer of course but I didn't care.

"If we are so weak then why are you begging for their help?" I asked, gesturing towards the others in the room. "If we are so weak then why haven't you taken action until now? If we are so weak then why haven't you just killed us yourself instead of scheming in the shadows like a rat trying to kill a lion? And if it is because of Carrion, well, he is "dead" so you have nothing to worry about there."

"And finally, if I'm as weak as you say then answer me this, why am I here?" I asked but got no response.

"Since you seem to refuse to answer my question, let me answer it for you. I don't give a single shit about joining your little demon lord club or whatever this is, I really don't." I growled not giving a single fuck about the others that were in the room with us as the space around me bent and cracked as my aura surged. "The reason I'm here however is very, very simple."

"I. Want. To. Kill. You."