With the exception of the battle at the beginning, this volume didn't really have an awful lot of action in it, and simply covered the conclusion of the Walpurgis summit before going on to talk about the Holy Empire Ruberios and its whole dynamic.
Definitely had hoped for a bit more to this one, but I gotta admit I loved all the anime Easter eggs in there, and would love to see more of the comedy duo that is Milim and Veldora in a room together XD
Chapter notes below for personal reference: (potentially spoiler heavy)
As Clayman's plot oversteps its bounds with Rimuru refusing to fall for his various traps there are some major changes in the ranks of Demon Lords as Rimuru steps up to take his place among the strongest of monsters. In addition, no small thanks to Veldora (as per the usual) at least one other attender of the Walpurgis is called out as we discover more about the holy kingdom who had their hands in the conflict regarding the attack on Tempest. Now with Rimuru being as strong as he is (not to mention those he has named also getting upgraded) and so many big names being mentioned recently only time will tell what sort of troubles while arise in the future. :)
And... we've gone past where the anime stopped. The aftermath of Clayman's utter defeat, as usual, doesn't make Rimuru's life easier, as it again sets off chain reactions. It's nice to see some light moments again after all the confrontations. The spotlight turns towards the west, upon the human nations and all the hidden strings that are pulling things along.
Coming to the end of the English publication of this series. It's going to be rough waiting for more even though this is the last in it's story arc. Not the best book in the series. The wrapping up of dealing with Clayman a background antagonist since the beginning is a bit underwhelming. That is kinda to be expected in this series with most big baddies since this is a story about an openly OP character. This series is more of a fun read and this episode was a bit dry. I do recommend the series however. It is my favorite right now.
We finish the Clayman story and we also get to see some of the aftermath of that especially with the Holy Church as we get to learn more about Hinata. We learn that she does know the truth about the church as she is one of the few people who knows about it. We also learn more about her motivations and why despite hating monsters will work for one who is a monster. We also see how the Harlequin Alliance is dealing with the news that Clayman is indeed dead.
Rimuru's confrontation with Clayman comes to a... slightly dissatisfying end. Because Clayman isn't the final boss in this fight, but his demise is deserved. Anyway, the commotion dies down and the Walpurgis gets back on track with interesting results. (And Veldora is being a huge NERD the whole time and have I mentioned, he's my favorite?) Then it's back to political intrigue!
There's also a fun ending comic about Rimuru building a food empire.
Clayman's final battle and his exposure for who and what he was was just crazy! This and the information we get on the highest levels of the Holy Church just feed the conspiratorial nature of my mind. Starting to see things coalesce now which could definitely lead to a major fight. Rimuru's acceptance as a demon lord is another big step and the other moves in that realm have a lot of ramifications to the world. Plus the Ramen Development Project is pure gold lol
And we are finished with the fast moving books? Nice conclusion but the rest is a bit boring. The art is main reason that the series is as fun as ever.
This is currently where the anime is for me, so about half of this volume was new content! And what content it is, setting it up nicely for the next volume! Can't wait!
Suite du banquet de Walpurgis, où la bataille continue entre Kleiman le Pierrot Fou et Limule. Dans ce tome, beaucoup de révélations et d'explications sur toutes les manigances. Mais c'est loin d'être fini. Certains n'ont pas encore abattu leurs cartes ni montré leur vrai visage. Il ne reste plus qu'à attendre la suite des aventures de Limule et des monstres de Tempest.