Threatened by Tempest's rapid expansion, the Eastern Empire finallybegins to strike back. According to Chloe, the time-traveling Hero, thereexists a timeline in which the Empire defeats Rimuru and Tempest subsequentlycollapses. While Rimuru's doom isn't set in stone, his victoryisn't a foregone conclusion either. And to make matters worse, anEmpire spy seems to have infiltrated Tempest...