The Gears Spin Out of Control

The Gears Spin Out of Control 「狂いゆく歯車, Kurui Yuku Haguruma」 is the twelfth episode of the anime adaptation of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Synopsis
Treyni explains that the Orc Lord has used a Starved ability on the orcs, causing them to constantly crave sustenance and even eat their own to gain more power. Accepting Treyni's request, Rimuru sends Souei to negotiate with the lizardmen for an alliance. As the chieftain urges his soldiers not to engage in battle with the orcs until Rimuru's group arrives, Gabil, swayed by the words of Gemuld's messenger Laplace, usurps the chieftain's position and leads the lizardmen into a direct attack on the orcs, unaware of the Orc Lord's true power.

Plot
The meeting between Rimuru Tempest and his subordinates and Treyni the Dryad continues. Souei reports that he's scouted the destroyed Ogre Village and has confirmed that both the Ogre corpses and the Orc Corpses have completely disappeared, according to Treyni, the surviving Orcs ate them. When an Orc evolves into an Orc Lord they gain an ability called Starving Ones which works similarly but differently than Rimuru's Predator.

For starters when Rimuru consumes someone using Predator he has a 100% chance of gaining their abilities but they apply only to himself. Compare Starving ones, which although it has a much lower rate of success and drives the users mad with hunger instead triggers species-wide mutations: the Orcs have already gained the Ogres brute strength, currently they target the Lizardman's heightened speed, agility and ability to walk on water.

But the worst case scenario is when they will seek out the collection of strong monsters Rimuru has gathered together, not to mention the Dryads and Treant's Treyni has under her protection. With the powers of all the creatures of the Jura Forest combine they will become an unstoppable plague on the world and will spread like a rapidly evolving swarm of locusts.

As if further prodding Rimuru to action Treyni also informs him that the Orcs actions are being guided by a Demon named Gelmud who is working for a Demon Lord. Remembering the promise made to Shizue Izawa Rimuru agrees to wipe the Orc Lord. As a start, in order to even the numbers against the 200 000 strong Orcs, Souei is assigned to establish proper diplomatic relations with the Lizardman Chief.

In the meantime Gabil finally wakes up following his humiliating defeat by Gobuta, he immediately comes to the conclusion that Gobuta was the strongest fighter in the village and that they lied to him about being weak to throw him off. One of Gelmud's colleagues Laplace informs him about the impending attack on the Lizardman settlement and voices his concerns that Gabil's father might be too weak to face them.

Thus Gabil makes the decision to take over the tribe now and lead his people to victory against the Orcs. Meanwhile, Souei arrives at the lizardman village where he forces his way into the chief's chambers. With the Orc army on their doorstep, Souei instructs the chief to Hunker down in a defensive battle until Rimuru's reinforcements arrive to deal with the Orcs. After rescuing one of his guards from being decapitated by Souei after he insults Rimuru the chief makes a few deductions.

Souei, originally an Ogre and now a Kijin after being named by Rimuru, is a being of great power, Rimuru, therefore, must be someone of even greater power to be the one who named him. If such a person with such subordinates were come to their aid then the odds of survival and for that matter victory for the Lizardmen will rise dramatically. Four days later, midway through Rimuru's reinforcements arriving, Gabil arrives and overthrows his father as chief.

Gabil proves himself a competent military leader waging several guerrilla battles against the Orcs and thinning their numbers using hit and run tactics. However, he is caught off guard by the terror of an army that devours its own dead.

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