Lacua

Lacua is an original character introduced in the movie “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The Movie – Scarlet Bond.”

He is voiced by Subaru Kimura and is often described in promotional material as a “mysterious” or “quirky” merchant with a strong hidden agenda.

He travels from country to country by carriage, dealing in rare gemstones and other precious items.

Because he frequently visits the small country of Raja, he has earned the trust of Raja’s chancellor, Mobuji.

On the surface he is polite, humble, and always speaks formally, but his behavior gives off a suspicious, slimy vibe.

Official descriptions often call him a “mysterious merchant” or a “merchant with a strong personality,” hinting that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Behind this façade, Lacua is actually a purple demon serving Violet.

His true mission is to oversee and manipulate the centuries‑long “game” between Violet and the successive queens of Raja.

Early Involvement and Hidden Agenda

Lacua has been involved with Raja for centuries, though the film shows him openly only after the country’s crisis seems close to resolution.

For generations he has monitored the contract made between Violet and the first queen of Raja and has secretly interfered to push events toward tragedy.

The original contract states that Raja’s queen may use a magical tiara to enrich the country.

In exchange, she must bear the burden of a deadly curse‑poison, and once her body is fully saturated with this poison, she will be handed over to Violet as a vessel.

Lacua believes that the more the queens suffer, the more Violet will be pleased.

Seeking to raise his own status and impress his master, he goes far beyond mere observation and actively orchestrates misery, often in cooperation with the fellow purple demon Chikuan.

He is responsible for contaminating Raja’s sacred lake with poison, to the point of generating miasma.

He also spreads false information to Raja’s neighboring nation, provoking them into invading Raja again and again.

Interference with Rimuru’s Resolution

When Rimuru Tempest and his allies help solve Raja’s immediate problems and set the country on a path to recovery, Lacua becomes agitated.

Their success threatens his carefully prepared scenario to force the current queen Towa to use the tiara’s power.

As Raja begins to show signs of revival, Lacua rants alone in his carriage, furious that his plans are being ruined.

To reset the board, he once more pollutes the lake, this time with such heavy poison that it creates curse‑like miasma.

He then escalates his sabotage by secretly guiding the neighboring country’s generals, who are possessed by demons under his command, into launching an invasion of Raja.

All of this turmoil is intended to corner Towa emotionally and politically so she will have no choice but to rely on the tiara.

Deceiving Hiiro and the Cursed Orb

At the heart of his later scheme is Hiiro, the warrior deeply devoted to Towa.

When Towa collapses, her body ravaged by the curse‑poison linked to the tiara, Lacua approaches Hiiro with a false solution.

He proposes a “secret soul‑transfer ritual” that would move Towa’s soul into Hiiro’s body.

Hiiro, willing to sacrifice himself for Towa even if it means losing his own soul, agrees without hesitation.

Pretending to be moved by Hiiro’s resolve, Lacua claims he will increase the ritual’s success rate by strengthening Hiiro’s body.

He then tricks Hiiro into swallowing a forbidden artifact, the Cursed Orb (Shibaku no Hōju / Curse Orb).

Lacua leads Hiiro to the underground mining area under the pretense of performing the ritual.

Once there, Lacua reveals that the soul‑transfer technique is a complete fabrication and that the Cursed Orb’s true function is to transform its host.

With Lacua’s trigger phrase “Burst, Cursed Orb!” the artifact activates.

The orb severely alters Hiiro’s body and mind, turning him into a Mad Ogre, a berserk monster driven by amplified negative emotions.

Lacua then deliberately stokes Hiiro’s rage and despair, pushing him into a full frenzy.

His goal is to force Towa into a situation where she must use the tiara’s power to “save” Hiiro, thus fulfilling Violet’s contract in the most tragic way possible.

Clash with Rimuru and Failure of the Plan

Before Lacua’s plan can fully succeed, Rimuru and his companions intervene.

Their timely arrival prevents Towa from being driven into a corner where she must rely on the tiara’s power as Lacua intended.

Realizing that his carefully constructed scenario has been ruined, Lacua flees.

Rimuru quickly gives chase, easily nullifying the magical projectiles Lacua fires in desperation.

Chikuan arrives to assist Lacua, but he is instantly killed by Ranga, demonstrating how outmatched Lacua’s side truly is.

Cornered, Lacua conjures his purple sword and engages Rimuru in close combat.

The duel is one‑sided: Rimuru casually parries Lacua’s attacks and breaks his weapon.

In the end, Rimuru places a swordpoint at Lacua’s throat, effectively ending the fight.

Even then, Lacua tries to bluff, boasting that killing him will incur the wrath of his master, Violet.

At that very moment, he receives a mental transmission from Violet herself.

Abandoned by Violet

Violet had wished to keep the contract with Raja fair, treating the “game” as an impartial pact rather than a rigged torment.

Lacua’s reckless and one‑sided manipulations, carried out without permission, infuriate her.

When Lacua tries desperately to justify his actions as attempts to please her, Violet coldly dismisses him.

She tells him that she has no use for incompetents and orders him to take responsibility for the mess he has created.

Shocked by this rejection, Lacua spirals into despair.

Realizing he has lost both his ambitions and his master’s favor, he chooses to drag others down with him.

Final Suicide Attack and Death

Resigned to die, Lacua decides to annihilate Rimuru and the entire country of Raja as his final act.

He swallows another Cursed Orb himself, just as he had forced upon Hiiro.

Drawing in power from his subordinate demon who had been impersonating a neighboring general, Lacua massively amplifies his energy.

He then unleashes Nuclear Flame, a catastrophic spell that condenses a devastating amount of destructive force.

The strain is too much for his body, which begins to rupture and disintegrate as the spell reaches critical levels.

Lacua intends for the ensuing explosion to obliterate Rimuru and everything in Raja.

However, Rimuru activates the ultimate skill often translated as Gluttonous King Belzebuth (Ravenous King).

He absorbs the entirety of the Nuclear Flame’s energy, preventing the explosion and nullifying Lacua’s final gambit.

With his body destroyed and his last plan completely thwarted, Lacua dies.

His long‑running manipulations and ambitions end in utter failure.

On the surface, Lacua plays the part of a loyal, dependable peddler devoted to Raja, bowing politely and using refined speech.

In reality, he is a sadistic demon who revels in suffering and emotional pain, especially when it is drawn out and dramatic.

He loves to toy with victims, and once they fall for his lies, he gleefully mocks and belittles them.

His personal motto seems to be that the world “needs chaos and tragedy,” and he orchestrates events accordingly.

Despite his cruelty, he is highly expressive and theatrical.

He reacts to situations with exaggerated gestures, dramatic exclamations, and an almost stage‑actor flair.

This melodramatic style adds a comedic edge to his scenes.

For example, during a mine‑cart chase with Rimuru, he is so focused on looking back and shouting that he crashes straight into a lava lake.

Lacua is strongly devoted to his master Violet and dreams of becoming her close aide.

To achieve this, he allowed himself to be named and take on a physical body, then schemed in Raja for hundreds of years to produce a “perfect” tragedy.

Ironically, it is this very overreach—acting far beyond his assigned role in hopes of promotion—that leads to his downfall.

He is, in a sense, a tragic figure himself: all his efforts to please Violet only serve to earn her anger and abandonment.

Lacua’s primary offensive technique is the use of magical projectiles.

He can rapidly fire concentrated blasts of magic, though they prove ineffective against Rimuru.

He wields a unique weapon: a purple, glowing sword that normally takes the form of a small diamond‑shaped crystal.

By crushing the crystal in his hand, he transforms it into a full‑sized blade.

This sword is more a symbol of his confidence than a match for top‑tier fighters.

During his battle with Rimuru, the blade is effortlessly destroyed, highlighting the power gap.

An interview by the original author Fuse, included in the Blu‑ray booklet for the film, gives Lacua a surprisingly high canonical rank.

At some point in the past, someone bestowed a name upon him, allowing him to fully incarnate and ascend to the rank of Demon Peer (highest class of demon lord‑tier demons).

Fuse states that Lacua is stronger than Clayman.

Despite this, Lacua is swiftly defeated in the movie, making him a somewhat “wasted” powerhouse in terms of narrative potential.

Cursed Orb (Shibaku no Hōju / Curse Orb)

The Cursed Orb is a forbidden artifact filled with maledictions.

According to “Interview with the Slime,” it grants tremendous power at the cost of destroying the user’s sanity.

When Lacua utters the command “Burst, Cursed Orb!” the orb’s true power is triggered.

In Hiiro’s case, it transforms him into a Mad Ogre, drastically increasing his strength while consuming his reason.

When Lacua uses the orb on himself, it acts as a catalyst to unleash his ultimate suicidal spell, Nuclear Flame.

The orb’s effect funnels and magnifies his demonic energy, but also leads his body to uncontrollable rupture.

Nuclear Flame

Nuclear Flame is a destructive spell Lacua uses as his last resort.

He channels an enormous amount of magical power, including what he absorbs from his subordinate, into a single, apocalyptic detonation.

The spell is powerful enough that, if left unchecked, it would incinerate Raja and everything nearby.

However, Rimuru’s Belzebuth consumes the entire output, turning Lacua’s “final move” into a complete failure.

Chikuan

Chikuan is a purple demon who collaborates with Lacua in his Raja scheme.

He disguises himself as an elven court physician and infiltrates Raja’s royal palace.

His job is to weaken Queen Towa’s life force from within.

By doing so, he reduces her resistance to the tiara’s curse‑poison, making her more vulnerable to the contract’s penalties.

It is unclear whether Chikuan is formally Lacua’s subordinate or more of a partner in crime.

Regardless, he obeys Lacua’s calls for help during the escape.

Chikuan’s involvement ends abruptly when Ranga kills him almost instantly.

His quick defeat emphasizes how outmatched Lacua’s faction is once Rimuru’s group acts directly.

Demon Generals

Lacua also commands several demons who possess the bodies of generals from Raja’s neighboring country.

Under his orders, these possessed generals repeatedly launch invasions against Raja to keep the country in constant hardship.

These demon‑controlled generals are often referred to as Demon Generals.

They fight on the front lines against Rimuru’s allies and are each dispatched in distinctive ways.

General A

General A appears as a middle‑aged man with a shaved head, mustache, and beard on his chin.

He fights unarmed, relying on physical strikes and demonic strength.

During the battle, Shion cuts him cleanly in half with her massive greatsword.

He dies immediately, ending his role in Lacua’s plans.

General B

General B has a crew‑cut hairstyle and a mustache, giving him a stern, soldierly look.

He wields a long sword and is likely the one who calls down lightning on Geld during the conflict.

He is killed when Gabiru hits him with the full force of the Spiral Spear Water Stream attack.

The blow overwhelms him and ends his possession.

General C

General C is a middle‑aged man with his hair tied back in a single ponytail.

He shows off telekinetic powers, levitating and controlling the castle’s bricks as projectiles or barriers.

He faces Souei, who uses his Steel Thread technique.

Souei’s threads slice General C’s body into pieces, killing both the host and the possessing demon.

Unnamed General

The fourth general is a middle‑aged man with a mohawk and mustache.

Unlike the others, he has no credited voice actor and no name in the end credits.

He fights briefly before being cut down by Hakurou, who cleaves his torso diagonally in a classic samurai stroke.

With his death, Lacua’s demon generals are completely wiped out.

TV Appearance on “Sukkiri”

On November 25, 2022, the opening day of “Scarlet Bond,” Subaru Kimura appeared on the Japanese morning information show “Sukkiri” as the segment’s special “voice from the heavens gold.”

As part of the promotion, Lacua’s first appearance scene from the movie was broadcast, highlighting him as a “merchant with a strong hidden side.”

The program also introduced Kimura’s real‑life “quirky” hobby of collecting cola bottles.

The segment helped showcase both the character’s and the actor’s strong personalities.

Variety Show “&TEAM Gakuen – 2nd Term”

On February 24, 2024, episode 6 of the variety show “&TEAM Gakuen – 2nd Term” featured Subaru Kimura as a guest.

In this episode, the members of the idol group “&TEAM” learned about voice acting from Kimura.

They held a dubbing contest using famous scenes from the “Scarlet Bond” movie.

In the final round, members EJ, K, and FUMA all attempted to perform Lacua’s scene.

Kimura provided a live demonstration of Lacua’s lines as a model performance.

This dramatic, over‑the‑top reading fired up the studio and made Lacua’s character stand out.

FUMA delivered an especially impressive performance and was declared the winner of the contest.

Kimura jokingly awarded him the title of “Second‑Generation Lacua.”

A complete version of this episode is available on Hulu.

A special booklet titled “Interview with Violet,” distributed as a theater gift for late‑run viewers of “Scarlet Bond,” reveals extra background on Lacua.

It notes that the magic circle used in Raja’s lake was originally a test piece created by Violet herself.

Lacua obtained this magic circle without permission and used it to poison the lake.

This unauthorized appropriation is another example of him stepping far beyond his assigned role.

Production staff and cast members have spoken highly of Lacua as a character.

Subaru Kimura’s energetic, theatrical performance made him a standout, even among a large cast.

In an interview about how the film’s story was developed, original author Fuse praised Kimura’s acting.

Fuse commented that Kimura was so good that he regretted not giving Lacua even more lines.

In another interview about the movie, the question “Who is your favorite character in this film?” was posed to the cast.

Lacua’s name came up as a “favorite,” indicating his strong impact despite his villainous role.

On September 30, 2023, a Blu‑ray release event for the “Scarlet Bond” movie was held at Animate Ikebukuro.

During the talk between Miho Okasaki (voice of Rimuru) and Miyu Tomita (voice of Violet), Lacua was frequently mentioned.

After the event, Tomita posted on social media that she had said “Lacua, seriously…” over and over during the talk.

This highlights how much the character stuck in the minds of the cast.

In the mobile game “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Isekai Memories – Demon Lords and Dragons’ Kingdom” (often localized as “The Saga of the Demon Lord and the Dragon”), an event titled “The Dark Ash Land Where Demons Gather” began on March 29, 2024.

In the first scenario episode, Violet grumbles about a “failed subordinate.”

She mentions that she cannot quite remember how long this subordinate has been under her, but it has been a very long time.

Given the description, this is widely interpreted as a reference to Lacua.