Silence had become a familiar presence at the base.
Not the comfortable kind—the kind that followed victory or rest—but the heavy, watchful silence that settled in when everyone was waiting for something they refused to name. Soldiers moved with purpose, patrols rotated, weapons were cleaned and checked, yet beneath it all lay a shared tension, like breath held too long.
Rimuru stood atop the command structure, looking out over the perimeter where earthen walls, barriers, and modern fortifications met magic circles and defensive wards. The fusion of worlds was on full display here—rifles beside spears, radios humming under glowing glyphs, tanks parked not far from summoned beasts that patiently pawed the dirt.
A base like this did not go unnoticed.
And the Empire had finally decided to remind them of that.
The warning came not from scouts or alarms—but from the sky itself.
A ripple passed through the clouds, followed by a pressure that pressed against every chest at once. Soldiers stiffened. Mages felt it first, then the rest followed—an oppressive presence, formal and deliberate.
Rimuru narrowed their eyes. "They're announcing themselves."
Moments later, the air tore open above the field beyond the walls, resolving into a massive projection circle. Light bled downward, coalescing into the image of a man seated upon a gilded throne—robes immaculate, crown heavy with gemstones and authority.
The King of the Empire. Zorzal El Casear.
His gaze swept across the base with open disdain, lips curling into a practiced smile. "You may have tricked my father into lowering his guard and not attack you lot, but do not think that I. Zorzal, will stand by and watch you tarnish the empire. I am the new king now."
"New king? What did you do to your father?" Rimuru asked, their eyes sharp like daggers.
Zorzal chuckled. "Why concern yourself with my old man? You should be worried about your own people. You harbor dangerous elements." He continued. "Interfere with imperial interests. And now—you shelter a heretic."
"A heretic...?" Tuka muttered softly as her ears flattened.
Rimuru's eyes were still sharp like daggers, but they remained calm. But something dangerous and cold burned behind their eyes. "If you're here to posture, you're wasting everyone's time."
Zorzal smirked, raising his hand up, snapping his fingers. "Getting straight to the point are we? Very well..."
Things suddenly shifted, the sound of chains rattling could be heard. A figure knelt just outside the edge of the circle, partially obscured—but unmistakable. Hair matted with dirt, Lolita dress was scorched and torn. Head bowed, breath slow but steady.
"Rory!" Yoji shouted, his fists tightened as blood trickled down his palms. "What did you do to her?!"
Zorzal's smiled widened. "Your… apostle, this little lamb was captured while wandering too far from the herd. She put up a delightful fight however.."
Rimuru's aura stirred—not flaring, but deepening, like pressure building beneath the earth. "What do you want?" Rimuru asked.
"To remind you of consequences." Zorzal spoke in a cold tone lazily gesturing. And then, something fell hard.
The halberd came first as a blur—hurtling from the projection circle with terrifying force, cleaving through the air like a meteor. It struck the ground before the base walls with a thunderous impact, embedding itself halfway into reinforced earth, shockwaves rippling outward and rattling vehicles, armor, and bones alike.
Yoji's jaw dropped, no one should've been able to pick up Rory's weapon. Only she could, but then how? No it didn't matter right now...
Yang stared at it for a second, then let out a low whistle. "Wow. Rude and dramatic. Guess compensating really is universal."
Several soldiers snorted despite themselves.
Zorzal's smile faltered slightly. "You have one hour." He said sharply. "Withdraw from this region. Disarm your forces. Submit. Or the apostle dies."
With that, they vanished. Only leaving Rory's weapon as a reminder, the silence that was once there. Was no longer restrained, it snapped.
~~~
"That bastard!" Yoji growled, fists still clenched tight. "Using a hostage like that."
"They dare." Tuka hissed, eyes blazing with fury and fear. "They dare threaten her in front of us!"
Lelei's voice was cold, precise, trembling only slightly. "Divine-grade restraints. High-level magic. They planned this."
Around them, soldiers shouted orders, weapons locking into ready positions, artillery crews scrambling. The base surged into controlled chaos.
Yang cracked her knuckles, her eyes burning red as her blonde hair brightened. "Now I'm mad...it's like they were waiting for one of us to clock out?" Her gaze fixated on halberd. "So let me get this straight....They stole our goth goddess, threw her weapon at us like an angry breakup text, and think we're just gonna… what, surrender?" She smirked a bit. "Bold of them, stupid...but bold, now I got a fire in my belly. And it needs something to punch."
Rimuru stood there, arms crossed as they listened to everything being said. Their mind wanders to different outcomes. "What would Scarlet do?" Rimuru muttered, then their eyes widened. "Wait...." Rimuru stepped forward, stopping just short of the halberd and placed a hand on it.
Everyone turned their gaze towards Rimuru, Yang cocked an eyebrow up. Her fingers itching to punch something. Then Rimuru spoke, Their voice carried—not loud, not amplified—but heavy enough to make every soldier nearby straighten. "This is not a negotiation..."
"A threat?" Tuka asked.
Rimuru was silent, they didn't say a word. But then Yoji stepped forward. "What do you suggest we do, this is an act of war. And we still don't know what Zorzal did with his father."
Rimuru's eyes glanced to Yoji and the soldiers standing nearby. "The reason he didn't tell us...." Their gaze looked back at the halberd. "He had him executed. There's a faint trace of blood on Rory's weapon, cleaned off yes. But the scent is still there."
Yang's smirk faltered. "He killed his own father? That's.....That's...."
"Insane?" Yoji asked. "Yeah....no doubt there...."
Everyone fell silent at the realization, Rimuru's aura spiked. A dangerous chill flowing off their body, The colors swirling around them, a mix of different shades of a rainbow. Rimuru gritted their teeth.
~~~
Yang stood on top of a tank, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the area of the base. "Alright, listen up and listen up good! Some of you, or most of you would rather take orders from your Sargent Major, but right now. There's no time for that, listen and listen good....Rimuru will be giving orders."
The soldiers muttered among themselves, Rimuru took a step forward. Eyes flicked briefly toward the command center. Toward the quiet space no one spoke about. Then back to the battlefield, clearing their throat. Rimuru spoke. "Evacuate noncombatants. Activate a full defensive grid....No one advances until we confirm Rory's condition and location."
"We won't leave her...will we?" Tuka asked, her fists shaking a little at the amount of magic and aura that was flaring off of Rimuru.
Rimuru shook their head. "No, no we won't."
Yang jumped off the tank as she walked towards the halberd. She examined it for a moment, she placed her foot on the shaft of it and tried to yank it free from the ground. She grunted and nearly fell off the weapons shaft. But with enough force, she managed to pull it free. Just by a hair, it was heavy yes. Yang stumbled as she almost lost her balance. "Yeesh, you would think she was welding Mjolnir."
"Easy with that." Yoji spoke. "You'll break something, not on the halberd I mean."
Yang smirked as she stabled her balance, and rested the halberd over her shoulder like a baseball bat. "Aw, someone cares for my safety. Guess we take this puppy with us. I don't think hand to hand will be required for myself huh?"
"Not exactly, if they're armed to the teeth, you'd need something more." Rimuru spoke. "I could store it in my body if need be."
Yang didn't say much, but Rimuru was right. Yang didn't want to admit she was struggling to keep balance. She wanted to push through it, even if it meant her costing her own bones and muscles to grow sore. "I'll keep that in mind." Yang paused before speaking again. "So we got someone who is in a Comatose state, a stolen friend and an angry king. Man… we really attract the best people."
No one laughed this time, nor did anyone back down. Everyone readied themselves for a rescue mission, for this could be their last. But what mattered now was advancing forward. Rimuru took one step forward, taking the charge. And somewhere far away, the Empire had no idea what they had just awakened.