The forest was still broken.
Cracked earth.
Fallen trees.
The aftermath of something far beyond what this land was meant to endure.
Rimuru stood there for a moment longer.
Breathing.
Thinking.
Trying to process what had just happened.
Then—
"…Wait."
He shot forward.
Loki wasn't far.
Just ahead.
Walking casually.
Hands behind his head like he was out for a stroll.
"Hey!"
Rimuru closed the distance quickly.
Landing beside him.
"…What did you mean back there?"
Loki didn't stop.
"…Hm?"
Rimuru frowned.
"That 'little brother' thing."
A pause.
"…What are you talking about?"
Loki glanced at him.
Then smiled.
Smug and knowing.
"You."
A small shrug.
"Me."
Another step.
"And Veldora."
Rimuru's heart skipped.
"We all share the Arashi name now, don't we?"
Loki's smile widened.
"…That makes us brothers."
Silence.
Rimuru froze mid-step.
"…What?"
His mind raced.
'He knows…?'
'No, impossible—'
Rimuru quickly moved again.
Catching up.
Face carefully neutral.
"…I don't know what you're talking about."
Loki stopped.
Rimuru almost walked into him.
A hand reached out.
Rested gently on his head.
"…You're bad at lying."
Rimuru's body stiffened.
Loki's voice was light.
Casual.
But every word landed perfectly.
"I'm the first sworn brother of Veldora."
A small tilt of his head.
"…Did you think I wouldn't recognize him?"
Rimuru's pupils shrank.
"And you—"
Loki tapped his forehead lightly.
"…have him inside you."
Silence.
Cold.
Immediate.
Rimuru took a step back.
"…You're wrong."
Too quick.
Too forced.
Loki just smiled.
"…Relax."
Rimuru didn't.
"Honestly."
Loki stretched slightly.
"I'm not here to take him from you."
That made Rimuru pause.
"…You're not?"
"Nope."
A shrug.
"I actually prefer him where he is right now."
Rimuru blinked.
"…Why?"
Loki glanced ahead.
"…Because I'm working on something better."
Rimuru frowned.
"…Better?"
"A perfect body."
Simple.
Casual.
"…For Veldora."
Rimuru froze again.
"…A… body?"
Loki nodded.
"Something that won't break."
A grin.
"…Something worthy of a True Dragon."
Rimuru didn't know what to say.
Didn't know what to think.
Because the way Loki said it—
It didn't sound like a joke.
It sounded like a plan.
A real one.
Then—
"Rimuru-sama!"
The air shifted.
Four figures dropped into the clearing.
Bruised.
Barely standing.
Benimaru.
Shion.
Souei.
Hakuro.
They surrounded him instantly.
Placing themselves between Rimuru and Loki.
"Step back, Rimuru-sama."
Benimaru's voice was tight.
Focused.
Shion's blade was already drawn.
"…We'll handle this."
Souei's presence flickered through the shadows.
Ready.
Hakuro steadied his stance.
"…Run."
Rimuru blinked.
"…What?"
"Run."
Hakuro's voice was calm.
Firm.
"…We will hold him here."
Rimuru's eyes widened.
"…No—"
Shion didn't look back.
"…We won't let him touch you again."
Benimaru's flames flickered weakly.
"…Even if it kills us."
Rimuru felt something twist in his chest.
"…You guys—"
Loki raised both hands.
"Whoa."
A small laugh.
"…You're really protective."
None of them relaxed.
"…I like it."
Shion stepped forward.
"…Shut up."
Rimuru stepped in quickly.
"Stop."
They hesitated.
"…Rimuru-sama?"
Rimuru looked between them.
Then at Loki.
Then back again.
"…It's fine."
Silence.
"…What?"
Benimaru frowned.
Rimuru exhaled.
"…He's not here to fight."
Four sets of eyes widened.
"…I'll explain."
Shion didn't lower her blade.
"…Explain what?"
Rimuru scratched the back of his head slightly.
"…Everything."
---
Arashi had never felt this tense.
And this lively.
Long tables had been set up in the main hall.
Plates filled.
Steam rising.
A spread that Shuna had clearly poured her entire soul into.
And at the center of it all—
Rimuru sat.
Eating like his life depended on it.
"…This is so good…"
He didn't even bother hiding it.
Food disappeared at an alarming rate.
Across from him—
Loki leaned back slightly.
Watching.
Amused.
"…You always eat like that?"
Rimuru didn't look up.
"After what I just went through?"
Another bite.
"…Yes."
Loki chuckled.
Around them—
Tempest's core members gathered.
Shuna.
Shion.
Benimaru.
Souei.
Hakuro.
Others as well.
All watching.
All curious.
All… cautious.
Shuna stepped forward with another tray.
Graceful.
Perfect posture.
A soft smile.
"Loki-sama, please try this as well."
She placed the dish in front of him carefully.
Loki glanced at it.
Then at her.
Then smiled.
"…Looks good."
He took a bite.
Paused.
Then nodded.
"…Yeah."
A small grin.
"This is great."
Shuna's smile brightened instantly.
Behind her—
Shion folded her arms proudly.
"…Of course it is."
Benimaru exhaled lightly.
"…So you're really Rimuru-sama's sworn brother."
Loki nodded casually.
"Something like that."
Hakuro bowed his head slightly.
"…Then we must apologize for earlier."
Souei followed.
Silent, but respectful.
Shion clicked her tongue.
"…Yeah. Sorry about that."
Benimaru added calmly,
"…We misjudged the situation."
Loki waved it off.
"Don't worry about it."
A glance at them.
"…You did your job."
That answer—
Was unexpected.
Shuna smiled warmly.
"…Still, it is an honor to meet someone so close to Rimuru-sama."
Shion nodded.
"…Yeah. Anyone Rimuru-sama trusts is fine by us."
Across the hall—
A very different reaction was happening.
The Hobgoblins.
Standing off to the side.
Watching.
Gobta in particular looked like his entire worldview had just collapsed.
"…No way…"
He muttered under his breath.
"…No way…"
Because they remembered.
They had seen Loki.
The pressure.
The presence.
The way he had stood above everything like a natural disaster given form.
The way Rimuru had—
Gobta swallowed.
"…Wasn't he… like…?"
He glanced at the others.
They didn't say anything.
But the thought was shared.
Wasn't Rimuru his subordinate?
No one dared say it out loud.
Because right now—
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
At the table—
Rimuru leaned slightly toward Loki.
Lowering his voice.
"…Hey."
Loki glanced at him.
"…Yeah?"
Rimuru hesitated.
Then whispered—
"…Wasn't I your subordinate?"
A beat.
Then Loki smirked.
"Oh."
He leaned back slightly.
"…That?"
Rimuru nodded quickly.
"…Yeah, that."
Loki shrugged.
"Just a suggestion."
"…Huh?"
"I figured it'd be easier for you."
Another bite of food.
"…Having a Demon Lord's name behind you."
Rimuru blinked.
"…So…?"
Loki waved his hand casually.
"But you're strong enough now."
A small grin.
"…So there's no need for that anymore."
Silence.
Rimuru stared at him.
Then—
A slow smile formed.
"…I see."
Inwardly—
'THANK GOD.'
Rimuru almost collapsed on the spot from relief.
No Demon Lord boss.
No forced subordination.
No sudden death flags.
Just food.
"…Yeah."
He took another bite.
Happier now.
"…That's great."
Loki glanced at him.
Amused.
Then—
He raised his hand slightly.
"Oi."
Everyone paused.
"…More food."
A grin.
"…I'm not done yet."
Shuna lit up immediately.
"Of course!"
And just like that—
The tension broke.
Well—
Mostly.
Because at the edges of the room—
The Hobgoblins were still watching.
Still thinking.
There's no way this is normal.
And they were absolutely right.
---
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