The cave mouth loomed ahead, a bright shaft of light spilling into the dark interior. For the first time since arriving, Rimuru and Shiro could see the way out.
Shiro's ears twitched. Something in the faint echo of footsteps caught his attention.
"Big brother…" he whispered, tugging Rimuru's slime form behind a large rock. "Someone's coming. Hide!"
Rimuru obediently sloshed behind the rock, his round slime body shimmering. "Got it…"
Through the narrow gap between the rocks, they saw three people entering the cave.
Two men, tall and muscular, their movements precise and cautious.
One woman, with long hair and a confident stride.
They were talking in low voices.
"Stay close to the other two," one of the men instructed. "I'll use my Stealth Arts. We can move unseen if we stick together."
The three of them shimmered faintly and then… vanished from sight, silently moving further into the cave.
Shiro exhaled softly. "They're gone. We can move now."
Rimuru emerged, floating beside his little brother. "Amazing… the Stealth Arts. I could totally sneak anywhere with that."
Shiro's ears flattened. "What did you just say?"
"I mean… the technique is incredible! Imagine—if you could master it…" Rimuru trailed off, his gooey form quivering with excitement.
Shiro didn't wait for him to finish. With a swift motion, he punched Rimuru's slime body, making the older brother wobble in surprise.
"Don't even think about using that to peep on ladies' baths!" Shiro growled, glaring with his blue eyes.
Rimuru flopped slightly, defending himself. "Hey! I… wasn't thinking that way!"
Shiro snorted. "…Sure. I'm not buying it."
Despite the scolding, Rimuru laughed, a gurgling, bubbly sound. "Fine, fine… lesson learned."
Shiro gave a small, satisfied nod, his tails flicking with relief. "Good. Now, let's finally get out of here."
Freedom at Last
They stepped out of the cave together. The sunlight warmed Shiro's white hair and Rimuru's slime form shimmered in the bright light.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the two brothers were free—free to explore the world outside, free to grow stronger together.
Shiro glanced at Rimuru, a small smile playing on his lips. "Big brother… I promise, no matter what happens… I'll always protect you."
Rimuru's slime body wobbled happily. "And I'll always protect you too, Shiromaru. My little brother, my pride."
With that, they began their journey into the vast world beyond the cave, unaware of the adventures, challenges, and overpowered enemies that awaited them.
But together… they could face anything.