Once Tet and Hestia had sat down on the couch across from Rimuru and Veldora, Rimuru immediately broke the ice, leaning forward with a curious glint in his eyes. "So, I gotta know—what's being the god of an entire multiverse like?"
Tet smirked, leaning back casually. "Oh, it's about like owning a successful billion-dollar business. I do what I want and fool around with my hot secretary."
That remark earned him a swift smack on the back of the head from Hestia, who puffed her cheeks and turned away with her face beet red, her ears twitching in embarrassment.
Rimuru chuckled awkwardly. "Oh man, I'm jealous."
Tet arched a brow. "Why? What are those two, chopped liver?"
Rimuru froze, his smile faltering as he slowly turned his head to see Shuna and Shion standing behind him, both wearing pleasant yet terrifying smiles that didn't reach their eyes.
Shuna's voice was calm but dangerous. "Yes, Lord Rimuru, what are we then?"
Shion's grin widened ever so slightly. "Please be mindful of how you answer."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Completely oblivious to the tension, Veldora beamed and clapped his hands together. "So! Rimuru tells me you have something you need from me?"
Tet nodded with a faint smile. "Indeed, I do."
He proceeded to explain everything he had told Velzard earlier. When he finished, Veldora leaned back with a sigh, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. "I see. If you had come to me a few years ago, I would have jumped at the chance. But now... I can't, in good conscience, leave Tempest. I'm supposed to protect it when Rimuru's absent, and I won't let down my friend."
At that, Rimuru smiled warmly. "Thanks, Veldora. You're a great friend."
Hestia's lips curved into a sweet smile as she added, "Also, your sister told us to tell you—you're not allowed to say no."
Veldora went pale as a ghost, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His eyes darted nervously as he stuttered, "W-Which sister?"
Tet's grin turned mischievous. "Velzard."
In a blink, Veldora shouted, "I'm gonna go pack my stuff!" and vanished in a blur of motion.
Rimuru pouted, crossing his arms. "Thanks, pal."
Tet waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry. He can literally come and go as he pleases as long as he does his job. Once he's connected to his territory, he'll be able to sense when an intruder enters and can get there instantly. So honestly, he can hang here as long as he doesn't slack off."
Rimuru gave a nervous chuckle. "Just out of curiosity… what happens if he does slack off?"
Tet shrugged nonchalantly. "I fire him and replace him with someone more serious—and then he gets beat up by his sister."
Rimuru grimaced slightly. "Right… so, what's your pantheon like?"
Tet puffed out his chest with pride. "We're a good-hearted, serious bunch that take our jobs seriously."
Hestia turned to look at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, her expression silently screaming, Really?
_____________
Meanwhile, in Uruk, Ares and Thor sat across from each other, their massive hands clasped tightly as their epic divine arm-wrestling match reached its peak. The air around them crackled with divine energy, the ground trembling beneath their locked strength.
On Ares' side, Leonidas and the soldiers of Uruk were shouting with fiery zeal, their voices echoing through the hall. "Come on, Lord Ares! You've got this! He's nothing before your might!"
Across from them, Thor's supporters—the Einherjar and Valkyrie—were just as loud, slamming their fists against the tables and chanting in rhythm, "Thor! Thor! Thor!"
Off to the side, Merlin stood with a mischievous grin, waving a small bag in one hand and calling out, "Taking all bets here! Taking all bets! Come get in on the action while it's hot!"
Gilgamesh walked in just then, his eyes narrowing as he took in the chaotic scene. "Are you serious, Merlin?" he asked flatly, his tone a perfect mix of irritation and disbelief.
Merlin, utterly unfazed, extended the jingling collection bag toward him with a sly smile. "Would you like to participate, my king?"
Gilgamesh crossed his arms, expression proud and unimpressed. "As king, it is beneath me to engage in such frivolous nonsen—"
He didn't get to finish. Merlin smoothly cut him off, his grin turning even more cunning. "I'll talk to Ares about speaking to his boss to speed up the process of sending you an assistant."
In an instant, a fistful of coins flew into Merlin's sack at lightning speed. Gilgamesh's face remained impassive as he declared, "Twenty gold on it ending in a draw."
Merlin's smile widened into a picture of satisfaction. "A pleasure doing business with you."
Back at the table, Ares grunted through clenched teeth, his muscles bulging as divine flames flickered around him. "Give up, thunder beard! You can't win!"
Thor's eyes gleamed with lightning, his beard bristling as he let out a booming laugh, matching Ares' strength with his own. "It is you who should give up, Ares—for you face the mighty Thor!"
Both gods strained, their arms trembling as the table beneath them began to crack from the sheer power of their struggle.
__
Back in Rimuru's office, Tet leaned back in his seat with a confident smirk, crossing one leg over the other as he said, "We never get distracted."
__
Meanwhile, in the world of One Piece, Artemis—now in her adult form—stood proudly at the helm of a massive galleon, the sea wind whipping through her flowing auburn hair. She wore a striking brown and silver pirate outfit, a gleaming silver cutlass resting confidently at her hip. Around her, her huntresses dashed across the deck in matching attire, adjusting sails and preparing the ship for battle.
From the crow's nest, Phoebe's voice rang out, sharp and eager. "Prey spotted, my lady!"
A delighted laugh escaped Artemis as her eyes lit up with excitement. "Prepare to free them of all their treasure, me lasses!" she shouted, her voice carrying across the waves.
At once, her huntresses saluted in perfect unison, shouting, "Aye aye, Captain!" as their ship cut through the open sea like an arrow.
---
Back in Rimuru's office, Tet leaned lazily back in his chair, his grin downright mischievous as he said with sincerity, "We're never up to no good."
---
Meanwhile, in the world of High School DxD, Hermes sat at a lively bar alongside Odin and Hades, each of them slamming back frothy mugs of beer. The two elder gods chanted enthusiastically, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" as Hermes gulped down his fourteenth mug.
Across the sea, in Kyoto, Apollo lounged beside Yasaka under the glow of paper lanterns, lifting his sunglasses with a charming grin. "So, gorgeous," he drawled smoothly, "ever thought about being a different sun god's priestess? I guarantee it comes with way better perks than you get here."
Yasaka giggled, her tails swishing playfully behind her. "My, I might have to hear about these perks of yours," she teased, leaning in close enough for their breaths to mingle.
Before things could go any further, a brilliant flash of divine light filled the air. A beautiful young woman in a formal yukata appeared, her long black hair flowing like silk and her golden eyes blazing with outrage. Face flushed red, she pointed a trembling finger at Apollo and shouted, "How dare you come to my territory and try to seduce my priestess, you fiend!"
To her shock, Apollo didn't flinch. Instead, he shouted, "Now!" and, in a swift motion, he and Yasaka each grabbed one of Amaterasu's arms, dragging the struggling goddess toward the city streets—currently alive with the noise and color of a festival.
"What trickery is this!?" Amaterasu cried, her sandals scraping against the steps as she tried to dig in her heels.
"Sorry, Amy," Apollo said cheerfully, flashing a disarming grin. "This is an intervention! Your priestess asked me to force you out of your cave for some air!"
Amaterasu flailed, her expression a mix of fury and embarrassment as the trio descended into the lively crowd. "You can't make me! This is kidnapping!" she shouted, her voice echoing over the laughter and festival drums as Apollo and Yasaka dragged her along with matching, exasperated smiles.
---
Once more, back in Rimuru's office, Tet leaned forward with an easy grin, resting his elbows on his knees as he said with pride, "And we don't have questionable followers."
---
In the world of Harry Potter, Merlin lounged casually on the edge of her desk, her outfit leaving little to the imagination — a snug corset beneath an open purple overcoat, short shorts, and thigh-high purple boots that shimmered in the light. With a playful smirk, she announced, "Anyone who fails today's test will get detention."
Unfortunately, her words went completely unheard. The poor seventh-years were far too distracted — every boy in the room, and more than a few girls, sat frozen in their seats, faces bright red and eyes wide, several already sporting small nosebleeds as they tried (and failed) to look away.
---
Meanwhile, in Chaldea, Roman slammed an empty mug of ale down on the bar and barked, "Another!" His face was flushed, his posture swaying slightly as he waved the mug insistently.
King, sitting beside him with his arms crossed, sighed heavily. "Don't you think you've had enough, Doc?" he asked, a hint of concern slipping into his tone.
Before Roman could reply, Meliodas slid a fresh mug down the bar with a grin that was far too innocent to be genuine. "Don't listen to King," he said cheerfully. "You can handle more! Drink until your mone— I mean, worries are all gone!"
King shot him a deadpan look, his eyebrows twitching in mild irritation. "You know, Captain," he said dryly, "if I wasn't sure about you being a demon before, I'm definitely sure now."
---
Finally, back in Rimuru's office again, Tet looked over at Hestia with a confident grin and said, "Right, dear?"
Hestia sighed, resting her hands on her hips before turning to Rimuru with an exasperated smile. "No. Everything my boyfriend just said is an absolute lie. Are we better than the Olympian pantheon? Yes. Are we also a collection of gods who do whatever we want? Also yes."
Tet pouted, his shoulders slumping as he crossed his arms like a sulking child. "You could've at least pretended we were responsible and let him find out on his own," he muttered.
Rimuru gave a nervous chuckle, scratching his cheek. "Well… is Veldora and Velzard all you came for?"
"Actually, no," Tet replied, his tone shifting to something more focused. "I'm also here for Ramiris. Her labyrinth-making abilities are something I need for a special project I'm working on. But since she was going to to build one for Tempest as a tourist attraction In the future, and I'm taking her now, that's going to get delayed. So, as an apology, I'll give you these."
He handed Rimuru a beautifully crafted box containing six golden keys. As Tet explained their function, Rimuru's expression shifted from curiosity to outright awe — his eyes sparkling like a kid. When Tet finished, Rimuru grinned brightly and said, "Yeah, this totally makes up for it. Borrow Ramiris for as long as you want!"
"Great," Tet said, smiling. "Oh, also, I might grab you or some of your friends or followers for favors in the future."
Rimuru nodded with an easy grin. "No problem."
Tet extended his hand — and, in an instant, a tiny, screaming Ramiris came flying out of nowhere and landed squarely in his palm, flailing wildly.
"See you later," Tet said with a cheeky grin.
Before Rimuru could respond, he and Hestia vanished along with Ramiris in a swirling kaleidoscope of brilliant colors, leaving the office shimmering with fading light and a bewildered silence in their wake.