"You're willing to connect through swords!?"
"Of course."
Seeing Dwarf King Gazel's disbelief, Rimuru smiled and nodded.
This wasn't some childish imitation of scenes from novels or anime. It was a decision he had thought through carefully. Imposing one's will might force obedience, but it would never earn true loyalty.
Rimuru understood better than anyone how valuable an alliance with the Dwarf Kingdom would be to the Jura Forest Great Alliance. But an alliance maintained solely through power would never last. Shirou Emiya would not remain in this world forever. When the time came for him to leave, the Dwarf Kingdom could easily become a hidden threat.
That was precisely why Rimuru chose this path.
Now that the Dwarf Kingdom no longer posed any danger to him, there was no reason to refuse a test of swords. Gazel Dwargo would never threaten his life. There was nothing to fear.
And more importantly, Rimuru's heart held nothing he needed to conceal.
He had always been someone who sought peace. Being tested did not frighten him.
"Truly impressive," Gazel said, eyes shining. "A lord among monsters with such a broad mind!"
After his brief exclamation, the Dwarf King laughed heartily.
"Then please forgive my discourtesy!"
With that, Gazel drew his sword.
"As for the conditions," he continued calmly, "if you can block even one of my consecutive attacks, you win. I'll hold nothing back. You may attack freely-but do not underestimate the blade of Gazel Dwargo, the Sword Saint."
"A Sword Saint, huh?"
Rimuru felt his own excitement rise as he looked at Gazel's confident smile.
"Little Emiya."
"Yes."
At Rimuru's call, Little Emiya burst out from the jungle. His form shifted mid-air, transforming into his true shape before landing neatly in Rimuru's hand.
"Lend me your strength, Little Emiya."
"Yes, Father."
The voice coming from the sword caused Gazel, already fully focused, to widen his eyes.
"A living sword... astonishing. Truly a masterpiece among blades."
His gaze lingered on the divine sword in Rimuru's grasp. For the first time in a long while, Gazel felt his longtime companion at his waist lose its appeal.
After all, how could it compete with a sword that called its wielder Father?
With Little Emiya revealing himself, Little Rimuru realized their concealment was pointless. He slowly emerged from the jungle, followed by Benimaru, Shion, and the others. Their expressions were tinged with embarrassment as they took their places behind Shirou Emiya.
At the same time, Treyni, the forest's administrator, appeared alongside two of her sisters.
"In that case," Treyni said with a gentle smile, "I shall serve as the referee."
She turned toward Gazel.
"As Lord Rimuru stated earlier, he is the master of this forest. Dwarf King, Lord Rimuru is not only accompanied by Lord Emiya, but is also acknowledged by the entire Jura Great Forest."
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"It is fortunate that you did not say anything inappropriate earlier. Otherwise, this would have undoubtedly escalated into a full-scale war."
She straightened.
"Now that Lord Rimuru has accepted your challenge, I will bear witness. I trust you have no objections."
"Tree Spirits... three of them, each equivalent to high-ranking spirits?"
The knights behind Gazel stirred in shock as they stared at Treyni and her sisters.
The pressure was different from what Shirou Emiya radiated, but it was no less sobering. Once again, they were reminded of just how formidable their counterpart truly was.
"It seems I truly underestimated you, Rimuru," Gazel said quietly.
Then his fighting spirit surged.
"Next, I will swing my sword with everything I have."
"Good," Rimuru replied. "Then come."
As Gazel's aura sharpened, Rimuru felt his own battle intent ignite in response.
He knew what stood before him-a master who had devoted his entire life to a single weapon. Such opponents were never weak.
But there was no fear.
The enemy wielded a sword.
And Rimuru's closest companion, the one he crossed blades with every single day, was a god of swords.
A true swordsman whose skill had reached the divine realm.
Compared to that, even a Sword Saint was something Rimuru could face calmly.
Through countless spars with Shirou Emiya, Rimuru knew his own swordsmanship was still far from that level. But daily combat against such a being had stripped away his fear of masters.
In defensive sword techniques, he and Gobta had already reached a level of mastery.
"Begin!"
At Treyni's signal, both moved.
Rimuru launched forward immediately.
Gazel, however, adopted a defensive stance.
The reason was simple. Confident in himself, he had promised to deliver only a single consecutive attack. If he intended to go all out, he needed to observe Rimuru's sword movements carefully before committing.
He had only one chance.
As Rimuru pressed the offense, Gazel continuously swung his longsword to block.
Almost instantly, he realized something.
Rimuru's swordsmanship showed no gaps.
Even while attacking, his form was flawless. Not a single opening was exposed.
"What an extraordinary swordsman," Gazel muttered.
Fortunately for Rimuru, he couldn't hear that thought.
If he had, he would have answered proudly.
Of course.
Against Shirou Emiya, exposing even the smallest weakness meant instant defeat. A swordsman who had entered the realm of gods never missed an opportunity. Shirou's ability to seize openings was absolute.
Even later, when facing Hakurou, Rimuru could defend himself so thoroughly that Hakurou struggled to find a weakness for quite some time.
There was no doubt that Rimuru's swordsmanship impressed Gazel.
But admiration alone would not secure victory.
In terms of overall swordsmanship realm, Rimuru knew he still lagged behind. He was keenly aware of this.
He had once felt confident when facing Hakurou-only to be thoroughly frustrated afterward.
A master like Gazel didn't need natural weaknesses.
They could create them.
As their blades clashed again and again, Gazel noticed something else.
Rimuru's swordsmanship had clearly been developed with a specific opponent in mind.
That foundation limited his responses to unfamiliar techniques.
Even though his style had evolved significantly since then, it hadn't completely escaped those origins.
And that created an opening.
What Gazel perceived was accurate.
Rimuru's swordsmanship had initially been crafted with Great Sage's assistance, specifically to counter Shirou Emiya. Shirou himself had not objected-it was the fastest way for Rimuru to improve.
The drawback was obvious.
Against swordsmen of similar caliber, such specialization could leave exploitable flaws.
At first.
Later, Shirou Emiya deliberately adopted different styles. Hakurou and the others provided new sparring partners. Gradually, those flaws diminished.
But they hadn't vanished entirely.
And Gazel found one.
"Got you."
In the midst of the rapid exchange, Gazel seized a momentary irregularity. With a decisive motion, he disrupted Rimuru's stance.
Then came a single strike.
Full power.
Full speed.
"This-!"
A familiar sensation surged through Rimuru's body.
Without conscious thought, his sword rose before his chest.
The block was perfect.
The clash rang out sharply.
"...It was blocked?"
"...He blocked it?"
Both men were stunned.
Before either could speak, Treyni made her judgment.
"The match is decided," she announced clearly. "The victor is Lord Rimuru."
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