Deep within the Underworld.
A white palace stood in the middle of a silent wasteland.
It was a place where even demons lowered their voices without being told.
At the very top of that palace, inside a chamber lined with white stone and pale curtains that never stirred, sat the Primordial White.
Blanc.
Her chin rested against one hand.
Her eyes were half-lidded.
And her patience was gone.
The doors opened.
A figure entered carefully and immediately knelt.
It was Cien.
At this point in time, he had no such name yet.
To Blanc, he was simply one of her useful tools.
Or, more accurately—
One of her currently disappointing tools.
He lowered his head.
"My lady."
Blanc did not tell him to rise.
She did not even look at him immediately.
Instead she asked, in a voice so soft it became frightening,
"Well?"
Cien stiffened.
The silence stretched.
Blanc's eyes slowly shifted toward him.
Her expression remained elegant.
Beautiful.
And utterly merciless.
"I asked you to find a way."
Her fingers tapped once against the armrest of her throne.
"To manifest in the Cardinal World."
Another tap.
"And so far…"
Her gaze sharpened.
"…you have brought me nothing."
Cien pressed his forehead closer to the floor.
"My lady, I—"
Blanc's voice cut across him.
"Nothing."
She smiled.
Not kindly.
"You had one task."
Cien swallowed.
The pressure in the room was suffocating.
Then, carefully, he spoke.
"I have found a way."
That made Blanc pause.
Only slightly.
Cien continued before she could interrupt.
"It is not a complete solution."
He kept his head lowered.
"But it is a method by which you may temporarily manifest in the Cardinal World."
Silence filled the chamber.
Blanc sat still.
Then she asked,
"Temporarily?"
"Yes, my lady."
"How long."
Cien hesitated.
"Not long."
Blanc's smile did not disappear.
It just changed.
Became thinner.
"Useless."
Cien flinched.
Blanc rose from her throne.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Her heels echoed softly through the chamber as she descended toward him.
Cien did not dare move.
He felt her stop right in front of him.
Then her fingers lightly touched his chin, lifting his face just enough for her to look down into his eyes.
"Still."
Her voice softened.
And somehow became far more terrifying because of it.
"This is acceptable."
Cien blinked.
Blanc's lips curved faintly.
"Because at least…"
Her eyes gleamed.
"…I will be able to see him."
The room seemed to grow colder.
Or perhaps hotter?
It was difficult to tell around Blanc when she got like this.
Her free hand drifted to her lips.
A faint blush colored her cheeks.
"My dear little brother…"
Her voice became almost dreamy.
"He's finally become a Demon Lord."
Cien stayed perfectly still.
She let go of his chin and turned away, pacing slowly across the room.
The hem of her white dress whispered across the stone floor.
"Now that he has evolved…"
She clasped her hands together.
"…he should be able to help me manifest fully in the Cardinal World."
Her smile widened.
A dangerous smile.
A beautiful smile.
The kind that made even ancient demons want to take a step backward.
"And once that happens…"
Her breathing deepened slightly.
Her eyes half-closed as if imagining it already.
"…I'll be able to stay with him."
She stopped by the window.
Looked out over the pale wasteland beyond.
Then turned back.
Her face was flushed with pure ecstasy.
"…for all eternity."
Cien lowered his eyes immediately.
He had seen that expression before.
It never meant anything good for anyone involved.
Blanc looked at him one last time.
"Prepare it."
Cien bowed deeply.
"At once, my lady."
He stood.
Then quickly withdrew.
Because he could already feel it.
The White Primordial was no longer merely longing.
---
Elsewhere.
Back in the Goblin Village.
The village was louder now.
More huts had been built since the last time Loki had come through. Fresh timber was stacked near the center. Workers moved in groups, carrying tools, hauling beams, and patching roofs. Smoke rose from cooking fires. Voices filled the air.
The place had changed.
It still looked small.
Still weak by any real standard.
But it no longer looked like it would collapse if the wind got bored.
At the center of the village stood Rimuru.
He was barking out orders as best a slime could.
"Put those logs over there!"
"No, no, not there, that'll block the path!"
"Gobta, stop slacking off!"
Gobta immediately jumped.
"I wasn't slacking off!"
Rimuru did not believe that for a second.
The work continued.
Then a voice behind him said,
"No."
Rimuru froze.
The slime's entire body went rigid.
Because he knew that voice.
He turned so fast he nearly bounced.
Standing a few steps behind him was Loki.
Just standing there.
Looking straight ahead.
Still.
Silent.
And somehow even more overwhelming than before.
Rimuru's internal thoughts exploded instantly.
'AAAAH!'
'Why is he here again?!'
'Why is he behind me?!'
'Why does he move like a horror movie villain?!'
Outwardly, he tried very hard to be respectful.
And failed a little.
"G-Great Demon Lord-sama," Rimuru said, voice trembling despite his best effort. "What can I do for you?"
Loki turned his head slightly.
Then looked down at him.
"Loki."
Rimuru blinked.
Loki continued.
"You should call me Loki-sama."
Rimuru immediately corrected himself.
"Yes!"
"Loki-sama!"
Around them, the Hobgoblins had all gone stiff.
No one moved.
No one breathed too loudly.
The presence coming off Loki was simply too much. It wasn't even that he was trying to intimidate them. This was just what happened when something like him stood casually in their village.
Rigur's hands tightened around the spear he was holding.
Gobta was sweating so badly it looked like he might dissolve.
Rigurd didn't dare speak at all.
Loki looked at Rimuru for a moment longer.
Then said,
"I brought you a gift."
Rimuru blinked again.
"A… gift?"
Loki nodded once.
Then, without ceremony, opened a black circle in the air beside him and dropped something onto the ground in front of Rimuru.
THUD.
Everyone in the square flinched.
Rimuru looked down.
And froze.
It was a body.
A human body.
Or something so close to human that the difference didn't matter at a glance.
Rimuru looked at it.
Then up at Loki.
Then back down again.
Loki looked quite pleased with himself.
"Yes," he said. "A gift."
"I'm a nice boss, you see."
Rimuru stared.
Loki gestured casually toward the body.
"Don't you think life would be easier if you had one?"
Silence.
The entire village had gone still.
Rimuru looked at the body again.
Closer this time.
And despite himself—
A small smile formed.
His internal voice softened immediately.
'What a nice Demon Lord.'
'What a nice boss.'
Then, with genuine warmth, he said,
"Thank you, Loki-sama."
Loki grinned.
"Good."
Rimuru looked at the body again, almost unable to process it.
A body.
A real one.
Something he could use.
Something that might let him live more normally again.
For a few seconds, all his fear vanished under simple gratitude.
Then he looked back up at Loki.
And his thoughts immediately corrected themselves.
'But when you look closer…'
The smile on Rimuru's face twitched slightly.
'…Loki-sama looks less like a Demon Lord and more like a war god.'
His entire body stiffened again.
'SCARY!'
Loki, mercifully, did not seem to notice the emotional whiplash happening in front of him.
Or maybe he did notice.
And just found it funny.
Either way, he simply looked over the village once more and let out a quiet hum.
"Keep building."
Then he glanced at Rimuru again.
"You'll need more than this if you want to survive what's coming."
Rimuru wanted very badly to ask what exactly that meant.
But unfortunately, fear won that battle.
So all he managed was,
"Yes, Loki-sama."
Loki nodded once.
Satisfied.
---
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