The village had gone completely still.
Not even the wind seemed willing to interrupt what was happening in the square.
Above them, floating in the air with impossible grace, was the woman Loki had called sister.
Below her, standing in the middle of the village with all of his usual confidence stripped clean away, was Loki himself.
And Rimuru—
Rimuru was going through several emotional breakdowns at once.
'Okay.'
'No.'
'Absolutely not.'
'What is this atmosphere?'
He looked from Loki to Blanc, then back again.
The overwhelming Demon Lord who had casually walked into his village, insulted everyone, crushed his people with aura alone, and talked about taking over countries like it was a weekend hobby—
Was currently standing there looking like a kid who had been caught sneaking out after curfew.
'This is insane.'
'This is actually insane.'
Blanc descended slowly from the sky.
Her white hair drifted around her like snow in still air. Her eyes never once left Loki's face.
When her feet touched the ground, the pressure in the village changed again.
Everything about her attention was fixed on one person.
Loki took one very careful breath.
"…Hi."
Blanc smiled.
It was beautiful.
It was warm.
It was terrifying.
"Hi?"
She repeated the word softly.
Then took another step toward him.
"That is how you greet me after vanishing from the Underworld without so much as a message?"
Loki scratched the back of his head.
"Well…"
Blanc stopped directly in front of him.
"No."
Her voice remained light.
Almost affectionate.
"No 'well.'"
Loki's shoulders lowered a little.
He looked away for half a second, then back at her.
"…Sorry."
Rimuru's entire internal monologue crashed.
'He apologized.'
'Immediately.'
'Who is this man?'
Blanc lifted one hand and touched the side of Loki's face.
The gesture looked tender.
It did not feel tender.
At least not to anyone watching.
"You left," she said.
Still soft.
Still smiling.
"You entered the Cardinal World."
"You ran around causing trouble."
"You evolved into a Demon Lord."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"And you did all of that…"
The smile trembled.
Just once.
"…without me there."
Loki winced.
And Rimuru, horrifyingly, could tell.
Blanc lowered her hand from his cheek and pressed it against her own chest instead.
"You know how much I wanted to see it."
Her voice was quieter now.
More wounded.
"I wanted to be there when my little brother reached that height."
She took another small step forward.
"I wanted to watch."
"I wanted to celebrate it with you."
"And instead…"
Her lashes lowered.
"I felt it from far away."
Loki had no immediate comeback.
He looked genuinely cornered.
"…I said I was sorry."
Blanc's gaze sharpened.
"And do you think that is enough?"
Rimuru, standing several steps away, nearly answered for him in his head.
'No.'
'Definitely not.'
'Not even close.'
Loki exhaled through his nose.
Then, in a voice Rimuru never thought he'd hear from him, said,
"I should have come back."
Blanc went still.
The Hobgoblins, still gathered at the edges of the square, did not dare move.
Loki continued.
"I know."
He looked at her directly now.
"I should've told you."
He rubbed one hand lightly against his neck.
"I just…"
A pause.
Then a small, uncomfortable shrug.
"…got distracted."
Rimuru nearly collapsed internally.
'He is doing the apologetic little brother act.'
'This is real.'
'This is actually happening in front of me.'
Blanc held his gaze.
Then slowly, very slowly, the edge in her expression softened.
Only a little.
"You did."
She reached out again and adjusted a loose strand of his maroon-and-gold hair as if he were still much younger than he looked.
Then her fingers trailed briefly over the side of his helmet.
"At least you admit it."
Loki did not lean away.
Which, to Rimuru, was the most shocking part of all of this.
The village remained silent.
Blanc looked him over once more, taking in the armor, the fur mantle, the giant hammer, the sheer weight of his evolved presence.
Then she smiled again.
This one was different.
Proud and possessive.
Satisfied.
"You really have become strong."
Loki looked aside slightly.
"…Yeah."
"And handsome too."
Rimuru's mind stumbled.
'What is this conversation?'
'Why am I here for this?'
'Can I resign from being present?'
Loki coughed into one fist.
Blanc giggled softly.
Then the warmth in her face shifted back toward intent.
"Now then."
Loki immediately looked more cautious.
Blanc clasped her hands together lightly.
"Now that you're a Demon Lord…"
She tilted her head.
"…you can summon me."
Loki blinked.
Blanc continued as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"And give me a physical body."
Rimuru's eyes widened.
'Excuse me?'
Blanc smiled beautifully.
"You can do that now."
She stepped a little closer.
"And since a Demon Lord should naturally have subordinates…"
Her voice sweetened.
"…you should do it for me."
Loki hesitated.
That alone changed the atmosphere.
Because Blanc noticed it instantly.
Her smile remained.
But her eyes did not.
"What," she asked, "are you hesitating on?"
The words were soft.
The threat inside them was not.
Loki straightened immediately.
"…Nothing."
Blanc waited.
Loki looked like a man rapidly calculating how much pain honesty would cause him.
Then he said,
"I'll do it."
Rimuru stared.
The same Demon Lord who had terrified him into accepting subordination had just folded in seconds under that tone.
He didn't even really fight it.
He just—
Accepted.
'Wow.'
Rimuru's eyes drifted toward Blanc.
Then toward Loki again.
'Older sisters really are scary.'
Blanc's expression brightened at once.
There it was.
The answer she wanted.
She lifted both hands and cupped Loki's face, drawing him down just enough to press a deeply possessive kiss to him, enough to make Rimuru's soul leave his body anyway.
Rimuru's thoughts detonated.
'WHAT IS THIS?!'
'WHY AM I WATCHING THIS?!'
'WHY IS THE ENERGY SOMEHOW WORSE NOW?!'
'THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!'
The Hobgoblins were in no better state.
Most of them had simply decided to look anywhere else.
Unfortunately, there were not enough safe directions.
Blanc lingered just long enough to make it clear the gesture meant exactly what she wanted it to mean.
Then she pulled back, smiling in complete ecstasy.
"My good little brother."
Loki, for once, looked like he had no clue how to recover cleanly from that.
Rimuru, meanwhile, was internally dissolving.
'I am not built for this.'
'I just wanted to build houses.'
'I just wanted a peaceful nation.'
'Why is my life like this now?'
Blanc looked wonderfully satisfied.
Then her expression turned calm again, composed by force of habit and old power.
"This manifestation won't last much longer."
Her eyes stayed on Loki.
"So don't make me wait."
Loki nodded once.
"…Got it."
Blanc smiled.
"Good."
Then her body began to grow translucent.
White light gathered around her form, the temporary manifestation already reaching its limit.
Even as she faded, her gaze never left Loki.
"Next time," she said softly, "come to me first."
Then she vanished.
Just like that.
The pressure over the village disappeared with her.
Silence followed.
A long, stunned, deeply uncomfortable silence.
Rimuru stood frozen in the middle of it, staring at the place where she had been.
Then slowly, very slowly, he turned his gaze toward Loki.
Loki exhaled once and rubbed his face.
He looked tired.
Rimuru did not know what expression to make anymore.
Fear was still there.
Confusion had multiplied.
And something else had joined them.
Concern.
Very, very distant concern.
Because whatever that had just been—
Loki had not been in control of it.
To be honest. The reason why Loki always broke down in front of Blanc, was because he didn't know how to behave around her.
Things would be easier if she wanted to beat him up, then he could do it back. But she did the exact opposite.
"Ah, how embarrassing." Loki grimaced.
---
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