The forest ceased to exist.
Not literally.
But for anyone watching—
It may as well have.
Because what had once been a peaceful stretch of Jura was now little more than shattered earth, uprooted trees, and craters carved deep enough to swallow entire buildings.
At the center of it all—
Two figures moved.
One desperate.
One smiling.
And the difference between them was everything.
Rimuru launched forward again.
This time without hesitation.
Without restraint.
The instant he moved, his body split into three afterimages.
A speed feint.
The real Rimuru came from above.
Sword drawn.
"Take this!"
The blade descended in a diagonal slash, enhanced by layers of magical reinforcement.
At the same time—
The two afterimages detonated.
Explosive decoys.
A blinding burst of pressure and light consumed the battlefield.
The explosion shook the sky.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
A hand emerged from the smoke.
Loki.
Completely unharmed.
He caught the descending blade with his bare palm.
Rimuru's eyes widened.
"…What?!"
The blade didn't move.
Wouldn't move.
It was like trying to cut a mountain.
Loki tilted his head.
"Creative."
Then—
He squeezed.
Crack.
Rimuru's sword shattered.
And Loki's open palm struck forward.
BOOM.
The impact folded the air itself.
Rimuru's body rocketed backward, spinning violently before crashing into the remains of a stone ridge.
The entire formation collapsed on top of him.
For half a second—
Silence.
Then the rubble exploded outward.
Rimuru shot back into the air.
Regenerating.
Eyes burning.
"Great Sage!"
[Combat efficiency declining.]
[Opponent remains overwhelmingly superior.]
"Yeah, I know that!"
[Recommendation: Escape.]
"Denied."
[Understood.]
Rimuru twisted midair.
Magicules gathered around him in a spiraling vortex.
He stopped.
No.
Not enough.
He shifted instantly.
"Black Flame!"
A massive torrent of corrupted fire roared downward like a dragon descending from the heavens.
The heat was enough to melt stone before contact.
The blast consumed Loki entirely.
The resulting inferno climbed into the sky.
Even from Tempest—
It would be visible.
And still—
Rimuru wasn't stopping.
"Water Severance!"
A blade of compressed water sharper than steel cut through the flames.
"Air Pressure Cannon!"
Invisible force followed.
Then—
"Sticky Steel Thread!"
Hundreds of reinforced threads shot through the smoke, binding the target from every direction.
A layered assault.
Relentless.
Precise.
No opening.
No mercy.
Rimuru landed hard, breathing heavily.
Watching.
Waiting.
The smoke shifted.
Then parted.
Loki stood there.
Bound.
Covered in flames.
Water slicing against his skin.
Pressure crushing down on him.
And smiling.
"…That's more like it."
His fingers flexed.
The threads snapped.
The flames dispersed.
The water blade shattered.
The pressure wave dissolved.
Like they had never existed.
Rimuru felt cold.
"Impossible…"
Loki stepped forward.
Once.
The distance between them vanished.
Rimuru's instincts screamed.
He barely crossed his arms in time.
Loki's open-handed strike landed.
CRACK.
The sound echoed like thunder.
Rimuru was sent flying across the battlefield, skipping across the earth like a stone over water.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four impacts before he finally stopped.
His body twitched.
Regeneration activated immediately.
But slower now.
Much slower.
[Damage accumulation exceeding expected recovery thresholds.]
[Host body under severe strain.]
Rimuru forced himself up.
Breathing ragged.
His vision blurred for a moment.
And still—
Loki stood there untouched.
Relaxed.
Using one hand.
Just one.
"…How…"
Loki looked genuinely curious.
"Still standing?"
He smiled.
"Nice."
That somehow made it worse.
He wasn't mocking him.
He was praising him.
Like this was some kind of test.
Rimuru clenched his fists.
No.
He refused to lose like this.
"Great Sage."
[Yes.]
"Analyze every movement he's made."
[Processing.]
Rimuru lowered his stance.
Eyes narrowing.
"…Find me something."
A pause.
Then—
[Analysis complete.]
For the first time—
There was hesitation in Great Sage's voice.
[There is… one possibility.]
Rimuru's eyes sharpened.
"What is it?"
[Probability of success: 0.3%.]
"…I'll take it."
The air around Rimuru changed.
Magicules surged violently.
Compressing inward.
His body shifted.
Aura darkening.
Predatory.
Unstable.
Loki's smile widened.
"Oh?"
Now this—
This was interesting.
Rimuru lifted his head.
Eyes glowing.
A terrifying amount of energy gathered around him.
The earth beneath his feet collapsed inward from the pressure alone.
Loki finally adjusted his stance.
Still smiling.
But this time—
Focused.
"Now we're talking."
And then Rimuru moved.
Faster than before.
Far faster.
Crossing the battlefield in an instant—
The ground where he stood collapsed inward a heartbeat later, unable to keep up with the force he had just exerted.
He reappeared in front of Loki—
His arm had already transformed mid-swing.
Black mass.
Predator fully unleashed.
"Eat this—!"
The space in front of him distorted as the consuming force surged forward—
And at the same time—
A blade formed in his other hand.
Magicules condensed to their limit.
"Black Lightning Slash!"
Two attacks.
Different vectors.
Perfect timing.
No escape.
Loki's eyes gleamed.
"Oh, that's nice."
His hand moved.
Once.
The slash—
Caught.
The Predator—
Deflected.
Both with a single motion.
Rimuru's pupils shrank.
"…No way—"
Loki stepped in.
Close.
Too close.
Rimuru reacted instantly.
"Water Blade!"
A point-blank strike—
Loki leaned slightly.
It passed his face by a hair.
Tap.
Two fingers struck Rimuru's chest.
BOOM.
Rimuru's body shot upward this time, tearing through the sky before crashing back down in a violent spiral.
The impact cratered the earth.
Deep.
Wide.
Dust rose slowly.
Inside the crater—
Rimuru twitched.
Then forced himself up again.
His body was slower now.
Regeneration lagging.
Vision unstable.
"…Great Sage…"
[Host condition: Critical.]
[Combat continuation strongly discouraged.]
"…I know."
A breath.
"…Give me everything."
[Understood.]
The world slowed.
Not literally.
But for Rimuru—
It may as well have.
Every movement.
Every shift in air.
Every flicker of Loki's presence—
Tracked.
Analyzed.
Broken down.
Rimuru moved again.
Faster than before.
Sharper than before.
More desperate than before.
Above.
Below.
Behind.
Feints layered within feints.
Attacks hidden within attacks.
"Sticky Steel Thread!"
"Water Severance!"
"Black Flame!"
Everything—
All at once—
From every angle—
And Loki—
Moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just enough.
Each attack missed by millimeters.
Each strike deflected with minimal motion.
Each attempt—
Neutralized.
"…He's reading everything."
Rimuru grit his teeth.
"…He's not even trying!"
[Correction.]
Great Sage responded.
[Opponent is actively suppressing output.]
"…That's worse!"
Loki tilted his head slightly.
Watching.
Enjoying.
[He's adapting quickly.]
A voice echoed within him.
Calm and amused.
His Manas.
Loki.
"Of course he is." Loki responded internally.
"He's mine, after all."
[You're going too easy.]
"Am I?"
A faint smile.
[You're enjoying this.]
"…Obviously."
Back in reality.
Rimuru appeared directly in front of him again.
This time—
Everything condensed into one point.
"…This is it."
[All remaining energy being allocated.]
[Final strike preparation complete.]
Rimuru's entire body glowed.
Magicules compressing violently.
Unstable.
Explosive.
"Predator—Full Release!"
The black mass surged outward—
Far larger than before.
Far denser.
Far more violent.
At the same time—
A blade formed again.
This one—
Sharper.
Heavier.
"All or nothing!"
He charged.
And then—
Everything collided.
The battlefield vanished under the force of it.
At the edge of the forest—
Four figures stirred.
Shion.
Benimaru.
Souei.
Hakuro.
"…Rimuru-sama…"
Shion forced herself up.
"…We're not done yet…"
Benimaru stood.
Unsteady.
"…We fight together."
Souei reappeared.
Silent.
Determined.
Hakuro exhaled slowly.
"…Even if it costs us everything."
They moved.
Rushing toward the clash.
"Rimuru-sama!"
Rimuru's eyes snapped toward them.
"…NO!"
Too late.
Loki glanced sideways.
"…Hm?"
His hand moved.
Four taps.
Too fast to see.
Too fast to react.
BOOM.
All four were sent crashing back instantly.
Unconscious before they even hit the ground.
Rimuru's heart dropped.
"…Why…!"
"Focus."
Loki's voice was right in front of him.
Too close.
Rimuru's final attack—
Was still coming.
Everything he had.
Everything he was.
Poured into that one moment.
And Loki—
Exhaled.
A simple breath.
The attack—
Disappeared.
Gone.
Like it had never existed.
Silence.
Rimuru stood there.
Frozen.
"…What…"
His voice barely came out.
His body gave out.
Dropping to his knees.
Empty.
Completely empty.
Despair crept in.
Cold.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"…I… lost…"
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Rimuru didn't look up.
He didn't need to.
He knew.
A hand rested on his head.
Gentle.
"…You've gotten stronger."
Rimuru blinked.
Confusion cutting through the despair.
Loki stood over him.
Smiling.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
Genuine.
"…Sorry about your people."
A small shrug.
"…I just wanted to see how strong the ones protecting my little brother are."
Rimuru's eyes widened slightly.
"…Little… brother?"
But Loki had already turned.
Stretching lightly.
Then laughing.
Casual.
Carefree.
"Man, that was fun."
He started walking.
Hands behind his head.
"Alright."
A glance back.
"Let's go eat."
He pointed ahead.
Toward the capital.
"I've been hearing about your food."
A grin.
"…Better be good."
And just like that—
He walked off.
Leaving behind destruction.
Defeat.
Confusion.
Rimuru sat there.
Still.
Silent.
"…Little brother…?"
The question lingered.
Unanswered.
As the wind slowly returned to the ruined forest.
---
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