(So... want to be friends?)
The words came out before I could stop them.
What am I, a kindergartner?
But looking at Veldora—this ancient, terrifying dragon sealed for three centuries in total darkness—I knew it was the right thing to say.
I knew what happened in canon. This was the pivotal moment where Rimuru and Veldora formed their bond.
And I wasn't going to fuck it up by being too cool for genuine friendship.
(Wha—what did you just...?! For the great Storm Dragon Veldora to become fr-fr-friends with someone of a s-s-slime's social standing?!)
He was flustered. It would have been Adorable if it was girl but it being a dragon made me almost want to say few ''nice'' words.
(Ah... well, if you hate the idea that much—)
(Fool! No one said I hated it!)
I could practically feel him looking away in embarrassment despite not having moved an inch.
(So... will you?)
(Well... if you insist... I suppose I could consider...)
He was doing that thing. That tsundere dragon thing where he pretended he didn't desperately want this.
He's been alone for three hundred years. Of course he wants a friend.
But I knew better than to push. Some things needed to be earned, not given.
(I insist! So, decide! If you don't want to, that's fine. No second chances though!)
(Wait—! Then I have no choice! I shall become your friend! Be grateful!)
Success.
I bounced happily—or at least tried to. It came out as more of an enthusiastic wiggle.
(Great! I'm in your care, then!)
(Indeed! ...Oh, and allow me to grant you a name. You shall give me one as well!)
Wait—
Here it comes.
Usually naming a monster would cost a massive amounts of magicule but since this was naming of equals friends not subordinates thus the magicule requirement would be satisfied by both the recipients.
My theory was when naming occured between canon satoru and veldora it opened a soul connection between veldora and satoru perhaps not as strong as Soul corridor but it acted as tunnel for veldora to supply for magicules during naming. Cause there is no chance my suppressed self can survive naming a true dragon.
(Huh? Names? Why?)
I played dumb. It was important that Veldora believe I didn't understand the significance.
(It will chisel into our souls the fact that we are of the same rank. Something similar to the family names humans use—except my name, for you, will also provide a kind of divine blessing. You are still nameless now, but through this, you will become a full-fledged named monster.)
(Oh! I get it. Like a family name?)
(Precisely!)
I pretended to think hard about it.
(Well... you're the Storm Dragon, right? How about "Tempest"?)
Simple. Direct. Exactly what canon dictated.
(Perfect! So be it! A wonderful timbre to that title, yes!)
His joy was genuine and infectious.
(From this day forward, they will call me Veldora Tempest! And you... You will be called Rimuru. Proclaim to the world that your name is Rimuru Tempest!)
Thus the name was carved into my soul. Not that it did too much to me.
Or my abilities. But somewhere, deep inside my soul, something did change a bit. I suppose the same could be said of Veldora.
And that's how we became friends.
Well, it was time to get going, I supposed. But before that:
(Hey, so I had something I wanted to ask before I left, but…can't you do
anything about that seal on you?)
(Not with my powers, no. Someone with a unique skill on the same level
as the hero's would be necessary for there to be even a chance.)
(You don't have any, Veldora?)
(I do, but now that I am sealed off, I can access none of them. Telepathy
is about all I can manage at the moment.)
The hero's Unlimited Imprisonment could hold its target captive in an
infinite number of imaginary spaces for all of time.
It wasn't some weak barrier that would allow casual interference with the real world. Looking
back, it struck me as strange that Telepathy was possible, even.
It wasn't the sort of thing that would break down over time—but given that he
could have any contact with the real world, and even exchange messages,
perhaps it says more about Veldora.
I bounced experimentally. Everything felt... sharper. More responsive. My magical energy flowed more smoothly, and my perception seemed clearer.
The naming had strengthened me significantly.
I already knew what I needed to do. I could either analyze him inside my stomach, or isolate him and annul the effect of Unlimited Imprisonment, and he'd be out.
So I spent a few moments explaining the Predator skill to Veldora, and what I wanted to do with it. It'd be impossible from the get-go without the Sage's help, but…
(Mwah-hah-hah-hah-hah! Fascinating! Please, go ahead. I leave myself at your mercy!)
(You're that ready to believe me?)
(But of course! It'd be far more fun to break through this prison with you than sit around and await your return! With the two of us together, this
Unlimited Imprisonment could fall quicker than we thought! )
Now I got it. He was one, but now we were two. I liked his outlook.
So the plan was I'd use Great Sage and Predator to analyze this beast, and Veldora would try to destroy it from the inside. No worries about Veldora dissipating away in my stomach. I was starting to think this could actually work
All right. So I'm gonna consume you, all right? Hurry up and get outta there.
Heh-heh-heh! Right away! You shall make me wait no longer! Let us finally join together!
I don't know why but that sounded a bit gay.
I rolled closer to him, pressing my slime body against his massive scaled form.
Right! I summoned up my stores of resolve, touching him for a moment— then activated my Predation skill. In a moment, Veldora's massive form disappeared from sight. It happened almost too fast.
We were talking just a moment ago. Seeing him gone suddenly made me feel very small and very solitary. Using the skill on my first target created too much resistance to work at all, but with the help of a fully cooperative Veldora in all his hugeness, it couldn't have gone more
smoothly. He and Unlimited Imprisonment itself were sucked in at once.
Kind of a surprise it all fit in me, though. Checking my stomach usage…
Geez, 15 percent? How big was that thing, anyway?
Then:
＜＜ Conduct Analysis of unique skill Unlimited Imprisonment? ＞＞
Yes
No
(Yes)
＜＜Partial analysis of Unique Skill [Unlimited Imprisonment] complete. Beginning detailed examination. Estimated time to full analysis: 30 years.＞＞
Thirty years.
Faster than what canon predicted but since my processing power even after my skill sealed were far stronger than canon rimuru thus it was no shock.
And unlike the original timeline where Rimuru had no idea what he was doing, I knew exactly what would happen:
Veldora would read manga in my stomach. [Great Sage] would analyze Unlimited Imprisonment. I would continue growing stronger.
And when we finally broke free—we'd both be ready for what came next.
The predation completed.
The cavern was empty now. Just me—a small blue slime—sitting where a massive dragon had been sealed for three hundred years.
(Oho! This is... fascinating! I can feel your movements!)
We were connected in a sense both belonging to same crest.
(Yeah? How's it feel?)
(Remarkable! And this space—it's larger than I expected! And what is this... floating text? Some kind of magical manifestation?)
Oh no.
＜＜Target has discovered manga storage. Observation: Target appears fascinated.＞＞
(Rimuru! What are these picture-stories?! They're magnificent!)
Of course. Of course that's what he'd focus on first.
I'd forgotten that detail. In my meta-knowledge, I knew Veldora would discover manga eventually. But I'd stored some of Earth's technology data when Raphael had cataloged it during my six years as Satoru Mikami.
Including digital copies of manga.
This is going to be a long Year.
(Those are called manga, Veldora. They're... entertainment from my old world.)
(MAGNIFICENT! I must study these immediately! Rimuru, you are truly the greatest friend!)
I could feel him settling in, already absorbed in reading.
Well, at least he'll be entertained while we work on the seal.
＜＜Analysis proceeding normally. Recommendation: Begin departing from cave to avoid detection. Storm Dragon's disappearance will trigger worldwide alert.＞＞
Right. That.
I'd almost forgotten the most important part.
Veldora's seal disappearing would be detected by every major power in the world. The Western Holy Church. The various kingdoms bordering the forest. The Demon Lords who'd been keeping watch on him for centuries.
They would panic.
And then they would send people to investigate.
I needed to be gone before they arrived.
(Veldora, I'm going to start moving. We should get out of this cave.)
(Mm? Oh, certainly! I shall continue my studies of these "manga" while you travel!)
He's already obsessed.
I bounced toward the exit, making my way through the tunnel system with [Magic Perception] guiding every movement.
ELSEWHERE - WESTERN HOLY CHURCH
Twenty days after Veldora's disappearance
Cardinal Nicholas Shpertas stood in the observation chamber, staring at the crystalline sphere that monitored magical disturbances across the world.
It was dark.
The brilliant purple light that had burned for three hundred years—the marker of Veldora's seal—had vanished completely.
"Impossible," he muttered.
"Not impossible." The voice came from behind him. "Just... unprecedented."
He turned to see Hinata Sakaguchi, Captain of the Holy Knights, enter the chamber. Her mask gleamed in the dim light.
"You've confirmed it?"
"The seal is gone. Not broken—gone. As if it never existed." Hinata approached the sphere, studying it with cold analytical eyes. "The magical signature has completely disappeared from our detection grid."
"Could he have been destroyed?"
"A True Dragon? Unlikely." She crossed her arms. "More probable: he was sealed elsewhere. Transferred somehow."
"By whom?"
"That," Hinata said quietly, "is what I intend to find out."
COUNT NIDOL MAIGAM'S TERRITORY - FARMAS KINGDOM
"This is a disaster!"
Count Nidol slammed his fist on the table, making the assembled knights flinch.
"Three hundred years of peace, shattered! And for what?! Because some fool—"
"My lord." His advisor stepped forward carefully. "The Church has confirmed the dragon's disappearance. They're cutting all emergency funding."
"Of course they are! Why pay for protection against a threat that's vanished?!" He laughed bitterly. "Never mind that vanished could mean released!"
"What are your orders, sir?"
Count Nidol looked out the window toward the Great Jura Forest. Dark. Ominous. Full of monsters emboldened by their god's disappearance.
"Double the guard patrols. Hire every available adventurer. And pray—pray—that dragon truly is gone and not simply... relocated."
BRUMUND KINGDOM - FREEDOM ASSOCIATION GUILD
Fuze stared at the report in his hands.
Three different confirmation sources. All saying the same thing.
"Storm Dragon Veldora: MISSING"
"Sir?" One of his subordinates knocked on the door. "The investigation team you sent—they've returned."
"Already? I didn't expect them back for another week."
"They... ran into complications."
"What kind?"
"The kind where they're requesting danger pay."
Fuze sighed. "Send them in."
INSIDE RIMURU'S STOMACH - PREDATOR DIMENSION
(This "Demon Lord" character is fascinating! His struggle against the "Hero" resonates with me!)
Veldora's excited commentary echoed through our shared space.
I was trying very hard not to laugh.
Of course you'd relate to the demon lord. Of course.
＜＜Note: Target has consumed approximately 47 manga volumes in three days. Reading speed is increasing. Emotional attachment to fictional characters detected.＞＞
This is my life now. Babysitting a dragon otaku while walking through a monster-filled forest.
But honestly?
I wouldn't have it any other way.
This was Tensura.
The adventure was just beginning.
And I had the best companion anyone could ask for.
Even if he was currently sobbing over a manga protagonist's tragic backstory.
(Rimuru! This character—he reminds me of the Hero who sealed me! Do you think—)
(Veldora. It's fiction.)
(I know, but—!)
STATUS UPDATE
Name: Rimuru Tempest
Species: Slime (Named)
Divine Protection: Storm Crest (Active)
Titles: One Who Commands Monsters (pending - no subordinates yet)
Skills:
Unique Skill [Great Sage] Unique Skill [Predator] (currently housing Storm Dragon Veldora) Unique Skill [Inbetweener] Extra Skill [Water Manipulation] Extra Skill [Flame Manipulation] Extra Skill [Air Manipulation] Extra Skill [Lightning Manipulation] Extra Skill [Magic Perception] (synchronized with Great Sage)
Resistances:
Thermal Fluctuation Resistance EX Physical Attack Resistance Pain Immunity Electricity Resistance Paralysis Resistance
Sealed within Predator:
Storm Dragon Veldora Tempest (Analysis of Unlimited Imprisonment: 0.3% complete)
Current Objective: Exit cave, establish goblin village, begin canonical timeline events.
Internal Note:Veldora has discovered manga. Send help.