While the entire world was swept up in the storm unleashed by the Black Quill, back in Tempest, Rimuru and Testarossa had already finished their hour-long discussion on demon biology and its more... sensitive aspects. Now that the enlightening conversation was behind them, the two made their way toward the dining room.
The moment they stepped inside, Rimuru immediately made a beeline for Shizu. "Hey, good morning, love," he greeted warmly before wrapping his arms around her and planting a quick kiss on her lips.
"Morning to you too, mister," Shizu replied with an affectionate smile, happily returning the embrace for a brief moment before looking up at him and teased, "From the sound of it, you had a pretty crazy night, huh?" an impish grin spreading across her face as she turned her gaze toward Testarossa, causing the Primordial White to instantly freeze before a rosy blush spread across her cheeks. Unable to meet Shizu's amused eyes, she quickly looked away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear in a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Yeah, it was great. We had a lot of fun," Rimuru answered without the slightest hint of shame, flashing Testarossa a knowing smile that only made the demoness's blush deepen. "Actually, why don't you join us next time?" he added with a mischievous wink directed at Shizu, causing an abrupt, violent choking sound to erupt from somewhere behind them.
"You know, hubby, I'm going to hold you to that," Shizu replied with a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Even so, she had no intention of surrendering in their ongoing battle of playful teasing. "By the way, you do have what I asked for, right?" she added, unable to hide the excitement creeping into her voice.
"I do, but are you sure you really want it?" Rimuru asked with an awkward smile as he summoned a crystal orb into his hand. Shizu immediately nodded enthusiastically, bobbing her head up and down like an eager little hamster. "Well, if that's what you want," he said before handing the orb over to her.
"Hmm... Rimuru-sama, what exactly is that?" Testarossa asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the crystal orb. Because for reasons she couldn't quite understand, an overwhelming sense of embarrassment welled up inside her the moment she looked at it.
"Oh, that?" Rimuru replied, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "It's... a memory orb. It contains my memories."
"Memory orb..." Testarossa repeated quietly. A heartbeat later, her eyes widened, and a deep crimson blush exploded across her face as the implication finally dawned on her. She slowly turned toward the crystal orb, staring at it as though it were the most dangerous object in the room. "...Don't tell me these are the memories of... last night...?" she asked in a barely audible voice. The instant Rimuru gave her a confirming nod, she lunged forward and snatched the orb straight out of Shizu's hands before the latter could even react. "No! Absolutely not! Shizu-sama, you are not watching this!"
"But why!?" Shizu protested, puffing out her cheeks as she folded her arms beneath her chest. "It's really not that big of a deal!"
"No! It's way too embarrassing!" Testarossa shot back, vehemently shaking her head from side to side. There was no way she was letting Shizu see the faces and expressions she'd made the previous night. Hell, even thinking back on how she'd acted in front of Rimuru was enough to make her wish the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
"It's a shame, I guess," Shizu said with an exaggerated shrug, deciding not to push the matter any further after seeing just how mortified Testarossa was. "By the way, you don't need to use honorifics when you're talking to me anymore," she added with a warm, reassuring smile. "Considering the kind of relationship we have now, it just doesn't feel right."
"Is that really okay?" Testarossa asked, sounding almost hesitant, but the moment Shizu gave her a gentle nod, a genuinely radiant smile bloomed across the Primordial's face. "Thank you, Shizu. That... really means a lot to me."
"Don't mention it," Shizu replied with a soft laugh before a sly grin slowly crept back onto her face. "...Now then, about those memories..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the unmistakable sound of someone loudly clearing their throat echoed through the dining room. Shizu, Rimuru, and Testarossa all turned toward the source at the same time, only to find Genevieve sitting there, glaring at the trio with a deeply flushed face.
"You three..." Genevieve began before letting out a long, weary sigh. "I'm really glad to see you're all getting along so well, but could you please be a little more mindful of what you say when there are children around?" she said, pointing toward Milim, who was staring blankly at the trio with one finger resting thoughtfully against her chin.
"Oh, hey. Good morning, Milim. I didn't even notice you were there," Rimuru said with an awkward chuckle, silently grateful for the convenient change of subject as he walked over and took the empty seat beside the young Dragonoid. "So, how was yesterday? Did you have fun at Tempest's celebration?" he asked, gently patting her on the head.
"Yeah! It was awesome!" Milim exclaimed, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I had sooo much fun! First I went over there, then we ate a bunch of really tasty food, and then..." Without needing any further encouragement, she launched into an animated retelling of every adventure she'd had during the previous day's festivities. Rimuru, meanwhile, simply sat there with a warm smile, occasionally taking a sip of his tea as he patiently listened to every last detail.
However, just then, Rimuru felt a gentle tug at the leg of his pants. Looking down, he couldn't help but smile when he saw little Mariabell sitting beside him, clutching the fabric of his pants with her tiny hands. The moment she realized she had his attention, she stretched both little arms up toward him, silently asking to be picked up. Naturally, since he wasn't some heartless monster, Rimuru scooped her up without hesitation and settled her comfortably on his lap.
"Well, would you look at this little rascal," Rimuru said with an amused chuckle, gently poking one of her chubby cheeks with his finger. "When exactly did you learn how to climb down from a chair all by yourself, young lady?" he asked affectionately while the little girl waved her tiny fist toward her mother, proudly announcing her accomplishment.
"Don't even ask, Rimuru-sama," Genevieve sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's not just chairs anymore. Recently, this little troublemaker started climbing out of her cradle all by herself too. Because of that, I have to stay on constant alert. Otherwise, I might look away for a second, and she'll vanish before I know it."
"Well, as long as she's inside the city, you never have to worry about her safety. That much, I can promise you," Rimuru replied reassuringly as he absentmindedly stroked Mariabell's soft hair. The little girl looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes before letting out a happy giggle, clearly enjoying the attention. "That said, I don't think there's any such thing as being too cautious when it comes to a mother and her child."
"I'm glad you understand, Rimuru-sama," Genevieve said with a grateful smile. "I know I'm probably a little overprotective when it comes to her. Sometimes I even feel a little silly because of it, but... I just can't help myself," she added with a helpless sigh.
"No, you're not being silly. You're just being a mum," Shizu said, placing a comforting hand over Genevieve's. As someone who would soon become a mother herself, she could understand, at least to some extent, how Genevieve felt. "Besides, as Rimuru said, there's nothing wrong with being cautious."
Meanwhile, Milim had long since lost track of the conversation. With the adults talking about things she found hopelessly boring, her attention naturally drifted toward the only interesting thing nearby. Leaning forward with a bright smile, she enthusiastically waved at the little girl sitting comfortably on Rimuru's lap. "Hi!"
However, the moment Mariabell noticed the unfamiliar pink-haired girl trying to get her attention, her tiny brain reached a very simple conclusion. 'Not familiar. Don't care,' and simply went back to sucking on her thumb while snuggling deeper into Rimuru's chest.
"Wahh~! What did I do? Why don't you like me!?" Milim cried dramatically, utterly heartbroken at being ignored by the little girl as tiny, cartoonish tears streamed down her face.
"It's not your fault, Milim," Rimuru said with an amused chuckle, gently patting the pouting Demon Lord on the head. "Most babies just aren't very friendly with people they don't know. To her, you're basically a complete stranger."
"So, how do I get her to like me?" Milim asked, tilting her head curiously as she stared at Mariabell with renewed determination.
"Well, there are two ways. You can either spend time with her until she gets used to you or..." Rimuru said with a mischievous grin as he produced a gold coin in his hand. "...you can try bribing her," he finished with a completely straight face as he placed the coin into the pink-haired Demon Lord's hand.
Milim accepted the coin with both hands before crouching down and carefully holding it out in front of Mariabell. The little girl's eyes immediately sparkled the moment she spotted the shiny piece of gold, and without a second thought, she reached out with both tiny hands. Smiling at the adorable scene, Rimuru gently lifted Mariabell off his lap and set her down on the floor before motioning for Milim to come down as well. "Now you can try playing with her. Just make sure you don't make her cry," he said before returning to his seat and continuing his breakfast.
For the next half hour, the adults continued chatting among themselves while leisurely enjoying their meal. Meanwhile, down on the floor, Milim's naturally cheerful personality, combined with the irresistible temptation of a shiny gold coin, quickly broke through Mariabell's initial wariness and won her over. Before long, the two were happily playing together, with Milim making all sorts of funny faces to entertain the little girl as they laughed together.
Eventually, after finishing the last of his breakfast, Rimuru stood up from his chair and stretched lightly. "Well, ladies, you can keep chatting. I've got something I need to take care of," he said casually before turning toward the door.
"Rimuru, wait! I'm coming with you!" Milim shouted, instantly abandoning her game as she sprang to her feet and dashed after him. Halfway there, she suddenly remembered Mariabell and quickly spun around to look back at the little girl, who blinked up at her in confusion, clearly startled by the sudden burst of energy. "Bye, baby! I'll come play with you again later!" Milim called, waving enthusiastically before flashing Mariabell a bright, carefree smile and skipping after Rimuru.
Mariabell, meanwhile, seemed determined not to be left behind and eagerly started crawling after Milim. Unfortunately for her, she had only made it a short distance before Genevieve gently bent down and scooped her up. Genevieve let out a helpless sigh as her daughter immediately began fussing, pointing insistently toward the doorway where Milim had disappeared while letting out a series of soft, unhappy little whines.
"Sorry, darling, but it's time for our walk outside," Genevieve said softly, gently rocking Mariabell in an attempt to calm her down. Although the little girl continued to pout for a few moments, she eventually settled against her mother's shoulder with a reluctant huff. Smiling apologetically at Shizu and Testarossa, Genevieve said, "We'll see you both later," before quietly leaving the dining room with Mariabell cradled in her arms.
Now that they were finally alone, a mischievous smile slowly spread across Shizu's face as she turned to look at Testarossa. "Soo..." she drawled innocently. "...about those memories..."
"No!!!!!" Testarossa screamed before bolting out of the dining room, leaving crackling Shizu behind.
******
After leaving the house, Rimuru set off toward the cave where Veldora had once been sealed, with Milim happily skipping along behind him. The two walked through Tempest before entering the familiar cavern, and it wasn't long before they reached the vast underground chamber where Rimuru himself had first awakened after arriving in this world. Before them stretched the enormous underground lake, reflecting the faint glow of countless magic crystals embedded throughout the cavern walls. Nearby, clusters of Hipokute herbs flourished in the rich magical environment, while large chunks of Magic Ore lay scattered across the cave floor, quietly absorbing the dense concentration of magicules that filled the chamber.
"Rimuru, what are we doing here?" Milim asked, curiously looking around as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. While waiting for an answer, she casually reached over and snapped a fist-sized chunk off a nearby boulder of Magic Ore as effortlessly as if she were breaking a cracker, then began absentmindedly tossing it up and down in one hand.
"We're here to welcome a new member into the Tempest family," Rimuru replied with a gentle smile as he gazed across the underground lake. "Actually, it wouldn't be wrong to say that you're about to become a big sister, Milim."
"Huh?" Milim froze for a moment before slowly tilting her head to one side as question marks floated above her head.
Rimuru couldn't help but chuckle at Milim's utterly adorable reaction, but instead of answering her question, he simply smiled and kept the surprise to himself. Then, turning his attention back towards the open space before the underground lake, he silently called out within his mind, 'Ciel, is everything ready?'
'Thank you for all your hard work, Ciel,' Rimuru said sincerely within his mind before slowly raising a hand toward the open space before him. A calm smile settled on his face as he spoke, "Charybdis, you were born into this world from the hatred and malice of those who sought to use you for their own gain. You never had the chance to choose your own path or your own purpose. But today, I, Rimuru Tempest, free you from that hatred and malice, and accept you as one of my own."
As the final words left his mouth, a sphere of brilliant azure energy materialized above his palm and pulsed like a living heart, releasing powerful waves of magicules that rippled across the underground lake and caused the surrounding Magic Ore to glow in response. "So, from the bottom of my heart... welcome to this world, my dear niece, Moana Tempest."
The instant he finished speaking, the sphere shot forward before being swallowed by a blinding pillar of blue-white light that illuminated every corner of the cavern.
"Whoa! Amazing!" Milim exclaimed, enthusiastically clapping her hands while her eyes were sparkling with amazement, unable to contain her excitement as she watched the entire spectacle unfold.
Several minutes later, the pillar of light gradually dissolved into countless glowing particles, and in place of the blue sphere of energy stood a slender teenage girl dressed in an elegant blue-and-black dress. She had warm tan skin and long blonde hair that gradually transitioned into azure blue along the inner layers and at the tips, but most distinctive of all was the small scar beneath her left eye. At a single glance, anyone could tell that despite a few obvious differences, the girl's appearance bore a remarkable resemblance to Veldora's human form.
A few moments later, the girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of breathtaking azure-blue irises. She quietly took in her surroundings, curiously observing the cavern that marked the beginning of her new life before her gaze settled on Rimuru, and the instant she recognized him, warmth and gratitude filled her expression as a gentle smile spread across her face.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, she gracefully walked over to him and offered a deep, respectful bow. "Hello, Uncle. It is an honor to finally meet you," Moana said with heartfelt sincerity before slowly raising her head again. "And... thank you for giving me this life," she added, her voice filled with absolute reverence.
"It's really nice to finally meet you too, Moana," Rimuru replied with a warm, fatherly smile as he gently rested a hand on top of her head. "So, how do you feel?" he asked.
"I feel wonderful, Uncle," Moana answered honestly before slowly raising one hand in front of her face and curling it into a fist, quietly marveling at the strength flowing through her body. Looking back up at Rimuru, a faint smile spread across her face. "And this power... it's unlike anything I've ever experienced before," she admitted, and despite her calm tone, the excitement in her voice was impossible to hide.
"Well, that's only natural," Rimuru replied with a satisfied smile as he looked proudly at the newest member of his family. "Not only were you born from Veldora's magicules, but you've also inherited the gift I personally created for you," he added, quietly admiring the gift he had created specifically for his niece.
[Ultimate Skill: Lord of Ocean, Jyahnar
Thought Acceleration - Allows the user to dramatically accelerate their thought processes, enabling them to perceive, analyze, and react at extraordinary speeds.
Universal Perception - Allows the user to perceive nearly everything within an extremely wide radius, greatly enhancing their awareness of both their surroundings and the presence of other beings.
Dragon Spirit Haki - Allows the user to unleash an overwhelming wave of spiritual pressure capable of intimidating, suppressing, or incapacitating those with weaker wills.
Fluid Body - Allows the user to freely transform their body between solid and liquid states at will. While in their liquid form, they become a mass of living water completely under their control, allowing them to freely reshape, compress, expand, and maneuver their body.
Hydrokinesis - Grants the user absolute authority over all forms of water, allowing them to command and manipulate it as they see fit.
Drizzle - Allows the user to summon rainfall over a designated area regardless of the existing weather conditions.
Primordial Sea - Allows the user to create a separate pocket dimension containing an endless primordial ocean under their absolute dominion. The user may forcibly drag designated targets into this realm, where every drop of water obeys their will absolutely.
True Dragon Transformation - Allows the user to temporarily assume the form of a True Dragon, dramatically enhancing all physical abilities while granting access to the overwhelming power of a primordial dragon. The strength and duration of the transformation increase alongside the user's mastery of the skill.]
'Sorry, but creating ridiculously overpowered skills is just too much fun,' Rimuru replied inwardly without a shred of remorse. 'Honestly, I'm actually starting to regret not realizing I could use [Shub-Niggurath] to create whatever skills I wanted back in our original timeline.'
While Rimuru was busy bantering with his own Manas, Milim slowly wandered over to Moana and looked her over with curious eyes. "Hmm... you somehow feel really familiar," she said as she circled around the blue-eyed girl, studying her from every angle.
"That's only natural," Moana replied with a gentle smile, patiently allowing Milim to satisfy her curiosity. "I'm a Dragonoid too, just like you. Not only that, but in a way, we're practically cousins." Her smile softened even further as she met Milim's gaze. "So... I look forward to getting along with you from now on, Milim nee-chan."
"What did you just call me!?" Milim gasped, her eyes instantly sparkling with pure joy, and before Moana could even react, Milim grabbed both of her hands and started spinning her around in excited circles. "Hahahaha! I'm a big sister now!" she laughed at the top of her lungs, and after several enthusiastic spins, she finally came to a stop and let go, giving the slightly dizzy Moana a chance to regain her footing. "From now on, if anyone dares to bully you, just tell your Milim nee-chan! I'll beat them up for you!" she declared confidently, punctuating her words by slamming one fist into her open palm.
Moana couldn't help but let out a soft laugh before offering Milim a warm smile. "Thank you, Milim nee-chan. That makes me very happy," she said with a genuinely appreciative smile. "Let's take good care of each other from now on."
Rimuru, meanwhile, smiled as he watched the two of them interact and was just about to say something when he suddenly sensed two familiar presences approaching. Turning around, he was surprised to see Velzard walking toward them with Veldora reluctantly trailing behind her, looking like he'd been dragged there against his will.
A moment later, the dragon siblings came to a stop in front of them. However, instead of addressing Rimuru, Velzard's gaze immediately settled on Moana, who had also noticed their arrival.
"Hello, Velzard. It's a pleasant surprise to see you here," Rimuru greeted with an easy smile before briefly glancing toward Moana. "Ah, let me introduce you to..."
"Uncle, wait," Moana said, stepping forward to interrupt him. "Sorry for cutting you off, but I think it would be better if I introduced myself," she said, nervously glancing at Veldora, who looked as clueless as a newborn baby.
"I understand," Rimuru replied with a smile before gently placing his hands on her shoulders and guiding her forward. "Go ahead. Do the honors," he said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"Hello. It's an honor to meet you, Aunt Velzard," Moana began, fidgeting with her fingers. "My name is Moana Tempest, daughter of Veldora-sama."
A moment of silence passed in the cave before both dragon siblings blurted out in complete shock,
"Huh!!!!!?"
To be continued...
******
Illustrations: Moana