"Rimuru, Master is going to be okay, right?" Ramiris asked, her voice trembling with a mix of nerves and worry.
"I don't know, okay? The Void isn't exactly a place I can just peek into whenever I feel like it," Rimuru explained, his own concern evident in his tone.
Ramiris fell silent for a moment before muttering under her breath, "If only my Small World were stronger, they wouldn't have had to take the fight to the Void."
"Don't blame yourself. The common sense of a Demon Lord doesn't apply to beings who possess power on par with a True Dragon."
"...You're right, Rimuru."
"Hmm? I rushed over here the moment I felt that explosion of magicules. What exactly is going on?" Luminous said, her voice calm yet laced with a sharp seriousness.
"Luminous?! Hinata?! What are you guys doing here?" Rimuru exclaimed in surprise.
Luminous rolled her eyes. "I happened to be passing by and decided to drop in after sensing an absurd amount of magicules erupting."
"Really?"
"..."
Rimuru turned his gaze toward Hinata. She maintained an unreadable poker face.
"Seriously?"
"Good grief! Just explain what happened and stop dallying!" Luminous snapped, her tone annoyed but carrying a hint of her typical tsundere flair.
Rimuru quickly filled them in on the situation. When Luminous heard about Issei's battle against Veldora, a wicked smirk played across her beautiful face.
"I certainly hope Issei beats that wretched, wicked dragon to a pulp."
Rimuru went silent, thinking to himself, 'I forgot... she's the one person who wants to see Veldora lose more than anyone else.'
"So, was that aura we felt earlier from Veldora? Why did it feel a bit... different?"
"It might not have been him. Issei also has the power of a dragon within his body," Rias answered, stepping forward.
"You... if I recall correctly, your name is Rias, right?" Luminous asked hesitantly.
"Rias Gremory. It's a pleasure to meet you, Luminous-san." Rias offered a sweet, graceful smile.
Luminous momentarily froze. Her "yuri" instincts were screaming at the sight of Rias's sheer beauty and charm. Meanwhile, Rias was quietly observing Luminous in return, her attention drawn to the woman's wild, untamed, and slightly dangerous beauty.
'Issei would definitely like her,' Rias thought.
She wasn't wrong. Issei did indeed admire Luminous's figure, though he hadn't yet had the chance to speak with her one-on-one.
"Just call me Luminous. It feels strange to be addressed so formally by someone of equal standing," Luminous remarked.
"Alright then, Luminous. You seem to harbor quite a grudge against Veldora—did something happen between the two of you?"
"Haa?"
"Eh? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, I'm just irritated remembering that wicked dragon's past insanity." Luminous's body began to radiate an absurd amount of magicules. Not only that, her Demon Lord Haki began to leak out, distorting the very space around them.
Even Hinata looked visibly unsettled by the sheer pressure of Luminous's Haki. Ramiris ducked behind Rimuru, while Rimuru himself broke into a cold sweat, feeling guilty in Veldora's stead.
"Seeing such a strong reaction, I'm even more curious now," Rias pushed further. "What exactly happened? Could it be... that you two were once in a romantic relationship?"
"HAH?!" Luminous's glare sharpened instantly.
"Pfft!" Rimuru and Ramiris fought with everything they had to stifle their laughter. Even Hinata's poker face nearly crumbled in shock.
Realizing she might have misread the room, Rias quickly apologized. "I suppose not. My apologies."
Because Rias was so beautiful, Luminous decided to let it slide. "That wicked dragon once reduced my beautiful, paradise-like kingdom to ashes. Every time I see him, those memories come flooding back, making my emotions difficult to control."
"I see. No wonder you're so angry." Rias could easily imagine the devastation Veldora could cause. If a creature that powerful went on a rampage, the Gremory territory would be nothing but ruins.
CRACK!
The sky above Tempest suddenly splintered like a spiderweb, then shattered as a massive wave of magicules surged through.
"Look out!" Rimuru reacted instinctively, deploying a barrier to shield Rimuru City.
Thanks to his quick thinking, there were no casualties, though many weaker monsters were left dizzy or unconscious from the sheer pressure of the shockwave. Every eye turned toward the rift opening in the sky. Moments later, two silhouettes streaked down like meteors.
BOOM!
Veldora crashed hard, headfirst, leaving the upper half of his body buried in the dirt. Issei fared much better, though half of his Sovereign Juggernaut Drive armor was heavily damaged and in dire need of repair.
"Veldora! Are you okay?!"
"Master! Don't die!"
Rimuru and Ramiris rushed toward Veldora, helping him haul himself out of the ground. Issei watched them, but his head was suddenly and forcefully pulled back by Rias. Before he could react, his face was buried in a soft, warm embrace.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
"Mm, thanks, Rias."
"Hehe..." Rias beamed, happy to be of help.
Having just finished helping Veldora, Rimuru looked over at Issei and pouted with blatant envy. Luminous also stole a glance, looking equally jealous of Issei's position.
Issei noticed their stares but pointedly ignored Rimuru, choosing instead to focus on Luminous. "If I'm not mistaken, your name is Luminous, right?"
"Luminous Twilight Valentine. A pleasure."
"Hyoudou Issei. Likewise."
Issei then glanced at Hinata.
"My name is Hinata Sakaguchi. Nice to meet you."
Issei nodded with a bright smile. Suddenly, Rias gripped Issei's head again, pulling him firmly back into her cleavage. Issei was confused at first, but quickly caught on to Rias's possessiveness. He gave a sheepish smile and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter p*tre*n.com/AgamYupi02