The Black Dragon, having transformed into the Crimson Dragon, was finally brought down by Rimuru's hands. Within the pages of the doujinshi, everyone rejoiced at the conclusion—hugging each other's shoulders, shaking hands, and celebrating their hard-won victory in every way imaginable.
"P-Puhah!" Tiona gasped, finally remembering to breathe.
"Seriously, you... at least remember to breathe," Tione sighed, thoroughly exasperated. "You're going to pass out from a lack of air."
"But I get it… I totally understand why Tiona forgot to breathe," Ais murmured. She clutched the book tightly against her chest, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. "Watching Bell stand up to the Black Dragon like that… I thought he looked amazing."
As she recalled the scene—Bell gripping his sword, his face fierce and brimming with resolve as he challenged the legendary beast—the normally emotionless Ais had stars in her eyes. She looked exactly like a maiden experiencing her first crush.
"Hm? Hmmmm? Wait, wait, absolutely not!" Loki sputtered, immediately sensing the shift in her beloved daughter. "It's way too early for my Ais-tan to be thinking about romance!"
"Loki, I can't say I completely misunderstand your feelings," Finn interrupted calmly. "And I agree that a relationship with someone from another faction—especially their captain—isn't exactly desirable. However, it will only make things infinitely more complicated if you get involved, so I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet."
Sensing that the situation would devolve into a massive headache, Finn forcefully shut her down just as she was about to snap at them. Loki reluctantly snapped her mouth shut, but her face was plastered with such blatant dissatisfaction that it made the atmosphere in the room incredibly awkward. Amidst that tense air, Bete abruptly slammed his copy of the book onto the desk.
"Tch. At the end of the day, this is nothing but a product of pure delusion," he spat.
Disgust written all over his face, he turned and headed for the door.
"Where are you going, Bete?" Finn asked.
"Hah. The Dungeon, obviously," Bete scoffed, not even bothering to look back. He shoved the door open roughly and stormed out.
"What's with that attitude!?" Tiona leaped to her feet, so angry her hair practically stood on end.
"Well, I can't say I don't understand how Bete feels," Gareth chuckled dryly, crossing his arms.
"Not you too, Gareth!" Tiona glared, ready to bite his head off, but the dwarf merely shrugged.
"There's no denying that a lot of what's written in here is painfully convenient," Gareth explained. "Fighting alongside talking monsters, magic evolving beyond the boundaries of a Rank Up, and discovering a new spell capable of piercing the Black Dragon's scales… Bete knows better than anyone that reality isn't that kind."
"I mean, that's true, but…"
Gareth continued, his tone stoic but laced with an undeniable warmth. "However, that doesn't mean he was mocking everything in this book. Seeing that boy fight through the pain, bleeding and breaking his bones without giving up… For some reason, his exploits set my heart ablaze, just as they did Bete's. To be entirely honest, if I were a few years younger, I probably would have chased right after Bete into the Dungeon. When you look at it that way… perhaps that kid really is the Argonaut."
"Right!?" Tiona beamed, her face blossoming into a radiant smile. "I knew it! Bell really is an amazing boy, just like the Argonaut!!"
Unlike Ais's quiet, maidenly blush, Tiona's smile was like the sun—a full-throttle display of pure affection.
"Grrrgh…!!" Loki's expression instantly warped back into that of a parent whose child had just been stolen away.
"Loki, stop making that weird face," Riveria reprimanded her coolly.
"Whaddya mean, 'weird face'!? I'm just terrified that both Ais-tan and Tiona are gonna get snatched up by that little pipsqueak's Familia—"
"Yes, yes, let's calm down, okay?" Aki casually stepped up beside her and began to pat her shoulder.
Much like a large, temperamental dog being pet into submission, Loki let out a soft "Hmph" and quieted down. Still pouting, she dropped her gaze back to the pages of the book.
─────
Back in the story, Bell slipped away from the circle of celebration and gently pulled the unconscious Laurier into his arms. As if reacting to his touch, Laurier's eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"—Bell?"
"Yeah, good morning. My Ariadne."
Laurier looked around, confirming that they had survived, and then realized she was still clinging tightly to Bell. Though her face burned bright red, she made no effort to pull away from his embrace. Remaining exactly where she was, she asked about the Black Dragon that had become her trauma.
"Did we win? Against that terrifying Black Dragon…"
"Yeah. Well, all I really managed to do was snap off its horn. Rimuru and the others were the ones who actually defeated it, but…"
Bell scratched his cheek with a wry smile. That single gesture was enough for Laurier to understand everything. He had kept his promise. He had put his life on the line and stood against that monster, all for her sake. The weight of that reality washed over her heart. With trembling arms, Laurier gently wrapped them around Bell's neck. Casting aside all her hesitation and shame, she pulled him into a tight embrace.
"You kept… your promise. Thank you. …I love you. My most beloved hero."
Tears streamed down her face as she smiled—a truly beautiful smile—and without a second thought, she softly pressed her lips against his.
The moment her lips met his, Bell's body jolted in surprise. Yet, there was no reason for him to push her away. Slowly, he closed his eyes and gently wrapped his arms around her back, accepting the full weight of her feelings.
─────
"Muuuuuu~!!"
Letting out painfully obvious groans of jealousy, Ais and Tiona glared daggers at the kissing scene. The level-headed adults in the room merely sighed at the girls' envy—after all, this was the main focus of the doujinshi to begin with—but they wisely swallowed the words that threatened to spill from their lips, knowing better than to get in the way of maidens in love.
On the very next page, Bell and Laurier finally parted from their passionate kiss. A silver thread of saliva connected their lips, speaking volumes about the intensity of their embrace. Bell immediately turned his face away, blushing furiously, while Laurier smiled with profound, radiant satisfaction.
─────
"—You two are getting awfully lovey-dovey, aren't you?"
"Eek!?" Both of them yelped.
Before they knew it, Rimuru was standing right beside them, arms crossed and a teasing grin plastered across his face. Worse yet, the rest of the group—who had just been celebrating their victory moments prior—were now crowded behind him, watching them like a bunch of curious onlookers. Bell scrambled backward so fast he looked like he was about to jump out of his skin.
"R-Rimuru!? N-No, wait, this is…!"
Meanwhile, Laurier remained frozen in place, her hands still clutching Bell's shirt as she trembled, blushing furiously. Rimuru looked down at them, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
"Man, youth sure is great, isn't it? Hugging each other after a life-or-death battle, shedding tears, exchanging 'I love yous,' and diving straight into a passionate kiss… Yeah, what a treat."
Rimuru clapped his hands together with a sharp smack, smiling in complete satisfaction as if to say, 'Thanks for the top-tier entertainment.' Behind him, the crowd's reactions were a mixed bag. Some whistled loudly, others nodded with laughs of "Now this is a rom-com!", while a few simply stared intensely with flushed cheeks. Realizing just how large their audience was, Bell and Laurier shrank in on themselves, entirely speechless and blushing furiously.
"Hm? This reaction is—"
Suddenly, Rimuru stopped teasing them. Seemingly sensing something, he spread his wings and took off into the sky. The rest of the group scrambled to follow him, eventually arriving at the spot where Rimuru had dealt the finishing blow to the Crimson Dragon. There, embedded in the scorched and ruined earth, sat a single, battered black scale.
"Is this the Black Dragon's scale? But why is there only one left?"
"Isn't it just a drop item? Monsters in our world turn to ash when they're defeated, but occasionally, they drop items like this."
"But even for a drop item, it's awfully beaten up, isn't it?"
When Bell suggested that Rimuru's final spell might have just been too powerful, Laurier reached out to touch the battered but intact scale in awe, imagining just how ferocious the battle had been. However, Rimuru shook his head.
"No. It's highly likely that this was the true body of the Black Dragon we just fought."
"This isn't the main body? What do you mean…?"
"My guess is that this scale got sucked into the spatial rift along with you guys. It probably appeared in a different location either because it was swallowed at a different time… or perhaps because it's an inanimate object?"
The moment they heard that, a memory flashed through both of their minds—the sight of the Black Dragon shedding a scale right before they were pulled into this world.
"This is just my theory, but when this scale crossed over into our world, it somehow acquired a skill to absorb magicules. As a result, it used those magicules to construct a physical body and grew that horn to utilize its skills more effectively."
"Wait a minute!? You're telling me a mere scale developed a skill? And that the terrifying Black Dragon we fought was just a fake created from a single piece of debris!?"
Bell was entirely floored by the shocking revelation. Laurier stared at Rimuru in sheer disbelief as well. It was impossible to fathom that the overwhelmingly powerful monster they had faced was nothing more than a construct born from a single dropped scale. Rimuru simply nodded, having fully expected their reaction.
"I'll admit, the fact that the original monster this scale belongs to is still alive and well in your world is definitely a crisis. But Bell, Laurier—you two aren't the only adventurers back home, right? If you join forces with your companions, you can overcome just about anything. I know it might sound a bit irresponsible coming from me, but I'm speaking from personal experience!"
"Kwahahaha! He's exactly right! With comrades by your side, there is nothing to fear! Besides, that dragon grew strong by absorbing my magicules! I have no doubt it was far stronger than the original body waiting in your world!!"
"Ah—! Now that you mention it, this whole disaster only happened because you messed up and let your magicules get stolen!!"
"Hrm! W-Well, as they say, all's well that ends well, wouldn't you say, Rimuru!?"
"You're the last person who gets to say that! Do you have any idea that Tempest would have been completely annihilated if Bell and the others hadn't fought like their lives depended on it!? As punishment, Veldora's snacks are confiscated for an entire month!!"
"W-What!? I beg of you, reconsider, Rimuru!!!"
Bell couldn't help but think that confiscating snacks was an incredibly light punishment for a disaster of this scale—a thought that was likely plastered clearly across his face. Meanwhile, Geld and the High Orcs were already flexing their muscles, completely fired up and declaring that they would dedicate everything to rebuilding the city. Seeing this, Bell realized once again that Rimuru truly did have dependable companions. Together, they had likely overcome hardships that Bell couldn't even begin to imagine. He thought of his own friends back home.
I'll be fine. I have my companions, too.
The moment Bell made that resolve, the battered black scale suddenly shattered. The magicules stored within it erupted into a violent storm. As if triggered by the surge in energy, the spatial rift that had brought Bell and Laurier to this world tore open once more.
"Looks like it's time to say goodbye."
"But to leave Tempest in this state…"
"Don't worry about it, Bell. We'll take care of our own city. You just head back to your world and do what you need to do!"
Pushed forward by Rimuru's encouraging words, Bell stepped in front of the rift. As he and Laurier were slowly sucked into the spatial tear, he looked back at Rimuru one last time.
"Thank you, Rimuru! I'll never forget meeting all of you!!!"
As Bell was pulled away, everyone in Tempest waved their hands and shouted their farewells, watching warmly as the two travelers returned to their own world. On the final page, Bell and Laurier stood beneath a blue sky, safely back in their own world. Holding hands, they made a silent vow to Rimuru and the others who had believed in them and sent them off with smiles—a vow to defeat the true Black Dragon and become the heroes of this world. And with that, the curtains fell on their story.
─────
Having finished the rather lengthy tale, the members of the Loki Familia sat frozen in breathless silence.
"Hmm… An entity reconstructed from a single scale of the Black Dragon, is it? Not to mention, skills from another world. Even if it is fiction, the concept is quite fascinating," Riveria muttered, crossing her arms. Her eyes were still slightly wide with intrigue.
"Personally, I'm much more interested in the durability of that Black Dragon's scale," Finn added, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "If its resilience in the story is accurate, it could very well be one of the main reasons Zeus and Hera suffered their defeat."
"Indeed," Gareth grunted in agreement. "A scale that couldn't be pierced even by an attack from Bell Cranel while he was under the effects of an experience-doubling magic… Yes, if that holds true in reality, we currently possess no means of overcoming it…"
As the three veterans delved into a serious tactical discussion, Tiona—a massive hero-tale fanatic—snapped.
"Hey~!! Come on, at least talk about how awesome Bell was for a second!"
"You idiot, the Captain is trying to think about our future and all sorts of important things. Don't get in his way, you moron!" Tione barked.
"Haaah!? Did you just call me a moron, Tione!?"
"Yeah, I did! You got a problem with that!!?"
Forced to calm the Hiryute sisters before they could start a full-blown brawl, the gathering ultimately dissolved for the day. Needless to say, on a certain infamous ranking posted on the Guild's notice board, Laurier Swar continued to reign supreme as the absolute, unshakeable number one.
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