The sun was shining gently over the vast landscape of Tempest, now a rapidly growing nation nestled in the heart of the Jura Forest. Thanks to the alliance with King Gazel and the dwarves, construction had accelerated. Roads were being paved, the walls had grown taller, and a central command hall was being built under Benimaru's direction. Goblins, orcs, ogres, lizardmen—everyone was working in harmony.
Rimuru, in his human form, strolled through the village, arms folded behind his back, chatting casually with Benimaru and Souei.
"Honestly," Rimuru said, smiling as he looked around, "this place is really turning into something special. Who would've thought a slime like me would end up running a country?"
Benimaru chuckled. "You've done more in a few months than most kings do in decades. We follow because we believe in you."
Souei nodded. "The forest is stabilizing too. Our scouts say fewer hostile creatures have been wandering in since we expanded."
Rimuru opened his mouth to reply—but then it happened.
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—Great Sage
Rimuru froze mid-step.
"Uh… guys…" he muttered, his body beginning to tremble ever so slightly. "Don't panic, but something insanely powerful is heading this way."
Benimaru's eyes sharpened. "Should I prepare the defense force?"
"No!" Rimuru shouted quickly, his face paling. "Do not make a move. I'll handle this."
He instantly turned back into his slime form, floated into the air, and zipped beyond the village borders into the open plains just outside Tempest.
Benimaru and Souei looked at each other.
"…Something that scared him?" Benimaru whispered.
Souei's threads stirred on instinct. "We better stay alert."
The air shimmered. Then—BOOOOOOM!!
A massive explosion of dust, shockwaves, and wind erupted about a hundred feet in front of Rimuru. The ground cracked, and the birds scattered in every direction. Even in his slime form, Rimuru began to sweat—literally.
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—Great Sage
As the dust settled, a figure stood in the middle of the crater, hands on hips, grinning like she just walked into her favorite bakery.
She was petite, but her presence was massive. Long pink twin tails flowed behind her, and her eyes sparkled with wild excitement.
"I FOUND YOU!" she shouted. "Hi there! I'm Milim Nava, the Demon Lord of Destruction! And I came to say hiiiiii!"
Rimuru floated awkwardly in place, stunned. "Wh-wh-what the heck?! A Demon Lord?! Already?!"
Great Sage wasn't helping.
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"Yeah, no pressure…" Rimuru muttered.
Before Rimuru could respond, the peaceful moment exploded into chaos.
"RIMURU-SAMAAAA!!!" a voice shrieked.
It was Shion, barreling forward like a pink-haired missile, sword drawn. Right behind her came Ranga, snarling, lightning crackling from his fur.
"WAIT, STOP!!" Rimuru screamed.
But it was too late.
Shion slashed at Milim from above, and Ranga lunged with a thunder fang attack. Milim casually sidestepped mid-yawn.
From the trees, Souei launched razor-sharp threads, wrapping them toward Milim's limbs while Benimaru stood atop a ridge, gathering magic power in his hand.
"Hell Flare!!"
A massive black flame engulfed the area. Smoke billowed. Dust choked the field.
Rimuru's slime body visibly sagged. "Guys… what did I just say?!"
As the smoke cleared, there stood Milim. Completely untouched. Her expression had changed.
"OHHH?" she said, grinning. "So you guys want to fight, huh?"
She cracked her knuckles. The ground trembled.
"W-wait, Milim!" Rimuru zipped in front of her, stretching his slime body like a giant bubble. "Let's not vaporize my village, please!"
Milim tilted her head. "They started it though."
"I know, I know! But listen—they didn't know who you were! Let me explain!"
She blinked, then… poked Rimuru.
Boop.
"Eh? You're a slime again?" Milim squatted down and poked him again and again. "You didn't look like this when you fought the Orc Disaster."
"Y-you saw that?" Rimuru asked nervously.
Milim stood. "Of course! That was awesome! You're strong! But this form is funny!"
Rimuru sighed and transformed back into his human form. His silver-blue hair fluttered in the breeze.
Milim's eyes sparkled. "WOAHHH!! That's awesome!! You look so cool!!"
"Th-thanks…" Rimuru said, scratching his head. "So… um… are you here to fight or…?"
Milim smiled sweetly.
"I could destroy you, but that'd be no fun." She put her hands behind her back. "Tell you what—if you can land one hit on me, I'll admit defeat!"
Rimuru's eyes widened. "R-really?! Just one hit?"
Milim nodded enthusiastically.
Benimaru whispered from afar, "Is he seriously going to try…?"
Souei answered, "Against her? There's no way."
Rimuru took a deep breath. "Okay then… this is gonna be my ultimate move."
Milim stretched her arms. "Come at me, Slime Boy!"
Rimuru dashed forward—suddenly pulling out something small from his inventory.
"What the…?" Milim blinked.
It was a jar of golden honey.
In a flash, Rimuru zipped up to her face, opened the jar, and—plop!—shoved a big spoonful right into her mouth.
"MMMPH???"
Milim froze. Her eyes widened. Her cheeks flushed.
"W-what is this?!" she mumbled between chews. "This is… THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!"
Rimuru smirked. "It's honey. I got it from a rare forest beehive. If you let me win, I'll give you more."
Milim gasped. "What?! That's not fair!! You're bribing me with sweets! That's cheating!!"
"Technically," Rimuru grinned, "I did hit you. With flavor."
Milim pouted. "Hmmph… then I say it's a draw!"
Rimuru laughed. "Fine. A draw it is."
And just like that, the chaos ended. Shion sheathed her sword, Benimaru sighed in disbelief, and Ranga flopped down in the grass.
Milim linked her arm with Rimuru. "I like you, slimey! I'm gonna stay here for a while. Let's be friends!"
Rimuru nodded, internally crying. "This is gonna be so much trouble…"
The sun had dipped into the horizon, painting the sky in soft oranges and deep purples. A peaceful, almost festive air hung over Tempest, the capital city blooming right in the heart of the Jura Forest. The people were busy preparing lanterns, hanging up flags, and cooking for the evening's feast. After all, it wasn't every day that a Demon Lord was welcomed as a friend.
And not just any Demon Lord—Milim Nava, the Destroyer herself.
Rimuru, in his soft slime form, bounced cheerfully in Milim's arms as she carried him like a plush toy.
"Alright everyone!" Rimuru's voice rang out, "I want you all to meet someone important! This here is my new friend—"
"BESTIEEE!!" Milim shouted excitedly, cutting him off. "We're best friends now! So treat me nicely or I'll flatten your homes~!"
Rimuru sweatdropped. "Yeah, maybe dial back the 'destroyer' energy just a bit…"
At that moment, Gobta, who had been eating something suspicious near the central square, jumped to his feet and saluted.
"RIMURU-SAMA IS FRIENDS WITH A DEMON LORD!! LONG LIVE RIMURU-SAMA!! LONG LIVE MILIM-SAMA!!"
The nearby goblins and orcs dropped their tools and cheered as well, some half in awe, others mostly panicking but pretending not to. Even the Lizardmen gave awkward, lizardy claps.
Benimaru sighed from the sidelines. "And just when I thought things were going to calm down…"
Shion grinned. "At least she likes Rimuru-sama. That's a plus."
Ranga, lying at Rimuru's feet, added, "A friend who can destroy entire kingdoms is… a useful ally."
Rimuru chuckled nervously. "Let's hope she stays friendly."
Later, Rimuru and Milim strolled through the city—well, technically, Milim strolled while carrying Rimuru like a teddy bear.
She looked around with wide eyes. "Wow… I can't believe how much you've built in such a short time, Rimuru! Houses, roads, training fields, restaurants—it's kinda impressive for a slime."
"Hehe," Rimuru chuckled with pride, puffing up slightly. "It took a lot of planning and teamwork, but yeah… Tempest has really come alive."
Milim's smile faded just slightly as she looked toward the dense forest beyond the city walls.
"But… do you know who this forest really belongs to?"
Rimuru blinked. "Huh?"
Milim tilted her head, still smiling, but there was something mischievous in her eyes. "My uncle. He beat up Veldora and claimed this entire forest as his territory a long time ago."
Rimuru stiffened. "W-Wait… what?! Veldora?! Beaten?! By your… uncle?!"
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Rimuru began trembling in place. "GREAT SAGE. ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"
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Milim hugged Rimuru a little tighter. "Yup! Uncle Yujiro is crazy strong! He trained me and my soldiers for years. That's why I got stronger! I still can't even land a real hit on him unless he lets me."
Rimuru was speechless.
"Y-you mean to tell me… a human beat Veldora, claimed this forest, and trained you?!" He started sweating imaginary bullets. "I… I thought Veldora was just being dramatic!"
Milim giggled. "Nope! Veldora tried to fight him once, and uncle just... flexed. I think it broke the sky a little."
Rimuru wanted to faint.
As fate would have it, Gomaru, the former leader of the ogres and Benimaru's father, just so happened to be walking by and overheard everything.
He stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing with respect.
"Yujiro Hanma sama…" he said in a low, almost reverent voice. "That name holds terrifying power."
Milim smiled. "You know Uncle too?"
Gomaru nodded slowly. "He trained all of us. All the ogres, decades ago. Before he vanished. His strength is… unnatural. No magic, no weapons—just fists and fury. Even demon lords feared him"
Rimuru's slime form sagged in shock. "EVEN DEMON LORDS?!"
Benimaru walked over, arms crossed. "i was younger when he stayed with us and trained a little under him"
Shion leaned close to Rimuru. "We're not gonna die, right?"
Rimuru turned to Milim, voice shaking. "So… um… is he gonna come back and reclaim the forest?"
Milim shook her head. "Nahhh, I don't think so. Uncle's super chill unless someone messes up. He probably won't kill you guys."
Rimuru practically screamed, "PROBABLY?! THAT'S NOT VERY REASSURING, MILIM!!"
Milim stuck her tongue out. "Heh, just don't do anything dumb and you'll be fine!"
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—Great Sage
Rimuru was done. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually done.
That night, a massive feast was held in Tempest. Tables were loaded with food—grilled meats, mushroom stew, sweet breads, and of course, barrels of honey (for Milim). Music filled the air, laughter echoed from every street, and for one evening, no one thought about world-shattering humans named Yujiro Hanma.
Milim sat at the center of it all, gnawing on a massive turkey leg with one hand and holding Rimuru in her lap with the other.
"I like it here," she said through a mouthful of meat. "If Uncle ever comes, I'll make sure he doesn't squish you."
"Gee… thanks," Rimuru muttered, still unsure if this was a blessing or a curse.
Benimaru sipped his wine, watching the crowd with wary eyes. "I need to get stronger…"