Dominant Run! (Tensura/That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)

Ciel: <>

Voice of the World: <<>>

******

"Huh? Interesting..." Rimuru mused, sensing two powerful presences rapidly approaching Tempest.

From his spot on the couch, Veldora looked up from his manga, frowning. "Rimuru, something feels... off." He shuddered slightly, rubbing his arms. "I don't know why, but I suddenly have this terrible chill down my spine..."

Rimuru glanced at him and smirked. "Relax. I have a pretty good idea of what's going on."

Before Veldora could ask, the doors burst open, and Testarossa and Ultima hurried inside, both looking visibly tense.

"Rimuru-sama! There are—" Testarossa started, but Rimuru casually raised a hand, cutting her off.

"I know," he said, standing up. "For now, I want you two to receive them on my behalf and escort them to my house. I'll be there shortly."

Testarossa and Ultima exchanged glances before nodding. "Understood, Rimuru-sama." Without another word, they turned and rushed back out.

Rimuru let out a quiet sigh, crossing his arms. 'Good thing I set up those aura-negating barriers. If the citizens had sensed two dragons descending on Tempest, we'd have full-blown panic on our hands.'

Then he turned toward Veldora, who was still sitting there, utterly clueless. Rimuru couldn't help but scoff. "It looks like living in luxury has dulled your sense of crisis." He leaned forward, resting a hand on his hip. "Try sensing that power again. I'm sure you'll find it... familiar."

Veldora blinked. "Huh?"

Closing his eyes, he focused. The moment he did, his entire body stiffened. Then, like a switch had flipped, his eyes shot wide open in sheer panic.

"Rimuru... I just remembered I have something important to do. I'll be back in a month or two!"

He turned, ready to bolt, but—

"Stop right there."

Rimuru's voice was firm, and Veldora froze mid-step, shoulders tensing.

"Don't you think it's about time you faced your sister instead of running at the mere thought of her?"

Veldora slowly turned back, shaking his head furiously. "You don't understand, Rimuru!" His voice wavered, pure fear written all over his face. "My sisters are terrifying!" He visibly shuddered, memories of past 'disciplinary actions' flooding his mind.

Rimuru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, I get why you're scared. But you're my sworn brother now—no one in Tempest can lay a finger on you without my say-so," he declared before narrowing his eyes. "That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, though. I'm treating you like an adult, so start acting like one. I don't have anything for you to do right now, but I will soon. So stay put and wait."

"Now, come with me. Let's go greet our guests." Rimuru stood up, dragging the reluctant Veldora along with him.

Veldora groaned but reluctantly followed, muttering under his breath. "I should've stayed sealed..."

******

"Hello, Velzard. We meet again," Rimuru said casually as he stepped into the guest room of his house. Veldora followed closely behind, only to freeze the moment he saw the silver-haired woman standing in the center of the room, her expression as unreadable as ever.

Rimuru's gaze shifted to the bed, where a familiar figure lay unconscious. "And it seems this time, you brought your sister along as well," he added, eyeing Velgrynd's unmoving form.

Velzard barely spared Veldora a glance, yet it was enough to make him visibly shudder. Her piercing gaze then returned to Rimuru. "I'm not in the mood for games. Just tell me—what's wrong with my sister?"

"Huh? Something's wrong with Velgrynd?" Veldora tilted his head in confusion, but the two ignored him.

"You already know the answer, don't you, Velzard?" Rimuru smirked at the female dragon, who narrowed her eyes in response. "The real question isn't 'What's wrong with her?' It's 'Can you help her?'" Rimuru continued, taking a deliberate step forward. "And the answer is yes—I can. In fact, I can help you too, so you don't end up like her."

"Then do it," Velzard said haughtily, folding her arms across her chest.

Rimuru's smirk faded. "And why should I?"

In an instant, a suffocating, oppressive aura flooded the room. It was a presence so overwhelming that even the air seemed to thicken.

"This isn't charity, and I'm no saint," Rimuru stated, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "I have no reason to help her—especially since she's second-in-command to Rudra, the Emperor of a nation that will inevitably set its sights on Tempest. So tell me, Velzard... why should I save her, when I could just seal her away in the same cave Veldora was once trapped in?"

The temperature in the room plummeted. Frost crept along the walls, and the very air turned razor-sharp as Velzard unleashed her own aura, countering Rimuru's pressure with an icy wrath of her own.

"If you help my sister and me, I, Frost Dragon Velzard, will owe you a favor," she declared, her tone just as haughty as before. "That should be enough of a payment, don't you think?"

Rimuru scoffed, his expression unimpressed. "A favor from you? Please. That's about as valuable to me as a bag of dirt."

Velzard's gaze darkened, her aura flaring ever so slightly.

"I'm smarter, stronger, and wealthier than you," Rimuru continued, his voice dripping with confidence. "There's nothing you can offer that would make curing your sister worth my effort."

Velzard clenched her fists, her jaw tightening. "Fine!" She glared at Rimuru, her patience thinning. "What do you want!?"

"Nothing too extreme," Rimuru chuckled as he stepped forward, stopping just inches from Velzard. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "I want you, Frost Dragon Velzard, to become my subordinate."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Velzard stared at Rimuru as if he had just declared himself the ruler of the multiverse. Beside her, Veldora looked equally dumbfounded, his jaw slack.

Then—

"Are you out of your fucking mind!?" Velzard roared, her aura flaring violently as ice spread across the room, encasing the walls and floor in a thick layer of frost. "You want me—one of the only three remaining True Dragons—to become your subordinate!?"

Rimuru smirked. "Oh hey, so you do have ears," he teased, utterly unfazed by her outburst.

Velzard's eye twitched. "You—!" She clenched her fists, her usual composure completely shattered. "Who the hell do you think I am!? I'm not like my little brother, who follows anyone just because they dangle a carrot in front of his face!"

"Hey!" Veldora shouted, clearly offended, only for Velzard to snap an agitated, "Shut up!"—which immediately silenced him.

Rimuru let out a sigh, shaking his head. "First of all, Veldora isn't my subordinate. If anything, he's got a better life than me since he doesn't have to work." He shot a pointed look at Veldora, who quickly averted his gaze.

Then Rimuru turned back to Velzard. "And if being my subordinate is too much for your pride, I have a counteroffer—you can be my partner instead. Live here like Veldora does. I even have a job in mind for you."

Velzard opened her mouth to retort, but Rimuru raised a hand, stopping her.

"Before you answer, actually think about what I'm offering," he said, his tone shifting into something more serious. "I'm talking about overriding the skill that was created by your brother—the one who created this world. So don't be too hasty in rejecting my offer. Sit on it and come to me when you're ready."

With that, Rimuru turned to Velgrynd, placing a hand on her forehead. A faint shimmer spread across her body before he nodded in satisfaction.

"What did you do to her?" Velzard asked, raising a brow.

"I erased her memory of the crystal ball experiment you conducted on her," Rimuru replied, smiling as Velzard's expression shifted to shock. "You're probably wondering how I knew about that, right? Well, the answer is simple. After that experiment, there were only two possible outcomes—either your sister would destroy a massive chunk of land in a rage, or she'd go into deep shock. Luckily for us, it was the latter."

"And the reason for erasing that memory? Simple," Rimuru continued with a shrug. "If 'Rudra' noticed Velgrynd resisting or questioning his influence, he might resort to something permanent—which would be bad for her and annoying for me to deal with." He glanced at Velzard. "And before you ask—yes, Rudra does have a way to permanently control True Dragons. No, I won't tell you more unless you join my side."

Velzard scoffed, but her jaw tightened. "Fine." Then she gave him a sharp look. "By the way, what was with your tone when you said Rudra's name? What are you hiding from me?"

"Heh, there are a lot of things I am hiding from you, but once again, unless you join my camp, you're not getting anything out of me," Rimuru said, taking absolute delight in Velzard's annoyed expression.

Velzard exhaled through her nose, visibly annoyed. "Fine, keep your secrets." she said and lifted her sister in her hand. "I wish I could say that this meeting was productive but unfortunately it was not and now I am back to square one."

"Well, you know my terms," Rimuru said, lazily waving his hand. "Hit me up when you're ready."

Velzard glared at him for a moment before turning her eyes towards Veldora who instinctively straightened up. "Veldora looks like you are doing quite good for yourself," she said. "Anyway, don't cause any trouble unless you want me to beat you up like a stress ball."

"Of course not! I will be on my best behavior!" Veldora stammered as he instinctively saluted her.

"Good," she said before glancing at Rimuru one last time, and then without another word, she took off from Tempest.

"Rimuru," after Velzard vanished over the horizon Veldora turned towards Rimuru while scratching his head. "You really think it's a good idea to provoke her like that."

"Don't worry, I've got everything under control," Rimuru reassured him, patting his shoulder. "Anyway, come on, let's get some lunch. I heard Shuna's the one cooking today."

******

An hour after enjoying a delicious lunch prepared by Shuna, Rimuru returned to his house, only to hear a knock on the door. Before he could even respond, the door swung open, and Testarossa and Ultima strolled in—bickering as usual.

"Hello, ladies," Rimuru greeted them with a small smile, instantly putting a halt to their argument. "So, Ultima," he continued, taking a seat on the couch, "what do you think of Tempest so far?"

Ultima's crimson eyes lit up, her earlier irritation with Testarossa forgotten in an instant.

"I love it here!" she exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. "There's so much to do, so many people to annoy! And with Testarossa around, I can fight to my heart's content without holding back too much!"

Testarossa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You really are hopeless." She crossed her arms, casting Ultima a look of disapproval. "There's more to Tempest than just fighting, you know. The infrastructure, the economy, the diplomatic ties—"

"Ugh, boring," Ultima groaned, making exaggerated gestures with her hands.

"At least I'm not a simpleton like you!" Testarossa snapped, glaring at the violet-haired girl.

Rimuru swiftly raised a hand before the argument could escalate further. "Alright, alright, break it up. I don't need another war breaking out in my living room."

Both girls huffed and turned their heads away from each other.

"Testarossa, is there anything else?" Rimuru asked, tilting his head.

Testarossa hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Actually..."

"Speak freely," Rimuru encouraged, motioning for her to continue while taking a seat on the couch.

She cleared her throat, shifting into a more formal stance. "Well, my lord… when I went to the Demon Realm to bring Ultima, I encountered another of our kind—Black Primordial, Noir, to be precise."

At that, Rimuru's eyes narrowed slightly. "Noir, huh?"

Without a word, Testarossa pulled out a massive stack of papers and placed them on the table in front of him with an uncharacteristically sheepish expression.

Rimuru's gaze flicked between the towering pile and Testarossa's face, a deep sense of unease creeping into his chest. His past life's experiences with paperwork flashed before his eyes like a cursed memory.

"...And this is?" he asked warily.

Testarossa cleared her throat again. "That… is 213 pages of a detailed résumé and appeal explaining why you should summon him to your side."

Silence.

Rimuru stared at her, his expression utterly deadpan.

Testarossa shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "...I tried to refuse," she admitted, cheeks tinged with the faintest blush. "But he was very persistent, so…"

"It's fine, I understand..." Rimuru sighed, waving his hand dismissively. He knew all too well how annoyingly persistent the Black Primordial could be. "You two can go now. I have another matter to attend to."

Both girls bowed before taking their leave, leaving Rimuru alone with the towering stack of papers.

"Noir, huh..." Rimuru muttered, leaning back in his chair as he thought about the Black Primordial—his most annoying yet undeniably highly efficient and competent subordinate. 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Rimuru made his decision. Rising from his seat, he cast several layers of privacy barriers around the room.

"Well then… heed my call and come to me, Primordial of Black."

A massive, intricate magic circle flared to life in the center of the room, pulsating with an ominous glow. The very air trembled with an unnatural pressure as thick, black smoke billowed from the summoning point, coiling like living tendrils before dispersing to reveal a kneeling figure.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee," Noir chuckled, his voice lilting with eerie amusement as he lifted his head to meet Rimuru's gaze. His piercing crimson eyes gleamed with something unsettling—reverence, amusement, and perhaps a hint of madness. "It is an absolute pleasure to be summoned by you, my lord."

Rimuru studied him carefully, his expression unreadable. "Noir, Testarossa mentioned that you want to serve me."

Noir straightened, placing a hand over his heart. "Indeed, my lord! It would be an unparalleled honor to stand at your side, to serve you with unwavering loyalty and devotion."

Rimuru remained silent for a moment before nodding. "I see…" He then smirked slightly. "In that case, how about a test before I give you a name?"

Noir tilted his head ever so slightly, his curiosity piqued. "A test, my lord?"

"Yes." Rimuru folded his arms. "I'll provide you with a body suited for you as a vessel and the necessary skills to complete it, but whether or not you succeed will depend entirely on your intelligence and execution." His voice carried a weight that left no room for misinterpretation. "This project is critical to my future plans, so failure is not an option. Are you up for the challenge?"

For a split second, Noir was silent. Then, without warning, his entire body trembled—not with fear, but with uncontained excitement.

"To be entrusted with such a monumental task... oh, how blessed I am!" Noir's voice rose with unrestrained glee as he suddenly spun in place, clasping his hands together like a starstruck devotee and continued showering Rimuru with exaggerated praises.

"Enough," Rimuru raised a hand, cutting off the theatrical monologue before it spiraled further out of control. "Since you're so eager, let me explain what I have in mind…"

The moment he began outlining the details, Noir's demeanor shifted. His exaggerated glee melted away, replaced by razor-sharp focus. His eyes gleamed as he absorbed every word, his mind already dissecting the task and planning its execution.

When Rimuru finally finished, he extended his hand. With a mere thought, he conjured a body made of Divine Steel, for Noir, and at the same time, he formed a soul corridor between them, granting Noir several carefully selected skills necessary for his mission.

Noir gazed at his new form with a gloved hand resting against his chest, as if savoring the sensation. He flexed his fingers, testing the responsiveness of his new body.

Rimuru smirked. "Well then, Noir, best of luck. Hopefully, the next time we meet, I'll be calling you by your name."

The Black Primordial let out a dark, delighted chuckle. "Hee-hee-hee-hee... Fear not, Rimuru-sama." He bowed deeply, his grin stretching unnervingly wide. "I will flawlessly complete this task and earn that name for myself."

And with that, he vanished into a swirl of black smoke, leaving only the faintest lingering trace of his ominous presence.

Rimuru exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as he dispelled the privacy barriers. "Well… that's one way to liven up the afternoon."

******

Later that evening, Rimuru strolled through Rimuru City, casually interacting with citizens and enjoying the lively atmosphere. It was then that a messenger approached, informing him that a delegation from the Kingdom of Raja had arrived, urgently requesting an audience with him.

"Oh? So they're finally here," Rimuru mused, a smirk playing on his lips. Without missing a beat, he summoned Rigurd and instructed him to prepare a meeting room for their guests.

Fifteen minutes later…

Rimuru stepped into the designated meeting room, where two nervous-looking humans awaited him. The moment they saw him, they immediately stood and bowed deeply in respect.

Without a word, Rimuru took his seat at the head of the table, then waved his hand in a casual gesture, signaling for them to sit as well.

"So, honored guests from the Kingdom of Raja..." Rimuru began keeping his tone deliberately bored. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

The two humans exchanged uneasy glances before rising to their feet once again, bowing even lower than before.

"Lord Rimuru Tempest," one of them spoke with reverence, "On behalf of Queen Towa and the Kingdom of Raja, we humbly request the aid and support of the great nation of Tempest."

Rimuru tapped his fingers on the table, pretending to consider their words carefully, though inwardly, he was already a step ahead.

"I see... Interesting..." he muttered, his expression unreadable as he suppressed a smirk.

To be continued...