Inside the guild hall, Rimuru wore a face of utter despair. The reason? He was currently dressed in a girl's school uniform.
The skirt was incredibly short, barely covering his thighs. His pale, slender legs were fully exposed, and to top it off, there was a cute little hairclip on his head. He looked absolutely miserable—like he'd lost all will to live.
He never imagined a day would come where he'd find himself in such a situation.
"Tomorrow, I'm setting Whitebeard's ship on fire. And I'm punching every last idiot on that crew."
Originally, he didn't think much of it when the Whitebeard Pirates joked about making him cross-dress. But then they said it in the middle of the guild. In public!
The whole guild went wild. Even his own subordinates looked excited.
Rimuru fiercely resisted, of course. But in the end, that pack of lunatics forced the outfit onto him anyway.
"Lord Rimuru looks so adorable in that outfit!" Violet's eyes sparkled like stars. She looked like she wanted to hug him forever and never let go.
"I think… I'm in love." Marco was practically drooling.
"Never expected Rimuru to have this kind of talent!" Garp laughed wickedly.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard was laughing so hard his stomach hurt.
Rimuru's eyes were misty with frustration. His face full of indignation.
These people are all monsters.
Ding-dong…
A unique chime echoed from the guild's main entrance. The rowdy crowd froze and turned toward the door, curiosity piqued.
The door creaked open.
A small head poked in.
A little girl hesitantly stepped inside, only to find dozens of people staring at her. The air grew awkward in an instant.
"Um… Excuse me, where am I?" the girl finally asked in a soft voice.
Then—
The guild exploded with noise.
"It's a loli! A loli with the cutest voice ever!"
"This could be my chance to finally get a girlfriend!"
"Bro, she's literally a minor. Don't be a creep."
"You clearly don't understand. It's called raising them right."
"Back off! This one's mine!"
As the discussion got more intense—and the poor girl looked increasingly terrified—Rimuru sighed deeply.
"Silence!" he bellowed, unleashing his Demon Lord aura.
The crowd froze.
Rimuru glared at them in disgust. "Can't you people leave a good first impression for once?"
Then he squinted at a few particularly guilty-looking individuals. "And as for you pervs—if any of you even think about laying a finger on her, I'll break your third leg."
He huffed, then strode over to the girl and offered a gentle smile.
"Hi there! What's your name?"
"I-I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said nervously, looking down at Rimuru. "Excuse me, little miss, but… what is this place?"
"Little miss?"
Rimuru's soul practically left his body. Life had no meaning anymore.
In a dead voice, he replied, "This is the Dimensional Guild."
"Dimensional Guild?" Hermione tilted her head, clearly confused.
"It connects worlds," Rimuru explained. "People from different dimensions gather here to help each other and grow together."
He added quickly, "And just so you know, I'm not a girl. I'm actually way older than you." He stood on tiptoe to ruffle Hermione's hair. "Also—cute hair."
Nice texture, he thought.
"Nani?!" Hermione's eyes went wide. If what he said was true, then this guild was something far beyond her imagination.
Soon after, Violet personally gave Hermione a tour of the guild. She introduced her to the various members and explained the guild's core functions.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione covered her mouth in awe, staring at the bustling, vibrant city around her. "This place is incredible…"
"Rimuru… sir?" she asked timidly, "Are you the leader of this guild?"
"No need to be so formal," Rimuru replied warmly, seeing her slightly scared expression. "We're all comrades here. Just call me Rimuru. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Thank you!" Hermione smiled with gratitude.
"Bestie!!"
Milim came flying in from the sky and slammed straight into Rimuru's chest.
"I heard there's a new member in the guild! Where? Where is she?" Milim's eyes sparkled with excitement. A new member meant a new world. A new world meant new food. The very idea had her buzzing with joy.
"Um… who are you?" Hermione asked, blinking.
"Oh! You're the newbie!" Milim grabbed her hand with zero hesitation. "I'm Milim, Rimuru's bestie! Also, I'm a Demon Lord."
"D-Demon Lord?!" Hermione jumped in shock, visions of monstrous tyrants flashing through her mind.
"Milim's not evil," Rimuru said quickly, noting her expression. "She hasn't done anything bad. Oh, and by the way—I'm also a Demon Lord."
"…Really?" Hermione relaxed a little, though her heart was still pounding. But as Milim dragged her away for some rapid-fire chatting, they quickly hit it off.
Then Milim pulled her along to explore the city.
Rimuru followed, worried Hermione might get scared again.
At first, she was intimidated by the strange-looking monsters roaming the streets. But after talking to them, she realized they were friendly—many even gave her free food!
Watching the two girls laughing and chatting ahead of him, Rimuru smiled softly.
"Yeah… I'm definitely not cut out to take over the world. This? Just spending time with my friends? This is enough for me."
And so, Rimuru, Milim, and Hermione spent the entire night out together, building the start of a beautiful friendship.