"You're saying they're from another world?" Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"And that means... you're a slime?" she added, poking Rimuru's forehead with her finger.
"That's really rude, you know!" Rimuru swatted her hand away, speechless. She had seemed serious and cool at first, but after reuniting with Himeko and the others, her intelligence seemed to have dropped by more than 50%, reverting back to the ditzy airhead she used to be.
"Kiana, stop bullying Rimuru already!" Himeko stepped in when she saw Kiana still trying to squish Rimuru. "He helped you, and this is how you repay him? What, is your butt getting itchy?" she warned, raising her fist threateningly.
"Aww, Auntie Himeko," Kiana clung to Himeko's arm and pouted, "Don't always hit me! What if I get dumber?"
"Heh. I don't think there's any room left for that," Rimuru said dryly from the side.
"Tch. Shorty."
"What did you just say?! I'll smack your butt so hard you won't sit for a week!" Rimuru's face flushed with anger. No one had ever called him short! Sure, he was only 4'7" in this form, but he could transform! He just got used to this shape, that's all.
Rimuru instantly morphed a massive arm, grabbed Kiana, and started spanking her with it.
"Stop! Ahhh!" Kiana howled in pain. "It hurts! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! Auntie Himeko, save me!"
"Sorry, can't help you." Himeko sipped her drink nearby, smiling. Honestly, this kind of punishment was probably the only way to get through to Kiana. Otherwise, she'd forget her own last name.
"Maybe let her off this once?" Mei said helplessly, pleading with Rimuru.
"No way. If I don't spank her until her butt's swollen, I'll spell my name backwards from now on," Rimuru declared, completely unaffected by outside opinions. No one was allowed to mock his height—that was his last shred of dignity.
"He's acting just like a kid," Mei thought, watching Rimuru. His puffed cheeks and angry pout made him indistinguishable from a sulking child.
A while later, Kiana lay facedown on the couch, sniffling as she rubbed her sore behind, glaring daggers at Rimuru with her teary puppy eyes. Rimuru, on the other hand, looked completely satisfied, enjoying her silent frustration.
Indeed, someone of his stature could only be either a pure-hearted child or a cunning black-bellied schemer.
Meanwhile, at Destiny Headquarters…
"Things are getting more and more interesting," Otto muttered as he sat at the central throne, calmly eyeing Whitebeard, Garp, and the others. His expression was unreadable, his thoughts buried deep.
"This is quite the surprise… my dear granddaughter, Theresa," Otto stood up and walked over to her, visibly conflicted.
To Otto, Theresa was the most irreplaceable person. He could abandon everything else, but never harm her.
"So what's your answer?" Theresa showed no courtesy. "Will you ally with us to fight the Honkai or not?" Her voice was firm and resolute.
"This is giving me a headache," Otto sighed, rubbing his temples. Everything had spiraled beyond his expectations.
"We know how to bring Kallen back," Whitebeard said suddenly. It was Rimuru who had told him to use this bargaining chip—Otto wouldn't refuse.
Otto went still. Then, with a mix of trembling hope and suppressed excitement, he asked, "Are you sure? You can really bring her back?"
"We can't," Whitebeard admitted. "But Rimuru can. He told me himself, and Rimuru never lies."
Otto inhaled deeply. "Alright. Destiny will join your alliance. But you must fulfill your end of the deal—resurrect Kallen. As for the Honkai? Do whatever you want."
He stared hard at Whitebeard. He didn't care if the world burned—but he would never give up the chance to see Kallen again.
"Don't worry. If Rimuru said he can do it, then he absolutely can," Whitebeard said confidently.
"Then, we have a deal."
Otto and Whitebeard shook hands. With that, Destiny officially joined their alliance.
This world had three major organizations: Destiny, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent.
With Destiny and Anti-Entropy both onboard, only World Serpent remained. Though their leader, Kevin, hadn't fully placed his trust in them, he had agreed to fight the Honkai alongside them.
Now, only preparation remained. Once everything was ready, the final counterattack against the Honkai would begin.
Skydome City
"This is Rita Rossweisse. Awaiting orders from His Excellency."
Atop a tower, Rita and the Immortal Blade members gathered, waiting for the bishop's command.
"Cease the pursuit of Kiana. Destiny is now allied with Anti-Entropy. Regroup with Durandal and return to headquarters," Otto's voice came through the comms. Before they could respond, the line cut off.
"..." Rita stared at the communicator, speechless.
"This really caught me off guard," she exhaled deeply. If she didn't know Otto so well, she might've thought he'd gotten hit on the head.
"So… we're just going back?" one of the Immortal Blade members asked in disbelief.
"Let's go." Rita turned toward the ship. "We're returning to base."
Despite their confusion, the Immortal Blade followed her orders without hesitation. Soon, they all departed.
At a secret location, inside a World Serpent meeting room…
The top brass of World Serpent gathered for Kevin's first meeting since returning.
"How is the original plan progressing?" Kevin asked from the head of the table.
"Everything's going smoothly. We're almost ready for the final phase," Grey Snake replied loyally.
"Cancel the plan." Kevin's voice was cold and decisive.
"What?" The room went quiet. A plan they'd prepared for centuries was being abandoned?
"There's been a change. From now on, focus all resources on preparing for the final battle against the Honkai," Kevin commanded. "I'll explain everything later."
Without waiting for their reaction, Kevin turned and left.
Though the officers were shaken, they quickly fell in line. Their leader, Kevin, never made mistakes.
-------------------------
To Access 30+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon .com / Samorash
~~Do leave a comment!