Otherworld
A realm larger than the universe of Earth, the Otherworld is an endless void where gravity does not exist and the concepts of sky, ground, up, and down hold no meaning. In place of planets, colossal masses of densely concentrated magicules drift through the darkness, their magisteel-like bodies generating powerful gravitational fields that the Phantoms once shaped into the foundations of their bases.
The Otherworld is the ancient homeland of both the Aggressors and the Insectoids, races that have endured within this unforgiving realm since ancient times. Time itself flows at a vastly different rate here, with tens of thousands of years passing in the Central World for every tens of billions of years that elapse within the Otherworld, making it a place where eternity feels almost tangible.
Yet even within this desolate, otherworldly expanse stood a structure so unimaginably vast that it dwarfed the continents of the Central World. It constantly radiated endless waves of dark, oppressive magicules, and its overwhelming presence eclipsing the aura even the mightiest Demon Lords could never hope to rival. This was the Spooky Palace, the eternal prison of the World-Destroying Dragon, an evil god whose very existence threatened the world itself. Long ago, the Creator God sealed it within this prison, where it had remained confined ever since, seemingly destined to stay there for all eternity.
In the vicinity of this dark palace, countless armies of Power Angels and Virtue Angels stood in an unending vigil, ceaselessly driving back the swarms of Aggressors drawn to the only source of infinite magicules in this desolate realm. After all, to the creatures of the Otherworld, Spooky Palace served as an irresistible beacon of limitless power. Leading this angelic army were the three Seraphim, the highest-ranking and most powerful beings among all Angels.
The first was Zalario, a striking man with jet-black hair who hovered effortlessly above the battlefield while the unmistakable mark of a Seraphim, three pairs of pure white wings, spread proudly behind him. His cold gaze swept across the endless tide of Aggressors surging toward the palace, and a faint scoff escaped his lips. "What pitiful creatures," he muttered to himself as he raised a single hand and calmly unleashed his Holy Art, Judgment Corridor.
In the next instant, a massive translucent barrier of golden light expanded across the battlefield, engulfing the charging horde of Aggressors and bringing them to an abrupt halt. The very space within the barrier bent to Zalario's will, subjecting every creature trapped inside to an overwhelming crushing force.
However, before he could finish them off, another Seraphim shot past him. Obera, a beautiful woman with wavy black hair and violet eyes, swung her God-grade greatsword, Beast Slayer, and unleashed Planetes Bombing upon the immobilized Aggressors, reducing the entire horde to dust the instant the attack landed.
"You didn't need to interfere. I had everything under control," Zalario said as he descended to the ground, casting an icy gaze on Obera with unmistakable irritation in his eyes.
"You could have ended the battle with your first attack," Obera replied calmly, sliding Beast Slayer back into the sheath across her back. "Instead, you chose to trap them so you could amuse yourself. That hardly befits someone of our stature," she added, turning to meet his glare without the slightest hint of intimidation. "So I simply did you a favor and granted those pitiful creatures a merciful death before you had the chance to embarrass yourself."
Black veins bulged across Zalario's forehead at Obera's remark, and his composure nearly gave way. But just as he opened his mouth to fire back, a large hand suddenly landed on his back with a heavy pat that almost knocked him forward. "Hahaha! You two are really something, you know," a loud, cheerful voice rang out as a man stepped between them. It was Cornu, a well-built, muscular man with predator-like eyes and the third Seraphim tasked with guarding the Spooky Palace.
"But Zalario's right. You didn't have to ruin his fun," Cornu continued, turning toward Obera with a lopsided smile. "Or have you forgotten this is the only entertainment we've got in this damned place?"
"Perhaps you're the one forgetting that we're here to carry out our duty, not entertain ourselves," Obera replied, meeting Cornu's gaze with the same flat, emotionless expression.
"And like I've told you a hundred times, you need to stop being so damn serious," Cornu said, letting out an exasperated sigh as he rolled his eyes. "Besides, what's the harm in playing with creatures that Lord never intended to exist?" he continued with a trace of disgust creeping into his voice. "Their kind is nothing but mistakes. And if we're being honest, doesn't it help us carry out Feldway's orders too?"
"Indeed," Zalario said, folding his arms across his chest as he regained his usual icy composure. "As Cornu said, I was merely honing my battle instincts, exactly as the General intended. I do not know what kind of calamity Feldway has foreseen to justify such orders, but I have no intention of disobeying him."
"That's true. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious myself," Obera admitted after a brief pause. "The Cardinal World has remained largely peaceful for thousands of years, aside from the occasional conflicts among its native inhabitants, none of which have ever warranted our intervention."
"You're not wrong. Their petty squabbles are beneath our notice," Cornu scoffed, shaking his head dismissively. Then suddenly a faint, vindictive gleam flickered in his eyes as he looked toward the endless darkness beyond the palace. "Still... who knows? Maybe the time of reckoning for those mortals is finally drawing near. If that's the case, then I can't say I feel sorry for the poor bastards."
Obera frowned at his words and was about to respond when something suddenly caught her attention. "What is this... fog?" she murmured in confusion as she noticed a thin white mist slowly spreading around them.
The moment her words reached them, the relaxed atmosphere between the three Seraphim vanished without a trace. Zalario and Cornu immediately noticed the strange phenomenon as well, and their casual expressions hardened into complete vigilance.
"Stay alert. This is definitely not normal," Cornu warned as he and the other two Seraphim immediately assumed battle stances while their eyes swept across the ever-expanding mist, watching as it spread far beyond them, stretching across the Otherworld far beyond the limits of even their extraordinary perception.
Then, before any of them could make sense of what was happening, an unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes. One after another, every being enveloped by the white mist began to lose consciousness. Angels, Aggressors, it made no difference. Without exception, they simply collapsed to the ground without exception.
"What the hell is going on?" Zalario muttered, tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword as his eyes swept across the unnatural mist. "Is this the Evil God's doing? Is that thing finally breaking free of its seal?" he asked, subtly shifting his gaze toward the Spooky Palace. Yet as far as he could see, the colossal prison showed no signs of change, with no cracks, no tremors, nothing to suggest the seal had been disturbed.
"Impossible!" Cornu barked as he repeatedly unleashed waves of Holy Magic, trying again and again to disperse the mist, only for the fog to remain completely unaffected. "The seal on this place was created by Lord Veldanava himself. There's no way anyone could break it without his authority."
"That's quite an arrogant and misinformed statement, don't you think?"
An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed through the ears of the three Seraphim, carrying unnaturally far through the surrounding silence. Only then did they realize that the usual sounds of battle and the incomprehensible growls of the Aggressors were gone, replaced by an eerie, deathly silence. By that point, every Angel and every Aggressor had already collapsed to the ground, leaving only the three Seraphim standing amidst a sea of unconscious bodies.
"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Cornu shouted in an irritated voice, and fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Because a moment later, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the silent wasteland, and the three Seraphim immediately turned toward the source as they saw a handsome blue-haired man calmly walking toward them.
"You called for me, and here I am," the man said as he came to a stop a short distance away from them with his hands tucked into his pockets and a casual smirk resting on his face.
"Who are you?" Zalario asked cautiously, never once taking his eyes off the mysterious man. "And what are you doing here?"
"What a redundant question," the man replied with a quiet chuckle. "In this barren realm, there's only one reason anyone would come here." As he spoke, his gaze drifted past the three Seraphim and settled upon the towering silhouette of Spooky Palace.
"That still doesn't answer our question," Obera said, narrowing her violet eyes as she studied him. "If you know what lies within that prison, then you should also know that the World-Destroying Dragon is not something anyone can control. Releasing it would not only ruin whatever ambition you hope to achieve, but also bring catastrophe upon the world itself. So I still fail to grasp what possible reason you could have for unleashing such a horror upon the world?"
"I know," the mysterious man replied, amusement creeping into his voice. "But who said anything about controlling it? I simply want it to experience the world your creator made. I want it to see blue skies, feel the warmth of the sun, witness life in all its beauty, and experience the love it was denied from the very moment it came into existence." His gaze slowly shifted back to the three Seraphim, a provocative glint flashing in his eyes. "...Isn't that what your creator wished for all of his creations? Or are you about to tell me he was nothing more than a hypocrite who abandoned his own ideals the moment he encountered a being he couldn't control?"
Unable to tolerate another word of what he considered blasphemy, Cornu's composure finally snapped as pure fury consumed him. "You insolent wretch! How dare you speak of him that way!" he roared, and in a burst of speed, he vanished from his spot, and in the same instant, a massive God-grade axe materialized in his hands as he brought it crashing down. "Go to hell and repent for twisting his words and using his name!"
However, the very next moment, Cornu's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as the mysterious man effortlessly caught the descending axe between two fingers. "It is funny you say that, Angel, because..." the man said as he slowly raised his head, meeting his golden eyes with Cornu's, "...the hell answers to me, as I am Doom!" he declared, and the very next moment he flicked Cornu away with overwhelming force, sending the Seraphim crashing violently into the ground.
Witnessing the scene unfold, Obera and Zalario could only stare in stunned disbelief as the cold sweat ran down their backs while their eyes instinctively followed Cornu's flight before finally landing on his motionless body, where he lay unconscious in a massive crater, while the blade of his God-grade axe had been shattered clean in two.
"What a weak little toy..." the man remarked with obvious disappointment before turning his attention to the remaining two Seraphim. "Now then, are you two going to be sensible and step aside... or do you want to eat dirt as well?"
Facing him, Zalario and Obera exchanged a single glance before silently settling into their battle stances. After all, no matter how often they clashed over their beliefs or methods, they were, above all else, servants entrusted with carrying out the will of their creator. The evil god imprisoned within Spooky Palace had been placed under their watch, and that duty stood above everything else. It did not matter who this intruder was, nor did it matter that he had effortlessly defeated Cornu. If protecting the seal demanded their lives, then they would gladly offer them without hesitation.
So, without another word, both Seraphim shot into the air before splitting off to opposite sides of the battlefield. After putting a vast distance between themselves, they came to a halt and simultaneously extended their hands toward the blue-haired man as torrents of Holy Magic erupted from their bodies like raging tempests, flooding the surrounding void with blinding golden light.
"Combined Holy Art..." they chanted in perfect unison, and in the next instant, an enormous magic circle spread beneath the man's feet, while several more layered themselves high above him. "...Seraphim Judgment!" With those words, a brilliant golden pillar of light descended from the heavens, completely engulfing him.
"Now you will experience true justice!" Zalario declared, pouring even more Holy Magic into the formation as veins bulged across his forehead from the immense strain. "This spell eradicates anyone with evil in their heart!" he proclaimed confidently, with a slight smirk appearing on his lips.
However, what happened next completely shattered his mind.
"I find it quite hilarious that you think you can judge me," the blue-haired man said with a quiet laugh as his voice echoed from within the pillar of divine light without the slightest trace of pain or discomfort. "Unfortunately for you, I am the truth that exists beyond good and evil. I am the ideal that stands above right and wrong. I am..." His voice suddenly dropped to a deeper, more imposing tone as a rainbow-colored aura enveloped his entire body, "...simply Inevitable!" The moment the final words left his mouth, cracks began spreading across the divine construct that imprisoned him.
"No... how could he..." Before Obera could even give voice to her disbelief, a deafening boom thundered across the entire realm, and the colossal divine construct exploded into countless golden fragments that scattered through the air before drifting down around the blue-haired man like glittering embers as he stood exactly where he had been moments before, bathed in the fading golden light, completely unharmed.
"Impossible..." Zalario stammered, his eyes locked on the man standing calmly amidst the shattered remnants of the spell. Disbelief consumed him as he recalled that Holy Art: Seraphim Judgment was one of the Angelic race's ultimate techniques, a divine art so powerful that it required at least two Seraphim to cast. By combining their Holy Magic, its destructive force increased exponentially, erasing any being with evil intentions from existence. Yet this man had not only stood at the very center of the attack without showing the slightest hint of discomfort, but had also shattered the spell itself through sheer overwhelming power alone.
The impossible sight finally shattered what little composure Zalario had left, and with an enraged shout, he summoned his God-grade sword and launched himself straight at the blue-haired man.
"Zalario! Stop..." Obera called out, trying to stop him, but she was already too late. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed the distance and appeared directly before the mysterious man, his sword already swinging toward the man's neck.
Before he could even swing his sword, however, the man moved, and before either Obera or Zalario could perceive it, his hand was wrapped around Zalario's throat, and with a single effortless motion, he slammed the Seraphim into the ground hard enough to knock him unconscious. "What weak composure for someone who's existed since the Dawn of Creation," the man mocked before turning his gaze toward Obera, who, for the first time since she came into existence, felt true, genuine fear grip her heart.
However, just as she was about to retreat and call for reinforcements, a voice suddenly whispered into her ear. "Don't even think about it. I'm not in the mood to play with more of your kind..." sending a violent chill racing down her spine, freezing her blood where she stood.
'When did he...?' Obera's eyes widened in disbelief as she whirled around with all the speed she could muster, already slicing her sword through the air in a desperate counterattack. But the man never gave her the chance to complete the swing. The instant she turned to face him, he calmly reached out and gently pressed two fingers against the center of her forehead. The moment his fingers made contact, her consciousness began slipping away, as though someone had snuffed out the very light within her mind.
"Obera, you have a good head on your shoulders..." she heard him say as the darkness slowly swallowed her vision. "...So if you ever decide you want to learn the truth, make up your mind, and you'll know where to find me."
Those were the last words that reached her ears before the darkness completely consumed her consciousness.
"And well, that's the last one taken care of," Rimuru said as he descended back to the ground and gently laid the unconscious Obera down. "It's a shame that bastard Feldway wasn't here," he added with a sigh, with a genuine disappointment creeping into his voice. "It would've made this whole thing a lot more entertaining."
"Honestly, did you really have to go through all of this?" Shizu asked as she dispelled her invisibility spell and walked over to him. "I'm pretty sure we could've gone in and out of that scary-looking place without anyone ever noticing if you really wanted to."
"Yep, we absolutely could've," Rimuru replied with a playful wink. "But where's the fun in that? This way, they'll remember today for a very long time." A mischievous grin spread across his face as he folded his arms. "Besides, can you imagine the expressions on Feldway's and Guy's faces when they find out someone stole a being literally called the 'World-Destroying Dragon' right out from under their noses?" he added with a devilish smirk.
"Okay... I'll admit, that does sound pretty hilarious," Shizu said, unable to hold back a quiet laugh. "By the way..." she continued, stepping closer until only a few inches separated their faces, "...I couldn't help but notice the rather obvious difference in how you treated those two poor blokes compared to this pretty girl here. I must say, you were awfully gentle with her," she said with a teasing smirk spreading across her face.
"Get your head out of your fantasies. It's nothing like what you're thinking," Rimuru scoffed, shaking his head in exasperation. "First of all, I only smacked those two around because they attacked me first, so it was only fair that I returned the favor," he said, nodding along with his words. "As for why I went easy on Obera, it's exactly what I told her. She's got a good head on her shoulders. In my previous timeline, she knew not to blindly hate or follow a maniac like an idiot, so yeah, she deserved a little leniency in my opinion."
"Alright then, keep your secrets," Shizu replied with a quiet snicker, completely missing the brief flicker of nostalgia that crossed Rimuru's face. "Anyway, now that you're done showing off, shall we go meet our new daughter?"
"Of course, my lady," Rimuru replied with a warm, affectionate smile as he offered her his arm with an exaggerated flourish. Shizu giggled softly at his theatrics before slipping her arm through his without a moment's hesitation.
And so, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of Angels and Aggressors alike, Rimuru and Shizu strolled toward the Spooky Palace arm in arm, setting off to meet the World-Destroying Dragon.
To be continued...
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Illustrations:
Cornu: (There is no official illustration of this character, and this is just something I generated based on his description on Wiki and Zalario's picture.)
Obera:
Zalario: