Chapter 4: The Crimson Flare and the Silver Mirror
The forest was eerily quiet as Silver and Rimuru crested the final hill leading to their home. Through the [Family Link], Silver felt Rimuru's anxiety spiking.
'Silver, do you feel that? It's heavy... and angry,' Rimuru signaled.
'I feel it,' Silver replied, his silver surface hardening into a mirror-like sheen. 'Solomon, scanning range. Identify the signatures.'
[Report: Six high-energy signatures detected. Classification: Ogre. Status: Severely wounded but combat-ready. They are currently engaging the security perimeter led by Rigur.]
"Ogres?" Silver muttered. "In the original... wait, no, I mean, usually Ogres don't come down from the mountains unless something wiped them out."
He sped up, his [Magicule Generator] kicking into high gear. Behind him, Ginga and Ranga let out synchronized howls, sensing their masters' urgency. When they burst into the clearing, the scene was chaos. A group of six Ogres—survivors of a fallen village—were fighting with the desperation of cornered animals. At their head was a young man with crimson hair and eyes full of a burning, vengeful fire.
"Die, you masked freaks!" the Crimson Ogre shouted, swinging a massive nodachi that trailed flames.
'Masked freaks?' Rimuru wondered, looking at the small mask he was wearing (the one left by Shizue). 'Wait, he thinks we're with the Orcs or the Majin who attacked them!'
"Stop!" Rimuru shouted, jumping into the fray. "We're not your enemies!"
The Crimson Ogre didn't listen. He saw a blue slime and a silver one and assumed they were more monsters sent to finish the job. He lunged at Rimuru, his blade whistling through the air with enough force to split a house.
Rimuru dodged, but the Ogre was fast. Just as the blade was about to connect, a silver blur intervened.
CLANG!
Silver had manifested a blade from his own body, using [Creation] to mimic the hardness of the Ogre's own nodachi. The impact sent a shockwave through the dirt, pinning the Ogre's weapon to the ground.
"We said stop," Silver said, his telepathy echoing with a cold, absolute authority. "If we wanted you dead, you would have stopped breathing three minutes ago."
"Silver, wait! Don't hurt them!" Rimuru pleaded. "They're confused!"
"I know," Silver replied. "But they need to settle down. Solomon, begin [Copy] protocol. I want everything they have. Their swordsmanship, their elemental affinities, and that 'Ogre Flame' technique."
The Crimson Ogre, frustrated, let out a roar. "I don't care who you are! You smell of the ones who slaughtered my people!"
He signaled to his companions. An older Ogre with a white beard and a master's poise stepped forward, drawing his sword. A pink-haired princess prepared her magic.
"Hakuro, now!" the Crimson Ogre commanded.
The old Ogre, Hakuro, moved with a speed that defied the laws of physics. Even Rimuru struggled to track him with his standard perception. But Silver had [Wisdom King Solomon].
'Prediction: 0.02 seconds until impact,' Solomon whispered.
Silver didn't dodge. He used [Mirror Image]—the skill he had gained at the moment of his death.
Hakuro's sword passed through Silver's body as if it were smoke. The real Silver appeared behind the old master, his hand (formed from silver slime) resting gently on the hilt of Hakuro's sword.
"Your technique is flawless, old man," Silver said. "But your heart is clouded by grief. You're swinging at ghosts."
Silver then looked at the Princess, who was charging a fireball. He pointed a silver "finger" at her. "[Snatch]."
The fireball in her hands flickered and died. She gasped, clutching her chest as she felt her mana connection momentarily severed.
"Enough!" Rimuru yelled, releasing a massive burst of his own aura to get everyone's attention. "Look at us! Do we look like Orcs? Do we look like the people who burned your home? We're just building a village here!"
The Crimson Ogre hesitated. He looked at the peaceful Goblins who were standing behind the brothers. He looked at the Dwarves who were watching with wide eyes. Finally, his gaze settled on the two slimes. One was soft and earnest; the other was cold, metallic, and held enough power to wipe his entire group off the map.
He lowered his sword. "I... I see. My apologies. My rage blinded me."
An hour later, everyone was settled around a large fire. Silver had used [Creation] to manifest a massive feast—roast meat, fresh bread, and even a few bottles of high-quality dwarven ale he had "recorded" back in Dwargon.
"So," Silver said, his silver body reflecting the firelight. "A masked Majin and an army of Orcs attacked your village? And you're the only ones left?"
The Crimson Ogre, who Rimuru would soon name Benimaru, nodded grimly. "They were organized. It wasn't just a mindless horde. There was a leader."
'The Orc Lord,' Silver thought. 'The plot is moving faster than I expected.'
"Listen," Rimuru said, leaning forward. "We could use your help. We have a village to protect, and you need a place to stay. Join us. We'll give you names, food, and a chance to get your revenge when the time comes."
The Ogres looked at each other. They had no home, no master, and no hope. Then they looked at Silver.
"The Silver One," Benimaru said, looking at Silver Tempest. "You fought Hakuro as if you knew his moves before he made them. You took my sister's magic with a word. Who are you?"
"I'm the one who makes sure my brother's dreams don't get crushed," Silver said simply. "I'm the shield of the Tempest Federation. If you join us, I'll teach you how to be even stronger. I've already 'analyzed' your styles. I can refine them."
Benimaru bowed his head. "If you will have us, we will serve."
The naming ceremony was even more intense than the first one. Rimuru took the lead, naming Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, Hakuro, Souei, and Kurobe. As expected, the massive drain of naming six high-level Ogres sent Rimuru straight into a deep sleep.
But Silver didn't let the process stop there.
"I'll stabilize them," Silver told the panicked Goblins.
He moved from Ogre to Ogre. As they began to glow and evolve into Kijin, their magicule levels fluctuated wildly—a dangerous moment that could lead to "evolution failure." Silver placed his "hands" on each of them, using his [Magicule Generator] to feed them a steady, pure stream of energy.
'Solomon, optimize their evolution pathways. Use the data we copied earlier to enhance their base stats.'
[Confirmed. Overclocking Evolution... Success. Individual Benimaru has gained 'Extreme Fire Resistance'. Individual Hakuro has gained 'Spatial Awareness'. Individual Souei has gained 'Infinite Thread'.]
When the light faded, the Kijin stood up. They were no longer monsters; they looked almost human, possessing a regal, terrifying beauty and power.
Benimaru looked at his hands, feeling the sheer volume of power Silver had pumped into him. He knelt.
"Lord Rimuru gave us names," Benimaru said. "But Lord Silver gave us life. We are your blades."
Silver looked at his unconscious brother. 'Sleep well, Rimuru. While you're out, I'm going to use [Creation] to build these guys some proper barracks and a training hall. We have an army to train.'
Silver turned to the Kijin. "Tomorrow, the real work starts. The Orcs are coming, and I want this forest to be their graveyard."
[End of Chapter 4]