CH 2 : Threads of Deception, Bonds of Power

Both Rimuru and Hinata lay on the ground, catching their breath after the intense battle. Hinata, despite her exhaustion, suddenly began to laugh.

"You're impressive, Rimuru!" she chuckled, her voice tinged with admiration. "You purposely took the attack full on, didn't you?"

Rimuru, still winded, looked puzzled. Before he could respond, Anos interrupted, clapping his hands with a slow, amused rhythm. "That was a good show there, but my dear Hinata, you're mistaken," he said smoothly. "He didn't take the attack head-on as you believe. In the last second before it hit him, he absorbed your attack."

Both Hinata and Rimuru were stunned by Anos' words. Rimuru blinked, realizing Anos had seen through him, and Hinata narrowed her eyes, confused.

Anos continued, his tone light but with an undercurrent of truth that left no room for doubt. "If he hadn't absorbed it, Rimuru here would be a dead man, unless he had used a skill in time. Your attack was powerful enough to finish him off otherwise."

Hinata glanced back at Rimuru, her expression now laced with both admiration and curiosity. "Still, he survived, which means I lost, no matter the method. But," she added, eyeing Rimuru with a sharp glaze, "I'll want an explanation from you later, Rimuru."

Rimuru, clearly caught off guard, gave a sheepish grin and instinctively shrank his neck. Just as the air seemed to lighten with their banter, something shifted in the atmosphere. Time itself seemed to slow—not literally, but the sensation was palpable.

In an instant, Hinata's instincts kicked in. She pushed Rimuru away with force, just as her discarded sword—previously transformed into spiritual armor—turned into a beam of pure light, shooting towards her at the speed of light.

Before the beam could strike her, Anos moved. With blinding speed, he caught Hinata in his arms, shielding her from the blast. At the same time, he extended a single finger toward the incoming beam, blocking it effortlessly.

The energy of the light spell dissipated as it made contact with Anos, as if it had struck an unyielding wall. Anos, unfazed, gently let Hinata down before turning his gaze toward the source of the attack. His voice was calm but cutting. "That sword, Hinata… it's not yours, is it?"

Hinata, still processing how close she had come to death, replied in a voice shaken but resolute. "No… It's not. It was given to me by them. I never thought they'd stoop this low."

Rimuru, now back on his feet, called out, concern etched on his face. "Hey, are you two okay?!"

Anos answered without turning, his voice carrying an air of nonchalance. "We're fine. Such an attack can't harm me, and like I said, I owe a favor to Hinata. As long as she doesn't call in that favor, I'll protect her."

Hinata looked at Anos, surprised by the weight of his words. She didn't expect him to care, but somehow, his promise made her feel slightly flustered—though she would never admit it openly.

Rimuru sighed in relief, but then his expression turned serious. "That was aimed at me, wasn't it? I must thank you, Hinata."

Before any further words could be exchanged, both Rimuru's and Hinata's teams arrived, having seen the aftermath of the light attack from a distance. Their faces were a mixture of confusion and worry, unsure of what had transpired.

Anos, growing visibly bored of the formalities, glanced to the side. "How long do you all plan to hide?" His words startled everyone, who looked around, bewildered. Suddenly, a portal materialized out of thin air. Two figures stepped through—members of the infamous Seven Days Clergy.

"Greetings, Demon Lord Rimuru," said one of the figures, a man clad in ornate robes, his expression twisted with self-righteousness.

Hinata's eyes hardened as she saw them. "I never thought you'd stoop so low as to stage a surprise attack," her voice thick with disdain.

The clergy member smirked. "We're here to punish you, Hinata. You conspired with a demon and attacked the Demon Lord Rimuru. Not to mention, you failed to follow our orders."

Hinata's anger flared. "Don't give me that crap! We all know what your real orders were." Only her closest companions truly understood the depths of her accusation.

"It doesn't matter," one of the clergy members retorted coldly. "We didn't plan on letting anyone here live anyway."

Anos yawned, interrupting their exchange. "How tedious. I've seen this kind of pathetic plot play out thousands of times. Let's just end this already."

In a blur of motion, Anos disappeared. His speed was beyond the comprehension of everyone present, and to anos, the world seemed to move in slow motion. In mere moments, Anos knocked out both clergy members. Without breaking a sweat, he moved to a red-haired knight standing amongst Hinata's team, striking him down as well.

The knight collapsed, revealing a disguise that unraveled into yet another member of the clergy. Anos had easily seen through the deception, as if it were child's play.

The fallen figures lay in a heap, and one of Hinata's companions, a blond-haired man, gasped in shock. "Garde?!"

Hinata, equally surprised, moved toward the knight. There, she noticed a small crack on his face—no, on a mask he was wearing. She peeled it off, revealing an extremely old man beneath the disguise. One of the clergy.

Her team, though trained to control their emotions, were visibly saddened. Garde had been one of their comrades, or so they thought.

Anos dusted his hands off and turned to Hinata. "Now, what do you intend to do with them?"

Before Hinata could respond, a massive door fell from the sky with a deafening crash, piquing Anos's interest. The door creaked open, revealing two figures: a majestic man in white, and a petite woman with short, silver hair dressed in black. The man spoke with a commanding voice.

"Kneel before me. I am the Holy Emperor, Louis, and the one standing before you is our one true lord, Lady Luminus."

Upon hearing these words, Hinata's knights and companions immediately knelt down, greeting Luminus with reverence. She acknowledged them with a nod and walked over to Hinata.

"I told you not to let yourself get so worked up," Luminus said softly, almost like a scolding mother.

She then turned her gaze to Rimuru. "My apologies, Demon Lord Rimuru. I hope Hinata hasn't caused you too much trouble."

Rimuru waved his hands nervously. "No, no, it's fine, really!" he chuckled awkwardly.

Luminus gave him a faint smile. "I hope we can have a conversation later." She then turned her attention to the fallen clergy members and sighed. "What a pity."

With a flick of her wrist, she cast a spell that disposed of the bodies effortlessly, leaving no trace behind.

Anos approached her with an unsettling smile, his eyes gleaming with a knowing look. "Hello, little god."

Luminus raised an eyebrow at his greeting. "Little?"

Anos's grin widened. "Got a problem?"

For a brief moment, Luminus felt the weight of Anos's presence grow. It wasn't that he was physically expanding, but rather that his aura became so immense, so overwhelming, that it dwarfed her own. It was like staring into an abyss, and she was just a speck of dust in comparison.

She forced a smile, though it was clear she felt the pressure. "No, it's a fact. I am... short," she muttered begrudgingly.

"And who might you be?" Luminus asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Anos bowed slightly, but his aura still commanded the space around him. "I am Anos Voldigoad, the Demon King of Tyranny. Nice to meet you, god Luminus."

After the encounter with Luminus, the group made their way toward the capital of Tempest, specifically the central building where important meetings were held. On the way, they passed by a fountain, where a familiar figure awaited them—a blond man, shirtless, wearing nothing but a cape.

"You're finally back, Rimuru!" Veldora greeted, his voice booming with excitement. "Now it must be my turn as the final line of defense!"

Rimuru scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. "Oh, sorry, Veldora. Turns out the final line of defense wasn't necessary."

Hearing this, Veldora's face twisted in frustration as he began scratching his head. "I've been waiting here with bated breath all this time!" he grumbled. His eyes shifted to Luminus, who stood beside Rimuru. He looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, Anos interjected.

"Hey," Anos said casually, "are you perhaps related to someone named Valdanava?"

At the mention of this name, Veldora's frustration instantly vanished, and his eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know anyone else knew big brother's name in this age."

Rimuru blinked in confusion. "Big brother? Veldora, why didn't you ever tell me you had a brother?"

Veldora shrank his neck, looking somewhat guilty. "You never asked," he said, trying to act nonchalant.

Before anyone could respond, Anos moved in a flash, suddenly appearing right in front of Veldora. His eyes gleamed with a hint of challenge. "Let's fight."

Veldora opened his mouth to protest, but Anos didn't give him the chance. In a split second, he grabbed Veldora by his cape, created a small portal, and dragged him through it.

Five minutes passed. The others continued their walk toward the meeting hall, only for Anos to return, carrying Veldora over his shoulder like a defeated warrior. Veldora, though completely beaten, had a strangely refreshed look on his face.

It turned out that during their fight, Veldora had been forced to use up all his immense aura, which was no easy feat for a True Dragon. Anos didn't go all out, but it was enough of a spar to completely exhaust Veldora. Despite being battered, Veldora seemed satisfied.

Rimuru, seeing his friend in such a state, rushed over. "Veldora, are you okay?"

"Of course, buddy," Veldora responded carefully, wincing as he moved. His entire body ached, but he couldn't help but feel invigorated.

Hinata, Luminus, and the others who knew of Veldora's terrifying power were left speechless. Veldora was a force of nature, a catastrophe that no one, save for another True Dragon, could even dream of defeating. And yet, here he was, thoroughly beaten by Anos.

Anos casually handed Veldora over to Rimuru's butler, a demon servant, who eyed Anos cautiously. "Of course, sir," the demon replied, taking Veldora and gently placing him on a couch.

Stretching as if he had just had a relaxing workout, Anos smiled. "That was great. A sparring session like that is something I haven't had in years."

Hearing this, Luminus was rendered speechless again. Rimuru, on the other hand, was confused by Anos' words. "A full day? What do you mean? It's only been five minutes."

Anos looked at him with a knowing grin. "I took us somewhere where time moves slower. That's why."

Rimuru stared at him, still processing the implications, but Anos didn't seem to care. He looked around the room where the meeting was about to start and asked, "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

Rimuru waved his hands nervously. "No, no! Hehe… Right, everyone?" He glanced around the room, and everyone nodded rapidly in agreement, not wanting to provoke Anos.

"Good," Anos said with a satisfied nod. "I thought I might've interrupted something important."

He then took a seat next to Hinata, who was still trying to wrap her head around how easily Veldora had been defeated. Anos leaned back, looking entirely at ease. "Don't mind me. Continue."

With that, the meeting resumed, focusing on the misunderstanding between Hinata and Rimuru. It was officially cleared up, and Tempest was now being recognized by the Western Nations. However, they still had more to discuss regarding the future of the two Nations.

Hinata spoke first, recounting the events that led to their current situation. "The Church couldn't acknowledge the existence of a nation of monsters. That's why we received the request from Archbishop Reyhiem to mobilize the paladins. And personally, I wanted to get back at you, too."

Rimuru, sensing the weight behind her words, asked, "Is it about Shizue?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. Looking back, I realize I was being used then as well."

Confused, Rimuru asked, "Used? By who?"

Hinata's expression hardened. "By merchants from the Eastern Empire."

Rimuru, his voice darkening with realization, said, "Apparently, Clayman had some merchants he was close with. These merchants must've been from the East, then."

"That's right," Hinata confirmed. "They told me you killed Shizu and that you happened to be staying in Engrassia at the time."

Rimuru clenched his fists, anger bubbling up. "Yeah, and you couldn't have picked a worse time to confront me. Just remembering it pisses me off!" His aura flared, making the knights in the room tremble in fear.

Luminus scolded him immediately. "Enough coercion, you upstart brat."

Rimuru quickly reined in his aura, looking apologetic. "Oh! Um, yeah. Sorry."

The knights relaxed, grateful that the terrifying pressure had subsided. Anos, meanwhile, remained seated, silently observing the conversation, his interest piqued by the talk of Eastern merchants and manipulation.

Clearing his throat, Rimuru continued. "It's pretty clear those Eastern merchants are behind a lot of this. They likely had a hand in manipulating King Edmaris of Falmuth against us as well."

Hinata nodded. "There's no doubt about that. Reyhiem made it clear during our interrogation that Falmuth was involved."

Rimuru's eyes narrowed. "Demon Lord Clayman was pulling strings behind the scenes, but I think those Eastern merchants were mediating everything for him."

Benimaru, sitting nearby, chimed in. "And you think the Eastern mrchants mediate things for him?"

Rimuru responded."Yes. Clayman was trying to awken himself into a true Demon lord. And Falmuth was trying to take control of this nation. The Eastern merchants were also involved in the process."

Rimuru nodded grimly. "Exactly. And lastly, there's him—the one who orchestrated it all."

Luminus, intrigued, leaned forward. "'Him'? The one Clayman mentioned? For someone as small-minded as Clayman, it's impressive he never revealed this person's identity."

"Could it be the Seven Days?" Rimuru asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Luminus, clearly offended, shot him a sharp look. "What? Are you accusing the Seven Days Clergy of acting without my knowledge?"

The Holy Emperor Louis, standing near her, intervened. "But we cannot fully deny that possibility."

Luminus turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "Now you're spouting such nonsense too, Louis?"

Louis, his face calm, replied, "They craved your affection, Lady Luminus."

"What are you talking about?" Luminus asked, genuinely confused.

Louis met her gaze. "Affection… In other words, your love energy. It has been a hundred years since their last ceremony."

Rimuru, curious, asked, "Love energy? What's that?"

From the side, Anos chimed in, his tone casual but informative. "Love energy is a very strong type of energy if used properly."

Hinata, intrigued, turned to Anos. "And how do you know that?"

Anos gave a small smirk. "I've lived for a long time. A very long time. I've gained knowledge about all things."

Luminus, still looking at Louis, added, "They were all human. Without my energy, they were bound to grow old."

Louis nodded solemnly. "They were desperate to ensure you wouldn't make any other 'favorites.'"

Hinata, still processing everything they had just discussed, asked, "Is that the reason the Seven Days tried to kill me?" Her voice held a tone of disbelief.

Louis, the Holy Emperor, turned to her and nodded. "I believe so. They probably intended to help Clayman awaken and then have him fight you."

Hinata frowned, contemplating this. "And because Clayman has been defeated, they then tried to pit me against Rimuru?"

Rimuru, still trying to piece things together, asked, "Are you certain about that?"

The blond man seated near Hinata—one of the more serious figures in the room—spoke up. "It was the clergy who introduced us to those merchants in the first place."

Rimuru raised his fingers, counting aloud as something clicked. "But wait… Since it's the Seven Days Clergy, doesn't that mean there's one more of them left?" He paused on the final finger.

Hinata, however, didn't seem worried. "Nothing to worry about there. I got a report earlier from the cardinal at Lubelius that he's eradicated Gran, the Sunday Priest."

Luminus, sipping her tea, raised an eyebrow. "The cardinal? Oh, that Nicolaus guy who was infatuated with you, wasn't he? How did he manage to defeat Granville?"

Hinata nodded. "It wasn't the most heroic approach, but he took him by surprise with a disintegration spell he had set up in advance."

Luminus sighed, looking somewhat melancholic. "The age caught up to him. For Granville to fall into such a trap like that…"

Hinata, slightly confused, asked, "By Granville, you mean Gran, the Sunday Priest?"

Luminus gave a slight nod. "That was his real name. He was once known as the Hero of Light. He even fought me at one point, but like all who call themselves heroes, he eventually became bound by fate. Perhaps, somewhere deep in his heart, he resented me."

At this, Anos, his voice calm but tinged with sadness, spoke up. "Heroes are the dumbest people I've ever met. They will fight you forever, but in the end, they're often betrayed by their own people—or worse, they become the evil they swore to defeat."

Hinata looked like she wanted to respond, but Rimuru interrupted the solemn moment. "Well, that's a relief, at least." Stretching his arms, he continued. "If we hadn't noticed those merchants, I would've started to suspect Yuuki."

The blond man glanced at Rimuru. "Yuuki Kagurazaka? The Grandmaster of the Free Guild?"

"Yeah," Rimuru replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Given the circumstances, he seems suspicious, but he wouldn't have any reason to make you and me fight."

Hinata, holding her chin in thought, added, "Yuuki's a suspect, huh. I don't think we can completely rule him out."

Rimuru raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Whoa, you're doubting someone from your own homeland?"

Hinata, ever the strategist, replied, "I'm only considering every possibility. For that matter, I think it's a bit early to assume the mastermind is completely gone."

Rimuru nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It's not good to be too optimistic."

Anos, who had been quietly listening, chimed in, "How come you think there's only one mastermind? From what I've seen, Tempest's prosperity has gotten in the way of many nations and individuals."

Rimuru, acknowledging the possibility, responded, "That's true. It's something to keep in mind."

Benimaru, always vigilant, added, "We'd better inform everyone else about this."

Rimuru nodded. "Let's keep a close eye on the situation as we move forward."

At that moment, three girls entered the room, carrying trays of food. They set down sweets and tea on the table. The pink-haired oni girl, Shuna, bowed slightly. "Enjoy."

As the atmosphere lightened with the arrival of refreshments, Rimuru shifted the conversation. "Alright, now about our future relations..."

Before Rimuru could finish, Hinata spoke up, her tone serious. "Before that, I want to make one thing clear to all of us. Should I assume you've accepted our apology for this entire misunderstanding?"

Rimuru nodded, his voice sincere. "Yeah. I don't intend to drag that issue along any further."

Luminus, still holding her teacup, added, "Absolutely not. This entire incident was clearly our fault. I'd like to compensate for it in some way. We can strike a deal once that's settled." She shot an angry glare at Veldora, clearly still holding a grudge against him.

Hinata, sharing Luminus' sentiment, said, "I also don't want to put you through such a headache without making amends. I want to show as much sincerity as possible."

Rimuru stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Compensation, huh? In that case, how about officially recognizing our nation and forming a diplomatic relationship with us?"

Luminus nodded, her tone firm. "Fair enough. I have no intention of being close friends, and I still plan to settle the score with that lizard eventually." Her eyes glanced toward Veldora.

Rimuru's expression darkened as he broke into a sinister smile, clearly thinking of a worst-case scenario. He was seriously considering sacrificing Veldora to Luminus. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Veldora, who had just reached for a pancake, froze.

"Wait a moment, Rimuru! You're thinking of doing something cruel to me, aren't you?!" Veldora protested.

Rimuru laughed, waving his hands dismissively. "Just your imagination, my good friend, Veldora."

Veldora wasn't convinced. "Wait, wait! Whenever you talk to me like that, it usually means you're up to no good!"

Luminus, tired of the banter, glared at Veldora. "Shut up. Don't get cocky with me."

She then turned back to Rimuru and said, "Let's call a truce for the time being. I'll open diplomatic relations with you for a hundred years. Consider it my apology."

Rimuru blinked in surprise. "Oh, really?"

Hinata, intrigued, added, "A non-intervention treaty aside, but diplomatic relations too?"

The blond man, still seated near Hinata and Anos, sighed. "A diplomatic relationship, but…"

"Quit pestering me about this. I said what I meant," Luminus snapped.

Another figure, a blue-haired man, spoke up in Rimuru's defense. "If Sir Rimuru were truly evil, we would have been dead by now."

Another blue-haired man beside him nodded. "We can trust in Sir Rimuru and his people. It's time we cast off our prejudices against monsters."

Anos smiled at the exchange, commenting, "Little god, you're really smart."

Luminus glanced at Anos, somewhat taken aback by the compliment. "Thanks," she said, though her tone carried a mix of skepticism and appreciation.

After hours of intense discussions and diplomacy, the meeting between Rimuru, Hinata, Luminus, and the rest of the Tempest leadership finally concluded. The atmosphere, which had once been filled with tension and suspicion, had settled into a more cordial, albeit cautious, air of understanding. Outside the grand hall, the group was preparing to part ways.

Anos, standing tall and composed, had decided to leave with Hinata and her group. He was bound by his own vow not to harm her or her people, and now he intended to keep a close eye on her. Rimuru, however, still had something left to settle.

"Oh, right, Hinata," Rimuru called, pulling something from his inventory. The item gleamed under the setting sun—Hinata's eyes widened when she recognized it.

"Is that…?" Hinata began, her voice trailing off as she looked at the sword in Rimuru's hand.

Rimuru smiled, nodding. "Yep, it's your rapier—the one I swallowed the last time we fought. I fixed it up for you and even made some improvements." He extended the weapon toward her.

Hinata took the rapier, admiring the craftsmanship. It was not just restored; it felt more balanced, more powerful than ever before. "Thank you, Rimuru," she said, sincerely, as she slid the weapon into its scabbard.

Luminus, who had been watching the exchange, added, "That will serve you better than using Moonlight, the legendary-class weapon I gave you. You've been using it quite regularly, after all."

Hinata smiled, appreciating Luminus' concern, but she gave a slight nod of approval to Rimuru as well. "I'll make good use of this. It's perfect."

As they prepared to leave, Luminus' gaze turned toward Anos, her sharp eyes questioning him. "And where are you going?"

Anos, his calm demeanor unshaken, responded with ease. "I'm going with you, of course. I owe a favor to Miss Hinata here," he said, gesturing to her. "Besides, because of the vow I made not to hurt her or her group, it's only fitting that I follow her around until the favor is repaid."

Luminus frowned. "She can always come to you when she wants to use that favor. Why must you follow her around?"

Anos, unfazed by her argument, replied in his usual calm, assertive tone. "Yes, she could come to me. But if she were to die or something happened to her before she could use it, I'd have the trouble of deciding whether to let her be reborn or reincarnated into a new body. It's easier to ensure her safety myself."

Luminus, uncharacteristically stumped, had no immediate response. Anos leaned closer to her, his voice low and knowing. "Besides," he whispered into her ear, "it's better for me to go with you because I know you're not a god at all—you're a vampire."

Luminus' eyes narrowed slightly as she gave him a sidelong glance, clearly unamused. "I don't care if you know. But I don't want my identity exposed unnecessarily. Fine, you can come—but stay out of my way."

Anos smirked but said nothing more. The tension between them seemed to shift slightly—no longer adversarial, but more of a mutual understanding. Luminus knew she couldn't afford to challenge Anos too openly, and Anos was content with his own decisions.

Hinata, watching the exchange from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. The presence of someone as powerful as Anos could be both a blessing and a complication, but for now, it seemed like his intentions were aligned with her own.

"Let's head out, then," Hinata said, breaking the silence.