Chapter 4: The Betrayal

Rimuru and Ainz returned to the new world with the artifact, but as they approached the Convergence Mage's tower, they noticed something was off. The guards were nowhere to be seen, and the mage was waiting for them outside.

"Welcome back, my dear guests," the mage said with a sinister smile. "I see you've brought what I asked for."

Rimuru and Ainz exchanged a wary glance as they handed over the artifact. They knew that they were in a dangerous situation, but they had no choice but to trust the mage.

"Excellent," the mage said, taking the artifact and examining it closely. "Now, as promised, I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Get on with it," Ainz growled, his slime form shaking with anger.

The mage chuckled. "Very well. The convergence that brought you two together was not a mere coincidence. It was orchestrated by a powerful being from another dimension, seeking to create chaos and destruction."

Rimuru and Ainz listened intently, trying to make sense of what the mage was saying.

"This being has been manipulating events in both of your worlds, trying to bring about a catastrophic event that will destroy everything," the mage continued. "And now that he has the artifact, he has everything he needs to complete his plan."

Rimuru and Ainz exchanged another glance, their minds racing with the implications of what the mage was saying.

"What can we do to stop him?" Rimuru asked, his voice firm.

The mage smiled. "Ah, that is where things get interesting. You see, the being from another dimension has a weakness. He is vulnerable to a certain type of magic, a magic that is very rare and difficult to obtain."

"What kind of magic?" Ainz demanded, his eyes narrowing.

The mage leaned in closer. "The magic of friendship."

Rimuru and Ainz exchanged another glance, but this time, they couldn't help but laugh.

"Friendship? That's ridiculous," Ainz said, shaking his head.

"Perhaps," Rimuru replied, still chuckling. "But we've faced many challenges together, and we've become friends in the process."

The mage smiled. "Then you have a chance. You must gather all of your allies, from both of your worlds, and use the power of friendship to defeat the being from another dimension."

With that, the mage disappeared, leaving Rimuru and Ainz to ponder his words.

"We may not have believed in the power of friendship before, but now we have no choice," Ainz said, his slime form wriggling with determination.

Rimuru nodded in agreement. "Let's gather our allies and put an end to this once and for all."

With that, Rimuru and Ainz set out to gather their allies and prepare for the final battle against the being from another dimension.