Then, a booming voice suddenly echoed throughout the cavern.
"Interesting! A slime and a daemon possessing a physical body. Fuhahahaha! Have you come to disturb the rest of the great Storm Dragon, Veldora?!"
The thunderous voice shook the entire cave.
Massive waves of magicules surged through the surroundings, causing the air itself to tremble.
Behind Sirzechs, Rimuru immediately scooted closer until he was practically hiding behind his leg.
"W-W-Wait! I told you this was a bad idea!" Rimuru whispered frantically.
During their journey, Sirzechs had taught him how to use Magic Sense. Because of that, Rimuru could now perceive Veldora’s true form.
And what he perceived terrified him.
The dragon before him was a monster beyond reason.
The amount of magicules radiating from Veldora was so vast that Rimuru couldn’t even comprehend it. It felt less like standing before a living being and more like facing a living natural disaster.
Meanwhile, Sirzechs remained completely calm.
His expression didn’t change in the slightest as he gazed at the colossal dragon sealed within the Infinite Prison.
"I see."
He nodded politely.
"It appears we have disturbed your rest without realizing it. Please forgive us."
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he bent down, picked up Rimuru, and turned around.
"In that case, we shall take our leave."
Rimuru froze.
"...Eh?"
Veldora froze as well.
"...Eh?"
For a brief moment, silence filled the cavern.
Then—
"W-W-WAIT!"
Veldora’s panicked shout exploded through the cave.
Sirzechs paused mid-step before slowly turning around.
The giant dragon awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Ahem!"
He puffed out his chest and lifted his head proudly, doing his best to maintain an air of dignity.
"Since the two of you have already come this far, I shall graciously permit you to remain and converse with me!"
His tone was grand.
His posture was majestic.
His expression was noble.
Yet somehow, despite all of that, he looked incredibly desperate.
Sirzechs stared at him.
Veldora stared back.
Several long seconds passed.
"..."
"..."
Eventually, a faint smile appeared on Sirzechs’ face.
"How generous of you."
Veldora immediately brightened.
"Fuhahahaha! Naturally! Such magnanimity is only to be expected from the great Storm Dragon Veldora!"
The dragon’s laughter echoed throughout the cavern.
Sirzechs had to suppress a chuckle.
The poor dragon was so lonely that he had almost begged them to stay, yet he was still desperately trying to preserve his dignity.
It was both amusing and slightly pitiful.
Deciding not to tease him any further, Sirzechs walked forward and sat down on a nearby rock while still holding Rimuru in his arms.
The moment he did, Veldora visibly relaxed.
Meanwhile, inside his own mind, Rimuru was experiencing a completely different crisis.
’A TSUNDERE DRAGON?!’
’A FREAKING TSUNDERE DRAGON?!’
’WHAT KIND OF FANTASY WORLD DID I GET REINCARNATED INTO?!’
The slime felt as though his entire worldview had just shattered.
For once, even Great Sage remained silent.
It seemed that not even the legendary analytical skill knew how to process the existence of a tsundere True Dragon.
After finding a comfortable place to sit, the three of them settled down and began talking.
At first, the conversation was simple.
They introduced themselves, shared stories about their lives, and exchanged experiences from their respective worlds.
Veldora, who had been imprisoned within the cave for centuries with nothing but his own thoughts for company, was particularly enthusiastic.
The Storm Dragon spoke endlessly, jumping from one topic to another as he recounted countless tales from his long life.
Some stories were grand and heroic.
Others were embarrassing enough that even Veldora seemed reluctant to admit them.
Still, his excitement was obvious.
It was clear that simply having someone to talk to again made him genuinely happy.
Eventually, however, the conversation drifted toward the reason for his imprisonment.
The atmosphere subtly changed.
The dragon’s usual carefree demeanor faded slightly.
"It happened because I was careless," Veldora admitted.
His golden eyes narrowed as old memories resurfaced.
"I failed to take the battle seriously from the beginning."
A hint of frustration appeared in his voice.
"I underestimated my opponent and treated the entire fight as entertainment."
The mighty Storm Dragon let out a low sigh.
"By the time I realized my mistake, it was already too late."
He then recounted the events that had led to his downfall.
The Hero who would later be remembered as the Chosen Hero had challenged him.
Confident in his overwhelming strength, Veldora had toyed with her rather than ending the battle quickly.
That single mistake had cost him everything.
The Hero had managed to get close enough to unleash a sealing technique powerful enough to imprison even a True Dragon.
And thus, the great Storm Dragon Veldora had been trapped within the Infinite Prison.
For three hundred years.
Rimuru listened quietly.
The more he learned about the situation, the more uncomfortable he became.
"So... if nobody manages to break the seal..." Rimuru asked cautiously.
Veldora scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Then eventually my magicules will run dry."
His voice was surprisingly casual.
"Perhaps another hundred years or so."
Rimuru froze.
"Wait..."
The slime stared at him.
"Doesn’t that mean you’ll die?"
Silence filled the cavern.
For all of Veldora’s laughter and cheerful attitude, the reality of his situation was harsh.
He was trapped.
Alone.
Unable to escape.
Simply waiting for an end he could do nothing to prevent.
"...Yeah," Veldora admitted.
Rimuru’s expression darkened.
"That’s terrible."
For the first time since meeting the dragon, he genuinely pitied him.
Determined to help somehow, Rimuru immediately asked Great Sage to begin analyzing the Infinite Prison.
Several minutes passed.
Unfortunately, the results were disappointing.
The seal was far beyond his current abilities.
Even Great Sage could not find a direct method of destroying it.
Then—
A new suggestion appeared.
After hearing Great Sage’s proposal, Rimuru’s eyes lit up.
"I’ve got an idea!"
Both Veldora and Sirzechs looked toward him.
"If I can’t break the prison from the outside..."
The slime bounced excitedly.
"Then what if I absorb both the prison and Veldora together?"
Veldora blinked.
Rimuru continued enthusiastically.
"My stomach can isolate and contain things, right? If I absorb the prison, I can continuously analyze it from the inside."
The more he explained, the more excited he became.
"And while Great Sage works on solving the seal, Veldora can stay safe inside! Once we figure out how to break it, I’ll just release him!"
Silence filled the cave.
For a moment, neither Sirzechs nor Veldora spoke.
Then—
"FUHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Veldora’s booming laughter shook the cavern.
The walls trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
"A splendid idea!"
The dragon looked genuinely delighted.
His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Excellent! Excellent! Let us do exactly that!"
Seeing Veldora’s approval, Rimuru immediately prepared to absorb him.
Only—
"Wait."
The dragon suddenly raised a claw.
Rimuru paused.
"Huh?"
"There is an important matter that must be handled first."
Veldora’s expression became surprisingly serious.
"If we are to become companions, then we must exchange names."
The mighty Storm Dragon grinned.
"And not merely names."
"We shall become family."
....
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