Ciel: <>
Voice of the World: <<>>
******
Three days later...
While Demon Lord Clayman was preparing to unleash a calamity-class monster on the world, other pieces across the world had already begun to move.
One of those pieces was Granbell Rosso. He had just arrived at the site of the attack on Genevieve and Mariabella, flanked by his personal guards and the young Grandmaster of the Free Guild, Yuuki Kagurazaka.
As the aging head of the Rosso family took in the scene, his expression darkened into something cold and furious. The shattered carriage, the blood-soaked earth, and the rotting, half-eaten bodies of the guards who had been escorting his granddaughter left no doubt about what had happened here.
Someone had dared to attack his precious granddaughter, the future of the Rosso family, and, in his mind, the future of humanity itself. Someone had laid hands on her, and believed they would live to enjoy the consequences.
And that was unacceptable.
Right now, though, all of his seething rage had a single, painfully clear target. Genevieve, Mariabella's mother and his daughter-in-law. "That stupid woman! I told her not to travel alone! I told her it was dangerous to go on such a long journey so soon after giving birth, but no! That idiot just had to ignore my orders!" he growled, his voice low and shaking with fury. The veins in his temple stood out sharply, and his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "If that woman wanted to die, she could've died on her own. Why the hell did she have to drag my precious granddaughter into this?"
As the words left his mouth, a radiant golden aura bled out from his body, thick and suffocating with killing intent. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on everyone nearby. His guards instinctively recoiled, their training forgotten in the face of raw, overwhelming power. They trembled as they stepped back, lowering their gazes and trying to make themselves as small and unnoticeable as possible, praying that none of that fury would turn in their direction.
A moment later, Granbell drew in a slow breath and forced the storm inside him to settle. Rage would not bring Mariabella back. Rage would not tell him where she had been taken. He pushed the fury down and began considering how to track his granddaughter and retrieve her before it was too late. But before he could settle on a course of action, a younger voice broke through his thoughts.
"Hmm... this armor and these weapons. I think I know where they're from," Yuuki murmured as he crouched beside one of the fallen guards and picked up a discarded blade. Turning it over in his hand, he studied the edge, then traced a finger lightly along the hilt, eyes narrowing in quiet recognition. "These are definitely eastern-made. You don't see them around here very often, but there's an eastern merchant I know who brings them in through special orders."
"Eastern merchant, you say..." Granbell turned toward Yuuki, his eyes narrowing. "Is it Damrada?"
"Oh? So even Granbell-sama has dealings with that crafty man," Yuuki replied, a faintly amused smile tugging at his lips. "Yes, it's the same person."
"I see," Granbell said quietly, the name bringing a familiar face to mind. He remembered the man well, that annoyingly sweet-talking eastern merchant who always wore a harmless smile as if he were nothing more than a humble trader. Anyone with half a brain could tell there was something shady beneath that polite exterior. Still, Damrada had proven useful more than once, supplying rare goods from the East and passing along information that was difficult to obtain through official channels. A snake, perhaps, but a convenient one.
"Judging by the condition of these weapons, I'm sure they were purchased recently," Yuuki continued, running his thumb along the polished flat of the blade and noting how the light slid cleanly off its untouched edge. "And from what I know, there's only one nation that's been buying this particular type of weaponry lately."
"And who would that be?" Granbell asked, his voice tight with intensity.
"The Kingdom of Falmuth..." Yuuki replied, letting the words linger in the air as a sly smile tugged at his lips. He watched Granbell closely, almost curiously, as a storm of emotions flashed across the old man's face one after another.
"Those bastards!" Granbell snarled through clenched teeth. "After all the years I've backed them, they still dare to bare their fangs at me!" His voice cracked with fury as rage tore through him like wildfire. "Fine then! If they want a war, a damn war is exactly what they'll get!"
"I think we shouldn't be so hasty, Granbell-sama," Yuuki interjected, drawing the old man's attention.
"No one asked for your opinion, brat!" Granbell barked, glaring at him as if he could cut him down on the spot. "You really expect me to sit here twiddling my thumbs while my granddaughter is out there with those bastards, in who knows what condition?!"
"You misunderstand me, Granbell-sama. I only meant that you should approach this rationally," Yuuki said quickly, raising both hands in a placating gesture. "If you declare war right away, you'll back them into a corner, and cornered humans can be far worse than animals. They might do something desperate. The last thing we want is to give them a reason to harm the young lady out of panic or spite."
Hearing those words, Granbell felt the truth of them whether he liked it or not. He swallowed the instinct to lash out again and forced himself to breathe. Slowly, deliberately, he dragged his anger back under control. As someone who had safeguarded humanity for over a thousand years, he understood better than most what people were capable of when driven by fear. Humans pushed to the edge could commit acts so vile they could put demons and beasts to shame.
"You're right. I shouldn't have lost my cool there," Granbell admitted at last, locking eyes with the young man. "First, I confirm where my granddaughter is and bring her back without unnecessary drama, if possible. After that, I'll decide how to show those dogs their place."
"Yes, the young lady's safety should come first," Yuuki nodded. "If you'd like, I can have my people sweep through Falmuth."
"There's no need for that. I have more than enough manpower to handle it myself," Granbell replied, casting a sidelong glance at the young man beside him. He was genuinely impressed by the Free Guild Grandmaster's ideas and sharp intellect, but he could also see the inexperience beneath it all, especially in the way Yuuki seemed almost eager to make Granbell owe him a favor for whatever scheme he might be planning.
From the first moment they had met, Granbell had known that Yuuki Kagurazaka was not as harmless or as friendly as he liked to appear. For someone who had lived for thousands of years as humanity's shield, seeing through such carefully maintained facades was second nature. Even so, Granbell had chosen to keep Yuuki close. The boy's position as Grandmaster of the Free Guild made him influential, and his intelligence was too valuable to discard lightly.
As for the fear of betrayal?
Granbell almost laughed at the notion. What could Yuuki possibly accomplish against someone who so completely outclassed him in both power and standing? If the boy harbored ambitions, they would amount to nothing more than childish dreams. In Granbell's eyes, Yuuki was a tool. Useful, clever, potentially dangerous if mishandled, but still a tool. And while he believed that, with time, Yuuki might grow into a true defender of humanity, perhaps even someone worthy of inheriting part of his legacy, he would rather invest that same time and effort into shaping his granddaughter than waste it on an outsider.
"Of course, Granbell-sama," Yuuki replied with a gentle, understanding smile.
Granbell gave a short nod and turned toward his carriage, his mind already several steps ahead as he mapped out his next moves and considered how he would handle the situation. In doing so, he failed to notice the faint smile that lingered on Yuuki's lips once his back was turned, along with the calculating glint that briefly flickered in the young man's eyes before vanishing completely.
******
Meanwhile, back in Tempest, Shizu had just finished dinner with everyone. Since Rimuru had promised to spend the evening playing a board game with Veldora and Framea, she unexpectedly found herself with a rare stretch of quiet time. It was not something she often had, especially in a place as lively as Tempest. Deciding not to waste it, she picked up a book she had been meaning to continue and stepped out into the backyard for a peaceful stroll beneath the night sky.
Well... she was not entirely alone. Cradled comfortably in her arms was little Mariabella, fast asleep with her tiny head resting against Shizu's shoulder. A small patch of drool had already dampened the fabric there, but Shizu did not seem to mind in the slightest. She had scooped up the adorable bundle on her way out after noticing the girl fussing nonstop and wearing down her already exhausted mother. Wanting to give the poor woman a much-needed break, Shizu had gently carried Mariabella into the cool night air. Thankfully, the fresh breeze worked like magic, as shown by the peacefully sleeping child cuddled snugly against her.
A moment later, her quiet stroll came to a halt when she felt a familiar presence drawing closer from behind. Turning around, she relaxed almost immediately, a small smile forming on her lips as she spotted Testarossa walking toward her with unhurried, graceful steps.
"Well, color me surprised to see you here," Shizu said lightly as she adjusted Mariabella in her arms and stepped closer to the white-haired demoness. "I thought you would've retired for the night by now, like usual."
"Yes, that was the plan," Testarossa replied with a soft smile of her own, inclining her head slightly. "But before doing so, I felt it would be prudent to check on you, as Lord Rimuru asked us to do."
"I swear, Testarossa, that man can be a little too much sometimes," Shizu sighed, shaking her head in mild exasperation. "I am not made of glass, you know."
"Yes, I do not believe you are fragile, and I am certain Rimuru-sama does not think so either," Testarossa answered smoothly, ever ready to defend her Master. "He simply cares about you a great deal."
"He is being a worrywart, that is what he is doing," Shizu replied, rolling her eyes, though she made no effort to deny Testarossa's words.
"He loves you," Testarossa blurted out before she could stop herself, suppressing the shameful bitterness that rose in her heart as the words left her mouth.
"Yeah, he does," Shizu replied with an easy, affectionate smile, gently brushing her fingers through little Mariabella's soft hair. "And you love him too, don't you?" she asked in the same calm tone, lifting her gaze to meet the white-haired demoness. Testarossa froze at once, her posture going rigid. "Don't try to deny it. I've seen the way you look at him, and sometimes it honestly feels like I'm staring into a mirror," she added with a soft sigh, shaking her head.
"I am sorry?" Testarossa replied after a brief, uncharacteristic pause, clearly unsure how to process what she had just heard. Even as a demoness, she understood that being caught by her master's pregnant wife while harboring feelings for him was not exactly a good look.
"Why are you apologizing? I wasn't accusing you of anything," Shizu said, then paused and blinked in surprise. "You know, now that I say it out loud, I'm the one who sounds strange here," she added with a quiet chuckle.
A moment later, Shizu gathered her thoughts and spoke again. "You don't have to be so tense, Testarossa. As I said, I'm not really angry with you. In fact, I always knew I couldn't be his only partner," she added as she walked over to the engawa and carefully lowered herself onto the wooden floorboards, making sure not to disturb the sleeping child in her arms.
"After all the time I've spent with Rimuru, I've come to understand that my husband is not someone who can be summed up in a few simple words," Shizu continued, lifting her eyes toward the full moon hanging in the sky. "He can make the impossible happen as if it were nothing, yet he still clings to small, ordinary desires that make him feel human. He can outmaneuver ancient beings with frightening precision, but at the same time, he has that ridiculous charm that pulls people in before they even realize it." A teasing smile curved her lips as she glanced at Testarossa. "I don't think I need to explain that part to you." She let out a soft chuckle before continuing. "In a world where power is everything, my husband shines far too brightly. Of course, he's going to attract attention. Especially from women who just so happen to have a few enticing... assets that might catch his eye."
"And you're okay with that? Shouldn't you be more upset about this whole situation?" Testarossa asked, unable to fully hide the intrigue and confusion in her voice. From what she understood of humans and their ideas about relationships and marriage, both men and women tended to be quite territorial about their partners and would never willingly consider bringing a third person into the mix.
"Normally, yes, it should be irritating and probably disastrous for my self-esteem to have such a charming husband. I should be worrying every day that I'm not good enough for him, or that one day he'll meet someone more beautiful, more talented, more interesting, and decide I'm no longer enough," Shizu admitted honestly. "But strangely, and thankfully, I don't feel that way, and believe me, I've thought about it a lot. In fact, knowing what he has done for me in..." Shizu paused, then shook her head. "...and how passionate he is when it comes to showing his love," she added with a faint blush, remembering the nights they had shared. "I don't think anyone or anything could make him love me any less. So if that's true, then what exactly would I be worrying about?"
"Besides, there's one more thing," Shizu added, turning her face slightly away. "I don't even know when it started, but the idea of being the head wife, the one with the final say, the one who can veto any woman interested in my man... it feels kind of thrilling."
"Ah... I see now," Testarossa replied, giggling softly behind her hand.
"Hey, stop laughing at me!" Shizu shot back, then immediately winced when Mariabella stirred in her arms. She quickly lowered her voice and gently rocked the baby, murmuring softly until the child settled again. "It's already embarrassing enough admitting that out loud."
"Do not worry, Lady Shizu. I am not laughing at you," Testarossa assured her, waving a hand gracefully. "If anything, I understand perfectly. To demons, power is the most intoxicating thing there is. The ability to stand above others, to decide, to control... it is only natural to find that appealing."
"So that's what made you fall head over heels for my husband," Shizu said with a knowing smirk, neatly steering the conversation back to where it had begun. "Since we're on the topic of your race, though, I'm curious. How does a demoness like you even fall in love? Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying you're incapable of it. But considering how long you've lived and the nature of your species, I would have thought emotions like love wouldn't carry much weight for you anymore."
"You're not wrong, Shizu-sama. Generally speaking, I've never cared much for emotions like love or kindness. To be honest, I still don't," Testarossa admitted calmly. "There are only a select few exceptions, like you, Master, and that insufferable brat Framea." She rolled her eyes at the mention of the overly enthusiastic rabbit girl who stubbornly insisted on calling her 'Testa' no matter how many times she had been warned not to. Framea had an almost supernatural talent for getting under her skin. Even so, Testarossa had never followed through on her threats. For reasons she rarely acknowledged, the girl reminded her of someone from long ago, someone who had once been the rare recipient of her kindness.
"But the day Rimuru-sama summoned me, something shifted inside me," she continued, her voice lowering slightly. "The way he crushed my arrogance so effortlessly, the way he toyed with me throughout the fight, the way he made me experience true death..." A faint flush crept across her pale cheeks, and she pressed her legs together almost unconsciously as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "When he revived me afterward, I knew. From that moment on, no one else would ever be worthy of summoning me, and that my soul belongs to him, and it always will."
"Wow, love born from domestic violence. How romantic..." Shizu remarked dryly, shaking her head in disbelief as she studied the woman beside her. The contrast between them was almost absurd.
Shizu had fallen for Rimuru after he gave her another chance at life, a real, happy life she had always longed for. Testarossa, on the other hand, had fallen for the same man after he had ended her life, the life of a being who had once considered herself truly unkillable, only to revive her afterward. Their paths to the same man could not have been more different, and yet somehow they had ended up here, sitting side by side under the moonlight, speaking like old friends.
"Well, I suppose everyone has their own process," Shizu added with a small shrug, before an idea suddenly crossed her mind and she tilted her head slightly. "So, Testarossa, would you like me to talk to Rimuru about you?"
"That..." Testarossa began, but before she could continue, her expression shifted almost imperceptibly as a message reached her through thought communication. "Shizu-sama, I'm sorry, but we may have to pause this discussion for now. There has been a sudden development that I need to inform Rimuru-sama about."
"Oh? What happened?" Shizu asked as she carefully rose to her feet, adjusting Mariabella in her arms so the baby would not wake. "Is it something serious?"
"There is no need for you to worry, Shizu-sama," Testarossa replied, addressing her concern at once. "Tempest has simply received an unexpected visitor, and that individual is requesting an urgent audience with Rimuru-sama."
To be continued...