(Third Person POV, Rimuru's internal monologue, Nova's thoughts woven in)
The plains stretched quiet under a blanket of stars. Only the faint whisper of the wind disturbed the silence. A few paces away from the collapsed slime, a silver fox sat with his tails flowing like ghostly flames in the moonlight. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, but his thoughts moved elsewhere.
Rimuru stirred faintly in the grass, her slime body twitching once before slipping back into stillness. Naming sixty-three wolves had wrung her dry; her reserves were empty. She wasn't unconscious in the normal sense—more like a body forced into hibernation after running itself past the limit.
Nova tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
She's weaker than expected. Naming that many wolves pushed her further than canon implied.
Ciel's voice came as calm as always, smooth as ripples on still water.
<
Three days without Rimuru. Nova exhaled slowly, tails curling tighter behind him. Plenty of time to set pieces in motion.
The newly named wolves lingered in a loose circle around them. They had not approached Rimuru since she collapsed, their instincts warring with the strange pull of loyalty born from naming. Every glance they gave toward the slime was matched with another toward the fox—an apex predator whose mere presence suffocated them.
Nova's mismatched eyes locked on Ranga. The wolf leader whimpered and dropped instantly to his belly, tail pressed low to the dirt.
"You will guard her," Nova said softly, but there was no warmth in his voice. It was a command, not a request. "No harm touches her while she sleeps."
Ranga's throat rumbled in submissive agreement, a sound closer to fear than loyalty.
Satisfied, Nova rose and padded away, his paws leaving no sound in the grass. From the low ridge nearby, the faint orange glow of torches flickered in the far distance.
The goblin village. Right on time.
His eyes narrowed, thoughts branching.
Ciel.
<
And Rimuru isn't awake to play savior. Which means the script is already bending.
His tails unfurled, brushing lightly across the ground like living silver flames.
How much should I interfere this time…?
<
Fine, Nova thought. I'll thread the needle.
He let his aura bleed faintly into the night. At once, the wolves stiffened. A single growl rippled across the pack before being crushed into silence by the weight of his presence.
"Listen well." Nova's voice was soft, yet it carried like iron scraping glass. "From this night forward, you follow Rimuru. But make no mistake…" His eyes burned crimson and teal. "…you belong to me."
Sixty-three throats lowered in unison. Their submission rolled like a wave of instinctual terror.
Nova smirked faintly. Good. That should hold.
---
(Rimuru POV – dreamscape)
Darkness.
Warm, heavy darkness. Rimuru floated without form, her thoughts scattered.
Where… am I?
She remembered the wolves. Their glowing eyes. The rush of energy when she named them one by one. Then the hollow emptiness after, like her very soul had been wrung dry.
Her voice didn't echo. It didn't even feel like she had a voice here.
Whispers drifted faintly through the void. Two of them—one sharp, deliberate, filled with hidden intent. The other steady, mechanical, like a machine reciting truths without emotion.
Rimuru shivered, though as a slime, she had no skin.
"…Nova…?"
The shadows didn't answer.
Only silence.
---
(Nova POV again)
Dawn broke over the horizon, the first strands of sunlight spilling like molten gold across the plains. Nova remained seated on the ridge, his posture unchanged from the night before. He hadn't moved. He hadn't needed to. Sleep was for those who lacked discipline.
The wolves shifted restlessly in the grass below. Hunger gnawed at them, their bellies growling faintly. But none dared leave. Their eyes flicked constantly toward the fox, waiting for permission.
Nova finally rose, his fur shimmering in the morning light. His mismatched gaze swept across them, cold and calculating.
"Still obedient," he murmured.
<
Good. Then it's time to test them.
His tails fanned out behind him. The pack stiffened instantly, every muscle tight as bowstring. Ranga stepped forward, head bowed low, awaiting command.
"Prove yourselves," Nova said. His voice was silk wrapped around steel. "Hunt."
The wolves scattered without hesitation. Grass parted in violent waves as sixty-three predators streaked across the plains. Nova stood silent, watching them vanish into the tall grass like arrows fired into the horizon.
Ciel's voice brushed his mind.
<
Of course it does. Rimuru inspires loyalty. I enforce obedience. Different paths. Same outcome—only stronger.
His gaze slid back toward the slime lying quietly in the grass. Rimuru's form pulsed faintly, magicules thin but steady.
You'll wake to a stronger pack than you left. That much, I'll guarantee.
A strange flicker brushed his mind. Not pity. Not fondness. More like inevitability, as if guiding her fate had always been his role. He brushed the thought away.
The wolves returned minutes later, breath heavy, blood painting their fangs. Between them, dragged across the dirt, was the massive carcass of a horned deer, its body still steaming.
They dropped it at Nova's feet as though offering tribute to a king.
Nova crouched, pressing a paw lightly against the cooling hide. His tails curled, and he gave a single nod.
"Acceptable."
The pack waited, muscles tense, until Nova flicked his tails. Only then did they fall upon the carcass, tearing into it with desperate hunger. Even so, none crossed the invisible boundary of his shadow. They tore and gorged themselves at its edge, careful to keep him untouched.
Ciel's calm voice returned.
<
Nova's lips curled faintly. Perfect. Two chains. One visible, one hidden.
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon. Thin smoke curled into the air, rising above the treeline.
The goblin village.
He narrowed his eyes.
Canon dictates Rimuru meets them, names them, secures loyalty—the first cornerstone of her nation. But she sleeps, and the script is already unraveling.
<
Nova was silent for a long moment, watching the smoke climb higher.
If I delay, the wolves—or worse—will destroy the goblins before Rimuru ever sees them. If I intervene… His tails curled slowly behind him. Then I'll have to play the shadow, letting Rimuru take credit later.
Ciel's response was calm.
<
Nova considered. Then nodded once, the decision falling into place.
"So be it."
His voice cut across the grass, sharp as a blade.
"We move."
The wolves rose as one. Dust curled beneath their paws as they surged behind him, Ranga at the forefront. Nova walked silently at their head, his silver form gleaming faintly in the early sun.
The forest's edge loomed closer with every step. From within came faint cries—ragged, desperate, filled with fear. Goblins screaming.
Nova's ears twitched. His eyes narrowed.
Too soon. The fang wolves weren't meant to attack yet.
Ciel's tone sharpened.
<
Nova stopped dead in his tracks, the pack halting instantly behind him. His mismatched gaze glowed faintly, reflecting the distant flames.
Not canon. Someone is already meddling.
Ciel's voice was calm, but edged with warning.
<
Nova's lips curved into a dangerous smile. His tails rose, shimmering faintly like blades of silver fire.
Good. I was getting bored.
The goblins' screams tore through the forest. Ahead, three hulking shapes moved between the burning huts. The largest bear raised its paw high, blood dripping from its claws—ready to crush the nearest goblin.
And Nova finally stepped forward.
The air was thick with smoke and iron. Flames licked at the crude wooden walls of the goblin village, sparks scattering into the morning sky. The stench of blood mingled with the acrid bite of burning timber.
Three massive dire bears prowled among the huts, their black fur bristling with crimson light. Their eyes glowed faintly red, unnatural, fevered—as though something had burrowed into their instincts and twisted them.
The largest reared onto its hind legs, a hulking wall of muscle and shadow. Its claws gleamed, already slick with gore. Before it, a wounded goblin cowered, broken spear trembling in his hands. His voice cracked as he screamed for help that would not come.
Nova's gaze narrowed, ears twitching.
Ciel.
<
So someone's pushing pieces onto the board already. That makes things… interesting.
He stepped forward, each pawfall deliberate, the earth itself whispering under his weight. Behind him, the fang wolves bristled, hackles raised, waiting for his command. Ranga growled low, his body tense as a drawn bow.
"Wait," Nova said softly. The word struck like a whip. Sixty-three wolves froze instantly.
His tails rose slowly, curling through the air like silver serpents.
The dire bear's claw came down—
And vanished.
A silver arc sliced across the air faster than thought. For the goblin, it was like the world itself blinked. One moment, death loomed overhead; the next, the bear's forearm tumbled across the dirt, severed clean at the joint.
The beast roared, a sound that shook the ground. Blood sprayed across the goblin's face, hot and coppery. He collapsed in shock, realizing he still breathed only because something far beyond his understanding had intervened.
Nova emerged from the smoke, mismatched eyes gleaming faintly in the firelight. His silver fur shimmered, tails flowing like molten moonlight.
To the goblins, he was no mere beast. He was myth given flesh.
The other two dire bears snarled, their glowing eyes locking onto him. Their muscles bunched, claws digging furrows into the dirt.
Ciel's voice was calm.
<
Not worth my effort, Nova thought. But a message must be sent.
The bears charged.
The ground trembled as two hundred stone-weight pounds of muscle and fury barreled forward. Their roars split the air, vibrating in the goblins' bones. Panic spread through the villagers, screams rising in terror.
Nova's expression didn't change. He flicked his tails once.
Silver light erupted.
The first bear collapsed mid-charge, its throat opening in a silent spray of crimson. It didn't even realize it was dead until its body hit the ground, twitching.
The second managed a half-step more. Then its hind legs buckled, cleanly severed at the knee. It crashed into the dirt, howling, before Nova padded past it with unhurried grace.
The alpha bear skidded to a halt, suddenly alone. Its massive chest heaved, its glowing eyes flicking between its fallen kin and the silver predator before it.
For the first time, hesitation flickered.
Nova's gaze pinned it in place, sharp as frostbite. His voice was quiet, but it carried like a blade:
"Kneel."
The bear froze. Its muscles trembled, instinct screaming at it to submit—but something deeper, the red glow in its eyes, fought back. It roared, a guttural defiance, and lunged.
Nova smirked faintly.
Wrong answer.
The world flickered.
In less than a breath, Nova was upon it. His paw pressed lightly against its skull. His mismatched eyes burned, and for a moment reality itself seemed to ripple.
The dire bear's body convulsed. Its red glow flickered, shattered, and bled out into the dirt like smoke dispersing in the wind. Its roars cut off into a whimper. Then silence.
The beast collapsed, head bowed to the ground, still breathing but utterly broken.
Nova stepped back, tails swaying lazily.
Ciel's voice slid into his mind.
<
Good. Another pawn secured.
Behind him, the goblins had fallen silent. Not a sound rose from them. They stared with wide, terrified eyes at the silver fox who had dispatched monsters that had nearly destroyed their village in mere heartbeats.
One older goblin, hunched and scarred, staggered forward on trembling legs. His voice shook as he fell to his knees, forehead pressed into the dirt.
"O–o mighty one…! Please… spare our people!"
At once, the rest followed. One by one, goblins collapsed into bows, prostrating themselves before Nova, their fear turning into worship.
Nova tilted his head slightly, watching them. His tails flicked once, stirring the smoke.
This is Rimuru's role, he thought. Her cornerstone, her people. If I take it here, the timeline bends too far. But if I leave them, they die before she ever wakes.
Ciel answered, calm as ever.
<
Nova considered for a long, quiet moment. Then his lips curved faintly.
"So be it."
He turned, voice carrying like thunder wrapped in silk.
"Rise, goblins. You are not mine to claim. You will serve Rimuru—the one who sleeps."
The goblins hesitated, glancing toward the unconscious slime lying in the grass beyond the ridge. Murmurs rippled through them, confusion and awe mixing like oil and water.
"Rimuru…? That… small one?"
Nova's eyes narrowed, silencing their doubt instantly.
"Yes," he said flatly. "That small one. Doubt her, and you doubt me."
The goblins fell silent.
Ranga padded forward, growling low. The fang wolves gathered behind Nova, their yellow eyes gleaming in the firelight. Sixty-three predators at his back, a village of goblins at his feet, and a broken dire bear trembling under his shadow.
The board had shifted.
Nova flicked his tails, gaze sliding toward the smoking huts and wounded villagers.
"Rebuild your fires. Bury your dead. When Rimuru wakes, she will guide you. Until then…" His eyes glowed faintly, silver and crimson. "…you follow me."
The goblins bowed as one, their voices trembling in unison.
"Yes, Great One!"
Ciel whispered in his mind.
<
Nova turned his gaze skyward. The morning sun burned through the smoke, streaking the sky gold.
The first nation rises. But it rises in shadow.
He looked once at Rimuru's sleeping form, then back to the goblins.
"Keep dreaming, little slime," he murmured. "When you wake, your world will already be waiting."
His tails curled around him like silver fire as the goblins scrambled to obey, wolves prowling like guardians at their side. The dire bear lay broken in the dirt, its body trembling under the weight of unseen chains.
And far beyond the forest, unseen eyes watched the smoke rise into the sky.
Pieces are moving, Nova thought, lips curving faintly. Good. Let them come.
---
To be continued…