(Attendance… plz…)
….
Blanc stared at him, her crimson eyes trying to dissect the enigma before her. But Reinhard was unreadable. Even now, standing before him, she could still feel the lingering echo of her previous defeat, a sensation completely alien to her existence, yet undeniably real.
And that sword… the one he had just unsheathed. It was something else entirely. She remembered how it had bypassed her defenses as if they weren't even there, slicing through her magicule body with terrifying ease. Combined with the way he was passively draining the magicules from the very air around them, a phenomenon she and her servants could feel even from this distance, it was all… odd. Too odd.
From her deduction, she had pegged him as a fanatically righteous type, or perhaps someone consumed by arrogance. A delusional hero burdened by a complex about justice and saving humanity. The usual boring archetype.
But no. He had no such delusions. He saw himself clearly, accepting his nature without excuses or labels.
"I quite literally wasn't expecting that," she said, a genuine smile returning to her lips. It wasn't mocking or teasing this time. "Sigh… you took away all the fun I was hoping for." She let out a small, dramatic sigh, shaking her head slowly as if lamenting a lost opportunity.
She was disappointed that her little game, her attempt to taunt him, had ended before it even began. He had embraced his monstrous nature with a clarity most beings lacked.
"I apologize," she continued, her tone shifting back to polite conversation. "But this time, I truly came only to greet you. It would be rude of me to challenge you while being in this weak body. It just… wouldn't be proper."
Benimaru, standing tense behind Reinhard, let out a hysterical internal chuckle. Weak… she calls herself weak.
He could feel every instinct in his body screaming at him to run, even now that she was standing still and suppressing her aura.
The pressure she exerted just by existing was suffocating. No one moved. Even the orcs, creatures that had waged war against the whole forest, stood or lying on the ground as if they'd forgotten how.
She could slaughter every living being in this forest, the remaining orcs, the ogres, the monsters, without breaking a sweat.
Except Reinhard that is…
She was a calamity given form. And yet, she stood there apologizing to Reinhard for being "weak."
It was a harsh, brutal reality check for people like Benimaru and others who thought they were strong or getting strong. He had thought he was getting stronger alas slowly.
But first Reinhard, and now this woman… the thing he was trying to climb just kept getting higher, its peak lost in the clouds.
He was still, undeniably, weak. A child playing with a stick in the presence of these monsters.
People get stronger by admiring those above them, dreaming of reaching that position one day. But if you give a baby a toy hammer and tell him to destroy an indestructible wall… how could one even dream of achieving that?
Yup they can't even imagine themselves doing it.
The subordinates by her side, the two powerful demons in butler type attire, stiffened slightly at her words.
Their mistress, weak? It was an absurd statement, a blasphemy against her power. But they didn't question her. They didn't dare. They knew one thing with absolute certainty: however "weak" she claimed to be in this state, they were infinitely weaker. They were nothing but dust before her.
"A greeting?" Reinhard asked, his skepticism plain. "You came here… just to say hello?"
"Is that so hard to believe?" Blanc smiled, tilting her head slightly. "When one like such as myself finds something truly worthwhile… interesting, to say the least… one tends to keep an eye on it. And you are the most interesting thing here right now. And see… I came just to greet you, and you gave me such spectacular entertainment."
She gestured elegantly to the empty battlefield where the Orc Lord had stood moments ago. "Such efficiency. Such power. And yet, you hold it so lightly. It makes one wonder… what else are you capable of when truly free? Hahaha I want to see it…"
"And what makes you think I would just let you go?" Reinhard asked, his hand still on his sword.
"Well, you did unsheathe your sword," she acknowledged. "But we both know that if you truly wanted to stop me, I wouldn't be standing here right now. So I think we both know the answer to that."
"…" Reinhard didn't say anything to that.
She chuckled softly. "Haha, so dismissive. Very well. I will leave for now, even though I wanted our reunion to last a little longer. Circumstances aren't ideal on your side. Oh, before I forget… I haven't even introduced myself properly yet. You may call me White… or Blanc, whichever you prefer. Please, do not hesitate to use it."
She turned, her white dress swirling around her like mist. "Come along," she commanded her servants, her voice dropping to an imperious tone.
Without another word, the three figures began to fade. Their forms dissolved into nothingness, scattering on the wind until they were gone, leaving only the heavy silence of the battlefield in their wake.
Just as she said, Reinhard didn't attack. He watched until he was certain they were gone, and then, slowly, he sheathed the Dragon Sword Reid.
The crushing pressure vanished instantly, and the ogres let out a collective breath they hadn't realized they were holding. Their knees felt weak, their hearts pounding against their ribs.
"Is… is it over?" Benimaru asked, his voice hoarse, his gaze still fixed on the empty space where the demon had stood.
Reinhard turned to him, his expression tired but calm. "For now… at least."
Before he could continue, someone came flying in, landing just as the demons vanished.
"Well, who were they?" the newcomer asked, looking around. "Seeing how tense it was, I can expect they weren't friends, huh? Reinhard. You okay?"
It was none other than Rimuru.
"I'm sorry for being this late," he continued quickly. "I would have been here earlier, but I got lost, and then, whoosh, a flying head literally came out of nowhere and knocked half my body off in an instant! After I regenerated, I came here as fast as I could."
He had arrived just before the demons and had been watching from above, guided by the trajectory of the Orc Lord's severed head and a little help from Great Sage.
"What?!" Reinhard said, genuinely surprised. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't know you were there. Are you okay?"
Rimuru blinked, then waved it off. "Haha, well, I'm a slime, so no harm, no problem. Still, for that head to go that far…" He stopped, realizing who he was talking to and remembering what he knew about Reinhard's power. He just sighed. "Actually, never mind. It makes sense."
…
Five Minutes Later:-
Everything had calmed down. The demons were gone, and the immediate threat was over.
The orcs were still standing on their side of the battlefield, their numbers astronomical, stretching as far as the eye could see. The ogre group stood opposite them, a small island in a sea of green.
"We were worried for nothing," Rimuru said, looking at the scene. "It was actually solved way faster than I expected."
Seeing that the topic had shifted away from the demons, Reinhard turned his focus to the orcs. Some were sitting on the ground, exhausted and confused, while others were still sweating from the fear the demons had instilled in them.
"Yes, it did," Reinhard agreed. "The other orcs surrendered after I dealt with the Orc Lord. The skill controlling them vanished with him. I'm glad that it didn't escalate much further."
"So, what are you planning to do with the other orcs?" Rimuru asked, gesturing to the massive horde. "I mean, their numbers are huge. Do you have a plan?"
Reinhard looked at the orcs, who seemed to be waiting for judgment to be passed on them. "I intend to help them as much as I can. They will repent for what they did to others. But…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "Actually, nothing."
He turned to Benimaru. "I know that all this seems unfair to you… but…"
"It doesn't mat…" Benimaru started to say, then stopped himself, his jaw tightening. "Actually, it does matter. It seems incredibly unfair. For them to get to live, even after what they did to my village… my people… my parents."
Reinhard looked at him. Most of the surviving ogres shared that same view, their eyes burning with a mixture of grief and anger. No one could just forgive such a thing so easily, no matter the reason.
"You're wrong," Reinhard said, then continued. "They didn't do it. The ones who destroyed your village, if you remember, I killed them all. Every single one."
….
A/N: Hey guys. If you are interested or wanna read Rimuru x Fate fic. You can add it by my author note below or from my profile. And there gonna be a mass release tomorrow.
And lastly fudge it. Fudge it all. Finally done with the fudging orc lord arc.
All questions are welcome…
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Others like solo leveling and overlord x reinhard fic are on my discord if anyone wanna read it.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
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