After the festive celebration, a sense of unease began to creep into the hearts of Tempest's people. Shocking news soon spread: a horde of Orcs had emerged and rampaged, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Yet, their exact whereabouts and next move remained a mystery—no one knew where they were or what their plans entailed.

In an effort to dispel the lingering fear after the alarming reports about the Orcs, Rimuru and Wridra decided to test a new skill within the Sealed Cave. Meanwhile, several comrades in Tempest—including Ranga—set off to hunt and gather intelligence.

Inside the dark cavern, Wridra grinned mischievously. "A new skill, huh? It just so happens that I've recently developed an ability that's equally intriguing."

Rimuru nodded confidently. "I call my ability Degeneration. With it, I can separate and combine elements—even create entirely new powers that were once unthinkable."

Wridra smirked and shook her head. "Even the name sends shivers down my spine. I'm not too fond of it ..."

Rimuru then began demonstrating her skill. With a moment of concentration, a streak of black flame materialized on her palm. The flame roared with a dreadful elegance, consuming the surrounding air with an invisible, intense heat.

Yet, to Wridra's astonishment, the flame felt cool to the touch. When she made contact, there was no burning sensation—almost as if the fire were merely an illusion.

["Report: Extra Skill – Black Flame has been acquired."]

Wridra's eyes widened. "Huh? I just touched it and suddenly gained a new skill...?!"

Rimuru regarded her with an expression that was hard to decipher. "Really? You managed to obtain a skill just by touching it? That's impressive…"

Wridra could only shrug, still in disbelief over what had just occurred. Suddenly, Rimuru offered a small smile and fixed her gaze on Wridra with a look full of meaning. "Hey, I need to tell you something… Come with me for a moment."

Without hesitation, Wridra nodded and followed Rimuru, her curiosity piqued. They walked along a narrow path toward a hill where a silent pile of stones stood. A gentle breeze whispered by, as if carrying the calm of a great sacrifice.

Rimuru stopped right in front of the stone pile. Her eyes softened, and she slowly knelt, letting her fingertips brush over the cold surface.

"She is Shizue Izawa…" Rimuru's voice was barely above a whisper. "This body... once belonged to her."

Wridra stared in silence. In that moment, she understood the heavy burden Rimuru had carried all along—the sorrow hidden beneath her nonchalant exterior.

"So… is this what troubles you?" Wridra asked gently.

Rimuru nodded slowly, her expression clouded with pain. "I'm sorry for being so gloomy…" she replied, her voice trembling softly.

Without a word, Wridra moved closer and wrapped her arms around Rimuru in a warm, comforting embrace from behind. "No, you're not gloomy…" she whispered. "I know what it feels like to lose someone…"

Silence enveloped them as the breeze grew even softer, as though empathizing with their grief. But that serenity was short-lived. Suddenly, an urgent telepathic signal came from Ranga.

"Rimuru-sama! Wridra-sama!" Ranga's voice echoed urgently, nearly like a roar.

["Report: This is an emergency warning from an individual named Ranga… Judging by his tone, he's requesting immediate assistance."]

Without hesitation, Rimuru and Wridra sprang into action, dashing toward the coordinates Ranga had provided.

When they arrived, the scene before them was staggering. Several goblins and wolves lay motionless on the ground—uninjured yet unresponsive, as if in a deep, unnatural slumber.

Above them, Ranga was locked in a fierce battle against two figures hovering in the air. Squinting to get a better look, Wridra observed intently.

"They… could be Ogres?" she murmured, noting the distinct, powerful features of their bodies.

One of them—a pink-haired Ogre—swung his arm confidently as if he controlled the situation.

"Ranga! Rigur!" Rimuru called out.

At the sound of her voice, Ranga immediately leapt to her side, his body tense and alert. Meanwhile, Rigur, looking fatigued, joined them. After a brief pause, he reported in a strained voice: "Rimuru-sama… It's the pink-haired Ogre—she's the one who put everyone to sleep!"

Rimuru narrowed her eyes, shifting her attention to the two Ogres before her. The tension in the air grew even thicker.

"What on earth is happening here…?" Wridra asked nonchalantly, arms crossed as he observed the unfolding chaos without the slightest hint of fear.

"I'll handle the back lines, Rimuru-san… You take care with Ranga," Wridra said calmly, her voice brimming with confidence.

Rimuru nodded firmly and approached Ranga. "Ranga, concentrate on that Ogre girl. Leave the rest to me."

Ranga hesitated. "But… there are five of them, my Lord. Are you really going to face five Ogres at once?"

"Relax," Rimuru replied with a casual smile. "Fighting them would be too easy."

Ranga bowed his head in admiration. "As always… you're extraordinary, Rimuru-sama."

The red-haired Ogre, seemingly their leader, grew impatient. His eyes blazed with fury as he shouted, "How dare you underestimate us! I acknowledge your courage—or perhaps your foolishness!"

He raised his massive sword high. "Enjoy your last moments!"

With a furious cry, his sword surged toward Rimuru. But before it could reach her, Rimuru vanished in an instant—her blue silhouette darting to his side. In the blink of an eye, she appeared behind the towering Ogre.

"Paralyzing Breath!"

A fine mist burst from behind the Ogre, startling him and robbing him of balance. At the same time, the red-haired Ogre noticed another threat—Wridra, who had been standing nonchalantly from the start.

With a war cry, the Ogre charged. His enormous, gleaming sword aimed to cleave Wridra without mercy.

But then...

Clang!

A massive tree trunk—appearing as if from nowhere—barried his assault effortlessly. The metallic sound of impact echoed as the Ogre's sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground.

Wridra remained poised, one hand casually gripping the tree trunk as if it were an ordinary staff. Her eyes were calm and unyielding. "I'm sorry if I seem idle… but if you attack, I must respond."

"This tree trunk… stronger than steel?!" the red-haired Ogre bellowed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing tall, Wridra rested the trunk on her shoulder with a relaxed confidence. A wry smile played on her lips as her gaze sharpened like a hawk's, indifferent to its prey.

"It's not only steel that can be strong, you fool," she replied coolly.

With a mere flick of her finger, the bark of the trunk peeled away into splinters no larger than a pinky. She studied the tiny fragments for a moment before adding:

"These splinters… are enough to shatter your sword."

The red-haired Ogre hissed, "Non sense!" as he brandished his massive katana, ready to attack again.

But before he could move—

ZRAK!

A cold gust of wind whispered by. There was no clamor of a collision—no thud of impact. Yet, in an instant, his katana shattered in two; the upper part clattered to the ground with a heavy clanging ring of metal.

The Ogre stood frozen, his eyes following the path of the passing wind—and then he saw it.

Wridra had hurled that single wood splinter. Just one piece, but thrown with an unimaginable speed and precision. No magic. No shouting. Only a tiny projectile that had shattered his war weapon.

"What… just happened?" the Ogre rasped, his voice hoarse as his breath grew erratic.

Stepping forward, Wridra fixed her piercing gaze on her foe. "Welcome to a wider world… where strength isn't always measured by metal and muscle."

"You… damn monster…" the red-haired Ogre stammered, collapsing into a crouch as his eyes filled with unmasked terror.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Rimuru continued her fierce engagement with the other Ogres. One of them—a blue-haired man—darted forward like lightning. In a heartbeat, Rimuru activated her body's defense.

Crack!

In a single swift motion, the Ogre's sword shattered like glass under the blow of a hammer. In the distance, an elderly Ogre stood calmly, his eyes narrowing with calculation as he scrutinized Rimuru's every move.

"Hmm… Paralyzing Breath from Evil Centipede… Steel thread from Black Spider… and that body shield, clearly from Armorsaurus…" he murmured slowly, loud enough for Rimuru to hear. "And it seems… you're still hiding another ability."

Alerted, Rimuru's senses sharpened.He knows all my skills?! Who exactly is this old Ogre…?

Before she could respond—

Srring!

A flash of light! In the blink of an eye, the old Ogre's razor-sharp sword sliced toward Rimuru—and a sickening sound of cracking bone echoed. Rimuru was flung backward, her body trembling as dark blood dripped from her right arm.

Her right arm—severed.

"Aaakh—!" Rimuru cried out, shock and pain mingling in her staggered voice.

The elderly Ogre merely observed the result of his strike before exhaling a low snort.

"Hmph. Even at my age, I still aimed perfectly at your head."

His hand trembled slightly, yet his eyes remained as sharp as a blade. Rimuru looked down at her severed arm lying on the ground, her breath catching in disbelief. Her voice came out in a hushed tone, laden with incredulity:

"This… can't be real… After evading every detector, how could he possibly penetrate my layered shield and my body armor…?!"

Wridra, still composed despite the tense atmosphere, smirked and teased, "Rimuru… need some help?"

Rimuru replied firmly, "Quiet… I'm not desperate." In an instant, she raised her severed arm and triggered a miraculous regeneration—skin, muscle, and bone mended rapidly, filling the void as if it had never been lost.

Once recovered, Rimuru advanced a step further, calmly showcasing her might. In a flash, a vortex of black flame erupted, dancing in the air with such intensity that the ground trembled beneath its force. Everyone present gaped in awe—even the Ogre princess held her breath, unable to believe the extraordinary power radiating from a Slime's body.

"Is this… true power?" the princess murmured, her eyes never leaving the slowly subsiding black flame.

As the tension peaked, the princess finally stepped forward, moving to the center of the battlefield to halt the conflict. "Enough… I cannot believe that such power comes from a demon who attacked our village."

The red-haired Ogre, who had been standing beside Wridra, turned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She locked eyes with her sibling and explained, "Chances are, he isn't the demon we've been seeking. Look closely… his aura, his demeanor, his power—they're entirely different."

Upon hearing this, Rimuru simply nodded. "In that case, allow me to introduce myself honestly." With that, she transformed back to her original form—a small, adorable Slime.

"I am Rimuru Tempest, a Slime…" she declared.

The Ogres erupted in shocked disbelief. Even the old Ogre fell silent for a moment, trying to reconcile this form with the information they had. To emphasize the difference, Rimuru removed her mask to reveal the original visage of Shizue. All eyes were fixed on the artifact—a clear sign that it was nothing like the garb of the demon who had attacked their village.

Realizing their error, the red-haired Ogre immediately dropped to his knees before Rimuru, bowing deeply. "Forgive us for our accusations and actions… we misjudged you."

With that, the tension gradually dissipated. What had nearly escalated into a tragic misunderstanding now marked the beginning of a new relationship—one built on mutual respect and understanding.