The cave trembled as the presence loomed closer, radiating pressure so heavy that even Jiro's gel-like body felt compressed under its weight. Magic thickened the air like smoke, ancient and wild.
From the shadows emerged an enormous pair of golden eyes, slit-pupiled and burning with curiosity—and amusement.
"A slime… no, two of them?" the voice rumbled like thunder rolling through stone. "You must be quite the anomalies to wander into my prison."
Rimuru bounced nervously. "H-Hello! We didn't mean to intrude!"
Jiro remained still, sensing the power ahead. It wasn't just magical—it was primordial. His instincts stirred, his dragon blood humming as if in recognition.
This isn't just a monster. This is a natural disaster given form.
The shadows peeled back, revealing an enormous creature coiled between crystalline spires. Black scales shimmered with lightning, and four horns arced back from its head like the branches of a storm-wracked tree. He was beautiful in the way hurricanes are beautiful—terrifying, awe-inspiring, vast.
Veldora Tempest, the Storm Dragon. One of the True Dragons. Sealed for centuries.
"You're… not angry?" Rimuru asked.
"Angry? Bah! I'm bored!" Veldora bellowed, his voice shaking small stones loose from the cavern ceiling. "I've been sealed here for hundreds of years! Then, out of nowhere, two sentient slimes wander into my prison. How could I be mad? I'm entertained!"
Jiro finally spoke. "We didn't mean to trespass. We're… new to this world."
The dragon's eyes narrowed, locking on Jiro with sudden interest.
"You… you're strange. I smell human, but also… dragon and vampire. What are you?"
Jiro hesitated. "I don't fully know yet."
Veldora leaned closer, his massive head lowering until his snout nearly touched Jiro's slime form.
"Fascinating. You carry something… divine. An echo of another realm. I've felt this only once before—in the presence of a god."
Rimuru shot Jiro a look. "You didn't mention you had divine vibes."
"I didn't know I smelled like a theology lesson," Jiro muttered.
The dragon laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that seemed to brighten the cave itself. "You amuse me! Both of you. Tell me, slimes—do you seek power? Freedom? Purpose?"
Rimuru blinked. "Well, I just want to live freely. Maybe build something. A place where monsters don't have to hide."
Jiro nodded. "Same. I want to find out what I've become—and what I'm meant to do."
Veldora raised his head proudly. "Then allow me to offer you a pact."
Both slimes tensed.
"I am bound to this place by the Unlimited Imprisonment spell. But if you—" he looked at Rimuru, "—can consume me with your Predator skill and store my essence, I may one day be released."
"And what do we get?" Rimuru asked, cautiously.
"My name. My blessing. My friendship. With that alone, monsters will tremble before you."
Jiro's eyes gleamed. He knew this moment. In the original timeline, Rimuru formed this pact alone. But now… he was part of it too.
Rimuru and Jiro exchanged glances.
"We accept," they said in unison.
With a roar, Veldora's essence shimmered, unraveling into swirling light. Rimuru activated Predator, consuming the storm dragon's body and spirit, locking him safely inside a dimensional stomach. The cave quieted.
But something else happened, too.
Jiro felt a pull within himself. A part of Veldora's power lingered—not entirely consumed. It resonated with his dragon blood, anchoring deep into his soul.
You're no mere bystander, Veldora's voice echoed within him. Your path will shake the world.
And in that moment, Jiro knew—his journey had truly begun.