10

Chapter 10: CharybdisSummary:

The Moderate Harlequin Alliance makes their move, and Charybdis attacks! Treyni, hang in there; Tanya's on her way! However, the situation is more dangerous than she realizes.

Notes:

New chapter, you know the drill. More plot elements or whatever, I think it turned out okay.

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Demon Lords have their eyes on Tempest. The arrival of Phobio the beastman made that clear.

And it wasn't just Demon Lords, either.

Trade is booming, ever since the road between Dwargon and Tempest completed. This rapid success is familiar. Uncomfortably so. So now, I'm working to create a network across multiple nations, not just one. And comparatively, I haven't been here too long, either.

I've studied the nearby nations as well as I could, but there's just not as much information as I'd like. My current main contacts with other nations are King Gazel and Fuze.

I'm disturbingly blind to the going-ons of this world. It displeases me.

More work is in store for me, no doubt. Oh, how I want to just sit and sigh at it all. Unfortunately, it seems rest is not yet forthcoming. Not with this situation as it is now.

That's fine. I will finish what I started, at the very least. Although…

I am tired.

But again, there is more work to be done. If Tempest, and my future, is to remain secure, I must work harder.

Demon Lords. Charybdis. Those magical anomalies. The disappearances of Gobhua and Gobara.

It's all starting to pile up. It's disturbingly familiar.

Fuck, I'm so sick of war.

I will achieve a true peace, if it's the last thing I do.

-=-=-=-

 A Few Days Earlier

Somewhere North of Tempest

Great Forest of Jura

"That fucking girl! Damn her!! Damn them all!! They think they can mock me?"

Phobio's horned retainer held up her hands, "My Lord, please! You must calm down!"

"Calm? How can I be calm?!" Phobio slammed his fist against a nearby tree, splintering the wood.

"Even Lord Carrion would have struggled to contest the Destroyer-" Phobio's large-nosed retainer attempted to argue.

"Lord Carrion never loses! And it wasn't just her, you idiot!" Phobio grit his teeth, "Milim didn't defeat me. She was just insult to injury. No."

He clenched his fist, fire engulfing it for a split second.

"It was that human. That girl! Tanya, they said… in just one punch, she humiliated me." His other hand brushed against the crater in his breastplate, a stark reminder of his weakness. "I would have lost at her hands, had we come to blows. There's no doubt. And it's infuriating!! How did a human as strong as that slip under our view?!"

"My lord, you must remember Lord Carrion's orders." Big Nose spoke up once again, "We're supposed to recruit that slime. Not come to blows with his friends."

"Exactly!" Horns nodded, "And you can always ask that human for a rematch. Surely you could win an actual fight."

"…" Phobio dropped his head with a sigh, "You're both right. I'm sorry."

"Ohoho! That feeling, that terrible realization of weakness…"

Phobio and his retainers spun, looking frantically around the clearing.

"Who's there?"

From the tree line, a well-rounded fellow clad in green clothes, best described as "comedy theatre" esque, approached them leisurely. Adorning his face was a clown mask, featuring a deep, fanged frown.

"A pleasure to meet you, citizens of Eurazania and subordinates to the Demon Lord Carrion." The clown bowed deeply, "I am a member of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance, known as Footman. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I've never heard of you." Phobio's tone was cautious, "What do you want?"

"What do I want? Why, that's not why I'm here at all." Footman gestured widely, "The question is…

"What do you want, Phobio?" Another voice chimed in from behind them.

Phobio and his retainers jumped again. A second, much shorter clown bounced past them, the presumably female clown clad in pink rather than green. Her mask was open-mouthed, painted tear drops under the eyes.

"Aren't you angry?" She continued playfully.

"About the Demon Lord Milim, of course." Footman helpfully added. "Tear and I have been keeping an ear to the ground, don't ya know?"

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you embarrassed?" Tear said quickly. "Especially with that crater in your breastplate. She didn't have to try at all, did she? How sad."

The clown made a gesture of wiping tears. Phobio found himself vaguely offended.

"This?" His brow furrowed. "You're mistaken. Milim didn't do this to me."

The clowns shared a glance.

"Someone other than the Destroyer did that? Even though she was in town?" Tear tilted her head, "No wonder you're so angry. I'd be too if I was that weak!"

"Why you little-" Phobio took a threatening step forward.

"Now, now, perhaps you need our help more desperately than I thought." Footman shook his head. "You want power, don't you? I can tell. It's written all over your face."

"Tch." Phobio looked away, "Bastard. You wouldn't understand."

"Do I? Don't I? It doesn't matter." Footman stepped forward, leaning into Phobio's personal space, "What would you say to gaining the power of a Demon Lord?"

"Huh?"

-=-=-=-

Present Time

Assembly Hall

Tempest, Jura Tempest Federation

Tanya crossed her arms, leaning silently against a side wall. Mary stood at her side, her gaze darting around the room.

"Charybdis?" Hakurou stroked his beard, "It was sealed away by a True Hero, wasn't it? I can't imagine it escaped for no reason."

"My elder sister is containing it as we speak." The dryad, Trya, explained, "However, she cannot hold it for much longer. We must act quickly."

"Apologies, but surely you can't mean that Charybdis?!" Rigurd exclaimed, "The 'Ruler of the Skies' has revived?"

"Yes, that is the one."

"Isn't Charybdis resistant to magical attacks?"

Trya frowned, nodding, "Even among the Calamity Class, Charybdis is in a league of its own. If it had the ability to form rational thought, it would undoubtedly be Disaster Class on the level of Demon Lord."

I wonder if Treyni is alright, if that's the case. No real use hoping for anything with such limited information. We'll just have to make sure ourselves.

Tanya cracked open an eye.

Disaster Class, and with a resistance to magic to boot. That's tough. Even so, it can't be anywhere near Milim, a Catastrophe Class… what is the power scale for Demon Lords, anyway? How close are Charybdis and Milim? How close am I to Charybdis?

"Psst." Mary poked her shoulder. "Degurechaff. Wake up."

Tanya opened her eyes fully, shooting the other girl an unamused look.

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Yeah, whatever. What should we do here?"

"You're asking me?"

"Did you see me ask anyone else? Don't be obtuse."

"Fine." Tanya sighed, pushing off the wall.

"Ruler of the Skies", huh? We'll see about that. I'd rather avoid an outright confrontation, but I'm not too worried either way.

"Our only option is obvious, isn't it?" Tanya projected her voice through the room, the others quieting down almost immediately. She continued, "The creature is heading towards Tempest. It wants to destroy us. So, we have to destroy it first."

"What do you propose, Tanya?" Rimuru said from the head of the room.

Tanya glanced at the slime, currently being held in Milim's arms.

"Hey Milim. Would you mind destroying this thing for us?"

"Would I?" Milim's eyes lit up. "I'd love to-"

"No." Rimuru shot the Demon Lord down immediately. "Sorry Milim, but this is Tempest's problem. It wouldn't be right to get you involved. We need to take care of our own business. Right, Tanya?"

"Awww." Milim pouted.

Well fuck. There goes that. Tanya forced back a sigh. Maybe I should have lectured him on the power of running to your powerful allies first, before mentioning personal responsibility. It's nice to see growth as a leader, but now it's making me work overtime. I can never win.

"Then we'll organize squadrons of Tempest's strongest and take Charybdis down that way." Tanya paused, "Ah, and at least one of those squadrons should focus on evacuating civilians."

I've no doubt Rimuru and the others can handle a Calamity Class, especially since Milim herself to ranks above at Catastrophe Class. The fact that we could even stall her for a time should mean something. And as long as the evacuation is successful, Tempest will survive no matter what. I'll make sure of that much.

"There we go! Great plan!" Rimuru bounced in Milim's arms, a motion Tanya took as a nod. "Let's get to work. I'll have Benimaru organize squads as soon as possible."

The rest of the room sprang into action. Meanwhile, Tanya watched with a smirk, Mary standing at her shoulder and bearing a look of mild bemusement.

Perfect. With that in place, now I just have to deal with the evacuation and stay completely away from this. Just as soon as Benimaru assigns…

…

…Benimaru? I thought I would be… but no, my work is primarily Intelligence-related now, with Souei. Not active defense, like before with Benimaru. Which means, naturally…

…

Oh, for fuck's sake!

-=-=-=-

"Oh, Milim! We couldn't possibly let you get involved with Tempest's affairs! That would be unfair!" Fuck you, Rimuru. I'll get back at you for this, I swear it.

Tanya continued to grumble to herself as she made her way to the city limits.

Of course, as soon as a new threat popped up, she was thrown directly back into the action.

Fan-tucking-fastic.

While on her way out, Tanya made sure to triple check her equipment. This would be her first excursion in her newest set of dedicated combat attire, so making sure everything was secure and accounted for was crucial.

The outfit was the product of Shuna's labor of love over the two weeks and change, and had turned out exactly as Tanya had expected. It had room for improvement, but then again, it was the first iteration. It would work more than well for now.

Made of durable materials and closely fit for comfort and ease of movement, it was a far cry from the baggy, often poorly sized and suited flight suit she'd been forced to wear in the past. No, this time she'd gotten to choose, and what a choice it was.

Bearing a strong resemblance to Rimuru's own, Tanya's coat sported a dark green color scheme in contrast to Rimuru's blue. Additionally, the collar was wider and taller, hiding the lower half of her face from view when fully buttoned. The overall length ran a bit shorter, with the coat tails reaching upper thigh rather than the knee.

Black leather and darkened magisteel bracers covered her forearms, along with the shins of her usual dark grey, calf-length combat boots. Darker, slightly loose pants underneath her coat and a waist belt overtop it, housing a multitude of pouches and various holsters, adorned her lower half. Black magisteel-knuckled gloves and her newest pair of aviator goggles, courtesy of Kaijin, hung from her belt, rounding out the look.

Tanya nodded to herself.

Check, check, check. Everything seems in order. Now, I just have to… check on Treyni and assess the situation with Charybdis. By myself.

Of course, she got stuck with a fucking recon-in-force of all things. Life was a cosmic joke, sometimes.

"You can fly faster than everyone else. You're one of our strongest hitters. If anyone can get in and out safely, it's you. You're perfect for the job". Fuck yourself royally, Benimaru. I hope Rimuru forever remains oblivious to your crush. In fact, I hope he develops feelings for Shuna-

She paused.

For Souei. Or Shion. Or anyone else that isn't you. Bastard.

In truth, the only person she was really angry with was herself. She should have seen this coming. But Benimaru made an easy target at the moment, and Mary Sue wasn't around for stress relief.

Through sparring, of course.

"Degurechaff!

Speak of the devil.

Mary ran past, cutting off her immediate path off and forcing Tanya stop or risk bowling the other girl over. The look on her face had Tanya preemptively suppressing a sigh of mixed exhaustion and exasperation.

"No." She said, before the other girl could open her mouth. 

Mary was not dissuaded. "I'm gotten stronger. I should fight too."

That's what this is about?

"Was I not loud enough? No."

"Why the hell not?!"

"Charybdis resists magic and uses flight as its method of transportation. Your main strength is magic-enhanced swordsmanship, and you can't fly anymore. No offense, but you wouldn't be much help."

Mary scrunched up her face, "You're wrong."

"I'm not." Tanya shook her head, "Why would you even want to fight that thing in the first place? Be happy you've got the easy job."

"I'm able to fight, so I should. I can help, and you know it!"

"Right, you can. So, go help people. Assist in the evacuation like you were told. Isn't that what you want? There's no shame in not being up to the task at hand. No one is fit for every situation. That's a fact of life."

Mary clenched her fists. Tanya leaned to the side, internally debating whether it was worth it to just leave. She decided against it, for some reason she couldn't fathom.

"…Even if I'm not up to the task." Mary's voice shook, her knuckles white, "You should know better than anyone else, there are times where I just can't back down! I'm not going to stand by, even if I'm not fit for it. The odds are worthless to me. You told me to focus on what I can do for now, and this is what I can do, Degurechaff."

Tanya barely kept from letting her annoyance at the whole situation show.

"Listen-"

"Tanya!"

Again? Tanya turned her head, raising an eyebrow bemusedly as Shuna ran towards them. Her other eyebrow rose to match, as the sunlight glinted off a familiar weapon in the girl's hands.

"I'm glad I caught you." Shuna pulled up next to her, slightly out of breath. Without hesitating, she thrust her hands forward. "Here! It's dangerous to go without a weapon. Take these."

"I dropped this off less than an hour ago."

Tanya's voice held a note of question in it, as she took the two halves of her naginata. The broken ends had been capped off with magisteel, turning the pieces of her naginata into a short, curved sword with a long handle, and a short wooden staff respectively.

"Kaijin rushed it at my request. There wasn't enough time to fix it outright, but…" Shuna held up a fist, "You need a weapon! Especially against Charybdis."

"Well, Souei's sending a clone to follow on the ground. And it should be a quick job, just as soon as I check on Treyni." Tanya tucked the staff into her belt, tightening the previously empty holster to secure it. "But I appreciate it. Short weapons fit my fighting style better anyway. Uh…"

She looked at the sword, it's blade naked.

"Oh!" Shuna reached at her side, pulling the blade's sheathe from her waist sash. She handed it over. "My mistake."

"It's fine. Thanks." Tanya sheathed the sword, sticking it in a spare holster on her belt's other side. "Is that all?"

"One more thing." Shuna put a hand on Tanya's shoulder, holding her other up as a fist. "Do your best! We're counting on you!"

"Right, right." Tanya rolled her eyes good naturedly.

She really does remind me of-

Without thinking, her hand landed on Shuna's head, patting it twice.

Ah, oops. Tanya retracted it, quickly turning away. As a result, she didn't notice slight red dusting Shuna's face.

No time for nostalgia. I've got to-

"Degurechaff!" Mary stepped back into her vision, arms crossed and shoulders set.

Damn, forgot about her for a second. Tanya didn't hold back her sigh this time. Why bother? She really isn't going to back down, is she? I bet if I deny her again, she'll just go behind my back and sneak onto the battlefield anyway.

"We're not done. I'm telling you, I should-"

Tanya held up a hand, cutting the other girl off.

"Fine. After the city's evacuated, join Rimuru. Tell him I said it was okay."

"Really?" Mary blinked.

"Yes, really. Just don't get yourself killed; I've invested too much time and effort for you to go wasting it all." Tanya pulled her gloves from her belt and tugged them on. "If all else fails, convince Rimuru – or Milim I suppose – to protect you. Now move out of my way."

Tanya brushed past her, now grabbing her goggles and securing them over her forehead. She paused as something rather important occurred to her.

"Oh, Shuna. Please take her to Kurobe first. I'm sure he has a spare sword lying around for her to use."

"Huh?" Mary shot her a confused look.

"What, were you going to a real fight with a reinforced bokken? Don't be ridiculous."

The lack of comprehension on Mary's face was telling.

"Oh. You were." Somehow, that didn't surprise her as much as it should. "If this beast's magic resistance is the real deal, you'll need a magisteel blade rather than magic one. Go get a spare for now. I'll get Kurobe to forge you something dedicated after this is over with."

Shuna stepped forward, Tanya's internal chagrin reflected openly on the pink-haired Kijin's face. She placed a hand on Mary's shoulder.

"I'll take care of it."

"Good." Tanya pulled down her goggles, "I'm off."

"Be careful!" "Don't die!"

Three guesses as to who said which, and the first two don't count.

"Right, right." She didn't bother waving or anything like that. There was a mission to complete.

It should be simple.

Tanya got a running start, hopping up and immediately jumping to Level Two.

Swoop in, check on Treyni, scout Charybdis for any unexpected additions, report back all the while with Thought Communication. With luck, this recon-in-force won't require any force. But then again, I'd never bet on luck.

-=-=-=-

A Few Minutes Later

Far North of Tempest

Great Forest of Jura

Treyni brought a hand up, a vine swinging and batting away yet another attack by one of Charybdis' flying Megalodons. Her other hand remained extended, the majority of her powers and focus working to keep Charybdis itself wrapped like a Christmas gift.

It was an effort that would ultimately be in vain. Charybdis could not be contained forever by plants and trees. Even on home territory, with the power of the Great Jura Forest fully at her beck and call, the beast was simply too powerful.

It had nearly escaped half a dozen times, with Treyni nearly losing some extremity or another to its Megalodons half a dozen more. Were Charybdis any more than a mindless beast, it would have never gotten ensnared in the first place. But it had, and it had remained ensnared, though quite unwillingly.

Its power was enormous. Keeping it one place was like bearing Atlas' curse, and with what was a stake, it truly felt like the world was at her back. The fact that Treyni had managed to contain it for so long and was still doing so now, long after she'd exhausted her spirit-based powers and began relying entirely on her control of the forest, was a testament to her own experience and power.

Even so, it was rapidly running out.

Snap!

Damn!

Three Megalodons broke free at once, two of them rushing her, and the other just sort of swimming around in the air and looking at the vines that had snapped, for some reason or other Treyni couldn't be bothered to care about right now.

She brought her off hand up again, a tree sprouting up and catching one Megalodon in its hollow trunk. The second flew around the trunk, dodging her first, second, third attempts at lassoing it with a vine with frightening ease.

Right… there!

On the fourth attempt, she got it, grabbing the oversized shark just meters from her position and tossing it away. Then, the sound of snapping vines again caught her attention, as Charybdis rolled and bucked against its confinement for the umpteenth time. She quickly made to wrap the other Megalodon up further, before redoubling her efforts on Charybdis itself.

Crack!

But just before she could, the tree surrounding the first Megalodon splintered, falling to wooden chips around it. The oversized shark rushed from its former prison, sprint swimming through the air as quick as it could. Another sharp Snap! only solidified her fears, as the second broke free as well from its hastily formed confinement.

Treyni grimaced, shutting her eyes as she readied herself for the inevitable.

Sure, she didn't technically have a physical body – her usual form more being a physical amalgamation of energies than flesh and blood – so this wouldn't kill her. She'd just dissipate after enough damage, reforming at her original tree much further back in the forest. But it would still hurt, and Charybdis would escape immediately after.

So, it wouldn't be pleasant, all things considered.

Lord Rimuru, I hope you're ready-

FWOOOOSH

Huh?

An incredible heat overrode her senses, its source flowing directly over her head. Heated air, crackling flames, and the scorching of flesh all met her, the scorching power continuing for what felt like forever. Soon enough though, it cut off, the sound of someone landing next to her meeting her ears.

Treyni opened her eyes, letting out a gasp at what met her.

"Tanya!"

"Just like I thought." Tanya didn't acknowledge her at first, "Even if they resist magic or magic-produced flames, they certainly don't resist the resulting heat. Or maybe the resistance has a limit?"

"What?"

Tanya glanced at her, a reassuring half smile on her face.

"The sharks. I figured they resist magic like Charybdis apparently does. But they're still fish, so I also figured the heat that's a byproduct of the flames would work. And I was right. Again."

Treyni's eyes widened. "Charybdis!"

She shifted her gaze. The answer to an earlier question presented itself then, as the third Megalodon finished biting through the last of the massive vines entangling Charybdis' girth. A bestial groan shook the flora-engulfed clearing, the sound of snapping jaws accompanying it as the remaining Megalodons broke free from their own ivy imprisonment.

"I don't think so!" Treyni threw out a hand, gathering the remainder of her energy. She could see it in her minds eye, the plants reanimating and dragging the spiritual beasts back down to earth.

"Don't do that, actually." Tanya destroyed that image, quickly pushing her arm down.

"T- Tanya!" Treyni looked at her incredulously, as Charybdis and its entourage shook off the remainder of her labor. Another groan resonated out, some impossible to understand grouping of syllables echoing in their ears.

It made the sound again, beginning to ascend without giving the two of them a second glance. Or a first glance, even. It rather appeared like Charybdis hadn't seen them at all, or at least, hadn't seen Tanya.

They came to realize why that was, as the large singular eye on Charybdis' front slowly creeped open, it's gaze pointed skyward. It hadn't been looking at anything at all. This whole time, it'd been putting up a resistance without bothering to open its eye.

Treyni couldn't help but feel mildly insulted.

A third incomprehensible groan came out then, with the Megalodons responding in kind. This time however, a bit of the noise could be made out, though not very much.

"Ta-" …something or other, and then "-est"?

Treyni shook her head, focusing back on the task at hand.

"Why did you stop me?"

"You've done enough." Tanya looked at her, her eyes glowing in a way that bespoke power and her expression understanding, "I know it's rich coming from a workaholic, but once you've done your part, it's time to take a break. The others should be about ready by now. Your job is done, Protector of the Forest."

Treyni opened her mouth to argue, only to stop as her stomach gurgled. She blushed, looking away.

Tanya snorted, "Souei."

Immediately, his body double popped up next to them.

"Make sure she gets somewhere safe."

He nodded.

"I'll be fine by myself, you know." Treyni shot her an amused glance. "I can teleport, after all."

"Well, it would be impolite to let a lady walk home unattended, wouldn't it? Especially after such a hard day's work." Tanya said, only half joking, "Honestly, I'd carry you back myself if I could. You deserve the rest, after dealing with Charybdis for so long."

Treyni started at that.

"You would carry me yourself?" Her expression became appraising, her gaze scanning over Tanya in a new light. "Sweep me off my feet, even?"

Well, she is rather beautiful. I can think of far worse. Far, far worse…

"What?" Tanya raised an eyebrow, misunderstanding the question entirely, "Sorry, but I was joking. I can't carry you back right now; I've got a recon job to finish before anything else."

"But you would sweep me off my feet?"

"…Yes?" Tanya turned slightly, her bemusement evident. "If you really needed to be carried that badly, I suppose I could assist. But again, at a later date. Though, you should be fine to walk on your own then…"

She trailed off, her expression best described as "perplexed". Souei's body double held back from face palming

"Oh, Tanya." Treyni giggled, "You should be careful what you offer. You never know when a lady might take you up on your offer."

"To… carry you…?"

Souei's body double continued to watch the exchange with equal amount amusement and exasperation.

It was clear to him then, as a clone that housed all of the same knowledge and memories of the original Souei, that Tanya knew absolutely nothing about Dryads. Granted, Souei wasn't the most read expert on Dryad traditional practices either, but as someone who prided himself on intelligence operations and information gathering, even he knew the significance behind sweeping a tree spirit up and away from the ground.

A roar interrupted any further conversation, the threesome's attention pulled back to the situation at hand. They watched as Charybdis continued to fly away, ten of the remaining eleven Megalodons rising and flying with it. The eleventh Megalodon – the one that had roared, it seemed – remained in the clearing, staring at them hungrily. 

"Interesting…" Tanya stepped forward, her magic flaring visibly. "Well, you can't expect reason from beasts. Otherwise, it would have fled."

"We'll take our leave." Body Double Souei said, standing at Treyni's shoulder. Treyni nodded, her gaze still appraising.

"Tanya. When will you be returning?" The Dryad asked, using her remaining magic to begin her teleportation spell.

"My job's not quite done, unfortunately. Though it's not technically my mission, I'd like to gather more details on Charybdis itself before I head back." Tanya held up a gloved hand, the same teal flames from before licking her fingertips. A ball of mana formed beneath her other hand, the glow shining through her fingers.

-=-

Art by me, @tanjaded

-=-

Tanya's magic sparked visibly around her, every inch of her body seemingly alight with her magic. As someone deeply connected with magic both spiritual and not, alongside nature as a whole, the display was rather intense. And mildly intoxicating, Treyni couldn't help but think.

"It's a shame. I'd like nothing more than to kick back with a drink right about now, but instead I'm on the frontline turning sharks into fish sticks."

"Well, when you get back," Treyni began, "Come by the bar. I'll treat you to something nice

With that being said, she disappeared. Body Double Souei vanished into the shadow of a nearby tree immediately after.

"I think I'll hold you to that." A teal glow outlined Tanya's eyes, "I'll have to end this whole mission quick. My first drink in decades… I can hardly wait."

-=-=-=-

Around the Same Time

Road to Dwargon

Tempest, Jura Tempest Federation

"Everyone in Tempest has successfully evacuated." Mary stood at attention. "What's our next move?"

"Ah, that's good. That's good. Um…" Rimuru shot her a confused look. "…Shouldn't you be with them?"

"I want to fight." Mary squared her shoulders determinedly. "Degurechaff said it was okay, and that I should join your squadron."

Shuna stepped forward, backing her up, "Lord Rimuru, she's telling the truth. I can confirm."

Rimuru stared at the both of them for a moment, before shrugging.

"Sure, alright. Welcome to the team!" He shot her a thumbs up, turning away right after to refocus on the sky.

Speaking of which, Tanya should be checking in soon-

"Rimuru, can you hear me?"

Rimuru hid his flinch expertly well.

"Yeah, I hear you. What's the situation over there?"

"Treyni's perfectly fine, if exhausted. She teleported away somewhere, presumably Tempest or her original tree. Charybdis is heading your way now, but what you should be worried about first is the group of giant flying sharks it has as a vanguard."

"Sharks?" Rimuru couldn't help his disbelief.

"Yes, sharks. I took out two when I rescued Treyni and a third immediately afterwards, but there's still approximately ten heading right for you. I've confirmed that they resist magic, similar I'd assume to Charybdis, but I overrode it fairly easily."

I have a feeling your definition of "fairly easily" differs from most people. Rimuru thought to himself with an amused nod.

And while Tanya couldn't see it, Mary and Milim could. Both exchanged a glance, before electing to ignore it.

"Anything else?" He sent back. Tanya said nothing for a moment.

"They smelled pretty good after I killed them with fire magic."

Rimuru blinked. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, they can be killed with fire magic." Tanya's mental voice was dry, giving away nothing. In fact, it was enough that Rimuru almost believed her. Almost. "I've decided to personally approach Charybdis for further reconnaissance."

"Huh? Hold on, you don't have to-"

"I'll keep you updated. Out."

Wait a sec- and she's gone. Rimuru let out a huff. That woman does not waste any time.

"Lord Rimuru." Trya approached him then, Benimaru, Hakurou, Souei, and the rest of his top Executives close behind. "Shall we begin?"

"Of course. Benimaru."

"Right." Benimaru stepped forward. "You all know your squadrons. We'll spread across this road, attacking as required to…"

This will work. I'll make it work. Rimuru stood up straighter, squaring his shoulders and listening raptly as Benimaru laid out the plan of action. Trya added information as they went, her knowledge of Charybdis a great boon to the battle ahead.

Tempest will not fall. Not as long as I'm around.

Rimuru thought this confidently to himself, as Benimaru began to direct the individual squadrons over to their preassigned locations along the road and in the tree line.

All were within shouting range still, either nestled in or at the base of trees along the road, or otherwise slightly further ahead on the road. All were spread appropriately and at safe distance, as to not create a large enough singular target. Tanya had emphasized that sort of thing in one of her many previous discussions with Benimaru, before she'd switched to working with Souei fulltime.

Benimaru saluted Rimuru, before joining his own squadron a bit up ahead. Geld and his orcs, and Gabiru and his lot awaited him. To the right, the Goblin Riders stood at attention, with Gobta and Hakurou at the lead. On the left was Souei, Souka, and the rest of Souei's Dragonewt subordinates.

And finally, in the middle stood Rimuru himself, Shuna and Shion flanking him with Mary and Milim right behind.

Trya, on the other hand, was not part of a squadron. She was here only to relay information, before leaving to check on her sister. And she wasn't done here quite yet.

"There's one more thing." Trya had a troubled look on her face. "Charybdis' resistance is incredible. Alongside High Speed Regeneration, it possesses the Extra Skill: Magic Jamming, which disrupts the flow of magicules near its body. Magical attacks are essentially useless."

"Magic jamming?" Rimuru raised an eyebrow. "Well, we'll work around it-"

"I'm sorry, you said 'jamming'?" Mary spoke up, stepping around Rimuru. "Not 'resistance'?"

"That's right."

Mary's eyes flashed, her mind going back to Tanya's parting words from earlier.

"If this thing's magic resistance is the real deal, you'll need a magisteel blade rather than magic one."

"Does Degurechaff know that?"

Rimuru blinking, glancing at the surprise Trya's face.

"Well, she should, right?" Rimuru offered after a few awkward seconds, "I mean, she was there…"

He trailed off, the same realization striking hm at the same time it did everyone else listening in.

Tanya wasn't here, was she?

Due to the uniqueness of her abilities, her position as one of Tempest 3 strongest residents, and Benimaru's unwillingness to send Rimuru on the task, Tanya had been sent ahead to assist Treyni and gather information, whilst everyone else had been arranging evacuations, setting up squadrons, and making battle strategies.

This "Jamming" aspect of Charybdis' skillset had only just now come up. A fact which Mary pointed out as soon as she thought of it.

"But, this didn't come up until just now." Mary said, her voice betraying her growing unease, "Which means, she thinks Charybdis has magic resistance. Not magic jamming."

The slow realization dawning on everyone's faces did not make Mary or Rimuru feel any better.

"Wahahaha!!"

A burst of unfortunately familiar laughter interrupted their rapidly growing concern. Milim marched forward, throwing an arm around Mary's shoulders with a familiarity Mary rather wished they didn't have.

"Oi, get off!"

"Don't worry so much! Tanya's stronger than some half-baked spirit spawn of Veldora anyway. She's really improved since our last fight, you know?"

"Really?" Rimuru blinked, some of his worry dissipating as he ignored Mary's – ultimately meaningless – struggle to make Milim let go. "She's that powerful?"

Come to think of it, we've rarely sparred before. Yet, she and Milim spar all the time, and at the crack of dawn to boot. Maybe I should drop by more often.

"With her magic on full blast, she's at least a low Disaster Class. The laser spell she hit me with might have even killed some of the guys I know."

"The spell that shattered her arm." Mary pointed out, her expression mildly pained.

"Yeah!"

"The magic that Charybdis' Extra Skill disrupts?" Trya felt the need to add, having mentioned the Skill in the first place.

"…Yeah?"

No one spoke for several seconds.

"I... think I'll contact her really quick." Rimuru sweatdropped, quickly focusing and activating Thought Communication.

"Tanya, can you hear me?"

A few seconds trickled by. No response came.

It... didn't connect.

"Look alive!" Rimuru jumped as Benimaru called back to them. "They're coming!"

Everyone's eyes shot skyward, a large dot on the horizon quicky making itself apparent. Along with something else, too.

Are those… bugs?

Rimuru squinted, his eyesight enhancing through the helpful application of a piece of observation magic Tanya had demonstrated and Great Sage had copied.

No, not bugs. Scales?

-=-=-=-

Just a Tad Bit Earlier

North of Tempest

Great Forest of Jura

I'm hungry…

Flash fried shark meat smelled surprisingly good, Tanya had come to find. Was that weird? Ever since arriving in this world, she'd found that food in general was much more appetizing.

That might've been Shuna's fault, all things considered. Her cooking was the best Tanya had ever had, in all three worlds. She also couldn't rule out her growth – physical and magically – as the source either. Energy derived from food, after all, so it only made sense that as her power grew, so too would her metabolism and appetite.

It was a combination of both, Tanya eventually concluded.

Take the spicy curry they'd had for lunch just the other day. She practically inhaled three plates and had been starting on her fourth when she'd been called away for some Milim-related incident.

It was some damn good curry, now that she thought about it again. Hell, just remembering the delectable richness, the delicious aroma that lingered even after-

Fuck. Her face deadpanned, the expression visible even under her goggles. I can't help but feel I picked up Visha's gluttony somewhere along the way.

Her flight continued, and it wasn't long before she spotted Charybdis once more, her own speed far outpacing the ginormous beast's.

Geh. This sucks.

Hunger notwithstanding, this situation was what some might refer to as "not enjoyable in the slightest". Her ponytail bounced helplessly behind her head, the wind rushing past as she blasted through the sky. At the same time, her body swiftly faded from the visual spectrum, and the electric teal aura of TLE Level Two began to dissipate.

But it is a great opportunity. I doubt Demon Lord Carry On or whatever his name was will just stroll over and let me punch him. With Rimuru and the others nearby, this is the closest I'll can get to a controlled study.

Tanya pulled back sharply, ascending upwards so she was rising towards Charybdis' back half. To the rest of the world, all that could be seen was, at most, a faint rippling of the air akin to heat waves.

Illusion is in place. Magical aura suppression...

She darted past a Megalodon. Her eyes tracked its movement, checking for any sign of being found out. After a brief pause, the giant shark shifted, and Tanya went still, holding her breath.

...Only to let it out quietly, as the beast dropped its altitude slightly in order to bump against another of its kin. It hadn't reacted at all to her presence. Good. Tanya continued on up, Charybdis and its ilk none the wiser.

…Working as intended. Alright Tanya. Get in, measure power, get out. Nice and easy.

Tanya's sigh was lost on the wind.

Let's get this over with.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Known Skills List

Tanya:

Common Skill: Thought Communication

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra Skill: Voice of the World Communication

Unique Skill: Formulaic Casting

Unique Skill: Tetrabattery Limit Enhancement

Mary:

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra/Intrinsic Skill: Physical Enhancement

Other Skills Unknown

Notes:

This was going to be around 10-12k words, but I split it. Next chapter will be out by the end of the week probably! Also, I edited this really quickly, so there's bound to be some mistakes that I'll go back and fix later.

Starting to set up that original arc I mentioned. I have a whole diagram thing and notes detailing the arc's characters and what their goals, so I'm really excited to get into it. Got some cool scenarios and battles planned.

Thanks for reading!