The Bond Between Them—A Plan in Motion

The day had finally come. Rimuru, now a True Demon Lord, stood before the entrance of the vast underground cave—the very place where his journey had truly begun. The cool, damp air of the cavern carried a sense of nostalgia as he stepped inside, his form shifting back into his slime body.

From our vantage point in the City of Eternal Night, hidden within the Jura Forest, we watched through our mystical vision, observing as Rimuru descended into the depths of the cave. My lovers—Velzard, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera—stood beside me, their eyes gleaming with curiosity. Even Diablo, ever composed, seemed to be watching with intrigue.

As Rimuru entered the deepest chamber of the cave, we watched as my friend veldora will finally come out to play.

Rimuru "Alright, Veldora—It's time to set you free."

Inside the barrier, in Rimuru stomach a pair of piercing golden eyes flickered open. A deep, thunderous voice echoed through the cave, laced with both excitement and impatience.

"About time, Rimuru! Do you know how long I've been waiting? I've read all the memories you gave me! I want to stretch my wings already!"

Rimuru chuckled, his body shifting slightly as he mentally commanded Raphael to begin the release process.

"Understood. Beginning process to reconstruct the individual Veldora's body using stored information and magic essence."

A brilliant golden light erupted from the barrier, illuminating the entire cave. The sheer pressure of the magical energy was immense, enough that even from our distant location, we could sense the distortion in space itself.

Testarossa folded her arms, her crimson eyes gleaming. "He's really doing it."

Ultima giggled. "This is going to be fun~!

I remained silent, watching as the golden seal shattered like fragile glass, its pieces fading into light. The immense magicule storm that had long been contained exploded outward, shaking the entire cavern.

From the blinding light, a towering figure emerged.

Veldora Tempest, the Storm Dragon, was finally free.

The massive golden dragon stretched his wings, his azure lightning-like aura crackling across his body as he let out an earth-shaking roar—a declaration to the world that he had returned.

Then, with a sudden flash of light, his form rapidly shrank, shifting into that of a humanoid man—his new body, reconstructed through Rimuru's analysis.

Standing before Rimuru was a tall, muscular man with wild golden hair, sharp dragon-like eyes, and an aura of overwhelming power. His outfit, conjured from magic, took the form of a dark cloak and loose-fitting battle gear.

Veldora stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders before grinning down at Rimuru.

"Ahahaha! Finally, I'm back!

Rimuru, watching his new form with amusement, chuckled. "You look good, Veldora. How does it feel to be out?"

Veldora clenched his fists, sparks of storm-like energy crackling around him. "Amazing! My power is flowing freely again! Ahhh, I can't wait to have some fun!"

But before he could start causing havoc, Rimuru raised a hand, stopping him.

"Hold up, buddy. Before you go wild, let's set some ground rules."

Veldora groaned. "Rules?!"

Rimuru sighed. "Yeah, yeah. First off, try not to destroy Tempest. Second, don't go rampaging randomly. And third, behave yourself, alright?"

Veldora crossed his arms, huffing like a child, but ultimately nodded. "Fine, fine… But only because you're my friend!"

At that moment, a new announcement from the Voice of the World echoed in Rimuru's mind.

"Notice: Individual 'Veldora' has been fully reconstructed. Name has been registered under the Soul Corridor with Rimuru Tempest. "

Unknown to Rimuru, this was my plan all along.

The moment I sensed Rimuru's evolution into a True Demon Lord, I knew that his next move would be to release Veldora. This was a pivotal moment—not just for him, but for the entire Cardinal World. With a True Dragon now fully unleashed, the very balance of power had shifted. And that was precisely what I intended.

From the beginning, Veldora had been more than just a sealed dragon. He was a key piece in my grand design.

As I observed from the City of Eternal Night, my lovers—Velzard, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera—stood beside me, their gazes locked on the unfolding events. Diablo, ever composed, stood near, his expression unreadable. He, too, understood that this moment carried great significance.

Veldora, as expected, was playing his role perfectly.

Despite his carefree nature and love for chaos, he understood the weight of his freedom. More importantly, he knew where his true allegiance lay. He was free, yes, but he was still bound to my will, even if Rimuru remained unaware of it.

I had no doubt that Veldora would visit us soon, eager to boast about his new form, his newfound freedom, and his experiences with Rimuru. That was simply his nature—he could never resist the chance to show off.

And speaking of showing off…

The moment Veldora was released, the entire world felt it.

A storm of immense, unchecked magical energy spread across the land, an unmistakable declaration of his return. The very fabric of the Cardinal World seemed to ripple in response, sending shockwaves of fear and awe across nations. Kings, rulers, and legendary figures all turned their attention toward Tempest, their expressions grim and uncertain.

This was Veldora's doing—as always, he couldn't resist flaunting his overwhelming power.

Had he chosen to keep his presence hidden, perhaps the world would have remained ignorant a little longer. But that wasn't who he was.

Instead, the moment he regained his true strength, he roared, shaking the heavens and the earth alike. His storm-like aura crackled with raw, untamed power, sending a clear message to all who could sense it:

"I, Veldora Tempest, have returned!"

Velzard sighed beside me, a small smile of amusement on her lips. "My brother never changes, does he?"

I chuckled. "No, he doesn't. But that's exactly why he's so useful."

Reports were already pouring in from my spies across the Cardinal World.

In the Holy Empire of Ruberios, Luminous Valentine narrowed her eyes, sensing the massive surge of draconic energy. Her knights and priests were already murmuring among themselves, fearing that a calamity was upon them.

In the Eastern Empire, the nobles and generals scrambled to make sense of the event. Whispers of "The Storm Dragon has returned" spread like wildfire. Plans were being drawn, strategies debated.

Even in the Western Nations, rulers sat in council chambers, their faces pale with worry. If Veldora truly stood with Tempest, then that meant one thing—the Jura Forest had become untouchable.

Demon Lords across the land stirred. Leon Cromwell, Milim Nava, Guy Crimson—all of them had felt it. A storm had been unleashed, and none could ignore it.

This was exactly what I had intended.

With Veldora free, Tempest had officially become an undeniable superpower. No kingdom, no empire, no faction would dare move against them without first considering the consequences.

And this was just the beginning.

I smiled to myself, watching as the world reacted to the new reality. Velzard, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera observed in silence, each understanding the gravity of what had just transpired. Diablo remained composed, yet I could tell—he, too, was pleased.

The game board had changed, and we were in control.

Tempest was no longer just a rising force.