{"id":3534,"date":"2025-10-07T10:04:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T10:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3534"},"modified":"2025-10-07T10:04:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T10:04:37","slug":"v12c1p2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3534","title":{"rendered":"v12c1p2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was rare for Raphael to say \u201cI dunno\u201d like that. Whether through prediction or calculation, it\u2019d always provide me with some<\/em> kind of information. If it had nothing to offer, then what just happened really was<\/em> beyond the realm of understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, nothing I could handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked around, surprised, trying to gauge everyone\u2019s reactions. Leon and Luminus seemed just as freaked out as me\u2014not angry about Guy\u2019s behavior so much as trying their hardest to grasp what had just unfolded. Everyone else in the room? Forget it. They didn\u2019t even see the swords move; this was way beyond their comprehension. Diablo, at least, was visibly surprised\u2014maybe something about this encounter was familiar to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resolving to ask him later, I decided to stop Guy and Chloe. The latter was already readying her own attack, all but declaring the next move for herself. They seemed so friendly with each other a moment ago. Why was all this happening\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They clashed swords several more times. They were single strikes, not part of a combo\u2014it was like watching a photographic sequence of a sword fight, one stance after the next. I think. And really, \u201cI think\u201d was about the best I could do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop! Stopppp!!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I threw myself between them. It was a wager, based on my guess of where the next strike was, and apparently it paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhoa, don\u2019t just butt in. I could\u2019ve ripped you apart if we got that wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, Rimuru. Guy wasn\u2019t serious\u2014he was just testing me. But I\u2019m glad you\u2019re concerned for me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe then pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the cheek. Again, it was like a jump cut\u2014one frame, then the next. I had no chance of dodging it\u2014let me just say, it was like an act of God. An irresistible force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the moment she gave that kiss, Chloe shrank down\u2014or really, returned to regular old kid Chloe. \u201cUgh!\u201d she said, bright red and quivering. \u201cWhy\u2019d you have to hug and k-kiss Rimuru like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas that Chronoa just now?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. She switched with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she explained it, Chloe withstood the first attack, but Chronoa took over after that. They looked exactly the same, so it was a little hard to tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRimuru, I appreciate you stepping in to help Chloe, but I can\u2019t allow you to get any more\u2026familiar<\/em> with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon waited for Chloe to calm down and then picked her up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, come on, Leon! You worry too much about me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He put her back in her seat and fixed Guy with an icy glare. \u201cGuy, I thought<\/em> you weren\u2019t going to touch her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, sorry. Just wanted to test her out a bit. I wasn\u2019t gonna kill her, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRegardless. You may not want<\/em> to kill someone, but your power\u2019s beyond any measure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon seemed pretty bent out of shape, uninterested in letting Guy have his way. In another moment, the verbal tirade began. It took Chloe herself intervening to end it\u2014explaining that Guy didn\u2019t intend to hurt her, and that she wanted to test him out as well. It looked like she<\/em> got a little carried away, too; it wasn\u2019t strictly Guy\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I had to guess, I\u2019d say Chloe\u2014or Chronoa\u2014wanted to gauge the strength of Guy, the man who likely caused her death in the future. But what happened just now wasn\u2019t the future she experienced. She had a new power this time\u2014the ultimate skill Yog-Sothoth, Lord of Time, if I recall\u2014and I was sure she wanted to see if it\u2019d work on Guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026!! A new possibility has arisen. If the powers of the unique skill Time Travel, when merged with the ultimate skill Yog-Sothoth, allow the subject Chloe Aubert to control time itself\u2026then Analyze and Assess will always fail, since it cannot evaluate phenomena separate from its own time line.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, is that it\u2026? So Chloe\u2019s new ability basically lets her stop time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raphael was currently doing assessment work on Time Travel, but reportedly it\u2019d take a while to finish up. It sounded like Chloe just inserted that unique skill straight into Yog-Sothoth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure it is<\/em> hard to understand data you can\u2019t even measure\u2014but regardless, Chloe had made it her own. Astounding as it was, stopping the flow of time felt like such<\/em> a cheat. No wonder my sped-up senses couldn\u2019t track her. If we\u2019re all letting time flow around us, there\u2019s no way we can observe something frozen in that dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But hang on. Assuming that theory is correct, if someone can\u2019t access a world frozen in time, there\u2019s no way for them to interact with someone who is<\/em> in that world, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understood. This interpretation seems correct.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh man. Part of me wanted to hope that, and it seemed like the only logical answer. I mean, even Chronoa was killed by Guy once\u2014but if she could stop time, she was untouchable. It made perfect sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, did that mean Chloe could fend off Guy? She was just a cute little girl, and really, she was stronger than me<\/em>, even. When it dawned on me, I broke into a cold sweat that nobody else noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, Leon backed down, and peace prevailed once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou value Ramiris a great deal\u2026and I value Chloe a great deal. I\u2019d advise you to make a note of that.\u201d Leon sat down, making it clear he wouldn\u2019t allow that a second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs would I,\u201d Luminus added. \u201cGuy, I will freely recognize you as the strongest of all, but losing our help would only harm you in the long run, no? If you do<\/em> intend to antagonize us, that is a different story, but you should know that we will both<\/em> treat any attack on Chloe as a hostile act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus must\u2019ve been pretty pissed herself, rebuking Guy right alongside Leon. In situations like these, it was usually a bad idea to specify what was valuable to you\u2014but with Guy, the opposite was true. If Guy really<\/em> wanted to be hostile, there was nothing you could do. That was why they both overtly told him to lay off Chloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right, all right! I\u2019m not here to start trouble, okay? Just stay out of my way, and I\u2019m not gonna touch anything you hold dear, y\u2019know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guy, to his credit, acted sensibly about it, promising he\u2019d keep Chloe safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the fact that this precious little girl was far stronger than all of us was something I decided to keep to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The summit came to a close in the evening. Shuna prepared dinner for us, so we moved over to the banquet hall. I couldn\u2019t help but notice that nobody seemed in a hurry to leave until we\u2019d finished the meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main dish was a stew of cubed pork (or some kinda monster\u2019s meat that resembled pork), accompanied by fried eggplant, tofu with thick ankake<\/em> sauce, and miso soup. This all came with steamed, fluffy, jet-black rice\u2014the blackspell rice we stumbled upon a while back. It wasn\u2019t a multicourse meal or anything, but considering this whole summit wasn\u2019t even planned for, I didn\u2019t want to hear any complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh? This<\/em> isn\u2019t tempura.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the sound of Luminus\u2019s grumbling, she must\u2019ve liked tempura a lot more than I\u2019d realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo need to worry, Luminus. This should be even tastier. Never underestimate Rimuru\u2019s lust for good food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata had my back, although I couldn\u2019t tell why. I wasn\u2019t even sure if I should be happy about it. Honestly, getting complimented for my love of cuisine didn\u2019t mean much if that was the only thing about me she was willing to compliment. But whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So our little dinner event began, and fortunately, all the guests seemed to enjoy themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh\u2026 I see. Yeah, your cuisine around here ain\u2019t bad.\u201d Guy sounded genuinely impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese flavors mystify me\u2026but at this<\/em> level, I\u2019d say it passes muster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating everything and not complaining about it was, I supposed, Leon\u2019s way of giving a meal high praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMmm\u2026 You were right after all, Hinata. Another rare and exotic spread, but quite attractive nonetheless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOooh, this really<\/em> takes me back. Being able to taste this one more time\u2026 It makes me glad to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus seemed satisfied\u2026and Hinata was hyping me up way too much. But I supposed this was her first Japanese-style pork stew in, what, two thousand years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you have preferred white rice?\u201d I asked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI appreciate the thought\u2026but I\u2019m used to this kind of thing by now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh? Well, good. Two millennia had given her a lot of time to sample all sorts of stuff, I\u2019m sure, so the \u201cwrong\u201d color wasn\u2019t about to make her wrinkle her nose. Besides, unlike Chloe, Hinata apparently hadn\u2019t been able to actually taste anything she ate during those two millennia. All she could see was Chloe\u2019s visual feed, so the mere act of eating was a real thrill. Considering\u2014even imagining\u2014what she went through, I could see why this was such a divine experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the dinner banquet proceeded along to generally good reviews. Once it was over, the demon lords rapidly prepared to head home. They were more than welcome to spend the night, but now that their business was done, they didn\u2019t seem interested in sticking around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChloe, if you ever get sick of this place, don\u2019t be afraid to contact me. I\u2019ll come pick you up at once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon still hadn\u2019t given up, by the sounds of things. We had actually argued a bit about who would take in Chloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut my friends are here\u2026and I like Rimuru\u2019s place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We wound up respecting Chloe\u2019s wishes, but it was safe to assume Leon wasn\u2019t gonna let it rest. He didn\u2019t even try to hide his attachment to her. I had my reservations about his approach, but there was no doubting his fervent desire to keep her safe and protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe could feel it, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeon, I\u2019m really glad to see you worried so much about me. But you don\u2019t need to be all that<\/em> worried, okay? I\u2019m not a kid anymore!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She gave Leon a hug. Leon\u2019s face betrayed a gentle smile as he patted Chloe\u2019s head. They were raised virtually as siblings way back when, and Leon definitely cherished her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then she separated from him and shifted into her adult form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere, see? With Chronoa\u2019s power, I can go back to my grown-up self. So quit worrying, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiled. I assume she wanted to put Leon\u2019s mind at ease, but that smile packed an incredible punch. It was endearing\u2014fleeting, in a way\u2014but it revealed all the strength in her heart; there was just that kind of charm to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d he said with a chuckle. \u201cYou\u2019ve become such a wonderful woman\u2026but I\u2019m always going to cherish you. You can count on me anytime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon always was a heartthrob like that. He had the composure, you could say, of a grown man\u2014and it suited him well. No way I could even begin to imitate that<\/em>, I thought as I watched\u2014but then Leon turned around and flashed me a steely glare. The difference was intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe says she\u2019s a grown-up now,\u201d he told me. \u201cDoes that mean you\u2019ve gone and\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo! Of course<\/em> not! I don\u2019t even technically have<\/em> a gender!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk about a huge misunderstanding. I take back what I said about his maturity and composure because he certainly didn\u2019t treat me with any of that. I worked tirelessly to defend myself, and Chloe yelled at him once she caught wind of it, so I figured Leon was sufficiently convinced\u2026but even now, it was only that way on the surface. If you want more evidence, I present this little tidbit he whispered to me as he left:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you know this, but don\u2019t you dare<\/em> do anything to put Chloe in harm\u2019s way, you understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This struck me as overprotective, but then, Leon had expended every method possible to search for Chloe, who\u2019d been summoned from the same world as him. It made sense that he worried about her. He went on his way without further comment, so I was happy. I promised him that Chloe and I would come visit, and thanks to her, I think Tempest would be building formal ties with his domain of El Dorado pretty soon. He kind of irritated me sometimes\u2014like a brother-in-law does, I suppose\u2014but I could deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Leon went on his way, it was Luminus\u2019s turn to dote on Chloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose you\u2019ve settled down where you\u2019ve settled down, Chloe\u2026but to me, you are a valued and trusted friend. If you have any difficulty, I will gladly discuss it with you, so do not hesitate to bring it up. Take care!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this<\/em> is the sister-in-law, I\u2019m assuming? Not that I said that out loud, of course. No need to go out of my way to anger people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a final farewell, Luminus and her entourage sped off. Hinata was gone, too, so that just left Guy by himself. I turned toward him, wondering if he was gonna leave, and there I saw Diablo picking a fight with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, shall I continue my story from before\u2014?\u201d Diablo began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNah, I\u2019ve heard more than enough of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 No need to be shy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you stop trying to seduce me<\/em> with that garbage, too?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the hell is Diablo doing?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTch!<\/em> Well, so be it, then. Allow me to change the subject. I would love to discuss Testarossa\u2019s and my other underlings\u2019 work ethic and some amusing anecdotes related to Rimuru. I know you were interested in that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was astounded at just how much he wanted to hear his own voice. Guy seemed to agree with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, no, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re all busy right now, so I\u2019ll stop by again when things calm down a little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guy wasted no time turning him down and fleeing. I guess even Guy got flustered sometimes\u2014it was kind of odd to see. I couldn\u2019t help but feel he was a lot more approachable than I thought. He still kept you on your toes, but maybe I didn\u2019t have so much to worry about with him anymore. He had accepted Chloe as a Hero, and all the other big issues were out of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That just left Yuuki\u2019s next moves as he fled to the East\u2014and what\u2019s about to happen over there. Whether I\u2019ll trust him again, I dunno\u2026but war<\/em>, huh? I let out a sigh. It\u2019s just one thing after another these days. And in my dejection, I couldn\u2019t help but wish for peace as soon as I could grab it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

It was only an oral agreement, but gaining the cooperation of two more demon lords was enormous. If war really was to erupt, having allied nations on your side was a comfort in itself. I could expect support from them, and if things got really bad, I could even discuss evacuating my citizens to their nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No war at all would be best, of course, although that depended on the other side\u2019s actions. What will be, will be. But whining wouldn\u2019t help with anything, so I decided it was time to take action. First, I needed some firm ground to stand on\u2014something that ensured a battle against the Empire wouldn\u2019t cause any problems. I secretly resolved to prepare for anything and everything possibly headed our way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was rare for Raphael to say \u201cI dunno\u201d like that. Whether through prediction or calculation, it\u2019d always provide me with some kind of information. If it had nothing to offer, then what just happened really was beyond the realm of understanding. In other words, nothing I could handle. I looked around, surprised, trying to gauge everyone\u2019s reactions. Leon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3535,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3534\/revisions\/3535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}