Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

"Charybdis?" Kaede raised an eyebrow as she finished reading the letter Nemu had delivered, a formal message from Queen Frey of Fulbrosia.

The name alone sent a flicker of curiosity through her, but what truly caught her attention was the proposal within.

Before her, Nemu was kneeling in a full dogeza, forehead pressed firmly against the floor. Kaede couldn't help but blink at the display, mildly bewildered. 'Why do people here even know about this tradition? Must’ve been the work of past otherworlders.'

She sighed, shaking her head before turning her gaze back to the letter.

"It says here that Fulbrosia wants to enter a non-aggression pact with the nation of Maple Tree." She lowered the parchment slightly, her sharp eyes settling on the trembling Harpy before her. "Does that mean you're Fulbrosia's envoy?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Nemu's forehead as she hesitated under Kaede's scrutiny. "U-uhm, no, Lady Kaede." Her voice wavered. "I was only supposed to deliver the message and return with your answer. After that, a date was supposed to be set for both nations to send official envoys."

Kaede blinked. "Ah. I see."

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Then,

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU FORGET SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT, YOU BIRD-BRAINED IDIOT?!"

The sheer volume of Kaede’s voice sent a visible shockwave through the air, ruffling Nemu’s feathers as she flinched violently.

She was so dead.

Kaede let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Setting your... negligence aside, this Charybdis creature takes precedence." Her tone was firm as she refocused on the real issue. "I’m definitely not against a treaty between our nations, so I’ll prepare a letter for you to deliver to Lady Frey." She shot Nemu a pointed look. "Try not to forget it this time."

Nemu nodded quickly. "I won’t... probably."

Kaede's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Nemu replied with forced cheer.

Before Kaede could comment further, a soft green glow filled the room. A moment later, a familiar presence materialized beside her.

Nemu’s breath hitched as her eyes widened in awe. "A Druid…" she whispered, barely containing her amazement.

Hanae stood with quiet poise, her golden eyes serene as she gracefully knelt before Kaede. "You sent for me, Mother?"

Kaede groaned, waving her hands in exasperation. "Oh, come on, Hanae! I told you to stop doing that. Get up, quickly."

"As you command, Mother," Hanae replied smoothly, rising to her feet without hesitation.

Kaede sighed again, pressing her fingers to her temples before leaning forward. "Apparently, there's a calamity-class monster about to be revived."

Hanae tilted her head slightly. "You’re referring to Charybdis."

Kaede blinked. "You already know about it?"

Hanae nodded. "Yes. The other Dryads are currently working to slow down his revival."

Kaede considered this, her brow furrowing. "Wait... you're not helping?"

Hanae tilted her head once more, her expression unreadable. "Should I have? While powerful, Veldora's spawn may be, he is of no real consequence at this moment."

Kaede opened her mouth, then hesitated. 'What are you talking about? This thing was made from Veldora himself. Veldora, the guy so powerful his aura alone turned Jura into a no-go zone for Demon Lords. Charybdis has to be ridiculously strong, right?'

Before she could voice her thoughts, Hanae continued.

"Upon his revival, his first target will be the now-named Kingdom of Tempest. Not only does Tempest house several powerful Majin and Lord Rimuru himself, but Demon Lord Milim has also taken up residence there, at least for now." Hanae’s voice remained calm, analytical. "And speaking of Milim, my proximity to her has allowed me to study her, albeit subtly. Her strength far surpasses that of Charybdis." She met Kaede’s gaze evenly. "Charybdis is of no threat in any way, shape, or form."

Kaede blinked, absorbing the information. 'Huh. I didn’t really think about that. Jura’s packed with strong people, isn’t it? And Maple Tree is even stronger. While I may not be confident in beating Milim, I don’t see myself losing either.' She exhaled, a small smirk tugging at her lips. 'Compared to all that, Charybdis is basically just a mid-tier boss. How odd, feeling this way. This is New World Online all over again.'

"Unless..." Hanae’s voice interrupted her musings. "You don’t plan on defeating Charybdis."

Kaede’s brow arched slightly. "Hmm?"

Hanae continued without hesitation, her eyes gleaming with understanding. "But then, what else would be better than… naming him?" She nodded as if the conclusion was obvious. "You plan on renaming him, don’t you, Mother? With his strength, he’s more than worthy of being a pet for you, just like Lord Rimuru and his pet wolf, Ranga." Her lips curved into a knowing smile. "I understand it now."

Kaede's mind screeched to a halt. 'What...?!'

She turned slowly, her gaze drifting toward the Harpy who had been all but forgotten.

Nemu was staring at her with pure, unfiltered awe.

"H-Hey, Nemu…" Kaede started, but it was already too late.

"I understand! I'll inform Lady Frey that there's no need to worry about Charybdis since you'll be turning him into your pet." Nemu saluted sharply before spinning on her heel. "If you'll excuse me!"

And just like that, she was gone.

Kaede stared blankly at the empty space Nemu had occupied just moments ago. 'I... I didn't even say anything.'

She exhaled heavily, rubbing her temples as an overwhelming sense of regret settled in. 'Do I really have to turn a calamity-class monster into my pet?'

Her gaze shifted toward Hanae, who practically radiated excitement. The Dryad’s expression was one of pure, unwavering admiration.

Kaede’s fingers instinctively brushed against her ring finger. The thought of a "pet" tugged at something deep inside her. 'Syrup was my pet too... Although...'

'Syrup wasn’t real after all, was he?'

Silence filled the office, a weight pressing against her chest.

Then... "No!"

Kaede’s voice rang out, filled with a sudden, unshakable conviction that startled even Hanae. The Dryad flinched, eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected intensity of her outburst.

Kaede clenched her fists, glaring down at her own hand, as if demanding an answer from the empty space around her.

'Syrup was real. The others , Mai, Yui, Iz, Kanade, Chrome, Sally. Every moment, every memory, everyone, everything we shared in Maple Tree, it was all real. Maple Tree wasn’t just our guild. It was our second home. Our family. And Syrup was a part of that.'

A deep breath. Then another.

Her resolve hardened.

'I don’t want Charybdis as a pet. I want Syrup.'

[SYSTEM DETECTED: REQUEST]

A pair of unseen eyes snapped open.

[QUERY: Initiating Process...]

<<Protocol: Ultimate Skill [New World Order: Lord of Fate and Destiny, Ananke] Engaged.>>

<<Locating Designated Soul Signature...>>

Beneath Kaede’s office, within a massive containment sphere housing countless drifting souls, one of the smaller orbs flickered, its soft glow shifting into an ominous purple hue before abruptly vanishing from its place.

<<Reconstructing Core Structure... Overwrite Process Initializing...>>

<<Loading Neural Pattern Recognition...>>

<<Transferring Consciousness Matrix...>>

A faint hum resonated through the room.

Kaede’s eyes widened as a small, pulsating purple sphere materialized before her, hovering in the air like a silent answer to her unspoken wish. The gentle yet foreign energy it radiated sent a chill down her spine.

Hanae, meanwhile, grinned with utter delight before dropping to one knee once more. "Mother is using her power again… How beautiful."

<<Core Stabilization: Successful.>>

<<Entity Classification: SYRUP... REINITIALIZATION COMPLETE.>>

The orb pulsed, reflecting its violet light in Kaede’s amber eyes.

<<Authority Over Soul Manipulation Confirmed. Unique Skill Acquired: [Soulwright]>>

Kaede found herself entranced by the sphere, as she stared at it. She swore she could almost hear it.

"Tur... tle?"

---

Soei hissed through gritted teeth as he felt his stamina rapidly draining. He had used [Shadow Movement] so many times that his body was beginning to falter, his usually precise footing now unsteady.

Ahead of him, Shion and Ranga panted heavily, their bodies heaving with exhaustion. Their opponent was beyond anything they had ever faced, so powerful that a single attack had already left them battered and struggling to stand.

Looming over them was a monstrous entity, its sheer presence suffocating.

A creature resembling a cross between a mantis and a stingray, yet covered in massive, armored scales that gleamed under the dim sky. It was colossal, its vast form casting a shadow that swallowed half of Tempest in its darkness.

The Calamity-Class Monster, Charybdis.

Ranga turned to Soei, his golden eyes filled with determination. "Soei, use [Shadow Movement] and get out of here. I will stay and shield Shion."

"No, Ranga!" Shion snarled, her grip tightening around her massive sword as she forced herself upright, her body trembling from the effort. "Don't be an idiot! I can still fight!"

Ranga gave her a sharp-toothed grin, unfazed by her defiance. "I can’t leave, not when my master would want you to have the highest chance of survival."

"He’s right," Soei added, his usual cool expression softening just a fraction. "That’s exactly what he’d want." He let out a small chuckle. "Besides, the real me can always escape before getting killed."

Shion smirked at that, the fire in her gaze returning. "Heh. Typical Soei. Well, I guess that just means we all have to survive."

A deep, guttural growl rumbled across the battlefield, shaking the very air around them.

Charybdis’s massive, glowing red eyes flickered to life, a single massive orb of malice that illuminated the battlefield with a blood-red glow. Its monstrous grin stretched wide, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth, each one longer than the tallest trees in Jura.

The sky above them churned, thick with thousands of floating, razor-sharp scales.

Each one glistened like polished steel, hovering ominously as if awaiting a silent command. Then, in a single instant,

They moved.

Like a storm of living blades, the scales tore through the air, streaking down at them with terrifying speed. Each one carried enough force to crater the earth, enough power to shatter stone and reduce anything in its path to dust.

Shion, Soei, and Ranga tensed.

With a final battle cry, they charged forward, meeting the storm head-on.

"You idiots need to simmer down."

The battlefield fell silent as a familiar voice cut through the chaos.

Shion, Soei, and Ranga paused mid-charge, their eyes widening as Rimuru appeared before them, floating effortlessly in the air. His bat-like wings flapped lazily, keeping him aloft as he regarded them with a calm, almost playful smirk.

"After all," Rimuru continued, his golden eyes gleaming, "I’ve got some pretty legit skills too."

"Lord Rimuru!" Shion called out, her voice laced with both relief and concern.

But before anyone could say more, the storm of razor-sharp scales reached Rimuru in an instant, each one moving like a homing projectile.

Rimuru merely raised his hand.

"Devour All! [Gluttony]!" he commanded.

A deep, bluish-purple mist erupted from his palm, expanding outward in an instant. The ominous smoke engulfed every single scale, swallowing them whole as if they had never existed.

Shion's jaw nearly hit the ground. "H-He dissolved them just like that..."

Soei stood frozen, his mind racing.

Rimuru lowered his hand, exhaling lightly before addressing them. "Leave this guy to me." His voice was steady, but there was a clear authority behind it. "You three fall back for now and get some rest."

Soei clenched his fists. "But we can still fight! We can help you!"

Rimuru glanced at him. "Take it easy, Soei." Then he turned his gaze back to Charybdis, his eyes narrowing. "Besides..."

A faint crackling sound filled the air.

Charybdis’s entire body began to sparkle, a sinister glow rippling across his massive form.

Rimuru frowned. "His scales are already regenerating." He clicked his tongue. "If he uses that attack again, I might not be able to protect you all at the same time. Let me take over for now. Wait for Benimaru’s orders."

Soei hesitated, then gave a sharp nod. "As you command."

Shion swallowed hard, her grip tightening on her sword. "Please be careful, Lord Rimuru."

Ranga, though reluctant, dipped his head. "Once I’ve rested, I shall return to aid you, Master!"

Rimuru smirked. "Sounds like a plan."

Then, in a blur of motion, he shot forward, leaving a sonic boom in his wake as he raced toward the monstrous form of Charybdis.

Down on the ground, atop a hill, Milim shifted, her sharp gaze snapping eastward.

High above, far in the sky, a lone figure hovered, watching.

A woman with dark hair, her presence unmistakable.

Kaede narrowed her eyes.

Millim grinned.