Chapter 3: The Warrior From the Other Side

The silence that followed the collapse of the crimson rift did not feel like peace. It felt like a pause before impact, as if the world itself had briefly held its breath and was now waiting for something worse to arrive. Tempest returned to its usual rhythm on the surface, but beneath that calm exterior, patrols doubled, defensive formations were reinforced, and every capable warrior remained on alert. No one spoke too loudly about what had happened, yet everyone understood that what they had seen was not a random incident—it was the beginning of something far larger.

Rimuru gathered his closest allies inside the council chamber. The room, usually filled with discussion about trade, alliances, and development, now carried a heavier tone. Benimaru stood with his arms crossed, Shion leaned against a pillar unusually quiet, Shuna observed the maps spread across the table, and Veldora… well, Veldora was unusually still, his playful energy subdued by curiosity.

Rimuru broke the silence first. “We have confirmation that those rifts connect to another world. A world where war hasn’t stopped.”

Shion frowned. “So we just wait for them to come here again?”

“That’s the problem,” Rimuru replied. “We don’t know if they’ll come through like monsters… or like that warrior.”

Benimaru narrowed his eyes. “If more like him appear, then we may not be dealing with mindless enemies. We may be dealing with armies.”

Veldora finally spoke, his tone more thoughtful than usual. “That warrior… he carried the pressure of someone who has killed many times. Yet he wasn’t hostile. That means not all who come through will be enemies.”

Rimuru nodded slightly. “Exactly. Which is why we can’t treat this like a simple invasion.”

Before further discussion could continue, the chamber doors suddenly opened. A scout rushed in, breathing heavily. “Lord Rimuru! Another rift has formed—but it’s different! It’s larger than before, and it’s not collapsing!”

The room tensed instantly.

“Location?” Rimuru asked sharply.

“Eastern forest boundary!”

Without wasting another second, Rimuru and the others moved.

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The eastern forest had always been quieter than the northern routes, less traveled and less disturbed. But now, the air itself felt heavier, as if the forest was being pressed down by an invisible weight. When they arrived, they saw it immediately—a massive crimson tear suspended in the air, wider and more stable than anything they had seen before. Unlike the earlier cracks, this one did not flicker or weaken. It pulsed steadily, as though it had fully anchored itself to this world.

And then it opened.

Figures began stepping through.

Not monsters.

Soldiers.

Armored warriors emerged in formation, their armor marked with unfamiliar sigils, their weapons glowing faintly with condensed magic. They moved with discipline, not chaos. The ground beneath them cracked slightly as they landed, but their formation remained perfect. Behind them, more shapes emerged—some carrying banners, others carrying massive weapons designed for war rather than survival.

Benimaru immediately drew his blade. “These are not beasts…”

Shion grinned slightly, though tension lingered in her eyes. “Finally… something worth cutting.”

Rimuru raised a hand. “Wait. Don’t engage yet.”

The soldiers paused upon seeing them. A silence stretched between both sides—two worlds staring at each other for the first time in full awareness.

Then one soldier stepped forward.

He was taller than the others, his armor more refined, layered with faint crimson patterns that matched the rift behind them. His gaze locked onto Rimuru instantly, as if recognizing him as the center of authority.

“So,” the soldier spoke calmly, “this is the world that survived the fracture.”

Rimuru stepped forward slightly. “And you are?”

The soldier tilted his head slightly. “A commander of the Eryndor Warbound.”

The name meant nothing to Rimuru, but the weight behind it was clear.

“We did not intend to invade your world,” the commander continued. “But the fractures are no longer controllable. Entire regions of our world are collapsing into yours.”

Benimaru’s grip tightened. “So you admit you are crossing over illegally.”

The commander glanced at him briefly. “If survival is illegal, then yes.”

That answer made the air even heavier.

Rimuru studied him carefully. “You’re saying your world is collapsing… and ours is being affected as a result?”

“Yes,” the commander replied. “And not all factions are as restrained as mine. Some will not stop at survival. They will take what they need.”

Veldora stepped forward slightly, his presence pressing against the air like a storm contained. “Then your world is in civil war.”

The commander looked at Veldora with slight surprise. “A dragon… in this world?”

Veldora smirked faintly. “You may continue.”

The commander returned his focus to Rimuru. “We are not here to conquer you—at least, not yet. We are here to stabilize passage points. If we don’t, uncontrolled rifts will tear both worlds apart.”

Rimuru’s expression sharpened. “And why should we trust you?”

The commander paused briefly, then answered honestly. “You shouldn’t.”

That answer surprised even Shion.

“But,” the commander continued, “if you do nothing, your world will eventually be consumed by the overflow of ours. We are already seeing signs of magical collapse in weaker regions. Your forest… is only the beginning.”

A deep silence followed.

Rimuru exhaled slowly. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. But he also couldn’t ignore the logic. If what this commander said was true, then Tempest wasn’t facing an enemy—it was facing a merging catastrophe between two worlds.

“So what do you want from us?” Rimuru asked.

The commander turned slightly, gesturing toward the rift behind him. “Temporary alliance. We secure the fractures together. We prevent uncontrolled invasions. After that… we decide what remains.”

Benimaru stepped forward immediately. “And if we refuse?”

The commander met his gaze directly. “Then your world will face both sides alone.”

The wind between them grew tense.

Rimuru looked at his allies—Benimaru ready for war, Shion eager for battle, Shuna concerned but composed, Veldora analyzing everything with interest.

Then he looked at the soldiers beyond the rift.

And finally, at the unstable crimson sky above.

“…We don’t have enough information yet,” Rimuru said slowly. “But we also don’t have the luxury of time.”

He turned back to the commander. “A temporary alliance. But if you betray us, it ends immediately.”

The commander nodded once. “Agreed.”

The moment those words were spoken, the crimson rift behind them flickered violently—as if reacting to the agreement. A low rumble echoed through the forest, and for a brief moment, both sides instinctively raised their weapons.

But nothing emerged.

Instead, the rift expanded further.

And deeper within it, something massive stirred—something neither side had yet seen.

Rimuru narrowed his eyes.

“…This is getting worse,” he muttered.

And for the first time since the rifts began, even Veldora’s expression turned serious.