"Hmm... if I adjust the angle here—" I murmured, wrist flicking sharply as I released a sliver of magisteel into the wind.
The projectile vanished in a blink, propelled by a compressed current of air I'd calculated on the fly. Several trees stood in its path.
Crack. Boom. Splinter.
Just like paper before a needle.
"Perfect."
I closed my eyes, projecting the shape I envisioned into the [Great Sage]—no, into my will. I didn't need to ask for permission anymore. We'd long passed that.
I snapped my fingers. "[Metal Manipulation]."
A thick guillotine-shaped blade shimmered into form before me, humming with latent mana.
"Gale."
A gust of enhanced wind surged forward. The blade rocketed ahead—silent, deadly, elegant—cleaving tree trunks like butter before slamming deep into the earth, humming with power.
The hobgoblins behind me erupted into cheers. The trees began to fall, ready for lumber. Efficient. Satisfying.
We were in the middle of town construction—again. The water system was giving us hell. Two of the dwarven brothers were tied up with smithing work, and the other was grumbling about the logistics of our riverside sanitation model. I designed the damn system, yet it still made me dizzy just looking at the diagrams Sage fed into my head.
So I delegated—obviously.
In the meantime, I trained.
The river nearby tempted me into exploring water manipulation, but unlike the slime Rimuru, I didn't have the element handed to me by plot convenience. I had to force it.
"Water!" I yelled as I scooped up some with my hands and tossed it upward.
Wind manipulation was second nature by now, so I tried wrapping the airborne droplets in subtle breezes, teasing oxygen molecules into alignment.
The water resisted.
My head throbbed.
"Tch... dammit." I groaned, pressing my palm into my temple as I stomped at the riverbed. I was not built for failure—frustration clawed at my spine.
Okay. New strategy.
Lower temperature via wind manipulation? Not enough chill. No snowstorm-level wind in this climate could freeze the water instantly.
Fine. I'd just channel my inner kung fu panda. Inner peace. Or whatever they called it.
I closed my eyes. Breathed.
Listened.
And focused.
Not on manipulating the water—but feeling it. Like an extension of myself.
Eventually, the water obeyed.
A whisper from Sage, followed by an inner grin on my part.
Good. Another piece in my arsenal.
Then, a familiar voice called out behind me, sounding larger than before. He was larger.
"Oh! There you are, Akuma-sama! I was searching for you!"
Rigurd. Or more accurately now—Goblin King Rigurd.
Bigger than an ogre. Must be a side effect of the name I gave him and the evolution that came with it. Fitting.
"What is it?"
"We've captured a few suspicious individuals."
My eyebrow rose. "Humans?"
"Yes, sir. They were rescued by Rigur from a pair of giant ants and brought to the main tent. We ensured they were unharmed and even gave them food, as the ants stole their belongings."
I smirked, clapping my hands once. "Of course. You assumed they were area inspectors, didn't you?"
"Ah! Amazing, Akuma-sama! Exactly as I thought!"
The fool actually flexed.
"Wh-whoa! Hey! I wanted that!"
"That's just mean, isn't it? I cooked this meat myself!"
"Sir, I regret to inform you that I am not giving up this food!"
"Munch, munch."
"... seems exciting inside here." I mumbled quietly and looked at Rigurd who chuckled nervously.
"Apologies, Akuma-Sama..."
"No need, the ants took off with their luggage and they hadn't eaten in a few days so you guys gave them some of our food correct?"
"Y-Yes."
"Alright, You did a very great job buddy. I'll take it from here."
"Hha! I will do my best to improve my rule and be less of a burden upon you, Sir Rimuru!"
"Relax, you did well," I patted the flabbergasted Rigurd by his shoulders, which was a workout by itself, and entered the tent.
The flap opened.
Inside, four adventurers were tearing through food like they hadn't eaten in days—which was very true in this case. Hobgoblins flanked the room, silently observing. My presence silenced everything.
Well, almost everything.
"Munch... munch…"
Their eyes locked on me. The room froze.
I cleared my throat. "Good afternoon. I'm Akuma. The one leading this place—"
"""HUH!? A TIEFLING!?"""
There it is. The scream.
I sighed. Predictable.
Let them panic.
My gaze, however, moved to the fourth adventurer—the one who didn't scream. The one who didn't gawk.
Shizu Izawa.
Her eyes, weary from days of exhaustion, lit up the moment they met mine.
Even now—knowing what was to come, what still rested inside her—my lips curled into a smile.
This time... I would save her.
No matter what it took.