The banquet night was getting more and more lively. Rimuru and Benimaru sang cheerfully as they served another drink. Shuna and her helpers served the finest food, but Hakurou's sushi was the highlight of the evening.
Shion was already drunk and saying rude and bold things, for which she was later scolded.
Diablo remained in his role but loosened up a bit while enjoying some fine wine. It was a very lively night.
But everyone suddenly stopped when they felt something powerful approaching.
They looked up at the sky and saw what appeared to be a comet approaching faster than the speed of sound.
"That idiot, how many times have I told her not to do that?" Rimuru said, realizing whose presence it was.
"Everyone, get out of here immediately!"
That was the point of impact, according to Rimuru's calculations. He summoned barriers, hoping to minimize the damage.
But within seconds, the out-of-control comet landed right where the main table had been, causing an impact that sent most people flying through the air but without causing notable harm around.
As the dust settled, laughter was heard as a certain figure came into view.
"Wahahahahaha, fear not, Rimuru. Your best friend is already here to help."
She said, looking for signs of destruction and the powerful being she had sensed earlier, but her eyes only landed on Rimuru.
"Hey Milim, what the hell were you thinking?" Rimuru said, somewhat angry.
Thinking she would be thanked, Milim was confused when she realized Rimuru was scolding her for the mess she had just made.
"I thought you were in danger, and I came to help, it wasn't intentional," she said apologetically.
"Even if I were, I'd like you to help me without damaging Tempest. This will cost you a month without special desserts."
"Don't do that, Rimuru! I said it wasn't intentional, I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.
"We were in the middle of a banquet, and you nearly killed everyone. Apologies won't help."
"I'm sorry, I swear I'll never do that again, but please don't take away the desserts," she seemed like she was about to cry at any moment.
Rimuru sighed, thinking about how Milim acted like an energetic child. He decided to reduce the punishment and said:
"Since no one got hurt, I'll let it go, but don't ever do that again, please."
A bit cheerful with the decision, Milim jumped on Rimuru with a hug and thanked him. "You're the best, thank you, Rimuru."
Rimuru smiled, enjoying the hug, thinking, "This girl will never change."
Then Milim said with an annoyed air, "Wait a minute, you were having a banquet and didn't invite me? Aren't we best friends after all?"
Not knowing how to respond, Rimuru started sweating immediately, looking at the others for help, but everyone averted their gaze.
It was always like that when it came to Milim; no one wanted to get involved.
"Hey, I'm the one who should be angry with you, you know?! Besides, the banquet is just starting... bring some juice and food for Milim, our guest of honor."
Rimuru said, hoping to get away with those words.
Luckily for him, Milim was easy to convince in this kind of situation, and she happily accepted, soon joining the celebration.
As if nothing had happened, the music returned, and the banquet resumed from where it had left off. Gabil was singing and spreading so much excitement.
"Here you go, Milim-sama," Shuna said, as helpful as ever.
"Milim-sama, someday you're going to end up killing me, you know?" Benimaru said, adjusting his shoulder as if in pain, as he had been closest to the point of impact.
"You're not that weak. If you complain about something like this, I should take you for some training."
Upon hearing this suggestion, Benimaru immediately refused, fearing he might actually die if he did..!
While they were sitting and eating a roast boar monster, Rimuru remembered something and said:
"By the way, Milim, you said you came here to help me. What did you mean by that?"
With her mouth full, Milim replied, "I felt someone very powerful here in Tempest. I thought you were in danger."
"So that's it? I didn't feel any presence. But thanks for worrying about me, you're really a good friend."
"Wahahahaha, you can always count on me, Rimuru."
Milim then naturally said while continuing to eat, "Now that I look more closely, that presence was yours, Rimuru. It's hard to believe, but when did you get so strong?"
Compared to the last time she saw him at Walpurgis, Rimuru was very different to Milim. Her eyes were telling her that.
Rimuru didn't expect that question to come up so soon, but it was impossible to hide something like that from someone like Milim.
"If I tell you, you won't believe it. But please keep this a secret, especially from the other Demon Lords."
Without asking more, Milim agreed. "I'll turn a blind eye to that, but in exchange, give me some honey."
This was an easy request. Rimuru pulled a jar from his imaginary space and gave it to Milim.
"Here it is, the best honey from Tempest, just for you, dear Milim."
Milim opened the jar immediately and delighted in the honey, she seemed to like honey a lot.
"You always know how to make me happy, Rimuru, hehe...
"Would you like to have a duel?! I want to see how strong you've gotten."
This proposal came out of nowhere and caught Rimuru by surprise. He thought carefully about it, unsure whether to accept or not.
<
"You're just trying to see her abilities up close, aren't you?" Rimuru said, realizing Ciel's real intentions.
<<"...">>
Seeing that Ciel had nothing to say, Rimuru decided to accept Milim's proposal. "What harm could it do?" he thought.
He then said, "Tomorrow afternoon, we'll have our duel. For today, let's enjoy the banquet."
As for the conversation between the two, the only thing the others heard was about tomorrow's duel.
"Did you hear that? Our lord Rimuru-sama will face Milim-sama in a duel tomorrow!" Shion exclaimed, visibly excited.
Everyone was excited by this news and said things like, "To face Milim-sama, as expected of Rimuru-sama."
"Kufufufufu, will Rimuru-sama show some of his true abilities? I'm looking forward to it." Diablo said, with a smile of anticipation.
Gobta, who had been with Hakurou until then, approached and said something rather bold. "So, is the duel about who has the smallest pair of breasts ssu?" His mischievous smile was evident, clearly under the influence of alcohol.
Before he knew it, Rimuru and Milim kicked him, sending him flying through the air. "You idiot!" They both said angrily.
Gobta landed in a bush, his arms and legs stretched out comically. Trying to get up, he staggered and mumbled, "I was just kidding ssu...," before collapsing again, completely unconscious.
The sight made everyone burst into laughter...
The night was very lively, but like everything, the banquet eventually came to an end.