The atmosphere within the Sealed Cave, usually stagnant with the weight of centuries and Veldora's immense pressure, suddenly shifted. The Thought Accelerator pulsed in the back of Kaito's mind, overlaying his vision with a tactical HUD that highlighted a small, blue sphere bouncing down the cavern tunnels with surprising velocity.
[Notice: Entity identified. Species: Slime. Threat Level: High (Due to anomalous magicule capacity). Unique Skills detected: Predator, Great Sage.]
Kaito's shimmering, metallic form flickered as he adjusted his density. He was standing near the edge of the Unlimited Imprisonment barrier, his silver hair—composed of fine magisteel filaments—glowing softly. Beside him, Veldora's massive eyes narrowed, focusing on the entrance.
"Here he comes," Kaito whispered.
The blue slime tumbled into the central chamber, skidding to a halt. To any ordinary observer, it was just a low-level monster, a weakling of the forest. But to Kaito, who could see the literal "weight" of a soul through Archivist, the slime was a supernova contained in a soap bubble. It was Satoru Mikami, the man who would become the Great Demon Lord Rimuru Tempest.
The slime appeared to be "looking" around, though it lacked eyes. It was using Magic Sense, likely for the first time. When its perception finally landed on the towering form of Veldora, and then shifted to the glowing, silver-blue humanoid standing beside the dragon, the slime visibly recoiled, its gelatinous body wobbling in shock.
"CAN YOU HEAR ME, LITTLE ONE?" Veldora's voice thundered, causing the slime to jump a good foot into the air.
The slime paused, then projected a thought. 'I can hear you! Please don't eat me!'
Kaito let out a soft, melodic laugh, stepping forward. His feet didn't click on the stone; they made a sound like humming metal. "Peace, little one. Lord Veldora hasn't had a meal in three hundred years. If he were going to eat you, you'd already be gone."
The slime turned its attention to Kaito. 'Wait, you're... a person? No, you're glowing. Are you a ghost?'
"I am Kaito, a Spirit Entity," he replied, kneeling so he was closer to the slime's level. "And this is the Storm Dragon, Veldora. We've been waiting for someone interesting to drop by."
The next few hours were a surreal reenactment of the story Kaito knew by heart, yet being a participant changed everything. He watched as the slime—who hadn't yet taken the name Rimuru—interacted with Veldora. He listened as the slime explained his reincarnation, his death by stabbing, and his transition from a 37-year-old virgin to a blue blob.
Veldora was ecstatic. He had Kaito for stories, but a fellow "reincarnator" was a rarity beyond measure. Kaito stayed mostly silent, his Archivist skill working overtime.
[Notice: Unique Skill: Predator identified. Analyzing acquisition process... Analysis complete. Archive entry created. Note: Direct replication restricted by Soul-Bound status. Recommending 'Simulation' mode for compatible sub-functions.]
Kaito didn't want to steal Rimuru's identity, but having a simulated version of Predator's analysis would be invaluable. As the conversation turned toward the barrier, Kaito saw his opening.
"Lord Veldora," Kaito intervened, his voice cutting through the dragon's blustering about the Hero who sealed him. "The slime has a skill called 'Predator.' Combined with my 'Archivist' and your own knowledge, we might be able to find a way to break this seal from the inside out."
Veldora paused, his massive head tilting. "OH? YOU THINK THIS LITTLE THING CAN CONSUME THE UNLIMITED IMPRISONMENT?"
'I can try!' the slime chimed in, eager to help his first friend.
"It will take time," Kaito explained, his metallic hand reaching out to touch the shimmering barrier. His fingers passed halfway through before the "Physical Attack Resistance" of the seal pushed him back. "The slime can store you in his stomach space, Veldora. While you're in there, you can use your 'Investigator' and the slime's 'Great Sage' to analyze the seal from the inside. Meanwhile, I will remain in the outside world to act as your eyes and ears."
Veldora let out a roar of approval. "A BRILLIANT PLAN! VERY WELL! BUT FIRST... WE REQUIRE A SYMBOL OF OUR EQUALITY. A NAME!"
Kaito felt a thrill. This was the moment the Jura Tempest Federation was truly born.
"I SHALL GRANT YOU THE FAMILY NAME: TEMPEST!" Veldora declared. "AND YOU, SLIME, SHALL BE RIMURU! AND YOU, KAITO... SINCE YOU WERE BORN OF MY RADIANCE AND POSSESS THE SILVER GLOW OF THE STARS... YOU SHALL BE KAITO TEMPEST!"
The air in the cave suddenly thickened. A massive amount of magicules began to drain from Veldora, flowing into both Rimuru and Kaito. For a slime, this was a transformative evolution. For Kaito, a Spirit Entity, it was like being doused in high-octane fuel.
[Notice: Name 'Tempest' accepted. Evolution to 'Primordial Echo' beginning. Integrating Dragon-Factor magicules... Success. Unique Skill: Archivist has evolved into Ultimate Skill: 'Akashic Record - Mnemosyne'.]
Kaito gasped as his body surged with power. His silver form became more defined, his "skin" taking on a mirror-like polish that reflected the entire cavern. He felt a tether snap into place—a soul corridor connecting him, Veldora, and Rimuru.
When the light faded, Rimuru was glowing with a faint golden aura, and Kaito felt like he could process the entire world's information at once.
"Well," Kaito said, looking at his now-solid silver hands. "I guess that makes us brothers."
Rimuru wobbled happily. 'Brothers! I like the sound of that!'
The process of Veldora's disappearance was quick. Rimuru activated 'Predator,' and the massive Storm Dragon was inhaled into the slime's infinite stomach. The cave, once filled with a terrifying presence, was suddenly quiet, save for the hum of the magicule-rich crystals.
"So, Rimuru," Kaito said, looking toward the cave exit. "Now that our big brother is taking a nap, what do you say we get out of here? I've been stuck in this cave for months, and I hear the forest is lovely this time of year."
'Lead the way, Kaito!' Rimuru bounced along. 'By the way, do you know the way out? I've just been eating grass and rocks.'
Kaito smiled, his internal map—provided by Mnemosyne—highlighting the fastest route to the Goblin Village. "Follow me. And try not to eat everything on the way out. We have a world to change."
As they moved toward the exit, Kaito checked his new Ultimate Skill. Unlike Rimuru's 'Raphael' (which would come later), his Mnemosyne was the ultimate library. It didn't just analyze; it remembered everything the World had ever seen. He was no longer just a spectator. He was the record-keeper of a new era.