Something shifted in the cave.
It was subtle at first—an almost imperceptible tightening of the air, as if the world itself were drawing a slow breath. Tamura noticed it immediately. With Observer Beyond Fate, changes like this stood out as clearly as cracks in glass.
Rimuru felt it too.
"Tamura-kun," Rimuru said, his mental voice quieter than usual. "Did something just… change?"
"Yes," Tamura replied. "You've reached the point where the story starts taking itself seriously."
Before Rimuru could ask what that meant, Veldora's presence surged, no longer merely watching but actively engaging. The immense dragon coiled closer, his laughter echoing through the cavern walls.
"Hahaha! Excellent, excellent!" Veldora boomed. "Mikami Satoru—no, that name no longer suits you."
Rimuru froze. "Eh?"
"In this world," Veldora continued, voice rich with authority, "a name is not just a label. It is a declaration of existence. Power recognizes power. And you, little slime, have earned one."
Tamura drifted slightly backward, already knowing what would come next. Fate's threads around Rimuru tightened, glowing brighter.
Rimuru hesitated. "A name… from you?"
"Indeed," Veldora said proudly. "I am the Storm Dragon Veldora, one of the True Dragons. To be named by me is to be acknowledged by the world itself."
There was a pause.
Rimuru's presence wavered—not from fear, but from the weight of it. "I… don't really understand all the implications, but… if you think I've earned it, then…"
Veldora laughed, pleased. "Good! Then hear it and carry it with pride."
The cave trembled.
"I name you Rimuru."
Magic exploded outward.
Tamura felt it like a sudden pressure drop, a violent rearranging of reality. Vast quantities of magicules surged into Rimuru, reshaping his very soul. Skills stabilized. Growth accelerated. Fate snapped tighter into place.
Rimuru screamed—not in pain, but in sheer overload.
Tamura remained calm, watching carefully. This was a critical juncture. Many things could go wrong here. In the original timeline, they did not.
And this time was no different.
When the surge finally settled, Rimuru floated there, silent, processing what had just happened.
"…So this is what a name does," Rimuru murmured.
Veldora sounded immensely satisfied. "Magnificent, isn't it? But we are not finished yet."
Rimuru turned his attention fully to the dragon. "You mean…?"
"You will need a family name," Veldora said. "One worthy of the future you will build."
Tamura smiled faintly. Here it comes.
Rimuru thought for a moment. Not long. He already knew the answer, even if he did not realize it consciously.
"I want to share a name," Rimuru said. "With you."
Veldora blinked. "Oh?"
"If you're sealed here," Rimuru continued, "then we're connected anyway. I don't see why I should walk the world alone while you're trapped."
The dragon was silent.
For several seconds, Veldora said nothing. Then—
"Hah."
A low, stunned sound.
"Hahahahaha! You truly are interesting!" Veldora roared. "Very well! If that is your wish—"
The magic surged again, deeper this time, older.
"I grant you my family name. From this moment on, you are Rimuru Tempest!"
The cave shook violently. Stone cracked. Magic howled.
Tamura braced himself, watching the contract form—ancient, binding, and absolute. This was the moment Rimuru truly became a central figure in the world.
When it ended, Veldora sounded… lighter.
"…It seems I have gained a name as well," the dragon said slowly. "Veldora Tempest. How nostalgic."
Rimuru's presence radiated joy. "I'm glad you like it."
Tamura observed the threads of fate snap firmly into place around Rimuru, thick and unyielding. The story had locked him in as a cornerstone of the era.
Then Veldora turned.
"Well then," the dragon said, amusement returning. "What about you, other one?"
Tamura felt the attention like a spotlight.
"You are also from another world," Veldora continued. "And unlike Rimuru, you were already watching fate itself. A name from me would suit you as well."
Rimuru immediately agreed. "Yeah, Tamura-kun. You should get one too. It's dangerous to stay unnamed."
Tamura did not answer right away.
Instead, a familiar chime echoed quietly within him.
[Daily Sign-In available.]
Day three.
He accepted without hesitation.
[Day 3 Sign-In Complete.]
[Reward: True Name Granted – 「Noctis Vale」]
[Description: A name acknowledged by the system, bound directly to the soul. Cannot be overwritten or replaced.]
Tamura absorbed the information instantly.
A true name.
Not a nickname. Not a title. A name with authority equal to, or exceeding, those given by the world itself. One that did not rely on magicule expenditure or external recognition.
One that belonged solely to him.
"I already have one," Tamura said calmly.
Veldora raised an invisible brow. "Oh?"
"My name is Noctis Vale," Tamura continued. "It's already bound. I can't accept another."
The cave went quiet.
Rimuru stared—figuratively—at Tamura. "Noctis… Vale?"
"It's kind of cool," Tamura admitted. "That's why I'm keeping it."
Veldora burst into laughter.
"Fascinating! Truly fascinating!" the dragon said. "A self-contained naming authority? How utterly unreasonable!"
"Thank you," Tamura replied.
Rimuru sounded worried. "Is that… safe?"
"It is," Tamura said. "Safer than being named by an external force, actually."
Veldora hummed thoughtfully. "You continue to defy expectations. Very well. I will not force a name upon you. But know this—by refusing, you further distance yourself from the world's natural order."
Tamura accepted that without hesitation.
"That's fine," he said. "I don't plan to stand at the center anyway."
Rimuru was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "Still… I'm glad you're here."
Tamura glanced at his senpai—now Rimuru Tempest, future king, future legend.
"For now," Tamura replied, "I'll walk beside you."
Deep within the cave, two paths solidified.
One bound tightly by destiny.
And one, named by no world but his own, walking freely through the cracks fate could not seal.