True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Prologue {Rewritten}

third person POV

Deep in the Jura Forest, where ancient trees stretched up into forever, sat this absolutely massive castle. And inside? That's where you'd find Rimuru Tempest - literally the most powerful being to ever exist, though you wouldn't guess it just by looking at him. Sure, with that silvery-blue hair and those golden eyes that could probably stare right through your soul, he looked impressive enough. But the guy who'd racked up titles like "Great Demon Lord," "King of Beasts," and even "Supreme God" was currently slumped over his desk, looking about as excited as someone watching paint dry.

It had been hundreds of years since the Tenma War, and honestly? Rimuru was bored out of his mind. Like, seriously bored. The kind of bored where even fighting with Guy - you know, the first True Demon Lord and supposed to be this big deal - felt about as exciting as doing laundry. Nothing hit the same anymore. Even the stuff that used to get him pumped just... didn't. Every day felt exactly like the last, and Rimuru was starting to feel like he was just going through the motions.

The only one who really got what was going on was Ciel, Rimuru's Manas. She might've started as just a skill, but she knew her master better than anyone, and watching him spiral into this funk was seriously freaking her out. It was like watching someone slowly deflate, and she was determined to do something about it before things got worse.

"Master, you seriously need to take a break," Ciel said one day, materializing next to his desk like a concerned mom about to confiscate her kid's gaming console. She was watching him stare at the mountain of paperwork like it was his personal nemesis.

Rimuru tried to pull off one of his usual smiles, but it looked about as convincing as a chocolate teapot. "It's fine, Ciel. Just got to finish this paperwork..."

"Yeah, no." Ciel wasn't having any of it. "You're taking a break, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. I'll handle the boring stuff."

"Fine, fine," Rimuru gave in, dragging himself over to the couch like a zombie before basically crash-landing into sleep mode.

While Rimuru was out cold, Ciel blazed through the paperwork like a pro. Once she was done, she went over and gently lifted his head onto her lap, her mind racing with ideas on how to snap him out of this funk.

When Rimuru finally woke up, he wandered over to the window, looking out at his city with the enthusiasm of a wet sock. That's when Ciel dropped her brilliant idea.

"Hey, Master, wild thought - how about a vacation? Like, an actual getaway?"

"Where to?" Rimuru asked, giving her a look. "Everyone either bows or prays when they see me. Talk about awkward."

Ciel's eyes lit up. "What if... we went to a completely different world? Somewhere where nobody knows you're basically a god?"

Rimuru actually looked interested for the first time in forever. "But what about Tempest?"

"Already got it covered," Ciel said, looking pretty pleased with herself. "We can leave a parallel version of you here to keep things running. I've already cleared it with everyone."

Rimuru thought about it for a hot second. "You know what? Let's do it. But seal my powers and make me start fresh as a newborn guy."

"On it!" Ciel was practically bouncing with excitement. "I'll whip up this super-powered Multiverse Residences thing, keep all your personality stuff intact-"

"Just one thing," Rimuru cut in before she could go full info-dump mode. "No spoilers about where we're going. If I know everything ahead of time, what's the point?"

"Got it, Master!" Ciel was grinning like she'd just won the lottery. The air around them started doing this weird sparkly thing, like someone had thrown magic glitter everywhere. As the light wrapped around them both, for the first time in what felt like forever, Rimuru felt something he'd almost forgotten - actual excitement about what was coming next.