Rimuru Met AlternativeSelf

As it's always will be that can same

Rimuru POV

I ran away from paperwork.

That's it. That's the truth.

Different timeline, different Tempest, different ruler—but somehow the same soul-crushing stacks of documents existed everywhere. So I slipped timelines like a delinquent skipping class and landed here, where my daughter ruled the nation I was supposed to manage.

Life was beautiful.

Raichal Queen of Tempest, Demon Lord in everything but title—was doing a phenomenal job. Built the city. Managed diplomacy. Handled monsters, humans, gods, idiots. All without me lifting a finger.

I was very proud.

And very unemployed.

So I embraced my role.

Deadbeat father.

"Father."

Raichal's voice trembled.

I looked up from absolutely nothing I was doing and saw her staring at the plate in front of her.

Shion's cooking.

The air itself looked afraid.

"R... Rimuru... do I really have to eat this?" she asked carefully. "Be honest. Are you trying to kill me?"

I bit my lip so hard I almost ruptured a soul fragment.

"W-Well, you see—" I coughed, trying not to laugh. "It won't kill you. Probably. Also, Hinata's already near Tempest, right? You'll need resistance. Builds character. Strengthens resolve. Immunity to suffering."

The cake or what claimed to be cake was a horrifying mix of bat, cow, and something that might've once been soup.

She stared at me.

Long.

Flat.

"...Are you dumb," she asked, "or are you acting dumb?"

Ouch.

But deserved.

Still.

This was revenge.

Pure, righteous revenge.

Yesterday, Shuna made pudding. Perfect pudding. Divine pudding. And Raichal—my own daughter blocked me from eating it.

"Father, you'll rot your spiritual teeth."
"Father, stop lazing around."
"Father, do some work."

Cruel.

So yes, I might have nudged circumstances so she'd be the one suffering today.

Shion smiled brightly. "I improved the recipe!"

Raichal paled.

Meanwhile, the real reason all this was happening approached Tempest.

Hinata Sakaguchi.

She'd challenged Raichal to a "match" inside Ramiris's labyrinth.

Officially? A duel.

In reality?

A fashion contest.

Hinata was annoyed.

Very annoyed.

Because Raichal drunk off her own hype the night before—had loudly declared herself the most beautiful girl alive.

Several times.

To everyone.

Including Hinata.

So naturally, Hinata demanded a showdown.

I, being a responsible adult, absolutely lied to Raichal and framed it as a deadly combat trial.

"Poison resistance is essential," I told her seriously. "Hinata specializes in... uh... culinary warfare."

She knew.

She knew it was nonsense.

But she was tipsy, proud, and competitive.

So she ate it.

The moment the fork touched her mouth, reality screamed.

Her eyes went hollow.

Her soul ascended.

Her body convulsed.

"...I see the universe," she whispered.

I turned away, shoulders shaking, pretending to sniffle.

It wasn't laughter.

Definitely not.

I was just sad.

Sad that I didn't get Shuna's pudding.

Very sad.

Absolutely devastated.

Raichal slammed the plate down after surviving somehow  and glared at me.

"You're enjoying this," she accused.

I wiped an imaginary tear. "I would never."

Veldora was rolling on the floor.

Ramiris was selling tickets.

Tempest was peaceful.

The beast everyone feared?

Not unleashed.

Just mildly food-poisoned.

And honestly?

Worth it.

Because if I had to suffer paperwork across timelines—

Then my daughter could suffer Shion's cooking.

Balance.

Perfect balance.