True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 101 - His Disappearance

Rimuru POV

A terrifying scream jolted me from my sleep, sending me scrambling to my feet with adrenaline already coursing through my veins. The morning sun cast long shadows across the crater floor, but the battlefield remained eerily empty. No sign of Wren's golems from yesterday.

The peaceful scene put me more on edge than if I'd woken to an army. After yesterday's brutal training, this quiet felt wrong. My muscles ached from the constant combat, reminding me of every blow I'd taken.

Another bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence. I spun around, my heart nearly stopping at what I saw. A Vritra warrior towered before me, his black horns gleaming in the morning light. The asura's armor, pitch-black and expertly crafted, covered every inch below his neck. But it was his prisoner that made my blood run cold.

"Ellie?" The name escaped my lips before I could stop it.

My sister dangled from the Vritra's armored grip, tears streaming down her face as she struggled for breath. The basilisk's jagged teeth showed in a triumphant grin as he tightened his hold, drawing another agonized scream from her throat.

Instead of rushing in, I forced myself to think. We were in Epheotus - the realm of the asura. No Vritra could breach these defenses without raising every alarm in the floating continent. And Ellie... Ellie was safely in Dicathen, protected by Ciel.

I drew my sword with deliberate slowness. "Really, Wren? Using my sister to try to provoke me?"The Vritra tilted his head, maintaining that unsettling grin. "Oh? What makes you so sure this is a trick?"

'Ellie' screamed again as the armored hand crushed her throat. The golem's craftsmanship was remarkable - every detail perfect, from the way her fingers clawed desperately at her captor's grip to the bruises forming on her neck.

"First, there's no way a Vritra could breach Epheotus without causing more commotion," I stated calmly, though my hand tightened on the sword's grip. "Second, Ellie is safely in Dicathen. And third, your golems are good, but they lack certain details only a brother would notice."

The Vritra's grin stretched impossibly wide. "Such confidence. But can you afford to be wrong?"

"Big... brother... please..." 'Ellie' reached toward me with a trembling hand.

I closed my eyes briefly. Even knowing it was fake, her voice - so perfectly recreated - twisted something in my chest. When I opened them again, my gaze was steel.

"If you're trying to test how I handle emotional manipulation in battle, you'll have to do better than this." I raised my sword into a ready position.

The Vritra's form dissolved like black ink, while the illusion of Ellie crumbled to sand, scattering in the morning breeze. Wren emerged from the rocky ground, casually brushing dust from his shabby white coat.

"Impressive control," he commented. "Most lesser beings would have charged in blindly at the sight of a loved one in danger."

"Is that what you were testing? My ability to maintain composure?" I lowered my sword but kept it unsheathed, having learned from yesterday's surprises.

"Partially." Wren's perpetually tired eyes studied me with an intensity that belied his lazy demeanor. "In war, the enemy will use every advantage they can get - including psychological warfare. The Vritra are particularly skilled at breaking their opponents' spirits through such methods."

He began pacing, his oversized coat dragging through the dirt. "But more importantly, I wanted to see how quickly you could analyze a situation under emotional stress. You identified three logical inconsistencies in mere seconds. That kind of clarity will keep you alive when the real battles begin."