The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

Night had fallen over the Jura Forest. A quiet wind rustled through the trees, and under the glow of the moon, the newly transformed goblin village slept peacefully. But inside the small wooden cabin, Saiki Kusuo sat by the window, a glowing notebook floating in front of him, pen scribbling by itself.

He was planning.

Not just any plan.

A master plan.

"Step one… foundation. Step two… expansion. Step three… pretend I'm not involved."

He took another spoonful of his beloved coffee jelly and leaned back lazily as blueprints, holographic maps, and statistics floated around him. The entire Jura Kingdom was being designed, modeled with precision… and inspiration from every manga and anime he'd ever read.

A self-sufficient utopia hidden in a dangerous fantasy world.

Saiki looked over to Veldora, who was laying on the floor doing fake dragon pushups.

"Are you even listening?" Saiki asked, still drawing diagrams with telekinesis.

Veldora rolled over and sat up. "Of course I am! …I mean kinda. You lost me after the part where we'd be hosting monthly interspecies festivals."

"That's cultural diplomacy," Saiki replied, expression flat. "We can't get invaded if they're too busy enjoying hot springs and free snacks."

Veldora blinked. "Wait… you're actually planning ALL of this?! For real?"

Saiki nodded. "You'll be the king. Everyone worships you. I get to enjoy my coffee jelly in peace. Everyone wins."

"…You're terrifying, Saiki," Veldora mumbled. "But also kinda awesome."

The Next Morning

The sun had barely risen when Rigurd returned—leading nearly a hundred frail, trembling goblins. Some limped, some held sticks, and most looked like they hadn't eaten in days.

They gasped when they saw the new village.

Buildings. Lodges. A central meeting hall. Even a small farm patch.

All built overnight.

"Lord Veldora has blessed us!" Rigurd declared, pointing dramatically.

The goblins dropped to their knees, tears in their eyes. "All hail King Veldora!!"

Saiki stood at the edge of the crowd, invisible to them.

He sighed. "Yare Yare… this is going to get annoying fast."

Still, he stepped forward and one by one, named them.

"Gobta."

FLASH. Gobta screamed as power flooded his body.

"Rigurdo."

FLASH. He stood up straighter, looked ten years younger.

He kept going, naming each one—and secretly tweaking their memories as he did. Now to them, everything was Veldora's doing.

They couldn't even see Saiki properly. And every time he said something? It got refiled in their heads as if Veldora had said it.

Saiki walked past Gobta, poked him on the forehead. "Go train the younger goblins later."

Gobta saluted clumsily. "Of course, Lord Veldora!"

Saiki didn't even correct him. It was working perfectly.

Later that afternoon, Veldora sat under a tree while Saiki floated above, building a windmill from nothing but stone, wood, and mental focus.

Rigurd approached nervously. "My lord, the goblins are ready for orders."

Saiki floated down and asked, "Can they fight? Build? Farm? Craft?"

Rigurd bowed. "Not really… but we used to trade with a country to the west. Dwargon. The dwarves there are skilled. Builders. Smiths. Warriors."

Saiki's eyes narrowed.

Dwargon, huh? That was in the manga too. The dwarves should still be neutral. Skilled labor, loyal if respected… perfect.

He nodded. "Good. Veldora, I'm heading there in a few days."

Veldora paused mid-stretch. "Eh? You're leaving?"

Saiki looked at him. "Not for long. And don't forget—this kingdom needs structure. If I do everything, you'll never learn to maintain it. I'm only setting the pieces."

"Like a true villain mastermind…" Veldora grinned.

Saiki sighed. "Not a villain. Just a guy who wants peace and coffee jelly."

Veldora smirked. "Same thing in this world."

That evening, Saiki stood at the edge of the forest, looking out into the horizon, arms crossed.

Behind him, Veldora gathered a few goblins.

"Listen well!" Veldora bellowed. "You'll go across the forest and spread the word! The Jura Forest now belongs to King Veldora, the Great Storm Emperor! All monsters must obey or leave forever!"

The goblins saluted.

"We shall deliver your mighty word, my king!"

They sprinted off.

Saiki watched them disappear into the mist and whispered to himself:

"And just like that… the wheels are turning."

He reached into the air, pulled out a fresh cup of coffee jelly from his dimensional storage, and took a bite.

"Soon enough, this forest will be a nation. And no one will dare disturb me again."

Lightning cracked in the sky, though there was no storm.

Just Saiki's plan falling perfectly into place.

The frozen winds howled through the Ice Continent, snow swirling outside the massive obsidian palace that sat atop the highest peak—Guy Crimson's domain.

Inside the throne chamber, the atmosphere was... tense.

Not from cold.

But from confusion.

From shock.

From wounded pride.

Guy Crimson, the Strongest Demon Lord, lounged lazily on his icy black throne, one leg hanging over the armrest, but his eyes—those glowing crimson eyes—were narrowed, burning with the quiet intensity of someone who couldn't stop thinking about one single thing.

That battle.

That punch. That speed. That terrifying presence.

Veldora.

Rain and Misery, his two loyal attendants, stood still and silent behind him. Neither dared say a word. Not yet.

Across from him, sipping a glass of ice wine, sat Velzard, the Ice Dragon herself, arms crossed, her brows knit together in deep thought. Her blue hair shimmered with the light of the frozen chandeliers, and her expression was unusually grim.

Guy broke the silence first.

"…You saw it too, right?"

Velzard looked up, her tone unusually serious. "Saw what?"

Guy's fingers twitched on the throne's edge. "His style. His movements. That wasn't... Veldora. At least not the one I've fought before."

Velzard sighed, setting her glass down. "That's what's bothering me too. Veldora's power always leaned on wild strength, raw and unrefined. But this?" She shook her head. "It was controlled. Tactical. Calculated. Like someone was playing a game of chess using him as a piece."

Guy leaned forward, elbows on knees, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Exactly. His timing. His reaction speed. The way he dodged my Lucifer-enhanced attacks..."

Misery, ever calm, finally spoke. "...You think someone was controlling him?"

Rain, arms folded behind her back, added coldly, "Or guiding him."

Guy stood up slowly, the chill from the throne steaming off his back. "I don't like it. I don't like not knowing. And I definitely don't like getting my face planted into the dirt in front of everyone like I was some weakling."

Velzard chuckled softly. "Still hurts, huh?"

Guy cracked his neck. "Physically, no. Ego? Severely."

A long pause.

Then Velzard whispered, more to herself than to him: "If Veldora's that powerful now… I don't even know if I can beat him."

Those words hung heavy in the air. Even Rain and Misery blinked.

Guy narrowed his eyes. "That's why I need answers. If Veldora is planning something, we're not sitting this one out."

He snapped his fingers and looked over his shoulder. "Rain."

She instantly straightened. "Yes, my lord."

"Go. Find out what's happening in the Jura Forest. I want everything—how he got that strong, who's with him, if there's any suspicious movement. Report only to me."

Rain bowed deeply. "As you command."

In a blink, she vanished into a swirl of crimson mist.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Empire...

Far from the cold north, within the massive golden palace of the Eastern Empire, Rudra Nam Ul Nasca stood on the topmost balcony, overlooking the sprawling city.

His cape fluttered behind him as a soft breeze brushed his golden hair. The sun gleamed off the marble pillars around him—but his mind wasn't on the beauty.

It was on power.

It was on Veldora.

He smirked to himself. "So… Veldora's finally grown up, huh?"

Behind him, arms folded and a stern look on her face, stood Velgrynd, the Crimson Dragon.

"I don't like this, Rudra," she said plainly.

He raised a brow. "What's not to like? Your brother gets a mysterious upgrade and declares the Jura Forest a no-go zone. It's like a challenge handed to me personally."

Velgrynd frowned. "Don't play games. That wasn't normal. That wasn't the Veldora we knew. I don't think even I can match that power now."

Rudra chuckled. "Well then, that makes it even more fun."

"This isn't fun." Velgrynd stepped forward. "If someone is manipulating Veldora, that means there's a puppeteer pulling the strings, someone smart, dangerous… and they're hiding."

Rudra turned, his smile sharp. "Which is why we need to get involved. Imagine this: if we conquer the Jura Forest, we gain every resource hidden inside it. That forest has always been a goldmine—now it's guarded by a 'god.' All that's changed is the security system."

Velgrynd's eyes narrowed. "You're playing a risky game."

Rudra smirked, confidence practically radiating off him. "Risk is just the seasoning on victory, Velgrynd."

She scoffed but didn't argue further. Still… she couldn't shake the feeling.

Something was wrong.

Back in the Jura Forest, hidden behind layers of undetectable psychic barriers, Saiki Kusuo was relaxing on a hammock, legs crossed, eyes closed.

A single thought passed through his mind:

"They're all biting. Just as planned."

He took a bite of coffee jelly and sighed.

"Yare yare… all I wanted was some quiet."

He glanced up at the sky.

"Now watch… one of them is definitely gonna do something stupid."