Singularity (Rimuru x Arifureta)

Chapter 18 | Conflict. Resonance.

At the end of the blazing passageway, a slender outline can be visible. What followed was the figure of a young boy, and familiar voices Aiko could never forget. It was a surreal view.

"Oh, there she is."

"Aichan-senseiiii. Are you good?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she digested the reality of what was in front of her. She was worried about everyone, and that included Hajime who seemed to be the target of that nun from before. She feared that he was in the center of a massive scheme of insanity. There may be things he had done that she could never forget, but he was still her responsibility as the teacher, or former teacher.

Of course, he was accompanied by Rimuru, who'd blown a hole right through the mountain. Rimuru remained aloof, a suspended presence floating in the air as Hajime calmly walked over to Aiko and destroyed her restraints.

"Nagumo-kun! Everyone—"

She was restless and panicked. She wanted to hurry to the other students as soon as possible. She wanted to verify their safety.

She was practically begging Rimuru and Hajime to get her there. Her insistence was such that it even left Rimuru speechless.

"At this rate... At this rate!!" She kept shouting things along the lines.

It seemed she was almost traumatized, Rimuru thought.

"Hajime, I sense a presence nearby. Probably another one of those apostles, but considerably weaker than that platinum one. I guess she's the one who kidnapped Aiko." Rimuru spoke to Hajime, and at the mention of it, Aiko was visibly terrorized. It seemed that apostle practically gave this woman PTSD.

"Sensei, can you please take Aiko over to the capital? I'll take care of her." Hajime fearlessly smiled.

"You sure you'll be fine?" Came the response of Rimuru, a smile of his own. To which, Hajime responded with a wide grin.

"So be it. Leave her to me."

"Thanks." They signaled their farewell.

"Let's go," Rimuru gestured to Aiko. She seemed visibly confused, but understood nonetheless. Of course, she didn't forget to protest. She knew how strong the apostle was, so the notion of Hajime facing it alone seemed to be eating her mind. Nevertheless, Rimuru remained steadfast and convinced her nonetheless with some rather... scary words.

Rimuru sprouted his draconic wings, glowing and outlined by a vibrant blue color and oozing a fiery aura. He flew through the air at the right speed so Aiko does not get ripped apart by the shockwaves of his flight.

As Aiko looked back, she bore witness to a horrifying sight. The entire tower they had been in before was completely reduced to dust in the blink of an eye. Sparks of crimson and white lights flew about, accompanied by sounds of metals clanging and gunshots.

"Rimuru-san! Nagumo-kun is—"

"Oh, man, I told you he'd be fine. Have a little trust in him," Rimuru interrupted her, visibly annoyed at her constant nagging. Nevertheless, Aiko stopped protesting and just sent her quiet wishes of good luck to Hajime, despite knowing it had no way of reaching him.

Without gathering attention, Rimuru quickly sent a miniature nuclear cannon at the main temple at the top of the divine mountain. It travelled far above supersonic speeds and blasted through the air with abnormal silence. He figured those fanatic church people would try to intervene, so he quickly killed everyone that were attempting to climb and destroyed the tip of the mountain.