No one knows what's really going through the Demon Lord Rimuru's mind.
Not him nor Raphael. No one does.
'I can, therefore, I will—' is the kind of mentality he has, befitting for one who stands at the summit of strength.
As the emperor of chaos, his complexity knows no bounds.
Uncontrollable and unpredictable, unconstrained by mortal logic or the peripheral frameworks of any reality.
His authority extends to all domains, and the very heavens will rearrange themselves to conform to his sense of aesthetics.
Beginning to understand the true him is a task more daunting than counting all the stars in the vast cosmic sea.
He controls life and death, creation and destruction, light and darkness, holy and demonic, completeness and nothingness.
In this fragile universe, he foresees a different horizon, one imponderable to anyone else.
He lies in a realm beyond a boundary of unreachability.
An abnormality.
Amidst countless spectrums of interchanging yet stagnant forces of order and chaos, he stands above all.
A deity walking in land. The strongest.
.........
......
...
"No way..." someone insignificant muttered in the distance.
Nevertheless, after Rimuru's showcase of overwhelming dominance, the entire space became quiet after that one little line.
Cattleya and the monsters stood still, Yue and Hajime have blank faces, and the students are trembling. It was such a shocking reality they had just witnessed that their brains failed to keep up.
As the black paper scraps finished flying off Rimuru's hand and disappearing in thin air, he began walking to a corner of the room, not minding at all the stares directed at him.
A rift in space-time appeared and from it came a bag of chips.
Something so trivial as junk foods coming out from a distortion of space-time which can potentially lead to a disruption of universal equilibrium if handled incorrectly makes anyone question Rimuru's moral integrity... not that he had any.
Rimuru leaned to the wall and began eating it, absolutely suppressing his presence as if he was never there. It all but screamed "Don't mind me."
"Well..." Hajime spoke amidst the awkwardness. "Let me repeat myself. If you want to keep your life, scram. Leave right now and I won't chase after you." It was directed to Cattleya, but she couldn't care less now of all times.
Her mind was on a hyper-speed rush from panic, her brain firing on all cylinders, and Hajime didn't even register in her mind. All that filled her thoughts was Rimuru and Rimuru alone (she ain't in love).
She carefully considered the best course of action while trying her best to prevent her body from passing out. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even dream of a future where she escaped here alive.
Hajime guessed her inner turmoil and only let out a sigh. Then, to get her attention, he dashed forward and in an instant, shot down the last five of the large horse-headed monsters.
Five loud bangs accompanied by red streaks of lights from the bullets magnificently unveiled for all to see, incapacitating down and killing the horse-heads.
Then, before Cattleya could devise a countermeasure, his crossbits appeared and went around killing every single remaining monster.
It didn't take thirty seconds to finish everything. And to the already unimaginably confused and disturbed Cattleya, only the cherry of the top was missing before her mind got consigned to full-blown stage 69 insanity.
She trembly raised her hands in surrender, completely disregarding her pride and meekly submitted in a storm of fear, consigning her mind to further madness due to the guilt.
It was often overlooked due to the many battles against equal or superior students, but Rimuru's aura is as dangerous as a True Dragon's.
If he set it off wrongly, the entire atmosphere would collapse, potentially bringing an end to all life on the planet. If he constantly leaks his aura, the entire surface would be filled with deadly levels of magicule radiation poisoning, which can make the planet uninhabitable given enough time.
It wasn't obvious but Rimuru was letting off a very tiny amount, which is what's making the room so strangely oppressive.
Despite Cattleya's obvious seek of surrender, Hajime wasn't having it. He already warned her once, and she didn't heed it. Her life would be the price.
As such—
"........."
"......Gulp."
Hajime and Cattleya stared at each other.
The students on the sidelines are also watching with bated breath. Having reached an epiphany over how true power is like for themselves, their little teenage prides as questionable "heroes" of the human race got plummeted to the ground.
They can no longer feel that they are special. No... the fear from Rimuru's little aura leaking makes them feel that they were never special.
They question their roles.
Their life.
All these student's emotional integrity is within Rimuru's grasps.
It was only for an instant on the corner from which he leans. Rimuru flashed a profanity-laced grin.
It appeared in under a millisecond, disappeared under a millisecond.
Was he enjoying this? Tormenting the students purposely? Who knows.
Bang Bang
Two more bangs resounded, and Cattleya's legs were dismembered.
"—GraAaaahhh!!"
Everything was just too one-sided.
The pressure in the air grew increasingly terrifying each passing second, the smell of blood dominating the air and the loud silence ensuing still.
"So, let's start."
Hajime broke the silence and declared his intentions to the demon.
While they were having a Q&A session, the students' confusion is growing out of control. None of them could mutter a sound. They were all wondering about the identities of these people who came to, presumably, rescue them.
It was only then that Rimuru lifted the pressure he was releasing that the students began to quietly talk among themselves. They were all gathered on one place along with Meld, so they can talk with hushed voices.
"What the... What the heck is he!?" Kouki watched in disbelief, still too exhausted to move. Though they didn't say it out loud, everyone was thinking the same thing. The one who provided them all with answers was Endou, the one they'd sent off to escape alone.
"Haha, you probably won't believe me, but... that's Nagumo."
"What!?"
Everyone stared at Endou. He could tell they all thought he was crazy. Granted, it was understandable. He hadn't believed it at first either, but it was the truth, so all he could do was shrug his shoulders.
"Wait, so Nagumo was alive this whole time!?" Kouki shouted in surprise. Everyone, once again, turned to look at the boy who was arrogantly interviewing the demon they all just lost to. They all thought "That couldn't possibly be Nagumo. There's just no way." Endou could guess what they were thinking from their expressions, so he decided to provide further proof.
"I'm serious. He's totally different now, but I saw his Status Plate. As for the beau—Ahem. The blue-hair, Nagumo introduced... him... her... them (?) as his teacher and mentor, so you guys best act polite around them or Nagumo will blow your balls off to kingdom come."
They turned their gazes on the person leaning on a wall in a corner of the room.
Sure enough, they were like beauty personified. He exuded no presence right now, but the sheer vibe of pride and dominance was ever so present.
Rimuru felt too unreal to the students. As if their common sense was rejecting such gorgeousness could possibly exist.
But the reality was before them, and they were too tired and mentally bummed out to keep rejecting the actual state of affairs, so they all just blankly and thoughtlessly stared.
Yue sensed this and took a glance to the students. She lightly coughed in order to diverge their attention.
The students turned their attention to her and had questioning looks.
Endou once again quietly spoke.
"She's Yue-san. Nagumo's... lover."
It was awkward to say that but he managed to do it anyways. After all, the Nagumo they know was a loser. And this exceptional doll-like beauty seemed very much out of his league. Most of all, they are still failing to believe the white-haired eye-patched boy that dispatched most of the monsters is the same classmate they used to laugh at as the weakest.
Endou perhaps sensed this and wanted to reaffirm his point.
"Like I said, that's Nagumo. Hajime Nagumo. The same Nagumo that fell off the bridge that day. He somehow survived, and crawled his way back out of the labyrinth. He tore through all the monsters on our way here too. It was crazy! I can't believe it's really the same guy, but... it is."
It didn't take long for them to get Rimuru out of their head. After all, he was beyond their thinking capacity. They'd unconsciously and instinctively felt that they'd lose their minds trying to comprehend him.
One person was particularly unhappy about this development. "Y-You're lying. Nagumo died. I mean, we all saw him! There's no way he's still alive! Don't give me this crap!"
"Uwaaah, what's wrong with you!? I saw his Status Plate and everything, it's him for sure!"
"I don't believe it! It has to be some kind of trick! That has to be an imposter!"
"Dude, what the heck are you on about? Why would anyone want to impersonate Nagumo?"
It was Bitchyama and he grabbed Endou by the collar, grilling into him. His face was pale, and he denied Hajime's survival with an abnormal ferocity.
"Pipe down, brats."
Hiyama felt a turbulent glacial wave of fear striking into his very soul.
Paralyzed and incapable of thinking, he came face to face with death in just a split second.
Once it was gone, he meekly let go of Endou, and looked behind him, his face deathly pale and his body uncontrollably shaking.
Rimuru was now standing near them, Yue behind him.
"You," He spoke, pointing at Hiyama. "And only you. If you make a noise, I'll split your head." He coldly declared, emotionally devoid.
Very disturbing, Rimuru was unusually very unkind right now. Though he doesn't give a fuck to most, he still has this veritable polite or easygoing outlook in him. He doesn't talk this coldly to strangers.
Furthermore, while Hajime seems to be the dominant one of the trios, all of them could tell that Rimuru is the actual boss of this monster trio.
It seems Rimuru saw straight through Hiyama, down to every last detail about him.
From his intentions to personality to the things he'd done.
Ah, I'm done for. Hiyama instantly knew. That the godlike being before him saw through everything.
More than that, it seems the students in general have a bad impression on Rimuru after he heard Hajime's story.
The students blinked, and Rimuru was gone, once again back to the corner he was previously at. Only this time, he had a chair that came from god knows where.
They were too confused about him right now that they couldn't even pile up the questions in their mind. So, trying to preserve their brain cells, they focused on Hajime and Cattleya.
"You damned monster. Are you really human? No measly human can do those things."
"That's a good question. I myself don't really know. I don't mind either way, though." Hajime replied. "Now answer me. What's a demon like you doing down here? And where'd you get those monsters?"
"What makes you think I'll tell you? Why would I give information to our enemy? Just kill me and be done with it."
"Agaaaaah!" The demon screamed once more. Her screams echoed throughout the room. Hajime just shot off her arm, after all.
Kouki and the others watched silently, shocked at Hajime's callous cruelty. Hajime ignored them all and continued talking to the demon.
"Like a give a damn about the humans. I'm the one asking."
"Grauuughh...! Hahh... as if this would be enough to make me talk."
Hajime silently pondered.
"Then, I'll tell you my best guess. The reason you're here is because you want to conquer the true labyrinth that lies beneath this one, right?"
The demon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Noting her reaction, Hajime continued.
"Bingo. And those monsters were controlled using magic from the age of the gods, huh? So, the demons managed to conquer one of the Seven Great Labyrinths, and are using the magic they found there to tip the scales... That means the reason you're here isn't just to extend an invitation to the hero party, but also to clear the other labyrinths?"
With that, she had no more left in her to resist. All her plans were basically laid bare. What's worse is that it was just a guess on Hajime's part. She sighed helplessly, then spoke.
"...Are we done here? If so, get it over with already. I hope you're not thinking of taking me prisoner. You'll never take me alive."
It was clear from her gaze that the demon would kill herself before she allowed herself to be taken captive. But if possible, she wanted to die a warrior, at the hands of her enemies. For his part, Hajime no longer had any use for her.
Hajime pointed Donner at the demon's head. But before he could pull the trigger, someone called out to him.
"Wait! Wait, Nagumo! She can't fight anymore! There's no need to kill her!"
"......" Hajime looked over his shoulder at Kouki, a dumbfounded expression on his face. Rimuru and Yue were the same. Is this guy serious? They all thought.
Kouki stumbled to his feet, swaying unsteadily. Hajime still had his finger on the trigger.
"Let's... Let's just make her our prisoner. There's no way we can kill someone who can't even resist. Heroes aren't supposed to do things like that. You're one of my comrades too, so shouldn't you be obeying my commands?"
"Allrighty! I'm done here! Nah-uh. No way I'm staying in the same room as him." Rimuru showed this strange behavior for all to see as he shot up his little chair then began to walk towards the exit door. If you look closely, he was cringing and his expression was sour.
Naturally, it got quite a confused reaction from the students. However, it seemed that Rimuru instantly saw through what kind of person Kouki was, and how far his self-serving brain can get so he was genuine for what he said.
"........." Hajime was surprised to see his sensei struggle to bear when he knew just how much patience Rimuru had. It seems Kouki really was just that good at being the worse.
Anyways, Hajime could scarcely believe the things coming out of Kouki's mouth. He ignored Kouki entirely and pulled the trigger
There was a sharp crack as the bullet robbed the demon of her life.
Silence fell.
Kouki's jaw was hanging open. He understood what had just happened, but his mind still couldn't accept that his classmate had mercilessly killed someone without any hesitation.
The person who'd been most shocked by Hajime's actions was Kaori.
She knew they'd have to kill people, too. It was the burden they had to bear for taking part in the war, she realized that when Hajime fell. What shocked her was how easily Hajime had done it. How he had no hesitation whatsoever.
The Hajime she knew was a kind and powerless boy. Even though he was weak, he always did his best for others. That was what made him strong, she thought.
All these gathered was the reason she refused to acknowledge the hard truth that he killed someone as easily as breathing, someone who couldn't fight back, even.
Shizuku could easily tell what was going through Kaori's mind. They'd been friends for long enough that she understood Kaori's thought process. After all she'd heard about Hajime from Kaori, Shizuku knew just how big of a shock that had to be.
When she saw Hajime's cold expression, she too thought to herself that he'd changed far too much. Still, she also knew that she had no right to say anything about it when she didn't even know what Hajime had experienced thus far. All she could do was hug Kaori and try to comfort her somehow.
However, Kouki had no such inhibitions. His strong sense of justice compelled him to protest. And protest he did
"Why... Why did you kill her? There was no need to." Hajime looked at Kouki out of the corner of his eye. He wondered for a few seconds how he should respond, and then realized there was no need to respond at all. Pretending he hadn't heard anything, he walked over to Yue and Meld.
"Where did sensei go?" Yue asked. Hajime gently stroked her blonde hair as he passed by her, then answered "Must've went out to get more food." To which Yue only hummed in response.
"How is he?" Hajime asked about Meld. "He's fine. Sensei was kind enough to provide a little potion. He's just unconscious."
"I see."
.........
......
...
A few minutes later, after nearly killing Kouki for his persistence, and Shizuku doing her best to stop Hajime, the students are now following Hajime and Yue up the surface, by Endou's request stating that they'd be safer that way. Hajime didn't mind that much so they got in.
Kaori was still conflicted, so she just sentimentally gazed at Hajime the whole way, making him somewhat bothered.
Kouki, meanwhile, had a foggy look in his eyes.
Jealousy it was, envy it hinted.
Among his flaws, pride glinted.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, which was actually just less than thirty minutes, they made it to the surface.
"Took you longer than expected."
Rimuru was there near the staircase which leads down the town's road. Sitting on his shoulders was Myu, happily eating a cupcake. Beside him was Tio, strangely having a dignified air.
Hajime noticed before but now he was sure of it. Tio was only decent when Rimuru was around. Whenever she was around him, she was wise and calm, strong and proud like how a dragonman should be according to Yue.
So why is it that she's absolute dog water around me? He shook his head in order to remove the thought.
What confused him more was when Rimuru and Myu began to get along so well. Just hours ago, Myu looked traumatized for life whenever she makes eye contact with Rimuru.
He wanted to ask about it but decided against it, anyways.
"Yeah." He muttered that single reply.
Upon hearing him, Myu asked Rimuru to let her down, to which he did, and began to sprint towards Hajime while shouting "Papa!"
"Myu!"
She made a jump for him as she approached near, and Hajime caught her in his arms.
Though he'd hated being called daddy at first, he'd gradually taken to the role of a father more and more. It had gotten to the point where his companions were worried he wouldn't be able to part with her once they got to Erisen.
Hajime's classmates had thought nothing could surprise them anymore after witnessing his sudden transformation, but they were wrong. Never in their wildest dreams did any of them imagine he'd become a father.
The guys all looked from Yue, to the newly introduced Tio, and for god's sake Rimuru, wondering whose kid it was, as well as just how much more experienced Hajime had become in these past few months.
Rimuru more or less picked up their intentions and glared reproachfully to the boys. Of course, they never had the balls to go against Rimuru, so they all closed their eyes as fast and as tight as they could.
Logically, it was impossible for Hajime to have a four-year daughter, since they'd only been apart for a little over four months, but the students were all too shocked and exhausted to be thinking straight.
It was then that Kaori stepped forward, a smile present on her face that did not reach her eyes. She grabbed Hajime by the collar.
"Hajime-kun, explain yourself! Is she really your daughter!? Who did you get pregnant!? Are there even more girls I don't know about!? How many of them have you gotten pregnant!? Answer me, Hajime-kun!" It seemed Kaori had finally snapped. Hajime tried to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, but Kaori wouldn't let him go. He couldn't understand where she was getting such strength from.
As they all argued, they caught the attention of all the passerby. Kaori drilling into Hajime, Hajime and Shizuku, along with the remaining rational students trying to grill some reasoning into Kaori, and the more exhausted students just blankly staring.
Rimuru just silently watched from the sidelines. His expression was blank, his eyes shining complex.
Tio, beside him, snuck a peek at his figure.
Sure enough, very beautiful.
"What's wrong?" Rimuru perhaps noticed her stare but did not bother moving his head.
"It's just that you looked a little sentimental."
"You're imagining it."
With that, Rimuru turned around and began walking down to the main road of the town, his hands in his pockets.
A black mist enveloped him and his outfit changed to a set of casual clothes. He wears a short-sleeved gray shirt with white geometrical designs. Tight gray pants, white sneakers, a white scarf, and big clear glasses with clear round frames. His hair has been neatly tied to a ponytail too.
His outfit that belongs to modern-age Earth clearly caught the attention of most, as it was strangely aesthetic to them. Tio took one look at the arguing kids, and began to follow Rimuru at a leisurely pace.
Yue noticed and grabbed at Hajime's sleeves. He turned to her and he immediately got the signal.
"Ugh, let go now. I don't have time for you people." Hajime said so in a very serious voice.
Even the enraged Kaori was forced to let go as Hajime's iron grip threatened to crush her hands.
Shizuku looked surprise and was now seriously trying to get Kaori off Hajime. The same was true for Suzu and Eri, as well as Ryutarou.
Hajime fixed his ragged clothes and just quietly left with Yue.
.........
......
...
Rimuru, Hajime, Yue, along with Tio and Myu, are now on their way towards the exit of the town.
They had no shortage of supply with Rimuru around, and they'd already informed the branch chief about the success of the rescue, so there was no problem leaving right away.
The group of students are following them not long behind.
Why? Because Kaori kept following Hajime, and the students kept following Kaori.
She was embarrassed by her earlier outburst before, but she knew she needed to make a decision. Whether to go with Hajime or let him go for good. Traveling with him was what she wanted. After all, she'd finally managed to reunite with him, so she definitely didn't want to let him go again.
Still, she hesitated. She'd feel guilty for leaving Kouki's party. And more than anything, she was still shaken by how different Hajime was.
As it turned around, Yue and Hajime were lovers. They seemed so perfectly in sync. And when Yue had sneered at her, Kaori had begun doubting the depths of her own affection. The fact that Yue possessed strength that rivaled Hajime's own only added to her intimidation.
And now, the group of five was about to leave the gates. However, ten men blocked the way.
"Hey brat, where do you thin—"
Before they could say more, however, gravity itself seemed to go out of control and increased just above the area the ten men occupied., As a result, their faces made funny expressions as they were pulled to the ground face-first, unable to bear their weights.
The five continued walking without care whatsoever while the students are wracking their brains trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
Wanting nothing to do with it, they just walked to the side and followed Rimuru and the others' lead, leaving the poor men to their fate.
Those guys aside, Rimuru and the others are not seriously about to depart.
It was then that they were approached by Kaori, or to be more specific, Hajime was.
She'd realized the truth, and came to see things from a different perspective.
For what she originally thought as a new Hajime who all but abandoned all his kindness, was it possible to be surrounded by such smiles.
Rimuru playing with Hajime and Yue, Yue helping Rimuru tease Hajime, Tio clinging to Rimuru, and Myu bursting out laughing.
They looked so happy that the world around them seemed so gray.
More than anything else, the reason he went to the labyrinth in the first place was that he could let her know he was alive.
That was what made it certain. He was not someone who just blindly resorts to violence. He won't hesitate to use violence if it meant protecting the people he values.
For the first time, Kaori seriously pondered what Hajime might have gone through. He lost an arm and an eye, although the circumstances behind it are complicated, he lost it twice as he voluntarily oofed them the second time. Nevertheless, he still lost them.
There was no doubt that he must have suffered more than she could ever imagine. His body and soul must have been pushed close to the breaking point many times. In fact, they may have been pushed past that. This new him was likely a result of that.
There was no way she was going to lose to Yue in the depth of her feelings for him. She'd be part of that smiling group too. She wouldn't let Yue laugh at her any longer. Determination welled up within Kaori. Shizuku smiled as she saw the resolve in her best friend's eyes. Kaori straightened her back, then nodded gratefully to Shizuku. It was time for her to step forward into a new battlefield. A battlefield of love. Hajime looked back and spotted Kaori coming toward him. He thought she was simply coming to see him off, but Yue stared at her warily. Tio watched on with great interest, while Rimuru mused his thoughts.
"Hmmm..." Rimuru had a pondering look as he put his fingers under his chin.
His companions' reactions alerted Hajime to the fact that this was no mere send-off. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
"Hajime-kun, can I also join your party...? Rather, I'm coming no matter what you say. Thanks for having me."
"Huh?" Surprise, surprise.
"You don't have the right." Yue interjected.
"Why not? Do you have to love Hajime-kun to join? If so, my feelings won't lose to anyone."
Kaori didn't falter, Yue frowned.
After a few seconds, Kaori intensified his stare at Hajime. The determination was still there, but now it was accompanied by something more.
She took a deep breath, this was the moment of truth. Her voice trembled but it reverberated throughout the entire area.
"I love you, Hajime-kun."
"...Sorry, but there's already someone I'm in love with, so I can't respond to your feelings. That's why you can't come with us."
Kaori bit her lip and hung her head. However, after a few seconds, she found her determination again. Holding back tears, she looked up at Hajime and nodded.
"I know. It's Yue-san, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"But that's not a reason to refuse to let me come with you."
"No, no, I'm trying to say—"
"After all, it seems Tio-san is in love with you too?"
"Like I said—"
"She knows you're in love with someone else, but you still let her join you. So, tell me, why is it any different here? After all... my feelings for you are stronger than anyone else's." Kaori looked back at Yue as she said that, the fire burning bright in her eyes. She wouldn't let Yue laugh at her any longer. This was her declaration of war. She would steal the spot of Hajime's most beloved person for herself.
"Woman, shut up and let me talk." But all her hopes got shut down.
"Huh?"
"I'm trying to say I ain't the one making the calls here. Sensei is. Go to him and if he approves, then you're in."
"........." Kaori was so shocked that she was speechless for ten seconds.
"If you take too long, we're really going to go." Tio said.
Kaori quickly snapped back to her senses. She was extremely saddened that Hajime just brushed her off so easily, but she searched for Rimuru.
She found him not far behind Hajime, playing with Myu.
She clasped her hands, renewing her determination, and began to take a step towards Rimuru. But before she could, the words of approval are already out of her grasp. No, it was never within her reach to begin with. For she was far too unqualified. Determination wasn't the only factor that could change everything.
"I refuse." He said, not taking his eyes off Myu.
"W-why?"
"Duh, cause I said so." Rimuru caught Myu within his arms as she jumped towards him. Then, he began walking back to the crowd. The students behind Kaori are also taking this with absolute focus, trying to see what happens next.
Rimuru handed Myu over to Tio, and looked at Kaori.
"If you seriously want to know why, let's just say... you're too weak." He said that with a smile.
"B-but."
"Do you know? There was someone else like you too, who wanted to join us. She was a useless rabbit but dozens of folds stronger than you. Yet she still didn't get to join. You get what I'm trying to say, aren't you? And yeah, Myu's an exception, she's temporary anyways. Tio just meets the minimum of the criteria, so... yeah."
"Hearing you say that kind of hurts, you know?" Tio said from the sidelines.
Ignoring her, Rimuru walked past Kaori, not acknowledging her presence at all. His pride was just that big. He stopped in front of a certain person, surprising all, including Hajime and Yue.
Who was it? It was another student—Shizuku Yaegashi.
He slightly bent down and leaned in front of her face, making her face as red as a tomato from surprise.
Rimuru looked completely serious, deep in thoughts, as his beautiful golden eyes lying behind the strands of silverly hair looked ready to pierce through her.
She stood there, frozen, red as blood, and embarrassed as hell. A natural reaction when you have Rimuru literally inches from your face.
The whole crowd gasped, not one daring to utter a word.
After a few seconds, Rimuru straightened his posture and flashed a soft smile, consigning all the young boys and girls to paradise.
"You... you really remind me of someone."
Behind him, Hajime and Yue are utterly speechless. It was so out of character of Rimuru to be this emotional. Although his personality seemed to be straightforward, and he had a general outlook as a cheerful and eccentric person, they know that deep inside, he had a lot of darkness in him.
Kaori was completely out of everyone's mind right now.
"And because of that, I'll give you something. Be grateful."
Rimuru raised his right hand and opened his palm.
The weather suddenly turned bad.
Lightnings flashed across the clouds, the wrathful roars of thunder having an unnatural pattern. A storm surge formed.
The students are scared, but they are too scared to move, too.
On Rimuru's opened palm, a dense amount of energy appeared. A colossal level of energy, one greater than everyone else aside from Rimuru combined.
All that was getting compressed on dangerous levels. Then, it shone a gold and black color, pulsing, a sphere with geometrical light patterns.
It became an amorphous mass of pure energy, before it took the shape of a sword, taking on physical form in order to not disperse.
Finally, it completed.
This sword had a featureless void design, as if absorbing all the light in its surroundings. Like a singularity in density, but strangely light in weight.
He gave it to Shizuku who thoughtlessly received it. She blankly pondered as she stared at its mystical form.
The power it held seemed too unnatural.
Naturally, it had a will of its own. It was God's Class equipment by the terms of the Cardinal World. And, as expected, it chose Shizuku as its owner.
"It's up to you to figure it out."
"O-oh... thank you..." The moment she held the sword, an influx of information made its way to her brain.
How to use it, how to master it, and its capabilities. It dreaded her. The things its capable of are too dangerous that she felt she shouldn't use it.
"Do you know? That woman you remind me of, is Japanese too. I'll leave it to you knowing it'll be in good hands." Rimuru said that without looking back as he made his way to his group.
"Let's go."
Rimuru still had his smile, a genuine smile, as if reminiscing a treasured memory of the past.