Round and round the wonderful things, oh, wonderful things, enchanting bright,
Over the sorrows' mournful strings, the pitiful things, they weep their plight.
Amidst the life's beautiful rings, the typical things, they take the flight,
A glimmer sparks within the night, they twinkle bright, the darkest light.
"Just hold him still for a minute!" shouted Ryun. "I need him to stay in one place to aim."
"That's easier said than done." Guy, along with Velzard and Rain, got blasted away again. An intense battle that carried the fate of the world was underway, but there was no way to determine the outcome as of yet.
Seeing as the attempts to restrain Rimuru in one place were all futile, Ryun decided to change the plan. "Tch. I need to risk it another way. GUY! It's time for plan B." The sealing device, which looked like a hi-tech gun from science fiction, quickly shrank itself and changed form. It now covered the fist of the bearer like a glove. Ryun charged up the device in his hand and launched towards Rimuru.
"You idiot, what are you doing!?" shouted Guy. "You realize how risky it is? If you happen to die here, we won't be able to seal Rimuru anymore."
"Yeah, I realize that. But at this rate, we won't last long enough for it to happen anyway. If I am able to make direct contact with Rimuru, there's no need to restrain him for long, so it's better. Everyone, support me!"
Using thought communication and thought acceleration, he explained to everyone what he had to do in an instant. Taking that into account, Guy formulated a plan.
Next moment- Velgrynd, Rudra, Diablo and Zegion attacked Rimuru all at once, with Veldora and Chloe as support. Everything happened in suspended world. Even though Ryun wasn't a digital life form or possessed any skill to move in time stop himself, Guy allowed him to share his skill through soul corridor to let him move temporarily. He had learned to do that by observing Rimuru over the millennia.
"We got him!" shouted Chloe.
"Good. Now I just have to make contact for 5 sec-"
Snap snap bang
As soon as the device touched him, Rimuru struggled to maintain his form for an instant. It felt like the device would succeed, but 2 seconds later, he vanished.
"Huh? Where did he-"
"Behind you!"
"Ack!"
Rimuru appeared right behind him, and had his hand 2 inches away from Ryun's heart.
"If he dies we have no way to activate the seal!" shouted Guy.
slash
Ryun looked around and saw himself in one piece. "I-I am alive!?" A brown hand carried him by his waist, away from danger.
"Kuahahaha, indeed. You are safe."
"Good job, Veldora," commended Guy. "Now let's regroup and try it again."
*
Tears welled up in my eyes. "S-Shizu!" I exclaimed. "I-Is that really you?"
"Yes, Rimuru," she said with a smile. "It's good to see you after all this time. But, why do you look so grim and terrified? Did something happen to you?" she asked in a worried voice as she gently helped me get up on my feet.
"Yes, the thing is-" I wanted to explain everything to her, from the beginning. But somehow, I couldn't even muster the courage to do so. Moreover, is that really the best thing to talk about right now? "Well, I am fine. It's just that, some things had been weighing on me lately, but it's nothing for you to worry about." I spoke, in order to elevate her worries.
"Oh, I see. In that case, come inside. We should have a nice, long chat to catch up with each other!" Her face shone brightly, and her gentle voice was soothing. So much so that, I forgot all my worries and fears that haunted me. I agreed to her invitation instantly and we strolled off to a lone hut in front. The red land and the lack of vegetation in the area made me a bit uneasy, but it didn't matter as long as I was with Shizu.
...
..
.
Hmm, for some reason, the hut looks oddly familiar from the inside. It's like, I have been here before.
"Rimuru, do you remember this place?" She seemed to have noticed the odd expression on my face as I looked around.
"Well... It seems familiar, but I can't seem to recognize it at the moment. Give me some time." I looked around hard to find the slightest clue that could refresh my memory. "Hmm, what could it be? Is it... Nah. Then... no, that's not it either..."
"It is the place-"
"No. Don't tell me yet! I haven't given up trying." I spoke hurriedly. It felt as though the name is somewhere in the back of my mind but my tongue couldn't reach it.
And so, another 5 minutes passed in vain. No matter how much I tried, nothing came to me at all. It was, as if-
giggle
Suddenly, a peal of cute laughter interrupted my train of thought.
"Huh? What's so funny?" I asked her genuinely. All my brain cells had been fried by now, so I couldn't make sense of her reaction.
She bought her hand to her mouth to cover her giggling. "Haha sorry. It's just that seeing you get all worked up over it, I couldn't hold myself back."
"... So, what is the answer?" I finally asked, unable to continue anymore.
"It's the place where we parted ways... Rimuru," she spoke as if she reminisced about the old days.
Huh? Huh! AHHH!!!! How could I forget such an important thing? Just what in the world is wrong with me? I feel very... ashamed.
"Ever since you left, I maintained this place to look the same. It is a very precious memory after all; I couldn't just let myself forget it no matter what." Her tone turned slightly heavy and more emotional as she spoke, and her words only made me guiltier.
"I-I am sorry I-"
"Oh, It's fine. It's been over 7 millennia since that day, and you have a lot of responsibilities to bear as the leader of a nation. It's natural for such small things to skip out of your mind." Ouch. She said that with a smile, but the weight of her words was too much for my heart to bear.
"No, that doesn't excuse me to- Also, it's not a small thing for me either, it's-"
"You don't need to explain yourself, Rimuru. I am totally fine..." Her words seemed to choke out at this moment and her lips quivered, but she still continued. "Anyways, let's talk about something else." She wanted to change the subject, perhaps for my sake.
"... Alright. If that's what you want."
"How are Hinata and the other kids doing nowadays? Did they live a happy life?"
"Ah, right. Hinata is doing very well and the children all grew to be healthy as well. Gale and Gibbson made a name for themselves as successful adventurers before they passed away, and Alice was known as the greatest puppetmaster in the history of Tempest. All three of them were very talented kids and lived a happy life till the very end."
"So they died a natural death..." said Shizu with a satisfied look on her face but her eyes felt distant and lonely. "I am happy for them. But since you didn't take the others' names, should I assume that they still live?"
"Yes. Both Chloe and Kenya transcended human life and awakened into true heroes, along with Hinata, so they are alive. Ken-chan now runs the adventurer's guild, also known as the freedom association that Yuuki left behind and..."
After that, I explained to her in detail about all of her students. The case of Yuuki was a bit hard to explain, and I felt she would feel hurt if I told her the truth. So, I deemed it better to tell his story leaving out the bitter truths and mixing in a few, sweet lies. Her expression changed many times during the conversation, from happy and smiling at the good parts to a look of pity at the sufferings to a proud face at their achievements.
In the end, I believe not telling the truth about Yuuki was the right call. The smile on her face was far too precious and I wouldn't let anything destroy it. I would protect it at all costs, even if it meant lying to her. Well then, I think I did a good job convincing her
Rumble rumble
Suddenly, the ground under us shook like there was an earthquake.
"H-huh? What in the world is happening?" I spoke unintentionally as I couldn't comprehend what was happening around me. The shocks calmed down in a couple of seconds, but my mind didn't. Instead, it began to wander off in unknown directions, as if struggling to get free from something. It felt as though I was walking through a thick mysterious fog and it got clearer and clearer by the second. Just a little bit more. The memories that I had forgotten began returning back to me, one of them being-
"You... lied to me, right?" Shizu asked suddenly, forcing my attention back to her. Her eyes were moist from tears, and her face looked a mix between angry and depressed.
... Why did her mood change all of a sudden? Ugh, what was I thinking again? I feel as if something important came back to me, but I can't recall it anymore. Anyways, I need to calm Shizu down.
"W-what do you-"
"And here I thought you weren't capable of lying. At least, not to me."
"I can explain-"
"Don't bother. You have become a very important person and live with very important people. I realize a nobody like me is not important to you. The time we spent together was barely enough to make an impression after all. I guess I should just be honoured that you at least remembered me."
"No, no, no, no, no, NO! Why are you talking like that?" What in the hell is happening? This is not like her at all. The Shizu I knew won't say things like this. "You are, and will always be, one of the most precious beings in my life, and you know it. So please stop-"
"You didn't even remember the place of our last meeting, and you expect me to believe that?" her voice became more shakey and loud. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. It felt as if my entire world was torn apart. As the conversation escalated further and further, it became more and more difficult for me to think straight.
"... I-" A lump formed in my throat, hindering my attempt to utter even a single word.
"It's fine. I know I am just an annoyance, you don't need to bother with me anymore. I-I..." She bought her clenched hands to her chest.
Her words were cut short by quiet sobs, followed by a stream of tears that trickled down her cheeks. Her shoulders shivered and she felt so vulnerable and fragile that I couldn't help but want to hug her and tell her that I was sorry. But for some reason, I found myself incapable of even doing that simple act.
*
The battle against the strongest enemy the world had ever faced went on for who knows how long. One thing was for sure, the impact it was going to leave, won't be forgotten for centuries, or even millennia to come. Dark magic, Death magic, Divine magic, Nuclear magic- spells and skills containing unimaginable power were being thrown out one after the other. Although no life had been taken till now, the nation of Tempest was already on the verge of ruins. It had been contaminated and corrupted to the extent that no life could survive in the area for as long as tens of thousands of years.
"Ugh, let's try again!" shouted Guy for the 10th time. The world's forces were giving it their all, but till now, it was a failure. The mission to restrain Rimuru seemed more and more hopeless by each second, as they were overwhelmed by the tremendous energy of the enemy capable of erasing their existence at the first chance he got, no mercy. Even so, they couldn't give up. The fate of the world lay in their hands.
"Wait, what if we..." another idea struck their minds as they struggled for their lives. Observing the enemy for this long, a way to restrain Rimuru was finally visible. Thought communication was established and the method was discussed. Thought acceleration made it happen in an instant.
"Guy, Chloe, Rudra, Milim to the front."
"Veldora, Carrera, ultima, Testarossa as support."
"Beni, Zegion, Velgrynd, Diablo maintain balance between the two, and help whenever needed."
"Velzard and the rest work on barriers, or else the world would get destroyed."
"So do all of you agree with the plan?"
"I think that can work!"
"But it is too risky, is that really our only option?"
Heads were nodded and the plan was crafted; a plan which required each and every single one to perform their part flawlessly. A single mistake could cost them their lives, and the world.
"Everyone get ready, for this shall be the last and the most important mission. If we fail, the world will be ruined, and if we succeed, it will mean peace; for now."
"Commence!"
All feet rushed to their stations
all hands worked in close formation.
All heads knew what to do
they just awaited their cue.
"Get ready at the count of 3,"
and ours shall be the victory.
Forge ahead with all you've got;
this shall be for all or nought.
In this deciding moment shine like a star,
show the enemy your might in full spar.
let no danger in this realm you ascend,
The fate of the world rests in your hand.
Many times they had a close call,
but in the face of death, they stood tall
and many times from the brink of end
they return to life; a greater magic at hand?
And many times a fatal blow hit their soul
except for, it never actually exist'. Was it a troll?
Their support was flawless and perfect was the coordination
the enemy was invincible but so was their prowess beyond imagination.
They trudged forward with full determination
and it seemed the mission was at its final conclusion.
"Got him!" The plan was executed flawlessly and Rimuru had been restrained successfully. "Now, fire!"
The seal had been fired, and struck its target perfectly. And so, began the process of sealing Rimuru for all eternity. "8... 7... 6..." The countdown began, and now, the war came to an end. All worked hard and were on the verge of their life, they could go on no longer had this plan not suffice. "3... 2... 1... annnnnnd done!" the world saw a new morning and a new sun. The danger had passed, but now, what at last? Rimuru was no longer there, and cries and tears rose up in the air.
"Now then, what should we do?" asked Chloe as she wiped away the tears. "A world without Rimuru can never be the same."
"That's true," affirmed Guy. "It was very unfortunate, but-."
"Finally the evil slime is gone. Now, the world shall be at peace." Ryun's voice irritated their ears like a defective key ruining the melody of an instrument. Needless to say, many people were not happy to hear it.
"How dare you insult Rimuru sama!" said Diablo angrily as he took a few steps towards him, but ended up collapsing before he could reach him.
"Take it easy, Diablo. You are in no condition to move." Benimaru tried to calm him down.
"I can't just let that slide, Benimaru dono," insisted Diablo, but they all felt the same. "I will teach him to respect Rimuru sama if it's the last thing I do."
"Hmph. Whatever. I am going now-" Just as Ryun turned back and took a step away, a hand pierced his heart out and crushed it.
"What in the...!"
"H-how can it be!?"
"D-did we... fail!?"
Sure enough, there stood Rimuru, completely unharmed, staring at them with dark eyes.
<<<YOU THINK YOU CAN SEAL ME AWAY WITH THAT TOY? JUST WHAT DID YOU TAKE ME TO BE?>>>
He instantly flew up in the air, and looked at the fallen warriors. A black sphere appeared over him, and got bigger... and bigger... and bigger...
"... It's over. We don't have the power to stop him anymore," concluded Guy. Sure enough, none of them was in any condition to continue any longer. Now they could only watch as the world got devoured.
As always, remember to share your thoughts on the chapter in the comments and upvote if you liked the chapter. If you are interested in chatting with me or beta reading you can join my discord. The link is in the profile. Thanks for reading.