The Memories of the Hero
The birth of the "True Hero" Chloe O'Bell.
It should have been an event that occurred at the same time as Hinata's death.
However,
That Fate was rewritten due to the intervention of the Demon Lord Ruminas.
But, was that really the cause?
Chloe who woke up and knew that Hinata was able to revive safely was glad enough to shed tears.
They would talk calmly, the three: Hinata, the Hero and Ruminas moved to the parlor. In there, they spoke with the awakened Chloe.
Because the string of tension was gone, the children were sleepy, and Glenda had taken them to rest in another room.
The other Holy Knight seemed to have decided to rest as well after Hinata's revival made their tension disappear.
Under pressure they had held the conference since morning and before they realized it, the day had turned to night.
Although it was important to determine their future objective, with the appearance of the Demon Lord Ruminas, their hostility to the Holy Empire Ruberion now vanished during the talk.
Even though they couldn't help but see the Freedom Association as an enemy, they never predicted that Yuuki had consolidated his power in each nation of Human Alliance.
Nevertheless, Hinata's revival wiped out their despair and dispersed the heavy mood.
For that reason, they would hold a real conference tomorrow.
After guiding the three people, Nicholas instructed the maid to prepare the tea, and he embraced Hinata from behind, seeming like he doesn't want to be separated. Even if Hinata told him to go away,
「Because I don't want to part with you again.」(Nicholas)
But there were no islands to hold on to.
Eventually, Hinata ran out of patience and continued the conversation as if Nicolas didn't exist.
Hinata's face turned red, but Nicholas can't see it. Chloe and Ruminas kindly turn a blind eye, and Hinata herself was happy.
「I'm glad, Hinata.... You are safe. As Hinata's soul disappeared, I thought you died....」(Chloe)
「Ah, Chloe. I was surprised too. I never thought that Ruminas would come
and assist in my revival.」(Hinata)
「Fumu. Speaking of which, the information network of the church hath expanded as well.
'Tis was for the sake of finding the one who durst steal Chloe from the Sacred Coffin[1] under mín protection.
And, after knowing Chloe's revival, from the information besought, I cameth here.
When This One arrived thither, the revived thee was not present.[2]」
While hearing the exchange, Chloe was in thought.
Her expression was filled with wonder, as it wasn't a trivial matter.
When Hinata and Ruminas who noticed this, they worried and tried to speak to her,
「I remembered. No... I could remember.
Apparently...
I saw my demise in the future.
I'll be defeated by Yuuki and be killed in the future.
It'll become a one-on-one fight with the Demon Lord Guy Crimson, using that opportunity Yuuki pierced the two of us together...
However, on the verge of death, my Astral Body that holds the property of the spirit of time was thrown to the past.
For the sake of sharing my knowledge and experience.....
As a result, the pastcurrent I, received help from Rimuru-sensei, and the rampaging was prevented during the spirit fusion.
Therefore, this maybe my second life?
Though I may have actually leapt many times....
Perhaps, even if I leaped many times in this world, I think I cannot learn everything.
Unfortunately, the Hero's Astral Body that fused with me couldn't remember the knowledge and experiences of the future.
Even now, because I can only remember the last life's memories, this may not be the second time.
When I compare it with my memory, Hinata still being alive now is a miraculous thing.
It's just probably....for one thing, I succeeded in taking a different action from last time.
Though, it's just a trivial action.
As a result, time has now begun to follow a different route from the future that I remembered.
What will happen in this world's future? I will witness it with my own eyes.
And, I wish to save this world.」
Chloe spoke while taking a sip of the black tea that had been prepared by the maid.
The "Remembered Past and Future[3]" that she know.
Last time, or the time she leapt so many times.
Even with the fragment of the Hero's last bit of power that fused with Chloe, she can't convey the knowledge to herself at the time of Spirit Summoning by Rimuru.
The ability she obtained was, Unique Skill『Time Travel[4]』, the power to do a limited leap to the past.
It's a one way trip, and the conditions to use this ability are complicated and its use is limited.
Last time (Or every time), Chloe killed Hinata and leapt to the past.
When she returned from the long time-travel and woke up, she killed Hinata.
It should have been a fate that was repeated without changing.
However, it's different this time.
Up until now, Hinata didn't revive and Rimuru was dead.
Hinata fought against Rimuru not only once.
When Rimuru parted with Chloe and others in the Royal Capital, Chloe always clung to Rimuru in tears and detained him in his return to Tempest.
As the result, some time was wasted, and Rimuru return to Tempest with『Spatial Transfer』in hurry.
Hinata who was performing an ambush outside of the Royal Capital always missed meeting with Rimuru and the encounter between them never happened.
It might be said that Yuuki's expectations always came off.
However, this time Chloe didn't detain Rimuru
She endured it as she wanted to be considered an adult by Rimuru. As a result, it can be said that the situation has greatly changed.
First of all, the detained Rimuru returned to Tempest without encountering Hinata, and succeeded in protecting his subordinates.
However, Tempest will be defeated by the hostile allied forces of the Western Saint' Church and Farmas Kingdom.
The Holy Knight Order led by Hinata boasted an unparalleled strength, no matter how many of Rimuru's monster subordinates were stronger than a high rank devil, it was impossible for them to surpass that wall of strength.
In the end, Rimuru fought Hinata in single combat and was completely annihilated on the spot.
After getting a large quantity of souls from that war, Clayman awakened as a True Demon Lord.
With the joint cooperation of Milim and Frey, Clayman's hosting of Walpurgis was approved. Naturally Ruminas also attended that conference.
During that window, Yuuki began his move to steal the Sacred Coffin.
When Hinata returned, by the order of the raging Ruminas, the Sacred Coffin Recovery Operation was accomplished in every time's flow.
Chloe obtain Hinata's soul here and leap to the past, but because Hinata's soul was ruined due to the effect of Yuuki's Thought Control, "Crystal of Curse", only the energy of her ability and her soul passed to Chloe.
They didn't share their knowledge and feelings, Chloe gathered power by herself and she would go through a long time-travel.
Therefore Hinata's ego returning when she awoke as the True Hero was unexpected.
When Hinata fought the Hero, Ruminas was also in the middle of a fight.
By the order of Clayman, Milim invaded.
Or rather than an order, it was a suggestion.
Clayman's cajolery was based on the advice from Yuuki that Rimuru's death was because of Ruminas's incitement.
Deceived by those words, Milim raged.
With Milim as the opponent, Ruminas was at disadvantage. She would be defeated by Milim after fighting for 3 days and 3 nights.
However Milim can't be said to have been left unscathed, she would be killed in her weakened state by the awakened HeroChloe under Yuuki's order.
Even if it became a slightly different future, if Milim knew the truth about Rimuru's death, Chloe couldn't do anything.
The fact that Chloe knew was only that Milim killed Ruminas.
However, with this result, the fighting force of the Demon Lord's side greatly decreased.
Milim, Ruminas, Karion. These three people disappeared.
Karion who was hiding, protected by Frey was eventually killed after the disturbance.
The East Empire started the invasion, the fight started against the Demon Lords due to Clayman.
As a result, the world was wrapped in chaos.
In the middle of the chaos, Chloe went to subjugate Guy by order of Yuuki and lost her life.
This was the flow of events that Chloe knew until now, so it could be said that the current situation was vastly different.
Finished hearing Chloe's story, silence descended in the room.
The subject was too important to be ignored; therefore the girls felt that they wanted some time to think about this.
They couldn't confirm whether there were multiple time iterations; however they couldn't disregard the story about how the last world fell apart.
「Then the result where I was able to revive is really a coincidence..... 」
Hinata muttered in one go.
Actually, since her fight against Rimuru at the Royal Capital, Rimuru analyzed Hinata's ability to some extent and was able to take measures.
If their first match was an all out battle where they couldn't retreat then there was no doubt he would have been defeated.
And as a result, his return to his country was delayed because of his encounter with Hinata, and it led him to awaken as a Demon Lord, his awakening brings change to the flow and influences it greatly, in a way that Chloe couldn't even imagine.
It's a completely different route from last time.
Thanks to Rimuru dispelling the curse from Hinata, she was able to return alive without her soul destroyed.
For Ruminas too, the worst case in which Milim raided didn't happen, thus she was pleased as she can reunite with Chloe safely.
In the past, the Hero saved Ruminas's life in her fight with Veldora.
And so she became her first friend, for Ruminas she was her loved one.
In promise with Chloe, the protection of the Sacred Coffin with Chloe sleeping inside was entrusted to Ruminas.
Though she raged when the Sacred Coffin was stolen and went mad, still it was a fortunate that Ruminas carried it out without any trouble.
This time, it can be said that everything is miraculous because it followed a good flow.
「This One is glad that Chloe art safe above all else.
Of course, if Hinata is a part of Chloe, Hinata returning alive also a joyous thing.」
「 Yes, thank you. However, when thinking about this, the route of Fate is altered, it's a miracle.」
Everyone agrees with Hinata's words.
Those words hold a big meaning, big simply because her Will is a part of the Hero and Hinata was walking together with Chloe for a long time.
The things she can do are limited even if she remembered the last memory from the Hero's Astral Body.
Since it had been decided, there was nothing that could change the confirmed past.
That is, in other words, until the moment of the Hero's birth in the future, any kind of attack cannot affect the Hero, and so she could be called Invincible.[5]
The Chloe who flew to the past, her soul would be trained safely without any tremor.
Since the result is fixed, it is protected from anything until it reached the event.
It's just like the self defense of a cocoon that waits for the time of its emergence as a butterfly.
In the previous world, she needed to abide until the destined time when she developed into the Hero
Therefore, it was impossible to kill the past Yuuki to change the future.
Since Yuuki met with the child Chloe and said to take care of her was a "Confirmed Event", until then Yuuki couldn't die.
The rule that protected the Hero's body applied to all events that the child Chloe recognized.
It's the effect of the ability that is the pivot of "Hero Upbringing Program[6]".
It's a compound effect of Unique Skill『Infinity Prison[7]』and Unique Skill『Time Travel』.
Time has an absolute compelling force that keeps it following in a decided manner which can be referred to as Time Prison. That is how Chloe traveled through time.
Therefore.
Even if Chloe had the future memory, the things she could do were nearly none, as her own ability was restrained.
After uniting with the Hero's Astral body in front of Rimuru, she could only fly back into the past to become her duplicate existence who had woken up, so there was no time where Chloe could do something.
As for its significance, it can be said that the influence of the action of not detaining Rimuru showed the highest effect.
The result in a world where Rimuru was detained, is Rimuru'sdeath and Hinata's disappearance..
The result in a world where Rimuru was not detained, is that Rimuru awoke as a Demon King and Hinata acquired "Hero's Egg".
Certainly as Hinata had said, it's a coincidental result.
However, that coincidence brings too convenient a result.
Even acquiring Hero's Egg, properly speaking, was something that could only be born after Chloe received the energy flowing from Hinata's soul.
Even in that aspect, the present Chloe is strong when compared to past Chloe.
Because she went to the past together with Hinata's Will, Chloe didn't taste solitude. And under the tutoring of Hinata, an excellent teacher, she was able to learn all the skills that Hinata had known.
Because of that the foundation was made...
――She awoke the Ultimate Skill『Space-Time King (Yog-Sothoth)[8]』――
Thanks to this ability she was able to recall the future memory.
It's a thing that Chloe from previous iterations was not able to do.
Originally, Hinata's『Mathematician』and『Usurper』 were unified with『Absolute Severance』and『Infinity Prison』and she acquired Ultimate Skill『Hope King (Sariel)[9]』.
This time, she absorbed the energy from Hinata's Soul without a problem, so she could remain without being mixed, and Hinata's soul could be revived in pure form.
What it brought was an absolute power that rules over time and space.
It was the awakening of two abilities called Ultimate Skill『Space-Time King (Yog-Sothoth)』 and『Hope King (Sariel)』.
Chloe who awoke this ability and obtained an ability to memorize and repeat the time she spent on this moment again and again.
During combat, she was able to start over again after she saw the enemy's attack.
That absolute superiority Chloe had, made Hero Chloe becomes the strongest existence.
And.....
Chloe understood the awakened ability.
The existence released from the Law of the World, people who posses Ultimate Skills.
Ruminas in front of her.
Rimuru that Chloe loves.
And she realized that Rimuru's existence was necessary to rewrite destiny.
Perhaps, because Rimuru obtained an Ultimate Skill, he slipped out from the Law of the World, and so he might be the reason of the current miracle?
No, more than that.
In the last time, if by chance Rimuru survived, wouldn't he have awakened an Ultimate Skill?
Such a question appeared in her mind.
If Rimuru survived after his companions were killed and he was in despair and anger.......
By some means, he helped Chloe, so that she might to interfere the past?[10]
(No, even if it's Sensei, that's not possible)
Chloe shook off her imagination and stood up.
「I has stayed for too long, though it's not necessary for me to be always near Yuuki.」
Chloe said so and prepared to return.
Despite obtaining an Ultimate Skill, Yuuki's control, "The Order (Wish) of Three[11]" is still effective.
She guessed this is because Yuuki also has an Ultimate Skill.
Chloe can't attack Yuuki.
Therefore, even with the strongest ability, she can't attack Yuuki.
Since his wish is to bring chaos to the world, it's necessary to defeat him someday.
When she tells this to Hinata and Ruminas,
「Don't be reckless, you know?」
「Yes. Yuuki is an enemy to This One. Chloe, don't do a dangerous thing, okay?」
「Ufufu, It's all right! I can't lay my hand on Yuuki, similarly Yuuki cannot do so to me.
If he turns his hand on me, his control is released.
Therefore, I'm safe. Because, unlike the former world, this world is stable.
But, if you want to be careful... it will be the movement of the East Empire.
Yuuki's subordinates have already prepared it, it's necessary to push forward preparations so that this side responds to it too.
If it's possible, you should tie the neighboring countries of the Great Jura Forest in a large alliance.」
「The Empire in the East? Fie, an enemy of This One――」
「It's no use, Ruminas. Overconfidence is prohibited!
For the East Empire, Summoners ruled, so there were many 'Otherworlder[12]'.
People who have high combat ability that Yuuki summoned belong to the army of the East Empire.
It's not a war potential that can be trifled with, and there are many people who are stronger than a high rank devil.
Above all else....In that country, there is the "Scorching Dragon Velgurind[13]".
You must never let your guard down.」
Chloe warns Ruminas.
Ruminas also changed her thinking after hearing Chloe's words.
If the Empire has a reliable force that organized and begins a military campaign, it's surely a threat.
「Then as expected, the very best thing is to visit Rimuru and suggest an alliance right?」
「Yes. I think that Sensei will surely help.
Or rather, I think that Sensei has the key to save this world.」
Chloe agreed to Hinata's words.
Though Ruminas envied Rimuru a little, she decided to endure it and agreed.
The Monster's Country Tempest and the Western Saint' Church. And also the Holy Empire Ruberion.
In the girls' discussion, the objective to conclude an alliance was decided.
After it is realized, it would later be called the "Saint-Demon Alliance."