As the colors gradually returned to the world around her, she blinked and looked up at the night sky. A few scattered lights illuminated the surroundings, casting gentle glows that danced like fireflies in the darkness.
She found herself sheltered beneath the canopy of the largest tree she had ever seen. But this was no ordinary tree; its once vibrant browns and greens had been replaced by an ashy gray, and the bark was scarred and blackened as if it had been consumed by fire. Crimson embers clung stubbornly to the charred wood, a haunting reminder of the destruction it had endured.
A warm blanket was wrapped around her, providing a small measure of comfort against the cool night air. She instinctively cuddled into it, seeking solace in its embrace. In the distance, she could hear the faint echoes of an argument, the voices carrying through the stillness of the night.
Guy had arrived again, yet judging by the screaming match, things hadn't gone well. It didn't take long for Rimuru to return, anger and annoyance overpowering the exhaustion in his face.
An awkward silence settled between them, heavy and uncomfortable, until she finally gathered the courage to speak.
"So… Elmisia was telling me about the past." She spoke out, hoping to divert his thoughts. "She talked about the festival…"
Rimuru's expression softened slightly at the mention, and he let out a small sigh as he sat down on the ground beside her.
"Ah, that? Don't listen to her." Rimuru muttered, a faint smile appearing on his face before the discomfort rose again.
"Are you ok?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.Rimuru chuckled slightly, shaking his head slightly.
He hesitated for a moment, torn between speaking the truth and sparing her the burden. Finally, he sighed, the weight of his thoughts too heavy to keep to himself.
"My soul is all messed up. I should have died back when I lost my friend, but in a last-ditch effort, she managed to lower the damage. That doesn't change the fact that my soul can't handle things as it used to. My stupid Skills are killing me, but… it's not like there's much I can do about it." Rimuru admitted, though it was clear he wasn't revealing everything. His tone was light, almost dismissive, but the underlying truth was hard to miss. "Honestly, it's a wonder I've made it this far."
A wave of sadness washed over her as she listened to his words, instinctively wrapping herself with the blanket tighter.
"Are you… going to fight him again?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Elmisia says that— Never mind."
She had so much she wanted to say, so many fears and worries that she wanted to voice, but something in his demeanor told her that now wasn't the time.
"You could stay…" She muttered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound is the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. Finally, Rimuru sighed, a deep, drained sound that seemed to come from the very depths of his being.
"You know… I wish I could." He answered.
Looking at the towering tree above her, she went silent, wrapping herself even tighter.
She was desperate, sad, angry, tired, scared. All of her emotions were rushing all at once, until an idea appeared in her mind.
"You know… if you could go back and tell yourself something… what would it be?" She asked softly, her gaze still fixed on the tree.
Rimuru didn't answer immediately, lost in thought as he considered her question. There was so much he had learned, so many regrets.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
"Don't mess with the Voice of the World." He replied, the absurdity of the statement bringing a faint smile to his lips. It was a half-hearted joke, a small attempt to lighten the mood, but the heaviness of the moment was hard to shake.
His eyes shifted to the night sky, the stars twinkling above like distant memories
"Enjoy the time you have." He continued, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful. "Because… you never know when it's going to slip through your fingers."
A deep sadness settled over him as he spoke again, this time more hesitant, more vulnerable.
"Don't have a kid… it will destroy you when they're gone." His voice trembled slightly as the words escaped him. The pain of loss was still fresh, even after everything he had been through. "Because maybe then… maybe then she would have lived. We thought we were safe… we thought we had time, and because of that…"
He trailed off, his voice breaking under the weight of the memories. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to feel the grief, the anger, the regret that had been festering within him. But then, just as quickly, he pushed it all away.
"This is stupid." Rimuru muttered, his tone suddenly shifting as his expression hardened. The warmth and vulnerability in his eyes turned cold. Without another word, he stood up.
And as he stood up, she felt a wave of guilt. Guilt that slowly became overtaken by the darkness.
[Notice. Fragmented memory #03 completed. Start fragment #04?]
'...'
The voice of Raphael cut through the darkness, its tone as steady and precise as ever. Yet, in the vast silence that followed, Rimuru didn't immediately respond. He lingered in that quiet emptiness.
He understood what this future version of himself had implied.
It hurt.
[Do you wish to stop the usage of the Unique Skill: Prophet?] Raphael asked, perhaps sensing his own emotions, but after a moment of silence. Rimuru answered.
'No, continue.'
[Understood.]
The memories that followed were fragmented and disjointed, like shards of a shattered mirror. Each fragment flashed before him like a series of fading photographs, the images flickering in and out of focus.
One after the other, he saw himself deteriorate more and more, until everything dissolved into darkness.
For a moment, there was nothing but an overwhelming void. Then, suddenly, a lightning bolt tore through the blackness, illuminating the world once more.
Heavy rain poured down, drenching the broken remnants of a forest that had once stood tall and proud. The trees were splintered and uprooted, and the earth beneath them churned into a muddy wasteland. She wandered through the devastation, her steps faltering as she limped forward, her body battered and bleeding.
Her wounds refused to heal, each movement sending jolts of pain through her weary form. Her very being, her soul, was damaged.
But the physical agony paled in comparison to the crushing sadness that weighed down her heart. It felt as though her entire world was collapsing around her, yet she continued to push forward, driven by a resolve that refused to die.
But even the strongest will has its limits. Her strength finally gave out, and she collapsed into the mud, the cold earth embracing her as she lay there, exhausted and broken.
With trembling hands, she reached into her tattered clothing and pulled out a small pocket watch. The metal casing was dented and scarred, yet the watch itself still ticked on.
Taking in a shaky, final breath, she forced herself to sit up, her body screaming in protest. Her hand found the hilt of her broken sword, and with great effort, she raised it into the air. The blade was jagged and worn, but it was all she had left.
"That wasn't you..." She whispered, her voice barely audible above the pounding rain. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of determination and sorrow as she clutched the watch close to her heart. "Wait for me. Even if it takes eternity…"
Turning the blade to her neck, she took one final breath before the world went dark.
[Notice. Fragmented memory #04-05 completed. The remaining memories have all been damaged beyond repair.]
[The reason for the damaged memories is believed to come from damage sustained to the soul, which deteriorated even further from the subsequent death.]
[Only the strongest memories were able to survive the transfer through the usage of the Unique Skill: Prophet.] Raphael explained, and as she did, Rimuru finally opened his eyes, finding himself back in his office.
The gentle rain continued to fall outside, gently tapping against his window. Yet Rimuru couldn't help but grimace slightly as he saw it. The final memories flashed a few more times, causing him to get lost in thought.
Eventually, a quiet chuckle escaped him, though it was devoid of any real humor.
A warning about diplomacy and the eventual destruction of everything he knew.
Quite the news to come home to, but it was good that he had seen them. He would be prepared when the time came.
He had been ready to finally relax, enjoy his life, and set himself up for a calm and happy future.
But now he knew he would have to put that future on hold.
[Request. Would you like to hear the recommended course of action?] Raphael asked, cutting through his thoughts.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could hear a pang of emotion in Raphael's voice. Perhaps it was sadness, or maybe just the pure frustration of knowing she had failed at her job. She was always a perfectionist, after all.
Yet in the end, despite her usual coldness, Rimuru knew she would always look after him. Even when facing destruction.
'Go ahead.' He answered.
[After running a thorough analysis of the memories by reviewing them 1,324,674,476,236,845,156… times, certain approximations and estimations have been made.]
Raphael struck him with the ridiculous number that seemed to go on and on. From the moment she had gained access to them, she had devoted a portion of her processing power to rewatching them over and over in search of solutions.
[An approximation of three years and five months has been made until memory fragment one occurred. Judging by the state of destruction, the extent of the damages, and using the patterns in the vegetation and the sky, an estimation of two years, seven months, and fifteen days can be made until the destruction of Tempest.]
Knowing when he was supposed to lose everything wasn't entirely comforting, but it did put the problem into a more manageable timeline. Exactly what Raphael had been aiming for.
[Almost three years are approximated until any such level of damage begins.]
[The reason it was recommended to avoid the Unique Skill: Prophet was due to that fact.]
Rimuru's brow furrowed slightly as he heard Raphael, still feeling the slight unease he had ever since he opened the letter Luminous gave him.
'What are you getting at?' He finally asked.
[Request. Place your trust in the Ultimate Skill: Raphael, Lord of Wisdom.]
The request sounded surprisingly earnest, surprising even Rimuru as he heard it.
[Though it is advised to keep a higher level of vigilance. After a thorough analysis, the current path is believed to be the best one.]
[Place your focus on improving the Tempest Empire, ensuring it reaches an adequate level of strength and prosperity. Then, focus on building your relationship with the remaining Demon Lords.]
Rimuru went silent, thinking as he processed her request.
In theory, what she was saying made sense. She believed that what he was doing was the right thing, even when he had been blind to what the future held.
Having seen the fragments over and over, Raphael would have probably jumped to stop him during his negotiation with Luminous had she not believed it was for the best. In fact, Raphael would have probably directly requested to advise him had he begun to take the path to destruction. But so far she had been quietly watching over him.
The reason she had stopped him from seeing the memories in the first place was probably to prevent him from spiraling and taking any rash actions. Which, he had to admit, was wise.
A few wild ideas had passed through his mind when he heard the things his future self would have liked him to know.
Starting a true war with the humans of the West and the East for one. Gathering more souls and skills through it to try to awaken more of his subordinates. Or simply to strengthen himself through his Innate Skill: Death Benefit.
[Correct. Any actions of such caliber would not be advised as they would damage and even turn the majority of the current Demon Lords into your enemies due to the level of disruption it would cause for their territories and trade agreements.]
They didn't have a full picture of their enemy, but the timeline and warnings that their strange benefactor had given them were more than enough.
In just over a year, he had gone from a relatively normal slime to holding five Ultimate Skills. The small goblin village had grown to encompass what was practically a third of the continent. That was without accounting for the potential that Ramiris' Labyrinth held.
He was growing at such a ridiculous pace that he wasn't even able to keep up.
With how lackluster his evolution into a Paradox had been, he could only assume that something was missing. His gut told him that he had brushed with a wild level of strength, but all he held right now was the potential.
Maybe it was the sleeping Hero's' Egg inside of him, or the fact his soul wasn't whole, but he clearly wasn't strong enough for what was to come yet.
Tempest was a bonafide Empire, but his city was not yet up to his standards. It wouldn't be until it was strong enough to resist the destruction that was to come.
He couldn't know what the other version of him had done in his own timeline. Or at what point he lost Raphael. But one thing was clear: he couldn't let what he saw cloud his judgment.
If anything, he had to focus more than ever.
Strangely, as his new goal settled in his mind, the discomfort he felt vanished. The wave of emotions he had felt all vanished, replaced instead with a simple calmness.
Breaking the silence, a gentle knock on his door rang out.
"Come in."
The door opened, and one of the maids stepped inside, bowing respectfully before speaking.
"Lord Rimuru, King Gazel has arrived. He is currently seated in one of the meeting rooms."
He couldn't help but let a small smile appear on his face as he heard the news. The poor king was probably freaking out. As much as Tempest tried to suppress the news, he was sure Gazel's spies would have gotten news about Falmuth by now.
"Thanks, Tohru." Rimuru answered as he stood up. "Could you grab some drinks from our storage and bring them to the meeting room?"
With a bow, the maid instantly moved to follow his orders.
Moving through his own building, he took it as his final chance to clear his mind. The calmness he felt allowed him to put the vision he had just seen in the back of his mind.
He would have to discuss it with Shuna and Frey, but until they returned, he would fulfill his role as king.
He had probably slightly soured Tempest's relationship with Dwargon by not informing him of anything that had happened since the Falmuth invasion, but he had prepared himself for this when he decided to hold back any information.
He would much rather deal with an angry Gazel than with any potential interference he might have brought to his plans.
Entering the elegant room, he saw Gazel and some of his most trusted officials beside him. There was some tension as Rimuru walked in, but he simply smiled as he sat down before them.
"Gazel, what great timing. I was just about to call you to share some news. You wouldn't believe how crazy things have been lately." Rimuru began, his smile widening as he met the king's stern gaze. He made sure his tone was light, almost casual, as if talking to a close friend.
Gazel's eyes narrowed as he heard him.
[Notice. The Subject, Gazel Dwargo, is attempting to use a Mind Reading Skill. Would you like to block it?]
'Yes.'
Unlike before, he didn't need to artificially scramble his own thoughts to protect his mind. Just the simple denial was enough to render Gazel's Skill useless.
"Is that so?" Gazel responded, his frown deepening as he continued to study Rimuru. The king's voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it, a warning that he was not in the mood for lies or half-truths.
"Though, Gazel, I'd appreciate it if you stopped doing that. We are sword brothers, so the least you could do is respect my mind. It's things like this that I hesitate to invite you over. I know full well that you tried to look into my wife's mind without permission." Rimuru suggested with a smile, using the title Gazel seemed so proud of to make his point hit harder.
The frown on Gazel's face lightened as he heard him tapping the table a few times before finally sighing.
"So that's why…" Gazel muttered, his posture relaxing as a few maids walked in and served everyone some Mead made from Apito's honey. "In that case, I apologize. However, there is still a lot you have to explain."
Rimuru simply nodded his head with a smile, waiting for Gazel and his subordinates to drink down their first glass before revealing anything.
— — —
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