After eagerly consuming all of the monsters Rimuru regurgitated for me, I finally noticed Rimuru's gaze on me, their amorphous form periodically shifting. Either Rimuru wanted to say something, or my presence deeply disturbed them.
I still say we kill them. One of my nine parallel minds said, to which I promptly ignored! If it wasn't clear, based on my previous interactions with the parallel minds, they were problematic. Ever since they returned from Mother's soul, they've acted differently. Not to say they were disloyal, just... not me.
"Sooo... what now?" Rimuru asked, their voice pronounced with a slight shakiness. Why are you asking me? Don't you have that unique skill, [Great Sage]? Why don't you just ask that? I thought, remaining silent. I had used [Wisdom] on all of Rimuru's skills while I ate, so I knew that Rimuru had what effectively amounted to a supper advanced AI in their mind.
My gaze turned to meet Rimuru's blue slime body, which unconsciously shivered. An uncomfortable silence landed between us as Rimuru presumably waited for my response.
I noticed the tension in Rimuru's obloid body increase, his form becoming a more spherical spheroid. It became apparent to me, as dense as I am, that Rimuru probably didn't like me. Every time my gaze landed on him, he became all tensed up. Relax, dude. I'm not going to eat you...
We stared at each other, Rimuru's amorphous body occasionally shifting uncomfortably. We stood like that until Rimuru finally spoke again, their voice noticeably more reserved: "R-right... um... how about we get out of this cave?"
I immediately nodded in agreement. The awkwardness was starting to get to me, and frankly, I didn't really feel like standing around anymore.
"Great! Let's go!" They said hurriedly, their squeaky voice cracking. Rimuru quickly turned around and promptly hopped off, and I soon followed, my feet clicking across the ground.
...
It's been a few hours, and Rimuru hasn't said a thing. So I distracted myself using [Clearvoyent Evil Eye]s, as they come with X-ray vision (every pervert's dream) as well as [Wisdom]'s subskill, [Detection], to explore the cave. The cave was filled with weak monsters, like giant spiders, lizards, and stacks, which reminded me of those giant snakes in the Great Elroe Labyrinth.
That reminds me. I wonder what the EP number Araba would have... I paused as I did the calculations... at least 23,555 Ep. So Araba would probably be at the top of the food chain even here.
Rimuru eventually took me out of my daydreaming by asking, in a slightly more confident tone than before, "Hey, um, now that I think about it, what's your name?" Since I didn't respond, Rimuru added, "Oh, sorry, my name is Rimuru Tempest." How do I tell this idiot that I can't talk? I wondered how I would respond, my mandibles clicking in annoyance—eventually, shaking my head. "You don't have one?" He asked. I nodded and imagined that Rimuru was re-gathering his courage to speak to me throughout the following deafening silence.
Getting bored, I began researching this cave using [Wisdom]. This cave is home to the True Dragon named Veldora Tempest, one of the 4 True Dragons who were basically like this world's Gods, and I wondered if I could use [Wisdom] on him. It worked, but I won't bore you with the details. He has an EP of 16,836,735, which, compared to Ariel, who has an EP of 11,191,720, seems relatively low...
Something fishy is happening here. Like, I looked at the other true dragons, and Ariel currently has 5,396 more EP than another True Dragon named Velgrynd, who has an EP of 11,186,324; even the most powerful True Dragon still alive, Velzard, has an EP of 17,959,184. But before I could delve deeper and use [Wisdom] on the last True Dragon Veldenava, Rimuru asked, clearly reluctant, "Do... Do you want a new name?"
Dude, I'm trying to solve a mystery here! Also, we just met. Do you seriously go around naming every person you meet? Don't think I noticed that you shared a surname with this cave's boss monster! Sorry, I'm good. For all I know, you're trying to tie our souls together and take control over me. Though, admittedly, if you did try something like that, you'd be getting all my parallel minds! Muahaha!
Hey—! My parallel minds protested in unison.
I said what I said!
(Un-cool)...
Did you say something?
Nothing!
In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Veldora's EP decrease by one right before I dismissed the screen.
Taking my silence as a cue, Rimuru began to think, their bouncing body noticeably less tense.
"How about White or Shiro?" Rimuru suggested as he stopped jumping forward, his body turning to me nearly imperceptibly.
The spider's mouth clicked, and I felt those eight crimson irises, vacant of emotion yet possessing an air of immense intelligence, boring into my amorphous form like an all-consuming crimson void, causing me to shiver involuntarily.
The memories of my fight with her flashed into my mind, especially the final moments, where she bore down over me, causing an echo of the fear I felt at that moment to defend upon my slimy body. I unconsciously shifted my weight as the uncomfortable memory ran its course.
Does she not like it? I asked [Great Sage], scared the spider would attack again. But I reminded myself that she was from Japan, and, to add to that, she was famished, which is why she attacked me. Now that her hunger was satiated, there was no way she would attack me. I reasoned, slightly relieving my fears.
<<Answer: the mongrel in front of you seems displeased.>>
Wha—?
<<Suggestion: the bastard spider does not want to be named.>>
Wow, that's—she's from Japan; of course, she wants a name! Maybe she just doesn't like those names. I reason. Also, are you really still mad at her?
<<It's just your imagination.>>
If you say so... I thought, ending the conversation. "So, those names are better suited as nicknames...so, in light of that, how about... Shiraori?"
The spider remained silent, and I took that as confirmation. "Alright! Your new name is Shiraori! Nice to meet you, Shiraori! I'm Rimuru Tempest!" I said confidently. I was entirely sure that we were making progress in our relationship. I eagerly bounced my slimy body and turned, expecting to see the standard (at least in anime and manga) "Yay!" smile or some excited chirping... but there was no response. The spider just continued walking like nothing was going on.
<<Nodice: Magicalules have not decreased, and the individual spider monster you have tried to name [Shiraori] has not been named.>>
Seriously...
<<...>>
...
Rimuru and I continued exploring the cave. The only sounds came from the squish of Rimuru's body and the clicking of my feet. Eventually, after a week of searching, we finally found the cave's exit, a giant metal door with an intricate design that stood tall and imposing.
"So, how are we gonna do this?" Rimuru asked. In the week that we've known each other, Rimuru has gotten noticeably more comfortable around me.
At the same time, I could slaughter around 3 or 4 monsters per day, meaning I got an additional 24 souls over the week, which is how I found out that Skanda was allowing me to collect the souls. I could've gotten more without Rimuru, though. He's just sooo slow! Well, I guess I do specialize in speed.
We heard voices from the other side of the door just before I could do anything to open the door. "Ugh, I wonder if I'm strong enough." The voice was ruff and dull. Curious, I used [Clearvoyant Evil eye] and saw through the door to see three people: two men and a woman. Their equipment screamed that they were amateur adventurers.
"Gah! We should be fine. Its hinges might be rusty, but there are three of us." the other man said.
"Huh!? You'd have this delicate maiden use her arms for physical labor!? How shameless!" The blonde girl said, her voice squeaking with annoyance and gesturing towards herself.
The first guy responded while opening the door, "There's—gah—nothing maiden-like about you!"
The old hinges creaked, and I saw Rimuru hiding behind a rock. "(Come on)," he whispered, beckoning me to their side.
I briefly considered declining, but—Fine, I relented and quickly scurried to Rimuru's side. Rimuru slightly cringed away as I approached them, still not entirely used to me.
"That's—how rude! I'll have you know I've taken etiquette classes." The blonde girl, who I'll call Karen, squealed. Yeah, I know she has a proper name. She just seemed like a Karen, so she's Karen!
"Yeah, whatever," the guy who looked to be the party's rouge said, his voice growing grim. "Let's just hope my stealth skill still works."
The Strong Man snorted but refrained from saying more, his face becoming serious as he watched in anticipation as Stealth Guy smashed his fists together.
In an instant, the three of them disappeared. Of course, I still knew exactly where they were because of [Detection], but the thought counts.
"That was... odd, Shiraori. What do you think about what he said? Hoping that his skill still works."
Like hell, I know. Ask your AI! I thought, and a theory began forming in my head.
"Okaaay, then... Um, let's get out of here," Rimuru said awkwardly and began hopping towards the exit, which I followed shortly after towards the white rays of light streamed through the open door.
But as I entered the blinding light, my body heated up! It felt as if the sun was a deadly laser! What the heck! I screeched internally as I jumped back into the cave.
Rimuru, sensing my distress, turned to me, confusion as evident on his slimy form... mainly because of the question mark extending from his body.
Why the hell does the sun hurt!? To ensure I wasn't imagining things, I cautiously reapproached the light, putting one scythe arm in the light. It began to heat up, and its pain irritated in waves that spread through my arms. And I immediately pulled back. You've got to be kidding me!
"Err... Shiraori? What's wrong?" Rimuru asked, probably not expecting an answer.
He didn't get one as I stomped my legs in frustration; I can't go outside!
Meanwhile, in another land, in the bed chambers of a certain Demon Lord.
"GOOD MORNING, BESTIE!" I heard Milim's excited voice echoing through the grayish-yellow limestone room as she barreled through the red cloth covering the doorway to my room and towards me at incredible speed. Her arms outstretched, a smile plastered all over her cute face.
Sitting up from my white-blanketed bed, I braced myself for impact with the flying pink bundle of joy, impacting me and causing my upper body to rock backward slightly, and I soon found Milim's arms wrapped around me in a tight hug.
"Good morning, Milim," I greeted her groggily, running my hand through her pink hair, which I recently discovered was actually muscle.
Throughout the week, I've grown quite fond of Milim. The day Milim and I met, I discovered that the entire city didn't have a single stove, oven, or anything like that. How was I supposed to make good on my promise to Milim if I had nothing to cook with!?
So we went on a date to nearby states to buy cooking supplies. But when I went to pay, they couldn't accept my money! Something about me being too young and it not sitting right in their consciousness if they sold a lighter to a couple of teens. Oh, and they didn't recognize the coins I was using, as they weren't sure of the purity of the coins and the possibility that their weight was altered by a mage with magic that would wear off after a while.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Milim remained calm, which I found odd. Milim seemed like the type who'd get angry when she was denied. I could even tell that, behind a mask of serenity, was a raging storm of suppressed emotion.
We eventually found something, and I could cook for the ravenous Milim. I smiled as I reminisced.
"What are we eating this morning?" Milim asked as she wrapped her legs around my thin body, placing my face squarely in the center of her meager chest. The warmth of her body seeped through my pores. She's like a monkey, I mused, a ghost of a smile creeping onto my face as I continued caressing her long pink hair.
"How about food," I answered, deadpan, not wanting to think about it this early in the morning. Milim's arms and legs around me tightened slightly, pushing my head deeper into the washboard, "Hey! Where's my Magical Girl Ariel? She's much more fun than grumpy Ariel!"
"Hauh..." I sighed, closing my eyes, and— "Good morning, Milim! Magical girl and Demon Lord Ariel here!" I decided to indulge her, and my voice became cute and high-pitched.
"Yay!" Milim squeezed me with all her might. Luckily, I had physical damage nullification, so her squeezing only felt like a slight pressure.
"This morning we're having, get this: food!" I smiled mischievously as I moved my bare legs until they were dangling off the side of the bed.
Milim reoriented her body and plopped down in my lap, freeing my face from Kansas–arms wrapping around my neck. Her neck stretched backward as she groaned, "Yeah, I know we're having food. I want to know what food we're having!"
"Let's call it a surprise!" I smiled, showing off a snaggle tooth.
Oddly enough, Milim never asked me for a rematch after our initial fight, which, as I knew her, wasn't normal for one simple reason: she hates losing.
Whether it be card games that I recreated from Japan, like Onu or Pokey, she always asked for a rematch whenever I would win and wouldn't stop until she won at least one more time than me, with no exceptions.
Yet she laughed her ass off when she lost against me in a fight. She never does that whenever we play games.
Deciding to broach the topic, I asked hesitantly, "Hey, Milim?"
"Hm?" She sounded.
"Why haven't you asked for a rematch for our initial fight? When we met, you seemed very insistent on a fight, but... now that I know you better, I know it's unlike you. And don't think I didn't notice how you let me win. I now know you're smart enough to have put up a longer fight than that." I said pensively.
Milim's blue eyes widened imperceptibly, and I felt her mussels tense. "I—" Milim started, looking downward towards our thighs. "Are you implying you'd win even if I went all out? Because I didn't!" She looked up, her startling blue eyes twitching slightly, but a broad grin reappeared on her face.
Something's wrong... I quickly noticed her change in character; that eye twitch wasn't out of anger but something else. I saw her swallow the no doubt bitter spit in her mouth, which only added to my suspicion.
"That's beside the point. Now, why haven't you asked me for a rematch yet?" I brought her back on topic, and her heart sped up at my words, beating sporadically. Was she— and I can't believe I'm thinking this— anxious?
I patiently waited for her answer, "I—it's... complicated... you wouldn't understand. You're from another world," she said, her voice speeding up, her joints loosening around my body.
I raised a thin brown eyebrow and insisted, "Look, you're immortal. You should have nothing to be anxious about. And I won't laugh if it's something you find pathetic or anything like that." At the word "immortal," her heart skipped a beat.
"It's not as I think it's stupid... it's..." she trailed off, slowly moving off of me and sitting down right next to me on the bed, her fists clenching as she worked her mouth, her tongue slowly dancing within her mouth, trying to find the right word.
"... scary..." she murmured.
"Hm?" I sounded surprised to hear such words from her.
"I said it's scary!" She repeated herself louder, teardrops forming in her eyes that she quickly rubbed away. She eventually thought I didn't hear right. Her fingernails dug into her fists as she returned them to her thighs, drawing blood that was soon covered up by her regeneration.
"We just became friends... Do you know how happy I felt when that happened? You're someone who can live forever, just like me! We can be together until the end of time." She began spilling her pent-up feelings, "I was lonely all this time, but when I got to know you, I sensed a similar loneliness. I know how you feel! But..."
"Milim..."
"But... when I think about how... how that might end... because of me."
"What do you mean, because of you?" I asked softly, not liking where this conversation was leading.
"This is hard, you know? Talking about this, I mean," she said somberly, tears reforming in her brilliantly blue eyes that she no longer bothered rubbing away with her blood-stained hands.
She's procrastinating. I thought but said nothing of it.
She took a deep breath, but it was shaky. So I took the initiative and brought my bare hand to her back, rubbing it gently and smiling reassuringly. She took another deep breath, then another until she was calm enough to say what she needed to say.
"So... you know how everyone has been getting weaker for the last 23 years?" She asked.
"That's—" I thought back to our battle. Her EP had gone down several points throughout it, speeding up as it dragged on longer. I began to realize, in horror, what she was going to say. "Okay..." I said as I finished digesting the information.
"Well... thing is... as a digital being, having no more power means... that when I run out of strength and power or whatever... I'll probably die." She smiled sadly as if to reassure me that nothing was wrong. "Or at least be just a normal girl... I don't actually know which, hehe," she laughed drily as if her death was something to laugh about.
"I see..." I said, the back of my mind beginning to brainstorm ideas.
"So I thought I'd try using my ultimate skill when I fought you... sorry I lied... but when I used it and tried to get as much power out of it as possible, I found that I wasn't gaining power but losing it... faster than before."
"Meaning whatever is sucking the world dry is percentage based and also absorbs any power you try to gain," I said, anxiety beginning to build in my chest. Milim nodded gravely as I added, "But I'm undefeated, meaning it could only affect people originally from this world."
We entered a defining silence, the two of us sitting on the comfy white bed as I thought of a way to change the topic.
Eventually, I found something that might ease her worries, and, collecting my thoughts, I said, "You know, in stories, when a character dies, how they die and what happens to their body are the two most important things when it comes to impact the reader receives."
Milim nodded along, not entirely understanding, and I continued, "So if you die, try to choose a safe place, like next to someone you trust and somewhere your body won't be in any danger. It's always the most emotionally impactful when a character is killed brutally and their body is disrespected. So if you... you know... run out of power, in a place free from danger, it would mitigate the emotional impact it would have on everyone who knows you."
"Yeah..." Milim nodded robotically.
That didn't help. I thought bitterly, barely holding myself together.
"Well, enough of that dark topic! Let's get some food!" I suggested as Magical Girl Ariel.