Chapter 84 - New Start

In the garden of Night Rose, three figures could be seen happily chatting away as they sampled sweets from the platter served by the old vampire butler.

When a new presence suddenly appeared nearby, all three women turned to look at the two visitors who arrived with solemn expressions on their faces.

"Hey everyone," Rimuru greeted with a wave as he sighed, sitting down beside Chloe. Velgrynd followed suit, taking a seat beside him. "I have some things I need to tell you three."

And so began the retelling of the Creator's death, the threats lurking outside this realm, and what the future holds.

Luminas frowned, crossing her arms tightly. "You mean that hero suddenly thinks he's in charge of things here?" She spat angrily, her voice dripping with disdain as she imagined the scenario. "What an ungrateful brat."

"While I do agree that he went too far with his words..." Chloe murmured, her brow furrowing in empathy for him. "He might have just been venting his anger and said those words impulsively."

Luminas scoffed, shaking her head dismissively. "I don't believe that for a second."

"Honestly, he has been so dependent on Veldanava and Lucia that he didn't even notice Milim the entire time," Velgrynd remarked, her tone sharp and laced with frustration. "That is your niece! We're all mourning, yet we didn't forget to comfort the one most affected by this."

Hinata sighed, observing the rising tension as they voiced their opinions about the hero. "Personally, I haven't really interacted with him, but I do think he wasn't being rational with his words. Though I doubt he regrets his statements; they were genuine. When people are angry, that's when they really mean what they say, after all." She added her two cents to the discussion before turning to Rimuru, who had remained silent.

"You okay there?" Her voice was laced with concern, her eyes searching his for any signs of distress.

"Hm?" Rimuru turned to her, momentarily caught off guard before processing her words. "I'm fine, just processing the new memories I got. I don't really care what he thinks of me. I mean, it's just his opinion—"

"Wait, backtrack a bit. You remember everything now?" Hinata interrupted, her expression stunned. The revelation had been delivered so casually that it made her do a double take.

"Yeah, that guy you fought back then named Toru. He was the one who arrived in the city with the other enemies. Turns out he's a fragment of mine with the desire to become whole again, or so I think." Rimuru shrugged, not particularly concerned about that person at the moment.

Chloe looked at Rimuru expectantly. "Then does Rimuru-san remember me fully now?" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation and joy.

Rimuru nodded in confirmation. Chloe's face lit up as she jumped with excitement and immediately latched onto Rimuru. She hugged him tightly as she sat down on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. "Then, then! Rimuru-san can finally accept my love!" She beamed before planting a kiss on him.

It took a few minutes to get back on topic after that enthusiastic derailment. Both Hinata and Velgrynd had to gently pry Chloe off Rimuru. Meanwhile, Luminas observed with a proud smile, happy that Chloe had finally taken a significant step forward.

"Seems we got shifted away from the main topic."

Velgrynd cleared her throat to regain their attention. "Back to the topic at hand, the threat is still out there. That's why the real me and Rimuru are actually not here; we are only parallel existences." The others listened attentively, understanding that the two before them were not the primary versions but were still Velgrynd and Rimuru.

"Truthfully, there's another problem I haven't shared with you yet." Rimuru rubbed his temples, regretting not disclosing this sooner. "Veldanava and I speculated that Ouroboros and the other cryptid snakes are due to my existence. I'm not supposed to exist in this time period, after all. They were born to eliminate me. In a manner similar to how Veldanava was killed for loving a single person, the world seems to be finding a way to do the same to me."

The expressions of the four women hardened. Surprisingly, Velgrynd had been unaware of this but had a vague inkling. Hearing a confirmation of this troubling news left a bitter taste in her mouth, as it was disheartening to learn her brother was facing a similar fate.

"Fortunately, we have discovered some countermeasures." Rimuru paused to let the gravity of the situation sink in. After taking a deep breath, he continued, his gaze fixed on Chloe and Hinata. "We are anomalies, beings out of the flow of time. We shouldn't exist, yet here we are. We can never truly return to our designated roles in the timeline, which is why substitutes will be born to replace us.

In layman's terms, new versions of Rimuru, Chloe, and Hinata were created after we traveled back in time. A child version of Chloe with a Hinata in her mind may appear at some point, whether it's this month or next, I cannot tell. And in the future, a slime with the soul of Mikami Satoru exists, even though I am here and alive."

"Then, what happens to us?" Hinata asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and wariness.

"Same with me," Rimuru said with a wry smile. "We'll probably be hunted down because we're not supposed to exist. However, we don't have to worry because the ways to counter this have already been proven and established by me. The first way is to leave the Cardinal world and move near the edge of the multiverse. The world and system responsible for finding and exterminating us are primarily focused on the Cardinal world. We can go somewhere less scrutinized and maintain a low profile while the main Rimuru draws most of their attention by openly confronting Ouroboros."

"And the second one?" Velgrynd prompted.

Rimuru, with a grin, paused to sip the tea provided earlier by Gunther. He enjoyed the tense silence that followed while everyone awaited the second solution. After a playful pause, Velgrynd slapped him lightly on the back of the head, prompting Rimuru to continue begrudgingly.

"The second method is to assimilate with our substitutes. Essentially, we would use our substitutes as camouflage from the eyes of the system. The only drawback is that we must not deviate too much from the original timeline for a certain period. Major events must be guaranteed to occur; otherwise, the camouflage will fail."

"Can you specify what type of events?" Hinata asked, placing a hand on her chin as she considered the implications. Chloe, too, was aware that many significant events would unfold over the next two thousand years.

Rimuru gave a dry laugh as he looked at Luminas' beloved Night Rose castle.

Chloe and Hinata sighed in unison, understanding the gravity of the situation. Without this event, the Holy Empire of Lubelios wouldn't come into existence, and, in turn, the union of the holy knight and Hinata wouldn't happen. This would mean no conflict with Tempest.

"Guess it was already established that it will happen," Hinata said, holding her head in her hands as she shook it in resignation.

Chloe wore a complicated smile as she turned to Luminas. "It's quite amazing how just one event can set off a chain of occurrences leading to so many things going wrong."

Luminas, confused by their discussion, tilted her head. "What are you guys talking about?"

"That you'll have to leave Night Rose because you're destined to create a holy empire, remember?" Rimuru explained, making Luminas recall their previous conversations with Hinata and Chloe about her role in establishing her own religion, and Hinata's position as a commander of the holy knights and captain of the holy empire's imperial guards.

"Is leaving Night Rose really necessary? Can't I just lead that empire and live here?" Luminas expressed her reluctance to leave her beloved home.

"Sorry to say, but you can't stay here in the future," Rimuru replied with a playful smile. Hinata and Chloe exchanged glances, silently agreeing that it would be difficult to reveal the full truth of what happens.

Luminas sighed in defeat, still struggling to fully grasp the reasons behind this.

"But Rimuru, your substitute is still far into the future. How can you stay here?" Luminas pondered further.

Rimuru's grin widened. "It's Toru's soul. Technically, he's also a fragment of my soul, but because he absorbed a hundred or maybe a thousand souls, he's vastly different from my own."

"How did he acquire so many souls in the first place?"

"Turns out, he possessed a skill specialized in hunting souls. It didn't just extract fragments from other people; it essentially absorbed the entire soul from which the fragment was taken."

Hinata scoffed, recalling Toru's fighting style. "No wonder that lunatic went insane. Having over a thousand malicious souls embedded in your own would drive anyone mad—or perhaps he was already a psycho before that." She scoffed again.

Rimuru raised an eyebrow at her before clearing his throat to regain her attention. Hinata turned to him, realizing her slip. "Ah, sorry."

...............

Back in Citadel, Rimuru was absorbed in reviewing the damage reports from the recent confrontation. "Barely a few arcana survived..." He sighed deeply, casting a weary glance at the four primordials standing before him.

Their expressions were a blend of shame, fear, and stoicism, each struggling to hide their inner turmoil.

"Don't worry too much," Rimuru said, attempting to soothe the mood. "The betrayal was unexpected. We essentially handed Jahil an army to fight us, and most of them were caught off guard." He took a piece of paper from his desk, gazed at the list of destroyed universes, and then burned it in a small burst of flame.

"Forget about the universes under your control," he continued, massaging his temple. "Find a few suitable universes and use Terra to relocate the worlds that are your HQs and other important ones."

The four primordials bowed in acknowledgment and left the room.

The next person to enter was the Scorch Dragon, Rimuru's wife. "She's awake," she announced.

At her words, Rimuru stood up immediately and followed her out of the room.

Velgrynd glanced at Rimuru, her concern evident as she noticed the weariness etched into his face. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her tone laden with genuine worry. It wasn't the first time she had asked today.

Right after leaving the Cardinal world, Rimuru went to one of the universes that was on the verge of collapse to let out his anger over his friend's death. Velgrynd watched worriedly from the side but eventually intervened when it looked like Rimuru was sinking deeper than mere venting and was reaching a hysterical state.

He remained silent in her arms as he eventually calmed down, and the two made peace with the events that had transpired. At the very least, for now, they were calmer than before.

Rimuru, noting her concern, offered her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, thanks." He then proceeded into the room where Lait was sitting on a bed, her gaze fixed on the door as it opened.

Upon seeing Rimuru, Lait's eyes widened for a split second before she disappeared and reappeared, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "Master!" Her enthusiastic cry startled both Rimuru and Velgrynd.

"Lait, I told you Rimuru is fine, right?" Velgrynd said gently, patting Lait's head to calm her. She guided Lait back onto the bed.

Lait shook her head vigorously. "Master, I finally remember who I am." She began to explain how, after the merging of Lait and Eins' souls, dormant memories had started to resurface. Though only fragments, Lait had managed to piece together some significant details.

"Wisdom King: Raphael, former holder, Rimuru Tempest," Lait declared in a formal tone, almost like a soldier presenting her credentials. "I managed to send out a portion of myself along with Master and survive." Her chest puffed out with pride.

"Raphael?" Rimuru tilted his head, scrutinizing Lait with curiosity. "Isn't Raphael typically less... emotional? So, does that mean you're essentially the ultimate skill in a material form?"

Lait's smile faltered, and her shoulders sagged. "I could only protect my memories with Master. The ultimate skill's authority was sacrificed. But don't worry, I'm still as competent as I was in my previous form."

Rimuru placed a finger under his chin, contemplating her words. Suddenly, a look of revelation crossed his face. "Lait... or would you prefer Raphael now?"

"Lait and Eins were fragments of my name. Raphael is my former self, one who failed Master repeatedly. I would like Master to give me a new name, one that signifies my rebirth."

Rimuru raised an eyebrow at her request. "Well, you seem more aware of what you want now, and you've become bolder," he remarked with a chuckle. He thought for a moment before deciding on a name.

Since Raphael had always been with him from the beginning, supporting him...

"Ciel."

As the magicules began to leave his body, Rimuru acted swiftly, replacing them with the ultimate skill he had just been analyzing. Successfully swapping the two, he managed to retain the large amount of magicules that were about to dissipate.

"M-master? This is..." Ciel, now absorbing the ultimate skill, was momentarily stunned before her face transformed into a grateful expression. "Thank you."

"Don't worry; it's a downgraded version, but it should be helpful for you, given the shared name," Rimuru said with a reassuring smile. He watched as Ciel rested, clutching her hands near her chest, vowing to use the skill to protect Rimuru.

Velgrynd looked on in bewilderment. "Didn't Lucia have that skill?" she pointed out, realizing what Rimuru had given to Ciel.

"Yes, it was hidden in the baby dragon along with this one," he said, presenting another skill with a smirk. "Think of it as their payment for me babysitting."

Velgrynd raised an eyebrow at his sarcastic remark. Noticing her reaction, Rimuru stepped closer, giving her a quick peck on the lips before whispering near her ear.

"Do you want to become stronger?" His voice, almost menacing in its intensity, echoed in Velgrynd's mind. She nodded in response.

"Let's see what we can do with this little Covenant King..."

....

A portal appeared in an elven kingdom ruled by high elves. The person who stepped out had short blonde hair and pointed ears. His face was attractive, but what really stood out was the cold, sinister gleam in his eyes.

He wore something akin to a white lab coat, with one hand casually in his pocket and the other behind his neck, which he cracked as he surveyed the city.

"New body, new boss, new place, new test subjects," he said with a grin, noting the cautious glances from the elves. "Boss... I mean Rimuru's facility was the best," he sighed, shaking his head at the memory of the destruction left after Lilith's suicide.

"Time to start from scratch. This place should do."

With that, and a gaze as sharp and calculating as a serpent's, he began walking towards his new facility, eager to meet his new test subjects.

With that, he marched forward to the Elven Kingdom where his once empire stood.

A/N: So, should Milim come first before Chloe? I'm not entirely sure of the order. I'm doing Milim's rampage first.

So yeah, Ciel/Raphael has come back but not really.