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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Categories:
F/MMulti
Fandoms:
転生したらスライムだった件 - 伏瀬 | Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken | That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - FuseThe Beginning After the End - TurtleMe
Relationships:
Manas: Ciel/Rimuru TempestRimuru Tempest/VelzardManas: Ciel & Rimuru TempestRimuru Tempest & Velzard
Characters:
Rimuru TempestManas: Ciel (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)Velzard (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken)Arthur LeywinJasmine FlamesworthTessia EralithCaera DenoirSeris (The Beginning After the End)Agrona VritraSylvia IndrathSylvie (The Beginning After the End)Varay Aurae
Additional Tags:
MagicAetherRomanceDramaPsychological TraumaTraumaThrillerIsekai and TransmigrationTime TravelTime ShenanigansReality BendingDeveloping RelationshipCharacter DeathCharacter DevelopmentAngstFluff and AngstCrossoverCrossovers & Fandom FusionsFate & DestinyFateAngst and TragedyTragedyFanfictionCross-Posted on WattpadBlood and ViolenceOriginal Character(s)
Language:
English
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Published:2024-12-19Updated:2025-03-18Words:107,665Chapters:20/?Comments:10Kudos:24Bookmarks:10Hits:2,552
A New Life [TbatexTensura]
Asuryii
Chapter 5: The Thrill Of Weakness
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: The Thrill Of Weakness
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3rd Person POV:
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Despite his exhaustion Rimuru was poised, his eyes flickering between the mana beasts that surrounded him. The collection of beasts were an odd mix to say the least. Rimuru knew nothing about the strength of the mana beasts that he stood surrounded by. Despite this he could tell that he was likely in the middle of a dispute, but alas he became the perfect target for all of their salivating maws.
Rimuru knew he had to handle this situation fast. His exhaustion was setting in and fast. He cursed inwardly as he wished he'd thought of this possibility; being freed after creating a core. He regretted not contemplating on the possibility and took this as a lesson to think more outside the box in regards to his situations. He would've rested his mind had he known this situation would unfold but there was no use whining over spilled milk.
Resolved Rimuru stood at the ready. Taking inspiration from Cultivation stories again Rimuru tried to draw energy from the Mauve colored Core that sat near the center of his sternum. An exhilarating and intoxicating sensation ran through his entire body. Rimuru felt empowered as a rush of energy burst from the core and began to envelope his body.
He felt a warm wave rush through his body starting from the aetheric pathways and channels that twisted and turned throughout his entire body. He felt his muscles ripple with power as a violet glow covered his body. As he looked around towards the mana beasts he tried to analyze how they may attack him.
A wolf-like beast howled loudly as it ran towards him, jaw agape. Rimuru letting aether rush from his core enhancing his legs. Jumping back he evaded the wolf-like beast's attack. A vulpine smile filled Rimuru's face as dived back towards the wolf, his enhanced body allowing him to tackle the wolf despite his small stature.
Rimuru felt somewhat victorious about his maneuver but he knew he wasn't outta the woods yet. He merely knocked the wolf over, it didn't help that he was small enough to be carried by it with little to no trouble. Rimuru gripped tightly onto the fur of the beast as he sat atop its back.
"I'll have to call you a Torrent Wolf." The smile on his face grew as the Torrent Wolf or so he called it as he had an epiphany.
He could use the Torrent Wolf to his advantage, at first he planned to make the wolf frantically jump around trying to get him off his back, tiring it out. Instead he could pull on the wolves fur as it struggled making it harm other beasts accidentally.
Pouring aether down into his forearms and hands Rimuru gripped tightly onto the wolves silk-like fur. Rolling his hands around he knotted the wolves fur around his fingers making it harder for him to get shook off. "Let's have some fun."
Pulling on the wolves fur as it struggled to nip at Rimuru he forced it to bite down onto the next of a meter long serpentine beast killing it instantly. A small pack of mana beasts reminiscent of Jackals came diving at Rimuru and the Torrent Wolf. Noticing their advance Rimuru further enhanced his hands with aether tearing off a chunk of flesh wear he was grasping the wolves fur.
He knew it would be risky to try and untangle the wolves fur from his hands so he opted for tearing the fur and part of the wolves flesh with it. Following the same action Rimuru pushed off the wolves back and tore another chunk of the wolves flesh as he had before. Tumbling from his unstable vault off the Torrent Wolf, Rimuru quickly forced himself to his feet, tearing the wolf's fur from his hands.
Being preoccupied with the fur tangled around his fingers Rimuru was narrowly able to dodge the advances of a juvenile Torrent Wolf. It was embarrassing for Rimuru struggling with such weak beasts but yet at the same time he found the challenge came with an intoxicating feeling. He was enjoying this struggle, this small battle where he had his life on the line was a feeling he hadn't experienced or enjoyed in a long time.
Analyzing the area Rimuru quickly took note of the injuries the adult Torrent Wolf took from dealing with the Jackal look-alike creatures. Thankfully, thanks to the wolf, Rimuru had already taken his number of opponents down to nearly half. Unfortunately for Rimuru the remaining beasts were all wolven or vulpine in nature. They were a pack, so now he had to deal with beasts that actively worked together consistently.
He clicked his tongue at his luck but at the very least the adult Torrent Wolf he first was attacked by was quite severely injured. Taking a deep breath Rimuru cleared his mind drawing more aether from his core augmenting his body further. He could feel his muscle bursting with power and tearing from strength beyond his means being put onto his body. He grit his teeth under the pain as a deranged smile filled his face.
His blood boiled with excitement at his unfavorable odds and the surges of pain that continually washed through his body. Blood dripped from the corner of his lips as he noted to himself how insane he was acting. He felt like he lost it and had no intentions to hold any bars in what methods he used. Curiously he poured aether into the rune etched into his nape.
Everything went blank as untold amounts of information flooded his mind. He took in his surroundings as his perceptions changed. He could see everything. Looking at the pack of beasts before him he saw into the very center of their beings. Silver and green cores sat in the center of their chest and vein like structures that spread throughout their bodies. From the tips of their tails to the points of their snouts. Small green lights flooded out from their cores as Rimuru sensed danger. His body ached but he forced himself to jump out of the way as a green torrent burst from the adult Torrent Wolf's mouth. The torrent sliced through the air and shattered a nearby tree, shards of bark flying everywhere.
Rimuru knew he hadn't much time to spar as he felt the reserves in his core dwindle. Taking a chance he pulled the rest of his aether from his core and guided it into the rune determining that the information it gave would be his best chance at survival.
As he felt his core drain his eyes began to feel heavy but he forced himself to stay awake as he burst towards the adult Torrent Wolf nailing it as the greatest danger he'd face.
The wolf tried to jump out of the way and counterattack Rimuru but the injuries it had faced slowed it too much. Pulling his arm back Rimuru plunged his arm into the wolf's side aimed directly for his core.
A howl of pain and agony escaped from the wolf as Rimuru's arm ripped into its flesh and came out with its core ripped from its body. Without another sound the wolf collapsed dead, Rimuru holding its core in his hand felt what was to him an immense amount of power resting inside the core.
Rimuru could feel it, he had less than a few minutes to deal with the remaining beasts before the aether he pushed into his rune ran out. Cursing at his luck again Rimuru took a risk and tried to pull something, anything from the colorless clear core that sat in his lower dantian.
His attempt was met with immense backlash as he coughed up a heap of blood. Pain radiating throughout his whole body. He hadn't taken into consideration two things.
His lower dantian had no channels or pathways built across his body with there as its center. The other was that the core that laid there was entirely empty.
No mana, no aether. Nothing sat inside the core. His attempts to draw energy from the core resulted in the aether he had poured into his body to reverse in flow causing his channels and pathways to fill with knots.
His body felt as if it would collapse at any moment. The risk he took was one he shouldn't have taken. He fell to his knees as he heard the pack of beasts cackling.
His vision blurred the core of the adult torrent beast still in his hands. Even as his consciousness waned and his vision blurred he could still see it. The power contained in the core, he cursed thinking that this would be the end.
He took a risk one he'd pay an immense price for; his life. He could only do so much now that he was made immobile, like a sitting duck. As he sat on his knees in immense pain he thought back to the moment he felt the rune on his neck form.
'I got it relating to my core. I used it to see into the nature of beings. Maybe just maybe.'
Swallowing the blood filling his mouth he spoke out into the world, "[Brahma's Core]." As the words escaped his lips he mentally chuckled wondering where his false hope came from.
Looking one last time at his hand that held the core to marvel in its beauty one last time he could tell something had changed. As he tried to see through his blurry eyes the core that once laid glowing brilliantly in his hands burst, shattering into a million pieces.
The energy, the power that once laid inside of it turned into thousands, millions of small green particles. Rimuru marveled at the beauty of the green particles and tried to grasp them in his hand, hoping to feel this energy at least once.
A gale of wind burst around Rimuru as he touched the green particles forcing the pack of beasts to retreat avoiding the winds. Waves of relief washed over Rimuru as he fell fully to his hands and knees, practically prostrated. Strained breaths like gasps for air came out of Rimuru as he felt a surge of energy fill his body. Looking inside of his body he could see a green aura radiating within, carving channels– paths towards the colorless core.
Blinking rapidly Rimuru watched as his vision cleared just as the gale surrounding him dissipated. The green aura and particles crashed into the colorless core and dyed it in a pearl green color temporarily. Once more Rimuru attempted to draw from the core to no avail, but at least this time he didn't experience backlash. Sighing he pulled himself to his feet, his body feeling lighter than it was just mere moments before.
It took a moment for him to realize but as he looked around a myriad of green particles filled his vision and the air around him. He couldn't understand what was happening but he didn't question it. Though he felt a tingle from his rune, listening to the tingling feeling Rimuru tried to pull aether from his drained core.
He didn't expect much as he knew it was empty but something unexpected happened. The green hew from the core in his lower dantian dissipated and the energy he had once felt rushing into it forced its way into his aetheric core.
Nothing stirred in his core but he felt a change in his body, curiously he pulled at the green particles in the air to now avail. Sighing in defeat he took a step towards the pack of beasts, the fear they once had from the gale that was conjured around Rimuru gone.
"Huh?" Unaware of what happened Rimuru realized he had been launched forward in the direction he tried to step. The green particles missing from where he once stood and an aching feeling coming from the colorless core. Turning back towards the beasts that he practically jumped past he took another step this time crashing into a juvenile Torrent Wolf causing it and himself to go tumbling.
Once again he was perplexed but quickly he surmised what happened and using the confusion to his advantage he repeated what he did to the adult Torrent Wolf before tearing the core of the beast from its chest.
Rimuru could tell this core was quite inferior compared to the one he held previously but beggars couldn't be choosers, and he was running out of time with [Brahma's Core- Insight] as he called it. Activating the rune for what would be the last time he spoke its name. "[Brahma's Core- Adaptation]" He felt as if in a trance when he spoke the spellforms name, the word adaptation escaped his mouth without his intent.
The beast's core in his hand began to ripple, reminiscent of still lake water being displaced. He groaned as he could tell what he had to do. Taking a deep breath he put the core in his mouth and swallowed deeply, forcing the core down his gullet. He coughed violently as the core reached his stomach and practically evaporated.
A feeling reminiscent of a midsummer breeze washed over Rimuru's body. He didn't even need to look into himself to sense it, he could feel it. The colorless core was brimming with energy. Though this energy was quickly dissipating, unable to fully satiate the core's seeming hunger for energy. Knowing he had one last chance as the beasts came onto him Rimuru waved his arm.
"[Torrent Call]" A calm washed over the area as all the nearby green particles and the energy sitting in the colorless core warped and changed into blades of wind.
Before the beasts could move let alone react the congregation of wind blades crashed down onto them dispatching the beasts instantly.
"40 seconds, need to hurry."
In a rush Rimuru went to each beast tearing out their cores. He grabbed as many as he could, seconds ticking by rapidly. He wasn't sure what would happen once Brahma's Core ran out of the energy he stored in it so he had to work fast.
10, 9, 8, the seconds ticked Rimuru had to make a choice as he abandoned the idea of acquiring all the cores. 3, 2. Time was almost up as Rimuru spoke once more, "[Brahma's Core]"
At the last second he spoke the rune's name, the remaining aether rushing towards the pile of beast cores he collected. He stood silently hopeful that he wouldn't experience backlash as he forced the cores down his gullet one by one.
With each core he grabbed it became less and less rippled. It became harder and harder to stomach, to swallow. Choking on the final core he acquired he forced it down his throat as he felt them dissipate one by one.
The colorless core was dyed fully in a pearl green coloration. Now Rimuru would take a risk, a theory of his based on how he saw his colorless core act. Moving he acquired one last core. A core from another Torrent Wolf, one perfect for his experiment. Taking a deep breath he held a broken tooth from the adult Torrent Wolf in his hand tightly.
Placing the core at his side he laid down on the stomach of the adult wolf, gritting his teeth he put his forearm partially into his mouth and gently bit down.
'This all wouldn't have been possible had my body not at least minorly grown in that orb. Ahhh, thanks mom for the clothes that adjusted with my body but it looks like I won't be wearing them after today.' Taking a deep breath Rimuru clinched the tooth in his hand and positioned it over the place the colorless core laid.
Without wasting a second he plunged the tooth into his flesh. The pain was immense as he bit hard into his arm, but he pushed on as he made an incision just near where the core laid. He groaned in pain as he dropped the tooth and grabbed the core. Pressing it into the incision he made.
'AHGH! FUCK!' Rimuru cursed at the immense pain, it was nothing like the pain he'd once experienced but this was a human body and he was fully conscious of this pain. It was not so intense he lost his grip on reality but it was excruciating. Forcing the core further he closed his eyes and peered inwardly.
His theory was correct, he saw as the colorless core began to subsume the core he pressed into his open wound. With the rest of his strength he forced it fully into his wound and watched as it was practically devoured by his colorless core. He sighed deeply as he laid on the wolf exhausted.
He was ready to just close his eyes but something odd finally became clear to him. He could still see the green particles floating in the air moving like wind. "Wind mana particles I assume. I really don't know or care to know right now. Ah…that hurt." Rimuru groaned as he felt the pain slowly alleviate as his aetheric core consumed all the wind mana he acquired from the cores he ate.
He immediately perked up and pulled up his shirt to only see the wound he made gone like it was never there. This immediately made it clear to Rimuru, Brahma's Core wasn't primarily attached to his aether core but instead the colorless core; the core that seemed to constantly drain mana.
Now he had a theory on how this core functioned.
First, activating the rune allowed him to perceive the inside of himself without closing his eyes and meditating but it also allowed him to see the insides of other life. Mainly the mechanics that make mana flow inside them. Their core and channels, along with the flow of any spells they formed or mana they used.
Essentially he could see mana being manipulated from within and then its result outwardly.
Second, he had to take the core of something and shatter it. Depending on the mana that lay dormant within he could gain the ability to perceive that type of mana. After interacting with it once his core would be able to absorb that type of mana.
The problem was that upon acquiring mana for the first time he experienced an inability to control it. Instead he was dragged by it and areas near him made devoid of that type of mana. He seemed to passively draw in mana but was unable to store it, an issue that made his body use the mana instantly.
Third, his core could not hold meager amounts of mana for extended periods of time. It would be absorbed by his aether core and enter a process he has yet to see the end of. Or the mana would rush through his body making him act and manipulate mana temporarily to some degree, but it was clear most of his strength came from elsewhere.
The issue here lied in the fact that as he surmised he was likely incapable of maintaining mana for prolonged use.
Fourth, the orb his mother had him swallow. It laid inside his colorless core. This made him have the theory that he couldn't contain mana so long as the orb was not shattered. His aether core hungered for the insight and aether contained in the orb, yet at the same time the colorless core seemed to hunger for something within as well.
His core seemed to constantly expel mana as it was. He knew that the cores he used so far were weak, especially compared to those of the Indrath Clan.
"Maybe I need a core on that level, or one that could grow and develop differently from these beasts." Rimuru pondered on what he needed, as while the defect of his core seemed to have a bonus in forcing mana to activate the natural aether that existed in his body as a Djinn forcing him to heal. He felt weak.
Being weak had its thrills but with how he was now. Slaughtering the Indrath Clan was an impossibility.
'What to do-' Jumping to his feet Rimuru felt multiple presences approaching, making him get on guard. He could tell they weren't like the mana beasts he'd fought just now but something different. He sighed as he stood on guard.
.
.
His gaze narrowed as he saw a group of humans approaching. 'Bandits or adventurers. Knowing my luck, bandits posing as adventurers.' He remained on guard as he regarded the group who stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Rimuru.
'Thankfully if they're hostile the corpses seem to be a deterrent. Maybe I could run. No, that girl. She has an immense amount of wind mana contained in her core and another very meager and dormant light behind it. She'd catch me no doubt.' Rimuru calmly analyzed the group of 7 to the fullest extent that he could. But without Brahma's Core- Insight he couldn't gauge them all properly but he assumed the worst that they were all at least as strong as the girl.
Despite being cautious Rimuru was most worried about the girl, he could see himself evading the other 6 people but her. He could only see the blade on her side at his throat if he tried to escape.
'I have to take a chance. Maybe I can convince them to feel pity and leave the poor small child alone or I could get lucky.' "Who are you people?" Rimuru regarded the group, his voice laced with ice, his gaze steady and confident as if he could take on the group himself.
'Enough false confidence can leave others perceiving it as real. I need to use this to my advantage.' Rimuru knew that his best bet would be taking on the approach of a fearless child, one with enough confidence to face them or one that could be perceived as one who was fearless having lost everything yet not understanding.
Both perceptions would suit him. "I will ask again. Who are you?" Rimuru spoke again as he narrowed his gaze more. If looks could kill this one would.
Rimuru could feel a stirring in his aether core as the energy it hungrily took from the colorless core before began to warp and change natures. He felt surprised but held his expression to not show it. His aether core took the energy from his colorless core and warped it into an energy it could use. Of course it wasn't much, but it would suffice as a small violet aura.
"We're adventurers." A look of pity filled the faces of some of the group, as they began to imagine how a child ended up in this situation. Covered in blood, alone, surrounded by dead beasts.
Rimuru didn't like the answer the group gave as it told him nothing, people could lie and the appearance of the red headed man wasn't very kind. So he stereotyped him but the person Rimuru was wary of, the beautiful black haired girl with soft red eyes, was the one who spoke.
It was odd the way her energy flowed in Rimuru's eyes. Any sense of guard the girl had was down, and it seemed as if her energy flow was calm, stable it didn't waver. For an odd reason he thought that this meant she was being honest but he still couldn't drop his guard he needed to be sure.
"Obviously, but that wasn't the question. So I will ask it clearer." Rimuru's gaze grew cold and empty like an all encompassing void threatening to swallow all it looked upon.
"Are you friend or foe?" Using the aether he gained he released a violet glow encompassing his body. The violet aura seemed to warp the air around him and contort reality even if but a little.
The Twin Horns looked upon him with various different reactions but an oddity they would talk to each other about much later was noticed.
What color his eyes glowed? Some was a domineering violet glow that roared like crashing waves, others saw a red glint that accentuated his carmine eyes gaze as if a lust for blood was being shown in his gaze, and then 1 man in particular saw a golden glow one so radiant and divine it was as if the very heavens themselves were laid in that gaze.
Details about Rimuru seemed odd but this violet aura warped reality in some sense. This odd perception discrepancy was one such wrapping of reality. A meager amount of aether created this, a detail Rimuru later would wonder how far he could take.
Hesitation was shown in some of their eyes as to what to say but the red headed man, whom Rimuru would later know as Adam spoke. "C'mon kid don't be so on guard. We're the Twin Horns, an adventuring party." Rimuru, having stereotyped Adam- didn't like his answer and raised his guard further.
"Miss what's your name?" Rimuru decided to give her a chance since he could trust her the most as he was able to see inside her. Almost visualize her intentions and what she wanted.
"Jasmine. Jasmine Flamesworth, A-Class Adventurer." Her voice was clear, confident, and calm. Rimuru didn't even need to look at the movement of her energy to know.
She had no harmful intentions. Instead it seemed to him that she saw herself in him somewhat or at the very least felt the most in regards to where he stood. "Jasmine…" Rimuru flicked his eyes quickly at his collar, her insightful eyes trained to pick even the smallest of details and noticed this action. Rimuru wanted to smile and introduce himself proper but his exhaustion was too much to handle, both mentally and physically.
"Can I ask a favor of you?" Her nod in acknowledgement pleased Rimuru as he let his guard and confidence fall, the violet aura surrounding him dissipating. "Can you-" The final wave of exhaustion washed over him as he felt himself lose his balance. "Take me w-" unable to finish his sentence Rimuru passed out but even as he did he saw Jasmine launch forward and catch him before he fell.
As he passed into a deep slumber he applauded himself for accurately gauging her. He never would've escaped if she was an enemy.
.
.
.
Sat in a deep Slumber on Jasmine's back the Twin Horns looked for a place to camp out for the time being. They had taken a request to raid a B-Class dungeon but at this point they had a far far more important task on their hands.
They had to figure out what happened to the boy, Rimuru who now laid sleeping soundly on Jasmine's back.
"His face is certainly a lot calmer now. He looks almost comfortable, don't you think Alice?" Angela decided to break the silence that had been festering for quite a bit, noting how Rimuru slept so peacefully.
"It does. I just can't help but wonder what led to that situation he was in." Alice looked at Rimuru with a sympathetic gaze. The Twin Horns spent a good hour searching for information, anything to help figure out what happened to Rimuru. It came up empty all they knew is Rimuru was likely abandoned and narrowly survived an attack from a pack of beasts that had a falling out.
"But what was that violet glow surrounding him? And that bloodthirsty red glow his eyes emanated!" Adam rubbed the back of his head, still feeling the pain from when he got smacked on the back of his head by everyone in the party for his crass wording.
"Speaking of that violet glow I'd never seen anything like that before I wonder what it was too. It felt quite odd, my core quivered when the glow emanated from him. Though I saw a Violet glow from his eyes." Helen spoke up with a different perception.
Each member spoke up with 2 seeing the red glow- Adam and Angela. 3 seeing a violet glow- Helen, Alice, and Durden.
"Jasmine, Reynolds what'd you both see?"
"Nothing, I saw no glow in his eyes." Jasmine replied succinctly as she adjusted the way she held Rimuru now to hold him in front of herself, his head resting on the opposite shoulder it was for the last few hours.
"I saw a golden glow." Reynolds spoke, adding another perceived color into the mix. They wanted to question how this was possible but before they went too deep into the conversation Jasmine oddly spoke up.
"It could be based on how threatened he was by you? Or just angles."
Both theories Jasmine presented made sense. Jasmine stared at Rimuru head on. Reynolds stood somewhat closeby her though his gaze was slightly more angled, possibly letting the sun affect his sight. The backline all saw violet glows like the aura he emanated. While those who saw a red glint were looking at him more from the side.
"Threatened how?" Adam questioned, confused on that perception which just resulted in a group stare. "*cough* Understood." He instantly got the message.
A small sound escaped from Rimuru getting everyone's attention as they decided that where they stood would be fine for now. At the very least the rock wall behind them held an outcropping that served like an umbrella and made it so they only had to be on guard one direction. For a temporary encampment it would suffice.
After a few minutes the camp was set and Rimuur began to rouse awake. As he awoke in Jasmine's arms still he felt confused for a moment before realizing that his judgment was right.
"You want to be put down?" Jasmine questioned Rimuru effectively asking if he was alright on his own. He nodded meekly in response as he was still trying to fully wake up.
Setting Rimuru onto the ground as she let go of her hold on his sides he fell to his knees. Still feeling the affects of his exhaustion and his body aching all over.
Rimuru groaned from his aching body but sat himself against the rock wall and rubbed his eyes to fully wake up. Stretching a bit to alleviate some of the aching Rimuru took a deep breath as he regarded the Twin Horns.
"Jeez kid you groan like a 70 year old man." A smile not reaching his eyes filled Rimuru's face after hearing what Adam said.
"Thanks, you look like a bandit." Adam felt shot through the heart at the shot Rimuru fired back towards him. A small laugh came out of some of the group as Adam acted in an exaggerated manner for a moment.
"I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Rimuru. Rimuru-" Rimuru hesitated. Should he speak his full name or not? After a second of contemplation he gave in and fully introduced himself. "Rimuru Moira Niscience, a Djinn." Rimuru's soft gaze narrowed reminiscent of the one he'd shown them earlier.
"Aww that's cute." Angela's response perplexed Rimuru and his gaze fully portrayed his utter confusion. "He made himself a group of imaginary friends called Djinn." Rimuru felt his pride shatter like glass as she called his people imaginary friends. She didn't take him seriously at all.
"Well I'm Angela, this is Durden-" She motioned towards the man who towered over everyone else like a giant though it was clear he was a gentle giant.
"That's Adam but you know him as Bandit. This is Jasmine but you know her already." Adam sighed as Angela played into the fact that Rimuru said he looked like a bandit. "That fine woman over there with the bow is Helen. Then those two are Alice and Reynolds respectively. Nice to meet you Rimuru, member of Djinn, we're the Twin Horns."
Rimuru sighed deeply as he regretted fully introducing himself already. He hadn't figured in the idea that his existence looking like a child would make him not be taken seriously.
"Don't sigh like that you'll ruin your adorable li-"
"Angela." Durden stopped Angela as she tried to approach Rimuru and pull him into her arms since it was clear. She saw him as a cutie-pie who she wanted to hug (practically smother).
"Rimuru. Can you tell us what happened to you? Why were you alone in the center of the Beast Glades surrounded by beasts covered in blood?" Reynolds looked at Rimuru with a sympathetic expression on his face.
'This is going to be the easiest lie I ever tell. It's clear the truth won't be believed so any lie I say is going to be made true in their eyes.' "My mother and I were heading towards Xyrus for a trip." Rimuru forced a saddened look on his face, but it became a real saddened look as he thought of his actual mother Azuray. "She sacrificed herself to save me from bandits. She had me run ensuring I'd get away. She used a spell to take herself and the bandits out alone."
A look of pure rage filled Rimuru's face, his eyes lusting for blood and vengeance as he spoke, reminded of the attack by the Indrath Clan. "I escaped and came across that group of dead beasts tripping into the pools of blood. Then you came and I couldn't trust you after losing my mom."
After Rimuru finished speaking he looked at the Twin Horns, they seemed appalled. It was clear they felt sympathetic for Rimuru, in their eyes he'd just lost his mom after they were attacked by bandits.
Though someone didn't fully buy it.
After a little while longer of questioning each other. Rimuru and the Twin Horns became quite familiar and decided to just tuck in where they were for the night as a storm rolled in.
But before Rimuru could shut his eyes to pretend to sleep and absorb the stray aether and wind mana for reconstitution Jasmine touched his shoulder.
Looking at Jasmine he saw an interesting expression on her face but before he could question it she spoke. "You said Djinn earlier. That's not a group of imaginary friends is it?" Rimuru hid his surprise since it seemed Angela and his childlike appearance made everyone think he was talking about his imaginary friends.
Rimuru was being honest there and saw no need to lie to Jasmine about it, "No it's not. You're a human aren't you? I'm a Djinn."
Jasmine looked at Rimuru curiously determining what his statement meant, she didn't want to think he meant that he wasn't human but the word choice made it appear that way. Rather than think too deeply on it now as it wouldn't change anything she decided to think of it as the name of his family line or at least what they call themselves.
It would make sense his family not calling themselves human in her eyes based on that unique violet aura he exuded. Nonetheless he still didn't look any different from a normal human so she wasn't certain.
Jasmine nodded showing she understood but as Rimuru tried to tuck in she stopped him one last time. "You, why'd you lie?"
Rimuru's gaze remained steady as he looked back at Jasmine. He made a confused expression hoping she'd fall for it but Jasmine took it differently.
"Your story about your mom, some parts were true but others weren't. Why'd you lie?"
Rimuru sat up silently as he looked at Jasmine. He knew everyone else was turned in for the night, fully asleep by their breathing. Jasmine had taken first watch to question Rimuru.
'I knew she was dangerous.'
"You think we won't believe you, correct?" Rimuru nodded, deciding to give Jasmine a chance.
"..."
"..."
Silence ensued as they both looked into each other's eyes. Jasmine stood up and oddly pat Rimuru's head. This action surprised him but he didn't mind, it was comforting in a way.
"You can tell me when you're ready."
Rimuru stared silently at her before he responded.
"I will" a small smile crossed his face as he closed his eyes and meditated, a single thought coming to him.
'Maybe, just maybe this world isn't so bad.'
This single small interaction had Rimuru looking at the Twin Horns or well Jasmine, much more favorably.
'I hope I can stay here for a time, we'll see what happens. Tomorrow seems to be full of possibilities.'
.
.
.
Chapter 5 End~ 6075 words
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