After saying our goodbyes to Ramiris, we took the children back to the academy.
Thanks to the Extra Skill [Spatial Dominion] Rimuru had newly learned, we returned to the academy in an instant.
After that, we contacted Yuuki right away.
For about a month afterward, we carefully monitored the children's condition, but it seed the magicules would no longer cause any problems.
During that month, Rimuru and I grew quite close, to the point where we were always together. In any case, the children's problem had been resolved, and with Shizu staying by their side, there was no longer any reason for Rimuru to remain in the Kingdom of Ingrasia.
"You're going back?"
"Yeah. My subordinates are waiting for too..."
"I see. Then... as a way of wishing you well on your journey~"
Kiss.
I lightly kissed the back of Rimuru's hand. Just as every flower has its own aning, a kiss also changes aning depending on where it lands.
A kiss on the back of the hand carries anings like respect and devotion. The kiss I gave him now held respect.
"A tribute to you, for your devotion to the children... sothing like that?"
"///Y-you startled . Kissing out of nowhere..."
Maybe he had no dating experience, because even such a simple kiss made Rimuru blush and visibly fluster.
"Should I do your lips next ti?"
"N-no thanks! Quit ssing with !!"
"All right, all right. Sorry. Anyway, this is a gift. When you get back, make sure you tell your main body about it~"
With those words, he received a pendant shaped like a golden dragon cradling a small gem, and after finishing his farewell with Vertis as well, Rimuru went to say goodbye one last ti to the children and Shizu.
"Teacher... are you really leaving?"
Chloe spoke sadly. Of course, the other children were also upset that Rimuru was leaving, but—
"Don't cry, Chloe. I'll give you this."
"Huh? Rimuru, that's..."
Rimuru took off the mask he had been wearing and handed it to Chloe. Shizu's anti-magic mask...
Shizu had given it to Rimuru, and now, after making its rounds, the mask had ended up with Chloe.
He didn't know why he felt he should give it to Chloe, but Chloe accepted the mask without hesitation.
'Well... I've already finished analyzing the anti-magic mask, so it should be fine, right?'
Thanks to Rimuru's ability—Great Sage—anything once analyzed could be restored again, so it wasn't much of a loss.
After that, Rimuru gave each of the children handmade school uniforms as farewell gifts, hugging them one by one.
"All right? I'll co see you again soday... so until then, stay healthy, okay?"
"""Yes!!"""
The children said their goodbyes, forcing their tearful faces into smiles.
"Shizu, take care~"
"Yeah. Safe travels. Sl... no, Rimuru."
With the children and Shizu seeing him off, Rimuru left the royal capital.
His life in human society had felt both short and long. All sorts of things had happened, but he had managed to gain precious bonds.
Everything had worked out well.
...Or at least, that was what I thought back then.
***
"This should be far enough, right?"
Having left the city, Rimuru was about to return using spatial transfer from a place hidden from other people's eyes. But the magic circle flashed briefly, then vanished. He tilted his head in confusion, and then...
"[Notice]. You have been trapped inside a wide-area barrier. Spatial interference skills capable of moving outside the barrier have been sealed."
Great Sage's sudden announcent.
What? A barrier?
The threat of death, sothing he had never felt before, ran through his body.
Not even when facing the Orc Disaster, nor when Milim or Vertis had appeared, had he ever felt this kind of danger. Of course, he hadn't felt much danger against the Orc Disaster because he had been fully capable of winning, and with Milim and Vertis, he had never sensed killing intent from them. But now, the greatest alarm of his life—no, of his sli life—was ringing at full force.
"R-Rimuru..."
A battered Souei appeared.
"What? What happened?"
"An enemy. And unbelievably strong... Rimuru... hel..."
Before he could finish speaking, Souei vanished.
That had been Souei's clone body. But even a clone body should still be around Rank B...
Don't tell ... this is a trap?
There was no answer from Ranga, who was hidden in the shadows either. He had been completely cut off from the outside. In other words, there was no way to call for help, and no way to escape.
"[Notice]. You have been trapped inside a wide-area barrier. The use of skills within the barrier has been sealed... resistance successful. However, all magic-based skills are now restricted."
Great Sage's words turned a crisis into an extre crisis.
Restrictions on magic-based abilities? That ant most of his skills were unusable.
"Due to the effects of the wide-area barrier, magic sense is no longer functioning. Perceptual processing will be shifted to a thod dependent on the physical body. To preserve vision and hearing in preparation for combat, continued use of [tamorphosis] in human form is recomnded."
'Who in the world set a trap like this... no, was I the target?'
Had his identity been exposed? But aside from when he dealt with people who knew him in the royal capital, he had always worn a mask while in human form...
"Nice to et you. Though this will soon be goodbye."
A woman's voice ca from behind him. Judging by the sound of it, she was probably in her twenties at most... but the voice carried a chilling coldness.
Rimuru turned around, and there stood a woman with icy eyes.
It was their first eting, but Rimuru knew who she was.
"...Nice to et you. Captain of the Crusaders of the Western Holy Church, Hinata Sakaguchi."
**
"Rimuru, listen carefully. There's a religion in this world called the Western Holy Church, right? If possible, don't get involved with those people."
"Yeah? Why?"
On a peaceful afternoon, while we sat facing each other over tea and snacks, Vertis told about the Western Holy Church.
"The Western Holy Church's doctrine is the extermination of monsters. They probably don't think very highly of a nation of monsters like yours."
"Yeah, I heard that from Kaval and the others."
"Did you? Then this will be quick. The Western Holy Church worships the one true god, Luminas. Every nation has temples that follow that faith, and they have Temple Knights. Above them are the Crusaders, called the Ten Great Saints, and then there are those old fossils known as the Seven Luminaries. Even the current you might be able to beat them if things go well, but the captain of the Crusaders, Hinata Sakaguchi... you absolutely must not fight her."
"She's that strong?"
"Yeah. Even when she was Shizu's student, it took her less than a month to absorb all of Shizu's combat abilities. And she did it freely, without any restrictions."
"...I-I see... Then if the current fought that Hinata girl, who would win?"
".....If I answer honestly..."
He didn't know why that conversation with Vertis was coming back to him now, but with his body dulled, Rimuru desperately tried to avoid Hinata's attacks. In the end, he failed, and blow after blow landed—
As pain coursed through his entire body, Vertis's answer resurfaced in his mind.
"You would never win."
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