We had warped out of Eden and entered the Jura Tempest federation, this place used to be filled with an immense amount liveliness, so much warmth.
When we arrived, two things that was clear was the stench of smoke and blood. Houses were torn down, the town was burnt and there was blood strewn across almost every surface.
The monsters on the street were either trying to cling into whatever life they have left, helping others to heal or trying to salvage what they have left.
When they saw me appear, they immediately recognized me but all looked away. They were ashamed to allow their god to see them in such a shameful and embarrassing state.
We walked through the streets until we got to the main building where we found the main people outside the main building all of them looking down onto Shion's body.
They had turned around when they sensed my presence and Rimuru was… well he didn't seem to be in the right mindset. Rimuru's eyes looked like my own… without sanity.
Seeing those eyes, I issued thought transmission towards Kevin who had been walking behind me the whole time, 'Kevin, whatever happens, you must not intervene for my sake. Got that?'
Kevin looked at me who sideeyed him with a authoritive gaze, 'Ok then.'
Getting confirmation from him, I turned my head back to Rimuru who was still giving me a murderous look, "Rimuru, are you-"
"Simon… did you know that this would happen? You couldn't have known right, you're my friend afterall?" Rimuru pleaded with me in a manic and desperate voice.
There was silence for a moment before I responded with something that drained the colour from everyone's face, "…No, I did know this would happen… from the start actually."
Rimuru looked at me with unfiltered rage, with anguish and hatred. Without any time for everyone of the monsters to react Rimuru dashed before me and lunged his sword into me.
I didn't react to his stab, not because I couldn't but because I didn't want to. I looked down to the Rimuru who had looked up at me with rage, " Why?"
The wound that Rimuru made into me had no blood, it revealed no flesh, it was as if my body just automatically formed around the blade, " Why? I can tell you that I have a reason for that-"
"Reason? REASON!!! WHAT REASON WOULD YOU HAVE TO KILL OTHERS?! DO OUR LIVES MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!" Rimuru's haki released and his anger permeated me and everyone around us.
The monsters following Rimuru immediately became overwhelmed but me and Kevin just looked at Rimuru with sorrow, completely unaffected by the haki.
"No, there's no reason for killing someone and I wouldn't sacrifice someone for the greater good, that's just not me. I can tell you of one thing Rimuru… Shions death will not be permanent and she will be back." I reassured him which made him look up to me in a sort of insane desperation.
"How will that happen?"
" With that." I said as I pointed to behind me.
They all looked behind me and found Kaval's party running towards us, "RIMURU!" The voice of Eren shouted from afar and now she was Infront of us, looking at the sword striking through my body with horror.
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Eren revealed her elf origins to us and told the story of the dragon princess and her little friend. A princess who was given a friend, created by her father to keep her company.
A princess who lost her friend in a greedy terrorist attack and then went into a rage, destroying everything in sight.
A princess who in her rampage, had accidently met the conditions of becoming a true demon lord and awakening.
A princess who had successfully met the conditions of reviving her friend but forced to fight them due to their lack of awareness and consciousness.
And a princess who had to make the decision to put her friend down. Establishing herself as one of the strongest demon lords in the world.
The story sounded surreal to say the least and the rest of the monsters looked skeptical, seeing the lack of belief on their face, Eren became desperate and turned to me, "C'mon it's true, you believe me lord Pneuma, right?!"
"Of course I do, infact I evens know who the dragon princess is. Bottom line is, you can still resurrect them." I confirmed the story which gave the monsters a spark of hope.
But Rimuru was skeptical about something, "But in that story, the dragon was resurrected without his soul causing him to go on a rampage. How do I get their souls if it's already gone?"
Eren just gave a confused look, "Well isn't the barrier keeping the souls in?" I smiled at the matter-of-fact statement she gave.
Rimuru immediately looked up at the sky, the barrier that had been erected all of sudden, that had kept all of them inside had now become a saving grace, a seed of hope had now bloomed in his heart.
But at that moment, a thought came to his mind, a thought that made him feel immense hatred which had flooded out of his body. He immediately put on the anti-magic mask to supress this rage which caused the mask to crack.
Rimuru went back to sitting beside Shions corpse, "Can you all leave me alone for a second?"
As they all began walking away, I spoke to my right hand, "Kevin, why don't you go with Rigurd and offer help where you can?"
Kevin just nodded and then left with the goblin lord, "Um ok then, Kevin was it, come with me." Rigurd although reluctant to be commanding someone who was clearly close their god didn't refuse the help, especially with all the work that needs to be done.
Rimuru sensed that, despite asking to be left alone, there was still someone there behind him, "Is there something you wanted Simon?"
Simon: "I just wanted you to ask one question for me. That wave of hatred, was that for the army of Falmuth… or was that for me?"
Rimuru: " First answer me this. Why did you want this to happen in the first place?"
Simon: "Two reasons, first was for you to become a demon lord."
Rimuru heard the answer and couldn't believe it but the calmness he was maintaining forced him to go along with my words, "And the second?"
Simon: "I needed to give you a subtle mindset readjustment. You're too naive."
Rimuru hearing that, immediately knew what I was referring too, "You mean my third rule? No attacking a human?"
Simon: " Yes. That rule was a weakness. I might not be completely innocent in this but you made your own soldiers complacent and now you've rightfully paid the price for it."
Rimuru was angry, not just at me but also at himself because he knew there was truth to my excuses, "Please leave me alone now."
"Not until you answer my question."
…
There was a silence for a second and then Rimuru spoke with ferocity, "You are my friend Simon but yes, I do hate you, this was simply wrong."
"I see, then I'll leave now." I left with a smile.
As I was walking down the street, a deprecating smile formed on my face and a deprecating thought in my mind, 'I really can't help myself, first was Velzard and then Rimuru. I really have no self control, I just can't help but push others away no matter what.'