"You seem to know me pretty well... Did you stop the Magic Association from issuing a Sealing Designation against me?" After a long silence, Emiya Kiritsugu suddenly asked in a low voice.
"Why?"
"You're very rude." Rimuru tilted his head and glanced at the man's eyes in the rearview mirror, as if the gun behind his head didn't bother him in the slightest. With a quiet laugh, he said, "Shouldn't you answer my question before asking me one? Come on, why did you try to kill me—or rather, who sent you?"
"..." Emiya Kiritsugu fell silent for a moment, then picked up his gun.
Just as Rimuru thought the other man was ready for a proper conversation, he saw him switch to an old-fashioned, flintlock-style pistol. Kiritsugu loaded a bullet with a click, and Rimuru's mouth twitched. He was completely stunned.
He knew that bullet!!
An Origin Bullet, for fuck's sake!! Was that really necessary?!
Rimuru was certain Kiritsugu intended to kill him, but that definitely wasn't his main objective. The price and danger of infiltrating the Clock Tower were now a hundred times greater than before—or even worse... If Kiritsugu was discovered, he'd be as good as dead!
Kiritsugu wasn't afraid to die, but he believed in sacrificing the few to save the many. Killing Rimuru... wasn't worth dying for, not when he could go on saving people as a champion of justice!
Click. Kiritsugu pulled back the hammer and pressed the gun against the back of Rimuru's head. "I don't know how you avoided my last shot, but I guarantee you won't stop this bullet. I've heard the Tempest Family carries the blood of Phantasmal Species. You should be able to sense danger, shouldn't you?"
Even when threatening an enemy, Kiritsugu wouldn't explain how the Origin Bullet worked. It was his trump card, and one he absolutely had to keep hidden so no one could prepare for it.
"Uh, I believe you. But can't you trust me, too?" Rimuru said helplessly. "Put the gun away first. I don't like having one of those things pointed at me, and besides... it might go off."
"Why?"
Kiritsugu didn't budge. "Why?" he continued. Years of experience had taught him that killing should be quick and clean. Conversations were the same: talk too much, and you could get drawn into the other person's rhythm—
"Why? Because I want to get revenge on you myself? Because I want to find out what you're after, or who's pulling the strings? Because I know what you believe in and admire you? Or because you're still useful to me?"
Rimuru rattled off the possibilities, then turned his head and smiled, staring directly into Kiritsugu's gun. "Every one of those is a reason. Which one do you believe?"
"I'll say it again. Put the gun away." Rimuru's voice grew quieter without him realizing it. "I'm going to pick up my student. If you scare her, I guarantee you'll die here."
"..." This time, Kiritsugu finally relented a little. He still didn't lower his gun, though. "Go fifty meters straight ahead, turn, then keep going until we enter the Hub Plaza. Let me out there—"
"You went to all this trouble to come back just so you could point a gun at my head and ask why I didn't hunt you down?" Rimuru tilted his head and rolled his eyes. "Or do you have something else to do? Maybe pick something up while you're here, or pursue another target? You're not going to answer my questions, but you still expect me to stand aside and pretend I didn't see you?"
Rimuru paused. The other man still said nothing, cold and unmoved, only speaking up at the intersection to tell him to turn. Only then did Rimuru get a real sense of Kiritsugu's character: he was cold-blooded, stubborn, and impervious to both threats and persuasion.
"Fine, fine."
Rimuru laughed helplessly, then suddenly said, "Hey, if I told you about a way to save a whole lot of people, would you tell me why you tried to kill me that day?"
"...Tell me." As he spoke, Kiritsugu pressed the gun forward—
Rimuru was completely speechless.
So you really were going to stick to your guns, say nothing, and use threats to get something for free?!
"You really think you've got me cornered?" Rimuru's patience ran out. Kiritsugu's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly looked to the side. At some point, Wuyin had flowed beneath the back seat and begun to take on Rimuru's shape. It coalesced beside Kiritsugu in a bizarre fashion, tilted its head, and spoke in unison with the other Rimuru. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be... dead, wouldn't you?"
"Come on, take a guess."
"Which one of us is... the real me?"
"Or maybe it's one of magecraft's oldest tricks. Neither of us is the real one—or both of us are?"
After a long while, Kiritsugu forced himself to calm down. He suddenly thought of the legendary Puppeteer, Aozaki Touko.
Rumor had it she used countless puppets hidden all over the place to make herself impossible to kill. Each time she died, she transferred her memories and soul as a whole, then revived in another puppet.
And now, faced with Rimuru... this bizarre ability to split himself felt strangely familiar. Right, the headshot he'd confirmed that day hadn't been an illusion. He really had killed one Rimuru. But the terrifying part was...
Maybe... there was more than one Rimuru.
That thought made the still-young Kiritsugu break out in a cold sweat. He swallowed without meaning to—
"So, my turn now?" Rimuru had already passed the place where Kiritsugu had asked to get out, but he didn't slow down at all. Instead, he drove straight toward the large classroom for Individual Fundamentals, taking Kiritsugu along with him. Ever since Rimuru had confirmed that his student could understand the lessons, Eler's miserable school life had begun.
The Clock Tower was a school for advanced studies, and normally it wouldn't allow very young children to attend classes. The Magic Association also had a rule forbidding children under six from studying magecraft early, but—
Everyone had a privilege card of their own, didn't they?!
And yet, Rimuru's blatant use of privilege didn't lead to condemnation or a fall in reputation. In fact, his standing among the students improved, thanks to his rather convincing argument: "Geniuses with special talents deserve special treatment. We mustn't let so-called rules hold back a student's growth."
Of course, he hadn't mentioned a word about the potential harm caused by special treatment.
The only one who'd protested tearfully was Eler herself. But, obviously... her protests were useless.
Back to the point: after Rimuru's little trick with his clone had rattled Kiritsugu's most trusted weapon, the Origin Bullet, Rimuru immediately got cocky. He'd originally wanted them to have a friendly, polite conversation, but Kiritsugu had been so uncooperative.
Well, if you wouldn't show him any courtesy, he wouldn't show you any, either. The tables had turned, and now it was Rimuru's turn to lose his temper. He raised his little hand, held up eight fingers, and pointed them at Kiritsugu's head as if to mock him. "Bang!"
"Tell me! Why did you try to kill me?"
"...There wasn't any particular reason." A sheen of sweat appeared on Kiritsugu's forehead. In truth, he could've jumped out of the car, and he was confident he could evade Rimuru's attack. But if he fought Rimuru and triggered an alarm at the Clock Tower—
The fallout from the previous assassination hadn't been erased yet, and it hadn't even been a month since the start of the school term. The Lords were all there. The Clock Tower would go straight into a state of high alert, and they'd all come after him to deliver a killing blow.
"As a bounty hunter, working for money is perfectly normal—"
"Oh? You're a champion of justice, and you'd sell your life for money?" Rimuru said with an irritatingly sweet smile.
"I won't attack you again." Kiritsugu forced himself to calm down, carefully choosing his words. "But aside from rescuing people, I also work as a mercenary to eliminate magecraft users with a history of evil—"
"My history of evil... Oh, by your standards, there's quite a lot." Rimuru was briefly taken aback, then smiled and shook his head. He didn't take it to heart. He'd been raised with the traditional values of a magecraft practitioner in this world. Looking back now, he found them a little extreme, but he couldn't deny that, while his memories were sealed, he'd done plenty of "bad things."
That was also the main reason he and Aoko were always at odds.
For example, during the events of Mahoyo, he'd used Shizuki Soujuurou to draw out Aozaki Touko and the Golden Wolf. He'd also made all kinds of plans and fought battles without regard for the ordinary people caught in the crossfire, causing heavy casualties—
But everything he'd done had been to protect himself, Kuonji, and Aoko. Even now, Rimuru didn't think there was anything wrong with that kind of self-interest.
"Fine. I understand." Rimuru smiled faintly. "Then I really am a terrible person. You're welcome to try killing me again next time, but remember to come prepared."
Rimuru stopped the car and spoke softly. "No matter what, you attacked me, so you're bound to die by my hand one day. But that time hasn't come yet. I wasn't lying earlier. I don't want the Clock Tower to issue a Sealing Designation against you for those four reasons."
"All... four of them."
"Now, get out."
"...I believe the rest, but would a magecraft practitioner like you really admire a Magus like me, whom you people consider despicable?" Kiritsugu turned his head slightly and gave a derisive laugh.
"Why wouldn't I?" Rimuru turned to look at him, puzzled. "Just because I don't do what's right and look down on justice doesn't mean I don't know what the right thing to do is."
"Of course, maybe those traditional mages really don't know. But as far as I'm concerned, at least..."
"Precisely because I can't be just or kind myself, I respect and admire those who can."
You don't have to agree, but please show respect.
As a modern person, that basic decency and courtesy was etched deep in his bones.
"..." Kiritsugu's lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing. He quietly got out of the car, looking somewhat subdued.
"Oh, right."
Rimuru started the car again. In the late eighties, the engine of Rimuru's newest car sounded especially loud. "I heard—I heard that in your mysterious Far East, there's a ritual called the Holy Grail War."
"The one who wins can obtain the Greater Grail, which grants any wish."
"Sometimes I wonder... could that thing save this world?"
"Emiya Kiritsugu, what... do you think?"
Sorry, everyone. I don't know what's been going on lately, but scheduled chapters keep repeating some content and losing other parts. I suspect it's a browser issue. I'm looking into it.
Rimuru, who had just dropped a hint to Kiritsugu, hummed cheerfully as he arrived at the large classroom for Individual Fundamentals. Eler had already spotted the silver car and come running over.
Behind her, Liddell watched quietly with a gentle smile. After spending so much time together, the three of them had grown close, and Liddell often felt a soft warmth between them, as if they were a family of three—
"Did Eler behave herself today?"
Rimuru stopped the car. Ignoring the little girl's rapid-fire complaints and flurry of punches as soon as she climbed in, he turned to Liddell with a grin.
"She didn't cause any trouble. She's gotten quite good at controlling her Mana Burst."
While other people's Mana Burst only formed an armor of mana or offered some resistance to magecraft, Liddell sometimes wondered if Aozaki Aoko had secretly taught Eler something. The little girl's Mana Burst was just like Aoko's explosive attacks. She seemed able to compress mana as naturally as breathing and fire it like a high-pressure water jet. It was less like Mana Burst and more like a simplified magical cannon—enough to give anyone a headache.
Thankfully, after Rimuru forcibly reined her in, she'd finally broken the habit of firing off blasts at the slightest provocation...
"That's pretty good, then." Rimuru greeted Eler's professor, who was teaching her, and took the little plaque identifying him as a Sealing Designation Enforcer. He set it in front of Liddell.
"Are you leaving?" Liddell immediately understood what Rimuru meant. She was taken aback and spoke softly. "There's no need to rush..."
"I need real combat experience." Rimuru smiled and shook his head. "The Director has already agreed. For years, I haven't had a clear understanding of how strong I am—"
"Have you decided where to go?"
"Yeah... I want to go to Germany."
"Europe?" Liddell covered her mouth in surprise. "What are you going there for?"
"I'm going to look for something."
At that, Rimuru gave a rueful smile, unsure how to explain—
He couldn't exactly say he was going to Germany to look for the legendary Dead Apostle Ancestors, could he?
He had to get involved with the Dead Apostles' organization sooner or later. The Root pursued by mages was more powerful and more influential than the weakened Dead Apostles, but Rimuru didn't want to become the very essence of the world. He simply wanted to travel between worlds.
So he'd have to seek out Zelretch, the Wizard Marshal among the Dead Apostle Ancestors. Since he had to find the Jewel Mage eventually, he might as well learn as much as he could about the Dead Apostles in advance.
And, if he could, he also wanted to see whether he could find the city where the legendary White Princess was still asleep.
Millennium Castle—
"..." Liddell stared into Rimuru's eyes. After a while, she sighed. "Another Revelation? All right—"
"Eh?! Teacher...!!" Hearing their cryptic conversation, Eler blinked her big eyes. Her face grew more and more tense as she anxiously asked, "Teacher...! Are... are you leaving? Can you take Eler with you?"
"Mm! Eler will be good! She definitely won't—" The little one didn't care that Rimuru was still in the car. With a loud cry, she leaped from the passenger seat straight into his arms, leaving him at a loss for words. "It doesn't really count as leaving, does it?"
"My clone will stay here and continue working as a professor at the Clock Tower. It'll be half of me, more or less."
"A clone?" Liddell asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, Slimes can split!" Rimuru smiled. "No matter what, the Clock Tower and its school are my most important support. I can't give that up."
"Nicely said..." Liddell gave him a beautiful smile and nodded in satisfaction. "So, does this clone share your consciousness?"
"Yeah. I might not always be paying attention over here, but if you call for me, I'll hear you. Just treat it like the real me."
"So... I won't be without a teacher...?" Eler hadn't understood most of that. She thought about it for a moment, then suddenly brightened up, because she'd worked out one simple thing—
She could have two R imurus!
Two teachers! Double the fun!!
A week later, in front of a quiet church in Berlin, Germany, a small figure in a black velvet coat arrived. He took off his hat, and his light blue hair fluttered in the cold breeze. A few fallen leaves swirled up in front of the church.
"So this is a branch of the Holy Church... It's rather shabby."
Rimuru lowered his head with a light laugh, walked over, and gently knocked on the door. At the same time, he took out a mask and put it on. Wuyin had already turned into a puddle, slowly flowing across the ground...
Creak—
As the old, heavy door opened a crack, a priest appeared and gave his answer. "Visiting hours are over. If you wish to pray, please—"
Before he could finish, the water that had formed from Wuyin suddenly became several razor-sharp icicles, frigid air radiating from them. They stabbed into the priest's abdomen with a squelch, blooming into a bright red flower. He fell to his knees with a thud, stared up in shock, and watched the masked figure enter—
Strange, crimson patterns marked the pale mask, making it look eerie and terrifying in the gloom. Even so, the old priest quickly recognized what he was looking at. "...A... a magecraft practitioner..."
"An elderly Executor. It seems this branch isn't highly regarded." Rimuru crouched down. A layer of blue mana stirred from the Magic Circuits in his chest. Cool water moistened his hands, brimming with vitality and life. It was healing magecraft.
The Executors of the Holy Church were those with the power and authority to exterminate demons. They physically eliminated things that had no place in the Lord's doctrine, claiming to drive out evil and destroy all heresy. They fought so that humanity could properly govern the Mysteries for itself.
Put simply, they were human-supremacist fanatics. Rimuru had always thought that Gaia's decision to trigger Notes and go down fighting had a lot to do with idiots like them...
He placed a hand over the old man's wound. Beneath his mask, his muffled voice sounded like a demon's whisper. "Now, hand over the information on the Executors and heretics in your branch—"
"Otherwise, I'll heal you, then do it again. Forever."
At that, the priest's frightened pupils contracted...
"You... you're the devil who's been hunting Dead Apostles lately..."
"If you already know, then this should be easy." Hearing the priest's words, Rimuru raised his eyebrows beneath the mask, then laughed softly.
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