Comfort

As I approached him, the emotional turmoil became increasingly unbearable. I paid it no mind and pushed my Pain Resistance to the maximum. I knew it wouldn't do much, but it was better than nothing.

<Warning! Individual Hiiro is in a very Unstable State. It advised not to go near him.>

'Yeah, yeah. Do you have a better idea then?'

<Analyzing. >

<Error! Cannot Comprehend.>

Exactly.

'I know you are not good at things like this, so shut up and do whatever you can to help me.'

'And Besides, You and I are going to have a very, very long chat about why you didn't tell me about this situation beforehand when you were fully aware of it.'

I even gave you explicit permission to help him, you know.

<... >

Well, whatever. We'll talk later.

Right now, I need to rescue my foolish little brother who's currently going through an emotional phase.

I know that no matter how confused he is right now, he would never harm me.

However, that didn't make it easy to approach him.

The closer I got, the more excruciating pain I felt.

But, as if on cue, Great Sage finally did something useful.

<Notice: Individual Rimuru has acquired the Extra Skill: Mental Resistance.>

<Extra Skill Mental Resistance has evolved into Spiritual Attack Resistance.>

<Would you like to activate it, Y N>

!?

Yes.

Hohhh...

Finally, it became somewhat bearable.

The pain hadn't diminished or disappeared, but my mental fortitude seemed to have increased to better endure the overwhelming torment.

After some time, I eventually managed to get close enough to finally touch him.

But now what? No matter how hard I tried, words alone wouldn't reach him.

Hmm..

Shall I try 'that'..

It was quite simple actually.

  Words alone wouldn't penetrate the turmoil inside him, But He just needed the assurance that somebody was there with him, to know that he was not alone in facing this emotional storm and someone he knew was supporting him from outside.

I slowly extended my body towards the little blob, who was much smaller than me. It was like offering a comforting embrace, just as I did in Veldora's cave when he was trying to protect me from Veldora but was so terrified that he froze in place until I got near him.

'He was so cute back then... '

This action spoke much more to him than just words.

I was the only person who could touch him like this. Because he instinctively avoided anyone else's touch.

And soon, he was enveloped by my body, as if I were hugging him to reassure him.

"It's okay."

I spoke gently to the soft and endearing creature before me. This took me back to the day we first met, where there was no verbal response, but he understood everything I said. Sometimes, when he really wanted to communicate something, he would emit a soft, almost plaintive squeak, much like now.

"...kyuu"

It was a quiet, almost tearful voice.

I sensed an overwhelming wave of relief through the Link, which reminded me that he was still concerned about me.

A complex emotion welled up within me.

I had come perilously close to losing someone incredibly dear to me, and it churned my stomach.

But then...

"..kyuu"

His voice snapped me back to reality, and I responded in a gentle and reassuring tone.

".....Yes, I'm here now."

Sometimes, all a being needs is the presence of another to reassure them that they are not alone.

That was true, even for me.

Was it cliché? Yes.

Did it work? Absolutely.

Clichés exist because they work so well, and in this case, I was immensely thankful for that fact.

His emotions began to settle after receiving comfort.

It reminded me, once again, although he was dependable, he was merely a child who hadn't even lived for a full year.

Perhaps that was why he clung to me, seeking someone to rely on, someone who would always be there for him whenever he needed.