43rd Move | From the Ashes
I walked in the midst of a field of fire, bodies, and destroyed buildings. The glass shattered and the metal beams warped by heat.
This... is Metropolis. The ruins of it. But at the same time, the amount of magic used in the construction of those structures makes me think it's not Metropolis.
A sword swipe came at me.
I didn't even move to block it.
It stopped mere inches away from my face, close enough that I could see all the details of my attacker.
It was... Rimuru? He was clad in half-broken armor, making me think of a knight. His yellow eyes teeming with hatred and his lips were pulled back into a snarl.
"Why?"
Rimuru screamed. In the place of response, I unleashed a surge of silent neutralizing golden light of oblivion that seems to dissolve away everything it touches.
A massive crater was in front of me. The fire was gone, the smoke went still, and the crater was carved in a very sharp manner as if someone had teleported sections of it away. The burning city parted like Moses and the Red Sea to reveal the distant blue sky.
"Why?! Why must you take away my paradise?! Why do you have to kill everyone I love?!?" Rimuru kneeled on the ground, using his sword as a crutch, half of his body steadily being eaten away by something, slowly dissolving like meat in acid.
Everyone... he... loved?
I looked around me, focusing on the bodies. There were many bodies, so numerous that I couldn't even count.
I continued to move even when I didn't want to. Getting up next to the slime, I let out a right hook and punched his face, throwing him into the ground. Then, I sat on Rimuru's chest and started squeezing his neck.
"Grk!"
What am I doing?
"Ark!"
I then coated my hands with that same dissolving golden light, and it started eating away at his flesh.
Stop. Why am I doing this?
I kept on squeezing even as his blue flesh fell apart under that radiance. Touching more of his unaffected flesh to speed up the dissolution.
I wanted to stop, I continued to choke him out. He isn't making any more sounds now.
Stop. Stop. Stop! These hands are not made for killing! I am a tinker of unimaginably advanced technology, a builder of colossal stellar megastructures, a protector for millions of alien worlds, and a promoter for the diversity of life in the universe—
I am a creator, not a destroyer!
But I continue to squeeze down on Rimuru's neck. By now, there's barely any of him left, around 80% of his body was dissolved by that anti-energy.
"Die... and... meet... your... maker..."
I woke up with a startled gasp, the white blanket that was covering me flying off as I sat up like a triggered bear trap.
Looking around me, I recognized that I was in my bedroom in the Citadel, a place that I rarely visited.
I sighed and covered my face with my hands, gripping it tightly. I was physically fine, but mentally I felt like leftover ash in the fireplace as memories of what happened returned.
If I wasn't feeling so down, I think I'd be embarrassed at my outburst.
Then, I started recalling what exactly happened. After my rather intense nervous breakdown where I was super tempted to turn my [Silenced Emotion] into 100%. I was really tired, so Arcueid helped me retire to the Citadel while Rimuru dealt with the aftermath. Diablo is assisting him and Jeanne followed Ririna and Rubedo to get a tour of the Officer Corps and the Grand Republic Army.
My hands fell into my lap lifelessly as if they belonged to a dead man. My eyes were droopy, as if I was still tired only, I didn't want to sleep anymore.
Pulling up a system log of what happened ever since my breakdown, I found an application belonging to Citrinitas and Albedo to join up and fight on the front lines. As the Commander of the Military, it ultimately comes down to whether I'll allow them or not.
I accepted the application from Albedo and rejected Citrinitas'. The military can definitely use some magical assistance, and brute force we've already got covered. I mean, our variant of the tank probably classifies more as a heavy weapons platform.
On the Internet, everyone was buzzing about me apparently being a Perfect Homunculus. The Tempest government spokesperson didn't help when he neither confirmed nor denied my true nature and instead said they are investigating such matters and will release the information to the public once everything had been confirmed.
Classic governmental delaying tactics.
Oh, that's right, my true nature has been revealed...
I looked down at the pale right hand that was moving the holograms. Reactively, my left hand then came up and started playing around with my hair of ashen blond.
My nightwear shifted and dissolved into a liquid substance. Flowing down my arm, that liquid coalescence into a reflective surface— a mirror— on my right hand.
I saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at me in the mirror. With the barest of moonlight shining through the door to a large balcony, I could almost swear the eyes are glowing.
This... will be a permanent reminder of what I did. Despite being able to play with biology as one would a game, I can't add modifications to myself other than the Strings Implant since my passive [Limitless Regeneration] would register them as 'foreign bodies' and eject them out of my body. I should know, I once amputated my left arm and tried to add a robot arm.
So then, I will always be reminded of what I did every time I look in the mirror.
I chewed on my lower lips.
"..."
I suddenly raised my hand in one swift motion and threw the mirror at the wall in front of me.
Instead of shattering as a mirror should, the thing embedded itself into the wall as though it were a dart.
Ah, the Block-Form Singularity Mathematics couldn't be broken so easily. Even now, I could see how the mirror was leaking. The mirror was dissolving into a liquid that seep down from the wall, pooling on the ground and then slowly inching towards me, seeking to rejoin with the rest of the Mathematics.
"..." I draped my head like a bell in a clock tower. I then brought my two hands up so that they were fully in my field of view.
Memories of that dream I just had rushed back to me, memories of my hand sheathed in the light of oblivion, memories of me choking the life out of Rimuru, slowly corroding him away into nothingness like rocks to the sands of time.
My fingers twitched as my eyes were half-lid.
Bringing them up, I started the act despite knowing just how futile it is.
"—rk!"
There, in the darkness of the night, within the confines of my private room, I squeezed.
"Kr—"
I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed.
"Grrak—"
I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed.
"Urrraaaaak—"
I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed. I squeezed.
*Squrlich*
I squeezed until something gave away. Blood sprouted from my throat, dying my bedsheets red like a rose garden blossoming in spring.
I looked passively at the scene, not alarmed at all but feeling more annoyed. Automatically, the Block-Form Singularity Mathematic crawled up from my nightgown and started inserting itself where my throat should've been, plugging up the hole. The Mathematics then changed its color and texture to match my skin while cleaning any of the bloodstains from my body.
The Mathematics will act as and fulfill the function of a throat while my [Limitless Regeneration] slowly heals everything.
The Block-Form Singularity Mathematics truly is the culmination of clothing.
With another flick of my wrist, I opened a Doorway and threw the ruined bedsheet into it.
Feeling restless, I got up from the bed. Every evidence of my previous exertion was gone, and it appeared as if I was an insomniac getting up because I couldn't sleep.
Glancing at the clock by the nightstand, I saw that it was two in the morning.
My hands then slowly reached forward as though I was about to grab something. A portal to my pocket dimension opened up in my path, and I reached in and took out Shizue's Soul Orb. The slivery orb seemed to almost pulse every now and then like a heart, beating within my hands to show that the spiritual component was still alive.
I stared at it. Shizue definitely wouldn't be happy with how I dealt with Hinata, no, she would curse me if she knew even if it violated her contract.
Shizue Izawa, despite going through a traumatic experience, is a gentle soul. I wonder what would she have been like if Demon Lord Leon Cromwell hadn't grabbed her here if she wasn't caught up in the Second World War?
I clenched the orb, as an apology, I should retune the contract, to allow an escape clause. Now that I think about it, the contract does sound a lot like a slave one, not your stereotypical chattel slavery but given how Shizue didn't have a choice, it still counts as it no matter how much I cushion it with benefits.
Returning the orb back into the Pocket Dimension, I began to think about the Ten Great Demon Lords that I'm now a part of.
When I first heard of them, I imagined them to be like Sauron from the Lord of the Rings. Major big bads. But now after coming into contact with Milim, Ramiris, and Carrion, I see them as having more nuisances.
Carrion is a hedonist who lives in the moment. He may have been a great warrior in the past if what the books say is true but after the end of the Demon Lord Civil War, centuries of having no peer opponent to fight against has blunted his edge and made him soft. He's the kind of ruler that's out of touch with the common people.
Ramiris... she's... not what you'd imagine as a Demon Lord. Ramiris feels a lot like a brat spoiled by their insanely rich parents. Like, she speaks with such arrogance that her own power could not really back up.
Milim's just a child who's been given the power worthy of a god.
Leon Cromwell. The Great Betrayer of Humanity. A Hero that's seen as one of the trifectas that's responsible for one of the most peaceful times in written history, Leon Cromwell fought alongside Granbell Rosso and Chronoa before his betrayal at the Battle of El Dorado where he proclaimed himself a Demon Lord and claimed overlordship over the minor continent. His betrayal signaled the end of the Triumvirate Era and gave way to the Dyad Era.
Guy Crimson, a mythical figure, a bogeyman for the West. It was said that he resides in the North where all the Demons that assault the human nations come from. Although, he hasn't been active ever since Relentless was dealt with.
Dino. A figure most disputed among Western historians. Many think he's not real and was made up by the Ten Great Demon Lords so that they appear stronger. No one can be sure since no living human has ever seen Dino.
Dagruel, the ruler of Giants in the Barren Lands. Came into a lot of conflict with the previous vampire Demon Lord before they were slain by Veldora 300 years ago during the fall of Nightrose.
Frey, the ruler of the skies. She's an oddball. Whereas the other Demon Lords are spoken in fear, she's in greed. Her nation is open to merchants for trading, and through almost a century of this open-door policy, Fulbrosia became the main supplier of the world for precious metals and gems. If one were to visit Fulbrosia, they'll see a nation full of wealth.
Roy Valentin, the new vampire Demon Lord after the last one died. There's not much on him, other than he likes to terrorize the Empire of Ruberios. Oddly enough, his death toll is tiny considering how often he terrorizes that Empire.
And, finally, we come to the Demon Lord that's trying to use Rimuru's death to his advantage: Clayman. He's a manipulative autocrat. An opportunist, he must've seen what the Western Holy Church was planning and decided to send Mjurran to aid them in weakening us.
A further examination of the system log showed how it detected a massive gravitational anomaly on the day of Rimuru's death in Eurazania. Neutron star-level gravity in a linear shape.
Milim probably used that weapon I gave her— I think the name was Rhongomyniad— and destroyed Eurazania for some reason. The lance wasn't really a lance so much as a container for the miniature Starbreaker Engine that uses magicule as fuel. Again, it's only a miniature Starbreaker Engine, with an output nowhere near the level of an actual Starbreaker.
Though even if it's only a miniature Starbreaker Engine, examinations of the aftermath of its firing using satellite footage showed massive dust clouds covering the whole of Eurazania, thick enough that in some places most forms of surveillance couldn't penetrate cloud covering.
It's as if a supervolcano had erupted, or maybe a better comparison would be a localized nuclear winter with the radioactive fallout that's wreaking havoc on Eurazania's crop fields. The main dust cloud has begun to slowly drift towards the Southern Ocean, and if the currents are anything to go by, there's going to be an ecological collapse of all Coral Reefs and the oceanic food chain on the Southern Ocean.
[Economy] predicts fish prices will rise in the near future as the fallout will come to affect all levels of the marine ecosystem. The coastal villages will be devastated the most, and the world will likely see an uptick in cancer cases.
"..." There's also a high likelihood that Eurazania altogether collapses, and a refugee crisis will start. We'll probably take the brunt of that crisis similar to Europe and the Syrian Civil War in the mid-2010s.
Further evidence for this future is there when border patrols have seen a sudden increase in the number of attempted crossings of the Tempest-Eurazania border.
For what reason had Milim sent out this decapitation strike? If the neutrino sweep of the place were accurate, the spot where Milim had unleashed the miniature Starbreaker Engine overlap Eurazania's capital.
I then used the search bar of the system log and set the filter to 'any large movements of individuals' and received a ping in the Milim-Eurazania border.
Zooming in, I saw how there were large campsites displaying Clayman's flag set in Milim's territory near Eurazania.
So Milim's joined up with Clayman? I cupped my chin, that'll make going against his nation of Jistav difficult.
Of course, I could again just drop Behemoth onto Milim's capital and let her be busy with the Endbringer while I invade Jistav.
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth as I physically recoiled from that thought as if it was poison. The flame inside me flared up as though to punish me for having such an idea.
Feeling restless, I decided to walk to the balcony before sitting down on one of those chairs that can stretch out into a bed.
I could feel the cool night's wind blowing through this balcony, my lips quivered in response.
Ah, if I were to simply live in the moment, I would think I was back in my old life, specifically, back during that one business trip to New York.
This balcony was a fake one. The scenery that surrounds me is fake, it's a hologram displaying night-time in New York. The city's smell, cool temperature, and wind were all artificially generated to complete an illusion that's so real, it's very difficult to tell apart fact from fiction.
I then took out several jars of different chemicals and placed them on the ground beside me. With all but a simple thought, I activated [Mekhane] and watched as the chemicals flow out of their containers and start mixing with each other mid-air. The chemical concoction shifted to all kinds of colors before ending up being clear.
Bringing the ball of chemicals closer, I took a small sip of it and immediately felt woozy and a tiny bit drunk.
This ball is a chemical concoction strong enough to affect me.
Ultimate Skill [Mekhane] is Unique Skill [Technopathy] turned onto 11. With the Unique Skill, I could only really control my own machines, but now with the Ultimate Skill, I can control anything that resembles a 'machine', which just so happens to also include autocatalytic systems— otherwise known as 'life' since they fall under organic machines.
Essentially, if [Contessa]'s focus is on precognition, [Mekhane]'s is on machines. I can control how a car works, I can manipulate the very foundation of life in that Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and I can interface and control the software and hardware component of a computer.
I am a machine god, machines of flesh and metal are under my domain. I could telekinetically pull apart a machine and change its internal component however I wish. I can tear apart covalent and ionic bonds or force them together as if they are legos, this way I can dictate how the result of a chemical reaction happens or even force a single outcome as a mathematical certainty.
It's eerily similar to [Unlimited Alchemy] except I can't seem to touch souls with it.
No longer feeling the desire for a drink, I used [Mekhane] and [Unlimited Alchemy] and changed the sphere of liquid once more. Slowly, bubbles formed inside the liquid as it slowly became smaller and smaller as if I was draining it away. Once the chemicals were gone, what was left in its place is a long looping strand of room-temperature superconductor.
Taking the thin string of superconducting material and placing it back into the Pocket Dimension, the sheer casualness at how I'm dealing with something that can easily be worth trillions in my old world is... not lost on me.
I'm homesick, I realized as I stood up from my chair and leaned on the balcony overlooking the holographic New York. I miss my old World. I miss seeing my parents, and most of all, I miss Kathy.
Despite our estranged relationship in the years before I died, I still loved my sister as an older brother should.
I chewed on my lower lips in contemplation, I really miss my old World. It was much simpler back then. All I had to do every day was try and ensure Walmart was successful, whether by making things more efficient or researching ways how to make Walmart much more efficient and presenting it to the VP of Marketing. That was my job, that was how I rose up the ranks so quickly.
Why did things become so complicated?
It took the death of almost half a million for it to sink in how much power I now wield. It's almost scary how fragile and delicate life is, and how easy it is to render a planet permanently uninhabitable.
Granted, I always knew I was powerful, and that I should practice restraint. But it never really registered in my mind.
My gaze panned across this hologram that surrounds me. With a single thought, the whole scenery changed to the nightscape of Toronto.
Looking at it, I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that there's a burden to power. Such a conclusion then made me remember that specific quote from Spiderman.
"'With great power, comes great responsibility'."
I closed my eyes. No, I already knew that the path required me to spill a lot of blood. It was bound to happen. The Modern World was built upon the foundation set during the Second World War. But, I think a deep part of me never thought that it was going to be so soon.
Taking in a deep breath, I then let it all out. The fire was still there, still burning me, but it's been there for so long that I've more or less gotten used to it.
I don't want to get used to it. That path leads to me becoming what Rubedo had accused me of: someone who'll condemn millions to their graves so long as it'll benefit me more than them staying alive.
I don't want to become even more of a monster.
I don't want to become a new Relentless.
I'm still... human.
Walking back into the bedroom, I slowly sat on the edge of the bed. The soft mattress sunk around me and used my right arm as a crutch, leaning on it as I pathetically wallowed there in my misery.
I wonder if President Harry S Truman ever had the same thoughts I did after the two atomic bombings. Does the death of hundreds of thousands ever eat away at him as it does me?
It is really fortunate no one is here to see me.
My body suddenly shot up as if I had just been given a dose of adrenaline when I heard the door to my room creak open.
"Scientia?"
The voice was the definition of purity. It was like a cleansing light that banishes the darkness, a water that doused the burning fire.
I raised a hand to block out some of the light from the hallway that broke in through the opened crack made by Arcueid. The hand was quickly dropped when my eyes adjusted to the new light level and I saw Arcueid in her pajama. A yellow cat pajama, with the ears on top of her head and all.
Such an adorable sight made me smile.
"What is it Arcueid? It's two in the morning, why aren't you asleep?" I asked with my face partially turned away from the True Ancestor.
I'm not fully facing her because I'm quickly cleaning my face.
"Are you alright?" Arcueid's voice was soft and gentle as a baby's touch. She came in and closed the door behind her, causing near-total darkness to settle back into the room.
Only now did I notice her crimson eyes which were once a reflection of my own felt akin to another cruel reminder of my change, my metamorphosis into something else.
I opened my mouth to say that 'Yes, I'm fine' but I couldn't get anything out.
"..."
Come on Scientia, just say that you're alright, it's easy!
Yet my mouth remained stuck in its procedure of opening and closing. I tried to force something out, only to still get silence in return.
"No." I finally muttered.
A sense of numbness dyed my body, replacing the burning sensation as clouds cover the sky before rain. The numbness felt like how someone would feel right after a good cry.
Seeing my answer, Arcueid strode over and sat down beside me to the right. Her weight made the mattress sink like planets on a sheet of spacetime, making it so that I fell into her orbit, our shoulders touching each other.
The True Ancestor tilted her head, placing it on my right shoulder. I felt her left arm wrap itself around my waist before she intertwined her right hand with mine.
If taken out of context, one can easily imagine we're a pair of old lovers sitting by the dock, our legs hanging just a few centimeters above the waves, recalling our youth as we stare at the night sky.
"You know," Arcueid started in a longing tone as if reminiscing about her past, remembering some nostalgic memories, "I don't know if you still remember, but I had homesickness when I first came here."
...Oh yeah, she was like that wasn't she? Looking at her now, I really can't imagine that happening.
"In my old World, the total amount of time I've stayed conscious is less than a year—"
I grimaced. The casual way that Arcueid is talking about her past as a child soldier is still a bit jarring.
"— but I've been alive for over eight centuries, and yet— I was about as developed as a human baby, an infant when it comes to common sense. I was nothing more than a weapon, an executioner of the Will of the True Ancestors, an assassin built to kill those fallen True Ancestors. I barely had any independent thought, and my only window to the real world was how the architecture changed as the eras progressed, how the clothing that people wore altered each time I was woken up for the extermination of another rogue True Ancestor. When I came to this new world, I was scared for the first time. I was afraid of the changes brought about by the transition between different Worlds. I think... I would've broken down."
I sympathize with her. Reincarnation is a traumatic process.
"You helped me through all this, Scientia. To borrow a phrase from a book I've read: I was like a teenager going through puberty and you were my parents, always there to help me. You introduced me to the world of literature and stories, and through it, you showed me just how wonderful the World is, how beautiful it can be, how pretty it really is, and the ugliness that lies underneath the surface, waiting to strike at anyone unsuspecting. Through literature, you allowed me to live a life I never could, to experience the childhood that was taken from me. If I read an adventure novel, I could imagine myself journeying along with the protagonist. If I read a crime and mystery novel, I would try and work out the mystery before the detective finds everything out. If I read a dystopian novel, I would despair as the protagonist was forced to live a life similar to the old me. You showed me all these wonderful, horrible, astonishing, appalling things that I can't help but all love. You gave me... a sense of life and purpose beyond simply being a weapon."
Arcueid then got off my shoulder and turned to face me, her hands letting go of my own. Her crimson eyes sparkled, her porcelain skin radiant, and her short blond hair glowed— Arcueid looks so perfect under the soft glow from the moonlight outside.
It was nice that she was trying to highlight the good I've done, to try and damper the guilt I'm feeling. Though I've got to ask; has she always been this beautiful?
The True Ancestor's piercing red eyes stared into my own with a never-seen-before intensity. It felt almost as if I was in the middle of a furnace with how I could almost see my own reflection in her eyes.
"You helped me. You guided me along the way as I began to know what it's like to feel these new things. You taught me how to behave properly. You disciplined me when I deserved it. You spent your precious time every now and then to indulge in my own selfish desires like shopping at the mall, seeing theater plays, and even small things like cooking dinner when I asked for it, even if it could've been spent making these technologies that might as well as be nearing or even reaching the level of True Magic of my old World. Throughout all these months I've become happier and grown more than I've ever had in my old World. I doubt I would ever be what I am today if not for your help."
Her mouth morphed into a wide smile. Her hands reached up and grabbed my shoulders.
"You are the glue upon which I used to piece myself an identity; the foundation upon which I built structures of my peculiar quirks; the center of my world." Arcueid's eyes then gained a faraway look in them, "I used to wonder what that feeling was, that odd feeling of jubilation whenever I'm with you, that feeling of melancholy and longing when you're away for too long, the feeling of my heart speeding up when you held my hand, the feeling of incredible envy when you spent time with Ririna or Eren— I was confused. I had no frame of reference for this type of behavior from me since I never had it during my time as a weapon. So I resorted to sifting through the pages of the novels you gave me and some Internet forums. The answer I got was something I couldn't believe in. It was something I refuse to believe in because the genre of books that focused on that was one I hated."
Well, Arcueid discovering the Internet was bound to happen anyways. As she spills her heart out to me, I found it difficult to tell her that the way she was holding onto me and forcing my body to turn an almost 90-degree angle against my legs was getting steadily more and more uncomfortable.
I can't just interrupt her because my waist was feeling a tad bit of discomfort! I don't need [Psychology] to tell me that'll absolutely destroy her confidence.
"I hated that genre of books because of the way they portray that act. They glamorize it, they make something that's real into something that's unreal. That slight falsehood soured my liking of those kinds of books even though I love literature more than anyone."
Arcueid's eyes then drooped. The edge of her lips fell, no longer smiling as her eyes were no longer looking at me, "And yet, upon seeing how distressed you were yesterday—" I grimaced upon being reminded of my breakdown, "—something inside me snapped. Seeing you so vulnerable when my mental image is the exact opposite of that triggered something deep inside me. It was primal, something on the same level as instinct, a bit more sophisticated than lust. It made me want to run over to you as hard as possible and embrace you fully until whatever's hurting you stopped— I DID do that. It was during the embrace that it finally dawned on me—"
Her hands then let go of my shoulders and I reflectively shift my body back into a more comfortable position. However, the True Ancestor then grabbed the side of my face with her dainty fingers.
Wait, what is she doing? Arcueid's not doing what I think she's doing, is she? I mainly ignored how physical she was the last few minutes because I figure that was her trying to comfort me. Now that I think about it, a few details do stand out.
With me forced to stare at the blonde vampire, I couldn't help but notice again just how beautiful she looked under the moonlight. She was like a white lily at night, standing out from the murky pond water.
"I... I... I..." Arcueid seemed to struggle to get some words out. Her cheeks were flushed as she grits her teeth in frustration. Arcueid's lips thinned, then she began to lean forward—
*chu*
My mind went blank as soon as I felt her lips touch upon mine.
.
.
.
.
"I, Arcueid Brunestud, am in love you, Scientia Tempest." She said when she withdrew, the kiss lasted a little over three seconds, as reported by [Statistics].
Yet to me, that felt like an eternity.
My mouth was agape, my brain rebooted itself as it struggles to comprehend what had just happened.
"I— I— I— WHAT?!"
Of all the things— love? Romantic love?! What the fuck?!?
My face was incredulous.
"What? I'm— I'm sorry, I must've misheard— what did you say? And why did you just kiss me?"
No, that can't be right. That's wrong. She can't actually have any romantic feelings for me, could she? I mean I subtly pushed her to gain a date with an appropriate person but why me?
Me, the one who kidnapped her from her World. Me, whom I see has taken up a parental role for the True Ancestor?
"But— I— I— I kidnapped you from your own World! Why— how extreme of a Stockholm Syndrome must you be having right now for me?"
I can't find it in myself to actually say that word.
A pout formed on Arcueid's face as she lets go of my face and crossed her arms, "I know that this may seen as Stockholm Syndrome but you more or less rescued me from being an eternal weapon of the True Ancestors. I consider that helping."
"But— your grandpa, I—"
"Scientia Tempest! Do you accept my feelings or not?"
"I..." I felt my words stuck in my throat, my body becoming extra hot as if it was 35℃ in the room instead of the comfortable 23℃. I felt like being put on the spot.
"I..."
So I said the only thing that comes to mind.
"I can't."
Arcueid went still.
"I can't, I'm sorry but I can't accept your feelings for me." I turned away. I couldn't bear to see the devastation on Arcueid's face.
"...why?"
With how weakly Arcueid spoke was like an arrow that pierced through my chest.
"I... I see myself as your guardian figure. I am your teacher. I hold a position of authority over you and I'm responsible for your future and education. The power dynamic between the two of us wouldn't be equal. Beyond the potential reputation damage that'll occur if this ever got out, I see it as also an abuse of trust and authority. As your guardian, I'm supposed to act in your best interest, engaging in a romantic relationship with you can easily create a conflict of interest wherein that's not possible."
I wanted so much to say yes at that moment. But it's wrong for me. Even if this wasn't an issue, I don't think I deserve happiness after taking away so many.
"But... that's only for humans. I'm not human." Arcueid's lips trembled, "I'm, as you call it, a 'super vampire'. I—"
"I see you as an adoptive child of mine," I spoke frankly, cutting her arguments short, "You... you are a child soldier who never had a chance to have a childhood or any teenage romances. What you're feeling right now is most likely a sudden desire to live out your fantasies, and since I'm the one you know and interacted with the most, you decided to place your target of desire on me."
Arcueid recoiled, "I am 800 years old— I am not a child!"
"You're mentally no older than maybe 17 to 18 years old."
"So? I like to act that way! It makes the world more pleasant."
"You're not developed enough Arcueid!" I yelled.
Arcueid then got up from the bed. She loomed over me, and for a brief moment, I felt fear from her like never before, a primal fear as if I was facing down that THING again.
"I am a True Ancestor! Not one of those humans who take almost two decades to develop! I am a superior lifeform! Again, why are you using human logic to describe me?!" Arcueid sounded outraged, "Animals like mice reach physical, mental, and sexual maturity at six to eight weeks, would you call them mating with each other wrong? What would you do if another alien lifeform matures to adulthood at two years of age then, huh? Could you still reject them on the ground of being too young if they want to engage in a relationship with you?!?"
Arcueid was acting extremely aggressively, enough that I steadily inched away from her.
"No, but—"
"Exactly! If you don't use human logic to ascribe animals, why are you using them to ascribe me? A super vampire, a True Ancestor? I am not a human. Humans don't live for over 800 years. I do."
Holy shit her logic is actually making sense. What else can I reject her on?
"But I am your guardian—"
"I never saw you as my guardian. I saw you as something closer, something more intimate. I saw you as my closest companion, one who I can share anything with. Last I checked, guardianship required consent of both parties."
"I..." I fell into silence. "But..."
"Scientia Tempest!" Droplets of tears gathered on the edge of Arcueid's eyes, "Why can't you accept my feelings even now? What's the issue?"
There's an urge to just stay silent, but I can't, not anymore, "I... I am a Perfect Homunculus, Arcueid, the most hated race out there. I killed 80,000 orcs without remorse. As you said, I committed a genocide where my kill count was higher than almost every human in your old World. I am a monster, I am just like Relentless. You can't love someone like me, even if you're of a different race, you still follow some human customs."
Arcueid then fell upon me, embracing me fully and enveloping me in a large, all-consuming hug. The sudden weight caused both of us to fall on the bed.
My arms were spread out across the mattress, while Arcueid's were beside my head. We were in a straddle, with the vampire sitting on my lap.
It feels so comfortable, yet the burning returns as I'm reminded of how much comfort I took away from the world.
"I am a monster as well. They called me the White Princess of True Ancestors. I was made with the meaningless purpose of being the strongest True Ancestor. My sister Altrouge hates me for who I am, and... well I guess I have a messed up family."
Our faces were mere centimeters away. My yellow eyes were trained on her crimson ones, allowing me to fully appreciate just how beautiful she looked under the dim moonlight shining from the balcony.
My heart was screaming at me to say 'yes', to fully accept Arcueid's feelings. Ha... I guess I also thought of Arcueid as something more... yet I averted my eyes.
In the end, I still can't. I listened to my heart twice without consulting my brain, and twice I encountered massive backlashes. The first time was with Kathy and it ended up with her no longer on speaking terms with me, and the second was with Corbin.
I don't want to hurt myself or a person close to me again.
Seeing my wordless response, Arcueid nodded with a subdued motion, "I see. Then... at least know this: if you don't accept my feeling, know that you aren't alone, know that I'll help you extinguish the fire that burns you, know that I'll always be there should you need it."
And with that, Arcueid got up and hurriedly left the room, the loud sound of her own room slamming shut echoing across the whole living space five seconds after.
"God damn it." I finally said while never moving from my position. "God fucking damn it."
I got up and gripped my head as though I was having a migraine. "Why is it that only now things become so complicated?"
I felt the urge to punch something, so I got up and threw a punch at the wall with my right hand.
My fist remain embedded in the wall, even as the nanites started coiling around my hand in an attempt at repairing the damage.
I then slammed my forehead against the wall, not removing it.
God fucking damn it all to hell.
Even now, I felt the urge to go and knock on Arcueid's door, to accept her, to let her in.
In truth, I was never really into romances. Though I slept around in my old life, all my romantic relationships lasted no longer than a month before they broke up because of neglect. Neglect because I chose to focus on my job instead of on her.
I grit my teeth. It's for the best, I tell myself. It's definitely for the best.
Slowly, I slide down the wall until my knees hit the floor. Periodic droplets of salty water hit the ground right underneath me.
I raised my left hand and slammed it against the wall. If someone else were to see me, they'll think I was a mother clinging to the pants of a doctor, begging them to reduce the price of some lifesaving medicine by at least a little.
"God... fucking... damn..." I choked out. It's so difficult. It's so easy to just get up and accept Arcueid's feelings.
The amount of regret I'm feeling was almost indescribable.
Why... why do I want to make such a stupid decision? Now, I see myself as an intelligent person. Between either brains or brawls, I would choose brains nine times out of ten. Because the way I see it, in the modern world, we don't need brawls anymore. All the new tech billionaires you see on the news all got to where they are through their brains and the technological innovation they made.
So then, why do I want to disobey my brain so much? Why am I having this dilemma between my heart and mind again?
"Love... love truly makes fools of even the greatest men," I said to myself, "it is fundamentally irrational, it plays on a person's mind by stimulating the reward centers of the brain like never before."
It clouds one's mind and ensures one stays human instead of being a machine. It makes people feel desperate for its touch.
"Ahh..." I let out a sigh.
[Psychology] was oddly silent, as if something was blocking the specialty.
I am desperate. After everything that's happened, I need someone to love. I need that sense of connection, and the emotional support provided by Arcueid. I need to feel grounded, otherwise, I think I'll collapse if I don't, or at least, leave this planet entirely.
Standing up from my kneeling position, I quietly sauntered over to the front of the door leading to Arcueid's room. My heart ached and demanded me to knock on the door while my brain told me it was not too late to turn back now.
Why is everything so complicated?
This is just wrong, so why does it feel so right?
My heart continued to scream at me to knock on the door, to accept Arcueid as something more.
My hand gripped themselves so tightly I felt my fingernails digging into the skin.
Why is it so hard? I feel winded, so many things happened in this past week, Rimuru's death, the Attack on Metropolis, the Annihilation of Corbin, my Ascension into True Demon Lord status, and now Arcueid's confession in order to help with my guilt—
Everything is moving so fast, I can't catch up.
I need a vacation after this. To just get away from everything.
I took another deep breath, my ears registering the faint crying noises from inside.
Come on Scientia, you are a master of time and space. You are someone whose reach and influence spread across almost every corner of the universe. In most popular sci-fi franchises, having millions of worlds is considered a huge achievement, the total number of planets that felt my touch is numbered in the sextillions. My technology is advanced enough to make them appear more like a medieval dramas than actual science fiction.
Taking one final deep breath, I knocked on the door.
"Arcueid, can I come in?" I felt a sinking feeling the moment those words left my lips.
Hearing some ruffling of bedsheets and blankets before there was a faint, "Come in."
Turning the knob and pushing the door open, I found Arcueid sitting on her bed, and even through the darkness, I saw Arcueid's back facing the door. Her room was calmly illuminated by the soft glow of nightlights on the stands beside her bed.
I felt awkward with the silence, so I pulled out a chair from my pocket dimension and placed it beside the bed. I sat down on the chair opposite to how I was supposed to and placed my arms around the backrest.
I could sympathize with how she feels. I had a friend once, in high school. He once tried to ask a girl out but being rejected caused him to feel depressed for the whole day.
"You know, I volunteered to become your guardian because of the fact that you were a child soldier. I gave you those books, I introduced you to all these wonderful things because I hoped you would become independent when you're inevitably sent back to your own World. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about you."
Arcueid became still.
"I don't know when I started to care for you beyond a sense of duty. But, you managed to slip through all the walls that I surrounded myself with and became one of my closest confidants. Something closer than even Rimuru."
I took another deep sigh and tilted my head upward so that it was staring at the ceiling.
"There are two types of innocence in this world: those who have their innocence because they haven't been exposed to the world and those who still retain their innocence even after knowing the darkness that's everywhere. The latter is rarer than diamond. You belong in that latter portion. You are a child soldier, Arcueid, you've seen the worst that the world has to offer and yet you still retain that child-like innocence. You're like a piece of paper thrown into an ocean and yet remain dry. I, on the other hand, am as wet as they come."
My eyes returned to the vampire.
"Upon a second reviewing..." I need Arcueid as a drowning man needs a life jacket, as a burning man needs a pond, as a ship needs its anchors, as a jet needs its wings. "I need that innocence. I— because you cannot be described using human logic, in short, I've decided to... accept your feelings."
Arcueid turned around. Her eyes gleamed in the subtle nightlight.
"Although, I've never really been in a romantic relationship before. Neither in this life nor the last beyond a casual fling or two, so if we are indeed doing this, then you'll have to be the teacher for a very slow student."
The irony. I smiled mirthfully, the irony was delicious. Even as I enjoyed the irony, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. Arcueid looked at me cautiously like a cat whose owner had just dumped them in a bathtub.
The cautiousness quickly evaporated like water on a hot pan as her face turned into a pretty smile.
"I feel happy. I feel so happy."
Arcueid yawned, reminding me that it was two in the goddamn morning.
I no longer feel like burning up. It's still there, but it's embers compared to the inferno from before.
We slept together that night. As in, literally platonically sleeping together instead of the coitus type.
When I woke up, I felt so much better, like I could forget everything I'd done and just focus on the present.
Sitting up, I stretched my arms and found Arcueid still clad in her cat pajamas. She was sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Such a serene visage, an image of tranquility. As though the whole world didn't matter, as if the future didn't exist, and the past a mere dream.
It was when I was admiring a sleeping Arcueid that it finally crashed into me.
[Silenced Emotion: 60%]
Oh fuck, I'm in a relationship now.
My eyes widen in realization. I felt a bit of regret. Like moving to a new place, I found the idea of a romantic relationship with Arcueid both exciting and scary at the same time.
Of course, with [Psycholoy] much of the unknown has already been removed. However, book smart is different from street smart.
With [Stealth] guiding my movements, I wrote Arcueid a note and sneaked out of bed, all without her even stirring in her sleep.
I called Rimuru once I reached the living room, completely ignoring the kitchen after a passing glance as I don't feel all that hungry.
Appearing as an almost life-like hologram hovering beside me, I asked Rimuru in a casual tone, "Anything happened while I was away?"
"Yeah, big things actually. About an hour after you left, the military detected intrusions in our airspace and scrambled some A.A.A.s to intercept them. Turns out, it was King Gazel visiting with 300 more of his Pegasus Knights in tow. According to him, he wants to make a firm statement of friendship and consolidation with us and wishes to join the Republic in our counteroffensive against Falmuth."
"I see..." Radars probably do exist in this world, at least a magical version of it does. Thus, this means Gazel's uninformed act of entering our airspace is probably intentional, though I do think based on historical evidence, he didn't expect to be intercepted.
[Tactics] and [Strategy] took over and started coming up with layer after layer of complex plans for dealing with Falmuth and Clayman. Opening a new holographic tab to display Rimuru's agenda for the day, I noticed a point of interest.
"Hrm. You have lunch with him at one in the afternoon?"
I opened a Doorway and walked through it, entering the Workshop of the Citadel.
"Oh yeah, we're going to talk about our future and how Dwargon and Tempest can cooperate further. You wanna join?" Rimuru offered. I could hear the tiniest hint of pleading in his voice.
Knowing him, the slime probably let slip that I became a Demon Lord, and after further pressure from Gazel, most likely spilled the beans on the annihilation of the invading Falmuth's army by Veldora per the official narrative.
It was truly fortunate that only a handful of people knew what happened to Corbin, and they were all sworn to secrecy. The nearby towns and villages were also wiped away with not a single trace remaining. Unless they have some kind of magical alert system, it'll probably take weeks for the first sign that something was wrong with Corbin to register with the King.
"Sure. I'll join. Though about our current circumstances, the way I see is this: our main threat is Clayman. Falmuth is easy. Our technological superiority makes them a breeze."
I pulled up a projection of his nation to help me better visualize.
"Clayman's subversive actions with Mjurran have shown him to be an opportunist that'll always capitalize on our weaknesses. That's a Sword of Damocles we can easily get rid of. What's more, his nation has little over 100 million people whether slaves or freed, so he can just order massive wave tactics, forcing us to use more and more destructive weapons whereby ruining our reputation with the other nations. No, instead we'll do a decapitation—"
I stopped myself once I realize I'm rambling, "Sorry, I'll talk with you more at the meeting with Gazel about how to deal with the current situation," I said a bit awkwardly, trying to save some face.
"You sure? I mean, with [Great Sage] I'm following along just fine," Rimuru tried to get me to go on, only to be met with a shake of my head.
"No, let's talk when it's more official. Although about your new sword, I've finalized the design and purpose according to your specification. It's going to be one hell of a weapon that'll grow with you."
That instantly lit his face up as an adorable smile bloomed, making me feel simultaneously guilty, and joyful at how excited he is.
"That's great Scientia! No pressure, you can work on it at your own pace."
"Anything else I should know?"
"None."
"Alright then, I'll see you in a bit for lunch."
"See ya."
With that, I clicked off the call and opened a new tab.
The Sword of Control. That's what I decided to name it.
This 'blade' is a formless thing that takes the shape of whatever its user desires, with the only thing in common in any form, being the jewel in the area where the blade meets the handle: a modified Herrscher Core powered by magicules. Using this altered Core, one can control any aspect of reality so long as they have the magicule capacity to power it. Effectively, if one wants to control earthquakes to collapse a city they can, if one wishes to control spacetime to instantly rend a target apart they can, if one wishes to control autocatalytic chemical systems to rapidly create life they can.
The Sword of Control's current iteration is that of a European claymore. The blade itself was as dark as Behemoth's skin and its two cutting edges has a reflective sheen with a crossguard composed of numerous bolts of lightning. I inserted a gem that seems to contain a thunderstorm on the pommel because I wanted it as a representation of Rimuru's last name: Tempest.
Given that it's magic, I don't understand how it works. What I do understand is that while the sword can control an aspect of reality, it needs more and more magicule to expand the area of control. At Rimuru's current level, I think he can probably level a city block in a single swing if he goes all out.
Of course, learning from past mistakes, I've programmed an Emergency Mode within the Sword to remove that magicule requirement. Instead, the sword will siphon off the power from a micro-black hole 4,000 lightyears away through the Noosphere.
Additionally, the moment that the Emergency Mode is activated, it'll release a massive pulse of neutrinos and gravitational waves, ensuring I'll be alerted to the danger Rimuru's in even if he's in another dimension since Gravitons aren't bound to one Universe.
A bonus point for the gravitational wave is that it'll likely knock an opponent back.
Yes, this sword is perfect, a weapon that rivals any other weapon from myths and legends.
Sending a request for Crimson Steel throughout the entirety of the Noosphere, I rolled up my sleeves and prepared to do this personally.
Should probably finish this by lunch, I thought as I took a look at the time before disappearing through a Doorway.
_____________________________________________
AN: Y'all knew that the romance was coming, I subtly hinted it in every scene that Arcueid and Scientia are in, it was always there underneath the surface.
my first time writing Romance (read: I require constructive criticism on how to improve).
Walpurgis draws near...
Here are the Ultimate Skill's abilities.
[Contessa, Lord of Victory]/[Victory King Contessa]
-Path to Victory: the most powerful ability of [Contessa], gives the user a set of steps for achieving Victory over a goal
-All of Existence: [Contessa] scans the entirety of existence itself for ways to achieve the goal
-Timeline Simulation: against other Ultimate Skill users, [Contessa] will have a hard time trying to path them, so instead, the Ultimate Skill will attempt to simulate thousands of timelines in search of one path that would result in victory.
-Passive Assessment: when not in active use, [Contessa] will simulate dozens upon dozens of paths in order to better understand the user's wants and desires, before subtly pushing the user towards the paths that'll help them achieve it.
-Destruction Driven: the Ultimate Skill will see destruction as a secondary objective.