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frayaziwriter · 10 months ago

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I'm A Spider - Wait, What?

Chapter 4

While Rimuru was busy gathering the ‘troops’, you decided to split off and set up defenses with your webs.

First came a series of traps. You’re not sure how strong a Direwolf’s sense of smell is, but you’re hoping the natural smell of the earth and plants will cover up any scents from you or your webs. And if they end up smelling through the covers, then a whole bunch of traps will slow them down. It should give you enough time to finish up the village’s defenses.

You dug up pits and placed covers made from plants and sticks that were held together with a little bit of your Sticky Thread. Next, you shoved all of the extracted rock and dirt from the pits into web nets. You attached those to trip wires and hid them in the branches above.

Then you placed nets under more leafy covers to catch unsuspecting wolves and trap them high in the air. And finally, you cut down a few trees and stripped them of all branches before stringing them up to trip wires and securing them to trees and boulders. The pack of Direwolves was coming from the east, so you placed all of these traps everywhere you could think in that direction in the hopes that at least one of them would be sprung.

It was mid-morning when you started, but by the time you were finished, the sun was setting.

‘Okay, I think that should do it.’ You thought, gazing over the last of the traps. You had started further into the forest and made your way back to the village as you placed them. ‘Rimuru! The traps are all set!’

‘Is that why you disappeared?! Nice thinking!’ You skittered back inside the village gates. ‘Things here are going...smoothly. Well, as smooth as it can go with untrained and terrified Goblins.’

Rimuru turned from his spot on a rock, the elder and his son beside him. In front of him laid a map. “Hey! Mind showing where you placed the traps?”

The elder gasped. “Miss Spider, did you really? Thank you!” You waved a claw around. ‘Of course, I did. It’s a smart thing to do, and I can make traps. Oh, speaking of which..’ You turned your attention to the map and placed a claw delicately on the paper. ‘So, they’re coming from the east, right? I didn��t know where exactly they would come from, so I placed traps pretty much everywhere. If they don’t fall for them, then they’ll at least be slowed down. It should give us more time to prepare.’

“Nice work!” Rimuru hopped happily in his place. You perked up and clapped your forelegs together with a clang. “We’ve been fortifying the village with a fence while you were gone. Think you can help me out with some Steel Thread?”

‘Of course! Let’s go!’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The moon was high in the sky by the time the wolves arrived.

You had perched yourself on the gate as soon as the sun went down, looking out to the forest for any sign of the pack. The Goblins stood behind the fence with Rimuru waiting just outside the gate.

An hour after the sun disappeared from view, an echoing, yelping howl pierced the air. The Goblins whimpered in fear. You reached out a claw and delicately set it upon an invisible string, one of many Steel Threads connecting to the traps you had laid hours earlier. They were situated up high in the treetops to avoid detection by the Direwolves.

If you could grin, you would be sporting one of the feral kind.

‘A trap has been sprung.’ A gasp rose from the crowd. Rimuru nodded, turning back to the Goblins. “Everyone, keep your wits about you! I want you all to stay vigilant no matter how far off they are!”

“YES, LORD RIMURU!”

The next few hours passed like this. A howl of pain or shock would echo through the forest, followed shortly by vibration on an invisible string. You would keep a careful eye as the wolves made their way to the village and update your friend on the wolves’ whereabouts. ‘Rimuru, it seems like they’re taking the direct route. All of the strings in that direction keep vibrating.’

‘Did you put enough traps there?’ You nodded. ‘Of course, I did. The direct route has the most traps.’

Rimuru hummed. ‘How far out are they?’ A string was plucked, a howl rose, and you hissed. ‘They’re close now. About thirty minutes.’

He sighed, melting a little. ‘Good. Thanks.’

‘Of course!’

And then the wolves arrived forty minutes later.

You could see their forms bounding through the underbrush and appearing over crests of small hills. ‘They’re here everyone. Get ready!’ The Goblins jolted. “Wh-What?” The elder’s son exclaimed. “Where are they? I can’t see them!” You glanced down at them. ‘They can’t? Then how come I can?’

[Answer; the Jorogomo species have adapted to caves with little to no light. Giant Spiders can see in darkness just as well as they can in light. This is the {Skill; Night Vision}.]

‘Oh. Right, forgot about that. So that means they can’t see very well right now. That makes this whole situation much more dangerous.’ You huffed. ‘Rimuru?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I can see the wolves, but the Goblins can’t. This is dangerous. We should send them deeper into the village.’ Rimuru nodded. ‘Good idea.’

Suddenly, the wolves stopped advancing. You could feel their gazes piercing you and you let out a soft hiss. ‘They stopped. What do we do?’

Rimuru bounced forward. “Turn back now, and nobody gets hurt! This is your only warning!” He called out. You almost smacked your claw against your face again. ‘Seriously? That’s all you’re going to do?’ The Slime flinched back from you. ‘W-Well...’

A howl broke out, and suddenly the pack of wolves was tearing over the grassy hills. You hopped down from the gate and brandished your claws. You and Rimuru stood on either side of the gate, purposefully drawing their attention to you. ‘You ready, (Y/N)?’

‘Ready as I’ll ever be!’

‘Then let’s get this party started!’

The first wave of wolves yelped and fell to the ground with whimpers as they ran into the final two lines of defense.

-“So, the plan is to tire them out and whittle their numbers down with traps laid throughout the forest,” Rimuru called out to the surrounding Goblins. Behind him, you scuttled about on a board of wood Rimuru helped you make. A huge handmade map was tacked to it, and as he spoke, you tapped the areas where the traps were, “Then if they get through the traps, we’ll hit them with arrows and a skill we call Steel Threads.”

You scurry to the other side of the map where the village was drawn and tapped the ink fence. “I want you all to stay behind the fence.” The Goblins nodded along, but the elder’s son raised his hand. “And if they get through it?”

“They won’t. Trust us.” Your friend reassured him, yet you could see the doubt crossing the Goblins’ faces. You hopped down next to Rimuru and hissed.

The Goblins turned to you. ‘We spent weeks in the Sealed Cave using this skill against giant monsters who wanted to eat us. You can trust the plan; the Steel Threads will hold.’

Rimuru nodded beside you. “Exactly what she said! Those wolves won’t know what hit them!”

A cheer rose in the huddled Goblins at this. You nudged Rimuru, who nudged you back, in relief. You managed to motivate and reassure your new people. Great. Now all you had to do is execute the plan.

Shouldn’t be too hard.-

Blood dripped from the thin strings, and the rest of the first wave of wolves were shot down with arrows from the Goblins. You clicked your chelicerae together in your new form of a grin.

The plan was going smoothly.

A new set of thoughts infiltrated your mind, and you assumed the pack leader was using Thought Communication. ‘What’s that?’ Rimuru was kind enough to answer him. “It’s our skills; Steel Thread!”

‘This is your doing?!’ Rimuru wiggled, puffing himself up. “That’s right!”

The pack leader growled. ‘A puny monster dares to attack us?! I will squash you like a bug!’ And with that, he lunged forward, biting through the taut strings. You screeched in indignation. ‘Pot, meet kettle!’ You twirled your forelegs around some loose strings you made just for this and tugged.

With a growl, the pack leader pounced on Rimuru, but he was caught mid-air. Rimuru wobbled in place. ‘Thanks, (Y/N)! That was perfectly timed!’ You nodded.

The wolf struggled, growling. “And that’s Sticky Thread.” You hissed while the leader continued to struggle against your strings. ‘This won’t...stop me!’

‘Yes, it will.’ You tightened the strings with a light tug. The wolf growled in response. ‘Not even you can escape a spider’s trap when it’s sprung.’

‘Damn you, bug!’ You clicked. ‘Not a bug. I’m a badass Jorogomo. Get it straight.’

Another wolf, this one with a star pattern on its forehead, cried out. ‘Father!’ Rimuru and you glanced at each other. “You know, this isn’t a fight you’ll win easily. You have family, a pack to look after. Do you really want to lose everything just for some village?” The Direwolf leader snarled. ‘I’d rather die than back down now!’

The remaining wolves howled at the words of their leader, and they bounded toward the village. Rimuru sighed. “Fine, then.” And then a razor-sharp blade of water sliced off the leader’s head.

You watched blood spray everywhere before the head slowly dropped to the ground, bouncing once. The wolves stopped in the pursuit and all was quiet for a moment. While Rimuru quietly made his way to the head, you let go of the Sticky Threads and allowed the body to fall. A loud growl rose from the ranks of the Direwolves.

“Listen up, Direwolves,” Rimuru shouted across the field to the remaining pack members. “Your boss has been slain! I’ll give you two choices, you can submit or you can die!”

Silence. Then, the one with the star pattern stepped forward with a growl. ‘You killed my father, our pack leader! Submitting without a fight means dishonor on my father’s soul!’

...You gotta admit, that was pretty fucking metal.

And then the wolves rushed forward. Rimuru darted forward, slurping up the dead wolf’s body while you readied more Sticky Threads. The wolves pounced and you pulled on the strings. Each one was snared almost instantly, yelping as the strings tightened on their bodies.

...Despite the cool-ass line Star Wolf spouted, it was kinda lame how they all got captured instantly..

The wolves howled and snarled, snapping their jaws at the two of you. Rimuru glowed and a black mist overtook him. It dissipated and out stepped another Direwolf. The real wolves quieted down and your Slime friend let out a growl. ‘Hear me! I will show you mercy just this once! If you refuse to yield to me, then I’ll allow you the chance to turn tail and run!” And with that, he opened his newly acquired maw and roared.

The sound washed over the wolves, buffetting their coats. It ended up loosening the strings holding them up, and they all fell to the ground. You watched as they impressively stood their ground against Rimuru’s menacing roar and slowly crept closer.

Just as he paused to take a breath, all the wolves laid down with their heads on their paws and their tails tucked as close to the ground as they possibly could.

‘WE YIELD. OUR PACK WILL NOW SERVE YOU.’

You plopped down onto your stomach. ‘Yaaaay, we won.. God, I’m starving. Can we celebrate?’

“That’s it?” The elder Goblin muttered. “We won? Just like that?” Rimuru reverted to his original form and landed with a bounce. “Yup! All’s good in the Goblin hood!”

And then a cheer rose up in the Goblin village, and all the Goblins dropped their weapons and embraced each other in relief. You turned to Rimuru and poked him. ‘I’m hungry. We should get some food. Celebration time.’

“Good idea. Hey, wolves!” You saw their ears perk up. “You said you’ll serve me, right? Well then, the first order of business! Mind hunting something real quick? We’re going to celebrate our newfound peace! You’re welcome to join in.”

Star Wolf raised his head. ‘You would welcome us into your homes even though we came to kill you all?’ Rimuru tilted his body. “Uh? Yeah? Now that you serve me, you’re a part of our village. This is the beginning of a new friendship despite the rocky start! It makes sense for you lot to join in on our celebrations from now on. Besides, you must be hungry after all that fighting!” Star Wolf’s tail slowly started wagging. ‘T-Thank you.. You are so kind. Right!’ He stood up and howled. ‘We shall go and hunt something for this celebration! Let’s go, pack!’

‘Hold up!’ You raise a claw, still splayed out on your stomach. The wolves paused and turned to you. ‘There are some wolves stuck in traps, right? I’ll come with you to free them.’

Star Wolf’s tail wagged harder. ‘Thank you, little spider! Then let us be off!’ He darted forward to gently pick you up before placing you on his back. With one last howl, the pack with you clutching tightly to Star Wolf’s fur ran back into the forest to rescue their pack members and hunt something for the impromptu celebration.

‘Holy crap, slow down! I’m about to fall off! Woaaaah!’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The night was a beautiful one.

The stars were shining bright and the moon was a beautiful shade of silver.

It was peaceful. But then it wasn’t.

Screams rang out as fire engulfed homes. The people ran, sprinting away from the chaos while the warriors stayed to fight. But it was futile. Orcs in metal armor broke through their hastily made lines and slaughtered all they came across. Soon, there was no one left.

Only a small group of six escaped in the night.

Their eyes hardened in their grief and anguish as they watched their homes and people burn to the ground.

And when they left, they swore blood. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The next day, Rimuru had everyone gather together. He stared out at the sea of wolves and Goblins and hummed.

You and the village elder stood on either side of the block of wood he sat upon. You were busy cleaning your claws of grime when Rimuru spoke up. “Listen up, everyone!” All the Goblins and wolves perked up, turning to him as a hush fell over the group. “Okay! Here’s what we’re going to do about the living situation! I’m gonna have you all pair up!”

Murmurs broke out among the crowd at this. Rimuru tilted his body to the side as he inspected them. “You seem confused..”

“We’re not sure what you mean by the term ‘pair up’, Lord Rimuru.” The elder cut in with a confused smile on his face. “Ah! I see. You’ll form groups of two.” More murmurs. You raised a now clean foreleg and trilled.

‘Oh! You mean the Goblins and wolves will live and work together in groups of two, right? For bonding?’ Rimuru bounced in place while the crowd shared looks and murmurs. “Exactly! To fully integrate the Direwolf pack into our village and to provide protection!” You tapped your claws together. ‘We could probably make a guard with these pairs later on! Or maybe a hunting party!’ The crowd gasped, quickly agreeing to both you and Rimuru.

“Alright! Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend! From this day forward, I want you all to work together and get along. Got it?”

“YES!”

Rimuru nodded once in satisfaction. “So, help each other out and have each other’s backs! Anyway, moving on. Next, we’ll need to figure out food, shelter, and clothing. We should form teams to hunt and gather food, build new houses, and probably get some people to work on strengthening the village’s defenses.”

‘Oh! I can head the building or defense party!’ You say, sticking your claw up. “Great! Thanks, bud!” Then Rimuru turned back to the crowd. “Then let’s start with... Yo elder, do you guys have names or what?” The elder Goblin shook his head.

“Well, it’s very unusual for monsters to have names, but even without names we can still communicate our thoughts to one another.”

‘So that’s a ‘no’.’

“Ohh, that’s cool..” You snorted at that. “Still though, it’ll be easier if you all had names, so if it’s okay with you guys, I think I’ll just give you some.” At this, the crowd gasped, murmurs breaking out. Even the elder whipped his head around to stare incredulously at Rimuru. “Wait, really?! But, are you certain you want to give us all a name?”

“Uh. Yeah?” And the crowd went ballistic. You flinched back at the sheer volume of the celebrating monsters. ‘U-Um. Chiron, why are they so excited?’

[Answer; Naming others is a dangerous process. Once the individual known as “Rimuru Tempest” Names a monster in a Master-Subordinate bond, a large number of magicules will be transferred from his body to theirs. This is dangerous because monsters primarily live on magicules. If monsters run out, they will die.]

‘..Oh. Oh, shit!’ You tap a claw on Rimuru’s gelatinous body. ‘Rimuru, buddy, are you sure this is a good idea?’ The Slime nodded. ‘Uh, yeah. Why?’

‘It’s just...Chiron says this is a dangerous process.’ Rimuru paused. ‘Did it say anything else?’ You shrugged. ‘Um, monsters run on magicules, run out you’ll die, and a Master-Subordinate bond will require your magicules. I think that’s it?’

‘I see.’ Rimuru shook his head. ‘But I can’t take back my word now. I’ll name them until I need a break, okay?’ You hissed. ‘You better be careful.’

‘Got it!’ He turned back to the celebrating monsters for a moment. ‘Hey, you implied there’s more than one kind of bond.’ You clicked your claws together. ‘I did? Huh.’

Rimuru was silent for a moment. You both watched as the Goblins and wolves slowly calmed down. ‘Great Sage says there is more than one kind. There’s something called ‘Equal Naming’.’ You tilted your head and he turned back to you. “I’d like to Name you first. Do you accept?”

Flinching, you chirp. ‘What? Me, too?!’ The smaller monster huffed. “Well, yeah. We’re friends, right? Of course, I wanna Name you!”

The elder’s son cut in. “Alright, everyone! Let’s make a line after Miss Spider!” You panicked as the Goblins all excitedly ran behind you, tripping over themselves on the way. Glancing behind you, you let out a sigh. ‘I guess I don’t really have a choice but to accept, huh? Alright, friend. Name me.’ The Goblins and wolves cheered at your answer and you all watched with bated breath as Rimuru pondered over a fitting name.

“How about, ‘(Y/N) Anansi’?” You shrugged. ‘Sure, why not?’

And then you gasped as a golden light started emitting from your body and an indescribable feeling engulfed you. It sounded absolutely crazy, but it was almost as if the name your dear friend gifted you had stamped itself across your very soul. Like, a brand or a tattoo announcing to the whole world who you were exactly. It was..surreal..

The monsters behind you cheered once again. Crawling to the side, you inspect yourself.

‘Well? How do you feel?’ You trilled. ‘Different, but also not. Stronger? Yeah, definitely stronger.’

“Alright! Next!” The elder and his son ended up being after you, and you silently watched on as they became Rigurd and Rigur the Second respectively. You clapped your claws together respectively when the two bowed to Rimuru in thanks.

Then the Goblins were done and Named. You cheered along with the Goblins off to the side, carefully throwing your claws up with them.

But then it was the wolves’ turn. You watched carefully as Rimuru went through name ideas for Star Wolf, who was front and center. You had noticed he was starting to melt a little, so you stuck close by his side. “From now on, you’ll be Ranga!” The wolf started glowing and his tail wagged back and forth. ‘Ranga..’

And then what you feared was going to happen, happened. Rimuru cried out as his body completely melted into a puddle.

Cries rose out as the monsters surrounding you all panicked. Smacking a claw over your face, you jumped onto Ranga’s back and shrieked. ‘Hold up! No panicking! Let’s all just calm down and think rationally!’

“B-But, Lady (Y/N)-” Rigur the Second stammered, and you pointed a claw at him.

‘First off, just ‘(Y/N)’ is fine. Second, to help Rimuru best we need clear minds. So calm down! Panicking is not going to help anyone!’ The monsters glanced at each other before nodding. “RIGHT!”

You jumped off of Ranga’s back. ‘Sorry about that, Ranga.’

‘It is fine!’ He replied, his tail wagging. You trill at the adorable sight before skittering back over to Rimuru. Poking him once, then twice, you groaned. ‘He’s out. I doubt he’ll be waking anytime soon, too.’

“But, what if he’s dead?” A Goblin girl, Haruna, if you remember correctly, asked. You quickly shot that down. ‘No! We are not thinking about that! Positive thoughts only!’

You couldn’t help but mentally scold yourself. You’re starting to sound like a hypocrite..

-“Ah, come on, (Y/N)!” The nurse before you rolled her eyes as she checked up on you. “Happy thoughts only. How are you going to get healthy with an attitude like that?”-

You shook the memory away and turned to Rigur. ‘First thing first. Is there a hut or something where we can put him in for the time being?’ Rigur snapped to attention and nodded. “Y-Yes, ma’am!” You nodded. ‘Good. Let’s get him in there.’

Some Goblins came forward to help you scoop up the puddle that was Rimuru and move him to the hut Rigur lead you all to. And then you gathered everyone back up and hopped onto the stump Rimuru previously inhabited. Everyone stood at attention as soon as you got yourself situated. ‘Okay, now that that’s dealt with, let’s move on.’

You glanced around at the crowd. ‘Rimuru is currently incapacitated, but it doesn’t mean we can slack off. We still need to organize our hunting, building, and defense parties. I’ll be the head of the building party. Who volunteers for the hunting?’

A hand went up and you pointed a leg at them. ‘Okay, good! You come up here. And who wants to be head of defense?’ Rigur’s hand shot up and you gestured for him to join you. ‘Alright! We got three party heads set up! For the rest of you, I want you all to choose which party you would like to join! No one is allowed to skip out on helping, either! You work or you don’t eat. We don’t currently have the luxury to slack off, so I expect all of you to work as best you can until Rimuru awakens. Understood?’

“YES MA’AM!”

‘Alright, let’s get to work!’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

It was later that day when it happened.

You were eating dinner with everyone at the center of the village when a wave of exhaustion hit you like a tidal wave. The slab of meat slipped from your claws and you fell over to one side. Thankfully, you managed to catch yourself before you could faceplant in someone’s lap, but that still garnered attention.

‘Lady (Y/N)?’ Ranga, who you were sitting next to at the time, whined, drawing attention to you. ‘Are you alright?’

‘Y-Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.’

[Notice; evolution requirements met. You are now evolving into a Greater Taratect. Congratulations. Suggestion; find safe place.]

‘Ah, shit.’ You abruptly got to your feet and tried scurrying away to Rimuru’s hut. “A-Ah! Lady (Y/N), what’s wrong?” A Goblin called out just as another wave of exhaustion washed over you. You stumbled even as you threw a, ‘I’m fine!’ over your shoulder. “You’re obviously not, Lady (Y/N)!” That was Rigur. He jumped to his feet and raced over to you. “What is it?!”

[Notice; evolution is now commencing. Notice; you have gained new skills.]

And the world turned black once again. You are really starting to hate evolving. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

‘Passive..breathing?’

Why would you need passive breathing? You’re dying, for god’s sake, what use will that be for you now? You have so many questions.. What will the afterlife be like? Will you go to heaven or hell? Is there even an afterlife?

Man, you wish dying can come with a manual or something. Maybe a teacher or a guide? Like Chiron or Kharon from the Greek myths! There are so many questions you need answered. You hope whoever or whatever helps you across doesn’t mind the maelstrom of queries you’ll hit them with.. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

When you awoke once more, the sun was up.

You groaned and slowly stood up, shaking off the molted exoskeleton. ‘Dammit. Whyyy?’

[Answer; you have evolved into a Greater Taratect. Congratulations. Notice; you have gained new skills.]

‘..Fine. Let’s do it. What are they?’

[Notice; you have acquired the {Skill; Antidote}. This skill gives you the ability to create healing potions out of your venom. They are strictly for venom-related injuries, regardless of what kind it is. You have also acquired the {Skill; Predator’s Sense}. This skill senses those with ill intentions in a limited area. Congratulations.]

‘Wow, that’s..really useful. Like, really really useful. Thanks!’ You chirp back before shaking out your legs. Your stomach growled and you froze. ‘..I guess first things first. Food.’

And with that, you left the little hut you were placed in. You stopped just outside the doorway and stared. Everything felt...smaller. Must be because you grew again. You were only to Rigurd’s hips before you evolved; now you’re eye-level with his shoulders! And your backside is much taller than your head, so you’re even bigger than you thought!

Speaking of Rigurd, you could see the elder talking to some other Goblins. You skittered over to him. ‘Hey, Rigurd.’

The old man jumped and whirled around. If you had eyebrows, they would have shot up at the sight of him.

Rigurd was different now. He had more hair, some liver spots on his head had disappeared, and he no longer needs a cane to walk. And when he spoke, his voice wasn’t as shaky. “Lady (Y/N)! You’re awake! Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright!” You let out a soft trill. ‘Ah, thank you. I’m fine now, I just evolved. It’s not a..fun process for me... Hey, you called me ‘lady’ again.’

“I cannot call you just by your name, my lady! It would be rude to call someone so important to our lord by anything else!” Rigurd replied. You..decided to let it go for now. The elder swiftly led you to the center of the village. “Are you hungry? You’ve been out for a full day, it’s just after breakfast so there should be some food leftover.”

‘Mmm, food..’ Your stomach growled at the reminder and the elder laughed at the sound. “I hear you’re hungry! Good! You’ll be happy to learn that while you and Lord Rimuru were unconscious, we’ve been working as best as we could!” You chittered. ‘With breaks, I presume?’

“Yes, with breaks! We took your words to heart the other day and have been taking fifteen-minute breaks every two hours!” You nodded. ‘That’s good. Has Rimuru woken yet?’

Rigurd shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. It’s been two days and he has yet to show any signs of waking.” Lowering your head in disappointment, you groaned. ‘I see.’

“Lady (Y/N)!” You perked up at the sound of your name and turned to see the hunting party arrive. Many of the Goblins were beaming at the sight of you. One Goblin who you recognize as Rigur hopped off his wolf and jogged over to you. “You’re awake! Good morning!” You trilled out a happy noise and rocked side to side. ‘Good morning! It feels so good to be awake.’

Gobta, another Goblin, came up behind him and nervously looked you over. “Y-You sure got b-big.. You’re a bit b-bigger than one of the w-wolves...”

‘Yup! I evolved into a Greater Taratect! That was why I passed out like that. Sorry if I worried you.’ Rigurd and Rigur jumped to reassure you while Gobta frowned. “So, what exactly are you again?”

You tilt your head to the side. ‘A Jorogumo, like the Obsi - sorry, Black Spiders in the Sealed Cave.’ Your chelicerae clicked together as you thought. ‘Why?’ Gobta waved his hands around.

“N-Nothing much, I was just curious. It does explain why you’re so..big and s-scary lookin’..”

Ah. Right. You glanced down at your clawed legs and imagined what your face might look like. Actually, you have no clue. In your past life, you’ve never seen a spider up close before, and you haven’t seen a mirror or clear water to look into here.. But even so, you must be scary for Goblins since you’re a spider bigger than them. A thought hit you and you tried to discreetly back up from the three Goblins.

“Gobta!” Rigurd was saying. “Don’t just say things like that! It may come off as rude!”

His son nodded frantically. “And Lady (Y/N) is a lady, after all! It’s rude to comment on a lady’s size!” Poor Gobta fearfully glanced between the two, looking like he regretted every single decision he’s made up to this point.

‘No, it’s fine!’ You raise a claw before abruptly placing it back down. ‘He helped me realize I’m probably rather scary to you Goblins, so I apologize if I am.’

“Not at all!” Rigur exclaimed, his father nodding along. You felt like smiling. ‘Thank you, but I still might be to others.’ The two deflated and you gently nudged them with your abdomen in an effort to show your gratitude. ‘Well, I’m off. I’m going to eat then get straight to work! Buh-bye!’

And then you headed to eat.

The three Goblins were left silent for a only moment before Rigurd reached over and smacked the top of Gobta’s head. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You made the lady self-conscious!”

“S-Sorry! Sorry!” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The next day was when Rimuru finally woke up from his impromptu nap.

You knew he did because Ranga ended up blowing his hut away by just wagging his tail. (You weren’t quite sure if you should squeal at the cuteness or be afraid of his strength.) Unfortunately, this also sent Rimuru flying. You ended up having to use your Double Jump skill to catch him.

He landed on your back, his body sticking onto you as it did to that rock back in the Sealed Cave. You let out a high trilling noise. ‘Heya, Rimuru! Welcome back to the land of the living!’

‘(Y/N)! Thanks for catching me!’

‘Of course!’ And then you were landing. It wasn’t exactly a smooth landing, but neither of you got hurt, so you’re counting it as a win. (Thank god you have fall damage protection now! In your past life, that would have seriously injured, if not outright killed you! You know you’ve cursed the god that decided it was a good idea to put you in a spider’s body before, but now you’re praising their decision.)

The Goblins cheered when the dust cleared enough for the two of you to be seen. One of them even ran forward to grab Rimuru right off your back and toss him up like a beachball while the wolves howled their delight.

Later, when they all settled down, you managed to pry Rimuru away so he could have a moment to breathe. ‘You okay, bud?’ You thought as he hopped onto your back.

‘Could be better. Everyone evolving all of a sudden threw me for a loop.’ You shook your head. ‘Oh, it wasn’t quite sudden. They’ve been steadily changing over the past three days. I’m the only one who evolved suddenly. Scared the bejesus out of everyone, but not as much as you had.’

‘I see - wait, THREE DAYS?!’ Rimuru melted a little. ‘I was out for three whole days?!’ You nodded, skittering away from the group of happy wolves and Goblins. ‘Yup. You’re the worst, you left me and Rigurd in charge! I thought I was gonna die of anxiety!’

Rimuru patted your back with a little hand of slime. ‘That’s how I feel every time I have to be a leader with these people. Welcome to my world.’

You huffed in frustration. ‘Yeah, well, you got some practice in your last life. I haven’t had any!’

‘Master, Lady (Y/N).’ The two of you jumped at the sound of Ranga’s voice. The wolf, who now had a horn sticking out of his star mark, bowed his head at the two of you. “Oh, hey Ranga! What’s up?”

‘It is a relief to see you both in good health and conscious.’ You spotted his tail starting to wag and stepped back a little. ‘I heard you needed a moment away from the celebration, Master?’

You perked up and reached back to grab your friend. “H-Hey, (Y/N)! What are you-?”

‘You heard right, Ranga! Here! Take him and go. You’re doing me a massive favor, thanks!’ The wolf bowed his head to allow you easy access to his back. Placing Rimuru down on his white and purple fur, you waved and backed up. ‘Now I can go wrangle those Goblins back into work! Bye!’

And then you marched off to drag the newly evolved Goblins to work, leaving Rimuru and Ranga alone. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Rimuru gathered everyone in the center of the village when he returned from his outing with the wolves.

He sat upon his usual stump with Ranga laying to his right, Rigurd standing confidently to his left, and you right behind him cleaning your legs of grime once again. You all waited for the Goblins and wolves to settle down to start the meeting. You paused. Why were you having a meeting, though?

Rimuru had decided to place a fuzzy white thing on his ‘face’ before the other monsters had arrived as a sort of joke, which you had responded to by trying to convince him that he would only end up embarrassing himself.

So, once everyone had quieted down, he spoke in a rather old and weary voice. One you’d think an old man would speak with. (You tried not to look at Rigurd at this thought.)

“Right. It took five whole minutes for everyone to settle down and stop gabbing.” Silence greeted him. You lowered your head, shaking it slightly in disappointment.

‘I told you, but you didn’t listen.’

“Lord Rimuru?” Rigurd and Ranga turned to look at the Slime. “What’s that on your face?” He shook whatever it was off with a blush and responded with, “Nothing. What’s on your face?!” You would’ve rolled your eyes at that comment. ‘Real mature, bud. Real mature.’

‘Shush.’ You snickered, the sound coming out as a hissing trill. “Anyways, as you can all see, we’re a big happy family now. In order to avoid complications, I think we should set a few ground rules.”

You hummed. ‘Oh?’

“RULES?!” The assembled monsters glanced at one another. Rimuru formed a small hand, holding up only three of the slimy ‘fingers’. “There are three rules. Please do your best to follow them. First; no attacking humans.” You churr as you finish cleaning yourself. You figured that one makes sense, considering you’re barely even a village. Humans were notorious for absolutely demolishing something if it hurt one of their own back on Earth, so you doubt much has changed in this world of magic.

“Second; no fighting amongst yourselves.” Again, that makes sense. If you grow bigger as a village, fighting would only lead to disaster if it’s not nipped in the bud early on. “Third; no belittling other races. That’s it!” You remembered racism back on Earth and are suddenly glad that Rimuru does as well. That would have been bad if both of you forgot..

Rigur rose his hand after a brief moment of confused murmuring. “Sir?”

“Yes? You have a question?” Rimuru points to him with his slime hand. “Is there a reason we’re not allowed to attack the humans?”

He flinched when Rigurd scolded him, “How dare you question him!” You carefully place a claw on his shoulder as Rimuru waved him down. “Calm down, Rigurd, it’s fine. It’s simple, really. It’s just because I like humans. That’s all.”

That was such a lie..

But Rigur bought it. Then again, you were the only one to know of Rimuru’s true origins, so you supposed you can’t really blame him. (You did find that particular lie to be hilarious.)

“Okay then!” Rigur smiled at him from his spot front and center. “Makes perfect sense!” Ohh, he’s a sunshine child, wasn’t he? Rimuru spluttered at the beaming smile for a moment before composing himself. “Another thing is, humans typically live in large groups and if you mess with them they might retaliate against us. If they were to come after us in earnest, I doubt we could handle them. Besides, getting along with them is beneficial to us, too!” At this, everyone nodded in agreement. “Are there any other questions?”

Gobta stood up with his arm outstretched. “Me!” Rimuru quickly allowed him to answer. “When you say, ‘Don’t belittle other races,’ what’s that mean?”

The Slime tilted to the side. “Well, you all have gotten stronger by evolving, right? It means you shouldn’t let that go to your head and use that strength to push others around.” As he spoke, you nodded vigorously behind him. “It’s not fair to think you’re better than they are. Besides, what if they get stronger one day and choose to start pushing you around?”

“We understand you, sir!” Thank god for that. You stretched out your legs as Rimuru closed up the assembly by giving Rigurd the title of ‘Goblin Lord’. You watched the Hobgoblin fall to his knees with tears of happiness streaming down his face, clapping politely with your clawed legs.

Afterward, the food and lookout teams went out to work while the building team stayed behind with Rimuru supervising.

Unfortunately, that means he’ll witness the absolute disgrace of a house you and your team created. You were certain that if you could do so, you would be crying rivers of shame over this house. “Are you sure that’s a house?” The Slime asked as the ‘house’ rocked back and forth unsteadily. You and Rigurd flinched, you lowering your face into your claws and Rigurd looking everywhere that wasn’t Rimuru.

Then the house fell apart.

Rigurd scratched his neck and mumbled to himself. “Well, this is most embarrassing.”

‘I am so ashamed as a spider.. Forgive me..’

“...Regarding the clothing problem.. I just think we need more coverage is all!” You didn’t want to know why his voice was so strained. Nope. Don’t wanna. Rigurd cleared his throat. “We don’t have anyone skilled at making clothes..” Rimuru turned back to the two of you. “If you can’t make them, then couldn’t you just buy them somewhere?”

Gobta, who was passing through at that moment, cut in. “Oh! There are some people we trade with now and then!” Rigurd snapped his fingers and frantically turned to him. “Not only do they have some people who can make us clothing, but they might also have somebody who knows a bit about building houses as well!”

‘We’ll be saved from this utter embarrassment?’ You quietly ask, face still firmly glued to your forelegs, and Rigurd placed a comforting hand on your abdomen. “Hopefully, yes.”

Rimuru nodded once. “Well, we aren’t getting anywhere this way, so maybe we should go see them? Who are these people?”

The elder crossed his arms. “I’m referring to the Dwarves who live in Dwargon.” This brought you out of your little hidey-hole in your forelegs. You whipped your gaze up to stare incredulously at Rigurd as Rimuru promptly (and reasonably) freaked out. ‘Of course, it’s the Dwarves. Can’t be a fantasy land without Dwarves.’

“Then, I’ll travel to Dwargon on our behalf!” Rimuru announced, and you whipped your gaze from Rigurd to him. “Rigurd, (Y/N), are you guys cool with looking after the village while I’m away?”

At this, Rigurd snapped to attention and shouted, “Yes! Rest assured that everything is safe with me and my muscles!” as he slowly flexed his arms. Rimuru turned to you next, and you groaned. ‘Fine.. At least you’re giving us a warning this time around.’ The Slime bounced happily. “Thanks, you two! I’ll leave tomorrow morning right after breakfast!”

“Yes!”

‘Okay. Now leave me in my pit of misery and embarrassment..’ You say as you return to your hidey-hole. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

You and Rimuru stared down at the map.

It was later that night, and you and Rimuru had decided to go over the route Gobta suggested. Just to ease your mind. At least, that’s what your Slime friend had said. The map was much more detailed than the one you had for the wolf attack the other day. There were actual roads and countries listed on this one.

Your claw carefully traced the route to the kingdom of Dwargon as you snacked on a piece of meat one of the Goblinas had deposited at your feet. ‘So, according to Gobta, it’s going to be about a month on foot.. How long do you think it’ll take on the Tempest Wolves?’

Rimuru shrugged. ‘No clue. I’ll try not to take too long, though..’

‘Thanks..’ You flopped onto your stomach once more. Rimuru turned from the map to you. ‘..You’re much bigger than before. I assume that’s because of me Naming you?’

You shrug, trilling as you reached for another slab of meat. ‘No clue. Chiron said that eating beings with magicules is one way for my species to evolve, so the Naming could have kickstarted another evolution. I’m pretty sure Rigurd almost had a heart attack when both of us went down.’ Your friend eagerly leaned closer. ‘So? What are you now?’

‘Greater Taratect!’ You say proudly. ‘I got new skills, too! I’m betting I’ll be nigh unstoppable to any trespassers!’

Rimuru bounced happily. ‘That’s great! I’m glad I’m leaving the village in your and Rigurd’s capable hands, then! Or, well, capable claws.’ He poked one leg and you churred out a laugh. After a moment of silence, you tap the map again. ‘..Promise you’ll be careful?’

‘I promise.’ Rimuru leaned against you in your version of a hug. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

“Alright! You kids behave!” Rimuru called from Ranga’s back. You and the rest of the village waved goodbye, calling out wishes for safe travels and the like.

You raised a singular claw for a few seconds before placing it down carefully. ‘Don’t do anything stupid!’

‘I won’t!’ Rimuru shot back, groaning a little. You clicked your chelicerae at him in your best imitation of a smile. ‘Good. Now get going! You promised not to be gone too long, so go!’

And with that, the party of five ran off on their wolves, leaving the rest of the village behind. They soon disappeared from view and you turned back to the village. ‘Alright! Let’s not slack off while he’s gone! Food and lookout crews, get to work! Building crew, follow me!’

Then the village split off into their separate tasks. You skittered to the nearby trees surrounding the village with your crew trailing behind you.

‘Everyone here?’ You ask, turning around once you reached a tree. All your members glanced around at themselves before hesitantly nodding. ‘Good. Following our failure at building a house, Rimuru and I decided it would be best if our crew made firewood and logs for construction instead. That way whoever he brings back won’t waste time gathering supplies! I want you all to cut down some trees today. Tomorrow, you’ll be stripping them of their branches and cutting them up. This is what we’ll do until Rimuru returns. Sound good?’

A hand went up. You nod at the Goblin, who then stepped forward. “But, if we’re going to be cutting down trees, what will you be doing?”

You raise your claws. ‘An excellent question! I’ll be making the village temporary houses with my silk so we have good shelter to rest in while we wait! Any more questions? No? Then let’s get to work, everybody!’

“YES MA’AM!”

notes: chapter 4 is done! what did you guys think?

unfrotunately, the next chapter is the last for this arc, and depending on the results of the poll i'll be posting the day after the next chapter, it might be a while before the next arc.. sorry everyone.. but hey, new stories i haven't posted to ao3 yet! that should be fun.

anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it! have a great day/night, stay safe, and please remember that you're all AWESOME! XP

#fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #ttigraas #that time i got reincarnated as a slime #tensei shitara slime datta ken #so i'm a spider so what #kumo desu ga nani ka #rimuru tempest x reader #rimuru tempest/reader #frayawrites

134 notes · View notes

frayaziwriter · 10 months ago

Text

The Strings Of The Universe Will Lead Me To You

Chapter 4

Master Ubuyashiki

Rengoku and I have found a rather interesting girl in the forest a few nights ago. When she told us her story, we concluded that the next best course of action would be to regroup with the other Hashira and inform everyone so we may figure out the best way to proceed.

However, she has requested to meet with you before anything else happens. I ask you to please grant us an audience before the next Hashira meeting. I believe it is of utmost importance to all of Japan, and possibly the entire human race.

I will warn you, this is a rather disturbing and strange situation we have stumbled into. This child has seen horrors eerily similar to the demons we hunt yet far more disturbing since a very young age. I suggest that we proceed cautiously from here on out.

I hope to hear from you soon, Master Ubuyashiki.

Kocho Shinobu <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

“So, where exactly are we going again?”

You called out to Rengoku as you followed him. He was several meters ahead of you already, yet you knew he was holding back in his speed. He seemed unaffected by the fast pace while you were puffing for breath behind him.

Rengoku glanced back at you with a smile. “You’ll see soon! Don’t worry, we are almost there! Hang on a little longer!”

You huffed at his words.

It was almost noon the next day. Yesterday, after lunch, you managed to find the gardens before the Flame Pillar found you again. You had spent the next hour or so sparring with him before Kocho appeared once more to change your bandages. They let you explore more, always a few steps behind you and hands fingering their sword hilts while they kept a close eye on you and your surroundings. Then when night was about to fall, they herded you inside and kept you there with a Slayer guarding your room all night.

Just like the first night you had spent there.

It would have been a little stifling if you didn’t already know the reason behind their protective measures. Considering your open wounds and what you know of Marechi blood, you’re grateful that they are taking the time to ensure your safety, even though you’re confident in your fighting prowess.

There could be danger lurking in the shadows everywhere and none of you would know until it’s too late.

(Until you’re taken-)

You shook that dark thought away and focused on Rengoku, who had stopped in a meadow. You slowed to a stop beside him, peering around curiously.

To keep your secret safe from those in the mansion, the two Hashira had decided to take you somewhere far from unwanted eyes to let you work with your Innocence. You crouched down next to a flower, brushing your fingertips gently across the petals as you observed the flower meadow. Rengoku nodded to himself. “This shall work for now! What do you think, (L/N)?”

You shrugged. “It’s fine, but what about the plant life?”

Rengoku frowned, tilting his head to the side as he thought. “It would be a waste to end these beautiful plants’ lives so soon, but alas, this is the closest clearing to the Butterfly Mansion that won’t attract eyes nor will it take until dusk for us to return! So long as we keep an eye on the sun, we should be good here!”

“If you say so,” You mumble, glancing once more around the field as you slip your kusarigama out of its handle, “I’ll just go over here, then...”

You make your way to the center of the meadow before pulling the two halves of your Innocence apart. The metal chain clanked and rattled loudly as you stretched it. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and held the two blades in a tight grip.

Just like your Master taught you.

-“Now, hold your weapon like this; no that’s a bit too loose, (Y/N),” His voice, crackling slightly with age, was gentle and warm as the older man crouched down beside you. He adjusted your grip on the ribbon until it hung loosely in your hands.

He smiled. “There you go. Let’s continue, yeah?” At your slow nod, the General backed away and picked up his own practice ‘weapon’. It was really just two metal balls inside the small pockets of a long, wide ribbon instead of anything dangerous, but he insisted it was a good starting weapon for you to learn with.

“Alright, are you ready?” You nodded again and he returned it with another warm smile. “Now, watch and match.”-

You spun twice into a kick, swiftly loosening your grip to let the dagger in your right hand slide down. You grabbed onto the metal chain and swung the dagger in a circle by your left arm then whipped it to your right arm. As it spun once, you raised your leg to the side and allowed the chain to wrap around your shoe. Kicking your leg, you sent the dagger flying before the chain pulled tautly and the blade swung back at you.

Maneuvering the chain slightly, the dagger swung into a giant circle by your left side as you moved to jump. You grabbed the chain in your right hand with your left, both the scythe handle and the hard chainlinks digging into your palm, and swung the dagger to the ground.

It slammed into the dirt with a loud thud. You pivoted and swung the blade once more into another circle before pulling your right arm to your chest. Swift like a snake, you lashed out your arm. The dagger whipped forward and you dragged it back by your left hand. The chain slipped through the loose grip of your right one. Spinning around, you kicked out your right leg and allowed the chain to swing underneath it before landing on it. With your other foot, you kicked the dagger back out again as you grabbed the chain with your right hand. You pulled it back only to swing it behind your back while you twisted in another direction.

You pulled your right arm back in front of you, dragging the dagger along as you go, and swung it around before spinning in a three-step turn. As you turned, the chain whipped the blade around you. It wrapped around your neck when you paused with your legs in a wide stance. Your left arm protectively hovered over your collarbone with the scythe handle pressed over your left forearm. The curved blade was angled away from your face, and you stared over the sharp point.

Rengoku was directly in your line of sight. He watched you with crossed arms and a large, impressed smile tugging at his lips. Winking at him, you moved on.

Swinging your left leg into a roundhouse kick, your upper body dropped followed the motion. You kicked off your left leg into a leap, twirling into a barrel roll, and landed before sliding to the ground and performing a foot sweep.

You planted your leg back down before turning onto it. Throwing the dagger over your left shoulder, you untwisted the chain wrapped around your torso and grabbed it once the blade swung past you. You swung it into another circle before pivoting and swinging the chain around your bent right elbow. The momentum of the dagger dragged it under your arm and the chain slipped from around your elbow.

The blade punched the empty air as you dragged it back and wrapped it behind your shoulders. The dagger swung around you and you directed it into a vertical circle once again. You spun over your right shoulder, the chain shifting to wrap around your neck now, and swung both scythe and dagger into a series of circles.

If you were facing an opponent, this move would leave no opening for them to get close, forcing them to keep their distance or go around you.

Twisting your upper body every which way, you spun into a kick, the blades swinging all around you. Pausing once more as the chain wrapped around your body and snapped to a halt, you slid your right leg around and shifted onto it. Your left kicked your dagger, which was hanging over your left arm, up and into another circle.

In its second swing, you twisted your body and swung your back leg after the blade. Once you landed you spun into a pirouette and allowed the dagger to whip past you and punch the empty air.

The chain now fully unwrapped from your body, you grabbed it and dragged the dagger back to you as you ran forward and kicked the hilt. The blade shot forward and you grabbed the chain tightly. You spun around, the chain following your movement as you spun the dagger into a series of twists and turns. The metal chain rattled as it wrapped around and unwrapped from your neck.

You finally stopped with the chain wrapped across your torso and behind your neck and the handles held tightly in your hands.

“(L/N)!” The Hashira cautiously approached you, eyeing the weapon in your hands. You unwrapped the chain from your body and turned to face him. “Kocho has sent a message! She has received word from the Master; he is willing to meet with you tomorrow afternoon! We must leave soon to reach the mansion before dusk!”

You nodded once and retracted the chain, slipping the kusarigama into your belt quickly. “Oh! Right, of course! Let’s go then!”

Rengoku nodded and the two of you set off once more. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The next day was a beautiful sunny day. The morning sun was barely peeking over the treetops when you were dragged out of the mansion. As birdcalls slowly filled the air, you slipped on your Exorcist cloak, making sure your Innocence was in its correct place under the black fabric.

Suddenly, Kocho appeared next to you. “Are you ready to go, (L/N)?”

You turned to her and nodded. “Yup!” She turned to Rengoku, who had just stepped out of the gates with a large pack strapped to his back. “And you, Rengoku? Are you ready?”

The man flashed his signature smile at the two of you. “Of course! Let us go!” He turned and left, setting a quick pace. Kocho easily matched his pace while you scrambled to follow the two of them. “Since it will take us most of the day to reach Headquarters, we will have to move swiftly! We do not want the demons to find you, (L/N), so we will also spend the night there!”

Kocho glanced over her shoulder. “Try to keep up, (L/N). We will have to go faster soon.”

You huffed. “A-Alright.”

Despite your best efforts, however, you couldn’t match their pace exactly. You were always a few steps behind the two of them, and the distance only grew larger once they started running.

You were sprinting at your top speed and yet you were several yards behind them, huffing and puffing while they seemed to never break a sweat. You’re not sure how they were doing this, but you were insanely jealous and very confused. Exorcists had their bodies physically altered over time by the Innocence and had to go through intense training just to wield their weapons. Just what kind of training do Demon Slayers go through if the top of their ranks can outrun even you? You who was considered one of the fastest Combat Exorcists the Order has?

When you finally go back to the future, you’re going to learn the Corps' secrets first.

“W-Wait, wait, wait!” You call out, slowly stumbling to a stop. Holding your stomach, you bend over and try to catch your breath. “(L/N)?” Kocho appeared by your side, hand hovering over your shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

You pant and glance up at her and Rengoku. The fiery man stood farther away from you with his arms crossed and his face still in his large smile, but you could barely see a slight furrow in his brows betraying his emotions.

“How,” You paused to take a deep breath, struggling hard to slow your breathing, “How did you..?”

“(L/N), you need to breath properly before speaking,” Kocho interrupted you and placed her hand on your back, “Please follow me.” Nodding, you allowed her to help you catch your breath, and finally, a few minutes later you were able to breathe normally. You shoot a confused look at both of them.

“How did you do that?” Rengoku’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Do what?”

You waved the hand not wrapped around your stomach around in your search for the right words. “The-The-The speed! You were running so fast, I couldn’t keep up and you never looked tired? How?”

Kocho hummed. “Total Concentration Breathing. It helps us slay demons by sending blood to our muscles and strengthening our bodies to match theirs. Do you Exorcists not use this method?”

You shook your head. “Never even heard of it.” Rengoku’s head tilted to the side a little. “Then how do you fight Akuma with normal bodies?”

“Our Innocence tends to slowly alter our bodies after a while,” Your face scrunched up in confusion, “And besides, each Innocence is unique. Some are meant to attack while others are meant to support or protect comrades. Each one has a different ability to aid us in battle, and we have to go through intense training from hell beforehand.”

Kocho placed a hand on her chin. “May I ask how the Innocence can alter your bodies?” You shrugged. “The Crystal and Parasyte Types are both body-altering. Kinda like the demons, but different. And there are some side effects to our brains that the Science Division has yet to fully understand. Something about our sixth sense being enhanced?”

The two Hashira shared a glance before Rengoku shifted his gaze up to the sun. The ball of fire was almost at the highest point in the sky, so you assume you’ll stop for lunch soon. “Well, we still need to keep going! We shall stop after another hour for lunch and then resume our journey! Kocho, we should teach her the basics of Total Concentration Breathing so she can keep up with us!”

“Hmm, you are right, Rengoku.” Kocho peered at you with her purple eyes. You tilted your head at her. “Well, here’s what you should do.” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

After Kocho had briefly taught you the basics, the three of you set out once more. This time, you managed to stay within a yard from the two Hashira while running.

Surprisingly, you were rather adept at Total Concentration Breathing considering it was your first time using the technique. You were able to hold it for a little under an hour. It baffled you, and the older Slayers accompanying you, but you figured it must be due to either your Innocence or your previous Exorcist training.

You had stopped for lunch, and you were amused to see that yes, Rengoku shouted, “Delicious!” every bite of food he ate. (You were only a little disappointed that you didn’t have a phone to record this. You knew that if you allowed yourself to get closer to these two, you would end up missing his eating habits when you inevitably go back to the future. It would have been nice to have something to remind you of the happy memories instead of the sad ones when you do lose him.)

Now, you were coming up to a very large building. The sun was starting to dip down behind the horizon, and the two Hashira had finally slowed back to a walk, so you assume this is the place.

You were disheveled only a little bit, so as you all walk up to the gates of the mansion before you, you adjusted your clothes and hair quickly. Before Rengoku could even knock, the gate opened to reveal a white-haired woman.

She was very pretty, dressed in a pink kimono with a flower pattern etched into the fabric. A black haori with blue butterflies settled on her shoulders. Her purple eyes flickered over the three of you, lingering on you before turning back to the Hashira beside you. Your brows furrowed in confusion when you noticed Kocho and Rengoku had kneeled in front of her, bowing their heads in respect.

‘Uh, what?’ You turned back to the woman. ‘Is she the Master? Or someone else of equal importance? Should I bow, too?’

Before you could decide on your next best choice of action, the woman spoke.

“You are here. Welcome.” Rengoku responded easily. “Thank you for having us, Lady Ubuyashiki.” Kocho nodded her agreement and then they stood up and bowed once more.

Glancing between them and the woman, you hastily bowed as well.

Lady Ubuyashiki bowed to you all before stepping aside and opening the gate door a little more. “Please, come inside. Kagaya is waiting for you.”

The three of you filed inside and she closed the gate doors. Quickly locking it, she turned to you all. “This way, Hashira, honored guest.” Then, Lady Ubuyashiki turned and walked away, leading you deeper into the mansion.

At the front door, all of you took off your shoes, though you had to take a little longer due to the tied laces of your boots. Thankfully, the lady of the house didn’t look too bothered by it. You did try to speed up regardless.

Then she led you past hallways and open rooms. As you passed a hallway, your ears picked up a soft giggle and you glanced down it in time to see two heads of white hair dip behind the corner. You raised your eyebrow and couldn’t help the tiny smile tugging at your lips. ‘Children. Duly noted.’

The air in the house smelled of wisteria flowers, which made sense considering the trees were everywhere on the property. ‘Impenetrable fortress from demons. Children should be safe here, then.’ You nodded in approval. ‘If only Akuma had natural repellents like this. It would make our job SO much easier.’

So far, you could see only about four possible exits; one the front door, two as windows down different hallways, and another in an open room facing a garden. You spotted another pair of children, both with white hair and purple patterned kimonos, sliding the outside doors shut.

‘So, four children so far. Okay then.’

Finally, Lady Ubuyashiki stopped at a closed door. “Kagaya, our guests have arrived.”

Someone beyond the screen door coughed slightly. “You may enter.”

The woman slid the door open and ushered the three of you inside before closing the door after you. You turned to see a man sitting at a table, his pale clothes making him blend in with his surroundings somewhat. He turned to greet you all, and you had to swallow down a gasp at the sight of his face.

An ugly purple and veiny mark covered the top of his face while his unseeing, pale purple eyes flickered over to you. A soft and welcoming smile spread across his face, and he gestured for your group to come forward. “Ah, Rengoku and Kocho. It’s so good to see you again. How are you, my children?”

Rengoku responded first, swiftly stooping into a bow. “I am doing well, Master! It is also great to see you tonight!”

Kocho nodded her agreement, also kneeling before the man. “I second that, Master. And I have to apologize for the abrupt meeting being so late. We couldn’t afford demons attacking us on the way here.”

The man waved his hand. “It is alright, my child. Now, shall we start?” He gestured to the seats in front of him. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

It was silent in the room after you finished speaking.

Kagaya hummed to himself, placing his hand on his chin as he thought. This was a very peculiar situation. A girl chosen by a sentient holy weapon going back through time and somehow, someway, finding herself in the Corps? It honestly sounded like a madman’s story!

But, he knew you were speaking the truth. He could tell by your voice alone.

And the strings don’t lie.

Kagaya stared at the dark brown strings making up your form. They shifted and plucked at each other, indicating your nervous fidgeting. You were nervous, but you were being honest. It hasn’t been very long since he started seeing these strings, but even he can tell the difference between nervousness derived from honesty and nervousness derived from deceitfulness. Besides, the glowing, bright green strings coiling tightly by your side were proof enough.

He’s never seen those threads before, but if this ‘Innocence’ truly did exist and you were telling the truth, then these strings MUST belong to your weapon.

Raising his head to meet your gaze with his unseeing one, Kagaya smiled. “I see. That is a very strange story you have weaved, but I see no falsity in your words.” He watched your strings relax and heard your relieved sigh. “We will help you return to your own time, but for now,” Kagaya tilted his head as your strings pulled taut, “What exactly are you planning to do until then?”

The strings belonging to his two children shifted as if they had just realized something. Kagaya’s smile softened while you fumbled for an answer. “I-well, I-I don’t really know..”

“Hmm,” Tapping a finger on his teacup, Kagaya let out a hum, “Well, there are multiple things you can do while you wait. You could help out in the Butterfly Mansion, for instance, or stay here with my family. Or, if you wanted to, we could help you back to your Order and work with them to find your way back home.”

Rengoku’s shout almost distracted Kagaya from how both his and Kocho’s threads pulled tautly and plucked at each other in worry. “We cannot allow that! No matter the circumstances!”

“Oh?” Kagaya turned to Rengoku in confusion. “And why is that?” Kocho responded instead. “From what we have heard, Master, it would not be safe for (L/N) to return to her Order at this time. We fear she will never return to her own time if we do allow her to leave.”

Humming, he smiled sadly. “If the two of you feel that is so, then I trust your judgment. However, it is not our decision to make.” He turned back to you. “It is yours, (L/N). And whatever you decide to do, we will support you every step of the way.”

You were eerily still. He allowed you to stay silent for another minute before gently prodding you to respond. “(L/N)?”

The strings making your being up shook and coiled tighter. Kagaya frowned. Something was wrong. “I-I don’t think it’s a good idea to return to the Order right now. Rengoku and Kocho are right; it’s not safe for Exorcists at this time. I think,” You paused, and Kagaya recognized the emotion your threads were showing him, “I think I should disappear from their radar for a while. They don’t even know I exist yet, but once they do, they’ll stop at nothing to obtain me. I can’t go back, not now at least. Once they have me, I don’t know what they’ll do. There were a lot of secret projects throughout the Black Order’s history. I won’t be surprised if I’ll end up a victim of one of them if they find me now.”

You were afraid.

And Kagaya can understand why considering the information you freely gave him. He frowned. This organization that you belong to is...disturbing. The Corps may let teenagers join, but at least they have a choice to.

You continued to speak. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable waiting and doing nothing while other people are helping me home, so I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline staying here. And as much as helping out in the Butterfly Mansion would probably be helpful to the workers there, I was raised a fighter. I won’t be able to stay there while others risk their lives on the battlefield when I can help.”

Kagaya’s smile widened. “So. What do you want to do?”

Your strings, pulled taut, thrummed with what Kagaya suspects was determination at his words.

“I want to fight the demons.” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

“Have a safe trip, you three,” The Master, with his wife and a black-haired child you vaguely remember from the dinner the previous night by his side, waved you off the following morning.

The Hashira beside you bowed and you quickly followed suit. Lady Ubuyashiki stepped forward with a pair of flint stones and you all turned around. Confused, you watched over your shoulder as she struck the flint stones several times at your backs. Her deep purple eyes met yours and she bowed her head at all of you. “Good luck on your travels.”

“Thank you, Master, Lady Ubuyashiki!” Rengoku boomed from your right while Kocho bowed once more at the two from your left. “We will be safe! Good-bye for now!”

And with that, you set off back to the Butterfly Mansion.

While on the way, the two Hashira had you practice the Total Concentration Breath technique as you run. Final Selection was only a month away, and you plan on going through with it. You doubt you'll ever be able to do Constant; your body just wasn’t built for that, but you can still do the basics! You just have to get used to it!

Now and then you had small breaks in the shadows of the trees. You guzzled down water as you tried to catch your breath while Kocho and Rengoku either gave you tips on controlling your breathing or patrolled the area. Albeit it was much more dangerous to do so, demons can still move around in the shadows, and you were like a dessert for them. One that gave them a boost.

When the sun had hit its peak, the three of you stopped in a meadow to have lunch. Rengoku, once again carrying a large pack of food, handed out bentos to both you and Kocho.

It was delicious!

And now, you were safely within the walls of the Butterfly Mansion with the sun slowly descending to the horizon line. Stretching a little, you groan as Kocho closed the gates behind you all. You followed Rengoku back inside the Mansion and as you stoop down to remove your boots, a stern voice called out.

“Lady Shinobu! You’re back!” You glanced up to see another girl around your age striding towards you with three younger ones behind her. They all had varying hairstyles, but each one had some sort of butterfly hairclip on, much like Kocho.

They all swarmed Kocho, the younger ones (who are almost identical to one another if it weren’t for the differing hairstyles) looking somewhat like they were on the verge of tears. Kocho hummed as she patted each girl on the head. “Yes, Aoi?”

The girl with the pigtails pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. “It’s the Wind Pillar. He’s being fussier than usual and won’t allow us to treat his wounds. I had to evacuate the younger girls before he could harm them. Kanao is currently keeping him busy, but we’re at our wits end with him! Please help us, Lady Shinobu!” You turned to Kocho just in time for a glint in her eye to appear. It made her entire expression scarier and more threatening than normal.

You stepped back towards the door. “Of course, Aoi! Will you accompany me? Oh, and Rengoku? I might need your assistance as well! You know how Shinazugawa can be!” Rengoku nodded. “Of course, I will help!”

Kocho turned to the three girls behind Aoi. “Sumi, Kiyo, Naho? Do you mind helping (L/N) here to the mess hall? It’s just about dinner time and all of you should eat something! I’ll also send Kanao that way!”

The three girls nodded. “Okay!” One of them, the one with the braids, split off from their huddle and grabbed your hand. “Hello! I’m Naho! Please follow us!”

You smiled down at her and allowed her to tug you away from the Hashira. Another grabbed your other hand and started swinging it as the third led the way. “Nice to meet you guys! You can call me (Y/N)!” Turning to the one swinging your hand, you tilted your head. “And what’s your name?”

“Sumi! And that’s Kiyo!” Kiyo turned around and sent a big smile at you. You reciprocated it before glancing back at the Hashira and Aoi. Only Rengoku remained, the other two already halfway down another hallway. He was watching you, arms crossed and eyes questioning. Smiling, you nodded at him.

Satisfied, he bowed his head before turning around and swiftly catching up with Kocho and Aoi.

You turned back to the three girls only to see them carefully watching you. Sumi tugged on your hand. “What kind of relationship do you have with the Flame and Insect Pillar, (Y/N)?”

Shrugging, you reply, “They’re taking care of me for the time being! Why?”

Kiyo turned a corner and Sumi and Naho dragged you behind her. “Master Rengoku was making sure you were okay then, right? It seemed like you were close with them.”

“Ah,” You blink, “I didn’t think we seemed close. I mean, he did just find me in the forest about a week ago and brought me here, so...”

The little girl on your right suddenly stopped. You and Naho stumbled to a stop and Kiyo paused a few feet ahead of you all. Sumi stared up at you with wide eyes. “You’ve been here for a whole week and we haven’t seen you yet?”

Suddenly, all three girls leaned closer to you with their hands on their hips and faces scrunched up. Why? You had no idea. You leaned away a fraction and slowly raised your hands at the looks in their dark eyes. “W-What? What is it?”

“You’ve been here for a week,” Naho spoke, then Kiyo continued the thought, “And we haven’t seen you around,” Sumi’s scrunched face shuffled closer to you, “Where have you been?”

You pursed your lips and shrugged, confused at their swings in mood. “Well, when I’m not with Rengoku or Kocho, I’m in my room. Kocho has a Demon Slayer stay by my door at night, so I’ve never really ventured outside of my room after dark.”

The three girls all hummed at once, and you swear they’re almost like those creepy little twin girls from a movie you vaguely remember watching.

Almost, because they’re not nearly as creepy, and much more adorable! (Also, there are three of them, so you guess that would make them triplets...Are they even related? Inquiry for later.)

Finally, Naho clapped her hands and turned to the other three. “Well, if you’ve only been around the Hashira before now, that means you’ve been eating alone, right?” At your (hesitant) nod, she continued, “Girls, we have to change that!”

Sumi and Kiyo grinned at her before they all turned on you as one and pounced. Two girls grabbed either hand while the final one grabbed onto your uniform cloak. Their eyes sparkled in excitement. “You can hang out with us if you want!” You stifled a surprised laugh. “Oh? But what if you’re all busy?”

“We can still talk with you while we do our chores!” Sumi protested. “And we can eat meals together so you won’t be lonely after the sun goes down!” Kiyo added. “And we can come see you during breaks!” Naho tugged on your hand.

Letting out a giggle, you pulled your hands from theirs gently to pat their heads. Sumi and Naho’s hands landed on your cloak, right next to Kiyo’s. “Alright, alright! We can do all that!”

The girls cheered, bouncing on their toes. “But!” You raise a finger and they instantly quieted down, “We’ll need to make some ground rules first! Which we’ll go over during dinner. Now, let’s move on, yeah?”

They nodded and swiftly lead the rest of the way to the mess hall.

When you arrived, it was somewhat empty. There was only another girl with a butterfly hairpin and a few people dressed head to toe in a black uniform. You think they’re called...Kakushi?

-“So the people who have a black uniform with silver buttons but no mask are Demon Slayers,” You say, going over the information with the two Hashira and the Ubuyashiki family. While the children ate and talked amongst themselves, the adults were answering your every question about the organization they are in, “But who are those people with the black masks and uniform?”

“You mean the Kakushi?” Rengoku responded before slurping up some noodles. “Delicious!” You furrowed your brow in confusion. “I have no idea what you’re talking about..”

The Master chuckled at the Flame Pillar’s antics before turning to you to explain. “The Kakushi is a group of medics that go directly into the battlefield to treat injured Slayers. They also tend to clean up after a mission is over. They’re the ones who wear the masks with a slit for their eyes.”

“They work directly under me,” Kocho set down her chopsticks, “And the masks they wear are to protect them from demons since they normally do not know how to defend themselves. If a demon sees their face, then there’s a high chance Muzan can find them.”

You snapped your fingers. “And that’s bad because the swordsmiths and the medical teams are the backbones of the Corps! Once they go down, the rest of the Corps do too!”

“Exactly!” Kocho clapped her hands together. “Now, they’re not the only medical team working under me. I have another back at the Butterfly Mansion. The Kakushi normally work outside of the Mansion and sometimes have to bring injured Slayers back. This other team is responsible for treating badly injured Slayers and rehabilitating them so they can return to the battlefield!” She paused, hands going up to her butterfly hairclip. “They wear these hairclips to let others in the Corps know they work at the Butterfly Mansion.”

You let that information soak in. “Okay, so what do the swordsmiths look like?”

Rengoku set down his fifth bowl and reached for more. “They wear hyottoko masks and regular clothing!”

You secretly wish yet again the Internet had already been created so you could search things up, but alas, you were stuck. Biting your lower lip, you quietly spoke, “I have no idea what that looks like..”

Lady Ubuyashiki glanced at you. “We have a mask somewhere if you would like to see it?” You smiled at her. “Yes, please!”-

“Ah, Kanao!” The three girls called out, and the girl turned around. Her purple eyes resembled Kocho’s and briefly wondered if they were related. Kanao tilted her head to the side as the three girls ran up to her, dragging you along with them. You sent a small smile to her when her eyes landed on you.

“Kanao, meet (Y/N)!” Sumi said, bouncing on her toes. “(Y/N), this is Tsuyuri Kanao!” Ah, not related then. Got it. Kiyo grabbed onto your cloak once more. “She’s also a worker here, but she’s currently training to go through the Final Selection!”

Raising a brow, you bowed to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! Do you mind if I ask to train with you? I’m also planning on going through the Final Selection!”

At this, the little girls jolted and turned to you in shock. “You are?!” You nodded at them with a smile. “Yes, but don’t worry! I’ll be fine! I promise to come back.” Sumi stuck her pinky finger out at you. “Pinkey promise!”

You readily intertwined your pinky finger with hers and shook it. “I pinky promise!” The girls nodded before your attention returned to Tsuyuri.

The girl stared at you with her vacant eyes and you briefly wondered if she was even paying attention before she pulled out a coin and flipped it. Confused, you watched her catch and check it. Turning back to you, she smiled. “Okay.”

You blinked. ‘Okay’? That was it? ...Alright then…

“What time do you normally train?” And back again with the vacant look. Aaaand, there goes the coin.

“Goodbye.” She spoke and turned back to her meal. You shot a confused look at the three girls by your side. They shrugged before pulling you towards the food to retrieve your meal. When you were out of earshot, you whispered into their ears. “So, can I ask about the coin? And what just happened?”

Sumi hummed as she grabbed a few bowls. “We’re not exactly sure what lead to it, but Kanao went through something that caused her to be unable to make her own choices. Lady Kanae, Lady Shinobu’s older sister, gave her that coin to help her.”

Kiyo paused in grabbing some soup and turned to you. “I think she starts training around sunrise.”

You cocked your head to the side. Sunrise might be cutting it close a little, but if you make it a little after, then you’ll be fine! You think. “Alright then, thanks!” Turning around, you realize that Naho had already run off to Tsuyuri and was currently talking to her. You watched with bated breath as Tsuyuri flipped her coin again and nodded. Naho cheered then waved you all over. Sumi and Kiyo giggled as they ran over, and you followed at a much slower pace.

“Kanao is letting us eat with her!” Naho cheered and sat down. You followed her example and broke the chopsticks apart. “Thank you for the food!” The girls cheered before digging in.

“Let’s eat!” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

You peeked out of your room, the door open only an inch.

He was still there.

Frowning, you glance back inside your room. No windows or secret passageways. Just one way in; one way out. You huffed. Even though it was designed for your safety, you found this a little annoying as of now. The sun should be rising now, so that means Kanao was waiting for you.

You just have to figure out how to convince this Slayer to let you out.

-“Hey, Murata? Right?” You poked your head out of your room and the Slayer guarding you for the night jumped. As his head swung in your direction, he squawked. “(L/N)! What are you doing?! Get back inside your room, it’s way past sunset!”

You frowned. “I have a question.”

“Can it wait until dawn?” Murata tried to usher your head back into your room, yet you stubbornly ignore his urging. “Not really, no. It’ll only take a second! Promise!”

The Slayer’s brow twitched slightly before he sighed. “Fine, what is it?”

“So, I have a training date at the asscrack of dawn. Can I leave a little earlier than scheduled? I don’t wanna make her wait!”

Murata’s head snapped up, and you briefly worried for his neck. That is until he let out another loud squawk. “Absolutely not! Lady Kocho put me in charge of protecting you tonight, and that means up until the sun is well above the trees! You will not step foot out of this room until then, I forbid it!”-

Murata was still standing directly in front of your door, the same exact spot you left him in before bed last night. Did he seriously not move an inch? All night? You have to give it to him, that’s kinda impressive. You doubt you’d be able to last an hour; you’re easily distracted and unable to stay still for very long, so you’ll probably end up completely forgetting the reason you’re there and go off on your own.

But as much as Murata’s determination to keep you safe is awesome in normal situations, it does nothing to help you right now.

Huffing once more, you step away from the door and quietly tiptoe to your bed, where your Innocence lay next to it. You picked it up and slip it into it’s sheath before once more turning back to the door.

Murata wasn’t going to listen to your words, so you’re going to have to sneak out.

Damn it.

You picked up a few rocks that you found the other day and brought back to keep and tiptoed back to your door. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find these again…

Slowly but surely, you slid the door open wider. Now, your hand can poke out undetected. You waited for a moment to see if the Slayer heard you, and when the coast was clear, you tossed the first rock. It clattered against the wooden flooring and rolled behind a corner.

Murata jumped, instantly facing the corner with a hand on his hilt. He paused. “H-Hello? Who’s there?” You both waited for a moment. No one replied. Murata glanced down the hallway opposite of the sound before quickly turning back to the corner. He shuffled closer to it. You took the chance to quietly stand up and toss the second rock over his shoulder when he chanced another glance back.

Once again, the rock clattered against the floor and rolled out of sight. Murata squeaked as he jumped, head whipping back around to the corner. You waited with bated breath as he scrutinized the corner. Finally, he slowly started stepping forward. You quietly slid the door open once he got far enough away and stepped out.

Closing the door, you tossed the final rock behind his back and quietly backed up. It clattered against the wall and Murata’s attention whipped to it. He hummed in confusion just as you reached another hallway and ducked out of view.

You spared only a second to breathe a sigh of relief before shuffling away as quickly as you dared. You managed another few hallways before you heard Murata’s inevitable yelling, and at that point, you started sprinting for the front door.

As your feet pounded against the wooden flooring and you suppressed the urge to laugh, a few figures stepped into the hallway just before you. Your eyes widened as you locked gazes with Rengoku and a man you didn’t recognize.

You didn’t have time to study him, only spotted the stark white hair and bandages around his torso before you leaped at a wall. You pushed off it with one foot, effectively avoiding ramming into the two of them as you called out a greeting. “Hi, Rengoku! Bye Rengoku! Don’t mind me, just heading to training!”

You turned the corner just as the Flame Pillar let out a boisterous laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?!”

You called back as loudly as you could. “I’m late!”

You couldn’t hear what else he said as you narrowly avoided crashing into Aoi by sliding under her legs. “Sorry! Good morning!” She huffed and placed her hands on her hips as you wave at her. “Watch it, (L/N)!”

“I will! Sorry!”

Finally, you reached the front door and almost collapse in your rush to pull on your boots. Once they were laced up properly, you rushed out the door and made your way to the training area the triplets pointed out to you during dinner. You spotted a figure in the distance and slowed to a halt. Kanao stared down at you as you leaned against your knees.

“I’m here,” You panted and looked up at her, “For training! Let’s start?” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

One month later

Footsteps pounded silently on the forest floor, and up in the trees, there was a slight rustling as something moved through the branches.

A girl, silent and swift on her feet, slipped through the trees as she chased the rustling in the branches above her. Her purple eyes flickered, quickly absorbing the information given to her through the movement in the leaves and calculating. Once she spotted an opening, she jumped up into the tree branches and pounced on her target.

She kicked the woman in the back, sending her out of the trees and onto the forest ground. Leaves crunched under both sets of feet as both girls landed almost silently on their feet.

The older one bolted immediately upon regaining her balance. The younger one chased after her almost just as swiftly, gaining on her slowly. The woman bounced around the trees and bushes, trying to find an escape, while the younger swung her sword or managed to maneuver herself in her way to cut her off each time the older one found an opening. Each time, the older girl jumped away while her chaser ran after her.

It wasn’t long before they reached a clearing.

The teenager sped up as the woman reached the treeline and jumped, once again kicking off her back and sending the older girl flying. The woman flipped in midair and landed on her feet, skidding backward for a moment before she glanced up. She was now in the middle of the clearing and her chaser was calmly walking towards her with her sword by her side.

The woman drew her own sword as she came closer. She frowned. Where was the other one?

Suddenly, the younger girl lunged forward, bringing up her sword. “Flower Breathing, Fifth Form; Peonies of Futility.”

The older girl narrowed her eyes and prepared her own attack. “Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly; Compound Eye Hexagon.”

But, just as the two girls neared each other with their swords posed, the younger suddenly switched forms to evade the older’s attacks. “Sixth Form; Whirling Peach.” She swung her sword out in an attack that the older barely caught, pushing her back into the middle of the clearing as the younger twisted away and dove into the tree line.

Confused, the woman skidded to a halt. Just as she was about to move after the younger girl, another voice called out.

“Dragon Breathing; Basilisk’s Cage!”

The trees erupted in violent rustling as something moved through the branches and around the trunks. A loud rumbling noise, akin to the roar of a dragon, shook the earth. The girl’s eyes widened in surprise as the trees only became more frantic the longer it went on. She knew as soon as the first coil of chain snapped out of the forest that if she was getting out of this, it would be by the skin of her teeth.

The coils of chain rapidly moved in, snapping and pulling taut, weaving and wrapping around her body. Dust picked up as the coils grew tighter.

It only took a minute, tops.

Two girls stepped out of the wounded trees, one with a sword and the other with the two ends of the chains in each hand. Stray coils of chain unfurled from the center mass, wrapping around intact tree trunks and one girl’s torso. As the two girls moved forward, the coils became denser and denser while they ducked and slipped through the chains.

The mass of chains shifted, slowly unfurling as the stray chains slid around one of the girls creeping closer. Soon, her prey was revealed.

The woman struggled uselessly in her binds. They wrapped all around her securely, crisscrossing over her limbs and torso. She couldn’t move. The girl with the chains cautiously stepped closer and tilted her head. “Well? Do you yield?”

The woman struggled a little more before sighing and sending a small yet bright smile to the two younger girls before her. “Yes, I yield. Good work, you two! That was amazing teamwork between you!” She paused, gaze flicking between the chains still wrapped around her and the positively beaming girl in front of her. “(L/N), do you mind letting me go?”

You jolted. “Oh, right! Sorry, Kocho! Tsuyuri, stand back please?”

Tsuyuri slipped through the coiled chains and back into the safety of the forest. Letting out a breath, you stepped away from Kocho before lightly tugging on one end of your kusarigama.

The chains surrounding you rattled in response, echoing into a loud growl. You turned back to Kocho. “Stay as still as you can! This’ll be over in a moment!” Without another moment wasted, you tugged hard and allowed the dagger to slip out of your hand. The chains rattled as they slid against each other, the noise of grinding metal links echoing into the air as a loud roar. You stayed still while the kusarigama chain retracted, and finally, you were grabbing onto the dagger before it could whip into you.

Kocho had landed safely on her feet and was now brushing herself off. Smiling as you placed your kusarigama (now tightly coiled instead of its usual form of a tiny scythe to avoid suspicion) into its new sheath by your hip, you called out to Tsuyuri. “Okay, it’s safe!”

Tsuyuri appeared once more and made her way to Kocho’s side. You joined her excitedly. Kocho smiled at the two of you and clapped her hands. “That was a wonderful training session! You two started off trying to capture me separately and ended up working together! That’s something Slayers will eventually have to do on missions, so it’s good that you two started working on your teamwork now!”

“Yes, it is!” You jumped at the new voice and whipped your head around to see Rengoku striding out of the woods. Your eyes bugged out at the sight of him and you squealed. “Rengoku! You’re back!”

The man let out a laugh when you started running, opening his arms wide. You jumped once you reached him, limbs wrapping around him tightly as you slammed into him.

He caught you, like you knew he would, and squeezed. You giggled and squeezed back while Rengoku hummed. “When did you get back?”

“Just now!” Rengoku tapped your shoulder with two fingers and you dropped your legs. He moved his hands to securely hold you by your armpits and held you out when you retracted your arms from around his neck. “When I arrived, the three little girls informed me you all were out here doing a last-minute training session, so I rushed over! I only caught Kocho’s praise for your teamwork with Tsuyuri!” Rengoku paused and looked you up and down. “You look well! That is good!”

You giggled once more and nodded. “I’m doing great! How are you? How’d the mission go? Did you bring back any souvenirs? Your brother sent a letter while you were away! I have it in my room for safe keeping! Wanna see it when we get back?”

Rengoku’s eyes lit up and he placed you back on your feet. “I’m also doing great! And the mission was a success! The demon fell to my blade quickly and I managed to save a village from a gruesome fate! And yes! I did bring something back for you! I had the girls take it to your room! And I would like to read my brother’s letter, thank you for keeping it safe for me!” He patted your head warmly and you bounced on your toes. With one final pat, the two of you returned to Kocho with giant smiles on your faces.

The woman giggled at you two before turning back to her own apprentice as well. “You two did very well today! I’d say you’re ready to go to Final Selection!”

You clenched your hands into fists and jumped up. “Yes! We did it, Tsuyuri!” Your fellow trainee nodded once, her eyes following your bouncing movements cautiously. Kocho smiled at the two of you. “Unfortunately, I have a mission tomorrow, so I will not be able to escort you there.”

Rengoku puffed up at this while you deflated a little in disappointment. “Ah! Then it seems I have returned at the right time!” His hand landed on your shoulder. “We need to get your crow accustomed to you before you head out on missions, so we will have to leave tomorrow morning!”

You tilted your head to the side. “Isn’t Final Selection in a week? Where are we going for that long?” The Flame Hashira’s smile grew larger.

“Why, my estate of course! There’s someone I want you to meet while you get to know your crow!”

notes: hey all! sorry for the delay, i ran out of chapters in my queue and completely forgot to stock up until now. hope you guys liked this one!

unfortunately, this is the last chapter for this arc. i don't know when i'll get the next arc out. i'm thinking of dropping a couple of new stories for the next round. you guys interested, or should i just post the next arcs for the current three stories? ..or, maybe, post a poll and see the results? i think i'm gonna do that, actually..

anywaysss, have a wonderful day/night and please stay safe! and also remember that you're all AWESOME! XP

#fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #d.gray man #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #kamado tanjiro x reader #kamado tanjiro/reader #frayawrites

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frayaziwriter · 11 months ago

Text

I'm A Spider - Wait, What?

Chapter 3

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S GONE?!”

SLAM!

The spiders around them flinched, chittering to themselves. The black Knight kneeling before them refused to raise his head.

Gold snarled, standing from her throne to pace. Ruby and Bronze shared concerned looks as she slammed the butt of her halberd against the stone flooring while she went. Obsidian simply watched from her own throne, claws curled thoughtfully over her fanged mouth. Her gaze flickered between her soldiers and the seething Gold.

Then Gold screamed and swung her halberd into her throne. “What the fuck were you doing?! Getting stuck in your own fucking webs?! I told you to take care of her, and then you turn around and LOSE HER! She’s been gone for A MONTH! I oughta tear off your limbs here and now-”

“Gold.”

Silence.

Obsidian nodded, her deep voice slipping out. “Thank you. I understand your frustration, sister, we all do, but now is not the time to fight. We appreciate your willingness to defend our kind, but when it’s directed at our kin, you shouldn’t let your rage blind you. Please, sit.” Gold’s jaw hitched a few times before she reluctantly sat in her damaged chair. “Now, we listen to his report.”

Ruby and Bronze nodded on her right while Gold scoffed and slumped in her chair to her left. Smiling, Obsidian turned to her soldier. “Begin.”

‘Yes, my queen.’ The Knight churred softly. ‘As you are all aware, my partner and I lost the princess shortly after she came into our care. We searched for hours, but could not find any trace of her. It was only recently that we felt her.’

Her two sisters to her right gasped and Gold sat up straight in her chair. Obsidian rose a singular, bedazzled eyebrow. “And where is she?”

The Knight let out a hissing whine. ‘I apologize, but we lost her again. There was an abnormal Slime eating everything it came across in the area-’

“You mean to tell us you fucking let her DIE?! What is wrong with you-”

Obsidian delicately cleared her throat. Gold growled and sat back, glaring down at the ebony Knight. He shook his head. ‘No, you misunderstand, Queen of Gold. It seems the princess managed to avoid the Slime until... My partner apparently spotted her close to the Slime and rushed to her aid, only to end up sliced apart and eaten by the Slime. I do not know of what happened next for I was attacked shortly after by a Monstrous Centipede.’

Outrage in the Obsidian’s section rang up before their queen raised her clawed hand.

It was silent for a long moment. Ruby clenched her hidden hands into fists; Bronze crossed her legs with a frown; Gold seethed in her seat; Obsidian leaned back into her throne with a thoughtful expression once again painted across her face.

“Go back and look for her. She should still be in that cave system, correct?” Obsidian asked her soldier. He flinched. ‘The thing is, my queen, she was in the Sealed Cave.’

The four queens gasped as a wave of shocked hissing rippled through their audience. Even Gold was gobsmacked. “She made it...there? That little shit made it to the Sealed Cave all by herself?” She started laughing to herself. “Damn, those Whities must be resilient as hell to be able to go that far at only the Small Lesser stage!”

Obsidian let a smile curl her lips while hope sparked in Ruby’s eyes. Bronze simply raised an eyebrow at this. Then, Obsidian stood to her full height, her black dress shifting along her skin. “This is a delicate situation, sisters. I suggest allowing the Obsidian Clan to investigate this.”

“Oh, hell no!” Gold slammed her left fist into her chair arm. “Your soldiers are the ones who lost her in the first place! I say we eradicate that stupid Slime and drag her back home right now!”

Bronze raised her hand. “I suggest a vote. We vote to either let the Obsidian Clan perform their investigation or to rush in to save the princess.”

Ruby nodded. “Yes! I agree.”

“Then we shall hold a vote,” Obsidian spoke, and all other chatter froze in its tracks, “Those who say we rush in, raise your hands.” Gold shoved her hand in the air. “And those who say we wait, raise your hands.” The hands of Ruby, Bronze, and Obsidian lifted.

Obsidian nodded. “Then it is settled. We shall wait. Court is dismissed.” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

You took Rimuru to your hideout after he helped you up. On the way, he told you his story, from getting stabbed to being reincarnated to finally-

‘Wait, so YOU’RE the reason why Veldora suddenly disappeared?!’

‘Uh? Yeah?’

-eating Veldora to free him of his prison.

You huffed, glaring as you pointed a leg at him. ‘Do you have any idea what you just did?! All of the monsters in the vicinity have been going bat-shit crazy since Veldora disappeared! I’m pretty sure there’ll be a power vacuum and they’ll fight to the death soon!’ Rimuru bounced back to avoid your jab. ‘A-Ah, sorry?’

‘You made my second life hell and all you have to say is ‘sorry’?! Ohh, I should bonk you on the head for that!’

‘A-Ah, speaking of our second lives,’ Rimuru slithered back, his form melting a little under the glare you shot at him, ‘How long have you been in this world, exactly?’

You paused, crossing your front two legs, and trilled out a hum. ‘That’s a good question.. Chiron? Do you know?’

[Answer; you have been alive for a month and a week. Notice; you are low on energy. Suggestion; eat.]

‘Great. I’ll do that soon. Thanks!’ You clicked your chelicerae and turned back to continue. ‘About a month now. You?’ Rimuru hopped after you. ‘Um, since a little before Veldora disappeared?’

‘So, a week at most. Got it.’ You glanced up. ‘Oh hey! We’re here!’

Rimuru stopped and glanced around. ‘Woah.. Did you do all of this?’ He gestured to all the webbing you had put up as a defense and you nodded. ‘Yup! Do you have a way to get up there?’ The Slime paused and turned to you. ‘Get up where?’

You pointed a claw up at your little cliff home. ‘Up there! That’s my temporary home!’

He followed your foreleg and stopped. ‘Uhh, I got a Sticky Thread skill from that other spider monster?’ You flinched. ‘Right! Well, you get up there and I’ll join you soon.’

‘Where are you going?’ You gesture back to the tunnel behind the two of you. ‘I’m hungry, so I’mma catch us some food! There’s this pit of baby centipede monsters nearby and they’re actually kinda good.’ Rimuru’s body tilted to the side. ‘Oh, I think I can help with that!’

And then he expanded to spit out - was that an adult Monstrous Centipede?! You skittered back with a shriek. Rimuru returned to his original form after spitting the corpse out and turned to you. ‘Is this enough for you?’ You stared at the dead Monstrous Centipede for a moment, nodding slowly. ‘U-Uh, yeah. Yeah, that is. Where..? How..?’

‘I have a Water Manipulation skill, so I used a move I call ‘Water Blade’ to cut it up.’ You stab a claw through one of the pieces and glance at him. ‘Is that what you used on that Black Serpent?’

‘Uhuh!’

‘Wait, so how do you have the Sticky Thread skill? I thought that was a Jorogomo thing.’ You drag the piece inside your defenses, huffing as it gets caught on the sticky threads.

Rimuru bounced up and used his ‘Water Blade’ move on the centipede to cut it into smaller sections. ‘I also have a skill called ‘Predator’. In layman's terms, it allows me to analyze and copy any skill of anything I eat.’ You froze for a split second before turning to him and picking him up with your two forelegs. ‘You mean to tell me that there’s a high chance you’ll get stupidly OP stupid quick?!’ You shook him in your claws. ‘How the living fuck did you get so lucky?!’

He wiggled out of your claws and bounced away, out of your reach. Huffing out a sigh, he shot out a blob of white silk and helped you drag the corpse inside your home. ‘I guess? And I reckon my dying thoughts were turned into my skills.. Oh! Speaking of dying, how’d you end up here?’

You were getting ready to slice into the flesh of the Monstrous Centipede when he asked that. Turning to him, you went to speak but..something stopped you.

‘Actually, that’s a really good question.’ You tapped your left claw on the ground as you thought. ‘..I remember my previous life. Well, to an extent. There are some blank parts that I can’t fill in no matter how hard I try. Unfortunately, how I died is one of those. All I can recall is being in pain and wishing it to stop. Oh, and a voice talking to me. Don’t know what it said, though.’ Shrugging, you hesitantly go back to slicing into the dead centipede. ‘It’ll eventually come back, so I’m not worried.’

‘But,’ Rimuru shot another blade of condensed water at the corpse before you, ‘It doesn’t bother you? That you can’t remember some things?’

You paused. ‘...It does bother me, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Trust me. I’ve spent the last month and a week trying to remember, nothing will force my memories to come back until they’re ready.’ With a trill, you dug into the meat with gusto. ‘So until then, I’ll be patiently waiting!’

Rimuru was quiet for a long moment as you ate quickly. ‘..I hope you remember soon.’

Glancing up at him, you wished you could move your mouth into a smile. ‘Thanks, Rimuru. I hope so, too.’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

The heat was unbearable.

It bore down on him, practically baking his flesh. It had already vaporized the water from the cracked ground. He didn’t know when it would steal the water in his body and cook him from the inside out, but he knew it would be soon.

He stumbled, slowly falling onto his face. He couldn’t lift a finger. The hunger gnawing at his stomach and the heat scorching his body stole his energy.

It was so hot..

Footsteps. Coming his way. Footsteps?

They paused at his form. A shadow loomed over him.

“I think I shall give you a name and some food.”

..Food?

He looked up. Someone with a mask crouched next to him, staring down at him through the lenses of the beaked mask. “Who..are you?”

“I am Gelmud. If you like, just think of me as your father.” His vision wavered, and he blinked. “Or, would you prefer to die?”

A pause. Then,

“Give me a name. I’ll take that and the food.” A hand placed itself on his forehead. “Very well. I shall Name you Geld.” A surge of raw power flushed into him and a golden light shined from his steaming flesh. “Geld, huh?”

“One day, you will take possession of the Great Forest of Jura and become the Orc Disaster.” Gelmud held out a piece of meat, and he sat up to grab it. Saliva dribbled from his mouth and he grabbed the still-fresh meat and fervently tore into it.

He couldn’t see the satisfied grin behind the Majin’s mask as he devoured the first piece of food he’s had in months. He was too immersed in his empty stomach.

Geld was swiftly yet quietly taken by his hunger, and then he was no longer Geld. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

‘-and there I was, dangling from her grip like, who the hell does that?! To a baby?!’

You screeched, throwing your forelegs in the air as you paced about your little cliff. Rimuru watched from the wall. A question mark made of slime was starting to form on his forehead before suddenly shifting to an exclamation mark. ‘Wait, you weren’t kidding?! She actually did that to you?!’

‘Yes! Yes, she did!’ You slam your claws down and slump to the ground. ‘And then I got lost almost as soon as I left her care. I’ve been wandering around ever since. The only good thing that came out of this was that I evolved into a Lesser now Medium Taratect.’

Rimuru tilted to the side. ‘What’s the evolution tree look like for you?’

Scratching your head with one claw, you hummed. ‘Well, I know my species starts at Small Lesser Taratect, then evolves to Lesser Taratect, then Medium Taratect, Greater Taratect, Knight, and finally Arch Knight.’ You paused and clicked your front two claws together. ‘The Knights Spider is the final evolution for males while Arch Knight is the final form for females. At least, that’s according to Chiron. No clue why the Queen looked human, though. Oh! Chiron is my version of Great Sage.’

‘She looked human?!’ Rimuru wiggled. ‘How can a Jorogomo evolve into a human form?!’

‘I know right?! Especially since the Arch Knight is the final evolution for females! It makes zero sense!’ You continue to pace. ‘It’s been driving me crazy ever since I met her!’

Rimuru’s body melted. ‘Just thinking about it for a minute is making my nonexistent brain hurt.. Let’s talk about something else.’ You agreed, skittering to his side before flopping to the ground. ‘Have you found the exit yet, (Y/N)?’

You shook your head with a groan. ‘Damn.’

‘Since Veldora disappeared, it must be chaos outside if it’s chaos in here..’

The Slime nodded along. ‘..Do you even want to go outside?’

You stopped. Glancing up at him showed him facing away from you, his ‘face’ tilted towards the edges of the cliff. You let out a soft churr and held out your forelegs. The claws glinted in the dim, blue light. ‘...It’s the one thing I want most.’

-“We can’t go outside today. I’m sorry, I know you were looking forward to it.”-

-You weakly coughed, your lungs too stiff to support you through the fit. When it was finally over, you stared up at your hospital ceiling, completely exhausted. It's getting harder and harder to breathe with each passing day. You suppose it wouldn’t be long now.-

Rimuru glanced back at you. You tilted your head. With a hum, he leaned into you. ‘..How ‘bout we blow this popsicle stand and escape together?’ Churring softly in response, you leaned into him as well. ‘You wanna take me along with you? Are you sure?’

‘Of course!’ Rimuru wiggled in indignation. ‘We’re friends now, right? I’m not gonna leave you behind here, especially since you wanna leave, too! That wouldn’t make me a very good friend.’

If you could cry, your eyes would be tearing up right now. ‘Rimuru...you’re the best. Thank you.’

The Slime wiggled once more. ‘A-Ah, you’re welcome! Hey, you said you need to sleep, right? You should get some rest and tomorrow we’ll start looking for the exit!’

‘Right! Night-night!’

‘..Night.’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

You yawned as you sleepily scurried after Rimuru. The Slime was bouncing ahead of you, just a meter of difference between you two.

‘So, do you have any idea where this exit is supposed to be, Rimuru?’

‘Not a clue! I was hoping to stumble on it before I ran into you, and now I was kinda banking on you knowing where it’s NOT.’ The Slime landed and turned to you, waiting for you to catch up. You trilled. ‘Hmm. Okay. I’ll lead you to where my knowledge of the place ends, okay?’

‘Right on! I knew I could count on you!’ Rimuru happily hopped in place and followed close behind you when you turned down a different tunnel.

As the two of you traveled through the caves, you would pass the time sharing stories between fights with stray monsters.

-Rimuru gasped. ‘Wait, you mean to tell me they both just ganged up on you? For no reason?’ You groaned, churring as you stabbed a claw into a piece of meat. ‘Yes! I was minding my own business and then they just literally fell into my path! I got the hell out of there as soon as possible.’

Shaking yourself, you turn to him. ‘So? What about you? How did your fights go down?’

Rimuru hummed. ‘Well.. You saw the Black Serpent, but sometime after that, I came across an Armorsaurus! I decided to turn into a Black Serpent and...well.. Let’s just say I’m never using one of its skills on a living being..’

‘Oh..’ You shuddered at the mental image your mind conjured up.-

At one point, the two of you came across a giant pit. You both decided to skip over the dark pit by using the Sticky Thread skill and swinging across the gaping hole.

-‘Alright, let’s use Sticky Thread and-’

‘Ahuaghahahaagh!’ You stared after Rimuru as he swung across on his own thread. He landed safely before turning to you. ‘You coming?’

You jabbed a foreleg at him, pushing back giggles. ‘You stole my idea! Thief!’

‘Uh.. Oops? Sorry..’ Grumbling, you shook yourself and swung over. Rimuru chuckled beside you. You curiously click your chelicerae at him. ‘What’s so funny?’ He shrugged. ‘It’s just, we were both thinking of the same thing! You know that old saying about how great minds think alike?’

You paused. The two of you shared a look before dissolving into fits of peeling laughter .-

You also teamed up against a lone Giant Bat.

-The two of you dodged the flying rodent. You were quickly getting annoyed, since every attack you would send its way, it would always dodge. Perks of being able to fly, you guess. ‘Rimuru, how’s your web skills?’

‘Not the best. Why?’ You leap up to a stalactite to avoid a concentrated blast of sound aimed at you. ‘Well, I was thinking one of us could make a trap while the other distracts this thing. I guess since I’m the better weaver, I’ll make the trap and you distract?’

Rimuru immediately sent a Water Blade at the Giant Bat, which was swiftly dodged. ‘Sounds great! How long do you need?’

You trilled out a hum. ‘I’d say ‘bout five minutes? Think you can last that long?’ Rimuru sent you a slimy thumbs-up. ‘Absolutely! Don’t disappoint!’

‘It’ll be a masterpiece, I assure you!’ You giggled and got right to work.-

In the end, you both pushed the bat into your trap. Rimuru sliced it up and consumed it with his Predator skill. Then it was back on the road for you.

And then you came across another hurdle.

A rather large pond of clear water stood in your way. Rimuru jumped on in, splashing you a little as he used his Water Manipulation skill to glide through the water. You could hear him practicing speaking as he went, and honestly? You were kinda jealous. You wanted to speak aloud, too!

‘U-Um, Rimuru? Do you think you could wait for me on the other side?’ The Slime circled back around to face you. You stood at the edge, nervously clicking your clawed legs together.

‘Yeah, sure. But, what’s wrong?’ You point to the water. ‘I’ll drown.’

A question mark appeared out of his gelatinous body. ‘Oh? Do you not know how to swim? I can probably help-’

‘No, no no no, that’s not it!’ You frantically wave your legs around. ‘Spiders back home had something called ‘book lungs’. I don’t know how similar monster spiders are to the ones on Earth, but I don’t want to test my theory.’

‘What are ‘book lungs’?’

You tilted your head to one side while crossing your top pair of legs. ‘Book lungs are respiratory organs most arachnids have. Their lungs are shaped in a way that resembles the pages of a book and instead of manually breathing in air like mammals, they have holes on the underside of the abdomen that passively takes in air. If my theory is correct, I’ll drown if I try to swim.’

Rimuru was silent for a long time. ‘..Oh. That’s...not good. Yeah, it’s best if you avoid swimming.’ He jolted in the water as if a thought suddenly struck him. ‘How are you going to get across, then?’

Humming, you glance around. ‘I could always swing from the ceiling like Spiderman, or crawl on the walls?’ Rimuru sighed. ‘Just be careful, okay?’

‘Promise!’

And with that, you two separated. Rimuru went back to swimming while you skittered to the closest rock pillar. You climbed up and stopped to take in your surroundings.

You turned to look at the walls and ceiling. You could go the wall route, but there’s still a possibility that you’ll fall and drown, and it was a longer route. Another path you could take is to walk across the ceiling. But then you’re fucked if you lose your footing unless you manage to react quickly enough and catch yourself with webbing.

Or you could go the fun yet dangerous route; Double Jumping off this pillar and swinging from the stalactites you can see in the shadows above. ‘Chiron? Which one would you suggest?’

[Answer; the wall option.]

‘Hmm, mostly safe but long commute. Alright. Hopefully, Rimuru doesn’t mind the time it’ll take me..’

And then you jumped off the pillar and skittered to the wall, climbing up and across the pond. On the other side, there was a forest of stalagmites of various sizes and a pile of boulders. No easy way to the path Rimuru was now waiting on.

Sighing, you jump off the wall and landed on the closest stalagmite, which was just on the edge of the pond. You took a deep breath to settle your nerves. ‘That was too close..’

[Notice; the stalagmite points are sharp enough to pierce your body. Suggestion; be careful.]

‘Oh, shit. Really?’ You shuddered. ‘Right. Sharp pointies. Avoid sharp pointies. Got it. Simple enough.’ You shot a glance over to your right at the path. Rimuru sat there, still practicing his speech. ‘And try not to land on Rimuru. Piece of cake.’

[Would you like to use the {Skill; Double Jump?}]

‘Yes! And then Sticky Thread!’

You jumped, twirled around mid-air, and shot off a glob of Sticky Thread. It latched onto a stalactite and you swung forward. At the last second, you cut the web off and flip through the air, not unlike Spiderman. You then repeated this process several more times until you were right above your new friend. You let yourself swing upside down for a moment before you waved at Rimuru.

‘I made it safe and sound!’

‘You still have to land without a scratch!’ You blew a mental raspberry before carefully lowering yourself. Once your claws clacked on the rocky ground, you spread your two forelegs out victoriously. ‘Ta-da! Safe and sound!’

‘If I had hands, I would applaud you.’ You bowed as best you can as Rimuru bounced happily. ‘Thank you, thank you. Now! What’s next?’

Rimuru hopped over the ridge. ‘This way! Oh, woaaaah!’

‘Rimuru?!’ You scurried after him and crossed over the hill just in time to see him smack right into a stalagmite. You winced in sympathy. ‘You okay there, bud?’ As you crawled down the hill, Rimuru struggled to push away from the jagged stone. ‘Just fine!’ His voice was strained from the effort, but then he popped off and you couldn’t help the snort of laughter at the glower he sent it.

And then you two moved on after a moment of rest, dodging other monsters and taking brief periods to eat and sleep as you went. Then a week or two later, you found a set of large, double doors. You and Rimuru cautiously stepped closer.

‘A door that big has gotta be the exit, right?’ Rimuru murmured through the link as a slimy question mark appeared. ‘But how are supposed to open it? Do we just Water Blade it, or what?’

You trilled, shrugging in response. Something pricked along your consciousness, and you yelped. ‘Rimuru, hide!’ You hissed and pushed him behind a pillar of rock nearby. ‘What? What’s going on?’ The doors suddenly opened with a loud rumbling noise and the two of you watched as three people strolled in. ‘Oh.’

‘Yeah. Oh. Good thing I have my Spidey Sense..’ Rimuru glanced at you. ‘As in, Spiderman’s spidey sense?’

Shrugging, you huddled closer when the three humans turned invisible. ‘It’s called Spider’s Sense, but I like to call it my Spidey Sense after Spiderman.’ You watched as the group’s footsteps appeared in the dust-covered path. ‘I wonder if I’ll ever be able to do that.. Many spiders are considered ambush predators, so that’ll be very useful for capturing prey.’

Rimuru jolted, his form melting a little bit. ‘A-Ah. Right.’ You crossed your forelegs. ‘What.’

‘Nothing! Nothing! Oh hey, we should leave since they’re gone now!’ He hopped forward and raced to the doors. You stifled a shriek before skittering as quietly as you possibly can after him.

‘H-Hold up!’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

‘Hey! The sun!’

Rimuru bounced on ahead of you excitedly. You hissed when the bright light stabbed your eyes, covering them with your two forelegs as you crawled forward. You’ve been in a cave for so long, you kinda forgot how bright the sun was. ‘Hey, slow down! I need a moment!’ The Slime paused and glanced back at you.

You had stopped near the doors, hiding behind a rock with your clawed legs shielding your eyes. ‘What’s wrong?’ He asked while bouncing closer to your form. ‘Just give me a sec. I’ll be fine.’

‘..If you say so...’ Rimuru tilted his body to the side before turning to take in your surroundings.

You shook your head and slowly lowered your claws. ‘Okay, I think I’m good now. I completely forgot how intense the sun could be. Thanks for waiting.’ And then you froze as your eyes finally locked on the environment you two stumbled into. ‘Wait. Are we...really outside?’

‘Yeah. It’s pretty here, isn’t it?’ Rimuru hopped in place. ‘‘Pretty’ is an understatement..’

The forest was beautiful. Lush green grass and colorful wildflowers grew in copious amounts between the trees and bushes. Golden rays of sunlight filtered through the branches and dappled the ground. The sky was a bright blue with beautiful white clouds and the wind brought with it a clear and flowery scent. You had to sit down for a moment; you were so used to the smog and bland colors of a city that if you could, this scene would have brought you to tears.

It was the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in both of your lives. ‘Rimuru, tell me, am I dreaming? Am I actually outside in a forest?’

‘Yes? I mean, no, you’re not dreaming, and yes, you’re in a forest!’ Your Slime friend paused. ‘You sound so..awed by that. Is it really that beautiful to you? It looks like a normal forest to me.’

‘This is normal?!’ You rounded on him, grabbing him by your claws once again. He flinched in your hold. ‘Uh? Yes?’ You rock side to side excitedly. ‘Seriously?! They’re all this beautiful?!’ Placing him down, you turn back to the forest. ‘Were forests this beautiful back home?’

Rimuru hummed. ‘Well, I didn’t get out of the city I lived in much, but from what I’ve seen, yeah.’

‘You mean to tell me we were blessed with naturally beautiful sights and humans STILL fucked it up?’ You huffed, slashing the air with your claws. ‘If only I could strangle humanity..’

‘U-Um..’ Rimuru’s body melted and he leaned away from you. ‘(Y/N)? By any chance, is this the first time you’ve left a city?’ You stopped waving your razer blade legs around and hummed. ‘Well, I always wanted to go into nature in my last life, but I was too sick and the weather never cooperated with my good days. On bad days it was beautiful outside, but on good days it was always horrible. The furthest I ever got was the front door before something went wrong. I've only ever seen forests like this through pictures, but it's not the same..’

The two of you spent a few moments of silence just admiring the view before Rimuru cleared his nonexistent throat. ‘Well, if it’s your first time in a forest, then..’ He bounced away and deeper into the forest. ‘Let’s go explore!’

You squealed and raced after him. ‘Alright!’ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

You ended up rolling in a sunny bed of grass while Rimuru made his way down a dirt path.

It was…peaceful here. You loved it. The birds were singing beautiful songs, colorful flowers were blooming, and the sun was a golden ball of light in a deep blue sky.. Your dream finally came true! You’re finally doing normal things!

You rolled onto your stomach to slice a flower up before holding the delicate plant carefully in your claws. ‘This has got to be the best day ever. Hey Chiron, what’s this flower called? It’s so pretty..’

[Answer; that is-]

“HI! IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU ALL! MY NAME IS RIMURU AND I AM A SLIME MONSTER!”

‘What the ever living fuck?!’ You jumped at the loud sound of Rimuru’s voice cutting Chiron off. Unfortunately, this caused your claws to slice the bloom into shreds. You stared down at the remnants of the flower sadly. ‘Rimuru! What the hell?’

‘...Oops?’

‘‘Oops’? You just made me destroy a flower I was admiring!’ You huffed, getting up to pace agitatedly. ‘Why were you yelling?’

‘A bunch of Goblins just appeared and I was trying to talk to them.. Sorry about that..’

‘Jesus..’ You smack a claw on your face. ‘Hold up, they wanna take me somewhere. Think you can catch up with us?’ You perk up. ‘Right now? You haven’t taken any turns, have you?’

‘Nope! Just follow the dirt path!’ Shrugging, you leave your little grass bed and skittered down the path. ‘Okay. See you in a bit!’

[Would you like to use the {Skill; Double Jump}?]

‘Yes!’

And then you ran down the dirt road, jumping to shave off a few seconds. Soon, you spotted the light blue ball of slime you called your friend and skidded to a stop. You ended up with your head hanging over Rimuru’s body. Glancing down, you trilled. ‘Hey, Rimuru! I’m here!’

‘Right on!’ You turned back to the Goblin horde ahead of you. They were shaking, pointing their weapons at you, and you’re pretty sure their faces aren’t supposed to be that pale of green. ‘..Uh. Are they okay?’ Rimuru paused. ‘They look...like they’re about to shit their pants.’ You snorted.

“S-Sir! That-That s-spider-!” The head Goblin pointed at you, and you trilled out a note of confusion. ‘Me?’

“Everyone, this is the friend I was telling you about!” Rimuru chirped. “And now that she’s here, we can go! So take us to your leader!” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Rimuru ended up riding on your back as you followed the Goblins into their village.

You...weren’t sure this should be called a village in the first place. There were very small tents scattered about the area, but that was it.

An elderly Goblin appeared out of the biggest hut and almost fell to his knees at the sight of both you and Rimuru. “Ah! You’re here! Please, come in, come in!” He ushered the two of you inside the big hut with his cane and before you knew it, Rimuru was resting on a very comfy-looking pillow and you were being fed meat.

‘Oooh, this smells good!’ You eagerly stabbed a claw into the first piece and shoved it into your mouth. ‘It tastes just as good as it looks! Thanks!’ The elderly Goblin flinched back, yet bowed his head. “Th-Thank you for your kind words, spider.”

He then turned to Rimuru. “Welcome to our humble town, we are so honored to have you here. I am the elder of this village.” Your friend bounced on his pillow. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you. So, what kind of favor did you guys need from me?” Oh right. You’re here because of a favor. Not because of the good food. You had to force yourself away from the platter of meat they gave you to pay attention.

“Have you perhaps noticed that many of the monsters in the area are unusually active as of late?”

You clicked, turning to Rimuru. ‘What did I tell you?’ You said only to him. He flinched back, melting a little. ‘I told you it was gonna be chaos out here! And it’s your fault!’

‘Sorry..’

“Uh, no?” The elder’s shoulders drooped. “Our god, who has always protected us, suddenly disappeared without a trace about a month ago. As a result, the monsters around this area have started to continually harass our poor village.”

‘Their...god? A month ago?’ You sent a sharp glare at Rimuru. ‘Veldora. Your fault.’

‘Right.. You did tell me this was going to happen..’

‘Uhuh.’

“We tried to fight them off ourselves, but we simply lack the numbers.” The elder continued. The other Goblin, the one who led that search party with the broken-down tools, spoke up. “And that’s why we asked you to come here!”

“I don’t know, I’m just a lowly Slime!” You snort at that, skittering back over to your food. “I’m really not that strong so I doubt I’d be too much help.”

The elder laughed in response. “You’re so modest.”

“And funny, too!” A question mark appeared on his head, and you point a claw at him. ‘Please tell me you aren’t actually that oblivious.’

“Huh?”

“There’s no way that a mere Slime would emit such an overwhelming aura! It’s quite obvious that you’re a very powerful monster!” The elder replied with the younger Goblin nodding along. You smacked a claw against your face at the blank look they received. ‘You’re really that oblivious?! It’s part of the reason why I was terrified of you in the first place!’

You received no answer, but then Rimuru started to sweat heavily. (How the fuck can he sweat? He’s a Slime! Slimes don’t sweat!) ‘Oh, shit! Is that really my aura?!’

‘Yes! Yes, it is!’ You snap back at him before gobbling up the rest of your food to stew silently in your annoyance. ‘(Y/N), I am so sorry, I didn’t even know!’ While he says this to you, he starts laughing. (You were the only one who could hear the nervous tinge it held.) “You noticed, huh? How wise of you!”

“But of course, strong one! There’s no hiding your rather formidable air that surrounds you.” The elder smiled at him and Rimuru nervously bounced. “I should have known I wouldn’t be able to fool the village elder! You’ve all shown a great deal of potential! Congratulations!”

You snorted, cleaning your claws as he struggled to suck in his aura. He eventually managed it and the elder gasped. “Ah! I understand now! You were testing us! Hopefully, enough of our people were appropriately frightened at your powerful aura!”

“Uh, yeah! Totally! I’m impressed you were brave enough to speak to me at all!” If you could roll your eyes, you would be. ‘You have no clue as to what you’re doing, do you?’

‘Is it that obvious?!’

‘Only to me. I think.’ You finish cleaning your claws and stand up, skittering on over to him once more.

“You honor us with your kind words. Now, regarding the favor we wish to ask you..”

“Ah! Yes, what is it?” Rimuru and you turned your attention back to the elder, who then proceeded to recount all the attacks from a pack of Direwolves the past month. You lowered your head to show respect at the mention of the Goblins who had lost their lives during these attacks. When you looked back up, tears were welling up in both Goblins’ eyes. “Altogether, there are about one hundred Direwolves.”

Rimuru wiggled a little, turning his ‘face’ to the Goblin faces peeking through the closed-cloth doors. “How many people do you have?”

“Including women, we have about sixty who can still fight.” You plopped yourself down and crossed your top pair of legs as Rimuru melted in his seat. ‘Those aren’t very good odds.. It’s like a boss level in a video game.’

You slowly nodded. ‘Yeah. And they’re all too low-leveled to even stand a chance.’

“So, that Goblin warrior went and fought against wolves even though he knew he couldn’t possibly win?”

The elderly Goblin’s hand clenched. “Yes. Even though he knew the odds were against him, he gave his life so he could bring us information on our foes.” He bowed down, shoulders shaking as the younger Goblin lowered his head with a tortured expression twisting his features. “You see, that warrior was my son and his older brother.”

You covered your face with your legs while Rimuru apologized quietly. “Elder? I do have a question.”

“Y-Yes, sir?” Rimuru turned back from studying the worried Goblin faces the two of you could see peeking in. “What’s in it for me? What would I get in return if I decide to help you? There has to be something you guys can offer.” It was silent for a long time. You sent a glare to him.

‘Before you kill me,’ Rimuru leaned away from you minuscule, ‘I don’t want compensation, but they see me as a powerful monster. It would be weird for a strong monster to help weaker ones without anything in return.’ You huff. ‘So you’re putting on an act. Of course.’

“We,” The two of you turned back to the elder Goblin, “We can offer our unfaltering loyalty.” He fell back down into a bow, and you couldn’t help but uncomfortably shift at his display. “Please, strong one, I’m begging you to grant us your divine protection! And in return, our whole village will swear to you!”

His son followed his lead and bowed. “We promise!” They waited with bated breath for your answers. You turned to your friend.

‘Rimuru. We can’t just leave these guys hanging..’

‘I agree.’ He replied. ‘It’d be too much of a dick move to say no to this.’ Just then, screams rang out as a distant yet loud howl echoed in the air. The two Goblins gasped and ran out of the hut. You shared a look with Rimuru before crawling after him, the Slime hopping onto your back.

You emerged from the hut just as the elder was attempting to calm his people. “Now now, everyone! Just remain calm!”

Rimuru hopped once on your back. “You have nothing to fear!” The Goblins turned to him with terrified tears in their eyes. “Because we’re going to defeat them!”

The elder gasped. “S-So...you?” Rimuru, glancing around at the gathered Goblins, nodded. “In lieu of Veldora the Storm Dragon, I, Rimuru Tempest, will protect you! I’ve decided to grant you your wish.” The Goblins all fell to their knees one by one, thanking him. The elder dropped his staff and shakily bowed. “Thank you so much, Lord Rimuru! We are eternally grateful to you, and from this day forward, we are your loyal servants!”

“You can count on me!”

You raise a claw. ‘Don’t forget about me! I’ll help protect you guys, too!’

“THANK YOU SO MUCH, LORD RIMURU, MISS SPIDER!”

notes: and these two are finally talking! hope the wait for them to actually meet wasn't too long.. let me know what you guys think!

(we all know what he was thinking in that sneaking scene, don't we? *wink*)

anyways! stay safe out there and please remember that you're all AWESOME! XP

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