In the time that had been expanded a millionfold, we faced each other.
This was a conceptual space orchestrated by Raphael, and it also meant that Hinata had been pulled into this space.
I couldn't have predicted that it would be possible to forcibly establish a conceptual link with Hinata's consciousness.
So, why did he do this?
Shizu gave the answer.
(I asked him. I asked the King of Wisdom, Raphael, to do it.)
Shizu said this and smiled slightly.
What we, Hinata and I, were seeing was not Shizu herself.
It was a fragment of her soul, a piece of her heart.
When her soul was absorbed into me, it was also absorbed. The evolved Raphael must have successfully interpreted that soul.
Really...
Even back when I was a great sage, this guy would secretly do something without telling me.
The true mastermind might be Mr. Raphael, but I thought that might not be entirely wrong.
Inside the constructed conceptual space, Hinata was hugging Shizu.
Shizu praised Hinata, saying, "You really worked hard."
It's a strange feeling to see the cold-hearted Hinata looking like a child, reassured and accepting everything.
Then, Shizu's hand reached out to catch the insect in Hinata's head and burned it with fire.
That must have been the "cursed crystal" that controlled Hinata's thoughts.
"Hey! Raphael, I met Yuki, but I didn't receive any thought control, right?"
I thought not, but I asked just in case.
Raphael, who is good at handling things but sometimes forgets, can't be taken lightly.
[Report. Master, you were not subjected to thought control.
However, traces of thought induction were confirmed.
Due to the evolution of the ability, the influence of thought induction has currently disappeared.]
Raphael reported it as if it were nothing.
If there were such traces, it would have been highly likely to conclude that Yuki was the mastermind.
Even I would have been confident! This guy (Raphael) is really...
Whatever. Perhaps he tried to regenerate Shizu's soul to obtain that confirmation.
This guy is such a perfectionist that he only reports 100% accurate information.
To me, it looks like a flaw, but it's also troublesome to report unnecessary information and cause confusion.
I guess he understands my true feelings. It's hard to complain.
After some time passed,
Hinata lifted her head, calm.
Her expression was gentle, and the tense atmosphere from before had softened.
She might have been a kind child, but living in a harsh world, she had become accustomed to dealing with things coldly and harshly.
Thinking about it, perhaps Shizu was regretful about that.
That's why, when Raphael regenerated her, she must have wished for this time in exchange for the information provided.
(Hinata, I'm sorry for driving you away.
Live strongly. Beliefs are important, but don't misinterpret the essence.)
"Teacher... But, I still wander.
I can't think that the form of the Holy Papal Kingdom Ruberios is wrong."
(Hinata... Which is right and which is wrong.
Deciding that is not good. Be flexible, okay?)
Shizu gently taught her.
I wanted to say this most of all. This girl (Hinata) is smart, but she lacks flexibility.
She would listen to my words superficially, but there are times when she needs to be more flexible.
She didn't listen to me, indeed...
"I understand. I'll try again. I'll see with my own eyes and judge with my own heart."
Hinata honestly agreed.
Hey... Is she being honest because Shizu said it, or because the thought control was removed?
It must be due to the thought control. Yes, that's it.
But if not, all my efforts to persuade Hinata would be in vain.
So, everything bad is Yuki's fault.
There's also the possibility that he was being manipulated...
Will Raphael answer?
"Hey, I understand that Yuki Kagurazaka is the mastermind. So, to confirm...
Is there a possibility that Yuki was being manipulated?
More precisely, by 'Curse King' Kazari near—"
I asked the main question directly.
If we don't ask, it doesn't seem like we'll get to the core of the matter.
"Was Yuki manipulated by the 'Curse King' Kazari?
The former Demon King Leon, who was defeated by the previous Demon King. Was he alive?"
"Huh? Ah, previously, I said that the Demon King Clayman, his subordinate, was alive.
He somehow became a spirit and revived.
He's well-informed about human-side information, so I suspect he's possessed by a human."
"Is he alive? And in a place where information is easily gathered.
Originally, it would be impossible to subject me to thought control at the same time Yuki came here.
Most importantly, I don't know the intention or purpose behind it. However, if Kazari is the mastermind..."
"Huh? Do you know something?"
To my question, Hinata doesn't answer.
This guy isn't being honest with me either.
Whatever. I wasn't asking Hinata.
"Answer, Raphael."
To my question, Raphael responded with a feeling of "Oh, such a thing."
A spirit can't use abilities recklessly. Therefore, the possibility of possessing a body and changing it sequentially.
Or, the possibility that Kazari, who was wandering as a spirit, somehow protected his soul from death and fused with Yuki when he came to this world.
The former seems more likely, but the contact with Clayman came too late. Clayman said he suddenly contacted him ten years ago, so his whereabouts were unknown until then.
So, if it was the latter.
The probability is extremely low and not worth considering... However, since there's a case of someone being reborn as a slime, it can't be completely ruled out.
More importantly, that's me? Ah! I want to tackle that.
I can't say which it is, but the personality of Yuki Kagurazaka has almost certainly been erased.
However, I can't say that Yuki's personality didn't consume Kazari.
Raphael considered various possibilities and didn't intend to confirm until he was certain.
Perfectionism has its pros and cons.
"Anyway, it's certain that the current Yuki is a dangerous opponent. Be careful with that."
So, I concluded.
(Still, that child really looked like an ordinary kind child. To the point where I didn't feel any discomfort.
I was worried, Hinata. Don't approach Yuki at all.
I have a very bad feeling...
Goodbye, Hinata. Be happy.)
Finally, Shizu said this and disappeared from in front of Hinata and me.
She must have been able to convey her concern for Hitaru and have no regrets.
Hinata continued to pray in that direction even after Shizu disappeared, as if trying to engrave her appearance in her mind.
Then...
[Report. The objective has been achieved. Terminating the conceptual link.]
Immediately after, a blinding light enveloped us.
The time that had been expanded a millionfold returned to its normal flow, and the conceptual link was terminated.
The smell of the battlefield filled the air, and we were still in the same posture, staring at each other.
In real time, the battle had been going on for an hour and a half.
Perhaps it felt like a long time, but the duel with Hinata only lasted about 30 minutes.
It felt like days had passed, but it wasn't actually the case.
"Shall we continue?"
Hinata said, holding her sword as if nothing had happened.
No, wait a moment.
"Hey, hey, I had the upper hand at the end! What are you doing acting like nothing happened!"
"I don't know. If you were going to finish it, you should have done it when you had the chance, right?"
"Gr... This guy..."
"Besides, you wouldn't just quietly retreat after making your subordinates like that, would you?"
What are you talking about?
I looked around and saw...
"It's over, it's over. Just attack, you monster!"
"Kehehehehe. It was more fun than I thought. Let's take a break."
"Break? Are you not going to continue? Damn it!"
"Kehehehehe. What are you saying?"
That conversation was between Diablo and the Holy Knight.
"Get away, you're in the way."
"Ah, Soue-sama... You're so mischievous!"
A red-haired beauty was fawning over Soue.
More importantly, what are you doing during the battle? I was a bit angry.
"Sorry, Rimuru-sama. I tortured them, but I seem to have lost control.
I don't know how it turned out like this..."
Soue apologized to me and tried to push away the red-haired Holy Knight, who seemed to be a nuisance.
I don't know how it turned into a torture session, and I don't understand how torture led to this.
I don't know what's going on.
"You, get away from Soue-sama!"
Sousaka shouted, his voice brave.
But he seemed exhausted, and only his voice came out. He couldn't even stand up.
Looking around, Gobta, Gabiru, and Soue's subordinates, the shadows, were completely exhausted and lying on the ground.
Near them, Hakuro sighed and said,
"You guys need more training."
Those words seemed to be the final blow, and Gobta and the others, who had been sitting on the ground, collapsed.
Near them, the Holy Knights, who were completely worn out, were rolling around. They must have had a fierce battle.
If Hakuro saw them, they must not have been satisfactory comrades, but perhaps they had put in effort against the Holy Knights.
"Tricked by a sword. My opponent is the strongest, that's too much!"
"A draw with ten goblins...? I can't do it either..."
"Such... I've worked hard! But why!?"
They all complained together. I can only wish them well.
That's fine. I don't understand Soue's opponent, but let's put it aside for now.
The real problem is the Holy Knights who were Ranga and Shion's opponents.
Why? They were all rolling around without their limbs.
Shion's proud expression gave me a bad feeling.
"...Hey. Shion, what did you do to them?"
"Yes! Thank you for the praise!
These guys were insolent enough to go against Rimuru-sama, so I disciplined them a bit."
That's not praise! Idiot.
Shion proudly answered...
No matter how you look at it, it was too much. In the first place, going against me or whatever, my subordinates are nothing.
"Hey... I said to encourage them, but it's too much! I said not to kill them!"
"It's fine. They're all alive and well!"
No, no.
It's not fine just because they're alive. They have no limbs and look empty!
In the first place, how can they fight monsters without limbs to protect people?
This guy doesn't understand what I'm trying to say at all...
"Shion, it seems only you didn't follow my instructions.
If you're going to make excuses..."
While I was saying that,
"Oops, I forgot! You guys, be happy and thank Rimuru-sama!"
While saying that, he quickly gathered all the Holy Knights who were rolling on the ground and lined them up in a row.
Then, he sprayed a full recovery potion on them.
In front of my eyes, the Holy Knights grew back their limbs.
I don't know what kind of ability it is, but what kind of terrifying ability did this guy, Shion, get?
Is it a type of ability that manipulates results? He gave an incredibly dangerous ability to a troublesome guy.
I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Holy Knights.
The Holy Knights, who had their limbs back, were rejoicing.
This shows how much they must have trained regularly, as they were still able to function without becoming invalids.
Well, Shion tends to go overboard. I'll be more careful from now on.
After confirming the safety of the Holy Knights, I thought.
But, what...
If Hinata sees this, she'll think her subordinates went through a lot.
I think it's self-inflicted, but that's from my perspective.
There's nothing I can do. I'll start over and face her again.
"Alright. I have no choice, I'll face you.
But, no grudges! You, swear that if you lose, you won't touch this country?"
"...Alright. I promise. This will be the last battle!"
I believe you, Hinata.
Hinata's eyes, unlike before, showed no hesitation.
She didn't seem to hold any grudges about the treatment of the Holy Knights and seemed willing to listen to me.
That's good. She's not as inflexible as before.
So, this will be the final battle.
We held our swords and took our stances.
Our comrades watched us, holding their breath.
The Holy Knights also focused on us intently.
The grand speeches about justice and such are over.
In the end, resorting to violence is a bit regrettable, but it's understandable.
The two of us, with our beliefs, resumed the battle.
...
...
...
But, you know.
To be honest, I won't lose.
Because I have 'Future Attack Prediction.'
Even if holy attributes can penetrate Uiel's absolute defense, I now have the ability to see through sword techniques.
I don't want to think that this is complacency.
In my field of vision, the 'Future Attack Prediction' attack prediction lines lit up.
"Huh??"
I was surprised. What does this mean? As I thought this,
[Report. Confirmed the growth of Hina Sakaguchi. She seems to have become a 'Hero's Egg.'
Due to this, she has become an existence beyond the laws and seems to have developed resistance to boundary manipulation abilities.]
So, she can avoid it on her own?
Why? ! It would have been better to just count the previous battle as a win!
Stopping in the middle of a battle is cool, but it's not a joke for the one receiving it!
Damn, what's going on. Seriously, it feels like we're starting all over again.
Even Belzevut disappeared in the previous battle...
While thinking about this, I desperately parried and dodged Hinata's sword.
Becoming a 'Hero's Egg' doesn't seem to have made her suddenly stronger.
That was a relief. I could still deal with it somehow.
However, just defending won't lead to victory. What should I do...
To my anxious thoughts,
[Report. No problem. Belzevut has been resurrected.]
Huh? It was destroyed...
[Report. It was destroyed, but it can be resurrected, so there's no problem.]
Why is it in the past tense? If that's the case, you should have said so first! I was anxious.
As I was confused, whether to be happy or angry, Raphael dropped another bomb.
[Report. Should I activate the Absolute Defense of Uriel (誓約之王ウリエル=Uriel)? YES/NO]
Hey, wasn't it activated just now?
To my question, Raphael's answer left me speechless.
Because,
[Answer. The Absolute Defense of Uriel could also be penetrated by holy attributes.
So, even though it was activated, it was meaningless.]
That's what he said.
There's a limit to perfectionism.
Before fighting Hinata, the movements of holy spirits were unpredictable.
The only things that could penetrate the absolute defense were "spirits" and "yin spirits," which could pass through even the absolute defense barrier that even magic couldn't penetrate.
They seemed to move randomly on a small scale, making it impossible to predict their appearance points.
So, why is he so confident about it now? Does it mean he can completely block it?
[Answer. When I destroyed the 'Melting Slash' with Belzevut, I also collected data.
From this, I learned the 'Holy Sword Technique: Melting Slash.'
At that time, I unexpectedly recognized the movement patterns of the spirits to some extent.]
Huh? ...
Wait, wait a moment.
Eh? Does that mean, in the previous battle, even if I was hit directly by Hinata's sword, there was a possibility I wouldn't take damage?
[...]
Hey! Are you ignoring me, you guy...
More importantly, not answering is an answer, right.
Eh? But...
Wait, in the previous battle, when I was hit directly by Hinata's 'Melting Slash,' I didn't die, right?
[Answer. Of course. There was a possibility of taking significant damage, but I could regenerate immediately.]
Then, why were you flustered? Maybe... you wanted to eat the 'Melting Slash' and interpret it?
[...]
Ouch, are you refusing to answer again!
This guy, his responses are getting more sophisticated. Is he becoming more human, or is his heart turning black?
I can honestly believe he has a self now.
...But, it's what I wanted.
To completely withstand that attack or to be able to use it.
Did he understand the wind in that moment and immediately put it into action? Is it really just an ability (Raphael)?
It's a skill that even I would envy.
[Denial. I exist only for Master.]
He immediately denied it.
Hmph, thanks.
I'll count on you in the future, partner! But... try to avoid secrets as much as possible.
In the midst of accelerated thought, the conversation between me and Raphael ended in an instant.
Then, thanks to the activation of Uriel's Absolute Defense, my left hand blocked Hinata's sword.