DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN NOW READ THREE TO SIX CHAPTERS AHEAD. CHECK MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK.
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"The Hero, huh?" Rimuru scoffed. "What? Are you going through your chuuni phase or something?" He gave Eugene a doubtful look. "No one just declares themselves a hero. That's not very heroic."
Eugene snarled, his grip tightening around his blade. "My goal is to rid this world of monsters. Especially monsters like you and the others who have branded yourselves Demon Lords." His blue eyes burned with conviction. "What else would I be if not a Hero for standing against your tyranny?"
"What tyranny?" Rimuru asked, genuinely confused. "Ever since I came to this world, all I've done is exist. And yet everyone keeps coming after me and the people I cherish."
His expression gradually hardened. "I may be friendly, but I'm not so soft that I'll just lie down and die."
"There's no point trying to explain myself to a Demon Lord." Eugene replied with open disdain. "Especially one that's about to die anyway."
Rimuru slowly pointed his sword toward him. "Can you actually back up those words?" His voice became calm, almost cold. "Understand something, Eugene. If you choose to fight me..."
"...you're going to die."
"I don't care if you're one of Kaede's Spirit Riders. Attacking the ruler of an allied nation is already a grave crime." His golden eyes narrowed. "Attacking me is a death sentence."
Eugene laughed loudly. "Such lofty words coming from the likes of you." He sneered. "A small fry like you isn't even in my sights."
Light slowly gathered around his body. "My true goal is the Demon Lord Kaede."
His smile twisted into something hateful. "That woman and all those ridiculous subordinates of hers..."
"...I'll tear every one of them away." He raised his sword. "I want to see her kneeling beneath me, begging for mercy."
"Let me stop you right there." Rimuru cut him off before he could continue. "I don't care what your reasons are, or what kind of grudge you're carrying around."
He lowered his stance. "You've made yourself my enemy." His sword pointed directly at Eugene's throat. "So prepare to die."
<
'Seriously?' Rimuru frowned internally. 'Raphael... don't let him escape. No matter what.'
Meanwhile, Yuuki simply stood several metres behind Eugene, wearing the same carefree grin as he silently watched the exchange unfold.
"It's you who's going to die here!" Eugene roared. His body instantly dissolved into brilliant light. The next instant, he was already in front of Rimuru, his blade descending in a radiant slash.
Clang!
Rimuru twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike before immediately countering with one of his own.
His sword sliced cleanly through Eugene's torso, without meeting the slightest resistance. It simply passed through the body of light as though nothing had been there at all.
Rimuru's eyes narrowed. 'Physical attack immunity.'
Before he had time to think any further, Eugene's body scattered into countless streaks of light.
The beams ricocheted off the walls, pillars, and ceiling of the underground chamber, each reflection changing direction before converging on Rimuru from every possible angle.
Slashes rained down without pause.
Rimuru burst into motion, weaving through the relentless barrage as blades of light carved deep scars into the chamber around him.
Even while avoiding every attack, one part of his attention never left Yuuki.
The Grandmaster still hadn't moved. He simply stood there, grinning and watching.
"Where do you think you're looking, bastard!?" Eugene's voice suddenly rang out from behind Rimuru.
His body had already reformed from countless particles of light, and his luminous sword was thrusting straight toward Rimuru's back.
Without even turning around, Rimuru calmly shifted one step to the side.
The glowing blade pierced nothing but empty air.
In the same motion, Rimuru's leg snapped backwards.
Boom!
His heel crashed into Eugene's neck with terrifying force, folding it in half as the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the underground chamber.
"Gah!" Blood and saliva burst from Eugene's mouth as his eyes widened in utter disbelief. "B-But... how?" he gasped between violent coughs. "I'm... immune to physical attacks!"
Only then did Rimuru glance back at him, his leg still fully extended from the kick. "Don't tell me you came to fight a Demon Lord relying on nothing but that."
His expression remained completely indifferent. "Were you just looking for a way to die?"
The force of the kick finally sent Eugene flying. His body shot across the underground chamber before slamming into the distant wall.
BOOM!!
Stone exploded outward as a crater formed around the point of impact.
Eugene slid out of the shattered wall and collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently as blood and saliva pooled beneath him.
"You..." He dragged himself forward one trembling arm at a time. "...bastard."
Yuuki watched him for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Give it a rest, dude." He scratched the back of his head. "You're not beating him as you are now."
He shrugged. "The smart play is to run away and fight another day."
Rimuru slowly turned back toward him. "I already told you, Yuuki." His sword lowered until its tip pointed directly at the Grandmaster. "You're not getting away."
<
'Seriously?' Rimuru clicked his tongue internally. 'Damn it.' His expression softened slightly. 'It's not your fault, Raphael.'
'Yuuki's just far slipperier than anyone has any right to be.' Without another word, Rimuru burst forward. The floor beneath his feet shattered as he closed the distance between himself and Yuuki in an instant.
Yuuki, however, never lost the grin on his face. "Well, well..." He chuckled. "Can't win them all, as they say."
He spread his hands slightly in an almost carefree gesture. "I'll admit it. I underestimated you, Rimuru-san."
His smile widened. "But I promise you..." The space around him distorted. "...next time..."
Rimuru swung his sword. "{Storm Break}!"
A roaring beam of wind and lightning erupted from the blade, tearing through the underground chamber with enough force to split the stone floor apart.
The attack ripped through the space where Yuuki had been standing. "...I won't." His voice lingered for only a moment before fading away.
Rimuru lowered his sword with a frown. He glanced toward the shattered wall. Eugene was gone.
"...Well, crud." He let out a quiet sigh. "He got away in the end."
[xxx]
"Hey boss, you look hella beat up." Laplace all but sang as Yuuki and Eugene appeared in their hideout.
He was bent forward in a ninety degree angle, looking directly at Yuuki who was sitting on the floor exhausted.
"Thank you for the commentary Laplace. Very much needed." Yuuki crossed his legs, he tapped on the barely conscious Eugene lying behind him. "You good?"
Eugene groaned. "Why's my [Ultra Regeneration] not working?"
Yuuki glanced back at him before shrugging. "I'm honestly surprised your head is still attached."
Laplace blinked as he finally looked properly at Eugene. "He really did a number on you."
The blond Hero lay sprawled across the stone floor, his breathing ragged as blood slowly pooled beneath him. His neck had already straightened itself somewhat, but the unnatural angle it had been folded into remained painfully obvious.
Eugene grit his teeth. "My Unique Skill..." He coughed violently, another mouthful of blood spilling onto the floor. "...should regenerate any physical damage."
Yuuki rested his chin against his hand. "It is regenerating." He pointed lazily toward Eugene's body. "Just incredibly slowly."
Laplace burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!" He doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Oh, that's rich."
Eugene glanced at him. "...What's so funny?"
"You." Laplace answered immediately. "You disappeared all confident, saying everything was under control."
He pointed dramatically toward Eugene. "And then you come back half a corpse."
Laplace eventually stopped laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of one eye before his expression gradually became more serious.
"So..." He folded his arms. "How much went wrong?"
Yuuki was silent for several moments. "...Everything."
The room became quiet.
Laplace's eyebrows rose. "...Everything?"
Yuuki nodded. "Maribel figured out Sally and I were pretending. She escaped before we could stop her. Then Sally abandoned the fight."
"Oh." He added as though suddenly remembering. "And Maribel's probably negotiating with Sally right about now."
Laplace stared blankly. "...Boss. That sounds pretty worrying. So Sally betrayed us eh? Not surprised really.
"...Still." Laplace scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You're taking this surprisingly well."
Yuuki smiled. "I lost." He shrugged. "It happens."
Laplace narrowed his eyes. "Hey, you're hiding something. Come on, tell your buddy won't you."
Yuuki laughed. "I wonder."
Laplace groaned. "I hate it when you do that."
Yuuki's smile lingered for another moment before his expression gradually relaxed. "...I really did underestimate Rimuru. He's stronger than I expected."
Laplace whistled softly. "For you to admit that..."
"...Yeah." Yuuki closed his eyes. "...Next time..." A small grin returned to his face. "...I'll make sure he's the one getting surprised instead."
Yuuki slowly opened his eyes before looking over at Laplace.
"So..." He rested his chin on one hand. "How's the other thing coming along?"
Laplace immediately perked up. "The President's on her way back right now." He bounced excitedly where he stood, barely able to contain himself. "Boss, you wouldn't believe what we found down there!"
His grin stretched from ear to ear. "It was amazing." He paused for dramatic effect. "...And slightly terrifying."
Another pause. "No, that's wrong." His smile faltered ever so slightly. "It was completely terrifying."
He rubbed both of his arms as though remembering the experience alone made him uncomfortable. "I was scared the entire time."
"Just shut up, clown, and tell us what you found." Eugene snarled.
He slowly pushed himself upright, finally having recovered enough strength to sit against the wall, though the lingering pain was still obvious from the way he grimaced.
Laplace glanced toward him before bursting into laughter. "Oh?" He pointed at Eugene with a smug grin. "Look who's finally feeling better."
He shrugged dramatically. "Well, since you asked so nicely..." His expression gradually became more serious. "It's exactly like you suspected, Boss."
He folded his arms. "The Hero really is being kept inside the Holy Sanctuary beneath the Western Holy Church."
A mischievous grin returned to his face as he slowly turned toward Eugene. "An actual Hero."
Eugene's eye twitched. "...Fuck you, clown."
Laplace only laughed harder.
As the two continued bickering back and forth, Yuuki barely paid them any attention.
A strange sense of unease suddenly settled over him. It wasn't fear. It was something else. Something instinctive.
His smile slowly faded. Without really understanding why, he turned his head toward the darkest corner of the room.
Someone was standing there.
Yuuki frowned.
No... He couldn't even tell if it was a person.
The figure's outline was strangely indistinct, as though its body absorbed every trace of light that approached it. Shadows clung unnaturally to its form, making it impossible to focus on no matter how hard he looked.
"...Huh." The quiet sound escaped his lips almost on its own.
Then, a warm sensation ran down both of his cheeks.
Yuuki blinked.
Thick crimson droplets fell onto the floor beneath him.
Blood.
Tears of blood streamed silently from both of his eyes.