_ _ _ _The Red Head POV_ _ _ _
"Benimaru..." I hummed, tasting the word on my tongue.
"It is a good name, young master," my older companion said, causing me to nod with a pleased smile.
"As is yours," I replied, turning my eyes to him. "Hakurou, it suits you."
"Indeed it does. I'm quite pleased with it, honestly." The old ogre-turned-kijin chuckled.
A few hours had passed since Lord Rimuru named us, and our evolution into kijins had completed not too long ago. I must admit the process was both exhilarating and somewhat bizarre. The power running through this new body was almost intoxicating, yet some of the physical changes would take time to get used to. I would need to train to fully master this form, but that was a task for later.
My current objective was to wait. I had given my brethren time to get accustomed to their new state of being, but now I had called for them to gather here. We had several things to discuss, mainly how we would be working with this town for the foreseeable future. The deal that I made with the lord was simple, all things considered. We would be standing side by side together, helping and supporting each other against future threats. This arrangement would probably last for some time, at least until the orcs were dealt with, and until then I planned to honor that bargain.
(It's a nice day today...) I mused internally, enjoying the calm atmosphere as the rage that filled my mind quieted for a moment.
I stood there, breathing in the cool air as I felt my new power seeping through my veins, my thoughts drifting to the one who had given me this strength. (Lord Rimuru... you have gifted my people a chance not only for revenge but also for our future... thank you.)
"Brother." Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
I smiled as I turned to see my sister approaching. "Shuna, how is Lord Rimuru?"
"He is well; he is still sleeping, though." She answered with a nod. "He will more than likely remain in his slumber for a few days or so before he reawakens."
The lord had indeed fallen unconscious after naming all six of us, which had alarmed us greatly at the time. Thankfully, some nearby hobgoblins were able to sort things out and inform us that he was fine. It would do us no good to have our new master die or be injured from naming us after all, so it was a relief to know he was doing well.
"And how are you doing, Hakurou?" Shuna asked pleasantly.
"I am fine, Princess Shuna," the older kijin said with a respectful nod. "Although I will admit it has taken a bit of time for me to fully adapt to this new form."
"That's understandable; after all, it's to be expected when considering just how much we have changed." She chuckled softly.
For a moment we chatted before I finally asked, "By the way, do you know how long the others will be?"
"From what I know, they should be here soon," she replied, thoughtful.
"That's fine I suppose, it's not like we're in much of a rush anymore." I mused as the conversation turned back to idol chatter.
And so we continued to wait, talking amongst ourselves as we did so. As the minutes passed, I found myself thinking about the events that had led to this point. While many of those memories still filled me with rage, it was far less intense than before. My evolution had seemingly changed not only my body and power but my senses and reason as well; I was calmer and far less aggressive in comparison to how I was before.
I used that newfound clarity to realize I had been a fool. I still wanted revenge for my fallen people mind you, but now? Now I see that I was going about it the completely wrong way. I had been willing to sacrifice everything and everyone for my hatred of those damn pigs. I would have even led my few remaining comrades to their deaths for even a tiny sliver of vengeance that would likely have been meaningless in the end.
That thought filled me with shame, yet it also made me believe even more that choosing to serve under Lord Rimuru was the best decision I could have made. Yes, it would delay my chance for vengeance in the short term, but it would increase the chances that my companions and I would survive to see the future that would come after our revenge was eventually fulfilled.
It wasn't long before my remaining three companions finally arrived. "Good, everyone is here."
"I would have gotten here sooner but I got distracted looking around," Shion laughed sheepishly.
Apparently she wasn't the only one who had been sidetracked, if the apologetic look on Kurobe's face was anything to go by. "Yeah, sorry for the wait, young master. I got a little carried away checking out the forge here."
"I was here the whole time," Souei added, and with how stealthy he could be I didn't have any reason to doubt him.
"It's fine either way, you're here now and that's what matters." I said, letting out a soft breath.
(We really have changed quite a bit, haven't we?) I hummed internally as I looked everyone over one at a time.
Our evolution from ogres into kijins had brought great changes to our appearances, which of course was to be completely expected. Shuna had lost the markings under her eyes and had become far more human-like in appearance; her horns were still present, though they had become much thinner. Hakurou had similar changes, he looked far younger now, with smaller horns emerging from his forehead.
As for myself, the changes were just as noticeable. My skin had lost its somewhat reddish tone, and my physique had become more compact and human-like. My horns were, of course, still present; they had become thinner like Shuna's, although unlike my sister the markings beneath my eyes still remained.
Shion had also changed quite a bit. She retained her purple hair and eyes, though her skin had become much smoother and lost its previous purple tint. She wore mostly dark violet now, and her black horns were still very much prominent. Overall she had lost most of her more beastly features and become far more human-like in appearance, like the rest of us.
Souei wore mostly blue with a grey scarf around his neck. His nails were painted black and he still had dark blue highlights under his light-blue eyes. His blue hair and white horn remained; his skin had also become paler and far less grey looking. His overall body shape had become slimmer and less bulky, a change that had seemingly increased his overall flexibility and agility.
Finally, Kurobe had by far the most drastic change in appearance out of all of us, in my opinion anyway. His white horns had shrunk dramatically along with his overall size; he was far less imposing while still retaining his musculature. His facial features had become less brutish, more normal by human standards. His black hair and short but still visible beard remained the same, along with his dark-coloured eyes.
(It is only natural; new strength and a new name should bring about great change, after all.) I thought, nodding in approval at the changes to my companions.
"Now that we're all here, let's discuss what we'll be doing moving forward." I breathed, clapping my hands together to get everyone's attention. "I've already made it clear that we will be joining Lord Rimuru, at least until the orc threat has been fully dealt with."
"However, we can't just spend our time standing around and not contributing," I explained simply. "After all, it's only right we help out while we're here, especially considering the fact that Lord Rimuru is unconscious right now."
"I agree. We can't ask for help and give nothing back in return," Shuna said, nodding in agreement.
"Now that you bring it up, I was thinking about training some of the hobgoblins; I saw promise in some of them," Hakurou mused, his eyes closed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Assisting with scouting should be easy for me," Souei added with a steady, yet serious look. "I'll also keep a lookout for any signs of the orcs."
(I should also talk with the villagers about increasing the defenses around the town just in case; I'll have to speak with Rigurd about it later.) I thought as I listened to everyone's suggestions on how they could individually assist the town and its people.
"By the way, what are we going to do about our relationship with the young miss?" Kurobe asked suddenly, a question that caused Shion to look at him slightly confused.
"What do you mean?" She tilted her head, sounding puzzled.
"Well, I'm just saying it doesn't seem like she likes us very much," he explained simply.
"Ah... yes, I suppose that is something we need to talk about as well." I muttered, my thoughts drifting to the individual in question.
We had only recently learned the full truth behind Lord Rimuru's adopted daughter, and honestly it had been quite the shock. To think we had actually been engaged in combat with a living legend, a creature thought to be extinct for who knows how many years. At first I hadn't believed it; after all, if she truly was a phoenix then she would have easily defeated us all in an instant. Despite this, I couldn't deny her regenerative abilities or the fact that her severed wing and spilled blood turned to ash just like in those old stories of phoenixes that I had heard as a child.
My doubts aside, I was also informed that the reason for her strange behavior during our battle was because she was suffering from amnesia, something I found plausible. In fact, when I compare her actions during the fight to the knowledge I have now, it makes me far more inclined to believe that. In the beginning she was barely holding her own, and then all of a sudden she became something else, her body moving like a lethal predator, something you would expect from a legendary creature such as a phoenix.
Whether or not she actually was a phoenix however, was irrelevant right now. In the end she was the daughter of our current lord, and it was only right that we apologize for attacking her and those with her at the time. Of course, I had a feeling such a thing might be more complicated than I would hope, mainly because of how uncomfortable she seemed around us, even though she was clearly trying to be welcoming. Not that I could really blame her considering our previous aggression and actions.
"How do you feel, by the way, Souei? I mean, that kick she gave you looked like it hurt quite a bit." Shuna asked.
"I'm fine, Princess," the blue-haired kijin said with his usual calm expression.
"Anyway, we should probably find a way to mend our relationship with her," Shion hummed thoughtfully, causing me to nod in agreement.
"Indeed..."
"If you wish to apologize, I suspect it would be best to do it individually," Hakurou suddenly spoke up.
"And why is that?" I asked, tilting my head.
"From what I have seen, it appears the young miss has experienced great trauma in her life," he explained calmly. "Even if she does not remember it fully, those scars still remain."
(I suppose that is to be expected on some level...) I sighed outwardly, nodding in understanding.
"True, I overheard some of the villagers talking about it," Souei added. "It seems that she suffers from social anxiety, claustrophobia, and possibly even some form of depression."
"That's awful..." Shuna muttered softly.
Kurobe, for his part, simply crossed his arms and sighed. "You can't really blame her. Even if she's some kind of variant or whatever, it still doesn't take away from the fact that she might be the last of her kind."
(This all really makes me curious: what exactly led to their extinction in the first place...) I thought, letting out a long breath as I looked up toward the sky.
_ _ _ _Suu POV_ _ _ _
"So... Rimuru's unconscious again?" I asked with a genuine sigh.
"Yes, the master used up all his magicules naming the ogres and has once again fallen into unconsciousness," Ranga barked in confirmation.
"Of course he did..." I mumbled, shaking my head slightly.
(Why didn't he just name them over the course of a few days instead of all at once? What if the orcs show up while he's out of it?) I thought, surprised at how frustrated I felt at his antics.
I was currently sitting with my back against Ranga, a hand scratching behind his ears as I leaned back into his fur. I had just finished my daily experiments with my skills and was now taking a minute to relax. As for Ranga, he had shown up a few minutes ago and was finishing telling me what had happened over the last few hours.
Apparently Rimuru ended up recruiting and naming all the ogres, a fact that had caused them to evolve. They had apparently all evolved into kijins; according to Great Sage, kijins are a rare and powerful variant that are rarely born of ogres. Despite this information, I was more surprised that I could still speak to Great Sage even though Rimuru was currently unconscious.
(I mean seriously, why would he put himself in this kind of situation at a time like this?) I thought, not able to fully understand.
[Answer. The situation was caused by a lack of foresight and understanding.] Great Sage suddenly answered in my head.
(Not even going to sugarcoat it, huh?) I asked back with some amusement.
[Notice. Such things are irrelevant; the process of "sugarcoating" information only serves to cause unnecessary misunderstandings that should be avoided when possible.] Was her simple response.
Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to Ranga, who was acting oddly. "What's up, buddy?"
"Do you sense that, my lady?" He asked, his eyes fixed on something in the distance.
"Sense what?" I muttered as I followed his line of sight.
For a moment I didn't see or sense anything until the bushes several dozen feet away shifted ever so slightly. Before I could check it out with Magic Sense, something emerged, something small, covered in black fur with some white patches. It had two tails as well, along with emerald eyes that glanced around with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
(Well... that's not... why would... huh?) I thought, genuinely confused as to why such a thing would be in a forest filled with dangerous monsters.
"Is that... is that a house cat?"