3 Veldora

Focusing back to the present, he took note of Souei's figure only a few dozen feet to his right, yet Rimuru shook his head, 'That's a clone, the real one should be over there.' 

Using his 'Magic Sense', he was easily aware of Souei hiding in the distance behind a tree, in an attempt to catch him off guard.

Paying him no heed, Rimuru gazed toward the slowed Benimaru and Hakuro, who had already gotten up, sprinting toward him.

Looking at them calmly he thought, 'That should have incapacitated them for much longer...' Rimuru's eyes then trailed toward Shuna behind them, nodding in understanding, 'I see, so she healed them.'

In reality, not even a second had passed, but Rimuru's mind was already formulating a plan. His perception of time slowly reverted back to normal, and everything resumed as usual.

With a swift movement, Rimuru vanished, causing the sharp strings to hit nothing but air. His figure reappeared in front of the rushing Benimaru and Shion, primarily focused on a certain red haired Kijin.

Benimaru's eyes widened as a palm enveloped his vision, Rimuru exerted his strength, slamming him forcefully into the ground with a resounding thud, creating a small crater.

Meanwhile, he sensed an incoming punch from his side and watched as Shion's fist approached. Rather than dodging, Rimuru chose to take it head-on, thrusting a punch forward.

Boom!

Their fists clashed with a thunderous collision as the raging winds sent the spectators off their feet, and for a brief moment, they were evenly matched. But Rimuru pushed forward, and increased the power within his fist, effectively overpowering her.

"Ah!-", Shion was sent flying backward, her body roughly rolling across the ground from the force of his punch.

Before he could catch a break, Souei instantly appeared in front of him, and Hakuro positioned himself behind him, effectively initiating a pincer movement.

Rimuru reacted swiftly, sending a powerful kick toward Souei, which promptly connected with his stomach, "Agh!-".

At the same time, he bent backward, evading Hakuro's incoming slash, and with a swift motion, he pushed Hakuro away with tremendous force using his palms. Hakuro's feet dragged across the ground for several dozen feet as he struggled to regain his balance.

Despite the intensity of the battle, Rimuru remained composed and focused, as he straightened his posture. 

Until suddenly, Rimuru's eyes widened as he felt a threatening presence from behind him, his instincts kicking into overdrive, without hesitation, he twisted his body and turned around.

With a brisk motion, Rimuru thrust his hand forward in a straight, sharp manner, purple energy crackling around the tips of his fingers. His eyes darkened as he struck forward with lethal intent, prepared to neutralize the threat.

But just as his attack was about to connect, a shout from Treyni echoed through the air.

"Stop!"

A large vine abruptly blocked his path, attempting to halt his strike. However, Rimuru's hand effortlessly pierced through the vine, intent on reaching his target.

Yet, his eyes widened in realization, causing him to instinctively pull back his hand as it's momentum came to a complete stop.

Glancing up, he noticed his fingertips mere centimeters away from Shion's neck.

She had been planning to punch him with all she had, but now she remained frozen in her spot, her eyes wide with shock and fear as she nervously glanced down at his sharp fingers that had almost pierced her neck.

The tense silence that followed was palpable, the air charged with anticipation as everyone processed the close call.

Rimuru's expression softened slightly as he withdrew his hand, a hint of regret flickering in his eyes as he realized how close he had come to killing her.

"Shion, I'm sorry," Rimuru said softly, his voice filled with remorse, "I didn't mean to..."

Shion nodded silently, her eyes still wide with shock.

As tension lingered in the air, Shuna stepped in between them, her voice calm yet firm.

"Perhaps we should stop here," She suggested gently. "Let's take a moment to gather ourselves. Shion, come with me."

Shion nodded silently, still visibly shaken from the close encounter, and followed Shuna as she walked away. The goblin spectators, stunned by the sudden turn of events, dispersed quietly, their murmurs filling the air as they departed.

Benimaru stepped forward, his expression serious as he was about to speak, but Rimuru shook his head, "Not now."

Understanding his intentions, everybody else dispersed, leaving Rimuru's lone figure standing amidst the grassy field for a moment.

His golden eyes gleamed coldly as he glanced down at his palm, 'That was dangerous. I lost control because I sensed a life threatening threat from Shion...'

Rimuru concluded that the reason he reacted in such a way was because his 'Sage Mind' has made him instinctively logical, and once sensing Shion's attack that could potentially kill him, it determined death was the most logical option.

But his brows furrowed in thought, 'Weirdly enough, that attack might have hurt me, but It was far from enough to kill me...' Grabbing his chin lightly, he continued, 'Perhaps I subconsciously sensed her dangerous potential which could very well kill my future self, and opted killing her was the safest choice?'

After thinking for a few more seconds, he couldn't come to a concrete conclusion, all he knew was that he would need to train properly in order to make sure his mind is working on a conscious level so he doesn't make the same mistake again.

Shaking his head with a sigh, he suddenly sat down in a lotus pose, with a calm smile on his face, 'Let's see if I can talk to my dragon friend.' Promptly closing his eyes.

Focusing inwardly, he followed the connection between him and Veldora, and a few moments later, he reopened his eyes.

But what entered his vision, was a realm of pure black that seemed to extend an infinite amount.

Abruptly, his attention was drawn to an immense aura in the distance. Two glowing eyes peered down at him from the darkness, followed by the figure of Veldora himself, a dragon's smile adorning his face.

"Hahaha! If it isn't my sworn friend Rimuru!" His voice boomed with laughter, "I was wondering when you would come say hi!"

Rimuru's smile widened at the sight of his friend's robust figure, 'If it isn't one of my most trusted future companions,' He replied inwardly, 'I wonder why Rimuru never visited, but let Great Sage visit him alone... Perhaps he didn't know?'

Nonetheless, he waved slightly, "Sorry about that! I've been a little busy as you can see, but don't worry, once I free you, we'll have all the time to hang out and do whatever we want!"

Veldora's smile also widened in response to Rimuru's assurance, "I'll hold you to that, Rimuru! I've been itching for some excitement lately. Being cooped up in this void can get quite boring."

Rimuru chuckled softly, feeling at ease in his Dragon companion's presence, "So, how has life been in this so-called void?

Veldora let out a hearty laugh, "I met that amusing fellow Ifrit, the spirit you absorbed! I've been crushing him in Shogi!"

At his words, Rimuru's thoughts drifted momentarily to the nature of his current existence. He remembered that Veldora could read his memories...

Then did that mean Veldora was aware that he wasn't exactly the same Rimuru he once knew? It seemed unlikely, given the casual tone of their conversation.

Besides, even if Veldora did suspect something, he likely wouldn't mention it. After all, their bond went beyond the confines of identity, especially since it was just the beginning.

Shrugging off the thought, Rimuru returned his attention to the present conversation, "Ifrit, huh? I remember him well. Glad to hear you're keeping busy, even in my stomach."

Veldora's laughter echoed once more, "Kuhaha! Oh, you bet! He's been a formidable opponent, but of course he can't hold a candle against someone like me! Nevertheless it's been a fun distraction."

Rimuru then changed the conversation, "Hey Veldora," He began tentatively, "I was actually wondering if you could teach me how to summon a demon. It's something I've been curious about lately."

Veldora's eyes sparkled with intrigue, "Summoning demons, eh? That's a fascinating subject! I've never personally done it, but I've observed it enough to understand the mechanics. I could probably show you the ropes!"

With a nod of gratitude, he smiled, "Nice! Let's do it!."

Immediately after, Veldora's dragon claw tapped Rimuru's forehead, as information entered his head.

****

And in just a few seconds, he was back in the real world, Rimuru's golden eyes opened, 'That was easy...'

With a graceful motion, he rose from his meditation, his mind buzzing with newfound knowledge.

It was almost startling how quickly he grasped the intricacies of 'Demon Summoning', a testament to the power of his 'Sage Mind'. However, even in this moment of triumph, a realization dawned upon him.

'As powerful as Sage Mind is,' Rimuru mused to himself, 'it's still limited by my own knowledge. Unless I absorb information directly using my abilities, it can only work with what I already know.'

He couldn't help but compare this limitation to the boundless wealth of knowledge that Great Sage possessed. The disparity was clear—while Great Sage's wisdom seemed infinite, Rimuru's was confined by his own experiences and education.

An idea settled within him as he continued his walk back to the village, "I'll need to increase my own knowledge base," he decided, "And reading seems to be the most effective way to do so." The idea of constructing a library took root in his mind, becoming a necessity rather than a mere convenience.

With that, Rimuru made a mental note to prioritize the establishment of a library in the village. It was a step toward unlocking the full potential of his Sage Mind and bridging the gap between his abilities and those of Great Sage.

However as he was thinking, a subtle tingle prickled his senses, alerting him to an unwelcome presence lurking nearby.

Stopping in his tracks, Rimuru's demeanor shifted indifferently, his gaze turning deep into the forest, "Someone's watching," he murmured to himself, his voice carrying a cold edge,

"And they're not welcome."

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