The Conqueror of Flames

*MC's POV*

It's been a few days since we left Dwargon. Kaijin and the Dwarves were shocked when they found out that we have giant wolves as pets, and a village full of hobgoblins, but quickly came to terms with it. When we arrived at the village, we saw Rigurd flexing his muscles. Behind him were 500 goblins who greeted us, seeking our protection. Rimuru accepted and dragged me along with him. I had to name half of them while Rimuru name the other half.

'I think I heard Veldora screaming from Rimuru's stomach'

Kaijin started teaching some hobgoblins how to blacksmith. Garm, Dord, and Myrd were teaching them several things like architecture, clothing, craftsmanship, and armor. Right now, I am in the middle of a dirt road with Rimuru on top of my head.

'It's always surprising to see how fast they learn. Tempest will become a full-blown city within a year. I'm looking forward to that.'

"Rimuru-sama, Rikuzu-sama!" Rigurd the Goblin king, came running in our direction.

"What's up, Rigurd?"

"We received a message from Rigur and the security team. It seems they've discovered suspicious beings in the forest."

"Monsters?"

"No, Humans"

"Humans?"

"They may be scouts from some nation hoping to expand its dominion."

"Why don't you invite them here since they are the first humans to come near our village? I will go make some ramen and gyoza for them to eat.

'Ugh, you know I don't have any taste buds. Stop mentioning those food in front of me!'

"Sure, I will be going then." Rimuru jumped off my head and rode Ranga away. I turned my head and saw Rigurd still standing in front of me.

"Rigurd"

"Yes, Rikuzu-sama?"

"Follow me"

I brought him to an empty patch of land.

"Rigurd, when Rimuru comes back with the humans, call them here."

"Hai, Rikuzu-sama, do you want to set a tent here?"

"No need, Rigurd. Just Watch."

'Solomon, create a small traditional Japanese house for the guest to eat in"

[On it, master]

'That's a new phrase'

[...]

A huge amount of magicules left my body and form a house-like shape in front of me. It slowly materialized into a small traditional Japanese house with a square table in the middle.

(House Pic: https://pin.it/58GMmQv )

Rigurd watched in awe as one of his masters created a house out of nothing.

"S-Such skill! As expected of Rikuzu-sama." He praised

"Master is amazing!" Raiga popped his head out of my shadow. I petted him a few times before he went back in.

"Call them here, ok? Don't worry about the food, I've got that."

"Hai!" Rigurd left the scene. I walked inside the house and closed the sliding doors. I stood in front of the table and looked at it."

[Create four bowls of tonkotsu ramen and one big platter of gyoza? Yes/No]

'Why are you being cocky these days?'

[...Yes/No]

'Yes'

And just like that, one bowl of ramen appeared on each side of the table with a giant platter of gyoza in the middle. After that, I went outside the house and sat on the porch, waiting for Rimuru. Thirty minutes passed and I saw Rigurd walking in my direction, followed by Rimuru and the group of adventures.

"Yo, Brother! How was the little rescue mission."

"It went well," Rimuru said in a low voice

"But why haven't you BUILD THIS HOUSE EARLIER?! We've been sleeping in tents!"

Rimuru then screamed at me and continued to babble about how inconsiderate I am. I just ignored him and looked at the adventures behind him. The three idiots were shocked, seeing the house and Shizue just stayed silent.

"Stop whining, Rimuru." I said then turned to the guests, "Hello! My name is Rikuzu Tempest and this is my brother, Rimuru Tempest. We're the lords of this village and-"

I morphed back into my crimson slime form and danced around.

"We are not bad slimes!" I stole Rimuru's joke.

"Y-Yea, what he said" Rimuru tried to join in.

"Puff" Shizue's tiny laugh leaked out.

"""The lords?!"""

"Got a problem with that?"

"N-No"

"A red slime?"

"I've never seen them before"

"Well, that's because I am the only red slime in existence."

"Wow, that's unique"

"Yea, I know. Enough with that, and head inside. You must be tired and hungry, so I made some food." I morphed into my human form and opened the door. " I made some hot tonkotsu ramen and lots of gyoza, go ahead help yourselves" The idiot trio rushed inside and started to munch on the food.

"Ohh! What is this?! So delicious!"

"This gyoza is amazing!"

"I call dibs on the last piece!"

They looked like monkeys in there. I look at Rimuru and see him struggling to stay calm. I the. turn to Shizue, who is just silently staring at the scene. I could hear some sniffs under the mask.

"Are you ok, Shizu-san?"

"Sniff, I'm fine. This just brought some memor-eh? How do you know my name?"

"Kufufufu, that's for me to know and for you to find out~," I said with an iconic diablo laugh.

"Come on, man. Stop messing around."

"Sure, Sure" And just like that, me and the adventures ate while a depressed Rimuru sat by my side."

<<Time-Skip>>

Right now, me, Rimuru whom I'm carrying, and Shizue are on top of a hill.

"There's something I'd like to ask you." Rimuru started the conversation.

"You're Japanese, right." I bluntly said. Both Rimuru and Shizue were surprised by my remark.

"Yes, you are right. How did you know that I'm Japanese?

" I have a skill for it and I tested whether it's true by showing you some Japanese food and a house." I lied about the last part.

" I see, are you both also from Japan?"

"Yup, I am" Rimuru answered

"I'm not from Japan, but I died there together with Rimuru and was reincarnated a slime."

"So, both slime-sans are reincarnated?"

"Yea, was it different for you?"

"I'm... a Summon."

"So when were you summoned here?"

('Why are you asking her such a sensitive question?!')

('Eh? Is it that sensitive?')

('Yea')

('Well, there's no going back now')

"A long time ago, my town was burning, engulfed in flames, bombs fell from the sky, my mother and I fled together, but then..."

"What happened to her?" Shizue just stayed silent with her eyes closed.

('Seriously?')

('I'm sorry')

"I'm sorry"

"It's ok."

"Hey, I know! I'll show you something fun!"

"Something fun?"

Then Rimuru used thought communicating on all of us. The First thing I saw was a lewd elf.

"She's pretty"

"Don't look!"

"Hoho, my brother is one pervert~"

"Shut up. This is what I want to show." He started to show various scenes of Japan.

"Wow, it's like the skyscrapers of New York that I saw on a picture postcard once."

"After the war ended, peace came to Japan. The towns and the economy all boomed." Rimuru said

"Yup, it became one of the most peaceful countries in the world."

"I see, I'm so glad. I wish I could have shown my mother this."

"I want to make this world one where everyone can live in peace, too."

"That's wonderful. I hope it really happens."

"That's a farfetched dream y'know"

"Stop ruining the mood!"

"Ugh!" Thought communication was turned off and Shizue clutch her chest in pain.

"Shizue-san!" Rimuru said in worry

"I'm sorry."

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, I think so" Shizue replied

"Rimuru-danna, you got a minute?" Kaijin, who was a few meters away, called out to Rimuru.

"We'd like to talk to you about where to build a new house."

"Sure. See you, Shizue-san" Rimuru hopped to Kaijin.

"See you"

They were walking away and I could hear them.

"Was I interrupting?"

"Shut up!"

"Now, don't be shy"

"I'm not!"

"But you're blushing"

"I don't change color!"

I turned back to Shizue who was staring at the sunset. I walked and stood right beside her.

"Leon sure has communication problems," I said

"Eh?" Shizue's eyes widen.

"If you're searching for Leon, he is long gone from this forest."

"H-How did you know?" Shizue was heartbroken to hear that her journey here was all for nothing.

"I have my ways...did you know why I said Leon has communication problems?"

"I don't"

"Well, he did not put a curse on you, y'know. He actually saved you by putting that spirit in your body to calm down your rampaging magicules. If he did not do that, you would have died. I never knew why he did not bother to explain. What a douchebag"

"...I-I see, but why is that spirit trying to control my body?"

"That spirit has a weak ego, I think he was trying to go back to Leon"

"Oh"

"I can save you, y'know. I just need to replace that spirit in your body and you would be good as new."

"It's fine. I dislike living in this world and I want to at least die as a human."

"I see"

<<Time-Skip>>

Currently, the idiot trio and Shizue are saying their goodbyes to us.

'Well, Shizue might be saying that in a literal sense'

As they were about to away Shizue stopped her track. That was when I knew Ifrit would come out.

"Rigurd, Rigur! Quick evacuate everyone in this area!" I ordered

"""Brother? / Rikuzu-sama?"""

"Just do it!"

Rigurd and Rigur obeyed and quickly left to evacuate the people. Just when they left, Shizue, who was on her knees, started to scream.

"Shizu-san!"

"What's happening to her?!"

Then suddenly, a massive wave of fire blasted out of her body. Fire erupted everywhere engulfing Shizue while gathering smoke everywhere.

"""Shizu-san!"""

When the smoke dissipated, everyone saw Shizue flying in the air with fire dancing around her.

"Shizu.. Shizue Izawa?" Kaval said

"Isn't Shizue Izawa...the Conqueror of Flames?!" Gido exclaimed

"Y-You mean the hero of the guild from about 50 years ago?!" Eren said in disbelief

"Wasn't she retired already?"

Shizue started to tear up and ifrit finally took over her body.

"Brother! Can you stop that thing!?" Rimuru asked me

"Sure, I will knock it down and you use predator on it, ok?"

"Why can't you devour it?"

"I can create its skills, so I don't need it. You, on the other hand, can't."

"Fine, fine. Knock it down quick, I don't want our tents to burn!"

Eren, Kaval, and Gido, who heard their conversation, just looked at them in disbelief.

'''Why are they taking this so easily'''

"Well, here I go" I stepped forward catching Ifrit's attention. I let out my aura trying to look evil.

'I should put on a good show since Noir is spying on us.' I thought

"Kufufufu, do you think you can fight me, little spirit~" I let out a sadistic smile. As I said, Ifrit felt something was wrong and backed off a bit.

"Where do you think you're going?" I jumped up high and flew, spreading my bat wings. Before Ifirt could react, my fist connected to his face. I punched him down to the ground creating a shockwave. Unlike Vesta, he wasn't knocked out cold, so I said.

"Rimuru, quick!"

"Right" And just like that, I saw Rimuru's body expands and covered Ifrit. After Ifrit was devoured, Shizue was left in his place.

"Shizu-san!

<<Time-Skip>>

While Shizue was on her deathbed, I was sitting by her side with Rimuru on my lap.

"Thank You, I nearly...killed someone I cared about again. With my own hands."

"Ne, slime-sans"

""Yes?""

"Would you mind listening?"

"You shouldn't talk too much.."

"I want people to remember my story...and know that I lived."

"All right"

She started telling us about her life story. Well, I already knew about it, but I still listened.

"I continued to serve the Demon Lord as his closest aide. But then I met..."

"The Hero, Chronoa, am I right?" I said

"Yes, fufu, you know everything don't you?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about" I tried to keep my composure.

"I just know that because of that mask"I pointed at the mask "That mask is very old, if not, ageless y'know."

"I did not know that...and now it's cracked"

"Don't worry about that. I don't know if other people could do it, but this little anti-magic mask can be easily repaired."

"He's right," Rimuru added

"I see, thank you. Now, where was I?"

"The Hero"

"Oh right, so the hero-"

Shizue continue talked about her mentor and students.

"Hey, Slime-sans, What are your names?"

"Huh? I told you, I'm Rimuru.'

"No, I mean your real names."

"Oh, It's Satoru, Mikami Satoru."

"I'm %#&$ ^%^#"

(A/N: Hahaha, you'll never know!)

"I'm Shizue. Izawa Shizue."

"Shizue-san, you should sleep now."

"Satoru-san, I'd like to ask a favor. May I?"

"Of course, ask me anything."

"Please eat me, the same way you did to Ifrit."

"But-"

"I dislike this world...still, I can't detest it. Just like that man...So... That's why...I don't want to be absorbed by this world. This is...my last request. Would you, let me rest inside you?"

"..Ok," Rimuru said, " What's the man's name?"

"Leon Cromwell"

"A douchebag" I added

"Fufu, yes, that also"

"What did you want to find out from him?"

"I just wanted him to acknowledge that I, this human, had existed.. perhaps. And...if those kids could be saved...and returned to...their world..." She quieted down. Rimuru placed his slime hand on her hand.

"I swear to you on the name of Mikami Satoru. no, Rimuru Tempest, that I will make certain the Demon Lord Leon Cromwell hears your wishes!"

"Punching him might be fun, count me in!" I said

"Thank...you"

I could barely hear her voice. Suddenly her body started to age. Her skin wrinkled and her hair turned white.

"Shizu-san, my destined one...rest in peace within me." Rimuru used Predator on her. After he turn back to his normal size, he stayed silent for a few seconds. I wanted to break this sad atmosphere so I said.

"Man, that was one cheesy line"

"Why do you always have to ruin the mood?" Rimuru asked depressed.

"Cuz I want to. Now, stop being depressed. You finally got what you want."

"What?"

"A human form!"

To be continued-

(2,383 words)