{"id":3500,"date":"2025-10-05T11:47:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T11:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3500"},"modified":"2025-10-05T11:47:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T11:47:24","slug":"chapter-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3500","title":{"rendered":"CHAPTER 5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE HERO AWAKENS<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Ughh\u2026 I\u2019m exhausted<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was faced with an irresistible temptation as she found herself about to be sucked into a bottomless abyss. Memories of times near and far crossed her mind\u2014her life was flashing before her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes\u2026 Now I remember. Even my own dad played with me sometimes, huh?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had been so focused on the \u201cnow\u201d that she forgot all about it, but long ago, she belonged to a normal family. Normal, that is, until her father\u2019s company went bankrupt, and everything fell apart. If her father could\u2019ve kept it together, maybe her mother wouldn\u2019t have gone insane, either. Hinata had too many of her own problems to think about just how much his father suffered. So he kept on hating him, resenting him, trying to pretend her current unhappy reality didn\u2019t exist. She refused to forgive his crimes, judging him in her mind in order to justify her own actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has weakness in their heart. Her father did as well. And perhaps, if they all supported one another as a family, things might have turned out differently\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s comical for me of all people to talk about justice. Maybe that\u2019s why I kept looking for traces of my father in him\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata always felt saved by his sense of ideal justice, and by his <\/a>bottomless softheartedness, although he\u2019d probably deny it. Whenever her heart felt stretched, ready to burst, he always provided her the gospel of extra breathing room. That was him\u2026but it was all in Hinata\u2019s own mind. If she told him, it\u2019d probably just annoy him. But sometimes she was tempted to anyway, on the off chance that maybe, just maybe, he\u2019d accept her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is exactly what Granville said. I\u2019ve never been able to forgive myself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Hinata realized that it had all come too fast. She always lived under the idea that she\u2019d never be forgiven. Her mother would never be sad for her; even if she somehow got back to her own world, nobody would celebrate. Only her faith in the idea of rescuing as many people as she could gave her motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now I\u2019m just exhausted. I just want to gently float into this gloomy darkness\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Softly, Hinata\u2019s consciousness drifted deeper into the swallowing dark. Her five senses were already gone, all resentment untangling itself from her heart, and there were already no regrets left\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t fall asleep!!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata\u2019s consciousness awoke to the piercing scream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was that Chloe\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thought called Hinata back to reality. But this wasn\u2019t reality\u2014it was a very strange place to be. She could see outside through a window floating in space, but she wasn\u2019t seeing with her eyes\u2014rather, it was a sight she felt in her heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s \u2019cause you\u2019re inside me, Miss Hinata.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before she could ask Chloe\u2019s voice what she meant, Hinata recalled the situation she was in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh\u2026 Right. Granville stabbed me\u2026but I\u2019m not dead?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remembering it all greatly confused her. Running her Measurer skill at full blast, she still couldn\u2019t come up with a convincing <\/a>answer. The fact that she could tap into her skills at all was incredibly odd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll explain everything, so do your best to stay conscious for now. I also want you to sync up with me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSync up?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Can you see the light?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guided by Chloe\u2019s voice, Hinata focused her consciousness. In another moment, she came across a small point of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight! That\u2019s it!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2014or her consciousness, although it felt like she was moving her body\u2014headed for the light. And then, the moment she touched it, her consciousness was greeted with a dazzling rainbow of colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a few moments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you awake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere am I\u2026?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood, you\u2019re stable. So um, Miss Hinata\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust Hinata is fine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Oh, okay! So anyway, Hinata, you were inside me\u2014or my \u2018soul.\u2019 This is probably the first time for you, so it must be confusing, but that\u2019s definitely what happened. If I didn\u2019t get you out of there, you would\u2019ve been swallowed up in an Unlimited Imprisonment!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Hinata realized where she was. No wonder she didn\u2019t have a body\u2014her soul was inside Chloe, as she now understood. The Unlimited Imprisonment she mentioned was, no doubt, at the bottom of that gloomy darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh\u2026 Well, thanks for reaching out to me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She felt obliged to thank her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, Chloe explained assorted things to Hinata. According to her, when Hinata was stabbed, her soul moved into Chloe. Normally, when you die, your soul separates from your body, <\/a>dissipating into the air and ceasing to exist. This time, however, Chloe\u2019s soul intervened with it, creating a highly unusual situation. It wasn\u2019t enough to fully convince Hinata, but even before that, she had other concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo is Rimuru all right?<\/em>\u201d she frantically asked. \u201cWhat happened to Lady Luminus? And to Granville?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Chloe coolly said, \u201cI want you to stay calm when you hear this, but right now\u2026we\u2019ve gone back to a long, long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou see that mountain over there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes\u2026 Wait! Isn\u2019t that the sacred peak of the Riola Mountains? So\u2014so where are we? Based on my positional data\u2026 Are we in the Lubelius sanctuary?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata couldn\u2019t be blamed for her panic. There, hazy in the distance, was likely the lofty Riola Mountains. They were visible because there was nothing between them and Hinata\u2014just flat grassland. There should<\/em> have been a city there, but there wasn\u2019t. For a moment, she feared the worst\u2014the city blown away by a war between superpowers\u2014but then there\u2019d be a barren waste here, not a healthy prairie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which meant\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know this is hard to believe, but I swear I\u2019m not lying at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe had to be right. This would eventually become a sanctuary, but now they were in a time far before the founding of Lubelius. Hinata had heard that Luminus moved to this land over two thousand years ago\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you kidding me\u2026?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She understood it was the truth, but she still had to say it. It was just so crazy\u2014but then a question arose in her mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChloe, why are you sure this is the past?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That felt important to ask. Assuming she was willing to accept that this was time travel at work, why did she know they were in the past? Maybe this was far in the future, long after their nation fell. There wasn\u2019t a single other person in sight nor any buildings or ruins, so perhaps the past was more likely\u2014but maybe the ruins were buried deep underground by now. It was impossible to say for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>But Chloe was confident as she smiled at Hinata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simple! This isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve been here. My power keeps going out of control, you see, so I get sent back a lot\u2014back here<\/em>, too. So I remember it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata had no idea what to say. Slowly, she mulled over Chloe\u2019s words, gradually accepting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMind explaining what\u2019s going on in more detail?<\/em>\u201d she asked in a somewhat threatening tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Chloe\u2019s story was truly surprising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turned out her skill involves time travel of a sort\u2014\u201cof a sort\u201d because Chloe herself didn\u2019t understand it too well, either. Apparently, she couldn\u2019t trigger it at will; the best she could do was recall events that happened in her past. But you couldn\u2019t underestimate it, because past<\/em> here meant the past that Chloe herself experienced\u2014and since she was a regular time traveler, this past included events from the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, these memories weren\u2019t perfect recollections. There\u2019s always an element of vagueness in people\u2019s memories. For many, it\u2019s hard to remember exactly what happened when\u2014and if you\u2019re talking about memories from over two thousand years ago, of course it\u2019ll be a tad garbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo how did you discover this ability?<\/em>\u201d Hinata asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe hesitated a bit before replying. \u201cUm, when Mr. Tempest rescued me. He took Alice and me and everyone else to the Dwelling of the Spirits to stabilize us. Then I had a spirit planted inside me, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, Chloe didn\u2019t receive a spirit but an embodiment of her own powers from the future. Even more unbelievably, this embodiment was sentient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I think I must\u2019ve died at some point in the future, so I guess I just repeat this process of planting that version of me in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo the Dwelling is where you learn of this process? Like, every time in the cycle?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cNot exactly. I don\u2019t remember anything about it at the beginning, but then once I start going back in time, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mean you\u2019ve been doing this same thing over and over?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think so. I can only really<\/em> recall things from the last time around, but sometimes memories from elsewhere get mixed in\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh<\/em>,\u201d Hinata said, a bit relieved. If she was repeating the exact same life every time, that\u2019d be a sort of living hell. No one is strong enough to continue waging a battle if you knew the end result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Hinata silently listened as Chloe continued. Apparently, her time travel always took place in the same era, in the same axis of time\u2014those were likely the limitations of her skill. Exactly where she was taken depended on the timing of her out-of-control episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the previous cycle, Hinata apparently died in the Forest of Jura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMr. Tempest had died, and Veldora got revived\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh? Rimuru died? Who did it and how? He\u2019s practically unkillable.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, well, with this<\/em> cycle, my memories between when I received myself in the Dwelling and when I get taken to the past are working out pretty differently. In fact, this is actually the first time Rimuru was still alive when it happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata found the sudden shift from Mr. Tempest<\/em> to Rimuru<\/em> pretty funny, but she didn\u2019t point it out. Instead, she lent an ear to Chloe as she recapped her memories up to her last visit to the Dwelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the last cycle, after rescuing the children, Rimuru used Spatial Motion to return to Tempest. He didn\u2019t run into Hinata, missing her by only a few seconds at most. By this point, he had beaten up a lot of the otherworlders who came to Tempest, showing the nations bordering the Forest of Jura that he was no one to mess with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the danger Rimuru posed became common knowledge, the other nations of the world all but froze in place. The Kingdom of Farmus was still around, waiting for their opportunity to strike. <\/a>Some sort of incident took place among the Ten Great Demon Lords as well, but all Chloe knew were rumors that something might\u2019ve happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Rimuru cemented his friendship with Grand Master Yuuki of the Guild, he began to exercise his influence on other nations\u2014but apparently it was rough going, thanks in no small part to Farmus\u2019s interference. But Rimuru didn\u2019t give up, trying out all sorts of strategies. The children\u2019s school was one of them, a place in Tempest where Chloe and the others could get an education alongside monster kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, though, everything changed. At the behest of the Council of the West, Hinata led a suppression force to attack Tempest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did that?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. It was pretty scary, Hinata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh. Sorry, I guess.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s okay. You guys kinda made up after that, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Chloe, Hinata and Rimuru staged a duel that ended in a draw\u2014and when the children (Chloe in particular) intervened to plead Rimuru\u2019s case, Hinata put her blade away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you said \u2018I\u2019ll keep an eye on you<\/em>\u2019 and made nice with Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensing something strange with Tempest, Hinata apparently kept up her own investigations of the country. As she did, she exposed the assorted nefarious things Farmus was up to, and that made her begin to trust in Rimuru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years passed. Rimuru remained leader of the Forest of Jura, never becoming a demon lord, and his days were as busy as ever. Thanks to making peace with Hinata, he was on good terms with Lubelius\u2014Luminus took a liking to him for some reason, which helped preserve the peace. Chloe also grew, becoming stronger and befriending the demon lord Milim as she paid regular visits to Tempest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that peace came to a sudden end on the fateful day when the Empire invaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cYou know, I already liked Rimuru a lot by then. I didn\u2019t want him to go off to battle, so I begged and pleaded with him. The Empire\u2019s so big and strong; they had all these scary weapons, and I didn\u2019t think we could win. But Rimuru just smiled at me and said \u2018Don\u2019t worry! I\u2019ll take care of everything!<\/em>\u2019 I\u2019m sure he was just as scared as me, but he tried to play it off\u2026and he gave me this mask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mean Shizu\u2019s\u2026?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. I gave it to her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was an event that happened in the future, but paradoxically in the past as well. It was a precedent that had a knack for occurring repeatedly, as Chloe put it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Rimuru set off for battle. He never came back, and soon the nation of Tempest fell. That was thanks to the suddenly revived Veldora, who flew into a murderous rage. The Empire was destroyed as well, and then Luminus, Hinata, and Chloe and the rest teamed up to take on Veldora\u2014if they didn\u2019t, all of humankind was in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, though, before they could settle that score\u2026someone killed Hinata. A glinting flash pierced through Hinata\u2019s chest, and then Chloe \u201cwoke up\u201d and got sent into the past. She never did find out what happened next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe\u2019s time loops tended to all work out in somewhat similar fashion, although there would often be disparities here and there. Apparently, the death of Hinata was always the key event, and the same was true this time as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time as well\u2026? I die every single go-round, don\u2019t I?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This made Hinata feel a tad awkward. She didn\u2019t know whether to feel sad or pathetic about it. But Chloe pressed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut you know, this<\/em> time is special. Every time I got sent to the past before, Rimuru would always leave the picture before I did. And he never got to see me off. Not even once!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to now, every time loop involved Rimuru leaving everyone\u2019s life for one reason or another. This time, however, he was still intact <\/a>when the jump happened. Hinata knew that, and therefore, she expected this to conclude in some new, different way. There were a lot of differences from before, and\u2014as Hinata decided\u2014maybe they\u2019d be able to put an end to Chloe\u2019s looping for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026You know him. You can\u2019t help but hold out hope, no matter how illogical, that he\u2019ll figure something out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight? So if we can get back to that time period, Rimuru will still be there. This time, I\u2019m sure we can all survive\u2014and we need to figure out who keeps killing him and you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could hold out hope for the future. Hinata thought so, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt sounds like a lot changed with this loop. I wonder what caused that\u2026?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHee-hee! Well, to tell the truth, I actually remembered a couple things from my future self at the Dwelling of the Spirits. That\u2019s why, over at Englesia, I pleaded with him and kept him there for a little bit. And then I got this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe took out the mask, seemingly from nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you got it again, this time around? Then maybe there\u2019s a way for you to reach that future.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata\u2019s attention was also on the mask. Since her death apparently happened under different circumstances, there may not have been any time for Chloe to receive the mask. If so, there may not be any mask for Shizue to receive this go-round\u2014but if Chloe already had it, that wasn\u2019t a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very shrewd of her<\/em>, she thought as they worked out their next move. Trusting in Chloe\u2019s words, she decided to place her hopes on the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlso,\u201d whispered Chloe, \u201clemme just say this one thing. I really love you, Hinata, but I won\u2019t let you take Rimuru from me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome<\/em> battles a woman will never give up on, you know. Alice said so!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata smiled at her. She really is still a kid, huh? I mean, Rimuru and me? There\u2019s no way that could ever possibly happen\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She chuckled, even as the thought of it \u201cpossibly\u201d happening haunted her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cDid that upset you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cN-no! Not at all! But we need to get moving!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confronted by Chloe, Hinata decided to change the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Thinking about it, this girl\u2019s retained over two thousand years of memories and experienced them again and again, right? I was tricked by her looks, but maybe I was wrong to treat her as an innocent child\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata had finally reached the truth\u2026and so began their strange journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The first thing they did was travel to find Luminus, one of the few acquaintances of theirs who\u2019d be alive in this era. Chloe immediately started walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know where she is?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. This really huge war\u2014like, crazy huge\u2014had just started, so I went to watch it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVeldora, right?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight. Rimuru introduced him as his friend in this cycle, but he was definitely an enemy the last time. It looked like he was fighting someone, so I wanted to lend a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh. That was Luminus he was fighting, huh?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. So this<\/em> time, I want to come a little early and help everyone escape before Veldora starts going nuts. I want to win Luminus\u2019s trust and get her to work with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe sounded remarkably determined. She also had a great sense of direction, unlike Rimuru, so she headed for her destination without any help from Hinata. Before long, they arrived at the demon lord Luminus\u2019s castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo this is Nightrose Castle\u2026 No wonder Lady Luminus was so proud of it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was beautiful, an entirely artificial structure that also boasted the splendor of a natural fortress. Thornlike protrusions were visible across its edifice, serving as standby posts for the castle lookouts. They quickly spotted Chloe, a small herd of vampires bustling over to greet her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cI\u2019m here to see Luminus,\u201d she said to the soldiers surrounding her. \u201cPlease take me to her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWh-whoa! You think you can just walk up and demand to see a demon lord?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe paid the frenzied advice no mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay. Luminus is my friend!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s not until after you save her from Veldora, right? She doesn\u2019t even know you at this point!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then did Chloe realize she was mixing up her memories a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh\u2026 You\u2019re right. I\u2019ve repeated this so many times, I guess I thought that part was done. And come to think of it, I always do<\/em> start with you getting angry at me every time, Hinata\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew it<\/em>, Hinata thought as she feared for their future. Yes, Chloe was certainly used to this. Perhaps, since Hinata was experiencing this for the first time, she\u2019d handle this with a little bit more carefulness. So she suggested that she could serve as leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cListen, Chloe. I\u2019m going to give you advice, but don\u2019t reply to it right away, okay? Don\u2019t talk until I\u2019m done telling you what to do.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, all right. That\u2019s probably a good idea. If I say something weird, I might wind up changing history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was relieved to see Chloe readily accept the offer. At the same time, the portent behind what she said made her blood run cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait a second! She\u2019s right, isn\u2019t she? If we do something wrong, it\u2019d mess with history itself, right? We\u2019re connected to a pretty hopeful future here, but one mistake, and we could screw up the whole thing!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now she was extremely grateful for intervening before Chloe did anything rash. They had already messed this up big-time, but at least they wouldn\u2019t be stacking up more disasters on top of that. They were still okay, she thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, they were brought to Luminus. It wasn\u2019t easy, of course, but Chloe quickly talked the guards down, never taking no for an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, do you remember what I just told you?<\/em>\u201d Hinata asked, quivering as she kept her anger at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d Chloe breezily replied. \u201cI\u2019ve been through this once before, where I pushed my way in to warn them about Veldora\u2019s attack!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No shyness here, for certain. If this had worked before, Hinata wasn\u2019t going to ask any more questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re still good. We should be all right. But I think we\u2019ll need to make sure we\u2019re on the same page\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata internally sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you say that evil dragon will come here soon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. I know you\u2019re really strong, Luminus, but you can\u2019t beat Veldora. He\u2019s going to destroy this whole castle, so I want you to evacuate as quickly as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was nervous. Was this really all right? After gauging Luminus\u2019s personality, her Measurer skill indicated that a straight approach was the correct one\u2014but not on everything, of course, or on the really important parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm. I don\u2019t know you well enough to believe you. Do you have any sort of evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus sounded a bit friendlier now\u2026but they couldn\u2019t rest easy yet. This was a performance, one meant to cast off any fools wasting Luminus\u2019s time. Hinata knew that quite well, so she quickly gave more advice to Chloe, asking her to confirm what era this was and pooling their knowledge together to calculate exactly when Veldora would attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, it looks like Veldora will be coming here no sooner than two weeks from now. Once fall arrives, for sure. So be on the lookout, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus was no idiot. She could analyze Chloe\u2019s pulse and other factors, trying to determine whether she was lying. This could just be a concocted story, but someone like Chloe who could talk her way through the castle guard seemed unlikely to try anything that foolish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>In the end, Luminus saved her decision for later and offered Chloe lodging in the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in another little while, Veldora came. Luminus fought bravely, Chloe attempting to join in before Hinata stopped her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cListen. Last time, you said you didn\u2019t fight Veldora in this era, right?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForget all your other memories. Right now, what we need to do is follow our footsteps from last time. In order to win Luminus\u2019s trust, we need to talk to her about the future\u2014but don\u2019t talk about the future results from this time around. If we just retrace the route we took last time, we\u2019re bound to reach the future from the current cycle.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was important enough of a point that Hinata said it twice. Chloe, taken in by her force of will, nodded her approval. She understood it well. If they told Luminus about their memories from the current loop\u2014how Granville betrayed them, for example\u2014Luminus would no doubt kill Granville right that minute, and Chloe and Hinata would lose their link to the future they came from. Both of them knew they had to avoid this at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, while Veldora destroyed the castle, Chloe\u2019s timely warning kept human casualties quite low. This was the same as the history Hinata was taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given Chloe\u2019s apparent clairvoyance, Luminus enthusiastically trusted her. The two of them became friends, and right now, they were seated facing each other behind closed doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re telling me, Chloe, that you\u2019ve traveled through multiple loops in time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. My memory extends approximately two thousand years into the future. Would you like to hear more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course. Go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Luminus\u2019s permission, Chloe gave her story, internally discussing it with Hinata as she did. For the next two millennia, she will be a Hero\u2014and at the end of those two thousand years, a slime by the name of Rimuru will make his appearance. This Rimuru <\/a>will perish in battle, and then Veldora will be unleashed. Before that point, Luminus will befriend a woman named Hinata\u2014but she, too, will be murdered. Neither Chloe nor Hinata knew who was behind these deaths; Chloe couldn\u2019t give all the details, but she described their deaths as much as she could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see, I see. And you want to change that future for you both?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot change, exactly. I want to retrace my previous steps through time, as much as I can. If I do anything too<\/em> big that changes a lot of things, I think I\u2019d wind up in a completely different future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I can imagine. Certainly, I have no qualms with the future you describe\u2014I doubt I\u2019d take the death of this Hinata too well, but otherwise, it sounds fine to me. After all, how much can I ask for from a friend I haven\u2019t met?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus\u2026 Thank you. I\u2019m truly happy you said that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given her unfriendly appearance, it may have been a little hard to believe, but Luminus was actually a very gentle woman. Hinata knew that well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I promise I will cooperate with you. Roy can be a handful, but you will have nothing to worry about from the others. I will inform them all that you are my friend, Chloe. Now, what are you going to do next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus\u2019s sharpened eyes descended on Chloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, the same thing I always do. I\u2019m a Hero, and I have to help people in need!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That right-minded answer made Luminus flash a beaming smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill<\/em> you, now? Well, how nice. I\u2019m curious to see how your fate will affect others. But what will you call yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe\u2014and Hinata\u2014froze for a few moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou probably shouldn\u2019t go by the name Chloe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. My friend Leon\u2019s bound to suspect something.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even discounting that, Chloe wasn\u2019t known as a Hero yet. She gave her real name to Luminus, but it\u2019d likely be safer to keep it hidden from the general public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat should I do?<\/em>\u201d Chloe asked Hinata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you usually do here?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cUm, I don\u2019t have any real script. Usually, I guess I just kinda leave at this point without giving a name.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was just about to say \u201cWell, just do that, then<\/em>\u201d before she stopped herself. For some odd reason, she remembered something Rimuru once told her\u2014specifically, his anecdotes about running into trouble after naming certain monsters. So she just suggested the first name that came to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, in that case, given your Time Travel skill, why don\u2019t we combine Chloe with Chronos, the overseer of time, and have you go by Chronoa?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd not, um, Chronoe or something?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s too close to your own name. You might blow your cover, depending on how people pronounce it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh! Good point. Okay, Chronoa it is!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata had held an emergency conference in her mind, accelerated by her Measurer skill, and together they had come up with a suitable alias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I will go by Chronoa. It looks like it\u2019d be better if I didn\u2019t throw my real name around in public. So from this day on, I\u2019ll call myself the Hero Chronoa!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This would mark the first time the name Chronoa was recorded in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Abandoning the ruins of their castle, Luminus and her followers sought out a new land. Chloe, naturally, accompanied them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo why did my Usurper skill disappear anyway?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Every time, though, your powers wind up integrating with mine, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe fell silent, seemingly finding it awkward to say. It gave Hinata a vague but decent idea of how her end would come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, all right. I guess it turns out the same regardless; it\u2019s just a matter of timing. But if naming you took away one of my own powers, I guess Chronoa has some kind of monster aspect to her, doesn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey! That\u2019s kinda mean, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry. I meant nothing by it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can be real nasty sometimes, y\u2019know? No matter how pretty you are, you\u2019re never gonna attract anyone with that<\/em> attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, knock it off. I\u2019m dead anyway, so it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They kept bickering as their journey continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once she left Luminus\u2019s side, Chloe began making a name for herself as a Hero, just as she promised. Time passed\u2026and then they reached a point three hundred years before the last leap backward, just before the moment Veldora was sealed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As per usual in her long voyage through time, Chloe had picked up skills like Absolute Severance and Unlimited Imprisonment. Hinata, meanwhile, supported her inside her body, using her Measurer skill to help out. So it was with a less-than-enthusiastic tone of voice that Chloe met with Luminus again and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019m gonna go seal Veldora away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh yes, you did<\/em> mention that long ago, didn\u2019t you? But are you sure you can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus looked worried. Unlike before, she and Chloe were now fast friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be fine. I have Hinata with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had told Luminus, and Luminus alone, about Hinata. The demon lord readily accepted her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well, then. But don\u2019t push yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll be fine. I\u2019ll be the one taking on Veldora.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was news to a surprised Chloe, even though the unconcerned Hinata made it sound like settled business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already fought Veldora once. And when I did\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata recalled how it went:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKwaaah-ha-ha-ha! How weak! You call yourself the defender of humanity? Do not make me laugh!! Ahhh-ha-ha-ha, can you no longer stand? It serves you right, for I will never taste defeat! Now to put an end to this\u2014for I am a busy dragon!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a pretty humiliating memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201c\u2026A lot of stuff happened between us, so I really want to kick his ass, or I\u2019ll never be happy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She meant it. Chloe could tell by the tone of her voice, as could Luminus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand all too well what you mean. I was hoping to bring that lizard to tears myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack in our fight, I managed to get him to reveal the scope of his powers. I\u2019d like a chance to take advantage of that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Hinata and Luminus were enthusiastic about delivering Veldora his just deserts. Chloe, who recalled enjoying Veldora\u2019s company, couldn\u2019t hate him that much\u2014but given how much destruction he was responsible for in the past, she couldn\u2019t defend him that ardently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know everything about you, but don\u2019t hurt him too bad, okay? Because Veldora really is a good person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Chloe decided to let Hinata do what she wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at the site of the final battle, Hinata proved to be powerful, indeed. With Chloe\u2019s support, they managed to completely shut Veldora out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGwaaahhh!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing that pained scream, the beauty underneath the mask blushed, basking in her satisfaction. Then she turned control of Chloe\u2019s body back to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Now Chloe\u2019s time was ending. The moment had arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t tell you this until now, but I think I\u2019m gonna disappear soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about, Chloe?\u201d Luminus asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe began to reveal what she\u2019d kept hidden this whole time. It was, in effect, what Hinata had secretly been surmising. Before <\/a>much longer, Leon\u2014the Leon that Hinata knew of\u2014would appear. It seemed, apparently, that Leon and Chloe came to this world at the same time, and therefore you\u2019d have the rather odd situation of two Chloes existing simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If advanced theories about multiverses were true, and there are parallel universes for every plane of existence, then maybe two Chloes at once would be all right\u2014but what if there weren\u2019t? Chloe\u2019s Time Travel skill was an aberration. Maybe there\u2019s no such thing as being too<\/em> weird and outrageous to be allowed to exist, but the idea of multiple worlds being born was a little too far-out there for Hinata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, the idea of the world being remade<\/em> was more tangible. Otherwise, you\u2019d have multiple versions of yourself across multiple worlds, and everything Hinata and her friends were doing was inherently pointless. The idea that she\u2019d find salvation in some worlds and doom in others wasn\u2019t something Hinata was willing to accept. That\u2019s why she wanted to end Chloe\u2019s looping and save the world for good<\/em> this time\u2014even if meant sacrificing herself along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a problem, though, one that Chloe was expressing right this minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I guess my reasoning was sound after all\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed, once everything was said and done, that the \u201cone single world\u201d theory was correct\u2014and the world thus would never allow contradictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Well, not quite. It\u2019s not that contradictions are verboten\u2014it\u2019s that anything that causes the world to unravel is. But if you have enough power to force the issue, you can shove in any paradox you like. I mean, there\u2019s no other possible way to explain that mask.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata was relieved that her guess was correct, but at the same time, the future began to look much gloomier to her. From here on out, she realized, it\u2019d all come down to luck and the efforts of other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026And the thing is, I have zero memories from beyond the moment that happens. If I had to guess, Hinata, you probably take over later and help out Ms. Izawa for me, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cAnd I suppose, from that moment you describe, I can\u2019t do anything until the other \u2018me\u2019 who doesn\u2019t know anything shows up, right? So what do you think happens after that?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the future, Luminus was carefully storing something she cherished. Looking back, was it Chloe herself in there, sealed away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll I can vaguely remember is that I was struggling against something. I\u2019m thinking that whoever\u2019s in there is probably a different personality than me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Hinata remembered that she had come up with the Chronoa name\u2014and when she did, someone took a skill away from her. Maybe, she finally realized, that really was<\/em> some monsterlike individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, Chloe, are you going to lose consciousness soon, then? That\u2019s probably the result of the same person existing in multiples along the same time line. I think your theory is correct, Hinata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. And the new Chloe, the one about to be born, is the one that\u2019ll eventually get thrown all the way back to the past.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI imagine you\u2019re right,\u201d said Luminus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. So, Hinata, I know this is asking a lot\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right. Once I save Shizue, I\u2019ll rely on Lady Luminus after that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeave everything to me. I can use my spiritual force to create a compartment\u2014an ark, if you will\u2014to isolate you from the present age, Chloe. Both of your souls will likely be thrown into the future, and I promise you\u2026 I will find them and undo that seal when everything is complete again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe, Hinata, and Luminus\u2019s hearts were one in that moment. And with that, they left Luminus to handle all their futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Chloe\u2019s consciousness now gone, Hinata was by herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that her theory was proven correct, Hinata was racked by intense anxiety and pressure. The anxiety was over being left alone. The pressure came from this intense something<\/em> within her, attempting to take over her body from the inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Chloe\u2014the main Chloe\u2014disappears, I\u2019m sure Chronoa is going to wreak havoc. But I didn\u2019t expect<\/em> this much havoc\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Despite her astonishment, Hinata\u2019s iron will beat all that anxiety and pressure down. She rescued Shizue from Leon\u2019s castle, safely turning the mask over to her\u2014and once this mask of unknown origin was out of her hands, that marked a great mountain Hinata had overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It almost felt nostalgic to her, traveling with Shizue, although Hinata never revealed it. But that era, too, ended. The day of their separation was here. She wanted to spend more time with Shizue, but it was an impossible dream. With Chloe\u2019s main personality gone, Hinata could no longer control Chronoa herself. At this rate, the whole plan was in danger of falling apart, ruining all their hard work. Thus, Hinata followed history, left Shizue, and relied on Luminus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They never did find out who Chronoa was, in the end. Hinata was now in the ark, and once she was settled in, another Hinata\u2014one who knew nothing about any of this\u2014would soon appear in the world. Once she did, what would happen to the Hinata sleeping inside her coffin? If she was lucky, nothing. If not, it\u2019d be Chronoa waking up next, not her. But even if it came to that\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even it comes to that, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll figure something out. I believe in you, Rimuru!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recalling that slime from deep within nostalgic memory, she smiled a little before closing her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Veldora approached Chronoa. The whining commenced immediately afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGaarrrgghhh! She\u2014she cut me! R-Rimuru, she cut<\/em> me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I\u2019m sure she did. If you try stopping a sword with bare hands, that\u2019s gonna happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That ain\u2019t no normal sword, you know. It\u2019s God class. Way fancy. And even if you didn\u2019t have anything else available\u2014your bare hands? Seriously? This dude really is<\/em> weaker in human form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given all his confidence, this was a real<\/em> downer for me. Honestly, <\/a>I kind of hoped Veldora could take care of Chronoa in my stead, but I suppose things were never gonna go that easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow unsafe can you get?! Couldn\u2019t you see the danger?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing Veldora in such embarrassing shape made me want to burst into tears. It was just too much to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cB-but, Rimuru, it is quite a bit sharper than the last time we fought\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeroes get to fight with the Absolute Severance skill, okay? Didn\u2019t you say<\/em> she slashed you with that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, I was no longer sure how credible the Absolute part of that was. All I know was, I sure didn\u2019t want to test her Absolute Severance against my Absolute Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cY-yes, but I am impervious to that anyway\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veldora kept muttering as he started desperately dodging Chronoa\u2019s attacks. She got a stab in now and then, but he seemed on top of things still, which was good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I could get Veldora\u2019s point. What he was saying, basically, is whenever he got cut in their last battle, it didn\u2019t cause this<\/em> much damage. But if you thought about it for a moment, it made perfect sense. It was just a matter of size. A sword could only slash across a given range, and even if you used a skill to expand it, I couldn\u2019t picture ever being able to cleave Veldora\u2019s gigantic body in two. But now he was in human form and trying to defend against a bladed weapon with his arms<\/em>, for God\u2019s sake, so of course<\/em> he was gonna get a scratch or two. I guess he was healing them as soon as he sustained them, but I\u2019m sure that was consuming a lot more magicules than his dragon form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe he got better fuel performance as a human, but against Chronoa, he no longer had an edge to speak of. His much-ballyhooed Veldora-Style Death Stance wasn\u2019t exactly saving him against a foe with a sword, either. But I wasn\u2019t panicking. This would be a good lesson for Veldora, so I decided to have him continue distracting Chronoa for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned toward Leon. Under the protection of Charys, he was currently performing a summoning. Not that much time had passed, I imagined, but it felt like forever as he summoned a single rapier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cSorry to keep you. I can\u2019t do anything without a weapon. I want to have my Flame Pillar, my preferred weapon from my Hero days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another God-class blade? That\u2019s an ex-Hero and current demon lord for you. He also had a shield, a so-called Gold Circle, equipped on his left hand, and that was Legend class as well. Impressive, definitely, but I didn\u2019t think it would stop Chronoa\u2019s blade. \u201cBetter than nothing,\u201d I\u2019m sure he was thinking. Regardless, Leon had his equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we could step up and counterattack\u2014but the moment I had that thought, Luminus was blown straight in my direction. For a moment, I feared she lost her fight, but she appeared unhurt\u2014I guess that was just a performance, then. She looked at me for a moment, then slammed a Thought Communication into my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I have to tell you something\u2014Chronoa is Chloe\u2019s alternate self! Hinata\u2019s soul might be sleeping in there, too, so whatever you do, do not<\/em> kill her!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026What?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that she was sending a Thought Communication at all was weird, but what she said truly surprised me. Like, don\u2019t drop that<\/em> bomb in the middle of this huge battle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I watched anxiously as Leon headed off to confront Chronoa. Luminus, meanwhile, trekked back toward Granville, all but leaving things in my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How was I going to deal with this? Chronoa was Chloe\u2014and now that I looked, I could kinda see it on her face. I didn\u2019t know what that \u201cHinata\u2019s soul\u201d stuff was about, though\u2026 But if it was true, what did that mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report. Chronoa and Chloe can be considered the same person.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meaning\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, the subject Chloe Aubert traveled through time and emerged in the past. It can be inferred that this Chronoa is the matured version of herself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Um\u2026 Hang on. Was that even possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was sure Luminus could clear this up, but she was fighting for her life against Granville, and I doubted she could give a full answer. That Thought Communication was about the best she could provide right now. But traveling through time, like some sci-fi story? Or more like a one-way journey, if she didn\u2019t have control over it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ugh\u2026 Why am I believing in all this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Chloe really did<\/em> disappear before my eyes. That was a fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understood. If that disappearance marks her jumping through time, it would explain why the phenomenon was unexplainable earlier. One cannot observe temporal intervention without the ability to intervene oneself.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure. Maybe you understood the concept of time, but that didn\u2019t mean you could observe time itself. Or really, maybe you don\u2019t have to understand it at all. If you just treated it as \u201cthere,\u201d the whole thing started seeming a little more coherent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe, when I tried to rescue young Chloe, I summoned something<\/em> from the future? If something happened to Chloe in the future, and the spiritual body known as Chronoa wrecking things right now had taken a trip to the past\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affirmative. It is agreed that the chances of that are high.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah. That explained why Ramiris had been in such a tizzy back then. I could sense an evil aura coming from Chronoa here, and if she felt it, too, no wonder she tried to stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there was no point worrying over it. So if Chloe had jumped through time, what was her current status? what was going on right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report. It is impossible for multiples of the same soul to exist at the same point in space and time. It is believed that the resulting rejection sent one of the souls into the past. However, the ark\u2014the spiritually powered barrier created by the subject Luminus Valentine\u2014was created for the purpose of locking a soul inside. As a result\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So chances are good that both Chloe\u2019s and Hinata\u2019s souls are sleeping inside Chronoa?<\/em> If the power of the ark could outclass Chloe\u2019s time-travel force\u2026 Well, I had no choice but to believe in that right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What next, then\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeon, don\u2019t think about attacking Chronoa. Just focus on defending yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you have an idea?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. I know it\u2019s asking a lot to just trust in me, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2014No, I will. You trusted me before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How surprising. I didn\u2019t expect it to be that easy. He wasn\u2019t acting all highborn with me any longer. I was starting to like this friendlier, more casual Leon. It came at the perfect time, and I appreciated it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned to Veldora to give an order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVeldora!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t say<\/em> anything yet, man. But whatever. No time to lecture him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn my signal, I want you to pin Chronoa down. This is going to be really dangerous, as I\u2019m sure you can tell\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you, Rimuru, I am on it. I believe in you, so go ahead and carry out your plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Well, that<\/em> made me kinda happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a way, not wanting to hurt Chronoa, or Chloe, was really just me being selfish. I was acting entirely on supposition, guesswork that could\u2019ve been wrong for all I knew. Besides, having such a sunny view of things in front of this overwhelming opponent was practically suicidal. Still, if there was any kind of chance, I wanted to bet on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry. Follow my lead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKwaaaah-ha-ha-ha! Not to worry! It\u2019s hardly the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have some concerns of my own, and I wish to confirm them. That is why I am working with you. Nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hmm. So maybe Leon noticed, too\u2014not just Veldora\u2014that <\/a>Chronoa was Chloe. It\u2019d be nice if I could sit down and explain everything, but now was not the time for that. Leon was currently sword fighting with Chronoa, a composed look on his face, but his forehead was covered in sweat. It must\u2019ve taken a Herculean effort just to speak to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So! Next order of business: how to dive into Chronoa\u2019s soul\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Sir Rimuru, not stating your mission objectives out loud was a brilliant decision. I believe it is likely that the demon lord Guy is still monitoring the cathedral.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a Thought Communication from Diablo. Luminus did the same earlier; I guess they were pretty concerned about what was happening around us. Me, though, I resorted to this only because it was a selfish request, and I didn\u2019t want Chronoa to eavesdrop on us. If it worked out, though, then great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Okay. So what do you need from me?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diablo must\u2019ve sent me a message for a reason. As talented as he was, I\u2019m sure he had a grasp of the situation. Maybe he\u2019d have some useful feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Sir Rimuru, I believe it\u2019s possible for you to intervene with people\u2019s souls and send messages directly to them. However, I can think of an even surer way.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(What\u2019s that?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(When your material bodies make contact with each other, you can use your spiritual body to go inside. Then, when your astral bodies make contact, it is likely possible to directly interact with your partner\u2019s soul.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether that was possible or not, it sounded incredibly dangerous, didn\u2019t it? Like, to the point where I might never come back. I was planning to stick with Thought Communication, but was that a bad idea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understood. The subject Diablo\u2019s suggestion has a higher chance of success. However, the amount of danger is incomparably higher.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that was why Raphael didn\u2019t bring it up before now, I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Diablo, thank you. But let me just say one thing.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>(What is that, my lord?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(You are giving me far too much credit.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Keh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 No need to be modest, my lord!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not, dude.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I wanted to help Chloe and Hinata, I needed the option that gave me the best chances. \u201cSafety first\u201d was my motto, but only depending on the situation. I really needed to teach Diablo more about how I\u2019m not all that great, in the end. I guess he met Guy, judging by that offhand comment he made, and I hoped he didn\u2019t say anything weird to him. If he started bragging about me like he usually did, that was bound to draw Guy\u2019s attention. Better warn Diablo against that, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(If it is possible, I think it would be good to do, ah, something to stabilize the opponent\u2019s mind. Good fighting to you, Sir Rimuru!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diablo\u2019s trust weighed upon me. Right now, though, I\u2019d have to thank him for giving me a decent strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut how will I calm her down\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I could do that, we wouldn\u2019t have to deal with all this. Was there some helpful item that\u2019d do the trick\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about that mask, then, Sir Rimuru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suggestion came from Charys, currently devoted to supporting Leon. I guess he saw what I was about to try, too. Really smart guy. Too much so, even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe mask?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. It was powerful enough to keep me at bay, so perhaps it would calm her as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was smart, but apparently he didn\u2019t notice how I was trying to keep us from being heard. But that was my fault for replying to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mask, though, huh? I gave that to Chloe, if I recall. So where was it now? Um, hang on a second\u2026 That was an old memento from Shizu, and I repaired it at one point. If I gave that repaired mask to Chloe, then maybe it had somehow made its way back to Shizu? Uh\u2026 So wait. Where did that mask come<\/em> from, then?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u2026No. I can\u2019t think about that right now. The big question is: Can I replicate that mask?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understood. Create a copy of the Mask of Magic Resistance?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a yes. And I had to hand it to Raphael\u2014it made that copy without any problem, looking and functioning exactly like the real thing. Maybe this would help Chronoa chill out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I took out the mask, showing it to Charys with a grin as I thanked him. Then I focused my mind on Chronoa. I had the basic outline of my plan set. Now I just had to psyche myself up enough to execute it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon and Chronoa were still dueling, Chronoa pushing him around and Leon sticking to defense\u2014and getting himself more and more wounded. Even someone with his strength had a hard time against that woman. He was bound to lose sooner or later, but that was only true if I did nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, Veldora!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment I shouted it, I made a beeline for Chronoa, mask in hand. And then, just as I pushed it on her face, my consciousness was consumed by darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

An explosive blast from Razul, taken point-blank, just blew Shion and Ranga through the wall and outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razul calmly walked in their direction. Their opponents, waging a pitched battle up to this point, were bruised from head to toe. But Shion was still calm, her emotions unwavering as she faced up to Razul like nothing was amiss. She looked dignified, not at all on the verge of collapse\u2014perhaps an expression of her own personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind her, Ranga was groggily coming to his feet, steeling <\/a>himself anew. He didn\u2019t have Shion\u2019s Ultraspeed Regeneration, so the damage he took slowly accumulated over time. To his credit, though, he boasted a host of resistances, enough defense to cancel out your garden-variety physical or spiritual attack. With Ultra-Instinct, part of the King of Magewolves package Rimuru gifted him, he also had evasion skills that bordered on predicting the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting beaten up in such a one-sided fashion would normally be unthinkable, especially when teaming up with Shion against a single foe. But one look at this scene, and it was obvious just how dangerous Razul was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shion took a step forward, covering for Ranga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRanga, you can sit this one out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, Shion. He is strong. If we work together, and this is the result, going it alone is hazardous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Ranga. I think I\u2019m grasping him a little now. I want you to stay there and build up your strength until I give the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, she readied her sword in front of her, not waiting for a response. It was a beautiful stance, her core oriented straight toward her foe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImpressive. None of the demons could trade blows like this with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razul seemed astonished. But compliments from someone without a scratch on him did nothing but humiliate Shion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSilence. I\u2019m gonna rip that cockiness out of you with my bare hands!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that shout, Shion went on the move, holding her sword up high and swinging it down like the demigod-like ogre she was. It seemed like a slapdash move at first glance, but it was performed with a flawless, flowing stroke. But Razul didn\u2019t flinch. A sharp sound reverberated as the exoskeleton that protected him deflected the blow. As an insectoid, Razul was covered from head to toe with armor harder than steel, giving him matchless strength without extra weapons or armor. Even all the magic Ranga lobbed at him <\/a>harmlessly bounced off the surface\u2014the exoskeleton generated some kind of special force field that nothing worked against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parrying Shion\u2019s attack with his left arm, Razul used his momentum to throw a punch powerful enough to crush rock. A regular human being would be torn limb from limb. Shion, before now, wouldn\u2019t have thought twice about taking the blow\u2014in her mind, either she\u2019d withstand it or die, one of the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, though, Shion was more mature. Perhaps instructing others had in turn taught her how to keep an eye on the big picture. If she died here, it\u2019d put her whole side at a disadvantage. Even if she couldn\u2019t win this, if she could stretch this out long enough, someone was certain to help her. She could believe that now, so instead of blindly seeking victory, Shion\u2019s focus had shifted more toward survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also had good reason to give Ranga some rest. If she forced him right now, he might be too tired to move later\u2014so she resolved to bear the full brunt of this, while she was still able.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, that wasn\u2019t the only reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hee-hee\u2026 Now to earn my victory and win Sir Rimuru\u2019s praise!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the inside, she was defiant enough to entertain the thought. Survival came first, but she wasn\u2019t giving up on victory, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This growth on Shion\u2019s part had given her more mental leeway to work with. This leeway, in turn, was accelerating the blooming of her still-untapped talents. Now, her whole way of fighting had changed. She was faithful to Hakuro\u2019s teachings, relying more on skill than brute force\u2014and in battle with Razul, she was polishing that even further. That explained the beautiful, traditional moves she exhibited now, like a master sword fighter\u2014real technical skill, in addition to her irrational violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A shock wave of force shot out from Shion\u2019s sword as she hammered it down, leaping at Razul. It was little more than a smoke screen to him, of course, but with that moment\u2019s distraction, Shion closed the distance between them. With a flowing movement, she unleashed her attack. Razul parried it again, but he could feel <\/a>his arms starting to go numb. Shion\u2019s skill had just ratcheted up, somehow\u2014even in the middle of battle, she was constantly growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not yet! I\u2019m not done yet\u2026!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That strike just now had the effects of her unique skill Master Chef attached to it. She had come upon the idea of using Guarantee Results to crack his thick exoskeleton. She got deflected, again and again, but she didn\u2019t give up, smashing her great sword down on the same spot, thinking about nothing but destroying that shell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In effect, she was looking to bend the laws of nature themselves to crush the uncrushable. Razul was an overwhelming foe, but Shion persevered, sticking it out, never despairing if her abilities didn\u2019t work, constantly believing her wish would come true as she kept attacking. Razul, meanwhile, quietly parried her attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The battle continued along. Razul didn\u2019t panic, showing machinelike accuracy as he dealt with Shion. Shion, meanwhile, was exercising her full force, even deploying her Ogre Berserker skill to strike with power beyond her limits. But even with that, this seemed like little more than a preliminary trial to Razul. The strength difference was just too much\u2014Shion had to exhaust everything she had just to keep her head above water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razul\u2019s movements were like a gently flowing river\u2014but suddenly, a mighty rain made that river overtop its banks. Thanks to constantly tapping her skills, Shion\u2019s spiritual force was at its limit. Should she lose her balance, the fallout would likely spell her defeat. And that wasn\u2019t all. With Ranga out of the battle, Razul had a bead on every move Shion made. After carefully probing her, he concluded that there was nothing left her for to bring out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next moment, Razul\u2019s aura ballooned. With ferocious force, he began an all-out attack on Shion, using at least twice as much force as before as he rained a flurry of blows upon her. A moment ago, Razul was a statue facing the torrent of Shion; now the opposite was true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour strength is real. You may be proud of it. But you cannot beat me. At best, you could scratch my outer shell, perhaps? Give up and surrender at once!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>That was Razul\u2019s final offer. But Shion was unaffected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHee-hee! Laughable. Did you think I was just raging here without any plan? My wish is to ascend to the loftiest peaks. If I cannot venture beyond them, not only will that impertinent Diablo chide me, but I won\u2019t be able to serve Sir Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSlow on the uptake, insect? I mean that I will overpower you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shion\u2019s aura suddenly exploded out as she once again slashed at Razul with everything she had. Sword crossed against arm\u2014and this time, too, Shion\u2019s attack was deflected. However, Shion merely smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHee-hee! Just as I hoped for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing back up, she faced Razul down once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRidiculous. Your attacks could never strike home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Shion only snorted at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shion recalled her own shallowness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power is a symbol of justice. As a monster, that was simple common sense, and the weak deserved nothing but to be exploited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born as an ogress, Shion was in the upper classes of the Forest of Jura. But at least one person worried for her\u2014and that was her and Benimaru\u2019s teacher, Hakuro. Shion had thoroughly tempered her body, which gave her a measure of maturity, but she still didn\u2019t really understand the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t ridicule Rimuru\u2019s decree that monsters weren\u2019t allowed to look down on other species, but part of her mind simply thought it didn\u2019t apply to her. The weak are doomed to die\u2014that was the natural order of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she herself died, that was when Shion realized she had it wrong. One didn\u2019t fear being killed because they were afraid of death\u2014they were afraid they\u2019d be gone without being able to help anyone else. And when Rimuru rescued her, the sense of relief she felt\u2014this realization that she wasn\u2019t forsaken, as if she had two parents protecting her\u2014filled her heart to the brim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>After their battle against the Crusaders as well, Rimuru lectured her, and she changed again. Back then, she couldn\u2019t make herself all that angry against the humans she thought were her hated enemies. She questioned that, but Rimuru\u2019s words cleared away her doubts. Not all<\/em> of humanity was evil\u2014there were bad guys but also good guys. It was her job to judge them properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person\u2019s value lies in the way they live. Strength, or weakness, didn\u2019t mean anything. Someone who seemed useless now could someday awaken to their talents in one field or another. It was up to each person, and not someone else, to decide their own value. Rimuru was trying to say that, and Shion understood\u2014and when she did, she realized just how foolish it was to envy others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing herself to Diablo, Shion knew she was inferior. In her mind, she feared that Rimuru might abandon her entirely. But she was wrong. Realizing that Rimuru would never forget her made all those worries go away\u2014and in recent days, the ugly emotions that used to dominate her heart had disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no need to envy others\u2014all you have to do is surpass them. Shion turned those senses toward herself. Instead of seeing people as her rivals, she began to find meaning in surmounting her own limits. That way, she believed, she could always grow and mature\u2014and even if it was slow going, with her long life span, she could reach dimensions that those with more fleeting lives could never see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Shion started thinking that way, all her anxieties vanished\u2014and that change of heart encouraged her growth. And that indomitable spirit was now blossoming under extreme circumstances\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confirmed. The subject Shion\u2019s intrinsic skill Ogre Berserker has evolved to the unique skill Divine Berserker.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a happy accident, not something Shion aimed for\u2014a miracle that occurred precisely because she kept struggling, never giving up on victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me tell you something\u2014the goddess of victory always smiles upon those who never give up! Here we go\u2014Divine Release!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a moment\u2019s hesitation, Shion tapped into the freshly transformed unique skill Divine Berserker. Ogre Berserker had already used and abused her body; now every muscle screamed at the excessive burden. She used Ultraspeed Regeneration to shut them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unique skill Divine Berserker was, in essence, an upgraded version of Ogre Berserker. It wasn\u2019t a true berserker-type move, abandoning all reason and going into a murderous rage; instead, it simply boosted the user\u2019s stamina and spiritual force. Like Benimaru\u2019s Magic Burn, it was a bodily enhancement that granted her the essential force of a spiritual life-form. But it was no panacea. It had one major disadvantage. In Shion\u2019s current state, her physical strength would be loaded on top of her spiritual body\u2014but it consumed magicules at such a fast rate that she\u2019d be running on empty in short order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, the moment she triggered Divine Berserker, she was already nearing her physical limits. Shion was in this to win it\u2014she had to settle everything with the next strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2026is that power\u2026? It\u2019s coming for me?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the influence of Divine Berserker, an eye-watering mystical force flowed out of every pore of Shion\u2019s body. At the same time, it honed every one of her senses, letting her feel just how much power was surging within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, Ranga!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shion lifted Goriki-maru Version 2 high with both hands. A blast of Dark Lightning charged up by Ranga descended upon it. He had waited for the right moment to unleash it, and it was the most powerful force he was capable of right now. Ranga believed in Shion\u2014even if that lightning damaged her, if that was her will, he wouldn\u2019t hesitate to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cYou impudent\u2026! My shell\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shion had no time for Razul\u2019s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChaotic Fate!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her will now had the power to alter the results of every type of natural phenomenon. She threw all of it into her lightning-infused sword, thrusting it downward from on high\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razul\u2019s exoskeleton had blocked every attack from Shion. On his left arm, there was but a single scratch. However, that was all Shion needed. If something had worked before, even a little, she could utilize Optimal Action on it. Combining that with Guarantee Results to guide her hand was the true worth of her Master Chef unique skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026With a flash, the broken blade flew into the air. Shion\u2019s sword had finally been smashed into two pieces. But it was Razul who fell. His left arm was severed, a large gash cleaved open from the tip of his shoulder down the center of his body. The ruinous lightning that slammed its way through promptly fried all his major organs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now the battle was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razul crumpled into a heap. He understood he would die soon. His eyes swiveled up to Granville, still fighting against Luminus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forgive me, Gren\u2026 I\u2019m taking my leave before you. We will meet again, at that promised land\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The light faded from those eyes as his life functions failed him. Shion and Ranga had secured their victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Seeing Rimuru apply the mask to Chronoa, Luminus all but hoped it would win the day for them. This was a risky wager. Once again, Luminus had bet everything on Rimuru, who had earned Chloe\u2019s and Hinata\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus had pretended not to know anything about him, but given everything Chloe and Hinata said about him in the past, she <\/a>was worried. She only joined the last Walpurgis because she heard Rimuru would be there. Him becoming a demon lord wasn\u2019t at all the story she heard. Even when discussing matters with Hinata, she continued to feign ignorance of the truth. But as Chloe\u2019s story gradually inched closer to reality, she stopped having any doubt about it. That was why Luminus was never hostile to Rimuru from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, recent events hadn\u2019t turned out at all like how the Chloe and Hinata of the past put them. Things were starting to get inconsistent, and that scared Luminus to the core. The greater things started to diverge, the more it seemed like Chronoa, kept safe in the ark, wouldn\u2019t be revived in the correct manner. Now that fear had come true\u2014and unexpected events were occurring in a flurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, right before this musical concert she so looked forward to, her dutiful assistant Granville was turning traitor. To be exact, she knew he betrayed her well before now, but not even she expected him to march in here and so blatantly rebel against her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Hinata was dead, Chronoa was revived, and Luminus\u2019s best bet for dealing with these irregularities was Rimuru, whose continued survival was itself an irregularity. That was her decision, and just as she hoped, Rimuru was attempting an appeal to Chronoa\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the same mask Chloe wore. There\u2019s still hope!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus internally cheered. But then Granville spoke up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou look pleased, Lady Luminus. Do you really believe that your beloved Chloe will come back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChronoa is a living destructive force, is she not? And without the ark to contain her, the only way to stop Chronoa is to call back Chloe\u2019s soul. But do you really think that soul is slumbering within her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus looked surprised for a moment. But come to think of it, Granville could have easily listened in on Chloe\u2019s and her conversations over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Oh. So that\u2019s what you did\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s just as you imagined. There is no quicker and easier way to destroy this world. All I have to do is leave the matter to someone far stronger than I!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granville laughed, the madness readily visible in his dark, murky eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSilence! Don\u2019t expect this to turn out how you want!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo? I suppose not. At every opportunity, this world has trampled over my wishes. And just now, my friend has passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only then that Luminus realized one of the battles was over. Rimuru\u2019s officers had emerged triumphant. Razul was dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeh-heh-heh\u2026 Indeed, this world has been harsh to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care!\u201d Luminus shot back, pushing him aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026And that,\u201d he quietly responded, \u201cis why I hope this whole world is destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnough with your nonsense. If you want to be hopeless, go do it by yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that shout, she readied her beloved sword, named Nightrose after her original homeland. Granville responded in kind, turning toward Luminus and unsheathing Truth, his own blade from his Hero days. Both weapons were God class and boasting equal capabilities. And then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHopeless? No, I am not hopeless. In fact, right now my heart is filled to the brim with hope!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he made the declaration, the energy being released from Razul\u2019s body flowed its way into Granville\u2019s. It was both his strength and his very soul. Now he had the powers of Maria, Razul, and himself pulsating within his body, creating a new hope for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confirmed. Conditions met. The unique skill Nefarious has evolved into the ultimate skill Sariel, Lord of Hope.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granville, too, was reaching dizzying new heights in this battle\u2014the ultimate peaks, mountaintops that only the chosen can reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate skill Sariel, Lord of Hope, much like Luminus\u2019s Asmodeus, worked in terms of life or death. Now they were fully an even match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Standing there silently, Granville turned his dark, opaque eyes toward her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am ready, Lady Luminus. It is time to break the cycle of fate and finish things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026So it is. I will accept your resolve. And worry not\u2014I promise that I will kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They faced each other. It was a battle between two people awoken to ultimate skills\u2014but it ended in an instant. There was a single flash of crimson red, as Luminus\u2019s Nightrose danced in the air. With a gloomy blue streak of flames, Granville\u2019s Truth blade took the blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRequiem for the Dead!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFortitude!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a head-on clash between Asmodeus and Sariel. Under matching conditions, whichever side had the stouter will would emerge victorious. Granville, the nefarious Hero, thus had no reason to lose\u2014and yet, it was Luminus now standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

After putting the mask on Chronoa, I focused my consciousness and began diving into her spiritual realm. Not that I myself was doing this, of course; Raphael was handling all the controls for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was expecting complete darkness, but it was actually pretty bright. There weren\u2019t any light sources around; I was sure this was just an imaginary landscape. So I jiggled along, trying to mentally move myself forward, when I realized someone was walking alongside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey there, slime. It\u2019s been far too long. Or no, wait, it\u2019s Satoru, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Shizu. She was a nostalgic sight, but I felt a little embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, stop,\u201d I said, trying to joke about it. \u201cMy name\u2019s fully Rimuru these days. I\u2019m not abandoning my past, but it\u2019s just awkward whenever I\u2019m called that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not that I wanted her to call me Rimuru. Absolutely not. No <\/a>way. Still, though, having this imaginary landscape was kind of convenient. If you felt lonely, you could even have dead people drop in for a visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shizu didn\u2019t have a mask on. Her face was visible, all of her burns gone, and it made me realize all over again how pretty she was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own look was modeled after hers, of course, which often made people think I was this fetching young lady\u2014and looking at her now, I guess I couldn\u2019t blame them. As a former dude, I was still sorting my feelings out about it, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having her here reassured me. I began to advance faster. She followed me, smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing us up ahead was another pretty young girl. This was Chronoa, her eyes filled with hatred; she looked incredibly scary, like she was about to destroy the world. First<\/em>, I thought, we\u2019re gonna have to talk this out<\/em>. Hoping she was willing to listen, I opened my mouth\u2014but before I could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Are you Rimuru? It\u2019s\u2026really you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Well. That<\/em> was unexpected. I was anticipating more of a, you know, hostile kind of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh, yep. The very one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nodded, and then Chronoa embraced me\u2014a young, ravishing woman hugging a slime. Yes, I was<\/em> digging this, thanks for asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shizu giggled a bit as she watched. \u201cYou really worked hard,\u201d she said as she patted Chronoa on the head. \u201cI wanted to see you too, Hero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hmm\u2026 Was it really all right for this encounter to be so, like, heartwarming? I could still feel intense warfare going on outside, but right now, this was making me feel all warm and fuzzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo um, you\u2019re Chronoa?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at her, I was starting to think Chronoa was just Chloe grown up. They really did<\/em> look alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. My name is Chronoa\u2014an embodiment of corruption, shut inside Chloe. At the same time, I\u2019m kind of her alternate self. If Hinata didn\u2019t name me, though, I don\u2019t think I would\u2019ve had sentience like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh. I see. I had no idea what was going on, but I could tell there was a complicated backstory involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right. So what you\u2019re trying to do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If she was intent on destroying the world, I\u2019d have to stop her with everything I had. If this was Chloe\u2019s alter ego, I needed to get Chloe in this scene and perform a bit of a switcheroo. That\u2019s why I cut straight to the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fine. I\u2019ve had enough of that. You\u2019re safe, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronoa was perfectly calm and casual, even though it kind of gave me the creeps. I had been through all kinds of tough scrapes by now, and I survived them all. If you wanted to put me in even more<\/em> danger, I\u2019d have to say no thank you to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, sure. I\u2019ve always been safe, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou say that, but you sacrificed yourself to save me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Chronoa raised her voice. Sacrificed? I wasn\u2019t sure what set her off, but maybe I ought to just apologize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa-ha-ha! Sorry, sorry. I\u2019ll be more careful next time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? You promise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I promised Chronoa I wouldn\u2019t do anything reckless. I was totally lost here. It\u2019s not like I was trying<\/em> to be reckless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026But hang on. If Chronoa had memories from the future, was she talking about something coming up for me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026That possibility is likely.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aw, man, really<\/em>?! That sucks to hear\u2026 Or actually, maybe the other way around. I have to be glad<\/em> I heard that. I swore not to pull any reckless moves, no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waited a few moments for Chronoa to calm down before dropping the big question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo speaking of Chloe, do you know where she is right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2014and was Hinata here, too? I was in a rush, but I wanted to proceed with caution. If I got on Chronoa\u2019s bad side, I might cut off any chance at getting more info. But my worries were in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe went astray, into the Unlimited Imprisonment deep inside <\/a>my heart. I\u2019m supposed to be the one locked in there, but two of the same being can\u2019t exist at the same time, so we got swapped out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judging by how forward she was, it looked like Chronoa cared a great deal about her. She seemed to see herself as a support for Chloe, the \u201cmain\u201d personality, and I felt safe in believing that. So I moved on to the next question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what about Hinata?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHinata. Well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a shocking answer. She told me Hinata was already dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean? Luminus told me Hinata jumped back in time with you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she should have been just fine\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have it all wrong, Rimuru. Hinata died right here. Granville\u2019s attack can crush people\u2019s souls as well. That\u2019s why Chloe absorbed Hinata\u2019s soul and jumped back into the past\u2026but Hinata couldn\u2019t withstand the time leap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huh? No, but\u2026 I mean, Luminus and Hinata had conversations<\/em>. Loads of them. And besides\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Wasn\u2019t it Hinata who named you, Chronoa?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo in that case\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHinata\u2019s consciousness alone was stored in her unique skill\u2014the remains of her soul. That\u2019s why I could never take in her Measurer. If I did, her sense of self would completely vanish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sadness behind her words showed me she was telling the truth. But hang on. Hinata\u2019s consciousness stayed here because her skill was rooted in her soul. If you planted this skill back in Hinata\u2019s body, wouldn\u2019t that revive her?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand what you mean, Rimuru. I\u2014or Chloe\u2014thought the same thing. But it just won\u2019t work. Like I told you, the remains of Hinata\u2019s soul are locked in the Unlimited Imprisonment, too. Everything in there is chaotically mixed together. I was born from that, so I hate to say this, but Hinata\u2019s Measurer is probably already integrated with everything else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you had a will and energy along the lines of Veldora, that\u2019d be one thing. But while Hinata was a Saint, she was still human\u2014and <\/a>as Chronoa saw it, the Unlimited Imprisonment was too much to withstand. We had Hinata\u2019s physical body right here. If the soul was safe, we could revive her. And yet\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s all right. Hinata\u2019s a really strong woman, so I\u2019m sure she hasn\u2019t vanished yet. So let\u2019s call for her together, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My spirits fell as Chronoa grieved for her. It was Shizu who tried to assuage us with a calm smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

My anxieties were now gone. We could grieve after we saw the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah\u2026 You\u2019re right. Chronoa, I want to rescue Chloe and Hinata from the Unlimited Imprisonment, but is there a way we can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m calmer now, so I think I can pick up on the other Chloe\u2019s presence. But it\u2019s gonna be hard to unlock the Unlimited Imprisonment. If we do that, I\u2019m pretty sure that will destroy our body\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked what she meant, she explained that the Unlimited Imprisonment held all of their vast amounts of energy. I had forgotten that it was Chronoa here controlling the younger Chloe\u2019s powers. If we released a quantity of energy on the level of Veldora\u2019s, we\u2019d probably vaporize Chloe\u2019s body\u2014and right now, we had no way of verifying whether Hinata\u2019s heart was still there or not. We\u2019ll just have to trust in Shizu\u2019s confidence for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if I wanted to nimbly control the Unlimited Imprisonment\u2019s energy while extracting Chloe and Hinata from there\u2026could I use Raphael to intervene with it, maybe? Like, just probe around inside without breaking the whole thing open?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative. As it stands currently, this is not possible. We do not have access to the data particles, the smallest unit we can interact with.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raphael could unlock the Unlimited Imprisonment as well, but since we couldn\u2019t access the information inside, that was all it could <\/a>do. Veldora, who came back to life all by himself, was apparently a unique exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right! In that case, let me reassign that access. You have my permission to do whatever you want, Rimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Huh?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as I was pondering what to do, Chronoa gave me quite the unexpected offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These data particles were even smaller than spiritual particles, she explained, their mass about as close to zero as you could get, and they were found in everything that existed in the world. It was possible to observe data particles, although it was limited to spaces like inside my Stomach and Chronoa\u2019s Unlimited Imprisonment. They were the units Raphael apparently worked with when organizing my skill sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that I had the permission of the Unlimited Imprisonment\u2019s owner, Raphael had the right to interact with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report. Consent received. Commencing intervention.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hmm. Was it me, or did Raphael sound a little joyful? This must feel kinda similar to messing around with my own skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things happened extremely rapidly after that. Before I could even try to stop him, Raphael was fully in his element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complete. The unique skills Unlimited Imprisonment and Absolute Severance will have Measurer added to them. The resulting sacrifice of energy will trigger an evolution to an ultimate skill.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raphael kept on going, not even giving me the customary Yes\/No prompt. Although maybe asking me for approval was barking up the wrong tree. These aren\u2019t my<\/em> skills, after all\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Wait. Isn\u2019t this kind of weird?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite my worries, Chloe\u2019s\u2014Chronoa\u2019s\u2014power was soon reborn into the ultimate skill Yog-Sothoth, Lord of Time. Even better, Chronoa\u2014a conscious body, normally an alternate version <\/a>of Chloe\u2014was optimized into an informational body known as a manas, allowing her to switch out with Chloe at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was it really okay to let Raphael go hog wild like this? I honestly wanted someone to say no to me, but no complaints were forthcoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re always so reckless, Rimuru\u2026but I still love you so much!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronoa hugged me, dropping a kiss on my right cheek. And what\u2019s more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Chronoa! You can\u2019t just jump in front of me!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I detected something soft on the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe, just like Chronoa, hugged me close and kissed me. Even more amazing, Chloe was looking like a grown-up, too, virtually twins with Chronoa and just as stunning. I was really<\/em> starting to love these imaginary landscapes. It\u2019s a damn shame this wasn\u2019t real life, but being surrounded by hotties was never a bad thing. I kind of wished I was a human, not a slime, in this vision. Maybe even the old me, back when I was a nice human-type guy. What\u2019s the harm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I let myself bask in all these peach-colored fantasies, Shizu looked down warmly at me. And so did someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, aren\u2019t you<\/em> sitting pretty, Rimuru? You don\u2019t even know whether I can come back, but I can see<\/em> that\u2019s not bothering you too much!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Hinata. No, now wasn\u2019t the time to get carried away. I cleared my throat, my blushing cheeks giving away my embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But hey, Hinata\u2019s still lookin\u2019 pretty as always. Should I start by complimenting her? Although I guess I did just see her a moment ago, didn\u2019t I? But still, no woman minds a little praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, I see you\u2019re\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpare me your pickup lines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She saw right through me. But I still really had to say this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut\u2026 I mean, I dunno if we want to call you safe yet or not\u2026but I\u2019m really glad to see you again, Hinata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That much, at least, I really meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d she replied\u2014and her cheeks were just a tiny bit red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s totally being shy, isn\u2019t she? Is she starting to fall for me?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative. That is incorrect.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, no way that<\/em> could happen. Besides, she was already ignoring me and celebrating her reunion with Shizu. She had dropped the attitude now, her eyes tearing up a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Shizu. I didn\u2019t want to cause trouble for you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know, Hinata. And I\u2019m sorry I never noticed at the time. Also, thanks. You were the Hero who rescued me from Leon\u2019s castle, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026That\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing them embrace, I was about to cry myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou really are a strong girl, Hinata,\u201d Shizu earnestly stated. \u201cI think it was Measurer, the unique skill you created, that allowed you to keep it together in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She might be right, yeah. Hinata certainly hadn\u2019t changed at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI lost one of my other powers, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHee-hee! Well, that just means you don\u2019t need it any longer. You simply need to keep growing, all right? And face up to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026But can I really be resurrected?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re fine. You believe in it, too, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, kind of\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shizu and Hinata turned their eyes to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long are you gonna keep doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took Hinata saying that to make me realize Chloe and Chronoa were still hugging me tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanna hug Rimuru more!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Hinata. It\u2019s been two thousand years, so just a little longer\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way she phrased it could lead to all sorts of misunderstandings, I thought. I mean, I<\/em> wasn\u2019t doing anything. These twin Chloes were just being buried in my slime body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have all the time in the world later, all right? Because I really need to get going, and we need to revive Hinata soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>With a smile, Shizu shooed the Chloes away from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should know, shouldn\u2019t you, Rimuru? I\u2019m just an illusion you\u2019re displaying here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, no, this was an imaginary landscape, so\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo dream goes on forever\u2014you have to wake up sooner or later. I\u2019m glad I got to see all of you. It looks like Kenya and everyone are in good shape, and when you punched Leon, Rimuru, that perked me up a little. I guess we had some misunderstandings, but now that I know that, I think I\u2019m starting to like this world a little. So I don\u2019t have any regrets now. I feel happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe and Hinata tried to stop Shizu, but she just smiled at them contentedly. They watched her, taking in what she was trying to say, and then they nodded back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake care of Hinata for me, Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can do it, right, Rimuru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These three were really laying on the pressure. I couldn\u2019t stop sweating. Thinking about if I messed this up\u2014no, that\u2019s not right. No getting weak in the knees. It\u2019s not my style to give up before even trying. I\u2019m more concerned about Hinata than myself, so I couldn\u2019t lose my confident attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou got it,\u201d I declared. \u201cI\u2019m gonna help you right now, Hinata.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words can become strength. Firming up my resolve to make this work, I left this landscape\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026and when I returned to reality, I was still in human form. Apparently, I hadn\u2019t moved at all, striking that exact same pose while I was gone. I stretched and refocused myself. The last thing I saw in that space was Shizu smiling as she faded away. If I wanted to live up to that smile, I needed to make one more effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAha! You are safe, Rimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow\u2019d it go? Chronoa stopped fighting and fell to the ground\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll explain later. Can you guys stay on alert and make sure no intruders come in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed I shall!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cVery well. But you will<\/em> explain this afterward?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veldora, and even Leon, readily agreed. That was a relief. I doubted he would, but if Yuuki came back, they could take care of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s look at Hinata\u2019s body. Luminus\u2019s magic had healed all the wounds on it; it was now down on the ground next to Chronoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Oops. There was a hole in her clothing around her chest, so I needed to cover that up with a spare coat I had on hand. It\u2019s these little acts of kindness that make a considerate man like me so appealing. Of course, what I really<\/em> wanted was to have her not glaring at me\u2014but I\u2019d just tuck that thought deep inside my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now for the main event\u2014the resurrection magic\u2014and that would be a tall order if it was just me alone. I helped Hinata\u2019s consciousness surface back up, but her Measurer\u2014her real<\/em> self, in essence\u2014was still left inside Chloe\u2019s Yog-Sothoth. It had been absorbed to keep from disappearing, and it would be tough to separate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would prepare some energy to replace that, make the swap, and cast the resurrection spell at the same time\u2014and I\u2019d need some help for that. I called out to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLend me a hand in resurrecting Hinata, Luminus!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cGn\u2026 Gah\u2026 Well done, Lady\u2026Luminus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granville was on the ground spitting blood. After that strike from Luminus, the vitality was draining away from him\u2014but his expression was now serene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus could hear what he wanted to tell her. If you cannot even overcome this adversity, it will be impossible to protect the human race. If so, we may as well have our Hero protectors destroy the world.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She correctly understood that he was pinning his last hopes on her. She was prepared to accept that, and as proof of that\u2014and to show her response to his feelings\u2014she had faced up to Granville and struck him down. Now she could understand his emotions all too well. Granville didn\u2019t want to see Chronoa go berserk\u2014he wanted her awakened correctly, so she could give hope to humanity. <\/a>His awkwardness about it was still there, after a thousand years, and it made Luminus feel a little lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy\u2026 My hopes\u2026are nothing compared with\u2026the heavy weight of time she bears. With her joining you\u2026and the demon lord Rimuru\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this world without mercy, justice without power backing it up was meaningless. Even someone with Granville\u2019s strength was left to wail at his own feebleness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just then, Luminus heard Rimuru\u2019s voice. He wanted to resurrect Hinata\u2014and that meant he successfully awakened Chronoa\u2026or Chloe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew I could rely on him. He actually did it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She offered him praise, if only in her mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have fulfilled your role well enough. Allow me to handle the rest. Just sit back and relax.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, she turned toward Rimuru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her strike was a fatal one, but even before it came, Granville had exhausted all of his life force. He was well past his natural life span, and not even Luminus could lengthen it any further. That wouldn\u2019t be the case if he were turned into a monster, but Luminus knew well that he didn\u2019t wish for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cB-before you go\u2026one more thing, Lady Luminus\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026 I want to give my hopes\u2026to her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus hesitated for a moment. She wasn\u2019t sure whether to allow it. There was always the danger of Granville trying something. But she decided to hear him out. That was her softer side\u2014and her more generous one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, bliss\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the hand Luminus offered, Granville shed tears of gratitude. Even as he did, his body began to glow and turn into tiny balls of light before dissipating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Sleep well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if guided by Luminus\u2019s voice, the former Hero who fought for years upon years was released from fate and scattered across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight. Here I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pompous words could only have come from Luminus. She had just waged an epic battle, and there wasn\u2019t a single tear in her clothing. She must have won big, which made sense to me, but I really wished she could\u2019ve come sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? Is there a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn\u2019t will myself to yell at her about it. It must be my classically Japanese \u201cdon\u2019t rock the boat\u201d attitude coming to the surface. But enough about that. Let\u2019s go save Hinata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to intervene in Chloe\u2019s Unlimited Imprisonment, so I want you to retrieve Hinata\u2019s soul while I do. If there\u2019s not enough energy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about that. I\u2019ll handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I appreciated that. Luminus really is<\/em> a talented lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we got right to work. I held my hand aloft over Chronoa\u2019s inert body, pointing out the location of Hinata\u2019s soul to Luminus. With a skillful touch, she immediately began performing some kind of action on her\u2014magic or a skill\u2014probably the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRe\u2026birth<\/em>!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She set off her power. And since I was next to her, I realized\u2014her skills were far, far above mine, at a level as high as the sky. I could never imitate that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Analyze and Assess failed. The skill is equivalent to an ultimate skill.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I thought so. I mean, with Luminus, that\u2019s par for the course. It\u2019s why I felt safe letting her handle this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronoa\u2019s and Hinata\u2019s lifeless bodies were before us. The pieces of Hinata that had assimilated with Chloe\u2019s soul were gathered together in the form of Measurer, her unique skill. Luminus used her powers to reach the soul I Disassembled from that mass for her. Carefully picking it up, she injected a concentrated measure of energy to replace it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was far more energy than what we were taking out, but it was probably necessary. As I watched, she then put her hand above Hinata\u2019s body as she returned her soul to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediately, the shine returned to her hair, her cheeks reddening as her heart began to beat anew. Then Hinata opened her eyes, her throat a little raspy but otherwise in good health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did it. Hinata was revived. And with the foreign matter removed from her body, Chronoa was also back in normal shape. She was beautiful before, but now Chloe\u2019s soul seemed to have a divine aura\u2014I hardly believed it was human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She opened her eyes. So will we have Chloe here or Chronoa?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sounded like Chloe. She used to call me Mr. Tempest, but I guess I was more than just her teacher now. Otherwise, it was the Chloe I always knew. I smiled softly at this. She was no child any longer, looking very womanly\u2014but wait a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t feel exactly right to me, and then I realized\u2026whoa, she was back to being a kid, actually. She had on a black outfit that matched her size perfectly, probably the Holy Spirit Armor at work. That\u2019s<\/em> a relief, at least. Between you and me, I was a little disappointed, but let\u2019s just file that way<\/em> back in my mind. Besides, to the outside observer, this was me embracing a little girl. Under different circumstances, that could easily have been a felony, and Hinata\u2019s glare was painfully boring down on me. Even Leon looked pretty peeved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you doing, Rimuru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to know, too. In detail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u2019mon, Leon, calm down. And Hinata, if you keep grimacing at me like that, you\u2019re gonna get crow\u2019s feet, you know. Of course, it\u2019d be suicidal to tell her that, but still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, how come, after reviving Hinata and stabilizing Chronoa, was I still not safe from mortal danger? I just have to say, this is absurdly unfair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cGuys, guys, chill out. I\u2019m tired, and we can\u2019t hang out here all day. Why don\u2019t we regroup elsewhere in a little while and sort things out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone agreed to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

So the battle was over. The only things filling the air right now were beautiful melodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shockingly enough, Baton and everyone in the orchestra had continued practicing through the entire protracted war. Talk about insane willpower. I praised them profusely, of course, before ordering them to take five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2014and I noticed something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Huh? Is it me, or is Chloe striking more of a presence now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust your imagination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Rimuru is right. No doubt about it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSilence! I didn\u2019t ask for a lizard\u2019s opinion!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veldora and I both jumped in our seats. Can you blame us? Luminus, who seemed pretty serene up to now, just lashed out without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I figured we could leave the conversation at that, but one man didn\u2019t get the message. Not Veldora\u2014he was often oblivious to this kind of thing, but even he was starting to wise up lately. We exchanged nods after he picked up on Luminus\u2019s rage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Rimuru and Sir Veldora are certainly right. At first glance, she appears to be merely a ravishing young woman, but her core essence, if you will\u2026 It\u2019s an improvement over Chloe, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the demon lord Leon himself speaking. He always acted so coolheaded, but I guess he had a to-the-point personality. And really, he paid way<\/em> too much attention to Chloe. He was stuck to her like glue, in fact, not even trying to pry himself away. Between that and calling her ravishing, he wasn\u2019t even trying to hide how much he was spoiling her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeon, you\u2019re being just as overly clingy as you used to be! Don\u2019t I always tell you that you\u2019ll never find a girlfriend that way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Chloe, for her part, was merciless with him. I have to say, Leon did a hell of a lot for her sake\u2026but I\u2019ll refrain from commenting further. It\u2019s a little painful to think about. Though really, despite his cool demeanor and good looks, Leon\u2019s kind of an unfortunate case, isn\u2019t he? Ramiris called him a crybaby, and now I was thinking about being a little nicer to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After admonishing Leon, Chloe looked around the chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, looks like everything worked out okay, so I wanted to let you all know\u2014I feel like I\u2019ve truly awakened as a Hero now. Looks like the egg inside me, along with the one Hinata had been keeping warm, sort of combined into one. Don\u2019t tell anybody, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiled a little. I was surprised\u2014and then I remembered something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChloe! That\u2019s far too delicate a topic to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had to watch our mouths\u2014Guy may be keeping an eye on us, after all. So I hurriedly tried to deflect the conversation\u2026but I didn\u2019t need to worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s all right! I don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s looking at us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe declared us to be safe. And at this point, Chloe wasn\u2019t the little girl she seemed to be. All children grow up over time, leaving their parents\u2019 protection and setting off on their own. I was happy to see her mature, although it made me feel a tad lonesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I suddenly realized just what we were witnessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the birth of Chloe Aubert, the True Hero, wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinata and Chloe hadn\u2019t completely separated. The hero\u2019s egg that Hinata had begun nurturing at some point was still left inside Chloe. Now she was one woman with two eggs, an impossible miracle that led to a Hero like none other awakening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Or maybe not. This wasn\u2019t a miracle, some surprise that occurred out of nowhere. With Chloe\u2019s unbending will, it was only natural that she made this happen. Despite the infinite, repeating cycles of death and birth, Chloe had overcome them all and still maintained her straight-minded, innocent pureness. That sheer <\/a>will, powerful enough to push aside all hopelessness, was what engineered this miracle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then did I see, from the bottom of my heart, just how great she was. I had to speak up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou really worked hard for this. I could learn a thing or two from you. From now on, I swear that I\u2019ll never give up, no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I meant it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou got it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing Chloe smile and nod at me, I made a second promise to myself. From now on, I\u2019d never let anything cloud that smile of hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, I couldn\u2019t be rosy about everything ahead. I knew that some force out there wanted me dead, and I naturally had to consider my response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affirmative. You must take every possible precaution.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These events made me realize that if I\u2019m defeated, it\u2019s no longer exclusively my problem. Once again, I resolved in my mind to never show any mercy to my opponents. It\u2019s important to understand the principles of other people, but if you wound up making sacrifices after overvaluing them, that\u2019s putting the cart before the horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will take any measure for the sake of victory.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I made a secret promise to myself as I returned Chloe\u2019s smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EPILOGUE<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

TO THE PROMISED LAND<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

That night, we did a quick comparison of notes, planning to discuss the finer details on another day once things calmed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Leon, I learned of his relationship with Chloe. They were once childhood friends, apparently, and practically raised like brother and sister, but he wouldn\u2019t go into further detail. Chloe probably forgot all about it, so it was kind of a mystery, although probably not a major one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As cool as Leon was, there was no end to his doting on Chloe. His dedication was on an even more dangerous level, I think, than Treyni\u2019s devotion to Ramiris. He\u2019d continually say stuff like \u201cI swear my allegiance to you\u201d with a straight face. I\u2019m sure Chloe would laugh it off and say \u201cI\u2019ll pass,\u201d though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Chloe, it turned out that she could take the form of an adult woman, too. Chronoa\u2019s consciousness was alive and well, and they now enjoyed a rapport like what Raphael and I had. They could therefore easily switch between who controlled her body, and whenever they were in a serious fight, Chloe could merge her consciousness with Chronoa to return to her true form. Of course, staying an adult all the time would probably confuse the other kids, so she told us that she\u2019d stick with being a child for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luminus, meanwhile, told me about Granville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose it was the loss of his wife that truly drove him mad. <\/a>And when Maribel, his final hope, died, he went crazy all over again\u2026but then, I believe, he regained his sanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serious, sincere, but also awkward and clumsy\u2014that\u2019s how you could suitably describe Granville Rozzo. When his wife, Maria, died, he had a breakdown over being unable to protect his beloved. He pinned all his hopes on Maribel\u2014but then she took me on and lost. I\u2019m thinking that Yuuki may have killed her, although I don\u2019t have any real proof\u2014but to Granville, the reason didn\u2019t matter. What did was that Maribel was dead, and the loss actually made him regain his sanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk about ironic. And when he regained his marbles, he came up with his plan to awaken a True Hero, a strategy that threatened to destroy the world if it failed. But Granville made that decision, and he really resolved to it. That much, there was no doubt about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hero, of course, wasn\u2019t some infallible golden child. Anyone could become prejudiced\u2014or insane for that matter. Granville had a lot of love for the human race, and I\u2019m sure that\u2019s why the backlash from the loss of his sanity was so great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s not like this couldn\u2019t apply to me. What if I<\/em> lost someone I loved? I recalled the heartrending sense of loss I felt when my fellow countrymen were mowed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026It\u2019s not just some dumb thought, no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think, just a little, I understood Granville\u2019s feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day, we held that international concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took place outdoors, behind the now-thoroughly destroyed cathedral, in front of an audience arranged in neat rows. Beautiful, melancholy music echoed high into the sky\u2014a kind of funeral march, sent out to those we entrusted with our hopes for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

I had a dream. A very strange dream. In it, I was this very selfish little girl.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Maria, now awake, looked at Gren and smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas it fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Very much so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They looked at each other and grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOdd, isn\u2019t it? Why couldn\u2019t I trust in that slime?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm, that\u2019s a tough question. I\u2019d like to say \u2018Because it was a dream,\u2019 but that\u2019s not a very elegant answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa-ha-ha! Sorry. Well, like you say, Maria, if we accepted and trusted in everything, it\u2019d be a really beautiful world. But we all have our cowardly side. We\u2019re afraid of people who live under different rules than us, afraid they might stab us in the back. Even worse, if you don\u2019t distrust anyone, people might say you have an innocent heart, but it certainly doesn\u2019t bode well for a career in politics. The thing any leader\u2019s asked for is to be more watchful of others than anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria scowled at this. \u201cUgh! Are you saying there\u2019s no hope for any of us to truly understand each other? Well, I don\u2019t like that<\/em>. I don\u2019t like it at all! So I\u2019m gonna start believing next time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn your dreams, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight. But if I have the same dream again, this time I\u2019ll definitely believe in that slime. I think we could really be friends!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh? Yeah, I\u2019ll bet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gren gently nodded at Maria\u2019s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, Gren, what kind of dream did you<\/em> have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe? Well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gren had a very long, and very sad, dream. But right at the end, he saw the light of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a nice one. A very nice one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s good! Because if you\u2019re happy, then I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe too. If it\u2019ll make you happy, I\u2019ll climb any mountain for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m here, and you\u2019re here, and we can live out our days in peace, then every day will be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019ll have kids, and our family will grow, and then we\u2019ll be happier than ever!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe certainly will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gren gave Maria a gentle hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could hear a beautiful melody. It was their signal to depart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, we don\u2019t want to leave Razul waiting. Want to get going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right. Did you forget anything? We can\u2019t come back here, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m all right. As long as I have you, I don\u2019t need anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So they walked off, hand in hand, toward the promised land where everyone was waiting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE HERO AWAKENS Ughh\u2026 I\u2019m exhausted. Hinata was faced with an irresistible temptation as she found herself about to be sucked into a bottomless abyss. Memories of times near and far crossed her mind\u2014her life was flashing before her eyes. Yes\u2026 Now I remember. Even my own dad played with me sometimes, huh? She had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rimuru","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3501,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions\/3501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}