The Dwelling of Spirits

It took a bit while longer to arrive into Ulgrasia, to a giant tree with a door in front.

Just get past a barrier that conceals said door and here they are.

'Phew...as a precaution we ate lunch and had a bathroom break before coming here...' Rimuru shuddered before summoning Ranga. The kids yelped at seeing a large horned wolf come out of Rimuru's shadow.

'Ranga, give this letter to Rigurd.' Rimuru instructed, giving Ranga a stringed pouch. 'And keep holding the fort, OK?'

'Yes, master!' Ranga went back into her shadow and was gone.

'Er...?' Kenya blinked owlishly.

'Ranga and my Tempest Storm Wolf pack have the Intrinsic Skill Shadow Motion, a skill I gained when I Named them.' said Rimuru. 'Ranga will be back home in about three hours as Shadow Travel enables fast travel with no obstacle whatsoever and he can run like a racing car.'

'Wooow...'

'Well, let's go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Rimuru took a deep breath as with a snap of her fingers, she transformed into her battle dress. 'I'll be at front. Girls in the middle, boys at the back, like we planned.'

'Hai!'

And they entered the door.

For a supposed labyrinth, it's...a straight hall?

But ten minutes into walking, they could hear...giggles.

Typical of fairies.

'S-sensei...' the girls whimpered, scared from all the giggling.

'It's OK.' Rimuru reassured them. 'Hey, we came here for high-level spirits in order to stabilize the agitated magicules in these Summoned Children.' she called out to the giggling fairies. 'Take us to the Fairy Queen!'

'Fuhahahaha...that's a funny request...sure...if you survive this trial!' the smarmy voice of a little girl sneered. 'Behold, my Elemental Colossal! Defe-'

Before she can finish talking, Rimuru flatly cast Gluttony at the golem. Analyzed. It's of high-quality Magisteel to boot, so she isolated it for now for future use. 'GEH?! I-in an instant?!'

'Oooh, burn there.' Kenya whistled.

'Its too slow for me.' Rimuru stated nonchalantly. 'I trained with a swordmaster who moves insanely fast that your golem is worse than a snail.' she scoffed. 'Anyways, I'm on a little time-crunch, so the kids come first before any shenanigans or you're a fried fairy and be my snack!'

'W-w-w-what the hell?!' that was sufficient enough to terrify the fairy into coming out. 'OK, fine, here I am!' she was a fairy that appears like a kid with a spiky mullet ending in a braid, but she ended up biting her tongue. Rimuru sweatdropped.

'Oi oi...so you our guide?' Rimuru asked her.

'I'm more than just a guide!' the fairy snorted. 'I, am one of the Ten Great Demon Lords, Fairy Queen Ramiris!'

Awkward silence...

'Come up with a better lie than that.' Rimuru deadpanned with an armfold. 'I already met Milim, Dino and Karion and they're way more domineering in presence!' Ramiris practically gave up the ghost.

'Sensei, you know three demon lords personally?' Kenya croaked out.

'Yeah. Dino stayed the whole autumn and Milim stayed till end of winter...then Karion made a business trade with me.'

'You mean you're that Slime Lady Milim was talking about?!' Ramiris squawked out. 'She wouldn't stop talking about you!'

'Ahahaha, I can imagine.' Rimuru sweatdropped. 'She's a little too excitable, but a good girl nonetheless. She also learned how to be a good big sister to little kids in my town.'

'Yes but she won't stop griping on how you won't choose to become one of us yet.' Ramiris deadpanned with an armfold.

'Because one, my town is not complete and somehow we got pushed into becoming our own country and two, my fighting skills still suck.' said Rimuru wryly. 'Becoming a Demon Lord means I'll be popular in the wrong way and I'm not a good fighter yet. I'm still training!'

'Become...a Demon Lord?' Gale asked in disbelief.

'For most monsters, there's a requirement to be one.' said Rimuru. 'They must gain enough power to become a Demon Lord Seed. Then to become a Demon Lord, you must nourish that seed to complete evolution.' she told them. 'That's what my skill, Great Sage told me. But since I'm not interested yet, he withheld back the requirement to become one on my wish.'

'Great Sage? I'd love to hear that.' Ramiris mused, intrigued. 'Let's go to my parlor room for tea. I hope you have snacks at least.' Rimuru sputtered. Why is SHE the one providing snacks?!

xxx

At Ramiris' room, Rimuru has an assortment of interesting fruit...and mushrooms. Ramiris at least, provided tea. Rimuru out of consideration, let them have her chocolate wares as this world has no chocolate whatsoever. Not even Karion who exports fruit, has chocolate so it's up to her to make one!

The kids were in tears at having a nostalgic treat they missed.

Ramiris was highly intrigued with fruit she's never seen before and the two adults talked. About Rimuru's skill Great Sage and how thanks to her skill, pieced things out.

'So that's what you're here for. Though good luck trying to punch Leon in the face.' said Ramiris as she was enjoying Cuticle Berries. 'You need to be a Demon Lord just to bruise his face.'

'Ugggghhh...' Rimuru groaned. 'But at least we can still save the kids somehow. I didn't tell them...no, I couldn't have the heart to tell them that they have one year left to live.' she said in dismay as the two looked at the kids who were enjoying Mushroom Pudding not far from them and Chocorn. 'They accumulate agitated magicules a little TOO fast when its supposed to take five years, not three.'

'They will become Majin after this.' Ramiris told her. 'They don't have the Degenerate Skill their late teacher has.'

'I know. But it's her wish to give them a future.' said Rimuru. 'These kids lived two years in fear that they will die soon, after taken away from Earth, our former world. Never to see their families ever again. Spirit Fusion is their only hope to have a future now.'

'Haaah...' Ramiris popped in the last bit of berry before using an ultra-thin straw to sip tea from. 'Well, I'll help you and the kids on two conditions...'

'What is it?'

'Show me a piece of Earth Entertainment!' Ramiris demanded. 'And compensation for my golem you just wrecked!'

Rimuru smirked. Two easy jobs. What a kid.

'Heh...oh, kids~!' Rimuru called out. 'Do you want to watch anime?'

'WHAT?!' the kids perked up and quickly mobbed her at once.

'I WANT SAILORMOON!' Alice demanded.

'I WANT YAIBA!' Kenya called out.

'LET ME WATCH DETECTIVE CONAN!' Gale raised his arms frantically.

'SENSEI I WANT POKEMON!' Ryoma cried.

'A-ano, I want Ghost Sweeper...' Chloe shyly gushed out.

Ramiris was blown away by the children's begging of...what is this anime thingy? Is it that popular in their old world?

'We'll watch all those back at school but for now we'll show what Ramiris is interested in first since she wants a piece of our world through what we all like.' said Rimuru. 'We have Comedy, Romance, Historical, Adventure, Horror, Magical, Mecha...'

'Show me a Mecha one!' Ramiris barked.

'OK, I'll play up an old classic...Daimos!'

'Just how many anime do you have in your memory sensei?' Alice sweatdropped.

'I got hooked at nine years old and pretty much all my allowances went to buying it and I continued watching new series until I was 37 years old...Great Sage, take us to my Isolation Space and load up Episode 1 of Daimos as Illusion Magic and change the subtitles into this world's language!' and they found themselves in Rimuru's Isolation Space.

But Ramiris freaked out because of who's in there.

'WHY IS VELDORA HEEEEEERE?!'

'Oh, you got children and a pipsqueak as a guest in our space?' Veldora asked Rimuru.

'Well, we'll watch one Episode of Daimos...'

xxx

After one Episode of Daimos, they were back at Ramiris' Parlor Room.

'Veldora aside, that was amazing...' said Ramiris. 'But why the hell is he in your stomach?!' she demanded. 'I think seeing him in your body just about shaved a millennia off my lifespan!' she cried in freak-out.

'Ahahaha...' and Rimuru explained why.

'So you see Veldora as your new father because of that and you're obligated to help him?' Ryoma mused as Rimuru told them how Veldora came to be inside her body.

'He's a pretty swell guy despite how he looks.' said Rimuru. 'Besides, my old parents told me to always choose friends based on personality so social stuff don't matter. Again, this is another secret you kids must keep, OK?' she reminded her students. 'Humans of this world cannot know that. Not even Chairman Kagurazaka given his situation, OK?'

'Hai~!'

'Well, as promised, I'll help you gain spirits.' Ramiris promised them. 'The Fairy Queen acts as a guide for the Holy. It is my mission to grant Heroes the Protection of the Spirits.' she said as her wings glowed and she beat her wings for glowing fairy dust and flew around to spew said dust on the kids and Rimuru herself. 'I'll help you summon them...and may you all find wonderful spirits! After this, let me watch something comedy next!'

'Yes yes...'

xxx

Later, to the Hall of Spirits...

It's a large room with stairs of light coiling around an earthly pillar.

Gale felt that as the eldest, decided he should go first. 'S-sensei, if anything happens, please take care of the others.' he said nervously.

It was cute that he took on being a good senpai, but it also pains Rimuru that a kid at age 11 acts like he's walking to his death, so she swore not to let anything crazy happen.

All he had to do, is kneel and pray. As a responsible guardian, Rimuru stood beside him to give him confidence and reassurance. 'It's alright. I'll be here.' she reassured Gale. Encouraged by this, Gale prayed because he's not alone.

After some time has passed, drops of light began to fall from the sky. Like snow.

And, before them on the altar a single spirit appeared.

Gale noticed this and continued to pray.

A non-sentient mass of natural energy. Appearing like a mass of magical energy, but a mere counterfeit.

Will it be able to acquire an ego? Like Veldora's cave, this place is filled with natural energy.

If it's not self-aware it will probably disperse, then come together again to give birth to a new spirit. Rimuru wasn't about to gamble Gale's fate with this! Then, without any hesitation, she ate the spirit. Ramiris squawked, her expression comedy gold.

'Gale, continue praying!'

'Wh-what was that! You...what have you done?!'

'Ramiris, shut up for a second. I've got a plan.' Rimuru told Ramiris hastily. Calmly, she called forth Great Sage. After reading her intentions, it began the calculation. And after completing them, it began transforming the spirit.

/Announcement. Transformation of the spirit using Great Sage has been completed. The contents are now mostly of Earth Attribute Abilities. Furthermore, after analyzing flame giant Ifrit, a pseudo-human personality has been created. Corrective ability from the unique skill Great Sage has been added. Will you bestow this power on Gale Gibson? [YES]/[NO]?/

She placed her hand on Gale's head, select YES, and grant him the power. Through this, the contract with the spirit will be completed within a single moment.

After analyzing Gale's condition she confirmed that the rampaging magical energy was now at peace. Of course, his aggregate energy is still far higher than that of normal children.

That is the result of spiritual energy and magical energy offsetting each other. Now, as he continues to grow he will probably be able to acquire many abilities.

"Surgery was successful!" she thought in her mind, and happily shook hands with the Great Sage- mentally, of course.

'Yup, all done! Good job!' she said to Gale. Doesn't look like he was in pain or anything; he just quickly looked up at her. She gave a big reassuring nod. 'You're okay now. The collapse has stopped, I guarantee it!'

That meant one thing to Gale and surely, to the other kids.

They would have a future. They have their future back, after this world took it from them selfishly.

With a face full of tears, 'Sensei, thank you very much!' He bowed. While hiding her embarrassment, Rimuru patted his head, and they rejoined the other kids.

Everyone was very happy to find out that they had succeeded. But, they just started. It's meaningless unless everyone is saved.

'Steel yourselves. We'll celebrate when everyone is saved!' Rimuru told them firmly.

They were reminded by her words and nodded.

Next was Alice.

She said that she was scared walking down the path, so she held her hand all the way.

Under her watchful eye, Alice bowed down to pray. Holding her hands together tightly, holding onto her skirt.

After waiting for a while, light began to fall from the sky just as before.

The moment the spirit appeared on the Altar, Rimuru ate it too like before to process it. Ramiris looked as if she had something to say, but she completely ignored her. She's gotten used to this the second time around.

/Announcement. Transformation of the spirit using Great Sage has been completed. The contents are now mostly of Space Attribute Abilities. Furthermore, after analyzing flame giant Ifrit, a pseudo-human personality has been created. Corrective ability from the unique skill Great Sage has been added. Due to excellent affinity, it has fused with Shadow Step and evolved into Spatial Transfer./ uwa, she's got Skills now! /Will you bestow this power on Alice Rondo? [YES]/[NO]?/

Seems like her ability has evolved after coming in contact with a spirit. What an unexpected occurrence. Rimuru knew she can now basically cheat with the world with this and proceeded. 'Alice, well done! You're fine now!'

She smiled widely and kissed Rimuru on the cheek. Oi oi, what a precocious child. Rimuru wondered should she even be happy to have this gesture from a child she would soon adopt? She was touched, though.

'Thanks!' She bowed in thanks, and we returned to the rest of the group.

She returned to the circular room with Kenya.

Now she feels confident. Things are going smoothly.

Just three left. In worst case scenario, she had planned to summon the spirits herself and grant them to children, but there was no need for that.

But, three more to go. Transforming the spirits takes up a surprising amount of energy.

She should be able to manage three more. The moment Kenya started praying – welp, he hasn't even closed his eyes yet – light began falling from the sky.

There's a mass of energy far larger than the ones that appeared for the other two.

And there stood a human shaped spirit–a boy.

'Yo! How's life? I'm good. I felt like coming over, so I did!'

And extended a casual greeting.

'Ah, ahhhhh! You, why did you just come to someone's house uninvited!' Ramiris, her eyes wide, asked that of the child spirit. Seems like they know each other.

'Uhh...who?' Rimuru blinked owlishly. To her question, without waiting for Ramiris' introduction,

'Hiya! I am the spirit of light!' said the boy. 'Unlike that depressing and fallen descendant of darkness spirit, I am a pure spirit!' He said.

After thus introducing ourselves we continued the discussion.

Kenya, in a panic, was staring at them. Stop it, already.

After listening to our story, and perhaps maybe because Kenya had a good disposition towards light...'So, I decided to help Kenya!'

Is how it happened.

Generally, light and darkness spirits have the highest social standing, and are the highest grade of spirits.

Seems like he's also capable of bestowing divine protection onto heroes. In the first place, Ramiris and him are supposed to do that together, but that rarely happens.

'The last time we blessed a hero together was...what? Two thousand years ago?' Is what he said.

After Ramiris got really bored and decided to become an evil spirit, bestowing divine protection became his job.

A pointless discussion, but it seems that Ramiris has inherited her 'self' from previous generations.

She used to reign as the queen of fairies, but after reaching the pinnacle of power beyond which she could not progress she decided to split herself.

And to each one of these clone-children she gave a sense of self.

Thus, when they would grow up they could perhaps surpass the original. The flaw being–their weakness during childhood. A race that continuously strove to grow out of weakness.

Among all the demon lords, only she possesses such hereditary abilities.

Random outbursts of anger are expected from the selfish Ramiris, but their relationship can be described in only one word–terrible.

Doesn't it seem like most of demon lords are selfish? Can't say that all of them are like that, but so far...'So, until Ken-chan grows up, I'll be protecting you. Maybe, Ken-chan, you can even become a hero!'

Saying so, and without waiting for permission, he entered Kenya. Much too quickly Kenya's body completely stabilized.

'Sensei...' Kenya looked at Rimuru nervously and the woman herself was pole-axed with the unusual situation. But she quickly recomposed herself.

'It's okay. All according to plan!'

Though Kenya seemed to doubt her words he did believe the fact that his condition stabilized. After returning to the rest of the group he explained the situation himself. Somehow, he seems to have matured a bit.

Next would be Ryota.

What spirit would the weak willed Ryouta summon? It'd be bad if he doesn't appear.

Just as previously, he bowed to pray before the altar.

He walked down the narrow path by himself. Seemed spirited enough.

Now, what will happen?

Immediately, an emerald light fell from the sky drawing thousands of helices.

Before anything strange could happen, Rimuru ate it.

According to the analysis it's water and wind. A two-element spirit!. /Announcement. Transformation of the spirit using Great Sage has been completed. The contents are now mostly of Heat Manipulation Ability and Transformation Ability. Furthermore, after analyzing flame giant Ifrit, a pseudo-human personality has been created. Corrective ability from the unique skill Great Sage has been added. Due to excellent affinity, it has fused with Cloning. Attempted to evolve into Quantum Manipulation. Failed. Will you bestow this power on Sekiguchi Ryouta? [YES]/[NO]?/

Cloning is something that is very difficult to use without Great Sage support. Failing is the only answer. On that note, Quantum Manipulation huh? Rimuru has no idea what such a skill could do. In the first place, can it teach them the basic concepts of the skill? If she investigated its concepts Rimuru might be able to replicate its effects. Unlike the system of this world that people ardently study–magic, her abilities are far more unreasonable. It's a literal CHEAT.

And so, only one person left.

The last person, Chloe was very afraid to walk there, so she needed a source of comfort.

She was very happy.

Seems like she lied about her fear.

Now, what kind of spirit will she summon.

She's the last one. Not a time for failure.

Like everyone else, she bowed to pray.

That's when things started to change. This got Rimuru nervous. An oppressive aura, and a beautiful girl with silver-black hair. It had the vitality unbefitting a spirit. Is she some astral existence? Abandoned her flesh and lives as a mass of energy.

Rather than a spirit, she radiates some form of soul energy. At this rate, she will dissipate.

To prevent her dissipation, she either needs something to bind her soul, or to reincarnate into some body.

Without a body, we'd need to create some system for keeping her here.

Which isn't simple even for a high level spirit.

That girl(?) celestial maiden(?) suddenly saw Rimuru and grabbed on to her. As if, clinging and didn't want to let go and shaking. Unfortunately, as a ghost, she has no texture. A real shame. But what made this girl cling onto her as if she can't believe Rimuru was here?

The celestial maiden, with a look full of disappointment because, well, she can't touch Rimuru for real, moved to touch Chloe.

'Stop! I won't let you! I won't let you do as you please!' Suddenly, Ramiris held up both of her hands, prepared for combat.

Unlike her usual frivolous appearance, her eyes were completely serious this time.

A black light covered her hands which she shot out at Chloe. Rimuru, horrified jumped in front of Chloe to protect her, and it absorbed into her body.

It's hard to believe, but she seriously intended to kill her.

'H-hey! What was that for!' Rimuru sputtered out in shock.

'Shut up! She's dangerous! Don't you see?!'

'I don't?! What's dangerous?'

While they were busy arguing, the celestial maiden overlapped with Chloe and disappeared. Quickly, Rimuru verified Chloe's status. The collapse has stopped. No problem, right...'

'Mou! Too late. I give up...I don't even care anymore!'

Puffing her cheeks, Ramiris shouted.

No idea what just happened.

'That's why I'm asking...what was that?'

Ramiris did not respond.

Chloe opened her eyes and appeared completely oblivious to our worries.

'Again, what was that?' Rimuru grumbled.

'I don't know! I have absolutely no idea, but, that was probably something born in the future.' Ramiris sputtered out, 'Something that came from the future, and not a spirit. Did she possess that girl to give birth to herself? Ahh I don't know!' Ramiris freaked out and this got Rimuru worried. Perhaps if that spirit was indeed Chloe from the future and given how the spirit behaved...was there a bad future and she came back at this moment to warn them through her gestures?

But, that was something truly powerful.

If that is born in the future, it'll cause many problems. They'll deal with it when the time comes. For now, whatever. Chloe is perfectly fine.

Out of all kids, she has the shortest time because she was the strongest.

It's pointless to consider the future they have no control over right now.

For now, the gloomy stuff can wait. Rimuru just wants the kids to enjoy happiness as much as possible...while she prepares to prepare her forces to counter it.