"You'll understand when you see it."
We pass by buildings sprayed with blood and injured hobgoblins tending to their wounds. We enter a clearing within the city, filled with the corpses of hobgoblins.
"What is all this? What… happened here?" I mutter as I'm frozen in shock. "Are they all… Dead?"
"The humans were merciless…" Says one of the nearby unharmed hobgoblins. "We did just as you ordered, Great Rimuru, and welcomed the humans. The result of that…"
"Quiet" Rigurd stated firmly, "Be Quiet."
The hobgoblin covered his mouth realizing what he had insinuated, "P-Please forgive me."
My own words… Because they… followed my orders?
"If I hadn't used that great magic, this wouldn't have happened." The woman I had just met, Myulan, said to me.
This woman… What is this feeling?I clench my fists and look over wide eyed towards Myulan. I can say that I'm a very patient slime. Though I may feel irritated in a lot of situations, and even anger at times, this feeling is one I haven't experienced since coming here.
Rage.
Flaming hot rage flowed through my veins, and now it was directed towards the Majin in front of me that harmed my people.
'Notice. The great magic Anti-Magic Field- ', I hear great sage try to inform me of something, but I can't pay attention. All I want is to do something. Anything, to relieve this horrid pain in my heart.
Fueled with emotion I move faster than the eye can track, kicking Myulan's feet out from under her and forcing her to her knees while gripping her throat. No longer having control over them, my magicules burst free from my form. All those around me are forced to back away due to their weakened state. I meet Myulan's eyes filled with fear, but also resignation, with my own filled with fury.
"Lord Rimuru please wait!" Cried out Youm who moved to intervene. However, Benimaru quickly threw him to the ground and restrained him. "Benimaru, let me go! I need to help Myulan!" Youm tried his best to escape but Benimaru ensured he couldn't.
"Shut up you damn fool! You'll only get yourself killed if you interrupt him now"
Youm settled down for the moment and looked up at Benimaru confused. Seeing Youm restrained, Grucius prepared to intervene as well, but Benimaru glared at him causing him to freeze. "I've never seen him act like this before" Benimaru explained, "It's obvious this isn't the forgiving Rimuru that we've known." Rigurd nodded, with a frown. Though Grucius knew he needed to help Myulan, he could also sense the power behind my released magicules.
Despite the commotion behind me my eyes remained glued to Myulan's. "Why?" I muttered. As my anger increased so did the amount of magicules being ejected from my body, Myulan trembled in pain from the pressure. She hesitated for a second before replying, "I had no choice…" she uttered.
"Explain." I stated coldly. She continued speaking with pain evident in her tone due to continued exposure to the large amount of released magicules, "Demon Lord Clayman… he took my heart from me with his secret art, Marionette Heart. If I didn't obey him, he would kill me."
My frown deepened, "So you decided to kill my people out of your own selfishness?" At that she didn't reply. However, I wasn't paying enough attention to hear her even if she had. Currently, a conflict was happening within my mind. As my more patient side argued that she can't be held fully accountable for her actions, the side fueled by anger demanded her life as payment for her crimes.
Great Sage suddenly intervened, 'Notice. The more likely cause for their deaths are the humans that you instructed the one named Souei to investigate.' Though that could be the case, that doesn't make this Majin any less responsible. Great Sage seemed like it wanted to say something more but I ignored it. I looked back towards the corpses of the ones I had sworn to protect. The rage within me reignited, the burning within my chest almost unbearable.
Benimaru, Rigurd, Youm, and Grucius could instantly sense the change. Grucius knowing what would happen next transformed into his beast form and charged towards me, "Lord Rimuru I can't let you do this!"
I instantly entangled him with my sticky steel thread, stopping him in his tracks. "Lord Rimuru please don't do this! She didn't have any other choice, please!" Youm begged from underneath Benimaru. Their pleads fell on deaf ears, my mind was already set. In a swift motion I let go of Myulan and beheaded her with my sword.
"Noo!" Youm screamed, tears running down his face. Everyone else watched in a stunned silence as Myulan's body slumped over. Grucius roared, broke out of his bindings, and charged towards me in a blind fury. I easily avoided his lunge and sliced a deep gash into his chest. Grucius whimpered and fell to the ground majorly injured, but luckily still alive.
Having sensed the large release of magicules Shuna had arrived to where everyone had gathered, just in time to have seen Myulan cut down. I sheathed my blade and let both my arms relax at my side before turning towards her and Benimaru. They were shocked by what they saw. One side of my face had been covered in blood from both striking down Myulan and Grucius, while the other was left clean with tears running down it. They could both sense the inner turmoil within their master.
"Take me to Shion, I don't sense her energy here." I stated numbly. They winced but nodded their heads. They lead me towards the plaza, where the deceased monsters were being laid to rest. Once we had arrived the sun had set and all that was left was moon light. We then stopped in front of a covered body. Benimaru removed the cloth, and beneath it laid Shion unmoving. He stepped to the side as I walked up to her corpse.
"Shion tried to protect a child our attackers came after." Benimaru explained, "Weakened by the barrier, she couldn't move as well as usual…" I stood there unmoving, and rage filled me once more. My magicules released themselves automatically, more strongly than before. This caused both Benimaru and Shuna to back away in pain.
The rage left a moment later, replacing it with exhaustion. My magicules stabilized and stopped releasing, and I fell to my knees. All these emotions that I've had seemingly no control over, had finally left me tired and hollow. Shuna knelt behind me and hugged me from behind but said nothing. Benimaru stood besides me in silence. Neither knew what to say in order to comfort their lord.
"Why did this happen?" I asked aloud but didn't expect an answer.
"Notice. Cannot calculate."
"What should I have done?" Shuna held me tighter against her, but still said nothing.
"Notice. Cannot comprehend."
"Was it a mistake to get involved with humans?" Benimaru continued to look at me, thoughts full of possible answers, but remained silent.
"Notice. Cannot answer."
"Tell me… Was I wrong?"
"Notice. Cannot calculate. Cannot comprehend. Cannot answer."
"All these intense emotions had been raging in my head, but now, I'm painfully calm. I can't even shed another tear." I stared at Shion's body that laid before me. Shuna continued to hold me against her and Benimaru could only look down at me. He felt so utterly useless, not knowing how to help his master.
"Oh, I get it. I've become a monster at heart, too."