That time I got reincarnated as a slime does not belong to me.

Turn the Clock:

Suffering. That's the only emotion he felt. Suffering because of failure. Because he had failed. Had he failed? Yes, yes he had. Why else would he be feeling such. He had failed spectacularly.

Has long has it been? 10 days? Or was it more? He didn't count… He couldn't.

It has been ten or more days since Demon Lord Rimuru died and everyone was in mourning. They were suffering. Suffering due to failure. Their failure.

No, it was mine.

He thoughts so bitterly.

I alone am at fault for this.

There is still a chance.

The voice responded. Such an angelic, gentle voice.

Don't you want to stop their suffering? Don't you want to stop suffering?

I failed them. Because I failed them, they have to suffer. So I have to suffer, too.

But wouldn't it be better if both sides stopped suffering?

Why are you asking me? I can't change anything.

Indeed. You can't. It's impossible for you. You're dead. Deader than dead, in fact.

Then leave me alone. Don't tear new wounds where they aren't needed.

I am not opening wounds, I'm here to close them.

And what can you do?!

Nothing. Nothing at all. Neither can you. That's why we're both here.

Leave me alone already…

I can't do that.

Why not?! You're only making this worse!

I want to help.

How?!

That, I do not know.

Then how are you supposed to help?!

…

I don't know.

Leave.

No.

Leave!

I don't want to.

I said LEAVE! ...Just... leave.

…I can't. Not while you're still suffering.

He slept. He didn't know what else to call it. Or maybe he just didn't know if he was actually awake or sleeping. He supposed it didn't matter. He was dead anyway. So this is what death was like? It was peaceful.

Or it would be if that voice wasn't trying to talk him like... every ten minutes. Or was it ten hours? He didn't really care. He just wished it would disappear.

It's every three minutes to be precise.

And there it was, again! Nobody cared! And did it have to crush his hopes like that?! Even death can't be peaceful, he guessed. Was a bit of peace and quiet really that much to wish for?

Probably.

Could you stop talking?

There is no need to be annoyed. Then again, it's not like you can just chase me away.

I don't even know who or what you are!

That as well.

Tch, shut it!

Hrmpf. It sounded a bit like a snort, he noted surprised Is this the real you?

No, I'm only like this when I'm deeply annoyed.

Hahaha! Interesting! I don't remember ever having this type of attitude.

Who are you anyway?

All comes with time, little one. Just wait a bit.

Why? It's not anything's going to happen here!

That is true. However, I find it much more interesting this way.

What is much more interesting? Talking?

Among other things, yes. I have not had anyone else to talk to in... a long time. Since my own death, to be precise.

When did you die?

I'm currently not too good with how much time has passed in the living world but I think around at least 2000 years, if not more.

That's terribly long. What about others that die? Why can you not talk with them? Or is it that we can't talk with them?

Ahh, we are different, I fear. Those people are dead. Truly dead. Nothing can rouse them anymore. You and me, are deader than dead, however. One might say I am not but... it's not something that can be easily explained. I wouldn't know how exactly to do that either.

How are we different? Why are we the only ones deader than dead? What does that even mean?

We are both a very special type of unique, I think. When we died, our souls shattered, they did not pass on. That's why revival is impossible. This shattering makes us 'deader than dead'.

So we're doomed to stay like this for eternity.

Yes, that is correct.

That's… frightening. Eternity is such a long time, no eternity is eternity. The fact that it is infinite makes it scary.

Yes, it seems easy, but once you begin thinking about it's duration and how it never ends, it becomes scary. Because there is always an end to something and once you try to imagine it away, that feeling bursts forth.

Isn't there a way out?

No, not really.

Geez, that's terrifying…

Don't I know it?

How did you pass the time?

I just waited.

That's even more terrible to imagine!

Is it? Hahaha!

Of course it is! …You're worse than Veldora.

Veldora, huh? How is he? Still getting bullied by his sisters?

You know him? And yeah, I guess.

Ha! The poor child! Not getting a rest, huh? I hope he's having fun. His siblings, too. They're all either too stiff or too carefree.

With stiff you mean Velzard, right? I wouldn't exactly call her that but yeah, she seems the stiffest out of all of them.

Sounds like her.

Do you miss them? Who are they to you?

Haha, well, this is a bit awkward…

It moved. No, it did not. He stared at the unresponsive corpse. Did it? No, it definitely did not. Ha, now he was even hallucinating! What a joke! He laughed but somehow, he was about to start crying again. He had to sit down. Damn it! Why was his own damn head doing this to him now!?

He took his head into his hands as tears started to fall. Why? Just why? Why couldn't he let go?

He jumped into a position as he heard a rustle. Looking around he saw nothing. Was it...? No, it was still lying there like it had been the last two months. Why did he even hope? Sinking down again, he sighed. This was beginning to be too much for him to bear. At this rate, he'd go insane.

He only wanted Rimuru to come back, was that so much to ask for?

He was aware that he was not the only one feeling this way but he couldn't face them. Not when he knew he might accidently kill everyone his friend so loved in his anger.

He had never felt this type of loss before, it was tearing him apart. He just wanted his friend back. He wanted everything to be the same as before. Infinite Imprisonment was better than this.

He cradled the cold him in his arms and cried as the tears fell onto his friends face gently. Taking one of his hands into his own, he held it against his cheek and pressed their foreheads together. He was warm.

It took the dragon a minute before that fact sank in. He had a clenching feeling in his gut, this had to be a joke. He took Rimuru's other hand…

It was cold.

So it really was just his mind! What a sick thing it had wanted to make him believe! He laughed dryly, hateful. Seems like he already was insane.

But the hand he first held was still warm and so was his forehead. What the… concentrating closer on the cold one, he felt it heat up as well. Was it due to his own body heat? No, that can be. It was warming up in places he didn't even touch. An illusion? No, he definitely felt it, he saw it. A bit of colour had returned to the Slimes face.

"..." He opened his mouth but words wouldn't, couldn't, leave. His voice was stuck in his throat as the tears began falling anew. He pressed him against himself as tight as he could. He never wanted to let go, never again. Rimuru had opened his eyes.

"V... el… do... ra?" His voice was weak and hoarse. It ended in a coughing fit.

"Yes!" He half-shouted tearfully "Yes, it's me! I'm Veldora! I'm Veldora…!" Still holding him close, he sobbed "I missed you! I missed you so much!"

"I... missed you too…" Rimuru tried returning the embrace as much as he could. Both of them had huge smiles on their faces but Veldora's was far bigger.

The dragon laughed "What the hell were you even doing, you idiot! …We all thought you were dead." There was no maliciousness in his voice, only sadness.

"I... was dead." The slime confessed "But... I'm back. I'm really back."

"How did you even manage that?" He asked happily, wiping away tears with his arm.

"I didn't." He replied and Veldora feared that it was an illusion all along "You saved me. You all did."

"What?" He asked perplexed "But we didn't do anything, I didn't do anything. Everyone, everyone is just..."

"I know." Rimuru replied with a small smile "You were all suffering because of me."

"I-" He paused for a moment "It's not your fault! You protected everyone from that thing! We just... we weren't able to do anything. I... I wasn't even there…"

"But all of you still saved me."

"How!?" The dragon yelled "We did nothing! Absolutely nothing! You died because of us!"

The slime wiped a tear from his face "And you all are the reason I was able to resurrect. You know… Ciel can be really surprising. She's amazing but some things take time. Had it not been for you and the others, I wouldn't be here now."

The dragons voice was weak "What the hell are you even talking about?"

"My soul shattered. I was 'deader than dead'. But there was someone else who was just like me. Shortly before I came back... he told me what Ciel had done." He smiled sadly "She linked my soul to everyone who had a connection to me. That's why, when it shattered and I died, it resided in each and every one of you. She slowly but steadily took these pieces and brought them together. Had it not been for all of you, I would have remained shackled to eternity."

Veldora just stared "I don't get it." He then laughed "But I guess I understand." He threw him into the air and caught him.

Rimuru was now trapped in the dragons arms, unable to get free as he stood up with a joyous smile.

"Let's go greet the others!"

"Wh-!" Rimuru blanched "No! Let me down first! I can walk by myself!"

The dragon kept smiling like an idiot "Nope!"

"Come one, let go! Being carried like this is embarrassing!"

"Hahaha! Who cares! Deal with it!" He grinned down at him "I'm going to throw you into everyone's faces like this!"

"Veldora, no!"

"Veldora, yes!"