And so we've reached the next chapter. Released after three weeks as promised.

After the interlude we had in the last chapter we are now continuing with the main story! I hope you guys enjoy the direction I've taken and am looking forward to hearing your thoughts!!

"Speech"

'Thought'

*Thought Communication*

《Great Sage》

{{Voice of the World}}

3rd POV:

Having recently returned from the puppet nation of Jistav at the summons of his lord and master, Gelmude was more than eager to carry out the task he had been assigned.

It had taken him some time to track them down again, the human party that consisted of two Heroes and three adventurers. But after some time, he did indeed find them again. They had entered much deeper into the forest in the four days that he had been gone.

It was surprising that they still seemed to be in one piece. Then again, two of them were of the Hero class, so it made sense that they had managed to make it this far.

Still, for a group that was within the depths of a monster territory, they seemed rather relaxed. Especially those three adventurers, they were being far too carefree in enemy territory.

But Gelmude didn't care about those three, as far as he could tell, there was nothing special about them. No, his targets were the two Heroes in the party, The Rising Hero: Masayuki Honjou, and The Conqueror of Flames: Shizue Aizawa.

He had been given orders by Lord Clayman to keep tabs on this group, and wait for the right opportunity to execute the orders he had been given.

Gelmude took a dark purple orb out of his pocket, an eerie glow coming from it and an aura that would unnerve most people. Lord Clayman had given this to him with simple instructions.

"Wait for the right opportunity, and when it comes, use this item on the Flame Hero, Shizue." Those had been his instructions, but it was the words after that had truly caught his attention. "This will likely attract the attention of the Majin you spoke of. Observe the chaos that unfolds and report back anything of note."

Gelmude didn't understand what his master meant by all that, but one thing was for sure. Once he used this orb, a lot of chaos was going to unfold. Lord Clayman wanted the corpses of the two Heroes to be as undamaged as possible so he could turn them both into his puppets, and if possible, the capture of the Majin as well.

Personally, Gelmude wanted the Majin to die in whatever chaos his master intended to create. He still hadn't gotten over the humiliation he had faced at being forced to flee like some coward. But even if by some miracle the Majin did survive, that would only make him a primary target for when he invaded the forest.

He had far more power than the numerous seeds he had planted throughout the forest, and so would serve as good fodder for the Orc Lord.

But for now, he would focus on the task that he had been assigned.

~~~

Ogre Village, Rimuru POV:

It was early morning in the forest, and as they did everyday, the Ogres were currently training in the clearing not too far from their village.

The Elder and I were standing by the edge of the clearing, watching over one of the sparring sessions that was taking place. It was a three versus one spar between the Young Master along with two other Ogres against Ranga on his own. While it may seem a bit unfair at first glance, Ranga had already proven himself to be stronger than all the ogres, but given that he was A-rank, even if it was on the lower end, the difference in strength wasn't that much of a surprise.

The main reason Ranga had been training with the ogres recently was to practice the arts and skills I had been helping him grasp. Things had been coming along nicely in that regard, but now I was more worried about his application rather than just his arsenal of skills and abilities, hence the reason I was having him spar with the Ogres. It was something Ranga would need to learn in order to fight both effectively and tactically.

The Ogres had been more than willing to agree to be his sparring partners, wanting to test their own strength against Ranga. Though they quickly learned that challenging him one on one was foolish. While Ranga may not be of the same intellectual level as them, he was still stronger than them. His strength reflecting his superior rank.

The three Ogres currently had Ranga surrounded from three angles, forming a triangle, their blades drawn and ready to attack. Ranga stood in the center, standing at full height as he easily towered over the three Ogres, yellow lightning cackling around his body as he snarled at the Young Master, who stood in front of him while keeping his senses aware of the other two.

Without warning, Ranga howled into the sky as lightning erupted around him and shot towards the three ogres. This was one of the new lightning based skills I'd taught him based off the Pokémon anime, [Discharge]. It was a simple yet effective wide area technique that was useful in situations where you were outnumbered such as this. Unfortunately, it's range was still a bit limited, but I figured Ranga would be able to fix that with time and practice.

The Young Master and Ogre1 (AN: because I'm too lazy to describe them all) managed to successfully evade the attack, but Ogre2 took the attack head on. His only saving grace being that due to the dispersing nature of the attack, it lacked offensive ability, besides Ranga was holding back some. Still, the attack was more than enough to make him cook a little, Ogres2's expression being all dopey before he fell and passed out.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Ranga charged towards Ogre1, body surrounded by lightning. It was another skill I'd taught him called [Wild Charge, just like the Pokémon version, Ranga would coat himself in lightning before charging at his opponent and ramming into them. He was also faster and more agile while using this technique.

So imagine my surprise when the Young Master actually managed to intercept Ranga, getting between the Wolf and Ogre1 with his sword blazing with crimson flames, before dashing forward to intercept Ranga.

It was good to see the Ogres making good use of the Magisteel weapons. One such weapon was the one the Young Master was wielding right now. This katana was one of few 100% Magisteel weapons that Kaijin had created, with the assistance of some Ogre blacksmiths, with my own sword being the only other thus far. Most of the weapons he made were 20-50% percent magisteel, with other materials mixed in such as metal, these were the ones that were passed along to the other Ogres.

That was because 100% Magisteel weapons were extremely valuable, due to their potential to grow into Legendary or even God-class weapons in the hands of the right wielder by absorbing Magicules from the user at a faster rate than their lesser counterparts. I'd given the Young Master this sword as a gift, and because I felt he had the most potential in the village.

That being said, they were still a few more notable individuals within the village that I was considering also doing the same for.

Back to the fight, the flaming sword clashed with the lightning-coated form of Ranga. The Young Master surprised me further by actually holding his ground in the face of Ranga's blunt force attack, while his attack had failed to damage the Tempest Wolf, he still managed to make it out with minor burns from the frantic lightning that surrounded Ranga.

"He's actually holding himself quite well. That new sword seems to suit him well too." I commented as I watched the Young Master and Ogre2 clash with Ranga once more.

"Yes, but I fear he may grow a bit complacent with that sword granting him more power than he had access to before." The Elder responded with a thoughtful hum as he stroked his beard.

"I don't think that will be an issue. The weapon grows alongside the user, meaning it's only as strong as he is. Not to mention, even with his weapon, he still can't match you in swordsmanship." I said with a grin at the Elder's concern, I wasn't really worried about the redhead turning back to his old arrogant ways. I'm pretty sure he had already learnt his lesson after what happened with me. "I also think that's why he's been requesting to spar with Ranga lately. He knows he's not as strong as he believed and is looking to improve himself. All this new weapon did is help him channel his inner power."

"Perhaps you're right, Lord Rimuru, maybe this old man really is worrying for no reason." The Elder said as he closed his eyes and a smile appeared on his face. "He's changed quite a bit since you left the village. It's something both his father and I noticed, at first we were concerned, but perhaps it was for the best."

"I heard from the princess that he had even lost the trust of the people at some point." The Elder nodded his head in agreement, his face looking solemn.

"Word about his provocations and actions towards you on that day spread around the village despite the Chief ordering otherwise." The Elder said with a sigh. "Once word got around of his insults, and the fact that he pointed his blade at you, many speculated that you had left the village because of him. Others simply started doubting him as they wondered why he would provoke one as powerful as yourself. The news of you being Lady Veredia's heir, which spread around the same time, certainly didn't make things any easier."

"It was that bad, huh?" I said with a sweatdrop at the impact I'd indirectly had. Still, the Young Master had been the one to bring it on himself. Things wouldn't have escalated that far if he had just been willing to talk.

"He lost the faith of the people as the next Chief, as many believed he had cost us a valuable ally and made an enemy out of you." The Elder explained. I guess I could understand the perspective of the other Ogres.

While strength was important to lead, so too was wisdom. In their eyes, the Young Master had done something which could have spelled their doom or cost them greatly, learning of my heritage only made them that much more afraid of how I would retaliate to the offense. It certainly explained the overly warm reception I had gotten upon my arrival.

"But it seems that experience has made him grow. He was humbled more than anything. Now he's trying to both improve himself and regain the trust he lost." The Elder said.

"At the very least he seems to have the trust of your warriors." I pointed out, the few times since my return that I had joined the hunting party I had noticed that they seemed slightly closer than when I had left, the Young Master interacting with them more.

"Yes, as the ones who interact with him most, they are the ones who've witnessed his change the most. That has also helped in improving his image." The Elder said before he turned to me, "The other thing that helped was the rumors of you looking past his deeds as well and having his sword returned."

"Is that so?" At this point I shouldn't even be surprised anymore. But still, I was glad the Young Master wasn't receiving as much lip for something I had even forgotten about whilst I was outside the village.

"Mhm, however I genuinely feel he needed to experience something like this. To help him understand that he can't make light of his actions, especially as the future Village Chief." The Elder said, and I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

The redhead's words may as well be the words of the village. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to get along with him. My relations with him would determine my relations with this village in the future, heck to some extent even now.

Watching as the sparring session continued for a while longer, the Young Master was eventually left as the last one standing, the other Ogre having been injured to the point of being unable to continue. The Young Master himself was injured and tired, covered in cuts, burns, and bruises, his Magicule levels low, but despite all of that, he was still standing. Holding his blade with both hands as his eyes met Ranga's with a challenging glare. Ranga himself, aside from sporting a few injuries, was mostly unscathed, which didn't come as much of a surprise. Still, it was surprising that they had managed to land a hit on him at all given his superior strength and senses.

"That's enough!" I called out as the Elder and I walked down towards the four of them. Ranga immediately stopped growling, turning towards me and sitting on his hind legs, tail wagging in excitement as I approached. Looking at the three Ogres, the other two having regained consciousness, they really did look beat up. " [Greater Heal]!" I shouted with a stretched out hand, the green glow of my healing magic surrounding the three Ogres before they were fully healed of their injuries.

[Great Sage] had surprised me back in Dwargon when it told me it had fully analyzed the properties of the hipokute herb and the Full Potions it made, and it even managed to replicate those healing abilities into a magic art for me to use! The best part about [Greater Heal] was that despite its powerful healing capabilities, which were similar to that of a full potion, the spell in itself was not very costly on my Magicules, meaning I could cast it consecutively or on a wide scale if need be.

"Thank you, Lord Rimuru!" The Young Master and his comrades shouted in gratitude as they bowed their heads.

"No problem, you guys sparring with Ranga also serves as training and practice for him as well. So this is mutually beneficial." I responded with a nod.

"But Sir Ranga is already powerful, what could he hope to gain by sparring with us?" Ogre1 asked in confusion. He had been the first to get knocked out after getting fried by Ranga's lightning so it was understandable that he was skeptical.

"Ranga?" I turned to the Alpha of the Tempest Wolves with a raised eyebrow. I wanted to hear his response to this question since he was the one sparring with the ogres in the first place. Was he doing it simply because I told him to, or was he learning as much from the experience as he could?

"While it is true that I am indeed strong, that is only because Master gifted me and the rest of my kind with names." Ranga said as he stepped up beside me. "This power I wield is still foreign to me, even though I've already grasped it at an instinctual level. Master has been helping me by helping me unlock skills and create arts, but I still need experience in combat, especially against other intelligent beings. This would help in refining my techniques and tactical awareness, which I hope would also make me a better leader for my people overall."

We all stared wide eyed at Ranga, well the Elder merely opened a single eye with a raised eyebrow, but the point was we were all shocked by how well thought out his response was!! I often forgot how the Goblins weren't the only ones whose intelligence had risen since their evolutions. [Great Sage] had definitely mentioned something about the Wolves being more capable of complex thoughts and tactics as a pack, guess that intelligence also translated to other areas of thinking as well.

"Hohoho, well said Sir Ranga." The Elder said with a chuckle, snapping me out of my shock. I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement with the Elder, scratching the Tempest Wolf behind the ear. Much to his joy, if his tail wagged was any indication.

Ranga had not only shown a lot more insight than I had anticipated, but had proved that he was grasping the purpose of his side of the training and was actually doing his best to maximize it. Which was a good thing and made me proud in a way.

"Wow, that is very wise of you, Ranga. To show that type of wisdom speaks volumes of your character, and in regards to being a leader, you're already doing a much better job than your predecessor. I'm proud of you," I said, causing the Tempest Wolf to wag his tail harder at the praise, kicking up some wind, though thankfully not too hard to blow us away.

That's right, Ranga had also been making occasional visits to the goblin village without me, mainly to maintain his position as alpha amongst the Tempest Wolves, but also to oversee their training and development for himself. The Tempest Wolf would never admit it, but I also had the feeling that seeing Raya was another reason he was sometimes eager to go. It wouldn't surprise me if the two were already mates. But that wasn't my business.

What did concern me was the overall progress of the Tempest Wolves, according to Ranga the pack seemed to be developing and integrating well with each other. Raya had proven herself a capable leader to stand by Ranga's side as the head of the pack in his absence. That being said, I occasionally had Ranga switch with Raya when it came to being with me here. The reason being they were the ones who had unlocked their elemental abilities.

According to [Great Sage, the Tempest Wolves had an affinity for wind and lightning. The males leaning more towards lightning and the females towards wind. For that reason, I'd have Ranga return to the goblin village and attempt teaching the males some of the skills I taught him, whilst trying to teach Raya whilst she was here. Then vice-versa when they switched. This had been the routine since my return, and so far the results had been promising.

"It seems this morning's session is over." The Elder said as he turned towards the rest of the Ogre villagers to see them stopping their respective training and preparing to head back to the village.

"Yeah, we were just about done here ourselves." I said before turning to the Young Master and the other two Ogres. "You guys should take it easy for the day. My healing magic heals injuries but does nothing to restore your stamina."

"Right. Though I doubt my father would let me slack off too much." The Young Master said with a sigh, causing me to snort.

~~~

As I usually did after the morning session with the village, I did my own training further away from the village. Further refining my arts and exploring some of the more destructive skills I had unlocked upon naming the goblins and wolves such as [Black Lightning] and [Black Wind]. I usually kept this training up for a few hours before heading back to the ogre village. I could feel that I had improved in the time since my return.

I'd also looked into the [Storm Magic] I had inherited from my mother, and boy was it completely different from what I had pictured in mind. I originally thought it would be something like a fusion between [Water Manipulation] and [Wind Manipulation, or maybe even [lightning manipulation]. But noooo, things could not be that simple .

The first time I attempted to use [Storm Magic, a mass of black magicules exploded out of my body in every direction!! Destroying everything within my immediate area. Trees, animals, and pretty much anything that wasn't the ground itself, leaving me standing in the middle of a sizable barren wasteland.

Treyni and her siblings made an appearance not too long afterwards, and needless to say, they were not amused about the sudden amount of deforestation and loss of wildlife. I found it even more amusing that she tried to chastise me for being so reckless with my power, but then again when I looked like a child both in dragon and human form it kind of made sense. To make matters worse, it seems the dryads couldn't restore the land at the moment due to the potency of the [Storm Magic] particles in the air. In the end, it was decided that the small barren area I'd created would serve as my training ground.

I was also relieved that nobody from the ogre village had been close enough to get caught in the wave. Good thing I had decided to practice these dangerous techniques far from the village. Raya, who'd been the one with me at the time of the incident, had been in my shadow when it occurred, ensuring that she was safe and unharmed.

After that, I became a lot more careful whenever I practiced [Storm Magic], starting with the smallest amount of magicules and building my way up. I already had a few ideas of how to mix this destructive magic into the fighting style I was building. Most of the techniques I had in mind were based on the 'dragon slayer magic' I had seen in an anime called Fairy Tail. If I could find a way to use my [Storm Magic] in a similar manner, with my original fighting style to boot, then my close and mid-range combat capabilities would skyrocket.

"Lord Rimuru!!" I was snapped out of my thoughts by the cheerful call of none other than the Ogre Princess, who was standing by the edge of the wasteland I called my training ground. She was holding in her hands what appeared to be a basket.

'Is it already noon?' I wondered as I looked up into the sky, sure enough the sun had already slightly passed its peak. 'I guess I got so into it that I didn't notice how much time had passed again.'

This has become another common thing. The Ogres tended to bring me lunch whenever I spent too much time training on my own. I normally tried to avoid that, but on days such as today, it was easy to lose track of time once you were into it. It was usually the Purple Ogress or the Princess who brought me this lunch, the latter usually accompanied by one other for protection. Though it seemed she had developed a habit of running off before her protective detail could escort her.

"You know, I somehow get the feeling that you like me more in this form." I muttered with a deadpan, as a few minutes later I found myself in my dragon form on the princess's lap as she fed me a sandwich. The two of us were under the shade of a large tree.

"Nonsense my lord, I adore you regardless of what form you are in." The Princess replied with a giggle, a minor blush adorning her face.

'Am I supposed to take that as a confession?' I couldn't help but wonder. I quickly shook my head sideways, she probably didn't mean it to be a confession either, even if there was some kind of romantic intent behind that statement.

"That being said, I do find your baby dragon form to be adorable." The Princess added with a blinding smile, as she reached for another sandwich before bringing it towards my mouth.

With a sigh I took a bite, the sandwich and juice were great, probably made by the princess herself. She certainly seemed happy and content when I said as much.

"By the way, did you run from your assigned guard again?" I asked in an amused tone as I looked up at her teasingly. Her face instantly went red in embarrassment.

"Ah, w-well, this part of the forest isn't really that dangerous, so I'm more than capable of moving around on my own." The Princess sputtered. "Besides, I'm more than capable of using magic in the event that I come across a monster. And I also wanted to…spend some time with you…alone." I barely managed to hear the last two parts due to her voice lowering and getting fainter and fainter, and her face getting redder by the second. I was pretty sure I could see the steam coming out her ears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that last part?" I said with a grin, deciding to play with her a little. As expected, her face went red as she lost her composure and began sputtering.

"N-nothing! I-I was j-just saying I wish father would stop treating me as a child!" The princess quickly tried to cover up, assuming that I hadn't heard her. She should know better than to underestimate the ears of a Dragon, though.

"Riiiiggghhtt." I said in a disbelieving tone, I wasn't going to call her out on her exact words, but I'm pretty sure she got the message, if the way she turned her gaze away from me in embarrassment was any indication.

The two of us settled into a comfortable silence as a gentle breeze blew past. I got comfortable in the Princess's lap and laid my head down, closing my eyes. I ignored her giggles as she pet my head and brushed her hand along my back in a way that actually made me purr. I didn't even know Dragons could purr!

I couldn't help but wonder how much longer things would remain this peaceful within the forest? I had been pushing myself in training for the inevitable confrontation that would come from one of the surrounding nations that would try and take advantage of my mother's disappearance, but was it even enough?

I still doubted I could compare to Demon Lords, three of which bordered our nation. They were the most likely to try something in order to increase their territories and power. It was typical Demon Lord behavior in pretty much every manga and anime.

Then, there were the prospects of Otherworlders and Heroes from the human nations. Anyone who has read an Isekai manga knows that people summoned or reincarnated into another world usually have some kind of special power and are stronger than the average adventurers. If the surrounding kingdoms had Otherworlders under them, then that might pose a problem as well if they were to attack.

That being said, the thought of meeting other people from my old world was interesting, though I had to remind myself that I was a Dragon now, and revealing myself to humans would more than likely get me attacked.

The air shifted before the Princess and I to reveal Treyni, snapping me out of my thoughts and relaxed state. Before I could ask what the elder Dryad sister needed, my eyes widened in shock as I took in her condition. Treyni was down on one knee sporting multiple burns on her body and attire. She looked tired and beaten up.

"Treyni!" I said as I hopped off the Princess and turned into my human form before running towards the Dryad and kneeling beside her. "Are you alright?! What the heck happened to you?!"

I asked as I immediately began to use [Greater Heal] on her. I wasn't sure how effective it would be on her given that her current body was spiritual in nature, and not physical.

That wasn't my greatest concern, however. Treyni was heavily injured, and from the looks of things, these were battle wounds. I found it hard to believe there was a monster in this forest that could lay a hand on the eldest of the Dryad Sisters. Her strength stood out even amongst her sisters. And all three of them were stronger than the A-rank monsters I'd named thus far, with Treyni being the strongest individual I'd encountered within the forest.

I was relieved to see the healing magic take effect as the burns on her body fade away. Her facial expression also seemed to relax a bit probably from the pain receding. Once she had somewhat steadied her breathing, I spoke once more.

"Treyni, what happened to you?" I asked, still cautious as to what could have caused the powerful Dryad such harm. Treyni's eyes rose to meet my own, her face looking both worried and ashamed.

"A few hours ago, a fire spirit known as Ifrit had been unleashed within the forest. More than that, it seems to have been corrupted by powerful magic, making it even more powerful. My sisters and I attempted to stop its rampage, but we were unable to stop it." Treyni explained before her gaze turned downwards, unable to meet my gaze anymore.

'A corrupted spirit? And a fire elemental one at that. It's no wonder why Treyni and her sisters lost.' I thought with a frown, Dryads were tree spirits with a weakness for fire. Even if they had been evenly matched, just the affinity advantage would have been enough to ensure that this 'Ifrit' had the upper hand.

"Where did this spirit even come from?" I asked, an attack like this just seemed kind of sudden.

"About three weeks ago, a group of five adventurers ventured into the forest from the neighboring Kingdom of Blumund. From what we heard, they had been sent over to investigate any changes that may have occurred within the forest due to the disappearance of Lady Veredia. Three of them were the adventurers you first encountered as you left the Sealed Cave, my lord, while the other two are Heroes from what we heard. I believe that one of the two heroes may have been the host of this spirit." Treyni explained as she stood up once her injuries had been fully treated, but not before bowing her head in gratitude.

"If these people entered the forest three weeks ago, then why am I only hearing about this now?" I asked mildly annoyed that she hadn't reported this to me. She said that two of the humans were Heroes, or at least acknowledged as such by other humans. Could they be Otherworlders? If so, I would have liked to scope out the situation myself before it came down to this.

"Please forgive me for not informing you sooner. However, I felt that you already had a lot on your plate between your training and the development of the Goblin village, not to mention maintaining relations with the ogres." Treyni said as she cast a glance towards the Princess who had been surprisingly quiet this whole time. "We kept an eye on them from the moment they entered our domain, and from what we gathered, they held no ill will towards the forest and its inhabitants, they were merely completing the mission assigned to them. But…it turns out we weren't the only ones watching the humans."

"There was a third party involved." I stated with a frown as I folded my arms over my chest, Treyni nodding her head in confirmation. This situation just kept on getting more and more complicated.

"The third party was none other than the Majin you told us to keep an eye out for, Gelmude." Treyni said to my surprise. I remember asking Treyni and the others to look out for Gelmude after my first encounter with him. I had the feeling that guy wasn't the type to take a warning once and leave.

"That freak show is still in the forest?" I asked both shocked and a little pissed. Even after running away with his tail between his legs, that guy came back and was now causing me trouble.

"Yes, he's the one responsible for corrupting the spirit that was inside one of the Heroes, causing it to break free and rampage." Treyni explained.

"I see." Gelmude was responsible for unleashing this spirit huh? Maybe I should have just killed him that first encounter. After all, he was a spy from a Demon Lord's nation. I shook my head sideways.

'I can deal with Gelmude later, for now there's a rampaging fire spirit burning up parts of the forest.' I then turned towards the Princess who'd been listening attentively and was looking worried by what she heard.

"Princess, I need to go with Treyni to intervene and stop this Fire Spirit before it causes unnecessary death and destruction to the forest. In the meantime, I need you to inform your father of my departure and to warn him to keep the entire village on guard until I send word of its defeat. If this Fire Spirit could cause such trouble for even the Dryads, then they are likely too dangerous for nearly every monster in the forest, including the Ogres. Depending on the situation I may be gone for a few days or be back by sunset." I explained, I didn't want to make it sound like I was looking down on the Ogres, but if the Dryads couldn't stop this spirit, then they were far outclassed.

"Of course, Lord Rimuru! I will let my father know immediately! Please be careful!" The Princess nodded in understanding of the serious urgency of the situation. I quickly had Ranga bring Raya from the goblin village to escort her back, I wasn't going to risk her being in possible danger at a time like this. Once Raya and the princess were out of sight I turned back to Treyni, only to see her pouting on one side of her cheeks.

"What?" I asked, it was weird to see the usually composed and cunning Dryad pouting.

"It's nothing." The Dryad quickly denied, letting me know there was something. "You two seem to be getting along well." She suddenly said, it took me a second to pick up on the envy she was feeling through [Desire].

"Is now really the time to be talking about this?" I asked her with a deadpan. It was easy to forget that Treyni was one of the women I had seen in the dark elf's crystal ball back in Dwargon. She was one of my destined ones. But because I saw her less frequently due to her duties, we hadn't really built any sort of romantic relationship…or so I thought anyway.

"You're right, please forgive me." Treyni said as she shook her head sideways, her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment. I suppose I really should spend more time with Treyni and get to know her better.

"It's fine, now take me to this fire spirit." I said as my draconic wings sprouted from my back. With a nod, Treyni's body burst into numerous leaves that moved fast as if being carried by the wind. I took off into the skies, staying just above the tree lines so I could follow closely.

'This will be my first actual combat scenario since coming into this world. Time to see if all that training actually paid off.'

~~~

At the speed I'd been flying it didn't take long until it came into sight. And by 'it', I'm talking about the massive black smoke that was filling up the skies, and the large sea of flames that was spreading down below. I could vaguely sense some creatures fleeing from the flames, others trapped within as well.

'Damn it all, how could this have happened?' This forest fire was huge and spreading fast in all directions, but turning my attention towards it would only give the perpetrator more time to cause havoc. 'To make it worse, the Goblin village isn't too far from here. I need this fire contained, now!'

*Treyni!* I called out to the Dryad using [Thought Communication, she had been following close behind from below, though I doubt she would be able to do much in the mass of flames that were present.

*Yes, my lord?* She responded, her voice echoing within my mind.

*Leave the flame spirit to me, you and your sisters should focus on containing the fire, and if possible putting it out. Gather as much aid as you can.* I told her urgently. The Dryads could instantly travel to any location within their domain of the forest, and so they may be able to gather monsters that would help contain the fire. *Also, one of your sisters should go and warn the Goblins to evacuate the village. The fire is rapidly spreading.*

Already done, my lord. As soon as the situation was out of our control, Trya went to warn the Goblins of the situation.* Treyni reported much to my relief, that was one less thing I had to worry about.

Good, then focus on containing this wildfire. I'll take care of the enemy.* I said before flying above the flames towards the magical signature I could sense, but not before Treyni delivered one last message.

*Please be careful my lord, Ifrit has summoned four salamanders, minor fire spirits, to fight alongside it!* Treyni warned. I nodded my head, not that she could see that, but I was grateful for the warning.

Flying through a large amount of smoke basically rendered my sense of sight and smell useless. Meaning I had to rely on [Magic Sense] to make my way through this. Fortunately, the skill functioned in a manner similar to echolocation, meaning I could 'see' just fine, and given the large and erratic magical presence of my enemy, I didn't have to waste time looking around and instead made a beeline for his location.

I arrived at the scene within minutes, arriving in time to see a muscular horned humanoid being with brown skin, claws and a tail levitating in the air just below me. Its deep red hair seemingly made out of fire and it was only wearing pants, leaving its upper body fully exposed.

'That must be Ifrit, the greater elemental of fire.' I thought as I decided to take in the situation a bit before diving in.

The Spirit in question had yet to even notice my presence, its gaze focused on the fight taking place on the ground, between a blonde haired human and two lizard like creatures, which I could only assume were the salamanders Treyni had warned me about. Behind the blonde were three human bodies, badly burned and injured. They were alive, but barely, and given the environment they wouldn't last much longer. The blonde himself was in bad condition, and probably exhausted. Given that I couldn't sense any more spirits within the surrounding area, it was safe to assume that either he or his friends had defeated the other two salamanders.

"Shizue, snap out of it!" The blonde yelled as he swung his blade at one of the approaching salamanders, the creature avoided the attack by pulling back at the last second, but not before launching a fireball attack from its mouth.

Given the proximity, the blonde could not dodge, and even if he did, the other three behind him would be the ones to get struck. In the end, he managed to bring his shield up to avoid the brunt of the attack, but the intense heat from it still affected and burned him a bit.

'Looks like I get to play hero for the Hero.' I muttered, having concluded that this blonde must be one of the heroes Treyni spoke about, with the other having been the vessel for Ifrit.

Using [Hideform] to conceal my presence, I dove in from my higher position. Ifrit didn't notice me until I was already flying past him, and as much as I would have liked to kill it, I was more focused on saving those humans at the moment. Drawing my blade, I swiftly cut through the two salamanders before landing in front of the half cooked blonde Hero with my blade back in my sheathe.

'Now that's how you nail a dramatic entrance!' I mentally cheered, as I stood up. My gaze met the cautious and wary eyes of the blonde Hero. "Are you alright?" I asked, obviously he was anything but, it was more out of courtesy than anything else.

"Who are you?" The blonde asked as he raised his blade and pointed it towards me, his body shaking from exhaustion and a pained expression visible on his face. This guy was in no condition to fight, but he was willing to fight because he had something to protect.

"My name is Rimuru Tempest, and I am the guardian of the Great Forest of Jura. There's no need for alarm, as I am here to help you and your friends, and to put a stop to this Fire Spirit's rampage," I told him in a reassuring tone.

"Masayuki, Masayuki Honjou." The blonde says, as his body begins to sway. My eyes widened slightly as that name is definitely Japanese. This guy was an Otherworlder. "Please, save Miss Shizue, it's not her fault." The blonde pleads, barely hanging onto consciousness at this point.

"While I respect you for trying to appeal to your friend to regain control, she is currently under the effects of magic caused by another Majin." I said as I turned away from the blonde. "I will do what I can, but I make no promises." Now I couldn't help but wonder if the other Hero was also Japanese as well. I couldn't just destroy Ifrit without harming the human inside. Damn it all!

《Alert: Incoming Attack!》

The warning from [Great Sage] allowed me to promptly raise my wings and fold them in front of me, blocking the two incoming fireballs that had been aimed at me. Unraveling them, I was surprised to see the two salamanders I'd cut down earlier flapping their wings in mid air once more, being the ones who launched those attacks.

'What the, I thought I split these guys in two?! What the hell?!"

《Answer: As spiritual lifeforms, salamanders and other spirits are immune to physical damage. Use of magic and related arts is recommended.》

'I get the feeling this is one of those things that's common knowledge. Guess I should have been more thorough with my homework.' I thought with a sigh. That's what it meant to lack experience in a world filled with magic and monsters. Even the most basic and simple of things had the utmost importance in a life or death situation. I turned my head slightly towards the blonde Hero, Masayuki, only to see him unconscious along with the other three adventurers. 'Protecting them whilst fighting these three is going to be a pain. Best to get them out of here.'

*Ranga!* I called the Tempest Wolf telepathically, the ever loyal companion heeded my call not a second later, jumping out of my shadow and quickly growing to full size.

"How may I be of assistance, Master?" Ranga asked as he growled at the two salamanders, yellow lightning sparkling across his body ready to be unleashed at my command. As much as I wanted to see the fruits of Ranga's training, I needed him to do something else for the moment.

"Sorry Ranga, I need you to get these four out of harm's way. Take them to the Goblins and tell them to treat these four with potions." I explained, Ranga actually letting out a whining sound at not being able to fight and prove his strength. "Don't worry about it. Your time to prove your strength will come, but for now, I need these four out of here so I can fight without holding back. Think you can do that?"

"Yes Master, leave it to me!" Ranga responded enthusiastically. After securing the four of them on Ranga's back, the Tempest Wolf leapt into the shadows with his cargo, heading towards the Goblin village.

With them gone, I finally turned my attention towards my foes. The two salamanders that seemed to have returned to their master's side, the fire elemental spirit Ifrit. I didn't get why neither of them had attacked this whole time Ranga had been here, but I was glad for it. Now they had my undivided attention.

'The salamanders won't be an issue now that I know how to deal with them, but Ifrit…' With the fire elemental, I had to take into consideration the host's body. Too much damage and this 'Shizue' person could die, so I couldn't just cut into Ifrit like I had done with the salamanders. 'If only there was a way to separate the spirit and the host.'

《Answer: Given the current circumstances, it is possible to separate the spirit from the host using the unique skill [Apex Predator, though results of such an action are unknown.》

'What do you mean 'current circumstances'?' I asked with minor suspicion.

《Separating a spirit dwelling within its host is currently impossible for the user, however given that this spirit has taken over its host and manifested outwards, it's possible to extract its spiritual body and separate from the host.》

'Makes sense…I think.' I wouldn't pretend to grasp the mechanics of what was being explained. One thing was for sure, I trusted [Great Sage]. It had yet to steer me wrong in the months I'd reincarnated into this world. I didn't need to understand everything, as long as it said this plan would work then I had no reason to doubt it.

《...》

'Ah, it seems you still can't properly comprehend emotions.' I thought with a sweatdrop, 'Don't worry, you'll get there eventually. Just know that I trust you, partner.'

Time seemed to flow normally as the [ Thought Acceleration] I'd activated wore off. Ifrit raised its hand and pointed at me, immediately the two salamanders charged at me. With the first one diving straight for me while the other tried to flank me from my right, its mouth glowing bright red from the flames building up within.

'Not on my watch!' I shouted as I swiftly vanished from my position, surprising the two inferior spirits as they stopped in their tracks and began to look around frantically. A second later I appeared behind the one that had been charging straight for me, blade drawn and coated in [Black Lightning]. 'Too slow.' I thought as the salamander noticed my presence a second too late, before I cut it down with numerous slashes that turned it into chopped liver.

《Target 1 eliminated.》

[Great Sage] assuring me that the salamander was down for good this time felt reassuring. But I was kind of disappointed by how weak that salamander was and how easy it was to kill. Turning towards the other salamander, I noticed that it seemed far more cautious than it had been before, not that that was going to help much.

I raised my hands towards the sky, dark clouds quickly forming, before a black bolt of lightning descended, tearing right through the salamander and striking the ground beneath it with an explosion.

"Weak…" I couldn't help but mutter in disappointment. I'd really been expecting a lot more, but that was hardly a warm up. I turned my attention towards Ifrit. His presence was significantly greater than that of the salamanders. And with whatever power Gelmude had used to corrupt him, his power was currently greater than even Treyni's. It was no wonder she had struggled, that and the elemental advantage Ifrit held over her. "Hopefully you can provide a better challenge." I said as Ifrit slowly began to lower himself towards me, moving for the first time since my arrival. Flapping my wings, I slowly rose from the ground, my draconic emerald green eyes fixed on the bright gold ones of the foe before me.

The two of us were eventually at eye level, both hovering above the ground a little. For a moment neither of us moved, our bodies perfectly still as we merely stared at each other. A silent battle of wills taking place as we measured each other's resolve.

That was quickly broken by Ifrit stretching his hand towards me, a large torrent of flames being shot my way. Taking that as the initiation of our battle, I charged forward, evading the jet of fire by tilting my body to the side and continuing my charge. Ifrit merely adjusted its trajectory, the stream of fire following me in the sky as I continued to evade with various maneuvers.

I closed the gap bit by bit before I was suddenly before him, blade drawn and covered in black lightning as I slashed at it, however something peculiar happened. Rather than getting struck by my attack, my sword went right through him, his body seemingly becoming fire itself.

"What the heck was that?" I questioned as I came to a halt and turned back towards the fire elemental. Who seemed unfazed by my attack.

《The individual Ifrit possesses the intrinsic skill [Flame Transformation]. Allowing it to turn its body into flames. Would you like to copy this skill?》

'Nah, I can copy that, and any other skills it has when I devour it.' I thought with a grin. So Ifrit had a few tricks up its sleeve? That was fine. Made things that much more interesting for me in the end.

"Rrraaaaahhhhh!!" Ifrit suddenly cried out, to my shock, since this was my first time hearing its voice, or anything close to it. Its Flame hair seemed to grow darker and larger, and the air around us seemed to get hotter. And that was saying something, considering we were already in the middle of a forest fire.

All of a sudden, numerous Ifrit's began to appear in bursts of fire. They kept growing in number until they were about eight of them in total, all looking towards me with that same confident yet emotionless expression as if mocking me.

"Seriously, he can clone himself too?" I asked out loud. I wasn't really worried, with my resistances I could probably handle a hundred of them if I needed to.

《Notice, this is the extra skill [Body Double]. It allows the user to create replicas of themselves that function independently but according to the users wishes.》

'So in other words, it's like the Shadow Clone technique from Naruto. Good to know.' I thought with a smirk. The numerous numbers would be a bit annoying, but in the end, the result would still be the same. If anything, I looked forward to the workout.

Not wanting to give my opponent the chance to go on the offensive, I swiftly flew forward with a mighty flap of my wings, swiftly closing the gap between me and my prey. In an instant, I was before one of the body doubles, I coated my blade with water before slashing right through the first clone, its body bursting into steam upon contact.

[Great Sage] had notified me a while ago that all of my [ water manipulation] techniques were physical abilities since I was using preexisting water stored in my [Stomach]. That being said, I dedicated some time to learning to use magicule based skills for water. I was glad I'd actually decided to do so, otherwise it would have been impossible to use water based skills against Ifrit.

I swiftly flew higher, dodging a torrent of flames aimed for me by an Ifrit further away from me, two more suddenly appearing on either side of me with flaming fists drawn back. I used my wings to block both fists, before forcefully opening them, pushing both spirit doubles away from me.

"[Water Blade]!" I shouted as I swung my sword, launching two sharp arcs of water at both copies on opposing ends. My attacks struck true and the doubles vanished in a burst of steam. 'Like I thought, these doubles aren't that strong endurance wise. A single strong hit and their out. This really is a shadow clone rip-off.'

If that was the case, the best thing to do was to go with a wide range attack that would do enough harm to the body doubles and make them. Fortunately, I had one such technique in my arsenal, the only downside being I hadn't yet mastered it to the point I was aiming for. Still, that imperfection may just be what I needed here.

I suddenly felt an increase in magic around me, as three Ifrits unleashed rather large torrents of flames towards me from three directions. I suppose now was as good a time as any to try out that new skill of mine, and given how the surrounding land was burnt for miles, I didn't have to worry about collateral damage either.

" [Black Wind: Reverse Hurricane]!!" I shouted as I brought my wings in close, forming an almost cocoon like shell around my body, before I started spinning to the right rapidly, my body instantly becoming a blur.

The effect was instantaneous, as I released magicules, black wind currents began forming around me, stopping the tri-pronged attack of flames in their tracks. But I didn't stop there, no way in hell I would, with the expenditure of more magicules, the black tornado of wind grew larger and expanded further, the wind currents pulling in everything around me with such force that several trees were instantly uprooted and pulled into the growing black cyclone.

Ifrit and its remaining five body doubles were fairing no better. Since they couldn't be harmed by physical objects, they were unaffected by the large debris being pulled in by the storm, which was a shame but not unexpected. However, the black winds themselves were backed with my magicules, and the force pulling them in was stronger than they could escape from.

One by one, the body doubles began to explode in flames under the pressure of my wind currents, Ifrit looking more and more nervous as it was also being pulled in whilst its doubles vanished. Soon enough, there was only one Ifrit remaining, I was pretty sure this was the real one, given that despite sustaining continuous damage from being so close to my attack it had yet to pop like the rest.

Once I was sure I let up on the storm I'd created, I stopped spinning at its epicenter, as the violent wind currents vanished and all the debris from earlier began falling and crashing down on the ground below us. I didn't pay attention to all this, though, ignoring the falling debris around us as I kept my eye on Ifrit.

"If you have nothing more to offer, then I guess this is it for you." I said unimpressed. To be honest I'd expected more of a workout. Then again, fighting a fire elemental when you have flame resistance just wasn't fair, but I doubt it would have been much of a fight with or without.

" Khhhr!" Ifrit's eyes widened in both shock and slight fear as it backed away slightly. It seemed even it understood that it was no match for me, its only hope at this point was to escape, not that I had any intention of letting it. I still had to save the human it had taken over, after all.

In a desperate attempt, Ifrit launched another torrent of flames towards me, but by now I was getting tired of the same old tricks that were bound to have no effect on me. Before the attack could land, I vanished from its line of sight with my superior agility, bound it with multiple layers of [Sticky-Steel Thread] before appearing behind it, with said threads connected to the tips of my fingers.

"You put up a decent fight, but it's over now." I said calmly as Ifrit turned to face me, struggling against the threads that bound it but it was useless. It tried heating up its body further to burn the threads, but given the threads shared the same resistances as the user, it proved to be pointless. "Sorry, time to give this body back to its owner." With those final words, I channeled [Black Lightning] into the threads on my fingertips. The lightning traveled along the thread, until it struck and shocked the fire spirit.

"Aaarrrggghhh!!!" Ifrit cried out as the lightning coursed through its body. I had to be careful not to put too much power into the attack, since the body I was actually harming belonged to the host and not the spirit.

But the attack still served its purpose, stunning the spirit and creating the opening I needed to finally end this! I quickly closed the gap between us and slammed the palm of my left hand into the stunned fire spirit's open chest.

"Devour my prey, [Apex Predator]!!" I called out as the swirling mass of black magicules surrounded Ifrit's form. I let [Great Sage] handle the process of separating the corrupted spirit Ifrit from its human host, knowing it would do a better job at it than I would.

《Notice: Separation of the corrupted fire elemental spirit Ifrit successful. Initiating analysis and assimilation of the spirit.》

With that, the swirling black magicules receded back into my body, leaving a slightly smaller and slender figure of a human woman in its place. Almost immediately, her body began to fall, no longer levitating, but I swiftly caught the unconscious lady, carrying her bridal style before bringing her to the ground and gently laying her down.

It was only after I placed her on the ground that I got a good and proper look at her. A young woman with a slim figure, black hair and small burn marks on the side of her face. She had a slightly pale complexion, though whether that was her natural skin color or as a result of her current condition I had no idea.

'So this is Shizue.' She certainly looked Japanese judging from her facial features alone, and her name definitely matched too. '[Great Sage] analyze her body for any injuries.' I wasn't quite sure if she had gotten hurt from the attacks I'd done on Ifrit, better to be sure she was okay.

《Analysis Complete: The individual Shizue had sustained no permanent injury.》

I breathed out a sigh of relief at that, but just to be on the safe side, I cast [Greater Heal] to heal the minor injuries she had sustained both from Ifrit taking over and our battle. As I looked at her, I couldn't help but notice that she looked familiar, almost as though I had seen her before. Though I couldn't quite recall from where.

《Answer: The individual Shizue is one of the woman foretold to be your destined one.》

'That's it!! She was the first lady that appeared in the crystal ball! The one surrounded by the children!' It all came rushing back to me like a flood at Great Sage's reminder. How could I have forgotten something important like that?! Though, given everything that had just happened recently, perhaps I simply wasn't in my best state of mind.

Still though, what were the chances that I would meet her so soon? Aside from the ones I was aware lived in Jura, namely Treyni, the Princess, and the Purple Ogress, I hadn't really expected to run into any of the other women from the crystal orb so soon. As a Dragon, my lifespan was bound to be longer than that of a human's, I was probably looking at centuries at minimum. So it wasn't that far-fetched for me to assume I would be meeting some of the other girls far down the line rather than any time soon.

"Lord Rimuru!" My attention was drawn to my left as Treyni appeared, looking relieved and happy to see that I was okay and in one piece.

"Hey, I took care of the threat. Ifrit can't do any more harm now." I told her with a nod, though it was obvious given the fire spirit was nowhere in sight. "What about you, aren't you and the others supposed to be putting out the fire?" I asked, as I remembered assigning that task to Treyni. Telling her to get help from other species if need be to contain the rapidly spreading fire.

"The wildfire has been contained, my lord. Thanks in part to your intervention." Treyni responded with a smile.

"Me?" I asked, wondering what she was going on about. I was pretty sure I'd been fighting fire spirits this whole time.

"Yes, the storm that manifested earlier, which I can safely assume was your doing, halted the spreading flames by pulling wind currents towards it." Treyni explained.

Ah, that made more sense. The fight with Ifrit had literally taken place in the center of the spreading flames, and the cyclone was literally sucking a large amount of wind from various directions. So in a way the cyclone had sucked the flames dry rather than fanning them. Making them easier to contain and put out.

"Yes, we enlisted aid from the merfolk, who make their homes in one of the nearby lakes and specialize in water magic and life magic. With their water based skills we were able to quickly put out the flames." Treyni explained.

'Merfolk? Those are like fish people right?' I thought, I couldn't help but wonder if they were humans with fishtails like what I saw in some anime and manga.

《Notice: Merfolk are a humanoid fish like species within Jura that specialize in water manipulation and life magic. They are B-rank monsters and possess high level of intelligence.》

The explanation from [Great Sage] came with a mental image of what the average merfolk looked like in this world, and I had to say that I was disappointed. Covered from head to toe in dull fish scales and having fish heads for…well heads. I wouldn't call them ugly, but they could be far more appealing.

"I'll have to thank them for their aid." But not today, for now I was going to take Shizue back to the goblin village so she could get some proper rest without discomfort.

"I'm sure they'd be honored to receive such praise from you." Treyni responded calmly.

"They know who I am?" I asked as the implications of Treyni's statement became clear to me.

"Of course, as we discussed, my sisters and I have begun to slowly but surely spread word of your presence. However, given your recent display of power, I'm sure many will be well aware within the week." Treyni said with a giggle as I looked at her disbelieving.

"Was it that noticeable?"

"Indeed. A black storm that uprooted trees for miles and pierced the heavens. Even if most didn't see it, they surely would have felt the impact." Treyni reasoned.

I remembered discussing the prospect of spreading word of my existence with Treyni. It was around the time about King Gazel's suggestion of forming a nation. We agreed it was important to get my name out there before doing anything.

"Anyways, I'll handle that later, for now I'll take this woman back to the goblin village. She was Ifrit's host."

"I see…"

"That being said, I do have another job to trouble you with, Treyni." I said as I turned towards her with a serious expression. My emerald eyes glowing green with hidden anger.

"It's no trouble at all my lord, I'm happy to be of use to you." Treyni said in her a slightly chipper tone, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

" Find Gelmude." I said, each syllable coming out with venom and anger. "I want to know what he's doing in this forest if he's still here, and if possible his objective."

I may have made the mistake of letting him go once, but I wouldn't do it again. That bastard had set my mother's forest ablaze, and almost caused me to kill one of my future mates. The way I saw it…

…he was already dead.

"Yes my lord, we'll find and report any activities related to him as soon as we can." Treyni said with a bow, her expression unusually serious, more than likely realizing I wasn't in the mood for games. Without another word, she vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Turning back towards the still unconscious Shizue, I decided it was time to head back to the goblin village. I still had to check on the condition of those other four humans as well. And so I lifted her from the ground bridal style, which was weird considering she looked at least two times older than me if one were to measure our age based on human standards.

Once I was comfortable, and I was sure she wouldn't fall, I took off into the air once more. My draconic wings flapping as we took off.

Author's Note:

We're really getting into the thick of things now eh?

Rimuru finally met Shizue, though obviously not under the best circumstances. Then there's the fact that Masayuki was around during Ifrits rampage! Does this change things? What impact will his presence have on Rimuru and perhaps even tempest as a whole?!!

Read on and find out!!

I look forward to what each of you have to say about these developments in the reviews and comments.

Also please let me know what you thought of the fight in general. I've been trying to improve my combat literacy but I'm not quite there yet. So constructive reviews and advice would be welcome!!