บท 100: Slime against Magical Grimm Human (Again)

The battle for Atlas raged on, with the city teetering on the brink of collapse.

The skies above were filled with the sounds of battle as airships clashed with the relentless horde of Grimm.

On the ground, soldiers fought bravely to protect their city, but the situation was dire.

Amidst the chaos, Rimuru Tempest, fresh from her victory over Tyrian Callows, made her way through the battlefield,

Her hands were in her pockets, but her senses were alert for any new threats.

Clank

As the slime girl moved through the shattered streets of Atlas, she suddenly found an… interesting person

From this person's white hair, blue eyes, and mature body, her identity was clear

The eldest of the Schnee sisters- Winter Scnee

This woman was a formidable warrior in her own right.

Clad in her pristine Atlesian uniform, the white-haired woman was a beacon of calm amidst the chaos, her every move precise and deadly as she dispatched Grimm with a series of expertly timed strikes.

The blue-haired girl observed Winter from a distance with interest, intrigued by her skill and poise.

Despite the chaotic environment, Winter fought with grace and skill that was so opposite of Rimuru's fighting style

The slime was used to bombarding enemies with magic, or utilizing her slime body to fight….

So finding a person who could hold onto her own and defeat so many Grimm with an opposite style intrigued Rimuru

Slash

Winter's blade flashed as she cut through a Beowolf that lunged at her, its snarl silenced in an instant.

With a fluid motion, she summoned a glyph beneath her feet, propelling herself into the air to dodge the claws of a second Grimm that had attempted to strike from behind.

As she landed, Winter conjured an array of ice shards, launching them with pinpoint accuracy into the Grimm, freezing them solid before they shattered into pieces.

'Huh…?'

The slime blinked in confusion at that display

'Was her Semblance capable of doing that?'

She was quite puzzled. Adam didn't give her a lot of information regarding the specific powers of the important 'characters' of this world

He left Rimuru to figure it out by herself

So-

The blue-haired slime started to watch with interest, her analytical mind—assisted by [Great Sage]—quickly picking up on Winter's combat style.

The combination of glyphs and ice-based attacks was deadly against the Grimm, and Winter wielded her abilities with impressive skill

[Analysis complete. Target's Semblance is identified as "Glyphs," enabling her to summon and manipulate glyphs with various effects, including mobility and summoning abilities.]

Tilting her head, Rimuru smiled inwardly.

Winter's strength and skill were quite impressive

…. But there was something else she wanted—something that required a bit of subtlety.

…

As Winter dispatched another wave of Grimm, she moved past Rimuru who had lowered her presence, focused entirely on the battle at hand.

The blue-haired girl saw her chance-

With a slight movement of her hand, she used telekinesis to gently pluck a single strand of Winter's silver hair as she passed by.

The woman, deep in the rhythm of combat, didn't notice the small tug.

The strand of hair floated invisibly toward Rimuru, who carefully secured it within her palm. It was a simple, almost trivial act, but it served a greater purpose.

[Sample acquired. Analyzing genetic material… Analysis complete. Data successfully integrated.]

She continued observing Winter, her expression neutral as she watched the warrior eliminate the last of the nearby Grimm.

The floating city of Atlas was still far from safe, but this small victory was enough to warrant a small break

…

Winter, breathing heavily from the exertion of battle, finally noticed Rimuru's presence.

She turned to face the mysterious figure, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Though she was unfamiliar with Rimuru, and she couldn't sense anything from this girl….

Her intuition was telling her that something was utterly wrong with this person

"Who are you?"

She asked, her voice firm but not hostile, as she kept her weapon at the ready.

The only beings present on Atlas are humans and Grimm

Though she didn't know this girl, there was no reason to be hostile. Even though she was wary, she had bigger threats to deal with

"Just someone passing through!" Rimuru met her gaze with a friendly expression, smiling slightly "You fight well. It's impressive!"

She complimented, her tone light and natural

"Thank you."

The white-haired woman didn't lower her guard, but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes.

"But this is no place for bystanders. You should leave before more Grimm arrive."

She said curtly, her focus still sharp.

"I'll be fine."

Rimuru kept her smile, waving her hands in dismissal

"I'm more capable than I look!"

The blue-haired girl put her hands on her hips, exuding a confident aura

Winter's gaze remained fixed on Rimuru for a moment longer, assessing her.

There was something about this stranger that was difficult to pin down—something that made Winter's instincts blare in caution.

But this girl didn't seem hostile, there was no immediate threat, so she turned her attention back to the battlefield.

"Stay out of trouble…"

Winter sighed with exasperation, having no more time to deal with this stranger

….

Rimuru maintained her smile, but inwardly, she was thinking something else

'Don't worry, I won't cause trouble. I will only steal your prized Relic'

Her sarcasm was only a thought inside her mind-

[Data from individual Winter Schnee has been successfully incorporated. Her stand of hair has been stored in [Stomach] for further use]

Her eyes lit up, smile widening as she heard the voice of [Great Sage]

'Oh… Maybe it would make a nice gift to Adam?'

-Though she doubted it. Adam could easily obtain the DNA for Scnee to research

….She has to think of a better gift for him

Of course, it wasn't a special occasion. But she still wanted to give him a gift

….

"Why are you smiling so widely?"

The questioning voice of Winter Scnee interrupted her thoughts that weren't accelerated

"I-"

Crash

Her reply was rudely interrupted by a loud crashing sound- a sudden, intense wave of malevolent energy rippling through the air.

The very ground seemed to tremble under the force of the dark presence that had just arrived.

Rimuru's golden eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze in the direction of the energy.

Winter Schnee, who was interrupted, froze as well, her instincts warning her of the approaching danger.

From the shadows of the ruined cityscape emerged a figure wreathed in dark flames.

It was a figure-no- it was something twisted beyond recognition.

A female figure, her body seemingly fused with Grimm, and her flesh warped and corrupted by dark magic.

Amber eyes that should have been full of cunning now burned with an empty, all-consuming madness.

There was no trace of the woman that she could potentially have once been—only a creature of destruction.

…

'Is this… Who I think it is?'

The slime girl was not intimidated, but her emotions did fluctuate

The reason?

She recognized this person

Adam had once killed this woman and devoured her…. But, right in front of her eyes, she still seemed alive

Wel… 'Alive' was the correct term

'But is this really her?'

Rimuru questioned herself more than [Great Sage]

[Affirmative. Individual identified as 'Cinder Fall']

Her eyes flickered at that confirmation, her brain a mix of complicated emotions

No, she didn't feel pity and regret

But… She was surprised at how a person could change to such a degree, in such a short amount of time….

Reviving a dead person, fusing them with Grimm, Magic, and twisting them to a beyond recognizable degree….

It was disgusting

…..

"I will put an end to your pain…"

Golden eyes filled with resolve flickered to the creature in front of her

She was certain that this being…. had no consciousness

There was a fragment of a soul…. But now, it didn't even seem remotely human

Grrrr

Cinder's(?) eyes locked also onto Winter and Rimuru, a low, guttural growl escaping her lips.

The dark flames surrounding her flared up, scorching the ground beneath her feet as she moved forward with deadly intent.

Her once elegant movements were now replaced by erratic, almost animalistic gestures, driven by a singular desire to destroy everything in her path.

Winter immediately went on the defensive, her sword raised and ready.

….

She had fought Cinder before, but this… this was not what she had expected.

This person- a monstrous fusion of human and Grimm, driven by nothing but rage- was not an enemy she wanted to face

Grimm were easily dispatched because of their lack of intelligence, but also because of the structure of their bodies which could be exploited for weaknesses

But this figure in front of her…

She seemed mad, intent solely on destruction

But this enemy had a human body with Grimm characteristics and weird flame-like abilities that seemed reminiscent of the Magic of the Maidens

Now Winter only hoped that this creature had no muscle memory for combat

….

"What…." Winter muttered, a tremor of shock in her voice. "- Has that woman done to you?"

There was no answer—only a scream of pure, unrelenting, incomprehensible hatred as Cinder launched herself at Winter, her dark flames trailing behind her like a comet of destruction.

Winter barely had time to react as Cinder's blazing fist came crashing down.

She summoned a glyph beneath her feet, propelling herself backward just in time to avoid being incinerated.

The impact of Cinder's attack sent shockwaves through the ground, shattering the pavement and setting nearby debris ablaze.

Rimuru, watching the scene unfold, quickly assessed the situation.

In order to make this fight easier, [Great Sage] provided immediate analysis:

[Warning: Target possesses extreme levels of Grimm corruption. Current mental state: unstable, driven solely by destruction]

The slime girl's eyes glowed a hint of mechanical blue as she stepped forward, positioning herself between Cinder and Winter.

"Stay back!"

She said firmly, eyes solely attached to the enemy in front of her

"This isn't an enemy you can face."

The Scnee hesitated for a moment, then nodded, recognizing the seriousness of the situation.

….

Although she wasn't sure about about this girl's combat abilities, her instincts were telling her that would be instantly defeat

And…. Although she knew she was skilled, this half-Grimm woman was something else entirely.

….

She took a defensive position, ready to support her temporary comrade if needed.

ROAR

Cinder roared in frustration as she saw Rimuru interpose herself.

Her hands ignited with black flames, the dark energy pulsing through her veins as she prepared to unleash a devastating attack.

Without hesitation, she launched a torrent of fire toward Rimuru, the heat so intense that the very air around it shimmered and warped.

Rimuru stood her ground, expression calm and determined, and yet she made no defensive moves despite the incoming projectile

She raised one hand, summoning an abyssal purple vortex that absorbed Cinder's flames.

The vortex retreated back to her palm, the flame nowhere to be found

Cinder, seeing her flames repelled, snarled and charged forward, her body moving with a terrifying speed.

Her corrupted Grimm claws extended, dripping with toxic energy as she aimed a deadly swipe at the blue-haired girl's throat.

-But she was ready.

Rimuru dodged the attack with ease, her enemy's form as slow as a snail under the perception of Accelerated thoughts.

She countered with a blast of black flames of her own, sending them directly into Cinder's path.

The dark fire collided with Cinder's corrupted form, burning through the Grimm corruption that had overtaken her.

The Grimm woman screamed in agony, but the pain only seemed to fuel her rage.

She lashed out wildly, her claws tearing through the air, each strike accompanied by a burst of dark flames.

The slime girl continued to dodge and counter, her movements precise and calculated, every step guided taken as if anticipating the opponent's move before they were even executed

Winter watched the battle with slightly widened eyes, awe in her expression.

She had never seen anyone fight like this—The blue-haired girl was a force of nature

…

Cinder's relentless assault began to weaken as Rimuru's black lightning and flames continued to wear her down.

The Grimm corruption that had fused with her body was also being burned away, as if purified

However, her attacks became even more desperate and chaotic, as she realized she was losing.

'Perhaps she wants to kill me, even at the cost of her life'

After that though passed through her head, Rimuru seized the moment.

With a swift motion, she extended her threads, each one infused with copious amounts of Magicules

The threads shot forward, wrapping around Cinder's limbs, binding her in place.

The woman struggled against the restraints, her corrupted flames flaring up in a final attempt to break free.

But were the slime's threads so easily broken?

Of course not-

She raised her other hand, a mini vortex appearing in her palm, as if waiting for her command

"This is the end!" She said, her voice filled with resolve

With a flick of her wrist, the blue-haired girl's mini vortex expanded drastically.

The dark vortex of [Gluttony] engulfed Cinder, consuming her corrupted form

The enemy didn't even get a chance to scream

…

The battle ended as suddenly as it had begun. The abyssal vortex dissipated, leaving no trace of the previous opponent in sight

Rimuru lowered her hands, the threads retracting back into her body as she surveyed the aftermath.

The threat had been neutralized.

Winter slowly approached, her eyes fixed on the spot where Cinder had been.

There was a mix of emotions on her face—relief that the battle was over, but also a deep disgust at the woman behind this opponent's monstrous tranformation

"Is she…?" Winter began, her voice uncertain.

"She's gone." Rimuru nodded solemnly. "Don't worry…. Almost nothing was left of her- she was just a mere beast that was beyond saving"

Winter closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"Thank you, Stranger"

She said quietly

Rimuru gave a nod in response

"Atlas still needs to be defended." The Scnee warrior's eyes were filled with resolve "There are more battles ahead. I have to do my duty"

The slime girl once again nodder

"Goodbye…"

The woman, similarly, also gave a nod of respect to Rimuru

"I hope we meet again on the battlefield"

Without any more delay, Winter turned around, bolting in another direction to continue her fighting

…

------

A/N:

I didn't really like how this fight turned out, but I had been planning it from the start- with that Grimm parasite attached to Cinder, and with the fact that the mission of the Chat Room wasn't fully completed when Cinder was killed by Adam

Anyway, the next few chapters will be the final ones of the arc, and I would like to finish this within 3 or 4 chapters

However, the next few chapters will be long... long as in 3000+ words

Along with that, school has also started, and I am in my final year of high school... In which final exams are like fricking HELL difficulty.

I won't go too deep into this, but in my country, you have to write and solve everything the exact specific way the school and books have taught you. If you don't... well, you basically fail

TLDR: So, for the above reasons, I will upload one chapter a week

I would like more, but I have to give myself time to both study, and also write and plan the plot from the 3rd eruption in honkai and onwards