3rd Pov
The Labyrinth of Tempest, a 100 floors big structure made by using Ramiris's power...and under the supervision of Rimuru.
This was one of the main announcements Tempest had for the world, a revolutionary structure for the adventurers and scientifically, it was purely incredible.
For this, anyone with a sane mind could tell that investing time in this would be worthwhile in the long term.
And that's why, currently everyone focused on the large screen in front of them...Hinata and her team were shown stretching and getting ready on the very first floor of the labyrinth.
Dawn : (Seems like Luminous really won't come...well, she must have taken my words to heart.)
Having asked Dawn's opinion, he had given the vampire a detailed answer as to how things would happen during the demonstration.
She must be having fun while Dawn was stuck here for hours while Hinata tried to clear the labyrinth.
Dawn : (Well, I can at least see Hinata's progress...she trained hard lately.)
Sighing silently, he just resumed watching the screen...after a few minutes, it finally started...grabbing her sword, Hinata rushed in with the group of 30 paladins.
Shizue was also there to supervise, so she won't be fighting...
Ramiris : Am I late ? Sorry I got caught up in something...
Suddenly appearing in the room, her entrance was followed by a blinding sparkling light.
Embarrassed for being late at such a moment, she quickly settled down beside Dawn once Rimuru excused her.
Dawn : So where were you ? You stink Alcohol...
Ramiris : Velzard-san invited me and Luminous for a drink last evening...we got a bit carried away and ended up drinking the whole night.
Dawn : Heh, it seems you girls get along just well.
Ramiris : We sure do.
Smiling ; the two shared a quick discussion before returning their attention to the main event.
Hinata had already crossed the 20th floors as the early stages were too easy for her...each floor until now didn't last a few minutes just the time she discovered the structure.
Dawn : Where are the other two then ?
Ramiris : They should be having a hangover now...since I had to come here, I just snapped out of it but they had no reason to do so...
Dawn : They are surprisingly human...
Ramiris : Well, a hangover is one of the rare things that makes us, spiritual beings feel anything...
Dawn couldn't help but agree, since becoming a spiritual being...life has been quite dull because they don't need to eat or drink, they don't need to sleep, never run out of stamina...
Finding entertainment over thousands of years is hard, alcohol always helped in some way.
Dawn : Anyway, Hinata is going very well.
Ramiris : Yup, even if the lower floors aren't very populated yet, she is clearing them with ease...at this rate, she might reach the 70th floor in an hour.
Shifting back their attention to the screen, Hinata had just cleared the 30th floor, she was speeding up...even if the exploration part was decreased for the fighting one.
The knights still found a few treasures...their natural experience and amount was advantageous in this kind of raid.
Rimuru : Nice, she is doing well...At this rate, she'll reach the first boss monster faster than expected.
Gazel : This is very impressive...the treasure they collected is very good, some even found unique graded weapons.
Elmesia : On top of that it's neither easy nor hard to find them, a stroke of luck coupled with skill...
Giving their opinion and analysis, everyone was positively surprised at how well developed the labyrinth actually was.
Rimuru : (Still she is going a bit too fast, i know she is above the average adventurer...but should i increase the difficulty?)
Dawn : She started showing off...
Rimuru : Huh ?
Dawn's eyes narrowed as he glared at the screen dissatisfied with something...and it seemed he wasn't the only one who noticed it.
Elemesia : After the 38th floor, her swordsmanship became more grand and beautiful but less efficient...
Gazel : That's right...for now, it's enough to deal off with the early floors but I doubt she will manage to clear everything at this rate.
Ramiris : How cute, she switched from your swordsmanship to a mix of all.
Ramiris directly poked Dawn's nerve, he wouldn't show it publicly but he was actually fond of Hinata learning from him.
After all, she (Chronoa) trained him when he was still a kid...Dawn's sword art was the most destructive and efficient when it came to speed.
Hinata learned from him directly and adopted his style fairly...yet, just now something in her mind clicked and she started relaxing.
And using a mix of Shizu's technique...it decreased the efficiency but instead developed a beautiful form...she was basically showing off because all of her teachers were watching.
Rimuru : (Eh ? But I think her technique is almost perfect...where do they find fault in her form?)
Dawn : I didn't expect her to be that reckless...
Resting his chin on his hand, he watched silently...he had taught her that a single mistake could cost her life, once she reach the 80th floor, her showing off will become a mortal mistake ;
And as he thought, Hinat crossed the 50th floors...the first sign of struggle for the knights appeared.
They had to slow down their pace as resting became a necessary need, and so this was the perfect time fo rRImuru to introduce the resting area...
A place where adventurers could get into anywhere and on any floor...to rest, naturally there is some condition like some room blocks the teleportation or you can't go there during the fighting phase.
Yuuki : That's-
Dawn : I think I just heard a bug...I guess it's the season.
Rudely interrupting the grandmaster, this small break of the contenders end up leaving a large blank tension in the reaction room.
Yuuki : (He doesn't even let me talk...is it to prevent me from sweet talking the other ruler and potentially earn an ally?)
Dawn : (I can read you just like a book, so don't overstep your boundaries and wait for your execution quietly.)
The others in the room could only look at Yuuki with pity and suspicion...while those who couldn't read the room just ignored the whole ordeal.
Rimuru : Damn, Yuuki really pissed off Dawn-kun somehow...i pity him...
Elmesia : Poor young man, he was cursed with a sad fate...
Whispering to themself, it seems the elven queen and chancellor of the Jura forest developed a small friendship after passing some time together.
Dawn : (I can hear both of you...)
Sighing, at least it seemed that no one would either try to stop him or they simply didn't dare.
Back on the screen, Hinata and her group had finished their break and resumed to the labyrinth...they just crossed the 70th floors and sweat could be seen all over the knight's faces.
Hinata too was showing some sign of struggle...mainly because she wasn't going in the right direction...though this quickly changed as Shizue decided to approach her.
She couldn't help them fight but she could at least fulfill her duty as a teacher...
Shizue Pov
Ahh...Hinata, even if you grew much stronger and became the famous head of the Ten great saints, you are still so childish...
Not like I'm complaining, this reminds me of the cute little Hinata I took in back in the day...I can't help them fight but still, this doesn't mean I will just stand still.
Once they cleared the 74th floors, Hinata ordered everyone to take a quick rest in a safe zone...she sat down a bit away while refreshing herself.
I decided to take this opportunity to go and have a tal with her.
Shizue : Hinata-chan~
Hinata : Hip !
Oh, it seems I startled her...maybe I got a bit too used to the genesis knight's work...hiding your presence is required most of the time after all.
Shizue : Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...
Hinata : I-it's fine...so, is there something wrong with Shizu-sensei ?
Shizue : Nope, I just wanted to have a talk with you, can i ?
I asked her with a simple smile, she didn't seem to mind so I took a seat next to her and wrapped my arm around my knee while leaning forward.
Shizue : So...what are you doing ?
Hinata : Huh ?
Oh my~it seems my tone came out harsher than i wanted...still, as a teacher i can't let her weaken herself like that.
Shizue : You can't fool me, Hinata...the swordsmanship you are using is a mess, it's like you are trying to mix everything together without knowing how.
Hinata : I...i just think Shizu-sensei's style suits me more...but Dawn-sensei's technique is better...
Shizue : You really are becoming more childish as the days pass...ahh.
I sighed, ever since we reunited...she has been clingy like a little kid who hasn't seen her mother in a while.
It's cute and a bit worrying at the same time...
Shizue : You already know this but in a fight, we have to be ready to kill.
Hinata : Yes...only the strongest survive, I know that well.
Shizue : This is why, don't let your emotion chain you up...Dawn isn't just strong, his technique is what i would call unmatched...so don't hesitate and fight, okay.
I gave her sincere advice and cheer, Dawn Arceid...no our leader wasn't normal, i'm mentioning him because he is the perfect example of an anomaly.
Well Rimuru-san too, but I guess it's more normal since he is...a unique monster ?
Dawn however is a human, who achieved the unachievable...in a way, i just hope that Hinata would follow his step rather than mine, i'm not as great as she pictures me to be.
Hinata : I see...yes, i see...sorry Shizu-sensei it seems i showed you a shameful side once again...
Shizue : Don't mind it, and now go clear this Labyrinth. I'm sure you are capable of it.
Hinata : Hai !
She immediately got up with a newfound determination...I'm aware of what I just said, there is a monster on the 90th floor...
The temporary floor boss, Zegion...he might crush Hinata's spirit after what I said, but I actually believe that she can pull this off.
Yes, if she can use that...she can win.
Dawn Pov
Oh ? It seems Shizue was more perceptive than I thought...she must have given Hinata some advice and corrected her mistake.
This is more like it already. I couldn't help but let out a short smile while watching Hinata cross the 80th floor.
Her form got a lot better, if she continues like that...she will rush out the 10 next floors, Adalman might be a bit of a challenge.
But Hinata was trained under me..there is no way my student would lose against an undead.
Speaking about Adalman...I forgot about him back then, when he was still a priest of Ruberios, I totally forgot he would be betrayed...
Ramiris : This got a lot more fun to watch now.
Elmesia : It sure did, that Hinata Sakaguchi is much stronger than I thought.
Rimuru : (This brings back memories...)
Watching silently, I avoided using Fate's power to see the result...it would ruin all the fun.
And then, soon enough...the first true fight began...Adalman standing tall on the 80's floor,a silent room that hid thousands of undead below.
A glittering sinister aura flared in Adalman's skull...his eyes lit in blue fire as he met Hinata's gaze.
Instantly, all the hidden undead groveled from the ground...Venti and Albert rose up to their master's side.
Their threatening aura are the less experienced knights shrink in fear while the other readied himself knowing damn well how hard this fight will be.
Gazel : That skeleton undead...is strong, but how come he can enact holy magic like that ?
His question was legitimate to ask, after all monsters shouldn't be capable of using what everyone thinks of as Holy magic.
But what they fail to realize is that Holy magic doesn't exist...at least, the one everyone knows isn't what it seems.
All think that « Holy magic » is a power reserved for humanity and all but in reality, Holy magic is just a concentrated power based on Faith.
Shuna proved it by using it...as long as you strongly believe in something or someone, you will be capable of using Holy magic.
This source of power is almost omnipresent in all living beings...Luminous-sama herself is harvesting this non neglected power.
Elmesia : Why don't you ask our holy magic expert, Gazel-kun.
Gazel : Expert ? Oh...right.
Suddenly all eyes turned toward me...were they that curious ? Ayway, I can't reveal what I just explained in my mind.
Because there are a few indesirable people present, so let's just keep it short.
Dawn : This Adalman is wearing one of Ruberios's robe, his past self must have been a strong priest and somehow he managed to mix his holy magic with his cursed nature.
How I lied didn't really matter because even if they discovered it, no one would question me...after all a monster capable of using Holy magic is a big deal.
When not long ago, Ruberios had a slightly anti-monster politics...in the other's perspective, they should think I find such prospects annoying.
Gazel : I see, that makes sense.
He then shifted his attention back to the fight, well fight is a big word...as beside Hinata, all the other knights were being tossed around by Wenti's dragon body and Albert swordsmanship.
All they could do against these two beasts was to hold them back until Hinata finished their leader...speaking of her, she was outmaneuvering Adalman quite well.
Using his large army, he was keeping Hinata at a good distance and casted dozens of spells...a basic pattern for a mage.
Ramiris : Seems like Adalman is using the technique he got from training with Carrera.
Dawn : Mmh ? Did they train together ?
Ramiris : Oops...i promised to not tell...
Covering her mouth as she made a mistake, luckily for her only I was close enough to hear her.
Ramiris : Well if it's you it should be fine...Rimuru asked Carrera and the other primordials to train a bit the army and our defense force.
Huh ? That didn't happen in the original...at least not Carrera or with the other primordials, is it because Rimuru is more powerful than he should be ?
Or is it because I had made Testarossa appear earlier ? In any case, Adalman is also much stronger than I remember him to be.
Dawn : But that won't be enough to beat her.
I smirked when Hinata finally found the solution, in an instant her brain must have gone overload as her body moved more instinctively than anything.
Sometimes, your inner instinct will just take over...this is a natural phenomenon when you are facing a wall.
Dawn : You can't just keep dodging at this moment, because no matter how long you can survive, it's meaningless if you retire and get eliminated in the meantime.
At the moment, Hinata's eyes surely could see the perfect pathway from her position to Adalman's...her body then stealthy traveled across the battlefield.
In between the undead, she managed to squeeze herself through and get her blade near the boss's neck.
Dawn : She won.
Sure, a simple strike won't take down Adalman but this isn't a real situation...but a demonstration for the dungeon.
Once Adalman was decapitated, his army stopped indicating the victory of the invader...
This was a quick yet efficient conclusion.
Gazel : Such speed and accuracy, she really deserves her nickname of witch of the west.
I nodded two times, feeling a bit proud.
Back to the labyrinth, this fight didn't end positively as more than half of the knights were eliminated...it's the first victim of the labyrinth.
So Rimuru used this opportunity to show that the resurrection bracelet worked, as long as you die inside the Labyrinth you will be revived..
The new presented system merveiled the audience, this once again added another layer of worth to this already inestimable Labyrinth.
Chatter from the quieter watchers which were mainly composed of followers of the big shot or some other like the king of Blunmund grew big.
Naturally, they didn't dare join the conversation with the likes of Elmesia or Ramiris...as they judged that staying quiet would be more beneficial than speaking and making a mistake.
But this revival ordeal managed to wake them up and forget the important guests present.
Dawn : How noisy...
Ramiris : At least that bug you hate so much is quiet.
Dawn : Yeah...
I side eyed Yuuki who was panicking, I just muted him with my ultimate skill...basically giving him the fate of a mute guy.
He won't be able to escape it as long as it's not countered by another ultimate skill, but that's his problem.
He was currently trying to talk with Kagali but his voice just didn't come out leaving the Elf/Undead confused.
Well that was until she felt my gaze and understood that i took action...
Dawn : (She is more cunning than I thought...)
She quietly glared at me while supporting Yuuki, before whispering her supposition...he quickly calmed down and stopped making a fool of himself.
Our eyes locked as a short staring contest started which ended with him losing, he averted his eyes and remained quiet for the rest of the meeting.
Anyway, having crossed the 80th floor...now Hinata was going for the 90th, but before that she had to fight Kuma-
Dawn : Huh ?
Ramiris : Oh I forgot to tell you but...Kumara is still playing with Kyuri-chan, so she won't be present.
Dawn : ...
Seriously ? Ahh, this damn fox...well it's not that bad, since Tempest needs to hide their force too.
Not like any of the guardians were fighting seriously, still showing their skills recklessly would be a huge military loss.
Anyway, since Kumara is gone...Hinata's next opponent is Zegion, she should have been more exhausted after fighting Kumara so i expect her to perform better than i expect.
Hinata Pov
The 90th floor...I don't know why but I have an ominous feeling about this one.
I looked behind me and checked on the remaining knights, only 7 were left from the original 30...and after witnessing the boss fight at floor 80.
I can only hope for the worst, I took a deep look and tightened my hold on my rapier before giving a look to Shizu-sensei.
Hinata : Ok, everyone ! Let's gather our last strength and win this !
Giving out my instructions, I didn't try to reassure them as the remaining knights are all experienced warriors.
Arnaud, Fritz, Bacchus, Litus and some others...they all knew that most of them would be gone after this floor.
Even after knowing that they won't really die, it was still unsettling...still no one of them would back down.
After all, I lied by telling them that Luminous-sama was watching this...
Hinata : Let's go !
Slowly walking down the stairs toward the boss room, I felt a chill down my spine when we crossed a sort of gate door..
Soon enough, we found ourselves in a large plain cave, in the middle of it...a lone figure was there, sitting on the ground meditating as if waiting for us.
His eyes suddenly glowed crimson red as his figure grew up...standing tall, his body was made of a sort of cellular metal I didn't know.
He had the form shape of a humanoid insect, a beetle to be accurate...but in contrast to that weak creature, this monster in front of me...was absurdly powerful.
Zegion : My name is Zegion, I will be the guardian of this floor.
His voice came out deep and metallic, I tensed up and readied myself as my instinct screamed to run.
Is this the one monster Dawn-sense was confident in beating me ?
I heard he was barely evolved so I thought that I was still superior but...are the monsters in Tempest just evolving that fast ?
Also much to my dismay, my skill couldn't get a read on him...
Hinata : I see Zegion, my name is Hinata Sakaguchi and I will defeat you.
Fortunately, there was only 1 opponent this time...we can all gang up on him and-
Zegion : You take too much time thinking.
Hinata : Ugh-
In an instant, I saw the blur of punch reaching out for my face...I instinctively brought up my sword and parried a heavy blow.
My arm shook under the pressure as I saw Zegion right in front of me, his eyes as calm as ever.
Arnaud : Huh ?
Litus : W-what just happened ?
Hinata : You all ! Spread around, and cast Holy field !
I quickly ordered them knowing full well that if they kept standing still, this beetle would destroy them in the second.
I have to temporize him while they cast Holy field...four of them should be enough but since they are tired from our previous fight.
All the remaining 7 knights have to give their power to erect the holy field.
Zegion : You managed to react to this, huh.
Hinata : You seem to oddly look down on us.
Zegion : I had met your commander yesterday.
Hinata : And ?
Zegion : I just expected more from the student of such a monster.
A beetle calling a human, a monster doesn't fit right, you know...
Well it doesn't matter what he says, I have to focus...my sword clashed against his fist letting me think that he is a physical specialized fighter.
At least we won't need an anti-magic area...still, I can barely keep up with his face.
On top of that, he has no opening...what kind of martial art is that !
Hinata : (It's a mess...i feel like fighting one of those anime characters I would watch on tv...)
I clenched my teeth and kept up, finally after what seemed to be an eternity..the fruit of my patience paid off as a transparent barrier formed around us.
On the four cardinal sides around us, my knights stood tall while painting...their bodies must be reaching their limits yet they still managed to make the barrier.
This barrier has no effect positive or negative on me while it will weaken this mons-
Zegion : You think something like that will stop me ?!
My mouth was left hanging when a surge of power rose from Zegion, he roared indignantly causing everyone to fall back.
The sudden shockwave bursted through the barrier field shattering it into pieces...
Hinata : What in the world is that...
I myself fell onto a knee while holding my sword, how boosted is that thing ?!
I quickly checked on the other and none of them survived that, their bodies were vanishing in particles indicating their « death ».
Hinata : How am I supposed to win ?
I gritted my teeth in frustration, even realizing how much Zegion has been holding back hurt my pride.
Is it my loss already ? I couldn't even get to the 95th floor...no, I have to win this !
Hinata : It's not done yet.
I pulled myself back up with my remaining strength and took a battle stance.
Zegion : Good, I just finished my warm up.
Hinata : Did your teacher teach you how to trash talk too ?
He stayed quiet after that, he must have realized too...if he rushed straight forward, he would overpower me with raw strength.
But he didn't, it seems he was still looking down on me or just didn't want to end this fight like that.
Hinata : (Wait...)
Then suddenly, i noticed something...all around us, there was dust settling in the air, Zegion's former burst of power filled the entire cave with particles.
I looked over Shizu-sensei and nodded to myself, a natural chemical reaction resulting from dust and fire, an explosion.
If I can make an opening and catch him off guard, an explosion of this size should be enough to at least damage him.
I just have to protect myself, and since chemistry isn't as developed here as on earth, he surely won't see that coming.
Hinata : (3 seconds, i have 3 seconds at best to pull this off or he'll notice something is wrong.)
I had realized how sharp Zegion's sense are, earlier when he broke Holy field...he had prepared in advance to break it.
His fighting sense and instinct are fitting of a monster...
Zegion : Are you done scheming ? Because this will be my last attack.
Readying his fist, he was seriously trying to end this...and I got ready to welcome him.
At that moment, I felt like the world was slowing down...my eyes fixated on my opponent, I felt my heart dropping when I saw him move.
3 seconds away, he was still standing, at the same millisecond he was in front of me...i hurriedly counter his blow and used the momentum to get away.
2.8 seconds away, I calculated the time I needed to summon a fire spirit...1.2 seconds, so I activated the summoning immediately.
The reason I didn't simply use a fire spell with my own magic is because that won't be enough...i need the spiritual effect created by the spirits. When an explosion occurs, the quality of the dust doesn't matter but the flames are a different question.
The light particle of spiritual photons will ultimately be mixed up with the explosion and cause much more damage.
2.4 seconds, Zegion kept following me while I did my best to dodge and lead him toward the center of the room...where the dust was the most compact.
2.1 seconds, I coughed out blood as he caught up to me and managed to inflict some blow...I had to purely rely on my saint's body for that.
1.8 seconds, my pupil inflated as I got ready for the incoming explosion.
1.7 seconds, i waited slowly...even a single milliseconde can be a give away...
1.6 seconds, finally a fire spirit appeared behind me...upong appearance a chain of effect directly caused the entire room to ignite in fire.
I at that very last moment covered myself in the thickest barrier I could make at the moment and watched Zegion burn in confusion.
Hinata : Burn down, beetle.
I smirked realizing I had succeeded...my vision then closed as the room itself exploded under my scheme.
But that doesn't mean i won, surely that explosion infused with spirit power must have damaged him but i wasn't naive enough to let it blind me for a victory.
I quickly healed the minor injuries as my barrier broke by the end of the explosion...quickly stepping through the dust I found Zegion's figure kneeling on the ground.
Part of his body was damaged but barely enough to call it a bruise...how resistant is he ?! Anyway, at least he seems shaken up.
I leaped through the dust rapier in hand, and put every bit of magic left in me...my conscious fading away, I still carried my attack.
Hinata : End this now...
I couldn't use a dead end rainbow as it would crush his soul but I have another attack that affects physicality...I still have yet to fully control it but it's now or never.
Hinata : Pierce the very limits of this body, [Dawn Break].
Right away, as my sword reached out for my opponent...i felt a sensation of satisfaction rush out my entire being before fading away.
My brain raced at the usage of [Dawn Break], but ultimately I didn't even see if I succeeded or not as I collapsed unconscious the moment I had finished the sword art.
All I could hear in the background of my darkness filled mind was the sound of Zegion and me falling on the ground.
3rd Pov
The audience room was quiet, Hinata and Zegion's fight managed to amaze not only the common fold but also the strongest beings.
Ramiris could only clap her hand as she watched in amazement...this little girl managed to defeat her greatest project.
On the screen was a unconscious Hinata laying on the ground breathless...while Zegion had a part of his chest and his entire left part gone...destroyed by the sheer insanity of [Dawn Break]
Ramiris : (I had my doubts but it seems that no matter how sturdy the ore used, you can't make something resistant enough to block art like [Dawn Break].)
Her eyes involuntarily shifted toward the creator of that technique, Dawn had his hand covering his mouth trying to hide his grin.
Surely Hinata exceeded all expectations he had set on her...she defeated an opponent that was near impossible to defeat.
Her last move was also perfect, surely Dawn Break could still be upgraded but Hinata's reproduction was enough to win against a demon lord.
Heck, once she wakes up...if she can still reproduce the same performance, then the 4 dragons king on the 5 last floors will be a breeze walk.
Dawn : (She did it, even if the whole Labyrinth was stronger than it was originally, she still beat Zegion and entered the last 10 floors.)
Apito was the next fighter but since Hinata is out, she will be given much more time to rest before going for a solo dive on the last 10 floors.
Even after this big showdown, there was much left to be uncovered...or at least that's what everyone thought.
Rimuru : I think we should stop here...Hinata-san already pushed her limits, anymore will just be too much.
His sudden announcement halted and crushed the increasing hype but it was understandable...after all, Hinata managed to squeeze everything she needed for Rimuru's explanation.
The remaining floors can remain to be a mystery for the other nations to discover through raid.
Veldora : (What?! Rimuru ! You promised me I would fight today!)
Rimuru : (Calm down Veldora...Hinata is exhausted, we can't ask ehr too much...)
Veldora : (B-bu-)
Dawn : (I can be your opponent if you want.)
Suddenly hacking into their tough communication, well it's more like Raphael took the initiative and invited him over...
His voice startled both Rimuru and Veldora, though the latter suddenly remembered he had something to do.
Veldora : (I-i forgot i had some holy text to read ! I'll go first, Kuha-hah-haha...)
His three staged laugh was dismissed along the thought communication, at the end Rimuru just sent a thanks to Dawn for stopping that breeze dragon before he could cause a ruckus.
On that last note, the crash test of the Labyrinth ended...
Shortly after closing the meeting, Dawn left and teleported in the Labyrinth to the 90's floor.
Upon arriving he saw Hinata still unconscious, her head resting on Shizue's lap as the older woman fed her a full potion slowly.
Dawn : You don't have to heal her, the bracelet will manage her health.
Shizue : I know but...still, when watching the fight i felt the urge to butt in...i guess my teacher instinct didn't want to see Hinata hurt.
Dawn : I see, well the physical injuries aren't really a problem...she was neither fatally wounded and her spiritual body wasn't involved so don't worry.
Shizue just smiled while closing back the bottle of full potion, a little more than a quartet was used and Hinata's body was almost fully healed.
Dawn : Though I wonder how you got that potion to work...after all, Hinata has a potent magic resistance.
Shizue : Oh that...well, after i notified it to Rimuru-san, he had Vesta-san research for a way to bypass magic resistance, i think he most likely used some composent to show that the potion wasn't a threat for the body, so the resistance would be lowered.
Even so, it shouldn't work on Hinata whose power exceeds the norm...in reality, her body was just empty and not in a critical position.
That's why the magic resistance just didn't activate.
Shizue : Still, Hinata-chan is really awesome, right...she managed to defeat Zegion-san in a splendid manner.
Dawn : Is there something wrong ?
Surely Shizue was proud of wha her student managed to accomplish but then, after settling down...she looked down with a hint of sadness ? Regret ? No, it was a bit of jealousy...
Shizue : I trained really hard after joining you guys and finally I won against Hinata-chan, but after seeing today...it's clear that she had reached another cap ahead...
Dawn : So you are feeling inferior to your own student ?
Shizue : A bit...naturally i'm glad for her, but as i lived without my nightmare...i started to really like the short, even minuscule distance between us, that distance where i could have her count on me...
The sentence : « Don't worry i'm here... » could only be said when a party was stronger, Shizue had already shown a slight tint of greed.
She wasn't evil or bad, she just finally felt like she could enjoy life...and so she just wanted to be a teacher for Hinata a bit longer.
To this prospect, Dawn stayed quiet and watched as Shizue patted Hinata's head gently...her head fell on her sleeping face...
Shizue : Daw-no leader, can i make a request ?
Dawn : Tell me...
Shizue : Please, teach me that attack too...i feel like i want to be more greedy and achieve things for myself now.
She looked up, her dark blue eyes shone with a wild gleam, she who had suffered from childhood to oldhood.
Met a slime who came from the same land as her, she who was supposed to die early but was given a second chance...Shizue Izawa had now reached all the requirements to evolve again.
The determination present in her eyes was real, she truly wanted to gain power just because of her own greed...not a ugly greed.
Dawn : Come meet me early in the morning, I'll show you the path.
Turning around, there was nothing left for him to see or talk about here...he didn't wait for Shizue to answer back as it was clear.
Her resolve was set into the coldest ice...
Shizue : Hai, I'll be sure to be there.
Dawn : (I don't know how it will go...because we don't have much time, the war will start soon, sooner than everyone expects, but maybe this training will at least help you live the way you want, Shizue.)
At the same time, in the Eastern empire...Rudra Nam Ul Nasca sat on his throne alone, the room quieter than ever.
He held his head in pain as corrupted through defiled his mind...gritting his teeth, for an instant his eyes shone in a darker tone of red.
Then the one who looks up after taking control of the body...Michael, also known as Manas of Justice.
Michael : This bastard...Dawn Arceid, he managed to revitalize Rudra's soul...if it wasn't for him, I would have taken over this body in just a few months...
He had planned to take over Rudra once the war started, since his soul was still holding on...he needed to weaken it a bit more.
But after his encounter with Dawn in Tempest, Rudra seemed to be young again...because of that, Michael had to change his plan.
Michael : You are here ?
Suddenly appearing in the room, the man known as the first creation of god...the Angel of origin who is known to be the strongest.
The general of Veldanava's army and his right hand man, Fledway...king of Phantom.
Feldway : You should be more careful with taking over this body, Rudra is stronger than you think.
Michael : I know, anyway how is it going ?
Fledway : The army is ready, we are just waiting for you to start.
Michael : Good, Lord Veldanava's resurrection is near...we have to get ready to welcome him.
Smirking, the grand final was already ready...all main actors were just waiting for Michael to give the starting signal.
History is meant to be rewritten now, there was no stopping back unless the god creator himself decided to come back.
Michael looked up with gleaming eyes...Fledway stayed quiet waiting for his time, he had after all one of the most important rôle in this incoming war...
Meanwhile, at the same time...as if a message was sent, many other figures separated themself from the world to look at the sky.
Guy Crimson, on the edge of the ice continent...he glared up at the sky in his own thoughts, part of the once mighty dead continent was starting to melt due to the lack of Velzard's presence.
Guy : The world isn't just about to change, I knew it...a long time ago, the balance already broke, it's time for me to get my job done seriously...
In Tempestt, Dawn stood on top of a hill...the capital city Rimuru was busy filled with noise and light...as busy as ever.
Dawn : ...
Staying quiet, he didn't say anything as everyone will become victims of this war...Dawn himself was awaiting the inevitable.
All we end here and begin there, his rôle must be fulfilled...no matter what.
Dawn : This will be the stage where the main character will shine the brightest...