"Are you sure you don't want to come back with us? We could always use another girl in the group," Elen teased for the third time, flashing Shizu a hopeful smile.
Shizu chuckled and gently patted her head. "Sorry. I've made up my mind."
"But wh—yyyy—"
"Someone has to keep an eye on Akuma," Shizu said, shooting a sidelong glance at me.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not that suspicious."
"He says, as if he doesn't walk around with glowing eyes, horns, and enough demonic presence to trigger a diplomatic incident," She muttered under her breath.
Kabal laughed nervously. "I guess, having a tiefling lead a whole tribe of monsters would raise a few eyebrows… but if Shizu-san's staying, the guild master probably won't panic."
Gido nodded, still smiling—blissfully unaware of the deeper, darker reasons Shizu remained by my side. Reasons none of them would ever understand. Not unless they, too, had stared into the abyss of death and found something staring back.
"By the way, Akuma-sama…" Elen tilted her head curiously. "Why are you in that form?"
Naturally, all eyes landed on me—specifically, the palm-sized bat snuggled comfortably on Shizu's shoulder. A rather adorable image, if I do say so myself.
"Well…" I hopped into Shizu's hand and allowed her to lift me up to Elen's eye level. "I'm currently replenishing my magicules. Smaller form, faster recovery."
"Oooohhh~"
"Wait, is that actually true?" Kabal asked.
Of course not.
"Yup!"
I grinned, internally sweating bullets. I was lucky the original Rimuru could get away with cuddly mascot behavior. Me? I had to strategize my way into being held by pretty women. The bat form was a multi-purpose tool: less threatening, more endearing, and conveniently justified. I'd call that a win.
"But what did happen, though? Did you fight someone?" Gido asked.
Shizu's gaze shifted toward me again, her mask betraying nothing, though I felt the weight of her curiosity.
"I just performed… a delicate operation. Thankfully, it was a success."
Now that wasn't a lie. I had nearly drained my entire reserve of magicules in the process. It wasn't just about removing Ifrit—it was about preserving Shizu's life afterward.
You see, when I forcibly tore Ifrit from her soul, it should've unraveled her entirely. That was the price of being a vessel—rip out the spirit, and the body crumbles.
But I remembered something. Something small, barely mentioned in the original story.
Soul Corridors.
A metaphysical tether between two souls, allowing them to share thoughts, energy… and life. If Rimuru could be affected when Veldora got sealed because of their soul link, then I could recreate that. Turn fiction into reality.
So, I proposed the idea to Shizu. I explained everything—how we could connect our souls, allowing me to supply her with my magicules and prevent her collapse.
Her response?
SLAP.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?" she yelled, face redder than molten lava. "I just met you!"
Now, normally being called an idiot offends me. Deeply. But she was pretty, so I let it slide. (Somewhat.)
"Can I trust you on that?" she'd whispered later, arms crossed, doubt flickering in her eyes.
"No. But you can trust that I don't break my promises."
That was enough, apparently. Or maybe she just didn't want to die yet.
Because in the end, when faced with the question of being bound to a monster or ceasing to exist, she chose me.
Which says a lot.
"How's the new gear?" I asked the trio, deflecting from the tension.
They perked up immediately, posing in their fresh armor like eager kids on a festival day.
"It's amazing, Akuma-sama! This robe's a dream!"
"The scale mail fits perfectly!"
"They feel like heirlooms!"
Good. Very good. Keep the praise coming, mortals. Let it fuel my ego and double as free marketing for our craftsmen. Definitely not field-testing prototypes on unwitting adventurers. Nope. Not at all.
Then Gido ruined it.
"By the way, Shizu… what happened to your arm?"
My smile twitched.
Shizu tilted her head innocently. "Oh, that? I lost it helping Akuma with one of his experiments. No big deal, right?"
I felt the heat of her glare through the mask.
"Y-yep! I've got full potions and with a few weeks of rest—she'll be good as new!"
Okay. Maybe I got a bit greedy.
I needed [Degenerate]—the skill required to evolve Great Sage into Raphael. A key component for my future plans. But… I didn't have enough data. So I may or may not have asked for her left arm to run a test.
And she gave it willingly.
After punching me in the gut and making me swear on all things holy that I'd grow it back.
Which I did, by the way. Perfectly. But that didn't stop her from silently judging me every time she flexed her phantom limb.
Still… it worked.
I got [Degenerate].
Ifrit was sealed inside me, nestled alongside Veldora.
Shizu was alive.
The timeline was forever changed.
Hinata's teacher wouldn't die.
The trio didn't know how powerful I really was.
And now, I had a strong, beautiful woman at my side—one who trusted me enough to bind her soul to mine, even if she thought I was a bit of a lunatic.
Frankly, I'd call that a win.
"...You were thinking of something lewd again, weren't you?" Shizu asked calmly.
I blinked.
"Uhh… no?"
Okay. Maybe I was.