WebNovels

Chapter 28 - KiaNA KaslaNA = 2NA = Tuna

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"What the hell happened to her? And shouldn't the guild notify me of this new member or something?"

Rimuru craned his neck, carefully inspecting the unconscious woman who had just fallen through the portal. His expression turned serious.

"Over fifty percent of her skin is burned… cellular activity is critically low… her physical condition is barely a tenth of a normal person's. Even her soul has taken heavy damage. Just what did she go through?"

As he spoke, Rimuru's hands were already moving. A surge of energy poured from his body, enveloping the woman. Slowly, patiently, he began repairing her injuries, even stripping some of his own cells to mimic hers and replace the ones on her body that had completely died.

The guild members gathered quietly around him, no one daring to interrupt.

...

Half an hour later, the treatment was finally done. The woman's body was healed, and even the damage to her soul had been painstakingly repaired with Rimuru's own healing power.

"Here we go." Rimuru let out a relieved sigh, then frowned as he looked down at the now-peaceful woman. "I swear I've seen her somewhere before… but I just can't place it."

"Rimuru-sama," Diablo said respectfully, "allow me to take this young lady to rest."

"Oh, right. Please do," Rimuru replied, nodding. "Put her in my room and have someone stay to look after her."

"Understood." Diablo bowed, then carried the woman away.

Rimuru watched them go, still thinking. He was sure he'd seen her before, but it just wouldn't come to him.

"Forget it," he muttered at last, shrugging it off. He shifted into slime form and hopped straight into Shizu's arms, ready to spend the rest of the day lazing around.

Time passed quietly.

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Kiana, when you wake up, you'll see that everything has changed. 

You'll find that, this world is no longer beautiful. Those peaceful days, will never come back. 

But, don't give up, never give up! Kiana, raise your head, keep going forward. 

Make this imperfect story, into what you wish for. Survive, Kiana. Smile, you are Murata Himeko's student.

Voices echoed through the darkness, calling out to the woman lying there.

"Where is this? Who am I?"

"Kiana? Wait—Kiana! I have to save her! I have to get out of here! I still have things to do—I can't die here! Aaah!"

The woman, Himeko, bolted upright with a scream, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"Was I… dreaming?" She took a deep breath, forcing her heart to calm, then looked around the room.

"Just an ordinary little house," she murmured, stepping off the bed and pacing slowly.

"You're awake already?" A voice came from nearby.

"Who's there?" Himeko's body tensed instantly, every muscle ready for a fight. She scanned the room, but saw no one.

"Uh, maybe look down?" Rimuru's voice was awkward as his slime form wriggled on the floor.

"What… what is that? It looks like jelly." Himeko blinked in surprise. She had never seen anything like him before.

"I am not jelly!" Rimuru protested, hopping up into her arms. She caught him automatically, and—well, he really was soft and cute. "I'm a slime. A good friendly slime!"

"A slime?" Himeko held him up, studying him. He didn't seem threatening at all. And honestly, he felt nice to hold, so she didn't put him down.

"Right, I never introduced myself," Rimuru said. "I'm Rimuru Tempest. What about you?"

"My name?" Himeko hesitated, then said, "Himeko. Murata Himeko. Valkyrie of Schicksal."

Rimuru froze. Then he practically bounced out of her arms, shouting excitedly.

"I knew it! You're Murata Himeko from Honkai Impact!" He was practically glowing. 'Man, I spent three years grinding that game before I ever crossed worlds. If there's one thing I want to do more than anything, it's crush Honkai completely and give that world some peace.'

"You know me? Then… where exactly is this place?" Himeko asked, still confused.

Rimuru took a moment to explain the guild and the situation she was in.

"So you're saying… this is the Dimensional Guild? A place that connects countless worlds? And now I'm one of your members from another world?" Himeko's voice was filled with disbelief. This was even harder to wrap her head around than the Honkai itself.

"That's right," Rimuru confirmed, then asked, "Before you passed out… you were fighting Herrscher of the Void, weren't you?"

"Yes." Himeko's expression darkened, and her voice softened. "I don't even know if I succeeded. Kiana, that idiot… I miss her so much." Her tears began to fall, silently at first, then freely.

"Relax," Rimuru said gently. "You did it. Kiana Kaslana kept her promise to you."

"…Promise?" Himeko blinked.

"Oh, right. So 'Tuna.'" Rimuru grinned. "That's what I call her. She's got '2NA' in her name, so obviously 'Tuna' is perfect, right?"

"And honestly… her brain cells might actually be dumber than an actual tuna's."

Himeko couldn't help but laugh through her tears. "That's… a surprisingly accurate description."

"Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the guild. You can meet Tuna later anyway." Rimuru hopped down, shifting smoothly into his human form.

"You can transform too? What a fascinating creature you are." Himeko stepped forward and playfully pinched Rimuru's cheek.

He squinted happily. "You can squish me later—let's go." Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed her hand and led her toward the guild hall.

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