After Rimuru selected "Yes" and the unique skill Predator activated with a silent ripple of power, the tent fell into a heavy, sacred quiet. Shizu's frail body dissolved into light, drawn gently into Rimuru's form as the skill took hold. No one spoke.
Gobta couldn't watch anymore.
Tears streamed down his round cheeks unchecked as he stumbled backward, then turned and bolted from the tent. The goodbye still rang in his ears—Shizu's gentle voice calling him her student, her pride in his growth, her quiet wish that he would one day cross paths with Hinata and the others. Every word felt like a warm hand on his shoulder… and now that hand was gone.
He ran without thinking, small feet pounding across the village until he reached the edge of the cliff where they had trained every morning. The wooden swords still lay where they'd left them, one slightly splintered from their last spar. Gobta dropped to his knees in the grass, chest heaving, and scrubbed at his face with both hands, trying desperately to stop the sobs.
A low, heavy presence suddenly swelled from his own shadow.
*Thump.*
A massive black direwolf materialized behind him, Dark fur gleaming under the sunlight, golden eyes fixed on the horizon. Ranga didn't need to announce himself. Gobta knew that silhouette anywhere.
"So… she is no longer around?" Ranga's deep voice rumbled like distant thunder, somber and heavy with understanding.
Gobta's shoulders shook. He couldn't look up. "Yeah…" The single word came out thick and broken. Fresh tears welled up again, threatening to spill.
Ranga's ears flicked. He stepped closer, his enormous frame casting a protective shadow over the small goblin.
"Hey. Man up, Gobta."
The words were harsh, almost scolding. Gobta's head snapped up, mouth opening to retort—but Ranga continued without pause, voice firm yet laced with quiet affection.
"I didn't know you were such a crybaby. Get a hold of yourself. Do you think Shizu would want you to whine like a kid?"
Gobta froze, the words hitting harder than any training strike. His fists clenched in the grass. Ranga was right. Shizu-san had smiled at him even at the end, proud, trusting him to keep growing. She hadn't cried for herself—she had smiled for him.
The goblin sniffed hard, wiping his face one last time with the back of his arm. His voice still trembled, but the sobs quieted.
"…No. She wouldn't."
Ranga lowered his massive head until his snout was level with Gobta's face, warm breath ruffling the goblin's purple hair.
"Then stand up, partner. She gave you her final lesson. Now it's your turn to live it."
Gobta stared at the wooden swords lying in the grass, then slowly pushed himself to his feet. The ache in his chest didn't vanish, but it changed—sharpened into something steadier, something that felt like a promise.
"Yeah… I will."
It felt like a beginning.
.....
Inside the quiet tent at the heart of the goblin village, Rimuru sat alone on a simple woven mat. The afternoon light filtered through the fabric roof in soft shafts, dust motes drifting lazily.
"Transform," he muttered under his breath.
There were no flashy sound effects, no swirling black smoke like he had half-expected. The change simply happened.
His slime body stretched upward. Arms and legs sprouted smoothly, pale flesh replacing the familiar translucent blue. His field of vision rose only a little—barely enough to notice at first. He flexed small fingers, wiggled tiny toes, and tilted his head.
*Hmmm?* Something felt… off.
He looked down at himself. The body was unmistakably human. A child's body, no older than six or seven.
But something was missing.
Rimuru's gaze dropped lower. His small hands hesitated, then slowly reached down. Nothing. No familiar weight, no… anything. Instead, there was the unmistakable softness of female anatomy.
For a long second he just stared.
"Wait. What?"
He poked once. Twice. Then poked harder, as if the situation might correct itself if he was thorough enough.
It didn't.
'…I inherited Shizu-san's gender too?'
A wave of pure, panic crashed over him. His cheeks burned. A strangled sound—half-squeak, half-groan—escaped his throat. He sat there frozen, mind racing through decades of memories that suddenly felt very, very inappropriate to be replaying in this body.
'This is my new crotch?! This is what I have to live with now?!'
He flopped backward onto the mat, arms spread like a starfish, staring at the tent ceiling.
A tiny, mortified whimper left him.
Then, almost desperately, he reached up and patted the top of his head. Soft, silky blue hair met his fingers. Real hair. Not a single bald patch, not a slime membrane,
At least that part was normal.
Rimuru let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Okay… okay. Not a space alien. That's something."
He sat back up, hugging his knees to his chest. The motion felt strangely natural in this smaller frame. The panic was still there—simmering, ridiculous, and very Satoru Mikami—but underneath it was a quieter realization.
Rimuru stared at his small hands for a long moment, then gave a tiny, resigned smile.
"Guess this is me now."
He poked his own cheek once more—just to make sure it was still there—then stood up on wobbly legs.
.....
What he saw was a king eternally tormented. A lone, anguished figure, his heart reaching out to his starving people, but all too incapable of doing anything to help them.
The land had dried and withered, killing off their crops and triggering a massive famine. Just past the border, other nations were still prospering, bountiful. But there was no going there. It was the territory of the demon lord, and setting foot on it would be rebelling against the master of this land himself. No need to wait for starvation to take them then. He would kill them all before that happened.
The land they lived on was surrounded by a great forest and three different territories, each with its own demon lord serving as leader. It would be impossible for a horde of low-caste monsters like them to invade from any direction. Which left only one option.
A little beyond the border, the forest lay undisturbed. It was only natural that the king would turn to it for a chance—any chance—at survival.
I'm starving…
I need something… Anything…
His people fell one by one, screaming their unheard pleas. Their numbers weren't shrinking—if anything, they were multiplying. The starvation had stoked the people's natural instinct to protect their species, resulting in a spike in the birth rate. It only made things worse.
They had never seen the king smile, even as he distributed his own rations to the children who needed it most. Still, judging by their frail bodies and lifeless eyes, they would surely be dead the next day.
Then the king committed a truly taboo act. He gave his own flesh, his own blood, to the one child he had left. And who could have prevented him from attempting to fulfill this all-too-fleeting dream? All he wanted was to save, at the very least, his own family.
It was a crime that no one was able to warn him away from such an act. He couldn't. He saw a world where no one ever ate their fill. And every night, he had the same dream. The king, a gruesome sight on the floor, and a child innocently chewing away at his innards. He wanted someone to help—to deliver them from this layer of hell, one that nobody saw any end to.
That desire was firm in his chest as today, like any other day, began.
.....
A day had passed since Shizu's quiet farewell. The goblin village was slowly returning to its usual rhythm—hammers ringing from the dwarven brothers' forge, children chasing each other between half-built houses. Gobta had spent the morning helping with construction, but his heart still felt heavy every time he glanced toward the training cliff.
When Rigurd told him the adventurers had been summoned to Rimuru's tent, Gobta jogged over to meet them. Eren, Kabal, and Gido were already waiting near the central square, and the moment he saw them, a small smile tugged at his lips.
They looked… normal again.
Eren had traded her scorched cloak for a sleek leather vest reinforced with dwarven steel plates. Kabal's armor gleamed with fresh rivets and a new pauldron that actually fit his broad shoulders. Even Gido's daggers hung from a fancy new belt that looked twice as sturdy as his old one. The three of them were already bickering like nothing had happened.
"—I'm telling you, the green one looks better on me!" Eren insisted, tugging at her new bracers.
Kabal snorted. "You just like it because it matches your eyes. Mine makes me look heroic."
"Heroic? You look like a bandit to me," Gido deadpanned.
Compared to yesterday—when they'd all sat in silence, staring at the ground—this was perfect. This was them. Gobta's smile widened. 'They're moving on their own way… good.'
Before they could even reach Rimuru's tent, a small figure stepped out from behind a supply cart and blocked their path.
The child looked no older than six or seven. Short, neatly cut blue hair framed a delicate face. The outfit was simple—soft pelts stitched in the goblin style—but the posture was unmistakable: arms folded, chin slightly raised, trying very hard to look dignified.
Gobta's eyes went wide. "Rimuru-sama?!"
Eren actually took a half-step back. "What the—?!"
Kabal's jaw dropped. "That's… you Rimuru?!"
The child nodded once, arms still crossed in what he clearly thought was an imposing stance. "Yes, you recognize me."
Everyone stared in stunned silence until Rimuru—now in this new human form—sighed and began explaining.
"So… you acquired it from eating Shizu-san?" Eren asked softly, the words hanging in the air.
A brief, awkward quiet settled over the group.
"Hey, Rimuru… don't fret over it," Eren said quickly, stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on the child's shoulder. "It was Shizu-san's own wish. She chose this. We all heard her."
Rimuru gave a small, grateful nod. "I'm glad you understand."
To lighten the sudden heaviness, Gobta stepped up with his usual bright energy. "So why are you taking a human form all of a sudden, Rimuru-sama?"
"Heh-heh-heh! How kind of you to notice, Gobta!" Rimuru puffed out his small chest. "Life as a slime is pretty easy for me, but going around as a human ain't too shabby, either. It offers a lot more command over the five senses than I enjoyed as a slime, for one. Taste, in particular. That, and this form makes it easier for me to interact with you guys."
"Oh, I see!" Gobta shouted, eyes sparkling with sudden mischief. "I would like to interact with you too, Rimuru-sama! But I do prefer more curves—maybe eating will help you with that!"
Before anyone could react, Gobta reached out and playfully pinched Rimuru's nipple right through the pelt shirt.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT BY 'INTERACTING,' YOU IDIOT!"
Rimuru's face exploded into a bright red blush. He spun on one heel and delivered a furious reverse roundhouse kick—exactly the kind of flashy move he'd seen in his old memories.
Gobta, thanks to a full week of Shizu's brutal training, dodged it by a hair's breadth, the kick whistling past his ear.
"Huh—I missed?" Rimuru blinked, still flushed, staring at his own leg like it had betrayed him. "Maybe I need some time to get accustomed to this body…"
"You shouldn't treat a lady like that!" Eren scolded, smacking Gobta on the back of the head.
"Hey now, who told you I'm a lady?!" Rimuru protested, voice cracking in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gobta yelped, bowing repeatedly with his hands pressed together.
Kabal clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he nearly fell over. "Man, you are hopeless, Gobta!"
Rimuru crossed his arms again, cheeks still pink, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward despite himself. The awkward tension from moments earlier had completely shattered—replaced by the familiar, ridiculous energy that somehow made everything feel a little lighter.
.....
"Then, it's about time for us to say goodbye too," Kabal said after finishing his conversation with Rimuru.
"Already going back?" Gobta asked, tilting his head in surprise.
"Yeah," Kabal replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've gotta report to the Guild Master about this whole forest investigation… and about Shizu's situation too."
He glanced around the quiet village, then gave a small, genuine smile.
"Of course, we won't say anything bad about this place in our report. You've all been good to us."
"The matter about you, Rimuru, will also be reported to the Guild Master," Kabal added, lowering his voice a little. "We'll… probably leave out the part about Gobta being Shizu's disciple. Might raise too many questions."
Rimuru jiggled lightly. "That's fine. Thank you."
Kabal nodded, then looked at the group one last time. "If there's anything you need from me — anything at all — just say the word. No hesitation."
"Of course," Rimuru replied warmly. "If anything comes up, I'll definitely let you know. You guys be careful out there."
Gobta stepped forward, waving both arms with his usual big, goofy grin. "Good-bye, guys! Come visit again sometime, okay?"
Kabal returned the wave with a lazy grin. "Yeah, yeah. Take care, Gobta."
Eren, who had already started walking, suddenly spun on her heel and jogged back. Before Gobta could react, she threw her arms around him in a quick, tight hug. Then, with a bright little laugh, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss right on his cheek.
"Take care, Gobta," she whispered, her voice playful but warm.
For a brief moment, Gobta just blinked.
Then he grinned.
"Good-bye," he said happily, raising a han
d in a relaxed wave as she ran back toward Kabal and the others.
"Well, aren't you quite popular," Rimuru remarked.
Gobta scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his grin turning a little awkward.
"Heh… I guess?" he said.
A/N: Since you have come this far why don't just drop a review