Why am I here?

Why...

Why are there so much blood all around?

Kenya?

Gale?

Ryota?

Alice?

Chloe?

Why are you guys not moving?

Why are so much blood flowing?

Why is there a dragon... moving towards me?

...

I suddenly woke up from the dream.

It's a long time since the last time I had nightmare.

Life is so good in this world that I rarely have nightmares. Besides those ones about Shizu.

...

I thought the dragon was killing me.

There were so much blood. I thought all the Shizu's students are dead.

"Rimuru-sensei, why are you gasping so hard?"

Chloe is putting her hand on my cheeks.

"I did?"

Now I realize how much I am gasping.

"What happened to you, Rimuru-sensei?"

Alice seems to be very concerned about me.

"Maybe just a naughty dream? Hehe."

Kenya laughed while saying something unacceptable.

"Kenya, it seems that I forgot to tell you to watch your mouth. If you make those jokes again, I'm confisticating your sword."

"As if you can take it! It's mine now, hehe!" Kenya seems happy somehow and swing his sword around.

"Are you okay, sensei?" It's Gale's turn to worry about me.

"I'm really okay, hehe. I just had a bad dream, that's all". I just grinned and ackwardly tried to cover it.

"I think that sensei is just stressed out. Maybe taking a walk in the night will help?" Ryota told me this.

"That sounds good, I guess..." That is just a right choice for me. Take a walk, huh... Normally I don't feel that bad after dreams, but this one is strange. It just keep bugging me. Now I have a mild headache. It's not like I can tell them about the dream content though.

"This is unexpectedly good!" I stretched my arms as I walk through the park.

"See? See?" Ryota grinned.

"Sensei's mood became better." Now Chloe is glad too.

This is a nice night, the moon is full and the breezes are soothing.

As I try to enjoy it...

Suddenly I have a cold feeling running down my back.

What?

"Rimuru. It seems like you're having a good time."

It's not the students' voice.

Something metallic showed up.

It was faster than light. I jumped back to evade it when it barely touched my skin.

As I look at it, it's some steel claws that are pointing out from a... monster. It looks like a shadow. There are some small glowing lights which looks like eyes in his burning head, but the color of the whole body is black-violet.

I never saw this kind of monster.

I quickly looked around and it's fortunate that everyone's safe.

I wasn't able to stand there for long.

Another claw headed to my direction.

It's so fast.

But I could evade it too. It's one of the fastest attacks I have ever faced.

"You have really lost your touch, Rimuru. You were able to evade those attacks from Ifrit so easily." That mysterious voice again.

"Sensei, blood..."

Chloe pointed at my neck.

I guess I got a scratch from that claw.

As I try to evade the super quick strikes, I remember that fight with Ifrit.

"How the hell does you know about the battle with Ifrit?"

But he is right.

My reflexes are much better back then. I'm so used to the peaceful days. I didn't meet any strong opponent for months.

"I know everything about you, Rimuru."

He is attacking swiftly, faster and faster.

"I even know that you love these children a lot."

I feel shivers as I hear those words. Is that a flag? Where are them right now? I have to protect them.

I didn't even have the chance. Shadow is already there, his claws pointing at Chloe's neck.

"Sensei..."

I can only hear Chloe mutter some words.

"Chloe!!!"

I screamed hopelessly.

Shadow is too strong. I couldn't even see him moving to Chloe.

"These useless kids are just dragging you down, Rimuru. Look at how pathetic you are."

Shadow just keeps talking with his ghostly creepy voice.

"You can't even protect them. You got weak after playing with them too much. You're not as sharp as before, when you battled daily without rest."

I don't know what to do.

"What do you want?"

I can't just attack Shadow. I can't trust him that he won't do anything to Chloe.

All I can do is gather information.

"Great Sage, how long do I have to wait?"

"Answer: About 15 seconds."

Who the f*** is this guy anyway?

Shadow shows a creepy smile.

"I want Chloe dead."

He said it.

The thing that I feared the most.

At that moment, Chloe gave me a wink.

Somehow I understood what she meant right away.

I jumped forward.

A large blob of water appeared and exploded.

It pushed Shadow back.

I drew my sword and thrusted Shadow.

Chloe just ran to a tree.

It all happened in a fraction of a second.

"Flare Circle!"

My flame-generating magic circle appeared and engulfed Shadow within its merciless fire.

I was preparing for this skill while I was talking with Shadow!

This skill can seal Shadow in a boundary, and burns every matter within! Perfect for both controlling him and destroy him!

"Woah!"

"Rimuru-sensei sugoii!"

...

"Don't praise me..."

I stopped the circle from burning.

This is just burning my mana...

I get the feeling that it's not effective at all.

"That kinda hurts!" Shadow looks very healthy as he appeared after the fire went down.

"It does hurt, huh... I thought it just didn't work..."

"Well, it's perfect to warm up in such a cold night."

Even I had to laugh at his joke.

While the circle encapsulated Shadow, I made a thick barrier around the students.

I guess they're safe for now. But my Mana is depleting.

...

I don't know what to do.

And I'm not able to kill him either. He's too good at escaping. Not that he's bad at attacking. This guy may be stronger than Milim.

What should I do, Great Sage?

"Answer. Running away to somewhere safe seems to be the best option right now."

...

I don't want to run away.

I know that it's dangerous, but I don't feel like running away.

I thought Shadow had some problem so he just stands still, but suddenly he jumps at me.

I could evade that attack.

"Nice, nice. You're faster than before. You're returning to that level when you fought Ifrit."

"... Are you a shadow of me or something? Did you follow me everywhere?"

"No. I'm just a meaningless ghost. Who really likes Rimuru."

"Sorry, but don't say such words with your creepy voice. It makes me feel really pissed off."

"Hahaha. You asked me first."

We just exchange some strange words while parrying.

I don't know what to do.

Shadow is a real threat. And I don't think I'll get anything useful by asking his intentions.

There is one thing that I know though.

"What do you want?"

Shadow just let out a strange laugh again.

"I want Chloe dead."

"If you really did, you would have done that a long time ago, don't you."

"Don't push your luck, Rimuru. You want her dead?"

I stab Shadow with a really ferocious fire attack.

"Well, that does hurt a little." Shadow just say this playfully.

I don't know why, but we kept parrying like that for several hours.

Shadow never threatened Chloe in that time.

After some deadly blows...

We were too exhausted.

We just fell on the grass.

I can hear the kids cheering for me.

"You did it, Rimuru-sensei!"

"Sensei sugoii!"

"You defeated the monster!"

I can just laugh. More like the monster used me as his toy.

"You have got nice kids, Rimuru. Did you give birth to them?" Shadow said something.

"No! No way! I'm not that old!"

"Haha. What's the reason to be so flustered? I would be happy if I have such children."

"Huh... so Shadow, you have a gentle side too?"

"So that I can kill them. Hohoho."

"..."

"Can you just kill that shadow, sensei... it's too scary..."

"Well, please forgive Sensei. He did his best."

"Huh, so you admit that you are a boy, Rimuru?"

"I don't like admitting anything to a shadow, but well, I'm genderless."

"I would like you to be a girl though. I want to die under a girl's sword."

Shadow just suddenly became serious when he said that. It gave me the chills.

"Does that mean you're happy dying under Chloe's sword? I'm happy to give her the sword so that she can grant your dream."

"Ahahaha. No, I don't want a kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Chloe screamed.

"You're not even scared to talk back to me, Chloe?"

"Well, Rimuru-sensei did say that I need more experience in combat. I think that you helped me, maybe? But I still prefer that you go away from this place."

"Hahaha. Well, if you said so." Shadow stood up, if that word could be used for a shadow. "See you later, Lord of Tempest."

Shadow turned into a crow and fly away.

"What?? So you can transform too?" I shouted.

"Those kids are that cute, but don't do anything weird to them, won't ya?" I think that Shadow replied to me, but it sounded a little more birdy.

Shadow really flied away.

What a weird monster.

"I think Shadow is not a bad guy." Chloe just walked to the place next to me.

"Who knows, just be on guard."

oOo

I don't know why, but we are on the way to Tempest.

The carriage is shaking a little bit but it's generally comfortable.

Shadow showed up again several times after that day, we just parry a lot and get exhausted, it was like that every single time. I began to feel the effectiveness of this kind of "training", somehow I'm much sharper and faster than before, and it's kind of fun.

After a week, we decided on something.

"Sensei! Let's visit Tempest!" Chloe shouted.

"Yes! I bet Tempest is a great country!" Ryota was agreeing.

Visit Tempest, huh?

I think this has actually been on my mind for a long time. I want to show these kids the country that I built.

And that dream hasn't escaped my mind yet.

Somehow, I think that this place is not safe.

It's not about Shadow. There is just something that keep bugging me without end. A strange gut feeling.

So that's how we packed our stuff and put it on my magic-built carriage.

"Let's go! To Tempest!"

I shouted.

Suddenly I heard an unpleasant noise.

Some smoke began to surround us.

It's a fire.

I instantly knew that something disastrous happened.

This is just like the dream.

I opened the door of the carriage.

Fire is all around, and there is a mighty beast blocking our path.

It has a lot of scales and a big pair of wings. Its eyes were ferocious and was glowing red.

It's a dragon.

The dragon let out a huge roar, and breathed out a stream of fire to us.

It was the strongest fire I've ever seen. I immediately tried to make a barrier to protect everyone.

The barrier was barely able to block the fire.

But it's no good. The fire is becoming hotter and hotter.

It's melting my barrier. I don't know how much longer I can endure this.

No good.

Why am I so weak?

Why did the dragon attack us?

I don't know anything.

I asked Great Sage, but she just said "No answer".

What to do?

As I felt desperate, the dragon suddenly roars painfully.

The fire is becoming cooler.

As the fire become weaker, so does the smoke. I can see what happened now.

The tail of the dragon was cut in half?

Was it cut in the first place? No... I don't remember that.

And there is something familiar near the tail.

It's Shadow.

"Muahahahah! Rimuru, you own me this time! Remember that I saved you!"

That creepy and irritating voice again.

"You'll have to pay me! By sleeping with me! I won't accept anything else!"

"What the hell? I'm thankful, but how can I sleep with a shadow? Not that I'll do it..."

"Why don't you just sleep with him, Rimuru-sensei? He helped us a lot..." Chloe told me with an innocent voice.

Damn it, I don't have the time or courage to explain it to her...

The dragon seems unamused by Shadow's joke, it began to scream even more loudly and attacked Shadow.

Shadow just teleported to evade every single attack. This guy is scary...

"Hey Rimuru."

"Huh?"

"See that little gem on its head?"

"Oh... is that a weakness?"

"I heard somewhere that you can fly."

"You want me to break it? I guess you can't do it since you can't fly?"

Shadow didn't respond. But I know what to do now.

I just have one chance. If I can't finish the dragon in one blow, it may destroy me after I get too close.

The dragon used all its force to make a point-blank fire tornado to Shadow.

This is bad!

"Shadow!"

Shadow miraculously evaded it.

And he even dealt a super hurting thrust into the dragon's belly.

The dragon growled in pain.

This is it.

My only chance.

I flew to the dragon's head and thrust my sword straight at the gem.

The gem was broken into countless small crystals.

The dragon growled again, but now it's not even able to make any sound.

It just collapsed on the ground, making lots of trees fall with it.

Phew.

That's it.

The kids ran to me.

"Rimuru-sensei! Are you okay?"

"You are super cool! Really awesome!"

"I'm not really that good. If there was no Shadow here, everyone would have been dead."

"But Rimuru is the one who defeated it."

"Yes, that's true. But we should be thankful to Shadow". Chloe told me this and walked to Shadow.

She wears the brightest smile.

"Thank you!"

Shadow looks at Chloe without saying anything.

Then he teleported to me.

"Rimuru, it's time to pay me."

Huh?

I suddenly feel cold.

My clothes... are all teared??

Everyone is looking at my naked body!! Although there are no genitals, I can't say that I'm not embarrassed.

I ran away.

"Why are you evading me? You promised to sleep with me!"

"Who promised that! Bakaaaa!!!"

All the kids are laughing as they watch Shadow chase me under the dazzling sunset.

oOo

I don't know why, but I'm lying on the grasses in a super private place. I made a super strong barrier to prevent a certain group of kids from entering.

I have never felt this good in my life. Shadow's tentacles are all over me.

I never knew that he can make tentacles, and they're so slippery and warm. He said that he learned this technique somewhere and mastered it for 3 years just for today.

"Did you know about the dragon in the first place? You tried to train me for the day I'd have faced it?"

I told him the thoughts that was bugging me for so long.

Shadow just smiled.