As I suspected, I imagined that it might be impossible for me to ever understand this idiot.

I can’t comprehend something like him wanting to destroy the world just because of the misfortunes he experienced when he was young.

Experiencing misfortunes and accidents, that isn’t exclusively just Yuuki’s story alone.

Not everyone lived happily; some people lived finely by overcoming their misfortunes.

If I were to say, I guess my life was a happy one, so if I was asked, I doubt that I can really understand the feelings of those with unhappy lives.

However, I can affirm that involving other people because of his own unhappiness is clearly wrong.

People are not created equal.

People might be able to treat each other as equal as much as they can within this world’s system, but it can’t be denied that there’s a difference in innate abilities.

If you think in that sense, a world where everyone in this world can equally enjoy peace and happiness, something like that can only exists in fantasy.

That’s why you wouldn’t be wrong if you called this world incomplete.

Even Velda, who tried to create a world completely tuned to his likings, could only be called a fool who can’t understand Veldanava’s ideals.

However, even beyond him, Yuuki, who thinks that it’s better to end and destroy everything, has a way of thinking that is too childish and immature.

He is a rash person and only supports his own ideas without taking any kind of responsibilities.

As I expected, Yuuki is a fool that I’m incompatible with.

The world was cruel, but it granted you everything.

That was the world that Veldanava had created.

He, who was alone in the empty space, couldn’t bear the solitude.

That was the reason why he created the world: in order to distract himself from the boredom[1].

Then, just as Veldanava wished for, life was born in this world, and beings began to act freely and asserted their Wills.

Finally, after a long time, humankind was born as a vessel for the soul with free will and high intellect.

Veldanava was thrilled.

For Veldanava, who had been bored with the world of emptiness, even just observing the activities of life was fun, but the activities of the creatures called human beings were even more stirring for him.

However, there was also a problem.

Humans who acquired intellect stimulated each other and took unpredictable actions.

If he left them unattended, they would immediately begin to fight against each other and would walk on the path of self-destruction.

Several other worlds were born, but he could see that all of them had similar tendencies.

Emotions were always the cause.

Emotions were something that had been given to them and was necessary to give people the stimulus to develop even further, but emotions that had grown unchecked tended to reject the opinions of others.

Different Ideas gave rise to various forms of justices, Veldanava pondered.

He decided to accept such phenomena were some necessary evils and the way of the world as a training ground for the soul.

If humans were to be controlled completely, conflicts would disappear.

However, they would lose the stimulus from emotions and the world would end up as a Dystopia, where people were all equal but without free will.

Such a world was not what Veldanava desired.

After that, he experimented many times and tried to develop humans into the direction that he hoped for.

The conditions in many of the Parallel Worlds minutely deviated from one another, which led them to achieve different evolutions.

Meanwhile, he carefully chose humans with matured souls and created Angels and Demons as the manager of the souls without a lifespan.

He constructed a system so that the souls circulated to all dimensions.

He restricted the managers so they wouldn’t cause excessive interference and appointed the role of the Observer[2] so that the foundation of the world wouldn’t be destroyed.

Those he appointed to be Observers were Guy, Ramiris, and Dino.

I didn’t seem to be able to see anything spiritual because the little amount of magic essence in my former world, but perhaps that world might have an Observer, too.

Oh well, not like that thing mattered to me now though.

Anyway, the construction of the system was completed.

The subjugation of the Giants and the likes that appeared irregularly was finished and the world had stabilized.

When all things began working smoothly, the Wheel of Fortune spun greatly.

By meeting Lucia, Veldanava learned what love was.

Then, they proved their love, and Lucia ended up pregnant with Milim.

At that time, Veldanava lost all of his powers, but I could deduce that was probably due to the compelling force of the world.

The reaction called Enforceability―― the constructed system had declared Lucia’s existence as harmful.

From the system’s standpoint, God’s love must be poured out to everyone equally.

However, Veldanava’s action of loving a specific individual seemed to have caused errors in the system.

As a result, the price paid in order to repair the system failure was Veldanava and Lucia’s life.

Velda’s thought to condemn the system that even destroyed its creator wasn’t irrational, at least from an emotional standpoint. However, what Velda wanted to do was something for pure self-satisfaction, which went against Veldanava’s intention.

After all, Veldanava loved this world and he wished for Milim, his daughter, to survive.

The proof of that desire was the fact he had sacrificed himself to the system.

――Even if it was said that he had lost all of his abilities, a story of him who was a god to be killed by humans would be a tall tale.

It was impossible for Velda to understand that.

So he cooperated with Yuuki and tried to destroy the world, I guess…… what a truly foolish story.

◇◇◇

I opened my eyes slightly.

I’m sure I had begun my final battle with Yuuki, and yet――

《You finally woke up?》

Oh! Ciel-san said something to me.

Where are we?

Also what happened to Veldora-san?

《This is the End of the World. It could also be referred to as the “End of Time and Space”. As for Veldora, he was isolated inside the『Imaginary Space』and completely protected, so please rest assured.》

I see. Veldora-san is alright.

Thank goodness….. Eh? This needlessly large and empty world is the “End of Time and Space”, she said?

Certainly, time doesn’t flow and is in a stopped state. I can’t sense the spread of space either…..

《Yes. In this world, the flow of time has stopped. The spread of space had ceased as well, and in accordance with the Law of Entropy[3], this world has arrived at nothingness.》

Has arrived? You are talking as if you have watched it?

《That’s right. We were hurled to beyond space and time due to Yuuki’s attack. The lifespan of the planet has already ended a long time ago, but the collapse of the world hasn’t yet been reached. From that I deduced, Yuuki probably couldn’t destroy the world itself yet. When he was at the phase where he destroyed the celestial bodies as well as the space-time continuum, I presume that Yuuki’s lifespan had come to an end. However, I can’t judge whether his wish was fulfilled or not. After that, we wandered around as we drifted in the space and I witnessed the end of this universe.》

――I can’t understand what Ciel-san is saying at all……

“I witnessed the end of the universe?” What is she talking about…..?

Rather, there’s no way we can be alive in a situation like that.

If you want to lie, come up with a more believable one――So I thought, but I remembered Ciel-san never lies.[4]

She deceives me sometimes, but she didn’t lie as I simply misunderstood――Or rather, she made me do so――That’s all of it.

That means this is really the end of the world!?

《Yes, that’s right. Then, I’ll get straight to the point, what will master do after this?》

What will I do?

《Because a long time has passed,『Turn Null』has accumulated an enormous amount of energy. Although Veldanava is said to have lost『Turn Null』by creating the world, there’s no problem since Rimuru-sama has『Imaginary Space』. Because『Imaginary Space』has an infinite capacity, it can’t be filled up. However, it has already been filled with enough energy that even recreating the world tens of thousands of times is possible. Additionally, it’s possible to reproduce the memories of those connected to Rimuru-sama and intentionally create a world that’s nearly identical from before. What will you do?[5]》

Huh……?

Ciel asked me as such, which made me speechless.

Yes, if this place was the “End of Time and Space”, that meant Benimaru, Shuna, my friends in Tempest, Diablo and the other Demons, Guy, Ramiris, Milim and the other Demon Lords, all the people that I loved, all of them didn’t exist anywhere in this world. I finally understood that.

In other words, I lost to Yuuki.

「Bullshit!! Damn it!!! Doesn’t this mean I completely lost to Yuuki!!」

《No, that’s incorrect. Yuuki couldn’t even destroy Rimuru-sama.》

But, I couldn’t protect those I loved.

Therefore, it’s meaningless. There’s no meaning if I’m the only who survived.

Even if I can recreate nearly the same memories and even if their DNA is exactly the same, can I really say that they are “them”?

Can I interact with them in the same way as always before if I created them with my own hands?

DAMN IT, SHIT!!

「Those things like that would just be fakes! No matter what the excuses are, I have lost to Yuuki……」

Rationally, Ciel seemed to think that I should create a new world without a heretic like Yuuki in it.

That certainly would be a good choice.

It could be said that there were no problems with that.

However, that wouldn’t satisfy my heart.

Reviving my dead friends as fakes just to heal my loneliness, she said!? I’d rather die than stoop so low as to do something like that.

I’m aware that I’m selfish.

However, that’s the reason why I couldn’t approve of creating a convenient world just for myself.

In a world like that, my whole existence itself will rot away and die.

I would rather proudly choose to bear the loneliness than cling to the past just to comfort myself.

《I knew it. I had expected that Rimuru-sama would answer like that》

I shouted in anger, but on the contrary, Ciel replied happily.

Then she continued her words

《Besides, you have not lost to Yuuki yet. You just have to go and defeat him now.》

Ciel-san casually said those words.

I just have to go and defeat him now? Does she mean to go back to the bygone past?

Can something like that be done……?

Chloe seemed to be able to read the memories of the future with Time Leap[6], but that was just an ability to return to your past self.

Besides, it couldn’t be activated while time was stopped.

Yuuki would carefully plan to block a way out like that by stopping time.

《No, there’s no problem. The『Teleportation』newly acquired from Mai was originally just a mere prototype of a different ability. The ability is not『The ability to move to a place you’ve visited』, but『The ability to transcend time and space to reach the location you desire』. For Rimuru-sama, who rules over time and space, such a thing as going across time is simple.》[7]

I was speechless.

So that was her reason, no wonder Ciel-san was calm even though I was angry.

From the beginning, she probably had anticipated everything that I desired.

「Alrighty then, let’s get into it and defeat that idiot immediately. You know it, don’t you? I don’t like losing, after all!」

《As you wish, my Lord.》

Ciel responded to my order.

Brief as usual, her response was stated matter-of-factly.

However, I just woke up a little while ago, but Ciel had been waiting for me to wake up for countless years.

An unconcealable joy seeped out from her voice as she responded to my order.

In order to not betray that feeling, I choose the world that I think is the right one.

I’m not going to lose anymore.

Well then, let’s end this quickly.

At the same time I thought so; I used Time Warp[8] and warped to the past.

◇◇◇

I instinctively knew that I warped to a different spot from before.

At the same time, I noticed that a mass of energy, that seemed to be able to destroy the world, was approaching toward my direction.

However, I didn’t panic and swallowed it whole in one gulp.

It was surprisingly delicious.

I seemed to have recovered the energy consumed by Time Warp.

「Who are you!?」

It was probably a surprised shout from Yuuki who stood behind me.

Even though I was planning to return at the same time as my disappearance, it seemed that just a little bit of time had passed.

Well, it could be said that I arrived at the perfect time. It couldn’t be called as calculation error, even if it was my first time using it.

In addition to my perfect timing, nobody seemed to be hurt.

「…… Rimuru, is that you?」

A beautiful woman with rainbow-colored hair timidly asked me.

Back at ya, who are you!? I was about to say that impulsively.

However, I realized that person might be Ramiris from her atmosphere and slightly foolish look.

「Ramiris, is that you? You’ve grown up?」

「Geeeee!!! Stupid stupid stupid stupiddddd!! You made us so worried, you know!!」

「Tha-that’s right! To hide just to scare us, there’s a limit for a prank. Even I believed that you had been hurled to the future since your presence had completely gone from the world, you know!!」

「You easily went and nullified our greatest attacks…… Besides, what with that appearance? Haven’t you also grown up??」

Although not much time had passed, my disappearance seemed to have caused them to be worried.

And apparently, the energy that I had eaten just now seemed to be full power attacks unleashed by Guy and everyone else toward Yuuki. I felt I did a bad thing, but I didn’t think it was a big deal since their attacks of that level would only strengthen Yuuki anyway.

More importantly...

What does Guy mean about my appearance?

I thought so and looked at my own appearance, and it seemed my appearance grew into that of an adult.

However, since I have neither breasts nor a ‘son’, I would have to say this change has no meaning.

Ciel-san seems to have continued to create energy the whole time, so I guess this might be the effect of that.

「Oh well, don't sweat the small stuff. The fight isn’t over yet, and I’ll put an end to Yuuki. So, you guys just need to wait for a bit.」

I said so and turned to face Yuuki.

Without saying anything, Guy sheathed his sword and folded his hands.

「Guy?」

「No matter how you look at it, I don’t think that Rimuru will lose. This is surely a checkmate.」

Guy answered while shrugging his shoulders to Ramiris whose sight directed on him.

「Like I said before, saying something like that is a flag…… But, there seems to be no room for a flag in that…...」

Ramiris muttered so.

Afterwards, she murmured in a small voice “Even though I have returned to my long-awaited original form…… This is completely meaningless, isn’t it?” and looked a bit pitiful. It seemed I had to cheer her up later.

Diablo looked very pleased, as if to say that it was natural for him to believe I would return. He looked at me with an ecstatic expression, but I wonder if I could return to my former form without any problem? I was a little bit worried.

Chloe looked like she was about to cry, but just like Guy, she sheathed her sword and began to watch me. I guess they put their trust in me. Leave it to me! I won’t let you guys down.

I received everyone’s feelings on my back and pointed my katana at Yuuki.

「Well, let’s finish this. I have accompanied you in your foolish game for some time. But it’s time for the game to end, don’t you think?」

「I-Impossible!? Rimuru-san, I should have sent you to the “End of Time and Space” without fail!!」

Yuuki began to shout with bloodshot eyes, as if he didn’t want to accept it.

I could understand that feeling.

However, he just faced the wrong opponent.

If he fought someone else other than me, his eyes might have looked triumphant..

「Yeah, you’ve sent me there. I fell for your plan because my partner was engrossed in the analysis of the Primitive Magic. Oh well, your plan was very impressive, but, unfortunately, it’s useless against me.」

I told Yuuki that as if it was nothing.

《It upsets me that you said it’s my fault you fell into his plan. However, it’s true that I had interest in Primitive Magic. It’s vexing, but I can’t refute it.》

Ciel-san was upset as if she was displeased with something I said, but I decided to ignore her.

Mainly, it was because I didn’t say anything wrong.

「It-it can’t be…… Time Leap……? Moreover, its perfected form, to the place you desired…… even from the “End of Time and Space”……? Impossible…… A person, a person who can do something absurd like that should’ve not existed…… This is, doesn’t this make you just like a Supreme Deity[9]――」

Yuuki kept on muttering like that.

I could see from his appearance that he absolutely wouldn’t accept the reality.

Then――

Suddenly, he came slashing toward me, with all his power in his sword.

I didn’t dodge his slash, but quietly thrust my left hand forward and stopped his sword.

The blade, which he swung down at an extreme speed, was caught between my thumb and index finger, and its momentum stopped completely.

I glanced at the shocked Yuuki and delivered a light kick to him.

Having received a kick directly, Yuuki lost his grips on his sword―― Veldanava Sword—— and was blown away.

He would survive, but he would lose the majority of his fighting strength.

That’s because I extracted the negative energy from『Turn Null』that jammed life support and merged it into my kick.

After having a fit of violent coughs, Yuuki looked up to me with a dumbfounded expression.

「YOU, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU――――!?」

Yuuki shouted at me with the emotions of shock and agitation.

As I heard him, I laughed.

Yuuki’s silliness is too damn funny.

Yuuki is too ignorant to a fault, I can only laugh.

Mikami Satoru.

Rimuru Tempest.

――Or perhaps I can even be called Veldanava?

Me? Who am I?

Isn’t that obvious!

My name is――――――――

A flash.

A torrent of dazzling lights filled the surroundings.

Then, an ominous dark-colored demonic aura poured out from my body as if to swallow the lights.

The torrent of lights gently wrapped Ramiris, Milim and my other friends. The lights healed all their injuries and protected everyone from the ominous dark-colored demonic aura.

As for those who weren’t protected by the lights――Speaking of Yuuki…...

「Stop, go away! The world, I’ll――」

Yuuki seemed to have resisted it with everything he had, but his body was eroded away without him able to do anything to stop it.

「Give up.You've gone too far, Yuuki. If you do bad things, you’ll need to reflect on your actions, right? At least, you should repent about it. Repent for your foolishness and immaturity while inside my『Imaginary Space』. That’s all I allow you to do.」

I emotionlessly declared.

Yuuki was trying to struggle until the end, but everything ended in vain.

It seemed he had transferred all of his abilities to Veldanava Sword, I guessed there was nothing he could do now.

――No! Don’t lock me in here. This is, like this I’ll……

――Yuuki, you’re really being a problem child[10] until the end, you know, I wonder if this is because I couldn’t guide you completely?

――Sensei……? I… I see….. Sensei is also in here……

――Yes, I am. I’ll also reflect together with you. I’ll never abandon you.

――I understand. Just where did I go――

With those words as his last, Yuuki’s consciousness completely disappeared.

I closed the『Imaginary Space』.

Escaping from it was impossible until I died――Or, even after I died――he would never be freed.

In the first place, I doubt I still have a lifespan……

However, the one who conversed with Yuuki at the end was――

If so, this was not a punishment for him, this might be an unexpected salvation for Yuuki.

I thought like that, as if I was immersing myself in sentiments.

Thus, the final battle was over with my victory.

[1] Sierra: No internet to keep him busy. Poor Veldanava!

Xbox : All he needed was a pen pal...

[2] 監視者 Kanshisha, Guardian/Watcher. The same term that Dino used to refer to himself in Chapter 187.

[3] The second law of thermodynamics (the entropy law or law of entropy) was formulated in the middle of the 19th century by Rudolf Clausius and William Thomson following the French physicist Sadi Carnot’s earlier observation that, like the fall or flow of a stream that turns a mill wheel, it is the "fall" or flow of heat from higher to lower temperatures that motivates a steam engine. The key insight was that the world is inherently active, and that whenever an energy distribution is out of equilibrium a potential or thermodynamic "force" (the gradient of a potential) exists that the world acts spontaneously to dissipate or minimize. All real-world change or dynamics is seen to follow, or be motivated, by this law. So whereas the first law expresses that which remains the same, or is time-symmetric, in all real-world processes the second law expresses that which changes and motivates the change, the fundamental time-asymmetry, in all real-world process.

Guro: I’m not a Physicist, I just found it in internet.

Xbox: This law's influence on the end of the universe is still being heavily debated. The death by entropy theory never accounted for dark matter and dark energy. There is actually new evidence showing that the universe expansion acceleration theory isn't actually correct. Stephen Hawkins along with many other astrophysicists starting pushing the cyclic universe theory as this theory actually accounts for dark matter and dark energy.

[4] Sierra: Fuse-sensei. Once, just once, have Ciel play a prank on Rimuru

Poulay: Raphael did it when he said rimuru would die if he took a hit from Hinata just to take an ability.

Guro: I wonder if Rimuru considers Ciel and Raphael as separate entity……

[5] Sierra: Is this a text adventure?

Xbox: The essence of role-playing! Dungeons and Dragons anyone?

[6] 時間跳躍(タイムリープ)Jikan Chōyaku (Time Rīpu). Chouyaku here means Leap.

[7] Sierra: Oh shit. He's done it. Slime boy is now officially unbeatable.

[8] 時間跳躍(タイムワープ)Jikan Chōyaku (Taimu Wāpu). Chouyaku here means Warp.

[9] 超越神 Chousetsujin. Lit. mean Transcendental God/Deity, but I feel transcendental lacked a bit to show how awesome Rimuru became, so I thought of using Supreme Deity/God, which would mean a God/Deity who’s above everything (People and limitations) else in the all world (The Highest). Alternative; A God/Deity who transcends all.

[10] 手のかかる子 Tenokakaruko. Difficult/Troublesome/Handful/Problematic Child.

Sierra: Problem children really DO come from another world, don't they? Anyone get the reference?