Veldora POV

I am the great and mighty Storm Dragon, Veldora! I was trapped in the <Unlimited Imprisonment> by the Hero three hundred years ago and have since been rather lonely. That was until this odd sentient slime came hurling onto my cage, that is. It... or rather, she truly was an oddball and a rare reincarnated Otherworlder that retained all of her memories of her previous incarnation with the ability to transform into her previous incarnation. A short interaction later and she gives me the most amusing suggestion! I would be 'consumed' by her and would stay inside her until she figures out a way to unravel the <Unlimited Imprisonment> with her skill from the outside and all I had to do was unravel it from the inside!

Kuahahaha! Interesting! This slime is too interesting! Of course, I will accept this!

Before that, I had given the slime a name, Rimuru Tempest. She also gave me a family name, thus, I am now called Veldora Tempest. I feel a close and tight bond with her now. And then, here I am, in a spatial space called the 'Stomach', all alone again and very bored.

"I guess I should work on the <Unlimited Imprisonment>, but..." I grumbled a little in dismay at this lonely situation

Ah, I know! I can watch what she is doing from inside here using my skill <Inquirer>!

Before I could do that, I hear a few clattering noises behind me and I am, of course, very curious as to what it is. So when I turned my head, I see a pile of... items? They look square-ish and are very small for my claws. There is even text scribbled on it. 

Let's see... 'The Journey of the Thirteen'? Hm? This other one reads 'The Pristine Girl'.

I looked through the pile and discovered that there were multiple copies of the same names, except that most were numbered. Curious, I attempted to connect to Rimuru's surface memory and she surprisingly complies very easily and a treasure trove of information is now in front of me.

Haha! It seems like I will not be bored here after all! Thank you, Rimuru!

I glanced at the first pile of items again. I am still immensely curious about what they are since they entered this space without my knowledge. They were not like these flippable ones and they feel flimsier than them. What are they?

<Answer. They are tapes of past memories.>

Oh! How interesting! Mm? This one looks different.

I held up the item that had a distinct crystal flower depicted on it and read the words.

"'Dear... Dear Elysia'?"

The item suddenly comes to life, transforming into a small figure with little wings on its back. Her blue eyes blinked open and those same eyes are staring at me with great awe.

"Wow! A dragon! A real dragon! So cool!"

Now she was fluttering around me as she looks at me from all angles before skidding to a stop in front of me.

Who is this little creature?

<Answer. A guide.>

"Hi! My name is Elf Elysia! I will be your guide through the memories of Elysia!"

"Elysia... Ah, you mean Rimuru! Yes, yes, she did mention that her previous name was 'Elysia' and what did you say? Her memories?" I asked in curiosity

The small elf (?) nods, "Mhm! The story of Elysia is magical and beautiful, but also sad. But if you don't want to do that, you can also go through the Journey of the Thirteen Flame-chasers instead! The thirteen warriors that fought for humanity!"

"Hoho. Warriors, you say? That does sound very interesting. Right, I have decided! Show me the journey of those 'Flame-chasers'!" I ordered the elf

"Okay~"

She picks up one of the items labeled 'The Journey of the Thirteen' and the little scepter she held in her arms glowed and the tapes disappear. In the next second, a screen pops up in front of me and images began to play out in front of me.

"Welcome, a soul that is noble and pure. You have come to seek the past, but the foundation of truth has long been buried by time. This is the final escape from the doomsday and the destined tomb of the Thirteen Flame-chasers. What lies here only serves as somewhat amusing tales about the bygone past, about the thirteen people who never became heroes."

That voice sounds a bit like Rimuru's. Yes, yes. The girl on the screen looked just like the one she showed me! Those twelve other humans shown around her must be the 'Flame-chasers'.

"See? They lived so pridefully to the end. They sang the ode to civilization with their lives. This is the tale of those known as the Flame-chasers. This is the unfinished journey of the Thirteen. But my dear audience, your path continues, no? Then you should follow your heart. Go along the footprints to witness their crusade. In the end, you will go beyond their destined tomb to create a future we could not reach."

Then the screen fades to black and the elf looks at me with a smile.

"Are you ready to witness the journey of the Thirteen who could not become heroes? If you are ready, then I will let this continue."

I took a minute to think about this, glancing at the other screen my <Inquirer> brought up to show what Rimuru was doing outside of this space before looking back at the elf.

"Well, I have all the time in the world currently, so why not?"

She giggles happily, "Then my dear audience, witness the tale of those known as the Flame-chasers and I hope that by the end of it, you will be able to open your own path."

With those words, the screen flickers to life again and I am drawn into the story of the Thirteen Flame-chasers.

...

It has been months since then and I have a new playmate, but he is rather stubborn and I started to understand why he could not interact properly with his host, Shizue Izawa, the Conqueror of Flames. Their natures simply collided too much. By the way, I had used these months to watch the Journey of the Thirteen, and Elf Elysia had been kindly explaining things that I did not naturally understand due to the nature of Rimuru's previous world. And let me tell you, these Thirteen are so... dissonant!

...

Kevin - The leader of the Thirteen Flame-chasers. He seemed rather easy to interact with but incidents happened and he became ice-cold to everyone around him. If my elder sister Velzard were to challenge him... Wait. What would happen if they faced each other...? Bah! We shall not think about that!

Rimuru (formally known as Elysia) - She is the founder of the Flame-chasers and the second-in-command, her strength is only second to Kevin's (I'm beginning to doubt it). She is as cheeky as the first time I met her but is very fond of everyone and everything. She is practically the one that is gluing these Thirteen together! (She is also doing the same on the outside too, gathering various races to create an entire town!)

Aponia - This woman is dangerous, even I could tell through the screen. She has isolated herself in the Deep End to lessen her exposure to others due to the nature of her power to control people with just her words alone. Terrifying indeed, but I will not lose to something like that for sure! Oh, she is also one of Rimuru's closest friends! But that can't beat me! I am her sworn friend! Kuahahaha!

Eden - She's actually pleasant to be around. Rimuru also really likes her and she is another close friend of hers, occasionally joining Rimuru for drinks or vice versa and sometimes dragging Aponia out of the Deep End for the same purpose. She was a 'singer' too, apparently. Elf Elysia told me that her singing was wonderful to listen to and we were able to watch one of her concerts through Rimuru's memories. I could get along with her if she exists outside!

Vill-V - A very odd individual with multiple personalities that she switches around with. It was almost hard to tell but each personality is distinct so it wasn't hard to tell them apart after awhile. A brilliant inventor too! She made those things called the 'Divine Keys' using the cores of Herrschers that had been defeated. But... why does Rimuru's bow feel almost similar...? It is definitely not a listed Divine Key...

Kalpas - This one has a wild personality and is always seeking destruction! Haha! He reminds me of myself in the past! If I could interact with him one day... Rimuru might become angry if I ever destroyed the town she worked so hard to build up.

Su - I cannot figure this one out. He is mysterious but easy to interact with yet he often speaks in riddles that I cannot figure out! It feels frustrating! And how is he able to interact with Kevin when he's ice-cold all of the time?! ... Must be the closeness of best friends.

Sakura - A fine warrior with techniques to back up her talent. She is also practically the only one, other than Rimuru, that can interact normally with Kalpas.

Kosma - ... I need the sacred knowledge from the Sacred Texts! He rarely talks! How was Rimuru able to translate his silent language?! I must inquire about this from Rimuru herself!

<Request denied.>

Why?!

Mobius - Now this girl... she is scheming and devious. She is one of the other Flame-chasers that I do not understand fully. Yet Rimuru seems to like to hang out with her despite her being pushed away at most attempts. She is also the person that performed the Meta-morph surgery. Oh, and she apparently likes to work her poor assistant, Elf Klein, to tiresome extents.

Griseo - I still wonder why such a small and sweet child is involved. She has lost her parents to the Herrscher attacks and Mobius used the surgery to save her life. (Maybe that snake girl isn't as scheming and devious as I thought. She seems to care about Griseo a lot.)

Hua - Another young warrior. Rimuru apparently ranked her this low to keep her away from politics since she is just a lost, young girl in her eyes. She is talented in martial combat and is always keeping her mission in mind. She is sometimes too stiff, so Rimuru encourages her to relax every once in awhile.

Pardofelis - A lucky cat girl. When I say lucky, I mean it. She is immensely lucky! Every mission she gets assigned to is cleared immediately upon assignment because she had already either stolen or come across whatever items or information the mission needed.

...

When I told all these honest thoughts to Elf Elysia, she simply laughed and said that I was too superficial right now because I was just looking at the surface memories of their journey. Only when I understood Rimuru better, will I find out the truths buried within these dissonant Thirteen.

"I see. So these Herrschers descend in order to bring destruction to humanity and Rimuru-sama and her companions were chosen to be protectors." Ifrit nods in understanding at Elf Elysia's explanation 

Elf Elysia shakes her head, "Close, but not really! They simply volunteered to protect humanity but with their own personal interests in mind!"

"Mm... But from what I see here, there are more than thirteen of these 'MANTIS' soldiers fighting together, so..."

"We're getting there!" Elf Elysia interrupts him as she turns back to the screen, "Ah, just as I said it."

The next scene was terrifying to watch, to say the least. A large-scale magic circle-like crest appeared in the sky and the MANTIS soldiers trapped inside were screaming in pain and agony as they were helplessly killed off one by one.

"The 11th Herrscher is called the Herrscher of Binding. Its powers consist of sealing away any Honkai energy within its range. The soldiers were powerless in that field and became normal humans again by that point, making killing them off easier for the Herrscher. When it was finally over, all it left was a girl chained to a cross."

... I can't imagine any monsters in this world surviving something like that. All monsters in existence depend on magicules to survive, after all.

Apparently, after that incident, Rimuru was the one who decided to create the Thirteen Flame-chasers, the heroes who would save humanity, but those people were so dissonant and it was Rimuru who was the one that kept them together.

She had lost so much and yet she can still smile in order to keep others around her happy too.

"Rimuru-sama is rather odd, huh? I cannot imagine working with such people." Ifrit noted 

Elf Elysia pouts in dissatisfaction, "How rude! She just wants her friends to not fight with each other! It would break her heart to see that!"

"I... I apologize. It's just... her actions up until now are just odd to me. I have observed humans during my time with Shizue Izawa and I know that they usually have ulterior motives. And yet Rimuru-sama does not seem like them at all. Even when I watch this, I cannot help but hold some doubts." Ifrit explained

"Fool! I myself do not doubt my sworn friend, Rimuru! How can you do the same?!" I scolded him

"I-I apologize!"

"Now, now! Almost everyone else had doubted her too, so it's okay! As the story progresses, you will understand. And then..." Elf Elysia flies down to pick up the other tape labeled 'The Pristine Girl', "When you are ready, I will show you all the truth, all about Elysia."

I nod, "I want to know everything."

"I'm happy to hear that!"

We continued watching the journey without any rest, only occasionally taking small breaks to watch the outside world, chat and play before going back to watching the screen. Then one day, the most shocking revelation came to light.

"Mobius... What did she just shred?" I asked as soon as the scene finished

Elf Elysia waves her scepter and produces a similar-looking paper in her hands.

"Here! Have a read!"

Since Ifrit's hands were smaller, he took the paper and read it out to me.

"The report of the 13th Herrscher... Test results of the individual have shown a similar Honkai energy pattern with other Herrschers." Ifrit read out, flipping to the next page and his face pales, "The... The 13th Herrscher's identity is..."

He suddenly became silent as he reread the paper over and over again, looking up at Elf Elysia, who did not seem to mind his reaction.

"What is it, Ifrit? Don't keep me in so much suspense!"

He nods hesitantly, "The identity of the 13th Herrscher is... Elysia, or who we now know as Rimuru-sama... There is no other written data in here, but..."

My dragon mouth gaped upon hearing the report, "What did you say?!"

"Mm! He's right! Elysia, the Flame-chaser of Ego, is a Herrscher." Elf Elysia confirmed to us with a nod, "It's a big surprise, right? The one who wanted to fight for humanity was actually humanity's enemy in the end. This would conclude the ending of the Flame-chasers after the 12th eruption based on her memories. Do you really want to continue with 'The Pristine Girl'?"

I took another look at the outside from Rimuru's perspective as she enjoys her time with her subordinates after the establishment of their nation and Milim's arrival. It's impossible for me to think that such a girl was capable of destroying an entire civilization if she wanted to, but...

"... Show me everything. No matter how long this will be, I want to see her story from the beginning to the end."

"Okay!"

Then, the tapes for 'The Pristine Girl' disappear, and the screen flickers to life once more. A blanket of stars covered the screen.

"That was a story from a long time ago... She fell from the sky that day. The people on the ground looked up and thus saw the starry night sky. The moon and the stars sent God's daughter and she was willing to be humans' companion. The winds morphed into her chariot, the seas turned into her garden plot. Birds bought and sowed seeds, bountiful flowers weaved an anthem of love. She descended upon the world like that, traveling the world, growing together with humans, maturing together with the world."

Then, it was darkness before light slowly seeped in and a lush green forest came into view and the calming spring waters and birds chirping could be heard in the background.

"Ah..."

Mm? That sound...

Then, a wail resounded and tiny hands came into view before the scene changed. A gardener had picked up the small baby he found in the forest and brought her to an orphanage in the village of Vladivostok 51, not knowing where she had come from.

No, no, even I'm confused! That was Rimuru, right? Where are her parents? For a human child to be born, she must have parents, right? It's impossible for a small life to just be born like that!

But that was the truth right in front of me. The small, innocent girl is born in a forest and is now a joy to everyone around her from the moment she arrived. No matter what season went by, she is always there to be a helping hand, bringing smiles to people. However, there was one problem, she never had a name until her mother from the orphanage gave her a book, the very first present she received. I recognized that one. It was one of the books I got from her surface memories, the one about the journey of a man who sought paradise but decided to create one when he couldn't find it. The name was, I believe...

"This is it... Pristine paradise... Eternal Elysium... Yes... yes! Name... name... My name is... Elysia!"

I couldn't help but let out a groan.

"What's wrong, dear Dragon?" Elf Elysia asked

I twiddled my draconic fingers, "No... I mean... If I had known that her name symbolized something like that, I could have just named her 'Elysia' again. The name 'Rimuru'... seems bland now."

"Is that so? I think the name 'Rimuru' is fairly cute too! I think she's even happier that it was a name given to her by the first friend she had in this world!"

"Do you really think so?"

"Mhm! Then let's continue watching! We have a long, long way to go!"

I nod and we continued watching the girl's journey through her eyes.

"Those people are from the MOTHs? How is it possible that they could not find out who Rimuru-sama was after the third trip?" Ifrit asked

"Because Elysia is Elysia! It's her super charm! To be favored by all and suspected by none!" Elf Elysia replies

I looked at the screen displaying the outside world from Rimuru's perspective and back at her memories.

... By this point, it sounds about right.

The memories continued to play out in front of us. By now, Rimuru had already suspected that she was the one the MOTHs are looking for and decided to lie to her mother, telling her that she wanted to explore the outside world.

"She was still so fragile and small back then. It was brave of her to try to explore such a big world by herself." I noted

"The first big step to loving the world is to see it for yourself, after all!" Elf Elysia chuckled

And seeing it for herself she did. Rimuru went around to many places with her small feet, learning about the good and bad of the world, and slowly growing into the girl I saw back in the cave. As if by fate, she ended up working for the MOTHs to protect humanity. She made friendly relations with everyone there, some found her bothersome, and some found her odd, but nevertheless, her presence was always welcomed. Then, the Herrschers descended, putting these bonds to the test at every single turn. No one could live normally at this point and Rimuru was the second volunteer to undergo the Meta-morph surgery, a surgery that fuses the genes of a Honkai Beast into their bodies. If it succeeds, then good for them, but should it fail... Well, those were the ones with the worst results.

"It's a brutal process to ensure survival, isn't it?" Ifrit inquired

Elf Elysia sighed, "Mm, but it was necessary."

At this point, there were so many questions and contradictions in the story. Herrschers were sent to destroy humanity by hosting human bodies, yet...

"Yet, why is Rimuru...?" I couldn't help but mutter out as my two other companions looked at me, "... Rimuru is the 13th Herrscher, yet her existence itself is a contradiction. You said it yourself. Herrschers are born through human hosts and seek destruction, but when I look at Rimuru now, through her memories... She displayed no signs of those thoughts and an even weirder fact is... How was she born? She had no parents, she could have been abandoned from birth but that's impossible too. If she was someone that already gives joy to the people around her, then her birth parents would not have abandoned her."

Elf Elysia looks up at me with curious eyes, "Then what is your answer or conclusion?"

"Mm... I may have an idea, but... According to the Journey of the Thirteen, they still had to face the final Herrscher, the Herrscher of The End, the one that would destroy and reset the world, right? Rimuru's memories of their journey ended right after her identity of being the 13th Herrscher was revealed. It could have meant that the 13th Herrscher used her body as a host and thus her memories ended there, but it is still weird."

"What is weird, Veldora-sama?" Ifrit asked

"Ifrit, based on what I had been saying, don't you feel that something about Rimuru has been odd from the very beginning? I'm going to say this again. 'How was she born?'." I reiterated my point to the fire spirit, "Remember that her world only consisted of humans, animals, and nature. There is no existence of monsters, spirits, or demons. The only special existences would be the Herrschers and Honkai Beasts."

"Hehe~ Such a big mystery, isn't it? You are getting closer and closer to the answer! But as your guide, I can give you a few hints!" Elf Elysia giggled

"Will your hints really point to the truth?" I asked her

"Of course! I would never lie!"

I nod at her confirmation and asked my question, "Did the 13th Herrscher really exist?"

Her surprised expression told me the answer that I needed. There was no need for hints or answers. It was just as I had suspected.

"Rimuru was never the 13th Herrscher. That was a lie she made up. She... was born a Herrscher. That is the truth." I concluded

"T-That kind of claim...!" Ifrit gasped out

Elf Elysia smiled brightly at my answer, "Wow, dear Dragon! You got the answer! So smart!"

I let out a proud laugh, "Kuahahaha! Of course! I am the great, intelligent Storm Dragon, after all!"

"S... So why would she reveal something like that so easily? I don't understand. If she had valued her own life, she would not have needed to reveal this false information." Ifrit inquired with the small elf

"Because she loved humanity. Because she loved the world. That is why she did what she did. That is who Elysia is!"

"So it was... self-sacrifice? For what purpose?" Ifrit gaped

"Let's watch her life further. The answer may lie in one of these memories!" The small elf suggested and continued playing the tape

And so, more details of her old life began to play in front of us. Though Elf Elysia is mostly showing most of the important turning points of Rimuru's old life, I felt conflicted after discovering the answer. I wonder what it must have felt like for her when she found out that she was one of those who was supposed to destroy the humanity she loved. If I asked this, would Rimuru tell me?

<I cannot answer that.>

Figures. That was why she even sent Elf Elysia to us, I guess.

"Veldora-sama, look!" Ifrit gasped, pointing to the screen showing the outside through Rimuru's eyes, "Those two figures..."

My eyes widened as I looked at the familiar humanoid figures called Sakura and Kalpas. Flame-chasers... They exist here?! Look, I saw the Signets through the crystal ball that the fortune-telling elf had shown Rimuru but this is... inconceivable! Had they been summoned? The answer was 'no'. Both gave the same answers. Sakura had woken up and simply explored the world and Kalpas's consciousness had somehow been put into Charybdis, who had attacked the town before Rimuru put it in its place.

"How surprising! The Flame-chasers are here?!" Elf Elysia exclaimed in genuine surprise, "How could it be...? Was it her wish too? So confusing..."

"What? Whose wish?" I asked her

"Eh?" Elf Elysia looked at me with confusion, "Did I say something weird?"

"You said something about a wish."

She looks to the side, thinking hard before shaking her head, "I never said anything like that, dear Dragon! Anyway, Elysia looks happy to be around them again!

I looked at the jolly elf with a few doubts in my mind. How could I have mistaken her words when I have great hearing?

<Searching for errors within memory manifestation of Elf Elysia... No errors were found within memory data. The individual 'Veldora' simply heard wrong.>

What?! How could it be...? Oh well, if that's what Rimuru says then I guess I was really hearing things. Still, it seems like we have to pay more attention to what is happening outside now. What could the appearance of the Thirteen Flame-chasers mean to this world...?

...

It has been almost two years since that fateful day. Not once has it been boring since I had two companions, the Sacred Text, and a journey to watch until the end. Rimuru, on the other hand, is now taking care of the children that Shizue Izawa had tried to save before. As for 'The Pristine Gir', we were at the final legs of the memory. By this point of the tape, Rimuru had finally discovered her Herrscher identity and made the greatest decision of her life.

"So this is the truth, huh? She sacrificed herself to unite everyone after the 12th eruption. That was why the 'Journey of the Flame-chasers' ended so abruptly."

At my sigh, Elf Elysia gave my snout a comforting tap, "Don't be sad! To her, if it means that she can give a future to the new era, she will do anything! A cute girl can do anything, after all!"

"To think that all her actions and words were genuine up until the end. Rimuru-sama... is too pure." Ifrit concluded

"Mm."

That is why I fear that her pure soul may one day be tainted by this cruel world.

<... Continue training.>

Wait, wait, wait! We are still in the middle of a few touching scenes here! You can't just suddenly give us training again out of nowhere! I need to know more, Rimuru!

<Answer. You can do both at the same time. That includes Ifrit.>

"Oh my." Elf Elysia hummed out as she watches the both of us being put through the wringer again, "Good luck!"

Rimuru's training is just too intense! How could you?! We are trying to discover the truths of your past, you know! Don't spoil the moment!

<...>

...

The torture, ahem, training, lasted for a few hours before Rimuru had let us continue watching in peace. And this current scene playing out was... Rimuru's final banquet, a farewell to her friends. It is a pity that only four attended it. After all, it was a farewell and a 'crusade' to the false 13th Herrscher.

"Come, Vill-V. Sorry for telling you such a huge lie... I hope calling myself the '13th Herrscher' won't cause you too much trouble. I'm too special, it can't be helped... Telling the truth will probably stir up bigger chaos."

The genius inventor shakes her head, "Don't worry, Elysia. I'll tell more lies to cover... to protect your secret. Deceiving the world or even history isn't difficult for me. The 13th Herrscher will be a blank page in the book. As for the Flame-chasers that are absent... I think their absence says it all. They didn't come because they believe in Elysia and disobeyed the order. We came because we believe in Elysia and accepted the invite. Look... those you trust have always trusted you, and those you love have always loved you."

"... Thank you. I didn't think... I'm exhilarated... I just wish dear Mobius was with us. I wanted to give her a green crystal flower."

"She dumped the report on the 13th Herrscher from the MOTHs into a shredder without taking a look. Typical of Mobius. Maybe she refused to come because she didn't want your farewell party to be perfect. Or... she just didn't want to be caught crying?"

"Yeah, Mobius can be very emotional."

...

Rimuru turns to the next attendee with a bright smile.

"Aponia. Although the Deep End no longer exists, I know it's somewhere deep inside you. The threads of fate can't constrain you anymore. You should come out of that cage once in awhile!"

"For me, the Deep End is the outside, but that doesn't matter now... I've long stepped into the Sun. Because... you're here. For that reason, I wouldn't want your story to be sealed in the past either. I will write down your everything in the realm, then peruse it through ages as I await the visitor who shares your will. And... look forward to the day when future generations turn to this page."

"Okay! I look forward to it as well... it's my story, after all."

...

"Eden... this time it's really goodbye. I'm sorry about keeping you in the dark. Will you hate me?"

The singer held her hands, "Why would I, Ellie? I know you, probably more than anyone in this world. And... we don't need goodbyes. You're still here, right? You'll exist forever... alongside heaven and earth. No matter where I am, no matter what I become, I will sing for you... until the final moment."

"Yes, that was our promise, after all... No matter what the ending may be, we will watch it till the end together... okay?"

...

"As for Kevin... Actually, I don't have much to advise you. You're a true hero, the undoubted leader of the Thirteen Flame-chasers. If there is a person who will carry humanity to a future without Honkai, then... that person would definitely be you. But I have one last request. It's the question you have never been willing to answer. I really want to know. Kevin, if you cried, will your tears freeze?"

The man in front of her finally broke down in a few tears and those tears froze, giving Rimuru the answer she wanted for a long time. Of course he would cry. He is about to be the person who would take on the burden of being the one who had defeated her, his precious friend and comrade, yet all she did was ask the question she had honestly wanted an answer for.

"Oh my... I'm just asking, you don't have to really cry... You're a grown man, right? But thank you, now... I know the answer." She gingerly picks up a frozen tear between her fingers, "Look, they are really frozen... but, they are so warm."

...

At the end of these conversations, the lone girl stood on the stage.

"Ah... I wish we could stay in this moment forever. But all performances must come to an end, right? So now, let's put a beautiful end to it. If, in the distant future, you all meet a Herrscher like me... You must find a way to tell me. I'll be... really happy if you do! Because I'll know that from now on, nobody would have to face such a difficult decision anymore. Because I'll know that our footprints will someday guide someone else forward. 'Tragedy isn't the end. It's the beginning of hope.' Only humanity could think like that. And only humanity could try to realize such a conviction. So, please tell me. At the end of this story... did I... become human?"

Those below the stage gave her the answer she needed to hear.

"Isn't that a fact that's laid before us?"

"Tonight, there is no Herrscher here."

"Because she who slumbers here and sings to the future generations is the MOTHs' honorable and proud warrior, the founder of the Thirteen Flame-chasers..."

"The pristine human, Elysia."

The girl smiles at them fondly.

"Thank you. Finally, it's time to say goodbye... Because I'm a Herrscher, so perhaps, I might be able to do it. Now, my friends, my confidants, my dearest comrades... Elysia's curtain call must be brilliant and beautiful, so... please see me off one last time!"

Then, we witnessed a phenomenon unlike any other. The stars began turning, and something invisible seemed to be moving the stars in a different direction before the screen slowly fades to white.

"And now, it is time to return. Farewell, beautiful world. Thereafter, the stars will shine because I have come. Thereafter, flowers will bloom because I never left. Please transform my arrow, my flower, and my love into a seed and bring it to the wilting earth. Then, let it blossom into an eternal and pristine... flower of humanity. My name is Elysia... The very first Herrscher, Herrscher of Human."

...

That was her ending. I saw it. Her Herrscher form was truly beautiful, probably even more than the Hero I saw back then. It truly was a magical story and yet a sad one. Her fate was sealed from the moment she was born. But...

"What was that phenomenon?" Ifrit wondered the same thing that I was thinking, "And something about returning..."

"Yes, I am very curious about that too."

"She simply returned her entirety to the 'cocoon'. Elysia... She is a very, very special existence. A Herrscher born from the Authority of Origin, an existence that can defy the fate that the Authority of Finality laid out for Herrschers. A one-in-a-million miracle that was born to protect and aid humanity. When she returned to the 'cocoon', she rewrote the fate of Finality for the future generation of Herrschers." Elf Elysia explains to us, but her tone and personality seem odd now

Suddenly, we feel great pressure and looked at the screen that showed the outside world. I was aware that Rimuru is using high-ranked spirits to stabilize their unstable magicules. But that figure in front of her... is not a spirit! My <Inquirer> cannot even figure out that existence either! She seems familiar and... dangerous!

"Finally, after 50,000 years... 'we' have succeeded. 'We' took 'her' back from the 'cocoon'." Elf Elysia muttered, "Thank you, C-"

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? POV

I was still working on the Herrscher core, but a sudden pressure from the outside world hits me and I snapped my attention to try to look at the presence from the outside world as carefully as I could.

... What? I do not understand. What is this immense power?

The Herrscher core in front of me suddenly glows and a surge of energy from the outside enters the core.

Huh? Her Herrscher core is stronger than before. It is not noticeable unless it is closely analyzed, but thankfully her skill did not detect this change. Could it be ready to evolve soon? ... No, her current body is still not ready. As long as her powers remain suppressed due to her skills, I cannot force an evolution with this current core. I must keep it stable and find an opportunity to evolve it once she is ready. Just a little longer.

...

Veldora POV

Before her words finished, Elf Elysia fell to the ground limply and Ifrit quickly picks her up to check on her.

"Elf Elysia! Hey, wake up!" I called out

That entity... It was because of her. What did she do to Elf Elysia?!

<Analyzing... Rebooting memory manifestation 'Elf Elysia'... Successful. No abnormalities found.>

How could that be...? But due to Rimuru's analysis, Elf Elysia finally woke up and looked around in confusion.

"Did I fall into a deep sleep? What happened?" She asked

"Well, the story ended and we asked about Rimuru's existence and you suddenly talked about the Authority of Origin and 'cocoon'... There was even something about 50,000 years." I replied, explaining to her what had happened before she fainted

"50,000 years? Oh, you mean about the Elysian Realm? I have memories from it here!" Elf Elysia flies up and a tape named 'Elysian Realm' appears in her small hands, "There are actually about 50,000 years of memories in here but they are mostly not that significant until the successor arrived!"

"50,000 years?!"

Now that I think about it, Rimuru did mention something about staying in her world a tad bit longer than she should have... but 50,000 years?! That's not a tad bit, Rimuru!

"Do you two want to watch it?" She asked us

"Uh..." Ifrit and I looked at each other before I gave Elf Elysia an answer, "Sure... But let's take a brief break before that."

"Okay~ Then I'll organize it a bit to make the viewing bearable!" Elf Elysia hummed happily as she moves aside to fix the tape

Ifrit looks up at me with a bewildered expression, "What could this mean...? Rimuru-sama is a Herrscher, that much we know, but an Authority that can rewrite fate? That's outside the realm of common sense and even more so, this kind of work is only possible for godly beings."

"I understand your headache, Ifrit. I am curious myself, but this error in Elf Elysia occurred because of that dangerous entity that entered Chloe. Only it would have known what happened and unfortunately, we cannot know it anymore."

"I know... But this 'cocoon'... We saw the rearrangement of stars before the story ended. Could Rimuru-sama actually be..." Ifrit gasped out

Even I am troubled by this possible fact. Rimuru... You... Are you a being born from the stars? 

"Ifrit. If we ever get to the outside world again, we must keep this secret tightly kept between us. The truth of Rimuru's birth must not be mentioned to anyone. If word gets out... the most powerful beings in this world might try to threaten her life. One of them being my elder sister, the Frost Dragon Velzard."

"I... I understand, Veldora-sama."

Her existence must be protected. She deserves to lead a fulfilling life this time and I will never allow anyone to lay a hand on my sworn friend!

...

Oh yes! The Flame-chasers! Kuahahaha! Elf Elysia was indeed right! My opinion of those guys has changed greatly after watching the tapes of 'The Pristine Girl'! ... They have truly suffered. If they are all in this world, then I can only hope that they can be brought together again to lead the normal, happy life that they deserve.