After parting ways with Gruusis, I attempted to teleport to Tempest, but for some reason the spell wouldn't activate.
What was going on?
Gruusis had clearly teleported away right in front of my eyes...
As I was pondering this, 「Report. You have been captured within a wide-area barrier. Spatial interference abilities have been sealed while outside the barrier's perimeter.」
The Great Sage delivered its answer.
What?
I had a bad feeling about this.
A sensation of being cornered—one I had never felt before.
When Milim had attacked, there had been no killing intent, so I hadn't felt particularly threatened. But now, my danger prediction was sounding alarms at full volume.
Had I stumbled into some kind of trap?
I called out to
It appeared this was a spatial isolation barrier that completely severed the area within from the outside world.
I could no longer call for reinforcements, or even escape.
Anxiety gnawed at the uncomfortable feeling, so I set up insurance just in case. Fortunately, it seemed using abilities within the barrier itself wasn't restricted—but...
「Report. You have been captured within a wide-area barrier. Ability use within the barrier has been sealed.
All magicule-manipulation-type abilities are now restricted.」
What!?
Magicule-manipulation-type abilities encompassed virtually all magic. Fire, lightning—none of it could be used.
On top of that, things like Steel Thread manipulation were sealed too.
Rather than assuming I'd been caught in a barrier targeting someone else, I should consider the possibility that this had been aimed squarely at me.
They'd allowed Gruusis to teleport away in order to avoid dealing with him simultaneously. If I had tried to teleport first, they would have deployed the barrier before the spell could activate.
That meant there was a good chance my magicule flow was being monitored.
Now then, what was their objective?
I braced myself against the killing intent pressing in on me, waiting to see what the opponent would do. I needed to wait for the Great Sage's analysis before I could attempt to dismantle the barrier.
If I could absorb it, the analysis would be instant, but a wide-area barrier covered too vast a range—it would take time.
This was extremely bad.
For the first time, I felt genuine unease.
Anxiety—a feeling I rarely experienced since coming to this world.
Becoming a monster had certainly changed me psychologically, but I believed the biggest factor was the Great Sage's predictive analysis.
It would assess the likely outcome of anything I planned to do and inform me beforehand.
That was why I could charge fearlessly at seemingly powerful opponents—the results were already foreseeable.
Conversely, even a prediction of certain defeat wasn't inherently distressing. If I couldn't win, I'd just run. If escape was impossible, I could at least take a swing before going down.
But this situation was different. The enemy's combat strength was an unknown variable, with no way to predict the outcome.
Yet the killing intent directed at me was unmistakable.
A situation where I couldn't tell if I could win, and couldn't flee. I didn't even know how many opponents there were.
The wide-area barrier appeared to be maintained by multiple people.
According to Heat Source Detection, only one person was approaching. Magicule Detection wasn't functioning.
In slime form, I was essentially blind.
The omnivision I'd grown accustomed to was gone, making it nearly impossible to assess the situation around me.
The moment I'd been trapped in this barrier, my odds of winning had plummeted.
But to go to the trouble of sealing my abilities...
So this was how some fights were conducted. Moreover, they'd deployed a wide-area barrier from a distance without being detected, making sure they had the advantage.
It felt like professional work from someone experienced in fighting monsters.
I estimated the barrier's range to be at least two kilometers in radius. A completely unforeseen strike from outside my perception.
I was genuinely impressed by their thoroughness.
(Who on earth was this, and what did they want with me?)
As I was thinking this, "First time meeting you, I suppose? Though it'll be a farewell soon."
With those words tossed my way, a figure walked toward me from the front.
Naturally, I'd already spotted them in my field of vision, but I had no recollection of this person.
Still, there was something vaguely familiar about them.
Beautiful, lustrous black hair trimmed just short of the shoulders, the left side swept back, the right side allowed to fall just enough to not obscure the eye.
Small round spectacles perched on the nose were their most distinctive feature.
Not a fashion statement, perhaps—though their eyes didn't seem bad.
Dark-colored attire designed for ease of movement. The craftsmanship suggested formalwear. Not a skirt—they wore trousers.
Over that, draped to cover the body, was a pure white robe of the kind worn by clergy, dyed entirely black.
I favored black too, but this was an unusual level of devotion to it.
Within those eyes—cold enough to send a chill down your spine—a spark of rationality flickered.
Their beauty only made the frost in their gaze more striking.
"I think this is our first meeting, but do you have business with me?
My name is Rimuru. You might have me confused with someone else?"
Pointless as it was, I confirmed.
They were unmistakably targeting me. There was no way this was a case of mistaken identity.
But a killing match over a misunderstanding was the last thing I wanted.
"That's right, there's no mistake.
You're the master of the monster town. Your town is in the way.
So I've decided to crush it.
That's the reason why it's inconvenient for you to return home right now.
Do you understand?"
Without a trace of guilt, she calmly explained her reasoning.
Not exactly something I could just accept!
And how did she know I was the ruler of Tempest? What was going on?
"How did you know I'm a monster, and moreover the ruler of a monster town?
As you can see, I'm just an ordinary adventurer."
"Oh my? Are you playing dumb?
Well, it doesn't matter. There was an informant.
I won't tell you who, but word reached me.
The royal capital has all sorts of 'eyes,' you know. It's always wise to be on guard against surveillance."
An informant?
I couldn't think of who. I'd been careful about being followed, and I'd taken maximum precautions with contact.
I didn't understand. But I could clearly see that she was dead serious about killing me.
This was extremely bad.
Her only weapon was the slender rapier at her hip.
She wore no armor, standing at ease.
There were no other figures nearby, and no sign of whoever was maintaining the barrier coming as backup.
They'd set a trap specifically to kill me, yet there was only one person?
Or did this individual possess enough strength for it to not matter?
But there was no time to think. An assault on Tempest might already be underway.
From the moment they'd learned of the uprising, it would take about a week for an army to reach Tempest.
At Gruusis's movement speed, how many days would it take from the Farmus Kingdom to the Ingracia Kingdom?
Even without rest, it would likely take three days.
I'd planned to return immediately, and I regretted not asking how many days ago the uprising had begun.
But there was no room for comfort.
"It seems that even claiming it's a mistake won't convince you."
"Indeed. Because I've heard that the master of the monster town is called 'Rimuru.'"
"Oh, so you have."
I was done for. Even my name had been known.
"Shall we get on with it?"
"I'd rather not, but couldn't you at least give me your name?"
As she moved to draw her rapier, I asked.
The beautiful woman tilted her head.
"I didn't mention it, did I? It's not important, so I forgot.
Very well.
I am the Head Knight of the Papal Imperial Guard Division, and Captain of the Holy Knights.
My name is Sakaguchi Hinata.
I don't think we'll know each other long, but pleased to meet you."
With that, she drew her rapier.
A handle studded with seven small gems, and a white-silver blade.
A faint crimson magicule aura clung to the blade.
It appeared to be a magic sword.
Wait—was this person Sakaguchi Hinata?
I'd heard she was an extreme pragmatist, but she seemed a bit careless.
However, her intelligence-gathering ability was not to be underestimated. She'd dug up information about my identity and my town.
But above all else.
I felt I owed this person a debt of retribution for what she'd done to the children.
If she was willing to fight, that was fine by me. I'd crush her with everything I had.
Still, if there was any way to resolve this through negotiation, that would be preferable.
I drew my own blade and took my stance.
"Hinata? Wait a second—there are things I want to say and things I want to talk to you about!"
"I don't know what a monster could possibly have to say, and I have no interest in listening, so don't bother?"
"Just wait! You're Japanese, aren't you? So am I.
"I know. That you killed Teacher Shizu. I'll make you pay for that.
Besides, a monster that's Japanese? What an absurd thing to say. Don't make me laugh."
She clearly didn't believe a word.
An idea struck me.
"That's why I'm telling you I'm really Japanese! I died over there and was reincarnated over here as a monster!"
I spoke to her in Japanese.
This made Hinata's expression falter.
"How resourceful of you... Where did you learn that language?
But that scenario is far too convenient. The probability of such a thing happening is infinitesimally small—practically zero.
And the probability of that subject meeting me here? Not even worth calculating.
So it's pointless to even consider."
She refused to believe it entirely.
If there had been a monster that spoke Japanese, she might have at least questioned the possibility...
"So you're determined to fight no matter what?
I've got a bone to pick with you about what you did to those children!
Besides, you alone are no match for me!"
I declared.
Even if she was a "dimensional visitor," I now possessed Demon Lord–class combat power.
Even with my abilities restricted, there was no way I'd lose to a human like Hinata.
That was what I believed, at least.
"Oh my? The children? What are you talking about?
More importantly, I'm surprised. You think you can beat me inside this barrier?"
A faint, mesmerizing smile graced her lips as she answered in a whisper.
And the next instant, a seven-colored rainbow erupted from the tip of the rapier.
It was a high-speed thrusting technique. Were the gemstones creating rainbow-colored afterimages?
I took evasive action, but my body felt heavy.
Seriously!? Physical limitations were in effect too!
I failed to dodge and took about three hits.
A searing pain.
"Oh my? You dodged some of them after all.
Dodging even a little is impressive. But how long can you keep it up?"
She had no intention of letting me rest, pressing forward in a single rush.
I held my blade in front and attempted to parry. Yet the thrusts slipped through the blade as if it weren't there, sinking into my body.
I couldn't tell what was happening, but my instincts screamed danger and I leaped backward.
That was four hits now. Something told me taking any more would be dangerous.
"Oh my? You noticed the danger of this technique?
Before now, there were plenty of fools who took hits casually, then died unable to resist...
You're a bit cleverer than that."
She tilted her head and offered me a word of praise.
Not that I appreciated it.
This skill bypassed the nervous system and delivered pain directly to the mind. There was no way to defend against it.
As proof, there were no wounds on my physical body.
My instincts included the Great Sage's predictions. If I took approximately three more hits, it would be the end.
Not of my physical body—but of my mind.
An unbelievable technique. Whether it was a martial technique or a magic sword's ability, I couldn't tell.
Honestly, I'd been the one underestimating the opponent.
Her abilities remained unknown while mine were sealed—that put me at an overwhelming disadvantage.
In truth, the moment I'd been trapped in an ability-sealing barrier, the correct response would have been to focus entirely on escape. Whether I could have succeeded was another question...
I was completely on the defensive.
I'd tested it already, but Black Flame, Black Lightning, and Barrier couldn't be activated.
Moreover, Shadow Clone, Demonification, and Flame Form all required magicule manipulation—none of them worked in my current state.
Not only were my usual surefire skills useless, my trump card had been sealed without me ever getting to use it.
But it wasn't as though I had nothing left.
"Hmm. You seem to be scheming something.
But I'm afraid it's futile?
Within this Holy Purification Barrier, monsters below A-rank can't even function.
Monsters below C-rank aren't even permitted to exist—they're purified on the spot.
Do you understand? Within this barrier, magicules are cleansed.
As a result, even high-ranking monsters like you must expend most of their energy just maintaining your existence, and can't display your true power.
It is the Church's ultimate anti-monster barrier.
Originally designed to hunt A-rank or higher disaster-class monsters...
You said I alone was insufficient, but this is work I shouldn't have even needed to be dispatched for.
Overkill, one might say.
But I wanted to meet you in person and have a conversation, so here I am.
I heard you killed my teacher.
It's not exactly vengeance, but I suppose I wanted to kill you with my own hands."
"Revenge for Shizu—I did essentially kill her, but that was—"
"That was what? It doesn't matter. She was the only person in this world who was kind to me.
But she's gone now..."
"This is a feeling I don't fully understand myself," she murmured, looking at me.
What I saw in those eyes was something devoid of emotion—she didn't even register me as prey.
She simply stood there, radiating overwhelming composure.
Did that confidence stem from her combat ability?
And if I believed her words, my odds of winning within this barrier were virtually nonexistent.
Until I could dispel this barrier, my defeat was certain.
But this woman was avenging Shizu? I couldn't make sense of it.
For a while now, it felt like our conversations weren't connecting.
But now wasn't the time for that.
My biggest concern was— "The only ones who can deploy this barrier are Holy Knights. You can rest easy on that front.
None of the forces sent to your town can create this barrier.
Though weakening the enemy before striking is basic tactics, so they probably deployed some kind of debilitation barrier.
If you take too long, you might not have a home to return to.
Not that I intend to let you return."
So if they'd deployed a similar barrier and then launched an attack, my friends in the town would be in danger too.
I couldn't afford to keep dealing with her at my leisure. But she was far more troublesome than I'd imagined.
My only remaining options were attacks that didn't rely on magicules.
That meant swordsmanship or my own Unique Skill.
Swordsmanship—she was superior. It wasn't just the reduced physical ability; the feel of our blades clashing told me she hadn't even been serious yet.
Unbelievable as it was, I was sensing Intimidation close to Hakuro's level.
That left the Unique Skill as my only option to win.
The trump card I'd been considering. I was reluctant to use it, but there was no choice.
I enhanced my physical abilities with Haki Arts, and further activated Brute Force.
As expected, skills and magic unrelated to magicules could still be used.
"I wouldn't count on that too early!"
I took a proper middle guard and struck with my enhanced abilities.
My training bouts with Hakuro had honed my swordsmanship considerably.
Hinata seemed surprised—or rather, she shifted from offense to defense.
No... she was simply being cautious.
Those eyes. Cold, like someone preparing to fillet a fish on a cutting board.
There was no surprise—she was observing my movements and calmly searching for weaknesses. No complacency, just methodical execution.
Her earlier words hadn't come from arrogance but from thoroughly calculated prediction.
For her to consider herself overkill against me alone—that was simply an established fact in her mind.
She hadn't been underestimating me after all...
Even now, she was observing my movements and predicting them. She'd calculated my increased speed and was matching it with exactly the right pace.
It was like fighting the Great Sage itself...
When my Brute Force–enhanced strike was deflected by her slender rapier, I understood.
The overwhelming gap in power between her and me.
A thrust approaching the speed of sound, deflected softly without a scratch on her own blade.
She'd perfectly read my strength from my movements alone.
To pull that off, she needed skill on par with Hakuro's.
And while throwing me off balance, she followed up with exactly two counterattacks.
"Oh my? Is it over already?
Well, yes. The fact that you could move at all inside this barrier is quite impressive.
Honestly, I'd looked down on you. But you can't beat me.
You fought well, but this is where it ends. You've taken six attacks from me so far.
My sword's special technique, 'Dead End Rainbow,' kills on the seventh strike.
I didn't need to tell you that, but it would be cruel to let you die without knowing why, wouldn't it?"
She told me.
A fact, as far as she was concerned. And it was undeniably a fact for me as well.
But while she said it with an air of kindness, she was likely trying to provoke fear and force a mistake.
She was far too shrewd. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to reveal her technique's effect.
I'd thought I could manage even with my abilities sealed, but my opponent was too much.
An enemy with no carelessness and no arrogance, employing the optimal strategy to win.
And her ability to observe and analyze me was extraordinary. She was confident of victory yet still didn't neglect her analysis.
I was in a hopeless situation. I never thought it would come to this.
Fighting Milim without restrictions might have actually given me better odds. If only that were possible...
"I'll be damned if I go down without a fight!
I'm not nice enough to just die quietly!"
With that answer, I did what I hadn't tried yet.
Spirit Summoning. Spirits operated on energy different from magicules.
Without a contract, I couldn't summon a spirit, but I had a morphed spirit absorbed within me.
「Report. Using the Morpher ability, the high-ranking spirit 'Flame Giant' has been separated as a pure spirit.」
It worked.
I could have mutated this spirit's ability and used Spirit Magic, but I held back this time.
The reason was simple—I didn't think it would work.
This opponent wasn't the type to fall for cheap tricks.
I needed to catch her off guard and attack all at once to have any chance of winning.
"Help me, Flame high-ranking spirit Ifrit!!!"
I shouted, releasing Ifrit.
A magicule circuit formed between us, and my magicules converted into spirit energy, flowing into Ifrit.
This allowed me to make effective use of my full magicule reserves.
But this was the feint—the real attack was something else.
Ifrit launched its assault on Hinata. That should have left her no room to focus on me.
Just as expected, Hinata was fully occupied dealing with Ifrit.
I moved behind her, attempting to launch the real attack— "Oh my? Using even a high-ranking spirit was unexpected, but you're still not enough for me."
With those words, the turning Hinata cut off my movement.
Ifrit was a high-ranking spirit.
Even within the Holy Purification Barrier, spirits' abilities wouldn't diminish since they were natural energy.
A barrier that protected through sacred power wouldn't affect them.
In that case, she shouldn't have been able to defeat an A-rank-or-higher Ifrit so easily.
And yet...
Ifrit was clutching its head, crouched on the ground. As though confused by contradictory orders.
"What did you do to it?"
"If you tell me what you were about to do just now, I'll answer."
We stared each other down, tension crackling between us.
"Return, Ifrit!"
At my command, Ifrit vanished and returned inside me.
「Analysis. Ifrit appears to have been affected by a domination ability.
Because Ifrit was integrated with its master, the ability could not be stolen.」
A domination ability? Stealing the opponent's abilities...
This person—Sakaguchi Hinata, this "dimensional visitor"—was a monster beyond my predictions.
I'd thought I was struggling because the barrier had distracted me, but I was wrong.
If anything, the barrier was merely a trick designed to make me think that way and let my guard down.
She truly had confidence that she alone could beat me!
Looking at Hinata, a gentle smile of compassion graced her beautiful face.
Terrifying.
I could see now that she still hadn't been serious.
"You... you tried to steal Ifrit..."
"Oh my? How did you figure that out?
Since you've noticed, I'll tell you.
You're right. It's my Unique Skill, 'Usurper.'」
Unique Skill: Usurper.
She could steal the abilities of enemies and the monsters or spirits they commanded! It was similar to my
Without needing analysis to obtain the effect, it was arguably more practical in combat.
So this was what it came to—when facing a "dimensional visitor," the use of Unique Skills became the key to victory or defeat...
If they were summoners, it was a given, but surely dimensional visitors could possess them too.
No—for anyone in the upper echelons of this world, it wouldn't be surprising if they all had Unique Skills.
I'd failed to account for every possibility.
No wonder Hinata showed no arrogance and never ceased observing. A textbook fighting style.
This was the difference in real combat experience within this world.
The gap between the Unique Skills themselves might be unclear, but the gap between their users was painfully obvious.
I'd need to be ready to die to have any chance of winning.
But one more hit and it was over for me.
Whether it was a curse or not, the mental damage was definitely accumulating.
Ifrit's release—the trump card I'd been saving—had been effortlessly shut down, but I had one last resort.
I didn't want to use it, but I had no choice.
I didn't know what would happen, and I might not even be able to see the outcome...
But I had no choice.
"Hinata, I'm concerned about the mix-up in our conversation, but I'm running out of time.
Sorry, but this next one decides it."
"You haven't given up yet? Well, suit yourself...
Don't worry.
The final strike will inflict pain incomparable to anything so far."
We faced each other once more.
(Hey, Great Sage! Leave the rest to you!)
「Acknowledged. Confirming command. Assessing situation and proceeding.」
I moved to launch my final attack.
"Die! Dead End Rainbow!"
"Awaken, Gluttony!!!"
The moment the command left me, I felt my consciousness sink into darkness.
As though falling asleep, my awareness cut out there.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — The rapier's final thrust pierced Rimuru's body with elegant precision, and at that same moment, Gluttony—commanded by Rimuru—awakened.
The unleashed demon stared at the rapier piercing into itself and began transforming its body.
Hinata detected the change in Rimuru instantly and braced herself.
The rapier in her hand felt heavy.
She judged she couldn't pull it out and released it immediately.
That decision saved her life.
A pale blue substance had advanced all the way to the rapier's handle.
The figure of Rimuru before her began to deform, struggling to take shape before collapsing into a shapeless mass.
Within the barrier, even forming a body from magicules was obstructed. Transformation being impossible was only natural.
But this amorphous, mutated mass of Rimuru began moving toward her without hesitation.
Absorbing grass, soil, and air from its surroundings as it came.
Danger. Hinata's instincts screamed.
Unbelievable as it was, it seemed to be devouring the material around it.
Had she been any slower to release the rapier, she herself might have been consumed.
It appeared to be locating her by sound, heat, and scent.
Unbelievable, Hinata murmured.
In the first place, Dead End Rainbow was, quite literally, a killing technique. It carved apart the opponent's mind, inflicting death through seven strikes.
And yet...
The fact that this thing hadn't died meant it—or rather, this creature—had no mind to destroy.
Something she'd learned since coming to this world: the soul that the body was meant to protect consisted of three layers.
The soul itself—the core of all humans and monsters, the source of their power.
The Astral Body—the most fragile vessel enveloping the soul.
The Mental Body—which could serve as a foundation for accumulating power.
The Physical Body—the connection to this world.
The soul was will itself, but will alone could not express itself.
A computing mechanism for thought—the Astral Body—was necessary.
However, the Astral Body alone would cause the will to disperse and vanish into the void.
A recording mechanism for preserving memory—the Mental Body—was needed.
That said, the Mental Body was essentially virtual memory; it couldn't serve as a reliable storage medium.
That was what the Physical Body was for.
Those who trained their Mental Body could reconstruct memories even from brain damage.
And many monsters existed as spiritual life forms—lower creatures acting on momentary impulses and pleasures.
Yet some monsters possessed high intelligence and rationality from their Mental Body alone.
These were the four Dragon
But even these special species required a Mental Body. This situation could only be described as abnormal.
For the first time, anxiety took root in Hinata.
The only possibility she could think of...
Had it ceased to be a living creature altogether?
Conscious that the definition of "life" was fuzzy in this context, she continued to analyze.
Before her, an entity approached while shifting its form. It resembled a viscous organism.
No—Hinata reconsidered. It had been a slime to begin with.
Its original form made grotesque, devouring all matter as it advanced.
Its speed wasn't unmanageable. In that case, there was a way to handle it.
She watched her own weapon—the rapier—get shattered and devoured, "Astral Bind Arts!"
She drew a talisman from her robe and activated a binding barrier.
Not a technique targeting the Physical Body, but one that restrained the Astral Body—the vessel of the soul.
But the slime didn't stop.
Just as she'd suspected...
This confirmed for Hinata that the slime before her was merely Rimuru's empty shell.
The last words it had shouted—"Gluttony," she believed.
It was likely a pseudo-personality, automatically commanded to destroy enemies even if the host's mind was destroyed.
In that case, the answer was simple.
An entity without a mind or even a soul was no enemy at all. She just needed to stop its physical body.
The problem was that anything less than a powerful attack would only be devoured without even slowing it down.
"Oh dear. I hate enemies that are troublesome even after they're dead.
But if I don't annihilate what you've become here, it could become a threat to the world..."
She muttered, already formulating a plan.
She only needed to stall for time. Hinata performed Spirit Summoning.
Countless attributeless spirits swarmed the slime.
Ideally, she would have used a demon summon instead, but the Holy Purification Barrier sealed even her own demon summoning.
Sorry to the spirits, but she decided to use them as sacrifices.
Confirming that the spirits were buying time, Hinata deployed a large-scale formula.
With her Mathematician ability enabling ultra-high-speed computation, most spells could be cast without incantation—but this time was different.
The only spells usable within the Holy Purification Barrier were those unaffected by magicule manipulation: Talisman Arts, Spirit Magic, and the like.
This time, she chose the spell with the greatest purification power among those at her disposal—a ultimate strike of Sacred Magic.
She, who did not believe in God, offered a prayer.
The absurdity of that fact was not lost on Hinata—she hated this spell. But regardless of her personal feelings, when Hinata cast this magic, it displayed unmatched power within the Church.
Hinata formed complex hand seals with both outstretched hands, and intricate geometric patterns materialized in the space before her.
Layered Magic Circles were deployed through the rapid construction of incantation sequences.
She adjusted the round spectacles on her nose—almost decorative at this point—and then: "I offer prayer unto God. I desire the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hear my plea.
Perish, all things! Spiritron Annihilation!!!"
Its power was godlike.
Not a wide-area spell, but the ultimate anti-personnel, anti-object destruction magic—capable of annihilating not merely matter but the soul itself.
White light erupted from both of Hinata's hands and engulfed the space ahead.
It was a flash of light.
From activation to impact, the speed was three hundred thousand kilometers per second—the speed of light.
Spiritron Annihilation used sacred power to eradicate everything from the target's cells to its soul. Its weakness was the time required for activation.
In a magical duel, that might be manageable, but it was unusable in a one-on-one duel. Moreover, it consumed enormous amounts of stamina, limiting it to once per day.
But once unleashed, there was no being that could withstand it.
The creature—the slime that had transformed into an ugly, monstrous form—was annihilated without a trace, leaving no collateral damage to its surroundings.
It was a spell that erased only its caster's intended target.
"It's done. That was a bigger deal than I expected."
Hinata sighed as she murmured.
She communicated via spirit transmission to the four Holy Knights who had been maintaining the Holy Purification Barrier, informing them it was over.
At first, she'd thought the Holy Purification Barrier was overkill, but the informant had insisted it was necessary to ensure a certain kill.
Without the Holy Purification Barrier...
Hinata stopped herself there. There was no point in considering hypotheticals.
More importantly...
She recalled what that slime named Rimuru had said.
Children? What was that about?
Oh well. It didn't matter. Thinking about things she didn't understand was pointless.
After confirming the Holy Purification Barrier had been deactivated, Hinata considered her next steps.
Whether the monster town of Tempest could be subdued without her deployment.
First came intelligence gathering.
To confirm the subjugation unit's results, Hinata returned to the Holy Church.
The monster named Rimuru no longer existed in her thoughts.
Whether strong or weak, there was no point in thinking about someone who had already ceased to exist.
She would never even consider the possibility—however remote—that the monster might still be alive.
That was the secret to Hinata's strength, and her great weakness, though she herself was unaware of it.
What Hinata was thinking about was, "I need to prepare a new sword."
And with that, she departed the scene.
The first encounter ended in the protagonist's complete defeat.
I have the concept worked out, but I can't seem to make progress on the writing...
Th-this is what you call a slump! Consider this my excuse.