The Last Cross Offs (Part 1 of The Eternal Partners Series)

Chapter 5

Everyone had just eaten through the third box of pizza when Rimuru received a thought transmission from Diablo.

"Rimuru-sama, as requested, I've booked accommodations for our stay in Agora Hotel for the week."

Rimuru, "Great. Thanks Diablo. I'm heading over so meet me at the Hotel as soon as you can. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Slime Ciel on Rimuru's lap bounced, "Time to go?" She asked.

"Yeah." Rimuru stood up to face his otherworlder self. "You guys will be okay. As you know when I return to the Original World, thirteen years would have gone by already before I sync with you again. Take care of our Ciel and make some good memories, yeah?"

"You don't need to tell me. I am you ya know?"

Rimuru and Satoru shook hands.

.•° ✿ °•.

"Ciel, make sure to analyze all this food, it's really good."

"The food has already been analyzed when it was brought in. We'll be able to recreate it when we return to Tempest."

The two sat under the starry night sky on the balcony. Ciel had changed back into her human form. The hotel staff had decorated the table with rose petals aligned in a heart shape along with a very expensive bottle of wine. They seemed to have misunderstood and thought that the couple were celebrating their honeymoon. In front of them was a five star feast spread that they ordered from room service.

So what if Rimuru just ate with Satoru a moment ago? He was never really full and the biggest glutton in the universe. Experiencing all the delicacies the world had to offer was his goal in life. Ciel seemed to be the same way. She ate her portion of the food just as eagerly as himself.

"The wine is really good too. Why don't you try some Ciel?"

Ciel eyed the wine in his hand with doubt, "Poison."

"Oi, I keep telling you. Alcohol is not poison." Rimuru was on his second cup of wine. With his resistances shut off, although his cheeks did not redden his eyelids have begun to droop.

Ciel finished the food on her plate. She leaned against his side and placed her head on his shoulder. He slung an arm around her waist to balance them.

Being close to one another like this felt as natural as breathing air. The scent of licorice tickled his nose as Rimuru played with the ends of her hair that was still damp from the hot bath they shared prior to eating. The intimacy of having Ciel here pressed close to him in the flesh filled his heart with warmth. Truly, in this moment, Rimuru felt he was the most blessed being alive.

"Rimuru, what do you want to do while we stay in this world?"

"Well... I wanted to stay until the end of the week to make sure there aren't any problems. The Dwargon gold coins we brought here have been stored in Veldora's dungeon floor all this time so it's loaded with magicules as well. I'm curious to see if anyone would recognize its origins. If nothing happens during this week I can rest assured that our counterparts will be okay."

"So no other plans?"

"No. Did you have something in mind?"

"I want to go on a date with you." Ciel replied, watching his expression.

"Alright," Rimuru agreed easily, his tone indulgent, "we might as well. We won't be able to move around as freely when we return. As the King, I get enough stares when I'm out having fun in Tempest. Imagine, the attention we'll get when the King brings his Queen along with him?"