Archive Of Potentialities.

Oneshot: One Unplanned and Unsuccessful skill synthesis later....

Authors note: Okay, I was bored and as a result of that NeoOrario18  you get your damn request. Happy?
Also, to any other readers, throw canon out the window please. Established tensura mechanics have been slapped in the face by what happens in this. Not too much, but eh.
You'll see.

I guess this is goodbye huh….

I looked over at shizu-san, she had just told me her story and was now fading away, her body had began to rapidly age. I engaged thought acceleration to compose myself. It was an unpleasant feeling, something I had felt before. It came over me like an old friend, someone that you share a good part of your life with. I felt like I could have done better, like I was not enough. I felt….inadequate.

This feeling in me was arguably illogical, according to great sage my current capabilities wouldn't be enough to save shizu-san. There was just no feasible medium to maintain shizue's stability.

It was illogical, yet I felt it.

[[Notice. Unique skill [Predator] will be engaged and the individual 'Shizue Izawa' will be absorbed]]

The cold unfeeling voice of great sage rang out in my mind, announcing what was essentially shizu-san's final address. This announcement pushed me over the edge, I couldn't hold my feelings in anymore, I was sad. Someone like her didn't deserve that kind of life. But I was not omnipotent, there was no way I could interfere with what had already happened.

[[Report. Analysis of individual 'Shizue Izawa' is complete, Unique skill[Degenerate] has been acquired. Also, mimic of human body structure is now available. Would you like to take this action? Yes or No.]]

Through my grief clouded mind, I received great sage's query. It was all I could do at the moment, I was disoriented. It was the feeling one had when they woke from a nightmare, illusion meshed with reality and I was lost in which to give myself over to.

"Yes."

[[Confirmed.]]

Receiving the affirmation from me, great sage activated the skill, my viscous body stretched and contorted in different shapes, making its way to eventually form the shape of a human body.

I had no clothes on me, but that was the least of my concerns.

Shizu was gone, but I would not falter. I pushed through the haze that clouded my mind, I refused to give in and fall down the pit of grief, I refused to render myself incapable of fulfilling my promise to shizu.

I was steeling my resolve, but the grief remained, it flowed freely in the confines of my mind, as if complementing the streaks of tears that had begun to fall down the sides of my face.

I reached up slowly, my fingers moving in a tentative manner, then they stopped. I lightly touched the flowing tears, and then the tent was opened. Standing there were the group of adventurers that accompanied shizu into this forest.

This group looked around, and they seemed to realise what had happened. I turned to face them with my finger still on my face.

"Rimuru-san….where is she…?" Elen, the usually cheerful girl asked me in a shaky tone. Despite not getting her answer, her eyes had began to well up, her lips quivered and her shoulders kept jerking, probably in her attempt to keep the dam of negative emotions from bursting.

I didn't say anything, I had no idea how to deliver the news, shizu and these people had travelled together, albeit not for long. Even then, they had built a bond that was irreplaceable to both this party. I was reluctant to confirm the unspoken news.

"Shizu-san is gone."

Reluctance however, didn't mean refusal. The words spilled out of my mouth, I didn't try to stop myself, nor did I have any strong intentions of doing so.