Rimuru the sin of love

Fairly Kings Trail

Rimuru POV:

I lay down in the grass and reflected on the events of yesterday. (If I have to say, it was undoubtedly the most eventful day of my life. I made friends with the Fairy King and met the demon princes, Meliodas and Zeldris. Zeldris didn't seem to like me much, but Meliodas is a different story. He's quite the contrast to the others. And royalty, of all things! I didn't even know I was royalty before yesterday, and now I've already met three other royals in one day. This feeling is oddly familiar, as if I've been in a similar situation before. But I digress; back to the matter at hand.

If I were to describe our relationship, it might be like a partner in crime, though that's not quite accurate. He seems to enjoy teasing me, much like a prankster, and appreciates that I don't treat him like a prince. It's like having that one friend who constantly pranks you but with whom you can discuss things you normally wouldn't. It's a bit confusing, so please don't judge me.) {Rimuru-sama is so dense sometimes.} (Did you say something, Ciel?)

{It's just your imagination.} (That line again. If you don't want to say it, so be it.) "Today, Gloxinia will help me with my fairy form. I wonder what's going to happen?" I asked aloud to no one in particular. "Why don't you come with me and find out?" I looked up to see Gerheade staring at me. "Hi, Gerheade. How are you?" I said, standing up.

"You know, it would have made things easier if you'd told us you're a shifter. Others of your kind have come here seeking help as well."

I began walking alongside her. "So I'm not the first to fail? That's new." (When you think about it, it makes sense.) "Your kind was hunted down. All of you came here to receive the blessing of the Sacred Tree when you came of age. In return, you helped us in various ways," Gerheade said in a neutral tone. "But I didn't know that at the time. How was I supposed to admit that I belong to a race that, as far as I knew, was extinct?" I replied, bewildered. "So you really are clueless," she said, nodding to herself. (She really does give off little sister vibes. No wonder everyone likes her.) "Well, it looks like we're here. I need to go back, but good luck." With that, she left.

"Hey, Gloxinia, it's good to see you again." I walked over to him and greeted him warmly. "Yes, it's good to see that you didn't chicken out on me," he said with a laugh. "Why would I? It would be a disgrace to promise my best friend that I'd come and then just leave you hanging after all you've done for me." (Besides, I don't think Gerheade would let me out of the forest if I tried.)

"So what do I need to do? You didn't mention it yesterday." I looked around but didn't see anything noteworthy. "First, I want you to answer a set of questions. Depending on your answers, the Sacred Tree will decide the blessings you receive from your fairy form. Do you have any questions?"

(I need to be careful with my answers if this is part of the process.) I had many questions about other things, but none about the current situation. Gloxinia smiled at my response. "Question 2: What do you think can be improved the most?" (Wait, that's a trap. It's a test of character, not just a direct answer. I need to answer with that in mind.)

"That's a tough question since everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Ignoring that, if I had to choose, I'd say the relationships between different races. There's too much hatred and conflict because people are different races. Wouldn't it be better if we worked together?" Gloxinia looked surprised by my answer. (Maybe no one else has given him such an answer before. Most likely, they give more self-centered responses.)

"Question 3: If you had to give yourself a description, what would you say?" (I think I can use his sister's answer from before.) "I'm just a simple and clueless girl who wants to get along with everyone and just happens to be royalty of an almost extinct race." (Yep, that sums me up.) "Last question: Who is someone you respect and why?" He had a smirk on his face as if to say he would tease me with this one later. (Might as well go all out and make him smile.)

"I respect you for all you've done for me and my people, and for being my best friend. I respect the fairy race for the way they've treated me as one of their own. I respect Meliodas for going against his father's orders to protect me and for being honest with me about his feelings. I respect anyone who lives their life helping others because of their good intentions. That's all I can think of for now."

(Thinking about it, there are only two people I respect as individuals. Kind of sad.) {Does master not respect me?} (Ciel, my feelings for you go beyond just respect; you're the one I rely on the most. Just using the word respect doesn't do justice to that.) {Master....} "Well said, Rimuru. Honestly, your answers were the best in my opinion. It's just a shame you didn't have any friends before coming here. But anyway, let's start the real test. You'll be fighting my flower dolls for as long as you can. They'll keep spawning the entire time, so be prepared for a long day." He smirked at me.

"Are there any other rules I need to follow?" (I really hope not.) His smirk widened. "So glad you asked. You're to remain in your human form and aren't allowed to use healing or defensive skills or magic. You're also only allowed to damage the dolls and nothing else." (That's most of my arsenal. So this will be a battle of attrition, with me outnumbered and without a break. But I have one advantage.)

I drew my katana and pointed it at Gloxinia. "You better be prepared because I'm going to win today." I declared confidently.

He created his dolls, which resembled the people living in the forest. (I don't think my katana needs its full power to cut through these dolls.) {Annalise of the Flower Dolls has determined that they can be sliced with a well-placed slash, but it must be done at the right angle to avoid getting stuck. It's advised to take your time to aim carefully. If you feel overwhelmed, use Return to escape and regroup.} (Thanks for the warning.)

"Are you ready? I hope you are, because the 24-hour challenge begins now." After starting the challenge, he flew above, watching me with amusement as I fought his dolls. It wasn't so much a fight as it was me casually slicing through the dolls while standing still. Eventually, I grew bored and decided to ask him something I would later regret. "Gloxinia, can you please give me more to do? This is getting old." He flashed a sadistic smile briefly before returning to his normal demeanor.

"It's your fault if you end up unable to move later." At that moment, all the dolls began shooting thorns at me, and giant roots started slamming down. I wanted to cut the roots, but Gloxinia had other plans. "I don't need to remind you, but you're only supposed to fight the dolls. I never said other things wouldn't attack you." He smiled at his own jab. (Well, I suppose that's fair.)

Ciel, can you let me know when I can fully use auto-battle mode? {I'll inform you when the time is right.} (Thanks, Ciel.) Thus began my 20-hour ordeal.

What else could I expect from this guy? He isn't the strongest fairy for nothing. I had to focus on dodging almost constantly while cutting the dolls. As a result, I took a lot of thorns. (It hurt a lot, but I refuse to lose to him.) Eventually, I started ignoring the thorns and focused on slicing the dolls at their weak spots. Just when I was about to give up, my partner gave me the signal I had been waiting for.

{Auto-battle mode can now be activated for the remaining time of the match.} (Finally. Okay, now I need time to incorporate the information into the ability.) I went on the defensive and began programming aloud. "Program Auto-battle mode orders. Setting terrain limits to match the battlefield arena defined by the Fairy King. Set conditions for clearing the program: survive the next hour without using abilities or spells, remain in human form, and only damage the dolls. Program completed. Activating auto-battle mode."

After that, I don't remember much due to the skill's side effects. All I know is that I won in the end.