TTIGRAAS: Predator

Chapter 39

I lay sprawled out in the grass, in human form since unfortunately Milim wouldn't let me completely relax (apparently I'm just "too cute".) But, honestly, half-melting into the ground was an okay enough compromise, so that's what I was doing today.

We'd just had a serious spar, which tore up the forest around us for miles. I'd lost track at some point with how out of hand it all got, but I think we fought nonstop for days straight.

If Treyni complains about this I'm ignoring her. It's just a bit of landscaping is all, right? I've got bigger fish to fry. Like Yuuki. And feeding him to Milim so she'll give me a break.

If I tell her he tastes good, will she go kill him for me? I wondered, seriously debating the idea for a moment before realizing how stupid it is.

I shook my head rapidly. I needed Yuuki alive anyway, and Milim would remove him from the population in the most violent way possible. I couldn't have that.

A break does sound nice though... one that's more than just a few minutes spent becoming one with the grass, slime-style.

"Hey, Milim," I propped myself up on my hands and returned to a fully-solid state, "don't you have, like... other responsibilities? You're an, um... super important Demon Lord, after all, right?"

"Nah."

"You sure? You could leave and take care of stuff, and I can rest up and recover. No need to keep training me right this moment."

"My followers do their own thing most of the time. I just pop in every now and then for a visit and that keeps 'em happy."

She has followers? I wondered what this meant exactly, but I suppose an 'all-powerful Demon Lord' could have some sort of religion based around them. Or maybe it was more like a fanbase around a celebrity? It was hard to imagine Milim being seen in a religious sense, so I was kinda grasping at straws here.

"They call themselves the 'Dragon Faithful.'" Milim, grinning, answered my unasked question, "They worship me."

"I... see." I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Her? She was terrifying, sure, but I didn't really get any "godly majesty" from her.

Milim was looking at me all proudly, and I got the feeling she was expecting something.

"So... are they... strong, then?" I couldn't imagine they weren't, she didn't seem the type to acknowledge 'weaklings,' in her words.

"Of course. Some of 'em even spar with me!"

I couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy with her supposed 'sparring partners' after having more than a taste of that position myself.

"Maybe they would be a bit more your speed right now..." Milim glanced down at me.

I still hadn't quite recovered from all that fighting recently. My Ultraspeed Regeneration was still currently a no-go from when I got so damaged and low on magicules that the Sage went and turned the skill off for a whole week.

As much as I was trying to avoid more grueling training for a short while, maybe fighting someone that wasn't Milim would be fine.

"So do you wanna go to your 'followers' and have me spar them?"

"I guess it's about time I pay home a visit... can't neglect my duties as their goddess. It's been a while since I brought something with me, though."

"Am... I this 'something'?"

"Yup! You're my bestie!"

I was starting to think she didn't fully understand the concept of a "bestie."