Everything felt so real.
The familiar smell of ash, the mild heat I permitted myself to feel through my thermal fluctuation nullification, the tremor of the earth as Veldora rampaged through everything I held dear.
It was all I remembered feeling at the time.
Yes, remembered.
This was no illusion, it was a manifestation of my very own memories.
Figures, I would be ashamed to be caught in something as pedestrian as an illusion.
The raging True Dragon paid me no attention, leading me to think that I was invisible to the inhabitants of this memory, like a spectator.
But then, this is supposed to be a trial, so that wouldn't be very smart.
'Oh my, it seems I actually have some faith in that god's intelligence, that won't do.'
I landed in the middle of the carnage, glancing around at the burning debris and the smoldering bodies of my people.
My eyes met that of a vampire that was still clinging to life, despite its slow and steady departure. She smiled at me in resigned sadness, before whispering something and then succumbing to death. Unlike how events actually happened, the current me wasn't close enough to catch what she said. But I remembered.
“I don't blame you.” She had said.
I stood there staring at the woman who I so clearly remembered, just like everyone else that had left me that night. She was long dead, but I still stared.
And then it finally dawned on me.
“I haven't moved on at all.” I dismissed Night Rose, finding no need for a sword in such a place.
Shaking my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts, I walked through the dying city, taking in the morbid sights, reliving the pain and letting it wash over me.
I can deal with this much.
I am not weak.
People die.
Cities crumble.
But why did it have to be my people, my city?
The thought arrived so suddenly that I stopped in my tracks.
“This is unpleasant.” I murmured.
And then there was a loud boom. The energy around me shifted violently as the main source —-- Veldora —-- clashed with who I recognised to be Chloe, or Hinata…. whatever.
The battle was beautiful, intense. Chloe showed immense skill, compensating for her lack of pure destructive power compared to the incarnation of chaos.
The bumbling dragon only threw his energy around with no clear aim, making him predictable. But despite Chloe's apparent domination of the battle, I knew it wasn't easy.
Even as I am now, I doubt I could fight this Veldora just like she was.
The battle raged, and steadily shifted till they were just above Jura, setting parts of the great forest ablaze.
I followed and watched.
As they battled.
As Chloe continued doing damage.
And as she finally sealed the source of my pain within the cave.
And then I thought..
Why?
Why did she seal him?
Why didn't she finish him off?
I knew there was a logical reason..but I didn't feel like acknowledging it at the moment.
YOU ARE READING
Archive Of Potentialities.
AdventureA description that covers all aspects of this fic does not exist, as it's essentially an amalgamation of various different short stories and oneshots, with the latter being a noticeable minority. Each has Rimuru Tempest (obviously) as its protagonis...
