Great Jura Forest
"Ranga, watch closely!"
"Yes, Master!"
By a deserted riverbank, Rimuru was demonstrating a new move to Ranga. She extended both small hands and shouted:
"Rimuru, transform! ヾ(o･ω･)ﾉ"
The slime's body twisted, and a black mist slowly rose from it. When the mist cleared, what stood before Ranga was Rimuru's mimicry of a Tempest Wolf.
"And then…"
Black lightning crackled into life around the two horns.
"Black Lightning!!!"
The lightning lashed out and struck a large rock in the river.
"Boom…"
The rock shattered. The whirlpool left in its place churned for a long time, river water spraying up onto the bank.
"Amazing! That skill I just acquired… it hits way too hard. I need to think carefully about when to use it."
Ranga watched the rainbow forming in the spray and bowed his head with genuine admiration.
"Black Lightning… as expected of my Master!!"
"Hehe, experiment complete! Let's head back, Ranga!"
"Yes, Master!"
Rimuru dispelled the mimicry and hopped up onto Ranga's back. Ranga broke into a gallop across the grassland, and Rimuru sat back and let the wind wash over her.
"Ahh. How peaceful."
As Ranga crested a hill, Rimuru looked down at the Goblin Village below, busy and full of life, and nodded with quiet satisfaction.
While Kaito had been causing havoc in the Demon Slayer world, Rimuru had been getting on with things just as in the original story, recruiting Kajin and the three dwarf brothers. After the brothers passed on their respective skills to the Goblins, who had grown considerably since Rimuru named them, the entire village had shifted into full activity.
"Yes, yes, perfect! Exactly what I hoped for! Kaijin really came through."
"Is that so? Is it really that perfect? And who is this Kaijin? Don't tell me you went and found someone else behind my back, Rimuru."
Rimuru spun around at the familiar voice, and there was Kaito, standing a short distance away with a grin on his face.
"Kai-chan!!! You're back!!"
Rimuru took a flying leap off Ranga and bounced straight toward him. Kaito caught her with both hands, steadying the round little body in his arms.
"I'm back! So, did you miss me?"
"Hmph! You said a few days and it's been almost a month. I didn't miss you even a little!"
Kaito looked at the small figure pouting in his arms and smiled.
"You're right, it's entirely my fault. I'm sorry. Please forgive your dear friend!"
"Mmm… since you are being so sincere about it, fine, I forgive you! Hehe!"
Rimuru had never really been angry to begin with, and Kaito's tone was enough to sweep away what little sulking remained.
Ranga trotted over, dropped to all fours in front of Kaito, and bowed his head respectfully.
"Kaito-sama, you're back! I am overjoyed to see you return safely! Woof!"
Kaito reached out and scratched the top of Ranga's head. The fur was soft and warm.
"Hehe, good to see you too."
"Kai-chan, I named him Ranga! Sounds good, right?"
"It suits him well. He looks different from before, though."
Kaito studied Ranga, who had clearly evolved, and kept a straight face as he asked Rimuru about it.
"Oh, that! Because I named everyone, they all evolved. Ranga evolved from a Direwolf into a Tempest Wolf, and even the Goblins became Hobgoblins."
Rimuru's eyes lit up as something came to mind.
"Oh! Kai-chan, do you remember the Goblin Village Chief?"
Kaito thought of the frail old goblin, bent over his cane, barely holding himself upright.
"After I named him, it was like looking at a completely different person. You're going to be shocked when you see him!"
Kaito already knew exactly what the Village Chief would look like now, having seen it in his past life, and quietly smiled to himself. The hunched old goblin who couldn't walk without a cane, now built like a wall. Quite the transformation.
"I'll have to see it for myself."
He paused.
"Oh, and Rimuru, I brought you a gift."
"A gift?!"
Rimuru's eyes went wide immediately, both small hands rubbing together.
"What is it, what is it…"
"Come with me."
Kaito tucked Rimuru under one arm and headed into the woods. Ranga followed close behind.
The deeper they went, the more puzzled Rimuru became, craning her neck to look around. What kind of gift needed to be hidden this far into the forest?
Just as she was about to ask, Kaito pushed aside a curtain of branches ahead of them.
Rimuru's eyes went round.
"This… what… where did all these people come from?!"
"Hahaha! How about it? This is the gift I brought back for you!"
Kaito burst out laughing at Rimuru's expression.
Noticing Kaito's return, the Demon Slayer Corps members who had been talking among themselves quickly came forward.
"Kaito-sama, you're back!"
"Kaito-sama! *n"
Kaito held Rimuru up so everyone could see her.
"I'm back! Let me introduce you all. This is the dear friend I told you about, and the current leader of the Goblin Village. This is Rimuru!"
Every gaze in the crowd immediately locked onto the small round figure in Kaito's arms.
So this was the legendary Rimuru-sama. Not human at all. But this was…
"Ka… Kawaii!"
Kochou Shinobu stared with sparkling eyes. She wasn't alone. Nearly every woman in the crowd had the same expression, eyes bright, completely drawn in.
It was impossible not to be. The soft round body, clearly begging to be held, was absolutely devastating to anyone with a weakness for cute things.
"U… Kai-chan, who are all these people?"
Rimuru, pinned under the collective stare of an entire crowd of women, asked Kaito with a slight tremble.
"People I brought back from another world."
"Another world?!"
"Yes. While I was away, I went to…"
Kaito laid out the whole story of the Demon Slayer world for her. By the end, Rimuru's eyes were shining.
"I see! So you can travel to all kinds of worlds through the Dimensional Gate!"
"That's right. Next time I'll take you along. For now, let's sort out the situation here."
"Okay! It's a promise, you have to take me next time!"
Kaito turned to the Demon Slayer Corps members with a serious expression.
"I'll be leading everyone to the Goblin Village shortly. Get along well with the people there. The Goblins are easy to be around, so don't worry about that."
He paused, letting his gaze move across the crowd.
"But there is one thing that matters above everything else. You will respect Rimuru exactly as you respect me. She is your leader now as well. Is that understood?"
Every Corps member dropped to one knee at once.
"Yes, Kaito-sama! Rimuru-sama, we are in your care! *n"
Rimuru scratched the back of her head and waved both hands frantically.
"Eh, eh, eh! Okay, okay! I'm in your care too, everyone, please stand up!"
"Yes, Rimuru-sama! *n"
The Corps members rose at Rimuru's voice. Kaito brought Rimuru over to Kagaya Ubuyashiki and turned to her.
"This is Kagaya Ubuyashiki. He led the Demon Slayer Corps."
Kagaya looked at Rimuru with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Rimuru."
Rimuru extended one small hand cheerfully.
"Hello, Kagaya! Welcome to our world! Let's get along well from now on!"
Kagaya looked at the little hand reaching out from that round body, and something soft crossed his expression. He reached out and took it carefully.
"Yes. Let's get along well, Rimuru-sama."