Rogue Villain-Chapter 401: Shock
Anatol’s senses were a little dull after a few eons as a Demon Sword, and the archduke demon inevitably let down its guard after the battle with the Observer ended. Unlike Ackster, it recognized the lack of hostility in the being who stole the remaining piece. Of course, unlike Ackster, Anatol was in good condition.
Ackster couldn’t even see or think straight at the end of his fight, much less recognize the being that stole the last piece of the Observer.
Or maybe it was because he subconsciously recognized the being that he didn’t react in time to stop the theft. In that case, his surprise and shock would come from the being’s strength and speed rather than its identity.
Mio plopped to the ground with the dark, swirling, and starry piece of the Observer sizzling and bubbling in its body. The slime had a satisfied expression on its body as it shimmied over toward Ackster’s core, already becoming drowsy from digesting a piece of an existence as powerful as the Observer.
However, Mio’s drowsiness vanished when the slime arrived where Ackster’s core had dropped to the ground. There was no core to be found. Only a pitch-black Demon Sword piercing the ground with an ominous air around it.
Anyone who came upon the scene while knowing Ackster’s core would have landed there would reach the same conclusion.
The demon sword had pierced Ackster’s core, destroying it, turning it to dust, and extinguishing any hope Ackster might have had of coming to life.
Mio’s body bubbled with ferocity as it stalked up to the Demon Sword with determined shimmying. Now was no time to sleep and digest the snack it had stolen from Ackster. It was time for revenge.
Mio grew a tentacle and transformed it into an axe. The slime began chopping away at the demon sword as tears streamed down what corresponded to the face of a slime.
<...What are you doing?>
However, even if Mio could digest a part of the Observer, she couldn’t so much as put a scratch on the unsealed Anatol. A goat’s head popped up in a puff of smoke. It was much smaller than before and floated next to Mio.
Mio ignored the goat’s head and kept hacking away.
*Vengeance!*
No, Mio didn’t ignore the goat’s head completely. The slime answered the question, and it used a slightly squeaky voice to do so.
The goat’s head raised a fuzzy eyebrow.
<I’m not the one who ate the last slice of cake.>
*No! You killed him! That’s worse!*
<Him? You mean Ackster?>
*That’s not his name! But yes.*
<I didn’t, though?>
*What did you do to him, then?!*
Mio didn’t stop swinging her tentacle axe for a moment as she conversed with Anatol.
Anatol didn’t stop the slime. It wasn’t like it was doing any damage, and if it helped Mio calm down while Anatol explained, it was just as well.
<Me? Nothing. The ground swallowed him up before I could react.>
*And you didn’t stop it?!*
<I just said it happened before I could react....>
Mio changed her axe to a shovel and started digging.
*Excuses!*
The goat’s head sighed.
Anatol was about to say something. But before she could, the dirt in front of the sword moved. Letters appeared in the ground like the work of worms crawling through the soil.
Anatol read the letters. One of the boons of being powerful was the intention of words being conveyed no matter the language. Otherwise, she would have never understood the strange language.
<Hey.>
Anatol tried to catch Mio’s attention. The demon floated in front of Mio.
<Heeey.>
But Mio just ignored the goat’s head.
<Hey!>
Anatol’s shout only earned the demon a slime shovel through its head.
<Ackster’s fine.>
*How would you know?!*
<It says it right there.>
*Where?!*
Mio’s shovel disappeared, and she looked at Anatol, demanding an immediate answer. Anatol nodded in the direction of the letters. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
*I can’t read this.*
<Well, it says Ackster’s fine.>
Mio’s front squeezed up in something like a squint.
*How can I believe that?*
<Why would I lie?>
*To hide the fact that you killed him.*
<From you? Why? I’m not scared of you.>
*Hmm. I guess that’s true. So, you’re sure he’s fine?*
Mio calmed down. Although she was worried about Ackster, the mere possibility of him being all right was enough to make her think rationally. After all, thinking was her strong suit. Without it, she would have never become a slime.
<Okay, fine might be an exaggeration. But he’s being cared for by someone who knows what they’re doing.>
*Who?*
<It’s signed by the Creator.>
*For real?*
<Again, why would I lie to you?>
*Dunno. Spiteful. Jealous maybe.*
<Jealous?>
Mio nodded with the top of her body before creating two thin antenna-like tentacles.
*Yeah. I can sense it.*
<Sense what?>
*Your jealousy.*
<Why would I be jealous?>
*You want what I have with him.*
<No, I meant, why would I be jealous of you? You’re not a threat.>
*Kuku.*
Mio chuckled while covering what would be her mouth with a tentacle.
*All that time in the sword has dulled your senses, demon. You’d be lucky if He even spares you a second glance.*
<You think you’re any better? You’re just a sad sack of slime. Who would want that?>
*You’d be surprised. Slime and the mucus of slime have a variety of...interesting uses, you know? On a trip through a red light district, you’ll find at least one slime-related item in each shop. But goats? You won’t find a single one.*
<You...!>
The goat blushed.
*Even the freakier places that cater to human or humanoid guests usually stick to dogs, pigs, and horses. That theme stays true when beasts and monsters get involved, too.*
<What is wrong with you?!>
Anatol shouted in shock and horror before disappearing into the sword, hiding from the vulgar implications of Mio’s words.
*Tsk, tsk, tsk. If you can’t even handle this much, how are you going to satisfy the desires of a man with literally endless stamina?*
