Clarifications:
-"Person Talking"-
-(Person Thinking)-
-
[Skills or Magic]
(JC: Author's Notes)
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Let's start
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The main thing I remember is the fire raining down.
The grip of my mother's hand against mine felt so light, fleeting, and I was too terrified to see the path ahead.
An incendiary bomb exploded nearby, turning our surroundings into a sea of flames. -(Where were we supposed to go?)- It was burning all around us...
I, Shizue Izawa, felt on the verge of despair.
-(Ahh... Is this where I'm going to die...?)-
Even at the age of eight, I understood it well enough. I had no relatives I could rely on. I lived alone with my mother.
My father had been drafted into the war so long ago that I didn't even remember what he looked like.
I was never quite sure whether I should be happy or sad about it, but either way, it had become my normal life, and I had to accept it for what it was. Me, and my life, and my fate to die in the flames.
And then...
-
... A voice echoed in my head.
Did I want to live? How should I know? I was too young to answer that question.
Yet, still...
Looking at my mother, now only a pair of hands away after she had protected me with her body, I couldn't stop the tears from coming.
And I thought to myself...
-(I want to live!)-
<
-(I can't stand it anymore. It's too terrifying; it's too hot. Help me, Mom...)-
I lay there and cried, unafraid of the flame, as I wished for life for myself.
<
Then my wish came true.
Only... not exactly in the way I expected.
When I woke up again, I was inside a monster's lair, a lone man standing before me. He had blue eyes, long blond hair, a well-defined face, and long, slanted eyes. His skin was so pale, I thought I could see through it. His great beauty would make almost anyone mistake him for a woman.
His name was Leon Cromwell, one of the most powerful figures in this world, a so-called Demon Lord who ascended from the human race. Also known as the Platinum Demon. He examined me.
-"...Another failure,"-
He whispered, seemingly disappointed to see me, and showed no further interest in me after that.
Perhaps that's why he never bothered to kill me, not even with the severe burns all over my body. I was close to death, and not even he cared. Just a fragile little girl clinging to life and no doubt dying soon if left alone.
I couldn't bear that thought. I was still alive. I didn't want to be abandoned. And I never forgot that experience. That moment of frustrated despair as he examined me and threw me away. That memory ended up following me for the rest of my life's journey.
At that moment, I had no one to turn to, none of the strength I needed to survive.
The only chance I had to move forward was Leon, my Demon Lord. He symbolized power to me, and being abandoned by him literally meant death.
I guess I must have understood this instinctively, because without even thinking, I reached out to Leon.
-"Help... Help me..."-
But the yearning arm I extended to the Demon failed to reach it. I gave up, and with that came anger.
-(Ahh... I'm really going to die here...)-
The sheer selfishness of rescuing me and then letting me die was something I couldn't let go of.
-"You're a liar,"- I said, summoning what little strength I had left. -"You asked me if I wanted to live."-
I couldn't hold back my tears as I stared directly at the Demon. I was no longer able to form a coherent sentence, but if I had to summarize my thoughts, I suppose they would be along the lines of this:
-(You called me, you gave up on me... I can't believe you ignored me! That's cruel!)-
In the end, it was another demonic whim that saved me. His eyes eerily lit up once more.
-"Heh. A liar, huh?"- He whispered. -"Wait a moment..."-
The ominous response filled me with anxiety, but my near-fatal burns left me with nothing else to do. All I could do was bow down to the will of this monster, this Leon.
-"I thought you were simply trash,"- He said. -"But perhaps you are fit for the flame after all."-
Then he activated the summoning spell for Ifrit, the Titan of Fire. It was easy for him. No casting required at all. And when the giant appeared, he issued a casual command:
-"I'm giving you a body. Use it well."-
It was all the evidence anyone needed to prove that Leon treated me as less than human. My frustration began to evolve into hatred. The trauma was seared into my mind at such a tender age.
-
It must have been my imagination. There was no way the Demon Lord could have said something like that to me. There was no way he could have reached out to me just before I succumbed to my burns.
But it was true: thanks to having my body possessed, I lived thanks to him.
The summoned Ifrit followed his orders, attempting to merge with my young body. I immediately felt my limbs go numb. It felt as if Ifrit was trying to snatch my body away. Just as Leon ordered, he was trying to appropriate my body for his own use.
<
As I cowered before the horrifying force flowing toward me, I silently prayed to myself.
-(I don't want to die! Not yet! But... I can't... I can't let my old self disappear!)-
<
Therefore, thanks to a great series of coincidences, I managed to survive.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
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Author's Notes
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Please note that this story is mostly centered around Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken and another novel that you may recognize. Please also note that Rimuru is completely replaced by my own character (Yukimaru). You are warned.
Disclaimers:
The character or story mentioned from an anime, or novel, does not belong to me. Instead, it belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi (High School DxD), Fuse, Mitz Vah (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) and Patora Fuyuhara (Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni)
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Upcoming chapters (Spoilers):
Chapter 6 - First Fight and Skill Acquisition
Chapter 7- The Cub and the Goblin Village
Chapter 8- Battle in the Goblin Village