The velvet floors trembled ever so slightly, as the entire building shook in resonance with the ground. "Dearest Mother, I have acquired a human soul!" a 4-year-old child spoke to her mother with a bright smile plastered across her face. "I think I'm naming this one, Peter!" with her limited vocabulary, the young child happily swung around the soul she had picked off the floor in the human world. "That's sweet my dear, but we have to run right now, try to hold on to that soul alright?" the mother smiled, while wings grew out from her upper back as she carried and ran away with her daughter for their dear life. An eruption of flames came crashing in from behind, as the two barely managed to escape with their life.
"Truly, how unfortunate" Lucifer stepped on Verona, as her lifeless body laid still on the ground. Battered and bleeding all over, the body made a small little squishing sound, as Lucifer barely managed to stand on his one remaining leg. His arms were torn apart and scattered alongside most of his comrades. For a devil of his caliber, such injuries were nothing but a scratch, for as long as his hearts remained intact, he was immortal. "I expected the great Verona to put up much more of a fight than this" he gave a half-hearted half-mocking sigh, as he dragged her body towards his imprisoned king. Yet, that never happened. Verona's body burned itself up with her last dying breath, forcing Lucifer to drop the body which was now in ashes. "DAMN IT" he could only shout out in spite, as he lost his 'key'. "Regardless, there are still many other beings up there that can take his place" Lucifer straightened himself in less than a second. However, what happened next could only be described as a devil's worse nightmare. Bob, following the suggestion from 'red' to stop the fight, swallowed up the seal, the king, and everything. In utter shock, the devil could only watch as it transpired. It didn't take long for the devil to chase after Bob and red but to their surprise, a random explosion came out of nowhere, acting as a camouflage for their escape. Lucifer could have sworn he saw something akin to a potato before it occurred.
Thus began the grand adventure in hell for Bob and the slimes. A story for another time.
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Present time
"Bob?!" the others could only cry out in surprise, as the slime rushed ahead without regard for the war going on.
Far in the distance, a red slime, with half its body tainted black, was being abused constantly, forcing it to release a strange nullifying pulse. "RED!" Bob could only scream out (in body language), as he breached the ranks of the demons. Potatoes were scattered around the area, creating havoc as the demons fired their spells on the common-sense defiling slime. Most of which bounced off its massive body harmlessly. Without regard to all the demons, Bob rushed for the half-red slime in the middle, knocking out the tamer keeping it in control. "GET AWAY FROM ME" Red screamed (in body language), as black lightning struck the area around them. Holding her in an embrace, Bob endured the constant strikes against his body, as he struggled to break the forced pact binding her to the demon. "Please" red begged (in body language), as he tugged at the mystic chain binding the contractor and the contractee.
"What's this about?" Dominic appeared next to Bob. Watching as Bob struggled to break the chain binding the two, Dominic decided to lend a hand. With a light tug, the sound of breaking glass could be heard by everyone around, as the breaking chain made a horrid blast, completely pushing away the demons nearby. "That's one crazy explosion" Dominic commented while Bob desperately held the red slime who was turning darker every second. It was then, a rift tore through the fabrics of reality, Dominic recognized it being connected to the phantasm realm. In fact, something about the darkening slime reminded him of it.
"Hey, don't stop it" a higher being stepped out for a brief moment. It was for less than even a fraction of a second as he made eye contact with Dominic. "Please," he said once more. Dominic looked at Bob clinging against the red slime. He realized that fate had something in store for the pet that they kept around. It was definitely going to be interesting.
"Alright, show me what fate is up to" Dominic winked at Fate. "Well, if I'm still around to see it that is" he sighed.
Allowing Bob to be sucked up into the void realm, Dominic left the now barren area and rejoined the group at the borders.
"What happened out there?" Titania and Michelle asked as Dominic returned.
"I'm not sure, but it looks like Bob has Fate looking out for him" he stated matter of factly. Well, of course, no one is going to really understand what he meant by Fate.
"What happened, where's Bob" not noticing that Dominic had disappeared previously, Kitzuma only noticed the friendly slime charging right in and it ended up with everything exploding and disappearing. He couldn't even begin to comprehend the events that took place.
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"Did he... sacrifice himself for us?" Kitzuma's hand began to tremble. He had thought that they simply needed to defend the city as they evacuated. And it wouldn't be that difficult with the strong companions that Dominic had with him.
"Bob..."Kitzuma recalled the moments where the slime had traveled together with them and even saved their lives on different occasions.
"Bob...?" Kevin's expression darkened as she looked into the distance where the slime had left. It was a sour mood as the group headed back towards the teleportation portal. The guards that had previously disrespected them stood aside and allowed them to pass. Who wouldn't with the amount of power displayed, especially by the lady with black hair. Swallowing their salivas, they unconsciously saluted while making way for them to pass.
"Bob..." Kitzuma continued to mutter as he gripped his chest over the loss of a companion. With that, they arrived back at Genesia, home to the beginner adventurers all around the ever-expanding planet.
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Dominic POV
The mood was really sour, as I could see the trio sulking as they returned. Perhaps it was due to Bob's absence. I didn't like the atmosphere and just hoped that fate would have something in store.
This marked the last adventure I would have with the three of them. At least, until my name gets cleared in the academic city.
"Hey, Dominic" Perlin called out.
"I've been meaning to tell you this but... I don't sense Bob's soul around..." she was openly bawling and sniffing between words.
"Well, you shouldn't be able to since he isn't dead?" I replied to her who seemed confused.
"What?" Kevin the mage came over and attempted to grab my collar. Naturally, I dodged, which resulted in her awkwardly trying not to look me in the eyes as she asked me to confirm my statement.
"Yes, yes I'm not sure what you're thinking about but he simply went to another realm for a bit" I confirmed their questions and the mood became much more comfortable.
Speaking of realms, there were a few of them wasn't there? I opened up the system and searched up for the list of realms that I wrote down in case I forgot.
Realm list: Mortal Demon Celestial/devil Hell Godly Phantasm Void Forbidden ???
So with each time flowing faster than the other. I guess it wouldn't really take long before we see him again. Now let's see here... I've already visited the Mortal Realm, Godly Realm, Phantasm Realm. It gets worse the higher it goes and so... I guess it's time for me to pay a visit to the Demon Realm! Or have I been there before?
"Hey, it's time for us to get going as well" Michelle beckoned me.
Oh right. There was that as well. I mean, I love the city and all but there's so much I want to see before I go. From what Death told me, my time to leave would be pretty soon. Unless I get rid of a candidate in a different timeline of course. Not that I would really do that. I can't wait to see how far my siblings have come as well. Our ancestor, the "hero" was pretty strong after all.
"See you guys later," I told Kitzuma and the rest who were awkwardly wiping away their tears.
"Wait, there's something that I need to ask you as well... what was it...?" Perlin looked at me as I walked towards the portal with Michelle dragging me along. She seemed to have quickened her pace when Perlin mentioned she had something to ask of me.
"Well whatever, have a safe trip and come back soon after clearing your name" she decided to forget about it and raised her hands to say goodbye.
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3rd POV
After Dominic and the other two departed back to the academic city, Kitzuma and the rest headed towards the adventurer's guild with a huge grin on their faces.
"hohoho"
"hehehe"
The faces of the previously crying bunch turned upside down as they could now split the rewards amongst themselves.
"Bob was fine all along and everything we even get to keep this pot of gold!" Kitzuma spewed out his thoughts. "We didn't even do much you know!" Perlin chided them as she began to discuss her portion.
"Oh right, speaking of which, what was that thing you wanted to ask him in the end?" Kitzuma asked curiously.
"You know the great me is able to see other's souls right?" Perlin gave a rhetorical question that was strange by itself.
"The thing is, the two beauties have such glorious and huge souls, it's almost as if they were gods or something" Perlin commented.
Remembering how Titania was able to sweep out an army with an attack, Kitzuma somehow felt that she was on the nail this time. "Nah, that's crazy," he thought to himself.
"Hmm... oh yeah! I remember now." Perlin recalled. "I can't see his soul!" Perlin exclaimed. "I mean... I can sense that he has one but I have no idea how it looks like..." she pondered over the question for a brief moment. At that point, Kitzuma and Rachel (Kevin) had already gone back to calculating the portion they should receive.
"Hey! Split if fairly!" Perlin joined in.
"You already got the items from that carriage didn't you?!"
"This and that are different!"
It was business as usual for the group.