The Slime's Torment
Pain and pain and more pain. Aria felt the slime invading her skin with perfect clarity. It wasn't an exaggeration—her insides and anus were being packed full, forcing her to feel every inch whether she wanted to or not. Her stomach churned and heaved. Suddenly the slime thrashed violently, and a sharp gasp escaped Aria's lips.
“Hic, hic, hiiik.”
The sensation of her organs being seized and shaken as if by two hands was too much. She couldn't keep her mind clear. She wished she could lose consciousness, but Aria's mind—awakened by Holy Power—remained painfully sharp. Even as she thrashed in agony, the slime held her body firmly in place, refusing to release her. Trapped and unable to move, the violation continued. Aria could only endure the pain in silence.
“Hnnngh!”
A scream close to a death cry tore from her throat, like a deer whose neck had been seized by a lion. The slime had pushed through her vagina, wriggling and squirming until it reached her cervix.
“Ah, aah.”
The moment it touched her cervix, the slime forced its way inside. Thud, thud. Each impact against her womb sent sharp, piercing pain through Aria. The sacred chamber meant to nurture a child was being mercilessly violated by an intruder.
“Heuuegh.”
She endured the slime's rampage inside her womb with full awareness. Even surgery without anesthesia would have been less painful.
“Haaah, aaaah.”
It was no longer a proper scream. Meanwhile, the slime was not satisfied with just her vagina and anus. Deciding it needed a more comfortable place, it turned toward her open mouth. Distracted by the foreign sensation in her belly, Aria didn't notice the slime approaching her lips.
“Uuuuugh.”
The slick, viscous substance forced its way between her lips, carrying a bitter, vinegar-like taste. Once inside her mouth, the slime immediately blocked her airway. Choking, she struggled in vain. Strength drained from her body. Her vision darkened. No matter how much Holy Power sharpened her mind, it couldn't prevent the loss of consciousness from oxygen deprivation to the brain.
‘Just kill me.’
She wished for death. If she lived, she would only suffer this torment again and again. As her consciousness faded, Aria heard the sound of a door opening with a click. She lost consciousness before she could see who had entered.
* * *
After finishing the recollection, Aria's heart pounded wildly. It was a terrifying memory no matter how many times she recalled it. Afterward, she had to extract the slime that had settled in her womb and large intestine. That process had been excruciating as well. The slime had resisted fiercely, refusing to leave the nest it had finally found. It felt as though her womb or intestines were being pulled out. Even now, just thinking about it made her feel as if some remnant of the slime still remained inside her.
Aria shook her head and pointed at the slime, now a turquoise lump of ice, with her index finger.
“……Ashtain, is that slime dead?”
“It's just hibernating because the temperature dropped. Touch it and it'll move again.”
At Ashtain's words that it was still alive, she couldn't hide her disappointment.
“……If it were dead, I was going to kick it. What a shame.”
Aria's low voice carried deep resentment. Ashtain shrugged, wondering if she had suffered something terrible at the hands of a slime.
“If you want to kick it, just kick it.”
“I'm scared because it's still alive.”
Aria had developed a trauma toward slimes after that punishment. Like how people instinctively avoid sharp blades, a primal fear had been carved into her mind. Ashtain, unaware of her circumstances, tilted his head.
“……You're scared of a slime like that?”
Aria rarely glared at him with narrowed eyes. It was the kind of look a squirrel might give when angry.
“Is it strange to be scared?”
“Can't you neutralize the slime's acidity with Holy Power?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then what are you so scared of?”
Without its strong acidic property, a slime was nothing more than a satisfying punching bag. Even if she were captured by one, it wouldn't be a problem. She could simply smash its core with her own two hands. Without its core, the slime would lose cohesion and couldn't maintain its form. Even a woman as physically weak as Aria could destroy a slime's core with ease. The only reason she had been tormented back then was because her arms had been restrained.
“I-it's trauma.”
Not wanting to explain further, Aria turned her head away. Ashtain noticed her body trembling slightly. It didn't seem like a simple lie.
Well, that's one hell of a trauma.
He fell silent and began climbing Mount Ascendio with Aria on his back, her arms wrapped tightly around him. After several dozen minutes of climbing, Ashtain set her down on the ground and spoke in a low voice.
“Aria.”
“Y-yes?”
“You're in the way.”
It was an abrupt statement, but undeniably true. Aria lowered her head apologetically.
“……I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help.”
Ashtain scratched his head roughly, frowning.
“No, I mean you're in the way of fighting.”
“Excuse me?”
“We've been surrounded.”
At some point, numerous monsters had gathered nearby. Their bright red eyes were fixed on Ashtain and Aria. The blatant hostility made Aria shrink back.
“……This is—”
“This area is known for spawning lots of monsters. I figured something like this would happen if we wandered around.”
So he had known and still come here. Of course—he had come specifically to defeat as many monsters as possible. Aria swallowed dryly. Even so, the numbers were overwhelming. There were easily dozens of them at a glance.
“……Ashtain, isn't this situation dangerous?”
Ashtain snorted.
“Dangerous?”
The Hero wore a confident expression.
“Just sit back and watch.”
He drew the sword at his waist. His stance was elegant, fluid, and without any unnecessary movement. How many times had he repeated this for such seasoned skill to show?
“I'm not just a Hero in name.”
The moment he took a single step forward with his sword drawn, the monsters' restless movements stopped all at once. It was as if they had all been struck by some collective hallucination.
Hum, hum.
A pure white radiance enveloped the sword in Ashtain's hand. His presence had changed completely. What followed was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. The sight made Aria avert her eyes. Though she looked away, the sounds remained vivid.
Crunch. Slice. Swish.
Sudden silence fell. It hadn't taken the Hero long to annihilate the monsters surrounding them—perhaps only about ten minutes. Thud, thud. At the sound of footsteps, she lifted her head to see the blood-soaked Hero, Ashtain. The blood was, of course, from the monsters. His cold eyes looked down at Aria.
“Hm, didn't watch?”
“Y-you were too, too cruel. I-I'm sorry……”
“Don't apologize.”
He wiped the blood from his face with his forearm and extended his hand to her. Aria stared blankly at the blood-covered hand.
“……Ashtain?”
“You don't think this is the end, do you?”
“……Then?”
“I'm going to hunt a lot more monsters today.”
So what am I supposed to do about that? She wouldn't be able to help anyway.
“So get on my back. You're slow as hell when you walk.”
“Y-you can see for yourself. I'm completely useless.”
Her true feelings slipped out unintentionally. The Hero looked as if he was holding back laughter at those weak words.
“Why would you be useless? You're a walking medical kit, aren't you? Was that a lie?”
“I'm confident in healing. But…… I can't imagine you getting hurt, Ashtain. If that happened, I really would be useless……”
She had only seen a glimpse, but Ashtain's movements were fast, precise, and powerful. Even within the cult, few possessed such martial prowess. It was truly fitting for the title of Hero. Could someone like him ever get injured? Aria couldn't easily imagine it.
Ashtain gave her a mischievous smile.
“I'm human too, so I get hurt sometimes. That's why you're here—to prepare for that.”
“……That's true, but……”
“And since when does a medical kit get to choose its owner? It's just used.”
“……”
He poked Aria's nose repeatedly while she stood there dazed. As a result, monster blood smeared across her nose. The metallic scent of blood brushed against her nostrils. Ashtain asked again.
“Not coming?”
“……I'll go. Of course I'll go.”
Aria stood up. Ashtain naturally offered his back. For some reason, that broad back looked reliable. She didn't want to admit it. The reality that she was relying on a man she had known for less than a week. So she deliberately spoke curtly.
“……You smell strongly of blood.”
“Don't like your ride, Saintess?”
At those words, Aria answered in a very small voice.
“………I do. I like it.”
It was something Ashtain hadn't heard.