Chapter 2: Collision
(Rimuru's POV)
Flying through the clouds, I let the cool wind whip past me. My golden eyes remained calm and collected — surprisingly so, considering what I'd just done.
I'd killed someone. And no matter how hard I tried to feel guilt... nothing came.
[Great Sage]: "Notice. You require rest. Mana levels are low."
I nodded silently, descending toward a quiet forest below. It wasn't large, but it was peaceful.
Through my magic sense, I could feel the tiny lives all around me — ants, spiders, even a few bears wandering the woods.
I started walking north. New York City wasn't far.
"I can't keep worrying about it," I told myself, voice steady. "I killed someone who was trying to kill me. That's all there is to it."
No trembling. No hesitation. Just resolution.
(Switching to Third Person — X-Men POV)
An aircraft tore through the sky, sleek and black — the X-Jet. Inside, the team was silent, tense.
They were heading to intercept a known Purifier hideout.
Mutant kidnappers. Torturers.
Professor Xavier had sent a squad: Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops.
When they arrived, they found only a burning house — and it wasn't ordinary fire.
The flames were dark, unnaturally hot, distorting the very air.
Jean closed her eyes, using her psychic senses. Her voice was soft, but serious.
"The mutant... they killed the Purifiers. Then escaped."
Wolverine grunted, scanning the burning wreckage.
"Kid didn't mess around."
Cyclops turned to Jean.
"Can you locate them?"
Jean nodded, focusing on the strange, lingering energy.
"They're close."
Storm stepped forward, regal and precise as ever.
"When we find them, what do we do?"
Jean didn't hesitate.
"We help them. No matter what they did."
Cyclops frowned slightly but nodded.
"Let's find them first. Then we'll decide."
The X-Jet lifted off again, Jean guiding them toward the unknown mutant.
(Back to Rimuru's POV)
I kept walking, mana slowly recovering. I wasn't tired or hungry — slimes didn't need those things — but the night air was getting cold.
Using Sticky Thread and Creation, I crafted a simple black tracksuit and hoodie, replacing my torn and bloodied clothes.
I dropped the old rags on the forest floor, pulling the hood up.
Just as I was about to continue, my magic sense flared.
Someone's coming.
I turned calmly — and there it was.
A sleek, black jet landed nearby, futuristic and silent.
Four figures stepped out.
I tensed slightly, golden eyes narrowing.
[Great Sage]: "Warning. Mana reserves insufficient. Win probability: 0%."
I clenched my fists, gathering what little energy I had left.
The four mutants approached cautiously.
Jean Grey stepped forward, hands raised in peace.
She studied me carefully — long silver-blue hair, golden eyes that practically glowed, and an aura that wasn't entirely... mutant.
"Hey there," Jean said gently. "We're not here to hurt you."
I relaxed slightly, recognizing them — the X-Men.
But I didn't let it show.
Wolverine's rough voice broke the moment.
"Name, kid?"
"Rimuru Tempest," I answered simply.
They exchanged glances at the unusual name.
Storm tilted her head gracefully.
"A unique name indeed. Not to be rude... but what's your gender?"
I chuckled lightly.
"Male."
Their reactions were priceless — even Wolverine looked thrown off.
Jean blinked in disbelief.
That beautiful, ethereal figure in front of her... was a boy?
Cyclops, who'd been quietly analyzing me, finally spoke.
"Were you the one who killed the Purifiers?"
I didn't flinch.
"Yes."
Silence.
There was no regret in my voice. None.
Jean's tone softened.
"Why...? You could have escaped."
I looked at her coldly.
"Maybe. But after everything they did to me... you think I'd just let them live?"
She flinched slightly, feeling the cold hatred behind my calm words.
Storm stepped forward, composed.
"I understand your pain. But if we kill... we become no better than them."
I looked at her, golden eyes unreadable.
"You do what you must. I'll do what I must."
Wolverine growled lowly, claws twitching.
"We can't just let you walk away, kid. Either you come peacefully... or we drag you."
I said nothing.
Instead, I summoned a white mask — a replica of the one I used to conceal my aura — and slipped it over my face.
My presence vanished instantly.
Then I formed a katana from creation magic, black and sleek.
"Unfortunately," I said calmly, "I refuse."
Wolverine lunged first, claws flashing.
Our weapons clashed with a loud clang, shattering the ground under us.
I pushed him back with a burst of strength, leaping into the trees.
But Cyclops was already firing — a beam of pure energy tearing toward me.
Water Manipulation: Water Reflection.
A barrier of compressed water shot up, deflecting the beam harmlessly aside.
I jumped higher, but Jean's telekinesis grabbed me midair, freezing me in place.
"Please," Jean pleaded softly, "let us help you."
I struggled briefly but knew she was an Omega-level psychic — not someone I could easily overpower.
"Sounds nice," I murmured under my breath. "But forgiveness isn't in my nature."
With a roar, I flared my mana, breaking her hold.
Dark lightning crackled along my katana.
I flashed forward — Jean dodged narrowly, landing gracefully as Storm rose into the sky.
Electricity surged around her like a goddess of the storm.
Lightning lanced down — bam!
It struck me dead-on, hurling me through trees.
Dust and splinters filled the air.
The X-Men watched cautiously — but I rose, brushing dirt from my hoodie.
"Lightning..." I said quietly, "doesn't work on me."
Shock flickered across their faces.
Wolverine tensed.
"This kid ain't normal. We end this. Fast."
They moved as a team — precise, lethal.
I knew it.
I can't beat them like this.
"Great Sage. Water plan. Now."
[Great Sage]: "Notice. Spell ready. Mana will be depleted."
Didn't matter. Survival first.
I slammed my palm to the ground.
Water Manipulation: Water Tsunami.
A roaring flood of water exploded outward, swallowing the forest in seconds.
Jean yanked the others into the air with her telekinesis, keeping the X-Jet afloat.
But it was too late to catch me.
I let my mana drain completely — my body instantly reverting to slime form, floating unnoticed among the debris.
Jean scanned desperately with her psychic powers, but the mask shielded me.
She frowned, looking at Wolverine.
"He's... gone."
The X-Men floated above the devastation, the forest drowning beneath them.
And I drifted away — hidden, silent, and free.
(End of Chapter 2)