Reincarnated as a Fox with a slime friend

The calm before the storm

After that shark thing, everyone was treating me with respect. I could see them being more careful around me. A couple of months already passed after that event but everyone held me and Rimuru as heroes or even some kind of deities in their mind.

Looks like last time I growled at them, I kinda scared them...

I can't really blame them!

I would also be scared seeing a wild beast do something like that...

I feel soo embarrassed.

Ranga: Izuku-sama, do want to go on a hunt with us?

Me: No thanks. I'll pass.

I was in the house with Shuna and we both were sitting in the garden enjoying some nice tea. That was when Ranga jumped out of a shadow of a nearby tree.

Shuna: ... Are you feeling unwell?

Me: No, that's not it..

Shuna was always so nice to me. That woman took good care of me and that was also why I knew that she had a hunch of why I was reluctant to go.

Shuna: Izuku-sama, don't tell me you are still afraid.

I was afraid. Fared of losing myself.

What if I lose control of myself?

What if I become a beast?

What if I hurt you guys!

You are like family to me!

I...I am afraid...

This is all so new to me!

I didn't know that I could do something like this!

Apex Preditor sure is a powerful skill!

I'll need to be careful with it.

For the past couple of months, Rimuru wasn't in the town and left me in charge of it. He said he was taking some kind of vacation to me and also that he needed to find some kids that were like us. I knew how much it meant to him and so I let him go with a promise of him returning safely. For the time I was reborn, I didn't have anyone else beside him and the towns people. They all grew dear to me and this was why I was so eager as to protect them.

However, I still didn't have a good control over my skills. I knew I could use OfA but after that that I didn't manage to activate the other skills not even one bit. Then again, how should I be calm if I didn't know how to activate it and use it properly?! It was strange to me. Ranga tried to battle with me in order to help me out but I couldn't help and worry about him. It reminded me of the time in UA when I trained with everyone and held back because I could seriously hurt them with OfA. However, Bakugo never held back at all and I got injured all the time.

Ranga: Please don't be afraid just because of this.

Me:...

Shuna: How about letting my brother come with you?

Me: I couldn't bother Benimaru! He is very busy.

That was when all of the sudden Soe appeared before us. I immediately jumped to my feet. It was never a good sign when he came to me.

Soe: Izuku-sama. There are some coming towards us.

Me: Armed?

Soe: Yes.

Me: I'll go and great them. For now, inform Benimaru. Everyone needs to be on their guard. If they are armed then they are here for a reason. I am not as foolish as my brother thinking that they might not attack or do anything to us. If anything,... Humans are scared of what they can't understand as well as someone being more powerful.

Soe: Are you suggesting attacking them?

Shuna: We can't do that! We would go against Rimuru's wish!

Me: No. I am only saying that you guys should defend yourself. If you need to back away from a fight and regroup in the forest. We can always rebuild a town but we cannot bring back a life. Ranga, tell your pack to bring everyone in the cave nearby to hide there. Everyone who isn't fast enough to escape when they need to should go. You go and inform Rimuru about this. If they are here for what I think they are, the peace we had until now will be over.

Ranga: I understand.

He then disappeared. This was no time to be hasty. I knew very well that a villain was created and not born as for that it was the human's pride and envy that make them be evil. In this case a town full of monster would be a threat to humans and I knew that. We might have been humans once but we were monsters now. If I needed to fight, I would do that.

Soe: What are you planning to do, Izuku-sama?

Me: Greet them and try to find out why they are here.

Shuna: You are not gonna fight them, are you?

Me: No. I won't attack first. If they harm the city then yes but before that I won't do anything.

Shuna: I'll go and help Ranga then.

Soe: I'll inform Benimaru.

Me: Let's be careful.

Just like that both of them began running in order to do their past. I did the same thing and went out to the woods. However, it didn't take me long to get to the part where the humans were. I was still in the shadow of the trees hiding myself looking at them but what I saw was an army. Now I was convinced that they were not here for peace talks at all.

Humans never change!

It's not like we learned from history at all.

I mean we did have 2 world wars and nearly a third one too.

Gosh how I hate human's greed!

But for now, they are only stationed there.

As long as they don't attack us, I won't attack them...

Rimuru won't like this....

I should inform him about this!

As I was thinking that, all of the sudden, I stopped feeling him. It was as if he was gone.

Me: RIMURU!

Before I knew what was going on, a magic circle appeared below me and everything became extreme light before I saw a plain grass side with Ranga and Rimuru. I didn't know how I got there but I didn't care. Rimuru didn't look all too good to me and so I quickly ran to his side.

Me: Brother!