Dominant Run!

Conqueror of Flames, Shizue Izawa! Part-2

Ciel: <>

Voice of the World: <<>>

******

When Shizu took Rimuru's hand, she wasn't sure what to expect. Some would even call her naive and foolish for trusting someone whom she had only met a few hours ago; however, in her opinion, that kind of thinking was reserved for people who led normal lives and had time to judge others. Shizu's reality, however, was far from typical, with her having very limited time left of that world. More importantly, she had a gut feeling that trusting Rimuru might not be a wrong decision.

So, without wasting any more time, she took Rimuru's hand, and in the next moment, the world went white.

******

The next time Shizu opened her eyes, she found herself back on the same cliff. However, this time, tears streamed down her cheeks, and her hands were tightly gripping Rimuru's clothes.

"Shizu, are you alright?" Rimuru's voice, tender and concerned, cut through the heavy silence as he gently brushed away her tears with his thumb.

Meeting his gaze with watery eyes, Shizu didn't utter a word in response. Instead, she slowly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Rimuru was startled for a second by her sudden gesture; however, he immediately composed himself and wrapped his arms around her, gathering her into his embrace.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Shizu gently pulled away, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Thank you," she murmured, though unsure exactly what she should thank him for. Should she thank him for showing how her homeland built itself back after the war? For granting her wish to offer her students a chance to live a life? Perhaps for actually punching Leon (even if it was part of a ruse to fool an enemy)? Or for building a nation that she would have loved to be a part of? There were so many things that she didn't know where to start. So she simply allowed her heartfelt words to convey the depth of her gratitude. "Thank you, for everything."

"What are you thanking me for? I just kept a promise to a friend," Rimuru reciprocated her smile, though his expression shifted to seriousness once more. "Shizu... returning to my earlier question, do you want to live?"

Shizu's smile softened, and she nodded gently. "Yes, I do."

Upon hearing Shizu's reply, Rimuru's face lit up with joy, but it quickly dimmed with concern as doubt crept into his mind. "Shizu, you're not saying this because you think you owe me something, right?" he asked with a voice tinged with worry.

Looking at Rimuru's genuine concern reflected in his eyes, Shizu couldn't suppress a soft chuckle. "You know, Rimuru-san, before today, I had all but given up on this world. The only thing that kept me going was the promise I made to those children. But you... you've changed everything." With a tender smile, Shizu reached up, her hand coming to rest on Rimuru's cheek. "You've shown me that with you here, there's still hope for this damned world. You've shown me that this world can become a safe place for children to grow. And if you'll allow me, Rimuru-san, I want to stand by your side and help you."

"Shizu..." Rimuru's voice wavered, emotions swirling as he struggled to comprehend Shizu's heartfelt words. He couldn't believe she had agreed to this, to stay with him. "Shizu, do you really mean it?"

"Absolutely, Rimuru-san," she affirmed, their faces drawing closer until their lips met in a tender kiss.

<Creating a soul corridor with Shizu Izawa. Success>

<Extracting, Greater Flame Spirit Ifrit from Shizu Izawa. Success>

Breaking away from their kiss, Shizu felt a sudden drain on her strength, causing her to falter. Looking up at Rimuru with concern etched on her face, she asked, "Rimuru-san? What's happening?"