[Book 2] That time I got reincarnated as a slime,no, a DRAGON?

CH-66

3rd Person POV

A tent was set up in one of the stalls. Unlike other stalls which tried to attract customers, this one was bland with no advertising. Just two words on top. Fortune telling. The trio looked at each other before deciding to enter.

The three could manipulate their fate anyways they want. So having their fate read would be of no importance as it can be changed at a moments notice, yet for some reason, they decided to go in and check out the shop.

The inside of the tent was cramped with things kept around in a random way. Near the centre of the tent was a small desk which seemed to serve as the counter.

"Oh my. Looks like quite a cute couple has arrived." An old lady said with a smile. Her eyes were closed, yet she was able to perceive and see them. This made the three believe that she was using some sort of perception skill.

"I wonder if you can really tell the future?" Rimuru asked.

"Hahaha. Surely you jest. What future can I read of someone like you? You are already the masters of your own lives. I can neither read your future nor your fate. But what I can read is your soul." The old woman said with a hearty laugh.

"Well, you can't really expect us to believe you like this, but I am sure you can definitely get a lot of customers of you were to improve your advertising." Rimuru suggested.

"What is the need for advertising? I already have the customers I was waiting for. Young man, I have already lived long enough. Things like money and fame are something I have lived with and given up. I have completed everything that the worlds can provide me with. Now, the only thing left for this old generation is to guide the new one." The old woman said.

"Guide?"

"Young man. Your soul is completely black from the outside. Cruel and ruthless, yet the inside is a warm yellow and white. You hide your kindness behind cruelty." The old woman said completely ignoring Rimuru.

"As for you Miss" she said while facing Ciel, all while her eyes were closed, "Your soul appears a pure white from the outside, yet the darkness remains hidden beneath it. You hide your own cruelty behind your kindness. You both are completely opposite to each other, yet, this is the exact reason that you are destined to be each other."

Chloe, who was a bit saddened since she was ignored raised her hand to garner attention, but surprisingly, the old woman didn't react. After some time, she looked at Chloe. Her facial expressions changed momentarily before she continued to speak.

"As for you.... Your soul is a pure white sphere, yet small black spots are appearing all over it, maybe due to the young man's behaviour. But, what is most surprising is that your soul is hollow. A hollow shell, as if it's inside were scooped out." The old woman dropped a bombshell. Well, atleast for Chloe. Both Rimuru and Ciel already knew about this. And they also knew who the remainder of the soul was. Rather, it would be better to say that Chloe is the remainder of the soul, as majority of the soul belongs to the other person, Ciel.

Ciel's soul upon her death was to shatter and scatter across the underworld and eventually be sent to the cycle of reincarnation. Yet, Rimuru forcefully stopped this. Without knowing the correct methods, he obviously caused some backlash. The massive amounts of energy that had to be used created an unbearable strain on Ciel's soul, causing it break into two. Rimuru was able to save majority of the soul with him, yet the outer part of the soul that had been broken off went to the underworld, eventually lost all its memories and went into the cycle of reincarnation.

As luck would have it, that soul would be left as it is since making it any smaller would make it break, while making it larger would make it unstable, so the soul went through the cycle of reincarnation and ended up being reborn as an innocent child, Chloe Aubert.

Ever since she was young, she felt empty. As if something was missing from her life. Yet she tried to pay no attention to it. She learnt how to talk and walk much earlier than average. When children were interested in playing, she would rather read a book. She was much more mature than what a five year old should be. Her parents were concerned, but seeing that the doctor said nothing was wrong with her, they just thought of her as a prodigy.

Being such an anomaly, she had no friends. But one day, she met a boy, not much older than him. He too was a bit mature for his age, but not as much as Chloe. But their thinking processes were in the same plane, and they soon became friends. Leon doesn't developed feelings for Chloe, yet Chloe only ever saw him as an elder brother. Maybe because she was only seven and didn't know what love was, or maybe because she instinctively knew that there was someone she loved.

She continued to spend her tone uneventfully, until one day, both she and Leon were caught in a dimensional crack. Leon tried to push Chloe out of the crack, but failed. They got separated in the Dimensional crack and reached the Cardinal World at different times.

When she had just arrived, she was confused and looked around. There were many men and women in weird attire looking at them in disappointment. They said something, but she couldn't understand them. This confused her, but she wanted to understand her situation, and all m as if heaven had understood her, she suddenly understood what they said. She heard something about the VOTW, yet was unable to understand what it meant.

She wasn't alone. Asking with her were four other children, the same age as hers. They were all frightened, yet she just stood there calmly judging everything. The strangely dressed people called something a failure and decided to dispose the failed summons, but a loud sound caught them by surprise. They launched a magic attack at the children and decided to flee, but Gale, the eldest of them all deployed a shield to protect them.

Though the shield couldn't stop the attack completely, it was still enough for them to not be fatally injured.  After some time Yuuki came in and took them away to the academy, where they spent the rest of their time before meeting Shizue.

They had accepted their fates to die, yet Shizue inspired them. It made them believe that they could still live. They hoped that they would live. Yet Chloe's thoughts were different.

'No matter how much Shizue-sensei tries, it is useless. Only he can save us.  After all, he promised to save me. He is a selfish man. He won't let me go again, right?

....

He? Whom am I taking about? Leon-nii? Big bro Yuuki? I am not sure.'

Yet, when she saw Rimuru for the first time, she felt at ease. She felt as if something that she had lost had finally returned to her. She thought that if it was him, then anything is possible.

And rest, is history.

————————

I hope you guys liked it.