That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

The Super Beasts left quietly.

Their instincts must have told them that they could not win against Veldora.

Veldora and the others did not even bother to watch them leave. They quickly cleaned up after the barbecue and renewed their journey.

During the silent march, Zaza made a decision and approached Veldora.

"Ah, um…Veldora, sir, uh, lord? I would like to ask you something…"

Zaza seemed very anxious about talking to him now.

"What is it Zaza? What happened to your usual brazen attitude?"

"Uh, no, it's… Ahahahaha…"

He tried to hide his awkwardness with a laugh.

It could not be helped.

When he thought back on the way he had treated Veldora, he had to realize that he had been incredibly rude.

Veldora just grinned mischievously and teased Zaza.

This was very unbecoming, but that could not be helped, since it was Veldora.

After all, Veldora was an evil dragon by nature.

And so he continued to toy with Zaza for a while until he got bored.

"Hmm. No, it is better when you talk normally. Being so formal is no fun at all."

"What!? I wasn't talking like that for your amusement—ah!"

"Kahahaha! Yes, yes, that's much better!"

"I am very sorry for everything I did! I didn't realize how great you really were, Lord Veldora…"

"Oh, Zaza. I find it creepy when you call me that. You can just say 'mister.' However! Do not forget to be respectful, alright?"

"Creepy…what do you think…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's nothing Zaza."

"Alright, alright! I'm starting to think maybe it was a misunderstanding that I thought you looked so amazing a while ago…"

"Kaaaahahahaha! What a funny little joke, Zaza!"

And like that, they returned to their usual banter.

Veldora enjoyed it this way, and so while he continued to act grand, he allowed Zaza to speak casually.

Veldora preferred to be friends with people instead of having them fear him.

"So, Vel-, Mister Veldora. Who are you?"

Zaza asked his question.

Everyone else was also interested in this question, and the surrounding adults perked up their ears.

"Hmm. It is no secret, really. But would you believe me?"

"Yes, yes. Of course, I would believe! After all, we've already seen such a ridiculous sight as you punching a Super Beast!"

The adults nodded silently to this.

"Master. Why don't you tell them the truth? I bet they won't believe you anyway."

"I agree. They will not believe you."

Ramiris and Beretta whispered. Veldora felt the same.

But he did not care if they believed him or not.

"Then I will tell you. I am a visitor from another world. You can call me the result of supernatural power…or more simply, the dragon who controls the storm. Yes."

Veldora got bored of explaining and ended it abruptly.

He didn't know what religions existed here, but he didn't think they would understand if he said he was a god or a holy spirit.

"Hahaha. Like from a myth?"

"How nostalgic. I almost forgot that people used to pray to a god."

"Religion faded away once people started living in the cities. Why pray to a god that doesn't help you when you can trust the city to protect your lifestyle."

Rindo and Sharma said.

As Veldora predicted, they no longer believed in such things anymore.

"So. Seriously, what are you…?"

Zaza had decided that Veldora was just joking, and so he asked him again.

However, Veldora just laughed.

"Kahahaha! Don't worry. All you need to know is that I am amazing. And then you cannot go wrong!"

Zaza agreed. There was no point in hearing any more.

Because it was true, Veldora was amazing.

By what principle, technology or features, it was all unknown. But it was probably some top-secret, advanced technology, he thought.

Of course, they were all underestimating Veldora.

They still saw him as human.

To them, Veldora was a high-powered cyborg who might just be able to take on, if not beat, the Machinery Four.

It was a big mistake, but they were unable to realize it yet.

◇◇◇

The party continued to walk for some time.

The protection suits were heavy, just like an astronaut's suit. And even though they aided the wearer in terms of mobility, they could not go very fast.

At most, they could travel about 5 kilometers in an hour.

While they did not get too tired, it was mentally exhausting to have to repeat the same movements repeatedly.

The children found it especially tough.

And so it was with an apologetic voice that Karman began to talk.

"Really, though. While we don't have to worry about Super Beasts because Veldora and Beretta are here, it will still be dangerous if those of the Empire found us. Now, if only we had our Powered Suits, we could fight…"

"Indeed. Out Plasma Gattling is out of ammunition. And we are cyborgs who mainly fight with weapons. Our basic features are not that advanced."

"But we have been trained well. We could at least buy some time…"

"General Michelle sent us on this escort mission, and yet we've had to rely on Veldora to fight the Super Beasts…"

However, Veldora did not care about it at all.

"Don't worry about that. So, you call that armor a Powered Suit? Yes, it was quite strong. However, Karman, it's not very fun just being strong, you know? It's boring. It was amusing enough the first time. But you wouldn't stand a chance against Beretta if you fought him again."

"…That is completely true. They wouldn't stand a chance. Not even if there are ten of them."

"Wait-wait-wait. Yes, we did lose to you, but surely it was not by such a margin…!?"

Karman had to argue back when he heard Beretta's words.

However, Veldora agreed with Beretta.

"No, Karman. Beretta is right. The only reason that Beretta took any damage, in the beginning, was because he did not know the nature of the attack. It is no threat once he knows. Which means that it was not much, to begin with."

"But, it has tremendous power! It is equipped with the Neutrolauncher, the latest weapon from the Empire!"

"Ah, that thing."

Veldora nodded.

Yes, that was quite powerful.

Veldora could admit as much.

"But, Karman. That weapon not only has a long gun barrel, but it makes a faint sound when being launched. It would not be difficult to find the target point you know?"

"What?!"

"The target point. Beretta would figure it out and distort space in that area in order to alter its course."

Karman was about to say something but swallowed it.

The sound?

Calculate from the length of the barrel and predict where it would land?

He knew the timing, and so was able to deal with the attack?

There was a lot that he wanted to say but he knew the answer already.

Beretta was nodding his head as if in agreement, and Ramiris was laughing as if this was all common knowledge.

(Who are these people! I don't understand. What kind of features must they have to think this is normal…)

Karman was tired of being surprised all the time.

And then Veldora suddenly opened his mouth as if just having an idea.

"Karman. Why don't you just have the children design you something?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"What? It's very simple. You can take that Powered Suit or whatever it's called, and have the children create weapons to attach to it. We retrieved the machines that Beretta broke, so perhaps we can fix them if we have the right parts?"

What nonsense—Karman thought. But the children were very happy at this.

"I want to do it!"

"I'm tired of walking."

"I want to rest for a while!"

It hadn't even been half a day since the barbecue, but that was their reaction.

"Wa-wait, Mister Veldora! I didn't say anything because the children were so enthusiastic, but I don't think you should expect much from…"

Even Zaza disagreed, but Veldora wasn't bothered.

"You say that I shouldn't expect much, Zaza. But I am quite serious! Besides, this thing about the Powered Suits is just a side-project. I was really thinking about acquiring a vehicle of some sort."

"What do you mean…?"

"If there was a broken vehicle, Beretta would be able to repair it. Then we could travel faster, no? It will be six days soon. If we do not arrive at this destination soon, we will miss the appointed time!"

"Time? What are you talking about?"

Ramiris and Beretta knew.

It was almost 1 week.

In other words, it meant the day that Rimuru returned was approaching, and they needed to hurry up and return to their own world in order to destroy all of the evidence.

They would pretend that nothing had happened and wait before coming back to this world again.

Now that they had read the information of this world, it would be possible to connect the Different Gate to this dimension once again.

But since he had made a promise to Michelle, Veldora intended on finishing the current mission.

He wanted to return to his world after they had escorted the people to the new base.

So with this considered, he decided that it was necessary to increase their speed.

The worst-case scenario would involve him showing his true form and taking everyone there.

But he very much wanted to avoid that.

And so he thought of preparing a vehicle.

"So, what do you think Zaza? Is there such a place where we might find a vehicle and parts to repair it with?"

Zaza thought about it.

He felt that there was no point in asking Veldora as he had no intention of answering.

It would be wonderful if such a vehicle could be acquired, but Zaza didn't think that it was likely.

But on the other hand, he had witnessed Beretta's ability to repair things, and so there was a part of him that hoped.

"If I'm not wrong, there is an old Empire testing site up ahead. It's currently a junkyard for old weapons…"

"Alright. Let's go then! We can play with all kinds of—we can prepare!"

Veldora said in conclusion.

Sharma laughed. Rindo shrugged.

The adults sighed in exasperation. But there was a look of trust towards Veldora and the others as well.

As for the children, they cheered at the prospect of the time of rest-and delicious food-that would be coming.

No one objected, and so it was decided that they would all head to this abandoned testing ground.

◇◇◇

An hour had now passed since Zaza had led them to the old testing ground.

Everyone was now absorbed in the search for materials.

They had also all taken off their protective gear and were dressed lightly.

Obviously, this was because Veldora had purified the area.

The children and Veldora were now staring at the ground and seemed to be having a passionate debate.

They inspected the parts the adults had gathered and argued over how to assemble them.

Beretta calmly went about repairing and modifying. Ramiris watched him and complained about the choices she didn't like.

This continued until the sun began to set.

Then the children cleaned out old trenches and slept in them.

As Veldora had also isolated the place within a barrier, they were all able to sleep without their suits on.

No matter how advanced the suits were, you could not get much rest if you had to sleep while sitting up.

And so it wasn't just the children, but even the adults slept a deep sleep as if to make up for the past several days of exhaustion.

Next to them, there were those who did not sleep.

Veldora, Ramiris, and Beretta.

Zaza was patrolling the area as usual, so it was just these three that remained now.

They were whispering to each other, careful that their voices would not be heard by anyone else.

"Hey, hey. What about this idea? You can put beam cannons on both shoulders and also the head. And then the chest can open up and there will be another one! Isn't that amazing? Isn't it cool?"

"Are you stupid? You can't equip beam cannons all over someone's body. The engine won't be able to power them! Besides, with only a heat release plate and conductive heat lines, there is no way you can keep the thing cool enough! And adding so much garbage does not make something look awesome!"

"But Lord Veldora, there was a child that asked if you could install two engines. And it is not impossible, so perhaps we can at least have the cannons on both shoulders."

"Hmm. I see…"

Etcetera.

They were testing the ideas gathered from the children during the day and seeing which were viable.

All of Ramiris's ideas considered nothing but her personal tastes.

The current plan was to secure a means of transportation and new weapons for Zaza and the others while everyone still slept.

They had already finished the vehicles.

Five large transport buses that could carry two hundred passengers each. The vehicles had been completed quietly and were now parked in a line.

They had gathered parts from destroyed tanks and reused them.

The basic structure had already gone through 'Appraisal' and it was determined that they would run just fine without the need for a test drive.

Even in this world, their skills were very good.

They removed the 200mm rail guns, which were the main weapons, and improved the stability and speed of the vehicles.

Thanks to that, in spite of the legs being like a caterpillar, its maximum speed now exceeded 100km/h.

They had also considered comfort, and space expansion had been used to make the seats more spacious. There was even an area where you could lie down.

As for the distance that they could travel… After all, they were equipped with thermonuclear fusion engines, as long as the body of the vehicle did not break, it could run nearly forever.

They would no longer have to walk around on foot. Travel would be much easier.

As it was a caterpillar, bad road conditions did not matter, and they were sure that they could reach their destination on the next day.

And then there was the new equipment for Zaza and the others.

This was the current topic of discussion, and they were not united in their opinion.

Ramiris wanted more power.

Veldora talked about the importance of aesthetics over utility.

Beretta tried to make them come together, but his efforts were like a candle in the wind next to these stubborn two.

"Really, why can't we make it so they shoot out destructive rays from all over their bodies?"

"What would be the point in that? It will hit our own men!"

They argued.

Beretta was tired.

It was getting annoying. And so he decided to leave them and started repairing the equipment on his own.

First, he pulled out the Powered Suits that were the least damaged and lined them up.

And then he disassembled them.

As he did this…

"Hmm. It will be easier to imagine after seeing the real thing."

"That's right, master. Now that I think about it, Zazy can use this, right? Then we can make a few of them. Even if we install all the beam weapons on it, you can just think of them as commander cannons. I think that's a great idea!"

"Perhaps. As Beretta said, we could add two engines and raise its power output."

They said. The two had stopped fighting and were now watching what Beretta was doing.

"First, we should decide what the main weapon will be."

"Oh?"

"Beretta. Do you have an opinion on that?"

Beretta nodded.

Beretta's opinion often leaned towards Ramiris's opinion.

He was like his master.

Long Live The Giant Ship Cannon Cause!

Men had a tendency to romanticize big guns.

And there was a good reason for it too. As long as you did not misuse them, they were very effective weapons.

And so Beretta had no issue with adding high-powered weapons.

"First, the Neutron Launcher. This has quite a punch. It's a must."

"It sure is!"

"Hmm. I understand."

"However!"

Beretta shouted heatedly.

"If you put your arms together to make a cannon, the enemy will immediately know that you're about to do something."

"Whaaat. Why? But it looks so cool!"

"Hmm. Hmm. I thought it looked cool too, but that is a good point…"

"That's right. In this instance, coolness has nothing to do with it, Lord Ramiris."

"Ugh… Fine. Next."

Beretta nodded.

And then they continued.

"As for this weapon, it was probably made in this style due to the confidence that the enemy will not be able to do anything once it is fired. It does not require much time to prepare, and there are no fatal flaws. However, I have a better idea."

So saying, Beretta began to draw on the ground while explaining.

It was not a wearable Powered Suit, but a Battle Body that could be considered a second body.

He also had ideas for improved Cyber Bodies and new Powered Suits.

The Powered Suit would be equipped with converted high power firearms that would usually only work in a Battle Body.

And while none were able to shoot beams from their entire body, most of Ramiris's demands had been fulfilled.

"Hmm!?"

"Very impressive, Beretta. This is a design that contains all my hopes and dreams!"

The two of them forgot that they had been arguing, and they stared hard at the designs on the ground.

"I see. This new Battle Body houses a nuclear fusion reactor in its heart from the beginning. Indeed, if I were to use 'Space Manipulation,' the space expansion technology could be much improved. It could help with power shortages as well. And…"

"Yes! Yes! The beam weapons are on the outside! Now we can have lots of them and they can be exchanged depending on the need. This is amazing, Beretta!"

"I am not worthy of such high praise."

After that, they talked about whether they could not make even more interesting weapons with the remaining parts.

The debate grew increasingly more enthusiastic, and their mischievous side took hold, resulting in the most shocking modifications being made.

Of course, the consequence was obvious…

"What? What is…"

When Zaza and the others returned from their patrol in the morning, they saw a line of super weapons with fearsome power.

◇◇◇

Ramiris looked proud.

Beretta was full of a sense of accomplishment.

Zaza had a distant look in his eyes.

Karman and his men stood there in shock.

The children looked at the buses and the line of weapons with shining eyes.

The adults talked about how the buses had been there when they woke up. It was so removed from reality that they could not believe it.

Veldora watched these reactions and laughed loudly.

"Kaahahaha! Now, all of you. You must ride these vehicles so we can get out of here. Zaza. Stop standing there like a fool. You and Karman must decide who will use what weapon!"

"Wa-wait a minute! Before we do anything, where did this all come from!?"

Veldora tried to run through it as if it was nothing, but Zaza demanded an explanation.

However, it was Karman who tried to calm him.

"Now, now, Zaza. I think it's time we accept things. Those people are not normal. It's the way things are. Let's just accept it and use these weapons."

He showed surprising adaptability. Karman had decided to accept these weapons as reality.

Sharma and Rindo followed.

"Lord Veldora. How are these used?"

"Miss Sharma. These things happen to be my specialty. Leave it to me!"

"Ah, Rindo. I'll leave it to you, then. Lord Veldora. Thank you very much. Now we shall be able to travel safely."

They settled in very quickly.

They had decided that it was a waste of time acting stunned, and it was better if they lived with a positive mindset.

Hey, hey. I'm the only one being left behind… Zaza wanted to cry.

However, no one cared about him. So he had no choice but to get on the bus.

"So, Zaza. Are you prepared to have your brain transferred to the new machine? As we predicted, it's you and Karman who are best suited for these Battle Bodies."

Veldora said.

Beretta and Ramiris were currently operating on Karman.

One of the buses had a workshop on the second floor that also acted as a weapon storage. It was possible to perform simple operations there.

Zaza didn't say anything anymore.

As Karman had said, there was no point in agonizing over what Veldora and the others said.

"Alright, I'll do it. I, I don't want to lose any more of my comrades."

He said, after finally making up his mind.

Karma's operation finished in less than an hour, and Zaza was operated on next.

As they only needed to transfer the brain inside the capsule and adjust it, it was child's play for Ramiris and Bereta to perform.

And so Zaza's operation was finished, and Karman's men also underwent modifications.

And like that, Zaza, Karman, and his men gained a new power to fight.