Shizu and The Trio....Adventurers

Suddenly, Rimuru received a call for help through his mental link with Ranga.

"Master, we've encountered some humans being attacked by a swarm of Giant Ants. What are your orders?" Ranga's voice echoed in Rimuru's mind.

Rimuru paused, concerned. "Humans? Are they in immediate danger?"

"Yes, Master. One of them—a woman with a mask—is fighting valiantly, but the ants are overwhelming them. Should we intervene?"

Rimuru thought for a moment. "No, don't engage yet. I'm on my way. Just keep an eye on them and make sure no one dies before I get there."

"Understood," Ranga responded.

Without wasting a moment, Rimuru transformed into his slime form and hopped onto Ranga's back, speeding toward the scene.

When they arrived, Rimuru quickly surveyed the situation. Three adventurers—were frantically fighting back against a massive swarm of Giant Ants. The fourth person, a woman with long black hair and a mask, stood out immediately. Her graceful but desperate movements with her magic sword caught Rimuru's eye. Despite her skill, she was clearly exhausted, and her strikes began to lose their precision.

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell, her sword slipping from her grasp. One of the Giant Ants lunged toward her.

"I can't let that happen," Rimuru muttered. "Black Lightning!"

A surge of dark energy shot from Rimuru, obliterating the ant in an instant. The other ants hesitated, sensing the overwhelming power, and quickly scattered.

The battlefield fell silent as Rimuru approached the fallen woman. Her mask had slipped off, revealing a delicate but determined face. Rimuru picked up her mask and handed it to her with a gentle smile.

"Here," Rimuru said, his voice calm. "Are you okay?"

The woman looked up at him, her cheeks flushing slightly as she accepted the mask. "I… I'm fine. Thank you," she replied softly, her voice tinged with gratitude. She quickly put the mask back on.

The three adventurers, still catching their breath, stared at Rimuru in shock.

"Wait a second!" one of the adventurer, exclaimed. "Who the heck are you?!"

The blonde lady, Ellen, pointed at him with wide eyes. "And what was that? You just wiped out that ant with one move!"

Rimuru smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm just a slime."

The adventurers, scoffed. "A slime? Don't make me laugh! There's no way a slime could do that!"

Rimuru grinned mischievously. "Want to see for yourself?" He transformed into his slime form, bouncing slightly in place, before shifting back into his human form in a fluid motion.

The adventurers froze, their mouths agape.

"What in the world?!" *Ellen* gasped. "A slime that can… transform?!"

*Gido* rubbed his temples. "This has to be a dream. This isn't real."

The woman with the mask, however, chuckled softly, her tone amused. "Interesting. A slime that's not like any other…"

Rimuru turned to her and smiled. " My name's Rimuru. And, I'm not a bad slime."

The woman chuckled and hesitated for a moment before replying. " Shizu. You can call me Shizu."

"Nice to meet you, Shizu," Rimuru said warmly.

The rest introduced themselves as well as Ellen, Gido and Kaval.

Gido sighed heavily. "Alright, fine. You saved us, so thanks for that. I guess we owe you one."

Ellen clapped her hands together. "Yes, thank you so much! We've been out here for days, and we lost everything to those ants."

"You guys look like you could use a break," Rimuru said. "Why don't you come to my village? You can rest there, and we'll get you some food."

The mention of food immediately brightened Ellen's face. "Really? You'd do that for us?"

Shizu hesitated. "I don't want to impose…"

"It's no trouble at all," Rimuru assured her. "Besides, it's safer than wandering out here."

On the way to the village, the three adventurers bickered nonstop.

"This is all YOUR fault, Gido!" Ellen snapped. "You're the one who said we should take that shortcut!"

"How was I supposed to know it'd lead us to a nest of Giant Ants?!" Gido shot back.

Kaval groaned. "Both of you, shut it. If anyone's to blame, it's Ellen for making us take this route!"

"Excuse me?!" Ellen shrieked. "I thought this was supposed to be an adventure!"

Shizu chuckled softly at their antics, while Rimuru shook his head, amused.

"You guys are like a traveling circus," Rimuru teased.

Gido pointed at Rimuru. "Says the talking, transforming slime! You're the real circus act here!"

Then they all laughed.

When they arrived at the village, the adventurers and Shizu froze in awe. The village was far beyond anything they had imagined—a thriving community with beautifully constructed buildings, bustling streets, and monsters of all kinds working together in harmony.

"W-What is this place?" Ellen whispered, her voice filled with awe.

"This is my village," Rimuru said proudly. "Welcome to Tempest."

Gido's jaw dropped as he spotted a group of Tempest Wolves patrolling the area. "Those… those are Direwolves, right?!"

Rimuru smirked. "Not just Direwolves. They're Tempest Wolves. And don't worry—they're friendly, as long as you don't do anything stupid."

Kaval gulped nervously. "Friendly, huh? Sure doesn't look like it…"

Rimuru called for Rigurd, who arrived promptly and bowed. "Welcome back, Rimuru-sama. What can I do for you?"

"These travelers need a place to rest," Rimuru said. "Make sure they're comfortable and get them some food."

Rigurd nodded. "Of course, Rimuru-sama. Please, follow me."

As Rigurd led them away, Ellen turned back to Rimuru and smiled. "Thank you again for everything. You're… kind of amazing."

Rimuru chuckled. "Don't mention it. Just take it easy while you're here."

Shizu paused, looking at Rimuru for a moment before bowing slightly. "Thank you, Rimuru."

Rimuru watched them go, a thoughtful expression on his face. He couldn't shake the feeling that meeting Shizu was more than just coincidence. "Well, I guess we'll see where this goes," he thought, before heading off to check on the rest of the village.