chapter 6: consequences

I keep forgetting that I am not Alex anymore. I am Rimuru Tempest, a slime, a monster. I can't feel any remorse for the people I've killed because I did it for a reason — they did something worse, like Octopus.

He killed a lot of people in New York, and yet why is Spider-Man so mad, looking at me like that?

"Sorry, Peter. He had to go."

Spider-Man looked at me. "What are you talking about? Where do you get the right to kill someone? That's not what heroes do."

I looked at him with my dark red eyes, calm and collected. "Look around you, Peter. Do you see the destruction this man has caused? Don't you see? He killed over 100 people in this fight."

Spider-Man looked down. He knew I was telling the truth — that Octavius had killed a lot of people.

"I get it. I really do... but once we decide we're the judge, jury, and executioner, we are no better than the one we are fighting."

I looked at Spider-Man. Was he right? Was I any different from them?

My mind went to the purifier I killed. "No. I am not like him. I will never be like him," I thought.

I floated up, meeting Spider-Man's gaze steadily.

"You may be right, Peter. Killing Octopus... maybe it would make me no different from him. Even so..."

My voice hardened, my eyes dark with memory.

"Those hundred people he slaughtered — they won't come back just because we showed him mercy."

I drew my katana in a sharp, clean motion, pointing it downward in a silent challenge.

"How many times have you fought him, Peter? How many times have you thrown him into a cell, just for him to break free and kill again?"

"Each time you spared him, more innocent lives were lost. You carry that weight whether you admit it or not."

My aura flared, calm but undeniably inhuman.

"I am Rimuru Tempest, a Demon Lord. In my eyes, when someone willingly takes a life, they forfeit the right to call themselves human."

"What I killed... wasn't human anymore."

Spider-Man stood there, fists tightening at his sides. He looked up at me, his voice low but clear.

"Maybe you're right about Octavius. Maybe he stopped being human the day he chose to kill."

"But if we say it's okay to kill because it's easier... or because it's justified... where does it stop?"

He took a shaky breath, the weight of memories — Gwen, Uncle Ben — pressing on his shoulders.

"You're right — I couldn't save everyone. I never could. And yeah... sometimes, when I see another news report, when I hear about another family destroyed because of someone I spared... I hate myself for it."

Spider-Man's voice cracked slightly, but he stepped closer, daring to meet my inhuman eyes with the full force of his own humanity.

"But even after everything... I won't cross that line."

"Because once I do, I lose the part of me that wants to protect people. I stop being Spider-Man... and start being something worse."

He lowered his voice to a whisper:

"Maybe you are a Demon Lord. But me? I'm just a guy who can't give up on people... even the broken ones."

He looked away, his shoulders heavy.

"If that makes me weak... fine. I'd rather be weak and still human."

My gaze sharpened, and my voice grew colder, distant, almost pitying as I looked down at Spider-Man.

"Human, you say?"

I chuckled bitterly, my voice like ice.

"The thing is, Peter, I'm not even human. I'm slime... who became a Demon Lord."

I paused for a moment, letting the weight of my words settle, my katana held loosely at my side.

"I've seen too much, fought too many, to pretend there's still room for mercy in this world. I'll keep killing the ones who deserve it — the ones who, like Octavius, have crossed the line and will never stop."

My eyes flickered with a quiet sadness, but my resolve remained unshaken.

"It's a shame our team ends like this, Peter. I respected you... once. But you can't change what I've become, and I can't undo what you've chosen."

With a final, almost regretful glance, I turned back, the energy around me shifting as if preparing to leave.

"Goodbye, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man shot a web at me, capturing me. I didn't move at all, just looked at him with my dark red eyes, my gaze cold and emotionless.

"I will stop you," Spider-Man said. "I won't give up on you. There is still a chance to change."

I looked down at him. "Trust me, you'll give up soon enough." I broke the web with ease.

Boom!

Missiles hit me, causing a big explosion. I didn't move, still standing where I was, not even a scratch, just dirt on me. Using Universal Sense, I could sense that the missiles came from S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers landed next to Spider-Man.

Iron Man: "You alright, kid?" He opened his mask.

Spider-Man: "I'm fine." He looked at the rest of the Avengers, who included Scarlet Witch, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, and Black Widow.

The dust settled, and they saw me just standing there calmly.

Iron Man: "The missiles didn't even scratch him."

Wanda spoke: "Be careful. He's strong. Very strong."

Captain America stepped forward: "Kid, come with us. We don't want to hurt you. We're just going to talk."

I looked down at him. "You shot missiles at me, and you say you're not going to hurt me?" I chuckled darkly and flared my Demon Lord haki.

Most of them fell down immediately — people like Hawkeye, Captain America, Iron Man's suit shut down, Black Widow was knocked out, and Peter was on his knees.

Wanda looked at me, her eyes widening in surprise and a bit of curiosity. She cast a spell that protected the ones who were falling down. "Your magic... it's strong."

Thor threw his hammer. I looked at it calmly, using Uriel Barrier and Law Manipulation. "No weapons will pass my barrier."

When Thor's hammer hit, it didn't even make a dent.

Wanda: "No more laws." Her chaos magic bent reality, and Thor's hammer, when thrown, hit me, sending me flying through buildings.

Raphael: "Notice your chance of beating Wanda is low. You still don't know your own skills."

Captain America finally got up, and Tony opened his suit, walking out of it.

Captain America: "He's dangerous. You two go catch him."

Thor was about to go, but Wanda stopped him by holding his shoulder. "Let me."

Thor nodded and watched as Wanda flew to where I landed. She saw that I was already up, looking at her with my dark red eyes.

She landed, her red aura surrounding her. "You're powerful. What's your name?"

I looked at her. "Rimuru Tempest." I pulled my katana out.

She looked at it simply. "I can sense your trauma. Let us help if you come with us."

I looked at her for a second but shook my head and flared my mana, causing the ground to break. I rushed at her and slashed at her, but my sword disappeared as she held me with her chaos magic tightly.

She looked up at me, her eyes glowing, and knocked me out immediately.

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