- Shari -

 

You know, it’s incredibly rare that I think like this, but being a slime sometimes has its advantages.
At least, I need to admit that if I still had a human brain and a human stomach, whose alternatives might be the core features of a slime, then I would be right now puking out its entire contents.
The instinctual ability of a slime to mentally handle the most ridiculous shapes, as well as the faster processing that enables me to control kinds of movements a human can't even fathom, are all that’s allowing me to keep it together while having to manage the sensation of being at two places at the same time.
I mean, watching myself look at myself ought to be extremely disorienting.
Not to speak of controlling the slime in this way.
Even for my usual stuff, this is kinda weird.
All the signals I'm sending go through one thin strand.
But it works.
I can move this second body like my own.
Well, it is my own.
Kinda.
It’s confusing!

Anyways, this act serves its intended purpose as I'm effectively blocking the only exit.
It’s currently coming in handy that the windows were barred due to their bad condition.
So the only way out is through me.
The giant slime.
And I have a certain advantage.

 

"Aaaahhh!" (thug)

"What is that thing?!" (Visk)

"A monster!" (thug)

"Tha-that's a slime!" (thug)

"Kill it! Kill it!" (thug)

 

Now they panic, which is good if I want to deal with them.
A series of bolts is released at my new body.
Naturally without effect, as they are just stirring the slime.
Which isn't helping those bandits to calm down.

 

"It's not working!" (Visk)

"It's a slime! Aim for the core!" (Calios)

"There is no core!" (thug)

"That's impossible! There has to be! Kill it!" (Calios)

 

I start feeling a little bad about this fight.
After all, it's kinda unfair if one party is totally invincible, as they can't get hurt in any way, and well... the other not.

 

"Fuck this shit! I'm out of here!" (Visk)

 

I shouldn't be surprised that this guy is the first to lose his nerves.
Yet it might be considered smart that he opts for escape instead of a fight he can't win.
However, now I have to stop him.
It's at this point that a certain fault in my plan shows itself.
Which is that my second body has no weapons.
As it is, I have to resort to a measure I would rather avoid.
So I extend my arm and grab his face, pushing him down.

 

"Zsch"

 

Well, and sadly, this.
I tried to convince myself otherwise, but I already used dissolving bullets and dissolved corpses.
In the end, it's just an excuse to tell myself using it directly would be different.
It doesn't matter if I dissolve in this way or use the effect to fight.
Liqu was right in this regard, that I only limit myself if I abstain from fighting with the natural abilities of a slime.
It just doesn't make sense.
Though, I'd be lying if I said it doesn't help that I only use my hands, so I can see this more as a technique to kill my foes and not a means to get my food.
Which still is the case, as I'm just all too aware.

In any case, it only takes half a second before I'm done with him.
At least, indicated by the brain matter I get in my system.
When I remove my hand the result isn't pretty.
But it serves a purpose.

 

"It killed him!" (thug)

"Don't let it touch you!" (Calios)

 

This makes it easier to keep them at bay.

 

"We need to get out of here!" (thug)

 

However, the fear I induced makes some of them more prone to try to get out of here.
Now two of them attempt to.
I guess they both hope I'll be too occupied with the other one to deal with them.
Yet there's a solution.

I let my slicing dagger slide into my main body's gloved hand and throw it at the other me.
Through the glove, I lack the necessary feeling, so my move is more than crude, but it doesn't have to be a great throwing form to work.
The blade flies straight across the room, grazes one of the bandits in the arm, and plunges into my other body's waist.
What for any normal living being would be a serious injury, is in my case just fine.
I propel the weapon through my torso, into my arm, and slice the throat of the man to my left when he tries to get past.
At the same time, I hold the one to my right at bay, by simply waving with my hand in front of him.
After this, I can successfully intimidate the remaining ones by waving my hands around and striking in erratic patterns with the blade.
Thus, I slowly regain control of this situation.

Meanwhile, my original body just rests her arms on the counter.
Unfortunately, the gang leader notices.

 

"The shopkeeper! She's controlling that thing! Kill her!" (Calios)

 

Oh damn.
Seems like the attention now shifts to my person.
The guy who made the call seems to be the kind who takes matters into his own hands.
Just to be safe, I position my core below the floor, out of his reach.
While I'm sure that I would win this brawl, my clothes won't do well, fighting all of those thugs.
So I guess now it's time to call for assistance.

 

"Liqu! Finish them off, please!" (Shari)

"And I was worrying you wouldn't ask! Yes, yes, I'm coming!!" (Liqu)

 

Promptly, a giant green wave rushes down the stairway, into the hall.
The first victims are the two unfortunate souls who apparently thought they could escape via the stairs to the second floor.
Yet this only made for a difference of a few seconds.
Even the guy who was trying to kill me seems to be distracted by the sudden change in the situation.
I decide to make use of this chance, slip out of my gloves, extend my appendages toward him, and glue them as good as possible to him.
With this kind of leverage, it's a simple matter to yank him over the counter.

Naturally, he panics the moment he realizes that a slime has him pinned to the ground and franticly swings his arms and legs at me.
Considering the carnage my other body sees Liqu currently committing, this whole ordeal won't last much longer.
Nonetheless, I want to get him under control.
So I grab his throat and shout at him.

 

"I would stop moving if you fancy your throat. Just one thought of mine and it's gone." (Shari)

 

Hey, that works!
And not a moment too late, as Liqu just now finished her gruesome deed.
I stand back up, to show her that I'm fine.
But now she looks weirdly back and forth between me and my second body.

 

"Yes, Liqu? What is it?" (Shari)

"Wha-; N-nothing! Nothing at all!" (Liqu)

 

Liqu is not a liar.
Slimes barely have a sense for this concept at all.
Liqu in particular tries so hard that one can all too clearly see through the act.
The way she actively avoids my gaze, stutters, and looks for any kind of help in the room.
Hm, should I compliment her character development for trying something new, or call her out because she's so bad at it.
On the other side, I just killed a bunch of people, so I can’t really claim to have the morale high ground here.

 

"Liqu, I can see something is on your mind. What is it?" (Shari)

 

I have to extend the connection strand a bit to move to Liqu.
But to my surprise, she backs away the moment she notices my approach.

 

"N-no linking, please. I, I don't want this right now!" (Liqu)

 

Liqu, doesn't, want to, link...
Okay, now I am concerned.

 

"Liqu, you're making me nervous saying stuff like that. What is on your mind?" (Shari)

 

Meanwhile, the guy I pinned down before tries to escape.
A quick reaffirmation of my grasp is all it takes to stop this.

 

"Nothing! I definitely didn't think about anything problematic." (Liqu)

 

Oh my god, if Liqu already uses the word "problematic" then it's obvious how bad it is.

 

"What are you hiding!?" (Shari)

 

I ask with my second body from behind her, hoping that this might catch her off guard.
And yes, it does.
A bit too much, as she shrinks back and directly collides with my main body.

 

• "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?!" (Shari)

 

The contact is only shallow, but for a short moment, I receive a very clear picture.
While shouting in my mind, I recollect things from my childhood.
How adventurers at the tavern told us stories of faraway places, distant lands, and great wonders.
There was one about a country far in the south.
The, decisively male, adventurers told us that the ruler there has a palace, where they're keeping many women to comfort and please them if they ask them to.

And this is exactly what I see here.
With the sole difference being that the one in the center who's getting comforted is a certain green slime, while a dozen of a certain blue slime are the ones comforting her.
They cuddle, massage, stroke, and press themselves in various ways against her, while she has a goofy satisfied expression on her face that threatens to melt from all the joy.
So this is what is currently going on inside Liqu's core.

Mhm.

This slime wants a Shari-harem!!!

And I could even provide that!
At the moment, I could maintain up to three forms, if I decrease the distance a bit.
Also, I'm constantly improving.
Therefore, it doesn't even seem too farfetched that I might eventually be able to create around a dozen...

WHY AM I THINKING THAT?!!

The two of us can't separate quickly enough.
Liqu because of embarrassment and I because I'm grossed out.
Now that "shy maiden" holds her hands in front of her face as if she wouldn't be able to face me now.

 

"Hey, I don't intend to get in the way of your little banter, but we should concentrate on dealing with the situation, right?" (Michael)

 

You have no idea how welcome this distraction is to me!

 

"Sure... What do you want to do?" (Shari)

"That guy you have there, would you bring him to the backroom?  I'd like to interrogate him. I hope that's fine. While I don't intend to question your abilities, I probably have more experience in that field than you." (Michael)

 

Well, it's not like I'm hesitant to part with this duty.

 

"Wh-what about us?" (Nia)

 

Shit!
We brought the kiddos up to the second floor, so they would be safe.
But as children are, they just had to look from above.
And given how pale they are now, the sight was certainly not child-friendly.

 

"You two! Back to your room! This isn't for you!" (Shari)

 

Well, that worked.
I suppose such orders are better reciprocated if they come from the murder slime that just eradicated a bunch of people.
Afterward, that bandit leader is quickly brought to the other room and seated, now slimed, on a chair.
Liqu and I are standing at each side, with Michael closest to him in the middle.

 

"Wha-, what are-" (Calio)

"Shhh! I'm asking the questions here. Is that fine? You don't have to say much. Only what you know about the activities of your superiors. Would that be possible?" (Michael)

 

The way Michael reassuringly smiles at him gives me the creeps.
Anyone who doesn't know his true nature might believe he truly cares.

 

"I can't! They'll kill me!" (Calios)

"My friend. It's actually very important that you answer. I wouldn't want these two to harm you. Tell me what you know and I promise that they won't kill you." (Michael)

"For real?" (Calios)

"For real. Now please." (Michael)

"Okay. Actually, I don't know all that much. Any stuff that doesn't concern our gang's activities, like what the uppers are doing, is something only the boss is aware of. They want to prevent information from leaking out." (Calios)

"Aha! Very interesting. Could you tell us more about this arrangement?" (Michael)

 

After this, he spills everything.
Every detail about the operations he's aware of.
All he can, so we won't dissolve him.
I really shouldn't underestimate our intimidation potential.

...

 

"Okay, is that all?" (Michael)

"Y-yes. For anything closer you'd have to ask the boss. You believe me, right? You won't let them kill me?!" (Calios)

"No, no, my friend. Don't worry. I believe that you just don't know more than this. Which means that we're done here." (Michael)

 

And then, with one swift movement, Michael slices his throat.

 

"I said you wouldn't kill him, yet we can't afford him spreading the word. Any problem with that?" (Michael)

 

That, that guy is savage.
Seriously, in comparison with this cold-blooded killer, Liqu is a warm-hearted saint.
Even without having one.
Though, in the end, that's his job.

 

"I don't like it, but I understand." (Shari)

 

And it's not like we can really do something about it at this point.
At least, I doubt the government will rebuke him for basically doing what they pay him for.

 

"That was quite harsh, I think." (Liqu)

"Sigh. We learned all we could from him. It seems like we don't have any other choice but to return the favor and pay his boss a visit as well." (Michael)

 

Oh my.
How will that turn out?

 

"Okay, but before we go, there's another very important thing to bring up!" (Liqu)

 

Liqu?

 

"Yes?" (Michael)

"I want us all to acknowledge how much my Shari grew! She truly used dissolving to fight! This is so great! I'm so proud of her!" (Liqu)

 

Sigh.
I get the feeling that tonight is gonna be a long night.