Yuki stirred, her eyes fluttering open to find Nekra laying beside her on the bed the cat girl was pale. Extreemly so, as in all blood was gone from her body… Blood. 

 

Yuki shuffles as she sits up in the bed. "Hey, Nekra. Have you been drinking enough blood?" Yuki asked, her voice tinged with concern.

 

"Of course, nya," Nekra replied, her response a little too swift. Trying to cover herself with the blanket.

 

"When was the last time you had blood?" Yuki pressed.

 

"Uh, well, that's a fair question, nya," Nekra admitted, her unease evident by her stilling and throwing the blanket off. 

 

“Do you need blood?” Yuki asks

 

“It certinaly wouldn’t hurt.” Nekra states her tired eyes looking at her fox of a partner. 

 

"Then go ahead," Yuki offered, tilting her head to expose her neck.

 

Nekra's eyes widened at the sight, a small droplet of drool escaping her lips. "Are you sure, nya?"

 

"Absolutely, go ahead," Yuki affirmed, granting her consent.

 

Without further hesitation, Nekra lunged, sinking her fangs into Yuki's neck to quench her thirst.

 

‘She must have been really thirsty,’ Yuki mused as darkness enveloped her.

 

========================================================

 

Yuki woke up to find Nekra pacing restlessly around the room.

 

"Nekra?" Yuki called out, her voice still tinged with sleep.

 

"Yes, Yuki dear?" Nekra responded, her tone playful yet slightly anxious.

 

"Is everything alright? You seem agitated," Yuki observed.

 

"I'm fine, really. But I must admit, it's hard to focus when I'm neglecting my needs. I didn't even realize I was starving myself," Nekra confessed, standing at attention and explaining her predicament.

 

Concern clouded Yuki's eyes as she sat up. "Starving? Nekra, you should have told me earlier. I don't want you going hungry because of me."

 

Nekra waved her hand dismissively, attempting to downplay the situation. "It's not your fault, Yuki. I should have been more attentive to my own needs. After all, I've managed to survive 300 years while starving. But my absent-mindedness is a cause for concern. The signs were there, and I did nothing to prepare!"

 

"You'll be fine. After all, you're practically invincible," Yuki reassured her with a smile.

 

"Why does that sound like a reference?" Nekra asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"I have no idea. So, what's your plan?" Yuki inquired.

 

"I need to disappear for a bit to handle a looming threat. I need you to cover for me," Nekra explained.

 

"How long will you be gone?" Yuki asked, her voice tinged with worry.

 

"It'll take about a week, but it's necessary. If I don't deal with it, the angels will pose a real threat to us," Nekra said gravely.

=============================================

Meanwhile, Safi was accompanying the slime on a side quest to get registered at the guild. 

 

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Rimuru asks.

 

"Somewhat," Safi replies, was this a dumb prank yes. Was it funny? Kinda?

 

"Cool..." Rimuru says, wondering if he should consult Great Sage.

 

Meanwhile, Safi was leading the two of them in ciricles.

 

"Are you absolutely sure you know where we're going?" Rimuru asks.

 

"Absolutely," Safi assures.

 

"So, you're just messing with me," Rimuru mutters.

 

"Huh?" Safi says.

 

"We've passed that tree 23 times," Rimuru states flatly pointing at stump.

 

Safi flinches. "So, you found out, huh?"

 

"You have no idea where we're going, do you?" Rimuru asks.

 

The dragon girl smiles in resoponse.

 

"... Were you really pranking me? We have better things to do Safi." Rimuru asks.

 

"Momma Nekra told me never to answer that question," Safi replies.

 

"Uh-huh," Rimuru says.

 

"Well, I guess I could lead the way," Rimuru offers.

 

"Okay," Safi says.

"Alright, let's go," Rimuru says, lifting Safi onto his shoulders.

 

================

 

A few hours later, they emerge from the forest and see the town in the distance.

 

"See, it wasn't too bad, right?" Rimuru asks Safi, who nods.

 

"So, are you going to change to your teenage form?" Rimuru asks, setting Safi down.

 

"Right!" Safi says, growing to about Rimuru's height.

 

"Let's go then; I need to register at the guild," Rimuru says.

 

Safi nods as they walk. "I should probably get mine renewed," Safi adds pulling out an old card.

 

==================

 

"Hello!" Safi greets upon entering the guild and spotting a familiar elf.

 

"Safi?" the elf asks, confused.

 

"Yep, here to renew my card and register my friend," Safi says.

 

"You haven't aged in 50 years… you know what, not my job, sure." the elf remarks, holding out her hand.

 

The small dragon in her arm’s moves as Safi appears to be digging in it like it is a bag of holding. 

 

"So, that’s why you always carried that dragon around." the elf mutters.

 

"It's just a magic item that holds stuff," Safi explains, knowing that anyone trying to steal her main body will be in for a surprise.

 

"It's surprisingly empty here," Rimuru notes.

 

"Yeah, ever since the labyrinth disappeared, people have been leaving the area. The only other place to make money is the Jura forest, but with the rumors, it's hard for new adventurers," the elf explains.

 

Safi nods as she receives her renewed adventure card.

 

"So, to rank up to A or above like Safi, you'll need to go to the Freedom Association and the guild headquarters," the elf informs Rimuru.

 

"Sounds good," Rimuru says.

 

"Our summoner hasn't been active for a while, and Fuze is in town due to the proximity to the Jura forest," the elf adds.

 

"So, where do I go?" Rimuru asks.

 

"Just follow me to the testing area. We used to have a rock to measure your power, but it was replaced by a summoner 50 years ago because we couldn't make them anymore. Jordan! Go get the summoner for today!” The elf shouts motioning for the two to follow her.