The sniper rifle was equipped with a high-grade suppressor, but the sheer velocity of the round breaking the sound barrier and shattering the window still tripped the perimeter alarms.
On a rooftop several hundred meters away, a man in a dark suit lowered the weapon.
He stared coldly through the scope, waiting just long enough to confirm the target's head had burst like a ripe watermelon.
Once the kill was verified, his demeanor didn't shift an inch. He turned his back on the scene, ignoring the magical signatures of the bounded field's familiars activating in the distance.
With practiced efficiency, he disassembled the sniper rifle and packed it into a nondescript carrying case.
Job done.
He stepped into the shadows of the alleyway below. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, placed it between his lips, and flicked a silver lighter open.
Click. Whoosh.
He took a deep drag, the smoke curling up into the damp air.
As he turned to leave, the sound of hurried footsteps made him pause.
A young girl rushed past the entrance of the alley. She was dressed in red, her long dark hair tied into signature twin-tails that bounced against her waist as she ran.
The assassin's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her retreating figure.
"Archelot..."
He muttered the name, whether referencing the girl or the family he had just extinguished, it was unclear.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, the ember of his cigarette glowing in the gloom. Then, he dropped the cigarette, crushed it beneath his heel, and vanished into the darkness of the city.
….
In the haze of semi-consciousness, instinct took the wheel.
Rimuru's human form collapsed into a viscous blue puddle. The slime jelly quivered, acting on pure reflex as it gathered around the headless corpse on the floor.
The blue substance surged upward, turning into a swirling black mist that stitched flesh and bone back together.
Slowly, features began to emerge from the slime, a nose ridge, the curve of a cheek, the sockets of eyes. Finally, the process completed.
Rimuru opened his eyes.
He blinked his beautiful, golden pupils, raised a hand to touch his intact forehead, and slowly sat up.
"Okay," he muttered, rubbing his phantom headache. "I have to be honest... I'm still a little confused."
Who did I offend? I just got here! Is this a speedrun? Did I just get spawn-camped?
He slapped his cheeks in frustration. He was just about to lament the decline of moral standards in this new world when the sound of chaotic, heavy footsteps thundered from the hallway outside.
Hm? Is the family here? Wait, no! My memory said the whole family was wiped out! I don't have any minions!
In his fragmented memories, this version of Rimuru lived alone.
Shit! Is it the killers? Did they come back to double-tap the body just to be sure? Do you have to be that thorough?!
Panic surged. Rimuru scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the window, hoping to find a fire escape or a ledge to hide on.
He threw the curtains open, ready to jump into a medieval courtyard.
Instead, the blinding sunlight revealed something that froze him in place.
It wasn't a castle garden. It was a bustling, asphalt street.
Traffic lights flashed from red to green. A man-made fountain sprayed water in a concrete plaza. Cars honked as they drove past, and students dragging rolling suitcases laughed as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Am I... did I just get isekai'd again?"
Rimuru stepped back, bewildered. He looked around the room with fresh eyes. The "castle" chandelier was actually just a retro-style fixture.
The bed wasn't a noble's four-poster; it was a high-end Simmons mattress on a wooden frame.
So, the 'massive villa' I thought I was in... is just a luxury suite in a retro-style hotel?
Rimuru stared dead-eyed at the wall.
Okay. That explains the sniper rifle. This is a modern setting. But that just raises more questions! Did I transmigrate into the future? A parallel world? And where the hell did this 'Slime' ability template come from if this is the real world?
Before he could spiral further into his existential crisis, the hotel room door was kicked open.
Bang!
Several figures in dark suits rushed in, their faces pale with panic. When they saw Rimuru standing there, looking back at them with a confused expression, the tension visibly left their bodies.
"Lord Rimuru! Thank God," the lead man exhaled sharply. "You're unharmed."
"Unharmed?" Rimuru's mouth moved faster than his brain. "Which one of your eyes sees me as 'unharmed,' you idiot?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Rimuru froze.
Whoa. That reflex. That attitude. I'm a total troll right out of the gate?! No wonder the original owner of this body got assassinated. With a mouth like that, I'm surprised he lived this long!
"Ahem." Rimuru coughed loudly, trying to suppress the lingering instincts of the body's previous owner. He made a mental note to thoroughly comb through his memories later to figure out just what kind of person he was supposed to be.
"I mean... cough... someone just shot me in the head."
"Yes! The perimeter alarm familiars relayed the situation immediately... We are terribly sorry for letting you experience such a shock."
The leader of the group bowed low. He looked like a mob boss from a movie, yet his demeanor toward Rimuru was submissive, bordering on terrified, like a real estate agent who had just lost a billionaire client's contract.
"Haa..." Rimuru sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "If you have the energy to apologize, use it to find out who…"
"Rimuru!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of pink burst through the open door.
The figure slammed into him, tackling him into a hug.
"Are you okay?!"
"Uh... you are..."
Rimuru looked down. The girl clinging to him was sweating, her face pale with genuine terror. He panicked for a split second, he had no idea who she was.
Crap. Think fast. Don't break character.
He quickly pivoted. "You... how did you find out so fast?"
Close call. I almost broke this poor girl's heart. And she is way too cute to upset. Although... why did she look so familiar?