Momoe had been caught by the Slime.

For a split second, they assumed it wouldn’t lead to catastrophe since it was just an Alter Ego, until she screamed that she couldn’t dispel it.

“Momoe, keep your head on its shoulders!”

Hushiki’s voice rang out from the sky.

That such a mystically aura-laden girl was shouting loudly made it clear that she, too, was not without her share of panic.

“I don’t get it! Why is this happening?”

The unharmed Alter Ego Momoe was in complete disarray.

“…What happens if the Alter Ego gets taken out like this?”

Fuka muttered under her breath, her voice laced with unease.

Yes, that was the most pressing question of all.

Was it just a case of the Alter Ego being defeated? They worried about Momoe undergoing a pseudo-experience of death through memory sharing, but even worse outcomes were within the realm of possibility.

Namely, the scenario where the death of the Alter Ego affects the original body.

No one knew what impact it would have if an Alter Ego that was supposed to be dismissible was forcibly kept in existence.

If so, there was only one option left to take.

Save the clone without letting it die.

"Yorina! Change the barrier's conditions! Make sure the slime can't escape this area!"

"Yes...!"

With that, there was no longer any worry about Momo's clones being taken away.

If it were a 'Resonant Acid Slime,' it might be able to break the barrier, but he could just have her redeploy it every time.

The giant slime absorbed the captured Momo—pulling her into its body.

All of Momo's remaining clones dropped to their knees, clutching at their throats as if gasping for oxygen.

—Does capturing one clone affect all the others!

Then it must mean the main body at the base was also taking damage.

"Momo!"

Inukai’s scream.

Smoke rose from Momo's skin, her flesh melting and burning away along with her clothes.

"Chiyu! Keep healing her! Use painkillers too!"

"[Intermediate Healing]! [Pain Relief]!"

The wounds healed, but Momo immediately sustained new injuries in their place.

No screams came from the captured clone, likely because it was drowning in its own mucus, but the sight of its agony was distressing.

"Yorina! Can't you generate a barrier inside the slime's body and rescue Momo?"

"...Ugh! Sorry! The internal acid will destroy the barrier instantly!"

Yorina's ability allowed her to move a barrier after deploying it.

I had hoped that would make the extraction easier, but things weren't going to be that simple.

"Inui! Have the remaining clones mount the Beast Spirits! Myself, Fukanou, and Inimori will take down the giant one! Everyone else, handle the low-level slimes!"

A chorus of acknowledgments came from the group.

"Both of you! For now, just keep shaving away at that slime from the outside!"

"Got it!"

"Consider it done!"

The shadow puppet transformed both arms into blades and leaped onto the giant slime, while Fukanou's Wind Blades sliced through the enemy's body.

I continuously stored the debris using my [Inventory].

The giant slime vibrated with agitation—and whoosh—something shot out of it.

It wasn't "something." It was acidic liquid.

"[Store]!"

As long as I could identify it and it was within range, I could store it in my [Inventory].

The enemy's counterattack fizzled out, and under the pressure of their combined assault, the foe's body gradually shrank.

I glanced around for a split second.

"Obstruction."

A whirlwind kick sent the standard individual flying, core and all.

"You'll pay the price for what you did to Momo."

The slimes under Inu-ka's control swarmed in from multiple angles, forcing them into a frenzy of cannibalism.

"I won't let any of them get near the Kunou group!"

Fenrir Illusion Partner shredded and stomped down enemies one after another. "Kunou! Please, save Momo!"

Mochiha continued to precisely shoot out the cores of the slimes, her enhanced archery striking with deadly accuracy.

"Sousuke-san! The enemy's movements are weird!"

As if in a rage, their bodies turned red, and suddenly, the movements of the surrounding grunt slimes froze dead.

A chill ran down my spine.

"—Everyone, get away from the slimes!"

Thankfully, everyone reacted to those words instantly.

Immediately after, the grunt slimes' bodies exploded outward, their mucus splattering across the ground and grass, which began to sizzle and dissolve with a hissing sound.

Living until the very moment of detonation, and given the sheer volume involved, even my storage would have struggled to mitigate the damage.

It was fortunate that everyone managed to evade in time.

"The Resonant Acid Slime," I mused. "It seems capable of turning other slimes into acid bombs."

"Though it appears they failed to detonate."

The relentless erosion from Inshin and Shinpo continued. Unable to recover the limbs lost to my storage, the giant slime shrank rapidly.

But in a sickeningly clever twist, he had arranged Momo’s body at the center, forcing them to guard her core.

—Is it about time?

"Chiyu! Give me healing and buffs!" "That... guy!?

Please!"

"I'm counting on you!"

"...Hah. 『Muscle Enhancement』! 『Pain Suppression』! 『Intermediate Cure』!"

True to our ten years as childhood friends, she swallowed her hesitation and honored my request. A faint light enveloped my body. "Sojiro-san!?" "Kudo-kun!?" "Shinpo! Finish it off!"

Leaving the startled Shinpo and Inshin behind, I sprinted forward.

The enemy had shrunk considerably, but precisely because of that, I could no longer rely on the two's attacks.

There was too much risk of injuring Momo's clones.

Given it was currently ensnaring its prey, damage inflicted by allies' attacks might well penetrate to the main body.

The enemy desperately hurls spheres of acid, but I absorb them all.

Momo, who had sunk into the enemy's body, reached out a hand as if begging for help.

I thrust my upper body into the mass and extended my arm toward her.

Instantly, her uniform and my arm began to sizzle and dissolve, but thanks to Pain Relief, the pain wasn't too intense.

"Got you, Momo!"

Once I had a firm grip on Momo's arm, I yanked with all my might.

As if pulling her up from the ocean floor, Momo's body was drawn out of the slime's flesh.

Cradling her in my arms, I immediately stepped back.

"Please!"

"Storm Blade!!"

Countless wind blades descended upon the giant slime, slicing through to its core inside and shredding it apart.

With a sound like a scream, it stopped dead for a moment before bursting into nothingness.

Corrosive Resonance Slime—defeated.

But right now, Momo was my priority over anything else. "Momo! Are you okay!"

"Cough... cough, cough..."

I dropped to my knees on the spot, bracing Momo’s upper body to prop her up. "Momo!"
"Mmm... Sōsuke-kun?"

"Oh... thank god. Are you alright?"

With a dazed gaze wandering in space, Momo gave a weak nod. "Yeah..."

"I'm sorry... for holding you back... this is just the worst"

Slowly, tears began to well up in Momo’s eyes.

"What are you saying? I’m just glad you’re safe."

Relief washing over me, a smile escaped my lips without thinking.

"...You're not mad?"

"Momo only tried her best to be useful to everyone, right? There’s no way she could have known her clones couldn’t be separated if she got captured by the enemy. I wouldn’t get angry at that."

Shifting the subject, I continued.

"Good job out there."

It must have been so hard; she really endured it well.

That was what I meant to say.

"...! ~~~~?"

Looking down, I saw Momo’s face had turned burning red.

"Are you okay?! D-Do you have any injuries? C-Chi-yu—"

"...This is bad. I don't get it. What kind of emotion is this..."

In my arms, Momo clutched her chest and mumbled something incoherent, but I knew I had to get Chigyu to see her as soon as possible.

Afterward, the women gave us a mix of exasperation and warm concern with their stares, but thankfully it seemed like no permanent harm would come to Momo.

That’s all that mattered.

"...Sorouke. You really do things like that without thinking, don't you? It's infuriating, but I can understand how Momo feels."

"Mm. Yeah. If someone is in trouble right in front of me, I jump in first and figure out the details later."

The glares from Sarena and Chigyu were painful.

I felt guilty for putting them in such a dangerous situation, but I couldn't have let any of my companions face it instead.

At least everyone was safe now.

We had managed to defeat the second unique monster.

As I mentioned in my activity report,

the second volume of the book is now on sale!

Scheduled for release on May 23rd! In addition to about 20,000 words of extra content,

The illustrations are absolutely incredible, so please check them out!

The cover art has also been released in the activity report!!!!!!

Next chapter scheduled for an update on 4/20!

A request to all readers

Having read this work, even if only slightly

If you felt that it was "fun!", if you were "curious about what happens next!", or if you found yourself thinking "write more!!!!",

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Momo was caught by the slime.

Just as I thought that the worst wouldn't happen because of her clone, she yelled that she couldn't undo the clone. "Momo, calm down!" Inuuke's voice echoed from above.

But the fact that she was shouting loudly despite her mysterious demeanor conveyed that she was also somewhat shaken.

"I don't get it! Why!?"

The unharmed clone of Momo is confused.

"...What would happen if the clone gets defeated?"

Deepo whispered to herself. She also looked worried.

That's right, that's the biggest problem.

Would it just be the clone getting defeated? While I'm worried about Momo experiencing a near-death experience through memory sharing, I can also imagine a worse scenario.

Namely, if the clone's death affects the main body.

No one knows what kind of effect it would have if the clone, which should be able to be undone, is forced to remain.

Therefore, the only option is clear.

Rescue them without letting the duplicates die.

"Seirina! Change the conditions of the barrier! Make sure the slime can't get out!" "Okay..."

Now there's no need to worry about the other Momo duplicates being taken away.

If that is the 'Resonant Acidic Slime', it should be able to break through the barrier, but I can just have it set up again each time.

The giant slime took the captured Momo inside its body.

The remaining Momo duplicates all knelt down, pressing their throats as if trying to get oxygen.

――Does the effect on the captured duplicate affect all the others as well!?

If so, the main body at the base should be taking damage too. "Momo!" Inugai's cry.

Smoke rose from Momo's skin, and her clothes and skin melted as if being burned.

"Thousand Heal! Keep healing! Pain relief too!"

"Intermediate Healing! Pain relief!"

Her wounds healed, but Momo continued to suffer new injuries as soon as they healed.

The copy that's trapped is drowning in the slime, so it's not screaming, but it looks like it's in agony.

"Seirin! Can you generate a barrier inside the slime's body and rescue Momo?!"

"...! Sorry! The acid inside the slime would destroy the barrier immediately!"

Seirin's ability allows her to move the barrier after it's generated.

I thought it would make the rescue easier if it worked, but it doesn't seem to be going that smoothly.

"Shikai! Put the remaining copies on the phantoms! I'll take down that big slime with me, Shinpo, and Yinsen! The rest of you take out the other slime!" Everyone agrees.

"Both of you! Just keep chipping away at that slime from the outside!" "Yeah!" "Leave it to me!"

The shadow puppet turned its arms into blades and leaped at the giant slime, while Shinpo's 'Wind Blades' carved into the enemy's body.

I kept putting it into my 'Inventory'.

When the giant slime shook with irritation, it fired something off.

Something? It's acidic liquid. "Store!"

If I can recognize it and it's within range, I can put it into my 'Inventory'.

As the enemy's counterattack fizzled out, their body gradually shrank due to the two's attacks. I briefly glanced around. "Out of the way."

The wind kick blew a normal individual away, nucleus and all.

"I'll make you pay for attacking Momo."

The slimes under Inugai's control attacked in groups, forcing them to cannibalize each other.

"I won't let Kono get near them!"

Fenrir Illusion cut through the enemies one after another, stomping on them. "Kono! Please, save Momo!"

Kite was accurately shooting the nuclei of the slimes with her enhanced archery skills.

"Mr. Sōsuke! The enemy's movements are strange!"

Suddenly, their bodies turned red as if they were angry, and the movements of the surrounding slime minions stopped dead in their tracks. A chill ran down my spine.

"Everyone, stay away from the slimes!"

Fortunately, everyone immediately responded to the command.

Right after, the bodies of the slime minions burst, and the ground and grass that had been drenched in their mucus melted with a squelching sound.

I probably couldn’t have prevented damage to my storage even if I’d lived until the moment of the explosion, given the sheer number of them.

It was fortunate that everyone managed to dodge in time.

So, the ‘Ko Acid Slime’ is capable of turning other slimes into acid bombs, huh? “But it didn’t go off.”

The relentless carving by Yin and Shenfa continued, and the giant slime kept shrinking, unable to recover the parts it had lost to my storage.

But in a cruel twist, it had placed Momoyo’s body in the center, as if to protect its core. ——It’s about time.

“Sen-yuu! Heal and strengthen me!” “S-Sou-kun…!?” “Please!”

“… ‘Strength Enhancement’! ‘Pain Relief’! ‘Intermediate Healing’!”

She’s my childhood friend after all. She suppressed her hesitation and listened to my plea. My body is enveloped in a faint light. “Sou-suke!?” “Sou-kun!?” “Shenfa! I’m counting on you for the finishing blow!”

Leaving behind the shocked Shenfa and Yin, I dashed forward.

The enemy’s body had shrunk considerably, but that made it impossible to rely on their attacks any longer.

There was a risk of hurting Momoyo’s clone.

And while the enemy was still holding her, my friends’ attacks might also damage the core.

The enemy desperately fires acid spheres, but I store them all.

Momoyo, whose body is submerged in the enemy's body, reaches out as if seeking help.

I thrust half my body in and reach out to her.

Instantly, my uniform and arm start melting, but thanks to the 'Pain Relief,' the pain isn't too severe. "Got you, Momoyo!"

Grabbing Momoyo's arm, I pull her with all my strength.

Her body comes out of the slime's body like she's being pulled up from the bottom of the sea.

I catch her and immediately back away. "Please!" "Arajin!"

Countless blades of wind attack the giant slime, reaching its core and cutting it to pieces.

It lets out a scream-like sound, stops for a moment, and then explodes and vanishes.

'Resonant Acid Slime'—defeated.

But now, Momoyo is the priority. "Momoyo! Are you okay?"

"Hok... keho, keho..."

I kneeled down where I was and assumed a position to help Momoe get up. "Momoe!" "……Sousuke-kun?"

"Oh, oh, I'm glad. Are you okay?"

Momoe nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah…"

"I'm sorry… I held you back… This is terrible."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"What are you talking about? I'm just glad you're safe."

I relaxed, and a smile slipped out. "…You're not mad?"

"You tried your best to help us. There was no way you could have known that your clones would be unable to disperse when captured. I'm not mad." I continued. "You did well."

I meant it in the sense that she had endured a lot, but… "――――h. ~~~~~~h?"

Looking down, I saw Momoe's face was burning red.

"Are you okay!? Did you get hurt somewhere!? Chi-iyuu!"

"………This is bad. I don't get it. What emotion…?"

Momo is saying something while holding her chest in my arms, but I need to get her seen by Senyu as soon as possible.

Afterward, I received a mix of bewildered and warm gazes from the girls, but apparently Momo won't have any lasting injuries. That's a relief.

"...Sousuke. I know you can do something like that without batting an eye. It's annoying, but I understand how Momo feels."

"Mm. Soku is the type to jump in when someone in front of him is in trouble."

The gazes from Seirin and Senyu are painful.

While I do feel bad for putting myself in danger, I couldn't let anyone else in my group take the risk. At any rate, everyone's safe.

We had successfully defeated the second unique monster. As I mentioned in my activity report, the second volume of the book is coming out!

Scheduled for release on May 23rd! There's about 20,000 words added,

and the illustrations are absolutely amazing, so please check it out!

The cover is also available in the activity report!!!!! The next update is scheduled for 4/20!

-------A request to all readers------- If you found this work

even a little bit interesting, and felt like "It was fun!" or "I want to know what happens next!" or "Keep writing!!!!", please add it to your bookmarks

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