HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

As an adventurer, Shizu had been active for several decades, becoming a hero of the Freedom Association. Yet despite her age, she appeared as a very young woman—a phenomenon attributed to the fire elemental fused within her.

Thus, while Shizu was already immensely old...

Fusing with an elemental not only granted one the power of that elemental but also significantly extended their lifespan.

Without the Flame Elemental, Shizu's life was nearing its natural end. Though if she were to fuse again with the fire elemental, she could live on—she would lose her sense of self in the process.

This was not what she desired.

So upon waking up, Shizu began making arrangements for her final affairs with Rimuru.

"Um, listen..." Theresa interjected, unable to bear witnessing this poignant farewell between two parting souls. "If there were a way for you to continue living without losing yourself, even granting you eternal life, would you be willing?"

Rimuru stared at her in shock before quickly responding with newfound hope, "Theresa, you can save Miss Shizu?"

"That's right!" Theresa affirmed. "You know well that I am a vampire. By becoming my familiar, as long as I don't die, you'll possess practically eternal life. Even if I were to perish... your death wouldn't be instantaneous."

However, she continued cautiously, "Becoming a vampire from a human does come with trade-offs. From now on, blood will be your sole sustenance; any other food or drink would merely taste bland compared to what you're accustomed to. It's important to consider whether you're truly willing to accept these changes."

"Right, as you've seen for yourselves," Theresa began, addressing them both, "although we're vampires, I'm different from others of my kind. We can bask in sunlight without any issue and aren't afraid of holy light, silver, crosses—none of those things affect us."

Theresa stepped closer to Rimuru and Shizu, clearly outlining the benefits of becoming her retainers before gazing expectantly at them.

Rimuru's spirits instantly lifted upon hearing this. To him, nothing else mattered; if his beloved didn't have to die, that was more than enough reason to embrace this offer.

"Miss Shizu, do you..." Rimuru started, but before he could finish, she gently shook her head.

"Do you not want it? Why?" Rimuru asked, his excitement quickly turning to concern.

"Is it because you don't wish to become a monster, or perhaps due to some fear about joining my retinue? Or maybe you hate the idea of transforming into a vampire?"

"If your reluctance stems from concerns about becoming a vampire—for instance, drinking blood—I assure you there is no need to worry on that front," Theresa interjected, continuing her explanation patiently. "Vampires like myself don't require human blood specifically. The blood of magical beasts serves just fine—and even better yet, it can be condensed into blood packs. You'd only need to consume one every few days—it would be akin to enjoying a gourmet meal."

"It's none of those reasons..." Shizu replied softly. "...I simply wish for all of this to end here. This world... I despise it..."

Theresa fell silent, rendered speechless by such a response. Indeed, the pain this alternate world had inflicted far outweighed any joy it might hold for Shizu—a fact undeniable and unassailable.

Next... just as in the original story, Shizu didn't wish for her body to remain in this world after death. She allowed Rimuru to swallow her whole.

-

Thus, Rimuru could now assume human form—a shape remarkably similar to Shizu's.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Theresa said, gazing at the tearful Rimuru.

"It's alright; this was Miss Shizu's choice." Rimuru shook his head gently.

-

Over the next two days, Rimuru remained alone in his tent, wallowing in melancholy before finally beginning to recover.

In secret moments, he experimented with his new form—fluctuating between appearing as a human woman... then a man... trying to grasp this transformation within himself.

"Rimuru, look at what I've brought for you," Theresa said, entering the tent with something concealed behind her back. She gazed upon the neutral-gendered blue-haired Rimuru, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Shizu.

"What is it?"

"Clothes, of course!"

Theresa unfurled the garment—a stunningly beautiful dress—in front of him.

"Don't they look lovely? Come on, Rimuru, try them on!" Theresa stepped closer to encourage him further.

"But how can I possibly wear that?"

"Why not? Give it a go; these were specially purchased just for you."

Rimuru truly had a kind-hearted nature. Seeing Theresa's pleading gaze fixed upon him, he softened instantly and agreed without hesitation.

He swiftly changed into a Lolita-style dress.

"Oh, you look absolutely stunning!" Theresa exclaimed, her eyes sparkling at the sight of Rimuru in the outfit. "Too bad we don't have a camera to capture this moment."

In the original anime, Rimuru rarely dressed up as a girl, but in various manga illustrations and novel artwork, there were depictions of him in feminine attire—and they were indeed beautiful.

Now seeing it for herself, she realized just how exquisite he looked. His beauty was so captivating that it stirred within Theresa an irresistible urge to drink his blood—a temptation she found both thrilling and dangerous.

"Rimuru..."

"Hm?" Rimuru looked at Theresa quizzically.

"Do slimes have blood?" Theresa gazed thoughtfully at Rimuru.

"What do you mean? Of course not—how could a slime possibly have blood?"

"Just let me take a sip; I'll find out for myself."

"What?! You'd actually try to drink from a slime?"

"Heh heh, just kidding." Theresa chuckled awkwardly. Drink from a slime? Wouldn't that essentially be... slurping up jelly or something bizarre like that? Better leave it alone!

"Come on," she continued, "you've been here for two days already. Let's go outside for a bit!"

"Right, wait a moment!" Suddenly realizing what he was wearing, Rimuru protested, "I should change out of this dress first before stepping out."

"Why worry so much? It suits you perfectly—it's adorable! Just come as you are; everyone will get quite a treat seeing you in it." With that, Theresa took hold of Rimuru and headed straight out without another word.

Nightfall found Theresa seated within her tent. The goblin village had come a long way; their tents were now sturdy and spacious.

It probably won't be much longer before they start building proper houses, she mused.

Staying here was admittedly rather dull. However, for the sake of the bounty missions—especially those involving Demon Lord blood—it made sense to remain patient. She'd wait until a certain Demon Lord arrived, then make her departure.

"Why is the energy from my Blood Seal still surging with such madness..." Theresa pondered, sensing an unusual spike in power.

The mere supply provided by the Grand Duchy shouldn't have resulted in such an exponential increase. This left her both elated and apprehensive: thrilled that her strength continued to grow, yet worried about losing control over this newfound power.

-

As Theresa pondered her situation, back at New Moon Town—the place where she had been first summoned—every resident had undergone a transformation.

They were no longer human but had become Luna Kindred vampires.

The four vampires who remained in the small town initially hadn't even considered drinking blood; they continued to consume the same unpalatable food as before. However, these meals provided them with no sustenance, leaving them increasingly famished until hunger drove them to madness among their own kind.

Those infected by Theresa became half-Honkai Impact beasts. Compared to ordinary humans, their strength and physical prowess were vastly superior. The common folk stood little chance against them, and each sip of blood only made these newly transformed beings stronger still.

In mere days, like a rapidly spreading zombie virus, everyone in the town was infected. The contagion then began to reach outwards, infecting nearby villages and steadily diffusing further afield.

After all, despite the existence of powerful warriors in this world, the majority of its population consisted of ordinary people devoid of such abilities—a perfect breeding ground for any infectious outbreak.