Reborn in Mushoku Tensei

I ran, pushing forward with everything I had. My legs ached, but I didn't stop. I needed to get as far away as possible. My breath came out uneven, but I kept moving.

I glanced back, scanning the streets. Nothing. I couldn't sense anyone following me.

The streets around me grew darker, quieter. This part of the city wasn't well-traveled, a place where few people ever passed through.

Sylphie gripped my sleeve tightly. Her voice was unsteady. "Rudeus… who was that woman? Her presence was really scary."

"The Water God." The words left my mouth, but my throat felt dry.

I had always thought about what it would be like to train under her, but looking back, that was a mistake. Of course she would know about me. Hitogami must have told her. This was the worst mistake I had made so far.

Sylphie's grip tightened. "You can't go back there to train with her. What if she kills you?" Her voice was losing its usual energy. I turned to her and saw the worry in her expression.

"I don't think we have a choice," I said. "Even if we don't go back, she'll find us eventually. If she wanted to kill us, she would've done it already." This was turning into something worse than I had expected. Until now, I hadn't even considered her as a real factor.

She wasn't that important in the story. She died fast. I had never given her much thought. But if she knew about my plans to kill Darius, then everything was about to get a lot harder.

Sylphie lowered her head. "Rudy… can we go back to Eris and Ghislaine? I don't think I can keep going today."

She looked ashamed, but I couldn't blame her.

"You have a point," I admitted. "But I can't just back down because of a scare. It's still early."

Sylphie hesitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Rudy… um… I need to wash my shorts."

I glanced down. She was rubbing her legs, her face red with embarrassment.

"…Did you—"

Before I could finish, she waved her arms frantically. "Don't say it out loud! It's embarrassing." She twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, looking away.

I sighed. "Alright. We'll find Eris and Ghislaine."

I activated my demon eye, searching for their mana traces. Then I realized something. I was in the largest city in the region, trying to find two specific people.

"Oh no…" I groaned.

Sylphie patted my head. "It's okay, Rudy. We'll find them another way." She had clearly noticed my frustration. It wasn't hard to figure out why. How was I supposed to find two specific mana signatures in a city this big?

She gave me a knowing look. "You probably should've thought this through before coming here."

I winced. That hit harder than it should have.

We started walking, my shoulders slouched as I muttered complaints under my breath. We headed toward the noble district, the most likely place Eris's family would own a house.

As we walked, I caught sight of a girl about my age with long golden hair. Her clothes were those of a noble. She wasn't alone.

She was surrounded by guards, or at least, what was left of them. Their bodies lay on the ground, dead.

She had only one person left protecting her a young man, standing between her and the attacker. He was injured, barely holding on. His movements were sluggish, and he looked like he could collapse at any time.

The attacker moved with precision, their face concealed beneath dark clothing. Broad daylight should have made an ambush like this risky, yet the streets were strangely empty. No witnesses? This wasn't random.

Sylphie wasted no time, launching an ice shard straight at them. It shot forward at high speed, but the attacker noticed and dodged effortlessly, twisting away from the incoming projectile. Their reflexes were sharp.

I glanced at Sylphie. "Are we really doing this?"

Her face was set with determination. "Yes, Rudeus. We need to help those people."

Of course. I should've known she'd say that.

I drew my sword and sprinted forward. Sylphie followed a few steps behind, casting more ice shards. The attacker danced between them, shattering some mid-air with their blade. They were good.

Using earth magic, I propelled myself at them aiming for a upward strike. The attacker raised their weapon and parried, the force of the impact reverberating through my arms. I pushed forward, increasing my speed with every slash, but each one was deflected.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sylphie summon a fireball. The moment I disengaged, she launched it. It was massive twice my size and burning bright orange. The attacker's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking their composed stance.

I landed near the two people we were protecting a boy and a girl. The boy's mouth hung open, his eyes darting between me and Sylphie. He recovered quickly, straightening his posture.

"I am Luke Notos Greyrat," he said. "And this is Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura."

The princess gave a small nod.

I froze. Luke? Ariel? This wasn't supposed to happen. Had I disrupted the timeline? Was this a butterfly effect? What started as a simple side mission had just turned into an unskipable main mission.

I quickly bowed. "An honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty."

Ariel giggled. "No need for such formalities. Though, shouldn't you be paying attention to the fight?"

Her words snapped me back to reality. I turned just in time to see the attacker lunging at Sylphie, blade poised to strike.

Damn it.

I dashed forward, casting a massive water ball four times my size and hurled it at them. The sphere engulfed their body, trapping them within it. Without hesitation, I froze it solid, encasing them in thick ice.

I hurried over to Sylphie. She had sweat on her forehead, but otherwise fine.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine, Rudy. I only cast a few spells while you were talking to keep them busy."

Together, we turned to Luke and Ariel. Their expressions were filled with disbelief.

"I'm surprised," Ariel mused. "Two silent casters at such a young age… impressive."

Sylphie's face turned pink under the praise. Ariel stepped closer, a glint of interest in her eyes.

"You're so young, powerful, and beautiful. Join me," she said smoothly.

Sylphie's face went completely red.

I frowned. Really? They hadn't even known each other for more than thirty seconds, and Ariel was already working her charm. Maybe they really were destined for each other.

"U-um…" Sylphie hesitated. "I'm sorry, but I'm on an important mission right now. I can't accept your offer." Her voice grew softer, almost shy.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "Sorry, but she's off the market. We're looking for our friends."

Ariel hummed in thought before turning her attention to me. "Then why not both of you? You're strong handsome, good with a sword, and can silent cast. You'd make excellent guards."

Her gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I felt myself freeze. Her presence was overwhelming, her beauty almost hypnotic. It was hard to look away.

A sharp glint caught my attention. Instinct kicked in. I spun around, raising my arm just in time to deflect a thrown dagger. The assassin had broken free.

I clenched my jaw. I don't recognize this person, but their skill level… Their movements, the way they handled their blade it reminded me of the North God style. Advanced level, at least. I couldn't afford to hold back.

"Sylphie, make me an opening," I ordered.

"No, Rudeus," she said firmly, stepping forward. "I got this."

Mana surged around her. A fireball formed in her palm, growing larger by the second. Its color shifted red, then orange, then yellow, then white. My breath caught in my throat.

This is the same spell that hit Orsted's Dragon Gate.

"Sylphie, stop!" I shouted. "That'll level the whole block!"

"Rudeus, get them out of here. I'll handle the rest," she said, her expression serious.

"But you might—"

"Trust me."

I hesitated. My gut twisted with uncertainty, but there was no time to argue. The assassin struggled against the ice, cracks forming around their legs. I cursed under my breath, grabbed Luke and Ariel, and ran. Luke was slowing down, his injuries catching up to him, but I forced myself to keep moving.

I kept looking back.

The assassin broke free, lunging at Sylphie with their sword raised. My body screamed at me to turn around, but I held back.

A barrier went up around Sylphie. My demon eye activated automatically, analyzing the spell. A simple beginner barrier but compacted with an immense amount of mana.

She wasn't planning to block the fireball's power. She was going to contain it.

A second later, she unleashed it.

A blinding light erupted from inside the barrier. I stopped in my tracks, shielding my eyes as the explosion roared through the streets.

The shockwave hit. Wind tore past me. Ariel and I stood frozen, staring at the barrier in disbelief.

Then, cracks formed along its surface.

It shattered.

Smoke billowed out, the force of the explosion still lingering in the air. My heart pounded as I ran back.

The first thing I saw… was a charred body.

As the smoke cleared, I scanned my surroundings frantically. My heart pounded until my eyes landed on Sylphie injured, but still standing. Relief flooded through me, and without thinking, I ran to her.

"Sylphie! Are you okay?" I asked, scooping her up effortlessly. She was surprisingly light.

She nodded weakly. "Yeah… I blocked most of the damage with a second barrier, but I didn't have enough time to reinforce it with more mana."

I could feel the tension leaving her body as she relaxed in my hold. "I've used a lot of mana. I need some time to recover."

Thinking back to the fight, I realized just how much magic she had poured into that barrier. From my perspective, it had shone like the sun, nearly blinding in its intensity. No wonder she was exhausted.

"If you need a place to recover, you can come to the royal palace. I'd be more than happy to help my saviors," a voice interrupted.

I turned to see Ariel staring directly at me, her gaze intense. I tried to look away, but she was clearly using her charm against me. If she thought that would work… well, I wouldn't complain if this played in my favor.

"If you say so," I said, shifting Sylphie slightly in my arms before hoisting Luke who had passed out onto my back. Carrying them both wasn't difficult, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either.

As we walked, Ariel stepped closer. "You never told me your name."

"Rudeus Greyrat," I replied.

Before I could react, she reached out and lightly ran her fingers along my arm. I stiffened. A shiver crawled down my spine, but not in a good way. This felt… weird.

"Hmm… I'll just call you Rudy~," she said with a giggle, drawing out my name in an affectionate tone.

There was no way this girl was the same age as me and Sylphie. No way.

"So, Rudy," Ariel continued, her tone still light, but her eyes sharp, "how is it that both you and this girl can silent cast?" She glanced at Sylphie, her gaze lingering longer than necessary. If I had to guess, she was more interested in her than in me.

I hesitated for a second before answering, keeping my tone casual. "I learned to silent cast when I was around three. Then I taught Sylphie. Later, our teacher helped us refine it, and we both reached Saint-tier."

Ariel's body tensed ever so slightly, but her expression remained neutral. She was good at hiding her emotions, but I could tell she was intrigued.

"That's quite the claim," she said, a small smile playing at her lips. "But after what I saw today, I find it hard to doubt."

The rest of the walk was mostly silent, though I noticed Ariel sneaking glances at us every so often. She was probably already thinking of ways to recruit us.

At this point in the story, she wasn't supposed to be aiming for the throne yet. So why was she so interested in us?

By the time we reached her residence, guards immediately swarmed us, weapons at the ready.

"Stand down. He and the girl are with me," Ariel ordered.

The guards hesitated for only a moment before stepping back to their posts. Without missing a beat, Ariel led the way inside.

The palace was… extravagant, to say the least. Expensive paintings lined the walls, maids bustled about cleaning and serving food, and everything gleamed with wealth and luxury.

"Have you never been in a noble's home before?" Ariel asked, glancing over her shoulder at me.

"I have," I said, still taking in the surroundings. "But this is… a bit much."

She chuckled. "Most newcomers say that. Glad you like it."

She continued leading me through the halls until we arrived at what must have been her quarters. I set Sylphie and Luke down gently, my eyes lingering on them for a moment.

"I know a bit of healing magic," I said, mostly to myself.

I placed a hand on Luke first, focusing my mana. I could feel his injuries mending, but only slightly it was basic healing at best.

"He'll still have some wounds," I told Ariel, pulling my hand back. "But they should be fully healed in about three days. Just make sure he doesn't do anything reckless until then."

Ariel watched with interest, looking satisfied with my work.

"So, Rudy," she said, sitting down on the bed and crossing her legs. "Have you given any more thought to my offer? I could aid you in whatever mission you have going on."

I hesitated. Actually… this could be useful.

"I can't accept joining you," I admitted. "But I'd be willing to form an alliance." I paused, then decided to take a gamble. "I'm a Miko. I can see the future."

Ariel's eyes narrowed as she studied me. She was searching for any sign of deception, but I kept my expression as neutral as possible.

"That's a bold claim," she said. "Can you prove it?"

I exhaled slowly. "Alright. In a few years, the world will be hit by a massive mana disaster. Your father will fall ill, and you will… actually, never mind."

Her face didn't change, but I could tell she was listening closely.

"A 'mana disaster'?" she repeated. "That sounds far-fetched. Give me details."

I nodded. "Most of the Fittoa region will be destroyed in a mass teleportation event. One of your mage guards Derrick will die. That's when Sylphie will fall from the sky and save your life. Her hair will turn silver from mana exhaustion."

Ariel's expression remained unreadable. "And how do I know you're not lying?"

I met her gaze steadily. "How would I know who Derrick is?"

"It's not exactly a secret," she countered.

I smirked. "I also know that you're… quite extraordinary. And that you have a particular taste for pleasures."

Ariel's composure finally cracked for just a second. A light blush dusted her cheeks. Even at this age, she'd already developed certain interests.

She quickly regained her composure. "Fine. I don't fully believe you," she admitted, "but I'm intrigued. I'll agree to an alliance. What do you want in return?"

I took a deep breath. "I need help killing the Prime Minister."

Silence filled the room. Ariel didn't react right away, her mask firmly in place. But then, slowly, a smile spread across her lips one that sent a chill down my spine.

"Killing the Prime Minister?" she echoed, tilting her head slightly. "And what reason do you have for that?"

"In the future, he betrays you. He sides with your brother. But that's not the worst of it." I leaned in slightly. "He kidnaps young girls. Keeps them locked away in his basement. Uses them as… playthings."

Ariel's expression barely changed. Not shock, not disbelief. Just quiet, cold calculation.

Of course, she already knew. Most of the upper class did. But no one ever spoke about it.

For the first time since I met her, I saw something flicker in Ariel's eyes.

Something dangerous.

"You Rudeus Greyrat have a deal."

A/N: idk if I ever had rudeus have intermediate healing magic or not It's been so long I forgot but he can silent cast basic healing magic my bad if this is a retcon