Chapter 2: The Slime Sovereign's Revelation
Dawn's first pale rays filtered through the crystalline walls of the Prism Chamber, scattering rainbows across the smooth floor. Davi stood before the Shinsu Prism, fingers brushing its surface as data-threads of the previous day's battle scrolled through his mind. Beside him, the great form of Rimaru—once mistaken for a dragon—stirred and shimmered.
Rimaru's "wings" and "scales" had been illusions, crafted from concentrated Shinsu to inspire awe. Now, as the light touched him, they dissolved like mist, revealing his true shape: a sinuous, translucent slime nearly two meters tall, shifting hues of sapphire and gold. His amorphous body pulsed with gentle ripples, eyes of liquid crystal focusing on Davi.
"You were surprised," Rimaru's voice gurgled like water over stones, yet carried the weight of ancient knowledge.
Davi smiled, one horn and one halo flickering in tandem. "A dragon makes a grand figure—fit for a sovereign's envoy. But a slime… few would expect the intelligence and power you hold." He gestured to the Prism. "Your illusions were perfect. And your true form… equally inspiring."
Rimaru's slime-shape rippled with amusement. "Then let us proceed without disguise."
Morning Council in the Prism Chamber
The Grand Council reconvened around the floating Prism. Representatives from every domain took their seats—Luffy and Zoro for the Western Coast, Vegeta and Goku for the Martial Plateau, Ichigo and Rukia for the Spirit Frontier, Naruto and Sakura for the Heartlands, Natsu and Erza for the Arcane Hills, and more. Bulma, adjusting her Shinsu‑tech goggles, and Robin, petals of shadow at her fingertips, joined Davi and Rimaru at the head.
Davi addressed the assembly: "Last night's threat was but a prelude. Our borders are tested; our unity must strengthen. Today, we reveal Rimaru's true nature as our Sovereign of Shinsu Adaptation. His slime-body can interface with every conduit, sense corruption at its source, and reforge Shinsu flows. He will lead our scouting and purification efforts."
A murmur of approval rippled through the hall. Vegeta nodded curtly. "A tactical asset." Goku grinned. "Sounds like fun!" Nami's eyes sparkled at the prospect of new mapping data; Piccolo folded his arms, intrigued by Rimaru's adaptive Shinsu resonance.
Rimaru's form condensed into a smooth oval, then elongated into a slender pillar, projecting a holographic network of Shinsu veins beneath Shinsuhearth. "See here," he gurgled, "the corruption we cleansed last eve was a node of a wider network. Dark Shinsu flows pulse through the Northern Forest and into the Spirit Frontier. I can trace its origin if I divide my essence."
Davi tapped the Prism's interface:
SYSTEM: "Authorize: Slime Division."
With a quivering surge, Rimaru split into a hundred miniature slimes, each the size of a basketball. They oozed along the floor, merging seamlessly with the conduits beneath the chamber, their sapphire-gold hues flickering as they mapped every vein of Shinsu.
Scouting the Corrupted Wilds
Moments later, the strike teams assembled at the edge of the Northern Forest. Goku and Vegeta floated in combat stances; Luffy bounced on his heels; Ichigo's blade gleamed; Naruto's cloak of chakra flared; Natsu's dragonfire crackled; Erza's armor shimmered; Chopper's antlers glowed; Usopp's slingshot hummed. And at their feet, hundreds of Rimaru's slimes slithered into the undergrowth.
Rimaru's voice echoed in their minds:
> "I sense the corruption's heart five kilometers north. It emanates a malevolent intelligence. Proceed with caution."
They advanced through ancient trees whose Shinsu-veins, once crystalline, now writhed like black serpents. Roots pulsed with dark energy; mushrooms exuded poisonous spores. Wherever Rimaru's slimes passed, they left behind faint trails of purification—Shinsu infused with healing resonance.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. A colossal golem of corrupted Shinsu—twice the height of a titan—erupted from the earth. Its rocky hide dripped with ichor; glowing fissures carved runes of ruin. Three massive arms ended in crushing fists; its head, a jagged sphere, bore a single eye that pulsed red.
Vegeta charged, aura flaring. "Let's crush it!" Goku followed, fists blazing gold. Luffy stretched into Gear Third; Zoro's swords cleaved air; Ichigo and Naruto combined a Getsuga Tenshō–Rasengan volley; Natsu's fists ignited; Erza's blades formed a rotating storm; Sanji's Diable Jambe ignited; Chopper unleashed a full-body Moon attack; Usopp's "Courage Shot" pierced runes; Franky's "Strong Right" cannon hammered; Brook's "Soul Resurrection" froze joints.
Amid the onslaught, Rimaru's slimes surged up the golem's legs, entering cracks to dissolve dark Shinsu from within. With each purified vein, the golem's movements slowed; its eye flickered between red and violet.
Davi, hovering above, raised a hand:
SYSTEM: "Activate: Unified Overdrive."
Distribute: "Ultimate Synergy."
A shockwave of silver-and-crimson light bound every hero's power into a single lattice. At its epicenter, Rimaru's slimes converged, merging into a towering slime-spear. Davi nodded to Rimaru; the slime-spear impaled the golem's core. A brilliant burst of sapphire-and-gold flame purified the monstrosity, reducing it to harmless stone.
The forest exhaled as its veins glowed pure once more. Birds chirped; Shinsu-crystals sprouted new blossoms. The strike teams regrouped, panting but triumphant.
Research and Reinforcement
Back in Genesis Bastion, Bulma and Robin pored over data collected by Rimaru's slimes. Holographic displays showed fractal patterns of corruption—each node linked to symbols of an ancient cabal known only as the Umbral Conflux. Bulma's finger traced a rune: "This is demon-derived Shinsu alchemy, centuries old. Whoever wields it can twist life itself." Robin's shadow-petals twirled thoughtfully. "Their goal is to fracture Shinsuhearth's unity. We must seal these nodes at the source."
Davi joined them, Rimaru reformed at his side. "Prepare containment arrays. Rimaru, divide again and deploy to all known nodes. We'll need constant monitoring." Rimaru's slime-body rippled. "As you command."
Building the Nation
While the threat was contained, Shinsuhearth's citizens pressed forward with nation-building. Along the Western Coast, the Straw Hats' Harbor of Sovereigns took shape: breakwaters of Shinsu-infused coral, docks of living wood, and the first Shinsu-powered flagship, the Sea Sovereign. Nami charted trade routes; Usopp installed beacon-lighthouses; Sanji opened the "Crimson Crab" tavern; Chopper oversaw marine sanctuaries; Franky forged ship's hulls; Brook's sea shanties drifted across the water.
On the Martial Plateau, the Dragon Ball contingent constructed the Celestial Dojo: gravity-warping training pods, Shinsu-augmented sparring fields, and a grand arena where Saiyan cadets tested their mettle. Vegeta drilled soldiers in combat formations; Goku tutored novices in ki control; Chi‑Chi organized health and meal programs; Bulma's lab developed Ki‑Shinsu reactors.
In the Spirit Frontier, Ichigo and Rukia raised the Reishi Bastion: crystalline walls humming with purified Shinsu, wards to repel dark spirits, and a shrine honoring ancestors of every world. Uryū's spirit arrows patrolled the skies; Renji's twin blades carved runic glyphs; Orihime tended to injured souls with healing petals.
The Heartlands flourished under Naruto and Sakura's guidance: fertile farms irrigated by chakra‑enhanced Shinsu channels, villages built around community halls where laughter and ramen flowed freely, and a "Will of Unity" academy teaching diplomacy and defense. Sasuke's Sharingan mapped strategic choke points; Kakashi's tactics seminars prepared the populace for every contingency.
Arcane Hills saw Fairy Tail's guild halls rise: towers of floating stone, libraries of forbidden lore, and training grounds where mages tested new Shinsu spells. Natsu's "Dragon's Roar" decimated practice golems; Erza's "Temple of Armor" held tactical war games; Lucy's celestial spirits taught cultural exchange; Gray's ice constructs sculpted the hills; Wendy's winds carried message spells; Happy's wings delivered supplies.
At the heart of Genesis Bastion, Davi and Rimaru oversaw the Shinsu Network Grid. Rimaru's slime-body merged with conduits, sensing every fluctuation. "The network is stable," he gurgled. "No new corruption detected."
An Ominous Revelation
That night, as the twin moons glowed over the capital, Davi and Rimaru ascended the Grand Spire. Below, the city pulsed with life—lanterns of Shinsu light, markets alive with laughter, academies glowing with arcane energy.
Suddenly, Rimaru's slime-body trembled, eyes of liquid crystal narrowing. "A presence… near the Eastern Gate." His form quivered, rippling like disturbed water.
Before they could react, the air shimmered, and a cloaked figure stepped from shadow. His cloak was stitched from darkness; eyes like burning embers stared out from beneath the hood. Behind him slithered creatures of pitch—slimes black as void, their forms writhing in mockery of Rimaru's noble shape.
The figure spoke, voice a cold whisper: "So, the Slime Sovereign reveals himself. How quaint." He raised a gauntleted hand, and the black slimes surged forward, coalescing into a monstrous mass. "Behold the Umbral Conflux's envoy—my masterpiece: the Nullspawn Legion."
Davi drew his sword of fused angelic and demonic light; Rimaru's slime-body pulsed, dividing into dozens of armed forms. Together, they stood at the spire's peak, silhouettes against the moonlit sky.
The cloaked figure's laugh echoed across the city. "Let us see if Shinsuhearth's champions can withstand the true darkness."
Below, the bells of Genesis Bastion tolled the alarm. The defenders of the newborn nation rushed to the Eastern Gate, weapons drawn, hearts steeled. In that moment, Davi and Rimaru shared a glance—sword and slime united by purpose.
"For Shinsuhearth!" Davi roared.
"For Unity!" Rimaru gurgled.
And as the Nullspawn Legion advanced under the moon's eerie glow, the second great trial of Shinsuhearth began.