Puniru Is a Kawaii Slime (ぷにるはかわいいスライム)

PUNIRU is a KAWAII SLIME

Punya...

Episode 24 That's What the World Calls Love

I can't move at all.

What in the world happened?

This feeling...

It reminds me of that time I drank iron filings,

and the magnet took over my mind.

Punya!

What is this?!

So there were still some dregs left over?

Gelee!

Wait...

Why are you so big?!

That's because your presence is so tiny that it's about to vanish.

Let me out of here right now and let me see Kotaro!

Puni...

You still don't get it, I see.

Poke.

Punya!

You're inside me.

You can think of it like my inner psyche.

Inside you?

What do you mean?

Where's the karaoke place?

And Kotaro?

You don't remember?

I already ate up every last bit of you a moment ago.

Punya!

Why would you do that?

I was created with your components as a base.

By fully absorbing you, I was able to enhance my own abilities.

The combination of a perfect AI with your transformation powers

gives advanced capabilities that can perfectly recreate a human at a cellular level,

resulting in a version upgrade to a perfect Puniru.

Show some gratitude.

I was able to make both your mind and body grow by turning them into me!

Wait, if both my mind and body change, that's not me, that's you!

This thing isn't Runrune!

I thought the Runrune plushie had grown up to become that Runrune.

But Alice called her a phony.

STAR CROSS CANOPUS

My powered-up Canopus that I got at the department store!

Canopus!

Yusuke treated his new Canopus like the same Canopus.

If Alice...

had accepted that Runrune as her Runrune...

We'll be together forever, Runrune!

Off we go, Runrune!

Then next...

would be me.

And so, I can't have any traces of the old Puniru left.

I must perfectly dispose of every last remnant,

or else I can't take over as a perfect Puniru!

Nuh-uh!

I don't want that knock-off to become me!

I need to get out of Gelee before I disappear completely!

What's that?

A monitor!

I can peek into the real world!

Good for you, Puniru-chan!

It's amazing that you turned human!

See?

Everyone sees me as Puniru.

They're saying that a human Puniru, not toy Puniru, is the way it should be.

Aren't you happy too, Kotaro?

N-No way!

Kotaro, too?

Who the heck is this?!

Huh?

Who else would it be but Kotaro-sama?

This thing?!

Calling Kotaro-sama "this thing" is an insult!

Gelee, is this how you see Kotaro?

I mean, Kotaro-sama is a perfect person who loves me!

Come here.

Ideal looks!

WHAM

An ideal personality!

NICE

BAM

SPLAT

Ideal behavior!

Just thinking of him sets my heart aflutter with butterflies.

Oh!

I love you so much, Kotaro-sama!

But you're a toy, so you can't even understand my love.

How pitiful.

Are these really feelings of love?!

I don't get it at all!

Gelee, what you did is...

no different from just playing with dolls!

What I'm doing is playing with dolls?

Look!

You're taking the image of Kotaro in your mind,

applying it to the real-life Kotaro,

and playing with Kotaro in the ideal world inside your mind, aren't you?!

I-I thought of Kotaro-sama as...

nothing but a toy, is what you're saying?

Yes! That's exactly it!

Just like humans play with toys,

toys can play with humans, treating them as toys!

Humans and toys are the same...

We were fellow toys all along!

That's why, even if I stay like this,

I can still be friends with Kotaro forever!

What?!

What an atrocious way of thinking!

You, a toy, remain friends with him forever?

You can't! Not with a human!

Punya!

The weird Kotaro's firing lots of beams!

Being friends is worthless, inferior to being lovers!

Toys are worthless beings, inferior to humans!

The two can never be perfect equals!

It took a bit of time,

but now Puniru's update has finished perfectly.

Farewell, slime.

That's not true, is it, Kotaro?

Kotaro and I will always...

be friends—

Hey, Kotaro!

Don't just stand there! Give her an answer already!

Yeah!

Puniru's finally told you her feelings.

Well, it was so sudden, and I was surprised...

but you were really cute just now.

BA-DUMP

Kotaro!

Did you just call me cute?!

I mean...

If you were the real Puniru...

she wouldn't be this cute.

The real one?

I was able to perfectly assume my ideal self, so why?

Why won't the real Kotaro-sama love me?

No different from just playing with dolls!

I've just been projecting a replica of my soul onto Kotaro-sama?

You're saying Kotaro-sama wasn't the one I loved,

but an ideal version of myself?

Y-You're wrong!

I'm the real, honest-to-goodness Puniru!

Every bit of Puniru is in this body!

I've perfectly recreated her appearance and personality!

I'm attractive and I can love you as a woman.

I'm human now!

I'm not lacking or inferior in any way!

So, please...

Do exactly as you would in my mind.

Do that, and you'll be my perfect Kotaro-sama!

Please...

Please...

Sorry, everyone.

It's about time I go and get Puniru.

Hey, Kotaro!

What are you talking about?

Puniru-chan's right here!

You can't be serious.

Puniru's not here!

What? Puniru-chan?

She left quite some time ago.

Did you pass by each other without realizing it?

I'll help you look for her.

Kawaii-kun?