Rimuru POV
"Here we are! Horny Beach! The beachiest beach in the Netherworld!" Clara announces to everyone, holding her hands above her head.
I nearly crack up on the spot, but as the technical-adult on the scene, I try to be mature about it.
"Clara! Watch your language!" I attempt to scold, but it's clear that I'm holding back laughter.
"Is there something wrong with the name Horny Beach, Rimuru?" Azz asks me. "As ridiculous as some of the things Clara says are, this really is Horny Beach, the horniest beach in all the Netherworld."
This is all so ridiculous that I burst out laughing, just to get stares from all of my classmates, including Iruma.
"What's funny, Rimuru?"
"It's just…that name…bahahaha! What's with that name!?"
"Horny Beach?" he asks innocently.
Iruma repeating it just made it worse, to the point where I fall to my knees from laughing so hard.
"I don't get it, why's she laughing?" Jazz asks, utterly confused.
"Rimuru, it's just a beach…" Keroli mutters.
"It's not just a beach, it's Horny Beach! A very special beach with very special horny rocks carved by my great-great-great-great-grandfather!" Clara shouts.
I finally manage to stifle my giggles and stand back up, wiping a nonexistent tear from my eye.
"Alright, let's change into our beachwear," I tell everyone.
"Rimuru, we bought matching swimsuits~!" Elizabetta comes up to me, holding up a massive shopping bag.
I get a familiar sinking feeling in my stomach from just looking at that bag.
"Huh? What d'you mean?" I cautiously ask, hoping that it won't be as bad as I'm imagining, but my instincts are telling me otherwise.
"The other girls and I went shopping yesterday so we could find matching swimsuits for all of us! I think we'd look pretty together. We could take some nice group photos so we remember this!"
Oh no…
She puts her hand into the massive bag and pulls out several swimsuits. Bright pink, two-piece, frilly polka-dot swimsuits.
There's no way I'm putting one of those on!
"They look beautiful, don't you think so?" Elizabetta asks with a smile.
"Yes, but not on me!" I immediately protest, taking a step back away from the girl.
"I say that you'd look lovely in this! There's no need to be shy, so come on!" Elizabetta urges, clearly not understanding my reasons.
"I agree with Elizabetta, you'd look soooo hot!" Camui interjects.
"Come on Riri, join us! We can be pink-pink together!" Clara jumps at me.
"I said no! I'm not even planning on swimming, so why do I need to wear a swimsuit!?" I explain as I try to wriggle out of this situation. Being forced into a girly swimsuit is not what I want right now, especially when Shuna has already done a lot of that to me in the past.
"Wait, you're not swimming, Rimuru? Why not?" Jazz asks.
"No, we've talked about this, remember?"
"You just dodged the question and didn't give an explanation at all!" Jazz complains.
"Fine! I'll explain later!"
"Why don't you explain it now? I think most of us here would want to know." Azz asks. "It'd be wise for us to know the reason behind your reluctance to swim if it's alright."
"It's not a big deal, so don't worry about it."
"If it's not a big deal, then it should be fine for you to swim with us, right? Surely my rival isn't afraid of some water!" Sabnock chides in.
"No, it's not that-"
"Come on, Rimuru, we planned this special, so you can't back out now!" Elizabetta protests.
"Why can't I back out?"
"Because Horny Beach!" Clara shouts.
"What does that have to do with me not swimming?!"
"Rimuru, do you not know how to swim?" Elizabetta asks me pityingly.
"NO! Look, I just want to spend my time on the beach in the sun and not swimming! I don't even know why I have to swim, and yes I can swim! I don't even like those colors, let alone the frills! I have my own normal swimsuit as well! I don't have to explain-...Why does it feel so breezy…?"
"Look! Riri is all pink-pink now! Yaaaay!" Clara runs in circles around me.
I look down to see myself clad in the pink swimsuit I refused to wear, somehow.
This is embarrassing! How did I even end up wearing this?! Who did this to me?! Ciel, what happened?!
[[Phenomenon unexplainable…question unanswerable…how is this possible…that green-haired cretin has performed another inexplicable action! I must…]]
Ciel's freaking out more than I am! She'll calm herself down eventually since I can't really do anything when she's muttering like this…
I try to cover myself up, but without a towel or blanket, my body is still pretty exposed. All I can really do is hug my arms around myself.
The boys are all staring at me, this is so uncomfortable! Iruma on the other hand just looks shocked, he's not even moving…
"Please don't look at me like that…" I mutter, getting progressively more flustered.
"What do you mean? You look great in that!" Jazz teases me.
"I don't need your comments right now!"
"I'm just sayin'!" He holds his hands up in the air as if he's innocent, and I can't do anything against that!
"Jazz is right. That attire does show off your well-toned physique." Sabnock cuts in.
"Sabnock! That is an inappropriate thing to say!" Azz shouts at him after seeing my bafflement.
"It's the truth." he shrugs, apparently seeing no problem in what he said.
"Shut up!" I bonk Sabnock on the head with a 'reasonable' amount of force. (Please ignore the crater in the sand.)
"How did Clara do that?" Ameri asks, her face filled with bewilderment.
"I don't know, she j-just did… something, and n-now Rimuru is wearing it!" Keroli answers her, clearly as confused as I am. She keeps glancing at Clara fearfully, probably worried the girl will do the same to her.
"I don't care, but I've never seen Rimuru's belly button before!" Camui comments disgustingly, reaching toward me all creepy-like with his wing-arms.
Without any hesitation, Ameri and I kick Camui so hard that he flies far into the ocean. We could still hear his voice as he traveled away from us.
"WOOoorth iiiit…"
Dumbfounded by his stupidity, I decide to thank Ameri instead, "I'm glad you're on my side, Ameri."
"Same here, that owl will never learn." she disdainfully answers, her arms crossed as she sternly stares in the direction we sent the small demonic pervert flying.
"They sure are a scary duo…" I hear Lead whisper.
"Yeah, let's not anger them further…" Goemon replies.
I sigh and turn back to the crowd. They all seem a bit shocked at our treatment, I guess we did kick Camui pretty hard back there…
"Look, I'm getting out of whatever this… frilly nonsense is," I say as I start to walk away from the group.
"Wait!" Elizabetta stops me.
"What now?"
"Could you please keep it on? You really do look lovely in it… All of us girls went ahead and planned this out as well…"
"But I-"
"Please…? At least we could spend some time together for a group photo?" She pouts slightly.
How can I say no to a girl like that?
"...Fiiiine." I give in, as I usually do back home in similar situations to this.
"Thank you, Rimuru!"
I sigh in defeat.
I'll definitely be regretting this decision…
"Alright, there's nothing else to see here! Go have your fun!" I wave off the group, sick of their staring.
…
"You're, uh… really good at building sandcastles, it seems," Ameri says as she looks up at my handiwork.
I stand proudly next to it, basking in her praise.
Yeah, I built a massive building-sized sandcastle to occupy my time here at the beach.
"Really though, why not join everyone else out in the water? You'll only be this young once, you know — adult demons don't play around like this." Ameri continues.
Uh, no comment.
"Ah, I'm just not big on playing around in the water, y'know? Sand is more my thing, it's nice and… coarse?" I grab a handful of sand while putting on an anxious smile. "The roughness of it is great for dry skin, and it gets everywhere so you'll remember your fun at the beach for days to come."
Everyone's giving me dubious looks now. My excuses were pretty poor, to be honest, I mean, who likes the whole 'it gets everywhere' aspect of sand? I don't know what I was thinking, saying something that dumb.
I'll just blame it on the fact there are just not that many good things to say about sand.
Iruma suddenly realizes what it is and chimes in. "Oh! Is it that you don't like salt water? You told me that once, but you never explained-"
"Shhh! Shhh! Don't go giving away my secrets!"
I glance towards Ameri, and it's plain from her judging expression that she's trying to figure out what this strange fact reveals about me.
Then, without warning, a jet of seawater suddenly punches through the wall and blasts the sand out of my hand.
Yeek! Some of it got on me!
I quickly and frantically try to brush off the spray of seawater.
"It's an ambush!" Iruma cries out.
"Master Iruma! Get down!" Azz tackles Iruma to the floor, popping his wings out to better shelter him right as many more water guns start blasting through the walls.
These aren't like the wimpy water guns you'd find on Earth, they're built by and for demons who like to play rough. Only that water cannon I gave Iruma is more powerful.
This sandcastle was thankfully built with a basement, so me and Ameri duck downstairs for cover from the intense barrage.
By the time the assault has ended and I can poke my head out, my sandcastle is in ruins.
Rest in peace, my sandy masterpiece…
But I only have a moment to mourn; there are other things I'm worried about.
"Iruma! Are you alright?" I frantically ask him with Ameri following close behind me.
He nods. "I'm fine, but…"
Our comrade Azz wasn't so fortunate. He's soaked from head to toe, still holding himself over Iruma who he sacrificed himself to protect.
"You're alright? Then it was all worth it…" Azz mutters with a warm pride in his voice, climbing off of Iruma and flopping on his back. His eyes slowly drift closed, a peaceful smile on his face.
"Rest in peace, Asmodeus," Ameri says with a hand on her chest. "For your noble sacrifice, I will make sure you are avenged."
They may be acting, putting on the dramatics to make this all the more fun, but my reaction is in no way an act right now, and definitely not because I'm having fun. I'm actually shivering at the thought of getting soaked with saltwater; yeah, I know that sounds pathetic, but I can't help it.
Not after that one time…
I shake my head and force myself not to think of that… 'incident'…
With the sandcastle now destroyed, the gang who attacked us is in plain view, and their leader is…
"Clara?!"
"Hiya, Riri! I made lots of water guns for everyone, you as well!"
She's armed herself, the rest of the class, and even a few random strangers with dangerous magically-enhanced demonic water guns, such that we're beset by a small army.
"You may all be big-shots, but we've got numbers on our side! Even taking on high-ranking demons won't be a problem with this kind of firepower!" Lead boasts.
Jazz chuckles, widely grinning at me like the demon he is, "It's not firepower, it's water power. Consider this revenge for the fireworks battle, Rimuru!"
If I want to get out of this unscathed, I'll have to rise to their challenge!
I crouch down and give Azz a shake. "Azz! Stop playing dead, we're in real trouble here!" I shout at him.
He rises to his feet, and then the four of us solemnly take a water gun each from Clara.
Four against an army. Our determination is unwavering as we face our foe.
"Alright, attack!" Clara yells.
And then all hell breaks loose, everyone giggling and playing and having the time of their lives!
Though, I feel like I'm actually fighting for my life, dodging and weaving and determined to not get hit. Just the thought of getting sprayed is freaking me out.
In the midst of battle, I find myself back-to-back with Iruma, our guns poised in an action pose.
"Iruma, where's that water cannon I gave you?" I ask.
"It's in my bag, want me to go get it?" he replies with an amused smile.
"Yeah!"
Iruma's Overwhelming Crisis Evasion ability is on full display as he runs to his bag, no one can stop him! He safely retrieves the water cannon and comes running back to me.
"Rimuru, I got it! I got the- huh?"
Lead fired a shot not at Iruma, but instead the sand in his path, liquefying it.
It's enough to slow his movements for just a moment, and Lead grins knowing he's already won.
A blast of water hits Iruma squarely in the side. He's knocked off his balance, and that one shot was enough to doom him—before he can find his footing, he's gunned down from all directions as I look on in horror.
That could've been me! I'll need to be careful where I step, or I'll end up melting into the sand and into a hail of salty gunfire!
The battle continues, and Ameri fights like a savage beast. No matter how many times she's hit, her tough build lets her shrug off every blast of water, and her retaliation is always thorough.
Azz helps Iruma back up, but then gets chased off by Sabnock, who's using two huge water guns that are bigger than me!
Honestly, all this chaos feels like being back in Tempest. Monsters and demons both love this kind of fun, going completely over the top.
I used to dislike it, but over the decades I've assimilated into monster culture, and it makes my days as a human feel far too boring by comparison.
My moment of reflection is interrupted by a huge flare of aura.
Intense rage radiates from Ameri, glowing such a bright red that some people are shielding their eyes. The fighting has stopped now, as everyone is transfixed by the sheer menace she's giving off.
"CAMUIIIII!"
Oh no. What did that bird do now?
Ameri storms towards Camui, and he runs and hides behind me. He even tries to cling to me in fear, but I shove him off and whip around to complain.
"Wait, why are you hiding behind me?! I'm not your ally here!"
"Exactly! She won't harm her ally, so I'll be able to survive if I put you between us!" he frantically replies and tries again to grab onto me.
Ameri picks up the water cannon that Iruma dropped, and levels it with me. Her angry glare shows that she's not even aware of me, she just wants to hurt Camui.
I nervously gulp. "She doesn't look like she has any consideration for me as her ally!"
That water cannon from Tempest doesn't need to be filled up since it creates water from magic, and while recalling that something dreadful comes to mind — it's seriously overengineered for a toy and is capable of a scary amount of power if you dump enough magical energy into it.
And Ameri's aura is going crazy right now! That means-
"AMERI, NO!" I yell.
Too late.
Facing the force of a hundred bursting fire hydrants, Camui and I are blown away, far out to sea.
When I regain my bearings, I realize with shock that I'm in the ocean!
"Ack! Somebody save me! I'll die in seawater!" I flail and panic, horrible memories returning as I relive one of my very few fears.
(FLASHBACK)
Out on an excursion off the coast of Eurazania with Gobta, we're out on the ocean on a boat! I want to do some fishing out here for the first time ever now that we have access to an actual coastline through our recent agreement with Demon Lord Carrion.
"Lord Rimuru…it's been hours…"
"Yeah, you don't need to tell me that for the sixteenth time, Gobta…"
Are we having any luck? Not at all.
I'm starting to get bored too, but admitting that would just be embarrassing in front of Gobta of all people.
"Why don't we take a dip? It's so hot today too…" Gobta suggests, whining even more.
A swim might feel nice…
"No, we'll scare off all the fish if we do that."
"What fish, Lord Rimuru? We haven't caught anything all day!"
"Touche."
Still, I don't really wanna abandon our mission to catch a sushi-worthy fish, even if it takes a few more hours to find one.
Gobta, though, doesn't care at all…because he just jumped into the water anyway.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" I shout from over the edge of the boat.
"Cooling off! How 'bout you join me, Lord Rimuru?" Gobta playfully asks as he bobs in the water, smiling from ear to ear.
Rolling my eyes a bit at him first, I set down my finishing pole and jump in the water too. It's too late now to worry about scaring off the fish after Gobta's cannonball.
But after a few seconds, I notice something…weird. A strange tingly sensation all over my body. It doesn't hurt or anything, but kinda itches and tickles.
"I knew you couldn't resist either!" Gobta laughs and splashes a bit of water in my direction, completely sidetracking any thoughts about the weird feeling.
I splash some water back at him, sending Gobta flying a ways away, but not too far.
"Hey!"
"What? Would you rather I shoot you with a water jet like last time?"
"No!"
We screw around, having a little water fight for a few minutes.
The tingling is just getting worse, though, bringing my attention back to it. I also notice that my toes and fingers feel kinda numb too, which is even more worrying.
What's going on with me?
[[Notice: Assessing current bodily status…17.374% complete.]]
"Hey, Lord Rimuru, why're you spacing out? Are you getting bored?"
"Huh? No, I was just…"
"I know! How about we compete to see who can hold their breath underwater for the longest!"
Pfft…what an idiot! Has Gobta forgotten that I don't need to breathe?
"Heh, sure! I'm up for the challenge!"
[[Notice: Returning to the boat until the assess is complete is advised.]]
Nah, I can't chicken out now! Gobta won't be able to hold his breath that long anyway, so I'll just return to the boat once I'm done beating him at his own game!
[[...]]
"3…2…1…go!"
We both simultaneously dip between the waves, Gobta squinting his eyes shut to keep the saltwater out of them. My eyes, on the other hand, are left wide open since I don't feel any pain from it.
I smirk at the silly, puffed-out-cheek expression Gobta is making while holding his breath.
But even though I was enjoying myself, that tingly, stinging sensation was just getting worse and worse.
Whatever this is, I'm sure I can hold out until Great Sage is done diagnosing.
Another minute passes.
My hands and feet are completely numb and my Magic Sense is starting to distort, similar to TV static in my vision and a buzzing, ringing thing in my ears.
I'm starting to feel scared; the type of primal fear you get when your life is in danger. I felt the same back when that maniac was charging at me with a knife right before I was stabbed.
Okay, this is bad…maybe I should get out.
[[Notice: Assessment of bodily state partially complete. Immediate evacuation from saline water is strongly advised.]]
So…the water…is the cau-
I feel my arms and legs start to lose shape. My thoughts are getting foggier and foggier, slipping out of my mind before I can complete them.
Need…to tell…
{{Gobta…help…}}
I manage to shoot a terrified thought his way before I completely blacked out.
…
The next thing I know, I'm back on the boat.
"Lord Rimuru!"
"Hiya…" I say a half-hearted greeting, barely managing to pull off talking with my currently-shaky voice.
I'm back in my natural form, safe and dry on the deck, my swim trunks in a wet mound next to me.
My 'head' is still spinning and my senses are definitely still messed up, but that and the tingling are fading by the second.
What happened to me…?
[[Answer: Reason for loss of consciousness determined to be sodium poisoning due to ocean water. Further exposure to said substance must be avoided to avoid the same outcome in the future.]]
"Are ya gonna be okay? You scared me, Lord Rimuru!"
"Yeah…I'll be fine. No more swimming, though…we're heading back."
Just the thought of jumping back in is making me shiver…
"Sure!" Gobta smiles, "Haha, I won~! I can't believe I held my breath longer than you!"
I don't feel well enough to even complain about his boasting.
…
And that was what happened, now decades ago. Still, to this day, I can't think about touching saltwater without shuddering. My near-death experience has stuck with me through two evolutions and thirty years of life.
The 'incident' happened way back when my race was just that of a normal slime, so by now, I'm no longer affected by the salt in the water. I just need to quell my residual fear at this moment.
After finally taking hold of my thoughts, I relax a little and tread, focusing on the fact that I'm just fine.
No tingling. No numbness. No need to be afraid.
Calm enough now to think straight, I look around and see the stupid owl that got launched alongside me. He seems fine enough, but I should still go check on him, I think.
So, I swim over to Camui to make sure he's alright, but as I come up behind him I see that he's found something pink with polka-dots floating in the water…
Oh. That's not good…
Looking down, I realize that my swimsuit top was blown off by that water cannon, and fate has made me a victim of one of the most overused tropes of swimsuit episodes!
You've gotta be kidding me!
Never in my life did I ever even consider something so ridiculous would happen to me, but here I am, living that reality. Part of me thinks it's pretty funny, at least from an outsider's perspective, but my being the victim quickly stamped out any of the humor in it.
Before it clicks in Camui's perverted brain that he has a chance to see me topless (not that there's anything for him to see), I address the demon in a deadly-serious tone.
"If you turn around, I'll kill you," I warn him.
Camui freezes up. He's still holding onto my top though, so he clearly needs more convincing.
"I'll hold your head underwater until you stop moving. I doubt the people on shore can see you this far out, so I'll simply say I didn't see where you went after we were both knocked into the water."
As he bobs in the waves, Camui looks like he's fighting his urge to turn around, his head twitching for a moment.
"Think about it carefully… Drowning is one of the worst ways to go."
I'll make this bird choose something over girls, even if it's his own life he has to choose. Maybe, just maybe, I can force him to mature even just a little bit for the wellbeing of all girls… and genderless slimes roleplaying as girls, of course.
Ameri POV
The water fight calmed down after I sent Rimuru and Camui flying into the ocean, mostly because everyone was scared of becoming my next target.
Iruma is staring off at the ocean worriedly, caring about both Rimuru and Camui's fates. Unlike the rest of the class though, rather than flying out over the ocean to look for them, he's staying firmly on land. I know that it's because he's human, so to help him stand out less, I decide to remain here with him.
He really does care for his friends and family, even if they're not actually related. I feel bad for accidentally punting Rimuru into the ocean…
But then I actually think about my current situation.
Wait, but it means the two of us are alone now! I could use this opportunity to talk to Iruma!
"Hey, Iruma."
"Huh? Ameri, do you think they…do you think Camui will be alright?" He looks me at with a half-worried, half-exasperated face, double-taking.
"As the President of the Student Council, I should say 'I hope so', but my personal feelings are a bit more… harsh."
Iruma gives an awkward but understanding smile. "You seemed pretty mad at him. What even happened? I've never seen anyone but Rimuru get angry enough to put out an aura like that."
He's comparing me to his freak of a sister?!
I pretend to clear my throat. "Never you mind."
The two of us sit down and look out to sea, not finding much to say as we're preoccupied with trying to spot Rimuru and Camui.
But this is the first private moment I've had with Iruma since our date, and I want to make the most of it. It feels hard to get closer to him though, because he's still being secretive in spite of our fledgling romance–until he admits to being human, much of his life will remain closed off to me.
Maybe I have to admit a secret of my own to get him to confess his humanity! Though, I might have made him scared of me by letting my aura explode like that earlier… Should I admit something that makes me sound soft and sweet?
As I consider what to say, I find myself blushing and hugging my knees.
"Iruma… I thought I should tell you, I'm not always the kind of person I am at school…"
Iruma looks towards me with a tilt of his head. "What do you mean?"
"I'm always acting my toughest and strictest as the Student Council President, but outside of school, I'm not all that different from other girls. It's not like I'm a warrior at heart, I still love cute things and feeling pretty. I'm sure your sister is much the same, she drops the hardcore act at home right?"
"Barely! Rimuru is more relaxed at home, but I don't think she has a soft side like you showed when you got your leg hurt."
I feel my cheeks get a shade pinker when Iruma mentions that incident. My behavior then was inexcusable for a demon, freely showing weakness in public and to someone I wanted to impress… And yet it's still a pleasant memory.
"Right… Well, I told you that, so do you have any secrets of your own you want to share? Do you also have a hidden side to your identity?"
It's a long shot, but if I can get him to admit that he's human, it'll be a huge step for our relationship! It'll mean I have his trust, and there'll be so much more we can talk about!
Iruma thinks for a moment, and then he nervously looks at me. "Ah, well, there is one thing…"
Aha! Here it is!
"Oh? What is it?" I reply, letting my excitement slip more than I intended.
"Um, well, you see… This whole time I've actually been…"
"Yes?!"
"... At that concert we went to, I was the demdol Irumi."
I'm struck dumb by the sudden letdown of a revelation.
Iruma, why!? I seriously thought you were about to tell me that you're a human!
Perhaps it was too much to expect, given that it's a serious risk for him to reveal that to any demon, no matter how trusted. Still, I can't help but sigh in disappointment.
"S-sorry, was that a weird thing to tell you?" Iruma stammers.
"No, I thought it looked like you up there. And I already know about your strange… hobbies."
I actually already knew that Irumi was Iruma, but I won't tell him that because I'm glad that he at least trusted me enough to reveal that secret identity.
"Ah! So it doesn't bother you?"
I give Iruma a warm smile. "I won't be bothered no matter what you happen to be. You're a top-class demon regardless."
"Thank you," he replies, wearing the brightest smile I've ever seen on someone's face. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart.
We bask in each other's presence, out of sight of the chaos that's going on around the massive sandpiles. I was about to say something when a sudden gust of wind attracted our attention.
It's Rimuru, back from the ocean. She still seems to be dripping wet, presumably from where she landed. I hope she'll forgive me.
"Rimuru, are you alright?" Iruma runs up to her, again with a worried tone.
"I'm fine. Just miffed."
I walk up to the duo, "Sorry about that, I let my emotions get the best of me. Let's just say that the owl took one step too far. Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure he'll be fine," Rimuru assures us, although her expression says otherwise. "He'll probably wash up on the beach or something; perverts float, after all."
"What?" Iruma questions.
I sigh, not exactly understanding what Rimuru means by that, but not really wanting to dwell on it any longer.
"Did something happen out there? You seem more irritated than usual, and I don't think it is just because of what I did."
"No, no, I'm fine. It's not like there was a clothes-eating tentacled mollusk thing out there, so all's good."
"Rimuru, stop saying confusing things!"
"There are animals that eat clothes?" Iruma asks, both weirded out and confused by the idea.
"Yup. I came across one once. Not the best experience. It ended up being a pretty chill creature, though, in the end."
"I'm done asking you questions today. It's almost like your head was filled with seawater out there and now you're not making any sense!"
"I think he's more filled with seawater than I am," Rimuru says, jabbing a thumb at the coast behind her.
"Oh, it's Camui!" Iruma shouts and starts running toward the owl-boy, washed up on the shore just like Rimuru said would happen.
Rimuru follows close behind him and glares down at the prone, half-drowned demon.
"I don't think he's breathing!" Iruma says, sounding a bit panicked. "Sh-should I try CPR?"
"If you wanna. I honestly think Camui's gonna be fine."
"But look, he's unconscious!"
"Fear not, my rival! I shall take care of this!" Sabnocks booming voice rings out and he lands with a loud thud. I guess the others heard my exclamation.
He walks over to Camui… and starts viciously pounding his fist on the other boy's chest as Iruma watches in horror.
"I must… get the water… out!"
"Sabnock, be more gentle!" Iruma screams, clearly worried.
"I-oof...I'm-gah…stop! Stop!" Camui sputters and springs to his feet, backing away from Sabnock as quickly as he could.
"Success!" Sabnock declares, raising a fist in victory.
"I wanted the sweet reviving kiss of a beauty, not the painful fist of a brute…" I hear Camui mutter under his breath.
Rimuru seems to have heard him too; her golden eyes are flaming with anger, making Camui start visibly shivering under her gaze.
"Hey, Camui, you look a bit cold. How 'bout I call Azz over and have him warm you up? Today's perfect for a beachside barbeque, don't you think?"
"Can I ask what a barbeque is?"
"Don't ruin the moment, Ameri!" Rimuru complains to me.
"I believe she meant a devi-que." Sabnock comments.
"Yo, Azz, come back. I need you to fry some chicken for me. Sabnock already tenderized the meat," Rimuru says into her phone and shoots a glare at Camui.
"Please, have mercy! I apologize!" Camui bows deeply to Rimuru, but she just looks at him with disgust.
"Learned your lesson, huh? You won't do this again?"
There's a pause of silence before he answers.
"I make no promises!"
Rimuru flares out her terrifying aura and Camui makes a run for it, and she doesn't follow.
"Rimuru?" Iruma asks cautiously, and the aura fades immediately as she turns and smiles amiably at him.
"Yeah?"
"What did Camui do?" Iruma questions.
"He took things 'one step too far', just like Ameri said earlier."
"But obviously something else happened after you were launched out there with him," I add, knowing that Rimuru had other reasons.
"I'll leave that up to your imagination."
"Sorry for the delay!" Asmodeus lands suddenly, much like Sabnock, but much more gracefully. "You said you required the use of my fire magic?"
"Nah, not anymore, the chicken escaped. Thanks anyway, though."