Kiriwo's True Ambition

Iruma POV

After going through the necessary steps to get permission to stay overnight, the four of us head back to the Magi-App battler room. While we set up our sleeping bags on the floor, Kiriwo is working on the fireworks in the corner.

*BOOM!*

An explosion happens, filling the room with smoke.

"""Are you alright?""" the three of us ask Kiriwo in unison.

*cough cough* "For starters, I was mixing up some gunpowder…but I think I messed up…" Kiriwo says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He's surprisingly unhurt from the explosion. "I believe I've almost got it though!" he assures us.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry none, I ain't even hurt!" He replies.

"With an explosion that big?!" Azz asks, surprised.

"Well…let me explain…no…you should just see for yourself. Iruma, let me see your hand."

"Um, okay." I say before reaching for Kiriwo's hand, but I'm stopped by…something.

"Is this…a wall?" I ask, pressing my hand against an invisible flat surface.

"Yes, it's my bloodline ability, 'Barrier'." He clarifies.

"Can't Rimuru do something similar, Master Iruma?" Azz asks.

"Yeah, she can."

Clara then licks Kiriwo's barrier.

"Your magic isn't as yummy as Riri's, hers is sweeter!" she says.

"Wh-what?" Kiriwo asks, looking very confused.

"Why do you keep doing that, Valac?! It's revolting!" Azz chastises Clara.

After an awkward pause, Kiriwo continues.

"Well…moving on…because of this power, I've been able to survive, despite not possessing much magic."

"Oh, I see!"

"I better get back to experimentin', we don't have much time and this is more difficult than I expected. It's hard to make something you've never seen before." Kiriwo says.

"Yeah, you're right…I'm still the only one that's ever seen them…" I say.

I bet Rimuru's seen fireworks before…she could probably help with this if she was here…

"Let me think…if I could find an example…"

I think for a moment and an idea pops into my head. Isn't there a fireworks scene in 'First Love Memories'? I could just go and ask Ameri if I could borrow her copy!

"I'll be right back." I tell my friends and leave to go see Ameri.

I'm standing outside her room when I hear something unexpected.

"But why not?" I hear a booming voice ask from within Ameri's office.

"No means no! That's why!"

"C'mon! Please!"

"NO!"

I slowly poke my head inside and find Ameri arguing with Veldora.

"Um…am I interrupting something?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to get involved in their quarrel.

"Oh, Iruma! What are you doing here?" Ameri asks.

"I need to ask you about something…but, why are you here Veldora? I'm pretty sure Rimuru wanted you to stay back at the mansion." I say, knowing that Rimuru wouldn't want Veldora wandering around Babyls without supervision. He's probably taking advantage of the fact that she's not around right now.

"I…um…I ran out of manga again…and Rimuru is busy and won't respond…so I thought this girl would let me borrow hers, maybe?...Please don't tell Rimuru!" he pleads.

"I don't have any way to tattle on you even if I wanted to. You should still head back though, Ameri isn't going to budge on this. If you keep bothering her, I will tell Rimuru when they get back!" I say, trying to imitate how I've seen Rimuru deal with him.

Veldora starts to sulk.

"You guys are no fun…I just wanted to read some manga…" he whines as he leaves the room.

After an awkward pause, I ask.

"Um…Ameri?"

"Yes?"

"I hate to ask you this…especially after what just happened…but could I borrow volume 8 of 'First Love Memories'?" I ask reluctantly.

"Absolutely not!" she yells firmly.

"Could you consider it…please?" I say, cringing a little at her fervent refusal.

"No way! These are vital forbidden texts I received from my father! I can't go lending them out!" she explains, sounding irritated by my pleading.

I guess she isn't gonna let me borrow it…I'll have to manage without it, I guess…

"Right, I understand…I shouldn't have asked you, sorry." I apologize. "I guess we'll have to make fireworks with no example, even if it's harder." I say, half to myself.

Ameri's stern expression suddenly changes to a softer one.

"Wait! Make what now?! Fireworks? The night-blooming sky-flowers?!" she asks eagerly.

"Yeah, that's right. I want to make some to set off at the battler party." I explain.

Ameri's eyes sparkle with excitement.

"Goodness, look how late it's getting. I am exhausted! I'm so tired that I might forget that I left this book right here on this table accidentally. Whoops! But, if I did, I guess I could come to get it tomorrow evening!" Ameri says in an exaggerated tone.

After a moment's hesitation, I quickly realize what she's trying to do.

"Thank you so much, Ameri!"

"No! I told you that I was just going to accidentally forget!" Ameri says, sounding flustered.

"But still, thanks for doing this!" I thank her again.

I wrap the book with some paper I found lying around so the cover stays hidden and rush back to my battler's room.

"So that's what they look like!" Kiriwo exclaims.

"They're super pretty! And nothing like I was picturing!" Clara says.

"I've never seen a book like this, how curious…so where did you find it?" Azz asks, looking at the manga with interest.

"Um…that's a secret." I reply nervously, knowing that I can't reveal where I got this book at all costs. Ameri would probably kill me if word got out!

"Well then…let's reference this as we do our experiments." Kiriwo says, sounding pleased that he can finally make some progress.

The four of us work for hours on producing prototype fireworks using a combination of gunpowder and Azz's flame magic. There are many failures, resulting in explosions that Kiriwo has to use his barrier ability to shield us from. Eventually, though, we cook up something that should work and head outside to test it. Azz lights the fuse with a small candle-sized flame he produces from the tip of his finger. We step back a little, nervous and excited to see the result of our hard work. The shell successfully launches into the air, producing a tiny, yet beautiful, facsimile of a firework.

We high-five each other, pleased with the result, before heading back inside. Now that the hard part's done, we can relax and enjoy the sleepover! We all change into our pajamas in preparation.

After an intense pillow fight, we are all laying on the floor, exhausted.

"That was so much fun!"

"So…this is a sleepover…I've never had so much fun…right before going to bed!" I say, panting since I'm still out of breath.

"Tomorrow…I might not be able to move." Kiriwo says, also breathing heavily.

"We should probably get to sleep now." I say, feeling tired.

"It's ironic. This already feels like a dream! I had four new students join our battler, had a sleepover, and even made something new. I'm sure this battler party will be the best one yet!" Kiriwo declares excitedly.

"I bet you're right!" I reply, also pumped for tomorrow's event.

"Iruma, thanks so much! This's been great." Kiriwo says.

"Sure!" I say.

Kiriwo's phone starts to ring, interrupting our conversation.

"Oops, sorry. Get some sleep, I need to get this real quick." Kiriwo says and leaves the room to take the call.

Third Person POV

"Hello?" Kiriwo answers his phone.

"AGAIN FOUR-EYES! What did I say about letting it ring more than ONCE!?" The loud male voice on the phone screams.

"Oh, I was just doing some work with the other members." Kiriwo says, smiling.

"Shut up! I don't care! You better be getting ready!" The man shouts.

"Oh yes, of course I am!" the boy reassures the man on the other end.

"Now listen. Don't screw this up! Us two are gonna destroy the demon school Babyls together. They're holding Sullivan after the tip I gave them, so he won't be back at school for a while. We've got some decent pawns now too. The time for us to cause a storm has come. Make sure we have total access to the machine, got it?"

"Yes sir. It's good to go." He reassures the man on the other end.

"We'll start after the countdown to party eve. There'll be a bunch of students in the central plaza waiting for the bell. That's our target." The man explains.

"But something like that would cause a huge disaster, right?" Kiriwo asks, not sounding at all troubled by the potential result despite his words.

"The more carnage and casualties the better. What's necessary for us to pull this off are your abilities and the machine. You're the linchpin of our plan, so be ready!" the man proclaims.

"I will be, we've been planning this for years, there's no way I'll let all that effort go to waste!"

Kiriwo pauses for a moment, getting the odd feeling of being watched again.

"I need to go, I think the new members might be wondering what's taking me so long. Goodbye, Bro." he makes up an excuse to end the conversation.

Kiriwo hangs up the phone abruptly and glances around himself, feeling uneasy.

"There's that feeling again…I've been gettin' it even more often lately…"

**The Next Day**

Iruma POV

Azz and Clara spend time setting up the launchpad for the fireworks in our tiny plot of land that was set aside for our battler.

"Sorry I couldn't help out with this part. You guys did a great job!" I apologize to my two friends.

"Don't worry about it Master Iruma, you have done plenty! We don't need you overdoing it and wearing yourself out." Azz assuages my fear that they might be unhappy with me for not helping.

"Hey, by the way, where's Kiriwo?" I ask, looking around.

"He said he had a personal matter to attend to and ran off." Azz answers.

Kiriwo POV

Within my secret room, I walk towards my masterpiece, the magic-enhancing apparatus, Gabuko. I remove the tarp that covers it and give the cold metal surface of Gabuko a loving stroke.

#I look forward to working with you…# I whisper to the machine.

I grab a nearby cord and plug it into the device.

"It's been so long…at first, I wasn't sure I would be able to pull this off. But with my Bro's advice, and with the help from my cute little members so blinded by enthusiasm who're none the wiser, I think I'll be able to make it work. Meeting them all was so well-timed, I have to think it was destiny! I'm sure it'll be one hell of a party!"

I look a the clock on the wall and realize that I don't have much time.

"Oh, what am I doing? I need to get ready!"

Recognizing that I am missing some parts I need, I walk to another part of the room to grab them. As I'm rifling through a pile of stuff, I hear a voice from behind me. I freeze, horrified that someone has found my secret lair.

"Oh, Kiriwo! There you are!" I hear the familiar voice of Iruma come from the doorway.

How the hell did he find me?! This place is secret, how could he have even gotten in?!

Iruma POV

"Oh, Iruma…thank goodness it's just you! You gave me quite the scare…I was rendered speechless!"

"Oh…I'm sorry!" I apologize.

"How'dja get in here anyway?" Kiriwo asks.

"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow so I was walking around looking for you. Then, my ring suddenly started pulling me through the whole school. I ended up touching the wall with my hand and opening the door and found you on the other side." I explain what just happened to me.

"Pulled by…your ring?"

"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense to me either." I say, laughing nervously.

"Well, the Gluttonous Feeder ring is made of the same stuff my choker is, maybe they reacted to each other?"Kiriwo proposes a possible explanation for what happened to me.

"That makes sense…I guess…So, what is this place?" I ask, looking around the strange room I find myself in.

"It's my secret base." Kiriwo replies, smiling.

"Whoa, are you serious?!" I ask as Kiriwo walks away, pushing through a set of heavy curtains. I hear some rustling and movement as if things are being moved around behind it.

"Iruma, come take a look." Kiriwo says mysteriously, poking his head out from behind the curtain he just went through.

I hesitantly push my way through the gap in the large, purple curtain and find Kiriwo standing proudly next to a large object covered by a tarp.

"Allow me to welcome you to the Magi App's graveyard."

I look around and see many strange devices scattered throughout the room along with boxes full of objects I don't recognize. The place is a mess, to be frank, many things are covered in dust and cobwebs.

"Apparently, back in the day, this battler would make a bunch of weird things that would get them in trouble if they were ever caught…so they came here to work on that stuff in secret. But, all that's left now is junk…"

"Then, what were you getting ready for in here?"

"Do you really want to know?" Kiriwo asks ominously. "Once you know about it, there ain't no turning back!"

I stand there silent, not sure what to make of what Kiriwo is saying.

"Ready?...here it goes." Kiriwo announces as he pulls on a rope hanging from the ceiling.

I wince and cover my eyes from the sudden burst of light that fills the room. When I look, I see a huge window to the outside, its view overlooking the main plaza.

"Wow!"

"Didn't expect that, did'ja?"

I stand, looking out the massive pane of glass, enamored by the great view."

"Take a look at just below that tower…right in front of the central plaza!"

Kiriwo points to a large belltower containing a large, golden bell shining in the sunlight.

"That's the bell of ceremonies; it rings to signal the end of party eve, and then the party day begins!"

Kiriwo goes on to explain how this window is special, blocking all sound and sight from the other side. This is to help keep this room a secret. He's the only person here who knows about it, that is until I barged in a moment ago. That's why he looked so shocked to see me standing in the doorway.

"Can I share something personal with you?" Kiriwo asks, still looking out the window in front of us.

"Sure, you can share anything with me Kiriwo, we are friends after all!"

"Thanks, Iruma. You're always so kind and easy to talk to. I can't help but put my guard down when I'm around you. I want to tell you about my dream; my ambition; my goal in life."

I listen intently to Kiriwo's words, not wanting to miss anything since this seems so important to him.

"I want to create a world where weaker demons like myself can stand equal with the stronger ones. That's why I joined this battler. Magical Apparati can help close the power gap between us, putting all demons on equal footing. That's what I desire most from life, it's my only purpose."

I recall how Kiriwo has been ruthlessly bullied and rejected by his family for his weak magic. It's understandable why he feels so passionately about this.

"That's a great dream, Kiriwo! I think everyone should be treated equally too. It's not fair that you've been bullied and abandoned for the way you were born!" I say, trying to show some sympathy for my friend's situation.

Kiriwo smiles warmly, touched by my nice words.

"Thanks, Iruma, I really needed to hear that. I can't talk to anyone else here about this, since I don't think high-ranked demons would appreciate my ideas."

Kiriwo pauses and presses his hand on the window.

"Y'know, from up here you can't tell who has a high ranking, or a low ranking. They're all equal, no difference whatsoever." Kiriwo's eyes sparkle with passion. "It's beautiful, isn't it." He says as he closes his eyes and turns to me, smiling. "I want the whole world to be this way!" he proclaims excitedly.

I smile back, pleased by how happy my friend seems right now.

"Thanks for listening. You're not like any of the other students. I'm so glad I got to meetcha!"

"I'm glad I met you too!"

I can't help but feel a connection with him. We're so similar, little-to-no magic, bad parents, secrets that we can't tell anyone…

Maybe, someday…I can tell him the truth about myself and he'll just smile at me!

"Iruma?" he asks, snapping me out of my daydream.

"Huh? Right, anyway. Let's just make sure the fireworks are a hit! It's the first step to a world without a power gap you've been wishing for!" I say passionately.

"Yup sure is! In fact, the reason I came here was to mentally prepare myself."

"Kiriwo!" I say, grabbing his hand. "The grand prize, we should go for it!"

"The grand…prize?" Kiriwo asks, seeming to be both surprised and confused.

Oh crap, I got too excited!

I frantically let go of his hand and back-peddle.

"Oh, sorry…maybe that's too much for us to handle!"

"Well, the grand prize is usually taken by large battlers with high-ranked members. A little battler like us can't compete with them."

"Don't you see? It would be perfect if we win! All of those high-ranking demons, they'll practically die from shock when they lose to us! You work so hard, and I want to prove that to the whole school! We have no choice, it's the only way to get you closer to your goal! So…let's go for it!" I shout while filled with passion.

"You say some things that I never would've expected you to, Iruma. That's a compliment, just so you know."

"Uh, wow you really think so?"

"Yeah, you're full of true ambition! I must say, you and I…we're so much alike…" Kiriwo says happily. "Well, time for us to go. Can't leave all the preparatin' to those other two, now can we?"

Kiriwo and I walk to where Azz and Clara are finishing the area where we're gonna launch the fireworks and find the two demons arguing over something.

"This is about what I expected…" I say defeatedly.

"The launchpad is all ready!" Clara yells excitedly, eyes sparkling.

I look at the once-simple launchpad and find that it has been gaudily decorated with ribbons, neon paint, flowers, and stuffed animals.

"It's got your style for sure, Clara…" I say flatly.

"Yeah, I worked so hard on it! Isn't it amazing?!"

"I tried to stop her, but…" a fed-up Azz says.

"It looks fine to me." Kiriwo adds.

"We're actually going to use this?!" Azz shouts astounded that Kiriwo is okay with the current state of the launchpad.

Clara begins jumping up and down with excitement at Kiriwo's words and I just laugh nervously. Tomorrow's the day, the day we show the school our hard work. I can't wait!

**The Next Day**

Party eve has arrived and everyone is enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, Grandpa and Rimuru haven't returned yet, which is leaving a lingering worry in the back of my head. I can't help but feel guilty enjoying the festivities knowing that they're probably sitting in cold, dark jail cells right now. Both of them would want me to have fun though, even if they're not around. It's not like I can do anything to help them anyway. The most I can do is try my best not to put myself in danger, since Rimuru is absent. I'm sure both of them would be devastated if I got injured somehow while they're not here to protect me.

I push the negative thoughts out of my head and decide to scope out the other battlers along with my two friends. Kiriwo says that he needs to rest before tonight, so we go to enjoy the party eve without him.

"Step right up! How 'bout an ogre-sized serving of yakisoba?! Come get it while it's hot!"

I hear a voice yelling from a nearby stand and am hit with an irresistible smell. I walk closer and see a large mound of noodles on an oversized plate. The demon standing near it yells again, challenging me.

"Eat it all if you can, I dare you!"

"""Yeah! Just try!""" The other three yell in unison.

"Yeah, can I?" I ask, wanting to taste the food that is giving off such an enticing smell.

"You think you can? Really?! There's no way you-" the leader of the group taunts before my eating makes him eat his words.

"Thanks for the little snack, you guys. It was delicious!" I compliment the massive amount of food I just ate.

The four demons stare at me in shock as I walk away.

"Captain! We don't have any more ingredients, what are we gonna do?!" one of them says, voice filled with desperation.

"My, that's too bad. Master Iruma could eat twice that much in a blink of an eye." Azz taunts the already crying demons.

Azz, Clara, and I continue walking before we're stopped by a familiar laugh.

"Hahaha, that was some truly impressive eating, my rival!" Sabnock says loudly, like usual.

"Hey, Sabnock!" I greet my 'rival'.

"It's too bad, I shall take the grand prize!" He declares arrogantly.

"What are you getting at?! It's out Magical Apparatus battler that will reign supreme!" Azz protests angrily.

With sparks flying between the two, I realize that they need to be stopped. I step between them, pushing them away from each other.

"Easy, easy."

"Okay, I'll let it slide. They aren't starting the judging until party day, today's just for fun." He says before getting a puzzled look on his face. "Hey, isn't someone missing from your group? Where's your sister? I don't want her to miss the Demon King performance that I'm doing for the battler party tomorrow."

"Oh…um…she's at home sick right now so I'm not sure if she'll be able to make it." I repeat my pre-rehearsed lie.

"That's unfortunate. Will you still watch?" Sabnock asks, looking disappointed by Rimuru's absence. I can't help but feel the same, I miss having her around.

"Sure Sabnock, I'll be there." I say to the hulking boy, wanting to cheer him up.

Sabnock nods happily.

"That's wonderful. Now, I should be going, I need to rehearse."

"Bye Sabnock, see ya!"

After wandering around for a while longer, running into multiple other classmates, we return to the launchpad to review what we're going to do for our presentation later.

"One more time before Kiriwo returns, let's review the plan. *clears throat* the opportune moment comes at party day countdown. After the party eve, all students gather in the central plaza to hear the bell mark the start of party day. The minute that bell stops ringing…we'll set the fireworks off, stealing everyone's attention! We'll start off with a big bang followed by many smaller, prettier fireworks. Done."

"Me! Me! I want to shoot off the fireworks, can I?!" Clara asks, raising her hand as high as she can.

"Only Master Iruma is capable and worthy of being given such a crucial task." Azz protests.

"Awww! You're such a meanie!" Clara whines.

"That's okay, Clara can do it." I say, not wanting the two to argue over something so silly.

"What are you saying?! You're the only one for the job Iruma, sir!"

"If you say so…hehe…"

"It is programmed to fire exactly ten seconds after the fuse is lit. I will provide the flame to start." Azz explains and holds up his index finger, producing a small flame. "And then, Master, you can light the fuse." he says, sounding proud.

Without Azz noticing, Clara grabs the fuse and sneaks up behind him. She lights the end of the fuse using the flame he's still producing from his fingertip.

"Like this?" she asks.

"Yes, exactly like tha- whaaaa!?"

The two of us start freaking out after realizing that in just a few seconds, all our hard work will go to waste. The fireworks are gonna go off prematurely, ruining our plan for tonight!

"Put it out! Quickly!" Azz screams desperately.

I grab the lit end of the fuse out of the unaware Clara's hand and begin stomping on it, attempting to extinguish it.

"It won't go out!" I yell, horrified.

"Get down!" Azz shouts as he grabs the two of us and throws us all to the ground and away from the launch pad. We brace ourselves for the imminent explosion but…nothing happens.

"Oh, thank goodness!" I exclaim, relieved.

"I truly feared the worst had happened…" Azz whimpers.

"Oh wait, did I do something wrong?" Clara asks, finally comprehending the situation. This causes Azz to almost snap.

"You did everything wrong! We were supposed to wait until the party eve ends! I just finished explaining that!" Azz complains, barely holding in his anger.

"Oh, yeah!" Clara responds, remembering what Azz said just a minute or so ago.

Azz and I both facepalm.

"I'm so sorry." She apologizes.

"That's not good enough! You should have let us know the shell wasn't in there!"

"Huh? Well…I didn't know anything about that…"

"But…we obviously put the shell in there, right?" Azz asks.

We go over to the launchpad and look down the barrel of the cannon-like launcher. It's empty, with no sign of the fireworks shell.

"Yeah, where could it have gone though?" I ask.

We decide to start searching for Kiriwo so we can ask him for advice. Heck, there's a good possibility he's the person who has the shell. He might have wanted to give it some last-second tweaks or something. Either way, we need to look for him.

Henri Azazel POV

"He seems like a peaceful fellow…but, according to our intel, he illegally entered the human world and is holding a human teenager against their will. Is this correct, Baal?" I say while overlooking the interrogation of Sullivan from another room through a window.

"Who can say?" says a blonde-haired man leaning against the wall behind him with his arms folded.

I glare at him, troubled by his flippant attitude.

"Yeah, yeah. That's the story my trust little birdie told me, and I'm sticking to it. Besides, you have your own intel, right?"

"Yes, I do. Even so, holding one of the Three Greats here for long is quite rude…so what to do, I wonder…?"

"Might as well take your time, if this comes to nothing, all the better. Though, if I'm being totally frank with you, this might very well be what you call 'the calm before the storm'."

What in the Netherworld is that supposed to mean?!

In addition to Lord Sullivan, we are also holding his 'granddaughter', making the situation more tenuous. I suspect the girl isn't who she says she is since her 'brother' is a suspected human and she isn't. I've seen humans before, and despite her outward appearance, she isn't one. I don't know what she is, to be honest. As a certified specialist on all sorts of creatures that end up in the Netherworld, I've never come across anything like her in my many years. That is the real reason why we are holding her here so that once we have the current predicament taken care of, I can investigate her next.

Iruma POV

Our search for the head of our battler leads us into the school building. We are walking down a hallway when the whole building begins to shake violently. I cover my head, afraid the ceiling is going to come down on me.

"What in…the world?!" Azz yells.

Clara cries out in fear and clings to Azz.

After a few seconds, the shaking stops, just as suddenly as it started.

"Oh woooow!" Clara says, looking around wide-eyed.

"That was…what happened?" Azz asks, utterly flabbergasted by what felt like an earthquake.

I rush over to them, concerned that they might be hurt.

"Azz, Clara, are you okay?" I ask.

"Yes, Master."

"Totally fine!"

"Oh, good. Looks like everyone else is okay too." I say, looking down the hallway at the other nearby students.

"What even was that?!" Azz asks.

"I have no idea…but we should probably get ou-" I get stopped by an invisible wall. It's in-between me, and my two friends, separating us. I fall to the floor after bumping into the unexpected object.

"Ugh, that hurt…" I say, rubbing my head.

"Iruma, sir!"

"I'm fine, but it seems like there's some kind of barrier here." I say as I touch my hand to the solid wall that I just bonked my forehead on.

The students around us find more walls, screaming and yelling as they start to panic. All of us touch it, including Clara pressing her face onto it like a window.

"Itch chastes wike Kiwiwo'sh mashic. Ish sha shame." She says with her face still pressed against it.

"What?" I ask, not understanding her distorted speech.

"It tastes like Kiriwo's magic. It's the same." Clara repeats after removing her face from the wall.

"Yeah, it does seem to be the same as the barrier Kiriwo showed us. How strange." Azz says, observing the barrier.

"But why is it here…?" I ask.

"I'm coming to your side right now!" Azz declares.

He conjures up a sword made of fire and slashes at the invisible wall separating us, but it isn't strong enough to break it. Clara also attempts to break through by rolling at it but just ends up slamming against it.

"Oh no! Are you okay Clara?" I ask, knowing from personal experience how solid the thing she just ran into is.

"It's astounding that someone with such limited magic would be capable of creating such a formidable barrier, let alone erecting them all over the school. If this was done solely by Kiriwo, who just happens to be missing at the moment, he has likely been planning to do this for many years." Azz speculates.

"I don't know why he's done this, but something must be wrong! I need to go find him!" I say, getting worried about the implications of the barriers.

"Yeah, but where could he be? We looked all over, and now these barriers are hindering our movement."

Wait, there's one place we didn't check! Kiriwo's secret base, the Magi-App graveyard!

"I can't be sure…but there' one place I can think of that Kiriwo might've gone. But how will I navigate through this maze of barriers…?" I think to myself, still not sure how I could pull this off.

[[I may be able to help with that.]]

Ciel? Is that you?!

[[Yes. Master has instructed me to aid you in his absence.]]

Is Rimuru okay? They told me they were in jail.

[[My Master is fine, no puny jail cell can contain him. He is there of his own free will.]]

So, how can you help me with this? What are you gonna do?

[[I will assist you in the use of a skill you never learned properly. It will allow you to visualize all of the barriers in the school, making it possible to navigate through them.]]

What skill?

[[Magic Sense.]]

I remember how unpleasant that training was and cringe at the thought of experiencing it again.

[[Do not worry, with my help it will not be nearly as difficult.]]

Alright Ciel, please help. I'm ready.

[[Prepare yourself. I will activate the skill without your intervention, controlling it for you.]]

Suddenly, I feel like my brain is on fire, getting a piercing headache unlike any I've experienced before. I fall to my knees, clutching my head and wincing from the overwhelming sensation.

"Master Iruma! What's wrong!?" Azz yells desperately, unable to reach me because of the barrier.

"Iruma-chi!" Clara cries out, banging on the invisible wall frantically.

After a few seconds of the searing pain, it begins to subside. As I come back to my senses, I realize that I can 'see' everything. The whole school all at once somehow, although it isn't exactly seeing and more like sensing or perceiving. The details aren't very clear, but I can make out where there are people, where the rooms and hallways are, and most importantly, all the barriers.

This is amazing!

[[It was necessary for me to dull the detail of the perception of your surroundings due to your physiology. Your human brain is inferior and unable to process as much data as my Master's.]]

Ignoring the fact that she just called my brain 'inferior', I thank her for her help.

Thank you so much, Ciel!

[[Do not expect this type of special treatment regularly, I normally only give this level of assistance to my Master.]]

I understand.

"I'm alright guys, I just tried out a trick Rimuru showed me a while ago that will help me get through this maze. It's pretty tricky and can cause headaches (apparently) but I'm okay now, so don't worry." I reassure my friends since I freaked them out a moment ago.

"I'm glad you're alright Iruma, sir!" Azz says, sounding relieved.

"Don't scare us like that, Iruma-chi!" Clara pouts.

"Hehe…sorry. I didn't know I would react like that, or I would've warned you guys first…"

I focus on the room I believe Kiriwo is in and detect that there is someone in there. With only me and Kiriwo being aware of the room, it has to be him! I focus a bit more and a path light up in my mind, showing a route snaking through all the barriers, linking my current location and Kiriwo's. I also realize that if I wanted Azz and Clara to join me, they would have to take a massive detour to meet up with me so I need to go alone.

"Guy's, I figured out a way through the maze!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Yay!"

Just as I'm about to start running to Kiriwo, an announcement comes over the intercom.

"Hello, students! Can you all hear me clearly? Did that surprise you? Well, you can all relax! This was a surprise event created by the New Magic battler and the Game battler. The whole school is now a maze! Avoid those nasty invisible walls and head toward the goal, the central plaza! We even have prizes for the winners, so get fired up!" the voice of Professor Dali says.

"You guy's should follow those instructions while I go look for Kiriwo. I'll meet up with you two later." I relay my plan to my two friends.

"Shouldn't we go with you, Master?" Azz asks, confused that I would leave them behind.

"You can't, it will take you too much time to reach me. I need to go find Kiriwo now! Something's definitely wrong, especially since the teachers are making up excuses to gather up the students. I have a bad feeling about this whole situation." I explain my reasoning to them.

"That is true…it is concerning that the teachers have made up a fake explanation for the barriers. I will follow your orders…come on, Valac, let's go to the central plaza like Professor Dali said to do a moment ago." Azz says with newfound determination

"But I want to stay with Iruma-chi!" Clara whines.

"No, we need to go! I don't know how long it will take us to get through the maze!" Azz insists/

Azz walks off, dragging Clara behind him as she squirms and complains. I feel bad running off without them, but I have a mission. Following the path laid out by 'Magic Sense', I start sprinting through the school towards my newest friend's secret room.

Third-Person POV

"The time has finally come. I'm so thrilled!" Says the boy standing alone in a room long forgotten by most. "Everything ends today…no…this is only the beginning!"

He stares out the large window overlooking the main plaza of Babyls. The festival below is in full swing, students laughing and enjoying themselves, oblivious to the sinister plot that is about to come to a head.

As his face is lit up by the moonlight, he removes his round glasses and pushes his hair back, covering the smaller of his two black horns. A smile peels across his face, one full of sinister intent. He then reaches for his neck, clasping the purple charm of his choker between two fingers.

*Chink*

The charm shatters under the pressure of his grasp, releasing the energy stored within. Suddenly, the school is enveloped in a barrier, isolating it from the rest of the Netherworld. Everything shakes, screams of terror fill the air as more barriers divide up the inside of the first. Confusion and pandemonium ensue as the students and staff make the realization that they're trapped.

Looking down at the chaos below, the boy smiles. Everything is going just as he planned, nobody can stop him now. With Sullivan absent, no demon stands a chance against his barriers. Their strength is incredible, which is understandable considering the years he spent storing up magical power to achieve this result. Even high-ranked demons are simply rats trapped inside his maze, helpless and pathetic.

"Now then, let's get the real party started." He says to himself, elated.

The boy, feeling as if he's being watched, looks over his shoulder. #There's that feeling again…no, there's no way anyone else could be in here…It's just my nerves again…that's it…my nerves…#

He takes a deep breath before pulling out a pair of enchanted black leather gloves. He slips them on, claps his hands together, and spreads them apart in the air in front of him. A magical map of the school manifests before his eyes, showing the locations of anyone in the school, represented by balls of light.

"Oh no, where do you think you're going?" he says, noticing a few stray lights. By manipulating the positions of his barriers, he directs everyone to his desired location. The stray 'lights' are stopped and change direction, now following the path the boy desires.

"Much better! Yes, make your way to the goal…If they go the wrong way, I'll guide them until they're all trapped together. I'm gonna be blowing all of you fools up…with flowers of light! I'll be watchin' from the best seat in the house!" he says with pure ecstasy in his voice.

He walks over to a large device and gives it a loving stroke.

"I know you'll give it your all, Gabuko…or should I say…'School Destroyer'."

He places the fireworks shell at the peak of the device and flips a switch turning it on. It lights up bright white, charging the shell with magic. The ball-like explosive glows with energy, becoming progressively brighter as time passes. He smiles with glee at the sight of his ultimate weapon, the key to his dream coming true. Yes, it all rests on this masterpiece he has tirelessly worked on for years.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots an orb of light on his map. It's moving at an unusually fast speed, heading straight for his secret lair, somehow.

"What the…?" he says, puzzled by the speed and efficiency this individual is moving with, dodging his barriers as if they know where every single one is.

"Something's wrong…they're too fast!" he says, staring at the map with shock. "It must be Iruma, he's the only other person who knows about this room. This is bad…wait…no…this is perfect!" he squeals with joy.

After a few minutes, the person approaching the room arrives at the barrier-blocked door and begins banging on it frantically.

Iruma POV

Having followed the path, I make it to the wall that hides Kiriwo's base. I press in the one brick that causes the wall to magically fade away, revealing the door hidden behind it. I reach for the doorknob but my hand is stopped by one of Kiriwo's barriers.

"Hey, Kiriwo, are you in there!? I know you are! C'mon, let me in!" I yell, banging my fist on the barrier covering the door. It suddenly disappears and the door opens, causing me to fall flat on my face since I was pressing against it.

"Hello there, glad you made it, Iruma." Kiriwo says, smiling.

I notice that my friend looks different from normal. He isn't wearing his large round glasses, half of his hair is combed back, covering the smaller of his two black horns, and the purple charm on his choker is missing.

"Kiriwo…wha…why…where are your glasses? What's going on?" I ask, confused by my friend's changed appearance. The vibe he gives off is much different than normal, making me feel unsettled.

"Well, it is a party so I decided to go all out!" he explains, smiling.

"There are barriers everywhere…you're the one who made them, right?" I ask.

"Right you are! I'm delighted to see everyone's been enjoying them…although that wasn't my intention. They just decided to call it a surprise event, which made it even more amusing than I planned."

"You're also the one who took the fireworks, aren't you?" I ask but don't get a response, but my question is soon answered by what I see.

I follow him as he steps through a split in the curtains hanging in the center of the room. I find a large machine, seemingly overflowing with energy, with what appears to be the fireworks shell resting at the top. It is also glowing and sparking as if being charged by the apparatus.

There isn't much difference between fireworks and a bomb, the main one being the way they're used. If Kiriwo is charging this magic-based firework shell with a massive amount of magic…then…no…!

Fear fills my heart as I make the realization and I freeze.

"Kiriwo…what do you plan to do with that?" I ask cautiously, dreading his answer. I don't want to accept that my friend could be capable of such a thing.

"Why detonate it of course! So I can blow Babyls to smithereens, along with everyone here!" Kiriwo confirms my worst fears in a cheerful voice, giving me the same smile as always. Despite it appearing the same on the surface, it doesn't fill me with warmth like usual but instead stabs me like a dagger made of ice. It's a false smile, one that's hiding evil behind it.

I look over to the window, seeing all the oblivious demons, my classmates and teachers, standing on the ground below. Everyone I've met here is at the center of all this, filling my stomach with a sinking feeling.

If I don't stop him, everyone will die!

"B-but why!? How could you?!" I ask desperately, trying to figure out his motives.

"Hmm…let's see now…I guess I can tell you my story since we're such good friends and all!"

"I already told you about how I was rejected by my family because of my weak magical power. When my condition was revealed, I was sent to what they call 'The Garden', a corrective elementary school for young demons. There I was also rejected by my teacher and all my classmates, all except for one girl. She was much like me, also weak and picked on by everyone else. One day, one of the other students stole a precious heirloom, an earring that belonged to her late Grandmother, and went to throw it in the nearby river at the bottom of a cliff. I managed to stop its fall with my barrier ability, but I lost focus for just a moment, causing it to shatter. The earring plummeted into the roaring waters below, never to be found. The girl ended up leaving The Garden, but I stayed behind."

Kiriwo pauses, seemingly troubled by the memory he just shared with me.

"It's survival of the fittest here in the Netherworld and seeing her so defeated by the unfairness of it all…sealed the deal for me. I will never get her expression out of my head!" Kiriwo says, clutching his chest, overwhelmed with emotion.

I look at him from behind with concern. The story he just shared is tragic, trying to help a friend and failing at the critical moment after giving them a shred of hope. Anyone would feel crushed by an experience like that!

*Kiriwo takes a deep breath* "Her face filled with despair…I SEE IT ENDLESSLY!" he shouts at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with intense emotion.

"Kiriwo wait!" I try to stop him. He's clearly traumatized by the experience and I don't want him to relive that for my sake.

*continues breathing heavily* "AND EVERY TIME I KEEP THINKING…!" he screams.

(dramatic pause)

"…~ooooh woooow~! I would kill to see that face just one more time~!" he moans, voice filled with pleasure and elation.

Shocked by his unexpected reaction to something like that, I'm at a loss for words.

"It was just so bizarre! Ever since then, any time someone would look at me with hopelessness…my chest would tense up a little~…It was all so simple! Because of her, I finally knew what that feelin' was! Back then, when I saw that totally crushed expression…it got me unbElivAbLy ExCiTeD!" He yells wildly, stretching his arms out and tilting his head back, and looking at the ceiling. "It almost felt as if my heart skipped a beat, at that moment, it was clear I had been reborn as the new me!" he announces before rushing at me and pinning me to the floor. He stares at me with his flushed, pleasure-filled face; relishing the moment.

"Geddit? The despair of others is the only thing that makes my life worth living!"

…and that's when I realized. This is the Netherworld, and I'm human…and he's…he's a true demon…I should have listened to Rimuru when she told me to be careful around him. She could tell that he's dangerous, and I ignored her! Now she's not here…leaving me alone to deal with my mistake…

'Let's just say he gives off a bad vibe. I don't trust him.' Her warning repeats in my head.

"This is a good look for you…~I-ru-ma~!" He says with a malevolent grin spread from ear to ear, resembling the stuff of nightmares.

"Whoopsie-daisy! Let's continue our conversation, shall we?" Kiriwo says, reverting to his 'normal' tone. He stands up, releasing me in the process. I lay there for a moment, spread out on the floor, before standing up myself.

"So you're curious about why I want to destroy the school, huh? Well, it stems from a past battler party; when I met Bro in the Magical Apparatus battler."

Flashback Third Person POV

A small Kiriwo walks into the Magical Apparatus battler's room, which is full of older demons.

"Hey! What the hell do you want, you little brat?" One demon asks the boy.

"So this is the notorious Magical Apparatus battler of Babyls!" Kiriwo exclaims, filled with excitement as he looks around the room. "After I heard how famous you guys were, I couldn't help but come! The school's open because of the battler party, so I figured I would sneak in!"

One of the demons comes up behind him and holds a sword to his neck.

"Shut up!" The sword-wielding demon commands. "Just who the hell do you think you are?!"

The demon expects the young boy to get scared and run away, but he reacts much differently. Instead, he tenderly cups the end of the sword in his hands, holding it up to his cheek. He rubs his face on the blade, lovingly and moans with pleasure.

"How many have you killed with this? What did you do with them afterward? Did you throw them away or use them for something?" he asks excitedly. "Did it get you excited?" he asks, turning to look at the demon threatening him, wearing an aroused expression.

All the demons in the room gasped at the behavior of the small child invading their battler. Not sure what to do, they turn to their leader, who has been woken up from his nap by the commotion.

"S-sorry Baal! Didn't mean to wake you up!" one of them apologizes anxiously.

"We'll get rid of this snotty kid!" another adds.

"Who the hell is this irritating brat?" Baal asks angrily.

"Well, sir, I came here looking for comrades!" the boy explains.

"Comrades, huh?" Baal asks, confused by the child's motivations.

"D'you see the bandage I'm wearing?" the boy points to the bandage wrapped horizontally around his entire head. "It's so I won't forget. Because of me, this girl lost something really important, so I gave her one of my horns to make up for it because she said they were pretty. Her expression…was one of complete and total revulsion!" he says, enamored by the memory of the girl's disgust. "I know it's crazy to get so jazzed about someone having the worst day of their life!... I'm a bit messed up, obviously…but still-"

"That doesn't seem crazy to me at all." Baal stops the boy.

Kiriwo's eyes light up at his words.

"In fact, that's what you would call 'going back to basics'." Baal explains.

"What do you mean by that?" he asks.

"It's how all demons used to be. You've just retained more of that purity than most demons. That said…I totally get how you feel!"

Ball abruptly stands up and walks over to the window. He pulls back the dark curtains, revealing a view of the school's courtyard.

"Sit back and listen for a sec. You don't hear screaming or ferocious roars here in the Netherworld anymore. It's so pleasant I wanna puke! That's why we, the Magical Apparatus battler, are trying to return the Netherworld to its original state of chaos. That's my true ambition."

"Chaos, huh?"

"Whaddya say, brat? Wanna help me achieve it? Follow me now, and I'll make sure you get to see it; you'll witness the ultimate despair!"

Kiriwo looks up at the older boy, eyes sparkling at the thought.

Iruma POV

"From then on, I'd see Bro every so often, and he'd give me all these cool things." Kiriwo explains, gesturing towards his neck. "Not to mention valuable knowledge. After some time had passed since my enrollment here at Babyls, my Bro told me something really interesting. 'We're going to get rid of the ranks that give order in the Netherworld, Kiriwo.' I was so ecstatic! Because of the existence of the ranking system, everyone listens to those above them…but if we turn those stairs into cliffs, then chaos would ~truly take over~! So we decided to obliterate Babyls, the very symbol of ranks itself. Using your fireworks will be flashy, and beautiful!"

No…

I fall to my knees in shock at the realization that I'm about to lose everything.

"Thanks to Gabuko I'm sure that it will be quite a spectacular explosion! We've created something truly wonderful, Iruma!"

Yes, the fireworks…the fireworks were my idea! Oh my god, what have I done!?

I begin to lose hope, blaming myself for what's about to happen. Tears begin to form in my eyes as I kneel on the floor, staring down at it.

"I believe it must've been fate that brought us two together. Now I can see my objective realized…the students are mindlessly enjoying this big surprise, and they can't wait to see what'll happen next! Those faces beaming with joy and anticipation…soon, they'll all turn to anguish!"

"And once the parents who show up see the horrible condition of their precious children, they'll scream in agony and rage! They'll all fall into the depths of despair!"

No…please…why…why is he doing this!? This isn't the Kiriwo I know…this isn't my friend!

*moans* "Sure, I could have stopped you from coming in here with my barriers if I wanted to, but I chose to let you in…and do you wanna know why?"

"It's because I want to watch the fireworks specifically with you~! Your friends…you get to watch the most important people in your life shatter before your eyes! You'll drown in regret!"

NO! I can't…I can't let that happen! But…what can I do? I'm a useless, weak human…I stand no chance against him…not by myself…

"Yes, I'll stuff you into a box made of barriers and watch you plunge into despair! I have to see it so PleAsE sHoW mE! Your despair-filled face! SHoW mEeE!"

If this is my fault, then it's my responsibility too. Rimuru isn't here to fix my problems for me this time, I'm the only person here who truly knows what's going on…I need to stop him!

Realizing that I don't have much time left before the end of the party eve, I wipe the tears from my eyes and look up at the demon looming over me, and refuse to give him what he's seeking. Instead of a look of desperation, despair, or hopelessness, I glare at him with defiance and determination.

There's no way I'm just gonna roll over and let him destroy the school! I will fight with my last dying breath to save Babyls and all the people within it! Even if I fail in the end, I need to at least try!

Kiriwo looks back, perplexed by the conviction in my eyes. He expected me to give up, right? Yeah, not happening. I've gone through too much just to give up at the point it matters most! I stand up and pick up a nearby crate, placing it next to Gabuko so I can reach the fireworks shell resting at the top.

"Wait a sec…didn't you hear what I just said? I'm gonna blow up the entire school! Why? Why are you so calm!? Everything important to you will be gone! There'll be nothing left! All because of something YOU MADE! After all this crap I just dumped on you, why aren't you knee-deep in DESPAIR!?" a deranged Kiriwo screeches.

"Despair is a waste of time. Nothing good comes of it!" I say, smiling at the evil demon. "I've been through hell in my life, so I'm used to it, y'know? Despairing won't change the situation. Acting is always better than giving up and not even trying, even against insane odds." I explain in a calm tone.

Kiriwo gasps, frozen with shock as I grab the shell off of Gabuko. The glowing orb is hot from the overflowing energy that was pumped into it, causing me to wince when I pick it up, but the safety of the school is more important than my pain, so I do my best to ignore it.

"All my life, I've tried as hard as I could to avoid danger, but since coming here, I've learned to challenge myself…that's why…even if you are evil, I won't run away, I won't despair! I'll SHATTER your ambition! You CAN'T go through with it!" I yell, determined to go through with this.

Still holding the glowing orb, I glare at him. His flabbergasted face is lit up by the white glow filling the room.

"No! Give it back! This instant!" he demands, holding out his hand. Yeah, no way, I'm not handing you the bomb. "Those fireworks will go off, along with the bell signaling the beginning of party day. You may have gotten it away from Gabuko, but it's still gonna explode. You can throw it into the courtyard, but unless I shield us, ~we're both gonna die~!" he taunts, trying to convince me to change my mind but I refuse.

*sigh* "I already said it before Kiriwo…I…will never despair! I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. I don't want anyone out there getting hurt, and I don't want our fireworks being used for this! I won't let you use something I helped make as a weapon against my friends and classmates! I won't back down!"

I turn my ring to unique mode, activate the 'Strengthen Body' skill, and run at the large window behind my former friend. He stretches his arms out to block me.

"Hey, stop it! What are you-?!" he screeches before I shove him out of the way as I run past him, causing him to fall backward and onto the floor.

I jump out of the large window with fireworks in hand.

"Are you crazy!?" Kiriwo screams from the floor behind me, but I don't pay him any mind.

"Libera!" I shout as I hurl the glowing shell away towards the sky.

The blue dragon-shaped magic bursts from my palm, even larger than I've used before. Because I was midair when I activated the spell, the kickback from it causes me to slam against the outcropping of the roof below me, flat on my back. The force of the impact knocked the wind out of me and the combined pain of it and the spell nearly causes me to pass out, but I keep my arm outstretched to continue the spell. Post-impact, I reopen my eyes with blurry vision. I watch as the shell climbs into the air, carried by the spell, hurtling towards the barrier above. I pray that it'll be enough to break through the wall of magic surrounding the school. I manage to stand up again, still being pushed by the stream of magic coming out of my right hand.

*BOOM!*

A thundering noise shakes the building as the spell and orb collide with the barrier. I watch it closely in anticipation of the barrier shattering, but my hopes are dashed. I realize that even with the most power I can manage 'safely', it still isn't enough.

"20 more seconds!" The announcer below broadcasts through a microphone, counting down in anticipation of the bell ringing, completely unaware he's also counting down to everyone's demise.

"That's why I called you crazy. The barrier surrounding the school is more than strong enough to withstand the explosion. You won't break through with such lame magic. ~I've waited for this day~! The day I'd see everyone's faces filled with despair! It's the sole reason I created this barrier, you see! The only one who's strong enough to break my barriers is Sullivan which sucks for you!" Kiriwo taunts me.

Only Sullivan is strong enough you say? Yeah, maybe not…but if I do this it'll have major consequences. I might even die from it…but if I don't, I'll die anyway, along with everyone else. I'm sorry Rimuru…Grandpa…everyone…

I reach out to switch my ring to 'Ultimate' mode, the forbidden setting only for emergencies. It is designed to unleash the absolute limit of power a human body can tolerate. I've already taken a hit from using 'Unique' mode, so it may be too much for me to handle, but I don't care. I've already decided to fight until the end, there's no turning back now!

Just before my fingers reach the ring…

*snap*

…everything around me freezes. I hesitate, confused.

"Sheesh, you don't have to go that far, kid!" I hear a familiar voice and a hand rests on my shoulder from behind. I look back and find…

"Rimuru…!?"

"Who else?" she says, chuckling and smiling cockily.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in jail!"

"I'll explain later, don't worry. You've done a good job, not letting that freak break your spirit. I'm proud of you." Rimuru says, ruffling my hair.

"But I've failed! I can't break through his barrier! I can't win…"

"Yeah, not by yourself you can't, but you haven't lost. I wanted to let you have this victory all to yourself, but it seems like that asshole made his barriers too strong for that. Let me help you a bit, we'll defeat him together, okay?" she says reassuringly.

"Yes, please help! I don't want the school, or my friends to be blown up by something I helped make!" I plead.

"It's my job to protect you and the school, isn't it? Don't worry, nobody will die today, I promise."

"I'm so sorry I caused all of this, I should have listened to you when you warned me about Kiriwo…" I say, regretting how much I trusted the demon who orchestrated this whole nightmare.

Rimuru frowns for a moment and then smiles.

"Hey, don't get so bent out of shape. This isn't your fault." Rimuru says, smiling at me warmly.

"B-but…"

"There's no way you could've known this would happen. Just learn from it and don't assume that what people show on the surface is always their true self. People in general, not just demons, can be very deceptive. I had to learn that the hard way myself. I didn't want to believe someone that I thought was my friend plotted to have me assassinated but I had to accept it. I denied it until I couldn't deny it anymore when the evidence was overwhelming. In hindsight, that was one of my biggest mistakes."

"Someone tried to have you killed?"

"Yup, that person tricked someone else into trying to kill me. It still pisses me off when I think about it, despite me being friends with the 'assassin' at this point…kinda…" Rimuru pauses, lost in thought as if not sure what she just said is the truth before snapping out of it."…but that's not important right now! We have a school to save!"

Pushing aside Rimuru's 'questionable' choice of friends, I nod my head and look around at my perfectly still surroundings.

"Did you freeze time or something?" I ask, knowing that Rimuru can mess with time.

"Yes I did…we're short on time….and I needed to talk to you…so…yeah…" Rimuru says, making excuses for why she manipulated time. She did say that it made things 'messy', so, understandably, she's reluctant to use this power.

"Are you ready?" she asks.

"Yeah, I think so…" I reply, believing that I'm mentally prepared to finish this.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road!" Rimuru says with her voice filled with enthusiasm.

*snap*

With a snap of her fingers, time resumes and everything begins to move again. The spell is still pouring out of my outstretched hand, once again attempting to push me backward. Rimuru comes up behind me, reaches out her left arm, and places her hand on the back of my right, curling her fingers around it slightly. I look at her face which is inches from mine. She has a resolute look on her pale face and her golden eyes sparkle with determination.

"Okay, this might feel a bit different from what you're used to, so bear with it." I nod my head, signaling my readiness and she proceeds to close her eyes.

I feel a chill as a purplish-black mist swirls around her hand. Just like when the spell mingled with the fire in Azz's spell, Rimuru's magic swirls around my 'Libera' and merges with it. The once light blue color begins to be overtaken by one of obsidian. The spell grows drastically in size in a quick burst of energy.

If it wasn't for the fact that Rimuru was standing directly behind me, I would have been launched backward by the force. She holds me in place, bracing me against the pushback. No strain is evident on her face, looking serene with her eyes still closed in focus.

Once the blackness reaches the head of the spell, the barrier immediately shatters. The glass-like shards disperse into a mist as they shower down, posing no threat to the observers below.

"Okay, that should be enough." Rimuru says, letting go of my hand. I lower mine as well, letting the spell detach. I open and close my right hand a few times as the sensation from Rimuru's magic fades.

She opens her eyes and we watch as the fireworks are carried into the night sky stretching above us. The countdown is continuing as the students chant.

"16…15…14…"

Now having reached my limit, I feel my knees buckle and my vision start to blur. Thankfully, I don't fall off the roof due to Rimuru taking hold of me.

"Hey, don't pass out yet! You don't want to miss the show, do you?" she says as she heals me a bit. I feel some strength come back, enough to keep me awake to witness the spectacle that's about to happen.

"5…4…3…2…1…0!"

With the ring of the bell, the fireworks detonate in the sky far above Babyls, the explosion far away enough not to cause any casualties. Due to Kiriwo's meddling, they are much larger than planned, but also much prettier. They illuminate the entire school with an almost blinding light cycling through many colors. I hear ooohs and aaaahs from the crowd below as they enjoy the light show.

Once the fireworks end, I am left on the roof with Rimuru holding me up on my feet. She looks pleased at first, but her face soon turns to a frown. She's looking up at the sky, squinting slightly, likely seeing something that I can't.

*sigh*"Well, that's not good…" Rimuru grumbles, looking annoyed by something.

"What?" I ask, puzzled by her reaction.

"It looks like my job isn't over yet. The aftermath of the fireworks is raining down and will cause some damage if I don't do something. I'll take care of it, so don't worry. Want to come with me? I don't want to leave you with that creep." she says, giving me a friendly smile and pointing behind us with her thumb.

"Sure…"

As I agree, Rimuru sprouts two large bat-like wings. As this happens, her clothing morphs into the cool black outfit I've seen before, and her hair falls to her back, no longer tied up in a ponytail. She looks down at herself, looking slightly confused before rolling her eyes.

*sigh* #Really, Ciel? You sure like to make things dramatic, don't you?#

"What the hell?! Wh, what the hell happened?! I was so close…so close! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Kiriwo squeals from behind us.

"Stop throwing a tantrum, you perverted little shit!" Rimuru yells, her voice filled with disdain.

"What was that ridiculous spell!? I've been storing up magical power for years! How could you destroy all that so easily?! What are you doing here anyway, I thought you were sick?!"

"I don't have time to deal with your nonsense right now…" she says, sounding annoyed before smiling at me.

"Alright, hop on!" Rimuru says, pointing to her back. I grab on piggyback-style and I feel something wrap tightly around my waist. I look down and see it's some kind of thread(?).

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?! I'm talking to you, Rimuru!" Kiriwo shouts and lunges in our direction. Rimuru scowls at him in a way that even scares me a little. She then shoots a hand back towards the boy and a streamer of thread flings forward, wrapping around him tightly. He ends up cocooned in it, unable to move. It's the same stuff she used to secure me, but I can tell she was a lot less gentle with him.

"Hey! What is this stuff! Let me go!" He screams, wriggling on the floor like a worm.

"Shut up! I'll deal with you in a minute!" she sternly yells at him with a cold look on her face.

She then turns her attention back to our objective. Kicking off the roof, Rimuru shoots into the night sky with me in tow. I'm grateful for the 'seatbelt' holding me in place because I'm sure I would have fallen off without it. The crowd below doesn't seem to have noticed our ascent from what I can tell.

As we climb higher, I notice red specks in the air above, far into the distance. They appear to be growing in size, but I know they're just falling and getting closer. This must be what she meant when she said 'aftermath'. I start to notice the sheer size and number of them, making them seem much more dangerous than I first thought. They are showering down like meteors, all of them large enough that they can cause some serious destruction to the buildings below.

"This is bad! How are you going to stop so many in time!? There are thousands!" I say, intimidated by the impending doom raining down on my school.

Rimuru grins mischievously. "I'll eat them, of course!"

I gawk at her, at a loss for words. We abruptly come to a halt, hovering high above Babyls. I try my best not to look down as we're at an absolutely ridiculous height and with how weak I'm feeling I would surely pass out if I did. Rimuru raises both arms in the air, stretching towards the night sky above us. In the space between her outstretched hands, a swirl of pure black begins to form, resembling what I would imagine a black hole looks like. I feel a massive pulling sensation towards the anomaly as it grows in size but I remain in place since I'm strapped down tightly. My eyes widen as I notice every single fireball change direction and start barreling straight towards us.

"…Um…Rimuru…what is-?!" I say, pointing at what looks like impending doom in my eyes.

"Shh!… I'm trying to concentrate!" she shushes me harshly.

I listen to her and keep quiet until she's finished despite my fear growing as the hellfire draws closer. A red glow lights us up, contrasting with the night sky, growing in intensity. Just as I think we are about to be hit by the first projectile, it gets sucked up into the 'black hole' Rimuru is holding over our heads. One after another, every single one is absorbed (or eaten) by Rimuru and her magic.

Soon, the area darkens again, the warm glow of the fireballs giving way to the soft glow of the moon. The magic Rimuru used to absorb the hellfire is effortlessly absorbed back into her hands and she sighs now that she can relax a little, no longer having to focus on controlling the magic. She's is wearing a satisfied smile as we descend back to the roof we took off from. Rimuru then releases me, letting me down carefully so I don't lose my balance and I immediately sit down right there on the roof, exhausted and still in shock from the experience.

"Now, sit tight while I deal with the one responsible for this whole mess." She says as she gives me a pat on the head. She smiles as she does this but as soon as she turns away from me her expression changes. From the side, I see her eyes lose their warmth. Her friendliness is gone, replaced with cold fury. I get concerned, remembering what Veldora said to me.

"…When he gets truly angry. I've only witnessed it happen a handful of times and even I, the mighty Storm Dragon, find it scary when he gets like that!"

"Wait…Rimuru…!" I fumble as I attempt to stand up to follow her but I bump into something. I quickly realize that she's used a barrier to keep me in place.

I helplessly watch her walk through the open window and approach Kiriwo, still trapped in her thread on the floor. He looks up at Rimuru with indignation.

#How dare you…# she says quietly, face half-covered by her hair obscuring her eyes.

Kiriwo grins devilishly at her, amused by the emotion she's experiencing.

"How dare you make him think that this is his fault!" Rimuru she says, her voice filled with vitriol. She's gritting her teeth and her hands are balled in fists in anger. Her eyes are now visible, full of hatred and fury. I notice darkness begin to emanate from her body sending a chill down my spine.

Oh no…she's super pissed! Is that…killing intent? Is she going to kill him for what he did?!

After a moment, she takes a deep breath and the ominous aura coming from her ceases. I'm grateful since I was worried that I might become a witness to an execution.

#How dare you try to blame him for the deaths of his friends…how dare you try to make him feel the same way I did…# Rimuru says painfully, looking like she's going to cry but no tears come out.

Kiriwo looks at her with a mix of excitement, fear, and confusion, not sure what Rimuru's referring to. It takes me a moment, but I remember the story she told me. How she had been at fault for the death of a loved one, along with many others she was responsible for as the ruler of a country. The feeling of being responsible for a loved one's death wasn't something she wanted me to experience like she did, that's why she's so infuriated by what Kiriwo tried to do.

Rimuru reaches down and picks him up by the chin with one hand, pinching his face in the process. Bringing their faces inches from each other, she threatens Kiriwo.

"I'm surprised that you managed to get me this angry…it's been a long time since I've felt like this, you know? But I can't let myself lose control, I'm not in the business of killing children, even if they're evil bastards that probably deserve it. You don't even have a valid reason to do something like this, you just want to hurt people so you can get some sick, perverted satisfaction out of their reactions. Disgusting. You're lucky things turned out alright in the end…because if you had broken Iruma…I would have broken you in a way that would make you wish I killed you…" she states ominously.

"Wow! I've never felt such primal fury emanating from someone before, it's exhilarating! And that ~beautiful~ enraged face of yours, I want more! Take that anger out on me, I want to feel it again! Hit me! Kick me! Throw me off the roof! I don't care, I just want to experience that intense anger you just showed me!" Kiriwo pleads, aroused by Rimuru's threatening.

Rimuru scowls, disgusted by Kiriwo's…unconventional…reaction to her rough treatment of him.

"Heh, wow you're messed up in the head for sure." She says in an exasperated tone before dropping him roughly on the floor as if discarding a piece of trash. Rimuru glowers at the boy lying helplessly on the floor.

"The Netherworld is outside of my jurisdiction, so as much as I would love to let Diablo play with you, I can't. I'll, unfortunately, have to leave you with the proper authorities instead." She says coldly. I sigh with relief, glad that Rimuru's letting him go. I'm angry at him myself, but I was scared at what she might do to Kiriwo, even if she didn't kill him.

Just as she says this, the door to the room bursts open, and multiple demons file in. And with them is..another Rimuru?

What the heck?!


Author's Note: Man this one took a lot of time and effort to write (I worked on this particular chapter on and off for like 3 weeks), I hope you guys enjoyed it! If some plot points don't quite make sense yet, the next chapter will include some other perspectives (Rimuru's, Ameri's, etc.) of the same events clarifying stuff that happened in this one so just sit tight. (I purposefully kept some stuff a bit confusing for suspense). Once again, I want to thank you all for your nice reviews, they really motivate me to keep going with this.

Also, I want your opinions on something. I know it will be a while before this happens, but when season two of the anime is done releasing (which it will be soon) and I get caught up with it plot-wise, would you like me to keep going using the manga? I've been mainly using the anime as a reference so far but am willing to use the manga as my main source if needed. I feel a bit iffy about it since I don't want to spoil stuff for anime-only's before they release season three at some point (probably like a year from now if we're lucky). Let me know your thoughts!