Covering for Kuromu
Immediately after the girl passes out, the blizzard raging inside the room comes to a halt. I spring forward and catch Keroli before she falls flat on her face onto the hard floor. Her face is now scarlet and covered in sweat and her breathing is labored. I can tell she has a fever and needs medical attention. I use some healing magic, to little effect.
Ciel, can you help her?
[[This condition is abnormal. Further analysis is needed but it is highly likely that it is curable.]]
"I-is she okay?!" Iruma asks frantically as he runs over to us. "Kuromu?...Kuromu?!"
"She's not gonna wake up any time soon, but I think she'll be okay," I say as I walk over to a nearby couch and lay the unconscious Keroli on it.
"Can't you do anything?! You're good with magic…can you fix her, somehow?!" Iruma asks, his voice full of desperation. He doesn't seem to understand why she's passed out and is panicking.
"I already tried healing magic, but it didn't do much. I'll have to try something else if I'm gonna help her." I explain calmly.
Suddenly the door bursts open, and a woman I assume is her manager rushes in. She must've heard Keroli's yelling or sensed the ice magic, tipping her off to something going down. She frantically looks around the room until her eyes lock on the passed-out girl.
"Kuromu!" she anxiously calls out to Keroli after seeing the state she's in. I back away from Keroli to let the woman approach her without me getting in the way. She runs up to her and places her hand on the girl's forehead. "She has a fever! Get ice and cold water, now!" she commands the staff member standing nearby who followed her inside.
"Now as for you! You two better not have done anything to her!" The woman says to us in a stern voice.
"We were just talking and she collapsed!" Iruma says nervously while the woman glares at him.
"I hate to point this out, Iruma, but you riled her up with what you said, which made her pass out," I say to the boy in a sympathetic tone.
"W-what?!" the boy asks, horrified by the realization that this is technically his fault. I know he didn't mean any harm, but he was responsible for Keroli losing it and fainting.
"She's very delicate and can't handle too much heat. If she gets too exhausted or emotional or uses too much ice magic…*sigh* and we've been so careful too…" the woman explains worriedly.
"I-I guess it m-might be my f-fault then…" Iruma says hesitantly, clearly not wanting to admit to us or himself that this is his fault.
[[Analysis complete. I have developed a technique that can solve this girl's condition.]]
Perfect! Thank's Ciel!
{{Don't worry Iruma, I'll fix this.}}
After receiving my message, to boy looks over at me expectantly and with a look of relief in his eyes. Despite making him take responsibility, I'm still gonna help him solve the resulting problem, for both his and Keroli's sake. I don't have anything against that girl, so I don't wanna leave her in this state. Hell…she sits next to me in class every day, so I know her personally. We're not exactly friends, but we get along well enough and I don't want her to suffer.
"Hey…um, I think I can help her. Let me try something." I say to the manager as I begin to approach Keroli again.
"No! You just stay put! She has a unique condition; specific steps are required to cool her down!" the manager shouts, blocking my path.
I'm a little taken aback at how irritated she seems by my proposal, but thinking about it, I guess it makes sense. I am pretending to be a simple teenage girl right now, so having specialized knowledge would be kinda weird in other people's eyes.
"The only ones capable would be a specialized doctor or her family, but both options are too far away to make it in time for her to perform." She continues.
Her family isn't even here to watch her perform? That's pretty cold of them…wait…ice…cold…no, that's not funny, Rimuru! This poor girl's parents are assholes, there's nothing funny about that!
I decide that I need to show this woman that I'm confident in my ability to help Keroli, so I put on a more confident tone.
"I get that, but I can help!" I say, trying to make my confidence more evident in my voice. I'm not sure what Ciel's come up with, but if she says it'll work, it'll work!
"No, you two have done enough already! I don't need you making this situation even worse!"
Since the woman is so adamant about me not helping, I just shrug my shoulders and give up. I did my part in offering my help, so you can't blame me for what happens next. I can tell that Keroli won't die from this, so the only consequence of this woman being so stubborn is that Keroli will miss her performance. That's unfortunate, but I can live with it.
Iruma POV
"What if…what if we stalled for time?" I ask, trying to come up with something that can help my classmate.
"What do you mean by that, boy?" the woman asks.
"Um…I could…I could go on stage, and do something to keep the crowd busy. At least until Kuromu wakes up…I'll do anything!"
I'm not sure what I would do if she agrees to this, but I'm sure I can come up with something to keep the audience entertained for a while. I'm not exactly good at that kind of stuff, and I don't handle large crowds too well, but I feel guilty for putting one of my classmates into such a bad position.
"I appreciate the offer, but the audience expressly came here to see Kuromu. The demdol who's a cute, smart, and elegant girl that's still only in high school. They don't have to even be as talented as her!" the lady insists, but her frustrated expression soon changes. Her eyes widen as she seemingly comes up with an idea. Looking to Rimuru, she says.
"…Wait…hey, you there!"
"Um…yeah?" Rimuru responds, looking puzzled by the woman's sudden change in demeanor.
"Do you have any ability to perform?" the woman asks, her eyes sparkling with inspiration.
"…excuse me?" she asks, surprised by what the woman is asking.
"I hate to ask, especially after taking out my frustration on you a moment ago, but I can see that you fit the bill when it comes to the type of look our audience is here for. If you have any ability to entertain a crowd, I'm sure it will give us enough time to get Kuromu back on her feet!"
Rimuru…as a demdol?! I mean, I know she can act confidently on a stage…
Rimuru looks extremely uncomfortable, also showing a hint of disgust at the idea; especially when the woman started talking about her 'looks'.
"Uh, yeah…no thanks. I'm not really into doing that type of stuff."
The woman's expression grows more desperate and she places her hands on Rimuru's shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. Rimuru looks like they'd rather be anywhere else but here right now, but she doesn't pull away from the woman.
"Please reconsider! This is the only option that could save Kuromu's career! There are many sponsors and reporters attending today; if they leave disappointed, all her hard work will go to waste!" the woman pleads with her.
Rimuru looks torn. I know that she could pull it off, but I also know exactly why she's reluctant. Rimuru isn't exactly female, despite how I refer to them normally for simplicity's sake, and I know for a fact she doesn't like wearing feminine clothing. Dressing in a girly outfit and singing/dancing while a crowd of mostly male concert-goers ogles her must sound like a nightmare! I know it would be for me if I was in that position.
Suddenly, her body is enveloped in a black mist. The woman jumps backward, surprised. When it dissipates, Rimuru's clothes and hair are different. She looks confused about what happened, before looking down at herself and jumping in surprise and embarrassment. Her face turns bright red at the sight of her new outfit.
#You've gotta be kidding me…# she whispers irritatedly.
Rimuru POV
Why, Ciel?! WHY?!
[[I am just responding to your inquiry, Master.]]
Like hell you are! I never said to change my clothing!
[[*giggles*]]
*groans*
All I did was think to myself 'If I did agree, what would I even wear?' and the next thing I knew, Ciel was jumping at that opportunity to play 'dress-up' with my body. She and Shuna have conspired together to get me to wear various things in the past, so I know that is likely her main motive here. This specific outfit is one I recognize. It was designed by those pervy dwarf brothers. Those guys have done a lot of good for Tempest over the years, but they also irritate me to no end! I swear, at every opportunity, they try to get me to wear the skimpiest outfits possible! I still remember that time they tried to get me to wear a goddamn bikini on that beach trip! Thankfully, I had my own swimsuit on me that day, much to their disappointment.
This clothing is designed to be a spin on my Demon Lord outfit, the black and gold one, but much less covering. Like, the top part is a sleeveless crop-top-like vest with a white layer underneath and the lower half is a pair of short shorts with a long part attached to the back, meant to be synonymous with the long coat in the original outfit. The tall lace-up boots are also replaced with a shorter version along with a pair of knee-high black socks. It's not the worst thing in the world when it comes to being revealing, mainly exposing my stomach, shoulders, and thighs, but I still don't like being forced into this thing!
Observing myself further, I notice my hairstyle's also been altered. I was wearing it down today, but now it's up in a pair of Milim-style pigtails. I can't decide whether this makes the situation worse or not, but it's not a look I normally go with.
Sheesh…this is so humiliating…
[[You look amazingly cute, Master! You have nothing to be embarrassed by.]]
Don't call me cute… And you may think I have no reason to be embarrassed, but I can't help but feel self-conscious when I'm dressed like this!
[[With your perfect body, you should feel no insecurity about showing it off once in a while. Although, if anyone tries to make any moves on you, Master…]]
Yeah, I get it. You'll show them no mercy, right?
[[*giggles*]]
Scary…and my body isn't perfect, alright? No need to exaggerate stuff…
Iruma is staring at me. I hope it's just because he's surprised by my abrupt wardrobe change and not something else…
Iruma POV
I'm looking at Rimuru, surprised by her sudden outfit change. My eyes are unconsciously drawn to certain…areas…but I quickly avert them, not wanting to make Rimuru even more uncomfortable than she seems to already be. Based on her reaction, I can tell this wasn't something she wanted to happen or was expecting. Something similar has happened before when we were on the roof during the party eve. I remember her grumbling something about Ciel doing something, so I bet she's responsible for this. Curious, I decided to ask using that new skill I was given. I discreetly reach for my ring and switch it to the new setting.
{{Rimuru? Did Ciel force you into that outfit?}}
{{Yes, unfortunately. Don't make it into a big deal, please.}}
{{At least it looks good on you!}}
{{Stop.}}
{{Sorry…}}
I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit by giving her a small compliment, but I think I made Rimuru even more upset.
After apologizing, I make sure the ring is switched back. Rimuru warned me that it would convey anything that pops into my mind while activated, so I'm trying to get into a habit of deactivating it as soon as I'm done.
"Oh, wow! I don't know what you just did, but that is exactly the type of outfit I'm looking for on a demdol! So does this mean you accept?" Kuromu's manager excitedly asks after getting over the surprise of Rimuru's clothes suddenly changing.
*sigh* "Alright, I give in…" Rimuru grumbles.
"Great! When it comes time for the show to start, we will have you go on stage and keep the people busy until Kuromu wakes up. Do you need us to provide you with anything?"
"Nah, I got this," Rimuru says while giving the woman a dismissive wave of her hand.
I feel conflicted about whether I should just let Rimuru take care of something that was all my fault, or should I do something too? After a moment of thought, I make up my mind. There's no way I could let her shoulder this responsibility for me. Rimuru's already done so much for me, so I need to do my part too.
"I want to help too!" I say, determined to do my part.
I was the one who offered to stall for time, not Rimuru. I feel bad having her get dragged into this, especially since she seems reluctant.
"Oh, you do, huh?" Rimuru asks before appearing to come up with an idea. Her lips form into a sinister smile, causing me to get a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Why do I feel like I just made a horrible mistake…
"Excuse us for a moment, ma'am. I need to have a quick word with my brother." Rimuru says politely, still grinning in an unsettling way.
"Yes, of course! Let me give you a different room to use." the woman leads us to the room next door. I'm confused, but I play along.
Once we're alone, Rimuru begins looking me over. She's circling me, getting a look at me from every angle, seemingly scrutinizing my body. This makes me uncomfortable as I awkwardly stand there, not quite sure what she's trying to do.
#Hmmm…I suppose you could pass with a wig and the right outfit…maybe a little makeup too?# Rimuru mutters, holding her chin. I don't catch everything that she whispered, but I think I heard a few concerning words in there.
"W-what are you talking about, Rimuru?" I stammer, very concerned by what I think I just heard come out of her mouth.
"You said you wanted to help, so I'm gonna get you ready to do that."
"Get me…ready? I heard you mention something about a dress…wait, a-are you saying you're gonna have me crossdress?!" I ask, horrified at the idea.
"Well, yeah! That's the only way you can help, right?" Rimuru says cooly, acting like that's the conclusion anyone would come to.
"N-no! No, it isn't…!" I insist, shaking my head rapidly as I begin to panic.
I wanted to help, but as myself, not a girl! I could help perform on stage without having to crossdress, I'm sure of it, but I don't think Rimuru will let me at this point. I bet she's getting back at me for putting her in this position!She's surely not comfortable in what she's wearing right now, let alone having to go on stage with it on.
"If I can handle it for months, I'm sure you can handle it for, at most, a couple of hours."
Is it really crossdressing if you're neither male nor female though? I'm not sure…
"B-but what if someone finds out?!"
"They won't! Plus, if you're disguised, nobody will know it's you! You don't want to go on stage and have everyone recognize you, right? You're always so worried about standing out, so if you look like a girl, nobody would ever think that it's you out there."
"I…um…I guess you have a point…" I say defeatedly. I suppose it would be easier if nobody would recognize me on stage. It's embarrassing to do something like this, but it does protect my identity in the long run. "What about you though? You don't look that different from normal…" I point out to her.
"Um…yeah. I'll make sure that that doesn't happen!" Rimuru says, smiling cheerfully. "I can be pretty damn convincing when I want to, you know!"
"Uh…sure…"I respond, feeling a little uneasy at the potential implications of that statement.
"But it's best to be safe rather than sorry…maybe I should make myself look more different…? Hmmm…oh, I could do that…yeah…"
I watch as Rimuru abruptly 'melts' (startling me a little) before reforming in a smaller shape, looking the same in every way except for age. She looks maybe around 8 or 9 years old now if I were to guess.
Her outfit seems to have adjusted itself to her smaller body in a way that makes it a bit more modest, which is a good thing since an 8 or 9-year-old shouldn't be showing as much skin as the outfit was when Rimuru looked 14. I know Rimuru isn't actually that age, but wearing something revealing when in the form she's in right now would just feel wrong.
How old is Rimuru anyway? I know they were an adult in their previous life, but Rimuru hasn't told me how long it's been since she reincarnated. I should ask her that sometime…wait, isn't it rude to ask a lady's age? I think someone told me that at some point…but Rimuru technically isn't a lady, so does that still apply here? So confusing…
I brush that question floating around in my head aside to deal with another time, but it is quickly replaced with another concern. Rimuru taking this younger-looking form will definitely reduce her chances of being recognized by people we know, but it creates another issue. Still worried about either of us being recognized on stage (since Rimuru being recognized could easily lead people to recognize me as well), I voice my worries to her.
"Um…how're we gonna explain your younger form to Kuromu's staff?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah, that could be a problem…I'll just say it's some type of illusion or special magic of some sort. No need to go into much detail for them to buy the possibility of something like that existing. The types of magic here are quite varied, from what I've seen so far, so I think it'll work."
After a moment's pause, Rimuru smiles at me and says enthusiastically."Now it's your turn!"
Rimuru then whips out an outfit from who knows where. I still have no idea where she puts stuff like that, but at this point, it's not worth asking. This is Rimuru we're talking about; she does crazy things all the time, so worrying about every little thing isn't worth the effort.
What she's now holding is a royal blue and white dress with red details. The sleeves and skirt are puffy and there's a large red bow on the chest area. There's also a pair of white tights and red shoes.
"Put this on. Don't worry, I won't peek." Rimuru says before shoving the costume into my arms. She then folds her arms, closes her eyes, and turns her back to me.
I cringe at the sight of the thing as I hold it out in front of me to get a good look at it. It's frilly and feminine, but thankfully very modest. The only thing I could imagine showing is the shape of my legs underneath the tights.
"Ummm…" I say hesitantly, still not sure if I should go through with this nonsense.
"Is something wrong?" she asks, still not looking in my direction.
"N-no…"
It takes a few minutes, but I manage to put on the dress and other stuff.
"O-okay…I put the thing on…"
In response to my words, Rimuru looks over her shoulder at me. I stand there nervously as she once again scans me with her eyes.
"Not bad…but we'll have to do something about that hair…here."
Rimuru then somehow produces a wig that exactly matches my hair color.
Seriously?! Where's she getting this stuff?!
I slap the thing on my head and using a nearby mirror, I adjust it until it's straight. It looks a lot like my normal hair, at the top at least. The main difference is that it's much longer in the back, reaching all the way down to my butt.
"Well, I think we're done here. You look even more convincing than I expected!" Rimuru says with a laugh.
I hate to admit it, but Rimuru's right, it is pretty convincing, so much so that I find it kinda unnerving. I know that I'm not the most masculine guy out there, but it still hurts to discover that I can easily pass as a girl by wearing a simple dress and wig.
"Now all we have to do is decide what we're gonna do to keep those people busy, and we'll have to figure it out quick. We only have half an hour until the show's supposed to start. Do you think you can sing any of those songs from the previous show?"
"No, I don't think so…that was the first time I'd heard them, plus I've never tried singing before…I might be able to remember some parts of them, but I can't say for sure until we're in the middle of the performance. I could freeze up out there and forget any of the lyrics that I happen to remember right now."
"Hmmm…so that's not gonna work…I have an idea of something I can do, but not for you. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Not really…"
After a minute or two of thought, Rimuru's eyes light up and she snaps her fingers.
"Oh, I know! That weird dodging ability you somehow have!"
Uh, I don't like the sound of this…
"I could hurl some magic at you and you could dodge it. Everyone seemed so impressed the last time you did something like that."
"Yeah, can we not do that? It sounds pretty risky…"
"I wouldn't toss anything dangerous at you, just something that looks dangerous. I'm in charge of protecting you, so I wouldn't put you in any real danger."
"If that's the case, I'm fine with it."
"Cool, let's brainstorm a few more ideas in the time we have. We don't know how long we'll have to be up there, so having more to prepared is probably a good idea."
"Yeah."
After checking in with Kuromu's staff, we spend the next 20 or so minutes discussing what we're gonna do on stage. Once it's just a few short minutes before the performance is due to start, we head to the stage and hang out behind the curtains to the side of it. That's when I remember something that had completely slipped my mind until now.
Oh no, what about Ameri?!
She's out there waiting for us to return, probably getting worried about us. I tap Rimuru on the shoulder to grab her attention since she seems to be zoning out as she stares at the large crowd from our position behind the curtains.
"Hey, Rimuru?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"We forgot about Ameri!"
Rimuru's eyes widen and her mouth twists a little when I mention Ameri, so she must've forgotten about her too. She quickly hides her uncomfortable expression with a breezy smile.
"Oh yeah…well, we'll just have to deal with her after the performance."
"I hope she's not mad at me…"
"I'll come up with some kind of excuse for why we were absent from the show, don't let that bother you right now. You're nervous enough as is without something like that on your mind."
I nod my head in acknowledgment since she's totally right. I am extremely nervous right now, and thinking about potentially upsetting Ameri will just make that problem worse.
Looking at the massive crowd out there waiting for Kuromu, I get an intense sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and my mind starts to go wild with fear.
It's alright…nobody will find out it's you…you're fine…it'll stay a secret…everything's fine…no need to freak out…
"Whoa, if you keep doing that you're gonna hyperventilate! Calm down…everything will be fine!"
While lost in my frantic thoughts, I didn't realize how rapid my breathing had gotten until Rimuru pointed it out.
"S-sorry…" I say nervously. I try to take a few deep breaths and empty my mind of all my worries.
All I have to do is follow Rimuru's lead and buy a little time for Kuromu…it's a simple, easy thing to do…
While I'm still attempting to stay calm, A staff member rushes up to us right before we're about to make our appearance on stage.
"Hey, we're about to have the announcer introduce you to the crowd; what should we have them refer to you as? Did you come up with stage names or anything?"
A stage name? I didn't even think about that…
Rimuru also looks like she didn't prepare for this question ahead of time, but beats me to it when it comes to answering.
"How 'bout 'Mika'?"
"Where'd you get that from, Rimuru?"
"I just came up with it, I dunno…" she says while shrugging before I hear her voice in my head, relaying the real explanation for her stage name.
{{It's a spin on my old family name in my past life.}}
Mikami was their last name back in Japan, I think. She just removed the last syllable, turning it into a useable stage name.
Great…now I need to come up with one…
"Um…uh…" I stutter, trying to come up with something on the fly as the staff guy stares at me expectantly. I don't have much time to think this through, so I just go with the first thing that pops into my head.
"Irumi!" I spit out without even thinking. It's extremely close to my actual name, which isn't ideal, that's for sure, but I can't seem to come up with anything better.
I look over at Rimuru to get her reaction to it, and it's not exactly encouraging. She looks at me with confusion and mouths the word 'seriously?'. I look down at the floor in shame, knowing full well that I've messed up again. With how similar it is to my real name, it's almost as bad as not using a stage name at all.
"Good. I will relay those to the announcer." The staff member says before hurriedly walking away. I regret what I ended going with, but there's no going back on it now.
#Man…and I thought I was bad at coming up with names…# I hear Rimuru mumble to herself after hearing my stage name.
"Hey…" I complain, despite knowing that she's right, it is a crappy name.
"It's too close to your actual name," Rimuru says flatly, sounding mildly annoyed by what just happened.
"I know that, but I can't come up with good stuff on the spot…my mind just goes blank under the pressure!" I explain to her.
*sigh* "It's fine…we'll just have to make it work. Hopefully, it won't tip anyone off to your identity."
Ameri POV
Iruma and Rimuru never came back after leaving to visit with Kuromu. I bought the glowsticks just like they asked and returned to my seat to wait for their return, but I haven't seen any sign of them since they left.
Where could they have possibly gone?! It's not like Iruma to do something like this…
It's almost time for the concert to start, so if they don't show up soon, I'll have to enjoy it all by myself. Although it was likely a ploy by Rimuru to get me and Iruma alone together, I truly did like attending the first part of the concert with him. Watching the second part alone will be much less enjoyable for sure.
After waiting right up until the show is supposed to start, a voice comes over the loudspeaker.
"Hello, all you Kuromu fans! You're in for a special treat today! We have some bonus entertainment to add to today's fun before the main event starts! Now, making their debut…the demdol sisters…Irumi and Mika!"
Iru…mi? Like, Iru-ma? How strange…
After the announcement ends, a cloud of black smoke fills the stage. As it dissipates, two figures come into view, one of a teenager and the other of a child holding hands and standing in the center of the stage. Both…girls…I think. They're definitely dressed as girls at least. I have doubts since there's a striking resemblance between these two and the two people I came here with, who are conveniently missing at the moment.
The older-looking of the two look exactly like Iruma, short of the hair on their head being much longer, and the younger-looking one looks exactly like Rimuru, but much younger.
No…there's no way! Iruma would never dress in such a frilly thing! And that child is much too young to be Rimuru…it's not possible…
Despite my logical denial of the suspected identities of the two individuals on the stage, I can't get the feeling that it truly is them out of my head. I already know that Rimuru is quite a strange person, capable of doing things beyond logic. They are an oddity, so could it be possible that she could alter her appearance's age somehow? I already know she can somehow make copies of herself, so that's not out of the question. But then there's the subject of Iruma…I don't want to believe that he likes to dress like that. Maybe Rimuru dragged him into this against his will? That's the only acceptable explanation if that is truly him on that stage right now. He's not the best at standing up for himself, especially against someone as assertive as Rimuru.
I decide sitting tight and watching what will happen next is the best approach to finding a conclusive answer to my worries.
Iruma POV
I gulp nervously as I hear the announcement on the loudspeaker.
There's no going back now…
"Okay, let's just do our best out there. We just need to stall for time, that's all." Rimuru says, smiling reassuringly at me. "Just follow my lead."
I nod my head, trying my best to mimic her confidence. I'm not sure if it's convincing, but I still do it anyway, since it seems to be making me feel a little better somehow.
Rimuru raises her arms, pointing her hands towards the large stage laying in front of us. A thick black cloud then pours out of her palms, obscuring our vision of the crowd, and in turn, stopping the audience from seeing us too. Rimuru smiles at me before grabbing my hand and half-dragging me into the cloud. The thick smoke doesn't make me cough as I half-expected, but I can't see a thing, which is probably why Rimuru's guiding me in the way she is. It's so dark in fact, that I could easily forget that my eyes are open right now if I wasn't paying attention. With how confidently she's moving through the completely opaque mass of black, I think Rimuru can somehow see just fine despite all this. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the case.
{{You ready? You don't need to answer with words, just squeeze my hand when you are and I'll get rid of this mist.}}
Knowing that I'm not gonna feel any more ready no matter how long we stand here doing nothing, I muster up my resolve and squeeze Rimuru's hand.
The dark mist quickly dissolves, revealing the massive number of demons seated all around us, staring at me and Rimuru. All of them have their eyes locked on us, causing me to feel an instinctual desire to flee. The lights shining down on us are almost blinding, coming from all directions, further highlighting us as the center of attention and causing me to feel even more exposed.
Escape is not an option though, for multiple reasons. Firstly, I have an obligation to see this through, since the circumstances that led to this are all my fault. Second is my promise to do this; I don't want to go back on my word. And third; Rimuru's got a firm grip on my hand right now, and I'm sure she won't let me pull away after I made it clear that I was gonna go through with this.
"Whoa…that's a lotta people…" Rimuru says as she stares out at the mass of demons whose attention is strictly focused on us.
"Yup…"
"Well, time to give them what they came here for," Rimuru says as she looks up at me and flashes a confident smile.
After that, Rimuru takes a deep breath, releases my hand, and steps forward to address the crowd.
