Waiting for Walpurgis
Iruma POV
I find myself…somewhere. My surroundings are faded; foggy, yet familiar, but the name of this place fails to come to me as I struggle to remember it.
A rushing sensation fills me as I run through this place, a wide road devoid of movement, of life. Hints of red are scattered to my sides, but I don't pay any attention to them. A crunching sound under my feet reaches my ears but I block that out as well.
My only objective; get to a certain place. I know where it is but once again can't put a word to it.
Panic, worry, and anxiety fill me to the brim as I desperately try to reach my destination, but the road seems to stretch out forever. But then suddenly, I'm there. I'm where I was trying to get to, but the anxiousness in my heart worsens further. The relief I expected did not come.
There's a thickness to the air around me, a stifling viscosity that makes it hard to think, hard to breathe. This isn't reality, yet it is. What I'm seeing can't be real, but the evidence is overwhelming.
Many figures are laid out on the ground around me; motionless, their faces are indistinguishable to my eyes. Yet, I feel that same familiarity with them that I do with this strange place. A connection, a closeness that I can't explain, but I know them somehow, and seeing them in this state pains me greatly.
My mind fills with emotions that I'm not accustomed to.
Anger, rage, sadness, loss, and regret…oh so much regret!
"This is all my fault…if I was here…"
A voice plays in my head, trailing off; thoughts that don't feel like my own but somehow are.
If I was here…what…?
What happened here, I don't even know, but somehow I'm aware that this is all my fault.
The emotions are becoming too much to contain, but I don't feel any tears wetting my eyes. I don't hear any cries of despair escape my lips. I'm not doing…anything; simply standing here motionless as my head fills to the brim with the pain of my realization.
The tension reaches a breaking point and-
…
I sit up in my bed with a start, a cold sweat on my face. I'm breathing rapidly, trying to catch the breaths I didn't realize I wasn't taking. Still in a panic, I frantically look around and find my surroundings normal; my bedroom, yes, my bedroom in the Netherworld. I'm also in my bed…yes…all that was just a dream, but I've never had a dream like that in my life! It was so vivid, the emotions too real.
I wipe the sweat off my face and take a few more deep breaths, now somewhat calmer.
I try to recall some of what I experienced in the odd dream, but the memories of it are already slipping through my mind's fingers. The only thing that lingers is bitterness in my mouth and a feeling of emptiness.
Still feeling unsettled, I stumble downstairs for breakfast. Some food will make me feel better, it always does. It's hours earlier than I usually come down to eat, but that's fine. Opera is always up way before I am so he can get started with his duties and is always willing to make me something if I ask. Glancing at the clock, I realize that Rimuru might not have left yet for school either, so maybe they'll eat with me?
Stepping into the dining room, I see Rimuru sitting at the table along with a stack of papers to her side. Rimuru's drinking something out of a mug while working through whatever those papers are, but she stopped when she noticed me and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"You're up awful early." She says bluntly before taking a sip.
"I had a bad dream…"
"Ah, okay. Do you wanna talk about it? You seem pretty shaken." Rimuru asks, sounding concerned.
"I can't remember much about what happened in it, so no. I'll be fine too, so don't worry about me. It was just a dream." I reply.
"If you say so," Rimuru says with a shrug.
Rimuru picks up the two pens she rested on the table, takes one in each hand, and begins writing on the papers in front of her with both simultaneously.
She can write with both hands at the same time?! Why am I even surprised, Rimuru has done crazier things…
"What is all that?" I ask, looking at the stack of papers.
"Work from home." She says, looking me in the eyes again while continuing to write with both hands.
I look a little closer at the papers Rimuru is working on and squint to try to read what's on them, but I can't.
The spell Grandpa cast on me soon after I came to the Netherworld allows me to understand the 'demon language', but nothing more. I do recognize what's on those papers, though; it's the type of writing used in Tempest. I, thankfully, didn't run into any problems from not being able to read it while there since almost every sign had Japanese in smaller font underneath this main written language.
"You shouldn't hover over people when they're trying to work," Rimuru says while still writing.
"S-sorry…" I reply before sitting back in my chair again.
After a minute or two of sitting there silently, the room filled with nothing but the sound of Rimuru's pens scratching on paper, Rimuru sighs and sets both pens on the table.
#I suppose I'll have to finish later…# Rimuru mutters to herself.
Both the papers and pens disappear from the table with a wave of Rimuru's hand, causing me to blink in surprise before remembering that Rimuru can do stuff like that.
She then stands up from their chair and looks at me.
"I need to leave now, so all see ya later in class okay?"
"S-sure," I reply with a slight stutter. I don't even remember what happened, but there's still a lingering unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach from it.
Rimuru frowns slightly.
"Are you sure you're alright? You still seem a little upset by whatever was in your dream."
"I promise I'm fine, Rimuru," I respond.
"See you later in class, Iruma," Rimuru says with a wave as they leave, looking back over their shoulder at me one more time on their way out. Rimuru still seems to be worried about me but didn't say anything more before departing.
Rimuru POV
I show up early to Babyls just like I have been for the last couple of weeks. Time to help the Studen Council again. I think I'm almost done with this probation period that Ameri forced me into, but for the time being, I need to keep showing up early like this. I felt bad leaving since Iruma still seemed to be a bit out of sorts when I left, but he said he was okay so I probably don't have to worry as much as I am. He never mentioned having bad dreams before…maybe it's because he was so tired from our trip to Tempest? I've heard that when kids get over-tired they can have bad dreams sometimes so that could be the cause.
Convinced it's probably nothing to worry about, I start my work with the Council.
Despite the odd start to my day, things with the Student Council went pretty textbook, that is until it came time to go on patrol soon before classes start.
As our group was making our way down the hallway, Ciel speaks up out of nowhere.
[[Psychological influence detected. Successfully resisted.]]
I didn't even feel anything, so it must not be anything strong.
What kind of psychological influence?
Before Ciel can answer, I spot someone I assume is behind the influence. A tall boy with long dark hair and tanned skin dressed extravagantly. He's strutting down the hallway with two girls following behind him.
[[The only effect is drawing the attention of nearby living things. The ability is fairly weak. Anyone with moderate resistance to such things is completely immune to its effects.]]
Everyone around, short of Ameri and myself is staring intently at the boy. He almost appears to have a golden glow around him, likely a consequence of the magic he's using to draw in everyone's attention. He seems extremely full of himself, reveling in the gaze of the surrounding students.
I don't even know this guy and I already think he's extremely annoying!
"Who's that guy?" I ask.
"That is Ronove Romiere, President of the Disciplinary Battler, the self-designated rival of the Student Council. But all of that is just for show, he's only interested in getting attention from his peers." Ameri states in a tone that makes me think she dislikes this boy quite a bit.
As if he could hear my thoughts, the boy looks in our direction and smiles arrogantly.
"Hellooo Student Council peasants! It seems that you've added someone new to your little group!" He exclaims, directing his attention at me specifically.
I can tell that the other members of the Student Council are quite mad at the guy for approaching me like this, but they don't say anything. I completely ignore his presence, keeping my eyes faced forward in the direction that I'm walking in. If this guy wants attention, I'm not giving him any.
"Hey, girl, I, the great Ronove Romiere, am talking to you!"
"I wonder what the cafeteria will have for lunch today, what do you guys think?" I turn and ask the other Student Council members, completely ignoring the flamboyant demon in front of me. They look at me with shocked expressions, not sure how to react to this situation.
He attempts to block my path, but I simply step around him when he does so. I'm faster than him, so it's easy to dodge him as he tries to prevent me from continuing.
"Why are you ignoring me?!" He screams, getting progressively more frustrated by my lack of attention. His movements become more erratic as he tries to obstruct me so I'll give him the time of day. Our interaction has drawn quite the crowd at this point. Whether this is because of this guy's magic or the ridiculousness of the situation, I'm not sure.
"Um…President? Should we do something?" Kimaris asks Ameri.
Hearing this, I give Ameri a wink to indicate that I've got the situation under control.
"No, let Rimuru take care of this herself. She seems to have things under control." Ameri responds, a tiny hint of annoyance leaking through in her voice.
Realizing that this Ronove guy isn't gonna give up any time soon, I relent and decide to let him say his piece.
"Alright, I give up. What do you need from me?"
Pleased that I'm finally ready to listen, he leans in close and stares me in the eyes, an arrogant grin stretched across his face. I give him a blank look, not showing how much he's annoying me in my expression.
"Would you like to leave the oppressive Student Council and join the fabulously fun-loving Disciplinary Battler?" he asks me, pulling a rose out from somewhere and sticking it in my face.
"You want me to go back on my word? Yeah, not happening." I respond bluntly as I push away the flower he tried to give me.
"Wha..?"
"Plus, why would I want to join a battler led by you of all people? You're obnoxious and attention-seeking."
"How dare you insult Master Romie!" screeches one of the two girls with him.
"This doesn't involve you." I retort.
"I've heard of your accomplishments and popularity, you would make such a ~wonderful~ addition to my group!" Ronove continues to pester me, waggling that stupid flower in my face again
"No means no. Now excuse me, I have a patrol to complete." I say before trying to step around him.
He tries to block my path again. Now I'm out of patience, so I break my blank expression glare at him menacingly. This causes him to stumble back slightly, looking shaken.
"Fine; I accept your denial. I will retreat for today, but this is not the last you will see of me, Ronove Romiere!" he says with an over-the-top bow before sauntering off, the two girls accompanying him shower him with rose petals as he leaves.
Do they just…do that wherever he goes? What the hell…
"I wish he would stop trying to involve himself in Council business." Grave grumbles.
"He does stuff like this often?" I ask.
"Not exactly, but he is a problem that crops up fairly regularly," Kimaris adds.
"He has it out for the President's position, you see." Smoke says.
"That is not a concern. I have no reason to believe he is capable of shaking my hold over the students. He's simply annoying; nothing more." Ameri says in a commanding tone.
#I definitely agree with the annoying part…# I mutter under my breath.
"Pfft…I really am liking you, recruit! I'm glad the President decided to add you to our ranks. You're a lot of fun!" Kimaris says, laughing lightly and playfully slapping me on the shoulder.
"Yes, the way you dealt with Ronove was pretty amusing." Smoke adds, smirking slightly.
"Let's focus on our work!" Ameri says sternly.
" " " "Yes sir!" " " " all of the members say in unison.
Even though Ciel described that strange ability of his as 'weak', I can't help but feel a little concerned about what someone could do with magic of that nature. Back home, skills that influence people psychologically are some of the most dangerous ones in my opinion. You could argue that brute force could be more threatening, but I don't think that's reality. Affecting someone's thoughts without them knowing is a scarily sneaky way to get the upper hand. Ronove's magic only seems to grab others' attention and nothing more, but still. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Iruma POV
The bad feeling I got from my strange dream lasted for a few hours, but I managed to get over it. Talking with Azz and Clara helped with that. They always seem to cheer me up!
Class starts and Professor Kalego walks in. he immediately walks up to where Rimuru is sitting and begins to loom over them. Rimuru seems to be working on the same papers that she was this morning, writing with both hands again and not paying any attention to our teacher.
"Do you need something?" Rimuru asks without looking up from their work.
"I did not appreciate the way you ended our meeting a few days ago." Professor Kalego says irritatedly.
"Sorry, but I had to take care of something right away. Plus, I wasn't gonna tell you anything else anyway, so it's not like you missed out on anything." Rimuru says casually, not bothered by Professor Kalego's anger.
"That last thing you said, was it true?" he asks.
"What, about the aura thing?" Rimuru asks, finally looking up at him.
"Yes."
"I wasn't bluffing if that's what you were thinking."
Professor Kalego's eyes widen slightly, but then narrow again.
"I do not believe you." He snarls.
"Believe whatever you want," Rimuru replies curtly, giving him a slight shrug before starting to write on the paper again with her pens.
"Tch." Professor Kalego clicks his tongue in irritation before backing off and returning to the front of the classroom.
I look over at him and his cold gaze locks onto me for an uncomfortable few seconds. I look away on reflex, not liking the feeling I get from the way he's looking at me. Thankfully his staring doesn't last long and he soon starts teaching.
#Psst…hey! Iruma!# Lead whispers to me.
#What?#
#D'you know what those two were arguing about?#
#No, I have no clue.#
#Damn. I was curious what your sister did to piss Kalego off this time. I guess I'll have to ask Rimuru later…#
"Silence! No whispering while I am teaching, you worms!" Professor Kalego shouts.
"Sorry!" I respond, shrinking into my chair slightly. I still can't handle being yelled at by him very well.
Professor Kalego gives me another cold look before continuing the lesson.
**A Few Days Later**
The next few days go normally and I don't get any more weird or scary dreams, which I'm thankful for. Rimuru seems to be a bit preoccupied with something, but it's probably to do with that Walpurgis thing that Chloe explained to me. A meeting of all the Demon Lords in Rimuru's world…I wonder what that would be like?
I'm kinda curious about the other Demon Lords since the ones I've already met haven't been like I thought they'd be. Rimuru is…well, Rimuru; Ramiris is cheerful, bubbly, and kinda childish; Leon was scary but I didn't get and 'evil' impression from him. None have been what I expected from someone with the title 'Demon Lord' and I know there are a few others. I also heard about one of them while in Hinata's class, someone called 'The Destroyer'…Milim, I think? Apparently, this person is Rimuru's friend, but I never met anyone named that while I was in Tempest.
"Hey, Iruma!" Rimuru says in-between mouthfuls of food. We're eating dinner right now.
"What?"
"Wanna come with me to Walpurgis this weekend?"
Did Rimuru just read my mind or something?!
"W-won't that be dangerous?" I ask, still apprehensive about going to something like that. I'm curious about it, but that doesn't stop my anxiety from kicking in at the thought of being in a room full of ridiculously powerful people.
"Not with me there. I'm the strongest out of all of them. That's okay, right Sullivan?"
"I don't see any problem as long as my precious Iruma's safety is assured."
"Why do you want me to go? I thought that you said you didn't want to get me involved in 'Demon Lord politics'."
"The circumstances have changed a little since then. I need someone to play a special role for me and I think you're perfect for it." Rimuru replies as she takes another bite of her dinner.
"Special role?" Grandpa asks.
"Y'see, we have a new person joining us this time and I wanted to play a little prank on them. I'm gonna have someone pretend to be me while I pretend to be their attendant. I wanna see if the new guy can figure out the truth or not. All my subordinates would hate the idea of me pretending to 'serve' them, so I need someone who sees me as an equal. Iruma's perfect for that; plus, I think it'll be a good learning experience for him." Rimuru explains to Grandpa.
I force myself to swallow what I was eating, shocked by what Rimuru is suggesting.
"You want me to pretend to be a Demon Lord?!"
"Yeah. It's not as hard as you think! I'll help you out too so you have nothing to worry about." Rimuru says with a carefree smile as if what she just proposed is normal.
"I'll be safe, right? They won't kill me?"
"Nah, none of the current Demon Lords will try anything. The new candidate is weak too from what I've gathered so he's not a threat either."
Rimuru stares at me expectantly.
I feel a little uncomfortable about the idea, but I'm also very curious at the same time. As long as Rimuru promises that it's safe…
"I-I guess I'll do it…"
"Great! I'm glad that's all sorted now. One less thing to worry about…"
"What are you worried about Rimuru?" Grandpa asks.
"Oh, I'm just not too happy with what I have to wear to Walpurgis, that's all. I got 'peer-pressured' into using a certain outfit that's not something I'd normally wear." Rimuru says, grimacing.
"Is it some kind of dress?" I ask, recognizing that expression from when Rimuru had fallen victim to Shuna playing 'dress-up' with her.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Rimuru says bluntly. I must be right otherwise Rimuru would've responded. "You'll see it when it's time."
She stands up from the dinner table.
"I'm gonna go rest. See you tomorrow."
I finish eating and decide to head to my room as well. As I'm about to open the door to my bedroom, I hear the murmur of Rimuru talking to someone. I open her door a crack and peek. Rimuru is pacing back-and-forth, holding her hand near her face with the ring on her pinkie close to her lips as if she's talking to it.
#I swear Guy if you so much as touch my stand-in, I'll…!# Rimuru grumbles, continuing to talk but I'm not able to make out what she's saying once she turns away from me.
Is Rimuru warning one of the other Demon Lords not to hurt me? She sounds pretty serious…
I silently close the door and retreat to my room.
