The Depths of Depravity

Iruma POV

My head buzzes with frantic thoughts as I try my best to piece the current situation together. Rimuru's words repeat in my mind as I try to glean as much information from them as I can.

Who could be responsible for this? A prisoner, right? The explosion came from the prison so that's what makes sense…

So a prisoner is likely responsible and if I were to guess, they're trying to break out. But the way Rimuru talked about this person that's responsible, it wasn't just like she was talking about a stranger. How did she put it again?

A certain…someone? A certain someone…who could that-?

Then it occurs to me. The only person we both know that's currently in jail…Kiriwo.

Oh no, this is bad…this is really bad! No wonder Rimuru's so angry if it's him behind this too!

There's no real way to confirm it, but my gut tells me I'm right about this.

"… Iruma?" Azz asks, anxious to know what I'm thinking right now.

I've probably been dead silent for a minute or two and he's definitely worried about me.

My heart is racing horribly and I feel like I'm gonna be sick, but I need to stick it out and stay cool and collected.

Taking a deep breath first, I speak to the one person that can get me where I need to go.

"Ronove, you offered us a tour of the prison, right? Can you get us down there?" I resolutely ask him, staying as calm as I can manage at the moment.

"I can, but now seems like a bad time…" Ronove replies with hesitation.

"Yes, it's best you just stay put with things being as chaotic as they are. As for myself, I have to go check in with the rest of the staff so we can find out what the situation is." Uuetoto adds, giving Ronove a small bow. "Do stay safe and don't do anything foolish, young master."

"See you later, Toto~!" Ronove calls out as Uetoto leaves. "But he's right, we shouldn't go down there right now!"

"Just do as Master Iruma says!" Azz snarls, roughly grabbing the front of Ronove's shirt.

"Iruma, you want us to head right into the most dangerous part of the park right as everyone's in disarray? Do you think Rimuru caused that explosion?" Ameri asks, and I shake my head in disagreement.

"Something bad happened, and she's gone down there to deal with the person who did it. But she might do something really extreme!"

I leave out the part about Kiriwo being responsible since I'm not completely sure it's true.

"What do you mean by 'extreme', exactly?" Ameri asks seriously.

What I'm scared of is that Rimuru is likely to take a life again.

With Beluran, she was certainly doing her best to act rational about it, but still… There's a part of me that feels like Rimuru was just giving in to her anger, and that scares me way more than any amount of blood she's spilled.

She might be too angry to think this through properly since she just teleported away in an instant and cut off communication after I tried to talk with her…it all feels too impulsive to me.

As her friend, I can't let Rimuru make a mistake she'll regret.

She might not listen to me when I try to stop her, but I at least need to try to stop Rimuru from killing someone if I can!

I sigh, trying to let out a shred of tension so I can get some words out.

"Please keep this to yourselves, but there was this time that someone attacked me and also made fun of Rimuru. She didn't take it well and…she got violent with him…so incredibly, brutally violent. I tried to stop her and she didn't listen…a-and if…if Rimuru is angry like she was back then…" I pause, debating whether I want to continue with my point.

Ameri opens her mouth, looking like she's about to ask me something, but doesn't.

Azz looks stunned but also remains silent, getting the idea without me needing to state it out loud, thankfully.

"You don't have to say any more Iruma." Ameri comforts me, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Th-thanks…" I thank her, happy to get her support.

"My rival is ruthless, I knew that already, but still…" Sabnock comments, also looking surprised.

"To think she'd have that side to her…" Ameri mutters to herself. "Ronove, take us down there, we ought to keep an eye on that vigilante in a situation like this," she says much louder, putting on a commanding tone.

Ronove clears his throat, a bit nervous about this.

"I shall guide you to Uroboros Prison," he shakily answers.

We start running in the direction of the prison's entrance with Ronove leading the way. He said he has the proper clearance to get inside, thankfully. I have no clue what'd we'd do if he didn't!

Now that I've all but said out loud what Rimuru did to Beluran, I just can't seem to get the imagery out of my mind. He wasn't a nice guy by any stretch of the imagination and I know she had her reasons, but I really don't want to imagine the same thing happening to Kiriwo.

He, too, is a bad guy for sure, but he was still once my friend. I don't want Rimuru to kill him for my sake!

Switching the ring to communication I try again to contact Rimuru, but to no avail. She must be blocking me out. Unlike me, who, on my own, can only act as a receiver for Rimuru's communication, she can block me out when she doesn't want to talk, it seems.

"Ronove, how much longer until we get there?" I press him. I know that this is really no different from a kid asking "are we there yet" but I just feel so helpless right now! Unfortunately, my hopes get shot down.

"Sadly, even my fabulous self needs to go through the security checks. They are on high alert because of a break-in earlier."

Yeah, figures.

We keep running toward our destination and reach the entrance to the prison.

With Ronove's help, we're all given access to it, and we quickly make our way down the levels followed by a couple of escorts, our way lit by magic, as the loss of power means there's no lighting here.

The first and second levels are abuzz with the activity of anxious guards, though one of them seems to remain perfectly calm. A hulking giant, with enormous hands that look like they could crush bricks into dust.

"That's the deputy warden, Triton!" Ronove explains. "He's the toughest guy here; every new prisoner has their wrists and ankles crushed by him as a way of greeting, so they know their place!"

Triton looks directly at us as we pass, and I feel a chill go down my spine.

Scary!

Our group eyes the man with caution, all of us not wanting anything to do with such a violent-sounding person.

As we keep walking, Ameri comes a little closer and quietly whispers something to me.

"Are you certain Rimuru will be able to handle whoever she's confronting? I know she is unusually strong, but we are dealing with hardened prisoners that have been vying to survive in a place like this. I don't want her to get-...uh…if she gets injured, I am certain that will upset you so I just wanted to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"And…if she is in some kind of rage-induced frenzy, I will step in and help."

"No, Ameri, I don't want you doing that," I respond

"Why? I am the physically strongest out of our group, it only makes sense for me to intervene in such a situation!" she exclaims.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt, Ameri! I care about you too much!"

"You…do?" Ameri squeaks out, her voice noticeably raising in pitch.

"Yeah, and the same goes for Sabnock and Azz. I don't want them doing anything that might get them hurt." I explain, glancing ahead at my two other friends.

"Oh…" Ameri mutters.

We keep making our way downward.

The third and fourth levels are where the prisoners are held, and what strikes me is how truly dismal this place looks. There's not a speck of sunlight, and nothing to spark even the slightest semblance of comfort or joy. It's simply a tomb of hewn rock and iron bars.

The entire place is on lockdown due to the emergency meaning that every prisoner has been confined to their cells. I glance at them as we pass by, receiving nothing but angry, jealous glares in return.

So this is what a demon prison is like… It's disturbing to know that people are kept in this place to run Walter Park. Could I really go back to enjoying it after seeing this?

"This place is quite depressing…" Azz mutters quietly as we observe the prisoners.

"Yeah, it is." I agree with a nod.

"This is what happens when demons stray from the right path, unfortunately." Ameri comments, also a bit troubled by the grim sight. "Although, I have to say that this place seems worse than I initially imagined."

"It is disappointing to see so many incredibly strong demons held here, now unable to reach their full potential. If I didn't realize that brutish shows of power aren't always the right way to handle things, in the future, I might have ended up in a place like this, eliminating any chance of achieving my dream of becoming Demon King…it's troubling to think about…" Sabnock says in an unusually quiet voice and a distant look in his eyes.

"Of course, sometimes violence is necessary, but I agree that it has its time and place, Sabnock," Ameri adds.

"But of course. If someone were to try to lay a hand on Master Iruma, I would-"

"Azz, let's not talk about that right now." I hastily cut him off.

I don't want to think about my friends attacking anyone…

"I agree," Ameri responds, looking ahead at the staircase down with some concern in her expression.

But before we can reach the fifth and final level, where Rimuru must be, our progress is halted by a wall of guards.

"Hold it! We can't let you go any further, turn back immediately!" the chief guard amongst them demands.

"Fool! Do you not know who I am?!" retorts Ronove.

"Of course I do, Master Ronove. But there is no chance that we will allow you to get involved in this emergency, both for your own safety and the prison's security."

"Insolent peasant! My daddy will hear about this!" Ronove whines, but the guard doesn't give in.

It's a dead end, there's no way past them…

"His whining will get us nowhere…do you have any ideas, Iruma?" Ameri asks me quietly.

"Let me think for a minute…"

I start pondering how to convince them to let us through while Ronove continues trying to use his status to get past the men, but this moment of thought doesn't last long at all.

All at once, everyone is struck with a horrifying feeling, including myself. An overwhelming pressure, an angry presence that bores into the center of you, striking mortal fear to your core.

There's no doubt about what this is; Rimuru's fury. Whatever is going on in the room ahead, it's upset Rimuru badly enough that she's lost control.

There's nothing I can do…I'm too late…

**Earlier**

Kiriwo POV

"It sounds so lively up there today…" I comment, to no one in particular.

Obviously, ever since my defeat at Babyls, I've been in prison; now only referred to as prisoner 1313 in any official capacity. Attempting to blow up a school certainly isn't taken lightly.

But, as I come from a highly influential family and wasn't seen as much of a threat due to my frail nature and young age, my sentencing was very lenient: Only two years, and I could choose which prison I'd spend those two years in.

So where did I choose?

Uroboros Prison, beneath Walter Park; the reason I gave was so I could 'hear the voices of laughter', but my real motives were something else entirely.

Certainly, it's not a prison I'd choose to go to without good reason. Inmates are required to do hard labor and supply Walter Park with their mana, tasks that are well beyond what my frail body can handle.

This sure is exhausting…

As I'm supplying one of the magical reactors with my mana, I suddenly feel that I'm running dry, and end up slumping against the metal surface of the contraption.

"Are you out of mana again, 1313?!" a guard angrily asks me, but I don't have it in me to respond, my body and mind feel far too heavy…

I must have blacked out, where am I? Ah, it looks like I'm in Dotty's care again…

When I come to, I'm in the arms of Dododo (nicknamed 'Dotty'), a colossal furred beast of a demon. Despite his fearsome appearance, he's actually a gentle giant; apparently, he's been in this prison for as long as anyone can remember, so his mind isn't quite what it used to be, and he's lost that vicious edge.

I also feel that my mana has been replenished, no doubt due to Dododo's bloodline ability.

"Ah, thanks, Dotty…" I quietly say as life returns to my body.

His bloodline ability is 'Source', granting him a huge supply of mana, and the ability to transfer it to others. With this ability to replenish his comrades, coupled with his absurd strength, he found his calling in the military.

But rather amusingly, he can force so much mana into a demon that they explode; which he did to a superior officer while lashing out, earning him an incredible 380-year sentence. I bet that was a fun sight to see!

"You're lucky, newbie. You made it just in time for the plan!" I overhear a demon say.

Newbie? Sounds like we've got a new recruit…

The room I'm in is actually a fighting arena for demons in their evil cycles, but because the guards never come here, it works well for holding secret meetings. A number of my accomplices are gathered here, eagerly awaiting the events due to unfold later today.

"The plan?" asks the newbie.

"What else could it be?" says Bats, a strong yet reliable fighter with an X-shaped tattoo across his face. "If we're talking about plans in a prison… we're talking about a prison break."

"A prison break?!" the newbie idiotically yells, getting a rock thrown into his face for his foolishness.

"I'll rip out your tongue!" a tiny one-eyed demon threatens, snarling.

"Sorry, sorry… But how are we going to manage that? Triton would just tear us to bits, wouldn't he?"

"Don't worry, we've got help from above to handle such problems," Bats explains. "I'm sure you've at least heard of them. They're known to be behind every evil deed… The Six Fingers."

"The Six Fingers?!" the newbie yells, once again being an idiot. I may like to induce yells, but even I'm not that idiotic.

"Not so loud!" one annoyed demon says. "I'll kick you in the throat, we don't know if the guards may come soon," threatens the tiny demon again.

"But aren't they the most famous members of the back-to-basics movement, surrounded by legends? What are they doing here?"

"To destroy Walter Park, of course. You can thank our friend Kiriwo over there for that," Bats says as he gestures toward me. "He's the one who contacted the Six Fingers."

Hearing my name, I weakly wave and then clamber out of Dotty's arms.

"Well, I just happened to know someone," I say, now sitting in front of the new recruit. "They said they'd let us go if we helped out with one of their 'parties', which sounds like a win-win to me."

"Parties?" the newbie asks.

"You want to know? Destroying the hell out of Walter Park," Bats says with a glint of eagerness in his eyes. "That's what they call a party."

"That's… That's so awesome!" the newbie replies with excitement.

Sounds like he's on board, we won't have to do anything to silence him.

"Say, what's your name, and what are you in here for?" I ask our new accomplice.

"Imp Rocky. I'm pretty famous in my hometown, but I seriously blundered and got caught for something really lame… Overhunting rare herbs."

There's a round of laughter at that, it certainly is a lame thing to be sentenced for.

"Well, lame or not, if you want to cause mayhem that's fine by me."

Suddenly, I hear a scratchy and muffled voice in my ear.

"Hey, Kiriwo, got a moment to talk?"

Atori? I wasn't expecting him to contact me now…

Earrings often have special significance amongst demonkind, with one or a pair commonly being given as a gift by an older demon who has taught you in their ways. From Baal, who enlightened me to the true meaning of desires, I received a pair of simple metal plates.

Or at least, they appear simple. He knew there was a good chance I'd wind up in prison at some point with how he planned to use me, so these were carefully and subtly enchanted to function as a weak but discreet communication device. It was pretty easy for the Six Fingers to find out where I had ended up and then make plans with me, thanks to these.

"I'd like some privacy now, please clear the room," I request.

My accomplices obediently file out of the room, and once I'm sure I'm alone, I press a finger to one of my earrings in order to activate it.

"Yes, what is it?" I respond.

"Iruma's sister, the one who helped him foil your plans… You said her name was Rimuru, right?" Atori asks, much to my surprise.

"That's correct."

Rimuru? Did he find someone by that name? Could it really be her?

Just thinking about her possibly being in the park when this all goes down fills me with a twisted feeling of both apprehension and excitement.

"I think I may have run into your girl just now. Silver-blue hair, golden eyes, much tougher than she looks. Does that sound like her?" Atori asks.

It is her!

"She's here?! Ohhh… I've never seen a demon more beautiful than her, being the subject of her rage felt like staring into the sun… I thought my frail body was going to be burned away just from how angry she was at me~!"

"Uh-huh, that's why I'm telling you, scary shit like that. If what you've told us about her is even half true, she's clearly an obstacle, and if she's here then her brother likely is as well. With how much trouble those two caused you last time, do you think it's safe to continue with our plans? Or do we have to wait for another day?"

Atori is right to be concerned. If one considers only our success chances, the Sullivan Twins are a serious wildcard; although it seems implausible that they'd be able to stop what's about to happen, it's not certain, they still add a chance of failure.

But 'success' is a word for those with boring, simple goals. We're demons who've devoted ourselves to fulfilling our selfish desires, and I've suddenly had an exciting new idea!

"Continue as planned. She's still just a teenager, and there aren't many chances to do this without the warden around."

"Alright… See you on the outside then!" Atori replies, and then he cuts off the communication.

A devilish smile peels across my face.

This was meant to be plan B, but I think Rimuru would love to see this!

Removing a brick from the arena wall to access the stuff that the Six Fingers smuggled in for me, I take out what appears to be a pouch of coins. But these aren't coins… As innocent as they look, they're made of argentine; the same mana-absorbing metal as the collar tag I used to trap Babyls, and inscribed with invisible runes to invoke fire magic.

It really does pay to be underestimated; I get to have stuff slipped to me without the guards expecting a thing!

Over the next half-hour, I stealthily slip the 'coins' into seams in the magical reactors, such that they can bathe in the mana of hundreds of demons.

"What are you slackers doing? Charge up these reactors properly if you don't want a beating!" a guard yells at some prisoners doing their best to supply one of the reactors, unaware that the cause of the mana running low is all the mana-absorbing argentine that the reactors are laden with.

Heh, you have no idea what you're doing. You're just gonna meet your demise sooner that way!

Once I've done my part, I look out for the telltale signs of the mana-absorbing metal being overloaded. Even being supplied with so much mana, it takes about an hour, but once it happens there's no stopping it.

"Dammit, now you're supplying too much mana to the reactors! Stop!" the guard from before complains, looking at a mana gauge steadily creeping up to dangerous levels.

My fellow inmates are all too happy to stop working, but the guard starts to look very anxious once he sees that the gauge is still going up even without anyone supplying mana.

"The hell? Is this broken?"

With a smile, I explain what I did, out loud so everyone can hear.

"No, I filled the reactors with pieces of argentine inscribed with fire runes. They're leaking mana because they're overloaded and about to explode, killing everyone in the prison." I say simply, smiling widely in anticipation of their inevitable panicked reactions.

Everyone looks shocked at what I just said.

"You're kidding, r-right Kiriwo?" one of the inmates shakily asks with a nervous smile.

"No, not at all. Well, there was one lie in what I said. I have no plans to perish along with the rest of you. Good luck~!"

I quickly round a corner, wedge myself into a crevice in the rocky wall and then seal myself in with a barrier. My chances of survival are pretty decent this way, though a cave-in would be a serious test of my abilities.

Outside the barrier, it's a scene of desperation and panic. It looks like everyone who heard me believes me now, and they're all running as far as possible from the reactors as if it'd help.

One demon, furious at me, hammers his fists on the barrier to try and bring me to justice as his last act, but all his efforts do is widen my smile.

It's no use.

With a deafening boom and roar, he's instantly turned to ash as white-hot flames fill the tunnel.

But just as fast, the flames are replaced with strange black streaks, and then nothing.

Did… Did the explosion just get erased? Is there a defense system in this place that I wasn't aware of? It seems like the prison wasn't destroyed as I hoped…

Leaving the safety of the barrier to see what happened, everything is eerily quiet. Certainly, everyone in the vicinity has perished.

But in the distance, one person stands alone in the middle of the reactor room. Exactly the person I wanted to see. I'm not sure how she got here so fast, but I'm not gonna complain.

"Hiya, Rimuru! Long time no see~! I'm glad you got my 'message'!"

In a snap I'm teleported over to Rimuru, her fist instantly seizing the front of my prison jumper.

"Kiriwo, what the hell did you just do?!"

"Simple, I blew up the prison! Or at least, I tried to." I chuckle.

Rimuru gives me an incredulous look and then throws me to the ground. As I sit back up, I see her squat down and brush some of the ashes on the floor with her hand, looking at the smoldering remains contemplatively.

"How did you even manage to do this?" Rimuru asks in a low voice, not bothering to look at me while speaking.

"I did it using the magical reactors that we were forced to power, of course. It was a pretty simple matter to make them put all their energy into a massive conflagration."

"… You only had a two-year sentence… it makes no sense, why didn't you wait it out?" Rimuru asks, with a disturbed expression. "Why would you do something as risky as breaking out of a max-security prison when your sentence is so light? Why did you have to do… this?"

"You think I'd make it out of this hell-hole alive? Not a chance! Every day I'm drained dry of my meager amount of mana to the point of passin' out. It's just a matter of time before I wither away in a place like this! I know I asked for it, bein' here, but I still got goals on the outside to accomplish. Big Bro's depending on me!"

Rimuru has a look of pity in her eyes after what I just said, and I frown when I see that. I want to see that beautiful face twisted in anger and disgust!

"I don't want your pity, Rimuru. I don't deserve your pity. Because you know, there was another plan to get me out, but this one seemed more fun!"

"Another plan? Oh, I see, the kaiju…"

She knows about that? … Actually, it's not that surprising, it's really not well-hidden at all if you know what to look for.

"Yup, that was the other plan. Sure, it's destructive and all, but not nearly as delightful as plan B! The inmates, the guards… their faces right before it exploded were just perfect! That look of shock and despair when they all realized that their lives were about to end and that I'd betrayed them with a smile on my face…oh man, that was beautiful~! Gosh, I'd been plannin' this out for so long, getting a buncha pawns together so I can use them to make my escape, but in the end, I just went with this! I wonder if any of them were killed? I wonder if they spent their last moments thinking about how I had betrayed them?"

That look of pity Rimuru had before is long gone, replaced with an icy, judgemental gaze. It's enough that I let out a small squeal of glee; I know I'm in terrible danger right now, but this is just too much fun!

"You want to feel that you've betrayed your allies? To sacrifice them needlessly? You're even worse than I thought…"

"I'm sure I am~! But you want to know the biggest reason I did this?"

In a blink, Rimuru grabs me by the throat, but she doesn't squeeze.

"Tell me. Dig your hole even deeper." Rimuru whispers through gritted teeth, her golden eyes shining with pure malice as she stares at me.

Scary~!

"I just did this to get your attention. Quite the flashy invitation, don'tcha think?"

Without warning, I'm violently hurled at a wall, but I freeze in midair the instant before I get splattered.

"Control yourself…" Rimuru quietly mutters to herself while setting me down gently, as if with invisible hands.

Woah! That got my heart racin', she seriously almost just killed me by reflex! Now that is a sight to see in a demon!

"Tell me what you mean by that," Rimuru sternly commands, walking towards me. Her cheerful summery clothes contrast amusingly with her barely-suppressed anger and overwhelming presence, making me giggle a bit.

"I mean exactly what I said. My sources let me know that you were in the park, so I decided to put on a little show for you!"

"Thirteen demons are dead from your stunt. You're a killer now, don't expect me to treat this as a game."

"That few? I wouldn't have given them a running start if I knew you'd interfere, I thought this whole prison would be obliterated."

"And why the hell would you do that?! Why not just escape the other way? If you just did that, I might not have even bothered to stop you from leaving!"

"If you weren't here today, I'd have just gone along with that plan. But it's because you're here today that I killed all those demons! Detonating the magical reactors were supposed to be plan B, but I made it plan A, just so I could show you the mess you made!"

That got to her. Her aura is now spilling out in anger, and her appearance has changed, her hair now let down and clothes replaced with the same black garb I saw her in last time.

And yet, she heaves a heavy sigh.

"I just can't with people like you…"

There's still anger smoldering in her eyes, but it seems more subdued than expected.

"What, you expect me to somehow blame myself for the crazy murder spree you decided to go on just because you put a 'For Rimuru' gift wrap around it?"

"Of course! After all, you're my inspiration, a goddess of destruction! You just haven't realized it yet!" I gleefully exclaim.

Using a modified form of my barrier magic, I create a mirror in the air for several seconds to show Rimuru what she looks like right now. I wanna share with her what she looks like from my perspective because she truly is a beauty, especially in this intense state of anger I've driven her into.

Rimuru disinterestedly glances at my handiwork and it shatters like nothing in the blink of an eye into dust.

Now I'm in some real trouble…I didn't know she could break it all on her own!

A thrilling chill comes with the realization, but I'm left undeterred. My initial plan might be ruined, but the ecstasy I'm feeling from this experience is too much for me to stop now!

"Don't call me that." Rimuru coldly responds.

"Why not, though? From how casually you nearly splattered me against the wall just now, I bet you've got plenty of experience with killing, don'tcha? What's your kill count? It's gotta be bigger than the 13 that died in that explosion."

"I don't need to share that with you. I've killed before, I'll admit that much, but every life I've taken was for a good reason, so don't you dare call it a 'kill count' or anything so casual!"

It takes me a few moments to understand, but when I realize what she meant, I can't help but burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Rimuru asks with an icy-cold voice, angered by my amusement.

"You seriously make killing painful for yourself by overthinking it, don't you? I think you'd love it if you just let go, and started living for your own sadistic desires and nothing else!"

"Do you seriously think I'm as screwed in the head as you?! I get nothing out of senseless slaughter!" she shouts back.

"Then maybe you'd enjoy killing for a purpose! I'm sure Big Bro would love~ to add ya as a new weapon in his arsenal! You're exactly the right type of demon for the job, you just need to be convinced of that!"

She's the granddaughter of one of the lauded and admired Three Greats, and the most popular one to boot. Bringing Rimuru over to our side wouldn't just be an addition to our strength, but a crushing blow to the morale of the masses. It would be a large step in the direction of obliterating the current system and causing the chaos we all crave.

"I don't care about your shitty 'back-to-basics' movement or your 'Big Bro'." Rimuru snarls, not wanting to give me a single inch on the subject. But I definitely want to see where this goes!

"I get it, you've already reached rank 6, you don't need the ranking system to fall in order to show your superiority over others, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have tons of fun! Watching the current Netherworld burn, seeing all the mortified faces of the masses all screaming as the foundation they've worked so hard to build up and keep alive is reduced to ashes! And from those ashes will rise a new world, one where all the survivors have returned to their origins and can fully embrace their desires! It's how things should be, a Netherworld ruled by instinct, passion, and the drive to fight for our deepest ambitions. No rules, no ranks, just the natural state we are meant to live in! That's the world my Big Bro wants, and you can be a part of that!"

I continue to make my case, tempting Rimuru with anything I can come up with, but it only seems to be angering her more, not that I mind.

"Just shut up. I'd never wish for anything like that!" Rimuru snaps at me.

"C'mon, don't be like that! I saw it, saw it in your eyes last time we met! You like causing others pain too, don't you? You enjoy watching the hope fade out of their eyes as you show your dominance over them, crush their spirit, and end their lives!"

I saw it; that glimmer of enjoyment that Rimuru showed while holding me by the jaw and lecturing me. That instinctual pleasure every demon gets from crushing their sworn enemies. Rimuru has a lot of potential to 'return to basics', all she needs is the right push.

"I said shut up!" Rimuru shouts back, clearly getting upset from me pointing this out.

I really love how her eyes sparkle with hatred as she glares at me like that!

I may have failed to see Rimuru deliciously deep into self-loathing, completely destroyed, taking the bait and blaming herself for the blood on her hands brought on by my actions but all's not lost. Instead, I get to see more of the beautiful hate-filled goddess that I witnessed back during the school festival. Ah, how exhilarating~!

"Hehe, I really like that look you're givin' me! Yes, give in to your desires! Embrace your base instincts! Show me that side of you that's free and unrestrained, how a demon should be!" I egg her on further, basking in Rimuru's fury again, tasting the anger permeating the very air in the room.

"Fine! You want to see that side of me so badly? Then I'll let you see it."

Yes…this is gonna be glorious!

Suddenly, as expected, the intensity of Rimuru's aura redoubles, making it even more difficult to withstand. A pleasantly painful tingling sensation attacks every inch of my body and a crushing pressure from all angles makes it hard for me to even breathe.

Oh, wooOOoow~!

It's intense, overwhelming, suffocating, and absolutely the most pleasurable sensation I've ever experienced.

I'm only allowed to bask in this feeling for a mere moment before, suddenly, an invisible force slams me against the wall behind me and then tightly grips my whole body, pinning my arms to my sides.

I gaze at my captor with blurry vision.

If someone told me she was the incarnation of wrath itself, I'd believe them. A true 'goddess of destruction', as I had dubbed her earlier.

Her lustrous silver-blue hair fluttering slightly from her release of aura; her golden eyes like blazing suns of pure power and fury; Rimuru approaches closer to my helpless self, still being held against the wall.

"You… really are… beautiful like this…" I barely manage to gasp out, struggling under both the pressure of her aura and whatever technique she's using to pin me to the wall.

"Don't say anything, let's just end this," Rimuru snarls.

As she raises her arm, streaks of black flame dance around her and flow into her palm, the intense heat building up making me swelter.

Oh, she's seriously gonna kill me! Haha… I wasn't quite ready for this, but I suppose I should have expected it Besides, this is definitely how I'd choose to go out if given the choice.

"Perish."

With that final word from Rimuru, a jet of black flame roars toward me, to remove me from this world.

Iruma POV

All I can do is wait for the foreboding aura to subside, hoping and praying that Rimuru is simply angry and hasn't actually killed Kiriwo. But, I quickly realize there's still one thing I might be able to do to reach Rimuru. Even if she's not listening, someone still likely is.

I switch my ring to the Thought Communication mode again and instead try to get Ciel's attention.

Ciel, I know you can hear me!

[[… What is it?]]

Please, take me to Rimuru! Or let me talk to her!

[[No. Master does not wish to be disturbed.]]

I need to get in there and speak with Rimuru! Please!

[[You expect me to go against my Master's wishes? I admit, that I have not fully grasped the concept of jokes just yet, but even so, I think this is not the time for them.]]

Oh no, she sounded rather annoyed just now… but I don't have the luxury of being thoughtful of my words right now.

I'm not joking! Just take me to Rimuru, even if she doesn't want me there! It's important!

[[So you are asking me… to betray Master? Are you out of your mind perhaps? Or maybe my actions as Amane have given you a warped sense of my priorities.]]

Okay, her annoyance just switched to full-blown anger. Go figure. Rimuru said that almost every action Ciel takes is centered around her. Even back during my 'evil phase', as we were practicing threat control, Rimuru gave me protective gloves that Ciel made… not for my sake though, but because Rimuru would be sad if I got hurt.

But with that revelation, I think I have an idea.

If you don't let me inside, and Rimuru does something terrible in there, I'll stop being her friend!

Yeah, that was dirty, but it's my only option. I don't think I'd actually insist on not seeing Rimuru again, but she's a pretty terrible friend if she murders people even as I plead with her not to.

[[ ! ]]

I feel immediate guilt. I mean, what kind of friend does something like this?! I'm basically blackmailing her, using my connection with Rimuru as leverage to get her to help me out here.

I'll apologize in full dogeza style later…

There's no further response as I stand there, waiting for the upcoming teleport, but nothing seems to be happening.

Ciel?

[[Hmph.]]

"Master Iru-?!" Azz yells, but I don't hear the rest, as with a lurch I find myself elsewhere.

That worked?! Thank you, Ciel! Uh… This looks bad…

I'm now in a huge underground chamber, the cavernous space lit only by the faint glow of barriers that block off every single entrance. Even if the guards had let me past, there's no way I could have gotten in here on my own with these things up. The barriers are clearly Rimuru's, green in color and giving off a faint, almost-ominous glow that's illuminating the cave-like room I find myself in. It's the same type she used at Walpurgis, I think.

Dust is lingering in the air around me, creating an ominous kind of fog in the room when combined with the glow of the green barrier enclosing the room. The smell of something burnt is unmistakable, likely the result of that explosion from earlier. Looking around more, I notice the rough, rocky ground is marked by large streaks of soot. My eyes stop on a charred horn lying near one of those streaks…I try not to pay attention to them anymore.

Up ahead, I see them; Rimuru standing in the middle of the room, and on the other side of her is Kiriwo, pinned flat against the wall by some unseeable force that's probably Rimuru's doing. He's wearing a strained smile, staring right at his apparent adversary.

I was right…I hate it, but I was right!

I had my suspicions that Kiriwo was behind all this and seeing him being confronted by Rimuru just solidifies that in my mind.

The most important part is that I'm not too late!

I start running as fast as I can, my feet hitting the hard, craggy surface of the ground beneath them. Desperately, I approach their face-off, determined to put a stop to what I'm convinced is about to be a brutal execution.

"Perish."

As I hear that single word from Rimuru, she raises her hand, palm outstretched towards Kiriwo.

"No, wait!" I yell, leaping between the two, but I immediately realize I've made a terrible mistake.

The sight of the jet of black flames sears itself into my field of vision, a lashing of pure heat and destruction closing in on me. I wince, tightly closing my eyes, sure that I'm about to be reduced to nothing but cinders in the face of Rimuru's lethal attack.

It takes me a moment afterward to register that I'm miraculously unharmed. The walls and floor around me have been turned into molten slag, except where Kiriwo and I are standing as we're protected by a barrier that vanishes once we're safe.

He's slumped to the floor, no longer being held up against the wall.

"Did… Did you save me?" I ask, looking down at Kiriwo. He's breathing heavily, sweating a lot, and kneeling on the floor, clearly not doing so well.

"Why would I do that? Seeing your sister's face as she realized she just burnt her precious brother to a crisp…oh, I would have loved~ to see that! I guess I'll have to settle for the face she's making right now!" he replies gleefully, looking up at me with cheeks flushed with pleasure.

I only catch a glimpse of Rimuru's shocked expression before Kiriwo's comment snaps her out of it.

"What the hell were you thinking, Iruma?!" she yells angrily.

"I didn't… I didn't mean to…" I stutter, still shell-shocked from nearly being vaporized.

It's hard to think straight with a head swimming with adrenaline, reeling from nearly being incinerated and enduring the overwhelming pressure of Rimuru's aura.

"How did you even get in here?!" Rimuru angrily asks before stopping and taking a deep breath. " … Oh, I see. Iruma, please leave. I don't want you to see this," she says coldly, a resolute look in her eyes.

A hole opens in the barrier blocking the entrance of the room, and the message is clear; as soon as I leave, she'll execute Kiriwo, just like Beluran.

She hasn't even put a barrier on me, such that I'm subjected to the crushing pressure of her aura, as if she's trying to make me leave and accept what she's doing. But I refuse to budge an inch.

"No," I firmly state.

"Seriously? He killed a lot of people just now with that explosion, is that the kind of person you want to protect?!" Rimuru shouts, pointing an angry finger at Kiriwo.

He did what?!

I look back at Kiriwo in shock at what I just heard, and he nods in confirmation, with a smile as if he's proud of what he did. But I try not to let that revelation shake me, and I do my best to stand firm between him and Rimuru, even if my body is screaming to get out of the way.

"Even after hearing that, you won't move? You know how dangerous Kiriwo is! If I spare him, he'll keep taking every chance he can get to kill more people!" Rimuru yells angrily.

"I won't let you… Not until…" I try to speak, but I can't get out what I'm trying to say.

I'm at my limit now, and my legs give way, causing me to slump to the floor, my eyes also starting to fail me as tunnel vision starts to set in. But, before I fully pass out, I feel Rimuru's aura subsiding, and she sits with me on the rocky ground.

"What an experience…the embrace of a wrathful goddess' power…and that feeling of thinkin' I was gonna die…oh, I wanna feel it again~!" Kiriwo mutters wistfully in the background, but I don't pay him any mind.

"Well, you win. If you're that determined to stop me, I suppose I'll listen to whatever excuse you'll make for him," she says softly, sounding annoyed with me, but also kind at the same time.

I take a moment to sit up and catch my breath.

"I wanted to be sure you weren't doing this only because you're angry, you get really scary when you're angry… I mean, now that you've calmed down, do you still want to… hurt him?" I ask cautiously, somewhat dreading Rimuru's answer.

Rimuru shoots Kiriwo a sideways glare before locking eyes with me again and answering.

"I'm still furious at him, I'm only barely calm enough to keep my aura under control. Believe me, I hate doing this, but I'd be a fool to spare such a villain simply because I didn't want to take a life," she explains calmly, making it hard for her to seem angry at the moment.

"Let me talk to him first! I just… I just want to know why things turned out like this…"

Rimuru's eyes dart a few times between me and Kiriwo, probably weighing whether this is alright or not. Finally, she closes her eyes and sighs defeatedly, and comes to her decision.

"Fine. I'll leave you two alone for a bit." she quietly answers.

Rimuru's eyes turn red and her stern expression becomes more neutral, telling me that Ciel is in control. She's still sitting here to keep an eye on us, but Rimuru herself has left to wherever she goes when she does this.

"Didn't she say she was leaving?" Kiriwo asks, still looking blissful and stunned by recently experiencing the pressure Rimuru was giving off in her anger.

"She sometimes does that, I don't think she's actually watching us right now," I explain simply, not really knowing the details myself.

Kiriwo shrugs, not too bothered by this.

"Well, whatever. You said you wanted to talk with me."

I steel my resolve and meet his eyes.

"Why did you do this?" I ask him demandingly.

"Oh, you mean this little show I put on for Rimuru~?" Kiriwo playfully responds, proudly smiling at the room around us.

"Show? Be serious, Kiriwo. Why did you try to blow up the prison? That's what you were trying to do, right?" I continue pushing him for an answer.

"To plunge your sister into despair, of course!" he answers immediately, his voice and expression full of glee.

"Huh?" I let out a confused noise, stunned that all of this destruction and death was done just to upset Rimuru.

Kiriwo seems to revel in my astoundment, giggling at my expression.

"Rimuru surely was going to get in the way of my little escape plan, so I overloaded the mana collectors in the prison, causing a large explosion. I slaughtered the 'friends' I made in this place, just so I can see their faces as well as Rimuru's! Yours too, now that you're here Iruma! It's a shame I couldn't see the one you made when your sister's flames almost engulfed us both…I'm sure it was beautiful~!"

He's still so confident…was Kiriwo convinced he was gonna survive that attack? Maybe he thought his barrier magic would be enough to block it, even though I'm certain it wouldn't have been.

Kiriwo's attitude about this…it's disgusting. Absolutely deplorable. But…it doesn't make me want him dead.

I want Kiriwo to learn, to change. He's still a teen, just like me, so I know he can live and learn from his mistakes! I just need to convince him he's made some first.

That, and I need to make him know how much danger he's putting himself in by toying with Rimuru and trying to deliberately anger her. I just barely managed to save his life a few moments ago and I don't think I'll be able to convince Rimuru to give him another chance if he tries something like this for a third time.

I need to get serious.

With no other option, I resolve to tell him about the one thing I'd rather forget.

"Kiriwo, you don't understand..." I pause, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I've seen Rimuru kill," I say in a voice as serious as I can manage, staring him intensely in the eyes, not showing an ounce of the pain and fear I'm feeling.

Kiriwo chuckles at this, still wearing that evil grin on his face as if to say 'so what?'. I try my best to ignore it.

"...and even though you've done some evil things, I don't want that to happen to you. You want despair? You won't get any because it'll happen in an instant, and no amount of barriers will be enough to save you. I won't be able to save you…"

"Did you think I didn't figure that out already? Rimuru shattered one of my barriers earlier like it was nothing, but I kept on pushing because her anger was so intoxicating!"

"I don't get it…why do you always strive for these negative emotions? Why can't you just decide to be happy for once, without causing others pain?! We had fun together, right? I believe you can be happy without doing evil things like this!"

I really do miss the days before the Battler Party, when I could sincerely call Kiriwo a friend. Why couldn't he be happy with that kind of life?

"You were born into Sullivan's bloodline, happiness must come easy for you with a silver spoon in your mouth and a grandfather who loves you. The little folk like me have to do what we can for a taste of the power and happiness you get by default," Kiriwo hisses, with a faint bitterness behind his words.

"Life wasn't always like this for me! I wasn't born into Sullivan's family; I spent most of my life struggling day after day to survive until he adopted me. I know how it feels, to be downtrodden and desperate for some kind of win… and I know it's a miracle to suddenly find myself in the care of someone like Sullivan. But even if you aren't expecting a miracle, you shouldn't give up hope and throw everything away for instant gratification!"

"Giving up hope? You think that's what this is about? I do what I do because I love it!"

"… I hate you for your actions. I really do. Yet, I still hope that you go on living and that you don't end it all for a single moment of happiness. I want to give you a chance."

"You really wanna let me go…just like that?"

"I just...don't want to see anyone else die, so can you please agree to this? Just…agree not to kill anyone else. That's all I'm asking of you. If you do…I'll make sure Rimuru spares you for good."

Kiriwo is lost in thought for a moment as he truly considers my offer for the first time.

"You do realize that you are saving the life of your mortal enemy, right Iruma~?"

"Yes...I know that."

"I will make you feel the ultimate despair one day; its fate, y'know? I can feel it. So, today I'll play along and go with my original plan, but in the future, you'll regret this, I bet. But in the meantime, I'll take your generous~ offer."

I'm left with a sinking feeling in my gut after hearing his ominous words but give Kiriwo a stiff nod in response, still hiding my emotions fairly effectively. He at least agreed to not kill anyone else, and that's what I needed to hear the most; I just hope I can trust those words.

Ciel, who has been sitting on the floor, watching us the entire time, stands up.

She looks at Kiriwo, squinting her eyes at him, clear disdain buried in her crimson eyes before walking closer to him.

"If I find that you have broken that promise you just made, no more mercy will be given. Consider this your last chance." Ciel coldly states before turning away with an aloof expression and walking calmly over to me. Ciel then takes my arm in her hand without a word said to either me or Kiriwo and I feel the lurch of another sudden teleport.

In an instant, Ciel and I are back on the surface, on a flat rooftop overlooking one of the streets in the park. This place looks like it's set up as a break area for the staff of the store right beneath us, a nice little hideaway that you could normally only spot by flying.

"I've told your friends where to find us. They ought to take a while to make their way back here."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Everything feels so much less tense now that I'm out of that crazy situation. Although, I notice that it's still Ciel with me, as Rimuru's eyes are still red.

When I make eye contact with her, Ciel explains the situation to me. "Master has reviewed the conversation between you and Kiriwo, as well as everything leading up to it. Your actions were so utterly outlandish to him that he's still trying to process it."

At that moment, Rimuru's eyes return to their usual gold.

"I figured I might as well just use Thought Acceleration there, it seemed unfair to keep you waiting."

"Rimuru, you're back! Are… Are you alright?"

"I guess so, it's complicated…"

"Complicated?"

"...Look, what you did back there…it was honestly insane for multiple reasons."

"Huh?"

"First, I need to address the whole 'jumping in front of my attack' thing. Don't ever do something like that again. I get what you were trying to do, but damn was that reckless! You could've been seriously hurt! If I wasn't using one of my weakest finishers…"

"I know that now…it was really stupid…" I murmur.

"Good, I'm glad you understand," Rimuru nods, her expression softening somewhat. "But also, there's the thing of sparing Kiriwo from me. I know that you think I'm ruthless, but that's just how the world I reincarnated into was; a brutal place that pushes its inhabitants to be brutal too. Really, I have a reputation for being unusually merciful. So if I think someone is beyond salvation, it's taken as a given. No one has ever questioned that."

Have I misunderstood her this whole time? I always thought her scary side was just her nature as a monster, but it sounds like there's more to it than that…

"Yet now, when I thought I had no choice but to eliminate someone, you did something unthinkable! You did whatever it took to stop me, a Demon Lord, and then you made mercy an option; all for the sake of someone you don't even like! You really have no idea how ridiculous that is, do you?" chuckles Rimuru, as if she finds this all amusing in its absurdity.

"I guess I've gotten too used to thinking of you as my sister rather than a Demon Lord… And I can't just leave someone to die, even if they've done some terrible things."

Rimuru's expression becomes a little sad with that last comment, and she starts to take this seriously again.

"To think I'd be on the other end of this dynamic… I'm usually the one holding back a violent companion, not the other way around. I truly don't know how to feel about it. Should I be ashamed that a friend made an effort to stop me? Annoyed? Happy? Angry, even? I have no clue, really. But, the one thing I am sure about is that if I had killed some sickly kid because it was 'necessary', the soft side of me likely would've held it against myself for a very long time, so I mean it when I say… thank you."

"I'm glad you're okay with what I did, but… Are you really? It was horrible of me to say I wouldn't be your friend so I could get Ciel to help me…"

I'm honestly disgusted with myself, in hindsight. Back during our Tempest trip, Chloe even warned me about it, that Rimuru's one weakness is losing people she cares about. She told me to watch out for it so that I wouldn't hurt Rimuru, but all I did was exploit it instead.

"Iruma."

I can't look at her. I don't want to see her looking angry at me. Or disappointed. Or…

"Iruma, you don't owe me your friendship."

"... Huh?"

I'm a bit lost…what does she even mean by that?

"I said you don't owe me, or anyone else for that matter, your friendship," Rimuru repeats, but I still don't get it.

"Listen here. I know you feel indebted to me because I help you out a lot and whatnot. That's how you feel, right?"

I nod my head in silence.

"But even so, even if you feel gratitude or indebted towards someone. Never, ever, should you think you owe them your friendship. If your friends do something that you cannot agree with, either find out if you can forgive them and how to do so or, if you find it unforgivable, cut them out of your life."

"What about… Do you mean even if it's you?"

She hesitates for a moment, but then with a pained expression she confirms "… Yes, even if it's me."

Does she feel like she went too far this time? It would be awful of me to keep her waiting if she's anxious.

Without hesitating, I tightly hug Rimuru, seemingly catching her off guard as she yelps in surprise.

"I know that you have to do terrible things sometimes, but I still think you're a good person, Rimuru."

The next half a minute passes in stillness and silence. I thought I might have heard her sniffle, but that must've just been my imagination, Rimuru's the toughest person I know.

"Wait a second!" I blurt out as I suddenly remember something important. "Didn't Kiriwo say that some stuff is gonna happen to the park? Something about his plans to break out of the prison?"

"Huh? Oh, right, Ciel tells me it'll be three huge kaiju suddenly appearing in the park as some sort of distraction, with a prison revolt most likely occurring at the same time." Rimuru says in as casual of a tone as possible, acting like she's simply talking about the weather forecast or something equally mundane.

She seems completely unconcerned…

"You… You can beat them all, right?"

"I could, but the right thing to do isn't always what first comes to mind. I mean, this isn't exactly a 'good versus evil' situation, is it? It's more like evil versus evil, really, with this park and everyone in it about to be caught in the crossfire."

"I guess that prison did look really awful, it felt like a tomb…"

"It's one of the worst prisons in the Netherworld in fact. Ciel is looking through their records as we speak, and their profit margins are astronomical, they've really got exploitation down to an art. For example…" Rimuru says as she summons a document from nowhere and starts to read. "Some guy got ten years just for trespassing, got involved in a fighting ring that the prison allows to exist, then during his first evil cycle after he was released he maimed the demon whose property he had trespassed on. Now his sentence is fifty years, and as a high-risk individual, the prison is paid more to keep him; not to mention that at the same time, the prison is selling his magical energy to Walter Park."

"I thought prison was just a place for bad guys… Are you saying this prison made him a bad guy?"

"In theory, prison is just a way to contain, punish, and rehabilitate criminals; but justice is a tricky thing to get right, as there'll always be mistakes and people who fall through the cracks. However, that particular prison gets it wrong entirely on purpose, because it benefits them. So I can't exactly say I'm eager to stop the plan to destroy it when that place has already destroyed so many lives…"

"But they'll destroy Walter Park as well! Everyone looks so happy here, and I… I don't want any of them to die…"

"So that's your wish?"

"My wish?"

"It sounds like you understand why I want to let this attack happen, but your priority is still the safety of those in the park. I can't say it won't be terrifying for them, but I can help you ensure that not a single one of them dies."

Not a single person dying…yes, that's what's most important…