Rimuru And Iruma's Adventures In The Netherworld

by Mu1622

A bored Rimuru Tempest accompanies Diablo when he goes to meet with an old friend in the Netherworld. What will happen when he meets an out-of-place human boy who piques his interest?

120. Symphonic Mettle

Iruma POV

Rimuru was quiet all throughout dinner. Not broody, but she was acting so… formal.

Calm, quiet. Using her utensils properly for once, sitting up straighter. She also wasn't shoveling in food like she normally did, and only had one serving–which was fasting, by Rimuru's standards–and apparently, she was completely fine with it.

Something was clearly, terribly, wrong.

"Are you alright, Iruma?" Grandpa suddenly breaks my focus. "You've been very quiet today."

"O-oh! Yeah!" I beam, "just thinking about all the stuff we've got to get done for school!"

Whatever is going on with Rimuru, she'll probably get really mad at me if I bring it up around Grandpa.

"Well, you and your classmates have already gone above and beyond this year!" Grandpa smiles proudly, and I squirm a bit from embarrassment. "Kalego hasn't been pushing you too hard, has he? You need to tell me if he is!"

"No, no!" I wave my hands frantically. "It's been fine. Our preparations for the Music Festival are gonna really ramp up soon so I think we'll be great!"

"He might not've been pushing you that much, but…" I didn't catch the last half of Rimuru's grumbling, but it's pretty clear she's still mad at Kalego. I know why.

"Didn't you say you were planning to make him lift that cafeteria ban, at least? You said he'd do it if you stopped being his 'biggest headache', so are you thinking of doing something nice for him?"

"Goodness! Rimuru, if you used your innocent charm I believe even Kalego's frozen heart would thaw!" Grandpa exclaims.

"Innocent…" Rimuru mumbles while avoiding our gaze.

"Do you really believe Lord Rimuru would be so merciful with that man?" Diablo scoffs at us. Then he turns to Rimuru, eyes full of excitement. "My Lord, have you ruthlessly plotted to throw his life into such chaos that his concerns for you are secondary?"

Diablo! Come on now, I know you're very smart, but with Rimuru you're–

"Diablo's closer to the mark," Rimuru admits to my surprise.

"Oh! Well then, I suppose I can look forward to seeing the 'Chaos Creator' work her magic," Grandpa says with a smile.

Rimuru just snickers softly to herself.

Then, almost as if to play a part, she breaks out into a creepy smile. "Even I have no idea what'll happen, or when. All I know is that it'll be a lot of fun."

Grandpa chuckles. "I did warn him at the start of the year that you were too dangerous to antagonize. It's his fault, really."

That causes Rimuru's smile to falter. "Ah, yeah, you did tell him that…"

For a moment, it seems as though Grandpa wants to say something more, but Opera jumps in with an offer.

"If you seek revenge against Kalego, I believe I could help you with that. He fears me more than anyone."

"No need! I'm sure what I've already got in-store will be plenty!" Rimuru hastily replies, then quickly changes the subject. "Um, what's for dessert?"

Suddenly I'm reminded of something.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot!" I turn to Grandpa. "Can we have hot chocolate after dinner?" I ask eagerly.

"Of course!" Grandpa beams happily, and Opera bows behind him.

"I will begin preparing it right away," Opera says. "Is there anything else you'd like?"

"Snacks. Lots of 'em." Rimuru butts in before I can even open my mouth. "And… a movie!" Her eyes are shining greedily. "In a blanket fort! Full of pillows!"

Rimuru must be really stressed. Normally, she's not so… direct when she wants to do something 'childish', in her own words. I decide to just let Rimuru take charge since she seems so excited and clearly needs this just as much as I do.

"Alrighty then!" Grandpa suddenly jumps up. "You kids finish eating, I'll be right back!"

Rimuru starts eating with a lot more enthusiasm, and it makes me happy to see.

Just as we both finish our meal, Grandpa prances back into the room. "Alright, close your eyes!" He shouts gleefully as he takes us each by the hand.

"That's not going to do much, but okay…" Rimuru laughs.

"Then turn your other senses off too!" Grandpa says, "this has to be a surprise!"

"M'kay." Rimuru still seems a little melancholic, but she's smiling as she goes along with it.

"Whoop!" Rimuru yelps as she almost pitches off her feet, just barely caught by Grandpa. "Sheesh, I am not used to this," she complains, and starts walking forward a lot more cautiously.

I close my eyes and follow Grandpa's hand as he leads us somewhere out of the kitchen. Going by feel, it seems to be in the direction of the living room…

"Ta-dah!" Grandpa cheers.

I open my eyes and see Rimuru do the same. In the middle of the room is a blanket fort… or I assume that's what it is. A big blanket was hung over the couch, which was loaded with pillows, and an open wall facing the tv.

"It looks great, Grandpa!" I cheer, only for Rimuru to put a hand on her chin.

"Hmmm…" She says. "Thanks Grandpa, but no offense, this isn't quite what a blanket fort should be like."

"Oh, no problem then!" Grandpa snaps his fingers, and suddenly the blanket grows to encompass the whole room. "How's that?"

"Mmph." Rimuru squints judgmentally. "It's not cozy though. Here, let me help."

Rimuru flies up and pulls the blanket down, then sprints back to the dining room and starts dragging chairs back one by one, arranging them just so in front of the couch.

"Um, Rimuru…" I say as she flashes past to get another chair, "I don't think you need to–"

"No," she snaps, though not harshly. "If we're gonna do a blanket fort we've got to do it right! I'm gonna make the best blanket fort. In the whole world–no, in history!"

"U-um… okay." I'm sure what a blanket fort is supposed to look like, but Rimuru would know so I decide not to question it. "Here, I can–" I start to pull the blanket taut, which is draped across the backs of several chairs to form a tent, but Rimuru shoos me off.

"No," she fusses. "Trust me, this is gonna be awesome."

Is it just me, or is Rimuru being even pushier than normal?

After several minutes, Rimuru proudly stands back and waves her hands. "Isn't this the best blanket fort you've ever seen!?" She boasts.

"Um… well, it's the first I've ever seen," I say politely. I don't want to be rude, but the bizarre cluster of chairs with several blankets draped over them and the couch doesn't look all that comfortable.

"Right!" Rimuru hits her fist with her palm. "You've never seen one! Here's how it works." Rimuru grabs my hand and drags me to the front of her creation, getting down on her knees and crawling inside a tiny little opening in the blankets.

A little confused, I follow her in, and as I enter the space inside I can't help but gasp.

"Woww!" I gasp in delight. "It's so cool!"

The blankets filter the living room lights and make a pretty canopy of mismatched colors, just brushing the top of my head when I'm on my hands and knees. Rimuru piled a ton of pillows inside, making a cozy nest on the floor against the couch.

"Hehehe!" She dives into the pillows with a giggle. "See, isn't this better!?"

"It's uh, very cool!" I say, not wanting to make Grandpa feel bad. His fort was good too!

"My, what impressive architecture!" Grandpa, who'd been silently watching Rimuru running around with a thoughtful look, sticks his head in. "But it seems a bit small for all of us…"

"It has to be small to be cozy!" Rimuru insists.

"Sorry, Grandpa," I say a little guiltily.

"And how do you plan to see the television from here?" Grandpa asks curiously.

"Right!" Rimuru snaps her fingers. "Diablo, get us a tablet!"

"Right away, my Lord!" I hear Diablo suddenly appear in the living room, and then a few seconds later, a tablet teleports itself into the air in front of Rimuru.

"Hehe," Rimuru grabs it and pulls it into her lap, already scrolling. "Perfect. Excellent work as always, Diablo!"

I can't see him, but I'm pretty sure he's sobbing with joy outside from what I'm hearing.

"Refreshments for the lords and ladies," Opera's voice suddenly appears at the entrance to the fort.

"Opera!" I stick my head back out, surprised at how much cooler the living room air feels in comparison.

Opera sets down a tray loaded with snacks and candies of all kinds, as well as two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

"I'm afraid I can't fit inside," he says apologetically. "But let me know if you need anything else."

"It's okay! Thank you, Opera!" I shout as I get caught up in the excitement, grabbing the tray and dragging it back into the fort with me.

Rimuru is leaning against Ranga when I turn back, and I snuggle up next to her, looking at the tablet screen over her shoulder.

Ranga sniffs at the hot chocolate mugs, and Rimuru quickly says, "No Ranga, you can't have chocolate. We've talked about this."

"Yes, Master…" Ranga whines sadly.

"Are there any foods slimes can't have, Rimuru?" I ask curiously.

"Um, not really. Technically salt? But usually that doesn't stop me," she answers. "Which movie d'you want?" She asks as she sticks a dantato chip in her mouth.

I vaguely hear Opera consoling Grandpa on not being able to enter the blanket fort as they walk away. I feel a little bad, but Rimuru seems to really want her blanket fort this way, and I want to help her relax.

I'll make sure to build another blanket fort with Grandpa later, I think.

"That one looks good," I point to a movie with a big hairy blue creature on the cover.

"Monsters Inc.?" Rimuru glances at me, her irises slightly shining in the dim fort. "Are you makin' fun of me?"

"What? No?" I ask in confusion.

"It's literally about a society of monsters. Like Tempest, y'know?"

"I didn't know that!" I raise my hands to defend myself. "I just thought the big fuzzy guy looked kinda cool!"

"Yeah, it's about a monster society that literally fuels itself on children's screams," Rimuru says.

"That sounds pretty demon lord-y," I joke. "Maybe we should watch a different one?"

"Eh, maybe we sh–… wait, no, hold on…" Rimuru gets a big grin on her face. "I just remembered something. Nevermind, we have to watch this movie now!"

"Uh, okay," I say. She's being really fickle tonight.

We settle down with our snacks and our hot chocolate, while Rimuru props the tablet up against her feet.

About five minutes in…

"Rimuru!" I gasp, grabbing her and pointing to the screen. "That's Grandpa's name!"

Well, it sorta is. The main character's family name is Sullivan.

"Hehehe," Rimuru snickers. "I thought you'd get a kick out of that. You can show him later."

"I thought Sullivan was a demon name though?" I've definitely never met anyone with that name beforehand. "Isn't this a movie from Earth?"

Rimuru just shrugs. "Yeah. My nieces really liked it when I went to see it with them, back in the day."

As the movie goes on I gradually get drowsy, and Rimuru and I snuggle closer together.

"...Rimuru?" I yawn, my head leaning on her shoulder.

"Mhm?" She hums distractedly.

"Are you afraid of Sabro's uncle?" It wasn't like her to be afraid of anyone, at least not anyone in this world… but she's been acting really weird since right before he showed up today.

I feel Rimuru tense up slightly under me. "Of course not," she firmly answers. "What made you think that?"

"Um… well, he scares me a little bit," I say. "I'm not sure why, exactly." I know getting Rimuru to open up won't work if I try it directly, so I try to get a conversation going.

"Those are your instincts. You should listen to them," Rimuru says, eyes fixed on the movie.

"So he's dangerous?" I yawn again.

"To you and our classmates, yes," Rimuru answers. "But not while I'm around. Just don't go to Sabro's place alone, and when you're not around me or any other adults, stay near Azz or Ameri."

"Will do," I mumble, my eyelids getting heavy.

"But try not to worry about it," Rimuru adds more softly. "I've got your back, kid."

"Mm. I know that," I smile, trying to focus on the movie again, but it's hard to keep my eyes open.

…

Next thing I know, I'm waking up in Rimuru's lap, staring up at the layers of blankets now filtering the glimmer of dawn rather than the ceiling lights. It takes me a few long seconds to figure out where I am.

"Oops!" I scramble up, "sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!"

"Pffff." Rimuru snorts, scrolling on her phone. "It's fine, I just didn't want to move and wake you up. And slimes make good pillows, so I don't blame ya."

"Y-you are soft," I admit with embarrassment, yawning. "And comfy to lay on."

But did she really stay up like that all night?

Rimuru just chuckles lightly. "Seems we're up a little early," she says. "Up at dawn on a weekend? What an atrocity! Weekends are for staying up way too late and then having the jammies stay on 'til noon."

"Heh, I dunno, I think my lifestyle's gotten pretty lazy already…"

She pokes my nose. "That's normal. You're a kid, and kids should do as they please. Boring responsibilities and schedules are for when you've grown up."

"I suppose so… Um, thanks for the blanket fort, Rimuru!" Mustering a little bit of courage, I lean forward and grab her in a hug. "It was really fun."

Rimuru stops, a little surprised, before setting her phone down and returning the hug. "Anytime."

Letting go, I crawl out of the fort to go get ready for a new day.

**Elsewhere**

Slinking through the mansion to a secluded room, a formidable security devil reports to his master on the outcome of last night's top-priority secret mission.

Sullivan sits at the head of the table, fingers laced together in anticipation.

He meets Opera's gaze with a keen glint in his eyes.

"So… Was your investigation of the hideout successful?"

"In and out, they didn't notice a thing," Opera replies.

Diablo, sitting by Sullivan's side, shows his fangs in a delighted grin. "I see it was worth securing insider help. You would've been detected immediately if you couldn't get her on your side."

"We can thank her later. For now, Opera, have you taken photographs?" Sullivan asks, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Yes, indeed." Opera places a spread of three pictures on the table.

Three pictures, all capturing the cozy secrets of the blanket fort.

The first picture shows Rimuru with half-lidded eyes mindlessly watching the credits roll, and Iruma already snoozing on the slime's shoulder.

The second shows them leaning on each other, bundled in the blankets and both asleep. Though as the taller one, Iruma is definitely leaning on Rimuru more than the other way around.

In the third, they've both entirely slumped to one side with Iruma having ended up laying on Rimuru's lap.

"Apologies for the poor quality of that last one, I had turned off the lights and didn't dare to use a flash," Opera reports.

The two ancient demons are speechless.

Reading the room, Opera leaves. "I'll start on breakfast."

It takes a while for either Diablo or Sullivan to make a sound. And that first sound is of Sullivan's tears hitting the desk.

"My grandchildren are so precious, if you'll allow me to call her that… Diablo, I was wrong to argue about who's more adorable. It was never about comparing them at all."

"I must apologize as well, this human brings out so much of Lord Rimuru's cuteness that it hurts… "

"They're both downright heart-melting!" Sullivan slams a fist onto the desk.

"Sullivan, let me have these original prints! I'll beat you in any challenge for them!"

"It had better be something fair! You're asking too precious a wager for me to accept our usual disparity!"

"Keheheh! We'll roll dice then! There's no thrill like staking everything on a complete gamble!"

At that moment, Opera slips back into the room.

"It is far too hard not to eavesdrop with these ears… Now it seems Rimuru is trying hard to come off as a dependable big-sister by pretending she stayed up watching over Iruma all night."

Diablo clutches at his face, overcome with adoration. "NNNNNGH!"

**A Few Days Later**

Keroli POV

"Alright, listen up! I need all of you to become demdols!" I announce to my dancers-in-training; that is, our entire class minus the twins and Soi.

The dumbfounded stares I get are nothing short of exasperating.

"But we're doing a Hell Dance, right?" Lead eventually asks.

"And? Demdols are the ultimate performers. They're the pinnacle of perfection and cuteness, they'll diligently refine any part of themselves to have the audience lost even a little more in their charm! So they'll be our model, of course!"

Picero glares at me. "Huh? You want us in drag?"

"Sorry, but I don't think I'm as brave as Iruma…" Goemon mutters.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Clara leers towards Goemon menacingly, baring her pointy teeth at him in a snarl.

"Nothing!" he insists, hands held up protectively. "Nothing at all!"

Whatever mistake Goemon just made though, it's too late for him, as Clara stands up and pulls an iron maiden out of her pocket, opening it to reveal a spiky interior.

"Alright, get in." She gestures towards the contraption.

"W-wait, I didn't mean to–"

"Get in," Asmodeus insists, making a flame appear in his hand.

"W-well, I did agree to the pact I guess…"

Goemon defeatedly gets up and stands inside the iron maiden, cautiously nestling into the spikes.

"Um, please don't slam–"

*SLAM*

I stare at Clara in confusion as she goes back to her spot next to Asmodeus.

"… Why?"

"Because of the pact!"

Asmodeus nods, in agreement with the girl for once. "He broke his pact, of course."

"I-is it too late to leave the pact?" Lead squeakily asks them, clearly spooked.

"Yup!"

"You'd dare try, Shax?"

I throw my hands up in the air. "You know what, I don't even wanna know what this is about. Can we get back on topic?"

"I believe we were at the part where you wanted us all in drag," Picero answers sarcastically.

"It's not drag! There are male demdols too, okay?!"

"Male demdols as in, like… nevermind," Lead mumbles.

They don't get it. I need an example. I need to show them that male demdols are cute and cool!

Iruma POV

I poke my head into the studio where the dance team is.

"Has anyone seen Soi?" I ask.

Keroli comes up and grabs me by the shoulders, pulling me the rest of the way inside. "You're just who I needed. You'll help me with this, right?"

"Sure!" I automatically reply before I can even question her intent.

Needed for what, though?

She sits me down in a chair, and then brings the other girls of the class to her side, pulling out tools and giving orders.

I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this…

"Elizabetta, you're good with makeup, could I leave that to you? Go for something cute and flashy."

"I'll do it!" she declares with a fistpump. "Hold still, Iruma…"

"Uh…" I hesitate as she pulls out a small brush.

I'm keeping my head straight, so I can't see what Keroli is showing Clara on her phone in the meanwhile.

"Clara, we're going for a look like the one in this picture here, could you–"

"Bam!" Clara yells with her palms facing me, and instantly my clothes feel different.

"Woah, that's not what I meant! But sure, we might as well copy the outfit too then…"

I try to look down to see what I'm wearing but Elizabetta immediately tilts my chin back up.

"I said hold still, I'll mess it up if you move your head!"

"Ack! Okay!"

The warning Rimuru gave me a while back replays in my head.

"You're small and cute. This will happen to you one day, I guarantee it."

I laughed at her for saying that. But with the three-hour dress-up session that Shuna put me through, and now this… she was absolutely right.

At least with Shuna, I didn't have all my friends watching me. This is so embarrassing!

"Now for some eyeshadow… cerulean or teal? I'm thinking cerulean, but either way it's mostly just for the sparkles…" Elizabetta comments as she works.

As I endure the ticklish pokes of various makeup brushes, I can feel Lead's eyes boring into me.

I must be imagining it, but I feel like he's giving me a death stare, haha…

Then he draws a finger across his neck, confirming that it is indeed a death stare.

But why?! Eventually, mercifully, they finish and let me stand back up.

I look down at my gaudy clothes. At least it's not a dress.

But for some reason, the class is staring at me in awe.

"This is what a male demdol looks like," Keroli announces.

Hmm?!

"Iruma-chi's all sparkly now!"

"Damn. Charm like that should be illegal."

"Huh. He's like a genderbent Irumi."

"You're gonna end up like Goemon if you say that…"

"Can I see?" Goemon's voice echoes from a metal thing that I thought was just a random sculpture.

He goes unnoticed as he's drowned out by a long string of praise from Azz.

"Crocell, I cannot thank you enough for showing me Master Iruma's magnificence in a whole new light, it makes me wish for him to be placed on a stage for the entire Netherworld–"

"ANYWAY!" Keroli interrupts him (thank goodness). "What do you think, guys? Aren't you excited? I'm gonna make you perfect! Outfits, makeup… Ooh, we can all have black nails so we match!"

Wordlessly, Sabnock takes a few steps closer, looming over me with inspecting eyes.

I'm sweltering under his gaze, and a long, awkward moment passes before he says anything.

"Sorry, I just can't imagine us like that," he comments doubtfully, taking a step back and shaking his head.

And it seems he speaks for the other boys as well, as they make similar remarks.

"I definitely can't pull that off."

"Yeah, it's a big ask for us to stand on stage looking like that."

"I'd be too embarrassed…"

C'mon, it's only embarrassing 'cause you're all giving me odd looks…

Our attention is drawn by a faint chilly aura coming from Keroli's direction, and the boys' doubtful looks quickly turn anxious.

"I can see you don't believe in the power of demdols…" she harshly mutters. "Well, I'm sure you'll change your mind if I show you a real demonstration. Iruma, are you still with me on this?"

"I am!" I reply without thinking again.

"Then you'd all better be paying attention, because I'm only showing you this once."

Keroli hits the play button on a stereo. She begins a series of slow movements, like a strange dance, and the air shimmers around her.

As the music picks up so does her movements, and it's clear she's putting on some kind of illusion.

"Do you get it now?" she asks the class. "Demdols are cute, beautiful, and…"

At that moment, Keroli completes the illusion, and suddenly she looks like a tall male demdol standing on a stage! With me here on the stage with her!

At that same moment, she's also distracted by the door swinging open.

Rimuru strides in carrying Soi under her arm. "Hey Iruma, I found–"

She stops as she looks around at the no-doubt-bizarre scene before her, then turns to me.

"… Hang on, why are you on the dance team? Were you up to something fun without telling me?"

"Rimuru! We were just, uh… pretending to be male demdols…" My voice meekly trails off towards the end.

"There's male demdols too? Well! In that case…"

Ever the one for theatrics, Rimuru strikes a powerful pose and raises one hand.

*Snap!*

A cloud of smoke blooms at the snap of her fingers, and as it disperses the first thing I see is a glimpse of red.

She's wearing a red tailcoat with lots of glittering decorations, and her hair has turned a sparkly midnight-indigo, made to look shorter by tucking the braid down the back of her clothes.

I notice that she's also a bit taller, now matching me in height.

"So, we're doing 'Your Little Imp Apocalypse', are we?" Rimuru asks, recognizing the music as Kuromu's hit song.

"Half an octave lower," Keroli responds in a voice deepened by about that much.

And so, the boy-band version of 'Your Little Imp Apocalypse' debuted right then and there, sung by the same secret trio as the girl version.

Everyone's gonna figure us out at this rate… I whine to myself.

…

"THAT WAS AMAZING!"

"How'd Keroli make herself look like a dude?!"

"You three totally need to go pro!"

"Maybe they secretly are…"

"Rimuru rocks boy clothes so well!"

"She looks good in everything!"

After we've finished our song and dance, the class heaps so much praise on us that everyone's being loud to be heard over everyone else.

"Keeping up that illusion while performing takes a lot…" a tired (and now a girl again) Keroli admits under her breath. "Though, I'm guessing Rimuru's fine as always…"

Rimuru flashes a peace sign, and with just a puff of smoke she's back to normal.

"Yeah, of course," Keroli sighs. "Where did you even find the time to learn high-level succubus magic?"

"Succubus magic?" Rimuru asks with a confused tilt of her head, but she's ignored as Keroli now addresses the class.

"So, everyone! Now that you've all seen what male demdols are like, are they cool? Or are they still 'embarrassing'?"

" " "COOL!" " " comes a unanimous reply by our still-awestruck class.

"Then I'll shape you all into perfect demdols! We'll be the cutest, coolest class that Babyls ever saw!"

"I see my work here is done." Rimuru gives an assured nod, then slips out of the studio while no one else is paying attention.

Once everyone's calmed down a bit, I decide to excuse myself as well.

"Ah, I suppose I should get to my own practice now. Seeya later, guys!"

I make for the door and call back to Soi.

"Come on Soi, let's get going!"

But as I step through the doorway, I'm stopped by Jazz, Lead, and (once I look down) Camui.

"Sorry, Iruma, but we can't let you leave like that," Jazz says in an exasperated tone with his hand on my shoulder.

"Eh?!"

Lead gets in my face complaining "You've got girls making you prettier so you can charm even more girls. That's cheating at life!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I'm talking about our kinship as men! We're allies, alright? You can't just hog all of the girls' attention!"

"Love is a battlefield, with only so many ladies to woo. One cannot spread their wings so recklessly wide," Camui advises.

"Are you seriously going out of your way to woo more girls? And I thought your massive appetite only extended to food," Soi coldly comments, surprising me.

"Soi! Don't tell me you're also–"

"Shut up."

"No hard feelings, 'kay?" Jazz smirks.

And then I'm held down and get the worst mussing-up of my life.

"Gaaaah! Nooooo!"

…

"So mean…" I pout as Soi and I make our way to our own practice.

"Apologies, but there aren't enough demon girls around that we'd let you start a harem," he replies.

"What d'you mean, a harem?!"

"It's a word for when someone's wooed so many ladies that he can live a life of hedonistic–"

"Aaaaah stop!" I flail my hands to shoo his sinful ideas. "I know what the word means, but it's got nothing to do with me!"

"If you say so."

He's still giving me a judging look though.

After a bit more walking in silence, we approach the grand doors to the Royal One's music room. I'd seen a piano in here earlier, so this will be the perfect place to practice.

To our surprise, we can hear a concerto being played on the piano inside. As we swing the doors wide, for a moment it feels like the whole room is a concert hall. A lone performer is on stage. The audience, captivated.

The final notes are struck. The performance comes to an end, the dreamlike illusion vanishing like smoke in the wind. The lone performer sits at the most grand piano I have ever seen. And the audience is gone.

This lone performer, whose majestic instrument is decorated with dragon wings and intricate carvings, is none other than…

"Professor Kalego? Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Iruma. I've been informed you require a tutor. I will be assisting you."

Kalego rises from the piano in a fluid motion, and as though its previous form was a distortion, the instrument immediately snaps to more regular proportions. He stands to the side and stares at me.

"Take a seat." With a riding crop in hand, he gestures towards the piano.

I hesitantly approach the instrument, giving it a respectful bow. This feels much different than playing Flea Waltz with my friends. I don't think I can do this…

I sit and raise my (shaky) hands to the keys.

Suddenly… I can only describe the piano as looking "inflatable." It's only got about 20 adorable rounded keys. Everything about it is dinky and soft. I can almost feel Professor Kalego smirk.

Tentatively, I attempt to play a few notes.

*Dink!* *Plink!* *Plonk!*

"What's going on? Why does this piano sound so weird?"

"I see you don't know even the rudimentals of an instrument. A pity."

Kalego lectures, "Everyone knows high-quality demonic instruments require respect. An iron will. A clear visualization of what you want to play. What the piece is about. We're not just making music, we're creating a world. I see I will have to start with the basics."

"Professor?"

"Yes, Iruma?"

"Not that I'm not grateful… but I don't understand why you are helping us."

"Miss Crocell asked me to help. It is the doctrine of Babyls teachers to always prioritize their students' growth. As long as you put in the effort, I will ensure that you are a success."

"Ah… Th-Thank you Professor."

"Now, scales."

**Six Hours Later**

As Professor Kalego grows more confident in our abilities, practicing scales turns into practicing a simplified version of the actual song, and after a number of attempts I finally finish playing it without him interjecting even once.

"Good. You played all the notes correctly," he half-praises. "However, just the notes. The song is still empty."

"The song is empty?" I ask, exasperated, as we've been at this for ages.

"I've looked through the notes that you and Allocer made on the story the majin Thoth gave you. But when you play it, with what feelings will your music describe her to the audience?"

I just stare at Kalego in confusion.

He sighs. "Move over, I'll show you."

"Oop, okay."

I shuffle off the piano bench, and he takes my place.

He starts playing a fuller and grander version of the song than I did, with a surprising amount of passion for his stern attitude, and after several bars, Soi and I start to see an illusion that makes us gasp.

A beautiful but strange-looking woman sits upon a makeshift throne, with four colorfully-feathered wings spread wide for all to see.

"This is what I mean," our professor says, still building up the illusion that has me awestruck.

As the picture is painted wider, we see that she's in a forest, with beasts and demons and things that could be either all loyally standing by. It reminds me a lot of Keroli during the Harvest Festival.

"Back in that prehistoric era, most demons lived as nothing more than savage beasts roaming the land, banding together only to hunt and fight," Professor Kalego describes the scene as he plays. "Many, even, were primeval demons who had wormed their way into this plane and claimed the bodies of animals. Chordia, another intruder into this world, must have seen herself more as a tamer than a leader."

The image shifts, and now Kalego is imagining himself in the scene. He looks a lot wilder, and he's bowing to Chordia with a look of bitterness. Something that Chordia appears to find very amusing.

"She was prideful. Arrogant. She sought not to be a Demon King, but a radiant empress, bleaching away the sins of all demons beneath her overwhelming light."

Now a more abstract scene is shown, an almost-religious depiction of Chordia making an endless darkness give way to pure white, the demons still in the dark hissing and recoiling.

"Certainly, it would have been interesting if she succeeded, the prosperous age we live in today may have happened many millennia earlier. Though, it would no doubt be a repressive age as well."

The white now fills the whole scene, before fading to reveal a futuristic city, cleaner and neater than anything I've seen in the Netherworld.

"But in the end, she fell far-short of her goal, only subjugating a fraction of demonkind before they turned on her," Kalego concludes, and the image suddenly vanishes. "All she did was become part of the reason that the majin stay out of the lives of demons."

It takes me a while to process the shock of seeing the story I had read displayed so vividly.

"So… should we worry people will think we're weird if we do a song glorifying this kind of person?" Soi asks.

"Those were only my feelings, it's up to you to decide what the song means. People will know through your music, so I want you to get a clear idea in your head," Professor Kalego answers. "Now, Iruma!" he barks at me.

"Y-yes?" I stammer.

"I'll give you ten minutes to think hard about what this song means to you. And then I want you to show me by playing it."

"Yes sir!"

…

"So, Iruma. Are you ready?" Kalego asks after the allotted time.

"Mhm."

I sit down at the piano. Thanks to him, I've found what I want to say.

Taking a moment to collect myself, I begin to play. With my eyes closed and my mind elsewhere, letting intuition find the keys.

"I think that Chordia was just trying to do the right thing," I say after several bars, pausing as I'm not used to playing and talking at the same time.

"Go on," Kalego prompts me.

"Well, demons suffered a lot back then. From the sounds of it, their lives were so short and violent…"

I continue playing, trying my best to not talk as I explain myself more.

"She wanted to force the world to be more gentle and forgiving, and she believed she was strong enough to do that."

Feeling a bit of mana flow out of my ring, I reflexively open my eyes and catch a glimpse of an illusion. I stop playing in surprise, and it disappears.

"Why did you stop playing?" Kalego scolds.

"Ah, sorry! Where were we… Right, I think Chordia wanted to help as many demons as she could, and make the world a better place."

The illusion comes back, and now I can see it properly. The same Chordia that Kalego had shown, but instead of acting prideful, she's offering a hand to a bedraggled and starving demon.

"She must have tried so hard…" I say in a near-whisper. "I can't imagine how hard it was, trying to turn a whole world upside-down. Maybe she was the only one who believed in her dreams."

Now she's in the palace she lived in towards the end of her life, taking a private moment to weep into her hands.

"Maybe she really didn't understand what demons wanted. But it feels so unfair that so many would rise up to crush her dreams of a bright future. She must've spent her last moments so bitter at everyone…"

Another jump in time, and she's limping through the palace. She leaves a trail of ichor that oozes from where she was stabbed in the back, the golden blood mixing with the blackish-red of the many other demons she slew.

Finding the deepest and darkest part of the palace, she places a curse there. The last of her energy spent, she collapses into a pool of her own blood, and her story ends.

I feel a tightness in my chest as I realize who I was unknowingly thinking of this whole time. Ah. That's why I felt this way about her.

Someone else who dreamed of a peaceful world, only getting stabbed in the back was the beginning of her story rather than the end:

Rimuru. She too had faced down her world's hatred and violence according to what I learned in Tempest. But she was stronger than anyone, enough that she really could take on all that adversity and come out on top.

If she wasn't ridiculously, unfairly strong… I guess she'd just be another person who died chasing their dreams. I'd never have met the Demon Lord I've come to call my sister.

Maybe I'd still know that Rimuru was someone who existed, but not what kind of a person she was. She'd just be a scary demon that Grandpa's friend once served.

"Soi, can we show Chordia like that?" I suddenly stand up and face my music partner.

"Uh, sure?" he replies with uncertainty. "I mean, it'll be Elizabetta playing her, so it'll be hard to show her as anything but nice."

"I said you could play it however you wish, but are you sure that's not just your optimism leaking through?" Kalego asks me.

"Mm-mm." I shake my head. "This is something else, I want to show her this way."

I can't think about Chordia the same harsh way that Kalego does. Not when she dreamed of the same peace as my sister.

Rimuru POV

In one of the many unused rooms of the Royal One, a lengthy practice session between teacher and student has now started falling apart due to a mismatch in talent.

I play a slow and clumsy scale, and then Ciel, master of all things technical, quickly follows with a correction.

[[No, no, do it this way.]]

Ciel briefly snatches control of my body from me and flawlessly plays a scale.

I snatch control back from her and complain, "I'm trying, okay?!"

I try to copy her way of doing it, but her efficient movements aren't like what I taught myself, and after only a few notes, the violin just ends up screeching at me yet again.

How am I, an untalented novice, supposed to copy someone who was a master before playing a single note? Life just isn't fair.

[[Do you need me to demonstrate again?]]

"No! Just let me do it, I'm fine!"

Ciel is taken aback by this, and she backs off to let me practice in peace.

But I'm still way off my groove, and now I've got a nagging in the back of my mind that I shouldn't have gotten angry at Ciel when she just wanted to help.

…

After another half-hour with little progress, she speaks up again.

[[Perhaps you should take a break. A violin is not an instrument you can channel your frustration into.]]

"But I wanna prove him wrong!"

[['Him'? Are you referring to that piddling Spark Lord?]]

"Yeah! That Thunder-Bitch Baal, treating me like fighting's the only thing I'm good for! What a sightless moron!" I scoff.

I'm still annoyed about that comment. I don't need a battlefield to shine! I've just been struggling a bit because teenagers are idiots, Kalego's an idiot, and Baal made me the one person in the class without a real tutor!

And my tutor would've been able to teach the violin too… Should I take Baal's bait and rescue her? Uuugh, but that'd ruin all my work at cutting him out of my life!

In my annoyance, I swiftly play a scale with no regard for the violin's screeched protests at my lack of skill.

"Suck it up, I'm not gonna go easy on you anymore!" I taunt the instrument.

[[Master, I think I understand how you are feeling, but watching this is… Well, I am going to insist that you take a tea break and calm down.]]

Suddenly, I feel an uninvited presence, and snap my head around to see Diablo emerging through a wall.

"You called, my Lord?"

I put my hand on his face before he can fully step through.

"Ciel called you. I'm not trying to relax right now."

"But surely–"

"Not now!" I shove him back into the wall.

[[…]]

Before the manas can try anything else, I scold her openly to make sure my annoyance gets through.

"Don't you patronize me! I'll master this damn instrument even if I have to force it!"

[[Honestly, I have no idea what to do with you sometimes…]] Ciel sighs, or at least her equivalent of a sigh; more of a disappointed feeling than anything.

Keroli POV

During the dance team's break, the lack of music has made the muffled sounds from the next room all-too-noticeable.

Clara shakes her head. "Riri finally went coo-coo…"

Asmodeus chops her on the head. "Don't say that, stupid Valac."

"She's, like, yelling and torturing a violin in there though. Isn't that way too metal, even for Rimuru?" Jazz points out before reconsidering. "No, wait, maybe she discovered that death metal is her calling?"

Those words immediately bring a certain someone to mind.

"Oh no, I've made another one…" I mumble to myself.

"Huh? Whazzat?" Clara energetically asks, suddenly right next to me. I almost fall over in shock.

"Kya!" I shriek. "Don't do that! I was just thinking to myself, okay?"

"Okay!" Clara runs off, somehow not tired at all despite the hours of dancing.

I let out a long sigh.

So has Rimuru gone crazy, or has she turned into another Gyari after I gave her a taste of the demdol world then made her learn music?

If Rimuru is like that metal-head, I can't help but wonder what Gyari herself would do about it.

I dangled the promise of my hand in marriage, and she became such an amazing rival for me as a demdol… How much harder would she strive for me if another cute girl threatened to become the coolest and most hardcore demdol?

"Ehehe… heeheehee…" I giggle to myself as I concoct plans.

Then I notice everyone staring at me.

"What?"

"Oh no, the crazy's spreading," Clara says in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

"Alright, that's enough! Break's over!" I bark at the dance team.

**Elsewhere**

Baal POV

She's sure taking it easy for a prisoner, huh?

I look upon the woman behind bars, who's dozed off on a comfortable-looking sofa with a book on her lap and a cup of tea on the table beside her.

This cell had nothing but a simple bed in it at first, but my visits to this place have been few and far between, and each time I've found that she has somehow smuggled in a few more amenities for herself. None of the castle staff will admit how it's happening.

Well, it's no problem for me, I suppose. But if something of mine goes missing and I find it here, then someone dies.

I pick up one of the random weapons lying around (there's plenty of those here) and loudly bang it on the bars.

*CLANG CLANG CLANG*

"Ah!" The captive jolts awake in a slight panic.

Heh. That sure messed with her posh demeanour.

She looks around frantically, but as her eyes fall on me she calms down.

"Oh, just a little prank from you I see. It's been a few weeks."

It only takes a moment for her to recover her air of elegance and dignity, and looking at her now, I'm not surprised that she's been able to take advantage of her guards.

She has a gentle appearance that belies a nigh-unshakable composure, with wavy black locks spilling over antiquated clothes that suit the old demoness well.

However, I'm unswayed. "There's hardly a reason to visit you," I scoff.

"And yet here you are." She takes a sip of her tea. "Ah. It's cold."

"Obviously, with you dozing off in the middle of the day like that. Almost makes me feel bad for kidnapping a retiree."

"Now now, don't tease. I may have passed my role at Babyls onto my son, but I'm still considered quite the looker!" she says with a wink.

Still a few centuries old though…

"Whatever. Anyway, I just came here to tell you that 'your' student is gonna come looking for you soon. Probably. That's all you need to know, so seeya."

I start walking off, but the captive still has something to say.

"Baal… Does that mean she didn't even know I was being held here until now?"

I stop in my tracks. I was hoping not to have a conversation with this troublesome demoness.

"Yeah, what of it?" I cockily reply.

"I must say, it sours this damsel-in-distress experience to hear that no one was even thinking of coming to my rescue. You certainly are a cruel man."

"Oh? Would you like to find out how cruel I can be?"

"I wouldn't mind hearing."

"Heh. Listen, lady, you're getting special treatment. All the other prisoners get beaten into submission, thrown into chains, and treated like mangy animals in a place where the sun never reaches!"

I storm back towards her cell and grab the barred door with a loud rattle, causing her to flinch though she still retains her amused expression.

"… And I'm this close to taking away your special treatment."

She continues to give me that startled smile, until after a pause she relaxes and gently puts a hand to her chest.

"Well. That certainly got my heart racing like nothing else this last century. Besides when you snatched me from the skies, of course."

Her hands then move to her cheeks as she recalls it. "Goodness… I had thought the age where powerful demons would resort to barbarism was well and truly over. Thank you for showing me something new this far into my life."

The words themselves seem almost sarcastic, but there's an unmistakable sincerity and kindness in the way she says them.

I can see it now. Even though she's centuries old, those soulful eyes of hers still hold a youthful playfulness and innocence. It seems so naive in front of a fearsome demon like myself…

"… Hah! Seriously?!" I scoff, hastily pushing aside whatever I just felt. "I just needed you out the way so I could see what Sullivan's granddaughter was all about. Don't make this about you." I cross my arms and look away.

"Oh, of course. A tutor needs to think of her student. But I can't take young Kalego seriously when he insists that a member of the Chairdemon's family needs an etiquette tutor, I'm sure he's just having another one of his temper-tantrums."

"With Rimuru, I wouldn't say he's… Well, I'd agree with you only in the sense that etiquette is overrated. A demon who focuses on getting stronger doesn't need etiquette, so it's only fitting that I'd forcibly replace you as her tutor."

"About that, has it been going well? If you want I could help you make some lesson plans, I used to teach at Babyls after all."

"…"

"It has been going well, right?"

"Tch. Look at me, wasting my time talking to a prisoner when I could be doing literally anything else."

"Oh dear, so it hasn't…"

"Enough, you're annoying me." I start walking off, not giving her another look. "Farewell for now, Ms. Dantalion."

Iruma POV

"My everything hurts…" Goemon whines.

"My lips are killing me…" Soi complains.

"I'm dead. It was nice knowing you all," Keroli mumbles face-down on a beanbag.

"Not as dead as me." Picero's weak voice comes from beneath a pile of pillows.

After many, many hours of practice, the lot of us have gathered in the Royal One's nap room to recuperate a bit before heading home.

I told Grandpa we'd be practicing late, but it's past midnight now…

I find a free spot amongst all the soft things, where I curl up and close my eyes just for a bit…

…

A beam of sunlight is shining directly in my face.

I check the time, and let out a groan of despair.

Working, working, falling asleep, and then it's time for work again… I thought I escaped this!

At least this time it's schoolwork. The effort's about making myself smarter instead of making my parents lazier.

But with less than an hour until school and everyone else still asleep, how are we going to tidy ourselves up and have breakfast?

Just as I think that, my eyes land upon a miracle: A breakfast spread that must've been carted into the room as we slept.

On it is a note written in several colors of ink, addressed to me:

"All of you are so hard at work! So here's some family support from the sidelines. But please, do come home and get some proper rest tonight, the Music Festival isn't worth sacrificing your health. — Your loving grandpa"

"The dish I put the most effort into is the arrangement of edible flowers carefully grown in the abundant mana of Hell. It is solely for Lady Rimuru's enjoyment, but I've made enough that she may share if you ask nicely. — Diablo"

"In that case I'm including a fillet of the very rare ambrosia leech for you and you alone, Master Iruma. But still enough to share. — Opera"

"I've included instructions on a simple cleaning spell. You and your friends should be able to quickly learn it, but do not substitute it for proper hygiene. — Mom"

I chuckle a bit as I reread the 'Lady Rimuru' part. It's so funny to hear one of her subordinates refer to her that way, but he's probably just wary that someone else could read the note.

That aside, it really brightens my morning to see how many people are supporting me — no, all of us! I give the note a hug as a substitute for hugging the people who wrote it.

Hmm… Diablo mentioned Rimuru though, does that mean she didn't go home? She's not in this room either, where could she be?

… No. Surely not, right?

I head over to the room I last saw Rimuru practicing in, and… she's still there.

"Iruma, you're still up?" she asks as she sees me.

"What do you mean, 'still up'? I got a full night's sleep and it's almost time for school!"

Rimuru tilts her head to the side, thinking. "Ah… so it is."

"I'm surprised you didn't notice."

"Hehehe, my focus is legendary," Rimuru brags. "I used to get stuck-in for days! But my subordinates would wonder if I had died or something, so now I try not to."

Is that really something you should boast about?

"Uh, sure. Anyway, come with me! Our family brought breakfast for the class!"

"Oooh, breakfast!" Rimuru perks up, her legendary focus no match for her insatiable appetite. But then she stops herself. "Nnnn… But wait! There's something I've gotta show you first!"

She lifts her violin up onto her shoulder, raises the bow, and plays a short 'tune'.

It sounds almost like a violin, but it keeps some of that eerie screech from mishandling it, somehow harnessed to give the impression of a death-metal singer being branded with a hot iron.

The instrument almost sounds like it's in pain, being manhandled into hitting the right notes rather than reaching them willingly.

But she's playing it deftly, unlike the slow and cautious way she would play clean notes when we were practicing with Sabnock.

"See? Better, right? I've been practicing really hard!"

Musical instruments in the Netherworld have a mind of their own, right? I feel like I should ask the violin if it's okay… or alive, at least… but I'm not sure how it would be able to answer me.

"So what d'you think?" Rimuru excitedly asks, and I'm caught-off guard, unsure of how to respond.

She's obviously fishing for praise, and it genuinely is impressive how in just a few days she's gone from being completely unable to play to having her own style. But…

There's no way we could do this in our performance, right?

"Well?" she prompts me again, and I realize there's no way I could criticize her when she looks so proud.

I think hard about what to say.

"Um, it's very…" I hesitate as Rimuru continues to stare at me eagerly. "…Cool and hardcore!"

It was exactly what she wanted to hear. "Right?!"

Sorry, Keroli, I'll leave the criticizing up to you… I apologize in my head.

"You didn't… uh… hurt the violin doing that, right?"

"Nah, it's just a lil' cranky. Guess it doesn't like the way I break convention. It'll get over it by the festival."

"Sooo… breakfast?"

"Breakfast!"

By the time we get back to the nap room, everyone else has already woken up and discovered the miracle of the breakfast cart for themselves.

"Morning," Lead greets us. "You two officially have the coolest grandpa."

There's fervent agreement from the rest of the hungry teenagers dishing themselves up some food.

I nod, "Yeah, our grandpa is the best! Right, Rimuru?"

Rimuru nods too and gives a "Mhm!", her eyes full of greedy glee as she looks around at the spread of foods.

I quickly realize that if I don't hop to it, I'm going to miss out. So, I pile a plate with strange Netherworld fruits, some cherry devi-cream cake, and blood sausage, and start digging in alongside everyone else.

"What's with these crystals that're on the cart? Are they just decoration?" I hear Jazz ask, and when I turn his way I see he's found a brilliant green gem, curiously inspecting its refractions..

"Oh!" Rimuru reacts in surprise, her eyes fixed on it. "Let me take a closer look at that…"

She walks over to him, leans in veeery close, and…

*Nom*

"Wha–?"

Rimuru then swallows it whole with little regard for the size or sharpness.

"What the hell?!" Jazz takes a step back, startled, but then he just facepalms and shakes his head. "Actually, compared to the poison this is almost normal…"

"They're tastchy," Rimuru says while already munching on a second crystal.

Jazz is intrigued. "What, are they like candy or something?"

He picks up a cherry-red one, looking like he's considering trying it himself, but Rimuru snatches it away from him.

"Nuh-uh, they're magicrystals, you can't eat 'em. They're all miiine!"

She greedily gathers up the rest as well, pocketing them.

"Like a dragon guarding its hoard…" Jazz comments with slight amusement.

"Uh-huh." Rimuru replies inattentively as she's now reading the note. "… Well, that's tame for Diablo… no comment on that title. I guess Mom made him filter out the usual spiel of praise."

She serves herself some of the dish that Diablo made specifically for her.

"Mmm!" she squeals in delight at the first bite. "Iruma! You gotta try some of this!"

"You sure I can have some?" I ask.

"Oh, don't listen to Diablo gatekeeping the good snacks, he's just being silly. Likewise, I'll help myself to the special that Opera made…"

Rimuru tries it, and makes another high-pitched sound of equally high praise.

"It's all so good! Hehehe… Must be my lucky day, I'm getting so many delicious treats and I didn't even have to ask. Now I feel a little bad for getting mad at Diablo and Mom last night…"

"What did they do to get you mad at them?" Jazz asks. "Usually when I get mad at my brother, it's 'cause he brought home a girl since he always gets really obnoxious and won't take things to his damn bedroom…"

"Sounds like you've got it a lot worse. They were just trying to help, while I just wanted some time to work out my frustrations."

"Oh, so that's what the yelling and horrible noises were about…"

Rimuru faintly blushes. "Oops, you heard that? Haha… Well that's what it was. Both of 'em deserve an apology, I think."

She dishes herself up some more food, and does a hop backwards, flopping into a beanbag.

"Anyway! Today's gonna be a lot better, I can tell! Plus, working out my frustrations turned into a cool new musical style. You like cool things, right? You seem like the kind of person who'd like cool things, I'll show you after breakfast."

"It's very hardcore," I add, mostly just to brace Jazz for the sheer intensity of the experience.

"Coming from Rimuru? Yeah, I expect that. I think I even caught a bit of it towards the end of our dance practice, so I'm keen to hear."

"Alright!" Rimuru enthusiastically agrees. "I'll show it off after breakfast, we should have a bit of time before class."

…

The scene after Rimuru's performance is a sight to behold.

Her, standing up on a table, several of the boys gathered around her, and Keroli staring at the lot of them, unamused.

"No. I won't allow it," Keroli says with her arms crossed.

"What d'you mean?! That was awesome!" Jazz protests.

"Granted, it's more progress than I expected her to make in this timespan, but…"

"But, what? It's like something Gyari would do!" Lead insists.

Keroli's eye twitches in annoyance. "Even if Gyari herself offered to help with this performance, I'd turn her down! Because we are not! Doing! Hardcore! Music! You can't play the violin like it's a chainsaw being used for bloody murder!"

"It's a story about the early Netherworld though. Wasn't it, like, really brutal and violent back then?" Sabnock observes, then turns to Rimuru. "Rimuru, the feudal lands are more like the early Netherworld, how brutal would you say it is?"

"Ya'ever watched someone get eaten the way you'd eat a stick of jerky?" Rimuru asks back.

"Wha– … Like jerky?!" Azz asks incredulously.

"Yep, the top gets bitten and puulllled off," Rimuru describes in a way that seems to gross everyone out, even herself a bit. "Then those ragged ends of flesh go next, and just a few bites later they're all gone…"

I think jerky might be ruined for me now…

"What the hell was going on that you saw someone get eaten?" Jazz questions in quiet horror.

"There were some out-of-control demons eating everyone and each other, so one of the overseers of the region rallied up anyone who could fight to stop 'em."

"DEMONS?! I thought you were talking about, like, kaiju or something!" Lead exclaims much less quietly.

"Nuh-uh, it was a big horde of hungry demons. Almost got eaten myself, actually… But we've gotten too far off-topic, so Keroli– … Wait, where is she?"

Keroli seems to have fled the conversation.

"Ugh, I need to stop over-describing, people are gonna think I'm weird…" Rimuru mutters.

**At Lunchtime**

Rimuru POV

Now that I've got a free moment, it's time to do something that I've been meaning to do this morning: Giving Diablo an apology for how I acted last night.

Best not to summon him in public though, so…

I make for the nearest classroom, since it should be empty right now.

But it isn't. As I approach the door, I can hear the voices of two boys coming from inside.

"Go on, summon your shitty familiar. Protect yourself!"

"No! You're planning to hurt it, I know you are!"

"Heheh, I certainly am. Reckon this classroom will look better with bits of butterfly wings all over it?"

"Nooo!"

Looking through the wall, I see one of the students being threatened by the other's reaperclaw familiar: A large, ghostly-white cat with vorpal steel claws made to tear through other beasts (and demons) like butter.

Internally checking through the student records, I identify the one under threat as Rufel Groven — Aleph, and the one threatening as Jabro Wocky — Gimmel. Both first years.

So it's a status flex, perhaps over the combat power of their familiars. What an awful thing to use such a soft-looking cat for…

Of course, as a Student Council member, it's my responsibility to take care of these issues. So I stride into the room and have Ranga pick up the reaperclaw by the scruff of its neck.

"Surprise! It's the Student Council!" I announce to their shock.

"Woah, hold on, we were just playing!" Jabro immediately tries to backpedal.

"He's lying, he said he was gonna rip up my familiar!" Rufel contradicts.

Instead of responding, I just walk over to Ranga and take the familiar from him, carrying it like an oversized baby.

"Awww, your familiar is so adorable!" I coo, and it immediately tries to claw my face off.

The claws just uselessly scrabble against my barrier though, and the kitty has no way to avoid me sticking my face in its tummy. "And so soft, too…"

It really is a unique kind of softness, the ghostly cat not liquid like a slime yet not quite solid either.

"Hey! She's not adorable, she's a vicious killing machine!" Jabro protests, flustered by my behavior.

"Oh, it's a girl cat?" I remark, knowing full-well it'd just bother him even more.

"Ngh… So what?!"

"Hehe… nothing," I say with a knowing smile.

I really don't mean anything by it, but I can see his mind is racing to figure out what I'm getting at.

So I just snuggle the cat while I wait for Jabro to finish processing.

"Such a cute cat… You're not a killing machine, are you? You're just an adorable cuddly lil' ball of fluff!"

The cat is clearly confused about what to do in this situation.

{{But not as adorable as you,}} I add in a thought communication to Ranga since I'm sure he's feeling very jealous right now.

Jabro is getting more flustered and angry by the second as he watches me. "Reaperclaw! Where's your pride?! Fight back!"

The cat doesn't fight back though, because I've started scritching her, and judging by her purring, I've found the gooood spot.

"That's enough, you're gonna ruin her!" Jabro says, finally unsummoning her.

Although the cat's disappearance is disappointing, I still give a satisfied huff at having accomplished my goal. "I'd hardly agree that I'm the one ruining her, when you're the one treating her as a living weapon. No one wants to be that."

"She's just an animal."

"And we're just demons," I say, petting Ranga as he leans in for attention. "Run along now, else I'm gonna make you summon that cat again."

Jabro gives me a disturbed look, and then leaves, muttering "Weirdo…" as he steps out the door.

Once he's gone, I turn to Rufel to check he's okay.

"Um… I'm really sorry!" he blurts out, bowing low.

"Sorry?"

Usually one would expect a thank-you rather than an apology in this situation.

"Well, I thought it was fun to pick on you with everyone else…"

"Ah. Then I suppose I'll call Jabro back in and give him the okay to sic his familiar on you."

"Wait, no, don't!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm just doing what I've gotta do, even if people think I suck," I say with a shrug.

"Oh… You're actually kinda cool."

"Right?" I give a boastful chuckle.

I pause for a moment.

"Are you waiting for something?" Rufel asks.

"Oh, nothing. Run along now, I need the room."

I was kinda expecting Ciel to sass me there, but…

[[I figured I'd let you have it.]]

Somehow, even by doing nothing, my manas can always catch me off guard.

With Rufel out of the room, I flick Diablo a telepathic message.

{{Can you come here for a sec if you're not busy?}}

The room darkens for a moment, and the darkness rushes to the center, taking the form of a familiar demon.

"Yes, my Lord?" Diablo gleefully responds, dusting flour off his hands.

You were busy.

I sigh and look away, feeling a bit awkward about apologizing to this butler who's beaming down at me with such innocent eyes.

"… I'm sorry for being so hostile last night. It's not like me to blow up at someone who's just doing their job."

"You shouldn't be apologizing, my Lord! I only hope that this morning's fare brought you cheer," Diablo frantically says.

"It did. Now, kneel."

He instantly obeys, kneeling low with a hand gracefully on his chest.

But he's surprised when my hand finds its way onto his head.

"Thanks for always doing such a good job," I praise as I reluctantly ruffle Diablo's hair.

"Lord Rimuruuu!" he whines, already on the brink of tears.

A suppressed chuckle from me comes out as a pleased huff.

How did you ever get like this, O mighty primordial?

Iruma POV

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Rimuru says, grinning widely at two older girls that I don't recognize.

I walk up to her as the other two walk away, also smiling.

"Who were they?" I ask.

"Oh, just a few people with some sympathy for my situation. They're gonna smuggle some food from the cafeteria out to me."

"But why? Aren't they risking getting in trouble?"

Rimuru just shrugs. "I think they might demand a favor out of me afterward, but I don't mind. It's worth it; I heard they're serving sweet n' sticky monster bat wings today."

"They are?!"

"They are. You better run along and get some for yourself. I bet Clara and Azz are already waiting for you in the cafeteria by now."

I nod, "Enjoy your lunch!"

…And don't get caught.

Silently wishing her luck, I leave Rimuru behind and make my way to the cafeteria, getting greeted by my two friends right after entering it. We three get in line together to get our lunches.

"Master Iruma, I was wondering where you were!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting Azz, I was just talking with Rimuru."

"Iruma-chi was talking to Riri!"

I notice the same two girls from earlier walk past us and toward the exit, one holding a plate of sticky wings as wide as my arm is long, enough for a large party or one very hungry slime.

The one with the food smirks at me as she notices me ogling the feast.

She turns back to the other and asks her, "You recording?"

"Yeah, this is gonna be so good!" she says, her hell-phone in her hands.

Recording? Why would they be recording? What's gonna be so good?

Whatever it is, it doesn't seem like it's going to be something 'good'. The way the two were giggling seemed too sinister to me.

"Master Iruma?" Azz asks me since I guess he caught me briefly staring.

"I need to go."

"What about lunchies?" Clara asks.

"Can you get my food for me and meet me at our table? I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rimuru can handle herself just fine, but I need to make sure. I'm supposed to be her brother.

The girl with the food holds the plate up high as though to get everyone's attention, and approaches Rimuru with an almost arrogant stride.

Rimuru's eyes are sparkling with delight, fixed on the plate as it's brought to waist level and presented in all its delicious glory.

"Oh my goodness! Man, it's been too long since I've gotten any of the Babyls chef specials!"

"Haha, I bet!" She puts one end of the plate in Rimuru's hands.

"There's so much too…" Rimuru almost drools.

"Yup, an extra-large portion just for you, tubby!"

"Thanks! I really appre— … Wait, 'tubby'?"

"Now eat up!"

The girl flips the huge plate right into Rimuru's face.

She's completely splattered, looking down at herself and then back up with eyes full of shock and betrayal.

The girls start laughing like it's the funniest thing they've ever seen, the one who was recording now on the scene and getting right up-close with the camera.

"Hahaha, wow, you look awful!" she taunts. "Aren't you gonna eat? You were on your hands and knees begging us to feed you!"

"No I wasn't! Don't make stuff up!" Rimuru desperately protests.

"Aww, I'll be nice! I'll even let you tag along to our sabbath this weekend, since I'm sure you've never been invited to one, freak."

"Wait, really?" the other girl asks.

"Yeah, as long as she comes along wearing that sticky mess!"

They burst out into laughter again, and high-five each other.

For just a brief moment, Rimuru looks dangerously angry. But that anger quickly fizzles into a small bitter smile, and she starts to silently shuffle away, still covered in the sticky sauce and pieces of meat.

"Look at her, a couple of insults and she's gone off to cry!"

"And she's a Vau? What a baby!"

"Oh, is the baby gonna cry? Don't worry, I'm sure your granddaddy will buy you food when you get home!"

"You could eat this whole school and your chest would still be flatter than the floor!"

Rimuru is still within eyeshot and the two bullies are still recording her! Unable to take any more of this, I put myself between them and Rimuru.

"Stop recording her!" I shout at them both. "You're… you're both awful!"

"Bahaha! That was pathetic, is your big sister so weak that she can't speak for herself and her whimpering little brother has to speak for her?"

"Rimuru isn't weak! A-and since she's being nice and not hurting you for doing that to her, I have to say something instead! Now put that camera away! Now!"

I try to grab the camera, just to get kneed in the gut and shoved to the floor.

As I'm clutching my stomach in pain, I'm suddenly struck with a sense of alarm that makes me push through the pain and sit bolt upright.

But it seems it was for nothing. Rimuru's already out of view and didn't see me get hit.

I guess those girls are safe then… Wait, why is that what I'm worried about? Master Bachiko would call me an idiot for thinking that…

I spring to my feet and go after Rimuru, and in a few moments I find myself alone in a classroom with her.

Still looking like a mess, she greets me with a faint smile. "Hah, joke's on them… I caught it all with a stasis barrier."

All the food that was on Rimuru suddenly drops back onto the plate, leaving her completely clean and the dish restored.

"See? Like nothing happened," she says, but her smile seems a little strained. "So… see you after lunch, I guess."

Rimuru makes for a window, but I grab her sleeve.

"Rimuru, you can't say it's 'like nothing happened'. Why are people treating you like this?"

It only stops her for a moment.

"… Kids are stupid," she says without turning to face me, and then shrugs me off to hop through the window, the wide plate barely fitting through.

I follow her outside, and her pace picks up as I'm tailing her.

I try to catch up, but she just walks faster.

"Can we please talk about it?" I plead.

"What's there to say?" she replies, still not looking in my direction.

"Well— Wait watch out! … Huh?"

I freak out a bit as she's about to walk headlong into the school's outer wall, until she passes through it like a ghost. Then I'm just confused.

But I'm nothing if not diligent. I toss a thread over the wall, thicken it into a rope, and start climbing.

Urgh… Not as easy as I thought, maybe Clara's right about me eating too many snacks.

As I'm struggling, something pushes me from beneath, and suddenly I'm on top of the wall.

"Huh? Oh, thank you Ranga!" I say as I look back down at my fluffy helper.

He gestures for me to go onward, so I rappel down the other side and see Rimuru at her usual secluded lunch spot at the edge of the school grounds.

"Rimuru!" I shout and run up to her.

"You should really head back to the cafeteria to get some of these for yourself, they're pretty tasty," Rimuru says, taking a bite of her food.

"Don't try to change the subject! Those girls were seriously mean to you!"

"Yeah? Like I said, kids are stupid."

"B-but… why didn't you stand up for yourself? Why?"

"Because I don't care that much. I'm a slime, remember? Insults just slide or bounce right off me… and so do messy foods. It's amusing really, having people be that rude–"

"I saw the look on your face when it happened, you didn't think it was funny."

"Then I meant it was a reality check," Rimuru curtly replies.

A reality check? I wonder.

It must have been a bitter thought, as she grimaces and shrinks into herself a bit. "… Anyway, what could I do other than just walking away? There's no winning response when people will take anything as proof that I'm some monstrous creature or that I'm easily hurt."

"But doesn't that just make them think it's okay to do that to you again?"

"I won't let it happen again, Iruma. I let my guard down and paid the price."

"I-I should still go say something to them… we can tell Azz… and Clara. All four of us can scold them together!"

"Iruma…" Rimuru lays her hand on my shoulder, shaking her head. "You're sweet, but don't. It's not gonna help anything."

"It would help! Th-they need to know what they did was wrong!"

"I'm sure they already know that, they just don't care. And, even though you're amazing at getting people on your side, winning them over and befriending, when it comes to getting adversarial…" Rimuru hesitates. "I don't want you to turn yourself into a target by standing up for me, 'kay? I've told you before, I can take care of myself; you don't need to worry about me, no matter what."

"How is letting people bully you 'taking care of yourself', Rimuru? I know that if someone dumped food on me, or talked badly about me behind my back, or did something else really mean to me, that you wouldn't stand by and do nothing."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"How?"

"Because… because it is."

"Well, I don't think it's different."

"But it is. I… I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the adult–"

"And I'm just a weak human kid."

"You're not… weak."

"I don't like it when you lie to me, Rimuru."

Rimuru stops and stares at me intensely for a few seconds before asking, "What's gotten into you lately?"

"I'm… sick of watching someone I care about get hurt."

"You don't need to–"

"I swear, if you were about to say that I don't need to care about you getting hurt…"

"Sorry…"

Rimuru falls silent, just staring at her food and not looking me in the eyes.

"I don't… handle people worrying about me very well. Especially when they're under my protection. Back in Tempest, that's how it's always been, and I've never completely gotten used to it. My people, the ones I am supposed to keep safe. …Defending me constantly, putting their lives on the line for me… it just seems so wrong, y'know? I am supposed to be the strong one, I am supposed to be the one defending them! Yet, I'm so weak that I can't properly handle a couple of kids humiliating me without running away and doing nothing about it… some leader, I am…"

"I don't think… if you… Rimuru, for people to want to defend you… you have to be something worth defending. I mean… you're a great person! Th-that's why I care about you. That's why Grandpa and Opera do too, and our classmates, a-and all the people of Tempest!"

"Speak for yourself, kid."

"Huh?"

"Obviously, I wouldn't care about protecting you so much if you weren't worth protecting. It's not just because you're a 'weak human', you're a 'weak human' with lots of value and potential."

"H-hey! This isn't about me… don't try to change the subject again."

"It was worth a shot," Rimuru shrugs.

"Rimuru… please let me help you. I think I can do it–"

"No." She immediately cuts me off and shuts me down.

And here I thought I was getting somewhere with her…

"Rimuru–"

"I said no." Rimuru repeats, even firmer and more commanding than before.

"Then tell Grandpa about what happened. I'm sure he can help!"

"Not him either."

"Then Ameri?"

"No way, that's even worse."

"Then just let me try to help!" I plead.

Rimuru just shakes her head. "Not with this."

"You seriously expect me to just sit back and watch you get harassed?!"

"Well… yeah. Again, I'm a slime, I can let the insults just… bounce off of me," Rimuru flashes another fake smile at me.

I stand up fast and start walking away, having had enough of this.

I don't care if she doesn't want me to, I can't just sit back and not defend my sister!

"Iruma, wait–!"

"See you in class later, Rimuru!" I shout back in my best cheerful voice.

"Seeya…"