Ambitions
Rimuru POV
I'm sitting at the dining table eating my breakfast directly across from Iruma. For some reason, he's barely picking at his food and is staring off into space. His normally enormous appetite is nowhere to be seen and he looks exhausted.
"Iruma, why aren't you eating your breakfast this morning? Is something bothering you, my precious grandson?" Sullivan asks concernedly. I'm worried too since this isn't his usual behavior.
"Yeah, what's going on? You normally eat way more than that! Are you sick or something?" I ask. Iruma is normally almost as gluttonous as I am, so it's weird to see him letting food go to waste like this.
"I-I'm okay…just tired…" he responds. Sullivan continues to look at Iruma with a worried expression, his strange behavior is obviously bothering him. Even Opera looks concerned.
"Are you sure? You definitely look like something's bothering you."
"No, Rimuru. It's nothing…I just didn't sleep well last night, okay?"
"No, that's not okay. I think there's more to it than that. Just spit it out!" I demand since I realize being pushy is necessary to squeeze an answer out of him.
After a long pause, Iruma finally responds to my demand.
"I…think I'm going crazy…a weird voice in my head talked to me last night…" he answers hesitantly.
Wait…I think I know what's going on…
[[…]]
Cieeeel? Did you talk to Iruma last night?
[[…maybe…]]
I thought we were keeping you a secret from him!
[[…]]
Now the poor kid thinks he's losing his marbles! You could have at least let me explain to him who you are first! Remember how I reacted when you first spoke to me back when you were Great Sage? I thought I was going crazy too!
[[Sorry Master…I first needed to introduce myself to the boy so that later I can advise him on the use of your skills. He obviously will need assistance.]]
Yeah, and by that, you mean you want to intervene to make your experiment with his ring more successful. I know you only see him as your latest 'project' right now.
[[…No comment.]]
*sigh*
"Iruma, you're not going crazy. That voice you heard was my partner, Ciel. If I had known she was gonna contact you I would have given you a warning first." I explain calmly. Iruma seems very confused by my response.
"Partner? What do you mean by that?" he asks.
"I should let her explain that herself. Her existence is a bit of a secret so you three need to keep quiet about it." I say to Iruma, Sullivan, and Opera.
Might as well let Ciel take care of this since it's her fault.
Iruma POV
This is really weird, what is Rimuru even talking about?
I look at Rimuru with a confused expression. She looks troubled and uncomfortable about revealing this 'secret'. After a moment of pause, her expression turns blank, and her eyes become crimson.
"Hello, Iruma. Let me introduce myself to you again, properly this time. I am Ciel, my Master Rimuru's beloved manas and wife." Rimuru (Ciel) says in a different voice. It's the same as the one I heard inside my head last night. Her voice is, for the most part, monotone and emotionless. Like a text-to-speech voice, but not quite.
Grandpa does a spit-take with his tea, and I stop eating mid-bite from the shock of what was just said. Opera, who is standing off to the side has his mouth hanging wide open with surprise.
"Wait, what!? WIFE!?" I ask, barely able to believe my ears.
Rimuru's eyes turn golden again. Her emotionless expression turns to one of extreme embarrassment and her face flushes bright red.
#Dammit! I can't believe she just said that out loud…# she mutters in a pained voice.
I've never seen Rimuru look so mortified before…
After composing herself and taking a deep breath, Rimuru addresses what just happened.
"Sorry about that everyone. Ciel fancies herself my 'wife', but that isn't reality. I never would've expected her to introduce herself like that!"
"So what did you mean by 'partner' then?" I ask.
"I'm gonna give her another chance to explain that again." she says reluctantly with a sigh.
I watch Rimuru's eyes turn red again.
"Sorry for that… 'misunderstanding' a moment ago." She apologizes to me, although it doesn't sound very genuine.
"S-so your name's Ciel, right? What exactly are you?" I ask hesitantly. This conversation has been so jarring that I'm feeling overwhelmed.
"As I said before, I am a manas; a skill that has evolved to the point of gaining sentience and a personality. I have been with my Master, Rimuru Tempest since the moment he was reincarnated and have assisted him ever since." Ciel explains to me in a monotonal voice.
"So are you like a second personality inside Rimuru?" I ask, still not completely understanding this situation.
"That is one way of looking at it. My Master's personality is, of course, the true one. This is his body, not mine. I am only allowed to take control like this with his permission."
"I noticed you, or I guess I should say Rimuru's eye color changed when you 'took over'. Does that mean that every time Rimuru's eyes turned red you were in control, Ciel?"
It's so hard to talk about two different people when they share a body! This is even more confusing than Rimuru being sexless!
"Precisely. I possess computing abilities that are far superior when compared to my Master's. He requires my help for some of the more complicated and precise uses of his skills, which I gladly assist with."
"Why did you contact my grandson last night?" Grandpa asks Ciel.
"I wish to advise the boy regarding his use of my Master's skills. He will be able to ask me any questions he has just by thinking them."
"Wow! Really? That's so cool! Thanks, Ciel!" I exclaim, grateful for any help I can get.
"As long as my Master desires to protect you, I will assist you by giving you information when asked." Ciel pauses for a moment. Her mostly blank expression darkens, and her eyes turn cold yet almost appear to start glowing. She leans forward, hands planted on the table, glaring at me intimidatingly.
"Let me make one thing clear though, child. If you attempt to betray, harm, or steal my beloved Master from me, I wil-" Ciel threatens me before stopping mid-word. Her eyes fade back to gold and her expression softens, meaning Rimuru must've taken back control again.
"Hehe…sorry again, Iruma. Ciel can be a bit…um…possessive…" Rimuru apologizes with an uncomfortable laugh as she sits back down. She's awkwardly scratching the back of her head and avoiding eye contact, looking embarrassed again.
"It's okay. I can tell she really cares about you. You two must be really close!" I say to help dissolve the tension in the room. I'm still shaking from the intimidating threat from just a moment ago.
"Yeah, she definitely cares a lot about me. Ciel has saved me many times when I was in a pinch, I would never have achieved as much as I have without her help. Hell, I probably would have died soon after being reincarnated if she didn't have my back." Rimuru says with a faint smile, staring off distantly as if reminiscing about the past.
Wow, Ciel must be a very important person in Rimuru's life. She obviously loves Rimuru, and I think Rimuru loves Ciel back, even if it isn't romantically.
(AN: Sorry people, but no shipping between Rimuru and Ciel in this fic. Maybe some comedic moments related to Ciel's infatuation with Rimuru but nothing much further than that.)
"Ciel can hear me when I talk to you, right Rimuru?" I ask her. I need to make sure Ciel understands that I'm not a threat.
"Yes, she hears and sees everything that I do." she explains.
"Well, I need to let her know that there is no way I would ever betray you, Rimuru. I promise. Ciel has nothing to worry about!" I reassure Rimuru/Ciel.
"I didn't think you would ever do something like that but thank you for clarifying. I'm sure that'll help put her at ease." Rimuru says, smiling.
[[I will hold you to that promise, Iruma Suzuki.]]
I hear Ciel's voice in my mind again and jump from the suddenness of it.
"Ciel just said something to you, didn't she?" Rimuru asks after watching my reaction.
I just nod my head 'yes'. I definitely don't want to ever cross Ciel. Even though she said she wanted to help me, she terrifies me even more than an angry Rimuru. Ciel is cold, calculating, and ruthless; that's the impression I got from her. That's fine though because right now she's on my side and I need to keep it that way at all costs.
**Three Days Later**
Rimuru POV
The last few days at school have been uneventful for the most part. During every lunch period, Iruma has been quickly scarfing down his food before running off to meet with his 'girlfriend' Ameri, leaving me to deal with his two friends alone. Today, Azz and Clara are bickering about what Iruma could possibly be doing without them.
"Somethings not right! For the last few days, he's been wandering off on his own during lunch! What could he be doing!? I'm so curious that it's keeping me up at night!" Azz exclaims, clutching his head in frustration.
"I wanna play with Iruma-chi!" Clara chimes in.
"Do you know where he went, Rimuru!? He's your brother after all!" Azz asks me desperately.
I just shrug my shoulders in response to his question since I don't really feel like telling him.
"Then just follow him." Sabnock interjects. He was passing by and happened to overhear our conversation.
"I could never do something that intrusi-"Azz says but is interrupted by Clara.
"Yeah, let's go Azz-Azz!"
"Valac! Stop!" Azz yells as he chases after Clara who ran off to go find Iruma.
I just roll my eyes and continue eating. If those two fools want to try to go after him, I'm not gonna stop them; at least not until I'm done eating my lunch.
Finally, now I can eat in peace…
Just as I begin eating again, I sense someone watching me intensely. My 'stalker'.
That peace didn't last very long…
I've tried my best to just ignore her, but Eiko is persistent. She has been stalking not just me, but Iruma too ever since the entrance ceremony. I don't know what she could possibly want with us, but I can sense no hostility from her, at least.
I should talk to her and find out her motive for stalking us.
[[Stay away from her!]]
So, you have a problem with this person too, huh? What is it this time, Ciel?
[[I do not want her near you, Master!]]
At least give me a reason Ciel! I know she's a bit weird, but that doesn't mean she's dangerous.
[[I have my reasons and you don't need to know them!]]
You're in quite the mood today, aren't you…I'm still gonna talk to her though unless you give me a good reason not to. I need to know what she wants!
[[*pouts*]]
I lock eyes with the girl from across the room to let her know that I'm aware of her staring. In response, she turns her head away and blushes. Since she obviously isn't gonna come to me I stand up and make my way towards her. This interrupts my eating but there's no way I can fully enjoy my lunch when I can feel someone staring at me like that.
Eiko POV
I watch in horror as the girl I have been stal-*cough* um…I mean 'observing', looks me in the eyes and begins walking straight towards me!
How did she notice me!?
When I first saw Rimuru and her twin brother Iruma, I couldn't help but become infatuated with both of them. Rimuru is the most perfect-looking girl I have ever seen! Her long silver-blue hair looks like it is made from pure moonlight and her golden eyes shine like gems. Iruma is just as perfect; his bright blue eyes have a softness and kindness to them that warms my heart and the cowlick on the top of his head of royal blue hair is absolutely adorable! I can't help but stare every time I see either of them!
On top of their perfect appearances, they're also very strong. The impressive fire magic the two showed off on stage at the entrance ceremony was breathtaking! I couldn't believe my eyes when the room lit up with the strange glow of those black flames! After that, the excitement didn't stop. They challenged the head of the class, the famous Asmodeus Alice, to a duel. They were both so nimble and quick, dodging every single attack. Rimuru also showed off her strength by taking out Asmodeus with a single hit! Iruma never attacked but I'm sure, since they're twins, that Iruma is just as strong as her if not more. They also showed their kindness by carrying their unconscious opponent all the way to the infirmary after their fight.
I, luckily, ended up in the same group as them for the familiar summoning ritual. I was shocked amazed when Rimuru stood face-to-face with the infamous Professor Kalego without even flinching! She also summoned that amazing bi-corn wolf thing that I thought nobody could top, but then Iruma somehow summoned Professor Kalego as his familiar! Iruma is so incredible, I can't stop thinking about him or Rimuru! I'm absolutely obsessed! I really want to introduce myself, but I am way too nervous to do it!
Back to the present, I am currently standing in the cafeteria, frozen in place as the blue-haired beauty named Rimuru draws closer to me.
WhatshouldIsaywhatshouldIdowhatshouldIsaywhatshouldIdo?! Omgomgomgomgomg!
"Hi, there! You're Eiko, right?" she greets me with a friendly smile.
How the heck does she already know my name!?
"Y-yes…" I say, barely able to get a single word out.
"My name's Rimuru, it's nice to meet 'cha!" she introduces herself and holds out a hand for me to shake.
"N-nice t-to meet y-you too…Rimuru." I shake her hand.
"Okay, now that the introductions have been taken care of I have a question for you."
*gulp* Oh no!
"Why have you been following me and my brother around? I know you've been watching both of us closely." she asks, a smile still on her mouth. Her eyes aren't 'smiling' though, they feel like they are drilling holes into me to find an answer.
Crap, she's angry! I can't blow this! I need to get on her good side!
"I…um…I…uh…um…" I stutter, unable to get any meaningful words out to explain myself.
"I'm not mad about it, but I will be if you don't give me your reasons. Tell me Eiko." She says firmly. The pressure coming from her is suffocating, but I can't help but find her intensity a little attractive.
"I…I…think you and your b-brother are so c-cool and I j-just wa-wanted to meet y-you two, but I was to-too nervous to approach y-you! I-I'm so s-sorry!" I sputter out, barely even able to talk. The warmness immediately returns to Rimuru's face and the pressure from a moment ago is completely gone.
How can you be so pretty, cute, cool, and scary all at the same time?! I don't stand a chance!
"Oh, that's all? Well, you've met me now. Also, meeting Iruma is no big deal, the kid's too nice for his own good so you have nothing to be scared of with him. Just so you know, Iruma's too oblivious to notice your stalking like I did so he doesn't have any reason to dislike you, either." She says cheerfully.
"Really? Could you introduce me to him? Please!?" I plead. I can't pass up on this opportunity to meet him, I want them both!
"I wouldn't mind helping you with that another time, but you need to stop that weird stalker crap first. You were really giving me the creeps by following us everywhere. I didn't know why you were doing it so I was afraid you might be trying to hurt one of us. That's why I needed an answer from you, I'm very good at telling when people are lying to me." Rimuru explains why she intimidated me a moment ago.
So, she's very protective of her brother? I must have really put her on edge by 'watching' them both constantly. I feel guilty…
"Hey, don't look so down! It's all water under the bridge so let's just forget about it and move on!" Rimuru says as she places one of her delicate hands on my shoulder. I immediately feel my cheeks turn bright red.
OMG RIMURU IS TOUCHING ME! This is the best day EVER!
I feel absolutely elated before darkness creeps into my field of vision and I blackout.
Rimuru POV
I place my hand on Eiko's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Once I do this though, I see her face turn bright red before her eyes roll back into her head. She faints right in front of me. I easily catch her before she hits the floor, wondering what the hell just happened. Everyone around me is watching this ridiculous situation happening in front of them with wide eyes, not saying anything.
Did she just faint…from me just touching her shoulder? Why the hell do people keep passing out when I'm around like this!? It's weird!
"Don't worry everyone, I'll take her to the infirmary!" I announce to the crowd gathered around me. Now carrying the girl in my arms, I start heading to the infirmary.
[[…]]
Wait, are you mad at me Ciel? I know I talked to her when you said I shouldn't, but it all worked out fine! She obviously isn't dangerous.
[[…]]
Oh geez, you're not just mad, are you? You're pissed! What the hell did I do wrong?!
[[…]]
Still getting no response from Ciel, I continue to walk down the hall carrying Eiko. Only about halfway to the infirmary, I notice she is starting to wake up. Her yellow eyes slowly open and look up at me.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" I say with a cheesy grin.
"Whaaaa…?"
Eiko's face turns bright red like before when she becomes aware of her current position.
She's probably feeling really embarrassed. I mean, who wouldn't be? After passing out in front of a bunch of people.
[[...]]
"You passed out while we were talking, so I'm carrying you to the infirmary. Do you think you will be ok? I can still carry you there if you need me to." I say as I gently set her feet on the ground.
[[…]]
"I-I'll be fine n-now." Eiko says, standing up. She looks a bit wobbly and dazed, but I'm sure she'll be fine.
"Did you eat lunch yet?"
"N-no…not yet…"
"Here, you should probably eat something then, it is lunchtime y'know. I bet that's why you just passed out. Eat this, we don't need you fainting again, now do we." I say this as I grab a snack I was saving for later out of my 'stomach' (although it's more like an infinite void at this point) and hand it to her. This sounds absolutely disgusting, but trust me, it isn't. I'm not like some mother bird feeding her babies, if that was what you were picturing.
[[…]]
"Thank you! I sh-should get going now…"
"Okay, if you're sure you'll be fine then I'll see you around! I gotta go check on my brother. I have a feeling he might be dealing with something annoying." I say goodbye and wave.
"Bye!" Eiko waves back, still blushing a little.
Wait a sec. No, it can't be. Is that girl…crushing on me?
[[NO! The is a 0% chance that that girl has a crush on you, Master! ZE! RO! PER! CENT!]]
So, Ciel, this entire time you weren't just pissed, you were jealous?
[[I am a manas, I do not feel jealousy!]]
I beg to differ! This isn't the first time this has happened. Ever since you 'awakened' from Raphael, you have been very possessive of me, which includes being jealous of other women!
[[You are so perfect that you attract women easily without noticing, even when dressed as a girl! You cannot go around behaving like this!]]
C'mon, I never even considered this girl had a thing for me until just a moment ago! I was just helping her since she passed out right in front of me! I can't just walk away in a situation like that! Also, don't call me 'perfect'; I'm definitely not that.
[[…]]
C'mon Ciel! Talk to me! I'm sorry, ok?! I wasn't trying to flirt with her!
Ciel takes a few moments to respond.
[[I…just want to protect you, Master…relationships can be painful…I don't want your heart to get broken!]]
I know, I know. Thank you for having my back, Ciel.
Ciel may overreact sometimes, but I know she has the best intentions for me. From day one she has been working hard to keep me safe, and I can't help but appreciate that.
Iruma POV
It's time again for me to read 'First Love Memories" to Ameri so I'm standing outside the room, waiting patiently for her to arrive. I look over and notice her running in my direction, frantically trying to get to me. When she reaches me, she hunches over, breathing heavily from running.
"Are you alright?" I ask, concerned.
"Worry not." She responds in-between breaths.
"Okay…"
"Did you wait long?" she asks.
"Nope. I just got here. You have perfect timing!" I tell her with a smile. I don't want her to feel bad for making me wait a few minutes.
"Great! I'm counting on you again today!"
Third Person POV
Azz and Clara peek around the corner and find Iruma talking to the Student Council President.
"Do you see that!?"
"No fair!" Clara whines.
"This is a grave situation! You get it, don't you!?"
"No fair! She's not fair! I wanna play too!" Clara says with a hiss.
"Hey now! Don't you know who that is!? That's the Student Council President!"
"The Student Council President is not fair! I'm gonna go play too!" Clara yells as she lunges in the direction of Iruma and Ameri.
"You have no idea how grave this situation is!" Azz scolds Clara as he grabs her by the neck of her shirt. "Since Master Iruma wants to reign over this school, they are his biggest obstacle: the Student Council that currently rules this school! He must be trying to get them within his grasp so he can gain control over them!" Azz announces. He's unfortunately completely mistaken about Iruma's intentions.
"I knew he was plotting something, but to think it was the Student Council! And he doesn't want any harm to befall us, so he's been doing this on his own…" Azz says, bawling his eyes out.
"I'm gonna go play!" Clara says, ignoring Azz's speech.
"I can't just stand here!" Azz insists.
"I wanna play with them!" Clara insists as she's grabbed again by Azz.
"I need to observe Master Iruma's bravery much closer!" Azz says with determination.
Iruma POV
"Dreams…Ah, you mean ambitions!" Ameri says in response to the lines I just read to her.
"Huh? Well, I guess so…"
#Dreams, huh…# I whisper to myself. I think about Sabnock, and his burning passion to become Demon King.
"Ameri, do you have any dreams for the future?" I ask her.
"Dreams? Me?" she says before glancing at her armband that bears the insignia of Babyls. She smiles softly as she looks back up at me. "I am very proud to be a demon. I want others to be proud that they're demons, too. Which is why…" Her eyes light up with passion. "…I want to improve the nature of the students here and make this a house of learning that any demon would long to attend. That is my ambition." She declares enthusiastically to me. "I'll be helping with my father's work after I graduate, but I know what I must do before then."
"That's amazing!"
"Though, I'm interested in working at a cake shop or flower shop, too." Ameri says shyly and blushes. "D-don't you have any ambitions!?" she abruptly yells as she points at me.
"Huh? Me? Let's see…I think I'm just content having fun with everyone." I explain with a smile.
"That's only an ideal. I asked you about your ambitions." Ameri corrects me firmly.
I stare at her for a moment at a loss for words.
"Ideals and ambitions are different. What I want to know is what it is you want to grasp for yourself. Your desire. I'll ask you again Iruma. What is your dream?"
"My…dream?"
I have no idea what to say! I've never had to think about something like this!
I begin to panic before I suddenly feel my vision going black and collapse to the floor. Thankfully I didn't completely pass out. I guess I got a bit too worked up thinking about what my dream could be.
"Are you alright?"
"Uh, I'm fine…it's just…all this time, I've only thought about what others want from me. I'd never even thought for a second about what I want to do."
"Then do it now. If you don't have one, come up with one."
"But…"
I think as hard as I can, but my mind draws a blank.
"I can't think of anything!"
"Then climb the ranks. A student's main duty is to climb the ranks. For now, why not try to become a Bet (rank 2)?"
"My rank?" I ask, but before I can even give it any thought, I hear a loud bang from behind me.
"W-who goes there!?" Ameri demands, shouting at the plume of dust now obscuring the doorway. I watch as Azz comes into view, surrounded by the cloud.
"I'm terribly sorry, Master Iruma! I was trying not to disturb you, but the moment I blinked…"
"Gimme back Iruma-chi!" Clara demands as she bursts out of the dust. "Give him back!" Clara repeats her demand and grabs me by the collar of my shirt and starts dragging me out the door with a surprising amount of strength.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing to Master Iruma!?" Azz asks Clara infuriated by her actions. "What a failure! How could I have blinked?!" he scolds himself.
"Oh, looks like I was too late to stop them. Sorry about that, Iruma. I had to take care of another problem first." Rimuru says casually as she walks up to us. Ameri gives Rimuru a less-than-friendly-looking glance before looking back at me.
"You may take your leave for today…Iruma, if you're at all serious about climbing the ranks, I'll wait for you to stand by my side." Ameri says as she looks at me from over one shoulder.
#...Seems like things are going to plan…# Rimuru whispers to herself.
"What? Did you say something?" I ask since I wasn't paying enough attention to comprehend what she said. My mind is buzzing with thoughts about dreams and ambitions, trying to decide which one is mine.
Climb the ranks, huh? I will have to think about that…
**That Night**
I'm sitting up in my bed, staring at my rank 1 badge, considering what Ameri said earlier.
"Ranks, huh? But if I rise the ranks, I will stand out even more." I say, cringing at the thought. "But wait…I'm human, anyway. There's no point in me climbing up those ranks…"
I hear a knock on my door.
Rimuru POV
After dinner, I decide it's time to help Iruma with some more training. The last few nights he has been working on the 'control water' skill, but he hasn't made much progress. I think he needs a change of pace, so he doesn't feel discouraged.
Maybe 'magic sense' is a good choice for him to try next. What d'you think Ciel?
[[Magic sense may be very difficult for the boy to grasp since his human body has a harder time detecting magicules when compared to a monster's.]]
Yeah, you're probably right, but I think it's worth giving a try. I think it might even help him understand other skills better, making it easier to learn them later on.
[[That would definitely be the case if he is successful.]]
That's great! Is there any way to make this easier for him?
[[Yes, Master, I have an idea for that.]]
Good, let's go grab him then!
I teleport right in front of the door to Iruma's room and knock.
"Hey, Irumaaaaaa! Do you want to do some traaaaaiiiiining? I want to show you something neeeeew!" I call out to him through the door.
"Something…new?" he asks as he opens the door.
"Yeah, it might help you with the skill I already have had you try out. C'mon, let's do this in my room." I say as I lead him across the hallway.
"Stand right there." I command as I point to a spot on the floor.
"Okay…what are we going to do?"
"You'll see! Just be patient! This isn't gonna be an easy concept for you to grasp so I need you to listen carefully. We are gonna do something that will hopefully make this easier for you."
Iruma stands in the spot I pointed to, looking awkwardly at the floor. I put up a magicule-blocking barrier around the two of us with Iruma in the center.
"Alright, we're almost ready now. What I'm going to attempt to teach you today is a skill called 'magic sense'. It will allow you to detect magic in the air around you, and if you learn to use it properly, it can act as a substitute for your sight and hearing. It lets you see 360 degrees around you, so nobody will be able to get the jump on you with an attack, at least for the most part. It isn't infallible though, heh…I learned that the hard way when I got my arm chopped off! I just grew a new one, so it wasn't a big deal!" I say lightly, laughing from thinking about the past. Iruma looks at me like I'm crazy for a moment before seeming to accept it without question.
"Why do I have to stand here though?" he asks, sounding annoyed.
"I placed a barrier around us and I'm gonna flood its inside with raw magicules so that you can get a feel for it. I need you to close your eyes and focus on the feeling of the air around you. We can only try this briefly since you won't be able to tolerate it for very long. Brace yourself and focus, we're about to start."
Iruma just nods his head and closes his eyes. Now that he's ready, I implement Ciel's plan and begin to release some magicules. I see the boy subtly wince after a few seconds of exposure.
"Doing okay?" I ask, concerned.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just feel kinda nauseous all of the sudden." He complains.
"The magicules might make you feel sick since you're human, but just bear with it for another minute or two. Don't worry, I won't let it get to the point of being dangerous." I reassure him.
After a couple of minutes within the barrier, Iruma reaches his limit so I consume the whole setup with Azathoth. I direct him to sit down on the bed since he's clearly not feeling well.
"Alright, that's enough for today. How was it?" I ask.
"Horrible!" Iruma complains between deep breaths, sweat dripping down his face.
"Yeah, well that stuff I was releasing inside the barrier is essentially poison to humans so I'm not surprised it wasn't pleasant. Were you able to sense the flow of magic at all?"
"No…I wasn't." Iruma responds while wearing a disappointed expression.
"That's what I was afraid of…we'll have to try again tomorrow then." I say, also disappointed with today's result. It's a shame he had to go through that and didn't gain anything in the process.
Iruma POV
After going through what felt like torture, I'm wiped-out-exhausted. Even though I feel crappy right now, I realize this is my opportunity to ask Rimuru for some advice on what I talked with Ameri about earlier.
"Hey, um, can I ask you a personal question?" I ask.
"Uh, suuuure…" Rimuru agrees.
"Do you have an ambition?" I ask her nervously.
"Why do you ask? This is kinda out-of-the-blue." She asks, looking confused.
"I was talking with Ameri and…" I explain what I talked about with Ameri and my predicament about deciding whether I should rank up or not.
"Ranking up is one option, but ambitions aren't exactly something you come up with on the spot, so I'm not surprised you had a hard time answering her." Rimuru responds.
"Yeah, I had no idea what to say. What do you think I should do, Rimuru?" I plead with her for advice since I feel lost and confused. I feel like I have an empty spot inside me that I wasn't aware of until now, yet I don't know what to fill it with.
"Well, in the end, it's up to you. If you were to go up in the ranks, what would be your reason? You can't just roll with 'Ameri suggested it.'. What's another reason you might want to do that?"
"Not too long ago, Opera mentioned that, as a demon, you have to get a high rank to be able to go to the human world. I guess that would be my reason, although I don't have much waiting for me there so I'm not really sure…"
"Well, even if you don't end up making that your ambition, you can at least make it a short-term goal. Try it out, learn what accomplishment feels like, and then decide where you want to go from there."
"Thanks, Rimuru…sorry to ask again, but do you have an ambition?" I ask again.
Rimuru stops and thinks for a moment before responding.
"I wouldn't exactly call it ambition, but the closest thing I have right now is helping you grow and mature as a person. I've had much loftier goals in the past, but those have already been achieved at this point." She explains.
"Loftier? I know you rule a country back home. Was leading a country one of your ambitions in the past?" I speculate.
"Heh, no way! I was actually peer-pressured into the position, at least initially. But when I realized how much everyone around me depended on me and my strength, I stepped up and became a proper leader. That was my ambition, to live up to that title and create a perfect country that anyone could live peacefully in." she explains.
"You were 'peer-pressured into becoming a country's ruler!? And I thought I was a pushover!"
"Chancellor, technically, and yes; that's what happened, but don't call me a pushover! Treyni, a dryad from the forest I now rule over, up and declared me the 'Chancellor of the Great Forest of Jura' without even asking me first! The next thing I know, everyone who was in the room at the time was bowing to me! It was a very uncomfortable situation, but things worked out in the long run."
"I guess you've been forced into the center of attention too, just like me…" I sympathize with the situation she just described. If I was in the same spot, I probably would have reacted similarly since I have a very hard time turning down people's requests.
"Yeah, you could say that. I'm used to it at this point, though." Rimuru says with a chuckle.
"Wait, you said Chancellor, but I thought your title was 'Demon Lord'?" I ask her, perplexed.
"Yeah, that's something separate from me being the Chancellor. The Chancellor title came first." She explains offhandedly.
"How did you become a Demon Lord then?" I ask, very curious.
Upon hearing my question Rimuru's eyes go wide for a moment and her smile fades. She then sighs and pauses, probably thinking about how to respond.
Maybe I shouldn't have asked her, she seems upset just thinking about it…
"Well, before we talk about that, I need to explain exactly what the term 'Demon Lord' means where I come from. There are multiple Demon Lords at any given time. Currently, there are eight of them, dubbed 'The Heptagram' or 'The Seven Star Demon Lords', formerly the 'Octogram'. If someone is strong enough, they can get approval from the current Demon Lords to join their ranks. This is just a simple title recognized by people, though. I don't just have the title; I went a step further. Through a certain process with specific conditions, monsters of great strength can evolve into true Demon Lords. I've gone through this process and am a true Demon Lord, one recognized by the world itself."
"Why did you become a Demon Lord, then? It seems pretty complicated so I'm sure you had a good reason." I ask, curious. Rimuru doesn't seem like the type of person to intentionally put herself through a bunch of trouble for nothing. Her expression darkens further when she hears my words.
"Trust me, initially I didn't want to become one. A long time ago, I met a Demon Lord who ended up becoming a close friend of mine. She offered to back me if I decided to become a Demon Lord (in title only), but I turned her down. At the time, the whole idea just seemed troublesome and pointless. But…" she trails off, her expression growing sadder. "…that was before 'something' happened. Something horrific. Something that was…all my fault." She says sadly, staring out across the room.
"What…happened?" I ask hesitantly.
"It's…hard for me to talk about..." She says, clenching her delicate hands into fists, a look of pain in her eyes.
"You've helped me feel better by letting me talk about my past with you, so maybe talking about yours with me will do the same?" I ask, with a comforting smile.
After a long pause of contemplation, Rimuru finally responds. The troubled look in her eyes is gone and she wears an expression of solemn determination.
"*sigh* Okay, Iruma, I can give you some details at least. I made a mistake, one that caused the deaths of many of my people. In order to fix that mistake, I needed the power of a true Demon Lord, so I became one. I already met all the prerequisites, so I just had to trigger the evolution. Don't bother asking me what that trigger is though because there's no way I'll ever tell you."
Rimuru then grabs me firmly by the shoulders and stares me in the face with a serious expression. She has a dark, resolute look in her golden eyes; her smooth face and silvery-blue hair are lit up by the moonlight shining in through the window.
"All it took was three careless, selfish words to kill over one hundred of my people…including one very close to my heart. I had to sacrifice the last sliver of humanity in my soul to reverse the consequences of those three words. If you are ever in a position where you are responsible for other people, choose your words and actions very carefully; don't make the same mistakes I did." She says while still gazing intensely into my eyes. I just nod my head, not knowing how to respond. Despite my lack of words, I make sure to take hers to heart.
After letting go of my shoulders, Rimuru just sits there silent for a few moments, staring at nothing, before abruptly saying "See you tomorrow, Iruma. I'm sure you're exhausted so get some rest." and leaving my bedroom without another word.