Review Replies:
To General Mort: I probably will have Iruma visit Tempest in the next few chapters. I have quite a few ideas about it but haven't decided on a specific point in the plot to make it happen.
To Omnipotente Vargas: I agree with your opinion on Kiriwo and think he was treated too lightly by Iruma in the source material. Kiriwo will get off fairly easy this time punishment-wise, but, trust me, Rimuru will eventually lose patience with him at some point in the plot. Haven't decided when, but he will get his due punishment. (I need to let him do some more evil stuff before he gets crushed. 😊 )
And to everyone; thanks for following the story so far! I appreciate your continued support and nice suggestions! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Author's note: When in the same scene, I'm going to refer to the two Rimurus as Rimu-one and Rimu-two, the latter is the one who just entered the room. (Yes I know it sounds stupid but I think it's kinda funny too.)
Why Are There Two? / The Others' Perspectives
Iruma POV
I do a double-take and rub my eyes to make sure they're working right.
Why are there two of them?!
The newly arrived Rimu-two walks up to Rimu-one, looks at Kiriwo tied up on the floor, then fist-bumps Rimu-one.
"Nice job, me," Rimu-two says, smirking.
"Hey stop, it feels weird being complimented by myself!" Rimu-one responds, awkwardly scratching the back of their head.
It appears I'm not the only one who's shocked because all the other people in the room, multiple men in black suits, are reacting similarly. They came in guns blazing, armed with familiars, weapons, and magic but multiple of the demons lowered them in shock. We're all just staring at the two identical people, not sure how to respond.
"Hey, I know you're a bit surprised right now, but shouldn't you arrest this guy or something? He just tried to blow up the school, y'know." Rimu-one says casually to the official-looking demons, pointing to the boy.
"Ahem, yes. Kiriwo Amy, you're under arrest!" one of them declares.
Two of the black-suited men grab the still-bound Kiriwo and lift him off the floor.
"Before I go, I would like to say something to my friend," Kiriwo says, looking at me.
"Please don't…" Rimu-two says annoyedly.
"…And don't call him that after you just tried to murder his real friends you sadistic freak!" Rimu-one protests.
"But I-" Kiriwo attempts to say something, but both Rimurus shoot more thread at him, covering his mouth.
"Mmph…mmph!" Kiriwo keeps trying to talk, but with his mouth completely covered, nothing intelligible comes out of it.
After being silenced, he is carried out of the room, futilely squirming to escape his bindings. As soon as he's gone, I see Grandpa push through the group of police. He runs up to and hugs me tightly.
"My precious grandson, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine! But…uh…" I say, pointing at the two Rimurus standing next to each other.
""What?"" both of them turn their heads in my direction and ask simultaneously, wearing the same expression and everything.
"Wh-why are th-there…um…why are-?"
""Why are there two of me?""
I nod my head frantically.
""That's a trade secret!"" both of them say playfully, winking at me.
I groan at her (their?) canned response.
Why does she have to be so secretive!?
{{I'll explain later, away from all these people.}} I hear Rimuru's voice in my head.
"Now I have even more questions for you. I need you to come back to the station with me so we can get to the bottom of this incident." A male demon with red hair and glasses says. He seems to remind me of someone…
"Alright, I'll go with you. They stay though, is that okay?" Rimu-one says and points to Rimu-two and me.
"So we're gonna swap spots then?" Rimu-two asks.
"Yeah, sure. I'm sure you want to enjoy the party day right?" Rimu-one says.
"Of course I do! I know you do too though, being me and all."Rimu-two responds, smirking.
"Hehe you got me there, but I'm fine with it."
All of us just stand there silent, watching Rimuru have a conversation with herself.
"We need to leave." The red-haired demon says sternly.
"Okay, okay. Have fun, me!" Rimu-one says, waving to Rimu-two.
"You too!"
"Hehe, what about an interrogation sounds fun to you?"
Both of them laugh until Rimu-one leaves the room with the man.
Rimuru (Rimu-one) POV
After briefly linking with the other me, exchanging memories of what we both went through the last few days, I exit with the police (after a few interruptions on the way out) and return to the station with them. They plop me in the same interrogation room but leave guards inside and out this time.
"Hey, why the increased security? I'm not gonna cause any trouble." I say, looking around at the multiple guards posted around the inside of the room.
"You've broken out of this room before." He states cooly.
"Oh yeah…I did do that, didn't I? Sorry…hehe…"
Mr. Azazel walks up to the table I'm sat at and sit's across from me, glaring in a way that makes me think he's trying to be intimidating.
"Now, tell me exactly what went down at the school. I need to know all the details."
"Sure, I don't have a problem telling you that. That Kiriwo guy? He's been acting suspicious for a while, so I've kept an eye on him. Unfortunately, my brother took a liking to him and wanted to join his battler, so I joined with him. One thing leads to another and Kiriwo ends up taking an idea Iruma came up with for the battler party and uses it to make a bomb to blow up the school. The dude's a sicko, getting kicks out of seeing people suffer so I put an end to his plans and captured him. Oh, and he's working under someone else, taking orders from them."
"Who would that be?"
"I'm not sure if I should say…you probably won't like it."
"Tell me." Despite my warning, he demands an answer, so I give him one.
"Baal, of the Thirteen Crowns," I say, nonchalantly.
Henri's eyes widen slightly at my accusation.
"How can I trust that you are telling me the truth?" he asks skeptically.
"What would I get out of lying? I'm sharing extra info with you to help you out, take it or leave it. That guy egged Kiriwo on, giving him instructions on what to do and when promising that his sick fantasies would come true if he did. The whole thing was Baal's idea, Kiriwo was just a pawn for the most part."
"And how do you know this?"
"As I said, I've been spying on Kiriwo for a while now. He's been taking phone calls from Baal, planning out exactly what ended up happening at the battler party. I didn't know for sure until I heard his voice in person at that dinner; that sealed the deal. I know this is just one person's word, but you should at least investigate him. He'll probably cause more trouble in the future since he seems intent on causing chaos. Said something about going 'back to basics'."
"Alright, I will look into him. I have been suspicious of him for a little while but did not have probable cause to investigate. Thank you for this, but I need to discuss something else with you, alone." He states, looking around the room at his staff. They get the message and file out of the room.
"Oh? What could that be?"
"I know that boy Iruma Suzuki is human."
Henri Azazel POV
"You do now, huh? Why are you bringing this up right now?"
"I feel an obligation to do something about his presence here, he doesn't belong in the Netherworld. I intend on taking him back to the human world, but I have a feeling you might be an obstacle to that endeavor." I explain to the strange teen sitting before me.
"He's been through enough already! Don't rip him away from his life here!" she demands, upset at the thought of Iruma being sent away.
"Yes, that is exactly my point, he has been through enough. It is unprecedented for a human to be in the Netherworld. They are such fragile creatures, unable to survive against the dangers here, that is why I believe he must be returned to where he belongs."
"Tch, so that's your motive? You're concerned about his safety? Well, so am I, that's why I'm here to protect him. It's unnecessary to send him back there." She explains.
Here to…protect him? There's no way that this girl is capable of that. There are too many threats here for one person to handle!
"What makes you think that? No average demon could protect him from all the dangers the Netherworld poses to humans. I understand you are quite powerful, but eventually, you will find yourself in a position where you cannot protect him."
"You don't know me, I'm no 'average demon'." She stated confidently, staring at me with her golden eyes.
"Indeed, I know there is something off about you, but I can't pinpoint what exactly. You closely resemble a human, yet I can tell you're not one of those either. I also believe you possess a massive amount of magical power, based on you shattering that barrier, but you are uncannily skilled at hiding it."
"Heh, you're too observant for your own good…"
"I need to be to do my job well. Now, will you cooperate with me? If you want the best for the boy you should let me send him back."
"Do you understand the circumstances behind him being brought here?" she asks calmly.
"I know that Sullivan abducted him and is forcing him to-" I start to recount my knowledge of the boy's situation.
"I'm gonna stop you there. He didn't 'abduct' him, the shit-stains he has for parents sold him to Sullivan. He was used, abused, and neglected by them. He had no friends, no support, nothing to bring him happiness. Do you really want to send him back to that?!" Rimuru raises her voice, upset by what happened to that human boy.
"I understand that, but-"
"No, you don't understand! He's happy here! He has friends; family; love!" she vehemently declares.
"I still am obligated to return him, so I will regardless," I state my intentions despite the change in background information.
"Not against his will you aren't!" she says angrily.
"I haven't even proposed returning to the Netherworld to him, how do you know he does not want to go back?"
"Because if he did, he would tell me. He trusts me now, and I would personally return him to the human world if that's what he wanted."
"You are capable of that?" I ask, confused by her words.
"Yeah, I even considered offering it when I first met him. I changed my mind when I discovered the circumstances I shared with you."
How is that possible?!
I pause, thinking deeply about what Rimuru just said before responding.
"Who and what are you exactly?" I ask after resolving myself.
"I'm a Demon Lord." She states flatly.
"What?!" I ask, my head spinning from her sudden declaration.
There's no way! How could she be one of those?! They are the stuff of legend, being on par if not surpassing the Demon King in power, existing in worlds connected with the realm of our origins. Born of the souls of slaughtered humans, beings of great power and terror, ones who rain destruction upon the worlds they exist in. How could this teenager, even if she does possess a great deal of magic, be one of those monstrosities!?
"Yes, a Demon Lord. I don't need to explain what that is, do I?"
I calm myself externally while attempting to deny the idea of what she just claimed.
"No, I am aware of the implications of such a title, but you don't give off the air of a Demon Lord, you are much too open, friendly, and innocent-looking," I reply, dismissing the idea that she could possibly be a Demon Lord.
"Hehe, I get that a lot." She responds, amused, chuckling to herself at my words.
"Also, I know how Demon Lords are born, you don't seem to be the type of person capable of killing more than 10,000 humans," I explain my knowledge to make her realize what she just claimed. I believe she is lying, assuming the title without realizing what it means.
"I may be a bit of a pacifist, but that's exactly what I did, and I had good reasons to. You see, those humans hurt and killed people I cared about." Rimuru says, her tone and expression darkening. I begin to think this girl may be telling the truth about what she is.
"One more thing. If you truly are a Demon Lord, why are you here protecting a human child of all things? It seems like such a trivial thing for a being with such power." I question her on her strange motives.
"I was bored, and I thought he was interesting. He needed protection, being a weak human in a dangerous situation, so I agreed to protect him." She replies nonchalantly.
"Bored? You must have another motive…this doesn't make any sense!" I exclaim, extremely flustered by her response.
"It doesn't?" Rimuru asks quizzically, tilting their head to one side.
"Demon Lords don't associate with humans! I have learned about them and the motive you stated is completely out of the realm of normal for a Demon Lord!" I respond in an exasperated voice, amazed by her legitimate confusion at my statement.
"Hey, keep an open mind! I'm a bit of an outlier when it comes to Demon Lords, okay? I'm (unfortunately) known back home to be a bit of a weirdo, someone who keeps people guessing, although that's never my intention. What I'm trying to say is that I don't fit the bill of the Demon Lord stereotype so you can't judge my intentions based on that." Rimuru says, sounding annoyed by my viewpoint on Demon Lords.
"Alright, I can accept that some may be much different than expected. Sorry for my insistence on making assumptions." I apologize, not wanting to upset her if she truly is a Demon Lord. I am starting to believe that, but haven't fully accepted it.
"It's fine, I'm used to that kind of stuff by now. Now that I've shared a bit about myself, do you consider me capable of protecting Iruma?" she asks.
"I will accept that for the time being, yes, but I will be checking in on him on occasion to make sure he is alright. I will also propose the idea of returning to the human world to him, but will not force him to leave here against his will." I agree not to go against her, or Iruma's wishes.
"I guess that's acceptable."
"One more question; an unofficial one." I decide to ask a question that has been burning in the back of my mind.
"Yes?"
"What is that boy's relationship with my daughter? I noticed that she has been showing an abnormal amount of interest in him." I ask sheepishly, feeling awkward asking about my daughter.
"Those two have grown pretty close, but it's hard to put a word to their relationship at this point."
"Do they have feelings for each other?"
"Yeah, but they're both so inexperienced, #not that I'm one to talk.#, that neither of them understands that yet. I think they'll end up dating eventually, though."
"That's unaccep-!" I start to raise my voice, but I quickly stop myself. ".…Um…ahem, sorry about me losing my composure just then."
"Oh, ~do I spot an overprotective father~?" Rimuru asks teasingly, smirking.
"No! I am just…just…" I stumble as I try to explain my reaction.
"Uh-huh…" she smiles at me knowingly, not buying my denial.
"Don't look at me like that!" I say, irritated by the grin she's giving me.
"Haha, it's alright. I get it, I'm protective of Iruma too, although I don't think it's a bad idea for those two to be together."
"Why do you say that?!"
"I'm not close to her, but your daughter is a very serious, closed-off person at school. Iruma makes her open up and she lets her guard down a little with him, something that she needs to do on occasion. Iruma is timid and lacks confidence, but Ameri pushes him to better himself. I think the relationship is good for both of them." She explains.
"Is that…true?" I ask, surprised that someone has gotten my daughter to open up. Ever since she's assumed the position of Student Council President, Ameri hasn't made any true friends. She has people who admire her, but nobody of equal status with who she could share her feelings openly. As her father, I have grown worried about her pseudo-isolation from the rest of her classmates, but have not tried to intervene since I don't feel it is my place to do so.
"Yeah, it is. They're quite cute together too. If you want details, just talk to your daughter. I try not to spy on them too much when they're together, so I'm sure there's stuff I don't know about."
"I will have to do that…" I say, considering how I could approach my daughter about such a subject.
"Can I leave?" Rimuru asks, noticing that I am losing interest in further discussion.
"Yes, but expect an official visit soon. I need to make the offer to Iruma as we discussed." I say, repeating what I intend to do.
"Alright, will do." She replies before leaving of her own accord.
Ameri POV (Time jump backward)
After Iruma leaves with the volume of 'First Love Memories', I sigh.
Real fireworks? Will I really be able to see them?...Of course, I will, Iruma will pull it off for sure!
Standing there, picturing what fireworks could possibly look like in real life, I get so lost in my thoughts that I almost don't hear the knock on the door.
"Yes? Who is it?"
"It is I, the Gre-…um…Veldora!"
"You again? I already told you no!" I say, irritated to see this man's face so soon after shooing him away.
"This isn't about that!" he insists.
"What do you want then?" I ask, squinting my eyes at him suspiciously.
"I have a message for you…from Rimuru. They'll be mad if I don't give it to you." Veldora replies with hints of desperation in his voice.
"What is the message?"
"'Be prepared for the party eve.' I have no idea what it means, but that was what I was told to tell you."
"I don't need her to te-" I begin to complain since I am already preparing to help with security for the festivities, but then I realize what Rimuru is actually trying to say. That 'thing' she warned me about; she's telling me that it's happening on party eve!
Veldora cocks his head to one side, confused by my stopping mid-sentence.
"Ahem, thank you. You may leave now." I thank the annoying man and send him away again.
"Sure. #now Rimuru owes me some manga since I did them a favor!#" Veldora whispers to himself, snickering as he leaves the room.
It's happening on party eve, huh? I need to be prepared, not just to protect the school, but also so I can see Iruma's fireworks!
**Later**
"President, there are invisible walls everywhere! Students are beginning to panic, what should we do?!"
This must be what Rimuru was talking about, and students are panicking just like she predicted…as the President of the Student Council I must help maintain order!
"We, the Student Council must remain calm and be an example to the rest of the school! Calmly assess our situation and make sure everyone else is safe!"
"Yes, boss!" all my subordinates say before running out of the room to carry out my orders.
I hope Rimuru was right when she said she could handle all of this herself…wait, didn't Iruma mention that Rimuru is absent right now? Oh, no!
"Hello, students! Can you all hear me clearly? Did that surprise you? Well, you can all relax! This was a surprise event created by the New Magic battler and the Game battler. The whole school is now a maze! Avoid those nasty invisible walls and head toward the goal, the central plaza! We even have prizes for the winners, so get fired up!" the voice of Professor Dali says.
A 'surprise event'? So that's how the teachers decided to reestablish order. Very clever, but that doesn't fix the underlying problem…
Filled with a sense of dread, I run to the central plaza, where most of the students are gathering. I bumped face-first into a few barriers along the way (which would have been super embarrassing if anyone saw it) but managed to get to the plaza fairly quickly.
"Professor Kalego!" I yell as I run to the professor.
"What is it, Miss Azazel? I am quite busy right now." He says, sounding annoyed by my interruption.
"Yes, I am aware of that, sir. I want to know what I can do to help, I know there is more to these barriers than a 'surprise event' like the announcement said." I explain, trying to grab his interest so I can warn him.
The professor raises an eyebrow at my words.
"How have you come to such a conclusion?" she asks skeptically.
I can't tell him Rimuru told me, I promised to keep her investigating a secret…
"Such an event would not be permitted by the school since it would, and has, caused panic among the students," I explain an alternate reason I could have come to this conclusion from.
"You are correct, Miss Azazel. This predicament is not something the staff was aware of. We believe it to be some kind of immature prank by one of the students here and I am currently trying to find the culprit." He explains, his voice filled with irritation.
"Sir, if I may be frank, I do not believe this is a simple prank. I think it is the start of something more dangerous and you should take it more seriously. The safety of Babyls is hanging in the balance!" I warn him, emphasizing the urgency of our current situation.
"What do you know about this incident? I can tell you know more than you are letting on." Kalego snarls, squinting his eyes at me suspiciously.
Think, Ameri, think! What can I say to convince him without him suspecting me?!
"I…um…I was given an anonymous tip that someone might attack the school on party eve…I, unfortunately, didn't take it seriously at the time, something I regret deeply." I lie to the teacher, hating every moment of it.
You owe me big time for putting me in this situation, Rimuru! I never thought I would lie to a teacher like this…
"Very well, Next time, make sure to inform a staff member if you ever come across information like that again. If you would like to assist, help keep an eye out for suspicious behavior among the student body." He commands.
"Yes, Professor, I shall do that."
I begin patrolling the plaza, looking not only for suspicious behavior but for Iruma as well. I also keep an eye out for Rimuru, hoping she is back and taking care of this disaster as she promised. Despite being hyper-aware of my surroundings, I don't find anyone suspicious or either of the two people I was looking for.
I hope Iruma's alright…I don't want him to get hurt.
I continue to keep an eye out, trying my best not to think about the disaster that might happen. I have to trust in the teachers to handle this, I'm sure they can handle this even if Rimuru's around. Professor Kalego in particular is a very strong demon, being rank 8, so he should be able to overpower any average student that is planning to harm others.
Time passes, students enjoy the festivities, unaware of the potential disaster and eventually, the countdown to party day starts. Nothing more eventful has happened, and almost all the students are gathered in the plaza.
"30…29…28…" they chant in unison.
Maybe the professors have already apprehended the culprit? Nothing has transpired, and Rimuru said it would happen on party eve…maybe the barriers were the extent of the incident?
"27…26…25…"
Something strange grabs my eye. I see a flash of light from the roof of a portion of the first-year's tower. I look up and see someone familiar, lit up by the light emitting from their hand.
Iruma!
He shouts and a light-blue stream of magic bursts out of his outstretched hand, pushing a ball-shaped object high into the sky. The pushback from the spell causes him to fall flat onto his back.
Is he alright?!
I feel the urge to fly up there and help him, but just a moment later he stands up, seemingly okay. I breathe a sigh of relief.
I conclude that the 'ball' must be the fireworks, and he's using magic to carry them into the air for some reason. I saw his fellow battler members build some kind of launching mechanism, so I am puzzled as to why he's not using it. Something must be wrong.
"22…21…20…"
Then, I witness the fireworks hit the outermost barrier surrounding the school. A loud boom reverberates in the air as a result of the force hitting the invisible wall. Everyone looks up, wondering where the noise came from.
I look back to Iruma, who's still casting the spell, but he seems to be struggling. He is reaching towards his casting hand with his other when, abruptly, he's in a slightly different position. Also, behind him is Rimuru. I didn't even see her up there just a moment ago, how did she do that?! I pride myself on my perception skills and I didn't see her up there at all!
She's now holding Iruma behind, their arms locked together. I watch as the light-blue stream of magic begins to warp and change, drastically increasing in size and changing to a purplish-black color that is snaking its way towards the fireworks.
What in the Netherworld?! What manner of magic is that?!
The mysterious energy, seemingly released by Rimuru, reaches the barrier, shattering it instantly. The fireworks continue to climb into the air.
"3…2…1…0!"
As the countdown ends, my eyes are greeted with a beautiful sight as the fireworks detonate.
They are even more beautiful than I imagined!
Looking back to the roof I say softly.
#Thank you Iruma…#
I still wish I could have watched them with him, standing next to him like in the scene of 'First Love Memories'. I'm still pleased, though, this is an experience I'll never forget!
I need to go thank him in person…
I run to the building Iruma was on the roof of, hoping to talk to him but when I get near, I feel an incredible wave of fear hit me.
"What in the…" I stop in my tracks, feeling the deepest terror I've felt in my life. My knees buckle, but I remain standing.
What is this feeling…it's overwhelming me!
It is darkness like none I've felt before, striking fear deep into my soul. The only way I can describe it is…rage. This is someone's rage, so potent that it permeates the air. I feel an urge to run away, but my legs are frozen in place, preventing my escape. I can barely breathe and am starting to feel lightheaded.
Just as suddenly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving me shaking uncontrollably in the middle of the hallway. I'm clutching my chest and breathing heavily, trying to calm myself.
That…was the worst thing I've ever experienced. What was that?!
As I continue, trying to brush off the horrible sensation, I find the hallway blocked by police. I grow concerned that something might have happened to Iruma. Then, further down the hallway, I see my father emerge from a room and begin walking with some other people.
"Father?"
"Ameri? What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on a classmate of mine…wait…Rimuru? Why are you with my father of all people?"
"You know this girl?" Father asks.
"Um, yes, she is the sister of the classmate I came to check on," I explain.
"Hi, Ameri, what's up?" Rimuru asks cheerfully.
*sigh* "Hello, Rimuru. Why are you dressed so strangely, if I may ask?" I ask, looking at the unfamiliar black clothing Rimuru's wearing. It, strangely, fits her appearance well and gives off a much more intimidating presence when compared to her school uniform.
"Oh, yeah…this…" She says, looking down at herself as if just now remembering what she's wearing. "…I…um…wanted to dress up for the battler party! Yeah, that's it!" Rimuru says, smiling.
"Is Iruma alright? Please tell me he isn't hurt or anything!" I ask frantically.
"He's fine, just a bit tired! Don't worry about him, although I think he would be ~very~ happy to see you right now, he's had a hard time."
Father looks concerned when Rimuru says this, but I'm not sure why.
"Is it okay if I visit him, Father?" I ask him passionately.
"I suppose that would be alright, now that the culprit has been apprehended." He says, pointing to what looks like a person-sized cocoon.
"What in the…?" I stare at the strangely-bound demon being carried off by two subordinates of my father.
"This person has an…interesting…method for restraining people…" Father says uncomfortably, gesturing towards Rimuru.
"Heh, yeah. I didn't want him to get away after what he tried to do to Iruma…" Rimuru says, sounding cheerful at first, but her tone darkens as her statement continues. Looking into her eyes, I get an eerily similar feeling to the fear I felt back in the hallway, but on a much smaller scale.
Was that fury…coming from her? No, that can't be possible! I've withstood Rimuru's intimidation before, it was nothing close to what I felt a few minutes ago.
I brush aside that worrying thought and ask for more details.
"He tried to harm Iruma?" I ask, wanting clarification.
"Yes, he did. You should go comfort the boy, he really needs it right now. He likes you a lot, y'know, it would cheer him up."
What is that supposed to mean?!
I feel myself blush from her words, causing Father to raise an eyebrow at my expression.
"O-okay…I should go see him now…" I quickly walk away, embarrassed.
In the hallway, outside of a door that I don't remember seeing before, I see Professor Kalego.
"Miss Azazel, what are you doing here?" he asks coldly.
"I have permission to see Iruma Suzuki, is he in that room?"
"Yes, he is."
I walk through the door and see Iruma, Chairdemon Sullivan, and…Rimuru? Wait, what? Also, she's wearing a completely different outfit, looking like she normally does.
"Hi, Ameri, what's up?" Rimuru asks identically to before.
"Uh…" I try to think of what to ask in this insane situation.
"Just don't worry about it Ameri…" Iruma says flatly. He's sitting on the same roof I saw him standing on, his feet dangling over the edge.
I can't help but be frustrated by the situation but I know that now isn't the time to inquire about such things. Right now, Iruma needs me.
"Hey, Grandpa, let's leave these two alone for a few minutes," Rimuru says, smirking mischievously.
"But…" Lord Sullivan says, sounding torn as he glances over at Iruma. Rimuru then whispers something incomprehensible to him and he nods his head before following Rimuru out of the room.
"Iruma, are you alright? Tell me what happened!" I run over to the boy. When I get closer, I can tell he is exhausted. I sit down next to him, joining him in his stare into the clear night sky.
"Well…uh…Kiriwo Amy, the captain of my battler, tried to blow up Babyls…with my fireworks…" he explains nervously.
"He did what?!" I shout, shocked to learn the extent of the danger Babyls was just in.
"Ameri, it's alright! I stopped him with Rimuru's help! Nobody got hurt in the end, so it's…fine…"
"You shouldn't have been so reckless! You could have gotten hurt…or killed! Don't scare me like that!" I chastise him since he really scared me disappearing like that and putting himself in such danger.
"S-sorry Ameri…" he says remorsefully. His sad, regretful expression causes me to immediately feel guilt from the way I just treated him. He starts to stare off into space again, lost in thought and wearing an expression that I have never seen on him before. I know I just scolded him, but this is different than other times I've done so in the past. Iruma is upset about something more than my words.
"No, I should be sorry for raising my voice at you like that. Are you sure you are fine? Something seems to be wrong." I probe him for a reason behind his darkened demeanor.
Iruma looks up at me with an expression of desperation, his sad blue eyes telling me further that I'm right.
"Tell me, please. I can tell you need to let something off your chest." I say sternly, knowing it will be best for him to share his pent-up feelings. After a pause, Iruma finally shares his thoughts.
"Kiriwo…I trusted him…I thought he was my friend, but he wasn't…he never was…"
"Iruma…"
"I trusted Kiriwo, and he betrayed me! He tried to destroy everything I cared about and I trusted him! H-how…how could someone do something so cruel…? I thought we had a connection, but it was all lies…all of it was a lie…" he says, his face filled with anguish.
"I-I sh-should've listened t-to Rimuru…sh-she warned m-me that h-he wasn't to be tr-trusted…I-I'm su-such a-a f-fool…" Iruma sobs, no longer able to hold in tears that are now streaking down his face, glistening in the moonlight.
For one of the few times in my life, I am at a loss for words, unable to keep a straight face in the wake of Iruma's strong emotions. All I can think to do is reach over and hug the human boy who has become special to me over the last few months.
"Shhh…it's alright…you didn't do anything wrong…" I say comfortingly to the blue-haired boy.
I can't help but blush at my own actions, realizing how bold I'm being. Despite my worries, though, Iruma doesn't pull away but hugs me back and cries into my shoulder instead.
"Thank you Ameri, I needed that." Iruma says, now smiling softly as he releases the hug. He wipes away his tears and continues to smile, looking much more content than before.
I feel my face get even hotter from his words.
"D-don't say things like that…i-it's embarrassing…" I say, stuttering a little from being so flustered.
Iruma looks confused by my reaction.
"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Ameri, I just really needed a hug. Thanks again." He says cheerfully while wearing that adorable smile I love so much.
"S-sure…no problem…" I say, still flustered and blushing furiously.
After a few minutes of sitting side-by-side on the roof, basking in the soft moonlight, Iruma breaks the silence.
"I know they didn't go as planned, but did you enjoy the fireworks?" he asks, staring at the stars.
"Yes, they were amazingly beautiful, much more so than I imagined. I loved them." I reply passionately, reliving the experience of watching the fireworks in my head.
"I'm glad," Iruma says, sounding pleased by my words.
"I do have one complaint, though…" I say, hesitating.
"What?" Iruma asks concernedly.
#I wasn't able to watch them with you, like the characters in 'First Love Memories'.# I say quietly.
I freeze, realizing the implications of what I just said and I start blushing all over again.
"Yeah, that would've been more fun. Watching fireworks with friends is always better than watching them alone." Iruma says contently, leaned back and looking up at the sea of stars above us.
"Yes…I agree…" I say, somehow feeling unsatisfied.
Friends…yes, I am friends with Iruma, but why does that make me feel so sad…?
"Hey, I hate to ruin your special little moment, but it's getting late. Grandpa wants to go home and I'm sure Iruma needs rest before the battler party tomorrow." I hear Rimuru's voice from behind us.
I immediately stand up, smoothing out my dress.
"Yes, of course. I will see you tomorrow, Iruma."
"You too, Ameri!" he says happily, smiling at me warmly again. There's no trace of the tears from minutes ago.
#You owe me for what I had to do today!# I whisper harshly to Rimuru as we cross paths.
#I do, huh? What for?#
#We will talk about that later, among other things.#
"Alright, Ameri. We'll discuss that after the battler party is over. Have a good night." She says, smiling, unbothered by my tone.
Iruma looks confused by our whispered conversation since they only heard the latter half.
"Yes, have a nice evening, Rimuru. You too, Iruma." I politely say my goodbyes before leaving the room.
Kalego POV (Soon after the barriers went up)
First, that asinine Chairdemon gets himself arrested, then he dumps all his work on me by putting me in charge in his absence, and now this?!
I look around at the barriers that just went up all around the school. The surge of magical energy I sensed when they materialized was immense.
Who could possibly be capable of something of this degree?
I think to myself, pressing one hand on a nearby barrier. I decide testing its strength is necessary, so I summon my familiar.
"Cerberobuth!" I call out the name of my trusted familiar, resembling a three-headed dog made of lightning.
The barrier in front of me is punched through, leaving a gaping hole. Much to my shock, though, it quickly closes back up in mere seconds.
"Wow! That was amazing!" The obnoxious newbie teacher Professor Robin asks. He won't leave me alone, no matter how much I yell at him.
What incredible power, to be able to withstand the power of my Cerberobuth…only a Tet (rank 9), no…a Yodh (rank 10) ranked demon would be able to fully eliminate something of this caliber.
"What are we going to do, Acting-Chairdemon?" Robin asks, calling me that wretched nickname again.
"Silence! I am in the process of figuring that out! And stop calling me that!"
"Hmm…I wonder what this barrier is…?" Robin asks, undeterred by my scolding. He is holding his chin quizzically as he stares at the invisible wall. "Oh, I know! This must be some kind of game, a surprise!" he says enthusiastically, snapping his fingers, clearly not grasping the severity of the situation the school is in.
"What nonsense are you babbling on about…?" I shoot down the imbecile's incorrect observation.
Wait…a game? I could use this…
{{Professor Dali.}}
{{Professor Kalego! We seem to have an emergency on our hands! The students are starting to panic-}}
{{I believe have a solution for that.}}
I relay my idea (based on the idiot's assumption) to tell the students that this is all a game to keep them calm.
"Hello, students! Can you all hear me clearly? Did that surprise you? Well, you can all relax! This was a surprise event created by the New Magic battler and the Game battler. The whole school is now a maze! Avoid those nasty invisible walls and head toward the goal, the central plaza! We even have prizes for the winners, so get fired up!" I heat the voice of Professor Dali broadcasted over the intercom.
Well done Professor Dali, that should buy me some time to investigate.
I make my way to the main plaza, tailed by Professor Robin as if he's a lost puppy. I get through each barrier standing in my way by punching temporary holes in them with Cerberobuth. I need to delegate orders in person to all the teachers before I can start investigating the student records for potential suspects.
Soon after arriving in the plaza, someone runs to me frantically. Ameri Azazel, the Student Council's President.
"Professor Kalego!" she calls out, trying to grab my attention.
"What is it, Miss Azazel? I am quite busy right now."
"Yes, I am aware of that, sir. I want to know what I can do to help, I know there is more to these barriers than a 'surprise event' like the announcement said."
What could she possibly know about this situation that I do not?
"How have you come to such a conclusion?" I ask, probing for more information.
"Such an event would not be permitted by the school since it would, and has, caused panic among the students." She explains to me.
"You are correct, Miss Azazel. This predicament is not something the staff was aware of. We believe it to be some kind of immature prank by one of the students here and I am currently trying to find the culprit." I say, downplaying the severity of the situation. Despite Miss Azazel's position, she is still a mere student and child. She does not need to know the extent of my concern for our current situation.
"Sir, if I may be frank, I do not believe this is a simple prank. I think it is the start of something more dangerous and you should take it more seriously. The safety of Babyls is hanging in the balance!" she warns fervently, much to my surprise.
"What do you know about this incident? I can tell you know more than you are letting on." I ask, now sure that she is hiding information from me. The important question is; why?
"I…um…I was given an anonymous tip that someone might attack the school on party eve…I, unfortunately, didn't take it seriously at the time, something I regret deeply." She explains hesitantly, raising further suspicion in my eyes.
This explanation makes little sense to me. I know what type of person she is, she is much too careful to let such information remain un-shared with the school's staff. I suspect someone has silenced her, which is concerning considering the authority she holds over the student body. Miss Azazel is a confident, ambitious, and intimidating young woman, the perfect example of a leader and a model demon. To think someone would be able to hinder her in her job of protecting the school is unthinkable! Despite my growing concern, I decide to let the problem go for the time being so I can focus on the issue at hand.
"Very well, Next time, make sure to inform a staff member if you ever come across information like that again. If you would like to assist, help keep an eye out for suspicious behavior among the student body."
"Yes, Professor, I shall do that." She assures me, bowing slightly before walking away.
After instructing all the staff present in the plaza to take roll and to watch for any suspicious movements and individuals, I head to the records room with Professor Robin still tailing me.
"Wow, so many!" Robin exclaims, looking at the countless files stored in the room.
"Yes, we need to comb through the student records for individuals capable of creating barriers. Anyone possessing such an ability is a suspect."
"Yes, Acting-Chairdemon, sir!"
"I told you not to call me that!"
We begin sifting through student files, not finding much until I reach a particular one.
"Kiriwo Amy…"
"Do you think he's responsible?"
"He does possess the ability to create barriers, but it states here that his magical power is far below average. I am not sure how he could possibly create such strong and widespread barriers with that limitation…"
"Hmmm…yeah that kinda does rule him out, doesn't it?"
"Yes, but we should keep him in mind. Let's keep looking."
A few short minutes later, I come across another face I recognize; Rimuru Tempest. It doesn't state much on her abilities in the file, which is strange in itself, but I know she has the ability to create barriers. She used one during the entrance ceremony to contain her inappropriate brawl with Alice Asmodeus. I also know that she possesses an abnormal amount of power and that the Chairdemon claims she is dangerous.
Could she have done this…? That would make the most sense…
"Professor Robin, this is our prime suspect," I state, pointing to the girl's picture in the file.
"The Chairdemon's granddaughter? Really, sir? Are you sure?" Robin asks, unconvinced.
"Yes, she is capable of making barriers and likely has enough magical power to create them on this scale. We must find her at once!"
{{Professor Dali, keep an eye out for the student named 'Rimuru Tempest', also look for her brother Iruma as well. He may know where she is. Her two friends Clara Valac and Alice Asmodeus may know as well, so look for them too.}}
{{Yes, I will do that Professor.}}
Asmodeus POV
Following Master Iruma's orders, I walk to the central plaza with Valac. Most of the students are gathered here continuing to enjoy the party eve the best they can with Kiriwo's barriers in place.
"Mr. Asmodeus, Miss Valac!" Professor Dali shouts frantically as he runs towards us.
"Professor Dali? What is it that you need?" I ask, puzzled by the urgency in the professor's voice.
"Where is Miss Rimuru Tempest? I need to speak to her, immediately!" he demands desperately.
"What do you need from her?" I ask, still confused.
"You don't need to worry about that, just please tell me where she is if you know." He replies without answering my question.
"Riri's been at home for a few days since she's sick! I wish she was here…" Clara whines, pouting.
"She's been absent? She can't be responsible for the barriers then…" The professor trails off, sinking into his thoughts.
"Riri didn't make them, Kirion did!" she proclaims.
(AN: No, I didn't misspell Kiriwo's name, Clara just calls him that because she's Clara.)
"Yes, we believe he is responsible for them, but we do not know his motives," I explain further since Valac is not good at coming across clearly.
"How do you know this, Miss Valac?" he asks.
"They taste the same!" she clarifies. She sounds annoyed as if what she's saying should be obvious to everyone.
I facepalm at her ridiculous explanation. Professor Dali looks confused and concerned but doesn't comment on Valac's odd explanation.
"Ooookaaay…thank you for the information, you two. Make sure to stay in the main plaza, don't go wandering off. I may have more questions for you later."
"Alright, sir, will do," I say before watching the professor walk away.
Kalego POV
While looking for my prime suspect, I get a message from Professor Dali.
{{I spoke with Clara Valac and Alice Asmodeus; apparently, Rimuru Tempest has been absent from school the last few days.}}
{{That's odd, but that does not eliminate her as a suspect. She could still be lurking somewhere in the school, using her official absence as an alibi.}}
{{Additionally, those two told me that they believe that the barriers were made by Kiriwo Amy, not Rimuru.}}
{{That boy does not possess enough magic to produce barriers on this scale…Rimuru still makes more sense, her friends could simply be covering for her.}}
{{That's definitely a possibility, but I think you should look into Kiriwo Amy some more. Maybe he was storing up magic for a long time? That could explain how he pulled this off.}}
{{Yes, that would make it possible for him to accomplish this, but that would mean he has been planning this for years, considering how meager his magic stores are. I will keep that possibility in mind. Thank you, Professor Dali.}}
I still believe Rimuru is the culprit; she's made me feel uneasy for a long time. I am not normally someone who relies on this, but my gut feeling tells me she is involved in this mess.
**Later That Night**
*BOOM*
I hear a deafeningly loud explosion-like sound come from outside. I glance out the nearby window and see a light-blue stream of magic connecting a person and the top of the barrier. The hitting of the invisible wall must be the source of that noise. Knowing that this must be related to this whole predicament, I run at full speed in the direction of the source of the magic. Unfortunately, my progress is greatly hindered by the barriers, requiring me to stop and break them as I go. Still running, I suddenly hear something different. It sounds like the shattering of glass and I watch as all the barriers in the hallway crumble and dissipate before my eyes.
"What in the Netherworld?!"
I find another window and look outside once more. The stream of magic, now mysteriously a different color, is no longer connected to the unknown person standing on the roof but is instead flying high into the air.
"5…4…3…2…1…0!" I hear the countdown to party day come to an end. Just as this happens, the sky lights up with explosions. The lights produced are of many colors, igniting the scenery below with their blinding luminescence.
"What is all that?" I ask, shocked and amazed by what I am witnessing.
"They're so pretty, sir!" Robin exclaims, dazzled by the light show.
'Yes, but what are they?"
"I have no clue, but I like them!"
"We need to keep going, time is of the essence!"
"Yes, Kalego sir!"
As I get closer to my destination, which still took a good few minutes despite the barriers now being gone, I am stopped in my tracks by something peculiar. We are hit with a wave of energy with pure hatred and anger embedded within. It takes all my willpower not to collapse to the floor.
"P-professor Ka-kalego s-sir! Wh-what is this f-feeling?!" Robin says, now sitting on the floor hugging his knees in terror.
"I don't know, but it is concerning. I've never felt such a strong magical presence in all my years." I reply, thankfully able to stay on my feet. The last thing I want is to collapse in front of this buffoon.
After a few moments, the aura abruptly ceases, leaving the foolish newbie an absolute mess in its wake.
"C-can I be excused, s-sir? I-I don't feel so g-good…" he asks, clutching his stomach.
"Yes, you may go back to the teachers' lounge, I can handle this myself."
"Th-thank you, sir!" the newbie says before stumbling off looking like the life's been drained out of him. I despise him, but I can't help but feel pity when I see him in such a state.
As I continue, I see multiple demons gathered outside a door I was unaware existed. They appear to be policemen and two of them are carrying…something. I also notice my prime suspect, Rimuru Tempest. She's dressed strangely but I still recognize her signature light-blue hair and golden eyes.
"So you were responsible after all!" I declare after spotting my prime suspect in police custody.
"What in the world are you talking about?" she asks, sounding annoyed.
"You are under arrest, right? For making those barriers and endangering the school!" I double down on my accusation.
"I'm not under arrest! Do you see any handcuffs on me? No, you don't. I captured the person behind all of this nonsense and I'm going with these gentlemen to let them know all the details of what went down."
"Let me explain, Professor…" the man in charge of the group interjects.
"Kalego. Professor Kalego." I give the man my name.
"Professor Kalego. Let me introduce myself. I am Henri Azazel, Chief of the Demon Security Police. The one responsible is the third-year student, Kiriwo Amy. This young lady captured him before we could enter the school, due to the barrier separating it from the outside world." The man explains.
"Yeah, didn't you notice him? He right there, being carried by those guys." Rimuru explains, pointing to the 'something' in the mens' arms. I look a little closer and discover that it is indeed a person.
"Sorry for making assumptions, I should not have accused her without sufficient evidence…" I apologize to the Chief.
"I think you should be apologizing to me, not Mr. Azazel, right Professor?" the girl asks tauntingly, as if rubbing my wrongness in my face.
"I'm sorry I wrongfully accused you, Miss Tempest." I reluctantly apologize through gritted teeth.
This is so humiliating!
"Thanks for the apology, but I should get going now." She says as she turns to leave.
"Yes, we have much to discuss." Azazel agrees, following her.
Still wracked with humiliation, I watch the group walk away with the suspect in hand. Then, after a few moments, the door opens and two people emerge from the room. Chairdemon Sullivan and…his granddaughter?! And she is wearing different clothing too!
"Oh, hello professor!" Sullivan greets me cheerfully.
"Hi, Professor Kalego! What are you doing here?" Rimuru asks cheerily.
"But…how…you were…and now you're…" I say, pointing at her and in the direction of where I thought she just walked off.
"Oops, you saw the other me, didn't you?" she asks, chuckling at my confusion.
"Other…you?" I ask, not understanding what she means by that.
"Hehe, yeah. That's something I can do, but don't worry about it." Rimuru assures me, but it only upsets me further.
"Lord Sullivan, please explain!" I say, not willing to let such a ridiculous event go.
"Hoho, I didn't know Rimuru could do that either until a few minutes ago, just don't think too hard about it!" Sullivan says, chuckling.
"Sir, I will not let this go! I demand an explanation!" I demand, having had enough nonsense for one day.
"No can do, professor. Rimuru doesn't want to give away her secrets." He says in a sing-song voice, not taking me seriously at all. This upsets me further.
I look to the girl and find her grinning at me, clearly taking pleasure in my confusion and frustration.
"Tch, fine. I will drop the subject, but I have my eye on you, girl." I say, glaring angrily at the student, leaning in closer to her face.
"Professor Kalego, I don't think you should-" Sullivan tries to interject.
"Oh, you do, huh? Good luck with that…~Professor~!" Rimuru replies tauntingly, stating my position sarcastically as if she doesn't respect my title.
"Don't you talk to me in such a disrespectful manner!" I raise my voice, angered by her insolent tone.
"Naberius, please-" Sullivan futilely pleads.
"I can talk to you however I want!" Rimuru retorts, also raising their voice.
"No, you cannot! You must show me respect since I'm an adult and you are a child!" I demand.
"Are you so sure about that? Appearances can be deceiving, you know? Plus, I think you're acting more like a child right now than I am." she says, grinning at me arrogantly.
"You little-!" I shout but am interrupted.
"STOP!" Sullivan screams in a commanding voice, stopping me in my tracks. For once, the goofball of a Chairdemon feels like he is worthy of his title. He successfully intimidates me, something I didn't think the fool was capable of. Strangely, the girl doesn't seem bothered by the intensity of Lord Sullivan's words.
"Sorry, Gramps, I got a bit carried away there." She apologizes matter-of-factly.
"Yes, my apologies, Lord Sullivan. I should not have raised my voice like that."
"It's fine you two, just don't do it again. Rimuru, go grab Iruma and let's go home. I'm quite tired from all that's happened today and I'm sure Iruma is as well."
"Sure thing. I'll be right back."
Rimuru enters the strange room, leaving me in the hallway alone with Lord Sullivan.
"I thought I told you not to provoke the girl, Naberius." He says solemnly.
"But…she was being so disrespectful! My pride doesn't allow me to just stand there and take that kind of insult!"
"I think tolerating a little disrespect is a worthy price to pay for the lives of countless students, don't you think?"
"What?" I ask, not understanding what the Chairdemon means by that.
"Rimuru is the only reason that you're not dead right now. She saved Babyls, almost singlehandedly. If she didn't break the barrier surrounding the school, the bomb Kiriwo Amy made would have obliterated everyone inside. Think for a moment what might have happened if she wasn't here helping us?"
I pause, thinking about the disaster that was narrowly avoided because of that girl's actions.
"Who is she, really, Lord Sullivan? No normal student would be able to break those barriers," I ask.
"I'm the wrong person to ask. If you truly want to know, ask Rimuru herself, she'll tell you if she wants to."
I can tell the girl doesn't like me at all, which will make getting information out of her difficult…
"Alright, Chairdemon, I will ask her," I reply, resolving myself to confront the girl directly at some point in the near future.
"Not tonight, though, Professor Kalego. We need to get back home."
"Yes, I understand. I will wait until a later date."
"Just remember, don't upset Rimuru further. If you try to demand she answers your questions, it won't go well. I can promise you that."
Rimuru (Rimu-two) POV (another time jump back to the moment Kiriwo activates the barriers)
I am still sitting alone in the dull, boring room when I feel it. A relatively strong surge of magic.
{{This is Rimuru, reporting in. The suspect has engaged barriers, over.}}
I receive a thought communication from my clone. It's easier this way since if I didn't split my consciousness, I would find the two perspectives overwhelming. That's why I don't use copies like this very much.
{{This is also Rimuru, reporting their status is unchanged, over.}}
{{I advise alerting the authorities to the situation here so they can apprehend the suspect when I am finished with him, over.}}
{{Affirmative. I will inform them of the current status of Babyls, over.}}
[[You act so cute and childish sometimes, Master!]]
Don't call me childish! I was just having a little fun, that's all!
[[*giggles*]]
I roll my eyes at Ciel's reaction to my 'walkie-talkie talk' and start to think about how I should let the police know what's going down back at the school.
I can't just up and tell them the school is in danger, that would be too suspicious…
[[May I give you a suggestion, Master?]]
Sure, Ciel.
[[If those demons attempt to contact someone who is within the barrier, they will fail because of it. All you have to do is coerce them into trying to do so, then they will realize something is amiss.]]
Wonderful! I think I can pull that off.
I stand up and walk over to the door that I know there's a guard on the other side of.
"Hey, can you hear me? I need to ask your superior about something. Can I talk to him please?" I say, knocking on the door.
The man opens it a crack and responds.
"I will go get him for you. This better not be an attempt to escape."
"It isn't, I promise!"
He closes the door and I hear the sound of feet walking away from the door and down the attached hallway. A minute or two later, I hear different footsteps approaching. In walks Henri Azazel, a demon I met at the 'Thirteen's Dinner'.
"Do you finally have some information to share?"
"No…I'm sorry to bother you over something like this, but I want to call my brother to make sure he's okay, I'm worried about him! The battler party's tomorrow and I want to make sure things are going alright without me there." I make up an excuse that should be convincing enough.
"We cannot allow you to use your personal phone right now, but we can use a secure line to contact him. Your call will be monitored, of course."
"Yeah, I expected that. Thank you so much!" I thank them cheerily.
"Follow me."
I follow him down the gloomy hallway to another room with a single phone inside. He gestures towards it and I approach the phone. I dial the number to Iruma's phone (I didn't remember it, but Ciel did). It doesn't even ring and says the line is disconnected. Perfect.
"Hey, policeman, sir? I think your phone is broken, could you please help me?" I ask, trying to look and sound as helpless and innocent as possible, giving him puppy-dog eyes, pouting slightly, and even raising the pitch of my voice a little.
[[*giggles*]]
Stop laughing at me! This is embarrassing enough without a one-person laugh-track playing in my head!
[[You are just too good at playing this role, Master! I can't help but be amused by you!]]
Please stop Ciel! I bet my face is bright red right now…
"Let me take a look at it. Dial the number one more time." He commands, sounding mildly annoyed by my request for help.
I do the same thing as before, this time with him holding the phone. The result is inevitably the same, causing Mr. Azazel to frown, puzzled. He inspects the phone closer, checking to see if any part of it is not as it should be but he doesn't discover anything.
"That's odd…let us try my phone, just this one time. I know it is working since I just made a call not too long ago."
"Thank you so much, sir!"
I tell him the number and he dials it himself. Just as I predicted, this doesn't work too.
"How strange…it won't go through…"
"Maybe my brother's phone is broken or something? Maybe you could call the school and they could find out?"
"Yes, that should suffice."
He dials another number and once again is left with the same result. Even though it's subtle, I can tell by the look on his face that he's getting concerned. He continues to attempt to make phone calls without my input, growing more frantic as time goes on.
"I can't contact anyone at Babyls…" he says, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Oh, no! What could cause something like that?" I ask, feigning ignorance.
"I do not know, but I need to send a team there immediately. I have a bad feeling about this…"
"I hope Iruma's okay…now I'm even more worried about him!" I say in an exaggerated worried voice.
"My daughter Ameri is there as well…I must find out what's going on!" He declares before rushing out of the room, not realizing my grinning at him from behind.
Perfect. Now we just wait.
Henri Azazel POV
I quickly leave the room (instructing one of my subordinates to return the girl to her room along the way), extremely concerned about the state of the school my daughter is attending. I send a team to go investigate what could possibly be causing this communications blackout. I soon find out that there is a large barrier surrounding the school, isolating it from the rest of the Netherworld. Attempts to break through it have failed, leaving the team dumbfounded.
"So Babyls is in some kind of danger? I should get going then, I need to make sure my grandson is safe!" Lord Sullivan says, standing up from the table.
"Chairdemon Sullivan, wait! You must not leave, we are not done with your questioning yet!"
When I attempt to stop the man from leaving, his friendly demeanor drastically changes.
"You will not stop me from protecting my precious grandson! Step aside, Henri!" he commands, intimidatingly.
"But…Lord Sullivan…wait!" I call after the man as he walks towards the exit.
"Henri, you don't have any solid evidence against me, so let us go."
"Yeah, we've been here long enough. If you have more questions to ask, wait until after this problem is resolved." I hear someone say from behind me.
I look behind me and see Rimuru, somehow having escaped the locked room she was in without anyone noticing.
"How did you escape!?" I demand, shocked that she could make it past so many of my personnel.
"Aren't there more important things for you to worry about right now?" she asks cockily, much different than she was acting a while ago. This inevitably makes me suspicious.
"That's true, but…"
"We should work together on this, right? The more people the better."
"Lord Sullivan is one thing, but I couldn't possibly let a child assist us in a police raid!"
"Don't worry about me, I'm stronger than I look. Now, c'mon!" she says, leaving the building.
I can't help but be suspicious of her, but I go along since I'm so worried about my daughter. I and a few other members of the police follow after Sullivan and his 'granddaughter' as they fly towards Babyls.
I hope Ameri is okay. As her father, I can't help but worry about her.
Rimuru (Rimu-two) POV
We arrive at the school, witness the other me shatter the barrier, and absorb the fireballs that resulted from the fireworks. The team of police and even Sullivan stood amazed as they watched it unfold. Soon after all of that, we all feel something.
Oh shit, something's pissed the other 'me' off.
[[The individual Kiriwo Amy tried to break Iruma mentally and emotionally, sending you, or them into a rage.]]
That reaction is understandable…wait, of course, it is, it's me after all! Geez, using copies of myself is so confusing!
The other demons are trembling slightly but are not hindered by the fury coming from my other self. All of them are fairly strong by demon standards and we aren't in close proximity, so their lack of reaction makes total sense. The waves of anger only last a minute or so before dissipating, much to the relief of the demons around me. We eventually make our way up to the secret lair of Kiriwo, discreetly guided to it by me. The police open the door and rush in, followed by myself.
(AN: Now the chapter's gone full circle. Sorry if this one felt all over the place, I really struggled to pick an order of perspectives that flowed well and made sense. The next one should be much more straightforward in the timeline.)