Rimuru And Iruma's Adventures In The Netherworld

by Mu1622

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

26. The Performance

The Performance

Iruma POV

Rimuru takes one of the three microphones off the stands in the center of the stage and addresses the rowdy audience of demons. All of them are showing a mix of confusion, anger, and excitement, not sure what to expect from our sudden intrusion onto Kuromu's stage.

"Hello, Kuromu fans! I'm Mika and this is my big sis Irumi! We're friends of Kuromu's and hope to give you a good show tonight! We'll be giving you something a bit different from singing since we don't wanna steal Kuromu's thunder later. I know you guys weren't expecting this, but I hope you still have fun!" Rimuru cheerfully greets the crowd with ease as if she does this kind of thing every day. She struck a little pose at the end of her speech, causing many of the audience members to yell out about how 'cute' she is.

After her introduction, Rimuru glances over her shoulder. She doesn't say anything, but I get the meaning of the gesture nonetheless. Rimuru's telling me it's my turn to grab a mic and introduce myself to the crowd. I sheepishly shuffle forward and grab one of the other mics from its stand. I don't have a mirror right now, but I'm sure my face is bright red with embarrassment.

"Um…I'm I-irumi…w-welcome to the Makubari Dome…and…um…I-I hope you enjoy our p-performance…!" I manage to sputter out a few words but my voice eventually gives up and I can't seem to squeak out another word. This probably is partially due to the falsetto voice I was putting on, trying to mimic a girl's, but I'm sure my nerves played a big part in it.

Now that I've said my piece, the crowd is buzzing with a mix of compliments for both Rimuru and myself, with a few complaints intertwined. Some of the more 'hardcore' Kuromu fans are not happy that we're on the stage right now in her place, and they are voicing their opinions; loudly. I try to ignore them the best I can; I can't let these people get under my skin when I'm already struggling up here.

"Hehe, as you can see, my big sis here is a little shy, so go easy on her!" Rimuru says with a cutesy, playful giggle. Knowing who and what she is, it's a little unsettling how well Rimuru can play this adorable, innocent little girl character.

It makes me question how much she's acting around me all the time. How much of that is the real Rimuru?… No, don't think about that right now Iruma! You have bigger problems to deal with right now, like that massive, intimidating, terrifying, demonic crowd staring at you right now! Yeah, that's much more important!

Doubts about my friend once again force their way to the front of my mind, but I quickly shove them out and re-focus my attention on the situation I'm currently in.

"Now that we've told you who we are, why don't we start this concert off with a bang!" Rimuru yells to the crowd enthusiastically, raising her arms above her head and out towards the audience.

This is part of what we discussed and is actually my idea…kinda. I suggested we do something flashy, just like at the battler party. Even with Kiriwo's meddling, the fireworks were still very pretty and pleasing to all of Babyls.

Much to my surprise, when I mentioned this, Rimuru said they can make something similar to fireworks. She created them on the spot, no prep time was needed, and no materials were necessary since they're purely sourced from her magic.

Well, that would've made our job easier if she was around during our prep time for the battler party…but that's in the past. It wasn't Rimuru's fault they couldn't be there anyway.

What burst out of Rimuru's palms was not an exact replication of fireworks, but something that I honestly think looks a lot cooler. Her reason for not making them exactly the same was that she didn't want to connect our demdol identities to our normal selves, and the fact we're in an enclosed space makes it more dangerous too.

What I see in the air above the audience of Kuromu's fans resembles a field of multicolored stars, much like you would see in the night's sky but much prettier due to their varied coloration. I watch them spread out, completely filling the airspace of the dome before they begin to dance around in the air, leaving streaks of light trailing behind them as they move around the room.

Rimuru, seemingly in complete control of the hundreds of dancing lights, manipulates them, joining them together to form various shapes, patterns, and bursts of multicolored light, creating quite the spectacle for the demons below. They're all watching the light show in total awe of the spell Rimuru casually made earlier. I can't help but be entranced by it myself, joining the others in their stare towards the ceiling.

Rimuru had shown me an example earlier involving just a few of the glowing dots, and I thought that was cool, but it doesn't compare to the sight of so many of them moving in perfect harmony in the mostly dark room. Just like real fireworks, their effect is greatly enhanced by a dark backdrop.

After a few minutes of watching Rimuru put on the display, the dots of light all halt at the same moment before rushing back into Rimuru's hands. Rimuru, who's had her eyes closed in concentration the entire time gives a subtle satisfied smirk before lowering her hands and re-opening them.

I watch Rimuru quickly wipe away the somewhat arrogant expression she made at her own performance and replace it with an innocent smile. She once again strikes a crowd-pleasing pose as she soaks in the roar of cheering coming from the audience.

"Oh! I see all you kind people loved my little light show, didn't you? Now that I've shown you my talent, my sister has something to show you!" Rimuru says, pointing directly at me, drawing the crowd's eyes away from her and onto me.

I'm surprised by her words and they send me into a bit of a panic; snapping me out of the momentary calm that came from watching the show Rimuru just put on. Not knowing what to do since Rimuru's deviating from what we talked about earlier, I freeze. After standing there awkwardly for a minute, doing nothing at all, I hear Rimuru speak up.

"Alright, it seems like my timid big sis has forgotten what we practiced, so I'll just have to punish her a little. What d'you think, Kuromu fans?!"

I stiffen when I hear this, terrified by the idea of a Demon Lord 'punishing' me; in front of a crowd no less!

Does she actually mean that?!

The demons spectating erupt with cheers egging Rimuru on, wanting to watch the 'much younger' sister punish the older one; a hilarious idea in their eyes I'm sure. I switch my ring to the 'Com.' setting since I need answers from Rimuru about what kind of stunt she's trying to pull right now.

{{Rimuru, why?!}}

{{They're demons, they love this kind of stuff. I heard that this type of stress relief is essential, or they go into what's called an 'evil cycle' where they go all sadistic and evil for a while. Shows like this help prevent that, whether it be cute singing and dancing, or a little bit of comedy like this.}}

{{I don't think you 'punishing' me is funny, Rimuru…}}

{{I'm not gonna really punish you, Iruma; I'm just gonna take a few potshots at you with those light balls I (aka Ciel) invented earlier. We did talk about showing off your weird dodging skills, didn't we?}}

{{Yeah…we did…}}

{{These things will do nothing but sting a little if they hit you, so don't worry about getting hurt by them or anything. I think you can avoid them no problem though since I won't try to hit you with them for real.}}

I remember to switch my ring back before breathing an internal sigh of relief.

Realizing that there's little to no danger involved and this is all just putting on a show for the crowd, I relax slightly but still ready myself for the onslaught of projectiles that inevitably will fly at me any second.

The mass of demons watching chant in excitement at what's about to happen, all of them completely on board and invested in our 'sibling spat'.

I watch as two dozen or so balls of light emerge from Rimuru's hands and arrange themselves evenly in the air in front of her. Unlike earlier, Rimuru is staring me directly in the eyes, her golden ones matching my blue, and wearing a small smile. Out of context, I would think an expression like that was adorable and childlike, especially paired with her current appearance, but right now even I know better. Even though Rimuru doesn't mean me any harm, I can still sense a hint of mischievousness behind that 'innocent smile she's wearing. Rimuru's getting a kick out of the idea of firing those things at me and watching me flail around to avoid them, I just know it! It's the same as when I was practicing for the execution cannonball exam when she joined Opera while he was training me. Rimuru enjoyed chucking those balls at me more than she'd admit, and this situation is just another example of that.

Just as I expected, a few of the orbs shoot at me like miniature comets, leaving streaks behind them like before. Instinctively, I move to the side to dodge them and am successful. After a few minutes of dodging, juking, and sidestepping, Rimuru starts to speed up her rate of fire. Just then, a strange idea pops into my mind.

I wonder if I can do something like that too? I do have access to Rimuru's magic after all. Wouldn't it be funny to surprise Rimuru for once?

Before I can have another thought, I feel something strange. A warmth…from my right hand…? I hold it out in front of me and look down at it. There is something that roughly resembles what Rimuru's been shooting at me this whole time, but I can tell it's not quite the same…somehow. It's larger…and… hotter(?), but it's not made of flames or anything. It's not burning my hand either, just giving off a soft glow of heat. It's light blue in color, resembling the glow my Gluttonous Feeder ring sometimes gives off when I use magic.

I look up at Rimuru, since she's stopped firing at me for some reason, and she's staring back at me with an expression of shock and surprise on her face. Finding Rimuru's expression funny, I toss the ball of energy resting in my right hand at her. It hurtles through the air at my target, but since I'm still a horrible throw, it disappointingly whizzes past Rimuru's head without her even needing to dodge it. She's still standing there, staring at me in surprise, when something goes wrong. The wall to the side of the stage behind her gets hit by the ball of light I threw…and it punched a hole right through it…!

Rimuru POV

Thought Acceleration engages automatically as my mind floods with questions about what just transpired.

Was that…a magic bullet?! Where the hell did he learn that?!

I stand on the stage in front of thousands, still completely shocked by what just happened. Hell, I was too shocked to even attempt to defend against it, not that I needed to, since it missed and wouldn't damage me even if it did hit me. Once again, this kid's surprised me. First the manipulation of magic during that exam and now he's conjuring up a relatively strong magic bullet without any guidance. Ciel denies any involvement too, so I'm at a loss.

Seriously…what's going on with him? I'm starting to worry about it…

[[As I mentioned before, Master, I suspect this boy may not be fully human. I speculate that numerous generations ago, a demon or majin of some sort was part of his lineage. He has magical powers of his own that did not manifest back when he was with humans since he had no exposure to magic there. The continuous use of your magicules has awakened his latent magical energy and abilities.]]

You've gotta be kidding me…

I'm surprised…no, I'm more than surprised! For him to show no signs of this kind of stuff for most of his life, to now do it out of nowhere! I feel a strange mix of pride at his accomplishment and irritation since he had the gall to throw that thing right at my head! Yeah, I know exactly where he was aiming; I could tell by looking at his eyes!

The percentage that he's not human must be minuscule for me not even to detect it at first glance, so you might as well count Iruma as fully human. I mean, back in my world there are otherworlders who contain magic in their bodies after passing between worlds, so I guess Iruma's kinda the same in practice. He's still using the energy I'm providing him, just utilizing it without the help of any spells or skills he's been taught by me or the teachers at Babyls.

Looking at Iruma's expression as he stands there, appearing motionless since my thoughts are accelerated right now, I think he's just as surprised by what just happened as I am. If I were to guess, he was trying to replicate what I've been throwing at him, since the rough, amateurish magic bullet he formed superficially resembles the balls of light I've conjured up. In application though, what he made was much more dangerous. If it had hit one of the demons here, the weaker ones at least, it could've resulted in severe injury, so I'll have to give him a talk about it later to make sure he doesn't mess around with those things.

[[Master, if you would like, I can lock the boy's ability to manipulate energy in the manner he has presented.]]

I feel a little bad suppressing something he came up with all by himself, but for safety's sake, I think that's for the best right now.

[[Understood.]]

Later I'll have him explore that ability in a much more controlled environment. One where he can't go punching holes in walls like he just did here. I'll have to fix that damage later.

Disengaging Thought Acceleration, I look once again to the audience that just witnessed Iruma's little 'outburst'. Nobody seems mad, at least, if anything they're even more excited now that Iruma 'fought back'. Good; pleasing the crowd is what we're here for.

Wanting to put on even more of a show, I fall back into the persona that was shattered by my surprise.

"No fair, sis! Doing stuff like that is super mean! Now I have to get you back!" I say, adding a whiny tone to my voice and faking a childish pout.

Even though I'm imitating a petulant child right now, Iruma still looks nervous about my 'threat'. I conjure up more of the orbs of light with my custom spell and float them in front of me again. This time though, I accelerate them all at once and at a much faster speed, so fast that even with his strange talent at avoiding things, Iruma can't physically move fast enough to avoid all of them. As I said before, no matter how much force I put behind these babies, they won't do more than sting a little on impact, since they're designed to be very fragile.

The dozens of them shoot towards Iruma, hitting him all over his body as he scrambles to avoid them but fails.

After the barrage, Iruma stands there rubbing a few of the points on impact. I don't think I even bruised him with those, but they must've stung just like I predicted.

#That was mean…# he whines, looking at me with sad eyes.

#Well, if you hit anyone else but me with that thing you shot earlier, you could've killed them!# I whisper back, making sure the microphone isn't picking up my words.

Iruma looks down, the shame he's feeling evident on his face. Just then, a cold chill fills the room as an icy mist pours onto the stage. Iruma shivers as it hits him. I realize what this means; Kuromu has recovered and is about to join us.

Keroli/Kuromu POV

I open my eyes. My vision is foggy and my head is pounding painfully as I sit up on the couch in my greenroom.

"Wh-wha…what happened…?" I say as I hold my forehead and rub my eyes.

My head begins to clear and I remember; Rimuru and Iruma were here and I lost control. Yes…Iruma said that he wasn't even trying to stand out and I couldn't take that…then I filled the room with ice and passed out. Yeah, that's what happened, right? I'm such an idiot…

I glance up at the clock in my room and am left mortified by what I see. I've missed the time I was supposed to perform!

"I…I didn't make it on time…the-that means…I'm a professional failure…" I mutter to myself as tears start to pour out of my eyes.

After all that hard work and effort, I've disappointed all my fans. This will be a scar on my demdol career that likely will never fully heal, all because I couldn't control my emotions earlier. That's when I notice something strange…I hear the sound of a crowd cheering. Surprised, I stumble out of my room and down the strangely empty hallway towards backstage. The sound of cheering intensifies as I approach the stage I was supposed to perform on.

"Hey, Mal!" I call out to my manager, who's watching whatever is causing the crowd to go wild out on the stage.

"Oh, Kuromu! Are you feeling better?"

"Yes…I think at least…why are they cheering?"

"It's remarkable…couldn't ask for better talent!"

Confused by what she means, I poke my head out and look at the stage. What I find is absurd after my eyes adjust to the bright stage lights. Two girls(?); one much younger than the other, except they strangely resemble the two demons that pissed me off earlier! The older of the two looks just like Iruma, except for the fact that he's wearing a wig and dress. The other looks like a miniature version of Rimuru, wearing a different outfit and hairstyle. There are also tons of lights shooting around in the air above the audience, seemingly being controlled by the Rimuru-like figure, considering she's standing center stage with her hands in the air.

"Huh?!...Wha…WHAT?!" I exclaim, unable to contain the confusion building up inside me. "What in the Netherworld is THIS?!"

I feel a hand on my shoulder from behind so I look to see who it belongs to. It's Mal, with a reassuring expression on her face.

"They wanted to buy you some time to recover so your fans don't get too upset by your performance being delayed. They felt bad that their words upset you bad enough to ruin your important show. Especially that Iruma boy, he felt very guilty."

"So that really is…?"

"Yes, that is Iruma and Rimuru out there."

"But…why does Rimuru look like a little kid?!"

"Some kind of magic she can use…she didn't explain it very well but she didn't want anyone knowing it was actually her on stage, so it was a necessary move in her eyes. Just like you, those two want to keep their true identities separate from their performance."

"I…see…I didn't know something like that existed, but I guess it's possible…"

After a moment of pause, trying to absorb the ridiculous situation that I've just become aware of, I sigh.

"So they did this all for me?"

"Correct."

Iruma made such a fuss about not wanting to stand out…but there he is, standing on a stage for my sake…he stands out, but for the sake of others. He stands out because of his desire to help his friends…I don't think I've ever heard of a demon doing such a thing…

The thought of him going this far, just for me, causes my heart to stir in a strange way I don't recognize. I'm filled with warmth as I think about his self-sacrifice; his kindness and empathy.

Wow, Iruma…you're just full of surprises!

Feeling clear-headed and revitalized, I rush back to my room to get prepared to make my own appearance on stage. Now that I feel better, I need to steal the show from these two to keep my pride as a demdol. I definitely appreciate what they've done for me, but that's still my stage out there, not theirs!

Iruma POV

"How long do you plan on going wild on my stage, huh?" I hear Keroli's voice carry over the loudspeaker, causing the audience to stop their chanting of mine and Rimuru's stage names.

Keroli, or should I say Kuromu struts confidently onto the stage, immediately putting an end to the act Rimuru and I were putting on.

"The opening act is now over!" she declares after grabbing the third mic. "Sorry, I'm late!" She says cutely, posing similar to how Rimuru was earlier.

The audience goes even wilder at this announcement from their favorite demdol, dwarfing the reaction we two got from them with our performance. It's clear who they seem to like more, but that doesn't bother me at all since it was Kuromu they came here to see.

Turning to me and Rimuru, Keroli says "Thank you, both of you, for everything. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Kuromu!" I respond cheerfully, still raising my voice an octave or so higher to keep up the 'girl act'.

"Yeah, no prob. I think we'll get going so we're not stealing your thunder anymore." Rimuru says as she starts walking past Kuromu towards the exit to the side of the stage and I follow her.

"Not so fast!" Kuromu says, grabbing us both by the hair to stop us from escaping. "You're on a professional stage now, that's a commitment you need to see all the way through."

"Fine, fine, just let go of us, okay?" Rimuru grumbles, grabbing Keroli's hand to release its grasp on her. Keroli also lets go of me too after Rimuru gives in. "I thought you would've wanted us gone since this is your concert, but if you want us to stick around a bit longer, so be it." She continues, now grinning at Keroli.

"Um…there's one problem though…" I say nervously. "I can't sing…I don't know the lyrics to any songs you're gonna perform…"

"Just play along then. Can you sing any of the songs from the earlier performance?" Kuromu says.

"Yeah, I already memorized them no problem," Rimuru replies cooly.

"Leave the singing to us two then, Iruma. You can be the backup dancer."

"Backup…dancer…?" I ask, still unsure. I can't dance either, but I need to do something! I can't just stand there awkwardly while these two perform!

"You don't seem too sure about dancing either, Iruma. Don't worry, I have an idea!" Rimuru says, now looking a tad evil again.

I feel the strange sensation of something wrapping around and tugging on various parts of my body. I look down at my wrist and see nothing at first, but upon further observation, I notice a small glint caused by the stage lights. There appears to be some kind of string, or thread, wrapped around it. The same kind of stuff used to wrap up Kiriwo and keep me strapped to Rimuru's back during the battler party. There are many of these strange threads attached to me, turning me into some weird human marionette puppet.

"Um…Rimuru? Is this what I think it is?" I ask her, not happy about being strung up like a puppet.

"I dunno, what is it that you think it is?" Rimuru asks in a mischievous tone.

"You turned me into a living puppet by attaching your weird threads to me!"

"Don't call it turning you into a puppet, that makes me sound like a particular person I hate!" Rimuru says angrily, her voice cold and sinister.

I'm a bit taken aback by the level of anger in Rimuru's voice, and I think Keroli is too, based on the scared expression she's now wearing. I'm not sure who Rimuru's talking about, but they must've done something really bad for something vaguely reminding her of them to cause this level of emotion. I watch her quickly regain her composure though, seemingly brushing aside the negative memories that she recalled due to my phrasing.

"Think of it as 'assisting your movements' since you said you can't dance. If it bugs you too much, we won't do this. Just say the word." Rimuru continues, now not sounding angry like before.

"I…I guess it's fine…just don't make me do anything too embarrassing…" I say, somewhat hesitantly.

"Haha, sure thing! Now, let's give these people a show they'll remember!" Rimuru declares confidently.

"Yes, let's do this!" Kuromu exclaims in agreement.

Rimuru POV

The threads I applied to Iruma should be enough to help him give a pleasing performance without him having to put in much effort. They're made from my magical energy, meaning I, and in turn, Ciel, have complete control over them. I can cause them to expand, contract, and move without having to physically tug on them with my hands or whatever. I attached them to the ceiling above and am letting Ciel dictate the movements of them so that Iruma can move in sync with me and Kuromu on the fly.

Make sure to be gentle with the boy, Ciel, he's very fragile when compared to my body, so don't bend his limbs at any weird angles or anything. I can heal him, but that doesn't mean I want him to get hurt.

[[Master, I will make sure not to injure the boy's inferior body. He will remain unharmed.]]

That 'inferior' part was uncalled for but thanks, Ciel.

Iruma POV

After agreeing to let Rimuru 'help' with my dancing, we take our places on the stage. I'm directly behind the two of them, perfectly in the center of the stage. I hear the music come over the speakers, signaling the start of the performance. I watch them lock eyes and give each other a small nod before starting to sing in unison.

As they sing and dance in front of me, I'm tugged by the strings into positions mirroring their performance. Not very gently, I might add, but not enough that it hurts. They sing in sync part of the time and others where each takes every other line, causing a kind of back and forth between them. Strangely, I see a bit of what I think is a competitive glint in both of their eyes. Both girls start doing progressively more elaborate dance moves and poses, seemingly trying to outdo one another, causing me to be yanked around even more violently. I want to call out to Rimuru to get them to tone it down, but I don't want to ruin the performance either. I can't even reach for my ring to set it to allow me to communicate with Rimuru telepathically since I have little control of my arms right now.

Rimuru POV

Along with singing, I decide to continue my 'light show' from earlier, with it focused more around the stage since people's eyes will be drawn there. This time I let Ciel manage it more than last since I'll be focusing on the other parts of my performance. I wanted to try out my new flashy toy by myself, so I didn't let her help me during my first use of it.

As the song starts, Ciel gives me some assistance with 'remembering' the lyrics. It's as if I'm doing karaoke, but instead of the lyrics being on a screen they're in my head. As I go along with Kuromu's performance, I notice that she seems to be a little irritated by how well I'm keeping up with her moves. She starts to improvise, or at least I think she is since the choreography she's using is different and more difficult than what I saw her do in the last performance. Still, my thinking, perception, and reflexes are much better than the average person's so I keep up with her easily.

While singing and dancing, an unexpected feeling comes across me.

This is kinda fun…I'm having fun doing this!

I'm surprised since the idea of performing on a stage, especially dressed the way I am right now, was mortifying to me earlier, but now that I've gotten into the groove, I can't help but enjoy myself. I mean, nobody I know personally (especially back in Tempest) is ever gonna figure out that I'm doing this, right? So there's no reason to feel embarrassed at all! I can embrace this elated feeling and thoroughly enjoy myself without hesitation!

Getting caught up in the moment, I perfectly mimic Kuromu's progressively more 'challenging' moves, feeling the thrill of being able to keep up with a professional. Hell, I even add a few extras into the mix, outdoing the demdol and beating her at her own game. My competitive side's in full force, and there's no stopping it! By the end, the types of acrobatics and other impressive moves I was performing were too much for Kuromu to follow.

The entire time I wasn't paying any mind to anything but my own performance and Kuromu's. To me, the audience didn't even exist during those few minutes. Their presence was completely put to the wayside, not even occupying a fraction of my conscious thoughts. But now that we're finished and the music has stopped, I notice how much they're cheering. I hear them chanting all three of our stage names, waving their glowsticks in the air. Finished with my performance, I absorb the lights that were flitting around the stage at Ciel's command and strike a final pose with Kuromu involving the two of us joining hands and holding them up. I think it was supposed to be above both our heads, but with my current reduced height, it's only above mine, making it slightly awkward for her I'm sure.

Now finished, I start to come down from the rush of excitement I was feeling and notice something is off. I turn around and find Iruma's not doing so well. He's panting heavily and covered in sweat and his wig is a mess.

What's wrong with him?

I think this, but before Ciel can even respond to my query, I make a realization. I've been doing all these crazy hard moves, and poor Iruma has been forced to mirror them this entire time! I'm hit with a wave of guilt since his wellbeing had completely slipped my mind while I was singing. He's probably been going through hell most of those few minutes since I was doing a lot of stuff even Kuromu, a seasoned performer, couldn't keep up with. Thankfully, he seems unharmed for the most part. I quickly remove the strings from him to give him some relief and to allow him to leave the stage.

I'll check up on him after we get offstage.

Keroli is also looking pretty worn out, likely still recovering from her earlier outburst of ice magic. Combined with the excessive performance I may or may not have pressured her into, I'm sure she's exhausted.

Now off the stage, I check up on the boy I just borderline tortured out there. I feel horrible that I completely forgot about his wellbeing for a few minutes.

Iruma POV

In a room alone with Rimuru, I sit in a chair, trying to recover from the ordeal I just went through.

"Iruma, how're you doing?" Rimuru asks concernedly. The serious tone she's using is close to one of a parent or older sibling, but I can't take her seriously when she looks like this.

"I'm sore and kinda sick to my stomach, but I'll be fine…" I explain, rubbing my arm that's still throbbing from the ruthless yanking it endured.

"Sorry about putting you through that, I kinda got caught up in the moment and forgot that I had Ciel pulling those strings to make you mimic my movements."

"So she was the one controlling that, not you?"

"Kinda…it was still my moves that you were doing, but I was having Ciel directly control the strings for me."

"I pulled a few muscles, but it's not like I have any broken bones. I'm okay; don't worry."

"I do feel bad about it, though…I'm also a little embarrassed by how carried away I let myself get out there…" Rimuru mutters with a look of remorse on her face, her lips forming a slight pout.

"Haha, thanks Rimuru, I accept your apology. I've gotta say, your pouting is even funnier when you look like a child!" I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm not pouting!" Rimuru complains.

"I'm not too happy about all those things you hit me with, though. I'm more upset about that than the puppet thing."

"I was just putting on a show for the audience!"

"I could tell you were enjoying it, though. I saw that look on your face; the one you make when you tease me!"

"You did try to hit me in the face with a freakin' magic bullet too though, so I guess we're even?"

"So that's what that was…" I say, recalling the strange ball of energy that I threw at Rimuru. "Did I screw up?"

"Not exactly, but it was definitely a dangerous thing to go throwing around with a bunch of people in the vicinity. I don't even know for sure how you created such a thing, but now's not the time for us to explore that subject. Let's change out of these outfits and check-in with Ameri."

"Yeah, I'm sick of wearing this stuff."

"Heh, me too. I'd also like to be back to teenage size also, so I'm gonna go in the next room so you can have some privacy."

Rimuru exits the room, leaving me to change out of the demdol clothing I was half forced to wear.

Rimuru POV

I step into the neighboring room. As soon as I'm sure I'm out of sight, I reform into the size I was using before, changing back into my other clothing at the same time.

*sigh* "Much better!" I say to nobody in particular.

I exit and make my way to Keroli since I'm still somewhat concerned about her. She seemed fine on stage, but the state she was in beforehand was pretty serious. My worries are proven unfounded, though, since her family apparently paid her a visit while Iruma and I were entertaining the audience.

"So, her awful family ended up pulling through, even though they didn't care enough to come to her performance?" I ask Kuromu's manager. Apparently, her name is Mal; I heard Keroli call her that.

"I did ask why they refused to stay and watch, but they explained that they would do so from home. Just like their daughter, too much excitement causes them to pass out, so attending the concert in person would be too much for them." She explains.

"Huh, I guess they're not bad parents after all. Sorry for judging them prematurely." I reply apologetically.

Yeah, for some reason that didn't come to mind earlier. Definitely explains their 'cold' behavior towards their daughter, though.

I return to the room Iruma's changing in and knock on the closed door. Iruma answers, first opening the door just a crack to see who's knocking before showing himself. He must not want anyone to find him back here since it would look a little suspicious.

The two of us, now looking as we did before the start of the second performance, head back to the audience area to meet up with Ameri. I'm praying that girl isn't too pissed, considering the fact that we ditched her earlier without a single word. She probably wouldn't have missed me being around, but Iruma not returning might've upset her a bit.

I quickly spot her in the crowd, and not just because of my superior perception but because she's much taller than most of the demons here. Looking at her face…yeah, she's not too happy right now.

"Hey, Ameri!" I call out to the girl in a cheerful manner.

Hearing me, she turns and looks in my direction. We lock eyes and her face turns red with anger.

"Where have you two been?! I sat there and waited for you throughout the entire concert!"

"We were…busy?" I reply.

Iruma is too frozen in fear by Ameri's rage, likely finding her intimidating, to say anything himself so I handle all the talking.

"We're both sorry, alright!" I continue, trying to diffuse Ameri's building anger.

Iruma nods his head rapidly in agreement, still not able to squeak out even a single word. Thankfully, Ameri seems to be composing herself and not continuing to yell in this very public place.

*takes a deep breath* "We will talk about this later. I have some more pointed questions I need to ask you." Ameri says, looking at me specifically.

Oh shit, I think she might be suspicious of us!

It being Ameri, I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow saw through our disguises. She's very observant and intuitive, and my attempts to hide our identities were decent, but not flawless, that's for sure.

Oh well, if I need to tell her the truth, in this specific case, it's not the end of the world. She's not a gossiper, so it wouldn't get out if I make her promise to keep it a secret. I hope it won't impact her opinion on Iruma, though, since they've been getting closer lately. It'd be a shame if this wrecked that relationship I've been 'discretely' nudging them into.

After meeting up with Ameri again, we go our separate ways. Iruma and I head home after putting an end to this exhausting day.

I really hope that nobody from Tempest ever finds out I'm doing stuff like this, or I'll never hear the end of it!