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?

60. Coming Together

Coming Together

Rimuru POV

"Here is your tea, my Lord," Diablo says, as polite as ever with me, maybe even a little more than usual. He's probably trying to overcompensate for his mistake if I were to guess.

"Thank you, Diablo," I reply.

He places the tea on my bedside table and gives a graceful bow.

"Is there anything else I can provide for you, my Lord?" he asks, displaying the sparkle in his eye that he has whenever he is expecting orders from me.

"That will be all," I say, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.

"Very well. Good night, my Lord." Diablo says back, looking a little disappointed.

"Good night."

Once Diablo is out of the room, I faceplant on the bed, quite literally melting into goo.

Relaaaxing…

After a couple of minutes spent lazing like this, I pull myself together into my usual round form and spit out my diary.

Over the years it's grown to be thousands of pages long, but thanks to a spatial magic enchantment from Ciel, it doesn't get any thicker as I add more pages. The entries have been rather sparse in the months leading up to my arrival in the Netherworld, but since then it's been quite an effort to maintain this diary, there's just been so much to write about!

It's not really necessary for me to write anything down for the sake of record-keeping since I have perfect memory, but I enjoy the self-reflection aspect of it and also find it fun. It's just a nice little pass-time I've kept up over the years, nothing else.

As I often did with the lengthier and more notable entries, I give this one a special first page, with decorated silver borders and a fancy title.

I title it Reversal of Character, written in dark cerulean ink, and tapping my quill along the margins of the page I add some dark feathers raining down. The enchanted quill I'm writing with is very convenient for this; just by thinking about it, I can change the ink I'm using, shape the ink flowing from the quill into illustrations, and even pull ink back out of the paper. It was a present from Diablo, and it had made writing a lot more fun, inspiring me to write in a way I wouldn't have thought to do otherwise. I still don't know where or how he got it though…

Having done the frivolous but fun decoration of the first page, I begin to write about how my first experience of the day was being picked up by a crying Sullivan, and I press the quill down on the next page to add a simple illustration of the absurd scene.

[[You've drawn yourself in your 14-year-old form, you were in your 5-year-old form at the time, Master.]]

Ciel, not wanting me to gloss over that specific detail, decided to point out my little ret-con of the situation.

I don't wanna draw myself being held like a little kid!

[[It's not as if anyone else will read this diary and see how cute and adorable you look, Master.]]

Ah, you've got me there…

With a chuckle I pull the illustration back into my quill, leaving the page clean again, and recreate it the way Ciel wants.

Ciel and I end up spending the better part of an hour writing and illustrating the rest of the day's events. It ends up a bit embellished by the time we're done, but that just made writing it all the more fun.

I even managed to squeeze a laugh out of Ciel; a rare thing for her, by drawing a funny little doodle of Kalego in familiar form. His tiny puffball bird-body, drawn resting in the palms of my hands, as if that's how I talked with him earlier. She didn't mind this change at all, since it's to do with Kalego and not me, I guess.

After thoroughly enjoying myself scribbling in my diary, I gently close it and tuck it back into my Imaginary Space, deciding that it's time to turn in for the night.

**The Next Day**

Iruma POV

I'm sitting on the floor, many forms spread out in front of me. My plan is going well so far, but I still feel like I'm running out of time. The time limit is strict and one slip-up could lose us all the Royal One.

I'm really starting to feel the exhaustion set in from all of the time and effort I've put into planning and executing all of this, acting as the leader of my class, and trying my best to make this ambition my reality.

"No wonder Rimuru wanted to take a vacation from her world and all of her Demon Lord responsibilities over there…leading others is exhausting…" I mutter to myself as I look over some of the unstamped forms again, trying to decide on how to approach the teachers about getting their stamps.

Every single Professor is different; some more agreeable and others much more difficult to win over. We have to get our approach correct the first time every time or it's all over. Thankfully, Azz gathered some intel on many of the teachers, making this much easier for me.

Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and in steps Keroli, holding a small stack of more forms in her arms; looking as nervous as ever.

"Hey, Iruma? I have more permission slips for you," she says shyly, hugging the papers tightly to her chest.

"Oh, thanks," I say as I hold out my hand.

I take the stack from her and add them to the others, laying all of the papers out flat on the floor, lined up nicely so they can all be viewed.

"We've got 21 forms so far…not counting Professor Kalego, we still have 15 more to go until we're done…Setting aside those that will agree just for the fun of it, there are some teachers that'll refuse their seal just because Kalego's against it. We need another push, something that'll make them change their minds."

"Excuse me!" Keroli chirps nervously. "Well…I'm pretty sure some instructors would be willing to give us their seal if I decided to reveal my true identity to them."

That's a lot to offer for this…she must be fully on board with this whole thing to even consider doing that.

"But you don't wanna be Kuromu here so don't worry about it, just stay put," I say, not wanting her to sacrifice that much for my plan.

Keroli suddenly blushes, looking embarrassed for even offering.

"I mean…it's do or die time…we gotta get a move on this. These two will be the hardest ones left to convince," I say, pulling two papers closer to me. It's some of the information I had gathered, one for each of the two teachers that I think will be the biggest obstacles at the moment.

These are both going to be tricky, I know this, but with the right idea I can make this work.

I could call in Rimuru again to help, but I think pushing too far with her is a bad idea…anyway, I think I have a better plan for how to win these teachers over.

"Hey, Keroli?" I ask the girl.

"Y-yes!" she says, jumping a little at my sudden talking.

"Could ya go grab Sabnock, Lead, and Elizabetta for me?"

"S-sure…"

Yes…they should be able to take care of those two specific professors, but I'm worried that it still won't be enough…

Then, the thought occurs to me: the Student Council has a great deal of influence, even on the teachers, and I just so happen to be friends with their President, as well as the 'brother' of one of the other members. Ameri's word is the one I need though, not Rimuru's.

If I can get her to weigh in on the issue, it should help a lot, but actually going to her about this is a problem. I'm used to interacting with Ameri casually, but this is a serious matter, so I'll have to deal with her stern, intimidating side. I'm not scared, necessarily, but I just feel like I have no clue how to deal with that side of her. Even with my increased confidence at the moment, the idea of talking with her in a serious sense makes me feel a bit flustered and nervous.

Rimuru knows how to deal with serious situations…I wonder if she has any advice for me on this?

Rimuru POV

Classes were going pretty normal today, except for the fact that everyone else seems to be in a bit of a frenzy about this form-gathering-quest Iruma has put them up to. Even the most studious of my classmates seemed distracted.

"Rimuru, I need your help again…" Iruma says, walking up to me after one of our classes.

Seriously? I already did my part with Balam…what could he want now?

"Yeah? After what you made me do yesterday, don't blame me for not being very enthusiastic." I grumble, recalling the humiliating and uncomfortable experience I endured.

"But…I don't know how to handle this…" Iruma says, gritting his teeth with frustration, clearly troubled and also hesitant to be asking me for help again.

"Handle what exactly?" I ask incredulously, at least wanting to hear him out first before telling him no.

"I need to talk with Ameri…getting her recommendation as the Student Council's President will help convince some of the teachers of my cause. I just don't know how to approach her about something like this." He explains.

Oh so that's what this is about…even now he doesn't know how to approach the girl he likes. Not that I'm much better or anything, but I'm sure I can give him a little advice.

"Where'd all your confidence go? Don't tell me you can't handle Ameri, even with how you are right now!" I say, purposely giving him a bit of a hard time regarding his girlfriend.

"C'mon Rimuru, just give me something to work with! I can't mess this up!" Iruma complains.

This is an opportunity for me to help those two get closer…with Iruma's increased confidence, making him make the first move shouldn't be too hard.

"Fine…you need to get close to her when you're speaking," I say casually.

"Close? Why get close?" he asks, looking genuinely confused.

"You know how serious Ameri can be about her job, right? Well, you'll be speaking to her as the Student Council President, not your friend, so you need to act a bit differently. Let her see the determination and passion in her eyes and apply pressure at just the right moment to get her to cave. Be assertive and bold, don't show an ounce of hesitation." I continue, still perfectly hiding my ulterior motive.

"So I just have to show her my passion and resolve? Maybe this will be easier than I thought…" Iruma mutters.

"Oh, and maybe bring her some flowers. Bi-...um, I mean women ~love~ flowers!...or at least that's what I've heard. Hell if I know…I'm certainly no expert after being single for decades..." I say with a shrug, half-muttering that last sentence.

"Thanks…I think I've got this in the bag now. Yeah…I can do this!" Iruma says, a wide smile forming on his lips and that same confident look in his eyes returning.

"Sure thing, Iruma. Good luck." I say, giving him a pat on the back. "First we have a class to attend, though, so your 'alone time' with your girlfriend can wait a bit."

Iruma shoots me a little glare at the word 'girlfriend' but doesn't argue with me about it. His thoughts seem occupied with planning out exactly what he's going to do with the tips I just gave him.

By the time we two get to class, I can sense that something is off with Ciel. She doesn't have a face when not taking a human form, so it's not like I'm reading her expression, but more like sensing the feeling, she's giving off shows she's upset.

[[Master…]]

Is something wrong, Ciel?

[[Why must you advise this boy on romance, yet not show that same affection to me?]]

Oh, my self-proclaimed wife wants some 'alone time' with me?

[[...Don't tease me, Master…]]

Look, if that's how you feel, then I'll try to make it up to you. Mind joining me in my Imaginary Space?

I feel the glee from my personal manas and partner as I ask her this, which lets me know that I've done the right thing. This class is a boring one anyway, so it's not like I need to be paying attention to it for the next few minutes.

I transfer my awareness into my Imaginary Space, taking form there. Ciel soon joins me, in a copy of my own body, and we float together in the nothingness.

Clasping her hands between mine, I give a soft smile. "So you want to be treated nicely too, huh?" I ask softly.

"That would be satisfactory, yes…" she replies, still as verbose as ever but visibly blushing.

"Well then, would you care to dance?" I ask in an exaggeratedly suave tone, fully aware of how cheesy I'm being but still having fun with it.

"Of course!"

I imagine a palatial room around us, while Ciel imagines us under a starlit sky; the two themes clash beautifully, creating otherworldly structures of celestial design.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to interfere with your imagination…" Ciel apologizes, but I put a finger to her lips to hush her.

"Don't you think this is much prettier than what either of us would have made on our own?" I say, trying my best to be smooth.

"Oh! Yes!" Ciel exclaims, her eyes gleefully lighting up with a hint of excitement.

Now that there is a floor for us to stand on, I bring myself close to her, and we begin to dance to the music emanating from all around.

Shortly after Tempest started enjoying its peaceful post-war years, Shuna had insisted on teaching me ballroom dancing as part of my foreign culture studies. It wasn't lost on me that she just wanted to be my practice partner, but I happily entertained her wishes, and I even got really good at it after a number of sessions.

Although when I was a human I would have said I didn't dance, it's hard to deny that I enjoy being so close to Ciel, our movements tracing out elegant paths along the floor.

"I have a present for you, Ciel…" I say after some time, with our movements coming to a stop.

"A present?" she asks, cutely tilting her head to the side.

I summon a sprig of hipokute into my hand. With a "Quan-Quan!" it glows and transforms, becoming a golden-yellow orchid that shines with a small but bright aura.

Ceil stares at it as if it's the prettiest thing she's ever seen.

"Unlike this room, this flower physically exists, so you can keep it if you wish. Consider it a symbol of my appreciation for you, your brilliant mind, and how faithful and helpful you've been for all these years." I say with a smile, meaning every word of what I just said.

Ciel and I are partners and I need to show my appreciation for her sometimes because she deserves it, even if it's something as simple as this, it still makes her happy.

"Master…" Ciel whispers with a blush, which becomes much more intense as I gently hold her cheek and place the flower in her hair.

"You look very pretty like that!" I say.

The cold, calculating manas buries her face in her hands, completely flustered and unsure of what to do with herself.

"Eee…" she faintly squeaks an unexpected sound which makes me giggle.

"Alright, it looks like you need some time to calm down, so I'm gonna take back control of my real body now… Okay?"

"Okay!" Ciel squeaks out before a look of realization forms on her face. "… Wait, you weren't controlling your real body?" Ciel asks, a hint of panic showing on her face.

"No, weren't you? I can't split my focus like that without using a Parallel Existence." I answer, also starting to get a little nervous.

"You never told me to, and I was a bit too distracted by this enjoyable experience…" Ciel says, looking down at her feet.

Uh oh…

Kalego POV

"... The first thing on the list of notices for today is that while you've all been going about this insane quest for Royal One, many of you have been neglecting your studies. Jazz, Goemon; Professor Stolas reports that neither of you turned in your homework on carnivorous plants. Iruma, you've been reported as absent from multiple classes."

Iruma has a smug look on his face. "If you didn't want me to be so busy, you shouldn't have given me such a hard-"

"Silence! If you really think you deserve Royal One, you should be attending to your studies as well. Next, I'd like to address an incident yesterday where Camui was seriously injured by Ameri and Rimuru. Rimuru, while I understand that this was done as punishment for harassment and that as Student Council members you and Ameri have the authority to administer punishments to students, I would prefer that you take less extreme and disruptive measures."

I expected her to quip back, or at least try to argue that it was justified, but Rimuru says nothing in response. Surprised by her silence, I look up and notice that Rimuru has possibly the most idiotic expression I've ever seen. She's staring into space with a glazed-over look, head tilted slightly to one side.

"Do homeroom classes bore you that much, Rimuru?!" I ask loudly.

I continue to wait a while for a response, but even with the whole class's attention on her, she doesn't move a muscle and continues staring blankly at absolutely nothing.

"Somebody slap her out of whatever the hell that is so we can move on, please." I groan.

"Alrighty!" yells Clara, but Asmodeus quickly grabs her and sits her back down.

Iruma is looking a little concerned for her sister now. "Are you okay, Rimuru?"

When there's still no response, he pokes her cheek a few times. But instead of rousing her, the gesture simply causes Rimuru to tip over. Iruma freezes for a moment, not lowering his hand as he watches this happen, completely shocked.

Rimuru ends up flopping directly onto the lap of Lead, who's seated at her side. Her eyes are closed now, which looks a lot less weird and creepy than her unblinking stare from before, but she's still totally out of it.

"Wha- Um… R-Rimuru!" Lead stammers out, flustered from having a girl on his lap. He's holding his arms up, not sure how to react. "Uh… Professor Kalego, she's drooling…"

This is definitely concerning… What could have happened for her to pass out this early in the day? I've been warned that Keroli has fainting issues, but I was given no such warnings about Rimuru.

"Asmodeus, read the rest of the notices to the class. Iruma, help me take your sister to the infirmary." I command my students.

I wouldn't have any trouble carrying Rimuru by myself, but the Sullivan twins tend to be very protective of each other, and with Iruma in his evil cycle I don't want to give him reason to stir up a fuss.

Iruma stares at his sister for a moment, looking like he's trying to figure out how to grab the girl before lifting her off of their classmate and reaching under her arm, supporting Rimuru with his shoulder. Iruma doesn't seem to have much difficulty lifting her despite the two being very close in size. I guess Shichiro did mention that he noticed the girl was unusually lightweight.

Iruma follows me out of the classroom with Rimuru in tow, looking both annoyed and concerned about having to do this.

"Why must you two always cause trouble?" I ask, annoyed that it always seems to be either him or Rimuru that is responsible for my headaches.

"I doubt Rimuru passed out on purpose, Professor…" Iruma grumbles, giving me a dirty look for implying that Rimuru did something wrong.

"Even so…has this happened before?" I question the boy, wondering if he might know the reason behind his twin's fainting spell.

"No, I don't think so," Iruma replies, sounding genuinely puzzled.

Rimuru POV

As my awareness returns to my physical body, I let out a groan. Not out of pain or discomfort, but because I realize I'm in the infirmary, meaning that people noticed the state I was in and I would have to make up some kind of excuse as to what happened.

It wasn't intentional, but I kinda forgot to split my consciousness or accelerate my thought perception before spending time with Ciel, leading to my body being completely inactive during the time I was inside my own mind. A little oversight that will demand an explanation.

Looks like I worried Iruma too since I see that he's standing nearby with his arms folded, tapping his foot impatiently. Kalego is there as well, but he's in his default mood: Grumpy.

"Hehe…looks like I dozed off for a bit there…" I say with a small chuckle, lifting myself into a sitting position on the cot.

Iruma immediately looks at me, speaking before Kalego can say anything.

"Rimuru, what happened?" he asks, somewhat desperate but not as much as he normally would be.

"Nothing you need to worry about, I'm perfectly fine now," I say with a small chuckle, waving off his concern.

I essentially stepped away from the controls of my body, absentmindedly forgetting to switch the 'autopilot' on; there's no way in hell I could admit to something so stupid, at least not in front of Kalego.

"Answer his question." Kalego curtly interjects. "I am also wondering what caused you to suddenly lose consciousness like that. It was quite disruptive of you to unceremoniously tip over onto your classmate."

"I fell onto someone?" I ask, dodging his request to give him a real answer.

"Yeah, you fell right onto Lead's lap! I'm surprised he didn't get a nosebleed with how much he was blushing from it…" Iruma says with the slightest hint of a smirk.

"H-his lap?!" I ask loudly, picturing it and not liking what I'm imagining. To hide my embarrassment, I decide to laugh the situation off. "Haha…I bet that was funny; it's too bad I didn't get to see it myself!"

"I was more worried than anything, but now that you seem fine, I guess it was a little funny seeing Lead freak out like he did," Iruma says with a smirk.

"I still require an explanation!" Kalego demands, interrupting our little moment.

"Okay, fine, fine…" I say reluctantly, sighing.

Time to BS my way out of this…

"I kinda lost control of my magic for a bit there; you know, the one I use to make clones. My magic's been a bit…volatile in my evil cycle and I had to dedicate all of my focus to containing it." I say, completely lying through my teeth.

I shoot Iruma a message through his ring, {{Just play along Iruma, I'll give you a real explanation later.}}

Iruma gives a small nod, acknowledging my message without directly responding to it. He seems a little annoyed, but waiting a bit won't kill him.

Iruma pauses, appearing to be thinking about what to say next before smiling confidently and opening his mouth.

"Yes, uh…Rimuru has been having a hard time since yesterday! She even lost sleep last night because of it." Iruma says, lying fairly convincingly for my sake.

It's times like these that I'm glad that Iruma is a better liar than usual; one of the few perks to that spell he's being affected by.

Kalego raises a questioning eyebrow at us but seems to accept it.

"Why was I not informed ahead of time by the Chairdemon that this is an issue you have? I have read your file and nothing of the sort was contained in it."

"You know now though, so it's not a problem anymore!" I say with a smile that's not returned.

"Tch. I'll have to have a word with him about his carelessness, not informing your teacher about something that important." Kalego says, gritting his teeth while probably thinking about Sullivan. "Iruma, head back to class. Rimuru, stay here and get some rest," he orders.

"Oh, I'm fine now, there's no need for me to stay here!" I reassure him as I start to stand up from the infirmary bed, but he stops me by placing a firm hand on my shoulder. I suppose I'll shoot Sullivan a message soon.

"How could you be fine? You just passed out, and it doesn't sound like the risk of it happening again has gotten any lower." Kalego says sternly.

I think he might actually be a little concerned for my health, but he's trying to hide it.

"Don't worry, I won't let it happen again! Besides, I'm a student, shouldn't you let me go to classes and learn?" I ask, trying to convince him.

"You're in no condition to learn anything; you said it yourself that it's taking all your focus to keep your magic stable," Kalego says, not budging.

Oh, I did say that, didn't I? Whoops, sounds like I talked myself into a corner…

"Stay here until the end of the day. I will not hear any further complaints on this," he commands.

"Kalego, she should be able to go to class if-" Iruma begins to protest, but I cut him off.

"Just leave it, Iruma. I'll see you later, okay?" I say with a sigh, giving up. This isn't worth arguing over.

"Okay… See you later then, Rimuru."

This is annoying… I'm not keen to stir up more trouble by simply leaving, but staying here is going to be boring. The classes are actually pretty interesting; everything in the Netherworld is so different from home, there's just so much to learn about!

[[You could pretend to sleep and observe Iruma's classes remotely.]]

I suppose I could, and any practical exercises could be done in Imaginary Space.

Just as I'm about to do this, however, the assistant nurse comes up to me. "Never expected to see someone carry you in here instead of the other way around. How are you holding up, Rimuru?"

"Oh, hi Durandal!" I reply, familiar with the young man as Student Council work frequently involves bringing injured students to the infirmary. "I'm doing fine, a little annoyed about having to stay here for the rest of the day though."

"Professor Kalego is right about that, you should rest after collapsing just to be safe. Speaking of which, could you give this form to your brother later? I didn't want to give it to him in front of Kalego, that teacher is scary." he says with a small shudder and a glance toward the door Kalego left through.

"A classroom transfer permission form?" I say with surprise, reading the form as he hands it to me.

"Well, I heard that Iruma is trying to open Royal One, but I'm not clear on whether he needs forms from all the staff or just the teachers. So I figured I might as well give him this form just in case!"

Forms from the staff? Kalego just said we need them from the teachers, right? That's the assumption the class has been working under this whole time…

[[The exact wording was 'faculty members'. While this term is almost exclusively used to refer to those in academic positions, it is not clearly defined, so an argument could be made that forms are required from all staff members.]]

All staff members? I can only hope that Kalego doesn't think of such a devilish loophole, because that seems unachievable, and I'd like to see Iruma succeed at something he worked hard for.

[[I predict that Kalego will likely use this 'loophole', as you put it Master, which is why I said Iruma and the other students would most likely fail at their task.]]

I'm not sure if I should tell Iruma…there's no way he'd be able to pull it off, even if he knew. It might just make him give up, although I kinda doubt that with how he's acting right now.

"You know, I'm actually not sure either on whether we need forms from all of the staff. It'd be nice to have them just to be sure, but there's no way that's happening given the time limit." I say, a little downcast.

"Are you sure? I think if word spread amongst the staff that Iruma needed their forms, they'd all happily oblige given how much he helps them out. Even this form I'm giving you is just repayment from when he helped me tend to a couple of students who had a midair collision. He knows squat about healing, but he's got a great bedside manner." he replies with a chuckle.

Maybe this will work instead of telling Iruma? A nice safety net just in case the likely outcome of Kalego pulling the rug out from under him ends up happening.

"Really? It would be great if you could help spread the word, in that case!" I reply cheerfully.

Plus, it's not technically my doing anyway, but Iruma's. It's his hard work helping people out around here that earned him those forms, so it's still his victory, not mine.

"I'll do what I can. Anyway, I should let you get some rest." Durandal says dotingly, doing his job and keeping my mildly excited self in the bed.

"Yeah, thanks," I say, tucking back into the blankets.

Laying down and pretending to sleep, I then turn my attention elsewhere…

Iruma POV

I came back to a classroom full of chaos; everyone else was still freaking out about Rimuru's 'accident'. Lead looks especially worked up; I can tell he's flustered from Rimuru falling onto him, and I don't blame him at all for that.

I know they all have questions for me, which I brace myself for, but Professor Kalego silences them before anyone can. He continues the lesson as if nothing happened at all, completely skipping any explanation whatsoever about how Rimuru is doing.

This goes on for a few more minutes before Jazz, who's sitting behind me, taps me on the shoulder to grab my attention.

"Psst…hey, Iruma! Is Rimuru going to be fine?" Jazz asks in a whisper, trying not to grab our already-irritated teacher's attention.

"Oh, don't worry about Rimuru, she just needs some rest," I say unconcernedly. Rimuru said she'd be fine, so she's fine; it's as simple as that.

"Ya sure?" he asks again, not convinced.

"Yeah, I'm sure. She told me herself." I reply simply.

Kalego shoots us both a glare, having noticed that we've been talking to each other, so we go back to paying attention for now; or should I say I went back to pretending I'm paying attention. I'm thinking about other things, mainly plans for how to convince the teachers to give us their stamps. I think that's more urgent than whatever our professor is trying to teach us at the moment.

The class goes on for a few minutes completely normally, outside of the tension caused by both Rimuru and the pressure we're all under about the Royal One. But then, without warning, Rimuru takes a seat next to me in the middle class. I didn't even see her use the door, but I already know she can teleport.

Pfft…I knew Rimuru wouldn't let our arrogant teacher boss her around!

But something is off, for some reason Professor Kalego hasn't noticed Rimuru. He should be yelling at her right now for showing up right after he insisted she stays put in the infirmary, yet he's just continuing with the lesson, not even looking in Rimuru's direction. And it's not just Kalego either;the entire class seems unaware that she's here.

I also didn't hear the door open or close, Rimuru just kinda…appeared next to me and sat back in her seat. I know I was a little distracted thinking about stuff, but still, I think I should've noticed Rimuru was here before I did.

Before I can say a thing to her though, Rimuru says "No one else can see me, so use your ring if you want to talk to me without looking like you're crazy."

I quickly changed the setting on my ring to the one corresponding to Thought Communication.

{{No one else can see you?}}

"Nope. I'm not even physically here, this is just an elaborate form of thought communication combined with a remote projection of my awareness. The real me is back where you last saw me, pretending to sleep." Rimuru says with a smile.

I look Rimuru up and down, trying to see if I can somehow tell the difference, but I can't. As far as I can tell, she's actually here, but I know that's not the reality after what she just said.

As one more little test, I try touching her and my hand goes right through, showing that this really is some type of illusion.

Wow, that's a really impressive trick…

"Thanks!" Rimuru says, grinning at me.

{{That was meant to be a personal thought…}}

"Heh, you should really learn to use thought communication properly, doing it with the ring allows me access any time."

{{Yeah, I know. But you said earlier that you'd tell me what really happened to you, so mind telling me?}}

"Honestly, it's kind of silly," Rimuru says, smiling uncomfortably and scratching her cheek. "Ciel and I wanted to… discuss some things in person, so both of us shifted our awareness elsewhere, kind of like I'm doing right now, without splitting our attention at all. Meaning that neither of us was watching or controlling my body, heh…"

{{That's… Yeah, that's really silly. You had me worried that something was really wrong with you!}}

"Listen, you don't have to worry about my health, ever. There's no way I'll ever come to real harm, I have so many protections and countermeasures in place that you'd fall asleep if I listed them all." Rimuru says in a serious, monotone voice.

{{What about that time you got such severe food poisoning that you immediately melted and blacked out?}}

"Well… that was because I deactivated my poison resistance so I could properly enjoy some alcohol, and Ciel doesn't like that; I would have been completely unharmed by that 'cake' if Ciel turned my poison resistance back on, but she wanted to punish me," Rimuru says with an exasperated look on her face.

{{So that was just because of a little spat between you two?}}

"Yep. But aside from how badly she scared my subordinates at the time, I didn't mind too much; it'd be kind of boring living without any flaws or inconveniences, wouldn't it?"

{{Hmm, it's strange to imagine…}}

"Well, think about it this way: Say that you felt like you were at a perfectly comfortable temperature no matter what. If that were the case then lazing in the sun, playing in the snow, bathing in a hot spring, all of those experiences would lose…something. It's hard to quantify, but these moments feel less special when you experience them at the same temperature as everything else. Does that make sense?"

{{So, your point is that even if you can be comfortable all the time, it's sometimes better to experience things the way they are?}}

"Exactly! I used to have my temperature resistance active all the time since I reincarnated with that ability, but nowadays it's usually weakened or turned off. That's because I want to feel the warmth and coolness that everyone else does, even if it's inconvenient at times. In the same vein, I don't mind being a little careless about things as long as I'm comfortable in my situation, because it's boring if everything goes as smooth and perfect as I could make it since I could make it happen."

{{I think I understand, but it's still hard to imagine coming from you.}}

"Oh, it looks like I'm distracting you too much, maybe I should just go back to watching without projecting myself to you like this," she says with a smile.

Then, without another word, Rimuru vanishes into thin air, further proving to me that she wasn't really sitting next to me in the first place.

The rest of the class period goes fine, but I can tell that everyone wants to go check on Rimuru. I thought this was a little funny since she was just here a bit ago from my perspective, but it's not like they know about that.

"You guys comin'?" Jazz asks me, along with my two friends.

I shake my head 'no' since I literally just saw Rimuru and I have other things to worry about. But, Azz and Clara fidget a little at his question. They seem torn about whether they should stay with me or not.

"You two go ahead; I can tell you want to," I say to them both, not needing their help for the moment anyway. It's not like they need my permission or anything, but telling them it's okay for them to go might help them make up their minds.

"Thank you, Master Iruma!" Azz says gleefully.

"Yay! We can go see Riri!" Clara cheers.

Jazz POV

The rest of the class and I, not including Iruma, start heading to the infirmary as a group. I have a class soon, but I don't care that much about it. I'd rather go see if Rimuru is okay or not than sit in some stupid, boring class. She's a pretty fun person and watching her collapse like that was enough to get me worried.

Although Rimuru has always been feared by the class, they've come to like and appreciate her as well, so of course, everyone in our class is worried about her just like I am.

After a little coaxing to get Iruma's buddies to come along with us, I join them all outside our classroom and decide to lead the way.

"Alright, let's go!" I say to all of the misfits.

"I-I hope she's okay…" Keroli mutters.

"I'm sure Rimuru's fine…Jazz, stop walking so fast!" Lead complains.

"Yeah…slow down…" Picero complains, yawning.

"Yes! Rimuru is a very sturdy demon! I am certain she is just fine!" Sabnock adds in his usual booming voice.

"Still…I hope she's alright. It's not like her to faint like that." Elizabetta says concernedly.

"It would be nice if it was like her to faint since that might give me the chance to be the gentleman that catches her next time, instead of having that role taken by a classmate!" Camui says.

A few of us scowl at Camui for saying something like that. It's not cool to act happy about one of our classmates losing consciousness without warning. Iruma says Rimuru's just fine, but it's still rude as hell to say the same thing should happen again.

"I didn't ask for Rimuru to fall face-first onto my lap, Camui! Stop fantasizing about it!" Lead complains, blushing thinking about the incident again.

"Yeah, and didn't we tell you to stay behind?" I ask, frustrated that he's trying to come with, especially after that comment.

"I will not miss out on this golden opportunity!" Camui declares.

I sigh, deciding to just let the nurses deal with him. "You're hopeless…" I mutter.

Rimuru POV

I said I was leaving because I didn't want to distract Iruma, but that wasn't my main reason. I could tell that Iruma's 'strange behavior' caused by my presence was grabbing too much attention. So, for the next few minutes, I spent my time perusing my point of view around the school, not looking for anything in particular. But, my self-guided tour of Babyls was soon interrupted by something unexpected.

It seems like some 'visitors' are coming toward me, and Ciel was immediately put on guard by one of them in particular; Camui.

She alerted me of the 'incoming danger' right away, not at all okay with that stupid pervy little owl-majin-demon getting near my seemingly vulnerable body. It's, of course, anything but vulnerable, but that little piece of perverted shit doesn't know that or needs to know that.

So, I 'wake up' back in the infirmary and immediately notice that there's a commotion nearby. My awareness has returned to my body, but I'm still pretending to be sound asleep, watching silently with my Universal Perception.

"My patient is sleeping, I can't allow you to disturb her!" Durandal says, blocking the doorway to the infirmary.

He's guarding my 'sleeping' body, which is a nice gesture. It's part of his job, of course, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's acting even more protective of me because of my status. I mean, I'm his boss' 'precious granddaughter' so he isn't going to allow people to flood in here and slow my recovery by waking me up.

"C'mon, man! We just wanna see how she's doin'!" I hear Jazz complain.

"You must let me check on my rival!" Sabnock booms.

"Some of you can visit in small groups later after Miss Tempest has awoken. But a specific few are banned for various reasons." Durandal says, glancing at Jazz and Camui in particular. I get why he's stopping Camui, but I have no bone to pick with Jazz.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jazz asks angrily.

"If there was a…loss of property on my watch, I would be partly responsible," Durandal explains calmly, not perturbed by the boy's anger.

Oooh…that's why. I guess Jazz does have a bad habit of snatching anything that's not nailed down. He won't try that with me again, though.

"You think I'm gonna steal from Rimuru? Not a chance…if I tried that again, I bet she'd grab my wrist and actually shatter it this time, sleeping or not!" Jazz says, his voice shaking from what I assume is fear when mentioning me shattering his wrist.

See? But he makes me seem like more of a brute than I actually am. I know I scared him pretty badly in the past, but I'd never actually 'shatter his wrist' over something like that.

As far as everyone can tell, I'm still sleeping, watching them all with my eyes closed. I'll wait a little bit longer before letting them know I'm no longer sleeping.

While Jazz is arguing with the nurse, Camui seems to be trying to push his way through but is failing miserably. Sabnock is peeking over everyone's heads and is staring at me with a look of astonishment.

"It's strange seeing one of my rivals in such a fragile state...the same demon that beat me senseless, now resting so helplessly; it is hard to believe!" he says with genuine concern.

I didn't 'beat him senseless', but I guess I get his point…on second thought, maybe I was a bit brutal with him, but he wasn't injured too badly and I healed him afterward so it's fine!

"But I must rest my eyes on the sleeping beauty slumbering in your clinic! I must!" Camui squeals, trying again to fight his way past the nurse.

'Sleeping beauty'? Ack! I've had enough of this charade!

"Hey! I'm not asleep so you can let some of them in, I guess. Not Camui, though. Oh, and Jazz is fine, I can trust him." I say, finally letting them all know that I'm awake, my eyes fluttering open.

Jazz smiles and Camui screeches as if I just ripped his heart out with my words alone. I think that's a better fate than what happened to him yesterday, though, so I'm sure he'll survive.

"Jazz learns from his mistakes… though, the same can't be said about Camui," I continue. You'd think being punted through a stone wall the day before would be enough to give him some pause, but apparently not for Camui's little pea-sized bird-brain.

"Alright you heard the young lady; even she doesn't want to let you in Caim. Also, don't you have classes to be in?" the nurse asks Camui in a scolding tone.

Camui shuffles away dejectedly, getting the hell away from me just like I wanted. It seems like I won't have to punt him away from me after all. I think I heard him declare "A gentleman never gives up!" as he left, but I think I'll pretend I didn't for the sake of my sanity.

Durandal then glances at Jazz again before looking over at me.

"But on the subject of Mr. Andro…It's not just your valuables we have to worry about, Rimuru…though, you are the only patient here right now." Durandal ponders.

He sighs, scratching his head as he considers allowing them in.

"Fine; If you want to visit Miss Tempest, I can only have two of you in here at a time so it doesn't get cramped. Understand?" he says to my classmates all eagerly waiting to come inside.

They all seem to agree to his terms, thankfully. I guess if they all tried to pack in here at once it'd be pretty claustrophobic.

Jazz, who was standing closest to the entrance, takes the initiative and comes inside with Lead, leaving the rest of the misfits to wait out in the hallway.

There's an awkward silence for a moment as the two boys just stare at me, Lead looking especially nervous.

"Sooo…I heard you caught me when I fell over. Thanks for that." I say genuinely to Lead, even though the thought of me landing face-first on this boy's lap is extremely embarrassing. Either way, he caught me and didn't just shove me off, so I need to give him a thank you at least for his trouble.

"I-it was n-nothing!" Lead replies quickly.

Jazz laughs a little at Lead, who looks flustered from thinking about the incident.

"Lucky you, getting out of classes for the rest of the day." Jazz comments.

"But I'm bored as hell in here! The only reason I've stayed in the infirmary is that Kalego forced me." I explain to him, acting like I've been doing nothing since that's the impression I'm trying to give.

"I could lend ya one of my games." Lead offers, holding up one of the many handheld game consoles he often brings to school and plays during class. I'm sure he has more than one with him today, otherwise, he wouldn't be offering. It's still a kind gesture though.

"Thanks, but I'll pass for now." I politely refuse since I've found a different way to occupy my time; I just can't tell these two about it.

"What happened back there anyway? It was pretty freaky seeing you pass out like you did." Jazz inquires, looking like he's trying to act cool and not overly concerned.

"I'll…um…explain that later, okay?" I say, not feeling like lying about the reason I'm here again. I'll go into more detail with everyone tomorrow if they're still interested, I guess.

Both boys look confused by my extremely vague answer but don't push the issue further, at least for now.

"Hey! I must take my turn visiting my rival as well!" Sabnock shouts from the doorway.

"What do you mean? Rimuru doesn't need a rowdy fool like you hampering her healing!" Azz counters, getting heated.

"How dare you?! I simply wish to visit one of my rivals!" Sabnock yells back.

Both are bickering over who can come in next; pretty typical of these two to argue over anything they can so I'm not too surprised.

"I wanna see Riri!" Clara shouts over the two arguing demons.

"Maybe you both should get going before we have a fight on our hands," I say, turning to Lead and Jazz.

"Eh, we'll see ya later then, Rimuru!" Lead says with a wave and both leave the infirmary. "I have a game to get ready for anyway."

"Sure," I say, giving them a small wave back.

Not even noticing that Jazz and Lead have left, Azz and Sabnock continue arguing near the doorway.

They don't seem to be showing any sign of stopping so Clara takes advantage. She immediately barrels in, excited to see me, hurtling in my direction but stopping right at my bedside. I'm surprised she didn't slam into me, actually, but for once in her life, she seems to be putting some effort into showing restraint.

Standing closely, Clara is rocking back and forth on her feet energetically, hiding her hands behind her back and grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Clara!" I say nicely to the girl.

"I made you some feel-better snackies!" Clara says enthusiastically, showing her arms that she was hiding behind her back, her hands full of candy and snacks. I smile and gratefully take them from her.

"Thanks, Clara," I say, giving her a smile. She may be a bit of a menace sometimes, and also extremely unpredictable, but she's also sweet when she tries. She's not a bad kid, sometimes reminding me of Milim, which is good and bad depending on the situation. Both are childish and destructive, but also surprisingly kind at times.

I grab one of the candy bars and unwrap it halfway, but just as I'm about to take a bite, it disappears without warning.

"Huh?" I make a confused noise, wondering what the hell just happened.

Not deterred, I reach for a bag of chips and open it, but while I'm reaching inside to take a chip out to eat, the whole thing poofs away just like the candy bar.

What the…what's going on?!

[[I must analyze these 'snacks'. I have not been able to get a grasp on predicting the individual Clara Valac's actions, thus analyzing some of the products of her magic may lead me to such a development. Also, Master, you should not trust things given to you by a creature like this, it is too risky!]]

They're just snacks, Ciel. I doubt that Clara would want to poison me or something, and even if she did I'd be fine!

Ciel doesn't respond to this and instead just takes the liberty of sucking the entire pile of goodies on my lap directly into my imaginary space to be analyzed.

"Where'd the snackies go?" Clara asks, tilting her head to one side.

"Oh, um…I just hid them away for later so nobody would steal them!" I say, quickly giving an excuse for the entire pile suddenly disappearing before Clara's eyes.

"Ooooohh…" Clara says, looking like she understands and accepts my reason.

Did you really have to take all of them though, Ciel?

[[If you are upset, Master, I assure you that they will be returned after I perform the analysis.]]

Fine. I guess I can be a little patient.

Clara, satisfied after delivering her gift, goes to leave, pushing past the still arguing boys just outside the infirmary.

"If you two wanna see me, you better stop with that yelling; it's annoying," I say sternly.

This grabs both of their attention immediately.

"M-my apologies," Azz says regretfully.

"I am sorry for disturbing you in your time of weakness," Sabnock adds, also looking a little guilty.

"'Time of weakness'? I'm fine, Sabnock, you don't need to word it so dramatically." I complain.

Sabnock laughs off my complaint.

"I hate to leave your side so soon, but Master Iruma has given me a special task," Azz says, giving me a polite bow.

"Go ahead, I'm sure whatever he needs you to do is more important than chatting with me."

"I shall take my leave as well! I have been given a mission to fulfill too!" Sabnock declares, striking a confident pose. "Oh, but when you are feeling your best again, perhaps we could have another sparring session? Possibly to celebrate our winning of the Royal One?"

He seems fully convinced that we'll manage to get that classroom… We'll see; even I'm not sure what'll happen.

"Maybe. I guess I have to make sure you aren't getting rusty." I say with a smile, not minding giving Sabnock a little assessment to see if he's been keeping up with the advice I gave him a while back.

"You have been training him?" Azz asks, sounding surprised.

"A little," I casually respond

"May I join you next time?!" Azz asks excitedly, his pink eyes sparkling at the idea.

"Uh…sure, I guess you can. It shouldn't hurt to have an extra person." I say with a shrug, not bothered by letting him tag along.

Another battle maniac…he has that same look my subordinates make at the idea of fighting someone they perceive as a challenge.

"Thank you for this offer! It is a great honor for you to include me in your training regimen!" Azz says as if I just gave him the best gift ever.

"Sure thing, Azz," I say flatly, thinking that this kid is sounding a lot like Diablo yet again. This is a common thing with him, unfortunately.

Once again, the room clears. Over the next few minutes, I had more of my classmates visit in pairs, and all of them seemed concerned about me. I was surprised that so many showed up since I'm not exactly the closest with them, and with Iruma's plans to get the Royal One being in full swing right now, them having the time to visit little old me seems unrealistic, but whatever. I guess I'm more popular than I thought.

The last to come and see me is the shyest one, Keroli.

"H-hey…" Keroli says in a near-whisper.

"Hi, Keroli."

"You're fine, right? After you helped me before, it's only fair that I at least check on you…" she says, trying to hide her actual concern.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, just a little tired, that's all," I quickly reassure her.

"Good," Keroli says softly.

There's an awkward silence before I decide to break it myself.

"Iruma's been treating you fine, right?" I ask, a little worried about someone as shy as her having to directly deal with Iruma in his current state.

Keroli lets out a tiny, surprised "Eep!" in response to my question before composing herself.

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?!" she asks, louder than before, her cheeks turning very pink.

"You've been directly helping him with this Royal One stuff, right? I just wanted to make sure he wasn't being a jerk to you or something since he's on his evil cycle." I clarify, realizing that Keroli may have misinterpreted my question.

"Oh…y-you mean that…yes, he's been nice. A-a little different, but not mean or anything…" she explains, looking at her feet.

"Good to hear," I reply cheerfully.

After another moment of silence, Keroli suddenly speaks again.

"I-I have t-to go now…" Keroli mutters nervously and turns away from me.

"See you around then. I should be back in class tomorrow."

"S-see you…"

I'm starting to get the impression that Keroli has a crush on Iruma, but I could be wrong. She got flustered in a similar way to Ameri when the subject of him interacting with her came up.

After she leaves, I'm left alone in the room, the calm quiet replacing all of the excitement from just a few minutes ago. Flopping back onto the bed, I decide it's time to go back to spying on Iruma, as well as peeking at some of the antics he's put our classmates up to. Azz and Sabnock mentioned 'special tasks' and I'm curious what Iruma ordered those two to do, as well as the rest.

Before I can separate my consciousness from my body again, though, I sense Durandal approaching me. He'd been off to the side this entire time, doing whatever busy-work he'd been given by the head nurse. I think he was mainly supervising my visitors actually, but it doesn't really matter.

"You seem to have quite a few admirers," he says with a small chuckle.

"You don't even know the start of it…" I grumble, not bothering to open my eyes.

Durandal, obviously not at all understanding what I actually meant by that, once again goes back to his work, leaving me to do my thing. I think I might peek in on Sabnock first, since he seemed to be excited about whatever Iruma asked him to do, making me curious.

Buer POV

"Sabnock Sabro… Just seeing your face infuriates me. I'm sure you haven't forgotten that you selfishly attacked me during the entrance ceremony. I will never willingly give my seal to you, or anyone in your class; if you want it, you'll have to defeat me first!" I say to the idiot towering over me.

The gigantic first-year student scowled, and I prepared for the imminent fight. I held up my palms and manifested a magic circle in front of them, glowing green as was the signature of my bloodline magic: Heal.

"Any attack on me is futile. No matter how badly you wound me, I will recover instantly. But I dislike the pain of being attacked, so once you have realized there is no way you can defeat me… I shall show you what true pain feels like. I will give you an experience so terrifying, that you will never dare attack a teacher again!" I declare, fully ready to fight this boy, unlike last time when he caught me off-guard.

Without saying a word, Sabnock crouched down and prostrated himself before me.

What is this? He's exposing the roots of his wings, the ultimate sign of forgiveness for a demon; this fool blinded by pride surely must jest, and merely seek atonement for the sake of receiving my seal.

"I humbly apologize for my disgraceful actions in attacking you on the first day of school," said Sabnock, facing the ground. "Back then, I thought power was everything and something that one must seize by force to prove their strength. But I was wrong; no matter how powerful I am, or how strong my will is… None of that matters if I lack consideration. One cannot call themselves a king if they lack compassion for others."

Has he changed? Has he overcome his pride?

"It was my rival who showed me that compassion, not strength, is what lies at the core of leadership, that it is what I need if I am to become the demon king. Strength is a fickle claim to power, as there will always be someone stronger, but the bonds one makes with others will endure. I was truly wrong for attacking you, and regardless of whether you can forgive me, I must express my regrets." Sabnock continues, in a seemingly fully genuine tone.

I gave a small smile as I realized that he really had changed. He was still outrageously ambitious, but where his ambitions once caused him to act foolishly, they now guided him toward the right path. Crouching down to his level and laying my hand on his head, I gave him my forgiveness.

"I'm so shocked, my rage has left me. It seems that you've learned well from Babyls and your fellow students. Follow your newfound path, and surpass all expectations." I say, encouraging him now that I understand that he's a changed demon.

With that, I placed my seal upon the form.

Third Person POV

"How naive you are, Lead…do you honestly think you stand any chance against me?" Professor Orias Oswaal, the astrology professor of Babyls, asks the yellow-haired boy seated in front of him.

"Well, it's not like you'd agree to any other form of negotiation besides a game, right? You're a real piece of work, gotta say."

It truly is the perfect match-up; both demons love their games.

This one's stakes are that if Lead wins, he gets the professor's stamp, but if the professor wins, he gets the satisfaction of being the one to put a stop to the misfits' antics to claim the Royal One as their classroom. He's against the idea because of how sacred that place is and getting to be the man who successfully fended off unworthy students would be a great achievement and a source of pride for him as a teacher at Babyls.

"Hehe…says the one that brought a ~lady-friend~ to said game." Orias quips back, glancing at the girl also in the room.

"Hi~!" Elizabetta gives the professor a friendly smile and wave, positioned behind the couch Lead is seated on.

"Lucky you though…she can cheer you up after I destroy you!" Oswaal declares, fully convinced that this kid can't beat him, even with a friend tagging along.

Laid out between the two is a game board, looking close to the type used for chess, but the game they're about to play is definitely not that.

The goal of the game is to claim your opponent's pieces and end up with the majority of them by the end of the game; sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, Clara Valac of all people is the one who cooked up this game, which just like everything else to do with that girl, is anything but simple or easy to understand.

It's a crazy game with crazy rules devised by an equally crazy girl. Filled with many different types of pieces that are enchanted with magic, the game is complicated and confusing, weird and annoying, unpredictable and wild…kinda like the game's creator, actually.

"I count 1056 pieces…way more than you'd need, but whatever works, though the pieces randomly move and evolve too…and the worst part of it is, every half hour we have to have a bizarre pointless dance break. Clearly, only an idiot could think this up." the professor grumbles.

And with everyone understanding the rules, the game begins.

Lead sees this as the perfect time to make his first move, although it won't be with the game's pieces, but instead his signature bloodline magic 'Controller'. It lets him steal one of the senses from another, which in turn changes the color of the associated body part black on himself.

He takes the professor's sight, turning the sclera of his own eyes black as well as blacking out the vision of his opponent.

"Hm…impressive move. You took my sight, very resourceful." Orias genuinely compliments, not expecting any less from the boy. He's heard this one is pretty crafty when it comes to games, but that doesn't mean he thinks Lead Shax stands a chance against him.

"Of course! If I fought you fair and square then I'd have no chance of winning at all!" Lead replies, not at all bothered by the fact he's technically cheating.

Moves like this are fair game in a game between demons, so no harm done by using all of the metaphorical cards in your deck.

"I do think you're underestimating me a bit. Such parlor tricks aren't enough to defeat me, as I'm about to demonstrate." the professor responds arrogantly, not discouraged by his temporary loss of sight.

He holds out his hand and a wave of magic crosses the board, moving the pieces for him. Even though he can't see, the move is perfect; the most optimal one that could be made in this situation. This leads to some of the other pieces on the board moving on their own, also perfect luck to help him win the game.

How is this possible?

If one of them can use their bloodline magic, the other can as well, and Professor Orias has quite an overpowered one up his sleeve.

'Lucky Happy' is what it's called. A sort of probability manipulation that makes luck-based things go in his favor as long as he doesn't run out of mana.

"Lady Luck is always on my side and she'll never leave. Try as you might, you cannot defeat me!" the professor declares confidently, standing up and looking down on the boy seated in front of him, even with his eyes blinded.

Lead grimaces, knowing that things aren't looking good already, but he has a plan. Iruma concocted the perfect counter to this man's magic, he just has to bide his time a little before executing the next step.

He lets the game go on a little, letting the professor come to the conclusion that things are going his way. This is vital since if the man doesn't get a big head, he might figure out what Lead is about to do.

When the time comes, Lead discreetly steals the teacher's sense of smell on top of his sight and the man doesn't seem to notice. This, of course, turns Lead's nose black, but the currently-blinded professor can't see that. This is the real reason he targeted his vision first, not just so he can handicap his moves.

Stealing two senses at once is a real stretch of Lead's capabilities, but he can handle it for some amount of time. It's draining his mana alarmingly fast, though, so he hopes that this plan goes fast enough that the game concludes before he is drained dry. It's exciting, though, being put under pressure like this, so he doesn't mind the limitation.

Why did he steal the sense of smell from Orias? That's to hide the sweet fragrance that's currently filling the room.

Elizabetta isn't just there for moral support, she's playing her own special role with her unique brand of magic; 'Full Love Gauge'. Its effect is actually similar in some ways to the professor's magic but works on different principles.

Instead of directly manipulating fate, it manipulates the thoughts and actions of the people around her to act in her favor. The effect isn't terribly strong, but if someone is caught off-guard by it, they end up doing things that benefit her without them even noticing themselves doing it.

She slowly fills the room with her magic, which has a distinct scent to it. And, as time goes on, the effect is getting stronger and stronger as the concentration increases in the enclosed space. This causes Orias to fall into an almost trance-like state. He starts to slip mentally, falling under the effects of Elizabetta's spell without realizing it in the slightest. Oswaal is using his ability to help the other side, perfectly following the misfits' plan, and there's nothing he can do to stop it at this point.

Soon, the game is over and he finally manages to snap out of his daze when Lead disengages his magic, returning his two senses to him. Orias is left confused as to how he lost when he knows for a fact that his magic has been in effect this entire time.

Professor Orias stares down at the board in shock for a moment, wracking his brain for any reason that this might've happened to him, but then the realization hits him like a truck.

He's caught a whiff of something; a sweet scent still lingering in the air and he looks over at the girl still standing in the same spot, giving him a warm smile.

"Hi there~!" she says in an almost teasing tone, giving him a little wave, which he can't help but return.

Orias, now having figured it out, lets out a sharp sigh.

"My sense of smell…I didn't realize you'd stolen that too! Very clever!" he says to Lead, who's sitting on the couch with a satisfied smile on his face.

"See? Since her powerful scent has overtaken you, you now have to act in our favor. This means you'll use your luck to provide the victory we seek! That's why you lost." Lead says.

Lead goes on to explain what they both did in detail, thinking it's only fair to tell the defeated professor what caused him to lose.

"It was a race against time since stealing two senses at once takes an almost impossible amount of mana. The pleasure of deceit and the thrill of having such a tight time limit…it doesn't matter what senses I steal, it doesn't beat the sheer pleasure of this! That's why I just can't stop playing these games!" Lead says, his voice filled with pleasure as he triumphantly holds out the form for Professor Orias to stamp.

Lead is the ultimate gambler, loving the excitement and tension of a game in which the odds are stacked astronomically against him. There's not anything else he enjoys as much as situations like these. That thrill combined with the immense satisfaction of winning Lead's currently experiencing, he's left in a state of total bliss.

The professor sighs again, realizing he was outsmarted by the kids.

"I have to admit you guys are deceptively astonishing. I can't wait to see your next move," he says, stamping the form for the two with a smile on his face. He's not just stamping it because of Lead's win alone, Orias has been genuinely won over by the cunning strategy of the misfits. He now believes they deserve the Royal One and is glad to give his seal of approval to them all.

Ameri POV

I find myself in a room alone with Iruma again. He didn't give me much warning, simply shooting me a text saying that we need to talk and he was on his way to the room we usually meet in to read the forbidden texts together.

After talking with Rimuru, as well as hearing some rumors, I know some of what he's been up to. He and his classmates have been going around collecting permission slips from all of the teachers in Babyls. It's a crazy goal to aim for but I'm proud of him for it; it's inspiring.

"Tha-...thank you for coming, Iruma!" I say, my voice coming out an octave higher than I intended. He really is striking an entirely different presence right now sitting in front of me and my heart is already racing because of it.

"Thank you for taking time out of your schedule," Iruma says smoothly.

"Oh n-no…it's nothing!" I assure him.

He's much more confident than usual and I'm finding it harder to interact with him. I'm used to the sweet bubbly Iruma, but right now he's cool, self-assured, and almost egotistical. Not in a bad way, but definitely different enough that I'm struggling to grasp his current personality.

I stare at him, getting lost in my thoughts for a moment.

His eyes…that look in them…it's so-

I cut off that train of thought immediately, composing myself so that he doesn't notice how flustered I am.

"Alright, fine. Let's hear it." I say calmly.

"I'm sure you're already well aware of what we're trying to accomplish here, so I'll get right to the point," Iruma says before slapping a form on the table between us. "We request a recommendation granting our transfer directly to the Royal One," Iruma says confidently, staring me right in the eyes with a look that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Is that…too much to ask?" Iruma asks, more quietly than before, but keeping solid eye contact with me.

My immediate urge is to agree on the spot to this, but I can't show favoritism toward Iruma in a case like this. I'm the President of Bablys' Student Council so I have to keep things fair.

"As the Student Council President, I know you can't make any special exceptions, therefore, if there's something you need from me, just name it. I'll do anything!" Iruma says vehemently, almost pleading with me. His eyes are locked onto mine, piercing straight through to my core, showing that he's dead serious about what he wants.

ANYTHING?!

My imagination instantly starts running wild, thinking about all the things I would like from him, but I put a stop to my own nonsense quickly. I need to stay focused on the moment, just like Iruma is. I need to separate my free time from my work; and fast.

I fake a cough, "Tell me…why are you so keen on obtaining the Royal One? Unless I know what your true intentions are, I can't simply agree to that. I'm the Student Council President, I have protocols to follow." I explain, maintaining my outward illusion of calmness.

Iruma closes his eyes and sighs. "I guess I can't hide anything from you. I simply cannot accept how the Misfit Class is currently being treated. My desire is for Babyls to publicly acknowledge that all of them are exceptional demons!" he declares with a voice full of passion.

"As you know, the Misfit Class is indeed an unusual group of demons." Iruma continues as I hang on to every word.

Yes, Rimuru is definitely 'unusual', but that's an understatement in my humble opinion. Iruma is a human too, which also makes him unusual as well.

As I'm thinking this, Iruma stands up and starts approaching me.

"But I admire how uninhibited they are…I'm even a little envious of them, even more now that I've gotten a taste of how that feels." Iruma says, looking down at his feet. "Everyone here should know just how incredible they are."

Iruma stops while close to me and closes his eyes again; cringing for a moment and balling up his fists at his sides.

"It's do or die…" he mutters barely audibly, looking like he's forcing himself to do something.

What is he about to-?

Then, he suddenly lunges at me, his hand slapping the back of my chair next to my ear, his face now only inches away from my own.

I nearly squealed from surprise but managed to hold it in.

What is this…what is he doing?! Is he going to kiss me?! No…that's not it, but I can feel the heat of his breath on my face…it feels nice….and his eyes are so beautiful; they're bright blue filled with ambition and determination…I think I might lose myself in them!

"I know the Royal One's importance, which is why the collective of us will change if we obtain it," he says, but my head is buzzing from what I'm experiencing right now, making it hard to even comprehend his words.

This is too much…I-I can't take this much longer! I feel like my head's going to explode!

"I want everyone to truly see them…" Iruma says, leaning in even closer, our noses nearly touching.

Close! Close! Close! TOO CLOSE! WHAT DO I DO?!

I'm completely pinned to my chair, unable to move at all even though Iruma is not touching me. But with how close he is, combined with our positions, I can't bring myself to escape no matter how overwhelmed I'm feeling.

"I want you to believe in this class' potential and give us your help! Ameri!" Iruma says, more stern and determined than before, laying his hand on my shoulder.

…

And the next thing I know, I'm stamping the form and giving my approval. It's almost like I blacked out, and I'm left with my head spinning and my heart racing.

I've never in my life felt so helpless, but at the same time excited!

Iruma leaves with the form, thanking me and giving a small respectful bow as he steps out of the room.

Breathing a sigh of relief at Iruma's departure, I flop back onto my chair, quickly pulling my legs up and hugging my knees.

I barely remember a thing…not after he put his face so close to mine and touched me!

Completely overwhelmed, I'm left confused about what to do with my feelings and without anyone that could possibly help. It was scary but exhilarating, stressful but also enjoyable. I can't pinpoint my exact feelings on all of this and it's leaving me very confused.

Is this what love feels like? It must be…

Thinking about the 'L-word' is enough to make my face turn hot all over again and I have to calm myself with more deep breaths. I'm glad I'm the only person in this room right now because I'd never want to be seen in this state by anyone!

I truly don't know what to do. It's not like I could confide in my father…he surely wouldn't approve of me dating…plus, he's a man. There's no way he'd understand what I'm going through!

Iruma POV

"Damn…that was intense, but it worked…" I mutter, leaning up against the wall next to the door I just exited.

Knowing I pulled it off puts a smirk on my face.

I took Rimuru's advice and it paid off. I ignored the flower thing since I wasn't going for romance (I think that was some kind of prank she was trying to pull on me anyway), but the 'getting close' tip sure worked wonders on convincing Ameri. I suppose ruling a country leads to picking up some tricks into getting what you want, huh.

Even though it was stiflingly nerve-racking, it somehow felt good as well; making my point clear to Ameri like that. Getting so close to her also caused an enjoyable rush of excitement deep in my chest that was different from anything I'd experienced before.

I hadn't noticed until then how pretty her eyes were either, but I wasn't able to focus on that detail much since I had a job to do.

Now, I see a light at the end of the tunnel; a sure-fire way to win this for me and the rest of the Misfit Class. All we have to do now is go through the motions and finish the job.

Shaoron POV

(AN: These are characters from a spinoff manga for the Iruma series)

"Word around the school is that Rimuru, a rank Vau student, was somehow incapacitated and is recovering for the rest of the day. You two first-years might not realize, but it is very rare for a student of that rank to be in such a condition," says Gruppen, the sunlight glinting off of his glasses giving him a menacing look.

Gruppen is the President of our battler, a madman hell-bent on sowing chaos throughout the school. He's called me and my friend Zom in for an emergency meeting, so we stand before him, feeling like minions to his insane desires.

"You two want to make names for yourselves, don't you? Defeating a demon of a far higher rank than yourselves would be quite the feat, and this might be the only chance you ever get," he explains, trying his best to entice us into agreeing.

"Isn't it a little cheap to pick a fight with an injured demon?" Zom asks.

"Oh, you won't be picking a fight with her… You'll be ambushing her." Gruppen says with an evil smirk.

"That's even worse!" I yell out, dumbstruck by this man's nerve.

I mean, c'mon! That's just a cheap shot, isn't it? There's not much satisfaction in taking someone down when they're laid up in the infirmary!

"Would you rather face her head-on while she's in peak fighting condition?" he asks incredulously.

"Uh…"

"There's nothing wrong with taking her on this way. A high-ranking demon should be able to protect themselves at all times, otherwise, they aren't worthy of their rank. If they've left themselves vulnerable, that's on them, and it's the job of lower rank demons like yourselves to take your place at the top when that happens." he continues, making a good point, I guess.

Zom and I look at each other. We'd both love to have this win, and if it was okay…

**Later…**

"Okay, go easy on the bombs, we're not trying to kill her," I tell Zom.

"… A few more?" he asks, uncertain that it's enough to knock her out.

I think about it for a moment. "Yeah, a few more, just to be safe."

Zom's bloodline ability is to create explosives, so we've been packing them into some innocuous-looking boxes outside the doorway leading to the infirmary. I really don't see how this plan could fail!

I've heard about this 'Rimuru' girl and she's apparently small and fragile-looking; very pretty too, but that won't stop me. Some say she's scary and powerful, but others think she only got her rank due to connections with other demons. I've also heard she's all talk, not actually possessing the power some seem to think she has. People's opinions are mixed, but either way, things should turn out just fine. She's not feeling well today, meaning she's more weak and vulnerable than usual so I'm sure we can take her out easily with this trap!

Watching from a distance, we patiently wait for Rimuru to show herself…

Rimuru POV

What a boring day… I think to myself as I leave the infirmary to go find Iruma. I had spent half of the school day there, having to pretend to rest while remotely observing classes. It was all I could do, as Ciel was feeling too embarrassed and guilty after our mishap to continue hanging out in imaginary space.

I did get a kick out of witnessing some of the misfits' antics, especially Iruma's little flirt-session with Ameri that I may or may not have caused, but all that only helped so far when it came to my boredom.

As I approach the door though, I get a surprising warning.

[[Notice: The doorway ahead is rigged with a large quantity of explosives, and is being intently watched by the first-year demons Shaoron and Zom.]]

Oh? That's… Really not something I expected to hear. I suppose I should sort that out before someone gets hurt.

I chuckle at the absurd trap, and as I stride through the doorway I mutter to myself:

"There's no way it's me they're waiting for, right? I'm not that unluck-"

KABOOM

Seriously?!

I'm now sailing through the air, watching everything play out in slow motion. Students turn their heads at the sudden noise and watch as I fly across the corridor from the explosion, flames still licking at my clothing.

At least I'm not bored anymore… I think to myself while still mid-air, smoke trailing behind me.

I kinda just let that happen since I knew it couldn't hurt me. My passively-active multidimensional barrier is complete overkill when it comes to defending against an attack of that weak of a caliber. It's too bad that there's been some serious damage to the corridor, but incidents like this aren't too uncommon here, so I'm sure the repairs would go fairly quickly. I think some of the staff have magic that can help with it.

After being tossed through the air like a ragdoll, I elegantly stuck the landing and glared toward the culprits behind the trap.

When the kids responsible see that I'm not only unscathed but also staring directly at them, they make a run for it. Of course, I don't allow them to get away so easily, and pen them in with barriers. Both end up slamming face-first into the invisible wall I erected around them, falling on their asses with a satisfying pair of smacks.

I walk right up to the edge of the barrier, sternly staring down at them as they stumble to their feet.

"I'm pretty used to getting attacked out of nowhere, but it's still rude, y'know? Not to mention the amount of structural damage from that explosion…" I scold them with relative calmness, folding my arms disapprovingly.

"Crap! What do we do, what do we do?!" Shaoron frantically whispers to Zom.

"Simple, we blow up this barrier!" Zom responds, and then chucks a bomb at the barrier only for it to bounce off and explode in their faces. This, of course, knocks them both down a second time, but this time they both got singed too.

I facepalm at their incompetence. They really are just a couple of dumb kids doing dumb stuff. It's hard to be angry at a couple of first-years who don't seem to know what they're doing to the point of punishing themselves in a way, but then I realize…

"Wait…you attacked me because you heard I'd been sent to the infirmary and figured I'd be vulnerable, didn't you? That's pretty cowardly of you two!" I say, a little more upset after figuring out how scummy their plan truly was.

I guess I'll have to teach these two a lesson…I can't have them trying something similar with another student. Honestly, it's lucky that it was me who was their target and not another, much more vulnerable student.

The two cower pathetically now that I've figured out the reason behind their attack.

"I suppose I should punish you then… Oh, you are in ~so~ much trouble!" I say with a smile that only seems to add to their fear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Shaoron apologizes, shamelessly doing a dogeza. "It won't happen again, I swear!"

"It's too late now! You're gonna be in for a whole world of detention when I tell your teacher about this!" I say, still grinning at them.

" "Detention?" " they both ask, surprised.

"Well, it's not like beating up a couple of kids would make me feel any better," I reply simply.

"B-but…you're the same age as us…" Shaoron points out, a bit hesitantly.

Whoops.

"… Fair point. But seriously, what were you even thinking?! Even if you did manage to hurt me, don't you think I'd retaliate after recovering? I'm not known for being a pushover, you know. Plus, I have both the Chairdemon as my Grandfather and the President of the Student Council on my side, since I'm part of her battler, so it's not like I'm lacking in people that would also try to get revenge for my sake. Did you think this through at all?!"

Neither of them seems to have any justification for their actions. I think they're finally realizing how bad of an idea this all was, based on their current dumbfounded and scared expressions.

"Well, I've said what I wanted to. I'll see you around, have fun in your endless detention!" I say, releasing the two boys.

School's over for the day so their real punishment can wait until tomorrow. I think I've done enough to stop them from doing anything else stupid before then.

"Senpai is gonna make so much fun of us…" Shaoron mutters as I leave them behind.

Poking around in my memories of the student records I used in my recent investigation, I figured out that these two's homeroom teacher is Professor Buer. It's the same guy that Sabnock was tasked with getting a stamp from earlier; that was a little scene I was spying on while pretending to be snoozing away in the infirmary.

He seems like a reasonable enough man so he should listen to me if I let him know what happened. I mean, the evidence is pretty damn obvious to me. As far as I could tell, those explosives were made by that Zom boy's bloodline magic, so the incident can easily be tied to him, and his co-conspirator is part of the same battler.

Plus, my word has some extra weight to it for multiple reasons, so being convincing shouldn't be an issue. This isn't Kalego I'm going to be dealing with, who has a grudge against me, but a teacher I have a neutral relationship with.

I find Buer's classroom quickly and poke my head inside since the door was ajar and the school day is over, so no class could be going on in there.

"Professor Buer?" I ask.

The man looks up from what I assume are papers he's grading.

"You're from the Misfit Class, are you not? Your classmate already acquired my seal of approval for the Royal One, so you have no need to trouble yourself with convincing me to do so," he says without fully taking his attention from his task.

"Oh no, that's not why I'm here Professor. I actually need to tell you about something a couple of your homeroom first-years have been up to." I correct his assumption, now fully entering the classroom.

He raises a questioning eyebrow at me and sits up straighter in his desk's chair, now listening much more intently to what I'm saying.

"A couple of them tried to blow me to pieces a few minutes ago since I've been cooped up in the infirmary all day. They thought they could ambush me in my 'moment of weakness' which is pretty messed up, I have to say."

The man groans, pinching the bridge of his (large) nose. I get the impression this isn't the first time he's been told about something like this happening.

"So that's what that sound was… Let me guess, it was Shaoron and Zom?" he asks, guessing correctly who I'm talking about.

"Yes, it was. Thankfully, I know how to properly defend myself against stuff like those explosives, but there's been some collateral damage to the hallway outside the infirmary." I explain.

"I will make sure to punish them accordingly," Buer says with a sigh.

"Thanks."

He took my word for it, which made things easier for me at least. It's out of my hands now so pushing it out of my mind shouldn't be a problem.

With that all taken care of, I can head home now. I'll definitely have some explaining to do about my 'fainting spell' since I know that Sullivan must've heard about it at this point. I'm honestly surprised he didn't barge into the infirmary at some point since that seems like something he'd do, but I don't mind. Either way, I think I need to let him know I'm just fine.