A Trial of Terror
Iruma POV
"Mmmh… this is a lot," Lead grumbles as he stares at the song lyric sheet.
"Yeah, there are a lot of steps, but if we work together, we should be fine, right?"
"Great idea, Iruma! I'll take the second half and you take the first! That way, we'll solve the riddle faster."
That's not what I meant by 'working together'...
The idea of separating like that makes me a little nervous.
"Uh… you sure, Lead?"
"Yup! Let's split up here and we'll meet back up at this exact spot once we solve our halves."
I hesitate for a few seconds before responding. It should be fine, right? And Lead is probably right about it being faster since we'll be able to cover more ground if we separate.
"Okay, Lead, let's do it!"
…
Walk one hundred steps with the runaway bride
"Is this rock with a face on it the 'runaway bride'? It must be…"
It took me a few hours, but I managed to find my starting spot.
So, I walk 100 steps 'with' her, and find another rock with a face.
There's the mother-in-law, behind her you hide
You look down carefully…
I peek behind the rock, and at first, I can't spot anything special, but then I take a closer look and find a set of trap doors hidden in the brush.
Opening them reveals nothing but a pitch-black pit of darkness, complete with a stone set of steps leading much, much deeper. Very spooky!
…and then you dive deep
I have to go into whatever is down there…
I'll need some light, though, so I use Raffire to make a little flame at the tip of my index finger. Then, I step inside and point the flame forward, lighting up the passage a bit. Not enough to see far, but enough to see what's immediate.
The stairs go a lot deeper than I thought they would, but I can't stop now; Lead is counting on me! No, the entire Misfit Class is counting on me! I need to get a rank promotion and finding the Legendary Leaf is the perfect way to do it. I've faced much scarier things than a spooky dark passage!
I continue going down the steps, telling myself that being scared of this place is silly, but still keeping my guard up.
After a while of walking deeper and deeper into the cave-like staircase, the area widens into a full-blown cave. I can't even see the other side, so I strengthen my Raffire a bit, enough to light up most of the room. I'm glad I can control magic a bit better now or I might've messed that up!
The dark cave lights up better and reveals something that actually made me jump back a little.
See the maw awaiting with razor-sharp teeth
The opening to another cave hallway, framed by the face of an enormous beast. Fangs made of stone stalagmites and stalactites, the path forward looks like I'm staring into the throat of a huge monster!
Deep past the jaws you will find your prize
I have to go inside that thing. It's not an actual monster, but eerily shaped stone. It's just made of stone…
My dumb thoughts go to some stories I'd heard before, just fantasy stuff, about statues coming to life and attacking people. Things like that can exist in the Netherworld too, right? For real, not just in stories, since magic is real. What if this is one of those things?
No. I shake off the idea, I can't let myself get freaked out about something that isn't even real.
I'm both excited and scared, but neither of those feelings matter. I need to continue.
The Seed of Beginning inside the Womb of Lies
That's my goal. I need to reach the 'Womb of Lies', which sounds pretty ominous, but I'll be fine. It can't be any scarier than Miss Hinata, right?
"This is such an exciting treasure hunt! Lookin' for the mystic seed!"
"Oh, Ali! You're in high spirits."
He's even changed his usual clothes into something someone would wear in an adventure movie.
"Yeah, since you're finally alone I can come out! And we're looking for a legendary buried treasure, so of course I'm excited!"
Ali perches on my shoulder and sits in a relaxed position as I walk along the very long passage. I'm glad he's having fun since I know he's been hiding away for so long, doing I don't know what. I've kinda missed him lately.
"But are you sure this is a good idea?"
"What? Looking for the Legendary Leaf?"
"No, kiddo, going off on your own! I know you have been training hard to grow stronger, but being in a pair is safer!"
"But I have you, don't I, Ali? We make a pair."
"Th-that doesn't count! Even though I am very reliable, we are still going somewhere dangerous! We keep going deeper, and it keeps getting darker! And aren't you smelling something strange in here? You need to stay focused!"
"I am focused, I promise."
I guess it does smell kinda weird down here, and not in a good way. I thought it was just because this place looks super old and untouched so all the air down here grew stale, but maybe it's a sign that something dangerous is lurking down here.
"Focus harder! Turn on your 'danger radar' and stay calm no matter what!"
Yeah, I really should be using my magic field down here. I've been holding off on using it much since it can wear me out and make me feel sick, but down in this dangerous place, it might be worth the risk or eventual forced retreat.
So I activate it, and it makes it easier for me to 'see' what's around me, but I still can't really see farther than my Raffire's light stretches. The range of it just isn't enough to outcompete my fire magic, but at least nothing can sneak up behind me now.
I keep walking and the smell keeps getting worse. Bad enough, even, that I have to pinch my nose to block it out. It's kinda burning my eyes too, although only just a little. But there's only one way to walk, and that's forward, so I just have to tolerate it.
Wait, is that a person?
I step closer and my light hits the small, hooded figure that I can't make out most of the face of, pinned against the wall by some vines. I can see their eyes and mouth, but nothing else, and quickly figure out that the strange smell is coming from them.
"Isn't your name… Nafra?"
The figure nods, although he can't seem to do much else with how restrained he is by the vines. Nafra is a fellow first-year at Babyls, but one I don't know personally. He must've come here looking for the Legendary Leaf too!
"Gosh, you're really tangled up… isn't that a gripping weed?" I look down near Nafra's feet and see a triggered trap, "Oh, this must've watered it when you set it off, then it grew like crazy and grabbed you."
I learned about these things in diabotany class. All it takes is one drop of water for them to grow 30 meters and they'll wrap around anything they can reach. And they wrap it up tight too, making them very dangerous.
"If the beasts find him like that, he'll surely die," Ali whispers, "Although, that stench might actually be repelling them."
"Yeah, but he might not be safe for long. What if it wears off?" I whisper back. I hope Nafra didn't just hear me talking with Ali, or calling him stinky; neither would be good.
I start walking toward Nafra, wanting to free him from those vines, but then Ali whacks me in the back of my head.
"Ow! What was that for?" I whine.
"Why are you going to help the enemy!? He is after the Legendary Leaf too! Why else would he be down here!?"
"B-but… he needs help! I can't leave him like that! He's even asking for help, can't you tell?"
"I don't hear a thing."
"No, with his eyes! He's pleading for me to help him!"
Ali just stares at me for a long moment with his singular eye, then shakes his head.
"You are such a pushover…"
It's not like I don't know that already. If being a pushover means I can help someone who needs it, then I'm perfectly fine staying one.
I grab at and fiddle with the vines, snapping a few here, untangling a few there, all while Nafra keeps squirming and struggling. Together, we slowly unravel them and Nafra falls right onto me. I catch him before he hits the ground and he hugs me, seemingly out of gratitude. Maybe he's scared too and just needs a little comfort, I know I would too.
After a few seconds, Nafra lets go and falls to the ground. He's pretty small by demon standards, his height is maybe waist-high on me, and Grandpa said I'm still growing.
He seems fine now that he's free, so my job here is done, I guess. I really need to get moving after spending time freeing him from that trap, though.
"W-well… um… good luck!" I awkwardly wave at him and continue trekking deeper into the dark hallway.
Rimuru POV
"What if this is some sort of trap?"
"It isn't. They wouldn't do that to us."
"What do you mean? They are competing against you in this competition! How do you know you're not being tricked?"
"I just do!"
"Well, I'm not doing a single thing if this turns out badly. Don't expect me to fix your mistakes this time, Keroli."
While Clara isn't likely to come up with a conniving plan to take down what Keroli built up during the Harvest Festival, I'm pretty sure Elizabetta is, and that letter came from both of them.
An invitation to a hot spring spot in some cave, which Keroli took at face value, delivered by Clara's weird familiar.
And since Keroli is still clinging to me, I'm expected to go with her.
The only reason I feel the need to go along with this is so that I can make sure Camui doesn't peep on the girls. He's not supposed to follow along, but I don't think that's gonna stop him; not with Elizabetta being there.
I'm still questioning the motives behind the invitation, though; Elizabetta can be more clever than you'd first expect for someone her age. But again, I could just be reading too far into this random invitation.
Maybe this is their way of proposing an alliance of sorts? Or they're just wanting to take a break from the competition…
I'd like to think this isn't an attempt at sabotage, but with how nonsensical this feels, I can't help but be suspicious about this whole thing.
Well, if it all goes to shit, that isn't my business.
[[Master, there is a problem.]]
Iruma POV
"We are being followed~."
"I know, Ali, I know."
"Then why are you doing nothing about it?"
"Y-you said working in a pair is safer, so-"
"Are you sure, Iruma-boy? With that thing?"
"Shush, don't be mean, Ali."
"But he is stinking up this place! We should ditch 'im!"
"Stop it," I declare a bit more sternly.
Ali seems surprised that I actually got a little forceful with him and stares at me for a few seconds. I wasn't trying to be rude, but he was being rude about Nafra.
"Fine, have it your way," Ali shakes his head at me, "But don't go complaining to me when you're unable to get that stench off of yourself later!"
Ali then retreats back into my ring, leaving me alone with Nafra, who hasn't said a word this entire time.
…
After passing an obstacle course of traps, narrow bridges, deep pits, and very pointy spikes that I narrowly dodged after they shot out of a normal-looking wall, I finally reach what looks like an ancient temple of some kind. Nafra has been following right behind me this entire time, and even if he is super quiet, I still appreciate his company. Smelly or not, having a companion for this adventure is better than being alone.
We scale the steps, and when we reach the top, something shiny grabs my eye.
A golden pedestal, right in the center of the temple, and sitting on top of it is something that sorta looks like a large pinecone.
"Is this… the Seed of Beginning?"
Nafra nods enthusiastically.
"We did it! It's really here!"
I take it off the pedestal, cradling it carefully, but then an intense feeling of danger comes over me. I instinctively throw myself backward, grabbing Nafra along the way, and land on my butt before quickly jumping to my feet.
It was so fast, but my thoughts had sped up a bit when it all happened, meaning that I got to see the giant stone hand shoot out of the opening of the temple and slam right into the ground where I was standing before I sprung back.
"Hm… you dodged it. What speed. What reflexes." the giant statue, now fully emerged says in a deep, intimidating tone. "My name is Thoth, the genie that is the guardian of the Seed of Beginning. Welcome, young challengers."
That's when I realize… the seed has slipped out of my hands and is now being held by the magic statue. I was so focused on saving myself and Nafra that I must've dropped it! But, knowing this big scary dude is the guardian of it, he probably would've taken it from me by force if I still had it. I'm just glad Nafra and I got out of that unscathed.
"There are only two ways to obtain the Seed of Beginnings! Fighting me and taking it by force!"
Well, that's out of the question. There's no way I can take this guy!
"And the other way is…"
I hold my breath in anticipation, hoping it isn't something equally as difficult as combat.
"...Tell me something interesting."
Uh… what?
"I seek all knowledge, so, if you wish to acquire the Seed of Beginning, you must tell me something interesting."
"Is it really that… uh… simple?" I've sorta become used to this kind of thing, especially after going to Rimuru's world. Everyone there seemed to have tricks up their sleeves, all the time.
"Looks can be deceiving, and you are right. There is a small trick to this. For you see, I have knowledge of all of the Netherworld, so to tell me something interesting, you must be highly creative."
If he's emphasizing the word, it has to be important; a hint of some kind. I want to figure it out, but 'creative' can mean a lot of things. Maybe this is some test for demons, and he wants a spell that could change minds and hearts? Or maybe it's a request for a hearty joke… Or maybe he just wants a story he hasn't heard before? I can't really tell.
I tried a few things; a story Grandpa told me, some survival tips, and I even tried a trick question! None of it worked. Thoth already knew the story, and the survival tips, and he's way too smart to be fooled by a silly question like, 'What's heavier, a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers?' I don't even know what I was thinking with that one…
"Are you done?" Thoth asks as I lay on the ground in defeat. This is really tough! I'm not very creative and creativity seems to be the exact thing Thoth wants from me here!
Then, Nafra starts babbling something out. I can't tell what he's saying, but he seems pretty confident, then randomly breaks out into laughter.
"A killer joke? Unfortunately, I have already heard it. I thought I could gain new knowledge by meeting youngsters from the Harvest Festival, but it seems like I was sadly mistaken. Have I truly learned all there is to learn in the Netherworld?" Thoth deeply sighs, clearly disappointed with us, still gripping onto the Seed.
If he knows everything from the Netherworld, then I just need to share something that's from a different world, right?
I can tell him a story from Earth, but what comes to mind first is something that Rimuru told me recently. Rimuru called it a fairytale from her world, but I'm not sure if that's true. It seemed too sad and dark to be a fairytale to me.
"Um… I guess I know a story you might not know. My friend told it to me a while ago."
"You may try."
"Well… there once was a little girl who was summoned to another world by a Demon Lord. She…"
…
"...and even though she died, her friend fulfilled her last wishes and she rested happily. Her students were saved and her Demon Lord got punched in the face. The End."
"What a… touching tale…" Thoth pulls out a gigantic handkerchief and blows his stony nose, somehow. "That was GREAT!"
Nafra nods quickly. I guess he liked the story too.
"Dear challenger Iruma, you have honored me with your great knowledge. And so, I shall reward you with the Seed of Beginning."
Thoth reaches out and hands me back the legendary seed and I gratefully take it, carefully tucking it into my bag for safekeeping. I don't want to drop it again if something attacks and tries to take it from me.
"I hope that I will soon add 'Iruma's victory in the Harvest Festival' to my knowledge."
"Thank you so much!"
We turn to leave and start walking away from Thoth.
"And before you depart, let me warn you of a danger." Thoth brings back his more commanding, serious tone instead of the casual one he started using while I was telling him that story.
"My fellows have informed me that a being of great power has invaded the Netherworld. You must tread lightly, as this god has the power to destroy this world with ease. Avoid this being at all costs, for your own safety, young one. It is paramount to your destiny here."
Is he… talking about Rimuru? As long as Thoth is talking about Rimuru, I'm fine, but if there's someone else that dangerous here…
"Oh, and do tell the one that told you that wondrous story to meet with me. I would like to hear more from them," he goes right back to friendly again, stony eyes practically glittering.
"Sure thing…"
He has no clue it was that same 'god' that told me that story…
…
Walking back out of the temple, we take a few shortcuts, courtesy of Thoth and the advice that he gave us right before we left him.
Nafra is still following behind, but then I realized that might become a problem soon.
What am I gonna do when I meet up with Lead? I mean, Nafra is our rival in this competition. Should we split the points three ways between us? Or maybe Lead can get half and I can split my half with Nafra…
It's too complicated. I'll just figure it out once I join back up with Lead.
Come to think of it… I can't really smell Nafra anymore. Have I gotten used to it?
I've always had to adapt to new things. First, everything that happened with my parents, then finding myself in a new world full of demons, then accepting an all-powerful Demon Lord as my sister…
A lot has happened. Lots of unfamiliar, mysterious, and sometimes even scary things.
But, I've decided to stay here. To do more in this world. I've been feeling it more and more, that I want to help everyone here, bring smiles to their faces, and change things for the better.
I want more from the Netherworld. More ups and downs, more friends, more adventures. More living.
It's exciting just thinking about it. My heart is beating fast.
Sheesh… all this quiet walking is making me think too much about things…
It's silly to be thinking about stuff like that right now. I'm in the middle of a competition! And in a dangerous place too. Gotta keep my guard up… can't let myself get distracted…
We finally reach the end of the passage and it opens up into a larger space.
Whoa!
Another huge cavern appears before my eyes, this time with many flat-topped pillars in various shapes and sizes, and a deep dark pit below. Who knows what's down there… I really don't want to find out, to be honest.
I'll have to jump between all these platforms and pray that I don't stumble or slip. They're close enough for that and there's no way I'm trying flying right now. I'm not nearly confident enough doing it yet.
"Let's go!" I shout out loud to encourage both myself and Nafra.
I can't fall. I won't fall.
I can do this! I can-
Huh?
Two people that shouldn't be here are casually standing on the platform in front of me.
"Iruma! We found you~!"
How is this-?
"You doin' good? Mom and Dad are doing super good!" My mom cheers and throws an arm over my dad's shoulders.
It's been a long time since I've seen them, and it's pretty dark in here, but I still recognize my parents.
"W-wait, no, h-how did you get here!?" I sputter as I stare at them both in complete disbelief.
"How? On foot, you silly boy!" Mom answers in a teasing tone.
"B-but… w-we're in the Neth-"
"We're out of money again~! So we're looking for more now~! Won't you help us, son?" Dad proposes.
"I… d-don't know… I-I'm kinda… um…"
I'm busy right now. I don't have time for their antics. And…
…They sold me. I need to tell them off for selling me to a demon!
Yeah, that's what's important right now! I don't have a clue how they got here, but my parents are just unbelievable people, so I guess it's possible. This is my chance to finally stand up against them!
"H-hey-!" My voice comes out a lot smaller than I want. This is harder than I thought…
My parents completely ignored me despite my effort. "How about the desert next? I got bored with the North Pole!"
"Wait!"
"Good idea! Scorpions are edible, right? There HAS to be lots of treasures in those pyramids too!"
They never listen…
"Let's go back, Iruma," Mom suddenly says, her tone final and commanding.
"Huh?"
Back…?
"No, wait, that's a bit-"
"Say okay and go along, just like you always do!"
"You're a good kid that does what he's told, right, Iruma?"
"Yes! Iruma is a good boy who always says yes to us!"
No… I'm not letting them take me back! I have a new life here. Friends, family, so much more than I had in the human world. I can't let them take that away from me!
"But I have friends here! I can't just leave! I can't just go with you after you sold m-!"
"Let's go, Iruma."
"No! I wo-!"
"PLEEEEEEAAAASE!"
I take a step back, wanting to just get away from both of them. They're gonna take me! They're gonna take me away from my friends, my new family! I need to get away, I need to get-
My foot slips on the edge of the platform and I fall into the depths.
…
"Ugh… where… am I?"
My head hurts badly and I can't see a thing at first.
But, it's not completely dark down here and my eyes quickly adjust.
Did I… fall? Yeah, I fell…
I think for a moment, trying to piece together what just happened.
My Mom and Dad were here, somehow, and then… oh no, my leg is hurt. There's a gash in it.
"What should I do? I don't have any potions or anything…" The cut looks pretty bad. I think it needs medical attention.
"I have to get back… somehow." I stare upward, trying to think of how to go about this.
Then, I hear steps and look in their direction. And see two faces I didn't expect.
"Azz? Clara?" They are just standing there, blankly staring down at me.
I'm happy to see them both, I really am. Maybe they can help me out of this pit.
"Did you fall down here too?"
But they both just keep staring at me with expressionless faces, not uttering a single word in response to my question.
What's going on with them?
I reach out to Azz with my hand. "Could you-?"
He slaps it away.
"Stay away from me, human."
"Eh…?"
His pink eyes are cold, and so is his expression. Nothing like the Azz I know; not like my friend.
"Everything I admired about you is a lie."
"I hate liars," Clara chimes in, sounding equally as cold. Her usual cheeriness is nonexistent, her eyes dark.
"Don't speak to us ever again, you traitor."
"No! Please wait! Let me explain! You're wro-!" I plead with them both, reaching out helplessly as my two friends turn away from me.
How did they even find out!? Who told them I'm-
"It's obvious," another voice says, cutting off my train of thought.
"Wha-"
It's Professor Kalego. He's down here too.
"It is impossible for demons and humans to coexist. You do not belong here. You never have, and never will."
But I do belong! But his words still stick in me like a knife, even if I know they're not true. My chest feels tight and my eyes are blurring a bit with tears.
No. I can't cry right now. I need to-
"Iruma!" yet another person down here with me calls out.
They're both smiling at me… well, Grandpa is, and Opera is looking at me with his usual neutral face. I know he's smiling on the inside, though.
I smile and wipe away my tears, ecstatic to see both of them.
"Grandpa! Opera!"
"Everything's gonna be alright. Don't worry, come here."
Open arms and welcoming words. I start stumbling toward my Grandpa as fast as I can with my hurt leg, just wanting a hug from him after being rejected.
"Grandp-"
"I'll make sure to return you to your parents since they came all this way to pick you up."
Return me to my parents?
I stop in front of him, never making it to that hug, and collapse back to the ground after my legs started shaking.
"W-wait, no! That's not-!" That's not what I want!
It feels like my world is falling apart; like everyone I care about is rejecting me.
I feel so… lonely. They're all right here, but I'm still completely alone.
In the past, I was alone a lot, and honestly, it didn't bother me much. But now that I've made friends… the thought of losing them…
Tears start streaming out of my eyes, my whole body is shaking, I can't stand the overwhelming feeling of total loneliness and loss.
"P-please… please d-don't leave m-me behind…" I sob to myself, burying my face in my knees.
"Yes," I hear Mom speak again and look up to see her with my dad again, standing close to me; looming over me. With a smile, she reaches down to grab my arm, "You're coming home with us, Iru-sshhhk!"
*Thud thud*
Both of my parents' heads fell to the ground before their bodies collapsed too, moments later.
I scream and drag myself away, barely even processing what just happened. Then a pair of black boots walks up to one of the heads and kicks it across the cave floor.
I crane my neck and look up at the person responsible. They're smirking, although I can't identify the rest of their face. It's oddly familiar though…
"Heh," they chuckle, "serves them right."
It's her?!
"R-rimuru…?"
"Who else? I could tell you were in trouble, so I came to help. Didn't expect your parents to come crawling back into your life, though," Rimuru squats next to me and pats the top of my head, "Don't worry, your sister won't let them hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."
The look in her golden eyes sends a shiver up my spine.
"B-but Rimuru, you didn't need to-"
"Didn't need to what? Didn't need to kill them? You're still too soft, Iruma," Rimuru shakes her head at me. "Don't interfere this time, y'hear? I have a job to do."
My stomach sinks.
Rimuru stands back up and turns away from me, resting her sword on her shoulder.
"Rimuru."
"Hm?"
"Wh-what is this 'job'...?"
"Taking out the trash."
Rimuru flicks a hand out toward Grandpa and I see the glint of something in the air. Thread? Then, the next thing I know, he's slamming against one of the stone pillars and falling to the ground.
"There. That's what you get for saying you'll send him back with those neglectful scumbags. What a useless 'grandpa.'"
There's blood pooling around his head and one of his horns is broken. His clothes are torn, his glasses shattered… somewhere.
"Grandpa, no!"
I try to stand up but can't, my leg is too injured and I'm still shaking horribly. So, I crawl toward him, wanting to help him before it's too late. I can use my blood to heal him! I'm already bleeding, so I can save him!
"Oh, Iruma, just sit still. You're hurt," Rimuru states to me, her voice and smile offputtingly warm.
"But I h-have to-"
"Don't worry, this won't take long. Just close your eyes if you don't like it."
Just then, a fist punches right through Rimuru's stomach as she glances down at it with a small frown.
"Hm. Defending your master, even after he's gone," Rimuru sighs, smiling a little and shaking her head lightly, "Well, you're at fault too."
There's a horrific crunching and a scream from Opera as he's drawn into Rimuru's body, arm first. Not even a single tatter of his fine suit was left behind.
None of this feels real… it can't be real!
My heart is thumping harder and faster, I feel like my thoughts are in a fog as I stare on in horror.
"Now for the traitorous subordinate… there's nothing I hate more than disloyalty," Rimuru turns toward Azz, with Clara adamantly standing next to him. "Turning your back on Iruma for something as pointless as race; you should be ashamed. So much for being his friend."
"Don't you try to tell me what is shameful and what is not!" Azz snarls back, standing his ground.
"Azz! Clara! Run! Just run away… please!" I plead with them. Rimuru isn't listening, but maybe my two friends will, even if they're angry with me.
"I do not take orders from humans!" he coldly declares to me.
"And I don't listen to liars," Clara chips in.
"I refuse to stand by and do nothing," Professor Kalego steps between Rimuru and Azz. "Stand down this instant, young-!"
In a blink, both Rimuru and he disappear as I hear a slamming noise to the side. My eyes are drawn to the noise even though my gut screams at me not to look.
Kalego; impaled through the chest and limbs on some of the pointier outcroppings in the cave floor, with Rimuru standing right next to him.
Before I can even react, Clara lunges at Rimuru's back, to which Rimuru just swings a hand out in her direction.
Then Clara is just… gone. Just gone in an instant, nothing else. Only a slight black swirl around Rimuru's hand for a moment gave away what just happened.
The tears come back and start blurring my eyes as everyone I care about is getting wiped out before my eyes! This is even worse than losing their friendship, now I'm losing them completely!
I can see Azz is shaking, already defensively holding a sword of fire in his hands and studying Rimuru closely.
Rimuru is also holding a sword and smiling creepily in response, the sword shimmering a light yellow.
I need to do something… need to do something!
Without another thought, I use magic field to try to take Rimuru's sword from her, tugging with all my might.
The sword slips out of Rimuru's hand for just a moment, but she immediately grabs it again out of the air before turning to me, grinning.
"Hehe, oh Iruma, that was cute! I'm happy to see you're getting stronger!" Rimuru laughs jovially.
The next thing I know, Azz is on the floor, cut up into pieces, and Rimuru is standing over him. Covered in his blood. Covered in everyone's blood.
"There we go… all done now."
Rimuru walks over to me and holds out a bloody hand.
"Now… let's get out of here. I mean, who needs the Netherworld anyway? It sucks in comparison to my world, and I've had enough of this place."
I stare at the hand, speechless, and try to back away. But Rimuru gets up closer to me instead.
"In Tempest, you'll never have to worry about your safety. Ever. I'll take better care of you than anyone el-"
*ClaAAck*
Rimuru stops mid-word, freezing in place.
*C-c-c-c-reeiiiiiink*
A sound like nails on a chalkboard rings out, the grating noise sending a shiver down through my already trembling body.
I watch as cracks quickly radiate down from the crown of Rimuru's head. She doesn't move a muscle, face frozen in the word she had been trying to say.
Then, with a sound like a breaking glass bottle, she falls apart into thousands of little shards that disappear before they hit the ground.
Standing behind where she was is… Rimuru?
Hand outstretched in a chopping position with a slight blue glow around it.
"Psshht… using my face to hurt you," Rimuru looks around, "And it looks like I wasn't the only one," she grimaces, then looks at me with a frown of pity and concern.
"Are you alright?"
I can't respond and just stare at her in shock.
"I'll take that as a no…" Rimuru frowns a little more, then walks up next to me, placing a hand on each of my shoulders and staring me in the eyes. I flinch, but don't pull away from her, "C'mon, kid, pull yourself together. Use your brain and think about what you just saw."
I look around us, remembering all the horrific things I just saw, and then back to Rimuru's face.
"Y-you killed them…"
"No, no I didn't. Why would I kill people who are my friends? I'd never do that. Never," Rimuru says firmly, but quietly, still staring me right in the face.
"B-but, they all turned on me! They didn't want me around because they found out I'm human! Th-that's why y-you… you…"
"And do you really think any of them would? Well… maybe Kalego, but the rest wouldn't do that."
"No… they wouldn't… but they did… I'm so confused…"
Rimuru sighs and looks away for a moment.
"Did you see what I did? To that thing pretending to be me?" she points at the spot her double was a moment ago, "It was a fake, an illusion, something cooked up with magic to scare you. Do you understand?"
Rimuru's words are steady and gentle, reassuringly so. Then, I feel something wash over me, relaxing my body and slowing my breaths and heartbeat. I feel like I can actually think again, some of the fog leaving as I calm down.
"So… the rest… it was all fake?" I question Rimuru, still in somewhat of a daze.
"As fake as your worst fears can be, I suppose," Rimuru turns her head and points into the darkness as I spot an ominous pair of eyes staring at us, "See that thing? It's the core of the spell; in essence, it's what made all those fakes."
That monster did it…?
Despite Rimuru calling it a spell core, it looks for all intents and purposes like a massive monster. Either way, it's what caused all those horrible things to be shown to me.
All the blood and fear, making me watch my friends and family die gruesomely. It was all the doing of the shadow Rimuru is pointing at.
Evil, is the best word I can think of to describe something that forces you to see stuff like that, but now that I understand its tricks…
Rimuru turns back to me with a confident smirk, "I'm sure you know what you need to do to it. That bratty mentor of yours showed you enough to take care of things, right?"
"Yeah… yeah! I can use my bow! I can pierce right through my fears!" I exclaim, realizing this is something I can fight.
"That's the spirit! Shoot it right in the eye! Show it who's boss!" Rimuru cheers, fist-pumping.
"Alright!"
The shadow is huge and looming over me, imposing and scary. Just looking at it makes me shudder, but…
What I'm most afraid of… is losing the people I care about.
This thing made me see exactly that, and it was horrible, but now that it's just a big spooky mass of smoke… I can take it. I'm not scared of it!
Rimuru helps me to my feet (despite being in small form right now) and I stand and face the threat, feeling a lot more confident after the pep-talk.
I tap into all the stuff Master Bachiko taught me, focusing just like I had to when I was training.
Summoning my bow and knocking an arrow, I pull back the string and focus on what I learned. I concentrate hard on what I want the arrow to do; where I want it to go…
This arrow… will hit my enemy! Pierce right through it, fear and all!
With that one thought as my focus, the arrow is released. Shining bright with all the emotions I poured into it, it shot through the darkness and hit its mark, dead center.
Breathing heavily, I slump back to the ground, exhausted. My bow disperses and I lean back against a stone, trying to calm down.
"I won't let my life here be taken from me… I won't," I declare out loud, mostly to myself.
"Heh, of course you won't," Rimuru smiles, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it? What you saw back there."
"Not right now… but I do want…" I hesitate for a moment before suddenly scooping Rimuru into a hug.
She lets out a small gasp, but doesn't say anything at first.
"Haha, are you making sure I'm real?" Rimuru asks while patting my back.
"Nuh-uh… I just want a hug from you… Azz, Clara, Grandpa, and Opera too… I wanna give them all a bunch of big, happy hugs."
After seeing what I saw… I just want to reassure myself that they're all still on my side. I want to experience that warmth that was missing from their illusions.
"What about Kalego? He was one of your illusions too," Rimuru chuckles.
"I don't think he would let me even if I wanted to."
"You're probably right. But if you summoned him as a familiar though… y'know, for the competition, you could have a fluffy hug from him right now!"
"I'm not going to force our professor to hug me…"
Rimuru just laughs at this and pats me on the back before releasing her side of the hug.
"Don't you have a Harvest Festival to win?" Rimuru asks, which refocuses me immediately and I let her go.
I have to bring the Seed of Beginning to Lead! With everything that just happened, it slipped out of my mind until just now.
"Yeah… I'm on a mission! Gotta get back and join up with Lead. He's probably waiting for me."
"Well, good luck! I'll go back to what I was doing if you're fine now… but what about that?" Rimuru points at my injured leg.
"Yeah… that… I'll figure it out."
It's stopped bleeding, but it still stings a lot.
"I'll heal it for ya if you want, but you said you didn't want my help at all… sorry for breaking that little promise, by the way, I felt I needed to do something after I sensed how terrified you were."
"Oh, no, it's fine… I kinda needed it, so I'm not upset. But… I'll be fine. I don't need you to heal my leg."
"Hm… what about getting you out of this death trap of a pit? Seriously, I'm surprised you're not more hurt from falling down here…"
"Nope. I'll manage."
"If you say so."
With a small wave goodbye, Rimuru shoots into the air, her wings out in an instant, leaving me alone in the darkness.
The illusions of my loved ones are long gone, they faded away after I shot the shadow monster thing. It's just more reassurance that it was all fake and none of it really happened.
Now I just need to figure out a way up.
My leg is still hurt, but it really isn't that bad; I can probably climb up if I try hard enough.
"That sure was a nasty spell," Ali comments out of nowhere. "I tried to snap you out of it, but it was almost like you couldn't hear or see me!"
"I guess not… you kinda talk in my head normally, right? So maybe the spell was blocking that out."
"Perhaps. But I am glad you are back to normal now, Iruma-boy. I was so worried! I managed to break your fall, but when you started talking to things that weren't there and ignoring me, I didn't know what to do!"
"You couldn't see them?"
"Not at all, kiddo. I just saw how you reacted to it all."
"But Rimuru could…"
"Your 'sister' can do a lot of things I can't."
Now that Ali mentions it, it is kinda weird that Rimuru seemed to see the illusions too, but I guess it's possible that she tapped into my thoughts or something.
"I was the one that alerted Rimuru, though. Or Ciel, actually, who then let Rimuru know, I assume. You should thank me!"
"Yeah… thanks, Ali, you're a lifesaver!"
I start climbing up one of the pillars the best I can. The thing is bumpy enough that I'm finding spots to grab and step up on, thankfully. My leg is throbbing, but not badly enough to stop me from slowly but surely making my way up.
I'm smiling, thinking about seeing Azz and Clara again. Just picturing their faces smiling back at me fuels my resolve.
Then my foot slips.
"Waaaaahhhh!" I hit the ground with a thud that knocked the breath out of me.
After lying there for a minute trying to catch it, I stand back up.
"Hmmm… maybe I should try something different…"
Then, a pair of eyes pops up right in front of me with no warning and I let out another loud scream.
"Oh…" I take a deep breath, "Nafra… it's just you. Did you come down here to help me? Were you worried?"
Nafra points to one of his small-ish wings as if to ask me why I wasn't just flying to get back up.
"Um… I got hurt, so I can't fly right now!"
Nafra gasps, then grabs ahold of the back of my clothes. He flies up, but I only get a few inches off of the ground before he drops me. I guess I'm too big for his small wings to carry.
"It's okay… don't let me hold you back, go on without me."
Maybe I could try flying… after Nafra leaves. I don't think it will work well, though.
I don't have those prototype mechanical wings with me, and I haven't gotten a chance to try out the ones that I learned to make when I made my bow. There just wasn't time for me to do a flying lesson before the Harvest Festival, I was too busy with learning how to shoot.
I look at Nafra again, just to see him reach into his cloak and pull out a few things.
A cutting from that gripping weed, as well as a watering can.
I get maybe keeping a piece of that plant, but a watering can too? Why? Yeah, that'll be super helpful right now, but Nafra's foresight must be pretty impressive to know that. I can't think of any other reason he'd have that stuff with him.
He plants it and waters it right at the base of the pillar, and the weed immediately shoots up and wraps around it, creating handholds better to grab onto and climb.
"Great thinking, Nafra!"
But… won't this take me a while to climb? Especially with my leg injury.
If I'm down here too long, I won't have any chance at winning the Harvest Festival.
Then I remember something.
I can't heal myself with my own blood, but in the Netherworld, I can heal other things with it… so can I make things grow with it too? It's worth a shot.
"I have an idea! Come here!"
Nafra looks puzzled, tilting his head at me, but then he runs right up and I scoop him under one of my arms.
"We're gonna climb this in seconds… with my own special magic!"
Then I crouch down at the base of the vine, cut my finger with a thorn, and drip a drop of blood onto it.
Please work, please work, please work…
The ground starts rumbling ominously under my feet.
I feel it give way to something, then the sudden rush of being pushed upward. I lose my balance and fall backward while letting the feeling take me up higher and higher. The vine breaks through the ceiling of the cave, exposing me to the sun, then continuing up and up.
By the time it stops, I'm way above the trees, but below the clouds.
Nafra is next to me, looking dizzy but thankfully unhurt.
A bat-like thing flies up to me as I'm getting my bearings back and I recognize it as a sort of camera, probably one that's broadcasting to the public. I know those things are all around the forest for the competition.
I give it a smile and a friendly wave to let everyone know I'm fine, just in case they were worried about me after I fell.
"Uh… hi! Iruma Suzuki, here! I made it! Hahaha…"
Don't these things broadcast a message to the whole forest? I remember hearing everyone's scores get announced at one point…
Maybe this is a good way to tell Lead where to meet me.
"Lead! I got the Seed of Beginning! Meet me at the statue, just like we planned!"
In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have said I have the Seed… I was just so excited to tell him!
"Why you… what's with this racket!? Why did you make such a scene with your escape!"
I think that's Professor Kalego's voice. He's talking to me through the bat-camera. Did he hijack the announcers' mic?
"Professor Kalego!? I'm s-sorry… I was just trying to escape quickly, and I'm hurt so I couldn't fly or climb-"
"You're hurt!? Does that mean you are going to withdraw!?"
"No… uh, I'm gonna win!"
"If that is so… then get back to harvesting, you zero-point brat!"
There's a clicking noise that I think means that Kalego cut off the connection.
"Right… zero points…"
I haven't turned in a single ingredient this entire time, but I have the Seed of Beginning now, so it's fine. As long as Lead does his half, then we're all set and don't need anything else to win this!
"Do you want to come with me, Nafra?"
Nafra nods enthusiastically and stands up, wobbling a little.
"Then let's go!"
Rimuru POV
I fly back up, fuming mad about what happened to Iruma. I mean, seriously, using my face to terrorize him!? Why wouldn't I be pissed!?
[[You have every right to be upset, Master. That was blasphemous and the one behind it should be punished ruthlessly.]]
Pause your processes, Ciel. As angry as we both are, let's calm down a bit before deciding what to do.
She's still mad, of course, and so am I, but I have enough self-restraint not to do something I'll regret later. Best to handle things like this with a cool head.
Once I'm back up, I spot someone on one of the platforms in the cave, a small one with a hood.
"Who're you? You didn't do that to Iruma, did you?" I ask the person, putting a bit of intimidation into my voice.
They babble something out, frantically waving their arms, but I'm still able to understand them perfectly fine. Body language is the universal language, after all.
"Nafra, huh? And you were helping Iruma?"
Nafra rapidly nods at me and talks some more.
Are they telling the truth?
[[Yes, there is no evidence that this person is capable of casting the form of magic that was used on Iruma.]]
Now I feel bad…
"Well, sorry for accusing you of hurting him, but I think Iruma could use some help getting back up. I'm his sister Rimuru, and Iruma doesn't want any help from me specifically. But, he's hurt, so if you like him, get down there and assist him."
Nafra does a little salute before hopping off the platform and flying down into the depths.
I sigh deeply, trying to calm down a little after intimidating an innocent.
If I find who's responsible, I'll-
I cut that thought off.
No. I can't. That's literally what he fears from me…
After seeing that Iruma's worst fear when it comes to me specifically is me killing on his behalf, I can't go hunt down the one(s) that traumatized him. If it wasn't for Iruma's wishes, though…
Well, violent thoughts aside, I bet it's some kid that's behind this, considering this is a competition for first-years. That doesn't mean that I won't do anything to the perpetrator(s), though. I'm called the Chaos Creator for a reason!
If I come across the responsible party, I'll punish them in some other way. I don't need to kill to make someone regret their actions…