Rimuru and Iruma's Adventures in the Netherworld

Walter Park

...The real Rimuru appears out of thin air, giggling and wiping her eyes.

"R-Rimuru! You're alright!" I say, relieved but also a little miffed since I got fooled into acting all silly.

The little slime goes hopping over to her and clings to her leg, rubbing up against it just like a cat would.

"I'm glad to see you're okay, but you really shouldn't let us worry for that long," Grandpa complains with a pout.

"Yeah, I was really worried that something horrible happened to you!" I add.

"Have a little more faith in me, I'll never need you to rescue me," Rimuru says as she picks up and cradles the slime.

Grandpa gives a sigh and leaves. "I'm very busy, so I'll see you two later now that this 'emergency' is over."

He doesn't really seem mad, more like tired out after the panic we both just went through.

"Seeya Grandpa!" I wave to him as he leaves and re-enters his office, likely working on stuff for the next term at Babyls. Grandpa is always so busy!

There is one question still lingering in my mind though, something that doesn't make sense...

"Uh, so where did the slime come from, Rimuru? It's not from around here, right?"

"Oh yeah, it snuck into my office while I was making a short visit to Tempest, so I figured I'd hang on to it for a bit. Summer is starting, and I'm used to having other slimes around at this time of year, so it just felt right to borrow one and make things feel a little more homely."

Is she feeling a little homesick?

"Have you been wanting to go back to Tempest?" I ask.

"Yeah, I do miss my friends there... We've got the whole summer ahead of us though, so we can make plenty of time for that."

'We'? She's really committed herself to protecting me, hasn't she?

"It sounds like you've already made up your mind about coming back here after the summer..."

"Oh... Did you want me to leave?" Rimuru asks, looking more than a little hurt.

She misunderstood me! I really need to explain this quick, she got really emotional last time she thought I was abandoning her...

"No, I mean... You've got a whole life you left behind in another world, but you dropped everything for my sake, even though you're a full-fledged Demon Lord! I'm just a bit confused because isn't that way more than I deserve?"

"Ah, I see what you mean... But you're only questioning it now?"

"Well, when Sullivan adopted me, I was completely out of my depth and everything seemed crazy; so the idea that a Demon Lord was coming with me to school to protect me was just another strange thing that was happening."

"Yeah, you did seem pretty overwhelmed back then..."

"I was! And that meant I didn't fully understand how significant what you did for me is... I mean, a Demon Lord is a way bigger deal than I thought, and you're the most important of them! Yet you're willing to live as a schoolgirl in another dimension just to protect some random kid..."

"Heh, I'm glad you don't take it for granted. But if you think I'm sacrificing something to be here with you, you're wrong."

"Don't you prefer being a Demon Lord?" I ask.

"Hmm... Look at it this way; In my world, I have my friends, my status, and everything I worked for, a true paradise. In this world, I'm just your sister, but there are countless new experiences to have, and my lack of status allows me to exist more naturally amongst others."