Punctuation Key:
"Spoken dialogue"
'Quoting'
*Action*
Emphasis
Internal thoughts/talking to Ciel
[[Ciel talking]]
{{Thought Communication}}
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Iruma POV
Much to my dismay, I'm currently riding in the overly ostentatious carriage that grandpa bought. This thing's a total attention grabber, the exact opposite of what I want right now. All I want to do is blend in and stay safe here in the Netherworld, but it seems like that might not be possible. Everything that I do ends up drawing attention, and the same goes for Rimuru. She's even worse than me when it comes to that, and any attention she grabs ends up affecting me too! She doesn't seem to be bothered by this ridiculous carriage like I am either. Heck, I think she's even enjoying it! Sitting next to me and across from Opera, she's leaning back with her eyes closed and her hands behind her head, smiling slightly.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," I say to her in a snarky tone.
"I definitely am! This is way better than walking!" she says cheerfully with a big grin.
"So that's why you're so happy...you're pretty lazy, aren't you? Walking to school isn't that big of a deal."
"I'm not lazy! I just think walking is a waste of time and energy! Before I came here, I hadn't done that much walking in years! I have better ways of traveling long distances that I'm not supposed to use here, so it's hard to revert to an inferior method like walking."
"So I'm right; you are lazy," I say bluntly.
Rimuru just pouts a little and folds her arms in response to my last comment, now looking out the carriage's window. With how she looks right now, it's hard to believe she's an extremely powerful Demon Lord. Opera looks uncomfortable now, stirring in his seat a little. This is most likely because I've upset Rimuru, and he has been terrified of her since day one. I understand she's crazy powerful and can be a bit scary sometimes, but she's not a bad person. I don't understand why Opera hasn't let his guard down more around her yet. Rimuru obviously doesn't mean us any harm, agreeing to protect me and all. Grandpa seems to trust her so I do too.
Now sitting in awkward silence, I look down at the mysterious ring now stuck on my right, middle finger. I find it pretty disturbing that I have to wear this thing for life, not to mention that creepy black smoke monster that came out of it yesterday. Sullivan says it shouldn't come out unless it gets extremely hungry again and if it does, either Rimuru or he himself can feed it without experiencing side effects like Azz and Sabnock did. Since Rimuru is nearby most of the time this shouldn't be a problem, but the idea of that thing rampaging again still scares me. Noticing my change in demeanor, Rimuru looks over at me with a sympathetic look, no sign of the childish pouting from a moment ago.
"You're still worried about that smoke thing from yesterday, aren't you?" she asks me as if she just read my mind.
"Yeah, that was really scary yesterday; and other people got hurt too! I don't want that to happen ever again!"
"That 'thing' won't manifest again without the ring expending most of its stores of magic. All it takes is a simple glance for me to tell how close to empty your ring is, so I'll take care of monitoring it. You have no reason to worry about it yourself." Rimuru reassures me.
"Thanks, Rimuru!" I thank her enthusiastically.
It really does feel great to have someone helping you and watching your back! I never had someone like that back in the human world. I was always the one helping others, never the other way around.
"No prob 'Bro'!" Rimuru says with a chuckle.
"Why does it sometimes seem like there are two different people in that head of yours, Rimuru?"
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Rimuru says, sounding panicked.
"One minute you're pouting like a little kid and the next you are reassuring me like an older sibling. I don't get it!"
"*sigh* So that's what you meant!" she says, sounding relieved. "I try to live carefreely and have fun, but some things in life get in the way of that. Certain situations demand that I get serious and when that happens, it's inappropriate for me to behave that way. You were hurting and I knew I needed to help so I got serious, that's all." She explains. "Also, I wasn't 'pouting like a little kid', I just didn't know how to respond to what you said to me!" Rimuru complains.
"I guess that makes sense...you definitely were pouting though. There's no hiding that...there you go again! Hahaha!" I laugh at her response since she's once again pouting. I look out the window, noticing that we've almost arrived at our destination.
"Oh, look! We're almost there!" I say to change the subject.
The gaudy carriage comes to a stop, drawing the attention of every student loitering in front of the school. Many are whispering to their friends, most likely about us. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. Opera, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage a moment ago opens the doors and steps out first. He then unrolls a red carpet in front of the carriage!
"The Chairdemon's grandchildren have arrived!" Opera announces grandly to the crowd gawking at us.
Oh, God why!?
Both mine and Rimuru's eyes widen. Rimuru looks almost as uncomfortable as I do about this mortifying display. We both step out, trying to ignore all of the staring and whispers from the other students, managing to quickly escape being right in the center of the crowd.
"What the hell was that nonsense!?" Rimuru grumbles.
"I know, right? It was horrible!" I agree.
"Yeah, that was just too much!" she whispers.
"Oh, don't forget your bags!" Grandpa shouts, chasing after the two of us.
"Thank you, Grandpa." I thank him, grabbing my bag. Rimuru does the same.
"Yeah, thanks," says Rimuru.
"Wow, they seriously made the Chairdemon carry their bags for them! Both of those 'Sullivan Twins' are so assertive!" one student whispers.
"Yeah, that's exactly how I like my women! That Rimuru's a total beauty too, the perfect combo!" another responds.
"Maybe you should make a move! Go talk to her!"
"I should, shouldn't I! Yeah!" he whispers before beginning to walk in our direction.
I watch as Rimuru rolls her eyes and then glares angrily at the two boys. Despite not being the target of her fury, I feel a shiver run down my spine. The two students get immediately intimidated and quickly walk away to escape from her. Even though she wasn't going to hurt anyone, Rimuru can still be absolutely terrifying when she gets mad. She, thankfully, wasn't actually angry at me back in the carriage when I was teasing her.
"Tch...annoying little pests..." she grumbles, still looking in the direction of where the two students were standing before fleeing. Grandpa surely witnessed the whole interaction, but he seems to be pretending he didn't.
"Anyways...before you run off, I have presents for both of you!" Grandpa announces.
"Presents?" I ask.
"Hell-phones!" He says excitedly as he hands devices closely resembling cellphones to me and Rimuru. "Now both of you can call me at any time! Don't ask me how to use them though since I have no idea! Have a good day at school!" he says cheerfully before leaving.
I notice behind us that Clara playing tug-of-war with Opera using the red carpet. She has the thing in her mouth and is down on all fours, yanking on it like a dog. Before I can go assist Opera, he manages to wrench the carpet away from her with the help of a familiar pink-haired demon.
"Wow, what an impressive display Masters!" Azz exclaims as he runs up to the two of us.
"Yeah...I guess..." I reply sheepishly. "Sorry I couldn't walk to school with you guys, Grandpa insisted I use the carriage today."
"Oh, that is no problem Iruma, sir. I enjoy our walks but if you prefer to go by carriage, I don't mind at all!" Azz insists.
"No, I actually prefer walking! Hopefully, I can walk with you tomorrow." I say, wanting to avoid another ridiculous ride.
I look over and notice Rimuru isn't paying any attention to us at all, which is unusual. Instead, she's staring intensely at her new cellphone. Rimuru is pushing the various buttons on the device, likely trying to figure out how it works. Her expression is blank, and her eyes have also turned crimson again, which concerns me.
"Rimuru, are you okay?" I ask but get no response. "Rimuru!" I shout at her and tap her on the shoulder. When that doesn't work, I grab her shoulder and shake her back and forth. After a few moments of me aggressively trying to snap out her out of her trance, her eyes turn back to gold again and she looks at me startled.
"Huh? What!?" she asks, looking flustered.
"Your eyes turned red, and then you zoned out for a minute. Are you okay?"
"Oh, sorry. I was just checking out my new phone, so I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I didn't mean to scare you." She says with a smile, completely glossing over the eye color thing. I decide to ask about that part later. There are some things she refuses to talk about in public for whatever reason, so mentioning it again won't help at all right now.
Rimuru POV
"Why does it sometimes seem like there are two different people in that head of yours, Rimuru?" Iruma asks.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" I demand to know what he's thinking.
"One minute you're pouting like a little kid and the next you are reassuring me like an older sister. I don't get it!" he clarifies.
"*sigh* So that's what you meant!" I say, feeling relieved before explaining myself.
Geez, this kid scared me for a moment! I thought he somehow figured out about you, Ciel!
[[Yes, that was concerning.]]
"Oh, look! We're almost there!" Iruma cries out, breaking the tension.
I look out the window and see that we are nearing Babyls. I enjoyed the ride here (except for the parts where I was called lazy). It was nice not having to walk, too bad it's a very conspicuous way of traveling. It seems there's a crowd in front of the school, one that's staring directly at us. Iruma is obviously uncomfortable with all the attention the carriage grabbed, so I suspect that we won't be riding in this thing very often. Opera stands up and opens the door to the carriage, stepping out before us.
"The Chairdemon's grandchildren have arrived!" Opera yells at the crowd. He has also laid out a red carpet for us too. Talk about ridiculous! Even though I'm fairly accustomed to 'royal treatment' at this point in my life, that doesn't mean I like it. I'm actually pretty uncomfortable right now, to be honest, and Iruma seems to have it even worse. He looks like he wants to bolt away and hide from the world. We get away from that 'show' that Opera just put on as quickly as possible.
"What the hell was that nonsense!?" I whisper to him.
"I know, right? It was horrible!" he agrees.
"Yeah, that was just too much!" I whisper.
"Oh, don't forget your bags!" Sullivan calls out to us.
"Thank you, Grandpa," Iruma says as we grab our bags from the elderly demon.
"Yeah, thanks," I say to him.
"Wow, they seriously made the Chairdemon carry their bags for them! Both of those 'Sullivan Twins' are so assertive!" one student whispers.
"Yeah, that's exactly how I like my women! That Rimuru's a total beauty too, the perfect combo!" another responds.
"Maybe you should make a move! Go talk to her!"
"I should, shouldn't I! Yeah!" he whispers back before beginning to walk in my direction.
I roll my eyes at how stupid these two must be to think they can say stuff like that without consequences. Plus, now one of the bastards is coming over here to 'talk' to me.
No way, I'm not gonna give this scumbag the opportunity to ask me out! Absolutely not!
I give the two fools a sharp glare full of malice and disgust. I don't even need to let out any aura for the two to immediately flee with their tails between their legs.
"Tch...annoying little pests..." I say quietly to myself.
"Anyways...before you run off, I have presents for both of you!" Sullivan says, seemingly unfazed by what just happened. The thought of a present definitely puts me in a better mood.
"Presents?" Iruma asks excitedly.
"Hell-phones!" Sullivan says as he shoves a small device into my hand. The thing looks a lot like a cellphone from the world my previous incarnation lives in. "Now both of you can call me at any time! Don't ask me how to use them though since I have no idea! Have a good day at school!" Sullivan then leaves us to figure these things out by ourselves.
I stare at the small, multibuttoned device in my hand.
[[Master, I must analyze this interesting object immediately!]]
You sound pretty excited so go right ahead. I'll even let you take over for a moment if that might help, so you can mess with the buttons and stuff to see how it works.
[[Thank you!]]
I let Ciel 'take the wheel' so she can play with the phone. To most people, losing control of your body and watching it move on its own would probably be a terrifying experience, but I've experienced it countless times. Plus, I fully trust the person I'm giving control to, so there's nothing to worry about. As far as I can tell, Ciel enjoys it quite a bit when I let her do this. I personally think she really likes the feeling of having an actual body. I know that I don't necessarily like the sensation of floating around in my mind unable to move so she might feel the same way to a certain degree.
I stand there for a minute or two and let my mind wander since there isn't much else to do when you can't move your body. After a moment, I notice that someone is shaking me violently for some reason. I take control of myself again and notice it is Iruma, looking at me with a desperate expression and yelling at me.
"Huh? What!?" I ask him, worried that something bad happened while I was out.
"Your eyes turned red, and then you zoned out for a minute. Are you okay?" He asks, looking very concerned.
Whoops, I must've worried him. I guess I should've been paying more attention. Ciel must've been so fixated on the phone that she didn't notice Iruma's panic.
[[I did notice, but I was in the middle of my analysis of this 'phone'.]]
Still, you should have given him a small response at least!
[[Hmph.]]
Ciel hates it when her work is interrupted. When she isn't busy, she doesn't mind helping others but if she's fixated on something, nothing she decides is less significant matters to her at all. For example: normally, she cares about Iruma's feelings, but since he was interrupting her analysis, she ignored his desperate pleas. His feelings were deemed less relevant than her work. This is a hold-over from back when she was nothing but a skill who looked at everything in a purely analytical sense. She acts human these days but it's at times like this I'm reminded of her origins.
"Oh, sorry. I was just checking out my new phone, so I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I didn't mean to scare you." I explain and give him a reassuring smile.
I hope he isn't too suspicious about what just happened, I don't want to reveal Ciel to him unless I absolutely have to.
Iruma POV
The four of us head to the Misfit Class' room. Once everyone has arrived, Professor Kalego makes an announcement.
"Today you will start classes with other teachers. You fools must be on your best behavior, especially the ones who tend to cause trouble." He says as he glares menacingly at me and Rimuru.
After being dismissed, we attend multiple classes in the first-year's wing. Our final class for today is in the botany tower.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, students of the Misfit Class, welcome to the Botany Tower. I am Professor Stolas, and I will be your teacher for the subject of diabotany, which is what you will be learning here. Today, we will be using magic to try to make flowers bloom. Now, watch closely! Yis!" The petite, blonde professor in a green coat says.
"Hold your hand over the special sapling and...Quan-Quan!" she says while demonstrating. After a flash of light, the sapling begins to grow right before our eyes! In just a few moments, a pink flower has bloomed. Somehow, the flower reminds me of the professor.
"Yis! And just like that, a flower has bloomed!" Professor Stolas says with a friendly smile. "You can use this flower to give shape to your magic. Alright, let us begin, everyone. Yis."
I watch as some of the other students attempt the spell, but nothing seems to happen to their saplings. Professor Stolas explains to them that you must envision what you want the flower to look like before casting. This doesn't matter for me of course since I can't use magic. I hear a voice come from...above? I look up and see some older students watching me and the other members of my class from a balcony above us.
"They're our upperclassmen." Azz explains, seeing my confused look after noticing them. "I am sure they are here to check on us since our ranks have been announced."
"Huh..."
"Aren't those two the infamous 'Sullivan Twins'?" One of the upperclassmen points to me and Rimuru, with who I'm sharing a table.
"Yeah, they're crazy! Looks like the head of the class Asmodeus is here too." Another says.
"Who're the ones in black?" Rimuru asks, looking up at the two older students in black and red uniforms.
"They're with the Student Council. It's weird to see them here in the underclassmen's tower like this," says Shax.
"Really? I wonder why they're here then." Rimuru says, squinting suspiciously at them.
"Isn't it obvious!? They are here for me, the great Sabnock Sabro! I am bet-ranked and the future Demon King! Who else would they be here for!?" Sabnock yells this at the top of his lungs, making a huge scene. Everyone else in the class rolls their eyes and gives him annoyed looks. Sabnock then goes over to his sapling and shouts. "Quan-Quan!"
"Behold! This is my flower!" he announces to everyone. The flower is a weird spiky yellow thing with red eyes. It's aggressively destroying its flowerpot with its 'mouth'. Sabnock calls it 'Destructive God'. He only got a B+ for it so the teacher must not think it's as impressive as Sabnock does.
"Hmph...how crude. This is true elegance." Azz says, presenting a flaming flower in his hand. Everyone seems much more impressed with this one, including the teacher who gave him an A+.
"Magic requires one to hone their artistic skills..." Azz says before Sabnock runs over and dumps a bucket of water on his flower, putting out its flames.
"One must never forget to water their flowers," Sabnock says in a smug tone, satisfied with his little quip. Azz, on the other hand, looks like he's gonna flip out.
"How dare you put out the flames of my proven bloodline!? Unforgivable!" Azz shouts as he hurls a fireball straight at Sabnock's face, but Sabnock dodges it and laughs. The two continue to yell and trade blows. I give Rimuru a look of desperation. I hope she'll intervene since things are getting heated; literally heated because fireballs are involved. I can tell that she's getting progressively more irritated by the loud arguing happening nearby. Rimuru looks up and turns her head towards the two fighting demons.
Rimuru takes a deep breath and sighs sharply before speaking up.
"Hey, can you guys plea-" she tries to intervene but is ignored and interrupted. I can tell by her face that being that made her even angrier.
"You sure are short-tempered! Let me cool off your head as well!" Sabnock shouts as he throws another bucket's contents at Azz. Unfortunately, Rimuru was in the 'splash-zone' and got completely soaked along with him. Her drenched hair is now completely covering her eyes. She slams both of her hands on the table (causing cracks to appear in it) as she stands up, clearly pissed. Rimuru is glaring sharply with eyes full of rage at the two demons. I can't help but back away from her since her presence is so intimidating.
"Will you two dunderheads cut it out! I'm trying to concentrate here!" she shouts furiously at Azz and Sabnock. Her voice was startlingly loud and somehow shook the whole botany tower. Everyone turns their attention away from the fight and focuses on the source of the booming voice. Both Azz and Sabnock immediately stop fighting, now staring at the comparatively small girl with looks of terror. Even the teacher is too hesitant to intervene. "Next time you want to fight, keep me out of it! Sheesh!" Rimuru plops back down into her chair with her arms folded. She's still scowling but has gone back to staring at the sapling on the (now cracked) table in front of her. Right after Rimuru started calming down, Azz ran to her apologizing profusely. This seemed to only annoy her more though.
"Are you okay, Rimuru?" I ask as I approach her slowly. I'm wondering why she got so upset over a little water.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The water isn't gonna kill me, it was just annoying. Their type of bickering is something I've dealt with a lot, and I'm very fed up with it. Sorry for losing my cool. I feel bad that I broke this table too...I thought that I was holding back my strength enough, but I guess I was wrong. I will have to apologize to 'Grandpa' later." Rimuru explains.
"It's okay Rimuru, I'm sure he won't be mad about it. It's just a table." I try to comfort her.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm gonna go back to trying to focus on this spell. I'm having a hard time coming up with a good idea." she says, sounding irritated with herself.
"So that's why you're concentrating so hard! I'll leave you alone then," I say.
"Thanks, Iruma."
I look around at all the other students' flowers. It seems that each one reflects the caster's personality and/or self-interests to a certain extent.
"It's so cool that everyone's flowers are so different!" I say before looking back at Rimuru. She's still staring at her sapling.
"Fine, fine! I'll let you do it!" she whispers to herself, barely audible.
Who's she talking to?
I watch as her eyes turn crimson again. She holds her hand over her pot and says 'Quan-Quan' in a flat, emotionless tone. After casting the spell, her eyes return to their normal golden color, and she sighs to herself. The sapling grows into a rose-like flower. The whole plant is black, the darkest black you can imagine. The only part that isn't is the very edge of each of the flower's petals, which are metallic gold in color. Rimuru looks embarrassed for some reason; her cheeks are red, and she doesn't have a very pleased look on her face. The teacher comes over to inspect Rimuru's work.
"Wow! What a gorgeous flower, you are very talented! I have never seen anything like it! You get an A+. Yis!" The professor compliments Rimuru enthusiastically.
"Thank you." Rimuru thanks the professor, still sounding displeased with the result of her spell.
After Rimuru finished, I'm the only student left who hasn't tried the spell yet. I'm not expecting anything, but I need to at least look like I'm trying. I hold my hand over my sapling. The teacher said to visualize what kind of flower you want it to turn into, right?
I want my flower to be warm-colored. And fluffy too...
"Quan-Quan!" after a pause, the ring on my middle finger glows brightly. "Huh?"
The same glow spreads to the sapling and then multiplies, filling the room with a blinding blue light. As I start to panic, my phone then begins to ring.
"Hey! It's your grandpa! Yay, this is our first phone call! I forgot to mention one thing...remember how your ring has magic stored in it? That means...you can use magic! Oh, but don't use it yet. I haven't adjusted the output. If you do, it could cause trouble." Sullivan says just a moment too late before the call drops.
Suddenly, a tree trunk shoots out of the flowerpot my sapling was in, breaking through the glass roof of the greenhouse-like classroom. After reaching full size, pink flowers sprout from the branches. I, somehow, made a colossal cherry blossom tree that has taken over the entire top of the botany tower.
"You should've told me earlier grandpa..." I groan while hanging onto one of the many branches. The entire class is up in the tree since it accidentally grabbed us while it was growing.
"Excellent work, Master Iruma..." Azz says, draped over a branch upside-down.
"Iruma-chi's flowers are so pretty!" Clara says, hanging by the back of her shirt which is snagged on a branch.
Rimuru flies over to me scoops me up and carries me to safety. The other students can fly so they don't need rescue as I do.
"What the hell was that!? Did you somehow use the magic I fed that ring?" she interrogates me, sounding more concerned than angry.
"I think so...I had no idea that would happen though! All I did was say the spell so it would look like I at least tried."
"This is gonna cause us some problems, y'know. Sakura trees only exist in the human world, or earth, or whatever you want to call it. People are gonna grow suspicious if they know that fact, so we'll have to be even more vigilant." She sets me down gently. "Now that your feet are on the ground, I need to go make sure nobody's connected the dots yet. I'll see you later!" She says quickly and flies off. I'm very worried about what she just said but I will leave it in her hands. There isn't much I can do about it at this point anyway.
Rimuru POV
Now calm again, I stare at the strange sapling, trying to decide what to 'visualize' for the spell but I can't come to a decision. I think I'm feeling the spell equivalent to 'writer's block'.
[[Let me take care of everything for you Master!]]
No, I want to do this! I just need to come up with a good idea first!
[[Please, Master! I really want to try out this spell! I have a wonderful idea for the flower!]]
Tell it to me then! I've been sitting here like a total fool for the last few minutes!
[[No, I am not going to tell you. I want to show you myself!]]
C'mon Ciel! Just tell me, please!
[[...]]
You can be so stubborn sometimes...
"Fine, fine! I'll let you do it!" I mutter under my breath before handing control to Ciel for the second time today.
I watch as my hand reaches forward, and a voice comes from my lips "Quan-Quan". The sapling is engulfed in a flash of light before growing into a strange black and gold rose giving off an ominous dark purplish-black glow. After just a moment I regain control of my body from Ciel.
Alright, Ciel. Just what is this thing you've just made?
[[I call it a 'Rose of the Void, it is imbued with your beautiful aura! I made it as a symbol of my undying love and devotion for you!]]
I feel my face turn red after hearing Ciel's declaration.
Thanks, Ciel, but...um...don't say such embarrassing things like that! You just totally caught me off guard!
[[Hehe...you're so adorable when you get all flustered like this Master!]]
*sigh*
"Wow! What a gorgeous flower, you are very talented! I have never seen anything like it! You get an A+." The professor compliments 'my' work.
"Thank you." I respond, still blushing from Ciel's sudden declaration.
After a moment, I hear Iruma's voice. "Quan-Quan!"
He seems to be attempting the spell...he can't use magic though so why's he doing that?
[[Yes he can. He has that ring which contains some stored magic from you.]]
Oh shit! He's gonna lose control! He has no idea what he's doing!
[[Everything will turn out fine according to my calculations.]]
Okay...
Suddenly, the ring on the boy's right hand glows brightly, causing the sapling in front of him to glow too. The entire room is lit up with this light, making it almost impossible for a normal person to see. I hear Iruma's phone ring, and he answers it. After another moment, the sapling rapidly multiplies in size, growing onto a massive tree that bursts through the glass ceiling of the classroom. I internally facepalm as I'm swept up by the growing branches along with the rest of the class. As the branches fill with pink flowers I recognize the tree; it's a cherry blossom tree from the 'human world'. This obviously doesn't belong here in the Netherworld, which is gonna cause me a slew of problems.
Dammit, Iruma! How the hell am I gonna explain away this!? So much or 'everything will turn out fine'!
[[No students are injured, and a beautiful tree has been created. I consider that 'fine'.]]
But what about people growing more suspicious of Iruma!?
[[I am certain we can handle any problematic individuals with ease.]]
That's true, but we might have to resort to methods I don't want to use. I may have to utilize Diablo and his 'specialty' after all, if I can't sort things out myself that is.
As I mentally prepare myself for the suspicion that's certain to arise from Iruma's creation, I feel a familiar set of eyes watching us from a distance. The gaze belongs to Ameri Azazel, the red-haired demoness who seems to dislike me for whatever reason.
Seems like 'someone' is watching and might have caught on to Iruma's secret. I'll have to deal with this right away.
Third Person/Narrator POV
Meanwhile, a certain red-haired girl is sitting in her office, looking out of her window at the botany tower. From this vantage point, she witnessed the growth of Iruma's 'flower'.
"President! The first-year Iruma Suzuki created some big, pink, fluffy thing!" A blonde boy in a black and red uniform says to her.
"Those are flowers that only exist in the human world." She says flatly, staring out the window at the tree.
"Human?" he asks, sounding puzzled by her words.
"Iruma...I must speak to him. We have much to discuss." She says, still facing the window. She didn't bother to even look back at the boy.
This red-haired demon is Azazel Ameri, President of the Student Council of Babyls. The Student Council is a group of virtuous, yet ruthless demons who help keep order and stability. They mercilessly punish other students who break the rules. Ameri, being the President of the organization, has quite a reputation. She is strong, confident, ruthless, and ambitious. All the students both fear and look up to her as the epitome of a true demon. She rules over the entire school with an iron fist, keeping everyone in line with her intimidating presence and strength.
Ameri POV
After dealing with some unruly demons while on patrol, I am walking down the hallway with two of my subordinates. We are discussing the events that happened earlier today.
"President. Iruma wasn't in his classroom." reports a black and white-haired boy.
"Also, we investigated the strange tree but didn't find anything suspicious." says the other boy, this one blonde (the same one from earlier). "By the way, President. Didn't you mention something about that tree and humans? You don't actually believe in humans, do you, President?" he says with a chuckle.
"Hey, don't be a fool. Of course, she doesn't." the first boy replies sternly.
"Hehe, of course. Humans are nothing but a superstition." the second responds.
They are both wrong. They do exist.
"I'll leave the rest to you," I say to my two subordinates, dismissing them from following me. I then step into my office, now alone.
"They exist...humans definitely exist! Only a few high-ranked demons know of their existence, but since ancient times, humans and demons form contracts involving desires. I currently have a theory I am working on. That Iruma, the 'grandson' of the Chairdemon, is human."
I make my way over to the bookshelf and push a few books to the side, revealing a magic circle.
Humans exist. This is a fact. I have evidence that proves it.
I press my hand on the hidden magic circle, revealing a secret room behind the bookshelf. This is where the 'evidence' is kept, the forbidden texts. They are secret relics that have been passed down in my family for generations, containing knowledge of events in the human world.
I grab one of the forbidden texts and pause for a moment, preparing myself. I then cautiously open it.
Contents of the book:
"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" says a blonde-haired schoolgirl. "I'm Hoshino Rin (16). I'm currently running late for school! I can't believe I'm late for the first day of the new semester! Eek!"
"Whoa!" a boy bumps into Rin as she turns a corner.
"O-ow..." she says.
"S-sorry!" the boy says. "Are you alright?" he reaches out a hand to help the girl who is still on the ground. "Are you hurt?"
"Huh?" *badump*
Back to reality:
*Breathing heavily* "I can't read these letters, so I have no idea what it says...but I'm so curious!"
I almost dare to take another peek but stop myself. I let myself be enchanted by the forbidden text's terrifying powers!
"It appears that this girl has fallen in love with this boy. But he made her fall in love with him just by bumping into her!? I-is this how powerful human charms are? Is it? No no no no no! But..." I take another glance at the book despite the danger involved.
Rimuru POV
I sensed this Ameri girl watching us all the way from the botany tower. She'd also sent her goons over there, making me even more suspicious. I've been spying on her for the last few minutes, completely invisible. She seems to have figured out the one thing that I didn't want her to.
Well, this sucks, she knows that Iruma's human! What do you think's the best thing to do, Ciel?
[[We have a few options. Kill her, alter her memories, or manipulate her into keeping quiet.]]
The first option is definitely off the table. I already considered the second, but I still don't want to use it. With the third, what kind of manipulation are you thinking?
[[We just have to give her a reason not to report this to the authorities or act by herself.]]
Hmmm...
I stand there for a couple of minutes (from my perspective since I'm using thought acceleration) weighing my options for dealing with this predicament when a hilarious, yet effective, plan pops into my mind.
...I think I have an idea. She seemed pretty enthralled by that cheesy romance manga, how 'bout we play matchmaker? I can cause a similar scene to the one she was reading about using Iruma! If she ends up liking him, she'll be reluctant to act. I can sprinkle in a little intimidation from myself too, for insurance.
[[That is very clever, Master! I believe that will work!]]
Yeah, and if it doesn't, we can go with option two as our plan B. Diablo's good at altering memories, so I can have him take care of her if needed. I don't want to use that option unless I absolutely have to, though.
[[Yes, let's do this!]]
Now all I need to do is lure them together and cause a collision by distracting at least one of them. This will be a piece of cake!
I watch Ameri tuck the manga volume she was 'reading' in her vest before leaving the room. I then teleport near Iruma, since I can continue to track Ameri's movements using my skills, even from afar. I find a spot hidden from view and turn visible again.
"Heeeey!" I call out cheerfully to Iruma, waving to him as I approach.
"Rimuru? How did it go? Did anyone...you know..." he asks hesitantly.
"Oh, that? I've got everything under control! Don't worry!" I reassure him.
"Good! I'm just helping with the cleanup from my 'accident' earlier." He smiles sheepishly, looking like he feels guilty.
"Do you want some help?" I ask, feeling excited that I found an opportunity to execute my little scheme.
"Sure, all I have left is carrying the cleaning supplies back to the closet." He gives me a puzzled look but accepts my offer.
Does he really think it's that weird that I want to help him?
"Cool, let's go then!" I say as I scoop up about half of the cleaning supplies in my arms.
Iruma POV
Rimuru and I are walking down the school hallway carrying all the cleaning supplies back to the closet. I'm not sure why she seemed so excited about helping out, but I don't mind. We are approaching an intersection; one I plan to walk straight through.
"Hey, Iruma! I know a shortcut. Turn right up here!" Rimuru suddenly calls out to me from behind, sounding almost frantic.
"Really? That doesn't seem correct. Are you sure?" I ask.
"I promise it's faster. Just listen to me and go right!" she insists.
"If you say so..." I decide to reluctantly follow her directions. I really don't think this is the way to the closet, but I give in anyways. I can barely see where I'm going behind the stack of stuff in my arms so maybe she's right. As I turn the corner, with Rimuru following behind me, I bump into something and fall to the ground. The cleaning supplies go flying everywhere. I then notice a red-haired girl is in front of me, having fallen to the floor.
Oh, no! I must've knocked her down!
I jump to my feet and rush over to her and reach out my hand to help her up.
"S-sorry! Are you alright?" I ask her. "Are you hurt?"
Her cheeks turn bright red in response to my words. She quickly stands up without my help, now towering over me. Now that she's standing up, I find her very intimidating.
"Tell me your name!" she demands, her face not looking very friendly.
"I-it's Iruma..." I sputter out, scared by the angry tone of her words.
After hearing my name, the expression on her face intensifies. She reaches out and grabs me by the face, squeezing my cheeks painfully.
Oh no! She's really mad at me!
I look around desperately trying to find Rimuru, but she's nowhere to be seen!
So much for being my protector, disappearing right when I needed protecting! I guess I'll just have to try my best to get myself out of this situation alone.
"U-um...I'm really sor-" I try to apologize, reaching for her hands to take them off my face. Instead of getting away from her grasp, I get both my wrists grabbed instead. She looks even angrier now!
"Um, I'm really sorry!" I desperately say while trying to bow to her with my wrists still grabbed. Strangely, she mimics my movements and bows too. Now she's yanking hard on my arms to the point of it being painful.
Why is she bowing too!? What do I do now!?
While I'm 'fighting' with her, I notice something fall out of her vest. A book. She lets go of my arms with a look of shock on her face. She goes to grab the book, but I was faster and picked it up first.
"Oh, that's..." She says anxiously. Her anger from a moment ago was replaced by panic. I recognize the book she dropped almost immediately.
"Wow, this takes me back! It's 'First Love Memories'! I love this series. Actually...I was an assistant on this manga. Wow, how nostalgic." I say cheerfully, not thinking at all about the situation I'm in.
"So you really are..." she says, but I'm not listening to her at this point. I'm fixated on the manga in my hands.
"The scene where they confess their love under the cherry blossom tree is fantastic. That brings Rin and Kakeru so much closer!"
"You can read that book?" she asks, shocked.
"Of course! But what's this book doing here? We're in the...Netherworld..." I trail off as I realize what I just said. I just gave her proof that I'm human without even thinking!
Oh crap!
"Er, I mean, uh..." I try to hide the fact that I just admitted to being able to read the human language (Japanese). I look up at the girl, expecting hostility but instead, she looks giddy. Her eyes are sparkling with excitement.
"So! You! Can! Read! It! Then!?" she asks enthusiastically.
"Y-yes!" I answer, backing up since she's rapidly getting closer.
She then has me read a few panels to prove I'm not lying.
"You're coming with me." She suddenly grabs me by the collar of my shirt and starts dragging me down the hallway.
Oh no! Did she figure out I'm human!? What the heck is about to happen to me!? Will I get eaten!?
...
Despite my worst expectations, she doesn't seem to want to eat me or hurt me at all actually. She can't read the manga since demons don't know any of the human languages, so she wants me to read it to her out loud. I have no idea how she got her hands on manga in the Netherworld, but I'm in no position to be asking questions right now. We drank tea and ate snacks while she listened closely to every word of the volume. I spent hours with her, staying well past sunset. When I look out the window and see how dark it has gotten, I panic and pull out my phone.
"This call history is insane! So many missed calls..." I say as I scroll through the dozens of missed calls from Grandpa. The girl then grabs my phone out of my hand and does something with it.
"I put in my number. Come at once when I summon you!" she demands.
"Huh?"
"Don't tell anyone and come alone! Got it?" she commands.
"Y-yes ma'am!" I agree, still scared of the demon.
"Farewell." She says, turning her back to me.
"Um, my name is Iruma. May I ask for yours?" I ask nervously.
She looks over her shoulder at me and says "It's Ameri."
I leave the room and make my way outside.
What the heck was that? But...that was sorta fun."
I begin to make my way home, in the dark, by myself. When I get about halfway there I'm startled by something.
"So, did you have fun with your new ~girlfriend~?" a voice asks from right behind me. The suddenness causes me to practically jump out of my skin.
"R-Rimuru!? What are you doing here? Where were you earlier when I needed you!? I thought I was gonna die!" I scold her for abandoning me in my time of need. "Also, sh-she's not my gi-girlfriend!" I insist.
"Are you sure? I saw you being dragged into a secluded room by a girl, and an attractive one too! I never thought you would get some 'action' so soon! I'm jealous!" Rimuru says playfully.
Does she really think I did that!?
I feel my face turn hot at the thought of what Rimuru was implying.
"Wh-what do you think happened in there!? B-because I don't think it's anything close to reality! We j-just read manga and had t-tea and snacks! Nothing else, I promise!" I manage to spit out an explanation, completely flustered by her assumptions.
"I'm just messing with you so don't get so bent out of shape!" she laughs at me for taking her teasing seriously. "I was still keeping an eye on you, so I know what actually happened. I'm sorry you felt abandoned, but I was nearby the entire time and ready to step in if things got bad," she says casually.
"How much do you know about what happened!?" I ask, concerned that she apparently 'kept an eye on me' without me noticing at all!
"Everything," she says simply.
"H-how?" I sputter out.
"I have my sources," Rimuru says, smirking.
"What sources!? How could you possibly know everything already!?"
"That's a trade secret!" she says the line the same way as before, wink and grin included.
"Ugh!" I groan at her non-answer but know that I won't get anything more out of her tonight.
Ameri POV
After meeting with Iruma, I am feeling quite unsettled.
What should I do? I have to tell my father about him, or he could throw Babyls into chaos! Humans don't belong here in the Netherworld! But...I want to know what the rest of the forbidden texts say! No! I can't be tempted by such a selfish desire! I must report him to the authorities.
I pull out my phone call my father, the head of the Demon Security Police. When I am about to start dialing, I hear a voice from right behind me. I whip around, taking a fighting stance, ready to defend myself against the intruder. The source of the voice is a petite girl with shimmering silver-blue hair and golden eyes sitting casually in one of the chairs in the room. She's a person I recognize; a suspicious individual I've been investigating. This small girl, one I tower over in height, singlehandedly took down the head of the freshman class with ease using a single blow. She cast an unknown spell at the entrance ceremony that likely requires precision well beyond the capabilities of a first-year student; managing to make it look like her 'brother' was helping, but I saw through that charade. The only person contributing to that spell was her; Iruma did absolutely nothing. This girl is no normal demon, she's something else entirely, just like her brother Iruma. Although, I have doubts about the validity of their sibling relationship.
"So you figured it out, huh? What a shame." She says serenely, staring me directly in the face. Her eyes have a peculiar quality to them, giving me the same sinking feeling you get when looking into a dark pit you can't see the bottom of.
"You! What are you doing in my office!?" I question the uninvited guest.
How in the Netherworld did she get in here!? I was alone just a moment ago!
"Calm down. I just want to talk about what you discovered about my dear 'brother' Iruma." She states coolly.
"What do you mean 'what I discovered'?" I probe her to see how much she knows about my knowledge.
"You know exactly what I mean, don't try to play dumb with me. I'm not buying it one bit; Ameri Azazel." She says with an intense look in her eyes, her voice as cold as ice.
How does she already know my name?
"Fine. Yes, I know Iruma is a human." I admit. "I'm rather suspicious of you too. I suspect you're not a human like him, but you're definitely not normal; so what are you? You're obviously not really his sister like you claim!"
"Yeah? You're pretty good at this, aren't you? You're right. Iruma's human and I'm not, which of course means I'm not his real sister either."
"Who and what the hell are you then? Why are you here?" I ask, desperate to know the girl's intentions. It is my duty to protect this school and if she poses a threat, I need to do something about her.
"Me? I'm Rimuru Tempest, but I know that isn't what you are asking for. 'What' I am, in terms of race or species is irrelevant. I've been 'hired' by the Chairdemon as a protector for both Iruma and Babyls. The sister thing's just a cover story for me to attend school here and live in Sullivan's mansion." Rimuru explains nonchalantly.
"You're here...to protect...Babyls?" I ask her, shocked to learn that we share a goal.
"Yeah, that's secondary to protecting the kid though. Now that I've shared my intentions, what do you intend to do with this information?" she says calmly but her words apply a mysterious pressure as she probes me for my intents.
"I don't know anymore...having a human here in the Netherworld is very dangerous for everyone. I was planning on reporting him to the proper authorities, but I'm no longer sure that is the best option at this point." I explain, now questioning my plan of action.
"Oh, don't worry. Nobody else will find out about him. I have ways of making sure of that, so it's no longer a concern for you." she assures me.
"If that's true, I have no reason to go against you," I respond.
If this person is involved, I may not need to report this right away...
"Perfect. But before I leave, I need you to agree to some conditions, otherwise, I might have to resort to something 'drastic'." Rimuru demands with an ominous grin. The darkness behind her smile is unsettling, but I manage to keep my composure, at least on the outside.
"State your conditions, then," I say in a faux-confident tone.
"It's simple; All you have to do is stay out of my way and keep your mouth shut about the secrets that you've learned about me and Iruma. That's all." She states, still smiling while staring straight into my soul with her golden eyes. The intimidation factor of her gaze is intense.
"I want the same from you." I push myself to ask her for the same conditions.
I must keep my dignity as the President of the Student Council. I can't give in to her demands without receiving something myself.
"Oh?" Rimuru looks a bit surprised, or should I say impressed by my response.
"Don't interfere with me either and keep the forbidden texts a secret. If you agree to my terms, I will agree to yours." I clarify my request.
"Heh. You're pretty bold, aren't you?" Rimuru asks sounding amused by my words. She wears a sly smirk on her face.
"I have to be, I am the President of the Student Council after all," I reply resolutely.
"So you're not just a leader by name but attitude too. I think we have a deal, President Ameri." she agrees, reaching out her hand to shake mine.
"Yes, I believe we do," I respond and shake her outstretched hand.
After a small pause, her demeanor completely changes.
"I guess I'll see you around then!" Rimuru says in a jarringly friendly tone when compared to the sheer intensity she exuded just a moment ago. I watch the mysterious girl, an apparent 'protector' of Iruma and Babyls as she exits my office. Letting out a deep sigh, I am relieved that the meeting with the strange girl is over. I'm not sure what she is, but she's definitely dangerous. Despite this, I feel...excited, oddly. I can't help but feel like I've been presented with a challenge to overcome. Protecting Babyls is the Student Council's job, my job! I can't have some newcomer showing up and taking over! I promised I wouldn't interfere with her but that doesn't mean we can't compete! I must show this girl, Rimuru, that I am the true protector of Babyls!