Punctuation Key:
"Spoken dialogue"
'Quoting'
*Action*
Emphasis
Internal thoughts/talking to Ciel
[[Ciel talking]]
{{Thought Communication}}
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Ameri POV
I feel like we're being given the runaround...
First, Rimuru vanishes without warning, then while we're trying to find her, Iruma vanishes as well, and finally, after several tense minutes, Rimuru texts us to say that they're both back on the surface.
The two come up to meet us, looking somewhat uneasy.
Before they can say anything, I pick both of them up, one under each arm.
"Ronove, you know this park better than any of us; do they sell kid leashes at the lost child center?"
"They do!" he pipes up helpfully.
"We're going there then," I flatly state as I start walking there with the two troublemakers in hand.
"There's no need for that!" Rimuru protests, wriggling and fussing in my grip.
"Then stop running off, or I will do it!" I snipe back.
I'm not being serious of course, but these two have been a source of great stress today. First Iruma got himself lost, and then Rimuru was being all spooky by teleporting herself and Iruma around. Really, I just want things to stop being so hectic for a little while.
My little joke over, I set Iruma and Rimuru back down.
"Are you okay, Master Iruma?" Asmodeus asks from behind me. He's been worried about Iruma this whole time, he really seems to have devoted himself entirely to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess... That whole situation was way too crazy, though," Iruma says with an exhausted sigh.
"You can say that again! What even happened?" I ask.
Iruma looks hesitant to say anything, so it's Rimuru that speaks up first.
"I'll be honest with what happened: That explosion was just a way for Kiriwo to get my attention, that weirdo's got some kind of thing for me. The only reason I didn't turn that bastard into ash was that Iruma intervened and then talked some sense into him. I can only hope his advice sticks..."
So Iruma really did make the right call, predicting what Rimuru would do. But does that mean he went out of his way to save Kiriwo? Humans are strange creatures indeed...
But equally strange is Rimuru. I understand that many demons are ruthless with their foes and brutal in their methods, but Rimuru never gave the impression of being that type of demon. She's more of the prankster type that takes pleasure in messing with others, not one that would casually talk about nearly killing someone.
And that dreadful feeling...it was Rimuru. This time and the one at the Battler party. I was thinking this the last time I saw Rimuru lose her temper, but that incident wasn't on the same level as the other two.
It's no wonder my father asked me to keep an eye on her; it's not just because of whatever she said in an attempt to coerce him.
I don't know what to think, really. My sense of danger skyrocketed in that aura's presence, but with Rimuru standing right in front of me again...I just don't see it. I have a hard time imagining her exuding something that intense. That doesn't mean I am disbelieving, of course.
Even with my worries, things are still moving along without me.
"Incredible, Master Iruma! Your grace knows no bounds!" Asmodeus exclaims in shameless praise.
"Really? Uh, thanks!" Iruma replies, taking the compliment rather awkwardly.
"Should I know who Kiriwo is?" Sabnock asks.
"He was a student at Babyls until he got arrested for being a nutcase terrorist. That's all you need to know," Rimuru states with a shrug.
"Ah, I see." Sabnock nods and doesn't seem interested in asking more, fully satisfied by Rimuru's minimal answer, somehow.
I gesture for Rimuru to 'come here'. She shrugs, glances in Iruma's direction then follows me as I take her aside to talk one-on-one.
"After all you just shared, you just let a dangerous individual like that walk free?!" I ask in a harsh yet quiet voice, stunned that Rimuru would after making her that furious twice now.
"Hey, he's still inside the prison, so it's not like I helped him escape or anything. I definitely have mixed feelings about it, but I've decided to let things play out. Iruma wants him to have one more chance so I agreed to give him one, that's all. In hindsight, I don't exactly want his nasty perverted blood on my hands anyways." Rimuru dismissively explains.
"You wanted to kill him, though, did you not?" I ask for absolute clarity.
"In the moment? Yes, I did. Part of me was still hesitant, though, and Iruma was enough to convince me to listen to that part of myself, I suppose. He was the push that tipped the scales on my decision."
Even with that level of anger, Rimuru was hesitant?!
"What about that intense, foreboding aura? That horrific pressure that I'm certain was coming from you?!"
"Oh, that? You can just forget about it."
"..."
"It's nothing to worry about, I just lost my temper a little, that's all. That Kiriwo guy was really pushing my buttons back there." Rimuru explains with a clearly awkward, forced smile.
"You really are a piece of work..." I mutter, very annoyed that she's acting like exuding killing intent on that level is something normal!
Before I can ask another question, we're interrupted by a sudden announcement blaring over the park's intercom. The calm female voice is very different from the jovial male one from when the park still opened. It's clear and concise, telling visitors and staff to evacuate from three specific areas of the park, one of them being concerningly close to where we are.
"You heard her, let's get moving," Rimuru announces to our group without a hint of panic in her voice.
"Do you know something you're not telling me Rimuru?" I ask, thinking her nonchalant reaction is anything but normal. She's clever, so I expect that she knows something I don't.
"Let's talk about that after moving somewhere safer." Rimuru answers, gesturing to urge us all to get moving.
"Yeah, Ameri, we should listen to that warning," Iruma adds, sounding nervous but remaining mostly calm.
His reaction is even odder, making me think that they both definitely know something.
Even so, it's true that we need to move. If the announcement is anything to go off of, we're in imminent danger if we stay where we are right now.
With that in mind, we all start swiftly walking away, heading toward the center of the park, but before we get there, disaster strikes.
The ground rumbles and violently shakes under our feet and the people around us start to panic.
Something is very wrong, even more so than when that explosion happened deep in the prison beneath us.
Then, as if to draw attention to the cause, three blazing pillars, one blue, one yellow, and one red, brightly light up the park as they shoot into the sky.
The red one, the surge of energy closest to us, gives way to reveal a ginormous red dragon, and I can only assume that the other two pillars have left behind similar beasts of their own
The aura it is giving off is immense, and I think I can sense the other two's as well. They cause the once-sunny skies to roil with stormy clouds as if to show that they intend to blow the whole park away.
Nearby, many buildings have been completely obliterated by the extreme tremors and deep cracks formed in the ground, and the beast within view is adding to the carnage, already rampaging and destroying everything in its path.
"Oh my, that's a Carmine Dragon!" Sabnock comments in awe, staring at the closest kaiju.
"Yes, it appears so. And those three mana surges were summonings..."
Never in my life have I seen a beast of this caliber summoned by a demon, but that is the only logical explanation for their sudden appearance. But, to think that someone would be capable of that...there's no way it was one demon alone that achieved this, let alone three simultaneous summonings of similar rank.
Sabnock and Azz look stunned, with the latter being a bit more concerned than the former. Ronove is a blubbering mess of panic, rocking back-and-forth and reduced to sitting on the ground. Iruma looks scared but not really surprised, and lastly...
"Rimuru, you know something about this, I can tell!" I say, remembering her lax reaction to this all, but she doesn't seem to be paying me any mind.
She appears to be deep in thought while staring at nothing.
"Oh, um...well there's three of those things, I know that much," she replies with a shrug.
"I think everyone here has already figured that out, stop messing around!" I exclaim.
"I'm not messing around!"
I'm about to argue back, but something grabs my attention. Iruma is walking forward toward the rubble of a building with a shocked look on his face. He stops and just stares for a long few seconds, not saying a single thing.
"Iruma?" I ask, immediately concerned, but he still stays silent.
"Yeah, are you alright?" Rimuru asks, also clearly worried about him.
"This...is too much..." he mutters, looking up and down the wide street ravaged by the destruction caused by the beast's emergence.
There's rubble everywhere, large cracks in the pavement, and many demons running around in a disorganized panic. Screams and shouts ring out in the air and the tension is palpable. It's a grim scene, that's for sure, and it seems to be affecting Iruma worse than most.
"I...need to do something...Rimuru, we need to do something!" he shouts, passion filling his voice and expression.
"Of course, of course. Remember what I said before? I'm not gonna just stand around twiddling my thumbs..."
'What you said before?' What is that supposed to mean?
"Wait, are you seriously planning on fighting against one of those beasts?!" I ask incredulously.
Rimuru might be able to put up a fight against that dragon, but I'm not so sure Iruma would.
"Nah, you three can take care of that," Rimuru replies with a confident smile.
"You...three? Who do you mean?" I probe her further.
"You, Azz, and Sabnock. Go take on that dragon, keep it busy, and away from the evacuees." Rimuru says as if that's something simple.
"Why are you the one giving out orders?!"
"And Iruma, what do you wanna do? You're pretty worked up about this." Rimuru says to Iruma, completely ignoring my complaints.
"I want to save everyone!"
Rimuru nods with an expression that tells me she was expecting this.
"Alrighty then, I'll help ya with that."
Suddenly, there's a puff of smoke, completely obscuring her from view.
Afterward, I look over at Rimuru again but don't see her, at least not initially. Looking downward, I see something crazy.
Seven smaller Rimurus, all completely identical!
"Okay, here's the plan. You all will fan out all over the park and rescue anyone in danger while I stick with Iruma, capiche?" one of the many Rimurus says.
" " "Yeah!" " " all six others respond in unison to her, the apparent leader.
"Now, since it's gonna get real confusing otherwise, I'll color-code you all!"
The lead Rimuru claps her hands a couple of times and the other six clones are all wearing dresses of different designs and colors; white, blue, green, red, yellow, and purple.
"Based on your clothes, you'll be Agent Red, Agent Yellow, Agent Green, etcetera..." the lead Rimuru says, still wearing the same black outfit as before.
"Oh! Oh! I gotta question, Agent Black!" The one in blue raises her hand and hops up and down a few times.
"Yes?"
"Why are you the only one that gets to look cool? This cutesy dress isn't cool at all!" she whines.
"Because you all look adorable like that!" 'Agent Black' exclaims, clasping her cheeks in glee.
"Such a hypocrite..." 'Agent Green' mutters.
"You've fallen so far from grace, Agent Black," 'Agent Red' smugly says with her arms crossed.
"Huh? In the 30 seconds that we've been separate people?" 'Agent Black' responds, sounding betrayed.
"Yup! I could forgive you if you put on a dress too, though!" 'Agent Red' continues, smirking at the idea.
"Nope, this isn't the time for such silly games. Get moving! Now!" 'Agent Black' orders.
"Fine, you meanie..." 'Agent Blue' complains but listens.
"You're calling yourself a 'meanie', you know." 'Agent Black' points out as the six mini Rimurus all start running off in different directions.
"Okay, that should be enough," she says in a satisfied tone, now the only remaining Rimuru. "Now that I've sent out those copies, let's get down to business."
"That was...a lot..." I say, thinking what I just witnessed was very strange.
"So even though you are smaller at the moment, you are the real Rimuru?" Asmodeus asks inquisitively.
"Pretty much. I've kinda pushed my limits with my bloodline magic, so I couldn't maintain my normal size while making and maintaining that many copies." Rimuru casually explains in her notably higher-pitched voice.
Unlike the other six, this one does seem to be mentally on par with how Rimuru normally is, even if by appearances she's indistinguishable from the clones she sent out to handle saving people, besides the dress.
"Will they be okay? I mean, they're just little kid versions of you..." Iruma worriedly questions.
"Oh, they'll be fine!" Rimuru reassures him unconcernedly.
She then turns her attention back to the rest of our group and frowns, which I have to say, looks adorable when she's like this. Rimuru already has a cute face when not in this smaller form, so that already-existing-adorableness is just amplified right now.
"Why're you three just standing around, go fight that thing!" she jabs a finger in the direction of the Carmine Dragon, looking annoyed that we haven't gone along with her orders.
"You're even less imposing than normal when like that, you know." I point out, thinking that being ordered by Rimuru in this state is nothing but comical.
"I don't need you to tell me that, Ameri. Please just go fight that dragon! Don't you wanna? I mean, it's not every day you get to fight a kaiju like that!"
"Yes, it will be quite the battle, I can tell!" Sabnock says, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the thought of facing such a beast.
"I have no problem with helping Master Iruma and his sister's cause by taking on that dragon," Asmodeus adds, for once agreeing with Sabnock.
I truly have very little issue with Rimuru's plan, it's just her attempting to order me around that's annoying. I suppose in a situation like this, that doesn't matter much and I should set aside my personal feelings and just do what's best. I was planning on taking action in some way anyway.
"Fine, I'll agree to help fight that Carmine Dragon."
Rimuru smiles at me cutely and nods, satisfied.
Iruma POV
Under Rimuru's orders, my three friends run off to battle that scary dragon ravaging some nearby structures. I'm a little worried, but I know they are all strong and won't push themselves too far most likely. I guess I'm a little worried about Sabnock when it comes to judging what he can take on and not, based on his past mistakes, but he's learned from those, I think, so I shouldn't focus on worrying about him too much.
This leaves Rimuru, Ronove, and me to do what we need to do. Rimuru promised to make sure nobody dies and seems to have a plan, but I'm still feeling an intense sense of unease. Our surroundings are devastating to look at. Like, I knew this was coming, but I wasn't expecting these strong emotions just from witnessing the park in absolute shambles.
The sounds of roaring beasts, screams, and shouting of park guests...all of it is an overwhelming experience, but I need to get over it! I've resolved to help with the rescue effort, and I need to do my part!
I have no chance against that dragon, unlike my friends, so I need to use the strengths I have to help people in whatever way I can.
"Hey, it'll be alright," Rimuru softly says to me, patting the middle of my back comfortingly since a pat on the shoulder would be awkward for her at her current shorter stature.
"Yeah, I know..." I mutter back.
She smiles at me before looking at the one other person with us at the moment.
"And Ronove...what should I do with you?" Rimuru asks in an almost-playful manner, smirking while cooking up an idea for how he can help. This snapped Ronove out of his stupor and he's now staring at Rimuru apprehensively.
After a brief moment, Rimuru's eyes light up and she snaps her fingers.
"Ah, I got an idea! Why don'tcha put that annoying magic of yours to good use for once and round up the survivors? There are a bunch of hysterical demons running around, so if you grab their attention and snap them out of that, I bet you'd be able to help with evacuations."
"You want me...to h-help?" he asks fearfully, still a total mess.
"Well, yeah, of course, I do! You can handle the people that are just running around and Iruma and I will take care of the people that are trapped or hurt." Rimuru claims.
"Ronove is not convinced...your clones are already evacuating people, are they not?" Ronove skeptically asks.
"Oh, and here I thought you wanted attention...I guess I was wrong..." Rimuru responds.
Rimuru is trying to tempt him into doing what she wants, not being subtle at all about it.
"Attention?" Ronove asks with interest.
With a syrupy tone, Rimuru adds, "'The Son of Walter Park's Owner Rallies Survivors and Saves Many', or something like that. If you help, I bet you'll end up in the news as some kind of hero. Just think about all the demons admiring you and singing your praises after that!"
Ronove starts muttering to himself as he ponders the idea and Rimuru's smirk grows, knowing that she's already won the argument.
"I guess we might end up in there too, but that's whatever...we'll just deal with it if it happens," she mutters to herself, probably talking about the two of us and probably our other friends too. Battling a dragon would definitely get some publicity if reporters heard about it, I think.
"I suppose I can go with your plan. Farewell~!" Ronove says, prancing off and leaving me with just Rimuru. His attitude completely changed after getting the idea that this is a way to get attention.
"Rimuru, we-" I start to say but am suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched scream of "Help!", causing me to immediately turn my head in its direction.
It's a little boy, standing next to a ruined building and screaming at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"My friends are trapped under there and I can't get them out! Someone, please help!" he cries again, but the few passersby that are evacuating the area don't pay him any mind.
"Why...are they ignoring him?" I ask, shocked that people would ignore a kid screaming for help.
"They seem more concerned with themselves and their own safety," Rimuru comments with a frown.
She seems to be right about that, based on what I'm overhearing from those bystanders.
Well, I'm not gonna stand by and do nothing!
I start running toward the boy, determined to help him when nobody else seems to care at all about him. As I get closer, the ground shakes again, a shockwave from the dragon's fight with my friends. This makes the mostly-destroyed building the boy is near start to tremble, pieces falling to the ground, threatening to hit him.
Sprinting even faster, I juke and dodge every chunk of rubble falling and quickly scoop him up. Turning back, I start running again, this time with the boy in my arms, but something goes wrong.
When I lifted my foot, I felt a tugging, and the next thing I know I'm falling forward.
This fills me with immediate panic since I know if I keep falling, I'll land right on top of the kid I'm trying to save!
Oh no! This is bad!
My brief second of awareness is enough for me to twist my body so I'll land on my back instead of on top of this boy. Bracing myself for the painful feeling of my back hitting the rocky pavement, I close my eyes and hold the kid tighter to my chest.
But the feeling never comes.
Not only is there no pain or feeling of hitting the ground but the sensation of falling has been replaced with the weightless feeling of floating.
"You can count on your sister sometimes, y'know?" a familiar voice chuckles.
I open my tightly-closed eyes, confused about what happened.
My body rights itself without me doing anything and my feet are placed gently on the ground.
"I really didn't expect you to run off without me like that." Rimuru sighs, shaking her head slightly at me.
"Yeah...I thought I needed to act right away." I explain.
"Oh, but you might wanna make sure both your shoes are tied before trying something heroic. You looked really cool avoiding all those falling building chunks, but tripping on a stray shoelace and falling kinda ruined it."
I set the boy down and look at my feet. Rimuru was right, the shoelaces on my right foot are undone and that's what caused me to trip.
Dangit...
"Uh...thank you, mister!" he thanked me with a smile. "Oh, and uh...thank you for catching us!" he says to Rimuru.
"No problem, kid." Rimuru happily replies.
The boy gives her a quizzical look as if to say "But you're the same age as me..." but he doesn't say it out loud.
They both look around the same age, maybe 8 years old or so, so I get why he's confused by Rimuru calling him 'kid'.
"You're welcome! Go join the others at the shelter, it's in that direction. We'll help your friends." I say, pointing down the road in the same direction everyone else is heading.
He gives me a quick nod and runs off.
I crouch down and tie my shoe, making sure to do it extra-tightly so we don't have a repeat of my silly mistake.
Rimuru glances at the partially-collapsed building, her gaze downward at the ground beneath. It seems like she's looking at nothing, but I'm guessing that the other kids are trapped underneath.
"Are they still okay down there?" I quickly ask, very worried about them.
"Of course they are. Terrified, but not badly hurt. There's a space under that mess that they're huddled together inside. If we move any of this without thinking, it might cause another collapse...wait, I think I can take care of this part."
Rimuru disappears suddenly, leaving me alone.
Rimuru POV
The current situation isn't something I can have Iruma help much with. I can 'see' the kids trapped underground in a tight but stable-enough space, all scared out of their wits. I could just use Spatial Domination to get them out without going underground myself, but I don't wanna freak them out even more than they already are. So, I decided the best course of action would be to join them down there first, tell them what I'm gonna do, then teleport us all back to the surface. Easy peasy.
It's pitch-black down here, not an ounce of sunlight reaching the space. It's not a problem for me, but these kids surely can't see a thing. So, I create a harmless ball of light in my hand and throw it into the air where it lingers. This does the trick, lighting up the space enough that the three kids can see my face so I can talk to them briefly before hauling their butts back to safety.
"Hey, I'm here to save ya," I say to the cowering group of kids.
"Save us?!" one of them, a little girl around 5 years old, squeals in surprise and glee.
"How did you even get down here?" an older boy, maybe 12-ish, asks skeptically.
"Teleportation. And I'm gonna use the same to get you all outta here, alright?" I reply with my best reassuring smile.
"Wooow, you can use that stuff? Isn't teleportation magic, like, super tricky and complicated?" the third kid, a girl that's around the same age as the boy asks.
Calmly, to not cause further panic, I state, "Yup. Now, let's get going before another tremor happens."
"Wait a sec, I get that you got down here by yourself with no problem, but doesn't taking someone along with you make those spells way harder to pull off? I'm not taking my chances and getting ripped to shreds by a messed-up spell!" The oldest of the group continues questioning me.
This is getting annoying.
"Look. I promise I know what I'm doing."
"Blaize, I think we should trust her. It's not like we have much of a choice." the older of the two girls says to him. "You know we can't get out of here on our own."
"Well, I'd rather wait down here for an adult to rescue us, not some kid that's younger than me!" he says, giving me a doubtful glare.
This kid acts like he doesn't even wanna be saved...
I get it, I'm some mysterious stranger who appeared out of nowhere, offering to help, but I was hoping that my innocent-looking appearance would be enough to alleviate any suspicion with these kids.
Initially, I went with making myself this size to avoid trouble and contradictions; I needed some excuse for why I'm not fighting those giant kaiju, you know. Now, though, it's having unexpected consequences.
"B-but...it's so s-scary down here..." the little girl mumbles, tears welling up in her eyes.
She looks even more scared now, picking up on the tension between me and the boy. I feel bad for her since she's a lot younger and a lot more scared than the other two.
"Fine. I'll take you one at a time then if you're so worried about me 'messing the spell up.'." I sigh, making a compromise.
"You were planning on taking us all at the same time?!" the boy loudly asks.
"Yes? As I said, I know what I'm doing."
I've teleported an entire army across a continent. Sending three kids a few dozen feet away is no sweat at all, but I guess that's not common sense around here.
"I hope you do..." the older girl says, not exactly doubting me like the boy but showing hints of being unsure.
"Here, I'll take you first, alright? I promise it's safe." I offer, squatting down and spreading my arms wide. The youngest of the three looks up at the girl whose lap she's sitting on, then at me, then at the girl again who nods at her. With the older girl's approval, she wipes her teary eyes with her sleeve and hops to her feet. Then, she runs up to me and hugs me tightly, clearly happy to be offered an escape.
At least someone seems grateful...
It's very cute and heartwarming but I have a job to do. Making it as gentle as possible, I teleport back to the surface in a flash. The little girl looks around with surprise and relief evident in her expression.
"Th-thank you..." she mutters, still taking in the reality that she's been saved.
I set her down and gesture to Iruma, who is standing in the same place as before, to come closer.
"Take care of her for a moment while I bring her friends up here too."
"I will." he nods. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asks her dotingly.
I don't stick around to listen to their interaction and instead return to the other two trapped kids.
Iruma POV
Rimuru again teleports away, this time leaving me with a terrified little girl.
"I'm okay...I got a boo-boo on my knee and I'm all dirty, but I'm fine..."
She points to her knee that's scraped and bleeding some, but not badly. It's gotta sting, I can tell, but there's not a lot I can do to help her...or is there?
"I know a special healing magic that I can use on that, but it's a secret so you can't watch, okay?"
"Super-secret magic?" she gasps, immediately curious about the idea.
"Uh-huh, super-duper-secret, so please close your eyes for me."
I could just ask Rimuru to heal her, but I wanna do my part too!
The little demon nods excitedly and covers her eyes with her hands and I grab a nearby rock with a sharp point.
This should be enough...I don't think I have to slice my hand wide open like last time, a little prick on my fingertip should be enough...
I first look over my shoulder to make sure nobody is watching me do what I'm about to do. This isn't something I can let get out, that's for sure.
Seeing that nobody's paying me an ounce of their attention and that the girl has her eyes blocked completely, I poke the tip of one of my fingers with the sharp stone, causing a small crimson bead of blood to well up on it.
I touch the bloody fingertip to the little girl's knee and the results are almost immediate. The nasty scrape almost immediately disappears, leaving behind smooth, unscathed skin.
"You can open your eyes now."
She takes a peek from between her fingers before pulling her hands away from her face and her eyes light up with excitement when she sees her knee all healed up.
"Oooooh! Thank you!" she exclaims, bouncing up and down and smiling.
I smile too, glad I could help.
"Here's another one, Iruma," Rimuru says, now with another girl, this one older.
"Sissy! Sissy! Look! Look! My knee isn't hurt anymore!" the little girl excitedly says while running toward the other girl Rimuru rescued.
"First teleportation and now healing magic...you both are pretty skilled, aren't you? Are you related?"
"Yeah, Rimuru's my sister," I reply. "Oh, and it was nothing...the healing, I mean."
"You healed her knee, Iruma?" Rimuru asks inquisitively before glancing at my still-bloody fingertip and sighing, probably figuring out how I did it.
"Well, I have one more to go," she says with a shrug before disappearing for a third time.
She's not gone for even a moment before I hear a loud thud and a large chunk of concrete goes flying, landing safely away from anyone in the vicinity, creating another boom and revealing a hole in the wreckage of the building.
"What's Rimuru-?" I start to ask but am left speechless as I see a boy go flying limply out of the hole before unceremoniously falling toward the ground. He's stopped inches before impact in the same way I was a few minutes ago, but instead of being placed on his feet, he's simply 'dropped' instead after a few seconds.
Rimuru jumps out of the same hole, brushing dust off of her hands as she walks back up to me.
"There. That's all of 'em."
"Why didn't you teleport him like the other two?" I ask.
"He outright refused to let me. I mean, I could've done it without his consent, but I took another route instead, one that's a little bit rougher but did the job nonetheless."
"Sorry about him...he's so stubborn sometimes. Oh, is our friend safe? Blond hair, black horns... He's a bit younger than us both but older than my little sister too."
"Oh yeah, we sent him in the direction of the shelter. You three should head there too."
"Fine. Thanks for rescuing us, I guess..." The boy mutters, his cheeks blushing slightly from embarrassment at being thrown out of that hole like a sack of potatoes.
"Yes, thanks a lot for that." the older girl adds.
"Yeah! Thank you, thank you!" the youngest cheers.
Jazz POV
You've gotta be kiddin' me...
"Stay back, all of you." orders the butler tasked with watching our group.
He's put himself in between us and a giant rat-shaped beast that appeared outta nowhere! It's totally wreckin' the place and ruining everyone's day! First, there was that weird, loud noise under the park and now this!
I was wishing for a little more excitement in my day, but not this way.
The rat-kaiju takes another jab with its multiple, sharply-pointed tails and is blocked by Opera. I have to say, this guy is stronger than he looks!
"Leave! I will fend this beast off in the meantime, so get yourselves to safety!" Opera calls out to us without taking his eyes off of his foe.
"Are we sure he'll be alright?" Elizabetta asks, concerned for Opera.
"Yeah, I think he will. We should leave and get out of his way so he doesn't have to worry about protecting us." Keroli adds.
"No! Maybe if I make a buncha cheese that rattie will eat it all and take a long, snoozy nap! I think he's just cranky!"
"No, I don't think so."
What even goes through that girl's head?
I shake my own, trying to get past her nonsense.
"We should do what he said. Let's get outta here."
We leave Opera to deal with the rat-kaiju on his own. I'd like to help him out, but it's not like I know much about fighting. I'm sure I'd just get in the way.
This entire place is in a panic as everyone is heading to the emergency shelter in the center of the park. As we've gotten closer it's gotten more and more crowded, the streets choked with frenzied demons only concerned with their own safety.
So many distracted people nearby...so many pockets to pick...no, no Jazz it's not the time for that! You need to get yourself to the shelter alongside everyone else!
In my moment of distraction, I've gotten separated from the girls.
"Dammit..."
It's fine, we're all heading to the same place, but I was trying to stick with those three.
Just as I'm cursing my bad luck, something catches my attention.
"Big bro! Big bro!"
A very young boy, only a toddler, has suddenly grabbed a hold of the hem of my shirt and is tugging it to get my attention.
"Sorry kid, I'm not your big brother."
That's right, I don't have a younger sibling.
Instead, I have an older brother, who is a drunkard and a womanizer. He's an asshole with no respect for me or my possessions, but I have only myself to blame because he's more skillful than me. My family has always been a meritocracy; the one who has their stuff stolen is at fault, not the one who took it.
But if I had a younger sibling, I'd treat them nicely! I want to be someone who's dependable and looked up to!
"But you are my big brother!" the little boy insists.
Dammit, don't call me that... Don't call me your 'big brother'... It makes me too damn happy!
Plus, this really is no place for a little guy like him to be all by himself. If people aren't careful, he could easily be trampled. I think I need to help him out or I'll regret it later.
I kneel down and put my hand on his head.
"I guess you think I kinda look like him, right? What's your big brother's name?" I ask in as kind and patient of a voice as I can manage.
"Um, it's... It's Erimon!"
"I see. And what about your name?"
"Devan!"
"Alright Devan, hop on my shoulders and we'll go look for your big brother, okay?"
He nods quickly and I hoist him up there.
...
"Erimon!" I call out at the top of my lungs.
"Erimon!" the boy atop my shoulders yells as well, as loud as he can manage.
We keep calling out in alternation, wandering through the warzone of a park as we look for him.
"Devan!" a male voice calls out in the distance.
It's shocking that anyone even heard our yelling over the cacophony of voices around us. Still, I'm able to tell where the dude calling back Devan's name is, generally.
I quickly head towards the voice and spot a demon that looks pretty similar to me.
His eyes are purple instead of like my red, and his facial features aren't quite as angular, but I can certainly see how a little kid could confuse me for him.
"Is this your brother?" I ask the kid on my shoulders.
"Uh-huh."
"Hey, man, I think I found your little brother," I say as I set the kid down. Devan immediately runs up to him and he squats down to accept the kid.
"Devan! I told you not to let go of my hand, little man!" he scolds the kid non-seriously while giving him a tight hug.
After a few seconds of this heartwarming reunion, Erimon turns his attention to me.
"Thanks for the help man, I thought I lost him for good," I respond.
"Not a problem. You two stay safe, alright? This place is a madhouse right now." He thanks, panting.
He gives me a thankful nod before both disappear into the crowd.
"Now that that's taken care of..."
I breathe a sigh of relief, but I'm quickly distracted by something much crazier than a small child tugging on my clothes.
Far off in the distance, I can see a colossal dragon being hammered away at by Ameri, Azz, and Sabnock. It's clearly the biggest threat in the park, yet those three are- Woah!
The dragon attempts to fire at Azz but misses, the massive jet of green magic melting a row of shops just a stone's throw away from me.
Those three are fighting that thing! There's no way I can do anything like that, but seeing them, I feel like I have to make myself useful somehow...
As the dust from the obliterated buildings clears, I notice about a couple of dozen terrified demons hiding from the dragon behind a crumbling wall, as if that would protect them. But also with them is what looks like a younger version of Rimuru wearing a sunny yellow dress, her childish appearance contrasted by the harsh way she's barking orders for them to move.
"Get a move on! You'll be safe in the shelter!" she yells.
"No way, didn't you see what just happened? I don't wanna be vaporized!" a tall, panicked demon replies.
"Yeah! I'm... I'm not leaving this spot!" a smaller, quivering demon adds.
"You won't be any safer hiding here! Just go to the shelter, I'll protect you on the way!" Rimuru claims, getting visibly frustrated.
"You're just a little girl, how are you gonna protect us from that?" the tall demon asks incredulously.
I think she once mentioned something about being able to make more clones if they're younger versions of herself, this must be one of those... I guess this means she's got a bunch of them working to evacuate the park...? Clearly, it's causing her some problems, though.
Although I'm sure that even this miniature version of Rimuru could do a better job than me of protecting this crowd, clearly what's needed right now is someone who looks dependable.
Doing my best to look brave and confident despite everything falling apart around me, I stride up to the crowd.
"Alright everyone, follow me! I know the way to the shelter!" I boastfully state, and then I pat the surprised mini-Rimuru on the head. "Rimuru here can make barriers, so if she follows along as well, we'll be totally safe!"
She immediately shoves my hand off, looking very annoyed, but my plan still worked.
Something about my demeanor must have enamored the crowd, because they start to willfully follow now, myself and Rimuru moving briskly as we lead the way.
"That's just unfair, Jazz!" she whines, irked that my taller stature was all it took.
"Haha, life is unfair!" I retort amusedly. "But right now, all that matters is not getting blown to bits by that dragon!"
Elizabetta POV
"We will lead everyone out of the park in an orderly fashion! Please just wait a little longer!" calls out a staff member of the park.
Anxious murmurs ripple through the crowd hunkered down in the event hall, which is serving as the park's emergency shelter.
Myself, Keroli, and Clara have just arrived here, escaping from the danger and devastation elsewhere in the park.
Opera stayed behind to fight one of the kaiju, and Jazz is out there doing his own thing after getting separated from us, so it's just us three now.
It's like a warzone out there... I can only hope that some kind of help comes soon...
The worst part about this is the waiting, and the feeling of being unable to do anything; there aren't many demons who are strong enough to fend off such beasts.
We caught a glimpse of Ameri, Azz, and Sabnock fighting the dragon kaiju in the distance; but while they are just teenagers like us, those three are natural-born warriors from the super-powerful bloodlines of the Thirteen Crowns! That difference in power is why they're the ones out there fighting, even with lots of adults in here.
As we pass by a group of scared, unattended children, I can't help but want to look after them. They've probably never been in a situation this stressful, and I don't want this to be a day that leaves a scar on their hearts.
Children are very sensitive... Childhood trauma can even affect the evil cycle, and possibly cause them to do terrible things at a later age...
"How about we sit here?" I suggest to Keroli and Clara so that I can watch over these kids.
Keroli nods, and Clara replies with an eager "Sure!" as she plops herself down.
Pulling a crying little boy onto my lap, I turn that frown upside-down with some tickles!
"Coochie-coochie coo!" I tease, to a response of childish laughter.
So adorable! Seeing him calm down sets my heart at ease as well...
Keroli is looking around anxiously, and then without warning, she informs us "I'm sorry you two! I'm going for a bit! Please look after the kids!" before running off.
Where could she be off to?
The roaring of kaiju and sounds of combat outside make the children tremble, and myself as well; I cling a bit tighter to the young boy I'm holding, scrunching my eyes shut as I try my best to ignore the terrifying atmosphere.
Somehow though, Clara is unshaken by all this.
"Don't worry, I know the demons fighting those beasties to protect us, and they're all super-duper strong! They'll keep us all safe, I promise!" Clara says, brimming with infectious confidence.
All the children look her way, interested in what she just said.
"There's Azz-Azz, who can make flames that go fwoom! Fwoom! And there's Sabnock, who's super huge and can make lots of sharp things to go stabby-stabby at the dragon with! And there's Lady Redhair, who can kick super-duper hard! And Opera, who can... Well, he can do something super-cool, I bet!" Clara exclaims in a very animated speech.
The little kids are enamored with her now, already looking far less nervous than before.
That's right! They're super strong, they wouldn't let anything bad happen to us!
Clara puts on a show for us, acting out how she imagines the fighting is going, a one-girl performance where she rapidly switches roles.
"And then Lady Redhair goes like 'hiii-ya!' and bonks the dragon in the head! Then Sabnock makes an axe and also bonks the dragon on the head, giving it a really bad headache! Next up is Azz-Azz, who makes the dragon extra-crispy with a rain of fireballs!"
*BOOM... BOOM...*
Yikes!
The earth-shaking thuds outside knock Clara off her balance, but she takes them in stride, weaving them into her act.
"The beastie gets knocked over, going 'growrrrr!' as it goes down and hits the ground with a big boom!" Clara narrates, acting out the scene. "And then Sabnock does a body slam onto it, making another big boom! The beastie is definitely gonna need to be bandaged up after that!"
Unfortunately, everyone in the shelter is starting to panic now from the sounds, some of them running for the door in fear of the shelter being attacked by one of the kaiju.
This is all going so terribly wrong... What can I do?!
"Don't worry," I hear Keroli say reassuringly. But I look up, and it's not Keroli... It's...
"Kuromu?! The dem-dol?!"
There's no mistaking it. That purple and gold hair, those beautifully-curling horns, that adorable charm... It's Kuromu! Those two have surprisingly similar voices!
The atmosphere in the room is immediately different, everyone now watching her and speaking in only hushed tones as she makes her way to the stage.
Microphone in hand, she delivers a speech to set everyone's hearts at ease.
"Listen, everyone! There are kaiju outside, and I know you're scared and nervous... But stay calm, everyone! Are magical beasts really that scary?" Kuromu asks the adoring crowd in a pleading tone. "Just think about this rationally... Between their 'scary', and my 'cute', which is more powerful?"
" " " Cute! " " " everyone exclaims as if they've forgotten about the beasts outside.
Wow... Just like that, she took away everyone's awful, scary feelings!
Opera POV
As my young wards run off, I face off against the Panther Rat before me, an enormous rat-like kaiju with many spear-like tails.
Rather than causing havoc, it waits for me to make a move. It has recognized me as its enemy and doesn't want to be caught off-guard.
I, too, wait for my opponent to make a move. Against an opponent of this size, it would be highly advantageous to strike while it is already committed to an attack.
The kaiju acts first, stabbing its many tails towards where I was standing. But I've already leaped out of the way, dodging and weaving through the tangle of tails to deliver a powerful kick to its face. The feeling isn't quite what I expected, though.
"Oh? Your body is rather soft, blunt attacks won't do much damage." I comment as I land back down on the ground as if the beast would understand me. "In that case, we're in for a rather long fight."
It next tries to strike me with a paw, pulverizing the ground where I was standing, only to see that I've already leaped into the air.
However, the kaiju appears to have learned surprisingly quickly; while I'm in the air and can't dodge as easily due to a lack of traction, I'm surrounded by tail-spears. Clearly, I was careless to leap so high, and it's going to cost me here.
I'm pierced in the torso by a tail, but I firmly grasp it, keeping the penetration only shallow. It'll take far more than that to seriously hurt me.
We exchange attacks and counterattacks over and over, with many close calls happening as the battle goes on. I've been grazed by barely-avoided jabs of those spear-like tails, but I am getting a feel for how this beast fights.
This is going on longer than I would've liked, but I am still landing telling blows on it. The damage is building up and I still have plenty of stamina to spare. I'm in no real danger of losing at this point as the tides of battle have turned in my favor, but with overconfidence comes danger.
Just then, I feel that something is off. The Panther Rat has paused its barrage of jabs and strikes, seemingly giving me a breather, but I know better.
I think it is about to try something unexpected...I must stay on my guard.
My caution is well-worthwhile; I notice the speartips of the tails puff up, and a moment later they blow out a dangerous-looking purple gas.
I act quickly and counter it with wind magic, whipping the toxic cloud up into a vortex and sending it safely skyward.
"You didn't expect your secret move to be so useless, did you?" I taunt, uppercutting the kaiju as it shows a lapse in concentration.
The heavy blow causes it to stumble backward... towards a group of children?!
Why did they wander so close to here? I have to stop them from being crushed!
I run towards them as fast as I can, planning to intercept it before it injures any of these children. But, before I can reach the group, one of them lifts a hand and shouts "Libera!", a massive dragon-like bolt of magic rocketing the enormous Panther Rat far into the distance.
How the hell did- ... Oh.
I'm left stunned since the power behind that spell was nothing that a child should be able to manage...that is until I take a closer look at who it was that cast it.
Paying more attention to the children, I see that the one who threw the beast is one of Rimuru's younger-looking clones, presumably escorting the group to shelter.
"I win! I win! I defeated the big rat!" she exclaims, bouncing up and down in joy.
Hopping up onto a rooftop, I check to see whether she actually did defeat it. She didn't quite send it off the edge of the park, but it landed awfully close! It's still trying to recover from the fall, but I won't let it!
I need to get over there as fast as possible, though; preferably before it has the chance to get its bearings.
I turn to the smaller Rimuru, knowing that she can probably pull this off, somehow.
"Throw me at it!" I ask Rimuru, leaping towards her and putting my trust in her for once.
She looks at me curiously for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Okay then!" she cheerfully replies. "Libera!"
Without hesitation, the small version of Rimuru grabbed me by the arm and threw me while casting a spell. I'm sent rocketing towards the Panther Rat, and angle my legs towards it, prepared to deliver a fatal blow.
"Wrath's kick!" I yell, slamming into the kaiju.
With the combined power of Rimuru's spell hurtling me toward it as well as my well-placed kick, it goes flying off the edge of the park, plummeting down towards a rocky demise.
*CRUNCH*
There's a sickening sound as it meets its end, hitting the ground with all its weight.
"What a mess..." I say to no one in particular as I peer over the edge of the cliff.
From my current vantage point unobscured by buildings and other obstacles, I see that two battles are still raging in the park. This is not over, even with my taking out of one of the summoned beasts.
"I need to get back, there is still much to do."
But, before that, I should let Lord Sullivan in on what is happening here. I haven't got the chance until now since this disaster started.
I pull out the hell-phone he trusted me with to keep in contact and turn it on.
"How troublesome...I cannot get a signal because of this mana storm."
I peer up at the sky at the churning dark mass of clouds that formed above the park with the arrival of the three kaiju. Such a concentration of chaotic energy is interfering with any communications whatsoever here in the park, I assume.
"I suppose my report will have to wait." I sigh to myself.
I tuck my hell-phone back into my pocket, deeming it useless for the meantime, before sprinting back to the cataclysm still unfolding in Walter Park.