Rimuru POV
"Where have you two been!? I was worried sick!" Sullivan whines as we step inside the mansion.
Why were you worried about me? I am fully capable of taking care of myself, y'know!
"We're sorry, Grandpa. Something came up and I had to deal with it. Rimuru stayed with me to make sure I was safe." Iruma apologizes.
"By 'something' you mean you mean hanging out with your new girlfriend!" I playfully poke fun at him.
"S-stop calling her that! She's not my girlfriend!" Iruma insists. His face is now bright red with embarrassment.
"So you have a girlfriend now Iruma? You're growing up much too fast..." Sullivan whimpers.
"I told you she's not my girlfriend!" Iruma asserts desperately, looking panicked.
"Alright, in all seriousness she isn't his girlfriend..." I explain.
"Thank you!" Iruma says, sighing with relief.
"…at least not yet!" I finish my point with a huge grin.
"Rimuruuuu…!" Iruma whines. He looks at me with pleading eyes, so I decide to stop teasing him. He's gone through enough today.
"Hahaha! Ok, ok don't look at me like that! I'll stop picking on you now, I promise." I say reassuringly. "I actually have something important to talk to you about, 'Grandpa'."
"Is it about the incident in the botany tower?"
"Yes, that and the Gluttonous Feeder Ring. Something has to be done about it so that we don't have a repeat of today's 'accident'.". I don't want to have to deal with another cover-up since keeping one person's mouth shut is hard enough.
"Didn't you say something about 'adjusting its output' it on the phone earlier?" Iruma asks Sullivan.
"Oh, yes! That is something that I mentioned."
[[Let me alter the boy's ring! I have a brilliant idea for how to improve it Master!]]
Okay Ciel, I'll ask Sullivan if it's ok to 'play' with Iruma's ring. I'm excited to see what you've come up with.
"Do you mind letting me take care of the adjustment for you?" I ask Sullivan enthusiastically.
"Um, go ahead." He agrees, looking slightly unsure.
"What're you going to do to it Rimuru?" Iruma asks.
"You'll see. C'mon, let's do it upstairs since this might take a while." I respond.
"Ok…" Iruma says nervously. He just stands there instead of following so I grab his hand and half-drag him upstairs into my bedroom. We both sit on the bed next to each other.
Iruma POV
I'm in Rimuru's room after being dragged up here. Apparently, I'm about to have my Gluttonous Feeder Ring 'adjusted'. Rimuru looks way too excited about this, and I find the smile she's wearing disturbing. I trust Rimuru a good amount, but I have a bad feeling about this.
"Let me see this for a minute…" she says to me. Her smile changes into a look of contemplation as she stares at the ring on my middle finger. I see her gold eyes flash crimson for just for a split second. She continues to stare at my ring for a few minutes, appearing to be lost in thought. I just sit there awkwardly watching her, feeling trapped by this situation.
*sigh* #So that's really the only way then…# Rimuru mumbles to herself.
"What's the only way Rimuru?" I ask, now even more scared of what she's going to do.
"You're probably not going to find this pleasant, but you'll need to tolerate it and sit still no matter how much it freaks you out." she explains in a flat tone.
"What are you going to do to me!?" I ask desperately, now terrified by whatever she's planning.
"Calm down and let me explain, ok? You already know I'm a slime." she says.
"Well, yeah. But what does that have to do with my ring?" I ask, confused.
"As a slime, or at least for the unique type of slime I am, I have the ability to manipulate objects I eat much easier than I can in the outside world. For example, I can make healing potions with special herbs after eating them. These potions are much better than ones I can craft with my 'hands'."
"Ok, that's pretty cool…but still, what does this have to do with what we're doing?"
"Hang on, I'm getting to that!...A massive amount of precision is needed to make the adjustments to your ring. Normally, I would just have you take it off first, but…well…"
"Are you going to EAT ME!?" I ask, absolutely horrified.
"Calm down! No, I'm not gonna eat you! Well, not the whole you at least, just your finger. It will be a completely painless experience, I promise! I just imagine it would feel weird and maybe uncomfortable?…I dunno."
"Do you have to…?" I beg, trying to get out of this plan Rimuru came up with.
"I said there was no other way, didn't I? It will take much longer, and the result won't be nearly as good if I don't do it this way, and I refuse to half-ass this job! This thing will be your lifeline, your protection outside of myself. It is very important, Iruma, so please take this seriously. I guess I can't force you, but I need you to decide. Yes or no." she insists that I give her an answer.
"But…but…" I stutter, unsure what to say.
So she's doing this to protect me like she has been since we met? I doubt she would suddenly turn on me and eat me, so maybe I should just trust her, no matter how crazy this plan is.
"C'mon Iruma! I don't want to sit here all night doing nothing!" Rimuru continues to push me for an answer.
"Fine! Yes! I agree to let you do it! Just get it over with!" I give in and decide to let her do the procedure.
"Good, now sit still while I do this."
I watch as her index finger melts into a blue jelly-like substance. I try my best to sit still but as soon Rimuru touches me with her 'slime finger' I instinctively pull away. The odd sensation made my skin crawl.
"Iruma! If you won't sit still I'll have to call in Diablo and have him pin you down! Do you really want me to do that?" Rimuru threatens me.
I vigorously shake my head 'no', not wanting anything even close to that to happen to me. I look down at my middle finger and see that my ring, and the area around it, is completely enveloped 'slime-flesh' at this point. I get grossed out from both the feeling and appearance and accidentally let it show on my face. Rimuru scowls when she sees my reaction.
"Hey, don't make that face! You know that's what my body looks like when I'm not mimicking anything! Don't give it the same look you'd give a dog turd on a sidewalk!" she scolds me.
"But it feels gross and creepy…" I complain about the sensation. I watch Rimuru's expression darken from my words.
"Whatever…" Rimuru looks down then closes her eyes. She almost looks…hurt. I think I hurt her feelings when I said that.
"I'm sorry, Rimuru. I didn't mean it like that…" I apologize to her.
"It's fine. I am what I am, there's no changing that. Let's stop talking for now so I can concentrate." She says in a soft voice, not looking at me.
Rimuru POV
Is my body actually gross and creepy? I always thought my slime form was loveable and cute since most of the people back in Tempest love hugging and holding me when I'm like that.
[[No Master, your body is perfect! This brat doesn't know what he's talking about!]]
I can't help but be bothered by what he just said, though. I knew he probably wouldn't like it, but I didn't think he would be this disgusted…
I sit there in silence as Ciel works on the ring. Iruma has a depressed look on his face, probably regretting what he said to me a few minutes ago. The whole process of altering the ring takes less than ten minutes. When Ciel finishes I let Iruma's hand go and return my finger to human form.
"Are you done?" He asks, looking up at me with a worried look.
"Yeah, all done. Want me to explain what is different about it now?" I ask, trying to sound normal despite still feeling hurt by the boy's words.
"Sure."
Iruma POV
The ring on my hand looks a bit different from before. There is a line that runs along its entire length. The two halves divided by the line can rotate separately from each other. There is a small triangle on one half pointing towards the other like an arrow. The other half has four abbreviated words engraved. They read 'Nor. (Normal), Ext. (Extra), Uni. (Unique), and Ult.' (Ultimate). Rimuru explains that those are the four ranks for what she calls 'skills' from her world.
(Note/disclaimer: Just because I used the same names as the skill ranks for the ring power levels doesn't mean that the power levels match the strengths of the skill ranks. They are just what I decided to use since I'm not fond of the 'devil, demon, ifrit' names from the source material. I do kinda like pandoroola, but not the other three.)
"I've linked the ring directly to myself so it can tap into my power as needed, but I can cut that connection off if I want to. Its power output is also adjustable now. I have set three different 'safe' levels (Normal, Extra, and Unique) and one emergency one (Ultimate). 'Ultimate' mode will help you in a pinch but will take a lot out of you, probably will cause you a hell of a lot of pain too. The more of my magic you use, the more painful and hard on you it will be so don't go whipping it out willy-nilly!"
"P-painful?"
"Yes, painful. The type of magic energy I use is called 'magicules'. They, unfortunately, are kinda toxic to normal humans. Too many magicules coursing through your body is likely painful, and in a large enough quantity, deadly. That's why 'Ultimate' mode is only for emergencies. Over time your body can become resistant to the negative effects from magicules, but you'll have to take it slow. I believe the only reason you didn't experience pain from using magic back in the botany tower is because it poured out of you too quickly to do any damage to your body. It was completely out of control; you're very lucky you weren't hurt!"
(Note: Ciel intervened without Rimuru knowing back in the botany tower. She regulated the magic so Iruma would be fine. She gave Rimuru this excuse to tell Iruma.)
"Really!? I was in danger!?"
"Yeah, that's why it was so urgent and important that I make these adjustments. Just so you know, 'Ultimate' mode is just as dangerous as what you did in the botany tower so don't you dare use it for anything but an emergency. I'd rather you ask me for help instead of borderline killing yourself using it."
"So is 'Ultimate' mode as strong as your full strength?"
"Hell no! I would never give you access to that ridiculousness! I calculated the absolute limit that your fragile human body could take without killing you. That is 'Ultimate' mode. Along with the 'demon magic' you'll learn here I can also give you access to some of my skills and magic from my world. They'll be heavily nerfed, and I have complete control over which ones you are allowed to use and when though."
"Could you show me one of your skills?" I ask.
"Sure. This is one of the first ones I acquired when I was first reincarnated. It's now part of a much bigger skill, but I can still use it in its original form. It's called 'Control Water'." She explains.
Rimuru produces a baseball-sized sphere of water above her hand from seemingly nowhere and makes it fly all around the room, warping it into different shapes by pointing with her index finger.
(Note: I know this isn't exactly how Rimuru used this skill in the LN but I can imagine that he could have used it this way if he wanted. This is how I'm gonna portray it so sorry if it isn't completely accurate.)
"Cool!" I exclaim as I watch in awe. My eyes are closely following the glistening mass of water zipping around in the air.
"You think so? Watch this, It's much cooler!" She's looking me in the eyes with a sinister grin twisting her soft face. Then, with a small flick of her wrist, she points her finger right at the center of my forehead. The ball of water responds to her motion and flies straight towards me before painfully smacking me directly in the face. The force of it knocks me backwards onto the bed and completely soaks my head and the front of my shirt.
"Why did you do that!?" I ask angrily, sitting back up. I'm rubbing my forehead since it still stings from the impact.
"I had to get back at you for calling me 'gross' earlier, you deserved it!" Rimuru laughs, now seemingly in a much better mood. Using her skill, she retrieves the water and forms it back into a floating ball, leaving me completely dry again.
"This is a skill I'm willing to let you try right away. Be careful though, this can be used to fight too, the first 'weapon' I ever used is part of this skill. You've probably heard about waterjets being used to cut steel back on earth, right? That kind of force is possible with this skill so use it cautiously at first."
"Are you sure this is safe?" I ask, nervous to try out something that can be used to kill.
"Yes, it's safe since you shouldn't be capable of that kind of force yet…I just unlocked it for you. Now, all you have to do is think of the name of the skill to activate it and visualize what you want to do with it. I produced the water with a different skill, so you'll only be able to move it around. Here, use this; make sure your ring is in 'Normal' mode too, we don't need you hurting yourself."
Rimuru produces a cup from who knows where, plops the water ball into it and hands it to me.
After making sure my ring is turned to 'Normal', I attempt to do the same thing as Rimuru; form the water into a ball and make it float. Control Water I think to myself, holding my hand above the cup. My ring starts glowing the same color as earlier, but not anywhere near as brightly. The result I got was really disappointing though. Instead of leaving the cup, the water just stretches up a couple inches before plopping back down. I try a few more times but eventually give up. Somehow, I'm out of breath from the attempt and my body aches a little.
"Good job, you were at least able to move it some. This will take a lot of practice and concentration so just keep at it." Rimuru encourages me.
"Why do I feel so tired from doing something so small?" I ask, confused by how physically exhausted I'm feeling.
"Over time your body will become more accustomed to using my magic and you will be able to do more without wearing yourself out like that. Using my skills will take a lot more out of you than regular magic, even on 'Normal' so it'll take you a lot longer to get the hang of them. It's just something you will have to slowly work at with my help, but you should probably call it quits for tonight. It's getting late, and you need sleep, unlike me." Rimuru suggests. "Oh, and don't do any experimenting without me around. I'm gonna lock you out of using the skill for now, just to be safe."
I'm very excited but also equally exhausted so I decide to take her advice and go to bed. I'm a little sad that she doesn't trust me not to play with the skill by myself, but I understand that Rimuru's just looking out for my safety.
Rimuru POV
I make my way downstairs and find a strange sight. Opera and Diablo are sitting on a couch in front of a TV with both of them holding what looks like video game controllers.
"Diablo, what are you doing?" I ask.
"Hello, My Lord, I am playing what Opera calls a 'fighting game'." He replies gleefully, still playing the game as he talks.
I look over at Opera and notice how exhausted he looks. His eyes are bloodshot and have bags under them and he's muttering to himself #I must win…I must win at least once...only once...# over and over while aggressively mashing the buttons on his controller.
"Uuuhhh…how long have you two been playing this 'fighting game'?" I ask hesitantly, dreading his answer. Diablo tends to go overboard with pretty much everything he does if I don't stop him first.
"Twenty hours." he replies casually.
Oh, geez…
"Um…did you take any breaks during those twenty hours?"
"No, we have been playing nonstop. It is a very enjoyable activity! You should give it a try, My Lord!"
There's no way that's healthy for poor Opera!
"S-sure…Opera doesn't look like he's feeling so hot right now so he should probably call it quits." I say as I point to Opera who looks like he's about to pass out at any moment. I walk up to him and hold my hand out, but he just grips the controller tighter instead of handing it over. I then forcefully yank it out of his hands, and he looks at me with a devastated expression.
#B-but…win…once…m-must…# he mumbles as he tries to stand up to retrieve the controller. As soon as Opera is on his feet he begins swaying side-to-side before completely losing consciousness. I swiftly catch him before he falls to the floor and scoop his limp body up in my arms.
He's not gonna die, right?
[[The individual Opera is simply extremely exhausted and will recover with rest.]]
"Oh, dear. It looks like Opera has overdone it again…" Sullivan says concernedly as he enters the room.
"Again? This has happened before?!" I ask exasperated, still holding the unconscious cat-boy butler.
What has Diablo been up to while I've been busy!? I thought he was just helping take care of the mansion!
"Yes. He and Diablo have been trying to defeat each other at various activities since the two of you arrived. Opera is very competitive and had never found such a challenging opponent before Diablo." Sullivan explains.
"Opera has proven to be…most entertaining, My Lord." Diablo interjects with a sinister smile on his face. I internally facepalm (since my hands are occupied at the moment), mad at myself for not keeping a closer eye on Diablo.
So Opera is Diablo's new 'plaything'? Ugh, I know exactly how Diablo can be, I shouldn't have been so careless!
"Diablo, you need to stop pushing Opera to his breaking point. He'll end up dying if this keeps on happening so show some self-restraint."
"Yes, Lord Rimuru. I promise that I will keep his fragile body in mind next time."
"*sigh* Okay, I think he should sleep in an actual bed after marathoning a game for twenty hours straight. I'll take care of getting him to his room."
"No, My Lord. Let me take care of that for you." Diablo insists.
"No thanks, Diablo. I'm gonna take care of this while you stay here and behave yourself." I command.
I begin making my way towards Opera's room all the way across the mansion.
This is my chance to build some trust with him. Opera is still scared of me and that's a situation I'm not comfortable leaving as is.
Opera POV
My vision is foggy as I slowly open my eyes. I feel my body rhythmically bobbing up and down slightly…am I being carried by someone?
"Wha…what's going…on?" I ask groggily.
As my vision begins to clear up, I recognize who's got me in their arms. With their silver-blue hair, golden eyes, and beautiful face they're unmistakable. To my horror, it's Rimuru, the terrifying demon lord who's currently staying in Lord Sullivan's mansion. I squirm, futilely attempting to escape her grasp.
"Hey! Take it easy, Opera! You passed out on your feet so I'm carrying you to bed; just relax." Rimuru says in a friendly-sounding voice. I don't buy it though; this person is a master of deception.
"L-let me g-go!" I plead as I flail even harder to avoid this death grip she has on me.
"C'mon Opera, you can't even stand right now! You need rest so just let me take you to your bed. I'm trying to help you not hurt you!" Rimuru insists, sounding concerned.
"B-but…why are y-you…doing th-this for…me?" I ask as I still attempt to escape. This person must have a reason other than pure generosity for helping me. She has to have an ulterior motive of some kind.
"I'm partially responsible for you passing out since I didn't keep Diablo under control. He shouldn't have been pushing you to your limit like that. Plus, I still feel bad about what happened when we first met, I want to try to make up for that." she explains. If I didn't know any better, I would say she looks…sad. Her golden eyes that normally strike primal fear into the deepest part of my soul aren't full of emptiness or evil right now, but instead what appears to be regret.
"Please just trust me…" she says quietly, giving me a warm and comforting look.
I finally give up on struggling and decide to just accept my fate. If I exclude the bad memories I have about Rimuru from my judgment of this situation, everything points to her being completely honest right now. As soon as I relax for a moment, my consciousness slips away again while I'm still in Rimuru's arms.
Rimuru POV
I just wanted to help him but now I'm worried I scared him again. I guess waking up in the arms of your 'worst nightmare' and being unable to escape would be terrifying for anyone…
[[Sorry again for causing this predicament, Master! If I didn't choose to use this person as a test subject, he would not fear you as much as he does.]]
You don't need to apologize for that again Ciel. Like I said before, just learn from it and I won't be upset.
I finally reach Opera's bedroom. I quietly enter, careful not to wake him again, and lay him gently on his bed. Unfortunately, he's still in his butler uniform instead of more comfortable clothes. There's nothing I can do about that though, there's no way I'm gonna undress him while he's sleeping, that would be wrong on so many levels! I leave the room, quietly closing the door behind me before teleporting to Sullivan. We need to talk about the modifications made to Iruma's ring.
Sullivan doesn't seem to mind talking about this right now, even though it is past midnight at this point. It takes me a couple hours to carefully cover every change made to Iruma's ring and all of its functions. I also make sure to warn Sullivan that he shouldn't try to tamper with the ring himself since the modifications Ciel made are extremely delicate. Slight alteration can create an imbalance in the way the flow of energy is regulated. In a worst-case scenario, this can have deadly consequences for Iruma. After answering all of Sullivan's questions and reassuring him it's safe as long as Iruma listens to my instructions, I decide it's finally time to call it a night.
I head upstairs to my bedroom and flop onto my bed, reverting to my slime form while midair before hitting it. I spend most of my time in my human form these days since, unless someone already knows me personally, it's hard to be taken seriously looking like a 'ball of jelly'. Back home I had to 'exude dignity' as a leader of a country and a 'deity' or 'god', although I hate using those words to describe myself. Despite this, I'm much more physically comfortable in my original slime form. Reverting back to it after holding human form for a long period of time feels amazing! I guess it's kinda like taking off a pair of shoes after a long day on your feet. The shoes themselves aren't necessarily uncomfortable but taking them off still feels really good. I spread myself out on the soft bed, getting as comfortable as possible. Today was quite a busy day so now I just want to forget all about my problems and relax for a while.
Iruma POV
I've been laying in my bed for a few hours, doing absolutely nothing. I'm way too excited to fall asleep, even though I'm exhausted. I let my mind wander to the possibilities that have been opened by my ring's new abilities when suddenly my thoughts get interrupted by a strange feminine voice talking inside my head.
[[Greeting's child, my name is Ciel.]]
Third Person POV Bonus Scene:
A lone boy walks the hallways of Babyls in the dead of night, his uneven horns shining in the moonlight. He makes his way to a specific wall before glancing over both his shoulders, looking for anyone watching his actions. Concluding that he's not being watched, the boy pushes in one of the bricks of the wall, revealing an entrance to a secret room. The room is full of various strange contraptions in varying states of dilapidation.
"Safe." he sighs to himself in relief, leaning up against the door. "I swear someone was watching me just a moment ago…"
The boy casually makes his way over to a curtain, pulling it aside revealing a large device. He strokes it lovingly. "Oh, my precious Gabuko, soon you will be complete…" he says longingly as he rests one cheek on the cold metal exterior, still rubbing the strange contraption with one hand.
"It won't be much longer until the day we change this world…together. That must be why I'm feeling so uneasy; though I must not let that stop me from completing my mission. Years of work and planning will soon come to fruition…I can't wait!" he says with a sigh, sliding down the side of his machine until he is sitting on the floor. His cheeks are flushed, and he wears an expression of pure bliss on his pale face. The boy sits there for a moment, calming himself before standing up and walking over to the window to gaze out at the moonlit courtyard.
"Not much longer, Big Bro. I will make our dreams a reality…just you wait…" the boy says gleefully to himself while fondling one of his earrings. Once more, he glances over his shoulder, getting the feeling that he's being watched again before turning back to the view of Babyls' courtyard. #I shouldn't let myself be so paranoid…# he mutters to himself as he stands at the window, looking out at the calm of the night with a feeling of anticipation.