Rimuru go to Japan for fun

Chapter 2: Unmasking the Unseen Threat

As Rimuru strolled through the quieter part of Tokyo, still buzzing from his unexpected stint as a bard in the café, his mood was light. That is, until his keen senses picked up something... off. His golden eyes flicked toward a nearby alleyway, where he spotted a young kid, maybe around seven or eight, scrambling backward as some sketchy-looking guy advanced on them.

Rimuru’s playful smirk faded, replaced by a sharp focus. 'This won’t do,' he thought. Without a second's hesitation, he slipped into the alley, casually placing himself between the terrified kid and the thug like he was stepping in front of a street vendor to grab a snack.

The guy looked like the typical goon you'd see in a bad action flick—rough around the edges, greasy hair, leather jacket, the works. But the knife in his hand? That added a real sense of "uh-oh" to the situation. Still, Rimuru barely spared it a glance.

The thug’s eyes flicked over Rimuru, sizing him up. He sneered, revealing some less-than-stellar dental work. "Oh, great. Another wannabe hero. And in cosplay, no less." He waved the knife lazily. "Walk away, pretty boy, before you get hurt. Or better yet, why don’t you come with me? You'd fetch a good price on the black market. I'll let the kid go and take you instead. Deal?"

Rimuru's expression didn’t change. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow like he was mildly inconvenienced by a stray cat. "Pretty boy, huh? You really know how to flatter a guy." He sighed, shaking his head as though he was almost disappointed. "Unfortunately for you, I’m more of a 'beat you senseless' type than a 'get kidnapped' type."

The thug blinked, clearly not expecting that response. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Talking? I thought we were past that part." Rimuru cracked his knuckles lazily, stepping forward. "But if you 'really' want to know, I’m Rimuru Tempest. Demon Lord. Ruler of worlds. And, uh... not really in the mood for this nonsense."

The thug blinked again, this time with a mix of confusion and irritation. "Demon Lord? Dude, what are you even—"

**WHACK! Before the guy could finish his sentence, Rimuru zipped forward, faster than the thug could blink. In one smooth motion, he flicked the knife clean out of the guy’s hand with a casual swipe. The blade went flying, clattering harmlessly against the alley’s brick wall.

"—HUH?!" The thug’s eyes bulged, his bravado crumbling as he realized the knife, his one "badass" card, was now halfway across the alley. Rimuru grinned this was going to be fun.

"Now," Rimuru said, cracking his neck with a little too much enthusiasm, "how about I show you why picking on kids isn't a good life choice?"

The thug, in a desperate attempt to save face, lunged forward with a wild swing. Big mistake. Rimuru didn’t even bother dodging. Instead, he stepped to the side ever so slightly, reached out, grabbed the guy’s wrist, and twisted.

"GAH!" The thug howled in pain, staggering back. But before he could process what was happening, Rimuru moved again—this time with a swift kick, square to the crotch.

*THUD.

The sound was... unpleasant. The guy doubled over instantly, a choked, high-pitched whimper escaping his throat. If there was one thing no amount of tough-guy posturing could withstand, it was a perfectly executed kick to the family jewels.

Rimuru dusted off his hands, looking completely unbothered. "You should’ve known better, really. That whole ‘tough guy with a knife’ routine? Kind of played out."

By now, the thug was crumpled on the ground, hands clutching his abused nether regions, gasping for breath. His eyes watered as he tried and failed to form words, probably along the lines of "what the hell just happened?"

Rimuru leaned down, giving the guy a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "You stay there. The police are on their way, so you won’t have to deal with me for much longer. Maybe next time, pick on someone who’s not, you know, 'me'."

The crowd that had gathered at the edge of the alleyway was now buzzing with shock and amazement, snapping photos and murmuring excitedly. Someone shouted, "Did you see that? He didn’t even break a sweat!"

Rimuru, ignoring the attention, turned his gaze to the kid, who was still standing behind him, wide-eyed but no longer scared. Rimuru gave a reassuring smile and crouched down to their level. "You good? No scratches or bruises?"

The kid nodded, eyes still wide with a mix of awe and disbelief. "A-are you really a Demon Lord?"

Rimuru chuckled, standing up and ruffling the kid’s hair. "Well, yeah. But don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin the whole ‘mysterious stranger’ vibe I’ve got going on."

As the distant wail of police sirens grew louder, Rimuru turned to leave, giving the kid a quick wink before disappearing into the Tokyo night.

Sure, they didn’t believe he was a Demon Lord. Sure, they thought he was just some cosplayer playing the hero. But that was fine. Tonight had been a nice little warm-up.

"Humans..." Rimuru muttered, shaking his head with a grin. "Even without magic, they find ways to make life interesting."