Rimuru and Iruma's Adventures in the Netherworld

Paint the Town Red

Author's Note: Another chapter mostly written by Bellatrix, with some help from WatcherMagic. They've been pulling the weight of this story more than me lately, so please give them both your thanks for this (long) chapter!

- Mu

Rimuru POV

"... And that'll be 840 Vil. Enjoy your hotcerberus, Miss!"

I gleefully hand over the cash in exchange for the fancy, tri-sausaged hotdog from a fairly upmarket grilling stand.

It looks tricky to eat, terribly impractical as far as hotdogs go, and no doubt I'll end up getting the exotic relish and condiments of this thing all over my mouth and clothes.

And chill air of autumn threatens to punish me for leaving my temperature resistance off, held at bay only by the cold-weather clothing that keeps me toasty and warm under layers of soft leather and fur.

'Tis a good day, in other words.

The Harvest Festival ended just yesterday, and while the way it ended was a bit stressful for me up to this very morning, today I can relax all I want and roam around town.

It's not unlike a town you might find in Tempest, save for the exciting air of danger and mischief that comes with the unruly nature of the Netherworld. I'm sure that if I veered even a little off the main street, I'd find all manner of demonic shenanigans going on.

My eyes glint as I quickly scan the nearby side-streets in search of my next source of entertainment.

Oooh, I see the signs of a commotion over there!

I head towards the group I spotted; they're three teenagers of various ages, with a bunch of unconscious demons lying around them.

The oldest is an impatient-looking girl, nearly an adult, who looks like she's one of the Netherworld's aquatic variety of demons.

The middle one seems to be a freshman of the terminally-cheerful variety and almost looks like a kid version of Guy, except his hair is a greyish-white.

And the youngest appears to be a middle schooler dressed in something not unlike my Demon Lord outfit, but even more black and with a scattering of spikes and chains, and most notable of all... he has an eyepatch.

"How many more quests are you gonna assign us, brat?" the oldest asks with venom in her tone.

The youngest strikes a pose. "The name's not 'brat'! It's 'Master of Darkness, Night and Ultimate Lethality'! But I permit you to call me 'Modnaul' for short."

Oh lord, he's one of those kids...

[[Master, if you're exasperated that he might be a 'chuunibyo', I feel I should remind you that you're the one attending school in black clothes with a grim backstory and dangerous magic that you keep carefully sealed away.]]

Wait, what are you saying?

[[At the same time you're also secretly a Demon Lord, which you like to subtly hint at whenever you want to show off. Also, you even excused fainting by implying that you were fending off your evil other self, not to mention how-]]

Hold on, no! This isn't a thing! I was never trying to make it a thing!

[[It's adorable now that you've brought it to my attention.]]

Stoooooop! I can't be a chuunibyo if I'm an adult who actually has all these crazy powers, right?!

I cover my face with my free hand, feeling my cheeks burn up from the burns of this annoying manas!