Kalego x Iruma One Shots

The Strength Within

Iruma is known as a gentle, obedient boy who constantly fulfills the greedy demands of his parents. Maybe he does not have the best of relationships with his parents, but he loves his parents a lot. One day, getting to the point of desperation, his parents attempt to summon the great, powerful demon in the hopes that he can save them from the current authoritarian lifestyle and make them wealthy and influential.

But many have said that everything has consequences, and in this ritual, there is a sacrifice that is required-a sacrifice that needs a pure and kind-hearted young heart. Without Iruma's knowledge, his parents offered him. Something was wrong, though, for something happened just when the ritual was going to top off. Iruma's person became a storm mix of dark energy when sharp stabbing pain suddenly flashed through his body.

And, of course, after the smoke cleared, the young boy lay on the ground clutching at his leg-or, at least, where it used to be. Now it was missing, taken as the fee for the conclusion of the ritual. And so, from this harsh ritual, stepped forth the fearsome demon Sullivan. In the sight that now befell, the demon was so taken aback: a child, innocent and crippled by selfish parents.

He tried not to regard Iruma as a servant, but he could not help feeling guilty and pitiful about the poor boy. He had, at the moment, decisively adopted Iruma for real, protecting him from bad parents and leading him down to the Netherworld. Sullivan had built a fantastic, high-tech robotic leg that would be used as an alternative for the lost one to release some of the torment brought about by Iruma's past mechanically.

With time, Iruma got used to the demon world. He could run, jump, and live just like any other normal kid, given the fact that he had one robotic leg. But it still reminded him repeatedly of the coddling care of Sullivan and the part about Iruma getting one-second chance in his life. Months had passed, and Iruma had done way too well at Babyls, making friends with Clara, Asmodeus, and the rest of them, and even more, becoming the helping hand of Misfit Class. Until that fateful, crazy, full-of-traps, unexpectedly unbeatable practical exam.

An extra step forward, in the moment between Iruma's setting his stance and casting a spell, became an involuntary jerk of his leg, jolting up pain through the rest of his body. He slipped but barely caught himself, his leg unresponsive and feeling like a leaden weight. "Not now," Iruma muttered to himself, going on to push through the unwanted feeling despite the pain. But of course, that was impossible-his constant companion, his support, had slipped somewhere.

It all passed in the blink of an eye. There was a snap, a sharp report, and his leg collapsed totally. He went down, unable to stand. He'd alerted his friends. Clara dashed immediately in his direction, replacing the worry with her effervescent self in one step. "Iruma! Are you okay?" she asked, wide-eyed with concern. "I'm fine," Iruma tried to assure her, but, in all honesty, he wasn't. His mind now wavered at the fear that he could not duck-the fear of never walking again.

Asmodeus, being the dutiful one, was beside him within a second. "We must get you to Sullivan-sama," Asmodeus insisted, his voice allowing no arguments. While the others went after the chair demon, the others helped Iruma over to a nearby bench, and then within minutes, a distraught Sullivan was called down from his office. His frown, on glancing at the leg, reached terrible depths.

"It looks like it's come loose and wrecked the mechanism in the joint-I hadn't expected it to be so bad." He nodded back toward the cabinet and sighed as Iruma's heart sank. "How long?" "Well, um, a couple of weeks at least," Sullivan said, the sound of an apologetic voice in his voice. "I'm so sorry, Iruma, but you're just going to have to make do without it for a while." And then the very following day, here is Iruma wheeling Babyls in a borrowed wheelchair. Everybody was looking at him so much that he could feel it-unwieldy and awkward.

The gazes, though sympathetic for the most part, made him feel exposed. It was as if the barrier that his leg made had been taken away, leaving him naked and simply Iruma, the human boy with a missing leg. These classes were tough. Iruma had a rough time of it, never more than in the physical activity classes. People could help; the Misfits tried hard enough. Clara was overly enthusiastic about pushing his wheelchair for him all the time, and Asmodeus cheerfully pointed out that he could carry him around whenever, but all that need for help only further isolated Iruma.

He couldn't bear being a burden. If anything, it seemed that now, more than ever, their strict teacher, Kalego, managed to stay his usual imposing self, yet there was also something else in his eyes. Care. "At the end of the day, you'll still have to meet your academic requirements, Iruma-kun," Kalego had scolded one day after class. "Just in case you might need some modifications to it, we can always talk about changes." Iruma just nodded gratefully at the offer, and he knew that his mind had already been set to make a headlong run at the challenge.

He wouldn't let something as small and insignificant as a missing leg define him or what he was capable of. Sullivan worked long shifts creating the leg that was due right, but it was extremely complicated, and he couldn't hurry through it. Every day, Iruma asked his granddad, "Is it going to be ready today?" but every time the answer was, "Not yet." Meanwhile, Iruma learned how to move around the house in a wheelchair.

He became an expert at dragging himself all over the place in Babyls, slowly learning to master the ramps and winding hallways around the school. He even learned to be proud of his newly attained sense of managing on his own-though it was fairly plain that there was a lot to put up with. While his friends brainstormed practical ideas so he could do it, Clara put together a collection of devices that he could use to attach to his wheelchair, thus making it a mobile worktable.

On top of Asmodeus putting him to work practicing how to cast spells while in a sitting position, Iruma was beginning to notice he might be useful and become part of the Misfit Class when he realized he still had one leg. Every subsequent week was a new form of self-developmental journey regarding his life without a leg. He then realized that he was not physically strong himself but will-powered and equipped with endurance, as he learned to depend on his inner strength and friends, who had proven to him time and again that they were there for him.

And with his increasing confidence, his relationships bloomed; the Misfits came into his life, a close-knit group of friends who made sure Iruma was never the one who was left out. And he learned to accept that help-to not feel like a further burden-because true strength means sometimes being able to lean on others. And he did come-that day when Sullivan declared that the leg had been suited properly.

Iruma, in his joy, quite literally, began bouncing up and down with the new-but more importantly-improved leg that Sullivan had just put on. At that moment, he rose, feeling the old, familiar weight below him, and a wave of relief washed over Iruma. "Thank you, Grandpa!" Iruma released his emotions, hugging Sullivan. "Welcome! Welcome, my boy," Sullivan said with a beaming smile as warm as sunlight.

"You turned out to be strong after all, with that leg or without it." Iruma nodded as lightning struck his mind with a matter-of-fact realization. The experience changed him, but in a good way-it just made him strong, tough, and appreciative of the people around him. He knew, and quite soon, the usual luster brimmed with the usual laughter again.

It was obvious what had happened to Iruma, who was relieved of all the weight that had been on him because of the ordeal. No more the metallic crutch of the robotic leg; it was now only a part of him, something that went perfectly with the newfound strength. Babyls quickly returned to normal, but the bonds that Iruma had shared with his friends were now closer than they had ever been.

He became more confident and able, and he was closer to the people around him. And, in a moment of retrospect, he understood it was that missing part of his shin, which had given him such agonies and fear, that had brought him even closer to the people he cherished the most. It was finally that Iruma could confront the challenges that lay ahead of him, with or without the leg, and it was something very important: friends who believed in him. And he regained strength for himself.

Requested by: NeiraAugust