Rimuru and Iruma's Adventures in the Netherworld

Prelude to Chaos

**Earlier**

"We could do a band!"

"Or a chorus?"

"A play about the Demon King, obviously!"

"Jingle jangle!"

"What?"

"Who cares, just write everything down!"

The Misfit Class energetically brainstorms, but as they look at the list, they frown. Such simple ideas don't give them any clear way to accomplish their goal written at the very top:

"A performance where everyone except Purson must stand out on stage."

"I can't think of anything..." Lead sighs.

"Me neither..." Iruma says likewise.

"I have an idea," says Asmodeus, who still has some creativity left in him.

"Oh? That's great! What is it?"

"Well, it's just as Professor Kalego said: We have to be more eye-catching than Purson. And a concert that I recently watched a recording of provides just the right inspiration."

He pulls up a video on his phone, and the whole class (minus the absent Rimuru) crams around him to be able to see.

"You lot really need a sense of personal space... Ah! Right there, look!"

Iruma pales.

It's him, in demdol crossdress, dodging magic attacks from Rimuru!

"A-Azz, I don't think you should be showing people this..."

"But isn't it a wonderful performance? I felt I just had to show the class!"

Iruma is reminded of the comical end to that terrifying Walpurgis. You and Diablo have too much in common!

"That's the first time I've seen you get excited over anyone besides the Sullivan twins, Asmodeus," Sabnock laughs.

Allocer stares closely at the small screen. "Actually, those girls look somewhat like..."

"No-one!" Keroli yells. "They're... no-one. Can we please just move on?"

Asmodeus realizes he's gotten off-track. "Alright, well here's my idea: Purson will provide the music, the girls will sing... and the boys will be dancers, dodging flames thrown by me."

The class of mostly boys quickly unhuddles, distancing themselves from Asmodeus.

"What the hell? That's an awful idea!" Lead exclaims.

"We sure will be eye-catching if we're on fire, huh?" Jazz nervously chuckles, backing away even more.

"It's perfectly possible, as I just showed you!" Asmodeus cheerfully insists.

"But I don't wanna risk my life for the Music Festival!" Lead fearfully retorts.

Those very words provoke a new menace.

"You... don't want to risk your life? Are you taking stage performance lightly?" Keroli asks him with a cold glare.

Now threatened by both fire and ice, the boys start to panic, jabbering anything they can think of to try make the two calm down.

It's no use. Soi vanishes as he predicts what's coming next.

With a devilish grin, Asmodeus sweeps his hand in an arc, leaving behind a trail of fireballs that hang still in the air.

"Now, it's time to practice! Dance like your lives are on the line!"

"They literally are!" Goemon yells, running away rather than dancing.