Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Alright, resume the broadcast."
The live feed cut back in, and everyone once again had a view of the venue interior.
"Is there anything else on the agenda?"
"Kaito-sama, the next item is open discussion. There are no specific issues requiring attention."
Diablo bowed respectfully as he answered.
"Hmm. Open discussion it is, then."
At Kaito's word, conversations broke out across the hall.
Time passed amid the low murmur of debate.
"Ha... I'm so sleepy..."
Kaito was slumped over the table, chin practically resting on the surface, staring blankly at the crowd below as they carried on their heated discussion. Milim sat beside him with an equally vacant expression, her right hand idly scratching the outline of a lime coin into the tabletop. Ramiris had a potato chip pinched between her fingers and was nibbling at it in tiny bites, muttering under her breath about how she never would have shown up if she'd known it was going to be like this.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
While the three of them could at least still complain, Rimuru had long since stopped trying. She was sitting at the head of the table, completely, serenely, unapologetically asleep.
Chairwoman Shizu watched the scene from below, shook her head, and gestured for Diablo.
"Chairwoman Shizu, do you have instructions?"
Diablo appeared before her with a smooth bow.
"Hehe. Diablo, let them head out first. We can handle what's left on our own." She glanced up at the drowsy cluster with a fond smile. "It's already impressive they sat through this much."
"Understood."
Diablo nodded, then trotted over to Kaito and leaned in quietly.
"Kaito-sama. Chairwoman Shizu says you're free to leave. Your presence won't be needed for the remaining items."
Kaito's eyes had been sliding shut. They snapped open.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"OH MY GOSH!!!"
He spun around immediately. "Rimuru! Milim! Ramiris! Veldora! We're out of here!"
At the same time, he conjured a hand from magic power and brought it down squarely on Rimuru's head.
"Huh? Is it over?"
Rimuru jolted awake, blinking around in bleary confusion.
"We're leaving. Come on, before they change their minds."
Kaito grabbed her by the arm and hauled her off the golden throne with no ceremony whatsoever. Anyone watching from below could have been forgiven for thinking he was staging a coup.
The delegates who had been mid-discussion trailed off one by one as they noticed the commotion on stage, conversations dying out as the group made their way down and headed for the exit. Everyone stood as they passed. It wasn't until the doors closed behind them that the hall came back to life.
Outside, the moment the doors shut, the reaction was immediate.
"YAHOO! FREEDOM!!!"
"WOOHOO!!"
"Arcade, here I come!"
"Sakuya must have desserts ready, let's go!"
"Finally, I can take this thing off. It weighs a ton."
Rimuru pulled the crown from her head and tossed it back to Kaito without looking. A black mist rolled over her, and when it cleared, the imperial regalia was gone, replaced with her usual casual clothes.
"Rimuru-sama, Kaito-sama! You're out! The carriages are ready whenever you are!"
The convoy escort hurried over, bowing low.
"No need. Take the convoy back without us."
Kaito waved him off, reached into his coat, and produced a spatial capsule, which he lobbed to the side. With a puff of smoke, a military Humvee materialized in front of them. They piled in without hesitation, Kaito dropped into the driver's seat, hit the accelerator, and they were gone.
The convoy leader stood in the road and watched the red taillights disappear.
[Ding. Dimensional Gate charge complete. Anchoring world coordinates?]
[Ding. Anchoring...]
[Ding. World coordinates successfully anchored. Based on Host's memory retrieval, the current world is "A Certain Scientific Railgun." Does Host wish to initiate Crossing?]
'Holy moly, the official Academy City!'
'Think Aleister's going to bill me for copyright?'
'And what is going on with my luck lately? I still haven't been to Binchou-tan's world, and now "A Certain Magical Index" shows up?'
[...Perhaps Host has simply been fortunate recently?]
'Mhm mhm, that's right. That's definitely it.'
[...Don't get too full of yourself.]
'...'
Half a day later.
Kaito stood at the entrance to the Commercial Street with his Carefree Cloak on, hands planted on his hips, surveying the busy crowd inside. He drew a breath.
"Hmph hmph! Commercial Street, your emper... oh my gosh!"
"Kai-chan, I am the empress."
He rubbed the back of his head and turned to find Rimuru glaring up at him.
"You've never cared about that title a day in your life."
Rimuru ignored this entirely. She flipped her cloak back, set her hands on her hips, and projected her voice into the street.
"Hmph hmph! Commercial Street, your Empress is back!!!"
"She stole my line!"
Inside, the regulars had already noticed them.
"Oh, the Lords are here."
"Haven't seen them in a few days. Missed them, honestly."
A cluster of middle-aged women paused their vegetable shopping to smile at the group. Nearby, a bakery owner was already reaching under the counter for an ornate box of freshly baked pastries. Down the row, Mrs. Kamado called back into her shop.
"Nezuko, grab a few candied apples, would you? Kaito onii-chan and the others are here."
There was a bright clatter from inside, and Nezuko came running out.
Meanwhile, Kaito and the others had already reached a small apple stall. Rimuru leaned forward, slapped her palm on the counter, and put on her most fearsome expression.
"Ba... Baka... Yarou! Have you paid today's protection fee?"
"Yes, yes, of course, Rimuru-sama! Right here!"
The stall owner, grinning, produced a cloth bag from beneath the counter. Five apples, red and spotless.
"Hmph. That's more like it." Rimuru doled them out one by one. "Kai-chan."
Kaito caught his apple. The stall owner watched, still smiling, as the group swaggered on to the next stall.
This stretch of the Commercial Street was old. Three stories was as high as any building got, and the architecture had a deliberately retro character to it. The shops here had all been established by the earliest wave of settlers: Mrs. Kamado's candied apple stand, Tamayo's figurine shop, Rigurd's statue gallery. Because Kaito and the others made a habit of wandering through, foot traffic here consistently outpaced the newer commercial districts down the road.
"Hey hey hey! Kai-chan, look, it's a chibi doll of you!"
Kaito followed Rimuru's pointing finger and found himself staring at a large, cartoonish plush figure wearing his face.
"This is completely lawless!!!"
He was already walking toward the shop, expression darkening with every step.
"Making money off my likeness and not cutting me in! How despicable..."