A/N: So how is everyone? This is the first Hataraku Maou-sama fic I've written, and I hope you enjoy it… Though it's nowhere near as well written as someone like extra-victory, just an FYI…
Oh, and this is a revised version of the 1st chapter that's twice as lengthy as the original… I made a few edits that fixed details, props to xxxDreamingflowerxxx for pointing those out. I'm also trying to get caught up on the LN's + edit more thoroughly so this can be as close to the canon as possible.
Disclaimer: I just don't have the sheer amount of luck needed to own an anime/manga franchise or anything worth more than 10,000 ¥, so all rights to the characters go where due.
Chapter 1: The Hero Emilia utterly wastes 10 ¥!
Emi Yusa
Work's almost over, just another few minutes of this god-forsaken torture and I can finally hightail it outta this place and go home… Usually the customers don't have this many obscure complaints, but today…
I powered off the desktop after the last complaint of the day as my thoughts turned away from resolving complaints and to the much more delightful topic of Alas=Ramus…
I hope the Devil King's Castle is taking good care of Alas for me… Ever since I convinced Emeralda to figure out a way to make Holy Vitamin β even more potent and less… experimental, per se, I've been able to maintain enough force to make use of some basic holy magic… And some advanced spell techniques…
Although controlling that catastrophe was a different story entirely… After a full year of research, more than a few sleepless nights, and a couple well-meaning explosions, Emeralda came up with a little something that would allow Alas to defuse, essentially, from my blade at will.
Although it required Emeralda to develop an Unholy Vitamin β, much against her will (I honestly don't know which one of us despised the idea more, but she was adamantly and fervently against it, to the point where she measured out an exact amount for solely this one spell).
She almost brought an army of sorcerers to perform it, but the Overlord took a… rather personal interest after I received a call from him wanting me to attest to his work ethic for one of his professional development reviews… and I inadvertently mentioned it as an excuse to not help him…
Emeralda reluctantly accepted this after thorough deliberation, purely because the favors she'd need to grant if she involved other magic-users were pretty hefty, and- although she would never admit it- the Demon King's magical power happened to rival hers; the sheer amount of energy her spell necessitated required only slight amounts of extra strength if their combined strength was factored in.
I almost felt like a third wheel in the equation, after standing next to two of the most competent magic-users of our era…
Especially the tutelage… Just when I thought I'd be getting lessons directly from Emeralda- someone who does this for a living-, the Church invites her for a full-on mandatory inquisition so I'm stuck with the Overlord 'till the actual spell… Apparently the Demon King himself knows a thing or two about sacred spells…
He mentioned something along the lines of "Know thy enemy" and "Lucifer taught me a few tricks, although I never quite got a chance to show you".
Accepting that help was a different story entirely, -the last time I took his help, I ended up having to bail him out of prison- but since Lord Satan said it would help him in the long run and to think nothing of it, I only have to repay that debt by allowing Alas to frolic around with that- that manifestation of pure, untarnished, unadulterated darkness. And possibly another 5000 ¥ umbrella…
By way of a little magia- Spanish for magic, learned that one pretty quickly from Ping, only the best search engine around- keeping Alas=Ramus in this world of "Japan" for extended periods of time separate from Better Half has been a breeze, but the spell's bound to wear off in another month or so. Having Emeralda cross through the Gate every few months with a bottle of Unholy Vitamin β or two was a small price to pay for being able to push Alus on the swings… Even though I find the origins of said incantations more-than-questionable and the Devil's knowledge of holy magic (not to mention giving him his full strength back) disturbing at best, Alas's smile does more than enough to negate the means…
Although it's incessantly exasperating to coerce Alas into going back to Better Half… Usually doesn't happen 'till her strength runs out or one of those assassins makes an entrance… She does get to be a normal kid for a while, and it isn't too taxing on my strength either. People who actually choose to have more than one child… Mine, I can push on the Overlord for a night, but those parents with permanent children… I pray for them…
*Ping*
I looked down at my phone to find an all-too familiar banner notification appear. Indignant, I rushed through my unlock pattern and opened the Overlord's latest "important" text message.
"Hey, Emi… Remember how I was supposed to take care of Alas? Yeah, well, something came up and I'm kinda busy…"
*Ping*
"Don't worry, Ashiya should be home all day, so she'll be fine…"
*Ping*
"Just letting you know in case you wanna stalk me tonight and check up on her"
Well then, Demon King, care to explain what kind of ruler doesn't have the presence of mind to make time for responsibility that you agreed to? You practically wanted to die for her when Gabriel tried to take her away… Thought you'd be mildly happy if I gave you a chance to be with her…
Guess it's time to clock out, head over to the Devil's Castle –if it could really be called a castle- to take proper care of Alas=Ramus… God knows why people have kids these days… Even though she is adorable, I don't know if I'd have her as a child full-time… And more than a few of the children in this world are utterly driven to infuriate their parents…
After all, parenting is a two-person profession, and one of us, not to name names here or anything-rhymes with Wadao Laou- isn't doing his part, especially today…I'm not even supposed to be with her tonight…
Even though it is the Overlord's night tonight, it's not like I mind… that much… The less influence the Overlord has on her, the better, she deserves to grow up to sweet, loving, kind, respectable parents… Who wants to be the daughter of a man -no, boy- who makes pain and suffering his favorite pastime…
I picked up my phone and walked into the dressing room, eager to leave work and at least do something more enjoyable. Setting it on the bench, I began to change into more casual clothes, something that'd be comfortable enough to sneak around the Villa Rosa Sasazuka building.
Well, it's not like it would hurt him to care for a child that's half his or anything, right? She might even change him long enough to distract him when he's at full power so that I can finally kill him, and then the two of us can go find a man more worthy of calling himself her father…
But still, it almost bothers me that the Overlord takes no interest in Alas these days… He was the one who suggested that I ask Emeralda, so he should, at the very least, want to raise her… He has honor or something, right? Even I'd expect a Demon King to live with at least that much honor, right? Isn't there supposed to be honor even among thieves?
Not like I would know or anything… I'm a hero, for Christ's sake! I shouldn't be expected to-to raise a child with… him... Of all the people I've ever met… Maou is just about the worst, the most terrible, horrifying monster you'd ever see; the others don't even come close. I bet even the real Satan would bow before a guy like him…
*Ping*
"Hey, Emi? Are you getting these? You usually respond so I'm assuming you aren't… Anyways, I tried, so there ya go."
*Ping*
"FYI, Urushihara got a new security camera so you're going to have to improve those stalking skills if you wanna get dirt on us…"
*Ping*
"By the way, I figured out what these "read at" things are… You should probably turn those off if you're going to sit at a desk staring at your phone and not text me back"
*Ping*
"Also, Urushihara tells me Alas is apparently watching Criminal Minds without you… Just thought you should know where her loyalties really lie"
My God, you'd think even the Demon King would stop incessantly texting me during work hours… Making Alas watch our shows without me, who does he think he is?
*Ping*
"Wow, you read that almost instantly… Guess you have no friends and I'm the only one you text, huh?"
I tossed my phone gently onto the bench and changed into something a little more comfortable, albeit more conspicuous in Japan's high-paced work environment. A low-cut t-shirt, slightly-ripped jeans, a baseball cap, and converse shoes made me look like some kind of tourist, but at any rate, a tourist would be justified in walking around the city -and the Devil's Castle- even if they lacked any valid cause.
*Ping*
"Oh, yeah, Emi, our landlady (if you can call her a lady) stopped by and asked if the two of us had gotten any closer… So I told her that our relationship was… greatly intensifying."
I turned the baseball cap to the side a little. Now the Overlord commited the severe mistake of makinng this personal…
When he dies-when I kill him, there'll be a new king in Hell. The true Lord Satan will step down willingly, and then he'll be making people suffer for eternity that way, I almost pity his subjects…
Has anyone truly done any wrong great enough to suffer under the rule of the Demon King himself?
*Ping*
"Technically speaking, I wasn't wrong… The number of death threats and hate mail I've gotten from you has increased substantially…"
Certainly is a shame Alas thinks of him as her father… Oh, and a wretched one he is, all right…I'd be happier to lie and say the father left me rather than lie and say I sired a child with- with the Demon King himself…
To be… violated in such a way… by him, that wretched beast… Even if he claimed to love me… Is it even possible for him to… love? I bet he just views women as playthings, to be toyed with and then discarded after use, the jerk!
He doesn't deserve a child like Alas=Ramus… He doesn't deserve the ground he walks on!
Now that I think about it, the only bad thing about work in comparison with home is that Alas isn't here… If we could bring pseudo-children to work, I don't know if I'd ever need to leave…
"I… will… kill… you," I muttered to myself as I gracefully typed the four words and hit send.
Rika leaned over to peek at my phone. "Evil Demon King Overlord- Never to be trusted… Wonder which one of your few contacts this could be…?"
"Oh, you know, just another guy I met on one of my voyeuristic escapades during my exceedingly dynamic social life that just bubbles with exhilaration," I remarked sardonically, rolling my eyes.
"So it's that Maou guy you always hang around with, right?" Rika inquired, a knowing smile on her face.
"Who else do I know that isn't to be trusted?" I replied, gritting through my teeth and packing up my things as the clock chimed 5:00.
"So, Emi, I guess you're probably too busy to go out to dinner with me tonight?" Rika asked nonchalantly for the umpteenth time, cocking an eyebrow and setting a stack of papers down on her desk.
*Ping*
"So business as usual, then, Hero?"
I looked down to read it, then laughed weakly and scratched my head, desperately trying to come up with some excuse that didn't make me seem like a stalker. The Overlord acting this suspicious, texting me 10 times, shirking his responsibility… It seems like the Demon King of Ente Isle is finally back and up to his old tricks… Not too much longer before he does something entirely stupid and I get the chance to kill him in his full glory and make my return to Ente Isle, freeing both of these worlds from their greatest evil.
"Heh heh heh… Sorry, Rika, but you know how things are… After work, I have to catch up on the notes I missed from Tuesday's lecture, and then I have to go watch Alas since Maou is apparently excessively busy to take a turn caring for his child… And then I have to make sure that when she wakes up in the middle of the night, I'm there to lend a hand. You know Ashiya won't be able to hold her captive for much longer and that loser Maou is too busy with whatever he does in his free time…"
What does the Overlord do in the nighttime these days anyways? He is old enough to go to a strip club, I guess, and brothels are open if he really wanted to-
Goddamnit, Emi, you aren't supposed to be focusing on dumb stuff like that! You're supposed to kill Maou the first chance you get, not take an interest in if he sleeps alone! The Demon King must be killed! And by my own hand, no less!
I snatched the phone away from Rika's prying eyes and typed a quick message telling him just how much I hated him.
"You've gone back to your I-loathe-Maou-with-every-fiber-of-my-being phase again, huh? Wonder what he did this time?… My, my, my, did he happen to catch someone else while they fell down his stairs?" Rika cautiously-but-impishly inquired.
"Why would I be the slightest bit concerned about what he's been up to with anyone else? For all I care, he can screw every girl in a mile radius, just so long as I'm not involved," I articulated, the words glistening with honesty.
Paging through a thick book, she began again, "You must be real mad at him today then, huh? Really livid at that Maou with his broad shoulders and chiseled jawline? Mad enough to punish him, I bet… Maybe tie him up and throw him on a bed, climbing on top of him, hungrily, lustfully, until your primal instincts-,"Rika smirkingly inquired, turning a page.
My cheeks reddened. "Rika!" I began, standing up and turning away, nearly choking on the disgust her picturesque situation. "Where do you get something as twisted as that from? Like I would ever try something like that… The only one who would stoop that low is Maou, and it's probably the only way he'd even get close to my bedroom," I mused, playing it off as if it was just another normal, ordinary comment Rika made.
"You know what I didn't hear you saying, Emi?" Rika rhetorically inquired as she placed a finger on my shoulder in a knowing fashion. "You never told me you didn't want him in your bedroom, gently using his finger to trace through the valley between your breasts, up to your chin, all the while whispering his undying love for you in your ear, you practically begging him to-" Rika's grin grew as she flipped through pages, barely scanning them before moving on to the next ones.
"Rika, why don't you take those perverted thoughts of yours and write an erotic novel or something? Honestly, if anyone does, I think you wanna get in Maou's pants," I articulated, brushing it off while furiously blushing and preparing to leave.
At this point, it might've been futile to deny that I possessed some amount of feelings for the Overlord, but until I knew just what I was feeling, I wasn't about to tell anyone anything. Especially Rika; the first thing she'd do is walk over to MgRonald's on her lunch break and give him an anonymous tip. I gagged and vomited a little in my mouth before Rika began again.
"What do you mean, "write an erotic novel"? What do you think I'm reading anyways?" Rika looked up indignantly, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you're-"
She turned the book so I could read what she was so engrossed in. After a few paragraphs, I more than understood where she got her material from.
"It's titled Held at Gunpoint, about a cold-blooded killer whose target is a beautiful heiress, but they end up falling desperately in love with each other. The girl is pretty tsundere; in the beginning, she claims that the man is the worst evil that humanity's ever faced, but I'm around 50 pages from the end and the guy saves her life and the girl totally falls for him and-" Rika began, clearly too mesmerized by this particular fancy of hers, rotating the book so I could view the lewd imagery on its cover.
"And it's also a purely fictional work… Keep that in mind when you're going off about the real world… Here, cold-blooded killers… stay cold-blooded killers," I sniffed at the very thought of the Demon King changing his ways.
A leopard will never change its spots… And an Overlord will never stop trying to conquer Ente Isle…
"Whatever… It's not like you have a child with him or anything, now is it? I bet Alas wouldn't mind if you two were really Mama and Papa?" Rika taunted, knowing full well the answer to that question. As soon as Alas=Ramus discovered the amusement that was Bring-Your-Child-to-Work-Day, she wouldn't stop, and after Rika spent a day with Alas…
"I-I didn't have his child or anything… It just fell from the sky and-"
"We aren't in grade school, Emi, to believe that kids just fall from the sky… Even if I know what really happened, no one else's going to believe something that far-fetched… You might as well get married and have a real kid with him, might find out he's better than the others who've caught your eye…"
"What? Rika, I-I… You- Never in a million years would I even dream of doing an act a-as sacred and pure and holy as that with an idiot like-"
"You're right, Emi, they probably aren't dreams, more like fantasies, the kind that you fall asleep peacefully to after a charming bout of exhaustive, hormonally-induced exercise… But if you really wanted to, I really don't think Maou's the type of guy that would stop a girl from pushing him forcefully against a wall, ripping his shirt off, shredding his boxers off, and having her way with-"
"Rika!"I exclaimed indignantly, my cheeks almost burning from the sheer amount of blood that rushed to them so suddenly.
"What? This book is really descriptive of the more intimate interactions between- Wait, wait, wait… Don't tell me you're… a virgin, Emi?"
"So what if I was? Is that really such a bad thing, Rika? Maybe I'm just keeping myself for the right person?... You know, the status quo really isn't something I need to please!..." My voice trailed off as I huffed, turning back to face her.
"Not only do you have a flat chest, but you're also untouched… Bet even the cute lolis Maou gets to manage are larger then you, eh?"
My eyes grew wider as Rika pulled out a sandwich in a sealed plastic bag, took a bite out of it, and mulled regarding her next course of action, pausing as if to find the most tactful way to illustrate her point. She frowned and rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"When was the last time you had dinner with someone?" Rika asked out of genuine curiosity.
"Wh-Why does something like that matter?"
"It's nothing, Emi… It's just… You know, we're friends and all… And even if you want me to stay out of your personal life… It's not like I'm going to let any of those wolves get to you… I tried to get you a little riled up about the subject, and it happened to work a bit… too well, if I may say so myself… All of the care you've taken into concealing… well, something, makes me wonder if you've been seeing someone on the sly without running it past me first. Not to pry or anything, but having seen my fair share of men, I know what kind of demons they can be…" Rika mused with sincere concern, seriously pondering the true cause of my agitation.
Oh, Rika… You don't even know the half of it… Unfortunately, I'm fully aware of just how truthful that last statement happened to be.
"You know, there's only one reason that you'd be concerned about other people's love lives and read trashy novels…"
"What do you mean, Emi? I don't need a reason to worry about my friends or anything…"
Rika tensed up for a second, scowling. Regaining her composure, she murmured softly in a barely-audible low voice, "Drop the subject, Emi, and no one gets hurt…"
"Boyfriend broke up with you?" I posed the question to gauge if my guess at her motive for saying that was correct.
Rika's visage became sullen, abruptly shifting to one of rage as she grabbed my shoulders and began to throttle me, causing the already loose-fitting baseball cap to wobble on my head… You know, in the amicable way best girlfriends do, of course?...
"Over text, Emi! Over a text! Of all things, a simple text! He doesn't even have the decency to tell me in person that he wants to see other girls? All I'm worth is a simple line of text saying that we're over and he's found someone else?"
My guess proved to be almost too true… Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…
Then again, I remember how Rika went on and on about this one and how he wasn't going to end up like the rest of 'em…
After all Rika had done for me, it'd be insensitive to not bring something as tragic-well, to her, anyways- as a breakup as a topic of discourse.
Rika halted her more-than-violent shaking of moi to face me, tears dripping from her chin onto her neck, some trailing down even further. Managing a weak smile, she opened her mouth.
"Just- Emi… If a guy ever does that to you, drop me a line… I have a mean left hook, you know?"
I smiled back. "You wanna tell me where he lives?"
Even without summoning Better Half, I could probably take out a guy or two if I was forced into a fight…
"Nah, Emi… He isn't worth the blood you'd get on your hands, 'sides… there'll be others… Speaking of others… if you have zero plans of making a move on Maou –which I neither endorse nor condone-, I'd recommend you at least check out this café on Third and Main… It's really close to where you live, and it just opened. I've only been there once or twice, but… Their blueberry pie is sublime and I can't help but wanting to kill for more… It's a bit like your obsession with Maou, take that how you will… The cashiers/waiters are kinda cute too, and God knows you could use a date or two…" Rika puckishly grinned, her eyes turning lustful as she imagined the variety activities Emi would be exposed to. "And if you enjoy it… I'd love to go with you sometime, you know…"
"Fine, fine, I'll go visit when I'm free, I guess. Just don't make a big deal of me going, kay? And if you happen to stop at a MgRonald's near Hatagaya Station… Not one word out of you," I muttered just softly enough for her to hear it.
"What makes you think I'd have to? Isn't it destiny that you and Maou met? Destiny that you and him would eventually decide that your lives were meant to be one?" Rika breathed out a lovelorn sigh, hearts about to burst out of her eyes.
"Seriously, Rika, write a freaking romance novel. Just copy that one and change the names…That junk is bound to get a publisher, and before you know it, you won't even have to work here for a living, much less at all. Just send me a check or buy me a house or something when you're rich and famous, kay?" I asked, waving my hand to properly convey the sheer absurdity of such an notion.
"Sure, sure, darling, I'd be happy to buy you a house… Only condition is that it'll have a single bedroom… And you'll have to share it with your beloved Maou," Rika teased singsongingly.
This… has gone far enough, Emi… This is neither the time nor place to go psycho, right? Just because Rika keeps placing thoughts in my head and words in my mouth doesn't mean I have to respond in kind?...
But if Rika says anything else, there's no telling what might happen… I might cause a huge ruckus on company time, embarrass myself even more than she already has… Get fired from this job and have to find another one.
No, I can't get fired. It wasn't enough that the devil himself got promoted to shift manager so quickly, but nowadays, he's the goddamn assistant manager. Only God knows who thought giving him a promotion and a raise was a good idea, but he's done nothing more than lord it over me nonstop ever since… If I get fired, I'll never hear the end of it, and then Maou would actually be doing his part to support Alas…
Can't let that happen, no way, no how… Not with college to pay for as well… And I even have classes tomorrow, so I better get going, hit that café, and leave. Maybe I'll grab a treat for Alas, being the good parent-the only parent-I have a reputation to keep up, don't I?
"Quitting while I'm ahead today, Rika… I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, leaving before waiting for a reply and using my hand to signal that I was done for the day… and that there was nothing more Rika could say that would reach my ears. We'd had enough chitchat concerning Maou for one day… For the rest of my life, surely.
If I never heard that name again, it'd be too soon, wouldn't it?
I walked down the street, following the instructions Rika texted me, tactfully ignoring the heart-shaped emojis and suggestive innuendos.
The day I let Maou get in my panties is the day Maou becomes CEO of MgRonald's and rules Ente Isle! The day Rika stays with a guy for more than two weeks! The day that- well, I'm here now, no turning back…
"Well, here we are, the famed Crimson Devil's Island Café… Name's a bit off but apparently Rika thinks the meals are beyond excellent, and it's not exactly like she doesn't have taste… Food that I thought was absolutely splendid, she thought mediocre, and her cooking is simply heavenly. Life ain't fair… Life just ain't fair… She even has freaking parents," I mused.
"Even if the café is eerily named, it's well-lit, and it's just barely 6:00 PM, so it's not like they'd try anything this early… 'Sides, if none of their supposedly "cute" waiters or cashiers managed to engage Rika in two-person pushups, I doubt they're really something to worry about…" my voice trailed off as I opened the door and the bell rang, sounding not unlike organ music. I entered to see something quaint, old-school, and the flooring made the place look volcanic. It was a completely black café that looked like entirely males had designed it. The café wasn't beautiful, per se, it was… striking, and completely void of anyone except for black hair and a hand vigorously wiping down the tables.
Oh, Christ, it can't be… can it? But it doesn't look like this guy's going to be looking up anytime soon either…
"Hey, idiot! A customer's here… Aren't you going to ask me what I want?" I yelled, justifiably mad at the sheer lack of service.
He didn't even look up as I proceeded to grab a pen out of my purse and throw it at him like a shuriken. A cheap pen, mind you, the kind that you buy from a Seiya, 10 for 100 ¥. Not like I was about to waste good money on anyone, of course, 'specially not a café guy who wouldn't even look up at me!
He finished cleaning the tables, glanced over at the pen and pocketed it, and then went to the register, scanning the area around it for a notepad. Then, picking it up, he waltzed over to me, looked up so I could clearly see his face, and put the notepad in his back pocket before sighing, grimacing all the way.
Beautiful... There are 7 billion people in the world and the one I run into here is the Demon King?!… Really? Really?
Why on Ente Isle do you have to be every goddamn place I'm in? It's not enough I have Physics with you, or that I have to take an Economics class with you? Or even that I have to raise quite possibly the most adorable child to ever walk the Earth with you? You just have to work in the café I happen to walk into?
I could just drop those courses anytime… But if I've been stuck in Japan for 6 years and I want to stop living in a condo by my own means… Getting any promotion at a decent place like a Docodemo center or even a MgRonald's means possessing –to some extent- a formal education.
When the Demon King signed up for them, I assumed he unearthed a class that taught magical lore or theory, but it was just another part of his "scheme" to conquer this world…
Maybe I figured it would be interesting in the beginning, at least the challenge of the class itself, but with Mr. Know-it-all raising his hand for every question –and that's when he doesn't blurt out the answer- nothing's really that entertaining about it. It'd be amusing if the Overlord got something wrong for once, but somehow, it never happens when I'm around…
I looked back at my sworn enemy, who harbored a less-than-pleasant gaze at finding me here. The feeling was definitely mutual…
Why couldn't one of those "cute waiters" be here instead? Why couldn't I meet one of them?
"Damnit, the Hero found me again? And after I didn't mention this job to anyone at MgRonald's… All right, Emilia, spill! Who told you that I'd be here? I want names, I want emails, I want answers!"
"Don't think I'm any happier to see you here either… But I didn't come here to argue, came here for the food… Although if you're the one who owns this place, I'm out. What'd you do, anyways, to get a place like this? Get MgRonald's to spot you 1,000,000 ¥?"
The Demon King laughed heartily at my expense. "Oh, naïve, stupid Emi… You really think I could get a loan like that with Dullahan, an umbrella, and around a month's salary as collateral? With my magic back, it'd be a cinch, but in my present weakened state…"
"So who's the "Crimson Devil" supposed to be if it's not the Demon King?" I inquired, performing the air-quotes for extra flair.
"That's… not exactly my secret to tell, and even if it was, what makes you think I'd tell you so easily?"
"Whatever, Overlord, just gimme some blueberry pie and I'll be out of your hair for the night, kay?"
"Sorry, Emi, don't think we're able to serve your kind here… Not a single drop of white in this place, nope, not even one. Unless you wanna rip out that Sacred Sword and go all Super Saiyan on me anytime soon?"
I stood there, stunned, paralyzed, utterly unable to retort with anything remotely witty. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a 10,000 ¥ note and thrust it in his face.
"Seems you can't understand Japanese, but I think everyone in this world knows that money talks. So, what'll this much get me?"
He looked at the piece of paper, then back to me before clearing his throat and pulling out a notepad.
"So what'll it be, Emi? Might I suggest the house specialty? I positively love it, and it's a tried and true favorite, so how about it?… You're in luck, we happen to have one slice left," Maou smiled innocently, heading behind the counter, pulling out a plate. "You up for some Devil's food cake, Hero?"
A/N: And with that, chapter 1 concludes… It wasn't as cliffhanger-ish as I'd usually make things, but I hope it's enough to pique your interest! As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'd love it if y'all would review! Chapter 2'll be Monday of next week –most likely way shorter than 5K+ words-, so I hope that makes your next Monday that much sweeter…
Think I'm giving myself too much credit with that one…
Well, excelsior!
~Lefauxlucifer