1. Chiho
Chiho dabbed at her face with a cloth as she climbed the familiar red corrugated steps to the Sasazuka apartment complex, reaffirming her hold on the plastic bag in one hand. It had been another sweltering summer day in Tokyo, with the forecast showing record high temperatures for the rest of the week.
Hopefully this should help out the group a little…
In the shade of the exterior hallway, Chiho took a moment to catch her breath and fan herself. She was now very thankful she had decided to use her new non-staining stick deodorant; the idea of appearing before Maou smelling of sweat was quite out of the question.
She knocked on the door once she'd cooled a little. "Hello? Is anyone home?"
There were a few moments of silence, then she heard a soft click of the lock being turned. The door cracked open.
"…Oh, it's you, Sasaki Chiho."
"G-Good afternoon!" Chiho stammered. She certainly hadn't expected to be greeted by the residential NEET.
Urushihara blinked back at her with a bored expression. He had been a member of the Maou household for a couple of months already, but Chiho still wasn't quite sure how she ought to speak to him. After all, it hadn't been all that long ago when he'd taken her hostage, used her as an energy source, then almost killed her just minutes later.
True enough, he seemed to have gotten significantly more docile since then, but a part of her still remained wary in his presence. Regardless of how they met, nowadays he looked and behaved exactly like a lazy teenager. But even with the boys at her school, she'd never gotten used to dealing with the moodiness and blunt attitude that came with that age, and for a few seconds she fumbled with what to say.
"Um, are Maou-san and Ashiya-san not home?" she asked finally.
"They're just next door. They wanted to talk to Bell about purchasing a fan for the apartment, since it's been so hot and we can't afford to install an AC."
"I see…" Chiho thought to her own home, which had AC units in nearly every room. How rough it must be to not even be able to afford just one…
"…What are you doing here?"
"Hm? Oh!" Chiho suddenly remembered the bag she was holding and held it up. "Well, it isn't that much, but I thought you all would like some cold sweets to have in your apartments. What with it being so hot this week and all. If you don't keep cool you could be in danger of passing out, you know," she added worriedly.
"Oh, thanks, that's a big help. I'll tell Maou when he gets back."
"Tell me what?" Both Urushihara and Chiho looked to see Maou closing Suzuno's door behind him and making his way down the hallway.
"Oh, good afternoon, Maou-san!" Chiho gave a quick bow. Maou, meanwhile, frowned at his roommate.
"Chiho, have you been standing outside here all this time? Urushihara, what are you thinking? Invite her in next time!"
"Oh, it's really no problem, I just came to drop some things off…Uwa!" Chiho blushed when she found herself suddenly being ushered into the room by Maou's hand at her back.
"Nonsense, it's melting out here. At least sit down and have something cool to drink."
"Ah, all right…"
Maou busied himself at the sink, while Urushihara started putting the contents of the bag into the freezer. "Whoa!" the purple-haired teenager exclaimed. "Is this the new sweet-potato-flavored popsicle? And there's even some ice cream tubs!"
"No way! Let me see!"
Maou shoved aside his roommate to look in the bag himself. Urushihara complained next to him. "Hey! She gave the bag to me first!"
Chiho gave a bright smile. "They had a sale on at the supermarket, so I thought I might just give you a variety," she said.
"Wow, really? A sale, huh...That'll make Ashiya feel better. Thanks so much, Chi-chan. You really didn't have to go through this much trouble for us, though."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all! I'm happy to do it!" Chiho replied enthusiastically.
"Hey, I want first pick! I had the bag first, after all!"
"Will you stop whining? Here, take this and go sit at your computer. Get." Maou handed his pestering roommate a popsicle and shooed him away. Urushihara pouted, but accepted his treat without further complaint. He plopped at the table by the window and opened his computer.
Maou put the rest of the frozen goods in the icebox freezer, selecting an ice cream bar for himself. "You want one, Chi-chan?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Oh, that's right, I was getting you tea."
He handed her a cup, and she gratefully sipped the chilled liquid. The exchange that had just happened before her had been...incredibly ordinary, and yet not ordinary at the same time. She'd heard Maou say that Urushihara was once a great Demon General like Ashiya. As far as she knew, a general was one that commanded huge armies, a feat which probably required a great deal of maturity and a strong sense of leadership.
She sneaked a glance at the general in question behind her. He sat with his back hunched as he always did, licking sullenly at his popsicle and muttering something about wanting to try the sweet potato flavor first.
From what she could see, Urushihara had neither. No matter how much she tried to picture it, she just couldn't reconcile the current image of Urushihara with a position of high authority.
At that moment, the door opened, breaking through her thoughts. "Maou-sama?"
"Finally done, Ashiya?"
"Yes, Sire. However…we seem to have a bit of company." Ashiya's voice lowered with reluctance.
"Hey, Demon King."
Behind Ashiya entered Emi Yusa, her features set in her usual scowl. Chiho wasn't sure what sort of history between Maou and Emi could have happened to give her such a look, one that she saw normally worn on the faces of older women such as her mother. Though she'd mistaken it for a the look of a jealous ex-girlfriend at first, with how easily Emi slipped into it from even the most cheerful expression Chiho now understood it was the result of perhaps many years of a deeper animosity.
That looked was apparently contagious, for Maou soon wore his own. He gave an exaggerated sigh, not bothering to hide his derision. "What do you want, Emi?"
"I get you're not happy to see me, but couldn't you at least act with a little more decorum? Especially in front of Chiho-chan." Emi crossed her arms.
"Ah…I don't mind…" Chiho's weak protest was lost in Maou's retort.
"You don't get to lecture me about manners when you come barging into a place where you're clearly not wanted! What are you doing here anyways?"
"What do you think? I'm upholding my duties as Hero, of course, making sure you aren't planning anything suspicious." Her gaze swept across the room with a critical eye. "Speaking of which, where's that useless shut-in general of yours?"
As one, the others turned to look at his computer desk, which was, to their surprise, empty. "He was here a minute ago…" Chiho murmured.
"What does it matter to you where he is? What are you, our mother?" Maou took a generous bite out of his ice cream, which had begun to melt on its stick.
Emi colored furiously. "If I ever had the misfortune to have you as children, you'd have been dumped into the nearest river a long time ago!"
"Ehhhhh, that's pretty harsh for a human. Are you sure you aren't half-demon?"
Better Half jumped to her hand in an instant. "You dare—!"
"Yusa-san! What are you doing?!" Chiho was horrified, certain they were about to start a real fight in the middle of the tiny six-tatami apartment. Ashiya leapt between them, shouting, "Maou-sama!" But before any of them could exchange a blow, the door opened one more time, and Suzuno peeked inside.
"Is everything all right?" she asked concernedly, her gaze not missing the fact that Better Half was drawn and Ashiya looked ready to tackle Emi.
"Yeah, we're fine. Just a bit of banter." Maou finished the last of his ice cream and tossed the trash into the bin. "Go on, Emi. You were here to see Suzuno anyways, weren't you?"
The Holy Sword vanished in a haze of light. "Hmph. Consider yourself lucky this time, Demon King. If you ever dare insult me again, you can be sure that time I'll strike. And Ashiya won't be able to help you, either."
Ashiya glowered at her up until the door closed. Afterwards he sank on the side of the table opposite Maou with a sigh. "Maou-sama, why do we continue to let that menace into our household? Surely there must be some way of setting up a barrier against her?"
"Not without magic, and certainly not without some real expenses." Maou gave an apologetic smile to Chiho. "Sorry you had to see all that, Chi-chan."
Chiho shook her head. "No need to apologize. Although…it was a little startling. I thought for sure you two were going to fight!"
Maou shook his head in turn. "Emi would never needlessly put your life in danger, no matter how worked up she gets."
He flashed her a smile. "And for that matter, I wouldn't let her endanger your life either."
Chiho blushed hard at that. "Wh-Wh-What are you saying, Maou-san? Y-You're making it sound like I'm so important…"
Maou frowned. "What do you mean? You are important."
Chiho let out a high pitched noise and sank down, wishing very much for the floor to swallow her up whole. She was certain steam was rising from her head with how warm it was getting.
"O-Oi, Chi-chan, are you okay? Are you getting heatstroke?" Maou drew closer, concerned, and Chiho felt her heartbeat fly into overdrive as he pressed a hand against her forehead.
"Maou, you'd better stop there, or you'll make her pass out with how much she's blushing."
The soft drone of Urushihara was accompanied by the closet door sliding open, and the newest resident of the household uncurled himself from its interior. He took another bite from his nearly-finished popsicle, raising an eyebrow at the looks of surprise from his roommates.
"...Urushihara? What were you doing in the closet?"
"Huh? Cooling off, what else? By the way, is that annoying Hero still around?"
"She's gone next door to talk to Crestia B…Wait! You'd better not have been sitting on the pile of clothes!" Ashiya scrambled forward.
"So what if I did?"
"You moron! Those were just washed! You're dripping that popsicle everywhere! If I have to rewash those clothes, it'll be your fault!"
"How will it be my fault? Anyways, it's not like I wore them, I just sat on them for a few minutes."
"Aargh! You've dripped all over the inside! Get over here and clean up your mess!"
Chiho let out a breath, grateful for the distraction. It had allowed her to pull herself back under control. She rose, and seeing her, Maou got to his feet as well.
"I guess I'd better be off, or my mom will worry about where I am," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Maou smiled back and took her cup. "Stay cool, all right? It'd suck if you got heat exhaustion and had to miss out on work."
"The same goes for you."
Though the others were too engrossed in their argument to notice, Chiho waved at them anyways. "Bye Ashiya-san! Bye Urushihara! Thanks for the tea!"
She braced herself for the heat and stepped outside. Halfway down the steps, she realized she'd forgotten to add the honorific to Urushihara as well.
He really is like a kid, if I forgot something like that, she thought. Yet, didn't I hear him say one time that he was older than Maou…?
It seemed far too unlikely, given their strikingly different levels of maturity. She decided not to think about it, the incessant sun giving her little choice to think of anything else but the heat.
2. Emi
There really was no other place like the ocean, Emi decided. Whether or not that was a good thing, though, was something yet to be decided.
The sea breeze was surprisingly refreshing, she had to admit, and of course the ocean itself was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She'd seen the ocean before, in Ente Isla, but never thought she might be able to relax at the beach like people did here in Japan. The heat was also more tolerable, it seemed. Though the sun was no less merciless here than in Tokyo, the constant breeze made it just that more bearable.
On the other hand, the air was quite humid, and she could feel it already starting to mess with her hair. She'd realized this after she tried to fix one of her braids and she had a harder time than usual separating the strands. In addition, there were far less people around, and while the quiet was nice for once, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Maybe it was because she'd gotten used to the bustling nature of the cities, but to her it was almost too quiet.
She was on her way back to the beach with the list of things she'd bought upon Maou's request, already a little sour. Halfway through purchasing the items she'd realized with a start that she'd just followed an order made by the Demon King without a second thought. The idea of it made her stomach squirm so much she nearly walked out of the store in spite. But she remembered it was not the Demon King's plans she was furthering, but Amane's, the owner to whom they all owed a debt. That made it a little easier to move past the fact that she was looking at something written by the Demon King's hand, and pay attention to what she needed to get.
When she reached the restaurant they were fixing up, she could already see signs of change. Some parts had been cleaned or cleared out, and there was even a shaved ice machine set up somewhere. She set all the things she was carrying by the door and wiped some of the sweat from her forehead.
There had been no one around as she neared, and for a moment she thought the inside of the restaurant was empty as well. But then a noise made her turn her head, and she saw something she'd never expected to see in her lifetime: Lucifer, the useless NEET of the Devil's Stronghold and the laziest person she had ever met, was hard at work.
He seemed to be ripping the seat cushions off the stools, but rather than a random act of vandalism, which she would expect far more out of the demon, it was more methodical. Not to mention the fact that Lucifer had been muttering discontentedly under his breath all the while.
"Stupid Maou, he drags me here, gets me to agree to work, and then he leaves me behind! Beaches are made for relaxing, aren't they? Just because I stayed inside at the house doesn't mean I want to stay inside wherever I go..."
"Oi, Lucifer, where is everyone?" Emi asked, walking over to him.
"Gah!" She stopped short in her tracks, surprised, when he jumped and let out a yelp, whirling around to face her with almost as much speed as he'd fought her with.
"H-Hasn't anyone told you you shouldn't sneak up on people?" he shouted, one hand over his heaving chest. "You gave me a heart attack!"
"Believe me, if I'd wanted to stop your heart, it'd be stopped," she said dryly. "Anyways, what kind of demon allows an enemy to sneak up on them so easily? Couldn't you sense me when I came in? If I really wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Sh-Shut the hell up! I did notice you, I just didn't think you were a threat!"
"Oh?" Unimpressed, Emi raised an eyebrow at his trembling frame. "Is that why you're shaking right now?"
"I'm not shaking, dammit!"
Emi frowned. He was getting really worked up, for no reason that she could see. She wasn't really in the mood to start a fight, so she put up her hands in a placating gesture. "Well, whatever. I just want to know where I should put all this stuff I was supposed to buy. Where did everyone go, anyways?"
Lucifer scowled at her, but seemed to be calming down. "They went up the beach to scope out more of the place," he said, walking around the counters to the pile of things she'd brought. She didn't miss the fact that he'd deliberately taken the long way around to get to it.
"Maou's really gone crazy over this whole business." He opened the bags and rummaged through them. "Did you get sandpaper? Maou said I'd need it for the seats."
Emi joined him and leaned over to peer inside. "I think it's this one," she said, reaching in to pull out a clear plastic package.
Lucifer immediately pulled himself back as though scalded, and shifted to the other side of the pile. Emi straightened and put her hands on her hips, her expression growing angry. "What is the matter with you?" she demanded.
"Nothing! Why are you yelling at me like that?"
"I'm not yelling! You're acting weird, and I don't like it!"
"I'm not acting weird!" Lucifer protested, getting angry in turn.
"Yes you are! You're all twitchy and tense!"
"I'm not twitchy! I just don't like people sneaking up on me, that's all!"
"You sure are pathetically easy to sneak up on, if that's really it!"
"Hey, what's going on?"
Lucifer and Emi turned to see Chiho, Maou, Ashiya, and Suzuno all entering from the other side of the restaurant, their expressions bewildered and a little concerned at the exchange happening in front of them. Before either of them could attempt to explain, however, Maou strode forward at the site of the purchased items. "Oh, great, you got everything," he said. Lucifer backed out of the way as Maou started pulling out one item after another and handing them to the others, instructions already flowing nonstop.
Emi sighed, and looked again to Lucifer. He slouched against the wall with a pouting expression, watching everyone busy about as if he'd rather be any other place than here.
"Oi, Lucifer," she said. Immediately he perked up, as if he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. "What?" he snapped.
Not twitchy my foot, she thought, but merely held out the item she'd been holding this whole time. "The sandpaper," she explained.
Lucifer looked to her hand almost in surprise, and it seemed to her he'd been expecting for her to say something else. "Oh," was all he said as he took it from her and returned to the stools, once again taking the long way around. This time, she was sure he was avoiding her, because it would have been quicker and much more out of the way of people to have gone straight past her instead.
But she merely chalked it up to their natures as Hero and demon. It wasn't as if she wasn't treated this way by the Demon King or Alciel either, after all. They were enemies, and enemies were supposed to be wary of each other.
Still, she reflected much later, she had to admit she'd never seen Lucifer quite that nervous before.
3. Maou
"Family dinner?"
Suzuno raised her eyebrows in surprise at her neighbor, the Demon King Maou, as he stood on the other side of her doorway. It had been a week since they'd returned from Chiba and the strange events that had unfolded at that mysterious beach.
"Yeah." Maou rubbed his head awkwardly, as if not entirely on board with what he himself was saying. "Basically, Emi told me she was watching TV with Alas=Ramus, who saw some scenes of a family having dinner together, and she wanted us to do that."
Suzuno frowned. "Surely this is a matter between the three of you, then? I don't see what I have to do with it."
"Well, you see..."
It appeared that when Alas had said "Everyone eat!" she didn't just mean Maou and Emi. She meant everyone. All of the people she had ever met up to that point. It had already taken some time to calm her down after they told her the "chirp-chirp birdie" - that is, the demon Camio - could not join them. While Emi had invited Rika, the Demon King had informed the rest of his apartment and talked with Chiho as well.
"Urushihara can't leave the house, so we're going to have it at my apartment. We figured, to save expenses on cooking for so many people, we'd make it a potluck. It's kinda embarrassing, but I have to ask if you can bring food as well. It'd really help out, and you're a good cook, so..."
"I haven't even said whether or not I agree yet." Suzuno crossed her arms, mostly to hide her discomfort at being praised by her sworn enemy.
"It's just dinner, really. You don't even have to stay that long, if you don't want. And if you don't like the idea of interacting with us like that, then just pretend for an hour or so, just to keep the image..."
"Alas=Ramus may be a child, but I suspect you give her too little credit on her ability to sense familial relations, Demon King," Suzuno rebuked. "I do not plan on making any sort of sad attempt to pretend I am having a good time. Nor do I believe I will need to."
"So...does that mean you're coming?"
Suzuno gave a smile for the first time. "If Alas=Ramus requests it, then I cannot refuse," she answered.
"Great! We're gathering at seven. You don't have to bring anything excessive, just a small dish should be fine."
"Very well."
It didn't occur to Maou until everyone had gathered, however, that perhaps he should have been a little more specific in what he meant by small. When Suzuno knocked on his door, she effortlessly dangled a huge nabe pot before him, a cooking cloth wrapped around the handle.
"It isn't much, but I made some sukiyaki with what ingredients I had. I hope it will be enough for everyone..."
It'll be enough to feed a demon army, he thought to himself with a swallow, but he merely smiled and said, "I'm sure it is. And like I said, other people will be bringing food too, so even if we run out of this (I doubt we will, he added to himself) there'll still be food."
He set the (incredibly heavy) pot in the middle of the table, somehow avoiding the dishes already set up on it. To accommodate the amount of people arriving, Ashiya and Maou had cleared off the computer table and pushed it together with the main dinner table, despite much protest from Urushihara. The two tables together took up much of the six-tatami mat space, though even then that wasn't saying much. With Suzuno and Chiho, who had already arrived, plus the three demons, they had already come full circle around the new table.
No sooner had they sat down, however, then there came another knock at the door. "Maou? It's me, Emi."
If the Hero were calling him Maou rather than Demon King, that meant Rika must have been there as well. Maou got up to open the door and greeted them. "Good to see you again, Rika-chan! Those snacks look good...just set them on the table like that, yeah that's fine..."
"Daddy! Daddy!" Alas=Ramus waved from Emi's arms, and Maou took her gladly. "Everyone here? Everyone eat now?"
"Yes, Alas, we're all going to eat now, together, just like you asked." Maou bounced her in his arms and turned to survey the situation. "Ummm..."
He looked for a place for Emi and Rika to sit. As it was, Ashiya had designated himself next to his king, while Chiho had blushingly found herself on Maou's other side. Suzuno placed herself next to Chiho and struck up a conversation, while Urushihara, who had naturally been the last to join the table (as he'd secluded himself in the closet until the table was set up) sat slumped at the end. No one missed the fact that there was a generous amount of space between him and everybody else.
Despite this, it was arranged so that there didn't seem to be spots for two people next to each other. Maou presumed, however, that Rika might want to sit next to Emi in order to feel the most at home. "Rika, I guess you can sit by Suzuno there...and Emi...Ah, Urushihara, budge up a little and let Emi sit next to you."
"Why do I have to move?" Urushihara complained. "And why does she have to sit next to me?"
"You've got two spaces on either side of you! Just shift over next to Ashiya so Emi and Rika can sit next to each other!"
Urushihara made a noise of frustration. "I'll just get up and sit somewhere else," he grumbled, taking his bowl and chopsticks and rising from his place.
"Oh, no, I don't want to make you move, Urushihara," Rika said. "Here, I can squeeze in this spot, it'll be fine."
"No, I'll just go eat by the closet." Urushihara made to move away, but was stopped immediately by Alas Ramus's shout.
"No! Lucifa stay! Stay and eat! All stay together!"
Urushihara looked trapped. "Hey, now, Alas..."
"Together!"
"Ah, fine, I get it!" Urushihara plopped back down, looking sour.
"Mama and Papa, together!"
"Ehh? But Alas=Ramus, Papa's already..."
Alas=Ramus's cheeks puffed up, and she looked ready to cry. Chiho, for her part, looked horribly torn between wanting to please Alas=Ramus and not giving up her spot next to Maou to Emi. But before anything disastrous could occur, Ashiya stood.
"Maou-sama, allow me to make this sacrifice. Though it pains me to do so, I shall give up my place at your side, for the time being."
"Oh, thanks, Ashiya." At Alas=Ramus's urging, both Emi and Maou settled themselves next to each other, reluctant to do so but not having any other choice. Ashiya instead went to the other side of the table and muttered something to Urushihara. The smaller General shot him a murderous glare, for though he complied, the shifting of seats had him practically shoved right up against the Hero. With everyone settled, albeit not one hundred percent satisfied, they began to pass around the variety of dishes.
Rika leaned over to whisper to Suzuno, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Ashiya's kind of odd, but that was really gentlemanly, don't you think?"
"Uh..." Suzuno was at a loss at how to answer. After all, she couldn't exactly explain that Maou was a king and Ashiya was his subordinate. "'Gentlemanly' is not really the word I would use..."
Conversations arose, and the mood eased. Alas Ramus was transferred to Rika at one point, who was more than delighted to have the child in her lap. For the sukiyaki, they left it in the center of the table, and Maou took it upon himself to receive everyone's bowls and ladle in the soup.
"Hey, Urushihara, give me your bowl and I'll-" Maou stopped himself when he caught sight of his general.
Urushihara was sitting up straight.
Maou blinked, several times.
Urushihara never sat up straight.
He was always slouching, at best. But against all of his expectations, there was his purple-haired general, sitting with his back as straight as a washboard.
It's like Ashiya ironed him out or something…
He wasn't talking to the others, but that was nothing new. What was strange was that his posture was stiff, and for some reason he kept staring down at his food with a serious expression as he ate.
Could it be he's actually trying to look proper at a meal...No, there's no way that would happen. Urushihara's expression wasn't the usual look of disinterest he usually had at mealtimes, but actual discomfort, like he'd tasted something unpleasant. When Maou called him, he didn't answer until the third time, and then looked as if he'd been snapped out of a trance.
"Huh? Yeah, I want some..." He reached out his bowl, but it was awkward, because he seemed to be trying to hand it around the far end of the nabe pot for some inconceivable reason.
"Urushihara, what are you doing? Just hand it over!"
"I am!"
"Why are you giving your bowl to Suzuno?"
"I'm not! I'm handing it to you!"
"Urushihara, I don't have the patience for your...this...right now, okay?"
"It's all right, Maou-dono," Suzuno said, taking the bowl from Urushihara. She ladled some soup and vegetables into it and gave it back. At the very least Urushihara had the decency to look somewhat sheepish at this. However, this didn't stop him from mumbling, "I wanted more beef..."
"Daikon is good for you. From what Ashiya-dono tells me, you don't eat enough vegetables," Suzuno replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. Urushihara meekly accepted his bowl and began to eat.
Rika gave a nervous laugh in the tension. "Ahaha...I have a cousin who acts the same way. Always wanting the meat, and never eating the vegetables..."
"It seems to be a problem with all teenage boys, doesn't it?" Suzuno smiled brightly at her.
"Haha, I know exactly what you mean! There are these boys at my school, who..." Chiho began chatting with the other two women, and the atmosphere at the table once again lightened to a more pleasant feel.
Urushihara finished before anybody else and stood up. He'd barely spoken a word or two the entire time, though no one had spoken much to him either. Rika had attempted to talk with him, seeing that he was left out, but Urushihara merely mumbled a one-worded reply, and she got the message, returning to Suzuno. He set his dishes in the sink, filling the bowl with water, and started to go to his closet of refuge. On the way, however, Alas=Ramus left Rika's arms and ran to him.
At the same time, Ashiya was involved in a heated argument with Emi, which had begun with a sharp comment from Emi on the demons' living conditions that Ashiya "could not let slide", and Maou was trying desperately to keep them from breaking out into an actual fight. Suzuno and Chiho, who were long since used to these sorts of disputes, were conversing separately about a much more mundane matter. Thus Rika was the only one to hear Alas=Ramus when she spoke to Urushihara.
"Lusifa? Lusifa okay?" Alas=Ramus peered up at him with wide, worried eyes that only a child could make.
Rika recognized the name as one of the nicknames Emi had explained to her, which apparently Alas had given to nearly everyone present in the room. Secretly, Rika hoped that she would gain a nickname of her own.
Maou only broke away from the argument to see the last few seconds of what occurred. Rika gave a confused smile and looked between Urushihara and Alas=Ramus, the child having apparently said something. This was nothing compared to the effect on Urushihara. A stricken look came over his features, and Maou heard him say loudly "As if!" before stomping away into the closet.
Alas=Ramus was clearly hurt by this reaction, and her cheeks turned red. Seeing the signs, Maou quickly stood. "Here, Rika, hand her over to me," he said, just as she started to cry. When he looked accusingly at Urushihara, he saw a flash of guilt on the hikkikomori's face before the closet door slid shut.
He would deal with Urushihara later, Maou decided, as he first stepped out into the corridor with a wailing Alas=Ramus. He motioned for Rika to follow.
"Is everything okay?" Rika asked once he'd closed the door.
"Yeah, sorry about all that. What did Alas=Ramus say to him?"
Rika shrugged. "Just, 'Mama not scary, don't be scared,', something like that," she said with a laugh.
This was not what he expected at all. Maou furrowed his brow, and continued to pat Alas=Ramus on the back. She was starting to quiet down, her cries turning to hiccups and whimpers.
What did she mean by that?
4. Suzuno
When Suzuno was called to meet with Emi for coffee one afternoon, she knew something was wrong.
Usually, the Hero would travel to meet with Suzuno at her apartment if she wanted to speak about something. But if she was asking to meet outside of the apartment complex, that meant there was something she had to say that she didn't want overheard by their neighboring demons.
It had not been long since the incident at the Tokyo Tower, when Raguel and Gabriel had appeared in what seemed to be the latest in a string of attacks made by Heaven. Since then, after a discussion with Chiho and Emi in the bathhouse only a few days before, Suzuno had agreed to provide lessons to Chiho in building her own magic, and soon, teach her the Idea Link. There was a good chance this was what Emi wanted to talk about. But the Hero had been short and serious in her call, which made Suzuno suspect a new occurrence had arisen.
So it was with a guarded disposition that Suzuno sat at the cafe at Sasazuka Station, her iced coffee sitting before her purchased but untouched and her back stiff and poised.
Emi walked in a few minutes later. Her expression turned grim when she caught Suzuno's eye, and she joined the Inquisitor at the table immediately.
"Don't sit so stiff, you look suspicious," she scolded at once. Suzuno frowned, and tried to lower her shoulders.
"You sounded urgent when you said you wanted to meet. What's this about?" she asked. Her gaze narrowed. "Is it Heaven? Have they made a move?"
"Settle down, it's not another angel, or anything like that." Emi waved a hand at her.
Surprised, Suzuno relaxed back against her chair. "Then what...?"
"Well, not an angel we aren't already dealing with." Emi's serious expression deepened, and she took a moment to answer. "I think Lucifer might be hiding something."
Of all the names to mention, that was the least one Suzuno expected. "Like what?" she asked, perplexed.
"I can't be sure," Emi responded, putting up a hand, "but lately he's been twitchier than usual. It's been going on for a month or so now. He gets jumpy every time I see him, and he tries to play it off like nothing's going on. Badly, I might add."
Suzuno furrowed her brow. "Lucifer is terribly inept when it comes to dealing with people in general. I don't know why you should think he's acting oddly now."
"I know that. But the other day, when we were at the bathhouse, I caught him as we were about to leave, and he jumped as soon as I said his name. The way he acted, it was like he didn't want me to discover something. It was really suspicious, but I didn't have a chance at the time to confront him about it." A beat passed, then out of nowhere, Emi suddenly exclaimed, "I'm not being mean!"
"Emilia, please, be mindful!" Suzuno shot at her, glancing at the other customers who looked their way in surprise. She lowered her voice. "What's the matter?"
Emi scowled. "Alas=Ramus has been telling me over and over again to "stop being mean to Lucifer". I'm not doing anything! If anything, he's more mean to me!"
In her discontent, Emi grabbed Suzuno's coffee without thinking and made to take a sip out of it. She caught herself at the last second, but before she could set it down with a blush, Suzuno motioned for her to continue.
"You don't mind?" Emi asked.
Suzuno shook her head. "I wasn't drinking it anyways."
"Thanks. I'll pay you back."
"No need. It wasn't that expensive."
Emi took a long draught from the coffee cup, then swirled it around in her hand, thinking."It's not possible that...they're actually moving forward with their plan?"
"To take over the world? Impossible."
"You sounded awfully sure about yourself," Emi commented with a frown. "I get that they haven't been much of a threat up until now, but isn't that a little careless of you?"
"I assure you, I am as ready as ever for the moment the Demon King will make his first move in conquest," Suzuno stated, a little miffed. "I just don't think it is today."
"Why not?"
"To begin with, there has been no event in the past few weeks that has allowed him or any of his subordinates to gather magic. They are far too focused on their own affairs, or else helping Chiho with her lessons."
Ever since the time they had faced off against the angel Raguel, Chiho had been ironlike in her intent to build her own magic. She was nowhere near the level of power she had when the archangel Lailah, Emilia's mother, used her as a conduit, but the schoolgirl showed great determination in her practice, and even in the short time they had been working together there were definite signs of improvement.
"Just the other day, I heard the Demon King celebrating the fact that he might be promoted soon from "assistant shift manager" to "permanent shift manager" or something of a similar note. And I do not believe he is anywhere near prepared to deal with the situation we will all inevitably face with Heaven upon our return, much less prepared to return to Ente Isla," Suzuno finished.
She passed over her cream, and Emi accepted it with a nod of thanks. "Besides, why would they choose now, of all times?"
Emi gave a musing sigh. "Then what do you think it is? Lucifer's got some secret that even the Demon King doesn't know?"
"If he were still keeping important secrets from his king at this point, that would make him a very poor Demon General indeed." She gave a wry grin. "Besides, you'd think he'd learned his lesson after the scamming incident."
"You'd think." Emi sank exasperatedly into her chair. "Honestly, sometimes I just look at him and I feel insulted that a NEET like him ever made us believe he was a great threat."
Suzuno had been pondering up until this point. "I will admit...I've been noticing a few things off about Lucifer's behavior as well. But it's nothing I've been able to place so far."
"Well, I wanted to suggest something anyways." Emi finished the last dregs of the coffee and stood, collecting her purse. "I'm going to go with you back to the apartments later. If you come with me when I talk to them you might be able to see what I mean. Then you can tell me whether you think he's hiding something or not."
Emi knocked loudly on the door of apartment 201. "Oi, Demon King, open up!"
A number of seconds passed, then the door opened to reveal a very unhappy-looking Alciel. "It has only been sixty-nine hours since your last visit, Hero. At the very least, for the sake of Maou-sama's safety and my own peace of mind I request you give us at least the full seventy two hours for sufficient energy recharge and preparations in strategy."
"I find it remarkable that you take the time to record the precise number of hours between Emilia's visits," Suzuno commented honestly.
Alciel drew himself up. "It is of the utmost importance to maintain track of the enemy's whereabouts and movements at all times," he said disdainfully. "What I am doing ought to be considered standard protocol."
"Then as a fellow warrior of such standards, you ought to respect the fact that I check up on you demons every now and then," Emi said smugly.
Alciel curled his lip, furious at having been tricked by his own words. "Maou is out for the day," he said icily. "I'm afraid I cannot divulge when he will return. So if you will excuse me..." He started to close the door.
"Ah...it's actually Lucifer we wanted to talk to." Suzuno said hurriedly.
Just as she expected, Alciel's eyes narrowed. "Lucifer? Whatever for?"
"Nothing you need to be suspicious of," Emi snapped. "Just a harmless conversation."
"I don't believe the word 'harmless' has ever been associated with a more unfitting person."
"I'll make you a deal," Suzuno said, using her strength on the Hero's arm to prevent her from tackling the demon through the door. "A bargain for information."
"I make no bargains with the opposing side in war," Alciel replied, with a note of finality. He started to close them out.
"Not even for the All-Purpose Menox Kitchen Utensil set?" Suzuno said tantalizingly.
The door paused. "...You have one?"
Suzuno gave a smug grin to the eye peeking through the crack. "I do."
"Impossible. There's no store selling that set in this district for a price below 20,000 yen."
"I found one. And for only 13,000."
The door slammed open in an instant. "There's no way! Tell me where you found it!" Alciel demanded.
Suzuno waggled her finger in front of his face. "I'm not offering gifts to the enemy. This is a bargain. You let us talk to Lucifer, and I'll consider showing you where I bought the set."
Alciel snorted. "A simple price for such a valuable reward. That useless heap of laundry is in the closet; talk to him all you want. However, I will be present as well, to ensure no important information is given," he added warningly. "I won't have it said the General Strategist of the Demon Army would so carelessly sell out his king."
Suzuno raised a delicate eyebrow, and inclined her head. After a moment's hesitation, Ashiya stepped aside with obvious reluctance.
Emi didn't hestitate to knock loudly on the closet door. "Oi, Lucifer, get out here. We've got something to ask you."
Silence. Suzuno exchanged a look with Emi before the Hero pounded on the closet again, louder than before. "Lucifer! We know you're awake! Quit pretending and come talk to us!"
"You're being too gentle with him, Hero," Ashiya sighed condescendingly. "Observe."
He strode forward and shoved the closet door open. "Urushihara! You've slept long enough. Get yourself up before I drag you out of there!"
"Has he been sleeping all day?" Suzuno asked curiously. It was already well into the afternoon, and approaching evening.
"Only because he refuses to sleep at night," Ashiya grumbled. "All he does is mess around on that computer of his. I see the light of the screen through the cracks of the closet when we go to bed."
The residential hermit within muttered something unheard to either of the women, though it was apparently very unflattering, for Ashiya replied, "For your sake I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Now stop wasting time. I have to start dinner soon, so hurry up."
Urushihara swung his legs out, and shot a very poisonous glare at Ashiya. "You're the one who sold me out for a kitchen set, so if we run into overtime, that's not on me. Why not tie me up and dump me on Emi's doorstep and be done with it?"
"Because if I find you within even a mile of my apartment I'll kick you out to the streets," Emi said vehemently.
"I'm sure you would." The jibe was not sarcastic. Urushihara hauled himself from the closet and shuffled over to the computer desk, where he sat with his back against the wall as he peered at the two visitors. He rested his cheek lazily against his palm, already looking bored. Emi and Suzuno took their seats across from him, with Emi a little farther away. Ashiya, for his part, remained standing near the closet.
As they did so, Suzuno took the brief opportunity to observe the fallen angel General. While his posture was no different than his usual hunched form, there was a note of exhaustion about his body, almost like the time he'd gotten heat stroke. At first Suzuno thought Ashiya might have had him doing yardwork again, before she remembered what Ashiya had said about Urushihara's flipped sleeping schedule. There was nothing yet to indicate something suspicious, however, except perhaps for the way Urushihara's gaze kept flickering from Emi to Suzuno back to Emi again.
"So? What do you want to talk to me about?" Urushihara prompted.
Suzuno nodded. "I'll get straight to the point. Firstly, I think we should start planning a mode of defense. There have been two attacks from Heaven now, and while we have repelled both of them, I do not think it wise to simply sit around waiting for the next one to show."
"I could have told you that much," Urushihara drawled. "Why are you coming to me with this, and not Maou?"
"The Demon King is indeed the one I should be talking with about this, and I fully intend to. What I want to know from you is if you have had any contact from Heaven or its inhabitants since these attacks."
Urushihara seemed to go strangely stiff at that question, but it was difficult to get a read on whether that meant he had in fact talked to another from Heaven. In the next instant he merely shrugged an answered, "I don't see why they'd want to talk to me. In their eyes I'm disgraced, remember? It's hardly likely they'd want me on their side, much less be able to convince me to switch over."
"Perhaps. But I do not consider it altogether an absurdity. You yourself have alluded to the fact that you were very high-ranked among their troops. Power like that is not so easily given up. I'm sure you would be considered a valuable asset to some."
Ashiya snorted. "If they were to live with him for a day, such ridiculous notions would be banished from their heads immediately."
If the insult at all affected Urushihara, he did not show it. He merely regarded Suzuno with a curious gaze. "I guess I can see how you would think that. But so far nothing's happened."
Suzuno bowed her head. "I see. I ask that you keep me and Emilia informed should such an occasion occur. It might prove to be useful in the long run."
"Mm, probably in gaining information," Emi mused as she caught Suzuno's point. "I don't count on relying something like that to occur though. They're more likely to come after me, since I have the Sephirot."
"So far, Heaven does not appear to know where you live, Emilia. They do know where the demons are, however, and so the demons remain the likeliest group to experience contact by any angels. I don't know about you, but I would prefer to avoid a repeat event like what happened with Gabriel."
The faces of the others went sour at this as they recalled the unpleasantness of Gabriel's attack, however short it was.
"It does not appear that you demons have any quick way to regain your energy. And while Emilia and I have some on reserve, putting up something like a barrier would take too much energy to maintain at all hours of the day. But perhaps there is something we can do using the methods of this world, which is where you come in, Lucifer."
Urushihara straightened a little, listening.
"You had the technical knowledge and ability to plant a tracker on both Emilia and Chiho..." Both Emi and Ashiya growled at that, "...and it proved to be quite useful. I wanted to ask if there were perhaps any other methods you know of that we could employ using technology. Even if we cannot fight them with it, at the very least we may be able to have some sort of edge on the situation if we are able to detect them first."
Urushihara seemed very surprised that he, of all people, would be consulted for use of his knowledge and abilities. A slight grin turned up his mouth in a smug look. "Oh? So what you're saying is, you need me?"
"Wipe that look off your face," Emi snapped. "It's not like you're the linchpin in a life-or-death situation or anything like that. We're just exploring all our options, that's all."
At Emi's harsh tone, Urushihara's smile had quickly fallen, to turn into a scowl. But he merely turned to Suzuno and said, "It's true there are things like security cameras or alarm systems that you can install in your own home. But those tend to be expensive, and they take a lot of time to set up. Besides, I don't think Heavenly Troops or demons are going to be scared off just by some lights flashing and loud alarms. They're not simple cat burglars."
"Then what about hacking?" Suzuno suggested. "Is there any way you could access cameras already set up, perhaps around the city?"
"Uwa, the Inquisitor is suggesting I do something illegal? We must really be desperate."
At that, Suzuno's cheeks went pink. "I merely wish to understand the full extent of our situation. While Emilia is as technologically adept as the next person, certainly more so than I-" There was a distinct morose tone when she said that, and Emi felt a dash of respect for her bravery in admitting something she felt so embarrassed about. "-you are perhaps the most knowledgeable in these things, and if possible I thought we could use them to our advantage."
"If we were a wealthy head of a company, perhaps, or a high-ranked department of the Japanese government. But the truth of the matter is we aren't in a part of the city that has such easy access to those sorts of high-tech materials, and there's a limit to even my incredible technical abilities."
"What incredible abilities? All you do is surf the net and play video games!" Ashiya said disdainfully. Urushihara merely turned away with an aloof look on his face.
"I see..." Suzuno frowned, a little disappointed. "Then, I suppose we will merely have to remain on our guard."
"If you like, at the very least I can maybe speed up our communication," Urushihara said, and Suzuno looked at him in surprise. "We have each other's numbers, but I can maybe set up something so that if we want to make an urgent call, or if there's an emergency, it sends an alert to everyone else's phone as well."
"No thanks," Emi said immediately. "I don't have your number and I prefer to keep it that way. I hate to think of the kinds of pranks you'd pull with my information."
Urushihara threw his hands into the air. "You take one wallet and it's like you're a criminal for life..." he muttered.
"Or it might be the fact that you are a criminal!"
Urushihara nearly fell over from Emi's angry outburst. He pushed himself up, saying, "Ease up, all right? I haven't done anything since then! So quit worrying so much!"
"I'm not letting you come five feet from my handbag, what makes you think I'm going to let you touch my phone?!"
Suzuno looked between them. "It's only practical," she said. "Like it or not, we have a common enemy, and for the time being it would be wise to be united against such. Naturally, I believe we should wait until we have discussed it with the Demon King. But supposing Heaven does happen to send an enemy that neither I nor Emilia can overcome ourselves ("Like that's ever going to happen," Emi muttered), it will be good to warn all members this side of the army as well."
"This side of...what do you mean army?" Ashiya sputtered. He appeared offended that Suzuno had implied all the members of this room were soldiers of the same army.
Suzuno gave a wry smile. "The Demon King claimed me as a Demon General as well, did he not?"
"Th-That was a bluff! A declaration of force against the enemy! It does NOT put you or, Satan forbid, the Hero in the same ranking as me!"
"Oi, you're forgetting another General in the room, Ashiya," Urushihara put in, annoyed. The others all ignored him.
"I'm sure we can clarify that with the Demon King himself when he returns. In the meantime, I have one last thing to ask. Lucifer, what do you plan to do about Chiho-dono?"
"Eh?" This time, it was both Urushihara and Emi who shot her looks of surprise. Urushihara frowned. "Why would I want to have anything to do with Sasaki Chiho?"
"She is currently being trained by me, and Emilia has agreed to help whenever she can. However, while Emilia and I are experienced in Holy Energy and Holy Magic, I acknowledge there may be more that she can learn if she were being taught by an angel."
Urushihara raised an eyebrow, seeming to take what she was saying seriously for once. "There wouldn't be much. Chiho might have done some amazing things that one night, but that was all because of Lailah acting through her. Any magic she's building would be just like any regular human attempting to harness their own magic. She's fine with just you two. I don't need to add anything."
"Not to mention we might end up accidentally corrupting Chiho-chan should we let her near Lucifer," Emi added.
"And exactly what is that supposed to mean, Hero?" Urushihara snapped.
"Exactly what it sounds," Emi shot back, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't be surprised if after the first week of training with you Chiho suddenly ended up dropping out of school because she'd caught your NEET-ness."
"It's not something you catch!"
"Uh-huh, so you've said."
Urushihara suddenly jumped to his feet. "Ah, I'm tired of this now! If you haven't got anything else to say then I'm going back to bed!" He started for the closet.
Emi stood, collecting her bag, and Urushihara halted, glaring at her warily. "What?" he demanded. There was a noticeable amount of hostility in his tone.
Emi raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? I thought you declared this conversation over, so I got up to leave. Don't tell me you want us to stay longer."
"As if! The sooner you're gone, the sooner I can get back to Monster Hunter 2!"
"Oh, no you don't!" Ashiya stepped forward, effectively caging Urushihara in. "Now that I've got you up I want you to be actually doing something productive for once! Don't think you can hide in the closet all day!"
"Ah, fine! Just don't blame me if it turns out badly again!" Urushihara stomped past Suzuno, who was still sitting and was thus the only way out of the ring somehow created around him. He went straight for the bathroom and slammed himself in.
"It only turns out badly because you never listen to me!" Ashiya shouted after him, before putting a hand to his temple and sighing.
Suzuno watched all of this happen with great interest. Truthfully, as odd as it sounded the scene between Alciel and Lucifer looked very much like the sort of interaction between a mother and her tempermental teenage son. She rose to her feet as well, nodding to Emi to show they could leave. "Alciel, as promised, for allowing us to talk with you two I shall give you the information on the Menox set once I return to my apartment."
"Huh? Oh, yes. Indeed." Ashiya nodded, resuming his dignified stance. "Be sure you are prompt, or I just might take your refusal to uphold your end of the bargain as an act of war."
"Oh, give it a rest, Alciel," Emi snapped, before striding towards the door to the hallway. Suzuno quickly followed, and they exited before Ashiya could give another furious retort.
To Suzuno's surprise, Emi led her not to Suzuno's apartment, but to the outside, where they walked a distance away. Emi turned to Suzuno. "Well?"
The Inquisitor knew she was asking for her observations on Lucifer. But she could not answer right away. She frowned, her gaze pondering. "There is something off about his behavior," she admitted. "I can see why you would have reason to believe he is acting suspicious. However...I do not believe he is hiding anything."
"Really?" The disbelief was heavy in the Hero's voice. "After what just happened? It's like Guilty Conscience 101!"
Suzuno glanced up at the Hero, furrowing her brow. "I wonder...Emilia, do you ever think you are perhaps a bit too hostile around him?"
"Haaaa?" Emi's exclamation was loud enough to bring the police running. She drew herself up so much she looked as if she might shoot from the very ground.
Suzuno quickly shook her head. "Actually...forget I said anything. The important thing is, I do not believe you have anything to worry about."
Emi was clearly still offended, but she reeled herself back in. "Well...good. I trust your judgement, so I'll drop it for now. But tell me right away if you notice anything to change your mind."
"I will." Suzuno bowed.
Emi tucked her hair behind her ear and hefted her purse up higher. "Well...I'll head home then. See you later, Bell!" She waved as she jogged away.
Suzuno put up a hand in farewell before turning back to the apartment. The sun was now low in the sky, casting orange light on the Villa Rose complex. The evening was still quite warm, but she could sense a coolness in the air. She frowned as she climbed the steps back up to the apartments.
I wonder...if Emilia has noticed it yet?
5. Urushihara
Urushihara was flying.
He soared through clouds both black and white alike, tumbling along the wind and gliding on its currents. At one point he was picking up speed, zooming through the air as fast as he could manage. His heart was pounding with adrenaline, and a shiver went up his spine that had nothing to do with the growing chilliness of the air.
But there was something off. Before he could realize it, he was flying so fast his surroundings were blurring together. He flapped his wings harder and harder, gasping at the effort. Sweat dripped down his chin and neck, but it wasn't from exhaustion. He was afraid. Very afraid. He had to get away, or he'd be caught and...
The sky was growing darker and darker. Urushihara poured energy into his wings, but it felt as though each passing second made his wings grow more heavy, so that soon he was struggling simply to stay aloft. His panicked gasps were now the only thing he could hear.
She's coming. She's coming.
Something gleamed in the darkness. Urushihara turned to see...
A blinding pain ripped through his chest. The sword drove him downwards, and suddenly he was falling. Lucifer screamed in pain and fury, but his voice died in his throat at the sight of his attacker. Long, silver hair gleamed like the steel piercing his chest, while her fiery red eyes promised death.
He cried for help. But there was no one to answer. The knight jerked her sword from his body, and he grunted at the spurt of blood that followed. He tasted copper in his mouth. As he watched, the knight raised her sword again, and the blade erupted into flames. She held it above her head, preparing for the final blow...
"No...PLEASE!"
Urushihara woke with a start. His heavy panting filled the small closet space, long shuddering gasps that matched his shaking body. When he tried to sit up, his chest suddenly twinged, and he put a hand to it with a noise of discomfort. His skin was tender under his touch, like it had become hyper-sensitive. After a time, he fell back against the closet wall, closing his eyes and waiting for his breathing to slow. Still he trembled.
Another nightmare...He'd thought they would have stopped by now. But if anything, they were getting more frequent. While he'd only ever occasionally had the one when he came to Japan, now they seemed to be coming every other night.
He sighed, then opened his laptop, squinting at the sudden brightness when it turned on. The clock in the corner of the screen read 3:30. Still another few hours until daylight. Urushihara rubbed his tired eyes with a groan, grunting when his chest suddenly twinged again. He swallowed, grimacing at the unpleasant taste in his mouth, almost like bile. I must be getting sick...
He could feel his eyelids drifting lower. But rather than let himself fall back to sleep, he picked up his PASTA console and switched it on. Despite how tired he was, there was no way he'd be able to sleep tonight, not with how he felt. There was an uncomfortable ache growing in his stomach, and he shifted, hoping it would go away soon on its own.
And still he was shivering...
At 2 in the afternoon the next day, Ashiya was preparing lunch when he heard the closet door slowly slide open. He glanced behind him to see two feet gingerly lowering themselves to the floor.
"So, the hermit has decided to leave his cave at last!" Ashiya announced scornfully. He turned back to his chopping board. "Honestly, Urushihara, how long to you intend to keep up this behavior?"
Urushihara didn't answer as he emerged inch by inch. He stood there for a moment, eyes closed and breathing through his nose. Then, just as slowly, he turned and began to move along the wall.
Ashiya continued without waiting for an answer. "At least you decided to get up in time for lunch for once. Sit down, it'll be ready in a few minutes. I expect you to eat properly this time. I haven't seen you eat a real meal in days!"
"I don't feel so good," Urushihara mumbled. He shuffled towards the bathroom, using the closet wall as support.
"Why am I not surprised?" Ashiya snorted, shaking his head. His tone held no sympathy. "It's because you stay up all sorts of crazy hours and end up missing meals when you sleep through the day! If you're getting sick, it's because you're not taking care of yourself. Go to sleep at the right time for once and see if you get any better."
The only thing he got in reply was the door to the bathroom opening and closing. A few minutes later, he heard the water in the sink running, followed by a clatter of the bucket falling to the ground. Rolling his eyes, Ashiya tended to the pots and pans on the stove.
Inside the bathroom, Urushihara was panting. One hand curled the material of his shirt tightly in a fist at his chest as he bent over the sink, his frame trembling with the effort of holding himself up. His chest felt like it was on fire. Without warning his stomach clenched, and he doubled over and vomited into the sink.
Barely anything came up, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth. With shaking hands he washed out his mouth and flushed the contents of his stomach down the drain, then turned back to the door. As soon as he opened it the smell of cooking hit his nose, and his stomach roiled again. Somehow he prevented himself from gagging. He merely turned to walk back along the wall.
Ashiya still hadn't turned around. He ladled soup into bowls and transferred the steaming vegetables from one pan to a plate waiting on the counter. "Lunch is ready. When you're done eating, Urushihara, I want you to help with the cleaning. Today's going to be an extra busy day, and though I'm extremely wary about letting you near the laundry machine again, I have no choice but to request another pair of helping hands. So you'd better be prepared to work, whether we like it or not."
"I think I'm going to sleep some more," Urushihara said faintly. He'd started to open the closet door, but the simple paper frame suddenly seemed a thousand times heavier. To make matters worse, his head was starting to spin.
Ashiya let out a noise of frustration. "Ah, yes, of course you are! Never mind I actually need help for once, you just go back to your closet and let me handle everything! I swear, Urushihara, if you slept any more, you'd be in a coma!"
Thud.
Ashiya turned around at the noise, then gasped and dropped the pan he was holding. "Urushihara!"
He rushed forward to where Urushihara had collapsed to the ground and shook him. "Oi, Urushihara! Urushihara!"
Urushihara was unusually flushed, and when Ashiya pressed a hand to his cheek his skin burned as though it were boiling. As Ashiya shook him, calling his name, Urushihara could only moan in response.
To his credit, the leading strategist of the Demon Army did not hesitate to act. Within minutes he had the electric fan blasting on high, the windows open, and a cool cloth laid across Urushihara's head. But it was obvious this was not merely heat stroke. Urushihara shivered as if it had dropped a hundred degrees in the room, even before Ashiya had gotten the fan. Whatever this was required far more than what Ashiya had.
Ashiya scrambled for the door, and ran for the one person in his mind who could help.
"What a terrible fever..."
Suzuno laid a fresh cloth against Urushihara's head. They had brought out a futon and tucked Urushihara into it. It was well into the evening now, and Maou had returned from work, along with Chiho, who had offered to accompany him as soon as Ashiya had called him about Urushihara's condition.
Suzuno's brow creased worriedly. "I gave him some medicine, but we may need to think about taking him to a hospital."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Ashiya said quickly.
They all looked to him, and he shifted under their accusing glares. "Well, it's obvious, is it not? If we take him to a hospital, then..."
He trailed off, apparently unwilling to finish his point.
Maou's serious expression deepened, and he picked up where his General had left off. "He's right. What kind of hospital can we take him to that he won't be arrested on sight? It might not be a risk we can take."
"It might be a risk we have to take." Suzuno frowned at him. "His condition looks serious. You can worry about anything else after."
Maou sighed. "Well...we ought to wait a little and see if the medicine helps him first. If not then I'll call an ambulance."
"Should I call Yusa-san?" Chiho piped up.
Everyone looked at her, and Chiho grew red under all their gazes. "Why would you do that?" Ashiya asked, perplexed.
"W-Well, I just thought...since she's part of the group...then she ought to know..." Chiho's voice grew quieter and she looked down at her lap. Her hands twisted nervously.
Maou and Ashiya exchanged looks, the former seeming far more sympathetic towards the young girl than the latter. Maou shook his head. "We don't have to bother her about this. It's just a fever, not a ploy by Heaven or anything like that."
"Besides, she is the Hero, and we are demons," Ashiya added, sounding far more like the General that he was. "If the Hero were to get word that part of our army were weakened..." He glared pointedly at Suzuno, who drew herself up.
"If that is the way you feel, Alciel, then I see no reason why you came to me for help," she said back, her tone cool.
Ashiya's cheeks colored. "In a crisis, all options are viable, even if it means forcing down your pride before the enemy," he spat back.
Suzuno narrowed her eyes. Maou merely put a hand to his temple. I can't tell if he's insulting Bell or himself...
"This may astonish you, but I am no longer putting effort into going out of my way to execute you," Suzuno said. "Besides, what I say to Emilia is none of your business."
"Whatever concerns the Hero concerns us as well, so it most certainly is our business!"
Hero...Emilia...Hero Emilia...
Urushihara gave a soft moan. One hand grasped clumsily at his chest under the blankets, while his face drew in discomfort. This brought Suzuno's attention to him, while Ashiya crossed his arms in a huff.
Maou put up his hands between the two of them. "Let's not fight over who's on who's side right now. I'm not excluding Emi because she's the Hero; I just don't think we need to have her rush over here. We've got all the help we need right now."
"Demon King...look at this."
Maou fell silent at Suzuno's serious tone. He moved at her bidding to her side, whereupon she lifted Urushihara's shirt for him to see.
He inhaled sharply. In the middle of Urushihara's chest, right along his sternum, was a large, angry looking scar. But rather than the normal pale, toughened flesh that Maou himself had become familiar with, the line had become dark and swollen, the skin around it red and inflamed. Urushihara gave a soft cry each time it was touched, twisting uncomfortably beneath the sheets.
Maou stood, having already made up his mind. "Get him ready to be moved. I'm calling an ambulance."
"Maou-sama, I think we should-"
"Ashiya, I know you're just trying to protect our finances, but in this case I am ordering you to lower that as a priority." Maou looked his general straight in the eye, and Ashiya had no choice but to lower his head and obey.
"Y-Yes, Maou-sama."
"Chiho, it's getting late, you should probably head back home. Don't worry about Urushihara," he said gently when she seemed to want to protest, "we'll make sure he's taken care of. But I don't want to worry your parents with how late we're keeping you."
Chiho bit her lip. "All right," she said quietly. "But, please let me know if he gets better or worse," she added quickly. She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder.
Maou nodded with a smile. "Of course we will."
Chiho inclined her head to the group in farewell, then went to open the door. On her way out, she stopped with a squeak. "Yusa-san!"
Emi stood in the doorway, one fist raised as if about to knock. She seemed a little startled from almost running into Chiho, but she quickly composed herself and looked within. "Hey, everyone," she said, a little sheepishly.
"Emi!" Maou stated in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Normally, this question would have garnered a snarky reply or two. But Emi merely stepped into the room, seeming a little reluctant to speak.
She caught sight of Urushihara on the mats, and stopped short, her expression turning to one of shock and concern. "So there really was something..." she murmured.
Maou's surprise turned to suspicion in an instant. "Did you know about this?" he asked sharply, stepping towards her.
"No, I didn't," Emi replied immediately. "It's a little strange...but all of a sudden Alas=Ramus was acting all funny, like she was worried. She kept wanting to come over here. It was like she sensed something was wrong."
As soon as she said that, a golden light fell from her head and took the shape of a toddler girl. Emi barely managed to catch her in time, but as soon as she did Alas=Ramus jumped from her hands and ran towards Urushihara as fast as her tiny feet could allow.
"Lusifa! Lusifa!" The little girl sounded nothing short of distraught. "Wake up, Lusifa!"
She raised her hands, as if ready to slap Urushihara back to wakefulness, as only a child would. But Suzuno was there to catch her fists as they fell.
"Gently, Alas=Ramus, no hitting," Suzuno said, softening her voice to carry her words. "We need to let him rest. Lucifer is very sick."
Alas=Ramus's bottom lip trembled. But instead of bursting into tears, as everyone expected (and dreaded), the child suddenly turned about-face and marched over to her mother. She tugged on Emi's pant leg, and when Emi bent down, thinking Alas wanted to be picked up, she seized her mother's hand and dragged her with surprising strength to Urushihara's side. Emi landed with a yelp on her knees.
"Mama! Fix, now!" Alas=Ramas spoke sternly, pointing to the prone figure in the bedsheets.
Emi gazed helplessly at this little girl who was ordering her around as if their family roles had somehow been switched. "Alas=Ramus, I'm not sure what I can do..."
"Fix! Say sorry!"
"...What?"
"Say sorry to Lusifa!" Alas=Ramus crossed her arms expectantly.
"For what?" Emi automatically blurted out. An awkward silence followed, but despite the glares she felt from the demons behind her, Emi could only stare blankly in the face of this outrageous request. She had no comprehension of Alas's logic, and as the child continued to look at her expectantly, she murmured weakly, "Alas=Ramus, I don't know if that's going to do anything..." She stared at the others in a silent plea for help.
Chiho stepped forward, putting on a bright smile. "Say, Alas=Ramus-chan, do you want to go with me and look at the fireflies outside? Let's leave Urushihara-san alone. He needs to rest and get better. So..."
She patted Alas=Ramus's back in effort to get her attention, but the child refused to budge. Maou tapped Chiho's shoulder, and when she turned to look at him he shook his head with a smile. "Nice, try, but she's stubborn, and she's got her mind set on whatever she's doing," he explained. "Whatever it is, I've got a feeling we ought to go with it."
"She's just a child, Demon King." Emi glanced up at him.
"You said she had a bad feeling. Maybe she knows more about what's going on. As the Sephirot," he added to clarify. "Just go with it and see what happens."
Emi frowned, but she turned back to Alas=Ramus, who had been tugging on her shirt in frustration. "Alas=Ramus," she said in a firm tone, and the child stilled. "Why do I have to say sorry?"
Alas crossed her arms in a pout. But the look in her eyes made her seem far older than her appearance. "Lusifa feels bad, because Mama was mean. Lusifa always feel bad with Mama. Mama shouldn't be mean! Say sorry, Mama!"
Emi struggled to respond as she tried to explain that she had no idea what Alas=Ramus meant by mean, it could have been any number of things she had done, it was likely this sudden illness had nothing to do with her in the first place, and she was very sure apologizing to Lucifer wouldn't do a thing anyways.
"All right, Alas=Ramus, I will," she replied with a nod.
Alas=Ramus nodded back, and sat on her bottom as if to signify that she intended to make sure her mother stuck to her word. Her scowling expression gave the perfect impression of a warden guarding an inmate.
Emi, meanwhile, was cursing herself again and again as she oriented to face Lucifer. Why, why, why did I say that? I didn't mean to agree! She huffed, thinking that children were quite near impossible to refuse outright. All children must have the same powers of mind control, to manipulate you into doing what they want.
She took a breath. "Lucifer, I'm sorry," she said aloud, as if announcing it to a crowd.
There was silence. Like she expected, Urushihara remained exactly as he was. Emi looked around, and saw to her surprise that the others were watching her quite intensely, as if genuinely believing her words to work like some magic spell.
They can't possibly be serious. Emi turned to Alas=Ramus, searching for some sign that she had properly fulfilled her task.
But instead, Alas looked even more concerned. She frowned at her mother. "Not good!" she said. "Mama didn't say it. You have to say it, Mama!"
"I just said it, Alas! I told him I was sorry, what more do you want from me?"
"I think she's saying...you said it wrong." Of all people, she didn't expect Crestia Bell to be interpreting the child's words. Bell ducked her head sheepishly under Emi's astonished look.
"What do you mean, I said it wrong?" Emi demanded. "I said 'sorry'! That's what you wanted me to say, isn't it?" She looked to Alas=Ramus again.
"Hero..."
The room fell quiet. They stared at Urushihara, who had begun to murmur in his sleep. This time, however, they could all understand what he was saying.
"No...S-Stay back..."
The next three words heightened the tension in the room in an instant.
"Don't kill me..."
At first, she was offended. Who did they think she was? Why did all of a sudden, with three demons in the room, it felt like she was the bad guy?
But a part of her understood right away. As if her hand were being guided, it moved to lift up his shirt, and she saw what was on his chest.
She bit her lip, drawing her hand back. "Demon King..." she said quietly. "Would it be all right if I were by myself with him for a while?"
"Why? So you can do weird perverted tortures to him while he sleeps?" Alciel demanded.
"I have absolutely no idea what the hell is in your mind right now, Alciel, but all I want to do is talk," Emi retorted, putting a hand to the headache starting to grow at her temple. "And...say sorry." She looked down at Alas=Ramus, who grinned brightly.
Maou sighed. "Even though it feels weird to let you kick me out of my own apartment, I'll allow you this once, Emi." He stood. "Come on, everyone, you heard her. That means you too, Ashiya." He caught his general by the collar when Ashiya started to protest and began to drag him from the room, ignoring his pleas and protests.
"No! Maou-sama, what if she decides to vandalize all we have worked for? Leaving her alone here would be suicide! She could foul the appliances! My pressure cookerrrrrr..."
At last it was quiet. Emi pondered for a few minutes on what to say.
"Alas=Ramus," she said, and the child looked to her. She wasn't quite sure why she was asking a child, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. "Will he be able to hear me?"
Alas=Ramus nodded. "Lucifa always hears!"
He does, huh...Emi shuffled over until she was right next to his head, and began to speak.
"Lucifer..." Urushihara stirred. "I am Emilia Justina, the Hero of Ente Isla. I have resolved myself to protect it and its people from any threats at all cost. That is my duty, and I shall uphold it with my life.
"Once...those threats included you three. The Demon King and his Generals. You attacked our kingdom, burned our lands, killed our people..." Her voice roughened, and she cleared her throat to calm it. "And I swore to myself I would destroy you and everything you had built. When you came to Japan, I followed, thinking I had to finish off the last remains of the greatest threat against Ente Isla. The fact is, I am the Hero, you three are demons, and so you must be eradicated."
Urushihara grimaced. A mixture of pain and fear drew his face, and he shifted under the covers.
Emi sighed. "At least...that's what I believed."
She picked up Alas=Ramus and set her in her lap. "The situation has changed. There is a new threat, one much bigger than what you caused. I have decided to focus all of my energies on that. So...as long as you do not cause trouble, there is no need to be afraid."
"Mm..." Urushihara made a soft noise, as if in response.
Emi rested her chin atop Alas=Ramus's head. "Yeah...I did make you afraid, didn't I? You attacked my homeland. I retaliated. I was angry, of course. I wanted to cause pain to the ones that had taken everything away from me. So I fought you, and struck you down, and from that, you knew fear."
Her brow furrowed in pity. "And I suppose I am sorry for that."
Because I caused trauma. Because it made me like the demons themselves. Because...I hurt someone I see every day...
She wasn't sure which of those, if any, were the real reason. But these were the thoughts that went through her mind.
Emi picked up the cloth that had been placed next to the futon and used it to dab at Urushihara's perspiring forehead. "When we fought in Ente Isla, I thought I had killed you. So, even though you're still alive, I guess in a way I have already avenged my homeland and my father. An eye for an eye. You don't have to worry about me anymore."
She paused, and pressed the back of her fingers against his skin. It felt cool to the touch. Urushihara had stopped moving restlessly by this point, and it seemed as if a little color had returned to his cheeks.
"Honestly...you demons really make dramas of the most trivial things."
Emi was almost surprised to see the four of them crouched in the hallway when she opened the door.
She looked to the two women giving her sheepish looks. "Evesdropping I'm not surprised of from these two, but I expected better of you, Bell, Chiho."
"Hero, you..." Ashiya glared at her. Maou put a hand on his shoulder. "How is he?" he asked.
Emi folded her arms. "His fever's broken. I'm no doctor, but I think he'll be fine in the next day or so."
A smile of relief broke out on Maou's face. "That's good to hear."
Emi shook her head. She supposed she ought to be more angry that they were listening in when she asked them for privacy, but oddly enough she couldn't bring herself around to it. Maybe a part of her wanted them to listen.
She moved past them towards the stairwell, tapping her temple as she went. "Alas=Ramus is asleep, so I'll be heading home now. Don't worry about having to repay me for saving you demon's butts again. Consider this a favor."
"You little-! Not only do you blatantly put us into your debt, but then you mock us for throwing it back at us?"
"Ahh, she said it was a favor, didn't she Ashiya?" Maou stepped in front of him, looking irritated. "Just take the win and let it go."
Ashiya made several strangled noises in his throat, but true to the loyal demon General he was he stepped back and inclined his head. "As you say, Maou-sama."
Suzuno and Chiho waved their good-byes to Emi as they entered the apartment to check on Urushihara. Ashiya followed, while Maou remained, closing the door in front of him. "You said you were going to focus your energies on the bigger threat," he said, stopping Emi on the top step. "Does that mean no more annoying check-ins from you?"
His words and tone were challenging, but his face wore that irritating smile of relief and pride he always got when he was being profound. Emi supposed in these moments he always felt more like a benevolant king setting an example. It was quite unbearable sometimes.
The Hero spun on her heal and pointed a warning finger at the Demon King. "Don't get all hopeful," she snapped. "This house is the biggest threat of all. You seem to have hit a bit of a lax period, but that doesn't make you any less dangerous. I said as long as you don't cause trouble there's no need to worry. Considering you're all demons, trouble is all I can expect from you, so I'll be sure to keep an extra close eye on you. I'll be particularly more alert now that you've heard all that."
Without even waiting for his response she strode down the staircase. Maou merely slumped his shoulders. "Should've guessed as much."
But there was no mistaking what they had both seen in the other's gaze. That for the time being, against this looming, constantly-spun web of conspiracies and danger from Heaven, they had an ally in each other.
RN: A literal year in the making.It seems I just can't stray away from Lucifer whump...maybe it's my default setting. Thanks and credits go to pika318 for the story idea. If you haven't already, check out their awesome stories! Don't forget to review below!