"Okay, okay, Daichi, truth or dare?" A teen with mussed up cinnamon colored hair asked, sipping a beer.
"Truth." The blonde said, shrugging off the awkwardness.
"What's the story with you and Naomi? You an item or what?"
"Nah, we haven't made our relationship 'official' yet. We're still at the fun stage." The blonde teen said, sipping his own beer. The others around the fire smirked and cheered him on, raising their cans in salute.
"Alright, Ryuu, truth or dare?"
"Dare, bitch." The cinnamon haired teen smirked, slipping the finished beer can in the garbage bag.
"Dare ya t'streak through the forest."
"What? Fuck that, bitch!" The teen growled, glaring at the blonde. Said teen raised his hands and smirked.
"Then at least get us some more beer! You got the best fake I.D. here!" A platinum blonde boy whined, shaking his can to show his distress.
"Fine, fine, I'll get you your damned beer!" Ryuu stood, grabbing the cash from the others before leaving the cave they were currently hanging out in. The boys continued their game, going back and forth while their friend was off getting booze.
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Blue green eyes looked down from the top branch of a tree with no emotion, watching a figure clad in black jeans and a black hoodie run through his forest. "Hey, look, fresh meat." His brother smirked, watching the person run passed.
"Astaroth, no, I saw him go passed earlier with friends, we can't kill anyone without taking care of the loose ends." One of the oldest of the group said, eyes looking up to the sky.
"Fuck that! This far out in the woods? Whose gonna know?" A maroon haired male asked from the ground. He couldn't climb up with his brothers lest he set the forest on fire.
"We're only a mile in, Iblis, hardly seems worth it." The red haired ones twin said soothingly, stroking a nearby leaf.
"I'm bored; I say we kill the others he was with." Amaimon said, pushing away from the truck of the tree and standing, looking in the direction the teen had come from.
"Who made you the boss?" An orange blonde asked, allowing the cicada in his grasp to fly away.
"This is my domain, and I say that killing them is fine." The earth king said, stepping off the branch he was on and falling to the ground. Iblis smiled at this and followed his baby brother through the forest, their siblings soon following behind.
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Ryuu plopped the beer on the counter of the gas station and handed off the fake I.D., waiting for a response from the clerk.
"How's camping going, Kyo?" The clerk asked, ringing up the beer. Ryuu smiled. This clerk was stupid.
"It's pretty good, beautiful weather." Ryuu said, handing over some cash.
"You a hunter?"
"Nah, man, too much respect for nature." The clerk nodded and gave Ryuu the change for the twenty, along with the bag.
"Well, have fun out there."
"I will; thanks." Those bastards better be happy! Ryuu hated buying the beer for everyone.
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"Haru!" Daichi screamed as his platinum blonde haired friends head was smashed against the rough wall of the cave. "Stop it!" The boy holding his friend laughed and released Haru's hair, letting him fall limp to the ground. He was still alive but barely breathing and barely recognizable now. "What the hell do you want?!"
"Nothing, we just get bored and this is the best way to stop it." A green haired teen said, holding onto another one of Daichi's friends, this one a male with red hair in dreadlocks.
"You're doing this because you're bored?! What kind of monsters are you?!"
"The best kind." Amaimon smiled, gripping the red dreadlocks tightly , resting his free hand on the teens shoulder. "This'll be over soon." He promised as tears ran down the red heads cheeks. They stopped when a powerful jerk ridded his body of his head. The teens who were still alive screamed, most vomited at the sight. Amaimon sighed and tossed the head over his shoulder, some blood splattered on his face and clothes.
"Damn it! I wanted to kill that one!" Iblis yelled.
"There's three more you can choose from." Beelzebub said, pointing at the living teens in the corner of the cave
"Ugh, fine." Iblis stomped to the cowering teens and grabbed on with cropped black hair. "I'll kill this one." He decided. Snapping his fingers, an ember from the fire came to him and into his hand, igniting it on fire. The black haired teen shook in fear, so frightened his bladder failed on him. "Tch, pathetic human, this'll be fun." He said, gripping the teens arm with his flaming one. Instantly the teen screamed as his fleshed burned along with his muscles.
Iblis' brother and Azazel stood to the side, shaking their heads. They were the kindest of the group, Egyn not wanting to kill for no reason and Azazel was the most pacifistic of the group: the only reason he had come along was to give judgment on the teens. They were young, their sins not enough to damn them, so he permitted them passage to heaven.
The black haired teens hoodie was now engulfed in flames, his screams of anguish echoing out of the cave.
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Ryuu pulled out a beer from the bag and popped it open, taking a sip of the bitter amber liquid. Beer was good, that's all Ryuu needed to know. The forest was quiet tonight, only the hum of crickets. "That awkward moment when you realize the sound of nature is really just millions of animals, insects and birds desperately trying to get laid." Ryuu said, chortling some. The beer hadn't kicked in yet, which made Ryuu happy. "Those bastards better be happy…I fuckin' hate getting beer."
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Daichi stared in horror at the sight before him. Haru was half alive, his face smashed beyond recognition, Monto's head was now burning in the fire while his body lay in a crumpled heap in the corner. Allen's body was a twisted black mass of ash and charred skin. Steven's limbs were scattered around the cave without care. The only ones not dead were him and Ryuu, who still hadn't returned from the beer run.
"So who gets the last one?" Astaroth asked, cracking his knuckles and leering at Daichi.
"I want another go! Maybe he'll last longer!" Iblis said, raising his hand.
"No, I want him, mine ripped apart too easily." Amaimon said, looking to his older brothers.
"You got two already, Otouto, why don't you let Beelzebub have a turn?" Egyn sighed, shaking his head.
"No, I'll take too long. And my chuchi's already fed today." The orange blonde said, holding a moth demon in his hands.
"Then I'll do it." Astaroth said, stomping over to the trembling blonde. As he reached for his throat, a rock whizzed past his head, slamming against the back of the cave.
"Hey, ass-wipe, you touch him, you deal with me!" Astaroth turned to see the teen from earlier standing at the mouth of the cave, another stone in hand.
"Hey, look! A new toy." Amaimon laughed, already heading to the hooded teen. Ryuu growled and whipped the rock at the green haired teen, who simply side-stepped. Ryuu turned to the sight of the cave, feeling bile rise up. Blood was everywhere and body parts were scattered around.
"You bastards!" Ryuu growled, racing forward, fist raised to punch the Earth King. Amaimon side stepped again, making Ryuu skid across the rocky ground.
"Ryuu! Get the hell outta here! Go!" Daichi yelled.
"The fuck you talking about?! I don't leave friends behind." Ryuu yelled, throwing another punch at Amaimon. The green haired teen grabbed Ryuu's hand twisting it, causing the would be hero to fall on the ground.
"Maybe I should rip your tongue out." Amaimon said, grabbing the hood of Ryuu's hoodie. The cinnamon haired teen only growled at him while the hood was ripped from the rest of the shirt.
"Holy shit!"
"Damn!"
The demon brothers gaped at the sight before them. They expected another male teen, but what kneeled before them was a cinnamon haired female, scowling savagely.
"Got something to say you fucking assholes?!" Ryuu snapped, trying to get to her feet, but the grip Amaimon had on her wrist held her down.
"A chick?! When did that happen?!"
"Say it to my face ass-wipe!" Ryuu spat, glaring at them all.
"I thought Ryuu was a guy's name." Iblis said, scratching his head.
"It is, bitch, the doctors got my ultrasound wrong and my parents already signed that name on the certificate before the doctors told them I was a girl." Ryuu explained, though behind the words was the ever present 'go to hell' of her tone.
"Just let her go, man, just kill me!" Daichi begged, trying to sound brave and failing.
"Shut up, dude!" Ryuu snarled. Ryuu wasn't a push over and had fought for too long to be recognized as one of the guys; she wasn't going to be the damsel he saves by giving up his own life.
Azazel shook his head, walking to his baby brother. "Amaimon, let the girl go, she's not meant to die yet." He said calmly. Amaimon eyed his older brother before releasing the girl, who jumped to her feet and stomped away from him, eyeing all the men in the cave. "These three are not to die today."
Ryuu was already rushing to her friend, kneeling next to him. "You okay, man?" She asked, touching his shoulder. Daichi nodded, looking into her deep brown eyes.
"Come on! Who cares if they're not supposed to die yet! You can just send them to heaven or something." Iblis growled. Beelzebub was the closest to Ryuu and looked down at her. Her hair was mussed up and almost resembled a mullet.
"Then what to you propose we do with her, Azazel?" Egyn asked, nudging a severed thigh with his foot.
"Fuck you." Ryuu sneered.
"Well…I have a thought…" Beelzebub said, rocking on his heels.
"Oh? What is it, little brother?" Azazel asked, smiling warmly.
"Well, you know Jun's gone…" He said, looking to the ceiling. "And I do rather miss her company…"
"Ah, what a perfect idea, brother." Azazel said brightly, walking towards the two teens. "I believe we have a bargain."
"I don't gamble." Ryuu said, standing and facing Azazel, no fear showing in her features. Azazel smiled at her, looking her features over. She had fierce, almond eyes with the deepest brown he'd ever seen. Her cheek-bones were high, like a models. Her lips were full and pink, like a rose and a cute button nose dotted her face. If it wasn't for her messy hair she could easily be on the cover of a magazine.
"Oh, it's just an agreement. You and your friend will be allowed to live on one condition."
"And that is..?"
"You become our servant in Gehenna." Beelzebub spoke in.
"I don't serve anyone!" Ryuu snapped, turning to him with all the rage she could muster.
"Then I'm afraid I'd have to go against my principals and allow you to die." Azazel shrugged sadly.
"She'll do it." Daichi piped in.
"WHAT?!" Ryuu yelled, whipping around to him.
"Ryuu, you have to do it!"
"Like hell I do! Daichi I am not being anyone's servant and you know it." Ryuu said lowly, her tone dripping in cyanide.
"Good, cause I still have plans for this one." Astaroth said, putting his foot on Haru's chest. Haru made a small sigh, a sound a was giving up.
"Don't touch him!" Ryuu screamed, charging at Astaroth. Egyn stepped in her path, hands raised.
"I'm sorry, but you don't want to do that." He said evenly. Ryuu snarled at him, trying to get around the obstacle.
"Don't you fucking touch him!" She screamed. Egyn looked over his shoulder and glared at the King of Rot, who reluctantly released the teen.
"Become our servant and they can go free." Azazel said behind her, his voice the calmest out of them all. Ryuu looked back at Daichi, who was pleading silently with her. Her eyes then moved to Haru, whose one good eye stared at her. Ryuu was good at reading him, and she saw him pleading not to do it. She swallowed and screwed her eyes shut.
"Fine...I'll do it…just let them go…" She whispered, hands fisting themselves in her hair. Haru made a choked sound, his hand twitching towards her. "Get him help." She said, turning on Azazel, eyes red from holding back tears.
"You have my word that your friend will not die from this. He will live, and so will the other." The King of Spirits said; mismatched eyes warm with compassion and sympathy. Ryuu suddenly felt drained of energy, like she had run three marathons with no rest stops.
"Ryuu…" Daichi said, eyes watering. The girl turned to him, no sign of happiness on her face, but the small fire of determination in her eyes made him remember she was a fighter.
"Daichi…get Haru help…" Ryuu gave him the tiniest of smiles, "and if anyone asks I died fighting off a bear…" Daichi looked at the ground, biting his lip.
"You should leave now." Beelzebub said softly, nodding to the mouth of the cave. "Your friend will be safe." Daichi rose shakily to his feet, looking at the men around him. Astaroth stepped to the side, giving him a safe path out of the cave.
"Ryuu…"
"Go. Before I get angry again…" She said, not looking at him. Daichi opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it and walked to the opening of the stone room, leaving his female friend and half dead friend at the mercy of the demons. Ryuu sighed and untangled her fists from her hair, letting her arms fell to her sides as she walked to Haru. "Keep your promise…get him help now…" Ryuu said, kneeling next to his and placing a hand on his chest, warm from blood. Amaimon was the one who pulled out his cell phone, leaving the cave to call 911. Ryuu could hear him, making his voice shaky and his breathing erratic as he told the dispatcher he had come across a massacre in the woods, even throwing in some dry heaves. He was one damn good actor, she had to admit.
"I don't know about this, Azazel, she seems too…rough, to be a servant." Egyn said nervously, running his arm. Ryuu was a fire-cracker, and he knew how his brothers despised being stood up to.
"Relax, brother, there is still her friends." Ryuu looked at the white haired male, glaring at him. "So long as you obey us, your friends will remain unharmed."
"That wasn't part of the deal!" Ryuu roared angrily.
"My apologies for not mentioning it before hand. If you behave yourself and do not give us any trouble, your friends will be safe. Your loyalty in exchange for their safety." Azazel explained, smiling brightly. Ryuu held a deep hatred for this man already.
Amaimon came back into the cave, rubbing his throat. "The paramedics are on their way, we should go." He said, eyes closed in boredom.
"Alright, let's go." Beelzebub said, jogging out of the cave. Ryuu didn't move from her friend, gripping his shirt tightly.
"Haru, you listen to me, okay? I'll be fine, you know how I don't go down without a fight." Haru gazed up at her, had his face not been covered in blood she would be able to see his tears. "Do me a favor an' take care of Nala for me. She needs tons of attention or else she destroys everything." She gave her friend a small smile. "Don't forget about me…kay?" Haru gave a small tap to her thigh in response. "Oh, and kick Joe's ass when you're all better." Ryuu stood before Haru could make a type of response and walked to the opening of the cave. The other demons followed behind her, walking in a way so she could not escape. Beelzebub was kicking the ground when they came out, smiling warmly.
Azazel pulled out five stones from his pocket, placing them on the ground and stepping back, speaking in a language Ryuu didn't understand. As he spoke, the stones glowed an ominous purple, rattling against the dirt ground.
"I hope you'll like it at our home." Beelzebub whispered to her.
"What are you people?"
"Oh, we're demons. The Eight Demons Kings that is." He said, smiling like it was nothing and then extending his hand. "I'm Beelzebub, King of Insects." Ryuu didn't accept the hand shake, so Beelzebub let it fall. "That's Azazel, King of Spirit. Egyn, King of Water. Amaimon, King of Earth. Astaroth, King of Rot. Iblis, King of Fire. There's two more of us but they didn't want to come with. Their Kage, King of Shadows and Samael, king of time." Beelzebub leaned in close to whisper, "but Samael doesn't go by that anymore, eh prefers to be called Mephisto."
"Who was Jun?" Ryuu asked, glaring at the orange/blond boy.
"Our last servant…she laughed at Amaimon a few too many times and…well…just don't laugh at him." Beelzebub trailed off, shaking his head. "I really liked her. She was an amazing girl."
"Must have been if her name meant 'obedient'."
"What's your name mean?"
"Dragon." She said, looking away at to the stones. Lines appeared, linking the stones to one another, forming a pentagram. "And I live up to it." In front of them, Egyn stepped into the center of the pentagram, only to disappear in a flash of blue flames. Ryuu startled and fell back, tripping on a stone.
"Relax, it's just the way to get to Gehenna. It doesn't hurt at all. You'll just feel like you have a horrible sun-burn for a few minutes after you've gone through." Iblis said, stepping into the pentagram and disappearing the same as Egyn.
"Cause your demons!" She yelled, eyes wide.
"No, no! Really! It doesn't hurt. Jun used to go this way all the time, and she'd just kinda turn pink for a while." Beelzebub said, offering a hand to help her up as Astaroth disappeared in the flames.
"I told you no harm would come to you, dear Ryuu." Azazel said as Amaimon disappeared. "And I meant it." Ryuu stood up on her own and dusted herself off. "Please, ladies first." Azazel said, gesturing to the pentagram and bowing to her. Ryuu eyed the glowing star and then the dual eyed man. "Just step into the circle and think the words 'Gehenna Palace'." Ryuu stepped into the circle, looking at the ground before taking a deep breath and thinking. 'Gehenna…place..?"
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Beelzebub came through next, smiling at her brothers who were gathered in the expansive foyer of the palace. "Where is she?" He asked, looking around as Azazel appeared.
"What are you talking about? She hasn't shown up." Astaroth said.
"Then where is she?"
"The portal only brings us to Gehenna, it's impossible she's anywhere else." Azazel said, pocketing the stones.
"You did tell her to think 'Gehenna PALACE', right?" Egyn asked, eyeing his older brother.
"…you did kind of say 'palace' softly…" Beelzebub said, paling slightly.
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Ryuu opened her eyes to an expense of nothing. Just rolling deserts wherever she turned. The air was clouded in a purple/black haze, making her cough slightly. "Beelzebub?" She called, thinking of the kindest of the demons first. "Hello?" Snarling was her only response.
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"Find her!" Beelzebub yelled to the chuchi's flying over head. They obeyed their master, scattering across the sky in search of the female.
"Behemoth!" Amaimon yelled for his familiar. The round demon jumped happily to his master feet, drooling happily. Amaimon hooked the chain leash to the harness around the Hobgoblins body. "We need to find a human female." Behemoth tilted his head to the side. Amaimon reached into his jacket, pulling out Ryuu's torn off hood, offering it to Behemoth, who sniffed it. Hobgoblins were like the bloodhounds of Gehenna and it helped out a lot during a time like this. Behemoth growled and turned, already running off, trying to get the scent, Amaimon following.
Azazel looked out onto the expanse of wasteland surrounding the palace for hundreds and hundreds of miles. "We'll find her." He said, nodding in confirmation to his statement. "I cannot tell when and how, but she will be found safely." Looking over his shoulder, he addressed Egyn. "Tell Kage we require his assistance. He'll be able to locate her faster than we can." The King of Water nodded, walking to the grand staircase to locate their brother.
"Great, there goes my fun for tonight." Iblis growled lowly, stomping the ground, small plumes of smoke rising from his hands.
"Relax, brother, she will be found, and there has to be the 'training' either way." Azazel said, turning and going down the steps of the palace. The heavy air swirled around him, mixing the purples and blacks of the atmosphere. "She'll be a difficult one to train; but it will be worth it."
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Ryuu's lungs burned as she sprinted as fast as her legs would take her over the dead earth. Whatever was behind her was large, angry, and probably hungry. She had ditched the remained of her torn hoodie before she had begun running, throwing it into the air in hopes it would distract whatever was giving chase; it had only worked for a few moments before it realized it had been tricked.
The smog that hung in the air made it hard for her to see where she was going, and on more than one occasion had she slammed into a stone structure. He sides ached and her chest was heavy but she dared not stop running. "Goddess give me strength." She groaned, forcing her legs to carry her faster.
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Beelzebub looked across the wastelands of Gehenna that flew beneath him. He blinked and shielded his eyes, though there was no sun to cause a glare, only the ominous glow the sky let off. "Where could she be?" He asked allowed, petting the soft hair of the chuchi he flew on. The moth demon chattered happily at the affection and flew lower to the ground, offering its master better view of the ground.
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Behemoth was now the five times the size of an African bull elephant, Amaimon riding on his head as he gaze out onto the land. "How bothersome. We haven't even marked her as ours and she disappears. Such a hindrance." Amaimon mused, chewing his nail.
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"Kage? You in here?" Egyn asked, opening the black oak doors to his brothers room. Inside was bathed in shadows, only the light of the hallways shed any light in the room.
"Go away." Kage said from a distant corner.
"Brother, we need your help." Egyn said, not intimidated by his brother.
"For what?" Egyn saw a figure move past the window at the far end of the room.
"We have a new servant."
"A replacement for the last?"
"Yes. But she didn't come through the portal. She'd come through to another place in Gehenna. We need your help to find her." Egyn explained. There was silence in the room as the King of Water waited for a response.
"Fine. I'll help. Now leave."
"Thank you, brother." Egyn said, bowing and leaving. When he was safely out of the room he sighed in relief that he had not been killed.
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"Gyah!" Ryuu screamed as her back slammed on the ground, a searing pain in her leg from where the creature had sliced her skin. She still could not see the creature, it moved to fast and stuck to the shadows. Ryuu sat up and looked around wildly, trying to pin-point its location. "I don't have all day!" She screamed into the stillness of the purple fog. The creature cackled, something between the laugh of a hyena and the dying cough of an old man. Ryuu struggled to her feet, glaring around her, fists clenched. "Come on!"
Whatever was following her zipped past her back, tearing at the cloth of her hoodie. She threw a punch at it but missed completely. She stumbled on her bad leg, ending up on her knees as she waiting for that think to come back around.
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Amaimon jumped off Behemoths back, landing effortlessly on the cracked ground. Behemoth gurgled and shuffled around, clawing the ground to indicate this is where the scent led him. His master patted his side in praise, inspecting the ground. Yes, there was blood here, and it smelled like the girl. It was fresh, very fresh. At most it had been here for five minutes but no more than ten.
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Iblis wandered aimlessly around the grounds, looking at the beautifully withered trees that decorated the courtyard. He could hear the screech of demons far off in the distance. Some were of anger but most were of pain. Without looking behind him he smirked and tilted his head, "think we'll find her, brother?" He asked.
"I know we will. Azazel wouldn't have let us bring her here if she was to die within a few minutes." Egyn said, walking next to his twin: although they couldn't be more different. Iblis had mocha colored skin, something from their mother while Egyn had creamy peach skin. Iblis had maroon hair and Egyn had calm blue. They were as different as night and day but shared a link only twins could. Amaimon and Mephisto had nearly the same bond, but it was weaker
"I was hoping to get started with her. Little Beelzebub kept ruining my chances with the last one but this one I don't intend to give." The darker skinned one spoke up, looking to the sky.
"It's always about women with you, isn't it?"
"Is there nothing better? And don't you dare say listening to a stream or something." He growled, turning to his twin who raised his hands with a nervous laugh.
"Alright, alright, granted. We both have different likes." Egyn agreed, looking down at a puddle in his path. When his foot touched its edge, the liquid retreated from him, like they were equally charged. "I hope she's okay out there…"
"The girl is a dragon lady, she'll live."
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Ryuu was backed against the wall of the cave she was in, a stone the size of her head gripped in her hand. In front of her were three of the demons who had chased her here. They were hairless, their skin red and patched with scars. They stood on two legs which had backwards facing knees and clawed toes. They looked like the drawings of the Mexican goat sucker Chupacabra she had seen a few times with their sharp, clawed hands and spiked backs.
They hissed at her, each taking its turn edging closer to her. When she saw one move even a finger, she brandished the stone, swinging it at them with a scowl on her face. "Come on you fuck offs, I'm getting bored!" She sneered, stomping her foot forward, although in truth it was a way to get the pressure off her wounded leg. The one in the middle opened its maw and screeched at her, swiping a clawed hand at her. Ryuu stood her ground, making eye contact and putting on a dominant air. I'm fucked…
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Kage sat in the corner of his room, his face free of all emotion as he stared forward, his onyx eyes seemingly more distant than normal. He was watching her. Watching the girl. He had projected an eye on the wall of the cave, watching her movements.
So this was Jun's replacement. He thought, watching her stand up to the lesser demons. He noted that her right leg was wounded, blood seeping through her pant leg. Through another shadow, he saw his two youngest brothers nearing her location, being led by that worthless hobgoblin familiar. He made a shadow near the cave shiver, drawing their attention. Beelzebub smiled and waved his chuchi to land near the cave to wait for them.
Kage sighed and came back into his own mind, sitting up in his chair and cracking his neck. He thought this girl would be interesting to have as a servant.
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The rock slammed against the wall of the cave, chipping the stone walls. Ryuu screeched in anger, what was with today and nearly dying in caves!? Well, she was sure this was going to be the moment she died. The demons saw she was defenseless and stalking forward, jaws dripping in foamy saliva. "I'm gonna warn ya," Ryuu panted, a sick smirk on her face, "I go down and come out fighting."
She closed her eyes and raised her fists, ready to punch blindly when they attacked, but it never came. Instead she heard the agonizing squeals from the demons and the sound of liquid being spilled on the ground.
"Thank Gehenna you're safe!" Beelzebub said, running up to her as Amaimon kicked a severed head into the wall. "We need to stop meeting like this!"
"I was fine, you know." Ryuu said, shaking him off and stepping away.
"Yes, the wound on your leg shows." Amaimon said, walking over and gripping her arm tightly. "Perhaps we should get you a collar and leash?"
"You even try and I'll shove a stalactite up yer ass." Ryuu said, not trying to pull her arm away, knowing he was too strong for her to beat, and that her friends life hung in the balance. Amaimon raised a brow at her and dragged her from the cave. "The hell is that?" She asked, staring down at a happily bouncing Behemoth.
"My familiar; Behemoth. He helped me find you." Amaimon said, pushing her instead to the giant moth demon. "Get on."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." Ryuu said, crossing her arms.
"Good; because that's my familiar." Beelzebub said with a bright smile. Ryuu face-palmed and stepped up the moth, who chattered angrily. "Come down, Monō, she's a friend." Beelzebub said, jumping onto its back, offering her a hand. Ryuu glared at it before grabbing hold and jumping up. "Now hold on, he goes really high when someone new rides him." Beelzebub warned, patting Monō's head, signaling him to begin flying. Ryuu yelped when the insects feet left the ground, rising up into the sky, the wind from the moths wings causing her hair to whip around.
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"Sweet! She's safe and she's still got all her limbs!" Iblis smiled, jogging over to his two youngest brothers and the girl.
"Didn't see you out there searchin'." She said, crossing her arms.
"I'm not into long distances." Iblis said, raising his hands with a smile. Ryuu glared at him and walked alongside Beelzebub.
"We have a room here just for you, but if you ever need I have a cot in my roommthat Jun used to sleep on to get away from the others." The little demon said, leading her up a grand staircase. Ryuu gaped at it. These stairs were HUGE, she doubted the largest castle in Europe had anything close to this. "We have to go to Azazel, he has to help us mark you."
"Mark me? What the hell do you mean 'mark me'?" Ryuu snapped, turning on the young demon with the fierceness of a cobra.
"I-it's just part of being our servant, w-we just have to put our mark on you, that way no other demon can hurt you."
"I can't help but hear the 'no other demon can hurt me'." She said, picking at his words.
"It's just a spell, nothing sexual, Dragon Lady." Iblis said, catching up to them.
"Oh, you already thinking stuff like that?!" Ryuu yelled, standing to her full height and glaring at him. "You better be fuckin' glad that I'm loyal to my friends. If their lives weren't at risk I'd beat your fucking ass into the dirt." She said, her voice low and a dangerous calm, like the silence before a hurricane.
"Yeah, yeah, just walk, I wanna get this stage over with as fast as possible." Iblis said, pushing her ahead of him and down the hall. Ryuu reluctantly walked on, looking at the incredibly high ceilings of the hallway.
"We contacted our brother in Assiah, he'll be here soon."
"Assiah?"
"The human world. This is Gehenna, the demon world." Egyn explained, walking along side his twin.
"So this is like hell?"
"Yes, in a sense." The Water King said. "Although humans rarely ever are down here unless Azazel judges them to be too sinful for heaven, then their banished to the farthest corners of Gehenna to live out their sentences." Ryuu rolled her head, taking this in as they walked.
"I bet you'd be out there if Azazel hadn't stepped up, you seem like the kinda girl to hae tons of sins." Iblis smirked, nudging her side.
"Piss off." She warned.
"Get used to this freedom, cause when this spells done you won't be able to talk back much without some form of pain." Beelzebub said as Amaimon opened another set of large oak doors. Ryuu's eyebrows knitted together as they walked into the King of Spirits room. Azazel stood in the center, talking with a man in a white tuxedo.
"Ah, this is her." Azazel said, gesturing to her. The other man smiled warmly at her. He had short purple hair with a strange curl standing straight up that was lightly colored yellow and lilac.
"So you must be the replacement! How nice it is to meet you my dear." He said, bowing and offering her his hand. Ryuu stared blankly at him, trying to put everything together about this strange man. "Oh! How rude of me! I am Samael, but please, call me Mephisto." He said as though he had forgotten something important. "You must be Ryuu, I must say from what I'e heard your name suits you. Standing up to Astaroth of all people!"
"Which one?"
"Me." Astaroth growled, glaring at her from across the room.
"Ah, you mean ass-wipe." Ryuu said, her eyes dancing in delight.
"Do the damn spell already!" Astaroth roared, gripping his hair in frustration.
"We must wait for Kage, brother." Azazel said, fingers interlacing together like a priest. As he spoke, a black clad figure lumbered into the room, eyes expressionless and shiny like two onyx stones. "Ah, there we are, now everyone is here." Azazel smiled, snapping his fingers. Ryuu tilted her head to the side as a column of smoke rose from the ground, taking the shape of a type of alter. Ryuu stepped back, glaring at anything and everything. "Don't worry, this will be fast." Azazel said, unrolling a scroll on the alter and picking up a dagger.
"How long is this gonna take?" Iblis sighed, rubbing his neck.
"Relax, brother, this will be over before you know it." Azazel said, gesturing for Ryuu to come forward, which she obeyed. "If you would be so kind as to draw some blood, it must be drawn by the servant." He said, holding the dagger out to her. Ryuu snatched it from him and looked over the blade. It was shiny and see through, like it was made of a diamond. "If you are nervous, it is understandab-" Azazel shut up when she slashed her palm, clutching her hand closed and meeting his gaze. "Well then, it seems we won't have to worry you being squeamish." Azazel said, taking her hand and holding it over the age parchment. The blood from her hand dripped down onto the cracked yellow paper as Azazel moved her hand, forming a circle with the drops, and then making a triangle within the circle. "There were are." He said, releasing her hand. Ryuu took it back, only for Beelzebub to take it, depositing a few spiders on her arm.
"Oi! What the hell!" She yelled, about to swipe the insects off.
"Don't worry, they'll help." Beelzebub said as his spiders began producing silk, twirling around her wounded hand. In front of them, Azazel was mixing something in a crystal goblet, throwing it strange things that bubbled in the murky liquid. He threw in a pinch of dirt, a dried bee, a small bone, some ashes, a few drops of water, sand, a leaf and then a drop of his own blood.
"There we go, this should do it. Please; drink." He said, offering her the cup. Ryuu's noce wrinkled in disgust at both the liquid and the feeling of the spiders wrapping their thread around her hand.
"Drink it." Amaimon said firmly. Ryuu shot him a look before grabbing the cup and sniffing the liquid. It kinda smelled like whiskey…mixed with poison… She coughed slightly at the smelled and held it away from her face. Mephisto looked on, amused at this spectacle. Ryuu's chest rumbled in anger before tossing her head back and chugging the drink, some of it spilled down her chin.
It burned her throat right away and made her eyes water in pain. She coughed, trying to get the feeling out of her throat and failing. "This is always my favorite part." Iblis chuckled. Ryuu spun to him, eyes flashing anger behind the wetness of her tears before everything went black.
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I know Ryuu seems to be adjusting to everything very quickly but it's because she's a fighter. She doesn't like to show weakness and takes everything that's given to her and is not afraid of anything (well, there is one fear but we'll touch base on that later)