Hands inside his pockets, the demonic assassin strode through the hall thinking of how he'd explain himself and the situation to his superior. He scowled, not wanting to be the one to inform the Gentleman Devil of what happened and how it was his fault. Anten heard of many who displeased Satanick, some of whom even he and Daimonji slew when the Devil ordered them to take care of failures. Back when Maekami was part of the trio, he'd assist too. Though that wasn't the only issue that worried him; he was one of the Fingers, the Pinky Finger of Satanick. Such high prestige that came with the status, however humiliating it sounded because he was the Pinky, would've been lost once he told the Gentleman Devil what occurred in the Gray Garden and how he himself failed by blowing their cover far too early. Technically they weren't supposed to at all, but Lil discovered their plan before he followed her and that angel and was most likely collaborating with the Gray Garden against them. The thought she became an ally of that world was just dreadful.
That was very bad for the Devil's Kingdom, and Anten knew it was far worse than what he'd suffer. Unlike the rest of civilization, he was a cog in the machine that kept it running—a minor cog, but still one with significance since he was a Finger, an assassin Satanick himself employed to assassinate dissenters of their society's laws and rules. He was easily replaceable because the Gentleman Devil would only have to find another cog to serve that role once he'd been killed as punishment for failing. Compared to him, the Devil's Kingdom would've been greatly scandalized by Lil's testimony that her husband was still working with Warwick even after access to the Black Market World was cut off so that no other underworld would trade with it due to the black market being illegal and outlawed by GriRea. That was if anybody believed her if she did indeed inform others of the threat, and even if they didn't an investigation was going to be conducted regardless just to ensure whether she was telling the truth or not. Although Satanick could've hid the evidence, he would not have been in a position to halt the investigation because Her Majesty was the one who would've ordered for it to be carried out. The Gentleman Devil might've governed this hell for her, but she was still the Queen and in charge.
"And just where have you been, Anten?" a voice beside him asked as Anten turned to face the speaker.
"Glasses," he responded quite coldly, not saying a word more on his whereabouts for the past while.
"Going somewhere?" the Devil's estranged son inquired, curious as to why Anten was going towards his father's office. He himself was merely delivering a report of how another meeting with Mors had gone, though knew it was odd for Anten to be coming the same way. Usually the demonic assassin slunk in via shadows, and he wasn't with Daimonji to boot. "Visiting my father from this angle? I can only assume from this and your attitude that you screwed something up, but it's not my business, so I don't really care." He blew a ring of smoke from his cigarette out into the air.
"Then if you don't care, why the hell are you of all people demanding to know my business?" Anten retorted.
"Just making a casual observation based upon prior observations of individuals who have taken this very same path you're on. They too had failed some mission my father sent them on and never even left the office for that matter."
The demonic assassin merely huffed, though he couldn't suppress the irritation he felt at Glasses' words for they were quite true. He and the other two—Daimonji and Maekami—did slay some of those failures in the past, after all. "So what if I did fail, hmm? You and I both know Mr. Satanick can't very well get rid of a subordinate who's still useful and has performed marvelously well for him for decades—hell, even centuries for that matter. I'm still in the clear, kid."
"You say that," Glasses replied, "knowing he could still very well dispose of you like any other failure."
"Tch, whatever," Anten spat back, coming across as uncaring regarding whatever fate was in store for him as the pair finally reached the mahogany door leading into the Gentleman Devil's office. Opening the door and crossing over the threshold, Glasses merely stepped inside the ornately decorated office and plopped the report he was delivering on his father's desk wordlessly before leaving. Entering as well into the office, Anten straightened his tie before approaching further. The walls were covered in satin wallpaper, red and golden stripes flowing upwards and downwards from the ceiling to the floor. Landscape paintings of various spaces and regions in the Devil's Kingdom hung on the walls, old tapestries joining them in decoration of such a fancy office. A leather couch was against a wall just underneath a window peering out into the garden stories below, a large coffee table before it with a small table to the furniture's left and one display case on the other side featuring several oriental blades Satanick liked to collect and show off. Two were even held within a rack on top of the display case too. Bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk where the Gentleman Devil sat, a couple more against another wall opposite his oriental blades. "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, a bit hesitant.
"Indeed, I did," Satanick murmured and held an arm out to gesture for Anten to take a seat across from him in one of two wooden chairs made comfy by leather seats as Glasses was departing the office. Anten did so while walking forward, claiming the chair next to the one Yagi sat in. The superior demon's attention was on him as Anten believed he was glaring at him. Various office supplies lined the desk in a neat and tidy fashion, a desk lamp unlit since the lights above were already on. "From your return, I can only surmise you've either succeeded or failed the mission I assigned you." The Gentleman Devil displayed a whimsical smirk hiding the tension behind it, this tension being the decision he'd make concerning his subordinate based on how the mission to reclaim Lil went. As the Devil, he could easily order Anten's execution; Yagi even had his shotgun on him with a revolver holstered at his side, though would've shot him elsewhere so as not to ruin the office by getting blood anywhere in it. There was a door beside one of the bookcases behind Satanick, and Anten knew that was the room where all failures went to die for failing. "So, which is it, Anten: success or failure?"
Taking a deep breath, Anten knew he had no choice but to tell the truth. "Failure, she still resides in the Gray Garden," he answered, catching sight of Yagi readying his shotgun. "Though I come with valuable information, sir," he added right away, not hesitating to say it, but citing this in a calm voice because he knew Satanick would listen to him.
"Oh, and what sort of information would that be, Anten?" the Gentleman Devil said, motioning for Yagi to hold off on dragging the assassin into the other room to kill him. "What could be so valuable that you'd like to keep breathing?"
"We found out where Miss Lil's staying; she's in Gray Village, but not in Blancblack Castle which is located there. Apparently she's most likely taken up residence with some angelic girl who lives there," he explained briefly.
"And how did you come by this information?" Yagi demanded, still gripping his shotgun carefully.
"I spotted her with the angel and tailed them to a forest, unaware Miss Lil had already sensed my presence. She brought the angel with her, and together they kicked my ass. My apologies, I should've known to not underestimate her simply because she was with an angel. I believed Miss Lil would've held back instead of managing to take me on by herself and winning like she usually does as she would've focused more on protecting the angel than trying to fight me."
"And you believed wrong, Anten," Satanick spoke up to address that misguided belief his subordinate held. "You of all people know her well; you were one of the three assassins I assigned to act as her warders, remember? It shouldn't be so hard recalling that, but you followed her anyway and I presume you tried to take her singlehandedly."
Anten simply nodded. "I did, I'm sorry, but there's more to it than that. This angel—"
"Do not even think for a second that you were defeated because an angel was present too," Yagi scolded him for trying to mention the angelic girl he was speaking of. "That angel may likely know of our designs now because Miss Lil must've told her—for all we know, she's with the authorities of that world. They can work against us and could retaliate against us for sending you there to retrieve her all because you blundered and tried to harm one of the residents there."
"You don't understand, Mr. Yagi! This angel's serious business!"
"Only because you blew your cover to her," Yagi retorted to Anten's protest.
"Gentleman, please," Satanick quieted them both to prevent a pointless argument from starting between them. Turning his head, he looked at Anten expecting more from his subordinate concerning the angelic girl. "Tell us, who is this angel you speak of? Why is she, someone who may or may not be with the authorities of the Gray Garden, a big deal in your eyes? If she is, surely our concerns are validly legitimate; if not, they still are, but why is she so significant?"
"Her name's Macarona," Anten responded, calming down to finish his report of how their mission was going. "Envi and Crea learned of her from a book the girl apparently wrote. She looks like some kind of schoolgirl, though she's quite tough from what I experienced when fighting her and Miss Lil. Envi also said she helped fight against the Flame Devil, Ivlis, even going so far as to actually take him on herself. I don't know if that's true, but from what I know—"
"You believe that matter is actually true, that she did indeed fight Ivlis herself?" Satanick concluded with a rhetorical inquiry to which Anten nodded to confirm the matter as true. "Very well, I do believe it's time I got involved to look into this for myself. A mere schoolgirl like this Macarona could not possibly defeat a Devil, even if said Devil is Ivlis, so she certainly must be as strong and powerful as you say." The Gentleman Devil stood up from his desk to straighten his tie, directing his attention to Yagi. "Yagi, see to it that our luggage is prepared; it's time you and I paid a little visit to the Gray Garden to investigate this matter ourselves." Receiving a brief reply of affirmation from his Chancellor and Marshal, Satanick returned his attention to Anten now that the brief meeting was over. "You'll live for now, Anten, but I expect you to be more discreet and careful in the future. I'll even let you keep your status as my Pinky if you promise me this."
"You have my word, sir, I vow to act accordingly in accordance with your orders," Anten responded loyally.
Satanick smiled. "Good, you'll come with us to rejoin Daimonji and Anten, is that clear?"
Anten nodded. "Understood."
…
"Well, that could've gone a little better," the veteran commented after Envi and Crea left Macarona's house once their business there concluded. "I'd have said it'd have been better to not say anything at all, though it appears not much could've been done in the first place aside from locating Crea first. Of course, she shouldn't know about us either."
"Hence why I try to keep some distance between us so she won't overhear our conversations," Envi clarified, knowing there wasn't much that could've been done regarding Crea. "I accept full responsibility for the mistake, but really, what more could I do in addition to keeping my eye on her? You need to stay hidden within the shadows."
"Yes, showing myself at a moment like that would have surely contributed to jeopardizing the mission. Then again in hindsight, perhaps it would've been efficient leaving her behind under the care of somebody else she trusts."
"Maybe, though I cannot do that. I know what the faculty back at Castle Flankenstein are capable of," the goat demon said while watching the little creation frolic in the meadow where they rejoined Daimonji, ensuring he had a better watch on her this time. "Besides, there's also an unknown reason why Mr. Satanick requested her creation in addition to the doctor's care for her. Bringing her with me ensures her safety as I am following the instructions Doctor Flankenstein left behind prior to his untimely passing." He inhaled a breath of fresh air, casually sitting atop a pole on the roadside.
"Whatever the case may be, there's nothing we can do about it now," Daimonji remarked, switching gears to another topic. "Now then, what of what you told the angel regarding the other matters? You kept quiet on them, yes?"
"I merely gave a warning not to get involved, stating the reason as clearly as I could without alluding to anything in greater detail other than his involvement in things not of this existence and what and who they're dealing with. We cannot expect her to adhere, for she may become active opposition whether she informs the authorities here or not or by taking us on with them as she'd done with Miss Lil against Anten. Speaking of which, Miss Lil correctly guessed he was sent back to the Devil's Kingdom when her badgering garnered no response from me when she asked where he was."
"I see…" Daimonji murmured, evaluating how harmful it was to their objective when Envi spoke with Macarona about Crea while also mentioning that warning. "All the same, the setbacks we experienced are detrimental."
"Do you believe Mr. Satanick will make an appearance in this world for Miss Lil once he hears Anten's report?"
"I should say so, he would have to negotiate for her and clear up any suspicions we aroused due to our conduct."
"Does he have anything in mind for this world? Macarona asked if there was more to our mission," Envi stated.
"If there was at the moment for the time being, he would say so," the other demon clarified. "Mr. Satanick only discusses such information and planning with Mr. Yagi. As his personal assassins and Fingers, we're not to question or even speak of whatever notions they have in store for others. Our raison d'etre is simply to kill any and all opposition."
"I'll take that as a maybe…" the goat demon murmured, beginning to have a much clearer understanding of the work he'd be involved in as one of the Gentleman Devil's assassins. "If so, I'm not sure I'd be cut out for this work."
"That's for Mr. Satanick to decide, and you'd better hope he doesn't find you to be a hindrance to us all."
"I'll keep that in mind," Envi said, watching Crea continue to play happily in the field.
…
Seated at her desk in school, the young angel jotted down notes in her mathematics class on how to solve a problem the teacher was currently working on. The squeak of his marker against the whiteboard echoed in the classroom as he wrote the problem and went over how to solve it. It was an algebraic problem, Macarona's favorite subject of mathematics since she enjoyed solving such problems because of how intricate they were when making the students think. She would've loved more advanced mathematics courses taught in the castle, calculus being the one she looked forward to the most because she sought to delve into integral and differential branches of calculus. Problem solving of this nature could've been applied to real life too in a variety of other fields like construction, biology, and chemistry. Were she to major in specific courses like these, she would've been something of a natural in class; of course, she had some other academic interests as well and was still thinking about what she could do. The thought of being an author, a foreign ambassador or diplomat, or both came to mind because of her book and her friends in other worlds, making it an idea.
Her future career wasn't the only thing on her mind, however, for Macarona still pondered on what she had learned so far about the demonic assassins from the Devil's Kingdom. They came here for Lil, though neither she nor the demonic lady could fully trust if there were other motivations for them being in the Gray Garden or not. Even Envi was unaware despite having warned the angelic girl not to get involved in such matters prior to him leaving her house later that Sunday. Nonetheless, once he was gone and Lil had informed her that Anten reported back to her husband, the lady surmised there really might've been more to this simple mission than the assassins themselves would've known of. It was possible Satanick had plans to initiate an invasion to war against the Gray Garden, keeping these ideas a secret even from them. That was just a guess on her part because they had nothing concrete to prove it aside from their suspicions that were shared by the authorities too even though Macarona and Lil didn't inform them of the possible threat and what the latter told the former. They had yet to inform them, though discussed how they'd go about telling them what they learned.
Eventually they decided to tell them the next day. Macarona had school and couldn't attend the meeting, but Lil certainly went to the castle to update Etihw, Kcalb, and Wodahs on the affair regarding Satanick and his assassins. It had gone somewhat well from what the lady told her angelic friend later over dinner. Etihw was slightly alarmed they kept what they knew from them for a short while, though calmed herself nevertheless since Wodahs and Kcalb understood the situation. They were already looking into it as Lil and Macarona correctly deduced on their own, but couldn't go further in the investigation aside from contacting Daimonji and Envi directly. Their plan was to make the assassins stand down and wait until the Gentleman Devil arrived so they could meet and negotiate with him about how to solve the problem Lil was involved in—which they became involved in too because she came to this world and the assassins followed her. That meeting with the two assassins must've occurred sometime during Monday or Tuesday, and it was already Friday. Only a few days had passed since then, though Daimonji and Envi made no further moves in spying on Lil and Macarona. The goat demon and Crea—whom Lil also revealed to the authorities as an amalgamation of human body parts put together by Victor Flankenstein—were still welcome to go around Gray Village as they pleased to make Crea happy. Neither of them posed much of a threat even though Envi was an assassin, though it was a comfort that he wouldn't slaughter anybody regardless of whoever the individual was and what that person was like since that would've upset Crea. Of course, Daimonji still laid low for the time being and maintained his watch over the pair in case the authorities did attack them; that was understandable which was why he was allowed to do that unopposed. The guards still observed their movements as a precaution, though didn't act either because there was no threat from them—at least not yet anyway.
A tranquil air most of the population didn't know was absent for a time returned. Although they did know about Lil and the issues she was dealing with while being aware that the problems now involved the Gray Garden, many did not seem to know Satanick's assassins were in their world to begin with. Only very few, mainly the authorities and Macarona and Lil, were aware. They recognized what was likely an imminent threat being posed by the Gentleman Devil and the Devil's Kingdom, for many demons there would've supported their Devil even if they didn't know why he wanted to wage war against this world. All they would've likely cared about according to Lil and Kcalb was their greed, their desires for more wealth and power bearing fruit in the acquisition of land in this world—the entirety of the Gray Garden. They were not the only foes they had to worry about since Satanick's service to Warwick made the Black Market World a threat too. If they got their hands on this world, the Gray Garden surely would've been used for whatever purposes relevant to the black market that the two Devils would've thought of as it would've become a platform for their goals.
Comprehending that wasn't too difficult. Warwick's black market was outlawed by GriRea in all of the hells, yet Satanick maintained a secret chapter in the Devil's Kingdom just as other demons involved in the black market could have kept it alive in other underworlds. Uniting the various black markets in however many underworlds required much planning and patience, for the demons working within it would've done anything to prepare themselves for it. There could've been a rebellion in the underworlds, a revolution seeking to replant it as a legal means of business to improve the economy. Opponents, including Devils and Her Majesty herself, could've been assassinated to make that job easier. Underworlds were not the only front against them, however, for Warwick did have an agent on the Heavenly Council who spied on the other deities while providing divine aid. Capturing other heavens this way and seizing the Gray Garden were just additional objectives in acquiring more fronts to increase the scope of rebellion, its range, and resources too.
Unfortunately, hardly any solid, concrete evidence existed to prove such a notion true. Only oral testimonies made the suspicion real, though words alone were not enough. They wouldn't have brought much action, just official investigations into matters that would've been hidden by disposing of any and all evidence and tying up loose ends. What a conspiracy that made, however difficult it may have been to prove it as a legitimate threat against all of the worlds.
In any case, Macarona tried to push these concerns aside for the time being so she could focus on schoolwork. She was doing rather well copying down the methods and solutions written on the board and applying them to other problems that were similar. Different problems required a different strategy, though the young angel found it simple enough to utilize parts of methods for other problems when solving these. Macarona approached each problem with no worries, doing her best on her own and helping other students by her whenever they asked her for help which was okay because the teacher allowed them to help each other. Time passed at an average pace, and everybody including her were not concerned with anything that could've happened because they didn't expect anything to happen despite readying themselves inside for something unexpected. Everybody had experience preparing for unexpected complications due to the conflicts they got into against the Land of the Sun and Hastur, plus other incidents like the Project Dynol Peiriant Conspiracy and the Doppelganger Murders were still fresh in their minds even though those incidents happened a while ago. Still, it was an important lesson taken to heart by everybody even as they believed nothing too bad would happen right away because even horrible things like invasions took time to plan out, so they had time to defend themselves and others they cared about from such a catastrophe. Nonetheless, they knew and expected small things would happen.
"Macarona?" Principal Lesley called out to her just as the class was finishing up with their mathematics work.
"Yes?" the young angel responded politely, wondering why the principal wanted to see her. "What it is?"
"Someone's here to see you," he explained as she began to pack her things up for the next class she'd attend following whatever business was in store for her since Lesley's arrival in the class indicated that. "They say they know you, but I've never seen anybody like them," the demonic principal went on while she followed him into the corridor and towards the teacher's lounge where his office was. "They also mentioned they know Miss Lil too, so I think they're associates of hers. Since they're requesting to see you, I thought you might know of them too." Based on that remark, Macarona supposed it was Envi and Crea, guessing they were now seeking a tour of the school to satisfy Crea's curiosity.
She couldn't have been more wrong upon finding out whom it really was after she'd been escorted to the principal's office where she was surprised to find two men she'd never seen before in all her life. They were demons, one with pale white skin and purple horns that had curled prongs right at the very tip of them which went well with the indigo color of his eyes. He wore a black suit covering a white dress shirt, and a crimson bow of Victorian make attired his collar. Wing like appendages flowed from his black and red cape, the color scheme being very similar to his oxfords while his white gloves went with the shirt. His brown dress jacket hung over the chair he sat in. His compatriot, though similarly dressed in a suit that had a red, fluffy collar at the top, the same color as his cufflinks, was…odd. Mostly it was due to the gas mask covering his whole face, a radiation symbol Macarona was familiar with from her studies in Lowrie's alchemic chemistry course making it seem like he was a nuclear scientist. Although the young angel would've wrote them off as being simple tourists to Gray Village since they weren't from around her, the fact they knew Lil and that the demon with the gas mask was a goat demon indicated that wasn't the case. She knew of two goat demons, one of whom was Envi; the other was Yagi, whom she heard about from Lil. Macarona supposed this goat demon was him, making the other Satanick, the Gentleman Devil. Macarona didn't need to guess why they were here, for she already knew the motive.
"Here she is, gentleman," Principle Lesley told them while presenting the angelic girl before sauntering behind his desk to sit down. Gesturing for Macarona to take the other chair since the goat demon evidently wasn't going to seat himself as he rejected the principal's offer to take it, Lesley cast a glance at him to see if Yagi would sit now. There was a wooden bench available for him if he so choose to sit down too, but the goat demon still refused to claim a seat. His eyes were solely on Macarona, his crossed arms suggesting he was handling this in a professional manner, if somewhat strict and cold when doing so. It was not much of a disturbance, so Lesley began the meeting right away. "This is Macarona, one of our brightest students and—I should also add—a great heroine in our world for somebody as young as her. Is there something you want from her, Mr.—sorry, what did you say your name was, again?" he inquired, forgetting they hadn't provided their identities before which was why he was checking for some confirmation on that from the two demons.
"I didn't give it," Satanick reminded him, "but apologies for my rudeness. I've no business with you, sir; I'm merely here to see the angel you've brought as I requested." Turning to Macarona, he made eye contact with her and began to speak up now that he was addressing said angel. "So, you are the angel known as Macarona in this world?"
Macarona nodded, cautiously walking forward, thinking about what she'd say and how she'd say it. If she was correct and this was the Gentleman Devil, she'd have to guard her words carefully and say them in a manner in which they wouldn't come across as misconstrued. That would have most likely offended him and the goat demon. "Yes, my name is Macarona, gentleman. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said, offering to shake hands with him.
"The pleasure is all mine, Macarona, I have heard great things about you," the Gentleman Devil responded in a cool tone, also guarding his own words in a diplomatic fashion. "The people of this world say you took down a Devil and stopped a conspiracy." Holding a book he'd been holding in his other hand up, he revealed it was a copy of hers. "An intriguing read so far, if I do say so myself. But that is only for the first several pages I glossed over while waiting for your arrival. Still, I do believe it may turn out well since you've begun with a strong start, so kudos for having me hooked."
"Thank you, sir," Macarona replied, having seated herself while he was talking. "Seems like you already know me, though I've yet to ask you gentleman for your names. If I may be so bold, might I inquire as to who you are?"
The Gentleman Devil held up a hand, shutting his eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?"
"Pardon, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean, sir," she said honestly, though thought it had to do with Lil. Even so, she didn't voice this notion because she still wasn't entirely sure these guys were Satanick and Yagi and had come for the former's wife. "If you could be so kind as to elaborate, I can better comprehend what you're getting at."
"Young lady, do not exaggerate your ignorance. I know you know what I'm talking about, though perhaps you do believe otherwise because you haven't received all the details from us. Allow me to put forth one that shall enlighten you: we both know the same lady, Lil. That should simplify things, does it not?" he inquired rather…ominously.
"It narrows any ideas I might have about who you are down, yes," Macarona answered, aware the principal was watching this meeting with confused suspicion. Lesley still didn't know who these demons were, yet he too was now beginning to wonder what their intentions were and why they sought out the young angel. "You are associates of her, correct? People she knows you from her underworld or another one she's been too, right? Is that a correct assumption?"
"On the right track, of course, Macarona, we are indeed from her underworld," Satanick responded and then leaned forward suspiciously, almost as if he were going to deliver a threat to her. "Care to guess which one we're from?"
"Well, I've been to one before—two if counting the Flower World," the young angel said.
"But we're not counting the Flower World, are we? We're specifically referring to hells alone, not worlds that have fallen under complete control of the underworlds within them. In that case, you've only been to one, but not mine." The Gentleman Devil's remark demonstrated that he knew she never once visited the Devil's Kingdom because he would've heard about it. It was unusual and almost unheard of for angels from the Corporate Heaven to travel down there unless for negotiations and business; rarer still were foreign angels not from the Corporate Heaven. Whatever the case, Satanick would've been perfectly well aware of their presence in his hell because word traveled fast and he could sense their presence too. "And yet you've somehow met Lil and became an associate of hers. I don't care where exactly since that is not important. What is significant, however, is what she told you concerning us, so do not play ignorant."
"She's spoken to me of several demons from her underworld, the Devil's Kingdom, including its Devil."
"And she's given you the name of that Devil." It wasn't a question; it was a declarative statement he made.
"Yes, she said his name's Satanick and that he's her husband," Macarona confirmed that for him, beginning to realize she was talking to Satanick himself. Why he drew this matter out with a lengthy discussion as his introduction was beyond her, though the angel supposed it had to do with setting the stage for when he would reveal himself properly.
"Her 'dipshit husband' in her words," the Gentleman Devil said, raising a hand to politely silence Principal Lesley when he was about to speak up with a request to not swear in front of a kid with the only exception being for referring to underworlds as hells. "She certainly has a way with words and expresses herself quite honestly, if rather uncouth in her mannerisms of speaking. Why, it must be due to her upbringing in a lower class neighborhood where crime ran rampant and wasn't shunned or prevented by the municipal government because it relied on criminal thugs to suppress its population and encourage all sorts of crime and greed. Corrupt, so to speak, but a reliable means of order nonetheless because it was successful due to how civilization shaped the demons, their lives, and their culture as well."
Macarona frowned, having a bad feeling about this since her suspicions were proving to be correct. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Satanick parroted that one, lone word from her.
"Well, in the perspective of whoever runs that society and determines its course of action it would. To another civilization that would be uncouth itself, a blight in their eyes because of the harm being done to the people living there," Macarona clarified, retaining a middle ground in this conversation by putting forth two different perspectives of what this material would come across as on national and international scales. "Granted, I phrased that bluntly and apologize for it."
"No offense was perceived, for none was intended or even present unintentionally, Macarona," he assured her. "Your statement, while blunt and a bit crude if I may say, accurately describes the matter perfectly. Though there is an additional concern, one you have not voiced yet with an inquiry into something else I had just mentioned now which can lead me to suspect you do indeed know more about what I'm speaking of than you are currently letting on, Macarona."
"With all due respect, sir, I could say the same of you; though permit me to ask what that concern is."
"How I know Lil grew up in a poor neighborhood defined by its lower class citizens and crime," Satanick said in response to her statement, granting her permission to know that by reminding her of it. "But yes, you are right that I too keep things close to the chest and am doing so now while we are discussing Lil. You might say this was a test of how much you understood whatever she informed you of so far, or you can say I'm giving context for the introduction."
"I could also say it is both," the young angel commented, hands folded across her lap. "Are you going to state your names now, or are we going to continue having this discourse on the subject of Lil furthermore. I apologize if I'm coming across as getting impatient, though I do believe we've reached a point where you both can introduce yourselves."
"Quite right, Macarona, though I've no need of speaking my name as you already know it. How about you demonstrate your intuition and deductions like you have for the Project Dynol Peiriant conspiracy? Lady's first, okay?"
Macarona steeled herself, feeling there was no other way to progress the conversation. The Gentleman Devil already demonstrated how well he knew of her, most likely from what he heard about her from his assassins. Simply entertaining his request now after a chat on Lil and the Devil's Kingdom was a tactic he employed. She knew he was Satanick and that his associate here was most likely Yagi, but pretending to be ignorant any longer would've been a detrimental hindrance to her because she discovered he was leading her to this moment. He knew she knew and had wanted her to speak their names rather than give them themselves. She had to admit he was good at speaking because of how skillfully he drew her into this trap—words helped make him a dangerous threat. Macarona took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say now that she was caught. "Very well, if that is what you wish, gentleman, I shall no longer beat around the bush now that you have brought it to a halt." Narrowing her eyes, the young angel was strengthening her conviction and came out with their names. "You are Satanick, the Gentleman Devil, and I presume your colleague is your Chancellor and Marshal, Yagi—if he would be so kind as to confirm that." Saying so, she cast a glance at him to check if her latter guess was correct as an uncomfortable silence fell upon the room and its occupants.
Satanick's most trusted subordinate simply nodded. "You are correct," he said from within his gas mask. It was the first time he spoke, and his words only added to the chill engulfing all of them. Of the four, only Principal Lesley appeared disturbed by this revelation and it worried him more that the other three were not even remotely concerned with what had been reached. He was about to speak up and politely demand to know what was going on when the sight of Yagi reaching into the folds of his jacket for a revolver which he purposely showed to him and Macarona silenced him. "If you know what's good for you, you'd hold your tongue," he addressed the principal in a threatening tone of voice. "You've already fulfilled your role as Mr. Satanick requested, now sit down and be good if you want an intact skull."
"N-now, just hold on a minute—" Lesley spoke up nervously, but was quieted when Macarona raised a hand.
"It is quite alright, sir, I can handle this and have it under control. They shall not kill anyone today, they are in no position to," she stated calmly, not wanting Yagi to use the gun against them while realizing he couldn't use it. Her demeanor impressed Satanick as he smirked, holding up his own hand to order his subordinate to not fire his revolver.
"True, you are correct, we aren't in a suitable position to spill blood. This is a high school, after all, and we're not even at war for that matter. Killing anybody here would set off alarms and red flags, initiating a war between our fair, respective civilizations," he explained while Yagi put the weapon back into his pocket. "An itchy trigger finger does nobody any good, regardless of which party they belong to. My apologies for the threat he just issued; he is cautious."
"With all due respect, Mr. Satanick, I don't believe a threat can be considered caution," Macarona disagreed.
"Quite right, indeed, it is jumping the gun if you'll pardon the pun and the rhyme as well," the Gentleman Devil uttered folding his hands together and getting right down to business. "So, now that we're all on the same page, I'd like to put forth my offering, Macarona. You let Lil know that she is to return to the Devil's Kingdom with me; we shall depart as well with the assassins and your world shall hear no more from us. We shall not bother the Gray Garden any further."
Macarona frowned grimly, having anticipated the bargain he wanted to make with her. "I can tell her you're here, though I know she'll refuse to return to the Devil's Kingdom. Besides, shouldn't you be discussing this with Miss Etihw and Mr. Kcalb?" she stated, wondering why he brought it up with her instead of them. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't; perhaps he had come to see her first because he knew Lil was staying with her rather than at Blancblack Castle.
"I should, yes, though Lil's with you which is why I sought you out instead," Satanick responded, confirming her thought. "Your leaders do not need to know about my presence in your world because it would be trouble to them. I'd much rather avoid being a bother to them when tensions are already high between us as a result of the demons I already sent here being discovered. That implies I'm here for Lil and also suggests I might want to invade the Gray Garden."
"Do you?" Macarona asked before she was startled by a shadowy arm that shot out of his jacket to seize her throat. The assault was unexpected, and it also shocked Principal Lesley too because this attack was considered to be both a threat and a brazen attempt to harm or kill Macarona. He would've done something to save her had Yagi not pulled his revolver out of his jacket again with lightning speed, pointing the weapon at him to keep Lesley where he was, but not firing upon him yet. Struggling to breathe as she was hoisted up, Macarona's eyelids trembled as she opened them.
"My, my, what a bold accusation, Macarona. And here I thought we could settle this peacefully," Satanick commented, the smirk never leaving his face. "I suggest you stay out of business that does not concern you. We have come before you as a gesture of goodwill with a fair proposition, and here you are now citing suspicions and accusations that have no basis or evidence to prove them. We do not appreciate that, but we can overlook this if you consider our offer and fulfill it without question or trouble. I needn't elaborate or clarify what shall happen if you don't by refusing." The shadowy arm dropped the young angel back into her seat as he stood to leave with Yagi while grabbing his jacket off the chair. "We must be going now, I do believe a visit to your leaders is in order anyway in case my not doing so comes across as…offensive while increasing those tensions I have cited. I do wish you a good day, Macarona, and a job well done on the book for which you have my compliments on." Saying so, he and the goat-like ram demon walked out with Yagi pocketing his revolver once again. Thankfully he did not have an itchy trigger finger; if he did, it had been nulled.
"My god; Macarona, are you alright?!" Principal Lesley asked in concern as he helped the young angel stand.
She breathed deeply, recovering from the severe grip Satanick had over her while watching the door he and Yagi walked out of on their way out. "I'm fine, sir," she murmured, feeling her throat to see how much it hurt. "I'm quite alright, all things considered." Her eyes were narrow, and she had difficulty believing that meeting was anything but cordial because of the direction it went in and how things escalated quickly when she asked if he planned on invading the Gray Garden. Macarona may have had doubts that he would, but her beliefs were now slowly becoming conviction.
…
A rather foreboding meeting between Macarona and Satanick, eh? Now that the Gentleman Devil himself has stepped into the fold, tensions are about to become a bit more intense. Apologies if you were expecting him and Macarona to come out and talk about what to do with Lil right away. I meant for it to be drawn out.
Earlier in this chapter I alluded to calculus which is the study of change and features two disciplines of the subject which help explain it. I'm sure some of you may not like math—believe me, I don't either—though here's a bit of information on it and algebra. Calculus is believed to have been defined by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (July 1, 1646 – November 14, 1716), a German philosopher and polymath (an individual with expertise in numerous subjects and fields), and Isaac Newton (December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1726/1727), an English mathematician and physicist of the Scientific Revolution. It's more advanced than algebra and is utilized to solve problems in fields of engineering, economics, and science. The subfield of differential calculus is concerned with the rates at which quantities defined by calculus can change while integral calculus is the assignment of numbers to functions in a manner in which they can explain various concepts which emerge from uniting infinitesimal data. As for algebra, it basically unifies other branches of mathematics because it is the study of symbols and rules that define how symbols are utilized and manipulated. It was a product of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780 – c. 850), a Persian astronomer, geographer, and mathematician of Baghdad's House of Wisdom within the Abbasid Caliphate; and Omar Khayyam (May 18, 1048 – December 4, 1131), another Persian who delved into poetry and philosophy in addition to mathematics and astronomy during the Medieval Period. If you're interested in learning more about these scholars and these two fields of mathematics, feel free to check Wikipedia.
Edit: Sorry I forget to mention this before, but I do not advocate for using or bringing guns into schools. It is highly dangerous and I seriously encourage people to think about what they're doing and consequences of their actions if they were to use and/or bring guns to schools or even think about it. These are things that should not be brought into schools because they're dangerous weapons and the people wielding them could harm others for whatever reason. The only reason why Yagi's using one in this chapter is because that's part of his non-canon character I've established in this story and the secret chapter of Atonement. He has it since he's Satanick's second-in-command and will resort to such force in order to make others follow whatever rules Satanick has laid out. It also goes with the character of the Devil's Kingdom and what that hell's like from a non-canon perspective.