Lucifer and Diavolo stood out on one of the balconies of the Demon Lord's Castle, looking out at the starry sky reflecting in a lake below. Diavolo was still laughing slightly to himself, coming down off the excitement he'd felt during the pillow war. Lucifer did not share his excitement, sighing forlornly to himself as he stared off into the distance. Upon seeing his companions lackluster attitude, Diavolo turned to him, smiling while shaking his head and laughing again. This seemed to annoy Lucifer, who turned to the Demon Prince.

"Is there something amusing about hearing me sigh?" he questioned.

"Not at all," Diavolo replied, his smile never waning. "I was just thinking about how much fun you seemed to be having with the pillow war. Compared to your usual melancholy, such a fun-loving side is quite a surprise."

"I wasn't having fun, Diavolo. I was punishing them for what they did."

"Are you sure?" Diavolo teased, gently ribbing Lucifer. "Because it seemed like you were enjoying the entire experience quite a bit."

"If I'd enjoyed it, I wouldn't be sighing right now, would I?"

Diavolo shook his head.

"That's not what's bothering you, is it?" He crossed his arms, cracking a smirk. "Tell me, Lucifer, what's the real reason for your melancholy."

Lucifer was silent at first, pointedly looking away and leaning on the banister. Diavolo placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Lucifer, it's just you and me now. Everyone else was completely wiped out from that frenzied battle. They're all fast asleep. Come on, you can tell me. What's the harm?"

After a moment, Lucifer sighed and turned to him.

"As if you need to ask. You already know the answer, and you've known for a good, long time now."

Diavolo's face grew serious and he crossed his arms, leaning on the banister himself.

"So… it's about Belle, isn't it."

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "Asmo is already the fourth of my brothers to make a pact with Belle."

Diavolo's smile returned and he laughed a bit.

"I see. You've spent so long watching over and caring for them, and now that it seems like they're all grown up and don't need you anymore. You're starting to panic."

Lucifer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You seem to find my distress awfully amusing."

"Sorry, but I can't help it. Seeing how genuinely troubled you seem to be over this, I mean come on." His face fell and his hand returned to Lucifer's shoulder. "This is a good thing, right? Demons and a human putting aside their differences and forming a bond? It's exactly what I've been hoping would happen. Can't you be happy for them?"

"No, I can't," Lucifer replied, shaking his head as he lowered his hand. "This is one case where I can't simply put aside my concerns and be happy." He straightened up, turning to face Diavolo. "Of all the humans to choose as an exchange student, why did you have to pick her?"

"What do you have against Belle? She's been an exceptional student and has been fitting in well."

"I just..." Lucifer groaned, turning away. "The longer she's here, the more uneasy I feel. She's up to something… I just don't know what."

I was watching this entire exchange from the doorframe, then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, turning to see Barbatos standing there.

"It's bad form to eavesdrop on others," he admonished quietly. "I certainly can't say I approve, Satan."

My point of view shifted, showing Satan crouched behind the door. He straightened up, facing Barbatos. He looked more annoyed and angry about being caught than anything.

"What about you?" he accused. "What are you doing here, Barbatos?"

"It's my job to stay close to Lord Diavolo, so that I may better serve him," the demonic butler replied casually.

"Then I'm guessing you heard what they were saying, didn't you?"

"Indeed I did," Barbatos nodded.

"Then what do you make of all this? Why do you think Belle was chosen for the exchange program? I mean, you have to admit that there's more to this." Satan spread his arms a bit, his annoyance only growing. "An average human suddenly dropped down into the Devildom, and not only manages to make pacts with four demons, but somehow possesses even more power than- than Solomon?! No one should be that good." He was growing a bit more desperate, his hand movements becoming somewhat more frenzied. "Not to mention, the demons she's got under her heel aren't just some lower-tier demons either. Every one of them are Avatars, representations of sins, members of the student council! And you expect us to believe that it was just an accident that Belle was selected for the exchange program? No way. There has to be more to it! There has to be!"

"Who knows?" Barbatos shrugged, noncommittally. "The only thing I can say is this: Even if it wasn't part of Lord Diavolo's plan, perhaps this wasn't an accident but an inevitability?"

Satan blinked, then just looked at Barbatos in confusion.

"What's that supposed to-?"

"Tomorrow is the last day of the retreat," Barbatos interjected, taking Satan by the shoulder and escorting him off. "I recommend you go ahead and get to bed, Satan."

Satan looked like he wanted to argue, but could tell it was an exercise in futility. Thus, he kept his mouth shut and just let himself be ushered away. I remained where I was, turning back to Lucifer and Diavolo. When I spoke, it was in a voice that was not my own.

"An inevitability indeed. One long overdue..."

…

I sat up in bed, blinking and looking around for a moment. For a brief moment, I didn't recognize where I was, until I remembered I had crashed in Solomon's room in the wake of the pillow fight. The room was currently vacant, but I could see a small pile of folded clothes sitting on a nearby chair, as well as my toiletries bag, and a note in rather beautiful handwriting.

"I picked up some of your things from your room so you could get ready in private. There's a spell on the door to keep anyone (read Mammon) from attempting to disturb you. Once you are ready, come join me in the kitchen. We are in charge of food today, and I would hate to disappoint our hosts. - Solomon."

I set down the note and picked up my clothes, getting dressed as I mulled over my dream. Considering I rarely remembered my dreams, if I did at all, and never in such detail, I had my suspicions that what I saw actually happened. That meant someone had shown it to me, but who? I didn't recognize the voice, though it was clearly a woman. Who was she? Why did she show me that, and what did she mean by "Long overdue"? These questions continued going through my head as I made my way down to the kitchen.

…

Here are some interesting facts about Solomon, just in case you were curious. First off, he's one of the most powerful sorcerers of the modern age. Second, he's made pacts with 72 different demons, including Asmodeus and Barbatos himself. Third, I'm almost certain that he is the biblical King Solomon the Wise, though I have yet to find any hard proof of this aside from the fact that he is clearly older than he looks. Finally, despite all his power, all his knowledge, and his supposed longevity, he is a completely and utterly HORRIBLE cook.

When we were cooking, I can't really say what he decided to make. It was some sort of weird stew that was, I kid you not, purple. It had various bits and pieces bobbing in the slurry, and was giving off a putrid green smoke. Upon seeing this clearly inedible matter, I made sure to double up on my own recipes. While I was nowhere near a professional chef, I at least knew enough that my food was edible. I stuck with dishes I knew I could make easily and that I knew I liked, figuring the inedible slurry would not be touched.

As we emerged from the kitchen, everyone was gathered around the main dining table. Almost everyone looked beyond exhausted, bags under their eyes, rumbled clothes that were haphazardly put on, and Luke was flat out asleep on Simeon's shoulder. The taller angel seemed to laugh a bit as he adjusted his tunic.

"It would seem no one got enough sleep last night," he remarked.

"Well, the pillow war continued right up until dawn," Solomon replied.

"Wait, did you actually go back?" I questioned.

"I certainly wasn't going to miss out on the fun. Once you were safely out of harm's way, I elected to remain and enjoy myself."

"About the only one who's not affected is Beel," Levi grumbled, leaning on the table. "It's not fair..."

"I'm okay," Beel insisted. "Lack of sleep is nothing compared to being hungry. Hunger is worse."

Off to the side, Asmo was looking at himself in a compact mirror, sighing to himself as he gently caressed his cheek. He then snapped the mirror shut and turned to Mammon with a sad, pitiful frown.

"Look what you did, Mammon. I didn't get enough sleep, and now my skin is in terrible shape today."

"How is it my fault?" Mammon snapped irritably. "You're the one who wouldn't keep their hands off Belle!"

"Again with this?" I groaned. "Mammon, you don't get to dictate who touches me and who doesn't. The only one who gets to decide that is me, got it?"

"Exactly," Asmo declared with a nod. "I swear, you're such an idiot that even when you get jealous, it's about something so stupid! I mean, if you want to get lovey-dovey with Belle, just ask her. The worst she can do is say no. Then again, considering what a scummy demon you are, the answer probably will be no, especially when she has someone like me to cuddle with."

I rolled my eyes as Solomon and I began setting out the food. By this point, Mammon was as red as a tornado, sputtering like mad.

"Wh- Hey! C-C'mon, as if I'd ever get lovey-dovey with a human! The odor would rub off on me and then I'd smell like a human."

"Frankly, that would be an improvement," I deadpanned.

That got a collection of "oohs" from everyone, and a "Ouch! Burn Mammon! Lolol!" from Levi. Mammon growled and sank into his chair, trying to disappear into the cushion. At that moment, Barbatos appeared, looking untouched by the ravages of sleeplessness.

"Good morning everyone," Barbatos greeted before seemingly catching himself. "Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose it would be more appropriate to say 'good afternoon', given it is nearly 1 PM."

"Is that sarcasm I hear?" Satan questioned before just shaking his head. "Anyways, where's Lord Diavolo? I would have thought he'd be first in line for Human Realm food."

"He's still asleep," Barbatos replied. "He and Lucifer stayed up talking well after the rest of you fell asleep."

He gave Satan a pointed look, the wrathful demon actually looking away. I actually stopped what I was doing as my dream was confirmed to have actually happened. This revelation actually threw me off, until Beel spoke up.

"Can we get to the part where we eat now?" he questioned, his stomach growling ominously. "I'm hungry..."

"Ah, yes," Barbatos replied, smiling warmly. "Brunch is ready and waiting, prepared especially by Isabella and Solomon themselves."

"I merely lended a hand here and there," Solomon said with a humble smile. "Belle did most of the cooking."

"Thank God..." I muttered under my breath as I eyed the horrible looking stew.

"Alright!" Beel cheered. "Let's dig in!"

…

By the end of the meal, off of my food had been utterly demolished. Part of me wondered if that was because it was actually good, or because it was at least edible. Unfortunately for everyone, they all tried a bite of Solomon's "food", and were instantly sick. Even Beel, BEEL, turned up his nose at the stuff, not that I blamed him. Shockingly, Solomon was able to eat his own cooking without so much as a grimace. The best I could figure was that after years of his own cooking, he'd utterly massacred his taste buds.

I managed to avoid such a fate, citing an allergy to bell peppers, which I could see occasionally bobbing in the horrid sludge. Asmo also turned down the food, giving an excuse about watching his figure. Given that he's in a pact with Solomon, I can assume that he was already well aware of Solomon's inability to cook. Considering Barbatos was the same way, me being assigned the cooking duties suddenly made much more sense.

...

Not long after the meal, the retreat came to an end, and we all made our way back home. Returning to the House of Lamentations was no small relief, and I was looking forward to seeing Belphie again. I wanted to tell him about my pact with Asmo, as well as my strange dream. I was so lost in thought that I actually jumped when Mammon dropped his suitcase and spread his arms out wide in a stretch.

"Yep!" he cheered as he came out of the stretch, clapping his hands together. "There's really no place like home! Ain't that right, Belle?"

"After the insanity of that retreat, the House of Lamentation does seem almost like a haven," I admitted. "It's good to be back."

"Tell me about it." Mammon put his hands behind his head, smiling wistfully. "I've walked through these halls half a million times, but after bein' away all this time, I really missed this place."

"Don't be so dramatic," Satan grumbled, making his way inside while pushing past Mammon. "We were gone for three days, that's it."

"Only?" Levi repeated, dragging his massive suitcase inside. "Satan, did you really just say we were only away for three days? I'll have you know that I have 36 Ruri-chan figurines, and they're more important to me than life itself! But they wouldn't all fit in my luggage, so I had to leave half of them behind! Eighteen of my figurines, abandoned! Left alone in the House of Lamentation..."

"Levi-" Satan tried to speak, only for Levi to cut him off and jab a finger into his younger brother's chest.

"Do you know what it was like, being away from Ruri-chan? Imagine if someone ripped off your arms and legs, chopped them into tiny pieces, then put the tiny pieces into a wooden pestle and ground them into a fine paste, then kneaded the paste, shaped it into patties, and grilled them up!" I don't think he breathed at all during that little rant, and the image made me shudder. "THAT'S how it felt! And yet here you are, telling me it was only three days! I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't be so dismissive!"

"Whoa," Asmo remarked as he entered, seeing the living Levi still in Satan's face. "Look how serious Levi is! He's honestly mad right now!"

"I reiterate what I said a while ago," I said as I sat down on top of my own suitcase. "He's a full blown hikikomori."

Satan slapped Levi's finger away, growling in rage before grabbing his suitcase again.

"There aren't words to describe how much I can't stand you guys..." he snarled.

"Did someone say patties?" Beel questioned as he walked in. "Are we having cheeseburgers? Because I want one now."

That seemed to be the last straw for Satan, who stalked off up the stairs towards his room. After a minute, he slammed his door so hard that the entire house shook, and a portrait fell off the wall. Beel quickly caught it, putting it back on the wall.

"I'm surprised you're hungry, Beel," I commented. "You ate most of the food I made, and then froze when you ate Solomon's."

Beel actually froze again, everyone else shuddering.

"I tried to warn you all," Asmo spoke up. "I mean, his stuff didn't even look like food! Why would you eat something that looked like that?!"

"I will admit, it looked just as toxic as it tasted," Mammon groaned.

"Why don't we change the subject," Asmo insisted. "Who wants to talk about Solomon and his horrible cooking when we can discuss how fruitful the trip was, especially for me."

"Ugh..." Levi groaned, flopping onto his suitcase.. "Here we go again. Time to listen to Asmo go on and on about himself and all the wonderful things that happened to him again. So annoying..."

"But think about it though," Asmo insisted. "This is me we're talking about. Me! Making a pact! With a human! Who isn't Solomon! I mean, can you believe it?!" He sighed, twirling and hugging himself as he smiled, caressing his pact bracelet lovingly. "It's been so long since I've felt this way… you know, that amazing feeling you get when you really connect with someone."

"Gluh… Mammon gagged. "Stop making it sound so creepy!"

"I didn't think it sounded creepy," I piped up. "I mean, these pacts serve as connectors sorts."

"If that's the case, then you and I have a connection as well! As does Levi, and Beel!"

"So don't go getting any ideas into that head of yours," Levi chimed in, mimicking Mammon in a rather unflattering way, complete with a hand puppet and funny faces. "Belle doesn't belong to you!"

I actually laughed at that impression, as did Asmo and Beel. Mammon growled in annoyance, sputtering in anger before just grabbing his suitcase and heading off. Levi and Beel took this as their cue to leave as well, heading to unpack. I went to do the same, heading for my room. Asmo came up behind me, his teasing tone fading to something a bit more serious.

"I'm curious though, Belle," he spoke up as we reached my room. "Why is it that you want to make pacts with us, anyway?"

"Honestly?" I replied, opening the door. "I want to earn Lucifer's respect."

"Really?" Asmo questioned, leaving his suitcases out in the hall as he followed me into my room. "Is that all? My, you certainly are an interesting one."

I gave a shrug as I began unpacking. Asmo came and joined me, taking my clothes and beginning to fold them neatly and intricately.

"Why exactly are you seeking Lucifer's respect? What is the point of this venture?"

"An excellent question, Asmo," Lucifer's voice called from my doorway. "What is the point of that?"

I tensed hard, gripping the shirt in my hand so hard I nearly tore it. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I'm pretty sure I was sweating. Taking a breath, I turned to face the eldest demon. He was just standing there, his arms crossed as he met my gaze. I felt him staring into my soul, and I barely suppressed a shudder. Asmo remained surprisingly silent, just observing us while continuing to fold my clothes.

"I'm not lying about my intentions, if that's what you're implying," I said defensively.

"That much I am willing to believe," Lucifer acknowledged. "But the question remains. Why do you want it? What are you trying to accomplish?"

I could hear a few distant doors opening, as if the other brothers were listening in on the conversation. Satan actually came out of his room, sliding down the hall towards my room. I kept my focus on Lucifer, taking a breath again.

"All I want is for you to look at me as someone worthy of being treated like an equal. Someone you'll listen to and take seriously. Let's face it, right now the only reason you give me the time of day is because of Diavolo, and because you see me as some sort of threat to your brothers." Lucifer's face fell, but I didn't back down. "Sure I have power, apparently, but I can't control it. Making pacts is the only way you'll notice me, and it's the only way I can accomplish my end goal."

"End goal?" Lucifer repeated, his voice as hard as his gaze. "And what would that be?"

"Good question," Satan admitted, gaining Lucifer's attention. "Well, whatever it is, I'll have to help you with it, Belle."

"What?" I questioned, completely confused. "I'm confused. What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Satan stepped in front of Lucifer, holding out a hand. "I'll make a pact with you."

There was a collective gasp from all across the hallway, as well as coughing from Beel's room, which I could only assume was Beel choking on something. Asmo ended up dropping my clothes all over the floor, his eyes wide. Lucifer just glared at both me and Satan, his gaze so cold and murderous I'm surprised we didn't keel over immediately.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mammon shouted, running down the hall as he rushed to my room. "You're gonna help Belle, Satan? YOU? Why?!"

"I must admit, this is..." Asmo paused, as if trying to pick and choose his words carefully, "very out of character. You've abhorred the idea of making a pact with anyone, so what makes Belle different?"

"Simple," Satan replied, shooting Lucifer a shit-eating grin. "A pact with Belle will make life hard for a certain someone."

"That's enough, Satan," Lucifer growled, his eyes flaring dangerously.

"Hey, all I said is that it will make life hard for 'a certain someone'," Satan argued innocently. "I have to say though, you seem awfully concerned about the pacts Belle has been making, aren't you Lucifer?"

The rage palpitating off both Lucifer and Satan was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. I backed up nervously, Asmo doing the same as we slipped out of my room. By now, everyone was gathered around my door, watching the stand off.

"Levi," Asmo piped up, getting the attention of the third oldest demon. "I feel like there's something otaku and forum trolls like to say when things start getting heated like this. What was it again?"

"Get out the popcorn!" Levi cheered.

"Right, that's it." Asmo threw his fist in the air. "Get out the popcorn!"

Beel licked his lips at the idea, but Mammon was just staring at the standoff with a nervous expression. I was in a similar state, half afraid that my room was going to be Ground Zero of an all out war between Lucifer and Satan.

"...Do you really dislike me that much, Satan?" Lucifer questioned, a deceptive smile on his face.

"Let me turn that question around on you," Satan sneered, his smile dropping completely. "Did you honestly think I liked you? Really?"

Lucifer's hands clenched on his arms, his face becoming a blank, unreadable mask.

"...I see," he let out. "Alright then, if that's the way it's going to be, then get out of this house, Satan. Now."

"You want me to leave?" Satan questioned, actually sounding amused. "Wow, for once, you're actually giving me an order I'll happily follow." He gave a dramatic bow, turning towards the exit, where we all gave him a wide berth. "Consider me gone, Lucifer!"

Despite my fear and the general tenseness of the situation, I felt I had to step in. Without even realizing it, I was standing in front of Satan, keeping him from leaving.

"Satan, wait," I insisted. "I don't want to be responsible for you and Lucifer falling out. Please don't-"

"Responsible?" Satan interjected, placing a hand on my shoulder and shaking his head. "No Belle. This isn't about you. This was never about you. This was just…." he sighed, "inevitable."

He then pushed me aside with surprising strength, and began walking off. Mammon caught me as I stumbled back, glaring at Satan.

"Whoa, hey now. Just calm down, both of-"

"Drop it, Mammon," Lucifer commanded, his voice cold. "Let your hopelessly ungrateful brother do as he pleases."

That made Satan stop in his tracks. He turned on his heels, marching right back towards Lucifer. Mammon wrapped his arms around me in a protective manner, Beel, Levi, and Asmo all backing away and offering arms of protection as Satan got right back in his elder brother's face.

"UNGRATEFUL?! Did you just call me ungrateful?! Do you honestly think I owe YOU a debt of gratitude?! You know what? FINE! I will do as I please!"

Satan stormed off once more, and Lucifer was right behind them. Door slammed hard once more as they both retreated to their room.

"And they're gone," Mammon declared, all but shoving me back into my room. "We should retreat too, before one of them decides to come back out."

"Aww, but I wanted to see fireworks," Asmo whined as he nonetheless followed after us.

…

My stuff finally got put away as we all sought refuge in my room. As we did, I came clean to Asmo about my plans to get Belphie and Lucifer to talk. He was understandably surprised I knew about his seventh brother, but thankfully, Beel provided me a cover story about my knowledge, admitting to telling me about him during the time I was staying in his room.

"So that's what all this is about," Asmo mused, unnaturally serious.

"If Lucifer and Belphegor did make amends, then Belphegor might be able to come back from the human world," Beel explained.

"Awww," Asmo gushed, scooting closer to me and pulling me into a hug. "All of this is so you can reunite all us brothers. You are such a sweetheart!"

"Asmo, quit snuggling with Belle!" Mammon snapped, moving to intercept us. "Back off!"

"Mammon, stay!" I commanded.

The pact hit him like a freight train as he was suddenly forced back onto the ground where he had been sitting. His pact bracelet was glowing as he was tethered to the ground, unable to move or even budge his wrist.

"Oh come on!"

"Well, you're certainly bold enough for such an audacious plan," Asmo remarked. "And it's certainly not something I saw coming. You're so unpredictable, and I love it."

"Thanks Asmo," I told him, looking at the charm bracelet before sighing. "Unfortunately, I think my pacts are having the opposite effect. Lucifer doesn't respect me, he just hates me. Although I have to admit, I didn't expect the kind of reaction I got from Satan, or from Lucifer."

"Actually, it's less surprising than you might think," Levi spoke up. "He knows it will piss Lucifer off, so he decided to do it."

"All the more reason for you to say no," Beel insisted. "If Satan makes a pact for the sole purpose of pissing off Lucifer-"

"Then it will just hurt my standing even more than it already is to accept it," I finished. "Yeah, that makes sense." I sighed, rubbing my face. "I just wish I knew why Satan hates Lucifer so much. If I'm completely honest, I always assumed Satan and Lucifer were the same people before I came down here. You'd think they'd be like… friends at the bare minimum."

"Well, you're not wrong," Asmo informed me. "They're so alike, and that's why they hate each other."

"I'd say it's less like that, and more of an Oedipus complex thing," Levi interjected.

"Isn't that the guy who slept with his own mom after murdering his dad and ended up having his own sisters as kids?" I questioned.

"Hang on, slow down," Mammon insisted, waving his unpinned arm at all of us. "None of you are making any sense, and I'm pretty sure you're just confusing Belle."

"And you can explain it better than we can?" Levi challenged. "That's rich, coming from the dumbest of us demons."

"I'm hungry..." Beel groaned, getting up and making for my wardrobe.

"Stay out of my snacks!" I snapped. "If you're hungry, go raid the fridge again!"

"Hey, stop ignoring me!" Mammon shouted, getting our attention before turning back to me. "Let's start at the beginning. When we first came to the Devildom after the Fall, well… things weren't the best. We had just gotten out of the massive fight with our father, and Lucifer was real, real, REAL mad at him. Satan ended up being born out of that wrath. Make sense?"

I blinked.

"So… Satan wasn't an angel like you guys? He's not..."

"Nope!" Levi declared. "He's been a demon since the day he manifested. We had to teach him how to be anything but wrath. Kind of like one of those games where you raise your own character and train it. We all pitched in, but Lucifer put in the most effort."

"But... I thought he was the fourth oldest out of all of you."

"Oh, that's not age based," Asmo explained. "We're arranged by our power levels. Lucifer is the most powerful, obviously, then there's Mammon for some reason."

"I'm sitting right here!" Mammon shouted.

"I'm third!" Levi declared happily, completely ignoring Mammon. "Then Satan. Considering that he's a physical manifestation of Lucifer's wrath, it makes sense he wouldn't be as powerful as Lucifer, but he was definitely sore to discover he was fourth out of seven."

"That explains why he exploded at the whole 'ungrateful' quip," I realized. "Satan wouldn't exist without Lucifer."

"And he hates that," Beel commented. "He feels like he's bound to Lucifer in that way, and it's a bond he can never break."

"But Lucifer's not just overbearing on Satan," Asmo insisted. "He's that way with all of us."

"Right..." I let out.

I sat back, allowing myself a moment to process this information. With everything I'd learned, it was clear that there was much more to the argument earlier than I'd initially suspected. I needed to get to the bottom of this, and to do that, I needed to talk to Satan directly.