Wolbach glanced out of her bedroom window, lost in deep thought as she lay in bed. The last two days had felt like they passed painfully slowly, which only made it harder for the dark goddess to sort her thoughts properly. Specifically, those regarding Aqua's question from the other day.
Is there any chance that you may have feelings for Kazuma?
Wolbach didn't know how to answer that at first, and really, she still didn't. Her relationship with Kazuma was...difficult to quantify. Kazuma's acceptance of her presence and his dutiful patience when dealing with in those early days made the difference, and suddenly Wolbach had an actual friend when she had little more than temporary allies and enemies throughout her life.
But did she have feelings for him? Well...she wasn't sure. Not quite yet, anyway. After being alone for so long, it was hard to tell which feelings were platonic and which were something more. Weighing her options, Wolbach had opted to say she wasn't sure at the moment, as doubt lingered in her mind.
At the end of the day, Wolbach knew that Kazuma was her only real friend, sad as it was. Yes, she was friendly with the rest of her party mates, and vaguely so with Sena, but it wasn't the same. Aside from the little one, Kazuma was the only person she really and truly trusted. As such, she wasn't planning on jeopardizing that trust by jumping the gun in the sense of unidentified feelings.
Wolbach growled to herself, annoyed at Aqua for putting these unnecessary thoughts in her head, intentionally or otherwise. The subject of whether she liked Kazuma in that way or not had never even come to mind until her fellow goddess brought it up. Now the question kept popping up like a persistent gopher and it was becoming gradually harder to ignore with each passing day. Perhaps going outside for some fresh air would help the reformed general clear her thoughts. Lying in bed all day was not making her feel better.
Rising from her bed, Wolbach made her way across the room, pausing just before she left as she glanced down at herself in consideration. She looked presentable enough, but the thought did occur that with her service to the Devil King having come to its end, perhaps it was time to consider expanding her wardrobe. It'd certainly give her a reason to get out of the mansion, and it was more than likely long overdue.
With that in mind, the dark goddess stepped out into the unusually quiet halls of the mansion. Strange…she expected distant but shrill shouts to echo the walls from any of the rambunctious ladies (especially Aqua when losing a game). Wolbach deduced that the others were most likely out of the house, probably with Kazuma on an impromptu date or something of the like.
Wolbach started to make her way towards the front of the mansion, even making it to the main hallway unimpeded before running into an unexpected adversary: her other half. 'Chomps' sat in the main foyer, staring up at the dark goddess with a blank expression, eventually sparing her other half a curious, "Meow?"
"Oh. Hello…'Chomps'. I was just planning on going out," Wolbach responded, having the power to sense the thoughts of her separate self. Chomusuke may not look it on the outside, but she was still just as intelligent as her. "I thought getting some new clothes was in order. Would you…like to accompany me? It's been too long since we've had a chance to connect, even if it isn't in the literal sense like I'd originally planned."
The small feline made another noise that Wolbach assumed to be a confirmation, proven when Chomps proceeded to scamper up the goddess' leg, before ultimately ascending to her shoulder in an almost unnatural display of agility. Apparently, her other half had been 'practicing', if her thoughts were anything to go by.
Smiling softly, Wolbach resumed her path to the front door, opening and closing it behind her as she stepped outside. The sun was on the cusp of setting for the evening, basking Axel in a radiant orange glow. Truthfully, the scenery reminded Wolbach as well as her other half of Heaven…the place they used to call their home. Before they became disillusioned by its surface beauty and saw the chinks in the armor. Before they tried to make the other gods see reason until they forced her to take extreme measures…
Wolbach sighed heavily, shaking her head in an attempt to recompose herself. She'd dwelled on Heaven for long enough. If her one-on-one talk with Aqua meant anything, it was she needed to move on, or at the very least learn to move on. She continued her trek after that point, passing the front gate of the mansion and making a decent headway along the path into town before something caught her attention. Every few seconds, she swore another pair of footsteps followed her own, as if someone else was walking beside her. Yet, each time she checked, there wasn't a soul in sight.
Both halves of the same god telepathically agreed to catch this eluding visitor of theirs off guard. So the two carried on like normal, pretending to be none the wiser. Soon enough, the footsteps sounded alongside them, though this time they let it follow them for a bit longer. Chomusuke suddenly hissed at her right and Wolbach (with her cat-like reflexes) threw a surprise sucker punch at the stalker.
Only for the stalker to halt her fist just in the nick of time.
"Woah! Easy on the swingin' there!" Chris protested, sparing the surprised goddess an amused, but slightly nervous look. "Geez, if I knew following you was gonna cost me my head, I would have made my presence obvious sooner! Y'know, Kazuma's a much better sport when I do this to him."
Wolbach slowly relinquished her fist from the "thief's" hand, but never once did she let her guard down. This was the first time she had any direct confrontation with the disguised goddess of fortune and she'd rather have it been never. Wolbach was all too aware of Eris' infamous disgust and hatred towards anything even remotely demonic. The fact she hadn't gone for the kill when she had the chance was cause for alarm in it of itself. The fallen goddess would have to tread lightly here.
"Yes, well, Kazuma and I have very different ways of dealing with surprises, don't we?" Wolbach replied, her disposition and posture both stiff as she sized the other woman up in a terribly concealed attempt to assess if she was a threat or not. "What exactly brings you out here of all places? I figured you would be busy harassing my host, or the other way around, if what his party has told me is to be believed."
"Eh, I would, but old Kaz is out on a dinner date with his girls and I gotta respect that," Eris answered, never faltering from the playful thief persona she had made up. It honestly unnerved Wolbach to the core now that it was just the two of them alone. "So I decided to pass the time by going on a pickpocket spree. Then I saw you walking by and just knew you had some valuables hiding under those hefty robes. Can't blame a thief for trying!"
"I suppose not, no." Wolbach grumbled, still terribly uncertain just what Eris was trying to pull here. Was she oblivious, or did she know that she knew? Was this all just a game to her, a temporary source of amusement? "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you on the valuables front. I was actually on my way into town to acquire some new attire. Figured that after my disillusionment with the Devil King and his army, I'd earned something special."
"No arguments here," Eris said, casually (a bit too casually in Wolbach's opinion) approaching the mounted feline and scratching it behind the ear. Chomusuke, having resigned to be a dutiful house cat, purred in delight at being taken care of. Her other half was almost envious at how laidback she was given her current situation.
"Well, I should be on my way then." Wolbach announced, pulling away from the thief and resuming her previous trek, pointedly ignoring the part of her brain that was screaming at her to run. "I'm sure you'd like to get back to your thieving, and I have places to be, so I don't see any reason to play this out further, correct?"
"Aww, but I'm boooored!" Eris whined, the charade becoming unbearable at this point. "Besides, I could go for a new scarf. This one's starting to get kinda worn out. Mind if I go clothes shopping with you? Ya don't have to worry about paying for my new duds, I plan on stealing them anyway."
Her patience effectively wearing thin, Wolbach turned on her heel, steeling herself to the best of her ability as she practically hissed at the disguised goddess. "Enough of this! I know it's you, Eris, and while I don't know what you're up to, I have a strong suspicion that it isn't good, so if you're quite finished toying with me, I think it's time you leave!"
Eris stared at her fellow goddess for a few beats, clearly surprised with the outburst. All the same, a calm and collected smile rose on her face a moment later as she crossed her arms, effectively dropping the charade as she practically leered at Wolbach with a condescending smirk.
"Oh…So I'm the one who's up to no good, huh? Just like a typical chicken-shit demon to use us gods as her scapegoat. Now spill it, Wolbach, why are you really out of the kennel? Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say house."
Wolbach's temper flared briefly, her fists curling reflexivity as she momentarily drew upon her powers, a terse growl slipping past her lips. "I'm doing exactly what I said, you sorry excuse for a deity. You would do well to mind your own business, lest you want to see exactly why the council banished me in the first place. Kazuma's attachment to you will not spare you my wrath if you insist on making an enemy of me."
"So help me, if you so much as even think about it, I won't hesitate exposing my identity to the world if it means obliterating you for good," Eris challenged back, her pupils shrinking exponentially while baring a rather sadistic grin. It made Wolbach wonder which one of them looked more like a demon. "The only reason I've allowed a disgusting mole rat like you to live is because of Kazuma. What that boy sees in you, I'll never know. But I'm just here to make sure you don't overstep your bounds."
"I don't plan on overstepping anything. I'm more than content with my current standing in the world." Wolbach retorted, reeling her temper in enough to get a grip, uncurling her fists and raising her hands. "I have no intention of hurting Kazuma, or influencing him, for the sake of covering our bases. He has been more than accepting of me, and, as such, I've kept to the straight and narrow line of good behavior. So, perhaps we should de-escalate before things get...messy?"
The wrathful goddess incognito glared icy daggers Wolbach's way before, ultimately, spitting hatefully at the ground next to her feet and saying, "Fine, but only for the sake of my friend. You better count your lucky stars that I like him enough to let a hell spawn walk around this city scot-free. Just keep in mind…I'm always watching you…"
"Oh, I'm sure you are. Do what you wish, Eris, all you'll accomplish is proving me right." Wolbach replied, finally well and truly composed as she shook her head in mild irritation and turned to continue on her walk into town. "You may think of me as nothing more than a demon, but at least I'm making an attempt to move on from my past. Even Aqua's been kind enough to offer me a fair chance at redemption. Then again, she's not quite as vitriolic when it comes to undead as you are, is she?"
The fallen goddess stole a backwards glance only to find nobody behind her. It would seem the "thief" had already taken her leave the moment Wolbach turned her back on her. An inquisitive meow brought her out of her irritation as Chomusuke lightly bumped her head against her cheek, the whiskers tickling her face ever so slightly.
"I should have known better than to expect any leniency from her." Wolbach mused quietly, scratching behind her other half's ears and earning a low purr for her efforts. "Eris may be kind to her mortal followers, but anything even remotely touched by darkness becomes a threat to her. It's exactly that kind of attitude that made me turn against the council...oh, why am I telling you all this? You were there for it!"
The personification of the dark goddess' violence merely offered her counterpart a shrug (or the next best thing a cat could do for a shrug). Wolbach couldn't help but chuckle quietly at Chomps' display and rewarded her with more ear scratches as they made their way to the clothes store in peace. But from above the rooftops, the vigilant eyes of Chris monitored the general's steps with eagle-eye vision. True to her word, she would keep watch of Wolbach just in case. Chris loved Kazuma, but he was still young, still a bit naïve in his way of thinking.
She was only doing this for his and his friends' safety. After all, she had been accepting of the position of "Guardian Angel" for a reason.
When Serena had entered her quarters without knocking first, The Daughter's already short fuse was tested once more. Her conquests were struggling without her leadership in person, and her efforts to learn more about both Satou and his homeland were going far less productively than she had been hoping. As such, the arch priestess' interruption only fueled her irritation.
"Serena, I swear on my father's unholy power, you better have a good reason for interrupting me this late in the afternoon, or so help me-"
"It's your father, milady," Serena answered in a trepid manner. "He's summoned his remaining generals for a meeting in his throne room."
Now that did give The Daughter some pause. Her father hadn't called for a meeting in months, and for good reason. He'd insisted on only the most dire of news being brought to him, and with so many battles being waged against Belzerg and its allies...well, things had started to fall through the cracks.
With a mumbled, "I'll be right there," The Daughter gathered as many important documents as she could fit into one folder, along with all the relevant data she had regarding Kazuma. This meeting with her father could pertain to pretty much anything as far as she was concerned, so it was best to be prepared. Once she was satisfied with what she had accumulated, The daughter wordlessly exited her chambers and walked alongside an unsure Serena.
Once they arrived in the sprawling throne room, the passing thought occurred to The Daughter of just how much their ranks had shrunk in recent months. The last meeting her father had called, they still had five generals, not to mention a number of minor commanders and wizards at their disposal. Now, all they had left was a single junior wizard who stood as the last defense of the magical barrier, and given that he was absent from the room when they entered...his employment may have ended early.
The black mist that already hung thick in the air became more abundant the closer the two generals got to their king, a passive ability that strengthens himself and all his allies. Even so, the sudden power boost clearly wasn't enough to calm the jittery nerves of Serena once she and The Daughter took a knee for the Devil King. His pitch black armor made him nearly invisible with all the mist exuding off of him. Only the menacing amber glow of his eyes and the silvery sheen of his grey hair inexplicably illuminated his commanding presence.
"Rise, my generals." He commanded, his voice deep and thunderous, echoing off the throne room's walls as the two women did as instructed, rising back to their feet. "It appears as though our numbers have dwindled. What has occurred since our last communion to prevent their presence?"
"M-my Liege," Serna began, mentally kicking herself for the accidental stutter. "General Sylvia was slain in the Battle of Crimson Village, and General Wolbach is now considered a traitor to your army from the failed siege on Axel. We…are the last remaining generals at this time…"
There was pause, as the king seemingly processed the news, before turning to his daughter as his gaze sharpened slightly. "If I recall correctly, I was warned of a presence in both these locations. A particular threat to not only my empire, but to myself. What was his name…?"
"Kazuma Satou." The Daughter diligently provided, venom already creeping into her words as she continued. "A human, one seemingly not of this realm either. We made the mistake of underestimating him, and it has cost us six of our number and cost me the siege of Axel. I have been doing what research I can into weaknesses, but my efforts have so far been...lackluster."
Another beat of silence, as the Devil King's head tilted slightly in a bizarrely curious gesture. When he spoke again, his words were measured with a certain amount of uncertainty. "This Satou...he's slain six of the generals? As well as having stopped your siege in its tracks?"
"By himself? No," The Daughter answered curtly. "He leads a trio of seemingly incompetent women who have grown rather infatuated with him. However, these girls have proven to be quite exceptional fighters when they set their minds to it. We even have reports that one of them is an exiled goddess. As for their leader, what Satou lacks in strength and confidence, he more than makes up for it in his remarkable leadership skills."
"Indeed? Well, I certainly see why you thought to bring this to my attention." The Devil King hummed, before turning his gaze to Serena and politely ignoring her flinch as he gestured to her. "Leave us for the moment, Serena. I believe the coming discussion between myself and my daughter should be one conducted in private."
"Y-yes sir! I-I'll just be outside, then!" The arch priestess hastily replied, before practically speed walking in the opposite direction until she escaped to the safety of the adjoining hallway, closing the large double doors behind her.
"Pity, I really thought we were making progress, too." The Devil King chuckled with thinly veiled amusement as he regarded the closed doors with a small, controlled smile. "You know, she almost held a conversation with me the other day. I can't really be that unapproachable, right Akarui?"
The Daughter instantly rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and practically pouting in an undignified manner that no other living being would ever expect to see on the normally stoic and fearsome general. "Father, please. We have much more important matters to discuss outside of Serena being a bumbling fool."
"Oh come now, pumpkin. You'll never make any long-lasting friends with that kind of attitude," lightly scolded the Devil King, gradually becoming more relaxed now that it was just him and his daughter. "Besides, right now Serena and you are all that's left of the generals. The least you could do is to treat her the way you would want to be treated."
"Oh, please! She's practically a sociopath! She only tolerates me because we're forced to work together, and I only tolerate her in turn." The Daughter retorted, gradually easing off on her typically guarded personal as she faced her father properly, jabbing a finger at him. "And I don't want any friends, I want to ensure your empire stands as long as it can!"
"Yes, my empire. That's definitely what this sad excuse of a military dictatorship is." The Devil King scoffed, gesturing vaguely to the surrounding castle with no small amount of disinterest. "Honestly, I'm starting to see why Yasaka was so willing to fall by my blade years ago. This empire is doomed to fail, and he knows it. What I'm trying to say, dear, is that I'd like you to consider...other arrangements, in case worst comes to worst."
The Daughter stared long and hard at her father before she sighed, the gravity of the situation finally beginning to wear her out. "Father, I…love you and all, but don't you think you're taking this a little too easy? Our army is stretched thin and the current political climate certainly is doing us any favors. With six of our eight generals either dead or having gone AWOL, we're biting off more than we can chew! And the most pressing concern to you right now is how I'm treating my subordinates!?"
"Akarui, I only took the mantle of The Devil King to protect you and your mother." The father replied, the light of his amber eyes dimming slightly as he seemed to wither in his seat, tone growing tired. "I failed to protect her from everything that came with it, and that will never stop haunting me, but now...now my only concern is making sure you survive whatever comes next. You're all I have left."
The topic of her late mother snuffed out the raging fire that threatened to explode within The Daughter. Her gaze fell and she subconsciously slithered her fingers through her silky black hair. "We're…we're getting off track here, let's just focus on our next course of action, okay?"
The Devil King's eyes stayed sad for a moment, before he nodded and composed himself, sitting up a bit straighter in his throne. "Of course, you're right. Now, this Kazuma Satou you mentioned...you say he's the cause of our recent losses of your fellow generals?"
"That's right," The Daughter answered, suddenly finding the energy to continue discussing the matter at hand. Anything to avoid discussing…no, now wasn't the time for that. "Like I said, what Kazuma lacks in fighting prowess he makes up for with his tactics and uncanny luck. Based on the stories surrounding the man and cross-checking them with my personal intel, he seems to be the primary source of all our problems and doesn't even fully realize this revelation himself. Which is why I've been seriously considering finding a way of convincing him to join our side. As long as he continues to lead that moronic harem of his, he's the biggest threat to our kingdom's sovereignty."
The Devil King hummed in consideration, tilting his head thoughtfully at his daughter's assessment before ultimately replying, his tone a bit lighter than before. "You've certainly put quite a bit of thought into just what to do with our greatest apparent threat. Truthfully, I wish you'd have such interest in a boy without the shared intention of either indoctrinating him or skewering him. Still, small victories I suppose."
Akarui groaned, similar to how any teenage daughter would groan at their embarrassing father, and said, "Not this again – look, my interest in the boy is strictly business, nothing more. I've said it a million times, I'll say it a million and one times: I have no desire looking for a mate! Honestly, why couldn't you be one of those fathers who opposes the thought of their daughter dating a boy? It's annoying, not to mention embarrassing."
"First of all, please don't use 'mate' when describing your first significant other. It's troubling for a number of reasons, and you know that." The Devil King scoffed, the smallest of smiles playing at his lips as he continued. "Furthermore, I want you to be happy one day, preferably without conquest or bloodshed involved. Typically, that involves someone, be it a nice man OR woman, to come home to. I'm only suggesting what any good father would, there's no need to be so dramatic you know."
Taking a few controlled breaths, The Daughter expelled the unpleasant thoughts from her mind as she did her best to get the conversation back on track. "Either way, I truly believe having Kazuma Satou amongst our ranks will not only boost morale but also bolster our future tactics. The two biggest obstacles that stand in the way of this are his friends and his own lack of confidence. I know his type all too well; raw, untapped potential held back by nobody but themselves. If I can just get him to understand how much of an impact he truly has on the world and make him see things from our perspective, we may have a chance to win this accursed war."
Once more, a troubled look passed the king's face as he sobered up slightly from the lighthearted discourse that was already so rare. If he really, really had to give Yasaka props for one thing, it was dealing with the loneliness the position of Devil King exuded. "Alright, in that case, you have my permission to pursue whatever means necessary to get Kazuma on her side. However, I'd prefer you refrain from killing anyone. I know it's a change of pace, but with how the war effort is going...just call it precautionary measures."
"I understand, father. I will conduct myself accordingly," The Daughter replied in earnest. With the discussion of the hour now settled, the heir to the Devil King's throne briefly scanned the room, as though she were making sure they really were the only two occupants. Steeling herself, Akarui walked up to her father and offered him a short but meaningful hug, one that the Devil King was lucky enough to reciprocate before his daughter had a chance to break it off. It was one of few times where he could feel like an honest father instead of a tyrannical overlord, and gods be damned if he was going to let this moment get cut prematurely.
"Well, all the same, I wish you the best of luck in your new mission, Akarui." He stated after they separated, waiting until his darling daughter nodded and started to depart before continuing. "Of course, I implore you to take Serena with you. Sociopath or not, she's your only proper backup at the moment. If need be, I can incentivize cooperation."
"Very well, dad," The Daughter moaned, refusing to turn around lest she allow her father to tease the faint smirk gracing her cold lips. "I will take the human priestess with me, even if she is a morally bankrupt sycophant. However, I won't make any promises on treating her with respect. That is something she has yet to earn as far as I'm concerned."
"Mhm, small victories, then." The Devil King chuckled, relishing the brief flutter of genuine happiness that lingered as his daughter left, before the shroud of dark magic and untold power shrouded him once more. While he hated his position as the Devil King vehemently, one inkling of grace would always linger in the back of his mind.
No matter how this ends, my daughter will be safe. I will assure it, even if it costs me what little life I have left.