You feel like cackling madly as light and feeling finally pour back into your senses, the sunglasses you've never removed since the day you reached 18 finally fulfilling their job. Even with their protection, your unready eyes water from witnessing the glory that is light once more after what felt like an eternity.

"You… actually did it."

You turn to face your partner, her red eyes widened to the brink, her short curly white hair swaying from the wind seeping from the crack in existence itself. After what seemed like a moment to let reality set in, she squealed giddily, jumping up and ruffling her red tux in the process, before trying to shove her way past you and back into hell.

Only to be stopped by your hand clapping against her shoulder, halting her movements

The once-proud demon whined gently, flustering, her freckled cheeks growing a cute shade of purple. "Do you wanna go first?"

You breathe in the brimstone-tinted scents of hell once more, feeling the drain on your will that comes with it as you take your first steps back into the scorched earth. "Yes."

Beelzebub jumps after you, the crack in the air slowly starting to stitch back together as you lose sight of the eternal darkness you had been trapped in for what felt like multiple lifetimes, not aging, not changing.

Only lusting for a way back.

And you got it, it felt like actual years of attempting, of trying to go through the motions once more, then kicking for many lifetimes worth at nothingness in pure rage.

You managed it, Just like what you accomplished at the start. You literally kicked your way out of an eternal dark void built to keep the greater demon scutting happily in front of you. Neither one of you know how you managed to even accomplish it.

An egotistical part of you wants to claim it was pure human willpower. Something that could pierce heaven itself, to bend reality and logic under its sheer might.

The logical one wants to think it was cause you weren't using demonic means, and the prison was never meant to keep someone alive locked away.

But, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you are back in hell.

And you've got a Harem of Demons to regather.

Hell changed.

That's all you can think as the desolate wastelands you've grown to miss don't stay with you as you walk further down the path you remembered. Instead, they fade away into what feels like an industrial hellscape. Pillars of pure black walls that extend up to the sky, dark blue tiles clicking under your feet, hoses and pipes you do not understand spreading through the flat surface like mechanical vines, many slit-like holes hissing with steam.

You would've much preferred a more colorful change. But even the shade of blue under your feet is a welcome sight.

"Did Lucy do this?" Beelzebub questions, getting too close to one of the slits and getting her face blasted by a puff of steam. She buzzes angrily, pulling her arm back to destroy the wall before you clasp her fist.

The effect is instant, the woman huffs with a pout but her hand goes lax, letting you comfortably wrap your much bigger hand over her dainty one.

After being trapped for so long together, she has grown somewhat attached to you. And you are sure she feels, what could be the closest to what a demon could feel to, love towards you.

If you were to be honest. You feel the same towards her too.

But you have other women you have been missing for too long.

"Hello?"

Both you and Beelzebub flinch at the request for attention, neither of you used to hearing someone else for so long, both your heads slowly swiveling to face the source.

You don't get a chance to recognize, as suddenly there is a flurry of clicks as someone rushes up to you, her hands clasping on your face, moving it from side to side, even forcing your jaw open and rubbing one of your canines. "I...impossible…"

Your hands land on Pandemonica's, slowly pulling them off as you manage to look down, her tired eyes greeting yours behind her shiny glasses "...Taker?"

You start sweating, trying to come up with the first thing to say to her after all this time. Your brain flatlines for a moment, but your mouth carries on, unabashed. "I'm sorry for your coffee being late?"

Her eyebrows furrow for a moment, mouth opening slightly before shutting again, her eyes watering at the edges. "Idiot," she manages to bark out, her arms wrapping around your neck and pulling your entire body down for a tight hug. For a brief moment she leans up and you feel her tired lips press against yours, a jolt running through your body at the simple show of affection. Something Pandemonica never really did, but it feels all the better for it.

And just like that, the moment passes, and she pulls back, only a tinge of red on her cheeks to ever prove what had just happened, fading rapidly. "I'm so happy I might not break all your fingers after this."

Now that's more like the Pandemonica you know.

Beelzebub scoffs softly at your side, a smirk on her lips, almost asking 'are you into that?' with her eyes.

You shoot her a sideways glance before rolling your eyes and hugging Pandemonica back, lifting her off the ground.

There is one thing that brings you out from your bliss of meeting your tired, and sadistic, demoness girlfriend. A question that you never thought you would ask a demon in your entire life.

But after suffering through both Hell and the Abyss, you are honestly prepared for anything.

"...why are you back in hell?"

Hell's only customer service demon flinches and pushes away from you in your hug to look into your eyes. "You…"

She pauses again, as if something becomes clearer "...How are you alive?"

Beelzebub pitches in at that, coughing and taking the other demon's attention away. "He fell into the Abyss with me, where death isn't a concept. I'm surprised his fleshy body even survived that. And didn't become one tumourous thing as cells divided without dying over and over again."

"Wait-" Pandemonica's eyes lock on to Beel, her horns lengthening to fit her sadistic persona "BEELZEBUB THE EXILED?"

"It's Beelzebub the Great Fly, actually," Beel corrects her, unfazed by Pandemonica's aggression towards her. "Put your horns away young one. You cannot hope to even graze me."

You clear your throat, both Demons hissing and glaring at you. "She won't try anything."

"And why is that?" Pandemonica barks, her hands clawing at your arms.

Honestly, even pain is a welcome feeling after being trapped in the vast nothingness for so long.

"Cause she's a part of my harem," you say simply.

"As if that means anything" Pandemonica retorts, glaring at the crimson queen then back at you. "Your harem is gone! Did you think we were going to wait for you like obedient dogs for hundreds of years?"

She pauses for a second, her horns shrinking as she double-takes towards Beelzebub noticing the ancient demoness blushing and flustered at your claim. "...I-" she looks at you again. "What did you do to her?"

You don't respond, putting her down softly as she looks up at you. "I spent thousands of years trying to get back, don't think I'm going to give up on you all so easily."

She slouches and re-adjusts her glasses, blushing slightly. "...I suppose I can only break one hand this time."

You laugh gently, somehow feeling better than what it felt like the first time you gathered your girls. "So, are you coming with me?"

"Only if we get coffee in the end."

You nod, before turning to Beelzebub. "And hot chocolate too."

Pandemonica blinks, smirks softly, reminding you of her sadistic side.

"So that's what you did."

You smile cheekily, before your face pulls back into a scowl, relaxing. "What happened here?"

"Lucifer was overthrown," Pandemonica simply states, your body shuddering at the implication. "A new demon is the queen of hell now. You know her. The Loremaster."

"Is she Ok?" The words leave your mouth before you register even saying them, ignoring even your lack of knowledge on the new queen of hell.

"Her ego is most likely bruised to hell and back. Her physical condition is unknown to me," Pandemonica sighs, starting to walk with you in tow, Beelzebub tailing behind you, grabbing your clenched fist with her glove-clad hand, buzzing softly. "I've not seen her. Or anyone else for that matter. Shame."

"Would've liked seeing her suffer as the Maid of Loremaster."

"Oh- ohohohoho~" Beel buzzes with mirth. "Not only I'm gonna get sweets, I'm also going to get to see Lucy suffer?"

She jumps up to give you a quick peck on the cheek. "You're the best boyfriend ever!"

You blush through your resting scowl, following Pandemonica through the labyrinthine walls of-

"...Is this a lab?"

"All of Hell is a laboratory now," Pandemonica sighs, tapping at the glowing runes that are attached to some gauges on the wall. "But, it's really no different than how it once was. Just with more lasers."

"Science isn't just lasers though?" you hum, huffing indignantly.

"That's what they told her, but she's not one to listen. Even when one of the lasers took out her own arms." Pandemonica sighs before smirking. "She must've screamed so beautifully."

You pause, panic filling your senses again. "Who- who lost her arms?"

Pandemonica looks at you hungrily, before calming down and adjusting her glasses with a sigh and a soft blush. "Loremaster. I heard she got robotic replacements"

"Oh that is cool," Beel adds, her eyes sparkling a little.

You take a note to get her a Gundam kit after you break out of hell, if those still exist.

Pandemonica smiles at you, a soft serene smile that takes you by surprise. "You thought of something nerdy but thoughtful, didn't you?"

You huff, rubbing your neck. "Where are you leading us?"

"I've heard of the others, but I don't know where they are." She hums, adjusting her glasses. "Well, almost all of them. I know one very special person that might be of use."

Your senses get heightened as the words leave her lips, your brain slowly recalling the landscape you are in, even with its adjustments. "Cerberus?"

You hear the rapid padding of shoes before Pandemonica smirks at you, refusing to answer.

You don't get a chance to look towards the source of the sound before you are tackled by three bodies at the same time, followed closely by the sounds of happy whines. "Master!"

You can't help but laugh as Cerberus licks and kisses your face and neck, all three bodies rubbing and sniffing against you, visibly excited to see you again.

"I knew you would be back!" she cries out in union, their entire lower halves shaking with the force of their tails wagging. "Even your scent is the saaame!"

You resort to using your arms, wrapping all three of her bodies in a tight hug that makes them yipe and pant excitedly, loving the affection. You end up giving two of her bodies soft pets on the head as you pull back, the demon mewling happily.

"You should stop that before you create a pleasure loop." Pandemonica interjected, poking your arm with her pen. "Or don't. I'll be content either way."

You heed her warning, pulling your hands off the triple demon, all of her whining with disappointment. "Cerby, I need to ask you something very important-"

"We can find the others!"

"Can you- oh." You blink, reeling back slightly in shock of the answer for your unasked question.

"But only on one condition." She barks before you settle in, pulling your attention back.

"What is that?"

"Kiss!" she requests, center body raising her arms expectantly, and who are you to deny that?

You lean down and wrap your arms around her and she does the same as your lips are graced by hers, her other bodies mewling and clinging to your arms too, commenting on how good it feels to be kissed again breathlessly.

You pull back, Cerberus looking up at you with hazy eyes and a lopsided smile, giggling cutely, tails wagging wildly.

Then your face cracks in a smile, unable to stop yourself.

It's time to re-take hell.