Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 33
Kalego's aura was even darker than usual as Dali-sensei cheerfully waved goodbye for the sake of the students. He was so lost to his thoughts, he nearly ran into Persephone as he rounded the corner of the mansion. She made sure to meet him just out of sight from the misfits in concern. She had a bad feeling that something was very wrong and knew Dali wouldn't visit out of the blue without a good reason.
Kalego stared at her with mixed emotions, his thoughts battling in his eyes. Stepping close, she gently touched his taught face. "What happened? Talk to me", she pleaded. Meeting his grim gaze, she could see just how tense he was. After a brief hesitation, he forced himself to relax faintly.
Accepting her warm touch, he looked deeply into her eye as he carefully grasped her wrist. Giving in to their history and the concern she was showing, he decided to trust her. "We have a mole in the group", he stated carefully. Surprise flashed over face, quickly replaced with simmering anger at the thought. "A traitor? Here?"
Calming herself, she stepped nearer and softly kissed his cheek. "Thank you for trusting me", she uttered sincerely. She knew the choice wasn't easy. He had to be more careful than ever now.
Kalego grinned lightly in response. He knew from his recent, personal inspection that she didn't have a single curse mark upon an inch of her skin and there was simply no way she would join Victoria willingly after everything she had done to those she loved.
"Any ideas who it might be?", he asked. Persephone thought it over as she stared into his chest. Pressing her hand against him, she worried about the mark over his heart. It could activate any time to bring him to his knees in agony and Victoria's serpents were an ominous omen.
"I'm sure Ai wants us to blame Valiant, but I can't see it; He's an idiot, but a loyal idiot. I'd say it's also safe to rule out Lord Sullivan, Opera, Mum, and, of course, Shichiro… But I suppose it's entirely plausible that Ai has already gotten to at least one of the students."
Kalego stared darkly into nothingness as she spoke. That thought had also crossed his mind. He knew without a single shred of doubt that Balam would never betray him and, despite their history, that Opera was a safe bet, too. The frivolous principle was undoubtedly innocent as well and neither of the demons could picture Nene having anything to do with Victoria. Ai was one of the few that the healer didn't lovingly refer to as one of her children.
Trying to keep an open mind, Kalego sighed. "We'll have to put our spy team to work. Until then, keep this to yourself. We can talk with the others after the brats are asleep tonight."
After a brief nod in agreement, they rejoined the others, acting as if everything was fine. Their students may yet be of help, but for now, they would continue to protect them from Ai's schemes.
The rest of the day was spent with rigorous training for the misfits. That evening, they complained as absolutely every part of their bodies was sore. Still, they looked forward to the rewards promised by Lady Nene.
After baths and an eloquent dinner provided by Opera and Pandora, the abnormal class eagerly awaited the results of their first day. Smiling over their intrigued faces, Nene made the announcement.
"You all did wonderfully today! We averaged your individual times across your groups for both trials of the obstacle course to determine your team ranks. Team Balam was a close second, but today's winners were Team Kalego - the infantry and young demon king!", she praised.
The teens applauded for their friends while their sensei smirked smugly at their victory. Jazz, Lied, Gaap, and Iruma each looked completely exhausted. They weren't brave enough to let themselves lose under his wicked glare after such a warning gaze earlier.
"As expected of Iruma-sama!", cheered Azz. "Long live King Irumachi!", added Clara, prompting more comments from their friends.
Iruma grinned to himself, proud of his teammates. He wasn't too concerned about the prize of preferred sleeping arrangements since he had his own room. After some chatter, it had been agreed that Lied, Jazz, and Azzkun would bunk with him while Gaap had opted to accompany Agares with one of the other boys' groups.
Clara initially argued that she wanted to stay with Iruma, too. It wasn't fair that Azzazz got him all to himself, but her fellow teammates quickly reined her in, reminding her that the girls had their own room for privacy. Besides, Asmodeus would hardly be alone with their young king.
Waiting for their excitement to die down, Sullivan announced the other half of it. Everyone stared anxiously, wondering who had to sing for them. "This team came in last today, but I'm sure their instructor will have them polished up in no time. Our star entertainer tonight is Lamya-sensei!"
The teens cheered as she mildly glared at her students. Honestly, she didn't really mind; She had a lovely voice. She was just annoyed that her group had ranked low. She grinned darkly upon the girls in promise to fix that. Their intimidated shuddering was easily seen by their peers nearest to them.
Stepping aside, Sullivan magically summoned several instruments upon the makeshift stage in his living room. Persephone sent Kalego a wry look, knowing he would undoubtedly tease her about it later. They were both rather competitive, one of the many things they had in common.
Off to the side, Pandora slowly rose from her place beside Balam. Everyone's attention instantly shifted to her as she approached the various instruments. She looked excited to finally play after so long. The class watched with interest, wondering which one she would choose. The flute? The piano? Violin maybe? Either would suit her gentle aura.
Smiling nervously, she bowed to her audience. "I'm out of practice, so please be patient with me", she ceded. Shichiro grinned behind his mask, proud to see her step up. He and Kalego were both eager to hear her play again. They hadn't heard her impressive skills since their school days. This would truly be a treat.
The teens called out, encouraging her to play something fun. "Bass!" "Piccolo!"
"Pick the electric guitar!", teased Lied, never expecting her to follow through. "This one? If you insist", grinned Pandora.
Iruma glanced toward Kalego. "Sensei, can she really play that?", he asked, surprised. His teacher's smug grin widened. "Just watch."
The room grew deathly quiet as Pandora took her stance, carefully placing her fingers over the frets. A few experimental strums rang out before a confident smile graced her face. Then every jaw in the class hit the floor as she suddenly played a complicated riff with expert skill. It was as if she had played in a rock band every day of her entire life.
Finishing her improvised solo, she remembered her audience. Looking up to face them, she smiled bashfully at the oppressive silence. Loud cheers met her anxious expression.
"That was awesome!" "Who knew she could do that?!" "So unexpected!" "Incredible!" "Encore!"
Persephone grinned as she took her place beside her cousin. A readable look prompted Vincente and Purson to man their respective instruments. Even Kalego, himself, calmly took his place at the piano. Despite having no practice together, the music quickly conformed to the players' styles and flooded the room in unity as they warmed up.
Pausing to confer with whispers, a song was chosen. Kalego nodded briefly in approval while Valiant seemed unsure of Persephone's choice. Still, he was just happy to grace the stage with her, so he didn't argue.
The gathered young demons stared with enthusiasm as they waited. They knew there was no way Lamya-sensei was going to let them down. Even the adults looked eager for the performance.
Glancing around, Iruma was really happy to see everyone come together. Kalego and Balam looked so pleased to see their lovers at the center of attention. He, too, was excited for the improvised show. He sent a supportive smile toward Pandora as their eyes briefly met. He was really looking forward to getting to know her better.
Carefully, each musician took their place. Kalego played a few tuning piano notes to get the group on key, Purson readied his trumpet, Vincente grinned with his violin, and Pandora had traded her guitar for a flute. With a nod from Persephone, the song began.
The misfits were entirely blown away by the power behind Persephone's voice. It was rich and full of emotion, but it wasn't the irritated tone they were used to. Her words rang with repressed torment as she belted out her sad tune. She sang of a lost, wounded soldier, left for dead by his peers, and longing to return home to his beloved one last time before his inevitable demise. It drove home the purpose of their intense training regimen. They had to look out for each other.
It was an unexpected choice, but expertly executed. When the last note fell from her lips, silence took over. Amid moist eyes, the students applauded whole-heartedly, deeply touched and impressed. Sullivan grinned sincerely, pleased by the performance. He'd quietly agreed with the heavy choice knowing that the teens needed to be reminded what was at stake in a real war.
The abnormal class then watched with surprise as their principal quietly joined Kalego at the bench. "Now how about something a bit more fun?", smiled Sullivan. With an agreeing nod, Kalego slid over to make room for him. Then Sullivan struck up a much lighter chord.
The duo set the mood with their ivory keys. Vincente and Purson joined in, matching the tempo while Pandora stood cheerfully beside her cousin, striking up a duet.
This tune was much happier. It was an old song, something the students would be sure to recognize. It was about a pair of playful siblings who sneaked into the kitchen pantry despite their parents' warnings, completely ruining a planned family dinner, but reinforcing the idea of fun as they improvised a heartfelt meal for their guests.
Iruma hadn't heard the song before, but it was abundantly clear that everyone involved was having a blast. He'd never seen Persephone look so carefree before. She really seemed to be having fun with her cousin. Even Kalego was faintly grinning with nostalgia, enjoying their combined energy. It had been a very long time since he'd last performed beside Pandora.
A few of Iruma's friends joined in, knowing the lyrics. It was apparently a well known song in the demon world. Overall, the entire room had great fun.
When the music ended, Pandora rushed over to the piano to hug Kalego tightly in thanks. She was so glad he'd joined in. Afterward, she happily ran to Balam's waiting arms. He picked her up by her waist with a twirl amid the excitement, oblivious to the prying eyes of their students. In that moment, all he could see was how joyful she looked to play music with her friends again.
Despite the dark discussions ahead, it was a merry evening for everyone, even Kalego. He was glad for the distraction, honestly. Still, it felt really good to reenact the old times as if none of those tumultuous decades had even passed.
The mood shifted drastically after the misfits finally crashed for the night. Ameri and Opera carefully watched over them as they slept while the others held a grim meeting. Once the meeting was over, Henri would dismiss his daughter to rest as well.
A serious air hung over the table as Kalego shared what Dali had told him. "Are you certain that's what he said?", ventured Henri. He wasn't sure this so-called training camp had been a good idea to begin with and now he really had a sinking feeling about it.
Shichiro looked legitimately shaken as he stared at his best friend in shock while Pandora tightly clinged to his arm in perturbed silence. She looked scared again. Even the usually carefree principal had a grim look in his eye. The thought of a traitor amongst the group was a lot to take in and had clearly affected everyone.
Taking control of the situation, Nene shared a knowing look with Sullivan. "Lucky for us, we have two living lie detectors on our side", she stated calmly.
It was true that Balam's bloodline ability would be invaluable. He would immediately know if someone lied when questioned and Pandora could also practically force the truth from someone with her golden eye technique. Beyond that, Nene and Persephone could easily monitor a demon's pulse for any changes during an interview. They had a solid team in place.
Sullivan watched both of the shy, rattled demons carefully. Pandora and Shichiro looked so crestfallen at the revelation that their trust had been broken. Meanwhile, Azazel observed everyone carefully for any signs of guilt. His job gave him ample experience in weeding out the truth.
"Let's not forget the other two obvious possibilities. Our mole may be a student or even a teacher on the Babylus protection team", said Henri. He didn't like the idea of distrusting the teens, but they had to be careful. Of course, no one liked the thought of a trusted staff member being in league with Victoria either. Yet they had to consider both possibilities.
"It's entirely possible that our mole isn't even aware of their participation", stated Kalego darkly. That raised even more questions. "A sleeper agent?", uttered Balam. It was unlikely, yet plausible. He looked toward his marked hand in question.
"Relax, Shichiro. No one suspects you in the least", said Persephone. His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. He didn't have nearly as much trouble as his best friend in the way of complications from Ai's marks, but was it actually possible he was inadvertently broadcasting everything he heard to her? Azazel noted the gesture.
"If we're considering Victoria's use of curses, there is one person here much more likely than you, Balam", stated Henri, suspiciously glancing at Pandora. Shichiro reflexively glared back at him, offended. True Pandora had once held five such curses, but they were gone now thanks to Nene.
"How dare you suggest such a thing!", said Persephone, slamming her hands on the table as she abruptly stood. She'd been much louder than she had meant to be. Getting a readable look from her master not to wake the teens, she begrudgingly resumed her seat. Arms crossed, she glared daggers at Azazel while Shichiro defensively pulled Pandora closer.
"Pan-chan has been through a deeper Hell than you can even imagine. She'd never help Victoria", he said stiffly as he held her near. His tone was definitely more aggressive than Henri was used to from the gentle giant. It reminded the police chief that there were reasons Balam was rank eight.
Trying to keep the peace, Valiant spoke up next. "Not intentionally, I'm sure...but I'm positive Mother has completely dissolved her curses. She should be free from Ai's grip."
A sad look permeated those closest to Pandora. They knew she had one curse remaining, quietly attached to her heart, and no idea what it was, how it would potentially activate, or even what havoc it might cause. It was a matter of deep concern for all of them.
Pandora, herself, looked ready to cry. "I'm so sorry… I'll keep myself separate from the rest of these talks just to be safe", she uttered meekly. Balam stared at her with worry. "Pan-chan…", he gently called. Holding onto her hand tightly, he refused to let her leave his side as she started to get up. Touched, she was glad to know he trusted her so completely.
A loud 'hmph' from Kalego drew everyone's attention. "I have complete faith in you, Pandora. Don't isolate yourself from us. We just got you back", he said evenly. She smiled despite her moist eyes at his kind words. Persephone and Shichiro grinned in sincere thanks toward him, as well. As leader of the task force, his support surely carried a lot of weight.
"Then what about Vincente? He's part of Victoria's branch family, has countless criminal contacts, and his portals would make it all too easy to move about unnoticed", said Henri with a stern gaze in his direction. Valiant grinned wryly in response. He knew that was coming.
"Have anyone you like inspect me for curse marks. I have no interest in serving that crazy bitch and my so-called contacts only exist for my job... You may not have a reason to trust me personally, but Lamya-sama will vouch for me. We've worked together for years", he calmly replied.
Persephone and Nene both sent Azazel a reassuring nod. As irritating as his unwanted advances were, Persephone would gladly defend his innocence. He'd proved his loyalty many times over during the three years they'd known each other.
"All of this useless suspicion is getting us nowhere, which is exactly what Victoria wants. Infighting will only help her destabilize our efforts", stated Persephone. The gathered demons silently agreed, ceding her point.
Across the table, a dark aura hung over Kalego. He seemed lost in pensive thought. He mildly jolted in surprise as she reached across to touch his hand.
"Kalego-kun? What's on your mind?", she asked carefully. He stared anxiously at her touch, unsure he even deserved her worry. After a long pause, he voiced his concerns.
"When I mentioned the possibility of a sleeper agent, I never meant any of you. I meant myself… Victoria's had her fangs in me longer than anyone and we already know that she can occasionally get into my head if she really wants to. It's distinctly possible that I am the leak."
The entire room stared in stunned silence. No one wanted to believe it, but Kalego had made a valid point. His thoughts weren't exactly off limits. Having enough of such talk, Nene quietly rose from her seat and stared until he turned to meet her eyes. She gently hugged his neck and shoulders, holding his ear near her heart. Her feathered wings spread wide as they subtly shifted hues. She was determined to finally take away his curses.
His friends watched with hope. After purging so much dark mana from her body through her earlier treatment, this was her best chance to set him free. Understanding her motive, Kalego never struggled inside her arms. He simply closed his eyes with a thankful grin as he relaxed.
She held him close as she concentrated. "Mummy's here for you", she uttered, softly stroking his hair. He may not agree with having to call her Mum, but she still saw him as her son.
Nene's wings began to glow as her magic flowed through them. Little by little, her feathers darkened ever so slightly, but the irritated look in her eyes was a telling sign that Kalego's curses were fighting back.
Over the years, Victoria had reinforced them repeatedly. An insane amount of her mana was wrapped tightly around his heart as her magic invasively pulsed through his veins.
Relaxing completely for once, he entrusted his body to Nene's expert care. Focusing hard, she slowly untangled decades' worth of corrupted magic. It was like trying to defuse a bomb. One wrong move could send them both reeling in recoil. Using an old trick to keep her patients calm, she softly hummed a lullaby to herself.
Persephone watched breathlessly as her master worked. Nene's peaceful aura now enveloped Kalego completely. He looked utterly tranquil for the first time in many years. Normally, even in sleep, he retained a certain edge, but now, all he could do now was trust in the great Purifier.
Pandora anxiously squeezed Shichiro's hand as they stared in awe. Seeing Nene's bloodline ability go to work was a rare treat for them. Silently adding their mana to hers, they wished for their friend's freedom from the one thing he could never really get away from.
One by one, the others followed suit. Nene smiled as she closed her eyes, warmed by the borrowed magic. She felt so much love behind that bolstering force that a tear fell down her face. She tightened her embrace around Kalego, trying to impart the same feeling to him. She desperately wanted him to know how loved he truly was.
Surprisingly, even Vincente was loaning out his power. He may have seen Kalego as a rival in love, but he understood just how important he was to Persephone and that outweighed his jealousy and foolish pride. Sullivan smiled softly to himself, watching the thoughts play out on Valiant's exasperated face. He'd made a good choice.
A powerful surge of collective warmth flooded Kalego's body as he felt something deep inside break. It was as if a taught chain had finally snapped. Taking a deep breath as his eyes opened wide in surprise, he felt amazingly light all of a sudden. Instinctively pressing his hand over his heart in question, he grinned as he realized that his chest actually didn't hurt, a novel change indeed.
Slowly releasing him, Nene lovingly kissed the top of his head like a mother tending to her wounded child. "That's the best I can do for now, but I promise I will set you free", she said. She looked exhausted and her wings had blackened significantly, but she had managed to destroy one of Kalego's curses. Now the only one left was the initial mark upon his neck. Nene knew that one would be the hardest to purify. Victoria nearly poured her very soul into that one.
Valiant carefully steadied the spent healer as she wobbled back to her seat. The flickering expressions passing over her face told the room that she was still fighting the massive amount of absorbed dark mana inside herself. Persephone asked if she was all right in concern. Nene smiled reassuringly as she glanced at Kalego as if to say, "Don't worry about me. Go to him."
With an understanding and grateful nod, Persephone stood beside her lover, ready to catch him if he faltered as he rose. Amazingly, despite being deeply shaken, he stood firmly on his own and smiled toward his friends in a way they had never seen before.
"It's gone", he affirmed, glancing at the hand still over his heart. Pandora and Shichiro grinned in genuine relief. Kalego was finally one step closer to being rid of Victoria's influence for good.
A little later, Kalego spoke to Shichiro outside of his room. Balam was very concerned for his best friend's well being and immensely relieved that he was down to a single, albeit powerful, curse.
After thoroughly convincing his friend that he would be all right, Kalego stepped quietly into his room as Shichiro left to take his turn to watch over the misfits, but knew Kalego was in good hands.
Inside the room, Persephone watched him carefully from the edge of bed with a relieved grin. Rising, she met him halfway. She inspected him carefully as she gently tugged his clothing loose. She had to see it for herself. Understanding her concern, he silently tolerated her exam, aware she would have ignored any complaints anyway.
There, beneath the layers of cloth, for the first time, there was nothing but skin over Kalego's heart. Emotionally covering her mouth as she gingerly touched where the curse mark had sat for so long, thankful tears welled up in her eye. He smiled to himself as she pulled him into a tight embrace. His heart was finally free from Victoria's death grip.
Persephone knew that she would never be able to thank her master enough. That curse had haunted Kalego long before they had even met and it had caused all sorts of complications and pain over the years. She was so glad that he didn't have to worry about it anymore.
"How do you feel?", she asked, unable to let go. Gently hugging her in return, he grinned. "Better than I have in a long time", he assured.
The feeling of her joyous tears upon his bared shoulder made him hold her just a little bit tighter. "I'm so relieved", she said sincerely.
Finally releasing him, she offered him a genuine smile as she felt his heart beat strongly beneath her fingers. "You're almost free. Your heart is finally yours again", she uttered in relief. Noting his silence, she glanced up to his face.
The way he looked at her just then instantly melted her icy exterior. He'd ever been the only demon able to do that. He looked at peace for a change despite his remaining curse.
His eyes peered at her deeply as if looking into her soul and his faint grin told her that he, in fact, was still not in possession of his heart. He had already entrusted it to the care of another.
Understanding with a grateful smile, she softly cupped his face in her hands. "I'll take good care of it", she promised, sealing her oath with a loving kiss. There would be many details to work out down the road, but for now, he was hers again.
Elsewhere, Victoria glared darkly at her now cold food. Earlier, she felt a deep bond between herself and her precious Naberius unexpectedly sever. She had been so utterly shocked and enraged that she'd snapped her chopsticks mid meal, piercing her fingers with the wooden shards, and hadn't moved an inch since.
Across the table, Baal smirked delightedly at her dismay. Ever since he'd found out about her treachery with the life now growing inside her belly, he longed to see her fail.
She'd sat like that for nearly two hours. Amused, he taunted, "Problem?". Her frigid eyes glared at him as she slowly dropped the broken chopsticks. Wrapping her wounded hand in her napkin, she seemed at a loss for words, very unusual for such a wily demon.
After a moment, she grinned confidently. "A minor wrinkle in my plans… It seems the angel blood failed to kill that pesky healer. No matter. That was a weak dose before. Undoubtedly they used that human's blood to counteract it."
An evil smile crept over her face. "Amy-kun is just going to have to eat that brat sooner than planned. As for Nene, now that she's absorbed one of my most powerful curses, she'll be easy prey."
Baal had an inkling as to what Ai was rambling about. "Is Naberius getting away from you?", he taunted. Her smile fell as she glared at him. "Do not doubt my ability. Kalego-kun's primary curse is stronger than even he realizes. He doesn't know it yet, but he's going to kill Lamya for me very soon. I'll have my contact make sure of that."
Not long after, Victoria made a late night phone call as a healer tended to her hand. A man's voice answered the other end. "I told you not to call my personal phone", he said, annoyed.
In no mood for his sass, Ai sent a chill through the line with her tone. "We're moving up the plan. I expect you to play your part...or do I need to remind you what's at stake?"
The call grew quiet as her double agent swallowed hard. He knew exactly what she would do if he defied her. "Don't hurt her...I'll do it", he uttered meekly.
Smirking, she sounded pleased. "There's a good boy. Now make sure you have everything ready for me. Once Lamya is dead, I intend to cast the reversal upon their entire group. Kalego-kun will be mine before he knows what hit him."
The call ended abruptly. Her agent stared at his phone, torn by his opposing loyalties. Could he really go through with this? Glancing aside, several bottles and vials held long forbidden magical ingredients. Victoria would need them to pull off her coup.
While it was true that she was quite powerful on her own with all of her stolen bloodline abilities, she would need a boost to properly cast a full magical reversal over such a large group. He could already see the panic in the faces of those that trusted him as they struggled to understand why their own spells were tearing them apart. It was a grim fate for a lot of innocent lives, but he didn't have a choice. Having stolen someone precious away as a hostage, his soul belonged to Victoria now.
To be continued...