Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 38
Victoria sat in front of her vanity and smiled at her reflection as she finished her makeup, but an unexpected visitor drew her ire. A small girl with fluffy, black wings rubbed her sleepy eyes, a stuffed toy dangling in her arm. She was no more than two and a half with an unusual mix of features. Dark pink hair hung over her eyes, each a different color.
"Auntie, I had a bad dream", she uttered. Victoria's coldly stared at the child in her mirror. A servant hurried in, apologizing profusely.
"A thousand pardons, mistress. I only left her for a moment, I swear. Please forgive me." The woman bowed deeply, afraid for her life, and for good reason. Such a grievous error would not be taken lightly.
Ai grinned at the sight in her mirror. Slowly turning around, she held her arms out for the child with a pleasant smile. The girl went to her without fear. Setting her upon her lap, Victoria looked harshly upon the errant servant.
"This child is precious cargo, the one thing keeping Babylus in my pocket, and you nearly lost her", she said. The poor maid groveled at her feet. "I'm so sorry! I swear it won't happen again!", she pleaded.
Victoria grinned as she nodded. The servant took it as her saving grace, but Ai had actually nodded to another demon in the doorway, her enforcer. This maid would not repeat her error; She wouldn't live long enough to.
Victoria dismissed the shaken demon as she cradled the sleepy child against her bosom. She really didn't like touching her, an abomination in her eyes, but she needed to keep the girl ignorant of the danger she was in as part of the agreement with her agent.
"Settle down now. Auntie has to go back out to work, but I'll leave you a playmate to keep you company, okay?", she said. She smiled sweetly at the girl despite wanting to vomit. The child looked pleased.
"Auntie, I miss Mommy. Is Daddy coming to play soon? He said he would", she pouted. Victoria was thoroughly nauseated by her innocence, yet played along.
"You know your mommy can't be here in the demon realm and your daddy will take you back to her after he's done working for me." She playfully tapped the girl's nose before handing her off to another servant.
"Take her back to bed and make sure she stays there this time. I expect you won't disappoint me like your predecessor", she said in a warning tone. The new maid bowed reverently in silent obedience before taking the girl away.
Alone, Ai looked at her reflection in mild disgust. "Uegch, I touched it. Now I'll need another bath before my meeting...vile little thing...Her father had better play his part for this."
Back at Babylus, Kalego and Robin paused outside of Dali-sensei's office. Tense voices were going back and forth inside. Robin glanced up at his senpai, wondering what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath, they went inside.
Dali angrily leaned over his desk, glaring at the terrified Marbas, handcuffed to his chair. "Tell me what you know!", demanded Dali. He was infuriated so much that he was nearly shaking. His aura was very dark as he glanced at the intruders. Collecting himself, he slowly stood up straight.
"Kalego-kun, thank you for coming", he said, his words almost hollow from emotional exhaustion. He stiffly sat in his chair, keeping a wicked eye on Marbas. "How is Suzie?", he asked, trying to be professional, but clearly concerned.
When Kalego didn't immediately respond, Dali's wide eyes stared at him in question. "Kalego?"
Kalego glanced over the room, trying to assess the situation. "Persephone is tending to her. She'll be fine", he stated. Dali visibly relaxed. He'd been extremely worried. He smiled meekly at his old friend in thanks. Kalego uncomfortably averted his gaze and muttered, "I'll fill you in later."
Dali didn't like his grim tone. It left too much to the imagination, but he had a feeling that Persephone's phoenix was involved, a revelation that dealt a deep blow to his spirit. He knew Suzie didn't deserve to die. What happened was truly a travesty, but at least she was successfully revived.
Settling his tired eyes back over Marbas, he explained what had occurred. "Suzie-san had been conducting several tests to look for traces of intrusive magic during the last breach. I assume she was following a trail when she headed for the ingredients vault. Undoubtedly she startled our mole who then lashed out… I don't know why her attacker went so far as to use such grotesque methods to silence her. I'm hoping Marbas can tell us that", he said.
Robin peered from behind his senpai. Both he and Kalego stared at the torture arts teacher in question. He looked shaken and horrified, but he was covered in blood, a plausible sign of guilt.
Marbas looked back at them pleadingly. "Kalego, I didn't do this...Robin-kun, you believe me, right?", he ventured, his voice quivering with desperation. Robin met his gaze briefly before turning away. He didn't know what to believe.
Striding forward, Kalego stared darkly into their prisoner's eyes. He was trying to be fair. "Marbas, tell us what happened", he said, trying his best to be impartial. Their suspect looked mildly relieved to be given a chance to clear his name, but the death glare he was getting from Dali's icy silence was rather unnerving.
Marbas dropped his eyes to his cuffed wrists as he gathered his thoughts. "I was working by myself in my classroom, trying to perfect a new technique before the students come back. I was concerned by the amount of missing instruments and decided to take a break to clear my head when the technique wasn't working out the way I wanted it to anyway… I knew Suzie-sensei was on patrol today, so I thought I'd ask her for her opinion to see if I could work out what I was doing wrong or if she had seen anyone borrow anything… As I approached the diabotany tower, a noise caught my attention. It was coming from the ingredient vault."
Kalego held an even expression as he listened, determined to get to the bottom of the attack. "Then what happened?", he inquired. Marbas glanced at the faces around him. Dali looked unconvinced, Robin seemed hopeful for answers, and Kalego's poker face wasn't giving up any of his thoughts until he had all of the information.
Marbas sighed as he recalled everything. "I went to investigate and saw someone on the ground, the door wide open. I ran forward to help and I was completely shocked to find Suzie in such a state. In my rush to help, I slipped in all of the blood...That's why I look like this", he explained. He even had some on his face. "Go on", ventured Kalego.
Nodding, Marbas continued, "She was barely conscious. I tried asking her who did it, but she was already too weak to speak from blood loss… I had found my missing instruments; Her body was riddled with them. I started removing them to ease her pain and that's when she passed out. Moments later, Dali-sensei arrived on the scene with Barbatos-san… I know how it looked, but I swear, it wasn't me!"
Silence drifted in as Kalego considered his tale. After a moment, he asked, "You said you were working alone? No one can verify your whereabouts?". Marbas stared with quivering eyes. Defeatedly, he uttered, "That's right." Robin looked at him with pity. It really didn't look good for the guy.
Kalego turned his attention to Dali. "What was taken from the vault?", he inquired. Dali paused as he thought about it. "I can't be certain that it was the only thing, but one specific rarity is definitely missing - a powerful binding agent, 'essence of hollow hope'. It's exceedingly hard to utilize properly, hence its name. Whoever took it has to either be a master herbalist or have one working for them… Victoria could easily have one in her employ."
Kalego narrowed his eyes in thought. He wouldn't put it past her. It was fairly obvious at this point that the mole had to be working for Ai. Even if the traitor didn't know how to use such a rare ingredient, undoubtedly Victoria had someone who did. After all, she'd even managed to get her hands on angel's blood somehow, another mystery yet to be solved.
"What can Victoria do with it? Didn't we have some other ingredients stolen recently?", asked Robin. Kalego ignored him as he thought. "Hey, senpai, what do you think she's planning?", he added. Fighting off the urge to silence him, Kalego glared darkly. "Whatever it is, I can only hope the brats are ready", he stated grimly.
Dali called his name, pulling him from his introspective concerns. It was highly likely that the misfits were in Victoria's sights. Kalego met his gaze in question.
"What do you believe? Is Marbas our mole?", inquired Dali. All three demons stared at the accused in thought. "I admit that it looks bad, but if we can get Vincente to bring Shichiro over, we can either verify or disprove his story for certain", ventured Kalego.
Robin looked eager to help. "Let me go cover for him while he's gone. I can help watch over the abnormal class", he offered. Kalego thought it over. His irritating kouhai was a poor replacement for Balam. The archer was certainly no powerhouse. To add to his annoyance, Robin was grasping his sleeve with determination. He was still eager to make things up to Iruma from before.
Kalego sighed, knowing he had few choices. "Fine", he conceded, "I will stay with Stolas. Go with Vincente and don't do anything stupid. We'll be as quick with Shichiro as we can."
Marbas looked hopeful. With Balam's bloodline ability, he had a good chance of proving his innocence. Still, Kalego wasn't keen to take his friend off guarding the teens. He didn't have nearly the same level of faith in Robin, but they were running out of options.
After that, Dali and Kalego held a hushed conversation off to the side to hash details, leaving Robin to stare Marbas in the eye. The cuffed teacher sent him an apologetic look. It made Robin question if he was guilty or just feeling badly that he was wasting their limited resources.
Kalego's conversation was interrupted by a phone call. Persephone was calling him on video mode. Enabling the projector, he held his phone out for all to see.
"Stolas-sensei is barely conscious. I don't think she can speak yet, but she'll be alright", said the healer. Kalego's group positioned themselves around Marbas as the screen changed to Suzie's bruised face. Seeing the four gathered demons, she stiffened in fear. She tried to talk, but couldn't muster the strength. She weakly pointed at one of them in recognition before passing out again.
Kalego quickly switched the call back to regular mode as Dali stared grimly at Marbas. Suzie's fearful point was rather damning. Stepping away, Kalego's phone call seemed to take a turn. The color drained from his face, prompting worry in his comrades.
"What did you just say?", he uttered in shock. Robin quickly got too close again, asking questions about Suzie's condition. Kalego ignored him briefly, but ended up grabbing his kouhai's face in annoyance. Anything to shut him up so he could hear.
Robin twitched to get free, unable to breathe until Dali finally dragged him away from Kalego.
"Pandora said that? Are you certain?...I see...We'll have to adjust our plans, then...No, stay with Stolas. I'll handle it."
As he hung up his phone, he was visibly tense. "Kalego-kun, what is it?", asked Dali, muffling their noisy kouhai. "There's been another attack", he stated grimly.
At Sullivan's estate, Opera had retrieved the last of the scattered students. Balam was relieved that everyone was finally accounted for.
Minutes before, a massive wave of dark mana had pulsed through the estate. Shadow snakes sprang up everywhere. There was simply no way to smite them all. Several teens had been bitten and, just like Persephone, each had absorbed the serpentine curses.
Nene was quickly inspecting each affected student, gauging who to help first. Sullivan tried to calm those who were safe, but he worriedly watched his old friend's wings. If she was going to purge any more curses, even minor ones, they would eclipse in totality. A wicked cycle was a very real probability.
A fuss kicked up nearby, drawing everyone's attention. "Iruma-sama", shouted Azz as his soul mate collapsed. Iruma had gone out of his way to help the afflicted, never telling anyone that he, too, had been bitten. While his demon friends suffered some physical discomfort, Iruma had dropped like a fly as the curse coursed through his frail, human body.
Sullivan immediately went to the boy's side, scooping him up in his arms and taking him directly to Nene. She tugged open his shirt to find the bite mark, but there was nothing. Iruma twitched, fighting to wake up as she assessed him. A familiar mark lit his right eye as he looked up at her. It was Victoria's crest. The serpent had nested inside the boy's eye.
Sullivan was naturally overcome with concern, but Nene was the one who tensed stiff. She looked down right angry. Glancing over the other four afflicted students, she forced a wry grin. "That's the last straw… Sa-chan, get ready. I can't promise how my mind will take this."
He knew what she was planning, but had no time to stop her. A soft light emanated from her body as her wolpertinger familiar hopped around the room, touching each cursed teen. Coming to its master, it snuggled into the crook of Iruma's arm. Nene closed her eyes as she concentrated.
The light from her mana spread quickly, following her familiar's trail, washing over the group like a wave and cleansing all it touched. The affected victims felt incredibly warm and safe as their bite marks vanished. She was purging them all at once.
Sullivan watched her closely as the last of her feathers turned pitch. Balam touched Pandora's shoulder with a readable look as the light faded. Stepping up, she sent her rose tint forth, calming the entire room as Nene slumped over into Opera's waiting arms.
Everyone looked serene as they inspected their bodies. A strange feeling even overtook Balam, something he hadn't expected. A nagging thought prompted him to remove his glove to inspect his hand. His mark from Victoria was gone. Nene's purge had been so powerful, his curse had been caught up in it.
Seeing him stare at the missing mark, Pandora tearfully smiled in relief. They shared the happy feeling briefly before returning to their wards. Replacing his glove, Balam made his rounds to check on his students.
Everyone seemed fine except one. Iruma was deeply asleep, just like Persephone. Shichiro knew what that meant and stared in concern, wondering what nightmares had stolen the boy away.
Nearby, Sullivan hugged his grandson, grateful the others were unharmed, but deeply worried for Iruma. Opera called to him as Nene began to stir. Her wings were the blackest they had ever seen them. She hazily sat up to the relief of everyone watching her, but it was short lived.
Her brown hair hung over her face as she let out an eerie chuckle. Looking like a spirit out of a cursed film cassette, she grabbed Sullivan's hand. "Saaaa-chaaaan", she called. Her tone sent chills through the chair demon. There was no doubt in his mind; Nene had hit a wicked cycle in her endeavor to save everyone. He swallowed hard at the realization.
Opera tried to rein her in. "Mummy, let's get you to bed", they ventured, helping her up. She chuckled in a broken pitch, worrying the gathered misfits. Even Ameri was temporarily distracted from her concern over Iruma by how creepy it sounded.
"Opera-chan, let's have tea while Daddy finishes work", said Nene. Grinning with a dark look in her, she looked at Sullivan as if warning him not to dare to be late. Opera nodded, escorting her from the room before the abnormal class was further traumatized. They sent their master a knowing look as they passed.
Once they were gone, Sullivan sighed heavily. "Balam-kun, Henri-kun, get everyone to their rooms. Students, I expect you to stay put until it's safe", he instructed. Everyone nodded, knowing the situation was far too serious to fool around.
"Ameri-chan, stay with the girls. I'm going with Iruma-kun", stated Pandora. She looked really worried, further shaking the student council president. Ameri would rather reverse their roles, but knew she had a duty as part of the security team.
Pandora quietly went to Sullivan's side where she felt she could help. The others followed his orders. Iruma's friends begrudgingly obeyed their elders as Sullivan took him away.
Minutes later, Pandora sat beside Iruma, tucked safely into his bed. She laid a cool rag over his head as his expression contorted. The nightmares had begun.
Inside his mind, Iruma had finally made it to the battlefield inside Victoria's mansion. He'd been so desperate to catch up. His serpent attack had rendered him unable to help during Ai's attack upon the group.
Out of breath, he looked around in the dim light inside. He had finally caught up. Shapes started to take form around him in the eerily silent darkness. His friends were all dead.
Blood soaked the floor around his feet. Lied laid crumpled beside him. He had tried to steal Victoria's vision and she had burned out his eyes as punishment. Beyond him was the charred remains of someone taller. The remnants of a white boot was all that hadn't burned to a crisp.
A deep pain shot through Iruma's chest as he realized who it was. His eyes watered over as he instinctively took a step back. Tripping backward, he fell on his backside. Staring in horror, he realized what, or who, he had tripped over.
Clara's pale face gazed at him through hollow eyes. Their light was gone. Annoyed by her endless pockets of tricks, Victoria had gutted the girl, leaving her entrails everywhere to show nothing else was hidden away.
Turning away in disgusted horror, Iruma wretched in complete despair. He was too late. They were all dead...
He screamed as his mind crumbled, tears streaming down his face. Where were all of the adults? Were they fighting their adversary further inside Ai's mansion? Why hadn't they saved anyone? Had a single classmate survived?
He could see a severed hand with Jazz's rings nearby. He shivered at the overwhelming loss of his friends. Even Sabnock was dead in the hall ahead, impaled by a weapon he had undoubtedly created himself.
Slowly looking up, Iruma desperately dragged Clara's lifeless body into a broken embrace. "I was too late...I'm so sorry...Forgive me, Clara…Everyone..." He could still picture her smile and voice. "You know I love you, Irumachi", sounded in his memories. He mourned her loss and that of the others, sobbing heavily, completely crushed.
Azz's remains were so burnt, he knew they would crumble at his touch, so he simply held onto Clara's corpse as he cried. A familiar presence came up behind him, jarring his already fragile mind.
"Now that's the face I've longed to see. Show me your desperation", grinned Kiriwo. Frozen in pain and anger, Iruma began to shudder. Had his senpai really been part of this slaughter?
"Did you do this?", uttered Iruma weakly. Kiriwo came closer, admiring his anguished expression as he knelt in front of him. "Victoria did, but I watched. I loved every minute of it", he said with a sadistic smile. Iruma glared at him as he carefully lowered Clara's body and gently closed her eyelids with his fingers.
Kiriwo was rather amused with Iruma's grim face. He was livid. "You know, Iruma-kun, it's going to be okay", he ventured. Iruma stared at him at a complete loss for words. How?
He shuddered at the look in Kiriwo's eyes as he grasped his shoulder. "You're going to rejoin them. I'm going to help you. After all, you're only human", he grinned.
The ensuing attack made his meaning clear. Iruma was tackled to the ground hard, a move that had Kiriwo trample over Clara's body. He screamed in pain as his senpai's fangs sunk into his neck, rending skin and muscle. This was it; He was going to die alone, devoured by a demon, and unable to save anyone.
In the physical world, Iruma awoke with a choking gasp. Beside him, Pandora stared in surprise. He looked so wan and scared. Instinctively embracing him tightly, she whispered to him, "It's okay. You're awake now."
Gratefully hugging her back, he tried to calm down. His face was wet, his body was trembling, his eyes burned from tears, and he felt like he was going to throw up. After several minutes, he weakly uttered, "Pandora-san, is everyone okay?".
She grinned faintly at his concern for his friends. He had a good heart. "Yes, Lady Nene purged everyone's curses", she affirmed. She could feel him finally relax in her arms as she held him close. He was so relieved.
Letting him sit back, she tenderly wiped his tears like a loving older sister. "Four others were bitten, but you were the only one who passed out. I promise you that your friends are just fine, okay? Take a deep breath and gather your nerves", she said.
Nodding, he tried to do just that. Realizing they were alone, he inquired, "Where are Grandpa and Opera?". Pandora's averted gaze riled his concerns all over again. "Pandora-san?", he called. Looking back to him, she smiled reassuringly.
"They're looking after Nene-sama. She was able to clear Victoria's mana from everyone at once, but it triggered a wicked cycle", she explained. Iruma stared in awe. Nene was powerful indeed, but now he was worried for her. He had heard about her wings and all. Now he knew it was true.
"Can we go see her?", he asked, surprising Pandora. She thought it over, unsure it was a good idea. However, his fervor changed her mind. Grabbing her hands, he looked her in the eye with determination. "Please, Pandora-san!" Ceding, she smiled fondly at the lad, touched by his concern. "All right."
Moments later, the duo stood outside of Opera's room. A loud crash sent a chill through them. Knocking nervously, they waited. After a long pause, Opera cracked open the door, concealing the chaos inside.
Seeing Iruma up and well, they smiled in relief. "I'm glad you're back to yourself, Iruma-sama, but now isn't a good time", they said. A plaintive cry inside sounded like Sullivan. Glancing back, Opera flattened their cat ears. Sighing, they ceded, "You might as well come in, but don't tell anyone what you see. Pandora-chan, we may need your skills."
With an agreeing nod, they let them in. Both gawked at the impressive mess. Furniture and clothing had been thrown everywhere. Atop the tallest bookshelf, Sullivan's chibi egg form tearfully tried to poke his attacker back with a broom, pleading for mercy. He already had several lipstick prints across his face and head. "Nene-chan, please control yourself!...Look, our darling grandson is here! Hello, Iruma-kun", he waved.
Nene was much shorter than him, just a smidgen over Iruma, thus at a disadvantage as she tried to climb the shelves toward him. Her wings were pitch black. Her head swiveled toward their visitors with a slightly unhinged look on her face. "Our grandson?", she uttered, intrigued.
Iruma looked at Opera in question. The fact that Sullivan was sharing his grandparent status in an effort to assuage the raging tengu was troubling indeed. Opera sighed apologetically as they averted their gaze, arms folded neatly behind their back. Iruma's jaw dropped as he realized he was on his own. "Opera-san?", he whimpered.
Nene was upon him in seconds. She hugged him tightly, nearly crushing his bandaged arm. It was nearly fully recovered after several treatments, but it was still sore. The light brace he wore creaked beneath her strength. Squishing her face against his own, Nene spoke lovingly. "My precious grandson! I could just eat you up!...and I'm not just saying that because you're human", she cooed.
She looked so happy as she snuggled him close. Suddenly pausing her affection, she sent Opera a dark look. "Opera-chan, Mummy is waiting for more grandkids. Why are you holding out on me?!", she said accusingly.
Opera avoided her intense stare as they held their silence. They had no real interest in being a parent. Nene knew that, but she wasn't exactly herself at the moment.
Tearfully, she crushed Iruma to her bosom. "Wah! Opera's so mean! Tell them I need more grandbabies, Iruma-kuuuun!", she whined.
Pandora was floored. She had no idea how to assess the situation. Trying to help, she put a tender hand on the healer's shoulder. Releasing Iruma just enough to breathe, Nene pivoted her focus.
"Pandora-chaaaan", she uttered, an evil glint in her eye. Suddenly hugging the woman, she complained, "You have to stop being so shy! Balam-kun needs heirs! I need grandkids! Don't be so selfish! When are you going to start popping them out?! I'M WAITING."
Pandora blushed deeply, the new target of Nene's affection. She smiled nervously. "Nene-sama, I'm not sure - ", she began. A wicked glare made her correct herself. "Mum, I'm not sure this is the best time to talk about this", she said shyly.
Pleased with her change of pronoun, Nene let her go. "You kids are all so stubborn! If I had to wait for Per-chan and Kalego-kun, I'll be very cross!", she huffed, crossing her arms.
A small sound caught her attention. Sullivan had resumed his usual form and was trying to sneak down. Halfway through his escape, a flutter of black feathers filled the air as Nene tackled him. "Sa-chan, let's make our own grand babies", she grinned flirtatiously.
Iruma blushed at her behavior as Opera put their hand over his eyes. "I tried to warn you", they uttered as the sound of smooches filled the area. "Maybe I should take Iruma-kun back to his room", offered Pandora with an anxious grin. Nene's piercing green eyes looked at her accusingly.
"If you're going to steal away my grandson, I hope you'll be busy putting another in your belly. Opera-chan, get her some wine to take back to Shichiro", she ordered. Opera sighed as they escorted the boy out. Sending a hopeful glance to Pandora, they were leaving her in the wolf's den. With any luck, her rose tint could do something about Nene.
Sullivan tearfully reached toward them as they left. "Opera, come back! Don't leave me alone with - !". His plea was cut off by an exceedingly tight squeeze, crushing the air from his lungs. "You wouldn't be trying to get out of our covenant, would you, Sa-chan?", she asked warningly.
"Now Nene, I never agreed to - ". She cut him off again with a firmly planted kiss. Pandora stifled a coy chuckle at his fluffed mustache. It was a little embarrassing to watch, but also sweet that Nene's emotions were on display. She held Sullivan snuggly with all four limbs wrapped firmly around his body. She looked so happy as she nuzzled into his collar, but the weight of her wings threw the chair demon off balance and he toppled over under the strain.
Nene smiled sneakily as she looked up at him. "Pan-chan, you can leave now", she said, winking. Sullivan frantically tried to scramble away from her, but she held on tight.
"Nene-chan, wouldn't it be nice to take a midnight stroll? I'm sure the moon is lovely", he ventured, trying to distract the raging demoness. He was trying so hard to get out of her clutches.
Nene glared at him with an almost angry look. "Oh no you don't. Last time I fell for that, you flew away and hid for hours", she grumbled. He tried to smile, but Pandora could see his disappointment. His ploy had failed.
Deciding to at least try to help, she stepped closer, helping the duo to their feet. Her eyes sent a calming pink light over them, something Sullivan was grateful for. His pulse was through the roof from Nene's shenanigans.
Nene blinked in mild surprise as a sense of serenity took over her mind. Her eyes maintained their physical change, denoting her wicked cycle, but her thoughts began to clear. She glanced around at the ambient mess.
"Sa-chan, you need to talk to Opera-chan. Their room is a mess", she stated. Pandora and the chair demon exchanged a funny look. She clearly didn't remember trashing the place herself.
Sullivan exhaled in genuine relief. He'd barely dodged a proverbial bullet thanks to Pandora. He had some choice words for Opera and their abandonment in his time of need. Still, he couldn't blame them. Very few demons could handle Nene's wicked cycle. At least Iruma was back to normal.
to be continued...