Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 50
Now on level 6 underground, Iruma had caught Sage from the air vent as promised and he held onto her protectively as they slowly investigated the immediate area. It was too dangerous to take her into the unknown, but he couldn't quite leave her alone, either. Spotting another vent near the floor, he got an idea.
"Sage-chan, I need you to hide for a bit while I look around. This shaft is pretty near the ground, so no one should notice you and I'll put the vent cover back on, too, so all you have to do is stay quiet until I come back for you. You're brave enough to do that, right?", he ventured, offering a reassuring smile.
Nodding, she obeyed. She knew he wouldn't leave her behind for long. Once nestled into her hiding place, she anxiously grasped his sleeve. "Iruma-nii, be extra careful, okay?? Auntie Ai is really sneaky... I hope you find your sensei and if you can, could you please look for my uncle Kalego, too?"
He grinned fondly as he patted her head. His hunch about her so-called uncle was right, but he didn't want her to worry. She didn't need to know just how bad the situation likely really was.
"I'll keep an eye out, but if I find him, he might be hurt like I was...Can you heal demons like you did me?", he asked carefully. He really didn't want to subject her to the awful sight he was anticipating, but without his medical supplies, his options were limited.
Sage looked uncertain of herself. Humans were easy to patch up thanks to her angel magic, but there was a possibility it could actually be detrimental to Kalego. She had yet to learn demonic magic, so she had no real way of knowing. "I'll try...Good luck, Iruma-nii", she said, trying to look brave.
Iruma smiled supportively as he replaced the vent cover. The likelihood of her being discovered there was slim, but he wouldn't go too far just yet until he knew for certain that she was safe.
As he strayed from Sage's hiding spot, he kept his eyes and ears open. He was tense and down to his last feather from the king of the valley. If he needed his bow again, it would be his last shot.
After turning several corners through the winding corridors, he heard movement up ahead. This floor didn't seem quite as well polished as the others. It was likely still being finished and whoever was ahead could be an innocent worker. As he carefully approached, he heard voices just beyond an open door.
"Last chance. Tell me what you know", warned Persephone. Her voice was rougher than usual. It seemed she was getting desperate. The terrified demon being held tightly by his collar pleaded, "I told you, lady, I'm just here to clean the cells! I don't know any Naberius!"
Peering in, Iruma could see Persephone narrow her eye in irritation. "Your pulse is fluctuating. You're lying", she stated. The man facing her finally cracked. "Alright! Look, I don't know who's in there, but there's a high security torture chamber on the next floor down. It's got crazy locks and nobody's even supposed to know about the lower levels. Seven and eight are unfinished. Seven is structurally stable, but I can't say the same about eight. It's gonna be rough down there and I'm not responsible if you get hurt!"
Persephone smirked. "I appreciate your assistance." Then she knocked him out. Hearing a nervous breath at the door, she turned, staring in a mix of relief and mild surprise. "Iruma-kun...Are you hurt?" She stared pointedly at his blood covered clothes.
He anxiously approached her, obviously hiding something. Nervously waving his hands, he tried to explain. "I was, but I'm fine now...I found Sage-chan and she patched me up. See?"
He tugged his collar loose for her to inspect his shoulder. She didn't know how bad the original injury was, but she could make a good guess based on the amount of blood staining his coat.
"Remarkable, not a single trace of a scar. She's very skilled for one so young", she said, impressed, as she closely examined his healed skin. Grinning subtly, she added, "So this is angel magic."
Iruma froze, mildly panicked, then he realized that it made perfect sense for Persephone to know the truth. She was intelligent, trustworthy, and of a high rank. Of course she knew.
She stepped back as he corrected his clothing. "Did you already get her to the surface?", she asked. Iruma shook his head. "I have her hidden right now. I was hoping to find someone for that...You haven't seen Opera-san, have you?"
He was careful not to say where the girl was. There was no telling who might be listening in the poorly lit halls of this gloomy floor. Then Persephone looked like she suddenly remembered something. He politely averted his eyes as she reached into her dress.
"No, they're underground with us somewhere, but I did run into Clara and Shax. Here, she made you a new radio. Go ahead and check in with Lord Sullivan; He's worried sick", she replied, handing over the device. Iruma lit up with gratitude as he attached it to himself, then he hesitated as if worried about something.
"You said Clara and Lied...What about Soi-kun?", he asked. She could hear the fear in his voice, so she gave him a kind smile. "Purson-kun is just fine. I sent him to the surface with Valiant", she explained. Iruma's eyes shone brightly in relief.
"Then you already rescued Vincente-san? That's really great! Now we just have to find Kalego-sensei", he said. As his teacher's name left his lips, Persephone's expression darkened, clearly worried.
"Persephone-san, don't worry. We'll find him. Everything's going to be okay", he ventured. Yet his resolve didn't seem to spark her own. She looked so withdrawn as he curled her arms tightly around herself. After a long pause, she said, "I just hope we make it in time… Victoria is still on the loose and you didn't see what she had done to Valiant. It was...truly dreadful… And I'm sure that whatever she's done to Kalego-kun will be worse."
Her tone was grim and her eye grew moist at the stinging, recent memory of her tortured friend. Seeing her so hopeless was hard for the boy to handle. He didn't know what to say, so he opted to quietly hug her instead. He could feel her tremble faintly in surprise as he did so, until she finally returned his embrace. "Thank you", she uttered sincerely.
After a moment, he let her go and she wiped her forming tears in frustration. Something about this human seemed to bring her emotions to the surface. She wasn't used to showing them so openly and it made her uncomfortable, but she knew she could trust him not to spread what he'd seen.
Stepping aside, he let her collect herself as he called above ground. "Hello, grandpa? Sorry we lost touch. My communicator got damaged", he said apologetically. The response was so loud, Persephone could hear it nearly five feet away.
"IRUMA-KUUUN! I was so worried! Please tell grandpa that you're alright!"
Iruma grinned to himself despite his throbbing eardrum. Sullivan really did love him and he cherished that dearly, something he never really got in the human world. "I'm okay", he verified.
"Thank goodness! Where are you? Do you need help? Call Opera to your location right away! Better yet, I'll come down there myself!", said Sullivan, his voice full of tears and determination. He was so relieved.
"You don't have to do that! I'm fine, really, and I'll call Opera-san next...Grandpa, is everyone alright up there?", asked Iruma, concerned for his friends. The pause that followed only compounded his worries.
Finally, the chair demon said, "Everything is under control, though there's been no sign of Victoria. She could be anywhere. I want you to be especially careful, Iruma-kun...She knows your secret and if anything were to happen to you - ..." He trailed off, unable to even think about it, let alone put it into words.
"Lamya-san is here with me and I promise I won't leave her side until Opera-san gets here, so try not to worry, okay?", ventured the boy. His tone was reassuring, so Sullivan begrudgingly accepted the terms. He would have to wait to cuddle his beloved grandchild. Besides, he had his own duties to attend to. "Alright. Call me as soon as Opera joins you. I'll be waiting."
Beside him, Persephone had managed to calm herself, but she still looked rather tense. Something was clearly on her mind. Not wanting to talk about it, she called Opera's radio herself. "I've found Iruma-kun; He's uninjured. We're on the sixth level of the sub basement. Join us as soon as you can. I'll stay with him until then." "Roger that", they replied.
As they waited, an oppressive silence filled the room. "Iruma-kun?" He glanced up at his name as they sat beside one another in the gloom. Was she finally going to open up to him? He patiently waited with a supportive grin.
Averting her frustrated, pink face, she tried to retain the edge he'd grown accustomed to, but both knew she was vulnerable at that moment whether she liked it or not.
"When this is all over and everyone goes home...Please look after Kalego for me", she said. Her tone was desolate, but determined. "What do you mean by that?", he asked nervously. She smiled dejectedly as she turned to face him.
"I've been thinking about this a lot and I've already decided - Once I've healed him, I'm going to wipe all of his memories of me...I don't deserve him after what I've done", she stated. Iruma was horrified. "You can't!", he blurted. The desperation in his response caught her off guard.
"It's what's best for him. I did the one thing I swore I'd never do and altered his mind, wounded his spirit, and got him stuck in this hell hole. Even if he can somehow forgive me, I don't deserve it… I wouldn't blame him if he can't."
Iruma took her hand as he stared deeply into her eye. "Persephone-san, you can't just give up and erasing yourself from his life is wrong! Sure, it's going to be hard to bounce back from all this, but sensei's capture wasn't your fault...If you truly want him to be happy, then you have to be there with him…You're the only one I've ever seen make him smile like that… I know I'm just a kid, but isn't something as wonderful as love worth the effort?...Isn't sensei?", he said with feeling.
She stared in mild shock. His plea was so fervent and heartfelt. It hit her deeply and she could easily see in his eyes that he had no intention of backing down. Shying her gaze, she felt both foolish and helpless. She hated that feeling.
"Of course he is...but I could've done more...I shouldn't have messed with his head...Why didn't I just pretend to defect to Victoria and rewrite her mind? I could've erased her fixation on him or something!...Anything but what I did..."
In the midst of her emotions, she had failed to cut the call to Opera. She shivered with shocked embarrassment as their voice filled her earpiece. Her candor had been clearly heard.
"Persephone, listen to me..." They'd addressed her by her first name for once; That had never happened before. We're they actually trying to help?
"We all could have handled this situation differently, but we didn't. We followed Kalego's lead just as Lord Sullivan wanted. Are you really willing to toss out both of their trust and let him forget everything you've been through together?...Snap out of it and stop feeling sorry for yourself!...If you truly love Kalego-kun, then put in the work and prove it. Even if he doesn't forgive you, you at least have to try. You owe yourself that much", said Opera.
Iruma's eyes shone with admiration and gratitude for their input. If anyone could pull Persephone out of her melancholic spiral, he knew it would be Opera-san. She seemed genuinely surprised by their words, breathlessly debating her previous plan against hope for a future together with her lover.
"You're both callous, gloomy, and stubborn", began Opera, prompting Iruma to freeze at their harsh tone. Then their voice softened again.
"But you aren't stupid... I don't think Kalego-kun is willing to just let you walk out of his life again, so don't be so eager to erase the one demon that actually makes you happy. You're better than that."
It grew silent as their words sank in. Slowly, she started to grin ever so faintly.
"Opera-san…Thank you for the wake up call... You're absolutely right; This self pity doesn't suit me at all, so I'll shed this useless despair, straighten my back, and hold my head high with zeal, just like he remembers me", she said, a renewed sense of resolve in her eye.
Iruma quietly smiled in relief beside her. "Thank goodness", he thought. Seeing his drill sergeant act so fragile was rather off putting. He was glad to see her finally come back to her senses. However, the warm feeling was short-lived as her usual edgy demeanor returned.
"And Opera...If you ever breathe a word of this conversation to Kalego-kun, Lord Sullivan will never find your body. Are we clear?", she ventured.
Iruma froze. "Eep!", he thought. She was back alright and as scary as ever.
On their end, Opera smirked in approval. "Make that an equal contract and we'll call it even", they said. "Of course", she replied.
Neither wanted Kalego to know just how much they cared, Opera especially, and Persephone never wanted to be seen as weak in his stern eyes. If she were to become feeble, she felt she'd be unworthy of standing at his side.
Cutting off the call, Persephone took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "Iruma", she called. He nervously jolted to attention. Was he getting a threatening warning next?
"Thank you for keeping quiet about all of this...I don't want Kalego-kun to worry or feel sorry for me. His disapproval, anger, and even disgust, I can bear, but not his pity...I know it may take decades of hard work, but I promise you that I will find a way to make this up to him somehow... Can I count on you to remind me of my ambition the next time I stumble?", she ventured.
She smiled at him fondly. He'd never seen her look at anyone but Pandora that way before. It seemed he'd somehow worked his way into her heart. "Sure!", he beamed.
As Opera delved deeper after their young master, Iruma called in to check on his friends and teammates. Balam-sensei, Clara, Lied, and Azzkun were all vastly relieved to hear from him. Still, the matter of Kiriwo had yet to be resolved, so Iruma warned the remaining members of his team just how dangerous and crazed their senpai had become; They needed to be careful.
He also reported that he had found Sage, but kept her secret and location safe. He understood that it was too dangerous to simply announce where the child was or her heritage. Knowing how wily Victoria was, it was distinctly possible she was listening and, undoubtedly, she would be furious with her invaders after losing two of her prized prisoners. There was no way she was going to let Kalego go without a fight. That much was certain.
Once Opera managed to catch up, Iruma hugged them tearfully, glad to be reunited and relieved they were unharmed. Persephone said nothing of the security demon's coy smile or the fondness in their generally sharp eyes during the embrace. They each had an understanding about their mutual, usually concealed emotions. It was the one thing the two of them really had in common.
After the reunion and updating Sullivan, Iruma led his guardians back to Sage. She shyly crawled out, gratefully clinging to him as she anxiously stared at the adults.
"Sage-chan, these are my friends, Persephone-san and Opera-san. They also came to save you, so you don't have to be afraid. I promise no one is going to hurt you", he said assuringly as he held her near.
She sniffled as she tearfully peered at the two demons. "Friends?", she uttered meekly, her face still mostly buried in his clothing. He smiled brightly as he nodded.
"Yeah! Persephone-san is a healer just like you and Opera-san is really strong. I trust them both with my life, so you can, too, okay?", he replied.
Both adults smiled faintly for the girl as they knelt down to greet her. "Your daddy's been really worried about you. He isn't here right now, but I promise you'll see him soon. In the meantime, do you think you can go with Opera-san above ground? It isn't safe for you down here", said Persephone.
At first, Sage seemed okay. "You know my daddy?", she asked. Persephone's smile widened, hiding much, but she had to win the girl over. Trying to extract a crying child would be no easy task and she would undoubtedly learn of her father's exploits in time.
"That's right. Dali-kun works at Babylus, my master's school", offered Opera. Holding out their arms expectantly, they waited for her to come to them, but she didn't budge.
"Iruma-nii, don't make me go! I wanna stay with you until we find uncle Kalego!", she cried, holding onto him even tighter.
Frustrated, Opera mildly flattened their ears as Iruma smiled apologetically. Focusing his thoughts, he knew she would pick up on them as he tried to convey all of his good memories with Opera. It seemed to work as the girl slowly relaxed. Looking into his face, she asked, "They're a nice demon?". Iruma nodded with a grin.
Sage glanced between them before finally letting go. She begrudgingly let Opera pick her up. "I like your tail, Kitty-san", she said. Persephone quickly stifled a snicker beside them at their expression. Their face hadn't changed at all, but those who knew them well enough could see their response reflected in their eyes. Then Opera forced a grin, appeasing the small child. "Thank you. I like your lovely wings", they ventured as a peace offering.
Iruma stepped near as the girl beamed at the compliment. "Sage-chan, stick close to Opera no matter what, okay? They're crazy fast, so hold on tight. I'll see you again after we find your uncle, so be good for me until then", he said, affectionately patting her head one more time.
He was really taking the big brother role to heart and she looked so elated at his touch. Such a simple, familial affection had her on her best behavior. Even the adults smiled slightly at how cute their bond was. "Okay. Good luck, Iruma-nii", she agreed.
Opera nodded as the girl tightened her grip on their clothes. "I'll report back once she's safe. Be careful down here and Lamya… Don't forget what I said. We're all counting you." Then they took off, quick as ever.
Now alone, Persephone chuckled in mild amusement. "Kitty-san...I'll have to remember that one", she smirked. Iruma grinned nervously, unsure of how well reusing the nickname would go over, but the awkward air cleared quickly.
"You did a great job with her, Iruma...But we still have work to do. Looks like this complex has an additional two levels that we didn't know about. If that informant is to be trusted, Kalego-kun is on the next floor down...He'll be in bad shape, so I'll have to treat him before we can try to get him out", she said, thinking out loud.
Iruma shifted uncomfortably. He apparently had something to say. "Um, Persephone-san?", he mumbled. She peered at him in interest. "What is it?"
"I've been thinking...I had an idea before, but I didn't get a chance to discuss it with anyone. I don't think it would work, but I've been wondering...What if I just summoned sensei?", he ventured.
Persephone stared at him with a complex expression. Did she not know about their contract? Oh crap, Kalego would be furious with him! He started sweating profusely. He could already hear the harsh, "Iruuummaaaa, you bastard!!!", loudly in his head.
Sensing his spiraling anxiety, Persephone put her hand on his shoulder. "Relax, I already know about your unusual familiar...I laughed for three whole days when I found out", she admitted, fighting the urge to chuckle about it all over again. "Eehhh?", uttered Iruma, shocked.
"Don't look so surprised. Kalego-kun couldn't hide something that hilarious from me if he tried...Besides, it wouldn't work. Don't you remember your lessons?...If you managed to summon him, he would simply return to his bonds once the summoning ended."
That did sound awfully familiar, but it seemed she had more to say. Elaborating, she continued, "It's also possible that one of two other things could happen. Either, one, it would fail from his lack of mana and he wouldn't respond to your call, or two, it would cause untold damage as his body tried to reform with what are likely grievous injuries."
Iruma gaped at her explanation. He hadn't thought about all of that, but she was making perfect sense. The possibility of a simple failure wasn't so bad, but the other two options were both fairly horrible. Now he was glad he hadn't tried it. If Kalego survived what was probably going to be a very painful summoning, returning to whatever wretched place he was in before was far more cruel than simply making him wait for them.
"Iruma, one more thing - Thank you for your blood. You had a great idea and it likely saved Valiant's life...Truly, thank you", said Persephone. She even lowered her head in gratitude, proving that she really meant it. Still, Iruma was unused to her candid thanks.
"It was nothing, really!...Did you end up using both vials? Do you need more for Kalego-sensei?", he replied. Persephone shook her head.
"I only used one, but there's no telling what state Kalego is in. He may be too far gone for even your blood to be helpful...Our only chance may be to end his misery and pray my phoenix can bring him back", she uttered darkly.
Iruma's paled in concern at such a horrid prospect. "Do you really think he's that bad?", he asked, worried. Persephone looked at him with repressed guilt. She didn't like putting so much of a burden on the boy's mind, but he'd already been involved since almost the beginning. At this point, she couldn't pull any punches.
Kneeling to meet him at eye level, she gently grasped his shoulders. "Iruma-kun, listen carefully. What Victoria did to Valiant was vulgar, cruel, and brutally thorough... I have no doubt that whatever she's done to Kalego-kun will easily be worse… What we find likely won't be recognizable as your sensei to your eyes", she said.
Iruma swallowed hard. Her words rang with a very grim truth. He wasn't sure he was ready, but they were out of time.
"However traumatizing the sight is, I need you to hold it together. It's going to take both of us to free him from the maniacal contraptions she undoubtedly has him confined in, so even if you throw up, I need you to hang in there. Just don't pass out or give up. Once he's free, I can rewrite your memory so you won't have nightmares, but I'm going to require your resolve one more time, even if my own shakes...Can you do that?"
Fighting the dark images conjuring in his head, he nodded with determination. "Persephone-san, I promise we'll rescue sensei together", he stated. She grinned fondly at the look in his eyes. He wouldn't let her down.
After that, Persephone and Iruma descended to the seventh floor of the sub basement. It took some searching to find its entrance and the level was clearly still in its rough stage. They knew they could cover more ground if separated, but that had its own risks. This floor was one giant unknown.
"I'll head east. You take the west. Exercise extreme caution here, Iruma. There could be traps or structural dangers and we still haven't run into Victoria yet. That alone has me worried. She could potentially be plotting anything… That being said, if anything at all happens, call me immediately and I'll rush to your aid. It's up to the two of us to find Kalego. Let's make sure we can tell him there were no losses during the raid. Deal?", she ventured.
Iruma nodded resolutely. "I won't let you down!...Persephone-san, if you need back up, don't be afraid to call me either. I know I'm not much help, but I'll do whatever I can and I'll check in over the radio every few minutes so you don't have to worry about me. Just focus on finding sensei."
She grinned at his determination. He was clearly no match for Victoria, but knowing he was willing to face her anyway was somehow comforting. After a brief stare of reassurance, they headed in opposite directions.
Several minutes later, toward the east, Persephone managed to find some notes detailing some of Ai's horrific experiments. One journal even mentioned some kind of new technique she had learned to apply to 'drain'. Whatever it was, it sounded awful. The notes about her victims were enough to give anyone chills, even a battle hardened medic. Swallowing her nerves and praying for Kalego's safety, she pressed on.
Elsewhere, Iruma was exploring a dark corridor. It had places marked off to create doorways and rooms, but they hadn't even been started yet. Was his sensei really here somewhere or had that demon from before simply lied to save his own skin?
The far end of the hall felt unnaturally cold as he approached. Pressing his hand to the wall, the bitter temperature instantly stung his skin. Looking down, clear footprints and drag marks were present in the dust, but where did they go and how? He panicked briefly. He didn't know any ice magic. Would 'raffire' be enough to keep him warm? Was there even anything to burn?
Feeling carefully along the surface, his hand disappeared into the wall itself. Some sort of illusion magic was concealing a hidden release mechanism. Cautiously grasping onto the device, he heard a click as he manipulated it. Stepping back, he silently watched the wall shudder sideways, disappearing from view on some sort of track, and exposing a horrific sight.
Several bodies had been butchered and were being stored within a massive freezer. Iruma stepped back in pure shock. Humans and demons alike were carved up and preserved some sort of demented meat locker. He felt sick to his stomach, but managed to hold on to its contents and, thankfully, the frigid temperature had erased any trace of the rancid smell his mind was conjuring.
"All these poor people...", he uttered. Some still had their faces perfectly intact. Clapping his hands and bowing reverently, he said a prayer for the poor, tormented souls. As he leaned forward, a lower shelf caught the side of his eye. A mere child, human by her looks, was frozen solid as if asleep. She had been placed with care, bundled in blankets as if they were somehow supposed to keep her warm.
The scene made no sense. Why would a mass murderer look so kindly after the child's corpse? Seeing someone so young there, his disgust was replaced by a growing sense of rage. How dare Victoria hurt these innocent people? What could they have possibly done to deserve their fate?
A door at the far end of the freezer slowly opened and an intimidating aura flowed out. Iruma stiffened, glued to where he stood in sudden fear. "Who dares let out all of my precious cold air?... Victoria-sama will be rather cross if her guests thaw", said an eerie voice. An old man peered at Iruma in question. His features were sharp and jagged as if we were made of living ice.
"What is this? A live one?...Oh dear...Come here, boy", he beckoned. Yet Iruma didn't move an inch. He glared in a mix of anger and sadness. "Did you do all this?", he asked carefully. "Oh?", uttered the demon, intrigued.
He stepped out from his lab. He was humongous, at least 14 feet tall, with light blue skin and downward pointing horns. The vast size of the freezer now made perfect sense.
He looked over Iruma as if judging his constitution. "Hmm, scrawny. You won't last long in here...but that uniform. You are from Babylus, come to take back your sensei, yes?...You are not food for mistress Ai at all", he said, relieved and his breath visible with each word.
His face was hollow and his eyes were sunken into his head. He looked like some nightmarish rendition of a frost giant. "Come along, boy. I will provide you with a map to find him", he said calmly. Iruma stiffened. Who was this bizarre demon and why was he trying to help him?
Sensing his distrust and frustration, the demon smiled softly. "Fear not, child. I am not your enemy. I am only here to serve my mistress and Naberius is a distraction that simply must go. She has not been down to work with me since he got here...I understand your view of me. I must be horrifying to one so small and my collection has surely upset you, but minding this freezer is all I can do to appease Victoria-sama. If I were to leave here, I assure you I would sicken quite quickly. My body is not built for the temperatures of the upper world; The sun would certainly be my death...Now come. Let me draw you a map. Once Naberius is returned to the surface, perhaps my mistress will return for my help... She is quite unwell, I understand, but she is all I have left to serve... Be at ease; You are in no danger from me. The deaths you see here were not wrought by my hand, but her own… Perhaps one day, I will finally get through to her...Now, let us get you on your way before you catch a cold."
Iruma stared, unsure what to make of the demon. He seemed kind yet misguided. To be honest, his soft tone was reminiscent of Balam-sensei, but how could such a gentle giant fall so far as to serve Victoria?
Iruma shivered, holding himself tightly. This room was nearly arctic in atmosphere. He watched anxiously as the giant carefully took off his massive scarf and placed it over his head. It was incredibly warm and somehow smelled of wildflowers.
"Who are you?", he uttered. The demon smiled kindly in response. "No one has asked my name in a very long time. What was it again?...Ah, yes. You can call me Cornelius." Waving him closer, he said, "Wait here and try to stay warm. I will hurry for you." Then he vanished to the adjacent room.
The giant scarf kept Iruma snug while he waited. He wondered what such a demon was doing working for Victoria. He had clearly seen her madness. Did he really think no one else would be willing to accommodate his needs so much that he subjected himself to being surrounded by corpses?
When Cornelius returned, he gave the boy a map as promised. His jagged features tried to smile as he handed it over . "This is what I could remember. I hope it helps", he said.
Looking at it, Iruma gaped, stunned. It was practically a copy of the blueprints. "This is amazing, Cornelius-san!" The old demon grinned bashfully. His memory had always been sharp as he was born with hyperthymesia, or basically, superb clarity of the memories pertaining to almost every event in his life.
The frost demon grinned. "My memory is not as sharp as it used to be, so some of the measurements may be off. Still, this place here will have a hidden entrance like my own domain. That is where your teacher is to be found. It is the most secure cell in the entire complex by far... You will have trouble getting it open without the mistress's help, but I have a feeling you will come up with something."
He pointed as he explained. Then he grew quiet. After a brief pause, he said, "Please take your sensei far from this place. While it is not his fault, his presence only deepens my lady's depravity. When it comes to Naberius, every dark thought she ever had bubbles to the surface as if possessed." Sighing sadly, he added, "If only there was a way to reset her mind and erase all of the poison her mother etched into her soul. She was such a lovely child..."
That statement resonated with Iruma. With Persephone's 'rewrite', that was a real possibility, but would she be willing to do it? He doubted anyone could garner sympathy for Victoria at this point. She would pay for her crimes even if it ultimately meant killing her. He really didn't want to see any more death, but he knew the consensus among the adults and he was in no place to question the law of the demon world.
Bowing in gratitude, Iruma said, "Thank you, Cornelius-san. With this, I can finally rescue Kalego-sensei...If it's possible to create a better place for you, would you be willing to leave here?".
The huge demon seemed uncertain that such a possibility even existed. "If it were possible, I would be most grateful. However, Lady Ai cannot be left to her devices...I assume you have a plan, young man?"
Iruma grinned assuringly before leaving. He hadn't elaborated because he really didn't have a plan yet, but he knew Sullivan would be able to help this unfortunate soul. Cornelius deserved better and he would ensure that happened.
After resealing the massive freezer, Iruma studied the map as his body warmed back up. He neatly folded the giant scarf and left it by the frozen domain's entrance. Then, he went looking for Kalego. It was only a matter of time to free him now.
To be continued…