Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: Shadows of the Past, part 53
At Babel tower, in a grand meeting room, Lady Levi worriedly looked at the members of the crowns that had convened. Several were missing since the call to meet had been so abrupt, but any help to control the spiraling situation would be a reassurance to her.
Belial sat at the far end of the table, unsure they should have made such a move without consulting Sullivan, but he understood her panic. The demoness that had killed her son was once again causing trouble and if what Sullivan had found in her lab was an accurate depiction of the true purpose of Victoria's horrific work, then the entire netherworld and beyond was potentially in danger.
Around half of the thirteen had come. Baal naturally appeared in order to cement his innocence in everything. No one knew of his involvement yet and he intended to keep it that way. Still, he had to play his part as if nothing was different.
"What is all this about? Some of us are busy", he said, looking bored as he leaned onto his elbow. Belzebuth sent him a chiding look for his blatant disrespect while Amu seemed distracted. She knew her son was busy participating in the raid and stared with concern out the window, praying for everyone's safety.
Belial spoke next. "As you're all aware, there is a planned attack in progress against Victoria Ai as we speak to stop her once and for all. During this assault, Sullivan has reported on his findings from Ai's personal lab and what was found is rather troubling."
Levi held a strained silence across the table, letting him continue. "It seems some of our previous fears have been realized...Victoria has run countless dreadful experiments for years now in pursuit of an unknown goal, but with her journal, she has finally damned herself… It appears she seeks to resurrect her mother, Victoria Hayami… Some of you may recall her downfall when she moved against Delkira-sama in the past. For those of you younger members, I will answer your questions later."
Baal held an even expression, but perked an eyebrow in interest. Was that truly Ai's goal? Even he wasn't sure, but he maintained a healthy level of doubt. There had to be more than that going on. Otherwise she was just wasting her potential.
Slowly, Levi rose from her seat, drawing everyone's attention. Her face was grim and filled with concern.
"She has committed innumerable crimes; Her sins can never be atoned for… Ai must be stopped. Not only is she dabbling in necromancy, but she appears to be seeking immortality itself and, to achieve this goal, she has broken a law so sacred that several of you aren't even aware of it", she began.
"Levi-chan...Do we really have to announce it like this?", asked Belial, worried. She understood his distress, but she could no longer sit idly by and let Ai run amok.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ai is experimenting on more than just demons. Other races have pulled into the fray… Because of her meddling, the demon realm may be at risk from more than just internal struggles in the very near future."
"You mean she's been taking humans?", asked Amu, covering her mouth in mild shock, while Baal smirked. "So what? Who cares about a handful of humans? Hell, I'd like to taste one myself", he taunted smugly.
Amaymon glared slightly at his impertinence. "There must be more going on than a few missing humans. Still, Azazel would certainly have notified us if that was the case", he said, thinking aloud. No one missed Belial and Levi worriedly exchanged glances.
"What is it, my lady?", inquired Amaymon carefully. Levi sighed; She wasn't eager to put such facts in the spotlight, but they had already come this far. She looked imploringly at her old friend. Belial then stated, "We have reason to believe that she has captured an angel. They are presumably being held at her estate."
Everyone stared in astonishment. Even Baal's eyes widened in mild surprise. It was an unexpected turn of events, yet he knew Ai was capable of many things. The fact that she had yet again done the unthinkable was to be anticipated. Grinning faintly, he ventured, "And you want us to prevent the next war."
The room grew quiet as it sank in. Amu wanted to volunteer, but knew Alice would be distracted from battle by her presence, so Paimon was the first to voice the obvious in her place. "Only one of us can go."
It made perfect sense. If the angels sent agents to recover their fallen, too many high ranking demons also arriving on scene could potentially be considered an act of aggression. Thus having any other members of the greats there besides Sullivan was simply out of the question. However, a single one of the crowns would be expected.
Amused, Baal spoke up. "I'll go", he grinned. Really, he just wanted the chance to silence Ai and hopefully steal her research. Surely the leader of the southern army would be sufficient to deter further trouble. It was a win-win situation for him.
After some mild discussion, the group agreed. The 'Thunder Lord' was to keep the peace while the others would watch and wait. He was being trusted to diffuse the situation and, with any luck, Victoria's captive angel was alive and could be returned home. If only they knew his true objectives...
Elsewhere, Victoria stared at the door to the massive freezer that housed her experiments and her grandfather. She had been betrayed to a mere human and, while she had grand plans for Iruma anyway, she could not allow such a grievous offense to be ignored.
Cutting the power, she looked on without emotion, knowing that the rising temperature would slowly kill the large demon within. "Goodbye, Cornelius", she uttered, closing her eyes briefly in parting. Then she sharply turned her focus elsewhere without remorse.
A familiar energy was approaching fast. "Of course he's coming", she thought. Baal would naturally try to repress her speech to the authorities, but she had already planned accordingly and had other pressing matters to attend to. A spurned business partner and ex lover was of little consequence at this stage of her schemes.
Above ground, things were finally calming down. Balam was talking to Agares about how to handle the last of the straggling enemy soldiers when a woman appeared behind them and slowly reached out her hand.
In the blink of an eye, a vine was wrapped tightly around her wrist, stopping her fingers from making contact with the master general. Balam sighed in genuine relief as he spoke into his radio. A massive problem had just been solved. "Good work, spy team. Your intel was correct. Tojiru made her move. We're arresting her now."
The shocked demoness glared at the plant upon her arm. How did they know she was coming? As Henri and one of his agents approached, Balam reminded them not to touch her directly. "Be careful and absolutely do not skin contact. This is the one who can seal mana; Don't let her touch you."
There was no doubt in his mind that this demon's power along with Ai's 'drain' is what rendered both Kalego and Valiant helpless upon their arrival. She was dangerous and needed to be carefully dealt with. Thankfully, she was now in Azazel's custody and they all had one less thing to worry about.
Back below, Opera had finally caught up to Iruma. Their young master was glad to have both his med pack and guardian back. Persephone was strong on her own, but rescuing Kalego would be taxing with only the two of them if his bonds were as elaborate as they expected. They would undoubtedly need Opera's strength to free him.
Sage clinged to Iruma as she peered at the security demon's even, impassive expression. Were they mad? Noting her anxiety, Iruma reassured her that she wasn't in trouble, but also made her promise not to pull such a stunt again. Having her unexpectedly teleport away from him could prove troublesome to her rescue and they couldn't risk losing her. After she agreed, he led the group back to his sensei's cell.
They moved slowly and carefully, expecting traps. They found a few, but evaded them easily enough. Something wasn't right; It was almost as if Ai was inviting them to take away her prized Naberius. Just what was she plotting? Each knew she was far too cunning to simply overlook his inevitable rescue.
As they got closer, a change in the ambient air slowly became evident. "It's too hot", complained Sage. It had unexpectedly gotten rather warm. Most of the lower levels were fairly cool, probably because of the freezer, then it dawned on Iruma.
"Persephone-san, do you remember me mentioning Cornelius-san?", he ventured. They had discussed it briefly while waiting for Opera to arrive. She nodded, following his thoughts.
"Ai must have shut down the freezer", she stated. "But won't that kill him?!", panicked Iruma. She seemed to think it over. "With enough time, yes, but there is still a way to save him. Once we've freed Kalego-kun, we will call for backup to help Cornelius...We can't risk losing Kalego with a side quest after coming so far. I'm sure Lord Sullivan will figure something out", she replied.
She was right, of course. Putting his faith in his grandfather, Iruma begrudgingly agreed. Once Kalego was safe, they would call for an ice mage to help the kind, old demon that had drawn him a map.
Finally reaching the thick door to his sensei's cell, Iruma swallowed hard. Getting in would be difficult. Both adults peered at him as he stepped near the door. "Sensei, I brought help! We're going to get you out of there! Just hold on!", he called encouragingly, but there was no response, only an eerie, worrying silence.
Opera nodded for him to back up with Sage as they cracked their knuckles and Persephone used herself as a shield for their young wards. However, Opera's impressive strength didn't even make a dent. They twitched their tail in irritation. "How troublesome."
"We'll have to open the locks somehow", ventured Persephone. Opera flattened their ears in mild annoyance. "That will take too long. Victoria is likely already on her way here to stop us", they stated. The healer smirked in response. "Then we'd better work fast", she grinned.
At the surface, near the guard post, a shadow weaved unnoticed. Ash, Keket, and now Tojiru had all been defeated and captured. Azazel's agents were observant, but all blockades had a weak point. Ai simply used her stolen anti-detection ability to breeze past them.
Keket, the shapeshifter, looked rather pleased, nestled in Balam's vines with Opera's cat ears twitching contentedly. She almost looked like she was dreaming happily about a relationship that would never come to pass.
Tojiru, the demoness who could seal others' magic, was well bound, as well. She seemed to pout in silence, staring into the dirt, unaware of her mistress.
The only one that Ai had an interest in at the moment was Ash, the crazed demon who used himself as a distraction against Balam during the earlier battle. He'd been thoroughly drugged to both deal with the pain and to shut him up. His smart mouth had caused enough problems already. Still, he recognized the perfume wafting his way.
Glancing up in a stupor, his mistress looked upon him with a coy grin. "You did as I asked, but the null field is already gone… I'm afraid you won't be getting your own harem after all. It's too bad, really. You so looked forward to it", she said, softly stroking his bandaged, shattered jaw.
He knew deep down that she would find a way to break their deal all along, but the chance at unlimited, servile women of both the demon and human persuasion was just too tempting to pass up. Besides, he got a chance to mess with the one demon that might have spared his younger brother had things gone differently, but none of that mattered now. Ash knew he was already on his way to meet Bedlam again.
"My poor Ash. Without my resources, you'll never fully recover. Do you really want to be a drooling, inept fool for the rest of your days?", she asked in a tone that mocked caring.
He glanced up at her with a look that said, "Make it quick." Whether by Victoria's hand or that of the allied force, he knew his days were numbered. Still, he had one trick left up his sleeve. Ai grinned approvingly at the glint in his swollen eyes.
"A true soldier to the end...Make it so", she smiled, then vanished as if she were never there. Having heard voices, one of the border patrol agents came closer to inspect their prisoner. The last thing that poor demon experienced was a deranged chuckle as Ash created and detonated his final living bomb - himself.
Underground, Iruma and the others were carefully inspecting the myriad of locks along Kalego's cell door, trying to figure out a way inside when a sudden explosion from above sent a shockwave through the entire complex, knocking everyone off of their feet.
"Is everyone alright?", asked Persephone, waiting for the dust to settle. As the air cleared, it became obvious that someone from their party was now missing. "Iruma-nii?", sniffled Sage, worried.
Opera hurriedly looked around, but there was no sign of their master. "Iruma-sama, please answer me. Where are you?!", they called, trying to remain calm. Had Ai somehow managed to snatch him away?
On the other side of the door, Iruma had fallen onto his hands and knees. "What was that?!", he uttered, confused by the sudden blast. Looking up, he swiftly realized he was now inside the cell somehow.
As his eyes settled over Kalego's battered body in the distance, he shuddered, resisting the urge to vomit at the intense gore. An obvious hand-sized hole that had been carved straight through his ribcage over his heart and pieces of his butchered ribs littered a tray nearby.
"Sensei?", he called weakly, afraid he was too late just like in his nightmares. There was no response and that only made him worry more. Kalego had clearly lost a lot of blood during his captivity and there was no doubt that Victoria had drained his mana and strength as well.
Iruma stared at him in sheer panic. He looked too far gone already. Several other deep wounds, aside from the hole, were readily apparent and he was thoroughly coated in Ai's curse marks. Just looking over the upper half of his body, he could count 13.
Deeply concerned, he took an anxious step forward, then Opera's voice shook him from his sense of shock. "Iruma-sama!" Taking a deep breath, he called out, "I'm okay! Somehow I ended up inside with sensei!".
The demons outside shared a surprised glance. Thankfully he was unharmed, but the question still remained. "How did you get in?", inquired Opera, intrigued. The door both looked and felt rather solid. Still shaken, Iruma replied, "I don't know. I just kind of...slipped through?".
Persephone had a rather dark air to her. She was visibly tense as Sage tugged on her skirt in question. "Is uncle Kalego gonna be okay?", she asked, innocence and concern filling her voice. Putting on a brave face, Persephone assuringly patted her head before turning back toward the door.
"Iruma, how is Kalego-kun? Is he awake?", she carefully inquired. She pressed her hand against the tightly locked door, desperate to get closer, yet despite her acting, it trembled, something Opera didn't miss. It had to be difficult being so near her lover yet so far apart. Both physically and emotionally, there were massive obstacles still in the way.
Iruma nervously approached his unconscious teacher. Seeing him so badly brutalized and crucified to the wall like some kind of unholy dissection experiment was deeply disturbing. He wasn't sure how to respond. His heart was racing as fast as his thoughts and every fiber of his being was repulsed by Ai's masterpiece. Just what had she done?
"I think he's out cold!...He looks really pale", he said, his voice shaking with worry as he spoke across his shoulder. Persephone tensed visibly with a distraught look on her face. Staring dejectedly at the floor, she sullenly instructed, "Check for a pulse."
Beside her, Sage's eyes filled with tears. Kneeling down, Opera offered a comforting grin. "Your uncle will be fine. He's far too stubborn to give up so easily", they assured. Their choice of words were a little harsh, but they weren't wrong. The girl hugged them tight, holding onto hope and appreciating their solace.
Inside, Iruma's entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. Carefully reaching out as he slowly got closer, he laid his shaking hand on Kalego's pale chest. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, determined to find some sign of life, no matter how small. A faint heartbeat pulsed beneath his fingers and a thankful grin spread over his face as his eyes began to water in genuine relief. "Sensei's alive!", he shouted with a slight turn.
The trio beyond the door collectively breathed out in gratitude for that. Then loud static filled the air, followed by an annoyingly familiar voice. Ai had the area wired with speakers. She had clearly intended for them to come this far, but why?
"Iruma-kun, my favorite human...Welcome to my playroom. Do you like my toys?", she taunted. He glanced around at the awful torture devices littering nearby trays. Most were still covered in dried blood while others had been partially cleaned, probably licked by their demented owner.
Then his sapphire eyes once again settled over the horrendous wounds and multiple curses upon Kalego's wan skin. The injuries were innumerable, but he had earlier managed to count thirteen curse marks across his body. Could Persephone's magic really handle so much damage? Was there any hope at all?
"You really are gullible. You fell right into my trap and left your most valuable assets exactly where I wanted them...Do you want to know how you were able to pass through the door?...It's because you were invited. The enchantments on that seal will block any living creature. The fact you're human had nothing to do with it", said Victoria over the intercom.
"Simply put, I wanted you to admire my work. I'm capable of many things, my sweet little glutton, but I need you to unlock the final step in my evolution...I'm sure you're remembering our previous conversation right now. Everything I said was true and, as for the legend, you've been my intended guinea pig all along. Once you're frozen with fear and your spirit is broken, you'll finally understand that there's only one way I'll ever let you take Kalego-kun away from me."
"Become his savior; End his pain and take his life. Consume his heart and fulfill half of your potential. Once you do, I'll bring you the angel I've been saving to finish it, and when you've attained immortality as the legend states, I'll find a way to eat you and steal your precious gift away...You humans are lucky, you know. You're the only ones that can transform so magnificently simply by consuming the other races... We demons sadly need a little assistance and you are going to help me, Iruma-kun. You have no choice."
Opera stared breathlessly toward the speaker, completely livid. "So that's what you've been planning...", they uttered, their voice strained with indignation. Victoria chuckled in response. Apparently it was a two way system and she could hear them, too.
"Don't worry, senpai. I'll make his death as painless as I possibly can for an immortal and even if he stubbornly refuses to eat Kalego's heart, even better. Then I can still claim it for myself and give him yours instead...even if it means I have to shove it down his obstinate throat… What do you think Narnia will say when this is finally over and I snuff out his life, too? Will he be disappointed in his precious little brother?" She chuckled darkly at the thought.
Sage furiously pounded her small fists against the door to get Iruma's attention. "Don't listen to her, Iruma-nii! She can't make you do what she wants! I know you'd never eat a demon; You love them too much! I've been able to hear it in your heart this whole time!", she yelled, trying to encourage him.
Inside, her words helped ease his nerves and steel his resolve. "Victoria, I already gave you my answer. I will NEVER eat someone...I don't know why you picked me and I don't care. Whether it's simply because I'm human or if you're just trying to get to Grandpa, it doesn't matter! We're going to get Kalego-sensei out of here no matter what you throw at us, so give up now! You're not going to win this!", he said, completely determined.
In a secret chamber, Ai glared at her monitor screen. Her hideout had been raided, her flunkies captured, and even her personal lab had been defiled by the so-called authorities. Iruma's refusal to cooperate should have annoyed her further, but it instead prompted a coy smirk.
"That's why I picked you, Iruma-kun. You're almost as stubborn as my beloved Naberius, but soft like Shichiro, and nearly as naive as Pandora... Go ahead and resist it all you can; Watching you try to fight back will be amusing. After all, I've already decided your fate and I always get what I want. Just ask Kalego-kun when he wakes up again… Personally, I recommend breaking a finger or snapping off a section of rib. He's responded well to such stimuli so far", she taunted.
Both Persephone and Opera gained an eerie glean to their auras. Sage was scared by their obvious anger, but knew it was because they cared so much for her uncle. There was no doubt that their rage would become a valuable asset.
As if on cue, Opera silently ushered the child back. Then the two highly ranked demons unleashed their fury in unison on the door that kept them from their prize. So much strength and magic focused on a single point obliterated the thick metal.
Iruma had instinctively ducked and covered just in time. Thankfully his natural danger avoidance had placed him at precisely the right spot as the crushed door flew over his head. Looking back in a mix of surprise and relief, he was glad to see the powerful duo lower their limbs.
He immediately ran forward and clutched Sage close to his chest so the poor girl wouldn't see the horrors awaiting within. Understanding his motive, Opera nodded briefly in approval as their eyes met. Then they stared at Persephone as she stepped inside. How would she react and could Kalego even be saved?
Back in her secluded security office, Ai sighed in mild annoyance. They had gotten in faster than anticipated, but it didn't matter. Getting in was one thing; Getting out was another. Grinning smugly, she activated a fail safe and a massive explosion shook the entire underground complex, collapsing at least half of it within seconds.
Above ground, the entire area shook violently as part of the estate collapsed into the earth. Once Balam made sure no one was hurt on his end, he immediately thought of those below. Trying his radio, he tried to contact the split retrieval team, but the response was only static.
Agares got off his floating bed and pressed his hand to the dirt in concentration. Azz and the others anxiously waited for an answer. Finally he said, "The bigger team is okay, but they'll have to find a new way out."
"And the smaller team?", asked Balam, worried. Agares closed his eyes, scanning for them, then ominously shook his head. "I can't find them."
Balam tried his radio again. "Lied, Clara, are you alright? Please respond!" No response. To make matters even worse, part of the mansion crumbled into the hole, adding another layer of debris to dig through.
Asmodeus stared at the disaster, completely frozen in place, barely even breathing. Jazz stepped close and supportively grasped his shoulder. "Hey, Iruma-kun and the others are fine. Lied's just not getting a signal down there right now...It's gonna be okay; We'll get them out", he offered. Azz's jaw and fingers clenched tightly. He was badly shaken and for some strange reason, Ash's words came back to haunt him. "You got a girl, pinkie?"
Finally, the radio silence broke. Severe static painfully filled everyone's ears. "...Clarin...Kiri...senpai...cave in..." It was Lied's voice and he sounded desperate. All eyes immediately turned to Balam. If Agares used his ability, he may inadvertently crush their friends. Everyone pleaded silently for a plan to save them.
Taking a deep breath, the misfits' master general made an announcement. "Divide into two teams - One to dig and the other to relocate the debris. Don't use any magic and make sure you move carefully! One wrong step could cause another landslide and I don't want anyone else getting trapped, so - "
His words were abruptly cut off by the sight of Azz jumping into the gaping hole with a determined yet anxious look on his face.
"Azzkun, wait!", yelled Balam, but it was no use; He was already gone. Sighing, he stepped close to the edge of the massive pit. He was frustrated, but not surprised. Azz was impulsive by nature and his friends were in danger. Of course he would run off without thinking.
Balam glanced back toward the rest of the gathered misfits. "No one else is to follow his example, understood?" It wasn't a suggestion. The edge in his words was keeping the rest of the abnormal class in line. Their usually gentle-voiced sensei was warning them and his harsh tone was not to be challenged.
"Agares-kun, you're the last student general in action. Keep your team together and don't do anything foolish", he ordered.
"Are you going after him?", asked Allocer. Balam looked into the rubble with exasperation. He wanted to, but his large frame wouldn't slip through nearly so easily as Azz's had. Besides, he couldn't abandon the others.
"No. Let's just pray he doesn't get hurt down there...Everyone else, get digging! We need to secure our comrades as soon as possible. They may be trapped in an air pocket with limited oxygen. Now move!"
"Yes, sir!", they all called in unison with a respectful salute. The abnormal class wasn't about to leave a single misfit behind and no one was willing to give up on their friends. Now it was a race against time.
To be continued...