Nathair1: Thanks. Yeah, hunger is powerful. Ah, I guess I didn't see that, thanks for pointing it out. Yeah, it was revealed to him rather early, so I went with it. Yeah, she needs to join. He doesn't need to know that. Yeah, sometimes secrets are best left unsaid.
Okay, I know I ignored this story for about a month, but I needed to step away for a while so I wouldn't run into writer's block. Enjoy the next chapter.
The students sat at their desks, focusing on their schoolwork when Iruma felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked up to see Naberius sitting behind his desk, looking down at his lesson plan before he felt someone nudge him on his arm. He looked back and saw Clara staring at him with a concerning looking crossing her face before she whispered, "Are you okay, Iruma-kins?"
"My phone just went off and I don't know if it's grandpa or Opera or even Ameri and I don't want to get in trouble with Professor Kalego an-"
"Don't worry about eggie-teach, Iruma-kins, just see who wants you," Iruma took a deep breath and nodded before taking his phone out of his pocket and looked down to see he received a message from Ameri. He looked up at before he looked down again and quickly replied to the message before quickly putting his phone back in his pocket, "So who was it, Iruma-kins?"
"It was Ameri, she wants to have a reading session after lunch, so we'll have to leave after we're finished and hope that Azz doesn't follow us," Clara hummed and nodded before she turned and focused on her work in front of her and Iruma mirrored her actions.
XXX
Ameri sat behind the desk in the council room with her arms crossed with several snacks and some tea resting on the tray beside her. She looked down at her phone and sighed before she heard the handle to the door turn and being pushed open. She looked up and slightly smiled, "You made it, Iru-" her eyes widened when she saw Iruma stepping into the room, Clara close behind him, hand-in-hand, "-ma? Hold on, what is the meaning of this, Iruma? I told you to come alone for our private sessions and...and...who is this?" Clara moaned as her cheeks puffed out and she crossed her arms before Iruma rubbed her back.
Ameri stared with wide eyes before Iruma looked up and slightly smiled as he shook his head, "This is Clara Valac, a classmate of mine and someone very important to me," Ameri hummed and arched a brow in confusion, 'I don't know if you wanted her to know that we're bond mates, so I didn't say anything, Clara,'
'It's okay, Iruma-kins, she doesn't need to know about that,' Clara smiled and waved at the tall demoness in front of them, "Hi Lady Redhair, my name's Clara," Clara walked over to her and sat down next to her and faced Iruma with a small smile crossing her lips, "Okay Iruma-kins, we're ready,"
Iruma nodded, ready to pick up the next issue of the manga before Ameri stopped him, "Wait, wait, wait, I told you to come alone, explain yourself Iruma!" Iruma's eyes widened as Clara narrowed her eyes and slightly frowned, "This is supposed to be our time, and you go and invite your little friend to this reading session and you expect me to just be okay with it?"
Iruma looked at Clara and sighed as he shook his head, 'She's not going to stop unless we tell her about us, Clara...do you want her to know or should we just head back to class?'
'Tell her, Iruma-kins, she needs to know so she doesn't try anything,' Clara demanded and Iruma nodded before looking back at Ameri.
Taking a deep breath, the blue-haired human sighed and shook his head, "The truth is, Ameri...Clara and I are...we're bonded," Ameri hummed and tilted her head to the side in confusion, "It's...sort of like we're married and I wanted her to be here during our reading sessions so she wouldn't feel left out," Ameri's eyes widened as her face fell, "If you want, we can read at a later date, but Clara will be joining us for our reading sessions from now on, and I already explained everything in the first issue to her, so she's caught up, or we can sit down and read now if you'd like, but again, Clara isn't going anywhere,"
"I see," Ameri frowned as the two freshmen looked at her, "I suppose I can understand all of this, but I simply did not prepare enough snacks and tea for three, so we will have to reschedule for another day," Iruma frowned as Clara stood up and walked over to him, standing next to him, "I will call you and let you know when our next reading session is, Iruma, but for now, go enjoy some free time before classes start again," the two nodded before they turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them, "Bonded...marriage? Is that even possible? Iruma is clearly human and that girl is a demon, so how can that be?" she hummed as she sat down and crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly, "I could report him to my parents and have Iruma sent back to the human world, but I do that, I may never find out what happens in First Love Memories and the suspense might kill me,"
Taking a deep breath, she leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, "I suppose I can just play along, I mean it's not like it's going to last. They're young and they'll grow tired of one another and it'll go back to being just me and Iruma," she let out a deep breath before she stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the students walking around the courtyard below.
XXX
Clara and Iruma walked down the hall before Iruma stopped and Clara looked at him in confusion and hummed, "Huh? What's wrong, Iruma-kins? We should meet up with Azz-Azz before we have to go back to class an-"
"Hold on, Clara," Iruma sighed before looking down at the ring, "Hey Ali," the one eyed specter emerged from the ring and Iruma asked, "About the human lifespan...what can I do to get more time with Clara?"
Clara frowned as she moved closer to Iruma and rested her head on his shoulder before the specter spoke, "As I was going to tell you, Iru-boy, there are a few ways to get what you desire," the two stared with wide eyes, "One, you'll have to be living down here long enough to where your body adapts and evolves into a demon, granting you the lifespan of a demon, but who knows how long that can take," the two hummed and nodded before the specter spoke again, "Another way is even more difficult, but to make you understand, what am I? More importantly, what is my home?"
"What? You resign in the Gluttonous Feeder Ring, why?"
"Gluttonous, more commonly known as Gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins," Ali explained, "Meaning there are six other rings somewhere scattered around the Netherworld, waiting for a new master to bond to," Clara hummed and tilted her head to the side as Iruma's eyes widened, "If you bear all Seven Rings of Sin, then you will be granted both the title of Demon King and the lifespan of a demon,"
"Uh...and...how do you know this, exactly?" Iruma arched a brow.
Ali sighed as the specter shook its head, "Common sense, Iru-boy. There are seven deadly sins, and Demon King Derkila wore seven rings, but before he vanished, he put his magic into the rings and scattered them across the Netherworld, hoping his successor will find them one day and take over as Demon King. If you find them, you will be given the lifespan of a demon and titled Demon King,"
Iruma hummed and nodded, "Great, in the human world there are stories where people overthrow kingdoms, slay dragons, save a princess, but me? I have to live down here for a while or find six legendary rings...just...okay,"
"Iruma-kins?"
"Why don't you go back into the ring, Ali? We've got to get ready for class," the specter nodded and faded back into the ring before Iruma turned to Clara and slightly frowned as he shook his head, "I'm not going to leave you alone like that, Clara. Whether I have to live down here for however long or find these rings, I'm going to get the lifespan of a demon and we're going to have a family together and grow old together," Clara faintly smiled and nodded before she hugged Iruma and the bell screamed echoed throughout the courtyard before the two separated and began walking towards class together.
Like I said, sorry for the month wait, but I took a small break from this to prevent writer's block. Enjoy.