Kaminari never found Gretchen. No one had come to the cabin since the old woman had vanished or since that creature looking for Lucifer had visited. Kaminari made the best out of the terrible situation. Gathering anything that she thought would hold any value and creating a bag out of her old clothes, she packed everything she could hold or need then started her plan. At night, she wandered to the graveyard and dug up a woman who had been recently buried, then filled the hole again and took the decaying corpse to the home, tying her wrist to a chair. The sun had barely lit the sky when the house started to burn. By then, Kaminari was already five miles away, not bothering to look back.
She didn't count the days as they passed. The countryside terrain would change to forest to countryside again. She still had no idea which direction she was going in, but knew she would eventually find the coast. When she finally found the coast, she could see something in the distance, shrouded in dark clouds.
"Come to see the Devil's Castle?" Kaminari nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the man's voice. He was an older man, tanned and wrinkled with a fishing pole in his hand and a straw hat on his head. He had a loud laugh, one that reminded her a lot of Santa Claus people believed in back on Earth. "Well, they do offer boat rides to those who have a death wish. They say the devil has been sent to another universe, but I think he's just gathering his forces. I have no doubt in my mind he has killed the great Hero Emilia. Only reason I think that is because I've seen Lucifer with my own two eyes. They said he was dead!"
His face blanched when he saw the mark on her neck, "So, the church is sending you to die where you were kept prisoner. I've never really agreed with the way they do things, but it can't be helped. You'll have to swim, I'm afraid. We're not allowed to ferry the damned."
Kaminari didn't move as she stared at the distant castle. She could only assume demons and certain death waited for her there. She wasn't going to die, not now. Lucifer would be returning for her. She just needed to lay low for a while. The old fisherman left her there, heading on with his life, enjoying the sun.
She sat down on the grass before it faded to sand. The Devil's Castle. The church wouldn't go there. If that one Demon thought she was Lucifer, would others? Was there a chance of survival in the place of certain death? She yawned as she stretched then fell on her back and stared at the sun. She didn't need to decide yet.
Esmeralda and Alfred made it to the village just as the smoke started to fade from the ashen house. Other members of the church had arrived before them and were glad the harlot had died in the fire. Esmeralda and Alfred weren't convinced. Their eyes followed the main road as it headed toward the sea.
"Do you think she headed to the Castle?" Albert asked.
"She might have felt drawn to it," Esmeralda replied. "It wouldn't hurt to check."
Using their celestial force, the two floated to the sky, flying toward the Devil's Castle in hopes of finding the one girl that held the fate of Ente Isla in her hands. When they arrived to the shore, all they found were footprints that lead to the water and a ragged orange bag.
"Do you think she tried to kill herself?" Alfred questioned as he examined the harsh waters.
The tides would only get worse the closer she got to the island. That was if she didn't get eaten by the monsters on the way. The two followed the waters to the island where the Devil's Castle had been built. There was nothing in the roaring waves that would suggest she had made it.
As Esmeralda stared at the thorny thickets that lined the black slate shores, she pulled the phone she used to contact Emilia. "Did you find her?" Emilia asked.
"She tried to swim to Devil's Castle," Esmeralda told her. "I think she's dead."
There was a short argument on the other side of the phone before a new voice started talking to Esmeralda, "She's not dead. She's probably on the shore already. Just keep a look out."
Kaminari huffed as she climbed through thick thorn thickets, some of the spikes piercing into her skin and breaking off. This doom and gloom almost made her miss the church, but somehow, this island felt more homey. It was probably just the Demon magic in her, but she didn't care. The moment she was out of the thickets, she almost lost an eye to a spear pointed at her face.
"I am so tired of this crap!" Kaminari screamed, a purple energy erupting from her body, killing the creatures around her. She sighed as she started pulling thorns from her arms and legs. At some point in the water she had lost both of her shoes, leaving her feet bloody and disgusting as she continued to walk forward. She hoped she would find a path through the tough grass that cut her skin and sharp rocks that made her stumble. When she discovered she could use Lucifer's magic to protect herself, she used it only when need be. If she could run or hide from a creature, she chose to do that.
The terrible grass started to turn into trees with long vines that were either covered in acid or were actually snakes. The rocks were also becoming slicker, making it harder for her to walk. She was tired and thirsty. She knew she couldn't stop, though. There were wolves and other unpleasant things around that kept her from pausing at all.
As the trees began to clear, a giant wall of stone started to show in the darkness. She almost cried as she ran to the castle, entering through the large door on the side. Her joy was immediately doused when a pack of wolves jumped on her. A large burst of magic killed the dogs, and she ventured on, closing the door behind her.
They hadn't lied when they said it was a castle. The walls seemed to reach the sky, decorated in gold and silver, but darkness as well. There were beautiful mosaic windows that caught what little moonlight that could be seen. And yet, it was still destroyed. Despite its ruin, it was beautiful. Now that she felt safe, she began to venture around for somewhere to rest. There were many rooms with beds, but none of them seemed right. Two felt familiar, but she found one that almost welcomed her. The room was typical, a dresser for clothing and a bed. After a shake of the sheets, getting the dust off, she curled under the soft fabric. Though the fabric smelled of burning grass and ash, she felt comfortable. This was what Lucifer was supposed to smell like.
Voices echoed in the distant corridors waking Kaminari from her sleep. Too tired to move, she just lay still, praying whoever had entered the castle would just leave her be. But, she didn't belong in this world. As she closed her eyes, she could hear the voices getting closer. It didn't bother her, though. She felt safe, and that was all that really mattered to her. When she was better, she would find a way to harness Lucifer's magic to create a Gate. Until then, she would wait and recover. This world had not been kind to her and she was eager to return the favor.
Esmeralda stepped quietly in the castle, though her footsteps still echoed in the hollowed halls. Alfred was with her, his boots hitting the floor heavily. No one even dared to venture to the island anymore. The demons had long since taken over the area, but none would even enter the Devil's Castle in fear of the king returning.
"Where could she have gone?" Esmeralda wondered as she looked around.
The castle was more or less a labyrinth of halls that sometimes met, sometimes came to a dead end.
"Maybe Lucifer's room?" Albert suggested. "She would probably be the most comfortable there."
They searched room after room, looking for Lucifer's room hoping to find Kaminari somewhere. When Alfred pushed on one door, it didn't budge.
"Is it locked?" Esmeralda asked as she pushed on the door as well.
Albert knocked loudly, "Kaminari? Are you in there?"
After a few moments, the door opened revealing the small girl, beaten and bloodied from her adventure to the castle. Her thin face was covered in small scratches and her chapped lips were busted and black from blood. Her pale eyes were bloodshot making her look like a haunted corpse of some kind. Blood covered her body, and the once gray dress was tattered and torn, holes in many places where the fabric was barely keeping together. Thorns poked out of wounds she probably didn't realize she had as well as sticks and leaves in her dirt colored hair. Putrid smelling yellow gunk stuck to her clothing, and her skin giving her an annoying burn and rash.
"I'm Alfred," the man introduced with a smile. "This is Esmeralda. We're here to take you home."
The girl narrowed her eyes into a very crazed glare. "I am home."
"Lucifer sent us," Esmeralda said quickly to calm the girl's growing anger. "He would have come, but the church is keeping the Gate from opening on that side."
Tears filled her pale eyes and slowly dropped down her cheeks as she looked at the two. "Please take me home. I'm so tired."
Esmeralda opened the dresser and pulled out a jacket. She gently draped it over her shoulders then took her to the throne room and outstretched her hand. Slowly a black hole began to open in front of them and Alfred picked up Kaminari the jumped into the hole, Esmeralda following them.
Emi answered her phone, "Did you find her?"
"I don't know if she's going to make it," Esmeralda replied dismally.
"Take her to the hospital and we'll meet you there."
Rika looked up from her lunch, "Is everything okay?"
"My cousin is getting out in the hospital," she lied quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Emi ran out of the building, calling Chiho as she ran. By the time Emi made it to the hospital, everyone else was already there. Kaminari's parents, Chiho, Maou, Alciel, and Suzuno were there. "Where's Urushihara?"
"We don't know," Maou replied. "He's not answering his phone and he's not at work."
As the hours passed, there was still no word from Lucifer. Even when Kaminari was put into an actual hospital room, he was still nowhere to be found.
"Some boyfriend," Maou heard Mrs. Sasaki mutter. "She could be dying, and he's just letting it go to voicemail."
"Sometimes, men can't handle seeing someone they love in such a sad state," Mr. Sasaki explained. "She looks like she's been run over by a truck then dragged through glass."
"That's a very vivid description," Lucifer said as he walked in the room. In his arms was his laptop, his game system, and some snacks.
"You went home?" Maou asked as the Demon plugged in his laptop and sat on the floor.
"Well, yeah," Lucifer replied. "It's not like the hospital has a lot of stuff to do. I talked to Jaden's father and he's given me a week off so I can stay here with Kami. The cafeteria isn't open all the time and sometimes vending machines are outdated so I brought some of my own food. I plan on staying here until my time off ends or she gets out. Whatever comes first."
Maou smiled at his friend, almost enjoying the embarrassment coming from Mrs. Sasaki. Knowing Lucifer, he was going to stay true to what he said.
"Are you going to come home to change clothes?" Maou asked.
"I asked Ashiya to bring me clothes since I couldn't carry them. I also gave him money to buy me a backpack so we won't have this problem again."
When it started getting late, the Sasakis left leaving Maou with Lucifer. Once Lucifer got comfortable in the chair, he sighed. "I don't know what's keeping her here. She would be better off dead, but-is that my jacket?" Lucifer stood up, grabbing the folded fabric from the shelf and opening it. He smiled as he reached into the pocket and pulled out a small leather band lined with gold markings. "There it is."
"What is it?" Maou asked as he took the bracelet from him. "It's a little early to propose, don't you think?"
Lucifer gave him a dead panned look while taking the bracelet back, "All the archangels had them. They help with the strength of celestial power. Of course, mine altered some when I decided to leave Heaven." He gently clasped the bracelet together, the material merging into itself where it couldn't be taken off again. "That should help keep the nightmares away. Unfortunately, it will probably put her in a lot of pain if anything holy is inside her."
The two watched her sleep for a few minutes before smiling. "She's not pregnant, so that's a plus." Maou stated as he stretched. "I'm going home. Guess I'll come by tomorrow."
Lucifer gave a careless wave as he went back to playing a game on his computer. Perhaps he should become a doctor. It was probably better than the movie job he had and the only thing that could be smelled besides the cleaning fluids was the fear.
When he finally decided to get some sleep, he watched a nurse come in and wake Kaminari up so she could take some blood and get her vitals. Kaminari was barely conscious for any of it, not even noticing Lucifer as she fell asleep again.
He moved his chair to her side and gently grabbed the hand that he placed the bracelet on. The band started to glow purple, reacting to his touch which brought a smile to his face. He watched as her once distressed face soothed into a peaceful sleep.
He woke up to someone poking him in the forehead, "Lucifer?"
He groaned as he sat up, immediately regretting sleeping in the chair like that. Kaminari's pale eyes were glittering with tears as she looked at him. He gently touched her face, moving some of her hair from her face. Gently taking her hand, he placed a light kiss on her palm, "If you want me to destroy the church, I will."
She shook her head as tears started to stream down her pale cheeks. She blushed slightly, but he knew what she wanted. He couldn't hold her like he wanted, but he could touch her, and that was enough for the moment.
Her eyes started to gloss over with tears of the memories she had of her time in Ente Isla. As she went through all the details with him, there were moments when she could only whisper and others she could barely say at all. She placed her hand on the mark that was on her shoulder.
"What's a devil's concubine?" She asked him.
"Our subordinates would destroy villages and sometimes take villagers as trophies. The few that they let live would kill themselves, but a few went to the church for cleansing. The church had to find a way to cleanse them and that seemed to be the only acceptable way. There was one group that claimed to be raped by Satan, but that wasn't true. They just wanted to have sex with the priests. That was Ashiya's territory. He left no one alive."
"I don't blame him," she replied evenly. "The church will suffer the same fate."