Maoh, A Day Late

by Kyogre

Complete. Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. How will his path change, with the man who should have been his strongest supporter already gone? And what was the reason behind his late arrival?

23. III-8 It's a sign

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Conrart is appalled by the state of the Demon King's security. Clearly, he'll have to show them how it's done.

~.~.~

Part III, Chapter 8

It's a sign

~.~.~

Conrart had noticed easily when the mist became too thick and concealing. He might not have been able to wield magic of any description, but he was more than familiar with its many forms.

Instead of trying to penetrate the mists directly, he had circled around the worst of it until he reached the seashore and simply continued along the edge, making his way deeper and deeper into the hidden area.

As he traveled, the mist slowly thinned, the magic supporting it fading away as dawn approached. Soon, he was able to see without its confounding effects, well enough to find the place where the Box had once been brought. It had rested there for a long while, its square imprint clear in the dirt.

Then, Conrart judged, glancing over the tracks, it had been taken down a thin, winding path to the sea itself, by men who made their way up from the water. 'So it was retrieved successfully,' he thought. 'That's good, but...'

His eyes traveled in the opposite direction, away from the cliff's edge, where he could see the small but telltale signs of a small group making their way back inland. 'This is Josak's handiwork,' Conrart thought, easily recognizing his old friend's methods. 'They came here, then doubled back. Why?'

He couldn't imagine what they might have been thinking. They had retrieved both the Box and Francia's king. What else could they possibly want from Belar? There was nothing left for the Demon Kingdom in Big Cimaron, no reason for them to come back.

"I just came back alone to deal with you."

"Wolfram came all this way, on this dangerous mission, just to meet you!"

But that had just been a lie to cover up their actions in Francia. No matter how angry and how headstrong his younger brother was, Wolfram would not have been allowed to just head into enemy territory, especially when they must have know that they were already being pursued.

A traitor did not have that kind of worth.

"I'll be waiting for you at the Demon Kingdom!"

"Should we wait for you then?"

Conrart shook his head, dismissing such an impossible notion. Even if it had been possible, even if he believed that some measure of forgiveness could be granted to him, Conrart knew he had missed his chance. The Demon King had offered him a way out, but Conrart had not responded. His mission was not yet complete. One more Box remained somewhere out there.

No matter how much he wished for it, he could not go back to the Demon Kingdom. He couldn't go with them.

...Not yet. In the deepest corner of his heart, he clung to that small hope.

So why was he out here? Even as he doggedly followed the faintest remnants of a trail, Conrart couldn't explain why he had not remained with the troops, which would have been the smarter choice. There would be no benefit in him finding the other Demon Tribesmen. To assist them, he would only need to be there if the other soldiers found them instead.

The threat of those other soldiers was growing closer and closer. Now that most of the fog had lifted, Conrart could see the scattered lights of their torches in the distance, spread out in a noose that was slowly tightening as Big Cimaron's troops advanced steadily toward their prey.

With the coming of dawn, the faint marks left behind by the Demon Tribesmen became a little easier to see, and Conrart picked up his pace. He didn't know what he would do when he reached them, but he knew he couldn't afford to be too late.

However, in his haste, Conrart had forgotten something important. Just as he knew Josak and his techniques, Josak knew him and was furthermore a master of his craft.

Conrart rushed blindly straight into their ambush.

As he followed the trail through a particularly uneven area, dotted with oddly shaped stone crags, Josak and Wolfram simultaneously leapt from their hiding places. He could counter one, but not the other, not without aiming to kill or brutally injure and not without taking injuries himself. Caught between his younger brother and his oldest friend, Conrart hesitated, and in that split second, a sword was held to his throat, another at his back.

Conrart forced himself to relax tense muscles and ease out of his combat stance. He smiled placidly as the boy who had called himself Chris stepped out from behind a rock outcropping and studied Conrart thoughtfully.

"Fancy meeting you here," Josak joked, though his eyes were hard and cold, as if facing an enemy. "What brings you out here on this fine, fine morning?"

Wolfram growled quietly. "We don't have time for that nonsense!" he snapped. "Now, where's Yuri?"

The question made no sense to Conrart, and his gaze darted to the third member of their party. The boy's eyes widened as he caught the slight motion, and his lips twisted into a faint frown.

"That's very interesting," he murmured.

"What? What is?" Wolfram demanded, looking at him sharply.

"He know that the Demon King's name is Yuri," the other boy explained, pushing up his glasses. "That's very interesting, since I've certainly never used it, and Shibuya only actually introduced himself a couple times."

Wolfram paused, his brow furrowing as he considered the words. Of course, Yuri had given his name at the Covenant Castle. But aside from that, perhaps only to Heathcrife, certainly never in Francia or Big Cimaron.

Josak's cool expression darkened. "You must have some pretty great contacts," he noted, smiling thinly at Conrart.

But Conrart was too distracted to respond. The double-black boy talked about the Demon King in third person, he said Shibuya had done this and that.

It could only mean one thing - he wasn't Yuri Shibuya, 27th Demon King.

"I see," Conrart murmured to himself. "Belar was wrong from the start, and you let him believe it to protect his Majesty. That's good. That was a good move."

On the one hand, Conrart felt relieved. The king had not been in danger. But on the other hand... if Wolfram was asking Conrart where Yuri was, then he was missing now, here in Big Cimaron, surrounded by enemy troops.

"Don't act coy! Tell us where that wimp is!" Wolfram demanded. "He must have gone back to talk to you!"

"I told you, I don't think so," Murata said, pushing up his glasses. "Even Shibuya wouldn't have just decided something so stupid out of nowhere. There must have been something else."

"Like what?" Wolfram said, making Murata frown and look away.

"I don't know," Murata admitted sourly. "But it doesn't matter. He might not look it, but Shibuya can take care of himself pretty well. We need to focus on how we're all going to get out of here."

Wolfram scowled. "That wimp? Take care of himself? You must be joking!"

"I'm really not. Shibuya's good at illusions, and he's also surprisingly good at talking his way out. He probably just slipped right past the soldiers. Worst comes to worst, he's powerful too, and he can use it in the human lands," Murata said. "But I can say with absolute certainty that he never planned on a way of getting out."

"The ship that was supposed to pick us up must be gone already," Josak said, apparently accepting his reasoning. "They'll focus on getting the Box out of here."

"What about the ship we arrived on?" Wolfram asked.

"It wasn't even allowed to dock here, and they'll be keeping a very close eye on it. Even if we could signal it somehow, it wouldn't be able to meet us without Cimaron troops following it to us," Murata said, shaking his head in dismissal.

"Not to mention that we'll need to make it through the pursuit teams first," Josak pointed out.

Conrart looked between them, a frown forming on his face. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You can't be planning to just leave His Majesty to fend for himself! You have a duty to protect him, above all!"

Josak and Wolfram turned to him with the same look of annoyed disbelief. It said clearly that they thought he had no right to lecture them about duty. Or perhaps, though Conrart didn't realize it, they simply envied Conrart's lack of understanding regarding Yuri's inherently trouble-finding, infuriating nature.

Hiding a somewhat inappropriate smile, Murata pushed up his glasses and looked into the distance. "Since you're so eager, you can lead the way," he says. "It looks like finding Shibuya won't be hard after all. He's already made a mess of things."

Following his gaze, the other three turned. Now that they stopped to listen, the faint echo of shouting could be heard. The tiny figures of Big Cimaron soldiers were swarming further inland, lining up in pursuit.

Finding Yuri wouldn't be hard, because he had already been found.

~.~.~

The soldiers were catching up. Adalbert scowled as he glanced down at the teenager he was all but dragging along. Although Yuri was putting everything he had in keeping his limbs moving, he had overreached himself, and the effects of magic drain were showing clearly.

Adalbert's steps slowed for a moment, giving Yuri a much needed reprieve, but before he could even begin to catch his breath, a muscular arm wrapped around his waist and hauled him up over an equally muscular, broad shoulder.

"Woah!" Yuri flailed as Adalbert picked up the pace again. Hanging over Adalbert's shoulder, he could see the Big Cimaron soldiers on their tail, getting closer and closer despite Adalbert's efforts. "They're catching up! What're we gonna do?" Yuri wondered, wincing a little at the way the man's shoulder dug into his stomach with each step.

"Hmph. Just hang tight, kid," Adalbert grunted. "We're almost there."

However, it was becoming clear that, wherever Adalbert was headed, they wouldn't make it before they were overtaken.

"Yuri!" A strong cry split the air. "Yuri!"

"Finally. Looks like your posse's arrived," Adalbert muttered.

Twisting in Adalbert's grip, Yuri finally spotted them - Wolfram and Josak with their swords drawn, catching the soldiers off guard and knocking them away, Murata moving quickly to fall in step with Adalbert, and... Conrart joining the fray, for their side.

"Hey!" Adalbert barked, catching Conrart's attention. Suddenly, Yuri was sailing through the air as Adalbert pitched him over roughly. "Hurry up! Go on!"

Despite his clear surprise, Conrart reacted without hesitation, his arms wrapping around Yuri securely. Adalbert was already moving past Wolfram and Josak to take their place holding off Big Cimaron's troops, and Murata didn't stop to question his motives, instead herding their group forward the way Adalbert had indicated.

Covering their retreat, Adalbert continued to fight even as he backed up slowly as well. 'Just a little further,' he thought, 'and they should be right over it.'

His eyes darted back, and, seeing them cross some invisible line, he smirked. Pushing back the soldier he had crossed swords with, he raised his fist to the sky and gathered his power.

The bastard combination of Demon Tribe magic and esoteric arts exploded outward as he slammed his fist into the ground. Wide fissures spread outward, swallowing the Big Cimaron soldiers, even as the earth behind Adalbert collapsed, sending the Demon Tribesmen tumbling down a deep shaft.

Staring at his handiwork, Adalbert smirked, winded but triumphant. He turned, looking down into the crater he had created. Josak and Conrart had managed to land on their feet, but Wolfram and Murata had not been so lucky. They groaned, slowly picking themselves up, as the two men glared up at Adalbert.

"That cave system extends all the way to the next town," Adalbert called out. "Follow the stream and you won't get lost."

He began to turn away, but Yuri called out, "What about you?"

Adalbert paused. "Oh, I'll keep myself occupied. The truth is, I still hate humans. And now that he's failed so completely, I've got no use for Belar either," he said, hefting his sword.

"But-"

"Kid," Adalbert said, cutting off Yuri's protests, "thanks. For letting her laugh one last time." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out the familiar blue stone. Undeniably, it was no longer Julia's. He had no use for it. Tossing it over his shoulder, he gathered his power again.

Yuri's hands closed around the pendant a moment before the earth heaved again, sliding sideways and closing the opening that Adalbert had created.

~.~.~

As the ground finally settled, the Demon Tribesmen were left in the cave's profound darkness, until Josak, after some fumbling, managed to light the spare torch he had carried with him just in case. "Everybody make it?" he called out, raising the torch high and looking around for his companions' figures. In the confusion, they had been scattered a surprising ways apart.

Wolfram only glared, his face smeared with dirt. Murata waved, preoccupied with trying to determine the condition of his glasses. He frowned, realizing one of the lenses had been cracked. Yuri turned to glance at him, startled out of his thoughts, and after a moment managed a crooked smile as he slid the pendant's cord over his head.

That left only Conrart, hovering near Yuri, his gaze troubled as he tried to both keep close and disappear into the shadows. The expression on his face as he glanced at Yuri was confused and uncertain, but there was something almost hopeful beneath it.

Josak didn't even know where to start dealing with his old friend, so he simply shook his head.

"We should get going," he said, setting aside his many, many questions. Being so in the dark was a frustrating and unsettling feeling for a spy like him. "I can hear the water that way." He jerked his head deeper into the dark cavern.

"Are we actually going to follow his directions?" Wolfram grumbled, pushing himself to his feet and trying futilely to brush the dirt from his clothes.

"Not much choice," Murata said, shrugging as he put his glasses back on. "Besides, it makes sense. If there's an underground stream, it might go to the surface somewhere. It's our best bet. Otherwise, there's no telling how long we'll be lost down here." He smile was entirely too cheerful as he mused on their possibly dire fate.

"Yeah, let's go," Yuri agreed, but when he tried to stand, his legs gave out under him. Everything seemed to spin nauseatingly, and he had to gasp for breath.

Everyone froze, involuntarily turning toward the ailing Demon King. "You really overdid it, Shibuya," Murata said, frowning as knelt by his friend. "Your magic's drained, and then you tried running around too, didn't you?"

"Wimp," Wolfram muttered, though there was something like concern in his tired voice. In truth, Wolfram was also exhausted, and seeing that they weren't going to be moving for a while, he slumped against the nearest rock formation.

"Should we wait for him to recover?" Josak inquired quietly.

"No, we've got to get going," Yuri insisted stubbornly. Despite that, he couldn't force his limbs to move.

Murata sighed. "You're not going to be able to walk like this, much less climb around in a cave." His gaze drifted to Conrart, who had also crouched beside Yuri, his concern clear despite his poker face. Murata's lips quirked in a smile that would have sent shivers down Yuri's spine, if he had been in any state to notice it.

Conrart didn't know Murata well enough to recognize the expression and all the suffering it promised, but his well-tuned senses made him tense as that smile was turned on him.

"Then I guess Lord Weller will have to carry you," Murata said, clapping Conrart on the shoulder. "Up and at 'em!"

He stood and began to move away as if the whole thing was decided, just like that. For a moment, Conrart could only stare after him in surprise. Then, breaking out of his shock, he protested, "Wait!"

"What?" Murata swiftly pinned him with a smiling, glasses-shining look. "Is Shibuya too heavy for you? You caught him just fine before."

"I'm not heavy," Yuri protested thickly, his glare mostly lost as he continued to droop. "Not a wimp either."

"You can't be serious," Conrart insisted. "You can't just let an enemy soldier carry the Demon King."

"Everyone else is too tired," Murata said, shrugging. "We've got to use our resources wisely."

"What're you going to do, run off with him?" Josak asked, his tone teasing but also a little sharp-edged. Even if Conrart had wanted to run, there was nowhere for him to go, really.

"I could take him hostage," Conrart said grimly, one firm hand on Yuri's shoulder pulling him away from his companions and back toward Conrart, in an implicit threat. Too tired to worry, which he probably wouldn't have anyway, Yuri leaned back easily and let himself rest against Conrart.

Wolfram and Murata both simply stared at Conrart flatly, though at least Josak had the decency look uncomfortable at the threat to his liege.

"Well, I don't think he's going to protest much," Murata said with the same annoying cheerfulness. "After all, you got along so well the last time you locked him a dungeon." Conrart's expression remained stony, refusing to react to Murata's jab.

"Would you just pick him up so we can go?" Wolfram snapped.

"Yeah, yeah," Yuri grumbled. Reaching up, he wrapped his arms around Conrart's neck and hung on, groaning faintly.

Conrart reflexively moved to pick him up, his arms curling under Yuri's back and knees. Wiggling for a moment, Yuri settled in and mumbled, "Conrad, you're warm."

Then, to Conrart's surprise, his breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. As Conrart stood frozen in shock, his arms full of sleeping teenager, Murata and Wolfram exchanged an exasperated, knowing look.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Josak commanded, voice low so as not to wake the king. "Let's get going, shall we? Careful with the kiddo, captain. Wouldn't want to drop His Majesty, now would you?"

Yuri only cuddled closer, already beginning to drool a little on Conrart's military coat. Somehow, there wasn't anything left for him to do but follow after the other Demon Tribesmen.

~.~.~

Yuri remained steadily asleep during their entire journey through the cavern, and even when they stepped out into the sunlight and the fresh air, he only shifted a little to rub his cheek against Conrart's shoulder.

Resting only a short while, their party continued down a narrow trail winding its way from the cavern entrance down toward the shore - and a port city.

They snuck in easily enough and settled to confer in a quiet alley.

"So now what?" Wolfram wondered, sliding to the ground as his legs all but gave out. Unlike Yuri, the rest of them hadn't managed any sleep the night before, and the new day was already growing old.

"We try to sneak on a boat, I guess," Murata said, slouching beside him.

"I'll scope out the town, see what ships are leaving," Josak said, moving away from the group. "You guys wait here and rest up."

But instead of stepping out onto the street, Josak suddenly stepped back, his hand moving to his sword, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Two shadows appeared in the entrance of the alley, making the others tense as well. As Wolfram levered himself to his feet, reaching for his sword, Murata pushed Conrart and his precious cargo deeper into the shadows, out of sight.

The two cloaked figures stepped into the alley, the slighter, shorter one clutching something close to its chest.

"Sorry, this alley's already occupied," Josak joked. "You'll have to find another place to... conduct your business." He managed to give the last three words a very suggestive twist, but despite his light tone, he remained tense and ready to fight.

The taller figure stood back, almost as if taking guard. But instead of retreating or even attacking, the shorter figure reached out a very feminine, pale hand, bracelets chiming.

"I'm so glad," the woman whispered. "I was so worried. Oh, Wolfie..."

"M-Mother?!" Wolfram stammered.

Indeed, pushing back her hood, Cecilie Von Spitzberg rushed into the alley to embrace her youngest son. "I was just so worried, I made Fanfan take me to Cimaron with him," she whispered, running a hand through his hair. "Then, we heard from the other ships that you were missing..."

"Wait, how did you know we'd be here?" Wolfram tried to ask, pushing against Celi's tight embrace.

"Oh, I used this," she smiled, holding up the thing she had been clutching so tightly. It looked a little like a compass, but a strange glowed just above its center and the needle spun between pointing to Wolfram and deeper into the alley. "It's dear Anissina's latest invention. She said it's called, hm, Mr. Guide Me to the One I Love, With Special Thanks to the 27th Demon King's Mother for her Profound Wisdom. It led me right to you~!"

With all the commotion, Yuri had finally begun to stir. "Nngh..." he groaned, not yet awake. He blinked, sitting up a little in Conrart's grip and rubbing at the corner of his mouth.

Catching the motion, Wolfram scowled. "Oh, now you wake up," he complained, firmly pressed against his mother's assets.

"Hm? Is that you, Your Majesty?" Celi wondered, peering into the shadows. As Murata and the other stepped forward, her grip on Wolfram slackened and she drew a sharp, startled breath.

"Huh?" Yuri glanced around, still half asleep. He lazily turned to look up at Conrart, who smiled back, a little strained, and slowly eased Yuri back onto his feet.

"I think... this should be where we part ways," he said, trying to step back, away from Yuri and his family. Celi reached for him, tentative and futile.

But Yuri, having woken up enough to understand the situation, clung to him stubbornly.

"Why don't we not?" he all but begged. Seeing Conrart's stony expression, and the undercurrent of regret in it, Yuri sent a pleading, slightly helpless look at Murata.

Pushing up his glasses, Murata agreed, "Isn't it enough already? All the stuff I said before was true, you know. You shouldn't take his orders so literally. Now that we've retrieved the Box from Belar, there's no reason for this to continue."

"You're wrong," Conrart said quietly. "My mission is not over. There is still one more Box."

Sighing in exasperation, Murata harshly ruffled his short hair. He turned back to Conrart with a frown, looking angry at him, at himself and the entire situation. "I hadn't intended to let anyone know," he said, "but it looks like you're not leaving me much choice. So I'll just say this: give up. The Bottom of the Mirror isn't anywhere in this world."

Slowly, Conrart's eyes widened as he fully understood what Murata was saying. The fourth Box wasn't in this world; it was on Earth, a place that Conrart had no hope of reaching.

"If that's what you were supposed to do, then your mission was impossible from the start," Murata said. "The real goal had always been something else. So don't you think you've done enough now?"

As Conrart swayed under the force of that revelation, Yuri wrapped his arms around the man's waist, steadying him.

"Conrart..." Celi murmured, reaching out as she tentatively stepped toward her second son. "Conrart... I don't know what's happened to you, but please... come home... It'll be alright, I promise."

Her expression was pleading, but determined. This time, she would protect her child, as she should have all along. This time, she would not allow anyone to harm him, no matter what the cause, not after those horrible days when she thought she had truly lost him. It didn't matter to her where he had been, what he had done or why. All that mattered was that he was still alive.

Uncertain, Conrart hesitated. The warm, slender arms around his waist tightened momentarily, trying to offer him some measure of strength, and he looked down into Yuri's dark, gentle eyes. The gaze that met his was determined and focused.

"You're coming with us," Yuri declared firmly, pulling away. It sounded like an order. "Either on your own or because we drag you." He smiled suddenly, sheepish, and held up a sheathed sword - Conrart's sword, which he had slipped off his belt while he was distracted. "Sorry, but I guess I'm not much good at waiting."

Numbly, Conrart let his gaze pass over the alley. The other Demon Tribesmen all faced him with looks of determination and exasperation. Josak, his mother, his brother, Yuri and even the other double black were all waiting for his answer.

"...You're right. I couldn't possibly win against all of you," he murmured.

All he could do was surrender.

~.~.~

((And now we just have two chapters of blah blah blah explanations and wrap up to do. I really didn't plan this out too well...))

((Oh, and here are a couple conversations I had to cut from the actual chapter because I was tired of it dragging. I did think they were a bit funny.))

~.~.~

Omake 1

"Hey, wait. Why am I getting carried like a bride?" Yuri wondered, looking down at himself, then up at Conrart.

"Because you're a wimp," Wolfram grumbled. "Everyone else walked."

"Because that takes two hands," Murata replied with the same scarily happy smile. "So he can't draw his sword without dropping you, you see?"

"Drop?" Yuri exclaimed, suddenly clinging to Conrart.

"I'm not going to drop you," Conrart assured him. "I would never do that."

"Then you're not going to draw your sword either," Murata pointed out, sounding very self-satisfied.

"But if he can't defend himself, that's bad!" Yuri protested. "At least make it a piggy-back ride! That's what older brothers do, right?"

~.~.~

Omake 2

Conrart was far less amused. "Or I could just run off with the Demon King," he pointed out. "You're all exhausted. There's no guarantee you could catch me."

"You're not exactly fresh as a daisy yourself," Josak said.

Meanwhile, Murata and Wolfram exchanged another look. "Good luck," Wolfram muttered.

"See you in a couple weeks," Murata added, "if you even last that long."

"So you'll hunt me down if I dare it?" Conrart asked, his eyebrows rising.

"No, I'm saying you'll bring Shibuya back yourself," Murata replied. "You've got no idea what he's like."

"Hey!" Yuri protested. "What kind of friends are you?"

"The kind that know you," Murata said bluntly.

"If it makes you feel better, you can think of it this way," Josak suggested to Conrart, "the Demon King took you hostage and forced you to serve him."

"Why am I the villain?" Yuri wondered.

"Because you're the one getting carried around," Wolfram said testily.

~.~.~

And you guys, you guys, Conrart's manga uniform for Big Cimaron. It's... it's so cool. You have to see it.