~.~.~
Title: Maoh, A Day Late
Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.
Notes: Yuri gets crowned and welcomes children to the Demon Tribe. Well, he's a kid himself, so...
~.~.~
Part IV, Chapter 2
One day, a perfect world
~.~.~
"I can do this, I can do this," Yuri chanted to himself, pacing in a narrow loop. Stopping suddenly, he paled. "No. I can't. I can't do this at all!"
Watching him calmly, Murata smiled. "You already said you would, Shibuya. It's too late to back out," he said. Yuri didn't appear particularly reassured. "It'll be fine," Murata tried instead. "You just have to walk down the center, stick your hand through the waterfall, wait a bit, turn and wave. Anyone could do it."
"Seems like a weird tradition," Yuri muttered, finally calming a little.
Murata shrugged. "They say that the Great One will grip your hand as a sign of acceptance."
"A handshake?" Yuri repeated. "But why here? The Great One's Tomb is up on the mountain."
"There's something of him here, too," Murata murmured mysteriously. Pushing up his glasses, he added, "Not that you need to worry. There won't be any reply from him."
'Because he sealed himself away to buy us time,' Yuri thought. 'To stop the Originators from using him as a puppet.'
Yuri knew that Murata had to be thinking the same thing. He couldn't imagine how Murata felt, knowing his old friend had suffered that kind of fate. Trying to think of some way to lighten the atmosphere, Yuri fiddled with the lavish red cloak that had been tied around his shoulders. It mirrored the one that had been worn by the Great One in Yuri's dream-like meeting with him.
'That's no good...' Yuri thought, shaking his head. He needed to focus on something else.
"I-I can't believe you had them make school uniforms for us!" he said instead, a little too loudly. "I mean, really, no matter how you look at it, this is just a plain black Japanese high school boy's uniform. Should we wear something more... elaborate?"
Murata chuckled. "Oh? I thought you'd feel more comfortable in that. Putting you in one of the ceremonial outfits from this world just seemed like asking for trouble. Besides, you would've needed someone to dress you then. Do you really want that, Shibuya?"
'Dress me..' Yuri shuddered, remembering terrible, terrible things from his childhood. He loved his mother dearly, but she had traumatized him many ways. Still, the more time passed, the more nostalgically he could look back on those memories.
Seeing Murata's satisfied smile, Yuri realized his friend had been trying to cheer him up in turn.
Suddenly, Murata glanced away, toward the massive double doors.
"It's time, Shibuya," he said, waving Yuri onward.
As he pushed at the heavy doors, Yuri swallowed heavily. They swung open majestically, revealing the grand hall beyond. People lined both sides of the main carpeted path, all of them finely dressed noblemen and women.
His eyes instinctively darted across their faces, and Yuri could see just a few familiar ones - Gwendal, standing with what had to be his family; Gunter, beside a young woman with dark green hair and eyes; Wolfram, just a bit behind a handsome man in blue; and even Anissina further away.
And, to one side, stood the human delegates. There were only a few of them, but Yuri instantly recognized Heathcrife, who smiled at him.
At the far end, Celi stood beside a narrow waterfall, looking stunning in a crimson gown, an elaborate crown in her hands.
Without even thinking about it, Yuri had taken a step forward, then another. Murata fell in behind him, as Yuri continued down the aisle.
Up the steps, and he was beside Celi, looking up into her beautiful smiling face. She leaned in close and whispered, "Don't be scared. It's all just for show. Stick your hand in, wait to the count five, then pull it out and wave. You'll do great." She winked, and Yuri smiled back, a little queasily.
Turning to the waterfall, he could see a round opening at about chest level. He reached inside, trying to imagine what might be beyond.
'One... two... three...'
'Great One,' Yuri thought. 'I'm sorry you have to wait like this. I hope you're alright. Hang in there. We'll make this right, I swear.'
He wondered if anyone could hear him.
For an instance, it almost felt like his fingers intertwined with another's.
'Four... five...'
But the sensation of touch vanished almost as soon as it had come.
Pulling his hand out, Yuri turned and waved. The crowd began to clap, too refined to cheer. Nonetheless, their applause was deafening, resounding in the great stone hall. Turning back to Celi, Yuri saw that she was holding up the ornate red and silver crown and ducked his head to let her place it over his black hair.
It was heavier than he expected.
~.~.~
"Next is the Great Birth Ceremony, right?" Yuri asked anxiously, as castle personnel scrambled around him to ready the procession to the Tomb of the Great One.
"Indeed, Your Majesty!" Gunter trilled. "First, we will pass through the city - and perhaps you can address the common people, if you wish - then, we will head to the Tomb of the Great One, where all children born during the year will be reported to the Great One and the children of noble birth will receive a special prayer."
"The Great Birth Ceremony, huh," Yuri mused. He smiled, making Gunter swoon a little. "It's kind of nice that my first official act as Demon King will be to welcome children into the Demon Tribe." 'Better than something boring, like signing permits, or something terrible, like readying for war,' he thought privately.
"Yes, Your Majesty-" Gunter began, only to be suddenly cut off as another's booming voice intruded on their conversation.
"That's right! It is truly a suitable beginning to our young king's reign!" The speaker was an older man, with combed-back blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard. It took Yuri a moment to realize why he looked familiar. He could see that Gunter recognized him too, as his advisor struggled to keep his expression smooth.
The man bowed deeply, though with an air of overacting, rather than genuine respect. "I am Stoffel Von Spitzweg," he introduced himself.
"I'm Yuri Shibuya. Nice to meet you," Yuri replied reflexively, with all the manners his mother had managed to drill into him.
Stoffel's smile was very wide as he suddenly stepped forward, a little too close to be polite, and grasped Yuri's hand in both of his. "You've met my sister Cecilie, yes? I helped her greatly during her own reign as Demon Queen," he said, either ignoring or not noticing the way Gunter just barely cut off a sound of indignation. "I would, of course, be happy - nay, ecstatic! - to serve you in the same capacity. Why, this fine melding of events was one of my suggestions!"
"That... was very thoughtful of you," Yuri said, trying to surreptitiously draw back, only to find his hand firmly trapped.
"Really, Lord Von Spitzweg," Gunter tried to protest, "there is no need. I will assist His Majesty, should he require it!"
Stoffel's smile was cool and a touch patronising as he turned to Gunter. "And I'm sure His Majesty will be happy to have your... help," he said, and something about his tone made Yuri's free hand clench into a fist. "But it would seem His Majesty is not so much in need of a tutor - after all, he has already proven himself capable of, well, rather unique deeds - as of someone to mind the homefront, as it were, while he is away."
It had been a while since Yuri's temper had been stirred like that, and he felt a sudden certainty that, if Stoffel continued to talk much longer, Yuri would punch him in the face, just like he had with his baseball coach.
Fortunately, someone else stepped in.
A firm hand clamped onto Stoffel's shoulder, drawing his attention. Looking behind Stoffel, Yuri's face brightened.
"It's been a long time, Lord Von Spitzweg," Hube greeted the man who had once been his ally. Neither appeared enthusiastic about the reunion.
"...Quite," Stoffel muttered, his smile twisting unhappily. "I had heard you were granted a pardon, Lord Griesela. It's good to see you are... well."
The comment was probably meant to be mocking. Of the three men Yuri had glimpsed in the past, only Hube appeared to have changed. He looked as if he had aged every one of those twenty years. Heavy lines had gathered around his mouth, and the edges of a jagged scar were visible beneath his large eyepatch.
But compared to the way he had looked the last time Yuri had seen him, Hube appeared rather well indeed.
The reason for that stood behind him.
"Hube! Nicola!" Yuri called out, honest happiness in his voice. "Thanks for coming! I'm so glad to see you again."
Pulling out of Stoffel's slackened grip, he moved to greet the couple. Hube bowed his head deferentially, appearing almost uncomfortable under Yuri's concentrated good regard, but Nicola returned Yuri's smile easily. The bundle in her arms wiggled, and a small chubby hand snuck out, waving.
"Oh! Is that..." Yuri wondered, peering closer.
Shifting the blankets, Nicola revealed a baby's round-cheeked face, tuffs of brown hair visible around it. "Yes," she said, holding the bundle up to Yuri, "this is our son, Ernst. El for short."
"So you did use that name," Yuri murmured, tentatively holding out a hand and watching the baby's tiny palm wrap around his finger. "I'm really a godfather now..."
"Godfather?" Nicola repeated.
Yuri laughed sheepishly. "Murata keeps telling me it's a Japanese thing. But where I'm from, the person who names the baby is like their guardian, you know? It's a special connection." He waved his hands. "It's not something you need to worry about! I know it's not a tradition here."
Nicola smiled. "We'd be honored, Your Majesty," she said. "And I'm sure El would love to have you as a godfather too. See, he likes you already." She glanced at Hube, who nodded slowly.
El really was a very cute baby, Yuri thought, leaning in a little to study his round, happy face. He definitely took after his mother. Even Hube smiled a little as he looked at his wife and son.
The other two men had been completely left out of their little group, but while Gunter simply watched the scene fondly, knowing how much Yuri had wished to bring that small family together, Stoffel struggled to hide his frown. He cleared his throat loudly, catching their attention.
"Yes, how nice," he congratulated them. "You'll be heading down for the Great Birth Ceremony, then? I'm sure that... child will be a great blessing to the Griesela family."
Nicola nodded, blushing a little. "Yes, Hube's parents have been so kind. They've really welcomed me and El into the family."
"Things have certainly changed," Stoffel noted, his smile a little odd. Clapping his hands together, he turned Yuri again. "All thanks to His Majesty, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, we owe him a great debt," Hube agreed quietly.
Laying his hand on Hube's shoulder, Gunter spoke up suddenly. "Let me congratulate you as well, Lord Griesela," he said. "I'm happy to see you and Nicola find happiness together."
Hube nodded solemnly, while Nicola beamed at Gunter. Yuri remembered suddenly that Gunter had been the one to bring Nicola to the Demon Kingdom. 'He's really a great guy, isn't he?' Yuri thought. 'Even if he carries on so much, he's helped me a lot...'
"Yes, let me offer my congratulations as well," Gwendal said, coming up to them, Wolfram in tow. His smile was a tiny, barely-there thing, but for him it was a sure sign he had made peace with his cousin.
"...Yeah," Wolfram agreed, shifting uncomfortably. Then, seemingly steeling himself, he bowed to Nicola, to the woman's great surprise. "I'm sorry for my words before. I was completely out of line!" he declared forcefully.
Yuri - and everyone else - stared, hardly believing that the proud young lord brat had managed an honest apology.
But Nicola only smiled. "It's alright. I could tell you had a lot on your mind. Please don't worry about it," she said.
Raising his head, Wolfram blinked at her in surprise and shrugged awkwardly. His eyes met Yuri's, and Wolfram blushed at the sheer approval and pride he saw in the other boy's expression.
In fact, Yuri couldn't help but beam happily at everyone. They were all such amazing people, and he was so honored, so glad to have met them. Suddenly, he just wanted to gather them all in a great hug, even grumpy Gwendal and uncertain Hube. Instead, Yuri laughed, bright and cheerful.
But somehow, there was a feeling of something missing. Thoughtfully, Yuri glanced behind him, almost expecting Murata to be there, though he knew his friend had gone on ahead to the tomb. That wasn't quite it, in any case. Was it Miss Celi? She had told Yuri is was his time to shine, and that she'd gone through enough of these ceremonies during her own reign. So instead, she had taken off to find some good-looking man to lavish her attention upon.
'That's not it either,' Yuri thought.
His eyes lingered on Gwendal and Wolfram, the two brothers as different as night and day, but still somehow alike, and suddenly Yuri realized who he had been thinking about.
"Hube!" a high child's voice cut through the noise of the preparations going on around them. Hube's expression showed recognition and a flash of happiness as a little girl with dark skin and short curly hair squeezed her way through the servants and nobles and rushed up to him.
"Greta," Hube greeted her warmly, crouching down to her level.
"Hube, I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, unhesitatingly wrapping her short arms around his neck. "I missed you!"
His large hand stroked her back gently, a fond light in Hube's single eye. "Greta," he said, pulling away a little, "there's someone I want you to meet. This is Nicola."
Smiling, a little tentatively, Nicola knelt as well. "Hi, Greta. Hube told me a lot about you. Thank you so much for helping him," Nicola said.
"And this is our son, El," Hube continued.
"So you did find them. I'm so glad, Hube," Greta said, sniffling a little. "You're going to be a great father. El's so lucky to have you..."
"And you? How have you been, Greta?" Hube asked.
The girl smiled shyly. "Good! Mister Heathcrife is really nice, and Beatrice and I are really good friends. You don't have to worry about me, Hube! I'm happy, really," she insisted.
Yuri watched the scene quietly, knowing it wasn't any of his business. He jumped a little when a warm hand was laid on his shoulder. "It's a touching reunion, isn't it?" Heathcrife said, coming up to stand next to Yuri. "Huber left that girl in my care. She was the one who helped him escape from the dungeon in Svelera, you see. She was worried about him, so I brought her with me to see your coronation. Congratulations."
Nodding, Yuri said, "Thank you for coming! It's only possible because of all your help."
"Thank you for having us," Heathcrife countered. Stepping aside a little, he gestured to the little girl clinging to his side. "By the way, this is my daughter Beatrice." Smiling a little, she curtsied.
"Hi there," Yuri greeted her, waving.
"We probably aren't supposed to be here," Heathcrife confided, "but I wanted Greta to see Huber, so we snuck away from the other delegates."
"It's quite alright," Gunter said, moving to join them. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Heathcrife."
"You as well, Lord Von Crist..." Heathcrife agreed, smiling.
As the two men continued to exchange pleasantries, Yuri and Beatrice exchanged a look. It was, they both decided, time to sneak away. Beatrice hurried over to Greta's side, the two girls linking hands as they peered at baby El. Yuri smile, watching the sweet scene, but his expression shifted as he scanned the area in search of a certain figure.
"Hey, Yuri," Wolfram said, coming up to him, "want to ride with me? Or is Gunter trusting you with a horse after all?"
"I'm gonna go on one of the carriages," Yuri replied, a little distracted. He caught sight of a familiar shade of orange - Josak, who instead of helping with the final preparations, loading couples and babies into carriages, was staring at Hube, Nicola and the children with a strange expression.
"On, but not in," Wolfram noted with exasperation. "Of course."
"Mm... Hey, Wolf," Yuri said, finally turning back to his friend, "have you seen Conrad?"
The question clearly caught him off guard, and Wolfram stared at Yuri, before his eyes darted toward Hube and Nicola.
'That's right, I'd almost forgotten about that,' Yuri thought.
"Did he not come?" Yuri pressed. "I mean, I don't think I saw him during the ceremony. Is his family here?"
"...Weller doesn't have any other family," Wolfram finally said. "His father was a human." He paused, but Yuri only waited patiently for him to continue. Wolfram sighed a little, wondering what he had expected. "After his actions during the war, he was awarded a high standing, but now, I'm not sure..."
"I see," Yuri murmured. Already moving away, he called back over his shoulder, "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Ah, Your Majesty!" Stoffel tried to hail Yuri, but the king simply waved and hurried onward, leaving the nobleman to look after him with a darkening frown.
"Josak!" Yuri called out instead, waving to the other man. "Mind if I ride with you again?" Since he was to act as one of the coachmen for the carriages to travel to the Tomb of the Great One.
Josak grinned easily, his earlier expression slipping away. "Sure, kiddo. Or, I should I say, Your Majesty~." He sketched an almost mocking bow, but this time there wasn't any cutting edge to his teasing. Even he seemed pleased and excited.
"Great!" Beaming, Yuri turned and waved to the rest of his friends. "Hube! Nicola! Over here! Let's ride together!"
Startled, Josak threw him a sharp look, but then shook his head with a small smile. "Not bad," he muttered. "You got me there, kiddo. But I guess if you, of all people, forgive him..."
Something about that comment seemed strange, but by the time Yuri glanced at him, Josak had turned away.
~.~.~
Then, it was time to depart.
Wolfram and Gunter hurried away to their horses, but Gwendal climbed into the carriage with Hube and Nicola, while Yuri scrambled up onto the front driver's seat with Josak. As they pulled away, leading the procession, Heathcrife, Beatrice and Greta waved them goodbye.
The streets were crowded with people, though they parted quickly to allow the procession through. Smiling so widely his face hurt, Yuri waved and called out greetings. He suspected that Gwendal and most nobles would disapprove of how quickly he abandoned propriety, but Yuri didn't care. The joyful atmosphere was infectious.
As they exited the city, pulling out onto the comparatively empty main road, Yuri sighed happily and leaned back. The blue, blue sky stretched out above, members of the Wing Bone clan circling over the procession. Smiling, Yuri waved to them too.
The atmosphere at the Tomb of the Great One was more subdued, but not by much. The priestesses and their guards were just as excited, for all their decorum, not just by the holiday they looked forward to all year, but also the visit of their newly-crowned king.
"Shibuya! Over here!" Murata called out, waving Yuri over. "Come on, let them get everything set up."
The ceremony was to take place in the central chamber, where the Great One's crest rested high up on the wall, water perpetually running down from near the high glass ceiling. The three Boxes were at the altar as well, though they had been covered by ceremonial cloths and appeared to be just pedestals of some sort.
Nonetheless, looking at them, Yuri felt a shiver go down his spine.
"It's alright," Murata said quietly. "Ulrike and I have been taking good care of them." He nodded subtly to the young girl who had joined them at the altar.
"Ulrike?" Yuri repeated. She was so tiny even he towered over her. It was hard to believe she was the head priestess Murata had mentioned so often.
She blushed, ducking her head. "Yes, Your Majesty," she said demurely. "It's an honor to have you here."
"Thank you for everything," Yuri said, bowing a little. "Murata said we couldn't have made it without you. We really owe you a lot."
"I'm honored to serve Your Majesty," she said, her blush deepening. "In any small way I can, with even just my prayers." Something sad passed over her sweet face. "I'm glad... that they can reach someone."
There were only five children of noble families born that year, each placed in a cradle in front of the altar. Their parents stood at the head of each bed, and at the far end of the chamber, the representatives of other noble families had gathered.
Slowly, a hush fell over the hall as the ceremony began.
Taking a small pot of red paint, Ulrike approached each cradle and dabbed three dots on each child's forehead.
Moving back, Ulrike paused in surprise as Yuri knelt in front of her. "Your Majesty...?" she whispered.
He smiled sheepishly. "Ah... I know I wasn't born here, and it's a bit irregular, but... could you..." Reaching up, Yuri pushed back his fringe and offered his own forehead. Ulrike's eyes widened in understanding.
Smiling, she dabbed three dots, like a tomoe. The paint felt cool against his skin. If Yuri remembered correctly, it symbolized... uh, something or other. To be honest, he didn't remember at all.
"Your Majesty, the list of names," Gunter said, stepping up to the altar and presenting an ornate scroll. Fortunately, this ceremony was far more lax than most, and just accepting the scroll would be enough. It would be placed in the Tomb's archives, with records stretching back almost four thousand years.
It seemed a shame to just hide it away though. Yuri knew that Gunter had painstakingly copied each name from the citizen registry himself, and even if he couldn't read them, Yuri thought the calligraphy was beautiful in its own way.
With a smile at his advisor, Yuri gripped the edge of the scroll and pulled it open, trying to make the gesture as grand and dramatic as the ones he had seen in his favorite historical dramas. It unfurled, draping over his forearms like a ribbon marked by arcane symbols, and turning to the altar, Yuri slid it onto one of the covered Boxes.
Might as well get some use out of the things.
When he turned back to the hall, he could see that Gunter's eyes had gone misty with joy.
"I present these children, born of the Demon Tribe, to our founder, the Great One," Yuri announced, as he had been told to. "May they inherit your strength, wisdom and courage. Please welcome them among your people."
Though it wasn't part of the ceremony, Yuri bowed. "And," he added, "even though I wasn't born here in the Great Demon Kingdom, please welcome me into your tribe as well. I'm looking forward to working with all of you for the sake of our great nation."
For a moment, everyone was silent, surprised at his addition to the ceremony. Then, smiling, Ulrike stepped forward, bowing to him in return and taking over the proceedings to perform the special prayer. Her white robed figure looked ethereal as she spread her arms wide before the Great One's sigil.
"Your Majesty..." Gunter appeared to stifle a sob, keeping his voice out of respect to their location and the ceremony. "That was wonderful! So touching! We are honored to have you join our people. Ah, if it is Your Majesty's wish, we can prepare a coming of age ceremony as well!"
"Coming of age?" Yuri repeated. "I don't want to wait until I'm twenty to become part of the Demon Tribe."
"No, Your Majesty," Gunter assured him. "Among the Demon Tribe, we are recognized as adults at sixteen. That is when we decide the path our lives will take."
"At sixteen? Huh. Then I guess I already did that," Yuri mused. At Gunter's questioning look, he smiled, though the expression was somehow not entirely happy. "I already turned sixteen. My birthday is at the end of July, right at the start of summer vacation. It was just a few days before Murata and I tried to cross to this world. I celebrated it with my family. We had already decided to come here..."
The sadness he felt at the thought of his family surprised Yuri. He suddenly had to blink away tears. With all the running around they had been doing, looking for the Boxes, he hadn't had a chance to stop, think or really consider the fact that he might never see them again.
'Stupid! Pull it together,' Yuri chided himself. 'You already decided to do this! There's no reason to get all depressed now. It's not as if I've been unhappy. I'm glad I came here... I'm glad...'
A warm hand on his shoulder startled Yuri out of his thoughts. He looked up at Gunter in surprise. The man's expression was kind and fond, but not in his usual way. He appeared the regal, scholarly man everyone had told Yuri about.
"Then I acknowledge Your Majesty's resolve," Gunter said, squeezing gently. "You are truly a man of the Demon Tribe. And... I am honored to count you among my students."
Yuri couldn't help it. He blushed.
~.~.~
((So I've started reading translations of the short novels. Novels 1 and 2 are available from Asphodel's Heaven, which is nice. Unfortunately, like most Japanese novels, they're in first person... I hate that so much. I'm basically just reading to see the differences from the other versions now.
((Anyway, the beginning was adapted very faithfully, especially in the manga. There's a few interesting details: Yuri was thinking of joining the kendo club in high school, Conrart looks like he's nineteen or twenty (!). Yes. He's that young-looking. Manga even confirms that twenty years ago (four years Mazoku time?), Conrad looked like a high schooler.
((Also, in the novels, the Demon Tribe is explicitly composed on many races. Some of the humanoid ones mentioned are the Healers (green hair and eyes, joined the Demon Kingdom two thousand years before, extended Demon Tribesmen's lives) and the Lake Shore People (purple hair and eyes, long lived, includes Ulrike). Notably, that last one is implicitly contradicted by the anime, where Ondine and by extension Ulrike haven't aged because they are priestesses, compared to Seraphine.))