"What I'm trying to say is that… I love you, Emi," Maou was saying, blushing furiously as he avoided the Hero's emerald gaze.
They were sitting across from each other, in a fancy restaurant, their food uneaten in front of them. Emi stared at the Devil as if he'd just pronounced he liked to sacrifice virgins in his leisure time. Maou chanced a peek at Emi, who was still staring intently at him, her fork hovering over a fine, lavished plate of salad that probably cost a fortune. Maou pulled at the violet silk tie about his neck as he felt his face burn. He couldn't believe it; he'd just confessed his feelings to Emi, a woman that had tried to kill him a little over a week ago. Emi, also known as Emilia the Hero, was the greatest threat posed to the Devil, also known as Satan Jacob and Sadao Maou. Unbeknownst to her, she was also the object of his affections, and had nearly caused him to lose his mind. She'd affected his heart, his home, and his work; she'd been woven through his dreams and she was on his mind first thing in the morning when he woke up each day. Yes, the Hero meant quite a lot to her adversary, and her magenta hair and bright green eyes seemed to preoccupy much of his brainpower nowadays. So when the Devil confessed his love, when he put his neck on the line and waited for the axe to fall upon him, he couldn't help but shiver in his seat. Perhaps it was his new suit, which he found rather heavy and restraining, but the heat he felt seemed to flood from his face and spread throughout his being in hot flashes that left him uncomfortable, and still the Hero stared.
The suspense was palpable, but Maou steeled himself. He'd made up his mind, one way or another, this had to be done. It was either his people or her, and he knew he couldn't have both. As soon as he'd confessed, he knew that this was the point of no return, and he knew what he would choose if given an ultimatum… or did he? His people were obviously important, but didn't he deserve happiness? Selfish as the notion was, he'd done everything he had up until that point so as to return to Ente Isla and finish his conquest. But now, if given the choice, if the Hero were to miraculously reciprocate his attraction, he felt tempted to simply call it quits. He subconsciously found himself planning it: his throne and his crown would go to Alciel, who was an excellent tactician and ruler, and Lucifer could act as muscle while the new Demon King assembled a new council to act as his Generals, and Maou could relax into an advisory position, locked away in a castle with no one except the woman of his desires….
"Hehe ahehahehahahHAHAHAAAAA AAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Maou looked up, and to his surprise, he found Emi was laughing. It was far from a normal laugh though, it was throaty and malicious, and at the cusp of her mirth, she began to point at Maou, shaking her head and cackling like a banshee. Maou looked around, his eyes wide with fear as everyone watched. All were people of refined tastes, covered in jewels, dresses, suits and other fancy trappings of a wealthy lifestyle, and there was Emi, standing across from him, heaving with laughter as she made her thoughts on Maou's feelings known.
And to the Devil's horror, other people began to laugh. It began as a small chuckle here and there, but soon everyone was laughing unkindly, but Emi's own laughter was still far louder and more obnoxious than theirs.
"The Devil, in love with me? You should go and jump in a river, Maou! You'll never leave this world and you'll never amount to anything! I'm going back to Ente Isla to tell the Demon Army what a joke you are now. They'll be swept away like wheat before my Holy Sword after I tell them about your betrayal," Emi hollered through her contemptuous cackling.
Maou stood, and with no other options left, he decided to run, but where would he go, what would he do? Ashiya would hate him forever! Even as he ran, out onto the street and away from the restaurant, he felt himself being pulled backwards, through the doors of the restaurant by a pressure that beat against him harder and harder the more he struggled against it. Finally, Maou realized what was going on, and with a gasp he woke as the doors to the establishment slammed shut on him, locking him inside with Emi.
"Good morning, my lord, I wasn't expecting you up so early. Would you like breakfast?"
No answer came from Maou, but from within the depths of the closet, a muffled voice was heard.
"I'd love some!"
"Then make it yourself," Ashiya coldly said to the inhabitant of the closet, which sighed and resumed it's quiet, uninterruptive occupancy.
"No, thanks Ashiya," Maou said finally, coming out of his stupor.
"King Satan, are you feeling well?"
"What? Do I look sick," Maou asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Well… sort of."
"Hmm."
Not bothering to think of the consequences, Maou flicked his wrist and the faucet of the sink began to shoot out water. A snap of his fingers and a malevolent glow in his eyes caused the water to freeze into a flat, reflective surface. Ashiya pursed his lips at the sight of his King's seemingly unneeded use of magic as the plate of mirror-like ice floated over Maou's head, the Devil surveying himself, and lying back against his pillows.
The more Maou's eyes roamed his human face, the more Maou felt like something was amiss. But what was it? Whatever it was eluded him, but he understood why Ashiya might think he was sick. Using the magic he'd gained over the last week and a half, Maou channeled it directly into his body, which was suffused with warmth. Maou's reflection blushed as the blood rushed to his face and his eyes lit up as the magic washed away his sleepiness. By all rights, he was in tiptop condition, and perfectly poised to take over the world through his eventual rise to power via the MgRonalds food chain. So why did he still feel like rolling over, pulling up the covers and ignoring everything and everyone? Why did sleeping the day away sound like the best option? He had an entire world to subjugate and enslave with french fries and Double Cheeseburger combos, how was he supposed to work and make a living if he couldn't get up?
"Sire, seeing as it is your day off, I'd like you to run a few errands," Ashiya said, pouring a cup of hot tea to go with Maou's slowly chilling breakfast.
'That's right,' Maou thought, 'I have the weekend off. Maybe it won't be such a bad day.'
Then the Devil froze, and yesterday's events sucker punched him, much like the Hero herself would've.
"ASHIYA!"
A thump was heard as Maou sprang to his feet, but only managed to bash his toes upon the coffee table. Ashiya turned to find Maou laying upon the floor, cupping his foot in both hands and moaning.
"King Satan? Why are you so worried, you don't have to go to work today… do you?"
"No, Ashiya, but there is something…. Something far worse than work. Ashiya, yesterday, while I was serving Emilia-"
The thought of his liege playing the Hero's servant caused Ashiya to scowl, but Maou continued as if nothing had happened.
"-we sort of ran into Rika."
"Rika," Ashiya asked sharply, his angry demeanor fading rather quickly.
"Yes, and she- what's with that slack jawed look on your face? Hey, Ashiya, are you listening?"
"Hmm, oh, yes, of course sire, I was just thinking," Ashiya said, putting aside his thoughts of Rika Suzuki for a different time.
"Anyway, we ran into Rika and… I was sort of wrangled into a meeting."
"A meeting," Ashiya asked quickly, raising an eyebrow at the Devil's unwillingness to meet his gaze.
"A… that is to say, I had no choice in the matter, Alciel, you must understand-"
"What are you trying to tell me, my King?"
Ashiya's tone was rather rigid, and for a moment he thought that the budget was about to be submitted to another crippling expenditure, but Maou looked at Ashiya with his tear filled eyes and carefully stood once more, trying to keep less pressure on his injured leg.
"Ashiya, I have a date today."
"With whom, sire?"
"With Emi," Maou admitted, staring at the floor between his feet and waiting for Ashiya to explode.
"Isn't that good news, King Satan?"
Maou looked up to see Ashiya smiling quizzically at him. There was no anger in his being, no murderous intent, no squabbling over the finances and no angry beratings… was Maou missing something?
"G-good news? Alciel, aren't you concerned about the budget? Or my safety," Maou prompted, feeling more and more uneasy the longer Ashiya stared at him with his smirk and his raised eyebrow.
"Isn't this what you have been working for, sire? Isn't this exactly what you wanted from Emilia? Were you not just saying that you wanted to get the Hero to see reason and join forces?"
"Well yes, but the things is we are both unwilling participants, Ashiya! My life is in jeopardy," Maou said, unsure if Ashiya had correctly processed what Maou had told him.
"Oh, making things official, huh," Urushihara said, sidling out of the closet like a sack of potatoes and sauntering up to Maou, "you and Emi, together forever?"
"Kindly do not give Urushihara any supper, Alciel," Maou said with a sick smile, turning to look at the fallen angel with glowing red eyes.
Lucifer blanched and took a step back as if he'd just been shot through the heart. His face was twisted into an expression of pure horror as he clenched his fists and his eyes teared up.
"You can't do that," he complained noisily, "I haven't eaten since yesterday and I barely get any food as it is! I'll starve!"
"I do suggest you consider changing his punishment," Ashiya advised, now washing and drying the dishes before carefully placing them in the cupboard, "if you don't he'll jabber on like that all day."
"Fine, he can eat," Maou said, before smiling evilly once again, "however, you are to take his laptop from him for the day, and he will help around the Castle as you see fit, Ashiya."
The tall blonde demon smiled, his demonic powers flowing out of him like a sulfurous black cloud as his eyes glowed.
"Of course, I think he can vacuum and do the laundry to start with," Ashiya said, fixing Urushihara with a cold stare to match Maou's, "and we'll see how it goes from there. Oh, and if you perform poorly, or slack in any way, I'll petition our Lord for an extension of your punishment."
"You know what, guys, food is overrated, I'll just take my computer and hide in my closet and not make any noise! I promise, I'll-"
Maou clicked his fingers, and Urushihara's stomach dropped. With a slow, meaningful pull, he opened the closet door and found it exactly as it was… but the laptop was gone. He turned to Maou and found the device hovering in an orb of crimson and black power over the Demon King's hand.
"If I receive a satisfactory report from Ashiya when I return from this date, I will give you the laptop back," Maou said simply, closing his hand into a fist as the orb of demon magic, and the laptop, vanished into nothing.
"Well then, it seems I'll have to dip into my emergency fund once more," Ashiya said, "where is this date at? What's the occasion?"
"I'm still waiting for a-"
Almost perfectly on cue, Maou's old flip-phone went off and he opened it, his eyes quickly scanning a few lines of text before he smiled lamely and showed the screen to Ashiya, who quickly went pale in the face before seizing up and collapsing. Urushihara stuck his head out of the closet, and upon seeing Ashiya prone upon the floor he leapt out and began to beat on Ashiya's chest.
"Wake up, dammit," Urushihara shouted, "you have to cook for me! I can't work a stove, and Maou uses to much seasoning!"
"He's not dead, he's in shock… and there's the headache," Maou said, feeling absolutely floored. It turned out that the restaurant was not just any restaurant. It was as if his dream were becoming a reality, for the date, which Rika had proposed, would be taking place in the most upscale restaurant on the Tokyo's east side. The Hakushu Teppanyaki was famous for its underground following, and its incredible Kobe Steak. It was also extremely classy, incredibly fancy and most assuredly inaccessible without reservations… unless you were friends with Rika Suzuki, it seemed.
"I'm not sure the budget can survive this one," Ashiya said melodramatically, "so long cruel world, it's been a pain dealing with you."
"C'mon Ashiya, what about the 'preventing the Demon Lord from looking like a transient bum' fund?"
"That was only available because we managed to capitalize on the prolonged tracker return policy. That reserve is empty!"
Maou's phone went off again and he read it aloud for his assembled generals.
"p.s., the dinner is pro bono because Rika called in a favor, just dress nice, and bring a tip with for Rika because she's amazing."
"I'll second that," Ashiya said, wiping the sweat from his forehead as Maou and Urushihara helped him to his feet.
"Amazing," Maou remarked, "as soon as the budget is safe he's cool as a cucumber."
"It's my job to make sure the coffers are full, and the bills are paid."
"I don't remember you being so money smart in Ente Isla!"
"That's because money was not nearly as tight when we had the world in our hands," Ashiya scolded before opening one of the drawers in which he kept emergency money stashed.
"How much do we have to work with," Maou asked, "and remember: Rika's tip comes first, otherwise Emi will end me at the restaurant!"
"I've taken that into account… and the leftover thirty thousand yen can be used for a cheap suit. I won't have you-"
"Looking like a transient bum," Maou asked.
"I wasn't going to say that," Ashiya said quickly.
"Suuuuure," Urushihara teased.
"Silence, welp," Alciel said, his power making Lucifer turn white, "don't you have chores to do?!"
"Yessir!"
The rest of the day passed quickly for Maou, as he and Ashiya went about the nearby market districts of Tokyo, searching for a good suit. Unfortunately, many secondhand stores were well under the range of three hundred thousand yen, but the suits were either too big or too small. It was only after finding an actual suit and tuxedo outlet that they found a suitable style for Maou. It was, as the gentleman who'd attended to Maou and Ashiya had called it, a 'slim-fit' suit, more common with younger men such as Maou.
"It's an excellent suit," Ashiya said, rubbing his chin, "but I'm afraid that color is most definitely not your style, my lord. Do you have any in black?"
They were lead to the back, where they kept several different variants of the suits, but still packaged and clean. Maou and Ashiya listened to the salesman jammer on about the suit, but what caught Maou's eye was the suit itself. It was black, cut fine so as to accentuate a man's slim features, and it came with… a purple tie?
'What the hell,' Maou thought, thinking about his dream as Emi's vivacious laugh echoed in his head, 'this suit is the same one from my dream!'
"Is there something wrong sir," the employee asked casually looking at Maou's slack jawed face, "there are different colors available, though they will include price increases."
"We'll take the charcoal," Ashiya said quickly, not giving Maou time for a rebuttal as fate became reality.
At the checkout, Maou followed Ashiya awkwardly as he often did, because Ashiya was in charge of the finances of Castle Overlord, with or without Maou's permission.
"Ashiya," Maou said casually, "how would you feel if I told you that suit were the sole destruction of our future here in Japan?"
"Well, I'd be excited for us, of course, sire," the blonde demon sighed as he counted through several paper bills.
"Why?"
"Because I'd take that to mean we were headed back to Ente Isla."
"No, what if it were the end of us all," Maou asked dramatically, "what if that suit and purple tie were to derail our futures cataclysmically? How would you react?"
"Well, if I may be frank, I don't think a suit could cause any such mayhem, and besides, the tie was free. I'd be hard pressed to turn down something quite this foolproof."
"Your total will be twenty seven thousand, five hundred yen," the young male cashier said in a rather monotone voice.
"Oooh, did you hear that? You'll have extra money for the tip," Ashiya blathered excitedly while Maou tried to prepare himself for doomsday.
"And how much will this tip be, exactly," Maou asked, his unsureness putting a crack in his voice.
"About twelve thousand, five hundred yen."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME," Maou hollered, his voice echoing through the posh men's clothing store.
Maou returned to his home and frowned at himself in the mirror as Ashiya tightened his tie and brushed the dust from the shoulders of his sleek black suit. It wasn't a bad look, but the feeling of impending doom made Maou rather unhappy about the entire thing, his date with Emi included. The thought of the redhead made his skin tingle and his heart race. From the depths of his soul, Maou felt the Devil within sigh happily as he slumbered, the thought of Emi making the little demon rest peacefully.
"Hrgh!"
Maou gripped his chest and furrowed his brow, his teeth bared as sweat dotted his forehead. He fell forward against Ashiya, and the blonde demon caught him with surprising strength.
"Huh, what's wrong with Maou," Lucifer said, a do rag over his head to prevent his dark purple hair from falling into his face.
Castle Overlord, as strange fate would have it, was immaculate. The dirty clothes were in the hamper, ready to be dried in a moment's notice. The counter had been wiped down and sterilized so thoroughly you could deliver a baby on it, not that you'd want to. The carpet had been vacuumed not once, not twice, but three times, and the miscellaneous garbage that usually fell from the closet had been picked up, and it was all thanks to Urushihara, who made a home surprisingly well. The do rag and apron seemed only natural to the NEET, especially now that his way of living had been thrown into question. He was not going to lose that computer, as it was his only reason for living. Well, maybe not his only reason….
"I'm fine," Maou uttered, his breath shallow and quick as he sought to regain control of his fragile human body. Looking at the mirror, he noticed his eyes were glowing rather magnificently in the dim light of the apartment. The day outside was fading quickly, thanks to the thick layer of grey clouds. As soon as his fit had passed, however, the sun had once more reemerged, setting as it was behind its silvery mask.
"My Lord, are you sure you're well," Ashiya asked quickly, gently but firmly pushing Maou toward one of the pillows on the floor so as to give him a seat.
"Better than ever," Maou lied, smiling as the light flooded his face and made him appear more gravely ill than ever.
Knowing that Maou was unlikely to admit any fault or injury, Ashiya continued as if nothing happened while Urushihara stared rather stupidly.
"Well then, are you prepared for the trip, my lord," the second in command asked, looking Maou up and down as the Demon King stared at his own reflection.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I should bring a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off of my forehead, seeing as I'll have to walk," Maou said, looking at how his forehead was already misty.
"Excellent idea, however…."
Honk hoonk!
Maou quickly turned his head away from the mirror and stalked over to the window, where a taxi driver was sitting patiently, looking left and right as if thugs and undesirables would peel from the woodwork at any moment.
"You called a taxi," Maou asked incredulously, frowning as Ashiya smirked.
"Ten thousand yen will be a fine tip for Rika," he said happily as Maou laid an approving hand upon his shoulder.
"Thanks, Ashiya."
Before Ashiya could accept the praise, however, a cooking alarm rang and suddenly Lucifer was ushering Maou out of the apartment. Apparently, he was also undertaking the task of timekeeper, and so Maou was ushered down the steps with his foreboding suit and tie, and twelve thousand five hundred yen, one fifth of which would be going to his taxi ride of doom, for that is what the date spelled to the Devil.
When the taxi pulled up by the restaurant, Maou was quickly pulled from his thoughts by the driver clearing his throat. Maou handed the driver his money and stepped out of the car, feeling rather out of place as men and women with fancy cars looked at him with small smirks. Then his eyes fell upon the great, fancy double doors, and the restaurant itself. Maou leaned down and held the door of the taxi for support.
"Are you sure this is the right place," Maou asked, gazing at the brightly lit displays in the restaurant windows and the eerily familiar layout of the place.
"You asked for the Hakushu Teppanyaki, right," the driver asked, pointing out the large, fancy writing over the double doors.
"Uh, yeah… thanks again, man."
"Maou, I'm glad you made it," Rika called, her arms full of dishes, "let me take these to their tables and I'll be with you in a sec."
Maou nodded absently, taking in the bright lights, the high ceiling with intricately carved figures that he could've stared at for hours, and the exotic plants.
"It's the same," Maou whispered.
Everything, from the paintings upon the walls to the nameless faces around him, were exactly as they'd been in his dream. Maou had never been one to boast of his incredible powers, albeit in the presence of a few chose enemies, and of these powers, he hadn't ever claimed clairvoyance to be among them. He'd had déjà vu before, but this was different. Every single detail was so markedly identical that Maou found himself wondering if he wasn't still asleep. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and held it. If it were a dream, he would hardly have needed to draw breath, right?
No such luck, for after only about forty five seconds, Maou exhaled, and his body whirled to try and keep up with his lack of oxygen.
"Alright Maou, Emi is already here," Rika said, appearing behind Maou and making him jump.
"Geez, don't sneak up on me Like that!"
"Sorry," Rika laughed, "I'm just kinda excited. I get to play matchmaker! When you two are five years older and married with children you'll be sure to thank me, right?"
"Uh, ye-yeah, sure, why not," Maou agreed, figuring that Rika didn't need to feel the same sense of ill fate that he did.
"Anyway, you may wanna start off by apologizing to her for being late, and maybe complimenting her on something simple, like her dress or her hair," Rika muttered to Maou quickly as she laid a hand upon his elbow and guided him across the large floor.
"Ok, but-"
"No time, good luck!"
With a shove, Rika pushed Maou through a thicket of what seemed to be a wedding after party, and suddenly Maou's heart was aflutter. Emi was looking resplendent in a classy salmon dress with an open back, a low v-cut chest and a diagonal hem so that one side hung by her ankle and the other side ended at her knee. On her feet she wore matching heels and her hair, which was usually left alone with a single braid, was now in a large bun. Her face was framed with locks of magenta hair and her braid was wrapped around the bun in a spiral, held in place by a fancy butterfly clip.
"Finally decided to show up, then," Emi asked, her elbow on the table and her palm in her hand as she crossed her legs and kicked a foot agitatedly.
"You look really pretty," Maou blurted out, his head suddenly blank as he stared at the angry red headed Hero.
"I-it was nothing…not that I dressed up for you, I didn't want to embarrass Rika," Emi said lamely, her cold demeanor broken in a heartbeat thanks to Maou's bluntness.
"Yeah, me too. She seems more excited than both of us put together," Maou said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the figure of Rika, who quickly turned away and asked a customer how they were enjoying their dinner.
Emi snorted, "Yeah, I suppose she gave you that stupid line, too."
The Hero had hardly moved, but in a single moment, Maou suddenly found her more approachable than before. She smiled at him like they were sharing a private joke, and the kicks of her foot became less quick and more soft and rhythmic.
"Nope, that was all me," Maou said, taking a seat and looking around, his sense of reality being affected by his strange dream.
"Now that I think about it, that makes sense. Rika actually knows how to compliment a woman," Emi said, "oh and I almost forgot, you left this at my house."
With a small metallic ringing noise that made Maou cringe, Emi put the alarm clock, or Bane of the Demon King, as she called it, upon the table. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the Demon King's reaction.
"Why did you bring that here?"
"I wanted you to have it," Emi said, sliding the clock towards Maou and inwardly laughing at the way he leaned away from it, "I thought about what you said to me last night… and I realize that I haven't really considered the human aspect of your existence. Sure, you're weaker and easier to kill, but I haven't stopped to think 'gee, he probably feels a lot more pain now that he's in the body of human.' So now, I can't use the Bane on you anymore. It's yours."
"I don't want your clock, Emi."
"I was trying to be nice," she retorted, crossing her arms and frowning.
"I know, and I appreciate it, but if you want to show you care maybe we could just… I don't know, get in touch and discuss our plans for the future," Maou said.
"I'll give you one chance to clarify what you mean by that, and if I don't like what you say I swear I will end this date-"
"I didn't mean it like that," Maou said, holding up his hands in surrender, "I just-"
"Menus! I've got menus for you guys," Rika said, having noticed the way their talk had turned south the moment Emi had crossed her arms.
"Oh thank goodness," Emi said, her contempt fading like the clouds before a hot summer sun "I'm so hungry! Thanks, Rika."
"No problem, hun. And here's yours, Maou," Rika said, giving him a small wink and waiting dutifully as they peered through the menu.
Maou saw a list of strange food choices, but the best seemed to be a Kobe Steak, which was lathered with a 'special sauce' and also came topped with onions, mushrooms, peppers. When he saw the price, however, Maou almost swore. He took a peek at Emi from over his own menu and to his surprise found she was calm and cool as she smiled up at Rika and ordered politely.
"Could I get the Kobe steak and a bottle of wine," Emi asked sweetly.
Again, Maou looked at Emi as if she were crazy. Wine would not cause Emi to get blackout drunk, but it would definitely impair her senses… did this mean she was putting a little trust in him? Was she willing to let her senses be dulled around the Devil, or was this some kind of test? He'd never really tasted any alcohol from this world, as he found it severely impaired his senses and was usually somewhat expensive.
"Uh, I'll have the Kobe steak, too," Maou said, handing the menu back to Rika.
"Ok, sure thing guys," Rika said, scribbling on the order book and expertly maneuvering her way into the back, where the smell of searing meats and frying vegetables gently worked their way through the bright atmosphere.
"Big spender, huh," Emi asked, "you know I'm not the one paying for your food, right? Rika is covering you check, so you'd better thank her on your hands and knees for her generosity when the night is done."
"Now who's the one saying weird stuff," Maou retorted.
"About that," Emi said, looking at Maou and waiting for an explanation for his earlier comment.
Gathering himself and trying to think of the best way to explain what he'd meant earlier, he checked and re-checked every line and made sure that Emi couldn't take offense to what he was going to say.
"What I meant to say before was that we should collaborate. Imagine it, Emi! The Hero and the Devil, working on a united front to try and make Ente Isla a better place. I can understand if you said no, or needed time to think, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that we are the representatives of our respective races. You for the humans, and me for the Demons."
Emi looked like she was about to reply when a waiter showed up with Emi's preferred bottle of wine and poured her a glass. She nodded in thanks and waited until the busboy was gone before answering.
"Maou, you know it's not that simple. Yes, we will be working on the same field, but chances are it'll be from opposite sides of the board. The people of Ente Isla won't simply forget all that you've done to them," Emi said, punctuating her statement by taking a large gulp from her wine glass.
"We've been over this, time and again," Maou countered, "I don't plan on being around for the reshaping of the world."
"And I've told you, 'time and again,'" Emi said, using her fingers as quotation marks, "that I won't let that happen. Guilty or not you can't just run away from your actions. If you really wanted to help, you'd atone by making Ente Isla a better place."
Once more, Emi grabbed the wine glass and downed the other half in a few gulps, Maou looking on with a surprised expression. It seemed Emi was a little on edge herself. Where was Rika to distract her crazy, half-angel best friend? Maou looked around but it seemed that Rika Suzuki had vanished from the restaurant.
"You're right," Maou conceded, figuring it was best to not get into it with Emi in her current state.
"Damn skippy, I'm right," Emi said, bright red patches appearing on her cheeks, "and you know what, Maou? I still owe you for kissing me yesterday."
"I was hoping you'd forgotten about that," Maou said truthfully. Somehow, he thought the shock of it might cause short term temporary amnesia… no such luck, it seemed.
"Oh, I haven't. I laid awake fuming for hours after you left, which is what you wanted, I'm sure. I'll have you know that I didn't lose any sleep, though, I only woke up a few hours ago."
"Emi, it's eight forty five… did you sleep the entire day," Maou asked concernedly.
"That's neither here nor there," she replied, waving away the question in a casual manner.
"Sorry for the wait, guys," Rika said, appearing from out of nowhere, two large trays of food in her hands, "here you go! Two Kobe steaks with extra secret sauce!"
"Hey Rika, what makes the secret sauce so secret," Emi asked, her words slightly slurred.
"Well, I guess it's a secret family recipe, but I know it has homemade soy sauce, honey, jalapeno oil and a bunch of saké," Rika said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"There's saké in the steak sauce," Maou asked with incredulity as the sound of a knife scraping a ceramic plate was heard from across the table. By the time he'd turned to look at Emi, her jaws had already clamped down upon a large hunk of double-dipped, medium rare, authentic Kobe steak.
"Hmpphh," Emi asked through her mouthful, frowning at Maou and Rika as they both watched her carefully.
'If Emi drinks too much and I have to cut her off, she might get angry and cut me with the Holy Sword, witnesses or no,' Maou thought wildly.
"It's ok, the steak will soak up a lot of the alcohol, provided she… chews her food," Rika finished half-heartedly as Emi swallowed the bite whole and thumped her chest. The Hero followed with a large splash of wine down her gullet before she once more turned her glazed eyes to Maou and Rika.
"What's up with you guys," Emi asked, "you both looked so weirded out for a second that you might've been twins."
Emi swayed a little in her chair before holding the edge of the table to steady herself, giggling as the world began to wobble in and out of focus. She smiled wide at Rika and Maou, and suddenly they both knew that this was not going to be an easy night.
"Emi, dear, how much wine have you had," Rika asked, reaching towards the bottle that was now more than half empty.
"Not nearly enough," Emi pouted, grabbing the bottle and hugging it tightly to keep it from her friend, "and while you're not doing anything, could I get some extra secret sauce?"
"Uuh," Rika stammered, her eyes flickering to Maou.
"Uh, yeah, could I get some too, Rika," Maou asked, his red eyes glowing slightly as he nudged Rika's will with his own.
"Sure thing!"
Once more she bounced back to the kitchens, humming all the while. Maou turned to find Emi staring at him angrily, though she seemed to have a hard time of it from over her wine glass. Finally she set it down and poured another glassful, smacking her lips and looking as if she were searching for the right words to say.
"I saw that," Emi hissed, "how dare you use your powers on Rika?"
"I didn't," Maou said truthfully, "I simply siphoned out her fear of you doing something stupid. Remember, this night is primarily for her benefit: ergo, if I can get you home safely and give Rika this ten thousand yen tip in my pocket without making a scene, then I'll call it a complete success."
"So you expect me to believe you actually care about Rika's feelings," Emi asked, swirling the wine in her glass as she eyed it carefully, "tell me Maou… do you have a crush on Rika?"
"Wha- NO! Of course not! Not that-er, I mean, she's not unattractive or anything-"
Even with Maou changing tack and trying to gauge Emi's mood, everything he said seemed to make her more livid.
"Good, because Rika is the most beautiful and caring girl in the world and you'd be lucky to have her, not that you ever could with me around," Emi said, her anger fading as Maou once more made use of his ability to turn emotion into raw demonic power.
'This is gonna be one hell of a night,' Maou thought as a different busboy from earlier arrived with another bottle, this time of a fine amber liquid in a clear decanter. The busboy wore fine white gloves and the standard red vest over a white shirt and black pants. His messy, overlong black hair hung in curtains about his shoulders.
"Tonight's special was the Kobe steak dinner, and seeing as you both ordered it, your eligible for a complimentary bottle of our own single malt whiskey, distilled in house and crafted by our own staff, it was specifically designed to be paired with this meal. May I," the busboy asked quietly, looking equal parts pompous and polite as he stared at Emi with cold, dark eyes.
"Uh-um, I mean ye-"
"No," Maou said suddenly, "allow me."
He stood from his chair and took the bottle, pouring only a couple mouthfuls into Emi's wine glass… and filling his own more than halfway.
"Goodness," the busboy said, "this must be a special occasion. Are you two to be married, perchance?"
"No," Maou said, before Emi shushed him and grabbed his hands in her own. With a glance, Maou verified that she had drunk the whiskey he'd poured her.
"Not yet, anyway," Emi said, her eyes glittering, "he hasn't asked my parents for permission, but it just feels so right."
"Ah, I see," the busboy said, his dark eyes narrowing as he withdrew into the kitchens. On his way in, Rika burst out, carrying three plates on one arm and a couple of small dishes in the other. With expert skill, she placed the small dishes of sake steak sauce onto Maou and Emi's table.
"Sorry, can't talk," she said quickly, "business is picking up!"
Without further ado, Maou and Emi began to tear through their steaks, as they had not eaten so as to save room for dinner together. Maou found that he didn't really mind being around Emi when she was tipsy. She smiled often, started small talk of her own free will, and was actually quite charming, especially when she would smile randomly, as if thinking of a funny joke out of nowhere. Maou, thinking that things were going rather smoothly, decided that it'd be best if he drank as much of the whiskey as possible, and simply use his demonic magic to lessen the extent of the alcohols affects. So, naturally, three whiskeys later, he'd forgotten all about magic and was feeling quite mellow in the cheery atmosphere.
"Hey, look at that lady," Emi slurred suddenly, "she looks like she's got a landfill stuck under her nose."
Maou turned, and he nearly burst out laughing, for a woman sitting only a few tables away was indeed frowning quite furiously.
"Emi," Maou choked, thumping his chest, "that's terrible."
Emi shook with silent laughter before replicating the woman's sour look, causing Maou to guffaw loudly as they both fought the urge to laugh like lunatics in a fine establishment. A few minutes passed before they were able to calm down, though the whiskey didn't help. Maou stood a little haphazardly before announcing that he had to pee, which only caused Emi to fall into another fit of giggles as Maou made his way to the men's room .After his business in the fairly basic restroom had concluded, Maou made to return to the restaurant, but to his shock, he found he'd accidentally wandered into the wrong part of the large, old building. This part was more dimly lit, with smooth, easy music playing, and a more relaxed crowd. Maou was about to turn and leave back the way he came when a loud cry echoed through the place.
"MAAAAAA," the voice called, and in an instant, the Devil knew exactly who it was.
"Ms. Kisaki," Maou asked, turning to find her leaning against the bar.
Maou's boss and the manager of the Hatagaya MgRonalds, Mayumi Kisaki, was leaning on the edge of her barstool, looking rather ravishing in a sparkly navy dress that fell above her knees and outlined her voluptuous figure. Her hair, which was usually tied in a quick ponytail flung carelessly over her shoulder, was now up in a magnificent, sleek black bun that rivaled Emi's. She had in dangly blue earrings and for shoes she wore fine black heels. Altogether, she could've been attending a ball or a gala, so why was she in the bar attached to a fancy restaurant?
"Maaa, come sit by me," she said, waving Maou over. Figuring he had little choice, he approached the bar, but before he was within ten feet of his boss, the smell of hard liquor wafted from her like a cloud. That was saying something, considering Maou was pretty saturated at that point.
"Ms. Kisaki, it's nice to see you here," Maou said, clearing his throat and trying to look professional as possible.
"Good try," Kisaki said, looking Maou up and down, "but your fly is down and I can smell the alcohol on your breath. House special? Hey, barkeep, could I get a round of shots for me and my friend, here?"
Maou watched with a strange sense of detachment as his boss downed a shot of single malt whiskey, not even flinching at the after burn. She turned to see Maou staring rather blatantly, and she raised an eyebrow.
"You better drink that before I do," she said, nodding to the shot glass in front of Maou.
"Sure thing, Ms. Kisaki!"
Maou downed his own shot, managing to stifle his disgust as it burned its way down his esophagus. It felt weird, to say the least, having his coworker and boss tell him to drink.
'Emi might start to worry,' Maou thought, smiling at the thought of the red haired woman.
"Hey Maaa," Kisaki said thoughtfully, putting her elbow on the bar and swiveling to look at Maou, "you wanna know something pretty cool?"
"Uh, sure, Ms. Kisa-"
"SHHH," Kisaki said, holding a finger to Maou's lips, "just… call me Mayumi, ok?"
"Ok… Mayumi," Maou said, tasting the strangeness of the word.
"God, it's weird to hear you say that," she muttered before motioning for another drink, this time just a sipping glass of the house whiskey, neat.
She sipped at it for a few moments before putting it down and clearing her throat.
"Ok, back to what I was saying, Maou. The cool thing is that you and I are surprisingly similar. I don't know why, but I feel like you could be the little sister I never asked for, trapped in a good-looking twenty-somethings body. I mean, at the end of the day, the two of us pretty much run the show at our MgRonalds. Hell, I've seen you at your finest, you can run the register, work the drive through, and make the orders, all at the same time! And to be honest, you seem to have a lot of experience managing people. That's why I made you the shift manager, you know."
"I do have a little experience managing people," Maou said, thinking back to his campaign to take over the world of Ente Isla.
They sat in silence for a moment before Maou's dulled senses got the better of him as he decided to ask what was wrong.
"So, Mayumi, what is it that brings you here? Just shooting the breeze or what?"
"Hahaha, you're so ridiculous, Maaa. You really think I just go out and binge drink all weekend? No, I'm here because this will be the…"
She took a moment to look contemplative.
"…sixth date that I've been on that has stood me up. I meet a great guy online, I tell him about myself and my no bullshit policy and then poof, here I am in my going out shoes and my sexy dress, drinking alone at the bar."
"No bullshit policy," Maou asked, curiously.
"Believe it or not, Maou, I'm twenty six. Most people my age are getting married, and having kids… I want that. I want to find someone and settle down; get away from all the business and sales and charts and burgers… oh good lord, the burgers," she said, putting her face in her hand before sitting up once more and continuing.
"But on the other hand, money makes the world go around, and you know me, Maou. The Demon of Sales is what they call me at corporate. I'm greedy and I'm ambitious. I have big dreams, and kids… they just aren't conducive to success. It's like… two sides of me are at war and they just… ugh, it's infuriating," Kisaki sighed, laying her head down on the bar.
"I think I know where you're coming from," Maou said, his head incredibly heavy as he spoke, "it's like you have what's expected of you, and then you have what you want and they're just going to town on your life… leaving you caught in the crossfire."
Kisaki turned to look at Maou. She was clearly very drunk by the time Maou had shown up, but now…
"That's exactly right," she said, "you and I think exactly alike… I can definitely see why Chiho is so infatuated with you."
"Wha-you mean-you know about that," Maou squeaked.
"Yeah… it's kinda hard not to notice. You know… it may be weird but… you look really good in that suit," Kisaki said, holding onto the front of Maou's sports jacket for support, "and your eyes…."
Maou could feel Kisaki's breath on his face as she leaned in dangerously close. He braced himself for impact, sure that Kisaki's lips would meet his own. A strange buzzing at the back of his head alerted him that something was off, but it took his slow brain a few moments before he realized what it was. His demonic powers were causing heightened emotional pulls, and as such, Kisaki was suddenly convinced kissing him was a good idea. Focusing with all his might, Maou willed the power to fade, and once the affects had dissipated, he put a hand on Kisaki's shoulder to gently but firmly push her back into her seat. She leaned back looking rather upset, and she quickly uncrossed and recrossed her legs, giving Maou a much more in-depth look than was necessary into her choice of undergarments for the evening.
"You're drunk," the black haired young man said, "you're sad and you're tired and it feels like the world is pulling you in all directions… but don't worry, you've got this… Ms. Kisaki."
Maou focused his power again, and with a small sigh, Kisaki slumped over, sleeping, her memory of the past few minutes erased. After reassuring the bartender that she'd awaken shortly and that he would attend to her, he decided to find his way back to the restaurant.
On his way back out to Emi, though, Maou couldn't help but think strange thoughts as the liquor clouded his mind.
'What if she had a point? She is a Demon of Sales after all, and Emi is the Hero. It makes more sense for a Demon King to be with a demon, doesn't it? And on top of that, Kisaki's attitude and ambition could really be used to whip the Demon Army into shape. We could rule both this world and Ente Isla,' Maou thought as the bright lights of the restaurant stung at his eyes, 'hold on, was I seriously just considering dating my human manager?'
"And just what took you so damn long," Emi asked loudly, nearly spilling the wine glass she held, which was now filled with more whiskey.
Sure enough, it seemed Emi had tried to pour the alcohol herself, as there were dribbles of it on the fine table cloth, and she didn't even bother to put the bottle back in the same area, for it was now on her side of the table.
"I ran into my boss," Maou said, "do you remember Ms. Kisaki from MgRonalds?"
"Oh, yeah, that really pretty woman," Emi said, fixing Maou with a suspicious look as he took a seat at the table.
"Yeah, I guess she got stood up on another date. She's back in the bar area, sleeping on her barstool," Maou said casually, trying to explain his lengthy departure.
"That's too bad," Emi said quietly, "I know how it feels. I went to this party with Rika once… it was awful. A bunch of drunk bastards were hitting on me, but it turns out they just wanted a fling. I suppose being a strong willed woman makes most men feel small."
"It seems to," Maou agreed, realizing that Emi had shared in confidence, "she told me she's been on six dates where the guy didn't show up. She deserves way better… you know a few people, Emi, maybe you know a nice guy from work that might be a good fit for her?"
"Are you trying to get me to hook your boss up with someone," Emi asked, smiling at the bewilderment upon Maou's face.
"Well… yeah. You didn't see her back there, Emi. She was so drunk she was talking about having kids and a husband and a family… she drank so much that I'll be amazed if she comes into work tomorrow," Maou said defiantly, hoping against hope that Emi would throw him a bone on this one favor.
"So, let me get this straight," Emi said, setting aside her drink and leaning forward, "you, the Devil, who has murdered thousands-"
"Yes, Emi! I want people to feel loved, and I know they deserve it! I want humans to prosper and be happy, and I want peace! I want Kisaki to fall in love and not be alone because I-"
Maou stopped. He'd almost revealed he had feelings for someone, and that would lead down the long and prickly path of trying to explain to Emi who that person was. Emi looked at Maou for a moment before turning her gaze back to the tablecloth, her arms folded and her head resting upon them.
"Because you know what it's like to be alone," Emi asked, intuitive as she was, "because you know what it's like to put the needs of your people above your own wants…. Fine I'll ask around and try to find Kisaki a nice guy, but no guarantees."
"Thanks Emi," Maou said, "I owe you one."
"We'll call it even… I don't have another shopping day for some time, so I don't need a manservant at the moment," Emi said with a grin.
Standing from the table and putting more whiskey into either of their glasses, Emi got a few condescending glances, as most people usually just waited for a passing busboy.
"Here's to you, Maou," Emi said, resuming her seat and raising her glass before holding it out towards Maou, "you've come a long way since you were a horrible Demon King that I tried to kill."
"Here's to not being alone," Maou said, raising his own glass, "and to you agreeing to help my manager find someone special… and for what it's worth, I hope you find someone too, Emi."
"I hope you do to," Emi smiled, her cheeks red as they gently bumped their glasses.
Their eyes met, the velvet crimson and the deep, bright green, and for a second they both felt a spark of electricity. Perhaps it was their moment of passion at the museum, maybe it was just the aftereffects of last night's eye opening events, or possibly just all their shared memories and experiences, but for a moment, the both of them felt a strong desire to just… forget everything and be together. The look on Emi's face went curiously blank, as did Maou's, and she stood from the table slowly, delicately, picked her way around it. Maou felt something stir in his navel, and he turned to watch her as she came, her hips swaying back and forth in her gorgeous dress, like the rock of the ocean's waves. With a single pull, Emi's bun came free, and her magenta locks flew like birds on the breeze. In that moment, Maou didn't see Emi, he saw an impeccable goddess of beauty… and he had to have her.
In the middle of the crowded restaurant, Emi lifted her dress high so that it rode upon her thighs and she slowly, carefully straddled Maou. He slouched in his chair, savoring the feeling of this woman, pressed against him as she was. Emi wrapped her arms around his neck, her elbows resting upon the back of his chair. She turned her head, her breath hot and intoxicating upon Maou's face as their lips inched closer. The world as Maou knew it was almost in his hands, and that particular moment was better than any daydream he could've imagined.
"Aaaand cut," a voice said, ringing out from over a layer of strange moans and animalistic groans.
Maou and Emi froze, turning to find someone standing in the center of the restaurant, his thumbs and forefingers put together to form a little rectangle, through which he viewed the Devil and the Hero, wrapped more intimately than they ought to have been in public. With a jolt, Emi and Maou realized where they were, and they saw the damage of the restaurant. Tables were overturned, food was spilled, and upon the floor, wildly rolling round in the throes of passion, were the patrons of the restaurant. Everyone there was kissing, squeezing, groping and performing other sensual acts, their senses gone as the tall, thin, black haired busboy stepped through the smut.
"My, my, that was delicious," he said, gently brushing his hair from his face, "I couldn't have written that scene better myself."
It was the busboy, the one that had offered Emi and Maou whiskey, and now his eyes were glowing a lusty maroon color as he ignored the primal cries of the patrons, who continued to commit lewd acts.
"The Hero and the Devil… no, not even I could conceive a more depraved love story than this," he jeered as he came closer, the men and women closest to him positively howling with pleasure.
"You," Maou cried, "I remember you!"
"I was hoping you would," the young man said, "I wanted this face to be the last one you saw."
"Maou, what's going on," Emi asked, shivering as she lay against Maou, their bodies still primed and ready for action.
Without warning, Emi began to pull off Maou's sports coat and loosen his tie before diving in and planting kisses on his neck. In another situation, Maou might've found it more enjoyable, but with that dark haired busboy standing there… well, it gave Maou performance anxiety.
"Emi, c'mon you gotta get off me," Maou said sharply, sucking in his breath as Emi nipped his shoulder playfully, "we gotta beat this guy!"
"No chance of that, I'm afraid," the bus boy said, "you see, I have a trump card of sorts!"
From behind Maou stepped a pale and rather expressionless young woman with short brown hair, and light brown eyes.
"Oh no," Maou whispered, feeling tears in his eyes, "Rika, what have you gotten yourself into?"
Why hello there, bet you weren't expecting little old me to post again, were you? Well surprise! Anyway, I've been working hard on this for you guys and before you review this and complain about OC's let me just say he won't be around for long. Plot devices and whatnot. Moving right along, this date scene had been in the works for six months, which is when I roughly conceptualized it. Now that I'm writing it, however, it seems I'll have to split it into separate chapters. Something else I wanted to touch on was the implied MaouxKisaki. It ain't happening (in this fic, anyway) but you have to admit they are the ultimate power couple. Also, we see Urushihara turning into a househusband to save his computer. Something else you guys may want to know, the inclusion of alcohol in this chapter was inspired by the passing of my twenty first birthday and the subsequent massive consumption of various whiskeys, bourbons and rums. Can't do beer though, blech. Also, did you guys see how close Emi and Maou were to doing the sex?! MY GAWD IT WAS THIS CLOSE!
On another, less dramatic note, an awful lot of research went into this chapter. The restaurant is real, though I don't think it's as high class as I made it out to be. Also, Asmodeus is an actual biblical demon of lust, also known as the 'King of Lust'. I thought it'd be cool for Maou to have competition, and to touch on the hierarchy (such as it is) of the demon world. Also, I'd bet you guys six million interweb cookiez that even after I combed through this chapter there are still mistakes. I plan on finishing up the "Date Arc" with one more chapter before I move on, to celebrate 90,000+ words and 200+ pages and your incredible patience. One way or another, this'll be done. I promise. Like I've mentioned, I already have the ending scene... getting there is the hard part.
MUSIC!
Grace is Gone- Dave Matthews Band
Windswept-Crywolf
Lights Down Low-MAX ft. gnash
Ghost- HYDDE & HAWKES
Sunny-Papa Ya
Savage-Whethan ft. Flux Pavilion and MAX
Banana Pancakes-Jack Johnson
Chase You Down-RUNAGROUND
As always my friends, devils, heroes, lovers, and haters, thanks for reading. I've been trying to get some feedback on my stories, so if you're so inclined, go ahead and drop a review. I read every single one, good or bad! TTFN, Ta Ta For Now, and I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow.