The world within Emi's head was so incredibly vivid that Maou was having trouble keeping up with Emi's explanations of anything and everything that brought back memories. Not that Maou minded, he rather enjoyed seeing her so happy and lively as she explained details of her old life to Maou.
"We used to have some chickens here," Emi said quickly, "and they always used to scare me when I was little because one of them pecked me… pretty sure I still have the scar to prove it."
"Can I see it?"
Emi rolled her eyes and laughed.
"It pecked me on the butt!"
"So… can I see it?"
"Ugh, I don't know about you sometimes," Emi said, her smile never leaving as she took Maou by the hand, and dragged him up to the front door of the house. She laid her hand upon the simple wooden door, tracing its wrought iron supports, finally working her way down to the similarly iron handle.
All the time Emi thought about the door, Maou stood behind her, his hand still in hers as he tried to get a sense of what she was thinking. She smiled sadly at him, and finally he understood what the problem was. This was her sanctum sanctorum, her heart of hearts. Anything could lie behind the door, and whatever it was would likely lay her soul bare, and that vulnerability would be displayed to none other than the Demon King, the Devil of Ente Isla.
In a moment, her doubt was quenched, for just before she was about to ask for Maou to wait outside-
"It's ok, I can wait out here," Maou said, his hand loosening its grip on her own.
"No," Emi said suddenly, gripping Maou's hand tighter, "I want you to come in. Sorry if it's a little messier than I remember, but I can probably just think it clean or something."
Emi took a deep breath, turned the knob, and then pushed open the door to the small house, leading Maou inside as they remained in contact with one another.
Maou was expecting a swirling mass of emotions, much like he'd sensed before, when he'd been given the task of absorbing her overwhelming feelings. What he didn't expect to find was a simple Ente Islan farm home that was extraordinarily neat and organized.
'Perhaps it got better after we defeated Emilia the Angel,' Maou thought to himself, looking around in wonderment.
"It's not huge," Emi said, noting the rather blank look on Maou's face as he took it all in, "I mean, I wasn't born and raised in a castle or anything quite so romantic."
"I like it," Maou smiled, "it has a simple charm to it… I feel like I could just live here forever, completely untroubled by anything."
"That's… yeah, that's exactly right," Emi said, amazed at Maou's ability to compress all she was feeling into a few words.
The inside looked a bit like a fancier cabin, and Maou could tell that Emi's father, the man who'd likely built it, had put in quite a bit of time and effort. There were a few rooms so that Emi and her father didn't have to share a bed, but the room they stood in now was easily the largest, and it looked like a combination of a living room, dining room and entryway. It was by no means, as Emi had said, a castle, but it had all the amenities of home. There were books on heavy wooden shelves, and a desk for writing, there was a heavy fur rug in front of the stone fireplace, and there were even pictures on the wall.
"I suppose these are new," Maou asked, going over to look at them.
"Nope, father took me to a festival, and there was a mage there who used magic to make the pictures," Emi explained, "sadly it was the only year we got to go. I was too young for the first few, but then the war made it too dangerous for the performers to travel."
The war.
The war that the Demon King had started in his bid to rule Ente Isla.
"Maou?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you invade Ente Isla? Why did you try to destroy the humans?"
Maou was taken aback by the question. In truth, he hadn't wanted the humans destroyed, he'd wanted to subjugate them and create a world in which demons could live without fear of each other; a true demon society, not just a bunch of wandering tribes with no laws or order.
"I was trying to make a better world for demons to live," Maou said simply, waiting for Emi's next question, as he felt there were more coming.
Emi was quiet for a time, as if waiting to see if Maou had anything else to say for himself. When no further explanation was forthcoming, she turned to look at Maou, who was browsing her father's small collection of books. They were rare commodities back then, but Nord Justina had collected them all the same whenever he'd gotten the chance. Still, Emi couldn't shake the feeling that there was a bit more to Maou's reasoning for attacking Ente Isla, but she didn't want to ruin the civility they were currently enjoying.
"Oh, wow!"
Maou turned around, holding a book in his hands as he flipped through the pages, each one of them just as he remembered.
"I've read this book," Maou said happily, "I read it when I was saved by an Angel! It was one of my favorites!"
Emi went to stand by him, and together they looked over the leather bound book, stitched through with fine silver letters.
"The King of the World," Emi asked, trying to remember the details of the story her father had read to her, so many years ago.
"Yeah, it's about a King who rules the entire world, but he isn't happy, so he locks himself away in his castle and disbands his royal court," Maou said, thumbing through the pages of the musty tome, "in the end his people rebel and try to destroy him, but he's saved when the woman leading the rebellion hears his story and takes pity on him. They end up married, and live together in his huge castle, with hundreds of servants and-"
Emi glowered at Maou and he gulped, closing the book with a snap before continuing.
"And they live happily ever after," Maou reiterated, smirking as Emi smiled in a satisfied manner.
Maou put the book back on the shelf and Emi dropped herself into the chair by the fire, the one she had always occupied whenever Nord had read her stories. It was so much smaller than she remembered, it made her sad in strange way.
"I could just stay here forever," Emi said quietly to herself, crossing her legs and grasping the arms of the chair.
"Emi, I don't think that's a good idea," Maou said suddenly.
He came and stood in front of her before taking a knee and looking her dead in the eyes. Emi frowned at him for a moment before he grasped her hand in both of his own and spoke with a sense of urgency.
"We need to leave, Emi," Maou said, "I sense something is off."
"What do you mean," Emi asked, wondering what Maou was on about.
They were together on a splendid summer day, surrounded by all the comfort they could have asked for. What could possibly be wrong?
"Listen, I still have some connection to my body… I think someone is trying to wake us up. Something is happening, we can't stay here forever, Emi. No matter how much we may want to. We've all gotta wake up sometime," Maou smiled grimly, standing up and offering Emi his hand once more.
"But-"
"C'mon, Emi," Maou said firmly, "we've got people waiting for us back in the real world, remember? We have to go to work!"
Little did either of them know it at the time, but work was the last thing they would be thinking about when they returned to their bodies. They awoke to the sound of sirens, the flashing of lights, and the smell of noxious smoke as they found themselves in the midst of an evacuation.
"Stay clear of the building until we've been given the 'ok' go inside," Maou heard a burly fireman say, speaking to a short purple haired young man who was positively irate.
"My laptop is still in there," Urushihara protested furiously, "you guys have to let me back in!"
Emi and Maou pushed themselves up from where they'd been lying on the concrete, both of them rather dumbfounded by the goings on.
"Oh, you're friends are awake," a man wearing a first responder uniform said to a rather unhappy looking girl in a kimono with aqua colored hair.
"Oh, you two are awake," Suzuno said with a smile, "that's good, because you both have-"
"-QUITE A BIT OF EXPLAINING TO DO, M'LORD," Ashiya hollered as he pushed his way through the crowd of evacuees and onlookers to get to the Demon King.
"Ashiya?! What are you doing here?!"
"Apparently you are incapable of using a clock, your majesty," Ashiya chided him, "it's already more than halfway into your shift, and you didn't even call in! From what Chiho was saying to me, Ms. Kisaki is having a meltdown, and she's about to- IS THE DEVIL'S CASTLE ON FIRE, YOUR HIGHNESS?!"
"What are you talking about- HOLY CRAP, THE DEMON FORTRESS IS ON FIRE," Maou shouted, watching billows of smoke roll from his window.
"Are you seriously just now noticing that," Suzuno asked, eyebrow raised as she grabbed Emi by the elbow and dragged her away with an iron grip.
"Ouch, Suzuno, what the heck are you-"
"Quiet," she hissed, "it's not safe to discuss things here!"
Emi allowed herself to be steered away from the crowd as Suzuno looked about frantically. They came to a nondescript alley down the block, wherein a few stray cats slunk away into the shadows as Emi and Crestia Bell entered it.
"Emilia, prepare yourself!"
"For wha-"
Fast as lightning, Suzuno lunged at Emi, who was at a disadvantage due to Bell's nimble footwork, even in a billowy kimono. Instead of landing a blow, however, Suzuno instead sent a painless shockwave of holy magic through Emi's body.
Suzuno stared at Emi intently, their faces only a few inches apart as they both took heavy breaths. Suzuno finally sighed and leaned against the wall of the alley, nervously running her fingers through her hair as she thought about what to say to Emi.
The Hero patiently waited; it wasn't every day she got attacked by her friends, after all.
"Emilia, the Hero," Suzuno said quietly, more to herself than to Emi, "Hero of Humanity, Champion of the Church, Destroyer of the Demon King... these are all things that people call you back in Ente Isla. So you can imagine my surprise when I find you this close to fornicating with him in a restaurant!"
Suzuno held her thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart before looking Emi dead in the eye.
"I admit, I may have jumped to conclusions at first… who could've known Asmodeus would be behind it all… and then Rika was victimized by that demon…"
"What are you getting at, Suzuno," Emi asked, wondering why the Inquisitor was so nervous as she mumbled, and beat around the bush.
"Emilia, I have noticed you and the Devil getting… chummy," Suzuno said, "and don't get me wrong, I am glad to be rid of your constant bickering and never-ending arguments, but I can't help but wonder if your judgement has been affected."
"That's what you were doing," Emi realized, "you were checking to see if the Devil had possessed me, or influenced my thoughts!"
"Yes, and it wasn't easy, either," Suzuno said, looking as though she were slipping down the alley wall, "the amount of Celestial Force it takes to remove a demon's influence is no small amount, and I had to be most thorough."
"Listen to me, Suzuno," Emi said kindly, laying her hands upon Suzuno's shoulders, "I appreciate your help, but I have the Devil under control."
"Under control," Suzuno asked, "or… under control."
"What's that supposed to-"
"Emilia," Ashiya's voice called, "Suzuno!"
Ashiya, at the behest of his lord and master, had looked everywhere to find the two women. Suzuno, bless her soul, had to be helped from the alleyway, due to her incredible lack of motor skills, and low magical energy. She clung to Ashiya and Emi, and spoke of friendship, happiness, and an abundance of udon noodles.
"Jusss soo glad you guys are all here," she said with a wide grin, "friends don't leave friends behind!"
"No," Emi said, looking at Ashiya with a raised eyebrow, "I guess they don't."
Together they returned to the crowd watching the husk of the Villa Rosa Sasazuka, emptied as it was by the evacuation. Half an hour had passed, and the minutes ticked by, unnoticed by Maou as he thought of his time spent with Emi.
'I've just scratched the surface,' Maou thought, 'there is so much more to be learned in regards to Emi… maybe if I was just up front with her I could-'
"Hey," Emi said, taking a seat next to Maou and wrapping herself in a blanket, noting how tired he looked as he shivered.
The day, which had been sunny and somewhat warm only a few hours ago, had become gray and solemn as they sat outside. The chill of the heavy fog surrounded them, and coupled with the extra warmth of sleep, the weather made Emi and Maou cold.
"Hey," Maou said suddenly, a grin splitting his face, "sorry my house isn't quite as nice as yours… I really do try to maintain it."
"You mean, when you're not burning it down," Emi asked slyly.
"Point taken," Maou laughed, going silent as a few firemen passed by, looking just about as lost as Maou felt.
"I wonder what's taking so long," Emi asked, scooting closer to Maou and sharing her blanket so as to steal what little body heat he had accumulated.
"Not sure," Maou admitted, "but the smoke is pretty much gone. I think they're assessing damages and figuring out whether or not the building sustained any structural damage."
"You know," Emi said quietly, "if it turns out you can't go back into your apartment… well, I've always got that spare room."
"You say that now," Maou said with a sour smile, "but I think you'll regret that offer soon enough… here he comes now."
The 'he' Maou had referred to was none other than the fire commissioner of the Sasazuka district, and an Archangel from Ente Isla that had been a cop the last time they'd met.
"Satan," Raphael said, nodding to Maou, "Emilia."
The both of them smiled at Raphael, who smiled back in a knowing manner that made Maou nervous. Raphael was, of course, an Archangel of love who looked more like a bodybuilder, except instead of a speedo, he wore a suit, a fine tan trench coat, and a permanent smile.
"Raphael," Maou said, nodding at the Archangel, "how have you been? And why are you the Fire Commissioner now?"
"Well, Heaven didn't like how integrated into society I was," Raphael admitted, "too many questions, and I had no answers I could give, you know? It's like, you stop a few people on the street and ask for a few fingerprints and all the sudden they want your badge number, your name, and your life story… though I wouldn't mind telling a few of them… some people could really use a good smiting right to the-"
"We've been pretty great, too," Emi said quickly, noting the Archangel's sour expression.
"'We've'," Raphael asked, his pink eyes flickering between Maou and Emi.
"The group as a whole," Emi said, rolling her eyes at the Fire Commissioner.
"That's good. I'd have thought Bernael would have left you all a little paranoid," Raphael said thoughtfully, "little bastard gave me some nasty dreams."
"Yeah, we had problems," Maou said defiantly, "but- well- we got better."
"Good to hear," Raphael said, smiling once more as he clapped Maou and Emi on their shoulders with his large hands.
"Hey, whatever happened to that piece of-"
"Emi," Maou warned the Hero, who'd been about to make a snide remark.
"Fine, what happened to that sadistic, psychotic-"
"You're not even trying to be polite," Maou noted exasperatedly, "are you?"
"-pathetic, evil, little rat, Bernael?"
"It doesn't do well to speak of the dead, especially so rudely," Raphael said quietly.
"Hmph," Emi said, crossing her arms, "it seems that Heaven still has some twisted version of justice after all."
"Careful," Raphael said, looking around the scene, and then up at the gray skies, a light roar of thunder betraying heaven's displeasure.
Maou glanced up at the sky, and then back and forth the intense line of eye contact between Raphael and Emi. The silence was only broken by the babble of the dispersing crowd as the sirens had been cut. Feeling as though the staring contest could extend past the end of time itself, Maou cleared his throat and brought both of the overwhelming gazes right onto himself. He remained relatively unfazed, however, as he'd stared right into the glowing eyes of his General, Malacoda, who had been rumored to be Death itself.
"Care to update me with the status of my Castle?"
"Right, yeah, I suppose you'd want to know about that," Raphael said, itching his stubble in an embarrassed manner and smiling brightly, "let's see… there was minimal damage, I guess someone just left the teapot on the burner and forgot to turn it off. Still, we'd like that room to remain barricaded until we can ascertain that it's safe for regular inhabitation. We'll provide state of the art safety testing, the lab for which is right here in Tokyo, so that should definitely speed things up…"
"S-so what you're saying… is that-"
"You'll have your apartment back in a few days, erm, provided we don't find any sort of serious contamination."
Maou felt as though his soul had been sucked clean out of him, been thoroughly doused in the icy northern waters surrounding Greenland, and then shoved right back into his body. A shiver ran the length of his spine as his knees wobbled and his stomach turned into lead.
"Way to go, Emi," Maou said, a resigned look upon his face, "you jinxed it!"
"Sire," Ashiya said, appearing behind Maou out of nowhere," I would suggest you call Ms. Kisaki and explain your situation before she takes your job. You should call your superior as well, Yusa."
Maou and Emi both gave looks of fright before checking their pockets and dashing off to make the calls to their respective bosses.
"I forgot, my phone is broken," Maou shouted, running in the opposite direction, after Emi.
"You may use Rika's phone," Ashiya said, catching Maou by the collar and thrusting the rather expensive looking phone into his hand.
"I appreciate it," Maou said, lookiing at the phone with some reverence, "but I don't know how to use this!"
"It's simple sire, you just… uuhhh….."
It seemed Ashiya was at a loss as well, and so with shame in their eyes, they brought the phone to the most technologically savvy person they know.
"Oh, so now you both come crawling back to me when you need something," Urushihara sneered, sitting next to Suzuno and looking rather angry, "well, you can forget it!"
"That's no way to talk to your King, much less your commander," Ashiya said angrily.
"Didn't Maou tell you," Lucifer asked, looking at Ashiya's fury in a disinterested manner, "he's essentially dissolved the old Demon Army. The new generals, from the drunken text Suzuno got last night, are a liquor store clerk, a pizza delivery guy, a laptop, and the Hero herself."
"YOU MADE THE HERO A DEMON GENERAL AND NOT ME," Alciel shouted, looking at Maou in disbelief as the Devil rubbed the back of his neck and smiled.
"Correction, he made the Hero the Queen of the Demon Empire," Urushihara laughed as Suzuno looked rather unhappy about something.
"Yeah, I was pretty blitzed," Maou said with a lame laugh before hardening his gaze, crossing his arms and standing up, straight and tall, much like a King should.
"As of this moment, the Second Demon Army is disbanded, along with all of its laws and decrees! The original Demon Army is also hereby reinstated, and with one, no two, no, wait, three new members!"
"Oh boy," Urushihara said, leaning back and waiting for his predictions to come true.
"The first new addition with be Emilia the Hero, and the second will be Crestia Bell, Inquisitor of the Church, and the third will be…. Chiho Sasaki!"
"My lord, she's a high school student… a human high school student… a human high school student from another world, entirely! What makes you think she'd want to subjugate-"
"Make peace," Maou corrected Ashiya.
"-er, yes, I meant 'make peace', of course," Ashiya finished, looking more confused by the second.
"And in regards to your question… you can ask her yourself!"
"MAAAAAAOOOUUUU!"
The very person they'd been discussing, Chiho Sasaki, appeared from between the sparse crowd and ferociously glomped the Devil, tears in her eyes as she looked everyone up and down.
"You're all ok, right," she panted, wiping at her tears as she looked around the group, "where's Emi? Is she ok? Oh no, she's dead isn't she? You're all dead and I'm just seeing your ghosts!"
She paused to take a deep breath, having apparently run their straight from the Hatagaya Station MgRonalds. She hadn't even changed out of her work uniform, but she jabbed her forefinger into everyone's stomach, and smiled when they all responded the way living, breathing people would: with indignant frowns and groans of displeasure.
"What's going on over here," Emi asked, returning from her overlong phone call with her boss.
"EMI," Chiho shrieked, tackling the redheaded Hero and sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm just so glad you're alive!"
"We're all fine, it wasn't even really a house fire!"
"W-wha-what? There was a fire?!"
"No! Genius over there just forgot the teapot on the burner," Emi said, dusting herself off as she got up from the ground and pointed accusingly at Maou.
"While I don't appreciate the name calling, Emi is actually right for once," Maou said, "hey, Emi, could I use your phone? Urushihara refuses to help me use Rika's, so I haven't been able to call Kisaki."
"You haven't called Kisaki yet," Chiho shrieked, gripping Maou by the front of his pajamas, "what the hell are you thinking?! She'll have fired you already at the rate things are going!"
"Y-you don't really think she'd-" Maou began lamely.
"I know she would," Chiho interrupted, looking deathly serious, "she's been looking for someone to fire so she can save money for the restaurant, and you're the most frequently rostered worker on the entire schedule, aside from her! I've already dialed her personal cell number… it's ringing!"
Chiho thrust her own cell phone at Maou and walked in frantic little circles, looking at Maou as though he had been condemned to death.
A click was heard, but no voice asked what was going on. All Maou heard was someone's slow and steady breathing from the other end of the line.
"Maaa."
It was Kisaki. Apparently, she'd correctly guessed who was on the other end of the call, and she sounded as icy and unforgiving as Greenland during the winter.
"Uh-um, yeah, it's me, Maaa-er-Maou, reporting in."
"This had better be good," Kisaki fumed, "after the break I gave you yesterday, I expected you to be back in here with high spirits and a strong work ethic."
"I know that, Ms. Kisaki-"
"Do you know what I do with weak competitors, Maaa," Kisaki asked.
"Y-you destroy them?"
"Correct. So, I suppose you can fathom what I do to those who turn their backs on my kind gestures and my good graces?"
Maou gulped, and he could swear that he could sense Kisaki smirk on opposite end of the call.
"That said, what am I to do with you… Maaa?"
To anyone else, they might've been enticed by Kisaki's calm, seductive voice, but Maou had fought against sirens before, and he knew the dangers of their sweet songs all too well.
"Ms. Kisaki, I was unable to come into work because there was a small fire at my house."
"What? Oh my goodness, Maaa, are you alright? Was anyone hurt?"
The change in her tone was instantaneous, like going from the coldest months of winter to the warmth of a bright summer day in seconds. In one moment, she was prepared to cut him out like the weakest link, and in the next…
"Maaa, I feel so bad for berating you!"
She was sweeter than honey.
"No, I completely understand," Maou said, "it's fine, really. And the good news is there doesn't seem to have been any extensive damage, so I may be able to move back into my apartment in a few short days."
"I would be more than fine with you crashing on my couch," Kisaki offered.
"Uh-well, I'm grateful for the offer, but I already have a place set up," Maou replied, looking at Emi and giving her a thumbs up while she looked conflicted about the situation.
"Huh, so I suppose you haven't just been idly sitting around in self-pity… it wasn't you that started the fire, was it?"
"Well, technically, yeah it was my fault, but it was entirely accidental… and are you accusing me of arson," Maou asked incredulously.
"Everybody has their breaking point, Maou," Kisaki said simply, "we all have something we'd do anything for… and yesterday it seemed to me like you'd do just about anything to make your girlfriend stay with you."
"About that," Maou said suddenly, his eyes glowing a fierce red color, "I was under the impression that what we talked about was confidential."
"It was," Kisaki said, a bead of nervous perspiration dotting her forehead.
"Chiho seems to disagree," Maou said with some hidden intensity.
"Eheheh," Kisaki laughed lamely.
Maou remained silent for a moment, and then-
"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow for work, buh-bye," Kisaki said, speaking as fast as she could before hanging up the phone.
"Hey, I wasn't done talking to you, dammit! Chiho, call her back!"
Chiho, however, had vanished, presumably so that she wouldn't have to be present for the bad news she thought Maou was going to receive.
"I should really be going sire," Ashiya said suddenly, "I have to get food for Rika before I return."
"How is she," Emi asked suddenly, feeling extremely guilty about not having gone to visit her friend yet.
"She's recovering," Ashiya said shortly, "I think she'd be delighted if you all came to visit her this weekend. My lord, please try not to burn down the apartment in the future. So long, everyone!"
And just like that, their group had once more begun the process of splintering, leaving only Suzuno, Urushihara, Maou and Emi left, along with the firemen, and a few straggling onlookers.
"Well, the rest of building has been cleared for habitation," Raphael called over to them, "all that's left is your room, Maou! Our team will be here soon to get a head start on the swabbing and the gathering of evidence!"
"Let's all go to my room," Suzuno said, holding an icepack to head, "I need Holy Vitamin Beta, and someone soft to lay down on."
"Someone," Usurhihara asked.
"Something… don't antagonize me right now."
"Alright, fine," Urushihara said, "up we get."
He helped her to her feet, and then let her hold his arm as he slowly guided her over to the steps, which could be quite tricky to ascend with two people.
"You guys coming," Urushihara asked, looking over his shoulder to find Maou and Emi laughing, presumably at some inside joke.
"Yeah," Maou said, "just give us a couple minutes."
"No, c'mon, Maou," Emi sighed, "it's chilly out here, and I wanted to talk to Suzuno."
"We can go in, I just wanted to say-uh-"
"Say what," Emi asked, her mind flashing back to only a short time ago, when she and Maou had been embedded in the deepest recesses of her mind, wherein she stored her one true home.
"Well, I really, uh-well, I enjoyed getting to see your home," Maou said lamely, "and I think your nightmares should be finished."
"I hope so," Emi said, contemplating her horrible night terrors.
"But still, if you ever need them removed again… I'm your man."
"I'm starting to think you do that on purpose!"
"Do what?!"
"You say the stupidest-and then you just-and it makes it sound-you're just so….dense," Emi exclaimed.
"Take a minute to form a coherent thought," Maou giggled, already walking away from the flustered Emi, who hadn't even noticed Maou's departure, "then let's go up to Suzuno's for a little bit."
"Ass," Emi muttered, earning a smirk from Maou, who wiggled his rump in a self-satisfying manner as he ascended the stairs to the Villa Rosa.
"At least I have one," Maou called, turning to find Emi in hot pursuit, her face red and murder in her eyes.
Maou yelped and darted inside, holding the door shut as Emi pounded upon it from the outside.
"Take that back," Emi shouted, "admit that I have a nicer butt than you, or suffer the wrath of the Hero!"
"Hmmm, no, don't think so," Maou said, his shoulder jarring as Emi beat against the door.
"Hey, kid, you wanna quit playin' around with your girlfriend," a large, grumpy looking fireman grunted.
Maou straightened himself and allowed Emi to push the door open, her face flushed, but her lips curled in a grin.
"She's not my girlfriend," Maou said loudly, "she's my mortal nemesis!"
"Ah," the large fireman said slyly, "roleplay, eh? I get it."
The fireman gave the two of them an over the top wink and two thumbs up before pushing past them and out the door.
Both Maou and Emi were dumbstruck, looking first into oblivion, and then at each other. Finally, their gazes wandered every which way as they cleared their throats and chuckled lamely.
"Aheheh."
"Hehaha. Ha."
Maou's gaze suddenly fell upon the doorway to his room, which was barricaded off with yellow caution tape. With careful, meaningful steps, he found his way to the room he'd called home for nearly two years, and with a casual swipe of his hand, the caution tape fell, and Maou went inside.
It was essentially as he remembered it, except his table had been pushed up against the wall, and upon the ceiling, above the range, was a large black scorch mark from the smoke. Maou sighed and put a hand to his head, fearing what the landlady would think when she found out.
"An apt question," said a girly voice in a falsetto.
"Oh no, not you-"
"It's so nice of you to think of me, my dear, but in truth I have complete faith that your apartment will be restored to its former glory in no time at all."
Such as dumb luck would have it, Maou's landlady had seemingly appeared from out of nowhere, almost as if she were summoned by Maou's thoughts. She was dressed quite fashionably in a fur coat and a wide brimmed purple hat, but her thick makeup took away from her… erm… beauty.
"Why, I am most dissapointed in General Alciel," the landlady continued breathlessly, her ability to know things she shouldn't still intact, "I was sure he, of all people, would be able to prevent such catastrophe."
"Ashiya is taking a break from being my General. He's helping Rika recover from a demonic possession."
That seemed to shut her up.
"Wha- a demonic possession, you say? How ridiculous, right under my very nose-"
The Miki Shiba, whose preferred term of endearment was 'Mikitty', continued to look outraged and confused as she spoke at length about special security measures she'd enforced. For the first time, Maou felt he may have known something she didn't… and he'd handed her the information without so much as a second thought.
"Whatever the case, I am glad Alciel has the sense to look after the poor girl," Miki Shiba said angrily.
"Uh-yeah, right."
"Anyway,I won't take any more of your time, but you will have to vacate the premises before the day's end," Miki said, closing her large purple bag with a click and handing Maou the paper she'd pulled from within it. It was a Notice of Unsafe Living Environment, and it had been signed and approved by both Raphael, and Miki Shiba.
"So now it's not even a 'sorry for your castle' it's just a 'pack your stuff and hit the road' situation," Maou asked loudly, holding his head with both hands as panic and outrage overtook him.
"Terribly sorry about that," Miki said, still smiling sweetly, "also, because this was inflicted by the tenant, and not by, say, a natural disaster, or an unexplainable phenomenon, I cannot waive this month's rent for you. It will be expected, in full, on the exact date as usual. Have a good day, Demon King."
With that, the short, squat, toad-like landlady who knew way too much; and who applied makeup like frosting on a cake, finally left, leaving Maou to stare blankly after her, his jaw agape and his body aquiver with pacified unhappiness.
"DAMN IT!"
From outside on the stairs, Miki Shiba smirked as she heard Maou's exclamation. From on the other side of the brick wall that separated the Villa Rosa from the road, a van honked its horn before a lean, tan girl with her dark hair tied into a ponytail stuck her head out the window.
"C'mon, aunt Miki, I wanna hit the beach, already!"
"Settle down, Amane," Miki called to her, "I want to go to the beach just as badly as you… I have an adorable swimsuit to show off!"
The atmosphere in Suzuno's room, when Maou and Emi finally made it that far, could best be described as tense. On one end of the room, as far as he could get from the Inquisitor, was Lucifer, and upon the other, wrapped in layer upon layer of blankets, and looking more like a grumpy lump, was Suzuno, who glowered at Emi and Maou's overly loud entry.
"Mmmmm," Suzuno groaned before covering her face and rolling over so she didn't have to deal with the intrusion.
"Good to see you too, Suzuno," Maou grumbled.
"Silence, Demon King," came a muffled voice from within the cocoon of blankets.
"It's like she's got a really bad hangover and her time of the month all at once," Urushihara whispered to Maou, who took a seat at Suzuno's table, which was actually furnished with chairs, unlike Maou's apartment.
Emi took the opportunity to flick Urushihara and Maou behind the ears before she, too, glowered at them.
"Don't talk about things like that, especially around the women you're insulting," Emi murmured.
"Quieeeeeet," Suzuno called, rolling over once more and fixing Emilia with an angry stare.
"Sorry, Bell, we'll… uh, go for a walk so you can rest. Have you had any Holy Vitamin Beta?"
"Yeah…"
"Here's another bottle, to be safe," Emi supplied, pulling one from her own bag and setting it upon the counter as Maou and Urushihara filed back out of the apartment, "make sure you sip it."
"I'm not a child, Emilia," Suzuno grumbled.
"Never said you were," Emi smiled, turning out the light and whispering a kind goodbye to the bedridden woman, before quietly closing the door and following the demons outside.
Suzuno couldn't help but smile as Emi shut the door to her apartment, leaving the Inquisitor to rest and recover from her loss of Celestial Force.
'This is why I fought alongside the Devil and the Hero,' Suzuno thought as she smiled into her pillow, peaceful sleepiness muddling her thoughts, 'because they really seem to care about their friends….'
In Suzuno's dreams, which had been dark and disturbing for the last week, she found herself locked in the same repetitive nightmares. Perhaps it was just the effect of Suzuno's frail and bedridden state, but they seemed particularly piercing, as though she were being struck right at her core.
Physical pain raked her chest and her head was throbbing as she fell in and out of consciousness, but she could still see the visions behind her eyes.
Ente Isla was falling, the Devil and the Hero were joining forces against humanity, and the Angels had turned their backs on the world they'd once protected… she saw visions from her old life as a silencer of the Church's foes. She felt the blood splatter across her dark clothes, and listened to men, women, and in some cases, children, shriek and cry out in agony as their bodies thudded to the floor.
She's done it so many times her mind had trouble registering the faces.
Suzuno had always tried not to look directly into the faces of those whose lives she'd extinguished. She did her best not to trace the twisted looks of fright, pain, and disbelief that often diminished their features. More than anything, she avoided gazing into their cold, dull eyes. It was there that she would find herself ensnared, staring fruitlessly into eternity, but the nightmares would not relent, and so she was sucked into the glassy, dead orbs, only to find the color of the irises change.
They were violet, a beautiful, glowing purple hue that enraptured Suzuno and lent her a warm, fuzzy feeling in her navel. Then she recalled what had happened, and upon closer inspection, the body of Lucifer lay before her, bloody, broken, and lifeless.
All at once, she forgot it was a nightmare, and she panicked, two entire years of her life gone in an instant in the face of her dilemma.
'I've killed an Angel,' she thought, 'Heaven is closed to me, only the Devil will accept me as I am, and the Church… they'll make me a villain!'
"Good," whispered a voice from the dark corner of the room in which she stood, "it's time you realized where true power lies, Crestia Bell. We have heard of your deeds, and would be glad to welcome you into the fold."
A tall, dark figure with red eyes unfurled his cape and held out an arm. In moments, an army of darkness had appeared at his beckoning, and Suzuno found herself walking towards the tall figure and his army, blood glowing like rubies as it dripped from her hammer and left a trail upon the floor.
She felt her fear mount as she grew closer and closer to the Devil, but it was not a normal fear, like that of a man approaching a monster, it was a fear of how it felt so right. A murderer walking into an army of darkness was only to be expected.
"No," Suzuno said quietly, "I am an Inquisitor… I…. I'm not a bad person…."
She thrashed in her sleep, and behind her shuddering eyelids, she was blinded by the tall figure's glowing red eyes. With a hearty laugh, as if a great victory had been won, it enfolded Suzuno into his cloak, suffocating her, and wrapping her in a stuffy cocoon.
"Suzuno…."
She was so close to awakening, she could almost smell the smoky aroma left over by Maou's apartment, but instead she remained asleep, and the dark cloak of the Devil turned into a pair of strong arms that held her close. She could feel a heartbeat, she could feel life, and somehow she knew she was no longer in danger. She looked up, only to find Urushihara looking down upon her. He was so tall now, it was strange. He stared at her with those glowing violet eyes that made her think of lilacs in the spring. Tears began to fall from Suzuno's eyes, and she cried quietly as Lucifer watched her.
"I never… I never meant to kill anyone! I just wanted… I- I just… I"
Her argument was lost as Urushihara once more pulled her to his chest, and Suzuno awoke with tears upon her face, the bright light of the day peaking in through the curtains as she silently wept to herself.
Emi, Maou, and Urushihara roamed the streets, all three of them looking out of sorts as they tried to find something for three tired, poor teenagers to do that would allow them to remain inconspicuous.
"Anybody else hungry," Emi asked, a local Benny's Diner sign beckoning to them in the shadow of the overcast day.
"We're broke, Yusa," Lucifer said shortly, "and this idiot didn't have the foresight to grab Ashiya's cash stash, or his bank card, so we have to wait until the firefighters bring out more of our belongings."
"My belongings," Maou corrected his General.
Maou was slightly upset, but not because he was hungry, or because he'd forgotten to grab some things while no firefighters were in his apartment, it was because of the company he kept. Emi, on one hand, was great, but Lucifer was still a little sour from being thrown out of the Devil's Castle the day before.
Not to mention that Emi was aware that Lucifer was aware of Maou and Emi's little agreement.
That part still made Maou's head hurt a little, and the pain only served to dampen his mood.
"Well, I'll cover for the both of you," Emi sighed, digging around in her bag once more, "but I'll expect repayment out of your next paycheck, Maou."
"Uh, yeah, sure thing."
Oh, and Maou had nearly forgotten about how he would have a short paycheck, considering he'd lost two long days of work. Add to the fact that Maou would still have to pay his rent that month, the due date for which was fast approaching, and the Devil felt as though his world were about to end.
Sadly, it was a somewhat familiar sensation. He'd felt it before, when Lucifer had become a co-tenant, and Maou had laid awake at night thinking of ways to trim some fat from the budget. He'd taken extra work before, but the result left him tired and sore, so he wasn't fond of that idea, and Ashiya was too busy with Rika to be bothered with getting a job, leaving the burden to fall squarely upon Maou's shoulders.
'It's alright,' Maou thought as he followed Emi and Urushihara into the diner, his nostrils filling with the scent of breakfast food and fresh coffee, 'you've been through worse… first things first, you have to return the computer… a little magic will fix the packaging, and that's an extra thirty five thousand yen back in my pocket… so if I just use a little of that for groceries, the rent is already halfway paid…'
But no matter how many saving graces he found, there was a major financial compromise that would need to be made between the food, rent, or utilities… something would have to be put on the backburner while he tried to pay off his other debts.
"Here's your food, guys!"
The Devil had been so preoccupied with his budgetary concerns that he hadn't noticed Emi picking a booth and ordering for them.
Several large platters of American cuisine were placed before each of them, making their jaws drop as they looked at the enormous piles of food. Maou turned to try and smile at the waitress, and he noted that she was pretty, even without makeup. She was probably around Maou's human age, perhaps working to support herself as she attended school or something, but her large brown eyes locked with Maou's red ones. She smiled brightly and gave Maou a wink.
"Enjoy your food, handsome."
"Thank you very much," Maou said, bowing first to the waitress, and then to Emi, who was looking at Maou rather strangely, her fork hovering over of a pile of syrup drenched pancakes.
"No problem," Emi said finally, cutting out a large hunk of her food and shoveling it into her mouth.
"Wow, you really know hot to eat, don't you, Yusa," Urushihara said.
"Maybe you should eat your food before I stab you with your own fork," Emi said hurriedly, shoveling more food into her gullet so as to wash away the bitter taste of last night's alcohol.
"I am eating," Urushihara said, "the same can't be said for his royal gloominess over here."
"I'm not hungry," Maou said, wincing as his stomach clenched in protest.
"You're body seems to disagree with you, there," Emi said, smiling as Maou's stomach gurgled violently.
"I'll eat when I've got this figured out," Maou said impatiently, rubbing his temples and frowning at his platter of eggs, sausages, bacon, pancakes and toast.
"Whatever you're trying to 'figure out' isn't going to be solved by starvation," Emi said, using her fingers to put air quotes around Maou's words, "if you don't eat, you won't be able to think of anything except food. You can trust me on that."
Glaring at Emi, and cursing her sound logic, Maou poured himself a cup of steaming coffee, mixing it with cream and sugar. Next, he lathered his sausages and pancakes with enough syrup to drown a nation, and then, with his eyes still narrowed at Emilia the Hero, Maou began to inhale his breakfast.
The Devil, however, was not usually one for eating large amounts of food, and the western cuisine upon his plate had been dealt in western proportions, so it took him some time to finish everything. Whether it was the effect of the food, or just the simple, repetitive motions of bringing his fork and coffee cup to his mouth, he soon found that the budget wasn't so bad. Sure, he might have to forsake his dues to the landlady in order to buy groceries, but he'd been on time with his rent check for a couple of years now… surely she wouldn't evict him right away….right?
"Feeling better," Emi asked.
Maou couldn't explain how, but he most certainly was. Emi, it seemed, was feeling better too. She had been looking rather pale and scrawny, which was to be expected, given her recent state of mind, alcohol consumption, and overdose on Holy Vitamin Beta, but now she seemed to have regained some of the lost color in her cheeks, and though she looked tired, Maou found her to be as lovely as ever.
'Tell her she looks pretty,' the little Devil in Maou's heart whispered, 'tell her you want to make thirty-three babies, and to live with her in that little shack she called her home.'
'Now is not the time for that,' Maou said mentally, brushing his little Demon aside as he got back to solving his financial crises.
Urushihara poked through the bacon on his plate, his mind back at the Villa Rosa, where Suzuno had seemed so tired and unhappy. The fallen angel would never admit it, even at the end of Better Half, the Evolving Holy Sword, but he often times found himself thinking of Suzuno, and her wellbeing. It was strange, thinking that if his liege lord died, Urushihara could likely shrug it off, but if anything happened to that little burrito in her crowded six tatami apartment….
"You awake in there," Maou asked, looking at Urushihara with concern as he continued to play with his bacon.
"You know I'm not a fan of bacon," Urushihara said quietly, sighing as he continued to prod and poke the crispy meat strips.
"Wha-you don't like bacon." Maou asked incredulously, "that's ridiculous! Everyone likes bacon! I've heard that some Americans even worship it, like a god of sorts!"
"I'm not really a fan of bacon either," Emi said, handing her own bacon over to the Devil, who tore into the delicacy with gusto.
"Ugh," Lucifer said, tossing his own bacon onto Maou's plate, "I don't get how people can stomach food with so much raw fat in it."
"It's chewy and delicious, like bacon bubble gum," Maou explained as he worked on gnawing the bacon.
"Blergh…. ugh, that's so gross," Lucifer said.
"You're telling me," Emi agreed, staring with horror at Maou as he continued to eat.
"Ha, if I knew a little bacon would defeat the Hero, I'd have made an army of bacon soldiers to fortify the walls of my bacon palace in Ente Isla," Maou said, patting his bulging stomach as he exhaled heavily.
Emi smirked at the thought of invading a castle of bacon, only to find the Demon King swathed in robes of bacon… it was the exact sort of logic Maou would employ.
"Geez, I think being around you so much is starting to kill my brain cells," Emi laughed.
Maou gave a lazy wink and aimed a pair of finger guns at the red haired Hero.
"You love it."
"I-"
Emi cut off. She couldn't help but think of the last time she'd heard the Devil use the word 'love'…. It had been over the phone, when he'd accidentally said 'I love you'. It was a simple mistake, but the more Emi thought about it, the less sense the 'accidental' argument made.
Maou had never said that to anyone, as far as she knew, so the thought of it being an accident was absurd, not to mention that he'd still been drunk when he'd said it.
'You love it.'
The words rang in Emi's head, and more than anything, she wanted to refute the statement, but the fact of the matter was…..
"Oh, shut up, Maou," Emi laughed, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt.
Wednesday brought about Emi and Maou's return to work, which left Urushihara staying with Suzuno, and Emi, good to her word, had allowed Maou to stay with her once more. Ashiya continued to care for Rika, who was making quite the improvement as the work week wore on, but for the first time in a while, everyone seemed to be on the mend, and things were going well… for the most part.
"Maaa, please report to the break room, immediately!"
Ms. Kisaki's voice rang out over the intercom, which usually didn't happen, even during closing time, when the MgRonalds at Hatagaya station was cleared of its customers and swabbed in preparation for the next day.
It was Maou's first day back to work, and he'd been busy prepping the kitchens for tomorrow when he'd heard her voice. He sighed as he set down his bottle of disinfectant and stripped off his latex gloves before looking around the kitchen, which was cleaner than it had ever been. The machines had all been meticulously scrubbed, and the napkins, utensils, and condiment stores had been refilled, and everything was exactly where it should be.
Figuring it was best to go and report to Kisaki, Maou made to leave the kitchen when a strange refraction of light caught his eye.
It was the fryer, the counter of which was still imprinted with four dent marks from his knuckles. The dents had turned the light as he moved, a tiny imperfection in what was otherwise a spotless conglomerate designed to churn out food faster than normally possible. With a strange sense of reverence, Maou felt the dents, noting how they were actually a bit deeper than he'd originally thought… and through almost half an inch of solid stainless steel.
"I've gotta be more careful," Maou chided himself.
His words did nothing to wipe away the embarrassment caused by his rage, however. Everyone, for the most part, had been in attendance when he'd acted so distastefully, not to mention there had been several customers. From then on, his reputation would be that of an angry young man, a disturbed youth who had no place working in such a shining beacon of prosperity as MgRonalds.
"Maaaaa," Kisaki called over the intercom.
"I'm coming," Maou said loudly, bolting for the breakroom.
He paused for a moment, his hands pressed upon the door as he took a deep breath. As he let it out, he pushed open the door to the break room and found all of his late shift co-workers standing inside. They had all changed into their civilian clothes, and were all looking as though they were trying not to smile.
"Now, whatever happened to the smart young man that came the first time he was called," Kisaki asked, looking hurt as she held her forehead and tried not to smile.
"I was just scrubbing the kitchen… you know, that takes a lot longer than everything else," Maou reasoned, still looking unsure as he looked into the eyes of everyone assembled, trying to figure out what was going on.
"And yet, night after night, you are the first one in there after closing. You take on the job with no complaints, charging into the kitchen with your head held high, and your pride upon your sleeve! You scrub the machines harder and faster than anyone else here, except maybe me," Kisaki paused, flipping her side-ponytail in a self-congratulatory way, "and you get those machines spotless, you restock everything, and then you clock out half an hour after everyone else has gone home. You do this every single night, and I've watched the security feeds, you aren't just slacking off to get a little extra cash, you're working your ass off!"
"Y-you watched the security feeds? I thought they were just for safety-" Maou stammered before being cut off by his boss.
"So imagine my shock when you miss two days," Kisaki said, her voice turning just as quiet as it had been over the phone yesterday, "you just decide you can't hack it, and you leave for two whole days… well, you didn't bother to call in on your second day until halfway through your shift, so what do I do? I have to cover for you! I have to take to the kitchen! I have to make burgers! I have to do the work of both the Shift Manager, and the Assistant Shift Manager… as much money as it saved the company, I'm afraid I just don't do two jobs for one salary, it's not my style. Now, corporate policy states that any employee who is found to be unreliable can be fired at my discretion. Another corporate policy demands that any employee who damages company property be fired, and yet another policy dictates that if an employee's interests outside the workplace negatively impact his in-house performance, it is recommended that they be let go."
Maou froze upon the spot, he was familiar with all of those rules, as he had studied the employee handbook religiously when he'd first started at MgRonalds, and he'd had to review it with Kisaki after each and every promotion. As an Assistant Shift Manager, he was looked to for inspiration, and was duty-bound to lead by example… but he'd failed in that regard, and Emi had gone straight to his head on more than one occasion. It seemed that his time at MgRonalds was running out, but he didn't let his self-loathing show. He kept himself firmly rooted upon the spot, even though his knees felt like they would give out an any moment. He looked around at the faces of his co-workers once more, noting how something was off… why would they be assembled for a firing? Was Kisaki really so deranged that she would use Maou's termination to boost work ethic? Even he, the Demon King, had never been quite so ruthless within his own army.
"That said, corporate can suck it," Kisaki said, making Maou cock his head so hard his neck cracked, "Maou, you're one of the best damn workers ever to come through this place, and that's saying something, given my working here. I haven't reported you to corporate… yet. Rest assured if your recent behavior becomes a pattern, I'll have no choice, but all of us here at the Hatagaya MgRonalds are like family, and as a result, we've all decided to pitch in a little something to help out."
Kisaki help out an envelope, and just by looking, Maou could see it was a pay stub. He was visibly confused for a moment, as the pay stubs were only supposed to go out after payday. Kisaki motioned for Maou to open it, and he did so, looking through the columns to find his final deposit.
"Holy shit!"
Maou couldn't help but curse, and everyone in the break room laughed at him as he struggled to comprehend the check. Having missed not one, but two full days, along with any sort of attendance bonus he might've earned, Maou was expecting a catastrophically small check. To his surprise, he found that it was quite a bit more than he usually made.
"All of us chipped in a few hours of vacation to cover your two days off," Kisaki explained, "and I chipped in few hours myself to help cover the damages to your apartment. Thanks for everything you do here, Maou."
Kisai held out a hand, but Maou slapped it aside and pulled his boss into a hug, earning a look of surprise from each and every employee in the break room. What surprised them further was when Kisaki smiled and hugged Maou back. It was a tender moment, but Kisaki spoke softly into Maou's ear as they shared a hug.
"Seriously, Maaa, don't expect this kinda treatment all the time. You really gotta get your shit together, mister," Kisaki mumbled.
"I'm working on it. Oh, and Kisaki?"
"Hmm?"
"Are there any overtime slots available this weekend?"
Kisaki pushed Maou away and grinned, punching him upon the shoulder, glad she'd made the choice to let Maou keep his job. It was the sort of thing that would inspire life-long loyalty in her workers.
As promised, here is the next chapter. Now, I believe I have a few things to point out to everyone, so bear with me for a moment... first off, Benny's is a spoof of Denny's, hence why I figured they would have American cuisine. I believe I added a line from Monty Python, when Maou says something along the lines of "We got better" to Raphael. Finally, we have some touching moments between Maou and Emi, Suzuno is a little worse for wear, and Miki Shiba and Amane make an appearance before going to the beach. Honestly, I bet Amane would look great in a bikini... something tells me that Maou's landlord might not be such a pleasant sight. Also, Emi, Suzuno and Chiho are now Demon Generals! I'm fairly certain this happened in the light novels as well, but hey, this is fanfiction. Finally, Maou tried to burn down his apartment, and now he'll be living with Emi, which is what will be encompassed in future chapters.
Not much else to say, and all this typing has gotten me tired, so I think I'll throw down some songs for you guys to look up before I sign off for the night.
Stoned on You-Jaymes Young
Alcatraz-Oliver Riot
Neurosis-Oliver Riot
Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea-Missio
Twisted-Missio
Hypnotized-Traces
Wires-The Neighborhood
Feel Something-Jaymes Young
That's all I've got for now! I'll hopefully post more soon!
Good night!
Sleep tight!
Don't let the thought of poorly written nightmare scenes in sappy anime fanfics keep you awake tonight!