"What time is it," Maou asked weakly, severely traumatized as he lay in bed and stare at the ceiling.
Emi, looking just as worn out and terrorized, looked over at the alarm clock on her nightstand.
"It's seven in the morning," she groaned. "They've been at it for hours!"
"You get any sleep," Maou asked.
"Nope. You?"
"Not a wink."
The both of them returned to their mutual, silent contemplation of the stark white ceiling, doing their best to simply ignore the sound coming from the other room. The sun rose high enough in the sky to break through Emi's curtains, and soon the sound of footsteps could be heard as Emerada and Alberto crept into the bathroom.
"Are they… in the shower?"
"I don't know," Emi said, covering her face with a pillow as she tried to get some rest.
"Aw, crap," Maou said, kicking off his blankets and hurrying to the door, "I gotta get ready for work. Have fun with those noisy bastards you call friends… can you kick them out before I come back from work? Or are they coming with us to see Rika?"
"I don't know," Emi's muffled voice said from beneath the pillow.
"Fantastic," Maou grumbled, combing his fingers through his hair as he made for the guest room, changing as quickly as possible without touching any of the bedsheets, which were thrown all over. Once dressed, he left without breakfast or coffee, as he was already running quite late for his shift.
Four hours later, Maou was staggering out of MgRonalds, tired and hungry from not having eaten yet that day, and his lack of sleep the night before. He frowned and cracked his back before hopping onto his bike and pedaling for Eifuku, but instead of his usual pace, he pedaled slowly, not wanting to overexert himself.
It had been an incredibly long week for Maou, to say the least. The Hero was a mess, his Castle was still closed off, and to top it all off, his rent would soon be due. Maou heaved a sigh, coming to a stop at a crosswalk, the street around him barren of both people and cars as he waited for the light to turn green. A set of footsteps behind Maou alerted him to someone else's presence, and when he turned around he did a double take. Behind Maou was the man who'd tried to mug him a couple weeks ago.
"Oh, hey there," Maou said, "you're looking better."
It took a moment before the man recognized Maou.
"Wha-oh, it's you! Hey, I wanted to say… well, thank you again for what you did to help me! I managed to get a job at the grocery store not to far away. It's not the best, but it pays ok, and I actually just got my first paycheck today," the man said.
"Glad to hear that," Maou replied, smiling tiredly at the man.
"You-uh-you're looking a little tired yourself man… you alright?"
Maou smiled. He wasn't alright, now that he thought about it. Sure, he had a roof over his head, and his co-workers had helped him out, but the Hero, and the continuous stream of supernatural threats from Ente Isla kept him awake at night. Literally, in the case of Alberto and Emerada.
"Tired," Maou laughed to himself, "yeah, that's the right word for it."
The crosswalk light turned green, and signaled for foot traffic to go.
"Well, it was nice catching up with you," the man said, waving at Maou as he kicked the pedals to his bike and took off slowly.
The Devil arrived back at the Hero's condominium to find Alberto, Emerada and Emi all sitting on the couch. All three were washed, dried, and dressed, and Emi was looking rather impatient.
"What took you so long," Emi asked, "Rika's been texting us for an hour. Chiho, Suzuno, and Urushihara are already at the suite."
"Oh, I get it, I leave and then everybody bathes together," Maou asked, ignoring Emi's attitude, "what if I'd wanted a little fun, huh?"
"Demon Lord, you sure have a sick sense of humor," Emerada scowled.
"It keeps me going," Maou sighed, stifling a grin as he hopped into the shower and readied himself for Rika's get-together.
The trip from Emi's apartment to the mental care facility took a little over an hour, forty-five minutes of which were spent sitting in silence on the train, which Emerada and Alberto did not enjoy in the slightest. With every rattle and boom, they jumped and held each other even tighter, prompting Maou and Emi to snicker at the couple.
They walked right in the front door and found Ashiya waiting for them all, looking rather tired himself as he offered to take everyone's coats. Maou gave Ashiya his sweatshirt, Emi handed over a white denim jacket, and Emerada gave the Demon General her cape, along with a frown. The only thing Ashiya got from Alberto was a glare, as the warrior was only wearing his usual sleeveless shirt. The cold had never been a bother to the warrior from the north.
"Please, follow me to Rika's suite," Ashiya said, leading everyone to the elevator and ushering them inside. They alighted upon the fourth floor and took a few turns down several halls that looked practically identical before they arrived at room six hundred sixty-six.
"The number of the Devil," Emi remarked, casting a glance at Maou, who rolled his eyes.
"The number of the devil is seven hundred seventy-seven," Maou retorted, "seven is, after all, the most powerfully magical number."
"That's actually true," Emerada confirmed, eyeing Maou with something akin to scientific inquiry.
Ashiya rapped upon the door and announced who was there.
"C'mon in, guys," Rika said, throwing open the door, "there's no need to be so formal, Ashiya."
"Of course," the blonde demon said, stepping inside, but holding open the door for the guests, all the same.
The room looked much the same as it had when Maou as first seen it, but now there were signs of it having been lived in, and all of the medical equipment was gone. The monitors were off, and pushed back against the walls, and the IV drips had been wheeled away. It now looked like a fine hotel suite.
"Hey guys," Chiho said, looking up from her tablet, which she was showing to Lucifer and Suzuno, "good to see you made it here ok!"
"Sorry we're late," Emi said, "Maou was working."
"Yeah, sorry for being a responsible, law abiding adult, with a job that I'm not suspended from," Maou rebutted, jabbing Emi in the ribs with his elbow.
"Guys, play nice," Rika said, a strange light in her eyes as she looked between Maou and Emi.
"Easy for you to say, Emi's been restless from her four day weekend, and she won't stop annoying me," Maou complained.
"You're lamentations do you little credit, my lord."
"And you! I still can't believe you're hanging out with Rika! The girl looks fine," Maou said loudly, pointing at Rika accusingly.
"She does indeed, thanks to the magic I've been using to help her heal," Ashiya said, smiling slightly, "speaking of which, I've been meaning to speak with the Hero and Suzuno… I may need to collect some more magic... for healing purposes."
"How do you plan on collecting it," Suzuno asked, looking up from Chiho's tablet.
"As naturally as possible. You do realize we are in a mental institution, do you not? Using the emotional power that lies within these walls would be no trouble at all for a demon of my skill… I only waited so as to make sure you two knew and understood my intentions," Ashiya summated, looking between the inquisitor and the Hero.
"I don't mind," Emi said.
"If the Hero is ok with it, then so am I," Suzuno supplied.
"Excellent. I shall wait until tomorrow, however, to absorb any power. People will be visiting their loved ones, and their teary reunions will make a wonderful feast."
"Would you quit all that demon talk? I told you to work on that, didn't I," Rika asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking at Ashiya in an unhappy way.
"Yes, I mean-of course, Rika. I'm terribly sorry," Ashiya said, bowing slightly to Rika, who smiled at the Demon General.
Emi sat and looked at them, internally wondering if Maou had been telling the truth. She'd had some time to think, and what Rika had said over the phone about night time running may very well have been the truth… but what if it wasn't? What if Maou had been right, and the two of them had been sleeping together? Looking at the way they interacted, with sly smiles, as if they knew something no one else did, made Emi feel slightly sick. But there was something else as well, something that made Emi squirm uncomfortably.
It was the way Rika looked at Ashiya. She may have downplayed his importance, but Emi could clearly see the love in Rika's eyes whenever she looked at the Demon General. Even stranger, Ashiya's normally reserved and distant expression seemed to flicker whenever he looked at Rika. His eyes would light up, literally, with gold, and it would appear as though he'd just seen the sun for the first time.
"You ok," Maou asked quietly, stepping up next to Emi as everyone else settled in.
"Fine," Emi muttered.
Maou clapped Emi lightly on the shoulder, much as he had before, when telling her how she was doing the right thing. Looking at Rika and Ashiya now, Emi was tempted to simply say that Maou was right, and that she had indeed done the right thing.
The sun had fallen quickly behind the skyline of Tokyo, but the suite on the fourth floor of the Tokyo Counseling Services Building was far from quiet as the party finally kicked off. Pizza was delivered, drinks were poured, and soon enough everyone was talking loudly, with gentle house music playing in the background as they reveled in their survival of another week.
"This is bullshit," Urushihara proclaimed, shaking his head, "how is it that your tablet is faster than my computer?"
"Your laptop is just a little dated is all," Chiho said wisely, patting the fallen angel on the shoulder.
"Emiliaaa," Emerada said, sitting in Alberto's lap, "tell Rika about that romantic moment yesterday!"
"You mean the one where you spilled tea on yourself," Emi asked slyly.
"Nooo, the one where you found me and Al kissing in your kitchen!"
"Yeah," Emi nodded, "that's pretty much what happened."
Rika rushed up and sat on the couch by the Alberto and Emerada, gripping them both in a crushing hug as she gushed happiness.
"I'm just so happy for you guys!"
Maou and Ashiya sat side by side, eating pizza as they quietly discussed very important business.
"Why can't you come back if Rika's almost entirely healed," Maou wondered through a huge mouthful of pizza.
"It's complicated," Ashiya said simply, as if that cleared everything up. "Besides, has Raphael even gotten a hold of you?"
"No," Maou admitted, "but when he does, I'll be expecting you to come back, dammit! I miss your cooking."
"Are you saying there's something wrong with my cooking," Emi growled, appearing before the demons and glaring at them. She crossed her arms and cocked her head, mentally daring Maou to dis her culinary skills.
"Well, it's not the same as Ashiya's," Maou shrugged. "Everything you make is coated with celestial force, whereas Ashiya is the premier demon chef."
"I'm touched by your kind words, your majesty," Ashiya sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with a napkin.
Emi, to her surprise found no fault with Maou's claim. It was natural that a demon preferred his food not be lathered with celestial force, right? What was stranger was that Maou would usually focus upon Emi's insecurity about her cooking, and use it to goad her into an argument.
Sadly, the Hero had been denied this chance, and it seemed to make something else stir in her navel… it was something strange, something that she'd never really felt. She wanted to fight with Maou. Not a real fight, with magic and weapons, but loudly disagreeing on something petty and normal, like Emi's cooking. She wanted to grab the Devil by his wrists, throw him down on a bed and force him to realize she was always right by-
Emi found herself staring at Maou, her face red as she suddenly came back to her senses. The strange visions behind her eyes jarred her sense of reality. She looked Maou up and down as he continued his conversation with Ashiya. The Demon General sitting next to Maou, on the other hand, was watching Emi closely, in case she tried anything funny.
"Excuse me," Emi squeaked, waving a hand in her face. "I'm just gonna go outside for a few minutes… this heat is unbearable."
Emi left without disturbing the party, but her best friend, Rika, quickly took notice and excused herself as well. Rika raced down the stairs, and when the elevator doors opened, Emi jumped, her face still red and her heart racing like a cheetah as Rika grinned.
"Saw you leaving," Rika laughed at Emi's fright. "C'mon, let's get some cocoa and step outside."
After paying for two large hot chocolates, Rika led Emi out onto the front steps, where the two women sat together, holding onto their cups for warmth. Most people had already gone inside, as the nights had been chilly recently. Rhe street, and the sidewalks running alongside it, were devoid of pedestrians and vehicles.
"So, how have you been, Emi," Rika asked, eyeing at the Hero up and down.
Emi felt her friend's eyes upon, and they were so potent that she almost felt as if she were being x-rayed. Emi turned her gaze onto Rika as well, trying to discern how her co-worker felt. Rika looked amazing, considering all she'd been through, and Emi was happy for that, but the fact remained that they, the denizens of Ente Isla, had forever changed Rika's life. For a moment, Emi wished Rika would just scream, or shout at her so as to vindicate her guilt.
But no, Rika smiled that sly smile, her eyes bright as she stared at Emi.
"I always knew you were special," Rika blurted out.
Emi, whose eyes had been holding back tears, froze as Rika spoke. She felt the hot lines of wetness streak her face as Rika let her statement hang.
"From the first time I saw you, I knew there was something special about you," Rika said, pausing to take a sip of her cocoa, "you exuded this… I don't know. It was just this something, this special quality, and I remember thinking 'Oh my god, I have to be this girl's friend.' That's why I invited you to sit by me on your first day at Docodemo."
"I remember that," Emi laughed, anxiously flicking her tears away. "I was so scared that I thought I'd have a heart attack right on the spot."
"You know what, Emi? I was right. I'm usually pretty good with people, so when you turned out to be this… this Hero… well, things started to fall into place. The way you were always busy, the way you kept everyone else at a distance… it was so that you could focus on hunting down the Demon King."
Emi didn't say anything. She felt like she'd end up sobbing if she tried, so instead she clenched her jaw shut tight, and simply tried to sniffle through the tears that wouldn't stop.
"Honestly, at first I thought you just didn't want to be my friend… I was sort of scared because, I mean, you were this beautiful, amazing woman with this x-factor I couldn't even begin to describe, and I was just some co-worker to you. I figured you'd probably have a ton of friends outside work, but as it turns out, your closest acquaintances are demons and church inquisitors," Rika laughed, throwing an arm over Emi's shoulder.
"Imagine how good it felt to know that you weren't just pretending to be my friend! I saw you fighting so hard against Asmodeus-"
Rika's breath seemed to catch in her throat, causing Emi to look at her with concern. Rika was smiling once more, though now she was tearful as well. It seemed that physically, Rika had healed substantially, but mentally, she was still fighting a tough battle.
"I watched you wield a magic sword; I saw Maou and Ashiya fight as hard as they could. All of you, together, fighting so hard… and all to save me, even though I was the one who-who lured you all…"
Rika blanched, unable to finish, and Emi threw her arms around her friend.
"I love you, Rika," Emi's voice cracked, "and I'm sorry I didn't visit sooner. I just felt so bad about what happened, I couldn't help but think-"
"It wasn't your fault, Emi," Rika whispered through her tears, "if anyone's to blame-mmmph."
Emi had covered Rika's mouth, looking as though she were on the verge of a breakdown.
"No matter what, I don't ever want you to think that what happened was your fault," Emi said sadly. "Don't even think like that."
Rika felt a smile cross her face as Emi removed her hand. The Hero smiled as well, and the both of them hugged again, feeling better than they had in some time.
When they returned to Rika's room, however, they were not prepared for the madness that assaulted them.
"Everyone, lend me your ears and still your limbs," Maou cried out to the room at large.
Urushihara and Chiho, both of whom were facing off in a battle of computer games, tried to listen and play at the same time. Suzuno, was hanging over Urushihara's shoulder, using her wit to help the fallen angel beat the high schooler, though he still ended up losing. Ashiya was standing behind Maou on the bed, smoothing out his liege's cape, which was actually Rika's blanket, and straightening his crown, which was actually an old head mirror Maou had dug out of the closet.
Emerada and Alberto were playing a rather rowdy game of tag as they tried not to spill their drinks, or run anybody over. Emerada, of course, was winning, as she could slide under the bed and pop up on the other side in a millisecond, all without spilling a drop of her wine.
"Attention," Ashiya called, everyone pausing to pay heed to the Demon General.
Rika stood frozen in the doorway, staring quite intently at Ashiya, who, as it turned out, had used Rika's bra as a crown and her bed sheet as a cloak. Emi tilted her head, her eyes flickering from her personal guests, to Maou and Ashiya, and finally to Suzuno, Urushihara, and Chiho as she felt her brain cells die a little faster.
"Now that I have everyone's undivided attention," Maou said pointedly, staring at Urushihara, who cringed before shutting his laptop, "I'd like to make an announcement! Next Monday, my apartment will be reopened to the general public-"
"He means us demons," Ashiya added sternly, eyeing up everyone else with disdain.
"Yes, of course. Thank you, Ashiya. Anyway, yes, the Demon Army will once again have its Castle, and will resume operations first thing Monday morning! This means that I will be leaving Emi's, Urushihara will be leaving Suzuno's, and Ashiya will be returning more frequently. After Rika's full recovery, he'll be working once more as the resident househusband!"
"On another note, we will be hosting another get together next weekend, at the newly reestablished-and refurbished- Demon Castle," Ashiya announced.
"Maou! Ashiya! Get off the bed," Emi called out, catching the demons off guard.
Without question, Maou and Ashiya slumped off of the bed, both looking rather put out. Ashiya took off his crown and handed it to Rika, who hugged the bra to her chest, looking amused and scandalized. Maou, on the other hand, refused to surrender his crown.
"I found it," Maou insisted, shaking his head at Emi, "you can't just take my royal headdress!"
"Watch me," Emi sassed, reaching up to pull the crown from Maou's head.
With the swoosh of his blanket cloak, the Demon King foiled the Hero's plans, letting the Hero charge by him, as if he were a matador, and she was a raging bull. For a moment, he had to resist the urge to call out, "Ole, Toro!"
"Maou, I'm not sure you should be playing with that," Rika said seriously.
Maou, who was holding Emi at arm's length with a stiff arm, craned his neck away from the Hero, her fingers barely touching his face as she tried to de-crown the Devil.
"I'll put it back later," Maou compromised, thwarting Emi's attempts once more with another swish of his cloak.
The night grew old as the party climaxed and began to taper off into a sleepier affair. The music that blared from Chiho's laptop grew softer and slower, and everyone who'd been drinking was slowly nodding along with the beat.
The pizza had become cold and stale, and everyone's eyes were glazed from a combination of alcohol and sleep deprivation. One by one, they set up their sleeping bags and called it a night. Urushihara nearly had a heart attack when he saw how large the closet was. Suzuno joined him in the closet as well, claiming that the wine she'd overindulged upon had given her a headache, and that she needed absolute silence and darkness to sleep.
Emerada and Alberto, having gotten very little sleep the previous night, were passed out upon the couch, Emerada's head lying upon Alberto's shoulder as they both snored.
Rika and Ashiya fell asleep on the bed, watching TV while Maou and Emi laid down on the floor by Chiho, who was snoozing away quietly. Chiho hadn't been drinking, as her parents had forbid her from drinking without adult supervision, but she was very tired from school, work, and her social clubs.
As per the norm, this left Maou and Emi awake long after the others had fallen asleep, but they soon followed, having gotten little sleep the night before, and being exhausted by the day's events.
In the closet, the door of which was been closed by Suzuno, Urushihara was on his laptop, boredly clicking away at some online computer game. As soon as Suzuno had entered the closet, he knew he wasn't going to be getting any sleep, unless he wanted to get jumped while he slumbered.
He glanced at the clock, sensing how everyone else was asleep, even Maou and Emi, who were usually up the latest. The only other person whose mind was mysteriously clear was Suzuno, who quietly sat up and eyed Urushihara.
"Not going to sleep?"
"Sleep is best left to people who aren't insomniacs," the fallen angel said, rubbing his eyes and gazing blankly at the computer screen.
Suzuno sidled up to Urushihara, pressing herself against him. Her eyes were lit up by the computer screen as she watched him carefully, her body coursing with a nervous energy.
"Seriously," Urushihara muttered, glancing at the clergywoman, "this again?"
"We're alone, in the dark, and I've set up a ward that will shield the others from hearing any noises me might make," Suzuno murmured in his ear, "doesn't that entice you?"
"Not really," Urushihara said, suppressing a shudder, "truth be told, I couldn't do anything with you, even if I wanted to."
"What?"
"When you're an angel, you adhere to a certain code of conduct," the fallen angel explained tiredly, "essentially, physical intimacy with humans is off limits. Otherwise, every angel and their sibling would've flocked to earth and made a ton of Heroes. And, believe it or not, those Heroes are dangerous. They create great changes in the world of Ente Isla, so to do that with a human is against our laws."
"But a fallen angel-"
"-Is still bound by this code."
Urushihara looked meaningfully at Suzuno. In truth, he could do whatever the hell he pleased, but the fact remained that a fallen angel had never sired a child with a human… Urushihara wasn't sure such a union was a good idea.
'The lie is necessary,' he thought to himself, noting how sad and lonely Suzuno looked.
Finally, Urushihara sighed, and he held out a hand, focusing his power into it as he channeled what little holy magic he had left.
For a moment nothing happened. Then, with a metallic ringing, a light burst forth, and it blinded both Urushihara and Suzuno. The light dimmed, and slowly but surely, the object hovering over Urushihara's hands came into focus.
It was a circlet of golden metal, so perfect and brightly polished it might've been golden quicksilver. It radiated holy magic that made Suzuno shiver as she stared at it with wonder.
"Is that-"
"My halo," Urushihara said, looking at it tiredly, "here, take it."
Suzuno extended her arms reverently, and Urushihara dumped his halo into her hands. It floated above them, seemingly buffered by some kind of pressure, but she managed not to drop it.
"In Angel culture, we would exchange halos after we paired up and were united on holy matrimony," Urushihara explained, not looking at Suzuno, "and I figured… well, the only person to believe I still had some semblance of good in me was you, so…"
He let the statement trail off, but Suzuno continued to stare at the halo. For a moment, Urushihara wasn't sure how the clergywoman would react, but then she grasped him and pulled him into a hug. After she pulled away, she pecked him upon either cheek and then frowned at him.
"What should I do with it," Suzuno asked, tilting her head.
"Just hold on to it. So long as you have it, you can use it to speak with me, over any distance, even across worlds… and this way I can always find you."
"Thank you, Morningstar."
"You're welcome, Bell. Now, I think we should get some sleep."
Night gave way to day, as it tends to do, and brought with it a strange surprise for the people at the party. Maou and Emi, both of whom had turned in early, had also woken up early, and left before anyone else. They'd left a note, stating that they had gone to get breakfast, but it was already almost noon.
"Aw, they left to get food… without us," Chiho whined, flopping down on the bed and feeling excluded, even though the majority of the partygoers were still in the suite.
"They'd better bring something back for us," Urushihara mumbled, "I'm getting hungry, and Maou has all the money."
But a few hours earlier, with Maou and Emi, tensions were at an all-time low. They walked quietly down the streets of the Eifuku district, and both of them were peering around at the sights, all of which looked strangely familiar.
"Where are we going," Emi asked, her stomach growling as they went, "I thought we were going on a date? Isn't there food involved?"
Emi, who owed the date to Maou, was dressed rather nicely in a pair of heels, a bright yellow shirt that seemed to make her glow like a deity in the bright sunlight, and white skirt with flower patterns. It was a beautiful, sun drenched morning, though it was still a bit brisk. The both of them couldn't help but marvel at the splendor of the rising sun as they walked.
"Yes, there's food involved. Sheesh, do you ever stop complaining?"
Maou was dressed in a nice, newer pair of blue jeans, a clean t-shirt and a sports coat. Because it was of cheaper quality, the sports coat had no pockets, so he ended up sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
They walked in silence a bit longer before finally coming to a stop in a business part of Eifuku. It was filled with large buildings of glass and steel that towered over them like giants, but nestled between them, like a testament to the days of yore, was a small café, the front of which was covered in flowery paintings that had peeled with age.
It was the same diner they'd been to before.
"This is our date spot," Emi asked, raising an eyebrow, "big spender, huh?"
"It's more affordable than the Hakkushu Teppanyaki. And to be honest, I don't think I ever want to go back there again," Maou muttered, shifting around nervously.
Emi looked at Maou, noting the sour look on his face as he spoke.
"Yeah, me neither."
Emi pulled on the arm of Maou's jacket, and he pulled his hand from his pocket. After a moment, she laced her fingers through his, savoring the warmth of his hand.
"Might as well keep up the illusion," Emi murmured. Maou got the feeling she was talking more to herself than to him.
Satan smiled before pulling open the door and letting Emilia lead the way inside.
In his office, far away from prying eyes, Raphael was sitting in a chair, nervously drumming his fingers on his desk as he waited for something.
He was in the same spot, at the predetermined time, waiting for something.
It must've been important, because sweat dotted his brow as his eyes flicked one way, then the other. He thought he felt a strange presence behind him, but when he turned around, no one was there. There never was. His orders were never delivered through such ineffective means as speaking. More often than not, they came to him in the form of a scroll, made from parchment paper that was found in Ente Isla, and bearing the seal of Heaven.
A gate popped open in front of Raphael, and he jumped, very nearly falling from his chair as it deposited a scroll upon his desk, and then faded into nothingness.
Raphael eyed the scroll warily. For his orders to have been changed so suddenly, it could only mean one thing: new intelligence had been gathered, and he would have to act in Heaven's best interests.
With fumbling fingers, he melted the wax seal with a burst of pinkish energy and carefully unfurled his orders. Raphael read through several lines, his face falling as he realized the worst had happened. Someone had leaked sensitive information of the Bernael Incident back to Heaven. They knew about his involvement with the Devil.
Raphael stared at the signature beneath the orders, which was written in hasty, slanted characters that denoted anger, or perhaps fear.
"Writ this day, in the name of her majesty, our Lord and Savior, Ignora," Raphael whispered to himself, hardly daring to believe that she had given the orders he held in his hand. For a moment, Raphael looked pale and uncertain, but then he folded in hands before his face, narrowing his eyes.
"The Demon Lord… must be eliminated."
"So, what can I get you two," asked the wizened proprietor of the café.
"Uh…"
Both Maou and Emi were absorbed in their menus for a moment before trying to speak at the same time.
"You go first," Maou said quickly.
"No, that's alright," Emi smiled, "you can order."
"Ladies first," Maou reminded her, "I insist."
Emi sighed, looking over her menu once more until she finally ordered. "I'll have the tempura… that sounds good."
"If I get the gyoza, I'll let you dip your tempura in my soy sauce," Maou offered, "but you have to give me a couple pieces of your tempura."
"Deal," Emi said.
"Coming right up," the older lady said, stepping into the back to work the kitchen.
There were a couple other people in the café today, though none of them seemed to be on dates. Most were just people in need of a quieter, more peaceful atmosphere. Maou and Emi sat at their booth, wondering what they could talk about. The silence was palpable.
"So… you'll be moving back into your place on Monday, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess the lab finally got the results back. I think they'll be unlocking it today, though, so I'll probably just go straight there after we're done visiting Rika."
"'Done visiting Rika,'" Emi asked, "good luck! That girl is gonna kidnap us and hold us hostage until Monday morning."
"I'm sure I can whip up a distraction or something," Maou laughed.
There it was again: that profound silence that always seemed to bear the weight of the world. It clung to Emi and Maou like storm clouds, following them around and pressing upon them whenever they stopped speaking. It served to remind them, no matter where they were, and no matter who they were with, of their stations. No matter what, Maou would always be the Devil. Emi would always be the Hero. Nothing and no one could ever change that, and the silence only seemed to set that fact in stone.
"So, Maou, how long do you think you'll stay here?"
Maou cocked his head at Emi.
"What, like, here in the café? Just long enough to eat and pay for our meal! I know it's uncool, but Ashiya doesn't like me being out too long, and I-"
"No, I mean in Japan," Emi shook her head, "how long will you be in Japan?"
"Who knows?"
"Of all people, I should think you would know."
"Nope. Sorry, Emi, I've got no clue. I could leave tomorrow, I could become immortal and stay here forever," Maou said with a roguish grin.
"So you have no plans? No nothing?"
"You know my plans…and considering present company, I think we could refrain from discussing them."
The old lady came out of the kitchen and set down two platters. Emi got the tempura, which consisted of batter fried sea food and vegetables. Maou got the gyoza, which was essentially dumplings, filled with a combination of meat, vegetables, and rice.
"You two enjoy your food," said the elderly woman.
"Thank you very much," Maou and Emi said in unison, glad that they'd finally gotten their food. It had taken some time to make, but they knew that they were in for one of the greatest culinary experiences of their lives.
"So, what about you, Emi," Maou asked through a mouthful of dumplings, "will you be staying in Japan long?"
"I don't know," Emi said sarcastically, "I could leave tomorrow, I could be here forever."
"Never change, Emi," Maou chortled. "Your glibness is one of your best features."
"I have plenty of other good features!"
Maou made no attempt to disagree with the feisty redhead sitting across from him. They finished their food in silence, with Emi trading Maou two of her seafood tempura bites for dipping rights in his soy sauce.
After the food was gone Maou said, "I've got this, keep your money."
"Oh? That's incredibly kind of you," said Emi.
"It's the least I can do, considering how you let me live with you for a week," Maou reminded the Hero. "To be honest, I'd probably have been homeless without you!"
The old lady who owned and ran the establishment came out and complimented Emi's outfit before collecting Maou's yen and thanking them for their patronage.
They left the café and headed to the nearest train station, but the walk was longer than they expected, and the day had only gotten colder. To top it off, they were now walking right into a headwind. Emi shivered, cursing her lack of forethought as she had forgotten her coat. Maou gave Emi his sports jacket, insisting that she wear it, and that he was naturally hot-blooded.
"That's why I kept turning down the thermostat at your place," Maou said simply. "Anything above seventy degrees makes me sweat! Plus, after working over a hot stove all day, I need air conditioning."
On the train ride, Emi realized two things. The first being that they hadn't picked up food for their comrades, as they'd promised they would, and the other was the fact that Maou and Emi had just gone on a fairly plain, ordinary date. Nothing strange or exciting had happened, no one had attacked them, they hadn't bickered or anything… it felt strange to Emi, but it also irritated her. Again, she began to question why it was Maou was so increasingly familiar with her.
"Hey Maou?"
"Hmm?"
"What's been up with you? You've been really nice to me lately."
Maou gave the Hero a patronizing look before saying, "Consider it payback for all the nice things you've been doing for me."
"But the hugs, the hand-holding… what's with all that."
Emi wanted to hear Maou's reasoning behind it. She could tell the question shook him, and he looked as though he were thinking hard about it. Finally, he clicked his fingers, and a barrier rose around them.
The passengers didn't seem to notice anything strange, in fact, no one even bothered to look up. They were all so engrossed in what they were doing that there was barely any conversation.
"We can speak freely, now. They can't hear us."
"So answer my question," Emi insisted.
Maou sighed, ruffling his dark hair and looking put upon before turning to look Emi up and down. Her cheeks were puffed out in determination, and she was staring at the Demon Lord as though watching for the slightest sign of dishonesty. Still, Maou couldn't help but notice how she was nervously twiddling her thumbs in her lap. The Hero was so cute when she was flustered.
"Emi, do you know anything about human psychology?"
"A little," Emi admitted, taken aback by Maou's question.
"Good, then you know that when humans engage in physical contact, endorphins are released that allow for greater human intimacy. It's how loves and friendships are formed: all by the touch of skin. All it takes it a little touch, or a hug. Even being close to someone over long periods of time can promote a sense of familiarity, or kinship. In short-"
"So, you're trying to brainwash me into trusting you," Emi concluded, one of her nightmares replaying in her head as her temper flared.
She saw her life pass her by in a blissful, fantastical blur of love and happiness. She and Maou were happy together in Ente Isla. Then it came crashing down when the Devil revealed he'd lied, and that he'd only pretended to love her. The vision became real, and Emi felt herself quake with anger.
"It's not brainwashing, it's familiarization," Maou corrected her, "and it's necessary for a working relationship!"
"Wha-so now you want a relationship with me!?"
"Well, duh," Maou exclaimed, "if I'm not on good terms with the Hero of Ente Isla, how the hell can I expect the humans to trust me! How can I ever make peace for our people?"
Emi was at a loss for words, in a matter of seconds, her anger, her fear, and finally, the strange tugging of butterflies in her gut had waxed and waned. She looked around, but no one had taken notice, no one had heard their argument.
"I see, it's a grand scheme to-" Emi began.
"Shut up!"
Emi turned her attention to Maou, his look of vexation sweeping away Emi's discontent. His eyes glowed with a violent crimson light, and his brow knit as he snarled.
"Just shut up! I'm so sick of you thinking the worst of me! Back and forth like a goddamn tennis ball, well I'm not hittin' it back! I'm not scheming, I'm not plotting! I am trying to be a decent human, and a good friend, but you make it so fucking hard! I just want to…"
Maou crossed him arms, breathing hard through his nose as he looked away from Emi, leaving his thoughts unfinished.
The truth was, he found Emi's lack of faith in him so degrading and heartbreaking that he felt he might shed tears. They'd done so much together, and they'd come so far, but for the Devil and the Hero, it seemed forgiving and forgetting was just not something they could ever do.
"Sorry," Emi said finally, looking away from the pouting Demon King, "I wasn't trying to make you out to be untrustworthy, I just have trouble trusting people… Olba betrayed me, the Church turned its back on me… Heaven is after the Sacred Sword, and my parents... well, they haven't exactly been there for me."
"What's your point," Maou asked rudely, turning to glare at Emi, who scowled right back before breaking their eye contact.
"My point is that I do trust you. I know it doesn't sound like it, but I do. That said, I'll still have doubts, Maou. You're the Demon King, after all, but if you can bear with this, with me… well, maybe we can do something great together, for the sake Ente Isla."
Emi held out a hand.
"What sort of doubts will you have," Maou probed, eyeing Emi carefully.
"All kinds," Emi smiled, "but if you can break past them and help me to trust you, then I think we'll get along just fine."
"Alright," Maou muttered, taking Emi's hand and shaking it, "you have a deal, but could you do me a solid and not make it sound like I'm plotting to take over again? I did it once and I ended up stuck here with you."
"Then you're pretty lucky," Emi cheeked, "cause I'm pretty much the best."
Maou smiled to himself. He couldn't agree more. With a snap of his finger, Maou dissipated the magical sound barrier.
Emi dug in her purse for a moment and said, "Hey, what are we gonna get for everyone? Our note said we'd bring them back food."
"We're not going back to the counseling place yet," Maou grinned, "I have another part of our date that I think you're gonna love."
Emi paled.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
They got off the train at the end of the line, coming out into the daylight by the Hanoncho Station. They passed by a junior high school as Maou led Emi along a street of low slung grey buildings. They came to a bridge, and instead of walking across it, Maou pulled Emi off to the side, so that they walked parallel to the water that flowed through a canal. It was strange to see a canal running through Tokyo, but it was surrounded by grey stone and bland concrete. Emi almost felt sorry for the water. The least they could've done was put in a park or something.
"This is the second part of our date? Going for a walk by a bunch of schools," Emi asked, looking over at all the large buildings to their left, which would be emptied of their students, given the weekend.
"No, we're here for the river," Maou said, "and besides, we're still technically not to the date site, yet. Could you quit complaining?"
"I was just asking a question," remarked Emi, feeling slightly hurt.
"Well... just wait… you'll know it when we get there!"
The two of them continued to walk, and in the distance, Emi saw that the buildings surrounding the canal fell away, replaced instead by plains of grass and playground structures. It looked rustic, but it was a nice change to see all the grass and trees.
"This is nice," Emi smiled, marveling at the colorful koinobori hanging along cables that had been strung up over the water as it wove through the park.
"This is nothing," Maou said, "c'mon, the best is yet to come!"
The Hero was put off by Maou's excitement. He seemed so cheerful and so nervous at the same time. Every now and again, he would cast a glance at Emi, trying to gauge her reactions. She kept a polite smile on her face, only letting it slip a bit when she thought about the Devil's destination.
'Where could he be taking me,' Emi wondered.
They crossed another bridge to avoid another bland section of residential district, and came to a curve in the river, passing by a baseball park as they went. Another three parks, all of which flowed seamlessly into each other, passed them by as they walked, Maou leading Emi by the hand as they went through throngs of people.
"Ok, close your eyes!"
"N-no," Emi stammered indignantly, "you'll just push me into the water!"
"Are you kidding me? It's fenced off! I'd be more worried about somebody stealing my kidneys," Maou reasoned, casting an eye to a few shifty looking young men leaning against the guard rails of the river.
"Just another good reason I shouldn't close my eyes," Emi muttered.
Maou gave the predicament some very serious thought before the lightbulb turned on in his head. He snapped his fingers and laid a hand upon either of Emi's shoulders.
"You'll just have to walk backwards," Maou said with a malicious grin as he began to steer her like a car.
Emi felt her face go red as the Devil pushed her backwards through foot traffic, his hands on her shoulders and his face only a foot from hers as he guided her expertly through the crowd. Emi miraculously managed not to stumble and fall on her butt as the Devil watched for trip hazards over her shoulder.
Emi saw the scenery change in front of her as she was pushed past a tall red building and a go kart track. The shrill cries of happy children faded quickly, leaving Emi with very little to look at. A sign off to her right read 'Zenpuku-ji River Green Space'.
"Alright," Maou said finally, stopping in his tracks, "we're here. Go ahead and turn around."
Emi did. Her breath caught in her chest as she took in the beauty of the scene.
The river flowed on for almost six hundred feet in a straight line, but that wasn't what caught Emi's eye. All along the river, raining pale pink petals into the water, were dozens of cherry blossom trees. Due to the chill in the air, they'd begun to drop their petals. They landed in the water and were carried away on a gentle current as they floated downstream.
"It's beautiful," Emi whispered.
No response came. Emi spun around to look for Maou, but he was gone. She gazed to and fro, only to spot him already returning, carrying two cups of steaming hot chocolate from a little stall along the river.
"Here," he help out a cup, "I figured it's colder by the water, so…"
Emi took the cup, hoping that the chill in the air helped to stifle the blood rushing into her face.
"Thanks," Emi said, sipping at the cocoa.
A deep, disgruntled voice from behind Emi and Maou spoke.
"Well, well, well. Looks like you're not single, after all."
The Devil and the Hero turned, only to be confronted by a man neither of them had ever seen before. He was about their age, maybe a little younger, with spiky black punk style hair, a leather duster, and headphones that were blaring rock music. He was staring at Emi with hungry eyes as he grinned stupidly.
"Name's Kirono," the guy said, stepping forward, "I saw you were waiting for something a second ago… figured you might want some company."
"Sorry, pal," Maou interjected, stepping between Emi and the stranger, "but she's here with me."
Kirono looked Maou up and down. This newcomer stood a head taller than the Demon King, and he was clearly physically fit. He probably worked out every day, but the piercings in his ears and the way he styled his hair made him look like a troublemaker rather than a jock.
"That's cool, I just figured I'd offer her a better deal. Face it, guy, she's out of your league," Kirono jeered.
"Maou," Emi said warningly.
She could already feel the Devil's anger, which floated off of him like waves. It was almost as if there was an intense pressure building within his being. Maou's eyes flared a brilliant crimson, even in the daytime sun, and Kirono stepped back.
"What the-"
"Begone," Maou hissed.
Fear clawed at Kirono's chest, as if someone had poured ice water down his shirt. He looked around, and the day seemed to grow darker and darker. The only light that seemed to grow was the insidious scarlet gleam in Maou's glare.
"Tch. Whatever, losers," Kirono muttered, though his voice cracked as he spoke.
When he walked away, Emi noticed his face turn white and his pace quicken. By the time he was halfway across the park, the poor guy had broken into a sprint.
"That was weird," Emi stated.
"He was totally gonna steal your kidney," Maou said, looking deathly serious.
"Shut up."
Emi took Maou's hand again, and they walked slowly through the park once more. They savored the smell of the cherry blossoms, and the wonderful tribute to nature hidden in the gleaming metropolis of Tokyo. It was easy to forget little pockets of green like that existed in the city.
"It feels so good to see all this grass," Emi breathed, "I only wish we could've come here when it was warmer."
At that particular moment, Maou didn't think he could get any warmer. Emi's compliment made him burn up with pride.
"Yeah, it's nice to get away from all that," Maou agreed, flinging out a hand at all the buildings that were visible on all sides, just past the emerald horizon.
As they walked, they passed a large square of stalls set up on the side of the walkway. Emi and Maou approached to see what they were selling.
"Best ramen around," one man said.
"Warmest rolls you've ever had," someone else hocked.
Emi and Maou, who'd already eaten, decided to have a seat and talk while they finished their hot chocolate, which was starting to cool down. Neither of them took notice, but their conversations were easy, flowing from one point to another as they bantered and made gossip. Maou loved hearing about how much Emi hated her boss. He couldn't help but wonder if there was ever a time she had talked about him with such disdain.
"Well, there's one more surprise after this… if you don't mind a little… risk," Maou grinned, making Emi raise an eyebrow.
He refused to say anything more, and Emi pestered him all the way out of the square and down the riverside. She only stopped when the sound of quick footsteps behind them caught their attention.
Racing up from behind was a young man around their age with glasses. He was rather scrawny, and dressed in a student uniform. He was clearly chasing them, for when Emi and Maou stopped, he took a moment to double over, panting as he tried to speak.
"I'm… here to… ask…"
"Huh," Maou tensed, unsure about the man's objectives.
"I was…wondering… interested…"
"Are you ok," Emi inquired politely.
The man stood up straight, took a deep breath, and spoke as fast as he could before panting some more.
"Hi-I'm-a-student-from-Takachiho-University-could-I-get-the-two-of-you-to-participate-in-a-quick-anonymous-survey?"
Emi and Maou spoke at the same time, however….
"No, thanks," Emi said.
"Yeah, why not," Maou shrugged.
…their answers were quite different.
The Devil and the Hero looked at each other for a moment before speaking at the same time once more. This time, their answers were reversed.
"Sure," Emi laughed.
"No," Maou sighed.
"Awesome! I promise this'll only take a moment," the student said, wiping the sweat from his brow and pulling out a notepad and a pen.
"Now, am I correct in assuming you two are a couple?"
Emi and Maou looked at each other again, each one waiting for the other to answer.
"I see," the student muttered, scribbling quickly, "and am I correct in assuming you two are sexually active?"
Again, no response, but Emi and Maou both gaped like land-locked fish as their faces turned red.
"Fascinating," the young man said absently, apparently drawing his own conclusions from the silence.
He wrote even faster, not even bothering to look at his volunteers before firing of even more intrusive questions.
"Do you two use protection? Do your parents know? Would you two agree that the rampant sexual activity amongst your age group is responsible for Japan's socio-economic decline? Do you two have jobs, or do you find that your unrestrained libidos get in the way of gainful employment?"
"Alright," Maou shouted, taking Emi by the hand, "I think we're done here!"
"Yes, I agree," the student sighed, still scribbling as he turned and walked away, not even bothered by his subjects' storm off.
Maou huffed as he led Emi through the crowd, doubling back as he dragged her along the river, back toward Hanoncho Station.
"Y'know what," Maou said, "we're just gonna get this last part of the date out of the way… there are way too many weirdos out and about right now."
"We could come back at night," Emi mused, "I'd like to see if you actually do end up losing a kidney."
"I can only imagine how Ashiya would take that," Maou laughed nervously.
"He'd probably scold you for being reckless."
"Yep, that sounds like my Ashiya."
Another train ride followed their time at the park, though this time it was much more uncomfortable than before. Even when Maou and Emi were fighting, there was a certain sense of rightness in the world. They were enemies, after all… kind of. But when confronted by a human who was making all sorts of snap judgements and not letting them speak, it seemed that things couldn't get much more awkward.
"So, what's the last part of this date," Emi muttered in Maou's ear, making the Demon King twitch and lean away from her.
"We're gonna go buy some eggs."
"And?"
"We're gonna throw them at your boss' house," Maou whispered to Emi, not wanting anyone to hear of the illegality of their plans.
"You are so good at being bad," Emi laughed, shaking her head.
"Thanks," Maou said, "but I'm actually the best at being bad. I have a crown and everything… or, I did."
Twenty minutes later, they arrived in the Shinjuku district, following a large sidewalk down the street as they passed by several large buildings.
"Go figure, the jerkwad lives in a nice part of town," Emi seethed. After a bit more thought, she frowned. "Wait a second, how do you know where he lives?"
"I had Urushihara look it up," Maou told Emi, "I may give him a lot of crap, but he's really useful when it comes to all this technology stuff."
"Oh… but what if Mitsude's house has cameras?"
Emi was beginning to feel a sense of impending doom. What if there were witnesses? What if she got arrested? What is she got sued and lost her job and had to start working with Maou at MgRonalds?!
The thought made Emi shiver in such a way that had nothing to do with how cold it was.
"I'll be turning us invisible," Maou said, smiling at Emi, who looked even paler now that she was so unsure of their plans.
"But-"
"Don't worry, Emi," Maou mumbled, pulling the Hero to his side and rubbing her arm to help her regain some of her body heat, "just play it cool. I know what I'm doing."
Emi allowed herself to be steered this way and that, until the commercial buildings fell away and revealed several nice houses in what was clearly an upstanding neighborhood. A part of Emi almost wished that Maou would turn them invisible so that none of the other houses would have footage of them. She knew that if she had such nice vehicles in her driveway, she'd have put a camera trained on them every second of every day.
"Relax," Maou said again, noting how stiff Emi had become, "we've been invisible for, like, fifteen minutes. There's nothing to worry about."
They arrived in a grocery store and Emi watched as Maou walked right down the aisle, grabbed two cartons of eggs and then walked back out. She was about to scold Maou for stealing when he tossed some yen down in an open till and walked out of the door. Emi followed him uneasily, looking back every so often to make sure no one noticed the theft.
"I'm not sure I'm ok with this," Emi admitted, trailing along behind Maou, who stopped and frowned at her.
"Why not? I paid more than double what the eggs are worth," Maou said.
"I mean with this… with egging my boss' house."
"Oh, and why is that," the Devil asked.
"It just feels… wrong."
"I see… in that case, we don't have to," Maou shrugged, grinning as he handed Emi a carton of eggs, "we'll use these to feed everyone else when we get back to the suite."
Emi didn't say anything, but as soon as Maou pulled her away from the nice neighborhood and back towards the train station, she felt intense relief spread throughout her being. She'd been close to breaking the law with Maou, just because she was angry at her boss…
'It's not like I asked him to do that for me,' Emi reasoned with herself, 'he was just being nice.'
'Still,' her more vindictive side muttered, 'it would've been totally worth it to see the look on Mitsude's stupid face.'
'If I can't expect myself to live peacefully with humans, how can I expect the Devil to do so,' Emi thought sadly.
She was pulled from her reverie by Maou, who said, "Alright, Emi?"
"Fine," she muttered, "just a little tired."
She pulled Maou's coat tighter about herself as she and the Devil walked. They boarded the westbound train, and when they were only a few minutes away from the Higashi-Koganei Station, Maou leaned towards Emi.
"Well, how was that for a date," Maou asked.
He was genuinely curious as to how Emi felt about the date. To his delight, a tired smile crossed her face, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and he could see the gears in her head turning.
"It was great," Emi said, "thanks, Maou."
Sure, she was preoccupied, but Emi had enjoyed Maou's date, even though he hadn't been able to help her take her vengeance on her crappy boss. Maou chalked her distracted look up to their previous conversations, where Emi had stated she would still have doubts. A part of Maou wondered what sort of doubts Emi would face, and how they would affect her relationship with him. Another part of him didn't really care. No matter what, he'd help her get past whatever mental blocks she concocted.
After a lengthy train ride, Maou and Emi only had a few minutes of walking before they returned to Tokyo Counseling Services, wherein they would no doubt be besieged with complaints, nosy questions, and a conglomerate of dissatisfied, hungry personages. To even the odds of survival, Emi and Maou made a stop at a local convenience store, gathering up heaps of junk food, sodas, and sweets so as to soften the blow of their return.
"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO…are those apple pies," Ashiya asked.
Maou tossed one to his most loyal general.
"You bet," the Devil smirked.
"Thank you my lord!"
However, not everyone was so blinded by cheap pastries.
"Where have you two been," Rika asked, looking at her phone to check the time. "It's already four in the afternoon! We were gonna go swimming!"
"Isn't it a little cold for the beach," Maou asked.
"There's a water park here in the building," Rika said, waving a hand while Maou froze.
"Are you telling me that this place has a goddamn water park?!"
"Yeah. Not sure if you've noticed this, Maou, but this is a pretty classy joint!"
Maou frowned at Rika, who was peering at him and Emi as though she had seen everything they'd done since they'd left. She was too smart for her own good. Everyone else swarmed the snacks, mostly with thanks, though Urushihara took a bag of chips without thanking his compatriots. He looked as though he hadn't slept very well.
"Well, now that Maou and Emilia are back, let us go to the waterpark," Alberto announced, ripping off his shirt and flexing, causing Emerada to faint, blood running from her nose as she fell back against the couch.
Author's Notes:
Ok, we've gotta stop meeting like this.
Kidding, you guys rock.
Moving right along, for those of you not familiar with koinobori, they are carp wind streamers. The more you know...
A lot of work went into this date. At first, it was just Maou and Emi in the café. There was no juiciness, no humor. I added the park scene to spice things up... I'll let you guys decided whether or not it worked. I mapped out all of the locations visited, and even the train rides and the times it would take to go between them. If you Google Hanoncho Station, or Zenpuku-Ji River Green Space, you will see pictures of what I was trying to convey with words. I've been experimenting with my writing style, as well, little nudges here there. If something seems off, that's probably what it is.
Anyway, yeah, this chapter was a bastard to write. Ten points to me for getting it done.
Oh, plus Rika and Emi feels, and SuzunoxUrushihara, cause why the hell not?
MUSIC!
Better Days-Hedley
I Just Know-Jacob Lee
Amnesia-Virgil
Question-The Old 97's
Blue Eyes- Cary Brothers
The last few songs were from Scrubs, as I've been re-watching the show.
Thoughts-Michael Schulte
That's all I've got for now. Finding love songs is hard.
Later, Devils.
EDIT: THANKS FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, 70,000 VIEWS, AND OVER 165,000 WORDS! HERES TO MANY MORE YEARS AND WORDS TO COME! Ok, maybe not years, but there's definitely more words to come. Count on it.