As night fell, Lailah's power only grew more intense. She chased Tsophiel through the skies of Tokyo at speeds that would put a fighter jet to shame. Tsophiel turned and slashed with her rapier, sending out a wave of violet flames. Lailah countered with a slash of black flames that resulted in an explosion in the sky between them.
Tsophiel vanished and reappeared, but Lailah appeared a moment later, right on her tail. It happened several times, with Tsophiel vanishing and reappearing elsewhere, only for Lailah to be right next to her, lashing out with the katana she'd borrowed from Lucifer.
"A little demon magic and you suddenly think you're more powerful than me?" Tsophiel scoffed. "Think again, Lailah! You cannot defeat the Vanguard of Heaven."
Lailah opened her eyes wide, and from them shot beams of energy. Tsophiel deflected them before countering with three swift jabs from her rapier, which sent bolts of holy magic hurtling at Lailah before combusting all around her. The resulting smoke hid Lailah from Tsophiel, but the archangel didn't have to wait long for Lailah to emerge.
"HYAH!"
Lailah struck at Tsophiel's shoulder, but pulled back at the last second, ducking down and stabbing her opponent in the calf.
"ARGH!"
Tsophiel kicked at Lailah with her injured leg, but Lailah caught her ankle and held it in an iron grip. Using the fist that was still wrapped around the hilt of her katana, Lailah punched Tsophiel's knee cap, breaking her leg with a gut-wrenching snap as it bent the wrong way.
Tsophiel threw back her head and drew in a deep breath, but her scream was caught in her throat, which Lailah had grabbed after releasing her ankle. Lailah noted the pleading look in Tsophiel's eye, and how terrified the angel looked. The hatred and fear radiating from the angel was like a feast for Lailah, who tightened her grip on Tsophiel's throat.
"Tsophiel," Lailah muttered, her voice so low and sweet she could've been speaking to a lover, "I am not without mercy-"
"Spare… me," Tsophiel gasped, quickly losing her voice as Lailah pressed her fingers harder against the angel's windpipe.
"That's one thing I cannot do," Lailah murmured, planting a gentle kiss on Tsophiel's cheek, and brushing a strand of hair from her enemy's face. "Farewell, sister. I'll make it quick and painless. Say hello to Raphael for me."
Tsophiel beat against Lailah's arm, but it was no use. With a casual flick of her wrist, Tsophiel's neck broke, and her eyes glazed over. Her arms fell limp at her sides, and her rapier slipped from her fingers before impaling itself in the ground below.
Tsophiel's body slowly melted away, leaving a constellation of stars where it had once been. Lailah frowned as she absorbed the last dregs of the archangel's celestial force, noting how the flavor was no longer to her liking.
For once in his life, the Demon King did not have to clean up after a battle. That duty was left to the fallen angels, Lailah and Urushihara, as they were the most powerful of the group at the moment. Emi texted Chiho, and found that she had gone home for the night, and that Suzuno and Rika were taking care of Alas-Ramus.
"Thank you all for what you have done here, tonight," Mikitty said, looking at the men of the group as though she'd like nothing better than to reward them all with kisses. She winked at Nord, but the man turned green for a moment before Lailah grabbed his head and pulled it to her bosom, where he then struggled to draw breath as Lailah glared at Mikitty.
The world was set to rights once again. The night sky sparkled brilliantly above their heads. As one, Maou and Ashiya clicked their fingers, and suddenly time seemed to remember that it had a job to do. Cars rolled down the street. A few people slammed on their breaks, but no one crashed. All in all, it was a fairly thorough clean up.
"As a token of my esteem, I will now transport you all to the Villa Rosa, free of charge. Also, to the guests of the house, feel free to use the downstairs rooms. They are furnished with beds and heaters," Mikitty said. She raised a hand and wiggled her fingers at everyone, her various gaudy rings clinking together as they all turned translucent and then vanished.
"Aunt Miki, is there anything else you need," Amane asked wearily, coming up and brushing off her jeans.
"No, dear. Not at the moment. I'll call you if anything changes," the shorter, stouter woman said.
Amane nodded, slowly trudging off towards her van as Mikitty disappeared as well.
"Why can't I have stupid teleportation powers," Amane grumbled, "stupid fog… stupid dragon."
"Alas-Ramus!" Emi and Maou said, each vying for the girl's attention as they barged into Suzuno's apartment.
"Come to papa, sweetie!"
"No, come to mama, dear!"
Emi and Maou glared at each other.
"I think you should wait your turn," Maou muttered darkly.
"No way! You get to be bonded with her. That means I get to hold her whenever I want when I come to visit," Emi replied, her eyebrow twitching.
"Don't you two ever get tired of fighting," Urushihara asked, poking his head into Suzuno's apartment. "I mean, we just got done fighting for our lives… we haven't been back five minutes… and you're already right back at it."
Emi turned to glare at Lucifer, "Don't you have a closet to go and hide in, NEET?"
"What the hell?! I just saved your mother! How about a little gratitude, you ungrateful-"
Maou slammed the door in Urushihara's face, causing him to howl in pain from the other side of the door.
"You could've broken my nose, you asshole!" Lucifer shouted
Maou and Emi were both too busy, however, as they were still competing for Alas-Ramus' attention. The girl was fastened to a kitchen chair with the obi from one of Suzuno's kimono's, which was done across the girl's waist like a seat-belt. Suzuno and Rika had been taking turns experimenting with Alas-Ramus' diet.
"Ok, she can eat dry foods," Rika told Maou and Emi, "but it's better to start off with something soft."
"I hope she likes MgRonalds," Maou said.
"No way! You are not feeding our daughter fast food," Emi snapped, untying Alas-Ramus and picking her up from the chair.
"Why not? The burgers are juicy, and she'll need the protein. This girl is going to be the Demon Princess! And some day, when I'm gone, she'll be the Demon Queen!"
"Don't force your ideals on a malleable young girl," Emi chastised, "she can be whatever she wants! Isn't that right you little cutie?"
"Demon Pwincess," Alas-Ramus cried happily, "I wanna be a Demon Pwincess!"
Maou grinned and crossed his arms at Emi, who looked dumbstruck.
"You heard her, Emi," he grinned. "She wants to be a Demon Princess."
"Bullshit! She's just repeating what you said… watch. Alas-Ramus, would you like to be a Hero, like mama?"
"Hewo," Alas-Ramus asked, considering the word carefully.
Emi smiled at the girl, "Yeah, a Hero like mama! Doesn't that sound fun?"
Alas-Ramus rubbed her chin, obviously doing some very serious soul-searching.
"No! I wanna be a Demon Pwincess! I wanna eat juicy buwgewz with papa," she said, clapping and smiling at the Devil.
Emi turned red in the face as Maou fought the urge to laugh and rub it in.
"Don't feel bad, Emi," Maou giggled, "you did your best, but face it, demons have more fun. And fun is what Alas-Ramus is all about, right?"
"Right," the little girl agreed.
"In that case, daddy and you can have fun together while mama does some shopping," Emi said, handing Alas-Ramus to her papa. Maou was unsure of Emi's intentions until he caught a whiff of something foul.
"Wha-what the hell is that?!"
"Her diaper is full," Emi smirked, "give me some cash so I can go out and get more."
"And I have to hold her… while you go out and get baby supplies," Maou asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, sorry, Maou, but I didn't exactly plan on having a child dropped into my freaking lap today," Emi said sarcastically, holding out her hand for money.
Maou breathed through his mouth, but that only made things worse, and the stench seemed to stick in his throat.
"Talk to Ashiya… ask him about the Super-Secret Emergency Fund. When he asks for the passcode, say 'The Demon King shall reign again,'" Maou whispered.
"I'm not saying that," Emi said, crossing her arms.
"Then I guess Alas-Ramus will just have to use one of my old shirts as a diaper," Maou said, "because I'm broke."
"HOW?!"
"I just paid my rent! Maybe you don't understand little things like this, but it's not easy supporting two or three people on a MgRonalds salary!"
"You're so pathetic," Emi moaned, headed for the door.
"Coming from the girl who just lost her job, I wouldn't be talking," Maou jeered.
"Shut up," Emi snapped, going red in the face before slamming Suzuno's door.
Suzuno was cooking, even though it was pretty late, and most everyone else was winding down for the day. She turned to Maou and said, "Perhaps you should talk things over with Emilia. Arguing in front of Alas-Ramus is detrimental to her upbringing."
"Oh? And having her stay with you two isn't?"
Maou regretted his words immediately, as both Rika and Suzuno turned to survey him with looks of pure, undiluted murderous intent.
"I have been studying babies and their habits for years," Rika said quietly, "I've wanted to work with them for as long as I can remember! I was going to be a pediatrician!"
"I've raised more children than you've ever even met, Satan," Suzuno scowled, taking Alas-Ramus from her papa. Much to Maou's dismay, the child didn't cry out. Suzuno gave Maou's ear a flick that could be heard from in the next room, like the crack of a whip. The Devil doubled over in pain, and Suzuno laid Alas-Ramus on the table, quickly and expertly taking care of her soiled diaper, and cutting a new one from a length of fresh white cloth she stored in her closet. She folded it perfectly in a matter of seconds, and presented Alas-Ramus back to the Devil in a freshly made cloth diaper.
"I'll make up a few more and teach you and Emi how to fold them. They are washable, but they will stain over time. I'll also put together a list of things you should get for Alas-Ramus. My methods are a little dated, so Rika will be helping me to pick out the very best toys and necessities for her as well. I'll be expecting Emi to get the same items for when she takes care of Alas-Ramus, and should I see either of you putting yourselves ahead of her, I will not hesitate to kidnap her until you both shape the hell up!"
"Same goes for me," Rika said, trying and failing to look intimidating in the face of the rather disconcerted Demon King.
"Are there any questions, good Sadao?"
"Uuuh."
"Good, then get out of here. Dinner will be served shortly, and you have guests to settle in downstairs. The landlady appointed you to help any and all guests with their living needs, did she not?"
Maou frowned, wondering privately when such arrangements were made as he bundled Alas-Ramus in a blanket and made his way outside. He came to a stop at the foot of the metal stairs, peering along the front of the building for the door downstairs.
"Well, what the hell," Maou said quietly, "I could've sworn the door was on the front."
"Thewe, papa," Alas-Ramus said, pointing through the steps of the staircase at a blindingly white door that Maou had somehow missed.
"Thanks, Alas-Ramus," Maou smiled.
All at once, the absurdity of that afternoon, which almost felt as though it had been days ago, seemed to sink its fangs into Maou. He realized, with a shudder, that Alas-Ramus was his daughter. He was responsible for her upbringing. They were bound together, whether Maou willed it or no.
"Wet's go inside," the girl said, "it's cowd."
"Huh? Oh, sure thing, sweetie, I just have to go check on Lailah and Nord."
Making his way around the stairwell, Maou found that the door to the lower level was directly underneath his own; a fact which shouldn't have gotten the better of him so easily. It only made sense that the lower level would be the same as the upper levels.
'Cut yourself some slack, man,' Maou thought, 'you're a father, you have more important things on your mind… and you didn't even get to do the dirty stuff in order to make this kid!'
With a sigh, the Devil made his way into the lower portions of the Villa Rosa Sasazuka, where he found both of the apartment doors standing open, with light pouring out of both rooms. From the door nearest him, Maou heard the distinct sound of chewing, and the crackling of wax paper, much like he used when wrapping food for customers at work.
Maou rapped lightly on the doorframe before rounding the corner and entering the room, whereupon he was met by the most terrifyingly horrid mess he'd ever laid eyes on.
Acies-Ara, whom had taken up residency of the room, was reading a light novel and munching happily on what seemed to be a MgRonalds bag, filled to the brim with double cheeseburgers. The only thing in the apartment, aside from the clutter of crumpled and discarded wax paper from double cheeseburgers and empty french fry containers was an inflatable mattress. Six supersized fountain drink cups sat on the floor along the bedside, two of which were emptied while a third was quickly drained of its contents.
"Oh, hey Demon Lord King Satan!"
"Uh, just Demon King or Demon Lord is fine… not all at once," Maou muttered, amazed by the size of the mess the Yesod fragment had made in a couple of hours. Acies-Ara smiled and waved at Maou, who raised a hand rather half-heartedly. Alas-Ramus began to squirm in his arms.
"Sistah!"
"Alas-Ramus!"
Acies-Ara scooped her sister right out of Maou's arms and the two girls hugged, both of them looking jovial and carefree as they spun on the spot. Maou couldn't help but wonder how it felt to be separate pieces of a whole. Something told him it had to be a lonely existence, and whenever they met another fragment, it was probably the only thing they had to remind them that they are not alone.
The thought was quickly washed away by Acies-Ara tossing Alas-Ramus into the air, and Maou's heart stopped for a moment. Acies caught her sister, but the Devil swooped in and stole Alas away before she could be tossed again.
"I'm just going to assume your stay is to your liking?" Maou asked coldly, squeezing Alas-Ramus into his side for fear of dropping her.
"Oh, yes! Well, it's a little drafty, but the heater definitely helps," Acies said, "plus, mama got me burgers! Fifty double cheeseburgers! And ten large fries!"
As he hadn't eaten yet, even the food that Maou dealt with on a daily basis sounded delicious, and his stomach gurgled violently. Acies paused before devouring another double cheeseburger, looking from the sandwich, to the Demon King, and then back again. She held it out for him to take.
"Here," she said bashfully.
Maou took the sandwich, thanking the girl before very nearly biting into it himself. Alas-Ramus, however, looked on with great envy.
"Here you go," Maou said, tearing off a little chunk and holding it for Alas to take.
She nibbled on it gingerly for a moment before her eyes lit up, and before Maou could tell her to slow down, she'd pounded down the entire burger, leaving nothing but ketchup smeared wax-paper.
"Whoa! You must be hungry. Didn't Suzuno feed you?" Maou wondered.
Alas-Ramus nodded happily.
"Yesod fragments consume much more food than your average human," said a voice from behind Maou, "Acies here could put away three great mutton drums and two loaves of bread by herself when she was first born."
Nord Justina leaned against the doorway, smiling knowingly at the Demon King for a moment before he realized who it was he was conversing with.
"Is there something I can help you with, Satan?" he asked, sounding a little less familiar.
"I guess I'm sort of your link to the landlady," Maou shrugged, "so if there's anything you guys need from her… let me know. Or I can give you her number, too, if you like. I just came down to make sure you were all comfortable."
"Yes, we're quite content," Nord said, his eyes still trained on Maou with suspicion, "the beds here on Earth are much more agreeable with my back than the ones in Ente Isla."
"I sleep in a sleeping bag," Maou mused, "you'd know more about that than me."
The Devil seemed focused on something else entirely for a moment before he came too once more, the faraway look in his eyes vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
"Have you guys eaten, yet? Suzuno is making food for everyone."
"I could eat," Acies-Ara said excitedly through a mouthful of french fries.
"Chew your food, Acies," Nord grumbled, taking off his spectacles and massaging the bridge of his nose. The man looked a little older now. His age seemed more defined in the way that he moved carefully, as if every step caused him discomfort.
"Well, there will be food soon. You can come up now, or we can have someone come and get you when its done," Maou offered.
"Later would probably be best," Nord said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Lailah is resting at the moment. She will need some time to recuperate."
"I have medical supplies, too," Maou added. "You know, basic stuff like gauze and disinfectant… just in case… y'know… you need it."
"Yes- erm- thank you, but we're all fine. Nothing that won't heal by itself, anyway… how is Emilia?" Nord asked suddenly.
"She went to get some supplies for Alas-Ramus," Maou frowned. "She seems… fine."
The farmer and the Devil faced each other for a moment, both of them trying to comprehend the ridiculously thin thread that bound them together, and made them allies in such strange times. When it became clear Nord was at a loss for conversation topics, Maou decided to cut his losses.
"I'll let Ashiya know to set three more places, then," said Maou, nodding to Nord as he quickly made his escape from the chilly downstairs section of the apartment building, and the mind-numbing awkwardness that haunted its walls, like some sort of annoying specter.
When Emi returned to the Devil's Castle, she was weighed down quite heavily by bags, all of which were laden with toys, diapers, teaching tools, and other essentials for raising children. She'd also stopped by the liquor store, and from within an inconspicuous brown paper bag she pulled several bottles of the strongest, cheapest wine she could find.
"Excuse me, Hero, but just what are you thinking bringing that infernal poison into my lord's castle?" Ashiya asked.
His brow was beaded with sweat from hovering over the stove, lovingly tending to the various side dishes. As the stoves in the upper apartments were quite small, and the number of people eating was quite large, it helped to have two ranges and ovens working independently to achieve the same goals. Suzuno was concentrated more on the main course while Ashiya prepared all the rest, including dessert.
"Well, I figured everyone could use a drink," Emi reasoned, "considering how shitty things have been. But if you'd rather go without, more for me."
"Tch," Ashiya tutted, shaking his head as he turned back to the stove, where a pot was beginning to boil over and hiss violently.
"Um, Emi? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Maou asked.
"Come on, Maou, Alas-Ramus won't be able to get it. I'll keep the bottles on the counter," Emi reasoned.
"No, Emi, I was… I was talking about our prior experience," Maou said quietly.
Emi blushed the shade of a beet, but she kept her face straight as she fiddled with the braid in her red hair.
"That why I only got wine," she murmured, "nothing crazy."
Soon enough, thanks to the combined culinary genius of Ashiya and Suzuno, Maou's table was laden with so much food that Suzuno's table had to be brought in as well. On the Demon Fortress's table were a wide variety of dishes ranging from onigiri to tempura. There were also a wide variety of noodles, in just about every configuration you could ever want them.
On Suzuno's table, which stood taller than Maou's due to the fact that it came with chairs, was an enormous electric oven roaster, filled to the brim with gyudon. When Suzuno had set it down on her table, its wooden legs had groaned piteously.
"Even your table disparages your cooking," Ashiya noted, grinning wickedly at Suzuno.
"You food preparation is as lame and uninspired as ever," Crestia Bell replied scathingly.
Even with their lack of animosity, and the presence of good food, everyone couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere was not quite as lively and kindred as it had once been. It may have been all the new guests, but a more calculated guess would pin the recently fallen angel, Lailah, as the cause of the silence that followed Ashiya's and Suzuno's snide remarks.
The woman was still wearing her dress, which was as black as night, and shimmered violet in the light. She sat in a corner with Nord and Acies on either side of her, staring off into space as her fingers traced the rim of her wine glass. Her new hair and eye color seemed appropriately tuned to her new mood, as she paid very little heed to the failed attempts around her to spark a lively conversation.
"You should eat, darling," Nord muttered. "Have you even touched your gyudon?"
"I've no appetite," Lailah said quietly, handing her plate to Acies-Ara, who quickly set her own empty plate aside to devour Lailah's uneaten meal.
The fallen angel stood, smoothing out the wrinkles from her dress as she carefully weaved through everyone to get to the door. Maou looked up from trying to give Alas-Ramus a bite of ramen to watch her go. Before Lailah left the room, she turned to address everyone within it.
"Everyone… we appreciate your hospitality, but if you have chosen not to help us, I'm afraid Nord, Acies, and I must return to Ente Isla," she announced grimly.
A grave silence pressed against Maou's ears, almost as if he were underwater. Looking around, he saw the faces of his allies, old and new. Emi looked unsure, and she glanced at Maou only to find him staring at her. She stared back, and that seemed to awaken him from his reverie.
"We never said we weren't going to help you-" Maou started to say.
"So you will?" Lailah asked suddenly, sweeping over to Maou and kneeling next to him. "Oh, thank you-"
"I never said we were going to help, either," Maou said sternly, stopping Lailah in her tracks and leaving her looking up at him, dumbstruck, "This is a decision we all have to make. We need to talk. To plan. I can't speak for everyone present, but if they're all agreeable, then we can start to discuss strategy."
"Maou," Emi said warningly, "I'm not sure we should help them."
Emi's words cut through both Nord and Lailah like a razor blade. They stared at her sadly. Lailah felt her eyes burn and her vision became blurry as she began to cry. She'd fallen from Grace… and her daughter still didn't trust her?
"That's why I said we need to talk. You need the truth," Maou said, nodding to the Hero, "we all need to know the details. We need to be filled in- no more vague stories or what-ifs. I want solid, concrete answers. I want all of Emi's questions answered, and I want to be sure that your plans end with everyone here getting out alive."
"Not sure there's time for all that," Lailah said nervously, twirling a lock of her violet hair around a finger, "very little time… not safe to be here…"
"I'm not the little helpless demon I once was, Lailah," Maou said confidently, "you'll be safe here with me, with us. Trust me, we won't let Heaven get to you, Nord, or Acies. It's the least we can do to repay your sacrifice."
Lailah stared at the ground, thinking hard. Her lips moved, almost as though she were doing an advanced mathematics problem in her head, and making sure all of her work was accurate. Finally, she looked up and took a shaky breath, her face grim.
"We'll stay for a couple days at most," Lailah said. "If we can convince you all to take part in the plan, then we'll all leave for Ente Isla, and from there… Heaven."
"Very well," Maou said, holding out a hand for Lailah to shake.
The fallen angel hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking the Devil's hand. In the back of Lailah's mind, she couldn't help but be impressed with the Demon King. He'd grown so much since he was that weak, scrawny goblin that cried as he waited for death. It seemed absurd that this young man was actually the Demon King, the same one that had very nearly conquered the world.
"The bargain is struck," Lailah said breathlessly, withdrawing her hand and standing. She brushed off her dress and curtsied to Maou and his compatriots before excusing herself, and making her way out towards the stairs.
"Hey, be careful on those-"
"WaaAAAAAAA-UGH!"
"…stairs," Maou finished quietly.
Emi's eyes flashed with concern, but Nord simply sighed and combed his hand through his hair. He took a look at the watch on his wrist before scooping up Acies-Ara, whom had fallen asleep, and following Lailah out the door.
"I suppose that's my cue to leave… goodness knows that woman is clumsy," Nord muttered, smiling lightly as everyone cleared a path for him. The sound of his slow, steady footsteps was loud as everyone waited for Nord to fall, but he didn't. Instead, they heard him help Lailah to her feet, ask after her wellbeing, and then usher her into the downstairs portion of the building, all while Acies clung to him, snoozing away peacefully.
"Wow, Emi," Rika said, "your dad is so…"
Rika was at a loss for words, but Emi new exactly what her friend was saying. Nord Justina was possessed of a certain calming presence, almost as if he carried his title as a father with him wherever he went, and wore it on his sleeve.
Even in the midst of being an outsider from another world, and coming from the life of a simple wheat farmer, Emi's father had seen incredible things. Through it all, he'd managed to remain unshaken, steadfast, and just as caring as he'd always been. Even the Devil couldn't help but be impressed.
That night was a casual affair for the people inhabiting the Villa Rosa Sasazuka. Alas-Ramus looked on at the adults as they sipped wine and talked in hushed tones, but as much suspense hung in the air, and for as excited or nervous everyone was, they found that discussing ideas and battle plans only left them talking in circles, and throwing out obvious facts. Even Ashiya, the most skilled and renowned tactician of the Demon Army, was hard pressed to brainstorm after his third glass of wine, which he took to with a fondness unlike any Maou had ever seen him indulge in before.
"What if-hic- we… um…. Dammit all, Rika, what was I about to say?"
"I don't know," she smiled sweetly, rubbing the Demon General's back as he hiccupped again. When Rika noticed Emi's watchful eyes upon her, she quickly stopped, and kept her hands carefully folded in her lap from then on.
Emi just scowled and sipped on her wine. Aside from Ashiya, she had been the most deteriorating to the bottles of wine she'd bought, though unlike Ashiya, who was getting slightly intoxicated and somewhat loud, or the others, who simply sipped their glasses and chatted lightly, Emi remained silent. She sat, lost in her own thoughts, unaware of the concerned glances Maou shot at her every few minutes.
Even when the Hero was sulking, Maou couldn't help but love the way she looked. Her brow was furrowed, and her lips were pursed as she pouted slightly. Her chin was rested in her hands, and her glazed eyes seemed focused on something a million miles away. Her hair was messy, her cheeks and nose were touched with red, and she swirled her wine glass, which was running low again. She heaved a sigh and set her glass down, reaching for the bottle of wine. She upended the bottle, only to have it run dry after a few droplets. No one looked at Emi, though all conversation came to a stop as she uncorked another bottle. She disregarded the different types of wine and simply filled her glass to the brim, which she slopped a little as she brought it to her lips.
Maou watched her, his heart beating and his eyes wide. Somehow, it hurt just to watch her suffer in silence. It made him want to hug her to his chest until she let her emotions out and confided in him. Apparently, the thought of holding Emi made Maou tense up, because he felt Alas-Ramus squirm.
"Too tight, papa," she grumbled, opening her eyes to frown at Maou.
"Sorry, Alas-Ramus," Maou sighed, loosening his hold so that the girl could rest a bit more easily.
Emi seemed to notice Alas-Ramus' stirring, and she quickly set her glass down and held out her arms towards Maou.
"Hand her to me, papa," Emi said quietly.
Her smile seemed a little forced, as though she were trying to convince Maou that she was fine, but the Devil shook his head, frowning at Emi.
"You've had a bit too much to drink," Maou said. "Let her rest. I've got her all taken care of."
"Don't tell me that I can't hold my child," Emi growled, her smile twitching for a moment. Her green eyes became much less friendly.
"She has a point, Sadao," Suzuno mumbled tiredly, "Emi cannot spend as much time with her, so she should be allowed to hold Alas-Ramus when she visits."
"But-" Maou stammered.
His arguments were cut short with everyone shooting him warning looks, like 'Don't piss her off when she's drunk!' So Maou heaved a sigh and handed Alas-Ramus to Emi, who grinned ear to ear, her anger obliterated by the glorious little bundle of warm adorableness.
"She's so cute," Emi smiled, her eyes bright as she stared at her adopted daughter.
Looking at Emi now; how carefully she cradled Alas-Ramus in her arms, and how her eyes seemed to light up, made Maou catch his breath for his moment. It seemed strange that fate would hand him such a burden, but looking at his new daughter, and his daughter's mother, Maou couldn't help but think he was the luckiest demon alive, and that had nothing to do with being the King of Demon Realm.
The tension from moments ago was lifted, and everyone smiled tiredly at Emi and Alas-Ramus. Rika tugged on Ashiya's sleeve, and together they stood, said their goodbyes, put on their shoes and coats, and left. Suzuno followed suit, and Lucifer stalked off to his closet shortly after. Maou was sure he'd heard the sound of magic as Urushihara vanished and reappeared, more than likely, in Suzuno's room.
"I should probably get going," Emi said, looking thoroughly miserable at the prospect.
"You could stay the night," Maou offered.
Emi looked at Maou, watching him closely, but it seemed as though his words were genuine. She smiled, and turned to gaze at Alas-Ramus once more before nodding.
"Yeah, ok," she said finally. "Should we tuck her in?"
"Sure thing, mama," Maou smiled.
The plan was perfect. Emi would set up the bed, and Maou would carry Alas-Ramus over to it, using his steady, quiet footsteps and gentle grip to lay her down without waking her. Emi would then cover up the slumbering toddler. It was a good plan, but the moment Maou laid the girl on the folded sleeping bag, her eyes shot open. Before he could draw his arm away and have Emi lay the covers on her, a pudgy fist shot out and gripped Maou by the neckline of his shirt.
"Papa, awen't you gonna sweep with me?" Alas-Ramus asked, rubbing her eyes with her other little fist.
Maou felt as though he'd been grabbed by a hand of god, because the grip on his shirt was immovable, and far stronger than he could've anticipated. Fear shot through him- the Demon King- because this little girl suddenly displayed more strength than he'd felt in his entire life.
"Papa?" Alas-Ramus asked, looking into Maou's fearful red eyes.
"I'll lay down with you later, Alas-Ramus," Maou promised, fixing a stiff smile into place to ease his daughter's discontent.
"Mama too?"
"Yeah, mama too," he said, his eyes meeting Emi's as the fear quickly faded. Emi seemed to pick up on it, though, and she quickly nodded and smiled at her daughter as well. Together, the parents managed to settle the girl down to the point where she quickly drifted off to sleep once more, her tiny fist losing its grip on Maou and falling across her chest as her large amethyst eyes fluttered and closed. Her breathing slowed, and Maou and Emi slipped away from the corner, where they had set Alas-Ramus to sleep, just far enough from the heater to where she would be safe and comfortable.
Maou and Emi stayed up late that night, trying to talk about being parents, figuring out schedules for taking care of Alas-Ramus, and overall just getting acclimatized to the groove of parenting. Maou managed to find some pens and paper, and they quickly took notes of other things they would need. Emi had gotten diapers, wipes, a few miscellaneous toys, and some little dresses for Alas-Ramus, but there were still other things to consider.
"I'll need a seat for her on Dullahan," Maou said.
"Japanese law says you can only have one person on a bike," Emi said, taking another gulp from her glass of wine, "and I'm not sure that I feel comfortable with Alas-Ramus on a bicycle."
"The law makes exceptions for people that have children… toddlers should fall under that," Maou rubbed the top of his head, trying to dull the ache as he scribbled on his paper, "I'll check and see if there are any sort of permits or applications that need submitting. Speaking of which, how are we supposed to register Alas-Ramus? Should we get her citizenship?"
"That probably isn't a good idea. We'll be accused of conceiving out of wedlock, plus there will be files missing; birth certificates, and the like. Maybe we should get a cover story for her?"
"Like what?"
Emi and Maou locked eyes, sharing a small smile as they commiserated in the pain of planning for parenthood. Fighting against an enemy was one thing, but being responsible for something other than themselves seemed to carry a certain weight, a responsibility that neither of them had ever felt before. Commanding an army was different. Chances were, as the leaders of their respective armies, they didn't fight in battles. They received reports, directed troops, and generally never felt the direct ramifications. Plus, they were never required to change any diapers. Being a parent, it seemed, was a war all its own, and the Devil and the Hero were stuck navigating this uncharted territory together, with no shoulders to lean on except each others.
"You know what, let's just not register her, and say she's our daughter. If anyone starts to ask anything too personal or specific, we'll just change subjects."
"Sounds like a plan," Emi agreed.
They gently clinked their glasses together. Emi and Maou froze for a moment when they heard a rustling from the dark corner Alas-Ramus had been asleep in, but they soon heard her breathing return to its normal, steady pace, and they silently celebrated with another draught of wine.
After it became clear that no other parental planning would take place, either due to alcohol consumption or lack of ideas, Maou and Emi laid down on either side of Alas-Ramus. The girl smiled in her sleep and reached out, taking both of her parent's hands in her own before bringing them together. Maou looked at Emi over the small form of Alas-Ramus, noting that the Hero looked somewhat mortified. Her hand trembled beneath Maou's, which was locked in place by Alas-Ramus' arms as she hugged their hands to her small chest.
Maou smiled awkwardly and laid his head down so that he could sleep, trying to ignore how soft and warm Emi's hand was, and how tightly his daughter clung to her parents.
Emi awoke an hour later to find Alas and Maou snoozing. The Devil was smiling in his sleep, his hand resting on Emi's. She carefully pulled it away from him, and pried her arm from Alas-Ramus's surprisingly powerful grip. She crept for the door, but paused by the counter. She turned, seeing a bottle of wine.
'You're already pretty drunk,' a voice in her head whispered, 'just go outside and take a breather… take a second to think.'
The more Emi stared at the bottle, the more she realized that thinking was her problem. She'd been doing far too much of it. With a sigh of self loathing, she grabbed the bottle of wine and her purse, forgoing her coat and her boots to go sit outside in the cold, where no one could judge her as she drank herself into a stupor.
As soon as she stepped out into the front hall, she felt herself shiver. It was especially cold, as though winter had come a season early. She smiled sadly before uncapping the bottle and taking a hearty swig. The potent wine burned down her throat, and suddenly she regained the heat in her gut. Her limbs still felt a little chilled and her toes were numb, but she simply chalked it up to not drinking enough. The headache she'd been suffering from since she'd met her mother seemed to throb even more painfully, so she took another heavy gulp of wine before creeping over to the door leading outside and slipping through it.
Emi took a seat on the top step. The moon was beautiful and bright above her, bathing the scene in a silvery incandescence. Her blurry vision seemed to shift, as though she were seeing things differently, like a veil had been pulled from her eyes. The streets, the signs, the buildings: none of it seemed real or important. The only thing that mattered, the only thing that existed, was that white light shimmering down from the sky. Emi stared at the moon, noting how it seemed to be shining even brighter, as though it were finally glad to have someone who truly appreciated its glory.
But the moon seemed to have a sick sense of humor, for it reminded Emi of her mother's hair, before it had turned violet and dark.
Emi's mother, Lailah, the archangel, who'd suddenly had the nerve to come to her after eighteen long years and beg for her help. The mother who'd abandoned her. The mother who'd spirited Emi's father away, and let Emi think he was dead.
Her grip on the wine bottle tightened for a moment. She managed to stop herself from shattering it, but the bottle fractured and spider webbed. Emi shrugged and put the bottle to her lips once more. She winced when she cut her upper lip on a crack in the bottle, but she kept on drinking, guzzling the wine until the bottle. It had been full, but now it was more than halfway empty. It was a red wine, and now that it had been mixed with her own blood, Emi figured it was truly red. The iron taste wasn't much to her liking, but she didn't buy the drink for its flavor.
Even as Emi stared at the street, she felt the cold eat away at her. She hugged herself, staring intently at the concrete as she waited for the alcohol to kick in. Sadly, she felt nothing, save for the light buzz from earlier, and the fire within her faded as she felt her mind grow clear. Like a carousel, the names of the people on her mind spun around in her head.
Lailah. Nord. Maou. Alas-Ramus. Suzuno. Urushihara. Ashiya. Rika. Chiho. Raphael.
The names of Emi's friends, family, and comrades seemed to churn within her head, each one bringing on its own traits and memories and feelings. But why was she still feeling? The alcohol was supposed to stop Emi from feeling anything. The Hero sighed, and her hands shook as she pulled her purse into her lap and fumbled with its clasp.
-Lailah, Nord, Maou, Alas-Ramus-
Emi's fingers dug through make up and other feminine products, searching for it- she knew she'd put it in her purse.
-LAILAH, NORD, MAOU, RAPHAEL-
Emi pulled a bottle from within her purse. It was her insurance, the thing she knew would help her feel better, no matter what… at least, it had helped her before. She looked at the bottle guiltily, a fierce internal battle raging within her as she stared at the liquor.
Within her mind, she heard the echoes of her consciousness, telling her that she was stronger than this, and that the alcohol would only numb the ache for a time. Emi could hardly hear it though, not over the sound of the chorus of voices that screamed at her-
LAILAH, RAPHAEL, MAOU, BELIEL, NORD, LAILAH, BERNAEL, TSOPHIEL, LAILAH, MAOU-
The voices seemed to tear through her. Before Emi knew it, she'd opened the bottle and stared into its amber depths. She could smell it, the burning scent of sweet relief from the screaming in her head. It would purge her overwhelming thoughts like Tsophiel's holy fire.
Emi brought the bottle to her lips, chugging as much as she could. It scorched down her throat, but the guilt burned far worse, like napalm on her tongue. She choked and spluttered, coughing as she thumped her chest. Within moments, her head was spinning. Her limbs were numb from the cold, and soon her mind would follow suit. The bottle of liquor was smaller, as it had been a bit more expensive than the wine, but the bottle was already more than two thirds of the way gone. Emi felt tears come to her face as the thought of her mother quickly became infected by the booze. Perhaps the rest of the bottle would help to sooth her suffering…
Emi brought the bottle to her lips, but the moment the burn touched her tongue, she felt her stomach tug, and something rose in her throat. She stood and threw her head over the railing of the stairs, retching as she was sick over the side. She swayed, her knees wobbly as her world swayed to and fro, like a boat at sea.
The cold, hard steel of the railing was all that seemed to hold her steady, but even that seemed to sway beneath her grip. She could've sworn she had been upset about something, but for the moment it was forgotten. Emi released the railing, and suddenly she lost her balance. She felt as though she might fall down the stairs, but instead she fell back against the Villa Rosa, catching herself against the wall. She slid down the side of the building before sitting on the cold metal steps once more, unable to move as she felt everything around her become unseated and unstable. If she stood to go back inside, she was sure she would fall down the steps and end up seriously injured… or worse.
"Emi, are you ok?" asked a voice behind her.
Emi turned, her glazed eyes wide as she saw a pair of bare feet, sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It was Maou, looking quite uneasy and tired. His hair was messy, and he rubbed his eyes. He stared at Emi, as though analyzing her, but the Hero turned away.
"Is… Emi, is that liquor?"
Emi looked down on the step beside her, only to find the little bottle of liquor there, standing next to the half empty bottle of wine.
"What if it is?" Emi muttered. Her speech was slurred and filled with a bitterness and contempt that Maou had never heard. She was angry, or frustrated, but what about, or at whom was beyond his grasp. Maou took a seat on the step next to Emi, who quickly stowed the bottles away and stashed them in her purse. Maou could smell the burn of heavy alcohol, and he could see it take effect as Emi stared out into the night, her eyes unfocused and weary. Her breath smelled like bile, and Maou saw she had a few little bits of sick stuck in her hair. He reached out to carefully pick them out, causing Emi to flinch.
"You've got puke in your hair," Maou said, sifting through her magenta locks to remove the worst of it.
Strangely, Emi didn't feel angry at Maou. She felt grateful for his help, and for the way he didn't seem to look down on her. It was as though he'd managed to pick up on her feelings, which probably wasn't too far off from the truth, seeing as he could sense human emotions.
"Come on, Emi," Maou said, "the bath houses are opening soon, and you're looking a little… blue."
Emi thought Maou was talking about her mood, but he reached out and took Emi's hand in his, looking over her fingers, which were deathly pale, and starting to look frostbitten. Emi wasn't quite sure how to express her gratitude, so instead she just muttered, "I can't feel my toes."
Maou bent down and inspected them more closely. It turned out that Emi's feet were far worse than her hands.
"Holy hell, Emi, that does not look good," Maou muttered.
Before Emi could object, which would've been difficult anyway, given her level of intoxication, Maou picked the Hero up like a princess in a fairy tale, and he quickly carried her into his apartment, setting her down silently on the floor as he rummaged through a pile of sleeping bags. Emi turned, and through the fog in her eyes, she saw Alas-Ramus, slumbering soundly.
Emi's throat tightened. She had a daughter… how could she be so stupid? How could she have disregarded how confused Alas-Ramus would be if she saw her mama behaving like this? Emi held very still to avoid waking Alas-Ramus while Maou found his personal sleeping bag, which was the heaviest, warmest one, and quickly zipped Emi up inside of it.
"Ok, Emi, I'm gonna pick you up again. Put your arms around my neck, ok?" Maou asked.
Emi nodded, barely comprehending the situation. The Devil's eyes seemed to burn through the darkness of his apartment, so Emi reached up and threw her arms about his neck. She felt her body leave the floor, and Maou quickly carried her to the door, all without waking their slumbering daughter.
They made their way out of the apartment and the front corridor. Maou had to turn to go down the stairs sideways. Emi expected the cold to hit her like a nasty sucker punch, but Maou's eyes shined brightly, and he seemed to glow with a strange heat that enfolded Emi and kept her warm, almost as though he were a human furnace.
Maou came to a stop in the yard of the Villa Rosa, looking around so that he could correctly judge the directions. Emi stared into his face, which was very close to hers, and the only thing that wasn't shifting around hazily. He looked worried, and his brow was beaded with sweat. He met her gaze and grinned for a moment.
"Please don't hurl on me," he muttered.
"What do you-"
Emi's slow words were blown away by a burst of wind in her ears as Maou took to the skies. The heat he emanated seemed to burn hotter, and he soared through the dark skies of Tokyo on a luxuriously heated breeze.
After less than a minute of flight, Mao and Emi touched down next to a building that Emi recognized as a bathhouse, the exact same one she'd infiltrated when she had been stalking the Demon King and his General.
"Come on, Emi," Maou groaned, "let's get you into a bath."
He kicked open the door, only to find a large, balding man peeling off his pants, and revealing a speedo that did not conceal nearly enough skin, in Maou's opinion.
"Hey, this is guys only," the older man said, covering his shame, "get her out of here!"
"It's an emergency," Maou muttered, making to walk right by the man, only to be cut off by him.
"I don't care! Take her to the hospital or something, this is the guys' locker room!"
"Get the fuck out of my way, old man," Maou snarled, staring daggers at the stranger. His true nature seemed to appear for a moment- nine feet tall and horned, complete with furry goat legs and hooves. Her stared down at the man for a moment before the speedo wearing jerk fled, not even bothering to put his pants back on as he ran from the bath house.
"Bad Demon King," Emi laughed, gently smacking Maou across the face, "be nice to humans."
"Are you kidding me?" Maou asked. "That was me being nice!"
Maou made for the interior of the bathhouse, and was pleased to find it empty. He found the warmest bath, which he guessed the old man had prepared beforehand, and gently lowered the Hero into it. She jolted a bit, as though she'd been stung, but after a few moments she began to relax in the hot water.
"This should definitely help you," Maou said, turning around to double check and make sure no one else was in the bath house. "Are you feeling any better Emi? Emi?"
Maou turned, only to find bubbles rising from the surface of the water, where the Hero had been leaned against the side of the bath not moments ago.
"Aw crap," he sighed, ripping back his sleeve and plunging his arm into the water. His fingers curled around the familiar fabric of his sleeping bag, and Maou tugged. Emi reared like a sea monster, and her skin was very red after being dunked into the hot water.
"What the hell?! Can't a girl rest her eyes without drowning," Emi yelled, spouting water like a fountain.
"Not in the god damned bathtub, she can't," Maou replied in kind, wiping the water Emi had spat out from his face.
Emi huffed and panted. Her head was still so foggy she felt she might keel over and just sleep again. Something told her if Maou wasn't taking care of her, she might've fallen asleep and never woken up. Emi's cheeks bulged and her face turned an odd shade of pale green as she upchucked over the side of the tub, right onto Maou's shoes.
"Son of a bitch," the Devil shouted, "really Emi? You know how much these things cost me?"
"Not that much," she smirked, giggling to herself as Maou shook his head and began to clean his shoes off in another bath. After they'd been cleaned, Maou tossed them in the complementary dryer, hoping against hope that shoes wouldn't shrink like the rest of his clothes.
"Alright, now that you're done puking for a little bit, let's see about cleaning you up," Maou muttered.
The sound of bubbles burbling on the surface of the water was Emi's only response. Without even looking, Maou dragged her back up again, choking and spluttering. She gasped, staring at Maou with glazed eyes as she griped and groaned.
"Stupid Demon Lord… shoulda just lemme drown."
"As tempting as that is, I need you alive right now," Maou said. "We have to figure out what your parents want and-"
"Don't talk about my parents!" Emi shouted, looking depraved.
Even though she was enjoying the hot bath, and still wrapped in Maou's soaked sleeping bag, Emi shivered, but Maou could feel her anger. It turned the Hero's knuckles white as she clung to the edge of the bath and stared at the Demon Lord menacingly, as though daring him to defy her.
"Whatever you say," Maou surrendered, raising his hands to show compliance. "Now, how about we get all that vomit out of your hair? I didn't think humans could smell this bad, but you learn something new every day."
"Asshole," Emi muttered darkly.
"Flattery won't score you any points with me, Hero," Maou quipped, lathering his hands with shampoo and circling the bath to get behind Emi.
Her started with her ends, taking note of how much longer her hair was when it was wet, and then slowly worked his way to her scalp. Afterwards, he rubbed his hands with conditioner, and he carefully undid Emi's braid, which was so long and tightly woven that Maou nearly told the Hero he'd found the loose screw in her head. For some odd reason, he figured she wouldn't laugh at the joke.
"So, feeling better?"
"I'm done throwing up, if that's what you're asking."
"And how's your head?"
"Splitting down the middle. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were scalping me, not washing my hair," Emi groaned.
"I'd wager that's the hangover kicking in," Maou smiled, "after expelling most of the booze on my shoes, you finally seem to have regained your wits. Some breakfast will do you good when we get home."
"Oh my god," Emi said suddenly, standing from her bath and unzipping the sleeping bag, "we left Alas-Ramus alone back there!"
"She's fine," Maou muttered, "I've been monitoring her mind using an idea link… she's still sleeping."
If Emi could reach the celestial force within her body, she might've been able to double check, but as her intoxication limited her ability to focus and manifest her powers, she was a sitting duck. All she needed now was a bill and feathers, seeing as the water was readily available.
Emi fell back into the bath, using her arms to keep herself above the foamy surface of the water. She felt the pins and needles in her hand worsen. She found Maou gently caressing her fingers, stretching them out, feeling the texture, and making sure they still worked.
"Hands off, Maou," Emi said, "those are my fingers!"
"I know, but I need to check them for frostbite."
"And?"
Maou shook his head, "I think I need to heal you. Your fingers are ok, but your feet are still bad. I can see the purple from here."
Emi looked down, where her legs stretched off underwater, like two numb stumps, but at the ends, Emi could see that her toes were purple, even in the hot bathwater. She tried to move them… nothing?
Perhaps it was because the alcohol had faded or been expunged from her system, but Emi's heart was coated in ice as she stared at her feet and tried to move her toes. Nothing happened, save for the faintest twitch.
"Maou," the Hero whispered in a panicked tone, "they won't move. I can't move my toes- Maou-"
"You're kidding," Maou asked, "how long were you out there?"
"I don't know," Emi cried, "I just went outside, and then I… I couldn't feel anything."
"Idiot," Maou breathed.
Before Emi could object, Maou stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the bathtub, sitting across from her. Without thinking, Emi pulled the sleeping bag a little farther up and averted her eyes.
"This really doesn't look good," Emi murmured.
"You're still fully clothed," Maou reasoned, grabbing Emi's ankle and pushing it up so that her foot was no longer distorted by water.
Up close and personal, the skin on her foot was frightfully pale and waxy, with large blotches of purplish blue on the tips of her toes. Emi bit back a shriek when Maou lifted her foot from the water, as the air seemed to effect it like salt, and it only got worse by the minute.
"Maou," Emi asked, "could you heal it for me?"
"I don't know," Maou said coyly, "can you stop being an idiot and drinking yourself to death, and also avoid sitting outside in freezing temperatures for prolonged periods of time?"
Emi scowled. Who was the Demon King to give her life advice? Her anger faded as she met Maou's scarlet eyes. His concern was plain, and it was obvious he was looking out for her. Emi heaved a sighed before nodding sadly.
"Good, then get ready for the worst itch you've ever felt in your entire life," the Devil grinned, enveloping his hands in black mist and then clamping them down on Emi's toes, as if he were cauterizing a wound.
Emi finally understood what he was referring too. Beneath the Devil's hands it felt as though thousands of creepy crawlies were wriggling the across her flesh. The sensation initiated her gag-reflex, but as she'd already purged her stomach multiple times, she had nothing left to vomit out, so she retched and kicked, but Maou held firm. The unpleasant sensations passed quickly enough, and when Maou pulled his hands away, Emi saw that the skin was still pale and unhealthy, but the discoloration was gone. The pins and needles had died down substantially as well.
"Wow, that was disgusting," Emi commented, stretching the muscles in her ankle as she wiggled her toes, and savored the feeling of the hot water for the first time since she'd gotten to the bath house.
"I don't mind helping out-" Maou began, but before he could finish, his eyes widened, as though his worst fears had been realized.
"What," Emi asked as Maou tensed and leapt clear out of the bath, "what's going on? Maou! What's wrong?!"
"Alas-Ramus is awake," he said quickly.
With a wave of his hand, Maou managed to dry his boxers and Emi's clothes. He removed the heavy wetness from his sleeping bag, zipped Emi up in it, despite her ear-splitting protests, and took off. He sprinted through the locker rooms and was outside before Emi managed to free her head from the suffocating mass of the sleeping bag. She emerged to find her nose inches from Maou's. His face bespoke of great pain, and Emi could practically hear the wails of the lonely, frightened child through the Devil's idea link.
"WAAAAAAHAHAHAAHAAAAAA!"
"Alas-Ramus," Maou chided softly, "calm down! We'll never leave you alone again! I promise! It was an emergency! Mama was sick!"
"Mama doesn't wove me," the toddler cried, kicking her feet and throwing around fists like a professional fighter.
"I do too," Emi called over the girl's crying, "mama loves you very much!"
"But mama doesn't wove papa! They'we gonna weave me aww awooone!"
The girl threw herself back into her sleeping bag and thrashed around violently, rolling back and forth as her mama and papa exchanged nervous looks.
"Mama does love papa," Emi said quietly, her voice shaky as she nervously played with her braid, which she'd put back in shortly after coming back to the Villa Rosa.
"But papa doesn't wove mama," Alas-Ramus wailed from beneath her covers.
"I- papa does too love mama," Maou said, carefully avoiding Emi's stunned gaze.
"But…but you awen't mawwied!"
It felt as though time had come to a screeching standstill. Maou felt his brow perspire. He locked desperate eyes with Emi, who looked fearful and uncertain in her own right.
"Well… marriage isn't everything, sweetie," Maou said.
"Mawwaige! You two needa be mawwied! If you woved me you'd do it, and we could aww be togevah fo'evah!"
"Um."
"Erm."
"You see, Alas-Ramus, money is tight," Maou explained, pulling out his pockets to show his daughter his poverty as he shrugged.
"Papa's always working," Emi said.
"Mama's trying to find a different job," Maou supplied.
"Papa doesn't make much money," the Hero stated.
"So you see… we just can't be married! But you don't have to worry, we'll always love you, and each other, forever and ever and-"
Maou's hurried rambling trailed off into oblivion as Alas-Ramus' eyes filled with great, salty tears and her chin quivered dangerously.
"WAAAAAAA! If you woved me you'd get married," she screamed.
In the room directly beneath Maou's, Acies-Ara tossed and turned, holding pillows to her ears as she rolled around, trying to get comfortable enough to go to sleep. Sadly, her big sister's cries made that impossible.
"Shut up," Acies yelled, grabbing a chair and poking it at the ceiling.
Unfortunately, her thumps went unnoticed in light of the older Yesod fragment's sorrow.
"Ok," Maou said, "fine. I'll… I'll do it."
"Maou?" Emi asked.
"Emi, stand up," Maou hissed in an undertone.
Emi got to her feet, but quickly wished she hadn't. Before her, taking a knee, his hands wrapped around her own and a strange gleam in his eyes, was Maou, and the question that he asked made her insides squirm violently as Emi felt herself slip a little farther away from reality.
"Emilia, Hero of Ente Isla… will you marry me?" the Devil asked.
His performance was loved by the audience as Alas-Ramus clapped happily, waiting for her mama's response.
"Say yes, mama," Alas-Ramus grinned, bouncing up and down on her makeshift bed, "Say yes! Mawwy papa!"
"I- umm…"
Emi couldn't help but wonder if she were making a mistake. Was this a ploy? Was all this the Devil's plan? No- he couldn't- he wouldn't make up a child just to lure the Hero in… clearly this was no fanciful dream… this was her messy life. And it seemed things were only about to get messier. A whole lot messier.
"Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Maou," Emi uttered, carefully avoiding Maou's gaze as her face turned red and her eyes grew strangely wet for some reason.
Maou rummaged about in a drawer by the sink for a moment before finding a key. He quickly removed the key from the key ring, clenching his fist around it. The coiled steel was hidden for a moment before Maou opened his hand, revealing a simple wedding band of solid polished gold. Emi guessed it to be worth a fortune as the Devil slid the ring onto her finger, magically sizing it down to fit.
"Yay," Alas-Ramus cheered, "Mama woves papa! Papa woves mama!"
"Ye-yeah, she sure does," Emi smiled, trying and failing to ignore the incredible awkwardness and tension of the Demon King's arm thrown around her shoulders. Maou didn't look particularly happy, either, but his inner demon was howling like a wolf and pounding his chest like a savage.
'You did it,' the little demon in Maou's heart cried out. 'You're the man! Er, sorry- you're the demon!'
Author's Notes:
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and hello again. Didn't expect to see me pop back up, did you?
My original idea was to have this story completely finished by the two year anniversary of its posting here on FF. Little did I realize just how hard it is to write an entire novel's worth of words in the matter of a month and a half, but I certainly gave it a go. Anyway, I have four, that's right, four chapters written, edited, and ready for release. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
In case you guys were wondering, no, this wedding isn't a part of the plot that I wrote up. Still winging it. But before I splatter you all with some over emotional spew, allow me to hand out a few props. The first goes to me for not meeting any of the deadlines I set for myself. Sadly, these four chapters are all I could muster for your reading pleasure. Next, I'd like to give props to misssexysmartypants, my esteemed beta-reader, editor, and friend. She rocks. After her, I'd like to give props to the cast of the story, who, if they could pull themselves from these pages, would likely throttle me for putting them through hell. Sorry, guys, but a story with no conflict is boring.
Last but not least, I have my readers to thank. You guys rock. Let no one else tell you otherwise.
With all of that out of the way, I suppose I should actually throw in a few notes about the chapter itself. Lots of emotions and feelings, as per the norm, but now we see Maou and Emi dealing with stress, parenthood, and all manner of things that normal life throws at you. I also began to unravel the grand plan of the story, but who cares about the plot, right? Maou and Emi took a bath! Together! It was to counter frostbite, but still!
There's a lot more coming, so I'll just get right into the music portion.
MUSIC!
Northern Lights-Jaymes Young (this one is essentially what inspired Emi's mini mental breakdown)
Come To This-Natalie Taylor (somehow this song hasn't blown up... this girl can SING!)
Fall Apart-Michael Schulte
Is It Too Much To Ask For?-Jordan Maxwell
catch me if you can-EDEN
Snuff-Slipknot
The Good Parts-Andy Grammer
Hero-Tommee Profitt
Crash-EDEN
Please note that some of these songs have nothing to do with the fic, I just listened to them while writing. There will also be some repeats from previous chapters, because some songs are so good that they warrant a second listen. Thanks for reading!