Love.

It was a strange word to Emi. It wasn't one she often thought about, and it certainly wasn't one of her priorities in life. Sure, in the back of her mind, love had always been there. It had manifested itself in the friendships and bonds she'd formed with her Ente Islan cohorts, to a normal, reasonable extent. After sharing life and death situations with demons, humans, church followers and fallen angels, it was hard not to feel a certain connection. Their mutual fear of dying, and their shared desire to live in peace was a bond that Emi had come to rely on, and in some cases. even cherish.

But now her mind was broken or something. Her emotions had been high jacked, and the culprit responsible was none other than Maou, the Demon Lord himself. From his glowing red eyes to his untidy hair and budget clothing, Emi found herself infatuated with him. To her, it felt as though that horned, goat-legged, nine foot tall demon didn't exist. There was only Maou; simple, rugged, charming, handsome, stupid, amazing, brave, pig-headed and selfless.

The thought of him being so firmly lodged within her brain only made Emi angry. The fact that he preoccupied her thoughts more often than not drove her mad… but to love him? To genuinely care for the Demon King and his wellbeing? That baffled Emi to no end.

Emi sat awake in bed, the day after the wedding, positively fuming about it. There was no doubt in her mind; she had indeed developed feelings for the Demon King, feelings that were far beyond anything she'd ever experienced before. She'd had crushes. She'd felt her navel squirm when she spotted attractive, handsome men before. But Maou? That was something else entirely.

It was as though someone had had taken all of her feelings about the Demon King and tossed them into a mixing bowl before going to town with an electric mixer. The dim flare of contempt she usually held for him was lost in a vat of other feelings and emotions, and it was so thoroughly mixed in with them that she found her disdain was now more of a bemused belligerence. She didn't hate him, nor did he hate her, or so Emi thought. They disagreed for the sake of disagreeing, almost as though it was a sort of private joke that they were in on. They'd changed from the people they were before, and their titles were now laughable. Emi was the Hero, so if Maou were to say the sky were blue, it was up to Emi to rebuke his statement. Not because the Devil was wrong, but because he was the Devil.

It was like a game, and Emi couldn't resist playing. It was too ingrained into their daily routines for them to change it now, though they did try to contain it solely for when Alas-Ramus was sleeping.

Emi sighed, pulling the blanket from over her head as she sat up in her bed. She was still jobless, and her afternoon naps were now a daily occurrence. Whether or not Emi got any sleep was of little importance, anyway. She would likely dream of Maou. If she wasn't dreaming about him, then chances were good that she was thinking of him.

Emi clambered out of bed, but she paused by the nightstand when a golden gleam of sunshine reflected off of it. A beam of sunlight shone through her curtains, and it ricocheted off of her wedding ring before stabbing her in the eyes. Emi blinked away the outline of the ring before picking it up and looking it over.

It was gorgeous and gold, with an emerald set on top of it. There were clear traces of demon magic upon it, so Emi assumed Maou had made it using his powers. Why he'd chosen an emerald, Emi had no clue, though it did seem strangely familiar.

Emi shook her head and checked her phone. There were no new messages. No one had bothered to get a hold of her. She figured Maou was at his apartment with Alas-Ramus, probably laughing and smiling and teaching her about world domination…

'Enough!' Emi thought to herself, sliding the ring onto her finger. 'Stop thinking about Maou! You just have wedding fever or something. This isn't real, you don't actually love the Devil!'

'Yes I do!' A smaller, much more honest part of her brain squeaked. 'He's kind and gentle, good with kids, he can cook, and clean, and command an army, and-'

The little voice was quickly silenced by Emi squeezing her eyes shut and slapping her cheeks. She took a deep breath, trying to rid her mind of Maou, but it did no good. She could still smell his scent. It was on her bed, in her clothes, and it even lingered on her couch, though she'd cleaned her apartment thoroughly after he'd left.

Her apartment seemed so large and spacious, it felt almost wasteful to have all the room. In a sense it was, too, for the rent would be due again, and she was practically out of money.

Emi used that thought as a handhold to pull herself from the mire of Maou that she had sunken into. From her rent, she thought about her electric bill, which was already behind and would soon be turned off. She thought about her refrigerator, and how lean her meals had become. She thought about how the last good meal she'd eaten had been at the wedding reception at Maou's apartment the night before.

She took a seat at her kitchen table and thumped her head against it. There she was again, stuck thinking about the Devil. Emi sighed and sat up, spinning the ring on her finger. Rika had fooled everyone with the help of Ashiya, and now Emi and Maou were actually married, according to Japanese law. Apparently, the true mastermind behind it was Alas-Ramus, which only made Emi's headache worse.

A part of Emi wanted to believe Alas-Ramus had made a mistake in tricking her parents into marrying. The Hero wanted to simply say it was a part of the girl's inability to grasp delicate situations, or that Alas-Ramus was too young to understand their identities, but that couldn't be the case. And as for the marriage being a mistake… well, it did allow Emi to lean upon Maou, and count on him for help. She wasn't proud to admit it, but she did, in fact, need his help. From her inability to cope with the stress of losing her job and meeting her parents, to simply not being able to buy groceries, Emi now had a husband she could rely on through thick and thin.

He'd effectively managed to make her stop drinking, and she was so embarrassed by her actions that night that she swore to never partake of alcohol again. Not to mention Maou had offered to help her get a job, even though she'd laughed at the idea of working at MgRonalds, which looked more and more like a real possibility with each passing day. Demon King Satan had become something of an anchor to Emi, for no matter how far out she drifted, he always pulled her back.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and thought about her wedding vows. Something told Emi that Rika had been guessing when she wrote them, but her guesses had been so close to home and so incredibly accurate, that Emi couldn't help but wonder if her friend were a mind reader.

'His butt does look good in slacks,' Emi decided, feeling her face grow hot.

That odd thought was punctuated by a sudden painful twinge in Emi's head. She jumped so hard she accidentally knocked her coffee to the floor, shattering the cup. Her eyes were wide, and she held her head as a clammy sweat broke out over her entire body.

'What… what the hell was that?' Emi wondered.

From where she sat, it felt as though something had just clawed its way out of the depths hell and appeared in Tokyo. Whatever it was, it was massive, and far stronger than any demon she'd ever faced. The power it exuded washed over her in waves of unpleasantness. It was hard for her sit still without shaking.

Emi heard her cell phone begin to ring within her bedroom, but she was so preoccupied with the presence that it took her a moment to find her feet and go answer the call. She walked into her room, flipping on the light switch out of instinct, as though night had suddenly fallen, even though the day was still sunny and bright.

There were five voicemails on Emi's phone. She recognized all of the cell phone numbers as Maou, Suzuno, Chiho, Rika, and Nord. Currently, her caller ID showed Chiho's number. Emi answered the call and pushed her hair behind her ear so she could hear better.

"Hey, Chiho. What's up?"

"You- uh- you mean- you didn't just feel that?"

"Feel what?" Emi asked sharply.

"Well… it felt like Maou just assumed his true form… is there another fight going on?" Chiho wondered, her voice shaky.

Normally, Emi would've been impressed that Chiho had become so attuned to magic that she could sense it, but instead she shook her head and said, "I don't know. I have a voicemail from Maou, so I'll see what's going on. Don't go over there until I say its ok, understood?"

"Yes, mooom," Chiho pouted, ending the call before Emi could boss her around anymore.

Emi felt herself panic as she navigated through her phone to the voicemail inbox and began to play them in order.

"Emilia, it's your father," Nord said, sounding fairly calm, "I think something may have happened with your husband- I mean- with the Devil… You mother seems to be absorbing an awful lot of demonic energy…"

Emi heard the sound of someone gagging, and then

"BLERGH!"

"Yes, it seems the demon magic has overwhelmed her... she's just vomited on me… I have to clean this up. Please call the Demon King and get this straightened out. I love you, darling. Call me back."

The voicemail ended with the sound of Nord asking after Lailah's health, and the sound of retching. Emi pressed the play button next to Suzuno's number, and had to immediately pull the phone away from her ear due to the shrill voice of the Inquisitor, who was shouting frantically.

"EMILIA, THE DEMON KING HAS RETURNED! ARM YOURSELF! I'LL STALL HIM WHILE YOU PREPARE FOR BATTLE! ALAS-RAMUS IS MY TOP PRIORITY, BUT IF I DON'T MAKE IT OUT OF THE DEMON CASTLE ALIVE, TELL HER I DIED WITH MY HAMMER IN MY HANDS AND DEMON BLOOD SPLATTERED ON MY FACE LIKE WARPAINT! AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Suzuno's voicemail was cut off by crackling static, but just before it ended, Emi could've sworn she heard the sound of a door being blasted off its hinges with magic, and the sound of a deep, demonic voice saying something.

Rika's voicemail was next.

"Hey Emi! It's Rika! How are ya, girl? Anyway, totally hypothetical question, but if Ashiya were to suddenly revert to his demon form, how would I go about making him human again? Like I said, totally hypothetical! Call me back asap! Love you!"

Finally, only Maou's voicemail was remained. Emi pressed play and held her phone to her ear, hearing static, and the sound of large lungs breathing rather hard.

"Emi," rumbled a deep voice.

It was the voice of the Demon King, Satan, reverted to his true and terrible form… but something wasn't quite right. There was no menacing growl. In fact, he sounded sort of… exhilarated?

"Listen, I just got a package in the mail… thought it was from the landlady or something… you know how she travels abroad… never mind that, the package was from Camio. It contained a certain item we discussed yesterday. Unfortunately, the power it released after I'd opened the box was enough to return me and Urushihara to full power… I'd probably guess that Ashiya is in the same boat. It should wear off in a little while, but until then, I'll be laying low in my apartment. Alas-Ramus is fine. She's sitting on my head, actually, using my one good horn as a mast-"

In the background, Emi heard the girl, who was yelling quite loudly.

"Ahoy! Ahoy! Argh matey!"

"My head is not a crow's nest, and I am not a pirate ship," Maou stated indignantly, though his demonic tone seemed to have no power over the child. "Anyway, Alas Ramus is fine. The demon magic isn't affecting her adversely in anyway… but she does miss her mama."

"Izzat mama?"

"Yes, it's your mama. You want to say hello?"

The sound of a door shattering was heard, and Emi heard a familiar voice shriek, "DIE DEMONS!"

"Wha-Suzuno?!"

The voicemail ended, leaving Emi to sigh as she rubbed a sweaty palm over her face. For a moment, she was terrified that some sort of horrible giant demon had invaded. It turned out that it was just the Devil's Crown… the thought that it held such power was terrifying in itself, but to think it might not be enough to stave off Heaven was truly horrific.

After a cold shower to liven her spirits and another hot cup of coffee, Emi was on the train headed for Sasazuka, with six bottles of Holy Vitamin Beta stashed away in her purse. Even if she could down them, one after another, she knew it wouldn't be enough to take on the Demon King… provided she didn't die from drinking that much of the concentrated celestial force. She'd only recently learned that two bottles at once was a bad idea, but she had no clue what to expect when she finally got to the Devil's Castle.

In what seemed to be no time at all, Emi had the Villa Rosa in her sights. A few minutes later, she was walking up the steps slowly, listening carefully for any signs of movement, but it was quiet… too quiet. She could still definitely feel the demonic energy, though it was less raw and terrifying now. It felt as though someone had smothered it, leaving only vague traces of the stuff.

Emi opened the door to the entrance corridor as quietly as she could before creeping down the hall. She paused outside Maou's room, listening, but everything seemed quiet. Was someone still alive in there? And was that talking Emi heard? The door was open, and light was spilling out, but the words were muffled.

'No, that must be from downstairs,' she thought.

Emi took a bottle of Holy Vitamin beta from her purse and downed it all, and then she allowed her power to manifest. Just as her hair and eyes changed color and armor magically appeared over her pajamas, she let loose a savage war cry and wheeled about, charging through the doorway of the Demon Lord's Castle.

Intense magic pressed inward from all sides, and she felt something slimy and gross pass over her skin as she came over threshold, tripping over nothing.

"Oh, hey, Emi," Maou grumbled.

Maou, Ashiya, Urushihara, Lailah, Rika, and Suzuno were all situated around the table. Each of them had a pair of cards in front of them, and Alas-Ramus was acting as the dealer, dishing out cards here and there as she kept the card game going.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Blackjack," Maou said, his goat legs folded as he tapped his cards with a long, sharp black talon.

Alas-Ramus selected a card and laid it down, only to wince.

"Bust, papa," she said sadly, shaking her head.

Maou and Ashiya were in their demon forms. Lailah looked about the same as ever, but her eyes shone so brightly it was a wonder she didn't vaporize everyone she looked at. Suzuno and Rika had been given shields so that they might be protected from the dangerous layer of unholy magic.

"I got blackjack," Rika said happily, pulling a pile of small yen notes towards her with a grin.

"There goes the last of my allowance," Lailah said sadly, watching as Rika counted out the bills.

"I…I thought you guys were dying…I thought you were all in danger of killing each other," Emi said weakly.

"Nah, we're all good," Urushihara said. He was taller, and he looked a bit more mature. He seemed to have regained that ageless look Emi associated with angels, but something of his rebel attitude seemed to have reemerged along with his powers. Suzuno was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, smirking to herself and blushing.

"Yes, Emilia, all is well. Once I had ascertained Alas-Ramus' safety, I managed to calm down enough to listen to Satan's explanation of what had happened," Suzuno supplied.

"And then Ashiya teleported us over here to figure out what was going on… he still hasn't lost his demon form though," Rika chimed in.

"Please, look away, Rika," Ashiya muttered, "I am hideous in my true form!"

"Nonsense! You look dashing! And your tail is- um- nice!"

"Oh, stop," Ashiya said, blushing slightly through the hard, ebony skin that obscured half of his face.

"That's nice… have any of you bothered to inform Chiho? She felt that thing arrive too, y'know, and she called me freaking out," Emi said.

"Ah, crap! I completely forgot that Chiho can sense our magic," Maou exclaimed, clapping a hand to his forehead.

"Idiot," Emi uttered, whipping out her cellphone and walking back out into the entrance hall to call Chiho. As it turned out, Emi's call was unneeded, for as soon as she dialed the number and put her phone to her ear, she heard the sound of someone coming up the steps of the Villa Rosa.

"Hello?" Chiho asked, answering her phone and stepping into entrance hall.

Her face went white when she saw Emi, who replied, "Hey, Chiho."

A moment of tension rose like a serpent rearing its head. Before Emi could react, and before her anger could spiral out of control, Chiho was already sobbing and apologizing.

"I'm sorry," Chiho cried, "I wanted to make sure you guys were ok! No one would answer my calls!"

"Everyone's fine, Chiho," Emi said, smiling at the high schooler. "Come inside and see…"

Emi lead her to the door, but she threw out an arm to keep Chiho from breaking the barrier. Emi could enter because she was the Hero, but Chiho, who was now sensitized to magical energy, would likely faint upon entrance, given the powers contained within.

"Wha- why is everyone-"

"It's kind of a long explanation," Emi said, "but I can't tell you anything… suffice it so say that Maou now has the ability to regain his demon form and his powers at any time… for the moment, though, they're all stuck like this."

Emi placed a barrier around Chiho and led her into the room, where she thrust Chiho into the spotlight.

"See, Demon King? You made Chiho cry because you never bothered to return her calls!"

"Damn it," Maou said, frowning at his cards. "Sorry, Chi, I totally spaced it out."

"I-it's ok," Chiho stammered, wiping her eyes and trying to smile.

"No!" Emi stamped her foot and pointed at the Devil, "It's NOT ok! He was too busy playing card games with his demon pals to even bother calling you!"

"That's not it at all!" Maou shouted back, "I was just overwhelmed by the power I recovered! It drove everything else out of my mind! I'm sorry, Chi, really! I never meant to make you worry."

"I know," Chiho said quietly.

Emi looked as though she were about to regroup and argue even harder, but Rika smirked at her and said, "Enough of the lovers' quarrel, you two!"

This made Emi grind her teeth so loudly that Chiho gave the Hero a strange look. She took a seat at the table next to Maou before Emi sighed and took a seat on the opposite side of the table, where she could shoot him dirty looks without putting too much strain on her neck.

"So, Maou, will you reveal why we are suffering like this," Lailah asked.

"I really shouldn't-"

"Just tell them," Lucifer said, "it's not really like it's a huge secret… it's more like it was just sorta forgotten. Heaven probably just let it slide, seeing as its full of demon magic."

"I would like an explanation as to this madness, myself," Nord said, entering the apartment without knocking, as the door was still wide open.

"Geez, why don't we just get the whole damned neighborhood in here," Maou asked loudly over the banter that had begun to get louder, "Nord! Shut the door, will ya?"

"Of course, Satan."

Nord did as he was asked and took a seat next to Emi. Again, the space around the table became contested territory, and everyone was sitting shoulder to shoulder, bathed in radiant waves of demon magic.

"Hold up, why aren't you affected by the demon magic, dad? And what happened to your forehead?"

Emi was referring to the band aid on his brow, which looked as though someone had taken and walloped him with a baseball bat.

"That's my fault," Lailah said, looking apologetic, "when my power surged, your father collapsed and hit his head. He's says alright, but he refuses to let me heal it."

"We don't know if there could be any other negative effects to your elevated powers," Nord reasoned, though Emi suspected that her father's feelings had been hurt along with his pride.

"Fine," Maou conceded, looking cross as he peered around the table, "but what I say isn't to leave this room, upon pain of the most excruciating, terrifying death imaginable!"

"Yeah, whatever," Emi said, observing her fingernails casually, and causing Maou's inflated ego to flatten like a balloon.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Well, you can't kill me, nor anyone else here," Emi noted slyly. "I'm legally your wife, so if I turn up dead, the police will come for you. Not to mention my father will be out for vengeance. If you kill Chiho, Rika, or Suzuno, I'll be coming for you. If you kill Ashiya, you'll lose a valuable Demon General and tactician. If you kill Lailah, you risk my father's wrath, and the retaliation of her entire organization… the only person you can kill with no consequences would be Lucifer."

Everyone turned to smile at Urushihara. Some, like Emi and Ashiya, smirked at him. Others, like Chiho, Rika, and Lailah all smiled apologetically. The only person who wasn't smiling was Suzuno, who looked at him seriously.

The truth was, Urushihara didn't care for Emi's jibes. He didn't care for her callous treatment of him, and he damn sure didn't appreciate her snide comments. Still, he kept his cool, and under the table, Suzuno's hand found his. She said nothing, but her message was clear.

'I would avenge you,' Suzuno thought at Urushihara.

He glanced sideways at her, his expression twitching for a moment before he heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, whatever, Hero, but remember who it was that saved your mother… without me, her mind would probably be in shambles, so you owe me one. Oh, and just cause you're married to Satan doesn't mean you can treat me with disrespect, little miss unemployed. How's the job search coming along?"

Emi's brow furrowed, but even as she glared with all her fury, her cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

'Score one for me,' Urushihara thought, thoroughly satisfied with the verbal smack down he'd just laid on the Hero.

"Quit fighting and listen," Maou said suddenly.

All the assembled people turned to face Maou. Even Alas-Ramus, who was still on the table, wearing a croupier's hat and wildly shuffling a pack of cards.

"Yesterday, I put out a call for aid to my minister, back on the demon home world. Today, I received a package containing a secret that will tip the scales of war in our favor," Maou said quietly, though everyone heard him well enough, given the gloomy silence. "Now, this object is immensely powerful. So powerful, in fact, that once I weakened the seals on the box that it simply burst out, returning everyone who relies on demon magic to our true forms."

"So what is this object," Nord asked, folding his hands in front of his face.

"The Crown of the Demon Lord," Maou said, "the very artifact worn by my predecessor, Demon King Sataniel."

"You have Sataniel's crown," Lailah asked, staring at Maou in disbelief.

"Indeed. I recovered if before the unification of the demon world and locked it away," Maou explained.

"That would explain a lot," Lailah muttered. She didn't go into details, but it seemed as though she were lost in thought for a few minutes as all the pieces fell into place.

"Can we see it?" Chiho asked.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Lucifer mumbled, not looking at all interested as he rested his chin in his palm and drew on the tabletop with his finger.

"Why not? With my recovered magic, I'm certain I can devise a seal to contain the power within the crown," Maou said, standing from the table and retrieving a box from the closet. It was a rather plain cardboard box, though something could be heard rattling around within it. Maou reached into the box, digging through packing peanuts. No one breathed as they all waited with bated breath.

Maou pulled the crown from the box.

For a moment, Emi thought her eyes were deceiving her. She was expecting something huge and grand, something befitting the greatest demon to ever exist. Instead, she saw a rather simple golden circlet, studding with a single faceted black stone. It was only big enough for a human to wear.

Suzuno stared at it with wide eyes. Lailah's jaw hit the table.

"That's a halo!" She exclaimed, pointing at the Demon Lord's Crown.

"Secret's out," Urushihara smiled, "Sataniel was actually an angel. Talk about a mindfuck."

"Wait- what- I… hold on just a god damned minute," Emi said furiously, "the Devil… the first Demon King… was an angel?!"

"No! I mean… I don't think he was," Maou said quietly, looking down at the crown.

"I know a halo when I see one," Lailah insisted, "and that is a halo! But… so much power inside it… and it's all-"

"Demon magic," Chiho muttered, "it's chalk full of it."

"You can tell it's demon magic?" Rika asked.

"Yeah… whenever I come into contact with it, I get the heebie-jeebies… like a snake slithering across my back," Chiho told her, "and when Maou took it out of the box, it was like someone dumped a whole box of snakes down my shirt."

"Groooooss," Rika moaned, clamping her eyes shut and trying to mentally shake the sensation of reptiles on her flesh.

"You knew," Ashiya said pointedly, peering at Urushihara with newfound interest.

"Yeah, I knew… truth be told, Sataniel is my father. He was the greatest angel Heaven had. One day, he just vanished, and no one could tell me where he went. I followed his trail of magic right into his study, where it suddenly turned bitter and evil. That was the first time I'd ever felt demon magic… I knew then that my dad became a demon."

When Urushihara said that, Nord and Lailah glanced at each other. Everyone else listened to the fallen angel with rapt attention. The way he spoke, so carefree and arrogant, made it sound as though this had all happened to someone else. It was off-putting to think Lucifer was once a boy who'd lost his father, and it was even harder for Suzuno to watch him speak of it as though it hadn't affected him at all.

"So your father was an angel, but he turned into a Demon King?" Emi asked. Her tone was much softer than it usually was when it came to Urushihara.

"Pretty much. Not long after that, I was old enough to take up my mantle as the Lightbringer. I looked into my father's disappearance, but it had been covered up by someone… the only person I could think of with the power and resources to do it was-"

"Ignora," realized Lailah. Urushihara nodded.

"After that, I fell from Grace and looked for my father in the Demon world. Turns out he'd been dead for centuries… it wasn't long before I met another Demon King, though." Urushihara smirked at Maou.

"I wasn't much of a King back then," Maou muttered.

"Well, your ego was royally inflated," Urushihara said smugly.

The talk died down, and slowly, all eyes were once more focused on the crown. It was old, incredibly old, and powerful beyond comprehension… but there wasn't a single speck or flaw in the gold, nor were there any cracks or scuffs on the faceted black stone set within it. Much like its former owner, its fate seemed steeped in mystery. But now there it was, clutched in Maou's hand. Alas-Ramus peered at it with big eyes, as if she could clearly see the power it contained.

"Shiny!" She said.

"Not a toy," Maou said sternly, "this is only for daddy to use, ok? Papa's crown."

"I wanna cwown," Alas-Ramus sniffled, pulling off her croupier's cap and throwing it down into the table, "I wanna be a Demon Pwincess!"

"Here," Lailah said, reaching into her purse and pulling out another halo.

It was slender and silver, and much less regal-looking than the Demon Lord's Crown. It held no magic whatsoever, good or evil, but it was clear Lailah cherished it as she held it out for Alas-Ramus to take.

"This belonged to a good friend of mine. She died not too long ago, but I can't carry it around with me forever… you should have it," Lailah uttered.

Nord looked on silently, well aware that the halo in question was Lailah's. He had seen it many times during the last couple days, when she had pulled it out and stared at it longingly, as though wishing it would shine with the same holy power it had once sparkled with. After she had fallen, Lailah had no more use for it, aside from decoration.

"Fo' me?" Alas-Ramus said, her eyes alight as the silver circlet reflected in her violet irises.

"Yes. Something tells me that the person who used to wear this halo would want you to have it. Your papa can officially crown you as his little Demon Princess," Lailah smiled.

Alas-Ramus took the circlet and walked across the table to stand before her papa. She was so busy staring at the tiara, she very nearly stumbled over the side, but Ashiya caught her and righted her as though nothing had happened.

"Papa? Can you make me a Pwincess?"

"Uh.. yeah," Maou said nervously, "care to start us off, Uncle Ashiya?"

"Uncle?" Ashiya asked, raising an eyebrow.

He noted the look of dire desperation on Alas-Ramus' face. It was reflected in Maou's and Lailah's pleading eyes.

"Um, yes, of course I can do that. Demon King Satan, please wear your crown so we can proceed with the ceremony," Ashiya commanded.

Maou put the crown upon his head. It grew so as to perfectly fit his brow. He looked a little strange, given that he was still nine feet tall with one and one-half horns, but he managed to fix a determined smile upon his face as Alas-Ramus knelt and presented Lailah's halo to her papa.

The instant Maou's fingers curled around the silver, he knew whose halo it was. He looked to Lailah and saw that her eyes were filled with unshed emotion. He made no mention of it, and quickly looked away to spare her the embarrassment, as no one else had noticed her tears, save Nord.

"Alas-Ramus," Maou growled in a deep, authoritative voice, "do you wish to be a Demon Princess?"

Emi crossed her arms and scowled at Maou, but said nothing. Alas-Ramus chirped, "Yes!"

"Then by my might as Demon King, I present you with this crown and ask you to be my heir!"

"Okie dokie, papa!"

"A little informal," Ashiya sighed, "but that's a definite affirmation. Very well, then, you are now a Demon Princess in full. Please accept the crown his majesty is presenting you as a symbol of your title, and a reminder of your duties as the newly crowned Demon Princess. Rise, Alas-Ramus, Princess of Demons."

Emi rolled her eyes, but Alas-Ramus beamed at her mama. The girl pointed at the halo on her head and said, "Look, mama! I have gwamma Lailah's cwown!"

Emi looked to Lailah, who smiled sadly, clapping politely with the others as Alas-Ramus basked in the glory of her station. Emi quickly grabbed her daughter and sat the child in her lap. She glared at Maou, then at Lailah. It was hard enough being a parent for Emi, but now her daughter was a Demon Princess with a fallen angel's halo for a crown. Something told her that parenting was only going to get more difficult from that point on, especially when she was constantly being undercut by her husband and mother. Her anger burnt out quickly, however, and her mind quickly returned to the task at hand; where she sat among demons in their true forms, and humans who were all protected with holy magic to counter their incredible powers.

"I suppose we should pick up where we left off," Emi muttered.

A glance around the table told Emi that no one was ready to broach the topic of war. No one wanted to discuss tactics, plans or bloodshed. They just wanted to sit and play cards, and act as though they weren't sitting in a room that swirled with a hurricane of demonic energy.

"In light of this new information, I would like to propose my plan, the one Nord and I were trying to get you to agree to before the Vanguard showed her face," Lailah said.

"Spill it, then," Maou sighed, "let's get this over with. I finally got a decent hand, and I have to pay my rent next month!"

"My theory that Heaven created demons was correct," Lailah continued, as though the Devil hadn't spoken, "however, I never knew that demons were actually mutated angels… though it does make a bit of sense, now."

"Hold on, you're implying that we- the great demons who very nearly took Ente Isla- are… were angels?" Ashiya asked.

"You? No. But your ancestors… yes, I believe they were."

"Ludacris," Maou shook his head, "there is absolutely no proof that demons evolved from angels."

"Oh? And I suppose that crown on your head just happened to come from some other Demon King Sataniel, who appeared right around the same time as the angel vanished?" Lailah asked.

"Point taken," Maou pouted.

"If you can't shut up and listen, you'll be taking the point of Better Half," Emi threatened, covering her daughter's ears, "and I'm not gonna stick it in the conventional areas."

"Love you too, babe," Maou smirked, causing Emi to turn red and uncover Alas-Ramus' ears, as the girl had struggled to listen to her parents.

"Moving on," Nord interjected, "our original plan was to infiltrate Heaven with a small team comprised of battle-tested warriors. We were going to search for the laboratory containing notes on the Incident, where Lailah would set to work while our remaining forces broke into two teams."

"What would you be doing?" Emi asked her mother.

"I would be searching for a way to replicate the Incident," Lailah said, as though it were obvious.

"You'd turn the angels into a bunch of demons?" Maou asked suddenly, "No way! No! Not happening!"

"I do not seek to turn the angels into demons," Lailah sighed, "I believe that was a side effect: an unprecedented variable. The true goal of replicating the Incident would be cutting off the angels' connection to the Tree of Life."

"After the demons were created, they found they could no longer draw magic from the Tree of Life. Instead, they could only use negativity to fuel their magic," Nord explained.

"We think that this was another unintentional side effect," Lailah added, "and if we can find a way to destroy the connection between the Tree and the angels, they will no longer have any power. They could not move onto the next world after draining theirs of its magic. They could not interfere in the affairs of humans. They would be stuck in Heaven, left to their own devices as they began to age and die like regular people."

"So why does this plan require so many conspirators?" Ashiya wondered aloud. "It sounds to me like a single scientist could sneak in and do the deed."

"There's more to it than that," Lailah huffed, looking to her husband.

"That's where the other two groups come in," Nord explained, leaning forward as he took the lead in sharing the plan. "Before the connection to the Tree of Life can be severed, the Guardian must be disposed of."

"Another angel?" Suzuno asked.

"Yes. Gabriel is the Guardian of the Tree of Life. It is his responsibility to protect the Sephiroth, but he is also their jailor. He stands watch, and enforces Heaven's will over the Tree and its Fruit. Before Lailah can sever the angel's grip on the Sephiroth, Gabriel will need to be eliminated," Nord said quietly.

"And what of the other group?" Suzuno asked. "You stated there were two."

Nord took a shaky breath. His green eyes flicked toward Urushihara for a second before he continued his briefing.

"The second group will move to find, intercept, and slay the Steward of Heaven."

"The Steward?" Emi asked.

"The one who rules in the absence of God," Urushihara muttered. "Ignora."

Nord nodded.

"Ok, I was taking you guys seriously, but now I know you're a bunch of idiots," Urushihara said. "There's no way you can pull that off, even if we were all gung-ho and rushed her as a team."

"Ignora's just another angel," Maou said determinedly.

"Wrong," Urushihara shook his head. "She's not just some Archangel with an inflated ego. She's the first angel. The strongest. The Seraph. The Caretaker."

"Ok, slow down and rewind," Chiho said, "I thought Archangels were the strongest."

"Archangel is a title that comes with important tasks," Lailah said. "Angels who rule over relevant houses of authority are considered Archangels. In truth, there are other classifications of angels, completely separate from ranks and titles. They define the actual type of angels, and the importance of each."

"So Archangel is more like a rank in the military," Rika stated, "but Ignora is a different type of angel altogether?"

"Yeah, and she's not some base angel like Sariel or Raphael," Urushihara said, "she's a Seraph. In all of Heaven, there were only three Seraphim before Sataniel became a demon."

"What makes a Seraph so special?" Ashiya asked. "Are they harder to kill?"

"Heh. Yeah, you could say that. A Seraph is an angel with six wings that shine golden, and they manipulate light and fire. Archangels are strong, like, ruling class strong, but against a Seraph in a direct contest of strength, there's no comparison. The only advantage is that the Seraphim are considered caretakers and proclaimers. They call the shots while the Archangels serve as soldiers. Apparently, God himself was hesitant to loose them upon the world, so he kept them close. At least, that's what it says in the Bible," Urushihara shrugged.

"Is that accurate?" Rika asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Urushihara said carelessly.

"B-but you're an angel!" Rika said.

"Angel or no, do I look like I wrote the god damned Bible?" the fallen angel asked, smirking at the dumbfounded look on Rika's face.

"It doesn't matter," Emi said, drawing all eyes onto herself. She looked around the table with a hard stare before repeating herself. "It doesn't matter one bit! Ignora isn't invulnerable. No one is. And sooner or later, it was gonna come to this, anyway… There's no one better for the job of taking down Ignora than all of us. She has things to answer for… she has blood on her hands, and she deserves to know how much pain she caused the people who followed her word, even when their only reward was to be thrown out like trash."

Behind her watery eyes, Emi could feel Raphael's vision in her mind. He was laying upon a sunny hillside, watching clouds roll by as he smiled to himself. The memory was like a stain that would never wash clean from her mind.

"Ignora has to die for her crimes," stated Emi.

She looked at Urushihara, who still didn't look wholly convinced. He shrugged and said, "Well, she does owe me an explanation or two about my father… have I ever mentioned that I hate family reunions? I've always sorta been the black sheep of the family."

"Understatement of the century," Maou whispered to Ashiya, who nodded politely as Maou stifled a grin.

"Do you think it's possible? Is this something that can be done?" Chiho asked quietly. "I know… I know you all think you have to take action but… I want to know that you'll survive. If something happened to any of you, I don't know what I'd do."

Lailah looked at the high schooler, who was on the verge of tears. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve before meeting Lailah's concerned gaze.

"They'll all come back, right? After everything is done… they'll be able to come back, won't they?"

"Chances of survival are slim, and victory is far from assured," Lailah whispered, picking at a spot on the table. The room was so quiet that her words severed the silence like a razor. Chiho's eyes went wide, but all of her tears seemed to have dried up. All at once, her worst fears had been realized. Chances were, one way or another, her friends would be leaving her side, never to return.

"No," Chiho muttered in a daze, standing from the table, "you guys can't just… you can't leave me. Please, don't do this. Stay here."

From the greatest of Demon Kings to the basest humans in the room, everyone felt their hearts pulled towards Chiho's words. No one wanted to leave, no one wanted to say goodbye, and their guilt was unbearable, but Chiho couldn't be put in harm's way. This wasn't her war to wage.

"Chiho, if we stay here, bad things will happen." Maou said, not meeting her eyes.

"I don't care," Chiho blurted out, clenching her fists as she glowered at each of them individually, "I don't want to lose any of you! You're my friends…"

"You can find new friends," Emi murmured. "And some of us might survive."

"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?!" Chiho shrieked. "I'VE BEEN WORKING MY ASS OFF IN SCHOOL, UNDER ALL THIS STRESS, CHECKING MY PHONE CONSTANTLY BECAUSE I WAS TERRIFIED YOU GUYS WOULD BE ATTACKED, OR JUST UP AND LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE! I'VE LOST SLEEP OVER THE THOUGHT OF YOU ALL DYING! MY PARENTS HAVE INVESTED MONEY AND RESOURCES INTO MAKING SURE YOU'RE ALL FED! YOU JUST CAN'T DO THIS! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE ALONE! IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN IGNORA! EVEN WORSE, CONSIDERING THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIENDS! HOW CAN I SUPPORT THIS WHEN I KNOW I'LL LOSE YOU?!"

"No one here wants to leave your side, good Chiho," Suzuno said. "We are doing what's best for all worlds, for the greater good of-"

"SCREW YOUR 'GREATER GOOD!'" Chiho exclaimed, "THIS ISN'T FAIR! WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT ABOUT RIKA?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US-"

Suzuno snapped. Before Chiho could utter another word, the Inquisitor was on her feet and had Chiho by her shoulders, jolting her out of her rant and shaking her.

"BE QUIET, YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD! NONE OF US WOULD EVER WILLINGLY LEAVE YOU! WE AREN'T DOING THIS SO THAT WE CAN ABAONDON YOU AND ESCAPE THIS WORLD, WE ARE DOING THIS SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE LIVING HERE, FREE OF WAR AND TYRANNY! IF WE DO NOT ACT, THE EARTH WILL BURN! YOUR PARENTS, YOUR FRIENDS, AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW WILL SURELY PERISH! WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR PLAN, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH WITH IT, GOOD CHIHO, AND WE'LL DO IT FOR YOU! WE DON'T WANT TO DIE! WE ARE SAVING THIS WORLD FOR YOUR SAKE! I'D DIE A THOUSAND DEATHS TO KEEP YOU SAFE, AS WOULD ANY ONE OF US! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?! BY MAKING SUCH A FUSS, YOU ARE BEING SELFISH, AND MAKING THIS HARDER FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED! WE ALL WANT TO STAY WITH YOU! WE WANT TO LIVE HERE AND LAUGH, AND LIVE, AND EAT UDON, AND WORK AT CRAPPY JOBS, JUST SO THAT WE CAN SEE YOU! SO DON'T TELL US HOW LITTLE WE CARE FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE! EVEN IF WE ALL DIE TO STOP HEAVEN, WE WILL DIE WITH NO REGRETS, KNOWING THAT YOU WILL LIVE ON WITH ALL OF US IN YOUR HEART!"

Suzuno stopped shaking Chiho, who had large red patches on her cheeks and a stunned expression. No one moved, save Suzuno, who released the high schooler and took a step back, wiping away the tear trails under her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono.

"We love you, Chiho," Suzuno said wearily. "Do not try to convince us not to do this. If there were another way, we'd consider it, but there isn't. We're doing this for your own good."

Suzuno resumed her seat, where she joined everyone else in staring at the tabletop in solemn silence. Chiho tried desperately to meet the eyes of her friends, but no one looked up. One by one, heart by fragile heart, everyone felt theirs break as they shunned Chiho.

"G-guys?" she asked quietly.

Alas-Ramus looked around as well, wondering why no one would answer Chiho. Were they all suddenly deaf?

"M-Maou?" Chiho asked. "Ashiya?"

"Say somefin', mama," Alas-Ramus whispered, tugging on Emi's shirt.

"E-Emi? S-Suzuno-o?"

Chiho's tears flowed faster now. She went around the table, asking after her friends, wishing that someone, anyone, would look up. No one did.

"Urushihara? Nord? L-Lailah?"

No response came. Rika stood, going over to Chiho and wrapping her arms around her.

"Come on, Chi," Rika said, "let's get you home."

"But… my friends," Chiho stammered weakly, led from the apartment by Rika. She locked onto a pair of sad violet eyes, which belonged to none other than Alas-Ramus.

"Bye, Chicha," Alas-Ramus said, raising a hand in farewell.

The broken-hearted high school girl numbly raised a hand before Rika closed the door, leading her away from the Devil's Castle.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Emi whispered, hearing Chiho sob as she and Rika made their way down the metal steps.

"It's for the best," Maou sighed, his eyes teary as he thought about how devastated Chiho had looked. "If she stayed, she'd have either convinced us to not go through with the plan, or she'd have asked to come along. I won't have her mixed up in the affairs of Ente Isla anymore."

"M-mama," Alas-Ramus mumbled, her lower lip trembling, "why is evewyone bein' mean to Chicha?"

"We're not being mean, sweetheart," Emi tried to explain, "we- uh… we're trying to protect her from something."

"Fwom what?" the toddler asked.

Emi shook her head, blinking away tears as Alas-Ramus' lip trembled. How was she supposed to answer that?

"Hand Alas-Ramus here," Ashiya said quietly, "I'll rock her to sleep. Seeing her parents so upset will only frighten her."

Emi nodded and stood, rounding the table to where Ashiya waited with open arms. She handed Alas-Ramus to her uncle, who gently rocked her back and forth.

"Shhhh," Ashiya crooned, "go to sleep, Alas-Ramus."

"B-but I want Chicha back!"

Ashiya looked at Emi, who covered her mouth to stifle a sob. All around the room, everyone clenched their jaws and breathed heavily through their noses as they felt the anguish of their actions weigh heavily upon them.

"We all do," the blonde demon said, slowly making his way to the corner and preparing the toddler's bed with one hand.

"So go get Chicha," Alas said, "bwing hew back."

"She's tired right now," Ashiya explained, "we'll go visit her later, after she's calmed down."

"Pwomise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Ashiya set her down and pulled the blanket up to the girl's neck. He'd been careful to make the bed so that it was facing away from the table, where everyone was hunched over in sadness.

"Ok," Alas-Ramus sighed, "but when wiww she be bettah?"

"Hopefully soon. Good night, Princess Alas."

"Night Uncwe Awceiw."

The Demon General gave a light sigh as his emotions broke through the dam in his chest. He'd always been proud of his ability to control his feelings, but seeing Chiho so desperately unhappy, and Rika so broken hearted, made his walls crumble. He cleared his throat and stood before turning to look at the participants of the war meeting, tears streaming from his amber eyes.

"Let's work out the details in Suzuno's apartment," Ashiya said, "Alas-Ramus needs to rest."

Author's Notes:

Well, if that doesn't make you unhappy, I don't know what will. Here we see things get pretty heavy, and Chiho is ousted for her own protection. In a way, I think I channeled a little of myself into Chiho here. Allow me to elaborate: I created this fic and typed up the very first words for it on January 29th, 2015. For almost three years I've had these characters on my mind, and now the story is coming to a close. Chiho losing her friends is pretty much how I'm going to feel once this fic is over and done with. I've spent three years of my life with these fictional people by my side. It won't be easy forgetting about them... but at least I'll still have the Light Novels!

Moving onto happier subjects, I have been contemplating a sequel or continuation to this fic... I'll have to think a bit harder on it, but for now, I'll simply continue trying to finish this. As I said before, things are getting heavy, people are yelling, and the fate of both worlds hangs in the balance. Not to mention all the incredible plot twists, many of which were inspired by reading the Hataraku Maou Sama Wiki and spoiling it for myself. Sataniel being an angel, the creation of demons, all that jazz. Or at least some of it. Goodness knows it's hard to keep track of what is and isn't canon for me...

The angelic hierarchy was adjusted to suit my needs, as well. Go ahead and read up on Seraphim if you are so inclined. Oh, and doesn't Alas-Ramus make a wonderful little Princess? I mean, as far as Demon Princesses go...

MUSIC!

Broken Halos-Chris Stapleton (heard this on the radio and immediately thought about this fic)

Beginning of the End-All Good Things

Isolation-Alter Bridge

Always-Saliva

Nothing Left To Say-Imagine Dragons

Nothing Lasts-Taska Black ft. Pauline Herr

Over My Head- The Fray

My Friends-Bohnes

If I Were-Nothing More

Blood/Water-Grandson

Words as Weapons-Seether

Gotta Get Away-The Offspring

Self Esteem-The Offspring

Man or Monster-Sam Tinnesz

Mindgames-Sickick