Even without Rika and Chiho, and even with Alas-Ramus resting in the other room, the plan and its simplicity were difficult to build upon. The more encompassing and elaborate they tried to be, the more holes seemed to poke through. What if someone were incapacitated? What if there were alarms, or guards, or other obstacles?
"How will we even get there?" Emi wondered aloud, scratching her head as she tried her best to stay awake.
Night had fallen outside the Villa Rosa. Rika had texted Emi to report that she had gotten Chiho home safely, but other than that, little was known about the high schooler's state of mind. Maou figured that after this, Chiho's parents wouldn't want her hanging around him anymore. Perhaps it was for the best, though, because no matter how he looked at it, one thing seemed to be glaringly obvious to him.
In the end, it would come down to a battle between Maou and Ignora. No one else had the power to take her on. Even with the Demon Lord's Crown, there was no guarantee of survival for him… but if it meant his friends could retreat safely, Maou would do his best to take Ignora down with him.
"I'm afraid that will be up to you," Lailah told her daughter. "Out of everyone present, only you have the power to get us to Heaven. No offense to Crestia Bell, but her magic is not quite as pure your celestial force."
"But I've never even been there," Emi said indignantly. "How am I supposed to open a Gate to Heaven?"
"You opened one here from Ente Isla," Lailah said, "I'm sure a Gate to Heaven will be no trouble for you."
Lailah's reassuring smile only made Emi feel worse, and the Hero smiled back weakly.
"Yeah… about me opening a Gate… I just sorta followed the Devil here through the one he'd opened. I've never actually opened a Gate by myself."
"You're kidding," Lailah said.
"Nope. Sorry, I wish I was, but…" Emi let her statement trail off as she laid her chin on the table in embarrassment.
"I can help Emi," Maou supplied, "I can teach her about opening Gates… maybe we should focus on just getting to Ente Isla first, though."
"Yes, I've been thinking the same thing," Nord said. "Ente Isla should be our first stop. Everyone needs to recover and recharge their powers before we enter enemy territory."
"Easy for you to say," Ashiya muttered, "the whole of Ente Isla is enemy territory for us demons."
"Speaking of which, you'll all need to maintain your human forms," Lailah stated flatly.
As of yet, Ashiya and Maou were still stuck in their demon guises. Somehow, the power instilled in them by the Crown hadn't burned itself out.
"Shouldn't be a huge issue," Maou shrugged. "Once the energy released by my crown wears off, we should be able to control our forms by simply lessening the flow of demon magic through our bodies."
"I sincerely hope you're right," Ashiya said. "Two demons traipsing across Ente Isla with the Hero, her father, a Bailiff of the Inquisition, and two fallen angels will most certainly raise some questions… and those questions will alert Heaven to our approach."
"Is there a good place we can hide in Ente Isla? Somewhere no one else knows about?" Suzuno wondered.
"I think I know of a place," Nord replied. "After Lailah saved me from Lucifer's armies, she took me to a mountain… perhaps you remember it, Emi? It was our little getaway spot."
Emi thought about her father's words. Memories flooded back to her of long hikes up steep mountain paths, the scent of wildflowers, pine trees, and lilacs, and rippling streams filled with trout.
"The old fishing cabin," Emi said quietly.
The memory of the place was old and faded, as though recalled through a layer of dusty sunlight. That little shack was home to some of the happiest times in Emi's young life; such as the first time she'd gone fishing, and the first fish she'd ever caught. She remembered playing in the cold water on hot days, and how her father would always smile and laugh. They would make a campfire at night, and listen to the sound of the sleeping wilderness.
'How could I have forgotten that,' Emi asked herself.
The real answer was that time had driven the place from her mind. Responsibilities, wars, demons, and all other manner of obstacles had effectively robbed Emi of her happiest memories. She wondered how many more of her fond memories were lost to years of decadence and turmoil.
"That's the one. I hid there, in the mountains, waiting for Acies-Ara to mature. To this day, neither the Church, nor the Saint Aire Empire have found the shack. Angels are unfamiliar with Ente Isla, as they prefer to stay in Heaven. As a result, their knowledge of the land comes from official reports obtained from the Imperial Archives in the capital. They'd never find us, provided everyone kept a leash on their powers."
Nord looked to Maou and Ashiya, both of whom sat quite a bit taller than everyone else. The blonde Demon General cracked his scorpion tail like a whip and crossed his arms in a huff. Maou scratched at his chin with the tip of a claw and said, "I can already feel the magic lessening. I think I'll be returned to my human form by tomorrow, at the latest. Sooner, if I can burn up some more power."
"Then the day after tomorrow is when we should leave."
Everyone turned to look at Lailah. They were prepared to fight and die, but the day after tomorrow? That seemed a little sudden, not to mention it would be the middle of the work week. Maou was about to say as much when his cell phone began to ring.
"Who is it?" Emi asked as the blood drained from Maou's face.
"Kisaki," Maou said.
"You called into work, right, sire?" Ashiya asked.
"Yeah… but right around now is when Chiho starts her shift," Maou noted.
After school on Mondays, Chiho would get off school and go home to do her homework. Then she would go to the Hatagaya Station MgRonalds and squeeze in a couple hours of work alongside Maou before going home to sleep. If Chiho had gone into work after being excluded from their war plans, it meant that Kisaki would surely pick up on the girl's discontent. Mayumi Kisaki would open Chiho like a book, which would likely send the high schooler into tears. She would then be sent home, unable to work in her depressed state, which meant that Kisaki was most likely calling Maou to-
The Devil answered the call, and before he could stop himself, he put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Maou, what the hell did you do?!"
"Hey, Ms. Kisaki. What exactly are you referring to?"
"You know damn well what I'm referring to, dimwit! Why did Chiho show up to work in tears, sobbing about how her friends hate her? I don't know what you did to that poor girl, but I have half a mind to suspend you until you explain yourself!"
Kisaki sat in her office, speaking loudly as she gripped her personal cell phone so hard her hand shook. Normally, she'd have been smart enough to use her office phone and save herself some money, but the look on Chiho's face had made Kisaki forget all about her office phone, which had unlimited inbound and outbound calls.
"Well? If I were you, I'd start talking before I begin docking pay and filling out suspension forms!"
Maou froze. How was he supposed to explain that he was doing what was best for Chiho? Could he tell his boss about being the Demon King? Maou thought fast, the gears in his head spinning so quickly that he felt he might've forgotten something important. Emi watched him take a deep breath, and then his face fell. He looked strangely regal and proud, like a king condemning a criminal to death.
"I accept any punishment you think I deserve. Even Greenland," he muttered.
"Dammit, Maou, this is serious! I can't send you to Greenland, but I kinda wish I could! Why did I just send an employee home? Why was she sobbing uncontrollably about how useless she was? Why the hell does Chiho think she's worthless?! ANSWER ME!"
"I can't," Maou said, listening to Kisaki's heavy breathing. He'd never heard her so incensed, even when dealing with Sariel, but he kept a straight face and an even tone. Only his eyes betrayed him, and they became bright with unshed tears as he thought about how hurt Chiho must've been.
"Don't think I won't fire you," Kisaki hissed over the phone. "Good work is no excuse for whatever you put that girl through. You're lucky I haven't phoned her parents!"
"Perhaps firing me would be best," Maou stated. "Chiho probably won't want to see me, anymore, and I have other things to take care of… yes, I think it would be for the best."
"Are you… Maou, are you serious?" Kisaki asked.
"I am."
His voice was still flat, but Kisaki knew better than to trust it. Something of Maou's hurt came through the connection, and Kisaki sighed, putting a hand to her forehead and leaning heavily upon her desk. She knew that Maou loved his job, so for him to be willing to give it up to save face…
"Maou, what the hell is going on?" she asked.
"I can't tell you," Maou repeated. "All I can say is I may be leaving soon… and I don't know if I'll be back."
"So, you're moving?"
"Uh, yeah. Kind of."
"You're such a terrible liar, Maaa."
Maou smiled at the nickname he'd been given when he'd first started at MgRonalds. Kisaki's tone had become much calmer. She seemed to understand he was going through something serious, even if he wouldn't tell her what.
"Sadao Maou… you are hereby suspended indefinitely… if I fire you, I can't hire you back. Get your shit together- for good this time- and when you're all finished with whatever you're doing… swing in for an interview. And for the love of all that's holy, you better have one hell of an explanation ready when you get back."
"Thanks, boss," Maou smiled.
In that moment, Mayumi Kisaki knew she'd made the right decision. She could hear it in Maou's voice. That flat, hopeless tone had cracked, and she had heard his happiness and relief. Whatever he was going through, it was something he needed to do on his own. She could respect that, given her own status as an island of independence. She pressed the end key on her phone.
'Well, there went the best worker I've ever had,' the manager thought to herself, slumping back into her chair and wondering how many people it would take to fill Maou's position.
The Demon Lord ended the call, smiling sadly as he stared at his battered cell phone.
"M'lord? What's happened?"
"I've been suspended. Indefinitely," Maou informed the group, folding his hands in front of his face to keep them from shaking violently.
"This is a travesty of justice," Ashiya proclaimed, "a farce! A betrayal most foul! This is-"
"For the best," the Demon King interjected. "Think about it, Ashiya. If I left for Ente Isla and didn't go into work, what would've happened?"
"Well… I assume you would be fired, your majesty."
"Exactly."
"So now if you leave and never come back, they won't have to report you as missing," Emi realized. "Your manager will just say that you were suspended and that you moved away. No one will ever realize what actually happened."
"Unless I'm much mistaken, I'm the only person who had this problem. The rest of you are unemployed, so this clears the path for what we have to do. There's nothing holding us back, now," Maou stated, realizing how he was past the point on no return.
"Great," Urushihara said, rolling his eyes, "I'm so glad we can rush off to our deaths, now."
"At least I won't have to listen to you complain anymore when we're dead," Emi commented, trying hard to focus on the positive side of facing her own mortality.
"Enough," Maou and Lailah said in unison, "we have work to do."
The fallen angel gave the Demon King a strange smile. Maou returned it half-heartedly before clearing his throat and launching into a breakdown of their plans. He was just trying to decide who should be on which strike team when Ashiya put a pin in what Maou was saying.
"Pardon my interruption, sire, but first we should consider all the things we'll need for our return to Ente Isla," the Demon General advised.
"Such as?"
"Well, consider this: as long as we are in Ente Isla, we are condemned to our human forms, otherwise we will give away our location. That means we cannot use magic, not even for comfort. We should prepare for just about any sort of climate, as well, seeing as we do not know if there is any correlation between Ente Isla's seasons, and Earth's seasons. Finally, it would be wise to purchase camping supplies. If this cabin is as old as the Hero, it may well be a rundown mess with no roof."
"I feel like that was a cheap shot at me," Emi muttered, glaring at Ashiya.
"No, it would be a cheap shot if I said you were as rundown and decrepit as your cabin is likely to be after so many years of neglect."
"You make a good point-" Maou began.
"You're just going to agree with him?!" Emi asked, looking scandalized, "I'm your wife, dammit! I demand respect!"
"No! I meant to say that he had a good point about the camping supplies! You're not a decrepit hovel!"
"It's a cabin! Not a hovel!" Emi corrected vehemently.
"Whatever you say! In any case, it sounds like we have a lot of supplies to purchase before we can leave," Maou rubbed his head, which was throbbing with a painful ache.
"Indeed. But first and foremost, there is one more thing you must consider," Ashiya said seriously. "Alas-Ramus will either need to come with us, or she will need to stay here with someone, weakening our strike party."
"Alas-Ramus should stay," Maou and Emi said together, though no one looked particularly happy at that notion. It meant that someone would be stuck there, looking after her. Maou knew exactly who he was going to suggest when Lailah shook her head.
"Alas-Ramus must come with us. We will need her when the Tree of Life and the Sephiroth are freed," the fallen angel said.
The Demon King was about to rebuke Lailah when he realized there was a flaw in his brilliant plan. Even if Alas-Ramus were to stay, Emi was the only one who could open a Gate to Heaven. She had to go with them, so keeping his wife and adopted daughter out of direct harm was altogether an impossible goal. For a moment, Maou's eyes flickered to Nord, and he felt he understood the man's pain a little better.
And there it was: the Demon King and the Hero were hurtling headlong towards a tragic demise. Even if one of them managed to survive, the other was more than likely to die. It was the end, and Maou knew that before it came, he had something important that he had to do.
'Before we die, I'll tell her how I feel about her,' Maou said mentally.
He'd tried to carry his passion for the Hero within him, where it could fester needlessly, without doing harm to his relationships, but now… now his time was limited, and the burden of his feelings was one thing he couldn't stand take with him into the afterlife. In any case, she deserved to know. She needed to understand why Maou had done the things he'd done.
Emi caught Maou staring at her, his expression lax as he looked at her with such an intense longing that he drooled a little bit. The Hero, of course, simply thought he had gone braindead for a moment. However, this didn't stop her from finding his slack-jawed stare endearing. The attention made her blush for a moment before Maou cleared his throat and turned his attention to the conversation around him once more.
The next morning was deceptively bright out, for the temperatures had dropped even lower. It was Tuesday, and though it was bitter cold, Maou, Ashiya, Emi, Urushihara, and Suzuno had all left for their local outdoors outfitter, where they were busy preparing for their expedition to Ente Isla. Once there, they would hide out and recharge their powers while Emi worked on opening a Gate to Heaven. Before they did any of that, however, there were things to consider.
For instance, no one knew what sort of weather to expect, so they all purchased thermal insulated clothes, as well as loose fitting summer clothing, which was on sale, given the chilly temperatures. There was also the fact that Gate magic was still unpredictable and difficult to control. Even if they landed in Ente Isla, there was no telling which continent they would appear on, so they needed gear that would allow for swift, stealthy travel.
Emi repeatedly had to warn Maou against buying things they didn't need, especially when he spotted a foldable utility shovel.
"I can use this for so many things when we get to Ente Isla," Maou said excitedly, digging in his pockets for his wallet.
"Put that back! We don't need a shovel where we're going," Emi hissed.
"But it's only six thousand yen, Emi!"
"You can spend that money on making sure Alas-Ramus is ready for the trip," Emi retaliated, taking the shovel from his hands and storming off to put it back.
Maou sighed, straining to walk past a rack of hunting, fishing, and utility knives as he remembered the one thing that kept him complacent throughout the shopping trip: after all was said and done, he wouldn't have to worry about paying off his maxed out credit card, and he could empty all of his savings into the trip.
The tents Maou got were barely big enough for two people. They laid low to the ground, and they were a dark green, which he hoped would shield them any prying eyes. They were oddly shaped, like a large green tube that had been cut in half the long way. The design was simple, they were easy to set up and disassemble, and his favorite part was that they were one thousand five hundred yen apiece.
Ashiya returned with an armful of miscellaneous items he had deemed necessary for the trip. Maou tried his best to dissuade his General and have him return it all, but the more Ashiya spoke, the harder it was for Maou to argue.
"We will need flashlights, sire. There are no streetlamps in Ente Isla, as I'm sure you'll recall. We needed more pillows and sleeping bags, as well, so I grabbed some. This is a utility saw that will help for gathering firewood. For food, we will need fishing equipment, so that we might try our hands at the trout in the stream Emilia mentioned. Either that, or we will have to carry food with us, which will slow us down. I also got us a flint and steel, so we don't have to use our magic to light fires. I've even procured some seasonings I didn't have, which should work well with fish. This tarp will be of use for-"
"Fine! Just toss it all in the cart, already!" Maou exclaimed.
"Of course, m'lord."
When Maou finally stood in line at the checkout, and counted out the unprecedented amount of money he owed to the cashier, it was already dark outside. As everyone walked back to the Villa Rosa, their heads down and their collars turned against the wind, it began to snow. Emi checked her phone and scoffed in disgust.
"It's only 3:49," she said over the wind, "why is it so dark already?"
"I'm freezing my ass off," Urushihara shivered.
"It is quite chilly," admitted Suzuno, who was already wearing her new coat.
Through the snowstorm that was now raging around them, the sound of a raven's call cut through the howling wind. Maou flinched as he felt the tingle of an evil presence nearby. He threw out an arm and everyone stopped. Apparently, Urushihara and Ashiya both felt it as well, for both of them peered into the swirling white veil with watchful eyes that glowed with fell power.
"CAW!"
The sound of a raven right behind the party made them all jump. Everyone turned, but there was nothing there. The sound of flapping wings was loud as the bird flew off.
"Where'd it go?" Urushihara asked in an undertone.
"What is it?" Emi wondered, still unsure as to what was going on.
It was less obvious for Emi and Suzuno, as they were not quite as in tune to demons as Satan and his Generals, but it was clear to Maou, Ashiya, and Urushihara that there was another demon nearby. It hid its power well, which meant it was someone who knew what they were doing. Someone who had cause to hide.
"Good afternoon," choked a voice behind the group, speaking in Centruvian.
They spun about once more to find a dark figure waiting in their path. It stood pitch black and menacing against the snowy white backdrop. The demon was tall and wiry, and the snow seemed to avoid falling on it, making it appear as though the creature had some sort of invisible shield.
"Who is that," Suzuno asked.
"What is that," Emi wondered, finally feeling the demonic energy exuding from the creature.
"My name is Ala," said the voice. The figure hobbled closer, taking steps on long, skinny legs, as though walking on stilts. The voice was a woman's, but raspy and haggard. The smell of rot and decay clung to the woman as she bent at the waist and took a low bow.
She was dressed in all black, and she looked to be wearing a plague doctor's mask, with a large beak. Emi got a very bad feeling from the woman, and from within her distant memory, she recalled that she had heard the name 'Ala' before, but where?
"What are you doing here?" Maou asked.
"King Satan, I have come to deliver a message to you."
"Why didn't Camio just come himself?"
The woman laughed, low and wheezing as her form shook with mirth. Emi realized that the demon wasn't wearing a mask: she actually had a large, black beak, like that of a raven. Other than that, her face was remarkably human, save the eyes. They were like watery orbs of obsidian.
"I am not here under the Demon Minister's orders," the she-demon hissed. "I am here to deliver a message from the current leader of the Unified Demon's Militia."
"Never heard of them," Maou shrugged, "now could you deliver the message already? I'm sort of busy, and it's turning into a blizzard, in case you didn't notice."
"Very well," the demon hissed, "here is the message."
Feathery black wings sprouted from the demoness' back. With a single flap, she flew forward, drawing a black longsword from thin air as she charged forth.
"We know about your betrayal," the Ala screeched, "die, Satan!"
Under normal circumstances, Maou would've punted the attacking demon into a dumpster, pulled his coat a bit more tightly about him, and then made his way home as quickly as possible so that he might escape the inclement weather. Now, however, as the long, sleek sword keened through the winter wind, he felt something that made his heart skip a beat.
It was his own magic power. His power, from before he had left Ente Isla. Somehow, the raven-demon was using the sword to keep her true form, and bolster her strength.
Maou stumbled back, his foot hitting an icy patch. He slipped and fell into someone's arms, the blade moments away from meeting his flesh. Maou smelled something sweet and familiar. He saw locks of red hair… and a somewhat flat chest. Emi had caught him before he fell, but now she was moments away from being eviscerated as well.
She used her hips to throw Maou to the side, leaving herself exposed to the point of the black sword. There was no time. Emi knew she couldn't summon her powers quickly enough.
That's when another black sword, a katana, crossed paths with the longsword.
"Cut the crap, Maou! you too, Emi!" Urushihara called to them.
Ashiya appeared on Emi's other side, his fist raised to strike the Ala with all of his strength, but she withdrew before he could land a blow.
"I'm not the one freezing up after being attacked," Emi told Urushihara. "Yell at Maou!"
"I just freaking did! I yelled at both of you for being so USELESS!"
With a wide, two handed slash, Lucifer sent black flames billowing towards the demoness. She raised a hand and the blizzard focused in front of her. The flames quickly flickered and burnt out as they beat against a shield of sleet and hail.
"I wasn't freaking out! I just- she's got my demonic energy in that sword," Maou said, picking himself up from the concrete, where Emi had tossed him. He brushed off the knees of his pants and glared at the bird-demon, who snarled back. Her beak clicked in an annoyance as she waited for someone to attack.
"Just give up," Urushihara said, "you're up against Satan and four of his Demon Generals. Outmatched doesn't even cut it."
"I think I'll be just fine against someone who can't count," the Ala croaked. "There are only four of you, including Satan!"
"Guess again," Suzuno whispered.
After the demoness had struck at Maou, Suzuno had waited for a counter attack to distract her. It gave Suzuno the opportunity she needed to jump and land on the roof of the building on her right. She then slowly worked her way down the block and dropped from the roof noiselessly behind her target, as any trained assassin could. She stalked her mark, moving in closer and closer, dodging behind dumpsters and mailboxes. And now that the demon was solely focused on exchanging words with Satan and his other Generals, Suzuno had the perfect opening.
She jumped out from behind a dumpster and sprinted at her mark silently. Not even a single snowflake landed on the assassin as she closed with her prey. She jumped as the Ala began to turn. Perhaps she had sensed something of the holy magic Suzuno wielded. In any case, it wasn't enough. The demoness gave a loud, startled "CAW!" before Suzuno's hammer made contact.
Her bones shattered and fractured beneath Suzuno's strength. Her legs snagged like twigs, and the sword in her hand clanged to the pavement. Unless Suzuno was mistaken, she guessed that the bird-demon, while flighty and fast, had hollow bones like most other birds. The end result being that instead of knocking her unconscious, the Death Scythe had killed her.
"Way to go, Bell," Urushihara smiled, resting the blade of his katana on his shoulder.
"I-I'm sorry," Suzuno mumbled. "I didn't mean to kill her- I just swung a little too hard and-"
Maou stalked forward, his hands in his pockets and his eyes glowing with crimson malevolence. For a moment, Suzuno thought he was angry, but he went right past her, coming to a stop at the broken heap of the demoness, who was quickly disintegrating.
"Would've been nice to know who formed this 'Unified Demon's Militia.' Still, it's probably best you killed her, Suzuno. Better safe than sorry," Maou shrugged.
Suzuno was alarmed at how careless he sounded. Why wasn't he furious that she'd just murdered one of his kin, right before his eyes?
"S-Sadao?" she asked.
But the Demon Lord wasn't listening. He squatted next to the remains of the raven-demon, staring intently at the sword she had carried. After determining there was no magic preventing him from touching the sword, he carried it over to where Emi, Ashiya, and Urushihara waited with the shopping. Suzuno followed along, keeping her head down and her eyes lowered.
"That was impressive, Crestia Bell," Ashiya admitted. "Even I had a tough time determining where you would strike from."
"I thought you'd all be mad," Suzuno murmured. "I killed a demon. It might've been someone you knew… someone you cared for. They might've had family, or-"
"Don't count on it," Maou said, quickly stuffing the sword down the leg of one of his new pairs of pants before jamming them back into the shopping bag. "That was an Ala. Not too many of them around, and for good reason. They like to destroy farmers' crops and manipulate weather. She must've been searching for us for some time."
"That would explain the unseasonably cold temperatures recently," Ashiya remarked.
"That's where I've heard of it," Emi realized, snapping her fingers, "I was raised in a farming village! We used to tell scary stories about those demons. We even built scarecrows to frighten them away."
"Not to mention they're sort of… gangly," Urushihara said. "They make me feel like I'm playing Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Something scary. Trust us, Suzuno, the world is definitely better off without that one."
"Your video game obsession aside, where exactly do you think she obtained that sword," Ashiya asked, frowning at the Demon King.
"No clue. It looked brand new, so maybe it was just forged."
"But it had your power in it," Urushihara stated, "where could they have gotten it?"
"You're guess is as good as mine," Maou shook his head.
"We can discuss it when I'm not freezing," Emi mumbled, her voice quaking as she shivered and shook. "Let's go back to the Villa Rosa."
As they went, the harsh chill seemed to fade. The snow became light and gentle, and the sky seemed to regain a little lost light. Maou let everyone else carry the supplies up to the Demon Castle before going to get Alas-Ramus from Lailah, Nord, and Acies-Ara.
When he arrived back in his apartment, the others had already begun the process of unpacking and sorting out all of the equipment. From the way things looked, they were set for some time.
"It's best to be prepared," Ashiya commented. "We have no clue how long we'll be stuck in Ente Isla, due to the Hero's lack of experience with opening Gates."
"The more you rub it in, the harder it'll be for me to learn," Emi groaned, collapsing under the weight of everyone's expectations.
"Mama!"
"Alas!"
Maou gave Emi the toddler, wondering how the little girl could bring so much joy when things were so dark and grim. Emi's face lit up, and she hugged the girl to her chest, laughing as she bounced her daughter.
"Mama! You'we back! Did you bwing me anyfin'?"
"I brought lots of stuff that we'll use on our camping trip," Emi smiled.
Maou grimaced. He hated having to lie to his daughter. In truth, Alas-Ramus couldn't quite grasp the suicidal aspect of their plan. She was smart, though, and if she managed to put two and two together, she might not want anyone to go to Ente Isla. Least of all, her favorite Uncle...
"Woocifah! I wanna see Uncwe Woocifah!"
"I'm kinda busy, kiddo," Urushihara muttered, tapping away at the keyboard of his laptop.
"Don't cawe! Wanna see you!"
"You can see me now," the fallen angel replied, "and you can't fool me. You just want to play on the computer, don't you?"
"Yeah!"
"At least you're honest," Urushihara sighed, standing from the computer to take Alas-Ramus from Emi.
"I don't know how you get along so well with her," Emi said in disbelief.
"What can I say? I'm the cool, laid back Uncle. It's probably the reason she says my name better than anyone else's, too. You see, Emi, when you're not imposing your will on a kid, they tend to be grateful for it," Urushihara explained, looking smug.
Maou scoffed. "Yeah, you'd know all about that. I bet you were a tough kid to raise."
"Let's just say I've never been a fan of authority figures." Urushihara took a seat at the computer with Alas-Ramus, who began to smack the keyboard happily.
"Emilia! Satan! Get down here and help us sort out the packs," Suzuno commanded. She was kneeling on the floor by Ashiya, and the both of them were looking rather lost as they rummaged through the shopping bags.
"In a second. Ashiya, toss me that sword, would you?" Maou asked.
He extended a hand and caught it before carefully unwrapping it and laying it on the table, where he looked it over carefully.
It was made of a strange metal, as though the steel had been mixed with something else. The sword was black and incandescent. Looking at it in the right light sent streaks of violet, red and green shooting along the blade.
It was a double sided, straight bladed, hand and a half longsword, and extremely well made. Though it was strangely devoid of any sort of fancy etchings, metalwork, or maker's mark, it was set with a single bloody ruby in the center of the guard.
"There's something familiar about this," Maou muttered.
He ran a finger along the blade, savoring how the demonic energy within swirled around at his touch, like running his hand through a fog.
"If I may offer a guess, sire… I'd say that sword was crafted from the last remaining piece of you in Ente Isla," Ashiya said, carefully rolling up sleeping bags and attaching them to the harnesses on top of their packs.
Maou blinked. "Last remaining piece? I don't think I lost anything in-"
The Demon King broke off, running a hand through his hair, right over the spot where his horns grew when he took on his demon form.
"My horn," Maou scowled, glaring at the blade.
"Indeed, sire. It's the only explanation for the sword having your distinct magical signature."
Emi looked the blade over before taking a deep breath and frowning.
"Smells like burning horn," she said dryly, stepping across the laid out packs to help Ashiya and Suzuno.
The Demon Lord stared at the sword thoughtfully. He had no real use for it. He could make swords out of broomsticks, and with the Crown of Sataniel, he was as sure of himself as he could get (which was saying something, given his god-level ego, and his ambitions for world domination). The only other people with no backup source of demonic energy would be Lailah and Ashiya, and Maou knew who he wanted to carry the sword.
"Alciel," Maou said suddenly, "this is yours now."
"Apologies, my king, but-"
"No buts!" Maou threw the sword back to Ashiya, who caught it by the hilt and raised an eyebrow at his leigelord. "That's an order. You're going to carry this sword with you at all times, and use it whenever you need magic. I'll not have my top advisor waste his strength when I have excess."
Ashiya'a lip trembled, but he sniffled loudly before fixing a determined expression onto his face.
"As you wish, King Satan."
That evening was a raucous affair for the Ente Islans in the Villa Rosa. Suzuno and Lailah worked together to make a large feast, and anything that was leftover would be stored in a cooler, just in case there were no fish to catch at the cabin.
Everyone sat down at a pair of long, foldable tables that Nord provided. No one was forced to sit on the floor and squash themselves around the Devil's table. Emi and Maou took turns feeding Alas-Ramus, who was sitting in a plastic height chair Maou had bought for her earlier.
Even Urushihara (who had been lured from his closet by Suzuno) sat at the table. He looked slightly out of place, until he struck up a conversation with Lailah about the side effects of being a fallen angel. Nord smiled and laughed with Acies-Ara, complementing Emi on her parenting technique.
Ashiya spoke with Suzuno about the food, and for the first time, he made no effort to speak ill of her cooking. He even went so far as to praise it, claiming that he could no longer taste the celestial force.
In fact, all of the residents were being much kinder than usual. They were united in that they would soon be returning to Ente Isla. They all smiled and laughed and talked like a strange, mismatched family. To the casual viewer, it would make little sense. To someone who knew of their true identities, it would make no sense at all. But to them, the outsiders from another world, who'd fought hard and spilled blood in name of their little family, and who were about to make the ultimate sacrifice, it was as though things were as they should be. Throughout the night, each of them found themselves taking a moment to appreciate their odd gathering of fellow Ente Islans. No one seemed all that concerned with titles or roles, and each of them smiled to themselves, wishing that their little party could go on forever, uninterrupted by their responsibilities.
Night gave way to morning once again, but for all anyone knew, it was the last sunrise they would see on Earth. They stayed awake, watching it as it rose before slowly drifting off to sleep.
Chiho woke up that morning, yawning as she reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her phone. To her pleasant surprise, she had received three messages. She rubbed her eyes and frowned at the glaring screen as she adjusted to the brightness. It seemed Rika had gotten a hold of her first.
'I plan on going with them. Meet outside Villa Rosa later for stake out if interested. Love you.'
Chiho's eyes shot wide. Rika couldn't seriously be considering going to Ente Isla… could she? And she definitely wasn't inviting Chiho to go along, right? That would be irresponsible, considering Chiho's school life, job, parents, friends, and everyone else who would notice her absence.
The high schooler then thought about Maou and the others. They were going to try and put an end to all the fighting. Chiho shivered as a fire burned within her. It ate away at her fear and hesitation until she realized that she wanted nothing more than to join her friends in the other world. She needed to do what was right, and that was supporting her comrades.
She put her fingers to the keys and replied with two words: 'I'm in.'
Energy poured through Chiho, and sent tingles running along her limbs. She was going to do it. She was going to Ente Isla! The second message was strange in that it had no sender. There wasn't even an explanation. There was, quite simply, no number to be had.
'Everyone is leaving today. You must enter the Gate.'
Chiho had no clue as to who the message was from, but she was sure it would be a mistake for her to simply ignore it. She saved that for later though, as she had another message from someone she rarely ever texted.
"Kisaki?" Chiho wondered aloud.
She opened the text and read through it, learning that Maou had been suspended for whatever he'd done to her. Apparently, he could return to work after he'd gotten his stuff together, and apologized to Chiho.
The high school girl sighed and laid back against her pillows. She had to wake up and get ready for school. If things went wrong and the Ente Islans left early, she might be stuck cutting class to go and follow after them. She took a deep breath, astounded by the drive in her veins. Chiho felt like she could practically taste the air in Ente Isla already. Even if she died, she wanted her friends to know that she cared for them as much as they cared for her.
The sun set earlier in the evening, though it was still warmer than it had been for the last week. The inhabitants of the Villa Rosa awoke to a gorgeous skyline filled with oranges, reds, and pinks. Two years of accumulated anticipation became etched into the faces of the Devil, the Hero, and their allies. This was it, the moment they'd dreamt of ever since they'd first come to Earth. Surely the half an hour they had to wait for the sun to sink beneath the horizon would be no problem, especially after waiting for so long.
No one spoke. No one dared move. It seemed everyone was lost in thoughts of home. Emi and Nord saw a little house amid a field of golden wheat. Maou and Ashiya saw grand corridors and shadowy throne rooms. Urushihara and Lailah saw splendid golden streets and white marble terraces.
With the prospects of returning to their old homes actually substantial for the first time in ages, a nervous excitement wove through the group. However, unknown to any of them, two young women were standing on the other side of the cinder block wall that separated the yard from the street.
Chiho and Rika stood at the ready. They would be entering the Gate just after the last of the Ente Islan troop, as it would take a few moments to close completely. Rika was wearing a coat over her normal clothes, along with a backpack full of necessities. Chiho was packed similarly, but she wore a strange frown on her face. Rika supposed it was because the girl was leaving her family behind to help her friends. If they had switched places, Rika was not sure she would want to leave, but with things as they were, she found the girl's resolve inspiring.
"Can we leave yet?" groaned the familiar voice of the NEET fallen angel.
His whining made Chiho wince, but she clapped a hand to her mouth so that her gasp was not heard. No one seemed to notice, and the only response came from Ashiya.
"When the sun has fully set, then yes, we will leave."
"But why do we have to wait for the sun to go down?"
"So that no one will be able to see eight people vanish into a portal to another world, moron," Maou said. "Seriously, did you listen to the plan at all?"
"I got the gist of it." Urushihara mumbled.
Rika could practically hear the smirk on Urushihara's face, and she thought she understood Ashiya's disdain for him a little better.
"Hey, do you guys think Chiho and Rika will be ok?" Emi wondered.
"If we can pull this off, they'll be just fine. Humans are great at bouncing back. Just wait, they'll forget all about us in a few months. They'll get so caught up in their own lives that we'll be dismissed as figments of their imagination or something," Maou laughed.
"Don't insult their intelligence-" Emi began.
Ashiya cut her off, "His majesty means no disrespect. He is simply voicing his hopes that they will be fine without us."
"I can speak for myself," Maou muttered.
"If you spoke for yourself all the time, you'd likely be dead by now, sire."
The silence returned in full force. The sun had fallen behind the shadow of Tokyo, but its residual light kept the sky bright for another twenty minutes. Finally, it grew dark to the point where vision became limited, and Maou stood up from his seat on the bottom of the steps of the Villa Rosa. He dusted off his pants and zipped up his hooded sweatshirt before turning to look at the old place one last time.
He recalled the first time he'd ever laid eyes on it. He'd thought of the place as unfit for habitation. It turned out that he had been wrong. Coming home to a place all his own each night after work had made that little apartment into a home. There had been fights and arguments, laughter, tears, and despair the likes of which he couldn't have foreseen. Looking at it now, there was no way of knowing that any of his memories of the room 201 had ever even taken place. For all its faded glory, it was impossible to see how much it truly meant to the Demon Lord and his Generals. Maou took a deep breath of chill night air and silently thanked the apartment for playing host to a broken down bum of a Devil, who could've stood to appreciate the place a little more. With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned away from the building, hoping that the landlady wouldn't send a bunch of bills to his address after he'd died.
"Well, let's get this show on the road," Maou said to those gathered outside of Castle.
They all stood in a circle with their hands in their coat pockets, looking impatient. Urushihara was shivering, even with his new thermal coat. Ashiya, in his wisdom, had put on a simple black beanie hat, which was now dotted with white flakes of snow.
All around them, snow had begun to fall. Everyone stared at Maou, who was watching it drift down thoughtlessly.
"Yo, you can be nostalgic and crap when we have a fire going at camp," Urushihara piped up.
Instead of smacking the fallen angel over the back of the head, Emi simply rolled her eyes and scoffed at his lack of empathy.
'I'll call that the one I owe him,' Emi thought, 'and the next time he says something stupid, I'm definitely gonna hit him.'
"I'm taking a moment to undo the seals on the Crown, dipshit," Maou muttered.
His fingers were wrapped around the Crown of Sataniel, which he'd managed to wrap in a cloth and stuff into his sweatshirt pocket. Unsealing it was a delicate process, as he needed to use enough energy to open and control a Gate without returning to his demon form. Any other demon might have failed, but the Demon King not so careless.
"Got it," he muttered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.
About ten feet off to the right of the group, in the front yard of the Villa Rosa, a swirling vortex of power appeared with the sound of a hurricane. Everyone turned to stare at it in awe. Each of them could sense the familiar power coming through the Gate. Somewhere on the other side of that shadowy abyss laid the lands of Ente Isla, which was rich in magical energy. The glowing borders of the portal hissed as snow struck it and melted away in an instant.
"Home," Emi muttered to herself.
Urushihara didn't bother to mock the weakness in her tone. He found that the familiar energy coming through the Gate was enough to bring tears to his eyes. No longer would he be called a NEET. He would return to his station of Demon General. No one would mock him again without severe and swift retribution.
"Ok, let's get a move on," Maou said, "keeping this Gate open is getting harder and harder to do without regaining my true form."
Emi went first, walking purposefully into the portal until her feet left the ground and she was pulled forward by the power of the Gate. Lailah, Nord, and Acies went next, followed by Suzuno and Urushihara. Ashiya gave his king a slight bow before diving into the Gate headfirst. Then, it was Maou's turn to go.
Within his mind, he could sense the slumbering presence of Alas-Ramus, whom had been put to bed early. He hoped she would stay asleep while he passed through the Gate, otherwise he was doomed to carry a shrieking toddler the whole time. Maou took a deep breath, preparing himself for the journey home when a familiar voice behind him made him whip around.
"GO, GO, GOOO!"
Hurtling at the Demon King, heads down and coats flapping in the wind, were Chiho and Rika.
"What the- Hey, what's the big ideaAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"
By the time Maou had finished asking his question, the two girls had tackled the Demon King backward, sending all three of them careening into the Gate before it slammed shut behind them, leaving the front yard of the Villa Rosa barren, with several sets of footprints in the snow that ended where the Gate had been.
Emi and the others reached Ente Isla fairly quickly. Apparently, the Demon King had used his magic to speed up the trip through the Gate, for it only took a few minutes to traverse. The Gate remained open behind them, but Maou was nowhere to be seen.
"He probably forgot to take a whiz before we left," Urushihara laughed.
"That is your King, and I'll remind you that seeing as we are back in Ente Isla, such treasonous speech is punishable by death," Ashiya said.
"If you think you can take me, be my guest," Urushihara said, raising an eyebrow and grinning wickedly.
"Shut up," Emi said, waving a hand at the demons, "I think I hear Maou."
Sure enough, his cries echoed through the Gate, growing louder with each passing moment.
"DaaaaAAAAAAMMNNN IIIIIIIITTTTT!"
Maou hit the ground, looking as though he'd put on quite a bit of weight… like, two more bodies worth of weight. That was when Chiho and Rika shook their heads, noticed they were still alive, and high-fived.
"Yes! Operation 'Invade Ente Isla' was a huge…success," Chiho's voice grew infinitesimal as she noticed the angry stares of everyone around her.
"No, it wasn't," Emi growled, "you two are going right back into that Gate!"
Maou freed himself from the dead weight of Chiho and Rika and pushed himself to his feet. He cussed under his breath, noting how his entire front was now wet and muddy.
"Aw, man, this sucks. I just had these washed… and you two! What the hell were you thinking?! Now I have to waste even more magic sending you both back," he yelled, throwing his hands over his head.
That was when a hunting horn blasted its call across the land. Maou stopped yelling for a moment and took in his surroundings.
The air was brisk, and the sun was rising in the east. The field they stood in was filled with dew-drenched knee high grass. From across the large, barren field, Maou could make out a forest on his right. To his left, the land dropped off before sprawling out and giving him a view of large farmsteads and wide fields of crops. In front of him rose a set of foothills which were wrapped in a dense fog.
The thunder of hooves grew loud, and from the forest galloped a large battalion of men in shining steel plate armor. The man in the lead blew a fine ivory horn that was edged with silver. Unlike the men under his command, he wore no helmet, and his blonde hair and beard shone brightly in the sun, even from across the field. A cape billowed spectacularly behind him as he steered his company towards the Demon King and his allies.
"Those are Knight from the Church," Suzuno noted. "I'm not sure which order."
"Templars," Emi said. "Those are Templars from the Order of the Holy Trinity."
"How can you tell," Ashiya asked, stepping forward to peer at the soldiers with his superior demonic vision.
"Because I recognize the man in the lead," Emi said miserably. "That's Sir Henric. He's the one who taught me how to fight with a sword."
Author's Notes:
Ladies and Gentleman, the Devil has returned to Ente Isla.
Everyone's gone to Ente Isla.
Even Chiho and Rika, those clever girls. This can only end in disaster and hilarity.
And for those of you expecting more... you can stop that right now. I plan on taking some much needed quality time to refocus my chakras or whatever. I don't plan on updating the story until it's completely finished. It may take some time, but I think the results will be worth it... Let me be clear, I'm NOT abandoning this fic. I'll be working on it, but not updating. This will allow for a better story, in my opinion, as I will have better continuity, and fewer grammar and spelling errors
So my first plans were to get this fic completed by the anniversary of my posting it here on FF. Then my plan was to do five chapters. Then I settled with just getting the group to Ente Isla. I hit that mark, but that's about it. Also, I've been shortening my chapters, because thirteen thousand words for a chapter is too god damn many.
Now, I would've gotten farther, but in a moment of inspiration, I added the Ala. For those of you unfamiliar, Ala are demons from Russia. They take the forms of ravens, dragons, etc and create bad weather to ruin crops. Feel free to look them up on Wikipedia. Oh, and the Devil quit his job... or he tried too, but Kisaki won't let him get away that easy... and what about the United Demon's Militia? Geez, you'd think someone had it out for these poor guys...
MUSIC!
Demons-Joji (Papa Franku is making music again)
I Need a Win-Unlike Pluto
Nothing Wrong With Me-Unlike Pluto
Unstoppable-The Score
Revolution-The Score
Say It Ain't So-Wheezer
Street Fight-Adam Jensen
Bad Man-Esterly ft. Austin Jenkles
Death Valley-Fall Out Boy
Save Rock and Roll-Fall Out Boy
Play With Fire- Sam Tinnesz
Legends Are Made-Sam Tinnesz
Wolves-Sam Tinnesz
Heaven-Los Lonely Boys
The Devil You Know-X Ambassadors
Quantum Immortality-Crywolf
That's all I have for now. Next time I post, this story will be done! Thanks for reading thus far! Oh, and Happy New Year.