This chapter will be making a lot of people happy. Enjoy
Nafra sat as Madame President paced back and forth. At the very least Madame President let Nafra keep Nafra's suit on, otherwise Nafra would feel very scared. "What can I do about it? He's had three girls confess to him on the same day! One of them even stole his first kiss! I can't just do the same, he'll just get scared and hide again! Ugh, this would be so much easier if he wasn't so cute and likable!"
"Nagayo." Nafra agreed, the boy was a scared animal that caused others to nurture him, which in term made everyone fall in love … or he was a hyper violent ball of spite that turned people on. Really a mixed bag on that.
"That's not even to mention we're in different years! If I was just a year younger, or if he was a year older, I could've gotten closer to him like Oni and Valac have! I could've approached him more naturally, we could've spent more time at school doing more than just reading First Love Memories!"
"Nagayo." Nafra was still curious why Nafra never heard of that book before the Harvest Festival, but was still glad Nafra was in Izuku's year.
"And what really frustrates me about this is you!" Nafra felt the need to run and hide, as futile as that would've been. "You're in the perfect position to get closer, and you haven't done much aside from the Tea Party Talks!"
Nafra shook Nafra's head. "Nagayo." Izuku didn't need anyone else, like Ameri said. Nafra was fine watching him from the shadows, being happy and never approaching. "Nagayo."
"You're right. Izzy and I already share things we don't with others. I...I know so much about him that he hasn't said to anyone else, he knows things about me I can't say to anyone else...that has to me there's something there, right? RIGHT?"
"Nagayo." It did mean there was a deep bond.
"Okay then, so I'm already in the lead. Plus we're reading later today. So I can just relax and-" Madame President is interrupted with a phone call. "Oh, it's father. Hello?" Silence. "Really? Um, can it wait?" She begins looking frustrated. "I understand."
"Nagayo?" That didn't sound good.
Nafra was immediately proved right when Ameri threw her hellphone at the wall, breaking it into pieces. "Damn it, Father! I know you're not Izzy's biggest fan, but my life should stay my life!" Nafra began backing away. "It's...it's the Deviculum tonight. I have to get ready now, or else my ambition will be 'too weak'."
"Nagayo." A demon had to do what a demon had to do for their ambition.
"I want to take my father's place at Border Control someday, even his seat at the crows eventually, but...what's the point if I don't do it next to who I love…?" The Pres...Ameri looked like she was about to cry.
"Na...It'll….be….alright." Nafra took Nafra's hood off, patting Ameri on the shoulder. "He'll...still….be…..here…"
"Right….I guess he will be." Ameri wiped her face. "Thanks Nafra. You always know exactly what to say."
"Nagayo." She slipped her hood back on. That was enough talking for the month.
Opera hummed as they used a very heavy pair of scissors on the young master's head. "Steady now … steady …"
"Opera, do you really need to use something the size of my body?"
"Your curls already made me lose my last pair of scissors." Opera would find them … eventually. "You may keep your jungle hairstyle almost any other day of the year, but not tonight. The Deviculum is essential for anyone looking to make a major impact in the Netherworld. If you value your ambition, you won't take this lightly."
"Right, building connections. Being Demon King is a lot more complicated than just being a hero." The young master sighed.
"Of course, Master Sullivan is doing his best to put the competition in your favor as we speak." The boy stopped fidgeting as soon as they mentioned that.
"... He's not … cheating right? I don't want to …" Ah yes, the reason they didn't accept magic during the Execution Cannonball event. Time to rectify.
"He couldn't outright cheat even if he tried. The Demon King is far too high of a role to do so. He's just lowering the age class to those still in school, rather than just the three Lords."
"As long as he's not just handing it to me, I'll be good. This is the whole Netherworld at stake. The last thing anyone needs is someone unqualified incharge."
"That's why the crows exist. To destroy the livelihood of the unworthy daring to approach the throne." They once saw a man break in and try to steal the throne in its entirety. He was quickly dispatched with a ruined skeletal structure as they went about to ruin his family life and finances.
"Okay, that's...that's terrifying, but that's nothing new either." Izuku rolled his eyes. "I understand myself, but why is mom coming too? She doesn't even have a rank. Won't that look suspicious to everyone else?"
"Lord Sullivan just wanted to have fun with his daughter for a change of pace." Well that and she insisted on making sure no one there tried to murder the boy. Opera was completely capable of that. "Imagine it as a fun family outing that's also one of the most important events of your life, then stop imagining because it's happening in reality."
"You really know how to take the pressure off of someone don't you?" Well it seemed Asmodeus's sarcasm was rubbing off on the boy. "Thanks anyway, it's nice to count on you guys."
"It's what I aim to do." They got back to the cutting. "Now lets see, maybe a little of the top right…" CRUNCH "...there's the scissors. Knew they would turn up eventually."
"Nice to see you, count Goetia." Henri Azazel greeted yet another higher up, having to deal with memorization of every face, no matter how likable they were.
"Oh, it's my pleasure, Sir Azazel." The tall owl demon bowed, wearing regal attire along with a cape that had actual stars flowing. "Oh my, is that your daughter with you? I would've brought my little Owlet, but Octavia chose to stay behind with her mother this weekend."
"Of course, I hope she's doing well." He didn't want to touch the domestic dispute with a ten foot pole, so it was very lucky the mother wasn't here. "So how does the business go?"
"Bringing forth beauty to the working class, as usual." The demon shrugged. "And I hear Border Patrol showed up late to two major events." The smirk rubbed him the wrong way.
"I myself was actually on scene during the second one."
"And yet so much collateral damage stopped by a fourteen year old boy." A lesson he learned during his earlier years helped him restrain the rage of snapping someone's neck.
"Now, now, said boy has done plenty as it is." He turned, Asmodeus making her way over to their group. "Azazel, a pleasure."
"Likewise, Asmodeus." The two have been at odds with each other, more so than usual. It was times like this that he missed the fact she was hardly around for the crow meetings as it was. "I see Alice has declined to join you as well?"
"Oh, it was his choice. In return me and him will spend the entire last month together … and he knows not to break a promise to me." She smirked in a way that sent a collective shiver down the room. "But Ameri looks well, if a bit bored."
"Yes, she...has quite a lot on her plate at school." And by that he meant she was so obsessed with the bas...with Midoriya that she was letting it run her life. "I brought her out as a means to clear her head a little."
"I know what you mean. She has so much competition for Inko's baby. One can only take the stress for so long." She smiled in a way that made him feel like he was about to regret everything. "You know, I can give her some lessons, free of charge for a friend." And he was right.
"Take a single step towards her and I'll throw you out into the Human world and back again."
"Oh, no need to be so hostile, I'm genuine in my offer. After all, it's worked so well for Stolas here, isn't that right?" She winked at the Goetia.
The man in question looked very nervous. "Um, well, funny thing...is that Lord Sullivan?" The two raised eyebrows, turning and seeing a crowd gathering around the man himself.
"Hello everyone, I've made it for the first time in years! Everyone, take a look at my daughter! Isn't she just adorable!?" The man in question shouted elatedly, pushing the poor woman from behind as everyone's attention was now on her.
"Wait, Sullivan has a child?"
"His Grandson is One For All."
"Then how come we've never heard of her before?"
"She does look pretty cute."
"Like someone brought a fluffy pillow to life."
So Inko was here, at the very least he could try and get her admittance, act as a comfort she could talk to … especially considering the only other option was Asmodeus, who was looking with sparkly eyes at the woman in a green dress. "Calm yourself, Amaryllis, you'll start leaking from the mouth at that rate." Count Goetia chuckled.
"Need I remind you what happened at Eden two months ago?" Amaryllis countered. "How a certain someone ordered the 'Angel Dust' special?"
"Oh would you look at that, someone else I know, I'll leave you be." He almost felt sorry for the owl demon … almost. Regardless, Inko made her way over.
"It's nice to see some familiar faces, even if I'm here to meet new people and spend time with Papa." She spoke with a smile that so resembled that of her son. It actually looked very pleasant on her. "Sorry for all the commotion. Papa just wants to show off his family like usual. Oh look, he's already taking out the scrapbook."
"Here's Izuku-kun trying Katsudon for the first time! And here's my grandson getting ranked to He(5) with all his little friends! And here's my daughter going to her first school dance." The man was a nightmare to be around, as always.
"Well then, would you like to sit back with some wine, or dance?" Asmodeus asked the woman with a slight bow. "I'm open to suggestions~ as well." There were children here!
"Oh, no thanks, I'm mostly here for Izuku. Papa thought his debut would be a calmer way to get his name out there without the usual chaos that surrounds him." At least the mother acknowledged...wait what?
"Did you say Izuku was here?" Henri asked, now looking around for his daughter and the bastard. He brought her here to get him out of her head, not the other way around.
"Actually, why don't I take a dance with you Henri." She grabbed his hand, and it was only the ballroom code that prevented him from running off and searching for his princess. Damn you conniving and spiteful woman …
"I'm starting to see what Kalego finds in you." For some reason that confused her and Asmodeus gave him a look once again.
"What do you mean? We're just friends." Yes, friends, and evil masterminds as well. That must be why he keeps her around. Who knew Kalego was such an anarchist deep down? It's always the people you least expect.
Ameri greeted yet another stranger as she went about this. Conversations being run by her body instead of her wandering mind. Demons so wrapped up in success and status they couldn't see anything important, like love. She would have taken Asmodeus at this point, at least he was tolerable.
Each new demon she saw became more and more faceless. They all blended in with each other. All of them acknowledged her solely for her rank. They didn't know her, they didn't know her ambitions, her desires, her dreams...they didn't know her like Izzy did.
"Hello, you must be Ameri Azazel. You're as stunning as the rumors say." Another faceless aristocrat said to her. Yes, that's all she was to them. Just a family name and nothing more. The man in front of her was offering her hand, obviously wanting a dance.
'This, this is something I have to do...no matter how much I hate it. It's my duty...just my duty….not my dream...my Izzy..
"Ameri Azazel, would you care to take me for a dance?" Wow, it was so bad she was starting to day dream. Why else would Izzy walk up to her in such a lovely suit with his hair slicked down, looking at her with determination while holding out his lovely hand.
She internally debated whether to follow the dream and risk looking like a fool in public ... screw it, worst comes to worse she can fake illness. "I would be delighted, Izuku Midoriya." She bent over, once again cursing her height, and grabbed his hand.
"Let's, um, take this outside. We're drawing a-a crowd." Wow, this dream was getting really vivid. She almost felt Izzy pulling her outside as everyone watched. She must've passed out from a bad punch or something.
"MIDORIYA YOU BAS…" Ameri was shaken out of her delirium as her father shouted across the room, frozen in mid air, being held back by...Mamadoriya?
"Don't worry, you kids just have fun." The mother waved at them kindly.
Wait, why would both of their parents be in her fantasy? She wondered how, as the cold night air … cold? Oh this wasn't a fantasy … this wasn't bad punch … it was real. Izzy was taking her to dance in private … Well if she ever had the chance to die happy, now was it. 'Hit me with your best shot, Devi!'
Both of them made their way to the fountain, their hands holding each other, holding each other so close, and...and they were still standing. "Uh, I have to admit, I don't know how to dance. I-you looked like you were stressed out with something, and I thought you could use some time away from all that." Well that's one part of her fantasy wrecked … but she could fix it.
Ameri giggled. "Then I suppose I'll have to take you up on your offer, shouldn't I?" She held his hands high above his head. "Follow my lead." She kept it slow, moving him along with her body as they started to move around the fountain gently. "One leg in, one back, two steps forward …"
"Like this..?" Izzy followed her lead, once again the role reversal was apparent, but she couldn't help but love it. Guiding him, holding him...it felt right. "Wait, there's something I'd like to try, if..if you don't mind."
Trying to take the lead? Izzy's boldness was always so endearing. "Go ahead, Izzy. I trust you."
He nodded. "Fractal." His body began floating up and up … it was like she was holding a balloon. "Oh, right, I need one for both of us. Fractal." She began flying up to… a moonlit dance in the sky … better than anything she could ever imagine.
"Izzy.." She breathlessly whispered as they continued the dance as if they were on the ground. Izzy probably had this whole explanation about it just being another way to practice magic, but she knew that it was really just his way to make her happy.
'He's going above and beyond to keep everyone happy...I'll do the same. My ambition is linked to yours, Izzy-kun. We're inseparable now.'
Izuku leaned back against the stairs. "I need to … be more careful … with fractal … zero g isn't good on the stomach." He groaned.
"There there, you're just beginning, that's all." Ameri spoke as she patted the boy on the head. "You really need to stop being so reckless." She chastised, but she was laughing too. She looked so happy, not miserable like she was inside. "Thank you, Izzy. I needed this."
"Yeah, I needed this too." He admitted to her. Truth be told, there was a lot on his mind ever since the Music Festival, and it all stemmed from the three closest friends he's made in the past year. He rethought the interaction he's had with them, especially since every hangout he's had with Ameri was technically...no….they WERE dates. "You know the whole aqua park thing really should have given it away." He admitted to her. "We were in swimsuits the whole time, just the two of us."
"Yeah, I didn't think I needed to say anything." Ameri blushed. "I..I knew you would've freaked out if I said it out loud, and you were afraid of me at the beginning." This was all true. "But now you're not … right?"
"Well besides you being a tall woman who can crush me, I like to think we're close enough that I don't need to feel afraid." He laughed. "So what's the second year like, as insane as the first one?"
"Even more so." Her chuckles were soothing to hear. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but the teachers plan on mixing things up for the Misfits Class, so they're planning something special, especially for your Ranking exams." Well that was comforting.
"Kalego-sensei is going to murder us." He deadpanned. "Either, I guess next rank up I'll reach your level." Izuku smiled at her. "Then we can be twinsies, like Eiko said … or you rank up and I'll have to reach that next goal."
"Your determination really is cute, you know that?" And now he realized they were flirting. Great, he really was dense. "Before the first ranking exam, you had that ambition inside of you, but it kept going out. I thought of it as my duty to see you become exceptional...and a part of me still sees it like that."
"I wouldn't have ever gotten this far without you." He admitted. "You're the first person I've ever met that told me I can become a hero … you're still one of the most important people of my life Ameri, always will be." She blushed, ah, too much, but there was more he needed to say. "I, you remember what I said to you about Bakugo, at Walter Park?"
"Yes...I've made sure to keep it to myself." Ameri nodded. "I can find a way to sneak up there and kill him if you want me to, or at least critically injure him."
"What, no, don't hurt him!" He shouted. "Despite how fucked up it is, I still admire the guy … he was my idea of victory, even if he did put me down for a lot of my life, I still want him to succeed." Ameri looked particularly pissed at those words. "And..but now, when I think of success in the netherworld, of someone who's always...winning, I'm...I picture you." She blushed hard. "I can't imagine what it'll take to reach your level, even if we get the same rank I know I'll be leagues behind and … I just want you to know I'll chase you. You're my ambition."
Ameri brought him into a tight hug. "I..You don't know how good with words you really are, Izzy." She laughed, and laughed as he felt a small wetness on his shoulder. "The funny thing is...I feel the same way about you."
"Ameri.." He found his face grabbed by the girl, similar to how they first met, except this was gentle...comforting….he felt safe in her hands.
Ameri watched as he met her eye to eye. "Izuku, I know that you've dealt with a lot, even before you've lived in the Netherworld, so...please forgive me for being selfish."
"Ameri..what do you.."
She didn't let him finish as she leaned in, placing a hand on his cheek and giving him a kiss, on the lips. It wasn't just a simple one like when Clara kissed him, but one more slowly, one where he slipped and felt himself leaning into it."I know you have a lot of doubts, so I want you to know this above everything else: I love you, Izuku Midoriya. No matter what path you take, I love you with every ounce of my beating heart."
He could feel steam coming out of his ears, trying to speak but only high pitched noises that even dogs couldn't comprehend were coming out of his mouth. Even with what sounded like the happy squeals of his mother, or the angry shouting of , or the sound of Grandpa with his camera, he couldn't focus on anything else except what he and Ameri just did...and how much he liked….how much he loved it.
