Uuuuh, so there is some Iruma/Asmodeus this chapter, as well as exploring the hella vague nature of Asmodeus's Bloodline Magic. We're on Day 4, and while this entire section is brand new to the doc, the contents are something I've been thinking about/through for the past week along with some other stuff down the line. Oh, and uh... don't... don't mind me borrowing from Inuyasha. -laughs nervously in cringe-
Please let me know if you like the chapter!
Blood Divine, Spilt Upon the Desperate Soul
xXx-xXx-crimson-xXx-xXx
To say Asmodeus was troubled was an understatement.
He had barely been able to sleep after overhearing the conversation between Iruma and the other mysterious voice, because now that he was made aware of it…
Asmodeus was losing Mana at a concerning rate.
He felt a nagging tiredness that wasn't notable before, and he could now associate it with his Mana draining like water dripping from a broken faucet. He was also, unfortunately, becoming increasingly restless with his continued boredom.
He was becoming rather close to falling into his Wicked Phase, and that would be disastrous here.
Asmodeus took a deep calming breath as he wiped away toothpaste from his mouth and ran his fingers through his hair to neaten his appearance. He was grateful that Sullivan seemed to have used some sort of Magic on him to keep his body clean, but he still sorely missed the feeling of cleansing his own skin.
He couldn't imagine having to take the sort of dry baths Iruma-sama had this morning as a nurse had wiped him down as he pretended to continue dozing.
Asmodeus sighed softly as he washed his hands and left the tiny personal bathroom in Iruma's room and looked over his soulmate.
Iruma noted his gaze and furrowed his brow, "Are you alright Azz-kun?"
Asmodeus rubbed his shoulder tiredly, "I'm… not." He cut himself off, pursing his lips in shame. He didn't want to worry Iruma while he was recovering, but his personal situation was going to get dire for the both of them quickly.
Iruma's eyes widened a bit and he sat up straighter, "Azz-kun." Asmodeus looked towards his partner, and Iruma extended his hand to him, "You're bored to death here, right?"
Asmodeus flushed in shame as he quickly went over to Iruma and took his hand. "I-Iruma-sama, you could never-"
Iruma gave him a serious look, "Azz-kun." Asmodeus shut his mouth with a click as Iruma continued, "I'm bored here too. But that's not as much of a problem for me as it is you, right?"
Asmodeus inhaled sharply before exhaling tiredly, "Yes."
Iruma searched him for a bit before seeming to come to a conclusion and squeezed his hand, "Azz-kun. I'm… not really comfortable with the idea of not having you near me right now, but I also can't just keep you here." He looked at their hands and brought them to his chest with a hint of a blush, "If… if you could leave something with me, I think it'd be alright if you took a short walk."
Asmodeus blinked in surprise. "I also don't feel comfortable leaving your side but…" He smiled thinly, "I am worried about going into my Wicked Phase if I stay cooped up in here much longer." Iruma gave him a bashful smile as he continued, "You always were strangely capable of focusing when we demons cannot."
Iruma nodded awkwardly and gave his hand a final squeeze before letting him go. Asmodeus rummaged around in his pockets and stiffened before he pulled out two phones. He stared at them both blankly as he realized he had not only his phone, but Iruma's as well.
They were both out of battery, but he held them towards Iruma, "Would this be alright?"
Iruma brightened at the sight of them and took them one at a time, setting them on his lap with an embarrassed smile, "That'll help me a lot, thank you Azz-kun."
Asmodeus nodded before he allowed himself a moment of hesitation.
A moment to think through a possible theory that he had come up with during his restless night.
"U-uhm, Iruma-sama, if I might be so bold..?"
Iruma blinked up at him, "Hm? What is it Azz-kun?"
Asmodeus swallowed dryly. This wasn't something he'd planned to go through with so quickly, but he needed to know sooner or later if his racing thoughts were correct.
Humans were not quite the source of power demons made them out to be- sure, they had desires and whatnot, but…
Asmodeus pocketed his glasses before hesitantly cupping the side of Iruma's face with meek affection. Iruma tensed as warmth and confusion bloomed on his face, "A-azz…kun?"
Asmodeus sighed softly to himself as he came close, their noses a mere inch apart as he kept Iruma's gaze, "May I..?"
Iruma inhaled softly in surprise before closing his eyes. Asmodeus supposed that was permission enough and closed the distance between them.
Ah.
Asmodeus felt his Bloodline Magic surge in his veins as he felt a special spark of something from Iruma.
He indulged himself for a long moment before pulling himself back, afraid he would be dragged down by his blood too quickly. To anyone else, it was a mere repeated touching of lips, but for him it was far more… satisfying.
He sighed softly as he met Iruma's flustered gaze and he pressed their foreheads together in affection before backing away, "Thank you, Iruma-sama. I'll return before long."
Iruma nodded, his thoughts muddled as he tried to catch his breath and recollect his composure, "R-right. Have a nice walk, Azz-kun."
Amodeus nodded while putting his detection warding glasses back on and made his way out of the room. He closed the door behind him before making his way down the hall. He had no plans to leave the floor, but he would make a few slow and leisurely laps to stretch out his legs while staying out of the way.
Asmodeus took in a deep breath and touched his lips in a slight daze.
He strongly disliked making use of his Bloodline Magic in any way, as it was something he found immeasurably embarrassing. However, it seemed that as things were, he was in desperate need of fulfillment in more than one manner.
It didn't seem to matter if it was a tiniest of pin drops, or even a cup's worth of arousal. Any drop he could get ahold of would feed his Magic and refill his Mana.
Iruma had been gracious before when he let him off the hook, when he hesitated on explaining what his Bloodline Magic actually was. Iruma was terribly perceptive like that, and he honed his fire ever further because Iruma loved his flames so much.
But that didn't change the Magic that was most natural to him within his blood, and he was in a bad enough state that it had activated all on its own.
Asmodeus rubbed his neck restlessly with red cheeks, 'How shameful, Asmodeus Alice.'
However, if it hadn't been for that voice's words the night before, he may not have ever entertained the idea of kissing Iruma to see if he could gain something from it. But because he had, he could only conclude that the only reason his Mana hadn't been draining at the rate it had begun to after Iruma woke up, was more than likely because he had held his hand almost non-stop since Sullivan had taken away Iruma's parents.
Iruma was supporting his continued presence here, somehow.
He licked his lips and came to a stop as his eyes widened in recollection.
Iruma-sama had fed him his blood to heal him, hadn't he?
He made himself move again, his thoughts running a mile a minute as he realized Iruma wouldn't understand what he'd done.
What sharing blood meant in the Demon World!
Of course. His education was not the same as theirs, and it was knowledge all demons were expected to know no later than thirteen.
Asmodeus noticed a public place to wash his hands, and decided it was time to cool his face a little with some water.
His heart was pounding in his chest as he forced himself to swallow dryly while allowing cold water to run over his too-hot skin.
It didn't seem to particularly matter that he was human, but Iruma had enacted the start of a bonding ceremony which was normally only reserved to two instances. The most common was a Master-to-Security Devil life pact. The other, was when two demons bound their lives together in marriage, sharing their blood to ensure their bloodlines and power would continue to the next generation.
Asmodeus shut the water off and wiped his hands down with his kerchief as his thoughts raced. This was… wonderfully bad and the absolute sort of trouble Iruma was prone to, wasn't it?
He exhaled heavily in an attempt to compose himself before his nerves burned.
It wasn't the burn of fire or lightning, no, this burn was different and foreign. He gasped and turned sharply, taking a step back to get away from that threatening energy.
He froze in surprise as Iruma's Doctor watched him with a frighteningly calm smile. A smile that reminded him far too much of Amy Kirio's the last he'd seen him.
Asmodeus felt his fire flair in his hand before he quenched it with a tight fist as he bore his fangs. "What are you?"
The Doctor was silent for a beat before his demeanor relaxed and he rubbed the back of his head, "Ah, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that, Asmodeus Alice-kun."
Asmodeus stiffened, "How do you know my name?" He recalled Iruma only referring to him as Azz-kun around others, so why..?
The Doctor hummed as the strange and foreign power faded away to nothing, leaving only the feeling of static on Asmodeus's skin "Here wouldn't be a good place to talk." He motioned for him to follow with his hand, "I'd like to speak with you in my office about a few things. Oh, and don't worry, I won't keep you from Suzuki-sama too long, I am well aware of how much his emotional stability relies on your presence at this time."
Asmodeus frowned as he slowly followed behind the strange Doctor. He felt uneasy, but he also knew it wouldn't be wise to ignore him. He didn't speak another word, even as he gave the Doctor a suspicious look as he was herded into a rather spartan, yet cozy office space.
The Doctor waved at an open chair, "Sit over there and make yourself comfortable. I'm afraid I don't have any of that hellgrey tea you're used to, so I hope you don't mind plain old human green tea."
Asmodeus was baffled as he sat down stiffly, "I will take anything you give me graciously, thank you."
The Doctor snickered as he finished filling a plastic cup with warm liquid and handed it over to the young demon. "Well, aren't you overly formal." He sat down with his own cup behind his desk, "Sorry for scaring you earlier. I didn't quite mean to let my power leak out like that." He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "It's not really my style, but I felt a surge of your power earlier and I suppose I just wanted to keep you in check."
Asmodeus frowned deeply, "How do you know about demons?" If the man was going to mention something as mundane as hellgrey tea, then clearly he knew more than he should.
The Doctor hummed as he clasped his hands in front of him with his elbows on his desk. He was unconsciously grinning, "I come from a long line of priests, monks, and priestesses. My family's shrine seems to have some 'gaps' that allow those of unique origin to cross through on accident. On our side, we call those who disappear and reappear without explanation as being "spirited away." I don't think there's a term for it on your side, but sometimes your kind accidentally crosses over into our lands. I work with the Demon Border Patrol to get those who cross into our side back to you, and vice versa."
Asmodeus blinked. That made… a strange sort of sense. He pursed his lips before asking, "Is there a "Detective" from my side working with yours on Iruma-sama's case?"
The Doctor nodded, "Yes. The three of us are collaborating to decide what it is we should do in this particularly unique situation. Suzuki-sama's circumstances are a first, and without his primary Guardian to question, we're in a bit of a clutch."
Asmodeus forced himself to take a cautious sip of his tea. It didn't have a strong flavor, but it did leave a pleasant taste in his mouth, so he concentrated on that for a time before taking a deep breath as he asked his final questions. "So what was that power I felt from you earlier, and what is it that you want me to answer that I cannot in front of Iruma-sama?"
The Doctor blinked before sitting back in his seat, relaxed. "The Higurashi Shrine is home to a long bloodline of humans with the unique ability to exterminate demons. The power you felt was that of purification. I have no desire to harm you, so it isn't something you need to fear, and with any luck, you will never run into my sort ever again." He crossed his arms with a lazy grin, "In these modern times, humanity has become less wary of that which cannot be explained. I'm simply of a line that has had far too much contact with the unimaginable to simply die out."
Asmodeus nodded as he took in that explanation. That made… sense he supposed. If humans were mythical beings to them, then it made some odd sense that demons were the same to humans on this side.
The Doctor hummed, "Asmodeus-sama, how has Suzuki-sama's presence effected your life?"
Asmodeus stilled. He wasn't quite sure of the purpose of the question, but he allowed himself a moment to contemplate it before speaking. "I would not be the demon I am today if it were not for Iruma-sama." He closed his eyes as he thought back, "I never would have taken notice of my classmates and would have simply continued to study and strengthen my Magic alone." He opened his eyes and stared down at the cup he held, "I never would have become close to stupid Clara, and I never would have realized how wonderful it is to have others close to me." He smiled ruefully, "Even the most mundane task becomes something unique and fun because of Iruma-sama's enthusiasm and wonder." He gave the Doctor a soft look, "I can no longer imagine a life without Iruma-sama in it. He has brought joy and laughter where there was once simply silence."
The Doctor closed his eyes with a hum, "I see. Does his presence affect your fellow classmates as well?"
Asmodeus nodded, "Yes. I'm not quite certain how or when it happened, but we have come to see him as the leader of our class. His enthusiasm is infectious. Demons are not usually good at focusing on a task for long periods of time, yet, when Iruma-sama needed help studying for the quarter's end, his focus and questioning others in their strengths united us all to a degree that the class managed passing marks." Asmodeus smiled at the Doctor, "We wouldn't even have the learning facilities we do now if it were not for Iruma-sama's influence to get us where we are now."
The Doctor nodded, " I see." He waved his hand, "Feel free to take that cup with you and return to Suzuki-sama's side."
Asmodeus blinked, "Th-that's it?"
The Doctor grinned, "I did say I wouldn't keep you long, and I'm satisfied with the information you've given to me."
Asmodeus stared down at his cup before standing and giving him a short bow, "Thank you for the hospitality."
The Doctor waved him off with a small nod, and the young demon let himself out to return to his companion.
The office was silent for a moment before he turned to the room's other occupant, "Henri, when you said those glasses of yours would make it so that you wouldn't be noticed, I didn't realize how literal you were being."
Azazel Henri huffed as he switched glasses, cleaning his usual pair before settling himself in the other chair Asmodeus hadn't occupied, "Though the Magic drains quickly while we're here, the Magic tool I used works on demons as long as they weren't seen beforehand." He gave his human friend an annoyed look, "Just because they don't work on humans in this realm quite right doesn't mean they still aren't effective against demons."
Higurashi-sensei chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, "So, was that helpful enough for your side?"
Henri clasped his hands in front his face with a thoughtful frown, "I suppose until Sullivan-sama returns to explain what sort of Contract Suzuki Iruma has been bound to, it is enough to conclude what is best for that young human."
Higurashi-sensei took a long sip of his tea, "The Demon World?"
Henri rubbed the space between his eyes to try and push back his blooming headache at the impending paperwork hell this would cause. "Yes." For Iruma and those close to him-
The Demon World would be his home.