Day five.

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Blood Divine, Spilt Upon the Desperate Soul
xXx-xXx-crimson-xXx-xXx

Opera was… not happy with Sullivan's lack of communication over the past few days, and Iruma was able to witness Opera's sadistic revenge as all of his grandfather's favored dishware was cleverly hidden away and replaced with disposables.

Leaving Sullivan to cry over his missing items, Opera led Iruma to his room so that they could get a proper look at him.

Asmodeus still stuck close to his side, and Opera allowed it, if only because he could fill them in on what Sullivan-sama could not after he concluded his multitude of discussions with Azazel Henri.

Iruma was carefully cleaned off as directed while Opera and Asmodeus exchanged information and studied the handful of medicine that was sent along for Iruma's recovery.

His class and Ameri were worried for him and had been looking for Iruma daily, bombarding Opera at school for any updates at any given time. (It was annoying.)

Opera and the teachers at Babyls were still investigating the incident, but Kalego and Balam had managed a little more information about their enemy's interest in Iruma.

The information they'd gained was… concerning.

Iruma blinked at the information, "My mana?"

Opera hummed with a nod, "They seem to be under the impression that your mana is the previous Demon King's, Derkila-sama's. Why they believe that, and what they want to do with his mana are questions we are hoping to resolve, but… Iruma-sama. Do you know anything about it?"

Iruma glanced at his ring blankly, and thought over the various strange incidents that had happened to him since arriving in the demon world.

Really, now that he thought about it, Alikred's name was far too similar to be a coincidence… right?

But if so, if Ali-san was related to the previous Demon King, how had he lost his memories?

Iruma slumped.

A problem for another time.

"I'm not sure, Opera-san."

Opera nodded absently as they dried Iruma off, "I figured as much, but because you are their primary target, you won't be able to move as freely as you have been."

Iruma made a displeased face and Asmodeus chuffed at his expression with a smirk, "I'll gladly stay by Iruma-sama's side, Opera-san."

Opera glanced at the pink haired demon before shrugging, "It won't be just you, but the whole class, I'm sure."

Asmodeus blinked, "Huh?"

There was a loud bang and a cacophony of voices as Iruma flinched at the ruckus. "Uh-uhm, Opera-san, were we expecting guests?"

Opera sighed tiredly as they finished wiping Iruma down and swiftly redressed his wound before dressing him in a flash, "It would seem they couldn't resist staying away any longer."

Asmodeus stood with a frown as Iruma recognized Lied yelling through the halls, "Yo Iruma~, we're here to see if you're oka~y!"

Gaap's voice followed up from behind, "I've also brought some yummy rice balls for you, de gozaru!" Agares's yawning voice wafted from behind Gaap's greeting, "Don't be so loud, some of us are tryin' ta sleep, man…"

There were loud feet storming their way with assurance, and Asmodeus opened the door before a familiar green blur could violently smash through it as she rammed into him, "IRUMA-CHI I MISSED YOU AND AZZ-AZZ BUNCHES AN' YOU BETTER BE PREPARED CAUSE BIG SISTER CLARA OF THE LOVE LOVE TRIO IS GONNA GIVE YOU BUNCHES OF HUGS AND-!"

Asmodeus shoved at her face back to try and pry her off, "Stop yelling in my ear, stupid Clara! Iruma-sama's still recovering so treat him gently or you'll reopen his wound, got it!?"

Clara whirled away to attention and stood rigidly as she saluted, "Roger!" She turned to Iruma and took in the sight of him freshly dressed in his pajamas at the edge of his bed, and immediately teared up. "Iruma-chi~!"

Iruma teared up at the sight of her and lifted his good arm to invite her into his space. She carefully settled beside him on his bed and hugged him in a way that wouldn't aggravate his wound. She sobbed and rubbed her head against his as he cried alongside her and greeted her, "I missed you so much, Clara. You and everyone else!"

His room quickly became crowded as everyone came in to check on his well being. Iruma gratefully took Gaap's rice balls and started eating them with a grin as everyone spoke at him at once as Opera excused themselves.

Asmodeus growled, allowing the nonsense to go on for a moment before snapping, "Quiet already! All of you! If you want to say something, do it one at a time!"

The Misfits stood silently, some shifting awkwardly, some simply chastised from their excitement.

Agares yawned again before lifting his mask with one eye open, "You alright, Iruma?"

Iruma gave him a natural smile, "I'm recovering, but I'll be alright. It's going to take a while, though."

Ix Elizabeta touched her lips in affectionate worry before asking, "Will you be coming back to school soon?"

Iruma furrowed his brows in thought, "I… hope so? I don't really want to fall further behind, but I also don't want to risk my injury anymore than necessary."

She nodded solemnly and reached out to gently pat him on the head with a small smile. "I'll look forward to your return to class, it's just not the same without you there."

Lied nodded in agreement as Ix Elizabeta stepped back, "Yeah! And where've you and Azz been, anyway?"

The class shifted their attention for a moment, and Asmodeus floundered, "I uh, I don't think I can say."

Oh. Oh no.

That had been the wrong thing to say, as every last one of them became blatantly curious.

Iruma cleared his throat awkwardly, "We went to my hometown where I could get proper medical help."

Allocer questioned his response, "You were so far away that neither of you could respond through DeviLine?"

Iruma blinked before his eyes went wide, "We don't have phone service back home!" He laughed nervously, "I uhm, I have no idea where my phone even is right now!" He glanced around in a panic before Asmodeus fished it out of his pocket and handed it over while looking over his own.

Both devices had been charged during the night, and Asmodeus shrugged. "We forgot about them after getting home last night. Things got… chaotic where we were."

Allocer gave him pointed focus, "Chaotic how?"

Asmodeus grimaced. He wasn't really built for lying, and neither was Iruma, yet Iruma looked at each and every one of them before staring emptily at the floor. "My parents showed up."

Jazz paused. All of them noted the tone in his voice, and something clicked. None of them had really ever thought to ask Iruma about his parents- he'd been happy enough with his grandfather that they could be explained away as being dead or something.

But there was an unconscious flame in Asmodeus's hand, and they knew something pretty bad must have happened.

Kerori cautiously stepped forward and took Iruma's good hand gently between her own. She was silent in contemplation for a long moment before squeezing it, "Are they a threat to you?"

Iruma met her gaze and swallowed before weakly responding, "I don't think they will be, not anymore."

Kerori closed her eyes with a nod before meeting his gaze, "We're all here for you Iruma, and we always will be."

Iruma blinked at her conviction as she released her hold and took a step back. He looked at each of them, including Purson who was hovering at the side of them all nearly bursting to the brim with things to say.

But something wasn't quite right about this. There was an underlying current, a change in each of them he couldn't quite put his finger on. He locked eyes with Sabnock and tilted his head in question, "Did something happen while I was gone that I should know about..?"

Sure the Misfits were attached to one another after all that they'd been through, but Iruma sensed something was off.

He didn't know what it meant, and now that he really thought about it, he'd felt that similar unnamed something with Asmodeus since he'd given him his blood-

Iruma stiffened as Sabnock grinned toothily, "My Rival, I'm grateful you've returned to us."

Iruma blinked at that response and nodded numbly in return, "I'm glad to be back..?"

Sabnock moved to lean close to him as he whispered their group secret, "We Know."

He pulled away, and Iruma felt himself go blank as his stomach dropped, "H-huh?"

Jazz clicked his teeth, glancing back at the half ajar door and motioned for Caim to close it.

Once that task was completed, Caim saddled over to Iruma's side and lifted his wing in a conspiratorial fashion, "You're secret's safe with us, you know."

Iruma choked, "Wh-what are you talking about!?"

Purson couldn't take it anymore, "Y'know Iruma it's okay that your human, I mean, it was a bit of a surprise since you're rank five and all, but really, there's way too much about you that just isn't devi enough to explain some of your behaviors. Like, no one has the patience to listen to someone else for hours as they make their complaints, demons are way too quick to get bored about the small stuff, I mean-"

Lied clamped his hand over his classmate's mouth as Jazz cleared his throat, "What we're trying to say is, your human secret's safe with us, and we'll do everything to protect you from the demons who wanna eat you, okay?" Balam-sensei's several hours long lecture with them notwithstanding.

Iruma blinked and nodded numbly, "O-okay, uhm, thanks?" Something still wasn't right though.

Clara growled out in a burst of emotion, "Hey Iruma-chi, did y'know that human blood can heal demon wounds 'n stuff?"

Iruma gaped at her before nodding numbly, "Uh huh."

Clara's eyes went wide, "How'd you find out?"

Iruma smiled awkwardly, "By accident during the flight test."

Everyone paused at that before Sabnock straightened, "The Lord of the Valley's child. You said- it was hurt?"

Iruma nodded, "Yeah, I noticed it was injured and hurt myself to show it that I'd try and help them. I guess I didn't wrap up my injury all that well, 'cause a drop of my blood got through and… that was enough to heal the huge cut on its leg."

The Misfits took that in for a moment before Sabnock knelt down on one knee. Slowly the rest of the class followed (except Agares who refused to leave his bed), and looked up at him solemnly. Even Clara had sobered up despite being glued to his side, as Asmodeus looked them over with annoyed suspicion.

Sabnock inhaled deeply before speaking, "My Rival, Iruma. We have all tasted your blood without permission."

Iruma tensed slightly before forcing himself to relax, "I-if it helped you all heal, then I'm glad-"

Kerori interrupted him, "No Iruma. It's not that simple."

Iruma blinked as Caim lifted a dramatic wing, "All of us felt your return at the same time and were compelled to immediately come to your side. We barely managed to hold ourselves back last night to be gentlemanly."

Asmodeus internally grumbled that they'd failed at that, as Iruma had barely had the chance to be washed up before they'd barged in.

Iruma swallowed thickly as his eyes bounced between them all, "Wh-huh? But, how? Why?" He felt a little sick.

Clearly they were all stepping into unknown territory together, and the Misfits slightly worried they'd messed up.

Asmodeus pursed his lips as he spoke of his own musings, "Perhaps there's a difference between ingesting your blood, versus having it drip into the wound directly?"

Iruma looked at him for a long moment before nodding solemnly, "Maybe..?" It wasn't as if he were trying to find out on purpose.

But now all twelve of his classmates knew he was human without him saying it, and none of them hated him for it.

Iruma teared up in worry as he came to an unsettling conclusion, "But now we're tied, somehow, by my blood?"

Most of them nodded as he grit his teeth, and leaned into Clara as he bowed his head. He felt… somehow ashamed and terrified. Twelve people were inexplicably tied to him in a way he still couldn't grasp, and to some extent, none of them had consented to this. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

Kerori straightened in alarm, "Sorry?!" She shifted towards him and gripped his knee, startling him with her uncomfortable grip as she glared up at him flustered as she raged at him, "I TOLD THE WORLD I'D MARRY YOU, DUMMY!" She started breathing heavily as her frustration with this dumb human boy started to get the best of her as she slapped her free hand to her chest, "YOU didn't make us do ANYTHING! We CHOSE THIS! Don't you DARE go blaming yourself for our selfishness!"

Iruma gaped at her wordlessly before Clara lightly patted his cheek to force him to look at her before resting their foreheads together, "You're our Iruma-chi, and there'll be hell to pay for anyone who tries to take you away from us."

That was their unanimous promise to him, as he relented to their will and cried at their combined affections.

Time passed as the ruckus from their ward's room drifted into silence and caused the butler to finally return and check on Iruma and his classmates.

Opera was unimpressed with the abrupt slumber party happening in Iruma's room. Somehow in the time it'd taken them to make dinner, the thirteen of them had managed to cuddle up on Iruma's bed and cocoon him. Opera's ears lowered in annoyance, but they allowed themselves to be glad that the students were at least being cautious of his left shoulder, and that they were finally quiet.

Peacefully asleep with innocent smiles on their faces as they encircled Opera's charge.