If my French translation is janky, blame the translation website, I guess.
I think the gang deserves some useless filler and some other nonsense. Let's get into it!
— ML
UPDATE 08 March 2025: Yuichi's birthdate was way too old to be considered young. Whoopsie. His current age is 24.
Chapter 16: Define and Conquer
March 15, X792, 4:13 p.m.
Kyôka was snug and warm underneath five blankets, propped up on three pillows and nursing a warm mug of medicine tea. She blew on the steam in between sips, careful not to inhale too sharply. A few slips led to horrible fits of coughing that tasted like iron. The hot liquid burned, but it was a soothing burn that coated her throat in pain relief.
Isolation was a necessary boredom spent thinking about anything and everything on her mind. The room had no windows, save for a slot occasionally opened in the door for food trays and talking with guards. Right now, Kyôka's throat was too sensitive for any amount of talking. There were no books or pens either. Four walls and one comfortable little bed. So boring.
She leaned over and set the now empty mug on the floor. Suddenly, she coughed in response to a tingling in her throat. She inhaled, then coughed even harder than before, choking. Luckily, she did not vomit into her palm on accident again. She held her breath, puffing her chest out in a feeble attempt to suppress another fit of coughs.
That obviously did not work. She was overcome with another wave of agonizing coughing that led to more choking. Something spat into her palm that time. The coughing itch went away eventually. The back of her head and temples throbbed with aches.
In her palm was a single bullet coughed in blood and saliva. She inspected it closer with a confused arch in her brow.
"The fuck?"
False Line City Hall, False Line City Guild
March 15, X792, 7:30 p.m.
I am sitting with the same assembly of mages in this meeting room. This time, the room is lit by a communication lacrima featuring the presence of... actually, that doesn't matter right now.
"Yuichi Misono, born on 14 April X768 in Loner Village and raised in Jupetoresoid, Demiterum."
Supreme Penelope Saylor presented surface-level information on their most recent recruit, the visually challenged doctor.
He is currently one of the youngest employees at this particular prison. It is his responsibility to heal, assist, and care for inmates. One other responsibility is aimed toward the greater purpose of Tartaros Fairy.
I was not expecting this human to gain the trust of a single person in this meeting. Then again, they trust me, a child, to observe operations without much interference.
Personally, I do not think he is suited for this position; his heart is too kind. I fear he may resign before his purpose is fulfilled. That would be a deadly decision on his part.
"What we have here is a human from a famous city known for its prestigious education system that nearly rivals Saint Demos in terms of low crime rates and economic stability," Mephistopheles added with a proud smile. "He has a heart so kind and a bit gullible. Penelope, what can Yuichi Misono do to push for Jackal's progress?"
"Yuichi succeeded at gaining Jackal's trust, as well as Tempesta's," Penelope replied. "Next, he should expect Jackal to ask for help with you-know-what. And once he fully awakens his magic, phase one will be complete before the end of March."
"The girl erased her existence from the prison," James Deus chimed in. He wore purple today to celebrate a holiday I do not care about. Even his hair is dyed purple for the occasion.
"How can we be certain of this timeline when she is absent from the equation?"
Penelope glanced towards my direction. I raise my book to cover part of my face, staring intently. Nothing escapes her mind no matter what I try.
"I already have a simple method in place to take care of that," Penelope answered, turning her attention back to the purple-themed gentleman. "Rest assured that I will get a detailed report of Jackal's discoveries."
Jerza was next to speak up, summarizing to their other guests what phase one will consist of. Essentially, phase one consists of two implants (one of which they have completed) and four of the Tartaros Fairies fully awakening curse and/or magic. "Awaken" could be any possible level of use, ranging from immunity to the electroshock security to casting spells. Three demons are awakened that this little council knows of.
On the other hand, they are about to uncover the second implant, and thus a fourth "awakening."
3...
"Mining for the sacred stone has yielded no results," Penelope continued. "We have had both volunteers and disciplinary work with no promising results."
To support her case, the Phantom 13 Supreme created a holographic slideshow of several samples of coal, emeralds, sapphires, junk, and other artifacts found underground.
2...
"Perhaps the predictions about its whereabouts were wrong," James frowned. "Mephistopheles, you really need to stop assigning this type of work to your brother."
The candy-cane-horned demon sat up with a haughty expression. "My brother's predictions are never wrong, you imbecile!"
"Mind your tongue, Mephistopheles," Jerza glared at the suited demon. She scoffed, crossing her arms.
1...
As if on cue, the culprit in question burst through the door.
"EVERYONE, SHUT UP RIGHT NOW!" Amaimon shouted at the already quiet assembly of demonfolk.
Amaimon's hair is styled with a single spike on the crown of his head. He is dressed in a simple brown dress shirt, dry-cleaned shorts, and a red clip-on tie with his sleeves rolled up and buttons near his elbows. His eyes are as droopy and ugly as his older sister's. At least his coffin nail manicure is nice enough to look at.
"We are shut up. Speak," Jerza ordered. Anaimon shut the doors behind him, then marched up to the table, casually pushing past two observers.
"I have good news and bad news. Good news is, I know where the sacred stone is," he began. The four councilmen gave him looks, waiting for the bad news.
"The bad news is, somebody swallowed it."
Jerza folded her hands on the table, eyeing the demon darkly. "Which one?"
"Th-the bird demon."
"Tell me her name," she growled through her teeth. If he doesn't say Sayla, I swear on my mother...
"Kyôka."
This just got interesting.
One could have heard a pin drop on the carpeted floor in the meeting room.
Jerza placed her palms on the table, slowly standing up. The rage in her right eye was very telling of the homicidal thoughts spinning in her head. Outwardly, she kept a calm, professional aura.
Unable to contain herself, Mephistopheles burst with hysterical laughter, pounding her fist on the table. Jerza wordlessly excused herself. Anaimon flinched when she passed, a natural reaction to movement too close to him. Realistically, she was going to smoke a cigarette. But to the others, she looked prepared to storm the prison and rip Kyôka's guts out on the spot.
I will at least inform Sayla that an angry seven-foot banshee is approaching...
March 16, X792, 6:00 a.m.
(after informing everyone of his request for privacy, Jackal gave out one of Bird's empty notebooks for everyone to use. Bird did not mind as long as it was a black book and not a red, green, or yellow book)
Lamy. I want to pull my hair out. I can't SLEEP. I CAN'T. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A LOT HERE. WHAT THE FUCK.
March 16, X792, 8:30 a.m.
Tempesta. Of all the things, it is the lack of maintenance required for my hair that I miss about Earthland. I broke two combs while unbraiding my hair. I don't know how Kyôka manages. She is the only person I trust to style this mess properly. It was tedious enough wrapping it in a simple ponytail. Jackal thinks it looks like a brown snowball. A mud ball. Ever since he gave me that floor, he has said so many strange things. I cannot tell if he intends to make me laugh. It is more confusing than funny.
March 16, X792, 11:31 a.m.
Minerva. I just want my baby girl. I hope a family will keep her safe. Please_
(ink spilled on the page after she sliced the pen to pieces on accident)
March 16, X792, 2:14 p.m.
Sayla. My wife. My wife. I'll make her my wife someday. I just need a lot of other things done first.
Will you tell us how to contact this Reaper, Angelic? I know you're watching.
Hide the books from Jerza. All of them.
March 16, X792, 5:44 p.m.
Nous devons identifier toutes ces figures de proue :
Gouvernante: Jerza FDS
Directeur adjoint: ??
Capitaine: ??
Chef adjoint: ??
Chef: ??
Chef de la sécurité: ??
Le médecin ne veut pas me donner d'autres noms. Le seul indice qu'il a laissé est qu'ils marchent parmi nous. Gardez l'œil ouvert.
March 16, X792, 8:34 p.m.
Sayla. I passed your message. Tell me how to contact the Reaper. I am not asking for too much, am I?
One of you must die. She always comes for Earthlanders who die, no matter where they are.
Sayla buried her face in her palms, letting out a long sigh. This was not the answer she had hoped for, and soon at that. The Lord had spoken in favor of a murder or suicide. Unbelievable.
This is not fair. We deserve better than this!
She leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling in frustration. She sat in a rather empty cafeteria, as lunch and dinner had since passed. Bird sat across from her, observing the few guards and inmates who still occupied the cafeteria. Allegedly, some employees of the close-knit group that ran the prison walked among them as undercover inmates. There was a chance the information was as accurate as Jerza retiring. If Bird of all people could believe it, it must be true, right?
Izumi stood by an empty line of food serving tubs waiting to be washed in the kitchen. A faint, pink light glowed around the female demon's left wrist, only visible to Sayla and Izumi. The sensory link worked despite the so-called eterano-draining system in place. It was a difficult hike through the park activating such a simple spell. The next challenge was getting close enough to her baby give it a link as well.
Maybe I don't actually have to meet the child, she mused.
"Bird, what should I do?"
"About what?" he asked, snapping back to reality.
"I have to kill one of us in Tartaros."
"Do you really need to do that?"
"Yes. To summon a Reaper, one of us must die," Sayla replied, fixing him with a dark expression. Bird looked like he wanted to call her bluff.
"I just watched you write that nonsense yourself. Do you actually believe what you're saying?" he inquired.
"You have to believe me, Bird," she frowned.
"I don't have to believe any of that," he retorted. "Get serious, Sayla. We have more important issues grounded in reality to worry about."
"This is reality!" Sayla shouted with an edge of desperation. She calmed herself when a few guards looked their way. "Look, Bird. This is real for me, for all of us. Jerza is also coming back. That is real for us."
"Uh-huh, prove it," he muttered.
"I can only prove it when she enters the prison in the flesh. Besides, you still need to prove that there are spies around us."
"Touché," Bird shrugged. "We shall see what happens next."
"Hey, Bird Boy."
The duo looked up to see a female named Naomi approach. She was accompanied by a much larger male demon, towering nearly eight feet tall. His tanned skin was dotted with triangular, scaly spots. Sayla felt her stomach drop when her eyes settled on his facial features: messy white hair, bushy sideburns, and beady black pupils.
No, it can't be him...
"It's just Bird, but what do you want?"
"Teach me that," she said, pointing at the French notes in his notebook. "I can read a little, but I wanna refresh my memory. This is Lorenzo."
He smiled politely at Sayla, as she was still staring in shock. She let her shoulders relax, returning the smile. Naomi looked nothing like him, sporting a buzz cut and a slim build. He must have been a recent transfer if Sayla did not notice him before.
"I'm Sayla."
"Can we sit?" Naomi asked. Bird gestured to the empty seats. Lorenzo pulled up a chair next to Sayla while his female companion sat next to Bird.
It was not long before Sayla sensed a distress call from her cell. She immediately left the table, racewalking to her unit. Blood pumped in her ears, fearing the worst for no particular reason. To her relief—not that it was actually relieving—Minerva was physically unharmed. The humanoid had cried out in her sleep, weeping softly while curled in a fetal position. Sayla stealthily climbed under the heap of blankers with ease.
Ever since Minerva returned from her trip, she stayed in Sayla and Kyôka's cell, rarely leaving unless it was for hygiene care or food. This arrangement was perfectly fine with the couple. They were already used to caring for her by then.
"I'm here, Minerva," she whispered consolingly. The humanoid allowed Sayla to hug her. She had to admit, it was cozy, warm, and much better than sitting next to a clome of that human for a second longer. She could feel Minerva's body relaxing back into a stable slumber.
Meanwhile, Izumi felt the sensory link slowly fade out of sight from her wrist. She stood in the showers at that moment, thankfully. No one had to see another parent crying.
March 17, X792, 3:23 a.m.
Lamy finally began to snore quietly in a less-than-ideal slumber. The bunny demon had zero intention of getting up for breakfast or lunch. What creature like her even needed food anymore? She could taste it, sure, but it made very little difference whether she ate or not. She was near full enough.
Beside her rested her usual cuddle buddy, Tempesta. He eventually confessed to Yuichi that he does not like writing music. He would rather practice something he already knew.
To his dismay, Yuichi told him that writing a song was a suggestion, not a mission. It was optional. The human could have told him that from the beginning!
But now he felt pressure to remember a single song he had ever heard. What an impossible mission. Oh wait, this is optional.
The snow-haired demon could not possibly sleep under these conditions. Should he cry his feelings out? Scream? Force them?
Hell no. That's gross. He would do anything but force anything on her.
I should just tell her. I need to be straightforward: 'Lamy, I want to have—' so embarrassing! Tempesta grumbled, deep in thought. Lamy grunted, elbowing him in his back.
"Thanks a lot, I lost the deep sleep!" she hissed tiredly. Tempesta froze up. Jeez, I completely forgot she wanted to sleep tonight.
"Sorry," he mumbled. She turned over, wrapping an arm over his waist. Lamy scooted closer. Tempesta began to turn himself toward her but rested on his back instead, pushing Lamy into the wall. She climbed halfway on top of him, lying her head on his chest. She sighed a long groan.
"Why can't I sleeeeep?" she moaned tiredly. Tempesta rubbed her head, closing his eyes.
"Maybe we're not supposed to sleep that much," he replied.
"I barely sleep at all," she pouted.
"We all sleep in random intervals, not at all, or too long," Tempesta said. "We should only try to sleep if we actually need it. After all, you only eat when you know you'll get full, right?"
"I'll keep dreaming," she chuckled dryly. "I'm a bottomless pit, Tempe. I'm in hell."
"Purgatory, actually."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, we've been here the whole—ouch!" Lamy pinched his cheek before he could finish his very literal response. He laughed lightly, pulling her hand away by her wrist. She pulled her hand away, climbed on top of him, then plopped down.
"Ah, much better," the bunny demon beamed, nuzzling Tempesta's chest. He snickered, petting her hair.
"Sorry, I take up a lot of space."
"I know, you giant."
"I'm not that tall, Lamy."
"You have broad shoulders, dummy," she teased. He lifted his head to see her stick her tongue out at him. He responded with a light flick to her forehead. She covered her face, cringing.
"That did not hurt," he snickered.
"You have sharp freaking nails, Tempe!" she grunted. The bunny demon sat up on his pelvis, glaring at him. He kissed his finger, then pressed it on her forehead. She blushed, shrinking away from his touch.
"What? I kissed it better."
"W-what? You don't usually do that..."
"I don't usually do anything," the snow-haired demon shrugged. "Let's just stay up together. Fall asleep when we're meant to, yeah?"
"I guess," Lamy nodded. She placed her haired on his torso, looking down at him. He watched her hand movements, then met her gaze again. She averted her eyes, her cheeks burning.
Hmm... try something. Tempesta gently grabbed her hips. There was that fluttery feeling again, watching her look anywhere but in his eye. Even he could not muster up the courage to do anything else. Her sudden shyness made him a little nervous. How could he possibly take the lead?
"Lay down," he murmured. The bunny demon obliged, lying her head on his chest. Her shoulders were tense. He traced his palms to her thighs (sadly covered by her dull pants), then up to her waist. Her skin was colder than usual. Or was she always that cold?
Lamy was relieved to hide her red cheeks. The darkness was no longer a proper hiding place. Every normal moment in complete darkness made her feel so unbearably exposed. Lamy fantasized about Tempesta; there was no denying that. Now that they could see each other even in pitch darkness, it was a new level of scary.
Why couldn't s/he be easy like Jackal?!
March 17, X792, 7:45 a.m.
Sayla. At least the others believed me. Their books are safe.
Bird. All of you are blockheads.
"Bird, you never take us seriously!" she snapped as the bowl-haired demon snickered over his added note on the page. All the Tartaros demons except Kyôka and Jackal were present.
"It's not my fault you all live like little mice in a bookshelf!" Bird said defensively.
Elfine came by, curious about the commotion. Lamy glared at the elf when she came close enough. She shot daggers back at the bunny demon, slowly backing away to Bird's side of the table.
"How dare you! We were once born from books, and we could perish by books again at any time. You two, stop that!" Sayla immediately shouted at Lamy and Elfine. Lamy gasped with offense.
"Who died and made you king of the table?"
Tempesta facepalmed at her remark. He could have said that everyone technically died, but that would only worsen the tense atmosphere. Minerva shifted uncomfortably in her spot beside Sayla, keeping her eyes down. She glanced up at Tempesta, who gave a reassuring smile.
"I may not be king, but someone has to prevent you squabbling fools from fighting," Sayla replied. She sighed, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Has anyone seen Jackal?"
"I was hoping one of you knew," Tempesta answered with a slight frown. It was very unlike Jackal to hide for very long without so much as a single warning or meltdown. Sayla shook her head, resting her chin in her palms with her elbows on the table.
"So, about the R-I—" Sayla slapped a hand on Lamy's mouth before she could spell "riot." Lamy grumbled, shoving her hand away.
"Right, sorry."
Sayla's eyes followed different inmates and guards in the courtyard. Fewer guards than usual actually came outside. When the coast was only occupied by three guards several yards away, Sayla relaxed a little.
"This was Bird's idea that we are working with. We are still plotting a way to execute it successfully. But with the amount of guards appearing recently, it is complicated."
Tempesta bit his tongue lightly, resisting the urge to address the alchemy Yuichi told him about. They would not stand a chance against guards who were unaffected by the anti-eterano technology active around the prison. That's not to mention the firearms abd brute force as well.
"Tempe, what's on your mind?" Sayla asked. The snow haired demon sat up straight, looking around at the group. Lamy grasped his hand in his lap. Minerva doodled next to Sayla's journal entry. Bird and Elfine exchanged uninterested glances.
"Honestly, I am thinking about our actual chance of success," he replied at last. The hornless demon nodded, looking down.
"This alchemy you mentioned before, what does it do?"
"Alchemy is still useless here," Bird commented, earning a glare from Sayla.
"I don't remember everything he said," Temoesta confessed. "The card is still in my cell. Yuichi said one of us is an alchemist. He claimed this person could change the chemical makeup of objects and even people, which would somehow also give us back our curse power."
"Load of crap," Bird crossed his arms. Elfine elbowed him hard.
"At this point, I'll believe anything if it helps us," the elf said. "Do you remember anything else? Like a hint on who this alchemist is?"
"No, just that it is one of us," Tempesta replied.
"It could be Jackal," Lamy suggested. "I mean, ever since he was first isolated, everything about him was way more different than the rest of us. He also doesn't suffer from the walls, remember?"
"Well, he never directly touched it," Sayla said. "That could have been a coincidence."
"Wanna try bouncing a ball off the wall to find out?" Lamt questioned.
"Absolutely not!" Sayla shook her head with a look of displeasure. Minerva quietly raised her hand, shrinking in her seat.
"I think it's him too," she murmured. Elfine shook her head in disagreement.
Bird stood up, closing his notebook. "While you lot sit around discussing silly ideas, I am going to shower."
"No one asked," Sayla shot back. But the male demon had already walked away before she finished talking.
"His dismissive nature is a little bit suspicious," Elfine commented, glaring at him. She watched his pace pick up as he left the cafeteria.
Tempesta thought his behavior was strange, but everyone in the prison was strange. Lamy seemed uninterested in guessing Bird's true thoughts. Sayla was honestly annoyed by his doubts. He doubted anything he could not see with his own eyes.
Eventually, the group dispersed from the table, concluding another day without a solid escape plan.
March 18, X792
March 19, X792
March 22, X792
March 23, X792
March 26, X792
Water occasionally dripped from a faucet situated in a corner with a drain beneath it. The cell was otherwise still and bathed in complete darkness. In the middle of the cell sat none other than Jackal. His hair was pulled back into a braid with a strip of cloth holding his uneven bangs away from his face.
He sat crisscrossed. In one hand was a plain black card. On one side was a circle drawn around a triangle. The circle resembled a snake eating itself. At each corner of the triangle were smaller symbols. In front of him sat his open journal, flipped to the very last page. All the other pages were filled with writings in English, Kanaji, Potemelian, and a little bit of Japanese that he could remember.
His breaths were calm and focused, right eye closed.
Suddenly, the cell door was unlocked. Yuichi Misono cracked the door open, spilling light into the cell.
"How are you doing, Jackal?"
Jackal squinted his eye open, adjusting to the light. He gave the human doctor a soft smile.
"I'm doing well."
"Do you need another day? Are you ready to leave?" Yuichi asked. Jackal shook his head.
"One more day."
"This is your fourth so-called last day, you know."
Yuichi crossed his arms, leaning against the cell doorway. The light reflected off his glasses, concealing his eyes in two rectangular shapes. Jackal stood up, walking over. He cupped the doctor's cheek, caressing gently. Yuichi gave no reaction except indifference to the blonde demon's touch.
"You shouldn't do that, Jackal," he murmured. The feline demon patted his cheek, walking around the isolation cell.
"I barely touched you, unlike yesterday."
"How many?" Yuichi asked, changing the subject.
"How many what?" Jackal replied. But then the question fully registered. "Oh, that thing."
"How many do you see now?"
"Seventeen."
To be continued when I have the time. The holidays are busy!
—ML