All for One

by lizard_zombie

Summary:

Have you ever been ripped from the comforts of your own home to become an exchange student in a completely different world?

I have and it sucks balls.

But at least my classmates are hot.

--

Rewrite of an older fic I made, this time with shorter chapters and a revamped Aniisha.

Updates Mondays and Fridays but I also forget a lot oops

Notes:

Welcome, readers!

If you came from my old fic, damn. I'm pleasantly surprised you came back. Thank you for that haha. If you are new, hello! This fic is pretty much a coping tool for my unstable mental health. Aniisha's reactions are similar if not the same as mine when I first played AND replayed the game. It's a shit storm and I love it.

As said in my previous fic, my MC is more or less a reflection of myself. It's been a couple of years since an update, which is more than enough time for me to grow as a person. I mean, I was a freshman in college when I first posted the OG fic, and now I'm graduating in a few months (I'm done a year early, let's gooooo).

The point is that I changed for better or for worse, and you can see that in my writing. I think. If you want to read and compare, the fic is still up with the same name but with [OLD] in the title. Also, I have an update schedule for this fic that I swear I will follow this time.

Enjoy :)

Chapter 1

All I could see was a blinding white light. My senses were clouded, my lungs unable to get a breath of air, and I could neither move nor feel. Panic rose as the burning sensation in my chest grew stronger and stronger. 

How did I get here? Actually, where was ‘here’? I couldn’t focus on anything. All I knew was the nearly intolerable pain that was coursing through my body. 

In a flash, it disappeared and gravity pounded me into a wooden chair. My head threatened to split open, eyes ready to pop out, and muscles searing with soreness. The last thing I remembered was eating a tub of ice cream while watching a show I didn’t care for.

I grabbed the table before me to steady myself as the room slowly stopped spinning. Blinking away my blurry vision, I tried to take in my surroundings. Eventually, blobs of yellow morphed into candles that lit the lavish furniture. It looked like a courtroom with flawless mahogany wood and the stone walls were decorated with intricate designs made out of gold. However, despite the extravagant beauty of the room, I was far from comfortable. I felt trapped; there was something in the air, suffocating, oppressing, tantalizing . I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, and that mystery put me on edge. 

Where the hell was I?

Above me, eight elevated chairs loomed menacingly, one of them higher than the rest. Some of the seats were occupied by men with varying expressions: curiosity, disinterest, amusement, exhaustion, and excitement. That last one scared me the most. 

“Welcome to the Devildom, Aniisha,” a booming voice filled the once silent room, making me jolt. My eyes snapped back into focus on the man in red. I tensed, my body already vibrating with adrenaline, preparing me to fight or run.  

…Wait, the fucking what? My eyes widened as his words sunk in. The Devildom, the realm of the underworld, home of the demons and monsters of old, the very domain that held the infamous Hell. 

Where the hell was I, indeed. That explained the thickness of the air: I was surrounded by magic. I had seen witchcraft before, but this was on a whole other level. The magic here was pure, straight from the source rather than from a medium like a witch or a crystal.

The men above me all wore the same elegant black outfits save for the man in the highest and most decorated chair. He was in bright red clothes. Fear crawled up my spine as I gazed into his eager golden eyes. Something was off about him. I felt like I needed to stand straighter and give him my full attention whether I wanted to or not. He commanded respect even with a friendly smile plastered on his face. I didn’t like it, but it was better than the man directly below him. He had black hair, ruby red eyes, and a smile only meant for pleasantries. There was not a trace of authenticity on his perfect features, making me feel like I was nothing but a hindrance. 

There was an orange-haired man, messily chomping away at a giant eight-pattied burger with six similar ones on a plate next to him. The men to the left of me, a strawberry blond pretty boy and a head of golden hair with sharp green eyes, peered down at me like I was- 

“Feeling a bit shocked, are we?” he asked with a grin. “Well, that’s understandable. You’ve only just arrived, after all. As a human, it will probably take a little while for you to adjust to things here in the Devildom.”

I blinked at him, not wanting to entertain him by answering. Even if I wanted to, my mind was too preoccupied with ways to escape the place alive. My lack of response was not an invitation to continue, but he took it as one anyway. “I suppose I should start by introducing myself. I am Prince Diavolo, ruler of all demons, and someday soon, I will be crowned King of the Devildom.” 

My lips parted involuntarily. The Devildom, demons, royalty? It was too much. A prince. The Prince of Hell itself. No wonder I felt so on edge with him. That man was probably one of the most powerful beings of today. 

The man in red, Diavolo, stood up and spread his arms open. “This is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, also known as RAD. We are in the assembly hall, the very heart of the school. You are before some of the members of our student council. I am the president of said council.”

If I were standing, my legs would have given way from the dread sinking into my chest. If I was in the middle of a demon school, running would only kill me. I would get lost quickly with demons of unimaginable power at every corner. I could try to fight, but I wasn’t trained to go against full-blooded demons. 

The black-haired man, mentally nicknamed Ruby Eyes, stood as Diavolo sat back down. “I will explain everything to you,” Ruby Eyes said with one of the deepest voices I’ve ever heard. 

Diavolo introduced him, “Aniisha, this is Lucifer, the Avatar of Pride.”

Lucifer? Like the fallen angel Lucifer? Like the famous biblical villain Lucifer?

The prince carried on, completely unaware of my mental turmoil. “He is the vice-president of our student council, Lord of the Sixth and Ninth Circle, and my right-hand man. Beyond that, he’s also my most trusted friend,” he finished happily. 

Ruby Eyes, now revealed as Lucifer, sighed exasperatedly as he shook his head. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo.” He focused his piercing attention on me, and I swallowed reflexively. He seemed to notice, and dark amusement entered his gaze. “Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and storied school of ours, I offer you a most heartfelt welcome, Aniisha.”

Heartfelt, my ass. Even just sitting here, I could tell that everyone, except for Diavolo and the orange-haired man (Nom Nom, I called him), was dissecting me with vague interest as if they were forced to sit here and had nothing else to do. 

I couldn’t help the annoyance that bubbled in my chest at his ingenuity. I’d rather him say it as it was and stop pretending. He resumed speaking after a beat of my silence. “Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm,” Lucifer revealed.

‘Diavolo believes,’ he said. It wasn’t ‘ We believe.’ 

Oh, I am so fucked. Only one person in this room, and possibly this whole realm, seemed to be on my side, and I didn’t even know if that guy was trustworthy. 

“As a first step toward this goal,” Lucifer said, “We’ve decided to institute an exchange program. We’ve sent two of our students to the Celestial Realm and two to the human world. Likewise, we are welcoming four exchange students to our school: two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm.” 

He paused and looked at me expectantly. Expecting what? I didn’t know. All he said was something about exchange students from different realms yadda yadda. What did that have to do with m-

Oh.

Oh.

I was chosen. I was one of the exchange students. Trepidation swirled in my chest, but irritation rose as well. Demon royalty or not, Diavolo couldn’t just rip me from my life in the human realm, not that it was very good to begin with, and plop me in a world where I was unwanted. They have no right.

“Your period of stay is one year. You-”

“No,” I croaked out, voice scratchy from being unused after what I assume was teleportation magic. 

Indignation flashed in Lucifer’s pale face. “No?” he repeated tightly.

“No,” I confirmed as I stood up, joints creaking as I did. “I do not give my consent to stay here, though I don’t know if that even matters to demons like you,” I said with a strengthening voice, using my growing displeasure as fuel to continue. I would crumble and die if I didn’t focus on that. “You may use flowery words, but that doesn’t remove the fact that you practically kidnapped me for your personal gain. Perhaps if you sent a letter or some other means to contact me and properly invite me to join your program, I would consider it. But you did not. What you have done is rude, thoughtless, and insensitive. I will not stay .”

To my right, I heard choking. It was probably Nom Nom. I hope he was enjoying the show. It was their turn to be silent, stunned faces greeting me. I returned their stares with a sharp one of my own. 

“You were chosen, and that is that,” Lucifer declared. My eyes flickered to meet his own, and I regretted it instantly. His expression was cold, resentful even. Enmity rolled off of him from just his frown alone. My fisted hands became sweatier, and I could feel droplets sliding down the back of my neck. Even so, my physical reaction did not match my mental state. The more Lucifer glared, the more indigent I became. 

“I…” Diavolo began. “I am sorry you feel that way. Now that you pointed that out, I must admit that it was discourteous of me to bring you here without prior notice.”

Lucifer looked up at the prince with incredulous disapproval, “Lord Diavolo-!”

The prince raised his hand, and Lucifer quieted. “No, she is correct. I was so blinded by my eagerness to start this program that I completely overlooked basic etiquette.” He turned his attention back to me. “The rest of the exchange students agreed to participate with little qualms, and I was being tactless to assume you would be okay with joining our program as well.”

I looked at him steadily while crossing my arms. He sounded disheartened, resignation and distress dripping from his words. A part of me wanted to give him a chance, but he was a demon. The Prince of Hell, to be exact. What was genuinity to a demon? Did I want to find out?

“If you’re so sorry,” I began, “Send me home.”

“We cannot do that,” Lucifer answered. I opened my mouth to speak, but Diavolo beat me to it.

“Lucifer, stand down.” He looked at me. “Aniisha,” he said with pleading eyes. “I really do want the three worlds to get along-”

I interrupted him once more. “I don’t care if you really mean to strengthen relationships. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. Choose another human.” I was getting really tired of this.

“But we already have you registered with lodging and materials set up for you,” Diavolo tried again. “I have also provided your humans back home with a letter explaining your disappearance. They have been given proper compensation for the year of your absence. They will be living comfortably. Please, do not fret, Aniisha.”

“Too bad,” I replied dryly. “I’m already fretting.”

I briefly wondered who he was referring to. Most of my friends back home weren’t human, or well, regular humans. Unless…Ah, he must be talking about my neighbors, two hard-working sisters who often left their kids with me. 

I continued, “You couldn’t possibly think that your supposed foresight would make me feel better. The relationship with ‘my humans’, as you said, is not something you can replace with money and a meaningless letter. You act as if I am a thing that can be traded for other goods.”

Lucifer looked furious, Diavolo guilty. I didn’t dare look away from the two demons, leaving me only to guess the expressions of the other men in the room. I kept my stare even, watching as they struggled to find a valid response. But as the seconds passed, the more exhausted I felt. This was not how I wanted to spend my night. Seriously, this sucks ass. I was drowning myself in ice cream for a reason. 

I sighed. They wouldn’t let me go, no matter how right I was. We were at a standstill, and I wasn’t stupid enough to keep fighting when no winner would be victorious. Fucking fine. I’ll just resign to my fate.  

I tried not to sneer as I conceded, “Fine. I participate in your little program.” Golden eyes lit up before hurt seeped in when I added, “Just know that I am not doing this willingly. You forced me into this.” If Diavolo’s guilt were sincere, then my words would weigh on his consciousness for the entirety of my stay. Good. 

“I’m sorry,” Diavolo started. “I promise you: you will be safe. No one here will harm you-”

“Enough promises you can’t keep. Just tell me more about what I will do here.”

Pressing his lips together, Diavolo gave a nod to Lucifer. 

"You will have to work on the tasks such as attending classes, finishing homework, and any other activities happening at RAD,” the fallen angel said with a clipped voice. He made his way down from his seat and walked over to me. His graceful movements and stoic face did not match the frosty shine in his ruby eyes. Ah, shit. Whoops, I guess. “After one year, you will write a simple reflection of your experience here in the Devildom.”

I nodded, noticing how he was no longer glaring at me the more he spoke. His cold anger was replaced by a mask of indifference. I have to say, I was impressed by his speed of recollecting himself after raging quietly like that. I should take notes.

“I will have my younger brother Mammon look after you and guide you during your stay here.” I heard scoffs when Lucifer finished his sentence. Guess Mammon was disliked in this crowd. That did not bode well for me. The dark-haired man handed me a smartphone, and I looked at him with an unspoken question. 

“This device is called a D.D.D. It works in a similar fashion as the phones of your world. It will be yours to use for as long as you are here.”

As long as I was here, huh? That meant I had to return it. “What if it breaks?” I asked, already knowing the answer. 

He smiled an unsettling smile. He knew that I knew. “You best make sure that it doesn’t,” he replied simply, then nodded to the phone. “Call Mammon with it.”

My fingers twitched at his order, but I decided not to talk back. Staying here meant that I had to play by their rules. How annoying. Nevertheless, I scrolled through the short list of famous demons in my contacts. I recognized them, but I couldn’t tell you anything about them. I wasn’t all too religious, and I never cared enough to learn more.

I took a risk and glanced at the other brothers still up in their seats until the call was picked up. I didn’t even get a chance to say hello before an annoyed voice spoke. 

“Who the hell are you?” was the first thing Mammon said to me. “I don’t recognize this number, so speak, or I’m hanging up.”

I felt my fingers twitch again. Oh, this was going to be a long school year.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Aniisha is introduced to Lucifer's brothers.

Lucifer continues to be a bastard.
Asmo is a bitch.
Satan has captivating eyes.

“Hellooo? What you want?” Mammon asked impatiently. I could already tell that he was going to be just as insufferable as his older brother just in a different flavor. 

I took a breath before responding. “Hello, Mammon. I’m Aniisha, the other human exchange student.” 

“Tell him to come to the assembly hall,” Lucifer ordered quietly. I looked over at him and nodded.

“Mammon-”

“It's ‘The Great Mammon’ to you, human.”

Play it safe , I reminded myself. Just gotta be civil and everything will be fine. I ignored him and continued, “Could you please come to the assembly hall? Lu-”

He cut me off again, “Who are you to tell me what to do, lowly human?! How dare you order me around like that!”

Lowly?!

“Hold on-”

“Just wait till I get my hands on you! Stay where you are.” With that, he hung up. I looked at my phone incredulously. 

I snap my head up to complain to Lucifer only to find him watching me in sadistic amusement. “Sounds like you had a nice chat,” he commented with a mocking smile. 

That sick fuck. He knew the call would go exactly like that, and he still made me call him. I knew right then and there that this was his way of getting back at me for my insolence earlier. 

I gave him a flat look. “It was wonderful.” The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. I heard a few low chuckles from the other men in the room, but I chose not to look at them and instead focused on Lucifer. “I don’t think your brother is willing to look after me.”

“Willing or not, he will serve as your guide, and that’s final.” 

I guess forcing people into things was a norm here in the Devildom. 

“You look even more worried now,” he noted with a smile, one that I was beginning to loathe.

I opened my mouth, ready to throw my ‘play it safe’ rule out the window when Diavolo spoke up. “Mammon isn’t the only one to help you out,” he said. “The rest of Lucifer’s brothers are also tasked to take care of you.”

There’s more of them? Greeeaat… 

“Lucifer, would you like to introduce them?”

The fallen angel sighed. Lucifer replied tiredly as he crossed his arms and turned away from me, “As much as I dread the idea of doing so, you’re right.” 

One of the men sitting above me finally spoke up. “Oh, come now, Lucifer.” 

It was the one with styled, strawberry-blond hair. He and the blondie next to him had been quiet the entire time that I hadn’t been able to come up with a mental nickname for them. Hmm… I guess Strawberry and Blondie could work. I don’t know. It didn’t click very well.

Strawberry spoke dramatically, propping his head on the back of his hand, and leaned forward. “You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!”

Lucifer shook his head. “My two younger brothers,” he begins, “This one here is Asmodeus. He's the fifth eldest, Lord of Second Circle, and the Avatar of Lust.”

Asmodeus furrowed his eyebrows in irritation. “Hey!” He whined, “That’s all you’re gonna say? Not only that, you referred to me as ‘this one.’” He turned to the blond man next to him, who only chuckled. “ ‘This one, ’ he says! How rude!”

Lucifer continued, “That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest. Lord of the Fifth Circle and the Avatar of Wrath.” 

Satan scoffed, “So I’m ‘that one,’ am I?” He turned his green eyes on me. “Nice to meet you, Aniisha.” 

I looked at him in almost pleasant surprise. Almost.  He was the first one to say that to me. I replied with a nod, “Nice to meet you too, Satan.”

I let my eyes flicker between Asmodeus and Satan. “So, lust and wrath?” Or as Lucifer called them, this one and that one, respectively. Maybe I should keep that as their mental nicknames.

Asmodeus beat his brother in his response. “That’s right!” Asmodeus said, perking up in his seat. “It pretty much sums up what I’m about!” He looked down at me and flashed me a sultry smile. “Including my power. Let’s give a little demonstration! Aniisha, could you gaze into my eyes for a moment?” He smirked when he saw my eyebrows furrow. 

“Asmodeus,” Diavolo called out in warning. 

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt her, Lord Diavolo. Come on,” he pressed, “Don’t be shy, little Aniisha.”

I bristled at the name but let it slide. “I’ll pass,” I said and pointedly looked away to Satan’s seat. 

“You’re no fun,” I heard him grumble.

Satan smiled at my exchange with the fifth-born. Interestingly, I noted that Satan’s smile seemed almost kind. But no matter how good his mask was, he couldn’t hide the storm brewing underneath green eyes, chaos waiting to get released. It was fascinating, and I kinda wished that I could spend a little more time studying his sea of emeralds. 

I came back to the present when he spoke. “I should probably warn you, Aniisha,” the blonde started, “You’d best be wary of Asmodeus’s gaze. He can charm and manipulate people and use them to his own advantage.”  

“Hey!” exclaimed his brother, “I just wanted to show her my power and stuff!”

“If you’re not careful,” Satan continued ignoring Asmodeus, “He’ll charm you, and once you are under his spell, he’ll eat you.”

I briefly wondered if he meant literally or figuratively. Perhaps both. I cast that thought away and huffed, turning away.

“Hey, don’t go around saying things like that,” Asmodeus complained. “Really, I wasn’t gonna do anything bad!”

“So, wrath, huh?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

Satan opened his mouth, but before he could begin, Lucifer spoke up. “It basically sums up what he’s about. He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful because it’s all an act.”

No shit. Just like any other demon. But what made him different from the other brothers was that Satan seemed to be genuinely polite. Yes, that was all he was, polite, but I would rather shallow politeness to Lucifer’s flowery bullshit. Besides, I’m more interested in Satan’s eyes, not his smile. But you didn’t hear that from me. 

“If you continue saying such nonsense, you’ll just scare Aniisha,” Satan responded. “Don’t take him too seriously, Aniisha. Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers since it makes him look better. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all. Can’t have any of us above him,” he finished with a sneer. 

Satan’s face changed and became tremendously threatening. There was a barely visible green aura surrounding Satan, filling the room with dark energy. I stifled a gasp; it was a power that was unlike anything I had felt before which solidified my decision to stay on Satan’s good side. If he was the fourth eldest, I wondered what the older brothers were like, but to be honest, I really rather not find out. 

Lucifer seemed unfazed, tired even, as if this was a regular occurrence. “Are you done?” he asked. Slowly, the dark energy ebbed away, and the green aura disappeared from Satan’s form completely, though there was still irritation on his face from the blatant dismissal.

The eldest motioned to my right. “This is the sixth eldest. He-"

A loud rumbling sound echoed in the room. I flinched and shifted my leg back, immediately falling into an active defensive stance, ready to run or fight. 

“No worries, Aniisha,” Lucifer said with humor in his eyes. He really was enjoying my discomfort. Asshole. “That noise was just his stomach.”

“His stomach…” I repeated, disbelieving. I shifted my attention to the brother in question and forced my body to relax. Curiously, Nom Nom looked sheepish. 

“Sorry,” he said, “I’m Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony and Lord of the Third Circle.” I couldn’t even respond before he turned to Lucifer and whined, “Lucifer, I’m hungry.”

Bro what? I looked at him with raised eyebrows. All the gigantic burgers I saw when I arrived were gone, proving that he deserved the title of the Avatar of Gluttony.

The eldest hummed disinterestedly, “That’s too bad. Now, behave yourself.”  Beelzebub frowned and stared at the door longingly while Lucifer moved on. “There are seven of us brothers in all. If you didn’t put it together yourself, I am the oldest.”

I narrowed my eyes at his wording, and he just smiled. Putting people down, for real. He and I were not going to get along if he didn't change his tune. 

“During your stay in the Devildom,” Diavolo began, “You are to stay with the seven lords at the House of Lamentation for your safety. All of them will help you get through the year, but Mammon will be your guide for daily life.”

“And you will meet Mammon, the second oldest of us, soon,” Lucifer added.

I raised an eyebrow. A sadistic eldest brother and an asshole second eldest. Is the third eldest gonna follow the trend of douchebags? I wanted to be hopeful, but I had a stinking feeling that I was out of luck. Suddenly, I became more tired than I had ever been in my entire life. 

“Aha!” Asmodeus exclaimed, pointing a well-manicured finger at me. “I see your expression. You think he has bones for brains too! He so does not act like the second-born.”

Bones for brains…? I nearly laughed at the insult. I’ve heard many insults growing up, but that was new. It caught me off guard. Unfortunately for them, they weren’t going to get a real smile from me that easily, much less a laugh. 

“It’s true, Aniisha! He’s honestly the worst of us all,” the lustful demon giggled.

“I’d have to agree,” Satan added with a nod.

“Right, and you are leaving me with him, Diavolo. Are you sure I won't get hurt?” I asked sarcastically sweet. I watched him hesitate for half a moment, but that was half a moment too long for me. 

“Mammon is-”

“ My brother ,” Lucifer cut in sharply. “Mammon, as scummy as he is, is not entirely useless.”

I turned to pin him with my dry look on him and a raised eyebrow. “So, are you telling me that you are keeping Diavolo’s promise for him?”

The Avatar of Pride crossed his arms and returned my dry stare. “Mammon will mess up on multiple occasions, but no physical harm will come to you.” That wasn’t a promise, but I guess it's the next best thing. 

“Aniisha,” Diavolo called out seriously, “I trust Lucifer, and Lucifer trusts Mammon. The second-born may be difficult sometimes, but he will come around.”

“Trust is a strong word, Lord Diavolo,” the Avatar of Wrath smirked.

“Satan,” Lucifer rumbled in warning. “It is true that I do not trust Mammon with a lot of things, but Aniisha should be fine over the course of the school year.”

‘Should be,’ he says. Things were not looking up.

“You know,” I started, looking straight into golden eyes, “Your trust in them means nothing to me if I don’t trust you.” And I didn’t.

“Trust or not,” Lucifer said, pulling my attention from the now dejected prince to himself, “Diavolo’s word is law, and he has instructed us, brothers, to protect and guide you, making you our responsibility. Should anything happen to you, it would be our fault. That being said, it is in our best interests to keep you unharmed and away from vulgar demons. I will do everything in my power to make sure that Diavolo’s expectations are met.”

We were running in circles. I say I don’t trust them, and they tell me I have to believe them anyway. Someone has got to give, and I hate that it’s always going to be me. I’m too tired for this. I want to go home. 

A loud bang erupted from the assembly hall door, and a sneering man stomped in. I inwardly sighed. 

I miss my bed.

Notes:

random thoughts:
When Aniisha questions Mammon's ability to protect her, not only does she doubt Diavolo's words, but she is also insulting Mammon. Lucifer gives "nobody gets to hurt my family except me" vibes. It is stated that Lucifer trusts Mammon the most, so I fully believe when an outsider says some shit that is unfounded, he will jump to Mammon's defense with no hesitation. Unfortunately for the second-born, most of the insults that are thrown his way are completely and utterly founded.

 

Next time, Aniisha meets the one and only money-grubbing scumbag, Mammon.

She is not happy.

Chapter 3

Summary:

Aniisha meets Mammon.

She wants to go home.

“Hey!” the man shouted. He had messy, silvery white hair that contrasted his tanned skin; disheveled clothes with buckles and buttons hanging loose; wild, blue eyes that narrowed as if he was thinking of ways to kill me; and a snarl twisting his otherwise handsome face. “Just who do you think you are, human?”

Handsome, yes, but he had such a piss poor attitude. This must be Mammon. 

“You’ve got a lot of nerve for ordering The Great Mammon!”

Yup. That was him. 

“Listen up,” he growled, “Because I’m only gonna say this once.”

I instinctively swallowed as fear crept up my spine. As exasperated as I was, I couldn’t help my body’s reaction to the angry demon. He got closer, and I had to fight taking a step back. The last thing I wanted was to give him the satisfaction of intimidating me.

“If you value your life, then you’ll hand over all of your money now!” I glanced at the rest of the brothers; they were just watching in amused interest. Diavolo, however, had his brows furrowed in slight concern but gave me a nod of certainty. The prince really believed in Lucifer and Mammon. There must be a reason why. Guess I’ll find out one way or another. 

Mammon didn’t seem to notice the others in the room and instead just kept marching up to me. “And anything else of value too,” he said almost as if it was an afterthought. He slammed his hands onto the table, startling me, “Otherwise, I’ll wipe that stupid, happy-go-lucky look right off your face by eating you up.” 

‘Happy-go-lucky look?’ Is this dude blind? My expression was anything but. My eyebrows were furrowed, eyes twitching, and mouth in a deep frown. I mean, who would be happy when a person was yelling that they were going to eat them?

“I’ll start from your head and working down until-” 

“Mammon, shut up or I’ll punch you,” Lucifer intervened with a glare. His brother whipped around to face Lucifer, eyes wide with…fear? When they made eye contact, the eldest punched Mammon hard in the stomach. The white-haired demon doubled over in pain as he cried out. This time, I couldn’t stop myself from backing away. 

“What the fuck, Lucifer?!” Mammon groaned out, “Actually give me a chance to shut up before punching me, damn it!”

“They’re a handful,” said someone next to me. I jumped, hands up and ready. “A bit anxious today, are we, Aniisha?”

I scowled at Satan. I didn’t even know when he came down. Asmodeus trailed behind him. “Seriously,” he began, “They are our older brothers, but they can be so immature at times.”

“Even Lucifer?” I asked skeptically. 

Satan nodded, venom seeping into his voice, “Especially Lucifer. He’s such a petty bastard.”

I turned my head to look at the arguing brothers. Lucifer stood with a tired expression while Mammon waved his arms around as if gesticulating would emphasize his vexation. 

“Yeah, I gathered,” I replied. While that man couldn’t hurt me, if Diavolo’s words can be trusted that is, I just knew that the first-born would throw minor inconveniences my way to get back at me for my insolence.

When I looked back at the younger brothers, I found Asmodeus admiring himself wit a small, compact mirror and Satan studying me with a stoic expression. I raised an eyebrow. He met my eyes and gave me that polite yet shallow smile again. 

“Satan,” I said, “What can you tell me about Mammon? I think I should know at least something about my ‘protector’ other than him being the second-born. I doubt he’s gonna tell me anything himself.”

“Well, Mammon is the Avatar of Greed. He governs and oversees all forms of it,” Satan explained, “Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money, but from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They’re left without a Grimm to their name.”

“Grimm is your currency, I guess?”

Satan nodded. Next to him, Asmodeus shifted his mirror so he could see my reflection. He added, “Basically, he’s a scummy bastard. Oh! He’s also a masochist.”

Somehow, Mammon was able to hear Asmodeus over his own unruly tantrum. His head snapped around so fast that I was surprised that he didn’t break his neck. 

“Oi! Quit telling lies about me,” Mammon barked. 

Asmodeus scoffed and shut his mirror sassily, “As if they’re lies. And even if they were, it’s not like it’s gonna tarnish your poor excuse of a reputation.”

Mammon began to stomp over, “Shut the hell up, Asmo, or Imma beat your ass, you nasty, perverted slut-“

Before he could continue, Mammon was yanked back by the collar and let out a high-pitched yelp. “That’s enough,” Lucifer rumbled, bringing him over to me. “That is no way to act in front of your charge.”

“My WHAT?!”

Lucifer shoved Mammon forcefully away. “Your charge. Aniisha will be under your protection for the duration of the exchange program.”

“Ain’t no way, Lucifer! I ain’t taking care of a human .”

“Yes, you are.”

“No!”

“Oh, come now, Mammon,” Asmodeus said, hopping on the table in front of me and crossing one leg over the other. “Think of yourself lucky. You got a whole plaything to yourself.”

I bristled, clenching my fists, “Excuse me?! ‘ Plaything’?! Just who do you think you-”

“Then why don’t you take care of it, Asmodeus?” 

“‘ It?!’ ”

“I’m too lazy to take care of anything other than me,” the Avatar of Lust answered flippantly.

Mammon crossed his arms, “Fine, then let Beel take the human.”

“You might as well ask Beel to eat her,” Asmodeus pointed out. 

Beelzebub hummed in agreement. “Yeah, I can’t promise I wouldn’t.”

…At least he was truthful. 

“Mammon, just give in,” Satan interjected. “You can’t defy Lucifer’s direct order.”

Mammon groaned, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Listen, human,” he said, turning to me and glaring with critical eyes, “I don’t want to look after you, but I’ve got no choice. You’re a huge pain in the ass, and I’m too important to deal with the likes of you, but Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. Don’t cause trouble, and we’ll be fine.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” I growled, thoroughly peeved. “First of all, I am not a thing for your own twisted amusement, whatever that may be. I am a person, not an ‘it’. Secondly, I must request for a different protector. There has to be someone else to look after me. Anyone but him ,” I finished pointing a finger at the second-born. 

“Unfortunately, there is not,” Lucifer answered with a shake of his head, but I caught his smile. Fuck this man. “The rest of my brothers are unavailable in one way or another and are severely under qualified.” The two other brothers simultaneously snapped a strong ‘fuck you’ that resounded the courtroom. Glad we all agree that he sucks ass. The first-born continued unfazed, “We, the Seven Lords of Hell, are tasked to guide you through the school year with Mammon as your direct link.”

Mammon sighed loudly in resignation. “Human, Lord Diavolo’s word is law, and so is Lucifer’s.”

I scoffed, “So I’ve heard.”

“You’re stuck with me, whether you or I like it or not.”

“Well, I heavily dislike it,” I spat. “But fine. I’m tired of this. What else do I need to do?”

I looked up at the silent prince sitting above us. He returned my raised eyebrow with a grateful and an apologetic smile. “We have one last thing to go over: your schedule. Lucifer?”

The black-haired man handed me a yellow folder from out of nowhere. “Our school begins at the start of the year,” he explained, “We have chosen your classes for your first semester, but you may choose what you wish to take during your second semester. School starts at 7:00 AM sharp. That being said, I suggest you arrive before the first bell at 6:50. You have eight periods in total, each lasting two hours. For now, we have enrolled you in seven intro classes. You have one open period right now, but you can have up to three open periods in the future. 

“You will have a ten-minute passing period and an hour lunch. RAD follows a block schedule meaning you will be alternating even and odd classes. Mondays and Wednesdays will be your odd classes, and Tuesdays and Thursdays will be your even classes. On Fridays and the first day of school, you will attend all of your classes, but the time will be cut in half. Nevertheless, classes will always end at 4:40.”

“So classes only take an hour on Fridays, and lunch will only be thirty minutes.  Will the passing period change?”

“No, the passing period will stay the same. Some club activities will take place before school. In that case, you will have to be at RAD by 6:00 AM, 5:50 preferably. However, you will find that most club meetings, student council meetings, and sports will take place after school. Depending on the club or sport, you may find yourself leaving school as early as 5:30 in the afternoon or as late as 9:30 in the evening. Also, there aren’t any club meetings on Fridays.

“Student council meetings also switch between mornings and nights. However, since you are merely an exchange student, you do not need to concern yourself with them unless we call for you. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I answered, looking over the papers. It was a lot to take in, but I got the general gist of it. Long school days and little time for relaxing afterwards, this was basically the college experience that I never got to have. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. 

“Now that that has been sorted,” Lucifer continued, “Mammon will give you a tour of the House of Lamentation, your place of residence for the time being. If you have any questions regarding your living arrangements, you can ask Mammon, or you can speak to me directly.”

“Aniisha,” Diavolo called out seriously, “I imagine a universe where humans, demons, and angels accept each other. A universe where we are brought together as friends. I am indebted to you for helping me lay the foundations for it.”

Diavolo looked at me with the most vulnerable eyes, allowing me to read him like a book. All his emotions poured out in his golden gaze: hope, sincerity, gratitude, and apprehension. The longer I stared, the more I entertained the idea that the Prince of Hell genuinely wanted this to work. 

Whatever moment we had was disrupted by an irritated voice accompanied by a tapping foot. “Come on, human. Hurry up. I’ve got places to be and people to see.”

“Last thing Mammon,” Lucifer called out before we left the room. The second-born groaned but turned to face Lucifer dutifully. “Apologize to your brother.”

“Wha- But, Luci-”

“Mammoooon?”

The man bristled, “Fine. Asmo, sorry for calling you nasty and perverted.”

The fifth-born batted his lashes, flashing a winning smile. “Thank you, Mammon dear~”

“You’re still a slut, though.”

“Yes, I know,” Asmodeus giggled. 

“Ugh, let’s just go,” Mammon grumbled, pushing me out the door. Am I supposed to live with this mess of a family? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Notes:

Forgot to post yesterday, oops 😅 so here I am posting right before my class. I got some thoughts, but I'll just get them out in Friday's update.

Thanks for reading! Bye, love y’all 💕

Chapter 4

Summary:

Aniisha tours the House of Lamentation and meets the third-born.

Mammon is a bad caretaker.

Notes:

Hahaha....hi. I'm so bad at keeping an update schedule. I forgot Friday, procrastinated Saturday, I can't for the life of me remember Sunday, and was super busy Monday. Anyway, here I am lol I have some prewritten stuff already, so I'll give yall three new chapters.

As we walked to The House of something or whatever, Mammon had been going on and on about my humanity and how it was infuriating to have to babysit me. 

“Just don’t go thinking that I’m scared of Lucifer or anything! Because I’m not!” Mammon exclaimed defensively. 

I let out a deep exhale, “Honestly, Mammon, I really don’t care. You could be scared of him, or you could not. It doesn't matter to me. What matters is your ability to keep me away from harm.”

“You should feel honored that I am putting up with you,” Mammon declared, turning to face me with crossed arms. 

That’s it. 

“No, you should feel grateful that I’m putting up with you . Without me, your prince’s little plan would fail and it would be all your fault. If I did what I wanted to, you best believe that I would have fought tooth and nail to be anywhere near you or any of your brothers. Luck for you, I’m not. Be. Fucking. Thankful.”

I saw his eyes widen the tiniest bit as my words sunk in. His arms slowly made their way down before he shoved his hands into his pockets. He let out a ‘tch’ as he continued walking ahead. “I’m surprised you’ve got the guts to talk to me like that. You’re not scared? I mean, I’m a demon. You do get that, right?” Mammon asked with his arrogant air taking over again.

“Yeah, and?” I rolled my eyes and began following him once more. 

“You’re a stupid human.”

“Well, you’re a bitchy demon.”

The tension was still thick between us, but he stopped rambling and insulting me for the time being. I took this time to look around at the city now that there was some semblance of peace. It was absolutely enchanting. Every street was decorated with strings of lights. Flames of many different colors flickered from torches and tall, elegant fire pits. I even spotted strange glimmering plants in pots and out in the open. Trees of every shape, size, and color decorated the city, some even glowing. 

The moon was gigantic and incredibly luminescent, bigger and brighter than I ever thought possible. It bathed the entirety of the Devildom in soft, silvery moonlight, which only added to the alluring scenery. One would think that a moon as bright as this would hide away the stars, but that would be far from the truth. It was as if someone painted clusters of galaxies onto a black canvas. A feat that should have been impossible, and yet, here I was seeing it with my very own eyes. 

It wasn’t long until we reached our destination. We arrived at a large mansion made of dark wood and stone with black metal gates surrounding the property. Even the greenery around it looked dark and eerie. 

“Creepy,” I said.

Mammon shrugged. “Well, it’s home.”

We made our way into the mansion. The brightly lit interior was a shocking contrast to the dreary colors on the outside. I let out a small gasp as my eyes wandered the foyer. The first thing that caught my attention were the two statues of menacing dragons with their spiked tails wrapping around the pillars they were sitting on. The next thing I noticed were the long, curved staircases made of marble on both sides of the foyer. Finally, my eyes drifted to the bright fireplace on the far wall ahead of us. Mammon seemed to stand slightly taller when he observed me as if he was proud to live here. When I turned to face him again, he was back to his grumpy, slightly slouched self. Whatever I thought I saw must have been my imagination.

“Aight,” Mammon began, “This is the House of Lamentation. We call it HoL sometimes since it's a hassle to say the full thing.  It’s one of the dorms here at RAD.” He paused before correcting himself, “Well, it’s not just one of the dorms. It’s the dorm reserved for student council members save for Lord Diavolo. That man has a castle of his own.” 

I nodded in response. We walked under the large archway, passing double doors on my left and a small hallway on my right.

“This is the entryway to the dining room,” he said, flippantly waving his hand to the doors. “And that hallway leads to two lavatories.”

We entered the room with the fireplace, and to my surprise, there wasn’t a lot to see. There were chairs and a small table on both sides of the fireplace and doors at the end and a couple of couches against the walls. On my left, there was a long table in between two couches, and another set of double doors on my right. Other than a few more torches and plants for decoration, it was barren. 

“This is technically called the living room, but it’s mostly used for events such as mini balls or whatever else Lord Diavolo comes up with. Over there,” he pointed to the double doors, “That leads to the common room that is only accessible to the residents of HoL. Think of it as the actual, private living room.”

Mammon then began to walk to the right door against the fireplace wall. “Both of these doors lead to the same place, but the left is typically locked when other people are around. This one here,” he said as opened the intricately designed metal door on the right, “Directly leads to the hallway connected to the library. Again, we don’t want visitors wandering around our house, so this wall,” he motioned to the stone wall across the archway entrance of the library, “Is an illusion that only the residents can pass through. To other people, this is a solid and sound proof wall.”

To prove his words, Mammon walked into the wall and disappeared. I blinked stupidly and stood there in shock. There was just so much to take in, and as someone who’s bad with maps and direction in general, I knew this house was going to be a nightmare for me. I only stood there for a few seconds before Mammon, ever impatient, popped his head out of the wall.

“Get over here, you stupid human,” he ordered, annoyed. He grabbed me and pulled me along with him. Once I made it through, he tossed my arm away like it was filthy. Well, fuck you too, I guess.

After glaring at him, I looked around my new surroundings. Like the rest of the house, bright candles lit up the small hallway, their light reflecting on the marble floor peaking out from the red carpet. There were two staircases, one going up and the other headed down. 

“Stop being so slow,” Mammon huffed, causing me to roll my eyes, “I'm gonna give you some advice,” he said, “You wanna survive here in Devildom? Listen real close. If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you, run away. Or you can freeze and die. I said I was gonna help you survive this year, but I also said you shouldn’t be causing me trouble. So, I’m giving you the words you need to make it out of here alive. Do that, and you won’t be in my way.” 

I narrowed my eyes fully intending to berate him harshly when another voice beat me to it. “How about you go die, Mammon?” I turned to find another man with a mop of messy, purple hair. His orange eyes were ablaze with anger and focused on a suddenly skittish Mammon. 

“Heeeeey, Levi…” Turning to me, Mammon babbled, “Human, this is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. He’s the third oldest of us brothers. Okay then, let’s move on!”

“Mammon, give me back my money, then go crawl in a hole and die,” Leviathan commanded as he grabbed his brother by his shoulder, forcing Mammon to face him.

Mammon just groaned and shrugged on the third-born’s hand, “Come on, Levi. You still want me to die even after I repay you? That’s harsh, bro. Listen, I already said I’d get it to you. I just need a little more time!”

“ A little more? What does that even mean?”

“Just a little more, okay? A little more means a little more!”

“You’ve been telling me that for the last two hundred years, Mammon,” Leviathan replied, raising his voice.

“Psh, it’s been two hundred sixty years, not two hundred. Geez, at least get it right if you're gonna get all pissy about it, Levi.”

My eyes flickered between the two demons. I had half a mind to intervene, but I had no reason to offer my help. They were strangers, and mean ones at that. They didn’t deserve my good will. So, I let them be and simply watched the show from the sidelines.

“Unbelievable. Seriously Mammon, you’re-”

“I’m what?” Mammon interrupted, irritation and frustration flashing in his eyes. “Scum? Is that what you’re gonna say?”

“-A lowlife and a waste of space,” Leviathan sneered. 

“At least I’m not a reclusive loser like yourself!”

Leviathan looked like he wanted to rip Mammon’s face off, but ultimately backed off. Instead, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, “Whatever, just give me back my money. I need it to buy the blu-ray box set of Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion . The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus. This is not a want, it’s a need.”

Strange name, but go off. It’s not like the human world is any better with their odd titles. I heard Mammon sigh. 

“I’ve got no idea what you’re even talking about, Levi, and I don’t really care. I don’t have any money to give you!”

“So,” Leviathan’s voice got quieter and more dangerous, “You’re telling me you refuse to pay me back?”

“How can I give back money that I don’t even have! For fuck’s sake, Levi. You looking for a fight? Is that it?”

“Mammon, you bastard,” Leviathan took a step forward, body tensing to attack. “I know for a fact you have the money!”

Mammon grabbed my arm and said, “Hey, human, remember the advice I gave you about what to do when demons attack?” I was only able to nod once before he continued, “Well, you’re about to witness that for real.”

“Mammon, what-”

“Time for you to die because if it’s either you or me, it ain’t going to be me!”

One second, I was being shoved towards Leviathan while Mammon zipped back out the secret entrance, and then the next second later, I was being pushed away. I stumbled and caught my balance on the wall, nearly tripping and smashing my head on the stairs.

That ass turned me into a human shield . Was it possible for a human to kill a demon? Because I was seriously considering making a skewer out of the second-born of lord of Hell.

“Damn it, Mammon! That shit face ran off,” Leviathan growled. He turned to me, “Do you realize what just happened?”

“What? That my supposed Devildom guide just made me a distraction while he ran away from his problems? Then yeah, I realized,” I responded, unable to keep the dryness out of my voice.

Leviathan scoffed, “An actual sacrifice. That was pretty dumb of you, letting him use you like that.”

My eye twitched, “ Excuse me? Tell me, oh wise demon,” I drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm, “Exactly what this lowly human could have done differently.”. 

Leviathan sighed loudly not even phased by my glare, “This is exactly why humans are-” He stopped himself short. “Wait a second, humans...yes, that’s it!” His face broke out into a mischievous grin, “I’ve got an idea,” was all he said before grabbing the same arm as Mammon previously did. I knew for a fact that I was going to bruise later. Leviathan ignored my complaints and struggles as we trampled down the stairs. 

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are much appreciated :)

Chapter 5

Summary:

Aniisha learns more about Leviathan and agrees to his plan against his older brother.

Notes:

I just remembered what I did Sunday. I was reading a Morticia/Gomez Addams fic. 27 chapters of bliss and pain, my favorite flavors. Also, I found out how much I liked the idea of William Graham from the Red Dragon being related to the Addamses. I also found out that I ship William and Hannibal, particularly Will Graham as an Addams. I never thought I would but here I am. Anyway, on to the fic!

Also the third apology chapter will come later today. Love yall!

The walls blurred as Leviathan dragged me to who knows where. Suddenly, we were in front of a door littered with stickers from various fandoms. Some I recognized but most of them were unfamiliar to me. 

The demon swung the door open and threw me into it. He swiftly came in and popped in head out, looking side to side. I took that time to assess my surroundings, but my motive to find an exit melted away as my gaze soaked in the room. There was a giant aquarium taking up the entire back wall and ceiling, effectively illuminating the rest of the room. It was filled with familiar and unfamiliar underwater fauna, but there were no creatures that I could see. Another major stand out were the realistic-looking jellyfish floating in the middle of the room. They had an eerie glow to them, adding to the underwater atmosphere. 

Strangely, there was a bathtub in the middle of the room with a blanket and pillow which looked recently used. Countless towels, clothes, controllers, and random pillows strewn on the floor. One end of the room had an impressive PC set up and on the opposite side of the room were oversized bean bags and a large tv.

I heard the door close behind me, and he muttered, “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Do you know what people would say if they knew I brought you, a human and a normie, into my room? They would think I’ve gone soft. Rouge even! It’s like I’m betraying my people by just being in the same room as you.”

“Are you a weeb?” I blurted out. Oops, too late to turn back now. A look of confusion passed along his features, so I tried to think of a different term. “A...geek?”

“I’m an otaku,” he corrected. “Are you trying to judge me?”

“No, I-”

“Don’t you dare make fun of otakus,” he warned. “Everyone insults otakus, but the truth is that everyone is an otaku in their own way! Every single person!”

“Hey, backtrack,” I said, frowning and putting a hand on my hip, “I’m not making fun of anyone. Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Leviathan.”

He huffed and walked away to look for something at his desk. In the meantime, I drifted around the room admiring his items. Figurines and collectibles were neatly displayed on his shelves alongside manga, novels, and games. So many posters covered his walls that there was barely a hint of the paint underneath them. In one corner, there was a pile of unopened boxes and in another corner, there was a pile of opened boxes. Truly organized chaos. 

As I studied one of the bookshelves, a particular series caught my eye: The Tale of the Seven Lords: The Lord of Shadow Awakens. I saw this series back in the human world. I had meant to read it, but life got in the way and I forgot all about it. I picked up the book and read the synopsis. Or tired to. Leviathan was over my shoulder immediately. 

“What is it, human? What’re you looking at?” I turned to look at him when he perked up at the sight of the book. “ The Tale of the Seven Lords . Are you a fan of that too?”

I replied truthfully, “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know much about it.”

He stared at me with an appalled expression. “...Excuse me? You don’t know TSL? And you call yourself a human?! Just how clueless are you?”

I frowned, “I’m sorry, but not all humans know every series that pops up.”

Distress took over his face, and I thought his eyes would pop out of his head. I would be getting slightly worried for him now if I actually cared for his well being.

“But, but,” he stammered, “How could you not know?!”

“I just don’t.”

“The fact that you don’t know TSL alone is proof that you’ve been wasting your life!” Leviathan yelled.

I rolled my eyes while he went on to tell me the genre, the author, the number of volumes, and other random facts about the franchise. I listened to him as he complained about lousy characterization in some theatrical adaptations of the series, while others came out fantastic. Despite my indignation at the demon, I could help the small smile growing on my face when he spoke of his frustration over an added and completely unneeded romantic love interest for the main protagonist.

He poured out his love for the characters to me as he explained how interesting they were and what made them unique. I don’t know why, but I was so captivated by his spiel so much that I even asked questions so I could better understand the series. He was irritated by the interruptions at first, but he ended up enjoying answering me. 

I listened aptly, trying to keep up with his crash course. I guess I related to him on some level. I, too, felt passionate about my interests and had no one to talk about them. There was nothing worse than fangirling over something you love to a person who couldn’t care less, and that realization made me sympathize with him just a tiny bit.

“Check it out.” He rushed over to the aquarium on the wall while I followed then pointed to a corner of a rock. There was a tiny speck of orange moving around that I completely overlooked earlier when I was exploring on my own. “See this goldfish? His name is Henry. I love TSL so much that I couldn’t help but name him after my favorite character!” Leviathan lost his smile when he said, “But I can’t really high-five a goldfish, can I?”

My face softened against my will, and I felt the urge to console him. He looked so dejected, and I felt my heart ache. I knew all about loving a character so much that it was devastating when you remember that they're not real. The fact that I connected with him made me angry. I felt weak to my emotions, but I wasn’t angry at Leviathan himself. Just myself. I feel too easily, and I hated that part of me.

“Go to the human world then. I’m sure you can find many fans like yourself to high five,” I said, knowing fully well that I was lying out of my ass. In my entire 20 years of living, I had never found someone who shared the same intensity as I do for the things I was interested in. Online, yes, but I never was able to befriend them. In real life, I was always the weirdo. Leviathan would probably end up in the same situation.

Leviathan looked at me like I had grown another head. “You can’t be serious. I’m a recluse, an introvert. I can’t just go out with people! That requires social skills and confidence. I don’t have either of those things! It’s impossible,” he groaned, “I’ll never get to do any of that stuff. It’s not fair.”

He trudged back to his gaming chair. I followed, keeping a reasonable distance from him. I may have felt less hostile towards him, but that did not mean I trusted him to not hurt me. He was still an upset demon lord with a heavy dislike for humans. Normies too, apparently. Personally, I was peeved that he thought of me so, but I doubt he would listen if I tried to explain myself.

“Alright,” he said after a moment, “This is starting to depress me. I didn’t bring you here to tell you about TSL. I brought you here because we both know that Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag.” Ah, that’s right. I was here because said scumbag left me alone with his pissed off brother. My mood soured instantly. “Human,” Leviathan began, “It is important you understand this: Mammon is a hopeless, worthless piece of shit who won’t ever repay what he takes.” 

I raised an eyebrow. Harsh, and I couldn’t say it was true yet. I had just met the guy and it would be unfair to judge him immediately despite the asshole treatment he gave me earlier. He needed to let me down a few more times before I solidified my opinion of him being hopeless and worthless.

“And yet, you gave him money.” I was barely able to restrain myself from adding, ‘This is completely a you problem.’ “Why?”

“‘Cause he’s my brother, duh,” he explained as if it were obvious.

I was surprised by his answer. From the encounter I witnessed not too long ago, the brothers seemed to be at odds, holding ample distaste towards one another. Well, there’s always more than what meets the eye. “Sounds like you care for him,” I replied lightly. 

“Ugh, that doesn’t matter right now.”

He didn’t argue. Noted.

“The point is that I know for a fact that Mammon has the money I need. He’s the Avatar of Greed, for fuck’s sake. He just likes hoarding and keeping his valuables hidden away. At the same time, he also wants to buy everything he sees, so he cheats, steals, and gambles to gain the funds to fuck around. He refuses to use his own money despite having more than enough, leaving him in ever-increasing debt. Honesty, I don’t care what he does. I just want my money back.” Leviathan sighed in defeat, “I wish I could force him, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon’s still the second oldest. No matter how hard I try, I don’t stand a chance against him as his younger brother. He’s just too powerful for me.”

I hummed in response. So Leviathan didn’t mind giving money to his older brother, even knowing that he wouldn’t pay him back. But this time it was different, like there was something else that was bugging him. It would be easier if I just let it go, but unfortunately I am a chismosa, a gossiper at my core. I needed to know everything.

“Money can’t be the only thing you’re upset about. It’s more than just money, isn’t it?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t get offended or close up on me. “Something happened before all this.”

The man sighed. “Long story short, Mammon won a Seraphina figurine that I would’ve died to have. However, that greedy little bastard kept it, not because he was interested in it, oh no, but because he simply wanted it.” His tone became increasingly irritated and soon flames of rage burned in his orange eyes. “He didn’t even take care of her! He just tossed the bag on the floor as if it was a piece of trash! Like how could he?!”

He continued as he jumped off of his seat and stomped around, “I marched over to his room and brought my heel down on his sleeping form, but next thing I knew, he grabbed me, picked me up, and slammed me head first onto the floor in a pile driver. The worst part is that he was stark naked! Who the hell sleeps in the nude?!” Leviathan shivered at the memory before calming down and leaning against the bathtub. “You’ve seen how fast he is. No one besides Lucifer or Beel has that kind of speed.”

Leviathan’s tone became sly, and I immediately wondered if this was going to end well for me. Probably not. “But if, say, a human made a pact with Mammon and bound him to their service, then he’d have to do whatever that human told him to do. They would be in total control.” My eyes widened as I caught on to his plan. “I want you to make a pact with him, human, and force him to give me back my money,” he demanded.

I crossed my arms and stood straighter, “Sorry to rain on your parade, but I’d like to keep my soul. I’m not selling it just so you can get back at your brother.”

Leviathan rolled his eyes, “Giving up your soul isn’t always necessary. It depends on what’s in the pact and the people involved in it. Basically, you have to give something worthy in exchange, and usually, humans only have their souls to offer. Come on, just imagine how useful it would be to have such a powerful demon as your servant.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as I considered his words. On one hand, it would be nice to know that I could force Mammon to protect me if I really needed his help. On the other hand, I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of ‘forcing’ anyone to do anything. Even an asshole of a demon. It just wasn’t right.

I met Leviathan’s orange eyes, a soft glow emitted from them so faint that I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not. The demon stood unnaturally still like a snake preparing to strike at his prey. He was waiting, expecting me to give in to his request. 

I felt the urge to follow Mammon’s advice and run away, but I was stubborn. It was a trait I knew would some day get me killed. That was exactly why I needed my chosen protector to heed my words, forcibly or not. I refuse to die pathetically at the hands of demons.

It took everything out of me just to keep my breath steady before I answered, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 6

Summary:

Leviathan gives the human girl a mission that she does not look forward to.

Asmodeus is left disappointed and confused.

Aniisha falls in love with her room.

Notes:

Hi, I'm back! Here's the third chapter as I promised :)

A devilish grin slowly spread across his pale face. Alarm jolted around my body as I struggled to act causally.

“Good choice, human. You are smarter than you seem.”

I chose to ignore that comment and said, “If this is going to work, I’ll need your help with making a pact with Mammon without selling my soul. I don’t have anything to give me, and I’m sure he hates my guts.”

The man chuckled at my words, “Don’t worry, I know exactly what he wants.” He got up to get his phone on the desk. He motioned for me to come over, something I really did not want to do, but if I wanted to succeed, I would need to know everything I could. I tried to keep as much space between us as possible while still giving me a clear view of the screen. Leviathan showed a picture of Mammon posing with something in his hand. I wish he would just give it to me so I wouldn’t be near him, but I also wouldn’t trust a stranger with my phone.

“You see that black card in his hand? That’s his credit card. He depends on that thing like it's a lifeline or his salvation. He calls his card like ‘My one true love’ or something as if it was his lover.” He scoffed, “He probably named it. I bet he even slept with it.” His face contorted into disgust, and I followed. That’s such a disgusting thought, and I hate Leviathan for putting that image in my head. 

“Lucifer took it,” he continued, “He had enough of Mammon’s behavior and confiscated the thing. He’ll do anything to get it back, even make a pact with some annoying human like you.”

“Well, this ‘annoying human’ is helping you out big time, so maybe you should be nicer to me,” I snapped. 

“Maybe,” Leviathan responded with a scoff, “Listen, I want you to talk to Lucifer and find out where he’s hidden it. You can’t let Lucifer know, though. Be subtle. Do a good job, or we’re going to have problems.” With that, he spun me around and pushed me out of his door, and slammed it close.

I found myself standing in an unfamiliar hall. I cursed under my breath when I realized that I had no idea where to go from here. I think we made a turn somewhere to get to Leviathan’s room. Or was it two? Taking slow and unsure steps, I looked for the stairs I came from. Luckily, they weren’t far. 

Okay, so I found the way up to the small hallway where I was before Mammon left me. Now what? My oh-so-reliable protector never told me where my room was. I stood dumbly and awkwardly as I tried to figure out what to do. 

I stayed there for a few minutes, getting lost in my mind. Not seeing or feeling, just existing with panic swirling in my chest. Eventually, I heard a voice coming down the other set of stairs, effectively snapping me back to the present. 

“Oh, Aniisha! I didn’t expect to see you here,” Asmodeus called happily. “I thought you’d be in your room by now.”

My lips quirked up slightly, though the humor was drained out of my expression. “I thought I’d be there too,” I agreed. “Mammon ran away, and Leviathan left me to my own devices.”

Asmodeus hummed, “Yeah, sounds like them. Here, I could take you there. It’s not that far from here.”

“That would be great,” I said, relief washing over me.

We walked down the hall to an open archway opposite of the wall illusion I had come in from previously. From there, we made a right to the only door in the dead end hallway. 

“This is it!” Asmodeus exclaimed. “You should already have some clothes and school uniform prepared for you. Shower essentials, menstruation products, and towels are also provided.”

“Thank you,” I replied, genuine gratitude seeping into my voice for the first time. 

“Of course, honey buns.”

Okay, mood ruined. 

I moved to open the door when the demon called me once more. “Oh, Aniisha, before you go…”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms. Suddenly, I was engulfed in warmth and the strong scent of…was that pina colada? Well, whatever it was, it was dripping with the promise of fun, and I couldn’t deny that I liked it. We were face to face, only an inch apart, and I just had to admire his features: smooth, clear skin, full lashes, plump lips, and a delicate nose. He was indeed gorgeous, a demon worthy of the title of Avatar or Lust. I stared into his eyes; they seemed to swirl with various shades of orange and yellow. Like Leviathan’s, Asmodeus’s eyes seemed to hold a faint luminescence. 

I found myself slightly surprised to feel lean muscle underneath his uniform. He looked so soft from afar. We stayed in that position for a few seconds longer. While I enjoyed the physical contact, it was becoming a bit awkward. I raised my eyebrow in exhausted exasperation. His expression changed from smug to confused after another moment passed. He seemed to be waiting for something. 

This was getting really uncomfortable, and I began to fidget in his tight hold. “Excuse me,” I said as I pushed my palm against his chest. He reluctantly let me go, arms falling at his side. “It’s been a long day. I’d like to turn in for the night.”

He didn’t respond and just stared at me. I wasn’t about to wait for an answer, so I entered my room and left him standing in the hallway alone. Unlike when Leviathan pushed me out, I knew Asmodeus would be fine. This was his house after all. 

I made sure to find the lock on the door. I knew it wouldn’t do much against demon lords, but it was better than nothing.

All thoughts of any of the brothers left me as my eyes roamed my room. I was momentarily stunned by the tree growing near the head part of the bed and the vines and ivy that crawled up the stone walls. Hanging from the branches were dozens of colored lanterns and candles, and the leaves and bark never burned, no matter how close they were to the flames. 

Looking around the room, I saw many other trees and bushes with the same kind of lighting in every corner of the room.

Right next to the door, I noticed a sliding light switch on the wall. Bewildered, I tested it out. The room was lit by candles, so what could the switch possibly do? To my astonishment, the intensity of the candles increased and decreased as I moved the switch. When I moved the switch all the way up, the room brightened considerably. It was similar to having soft sunlight lighting my room rather than candles. When I moved it all the way down, the fire extinguished altogether. That was so damn cool.

I took a few steps forward before stopping in front of the rug. This was such a beautiful and clean-looking room. There was no way that I was going to risk dirtying it up by bringing my outside footwear onto the rug. I don’t know why I became so attached to this room, but I did. The entire place calmed me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. 

I quickly decided that for the time being, this room would be my home, a safe haven from the rest of the house and the world beyond. Somehow, I will make that my reality and protect my personal getaway. 

I tossed my slippers off (why wasn’t I wearing shoes?); I was always more comfortable walking barefoot. I was raised to take my shoes off in the house, and that’s how it was gonna stay. Clean slippers were fine though. Maybe I should get some to add more familiarity. A twinge of excitement rushed through me. I could have outside shoes and sandals that I keep by the door, one pair of slippers to use in the rest of HoL, and one pair of slippers for the comforts of my own room.

The problem was that I didn’t know how to get my hands on the footwear. Asking Mammon was out of the question. Leviathan was also a no-go. Maybe Asmodeus since he helped me find my room, but he might ask for something in return. Satan probably didn’t care enough about me to help. Perhaps Beelzebub could be bribed with some food, but I don’t know him well enough to be confident in doing that. I’m still upset at Lucifer from earlier today, and I didn’t trust Diavolo. 

You know what? I’ll figure this out another day. All I want right now is to relax. I wiggled my toes in the soft rug next to my bed and let out a small sigh of pleasure. I felt like I was walking on clouds.

I continued to explore and was pleasantly surprised to find that there were no bugs or dirt to be seen, and the trees seemed to grow directly from the hardwood floor. Even the bed was amazingly made from twisting branches that also sprouted from the ground and the lush greenery that decorated the bed and the walls all green with no sign of decay or imperfections. 

Through a lush archway made by a thick tree branch, there was a long table surrounded by chairs made from dark rosewood. Drawers and coffin looking-shelves on the back wall were decorated with books, stationery items, and trinkets.

To the right of the table and past the bookshelves was a tiny hallway. On one side was a closet hidden by a sliding door. It was small, just enough for multiple uniforms and other casual clothes. 

What was prepared for me wasn’t anything fancy, just shirts and jeans that looked like they’d fit me. There was a note on one of the hangers. I picked it up and read the large, messy scrawl. 

 

“Here are some clothes. We left space for you if you wanted to buy more or if the clothes aren’t your style. 

-Mammon”

 

“Space?” I murmured, “What space?” Well, I suppose if I really squeezed the hangers together I could have more places for clothes. Under the hanging things was a drawer filled with underwear and bras exactly my size, and I found myself cringing. I didn’t want to think about how they knew my measurements. Folded in the very bottom drawer were pajamas. On the floor next to the drawer were two pairs of the uniform shoes. 

On the other side of the hallway was a door to the bathroom. There was a toilet with rolls of extra toilet paper sitting on top, and There was a plain white sink with silver handles next to it. Directly across from the toilet was what I assumed was the shower. There was a shower head but no shower curtain. There were raised tiles in the shape of a square presumably to keep the water from spreading to the rest of the bathroom and a drain in the middle. Next to it was a bar for hanging things. Finally, there was a large cabinet next to the sink which kept all the towels and hygiene products.

It wasn’t ideal, but I couldn’t complain too much. It wasn’t like I hadn’t used a shower like this before, and honestly, I was just happy that everything was clean and unrusted. 

I stared at the shower drain. It looked clean enough, but I still didn't want to step barefoot in it. With a certain nod, I decided that I needed to buy bathroom slippers as well.

When I looked at myself in front of the mirror, my jaw dropped. Simply said, I looked like shit. My hair was like an oily bird’s nest from being unbrushed and unwashed for days on end. My skin was clammy while my eyes carried deep and dark bags underneath them due to many sleepless nights. I was in my old, mismatching pajamas that I’d worn on repeat for the past week. 

Well, that explained why I was wearing slippers (my indoor slippers to my dismay) instead of my shoes. 

I took a big whiff of my clothes and my armpits. I wasn’t fresh, but I wasn’t stinky. The only things I’ve been able to do the past week were put on deodorant and maybe brush my teeth twice a day, though it usually was just once a day. 

Up until now, I was proud that I even just got out of bed, much more watch my stink. What were once my achievements now felt like nothing. I met a prince and nobility looking like this. I was mortified. 

A gross-looking, weak-ass, mortal woman with a snarky attitude did not make for a positive first impression. Strong, perhaps, but not favorable. What a way to start the school year. 

I guess one good thing that came out of this mess was that the adrenaline got me out of that dumb slump I was in. I might as well use this to my advantage and finally take that damn shower that I so desperately need.

After grabbing the things I needed from the cabinet, I stripped and hung my clothes and towel over the bar next to the shower. To be honest, I was worried that the water would be cold. In my old house before I moved into my apartment, the knobs controlling the water temperature worked sometimes . When it didn’t work, the water was either scorching hot or freezing cold. While I made it a silly guessing game, it somehow created a new apprehension every time I bathed. Is this going to hurt me, or will I be okay?

It’s been years since then, and the silly fear has never left me. It never bothered me, however. I actually think it’s pretty funny to be scared of such a trivial thing. At least, that’s what I tell myself. 

Luckily, the temperature knobs worked wonderfully, and I was able to enjoy scrubbing off all the filth that accumulated over the week in comfortably hot water. As I began to finish, I considered washing my dirty clothes while I was still in here but ultimately decided against it. I had nowhere to hang them after washing, and I didn’t want to wet the floor by hanging them on the bar outside the shower. I’m sure they have a laundry room somewhere. I’ll just have to look for it later. 

On my own. In a twisty-turny house. Because I was abandoned by my Devildom guide. 

Fuck you, Mammon.

The towels were unbelievably soft and strangely very warm on my skin as if they had their own heat source. I desperately wanted to take some of these home when the program ended. I hope they’ll let me have them. I might even beg Diavolo for them, pride be damned.

I was tempted to just sleep in the towel without changing, but I didn’t want to risk one of the brothers barging into my room to find me naked. Sighing, I opened the pajama drawer and rustled through the clothes. My choices were satin blue shorts with a matching button-up short sleeve, loose gray pants made of soft and stretchy material with a matching long-sleeve shirt, and a green slip-on sleep dress. 

I ended up choosing the blue set because I wanted to feel the sheets of my bed directly on my skin. I could wear the green slip, but I felt like it would leave me too vulnerable, especially in this house.

Now changed, I turned off the lights, feeling giddy as the candles slowly extinguished. It was just so cool. I began to climb into bed when a thought struck me, causing me to debate if I should dry my hair. In the end, I trudged back to the bathroom since I didn’t want to ruin my pillowcases with wet hair without enjoying them first.

Sometime later, I finally crashed onto the bed. I closed my eyes, and I immediately felt like I was floating. If standing on the rug felt like walking on clouds, the bed felt like laying on clouds surrounded by other clouds. 

I couldn’t stop the toothy grin that spread across my face. This was the happiest I’ve been since I arrived here. The bed was wonderfully soft, and the sheets were silky and cool while the thick comforter warmed me up. I inhaled the floral scent of my pillowcases and lost myself to unconsciousness.

Notes:

I remember looking at myself in the mirror when I began writing this and was greeted with the reflection that Aniisha saw in this chapter. Haha, yeeeeaaah. Not so fun, but all is well in the end.

The slipper and shower thing? Yup, I'm outing myself. It's ingrained in me at this point, but oh well. What can you do?

I'm so jelly of Anii because I want her room D: Of course, with a bigger closet space because I love buying clothes and shoes. Don't worry, dear Aniisha. You'll get your closet eventually.

Hope you enjoyed! I'll try harder to updated on time lol

Chapter 7

Summary:

Aniisha's morning isn't going very well.

Notes:

its past midnight but its better late than never. guys I'm really trying to remember to post lol sorry

I woke up to a resentful scream echoing in my ears. Wide-eyed and panicked, I jumped out of bed and looked for something to use as a weapon only to find nothing within my vicinity. As I whirled around looking for the source of the scream, the sound faded away until it was simply a memory. 

I fell to the ground, legs finally giving way after the adrenaline left me. That sound, that shriek, it didn’t sound like it came from anywhere. It felt like it was coming from inside my head, and it left me with a piercing headache and ringing ears. They were the only things that proved I didn’t imagine the whole thing. However, even the pain ebbed away after a few seconds, leaving me with nothing. 

I don’t know how long I stayed on my knees breathing heavily, but eventually, the alarm on my phone rang, alerting me that it was 6:15 AM and that I needed to prepare for school. 

Okay. Alright. That’s enough freaking out. I have a lot that I need to do for school, and I can’t afford to be distracted by mulling over random disembodied screaming. I can do that later. I slapped my cheeks to bring myself back to reality. It didn't work very well.

Quickly washing up, drying myself with those amazing towels, and brushing my teeth, I brought out the uniform. As I examined the clothes, dismay grew in my chest. The uniform was decorated with a plethora of buttons, buckles, and straps. This was going to be a nightmare putting on. After about fifteen minutes of trying and failing, I managed to get it somewhat correct. Was it perfect? Far from it. Was it at least kinda presentable? More or less, and that’s good enough for me. 

I went over the list of items that I needed for the first day of school before I sorrowfully left my room. To my surprise, Asmodeus was waiting for me in the hall. I acknowledged him with both eyebrows raised, “Good morning, Asmodeus.”

“Good morning, Aniisha!”

Despite his cheery greeting, there was something in his smile. It was guarded, wary. If I had to guess, it was likely because of his little stunt last night. It didn’t go as planned, and I didn’t really want to know what that ‘plan’ was.

After a beat of silence, he inspected my hanging straps and loose buckles and offered, “Let me help you.” 

He probably meant to fix my clothes himself, but there was no way I was going to let him touch me willingly. Instead, I gave him my bag and my binder. “Thanks,” I said. “Can you tell me what to do?”

“It’s okay, I can do it for you,” he tried again.

I shook my head, “No, I learn better if I do it myself. I can’t ask you to help me out every time I put my uniform on.”

“I don’t mind~”

“It would be too inconvenient, don't you think?” I asked with a small, polite smile of my own. 

His eyes dimmed for a second since he couldn’t refute my statement. Being a lord came with a lot of responsibilities, and helping me every morning would take a lot of time away from him. 

“Okay,” he finally conceded. 

Oh, how I love it when I win. 

He guided me as I fumbled with my uniform. I wasn’t very good at following directions in general, but eventually, I managed to get it right. Ugh, the attire looked nice, but it was too complicated in my opinion.

Asmodeus asked if I wanted to eat, but after experiencing a head-cracking wake-up call, I lost my appetite rather quickly. We walked to school with him chattering my ear off. I found myself not minding his rapid fire, one-sided conversation. Listening to him also benefited me since I got to learn more about the Avatar of Lust without initiating it. 

Apparently, he was an influencer on many platforms such as Deviltube and Devilgram, and he also had his own make-up and clothesline. He loved performing and being the center of attention which is the main reason he became a part-time singer.

To sum up everything I learned during that ten-minute walk to school, this man was a narcissist. Talented and social, yes, but self-centered and dismissive to others who are not fawning over him. He loves himself and only himself, as he had said multiple times during his spiel. 

“You know,” he began when we neared the school, “I attempted to use my powers of seduction on you earlier, and I’ve been trying ever since.” 

I frowned at his words. So all morning, he’s been trying to make me go crazy with desire or something along those lines. I took everything I had to resist my body's natural response to tensing under his sharp gaze. 

“Really?” I asked with as cool of a voice as I could manage. 

“It obviously hasn’t worked,” he said, looking away from me and turning his nose upward in annoyance. “You completely brushed me off then, and you still brush me off now. Any other human, animal, or demon could never resist my powers, so how did you?” He stopped walking right in front of the school’s entrance.

“I honestly don’t know, Asmodeus,” I replied, looking deep into his orange and yellow eyes. At this point, I was just rubbing it in. Heh, oops. 

He stared at me with his head slightly tilted to the side for a moment before a flash of irritation flitted across his face. The demon stepped closer to me, and I backed away in response. He put an arm behind my waist and pulled me closer, but to my surprise, Asmodeus didn’t do anything except say, “Calm down. Here, take this.” He placed a small baggy in my hands. “Fix up your dark circles.” 

He sashayed away after that. When he disappeared from my sight, I looked down to find that the baggy had concealer in it. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or thankful, but I kept it in my pocket. I’ll use it if I find a mirror. However, all hope of finding a restroom to fix my face evaporated as I took in the enormous school. Tall stone walls, intimidating columns, and twisting staircases all made for a frightening maze. I pulled out the map of the school, knowing fully well that it would be useless. I was going to get lost regardless. 

…And I was right. I cursed under my breath for the fifteenth time in the last ten minutes. I was so fucking lost. Every pillar looked the same and all the signs that were supposed to guide me only baffled me more. 

The magic in the air felt like it was wrapping around my throat, making me light-headed and dizzy, body tingling with adrenaline. It was suffocating enough that students were everywhere, and the fact that they were demons only worsened the feeling. 

I took a break from frantically walking around and tried to focus on the map in my hands. As I was trying to pinpoint where I was, I overheard two demons gossiping.

“Hey, check it out, Riji,” a female voice said, “That’s the human that everyone’s been talking about. You think it’s true what they say? That Master Mammon became a babysitter for it?” she asked, voice dripping with scorn and disgust.  

A male voice responded, “Think it is. You know, we’re lucky then. Master Mammon doesn’t have a care for humans and will probably half-ass his babysitting job.” 

“When he’s not paying attention,” the male voice continued, “We can devour that human before Master Beelzebub does, and Master Mammon would never know.”

I scowled at their words. How nice to know that I’m regarded as an object. Mammon’s reputation precedes him. I hope he’s happy, that bastard. Master Mammon, hah! Master, my ass. In due time, I’ll be the master of that damn demon. With a sneer twisting my face, I quickly turned in the opposite direction and sped walked away in a random direction. I was getting extremely tired of all this bullshit. I was tired of the insults and threats. 

I was also tired of being lost. I’m so going to be late. I went to grab my D.D.D from my pocket only to be met with nothing. A different type of panic spread throughout my body as I checked my bag unsuccessfully. 

I groaned and chewed on my lip. Lucifer warned me not to break the D.D.D. but technically, it was lost, not broken. In any event, the fact still remained that it was the morning of the first day, and my guide had abandoned me, my phone was gone, I was going to be late to class, and students were plotting to eat me. What a great start to the year.

“Hey, you there.” I turned toward the sound of the new voice. A man with snowy hair and almost alarmingly pale skin walked up to me. “That’s right, you, the human with that frightened, tormented look on your face that demons love so much.”

I narrowed my eyes, “Excuse me?” I was this fucking close to cracking.

He smiled exasperatedly, “You’re practically screaming, ‘Come and get me! I’m scrumptious!’” 

“I’ll work on schooling my expression. Thanks for the advice,” I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. He was visibly amused by this. I, on the other hand, was not. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” I asked impatiently. 

“No need to be suspicious,” he said with a chuckle, “My name is Solomon. I’m an exchange student from the human world, just like you. Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand for a shake.

I regarded him with a curious and cautious expression before shaking his hand, “Nice to meet you too, Solomon. I’m Aniisha, but I assume you already knew that. Everyone else here seems to.”

He nodded, “Well, no matter what is said by word of mouth, I’m glad to meet the person myself.” He reached for his pocket to pull out a D.D.D. “This belongs to you, I believe. I saw you drop earlier.” He handed me my phone, and I sighed in relief. 

“Thank you so much,” I said, actually meaning it. “Lucifer wouldn’t have been thrilled if I had lost it.” It was funny and terrifyingly dangerous how my guard almost dropped immediately from a simple act of kindness. Or rather, the show of a kind act. I’m pretty sure he didn’t help me out of the goodness of his heart. There was another motive. I just didn’t know what.

“No, I imagine he would not.” Solomon studied me for a second. “You know, it’s almost as if you were more worried about your phone than the whispers of the demons around you.”

I shrugged, “Whispers are just whispers. They don’t matter. Besides, if I had my phone, I could call one of the brothers if someone was stupid enough to touch me. Sure, the lords don’t care for me, but Diavolo’s word is law. They have to do at least something beneficial to me.”

Okay, truth be told, I was pulling shit out of my ass again. Laws can be broken and whispers can spiral down to have treacherous and uncontrollable outcomes. Still, I stood by my claims no matter how doubtful I felt inside. Fake it till you make it, you know?

Solomon tilted his head in thought as he considered my words, then he smiled, “You might survive this year, after all.”

“‘Might’ is the key word.” I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, “All this is new to me. It’s hard to keep up.” 

“I thought Mammon was helping you,” he said, and I gave him a blank look. “Well, the more I think about it, he is more of a liability than an asset. I’m not sure I can think of anyone less suited to a role like that.”

“That’s so insightful, Solomon. I didn’t even notice.”

The man’s smile only got bigger which annoyed me more. “To choose Mammon for a job like this, you’d have to be crazy or playing a joke. Lucifer is either messing with you or messing with Mammon. If I had to guess, it's both. Poor you!”

He had the audacity to laugh at my irritated expression. “That’s it. I’m leaving,” I said, glaring at the infuriating man before turning away.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He lightly put a hand on my shoulder and let out the last of his chuckles. “But truly, despite your situation, you’re going to be fine.” I raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. “You’ve got fire in you, Aniisha. Things aren’t bad enough that you need me to intervene. I can tell. The demons don’t trust me, but I hope you will.”

“That’s up for debate,” I replied dryly.

“I’ll do my best to prove myself to you just as I hope you will prove yourself to me.” 

I sighed again, “Want me to start trusting you? Then help me out. I have no idea where my first class is. I was going to call Lucifer to help me since he made my schedule, but since you’re here, could you help me instead?” I looked at him, hopeful but skeptical.

“Sure, what class do you have?” 

Oh, thank god. I showed him my schedule, and he leaned down to get a better look at it. He was close enough that I could smell faint cologne with herbal undertones. Hmm, it was a lot different from Asmodeus’ sweet perfume. Wait, what the hell? Mentally shaking my head, I returned to the task at hand. 

“I’m with Professor Endocarina’s History of the Devildom in room…E. 352?” I said, unsure.

“That’s the east wing on the third floor. You’re currency on the west wing on the second floor. How did you end up here?” Solomon asked as he straightened to his full height, thoroughly entertained when I groaned.

“I wish I could tell you,” I replied, almost cracking a smile. I knew I was horrible with directions but this was absurd. 

“Don’t feel too bad. The maps of the school are overly complex. You’re really better without it.” His smile dimmed a little as he looked over my shoulder, “Uh-oh.”

“‘Uh-oh’? What do you mean ‘Uh-oh’?” I turned to look, but I was too short to see past the sea of demons.

“Mr. Vice President is headed your way. I know I said I’d help,” he began apologetically, “But Lucifer is better equipped to assist you. Besides, he’s who you originally wanted, right? I’d better get going.”

“Wait, Solomon!” I called out. He was already on the move, and I couldn’t catch him.

“He doesn’t like me very much. Sorry, I’ll pick you up after class and help you then. See you later, Aniisha.” He left with a wave, barely giving me the time to wave back. I turned around to myself face to chest with the vice president of RAD.

 

Notes:

I adore Solomon, my sketchy magic man. I think he would smell like herbs and pine trees. It makes a good balance with his boyfriend's fruity and flavorful perfumes. No one would bat an eye if Asmo were wearing fresher scents, but if Solo were found wearing the sweet perfumes, everyone would be looking for the hickies Asmo would've left.

Chapter 8

Summary:

Aniisha takes an informative walk with the first-born.

Notes:

Look at meeeee! I posted at a reasonable time on the day I was supposed to post! I'll take this as an absolute win. Aight, on with the story!

“Good morning, Aniisha,” Lucifer greeted, and I jumped when I heard his deep voice. I wondered if I’ll ever get used to it.

Even though I took a few steps back, I still had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. “Good morning to you too, Lucifer.” 

“You clean up nice,” he said, looking over my appearance. “You slept well, I assume?”

Ah yes, this was why I disliked him with a burning passion. I had nearly forgotten. I tried not to scowl. “Yes, thank you,” I replied tightly.

“Was that Solomon I saw you talking with?” he asked with a tilted head.

“Yeah, he wanted to introduce himself.” I decided to omit the fact that he came to talk to me because I dropped my D.D.D. What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him. Well, hurt me.

He hummed, looking over the head of the other demons. “How do you like him?”

I paused before answering him. I mean, Solomon teased me a lot, but he wasn’t mean; rather, he was courteous and polite. Unlike Satan, there was some sincerity and friendliness in Solomon’s demeanor. The best part of it all was that he treated me like a person which was the fucking bare minimum. To sum it all up… “He’s nice,” I replied.

Lucifer nodded and looked back at me again. “Yes, since you are both human, it's only natural that you’d want to associate with him, but just know that he cannot be trusted. He may be a mere human…”

I nearly cringed at the use of ‘mere human.’ Lucifer did not reach the bare minimum. Rude, arrogant, sadistic, fake. This man was insincerity personified.

He continued, unaware of my mental insults. “But Solomon has a ring imbued with wisdom and wields powerful magic. He’s the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance.”

Oh, we love that. I was wary of the demons and the demons were wary of Solomon which meant sticking by Solomon’s side was a good thing. He sounded like a better protector than the seven Lords of Hell. Or six, I suppose. I haven’t seen the seventh one yet.  

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said to Lucifer. Speaking of students, I decided to ask a question I had been wondering about for a while. “If Solomon and I are the human exchange students, who are the others? You know, the ones from…um…” Heaven was not the correct term, I just knew it, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the first-born any more than I already had.

“The Celestial Realm?” he finished for me.

I nodded dumbly. I mentally sighed. I guess I can’t escape embarrassment no matter what I do. “Yeah, that.”

Lucifer said, “Those would be the angels, Simeon and Luke. We will introduce them to you all in good time. You might run into them sometime over the year as well.”

“I might?”

“Yes, this is a large school, and they won’t be taking the same courses as you because yours are all intro classes. Perhaps you will share the same classes next semester. Otherwise, I don’t imagine you would have a reason to interact with them.”

“Oh.” 

I found myself slightly disappointed. I was extremely curious about the angels, and I bet they were a lot nicer than most of the people I had the displeasure of meeting. 

Welp, time to face the issue at hand. “By the way, Lucifer, can you help me find my classroom? As you said, it’s a large school, and I keep getting lost.”

“Of course,” he agreed. I was about to show him my schedule when he interrupted me, “You do not need to do that, for I have memorized your schedule. All you need to do is follow me,” he said haughtily. 

He began to walk away, and I struggled to keep up. Curse long legs. I felt his gaze on me, but I was tired of looking up at him. “Word of advice,” Lucifer began, “You should meet people’s eyes and not let your guard down.”

Oh, how dare he. All I have ever been doing was throw back the same stare that others have given me. Lucifer of all people should know that since he was subjected to it nearly the entirety of our first meeting. Upset, I glared at him to find him quite pleased. I realized that he was just saying that to rile me up. I don’t know why I ever thought asking Lucifer for help was a good idea.

“I apologize if I have offended you, Aniisha.”

Apologize, my ass.

He then said, “I just don’t want you to end up getting eaten by some random lesser demon. It would only mean plenty of paperwork for me, and I don’t need that.”

I scoffed, “Would it be less paperwork if I got eaten by a higher ranking demon?”

“Try not to get eaten by any demons, regardless of the class,” he deadpanned. 

He caught the stares of other students. With just a look, they scurried away. I mentally grunted. I suppose having him by my side wasn’t all too bad. He turned his attention back to me and said, “You’ve become quite the celebrity here, haven’t you?”

“So it seems,” I replied. “Can’t say I enjoy it.” 

“Aniisha,” he began, “There is another part of this program that I forgot to mention.”

I nodded, not liking where this was going. There was a gleam in his eyes, excited, intrigued. 

“What I want you to do is to try to resist demon temptation. They like shiny souls, and yours is already fairly polished. The longer you stay here and withstand their offers and taunts, the stronger and more delectable your soul will become. I’m curious to see how you fair in this endeavor. Do not worry, we can always force the demon to give you your soul back if you were to fail and give in. As I said before, you will be safe and return to the human world with everything intact.”

My fingers twitched. What the actual fuck? How was this safe? Return with everything intact? Bro, my sanity and mental health probably would be beyond repair at that point. I was pretty sure having your soul taken away from you was more traumatized than leaving here with a lost limb. 

“Joyest of joys,” I muttered. “You really know how to plan a good time, Lucifer.”

Maybe I was just imagining things, but I thought I heard him chuckle. Hopefully I was right and he was in a good mood because I still got that Leviathan deal to figure out. With a silent breath, I opened the subject. “I’ll do as you say. Then, in that case, could you tell me more about Mammon?”

Lucifer raised both eyebrows. “Mammon? Why do you want to know about him all of a sudden?”

I pretended to think for a moment, “He’s my supposed guide, a babysitter as people have been calling it. I think one of the best ways to protect my soul is to actually have someone by my side. Maybe if I got to know him better, we could actually get along.”

Lucifer considered this before saying, “Alright. Mammon is my brother, so I don’t want to say anything too unkind about him. I’ll try to be sparing in my criticism.”

I nodded, waiting for his response.

He cleared his throat then said, “He’s pure scum. Pure, unfiltered, disgusting scum to the point that I’m embarrassed to call him a fellow demon, much less my brother.” 

I could not stop my mouth from dropping, and I openly gaped at him. “Whatever happened to not saying anything unkind about him?” I asked.

Lucifer huffed, “I said I did not want to say anything bad about him. However, I thought it best not to lie, so I decided that I needed to tell you the truth.”

“And the truth is he’s scum?” 

“Precisely,” he said with full confidence. That was harsh, hateful even. 

Well, it's not my business, so I moved on. “Well, what does he like? Maybe the most important thing to him or something?” I asked next.

“Why do you want to know that?” He was smiling a knowing smile, but what was it that he knew? Suddenly, dread swirled in my stomach. I’m pretty sure he figured me out already, but I just had to press on. I swallowed my nerves.

“I’m just thinking that I could use it to strike up a conversation with him,” I answered evenly. Fake it till you make it. Fake it till you make it. Fake it, come on…

I continued my mental mantra while I added, “It's hard to get to know someone if they keep avoiding conversation. I just want to get along with him, but I wouldn’t know what we’d talk about in the first place.”

“Money,” he answered, stopping in front of a classroom door. I didn’t realize that we already made our way up the stairs and across the school. This man takes up too much of my attention. That was a horrifying thought. 

Lucifer explained, “Regardless of the form, Mammon will spend money with no limits. I’ve taken the situation into my own hands and froze something dear to him. If you took all of his money away from him, what else would there be in his life? Nothing.”

I frowned. That couldn’t be right. Demon or not, there was always more to someone than just a singular thing, always some sort of complexity that builds a person. I was sure Mammon was no exception. 

“I don’t think there wouldn’t be anything in his life,” I began. I thought about Leviathan and his strange willingness to keep helping Mammon. Leviathan admitted that he gave Mammon money simply because they were brothers. The Avatar of Envy said it so casually too as if it were a given. It was a sensitive topic, something not meant for outsiders such as myself, but I wanted to get this point across. I continued speaking as carefully as I could, “He has you guys, a family to turn to when all things are said and done.”

Lucifer’s red eyes pierced through me as he regarded me with a thoughtful expression. I felt like I was on trial, and he was determining whether or not I was guilty of a crime. Our eyes remained locked for what seemed like forever. Then Lucifer spoke, breaking the moment. 

“That’s the first bell,” he said, “Class is about to start, so I’ll leave you now. Remember, it is not a block schedule today, so make sure to attend all your classes. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I replied. My head as I turned to face the doorway. With a deep breath, I took a step in and nearly regretted it. Somehow, I felt like I was sealing my fate. 

Luck, huh? I guess I was pretty lucky, though all my luck was put into my survival. More specifically, I was lucky I hadn’t died yet. I’ve been in all sorts of dangerous situations and befriended many deranged people. Hopefully, that luck will stay by my side for the rest of the year, and I won’t get killed by demons. I mean, if I were to die, I’d do it myself.

The chalkboard said that there were no assigned seats, a definite good sign. I took a deep breath and took a seat in the second row. The closer I was to the teacher, the more engaged I was. In this school with subjects vastly different from what I was used to, I really needed to focus, and that was something I was very very bad at. I considered sitting in the first row, but I wasn’t comfortable enough for that yet. Maybe later in the semester, I’d move up if there was still an empty seat. 

“Good morning, class,” the teacher said, interrupting my musings. “I’m Professor Endocarina. You may refer to me as Professor or Ma’am. Welcome to the History of Devildom 101.”

She scanned the room before resting her yellow eyes on me. I swallowed under her intense stare, but I refused to back down. I haven’t done so yet, and even without Lucifer’s unnecessary advice, I will not do so in the future. 

Maybe it was a test and I passed because she smiled, approval passing through her eyes. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad.

 

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed.

(and you didn't hear this from me but the author is a slut for comments...just saying)