Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Welcome to the Devildom
Chapter Text
I sighed as I stepped out from the building of my workplace and onto the busy downtown street, blinking away the glare of the setting sun that fell into my exhausted eyes. After pausing for a moment to adjust to the bright light, I shuffled down the concrete steps and into the stream of people walking down the sidewalk, rubbing my temples to try and dispel the strain that the fluorescent bulbs I’m tortured with on the daily left in their wake.
And it was only bloody Monday.
I drifted through the crowds of other folk fleeing their own 9-6 office jobs as I made my way to the underground station that would take me to my small flat on the other side of the city. I maneuvered around a gang of teens blocking the increasingly traffic-heavy stairwell as the swell of folk bottlenecked down into the depths of the station. I felt my phone vibrating in my jacket; it’ll have to wait until I’m free of the threat of being smushed in the rush-hour crowd.
And I needed toilet paper too. Fuck.
Finally stepping down onto the platform, I used my small size to my advantage to weave my way towards the front, desperation to catch the next train and to just be home pulling me forward. I’ll have to stop by the convenience store that’s a couple minutes past my sweet solitude, but what can you do. The toilet demands its paper. Did I really want to pay the premium that a convenience store charges for necessities? Not really. Was this the self-imposed tax I had to pay for not dragging my ass out of bed on my day off yesterday, necessitating the extra, precious time added to my 9-hour day?
Yup. That about tracks for me.
I tensed and rooted my feet firmly onto the platform as I heard the rumble of the next train approaching, standing my ground as I felt a couple others try to shoulder their way ahead of my own position. Not today, fuckers. I have toilet paper to pick up, and I’m sure as hell not adding even more time to my commute by missing this next train. I’m on a goddamn mission to walk through the door of my flat by 6:40, latest.
The train slowed as it pulled up, doors open, aaaaand, duck.
Made it.
A exhaled the breath I had been holding as I squeezed myself towards a pole I could grab onto. My hand snatched the cold metal and I thanked the heavens for my short stature that allowed for me to undercut the other, taller hands that clutched at the same pole above my own. I looked down at the ground to ease the panic I always felt on a crowded train like this, pretending that the strangers squeezed around me didn’t exist as I pulled out my phone to distract myself.
Yep, missed call from Jake. Ugh. I don’t know why I hoped for anything different. He’s the only one who calls me these days.
Missed call, and three missed texts.
Jake: Hey. – Classic, normal opening.
Jake: What are you up to rn. – Almost a harmless enough conversation starter, but none of your beeswax anymore, Jakie.
Jake: Can we talk. – And there it is. The crux of his issue. So transparent.
Chise: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Jake: Pleeeease, Chise.
I left the last one on read.
My phone starts vibrating in my hand again. I sigh and stuff it back into my jacket pocket, turning my attention to the screen above that showed the stops. Bzzt bzzt. Three more to go. Bzzt bzzt.
I step into the convenience store just as a blustery wind hits my back, sending me forward with a bit more force than I had intended – seems like fall might be on its way early this year. I rounded a corner, maneuvering through the cheap aluminum shelving that has been crammed entirely too close together towards the back of the store where they kept my prize. Heeeere we go. One small pack of over-priced, shitty toilet paper that should get me through until the next weekend, where I will definitely, for sure get some of the good stuff on my days off. For sure this time.
Bzzt bzzt. Bzzt bzzt.
For god’s sake, the man can’t take a hint.
Bzzt. A text.
Jake: If you don’t pick up I’m coming over.
Goddamnit.
Bzzt bzzt, bzzt–
“What do you want?” I hissed through my teeth into the phone. The clerk at the counter looked over at my breaking of the silence. Seeing my phone against my ear, disinterest returned to his face, and he went back to his own not-so-subtle on-the-clock screentime.
“What are you doing tonight? Can I come over? I’d really like to talk–“
“No, Jake, you can’t come over. No, I don’t want to talk. And you can’t just threaten to show up at my place unannounced.”
“Chise, c’mon, don’t be like this. I miss you, you know? Can’t we just talk–“
“No, Jake!” I raised my voice, again catching the attention of the clerk out of the corner of my eye, who I could tell was beginning to tune in on the one-sided drama unfolding in his store. “It’s been two months; please for the love of God move on. No more texts. No more phone calls. Pretend I don’t exist.”
“Look, I’ve just been worried about you. I know you don’t have–“
“None of your goddamn business, first of all, and second, this has always been your problem. You’re so goddamn pushy and have never respected my boundaries. Do not call me again. From now on, as far as you’re concerned, I’ve dropped off the face of the planet. I’m not picking up anymore. Do not try to find me. Do not reach out to me. Lose my number. We’re over."
“Chise–"
Click.
Face undoubtedly red, toilet paper under my arm, I did my best to play it cool as I wandered oh-so-casually up to the counter to face the now all-too-interested clerk. My eyes fell on the deli selection displayed next to the register and I absently picked up a crappy egg salad sandwich in my effort to not make any eye contact. He scanned my two items a little too slowly. Still refusing to look up, I slapped my card against the reader, bundled my items into my arms, and hip checked my way out the door and into the cooling air.
And then there was a rushing in my ears as my vision swirled around me.
I took a step back with one foot to stabilize myself as I blinked at the dimmer lighting that I found myself in. A wave of dizziness washed over me from the odd swirling, and disbelief immediately began to settle in as my new surroundings came into focus.
Where… Am I?
I was indoors now, in a place that looks like a courtroom. Candlelight lit the impressive architecture, and a starry night sky greeted me out the tall, arching windows.
Several men are looking my way.
I stood there dumbly, clutching my pack of toilet paper tightly to my chest with one arm and my egg salad sandwich in the other. The five young men who are seated at the table before me stared back for a moment in silence before the man in the seat of chief judge starts speaking.
“Welcome to the Devildom, Chise,” he greeted me genially. At the stunned look on my face that I surely had, he continued, “…Oh, pardon me. Feeling a bit shocked? 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.”
“The… Devildom?”
“Yes, precisely.”
I looked around at the serious, expectant faces that were staring back at me.
“Am I… dead?”
A slender pretty guy to the side, his wavy strawberry blonde hair partially obscuring his face, peeked at me coquettishly from his long lashes as he let out a little giggle of delight. The larger man in the judge’s chair who had been addressing me laughed heartily, throwing his rust-red hair back in an amused guffaw.
“No, Chise, you are not dead, though I can see how you would think so without any context here. You have been summoned here to the Devildom, where us demons make our home.” He leaned forward and fixed me with a friendly stare. His eyes were strange, swirling like spun gold. “I supposed I should start by introducing myself. My name is Diavolo.”
“…Diablo…?”
“Diavolo. A common mispronunciation of your kind. I am the ruler of all demons, and all here know of me. Someday soon, I will be crowned king of the Devildom.” He gestured around the great hall that I stood in. “This is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, though we just call it RAD.
The Royal Academy of Diavolo, I thought, as I still struggled to take in my new situation. How modest of you.
“You’re standing inside the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD. This is where we officers of the student council hold all our meetings and conduct our business. I’m the president of said council.”
Of course you are. “…Why am I here?”
The man to his right, tall and slender with jet black hair and narrow eyes, uncrossed his arms and sat up straighter as he addressed me. “I will explain everything to you.”
“Chise, this is Lucifer,” Diavolo explained. “And he is a demon and the Avatar of Pride. He’s also the vice president of the student council and my right-hand man… and not just in title, I assure you. Beyond that, he is also my most trusted friend.”
I looked at Diavolo in puzzlement over this open personal declaration to a stranger who quite frankly would rather focus on her own panic than the inner personal lives of… demons. Apparently I’ve been dumped into the Devildom, and now I’m expected to partake in casual conversation with… The demon prince and his trusty Avatar of Pride?
Lucifer likewise seemed exasperated at the extra details added to his introduction. He sighed and shook his head. “Flattery will get you no where, Diavolo. Anyway, as I was saying. Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and storied school of ours,” (sooooo modest) “I offer you a most heartfelt welcome, Chise.”
“Answer my question.”
“…Interesting. This one is quite different from Solomon.” He cocked his head to the side slightly, considering me for a moment. “Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm. As a first step toward this goal, we’ve decided to institute an exchange program. We’ve sent two of our students to the human world and two to the Celestial Realm. We’re welcoming four students to our school: two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm. So, I take it you’ve probably put two and two together at this point?”
Yeah – that I was clearly hit by a car that jumped the curb and drove through the convenience store’s front door with me in it, and now I was laying unconscious in a hospital bed in a deep coma, dreaming about being transported to a Demon school as a human exchange student. I wonder what that said about my subconscious.
“You’ve been chosen from among the people of the world to participate in this program of ours. You are our newest exchange student.”
“Wait, what? Okay, back up. Excuse me? Why me? Who gets to approve of who gets yanked out of the human world? I didn’t consent–”
“Your period of stay is one year,” the man, Lucifer, continued, ignoring my stream of protests. I could see the smaller pretty-boy ‘Demon' growing increasingly more amused out of the corner of my eye. “You will have attend lessons that you will receive here at RAD. After one year, you will write a paper about your exchange here in the Devildom."
“Lessons...? Write a paper? Wait, a year?! Look, I have a life at home, a job and a place, I just signed a lease, I can’t afford to just–“
“I am not telling you to write a doctoral thesis. You can take it easy,” Lucifer replied, again ignoring my additional outrage. He sighed. “Don’t glare at me like that. It’s not like I will abandon you all by yourself here in the Devildom.”
That’s not why I’m glaring, you ass.
“You need someone to look after you, and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon.”
The fourth demon, another slender man with delicate facial features and shocking blonde hair, looked down at the table, furrowing his brow and heaving a resigned sigh.
“He’s the Avatar of Greed and… how should I put it…? Well, you’ll understand soon enough.” Lucifer stood and stepped gracefully around the table to stand before me. As I looked into his eyes at his approach, I took a step back and clutched my toilet paper even closer. His eyes were… red. A dark red.
“Here, take this.” He held out a device, a phone I suppose, towards me. I hesitated as he held it out to me, waiting. After a moment, I maneuvered the toilet paper to jam it more firmly under my armpit and tentatively reached out to take it.
“It’s called a D.D.D. It’s a lot like the cellphones of your world. Yours…. Will not be operational here in the Devildom. This will be yours to use for as long as you’re here. Now, go ahead and try calling Mammon with it. I’ve already plugged his number into your contacts.”
I brought the phone up to my face and reluctantly broke eye contact with The Demon Threat standing before me. It was already unlocked with the contacts app open. Mammon’s name was amongst a few others.
“Right… now? In front of all of you?”
“If you would, please. On speaker, if you know how.”
I clicked dial. We stood in silence as it rang a couple times.
“Yooooooo,” came a husky voice on the other end.
“Er… Yoooo…” I responded, much to the giggling delight of Pretty Boy at the table, who stuffed his knuckles into his mouth to stop himself at a glare from Lucifer. Still, he continued to silently snicker behind his back.
“Are ya foolin’ around? Who the hell are ya?” I was taken aback by the informal drawl, considering my present and more serious company.
“I’m a, uh… Human. I guess.”
“Whaaa? A human? Geez, I was gettin’ all chilly here thinkin’ it was Lucifer again. Ya should’ve told me right away. So, what business does a human got with THE Mammon?”
Blondie with the delicate features rolled his eyes behind Lucifer’s back.
“It seems that you will be in charge of me from now on,” I said through gritted teeth, shooting Lucifer another glare for good measure. He ignored me.
“No way! There’s nothin’ in it for me. Whaddya even mean by ‘be in charge of you?’ …AHHH I get it now! You’re the other human – the new exchange student! Well, g’luck with that, and see ya.”
“Er, wait. Lucifer called for you.”
“PFFT, whatever. Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just ‘cause you’re tryin’ to scare me with HIS name?”
At this, Lucifer leaned forward and spoke softly, threateningly, into the receiver.
“You’ve got 10 seconds. 9…. 8….”
“YESSIR!”
And with that, the call ended abruptly. Lucifer smirked as he leaned back upright and crossed his arms again.
“Sounds like you had a nice chat.”
“…He seems…. reliable….”
Lucifer wrinkled his nose in disbelief. “…You really think so?”
“Uh, no. That was sarcasm.”
Lucifer tsked and stepped back. I guess he doesn’t appreciate sarcasm.
“Well,” Diavolo said behind him, “if you were suddenly brought to a strange place and then were told that an unfamiliar face will now be taking care of you, you’d certainly feel anxious. However, Mammon won’t be the only one here looking out for you. Now then, with that taken care of, we still need to introduce our new friend to your brothers and other student council members, wouldn’t you say, Lucifer? That is probably best left up to you as well.”
“Yes… As much as I dread the idea of doing so, I suppose you’re right.”
“Oh come on now. Really?” Pretty-boy straightened up and wiggled a bit in his chair. “You should be honoured that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!”
“This one here is Asmodeus,” Lucifer explained with a sigh. “He’s the fifth eldest. He is the Avatar of Lust.”
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, did you just say Lust?” Well, better keep a watch on that one. I don’t really want to know what an Avatar of Lust is capable of. Mostly.
“Wh… I can’t believe you totally just ignored what I said! And not only that, but you referred to me as this one. How rude! And yes, Chise, sweet human pet, I am the Avatar of Lust.” He threw a little wink my way on the emphasis. My skin crawled.
“Hmph. At least he didn’t ignore you entirely,” Blondie retorted on the other side of the table. “How do you think I feel?”
“That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest of us. At first glance, he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving.”
I eyed blondie with curiosity. He was well-put together, his uniform tidy like Lucifer and Diavolo's, and to be quite frank, out of all the demons in this room, the most attractive. His fine features and delicate almond-shaped eyes – green, maybe, from back here – betrayed the unfriendly expression he pointed in Lucifer’s direction.
Wait. Did he say… Satan? Lucifer and Satan. From the... bible, or whatever? Are you kidding me?
“Aha, so I’m that one as well, am I?” He swivelled his gaze over to mine and his expression softened. “Nice to meet you, Chise. I am Satan, the Avatar of Wrath."
Wrath. I couldn’t picture it. He seemed so… normal, and well-spoken. More normal than any of the others.
“Avatar of…Wrath?”
“It basically sums up what he’s about,” Lucifer replied. “He may flash you a pretty smile, but you had better be careful, because it is all an act.”
“Hmph. If you continue saying such nonsense, you’ll scare Chise.” Satan flashed me the aforementioned pretty smile that softened his attractive eyes. “Don’t take him too seriously, Chise.”
Despite his friendly words, I suddenly felt an ominous energy emanate from him; my eyes widened at the strange feeling as I did my best to suppress the anxiety that welled within me at its touch, even though I could almost feel that it was directed at Lucifer, and not at myself. “Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all.”
Lucifer sighed again in exasperation. A habit of his, it seems. “Are you done…? Now, the one there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He is the sixth oldest.”
“Lucifer, I’m hungry.” The large and imposing demon to the left of Satan with the vibrant ginger hair seemed to have been waiting for Lucifer’s address just so that he could raise his bizarrely-out-of-place complaint. I hadn’t really glanced his way due to his silence, but now that I looked, the man… Demon… Was built big.
Wait, what did demons even eat? I clutched my sandwich to me tighter.
“That’s too bad. Now behave and introduce yourself.”
The giant-for-a-demon appeared crestfallen at the denial of food. “I’m Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony,” he grumbled, sullenly looking down at the table while rubbing his stomach.
So… It clicked. The seven deadly sins, it was looking like. Four ‘brothers’ revealed so far, leaving… Greed, envy, and sloth still on the list. Wait, which was Mammon again...? It was hard to keep up.
“So, there are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest. Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon. My other brothers aren’t here at the moment, but… Well, we can get to them later. All in good time.
“During your stay in the Devildom, the seven brothers will lend you their strength,” Diavolo added. “To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation.”
“Stay with them? What do you mean, keep me safe?”
“Most agree with Diavolo, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t vulgar demons out there who wouldn’t harm you. It is in a demon’s nature to prey on humans, after all,” said Lucifer. Wait, what the fuck? “If anything were to happen to you, it would be our responsibility, and I won’t betray Diavolo’s expectations. I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive your stay down here in the Devildom.”
What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck? Survive my stay? Is this my coma-brain telling me I’m on the verge of death? Am I fighting for my life on the other side?
“Although we will all be living together, you should still have the means to reach us at any given time. All of our phone numbers are already plugged into your D.D.D. It can not only make calls, but it has a messaging app as well should you want to text instead.”
“I’ll go ahead and send you a message!” Diavolo cut in eagerly.
“Isn’t that nice, Chise. Now you can be friends with the future king of the Devildom himself,” Satan added with a kindly smile, though I caught mischief glinting in his eyes. A totally unnecessary addition, and I wondered at the comment, until I saw the corner of Lucifer’s lip twitch in displeasure. It seems like the two have a bone to pick with one another, and that Lucifer was particularly sensitive about the Diavolo subject.
My D.D.D. dinged repeatedly and I watched Diavolo’s messages come through in rapid succession. The others waited in awkward silence.
Diavolo: This is my account.
Diavolo: Feel free to send me a message any time.
Diavolo: 🤬
Diavolo: Oh sorry.
Diavolo: I haven’t gotten used to this yet.
Diavolo: You see, Lucifer is the only demon who sends me messages.
Diavolo: 😊
Diavolo: That’s the one I wanted to send to you!
I glanced around at the audience I had that was waiting on the boring spectacle to pass. Diavolo was looking up at me with an eager friendliness that kinda weirded me out. I pressed a little icon in the messaging app that looked like it could probably be the sticker selection, and was relieved when a Thank You one was at the fore. I’ll send that.
I got a ‘Whoo!’ sticker in reply and an excited nod from the future demon king before me.
Lucifer finally broke the awkward silence. “Well, you’ve got that done now, and it seems like the idiot has arrived as well.” He glanced over at a large door that parted as a tanned young man with unruly, stylishly ruffled white hair and an unkempt uniform strode in. His eyes fell on me and he made a beeline to my position.
“OI! Just who do you think you are, human? You’ve got a lotta nerve summoning the Great Mammon!” He strode towards me with an accusing finger pointed at me. "Listen up, because I’m only going to say this once. If you value your life, you’ll handle over all of your money right now! And.. anything else of value too! Otherwise I’ll wipe that stupid, happy-go-lucky look right off of your face… by eatin’ you!” He jabbed me with the accusing finger, probably intending to poke at my chest threateningly, but jabbing it into the pack of soft toilet paper instead kind of ruined the effect. “Startin’ at your head and working my way down, until–"
“Mammon, shut up or I’ll punch you!” Lucifer uncrossed his arms, his severe brows furrowed in anger. He made a fist and punched the back of Mammon’s head with a solid thump.
“G’AH! OWW! What the hell?! You didn’t even give me a chance to shut up before punching me!”
“Chise, Mammon here is the Avatar of Greed,” Satan chimed, behind the drama. “He governs and oversees all forms of it. Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money. Usually because he’s losing his own to them in a bet.”
“And he’s also a masochist. That part’s important.” Mr. Lust’s eyes twinkled. Asmodeus.
“Indeed. And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother.”
“Y’all better stop telling lies! I ain’t asked for that punch, and I AIN’T a masochist!”
“Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human’s needs during the whole exchange. I expect your full cooperation.” Lucifer crossed his arms again and looked down his nose at his churlish brother.
“I’m sorry, this guy?” I blurted out, still reeling from the revelation that I could be killed by some rogue demon were I not to be adequately protected. “You’re leaving me with THIS guy?!”
“What?! Why me!? And HEY! You shaddup.” He threw me a quick scowl.
“Aww, lucky you, Mammon! I’m so jealous…” Asmodeus pouted prettily and hugged himself. Hope kindled in me. I’d take my chances with Lust over Greed at this point.
“All right then why don’t YOU do it, Asmo?!”
Please please please. I'd take lust over this idiot.
“Whaaaat? Hell no, too lazy.” Asmodeus leaned back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. So much for that. Mammon spluttered more objections.
“Just give it up, Mammon. It’s Lucifer’s command. There’s no getting out of this,” Satan told him off sternly. “You know you can’t refuse a direct command from Lucifer, correct?”
“But why does it have to be meee?” Mammon whined. “What about Beel, huh? Why can’t he do it?”
“And have him eat this human?” Asmodeus giggled at the idea. I didn’t find it particularly funny, myself.
“Mm, yeah. I can’t promise I wouldn’t.” Beelzebub nodded, finally having noticed the sandwich in my hand and looking at it hungrily. Or looking at me hungrily? Maybe both? I squirmed.
“What about that guy?” I continued to try to interject, pointing at the handsome-and-articulate Satan, who clearly had some level of demonstrable power to wield for my protection. Satan hummed in amusement and touched his mouth in an attempt to hide his smile. Lucifer ignored me.
“…Mammon?”
“…Wh-What?” Mammon turned back to Lucifer.
That strange energy similar to what Satan emanated before filled the air with its chill, with Lucifer at the center of it. It was strong. Much stronger. The skin on the back of my neck prickled and I sucked in a deep breath as I fought down my fear. I can’t look weak. Can’t look weak.
“Surely you’re not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, are you?”
Mammon gave a pathetic little squeak before throwing his hands up in the air.
“Ugh, I HATE you guys! Every last one of ya! Fine… FINE. I’ll do it, okay?!” Mammon turned to me with disdain plain on his face. “Listen up, human. As much as I don’t wanna look after ya, I’ve got no choice. You’re going to be a huge pain in my ass and I’m too important for this kinda thing, but Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better not go causin’ me any trouble, ya got that!?”
I only glared up at him in response.
“What the hell is wrong with this one, huh? Dumb as a brick? Can’t she talk? Anyway, you better not forget which one of us is the boss here.”
“Well, we have decided who will take care of you.” Not much of a decision as it was a command, Lucifer. “Let’s sum this up for you. You will be an exchange student here at RAD for one year, you must attend your lessons, you should do your best to integrate into student life here at the academy, and when your exchange period comes to an end, you are to submit a paper about your stay here in the Devildom. It’s as easy as pie, don’t you think?”
“I wanna make one thing clear right now: Don’t blame me if this little human gets eaten, ‘cause it ain’t gonna be my fault.”
“Hmmmm, pie… Lucifer, I’m hungry…. Look, she has a sandwich...”
“Behave yourself, Beel.”
“What’s with the toilet paper anyway–"
“Mammon, if Chise here gets eaten, you better believe–“
Conversation – or rather, arguments – broke out around me from all sides. Overwhelmed, I tuned them out, squeezing my eyes shut and burying my face into my toilet paper. I’ve had enough. I could only think of one thing. Home.
“Let me… Let me go home!!”
The rabble around me halted abruptly at my outburst. After a moment of silence, I heard Lucifer sigh in pity.
“That is unfortunately not going to be an option. You were chosen. That is something that you can’t change.”
I peeked up in misery and saw Diavolo nodding behind Lucifer.
“Chise, from now on, you will be living in the House of Lamentation. You’ll be staying there with Lucifer and his six younger brothers. Humans, angels, demons, I imagine a universe where each accepts the other. Where we are brought together as friends. This is my dream, and I’m asking you to be the foundation for it. One year, that’s what I ask of you. Good luck, Chise. And with that, this council meeting is at its close. Everyone is dismissed for the evening.”
As Mammon whirled around to stride back out of the door he came from, evidently expecting me to follow without bothering to check if I actually would, I slammed my sandwich down on the table and sped after him. Just in case Mr. Gluttony got any ideas. I’d lost my appetite anyway. I ignored the looks of surprise and Asmodeus’ giggles as I rushed out the door to catch up to my ‘caretaker’.
I trailed slowly behind Mammon as he stomped up the path ahead of me, grumbling vague complaints about being my caretaker and threatening curses at his brothers under his breath. I tried to focus on the lighter aspects of my situation; there will be time enough to despair over the larger issues when I could find a bit of privacy to cry about it or something. I wondered, sullenly, what the hell was up between Lucifer and Diavolo, their relationship, and what the hell was Lucifer thinking, pawning me off to this… Lout. His dedication to Diavolo’s ‘vision’ was obvious, so why chance me getting eaten by leaving me in the custody of the brother that all the rest seemed to have no faith in? So far my impression of Mammon was that he was a loud-mouthed coward. And a self-absorbed ass.
“Ugh, I can’t believe this… Of all the rotten luck… Why should I have to look after some human?” Mammon muttered under his breath as we wound our way along the path towards this ‘House of Lamentation'. “That rotten bastard… He doesn’t scare me…” Grumble grumble.
“Are you going to be like this the whole way there?” I muttered under my own breath.
“Eh? Shaddup, human.” He rounded on me. “Just so we’re clear… It’s not like I can’t say no to Lucifer, okay!? I only agreed to babysit you because, um, well… Because….” He fumbled for an excuse, but his cowardice was plain. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter! Just don’t go thinkin’ that I’m scared of Lucifer or anything! ‘Cause I’m not!”
“I know that.” Honestly, whatever will pacify him to get him to shut up.
But he immediately brightened at my words. It took me aback. He flashed a genuinely delighted grin, and I thanked the stars that the darkness of the night swallowed the flush on my face. He was… kinda handsome.
The fuck? Snap out of it.
“Oh, okay then, as long as we’ve got that straight. Whatever. Let’s move on.”
We continued along as Mammon switched to humming stupid little tunes.
Well, at least he wasn’t grumbling anymore.
I stood before an imposing mini-fortress-like building, looking up at the intricate stonework as Mammon fumbled with a ring of keys. Gargoyles glared menacingly down from above me, though in a way, I did admire the artistry. I’ll give the Devildom one thing: they’ve nailed their architecture. I wonder how old the building was.
Finally freeing the desired key and unlocking the door with a click, Mammon kicked the door slightly, swinging it open. Soft light spilled out into the night and illuminated us as we made our way inside. We entered into a large entryway with stairs spiralling upwards on both sides. Two gargoyles guarded the long hallway that lead away from us, and intricately detailed oil paintings decorated the walls. Mammon kicked off his shoes casually and heaved a deep sigh. I followed suit, and then, after a moment’s hesitation, dumped my toilet paper by the door as well. I guess I’ll… Come back for it later?
“This is the House of Lamentation,” he drawled with disinterest. “It’s one of the dorms here at RAD. Well, it’s not JUST one of the dorms. It’s the dorm reserved for student council members. Me n’ my brothers.” He scowled to himself. “Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can get to insult me. Callin’ me scum, sayin’ that I’m a money grubber and stuff. But I’m an officer on the student council, same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid. In other words, little human, I’m a big shot. A REAL big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am. I’m the second eldest, ya know. So don’t go thinking that I’m just some ordinary demon. I’m nothin’ like those other peons walking the halls here.”
Sure.
“By the way, Diavolo is even MORE of a big shot. He’s so important, he’s got his own castle. That’s why he doesn’t live here with us. Anyway, the long and short of it is that us seven brothers all live here together. So you better show us your respect. Now. I guess I’ll show you to your room first. Hurry up or I’ll leave ya behind.”
I continued to trail after him as he ascended the stairs to the left. He kept up his nattering.
“If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you’d better listen REAL close to what I’m about to say. If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you… run away. Either that, or die.”
“How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon.”
My head shot up in surprise at the deeper voice coming from the top of the stairs. There stood another young man in an untucked RAD uniform, his fists balled to his side with a very pissed off expression on his pale face. His purple-indigo bangs swept down to cover the tops of his eyes, uneven and clumsily cut. His eyes reminded me of a cat’s with their orange colouring and the narrow shape of his pupils. Wait, maybe they all had cat-slit pupils? Still, despite the menacing stance he was trying to make, I didn’t really feel as threatened as I had by Satan and Lucifer. It kinda looked… silly, and unnatural for him.
Kinda looked like a big nerd, actually. Just the vibe.
“D’ah…! Levi…! Uhhh, uhhh, l-listen up, human! This here is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. He’s the third oldest of our brothers. Since his name is kinda hard to say, just call him Levi. Okay then, let’s move on–“
“Mammon! Give me back my money! Then go crawl into a hole and die.”
“Come onnn, I told you I’d get it to you! I just need a little more time–“
“A little more time? How much more?”
“A little more, okay?! A little more means a little more!”
“You’ve been telling me that for the last 200 years, Mammon.”
“Hey, no! It hasn’t been 200 years! It’s been 260! Get it right, Levi.”
“Unbelievable. Seriously, you’re–“
“I’m what? Scum? Is that what you’re gonna say?”
“–you’re a lowlife and a waste of space.”
“Hey, c’mon! That’s even worse!”
“Just give me back my money! I need it to buy the Blue-ray box set of Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion.”
I blinked. I really didn’t feel threatened now. And yeah, definitely a huge nerd.
“The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus!”
“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, Levi," Mammon growled at him. "I don’t got any money to give to you. How am I supposed to give money back I don’t have!?”
“So you’re telling me that you refuse to pay me back?”
“Wha? So you wanna fight about it, is that it?” Mammon shot me a glance. “Listen, human. You remember my advice from before about what to do when a demon attacks? Well, you’re about to witness that for real, so… It’s time for you to die, ‘cause if it’s either you or me, it ain’t gunna be me!”
“Hold on, I thought your advice was to–“
And with that, Mammon took off like a shot back down the stairs.
“–Dammit, Mammon, get back here! He ran off!” Levi turned his eyes on me with a look of disbelief. “Do you realize what just happened? Mammon used you as a distraction to get away from me. He basically sacrificed you.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“I’ll admit that Mammon is one of the scummiest scumbags you’ll ever meet… a total lowlife. But still, that was pretty dumb of you letting him use you like that.” Levi sighed in exasperation. “This is EXACTLY why humans are so–" He narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second. Humans… yes. I’ve got an idea. Listen, are you free right now? Of course you are. Come with me.”
Levi took a couple steps towards me and grabbed my arm, pulling me back up the stairs after him.
Stepping into Levi’s room, I felt my mouth fall open into a look of awe. The entire room was awash in a blue light that rippled from the ceiling as though we walked under the sea itself. Along the back wall was the biggest aquarium setup I had ever seen; a gorgeous variety of kelp swaying gracefully in the water sprouted from amongst pieces of tall coral reef that decorated the sandy floor of the tank. It was so beautiful, and so serene.
As I walked forward to take it in, my knees bumped into something low in the middle of the room. I looked down and blinked in confusion. A bathtub. With a pillow and blankets. Did Levi… Sleep in a bathtub?
I turned back to the door with the question on my lips, and caught him leaning back out and looking up and down the hall, as if checking to see if anyone had followed us. Once he seemed satisfied that we weren’t being watched, he shut the door with a click.
“Umm… Are you worried that someone was watching us out there?”
“…What? Well duh, why do you THINK I looked? Isn’t it obvious? Imagine what would happen if someone saw me inviting you into my room! A human who doesn’t even look like an otaku, but a normie!”
Oh god. Oh no. The charm I felt when I first walked into his room evaporated. He was one of those.
“Are you… an otaku, Levi?”
His face turned a deep shade of red. “Hey! Are you trying to judge me? You think you’re better than me, is that it? Don’t you dare make fun of us otakus! Listen up, because it’s time for a truth bomb. The fact is that no matter how much of a normie you think you are, everyone out there is an otaku in some way! Every single person! …Well, I mean, I guess I’m not technically a person, but that’s beside the point!”
Uncomfortable and a little bit bored of the topic, I glanced around the room again. Bookcases full of thick, hardcover books that were as big as encyclopedias were lined up against the wall. The Tale of the Seven Lords: The Lord of Shadow Awakens catches my eye.
“What is it, human? What’re you looking at? Wait, that looks like… The Tale of the Seven Lords! Are you a fan of that too?”
“Sorry, I’ve never heard of it.” Aaaand I knew what was coming next. I’ve dealt with his personality types before.
“…Excuse me? You DON’T know TSL? And you call yourself a human?! Just how clueless ARE you?! How could you not know!? Just the fact that you don’t know TSL alone is proof that you’ve been wasting your life! So, I’m going to do you a favour and teach you about TSL. Make sure you pay attention.”
Oh my gooooddddddd… Here we go…
"The Tale of the Seven Lords, otherwise known as TSL, is a series of fantasy novels written by Christopher Peugeot. It’s a heroic epic spanning 138 volumes, and it’s the most widely-read fantasy series in the world. There are even theatrical versions, an animated series, and feature films, too. And it’s been translated into a total of 182 different languages. The 1990s theatrical version was an utter disaster, owing to the fact that they added several characters that were NOT present in the original manuscript.”
I stared at him blankly, waiting for this to finish. It did not.
“AtthetimeIwaslike,thisproducertotallyneedstocrawlinaholeanddie!Butthenthe2015versioncameoutanditwasAMAZING!Betterthanamazing!IfyouaskmeitshowedthatneedlesslycrammingafemaleleadintherealongsideHenrywasabadidea.ThatsnotwhatheneedswhatheNEEDSisafriendwhoreallyunderstandshim,andthe2015versionprovedthat.Also,themostvitalelementofthestoryisthateachofthesevenlordsissounique.Theyreallsointerestingintheirownpeculiarway.ThatswhatmakesTSLSOGREAT!”
I sighed and chewed on my thumb nail, nodding absently.
“The lords are all brothers… the oldest is called the Lord of Corruption. He doesn’t come across as being so bad at first, but he’s always plotting and planning in secret. The second oldest is the Lord of Fools, a scumbag who’ll do anything for money. The third oldest is called the Lord of Shadow, a brooding recluse…”
I raised an eyebrow at these descriptions. They seemed a little too on the nose? I idly picked at a stray thread that had come loose on the sleeve of my shirt as he ran the list of the other four lords that, yes, perfectly mirrored his own brothers.
“…It seems most people like the oldest lord, the Lord of Corruption, the best. Everyone talks about how great he is. But not me. I like the third lord wayyyy more. Of course, I like Henry too. He’s the protagonist. He’s almost as great as the third lord. The second lord is total scum, a hopeless degenerate that leads a life is extravagance and indulgence.”
Okay, this is getting weeeeeird.
“He’s always causing trouble for the third lord. He’s got these magical pigs that can give birth to solid gold piglets. So, Henry goes and talks to the pigs, and using his wit and powers of persuasion, he convinces them to leave with him. Then, he leads every last one of them away, and presents them to the third lord as a gift!”
Now I was truly getting lost.
“Wow… I mean they’re SUCH GOOD FRIENDS you can almost feel it! It’s enough to make you cry! Oh, and then there’s the one really awesome moment when the two of them realize they both like and respect each other, and they HIGH-FIVE! I just LOVE that part, you know? I wish I could have a moment like that. I wish I could be like the third lord. I may be a recluse like him, but we’re totally different, because he’s got an amazing friend like Henry. Check it out. See that goldfish in the fish tank there? He’s actually named Henry. I love TSL so much that I couldn’t help naming him after the main character. But I can’t really high-five a goldfish, can I? The original author of TSL, Christopher Peugeot, he’s actually a human, you know? That’s why I’m so jealous of you guys. Humans are so lucky…”
Sigh.
“…or maybe I’ll stand under that one building in Tokyo that’s shaped like upside-down triangles. And once I’m there, I want to perform Henry’s super-powerful signature finishing move for all to see and say the incantation that goes with it. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs! …Actually, you know what? I want to BE Henry!”
After finally having tuned back in to catch the next part, I knew just what to say in order to pretend that I was, in fact, listening the entire time.
“And someday you WILL be Henry.”
Levi turned bright red and looked down at the floor. “...S-stop it. I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better. Don’t lie to me. I’m just a worthless otaku, you know.”
In the first 5 minutes of meeting him, I think I have his entire personality nailed down.
“Umm, Levi, you brought me here to tell me something, right?”
“…Fine. Right. This is depressing anyway. I didn’t bring you here to tell you about TSL."
Levi rolled his eyes and struggled a bit to pull his arms out of his uniform jacket, which he then threw into the bathtub along with his… bedding, apparently. I looked around. Yeah, no other bed. He walked over to an impressive computer setup in the corner and landed on the office chair that rolled lazily underneath his weight. The top buttons on his teal shirt were undone, and the purple tie around his neck had loosened. Not one for appearances, this one. I sat on a plush ottoman across from him.
"I don’t think there’s any harm in just coming out and saying what you already know is true: Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag. It’s very important for you to understand this. So I’ll say it one more time.” With this, he leaned forward to stare seriously into my eyes. Despite myself, I leaned in closer too, as if we were sharing a secret.
Were those… Flecks of purple in his strange orange eyes? They were… pretty.
“Remember: Mammon is a hopeless… Worthless… Scumbag.”
“I did get that impression, yeah.”
“Don’t forget it. Anyway, I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back. But being the scumbag that he is, he won’t do it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, did you say that you lent… The actual Avatar of Greed… Money? …Why?”
Levi jumped back in his chair with a thin-lipped scowl, cheeks turning red again.
“Th-that’s none of your business, normie human! It’s not like he makes it easy on me as his little brother! He always makes it so that if I didn’t lend him money, my own neck would be on the line with his in some way. Anyway, the fact is, that rotten waste of space has my money and I can’t force him to give it back. He’s the second oldest. He outranks me.”
The order of their birth seemed to be particular important to these brothers. I didn’t exactly take Mammon’s posturing seriously earlier, but it was definitely a detail I needed to keep in mind if I wanted to survive living with these brothers.
“As the third oldest, no matter how hard I try, I don’t stand a chance against him.”
“Is this, like, a power thing?”
“Well, duh." Levi rolled his eyes. "I’ll give an example. Once, a long time ago, Mammon won a prize in a convenience store promotional campaign. If you bought something, they let you reach into a box and pull out a piece of paper that told you what you’d won. And the prize Mammon won was a Seraphina figurine, something I would have DIED to have. But, despite the fact that Mammon had no interest in it at all, he refused to give it to me. Why, you ask? Because I wanted it… that’s it. That was the only reason. I wanted it, and he said no just to torment me. I mean, how awful is that?!
"So, I got to thinking… Mammon’s going to end up treating Seraphina like some random piece of junk. That much is a given. I can maybe handle it if he at least leaves her in her original packaging, but what if he actually takes her out of the box!? He might just do it! And if he does, he’ll get dust on her, won’t he!? I decided I had to save Seraphina, so I snuck into Mammon’s room in the middle of the night. And what do you think I saw there!?”
“Umm, Seraphina was out of her box?”
“No. You’re not going to believe it. He didn’t open the box… No. It’s way worse than that. He hadn’t even taken her out of the plastic convenience bag! He had just tossed it on the floor of his room! THE FLOOR! He actually left SERAPHINA on the FLOOR! The Queen of the High Elves Herself! Sure, she seems cold and prideful at first, but once you get her alone, you find out that she really wants affection, she just doesn’t know how to admit it, and it’s sooooo cute! Yet Mammon just threw her ON THE FLOOR! And I don’t think he’d even cleared it in months. It was covered in junk. Old empty ramen containers, tissues with dried snot, and… Stuff was strewn everywhere. And there she was, lying there amongst all of that! On the FLOOR! Tossed aside like so much junk! How COULD he?!”
“Um, Levi, is there some sort of point–"
“It was so awful that I just lost it, and flew into a rage. I walked straight over to Mammon, who was lying on his bed asleep. Then I raised my leg up into the air over him and brought my heel down onto his stomach as hard as I could. But the next thing I knew, he wasn’t there on the bed anymore. It all happened so fast. He moved with incredible speed. He grabbed me, picked me up, and slammed me headfirst onto the floor in a pile driver. And the worst part is that he was STARK NAKED! As I started to lose consciousness, I remember thinking… why does he have to sleep in the nude? He could at least put on some underwear. I don’t remember anything else after that.”
I was actually a bit impressed. Not that I really thought that this pale, skinny nerd in front of me could do any real damage to anyone, but picking someone up over their head and slamming them to the ground at lightning speed did sound fairly powerful. But then again, he did leave me to book it out of the presence of his angry brother who could have chosen to kill me, so. Still a hopeless coward who probably wouldn’t fight to save my life at school. I sighed.
“You’ve seen just how fast he is yourself, haven’t you? No one aside from Lucifer or Beel has that kind of speed. But if, say, a human made a pact with Mammon, and bound him to their service…”
Wait, what? “I’m listening…”
“…then he’d HAVE to do whatever that human told him to! Which means that if you make a pact with Mammon and then ordered him to give me back my money… he wouldn’t have any choice but to do it!”
I felt like my jaw was slowly starting to hit the floor with this little revelation. A pact? To command a demon? Relief washed over me all at once, making me feel a little dizzy. This was it. This was the key to my survival here. Mammon DOES have power hidden in there somewhere. If I can MAKE him protect me instead of him just running away….
I needed to know more. I’ve heard stories, fiction – well, not sure if it really is fiction now that I know that actual demons exist – but I had to know the details. Okay. Play it cool. Start from the beginning.
“What’s a pact?”
“A pact, with a demon… Haven’t you seen that in movies and stuff? The demon lends his strength to a human to make their wish come true in exchange for their soul.”
Shit. Right.
“IIIII don’t want to give up my soul.”
Especially not to Mammon.
Levi quirked the corners of his lips into a smile and nodded smugly. “That isn’t always necessary. It depends on what’s in the pact. But, well, you need to give SOMETHING to a demon to make it worth the exchange, so it’s pretty much inevitable. If you don’t want to give up on your soul, then I’ll tell you how you can negotiate with Mammon. Also, I’m sure it would be useful having him as your servant. I mean, despite how awful he is, he’s still a powerful demon. I bet you feel worried, being dragged down here to the Devildom and all. So, I don’t think it would end up being a bad deal for you, either. Don’t you agree?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly and kept my eyes in contact with his, searching his face for any hint of malice. He was reading my motives like a book. Despite his awkward ramblings earlier that broke every rule of social etiquette there is, Levi wasn’t a fool like Mammon. He was definitely manipulating me to get what he wanted, but so far, he was right, and the benefit to myself was great enough that I’m willing to allow it for now. It’s convenient that at least one of the demons is willing to take me under their wing, even if he has his own motives for doing so. “...Yeah, all right. I’ll give it a shot.”
“…Are you really this optimistic by nature, or are you too stupid to know what you’re getting into?”
“You know you said that out loud, right?” I scowled. “Do you want my help or not?"
“Regardless, if I’m being honest, I don’t really care what you think. What’s important is that I have a plan, and I’m going to explain it to you now." He leaned forward. "So, shut up and listen.”
Does anyone in the Devildom have any manners?
“If you just walk up to Mammon and ask him to make a pact with you, he’ll never agree. You need some leverage… A bargaining chip. You’re going to offer him something in return. Something he wants so badly that he’d do ANYTHING to get it.”
“What could I demon want badly enough to give up his freedom?”
“The Avatar of Greed,” Levi started smugly, bringing his hand up to his mouth to smother a grin, “wants his credit card back.”
Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – A Pact with Greed
Chapter Text
After our ‘talk’, Levi reluctantly left his room with me to show me to my own; a necessity, given that my previous tour guide had been quick to abandon his duties. He stuck his thumb out to the door beside mine, proclaimed it to be the kitchen, and then promptly turned on his heel to head back down the hall to his own weird sanctuary before he could be seen associating with the “human normie”.
I turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. It creaked on its hinges. I peered inside first, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer light inside, careful to look around, making sure that I was, indeed, alone at last.
It was… Nice. Lovely, even. Disappointingly so. Maybe if the room had been barren and cold, like the prison that I had half-expected to find myself in, like the prisoner that I was, maybe then, if it had matched what I felt inside, I wouldn’t have felt so emotional.
Soft moonlight shone down from a skylight window above the plush bed. The duvet looked soft and warm, purple, the rest of the sheets a blushing pink. Feminine. Out of place with the rest of the mansion decor. Picked out just for me?
Lanters hung down from the ceiling, warm oranges and soft greens, casting gentle light around the room. A soft rug on the floor. A set of table and chairs near the back wall. The sort of sofa that you could really sink into, with a TV setup across from it. A bookcase. A cabinet. A dresser. A writing desk.
Everything anyone in a dorm room could need, and more.
But more than anything… The plant life. The plants spoke to me on a level that made me ache. A tree stood proud behind the cast iron frame of the bed, its weeping foliage half-obscuring the skylight and whispering along the ceiling, almost like a forest canopy in itself. Vines clung to the walls, adding depth and texture to the room. A dainty variety twisted up the trunk of the tree. Elegant. Serene.
Did they know? Did they know how much I would love it? They couldn’t have. If they really had, they wouldn’t have been so callous, ripping me away from my human life like this.
I thought of my collection back home. My treasured aroids that climbed majestically up their damp moss poles. My tradescantias, crawling, sprawling, in their matching planters. My calatheas, with their vibrant, showy leaves. My colocasias – proud and strong, each unfurling of a new leaf larger than the last that fell to make way for new life. How I had raised all of them into a bursting tropical forest around me. I thought of how trapped I was here. For a year. For a whole year.
They would be long dead by the time I was released home. Long, long dead.
Shutting the door behind me, I slid down the frame, head in my hands, and wept.
An hour or so later, my eyes puffy, nose red, no more tears left in me, just despair, despair, despair, a soft knock sounded on the other side.
“You could come down to dinner now. If you want."
I wasn’t sure who it was who spoke through the door, muffled as they were. Not Mammon’s drawl, not Levi, after sitting through him talk, knowing his voice and inflections. Not Asmo’s higher, sing-song tone. Could be Lucifer. No. Not commanding enough. Or Satan. Beel. Probably Satan. I don’t know. Maybe the missing seventh that I haven’t met yet. I didn’t care. I didn’t move.
A little later, I heard the sound of what I’m sure was a plate being dropped off at my door. Another knock.
“Chise sweetie,” It was Asmodeus. “Lucifer asked me to let you borrow some pyjamas for now. They’re out here for you.” A pause. “Goodnight.”
When I was sure that he was gone, and the hallway fell silent, I opened the door. I took the pyjamas. I left the food.
I awoke, sore and curled on the rug, to a firmer knock on the door.
“Chise. It’s time to get dressed and come down to breakfast.” A pause. "You will eat something this morning, and you will not be late to class.” Lucifer’s commanding voice sounded through my door. “Your uniforms are in your closet. I will expect you downstairs in ten minutes. Don’t make me come back."
I eased myself up into a sitting position, my back and hips aching from laying on my side on the floor. I was hungry. And so thirsty. I took a deep breath.
It was time to face my new reality. Time to put the plan in action. Time to survive.
I got up, and wandered into the adjoining bathroom to splash my face. It was also pretty in here too. An elegant claw-foot tub in the middle of the room, a vanity, a stand-in shower, detailed fixtures, charming tile. Character. It had lots of character. A pink toothbrush sat in a little holder. Pink face cloths were folded neatly beside the sink. Pink pink pink. Maybe these guys were unsettled by living with a woman and didn’t know what else to choose. Or maybe Asmo had a hand in the decor.
I looked at myself in the mirror. Dark circles under my eyes, puffy, the tops of my cheeks red. Yep. Definitely looked like I had been crying all night.
After readying myself in the bathroom, I padded back out into my room, my new room, and opened the closet. Uniforms. Like the ones the boys wore, except no slacks for me, just knee-length skirts. I sighed in resignation as I changed. I’d have preferred pants.
I walked down the hall in my stockings towards the sound of quiet murmurs, past the kitchen. I hadn’t truly been shown around in any sense of the word, but I followed their voices. The moment I stepped into the dining room, a hushed silence fell as their eyes turned to me.
Lucifer, Asmodeus, Satan, Mammon, and Beel. Levi was missing. So was the mysterious seventh brother. I stood there, awkwardly, not knowing where to sit, not wanting to choose a seat that might be someone else’s. A blush suffused my face and I cast my eyes downward as the silence stretched.
“You may sit at the other end, Chise,” Lucifer finally spoke up from the head of the table furthest from me.
I padded there.
“Chise, I made human pancakes for you today, just for you,” Asmodeus said brightly. “I hope you like them! It was my first time making them."
“We will introduce you to Devildom food another time,” Satan added. “For now, we thought you might enjoy something more familiar on your first day of school.”
I nodded, still casting my eyes downward, as I took a plate of golden pancakes that Beel passed down to me with a murmured thanks. Beel happily returned to his own meal, pancakes stacked high and sticky with syrup. Mammon was likewise stuffing his face, albeit with a smaller stack, refusing to look at me.
I took a bite, and felt them melt in my mouth.
“Well?” Asmodeus wiggled in his seat, practically begging for my praise.
“They’re good, Asmodeus," I said quietly. "They melt in your mouth. Thank you.” I always had a policy of giving a genuine compliment when it came to food.
“Oooooooh I am SO happy that you like them! And please, my dear, call me Asmo. All my friends call me Asmo.”
“A-Alright. Asmo…”
After a little while, a couple pancakes in, Lucifer cleared his throat.
“So, Chise. I assume you have been given a proper tour of our home. Or you should have. Right, Mammon?”
Mammon froze, mid forkful stuffing his face, eyes finally darting to me with a look of plain guilt. He swallowed the whole of what was in his mouth down in one gulp, choking back a cough. Looked painful.
I could have rolled my eyes, let the cat out of the bag, but… Something in me said 'defy Lucifer' and 'keep myself on Mammon’s good side if I actually want proper protection’. I nodded. “Yes. You have… a beautiful home.”
I knew I was lying, Mammon knew I was lying, and Lucifer sure as shit knew I was lying, evident by his tsk, followed by a heavy sigh.
“There is no need to stick up for the fool. I know that he stranded you yesterday into Levi’s care shortly after you arrived.” His voice grew dangerous. “Don’t worry. There will be… consequences.”
Mammon squeaked and held up his hands in his proclamation of innocence. “N-now hold on! You heard her! I showed her around, just like ya asked! I didn’t abandon no human! It’s just as she said. Who ya gonna believe, me n’ Chise, or Levi?”
“Levi didn’t say anything, Mammon. But now that you mentioned it, shall I bring him in and ask him myself?”
“Hey then, how’d you know!?”
Satan slapped his forehead with his palm at his straight admission of guilt. “Mammon, you’re an idiot.”
“And a terrible liar,” growled Lucifer.
“Don’t forget masochiiiist!” Asmo piped in.
“Shut your mouth! I ain’t no masochist!”
“Yet you don’t deny the other things."
“Well, Mammon. I hope you perform your duties as caretaker better today. Your behaviour will most certainly determine your treatment later, after school. Will it be painful, or very painful?” Lucifer offered.
“Y-yes Lucifer. Yessir.”
And yet, I found myself alone, again, wandering the halls of RAD, without my chaperone. And I was completely lost.
I stood at the top of a flight of the stairs, looking around at my surroundings, trying to get my bearings to find my next class. Up or down? Left or right? This place was a damned maze. Where the hell was Mammon?
And then I heard them. Their voices drifting up from the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey, check it out. That’s the human that everyone’s been talking about. You think it’s true what they say, that Mammon became a babysitter?”
“Well, if so, then I’d say that actually works out great, doncha think? If we wait and strike when he’s not paying attention, he’ll never figure out it was us. C’mon, we should devour the human before Beel does.”
A breath of true fear whistled through my teeth. Mammon’s warning echoed through my memory.
If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you’d better listen REAL close to what I’m about to say. If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you… run away. Either that, or die.
I whirled around, and ran–
–straight into another body.
Terrified, I stumbled back, flailing my arms as I slipped on the top stair. Arms shot out from the torso I ran into and grabbed me by the elbows, steadying me, pulling me forward.
“Oh! Well, hey there.” A light, friendly voice. I looked around wildly.
“Yes, I’m talking to you.” He squeezed my forearms a bit as I fought. "It’s alright, calm down. That’s right, you, the human with that frightened, tormented look on your face that demons love so much.” He laughed, softly and as musical as wind chimes, as I scrunched my face. “You’re practically screaming ‘Come and eat me! I’m scrumptious!’ …Your name’s Chise, isn’t it?”
Satisfied that I was steadied, he bent down to pick something up. My heart was still racing, but I took a longer look at the stranger who was bent down in front of me. His hair was fine, cut clean, swept slightly to one side, and shone with a silver sheen. He looked up at me and offered my D.D.D.
“This belongs to you, right? You dropped it just now. Here, take it.” He smiled genuinely, reaching his eyes, his face sweet. He was wearing the RAD uniform, too.
I was looking at him with an expression of guardedness.
He laughed that charming, sing-song laugh again. “What’s with that look? There’s no need to be suspicious of me. My name’s Solomon. I’m an exchange student from the human world, just like you. Look, see?”
He stood and leaned in closer, pointing to his eyes. A soft grey with a brown halo around his pupils. Normal pupils. His eyes crinkled again with his smile. Human. A normal human.
“Nice to meet you, Chise.”
“I… Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, really. Could you… help me?”
“My help? But you’ve got Mammon looking after you, right?”
I gestured around us. No Mammon.
“Ah, I see.” He shook his head. "I guess he’s more of a liability than an asset. I’m not sure I can think of anyone less suited to a role like that. I mean, to choose Mammon for a job like that, you’d either have to be crazy or playing a joke. And since it was Lucifer who did it, it’s obvious he’s trying to mess with you.”
“Thank you for saying so. I don’t know what Lucifer was thinking. I mean, my whole life is on the line here.”
“Ahaha, poor you! Still, despite your situation, you’re going to be fine. Things aren’t bad enough that you need my help. Trust me, I can tell.”
Evidently he hadn’t heard the demons at the bottom of the stairs. Or maybe this man was just… not very helpful? I suppose his friendly demeanour could be a facade as well. Could I trust no one around here? Not even another damn human?
“…Uh-oh, I’d better get going." He nodded to me. "See you around, Chise. Take care of yourself.”
“Wait…!"
And with that, he was off. All I needed was directions to my room number. Pissed, I turned to the other direction, not caring if it was the wrong way, just as long as I didn’t have to walk with Mr. Helpful.
As I made my way down the unfamiliar hall, a deep voice called out to me from behind.
“...Good morning, Chise.” I whirled. It was Lucifer, exiting a classroom to address me. “You’ve become quite the celebrity here, haven’t you?”
I threw him the greatest scowl I could muster.
“Good morning,” I replied, tersely.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep? I have to say, you look a bit more relaxed now.”
I steamed. Was that a joke? On both accounts?
He smirked at my expression. “Be sure not to let your guard down. I 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.”
“And as you can plainly see, Lucifer, the bodyguard you assigned to me is doing a wonderful job of it. If getting eaten results in a bit of paperwork for you, keep that in mind.” I hated him. Hated him so much. I wanted to deck that smug look off of his face so badly.
He ignored me, instead looking down the hall where I came.
“Was that Solomon I saw you talking with earlier? You and he are the only two students from the human world here. Seeing as you’re both human, it’s fine if you associate with him, but know that he can’t be trusted.”
“Excuse me? You’re joking, right? He did more for me in those two minutes of meeting than you have in the past twenty-four hours.” It was more or less true. He had saved me from tumbling down the stairs.
He cocked his head slightly at my accusation.
“Well, next time, take care not to tumble down the stairs, and then none of us will have to rush to your rescue.” My face burned with anger and embarrassment. “He may be a mere human, but he has a ring imbued with wisdom, and he wields powerful magic. He’s the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance.”
“Sounds like my kind of man,” I retorted sarcastically. But as the words flew out of my mouth, I was reminded of what Levi said, and the plan we concocted the night before to do just that.
Lucifer has something Mammon wants, something he’d kill to get. I’m referring to Mammon’s credit card, which Lucifer took away from him. …I see that look on your face. You’re thinking, ‘A credit card? Pff, why would he care so much about something like that?’ Well, you’ve got no idea how much he depends on that thing. It’s like he thought it was a woman. He probably named it. I bet he even slept with it. Gross.
That idiot used it constantly. Never stopped. Eventually, Lucifer had had enough of his behaviour, so he confiscated it. There’s nothing Mammon wouldn’t do if it meant getting his credit card back, I’m sure of it.
So, listen up. I want you to talk to Lucifer and find out where he’s hidden it. Of course, he can’t suspect anything. You’ve got to be subtle, like it happened to come up naturally. Make sure you do a good job, or else!
“What is it, Chise? Is there something you want to say?” Lucifer broke me out of my reverie.
“Where do students keep their valuables here?” I blurted, and inwardly winced. Real smooth, Chise. A totally normal question to ask out of the blue.
“Where do they keep their valuables? Considering you didn’t bring any with you here, I find it hard to believe you have valuables you need to keep safe.” He frowned. “I suppose you may acquire things in time – things you may think of as valuable. The desk in your dorm room has a drawer with a lock on it. You can keep items of value in there. Though personally, if I had something TRULY valuable, I wouldn’t leave it there. It’s too obvious. Any thief would look there. Now. Is there anything else?”
“...What sort of weaknesses does Mammon have?”
Lucifer gave a short laugh and crossed his arms. “Looking for a bit of revenge? Are you implying that you think I know his weaknesses, and can exploit them when I like?” He leaned forward. “I suppose that’s true in some way. However, that’s not the only reason he can’t say no to me. Don’t worry, I will be dealing with him on your behalf.” He hummed. “Though, as long as we’re on the subject, it just so happens that I’ve taken one particular weakness of his and frozen it.”
I looked up at him in confusion as he smirked, almost knowingly. Did I mess up? Did he know? Was he implying that he froze the credit? Maybe the card was worthless.
A ringing sound fill the air.
“That’s the bell. Class is about to start. You’d better hurry off. You don’t want to be late on your first day here.”
At my hesitation, he shrugged one shoulder, indicating to my right. “That way.”
I walked back the way I came.
Levi: You say Lucifer mentioned having frozen something? Are you absolutely sure that’s what he said?
I turned my head on the plush pillow, unable to sleep, the screen of my D.D.D. illuminating my face as it lit up from Levi’s text.
Chise: Yep, I’m absolutely sure.
Levi: Come to the kitchen. Right now.
Levi: Don’t tell anyone what you’re doing. I don’t want anyone to mistakenly think that I hang out with some human normie.
I rolled my eyes at that but, curiosity piqued, I slipped out from under the warm covers and padded out into the hall. It’s not like the kitchen was very far anyway. I rubbed my arms with a shiver as I rounded the corner, slowing my steps when I saw that a light was already spilling out from the kitchen doorframe. Was Levi already here?
“…Mm…” I heard the sounds of loud lip-smacking. I peered in.
“…Ah, perfect timing.” Beel caught sight of my movements and turned towards me, beaming. “Listen, do you have any food on you? Because there’s not nearly enough in the fridge. I really liked the human sandwich you gave me the other day. Do you have more?”
I shook my head, mute with anxiety. Repeated references to him being willing to eat me had me hesitant to step any further into the kitchen – especially after his declaration of hunger. He pouted a bit at my no.
“Well, anyway, what’re you doing in the kitchen so late?”
“Um, I was just hungry.”
“Ah, that makes two of us, then. In that case, I understand. When you start feeling hungry in the middle of the night, it’s not like you can just wait until morning to eat. …Oh, and the refrigerator is empty. I already ate everything in there. …Sorry.”
Beel seemed like a very simple man.
…The sixth oldest.
I blinked at the realization and stared at him a bit, hesitating.
“What is it?”
“Beel, you’re the sixth oldest, right? Where is the seventh brother? I haven’t seen him around yet.”
Beel’s face darkened immediately. “…Now listen, don’t you ever mention him in front of Lucifer.”
“What? Why? He was referenced all the time during my ‘summoning’, as if I was going to meet him.”
“Just so we’re clear, I’m not going to tell you anything, either. Lucifer would yell at me a lot if I did.” He cast his eyes downward. He looked… so sad, all of a sudden. “And don’t bother asking any of my brothers, either. No one talks about him… Even though he’s our brother… We have to treat him like he doesn’t exist…” He dropped his voice into a whisper. “It’s not right. But no one can defy Lucifer.”
“…I’m sorry, Beel. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Genuinely. This was the clearest display of emotion that any of the brothers had shown so far.
He shook his head. “This isn’t any of your business, human. I’m leaving. I’ve already eaten everything there was in the refrigerator now anyway.” He got up to leave, clearly distraught.
“I’m sorry, Beel. I didn’t know.”
He paused at the door. “…Thanks.”
And then he was gone. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
“Psst.. hey!”
I looked around the room, but I already knew who was speaking. I rolled my eyes at the stupid secrecy that Levi insisted on. “Is that you, God…?”
“Seriously? No! Over here! Look!”
I ventured further into the kitchen, peering around the corner of the archway that led into the prep area proper.
“What are you doing back here?”
“What do you think? Beel was just in here! I can’t have him finding me with you, now can I?!”
“God forbid.”
“So it’s really true, right? Lucifer definitely used the word frozen?”
“That’s what I said. Repeatedly.”
Levi ignored my sarcasm. “In that case, it could only be hidden in here."
Realization dawned on me, my eyebrows shooting up in understanding. “Here? In the freezer?”
Levi scurried over the to the impressively large double-door freezer, with me following behind. He pulled the door open, cold air visibly rolling out, and peered inside.
“Hmm... everything is so icy in here… Oh wait, look! It’s the ice cream Satan hid from Beel about a century ago. I totally forgot about that. Heh, I’m not about the tell him, though. It’d spoil the joke. He’ll probably figure it out in another 2000 years or so, I’d say.” He reached further in, his head disappearing. “…Wait a second. There’s something else there behind the ice.”
Levi, torso fully engulfed by the freezer, struggled for a moment, before I heard a crackling sound as something broke free. He pulled out a hunk of ice in excitement, waving it at me in triumph.
“Found it! I found it! Lucifer wasn’t lying. It really IS frozen!”
I peered carefully at the hunk of ice and gasped. There it was. A black and gold credit card. Premium-looking. Encased in the ice.
“Ugh, it’s super heavy! And big, too! I’m gonna put it in the microwave and thaw it. Let’s see, I guess about two minutes on auto should do the trick.”
“Uhhh, Levi,”
“Now, I’ll hit the start button and let the defrosting begin!”
I smacked my forehead at his stupidity and rushed forward to stop the clock.
“Hey!”
We both froze, caught in the act. The microwave kept humming behind me.
“What’s with all the racket you two?! …HEY, wait a minute! What’s in that microwave?”
Realizing it was Mammon, I threw myself in front of the microwave to protect my prize. There’s no way I was letting him get to it before I sprung my plan on him.
“Th-that looks like Goldie, my credit card! My baby!! The one thing more important to me than life itself…!" He struggled against us blocking him. "What are ya doing!? Get it the hell outta there before the microwave demagnetizes it and makes it useless!”
“Oooooh, I didn’t think of that," Levi winced. "Better stop the defrost cycle, I guess…”
“Levi, you idiot! How could you do somethin’ so stupid!? You’re dumb as a stump, ya know that?!”
I, too, was beginning to doubt my apparent overestimation of Levi that I had earlier.
“Hmm, are you SURE you should be talking to me like that, Mammon? After all, I’m the one who found the credit card Lucifer took from you.” He picked up the hunk of now-dripping ice from the sopping wet microwave and held it up, waving it between himself and I. Mammon gulped.
“Sooo, do you want me to give you your card back?”
“You’d BETTER!” Mammon took a step forward, but stopped when Levi moved to put it back into the microwave. “…Um, I mean, yes, please. Please give it back, Leviathan, sir…!” He sunk down onto the floor. My eyebrows shot up as a snorted in amusement. It was a super pathetic display.
“Oh wow, this is embarrassing! I can’t believe that’s all it took for you to abandon your pride! You’re even down on your knees! You’re one of the seven rulers of the Devildom, Mammon. Shouldn’t you be ashamed of yourself?” Levi smirked, dangling the card. “Well, whatever. Okay then. If you want your card back, you’ve got to give me the Seraphina figurine you won at the convenience store.”
“Hey!” I stomped on Levi’s foot, to little effect, as he was wearing sneakers, and I was in socks. “That’s not what we agreed!” Levi shoved me with his elbow in our own little struggle, raising the card out of my reach as I hopped up for it.
“The Sera… what now? What’re ya talkin’ about? I don’t remember winnin’ anything.”
“I don’t believe this! You FORGOT that you even have her! How could you!?”
I was straining on the tip of my toes, my arms outstretched. Levi wiggled his fingers. They negotiated over top of me.
“Ugh, c’mon, enough! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to ya! Just give me back my credit card!”
“All right, but there’s one more condition,” Levi added smugly “I want you to make a pact with this human.” He pointed a finger down to the top of my head. I stood there in my pyjamas, hair tussled from having been in bed earlier, out of breath from my little dance display. A drop of water from the brick of ice over top of me hit my head. I realized that I probably looked pretty pathetic. Not exactly an ideal candidate for a pact.
I smiled smugly too. He’ll hate this.
“Right, a pact, fine. I’m more than happy to do whatever you… wait, WHAT?! Why d’ya want ME to make a PACT?!”
“Think about it: If you make a pact with Chise, you’ll have to do whatever you’re told, right? Then Chise’ll order you to give me my money back immediately. And since you can’t refuse a direct order from your master, you’ll do exactly that. Game over! I win!”
“Pff, I don’t believe this. It’s just money, Levi, I can’t believe you’d go through all the trouble.”
“Excuse me?" Levi scowled at him. "Remind me again which one of us tossed aside what little pride he had left, got down on his knees and begged like a dog, all to get his hands on a credit card?
“Hey, you shaddap! And you, human!” He finally rounded on me. “What’re ya thinking, lettin’ Levi use you like this? Are ya stupid?”
“It actually works out pretty well for me too. Duh.”
Mammon threw his hands up in the air and growled, cornered.
I put my hands on my hips. “Make a pact with me, Mammon.”
“UH-UH, NO WAY! NOT INTERESTED! I am the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed, one of the seven rulers of the Devildom! Fool… do you actually think I’d let some human be the boss of me?”
“Oh LUUUUUCIFERRR!” Levi sang. “Mammon’s in here defrosting his credit caaaaard...!”
Mammon immediately plastered on a fake grin. “I mean, of course I’ll make a pact with you, little human! I’d be thrilled to!”
I jumped in surprise as he threw himself in my direction, bypassing Levi entirely, grasping my hands almost painfully with his own. I gasped at the prickle of energy that enveloped me, and widened my eyes at the markings that now illuminated on Mammon’s skin… And mine. I felt electrified. Energized. He flowed into me, crashing against me like a tidal wave, sparking sharp and powerful through my veins. I felt giddy, overwhelmed, a crackling of static arcing in my hair. I felt my face turn beet red as I looked up into his eyes in bewilderment. Vivid blue eyes, as deep and as bright as any cerulean sea, yellow-gold accents on the bottom of his irises, sparkling, swirling, glowing with power.
Warm, tan skin. Thick white hair. A heavier lidding to his eyes that made him look a bit... sensual.
Beautiful.
My breath caught in my throat and I felt myself turn a deeper shade of red as I leaned back away from his face. My heart was squeezing in my chest, but I couldn’t place the feeling. He blinked at my expression, or maybe he felt it too, staring into my own eyes for a second, before quickly let my hands drop as though I had burned him. He wiped his hands on his jeans, a blush rising to his own cheeks as he pressed his mouth into a flat line, looking away from me.
And just like that, the giddiness was gone, leaving me reeling and dizzy. I steadied myself against the counter behind me, hands still warm from his, stars sparking behind my eyes.
“...Damn, you didn’t need to hit her so hard with it."
“Shaddup! Now gimme my Goldie!”
“AHAHAHAHA!”
“Asmodeus, keep your voice down,” chided Satan. “If Mammon hears you, he’ll get upset again, and we won’t hear the end of it.”
“Eh, he won’t be awake for a while. He’s really not a morning demon, you know? AND ANYWAY! How can you NOT laugh!" Asmo was doubled over, wiping tears from his eyes. "I mean, this is Mammon, and yet a human was able to play him like a fiddle and force him into a pact! On her second day here!"
Satan’s lip quivered for a second as he fought to control himself, before bowing his head to snicker loudly at his lap.
“Hey, I hear you laughing, Satan! I know you think it’s funny, too!” Asmo turned to me. “I never thought an average human like you would be able to make a pact with Mammon – certainly not this fast! I guess they really did know what they were doing when they picked you for the exchange program, huh?”
I shrugged, fighting off a smile of my own. “I still can’t believe I managed it.”
“Well, I guess it could certainly be beginner’s luck, yes…” Satan flashed me a smile.
“All I know is that I finally got Mammon to give me back my money," Levi piped in. "So, I couldn’t ask for a better outcome! Epic win for Leviathan! I should’ve rounded up a random human and done this 200 years ago! Now I’ll be able to buy the Blu-ray box set of Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of the Little She-Devil and her Reluctant Companion! The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus! That live event is going to be sooooo epic!”
Everybody tuned him out. Beel continued munching noisily, nodding along absently.
“You know, I find it surprising enough that Chise managed to make a pact with Mammon… but what’s even more shocking is the team up with Levi that helped make it happen, don’t you think?”
“Yep,” Satan nodded. “I never thought I’d see the day that a human won over Levi, but here we are.”
“Excuse me!?" Levi's face went a bit pink. "Don’t go getting the wrong idea. Nobody won me over. Our interests just happened to align, that’s all! The relationship was purely business!”
“Oooooh, did you say relationship?” Asmo teased. Levi's pink face turned the deepest shade of red I had ever seen in a person, the colour reaching all the way to his ears.
“N-N-No! Sh-shut up, Asmo! I mean, why would I want anything to do with some non-otaku normie of a human?! I wouldn’t! I mean, I’m spoken for! I’m no cheater! M-M-My one true love is–"
“Cheeseburgers,” Beel finished for him, helpfully.
I couldn't stop the giggle from escaping.
“No! That’s YOUR one true love, Beel!”
“Mm… I get hungry just thinking about them.”
Asmo giggled and shot me one of his flirtatious glances, toying with a lock of his hair. “You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with Chise as well if we’re not careful. If you had your choice, which one of us would you forge a pact with next, Chise?” He winked at me playfully.
“Satan.”
...IIIII said that a little too quickly.
He may as well have asked me, 'who do you find the most compelling and attractive?'
Satan tried to cover up choking on his mouthful of food with a cough into his fist. He cleared his throat. Was that a pretty shade of pink I saw rising to his cheeks? I felt my face flush as well. Asmo looked back and forth between us, grinning mischievously, eyes sparkling. Thankfully, Levi and Beel didn’t seem to catch on. They seemed a little... naive about some things.
“Ahem.” Satan looked past my shoulder, refusing to meet my gaze, cheeks still pink. "If you want to make a pact with me, it’ll cost you. A lot. Though, if you offered me your soul in return, I might consider it…”
“You won’t be able to tame us as easily as you did Mammon, Chise.” Asmo shook his head. “In fact, it’d be quite offensive if you thought we were as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon.”
SLAP.
“OW! Why’d you hit me!?" Asmo smacked Mammon right back. "I can’t believe you actually STRUCK my beautiful, beautiful head! Not even Lucifer has ever done something like that! Why are you always getting so VIOLENT with me, Mammon!?”
“That was for callin’ me a poor excuse for a demon, ya peabrain!” Mammon stomped over to his seat at the table and plonked himself down, rattling the cutlery. “Actually, I oughta hit all of ya, the way you talk about me. Y’all think you’re so great.”
“It’s not that we think we’re so great,” sighed Satan.
“No, not at all. We just think you’re a complete and utter fool.”
“HEY, that’s even worse! Don’t treat me like I’m stupid!”
“Oh, I’m afraid that’s one thing that’s not going to change.”
“Nope.”
“Mm, this right here is delicious too…”
“Serves you right, Mammon! Lololol.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Did you just say ‘lololol’ out loud, Levi…?”
“I hate every last one of you. You, too.” He shot me a look. “GAH! None of this would’ve happened to begin with if it weren’t for that bastard Lucifer! It’s all because he took away my credit card from me! Just snatched Goldie away – kidnapped her against her will!”
“Ugh, don’t talk about your credit card like it’s a person. It’s gross.”
“Like you’re one to talk with your stupid anime girls, Levi!”
“D-Don’t say that in front of Chise!”
“Why’s that, huh!?"
“You’re both gross,” Asmo sighed.
“SHUT UP, both of ya!” Mammon rolled his eyes. “Also, I can’t believe that when he said he froze it, he meant that LITERALLY! Who sticks a credit card in the freezer!? What’s up with that!? Was it supposed to be some sort of dad joke!? ‘Cause if so, it was awfully lame!”
The rest of us at the table sat up straighter and began to find our breakfast extremely interesting again as Mammon continued to prattle. Satan quirked a secret smile at me as he took another bite. I smothered my own smile with food too. Here comes more drama.
“Eh, guess maybe I shoulda expected somethin’ like that from him. I mean, he may not be a dad, but he’s pretty old, isn’t he? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s a fan of dad jokes.”
Levi coughed into his sleeve.
“Haha! Man, I gotta stop laughin’ so hard. My stomach is hurtin’. But you gotta agree, Lucifer is pretty old, isn’t he? Ahahahah!” Mammon started laughing giddily at his own joke.
“Ahahahah.”
Mammon gave a short, high-pitched scream at the ominous sound that came from behind him.
“You think I’m old, do you?”
Mammon whirled and froze in terror. Satan smothered a laugh behind his hand.
SLAP.
“D’AHHHH! OWWW! Hey, what’s the big idea!? You didn’t have to hit me THAT hard!”
“…You know, he’s so stupid that it’s almost sad,” Asmo tsked.
“Mmhm. I can’t believe he’s actually our brother. It’s almost like we’re being punished or something.”
“Hey, I heard that!”
Lucifer turned to me with amusement in his eyes and his familiar smirk on his face. “So, Chise. I heard what happened. Apparently you outfoxed a certain dimwit of a demon, and forged a pact with him.”
“Who’re you callin’ a dimwit!?”
“Your opponent may have been stupid, but even so, you’ve only just arrived. It’s a real accomplishment managing a feat like that in such a short span of time. Well done.”
“Solomon is going to be soooo jealous of you,” Asmo sighed in admiration, looking at me with a fondness I found unsettling.
“I imagine Diavolo will be pleased as well. We continue to expect big things from you.”
Mammon’s face turned a pretty shade of pink as he looked down at his plate. After a moment, he slapped both his hands on the table and stood up, rattling the cutlery again. “…Hey, human! C’mon, time to get going.” He growled at my look of surprise, mid-chew on another mouthful of food. “Don’t just sit there lookin’ dumb. It’s time for class, so let’s go!”
“Seriously, what’s with that guy? He can’t go a single minute without bringin’ up Diavolo. It’s always Diavolo this, Diavolo that,” Mammon grumbled as we climbed the stairs leading up to the next class at RAD. “If Diavolo told you to go jump off a cliff to your death, would ya do THAT too, Lucifer!? Huh!? …Ya know what? Knowin’ him, he probably would.”
He stopped mid-climb and turned towards me, looking down with contempt.
“Ever since you got here, human, it’s been nothin’ but one bad thing after another for me. So, let’s get somethin’ straight. I didn’t make this pact ‘cause I wanted to, and I ain’t happy about it! Everything I did, I did for my credit card – for my baby Goldie! If you end up gettin’ yourself eaten by some demon here at RAD, don’t blame me, ‘cause I don’t give a damn. In fact, go ahead and do that so I’m free of this stupid pact. You got that!? Don’t go thinkin’ you’re all great and stuff just ‘cause you managed to make some stupid pact, human!”
I thought for a moment, looking up at him. I smiled sweetly. “Would you please call me by my name?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Hmph. Seems like you’re actually startin’ to learn some manners, huh? Well, since you asked so nicely, I guess I really can’t say no. All right, I’ll call you by your name…"
I waited, and then frowned as the silence stretched.
“…Pff, just kiddin’!" He smirked at me. "Did you really think that was gonna work on me? Idiot. You expect ME to call you by your name? You, a lowly human? Ha! Come back and ask me in another million years, and maybe I’ll consider it! You’d better learn your place, ‘cause if you keep sayin’ stuff like that, I swear I’ll make you my next meal. Startin’ at your head and working’ my way down! If you stop talkin’ back and just do what I tell ya, then things won’t be so bad for–“
“Stay!” I commanded.
“Wh…!” Mammon reeled at the top of the stairs, losing his balance and landing on his ass to tumble down a few steps below me. He ended sprawled on his back, looking up at me, bewildered and panting. “Oww! Wh-What’s going on!? I-I can’t move…! Wh-What’d you do to me!? Is this some kind of magic?! I thought you couldn't–!”
“Would you please say my name?” I batted my eyelashes at him and pouted prettily. Mockingly.
He turned red. “Listen up, h…hu…huma… Ch-Chise… What the… DAMMIT! Don’t tell me this is all ‘cause of the pact!? …Now you listen to me! You may control my body, but not my mind! I’m my own boss, and I always will be! Don’t you ever forget that! Huma… Chise… Chise, my boss! No, Your Majesty Chise…!”
I keeled over laughing as his face burned bright red while he spluttered. Yes. Yes. “Aww, my very own demon! And with such pretty manners! You shouldn’t have!” I managed to mock him through tears of laughter.
Mammon was face-down in his textbook, groaning aloud at his new predicament, while I twirled my pen in my fingers with a satisfied smile. I prodded him with the butt of it. He groaned louder.
“Oh, c’mon! It’s not that bad! I think you’ll find me to be a very generous and reasonable master,” I teased him. He grunted in response.
"Did you hear the news? Apparently that human forged a pact with Mammon.”
“Seriously? I don’t get it. Why forge a pact with an ordinary human?”
Mammon thumped his forehead into his textbook over and over again. “My social life is overrrrrr."
“…Hmmm. Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn’t care less. But rumours… they really do spread like wildfire.” The deep, unfamiliar tenor of this voice, with its soft lisp, had me raising my head up in curiosity. My eyes widened slightly at the pretty demon that stood before me. “...Just when I thought the uproar about our new exchange student from the human world had started to subside some, now they’re all freaking out about this.”
I swallowed down my immediate attentiveness. His voice was... attractive to listen to.
He rested his chin on his gloved hand, his gaze sweeping the classroom, his energy diffusing the room. He held a commanding presence that spoke of grace… and power. His hair was short; dark green in an asymmetrical cut, with a shock of teal on the longer side of his bangs. His expression somehow both serene and serious. Beautiful. Unsettling.
“Come now, don’t say that, Barbatos.” Diavolo turned the corner and strolled into the room after the stranger. I hadn’t seen him since I was summoned to the Devildom. He looked at gleeful as ever. Lucifer followed behind as well. Great. They both came to stand in front of my desk beside this... Barbatos. “Actually, I’d say that all this gossip is a good thing. It means that everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any demon to go after Chise’s soul when no one is looking. Don’t you think?”
The man with the lisp sighed and acquiesced his head in a nod. “As you say, Young Master.”
“Yes. Since Mammon’s not doing a very good job as a guardian,” Lucifer quipped tersely. Mammon squeaked and finally peeked up at the three demons towering before us. “I told him to look after Chise, but he’s always off somewhere, shirking his responsibilities.”
“H-Hey! I’m right here, ya know! Right beside Chise, ya clown!”
“Yes, after being forced to enter a pact."
Diavolo grinned down at me. “I must say, I can’t believe you managed to forge a pact with Mammon, Chise. That’s no small feat. And what’s more, you did it in such a short time.”
The stranger-demon gave me a soft smile and nodded his approval. “I suppose it stands as proof that you chose well bringing this human here, Lord Diavolo.”
“Who are you?” I piped up curiously. New-demon finally looked directly in my eyes with that same politely blank, serene expression, and I found myself squirming uncomfortably. Like I was being dissected.
His eyes were the most beautiful emerald green. I was reminded of a forest canopy; dark, with sunlight filtering through the branches, dappling the forest floor, like a mosaic. I was cowed. And attracted. Very, very attracted. I was lost in them. I could seriously just slap myself. What the hell. Was I blushing? I really hoped I wasn’t blushing. I think I was blushing.
“…Ah, yes, pardon me. I suppose we haven’t met before, have we? My name is Barbatos." He bowed slightly. "I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I have the honour of serving as steward to Lord Diavolo. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Barbatos here is a smart and talented individual, so much so that I wish I could trade a certain idiot brother of mine for him instead.” Lucifer kicked at Mammon underneath his desk, making him scowl and sit upright.
“Screw you, Lucifer. You come over here just to bully me, huh? Get outta my face. This ain’t even your classroom.”
“Well, as for your brother, in the human world, it is sometimes said that a truly wise man does not flaunt his talents. He keeps them a secret.” Barbatos added smoothly, complimentary.
“Yes, but then again, an incompetent fool doesn’t actually have any talents to begin with.”
“Well, I’ve always heard it said that the most thick-headed child is always the cutest.” Diavolo grinned.
“Hey…!”
“…Stop it, Diavolo," Lucifer sighed. "It’s troublesome enough having him as my younger brother. But my child? Him? I don’t even want to think about it.”
“You n’ me both,” Mammon grumbled.
“Ah, but I noticed that you didn’t deny the part about him being cute, did you?”
A breathy voice from behind me had me turning around in my seat. I startled.
Are you fucking kidding me? Is everyone in the Devildom drop-dead gorgeous, or was I just supremely unlucky right now to be surrounded by all of them at once? The most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life stood before me. Smooth, dark skin, slim shoulder and collarbones, the most elegant neck, the most beautiful face I had ever seen smiling down kindly at me. His eyes were a bright blue, his pupils highlighted by a double halo of stunning white. Not human eyes. Unlike any demon eyes I had seen so far too. His hair was dark, feathery, with long bangs swept to one side, parted to cover half of his forehead.
And his clothes. Now I was truly blushing. His black shirt, if you could call it that, accented in gold, clung to him dreamily. His shoulders and collarbones were left exposed, skin-tight, leaving little to the imagination. The shape of his chest, his stomach muscles… Windowed-gaps on either side of the shirt revealed his ribs and hip bones.
He wore a beautiful white cape with a blue underside over top, clasped over his chest in a gold chain. His slacks were likewise white.
I was holding my breath in. Why was I so horny today.
“If I might offer my own opinion, out of you seven brothers, you’re without a doubt the most troublesome, Lucifer.”
I agreed. I nodded a little too eagerly as I stared at the beautiful newcomer.
“Is that meant as a compliment, Simeon?” Lucifer shook his head.
“Pff, of course not! Duh! That was a put-down! An insult! He’s taunting you!” I was broken out of my trance by the shrill voice of a young boy who stepped out from Simeon’s shadow, a look of defiance on his face, fists balled to his sides. He was likewise not in RAD uniform like everyone else. White, blue, and gold draped him. He had the same style iris as this mystery Simeon. He was pale, with fluffy blonde hair.
“Ah, I see you’ve brought your chihuahua along with you.” Lucifer quirked an eyebrow, unamused.
“I am NOT a chihuahua! How many times do I have to tell you that, demon?!”
“Well, what do you expect? I am a demon, after all. Now then, stop yipping at me. C’mere boy… shake! Who’s a good boy?”
I didn’t like children myself, but I rolled my eyes at Lucifer’s immaturity. One more example of his cruelty for the evidence bucket.
“Quit it! Don’t you make fun of me! And don’t tell me to shake! I’m not a dog!”
“Allow me to introduce you, Chise,” Diavolo butted in. He nodded towards tall, dark, and handsome. “This is Simeon. He’s an exchange student from the Celestial Realm. Which is to say, he’s an angel.”
My eyes were like saucers at the revelation. “He’s…” I whispered, trailing off in awe. He sure fucking was.
“Well, hello, Chise." His eyes sparkled as he turned his attention to me exclusively. "I’ve heard a lot of rumours!”
“Hhnn–" I tried to say hi.
“And this is Luke.” Diavolo nodded to the boy at Simeon’s side. “Let’s see, you’re… a chihuahua, was it? Or are you an angel?” he teased him in a babied tone.
“Wh…! Diavolo, now YOU’RE getting in on the act, too!? I am NOT a chihuahua! I’m an angel!” The boy, Luke, pouted petulantly. He looked at me directly. “Listen up! As you can probably tell, I’m a low-ranking angel. BUT I’ll have you know that in the Celestial Realm, I report directly to Michael the Archangel, as–“
Simeon clucked. “Luke, calm down. You need to learn not to make such a huge fuss about everything.”
“But Simeon…!”
“He’s right. That’s exactly why people call you a chihuahua, you know?”
“Usually the only one who calls me a chihuahua is YOU, Lucifer!”
“It’s nearly time for the first bell to sound,” Barbatos cut in.
“Yes, you’re right. I apologize for any trouble we’ve caused, Chise.” Simeon smiled at me. I smiled back brightly, sitting up a little straighter in my chair.
“I-It… I mean, n-nice to meet you, Simeon,” I stammered shyly. If anyone noticed how starstruck I was, they were politely ignoring it, or didn’t care. Maybe Simeon always got a reaction like this. I wouldn’t doubt it in the least.
“In any event, I’m relieved to see that things seem to be going well for you here, Chise,” Diavolo added; pleased with himself, I’m sure.
The three demons turned to leave the room as the first bell finally sounded.
“Chise, look after Mammon for me, would you?” Lucifer called over his shoulder.
“As I remember it, Mammon was supposed to be the one looking after Chise, correct?” I heard Barbatos sigh as he drifted in Diavolo’s footsteps.
Simeon nodded to me and returned to his desk behind Mammon and I, but Luke stayed behind, his expression sullen. He glanced over at Mammon, who seemed engrossed in his D.D.D. for the time being.
“Never trust... Mmmrmhrm…”
“Sorry, what’s that? I couldn’t hear you.”
Luke glanced over at Mammon again warily. He leaned forward. I leaned closer.
“…Never trust a demon,” he whispered fiercely. “Especially when that demon is Lucifer.”
I raised my eyebrow. I mean, duh.
“Listen to me,” he continued. “He’s a monster and a brute. He’s uncivilized, immoral, and… and also…”
“And also a sadist?” I offered, helpfully.
“Yes, exactly! He’s the most sadistic of sadists!”
“Trust me, kid. I know that all too well. I’m living with the guy.”
“Tch! Don’t call me a kid…! I was against this from the beginning, you know. What are they thinking, bringing humans to the Devildom as exchange students…” he muttered. "So, you’ve been warned. You get what I’m saying, right?”
I nodded. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m with you on this one.”
His face flushed. “Good. Alright then.” He turned and rushed back to his desk beside Simeon’s as the instructor took their place at the front of the classroom.
I lay awake in bed that night, unable to sleep again. I gazed up at the unfamiliar stars glittering through my skylight, thinking back on the day. It had gone well. Surprisingly well.
…Never trust a demon.
Lukes words echoed in my mind. Way to state the obvious. But it was still a good reminder. This wasn’t my home. The men I breakfasted and dined with weren’t men at all. They were demons. I had been pulled in here against my will. I had a bit more of an edge now, but I couldn’t grow complacent.
Especially when that demon is Lucifer.
I tossed to the side, trying to shut my eyes for sleep. Yeah. I hated him worst of all. I sighed, and tried to rest.
…
“…el…"
My eyes flew open as a forlorn voice reached my ears from somewhere far away. Or was I imagining it?
“…elp…”
I sucked in a breath and listened raptly to the silence.
“Help… Someone help me…”
I sat up slowly, trying to hear more. Nothing…
I slipped out of bed, pulling a blanket over my shoulders, and pulled my door open to peek into the hall.
“Help me…”
To the right. I wrapped my blanket tighter around me and headed to the right.
I padded past the kitchen, the dining room, the sitting area, past the music room, following the pleas for help. The stifled sobs. It was strange, it was as though I wasn’t really hearing the voice with my actual ears, but inside my head, pulling me, guiding me. Surely if it were physical sound, I wouldn’t be able to hear it from so far away?
I felt my heart tugging me forward. Something warm and yet cold and sad and alone. Something trapped. Something unloved. Something that needed someone. Needed me.
I found myself standing in front of a heavy wooden door. It was coming from here – I was sure of it, though I didn’t understand why. I pulled at it. It swung open.
A musty scent assaulted my nose, and dust filtered through the air in the moonlight leading up the stone spiral staircase in front of me, as if someone had just disturbed it.
“Help…”
“…Over here.” A deep voice behind me made me half-shriek in fear, and I slapped my hands against my mouth to cover my surprise. I whipped around, and came face to face…
With Lucifer.
“Chise.” He strode towards me and grabbed my elbow roughly.
“Ow…!”
“Stop right there. You’ll go no farther… that’s not a place for humans. It’s dangerous.”
“Let go...!”
He twisted me towards him, tighter. He gripped my chin with his free hand and turned me to stare levelly into his eyes. If it weren’t for the fierce wrath burning there, I could have said that he looked blank.
“Go back to your room,” he growled fiercely, his breath hot on my face.
I took a deep breath and blew with all my might right into his face.
“No.”
He blinked. And just like that, the ferocity disappeared.
He threw his head back, and laughed at my audacity.
“Pf…haha. Hahahaha! Interesting. I think I’m starting to understand why you were chosen to come here. But you can’t say no. I’m not giving you a choice.”
He dropped my chin, and steered my elbow to pull me back out past him and back through the heavy door.
“…Now then, back to your room. If you value your life, you’ll do as I say.”
And with that, he swung the door closed between us, leaving me alone in the hall.
Never trust a demon. Especially when that demon is Lucifer.
A chill ran through me as I thought of those wretched calls for help. How they had touched my soul somehow.
I had to get up those stairs.
Chapter 3: Chapter 3-A – The Second Born
Chapter Text
Mammon and I walked together through the halls of RAD, seeking out our exit after the final bell had rung, dismissing classes for the day. We weaved through the mass of students to our destination. I followed behind his closely to protect my smaller frame, trailing in the wake that he left for me as he pushed through.
He stopped suddenly, and I bumped into his back, jostling him.
“Hey…!”
But he didn’t even scold me. I followed where he was looking, into a dark classroom, the door ajar. He glanced at me, and then casually leaned up against the wall next to the doorframe and cocked his head to the side towards it as if trying to listen to something. I followed suit, still close to him, but not quite touching.
“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow"?
“Yeah, I got hold of her schedule. The little human girl has to walk down to level 3 to get to potions. I followed her today. The floor is nearly deserted then. She goes past this one classroom that I know isn’t monitored by Lucifer."
“Damn, yeah, I know the room, that’s perfect. I saw her a couple days ago and that stupid oaf Mammon wasn’t anywhere near her. So we jump her then?"
“Yeah, I think it will take until the end of the day for anyone to even notice that she’s missing. By then she’ll be long gone. And who’s gonna know it’s us?"
“That stupid second born is gonna get into so much shit. I can’t believe they chose him to babysit her. I mean, how did we get so lucky?"
The voices from inside the room continued on, not even bothering to whisper in their confidence. I heard Mammon tsk softly when they called him stupid. Because of course that’s what he cared about. I shivered next to him and wrapped my arms around myself. He glanced down at me and met my eyes, expressionless, reading me. I’m sure I looked miserable and small, my eyes glossy and damp.
“Would you even help?” I found myself murmuring aloud, though it was supposed to have been an inside thought. It’s not like I didn’t know the answer already. Not unless I compelled him.
He sighed in exasperation. And then the wave hit me, and I gasped, reeling.
A miasma of dark energy grew from him, starting as a bud, slowly expanding, until it bloomed, terrifying. The crowd around us panicked as they were hit with the wave of his power. I stared up at him, mouth agape, as I saw white marks twining themselves down his forearms, bare from his rolled sleeves. I watched in amazement as twin horns spiralled tightly from his scalp, parting his hair on either side of his head. His eyes swirled, blue and gold.
“Shit, shit, shit! What was that?” A student in the hall passing us exclaimed, hurrying themselves along. The crowd rushed around us.
“One of the student council members! Which one?”
“I dunno! One of the upper brothers! Move!”
“What the fuck was that!?" One of the voices in the room exclaimed.
“Shit, one of the uppers is flexin’ again. What should we do? Stay in here? It’s chaos out there."
“Yeah let’s stay the fuck put. I don’t want to be caught up in that rush out there. Damn."
The hallway thinned out, leaving us mostly alone. He continued to emanate power. It was almost unbearable, standing next to him; like he gave off some sort of heat that made me sweat and the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Mammon caught my gaze again, eyes lidded as he looked down at me, arms crossed on his chest. My own chest heaved with my rapid breathing, and my heart hammered painfully. I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot. In fear, and awe.
He smirked at my expression, uncrossed his arms, hand on hip, and slipped into the dark room.
“Well well well. And just who are ya callin’ stupid, huh?”
“Holy shit! Holy hells! It’s Mammon!"
“What?! No! He never…!"
I peeked into the room after him. They noticed my presence.
“What the fuck, man!? I thought you said he hadn’t been around her!?"
“I didn’t kno–"
SLAM.
Mammon had the nearest one up against the a bookcase iin a flash, holding him up by a single hand to his neck, gripping him there tightly, other hand still casually resting on his hip. The lesser demon pinned to the wall strangled out a cry as the other stumbled backwards, tripping on a chair in his panic and sprawling on his back.
“I said, who the fuck are ya callin’ stupid?”
His energy, his power, was manifesting as a visible aura now, blurring Mammon’s form in a dark haze. I could barely make him out now in the darkness of the room. My eyes were saucers at the scene unfolding before me.
This was the power of the second born. And I could tell – he was holding back.
“M-Mammon, sir, we didn’t mean... th-that is, wh-why bother protectin’ her anyway. C-C’mon, man. She’s right there. W-We could all share–”
Mammon swung the demon he had pinned from the wall into the air, still gripping his throat, the demon kicking his feet and gurgling as Mammon increased his pressure to hold him there. He cocked his head, considered the demon babbling on the floor for a moment,
And then flung the one he held on top of him.
Landing in a pile together with an oomph, they both cowered there, scrambling back from the powerful demon before them. Mammon sneered.
“If I ever catch sight of you assholes again, whether it’s in class, in the halls, on the grounds, in the fucking bathrooms, on the fucking streets, in the fucking bars, anywhere, I will rip ya limb from bloody limb, tearing your carcasses apart in front of the whole fuckin’ student body. If I even hear your snot-assed voices again, starting now, right fucking now, I’ll rip out your tongues first, feed it to the other of ya, and then rip you limb from fuckin' limb, and dine on your innards in front of the whole fuckin’ student body.”
He took a step towards them. Hands on his hips. Voice low and dangerous. Laced with power.
“Do we understand the fuckin’ situation here, lads?”
They whimpered, not daring to speak.
“Get the fuck out of my school. Consider yourselves unofficially expelled, if you know what’s good for ya.”
They hesitated, shaking on the floor.
“NOW."
And then they moved, fleeing for their lives, stumbling over the other in their panic. I stepped back out of the doorframe to let them pass, heart still hammering in my chest as I watched them bolt down the hallway towards the stairwell. One sobbed loudly. I faintly caught the whiff of piss. So even demons pissed their pants if they’re scared enough.
I slowly turned back to look at Mammon, who stared past me through the door.
“It all clear out there yet?”
I nodded mutely.
“What a bother,” he sighed, poking at the tip of his horns. I looked on as they began to retract back into his head. I realized that his aura was dying down, his fury subsiding. “Look at this mess. I’m gonna have to explain to Lucifer why that desk there is smashed. And oh look, this bookcase is cracked too. Dammit. Ugh, and there’s piss? Gross! Pathetic!”
He looked anywhere but me. Was he… embarrassed? Silence stretched between us. It was deafening, contrasted sharply with the panic that had filled the air just moments ago.
“I didn’t scare ya, did I?” he asked softly.
At first, yeah, he did. The power that he unleashed in the hall had taken me by storm. I wasn’t prepared for it. It was overwhelming. It had me shaking in my boots, and I almost pissed my pants.
But then I had looked up at Mammon, seen his familiar shit-eating grin, his usual casual body language, and watched him slip into the room to defend me.
To defend me.
That power was never any danger to me. After the initial shock has passed, I knew that intuitively. In fact, that power spoke to me. It felt familiar. Like it had touched me before.
When we had made our pact. That’s where I had felt it. It was our power now, in a way. So I decided that no, I hadn’t actually been afraid. Watching him had been terrible, but more in a way that inspired awe in me, after the first shock had passed. I was never in any danger. Even from those assholes. Because I had Mammon on my side now.
He was waiting for my answer, though he still didn’t look at me directly, pretending to inspect the chair. I shook my head, and he nodded to himself. So he was watching me from his peripherals for my reaction.
“No, I wasn’t scared. Not of you. And not at all anymore.”
“Pff, well, good. ‘Cause THE Mammon took care of those louts. They won’t be harassin’ anyone no more, and definitely not callin’ anyone stupid.”
I realized just how much it bothered him to be called stupid. I stepped into the room and approached him.
“Thank you so much, Mammon.”
“Hmph. Well, good, ya should be thanking me, and my human hasn’t forgotten her manners, I see. That’s the proper way.” He lingered on the word human, as if testing it, to see if he was still compelled. I didn’t re-compel. He grinned at me, toothily.
I didn’t realize how sharp demon canines were. He had such a pretty smile. I grinned back. I couldn’t help it. His was infectious.
“Let’s head home then, eh?”
“Yeah.”
Mammon sighed again as he kicked a piece of gravel along the road back to the House of Lamentation. He had been sighing ever since we left the grounds.
“What’s up?”
Looking over at him, I realized that we were walking astride now, instead of me trailing behind him like I had been other days. I thought back. That had changed after our pact, I think.
“I’m soooo tired of him always bowing hand and foot over Diavolo. Sorry, LORD Diavolo. Don’t let Lucifer catch you sayin’ his name without the title that comes with it or he’ll string ya up.”
“You’re still mad about that?” Looking back, Mammon had been unusually quiet during that whole exchange. Usually he had more bite when he was teased.
He scoffed. “He didn’t used to be like that…”
I couldn’t imagine it. “When did things change?"
“When we… umm… came into our power here in the Devildom.” He glanced at me. “I dunno. It was like a switch when we became demons proper. I dunno what happened. But one moment he cares about us brothers and what went on in our lives before, and the next, he’s scraping at Diavolo’s precious royal feet, and we all come second. I can’t stand it when he goes on about him.”
I had soooo many questions. First of all, they hadn't always been demons?
And then the legends suddenly hit. I was so stupid. Lucifer. The fall from grace. Heaven and hell. What the fuck? So it was all true. So what, then? The seven used to be angels? Actual fucking angels? I thought back to my meeting with Simeon, thinking on his grace, his kindness; and his little charge, Luke, in their white and gold robes. How regal they were. Ethereal. And Lucifer…?
If he was an angel once, well, it seemed that he was a husk of who he used to be now. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I thought about his constant casual cruelty. Could angels be cruel? Who did he used to be?
He certainly didn’t deserve to be in the Heaven I grew up hearing of anymore. The Celestial Realm, they had named it, when Simeon was introduced.
“It’s like they got a pact or somethin’ and Diavolo has him on a chain. Collared and leashed. But demons can’t go makin’ pacts with other demons, right? So it doesn’t make sense.”
“So you can only make pacts with humans?”
“Well yeah, but…” He glanced at me. “Ya gotta be choosy when you’re an upper like me. Pff… And yet here I am… With a nobody human who don’t even have magic.”
I thought back to when his hands had grasped mine. I felt a blush rise to my face, and looked down at the ground as we walked to hide it.
“Is it… always like that?”
“Whaddya mean?”
“When we made our pact. It was… intense. For me. But maybe because I’d never felt magic before? Is magic always like that?”
He was quiet for a while. “N-No. It’s not usually like that.” I caught a blush on his face as well. He looked aside, away from me.
“How was this different?”
“I dunno. It just… felt different. But maybe that’s ‘cause it was done down here, instead of up in the human world like normal. I mean, it’s not like there’s usually humans hangin’ around down here. I’ve never done it in the Devildom before. You get summoned, or whatever, blah blah blah.”
“So you’ve made other pacts then?”
“Of course. But it’s not too big a deal. All of them are dead now anyway. You humans don’t live that long, and by the time a sorcerer is strong enough to summon someone like me, they’re like, basically halfway through their lifespan by then. So whatever, if it’s worth it, you make a pact. Get a pretty good deal, or even a scrumptious soul now and then that you get to collect at the end.”
I laughed. “Scrumptious? Now you sound like Beel. I’m surprised he’s not swimming in pacts if that’s the case."
“Huh. You’re right. Though he’s not really one to take initiative. He’s a simple guy. Doesn’t really look too much to the future.” He paused. “I like that about him.”
“So I’m the only pact you have right now then?” I peek over at him under my lashes, suddenly feeling shy.
He turns his face away again, but not before I see a blush creep back up into his cheeks.
“W-Well. Yeah. Right now it’s just you. Haven’t done it in a while anyway. Kinda got bored with it.”
“Well, thanks.”
“Pff. It’s not like ya gave me a choice!”
“There’s always a choice.” I tease. His blush deepened.
“Well, whatever.”
“So… It felt different?”
“I guess… More intense… L-Like…” He didn’t finish the thought, despite my eagerness to hear it. “Anyway, like I said, it’s probably ‘cause it was down here, where we demons are most powerful, ya know?”
“I guess that could make sense.” Though I felt… disappointed, somehow, by the rational explanation. I remember how my heart had filled. How it had… connected us. But I didn’t have any other frame of reference for a pact. Maybe that’s just how it was. Just ours was a little bit stronger because of where we are.
We walked in silence for a little longer. The drama at school kept playing in my mind. And our pact. I felt an ache in my heart that I couldn’t shake.
He had defended me.
“Mammon…” I started quietly.
“What now?”
“Thanks for sticking up for me back there.”
“Oh. Yeah, well… Wouldn’t do if Lucifer found out you got snatched on my watch, ya know.”
“Still. It was brave and… impressive. I kinda didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Hey! I AM The Great Mammon, after all. I just don’t go slinging my shit around. I don’t need to. I’m the second born. So you shouldn’t be so surprised. Don’t you forget it.” He puffed out a breath of air. “Still. Meh. I just don’t like fightin’ very much. Not my thing.”
The statement jolted me, and I felt guilt settle in my chest. My perspective shifted. This whole time I had been gunning to make a pact with him to use him as a source of protection, but I never stopped to consider his own feelings on the matter. I felt like… MOST people didn’t like to fight. That certainly included me. He should be extended that same grace. I assumed that since he was a demon… I felt ashamed.
“I think that’s a good trait, actually,” I murmured. “Did I… compel you back there?”
“Nah. That was all my own free will out of the goodness of my little demon heart.” He grinned. “But don’t go tellin’ Lucifer, or no one else for that matter, or they’ll all get the wrong idea about me. I got a reputation to uphold here.”
I laughed. “Right. Your secret is safe with me.”
He nodded to himself. I sighed and shifted the strap of my school bag to my other shoulder. It was a long walk. It had been a long day. Mammon walked alongside me for a little while in silence before he reached out and grabbed my bag from me.
“Here. Gimme that.”
“You don’t have to–" I started, but he was already hoisting it up on his own shoulder.
“It’s whatever. You humans are so weak and puny. Especially you. What are ya, five-foot-nothin’? Let The Great Mammon take care of it for ya. It might not happen again.”
“Thanks, Mammon.”
“Mhm.”
A pause.
“Your horns are really cool, by the way.”
“Hell yeah they are.”
Chapter 4: Chapter 3-B – Provoking Envy
Chapter Text
I lay in bed awake that night, again, still unable to sleep. I thought of Mammon, and was surprised at how much my perspective of him had changed in just a short amount of time. Instead of a dolt, I saw someone who was carefree, not at all shy to speak his mind. I saw someone funny, and even observant. Instead of frustratingly impulsive, I saw someone who was larger-than-life, always with that toothy grin on his face, raring to have fun.
Well, maybe he was still frustratingly impulsive.
My heart squeezing in my chest, I realized that instead of a coward, I saw someone who just didn’t really like having anything to do with violence. Even if he does get himself into trouble a lot. It’s not like the guy was perfect. Far from it. He could still annoy the hell out of me. But he wasn’t… what I expected.
I also saw someone struggling under the thumb of a cruel older brother. Someone struggling with a past. And I saw someone who loved his brothers, his family, dearly, despite how they treated him. Despite being a demon.
He was actually… Kind of a sweetheart.
I sighed at my struggle for sleep, turning over in my bed, lost in thought. I thought of my other quest. I wondered if maybe I could trust him to help me with it.
Never trust a demon. Luke's words.
I groaned in frustration and rubbed the palms of my hands into my eyes.
And so I slipped out of bed, treading into the quiet hallway, past the kitchen, past the dining room, past the sitting room…
…And found myself face to face with the heavy wooden door.
I placed my palm on it, feeling the grain on my fingertips.
“What’s going on, Chise? Out for a stroll?”
I jumped and cursed under my breath. Fucking Lucifer. How the fuck did he always know?
“I keep running into you here, don’t I? It seems you are really curious about what’s at the top of this staircase. Unless I’m mistaken, I believe I told you that it’s not a place humans have any business going.” He stepped closer, and I pressed my back against the door, trapped, still remembering how roughly he had grabbed my arm last time. “If you can’t sleep, perhaps I should make you some tea? Something that will help you get a good night’s sleep. Although… you should probably know that it’s a bit too effective on humans, to the point where you may find that you never wake up again.”
“And Lord Diavolo would just love that,” I bit back. “You don’t scare me, Lucifer.”
“I find that those who proclaim that they are not scared of me are, in fact, the most afraid. Just too stupid to hold their tongue, like Mammon. It’s time that you go back to your room, Chise. And you’ll stay there through the night. I will know if you disobey.”
With a sweep of his fur-trimmed cloak, he turned around and walked in the other direction, not even bothering to look to see if I obeyed or not. He knew he didn’t have to.
Scowling, I padded back to my room. It seems that I won’t be able to reach the top of that staircase unless something is done about Lucifer. I needed help.
Sigh. “Why do I gotta be stuck here with you first thing in the morning having to look at your face while I’m tryin’ to eat my breakfast. To us demons, eatin’ a human like you is a special sorta treat, understand?”
Mammon was back to his usual bratty self this morning, talking while he chewed, gesturing rudely with his fork. We were the only ones at the breakfast table this morning.
“Yet I’m not allowed to do that,” he continued. "I’ve gotta sit here and eat my breakfast instead. I mean, it’s like havin’ a premium-grade roast Iriomote musk hog right in front of me. Medium rare, cooked to perfection. But I can’t have it. Instead, I’m sitting here eatin’ dried blackbelly newt legs. I mean, I’m not sayin’ blackbelly newt legs are bad. I actually like ‘em, but still. And what’s even worse is that thick, juicy hunk of meat has started giving me orders now, like it’s the boss of me or somethin’”
“Thick, juicy meat, huh? Would you say I look scrumptious, Mammon?” The flirt came flying out of my mouth before I even stopped to think about it. I bit my tongue painfully. Mammon turned beet red, choking on his mouthful, eyes wide, looking stunned.
I stuffed another newt in my mouth to shut myself the fuck up. Mammon was still spluttering across from me. Instead of responding, he threw a newt at my face, bouncing it off my forehead.
“Ow!”
“Sh-shaddup, human.” He was still red. “You probably taste like ass anyway.”
I coughed. “So, um, where’s Satan, and the rest?” I tried to change the subject. I winced as I named Satan specifically. He blinked. Scowled.
“Hell if I know. As if I care where that goody two-shoes is. Somethin’ about an early council meeting, but noooo, Mammon can’t go, ‘cause he’s babysittin’ and gotta take the kidlet to school. They’ve all scurried off to class and left me to look after ya on my own, the punks. Dammit. They’re all rotten, every last one of ‘em…”
I glazed over his nattering, chewing on my newt.
“Hey! Pay attention when I’m talkin’ to ya, dunce! What are ya, dumb? Anyway, this all comes back to Lucifer. Getting stuck having to look after a human, ending up in a pact, everything bad is his fault! And the way Levi’s haircut is so lame, and Satan’s horns are so stupid-lookin’, and Lucifer’s feet are so putrid, all of it is Lucifer’s fault! …Not that I’ve ever actually smelled his feet, but still!”
I stifled a smile at his immature outburst. Lucifer deserved it, quite frank.
I took a deep breath.
“Umm, Mammon?” I cut him off, mid-outburst.
“Wha?”
“What’s at the top of the stairs?”
“HEY! I TOLD you to LISTEN to me when I’m TALKIN’ to you! I was tryin’ to tell you about Lucifer’s fe– Wait, what stairs? The ones up to the planetarium? Or are you talkin’ about the stairs that lead up into the attic?”
I nodded. "The latter."
“Ugh… Oh man, there you go again, stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong…” He sighed, waving around a newt glumly. “Now listen, do you know the secret to getting people to tell you stuff? Go ahead, tell me.”
I raised my eyebrow and looked Mr. Avatar of Greed himself in the eyes. “Let me guess. Money.”
“EXACTLY! Now THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about! Guess you DO get it! If ya wanna pry valuable information outta someone, you’ve got to offer ‘em proper compensation!” He put his newt down. “Wait a second… Uh-oh, I know what this is about. You tried to climb those stairs, but Lucifer stopped you, right? That’s totally it, isn’t it?”
I nodded again.
“Well, then there’s something you really need to get straight now. If you think you can just offer Mammon here a little bit of money and he’ll spill the beans, you’re dead wrong. I mean, pretend I told you somethin’ I shouldn’t. Lucifer would beat me half to death.” He nervously ran a hand through his ruffled white hair. “Actually, I’d be lucky if that’s ALL he did. If I WEREN’T lucky, he’d have me eliminated. It’d take a good two hundred million years to recover from that. Still, if you’re bound and determined to buy this information off of me…”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I already knew I wasn’t going to be able to afford whatever ludicrous amount he asked for.
“…Then you’ll have to offer me, let’s seeeee.. How about the monetary equivalent of the world’s total oil production?” He grinned, giddily. “Two hundred million year’s worth. That might do it.” He leaned forward. “In other words, I ain’t gonna tell ya. Is that clear enough for ya, blockhead?”
“Huh…” I paused, pretending to consider something thoughtfully. “Afraid of Lucifer, are you?”
He had been annoying me all morning. Watching him spin at this was delicious. He spluttered incoherently before slapping his hands on the table, making the plates jump.
“WHAT!? Whoa, what’d you just say!? You think I’M actually afraid of LUCIFER? Me, the Avatar of Greed!? You’ve got to be kidding! I’m not the least bit afraid of him, got it? Not even a little!”
“…Be honest, though,” I pouted innocently. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”
He was so easy.
“I TOLD YA, I’m not! I mean, that’s crazy! Listen now, most of the time, I don’t let people see the full extent of my powers! You didn’t even SEE the real me yesterday, got it!? What I’m sayin’ is that even if I did have a face off against someone like Lucifer, I wouldn’t even have to use all of my strength to win! Understand!?”
“Oookaaayyy…” I said, lacing my words with uncertainty. “If that’s the case… Then tell me what’s up those stairs.”
“All right, FINE! I will! You can’t get up the stairs because Lucifer’s blocking the way, right? You need somethin’ to get rid of him, right!? Well, guess what? Distracting Lucifer is as easy as pie! I do it all the time when I steal stuff around the house!” I buried my face in my hands. “Listen up, ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once, so clean the wax outta your ears for a change and pay attention. Look at me.”
I obeyed, raising my face out of my hands to meet his eyes. He turned pink.
“You know that series Levi likes? What was it called… um, The Tale of the Seven… Seven…”
“The Tale of the Seven Lords.”
“Right, yeah. That’s the one. Anyway, you need to get your hands on a vinyl edition copy of the soundtrack for that Tales of the Seven whatsawhosit. If you have that, you can use it to distract Lucifer, no problem! Don’t ask why, ‘cause I got no idea why he’s interested in somethin’ like that either. But if you wanna climb those stairs, you’re gonna have to start by gettin’ your hands on that soundtrack. By the way, you owe me BIG time for this info, ‘cause I was gonna use it soon and now I gotta think up a new plan if you go through with this.”
I leaned forward, bringing my eyes closer to his, gazing at him. His eyes widened; he pressed his lips together, and blushed. Again.
“Help me do it.”
“Wh-why should I help you? If ya want that soundtrack, then go find Levi and work it out yourself with HIM, dummy. Since you’re buddy-buddy now and all anyway…” He trailed off in a mutter. Jealousy…? Or resentment? At the look on my face, he stood up abruptly. “Welp, time for me to go. As much as I hate goin’ to class, I don’t have much of a–“
I stood up too. “Mammon… Come!”
Mammon yelped and stumbled against the table as though yanked towards me. He caught himself, looking up at me wild-eyed.
“H-HEY! WH-WHAT’S GOING ON!? Dammit, my body… it’s movin’ on its own!”
I found our connection, and tugged on it.
“…Grrr…! F-FINE! All right! Let go! I’ll go with you, okay!?” I tugged again, nearly pulling him on top of the table to my side. “Dammit, it feels like you’ve got some kinda invisible cord tied around my neck. ….Aaaah, stop pullin’ on it! …I said stooooooop!”
I turned around and headed down the hall.
“Dammit….! Stupid pact! Wait! Give me a chance to– D’AAAH! Quit pullin’ on me!” I near-skipped down to Levi’s room, Mammon in tow. “Let… me… go… this… instaAAAAH!”
He crashed at my feet.
“…Ow…! Hey, what the hell!? Ya coulda at least given me a little warning before lettin’ go! I hit my head just now, ya know!?”
“But you asked so nicely for me to release you.” I fluttered my lashed at him and pouted.
“I can’t believe you decided to just go straight to Levi and ask him for the soundtrack… are ya daft? You really don’t have any patience, do you?”
“I have plenty of patience. You just test it. A lot.”
“Pff. First of all, there’s no way Levi’s just gonna agree to lend you his precious Tale of whatever-it-was vinyl soundtrack. Actually, he ain’t even gonna let you inside his room. I’m sure of it! Don’t go thinkin’ that everything’s gonna go your way ‘cause you just want it to! You know what your problem is? I’ll tell you–"
“Mammon, you jackass…”
“What…!? Who said that!? I’m not a jackass, or an idiot or a scumbag or a money-obsessed moron! …Which you didn’t actually call me, but still! Hold on, where ARE ya, Levi?”
“You’re making WAY too much noise out there AND you just gave away your entire stupid plan with Chise right outside my door, stupid,” Levi’s voice sounded through the wall. “Would you do me a favour and NOT stand out there being loud? I’m in the middle of watching the best scene of The Magic Ruri Hana: Demon Girl.”
Mammon pounded his fist on the door anyway, as loudly as he could.
“Levi, we need to talk to you! Get off your ass and come to the door!”
“No.”
Mammon turned to me. “See? SEE? What’d I tell ya? He won’t even open the damn door for us, and he has this dumb tech-no-logic lock system, so unless I physically break it down myself, we ain’t gettin’ in. Well? Try sayin’ somethin’ to him.”
I put my face against the door.
“Leeeeeeeviiii, I need to borrow your TSL soundtraaaaack!”
“No.”
Mammon looked at me like I was stupid. “What are ya, stupid?”
I shrugged. Worth a try. I had no other ideas.
“Ugh, come on… That was awful. You’re not supposed to tell him why we’re here. He’s not the kind of guy who does favours if you ask him.”
“...Hey, I was wondering who that was out here in the hall,” came a sing-song voice from behind us. “So, it’s the pair that everyone is talking about…”
Solomon cast a pleasant smile my way, grey eyes twinkling, as he approached.
“P-Pair!?” Mammon turned scarlet at the implication. "Now hold on, Solomon– What do ya mean by that?”
“Oh,” he started innocently. “I’m referring to the rumour regarding a certain human by the name of Chise. A human who looks very ordinary at first glance,” he peered down at me with keen interest, “but has already managed to make a pact with a demon, despite having only just gotten here.”
He looked closely at me with a delighted smile. I felt my own cheeks burn from his rather direct attention. He hummed delightedly, undoubtedly noticing my discomfort.
He slid his eyes away from mine slowly, lingering, before turning to Mammon. Mammon looked back and forth between us, confused. Yeah, I was just as confused.
“Apparently this demon must be a real idiot, because he let a human discover an exploit his greatest weakness, and was then tricked into forging a pact!” He sighed dreamily in admiration, as if basking in heaven itself. “I wish I had thought of it myself.”
“AHAHAA! What demon is that? He must be a total numbskull! What an idiot!” Mammon cackled, before abruptly pausing. “…Wait, you’re talkin’ about ME!"
I was beginning to re-consider some of the new estimations that I had made about Mammon last night.
“Anyway, what are you even doin’ in my house, huh!? Why you here slingin' insults and… and looking at Chise like that!”
Solomon laughed merrily at his accusation, throwing another ‘interested’ look my way for good measure, evidently delighting in riling up Mammon. “Whatever do you mean? I’m here because Levi invited me, that’s all.”
“Wha? Levi invited YOU? To his ROOM? No way, I don’t buy it.”
“I’m afraid that’s the truth.” He smiled pleasantly, stepping between Mammon and I to knock lightly on his door. “Leviiiii, it’s me,” he taunted, looking straight at Mammon.
“What’s the secret phrase?”
“The second lord…”
“…attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption’s platypus, which could lay golden eggs…”
“…having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed…”
“…it was ordered that the second lord would be forever dubbed ’The Lord of Fools.’ Secret phrase authenticated. You may enter.”
With a click at the door, Solomon winked at us. “Bye bye now you two.” He disappeared into Levi’s room, quick to shut it behind him.
Mammon and I stared at the door.
“Wha… What were they even talkin’ about just now? Wait a minute… That was the secret phrase! Said right in front of us! They gave it away, right!? Well, go on.” He nudged my ribs with his elbow, conspiratorially.
I cleared my throat at the door, and knocked.
An exasperated sigh sounded on the other side. “What’s the secret phrase?”
“The second lord…”
“Bzzt! Secret phrase authentication failure. Access denied.”
“What!? But that was totally right! It’s exactly what Solomon said! Leviiiiii!”
“The secret phrase is periodically reset.” I think I heard Solomon’s laugh drift quietly through the door at our predicament.
“You’re saying it’s a one-time password? Seriously!?”
“Maybe you should come back after you’ve at least watched TSL on DVD.”
“Uuuuugh, come on! Do it for your big brother, Levi! What the hell!”
“No.”
Mammon threw his hands up into the air and kicked at the door in frustration. Silence on the other side. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall. He was actually fairly gentle this time instead of manhandling like he usually does. So I let him.
He stopped in front of my room and dropped my hand. Hands on hips.
“So basically, Solomon just proved to Levi that he’s a total TSL nerd too, so now they’re buddies. Which means that if you wanna borrow that soundtrack from Levi, then you’re gonna have to do what Solomon did, and become a huge TSL nerd yourself. It’s that or nothing! I got a plan so. I’ll meet you here at yours after dinner tonight.”
I sat very still on my sofa, weirdly tense, as Mammon poked around my TV set opposite from me. He was dressed casually in simple jeans and a black t-shirt. I still wasn’t used to seeing him out of school uniform very much yet. He shook his head, hair tossing lightly, as he stuck a DVD into the player.
“So, explain somethin’ to me. Why do I gotta join you for this TSL Full Series DVD Marathon Night you’re doin’!?”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. I had just assumed he would for some reason, implied a thing or two, and now I had him here. In my bedroom. At night.
Alone.
“It’s not like you fought very hard against the idea…” I muttered.
“And you say it’s 12 hours total!? What’s up with that!? We’ll be up all damn night!”
Yep. Didn’t know that either until now.
“Ugh this is so stupid that it’s… it’s unreal. Why am I stuck watching this too…?”
He collapsed on the other side of the sofa, one arm draped on the back cushion, the other pointing the remote at the TV. He kicked his feet up onto my coffee table. I tsked. He glanced over.
“Shaddup, I do what I want. 12 hours is a long time not to be… c-comfortable.”
He held my gaze. I leaned back into the plush couch and drew my knees up to my chest, hugging them. I was wearing my pyjamas, not having any real clothes yet other than the ones Asmo had been loaning me as I went along, with the promise of a shopping trip in the future for my own. I felt a bit... vulnerable.
“A-Anyway. Let’s start.” He broke our eye contact and turned back to the TV.
The Tale of the Seven Lords… DVD Volume 2.
Though they represent two different species, the protagonist Henry and the Lord of Shadow bridge such differences to form a pact. Working together, they set a trap for the Lord of Fools, who falls victim to it. The Lord of Fools is then driven off, chased up into the snowy northern country. It’s there in the cold, barren wastes that he discovers the frozen body of his former sweetheart, Geldie. He once loved her, before they parted…
“Wh… Seriously!? He’s finally reunited with her, only to find out that she’s dead!? No… that can’t be! Can’t he, like, use some magic or somethin’ to bring her back to life…!? Don’t you dare die, Geldie…! It can’t end like this, it just can’t! He’s gonna find a way to save Geldie, right!? What do you think? Please… please say he saves her…!”
I shushed him, patting at his knee in mock sympathy. He jumped at my touch. I jumped at his jump.
“I… I need snacks! To console myself. So… give those here.” I was the one with the bowl of popcorn already on my lap, so he shuffled a bit closer. I swung my knees over a bit more towards him, repositioning my lap so the bowl was more within reach for him. Arm still draped against the back of the couch, just a little bit closer, he reached over with his other hand to grab a handful.
It would have been easier for him if he used the arm that was on the back of the couch. His hand was near my hair. I stared ahead, not saying anything.
….DVD Volume 5.
The Lord of Flies faces a crisis after his country is invaded by hostile forces from another land. The opposing army isolates them, cutting of supply lines so they will starve. Hoping to aid his brother, the Lord of Fools arranges for food supplies to be smuggled in. However, a long spell of wet, rainy weather causes all of the food he has sent to spoil. As a result, the Lord of Flies’ land is beset by an outbreak of disease, on top of the famine they already face…
I raised an eyebrow in amusement at the sniffling I heard beside me. Mammon was rubbing at his eyes. “…Don’t blame the Lord of Fools…! He was worried about the Lord of Flies and wanted to help… That’s all! I can’t believe the food ended up spoiling… It’s not fair. He was bein’ so helpful, and he meant well… So, why… WHY…?” Another sniffle.
I did my best not to laugh at him, but he glanced at me at just the right moment to catch the sympathetic amusement on my face.
“I-It’s not funny! A-And, stop looking at me like that!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. I didn’t think that you were... so sensitive.” I couldn’t stop the little giggle that bubbled out of me.
“Hey! I can be sensitive! I got feelings, ya know! It’s so unfair what happened to the Lord of Fools! He can’t catch a break! It’s all so saaaaaad…!”
“I know, I know,” I cooed softly, trying to calm him. I smiled and reached at the table for a tissue. “Your nose is running, Mr. Demon. Here you go.”
“Whatever…” he muttered sullenly, taking the proffered tissue anyway. He wiped at his nose self-consciously, and I looked away while he did his thing. He threw it on the ground. I rolled my eyes at him.
“This isn’t your room to trash, you know.”
“Err… Sorry. I’ll get it after. Promise.”
I shifted in my seat. He shifted too.
How did his arm end up behind me?
DVD Volume 7.
In year 825 of the ancient era, the Lord of Emptiness leads a sudden rebellion against his eldest brother, the Lord of Corruption. Unwilling to forgive this betrayal, the Lord of Corruption imprisons him within the Tower of Shadow in the farthest corner of the world. The other lords lament the fate that has befallen their youngest brother, but there is nothing they can do. For the fear incurring the wrath of the Lord of Corruption above all else…
“Seriously, what’s wrong with them? They’re brothers, aren’t they? Couldn’t one of them have done something to stop it from coming to this? I mean, sure, maybe the Lord of Emptiness himself deserves some of the blame, too. But even so, I can’t believe they’d abandon their brother like that…”
I stretched my arms above my head, bumping into Mammon’s shoulder accidentally. I looked up at him in surprise. He was not this close at the start of all this. He jumped at my bump again. I jumped at his jump again. I looked around. I was still… mostly in the seat where I had started. Maybe leaning slightly over to the middle a little more. It was Mammon who was firmly planted in the middle now.
He turned bright red and jumped up quickly, like something had bitten him.
“W-Well! That’s that! That’s the whoooole collection! We made it through! Whew, 12 hours later…” He hopped a little bit with his hands in his pockets, clearing his throat and turning away from me. Oh my god. I blushed too, drawing my knees back up to my chest. Oh my god. “A-Anyway! We should, um, go over this one more time. Yeah, it’s quiz time! Get ready, ‘cause I’m not going easy on ya!”
He half-turned towards me to make sure I was listening, still refusing to face me fully. I just nodded at him. Mute with embarrassment. Mortified for the both of us.
“Okay. We’ll start with TSL DVD Volume 2. After falling into a trap set by Henry and the Lord of Shadow, the Lord of Fools is forced to flee to the north. When he gets there, he finds his former lover’s– erm, I mean… Gah…” He scratched at his head “…His former sweetheart’s body frozen in ice. What’s her name?”
“Geldie” I replied easily.
“Yeah! Eh, anyone could’ve gotten that right, as easy as it was.” He paused to think. “Umm. All right, let’s hit ya with DVD Volume 5 next. Hostile forces from another land invade the Lord of Flies’ country, surrounding and isolating him so his people will starve. So, the Lord of Fools tries to help his brother. The Lord of Fools means well, but his efforts backfire. As a result, the Lord of Flies ends up in an even worse situation. The reason for this has to do with the supply of food that the lord of Fools sends. Tell me what the problem was.”
“The food had spoiled,” I nodded, and giggled. “The scene that made you cry."
“Shaddup! Whatever. Right. The Lord of Fools really did mean well, but a long rainy spell caused the food he sent to spoil. Ugh… Every single time I think about it, it makes me wanna cry… I mean, wait, shaddup…”
He cleared his throat again and finally faced me directly. I glanced at him, up and down, briefly. We were all clear.
“All right, time to move on. Final question. DVD Volume 7. The Lord of Corruption imprisons the Lord of Emptiness in the Tower of Shadow, refusing to forgive his brother for leading a rebellion against him. The other lords lament the fate of their younger brother, but there’s nothin’ they can do to help him. Why’s that?”
“They were afraid of the Lord of Corruption.”
“Great. Hm. I guess you CAN do stuff when ya really put your mind to it. C’mon, let’s get this stuff out of here. It’s almost time for school. G’ah, this day is gonna suck with no sleep…”
Our snacks under our arms, we headed out the door and towards the kitchen to clean up. He grinned and nudged me with his elbow, almost causing me to drop my bowl.
“You may seem like an airhead, but I’ve gotta admit, you did pretty well.” He dodged a piece of popcorn that I threw at his head, laughing at me. “I’d say you should be able to convince Levi that ya know your stuff at this point.”
“Hey, human…”
We froze in the hall, looking over our shoulders.
“Ah, well, speak of the devil…”
“I heard what you’re up to, human. Seems that you’re trying to suck up to me so I’ll like you."
“Whaddya mean? Who told you that?” Mammon lied. Badly.
“It’s no use playing dumb. I heard it from Lucifer.”
“Lucifer!? How the hell would he know?! How does he end up hearing every single thing that gets said around here!?”
I really had to check to make sure this place wasn’t bugged, because oh my god. I was getting tired of this shit.
“That’s not important–"
“Actually, I’d like to know too,” I demanded. Levi shook his head in irritation.
“You know, I’ve heard it said that the time a fool spends thinking is WASTED time. I think that applies here. You’re lucky to have so much time on your hands that you can sit around thinking up schemes like this. Like, there’s so much anime I need to watch! Figurines and trading cards I need to organize! So many games I need to play just sitting around, piling up… As much as I wish I could watch a marathon of every TSL DVD, I don’t have the time… So why do YOU get to have so much free time? It’s not fair,” Levi whined.
“Ahhhh, I was waiting for him to say that,” Mammon said to me. “Levi’s signature line: ‘It’s soooo not faaaaair’.” I tried not to giggle. I was trying to get on Levi’s good side, after all. I nudged him with my foot.
“Shut up, Mammon,” Levi sulked. “You’re an idiot.”
“You know, Levi, you need to start showin’ your older brother some more respect!”
Levi ignored him and swung his gaze to me. “I don’t know what it is you’re plotting, but I’m not about to get all buddy-buddy with some human normie. Understand? I’m not like Mammon. Get that through your head."
“H-Hey! It’s not like I’m buddy-buddy with this human either!”
I remembered the warmth I felt at having Mammon sit so close during the marathon and flushed, looking at him. He flushed too.
“Oh yeah? So I didn’t just see you two coming out of her room really early in the morning, giggling and laughing, throwing popcorn at each other?”
“M-My body obeys the orders on its own, whether I like it or not. Like when I’m told to ‘stay’ or ‘go home’ and stuff. It’s not my fault!”
“Just don’t go getting any ideas in your head, human.”
“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”
This wasn’t going anywhere, and Levi was clearly growing more and more irate. Mammon wasn’t helping the situation. At this rate, I wasn’t going to get even so much as a toe into his room, let alone borrowing the coveted soundtrack. I thrust the popcorn bowl at Mammon’s chest, who caught it with an oomph, and squared up to Levi.
“Let’s compete to see who the bigger TSL fan is then.”
He stared at me for a moment. And then broke down into hysterical laughter, bending down to grasp at his knees, doubled-over until he was wheezing. I waited, annoyed.
“Wh-what?” He wiped at his eyes. “Where did that come from?! Pfff… Hahahaha! Do you seriously think you could beat me in a competition involving TSL? Haha… that’s hilarious! Lololol. As if I’d actually ACCEPT a challenge like that. I mean, I already know what the outcome would be.”
“Oh yeah? Are you afraid of losing to a human normie, Levi?”
“Pfff! Excuse me? Did you process ANYTHING I just said?" His cheeks turned pink. "Where are you getting this idea that I might ACTUALLY lose to you?”
“I knew it.” I exhaled, shaking my head. “You ARE afraid, then? How boring. Here I thought I’d have an actual fight on my hands…”
“Excuse me? EXCUSE ME? Are you processing ANYTHING I’m saying here!?”
I took a couple steps towards him, staring his cat-eyes down.
“…Hey Mammon, I think Levi here is a CHICKEN!”
Mammon snorted in laughter behind me, watching me play Levi like a fiddle. As if I didn’t play him just as hard earlier today.
“Hey! Watch what you say, human!” Levi’s bottom lip quivered in anger, his fists balled to his side.
“Levi’s an otaku!”
Mammon snickered behind me even harder. “Well, yeah, can’t argue with ya there.”
“Levi’s a–“
“FINE. Fine! If that’s how you want it, I’ll do it. I accept your challenge. We’ll compete to see which one of us loves TSL more, you or me. Just one thing, though. If you lose, you might never make it back to the human world alive. But you still want to do this? Okay.”
“And if I win, Levi, you’re going to make a pact with me.”
“…WHAT did you just say?!”
“Or are you too much of a…”
“Oh, you’re going DOWN.”
Mammon gaped behind us.
Walking down the halls of RAD, actually feeling a little confident today, though tired as all hell, I rounded the corner and bumped into Satan and Beel.
“Ah. Hello there, Chise.” Satan crinkled his pretty eyes at me. “I’m glad we found you. I heard about what’s happening. It seems you and Levi are going to have a little competition.”
I shifted shyly on the spot. “How did you know?”
“Mammon has been running his mouth, of course. He won’t shut up about it. He’s saying that there is a pact on the line, is that right?”
“…Are you hoping to find out what’s in the attic room? Is that it?” Beel rubbed at his wrists.
“I am, yes.”
“Huh, you don’t say…” He looked down at his hands, thoughtful. I wasn’t ever really sure what was going on in his head, beyond his voracious hunger. He nodded to himself. “I’ll let you in on a nice piece of information. Levi is the demon of Envy. If you can work him into a jealous frenzy, he’ll lose control of himself. Then he’ll be guaranteed to slip up somehow, giving you an opening you can exploit.”
Satan furrowed his brow in concern. “Hold on, Beel. There’s just one thing you should be aware of if you do that, Chise. If Levi loses control of himself, your life will also be in danger.”
“Thank you.” I nodded to them both. “But why… help me at all? You’re willing to risk another brother forming a pact? Is that alright with you?”
“No reason. Just felt like it, that’s all. It doesn’t matter to me.” Beel shrugged.
Satan looked thoughtful, his fingers touching his chin. “I’ll give you a piece of advice, too. The DVD version of TSL is up to season 7 now. That’s the most recent release. Meanwhile, the original book version is up to volume 8 at this point. Volume 9, on the other hand, isn’t even out yet. But if you want to know what’s going to happen,” he leaned forward, conspiratorially, “you should ask Simeon.”
“Simeon?” I raised my brows. “Why would Simeon know something like that?”
Satan smiled, his face softening, close to mine. Very close to mine... “Don’t ask me… Ask him. You’ll see. As for why I’m helping you… it just so happens that it’s in my best interest for you to beat Levi.”
“Thanks. Both of you. I really appreciate it.” They both nodded. “I guess I’m off to see Simeon?”
“Good luck, Chise. We’ll see you later at the showdown.”
“So, lemme get this straight…” Mammon drawled as he tilted back to balance on the back legs of his chair. “You’re tellin’ me that Beel and Satan both gave you hints for how to defeat Levi? Hmmm… Ya don’t say… How VERY interesting…”
“I thought so too. Shouldn’t you brothers, um, not want a regular human going around making pacts with all of you?”
He rolled his eyes. “What gave ya THAT impression? It was Levi who put you up to nabbing ME in the first place. Rotten brothers…” He stretched. “Well, ya know why they did that though, right? It’s all because I’M lookin’ after ya. You’ve got Mammon to thank for this!”
I smiled. “Sure, Mammon. Whatever you say.”
“Enough with the sass. Okay. Here’s the deal. Those two are givin’ you special treatment because they know that I’m the one in charge of you. They want to please me! What do you think about that, huh? It’s all ‘cause they look up to their big brother, right?”
“You’re insane,” I giggled. Like some stupid schoolgirl. I stifled it quickly.
“WHA!? Whaddya mean, I’m insane!?" He grinned and sat his chair forward again with a clunk on all four feet. “Anyway. Let’s get down to business. You and me need to figure out what our strategy’s gonna be with this Levi thing. First off, what Beel told you is right. If you can make Levi jealous, he’s bound to lose his cool. Though there’s no guarantee he won’t kill ya if that happens… But that’s just how it’s gotta be.”
I rested my chin on my desk and sighed, resigned to danger again. “But I’ve got you to protect me now, right?” I looked up at him coyly. I was rewarded with a visibly hard swallow from him. He glared at my tittering.
“Pff. As if. I mean… Y-You’ll be fine. Probably. But… I guess, yeah… We’ll see,” he stammered. "Anyway, there’s no way you’ll beat Levi in a competition over who’s the bigger TSL nerd. Not if you fight fair. So. You’d best face up to the fact that this is gonna involve a little risk. So, we’ve gotta figure out how you’re gonna manage to make him jealous. He may be called the Avatar of Envy, but he don’t like feeling it. It’s hard to make him give in to it. Instead of gettin’ super jealous of you, he’ll get all negative about his own situation. He’ll start talkin’ about how it’s ‘not fair’ and you’re ‘lucky’ and stuff.
“Basically, you’re not gonna be able to get him to lose his cool just by doing a little bragging. No, you’re gonna have to do somethin’ to make him REAL jealous. So jealous that he nearly pops a blood vessel. Sooo. Maybe we ought to ask someone for advice.”
I nodded. “Well, according to Satan, it sounds like one of our resident angels knows something. We should start with Simeon.”
“Ah, yeah. Satan said he knew what was gonna happen in the next book? I’m actually dyin’ to find out what’s gonna happen myself. And dyin’ to find out how Simeon knows.”
Chapter 5: Chapter 4 – The Third-Born
Chapter Text
“All right, everyone!” Asmodeus sang in his sweet voice. “Finally, the wait is over! It’s time for Devil’s Trivia Showdown, the quiz show that pits demon against human!”
He bounced energetically in the middle of the council meeting room, absolutely delighted to have been chosen (self-appointed) as announcer for the ‘event’.
“Today our competitors will be testing their knowledge regarding a super-famous, super-popular fantasy series. One that’s known by young and old alike… The Tale of the Seven Lords! Now, it’s time to introduce our two competitors. First, he’s a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL nerd! Meet Leviathan!”
Leviathan, uniform rumpled, haircut dubious, posture slouched, the picture of social shut-in, nodded across from me to everyone else in the room. “I am the G.O.A.T. None can oppose me!”
I winced on his behalf.
“And his challenger claims to have been introduced to TSL only very recently after binge-watching the DVDs, alone with Mammon in her room–!”
“HEY!”
“Say hello to Chise!”
“You’re going down, Leviathan,” I challenged him.
It set him off. “You binge-watched the DVDs ONCE. That’s it! The fact that you would dare challenge me is an insult to TSL itself. It’s sacrilege!”
A wave of his power washed over me as he exerted himself. I stood my ground, sort of getting used to the whole song and dance with these demons. Still, even with Levi trying to control it, his power was impressive.
“I-It’s so infuriating that I can’t even feel the anger!” he lied, his aura betraying his feelings on the matter plainly to everyone in the room. “I can only laugh. AHAHAHAHA.”
We’re off to a good start. I suppressed my anxiety. No weakness.
“Serving as judge for today’s competition,” Asmo continued, “is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!”
Diavolo nodded to everyone in the room, familiarly sat in his judge’s chair. “Hello there, everyone. Good to see you. With another pact on the line, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to bear witness to this event.” He shot me a magnificent grin, evidently proud of my audacity.
“Colour commentary will be provided by Satan, Avatar of Wrath,” Asmo introduced him dramatically in a narrated voice. "But a good commentator needs to keep a cool head. I wonder, is he really up to the task?”
Satan hummed and smiled good-naturedly. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” He looked over at me and gave me a small wink. I coloured. “So, I’m going to be doing the commentary? That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“Now, say hello to our guest demon, the always-famished Beelzebub! For his appearance fee, he requested to be compensated in cheeseburgers. How very Beel of him…”
Beel sat at the table, chewing happily. “Nothing beats one of Hell’s Kitchen’s special cheeseburgers. They age the cheese 4000 years for maximum flavour.”
“And your host for today…” Asmo rocked on the balls of his heels, arms behind him, being all cute. "…Is none other than yours truly, Asmodeus! The demon who can make you swoon simply by whispering in your ear.” HE shot me a wink too. I raised a brow at him. “You all know me, you all love me.”
“All riiiight, that’s enough. This is gettin’ ridiculous. Let’s get this over with.” Mammon was on my side of the room, a few feet away, to ‘cheer me on’.
“I thought you hated wasting your time at events like this, Mammon. And yet here you are. Truly, wonders never cease,” Lucifer quipped sarcastically.
Mammon blushed, glancing over at me, completely betraying himself. “Shut up, Lucifer. I’ve got some free time, that’s all.” Yeah, Lucifer was going to notice that.
“Well then!” Asmo took back control of the room. “We’ll start with you, Chise. Get ready for the TSL Quiz question number one! The seven lords are all brothers, and each has a specific name that people know them by. In birth order, name the oldest, second-oldest, and third-oldest.”
“Easy!” I taunted Levi. “Corruption, then Fools, then Shadow.”
“Well, how about that! You’re absolutely correct! Way to start the game off on the right foot, Chise!”
“Oh COME ON!” Levi pinched his lips shut and shook his head. “Anybody could’ve gotten that one right.”
“Mmm…” Beel leaned over towards me and pointed at his meal. “My cheeseburgers came with onion rings, the king of all side items. Yum.”
“Save some for me, Beel!”
“Oooohhh… I’ll try.” He looked doubtful.
“All right, Leviathan, it’s your turn now. Here comes question number one! In what year did the Lord of Shadow build the Blue Palace for his imaginary mistress?”
“Year 693 of the ancient era,” Levi answered flatly, sticking his chin out at me.
“Correct! What an impressive showing from the self-described TSL nerd!”
“In me you bear witness to a legend!!!”
I rolled my eyes, embarrassed for him.
“Even so,” Satan added, “is it just me, or was that question a little too specific? Only a mega nerd would know that.”
“Hehehe. This is shaping up to be quite entertaining, isn’t it, Lucifer?” Diavolo, as puppy-ish as always.
Lucifer shook his head in exasperation. “I’m glad you find it to your liking.”
“All right, back to you now, Chise! Get ready for TSL Quiz question number two! …The sixth lord is the Lord of Flies. What does he love to eat more than anything else?”
I glanced over at Beel, who was smacking his lips loudly. “A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese.”
“Waaaaooowww! Correct!” Asmo fluttered his hands in the air like a cheerleader. “Very impressive! That was a tough one! You really do know your stuff, don’t you!?” He dropped his hands and looked over at Beel as well. “Hmm… A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese… Is that sort of like a cheeseburger, more or less?”
Beel hummed happily, chewing.
“Hey, Beel, c’mon! Take a napkin to that stream of drool comin’ outta your mouth! You’re embarrassin’ yourself!”
“Now back to Mr. Reliable himself, Leviathan! Here comes question number two! In The Tale of the Seven Lords Volume 3, page 724, what does the Lord of Fools say in the fifth line from the top?”
“Oh that’s EASY!” Levi brought a hand up to touch his smile. “‘Money is my dearest friend and closest companion. It’s everything to me. The blood bonds I share with my brothers are like the weak, wispy threads of a spider by comparison.’”
“That’s my kinda guy!” Mammon whispered loudly.
“Amazing! That is correct! An exact match, word for word!”
Satan shook his head, glancing at Mammon. “The more I learn about the Lord of Fools, the clearer it is that he’s a total scumbag.”
“…Hey, why does it feel like you’re insulting ME right now?”
“All right, moving on… It’s your turn now, Chise! Say hello to question number three! This is regarding the fifth brother, the Lord of Lechery. Who does he love more than anyone else?” Asmo batted his lashes at me.
“Himself.”
“Well, well! Excellent! You are absolutely right! So the fifth lord loves himself above all else. I like that. Sounds like my kind of guy.”
Levi scowled across from me. “Come on, hurry up! Let’s go! It’s my turn now.”
“Leviathan, you’ve gotten every single question correct thus far. But prepare yourself, because question number three is coming at you! …In Volume 4 of the DVD series, at exactly 159 minutes and 35 seconds in, what is the Lord of Masks holding in his left hand?”
Levi perked up and nodded. “He’s holding a flower from a carnivorous grodoodle plant, grown by the Lord of Corruption.”
“Excellent! That only flashed on the screen for the briefest of moments, and yet you still caught it! Amazing! Your knowledge truly is extensive! In fact, I’d even say it’s creepy!”
“Hey, is it just me, or have all my questions been WAY harder than Chise’s? Like, suspiciously harder. Though they’re still so easy for me that I’m ready to fall asleep here.”
“Nope! It’s totally all in your head!”
“Ugh." Levi scowled. "Come on. How long are we going to keep this up? This is getting boring.”
“Yep, I’d say it has.” Mammon motioned to me. “All right, Chise, it’s time to pull out the big guns! Let’s see how Levi here likes your trump card!” He called out a little louder across the room. “Hey Levi, you’re way too full of yourself. Which is why we’re about to reach inside ya, yank out that pride, and crush it like a bug!”
“What…?”
“Well, well, now this is getting interesting…” Diavolo folded his arms across his chest and sat back, beaming all around.
“Wow! It sounds to me like the gauntlet has just been thrown down! It would seem Chise has some sort of trump card to use against Leviathan! Perhaps now would be a good time to check in with our colour commentator. Satan, what do you think this could be about?”
Satan touched his chin and nodded. “Well, it’s not at all surprising that Chise would come into this with a secret weapon. It seems that the advice I gave is about to pay some dividends. Excellent.”
“Just a minute… Satan, are you telling us that you provided aid to Chise? How very wicked of you! I suppose this would be a good time to get your take on this as well, Beel.”
“If you want to hear what I have to say, it’s going to cost you. Let’s say one extra-large bowl of katsudon and some miso soup to go along with that.”
Asmo rolled his pretty eyes, breaking character. “Okay, whose idea was it to invite Beel to this, huh? He’s done nothing but eat this entire time! SIGH.” – He said sigh out loud – "In any event, if Chise really does have a secret weapon, it could mean something that will make winning against Leviathan possible! Perhaps we should hear what Chise’s opponent thinks about this. Tell me, Levi, what’s running through your head right now?”
“ROFLMAO! Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!”
“…Right. I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying! But clearly you don’t see this as a threat… Got it! So, what could this trump card of Chise’s be!? Let’s find out!”
I stepped forward, hands behind my back, shoulders and neck tall, looked Levi squarely in the eyes, and proceeded to summarize the major plot developments in the as-of-yet unreleased TSL Volume 9.
Levi stood, mouth gaped, the stricken look on his face growing more and more palpable as I unleashed the ace up my sleeve – and throwing every spoiler at him in the book while I was at it. His eyes were round as he stood there in stark silence for an uncomfortably long time at the end of my spiel. You could hear a pin drop in the room. No one spoke, waiting for Levi’s rebuttal.
“…Wh…what…? …NO! That’s insane… The Lord of Masks wouldn’t do that to the Lord of Shadow! L-Lies, all of it! Pure HOGWASH! D-Don’t think you can fool me by making up random stuff like that!”
“Hmmm.” Diavolo leaned forward in his seat, gazing at my levelly. “Actually, Leviathan, Chise doesn’t appear to be lying as far as I can see.”
Satan nodded seriously, though from my angle, I could see that he hid a smirk behind the hand that touched his lips. “Levi, you know as well as I do that Lord Diavolo has the ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth.”
“B-But...no…! Everyone online has been talking about how the Lord of Masks and the Lord of Shadow are totally going to make up… What you said CAN’T happen! It…it just CAN’T!”
Mammon inclined his head to me. “Huh, so all that stuff Simeon told you was true then? How about that. Still, though, how is it that he knows all that?”
I winked at him, keeping a promise. He gulped.
“All right, um… Okay, I suppose that settles who the true TSL nerd is…”
“NO. I won’t stand for this.”
I clapped my hands over my ears as Levi inundated me with his power.
“All you did was stay up ONE NIGHT marathoning the DVDs. The idea that someone like YOU could actually be a bigger TSL fan than me, it’s…” His hands were clutched in his hair. Two branching horns emerged from his indigo crown. I gaped as his skin rippled, delicate purple scales pushing through, tear-shaped, glittering down his neck.
“Wh-Woah, calm down there, Levi…!”
“No… NO, I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!”
With a rush of air that left me reeling, Levi’s aura surged forth, enveloping me. My muscles froze against my very bones; I was rooted, planted, panting. Strangely, the sting of salt filled my mouth, rendering it dry in an instant, like the moisture was being sucked out of me. A tail slashed at the air behind him, serpentine. He held my terrified stare. I was trapped like an ant in amber in his swirling orange eyes.
Not cat eyes. Snake eyes.
And this is what it felt like to have one of the brothers’ power turned on me.
“Chise, RUN! Get out of here!”
Hands still clapped over my ears, I squeezed my eyes shut, still unable to move. It felt like a storm was rushing through my ears. “...Mammon, HELP!”
“Chise…!”
“…That’s enough.”
I was pulled to the ground with a gravitational force that I was sure shattered all the bones in my body. Pain blossomed up my right arm. The room went pitch dark, unnaturally so. I had never seen anything so dark. The fear I had felt, the terror, the aura, immediately released me from its clutches. I was left gasping at its absense.
“I believe you were going to settle this via a QUIZ, weren’t you, Leviathan? Not through violence."
The room slowly re-illuminated, the miasma receding. The moonlight returned to stream its glow through the arched windows; the candles that lit the council table spluttered back to life.
Levi lay curled on the ground in a fetal position, hands clasped over his own ears. He was back to his usual form. Small.
It was Lucifer who stood in front of me, his back towards me.
My eyes widened. Four enormous wings has sprung free from his back, black as a raven’s, spreading out behind him to shield me from Levi. Graceful, glossy S-shaped horns sprouted from his head. He was resplendent. He was magnificent. He was terrifying.
“You’re out of control, Leviathan.” He hadn’t raised his voice, yet it felt like it was pitched directly into my skull.
“L…Lucifer…” Levi curled up tighter into his ball on the floor.
“U-Unbelievable!” Asmo fluttered his hands. “Just as Leviathan was about to strike, who should step in and stop him but the one and only Lucifer himself! Simply incredible!”
“Do you really think this is the time, Asmo?”
“I haven’t seen you leap to someone’s rescue like that in quite some time, Lucifer,” Satan said quietly from across the room.
“Levi, go back to your room and cool off.”
He gave Levi a moment to collect himself off the floor, slowly uncurling and rolling to his knees, shamed. He didn’t look at anyone. Eyes cast to the floor, he picked himself up, hugging his middle, turned on his heel, and fully ran out.
My heart squeezed in my chest. Fuck. I hadn’t meant to hurt him like that. Even if he was willing to kill me... I didn’t mean to do that.
At the sound of Mammon scuffing his feet nearby, Lucifer turned to him. “What is it, Mammon? Do you have something that you’d like to say?”
“…No. I don’t wanna say nothin’."
“So what are we going to do now?” Asmo looked around the room. “How are we supposed to have our competition without Levi?”
“I guess this means the competition ends in a draw,” Diavolo declared, standing up from his seat. “Neither of them won.”
Satan was still staring at Lucifer, giving him a measured look. “Still, I have to say I find it surprising that you would go out of your way just to rescue a mere human, Lucifer. Very surprising…” Like a dog latched onto a precious bone, he wouldn’t let go. I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to him. “…Don’t you agree, Mammon?”
“…Huh? Why’re ya askin’ me?” Mammon sulked a bit. I didn’t take his meaning either.
“As the eldest, it’s naturally my duty to clean up my younger siblings’ messes.” Lucifer gave his signature exasperated sigh, his wings slowly retracting into his back.
Hands in his pockets, Mammon looked down at the ground, scuffing at it again.
Mammon sat with me, cross-legged on my bed, gently rolling a long strip of bandage over my wrist. His one hand held my fingers gently while the other wrapped my injury. He shook his head as he worked.
“So, ya made it out of that without being attacked, only to end up fallin’ on your butt and sprainin’ your wrist. Seriously, could you BE any more of a klutz?”
“You humans really are way less physically capable than us demons.” Beel sat on a pillow on my floor, scooping more popcorn out of his bowl, shovelling it into his mouth. “That’s because they don’t eat enough,” he spoke through a mouth full. “And unlike us, they don’t eat the right things.”
Mammon paused his work and shot him a look. “Stop tying everything back to food, Beel! It ain’t helpin’! Actually, why’re you even here, anyway? Seems to me that you’ve been spendin’ an awful lot of time here.”
“Well, so have you. I mean, you’ve even left a cell phone charger here. And a toothbrush, too. That’s how much you’re over here.”
Heat immediately hit Mammon’s cheeks. “W…Well that’s because, uh… you know… I’ve gotta look after my human, don’t I? It’s my job…”
“Well, you’re doing a terrible job with those bandages.”
“Hey, shut up! I’ve never had to wrap someone’s wrist before, okay? I don’t know how it works! If you think I’m doin’ such a bad job, then why don’t YOU do it, Beel!”
“Sure. Give her hand here.”
“N-NO! I wasn’t bein’ serious! It’s my job! I started it!”
“That’s what I thought.” Beel shook his head, turning his focus to gorge on the pizza in front of him. I was actually rather surprised at his bold teasing. Normally he didn’t bother. I liked this side of him.
I gave the fingers Mammon was using to hold my own a light squeeze. He jumped, his face turning an even deeper shade of scarlet. Though he kept holding them, lightly.
“D-Dammit, Beel! Isn’t that MY slice you’ve got there in your other hand!?”
“You know, I could really go for a soda right now. I’m going to go run to the kitchen.”
“…Hey, Beel! You put down one of those slices you’re holdin’ right now! HEY!”
We were left together, in silence. Alone. The back of my hand rested in his palm on his lap comfortably.
He wouldn’t look at me. The silence stretched as he fiddled with my bandages.
“Mammon...?”
“Chise… There’s somethin’ I want you to know.” He turned his face away and closed his eyes, cheeks still burning. “…Listen. The next time your life’s in danger, I’m gonna be the one to save you, all right? Don’t you forget that.”
I smiled to myself. I had called to him for help, instinctually, and felt him rush through our bond to get to me. But Lucifer had gotten to me first. Like a clap of lightning, he had stolen Mammon’s thunder. Yeah, I wondered if that had been bothering him.
“…And if I can’t manage to save ya, then make sure you die, got it!? I don’t want no one else steppin’ in and savin’ you, all right!? It’s me or no one, understand?!”
I reached out with my other hand to place it on his. He turned to look down at my touch, still refusing to meet my eyes.
“All right, I got it.”
“G-Good… Jeez, you should always just agree with me like that…"
As he trailed off, we sat like that for a moment, our hands resting lightly on top of each other’s.
My D.D.D. rang moments later, causing us both to jump. We pulled away from each other, embarrassment on our faces. I went to pick it up with my sprained wrist and winced, fumbling with it. Mammon rolled his eyes and moved my D.D.D. to the other hand. “...Dummy.”
I climbed the steps up to the planetarium with not just a little bit of trepidation. I cradled my bad wrist to my chest, my other gliding up the rail.
Levi sat cross-legged on a chair on the far side of the room. He was wearing his usual long, black and white trenchcoat-like sweater over a graphic tee, and grey sweatpants. He didn’t look up as I reached the top of the stairs.
“…Well, it’s about time. Took you long enough. When I call for you, you need to come right away, understand? Don’t walk, run. I want you moving at lightning speed.” He looked out the window, avoiding my face. “Like the way Henry races over whenever his best friend the Lord of Shadow calls on him. You saw the TSL DVDs, so you should know.”
His voice softened, and I thought I saw the beginning shape of a smile as he talked about his passion.
I nodded. “He comes riding up on the winged unicorn that he won off of the Lord of Fools in a bet.”
He sucked in a breath, and nodded too.
I sat across from him, the movement and closeness finally making him look up into my face. He considered me for a moment. “…Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you and I are best friends or anything. As if. Well. So. Do you know why I called you here?”
I thought back to how small he looked, curled up on the floor in the student council hall. How he had run from the room in shame. How I had hurt him. How I had used him as a means to an end. Again. Like with Mammon.
I rubbed lightly at my wrist. I didn’t like what survival was doing to me.
I shook my head at his question, but had something to say of my own. “Levi… Let’s be friends.”
“What?! Did you say friends? You and me…?! A-A-Are you… are you out of your mind!?” He looked down again, his eyes coming to rest on my bandaged wrist. He winced. “You do know I tried to attack you, right? And that if Lucifer hadn’t intervened, you’d be dead right now. You realize that, right?!”
I heard a small hitch in his voice and looked closer at his eyes. They were glossy, wet with tears.
“I mean, that literally JUST happened. Have you already forgotten, or are you just that dumb? Do you have the memory of a goldfish or something? Or maybe you’ve got amnesia? A-Also… let’s be friends? Seriously? What are you, five years old? Who actually walks up to somebody and asks them something like that!? Could you BE any lamer!? You’re unbearable!”
He sniffed and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. His face was pink. I gave him a moment to collect himself.
“…All right, look. Here’s the thing,” he continued, nose a bit stuffed. "You remember why we decided to have that competition in the first place, right? It was to see who the biggest TSL fan was. And I agreed that if you won, I’d enter into a pact with you. That little trump card you pulled out was a real dirty trick… but a promise is a promise. It really kills me to do this… it makes my stomach churn, actually. But, I’ll keep my end of the bargain.”
“Levi… You don’t have to–”
“So I’ll do it. I’ll make a pact with you.” He took in a shaky breath, steadying himself, eyes still on my wrist.
“Thank you.”
“Hmph… Hold out your hands… Palms up… I’ll be gentler than stupid Mammon…”
I did as he instructed, offering my hands up to him, closing the gap between us a bit. He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth and shakily brought his own hands down above mine. And gently, the barest touch, like touching at all pained him, he laid his fingertips to mine.
The scent of air before a storm hit me, heavy, the taste of salt on my tongue. Inspiration bloomed in my chest, eliciting an involuntary gasp from my mouth at the strength, at the pull, at the passion. Passion. Levi’s eyes locked with mine – amber, purple, amber, purple. The slits of his pupils dilated as his eyes widened in awe, and… For a brief moment, panic.
He wrenched away, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his sweater and falling back on his seat. He shook his head, eyes wide. “Wh-What the hell…”
“Was that… not normal?” I recalled Mammon’s rush of electric energy that had struck through me like lightning. Levi felt like a hurricane wind in the howling rain.
“N-No… Th-That was… Um… Weird…” He made himself smaller in his chair, hunching over, face beet red, refusing to make eye contact. “N-Not like I just go around making pacts or anything, but… It’s like, you saw…"
After a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.
“W-Well, i-it’s done,” he stammered, before taking a breath. “So. That’s that. Now. Are you going to tell me why you went through all this trouble to make a pact with me? There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there? A normie human like you asking to make a pact with a demon like me? You must have some sort of ulterior motive. This is about more than just making a pact. So go on, spill the beans.”
“I’d like to borrow your copy of the TSL soundtrack, if that’s okay with you.”
“AHA! I knew it! I knew no one would actually WANT to make a pact with me.” He turned sullen. “Not like this is surprising or anything.”
“What? That’s not–”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re planning on doing with my record, but… just don’t sell it or anything, understand? And don’t give it to Mammon.”
I shook my head. “I won’t sell it. And I DEFINITELY won’t give it to Mammon. I promise.”
“Okay. And you’d better give it back when you’re done with it, is that clear? If you touch it, make sure to wipe off any fingerprints. And no eating potato chips and stuff when you handle it. So no giving it to Beel either! Ugh. It’s super, super rare, so you’d better not lose any of the inserts of the sleeve or anything!”
“I’ll take good care of it. I promise.” I watched as Levi twisted his fingers together in anxiety. “Levi–“
“I-I’m sorry, okay?”
I reached out with my fingers, but he flinched back. I didn’t press.
“I-I-I almost killed you back there. L-Like… R-R-Really almost killed you.” I saw tears flood his eyes again. “I-I-If I had come out of that and r-r-realized I had k-k-killed someone, I…” He hiccuped. “I’m s-sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” I said softly.
“W-What could YOU possibly have to be sorry for?! I’m a worthless pathetic otaku who c-couldn’t control himself… Y-You should NOT be apologizing to ME.”
I shook my head. “I… provoked you on purpose. I went out of my way to do it, actually. It was my plan all along, but…” I looked down at my own hands too. “I hurt you. That’s why you got so mad. I hurt you really badly. And I’m sorry too.”
He continued to twist his hands in his lap, evidently not knowing what to say.
“Also…” I continued. “I don’t think you’re worthless. Or pathetic. Or all the other things you call yourself. I liked the first day we met. I liked your room.” I started to babble now, but couldn’t stop myself. He needed to hear it. "I liked your aquarium, and the jellyfish, and Henry, and all your books and models, and your gaming system looked really cool, too. You’re… really cool, Levi. I’m glad I met you. I’m glad we got Mammon good together. It was fun. I’m glad I’m in a pact with you. Also, I really like TSL now too. And you got me into that. So, yeah. That’s… all I wanted to say…”
I raised my eyes up. At some point he had done the same, looking at me in surprise and awe, eyes wide, lips parted. We stared at each other.
“S-So you play games? Y-You… Like anime…?”
“Yeah, actually. I do.”
It was like the sun rose on his sweet face, that’s how hard he beamed at me. It completely changed him, looking like that. I smiled back at him. He was so cute.
“The door’s open. Come in.”
Turning the old, antique handle, I cautiously peered into Lucifer’s room for the first time.
Still in his vice-present RAD uniform consisting of a scarlet vest over his charcoal grey dress shirt and dark slacks, I found him leaning forward in his chair at his desk by the window. His elbow was propped on the desk’s surface, finger at his temple, a book held open with his other hand. He glanced up at me as I slid into the room.
“Ah, Chise. It’s you.” He bent his wrist towards himself, pressing the book to his chest as he looked up. “Today was really quite the disaster, wasn’t it? But despite all that happened, you should know that Levi’s not normally like that. He may be a high-ranking demon, but he’s quite harmless by nature. Try not to hold it against him.”
“I don’t plan to. We’ve made up.”
A hint of a smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “Indeed. I felt the pact flow. I did not think the boy had it in it, truthfully. It has been a long time since he’s bothered.” He placed the book down, opened flat at the spine, turning to look at me properly. “So, tell me, what brings you here at this hour?”
Mustering a bit of confidence, I stepped further into the room towards him. From behind my back, I produce the vinyl copy of the TSL soundtrack. “I heard from a little birdie that this may be of interest to you.”
I felt a great deal of smug satisfaction at seeing a flicker of surprise light his eyes; unusual for him, the king of hiding his emotions.
“…Is that what I think it is?” He pressed his fingertips to his lips. The gesture somehow reminded me of Satan. “…Ah, now I get it. So this is why you wanted to make a pact with Levi. Do you realize what it is you’ve got here, what this represents?”
“Honestly, I have no idea.”
“So your little ‘birdie’ wasn’t quite that thorough. I didn’t imagine that you would. This isn’t any ordinary soundtrack, you see. There’s quite a history to it. I don’t have any particular interest in ‘The Tales of the Seven Lords’ as a story. No… What interests me is the person who served as the first composer for the TSL movies.”
He held out his hand, palm facing up, expectantly. I placed the vinyl there carefully. Taking it from me, he held it up for his inspection, studying the cover's details.
“The final song he wrote before his death was meant to be used in the scene where the Lord of Corruption puts a curse on the heroes. But due to the composer committing suicide, they decided not to use that track. They saved it, but didn’t release it to the public.” He slid the vinyl out of its sleeve, handling it carefully by its sides. “However, a group of diehard fans pooled their own funds and had a very limited number of vinyl editions produced. As you might have guessed by now, this record is one of the few that were created. To think that Levi had it in his possession… I should have known.”
He spun it lightly in his hands. I watched the attention he was giving this little thing with frank curiosity. It was like he was entranced.
“However, all of the people involved in its creation, as well as every single person who owned a copy of it, ended up dying mysteriously. So, people started saying the record itself was cursed. I heard that all of these had been destroyed. Levi, you fool…”
He placed it carefully on his writing desk and stood up to face me.
“All right, I’ll go ahead and take this. We’ll consider it payment for saving you earlier.”
I blanched a bit at this. I hoped Levi was okay with it being gone from his collection for a little longer than I had promised. Probably not, but…
“Still, I really do appreciate you bringing this to me. I think I’ll spend tonight savouring it.”
“Are you sure that’s… safe?”
“Not to worry. I am… gifted with curses, you see, if there really were one at play here.” He looked at me meaningfully. Why did he always have to turn everything into a threat? I bristled a bit. “You see, Chise, by nature, demons can’t resist certain temptations, depending on the demon in question’s personality. When there’s something we really want staring us in the face, we have to have it. That’s simply how we are.” He walked leisurely to the door of his room. I followed, not wanting to be stuck behind, or trapped, or whatever. “It seems that I will be taking the time to listen to this recording all this night. I will have to do it.”
He placed his fingertips gently on my shoulder, but even at the light touch, the force of him moving me out of the door propelled me steadily.
“Remember, Chise. There are certain areas in this House that are off-limits to humans. At your peril, should you break those rules. And not just from my own… disappointment, I can assure you.” He slowly swung the door closed in my face. “Good night, Chise.”
Chapter 6: Chapter 5-A – Beelzebub's Appetite
Chapter Text
I found myself at the bottom of the cold spiral stairs, the heavy wooden door behind me. Lucifer had expressly forbidden me from ascending them, implying deeply that it wasn’t just him that I had to worry about, but another danger to my life, too.
I remembered the pitiful cries for help that night. I hadn’t heard them since.
I began my climb of the stairs.
“…Chise…”
I jumped, startled, head whipping back and forth as I searched for motherfucking Lucifer on instinct, before realizing that the voice lacked his deep tenor. It wasn’t him.
“Finally…”
“Now’s your chance to climb the stairs.”
“Come… This way, Chise.”
The voice was light, and seductive. Was it the same one that had been crying for help? I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t remember. I couldn’t even tell the gender that it might belong to, if it even had one, if it even mattered. It was light, it was high, but there was also a lower, dual-toned reverberation to it that could be a more masculine rumble. It was only a whisper, so I couldn't rightly tell.
Lucifer’s warning was still fresh in my mind. At your peril, should you break those rules. And not just from my own disappointment, I can assure you. But still… I felt a squeeze in my chest at the same. I remembered keenly the heartbreak, the loneliness that I had felt that night. I felt it deeply in the marrow of my bones – I was needed here, somehow.
Heart still pounding in my ears, uncertain, but determined, I continued my climb up the stairs.
There’s a door.
It was sturdy, iron-wrought, more like a gate than a proper door. The softest candlelight flickered through the bars, barely illuminating the room within, but I could make out fabrics, pillows, furniture. I was expecting a bare attic. This looked more like… A cozy bedroom.
“...I knew you were the one person who’d be able to find me.”
I jumped back from the bars at the small, miserable voice that cut in the silence. It was coming from behind the gate. I peered in, looking a little closer.
Hunched on a bed in the corner, knees drawn up to his chest, was a boy. Or… I squinted. A young man? Scruffy dark hair that half-hid his face, a soft cardigan hugging his arms. He looked at me. A small smile graced his lips. He was half-obscured in the twilight darkness.
“Who are you?”
He frowned in thought. “Who am I? …That’s a good question. I forgot the answer long ago, myself.”
I couldn’t make out any concrete details of his face. Just… youthful, in appearance and dress. I estimated late very teens, or early twenties. If he was, actually, a–
“Are you… Human? ...Or demon?”
He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous… Just the thought of being one of them is enough to send a shiver down my spine. I’m a human, just like you. A demon imprisoned me in here long ago, and I’ve been stuck here ever since. I was just a kid when I was taken.”
“A demon imprisoned you here? Why? …What did he look like?”
“Well. It was Lucifer. Do you know him? I’m guessing you’ve met him. He’s the master of this house. As for why I’m here… He has my soul. My parents made a bargain with him. I was their chip… I don’t know why he actually keeps me here… But I’m his by right. By pact. For the rest of my life." His voice had softened as he continued. "I’m begging you, Chise. You’ve got to get me out of here. Please. You’re the only one I’ve seen whose even made it up here…”
I grasped the bars and examined them closely. I couldn’t even see a lock on it, or a handle, nothing that indicated how it opened. But it was sturdy as I gave it a little shake. And quality wrought iron. Certainly not going anywhere by force.
“How do I help? How do I get you out of here?”
“That’s what I’m about to tell you. Make sure to listen closely.” He unfolded himself from hugging his knees, perched on the bed, legs crossed, but still not coming any closer. Just speaking softly from the other side of the room. I had to strain to hear him, even in the silence.
“You can’t open this door. Neither of us are capable of that. When Lucifer imprisoned me here, he taunted me. He said it was spelled. I can’t even reach my hands through.” He squinted at me. “But… your hands… how did they get through?"
I looked down at my fingers in surprise.
"...Yeah, I think you can help me. You have to be the one. But neither of us are capable of that right now. We’re humans with no magic. But listen. In order to break the seal, I think you need consent from Lucifer AND his six other brothers. But they’re not exactly nice folks… It’s not like all we have to do is ask politely and they’ll lift the seal. You must already know that, right? You’ve been living here? But I think you’re a special case. You can make them do it.”
“Okay…" I frowned. "You want me to try asking them? I don’t think that’s going to work. If it was Lucifer who put you in here… They’re all pretty cowed by him, and he did everything he could to keep me from going up here.”
“Oh no, there’s no need to do that!" The boy smirked. "Because you have the power to bend demons to your will, don’t you? What I’m trying to say is that you should make pacts with these demons. All of them. You’ve already got Mammon and Leviathan under your control, right? Well, doing the same to the rest of them will be just as simple.”
“Wait, how do you know that?” I peered at him, suspicious.
“Lucifer comes up here to prattle and gloat all the time when he feeds me and stuff. I think he thinks it’s safe to talk – he didn’t think anyone would find me to spill."
I sighed, heart sunk. “Well, it’s not quite as simple as you say.. Not only do I think that Lucifer would never entertain that idea in a million years, but the seventh brother isn’t even here. I mean, literally, not even in the Devildom. I’ve never ever met him. He’s supposed to be up in the human world for the entirety of my stay here.”
“Ah. I… I don’t know. I’ll think of something. There’s gotta be a way. Even if he has to be last or something, we’ll figure it out. But you’re my sole ray of hope here. While we figure that out, you can work on the rest of them. Maybe we can get them to summon him back. Especially if you pact with Lucifer. He’s powerful, and has access to the human world that the rest don’t.”
I thought about it for a moment. “That… could work. But damn. I don’t know about Lucifer… He seems to hate my guts. He’s not said a single kind thing to me since I got here."
He nodded. “…That sounds about right for him. He’s really cruel. So you’ve got to start by gaining their trust. And Lucifer’s respect, I think. But in order to do that, you can’t tell them that you came up here and spoke with me. Whatever you do, don’t mention that. If they found out that you broke Lucifer’s little rule, if he finds out, there’s no telling what they would do.”
He considered for a moment. “Let’s see… You should probably start with… Beelzebub. Yes, he’d be the best choice. You need to get close to him next.”
“Really?" I frowned again. "He’s a little hard to read, don’t you think? I mean, he’s not outwardly mean to me or anything, I just don’t even know if he likes me, or humans at all. He’s pretty quiet.”
“Yeah, he’s like that. But he’s the softest of all them, and easy to make happy, I think. His Gluttony is easy to exploit. That’s how you got Mammon and Levi, right? You exploited their Avatar personalities, right?”
I sighed. More exploitation. I didn’t relish the thought of doing that to Beel. He seemed… gentler, than the rest. A naivety.
“I have faith in you, Chise. I know you’ll get me out of here. I’m counting on you.”
I remembered the ache of loneliness.
A human prisoner...
I couldn’t just leave him here, right?
“Okay. I’ll… try.”
“You should go back down now before Lucifer realizes that you’ve been here. He knows everything that goes on in this damn place.”
“Alright. I will. Are you sure you’ll be alright for now?”
“I’ve been here for a long time already. I don’t have a choice.”
“Good morning, Chise.” Lucifer greeted me pleasantly as I peeked into the dining room to see who I would be breakfasting with this morning. I was pretty early; not even Beel was up yet, and he was usually the first to breakfast. I wished that Mammon and Levi were more morning people. Sometimes they weren’t there at all, and were rushing out the doors of their rooms to make it to class. Especially Levi, who sometimes didn’t even make it out of there at all.
It was just Lucifer.
He smirked. “I have to say, I enjoyed last night immensely. I listened to that record over and over… I can’t tell you how many times. And because of that, I’m running on far too little sleep today. But I’m in a great mood.”
“Good… morning."
He folded his fingers in front of him, resting them on the table, holding my gaze levelly. Knowingly.
“I see you’re up very early today. Did you, by chance, not sleep? Were you tossing and turning, with something on your mind? Did something happen last night to keep you up?”
I sat down as far away as I could, at the other head of the table, with a scoff. “You’re reading too much into it.”
“Hmmm. Perhaps you’re right.” The silence stretched before us , and I avoided his gaze as I piled food on my plate. I guess it was Lucifer’s turn to make breakfast this morning. I eyed the very large fried eggs. I wondered what kind of creature they came from.
“Let me give you a piece of advice, Chise,” he broke the silence again. “You should focus on surviving this year here, finishing the exchange program and going back to the human world. That’s all you need to concern yourself with.” He leaned forward. “Would you like me to make it a bit clearer for you? Curiosity killed the cat. That is a human expression, yes? Well, curiously can very literally get you killed here as well.”
I didn’t reply, taking a bite of my egg, looking at the other side at the wall.
“Hmm, I guess that’s more of what you’d call a word of warning than a piece of advice. But, well, why split hairs?” He made the threat clear. He deepened his voice, words growing terser, with more bite. “Forget all about what happened last night. I allowed you to satisfy your own curiosity as a favour to you since you brought me that record. But rest assured, it won’t happen again.”
I blinked at him, hiding my confusion as best as I could. If he knew I had spoken to the boy up there… Was this some sort of test?
I wondered if I was passing.
“Mmm, this is amazing! Ahhh, nothin' beats a fried scorpion sandwich with vinegar and tartar sauce for a late morning snack!” Mammon bit down with enthusiasm, relishing his meal, given that he had, yet again, missed breakfast with me.
...With me?
“In a bento box with all the fixins’, of course!”
Beel was sitting very, very close to him. Eyes fixed. He reminded me of a puppy begging for food.
Mammon jumped as he noticed him. “…Beel, what the hell! Step back, man! This is mine! You’re devourin’ it with your eyes, I can see it!”
“…I don’t want it,” Beel sulked. He didn’t look like he didn’t want it. But maybe it was just habit to stare at food.
“…Huh? Wait, what’s that now? Did you just say you don’t want it? You’re actually tellin’ me you don’t want this crazy good fried scorpion sandwich with vinegar and tartar sauce?! Are ya outta your mind!? Are ya sick or something? Is hell freezin’ over?”
“Nope. None of the above.” Beel rubbed at his wrists, looking really, really… sad.
“Then what’s going on here!?”
“I just don’t like your cooking, that’s all.”
I coughed out a sudden laugh, despite myself.
You and me both, Beel.
“WOW! Way to say somethin’ SUPER RUDE with no warning! That hurt! And actually, I DIDN’T make this. I got it from some witch who gave it to me as an offerin’.”
I couldn’t help letting out a surprised “Pff” as I scrunched my face. I felt my cheeks heat up as Mammon glanced at me, surprised as well. I couldn’t believe the jealousy that gripped me. What the hell. And what was an offering, anyway. Why was he even taking offerings. Pff...
Beel’s eyes lit with renewed interest. “Oh, all right, then I’ll take it.”
“Uh, what? No you won’t. I don’t recall offerin’ it to you. Though, if you want it that bad, I guess I could sell it to you for– HEY!”
Beel snatched the sandwich easily out of his hands and took a huge bite.
“WHAT THE HELL, MAN? I didn’t say you could eat that! …D’ah, the fack, you just wolfed that down in three seconds flat…” Mammon scowled, admonishing him. But then he brightened. “Wait, wait, you know what? That’s okay! Just gimme the money for it! You owe me now!”
“Sorry, it’s all gone. And I don’t have any money.”
Mammon threw up his hands and growled in frustration, turning to me.
“Chiseeeeee! Don’t just sit there watchin’! Make Beel stooooop!” he whined pathetically.
Smothering my laugh, I shook my head at Beel. “You shouldn’t have done that, Beel. That wasn’t yours to eat. Next time you should make sure to ask, okay?”
"Okaaaaay..."
“You’re damn right he shouldn’t have! Hey, are ya listenin’ Beel!? Did ya hear me!?”
Beel looked thoughtful for a moment. “…You know, it could’ve used some pickles. The sandwich felt like it was missing something without them.”
“…No one asked if you liked it, idiot.”
“Hey there, you three,” came a familiar breathy voice from behind us. Simeon smiled his gentle smile as he came to sit with us, slipping into the chair beside me. “It’s so nice to see how well you all get along.” He creased his eyes at me in particular. He had expressed worry about me fitting in as a human, the last time we had spoken. He had inquired if I was being adequately protected. If anyone had been harassing me. Like an angel. I had blushed and stammered at the time.
“Wha? Are ya blind, Simeon? Can’t you see that we’re ready to kill each other over here!?”
“Don’t you dare speak to Simeon that way, demon! Show some respect! He’s an archangel, you know!”
“Eh… Oh… It’s Fido… Didn’t even realize you were there.”
I sighed too. Simeon unfortunately frequently came as a package deal with Luke. I couldn’t bask in Simeon’s presence without his haughty yapping at his side. He was straight-up annoying. Not sure why they thought a kid was a good fit for a demon academy, even if he were an angel that was much older than me.
“Wh… Don’t call me Fido! My NAME is Luke! Are you as stupid as you are rude?”
“Mmhmm, whatever. Do you ever stop yippin’ and yappin’?”
“Hey, quit it! Don’t rest your elbow on my head! Now listen to me, I may not look important to you, but I’ll have you know that I report directly to Michael– Listen to me when I’m talking to you, demon!”
Simeon sighed. “Mammon, I know how cute Luke is when he’s frustrated, but I think you’ve harassed him enough. I’d appreciate it if you’d stop.”
“It’s so hard not to, though. He’s so funny. I bet he’d taste good too. Right, Beel?”
“Yeah, I bet he tastes good,” Beel said sincerely, with a nod. You can always trust Beel to be honest.
“I am NOT funny! And I don’t taste good, either!”
“So, whaddya angels want? I know you must want somethin’. Otherwise you wouldn’t walk up and strike up a conversation with us out of nowhere.”
“Ah, yes. Well, first of all. I wanted to check on Chise here, to make sure you boys are treating her right.” He reached out and ruffled my hair lightly. I immediately felt myself turn red, and smiled shyly. Mammon very nearly growled as Simeon touched me. “But also, I just wanted to let you three know that we’re actually planning to go on a camping trip soon. We thought it was a good way to have fun and get to know each other better. We would love it if you’d all join us.”
“Uuuuuuggghhhh. You always do this, Simeon. Comin’ up with stupid ‘team building’ ideas. Just like back then.” Mammon rolled his eyes. “Listen, for starters, camping is a total drag. Isn’t that right, Beel?”
“Hmm… Camping… That would mean a cookout. Oooh, and roasting marshmallows. I’m in.”
Mammon sighed. “Ya see, this is your problem, Beel. Ya think with your stomach even when the idea is lame as hell.”
“What about you, Chise?” Simeon’s bright blue eyes looked into mine. I always felt like I was the only one in the room when he addressed me. He just had that kind of personableness to him. Like he always made sure no one was left out.
“I’d love to go with you, Simeon. It would be nice to get to know you better. And… Luke.” Pink. My cheeks were pink. “To get to know… you angels better.”
Mammon whipped his head between Simeon and me with a scowl. “Ugh. You’re such a draaaaag, Chise.” I could tell that the thought of spending time with Simeon over him bothered him. He’ll come.
“Well, just keep in mind that you’re all invited,” Simeon said smoothly. “Anyway, I should get to my own class now. You three take care, okay?”
Luke lagged behind, giving me a meaningful look, eyes darting to the demons hanging out beside me. Never trust a demon. I’m sure that he wasn’t as enthused about the camping trip as Simeon.
“Hey, Fido. Shouldn’t you be headin’ off too? Get gone.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, demon! As it happens, I was already leaving, and not because I told you to. And my name is not FIDO!” He turned on his heel and stomped off.
“So,” I turned to Mammon brightly, “I can’t wait to spend some quality time with you on the camping trip, Mammon!” For Simeon’s sake.
He blushed. “Hrmph. Whatever.”
I lay in bed, palms pressed to my eyes again. Why can’t I just sleeeeep. I missed my sleeping pills, left back in the human world. Out of reach. And I just had a refill too. Wahhh.
My D.D.D. buzzed.
It was Mammon. My heart skipped a beat.
Mammon: I’m feeling a little hungry.
Mammon: Come meet me in the kitchen. Now.
Mammon: Just to be clear, it’s not like I’m afraid that Lucifer will find out I’m sneakin around in the middle of the night and catch me if I go alone. That’s not what this is about.
Mammon: SERIOUSLY, THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, OK?
I shook my head, but slipped out of bed anyway.
“Took ya long enough!” Mammon leaned down to my level to look at me accusingly. “Listen, when I call ya, you need to come lickity-split. I’m hungry, and I’m in a bad mood to boot. Ya should’a known that.” I wondered if Simeon had anything to do with that. “Whatever. Just don’t let it happen again. Fridge. Now. Let’s see what we can find.”
I found myself peering under his arm into the fridge while he rummaged through it. It was pretty bare.
“…Ugh. There’s nothin’ good in here. Beel got to it first. Dammit. …Wait… Now what do we have here? Hm. Looks like custard." He picked it up and thrust it at me without even looking, still peering into the fridge to see if he could find more. “Here, eat this. I need an accomplice. I don’t wanna be the only one in trouble.”
I looked down dubiously at the jar of custard. “'Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, you die.'” I read the note aloud.
“Welp,” Mammon turned to my voice. “You’ve gotta be seriously brave to eat this then. So. Eat up, little human. That’s an order.”
“What!? No! You eat it! I can’t fight Beel off if he finds out it was me!” I wasn’t about to discount a death threat by a voracious demon so casually.
“Were you even listenin’ to what I just said? If I’m the only one eatin’ this stuff, and I end up gettin’ caught, then I’ll take all of the blame.”
“You ass. What’s even in it for me if I even WANTED to be your accomplice? You’re just trying to get out of getting strung up again,” I retorted, referring to the last time he had been plastered to the ceiling, rope-bound, when Lucifer had caught him doing whatever the fuck.
Mammon grinned slyly at me. He ohhhhh so casually meandered over to the cutlery drawer, pulling out a spoon. I glared at him in suspicion as he walked ohhhh so casually back. He laughed at my expression.
“Fine, fine. Give it here. I’ll take the first bite. And then you have some too. Sharin' the blame, right?”
“Whatever.” I had no intention of eating it after him. I thrust it against his chest.
He unscrewed the lid.
And pounced on me.
“HEY…! WHAT THE! MAMMON!”
He laughed deviously as we struggled, pinning my arms to my side in a half-bear hug. Jar in one hand and spoon in the other, he was still able to use his biceps and forearms to pin me tight, my back against his chest. I tried to kick backwards to get at his shins, but he easily caught my leg with his, pinning me to his thigh. I had no choice but to balance on the other. He was so much taller than me that he just enveloped me. I tried to step on his foot, unsuccessfully.
“Open wiiiiiiiide, Chise!” He dipped the spoon into the jar of custard before thrusting it into my mouth, clacking it against my teeth jarringly.
“MMMFFFFF, MFFFFFFFF!” I squirmed against him.
“Heeheeheeee! Is it good, Chise, huh? Wow, so bad, eatin’ Beel’s custard!”
My cheeks suddenly buuuuurrrrned at his words. Calling me bad. And with his front side pressed against my backside, his shin hooked around mine, arms pinned, his spiced scent, his breath on my neck… and…
….Oh no…. Here we go again….
He seemed to realize our predicament at the same time as me, letting me go with an “AH!”, causing me to stumble forward mid-struggle. He hopped dramatically on the spot, shaking his sweatpants loose, turning away from me again, pretending that he was only trying to catch his balance. But I knew better.
“Mammon, what the hell!” My ears burned.
“D’AH! BEEL!” Mammon yelled, twirling on the spot and stumbling backwards into me as he lost his balance. He bumped, sending us flying against the counter. I bobbed my head up and down to see over past shoulder or under his arms. Fuck. He was right. Beel stood in the doorframe.
Looking especially displeased.
“Wh-What’s the big idea, sneakin’ up on us like that?” Mammon’s voice pitched high, his usual indication to everyone within earshot that he had been caught red-handed over something.
“…Did you eat my custard? Did you actually EAT my CUSTARD!? Answer me, Mammon!”
“N-Now wait a second, Beel! Lemme explain,” Mammon stammered, his hands up like a criminal caught in the act, one clutching the custard still, spoon clattering to the floor. “There’s a good reason for–"
“You did, didn’t you…?”
If it weren’t for my back shoved painfully against the counter behind me already, I would have been pulled to the ground by the strength of Beel’s power. Where Mammon and Levi’s power had expanded from a small point, growing outwards, Beel’s immediately crushed the room. No warning. I whimpered instinctively behind Mammon, clutching at the back of his shirt. He dropped the custard in surprise. It splattered all over the floor.
Beel had also transformed just as suddenly. His horns were like a bull’s, pulled forward, vicious points, protruding from his ginger hair, large and foreboding. Black stripes had materialized down his neck, like the shape of raked claw marks. His purple-pink eyes glowed and swirled.
“You… ate… my… CUSTARD…!”
I tried to make myself smaller, coming to the realization that yeah, that figures, that the demon of Gluttony himself could be so easily provoked over a bite of food. My eyes the size of dinner plates, I couldn’t relate this monster with the gentle giant that I thought I knew.
“Uh-oh…!” Was all that Mammon could squeak.
The room extinguished with a whoosh.
“…And then what happened?” Lucifer, arms crossed, had us lined up shamefully against the wall, the three of us looking at the floor sheepishly, like a bunch of teenagers being lectured by the principle.
“C-COOOOME OOOON! How many times are ya gonna make me say it!? I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen lookin’ for something to eat… And while I was diggin’ through the fridge, Beel suddenly came up and attacked me!”
Beel growled low and narrowed his eyes. “You. Ate. My. Custard.”
“No, I DIDN’T eat your custard, Beel. I told ya, I was just holdin’ it in my hand, that’s all.” He weaved and dodged his way through the truth.
“Liar. You were eating it. I could tell. The lid was off.”
“Wha? Well, don’t look at me! It was probably open to begin with! Someone else musta done it!”
“I made sure to write my name on it, and you still ate it.”
“Eh? You wrote your name?” Mammon batted his eyes innocently. Idiot.
“Oh yes. It said ‘Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, you die.” He punctuated the last part.
“Oh… really? Huh… I never noticed…” Mammon looked around the room, being obvious, as usual.
“That was my custard,” Beel sulked.
“You never give up, do ya? But whatever, it doesn’t have nothin’ to do with me anyway, ‘cause it was Chise who ate your custard.”
“HEY! MAMMON, YOU ASS! YOU SHOVED THAT SPOON INTO MY MOUTH YOURSELF!”
“HEY! You tryin’ to push the blame onto me now!? Let’s smell your breath, huh! Bet it smells like custard! Open up!”
I could kill him.
“I knew you were the one behind this before Chise even said anything, Mammon.” Beel growled again.
“Now hold on a second here. Wow, you don’t trust your older brother even a little, do ya? …I mean, I knew you didn’t, but still.”
“…So, let me get this straight.” Lucifer shook his head, looking incredibly displeased by the shameful display before him. “Mammon was hungry, so he went rummaging for food in the kitchen late at night, and he dragged Chise along with him.”
“YUP,” I asserted. If he was going to try to throw me under the bus, I had no qualms about taking him down myself.
“HEY–!”
“…That’s when he found Beel’s custard. Then, he talked Chise into eating the custard.”
“More like PINNED ME DOWN and FORCE-FED IT to me,” I protested.
“H-HEY! DON’T TELL ‘EM THAT!” He turned scarlet at the memory. And basically affirming his lie. Not that he needed to outright do that or anything.
“…And when Beel saw what happened, he was so angry that he lost control of himself and went on a rampage. The kitchen ended up getting destroyed, along with the wall that was shared with Chise’s room, all because of your little prank.”
“…Well, I guess that pretty much sums it up, yeah.” Mammon shrugged.
“My custard…” Beel sulked.
“Now listen, and listen well,” Lucifer said sternly, with a touch of ‘I’m-too-old-and-so-are-you-to-be-dealing-with-this-shit’ in his voice. “First of all, you three–"
“…So, now that we’ve got that straight, I expect each of you to learn something from all of this.”
“W…wow… that took… forever… We-We’ve been here for three hours…”
“I’m hungry…”
I sighed.
“Chise, it seems you won’t be able to use your room for some time. You know, since it lacks a wall now. So, for the time being, I want you to stay in Beel’s room.”
“WHA-WHAAAAT?" Mammon gawked. "Now just a second. Why’re ya puttin’ Chise in HIS room! I mean, there’s enough space in MY room, isn’t there!?” Mammon, so transparent, so red in the face.
“This is a trivial matter, Mammon. Don’t get jealous over it. It shows immaturity.” Lucifer looked meaningfully at him. I had a feeling that he didn’t quite approve of our… recent closeness.
“Whaaa?!” Mammon stood up straighter, stuttering his protests. “J-J-Jealous!? Wh-Wh-Who’re you callin’ jealous?! As if I’d be JEALOUS–! PFF! A-Anyway, Chise has a pact with ME! S-So–“
“Your pact is irrelevant. Also, if I’m not mistaken, there’s an extra bed in Beel’s room. So, she can sleep separately with her own space for some peace and quiet.”
Mammon growled low under his breath, resigned, but incredibly unhappy about it. I kicked myself over my own disappointment. Idiot.
“Do you understand, Beel? This isn’t a request.”
Beel nodded, still looking sullen. “…Yeah, I understand.”
“Ugh… This fackin’ sucks…” Mammon scuffed at the ground.
Lucifer shook his head and sighed. “Dismissed. The three of you.”
We shuffled out of his room, still shame-faced.
“So… This is my room.” Beel stated, matter of fact, as Beel does.
There were two beds. On the left, orange and reds decorated the walls, a beautiful yellow sun in a sort of art-deco style rising from the headboard. Pictures of the human world sunrise and sunny skies. On the other side, purple, with an elaborate crescent moon in the same style. Pictures of sunsets and the starry night sky.
The orange sunset side seemed very Beel, I thought, so it must be his, right? I turned to head to the purple side, on the right.
“Umm... No. Use my bed, actually. It’s the one on the left.” He cast his eyes down, sadness in his voice. It wasn’t the first time I had seen him so downcast. “I’ll… sleep on the couch.”
“Oh…” I puzzled. "Could I ask… why?”
He twisted his hands and rubbed at his wrists in silence for a moment, not looking at me. “The bed on the right is my twin brother’s. His name is Belphegor. He’s in the human world right now as an exchange student… You switched places…”
“Oh. You have a twin brother? The… seventh-born…? I didn’t realize.”
“Yeah. We don’t look anything alike though. Actually, we’re total opposites.” He quirked a small smile while thinking about him. “…Belphie had a falling out with Lucifer, so he was chosen to be an exchange student. Belphie didn’t want to go… But he was forced… so… don’t mention his name in front of Lucifer.”
“Oh.” I sat lightly on the red bed, barely perched, awkward. “I’m sorry, Beel.” I shifted, my heart squeezing in sympathy, trying to think of some way to cheer him up a bit. He smiled when he talked about him, right?
And a not-so-compassionate thought: I might need to know more about Belphie, if I needed to make a pact with all seven brothers.
My heart dropped at the reminder of my ulterior motive.
“Could you… tell me more about Belphie?”
Beel nodded with a bit more enthusiasm with a little smile again. “Even though we’re twins, all that means is that our father made us at the same time. It’s not like we’re alike in any way. Still, Belphie and I always got along.” He stopped in his tracks. “We… used to have a little sister too. Lilith. So the three of us were always together: me, Belphie, and Lilith. …But that was a long time ago now…” He trailed off.
I looked up at his face. I saw true heartbreak there.
“What happened to Lilith…?”
He chewed on his bottom lip and seemed to shrink in on himself. My chest felt heavy. Clearly, I shouldn’t have pried.
“I… don’t feel like talking about her right now. Anyway… it doesn’t matter… By the time Belphie returns to the Devildom, you’ll be sent back to the human world too. Which means you two are never gonna meet each other. So… it doesn’t matter.”
I stared at him; realization, or at least a strong suspicion, slowly creeping up inside me.
He met my stare with confusion. “…What? What’re you looking at me like that for?”
“I’d like to see a picture of Belphegor’s face. If… you wouldn’t mind.”
“Oh. Sure, I guess. You know the portrait hall, right? I’m pretty sure there’s a picture of him there. Come on, I’ll show you.” He gestured at the door. I followed him out.
–
“See? Right there. That’s Belphie.”
I stepped closer to the portrait, and cursed myself as a complete and utter idiot. An absolute fool. Hook, line, and sinker, I had fallen for it somehow. That lonely ache that I had empathized with so strongly had clouded my judgment. Made me wanted to believe his story. It humbled me.
There was no doubt. It’s him.
Seems like the occupant of a certain attic room is none other than Belphegor himself.
Chapter 7: Chapter 5-B – Lilith's Tragedy
Chapter Text
I climbed the stairs. Damned what Lucifer said. Hoping that his excursion out with Diavolo tonight kept him out a little later, and that none of the other brothers came looking for me, I wound my way up the spiral staircase.
“…Ah, it’s you.”
He was curled up on the bed, knees drawn up, arms clutching a pillow to his chest.
“So, how did it go?” he whispered softly in the half-dark. “I trust you haven’t forgotten what I told you? Have you managed to gain Beelzebub’s trust somewhat?”
“Come closer to the gate. Let me see you.” I wrapped my fingers around the bars.
“…Why?”
The silence stretched.
“I know who you are, Belphegor.”
“…Awww.” He inhaled slowly, deeply, and then released it with a soft sigh. He raised himself up off the bed.”So you’ve already figured me out, have you? Well.. You’re no fun at all.” He swung his legs over the side. “That’s right. I’m Belphegor, the Avatar of Sloth. And I’m the seventh demon here in this building.”
I shook my head, bewildered. “I don’t understand. Why did you lie to me? I probably would have helped you anyway if you had just told me the truth.”
“Why did I…? Ah, you must be referring to how I pretended to be human.” Casually, as if the lie were no big deal, just a game. He was nearly as devious as Lucifer himself, I realized. He stood up slowly, stretching like a cat before padding to the door in his socks. Closer, I could see his face; smooth, baby-faced, and that the tips of his hair were white, stark against the rest of his messy dark scalp. Like permanent bed head. He was pale, thin, probably only a bit taller than Asmo. His fringe was swept to one side, longer than the rest of his hair, completely obscuring one eye, half of his face hidden. I peered.
Purple-pink eyes, exactly like Beel’s. The only indication that they were twins as far as I could see.
“It wasn’t so much that I lied to you, more that I was teasing you. Though I figured it wouldn’t be long before you found out the truth either way.”
“This was not a good way to earn my trust, Belphegor.”
He chuckled, leaning forward to get a better look at me through the bars. I pulled my face back, though I determinedly gripped the cage, refusing to let go.
He shook his head, a thin smile on his lips. “Humans really are a stupid, foolish lot.” He reached out, and touched my fingers with his own. I flinched, insulted, surprised at the touch, but didn’t pull away. He dropped his hand back to his side. “Did Beel actually tell you about me? Well, that alone suggests that he trusts you. He and my brothers all believe that I was forced to go to the human world as an exchange student, don’t they?” He sighed, that strange smile still on his face as he peeked at me from under his fringe. “I’d love to see the looks on their faces if they found out that Lucifer was actually keeping me up here in this filthy attic. Heh heh…”
He rolled his shoulders in another stretch, chuckling softly to himself. He was fascinating, in a scary way. Really different from the rest of the brothers. That worried me.
“But now you know the truth, don’t you? I lied to you, sure. But Lucifer did lock me up in here. That part’s the truth…”
“I still don’t understand. Why don’t you get your brothers to help you? They don’t even know that you’re up here. If they did–"
He slapped his hand to his chest. I jumped at the sudden movement. He frowned, his weird, gentle expression turning fierce and dark. “If that were possible, I would’ve done it long ago. Think about it. If my brothers learned about my current situation, what do you think they’re do? I’m sure they’d fly into a fit of rage and confront Lucifer about it. And if that happened, it wouldn’t be any ordinary family squabble. No, it might very well devolve into a war that would envelop the entire Devildom. If worst came to worst, even the human world wouldn’t be spare its effects. I’d like to find a peaceful resolution to all this. For Lucifer, for the Devildom, and for the human world as well. And for my brothers…"
His eyebrows drew together in sad resignation. “Personally, I’d like to be able to have a proper, face-to-face talk with Lucifer. Sure, we may have had a falling out, but really, it was only a little misunderstanding. If I could just talk with him, he’d realize that was the case. I need to find some way to get out of here, find Lucifer, and have a talk with him. That’s all I want. And that’s the truth. You understand now, right?”
I shook my head, releasing the bars. “You might still be lying to me.”
He looked at the ground for a moment. “Well, I suppose I can’t blame you for not trusting me… but… you’re still the only person I can count on to help me now. If you reconsider and decide you want to help, come back here. I’ll be waiting for you.” He gave me that smile. Gentle, but menacing.
I took a step back.
“Goodbye for now, Belphie.”
And headed back the way I came, towards the stairs.
I made my way up the stairs to the planetarium, deciding that I had quite liked the room after meeting Levi there. The other brothers didn’t usually come up here, so it was a nice spot to get away from their chaos now and then.
Though I heard hushed voices up the stairs this time. I recognized Lucifer’s low timber, and slowed my steps.
“…I haven’t heard anything from Belphie up in the human world.” I recognized Beel’s voice too. He murmured quietly, sadly. I strained to hear him.
“He’s probably been busy. The life of an exchange student is a busy one.”
“But Belphie was against the whole idea of the exchange program from the start. I know he didn’t want to go to the human world of all placed. He’s never gone this long without talking to me…”
“No, I don’t imagine that he was thrilled at having been chosen.”
“Come on, Lucifer. You have to forgive Belphie. If you insist on sending an exchange student to the human world, I’ll go instead. So could you let Belphie come back here to the Devildom? Please?” His voice sounded small.
“No.”
“But–“
“You understand Diavolo’s dream, don’t you?”
“…For angels, demons, and humans to recognize, accept, and respect one another. And to create a new world together–“
“Exactly. And the first step towards that goal is this exchange program. But Belphegor opposed it. This is good for Belphie, Beel. He needs a change in perspective. But...” His convincing tone switched sharply. “I will eliminate anyone who tries to stand in the way of Diavolo’s dream, no matter who they are. Even if it’s my own brother. So this change in perspective… needs to happen. Do you understand my meaning, Beelzebub?”
Silence stretched. Beel didn’t reply.
“Beel, it’s not that I don’t understand how you feel. Belphie is your twin brother, and you were especially close to him. So with that said, answer me this. Who would you choose to side with, Belphegor, or me?”
Beel still didn’t reply.
“So he can’t manage to answer, eh? That’s just like Beel…” I jumped at the whisper that came near my elbow and whipped my head around. Mammon had snuck up on me.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. You were eavesdroppin’ on them too. You’re tryin’ to tell me that it’s okay for you to do it, but not me?” He shook his head. “If we stay here too long, eventually Lucifer is gonna find us. Come on, let’s head over that way."
He gently took my fingers in his own, leading me back down the stairs.
“…Huh. So, Beel told you about Belphie and Lilith, did he?” We stood together in the dining room. His fingers still held mine. The touch was tentative, but determined to hang on. “I’ve gotta say, gettin’ Beel to tell you about Belphie and Lilith… For a human, you’ve done good! I gotta hand it to ya!” He patted my hair with his other hand. I rolled my eyes. "Anyway… How do I explain this? So, we were actually angels up in the Celestial Realm before we fell from grace, so to speak. Back then, Lucifer was especially fond of Beel, Belphie and Lilith. He loved those three. But things changed when we ended up in the Devildom.
“He’s such a super-serious guy, ya know, so… after pledging loyalty to Lord Diavolo, he always put Diavolo’s desires first from that point on, no matter what. He does it even when it’s somethin’ he doesn’t agree with, ya know? I mean, seriously, would it kill him to be a little flexible sometimes?” I squeezed his fingers. He squeezed back. “But anyway, that’s what brought this on. When Lord Diavolo suggested this exchange program thing, and Belphie opposed it….” He sighed.
“…Lucifer wouldn’t listen to a thing Belphie said. He just sent him straight up to the human world, and that was that. I mean, I’m not sayin’ that Belphie would’ve convinced him of anything even if he’d taken the time to listen, but still… If they two of them would've just talked it out, I can’t help thinkin’ things would’ve turned out different…” He flashed a grin at me, breaking out of his sullenness. He was always so good at shaking things off. “Whoa, did you hear that!? I just said somethin’ kinda awesome there, didn’t I!? It’s not often that I do that!”
I giggled and shook my head at his ego. He grinned wider, pulling me closer by the hand. “Way to go, me! MAN, I’m amazing!” I was devolving into soft laughter, trying not to make too much noise. “Hey, come on, I think I deserve some praise here. And while you’re at it, how about ya show a little reverence, too!”
I gave him a quick peck on his cheek.
He jumped back, dropping my hand in his surprise, throwing his arms up in the air. I grinned at him, smug in how thoroughly I had shocked him. He blushed and sweated and stammered and hopped around dramatically as I laughed.
Mammon was always so good at cheering me up.
I wanted to cheer up Beel, too.
“…Well, this certainly is unexpected. It’s only been a day, and already you’re back.” Belphie padded to the gate. I wrapped my fingers around the bars.
He smiled gently, lowering his head down a bit to my level. I had yet to see his smile reach his eyes. “I thought it would be longer before you returned, if you ever did at all. So, I take it you’ve decided to help me…?”
“I’m doing this for Beelzebub.”
“…For Beel? I see…” He nodded, eyes glinting in approval. “Well, no matter what your reason is, this works out well for me. So I’m fine with it. Now… I’ll say this as many times as I have to, because it’s important… You can’t tell my other brothers anything about this."
I shook my head with a sigh. "All right. For now."
“They have to keep believing that I’m up in the human world as an exchange student.” He had softened his voice and brushed his fingers against mine again. It confused me. It was such a random gesture. He didn’t actually seem to hold a very high opinion of me. I was just a means to an end. I knew that.
But maybe it was because he had gone so long without any physical contact. So I let him. I don’t like going long without it either.
"Now, if you’ve got that, then go ahead and go back to your room.”
On may way down the spiral staircase, my D.D.D. vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Luke’s name flash on the screen.
Luke: Can you come outside right now?
Luke: I’m in front of the House of Lamentation.
“Chise…! You came!” Luke threw his arms around my middle. “Thank you!”
I blinked in surprise, patting at his head awkwardly. I didn’t realize he was so attached to me? He peered around my waist, suspicious.
“I was worried… I don’t know what I’d do if someone saw me hanging out in a place like this.”
“Don’t be too loud then,” I hushed him, “or they’ll know you’re here. What are you doing here?”
“Oh…! Yeah, you’re right.” He lowered his voice. “Okay, let’s keep this down. Now, I’ll get right to the point. I need you to let me spend the night in your room tonight. Please, I’m begging you…!”
“What… On Earth? You’d better have a good reason for why.”
“Chise, this isn’t what I was talking about at all,” Luke muttered dubiously as I ushered him into Beel’s room. “I believe I asked to stay in your room…” He threw a glance over at Beel. “So what are we doing here in Beelzebub’s!?”
“You’re talking too loud,” Beel hushed him. “If you don’t want the others to know you’re here, you’d better keep it down.”
“Answer the question!”
“No one can use Chise’s room right now.”
“Wha? What do you mean no one can use it?”
Beel had the good sense to look at least a little shame-faced. “It’s all because of the custard.”
“The custard…?”
“Chise and I have to share a room now. We don’t have a choice. Those were Lucifer’s orders.” He glanced at me. “I don’t remember asking anyone to pick up a dog from the street and bring it back here, not to mention one that never stops barking.” Sarcasm was rare for Beel. He wasn’t particularly happy.
I shrugged, just as lost as him.
“Hey! Don’t you compare me to a dog! Anyway, I wasn’t picked up off the street! I came here of my own free will!”
Beel sighed and handed him a bottle. “Here, drink this for now, and try to calm down.”
“Wh-What’s this supposed to be? …It’s red. It better not be some sort of weird demon drink… Like some strange creature’s blood or something! Tell me it’s not!”
“It’s just pomegranate juice.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, Beel tends to just hand drinks and snacks out. He thinks they calm everyone down,” I chimed, fluffing a pillow to make a bed up for Luke on the floor.
He nodded. “They do.”
“Wh-Why are you being so nice to me, Beel?”
“Because you gave me cake once.” His face lit up at the memory.
“Did I? Oh… Right… You’re talking about that one time…”
“When’s that?” I asked.
“Oh. It’s not important. I’ve just actually been trying to learn how to bake cakes and pastries and things.”
“Hey, that’s pretty cool,” I complimented him. I didn’t really know how to talk to kids.
“N-No, it’s nothing so impressive. I mean, I’ve only been doing it for about 300 years or so. I’m still an amateur!”
No wonder demon and celestial desserts were so decadent. They have centuries, millennias even, to perfect them.
“But yes, it’s true! Michael loves sweets of all kinds, so I’d like to present him with a cake I made all myself someday! That’s why I’m doing it!”
300 years to perfect a cake. I shook my head to myself.
“Anyway, not too long ago I was testing out a new cake recipe, when Beelzebub happened to walk by. And he mentioned he was hungry, so…”
“Mmm… Just thinking back on it makes me wish I could have some right now…”
Classic Beel.
“I only meant for him to sample it and give me his opinion! But he inhaled the entire thing in a single bite! He didn’t even stop to properly taste it!”
Also classic Beel.
Beel nodded. “It was good, and I told you so back then as well.”
“He loves to eat, but his vocabulary is almost nonexistent. He’d make the worst food reporter ever.”
Also classic Beel.
I changed the subject. “Did something happen between you and Simeon? Why aren’t you with him right now?”
Luke turned sullen and silent.
“…This is all Simeon’s fault. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. He’s getting way too chummy with these demons. We are angels, proud inhabitants of the Celestial Realm! And what’s more, we report directly to Michael the Archangel himself! Yet because of this exchange program, we’ve been sent down here to the Devildom of all places – and what’s more, we’re supposed to associate with demons! It’s unbelievable! I mean, we’re talking about DEMONS here! Just the idea of speaking with one face-to-face is repulsive!”
Beel glowered at him. I sighed and bent down to Luke’s level, and cupped his face, trying to calm him. “Luke, has it really been so bad here? Beel is letting you stay in his room right now, and he really liked your baking, too. You may not believe it now, but he has feelings; he’s gentle, and he’s been good to you, so I don’t want you to hurt him anymore.”
The flush that suffused Luke's face was hilarious. He turned beet red.
Beel nodded happily, clasping his hands. “Thanks, Chise…"
“N-N-Not you too, Chise…! I-I-If we go making friends with demons, wh-what do you think is going to happen next, huh? I’ll tell you what: we’ll be... c-corrupted. I’m always warning Simeon about this, but he ignores me! Then he just leaves to have tea with Diavolo."
Never trust a demon. His words to me.
I thought of Mammon, his fingers holding mine. The kiss I planted on his cheek. His blushes and stammering.
“He even suggested that I ask Barbatos to instruct me in the finer points of baking pastries and cakes! Can you believe it?! True, it’s said that Barbatos is the greatest pastry chef in all the three worlds, but he’s a DEMON…” He trailed off, but his heart didn’t seem to be as passionate about it after my words. He looked down petulantly. Still stubborn. Still a kid. “I-I-In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds me annoying. Maybe he thinks of me like a dog too… A noisy dog that never shuts up…”
Well, it would make the two of us at the very least, but I didn’t say that. Inside thoughts around children, Chise.
“Simeon would rather spend time with DEMONS than with me…!”
“Oh, so this is about being jealous then…” Beel muttered in his corner.
“I told Simeon our friendship was OVER, and then I strode right out of Purgatory Hall – that’s our dorm – so I can’t go crawling back now… Not after I did that…” His voice grew small. I sighed. Even if I had soothed him a bit, his pride would keep him from just turning around and going back home. “Which is why I’m asking if you’d let me stay here for a while.” He looked embarrassed, glancing at Beel.
“Even though you hate demons?” Beel kept up his glowering in the corner. If Luke had gotten under Beel’s skin, that was bad.
“Well, what choice do I have!? This is the only place I could think to go to…”
Childish answer. I wasn’t going to give Luke another chance. Not my choice.
I sighed. “Beel, I’m leaving this one up to you. It’s your room. Your house.”
Beel looked away from us, thinking. After a moment, he let out a breath through his nose. Not quite a sigh, just an indication that he had come to a decision, and that he didn’t really like it. “…Okay, Luke can stay here. I do owe him for giving me that cake, after all.”
Fuck, the more I got to know Beel… He was such a sweetheart. Just a big teddy bear. If someone had told me that a demon could have such a large heart before meeting Beel, I would have laughed in their face, or something else cliché.
“…Really? I can stay!?”
“Just make sure that my brothers don’t find out about you," he ordered firmly. "If they knew I was sheltering an angel, they’d kick me out of the dorm.”
“All right, got it!” Luke bounced happily on the spot, smiling. “Leave it to me! I’ll make sure no one ever finds out! You think I’m about to let some demons find me!? I don’t THINK so!”
Beel shook his head, exasperated. “In that case, do us all a favour and be quiet."
“…Hey, what’s the deal, Chise?” Mammon pointed his fork at me. “Is that all you’re gonna eat? If ya don’t have yourself a proper breakfast, you’ll run out of gas before lunchtime. You humans need all the strength you can get.”
Mammon was legit mother-henning me. Oh, he had it bad.
But I had promised Luke I’d bring him back a bit of breakfast.
“Are ya sick to your stomach or somethin’? Is that it?”
I smirked. “Aww, are you worried about me, Mammon?”
He jumped and stared down at his plate, blushing. “Wh…! N-No! Why would I be worried about whether you’re sick to your stomach?! Pffffffff! You could have an alien burst outta there for all I care! If your stomach hurts, then go cry about it to someone else! Pfffffff, what a dummy!”
Asmo giggled. “Wow, you’re so desperate to deny that you care. It’s embarrassing listening to you when you’re like this…”
Mammon turned red, spluttering nonsense.
Beel pushed himself back from the table. “Welp, I think I’ve had enough for now.”
The whole table swivelled their heads to stare at him, jaws dropping.
“Wh…!?”
“Huh…!?”
Satan’s eyes grew wide as he placed a hand over his heart in shock.
“Beel!” Mammon raised his voice. “You’re actually… gonna leave FOOD on your plate?! Un…eaten…food?! You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me…!”
Asmo shook his head. “I can’t ever remember you doing that, and my memory goes back at least 5000 years!”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to eat it.” Beel rubbed at his arms, self-conscious. “I’m going to take it back to my room and finish it there. That’s all.”
“Is this the end of the world!? Are we about to be invaded by an army of angels?! Or by Chise’s stomach alien?!”
“Can you really be called the Avatar of Gluttony if you don’t even finish all the food on your plate?! If you don’t have that, you’re just a regular demon, aren’t you?!”
Satan leaned forward, serious. “You picked a cat up from the street and brought it back to your room, didn’t you? That’s what this is about.” He lowered his voice to a deep, low whisper. “Can I see it?”
“Actually, it’s more of a dog than a cat…” Beel muttered.
“What? Speak up.”
“Nothing…”
Beel and I walked our way back to his room, plates in hand. He stopped, looking down the hall, and sighed. “…Seriously?” He indicated ahead of us, where Luke was wandering around, poking into rooms. “He’s going to get me kicked out.”
I shook my head, patting his arm, and approached Luke.
“…Considering they call this the House of Lamentation, I would’ve expected it to be a bit more impressive. But it’s just… big. That’s all. Other than that, it’s not so different from Purgatory Hall,” Luke muttered to himself, before spotting us, brightening. “Hey! Chise, Beelzebub! What’s this room here?”
“Luke, you can’t just leave my room whenever you feel like it. My brothers will find out.”
“But everyone else is off to class right now, right? I can’t stay cooped up in that room forever. I’ll go crazy! …Whoa! What’s up with this room here! It’s crammed wall-to-wall with books! And all of them have to do with demon stuff!” I allowed myself a little peek too, not having ever seen Satan’s room for myself before.
“Ugh, he keeps darting around… I can’t catch him…”
“Wow! The view up from up here is amazing!” He bounced at a window. “I bet you can see the entire Devildom! Oooh! I see Purgatory Ha–AH!”
Enough was enough. I gripped his shoulders and turned him to me.
“Luke, please. Work with us here or we can’t keep you anymore.”
Luke gave me a petulant look, but subsided. I sighed, ruffling his hair, and turned to Beelzebub’s room. To my relief, he followed.
Beelzebub’s D.D.D. vibrated. He frowned at his pocket and handed me his plate. “Sorry, Chise. I’ll be back soon."
“Sure, Beel…”
Once he was out of earshot, Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me into Beel’s room, looking around conspiratorially.
“So… You’ve heard the story about Lucifer and his brothers, right? They used to be angels… Well, except for Satan."
"Wait, except for...?"
He grimaced. "Not important. It was a long, long time ago. So long ago that you humans couldn’t even imagine how far back that was. Back then, Lucifer was the strongest and most beautiful angel of all the angels. He had six pure white wings, and light radiated from them… Now, keep this between us, all right? You absolutely can’t tell anyone else, understand? Not Beelzebub or any of his other brothers, either.”
“Okay…”
His face reddened. “Back then, I admired Lucifer even more than Michael. And it wasn’t just me. Other angels felt the same way. I think everyone did.” Just how old was this kid!? “Hehe, remember… this is our little secret, okay?”
“Alright. So why are you telling me this?”
Luke jumped and yelped as he stared behind me. I looked over my shoulder and frowned.
“It’s just Beel.”
“He scared me! Beelzebub! At least knock before coming in! I know it’s your room, but I’m here too now!”
“We’re in big trouble.” Beel’s face was flooding with worry. “You’re about to be found out.”
“…Huh?”
“We’re having a surprise inspection. Now.” He groaned, stressed, twisting his fingers. “Satan must have talked about there being a cat in here…”
“What? What do you mean? And what cat?”
“I mean exactly what I said. Lucifer shows up unannounced, and goes around checking each room.”
“Oh, okay." Luke looked around the room. "In that case, all I have to do is hide, right? Maybe under the bed…?”
“Oh no. You have to do WAY better than that. Lucifer does more than just check to see if everyone’s in their rooms. He also searches inside of the room itself. Asmo had a witch that he’d brought back home one night in his room. She transformed into a spider and hid, but Lucifer still found her.”
“What!? Why would he go through such lengths. And why did Asmodeus have a WITCH in his room anyway?”
I winced at his innocent, oblivious question.
"...We don’t have anything like this at Purgatory Hall!”
“That’s because you don’t have Lucifer living with you at Purgatory Hall. He originally started doing it because Mammon kept sneaking out after curfew and coming home late.” I bristled inwardly. “And he’d hide stacks of unpaid bills in his room so no one could find them.”
“Ugh… Mammon, that IDIOT!”
Sometimes I wish I could find reasons to defend Mammon for the things that he did. Those reasons often didn’t exist though.
“There will be time to blame Mammon later. Right now you need to hide. Get inside the closet.”
“What’s the point of me hiding in the closet!? I mean, you said he even found a witch that transformed into a spider, right!?”
“Well, if you keep standing there doing nothing, he’ll find you for sure.” It was rare to hear Beel’s voice go terse. “I’ll think up some excuse to keep him from looking in there. Now, hurry!”
Beel grabbed at his shoulder, pushing him forward, and Luke scampered into the closet, shutting the door just in time to miss Lucifer’s entrance.
He swept his eyes around the room, scanning, arms crossed. He looked between Beel and I. “…All right… Beel, Chise, I see that you’re both here. You know the drill, Beel. I’m going to have a look through your room to be certain everything is in order here. But before I do, is there anything that you’d like to tell me?”
Yep. Satan had spilled. I panicked.
“...Woof?”
Beel looked at me with astonishment.
…I was hanging around with Mammon way too much.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “…I see. I heard a rumour that Beel has been keeping some sort of dog or cat in here. But from that little ‘Woof’ you made just now, Chise, I take it that you’re trying to say that there’s no pet at all… It was you all along?” His voice dripped sarcasm. “Beel, open the closet.”
Beel fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “There’s nothing in there but Belphie’s clothes… I don’t want…”
“Didn’t you hear me? Open it.”
Beel slowly made his way over to the closet door, hunched. He opened it.
Luke wasn’t there.
Beel stared at the closet in shock. Lucifer sighed.
“Well, it seems you really aren’t hiding a puppy in there. I guess it was only a rumour then. What a waste of my time… All right, that wraps up my inspection. Both of you make sure to go to bed early tonight.” He strode out, his cape swishing behind him. So dramatic.
Beel and I looked at each other, confusion on our faces.
“Weird… I know I just pushed him into the closer a minute ago…”
“Yeah, I was there.”
“What’s going on…?” He peered in the closet again. Nothing.
“Luke never did come back last night…” Beel fiddled with his pen at his desk, a worried expression on his face. “You saw it too, right, Chise? You saw me push him into the closet.”
“Yeah, Beel. I was there.”
“So then why did he just va–“
“Hello, Beel! Hello, Chise! Good to see you.” Simeon drifted into the chair beside me again, cape fluttering. “You two are looking after Luke, right? I hope he isn’t causing you too much trouble. I’m sorry that you had to get caught up in our private squabble. I tried to stop him before he could run off, but Luke is just too quick, I’m afraid.” He gave me one of his adorable smiles. It was so genuine. “I’d appreciate it if you could take care of him until he’s ready to come back again. Thank you both.”
Beel looked down at his hands and nodded. I hesitated, and nodded too.
“Luke can be a real handful at times.” Simeon creased his eyebrows in worry, shaking his head. “He’s still young and immature as angels go, and he knows little of the world. So, he tends to judge everything in life from the perspective from someone in the Celestial Realm, using its logic.” He turned to look at me again, a spark lighting in his eyes. “Though that’s also one of the positive things about Luke. He’s honest, genuine, and he adheres to a strict set of values that he doesn’t break.”
I think he could afford to be a little more flexible, personally.
“When the two of us were originally chosen for the exchange program in the Devildom, he was extremely upset and depressed. It was hard on him. But personally, I thought that studying in the Devildom would be a good opportunity for Luke. Here, Luke is able to come into contact with demons as well as human students like you, Chise. It’s a chance for him to expand on his perspective. And on top of that, it’s my hope that he’ll be able to grow as an angel as well.”
I peeked up at him shyly. “So you’ve really become a mentor for Luke, huh?”
He gave a breathy little laugh, self-conscious. “I suppose you could say that. And Michael must have felt the same way, which is why he chose Luke for this program. Though Luke himself still hasn’t figured that out yet.”
“Why not just tell him?”
“I believe this is true in the human world too, but some supervisors like to teach the people they lead directly – to give them the answers that they need. But other supervisors like to make those they lead think for themselves and have them figure things out on their own. I belong to the latter group. I like to sit back and watch Luke find the answer on his own.”
I gave him a soft smile. “You really are a great leader, you know.”
His cheeks had the fainted blush of pink. “Thank you. Though I’m not sure if Luke would agree with you.” He laughed. “If you find yourself unable to put up with him anymore, go ahead and kick him out. I’m sure he’ll come back to me if he has no place to go. Well then, I’ll be seeing you.”
He stood up smoothly, and with the faintest hint of hesitation at first, he gently placed his hand atop of my head, and ruffled my hair a bit again. I blushed. He looked at me merrily. “Bye now, you two.”
In the end, neither of us was able to tell Simeon about how Luke had disappeared.
“…We’d better track Luke down ASAP.”
I nodded my agreement.
I met Beel back in the hall, defeated.
“From the look on your face, I’m guessing he wasn’t anywhere on the second floor either, huh? Although honestly, it really isn’t possible to search all of the second floor since my brothers’ rooms comprise most of it… Well… I didn’t find him either. I looked all over the first floor, but I didn’t see him anywhere.” He shook his head, worry creasing his brow. “We should try one more time. This time you look on the first floor, Chise, and I’ll search the sec–" He gave a start, shutting up immediately. I looked over my shoulder.
“So, you’re looking for something, are you?” Satan stared at us frankly. “What are you two whispering about?”
“I don’t know what you mean. We’re not whispering.” Beel still had the worried look on his face, though.
“Oh yes you are. And you’d better give me the truth, or I might have to go tell Lucifer about this.”
For a guy who seemed to have a particular grudge against Lucifer, Satan spent an awful lot of time tattling to him. It wasn’t an attractive quality. I looked at Beel, letting him decided.
“…We’re looking for a dog named Luke.”
“Aha. So, you really are hiding a dog in your room then… I did think it was awfully strange that you didn’t finish your breakfast, Beel.” Yeah, that wasn’t very subtle. “I won’t say anything to Lucifer about this, but after you’ve had your fun with this dog of yours, you need to get rid of it.” He passed by us smoothly, catching my gaze as he left.
Beel watched him round the corner. “Looks like we managed to worm our way out of that one, huh… We’d better find Luke fast.”
-
A little later, we met on the first floor, in the parlour.
“It’s strange that we still haven’t found him even after searching for all this time. It’s like he just disappeared into thin air. If we assume he left the House of Lamentation, then did he go back to Purgatory Hall, or could he have gone somewhere else?”
I thought about texting Simeon to ask, but that would give away our predicament. I wanted to give things a bit more time before causing any panic.
“Still, we definitely hid him in the closet. I know we did. So even if he did go somewhere else, it’s weird that he disappeared while inside the closet. Could Luke actually be somewhere inside the House of Lamentation?”
I sighed, running my fingers along the entryway table beside me, leaving a trail in the dust that had settled there. I looked over at the decorative dollhouse. It’s an accurate, scale model of the House of Lamentation itself. Looking at it, I thought about all the rooms we had searched, thinking.
“…Wait… Wait a second. That dollhouse,” I murmured.
“What? Yeah, that’s a model of the House,” Beel said obviously. “It’s been there since forever.”
“Yeah, but… Look here, Beel.” I pointed. He leaned over to look.
“…That’s strange. There’s an extra room here, one that doesn’t actually exist.”
“You’re sure…?”
Beel wandered down the hall and back up the stairs to the second floor. I followed. He led me to the spot where the dollhouse had another room.
It was just a wall.
“There’s nothing here…” Beel stood in front of it, puzzling. “But the dollhouse… It definitely showed a small room here. I wonder why? If I remember correctly, the only thing that should be on the other side of this wall is Lucifer’s room. Could the dollhouse model be wrong…?”
“What if it’s a secret room, Beel?”
“Hm…” Beel gazed at the wall, doubtful. But then something seemed to catch his eye, and he peered at the wallpaper a little closer. “…Take a look at this, Chise. Look at this spot on the wall. It looks like a decorative pattern, but I can make out words written there. It’s a message written in the language of the angels.”
“Can you read it?”
“Yeah. It says, ‘When the morning star dwelt in the heavens, its light shone down upon this one, sparkling brilliantly, the eighth of the eighth.’” He sucked in a breath.
“Does that mean anything to you…?” I patted his arm. He seemed disturbed.
“It’s a riddle. And more importantly, I know the answer to it. ‘The morning star’ is another name for Lucifer. So, ‘when the morning star dwelt in the heavens’ means ‘when Lucifer was an angel’.” He chewed on his bottom lip, looking down at the ground. “‘Its light shone down upon this one, sparkling brilliantly, the eighth of the eighth’… That part refers to someone that Lucifer loved deeply… The eighth of the eighth… Our sister, Lilith…”
At the sound of her name, a faint outline in the shape of an arched doorway glowed on the wall. Beckoning.
“Oh…” I said softly. I immediately turned to him. “Are you okay, Beel…?”
He sucked in another breath. “…Let’s go.” He pressed into the wall. I followed him in.
We entered together, and then he stood stock still, dumbfounded. “I… don’t understand.”
I looked around the room. The walls were a soft pastel green, oil paintings of soft water lilies and flowers covered the walls. There was a fireplace mantle on the right side. But aside from that, all the furniture was draped in white cloth, like the room was being preserved. It was hushed in here. But somehow, not dirty, not dusty, as if someone had been keeping it up.
“...It’s Lilith’s room from back up in the Celestial Realm.” Beel whispered. “I’m sure of it.”
He walked further in, looking around slowly, fingers clasped, not wanting to disturb anything around him. “What’s Lilith’s room doing here, in the House of Lamentation…?”
I watched him, heart aching, watched his own heart breaking all over again. Over whatever had happened. I stepped towards him and placed my small hand on his broad back. He looked at me, eyes miserable.
“I’d like to know more about Lilith, Beel.” I wanted him to talk about it.
He was quiet for a moment, breaking our gaze to look down at the floor. He sighed. “Like I said before, Lilith was our little sister. But she’s gone now… She… died… in the Great Celestial War.”
“Oh, Beel…”
He shifted a bit, still looking down. “Do you know about it? About the war? About what happened then?”
I shook my head. “Not… really. I don’t want to rely on myths and legends.”
He nodded his head. “My brothers and I were originally angels. That was back before the Great Celestial War – before we were cast out. Lucifer incited a revolution against our father, and we aligned ourselves with him. Those who followed our father fought against those who followed Lucifer. That was the Great Celestial War. In the end, our father crushed our rebellion… and cast us out…”
He grew very still, stopping his constant fidgeting. I looked up into his eyes. They were wet.
“During the battle,” he continued, “my sister Lilith’s wing was pierced by an arrow. Both Belphie and I saw it. It happened right in front of our eyes… She fell… down… out of the heavens… And died.” He took a shaky breath and looked me in the eyes, with shame, as though confessing. “Just before Lilith was shot, I saw angels from the opposing side draw their bows and aim at both her and Belphie… I-I couldn’t save them both… The three of us were too far apart. I knew I’d only be able to get to one of them in time.”
His voice lowered into a whisper. He looked down again.
“Then suddenly Belphie’s eyes met mine… And just like that… I rushed over to him and shielded him from the attack…” His bottom lip trembled and he covered his eyes with his sleeve. “I wasn’t able to save Lilith. She died. It was my fault.”
“Oh, Beel, no, no no no.” I stepped into his arms and slipped mine around him. He wrapped himself around me, hunching down to bury his face into my hair. “No, no, that could never be your fault.”
“Everyone tells me that.” His voice was heavy and thick, muffled in my hair. “‘You couldn’t help it,’ that’s what they all say. But… None of them saw what I saw… They didn’t see how Lilith looked at me as the arrow pierced her wing in the split second before she fell… They didn’t see her look of despair…”
He shuddered with a quiet sob, lowering his head to my shoulder. I rubbed his back, feeling his tears track down my neck. His shoulders shook, and I wrapped my arms around him tighter.
“…Belphie hasn’t ever come out and said it,” his voice was pitched a bit higher now, “but I think he blamed me for not being able to save Lilith. I know he wanted me to save her instead of him. In fact, I knew it at the time, but I chose to save him instead…” He paused to try and slow his ragged breathing, trying to take a breath. I let him take his time. “…Chise, what would you have done?”
I rubbed his back a little harder. It was a terrible choice. “I think… I would have done anything to save my twin, Beel…”
He hugged me harder.
We stood like that for a bit, wrapped together in Lilith’s room. I should get him out of here. It was triggering for him. I released him and pulled at his hand.
My D.D.D. started ringing in my pocket.
”HEY! Chise… where are you?!” Mammon’s husky rasp met my ear, panic in his voice. “Something seriously bad is about to happen here! Get your butt down to the underground tomb now! HURRY! The dog is down here, and Lucifer is going to kill him…!”
The call ended. Mammon had hung up in a hurry. I looked up at Beel in alarm.
“The dog? Does he mean Luke?”
Beel grabbed my hand a little more firmly. “Come on, we’d better get to the underground tomb.”
We rushed out of the secret door.
Chapter 8: Chapter 6 – The Halfway Mark
Chapter Text
“Lucifer, come on! Calm down a little, would ya?! He’s just a little lost dog, that’s all! There’s no need to go revealing your true form over this!”
Beel and I hurried down the winding steps to the basement, Mammon’s voice echoing below us, pitched in fear. I ran a little faster.
I burst into the room, Beel in tow, to find chaos.
Luke was huddled against a stone casket, arms thrown over his head. Mammon stood in front of him, his arms splayed.
Lucifer’s wingspan dwarfed the hall. His aura, like Mammon’s, made him hazy, fuzzy to look at. I stumbled and gasped as I hit the wall of his power. Bile immediately rose in my throat, and I doubled over, trying not to vomit.
“I-I’ll have y-you know, I r-r-report directly to M-Michael–”
Stupid boy!
”Luke." Lucifer’s voice filled the hall with a boom, ringing in my ears, inside my head. I covered them, forcing myself to take small steps forward to reach Mammon. It was like walking through mud. My muscles strained. "That book in your hand… Do you realize what that is?"
“Y-You mean, this..? I found it only a minute ago... The sculpture on the stone coffin was holding it…”
Beel grabbed my shoulders from behind me, pulling me back to him protectively, trying to stop me from going any further. “I know that book…” he said. I pushed and pushed.
Mammon whirled at Beel’s voice. “FINALLY! Chise, Beel, you’re here! IT TOOK YA LONG ENOUGH!”
“That’s a grimoire,” Beel continued.
“WHAT!?”
“Wh…!” Luke thrust it out in front of him to get a better look, eyes wide and fearful.
“A grimoire…?” I spoke thickly, my head pounding, not being able to think clearly. The others didn’t seem as affected by the power that was threatening to engulf me. I didn’t have any protection of my own. Just a regular human. “Mammon…” I whispered without meaning to, out of fear and instinct. He looked me in the eyes at his name, but didn’t move from protecting Luke, trusting Beel to take care of me. Good man…
Beel kept his hold on me and answered from behind. “Yes. It’s a book of magic known as a grimoire. Several of them exist. The grimoire Luke is holding has the power to control a demon – to make him do anything, even if it’s in violation of a pact.”
My eyes widened. Mammon gulped. I looked over at Lucifer, though he was hard on my eyes, like I couldn’t quite make him out.
“Everything that we are rides on that book.” Beel continued. “We can never allow it to be stolen under any circumstances. I didn’t realize Lucifer was hiding it here in the underground tomb…”
It didn’t seem like a good fucking place to hide it to me either.
“This is no time to be standing around lost in thought, Beel! Now listen up, dog!” Mammon rounded on Luke. “What I wanna know is how you ended up lost in a place like this! No one else but us has access to this place! So how’d you get here!?”
Luke squeaked in fear, and began trying to crawl over to me. I squatted down, my palm held out for him.
“I-I don’t know! Y-Your guess is as good as mine! I tumbled down out of the closet in Beelzebub’s room and found myself here! And then–“
"Did you just say Beelzebub’s room?"
I cried out as another wave of power hit me. I grasped Luke’s hand, dragging him to me the rest of the way. He clung to me.
”BEELZEBUB! YOU ALLOWED AN ANGEL ACCESS TO THE HOUSE OF LAMENTATION? THIS ANGEL, WHO WOULD TRY TO STEAL THAT GRIMOIRE?"
“I-I wasn’t trying to steal it…!”
“Luke, shut up!” Mammon yelled. “Once Lucifer flips out, it’s no use tryin’ to stop him!”
Lucifer rounded on Beel and Luke, a hissing noise filling the air. "You two had better be ready to face the consequences…!”
I felt Beel shrink backwards. Luke huddled at my feet.
With great effort, I threw my arms out wide and stepped in front of them both, shielding them.
“CHISE…!” Mammon gave me a look of horror. My promise to him that he would be the next one to protect me rang in my ears. Lucifer was one of the few threats I knew he wouldn’t be able to protect me from. I would be doomed. I hoped Mammon wouldn't take himself out with me…
”OUT OF THE WAY, HUMAN! OR DO YOU WANT TO DIE HERE?"
I trembled like a leaf, but I kept my arms out.
“Stop it, Chise…!” Beel called to me, bending down at the knees to grab Luke by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him towards him.
“Chise, please, no, he’ll kill ya for real, please, don’t, don't!” Mammon begged me.
Lucifer flickered. "A human risking so much to defend a demon and an angel… How very interesting. Tell me, Chise. If you want to be the hero so badly, you’re going to have to choose one of them to save. Beelzebub or Luke. It’s one or the other. Make your choice!”
“No.” My voice was shaky and small. “I’m not moving. I’m saving both.”
Beel sucked in a breath sharply.
“Chise…” Luke whimpered, hugging Beel now.
”What’s that now? You want to save them both? Do you actually think I’m going to allow a lowly human that choice? THAT YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT? NO.”
I don’t know if it was my own vision, or the entire room, but everything went black. Everything stilled. I was suddenly enveloped by calm. Lucifer was no longer clawing into my soul. He had vanished.
Silence. My breath was ragged from the adrenaline still gripping me as I looked around, head spinning. “Mammon…? Beel?”
…Come back to me, Chise.
I fainted.
“…Chise.”
The voice was far away, but I swam towards it, head fuzzy.
“…..Chise. Come back to me, Chise.”
I took in a shuddering breath and half-opened my eyes, my vision still blurry. The wall beside me was red. Orange.
“You’re awake!” Beel, kneeling beside his bed, grabbed my arm with both hands. “I’ve been here watching over you. I thought you might never wake up, since humans are so fragile and all. I’m really glad you’re awake again.” He shook his head in relief.
“What happened…?”
“You made Lucifer really angry when you stepped in to protect Luke and me. You almost got yourself killed. If Lord Diavolo and Barbatos hadn’t come running up, you’d be dead right now. Lord Diavolo managed to stop Lucifer.” He stopped, looking down at my face in awe. “You saw how Lucifer looked back then, but you still stepped in front of me and spread your arms to block him. It was like you had a death wish. You need to go to Lord Diavolo and thank him for saving your life.”
I nodded weakly. “...Were you hurt, Beel?”
“No, I wasn’t hurt at all.” He gave me his familiar smile, eyes soft. “But… this isn’t really the time to be worrying about me. You almost died, you know. A human stepping in to shield a demon from harm… I’ve never even heard of anything like that before. As for Luke, Simeon came and took him back to Purgatory Hall. He was pretty shaken up.”
I nodded again.
“Could you… tell me where Mammon is too? What happened to him?”
“He was here watching you until a while ago. I think he was worried about you...”
I nodded a third time. “You’re all safe.”
“Yeah, Chise. We’re all safe.”
The silence stretched between us as I rested. Beel propped his chin on the bed.
“Luke didn’t do anything wrong…” He looked sad again. “I’m the one to blame here. I’m the one who hid him in my room, I’m the reason he disappeared. I’m the one who failed to calm Lucifer down, and ended up putting you in danger… All of that was my fault…”
I reached a hand towards him, petting his hair. He closed his eyes at my touch.
“It’s not your fault at all, Beel. I took Luke in too.”
“When you stepped in to shield me from Lucifer, I was pretty shocked… I mean, why would you go to those lengths? You’re not a demon or an angel, and you’re not even someone with powerful magic. You’re just a regular human.” He opened his eyes again to look at me, purples and pinks. He suddenly looked really shy. “So why… why did you try to protect Luke and me?”
“Because you’re my friends. You’re important to me, Beel.”
He smiled gently. Happily. “So… I’m your friend. Ah…” He scooted a little closer to the bed. I ruffled his hair gently. He considered for a moment. “As I watched you there sleeping, as I looked at your face, I couldn’t help wondering… If the situation had been reversed, would I have stepped in to protect you? …I want to do something to make it up to you – to thank you for saving me. So, is there anything I can do…?”
He looked expectantly at me. Hopeful, even.
I hesitated for a moment. But bringing Belphie back to him isn’t just some evil ulterior motive anymore. It’s important. He needed Belphie back. I needed to bring Belphie back for him.
“Would you… Like to make a pact with me…?”
His face shone gently. I'd said the right thing. And then he turned thoughtful.
“So… You’ve made pacts with Mammon and Levi, and now you want to make one with me. Why are you so interested in making pacts with demons, huh? I... want to know why you want to make a pact with me.”
I struggled to find an answer for him that wouldn’t reveal that Belphie was already so close to him. After hearing about the Celestial War, about the rebellion, about what both Belphie and Beel had gone through together, Belphie’s worry about causing a civil war that could spread to the other realms actually started to feel genuine. And Beel was passionate about his brother. After seeing Lucifer’s wrath for myself, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
“I want Lucifer to respect me.” It was a lame answer. I wanted to tell him more. Give him the real, meaningful answer. But it was part of the truth. If I hoped to make a pact with Lucifer, I needed… Something. I hoped his respect would be enough. Or that I could even earn it this way.
Beel blinked in confusion, really not expecting that. Belatedly, heat rising to my cheeks, I wondered if he was actually hoping for a more... personal answer… I blinked back, never having considered that before.
He deserved something more.
“So that he’ll let me help him make up with Belphegor.”
If I thought I had surprised him with my previous answer, this one seemed to shock him entirely. He sat up. “So, by making pacts with us, you’re hoping to impress Lucifer? So that he’ll understand that you’re actually someone worth listening to, despite the fact that you’re human? You want to do what even Solomon hasn’t been able to accomplish…?”
I nodded. He stared at me in awe. And then the sunshine returned to his face.
“All right.” He nodded.
His face always looked so gentle, placid, even when he got emotional. It made him hard to read at first, it was always so subtle, but I think I was getting a bit better at it. He rarely showed his teeth when he smiled, he didn’t grin like Mammon did, but it was still so genuine. Just calm and steady.
He was thrilled.
“I feel the same way. I want Belphegor and Lucifer to make up, too. So I’ll do it.” He grabbed my hand. “I’ll make a pact with you, Chise.”
Heat spread from his fingers into mine. There was a fire burning there. It was something special; not a roaring inferno, but the type of fire that provides. That caresses trees and plants from high above, feeding them; that warms in the cold, that cooks the meal; the foundation that everything is built upon. With his strength and size and power, I was expecting a warrior's spirit. Instead, I found a fierce protector.
My cheeks grew hot. He looked at me in surprised.
It was done.
” I’m sorry, Diavolo.”
Lucifer’s voice, lacking in his usual haughtiness, drifted out from the ajar door.
Beel had suggested that I thank Diavolo. So here I was. Eavesdropping again.
It’s not like I’m trying to be a serial eavesdropper or anything. It just kept happening. Especially to Lucifer. Woe as me.
“I was so blinded by rage that I lost control of myself. If I’d actually attacked Chise, then the entire exchange program would’ve ended in disaster."
I shut one eye and peeked through the small gap to get a better look. Lucifer was standing by the fireplace, facing it. I couldn’t see Diavolo. Best I could do.
“I’m grateful you showed up to stop me. Thank you.”
“…Well, it was an understandable reaction on your part.” Diavolo’s voice came from the other side of the room. He was extending entirely too much grace, in my opinion. “As demons, everything that we are rides on that grimoire. If it had been stolen, that would have been a disaster as well. You were trying to protect your brothers, weren’t you?”
He tried to kill Beel, I thought. The more I got to know Diavolo, the more frustrated I became with him. His unwillingness to see the bad in anything only allowed it to fester unchecked.
“Perhaps, but I nearly ended up losing one of them in the process…”
“I know how important your brothers are to you, Lucifer. How much you care. And if they can see that as well – if they understand it – then that’s a good thing. However…”
I saw Lucifer bow his head.
“…You said something to Chise back there. ‘Do you you actually think I’m going to allow a lowly human that choice? That you can have whatever it is you want’?” Diavolo sighed. “Your loyalty to me, your brothers’ freedom, their right to know what’s really going on… You place so much importance on all of these things.”
Diavolo was stepping closer to Lucifer, finally coming into view from my little peeping spot.
“So I wonder, who is it that REALLY isn’t being given choices here? Who is it that’s suffering from a lack of options? …What do you think, Lucifer?”
Lucifer turned to him.
My eyes shot open and heat rushed straight to my face as Diavolo cupped Lucifer’s cheek.
And kissed him gently, lingering.
My ears were steaming as I watched them embrace, frozen to the spot. When Lucifer raised his own hand to Diavolo’s face, deepening the kiss, I decided that I had enough of my peeping, and crept away quietly. Very much wishing that I hadn’t seen that.
I snuggled under the covers in Beel’s bed while he stretched out on the couch on the other side of the room. I really, really wanted to think about anything else but the scene I had just crept away from. I curled up, chewing on my lip, thoughtful, trying to think of anything else.
I turned onto my back with a sigh. "Beel... I have a question."
"Okay."
"What's Belphie like? Like, REALLY like?"
"Oh... Hmm... Well... His favourite food is Quetzalcoatl brains."
I shook my head at myself, extending patience. "I meant his personality. What he's like. Not what he likes."
"Oh." Beel thought about it for a moment. "I guess you could say... that he is a bit hard to read sometimes." I guess that's another family resemblance. "It's hard to tell what he's thinking. And he isn't very active. He's the Avatar of Sloth. So he sleeps a lot and doesn't really hang out with a lot of people outside of me or any of our brothers. He's really picky with who he likes." He paused to think some more. "Umm... He's really smart though. Even though he doesn't go to class a lot or studies for tests, he always seems to pass anyway. Oh, and he really likes sushi, too."
"Thanks, Beel." His answer didn't really ease my confusion at all over Belphie's intentions. It really just confirmed that he was probably just going to keep being a mystery to me. He seemed so... devious. Mysterious. Sly. I wanted to know if there was a catch in there somewhere. A foothold. But it sounds like that's just... how he is. A bit of an enigma. A wild card. And I didn't know if it was there to bite me in the ass.
"You're welcome." He rolled onto his side to sleep.
The breakfast table was silent, save for the clatter and scrape of utensils. Beel looked miserable. Mammon was putting his sole focus on his plate, not even looking at me. I hadn’t seen him since I woke up. Since being in the basement.
Maybe I should have gone to him… I thought with a start. Yeah, actually, I should have.
“…Aw, normally everyone’s so happy and full of energy at breakfast. But things are soooo tense today!” Asmo pouted as he looked around the room.
“After hearing about what happened last night, I’m not surprised,” Satan replied. “How about you, Levi? You weren’t involved in the drama at all?”
Levi shook his head. “I haven’t left my room in the three days since Master of Diablo released. That’s my new game. I’ve been busy trying to finish it. It’s an open-world game set in the human world, which you try to destroy by asserting control over Diablo, Lord of the Underworld. It’s AMAZING.”
Ah, so that’s what he’d been up to.
“So you’re playing yet another game with inappropriate themes…” Satan really was quite the goody two-shoes. Mammon was right. My rose-tinted glasses were starting to come off around him. He was still super pretty, though. “Still, I have to admit, sometimes there are advantages to being a shut-in. You avoid getting caught up in unpleasant business, like with what happened last night.” He gave a pointed look at Lucifer.
Asmo hugged himself. “Yeah, you can definitely say that. Just look at Beel. He’s on his sixth cup of soup. That’s only half of his normal pace.”
“Yes. Though I see that Mammon still has the same stupid look on his face as he always does.”
“Hey! What’s that about my face now!?” Mammon rounded on Satan. “I’m just here mindin’ my business all quiet! Stop whisperin’ over there! If you’ve got somethin’ to say, just come out and say it!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Asmo rolled his eyes. “We weren’t whispering. Don’t have a hissy fit, Mammon.”
“You know, we weren’t able to use the kitchen until yesterday, as someone had destroyed it. So I’d say we’re the victims here.”
Beel looked glum.
I pushed back from the table, pushing my plate towards Beel for him to finish off. It was uncomfortable here. I decided to go to class early.
“…Chise.” I froze. Lucifer. “Would you come see me in the music room before heading to class?”
“…Okay.”
“I’ll be there waiting for you.” Lucifer rose from the table as well.
“Oooh, Lucifer wants to see Chise? Yikes! Super scary!” Asmo teased. Mammon stepped on his foot underneath the table. “Ow!"
“Pff… Careful Asmodeus. He might hear you.”
Asmo and Satan always seemed like two peas in a pod, teasing the rest of us from their high horses.
Mammon finally looked up at me, a hint of worry on his face. “Don’t worry. I’ll go with ya.” I nodded to him. He stood up too and followed me.
We walked together down the hall, the quiet stretching between us. I already knew what was bothering him. I just didn’t want to face it.
I thought about my promise to him...
Listen. The next time your life is in danger, I’m going to be the one to save you, all right?
I don’t think he expected Lucifer himself to try and kill me.
He didn’t talk either, though his fingers brushed my hand as we walked next to each other. At the touch, I grabbed his hand tightly. The first actual, true, finger-interlocking hand-hold. I felt Mammon suck in a breath, but he held onto me tightly too, not letting me go.
Until we reached the music room.
He squeezed my hand, and reluctantly let it drop.
“This is as far as I go. If ya get into trouble in there, just call me. I’m serious, Chise. Just call me. ...I’m serious!”
“I know.” I said quietly.
We looked at each other for a little while longer before I touched the door, slipping inside.
Lucifer was reading in a chair. He looked up at my entrance.
“Ah, you’re here.” I wish he had the decency to look uncomfortable, but his eyes were as impassive as ever. “I assume you know what it is I want to talk to you about. It’s regarding last night.”
And then his face did break, into a look of sorrow, and shame.
I inwardly suppressed how I had seen him last night in the study, head bowed. I didn’t want to think about that.
His eyebrows creased upwards. “What I did to you was inexcusable. I apologize. However, there’s one thing I want to make absolutely clear.” I sighed. Here we go. There was always a catch. He always had to turn it back around on you. So much for shame.
Pride.
“As long as they consent to it, I have no problem with you making pacts with my brothers. However, your curiosity is getting the better of you. I want you to stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I believe I warned you not to climb the stairs leading to the attic. And yet you did exactly that. I’m the only demon able to go up there. There’s a spell cast on the stairs that ensures it. However… It only works on demons – humans and angels are still able to pass. Unfortunately.”
I stood there, fuming, silent, biting my tongue. The man had just tried to kill me. And he had the gall to admonish me.
“As I’m sure you’ve found, there’s nothing at all at the top of those stairs.”
I immediately pushed down my confusion and surprise, trying to keep my face impassive. So he hadn’t been testing me, the last time he had mentioned me going upstairs. It seems that Lucifer doesn’t know that I came into contact with Belphegor at all.
I played along.
“Why do you forbid me from going up there if there’s nothing there?”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” he reminded me again. “If you behave yourself, you’ll complete your year here in the exchange program. At which point, we’ll return you to the human world.”
“Unless you kill me first."
“…Yes, I imagine that last night served as somewhat of a learning experience for you. Still, the fact remains that I put you through a very scary experience.” He cleared his throat. “Sometime in the near future, I’d like to treat you to a meal out somewhere to make it up to you.”
I stared at him in utter disbelief.
“No, thank you.”
He sighed. “Well, that’s all I had to say. You’re free to go.”
I turned on my heel and marched the fuck out of there.
Walking into the student council hall, I nearly collapsed to the ground as Mammon pounced. “Hey, how about that! Chise, you’re alive!”
I smiled, catching him against me. “Mammon...” He seems to have recovered somewhat from his uncertainty earlier. I was glad.
Beel came over and inspected me with a smile too. “Let’s see... yep, you’ve still got both arms and both legs. Your eyes are still in their sockets, and your ears are still attached. Guess you’re okay.” I grinned back at him.
“I want to know what Lucifer did.” Levi hung back a bit, but still approached. “You’ve got to give me the deets L-8-R, yo!”
I laughed and shook my head at his cringe. I looked around. My demons. My three pacts. My friends. Stepping forward to meet me with open arms. I felt warm. And welcomed. My boys.
“Man, there you go again! ‘Give me the deets L-8-R, yo’? Like, what lame message board did ya learn THAT on? Also, it’s one thing to type L8R, but who the hell actually says it out loud!?”
“Whaaaat, you’re still alive? Well that’s boring…” Asmo sighed behind them, before winking at me.
“Of course. Unless Lucifer went crazy again like that, Lucifer would never harm Chise.” Satan gave me one of his charming smiles again. “And do you know why that is, Chise?”
“Because he likes me.” I replied, sarcastically.
His charming smile dropped. “…It must be nice being a dimwit.”
Mammon bristled in my arms. I patted him.
“Seriously? I was just joking, Satan.”
“The correct answer is because you’re an exchange student. If anything were to happen to one of our exchange students, it would make Lord Diavolo look bad. Lucifer would never do anything to harm Lord Diavolo’s reputation.”
“Oh? Maybe you would have changed your tune if you have been down there last night with us and seen for yourself just what Lucifer is capable of.” I was really, really tired of people making excuses for Lucifer. Satan raised his eyebrow slightly at my sarcasm. He wasn’t used to me biting back at him.
“Oooh, speak of the devil!” Asmo hushed us. “Lord Diavolo and Lucifer just showed up.”
“…Well, it seems everyone is here.” Lord Diavolo spread his arms in welcome as he walked to the head of the table. “Shall we get started, Lucifer?”
We all took our seats.
“All right. I’m going to go ahead and call this officers’ meeting to order. To start things off, Lord Diavolo has an announcement for us.”
Diavolo nodded. “Yes. Well then, I assume that some of you have already heard the rumours about the group retreat. And they’re true.”
“Ugh, camping…”
“Not quite. Instead, I’m planning an exchange party between demons, angels, and humans to be held at my castle. I have a feeling that this will turn out to be quite the interesting experience for all of us.”
I was really done with ‘interesting’ experiences, myself. But it would be nice to hang out with Simeon and the others.
Satan touched his chin in thought. “A group retreat, huh? I’d heard the rumours, but I never thought they were true.”
“So demons, angels, and humans are all going to get together and have an exchange event?” Asmo piped in bubbly excitement. “Nothing like that has ever happened before, has it?”
“No, indeed not. But there has to be a first time for everything. And you are all going to be present to witness this particular first.”
“A group retreat? Just the fact that you’d call it that tells me it’s gonna be a hassle…” Mammon muttered.
“Will there be food? …Good food?”
“Ah, yes, why don’t I let Lucifer give you a rundown on what we have planned.”
Lucifer cleared his throat. “The exchange party will be held at the Demon Lord’s Castle. In addition to spending the night there, you’ll be attending several events, including a dinner party and a formal dance.”
“A dinner party…” Beel clasped his hands and nodded his approval.
“A formal dance…” Levi groaned.
“I assume you must have some questions?”
“What’s the Demon Lord’s Castle like?” I asked, curiously.
“It’s hands down the most magnificent, impressive structure in all of the Devildom,” Satan answered. Well, I do admire some good architecture.
“And it’s just like the castle where the heroine lived in Fantasium Fantasia 9! Now, when it comes to the Fantasium Fantasia series as a whole, it goes without saying that the fourth instalment is a timeless masterpiece. Afterwards, the games went 3D polygonal, and the old producer and BGM composer both left, so the general opinion of people online is that those games were trash. Personally, while I agree with the 2D sprite graphics of Fantasium Fantasia 4 were great, I think–"
Levi squeaked cutely as I poked him in the ribs, but he subsided.
“Yes, the Demon Lord’s Castle is like something straight out a fairy tale!” Asmo cooed. “It’s absolutely beautiful!”
“…At first glance, sure,” Mammon muttered, having never been thrilled at the idea of the outing in the first place. “But I know the truth. I know about the tons and tons of horrible stories they tell about that place. It’s enough to make your skin crawl. Barbatos has a secret torture room beneath the castle. And every night you can hear his victims screams of agony echoing up from outta there!”
“Er. I’m sure that’s not true, Mammon,” I said, poking him in the ribs as well.
“That’s what I’ve heard! And there’s a huge mirror, and behind is the entrance to a secret labyrinth. And inside the labyrinth lives a monster that feasts on the innards of demons…”
“Oh, so I should be all right then,” I teased him.
Satan laughed. “So, Asmodeus claims it’s like something out of a fairy tale, and Mammon thinks it’s a hell house. Who do YOU believe, Chise?”
“Well, I don’t believe that Barbatos has a torture chamber.”
“People want to believe things that they find personally appealing. So clearly, you like beautiful things just as much as I do, Chise! Yes, I feel like you and I will get along quite well.” Asmo gave me a wink. Mammon gave an audible growl in his throat.
“Stupid retreat… Stupid Diavolo… Why do I gotta go, anyway? It should be opt-out! Ugh, can you imagine hanging out with Luke for THREE DAYS? And Simeon, always sucking up to Diavolo, just like Lucifer… Gahhh, this is all Lucifer’s fault! As usual… And don’t get me started on Solomon!” Mammon grumbled beside me.
He spun towards me, face serious.
“I’m gonna kick Satan’s ass for callin’ you a dimwit, ya know.”
I laughed. “It’s fine. He looked like the fool for not getting the joke.”
Mammon and I walked down the hall together after having been dismissed from the officers’ meeting. We were to be given tomorrow off to make it a long weekend at Diavolo’s castle, where we would be spending our time mingling with the other exchange students. It felt like a Friday now.
“Well, I don’t like it. It’s bad enough that they get on me about that stuff, callin’ me dimwit too, and scum and idiot. Like, every single person here has called me stupid at some point or another. Er, multiple times each, actually. Like, a hundred times each. I’m sick n’ tired of it. So I won’t let anyone say that to ya. Next time, I crack heads.”
I stopped walking down the hall, pausing in thought. Mammon took a couple more steps before he realized that I wasn’t astride him anymore.
“What?” He turned around to face me.
I cocked my head. “I’ve never called you stupid.”
He blinked. Staring at me. I blinked back.
The breath rushed out of my chest with a whoosh as he pinned me up against the wall. Just as suddenly, his mouth was on mine, fierce, hungry, his hands balled into fists as he gripped the sleeves of my uniform. Heat coiled inside my belly as I grabbed the front of his shirt back, pulling him to me, kissing him just as fiercely. Finally, finally, finally. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I pulled him in, sucking on it eagerly. He pressed his erection up against my belly, grinding. I pressed back, needy, a soft little moan escaping against his mouth. He groaned at the noise, thrusting his hips forward while our lips and tongues rolled together.
We came up for air, breaking apart, staring at each other, looks of utter shock on both of our faces. Panic filled his eyes as he took a shuddering breath. He dropped me back to the floor and scrambled backwards, his chest still heaving from the passionate embrace.
I stared at him. He stared at me. He opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish.
And then he turned on his heel, and he ran away.
My eyebrows shot up in disbelief as I watched him go. What the fuck.
I fell back heavily against the wall, shaking my head. Shit.
I'm going to fuck Mammon, aren't I.
Lucifer was out for the evening, finalizing the plans for the retreat with Diavolo. Mammon was avoiding me like the plague, announcing that he was going out for dinner, as if he had the money for it. Levi was getting in as much gaming as he could before he was dragged out of his room for a whole weekend-long social event.
I found myself alone.
Three days… I suddenly thought of Belphie. He would be entirely alone in the House for three days. Was he given enough to eat? Would he be okay? I’m sure Lucifer took care of the necessities of life, but I was uncomfortable with the thought of not seeing him before leaving the House for that long. It’s not like I got many opportunities to go up there, and he had gone way longer than three days without seeing me, but it still didn’t sit right with me.
Lucifer was gone… He would probably know anyway. But fuck him.
I climbed the stairs.
-
I crept up to the gate and peered in.
I saw the silhouette of Belphie on the floor, surrounded by a bed of plush pillows that he had arranged into a little nest. His breathing rose and fell evenly, asleep, curled into a ball, arms tucked, hands by his face.
He looked so… peaceful. Child-like. Not at all like the mischievous demon who kept taunting me with subtle insults, despite his repeated requests for my help.
I slid down the wall with a sigh, arms on my knees. Well, so much for making sure he was going to be okay, since he wasn’t even awake. He didn’t look ill-cared for, at least, despite being a little on the skinny side. His cardigan wrapped his body cozily, and he was snuggled under a duvet. He seemed to favour a black and white cow-splotched pillow in particular. It was very… sweet. And innocent.
“…Creeper.”
I jumped. Belphie had woken up.
When had I started to think of him as Belphie, instead of Belphegor? Maybe from hanging around Beel, talking about him.
“So… They’re having an exchange party…” he said from his bed, not having moved. “Ridiculous.”
“How did you know?”
“Hmph. Of course Lucifer told me. He had to. He’s leaving me alone here, after all,” he said, miserably. “But more importantly… you made a pact with Beel.”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I felt it. I felt my twin make a pact.” He sat up, balancing himself by the flat of his palms, studying me from under his fringe. “That’s a far more important development for me.”
He stood up, stretched his arms over his head, and walked over to the gate. I stayed in my spot on the floor. He looked down at me, curiously, before getting down on the floor as well, leaning against the gate. I noticed that it shimmered against his body, and that the folds of his cardigan flattened, not getting through the bars, as if there were an invisible forcefield.
“You didn’t strike me as the type of person who would come through for me, so I didn’t really have my hopes up, honestly…”
“I see that you’re as rude as ever, for someone relying on me completely."
He smirked at me, enjoying the game. “You seem to have actually gained their trust, as surprising as that is. You’ve managed to make pacts with Mammon, Levi, and Beel now… Finally, you’re halfway to your goal.”
I blinked. He was right. Being the seventh brother himself, there were six to make a pact with. I was actually halfway there.
“Now, let’s hear what else you have to report. What did Lucifer say about the room up here in the attic?”
“Actually… He seemed to be under the impression that I hadn’t found anything up here at all. Like your room would have been invisible to me. He also said that the staircase is spelled against other demons, and would only allow him to pass. I was able to make it up here because I was human. But he seemed very sure that I hadn’t actually met you."
“Huh.” That took him a bit by surprise. “Well, since this is Lucifer we’re talking about, it makes sense that he would put some sort of spell on this room as well…” He peered at me, curious. “He’s a powerful demon, and doesn’t make mistakes… Very often. So then, what’s going on here? How is it that you are able to see this room?” He fell silent for a moment, considering. “…Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s good news for us, because it means that Lucifer doesn’t think you’ve been in contact with me. He will never see this coming…”
He turned his hips to look at me directly. “Also, I’ve learned something new here. Namely, that you’re not just any ordinary exchange student. I suspected as much… There’s a reason you were chosen to come here. Out of all the humans he could have picked, out of the billions of you, why did Diavolo choose you…?”
“I can’t possibly see why I would have been chosen for a reason. I lived the most normal life ever before I was forced here. Boring, even.”
“That figures. You don’t seem very interesting. And yet, you were able to see this room…” Belphie seemed a bit more curious about me this visit, despite his assertion that I wasn’t very ‘interesting’. It was making me uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure that I wanted him to take any interest in my life. I still didn’t trust him. “…Well then, your next step is clear. You can worry about making pacts with the other brothers later. Right now we’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
“Bigger than getting you out of here?” That was a surprise.
Belphie nodded, a small smile. “You’ll be going to the Demon Lord’s Castle for this exchange party or whatever it is, right? You need to search for clues as to what exactly it is that makes you so special while you’re at Diavolo’s castle.” I balked at this. Evidence like that could be anywhere. “I’m sure you’re curious to know the truth as well, after all. You must want to know why you were chosen.”
That was true, I was curious, but… “I can’t make any promises.” Lucifer watched me like a hawk, and Mammon was glued to me at all times. That is, if he ever decided that he was going to stop playing shy. And besides that, there were a lot more guests to contend with than the 6 others I shared space with.
“…I can’t help but wonder what secrets you’ll dig up. This should be very interesting indeed.”
We sat there in silence for a while, the gate between us. I felt a bit… reluctant to leave a prisoner alone for this stretch. I thought about the other three brothers that I would have to somehow convince to pact with me. I guess my next… targets… will be Asmo or Satan. I hadn’t gotten particularly close with either of them yet. Asmo flirted relentlessly, but still held himself a bit apart, wrapped up in his own busy social life as he was. He didn’t seem to mind me, though. Satan… seemed to have picked up on my little crush, and flashed me a pretty smile now and then, but I had the impression that it wasn’t from any genuine interest. Almost like a test to prove that he could. And he was the most mature out of the lot; I would even go as far as to say that he was the smartest, so he was probably the one best able to wiggle out of any weakness I found that I could use to exploit him.
To exploit him…
The Avatar of Lust, and the Avatar of Wrath.
Lust was pretty straight-forward. I just hoped I didn’t have to do anything too unsavoury to provoke it. Plus, Asmo was already in a pact with Solomon, so he seemed pretty open to the idea of pacting in itself. However, I shuddered at the thought of the seemingly cool-headed Satan angry. He hadn’t shown that side of himself to me. Like Levi, he seemed reluctant to give in to his true nature.
Belphie caught my shiver out of the corner of his eye, and looked back over at me. I looked over at him too.
He raised his hand and pressed it to the bars of the cage, or tried to, as his palm flattened against the invisible forcefield that stopped him from reaching out. I looked at his palm in surprise.
On a whim, I lifted my own palm up to him; slowly, reached past the forcefield and through the bars that trapped him. I pressed my palm to his own. His hand was definitely bigger than mine, but still not particularly large for a man’s, so we kinda matched up. He was warm. I was a bit cold.
He bent his knuckles and laced his fingers with mine.
It was my last night with Beel.
At the very least, the wall between my room and the kitchen had been repaired, so my room was now fit for habitation again. Once I came back from the exchange retreat, I’ll be back in my own bed again. It was a relief, though I always… preferred not to sleep alone. I thought about the life I had shared with Jake once, back in the human world. It felt like a lifetime ago. It was a toxic relationship, but the only companionship I actually had back in the human world, so I held onto it for far longer than I should have. It had been a long time since I had thought about him or my life back home, I realized. And now I had...
I woke up as I felt a soft pressure dip in the bed. I mumbled my confusion as I turned towards it, still half-asleep.
“…Chise, are you awake?”
I was now, but I didn’t mind. Beel’s voice didn’t sound at all happy. I reached out tentatively in the dark; my fingers touched what I thought was his arm.
“I need you to listen to what I’ve got to say…”
I nodded, before realizing that he probably couldn’t see me in the dark. “Okay, Beel. I’m listening.”
“You remember how I told you about Lilith, right? …Well, sometimes I dream about her, and they’re not happy dreams. They’re the sort of dreams you don’t want to have.” He was quiet for a moment. I brushed my thumb against his skin, encouraging him. "Long ago, back when we were in the Celestial Realm, I asked her a question: ‘Lilith, if you had to choose between saving either me or Belphie, who would it be?’”
“Oh…”
He laughed softly in the dark, but it was a miserable sound. “She would just look at me and say, ‘both of you!’” He exhaled through his nose. “Now, that really did happen… But when I dream about it, it doesn’t end there… Lilith and Belphie disappear, and I’m left all alone.”
I raised my head up off of my pillow slightly, aching over his situation. Lilith was gone, and now, Belphie…
“Everything is pitch-black, and suddenly I’m falling. Falling down through a void…”
I was choked up too. I struggled to find the words, breath caught in my throat. My poor Beel.
“Oh, Beel…” I breathed.
“Would it be okay if… If I held your hand, Chise? For a little bit. Until I fall asleep.”
I didn’t hesitate. I took his hand in mine, and shifted myself backwards on the bed, making room. He slid in beside me, gripping me tightly.
“Thanks.”
We lay there like that, hands entwined. The same hand that had pressed against Belphie’s, I thought absently. After a while, I heard Beel’s voice settle into a steady rhythm. He was asleep. Good. I drifted….
-
….Beel.
….Beel.
….You’ve got to help him.
….You’ve got to help Belphie.
….Promise me, Beel. Promise you’ll help him….
….Chise….
Both of us woke with a little start. I had turned over in my sleep, and now my back was pressed against Beel’s chest. It was still pitch black. His arms were around me. I was a little spoon, cupped against him, warm.
I thought I just had the strangest–
“I think I just dreamed, Chise.” Beel whispered in the dark, not embarrassed at all that he had woken up with me in his arms. “But it wasn’t like the other dreams… Do you think it could’ve been because you were here, Chise…?”
I thought about my answer, but before I could give it to him, his breathing evened out again. Asleep.
And so I laid there. In his arms.
I wondered what this meant. Was this an accident, being in his arms like this? I know it was hard for him to express himself…
If this were Mammon behind me, the message would be pretty clear. Mammon clearly... wanted to be close to me. Wanted me. My cheeks heated up as I thought back to how my back was pinned against him in the kitchen… His arousal grinding against me in the school hall… It was clearly desire. And romance?
And then here was Beel, literally spooning me. Mammon would KILL to be in his place right now, and the entire time he would be stuttering, blushing, wiggling around, unable to control his excitement and energy. Maybe he would even...
I swallowed. He wore his heart on his sleeve and wanted so badly to be...
...I don't know. I guess I didn't really know what he wanted either.
I thought about when Mammon had kissed me earlier today, heat flooding me again at the memory. So much passion. Without even thinking about it. Impulsive. With so much want and need. A clear message.
And here was Beel. Just casually holding me. Not a care in the world, it seemed. No pressure. No fuss. Nothing extra to it. Deciding to come to me for comfort because he needed it from his friend.
I decided it didn't matter. Beel is Beel. Beel is great. I loved a good cuddle. And I trusted him. I actually felt safe. I didn't feel safe with just anyone... Especially in the Devildom.
So I decided that was good enough. Beel could tell me in his own time if he wanted something different. He's a face-value kind of person, I realized. Maybe his message is as clear as Mammon’s. So I'll do just that. Take him at face value. And just cuddle.
I nestled deeper under the covers and against his chest. He pulled me closer in response, murmuring sleepily.
I thought about Mammon’s lips against mine. Belphie’s palm against mine. Beel’s body against mine.
It had been a very long day.
Chapter 9: Chapter 7 – Welp, Time For Our Retreat
Chapter Text
“All right! It’s finally time for our retreat!" Mammon beamed. "Three days and two nights! So, Chise, are you pumped for this or what!?”
I was going to put down Mammon’s sudden 180 enthusiasm for the retreat and his specific inclusion of me in his question as him still being an awkward bundle of nerves about yesterday. Trying to reach out, somehow. It was his way.
“You bet.” I smiled at him.
He flushed. “ALL RIIIIIGHT! Now that’s what I wanna hear!”
My goofball.
“Mammon, you’re being really loud,” Levi muttered grumpily.
“Aw, what’s wrong with you, Levi? Get that grumpy look off your face, killjoy! Ah, I know what’s goin’ on here. You stayed up real late last night playin’ games and reading’ manga and stuff, didn’t ya?" He snickered to himself. "Yup, I knew it! One point for Mammon!”
“You’re like… too excited right now, Mammon, and it’s really annoying. What is even wrong with you.”
I knew.
“Mammon being annoying is nothing new, but yeah… this morning he’s ESPECIALLY annoying,” Satan tsked, walking down the hall towards us. “I could hear him from my room."
I knew.
“At first, you were complaining about how this retreat was going to be a drag.”
Mammon blushed, but refused to meet my eyes. “Ah, shut up, both of you. Sure, I thought it was gonna be a drag, but now that it’s actually time to go, I’m excited! Anythin’ wrong with that, huh!?”
Satan gave his head a small shake and rubbed at his temples. “What are you, an elementary school kid about to head off on a school trip?” He paused, pretending to have an epiphany, though I’m sure he had already surmised it. “Ahhh, I understand what’s going on now. You’re excited because Chise–"
“Whoa, Beel, that bag of yours is WAAAY too big!” Mammon cut him off. “Pff, I bet it’s stuffed with food, ain’t it?”
Beel glanced down the hall at the sound of loud rumbling wheels. “Well, what about Asmodeus? I’d say he’s the one you should be criticizing when it comes to luggage.”
“Goooood morning, everyone! My, you’re all early!” Asmodeus, as chipper as ever. “Ugh, I just COULDN’T decide how I wanted to do my hair this morning, you know? It took so much time…”
Satan stared at the two roller suitcases that he was dragging along with him. “…Asmodeus, WHY do you have so much luggage?”
“Yeah, it’s only for two nights, ya know? You think you’re headin’ off on a tour of the three worlds or somethin’?”
“This is ACTUALLY quite a bit less than what I wanted to bring. But then it occurred to me that I only have two hands, so I could only bring two suitcases with me.”
“I’ll help you with that third suitcase, Asmo!” I teased. Asmo brightened at me and bubbled with delight. Satan groaned.
“You know, larger doujinshi artists generally ship their stuff when they go to conventions…”
“Sorry, Levi, but I’m not sure what you’re even talking about right now,” Asmo frowned.
I patted Levi’s arm, but he flinched and blushed. Right. Oops. Uncomfortable with touch.
“So what do you have in there?” Beel peered at Asmo’s suitcases. “Food?”
“Ugh, no, of course not. I’m not you, Beel! I guess most of it is just clothes, makeup, and random beauty products?” Asmo wiggled a bit in the shoulders. “I mean, everyone expects me to look my best at all times, don’t they?”
“Man, even LEVI makes more sense than you, Asmo!”
“It looks like everyone’s here,” Lucifer cut in. I wondered how late he had stayed out with Diavolo last night… He hadn’t been home by the time Beel and I went to bed. I squirmed with his secret. “It won’t do to keep Diavolo waiting. We should head over to the Demon Lord’s Castle right now. I want to get there before the angels and Solomon do.”
“So, Demon Lord’s Castle…” Mammon linked his arm in mine, but looked at the top of my head, not my face. “I hope you’re ready, Chise, ‘cause there’s no guarantee you’ll come back from this alive, ya know?”
“I know you want Chise to be interested in you, Mammon.” Satan, so good at pushing buttons, cut in. “But you do realize it sounds as if you’re trying to scare your romantic interest, right?”
“WHA? HUH? AH? R-ROMANT–” He dropped my arm hurriedly. “What?! Whaddya mean!? Pff! Why would I want Chise to be interested in me, huh!? Th-There’s a lot of rumours about that place, that’s a fact, that’s all! Ghosts wanderin’ in the halls and the like, y’know?” He babbled, embarrassed. I shook my head in amusement.
“Well, what I heard is that there’s an underground labyrinth beneath the castle.” If Satan was saying that, I was a little more willing to believe it.
“Quit standing around and get going!” Lucifer barked.
Mammon heaved his bag over his shoulder, and then took mine as well. I let him. As a treat. “Right, right, I’m comin’…”
“Well, good morning! I must say, I couldn’t wait for you to arrive!” Diavolo boomed in his large voice, looking around at us all with his arms spread.
“Welcome to the Demon Lord’s Castle. It’s a pleasure to have you all here.” Barbatos bowed from the waist, his pretty teal fringe falling forward. Ugh, and that lisp… I was a sucker for it. I gave the tiniest hint of a curtesy. His eyes fell on me at the movement, though his expression remained as impassive as ever.
“Good morning, Diavolo,” Lucifer greeted. “And you too, Barbatos. Well, it seems that neither Solomon nor the angels have arrived yet, have they?”
“Man, now that’s just shameless. Listen to you pretendin’ like you didn’t hurry over here, all frantic to make it to Lord Diavolo before Solomon and the angels could.”
Satan slapped the back of Mammon’s head.
“Hm? Did you say something, Mammon?” Lucifer flicked his eyes over to him, and proceeded to stomp on his foot as well, crushing his heel down.
“D’AAAAHH, OW OW OW! HEY! Satan…! Ugh! My FOOT! You’re steppin’ on my FOOT, Lucifer! …Lucifer, sir!”
“Well, Lucifer, Mammon, I see that you two are getting along swimmingly as usual.”
“At least Mammon is predictable,” Asmo sighed. “No matter what, you can always count on him to act stupid.”
“Yeah. It’s embarrassing to think that Solomon and the angels are about to get a front row seat to all of Mammon’s idiocy…” Satan sighed as well.
“WHAT?”
“Ah, speaking of our other guests...” Barbatos touched his chin and inclined his head behind us. “They’ve just arrived.”
“…Hello and good morning!” Simeon threw his bright, friendly smile around the room. “We’ve already got quite the crowd here, don’t we?”
Solomon came up behind him, giving a wave. “You demons sure know how to get an early start. I see you managed to get here before us.”
Luke took up the rear. But when he saw me, he cried out, rushing towards me. “…Chise!!!” I caught him with an oomph as he threw his arms around me. Welp. Guess I was a mom now. I patted his head awkwardly.
“What the…! HEY! What’s the big idea runnin’ up and hugging’ Chise like that!?”
“Ugh, THIS is why I can’t stand normies…” I gave Levi a quizzical look. I expected the jealous... interest from Mammon, but Levi? He caught my eye and flushed a deep red.
Interesting.
“Chise, I’m SO happy you’re all right…! So, SO HAPPY! There aren’t even words…!”
Oh yeah, I guess the last time the kid saw me I was probably laid out flat on the stone floor of the crypt. No wonder he threw himself at me.
“I’m so, so sorry, Chise. You could’ve been hurt – or worse – and it was all my fault… I was beside myself with worry...”
I glanced over at Lucifer. He didn’t meet my eyes. I patted Luke’s head again. “Don’t worry about it, Luke. I don’t blame you at all.” I emphasized it for Lucifer’s benefit. “It’s all right.”
“Are you actually an angel?” Luke sighed. “Is that it? An angel disguised as a human?”
Simeon laughed sweetly next to him.
“I’ve heard rumours that Simeon and Diavolo met and mediated a solution together. Is that it?” Solomon looked between the two expectantly.
“Yes, we did.”
“Indeed, yes.” Diavolo nodded as well. “Isn’t that right, Lucifer?”
“…Yes.”
Good. Eat your pride.
Luke sulked too.
Asmo giggled. “Just look at the expression on Luke’s face. He looks like a dog with a tail between his legs.”
“Hush. He’ll hear you, Asmodeus.” Satan nudged him.
“All right.” Diavolo changed the subject. “Now that we’re all here, perhaps we should go ahead and explain how this retreat is going to work.” He turned to Barbatos, giving him the floor.
“Certainly, My Lord. The aim of this retreat is for demons, angels, and humans to intermingle so that each may gain a better understanding of the other.”
“Well, as we’re stayin’ the night, I say the best way to intermingle is by havin’ a pillow fight!”
“…Now then,” Bartbatos continued, completely ignoring Mammon. “I’ll begin by explaining what we have planned for each day of the retreat.”
“Wha… so you’re just gonna ignore me!?”
“ROTFLMAO LOOOOOL!”
Right. Yeah. I can see now why Mammon and Levi were the easiest to pact with. Embarrassing, considering they were the second and third born.
“After you’ve taken your belongings up to your rooms,” Barbatos continued to ignore them, “we’ll begin with a tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle, where you’ll have a chance to learn about Devildom history. We’ll be serving Devildom cuisine for dinner tonight, and I’ve taken the liberty of volunteering to prepare for tonight’s meal myself.”
“Mmm, Barbatos’ authentic Devildom cuisine…” Beel’s eyes glinted.
“Um, Beel… You’re drooling.” Levi dug his elbow into his ribs.
“Tomorrow we’ll also be having a scavenger hunt.”
“…Eh? A what now?”
“…Each day, we plan to have a representative from one of the three worlds prepare a meal for us. So, tomorrow Luke will be making food from the Celestial Realm. I’m sure it will be quite a treat.”
“Remember Luke,” Simeon turned to him, “you’re making DINNER. Which means more than just sweets, understand?”
“Okaaaaay…”
“Incidentally, there will also be a dance following dinner tomorrow. Then on day three – the final day – we’ll get to enjoy food from the human world for lunch, which Chise will be preparing for us.”
“…Oh. Well. I guess I am.” No one had told me.
“Just the thought of getting to eat Chise’s human world cooking is making me hungry…”
“Well then, why don’t we move on to the room assignments? Lord Diavolo will be sharing a room with Lucifer.”
I’m pretty sure I just turned beet red, remembering them by the fireplace. I hope no one noticed. Lucifer remained impassive. I’m sure their rooming wasn’t an accident.
“Luke, Beelzebub, Leviathan, you will be sharing a room.”
“I have a really, really bad feeling about this…” Luke sulked.
“Simeon, Asmodeus, Chise, you’ll be sharing a room.”
…..Shit. Simeon, the most gorgeous man in all of the three realms as far as I was concerned, and the Avatar of Lust. Cool. Cool cool cool. I’m cool.
“Wh…?!” Mammon started.
“And Solomon, Mammon, Satan, you’ll be sharing a room as well. And that covers everyone.”
“…Yo, Asmodeus," Mammon cut in flatly. "Switch rooms with me.”
“Whaaaaat? Why should I, Mammon?"
“Because, um… y’know… Solomon looks like he snores, and… and Satan’s feet probably stink…”
“Well, that’s an awfully rude thing to accuse me of.” Solomon shook his head. “And it’s also not true.”
“And my feet don’t smell." Satan smirked. "Mammon, the truth is that you want to be in the same room as Chise, don’t you? At night, of all times?”
“Wh?! You idi…! N-No I don’t! Why would I want to share a room with Chise!? I mean… A human!? When you s-sleep in the same room as a human, their smell ends up rubbin’ off on ya! So you should be grateful I’m even willin’ to trade with ya, Asmo! You should be HONOURED, actually!”
“I AM human too, Mammon.” Solomon rolled his eyes.
“Look at how hard he’s trying to deny it. Loooool.”
“Ahhh, I see. So that’s why you want to switch rooms, is it?” Asmo pretended to consider for a moment. “Well, in that case… the answer is NO! Too bad!”
“WHY NOT!?”
“Maybe because I enjoy seeing that bitter, frustrated look on your face?”
Mammon growled.
“Ahahaha! Yep, that’s the one! I really DO love that look!”
Lucifer folded his arms. “How long do you all plan on goofing around? Let’s go. Time to take your belongings up to your rooms.”
“Chise, I guess I can take your bag to your– OWWW! Hey! Lucifer, stop! Quit pullin’ me along by the ear! Ugh, COME ON! What’d I do to deserve this, huh!?”
Simeon picked up my bag with a smile, his shoulder brushing against mine.
Simeon turned around the room, nodding to himself. “Well,” he looked over at me, “it seemed we’ve gotten ourselves settled here in our room now. Our belongings are in order, and we’ve decided on who’ll be using which bed. So, Asmodeus, Chise, let me take this opportunity to say that I look forward to sharing a space with the two of you these next few days.”
“Me too, Simeon,” I said, shyly.
“Yes, me too. And I have to say, Chise, Simeon, you two certainly lucked out now, didn’t you!? Considering you get to share a room with ME!”
I smiled and shook my head.
“Ah, yes. I suppose you could say we’re lucky to have you on the team,” Simeon said politely, though noncommittally.
“Hehe! Now, now, there’s no need to hide how thrilled you really are right now. Stop and think about it for a moment! You’ll be sharing a room with me – with Asmodeus himself. Which means you’ll be here to see me when I first wake up in the morning, after I’ve stepped out of the shower, when I get sleepy and start to doze off, when I’m changing clothes…” He sighed dreamily. “For three days and two nights, you actually get to witness the most private sides of me! Now, if that’s not what you call amazing luck, I don’t know what is!"
I found it really hard to connect and relate to Asmo. Pacting with him was going to be a huge challenge for me.
“Ahahaha. I have to say, you really are funny, aren’t you Asmodeus?”
“Funny?" Asmo tilted his head. "I believe you mean beautiful… You can just come out and say it! What sort of imagine did you have of me in the first place, Simeon?”
“…Hmmm. Let me think." Simeon touched a finger to his chin. "Well, I suppose I still think of you the same way I did back when you were up in the Celestial Realm. ‘Lucifer, the pride of the Celestial Realm, loved by all of creation… There was one angel he thought especially beautiful, one whom he praised and kept at his side. T'was Asmodeus, jewel of the heavens.’”
I could not imagine Lucifer praising anyone. I opened my pack up and started rifling through for toiletries.
“Yes, yes, exactly! That’s me!”
Simeon nodded. “I suppose I see you as someone who is very attached to that reputation, and works day in and day out trying to live up to it.”
My eyebrows shot up at Simeon’s words. That was the most savage I had ever seen him be. I’m glad my back was turned so Asmo couldn’t see me snickering.
“…Huh?” Asmo stopped in his tracks. “So you’re saying that your image of me is of someone... who wants to be loved?”
“Yes, I suppose that would be accurate.”
“Mmm, I don’t feel like that’s a good description of me, personally…” Asmo hugged himself, taken down a notch.
I was raptly paying attention at this point. I think Simeon nailed it, actually. Did Asmo’s vanity actually come from deep-seated insecurity? That would be a very human thing if so… But. Well. I may have just found Lust’s greatest weakness.
“…I mean, naturally I think no one in the three worlds is more deserving of love than I am. But that’s just common sense, now isn’t it? I mean, is there anyone out there who DOESN’T love me?”
Asmo’s greatest weakness: Being unloved.
Huh. I wondered why I didn’t think of that sooner.
“Hmm, I wonder. If you were ever to come across a soul that you couldn’t charm – that you couldn’t control – how would you react? Hmmm… It’s an interesting question. Wouldn’t you agree, Chise?”
So polite. And absolutely savage.
“Chise!?” Asmo bounced towards me, taking me by the arm, looking for a rescue, looking for reassurance. “What do you have to say about all this? You think there’s actually someone out there who doesn’t love me?”
“Yep. There has to be someone. I’m sure of it.” I dug at him a little deeper.
“…Ah! I see what’s going on here. Both of you are jealous of me! That’s it, isn’t it? Ugh, stop it you two.” Asmo batted his eyes. “I can’t handle any more jealous people. I can barely tolerate Levi as it is. …Though, I suppose I CAN understand how you’d envy me. Really, it should be illegal to be this wonderful, shouldn’t it?”
Ignoring him, Simeon turned towards me and placed his palm on the top of my head, as he liked to do. I smiled up at him. He smiled genuinely down at me. I saw Asmo’s face fall. “Shall we head out and meet everybody together, Chise?”
I nodded, blushing a bit. Simeon noticed and chuckled lightly, breathily. Asmo was looking back and forth between us, uncertainty on his face. For once.
Was Simeon somehow playing this up for me?
Before we could turn to leave, a knock came at our door. Satan poked his head in. “Hey, the tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle is starting soon.”
Simeon ruffled my hair, looking at me fondly. “Well then, I suppose we should get going. After you, Chise."
“…I want to go home,” Luke sulked.
“What’s wrong, Luke? You seemed to be in such high spirits yesterday,” Simeon asked, sweeping into the room after me.
“Yeah, suddenly that cute little tail of yours is hanging down like a sad doggy, you know?” Asmo teased.
“I’m NOT a dog! And I DON’T have a tail! You’re so lucky, Simeon… Unlike me, you have relatively decent roommates. My room is AWFUL! First off, Leviathan is taking up almost half the room to perform a strange ritual worshipping some sort of idol!”
Yeah. That tracked.
“Well, tomorrow is the birthday festival for one of my favourite characters!” Levi shuffled into the room, hands in his pockets, lighting up when talking about his passions. Beel was following him. “When the clock strikes midnight, I’ve got to go online and start streaming. To share my deepest passion, and joy, and infatuation–"
“Woah there, Levi,” I giggled. “Inside thoughts, dear.”
He coloured prettily at the pet name.
“Ugh, at least speak in a language I can understand… As for Beelzebub, HE suddenly started eating one of the paintings in our room…”
“That picture of the fruit was too lifelike. I thought it was real.” Also tracked.
“Right, but shouldn’t you have realized it was a painting BEFORE eating the entire thing?!”
“Hey now, Levi, Beel. You shouldn’t tease the doggy too much, got it?” Mammon strolled in, taking his place beside me, grinning at Luke.
“I’m NOT a doggy!”
“What’s going on? Suddenly you seem to be in an awfully good mood, Mammon. Did you spot something in your room that you might be able to sell for a profit?” Simeon leaned forward.
“Wh…?! N-N-No, I’m not plannin’ to do anything like that! I mean, I’m totally not thinkin’ about maybe stealing’ something outta the castle if I get the chance! And it’s not like Solomon and Satan and me realized we’ve got shared interest and common goals because Solomon wants some magical items that belong to the Demon King and Satan just wants to give Lucifer a black eye and that suddenly things got more interestin’ when we realized we could work together. It’s not like that at all, understand?!”
“Oh, Mammon,” I sighed. He looked at me guiltily. It was actually the first time he looked directly at me all day. Ass.
“Solomon, shut that idiot up right now,” Satan growled.
“Don’t look at me. Isn’t he your responsibility? You are technically brothers, after all.”
“Well! It looks like everyone’s here now.” Diavolo strolled in with Lucifer. “In that case, let’s begin our tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle.”
“…Oh man, that was CLOSE! Good thing Lucifer didn’t hear what I said.”
I stomped on his foot. He yelped.
“Mammon,” Lucifer glowered at him. “When the tour’s over, I expect you to come to my room and explain everything about what you just mentioned in detail.”
“YIKES.”
“What an idiot…” Satan slapped his palm lightly to his forehead.
“Now, now. I think it’s nice to have at least one foolish character in the group you can tease. It lightens things up a little, don’t you think?”
The voice didn’t come from any of us. I turned my head back and forth, looking for the source.
“HEY! Who’re you callin’ foolish!”
“Where did that voice come from?” Simeon wondered.
“WHOOPSIE!” A little devil creature hopped into the room, smoky, goopy, a wide and toothy smile, teeth sharp. It probably came up to about my knees or thighs in height. I eyed it warily. Mammon didn’t react, so I suppose it was safe. “I suppose I really should have introduced myself earlier! Hello there, I’m Little D. Number 2! Ah, but call me Number Two if you would, okay?”
“Wh-What is THAT!? A blob?! A tiny demon…?” Luke stuttered and took a step back.
“You all know about the Little D’s, don’t you?” Luke and I shook our heads at Diavolo. “Ah! They are minor devils that serve here in the Devildom. There is no reason to fear. Apparently, Barbatos has some student council business to attend to for the moment, so I thought I’d ask Number Two here to be our guide. He may be small, but he’s very helpful.”
“Yes. He’s much more helpful than a certain other ’number two’ I know.” Lucifer gave a pointed look at Mammon.
“A certain other number two? …Who’s that?”
“You know, every once in a long while, I’m actually a little envious of you for being like this, Mammon…” Levi shook his head.
“Okie dokie then, I’ll go ahead and give a quick rundown on what we’re going to be seeing on our tour. The history of the Demon Lord’s Castle is the history of the Devildom itself! We’re going to be viewing all sorts of historical artifacts and works of art housed here in the castle. And in the process, you’ll learn all about the Devildom!”
“Boring…” Mammon huffed.
“So, let’s start with this portrait here!”
Satan shook his head, looking up at it. “I doubt you even need to introduce HIM, right?”
“Don’t be so sure, Satan. After all, I’m guessing Chise doesn’t know who this is.” Simeon laid a gentle hand on my shoulder, light as a feather. I shook my head up at him. Mammon stared.
“Right, so this is a portrait of the great Demon King himself!!
“Ah, right, so that’s what he looks like…” Luke also looked up. “The last time I saw him was at a ceremony over a thousand years ago.”
“Yes, I haven’t seen my father in several hundred years myself. He’s slumbering at the bottom of the Devildom now.” I blinked at Diavolo. He was what? Why? “I’d say he isn’t much interested in the world at large these days.”
Solomon stepped forward to peer at the painting. “That crown there… I’m guessing it must belong to the Demon King?”
“Hmmm? Oh! I didn’t even notice that crown there,” Number Two answered. “And as for whether it belongs to the Demon King… I suppose it could?”
Lucifer shook his head. “Actually, that belonged to the previous Demon King.”
“Oh wow! It looks like you’re right, actually! The former Demon King’s inscription is etched into the inside surface.”
“Huh, interesting.” Asmo looked closer too. “You certainly do know a lot about this stuff, don’t you Lucifer?”
“That’s because when I first came here, Diavolo explained what each item here was. It took him… hours.”
“Haha, right! I did, didn’t I? Ah, the memories!”
Lucifer shook his head.
“Man, I’ve gotta hand it to Lord Diavolo. Even when Lucifer gets sarcastic like that, it STILL doesn’t bother him…!”
“Assuming it registered as sarcasm to him in the first place,” Solomon muttered.
We headed down the hall. The architecture of the interior was beautiful, with graceful arches and columns separating the balconies from the staircases leading down.
Mammon was scuffing his feet on the floor with his hands in his pockets as he moved along beside me. “It’s nothin’ but paintings in here…”
Satan was looking around. “Yeah, there are plenty in the House of Lamentation too, but not as much as here.”
“I haven’t stopped to look at these in quite some time myself.” Diavolo folded his arms and peered at one closer.
“Wow…” Luke gasped. “There’s even a picture of the Celestial Realm here…” I moved over to stand beside him, curious about the other realm. The painting was beautiful. Golden. Serene. Angelic.
“Ah, yes. I believe this was painted around the time that I first met Lucifer.”
“Hey, let’s not bring that up–“
“Oh, what’s the harm in it? The first time I met you, you were simply so divine, so awe-inspiring that you took my breath away. I couldn’t believe such a beautiful, magnificent angel actually existed.”
Oh my god. Diavolo was painfully obvious. Right in front of everyone. He had it so bad.
“And then there was the way you refused to even shake my hand!”
“Why do you sound so happy right now…?” Lucifer groaned.
“He wouldn’t even shake your hand?” Satan raised an eyebrow. “Wow, that’d be unthinkable now.”
“All of this walking around is making me hungry…” Beel grumbled.
Levi was typing on his D.D.D. “'Man, this tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle only just started, and I’m already totally sick of it! Lolol.’ And.. sent!”
“Uh, don’t you think it’s a BAD IDEA to be posting that sort of stuff online!?”
AHHHHHHHHH.
Luke startled and clutched to me. “Wh-What was that?!”
Simeon peered over the edge of the railing. “It sounded like a woman screaming…?”
“Oooh! I HAVE to post about this! ‘Just heard terrible scream! @ the Demon Lord’s Castle’ And… Done! …HEY! CHISE!” I snatched Levi’s D.D.D. out of his hands, dangling it away from him. Levi threw himself against my side and made a grab.
I put it down my shirt. Levi gasped, eyes wide, jaw hanging open. Everyone else was looking over the railing. I smirked. Levi is on an internet time out now. He spluttered and covered his mouth with his hands, staring at my chest.
“Wait a minute…” Asmo leaned over a little further. “I feel like I’ve heard a scream like that before…”
How could you… HOW COULD YOU…?! Asmodeus… This is all your fault! All of it, YOUR FAULT…!
Solomon tilted his head. “Is that portrait talking?”
“Bingo! Yes, you’re exactly right!” Number Two bounced down the stairs towards it. Hesitantly, we all followed.
Lucifer studied it. “That’s a portrait of Helene. She was a witch.”
“Helene..?” Asmo pondered. “Hmm, Helene… why does that name sound familiar…? Oh, yes! Yes, of course! HELENE! I remember now!”
“So what’s going on here anyway?” Mammon gave the frame a poke.
“Mammon!” I hissed, slapping his hand away from the obviously cursed painting. My boys couldn’t behave.
“Oooh! I can answer that question!” Number Two piped. “Helene was once known far and wide as a witch of unparalleled beauty! Countless humans, angels, and demons alike fell under her spell. But then Asmodeus here came along and seduced her, leading her to betray her lover at the time.”
I smacked my forehead.
“Yes, I had a feeling that’s where this story was headed…” Simeon said with a sigh.
“War erupted as a result of her betrayal, a Great War that destroyed an entire country. And Helene was derided as a horrible, wicked woman who had sold he soul to a demon. What she had to endure was awful…!”
Satan’s eyebrows shot up in exasperation. “So you’re saying all this happened because Asmodeus fooled around with some woman long ago?”
”Give me my D.D.D! I want to post that!” Levi hissed at me.
“Get it yourself.” I winked. He blanched.
“Ahahaha! Now wait a minute, everyone. We’re talking about something that happened hundreds of years ago! But regardless… Helene! I never expected to run into you here of all places! I mean, what are the chances?! Wow, it’s been sooooo looong! So, whachya up to these days, hm?”
Solomon raised his eyebrows. “Wow, it’s almost like he’s still trying to flirt… With a painting…”
“Well, isn’t this nice, running into an old friend like this!” Diavolo laughed heartily, as painfully oblivious as Asmo.
“It doesn’t seem like she considers herself an old friend.” Lucifer retorted.
…After what happened, I incurred the wrath of my nephew of my former lover, who was a sorcerer. He sealed me inside this painting.
“The nephew of your ex?” Asmo fluttered his hands. “Are you talking about Demetrios?! I don’t believe it! The first time I saw him, he was just a little munchkin! You’re telling me he grew up to be a sorcerer capable of doing something like that!? Well, that is impressive! You know, Demetrios’ father was a grade-A hunk, so I imagine his son must’ve turned into quite the man himself…” Asmo trailed off, suggestively. “So, why didn’t you tell me that this happened to you? I would’ve come straight over to help! Ugh, Helene, you’re so stubborn, you know that?”
…Silence!
“Ahaha! Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve heard you say that! Ah, the memories…”
Asmodeus… you haven’t changed one bit! You’re still the same awful womanizer of a demon you’ve always been. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of how much I hate you, how much I RESENT you! NOT ONE SINGLE DAY!
“Mmmhmm, thank you. I missed you too, you know?”
“Maaaan, she’s not gettin’ through to him AT ALL!” Mammon hissed beside me.
“Asmo, you’re full on being stupid right now. You can’t be serious,” I chided. Mammon snickered.
I may be imprisoned inside this portrait, but I haven’t lost my power. Oh no… In fact, I still have power enough to capture you, as you’re about to see…!
A rush of wind gushed through the party from behind us, pulling us towards the painting, roaring in our ears.
“Uh oh,” Number Two squeaked. “Be careful everyone! It just so happens that Helene’s portrait is known to drag those who look at it inside the painting itself!”
“NOW you tell us?!” I yell back at the little shit of a devil. “WE’RE THE CLOSEST ONES TO IT!” I threw myself at a nearby column and wrapped my arms around it.
“D’AAAAHHH, I’M BEIN’ DRAGGED IN! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHIN’ EARLIER!?” Mammon grabbed onto Levi, who squealed and tried to fight him off. “C’mon Levi whaddya expect!? You’re the closest thing for me to grab! Now c’mon! Dig in! We’re losin’ ground here!”
Levi kicked at him. “You know I sit inside all day every day! I’m not strong enough for this!”
And then, they vanished. I heard myself keening as I watched them get sucked in, holding on to my pillar.
“Ugh, I’m so hungry that I’m too weak to keep from being pulled in…”
Beel vanishes. Idiot.
“Hey, Solomon!?” Asmo slapped at him. “Why are you holding onto my arm!? Let go!”
“Because when it comes down to it, this is all your fault. So if I’m going in, so are you.”
“FINE! In that case, I’m pulling Chise in with us!”
“WHAT!?” I shrieked as Asmo threw himself around my middle. I slapped at his head as I was pulled forward with him.
Things whirled, and went black.
…Chise…
…Chise.
“Chise.”
I opened my eyes. Solomon was leaning over me, patting my cheek lightly.
“Ah, good. You’re awake…”
I looked around at the narrow stone hallway dimly lit but torches positioned high near the ceiling. “Where are we…?”
He grabbed my elbow to help me sit up. “I’m not sure. I woke up and found myself here, same as you. I’m not sure where the others are. Looks like we’re the only ones here.” He looked around, serious. “Two humans alone together in an unfamiliar area of the Devildom… this isn’t safe.” He smiled at me, eyes softened. “But don’t worry. I’d better go ahead and call Asmodeus over.”
I looked at him, puzzled. “How…?”
“By summoning him, silly,” he said lightly, eyes creasing from his amused smile. “If you have a pact with a demon, you can call them to your side whenever you want.”
“Oh…” I hadn’t known that. “Can I do that…?”
“That remains to be seen. I’m guessing it would be a difficult task for you, since you have almost no magical power. But here, watch.”
He stood. He was elegant; greyscale in tone, almost, except for the gold trim of his coat. He raised his palms up. His voice started as soft, musical, but rose with power and command as he incanted. “…Hear me, denizens of the darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I, Solomon, call upon you to send forth one of your number! I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus!”
I looked up at him in awe from the floor. I saw… something. Around him. I wasn’t sure what.
And in a flash, Asmo was deposited unceremoniously beside me on the floor. “OW! That HURT, Solomon! How many times have I told you to be more gentle when summoning me? What if I had injured my face, hm?!”
Solomon shook his head, unamused. “Stop complaining, Asmo. This is all your fault, after all. Anyway, where are we?”
“Don’t go asking me!” He stood up, brushing at his pants.
Solomon extended another hand to me and pulled me up to my feet by my wrist. “From the looks of it, I’m guessing we’re in that underground labyrinth beneath the Demon Lord’s Castle – the one Satan and Mammon mentioned. Do you know what happened to the others?”
“How should I know? But I’ll tell you this much: We’d better find Beel before he gets REALLY hungry. We have to get him out of here, or we’ll have a real problem on our hands. If he gets too hungry, he’ll lose control and go on a rampage. He could end up destroying the entire castle, and then Lucifer would be SUPER mad!”
“Hmmmmm…” Solomon tilted his head. “I have to say, I’d enjoy watching Lucifer tear into your brothers for doing something like that. But yeah, I’ve got no interest in being involved myself. I guess we should start by finding Mammon and Leviathan too since they were sucked in as well.”
I tried to concentrate, tried to see if I could feel my boys. But I couldn’t. I guess Solomon was right. I had very little magical ability. Solomon gestured, and we followed him down the hall.
-
“….Solomooooon, how far does this labyrinth goooo? Are you even sure we’re going the right way?”
“Quiet, Asmo. You’re the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.”
“Meeeeee? It’s not like I did anything wrong. Chise, you agree with me, don’t youuuu?”
“You should really apologize to Helene,” I replied tersely.
“Apologize? ME? I’m sorry, but I’m not quite sure why you’d want me to do that. I mean, true, I suppose an entire country WAS destroyed in the end, but how could I have known that would happen, hm?”
“I’m not sure that would have stopped you even if you HAD known, Asmodeus,” I said through gritted teeth.
“But it’s not like I manipulated Helene at all! I simply gave her an opportunity to have what she wanted – to unleash her inner desire. You see, everyone desires something. Everyone has lust in their heart. No matter how noble and saintly they may be, they’re always keeping something locked up in there. And it’s the same with you as well, isn’t it, Chise?” he purred at me. I shuddered.
He stopped walking and rounded on me, staring into my eyes. “I wonder… What is it that you desire? Who is it that you desire?” Mammon came to my mind immediately, of course. His fierce, passionate kiss. His hands on my body. <i>His</i> body... I turned red under Asmo’s gaze. He smiled flirtatiously. “What sort of secret, shameful thoughts are hidden inside that heart of yours?” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Why not let me help you reach inside and unleash it?”
Solomon rounded on Asmo from ahead of us, eyes wide. “Hey!”
“Quiet, Solomon. We’re having a moment here,” Asmo cooed, not looking away from my eyes.
“Are you sure now is the time for that?” Solomon stormed back over to us, looking at my face. His own darkened at my look of deep discomfort and distress. He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him, yanking me away from Asmo and breaking his gaze. I clutched a bit at his cloak, discomfited while he threw his arms around me.
“Aww, but things were just getting good…”
“Okay, but you should probably know that Mammon, Leviathan, and Beelzebub are being chased by a giant snake right now.”
“…Come again?”
My head whipped over to look down the hall, just as I heard Levi scream.
“H-HEEEELP!” And Mammon too.
I ran towards them, breaking from Solomon’s embrace.
“Chise, stop!"
“OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN IT’S GONNA EAT US!”
I stopped in my tracks as Mammon, Beel, and Levi rounded the corner, chased by a Giant. Fucking. Snake.
“That is a really big snake,” Solomon observed, matter of fact.
“Hey, how ’bout you stop talkin’ and HELP!” Mammon ran up to me and picked me up by the middle, carrying me at a run back down the hall towards Solomon and Asmo.
“I am a fan of eating, but I’m not interested in being eaten…” Beel huffed as he ran.
“As if we didn’t already have enough problems as it is,” Solomon sighed, “they had to go and bring us another one. Well, we’d better get out of here.”
“Get out of here and go where, exactly!?” Levi’s panic made his voice shrill.
“Just shut up and follow me.” He turned and ran down a narrow alleyway in the wall, hoping the snake would be too large to fit.
“…Looks like we managed to lose it somehow,” Asmo panted.
“Yeah, but what’re we s’posed to do now, huh? You expect us to hide here forever?”
“You’re the one who woke that snake up, Mammon,” Beel glowered. “You don’t get to complain.”
“Hey, I didn’t wake it up! I just saw a snakeskin lyin’ on the ground and figured I’d sell it for a pretty nice sum! But when I tried to grab it to take it with me, it turned out there was still a snake inside! That’s when that monster suddenly came after us, all mad n’ stuff…!”
“Oh, Mammon…” I sighed and shook my head. He gave me a guilty look.
“He’s NOT a monster,” Levi insisted. “He’s Henry 1.0.”
“What…?”
“Henry...? Wait, you mean THAT Henry?!”
"I know Henry when I see him! And that is Henry, no doubt about it. I can’t believe I’d find him down here of all places…”
“Henry?” I looked up at Levi. “What are you talking about?”
Beel sighed. “He’s talking about the pet snake he used to have. Every time Levi gets a new pet, he names it Henry.”
“Umm.. I want to say you’re on your fourth Henry at this point, right?”
“No, you’re WAY off! I’m currently keeping Henry 2.0.” His little goldfish. “I kept Henry 1.0 in his glass case and took really good care of him, but one day he disappeared. How many years has it been at this point…? He was in his case in my room that day, and the doors and windows were all shut, yet he still managed to vanish without a trace. I looked all over for him… Later, when I moved rooms, I expected to find his bones or something. Every time I picked up something to move it, I was scared. But I never did find the remains of Henry 1.0…”
“Aww, Levi, I’m so sorry,” I murmured to him.
“What! Don’t be sorry, Chise! Now Henry is CHASIN’ us!”
“I don’t believe it.” Levi beamed. “I never thought I’d see him again…! But here he is, alive and well – and he’s gotten so BIG! Oh, it’s such a relief. I’m so glad he’s all right.”
“Well, I sure ain’t!”
Solomon rested his chin on his knuckles. “If he used to be your pet, do you think there’s some way to pacify him?”
“Nope, no way. He looked like he’d forgotten me completely.”
“Well, yes, I’d say so, considering he just tried to eat you.”
“We should attack it. We should take that thing down, then grill it up and eat it. I’m hungry.”
“NO! I won’t let you hurt Henry 1.0, Beel! And he’s NOT FOOD!”
“But–“
“We’re NOT eating Levi’s Henry.” I cut off all protests.
“Thanks, Chise…”
“Okay, then what SHOULD we do? If we don’t do somethin’ about that snake, we’re never gonna get out of here."
“We don’t necessarily need to hurt Henry to get out of here,” Solomon pondered. “There’s another strategy we could try.”
“…Really? There is?!” Levi, happy that his snake won’t be on tonight’s dinner menu.
“Oh, Solomon!” Asmo cooed sweetly. “I knew you’d come up with something! Not only are you good-looking, you’re smart, too.”
“…Thanks. All right, I’ll be counting on you to make this work, Asmodeus.”
“Huh? ...Me?”
“Ah, I see what he’s thinkin’! While that snake is chewin’ on Asmo, the rest of us can make our escape!”
That was pretty tempting, I thought.
“Uh, NO! That should be YOUR job, Mammon. As the stupidest among us, it’s only right.”
“Stupid enough to seduce and anger a powerful witch and get dragged into a painting with a giant snake bearing down on us?” I snapped at Asmo. He pouted at me.
Levi shook his head vigorously. “Oh no, nuh-uh! No feeding Mammon to Henry 1.0! He’ll get a tummy ache!”
“HEY! You guys are bein’ REAL RUDE, ya know that?! Everyone except Chise! Chise, you’re the best!”
Beel turned to Solomon. “Are you thinking of using Asmo to mesmerize the snake?”
“Exactly. Well observed, Beel. We should make use of Asmodeus’ natural charm. If he can manage to tame Henry and win him over, then maybe he’d be willing to show us the way out of the labyrinth.”
“Ah, okay… Yes, well, I suppose I could do that. You know, it really should be illegal to be so stunningly beautiful that you can even charm a snake! I’m so attractive I scare even myself.”
Beel glanced down the hall. “…Yikes.”
“Ah, so you find it scary too, Beel? I mean, I’m not surprised.”
“No, I said that because I think he just spotted us. Henry, I mean.”
Levi whipped around to look down the hall where Beel pointed. “My dear Henry 1.0…!”
Henry 1.0 hissed, and began rushing our way.
“Whoa whoa WHOA! It’s comin’ this way! It’s TOTALLY comin’ this way!”
“Right! I’ll begin by using my magic to amplify Asmodeus’ powers. Then Asmo, you mesmerize Henry. The amplification process is going to take a bit of time. So Mammon, Chise… you two distract Henry in the meantime.” Solomon gave me a wink. I blanched.
“WHA?! Distract him!? How’re we s’posed to do–"
Solomon shoved Mammon forward.
“HEY! What’s the big idea, pushin’ me right out into its path!? And why can’t BEEL do it?! I mean, come on! …CHISE, WHAT THE HELL!? STAY BACK!”
“He told me to distract it with you...”
“HE WASN’T BEIN’ SERIOUS, DUMMY! GET BEHIND ME!”
“Okay, Asmo. I take it you’re ready?”
“HURRY UP!”
“Yep, go right ahead.”
“JUST DO IT ALREADY!”
“…Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I am the one called Solomon. I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”
“Oooh, yes! I LIKE this! I am SO turned on right now!” Asmo giggled.
“HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES!”
Asmo stepped forward, voice soft and high. “That’s right, Henry. Look me in the eyes… Yes, that’s a good boy.”
Beel looked on in wonder. “…He stopped in his tracks.”
“My Henry 1.0…” Levi gasped.
“…What’s that now?” Asmo crooned. “…Well, how about that. He says he’ll show us the way out of the labyrinth!”
“Nice job, Asmo.” Solomon nodded at him from behind.
“Well, really, did you expect anything less of me?” Asmo winked back at him.
"My Henry 1.0... <i>Seduced..."</i> Levi hung his head in defeat.
“I’m just glad he’s decided not to eat me…” Mammon slipped his hand into mine with a squeeze. “And you… You’re a dummy… A dummy with a death wish, ya know…” I squeezed his hand back.
“Mmm, grilled snake…”
“NO, Beel,” Levi huffed.
Henry 1.0 gave a tamed hiss, slithering his flexible body around to turn back down the hall that he came from. We followed, Mammon’s hand still in mine.
“Ummmm… Chise….” Levi mumbled to me shyly, falling in step with me, face red.
“Yeah? What is it?”
“C-Can I… have my D.D.D. back… please…”
“Oh! Sure!” I said brightly, pulling it out of my bra and slapping it in Levi’s hand. He gawked at it. It was very warm. And kinda sweaty. His face had never been a brighter shade of red.
“WHA–?! WHAT THE HELL!?” Mammon spluttered.
Finally, a long trek later, we were all sat at the dinner table.
“I see.” Diavolo nodded. “So that’s how you managed to make it safely out of the underground labyrinth.”
“Too bad,” Lucifer sighed. “If you’d stayed lost down there for another 5000 years or so, it would’ve been a bit quieter and more peaceful around here in the Devildom.”
“Hey! Think about how WE’D feel bein’ stuck down there that long! Man, that wasn’t cool…”
“Well, in any event, it really is awful that you got caught up in this mess, Chise, Solomon,” Simeon tutted, glancing at Asmo.
“Actually, I ended up enjoying myself in a way,” Solomon replied lightly. "Sure, it was a complete accident, but I did get to go inside the rumoured underground labyrinth, after all. Still, though… I can’t help but wonder why there’s a labyrinth underneath the castle to begin with, or what Henry was doing down there.”
“Hmmm…” Diavolo thought for a second. “I suspect I may know the answer to–"
“Mmm, I’ll have some more of this. This is so good. Oh, and I’ll have some more of that, too.” Beel smacked his lips, loading his plate. I dubiously watched him pile a scoop of brains on as a side. Devildom food didn’t taste bad, as long as you didn’t ask what it was. Sometimes texture left a lot to be desired, though. I passed on the brains.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to hear that you like it. I wanted tonight’s Devildom feast to be something special,” Barbatos said smoothly.
“You know, now that I think about it, the whole reason we were able to escape was because of me and how stunningly beautiful I am!”
Satan raised a brow. “Yeah, but you were also the reason all of you ended up in the labyrinth to begin with, Asmo."
“Right, that’s what I’m sayin’. That was terrible, and it was all YOUR fault, Asmo! Ugh, forget it, he’s hopeless. He doesn’t even think he did anythin’ wrong!”
“Well, nighty night, you two. I’m going to get some sleep.”
“You’re going to bed already?” Simeon tilted his head. “It’s awfully early for that.”
“Lack of sleep leads to unhealthy skin, and I don’t want that! I’m sure both of you want to see me looking my best, right?!” I guess that explained why Asmo was such a chipper morning person.
“Well,” Simeon sighed, “I suppose that means that I’ll get to enjoy some peace and quiet tonight, which is much appreciated.”
“Would you like to watch a movie with me, Simeon? I brought my laptop.” I pulled my pack to me and dug through it.
He brightened and turned his sweet smile on me. “I would be delighted, Chise. Come over here. We’ll pick one together.”
Grabbing my computer and charger, I climbed on his bed to nestle in beside him. I had given us some space, but Simeon leaned against me cozily.
Just as Mammon burst in.
“HEEEEEY! Look who’s here… It’s Mammon! And you know what THAT means!?!? You ain’t gonna be gettin’ ANY sleep–! WHA–! CHISE! WHAT’RE YOU DOING IN BED WITH SIMEON!?”
“Hi Mammon,” I said sweetly. He still refused to acknowledge what had happened between us the other day, so it was only fair. “What are you doing here?”
“W-Well!” He picked up a pillow from my bed. “Time for a pillow fight deathmatch with the Avatar of Greed himself! GET READY!” He threw it as hard as he could at Simeon’s face, smacking it against him with an oomph.
“Ugh… Asmo, he’s your brother, isn’t he? Do you think you could possibly do something about him?” He removed the pillow from his face, annoyed.
Asmo didn’t respond, turned away from us, under the covers.
“OH NO, UH-UH! You’re not gonna fool ME, pretendin’ to be asleep! Right, so it’s gonna be me and Chise versus Simeon and Asmo! So c’mon, get up and ready, Asmo! A-And you too, Chise! Get off that bed! C’mere to me! Let’s get started before that ass Lucifer comes ‘round on patrol and starts botherin’ us!”
”I’m sorry, WHO did you just call an ass?”
Lucifer glided into the room. Mammon dropped his pillow with a gulp.
Lucifer sighed. “You know, I don’t want to spend my evening patrolling the halls, nor did I want to bother you. But I received word that a certain dimwit tried to sneak inside the castle vault. So as much as I’d like to rest now, I can’t. …Isn’t that right, Mammon?”
“Ah… y’know what? I suddenly feel soooo tired… Maybe I’ll just go… back to my room and uh… sleep.”
”MAAAAAMMOOOOON?”
“Yikes!” Mammon promptly scampered out of the room.
“Bye, Mammon!” I called out after him.
Lucifer shook his head and sighed. “Don’t provoke him, Chise.”
He left too, sure to corner Mammon somewhere else.
Simeon turned to me and smiled. “…Well, it seems as though we’ll get a peaceful night after all, doesn’t it?”
I smiled back, opening my laptop.
Chapter 10: Chapter 8-A: Burglary
Notes:
Content warning: This chapter contains a scene of non-consent (edit to add: does not involve Diavolo). No one is physically touched during this scene. This chapter is short and a non-canon fleshing out of Chise's story, and can be skipped entirely; I will put a specific warning before the final scene, if you just need to skip that part. It will be referenced later, though I will try to be delicate with that. Please take care before you decide if and when you want to read.
Chapter Text
Hours later, laptop slid to the side, playing absently on my D.D.D, Simeon was asleep on my shoulder. I battled with my own anxiety. Wide awake.
Belphie’s words ran through my head. You need to search for clues as to what exactly it is that makes you so special while you’re at Diavolo’s castle.
I don’t know if I could. I didn’t even know where to begin. This castle was huge. I had been told over and over again that I was just a regular human here, unable to wield magic at all, chosen at random. The opposite of Solomon, just like Luke was in a lot of ways the opposite of Simeon. The opposite representations of our respective species, it seemed.
There was nothing special about me. I was a normal human. An example of the real human experience. That’s all I wanted. All that I was content with.
Or was I?
This was stupid. Belphie had to have it wrong. Where could he have possibly gotten information like that, anyway? I was becoming more and more suspicious of his assertion that it was Lucifer who was constantly spilling the beans to him. That was completely out of character for him, even behind closed doors. He was the Avatar of Pride, and I couldn’t see him allowing for it.
I wondered at how Belphie was able to communicate to me before I had found him. His cries for help… They had reached me, unnaturally. Was he always able to reach out? Was he always able to listen? He was a demon, after all, and all of them had unique powers of their own.
If he had that kind of power, it would position him to be a master manipulator. If that’s what he wanted.
I thought about how Solomon was able to summon Asmo in the labyrinth. I thought about the doubt in his voice that I could do the same.
I thought about how I would be forced to leave the Devildom to go back to my life in the human world after my year was up.
To leave my pacts behind. My Levi. My Beel. To leave Mammon.
My heart ached.
Slowly cupping my hand under Simeon’s warm cheek, I slid out from under him, resting him back down on his pillow. He murmured, sighing in his sleep, before turning away from me to nestle down. I pulled up the covers to cover his arms, smoothing them over his shoulder, looking down at his relaxed face. I didn’t know much about angels, but I had already decided in my heart that Simeon was the very best of them.
I got up, stretching, and still in my pyjamas, slipped out of the door.
I rounded the corner, looking around me, a bit lost, and crashed into a chest.
“Oh…!” said a deep voice as I squeaked in surprise, and I heard the sound of a breaking dish.
Barbatos and I stared at each other in shock, both of us covered in hot tea.
“O-OH! BARBATOS! I am so sorry...!” I slapped my hands to my mouth in horror, face immediately turning red in embarrassment. We both bent down to the broken pieces of fine china on the floor.
“Chise,” Barbatos said smoothly. “Well, isn’t this a surprise, finding you wandering the halls so late at night. Are you injured? The tea was quite hot.”
I shook my head. “I was… Looking for a bathroom, and got turned around. I’m so sorry, Barbatos. This cup looked precious.” I started to pick up some of the bigger pieces, laying them in carefully in the flat of my palm, but still, I promptly pricked myself.
“Here, Chise.” He sat his tray down on the floor. “I will have to get another anyway. Put your collected pieces here.” He glanced at my pricked finger. “Please, allow me to finish the rest of the cleanup. I am, after all, the one wearing gloves.”
Feeling a bit foolish, I placed my pieces on his tray.
Looking at them, Barbatos’ eyes widened in shock, and he sucked in a breath. I had never seen him so bothered before. He was in a near-constant state of impassiveness, extremely hard to read. Prim, proper, the epitome of a stereotypical butler.
“Barbatos?”
“It is fine,” he murmured, though he picked up one of the larger pieces and examined it more closely. The one that had pricked my finger. “Please, allow me. You are a guest here. It is my duty.”
“I-I see,” I said, feeling a bit small. “Are you sure? I’m sorry again, Barbatos.”
He looked up at me, catching my eyes. They were a dark green. So dark that the tops of his iris’ almost blended with his pupils. It gave him a peculiar look, half of his pupils blended, but absolutely breath-taking all the same. He tilted his head and smiled lightly at my stare.
“I am certain, Chise.”
“Okay…” I murmured, unsure, but standing up, sucking on my finger. Well, at least the tea had been quite good. What a waste. “Well, umm… Thank you very much, Barbatos.” I said awkwardly. “It was… nice to run into…” I winced. "I mean, um, it was nice to see you.”
“Likewise, Chise. It is not every day that we find ourselves alone together.”
I coloured. Well, this is the first time, actually.
“G-Goodnight, Barbatos.”
“Sleep well, Chise… …Ah, Chise. You are going the wrong way. The closest bathroom is down that hall.” He inclined his head.
“R-Right! Thank you!” I fled, cursing myself as a total fool.
I leaned back against a wall, panting. That was close. What the hell. I felt like I were Mammon, stumbling through a poorly-thought-out plan, and mucking it up royally as I went along.
Idiot, I chided myself.
Do I go back to my room? My heart was racing now. I was losing my nerve. Would Barbatos catch on? Would he tell Lucifer, or Diavolo, that I was wandering around out of my room? Would they check to make sure I returned?
I agonized over the decision.
You need to search for clues as to what exactly it is that makes you so special while you’re at Diavolo’s castle.
Which way was it to Diavolo’s study again? …To his room? I knew that he had switched to a guest room to bunk with Lucifer. Though I’m sure they weren’t in their own separate beds. It was just for appearances’ sake.
I looked around, getting my bearings. I think it was… This way.
I padded through the hall in my socks.
CONTENT WARNING: The following scene is explicit and contains themes of non-consent. Please read at your own risk. This scene is skippable, and the last in this chapter, so feel free to scroll by it to the next.
I stood in front of what I knew to be Diavolo’s room, heart hammering. Well, I was aiming for his study more than anything, sure that important papers were kept there, but, since I was here…
I whipped my head around, straining to listen. The hallway was silent and empty. It was well past midnight now. Everyone should be asleep. Except for Barbatos, apparently… But hopefully, without Diavolo around, he wouldn’t show up.
I placed my hand tentatively on the handle of the door. I pushed down. I pushed forward. The door inched open, silently. I praised the well-oiled hinges.
So. The Prince of the Devildom didn’t lock his door. Even with my kleptomaniac Mammon scampering around. I shook my head with a sigh. Not the brightest.
I stepped lightly into the dark room, straining my eyes to see, furniture slowly coming into focus. I wouldn’t be able to read any papers like this. A glance at the bed. Empty. Good. A desk by the window. Good. I slipped over to that. I’ll start there.
I pulled the heavy curtains open a bit, letting a stream of moonlight fall gently on the desk’s surface. Just wide enough for me to put papers to it to read.
I touched a drawer.
And heard voices approaching the door.
I blanched so hard I nearly fainted on the spot. Eyes like saucers, I whipped my head around the room for a place to hide. Under the desk? Under the bed? There was a tall wardrobe over there. But maybe it was full. Maybe they would use the desk.
I threw myself to the ground and rolled inelegantly under the bed.
Idiot, I chided myself again.
I felt the door handle click, opening. “Well, Lucifer.” Diavolo had amusement in his voice. “It seems that you can finally take a break from your hall monitoring duties. Now that Mammon has been thoroughly dealt with, all is at peace.”
Lucifer sighed. “I’m not so sure, Diavolo. Any one of my brothers could be causing a problem right now. Perhaps I should–“
“…Please, Lucifer,” Diavolo begged softly, dropping pretence. “Please take a break.”
Shit.
Lucifer only sighed in response. He could never say no to Diavolo. Especially not with him literally begging for his company.
I watched as their feet came into view from my spot under the bed. Diavolo sat down on the end, sagging it a bit with pressure.
“Shouldn’t we be in our assigned room, Diavolo?” Lucifer murmured softly, but almost… Teasingly. Flirting, I realized with a start. Heat rose to my cheeks. Oh no. Oooooh no oh no oh no.
“Ah, maybe we should… It wouldn’t do for our guests to feel slighted that the two of us got the good bed, now, would it?”
The two of us.
Shit shit shit shit.
I saw Lucifer’s boots step towards Diavolo, standing in front of him, only a couple feet from my own damn nose.
“Enough, Lucifer,” Diavolo breathed. “I’ve been waiting all night. Enough.”
“...As you wish…”
Lucifer leaned closer.
“Mmmm…” I heard the unmistakable sound of someone very pleased at being kissed.
And then there they were, making out, Diavolo huffing against Lucifer’s mouth. I saw Lucifer step even closer, knees pressed to the bed as Diavolo undoubtedly took him in his arms. Diavolo’s legs moved to wrap around Lucifer’s shins. I was frozen to the spot, hand pressed to my mouth, eyes wide.
I heard the snap of buttons being undone. “Get this off,” Lucifer growled, undressing his Lord. The rustle of thick fabric, and then a sigh in the air, the sounds of kisses on bare skin. Lucifer leaned forward, pushing Diavolo onto the bed and following him with his body. He lifted a knee to settle up above me, his other foot flexing forward onto his toes. They were heated now, passionate in their kisses. I heard Diavolo groan in need, more fabric rustling, and then Lucifer’s shirt was thrown to the floor, feet away from me.
Zip. “Lucifer, please…” Diavolo begged. “I’ve been waiting all night. Don’t go slow. Take me. Right now.”
“As you command, Lord Diavolo…” Lucifer breathed. He kicked off his boots. He unzipped his own fly. Diavolo’s slacks were thrown across the room. Then boots. More gasping, more groaning, all from Diavolo, Lucifer silent but clearly very attentive.
“Bite me,” Diavolo commanded. I heard his gasp as Lucifer obliged.
And then Lucifer stood upright again, his pants coming down around his ankles. He kicked them off, basically under the bed, one of the legs whipping me in the face.
“So, not gentle?” Lucifer growled.
“Just do it.”
Lucifer spat in his hand. I heard him palm at himself. My ears burned hot.
“Ready?”
“Do it… Do it...” Diavolo begged.
"Ummphh…” Lucifer grunted. Diavolo cried out in pain, and pleasure.
And then they fucked, rutting hard, Diavolo moaning and groaning and crying out into the open air, Lucifer merely huffing quietly with his exertion. The bed heaved with their passion, dropping up and down, threatening to squash me. The muscles in Lucifer’s legs and ankles tensed and released with each thrust. I laid there for what felt like hours.
“Yes yes yes yes yes…” Diavolo moaned. “Jerk me, jerk me…”
He cried out at Lucifer’s touch. Lucifer raised his leg again to balance his knee back on the mattress. I heard him slide Diavolo closer to the edge of the bed, slamming into him, deeper, harder.
Heat pooled in my own belly as I listened to them. I fought to stop myself from squirming, clamping my hand more tightly against my mouth and squeezing my legs together to stop the pulsing that I felt there. Stupid, stupid girl.
“I’m close,” Diavolo breathed.
“Good,” Lucifer growled. “Cum on your stomach. I want to see you soaked.”
Diavolo moaned louder at his words. I forced myself to take a very slow, deep breath, quiet, though I doubt either of them would have heard me over Diavolo’s cries and the slap of skin on skin.
“I’m going to… I’m going to…”
”Cum,” Lucifer commanded.
Diavolo gave a strangled cry, obeying him, as Lucifer increased his pressure, riding him through it. Diavolo was whining now. Lucifer slowed, and then stopped. I felt Diavolo fall back flat on the bed, spent. He laid there, gasping for air.
“Good,” Lucifer said, deep satisfaction in his voice. He gave him a few moments longer, though he didn’t join him on the bed himself. “Now, go clean yourself up. You’re making a mess.”
“But you…”
“Not tonight. Go wash yourself off once you’ve caught your breath.”
Diavolo took a few more shuddering breaths before, to my shock, obeying, allowing for Lucifer’s treatment of him. I guess that… was their thing. He shimmied himself over to the side of the bed, careful not to let cum run from him stomach and onto the sheets. I saw his feet come to rest on the floor.
“Be thorough,” Lucifer instructed. “I won’t allow you in the bed unclean.”
“Yes,” Diavolo breathed, and walked off to what was presumably the royal bathroom suite.
Lucifer waited there, feet planted in the same spot. After he heard the shower start to run, he turned around, easing himself on the bed. His feet lifted off the ground.
“Come out from under there, Chise,” he commanded.
If I thought my eyes couldn’t get any wider, I was wrong. They practically bulged out of my head in shock. I didn’t move. Maybe I could pretend–
“I said, come OUT, Chise.”
Shaking, I pulled myself out from under the bed with my hands, belly on the ground. I laid there, not looking up, cowering.
“Stand up. Now.”
I slowly got up on my feet, turned away. He was still naked, as far as I knew.
“Turn around.”
I stiffened at this, not moving, my heart racing in my chest.
“Turn. Around.”
I obeyed. I made an unholy noise in my throat at what I saw.
Lucifer laid back on the bed, raised on his elbows, completely and utterly naked. His muscular thighs were stretched out in front of him. His toned stomach rose and fell from his breathing.
His arousal… still very, very much present.
I sucked my lips into a thin line, trembling. He was big. More length than girth. But fuck. Big. Like... Big.
“And what, pray tell, are you doing in Lord Diavolo’s bedroom?” he hissed fiercely.
I stood there dumbly, shaking my head.
“Oh no? You won’t tell me?”
I shook my head again.
“Well then…” he said haughtily. “I suppose I will have to deal with your repeated insolence, Chise… This is not the first time you have defied me, after all."
I squeaked in my throat as he moved his hand to grasp his erection. Staring at him in absolute disbelief, he began to stroke himself, up and down, starting slow, but his hand movements confident and strong. I’m pretty sure my mouth dropped open. I flicked my eyes up to his, face beet red. He was looking at me levelly. Impassively.
“S-S-Stop that…”
“Stop what?” he spoke softly. It was menacing.
“Th-That…” I looked back down to him masturbating himself. He only increased his speed at my pleas. His member twitched, pulsing at his attention.
“You will have to be a little more specific,” he said quietly. Up and down. Up and down.
I swallowed loudly, speechless, dumb as a stump, unable to speak, unable to tear my gaze away. My mouth was dry.
“Stop what, Chise?” he asked again.
I flushed with shame as I felt a pooling well from between my legs, soaking my panties. The Avatar of Pride, stretched out and naked on the prince's bed, one arm propping himself up, his toned chest rising and falling in even breaths. He continued to casually stroke himself. Measuredly. Impassively. Going neither slow nor fast.
I shook on the spot.
And then he came, eyes locked to mine, the only warning being a slight twitch in his jaw and a tensing of his abdominal muscles. Sticky ropes of cum erupted from his cock, covering his abdomen and splattering his chest. So much cum. My face was red and my own chest heaved at the sight, fearful, turned on, disgusted, ashamed. I felt my lips part with desire at the sight.
He smirked at me as he dropped his hand from his softening cock, the only expression he had given me at all for the entire ordeal. Still huge at half-mast, it twitched in his lap. Still ready to go, should it be touched again.
“Leave, Chise.”
I turned around and fled from the room.
Chapter 11: Chapter 8-B: The Formal Dance
Chapter Text
“All right.” Lucifer, arms crossed, addressed us. “It’s time to explain what we have planned for day two of our retreat.”
“…Quit leaning up against me, Mammon. You’re heavy, you know.=,” Beel complained.
“Shut up and at least let me rest my head against your shoulder, Beel. Lucifer kept me up until near morning… I didn’t sleep a wink last night…” He yawned for emphasis.
“Yes, Lucifer just kept going and going last night, didn’t he?" Diavolo chuckled. "I’m sure you had a hard time, Mammon. Though I have to say, it was fun to watch.”
I. Turned. Scarlet. Lucifer flicked his eyes to me. I refused to meet his gaze.
“That’s NOT funny!” Mammon grumbled.
“‘Big news:'” Levi was typing on his D.D.D. “'Last night, Lord Diavolo, Lucifer, and Mammon totally CENSORED.'”
I felt faint.
“Hey! Don’t post stuff like that! I don’t want my personal information leakin’ online!”
“That’s the part you have a problem with, Mammon?” Satan shook his head in disbelief.
“Hehe, I bet they were on the CENSORED, and Lucifer CENSORED and CENSORED! Right… Am I right?!” Asmo beamed.
Lucifer was openly staring at me.
I think I was going to faint.
“Huh? Simeon? Why’d you put your hands over my ears? I can’t hear anything!” Luke complained.
“Right. That’s the idea, Luke…”
“Hey, Chise? You all good? You’re white as a sheet!” Mammon whispered in my ear. “Got a tummy ache or somethin’?"
“…So, back to business,” Solomon cut in. “I think you mentioned that day two of the retreat was supposed to be–"
“A scavenger hunt, right?” Simeon released Luke’s ears.
Lucifer nodded, finally peeling his gaze from me. “Yes, we’ll be having a scavenger hunt. Each group will be given riddles to solve. Each riddle hints at one of the works of art or historical items here in the castle. Once you figure out the answer, you find and take a picture of the item of question. The things you learned during yesterday’s tour of the castle should come in handy as you try solving your riddles.”
“We’re doin’ this in groups, huh? In that case, I’m groupin’ up with Chise!”
“Why don’t we just say that the groups will be made up of the same people you share a room with?” Diavolo suggested.
Mammon growled, glowering over at Simeon, undoubtedly recalling how he walked in on us basically snuggling. Simeon caught his eye and gave him a friendly wave in return, creasing his eyes.
“Hey there, Satan,” Simeon said genially. Simeon, Asmo and I bumped into his team as we hunted. “How’re things going for your team? Well, I hope?”
“Oh, please.” Satan narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You hatched a plot to keep us from winning, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, what are you referring to? I wasn’t aware that this was a competition.” Simeon’s eyes sparkled in delight, feigning ignorance.
“He’s referring to Asmo.” Solomon shook his head, exasperated. “Who’s preventing us from making any progress at the moment.”
“Ugh!” Mammon threw up his hands. “We found what we were lookin’ for, so we tried to take a picture. But then HE went and jumped in front of it so we can’t get a clear shot…!”
“Whaaaat?” Asmo pouted. “Oh come on! Wouldn’t you rather have a picture of meeee than this boring old piece of art? I’m much better looking. Your camera will thank you!” He darted back in front of Mammon’s phone. “Oooh, yes… Nice picture! That was a good shot you got of me. You know, I think I look best photographed from just above at maybe a 45-degree angle…”
“Agh, Asmo, stop!” Mammon struggled with him as Asmo grabbed his phone to take a look at his gallery.
“Oh, though I ALWAYS look good, naturally. As if I even needed to tell you that.”
“…D’aaaah!” Luke exclaimed.
“Luke, what’s wrong?” Simeon turned to him.
“What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! I was trying to take a picture of the goddess statue here, but before I could get the shot, Asmodeus CHARMED the statue…!”
Beel was stuffing a doughnut into his mouth, muffling nonsense as he tried to talk.
“Beel, how about you swallow what you’re eating before you try to talk?” Satan tsked.
Levi’s fingers were busy on his D.D.D. “'The statue is so totally in love with Asmodeus now that we can’t get her to go back to her original position.’ Aaaand, sent!”
I approached Levi with a meaningful look, palm outstretched, gesturing in a ‘come hither’ motion. He squeaked, holding his D.D.D. close, diving behind a pillar.
Simeon sighed as he watched Asmo flit around. “He really is a handful. What are you going to do, Chise?” He swung his pretty eyes to mine.
I blinked at him in confusion. "Me?”
“Fine!” Asmo threw his arms up in the air, glaring at everyone telling him off. “I’m going off somewhere where I won’t be lectured! None of you are showing the appreciation that my beautiful self deserves!” He stomped off down the hall.
“He’s not listening to anyone else. Why don’t you try?”
“He seems to have stopped now,” I said, reluctantly.
“Aww, go to him.” Simeon looked at me warmly. “For me? Please?"
Simeon could literally tell me to jump off a cliff, and I might just do it. I sighed, following after Asmodeus, not relishing the idea. I still hadn’t forgiven him for his weird behaviour down in the labyrinth.
But I caught up to him anyway.
“…Hm? Ah, I was wondering who was behind me…" He smiled sweetly. "Hi, Chise. Did you follow me hoping we could have a little alone time?” A flirtatious batting of his lashes.
“Hey, Asmo, if we’re going to win, we should do it fair and square,” I said, a bit awkwardly.
“Pff… haha! Fair and square? You know you’re talking to a demon, right? Fair and square… Oh, that’s so funny!” He giggled at me while I glowered. “Well, what? So now you’ve come to lecture me too? Is that it?”
“What you did back there wasn’t cool,” I replied shortly.
“Oh, wasn't it now? You don’t think I should’ve done that? Reeeeeally?” He leaned in close. REALLY close. Gazing intently into my eyes, pink-amber flashing, pupils dilated. "…Chise, I see you looking into my eyes right now. You don’t feel anything? Like, really? Nothing at all...?”
I frowned and shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
He blinked his surprise. “I was trying to charm you. You know, like I did down in the labyrinth. You saw how I tamed Levi’s old pet snake, right?”
“What…?” I turned ice cold.
I remembered the way Solomon had grabbed me from him, his face dark and concerned.
“You’re just a human. Yet, for some weird reason, it seems like my power doesn’t work on you. Even so, if you think you can control me–"
SLAP.
Asmo stumbled back, eyes wide, clutching his cheek. I had slapped him hard across the face, leaving a mark. I saw Simeon’s eyes widening from down the hall, staring, starting towards us immediately. I held up my palm to stop him.
“Never...” I started hoarsely, voice low. “NEVER try that again without my consent. I don’t care if it doesn’t work against me. You will NEVER, EVER try.”
Asmo’s look of shock turned into an expression of abject horror.
“I-I-I–" he stammered. I let the implication of what I was saying hang in the air.
“Think about the consequences of your ’gift’, Asmo,” I hissed at him. “And then look me in the eye and tell me how beautiful you are then. How many people have you charmed who never would have touched you without it? Think about it.” I lowered my voice into a growl. "Demon.”
Asmo’s breaths turned ragged, tears filling his eyes. He shook his head in disbelief. Denial.
I whipped around and stormed back over to the others, Simeon’s brows creasing upwards in deep worry, eyes concerned. He reached out a hand to me, touching my elbow, gently turning me to face him. “Are you all right, Chise…?” he whispered.
I nodded tersely, once, not looking at him directly, trying to keep the tears from my own eyes. Simeon glanced to see if Mammon was looking, which he wasn’t; he rubbed my back comfortingly, his touch light. “Come on.” He murmured to me, placing the flat of his palm on my back to walk me forward with him. “Let’s finish this together.”
We left Asmo behind.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had food from the Celestial Realm,” Levi hummed, digging in. “This is so special that it almost feels wrong to eat it.”
“Huh.. The flavours are a lot different from what you’ll find in the Devildom,” Satan said quietly, never having been an angel himself like the others. “And the ingredients, too. But it’s really good in its own way…”
“More, please.” Beel grinned.
“You’re still not full?” Solomon sighed. “…Okay. Here, you can have mine.”
“Would you like mine as well, Beelzebub?” Diavolo pushed his plate towards him.
Lucifer shook his head. “I know you’re trying to be nice, but if you keep giving him food like that, he’ll never stop eating. He’d even eat your arm if you offered it to him.”
Simeon turned to Luke. “Mm, I love the way you seasoned this. You’ve gotten even better, Luke.”
Luke flushed at the compliment.
“MAN, and this thing here is real good too! You really are pretty good in the kitchen, Fido!”
Luke stuck out his chin at Mammon. “How many times do I have to tell you before you’ll get it through your head?! My name’s NOT Fido!”
“You know, they keep teasing you because you always get upset like that…” Asmo teased, on the far end of the table, completely avoiding me. “Or do you do it on purpose? Is that it?"
I looked down at my plate.
“…Chise. …Chise?” I started at the sound of my name. Lucifer shook his head. “You are staring off into space. I was asking you to pass along the dipping sauce. You really seem to be out of it today, don’t you? It’s still only day two, you know?” It was the first time he had spoken to me since… Well. I wordlessly passed him the dipping sauce.
I had almost forgotten that I was, indeed, surrounded by demons. The last 24 hours had been a steep reminder of that.
Simeon and I walked back together to our room. I heard a familiar skip coming up from behind us, down the hall.
“Oh Chise! Oh Chiiiiiiseeee!” Asmodeus’ high voice called to me.
“…You going to be okay…?” Simeon muttered to me. I sighed and spun around.
“What is it, Asmodeus?”
“Ohhhh, Chiseeee, I was just thinking! Well, you’ve made a pact with three of us brothers already, riiiiight?" He gave me his best smile. "Well! I was just thinking! I have a task for you. If you manage to complete it, maaaaaybe I will make a pact with you, too!”
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. This was completely out of nowhere. I glanced at Simeon. He looked just as shocked as me, shrugging his shoulders at my look. Was this a trick?
Asmo’s greatest weakness: Being unloved.
It dawned on me then. I had accidentally triggered Asmo’s weakness with my slap and vicious admonishment. I hadn’t even been thinking of pacts when I had done that. God, I could have royally messed up my chances, if it wasn’t for…
His current intense desire to gain my approval after our quarrel.
To make me love him. He had previously believed that there was NO ONE out there who didn’t love him. I had shaken him to his core with my challenge.
Not the message I had been trying to impart on him, though, I thought bitterly.
“…And what would I have to do for a pact, Asmodeus?” I replied, suspicious.
“Ooohhhh don’t look at me like that! I’m serious! But I’m not going to make it eeeeasy on you. What do you say to this.” He wiggled happily. Faked. “If you can manage to outwit Lucifer somehow, then I’ll be willing to recognize you as someone worthy of me! If you really want to make a pact with me, then… surely you can do something like that, right?”
Worthy of him. Turning my lack of desire for him around on me. Coping.
“And how would I go about doing that, Asmodeus? It sounds like you have something specific in mind.”
Asmo giggled. “Hmmm, good question! Okay, how about this! I want you to get a picture of Lucifer’s face while he’s asleep. You, Beel, Satan, and Mammon tried that once, right? Though I heard that your attempt ended in failure. Well, then! This sounds like the perfect task to me. An excellent opportunity to get revenge! If you can manage to get a picture of Lucifer asleep, then sure, I’ll make a pact with you!”
I looked at him for a while, impassive. I saw him wilt a bit under my gaze and silence. He was suddenly nervous that I would refuse. Refuse to prove myself to him. Refuse to bother trying.
“Fine,” I said coolly. “I’ll do it.” I promptly turned around and walked away, Simeon following me wordlessly, supporting me. Asmo watched us go. Dejected.
There was a black dress folded neatly on my bed. I looked at it in puzzlement.
“Ah…” Simeon followed my gaze. “I do believe Lord Diavolo had requested that Asmo provide you with a dress for tonight’s gathering…”
“Oh…” I looked at it dubiously. I suddenly recalled that, yes, there would be a formal dance tonight. But seriously? He asked Asmo? Could he be any more dense?
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Simeon's eyes twinkled at me. “He wouldn’t go TOO far, right?”
“I think he’s gone far enough,” I sighed. Simeon smiled sympathetically.
“I’ll turn around again,” he said politely, giving me privacy to change. “See? My hands are over my eyes and everything!”
I laughed, though I still felt the heat rise to my cheeks. I didn’t know what they were thinking, shoehorning a woman in with a bunch of men without an adjoining bathroom for privacy.
I discarded my clothes, folding them neatly on the bed. Again, I looked at the dress with suspicion. There were sewn-in cups, so… Well, Asmo knew my measurements, and they looked like they’d fit. It’s not like I was particularly big in that area anyway, and Asmo liked to make sure that things were taken in with a favourite seamstress of his. And with the neckline plunging like that… I sighed, and removed my bra as well. We’re going braless in this baby.
I slipped it over my head, shimmying it over my hips, adjusting my breasts into the cups. They pushed me up slightly.
There wasn’t any full-length mirror around, but looking down, my cheeks flushed. It was a bit… on the slinky side. A cocktail dress. A black, slinky cocktail dress. Fitting snuggly over the swell of my breasts, cleavage dipping tantalizingly, the hem ever so slightly biting into the soft flesh of them so they bulged a bit over the top. It swelled over my hips and caressed my ass as well, I realized, as I smoothed it down over them. Fabric light, sleek, and silky, coming down to my mid-thighs. Not strictly tightly wrapped against my thighs, there was a slight swish to it at the bottom, but only slight. At least I could still walk without feeling like I was in a sleeping-bag-body-suit. And at least the straps weren’t spaghetti-straps. It was sleeveless, but they were about three fingers in width.
Basically… Feeling the silky fabric as I smoothed it over myself… It was one step away from being a sexy chemise nightgown. From being lingerie. Ugh. If you added a little lace and made the straps spaghetti, it basically would be.
Asmo, you motherfucker.
Well, my breasts did look pretty great in it, so there was that. Mammon would appreciate that at least, I’m sure. I sighed.
I stretched my arms around to reach my back, but damn it, the tight fit of the dress didn’t quite let me grab at the zipper. Crap.
“Ummm…” I said, shyly. “Would you help me with this, Simeon…?”
“Oh.” He uncovered his eyes and turned around. “…Oh…” His cheeks flushed, and he swallowed, respectfully keeping his eyes right on mine.
We stared at each other.
After a moment, he laughed breathily. “It’s not too bad, Chise. In fact, it’s… you’re… beautiful.”
I was bright red, supremely shy under Simeon’s gaze. I turned around wordlessly to offer him my back. He stepped forward, respectfully sliding the zipper up, careful not to touch my bare skin, cinching me in, though doing it a biiiiiit slower than he really had to.
He cleared his throat. “All done!”
“Thank you.” I turned back around and gave him a sheepish smile. He looked back at me warmly. He gently reached to adjust one of the straps on my shoulder, smoothing it out. I let him, peeking up at him from my lashes. He was so pretty. So pretty when he blushed.
He whisked his own delicate cape over his shoulders, completing his own angelic ensemble, his usual, but always formal anyway, and then offered me his arm. “Shall we arrive together?”
I took it gratefully.
I walking into the throne room on Simeon’s arm, and immediately felt supremely overdressed. Or… underdressed?
“Don’t worry,” he whispered to me.
The others turned towards us at our entrance, all still in their regular clothes, and startled to see me.
Mammon openly gawked, his eyes widened in shock as he ran them hungrily up and down my body. Basically undressing me shamelessly with his eyes. I blushed deeply as I caught his gaze, and he swallowed noticeably when I looked at him first. He was floored. Desire filled his eyes. His mouth dropped open. The taste of his tongue in my mouth came unbidden to my mind.
Good.
He narrowed his eyes and rumbled when he noticed me on Simeon’s arm. Levi’s eyes darted away from me with a blush. Satan’s eyes widened briefly, before he turned to cough lightly into his hand. Solomon openly stared in appreciation with a small smile on his face, frank and unabashed.
Beel looked unphased, but happy to see me nevertheless. Diavolo just looked friendly and welcoming, as usual. Asmo looked extremely smug and pleased with himself, despite our spat, but he didn’t leer at me like he usually did.
And, worst of all, I felt Lucifer’s eyes burning into me. I didn’t want to see what was in his eyes. I was too afraid of what I would find there. I refused to meet them.
“Well then!” Diavolo boomed. “Now that we’re all here, I suppose it’s about that time.” He looked around the room, meeting our eyes, one by one. “All right then, here we go…”
The room whirled dizzyingly around me, lights dimming, candles spluttering, but not quite going out. I gasped as I clung to Simeon’s arm to steady myself. He patted my arm and leaned to support me.
The dizziness subsided, and I gaped around at the changed room.
The room had filled with other guests, demons all. It was dimmer, moodier, with tables and seating lining the sides of the room. They were laden with drinks and bite-sized appetizers and desserts. Fountains of demonus and punch on one table, fountains of different chocolates on the other. Music blared, echoing throughout the room, surprisingly modern, starting with a human artist that I vaguely recognized. Simeon squeezed my arm and led me forward down the steps towards my group, gracefully. My heels, black and low because I had insisted to Asmo that I found taller ones difficult to walk in, clicked beside him.
“Surprised?” Solomon slid smoothly over to stand beside me as he looked on at my shock. “Magic really does come in handy sometimes, huh?” He was splendid in his usual mostly-black-with-some-white-and-even-less-gold attire. Simple, but elegant. Silver-white hair tidy. Grey eyes sparkling. He was a very handsome man.
“We were the only ones here just a bit ago…” Luke murmured, looking intimidated. “But now look at all these people…”
“They’re all guests from across the Devildom,” Simeon explained, “and there are certainly a lot of them. But I do recognize quite a few. All are supporters of Diavolo, invited here as reward for their loyalty to his vision, I’m sure. To celebrate this successful inter-species retreat. You have nothing to fear here, Chise.” He gave me another squeeze.
After taking stock of my surroundings, I finally swung my gaze back to my group. My jaw dropped.
All were in their demon forms, and in their demon attire. As if by magic. I guess… By actual magic. I was finally not overdressed.
This was the first time I had seen Diavolo in his demon form, and I openly gawked. He was enormous, built, fierce, resplendent in gold accessories. His chest was bare, his skin much more tanned, even darker than Mammon now. Though shirtless, a large fur shawl covered his shoulders, black, clasped in place by a large gold pendant in the shape of bat’s wings; a previous red jewel sparkled there in the center. From the pendant, a gold chain connected the jewellery to an embellished black choker. His hair was a brighter shade of red from the more subdued rusty colour he sported when not in form. From his head protruded two great horns, emerging horizontally, curling inward, twining gold jewellery clinging to the tips. His wings… Beautiful, enormous, four of them, like a bat’s, starting crimson red and fading to black at the edges, the same delicate gold jewellery gracing the points as well. He wore loose, harem-like pants, black, with white cloth draping down the front.
He was… breathtaking. He was… The Prince of the Devildom. Large. Powerful. I felt it. I felt his power. Not a frightening aura, he wasn’t exerting it at all, I didn’t feel cowed or sick or terrified, but it emanated from him naturally. Just… magic, in the air. Powerful magic.
My other boys had turned too. All the brothers had, honestly, but I stared at my boys, heart squeezing. Levi, branching horns gracing his head, my favourite horns out of them all, with his tear-drop purple scales trailing down his neck. His serpentine tail curled to drag on the floor by his ankles. He wore a hoodie with a zip that went across it, from the bottom corner up to his opposite shoulder, with a white splatter-pattern following the diagonal that reminded me of a school of fish darting through water. His leather pants were deliciously tight, if I did say so. He looked uncomfortable. But gorgeous. Precious.
Beel stood imposing, his bull-horns curving sharply inwards like a crown of his own. His black demon stripes peeked out from his black, low-cut shirt. He wore a leather jacket with the collar turned up, decorated with square-shaped metal studs. His belt was shockingly white against his otherwise black get-up, and his boots tall. Curiously, a pair of large insect-like wings protruded from his back, hanging down to the back of his knees. I hadn’t seen those before, even when he raged in the kitchen last time. I guess they have 'steps’ they they evolve through, depending on their whims and the power they exerted.
And Mammon… I swallowed. Like Diavolo, he was without a shirt, chest bare, rocking a hard, muscular body. I appreciated it very much, running my eyes up and down. His white demon stripes met in a V-shape down his body, pointing down, down… My face flushed. His pants rode low. Very low. The outline of his hips… down… Well. His familiar tightly-curled horns rose from the top of his head. Smaller than others, but another favourite, their shape elegant. He wore a open cropped leather jacket, collar popped, studded like Beel’s, only coming down to the bottom of his shoulder blades to… Allow for his wings? I stared at his wings. He hadn’t revealed his wings the last time he had changed form in front of me. They were a pair, bat wings like Diavolo’s, but pointed sharper on the ends. He wore tall boots that came nearly to his knees…
I wanted to rip everything piece of leather clothing off of his body and ravage him.
He met my gaze with a hunger of his own.
“Well then, everyone!” Diavolo boomed around the room, attracting everyone’s attention. Conversation died down. His eyes shone in giddy excitement. “Let’s dance!”
Some guests nodded and raised their glasses, and chatter around us resumed, the music swelling again, couples taking to the floor around us.
I gawked around me, overwhelmed. Simeon patted my arm again and slipped his out from mine, inclining his head towards someone’s approach, gracefully making his exit.
“…Yo, Chise.” Mammon approached me shyly, a blush on his face. My fierce demon, my first protector, blushing as he approached his human. I gawked at him, open-mouthed. “Um, like… You know… Uh, I mean, like…” he stuttered. “L-Like, you’ve gotta have weird tastes to ask a human like you to dance. I’m guessin’ no one here’s gonna do that, huh? Ahahahaha!” His laugh was a little high, pitched with anxiety. “…So, y’know, as long as you don’t have a partner, I guess I could maybe go ahead and pair up with you for a li’l bit…”
“Mammon.” Satan grinned, his horns an upside-down S-shape, almost like… like they were a flipped version’s of Lucifer’s, actually. I looked at his tail curiously. Viciously barbed, sharp, black, but fading into green at the tip. It looked dangerous. “Why not just admit that you want to dance with Chise? You’re not fooling anyone.” He actually said this kind of… kindly, looking back and forth between us. I appreciated it very much.
“You’re such a loooserrrr!” Levi snickered. “And a total tsundere! Looool! People are sick of characters like that! …Didn’t you get the memo? Lololol those characters are so yesterday! LMAO.”
“Grrrrrr!” Mammon growled. “Get outta here, both of ya! Shoo! Shoo!”
“Chise.” Lucifer’s deep voice reverberated behind me. Not a question. A command. I whirled in surprise. He looked the same as he did the day when he had nearly killed me in the crypt. Beautiful. Terrifying. His large feathered wings dwarfing the space at his sides. Black waistcoat and pants, red gloves, long, black cape trimmed with red on the inside, black-and-red peacock feathers gracing his throat and embellishing his cape. “Come dance with me. Now.”
I looked back at Mammon with deep regret as he grabbed my wrist and yanked me away.
“Wh…!”
I mouthed my ‘I’m sorry’ at him, unable to refuse the manhandling. I’ll get to you later, Mammon. I promise.
Satan sighed beside him. “…See, you should’ve just come out and asked Chise to dance right away.”
“The loser was rejeeeected! Haha, awesome! Lololol.”
“SHUT UP YOU TWO–!”
Their voices faded into the background amongst the din of the room as I was pulled forward to the dance floor in Lucifer’s grasp.
He spun to me, taking one of my hands in his own, raising it up. “Do you know how to dance?”
“Y-Yes. Sort of.”
“Wonderful. Then I don’t have to bother explaining things.”
He immediately twirled me around, leading me through into a waltz. I was breathless as I struggled to keep up with his footwork, uncomfortable in my heels, but I managed. He was a relentless dance partner. Strict, correct, not a move out of place. His hand rested on my waist.
“In general, there are all sorts of reasons why one might ask someone else to dance. For example, they might be interested in them, they might want to touch them,” he put more pressure on my waist, making me gasp, “or they might simply be doing it out of politeness. Or,” he leaned his head forward, his voice dropping into a fierce whisper, “because they want to have a private conversation.”
I swallowed, feeling faint, wordlessly following his dance as he led me around the floor.
”What is it you’re plotting with Asmo?”
That, I didn’t expect. He could have brought up anything. Sneaking back up to Belphie the night before the retreat, why I was in Diavolo’s bedroom, his behaviour in Diavolo’s bedroom…
I looked at him in confusion.
He turned me abruptly, almost violently, to change the direction of our dance.
“Let me make one thing clear: I respect my brothers’ freedom to do as they wish. However, if I ever sense that you’ve become a threat to either Diavolo, or us…” He emphasized in a hiss. I wondered if he was talking about his brothers, or his relationship with Diavolo. I’m sure he made it vague on purpose. “…Then I will show you absolutely no mercy. Understood?”
He’s holding me up against him, gripping my hand so hard that it hurts, my breasts pressed so tightly to his chest that they swelled. He stared down at me. I winced, trying to break free, trying to end his dance, but he held onto me tight.
”…Pardon me.” A sing-song voice interrupted us, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. Lucifer looked behind me and glared in outrage. I turned my head, and Solomon smiled sweetly at me, but his eyes were serious.
“Well,” he addressed Lucifer, “looks like a new song has started. I’d love the chance to dance with Chise. Might I cut in?”
Lucifer finally released his grip on me. I rubbed at my wrist, looking down at it. Red. Maybe even bruised.
“…Fine. I get the feeling that you’ve gotten the message and you understand what I’m telling you, Chise. I’m glad we got to have this little talk.” While I usually tried to defy him, what he made me endure last night had me still shaken and uncertain. What else would he be capable of…
Solomon took my hand very gently in his, looking at my wrist with a tsk. He lightly patted at my back. “You look pale… Did Lucifer say something to you?” Obviously, he had.
I sighed, not really wanting to get into it. “Thanks for coming to my rescue there.”
He smiled warmly at me, looking into my eyes with his usual frank interest that always made me blush a bit. “No need to thank me. Think nothing of it.” We started moving. He was a gentle partner, leading me through the steps, but whisking me around with smooth and tempered grace, rather than the violence Lucifer had. “This is the Devildom. When it comes down to it, you’re a human, and that makes you different here. Never forget that.”
“I have been keenly reminded of that these last couple days…” I admitted. “I also want to thank you… for a different thing.”
He cocked his head.
“You saved me from Asmo, right? I didn’t realize he was trying to spell me."
“Ahhh…” he breathed. “Yes, well, it wouldn’t do for him to… prey upon you,” he put it lightly. “All demons have a certain power of seduction that they use to entrap humans, but Asmo is especially gifted. Lucifer has forbidden all of them from using charm on you, a position that I happen to agree with. Asmodeus broke that command.” He ended his explanation with an uncharacteristic terseness in his tone, with deep disapproval.
“It didn’t work on me anyway. He tried it again later.”
“Oh...?” He blinked at me in frank surprise. “Well now. That is very interesting indeed… Hmmm…” He thought about it, but then seemed to tuck the revelation away. “Anyway, to my warning, you may have made pacts with demons, but you still lack the power to command them.”
I remembered the way I had pulled Mammon by the tether of our pact when I pulled him to Levi’s room. The way I had made him say my name. I cocked my head. Was that not considered power of command?
“How do you command a demon you’ve made a pact with?”
“Good question…” He considered it. “Everyone has some amount of magical power by nature. However, there are some people in which it actually manifests itself, and some people in which is doesn’t. And even among those in which is does, some have more of it than others. It varies based on the individual. Seeing how it doesn’t even manifest itself in you to begin with, even though you’ve made pacts with other demons, you can’t take command of their powers.”
Of their powers, specifically, then…? Maybe that was it. Not just their bodies. Utilizing their full potential. Instilling magic inside them to amplify their power, as Solomon had to Asmo. I just couldn’t do that. Was I ever even able to put my original plan in place where I would have forced Mammon protect me? Well, it doesn’t matter now, I suppose. I lucked out on that front with his surprising benevolence, and then fondness.
“…Would you like me to lend you my power?” Solomon broke me out of my reverie. I shot an eyebrow up in question, confused. He smiled wider, eyes twinkling mischievously.
“You can do that?” I whispered in amazement. It seemed to me that this man could do anything. Powerful, seizing control of an independence and destiny that I was envious of.
“Let’s just say… I’m curious to know what would happen if I did. You are…” He paused. “…A destabilizing element here in this world. I can’t say what might happen if I do this, which is exactly what makes it so interesting to me.” His eyes twinkled. “I like dabbling in… interesting things.”
I blinked at him, his flirt going over my head entirely as I latched on to what he had said before it. “Did you say… Destabilizing element? How so?”
He leaned down to get a better look into my eyes, his own dancing in delight at my question. “Why, Chise, think about it… A regular human, supposedly chosen at random, the antithesis to the powerful sorcerer that was oppositely selected. A regular, powerless human, who has managed to charm her way into a pact with three powerful rulers of the Devildom, an impressive feat that I myself have not even accomplished, even going as far as maybe… Charming one into her bed?” I flushed deeply. “And now this revelation that you are able to resist Asmodeus’ charm… Oh, what a delight. No wonder he has been so despondent tonight. Parties are usually his element!”
Solomon slowed our dance, twirling us in a tighter circle on the spot rather than throughout the room. To the hand he was holding, he laced his fingers in mine.
I gasped. I felt the strangest sensation flow through me, from his hand, down my arm, like it was flooding into my bloodstream. It reached my chest – my heart – and then burst through the rest of my body. Was it just me, or was there a golden light…?
Solomon laughed sweetly at my expression. “There. I’ve put a spell on you. As of this moment, you have use of my powers for the next six hours. You should experience what it’s like to control a demon and use his powers.” He winked at me. “We are on a retreat, after all. Why waste this opportunity?”
“I’m not sure… how,” I said, uncertain.
He tilted his head. “Instinct, Chise… Let’s see how you work on instinct.” He squeezed my hand before finally releasing me, the song coming to a close. “So, go… Show me what you can do. I’m counting on you to deliver!”
-
I slunk back to the sidelines of the room, hugging myself, looking around for anyone I could recognize. Looking for Mammon. I owed that demon a dance.
”Well, Chise?” I spun around. Satan’s face was close. Closer than it had ever been. I took a step back in surprise, blushing as his elegant green eyes gazed at me. “I see that you have no partner right now, and the next song is about to play. Would you do me the honour?”
...Why?
I was really surprised. I did not expect a dance from Satan, of all the brothers. Need his pact, I thought to myself, forcing myself to believe that was my only motivation as I gazed into his pretty eyes. I nodded mutely, and he took my raised hand.
“Well, well,” he started as he swung me onto the dance floor. Elegant, perfect. Proper. As he was. A mix of Lucifer and Solomon’s style, though with none of the violence of the former. “A little shy tonight, Chise? I must say, you do look lovely.” His eyes traveled down my neck.
“Oh… Th-Thank you.” I shook my head, dispelling my doubts. I had a chance here to work some charm. “Your… horns. I haven’t seen you in your demon form before. They are… dashing.”
He smiled widely at me. “Well, what a flirt.” My eyes widened at the bold call-out. “I haven’t had the opportunity to congratulate you yet on your pact with Beel. That makes three of us brothers now. That’s quite the accomplishment.”
I took a breath, smiling, faking my confidence. I leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Maybe you’re next.”
I was rewarded with him pulling his face away from me, startled, a little bit pink. It’s hard to get under his skin. I was emboldened.
“Well…” he said thoughtfully. “If that’s your goal… I’m certainly not going to make it easy on you.” He recovered, flashing another smile, though it was toothier than usual, canines bared and pointed.
“Playing hard to get?” I cooed.
He laughed, delighting in the game, looking at me with a bit more curiosity. “You’re getting bolder, the longer you stay with us. More confident. It’s VERY cute, Chise.” He smirked. “Your real personality is beginning to show through, I suspect. You’re quite charming. And delightfully cheeky.” He squeezed my hand. Hard. It was still sore from Lucifer’s grasp. I flinched, despite myself. He leaned his face to my ear. “Just don’t get too comfortable,” he murmured. “You’re still living with, and surrounded by, some very hungry demons, after all.”
I pulled my face back and grinned up at him. “Confident, cute, delightful, charming, cheeky… And all in one breath, too. My, Satan. I’m very flattered. Perhaps you’ve taken a liking to me after all. Enamoured, even?”
He turned pink, clearing his throat, scoffing. His pretty green eyes darted away from mine.
I won.
”My turn!” came a delightfully familiar, breathy voice from behind me. I smiled at Satan as he gracefully let go of my hand with a bow at the waist. I turned around to be spun in Simeon’s dark arms, his smile wide and genuine. “Enjoying your night on the dance floor, Chise?”
“Well, aside from all the threats the brothers keep sliding my way, it’s coming along swimmingly.” I grinned back, finally feeling a bit safe. Guardian angel, I thought. The brothers always seemed to keep a curiously respectful distance around him.
“Ahhh...” he chuckled, “Well, I wouldn’t let it get to you. I’ve known them for a long time, and they are all rather harmless, when it comes down to it. Some of them are even downright softies.”
My three boys. My heart sang. The best of them. “What were they like, Simeon…? Before they became demons?”
He pondered for a moment, eyes sweeping around the room. "Hmmm... In a lot of ways, they are much the very same. I know, I know, don't look so surprised. They're supposed to be demons after all, right? The antithesis to an angel. But the truth is..." He sighed. "We're a lot more alike than us angels would like to believe. All of us. Demon, angel, human. Isn’t that a revolutionary thought, coming as an angel myself, Chise? But it's true. Their fall changed my outlook deeply..." He laughed softly. "I'm sure you can see why Michael has me working as a sort of ambassador go-between in Lucifer's place."
"I think that you might be the very best angel out of all of them, Simeon," I said honestly.
He laughed in absolute delight. "Oh, don't give me too much credit! It will all go to my head.” He hesitated briefly, and then leaned down, brushing his lips lightly on my cheek in a soft kiss. "But still, your opinion means a great deal to me, Chise. I value it. Thank you."
I blushed. He twirled me in silence, smiling.
"I... can't imagine Lucifer being any other way. He is... ...cruel."
His face saddened. "Well... Yes. He, I suppose, is much changed. I think... more than any of the others. Other than perhaps..." He paused, not finishing the thought. I tilted my head. Belphie…? Satan could be openly devious, but had never been an angel. "Well. But I don't see cruelty, Chise. I see grief. And a man too prideful to acknowledge it.”
I glanced at my wrist. Grief and cruelty were not mutually exclusive, and the one didn’t excuse the other. But Simeon fought to see the best in everyone, I suppose. I didn’t have the heart to challenge him on it.
At the end of our dance, my heart a little lighter, he let me go, his hand slipping slowly from mine, down my arm, past my elbow, to hold the tips of my fingers in his. He bent over my hand, brushing his lips again, against my knuckles. He looked up, eyes twinkling.
“Simeon…” I blushed with a breathy gasp.
“You look so beautiful tonight, Chise. I know that you have other partners who are waiting for a chance to dance with you. Thank you for honouring me. I mean that.”
My heart warmed inside my chest. I believed him.
-
Still unable to find Mammon, and feeling a little deflated by it, I finally spotted Beel on the other side of the room, munching entirely on too many little desserts. There wouldn’t be any left for anybody else if he kept it up. Little D’s were filtering in with trays, trying to keep up with keeping the tables filled with food. Lightly, I thought back to Simeon’s words, that there were other partners who would like to dance with me. Well, I decided, I would like to dance with all my boys.
I sidled up to Beel. He spotted me, grinning widely, a rare showing of his teeth. He placed a dainty cupcake in my hand. “Chise! Eat this. It’s soooo good. You’ll like it.”
I smiled and obliged, taking a little nibble. It was good. “Are you enjoying yourself, Beel?”
“Yep. The food is really good. I was worried that there wouldn’t be any dessert for dinner, but here they are.” He beamed, munched happily, chocolate in his teeth.
“Have you had the chance to dance with anybody yet?” I asked, coyly.
“Oh.” He took another bite, answering thoughtfully through a mouthful. “No, no one has asked.” Surprising, considering how popular he is with the entire school body back home, but maybe no one wanted to interrupt the Avatar of Gluttony in his… Gluttony.
“Would you… maybe… like to dance with me?” I grinned up at him.
He swallowed all at once, eyes widening. “Oh…! Sure, Chise.” He smiled brightly at me, genuine. My true friend. “We can dance.” He put the four cupcakes he was holding down, wiped his hand on his pants, and held it out to me. I laughed, and took it, colourful icing under his fingernails and all. He led me to the floor as the music started.
"...Where did you learn to dance so well, Beel?!” I giggled at him as he twirled me around expertly.
"Oh." He graced me with a rare blush. "I like a lot of different exercises. I've tried a lot of things. And I get invited to a lot of dances. So I learned. It's fun."
I nodded. "You make it really fun by being so good at it. You're leading really well."
"Thanks, Chise." He smiled gently at me, pleased.
"So... I guess I won't be staying in your room anymore, huh?" I said softly.
"Yeah..." His face fell. "It was nice... to not be alone. The last night was especially nice. You were so warm, too. Thanks for holding my hand. I haven’t had bad dreams since."
I blushed a bit at the memory, but he didn't seem to mean anything extra by it. He just genuinely enjoyed the company. My company. As a friend, I think. And as a man left alone, kind of faded in the background from his other brothers. His personality and demeanour were different from the rest; gentle, placid, but not stupid by any means at all. He was actually extremely observant, but his mind just worked differently, and he struggled to express himself verbally. He was lovely and deserved more. He deserved to be understood. I felt protective over him.
I'll get Belphie back to you, Beel. I promise.
"If you ever need me to spend the night there again, you just need to ask me. I'll come for sleepovers anytime. You can even call me in the middle of the night if you have a bad dream, y’know? Or just to hang out too, before bedtime."
Beel nodded enthusiastically. "And we can watch movies together. With snacks."
"Yes!" I looked up at him merrily. "I can make human hor d'oeuvres ahead of time too. They're little bite-sized snacks that you sample at a party, just like those on the table there, usually with pastries and meats and cheeses, so you get a big variety to choose from. Oh, and a charcuterie board! With baked brie cheese, brown-sugar topping, and pecans! Dried cranberries! We can make it fancy! I'll teach you how, too."
His eyes went wide. "That. Sounds. Awesome."
I laughed. "It's a promise, then. We'll make it a party every time. Even if it just has to be a TON of popcorn some nights. And ice cream."
He smiled. "That sounds good too!”
-
Aaaand I was looking around again, leaving Beel’s side by the dessert table after he had found his squashed cupcakes. I sighed in exasperation, wondering if Mammon was sulking somewhere, wondering if maybe he was going to… skip out on all of this. With me. In my tight dress and everything.
It stung.
I scanned my eyes through the crowd.
And spotted my little wallflower.
I smiled, moving towards Levi, who was hunched against the wall, away from everyone else. He looked miserable. Uncomfortable. Out of his element. Poor boy. He was chewing on his bottom lip, sort of glancing around, but mostly staring down at the floor, waiting for this to be over.
“Hiiii, Levi,” I said softly, sliding against the wall to stand with him.
“EEP.” He squeaked in surprise, whirling to face me. “O-Oh! Chise…”
“Are you doing okay?”
He looked down at the floor again, scuffing at it with the toe of his boots. “Pff. No way. This sucks. All these normies here, doing normie dance things, and I’m just some dumb stupid otaku who doesn’t fit in. But Lucifer said I can’t leave. It’s horrible," he sulked.
“Do you… know how to dance?”
“Uh, duh, no, unless you count the dances I learned from the anime Lost in The Kingdom of Tears: When I Was Reborn as a Servant In The Demon Lord’s Castle.” He sighed.
“No,” I laughed. “So, you’ve lived for thousands of years, but you’ve never learned to dance, huh?”
“Mmmphhh…” He didn’t look at me, embarrassed.
I sighed. “Come with me.”
He very nearly screeched as I took his hand firmly in mine, dragging him towards the nearest coat closet.
“CH-CH-CHISE! W-W-WAIT Y…You can’t j-j–! G-Grab my h-h-haaa–"
I shut the door behind us with my back, facing him with a grin.
“Ch-Chise…” He looked around the closet, horrified. “Wh…” The realization of his predicament seemed to hit him like a truck, stuck in a small space with a girl, and his face turned bright red. “WHA…!”
Maaaaaybe this was a little too much for him.
“It’s okay!” I held my hands up in peace. “It’s just me. It’s not like we haven’t watched anime together alone in your room before.”
He eyes darted back and forth. Anywhere but me. “B-But.. Th–! Th-This is… A… D-Da..n..!”
“A dance?”
He nodded up and down rapidly.
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Levi. I didn’t mean to scare you. I can leave you alone if you’d like. You won’t hurt my feelings.” Well, maybe a little bit, but I wouldn’t hold it against him.
He was chewing on his bottom lip again, looking at the floor, thoughtful. “Ummm… N-N-No… You can… stay…”
I took a tentative step forward. He flinched back, his eyes shooting up to mine.
“Would you like to try dancing with me?”
“I-I…!”
“I know. It’s okay. But we can just sway. We don’t have to dance like they are outside. And it’s just you and me in here. But if you’d rather not, we don’t have to.”
“S-Sway…?” he asked, shyly.
“Yeah.” I took another step forward. "We’ll touch hands on one side, and then on the other…" I took another step, "I put my hand here..." I lightly place my hand on his shoulder. He stared at it resting there. "...And you place your hand… here." I took his hand with my other, placing it gently on my waist, in a modest spot. He took a shaky breath, eyes widening.
"Like I said, we touch hands on this side now." I slipped my hand into his, palms against each other's, and interlocked our fingers.
He stood there dumbly, looking at our fingers with saucers for eyes.
"And then... we can just sway."
I led him around a little bit, our feet shuffling, his following mine clumsily. His blush was deep and red, he was still chewing on his lip, but he didn't let go of me, though he didn’t meet my eyes either. We swayed together, totally out of sync to the music that was blaring through the door to our closet. We were in our own little bubble in here.
"You okay, Levi?"
He nodded, still looking at our locked fingers, avoiding my eyes. That was fine.
He flinched as I slid my hand down a bit to his shoulder.
“Oh… Sorry..."
“...N-No... It's okay..."
"You're just... tall. It's more comfortable here. For me. But..."
"Y-Yeah. That makes s-sense..." he murmured in his assent.
Feeling a little bold, I leaned forward, resting my cheek against my hand on his chest. He swallowed audibly. My head was basically over his heart. I heard it thundering there under my cheek.
Movement clumsy and jerky, he slid his hand around from the side of my waist to rest on my mid-back instead, pulling me a bit closer to him. I'm sure he was scarlet, doing that. But it was surprisingly very brave.
I didn't go any further than that. It was a lot for him. I relaxed in his arms, sighing. He was trembling, but he dropped his shoulders a little bit, relaxing too.
"This is really nice, Levi..."
"Y-Y-Yeah... Chise..."
He lightly rested his chin lightly on the top of my head as we danced around in small circles.
"This isn't so bad, huh?"
“N-No… Well... I-I would rather be watching anime... W-With you..."
I laughed. "Me too, Levi. We'll do that next time."
He nodded into my hair.
After a moment: “Levi…”
“…Y-Yeah…?”
“I’m really glad I have a pact with you…”
It made him whimper in his throat, and he didn’t say anything, but I felt his hold on my hand firm up a little bit more at my words, and his arm ever-so-slightly squeezed me a bit tighter to him.
We swayed.
-
Now my own back was against the wall as I made a little wallflower of myself. I looked glumly at the bodies that spun around on the floor, and absently tugged down the hem of my dress to cover more of my thighs, cursing Asmo’s choice again. I sighed and leaned back, palms placed flat behind me.
No Mammon.
“Hey… Chise…” I looked over at Simeon sidling beside me, smiling gently. “You doing okay over here?”
“Oh…” I smiled back at him. He was lovely, so lovely, the prettiest man in the room; the gentlest, the warmest, and his soft kiss still felt warm on my cheek, but… “I’m just taking a break.”
He nodded, leaning back against the wall beside me. His smile broadened. “Guess what?”
“What?”
He leaned down to my ear, so that I could hear his whisper over the music. “I saw Mammon out on that balcony over there.” He inclined his head to the side, past the back of the throne room. A door stood slightly ajar. My eyes widened, but I turned back to Simeon, confused by his help. Since he seemed… fond of me, himself.
He reached out and lightly ruffled my hair, as he liked to do. “Go on now,” he said gently, encouragingly.
I smiled at him, a true smile, thanking him deeply with my eyes. He nodded warmly. Fondly.
I slipped away from our spot on the wall.
-
I very nearly glided across that floor as I made my way to the balcony. To my Mammon. I weaved between people standing, dancing, chatting, laughing, feeling dreamy and light and hopeful. Though I hoped… not too hopeful.
I stopped a few feet back at the door, and watched him for a moment.
He was standing there, back to me, leaned forward on the rail of the balcony on his elbows. He looked out over the expanse below, the Devildom twinkling in the darkness of the deep night. I watched as he stretched his wings absently, before they relaxed back down to his sides. He was fidgeting with his fingers, but otherwise looked deep in thought.
I approached, hesitantly. If he hadn’t tried to find me before now, then maybe…
“Mammon...?” I called to him, softly, stepping out of the glass-paned door and into the warm night.
I saw him flinch at my voice, and he cocked his head slightly to the side, looking at me from the corner of his eye. He wasn’t turned enough towards me for me to see the expression on his face. But he wasn’t his usual bubbly self.
I went to him. I leaned against the railing with him.
“Are you okay…?”
“Yeah.” He fidgeted. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I haven’t seen you all night.”
He looked down, a blush suffusing his face. I reached my hand out towards him and cupped his cheek, turning him to look at me. And he did.
“Chise…”
“Mammon…” I murmured back. I stared at him, mustering as much worry, desperation, hope, and desire in my eyes as I could. Hoping to tell him the truth with them.
And then he swept me up into his arms, holding me.
“Oh, Mammon…” I snuggled against his bare chest, warm against my cheek. I traced my fingers down the white stripes of his demon marks. “I think we have a lot to talk about…”
“Mmm…” he agreed, inhaling the scent of my hair.
And then he grasped one of my hands in his, sliding the other up my back to rest there, lower than anyone else’s had been, certainly immodest, and pulled me into a slow dance.
I slid my hand up his skin, running my fingers across his collarbone. I felt a vibration against my ear as he hummed his assent to my touch. We circled gently, slowly, to the rhythm of the song playing inside, lovely, and I felt warm and safe pressed against him. I felt my heart give an unexpected squeeze in my chest. I wanted to stay like this for the rest of the night. He drew lazy circles on my lower back, pulling me closer to him, as close as we could get, pressing me to him.
“You’re so beautiful tonight, Chise…” he murmured in my ear. “That dress is…” He sighed. “Damn…”
I giggled in his arms. “It was Asmo’s pick, but, well, I knew you would like it the best out of everyone.” My smirk came through into my voice.
“Pfff…” he started, before shaking his head, relenting. I felt his grin appear against the top of my head. “Fine, fine, you’re right. You’re a fuckin’ smokeshow, I’ll admit it.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I buried my face against him with a smile.
-
From inside the room, Lucifer caught sight of them.
"Dammit, Mammon…” He started towards them, furious for no real discernible reason that he could find.
Diavolo laid a hand on his arm.
"Leave them be, Lucifer. Let them have their fun tonight." His eyes twinkled with childish delight.
"I told them, commanded them not to try any seduction tricks with our charge. On your own orders–"
"Is that what you think is going on out there?"
Lucifer stopped in his tracks and gave Diavolo a measured look. The Prince grinned in return, inclining his head towards the couple circling outside.
"Looks to me like it's Chise who is the one with Mammon wrapped around her little human finger, eh?"
Lucifer glanced back at the door to the balcony with disdain. And maybe, perhaps, with a touch of jealousy?
"Is this what you wanted? When you declared in your ideal world that all races should get along?” Lucifer bit, tersely.
Diavolo threw back his head as he let out a hearty laugh. "Well, it certainly doesn't hurt."
But what if it does, Lucifer thought, as he watched them continue their slow, spinning dance in each other's arms.
-
Mammon glanced over through the glass door.
"They're watchin' us.”
I looked over, catching Lucifer’s stern fury. My wrist still burned.
Whatever. Let him steam. Diavolo looked like he had a handle on him.
“And since when have you ever cared what they thought?” I grinned, finally tearing my face away from his chest to look up at him.
"Hmmm..." he considered, a smile on his lips as well as he looked down on me. "You're right..."
He stopped to cup my face, gazing at me. I gazed back, my heart full, the night perfect. And then, finally, he dipped his head down, brushing his lips gently against mine. I sighed against them. Our second kiss. Soft. I tried to chase him for more as he pulled away, but he put a finger to my lips to stop me, grinning.
"Don't worry, darlin'. When I get ya alone next, you'll see."
Heat rushed through me at the promise. His face turned red at his own boldness. He pulled me close again, planting kisses on the top of my head, abandoning the dance to fold me into both of his arms. I wrapped my arms around his middle, his broad ribcage, pressing my ear to his skin. I listened to his heartbeat, rapid in its anticipation, its anxiety, its passion for me. I felt his wings fold around me in his embrace.
Chapter 12: Chapter 8-C: Operation Photograph Lucifer Sleeping
Chapter Text
Asmo and Simeon breathing slowly on either side of me in their own beds, fast asleep, as I texted my plan to the group chat: Brothers Under a Pact. I saw the read receipts pop up: Mammon, Levi, and Beel.
Mammon: Chise wants us to help try to get another candid shot of Lucifer asleep? To get revenge for the fact that we failed the first time?
Mammon: No way. It’s impossible.
Leviathan: Well, there goes that plan! That was quick. Lololol
Leviathan: LMAO loooool
Beelzebub: I mean, we couldn’t do it last time.
Mammon: Man, I don’t believe Asmo.
Mammon: He knows it’s impossible, but he goes and tells Chise to do it anyway. What an ass.
Leviathan: Wouldn’t mind going, personally.
Oh…! I blushed at Levi being the first to volunteer. I didn’t expect that.
Mammon: Wha?
Mammon: Seriously?
Mammon: Why?
Leviathan: I mean, a picture of Lucifer’s face while he’s asleep? That’d totally blow up on social media.
Leviathan: And you didn’t invite me along last time, so this time I’m going too.
Mammon: Fine. Do whatever you want!
Leviathan: How about you, Beel?
Leviathan: Interested?
Beelzebub: No thanks.
Leviathan: Would a Hellfire-Baked Cheesecake from Madam Devon change your mind?
Leviathan: Because if you come along, I’ll give you one.
Beelzebub: I’ll be there.
Levi was really doing me a solid tonight. I had to make sure to thank him later.
Mammon: Wha… that’s all that it took?!
Leviathan: OK, that settles it. It’ll be me, Beel, and Chise. Just the three of us.
Leviathan: Well, see you there.
Mammon: Wait.
Mammon: Who said I wasn’t going, huh?
Beelzebub: You did.
Beelzebub: Just now.
Mammon: Shut up, Beel!
Smiling, I sent a little demon sticker surrounded by hearts. Mammon sent a cute one that just said “OK”.
Mammon: Fine. I’ll go.
Leviathan: Man, you’re totally transparent. Looool
“…All right, so it’s time to commence Operation Photograph Lucifer Sleeping,” Mammon said in a not-so-quiet whisper. The four of us had finally met up in the hall, in the wee hours of the morning, sure to find Lucifer asleep by now.
IIIIII just hoped that he was… actually in his assigned room this time.
“Now, listen up you guys. We have to learn from our screw-ups last time.” Mammon wagged a finger. “This time we gotta make sure we–"
“Levi, where’s my cheesecake?”
"You’ll get it when we’re done. You know, you’re drooling right now, Beel…”
“HEY! Listen to me when I’m talkin’ to ya!”
I rubbed at my temple. “Guys, can we focus? This is already going off the rails…”
“…'Let’s see, Diavolo and Lucifer’s room should be right at the end of this hall.’ And.. posted!”
My eyes widened at I snatched Levi’s D.D.D. out of his hand, promptly deleting his social update. He whined, grasping for it, but stopped when I dangled it over my chest, threateningly. His lip quivered as his face turned red. I gave it back to him. He took it, sulking.
Beel looked around. “He’s got to be asleep at this hour, right?”
We stood in front of the door. His door.
“All right, Chise,” Levi breathed. “Let’s do this.”
“Ready when you are,” I whispered.
“Commencinnnng… break-in.” Levi opened the door, slipping in.
Or tried to.
Everything went dark around us. I whipped my head around, but I could actually still see my boys. It was like we stepped into a black void together.
“…I can’t see anythin’!”
“Let’s wait for our eyes to adjust…”
A low, menacing growling noise reverberated around us.
“Don’t make weird noises, Mammon.”
“Huh? You’re the one makin’ the weird noises, Beel.”
“Oh. Guess it must be my stomach.”
Grrrrrrr…
The growling grew louder.
“…That didn’t come from my stomach. It came from somewhere above Levi’s head.”
“Beel, I TOLD you to stop drooling, didn’t I? Ugh, gross.” Levi wiped at the slobber on his shoulder.
GRRRRRR…
“I’m not drooling right now…”
“Uh, yes you are. You’re drooling all over my arm, I can feel it. Thick, sticky, warm drool dripping down onto me…”
“Hey.” Mammon looked around. “Do y’all feel a breeze in here? Like every so often there’s this wave of warm, wet air, almost like somethin’ breathing on us. And it smells like something dead.”
“Huh… Saliva and breath that smells like something dead… Sort of reminds me of Cerberus.”
“Yeah!” Levi agreed. “I was thinking the same thing!”
“Ahahaha! No way he’d be in here though, right?”
We all went quiet.
Flames suddenly erupted from behind Levi, illuminating the faces of a menacing, terrifying creature, three heads sprouting from its powerful shoulders.
It ROARED.
We all screeched, scrabbling in the opposite direction as the enormous three-headed dog advanced towards us, slowly.
“I-IT’S CERBERUS!”
“Back out into the hall!” Beel stood in front of us, pushing us back with his body as we all backed away. "NOW!”
“What the…!” Levi pulled at the door handle desperately. “The door we came through! It’s LOOOOOOCKED!”
“Wait!” Mammon tugged on Beel’s sleeve. “There’s somethin’ over here! It feels like a door! C’mon, Chise!” Mammon grabbed my hand, gripping me tight as he dragged me forward. “Through here!”
We all stepped through the door...
…into a room with no floor.
“SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!” Mammon wrapped his arms around me I screeched my own expletives, clutching at his shirt.
“I’M FALLIIIIIIIIIING!” Levi screamed.
“D’AAAAAH…!”
“Still falling… Still falling… Still falling… Wow, I wish this was a game and not real life!”
He was right, it was taking a really long time to finish falling. My breathing was rapid as I tried to gulp in air, my heart in my throat, gasping. The others seemed okay to breathe. I was struggling as the air whipped past my head. Mammon hugged me to him, hand cupping the back of my head to press my face to his shoulder, away from the wind.
“Aww… I was hoping to eat that Madam Devon Hellfire-Baked Cheesecake.”
”OW!” Levi cried out.
“UGH!”
“GUHUH!”
I thwoomped to the floor with them with a whoof, sprawled and dazed.
“Owwwww…” Levi sat up slowly, rubbing at his head.
“Oh, YOU’RE in pain!? How d’ya think I feel with you guys on top of me!? Go on, get off me! You too, Chise!” He poked me in the ribs. I groaned and rolled off of him, breathing in gulps of air as I stared at the floor, on my hands and knees.
Mammon frowned and slapped at my back, thumping me as if I were choking.
“That’s…! Not…! Helping…!” I gasped.
Beel looked around. “Wait a minute. Are we where I think we are…?”
Levi sighed heavily. “The underground labyrinth.”
“Again!?”
“Hey, do you hear something?” Beel stood up and peered down the fall, twisting his hands together nervously.
“…Yeah, like something big and heavy is sliding along the ground.”
“Levi, are you sure your tail isn’t out right now? It’s not hanging down and dragging on the ground?”
“Hey, that’s rude! Of course I don’t have my tail out right now. That sound isn’t coming from me.”
“Okay, then what’s makin’ that noise?!”
“I feel like I’ve heard this sound before,” Levi mused. “Relatively recently… and I’m pretty sure it was here. You know, back when Henry 1.0 appeared.”
“SNAKE!” I yelled, making them all jump, pointing down the hall, still on my hands and knees. “IT'S HENRY!”
“Oh! Henry 1.0!”
“RUN!” Beel picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, knocking the breath back out of me again.
“AHHHH! I can’t believe THIS is happenin’ again too!” We all booked it down the hall. I clung to Beel’s shoulder, having a perfect view from behind us as the snake descended on us at top-speed.
We weren’t going to make it.
“I thought that Asmo charmed that snake of your, Levi! Why’s it comin’ after us!?”
“Because the charm wore off a long time ago, idiot!”
“This thing used to be your pet, Levi! Can’t you do something?!”
“If I could, don’t you think I would’ve already?!”
“Okay then! Grilled snake it is!”
“DO NOT EAT HENRY 1.0 OR I WILL EAT YOU.”
We weren’t going to make it.
…There. I’ve put a spell on you. I remembered Solomon’s words. As of this moment, you have use of my powers for the next six hours. You should experience what it’s like to control a demon and use his powers.
Instinct, Chise…
I slapped at Beel’s back. “Put me down, Beel!”
He dropped me in surprise at the compel.
“Hey, Chise! What’re you doin’!? Get BACK! Dammit, you always–!”
I raised my hands, palms towards the snake, feeling for that rush inside my veins that Solomon had gifted me earlier. The way it had pierced my heart, and shot through me.
There it is.
“…Hear me, denizens of the darkness! You who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command! I call upon you to send forth one of your number!”
“Whaddya think you’re..?!?”
“I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus…”
A flash of light, like a lightning bolt, and there was Asmo, stumbling sleepily in his silk pyjamas, rubbing his eyes. “…Solomon, what could you possibly need at this hour? You know that a lack of sleep is back for my skin, right?” He looked up. “…Wh…HUH!? No way… How could I be here?!”
“Did Chise just… summon Asmo…?” Beel stared in awe.
“Whatever, who cares?!” Levi yelled. “Just do something about Henry 1.0!”
Asmo stared at me, dumbstruck still. “Wh… Chise… How were you able to…?”
“…Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”
With a rush and a gasp, like he was hit by a storm, Asmo was immediately transformed into his demon form on the spot. “Wh…!” His horns, black and red tipped, stood straight from his head. His four wings breaking free from behind him. “I don’t believe it…! What’s even going on right now…!”
His aura reached out, pushing us back in a stumble, enveloping him in a shimmer. “I don’t… This power… Not even Solomon has ever managed to draw this out of me…!”
To his credit, he recovered quickly, raising his eyes in a smirk, turning towards the snake. “…Henry, you can totally tell too, right?” His voice sweet, mesmerizing, dripping with charming command.
Henry 1.0 stopped, frozen in his tracks. And then purred.
“Henry 1.0 is tame again!” Levi rejoiced.
“Hold on a second.” Mammon’s head whipped back and forth between Asmo and I. “Asmo hasn’t made a pact with Chise, has he? So why was she able to summon him here AND have this power drawn out like that?!” He pointed to Asmo, still dripping in aura, giddily spinning on his toes.
“And not only that!” Asmo paused, mid-spin. “Chise’s got WAY more magical power than Solomon does! Chise, dear, what exactly is the story with you, anyway?” Excitement glittered brightly in his eyes, feverish, drunk on power. I stepped away from him and grabbed Mammon’s hand. He looked at me curiously.
“…We can talk about this after we get back to the castle.” Beel twisted his hands. “I want the Madam Devian’s Hellfire-Baked Cheesecake that Levi owes me.”
“Cheesecake!? THAT’S the most important thing to you right now?!”
“Well, Asmo,” I said softly. “Have Henry 1.0 lead us out.”
“…All right.” Lucifer lectured the five of us, everyone else standing watch in the peanut gallery behind him. “I understand how you got yourselves into this mess. It’s all too clear. And what is also clear is that no matter where you go, you always manage to stir up trouble.”
“‘Currently getting reamed out by Lucifer…’” Levi texted.
“I couldn’t resist the allure of that cheesecake…” Beel sulked, looking down at the floor.
“Just so we’re clear, I TRIED to stop ‘em! But they were all like, ‘This’ll blow up on social media’ and, ‘I gotta have my cheesecake.’ And Chise was the one who came up with the idea in the first place–“
I rolled my eyes. So much for loyalty.
Lucifer pulsed power. “MAAAAMMMOOONNNN?”
“Eeeep!” Mammon shuttered the fuck up.
“Seriously…” Satan shook his head behind Lucifer. “You failed the first time, and yet you had to try again. You guys never learn…”
“You were the one who failed with us last time, Satan…” I muttered under my breath.
“Well, how were we supposed to know that Cerberus was in there?” Beel said glumly.
“R-Right, yeah! I thought that was s’posed to be Lucifer and Diavolo’s room!”
“I had a curse put on the door. If you open it without knocking, it transports you straight to Cerberus’ room.”
“Why’d you do that…?”
“To prevent a certain someone from breaking in and stealing any of the castle’s decorative pieces to sell for profit.”
“Mammon…” Beel whispered.
“Drop dead, Mammon. Like, right now.” Levi glowered at him.
I only sighed, shaking my head.
“Hey! How’s this MY fault!?”
“…Also, it would seem that a certain someone very kindly lent his powers to Chise. Isn’t that right, Solomon?”
Solomon laughed merrily, putting a hand up to his mouth, eyes creased with his amusement. “Hm...? You mean there’s someone out there in the Devildom who’s that kind? Well, it’s the first I’ve heard of this.” He gave me an exaggerated wink. “Isn’t that right, Asmo?”
“…I’ve made up my mind.” Asmo turned towards me, eyes gleaming. “I’ll make a pact with Chise.”
“WHAT!?!” We all exclaimed in unison. I stared at him.
Lucifer folded his arms and thinned his lips, silent.
“But what about the task you gave?” Satan, wide-eyed, staring at Asmo as well. He would be the only one left aside from Lucifer if this really happened. “Didn’t it end in complete failure again?”
“Yep! But I mean, even if Solomon did lend his powers, it shouldn’t be possible for someone to draw that kind of power out of me BEYOND his abilities, you know? I mean, you’ve got to admit, it’s super impressive!” He grabbed one of my hands in both of his, chattering excitedly, eyes shining. "Chise, you really were amazing down there! So, I’m making a pact with Chise. I’ve made up my mind.”
“WHOA, HOLD ON!” Mammon protested. Jealous.
“I’m allowed to do that, right Lucifer?” Asmo looked over at him.
Lucifer remained impassive, clearly super pissed off, but did not challenge him.
Asmo looked back at me, nodding. I sighed, and nodded back.
His hands still clasped over mine, I felt the familiar rush of a pact travel through me. Magic, I realized, now that I knew its shape and form. The hair on the back of my neck stood up again as I felt a chill breeze wash over my skin. Crisp air filled my senses. The smell of roses wafted over me. Despite the chill, heat pooled inside my belly, making me blush, making me push it down, outraged, embarrassed.
Well… I was pacting with Lust, after all. That’s to be expected.
After struggling against it for a moment, Asmo’s eyes widening over the pushback, I accepted who he was. For now.
I broke my hand away from his. He looked at me quizzically, lips parted. It was done.
“Score one more pact for the exchange student! That makes four!” Levi cheered.
“Mmm, cheesecake…”
Solomon smiled sweetly at me, and nodded once as I met his gaze. Pleased. Intrigued. Rapt.
“Interesting… Chise, you know that your ring finger is longer than your index finger, right? Hmmm… Ohhhh, and I looove the shape of the nail of your thumb, so cute!” Asmo splayed my fingers out, humming happily, inspecting me from top to bottom. He leaned over close to my face. “Seems to me that your ears are a wee bit on the small side, maybe? Come here, let me see your teeth. Go on, open your mouth… Let’s hear you say ahhh!”
I put the flat of my palm on his face and pushed him away, scrunching my nose.
“Heehee! Come on, there’s no need to be shy!” He tried to dodge around my hand.
“You’ve certainly taken quite a liking to Chise suddenly, haven’t you?” Simeon observed lightly from nearby, though I heard the edge in his voice.
“Well, of course I have! Otherwise, I never would’ve made a pact, would I?”
“Still...” He looked me in the eyes instead of at Asmo, face softening. “Who would’ve thought that our Chise kept such powerful magic hidden within? Where had it been hiding all this time, I wonder?”
Asmo grasped at my arm like a little schoolgirl. I winced. Simeon frowned slightly. “That’s what I intend to find out! We’re going to discover where it’s hiding. I’m going to take it nice and slow,” he leaned his face near my ear, “and be very thorough… ‘kay?”
Simeon actually took a step towards us.
“Oooh, Chise! Is it okay if I sleep together with you in your bed tonight? You don’t mind, do you? Of course you don’t!”
Simeon turned red. I’d never seen him so bothered. I held up my hand.
“I do mind, Asmo. I’ll be sleeping alone tonight, thank you very much.” Though… I glanced at Simeon again without meaning to.
“OH NO YOU DON’T!” Mammon kicked the door in, causing it to slam against the wall, apparently having eavesdropped on the other side. “Asmo! What’re you doin’ in THAT bed?! And why do you have your arm around Chise’s shoulders, huh!? You’re too close!” He pounced on us, grabbing at me and batting Asmo away. “Get away right now! Far away that I can’t see you! Go!”
Simeon grinned behind him, relieved.
“Soooo, Chiseeeee, when you wash yourself,” he pressed himself over Mammon’s flung-out arm, “where do you like to start? Because I like to start with my–"
“HEY! Don’t IGNORE ME!” Mammon kept batting at him, my head pressed into his stomach as he threw himself over my shoulder to get at Asmo. “I SAID you’re too CLOSE! Don’t go near Chise! And NO touchin’! I won’t allow it!”
“Wow, it’s loud in here…” Satan peeked in. “We can hear you from all the way down the hall. What’s all the commotion?”
“Ooohhhh. Chise, Asmo, and Mammon are all in bed together!” Levi gasped. “Tangled up in each other and stuff! It’s hard not to fantasize about where this might be heading…”
“LEVI!" I scolded him. "This ISN’T one of your hentai!”
He ‘eeped’ in embarrassment as I oh-so-correctly guessed at his favourite personal pastime, ducking back out of the doorway to hide his red face.
“Fantasize?” Luke peeked in too. “Ooh, what sort of fantasy are we talking about? Like knights and wizards and stuff?”
Simeon slipped forward and slapped his hands over Luke’s ears again, causing a struggle of their own. “…Looks like it’s going to be another night full of drama,” he sighed.
Mammon picked up a pillow and whipped it at Asmo, close-range. “Asmo, you bastard! Quit snuggling’ up against Chise! Go away, you moron!”
“Mammnonnffff–!” I struggled against the two of them fighting over me, my face plastered to Mammon’s shirt.
“EXCUSE me?! It’s none of your business who I snuggle up to and get lovey-dovey with, now is it? And your CONSTANT yelling about it is annoying, to be honest!”
“I’ll be as annoyin’ as I have to be… whatever it takes to get you off my Chise!” Mammon let his obvious possessiveness over me slip out of his mouth in his struggle. “Get away get away get away GET AWAY!”
“Why should I listen to you?! Who made you boss?!”
“‘Cause I was the FIRST one Chise made a pact with. You’re the fourth demon – the FOURTH! And that makes me Chise’s first man! So of course you should keep your hands to yourself when I’m around, out of respect!”
Despite barely being able to breathe, I giggled into Mammon’s shirt, flattered and giddy.
“Excuuuuse me… what!? Did you seriously just call yourself first man!? Are you TRYING to make me laugh? Anyway, it doesn’t matter who was FIRST. If Chise didn’t like snuggling with me, it would be different. But otherwise, what gives you the right to boss me around?”
“Chise, don’t be shy!” Mammon pulled me away from his stomach, looking into my eyes. “Let him have it! Tell this numbskull that he’s too close and needs to back off!”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, does he, Chise?” Asmo cooed sweetly. “Naturally, you’re HAPPY to have someone as beautiful as me by your side, now aren’t you?”
“Yep, you’re a liiiittle intense with the snuggling, Asmo. Some personal space," I elbowed them both, “would be appreciated.”
“Aww… there’s no need to be shy, Chise…” Asmo had a look of mild panic in his eyes, still desperate for my approval. “Okay, I’ll just wait until later, when we’re alone! Then we can do LOTS of snuggling, okay?”
I groaned in my hands, wondering if someone would switch rooms with me.
“I’m NEVER leavin’ you two alone… NEEVERRRRR!” Mammon grabbed me again.
Levi peeked back in. “What do we have here…? Two idiots fighting over a normie? Pff…. They can… both keel over and die, for all I care...”
“What about you, Beel?” Luke looked up at him. “I notice you aren’t getting involved. But you’re in a pact with Chise too, right?”
“Too hungry right now. Don’t feel like it.”
I felt Asmo grab me from behind around my middle, entirely too close to my chest, and pull me to him with an oomph from me.
“ASMO…! YOU ROTTEN BASTARD…!”
Mammon whipped another pillow at his face. And basically at my face, too.
“Watch it…!” I yelled at him.
“AAAH! I can’t take this anymore! I wish you’d just disappear! You can go burn in the fires of hell for all I care! If I could snap my fingers and send you there right now, I’d do it!”
Simeon sighed. “Things are only going to escalate if nobody stops them…”
Solomon peered in and tilted his head with one of his strange smiles. “Then why don’t you stop them, Simeon?”
“I’ll wait a little longer before I step in.” I looked at him. I couldn’t discern his expression. “She will call me if she needs me…” he added quietly.
Solomon raised an eyebrow at that, eyes sparkling, his smile unchanging.
“That’s it! You shut that big fat mouth of yours RIGHT NOW, you $#&*$!%^! $#@&$*!”
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re money-grubbing TRASH! A scumbag who’d sell his soul for a Grimm! The only thing that might make up for your awful existence is if you just ended it! Now!”
“HEY! That’s no way to be talkin’ to your older brother, now, is it!? You’d best start showin’ me some RESPECT!”
“RESPECT?! What did YOU ever do to earn my respect!? I’m EMBARRASSED to have someone like you for an older brother! MORTIFIED even!”
“All right, you two,” Satan butted in, the only mature one in the room. “That’s enough. Stop throwing pillows at each other. You’re sending dust flying everywhere.”
Levi shook his head. “It’s no use. They won’t listen. It’s like they don’t even hear us.”
“The food here at the Demon Lord’s Castle sure is something, huh? The shadow swine they served at dinner was amazing.”
“@!$%^&%&! And.. and also, you’re a… um, a ^%%$#*!”
“Maybe it’s time you learned some new WORDS, Mammon!” Asmo threw his hands up in the air. “Because your vocabulary is pathetically small! Just what I’d expect from the stupidest demon in the Devildom! You really set the bar for what stupid can be! You know what, speaking of small, I bet-!”
“WHAT!? SAY THAT AGAIN! I DARE YA!”
“…How long are they going to keep going at each other like this?” Levi muttered. "It’s a total waste of time. They’re getting nowhere, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Hey!” Satan raised his voice. “I TOLD you, stop throwing pillows at–“
THWUMP.
“Mphuh...!”
“Oohhh, um… Whoops… Didn’t mean to hit you with that…” Mammon squeaked guilty.
Satan stood there in silence, hands clenched to his sides, deep breaths.
His eyes shot open. “THAT’S IT! I’M GONNA KILL BOTH OF YOU!”
Satan launched himself at our pile, ripping pillows from their hands. I yelped as I was flattened by demon bodies.
“HEY! Sata– MRRPHH!” Satan’s thigh came flying at my face, smacking my nose. “GEEERRROOFFFF!” I pounded at his hips with my fists.
“Uh oh…” Simeon muttered.
“Pff… loooool. Satan’s got serious anger issues. LMAO.”
Oomph!
“HEY, Satan!” Luke yelled shrilly. "What do you think you’re doing throwing a pillow at Simeon?! Take THIS! SUPER CELESTIAL SHOOTING PILLOOOOOW!”
THWUMP.
“SOLOMON…!” Mammon spluttered. "You son of a… you think you’re SO GREAT just ‘cause you’re a human like Chise!”
Solomon laughed musically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I take it you’re trying to start a fight with me, Mammon?”
“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO THREW THAT PILLO–"
”JUST WHAT DO ALL OF YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”
Lucifer’s voice thundered behind everyone at the door.
Diavolo peered in behind him as everyone scattered, shaking his head sternly. “That’s a good question, yes. Really, I have to say, I’m disappointed.”
“Diavolo, I promise you that I’m going to have a good long talk with them, and I will ensure that–"
“I mean, a pillow fight?! How could you do something fun like that and yet not think to invite us!” Diavolo descended into the room like a puppy.
“…What?” Lucifer creased his brow.
“It’s a pillow fight, Lucifer!” Diavolo boomed with joy. “A pillow fight…! This is what overnight retreats are all about. I mean, it’s straight out of the book Youthful Fun 101!”
“…No, I’m sorry. Starry-eyed nostalgia is all well and good, but I won’t stand for this.”
“You’re lettin’ your guard down, Asmo! TAKE THIS!”
Mmphuh. The pillow hit Diavolo, somehow.
“...Uh-oh…”
“Mammon scored a critical hit on Lord Diavolo! Lololol he just pulled some SERIOUS aggro from Lucifer now! Lololol looool.”
“…Anyone who dares throw a pill at Diavolo… must… DIE!”
A pillow whipped towards us at top speed. I screeched in horror and ducked my head back down under Satan.
GUH-HRGH…!
“Ahahaha! Lucifer totally hit you square in the face with that pillow, Mammon! Serves you right!”
Satan looked down at the motionless demon beside me. “He can’t hear you, Asmo. He’s out cold.”
“Wow!” Solomon gasped. “It’s as if he really did intend to kill Mammon. That’s how hard he threw that pillow. I mean, I’ve never seen a pillow fly through the air so fast that it was on fire.”
“That was incredible…” Luke said in awe. “Are Devildom pillows made to function are weapons too…?”
“No.” Simeon pulled Luke back from the fray. "I’m pretty sure they’re just normal pillows like you’d find anywhere else.”
“All right.” Lucifer looked around the room dangerously, arms crossed. “Any of you who are brave enough to take a pillow to the face, step forward!”
No one moved.
“Lucifer! I’ll help you reload!” Diavolo stepped up happily. “I’m tossing more pillows your way!”
“Got it, Diavolo. Just leave the rest to me.”
THWUMP.
“AHHHHH! D-Don’t aim for my face! Please, not that!”
Beel stared. “Th-That pillow he just threw made a hole in the bed… A hole…!”
My fucking bed. I groaned.
“I have to say, Lucifer and Diavolo do make quite the team…” Solomon mused happily. “They work in such perfect coordination.”
“Is this really the time to be standing around admiring them, Solomon!?” Now that Asmodeus was down and cowering, I only had Satan as my protective shield, so I wiggled further under him in fear, balling my fists in his sweater.
“Lucifer! Catch!”
THWUMP.
“D’AHHH!” Luke went down. Simeon sighed.
THWUMP.
“GUH…” Beel collapsed.
THWUMP.
“GRUGH…!” Satan fell on top of me fully, squashing me, his shoulders smouldering.
“‘Beelzebub and Satan are down now. Lolololol Lucifer is racking up the kills.’ Aaaaand, sent!”
“I don’t know if I’d call this a pillow fight.” Solomon shook his head. “It’s more like a game of Frantically Dodge the Flaming Balls of Death Flying Past.”
“Well then!” Simeon picked up a pillow himself. “Looks like it’s my turn now! Get ready…!”
Aaaaaand so the pillow fight continued, lasting late into the night.
Having slipped out from under the covers with Simeon after my bed had been destroyed and everyone else had left without bothering to offer another, I peeked around the corner. I was on my way to the bathroom, for real this time, making sure the coast was clear. I froze as I heard voices coming down from the hall. Satan's deep voice, and… Barbatos’ lisp?
“It is bad form to eavesdrop on others, you know?” Barbatos admonished Satan. I shrank back before I was accused of the same. “I certainly can’t say I approve, Satan. Now here I am, having to escort you back to your room.”
“…Well, what about you? What were you doing out there, Barbatos?”
“It’s my job to stay close to Lord Diavolo, so that I may better serve him,” Barbatos replied, correctly.
“Then I’m guessing you heard what they said, too?” Satan’s voice dropped lower, and I strained to hear.
“Yes, I heard the same thing you did.”
“Well, what do you think about Chise being chosen for the exchange program?” Satan sounded worried. My ears perked at my name. “An average human suddenly dropped down into the Devildom, and yet manages to make pacts with four demons in almost no time at all. I mean, no one should be that good. And we’re not talking about any old lower-tier demons here. Every one of them are student council officers. Was it really just an accident that Chise was selected for the exchange program, or could it be that–?”
“Hmm… who knows?” Barbatos mused, careful to keep no expression in his voice. “The only thing I can say is this: Even if this wasn’t part of Lord Diavolo’s plan, perhaps this wasn’t an accident, but an inevitability?”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Satan replied testily. “Your powers–"
“Tomorrow is the last day of the retreat. I recommend you go ahead and get to bed, Satan.”
Satan sighed in frustration. I slipped away, back to my own room. I crawled back under the covers with Simeon, resting my cheek lightly on his shoulder as he breathed slowly in sleep. The bathroom could wait a little longer.
Chapter 13: Chapter 9-A: Good Girl
Notes:
You're welcome.
Chapter Text
***
Note: From this point on, scenes that are split between *** and /// are smut breaks, and are mostly skippable.
I dropped my bag to the floor of my room with a sigh, stepping forward to inspect the foliage curling along my wall, having abandoned my hobby for the last few days. I pulled at a failing, old leaf, to make room for the new.
Home.
Home, I thought with a start. When had I begun to think about it as… Home?
I stretched my shoulders before bending down to rummage through my pack. Classes were never actually paused for the retreat for only a handful of students, so I’m sure there were notes posted by the instructors for our benefit. I’ll have to get to that before classes start again.
I heard something slap against my door, echoing through my room. No knock, just a solid slap. Confused, I turned and stepped back towards it, turning the knob.
“Mmfff–!”
Mammon was on me, kicking the door shut behind him with a lot more force than necessary with his foot, slamming it, sweeping me up in him arms. We collapsed to the floor, limbs tangled, mouths devouring each other. My fingers came up and entwined in his hair, grabbing fistfuls to pull his face close to me. He pressed me to the hard floor, not even making it far enough into the room to avoid hitting the door with his feet as he positioned himself to pin me. He crushed his pelvis to mine. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his hips as he pressed and pressed and pressed. I pressed and pressed back, rolling my hips up to meet him. Felt so good. Felt so right.
"Yes, yes, yes..." Mammon gasped every time we came up for air. "More, more, more…"
"So we're finally doing this?" I huffed against him, teasing, remembering how he had run away the last time he had jumped me. He slipped his tongue into my mouth in response, and I met his with mine, running it along the edge, licking his teeth, greedy for more, more, more. He pulled at my lip, licking them, licking me, sucking, kissing, kissing, kissing. The heat of our mouths warmed my cheeks as he devoured me with the most passion I had ever felt in my entire life. Every kiss and lick and bite the best I had ever had. The best I had ever tasted.
He groaned against my mouth and ran his hands up my waist, pulling the hem of my shirt up with them. He dipped his head and kissed my stomach, up to my ribs, sliding his hands up and up until my shirt was rolled up and over my breasts, my bra exposed. I ran my fingers through his soft hair, moaning his name, yes, yes, yes, finally, finally, finally, as he peppered my chest and collar with hungry kisses.
“My girl, my girl…” He groaned against my cleavage. I flushed as he asserted me as his. “My good girl… Beautiful… Sexy… Mine…” Punctuating the words with more kisses and licks. He rolled my shirt up the rest of the way, throwing it to the side when it dragged from my wrists, freeing me.
He dragged his teeth down my stomach again until he bit at the button that fastened my pants. “Oh…” I breathed, sucking in a breath as he pinched it open with his fingers. This was happening. Oh god, this was happening. Finally. My Mammon.
He gently pried the top of my pants apart, licking his tongue on the bare skin above my pelvis, just above the elastic of my panties. I whimpered at the coolness that his warm tongue left behind on my skin. I whimpered in anticipation. I whimpered for him. He looked up and smirked. I begged him with my eyes, bottom lip trembling.
Satisfied that I was looking, he tugged at my zipper with his teeth teasingly, before pinching that with his fingers too, sliding it down achingly slow. I looked down at him in awe. He spread the fly of my pants open to kiss down the fabric of my underwear until he couldn’t get any further, biting them, pulling at them with his teeth, snapping them back with every release.
He nuzzled. “You smell so good…”
I flushed.
He lifted my hips, and I wiggled the seat of my pants down over them to my thighs, helping him out. He took them the rest of the way, slowly pulling them off of me, satisfaction in his eyes as he unveiled my bare legs, and the way I trembled for him, revealing myself in just my panties. He pulled them off of my feet, throwing them to the side. He bent his head back down to my panties, biting, pulling, kissing down and down until he reached between my legs, huffing. I gasped as he pressed his thumb there through the fabric.
“Wet…” he breathed. “Already wet…” He gave the fabric a lick.
“For you…” I moaned back.
Running his hands down my thighs, he grasped me, raising them together to lift my shins over his shoulder. Settling me there, my pelvis tilted up, he kissed my shins, my knees, while running his hands back down my thighs to rest at the band of my panties.
He slowly, achingly, pulled them over my hips, sliding them down my thighs, over my knees, to where my shins met his shoulder, leaving me exposed. I blushed as he nuzzled at the crotch of my panties, inhaling my scent.
"Mm... So good... So ready..."
My lips parted at his words as fire flooded my belly. So ready.
He slid one hand back up between my thighs, on the inside this time, slowly parting me. He lowered my legs slowly off of his shoulder and back onto the ground. Other hand back to my panties. Pulling them off the rest of the way, his lips still brushing against my shins and knees.
My bare skin prickled at the chill air. Exposed. I felt the flush in my cheeks spread down my neck and settling in my chest as he took the sight of me in, sighing with deep content.
"Finally... Hells... You're so beautiful, Chise… You’re so..."
I self-consciously tried to cover myself at my chest, still in my bra. He immediately let go of my legs, grabbing hold of my wrists to pin them by my head.
"Nuh-uh. I haven't had my fill of lookin' at ya." He grinned wide with mischief glinting in his blue, blue, oh-so-blue eyes, his canines pointed and bared.
I obeyed, keeping my arms up and by my head, relaxing in his grip. Satisfied that I wouldn’t move, he leaned his face in, close to mine.
"That's my good girl..." he murmured, lips nearly brushing mine. I tried to jump at him to close the gap, but I missed as he pulled away, tutting.
"Nah-ah-ah, darlin'. There's other things I wanna do with this mouth. You're just gonna have to wait."
I shuddered out a breath, incredibly turned on from the denial, despite the deep disappointment.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll make sure you get all that you want. I'll take care of ya tonight." He winked, lowering his head to nape of my neck, breathy against it. "You're mine all night. You'll see."
He pressed little kisses to my throat, putting a bit of extra pressure against my esophagus, eliciting another gasp. I curled my fingers into my palm, digging my nails in anticipation as he worked his way lower, lower...
His mouth pressed against the cleavage between my breasts. He bit at the edge of my bra that cupped me, tugging it with his teeth. I groaned at the sight.
"Mmhmm. Let's get this off of ya, shall we? It's in my way. We can't have that."
He smoothed his hands around my waist and up the curve of my back as I lifted myself with a sigh, giving him access. His deft hands made short work of the clip. My bra slackened around my shoulders. I temporarily lowered my arms from above my head to my chest in anticipation for its removal. He let me. For now.
"Theeeeere we go," he cooed. He stroked at my shoulders, hooking the straps in his fingers, dragging one over and down my arms, down my elbows, past my wrists. And then the other side. He revealed my breasts slowly, before flicking my bra away. Off of me.
He sat up to admire me. I lay on the floor underneath him, naked. His eyes gazed down at me with unabashed admiration. I inwardly squirmed at his stare.
"Beautiful, so beautiful..."
He lowered his head back down again, this time giving me a little lick on my nipple. I gasped at the sudden switch.
"A little cold in here for them, hmmm?" He grinned up at me meaningfully. I blushed. He pinched the other one suddenly. I sucked in a breath.
He leaned back down, kissing and licking and sucking. My eyes rolled back and I closed my eyes, my back arching to meet his lips. My hands carded through his hair, running my fingers through his scalp, caressing his spiraled horns, I realized, not having noticed that they had made an appearance. I danced my fingers on them lightly as I sighed.
He let me, for a while while, but then grabbed at my wrists again, roughly, pinning them back onto the floor to my sides, before sliding them up over my head, gently. I stayed. He let go.
"That's my good girl. So good, y'know? My beautiful little human. You stay like that now. No matter what. Got it?"
I nodded my agreement, weakly, my eyes lidded as I looked down into his.
"Mmhmm. I knew you'd obey me. I knew you'd be a good girl for me," he purred against my ribcage, his lips pressing more kisses as he made his way down. He followed the rise and fall of my stomach as my breathing quickened in anticipation. He was being so slow. Godddd, why did he have to be so slow.
Down my abdomen, past the dip of my navel, back up the swell, to the top of my mound...
I groaned my need as he closed in on his prize. "Mammon... Pleeeeease..."
"Sooooo good. So patient." I didn't feel patient. My breaths were coming out in small huffs now, my chest rising and falling. I was rolling my hips. I couldn't believe how crazy I already felt. He had barely touched me. Not how I REALLY wanted him to touch me. It was all so agonizingly slow.
"Hmmm..." He slid his hands between my knees, sliding them up, up, up between my thighs again. I eagerly parted them at his touch, though only as far as the pressure he put on them allowed. I instinctually knew that's what he wanted.
I wanted to be his good girl.
He took me by the back of the knees and raised both my legs over his shoulders again, one on either side of his head. He slid his hands up the back of my thighs, cupping my ass, bringing his face lower... Kissing, licking at the inner skin of my legs. I shuddered and dug my nails into my palms more forcefully, willing myself to not instinctually run my fingers through his hair, to not press him closer to where I needed him to be.
He sighed against my sex, finally having reached his prize. His warm breath against my skin brought forth another moan from my lips. I bucked my hips gently towards his face.
"Now now," he breathed, "patience, my little Chise." The sound of my name from his lips was the sweetest thing I think I had ever heard. The view from my angle, where he looked up at me from between my legs, the hottest thing I had ever seen.
"You're so sexy," I moaned softly out loud. "So gorgeous. So pretty. Oh, Mammon."
"Hey now, those are my lines." He grinned up at me, though a blush suffused his face despite himself.
He bent, and kissed at the folds of me.
I huffed out a long breath of air, trying to relax under his attention. He squeezed my ass gently, still cupping a cheek, the other arm bracing my hips steady. I parted my legs further in a silent plea, steadying my knees over his shoulders, waiting, on the verge of begging.
"Soooooo good..." He inhaled me. "You smell sooooo good, Chise."
My face turned beet red again as my self-consciousness returned. "P-Please Mammon... Enough... I want..." I whimpered as I trailed off.
"Eh?" he teased, stopping again. I cursed myself for distracting him. "I didn't catch that last part, baby. What did you say that you wanted?"
"Y-You..."
"Me...? What about me? What about me do you want, Chise?"
I trembled, like putty in his hands. His words purred, smooth as butter, teasing, dangling my desire in front of me, just out of reach.
"I-I want..." I breathed. "Your fingers... Please... So empty..."
"Ooohhhh," he smirked. "Is that aaaalll that you want, baby?"
"Your... Mouth... Tongue..."
"Mmm. What about my MOUTH and my TONGUE?"
"Taste me. Taste me. Please," I sighed, begging.
"Theeeeere we go. Was that so hard? Askin' me for what you want? You gotta tell me what it is that you want, Chise. You gotta let me know."
"Y-Yes."
"Good girl."
And then he licked through the folds of my sex, pushing them apart with the tip of his tongue. I gasped, arcing my back again, my knees squeezing to try to lock together, trapping his head between me, locking him there, trying to pull him closer, please, please, please, please...
"Sooooo needy," he cooed.
He slid the hand that was cupping my ass up. His fingers scissored. He parted me gently.
"Ahhhhhh...." I breathed.
"And soooo sensitive..."
He paused a moment, openly gazing at what lay between my thighs, real hunger in his eyes. I squirmed in embarrassment. And need.
"I can't wait to fuck this pussy," he said frankly, smirking.
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the crassness of his words, squeaking, bluuuuushing. He laughed at my expense, delighting in my reaction.
But he sighed again, and the happiness in the sound squeezed at my heart.
"Now... Let's get to work, shall we?"
My legs were shaking. He parted my folds again. He breathed in deep. He glanced up at me and, seeing me gazing back at him, slowly stuck his tongue out, teasing again. Before dipping his head back down.
He gave a little lick, directly on my bud.
I jerked with a cry, but he grabbed at my thigh with his other hand, near-painfully, stilling me.
He did it again.
I groaned, long and low. "Pllleeeeeaaassse..."
"Beggin' now, are we?"
"Shut uuuuupppp...."
He laughed against me. "But... If I remember correctly... You mentioned fingers first, didn't you? Is that what you like, Chise? You like fingers the best, huh? Right, baby?"
"Fingers... Fingers... Both..."
"IIIIII see. You like to start with fingers, huh? And then work your way up? But you taste soooo good..." He sighed with regret. "But you've been such a good girl, haven't you? I have to reward such a good girl."
I keened, bucking my hips, so fucking tired of this little game of his.
"Alright, alright," he laughed. He danced his fingers across my skin.
I bucked again.
He pretended to ignore it. "Alright, baby. You ready?"
I bucked AGAIN.
He brushed the flat of his thumb against my clit, and pushed. Swirling.
I shuddered, groaning.
And so he began to work me. His deft fingers pinched and rubbed, swirled, his thumb pressing against the sensitive stem that lead up to my bud too. He dipped his head and gave little licks whenever he wasn't working my clit. I squirmed and began to moan more earnestly, making pretty little noises as he stroked me gently. My head rolled from side to side, slowly.
"Inside, inside…” I begged.
"Hmmm. That's right. You said you were feeling a bit empty... Poor thing..."
He slipped a finger inside me. I was hot and wet and ready for him. "Ahhhhh....!" I cried as my head shot up.
"Sensitive..." he murmured, working his finger inside me. He slid in and out, in and out, curling and uncurling against the roof of me in a come-hither motion. I couldn't help it, I moved one arm, pressing my face into the crook of my elbow, still careful to keep them up above my shoulders.
Not good enough. He tutted. "Need to see your face, Chees." I obeyed, delighting in the new nickname.
And then he slipped in a second finger.
I bucked at him, squeezing him between my knees. I heard his own breathing hitch at my reaction as I writhed.
"S-So pretty..." His voice nearly broke.
He picked up speed, his fingers starting to thrust in and out of me with more and more force. My chest heaved, back arched, and cried in need as he increased his pressure when he curled his fingers.
While he finger-fucked me, I felt a third finger. I waved it away.
"Tw-Two..." I managed to stammer.
"Ohhh? You like just two, huh?" He smirked, continuing to fuck me with his fingers while he drawled, relishing at my inability to give a coherent response. "Well, I hope that's not ALL you can take, otherwise there's going to be a bit of a problem down the road..."
I whimpered at the insinuation, feeling the pressure build in my belly as he continued to administer me.
"Well, in that case..."
I threw my head back and cried out again at the electric touch of his tongue. I swallowed a sob as he pulled my clit into his mouth, sucking, drinking me, the sound of how slick I had become punctuating the air with every thrust of his fingers. Wet wet wet. He moaned his own need against me, his breath hot, thrusting his own hips against the floor in time to the rhythm of his fingers. He nibbled gently and I found myself begging, pleading, babbling nonsense as I neared my peak.
"Cum... Cum..." I managed to sob, thrashing my head back and forth, arms still raised. The pressure that was building inside of me was becoming more and more unbearable. I needed my release. I begged for it.
"G-Good girl..." Mammon breathed, eyes bright and feverish, heavy with desire. "Ready for your reward...?"
“Please...!" I very nearly screamed for it.
"Alright, baby. Cum now. Cum for me. Cum cum cum. Cum for me." His own breathing was laboured. "Please..." He let out his own soft little beg, betraying himself.
I crested at his words, a strangled cry erupting from my lips. I sat up and slapped the ground beside me with one palm, the other grabbing a fistful of his hair to thrust him between my legs, obedience thrown out the window at the height of my peak. I curled around him, hunched, pressing his face into me, shaking and crying out my pleasure as he rode me through it with his fingers. His eyes were squeezed shut, the flat of his tongue licking me up roughly over and over. I felt his hand begin to shake against me, inside of me, with his own desire.
I sobbed as I ground his face into my crotch. The power of my orgasm shocked me, the anticipation that he had wrought in me building me up deliciously, and I shook around him at the force of it.
I flung myself back on the ground. "Hahhh... Hahhh... Hahhh..." I heaved shamelessly, eyes squeezed shut as I eased down from my high.
"Fuck, Chise. Fuck. Holy shit. You're so hot. I need ya. I gotta have ya. Right now." Mammon abandoned all pretence of going slow, whipping his shirt off over his head, panting. I opened my eyes to look at him, dazed, lying naked before him on the floor, breasts heaving. He was on his knees between my sprawled legs. His eyes were half lidded, full of desire, lips parted, and fuck, fuck, watching him shirtless, his muscular stomach flexing with his heaving breath, his white demon stripes clawing their way down his chest, and oh, the metallic sound of the clasp on his belt, and oh, the button of his jeans popping open, his zipper coming undone...
I keened for him. I keened and keened as I waited.
He stood up to shimmy out of his pants, pulling his pants and boxers down as one, freeing his erection.
My eyes shot open and I audibly sucked in my breath, holding it with a whine as he collapsed back down on his knees before me. He met my eyes at the noise, and smirked.
"I told ya, baby. I warned ya."
So big. Oh shit. So long. So thick. The shaft stood up proud, the head swollen and purple at the top, straining, pre-cum already dribbling from the tip, making his cock glisten. I couldn't believe it.
"Mmhmm. Perks of a demon," he teased as he spat on his hand and palmed himself in front of me, on his knees. I whined low and loud with my need, watching him, aching deep inside, empty where his fingers had abandoned me.
"I can't take it," he whispered hoarsely. "I need ya. Right now. I hope you're ready. This might be a stretch... Lemme know..."
I nodded vigorously over and over, eyes still wide as he loomed over me. He slapped a hand to the ground beside me to hold himself up, the other still pumping himself. I drew my knees up, tilting my pelvis towards him, scrabbling at his chest pathetically with my fingers. His hips lowered down to meet mine. His eyes cast down between our legs. Positioning himself.
I felt him find me. He pushed tentatively at first, to make sure. The tip slipped in, against my wetness, my heat, indicating his success. I heard a low growling rumble in his chest.
He forced himself to take it slow, pushing, easing himself in.
I was so wet. So dilated in my desire. But he stretched me deliciously even then.
I hitched and clawed at the floor at the pressure, flailing, open-mouthed. "Haaaaahhhhh....!"
Thicker and thicker, his cock swelled in girth around the middle of his length, and I took it.
"Good girl..." he murmured, voice strained. "Ahhh... Touch me, Chise. Hold onto me... Arms around my neck... Let's go... Please..."
I obeyed, throwing my arms around him with a cry as he slid further inside of me, my forehead hitting his jaw jarringly as I pressed my face into his neck. I was scrabbling at him again, scratching, taking his skin into my mouth and biting down, wherever I could, wherever my mouth happened to be.
"Ahhhh, Chise...!" he moaned directly against my ear, uncontrolled. I discarded the previous thought. THIS was the sweetest sound I had ever fucking heard. I moaned back as the sound burned in me.
He sheathed himself fully inside me. Finally. One. Connected.
We both panted as he paused, letting me adjust to his girth. Little whines escaped from each breath of mine. I pulsed around him, eliciting a hitch from him every time I swelled. I pulled my face away from his neck and cupped his face with my hands, gazing at him. His back was arched up as he braced himself with both his palms on either side of me. I held him there, stroking his face, cheeks flushed with desire. His own face had a look of awe, and his mouth moved, opening and closing, as though he were trying to say something.
"Mammon...?" I whispered.
He hesitated, still gazing at me. His expression uncertain.
"…I… I think I'm fallin' for ya, Chise," he whispered back.
My heart squeezed in my chest. Tears pricked my eyes. I nodded. "...Me too.” My voice was choked with emotion.
He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his mouth to mine, kissing me deeply, pulling his arousal back slowly, achingly.
We both sighed into each other's mouths at the sensation, as he ebbed from me.
He paused again. Slipped his tongue into my mouth. I sucked on it.
He slammed into me.
I threw my head back and screamed as his cock filled me, throwing myself back down flat on the floor. My hands clawed down from his face to land on his shoulders, his chest, my nails digging into his flesh.
He began fucking me wildly, passionately, rutting me hard, taking me rough, like a man starved, a man possessed. I cried with every stroke, a continuous stream, as he took me faster and faster. His own voice vibrated deep within his chest with every breath, deep half-moans. It drove me wild. I bucked my hips up to meet his thrusts and landed one hand on the bone of his hip, digging there, pulling him to me to give more force to his thrusts, my other arm curved around his neck to pull myself back up and keep me close to his face. He moaned against my jaw as I clung to him, helpless. I pressed shaky kisses to his forehead, moaning through each one, crying out again whenever he pierced me harder.
I sobbed. "So good... So big... So deep... More... More...!"
He collapsed down to one arm, propping himself up with one elbow instead, pinning me down flat. He kissed me deeply, tongue seeking my own, as he pounded me, fucked me into the ground. I met his kiss, his tongue, biting and pulling at his bottom lip with my teeth. He snaked his other arm around my hips, pulling me flatter against him, somehow managing to reach even deeper inside me. We moaned into each other's mouths, over and over and over to the rhythm of our fucking, our kisses deepening with every joining.
I was building and building and building. My arm around his neck trembled, barely hanging on too him.
I heard a hitch in Mammon's breathing. I broke our kiss, mouth slack, to look into his eyes. They were glassy, glazed, clouded, full of desire and awe.
"You're close," I moaned.
"So are you," he panted. "I ain't finished until you are, baby."
I nodded to him wordlessly, lips still parted, as I fell back flat on the ground. He nodded too, face and neck red on his bare, tanned skin. He drew himself up so that he was sat balanced on his knees, grabbing the back of mine, lifting my lower half up, guiding my legs to wrap around his hips, tilting my pelvis even further. My ass lifting.
I gasped at the depth he reached. I began to tremble all over. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, my eyelids fluttering.
"You're gonna cum for me baby, aren't you?" Mammon whispered between gasps.
I nodded, eyes still closed, my breaths escaping me more unevenly, my moans beginning to still as I began bucking. The heat and pressure that had built up in my belly threatening to overwhelm me. Oh, I wanted to give in. I needed to give in. My head rocked from side to side.
"Look at me, Chise."
I slowly opened my eyes, vision blurry, glazed. My muscles were growing more and more rigid.
"Good girl..." he gasped. "Now..." He thrusted harder. I barely reacted. Already overwhelmed. Already overstimulated. My body pure electric. "Cum."
I arched my back in a wordless cry as I contracted around the cock buried deep inside me. My mouth open, strangling noises erupting from me.
He lifted my knees over his shoulders, angled himself downwards, pulling me right to him, pounding into me.
My back lurched up and down off the floor, my elbows flexing on their own as I flailed, my orgasm crashing against me, over and over, pulsing, pulling me under, drowning me. I could only let out a shuddering sob as I tried to take a breath, only managing to gulp small bites of air. I felt tears tracking down my cheeks. Intensity enveloped me. I was quieter than I had been this entire time with my strangled, held breath. But raged the hardest I had ever had.
"Ch-Chise... I..."
"Fill... Me...... Mammon...." I forced the words out of me, barely enough breath left in my lungs for the command.
He growled low, obeying, slamming a final thrust against me with his release.
He ground against me hard, just like that, me contracting around him, clamping, and him, erupting, hot, hot, his seed unusually hot. I felt the girth of him pulsing, twitching, as he spilled inside me. Letting out a shaky sigh of satisfaction, I released my long-held breath. So much. So much. Filled. Cum. I'll be dripping. Dripping. I could already feel myself dripping. Demon. Cum. Mammon.
Finally, he collapsed on me, spent. Drained. Huffing hard against my neck. I raised my shaky arms to cradle his head. Trembling fingertips stroking his hair. He planted a shaky, lazy kiss against my throat. His thumb brushed against my arm. He made a noise. A whimper. His chest heaved against mine.
We lay there, still connected, in each other's arms. I held him. He held me. Minutes passed, and our hearts slowly pull back from their racing. I slowed my breathing and petted him. He petted me back. Nuzzled my neck.
We recovered in the arms of the other, wordlessly, catching our breaths. Mine started to even.
///
He jerked lightly in my arms, teetering. I giggled. I knew he was starting to fall asleep. He flicked my arm lazily, but I felt him smile against my neck. I nuzzled gently into his hair. His horns had retracted when he had fallen asleep. So cute. My sweet demon.
With great effort, he brought his arm down to prop himself on his elbow, lifting his head to look at my face. He cupped my cheek with his other hand, lightly.
I gasped at the small electric spark that passed between us. Warmth suffused me. Familiar. Mine. I questioned him with my eyes.
"My pact," he answered. "Our pact.” Renewed. Re-enforced.
I nodded in understanding, a lazy smile finding its way to my lips, my heart full. He gave himself to me without anything in return. Just for want of me. Symbolic. He sighed, and laid his cheek back down on my collar.
–
"I love you too," I whispered, after his breathing had evened out, asleep.
We jerked awake at a loud knock at my door.
"Diiinnneeerrr!" Asmo sang. I heard him skip down the hall.
Mammon huffed and raised himself over me.
He grinned. "...Oops. No time to properly clean ya up for dinner."
I blushed, my inner thighs still wet from his seed. I pushed myself up as well and looked down at the wood floor. Dried cum had pooled there underneath me. I gasped in amazement.
"Yeeeahhhhh, sorry." He looked a bit sheepish, but still grinned at my expression.
“Ahhhh! Yep, there’s really no place like home!” Mammon cheered as we all shuffled into the dining room. He was in an extremely good mood. “This…! This is my kinda place! This is my chair! The way the food tastes!” He turned to me. “I mean, doncha agree? There’s really no place like the House of Lamentation, huh Chise?”
Home.
I smiled up at him. “Yep, there’s no place like the House of Lamentation.”
“Exactly!" His eyes sparkled. "Finally, you’re startin’ to understand what’s really great about the Devildom!”
My heart beat hard in my chest, and I pressed my palm over top of it.
You. You are really great about the Devildom. You are home.
He sighed and stretched his arms over his head. “I’ve walked through this hall a million times, but after bein’ away all this time, I realize I really missed this place…!”
“Don’t be so dramatic…” Satan took his usual place beside him. “We were only away on our retreat for three days.”
“Only…?” Levi groaned. “Satan, did you really just say we were ONLY away for three days? I’ll have you know that I have 36 Ruri-chan figurines, and they’re more important to me than life itself! But they wouldn’t all fit in my luggage, so I had to leave HALF of them behind! Eighteen of my figurines, ABANDONED! Left all alone in the House of Lamentation… Do you know what it was LIKE being away from Ruri-chan? Imagine if someone ripped off your arms and legs, chopped them up into tiny pieces, then put the tiny pieces into a wooden pestle, and ground them into a fine paste, then kneaded the paste, shaped it into patties, and grilled them up! THAT’S how it felt! And yet here you are telling me it was only THREE DAYS! I’d APPRECIATE it if you wouldn’t be so dismissive!”
Asmodeus laughed in delight. “Ahahah! Look how serious Levi is! He’s honestly mad right now!”
Satan shook his head and grabbed his plate. “There aren’t words enough to describe how much I can’t stand you guys…”
“Patties… Now I want a cheeseburger…”
“…Enough," Satan groaned. "Stop it. Don’t even speak of human world food.”
“Oh, are you remembering the lunch that Solomon prepared us as the human special?" Asmo tittered. "Ahahaha! Sounds like that human world food you guys had was pretty horrible, huh?”
“You didn’t have any, Asmo?”
“Nope! I already know what Solomon’s cooking is like! It’s disgusting!”
Mammon groaned. “Dunno if disgusting is the right word. More like toxic…”
“Yeah, I mean, just that thought of it makes Beel freeze.” Satan glanced over at him with a worried look. “BEEL of all demons. That’s how bad it was.”
“Well, even so, I’d have to say it was a fruitful trip.” Asmodeus wiggled in his seat happily, looking over at me. “For ME, at least!”
Levi put his head on the table. “Here we go again… Time to listen to Asmo go on and on about himself and all the wonderful things that happened to him again. So annoying…”
“But think about it though! This is me we’re talking about… ME! Making a pact! With a human! Who isn’t SOLOMON! I mean, can you believe it…?!” He sighed, dreamily. “It’s been sooooooo long since I’ve felt this way… You know, that amazing feeling you get when you really connect with someone.”
I thought of the energy that I had felt from Asmodeus when we had pacted. How I had almost rejected it outright. I sighed.
“Ugh, stop makin’ it sound so creepy! And just so you know, if you’ve got a connection with Chise, then so do I! ...And Levi and Beel too, I guess.” Mammon added the last as an afterthought.
“‘So don’t go gettin’ any ideas into that head of yours!’” Levi mocked, impersonating Mammon. “‘Chise doesn’t belong to you! Wah wah wah!’”
“Hey! Don’t impersonate me!”
Asmodeus peered at me. Unfortunately, his usual place was beside mine. “I’m curious though, Chise… Why is it that you want to make a pact with us, anyway?”
“OH, SO YOU’RE JUST GONNA IGNORE ME THEN, HUH!?”
I raised my head from my plate and looked back at him. “I want to earn Lucifer’s respect.”
“Man, you’re a weird one…” Mammon grumbled. “I mean, I knew that, but still…”
Satan tilted his head and frowned at me. “This is the one time where I actually have to agree with Mammon. I mean, you want Lucifer’s respect? What’s the point of that?”
"Good question. What is the point of that?”
Lucifer strode into the room, arms crossed.
“D’AAAH… You SCARED me…! What’s the big idea sneakin’ up on us, huh!? You’re gonna give me a heart attack!”
“Can demons even have heart attacks?” I whispered to Beel. He shook his head.
“I didn’t sneak up on you. You’re just so dense that you didn’t notice me walk up. Anyway, Chise, I believe that you’re probably telling the truth when you say you want to earn my respect. But what I want to know is why you want it. What are you trying to accomplish?”
“…Good question.” Satan glanced at me. “What are you trying to accomplish…?”
He paused, a fire suddenly lighting in his eyes.
“Hmmm, well…" His look of confusion melted into a smirk. "I guess I’ll just have to help Chise too, won’t I?”
I didn't like that smirk.
“Wait.” Levi stopped. “Wait, you’re going to have to explain that, Satan. Are you saying that…?”
“Yep." His eyes shone mischievously. "I’ll also be making a pact with Chise.”
My mouth fell open in absolute shock, speechless. Beel choked, pounding on his chest as he spluttered his food. Satan’s pretty eyes sparkled at mine. Devilishly.
Lucifer thinned his lips.
“YOU’RE going to help Chise?” Mammon gaped. “YOU? Wh... Whoa, now hold on, you wouldn’t do that unless ya had some other motive. So, let’s get this out in the open… WHY is it that you wanna make a pact all of a sudden?”
“Why else?” hummed Satan, eyes crinkling with his sneer. “Because if I make a pact with Chise, it’ll make life hard for a certain someone.”
“That’s enough, Satan,” Lucifer bit sharply.
This wasn’t going well.
“Hey, all I said is that it would make life hard on ‘a certain someone’,” he retorted, face suddenly glowing with a false innocent. “I have to say, you seem awfully concerned about the pacts Chise has been making, Lucifer. Is there some sort of problem here?”
“Get out the popcorn...” Levi whispered. And then he blanched at Lucifer’s look. “...So, today’s meal is really good, huh guys!”
“Today’s meal…? Yeah, it really is pretty good,” Beel agreed.
“…Do you really dislike me that much, Satan?” Lucifer glowered.
“Let me turn the question around on you. Did you honestly think I liked you? Really?”
“…I see." Lucifer's voice dropped into a dangerously cool tone. "All right then, if that’s the way it’s going to be, then get out of this house, Satan. Now.”
My eyes widened. "Wait..."
“What, you want me to leave? Wow, for once you’re actually giving me an order I’d be happy to follow.” He kicked back his chair, the loud sound of wood legs on wood flooring screeching from underneath him. “Okay then, I will. Gladly."
“Satan…” I stood up with anxiety, reaching out a hand. He turned on me.
“Oh? Do you feel responsible for this?” He cocked his head at me. “Is that it? You think this is about you? Pff… Don’t make me laugh. This was going to happen eventually, regardless. So, if that’s clear, let me pass.” He put a hand on my outstretched arm, pushing it down. “I’m leaving.”
“Whoa, hey now… Just calm down, you tw–"
“Drop it, Mammon. Let your hopelessly ungrateful brother do as he pleases.”
“…Ungrateful?" Satan rounded on him with a snarl. I shrank back as his power prickled against my skin.
Wrath.
"Did you call me ungrateful? Do you honestly think I owe you a debt of gratitude?! Fine, I will do as I please!”
Satan stormed out of the room. Lucifer turned on his heel and walked the other way.
“Awww…” Asmo sighed. “They’re gone… I thought we were gonna see fireworks. Booooring.”
The rest of us sat there, in silence, the room awkward. Satan and Lucifer gone.
“Sooooo…” Asmo broke the silence. “Shall we make a rule that there is to be no fucking in Chise’s room about an hour before dinnertime? I mean, not that I minded the passionate commotion while I was preparing dinner tonight, but think about if it had been poor Levi’s turn in the kitchen…”
Mammon and I spluttered on our meal, choking, coughing, faces red, doubled over. Levi’s food fully fell out of his mouth entirely, half-chewed and dropping right back onto his plate, as his jaw dropped.
Chapter 14: Chapter 9-B: Switcharoo
Chapter Text
…After taking time to clean my room and thoroughly shower off, I texted the Pact Chat for us to meet in my room. I had reluctantly added Asmo to the chat. No longer just my three innocent boys. Well, just my three boys. I can’t say ‘Mammon’ and ‘innocent’ in the same breath.
“Oh really… I see.” Asmo crossed his arms as he rocked back and forth on my bed, ever the wiggler. “So let me get this straight, Chise. You’re trying to get Lucifer and Belphegor to make up, and that’s why you want to make pacts with us?”
Beel nodded enthusiastically. “If Lucifer and Belphie did make amends, then Belphie might be able to come back home from the human worlds.”
“Whoa… Whaddya think you’re doin’, Asmo!? Quit snugglin’ up to Chise! Back off!”
“Oh my god, please, not this again, I don’t need another pillow fight extravaganza,” I scolded the two of them, pushing Asmo’s face away from mine. Mammon cuddled closer to me, a growl in his throat, damn near hissing at him.
Asmo ignored him as well as my palm on his face pushing him back. “Well! That is a bold idea you’ve come up with! You’re so unpredictable, Chise! I actually LOVE that about you, you know?” He dodged around my hand and nuzzled my cheek.
“HEY, MORON! Did ya even hear what I said?!” Mammon slapped him away.
Levi hummed in amusement, cross-legged on the floor. “Everyone’s totally ignoring Mammon. It’s like someone cast an invisibility spell on him. LOOOOL”
Asmo’s face scrunched in thought. “Well, I’m not surprised that Satan decided to make a pact with you, then. He’ll do anything if it means upsetting Lucifer.”
Beel’s face turned doubtful. “…Still, I don’t think you’ll earn Lucifer’s respect that way, Chise. Not if Satan makes a pact with you for a reason like that.”
Shit. Beel, ever the observant one. He was completely right.
“Pffheheh. Beel, you actually said something worthwhile for once. Loooool.”
I smacked Levi in the face with a pillow. He eeped.
I looked around the room. “I want to know why it is that Satan hates Lucifer so much.”
“...Ah.” Asmo hugged himself. “I guess you could say it’s like… the more alike two people are, the more they hate each other?”
Levi shrugged. “I’d say it’s more of an Oedipus complex thing.”
“Whoa, slow down. Hold on, kiddies. Chise is just a clueless human… A bottom-dwellin’ peabrain. It ain’t gonna be easy explainin’ why Satan’s so crazy cynical.”
“HEY! Mammon!” I flicked him on the nose, but he just turned a sly grin on me, desire burning in his eyes. My face turned red. He was just teasing me.
“I mean, it’s complicated,” he continued. “And as the oldest and the smartest and most badass demon here,” he squeezed my thigh, “you’d best leave it to me. This is a job for MAMMON.”
“Ooooh, now that’s funny,” Asmo tittered. “A fleabrain calling someone else a peabrain!”
“Yeah. Like, that’s really the pot calling the kettle black. Lololol.”
“Well, I don’t care about any of this. And all of this not caring is making me hungry.” Beel rubbed at his stomach.
“Whatever! Just shut up and listen, losers! Let’s start from the beginning. We first came here to the Devildom because there was some, uh… trouble. Ya know… stuff happened. To put it in simple terms… it was a family fight between us and our father. And at the same time, Lucifer was real, real, REAL mad at our father, ya see. And Satan was born from that wrath. Make sense?”
“Wait, what?”
No one would tell me why Satan had never been part of the Celestial Realm, and after a while, I had just forgotten to keep asking, giving up. Mammon probably would have spilled the beans by now if I had thought to re-ask. Dumbass, I scolded myself. That was a really important development. A huge hole in the story that I had been missing. I was not living up to surpassing Belphie's low expectations in me.
“So Lucifer is basically… Satan’s father?!”
What about him being fourth-born?
...One thing at a time.
I was so confused.
“Ohhhh…” Beel winced. “Do NOT let him hear you say that. Anyway, at first, Satan was nothing more than the emotion itself. Satan WAS wrath.”
“But then the rest of us taught him things. All sorts of things.” Asmo nodded.
“Right, exactly. I guess you could say it was like one of those games where you raise your own character and train it and stuff? And like, we all raised one character together, passing around the controller to take turns. But Lucifer played way longer than anyone else. If that makes sense,” Levi explained.
“So you all… raised him. You all raised Satan, as your brother.”
“Yeah.” Beel nodded. “I think what Levi is trying to say in particular is that Satan was especially influenced by Lucifer. …Satan feels like he wouldn’t exist without Lucifer. So it’s like he’s bound to Lucifer in that way, and he doesn’t like it.”
"You're all basically uncles..." I whispered.
"Ew."
“But Lucifer isn’t just an overbearing father figure when it comes to Satan, you know?” Asmo said. “I’d say he suffocates us all.”
“Well. Holy shit.” I looked down at my hands.
“What are ya gonna do, Chise?”
I looked over at Mammon, who was leaning back into my pillow.
“I guess I’m going to have to talk to him at this point. I don’t know… if I can accept his pact like that.”
“Ohhh…” Beel rubbed his stomach again. “Be careful. He’s not going to like that…”
I knocked lightly on Satan’s door, feeling nervous.
"Come in.” He sounded tired.
I peeked into his room, door barely cracked.
“…Ah, Chise. It’s you. I said that you could come in.”
I slipped into his room, latching his door behind me, looking around in amazement.
Books. Everywhere. Shelves stacked high, crammed, from floor to ceiling. Desk piled high. Floors piled high. A bed and a single purple reading chair the only spaces cleared for any sort of comfort. As long as you didn’t count the few books that were laying open on bed as well. Big, arching windows allowed for the moonlight to filter in. It was magical in here. The sort of library you’d read about in fantasy novels.
“It’s beautiful,” I said quietly, looking around.
Satan laughed softly, surprised. “Not the usual reaction I get when someone sees my room…” He cleared his throat. “So, did someone tell you to come here to stop me? Because if so, you’re wasting your time. Although, none of those guys would send you here to stop me… I’m sure they think this is all very funny...”
I looked over to see what he was doing. He was stuffing books into a bag. Leaving.
I shook my head at him. “No one asked me to come. I just wanted to… check on you,” I said lamely, embarrassed. He glanced over at me, quirking an elegant eyebrow, soft blonde hair illuminated by moonlight.
“…Anyway, I’m trying to decide which of my books to take with me, since I couldn’t possibly take them all…” He looked around his room, sighing. He turned with me, tamping down quiet interest. “So, are you… interested in books, Chise?”
“Yes. Of course. My mom nurtured that in me deeply. It was how we best connected, when I was growing up… She would read a book, and then pass it along to me. I was only nine when I read The Lord of the Rings.”
“Huh…” He looked down, away from me, to the book that he held in his hand. “I guess you’re not so bad after all.”
I laughed as I tentatively took another step into the room, peering at the titles on the shelves.
“Um, watch your step. A lot of my most precious books and documents are over there.”
“Over here, on the floor?” I quirked my eyebrow at him this time.
He swept his eyes over the room. He looked… sad. “Every one of the books in this room belongs to me. They’re all part of my collection.” He pointed. “That shelf there is full of books having to do with magic.” He pointed beside it. “And these are all ancient manuscripts. And here, we have astronomy and physics…”
I laughed softly. “So, there is a method to your madness in here?”
I was rewarded with a small smile, though he was doing his best to hide it. I was running my fingers along the spines of a stack of books. “…Oh, whoa, be careful with that. Actually, don’t even touch it.” I drew my hand back from one tome in particular. He came over to stand beside me. “That’s a forbidden book… If two or more people touch it, they’ll switch bodies.”
“What on Earth?! Why do you have this?”
He looked down at it for a moment, silent. “…Books are knowledge, and all of the knowledge from these books, it’s all inside me.” He turned to me. Close. Closer than I realized, green eyes sad. “Knowledge is power. People respect someone who’s well-informed.” He hesitated, holding my gaze. “No matter who you are, no matter the… circumstances of your birth, if you’re smart enough, then people can’t dismiss you.”
I nodded in agreement, quiet, understanding. He sighed.
“…I’m guessing that my loose-lipped brothers already told you about me, right? About the circumstances of my birth?”
“You mean about how you’re the… fourth oldest?”
“Hmmm…” He touched his chin. “I suppose it isn’t wrong to think of the order in which we were given our demon names as the order in which we were born into the Devildom, but it's not the same as the order of our actual, physical births. Our names were given by the Demon King. The old guy gave us our names based on our power as demons, from most to least powerful, you see. Though I was the last of us to to actually be born into the world, I was named the fourth most powerful.” He looked down at the ground, clenching his fists. “The fourth… I mean, I was born from Lucifer himself… Right? Ugh, it irritates the hell out of me.”
He shook his reverie off, realizing he was getting way more personal than he usually ever was. “…All right, enough chitchat. I’ve said too much already. But whatever.” He stretched out his arm. “Come on, let’s make this pact.”
I stared at his hand.
“That’s why you’re here, right?” He tilted his head at my expression. “Well, I said I’d do it, so I will.”
Guilt welling up inside me, I took a step back, sighing.
“I’m… not making a pact with you,” I whispered, looking down at the floor. Not today, anyway.
“…What did you just say?” I looked up at the dangerous tone in his voice, and my eyes widened.
His aura hit me. I stumbled back against a shelf, fear gripping me. “Satan…”
“I told you I’d make a pact with you. You can’t seriously be planning on rejecting me? You, a human… rejecting me?”
He stormed up to me and grabbed me by the throat. I cried out, fingers clutching at his grip.
“Don’t you DARE trifle with me,” he hissed in my face.
Wrath.
As if hearing my thoughts, “Do you think I’m called the Avatar of Wrath for nothing?” He shuddered in his anger, his pretty face twisting into a snarl. “I usually work so hard to contain my anger so it doesn’t show.” He tightened his grip on my neck, leaning in, voice dangerous, hissing. “But I will make you suffer if you cross me, and it will be much more cruel and much less humane than anything my brothers would ever do. Would ever even THINK to do."
I whimpered, falling into his swirling eyes, his pupils thin slits, nearly as thin as Levi’s, power washing over me. He hadn't even transformed into his demon form, but he terrified me to my core.
“I’ll slice off your nose,” he whispered fiercely. “And your ears. I’ll rip off your arms and legs, and feed you to the lower-level demons.” He slammed his hand next to me, near my head, sending books tumbling to the floor. I flinched hard, and tears filled my eyes. I struggled to breathe. “Listen well, human. If you dare say that you won’t make a pact with me again, you’ll pay for it with your–"
"Enough, Satan.” Lucifer’s voice cut through behind us.
Satan, still staring into my eyes, froze. “Lucifer…”
“Chise is our guest, whom Diavolo invited as part of our exchange program. I won’t permit you to lay a hand on our exchange student. Get your hand off her throat.”
Satan whipped around, releasing me suddenly. I fell to the floor, clutching my neck, gasping for air.
“Oh, there you go again! Every time you open your mouth, it’s Diavolo this, Diavolo that… You’re telling me that you’d actually step in to defend a human? For Diavolo? Well, I had no idea you were such a sweetheart…!”
My opinion of Satan crumbled, and I almost felt my heart break with it. My estimation of him… Destroyed. I didn’t realize… I should have realized… The Avatar of Wrath…
“Calm down,” Lucifer ordered tersely, as though speaking to a child. “Don’t give in to your rage, Satan.”
“You’re telling me not to give in to MY rage!? You’re really telling me THAT? YOU of all demons!? WHO BIRTHED WRATH ITSELF?!”
“Satan, please…” Despite my fear, I gripped lightly at the soft sleeve of his sweater. He was better than this. The mature one. The level-headed one. I needed him to be that.
“DON'T touch me!” he snarled, slapping my hand away. “Stay out of this, or I’ll burn you to a crisp!”
His power pulsed through the room again, and I watched in horrified awe as books all around the room started flying off the shelves, his wrath growing greater and greater as he heaved them towards Lucifer.
“Satan, your books…!” I cried. The soft man who had just been lovingly describing his collection to me mere moments before was gone. Replaced by a terrifying, vindictive... demon.
”Didn’t you hear me? I said to stop.” Lucifer threw each book that came at him to the ground.
“Don’t tell me what to do…! And don’t touch my books!” He stormed over to Lucifer, struggling with the books that Lucifer had caught flying through the air.
I saw the forbidden book shoot past my head, heading straight for Lucifer. “Wait...! Satan!”
They both touched it, together, at the same time.
A flash of light. It was like a gravitational pull brought us all down to our knees in the room, me included. Books pelted me as they fell around me as well. I covered my head with my arms to shield myself.
Once it was done, I looked up from the ground.
Satan and Lucifer were pulling themselves up to their feet, staring at each other, wide-eyed.
“What’s going on…?” Lucifer said, uncertain. “That flash of light… What was it…?”
“No, it can’t be…!” Satan breathed.
“Wh-What’s going on?!” I had never seen Lucifer so perturbed, I had never heard him stumble over his words, never stuttered. “Why’s there another ME here!?” He stared at Satan.
“Oooooohhhhhhh…” I winced quietly, looking back and forth between them, understanding hitting me.
“So then,” ‘Satan’ said, “I was right… That was the book I thought it was.”
“Lucifer–!” Not-Lucifer exclaimed. “What’s going on!? Why have you taken my form!? What is it you’re plotting?!”
“Satan…” I groaned from the floor. In Mammon’s words, what a ‘dummy’.
“I’m not plotting anything. Calm down, Satan.” Not-Satan crossed his arms, Lucifer-style. “It’s not that I took your form. It’s that we’ve switched bodies.”
Not-Lucifer whirled on me, understanding in his eyes, remembering his warning to me. “WHAT!?”
I nodded.
Not-Satan, Lucifer, sighed. “The book I caught as it flew through the air… You tried to take it away from me, didn’t you?”
Not-Lucifer, Satan, shook his head in disbelief. “No… Nooooo…” he groaned.
“Oh, it very much is, I’m afraid. That’s a forbidden book, one that causes any who touch it at the same time to switch bodies. We’ve switched places. You’re in my body, and I’m in yours. Dammit, Satan! Why did you have a forbidden book in here!?”
Asmo sighed and shook his head, chin resting on the heel of his palm. We were all crowded into the music room for an emergency family meeting. “Whoa, slow down for a second. So, you’re telling me that Satan here is actually Lucifer on the inside, and Lucifer is Satan on the inside!?” He sighed again, dreamily. “How delicious… So dramatic…”
“…For real?” Beel frowned.
“No way…!” Mammon.
“Eh.” Levi.
“WHADDYA MEAN EH?! THIS IS A BIG DEAL!”
“Like, it’s just that the whole switching bodies story is standard anime fare. I’ve seen is a million times. LMAO. OW...!”
I had flicked him on the back of his head.
“This ain’t an anime, Levi! This is for real!”
Luci... No... Satan crossed his arms and sighed. “Ugh, I can’t believe this is happening… How am I going to explain this to Diavolo…?”
A perfect impression of Lucifer.
“Pff…! Heh, Satan, that was pretty good,” Asmo giggled.
“BWAHAHAHHAHA!”
“MAAAAAMMOOOOOON?” Satan imitated in Lucifer’s voice.
Mammon doubled over in laughter, gasping. “AHAHAHA! Oh man, my stomach hurts from laughin’!”
Lucifer-in-Satan’s-body narrowed his eyes. “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves.”
“So, Lucifer, are you two going to go back to normal eventually?” Beel asked.
“Beel. That’s Satan in there. I’m Lucifer, over here…”
“Oh, right… Wow, this is confusing.”
“According to the literature on this subject,” Satan started, ever the smarty-pants, “the effect is supposed to last for several days.”
“Aww, lucky,” Levi grumbled. “That means you get to skip school and hang out in your room playing online games all you want until it’s over. I’m jealous…”
“Oh no,” Lucifer shook Satan’s head, “we’re going to school.”
“What…? Are you insane?”
“Of course we’re going to school. What did you expect? If we stay home, Diavolo will probably start asking questions.”
“Yeah, and if you try to play it off like you’re sick or something, then he’ll worry even more. He’ll show up here at the house and insist on taking care of you.” Asmo hugged himself again. “Ugh, that would be such a pain, having him around…”
“I don’t want Diavolo knowing I’ve allowed a mistake like this to happen.” Lucifer sighed. “That book…”
“So in the end, this is all about saving face, huh?”
I suddenly thought about Lucifer and Diavolo’s embrace. And… Ohhhhh boy. I can see why Lucifer had become desperate.
“It doesn’t matter what this is about, Satan. Until we return to normal, you are to stay with me whenever possible. Understood?”
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding me! Oh no, I don’t think so! Hard pass!”
“I don’t like it anymore than you do, but it seems we’ve got no choice. I need to keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t take advantage of the fact that you look like me to cause trouble. So you can protest all you want, but that’s the way it’s going to be. You’re not to leave my side, understood?”
“No. Forget it!”
“In case you’ve forgotten, Satan, I look like you as well…”
Satan growled deep in Lucifer’s throat.
“Heehee. Now things are gettin’ interesting…!” Mammon snickered.
“In any event, you’ll be staying in my room until we both return to normal.”
“What!? Oh no, come on! We may have no choice but to stay where we can see each other, but I’m not staying in your room! Anything but that!”
“Well, your room has nothing but books all over the place, so many that it’s impossible to even set foot in there.”
“If you give me something to eat, I’ll let you use my room,” Beel offered eagerly.
“No thanks. If we sleep in your room, you’ll end up sleepwalking over and taking a bite out of me in the middle of the night.”
”Oh, come on!" I threw my hands up. “You had no trouble putting me in his room when I needed a bed!"
“Uh, just so we’re clear, I’m NOT letting you in my room.” Levi shook his head, hands in his pockets. “I’ve got too many priceless figurines and super-rare posters in there.”
“And only a bathtub to sleep in…” I muttered. Mammon snorted noisily beside me.
“We didn’t ask you, Levi.”
“Fine, then, guess I ain’t got no choice. Okay, if you both pay me a proper sum for each and every night you spend there, then you can stay in my room, and I can stay with Chis–"
“Asmo, what about your room?” Satan asked, desperate.
“Pass. I mean, we’re talking about my castle, and every inch of it is dedicated to ensuring that I always look beautiful. I’m afraid that’s just the way it is.”
“HEY! Someone listen to what I’m sayin’!”
I liked Mammon’s plan, personally. He had promised me an entire night, after all.
“Let’s see...” Lucifer pondered. “We need a room that’s fairly large, where there are no problems with the room or its occupant, and it needs to be someone who isn’t allowed to refuse us…”
“NO!” I yelled. “FORGET IT.” I fucking knew it. The moment they declined Beel. Levi snickered. I flicked him again.
“So then, Chise,” Lucifer ignored me. “It looks like Satan and I will be staying with you for a while. Pardon the imposition.”
I groaned into my hands.
Well, I guess I could just sneak off into Mammon’s room…
“WHAT?! HEY! YOU’RE NOT STAYING WITH M-M-M… ...CHISE!” Almost letting ‘my’ slip in with his protests.
So, we stood in my bedroom. Hands in my pockets, I stared sulkily at the floor, feeling a bit like I was impersonating Levi's usual body language.
“…Well then.” Lucifer sniffed the air, glancing over at me with a piercing look.
Oh, come on. Surely he couldn’t smell Mammon and me. I glared at him.
“…I’m going to go ahead and call this meeting to order. We’ll be discussing how things are going to work now that Satan and I have switched bodies.”
“Um, wait a minute. This is Satan talking, which means it’s Lucifer inside. So then… It’s Lucifer speaking. Man, this is complicated. And annoyin’.”
“I hate looking at Lucifer,” Satan muttered. “And I hate listening to him speak. But even when it’s me I’m looking at, it still irritates me to hear him speak.”
“Oh, but you’re saying it’s a little better now that he looks different?” Asmo giggled.
“…It makes sense that Chise is here because we’re in Chise’s room. But Mammon, Asmo, what exactly are you two doing here?” Lucifer fixed them with a Satan-glare.
Mammon coloured, glancing over at me. “Uh… well, ya see… The thing is, um…”
"’Why do YOU two get to be in this room, watchin’ Chise change and sleep, even first thing in the mornin’ while I don’t! It ain’t fair, I’m jealous as hell, and I wanna be in on this too, dammit! I’M the only one who gets to mess around with Chise in this room before dinner!’” Asmo laughed at himself impersonating Mammon, tears in his eyes as he doubled over. I flushed. Mammon flushed. Not-Lucifer flushed. Not-Satan flushed. “...Is that what you’re getting at, Mammon!?”
“Hey! Stop impersonatin’ me...!”
“Incidentally,” Asmo purred, “I’m only here because this looked like it could become interesting.”
“…Fine. Whatever. Let’s just ignore those two and continue our conversation.” Lucifer turned away from them. “There are two fundamental rules that must be adhered to: First, neither of us is allowed to go into each other’s room unless the other is present as well. Second, we are to avoid doing anything that might attract attention while at school.”
“…You would say that, Lucifer. All you ever care about is appearances.”
“Did you say something?”
“…No. So, long story short, we avoid getting caught, and there’ll be no problems, right?”
Lucifer glowered at him, suspicious.
“So, does that mean the meeting’s over? Ooooh, okay then! Lucifer–" Asmo batted his lashes. “Want to take a bath with me?”
“…Excuse me?” Not-Satan touched his chest in disbelief.
“Ooooh, sorry, I didn’t mean the real Lucifer. I mean the one in Lucifer’s body. Satan! Would you like to take a bath with meeee?”
"Me?”
“Yep! Hehehe. I’ve always wanted to get a look at Lucifer au na-tu-rel! I mean, the real Lucifer in his own body is the ultimate dream, really. Oh, but don't worry, Chise, you're a close second." Mammon growled as he winked at me. "Anyway, even if it’s only Satan in Lucifer’s body, we could still–"
I remembered seeing Lucifer… I flushed.
"Absolutely not.” Real-Lucifer retorted.
“Whaaat?! Why not!? I mean, what’s the harm? It’s just your body! Ugh, you’re so stingy! What a prude…”
“Ya know though, speakin’ of baths, what are ya supposed to do when ya have to go to the bathroom and st–"
“MAAAAAMMMONNNNNN…” Real Lucifer said this time.
“D-ahh–! Wait, what the…” The stared at each other for a moment, nothing happening. “…PFFF, AHAHAHAHAHAHA! What’s goin' on!? I know it’s Lucifer in there, but now that he’s in Satan’s body… That totally doesn’t have the same impact! Like, it doesn’t even hurt! Barely even tickles!” He grinned, giddy. “In fact, I feel like I can even stand up to him right now! And come to think of it, I’m the strongest of us two, huh?! I outrank Satan with Lucifer inside, don’t I?!”
Lucifer’s face fell. “…It would seem so, yes.”
I blinked. Mammon was that strong…? The difference between brothers that vast?
Wouldn’t have known it.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! So, does this mean that the Great Mammon is the most powerful of all now!? That no one’s left to stand in my way?! Pff, I ain’t afraid o’ no Lucifer!”
“Ummm…” Asmo leaned over to him in a whisper. “You do realize that it’s only a matter of time before they return to their old bodies, right? Did you consider that before saying what you just did?”
“Oh… Aww… Yikes…”
“You really are a moron…”
And so, dreading the week ahead, we all were returned to school. I was grumpy. Veeeerrryyy grumpy. Put out of my bed, put out of Mammon’s promise to ravage me all night, put out of my goddamn routine in general. I wasn’t even allowed to move back in with Beel. Or sneak out to stay with Mammon… Lucifer declared that Satan and him needed a mediator around at all times, not trusting that even being constantly around each other to watch the other would be enough. My back ached, having been forced onto the floor in a nest of pillows. The least they could have done was offer the lady of the room the couch.
“Chise.” Lucifer addressed me in the school halls. “I think you know this, but I don’t trust those two one bit. Satan and Mammon both think this whole situation is funny, and it’s possible that they might do something outrageous for comical effect. I want you to keep an eye on those two. And if it looks like they’re about to try anything they shouldn’t–"
“…Hey! We’re standin’ RIGHT HERE, y’know!”
“He wanted us to hear what he said.” Satan shook Lucifer’s head.
“Hello there, Lucifer,” Diavolo called down to us from the top of the stairs. We all froze in place, looking up at him, expressions of guilt plain.
“So, what happened this morning?” Diavolo continued, descending towards us. “You always stop by the assembly hall first thing in the morning, but you weren’t there today.”
“Satan…” Lucifer hissed beside him.
“Yeah, yeah…” he hissed back, before clearing his throat. “Hello hello hello, Diavolo! I’m soooo happy to see you! You’re all I ever think about, honey. I dreamed about you again last night, and then I ended up oversleeping, which is why I wasn’t at the assembly hall…!”
“OH FOR–!”
I glanced at Mammon, both of our eyes wide. I saw him choke back a laugh, face going pink with the effort. We stared. He broke. He couldn’t hold back, doubling over with laughter, slapping his knees. I broke as well, letting out a loud “PFFFFFF” as the laugh burst forth. We keeled over.
“Diavolo, is it just me, or do you look tense?” Not-Lucifer spoke in a high voice. “Want me to give you a nice shoulder massage? How about your arms? Maybe your legs too? If you’re feeling tired, you just let me know, okay?”
Mammon was on the ground now, wheezing. I poked him with my foot, grinning.
“Chise. I’m not actually like that, am I?” Lucifer murmured.
“You absolutely are,” I assured him.
“Hmmm. I don’t feel tense at all – or tired, for that matter. So, Satan, what are you doing inside Lucifer’s body?”
Satan jumped inside of Lucifer’s skin in surprise.
“…Whoa, now THAT was impressive! Lord Diavolo could tell right off the bat that Lucifer here ain’t Lucifer!”
“Well, I think they both made it fairly obvious…” I rolled my eyes at all of their surprised faces.
Diavolo’s eyes swung to Not-Satan. “Ah, and the Satan over here seems moved for some reason. I suppose that means it’s Lucifer on the inside.”
Lucifer gasped, clearly as moved as he said. “Diavolo, you can tell it’s me...?”
Oh, they have it so bad for each other. I shook my head.
“Well, of course I can. We’ve known each other a long time, after all.”
“…Damn,” Satan muttered. The jig was up.
“So, let’s hear it. What happened?”
Lucifer launched into an unnecessarily long, drawn-out explanation.
“…Ah, I see. So, you touched a forbidden book that causes spirits to switch bodies…”
Mammon sighed, the fun ruined. “Lord Diavolo just HAD to go and figure everything out…”
“Never did I think that you’d see through the act so quickly,” Lucifer said in awe. “I… underestimated you, Diavolo.”
They were sooooo going to fuck when Lucifer was back in his own body.
“It’s good that the effect will wear off in a few days, and you’ll go back to your own bodies. However…” Diavolo grimaced. “Lucifer, I believe you’re scheduled to give a speech to the entire student body the day after tomorrow, aren’t you? Is everything going to be all right with that?”
Lucifer blanched with Satan’s face.
“Oooh, heh… Looks like Lucifer’s in a pickle,” Mammon snickered.
“I completely forgot about the speech…” Lucifer whispered to himself as we walked the grounds, heading home.
“What’s the speech?” I asked, also a bit worried, because this was all becoming more trouble than it was worth for me.
“I have to give a report to the full student body and all the school’s benefactors on the current state of the exchange program and how all of our exchange students are doing. I’d planned to talk about Diavolo’s plan to achieve harmony between angels, demons, and humans – to call for everyone to understand what he’s trying to accomplish… but if we’re still in each other’s bodies the day after tomorrow, then Satan will end up having to give the speech as me." He sighed miserably. “Out of all my brothers, Satan is the one who’s most like me. Normally, I think he’d have no trouble handling a task like this. But this time it’s different. I have no idea what he might do up on stage like that, with an opportunity to ruin my reputation in front of everyone. What to do… I mean, I can’t very well go up there and give the speech in this body, after all.”
I didn’t know why that was, but decided I didn’t care. “So. It sounds like you have to talk this over with Satan.”
“…Are you saying that you think Satan would understand where I’m coming from if I spoke with him about this?” He scoffed at the idea.
“You can’t just decide that there’s no way for the two of you to understand each other. All you have to do is make an honest attempt at reaching common ground. Refusing to actually talk to each other is how you ended up in this situation in the first place.”
“I…” He paused, glancing at me. “I suppose you’re right. In any case, we won’t be getting anywhere by doing nothing, so I suppose I have no other choice but to extend an olive branch, so to speak." The worried crease on his forehead deepened. "Anyway... Satan said a while ago that he was only going back for a textbook that he had left behind. But it's been a while. We'd better find him. Quickly."
"MAAAAAMMOOOOONN…”
I opened my bedroom door, Real-Lucifer behind me, to find my private sanctuary again entirely too crowded.
Levi shrugged. “Eh. I’m tired of hearing you impersonate Lucifer.”
“Why don’t you try saying something in Lucifer’s voice that the real Lucifer would never say?” Beel suggested.
“Ah, yeah, okay. Something Lucifer would never say… Hmm…” He glanced at Levi. “I’m in love with Ruri-chan! She’s my baby! Kyaaa!”
Beel snorted in amusement.
“OMG! LOOOOL I’m dying! LOLOLOL.”
Lucifer sighed behind me. “Taking advantage of the fact that I’m much less powerful here in Satan’s body, I see…”
“Yep, and it’s super funny,” I retorted, rubbing at my bruised wrist that had purpled.
“…All of you had better remember this moment later when it comes time to pay the price. That goes for you as well, Chise.”
“Bite me.”
Levi’s mouth dropped at my audacity. Satan snorted in surprise. Like I said. Bad mood.
“Anyway, Levi, Beel, what are you two doing here in Chise’s room?”
“Well, Lucifer said… um, I mean Satan said that if I hung out here and made a bunch of noise, he’d give me treats.”
“You know this is my room, right? I’m innocent here!” I glowered at Satan.
“Beel! Do you have to be stupid honest like that? Come on!”
“I see. So you’re trying to harass me.” Lucifer glared around the room.
“Just bored, Levi is! Only reason for being here… Mmm, yes, only reason it is!”
“You’re not fooling anyone, Levi.”
“Actually, the truth is that there’s this new game that was released, and I’m waiting for Akuzon to deliver it. I’m so excited it’s crazy...”
“You’re waiting in my room?”
“You know, I noticed that Mammon isn’t here.” Beel looked around. “Weird, he usually camps out in Chise’s room all day long…”
I felt heat rising to my cheeks at Beel’s honest observation.
“Beel, mention Mammon, you should not,” Levi whispered.
“Why not?”
“Well, keep this between us, you must! A secret it is! I heard Mammon and Satan hatched a plan to have a party, taking advantage of the fact that Satan is in Lucifer’s body!”
“And… what happened?”
“Find out their plan and tell them they couldn’t go, Lucifer did. And go in their place, Asmodeus did. Very very happy, he seemed!”
Lucifer quirked an eyebrow. “For something that’s supposed to be a secret, you certainly don’t seem to mind talking about it so loud that every one of us can hear…”
Levi shrugged. “Anyway. Mammon is taking advantage of the fact that Lucifer isn’t as powerful as usual to run rampant doing whatever he wants. Like, after class, he went and got the head of the RAD newspaper club and brought him to Satan, in Lucifer’s body!”
“Levi, you idiot!” Satan hissed.
“Then, Satan pretended to be Lucifer, and said that he’d increase funding to their club next year in exchange for a BRIBE!”
“…Beel.” Lucifer turned to him.
“What? What did I do?”
“I want you to go find Mammon and string him up for me. Hang him upside down.”
“…Me? Um, I understand that you can’t boss Mammon around right now since you’re inside Satan’s body, Lucifer, but still–"
“I’ll give you one hundred dozen Uncle Demon’s donuts as a reward for doing this.”
“Deal.”
“Say hi to Mammon for me, Beel,” I said as he got up to leave.
“Okay, Chise. I will.”
I giggled. Beel was so pure.
“So.” Satan turned back to Lucifer after Beel had left. “You’re going to hang Mammon upside down, huh? Okay then, what about me? I know you want to punish me, but surely you can’t hang your own body upside down, now can you Lucifer?”
“Don’t be so smug, Satan.”
“I’m Lucifer, not Satan.” Satan smirked. “And you really should be more respectful toward your older brother, you know?”
The two had fallen asleep; Lucifer-as-Satan having won the struggle for the bed, and Satan-as-Lucifer lay facing away from me on my couch. Me in my nest of pillows. Unable to sleep. As usual.
I sighed, got up, and drifted out into the hall, shutting the door quickly to extinguish the crack of light that I had let inside.
I heard snivelling.
I looked around.
More snivelling.
I headed towards the source, towards the stairs that led down into the foyer.
Mammon, wrapped tightly in rope, tied to the rail.
I approached him, hands on my hips, looking down at him with a smirk.
“AH! CHISE!” He finally looked up as my shadow fell over him.
“So, a secret party with Satan, huh?” I teased. “And you didn’t even think to invite me?”
“Wh-Wha…!” He turned red. “I-It’s not what it looks like! Y-You could have come! Pl-Please! Ya gotta help me! Lucifer made Beel string me up and hang me upside down…”
I inspected him, cocking my head. “But you’re not upside down.”
“Beel agreed to at least string me right-side up in exchange for some gum. He’s too damn strong… These ropes are so tight that I can't manage to break free no matter how hard I try…”
“Hmm…” I squatted down to look him in the eyes, a smile on my face.
“Please…! You gotta help meeee…”
My smile widened. “I don’t know… What’s in it for me…?”
A blush suffused his face as he looked up at my meaningful expression. “Well…” He breathed, before breaking out into an eager grin. “I’m sure we can work something out... baby.”
I laughed. “Fine, fine.” I leaned forward and kissed him soundly, cupping his cheek. I pulled away, his face chasing mine for more, before his restraints held him back from his goal.
“A shame…” I pouted. "You look so good in ropes.”
“Chise–!” His face turned a deeper shade of red.
I laughed, and bent down to inspect the knots.
“I knew I could count on you… You’re the best…” He sniffled again. I patted at his hair, peppering his cheek with kisses. “C’monnnnn, hurry up.” But he was smiling.
I touched the knot. “Hmm… One more condition, though.”
“O-Okay! I’m listenin’! Whatever you want, just say it!”
“If you also agree to help me convince Satan and Lucifer to make up, I’ll free you!”
“WHA?! Satan and Lucifer… Make up!? Now listen, those two have been at each other’s throats like this ever since Satan was born, ya know? I mean, I guess you could say it’s only Satan that hates Lucifer. But it’s like… Lucifer doesn’t give a flip about how Satan feels, which makes Satan even angrier, so–"
“You’re a good brother, Mammon,” I whispered. “You really care about them to notice those kinds of things, don’t you.” He looked shocked, spluttering his denials. But it was true. Mammon was the glue that kept them all together. I knew that, in my heart. He loved them all, deeply. He loved deeply. A tsundere indeed.
I sighed, getting up to walk away. “But if what you say is true…"
“W-Wait, no! Don’t leave! OKAY, fine! I’ll do it! I’ll help you! I promise! Just set me FREEEEEE!”
I smirked, and got to work on the knot. It was going to be a bit, I realized. Beel was thorough. Mammon unhelpfully gave suggestions on how to get it undone.
-
“Aaaah, excellent. My feet are back on the floor where they belong. Excellent…” I gave him a sharp poke in the ribs, hearing the ‘I’m about to literally run away from my responsibilities and promises’ tone in his voice. “ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, I know. It ain’t like I forgot my promise. Not like I can say no to you… Dammit…” He grabbed me up in his arms, hugging me tight, spinning me around as he elicited a surprised little shriek from me as I clung back.
He set me down again, hands still on my waist. "Ugh. All I gotta do is help you get Satan and Lucifer to make up, right? Right, as if that’s goin' to be soooo easy… As if they haven’t been at it for at least a couple millennia…” He cocked his head. "Hmmm… Now, let’s see… Oooh! I’ve got an AMAZING idea! I think I’m a genius!”
I sighed, raising my eyebrows. “You’re lucky you’re so cute…”
“H-Huh!? Whaddya mean by that?!” He looked down at my face, red.
“Because this is going to be a terrible idea. So, you’re lucky you’re so cute.”
“HEY!"
Chapter 15: Chapter 10: Dogi Maji
Chapter Text
I was leaning forward, watching Henry float serenely in his aquarium, happy in his well-cared-for home. Leaning back, I looked at the dappling of light playing along my arms, splaying my fingers in front of me to get a better look as the refraction of the light above cast a blue glow around the room.
I always loved being in Levi’s room.
“Ta-daaaaa!” I turned towards him and Mammon as he held up a game case in his hands, face beaming. So pretty when he was excited. “Check it out! It’s Dogi Maji Memorium! Or just Dogi Maji for short!” The game that he had pre-ordered through Akuzon, that he had been waiting for in my room to be delivered for some reason, had finally arrived.
“So, here’s the deal.” Mammon turned to me, conspiratorially. “In this game, anyone who registers to play is actually pulled into the game world for real. So you’re really in there!”
“What?! That’s so cool, Levi!” I said. He beamed at me at my genuine enthusiasm. I didn’t know technology like that existed in the Devildom. It must be magic.
“Which means if you die in the game, you die for real!” Mammon continued, cheerfully.
“WHAT?!”
“And you have to win, because if you don’t you’ll never be able to leave the game world!”
“Uhhhh, Levi, why do you have this game?” My eyes grew wide.
“Because it’s so cool!” Levi bounced. Okay then. “Anyway, get your dirty hands OFF of it, Mammon.” Levi snatched it back. “That JUST arrived from Akuzon today! It’s still new and pristine! Also, I have to say, the whole idea of trying to get Satan and Lucifer to make up is pretty crazy to begin with. Still though, I don’t understand. What does this have to do with Dogi Maji?”
I didn’t like where this was going.
“Pff, you really don’t get it, do ya? Well, think about it for a sec… If I register them in the game client like you said, they’ll be pulled inside the game world, right? Since this is Satan and Lucifer we’re talkin’ about, at first they’ll be moanin’ and groanin’ about it… But here’s the thing: like I said before, you’ve gotta win the game before you can leave the game world. So, they’ll have to work together towards a common goal! They may hate each other, but that’ll force ‘em to bond some, ya see…”
“You said you could die in it,” I groaned.
“Man, is it just me, or am I a for-real genius!? I’m pretty sure I am!”
I refused to think of him as stupid like the others did, but sometimes…
“Huh, you really think it’ll go that well?”
Levi too.
“Oh my God, you two… Please…”
“Well, we’ll never know if we don’t try, right? So… all right! Now that that’s settled, it’s time to register the two of them here in the game client! …Uh, so how does this work?”
“Ugh, FINE, let me take over. You’ll never figure it out on your own. Let’s see… ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Satan'… There, I’ve entered their names. They’re registered.” He sighed happily. “Understand just how badly I’ve been wanting to play this game, you cannot! Finally time, it is…! I’ll enter my name here… ‘Leviachan’. Okay, done.”
“Aww, I like Leviachan,” I complimented. “I’m changing your name to that in my D.D.D. contacts.”
He blushed. “N-Now I’ll j-just add Chise as well… There, registered and all set.”
“WHAT? Whoa… HOLD ON! Chise, are you really gonna play, too!?”
“Levi, will I die?”
“Possibly, yeah.”
“Goddamnit. …Fine.”
“Seriously!? Like, is it your thing never to turn down a challenge?! Is that your thing?! Do you know how hard you make it to protect ya?!”
“Recognize the greatness that is Dogi Maji, you clearly do. Impressed, I am!”
“…Hey, if Chise is playin’, then so am I!”
“Whaaaaat? Ugh, so you want to play too?” Levi pinched his lips together in a flat line, unhappy.
“Hey! You don’t gotta sound so upset about it! C’mon, let’s go! Hurry up and register me!”
“Ugh… Fine. If I really have to…" Levi grumbled as he typed. "‘Stupidmammon’ …and done.”
“Hey! Why’d ya tack on stupid?! Leave that out!”
“Now I’ll adjust a few settings really quickly and…”
“HEY! Change my name! I wanna be… um, ‘Mammon the Great, Avatar of Greed’!”
“Okay, ready! It’s time to enter the world of Dogi Maji!”
“Hey, did ya hear what I said?! …HEY!”
“And…. Start!”
A flash of light, holding for a moment, probably loading assets, and…
We were in a classroom. I looked around. A human classroom, by the look of it. High-school-like, not like the university setup at RAD.
“Huh...?” Stupidmammon looked around too. “…Whooooa! What’s goin’ on? Are we inside the game now? Wait a minute, LOOK AT MY NAME! You just HAD to tack on an insult, huh Levi!? Now I’m stuck with ‘Stupidmammon’!” He sulked.
“LMAOOOOOO XDDD” Leviachan snickered.
“Why do YOU get the cute name, huh!? Dammit… What’s goin’ on? Is this s’posed to be… a school? It looks totally different from RAD. I thought this was one of your RPGs. Aren’t games like this supposed to start in some village, or castle, or out on a giant grassy plain or somethin’?”
“Not necessarily. I mean, Dogi Maji is a school dating sim, after all! So, what did you expect.”
“WHA?!”
“One character is designated as the heroine, and you’ve got to work hard to increase your favourability score with her higher and higher. Then in the end, you go up on the Roof of Legend and profess your love to her. And if she accepts you, you win! Oh, and the Roof of Legend, supposedly if you admit you love someone up there on graduation day and become an official couple, then you live happily even after together.” Leviachan blushed.
“Wait,” I cut in. “Wait. So you’re telling me. In this game. You’re all working. To compete against each other. And not cooperating together.”
“Uh, yeah.”
I smacked my forehead.
“The roof!? THAT’S the big romantic spot in the game!? I thought you were s’posed to tell her you love her under a big old tree in the schoolyard! That’s how I heard it was supposed to go!”
“Oh… No. Um, you’re thinking of another game. We’re playing Dogi Maji. It’s like… totally different. Oh, I forgot to mention that I designated Chise as the heroine.”
I smacked my forehead over and over with the heel of my palm.
“YOU DID WHAT?!”
The door to the side of us kicked open. Lucifer… Satan… stood there, arms crossed. “You two… So you’re the ones behind this…”
“Yikes! He’s here…!" Mammon squeaked. And then... "Oh, hold on a minute. Right now Satan’s inside Lucifer, which means Lucifer is Satan, and Satan is Lucifer. So you’re Satan. Phew… What’s the big idea startlin’ me like that? Step off, Satan! Get Lucifer’s stupid face outta my personal space! Go on, shoo!”
“Uh, wrong. I’m Satan.” Blonde Satan’s-body stepped into the room behind Lucifer.
“Wha?”
“It seems that while we’re in this world, the curse that switched our bodies is nullified.”
“Mammon? What was that again about my stupid face?”
“Yikes…”
“I knew Mammon would live up to the name I made for him. Lololol”
“Now then…” Lucifer’s face darkened. “How about you explain to me exactly what is going on here.”
We walked the school grounds, getting our bearings, exploring.
“…I see. So essentially, we’re inside the world of a game that Levi bought off Akuzon. And we can’t go back to the real world unless we win?” Lucifer sighed.
“And in order to win, you have to confess your love to the heroine up on the Roof of Legend, and she has to accept you? Do I have that right?”
“Yep, and I went ahead and made Chise the heroine.”
I sighed.
“So raise your intimacy score with Chise, you must! And achieve the happy ending, yes…!”
For once, Lucifer had the decency to look uncomfortable, refusing to meet my eyes.
“NO! No no no!” Stupidmammon protested. “Why’d ya make CHISE the heroine?! I mean, w-we, w-we already…”
“What do you mean? Because it seemed like it’d be fun? And she’s the only girl out of all of us. Not like I was going to make you the heroine, Stupidmammon. We’re brothers."
Satan, likewise, looked away from me. My neck still throbbed.
“Oh, uh, yeah… Yeah, I know what you two are thinkin’. And you’re right. Sorry you two. I apologize for Levi here. I mean, this is ridiculous and crazy. No way you two want any part in this stupid plan, right? To get with Chise? In this game? Right? S-So, you just leave things to Mammon! I’ll take care of everything! I’ll raise my favourability score with Chise lickety-split, profess my love,” he blushed, because he hadn’t touched on that yet in the real world, “and win this game before you even know what hit ya! So you guys don’t gotta do a thing. Nope, nothin’ at all. Y’know, just hang out and do whatever…”
Satan put a hand on his hip. “You know what this means, right Lucifer? It’s a competition, to see which of us can get the happy ending, you or me.”
“That goes without saying," Lucifer smirked. "And I highly doubt I’d actually lose to the likes of you, Satan.”
“Pfff!" Levi smothered his mouth with his hand. "Loooool, you guys are hilarious! Looool aren’t you forgetting about someone? You really think you can beat ME!? ROTFLMAO!”
“HEY! Why do y'all wanna win so badly all of a sudden, huh!?”
“Because I WON’T lose to the likes of HIM!” Lucifer and Satan said in unison.
“And I guess I just want to win the game…? And have a 100% perfect run?” Leviachan beamed happily. “It’s MY game, after all. I’m not about to let someone ELSE experience the very best part in my place. That’s like, crazy. Lolol”
I smiled at Levi.
“Grrr… dammit…! Well, don’t forget about ME…!” Stupidmammon sulked, sidling closer to me. “L-Listen up, Chise! I’m gonna tell you that... I love you, and you’re gonna choose ME! Okay? It’s totally going to happen!”
I smiled at him too, not saying anything. He pouted.
Satan touched his chin, leaning forward. “Chise. I’m not going to make you fall for me. No… You’re going to fall for me naturally, as a matter of course.”
I looked into his eyes. There was a hint of desperation there. I didn’t smile.
“Chise is MY princess!” Levi grabbed my arm sulkily.
“Oh…!” I looked over at him, blushing at his bold touch. And the nickname. He never touched. This touch was really important to me, I realized. Hadn’t touched me before our dance, hasn’t touched me since.
Mammon growled.
“We all know Chise is going to choose me. Isn’t that right?” Lucifer smirked.
I openly glowered at him. Fat chance.
“Prepare yourself, Chise,” he murmured.
I remembered him, on the bed, the way my body had responded to him… I felt a deep flush spread over my cheeks.
“…So then, this is a descriptive phase. As for what it’s describing, you’ll find that here in the next paragraph…” The fake-teacher, chalk in hand, back turned, wrote on the blackboard at the front of the class.
Stupidmammon snored lightly at the desk beside me.
“So, I think I’ll have one of you tell me the answer to the next question…”
Stupidmammon sighed in his sleep. So cute, I thought. I hadn’t had the chance to lay in his arms yet, asleep, in the same bed, throughout the night. Safe in his embrace. Hearing the slow sounds of his breathing against my neck. Desired by him. Loved by him. I wanted that very, very badly.
“Stupidmammon!” the teacher called out.
“…HUH? WHA?” He stood up abruptly with a start, chair screeching back, hair a mess, eyes wide. I snickered. Mammon was Mammon. My delinquent with a big heart. Mammon, who offered so much. I remembered his renewed touch of our pact sparking against my cheek after being with each other so thoroughly. So much to give, and so willing, eager, to give it.
I hoped I did him justice.
“What is the answer to question number four?”
“…Qu-Question… uh, four…? Uh, let’s see, um… that would be, uh…”
“An adjectival clause,” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth to him.
“Uh, um… An ad-ject-iv-al clause… I think…?”
“…Correct. Hm. Were you listening to my lecture in your sleep? Well, you’re a demon of many talents, I see. Very well. You may sit back down.”
“Ugh…” He plopped back down heavily in his seat, relieved. “That was close… I only survived because of you…” He grinned at me. “Thanks, Chise.”
I grinned back, chin resting on my knuckles, elbow on the desk.
“Intimacy Up,” I whispered, flirting.
“Oh?” He leaned in, smirking mischievously. “Did seein’ the look on my face just now make you happy? Well… In that case, look all you want. And just so you know, you’re the only person I’d ever say that to, understand…?” He dropped his voice, barely a whisper. “…And I can think of plenty of other ways to make you happy…”
I blushed, delighted, eyes sparkling. We haven’t had a chance since–
“QUIET over there, Stupidmammon.” He jumped in his seat. "Stop distracting Chise with your nonsense.”
“I’m not going to make this so easy for you, you know,” I whispered back, winking at him. “You’re going to have to fight for it.”
He gulped, wordless.
“Ta-daaaa!” Leviachan skipped towards me. “Look at what we have here! It’s a special homemade bento box lunch courtesy of Leviachan! Yaaaaay!”
I giggled at his enthusiasm as he parroted off cheesy lines he had picked up from his anime, manga, games, whatever. I took the proffered box from him, peeking in eagerly. He actually wasn’t a bad cook, usually striving to emulate some of the dishes he sees in anime. Sometimes they turned out pretty delicious.
“So, what do you think? Pretty great, huh?!" He beamed at me with pride. "It’s Ruri-chan themed! And what’s more, I used a super extravagant three-layer bento box! But it’s more than just pretty! I’m confident that you’ll think it tastes amazing, too! Anyway, eat as much as you want, you should. Hold back, you should not. …I-In fact, let me feed it to you!” He accidentally took it a step too far for himself with this one, he realized, and immediately turned red as the words flew out of his mouth.
“Okay, Leviachan, I’ll agree to let you feed it to me,” I teased him, grinning, not letting him back out now.
“O-Okay. S-So, what do you want to eat first? Should we start with the Japanese omelet? H-Here you go. Open wide…”
I took the mouthful of omelet off of his chopsticks, keeping eye contact as my lips slipped over the ends of the smooth wood, pulling it off slowly into my mouth. I chewed, savouring it, looking deeply into his pretty, amber-snake-eyes. His lips parted as he watched me in awe, still beet red, eyes wide.
Turned on? …I squashed the thought.
“It’s really good, Levi,” I complimented him, voice soft. “I’ve always liked your cooking."
“Th-Thanks…”
I let the silence stretch for a bit. I let him feel a little awkward. I shouldn’t tease, but it was so darn cute when he got flustered. And… flattering. For me.
“Levi…”
“Yeah…?”
“I like you when you’re yourself. You don’t have to pretend to be anything else for me.”
“I– ...B-But… I’m just… An… O-Otak–”
“You’re all you need to be. For me.”
He didn’t respond, face red, looking down at his lap, fiddling with the hem of his shirt with his free hand, chopsticks abandoned.
“You’re really sweet. And passionate. And talented.” I paused, a blush rising to my face as well. I swallowed. “It’s l-like… You’re my Lord of Shadow, to my Henry, you know?” And I meant it. I wanted to be closer to him, I realized. I had a really big soft spot for him. I wish he didn’t hold himself so far apart from me... “I think we have more in common than you might think,” I dropped my voice to a whisper. Genuinely.
His room was a reflection of him. And I loved it.
He sat there, dumbly, in silence, hunched a bit. He wasn’t even chewing on his lip, his usual anxious habit, in his shock. No longer fiddling with his hem. I knew how much the TSL reference meant to him. I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t truly meant it. I thought back to all the times he had stepped up for me in my goals to free Belphie. Not just because of our pact. I hoped not just because of our pact…
I knew that we could be really deep friends, if he’d let me. But…
I turned to look down at my own lap as I sat with him in the silence, embarrassed, kicking myself. I’d gone too far. Too much. Too soon. Maybe never. An assumption.
But then his hand shot out, grabbing mine tightly, knuckles white in his grip.
I looked over at him in surprise. His eyes were squeezed as shut as he could get them to be, face scrunched; his lips in a tight, flat line; his body entirely tense, gripping his bento box on his lap with his other hand as if he was holding onto it for dear life. He was trembling like a leaf.
Sweet boy. Not like the others. Like Beel. Didn’t quite fit in. My misfit.
Same as me.
My cringey, grumpy, excitable, nervous, socially-inept, passionate, otaku misfit.
I gently put my other hand over his, squeezing his grip with the one that he held. He flinched a bit at the pressure, but didn’t move to pull away. The lightest touch, the lightest pressure, barely there, so gentle that I could almost tell myself that I had imagined it, almost imagined it…
I felt him squeeze back.
“Intimacy Up, Levi,” I whispered, heart fluttering.
He took in a quiet, shaky breath.
I rounded the corner, stack of papers in my arms, carefully balanced, thinking back to all the high-school slice-of-life anime I’ve ever watched, dreading that I would bump into–
”Oomph!” Aaaand, I dropped all the papers to the floor. They fluttered to the ground. Satan stared at me in startled shock.
“...Oh. It’s you, Chise.” He smiled his charming smile. Despite myself, my cheeks coloured. His eyes were stupid pretty. The shape. Colour. Brow. Nose. Lips… All delicate.
Ugh.
I realized that he had stuck out his arms in front of him on impulse to catch me against his chest, hands lightly resting on my skin, supporting me there. He stepped back a bit, looking down, releasing me.
We both bent down to collect the papers at the same time, because of course we did. It was another dating-sim trope, after all.
“If you walk around carrying so much stuff in your arms like that, you can’t see where you’re going, can you?” The same flirty tone he had used on me during our dance was laced in his voice. “What’s going on? Where are you even going with all of this?”
“Umm, they’re teaching materials for the next class,” I mumbled. “The teacher asked me to bring them.”
His smiled widened, and he dropped his voice, speaking softly. “You’re too nice, Chise.”
I made a sound in my throat, wondering if the compliment was genuine, or just a thing to say in a dating sim environment.
He scooped up more papers. “Guess I have to help you. Next time, just ask me to help out in the first place, so we don’t have anymore accidents, hm?” His eyes twinkled at me.
We both stood up, papers in our arms.
“...Here, let me carry half of what you’ve got there.” He carefully took more of my stack from me, the weight easing.
We stood there, looking at each other for a moment. I looked into his eyes, chewing on my lip. Was he… blushing? Uncertain? Nervous?
He was better than this. The mature one. The level-headed one. I needed him to be…
“Intimacy up,” I whispered, gazing at him.
I needed him to be this.
He startled, lips parting in surprise, green eyes widening. He flicked his eyes down to my neck. Bruised. He looked away, looking down at the stack of papers in his arms. Was he ashamed? I didn’t know. I couldn’t tell. I felt like I didn’t know him at all anymore. Not that I had ever been close to him, but…
But I realized, after that moment, that horrible, awful moment, the moment I had rejected him, the moment his hands had closed around my throat, how much work he put in to control himself. And how easily that façade could slip.
Lucifer’s pride, Mammon’s greed, Asmodeus’ lust, Beel’s gluttony... Even Levi’s struggle against his own envy, his self-deprecating coping mechanism obvious to anyone who was around him. His particular envy of Asmo occasionally peeking through. They were, all of them, obvious in their named traits, manifesting in some form or another. But obvious nonetheless.
And then this man. The Avatar of Wrath. I had never seen it in him before that moment. I didn’t even believe it, when Lucifer had introduced him, warning me about what was behind that pretty smile of his. I hadn’t been the least bit prepared. I didn’t think he had it in him, to hurt me like that. I wouldn’t have walked into his room, alone, if I thought he would hurt me like that. I wouldn’t have danced with him, flirted back, trusted him to twirl me around the dance floor with such grace, right after Lucifer had hurt me.
So what else was he capable of?
Was he ashamed? Which Satan was the real Satan? Did he even know? Did he regret hurting me? Holding my stack of papers, did he feel any connection to me at all, after having lived under the same roof as me, all this time? The amused looks, the occasional flirting, teasing, barely there, but still there sometimes. Or was I just, as he said, just a human, in the grip of a demon. A plaything that he enjoyed seducing, as demons apparently lived for. One that he would have no qualms over ripping apart.
It’s not like I exactly trusted him, before; I didn’t really know him all that well at all. But… There’s a base level of trust there that someone isn’t just going to grab you by the throat like that, right? It’s behaviour that colours so far outside the lines of polite society that you don’t really think about it happening to you until it actually happens. Otherwise, we would all be walking around, fearful for our lives, in fight-or-flight mode, at all times.
With humans, at least. And Satan was no human. And I kept forgetting…
But the truth is… Simeon had said. We’re a lot more alike than us angels would like to believe. All of us. Demon, angel, human.
“…This way,” he said softly, turning to walk with me, looking entirely too human.
I kept forgetting they weren’t human.
I followed him, heart heavy.
I headed up to the roof for some peace and quiet, to get away from the rest of the gang that was throwing themselves flirtatiously at my feet. It was a lot. I was conflicted. This was a game, after all, so other than Mammon, who had always been open about how he felt for me, I felt unexpectedly… anxious. That the other two were just playing it up, despite the moments feeling genuine. Like I could be made a fool of the moment we got out of here. Levi, maybe, he was easier to read… But he threw himself into this as a game, completely. It was a game to him. And Satan…
It didn’t feel good. To not know. To play along, and to not know, because I couldn’t help but express my own attachment to them. I wasn’t a very good actor. My heart had always been a bit too open for my own good. It wouldn’t be the first time I had gotten myself into trouble, believing the best in people. Doubt bubbled inside of me. I just wanted this game to be over with. This is all probably for nothing, anyway. It was the wrong sort of game for Satan and Lucifer to make up in. What a stupid plan.
I reached the top, looked around… And sighed. I turned to head back down.
Lucifer was up here. Laying on the bench. Of course he was. Another trope of a dating sim, after all.
“Chise?” his deep voice called out to me. I stopped.
“I was wondering who had come up here. So, it’s you…”
I looked over my shoulder at him. Sadness enveloped me. I just felt really sad. His constant cruelty barely even touched me anymore. It didn’t surprised me anymore. And that just made me sad. That someone could have that effect on my heart. That he was a lesson to learn from, to withdraw my trust from people in general, because they could hurt me. It made me feel less of a good person to feel that way. To refuse to extend the hand of trust. And now here he was, about to try to manipulate me, when so far, he had just been openly cruel. But manipulation was just a different kind of cruelty. And that sucked. And it made me even sadder.
“Do you think it’s odd that I’d skip class and come up to the roof to take a nap?”
I shrugged. I was unable to care.
He leaned back on the bench, one hand resting lightly on the book that laid flat on his chest, his other arm reaching back to prop his head up. “There’s no Diavolo in this world. I can do whatever I want without worrying about being a disgrace to him in any way. It’s a weight off my shoulders.”
“Like how you were a disgrace when you attacked me in the crypt?” I said softly. Empty. Emotionless. Relentless.
He looked at me from the bench, eyes impassive as well. “…Yes,” he said, simply. “Just like then.”
I turned my back to him. I wasn’t going to give him the chance to play it up.
“Chise… I–"
“Intimacy Down,” I whispered, heading back through the door I came from.
I heard him sigh, a deep sigh, behind me.
I went to go be alone.
“So, tomorrow is the big day…” Satan sighed, looking surprisingly nervous for him, usually carefully composed. Masked, I thought. Well, and I guess he had reason to be; they did turn this into a competition, after all… And he felt like he had a lot to prove… At my expense.
“Graduation day, when we have to profess our love to the heroine.” Lucifer sat with his arms crossed, looking up at the ceiling, not looking at me.
“MAN I’m worn out… I mean, seriously, are games s’posed to be this tiring!? My nerves are all frazzled…”
I took his hand in mine underneath the desk. He was still Best Boy.
“Putting a lot of time and effort into a game is a GOOD thing!” Leviachan protested. “Actually, if the game was any less difficult, had less content, or had fewer story scenes, it wouldn’t be worth playing. Although, this time, I have to say that even I’m a bit, umm…” He flicked his eyes over to me, and blushed. I had been pretty relentless in my teasing of him, it was true.
“You talk big, but you’re totally beat, aren’t ya.”
“Think of any more embarrassing lines, I cannot…” he sighed. I smiled. He had still tried to stick with the schtick. I played along for the most part, letting him woo me; the script of a dating sim game seemingly gave him some confidence, but I did dish out the occasional bite that got him good. But it was nice having spent this time with him. Even if I wasn’t sure…
“Embarrassing lines?” Satan rolled his eyes. “No, just be honest and call them what they are. What you really mean is that you can’t think of any more cliché, over-the-top sweet lines.”
“Yep, and after tomorrow, we’ll never have to again!” Stupidmammon cheered.
Satan looked around at all of us, eyes lingering on me. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”
Leviachan shrugged. “Call Chise up to the roof after the graduation ceremony, each of us will. At different times…”
“So then, we all profess our love, and the one whose chosen wins.” Stupidmammon looked over at me, a confident gleam in his eye. I shook my head, smiling. I had warned him that he needed to chase me. That I intended to play the game properly. It would have been no fun otherwise, to make him think he had it in the bag.
He probably did. Let’s be real.
“Chise,” Lucifer said, “no matter who you choose, you shouldn’t have any regrets about it. In the end, this is only a game, after all. So, relax, and pick whomever you’d like.”
I looked away from him, surprised. He knew he wasn’t going to be chosen. He seemed to be saying that he, at least, wouldn’t hold it against me. Well, he had other things to hold against me, I suppose, so those took precedence. It’s not like he stood any chance from the get-go anyway, so he was probably over it from the start.
“…Lucifer, you’re bein’ weirdly nice to Chise. What gives?” Stupidmammon narrowed his eyes.
Lucifer sighed. “I just want to get this idiotic game over with as soon as possible so we can get back to the real world.”
“You SAY that, sure.” Leviachan narrowed his eyes too. “But perhaps it’s all part of your plan to raise your intimacy score?”
“Think whatever you want.”
I caught Satan gazing at me out of the corner of my eye.
I left the classroom last, letting them all know that I needed time apart from them to think things over. To make my decision.
“…Chise.”
I sighed in defeat. Satan leaned up against the wall in the hallway, waiting for me.
“Do you have a second?”
“Satan, I told all of you–“
“I feel bad,” he whispered. “And I’m sorry.”
I didn’t meet his eyes. “About what?” I said the words lightly.
“Lucifer and I are the reason you got caught up in all of this weird business. And before we go back to the real world, I just wanted to apologize…” He hesitated. “For… That… For… getting you caught up in this…”
Couldn’t bring himself to apologize for his hand on my neck. Not outright. He didn’t want to acknowledge that he had lost control.
I didn’t say anything. Just kept looking at the floor. Disappointed in him.
“Well, see you around, Chise,” he said softly, maybe even sadly, turning to walk down the hall.
“…Wait.”
He froze for a moment, before turning around, struggling to keep the hope from his eyes. Hope for what?
“…Yes…?”
“You don’t have to force yourself to like someone you don’t.” I let the words hang in the air, making it vague enough where he might connect it to me, as well. It was just a game, after all. He could go back to hating me when we left this fucking game. But, I still made my real meaning clear. “Lucifer doesn’t see you as a child as much as you think. He only wants to look good in front of Diavolo as his number two.”
I tried. This whole game had been a failure to make them work together, after all. I could only try to switch tactics.
He looked at me quietly, reading me.
“…Pff, what do you know, human?” I shot my eyes to his. The touch of fear gripped me.
But his eyebrows creased upwards in sadness, and there was no heart to his words. No venom. Not like before. At least for now.
He took a breath, collecting himself. This was a game, after all.
“…I’m kidding.” He gave me his charming smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and they didn’t sparkle. “Sorry, I just wanted to say that.”
I stared at him still, not finding it very funny.
He cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "…You’re saying Lucifer doesn’t think of me as a child? He only acts like that because he doesn’t want Diavolo to think less of him.” He looked to the side. “I can’t say I agree with you there, personally. But even so…”
He trailed off, thinking, quiet. “You also said that I don’t need to force myself to like someone if I don’t.” He, too, let the words hang in the air. He was smart. He had grasped the double-meaning that I had presented to him. I felt even more uncertain. “That’s a refreshing point of view. You’re the first person who’s ever said anything like that to me.” His charming smile returned now as he looked at me. I wanted to believe that it was real, but I didn’t know what was real with him anymore. “Hmph. And here you are, just a human...” he teased. I was confused. “Thanks.”
Well, tomorrow, I’d be taken up to the roof, one by one. My heart was heavier than it had ever been throughout this entire ordeal. I’ll just choose Mammon. They all expected it. He was Best Boy. My lover. He deserved it. Screw this game. I wasn’t going to play anymore.
But the day of, we all climbed to the top of the roof together, confused as fuck.
“What’s goin’ on here, huh!?” Mammon turned on Levi, hands on his hips. “This totally ain’t what you said would happen!”
Levi threw his hands up in his own confusion, though he was grinning.
Satan looked up in the sky. It was dark. It wasn’t meant to be dark. “Wasn’t today supposed to be graduation day?”
“It was, yes. And we were supposed to profess our love to the heroine up on the roof to complete the game… but…” Lucifer looked up at the sky too, doubtful.
Mammon threw his hands up into the air as well. “THEN WHY DID MONSTERS START POPPIN’ UP OUTTA NOWHERE ALL OVER THE SCHOOL THIS MORNIN’?!”
Levi was bouncing on his heels now, beaming, excited, taking in everything around us.
Mammon groaned at the sky. “Now this is an ultra-hard game where we gotta fight to survive?! Monsters devourin’ the computer-controlled classmates, left and right!? The five of us barely making it up here alive?! Now we’re the only ones left!? Why’d all THAT happen, huh!?”
“Well done,” Levi said, sarcastically, dropping his arms. “Nice super long run-on explanation of how we got to this point. Still, though, this is TOTALLY EXCITING! I mean,” he said in awe, “who would’ve thought that what looked like a simple dating sim game would have this crazy twist at the end?! Not to mention how totally blood it is! OMG, this is so EPIC!”
I sighed in exasperation. “Is this really the time to sound so happy, Levi?”
“Come to think of it,” Satan said thoughtfully, “before he sacrificed himself to save us by rushing headlong into that group of monsters, John said that–“
“Huh? Who’s John?”
Levi shook his head in exasperation at Mammon’s ignorance, plainly insulted that he had not been paying attention to the game. "One of the computer characters. He was in our class. You don’t remember? Now that I think back on it, when he first appeared in-game, I thought he totally seemed like the type that was going to die at some point in the story.”
“…Anyway,” Satan continued, “if you think about everything John told us, and what it likely meant, it seemed to me that we’re about to hit the final battle.”
“Ah, speak of the devil.” Lucifer looked over our shoulders. “Looks like the last boss has just found us, rather than the other way around.”
“What the…!?” Levi gazed up in awe. “No way… THAT’S the last boss!?”
“It would seem so.”
Cerberus growled menacingly.
“You’re kiddin’…” Mammon stared. “Wait… we’re lucky that the boss is Cerberus, doncha think? I mean, this’ll be easy, right? With Lucifer here on our side, Cerberus will be like a sweet little puppy!”
Satan shook his head. “I don’t know if it’ll be that simple… This isn’t the Devildom, after all.”
”Cerberus, sit!” Lucifer commanded.
Cerberus continued to growl, flames erupting from each of the three heads, licking the air, as he advanced towards us.
“Well, yeah.” Levi shrugged. “Of course he’s not gonna do what Lucifer says! This is a game! Lucifer’s real-life powers don’t work here!”
“Satan! He’s goin’ after you first!”
Cerberus booked it towards Satan, running forward on powerful legs, ready to strike. I started to run towards him, instinctively. But Mammon made a grab for my collar, anticipating my reckless reactions at this point. I was pulled back with a whoosh as the wind was knocked out of me from his save. He tsked in my ear, tired of my shit.
"CERBERUS!”
Cerberus halted, skidding from the force of his momentum, freezing on the spot.
“I believe I told you to sit. Or didn’t you hear your master’s command? Just you try harming my brother… Go ahead… See what happens to you! I promise you, I will take your CENSORED and CENSORED in a CENSORED! SIT, CERBERUS! NOW!”
Cerberus, to our shock, sat.
Satan stared up at the beast in amazement. Close enough that he could reach out and touch his fur. A close call.
“Huh.” Mammon looked at the great, slobbering beast. “I guess Lucifer really can command Cerberus in this game, too.”
“Well, yeah…” Levi said. “I mean, if you tell someone – or something – that you’re going to take their CENSORED and CENSORED in a CENSORED, then of course they’re not going to want to test you.”
Satan still stood staring, stock-still, shocked.
And then the world around us suddenly blinked away. Black.
2-D confetti erupted all around us.
MISSION COMPLETE! Congratulations! You beat the game!
We all tumbled onto the floor of Levi’s room, tangled in a pile of limbs.
“Ugh…” Levi groaned. “They gotta patch that hard landing out…”
“I’m…” Mammon sniffled. “I’M NOT STUPIDMAMMON ANYMORE! We’re back in the real world!”
“Whoooo!” Levi took a look at the screen. “Cue the confetti! We just broke the RTA speed run record!”
“Hey, we did it, Satan! We made it back to the real world!”
“Mammon, I’m over here,” said Not-Lucifer.
“Oh.” I looked between Satan and Lucifer. “Right.”
“…Wha?”
“So, I’m guessing that means that…”
“Yep, I’m Lucifer. So in the end, we only returned to our original bodies in the game world…”
“The magic that caused us to switch bodies hasn’t worn off yet.” Satan, in Lucifer, sighed.
“Ummm...” Levi frowned. “Maybe you could go back into the game until the spell wears off? So you can be yourselves?”
“What?! And have ‘em face off with Cerberus again?!”
“Well…” Satan started. “If we did, then I guess I’d have Lucifer there to beat him for me.”
“What’s that now?” Lucifer said with amusement. “You want to force me to stare down Cerberus again?”
“Well, it’s nothing my big brother can’t handle, now is it?” Satan laughed. It sounded strange, coming from Lucifer’s body, but being Satan’s own laugh. “Even Cerberus becomes like a regular dog when faced with Lucifer’s icy stare.”
“If you’d like, Satan, I could teach you how to command Cerberus to do as you say.”
Levi, Mammon, and I all looked at each other in disbelief.
Satan smirked “Don’t be crazy. That’s something only you can do. I wouldn’t have a chance.”
“Actually, I think you have what it takes to do it.”
“Well, maybe. I was once a part of you, after all.”
Lucifer widened his eyes in shock.
“Ahahaha!” Satan laughed again. “Oh man, you should see how goofy you look right now!”
Lucifer smirked back. “This is your face I’m wearing, you know.”
“…Hey, check it. Have those two finally made up?” Mammon whispered.
“Seems that way,” I whispered back.
“Shhh!” Levi hushed us. “Don’t talk to me right now. I have to be the first to review Dogi Maji on Akuzon!”
“Wait, now that I think about it, why’d we have to spend all that time raisin’ our intimacy scores, anyway!? It didn’t even matter!”
“Heeheeeee...” I giggled, letting my uncertainty go for the time being to relish in the fact that they had all grovelled at my feet for absolutely no reason at all. Levi blushed.
Chapter 16: Chapter 11: Grisella
Notes:
Content warning for frank discussion of physical abuse. Please take care when deciding if or when to proceed.
Chapter Text
Simeon: Diavolo, there's something I'd like to ask you.
Simeon: It's about Chise.
Simeon: How did you originally go about choosing people to participate in your exchange program?
Simeon: Humans are as countless as the stars in the sky. With so many of them out there, why go with Chise?
Simeon: Was there something you based your decision on?
Simeon: I just can't help wondering.
Simeon: Have you looked into Chise's lineage?
Simeon: I'm sure you examined everything from birth until now...
Simeon: ...But have you looked into parentage and family history and such?
Simeon: Anyway, sorry for bothering you. I was curious, that's all.
I climbed the stairs.
I didn’t even give a shit if Lucifer caught me this time. I didn’t give a shit that I was “needed" for mediation, Didn’t give a shit if he even knew. I needed to check on Belphie.
Besides, it seemed Lucifer had diminished in power substantially with the switch. Perhaps he wouldn’t even feel me up here.
But as I walked up to the gate, I stopped a few feet back in surprise.
Belphie laid there, pressed up against the forcefield, asleep. He was curled against the bars while the magic that kept him locked in there shimmered against his back, casting a glow over his skin. He was cuddling his cow-patterned pillow, tightly curled around it, in his usual soft cardigan. His face so tucked in that I could barely see it.
Had he been… waiting for me?
I stepped closer, kneeling down to where he lay. Hesitantly, I reached my hand through the bars, and lightly laid it on the sleeve of his arm. Warm. Soft. I felt the rise and fall of his body in sleep.
“Belphie…?” I whispered.
He stirred, sighing. “Lilith…?” he whispered back sleepily, rubbing at his eyes, his voice soft and full of… Love. Longing.
His eyes slowly focused on me.
“…Oh…” He dropped his hands from his face.
I looked into that sweet face, suddenly feeling shy, regretting that I had caught him in such a vulnerable moment. He turned over on his back, looking up at me from the floor, quiet, looking back at me. I sat cross-legged next to him, the fleece of my pyjamas able to pierce through the veil and brush against his arm. He touched them with his fingertips. Touched my leg.
“Were you… waiting for me?” I asked.
“Mmm… I guess I just… fell asleep here.” He looked away.
“Well, um…” I grasped for the words. “I just wanted to update you. And… check in on you as well. To see how you’re doing.”
He nodded, looking back at me. “Well, let’s hear it.”
I leaned further up against his cage, launching into an explanation of what had happened at Diavolo’s castle. How Asmo had challenged me for a pact, how my powers had strangely manifested when Solomon had gifted their use, how I secured Asmo’s pact, and most important of all, the strange conversation that I had heard between Satan and Barbatos.
I left out Diavolo’s bedroom.
And the dance.
And Satan’s attack on me.
“And now, well, with Satan being the only one left aside from Lucifer, I have to figure out their whole business with switching bodies.” I ended with a sigh. “But it seems to be going better between them after the game. I don’t know. The next day will tell.”
Belphie chuckled near my knee, still on his back, gazing up at me while I told my story. “Lucifer and Satan switching bodies… Man, I would have loved to have seen that.” He played with the fleece of my pyjamas again, pulling them through a little bit more, rubbing the fabric between his thumb and index finger. I watched him. “But the conversation between Satan and Barbatos… And your powers… That’s really interesting. It sounds like there really was a reason that you were chosen. That they’re keeping an eye on you somehow.”
“I suppose…” I sighed. “Too bad I couldn’t learn anything beyond that.”
“Yeah. Too bad. Barbatos always knows more than what’s good for him.” I was surprised by the sudden venom in his voice. “Never underestimate him."
“You don’t like Barbatos?”
“…No. He’s not to be trusted. Under any circumstances.”
“I see. All right.” It’s not like I interacted with him very much anyway, and he didn’t seem to take any particular interest in me when we did. Though, the incident with the tea was… Weird.
We sat in each other’s company in silence for a while, me with my legs crossed, him on his back. It felt… comfortable. Like I was able to think about my worries without having to worry about social interaction.
Or, well, I would be able to think about my problems, if it weren’t for the mysterious demon petting my leg right now.
“Chise…” he whispered, finally breaking the silence.
“Yeah…?” My heart jumped into my throat as he said my name.
“Would you… hold my hand? Until I fell asleep?"
Just like I held Beel’s.
“Yeah. Sure, Belphie,” I said softly, sliding my hand through. He laced his fingers in mine before pulling it a bit more towards himself, curling up around it, burying it in his pillow and under his cheek.
I waited for his warm breath on my skin to even out in the rhythm of sleep.
And then I waited for a little bit longer on top of that, looking down at him, holding his hand while he slept.
And then I headed back downstairs to slip, unnoticed, back into my room.
We walked the streets of the downtown markets, passing through the quaint Devildom stores as we passed by. I looked around curiously, swivelling my head to take it all in. Lucifer usually forbade me from exploring far from the House and RAD, unless I had an escort that wasn’t Mammon, and a good reason to go.
So, basically, never.
It was surprisingly normal in some regards; bakeries, restaurants, boutiques, a hobby store, even a grocery store. But peppered throughout the familiar energy were unique experiences for me. A bookshop specializing in spell casting tomes, a magical artifact and accessories shop, a shop where you can find an animal familiar to pact with, street vendors hawking strange creatures and meats that were apparently edible… I passed on those.
“OH MAN!” Mammon bounced around, back and forth between shops. “Check this out! It’s a super-rare magic stone! Oooh, and it’s on sale, too? It says it’s today’s feature item… WOW, that’s cheap! CRAZY cheap! If I broke it into smaller pieces and sold those individually, I’d make serious bank… Hehehehe…”
I rolled my eyes at his scheming. I had chosen the Avatar of Greed. Dug my own grave on this one.
“Luciferrrrr, my FAVOURITE big brother! You gotta buy that for me! You gotta! C’monnnn, I gotta have it! I gotta, I gotta, I gotta! If you don’t buy it for me, I’m gonna be real saaaaaaad… I’ll end up cryin’… I’ll throw a tantrum… and you don’t want that, do ya?”
I rolled my eyes again.
“Leave him be, Chise.” Lucifer had noticed my look. “Pretend you don’t know him.”
A command I could get behind. For once. I watched my demon of greed flit around faster than I could possibly keep up with, even if I did decide to follow.
“Luciferrrrrrr, come ooooonnnn! I mean, tell me how this is fair, huh!? Here it is on my day off, and you’re draggin’ me out shopping with you! And you’re not even gonna reward me for it? C’mon, you could at least buy me a magic stone… Or a hundred… Pleeeeeease…”
“So now you’re going to try to get angry at me? As if that would work… And seriously, a reward? What are you, a child?" Lucifer shook his head in irritation. "The entire reason why I brought you along with me to begin with is to get you away from Satan. When you two pair up, nothing good ever comes of it, especially when I am expected to clean up the mess.”
“Valid,” I chirped. Mammon gasped at my betrayal.
Lucifer sighed. “Tomorrow is my big speech. It’s almost time… And yet the curse that caused us to switch bodies shows no signs of going away. Which means I have no guarantee that I will be back to my normal self in time for the speech.”
“Doncha think it’s about time to give in and ask Satan to do it for you? You’re sorta out of options here. I mean, all ya gotta say is, ‘Satan, no funny business this time. Give the speech and be done with it.’”
“I have no intention of begging him for help.”
So much for the two of them finding common ground.
“Even if I did do that, I couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t end up trying something nefarious anyway.”
“You sure about that?” Mammon tilted his head, same thought as me.
“I am. This is Satan we’re talking about. I highly doubt he would simply do as I asked.”
“Ya know, I know you’re serious and all, but hearing those words come outta Satan’s mouth like this, it’s hard not to laugh. Anyway, after everything that went down inside that game, Satan seems like he’s changed some. Doncha think?”
“For what it’s worth…” Though my heart was full of misgivings, and though I wasn’t actually sure on it, at least when it came to myself, I had to put it out there. “I think he has changed, too.”
“Exactly. That’s what I’m sayin’! You see it too, doncha? Seeee, you’re smart, Chise. Did ya hear that, Lucifer? Chise AGREES with me!”
I smiled at him warmly, shaking my head.
“Like, how do I put it…? It’s like… He’s more chill when it comes to you now, Lucifer. He’s not all bitter and stuff anymore.”
“Come this way, Chise. I’m going to head inside this store here. Stay close, for your own safety.”
“HEY! Are you even listenin’ to what I’m saying here!?”
“Not at all, no. Also, I don’t believe that he’s changed. We’re talking about Satan. Since the day he came into this world, his entire purpose in life has been to defy me. And now you’re suggesting he’s changed? It’s in his very nature to oppose me, and a demon’s nature doesn’t change so easily.”
My heart sunk at this. Wrath.
“Oh, now I dunno about that. I think you’re wrong here. Like, just yesterday I told him we should totally use the fact that he looks like you to our advantage. I said we should scam random folks, make some easy money. But Satan wasn’t havin’ any of it. He was like, ‘Nah, I’m tired of doing stuff like that,’ and, 'Eh, too much work.’ It used to be that he’d jump at an opportunity like that, but now he’s no fun at all. Back before all that stuff happened in the game world, he would’ve done ANYTHING if it meant makin’ life difficult on you. But now he’s suddenly not interested…”
I waited for it.
“…Mammon?”
“I mean, opportunities like this don’t come around every day, ya know? And he’s wastin’ it. We could totally be making ourselves some money right now…”
Here it comes.
”Mammon, did I hear you correctly? You were planning to take advantage of the fact that Satan looks like me to scam random folks…?”
There it is.
Mammon gave a peep.
“MAAAAAAAAMMOOOONNNNNN…”
“Yikes...!”
So, it seemed like we were back to square one. We sat at the tavern bar while Mammon nursed a welt on the top of his head. “Ugh, did ya have to hit me so hard… Seriously…”
“You should be thankful I’m not in my real body, or the damage would’ve been much worse.”
“I mean, sure, it’s not as bad. But still, gettin’ hit hurts no matter WHO does it!”
“Not to worry, I’ll be back to my old self soon enough. Then we’ll do something about the overly lenient beatings you’ve been getting while I’ve been in Satan’s body. I’ll make up for that pain deficit all at once.”
“Whaddya mean, don’t worry?! Gah, no thanks! I don’t need any more punishment! None!”
He moved bar stools so that he sat on my other side, putting me between Lucifer and him. I sighed again, catching myself doing that a lot lately, as I glanced over the menu, trying to find something familiar to choose for myself.
“Are you going to tell me you don’t need food, either? Because all you’ve been doing is talking. If you don’t order now, you’re going to lose your chance, you know.”
“Oh man, I’m DEFINITELY gonna eat! Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten at Hell’s Kitchen. Sure am glad Beel isn’t here…Time to dig in!”
“Well, this is your reward for coming shopping with me. So eat as much as you’d like.” Lucifer leaned over to me. I flinched. “I’d recommend the Gastybillis hearts with veggies, Chise. It tastes much like pork in the human world.”
I nodded, numb, not taking my eyes off the menu. He had been treating me… normally, since the game. I didn’t like it.
“Okay, I will! I take back everything I said! You’re the BEST, Lucifer! I’ll take some of this, and some of this…” He put in his order into the tablet resting before us. I watched quietly.
“What’s wrong, Chise? Aren’t you going to eat?” I felt Lucifer’s eyes on me.
“You’re just…” I started. “Being weird… to me.” It was off-putting. Mammon glanced at me and put in the Gastybillis hearts into the tablet, probably planning to shovel the food into my mouth himself to make me eat it. Mother-henning.
“Come to think of it…” Lucifer smiled, though it dazzled on Satan’s lips. “I’ve heard that there’s a famous story in the human world about an evil witch who fattens up children and then eats them.”
“Ah, I was wondering when the threat was going to sneak out,” I said quietly.
“…But I’m a demon, not a witch. As much as I enjoy a good human soul, I’m not fond of human flesh.”
News to me.
“So, go ahead… Eat. Have as much as you’d like.”
After a bit, the food came out. Entirely too much, I thought. But Mammon pushed my plate of hearts in front of me, and poked at it with his fork, threatening to pick it up and undoubtedly force-feed me. So I sighed, and picked up my own fork, to tentatively take a bite. Lucifer watched us, an unreadable expression on his face. Watching Mammon care for me. Genuinely.
Maybe you’ll pick up a thing or two on how to do that for a person, I thought.
It did taste like pork. It was good.
"Ahhhh! Man, that was good… Couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Yes, I’m sure you couldn’t. And guess what? Now you get to compensate me for all of that food you just ate… through hard work.”
“WHA!?”
I pushed my plate back, a little more violently than I needed to. Of course. So much for this being a treat. Never trust a demon.
“I’m heading up to the human world, and you two are coming with me.”
At this, I whirled my head to look at him directly for the first time all evening, eyes wide. My world? My world…
“The HUMAN world?! Like… For real!? We get to go to the human world?! Ooooh! This is awesome!” Mammon hugged my shoulders from behind, pulling me to him in excitement. Lucifer flicked his eyes to his arms around me. “I-I mean, that sounds like tons of fun! Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone up there… I used to corrupt human souls left and right. I’d make a bunch of money doin’ it, too. Then I’d go on a massive spending spree! You’re comin’ with, right, Chise!? This is gonna be great! You can pick out the best stuff for me on the menus! Tourin’ upstairs with a human of my own!”
I patted his arms in acknowledgment, but still faced Lucifer, suspicious. “And why, exactly, are we going to the human world?”
“Because of the cursed book that caused me to switch bodies with Satan… You see, the witch who created that book is still alive. If we want to break this curse, and quickly, the best way is to ask the very person who created it. I’m guessing she should be able to lift the curse and return me to my proper body.”
I sighed. “Really, Lucifer? Going all the way up to the human realm, taking the trouble-maker behind me with you–“
“HEY!”
“–JUST so you can avoid having an actual conversation with Satan? So much for extending an olive branch…”
“I’m not very well giving Satan the whole tree, Chise. This is my best chance.”
“W-Wait… Did you say a witch? A witch that created a forbidden book that could make people switch bodies? H-Hold on, could that be… Uh… Uh, y’know what? I think I’m gonna go ahead and sit this one out… Bye!”
Lucifer reached over past me and grabbed Mammon by the scruff of his jacket. I dodged the scuffle. Mammon yelped.
“Did you really think I’d simply let you run off, Mammon?”
“G’aaaaahhhh! Qu-Quit it! Leggo of me!”
“I know why you don’t want to go. Because it just so happens that witch is a big fan of both you and Satan.”
“…Then don’t drag me along with ya!”
“Actually, that’s exactly why I’m going to drag you along with me.”
Well, that explains why he chose the trouble-maker. “It’s on your head if you do."
“Chise, you’re coming too. As long as we’re going to be in the human world, I imagine having one along with us will come in handy.”
“Where exactly are we going?”
“London.”
“England?”
“The very one.”
“NO NO NO NO NO! I don’t wanna! I’m not goin’ to any human world! Don’t make meeeee!”
“Please don’t leave me alone with Lucifer, Mammon,” I whispered near his shoulder, taking his hand in mine. Lucifer’s eyes flicked to that, too. He seemed really bothered by our PDA. I’d have to make sure to insert more of it.
He looked at me guiltily. “A-And, don’t make Chise go, too!”
“That’s your solution?” I muttered. As if that’d ever work.
“If you don’t shut up now, then once I’m back in my real body, I promise to string you up and hang you upside down for a thousand years!”
“Yikes…”
I looked around. We were back out on the cobblestone street now, fairy lights glowing around us. Eternally night in the Devildom, the market was made to sparkle in the dark. “So… How do you get to the human world from here, anyway?”
“Oh, there are more than a few methods,” Lucifer answered. “One is the use an eternal magic seal… a passage between worlds that has existed since ancient times.”
News to me.
“There are several magic seals like that, one of which is right here.”
I followed his finger as he pointed to an old obelisk; whatever the stone it was made from, it was glassy and black, with faded script on its surface. It was surrounded by a circle. A magic circle, I recognized, from my studies at RAD, marked with script similar to that on the obelisk, though newer, and well kept.
Mammon shrugged beside me. “But pretty much the only demons who are allowed to use those things whenever they feel like it are Lord Diavolo, Barbatos, and you, Lucifer. What’s up with that, huh?” Mammon asked, as if he didn’t just admit to corrupting human souls and making a bunch of money while doing it.
“If another demon wishes to use the doorway, they have to receive permission is advance. Originally, all demons were allowed free use of them whenever they wanted. But then we had some… problems up in the human world that necessitated a change in our policy, so now it’s a permission-based system.”
“…I’m sure,” I said dryly.
“You see, a certain someone kept heading up to the human world and getting himself into trouble with the witches there.”
“Heh…”
I glanced at Mammon. “Witches, huh.”
“Heh……..”
“A second option,” Lucifer continued, “or the classic route, is to walk through all the eight layers of the Devildom on foot.”
Huh. I wonder where that led out to.
“Oh no, uh-uh! Too much trouble!”
“Relax. I’ve got no interest in going that way. The classic route is simply too long, and I doubt that Chise’s psyche would survive the trip.”
“…Obelisk it is, then,” I agreed.
“A third way to travel to the human world is to have a magically gifted person such as a witch or sorcerer summon you there. Summon a demon, that is. It sounds simple, but there are several limitations to that approach. Mammon is well-acquainted with them… Have him fill you in later.”
“He is, huh?” I eyed him carefully. Why did I feel so damn jealous.
“Ugh, so scary… no witches no witches no witches…”
Lucifer smirked at my expression. I glowered. Was he pushing these buttons on purpose? Of course he was. He had found a weak spot. “All right, all right. We know you’re afraid of witches, Mammon. Now, let’s get going.”
Lucifer raised his arms over the obelisk, the three of us standing within the circle at our feet…
“Wait, nooooo! Don’t make me do thiiiiiis!” This time I grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket as he tried to book it out of the circle.
…But nothing happened.
I waited for a few seconds longer; maybe this obelisk took a little while to warm up or something? But then I looked at Mammon’s and, well, Not-Satan’s faces. They were wearing the same looks of confusion as me.
“…Huh?”
“Wait…”
Lucifer tried again. Nothing happened.
“Hey, what’s the big idea scarin’ me like that, huh!? This ain’t the human world… We’re still in the Devildom!”
“Obviously we’re still in the Devildom, Mammon,” Lucifer bit. “Why didn’t it work… I’m certain I did everything right…”
“Obviously you’re still in Satan’s body, Lucifer,” I bit as well, because I can never shut my goddamn mouth when I’m grumpy.
But Lucifer just widened his eyes at the realization.
“I… see. So, even though it’s really me, as long as I’m in Satan’s body, I can’t use the magic seal. Dammit… Without a mirror around to remind me, it’s easy to forget that I’m someone else right now…”
“Welp!” Mammon perked up. “If ya can’t use the magic circle, I guess there’s no going up to the human world! That’s too baaaaad…” He jumped at Lucifer’s glare. “Uh, I mean, you’ll still change back eventually, right? And as for that speech thing you’ve got tomorrow, I’ll go have a talk with Satan for ya. ‘Course, my services aren’t free of charge. But don’t worry, I’ll give ya a family discount–“
“Mammon, enough,” I hushed him. Lucifer was getting pissed, and this was going no where. "Maybe I should be the one to–"
”That won’t be necessary.”
We turned around at the sound of Lucifer’s voice. Satan stood there, arms crossed.
“I hate speeches. They’re a giant hassle, and I’ve got no intention of agreeing to give one.”
“Satan…” I started.
“Enough, Chise. That’s my final word on it.”
So I didn’t get through to him at all, it seemed.
“Satan, what’re you doin’ here?!”
“What, is there something wrong with me being here?” He touched his chin with his fingers, to Lucifer’s chin with Lucifer’s fingers, in a way that was entirely Satan. His gesture. "Either way, I heard everything you guys said. So, don’t just stand there doing nothing. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“G-Get this over with!? Wait, don’t tell me you actually wanna go to the–“
“To the human world, yes. That was your plan, right? To find the witch who created the curse that caused us to switch bodies, and have her lift it.”
“…Don’t think this means I’ll owe you anything.”
“Lucifer!” I hissed. "Olive branch."
Lucifer glanced down at me. “Unlike a certain Stupidmammon, I won’t be deceived so easily.”
“Hey, come on! You didn’t even leave out any letters! Now everyone knows ya mean me!”
“That’s not what this is about. I’m just tired of being in this body, that’s all. I’ve gotten all the fun out of it I can.”
Lucifer scoffed, still suspicious.
But Satan stepped into the circle with us, and Lucifer, seeming to relent with no other option, raised his hands with Satan.
“Now you two are cooperatin’?! I thought you hated each other, ya know… I can’t keep up…Listen, if you wanna go see this witch or whatever, fine! Just don’t make me go… Chise, you got Satan lookin’ out for ya now, right?!”
I gaped. I realized… I had never told him about Satan’s hands around my neck.
Shit. I didn’t think I wanted to. I don’t know what he’d do. He wasn’t a fighter at all. But I didn’t know if he would make an exception here, when it was this serious. I was just tired of the violence and fighting and people getting hurt. Me included. So I just looked at him, pleading. I need you. He froze at my look.
And with a whirl, the circle pulled us through.
We sat in another tavern again, an English tavern, in a booth this time. I looked around, excited, despite myself and my present company. I mean, I just got a free trip to a cool part of the human world that I didn’t live in. No airplane or anything. Magic.
“Mmmm! That’s GOOD! REAL GOOD! Man, the human world totally has the best dark beers!” He was slurping, entirely too loud, going on about there being a human world; as if there were any other realms to the humans that were starting to look our way. "What? Why’re you lookin’ at me like that for, Chise?”
I smiled, letting it go. “I thought you didn’t want to come to the human world?”
“Exactly.” Lucifer shook his head. “You’re unbelievable… You screamed bloody murder about having to come here, but now look at you.”
“Well, y’know, that was then and this is now. I didn’t wanna come, but as long as I’m here, I’m not gonna waste my chance to have fun! Ahhhh, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the human world without being summoned here by some witch!”
I looked down at my own glass, trying to distract myself. A dark and stormy cocktail. Missed these. Loved ginger.
Satan rubbed at his temples. “Exactly how long do you plan on hanging around here goofing off? Come on, time to get moving. Let’s get this over with.”
“Wha!? But I’ve still got a lotta drinkin’ to do!”
“Mammon, if you’re going to stay here drinking, then we’re leaving you with the bill. The entire bill,” Lucifer threatened.
Welp, in that case, it was time to go. I drained my glass, relishing the warmth of the alcohol that spread through my chest.
“Wait wait wait wait wait I’m coming! So, uh… you can pay, Lucifer! My favourite brother!”
“Enough. Just… stop talking.”
“Hey… HEY! Chise! Check it OUT! This place is selling official Harrison Porter and the World of Wizards merchandise! Are we in the same train station that was in the movie, huh!? This is one of the locations where the movie was films, wasn’t it!?”
I looked around, also feeling a little giddy at the sight, smiling. “Seems like it. This is pretty cool. I didn’t think I’d get to see anything like this.”
Lucifer cocked his head, studying me.
“WHOA! And these are the same chocolate lizards they had in the movie, huh!? Oh, and these jellybeans were in it, too! I can’t NOT buy them now!”
“And who exactly do you imagine is going to pay for that?”
“I will.” I pulled out my human wallet, always on me, and pecked Mammon’s cheek with a little kiss. He glowed.
“You truly are a demon’s demon, Mammon…” Lucifer sighed. “You shouldn’t encourage him, Chise.”
“I’m buying a snack for my boyfriend. That’s all.”
Lucifer blanched. Satan glanced away. Mammon’s mouth fell open.
I poked around the shop for myself. “Mammon, look, they’ve got chocolate lizard keychains!”
“Maaaaaan, those look like real chocolate. They did a good job on these.”
“Let’s get a pair together.”
“Yaaaaaaaayyyy!”
“Fine, I suppose we don’t have a choice…” Lucifer pulled out his own wallet.
Got ‘em. With the boyfriend comment. Money, saved.
“…Wait a minute, Lucifer, why are you buyin’ FOUR? We only need two: one for me, and one for Chise.”
“There are four of us here.” Lucifer handed the clerk a bill.
“Wha?! So now you, me, and Satan are gonna have matching keychains too!? Why’s it gotta be like that?! Ugh, gross…”
“Well then, Lucifer,” Satan cut in with a nod, “it seems that Mammon doesn’t want one after all. So, I guess we’ll only be needing three of these then, sir. One for you, one for me, and one for Chise.”
“No… wait, I do want one! I totally do! I gotta have one!”
"So transparent,” I grinned at him, using his brothers’ words.
“Whoooooooooa! Check it out, Chise! Sheep… real live sheep! There’s a whole flock of 'em! WHOAAA! I bet they taste good!”
I giggled at his puppyish enthusiasm, coming to stand with him by the train car’s window to look at the sheep too. “There’s little lambs out there. Awww.”
“I wanna EAT ONE!”
I snorted, grinning.
Satan sat in a chair in the room, watching us. “Mammon, quit shouting every time you see something mildly interesting. You’re embarrassing us. And Chise, stop encouraging him…”
“It seems I made the right choice reserving a private cabin for us on the train. Though first class was rather expensive.”
“Chise, they’ve got a place where you can go eat on this train, right? What was it called again… the dining car?”
“Mmmmhmmmm.”
“Hehehe. I’m gonna go take some pictures and then brag about it to Beel when we get back to the Devildom. Back in a minute!”
“Wait, what– Hey, WAIT FOR ME–!”
He scampered out of the cabin.
I was left alone with Satan and Lucifer.
We sat there in complete, awkward silence. A whole minute is a long time when you’re waiting for it to end. Two minutes, too. I continued to stare out the window, pretending to be engrossed in the empty countryside.
“…So,” Lucifer finally cut into the silence. “Would you say this is similar to what’s known as a family trip in the human world?”
“I…suppose,” I replied, a bit weakly.
“The view out the window is nice…” Satan cut in as well, after another minute.
“Yeah, it’s… cool.”
I looked out on the flat, uneventful farmland that rumbled by.
More silence. The minutes ticked by.
“I’m… going to get some air,” I said finally. I slipped out of the cabin before either could protest.
-
He found me by the baggage area, curled in the shadows, knees drawn to my chest. I thought I was pretty well hidden. I just needed some time for myself. Out of that room with them. Guess that was wishful thinking.
Satan squatted down to look at me through Lucifer’s eyes.
I looked away, uncomfortable. Dammit.
Another awkward silence stretched.
“You… don’t look at me the same way as you used to.” Satan, in Luficer’s body, cocked his head in a very Satan-like gesture. “Now, why is that?”
I felt a blush rising to my face, and hoped that it was too dark for him to see it. I refused to look at him, or answer.
“So…” he said quietly. “Looking at Lucifer makes you uncomfortable. He’s done something…”
I turned my face away. Remembering Lucifer in the crypt. Remembering him in Diavolo’s bedroom. Remembering how violently he had pulled me across the dance floor as I stumbled after him. The bruises on my wrist, still present. I rubbed at the marks absently. Satan looked down at them through Lucifer’s eyes.
“Whereas, when you would look at me…”
I kept my face turned away. My little crush on him. When I had asked for him to be my protector when I was first summoned to the Devildom, in Mammon’s place, immediately drawn to his presence in the room. His charming smile. His sparkling green eyes, and the lifted curve of their shape. His wit, his wisdom, his mischief. Our flirtatious banter, well-matched, a sparring of words.
He reached towards me, taking my wrist in his hands, examining it.
“...I see…”
I winced at his touch.
He sighed, still looking down at my wrist. “And then… my… room.”
I remembered his aura, bearing down on me, his hand gripping me by the throat, closing in around on my life’s breath… I touched my neck too. Marks had begun to show there as well. I was wearing a neckerchief over it today, as I sometimes did when I accessorized my school uniform back home. My usual, so it wasn’t out of place for me to wear it. But this time it was covering up a secret. Mammon hadn’t noticed yet. I was worried about the next time he undressed me. Maybe in the dark, I thought.
Satan gently reached to caress my neck, pulling down the kerchief. I flinched.
He stared at me in silence.
I kept my eyes off of him.
“You have been… mistreated.”
I still didn’t say anything. Still looking away. Looking away from Lucifer’s face. Looking away from Satan.
He breathed. “Maybe I am like him…” he whispered.
“You are NOTHING like him.”
He let out the smallest gasp without meaning to, taken aback, staring, trying to process what I had just said. We sat in silence again, my outburst echoing between us.
“I… won’t make you look at him,” he said softly, referring to the face he wore now, tucking away the comment that had just erupted from my heart for the time being. “But I… I am so sorry, Chise. For myself. For everything.”
He dropped the scarf back in place, smoothing it over the marks with regret.
“I only hope that you don’t start looking at me the same way that you look at him. That it’s not too late… In my real self, that is. It’s… well… I prefer the way you have always looked at me. That’s… for certain,” he said awkwardly, embarrassed.
I still didn’t look, but I bowed my head in acknowledgment. We’ll see.
He hesitated. “Could I… try something? I’m not entirely sure how to control it in this body, but…” He reached his hand towards my wrist again, tentatively, asking for permission this time. I let him take it. He brought it up to his lips. I held my breath, tense.
”May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated…” he whispered, breath warm against my skin.
I watched in amazement, eyes wide, as the bruises faded away.
“...I don’t…” I finally stared up at him, shocked.
He laughed softly. “Don’t look at me like that. Do you think Solomon is the only one who knows spell casting?”
His face turned somber again, as he reached for my scarf. I offered it to him this time, turning my head slightly for him to see. He pulled it down lightly, touching the skin there with his fingertips, touching my throat again, but in kindness this time, and whispered his healing incantation once more.
-
I slipped back into our cabin, Satan close behind me. I ignored Lucifer’s raised eyebrow and took up my place by the window again, looking out, with a lot to think about. A lot to process. The silence felt a bit more comfortable. I relaxed against the cool glass with a sigh.
……AHHHHHHHH!
I sat up, startled.
SOMEONE CALL THE CREW! A woman’s been stabbed!
We all turned together to look at the cabin door.
The guy who did it… he was young! He had white hair, and tan skin, and he was wearing sunglasses!
Right, exactly! He was wearing a brown and white jacket, and had some sort of strange keychain. It looked like a tail or something!
He’s the one who did it! He’s the one who… who stabbed her to death!
We were frozen in our spots.
“A young guy with white hair and tan skin, wearing sunglasses…” Lucifer murmured.
“…And he had on a white and brown jacket, with a keychain shaped like a tail attached to his belt loop…?”
I sighed.
Lucifer looked between Satan and I. “How about we pretend we didn’t hear anything…”
I stood up. “Let’s go get my boyfriend, then.”
Satan sighed too, following suit.
-
We walked, reluctantly, into the lounge car, where all the commotion was coming from.
Lucifer crossed his arms in exasperation as we stood in front of Mammon, who sat frozen in a leather chair, surrounded by panicking humans. “Well, let’s hear it.”
“Whaddya mean, let’s hear it!?”
Satan crossed his arms too. “What did you do this time, Mammon?”
“I told ya, nothin’!”
"He killed her! He killed that woman!"
"That’s right! He stabbed her to death with a knife!"
I sat across from him and took his hand. He pouted at me. The three humans around us gasped. “Just… Tell us what happened, Mammon."
"You three are with this man!?"
“Yeah. I’m with him.”
“Well, I’m not, personally…” Satan muttered.
“Neither am I. I’ve never seen this man before in my life.”
“HEY! You two are EVIL, ya know!? So Chise is the only one who’ll stand up for me!? Seriously?!”
“Honestly, you’re like a magnet for trouble. Everywhere you go, trouble follows. You need to stop this,” Lucifer hissed at him.
“Stop what?! Like, I’m just an innocent bystander here!”
“Well, in any event, you’d better tell us what happened… And start at the beginning.”
“…I heard there was a car on the train where you could go to eat, so I went lookin’ for it! I was gonna take some pictures and then show them to Beel later. Y’know, to brag. But then, I found this dead end, and I thought, well, if I just went through that cabin there, the one with the sign that said ‘reserved car, do not enter’, pfff, I could get to the dining car, right? But when I stepped in, it was all dark. And I heard this chantin’, like what witches do, y’know, and then the humans in there all started screamin’ about blood n’ stuff! And then the one who got stabbed, she said ‘Mammon…’ and then DIED!”
“Mammon…” I whispered quietly. “This is really important. Did you then, by chance, announce to these human witnesses, that your name is, in fact, Mammon? The same name that the dead woman said, with her dying breath?”
“Well, yeah, duh. I am THE Mammon.”
Lucifer slapped his palm to his forehead. “Just how much of an idiot are you!?”
Satan’s head was in his hands entirely. “A pretty big one, that’s for sure…”
“Wha?! What’d I do!? How about you defend me or somethin’ here, huh?!”
“You never think before you act. That’s why you’re always getting yourself into these situation, you complete and utter fool.” Lucifer’s voice was dripping with contempt.
“Hey! Th-That hurts…”
Satan raised his face up from his hands. “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t insisted on telling them your name. But being the total fool you are, you just had to, didn’t you?”
“Aww…” Mammon sniffed.
I sighed. “It wasn’t your fault.” My fault for not chasing after him, really. And Lucifer’s, after I warned him not to take the trouble-maker.
He sniffled again. “…You’re so nice, Chise. It’s like someone took my heart and shattered it… Like it was made of glass… But now here you come to the rescue, bein’ all nice… It really hits me in the feels, Chise… Those other two, they’re EVIL! You’re the only one who’s kind to me...”
I rolled my eyes. “All right, all right. Stop being so dramatic.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, you’re a demon, Mammon,” Satan said. "Which makes you evil as well.”
I shot him a look.
Listen well, human. If you dare say that you won’t make a pact with me again, you’ll pay for it with your–
Satan’s words played in my head. I squeezed Mammon’s hands. My demon, who avoided engaging in violence at all cost.
I sighed. “Well, we’re going to have to do something about this.”
“I don’t believe this. As if we needed another problem to deal with…”
“I warned you not to bring him, Lucifer. You know what he’s like.”
“HEY–!”
”Only one version of events is ever true!” Satan sat up eagerly.
“Eh? What’re you on about?”
“It’s a line from–"
“A line from The Mid-Fall Murders,” Satan and I spoke at the same time. We looked at each other, surprised. And then we both blushed. I’d never seen a blush on Lucifer’s face before. It was weird.
“…Anyway,” Satan continued after a moment. “It’s a human world crime suspense series. That was the lead character Inspector Adler’s famous catchphrase. ’The perpetrators had best give themselves up now while they still have the chance. Because I will find them.”
I nodded, smiling a bit, looking away from Satan as he glanced back at me. I liked those books.
“Aha… Well… I’d never thought the day would come when I’d actually get to say that in real life.”
“Well…” Lucifer started. "I’m not sure I completely understand what this is about, but I can tell you’re motivated, and that’s what’s important.”
"You three, this is no time to be standing around joking! If this man is the killer, then we’ll just hand him over to Scotland Yard at the next station–"
Lucifer stared at them, arms crossed. “I think all of you should go wait in the dining car for now. Goodbye.”
"…R-Right, a good idea… We’ll let you guys track down whoever did it… Okay everyone, let’s go to the dining car."
"…Right."
"…Yes, good idea."
I watched after them as they left, perplexed. “What just… happened.”
“It’s one of our powers as demons,” Satan explained. “We’re able to manipulate humans, sort of like a form of hypnosis.”
“O-Oh…”
“Ah, but, Lord Diavolo has explicitly forbidden anyone from doing that to you, so don’t worry,” Satan assured me.
Considering that he probably also forbade them from trying to kill me, I wasn’t reassured at all. And as for Asmo…
I dropped Mammon’s hands, gently.
“As long as we’re on the subject, I should note that Asmo’s power to seduce others is an even more powerful form of manipulation. Ah, but I forgot… He actually tried to charm you, but it turned out that his powers don’t work on you. Every once in a while we come across special humans who are immune like that.” He tilted his head. “Almost all of them turn out to be witches or sorcerers, people with exception magical power. But in your case...“
I nodded, looking down at the floor.
“Well.” From the corner of my eye, I could see that Satan looked uncomfortable. “Shall we take a look at the scene of the crime?”
I didn’t look in the car. It was Satan who gently took me by the arms to lead me away from the door. “Wait here. You don’t need to see this.” His voice was gentle. I was relieved. I didn’t want to.
“…Wait a minute!” Lucifer’s voice called out from inside the cabin. “This woman… The murder victim…”
“I told ya, it wasn’t me! I didn’t stab her, okay!? I don’t even have a knife ON me!”
“…This is Grisella,” Lucifer finished.
Satan pushed into the room. “What?!”
“I’m certain it’s her. It’s Grisella. Dammit… The witch we were suppose to be going to see.”
“Aww, you’ve gotta be kiddin’ me!”
Satan, in Lucifer’s body, stood in front of the three human witnesses, and the crowd of others that had gathered around us. Arms crossed.
“All right, I will now prove to you that the man you see before you, Mammon, is innocent.”
"Innocent? But that woman called out his name right as she died!"
“Yes, because the truth is, she actually knew him.”
"What did you say…?"
“Just before she died, someone she knew appeared before her unexpectedly. It seems that’s why she said his name in those last moments.”
"If that’s true, then she might not have been trying to name her killer…"
"B-But that man went inside the lounge, and moments later she was killed! The timing is a little too perfect to be a coincidence."
“Indeed. It’s only natural that you would think Mammon is the killer.”
“Listen to Satan,” Lucifer murmured beside me. “He’s loving this.”
“Dammit… Here I am accused of murder, and HE’S havin’ a good time…”
“By the way, where at the table was the spirit medium, Grisella? Where was she sitting?”
"Where? …Well, she was in a chair facing away from the door out into the hall."
"Precisely. And Mammon came through that door into the lounge, the one she had her back to. As soon as everyone inside the lounge realized that someone was intruding on them, they all turned to see who it was. Which means that Grisella had to have been facing Mammon’s direction.”
The three witnesses gasped.
“Starting to make sense, isn’t it? Now then. You’re human A, you’re human B, and you’re human C.” He named the witnesses in front of him.
"Human…?"
“So Grisella was stabbed in the back,” Lucifer realized.
“Yeah… So?” Mammon was still sulking.
“Do you think yourself capable of stabbing someone in the back if they were looking right at you, Mammon?”
“Huh? Lemme see…”
“The answer is no, Mammon.”
“The long and short of it is,” Satan continued, “that given your position, you couldn’t have stabbed her, Mammon. Now do you get it?”
“Uh, sure.”
"Hmmm, do you have a point…" said human A.
“In any event, we should go ahead and seal off the lounge until we reach the next station. Whoever did this is still hiding somewhere on this train… Everyone, I’d ask you to remain inside your cabins until further notice.” He lowered his voice into an excited whisper. “Only one version of events is ever true…!”
“Yo, Chise. Did you understand what he was talkin’ about just now?”
“Yes, Mammon.”
Back in our room, Lucifer sighed, face creased.
“Hey, why the sad look? You know we’ve proven that I’m innocent now, right? I mean, I know it must’ve been a real shock ‘cause your sweet brother was treated like a criminal and all. But still…”
“If Grisella is dead, that means that we can’t lift the curse that caused us to switch bodies… So, in the end, we came all this way to the human world for nothing, and the speech is tomorrow.”
“Oh. Right.”
"Well, this is just wonderful…" A cool voice breezed through the room, making us all jump. I whipped my head around, trying to find the source. "I don’t believe it. What a miserable state to be stuck in… Here I am in the company of three demons, all of whose names I know, and yet… What a truly miserable twist of fate."
“Okay, NOW what’s goin’ on?”
“Hold on, I know that voice…” Lucifer murmured. “Grisella…? Is that you? Or, rather, your spirit?”
"Yes, unfortunately. It seems you’re right."
“It seems you’re right?” Mammon looked around, still trying to find the voice. "Like… You’re a witch! You’re supposed to be able to see the future and know when you’re gonna die. Didn’t ya even bother to check?”
"I knew I would die at some point during my trip on this train, yes. But I didn’t know how I would die… Only that I would. When it’s time to die, it’s time to die. There’s no changing that. There’s no cheating death. I accept my fate. However, I’d at least like to know why I was killed before I rest."
Lucifer leaned back in his chair. “And you’re telling us this, because…?”
"Because I know why you came here."
“Ah, I see… Well then. It looks like we’re going to figure out who it was that killed Grisella.”
“Wha? But that sounds like a buncha work. Why do we gotta bother?”
“Chise…” Lucifer addressed me tersely. “Would you please explain to your idiot boyfriend why it is that we have to cooperate with Grisella?”
“WHA–? WHO YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?”
“Guess you’re not denying being the boyfriend,” Satan muttered.
“She’s offering to lift the curse if we solve her murder, Mammon.”
“Exactly.”
“Mammon… Have you forgotten why we came to the human world in the first place?” Satan rolled his eyes.
“Oh, yeah, right, the curse, I just remembered. Huh. Okay. So come to think of it, the killer’s gotta be one of the other three people that were in the room with her durin’ the séance, right? I mean, it couldn’t be anyone else.”
"Exactly. The first of the three is named Noah. He’s someone I’m well-acquainted with. He hoped to become my apprentice… And he was also the person who introduced me to the people requesting today’s séance."
“Human A. Got it.”
"As for the other two… I’d never met them before now. Their names are Lucas and Sophia, and they’re siblings."
“Human B and C, respectively.”
"It was they who requested the séance. They were hoping to speak with the spirit of their dead younger sister."
“So then,” Satan mused. “I guess we only need to torture each one of them separately until we find our answer.”
“Yes, that shouldn’t take long at all,” Lucifer agreed.
“Okay then! So, which of those humans should we torture first?” Mammon leaned forward.
I glowered at them. “Uh, no. Absolutely not. We solve this the human way, you three.”
"…Yes, I’d really like to find a somewhat less violent way of solving this mystery. And now, now… Well, what do we have here? A human, accompanying three powerful demons? Interesting…"
“I’d like to ask you some question, Grisella,” I spoke up into the air quietly. “And I’m sorry about… Your death.”
"Sweet girl. What would you ask me?"
“Do you remember being stabbed…?”
"Yes, I should think so… I remember the pain as the knife entered… It felt like it was thrust up from below. It burned like fire… I’ll never, ever forget that feeling."
“I’m sorry that I had to ask,” I whispered. I saw Satan incline his head towards me. You’re too nice, Chise, he had said. There was no such thing. “But that was really helpful. Thank you.”
"Thank you, human girl. That is all I remember. I don’t know who did it."
“Well, Mammon.” I turned towards him.
“Eh? Me?”
“What did you see when you first entered the room?”
“Uhh…" He scrunched his nose while he thought back. "At first I thought it was pitch black in there. But then I looked harder, and I saw that there was actually a candle burnin’ on the table in the middle of the room. Grisella was the person closest to the door I came through. That’s why everyone ended up blamin’ me for it. Behind her were two guys… And the girl was sittin’ farthest away. Oh, yeah, and one of the guys was wearin’ this crazy-lookin’ shirt. It was super flashy and super lame.”
"Ah, that would be Noah. He likes to be unique and make a statement."
“Yeah. Him. Well, he stayed sittin’ there in his chair the whole time. Maybe he was so freaked out about you bein’ stabbed that he couldn’t even manage to stand? Hehehe.”
”Mammon,” I warned him. “That’s enough.”
“O-Oh… Right…”
“Well,” I looked around the room, and at Satan in particular, “I’ve figured it out.”
Satan frowned at me. “You have…?”
Lucifer wore a frown as well, looking dubious. “Are you serious?”
“Well, all right then!” Mammon grabbed my arm. “Let’s go find this person and get to torturin’!”
“No." I put my hand over his. "This is a human matter. We do it the human way.”
“Whaa… the human way!?”
“…All right, then.” Lucifer nodded. “Agreed. We’ll do it your way. So what do we do first, Chise?”
“Let’s go round up our suspects.”
The four of us walked down the hall towards the lounge.
“Satan and Mammon, you go get Noah,” Lucifer commanded. “I’ll get the two siblings and bring them here.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Satan and Mammon took off, with Lucifer heading in the opposite direction.
"…You there. Chise, was it? I have to say, I’m surprised. I never expected Lucifer of all demons to listen to a human, but that’s what he just did. He clearly trusts you, doesn’t he?"
“Not as far as he could throw me.”
Grisella laughed. "You underestimate the throwing power of demons, child."
I smiled. “I suppose that’s true.”
A breeze blew down the hall, like a breathy sigh, flowing over me like silk. "…But know that nothings lasts forever. Some time in the near future, he will lose every last ounce of trust he puts in you now. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I’m simply telling you the future that I see for you."
I nodded. Perhaps I will be successful in freeing Belphie after all. “I think I already knew that was going to happen.”
"Do be careful."
“Thank you.”
Lucas: “Hey, is what I heard true?! You know who killed her!?”
Noah: “What, so now you fancy yourself an amateur detective, do you? Well, pardon me if I’m not interested in playing along with this little game of yours.”
Lucas: “You know, maybe we should let Scotland Yard sort this out when we get to the next station.”
Sophia: “And wait around here on the train with a killer on the loose? I don’t think so!”
“So,” Lucifer muttered to me. “Time for you to show us this human way you spoke of.”
“Hey, whoa, Chise, are ya sure this is a good idea?”
"'Only one version of events is ever true!’" Satan paused, looking at me with a strange hesitation. “…Isn’t that right, Chise?"
“I loved the books too, Satan.”
“Yes… well.” He cleared his throat.
Everyone was looking at me, expectantly.
“It was Noah,” I said, simply. Satan’s lips parted slightly as he looked at me. The humans in front of us gasped.
Noah: “You think I killed her!? Are you insane?! I respected and admired Grisella! So much so that I wanted to become her apprentice! Do you have some sort of proof to back up this accusation of yours?!”
“Ugh, I can’t take it anymore, Chise! I can’t just sit here and watch!”
“You have the floor, Satan,” I acquiesced. I knew he had figured it out too.
He stood up, crossing his arms in front of him. “Allow me to take over from here. Yes, Noah… you are the killer! You and you alone!”
Noah: “Wh-Where’s your proof?!”
“The handle of the knife that was found in Grisella’s back was pointed slightly downward, correct?”
Lucas: “Yeah, that’s right.”
“And at the time of the incident, both Sophia and Lucas were standing up, as they had gotten up out of their seats.”
Lucas: “Yeah, I mean, that was my natural reaction…”
Sophia: “Right, mine too. I was so frightened and upset that I jumped to my feet…”
”Only one version of events is ever true!”
“Simmer down, Satan.” I whispered quietly.
“You really are lovin’ this, aren’t ya?” Mammon grumbled.
“The killer is the one person who didn’t stand up: Noah!”
Noah: “Wh…!”
“He threw that knife up at Grisella from a seated position… That’s why the knife was lodged in her back at a downward angle. Sophia and Lucas were standing at the time Grisella was stabbed. So if they had done it, the knife would have been either perpendicular to her back, or pointed upward… In other words, Noah is the only one who could have thrusted that knife, since he was the only one seated at the time!”
Noah: “AAAAAAH…!”
“Well, Noah?” Lucifer cocked his head. “What do you have to say to that.”
Noah: “…It’s true… I did it. I killed Grisella…”
A breath of air passed through me, touching my soul. Grisella was watching.
Noah: “I really did admire her… Genuinely! She had true power. Time and time again I asked her to allow me to become her apprentice! But she… she refused to accept me. Because she didn’t have faith in me…!”
“So you hated her ‘cause of that? Pff, just like a human.”
Noah: “I even told her I’d give up everything I owned if she’d take me on as her apprentice…”
Lucas: “I don’t believe it…”
Sophia: “What were you thinking!?”
Noah: “But she never did accept me, and so my life had no meaning anymore…”
“Only one version of events is ever true,” I said, smiling. I was rewarded with a doe-eyed glance from Satan.
Got ‘em.
Back in our cabin, Grisella’s presence washed over my skin, prickling me.
"…Come to think of it, Noah did tell me once that he used to be a knife-thrower in a circus act. I knew that the time of my death was approaching… That’s why I wasn’t interested in taking on an apprentice. And yet, that’s precisely what led to my death… Ugh, the irony. I trusted Noah, but I couldn’t do or say anything that would let him know that. He was responsible, dedicated, and serious, but my failure to acknowledge that drove him to the point of killing me…"
Lucifer looked down at his lap.
“Yeah, but he was also a real pain in the ass. If you ask me, you made the right choice by not takin’ him on.”
“Regardless,” Lucifer sighed, “it’s too late to change things now.”
"Yes, it is. For me, at least."
“Grisella, you’ve gotten what you wanted.”
"Yes, and I’ll keep my promise to you. But first… Satan. There’s something I’d like to ask you. I gave that forbidden book to you as a present. Do you remember why?"
Satan stood, quietly, not answering.
"I knew that book would be a catalyst for change in your relationship with Lucifer. Though that’s not what you wanted back then."
“No. Which is exactly why I made sure to stay away from it. And yet, for all my effort…” He glanced at me.
Grisella laughed. "Well, you can’t change fate. All you can do is accept it, even if you are a demon. You must endeavour to make the best of the hand fate deals you, no matter what it may be. Always remember that."
I felt that in my soul, too. I wish I had known Grisella when she was alive.
"I have one last thing… Something I must say in front of all of you."
We all lifted our heads.
"Sweet human girl. Chise. That you trust so easy marks you as one with a true and gentle heart… I am sorry that you have had that part of you broken. Do not lose your faith in the good. The world, and all the realms in it, would be made all the worse if you did. Goodbye, gentle girl. And good luck."
Satan looked down at the ground in shame.
“Thank you, Grisella,” I whispered. “Goodbye."
A soft light illuminated the room, caressing us.
Satan and Lucifer gasped.
Mammon looked around as the light faded. “Wait a minute… What happened?!”
“Well, it’s about time!” Lucifer looked down at his body. His true body.
“Yes… We’re ourselves again,” Satan sighed in relief.
“You HAD to get me caught up in this problem of yours, huh? I went through hell for you guys, you know… I’m not gonna be happy until I get a reward for everything I’ve done. A SERIOUS reward, considerin’ how much of my precious time and brainpower I had to put into this. Hmm… Let’s see… I’m not gonna say you have to give me cash, but if you gave me somethin’ I could make money off of, I suppose that’d work–"
“Satan, I want to give you tomorrow’s speech.”
Satan and I looked over at Lucifer, shocked.
“M-Me...? But that speech is supposed to be given–"
“Yes, by the chosen representative of the student council officers. I know I can trust you to fulfill that role.”
“Uh, hello? What about my reward…?”
“Are you going to refuse, Satan?”
“Refuse?" His astonishment melted into a smirk. "You must be kidding. By the time I’m done, Lord Diavolo won’t be able to stop gushing about what an amazing speech I gave… And how it was even better than anything you could have done.”
Lucifer cracked a rare smile. “Pff… Well, you’re certainly setting the bar high. I look forward to seeing you deliver on that.”
“HEEEEEEEEY! Someone listen to me, dammit!”
I sighed in relief. Looks like I’ll finally be getting my room back.
Chapter 17: Chapter 12: Losing Trust
Notes:
I truly did not intend for this chapter to get as violent as it did. Please take care before proceeding. This chapter is violent, with detailed descriptions of injuries and blood. There is also an in-canon mention of suicide.
Chapter Text
“All right, does everyone have a glass now?” Lucifer raised his in a toast.
“YOU KNOW IT! LET’S DO THIS!”
Beel munched away at his plate, not bothering with a glass.
“…Beel’s already started eating.” Asmo pouted. “Shouldn’t we stop him?”
Diavolo boomed in laughter. “Well, that’s all right. Why don’t we go ahead and have our toast.”
Satan nodded, smiling softly, and it looked right. His mannerisms finally matched his face again. “All right, then. Here’s to lifting the curse that had Lucifer and me in each other’s bodies!”
Lucifer clicked his glass against Satan’s. “And congratulations to Satan on delivering a fantastic speech to the entire student body.”
I clinked my glass against all of theirs, one by one, the wine in my glass swirling. Ah, wine… Lucifer had allowed me to pick up a few bottles from the human world. I’ll savour them.
“Cheers!” Diavolo grinned.
“All riiiiiight! Here comes the fun part!” Mammon cheered.
Beel lifted his hand to catch the attention of our waiter. “Ah, excuse me, I’d like to add to our order… For starters, I’ll have everything on your menu from this page to… this page here, thanks.”
Asmo leaned forward with a sigh, addressing us all. “You guys realize that he’s planning on devouring the restaurant’s entire stock of food, right? Shouldn’t we maybe stop him?”
“Ah, what’s the harm?” Mammon leaned back, stretching his arms over his head. “After all, Lord Diavolo’s the one who’s payin’ tonight!”
Lucifer looked around at the table. “You know… I just noticed that Levi isn’t here.”
Satan shrugged. “Apparently, a new game showed up for him today, so he’s going to stay holed up inside his room for a while. Ugh, unbelievable… Diavolo himself personally invited him to this celebration, and he’s not even going to show up?”
“Maybe you should have gone over there and dragged him back here with you, Lucifer, to avoid bringing shame to Lord Diavolo.” Lucifer said… To Satan’s body… As if…
“If you hope to serve as my representative from now on, then errands like that are as much your responsibility as mine, Satan.” Satan said…. To Lucifer’s body… As if…
I looked back and forth between the two of them wildly. Even Beel looked up from his plate with an “Mmph…?”
“…Huh? Wha!? What’s goin’ on?!”
“For fuck’s sake…” I hissed under my breath. I had just gotten them moved out of my room.
“Wait… It can’t be!” Asmo threw his hands in the air. “Did you switch bodies again?!”
“You ain’t gonna tell us that the curse didn’t really go away, and you’ve been in each other’s bodies the whole time, are ya?!”
Satan’s body touched his chest. “…I’m afraid that appears to be the case, yes. Satan, what do you think happened, exactly?”
Lucifer’s body crossed his arms. “Beats me… Why don’t you try asking Lord Diavolo for his exalted opinion? That’s what you always do anyway, Lucifer."
“Who is who here?!” Asmo cried out into to the ceiling.
“I’m puttin’ my money on them having lifted the curse, but then after the speech, they touched the forbidden book and switched places again!”
“Well, I’m going with them only pretending that the curse was lifted, but in truth it never was. That’s my bet.” Beel smiled, so innocent, so optimistic, so wrong.
“Nah,” I broke in, confident, swirling my wine glass.
They all turned to me, eyebrows raised, a question on their faces.
“Satan touched his chest like Satan. Lucifer crossed his arms like Lucifer. They’re yanking your chains.”
Lucifer and Satan stared at me.
And then they both broke out into heavy fits of laughter together, near-wheezing in their delight at their prank, and for having been found out by the only human sitting at the table.
I grinned back at them. Diavolo boomed more laughter again, and Asmo joined in with his giggles. Mammon just looked confused. Beel nodded, satisfied that it had been sorted, and continued eating.
-
Conversation breaking out all around us, I happened to have been sat near Lucifer and Diavolo, and I listened in on them while I sipped at my wine. It was going straight to my head. It’d been a while since I had indulged in alcohol.
Diavolo was laughing at Lucifer’s re-telling of our ordeal.
“It really wasn’t all that funny, you know…”
“Still,” Barbatos interjected smoothly, “after switching bodies with Satan, you went on a grand adventure inside a video game. Then, on top of that, you took a vacation up to the human world as well. Impressive. It sounds as thought you had 500 years’ worth of excitement packed into a very short period.”
Lucifer shook his head, exasperated. “Just so we’re clear: it wasn’t an adventure at all, nor a vacation, nor was it exciting.”
“I’m so jealous, Lucifer…” Diavolo nearly whined. Sometimes he reminded me of some of the less... mature brothers. “It really isn’t fair that you got to have so much fun. I wish I could’ve gone along, too. A vacation up in the human world sounds wonderful…”
“As I just said, it most certainly was not a vacation.”
“But I notice that you didn’t deny having fun though, did you?” Barbatos gave him one of his rare smiles, never showing any teeth with them, but it lifted the corners of his eyes, softening them handsomely. He was teasing him, I realized. I hadn’t seen much of a personality shine through from Barbatos; he was so careful to remain so correct and professional in his duties as steward. This version of him was... attractive.
Lucifer actually blushed. “Now hold on, that’s not what I–"
“Ugh, you’re so luckyyyy. You have no idea how much I envy you!” Diavolo sighed.
“Indeed, yes.” Barbatos nodded. For him, it was even almost enthusiastic. “I would have loved to have been able to accompany you as well.”
Lucifer groaned. “Listen, you two aren’t hearing anything I’m saying.”
“So, Lucifer, what did you bring back for us, hm?” Diavolo asked, puppy-ish.
“Excuse me?”
He pointed to Lucifer’s phone. “That decorative keychain strap you have attached to your D.D.D. there. I take it you bought that while you were up in the human world?”
I hadn’t realized… that Lucifer was using that. I wondered at it.
“No doubt he must have, yes." Barbatos nodded. "That’s a Harrison Porter chocolate lizard keychain, I’m sure of it. They can only be bought from a shop in London Victoria station, and there are limited quantities.”
I hadn’t known that. I stroked at mine, hanging out of my pocket.
“You sure know an awful lot about it,” Lucifer grumbled.
“Yes, and if I remember correctly, I believe I saw Satan, Mammon, and Chise all with that same keychain…” Barbatos smiled again, meaningfully.
Damn, Barbatos didn’t miss anything.
Diavolo gasped. “You mean you bought matching souvenirs!?”
“Yes, it would seem so.” Barbatos creased his eyebrows in an upwards slant, mocking a look of disappointment and sadness. “And yet, it would appear that he didn’t bring back anything for us…”
Barbatos also had a sense of humour. Damn. He was different when he was with the two of them. It was fascinating to watch.
It was… engaging, to watch.
...I needed to put down the wine.
“No… nothing at all…” Diavolo pouted, though I wasn’t convinced that he was mocking like Barbatos was. He seemed genuinely put-out. What a puppy.
“Ugh, stop it, both of you…”
“You know, maybe the two of us should go ahead and pay a visit to the human world as well?” Diavolo looked at Lucifer with eager hope in his eyes. And… fondness.
And… love.
“We could go for ourselves and get matching souvenirs together, too.”
I recalled their embrace. And their… passion. Behind closed doors.
And yet, even after witnessing both things, I hadn’t really considered them to be a couple. I wondered at their secrecy. They were so careful when in public, even if the subtext was there for anyone really looking for it. The Demonus liquor must really be getting to their heads for them to be dropping their guard at the table, but it didn’t look like anyone else was eavesdropping.
“Perhaps we could visit the witch Artemisia on our visit when we go. It has been quite some time since we have seen her.”
“Artemisia? No thank you. I owe her more than a few favours after what happened with Mammon…”
Both Barbatos and Diavolo raised eyebrows in amusement. “Favours? What sort of favours?”
“All sorts… Don’t ask me to elaborate further.”
Barbatos chuckled. His laugh was always deep in his chest, and low. Sometimes so low that you couldn’t catch it. “I take it that whatever happened involved money.”
“Speaking of Mammon,” Diavolo leaned forward, “I’ve noticed that he’s been staying glued to Chise’s side, hasn’t he? Particularly after their lovely dance at the Castle retreat…”
Barbatos touched his chin with his gloved fingers. It reminded me of Satan. “I must say, it’s strange to see him showing such attachment toward someone for a reason that doesn’t involve money, isn’t it?”
“…It certainly is, yes.”
I smiled against my wine glass, cheeks flushing beyond what the wine had already coloured them with.
A demon’s nature doesn’t change so easily, Lucifer had said.
Not easily, maybe, but it seemed that it wasn't impossible, either. I mean, he was still greedy. But greed was selfishness. And he was not selfish when it came to me. My heart was so warm. And it wasn’t just the warmth of the wine, either. I was so warm for Mammon.
“Even so, I’m surprised that you’d take Chise up to the human world. That really was a bold move, Lucifer. How did it go? Did Chise express wanting to go back home?”
“Hmm… I see the same concerns ran through your head as mine.”
I blinked. Taken aback. Because.
I hadn’t really thought about it at all…
Why hadn’t I thought about it at all?
“The same concerns ran through your head? I take it that to mean you’ve grown fond of the human as well, then, Lucifer?” Barbatos teased.
“…Well. Changing the subject. It appears that… your dream seems to be realizing, Diavolo. My brothers are starting to see humans in a new light now, and it’s due to Chise’s influence.”
“Only your brothers?” Diavolo raised his eyebrows at him.
“…And me as well. I trust Chise now.”
I almost choked on my wine.
I never expected Lucifer of all demons to listen to a human, but that’s what he just did. He clearly trusts you, doesn’t he?
Grisella’s soul had whispered against my own.
I looked at my plate before me, setting my wine glass down. I felt… weird.
Lucifer sighed. “If you’ll excuse me, it seems that Asmo and Mammon have found the karaoke machine. I need to supervise. Who knows what trouble those two will get into over there.” He got up and headed in their direction.
I turned my head to Beel, pretending to be interacting with him. He looked over at my face happily, waving a fork piled with food. I smiled at him too. But I kept listening. Diavolo and Barbatos… were still talking, in hushed voices.
“Are you worried about Lucifer, My Lord?”
“Indeed. It… concerns me a great deal. I just hope he does not get hurt too badly."
“I suspect that what’s about to happen will wound him deeply.”
Diavolo sighed. “From the way, you’re talking, I take it that all of this is certain to occur now. Well, when it does, I’ll be there at Lucifer’s side to support him in whatever way I can. And I imagine… Chise will be too, right, Barbatos?”
“If that is what you wish, My Lord. I will see to it that everything is just as you requested.”
…But know that nothings lasts forever. Some time in the near future, he will lose every last ounce of trust he puts in you now.
Well, you can’t change fate. All you can do is accept it, even if you are a demon. You must endeavour to make the best of the hand fate deals you, no matter what it may be. Always remember that.
Why… had the rest of Grisella’s words… come to me now?
-
Diavolo sat back with a smile as our plates started to finally clear. Aside from Beel’s. The others were mingling about the room, with Asmo and Mammon taking turns at the karaoke machine. We were alone at the table. Well, aside from Beel, but he was pre-occupied.
“You know, I’ve never seen Lucifer look so relaxed. We have you to thank for this, Chise. Among other things. Lucifer told me that you’ve been a big help these last few days. Clearly we made the right choice selecting you to come to the Devildom as our exchange student.”
I felt like this might be my only chance. Instead of sneaking around, I could ask directly. “How did you end up choosing me?”
“To be honest, I wasn’t actually the one who chose you.” He smiled at me. “There was a huge stack of papers listing countless candidates for the program, and out of all of them, Lucifer picked you. I simply gave my approval, that’s all.”
“What…? Lucifer picked me…?”
Diavolo laughed at my expression, but then turned a bit more serious, almost wistful.
“You see, Chise, I believe that all of us have a mission in life. Mine is to bring progress and stability to the Devildom, the Celestial Realm, and the human world. Something happened once, something that made me firmly believe that. It’s possible that your mission in life is to influence Lucifer and his brothers in some way. Whatever influence you do end up having, I hope it turns out to be beneficial to them.”
…You can’t change fate. All you can do is accept it…
“So, you’ll never believe what Levi did next… wh…. HEY! Beel! I seen you eatin’ as you walk! What is that, anyway?”
We were on our way back to our dorm. Back to the House of Lamentation. Home.
“Food from the restaurant we were just at. I brought some plastic containers so I could secretly sneak some out with me.”
“Ooooh, that was smart, Beel. Did you happen to sneak out a little dessert?” I inquired hopefully.
“Yeah, Chise! Here. I know you like mousse cups.”
No spoon. I happily dipped my finger in, licking it off.
“Um, sorry… But there’s nothing secret about a quantity of food that enormous.” Asmo rolled his eyes. “It’s super conspicuous.”
“Well, he did order so much food that the person working at the restaurant was cryin’ when we walked out… Yo, Lucifer, what’s the big idea, huh!? Pick up the pace, or we’re gonna leave you behind! You too, Chise! You’re laggin’ with that mousse cup!”
“Don’t yell, Mammon. Just go on ahead… we’ll catch up with you.”
Satan glanced at me, a question in his eyes. He had healed my bruised wrist, after all. Hesitantly, I waved him ahead, feeling peculiar over his own protectiveness after all the bad that had transpired between us before. But I felt a well of anxiety build in me as I watched the rest of the brothers shrug and pick up their pace, leaving us behind.
Lucifer sighed. “Why does he always have to be so loud, anyway?”
“Heart is too big,” I said, with a mouth full of mousse.
“What…?
“Heart too big.” I didn’t elaborate further. I didn’t feel like arguing over Mammon.
“…Anyway. What were you and Diavolo talking about back at the restaurant?”
“I asked him how I was chosen for the exchange student program,” I answered honestly. I mean, it’s a tame subject. Of course I’d be curious.
“I see… I’m sure he told you that I had been the one to select you.”
I nodded, stuffing my finger back into my mouth, manners cast aside.
He watched me, raising an eyebrow. “There wasn’t actually any particularly deep or meaningful reason for your selection. I was fed up with going through the lists of candidates… a huge stack of them. And that’s when a breeze suddenly blew in through the window, scattering the lists into the air. One of them just happened to fall at my feet – the list with your name on it. That’s all there was to it.”
I frowned. “That’s… it?”
I had snuck into Diavolo’s room and listened to their fucking above me for that?
“Are you disappointed to hear that it wasn’t because you’re special?”
I shrugged. “I knew I just had to be an ordinary human. It makes the most sense.”
“Really? Because the look on your face says you’re not at all happy right now.” He checked his D.D.D. “Ugh, Levi… Anyway, before I forget, there’s one thing I’d like you to know as long as we’re on the subject. Though you weren’t selected to come to the Devildom due to any special abilities on your part… You are… Have become… special. To… my family. To my brothers.”
I glanced over at the chocolate lizard keychain that was attached to his D.D.D. I didn’t say anything. I then glanced at my wrist, before remembering that it had been healed.
“Anyway.” He cleared his throat. “Levi won’t let up on calling me. I’d better see what this is all about.” He sighed. “Please don’t let this be another emergency…”
“…Levi? It’s Lucifer. Is something wrong?”
“…Levi? Are you there?”
“Did you find Levi?” Lucifer looked around at Levi’s room, looking for clues.
“No.” Satan shook his head. “He wasn’t anywhere Chise or I looked, at least. Are you certain it was Levi that called you earlier?”
“Yes, it was definitely him. The call was from his D.D.D, and I heard him scream just before we got cut off. It was his voice, I’m sure of it.”
My heart was thumping in my chest with worry. Levi…
“And his D.D.D. was just lying here on the ground, with Levi nowhere to be seen? He’s never without that thing.”
Mammon strolled into the room to join us, with Asmo in tow. “Hey, we took a look around the house… No Levi anywhere.”
“I take it he hasn’t come back here to his room yet?” Asmo looked around.
“He probably decided to go out somewhere,” Lucifer said doubtfully. “Seems plausible.”
“Yeah, I bet he went out to some store to wait in line all night for whatever game or DVD is coming out tomorrow. That’s gotta be it, right?”
“Ooooh.” Asmo nodded. “He would do something like that!"
“But… without his D.D.D…?” I whispered. “And you said he screamed before the call ended…”
“Eh, he probably just forgot about it.”
“He screamed, Mammon.” I was getting testy.
“Has anyone seen Beel? He was supposed to report back to us as well.” Lucifer strode to the door leading out into the hall, peering around the corner.
-
“Ugh, I’ve had just about enough of this!” Asmo threw his hands in the air. We had walked the exterior grounds of the House, completing a full circuit, to see if we could find any clues to their whereabouts. “In case you weren’t aware, staying up late is the bane of healthy skin!”
It was hard to tell the time with the whole eternal night thing, but I was getting tired too. But I wasn’t about to go to bed without finding Levi, even if it took all night. I kinda trusted that Beel could take care of himself, but Levi screaming, and leaving his D.D.D. behind… And he didn’t get out a lot. He wasn’t very street smart.
He was gentle. And didn’t have nearly the same physical strength as Beel did, if he had found himself in a bad situation.
But… It was weird that both of them had disappeared. So, thinking about it, worry settled in my chest for Beel as well.
“Fine, you go sleep.” Satan was as tired of Asmo’s whining as I was. “The rest of us will stay up looking for Levi and Beel.”
“Ugh, noooo… I didn’t say that I wouldn’t keep looking for them.”
“Then stop your whinging,” I scolded. I was grumpy again. Asmo only pouted, looking hurt. He wasn’t as quick around me anymore to be provoked into going on about how great and beautiful he was when I criticized him. He was still unsure with me. As I was with him. We stood on weird ground with each other, despite our pact.
“I don’t know where Levi is,” Lucifer looked around thoughtfully, “but surely Beel still has to be somewhere inside the house. We’ll split up and search for him again. Satan and Chise, you’re with me.”
I sighed. I strongly felt that I had spent a lifetime’s worth of time with those two already.
“Hey, whoa! What’s up with that?!” Mammon whined beside me. “If we’re splittin’ up, then it should be Lucifer, Satan, and Asmo in one group, and me and Chise in the other!”
“Ugh, who cares, Mammon?!” Asmo grabbed his sleeve. “Come on, moron, let’s go.”
“I care…” Mammon sniffed, sulking as he was dragged away.
Seemed like Lucifer took any opportunity he could get to separate Mammon and I when he could reasonably get away with it.
Satan looked over at me, fingers on his chin. “We should get moving too, Chise. Something’s not right here.”
“Finally,” I sighed. “Someone actually taking this as seriously as I am.”
He seemed to blush at my words.
-
We walked through the halls of the House of Lamentation, glum.
“Well, Lucifer,” Satan sighed. “What’s going through your head?”
“I was thinking… about the stories they used to tell about the House of Lamentation.”
“What a coincidence… So was I.”
I looked between the two. “Would you care to explain to the outsider human?”
Satan cracked a small smile before smothering it with seriousness again.
“I have to say, they’re pretty interesting,” Lucifer explained to me. “If you’re curious to hear about them, I’m happy to oblige.”
“As long as we keep looking for Levi as you do.”
He nodded. We kept walking, poking into rooms.
“It was a long time ago, back before this place was even called the House of Lamentation. The house was built on the outskirts of a village in the human world.”
I quirked an eyebrow. So what was it doing here in the Devildom? Questions come after a story, so I let him continue, uninterrupted.
“At the time, a married couple and their seven children lived here, along with one servant. At first glance, they appeared to be a happy, well-off family that enjoyed living out in the country. However, one day everything changed… The oldest son came running into the village constable’s office looking very pale. Then he delivered a horrifying piece of news: ‘Our servant… He murdered everyone in my family and then took his own life!’ So, the constable’s men went back to the house with him. Once inside, they were greeted by a ghastly sight. Every person in the family had been murdered, each in a different way and different location. And the servant, well… He was found in his room, hanging from a rope around his neck. The constable concluded that, for whatever reason, the servant must have plotted to kill his masters and then take his own life…”
“How convenient then…” I observed, “That a single son was spared.”
“Indeed. Sometime later, several facts came to light that gave rise to new doubts. First, the only person who wasn’t killed – the oldest son – had been on extremely bad terms with his siblings. And he had purchased a gun just like the one used in the murders shortly before they occurred. Also, the postman witnessed the servant and the oldest son arguing prior to the killings, which led people to think that maybe the oldest son was the true killer. Perhaps the servant had tried to stop him, but ended up being killed as well in the process, being strung up by his neck by the eldest son to make it look like he committed suicide.”
“What happened to the oldest son in the end? Did they indict him?”
“No, there was no hard evidence to do so. He lived in the house by himself, until he eventually died of old age. But even after he died, unsettling rumours about the house continued to swirl. It was supposed to be vacant, and yet people claimed to have seen several figures moving about inside at night. They said they could hear the voices of people arguing, and screaming. At some point, the house was given a name. The House of Lamentation.”
“So, a ghost story then,” I sighed. “Well, that last part sounds a bit ridiculous. I don’t believe in ghosts, anyway.”
“Grisella’s soul literally talked to you on the train.”
“A-Ah. Right.” Feeling dumb, I hadn’t even really considered Grisella to be a ‘ghost’. She just seemed like a person to me. Suddenly my confidence deflated.
We reached the foyer again, all of us heaving a defeated sigh.
We stood in silence, not really sure what to do next. We had looked everywhere. Multiple times over. The only place left was the downstairs crypt and… Belphie’s tower. The crypt, maybe. But no. Not Belphie’s tower. Demons can’t climb the stairs.
“Lucifer…” Satan broke the silence. Lucifer raised a brow at him. “May I take Chise aside for a moment? I have something important that I’d like to discuss, in private.”
I looked up at Satan, surprise plain in my face. Lucifer, likewise, seemed taken aback by the request. He glanced at me.
“If it’s all right with you, Lucifer…” I murmured. “I’d like to hear what he has to say.”
Lucifer sighed in resignation. “All right… I will look in the kitchen again. I’ll wait for you there.”
The two of us turned back around to go back upstairs, presumably to Satan’s room to talk.
“And Lucifer…” Satan called out over his shoulder. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not doing this out of some desire to make you angry. It’s not about that.”
“I know.”
-
We entered Satan’s room, with me hesitantly stepping into it behind him. It was an even bigger mess than it had been when I had first seen it. He hadn’t had the chance to really re-organize it. Books were all over the floor. I glanced at the bookcase to the right, remembering...
Satan turned his attention to me. He looked incredibly nervous. “I know this isn’t the best time for me to ask this, but… Chise, would you agree to a pact with me?”
“Wh…Wh-What? Now?”
He let out a short, small laugh. “Are you surprised?”
“You really choose… the worst times, Satan.”
His eyes twinkled at me. Familiar. He only smiled at my words.
I remembered his breath on my skin, on my wrist, as he chanted his healing spell. I blushed, despite myself.
“Chise… A lot has happened these last few days, and… I’ve made my decision. I decided that I won’t let who Lucifer is and what he does bother me anymore. You heard what Grisella said: you have to accept the hand fate deals you no matter what. What matters is how you handle it.” He hesitated. “And then what you said… In the baggage car…”
You are NOTHING like him.
“I can’t go back and change the circumstances of my birth… And I can’t go back… to undo what I did to you, either. But, how I choose to live my own life has nothing to do with Lucifer.” He gave a soft laugh again. “It’s funny, when I say it like that, it all sounds so simple. And the entire reason I was able to face my issues is because of you, Chise. You’re the one who helped me to be honest with Lucifer… And with myself, as well. You want to make a pact with me, don’t you?” He smiled. "Well, it just so happens that I don’t like owing people favours. So if this ends up helping you like you helped me, then I’d like to make a pact with you. Okay?”
“…Okay." I nodded to him. "Thank you, Satan.”
He sighed out his relief. He was really… nervous about my refusal. What would he have done if I had rejected him again? Perhaps he wouldn’t have really blame me this time.
He took my hand.
“Chise… I don’t want to hurt you again… but… Making this pact, touching the soul of wrath, it might... It might hurt you. At first.” He looked doubtful again.
I remembered the spark from Mammon, the storm from Levi, the warmth from Beel, the breeze from Asmo. I nodded.
“I only hope… that I become truly worth of you,” he whispered.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “…I am Satan, Avatar of Wrath. I pledge myself to you, Chise… That we may be bound by an unbreakable pact. This I swear to you on both my name, as well as the very blood that runs through my veins…”
At the end of his words, I screamed and fell to my knees, only feeling burning, burning, burning, burning, my body on fire, skin crackling, splitting, fat and flesh bubbling, flames licking up my arms, up my neck, my hair smouldering, alight, afire. I writhed as Satan gripped my arm tightly, refusing to let go, unrelenting, as I fought and fought and fought to turn from the inferno, to deny it, to deny him. Hot, hot, hot, hot, burning, burning burning–
Then Satan pressed his lips to mine, sweeping me up in his arms, and the fire quenched. I whimpered against his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Give me a chance, give me a chance, give me another chance, his heart begged me. The water poured and poured over the smouldering coals, the hiss of smoke as the fire fought back against the unrelenting tide, pouring, pouring, pouring, taming, subdued, finally extinguished. Tears pricked my eyes as I was enveloped by fear and regret and… nn aching sadness. An aching loneliness. An aching emptiness. Everything was black. And alone. Cold and alone. Separated. Lost.
I opened my eyes as he drew away from the kiss. Satan stared back into mine, empty, carefully empty, masked, emotionless, waiting. His beautiful green eyes, swirling, glittering, bore into mine. Searching. Searching for my fear. Fear of him. Searching. For my denial of his nature. For my rejection. My rejection of the pact.
I didn’t hesitate. I threw my arms around his neck, embracing him, my heart swelling with our pact as I immediately accepted all of him. A pained sound escaped from his throat.
He slowly brought his arms around me a little more tightly, holding me as if I would break against him, as if I would rescind at any moment; he accepted me back, accepting me as his Master of Flames. All that he was good for.
I would be so much more, I promised. For this suffering, aching, deeply conflicted man, at a terrible war with himself. So much more. You are so much more. I promise, Satan. We will be so much more. My heart sung to his. I felt him reaching for it.
He slowly released me from his embrace.
It was done.
“I will never, EVER hurt you again,” he whispered. He cupped my face in both his hands, staring into my eyes, pleading.
“I believe you,” I whispered back.
He kissed me again.
“D’AAAAAAAH!”
“EEEEEEEEEK!”
Lucifer whipped around to look behind us. “What was that?”
Satan and I had finally joined him again, meeting back up at the kitchen like we had agreed. Warmth still buzzed inside of me from our pact. And, well, our kiss.
“Sounded like Mammon and Asmo to me.” Satan looked around too.
“Those screams came from the portrait room.” Lucifer started back down the hall. “Come on, let’s go.”
I ran ahead of them, towards the sound of the screams, towards Mammon, down the stairs into the foyer, taking the hall on the other side.
“Chise…!” Satan called after me in exasperation, running a bit faster to catch up. “Slow down! It might not be safe!”
I skidded into the room, looking around in panic. It was basically at the bottom of one of the staircases that led back up to the second floor, the walls covered in oil paintings, mostly portraits.
No one was there.
“Could it be another room? One nearby?” I turned to the other two who followed me in.
Lucifer shook his head. “I am sure that it came from here. …Let’s head upstairs." He shot me a look. "I’ll take the lead.”
“Chise, you follow behind Lucifer. I’ll bring up the rear.”
I sighed my impatience, but I obeyed. Apparently we were being protective now.
On our way up, Satan looked around the stairwell, concerned. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Indeed,” Lucifer said softly.
“First Levi, then Beel, and now Mammon and Asmo have vanished, too. Could they be hiding somewhere…?”
“They wouldn’t do that to me.” Not my boys. Not Mammon.
Satan glanced at me. I didn’t know what I saw there. I looked back, puzzled.
We kept going up the stairs, quiet.
Lucifer suddenly stopped, and turned around to look behind us. “Satan…?”
I turned around to look too. Satan was gone.
“He was right behind you, wasn’t he, Chise? He just vanished… Everyone is gone except for you and me. What is going on here?"
I made a noise in my throat. All my boys were gone. I felt vulnerable. And very afraid for them.
He looked down at me and the panic in my eyes. “We should stick together. Here.”
He held out his hand. Without even thinking about it, I took it.
“In spite of all the terrible things that are said to have happened in this house, I’ve never once seen a ghost in all my time living here. I’ve never experienced anything like this up until now. Which means that it’s very unlikely that whatever is happening is being caused by the house itself.”
“I agree,” I said quietly, following him back up the stairs.
“So Levi was the first to disappear… And it was like his D.D.D. just dropped on the spot from his hands after he screamed. Let’s go back to Levi’s room, Chise.”
I followed him wordlessly down the hall, clutching his hand tight.
-
We stepped back into Levi’s room, Henry wriggling at the bottom of his tank.
“Well, it doesn’t look like Levi’s back. You’ve come to know him… well, Chise, haven’t you. You’ve spent some amount of time in here. Is there anything around us that you find interesting? Out of place?”
I suddenly had an idea. “What had Satan said about Levi’s excuse for missing dinner? He said that he had stayed home to play a new game…” I pulled Lucifer towards his monitor. The PC was running, still on. "Levi doesn’t usually keep his computer running like that when he’s not using it.”
“Perhaps he didn’t have time to turn it off because whatever happened to him was very sudden.”
I clicked on the mouse, and the screensaver faded away.
“There’s a game still running here.” I looked around the desk. “This must be the one he just got from Akuzon. We should find the case for it.”
Lucifer picked up a case that lay nearby. "The Demon House…” he murmured. “Definitely sounds like a horror game. ‘A cursed home with an ominous past. It is said that an entire family was once murdered inside these walls. Now suddenly, one by one, the people you live with are starting to disappear… Can you handle the fear?’"
“Leviiiiiiiiii,” I groaned.
“How foolish. That described the exact situation we’re in right now,” said Lucifer, not getting it yet. Not really much of a gamer. At all.
“He’s been buying some really strange games lately. Like that dating sim we got stuck in that pulled us into an entirely fictional environment. That technology, or whatever it was, blew my mind. I don’t know what else games in the Devildom are even capable of.”
“Ah, I see. So it’s possible that somehow, this game is creating the scenario we’re finding ourselves in now. Ugh. We managed to get out of one game world, and now here we are, in another one.” He looked up from the game case. “Well, you appear to know a bit more about this… gaming. What do you think we should do?”
“I guess there’s only one thing you can do in a game. We need to win it.”
He sighed. “I was afraid that you would say that. Another one… It seems like that’s our only option at this point. I suppose we should go ahead and try to complete it to see what happens.”
“Dammit, Levi,” I muttered. “I don’t even know how this game is played.” I pulled out my D.D.D. to try and find a guide to at least get us started. Lucifer looked over my shoulder.
”The Demon House Super Simple Wiki: Winning Strategies for Even the Most Inept,” he read off of my phone.
“Sounds like that one will be perfect for us.”
He gave out a short laugh in amusement. “Well, it says here that in order to complete the game, you must defeat the demon that serves as the final boss. And it says the boss’ name is Lucifer… How ridiculous. They must think they’re very funny naming him that. So, I guess that means I’m the boss, and you’re the player character. The rest of my brothers have vanished, leaving only you. Which means you must be the main character.”
I groaned. “Leeeeviiiiiiiii. I’m going to kiiiiiilll youuuuuu.”
“Well. If you can defeat me, you’ll win the game.”
“What does that even meeeeeeannn.”
“Come now. You’re starting to sound like Mammon when he whines. Let’s see… There’s a page here on how to get the true ending to the game. ’A Super Simple Guide to Achieving the True Ending.’ There are a number of conditions that must be satisfied,” he read off. “But if you can manage to do it, you’ll be treated to a romantic ending... where you and Lucifer actually fall in love.”
“Uh.”
“...Oh come on.”
”I’m going to kill him. With my bare fucking hands," I whispered.
-
We sat down in the library on the opposite sides of the coffee table, both of us heaving sighs.
“So, this is what it comes down to, then…” Lucifer leaned back in his chair with his hands on his knees. “If we hope to get everyone who disappeared back, we have to finish this ridiculous game. And to do that, you have to defeat me, since I’m the final boss.”
“Maybe there’s another ending… Where I beat you up or something…”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Or fall in love with each other.”
“Not happening,” I whispered quickly, looking down at the table between us while rubbing my wrist.
“I suppose you could try ‘beating me up’, as you say, but I can’t promise that I wouldn’t retaliate by reflex. And if I caused your death because of something like that, I’d never be able to face Diavolo again…”
I stayed silent. I still hadn’t forgiven him. For anything.
“So, it would seem that our only choice is to fall in love with each other.”
“I don’t think you…" I took a breath. "That’s not happening… It can’t happen… Not after…”
Lucifer looked uncomfortable, but didn’t say anything to this. “As for how, if we go this route, the game has only just been released. So apparently, there still aren’t any strategies on how to achieve that.” He looked around. “Perhaps we should just leave things as they are,” he muttered. “Finally some peace and quiet.”
“Also not happening.”
“Well then. What options do you really have here, Chise?”
Death, love with an abuser, or losing all of my boys.
I did not like my choices. I kept looking down at the table.
He sighed again. “I suppose… We should start with the fundamentals of love, and go from there. If you want to develop feelings for someone, you both need to start by getting to know each other. Isn’t that right? So, I’ll start by asking you some questions.”
I sat up and leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, waiting.
“How do you really feel about what’s going on right now?”
“I feel like I don’t have any good choices left to me.”
“Yes, the feeling is very mutual.”
“And I miss my boys…” I whispered.
“…All right, next question. Which one of us brothers are you interested in?”
“Mammon.” The choice was easy, though Satan’s lips still burned on mine; and Levi’s soft, shaking hand…
“…Truly, are you insane? You certainly have strange tastes. Do you enjoy trying to get close to the prototypical no-good-loser type? Is that it?”
“Mammon is a better man than you will ever be,” I hissed fiercely, rage bubbling over inside of me. "And if you hold him responsible for being the Avatar of Greed, you should be holding yourself equally responsible for your pride.”
He looked startled by my frankness.
“And I could never love a cruel man.”
“...But you could desire him.”
I shot up from my seat, outraged, hands balled up into fists at my side. He only looked up at me, face impassive again. We stared at each other.
“…I see," he relented. “He has been… good to you. In his own way.”
“In the right way," I bit.
He looked to the side. “Now, this time you get to ask me a question.”
“Are you still seriously trying to play this stupid game?!”
“Do you want to see Mammon again, or not?”
I seethed for a while, still standing. But he was right. So I slowly sat back down in my chair, my fists still clenched on my lap.
“As I said. Now it’s your turn to ask me a question. You may never get another chance to do this, you know. So make sure you choose your question carefully.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said tersely. “Well. What’s your past experience with love?” I thought of him and Diavolo as I spoke. He clearly knew that I knew.
“My past experiences with love? Well… What would you rather hear about? Everything up to 5000 years ago or everything from the last 5000 years?" He shrugged. "Either way, just giving you a synopsis alone should take about 100 years, I’d say.”
“I find that very hard to believe.” I found it hard to believe that anyone could love this man.
“Of course, that’s assuming I can even remember each one of them...”
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I was only joking.” He didn’t even give me an answer to my question. And certainly didn’t mention Diavolo. “Now, anything else that you would like to ask?”
“All right,” I thought. "What do you think of humans?”
“What do I think of humans?" He snorted. "Oh, no. I don’t think that’s what you really want to ask. What you really mean is, ‘What do you think of me?’ Do I have that right?”
“I said 'don’t flatter yourself'.”
He ignored me. “Let’s see… what do I think of you. You’re an exchange student from the human world. When you first arrived, I thought that all I had to do was to make sure that you survived a year here without any incidents, being careful to ensure that you didn’t get yourself eaten by some random demon somewhere.” He narrowed his eyes. “But it didn’t turn out to be so easy. You did what you wanted, unafraid of the consequences, and you constantly stuck your nose into others’ business… And in the end, you began to make pacts with my brothers, one by one. Why did you do that, anyway?”
“Those are more like observations than what you actually think."
“You’ve said that you wanted me to recognize your worth, but what’s your real purpose? What are you trying to achieve long term?”
“It was my turn to ask questions. And you didn’t answer either of them.”
He shook his head. “To be completely honest, you’ve been a real pain to deal with. But…” He hesitated. “But you’re also very special… More special than you are difficult.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“You’re changing my brothers. And… me… as well." He flicked his eyes away from mine. "Chise, the truth is…”
He stopped. I waited. The silence stretched between us, long and tense. He looked deeply uncomfortable.
He didn’t finish the thought.
Coward.
“…Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
Coward.
“I want you to make amends with Belphegor.”
“…Wh-What did you just say…? How did you…?”
He fell silent, mouth open in shock.
And then it hit him.
His eyes widened as he looked at me. “Wait… Don’t tell me… You met him. You went to that room. And you MET Belphegor!?”
And then, I felt like I was drowning.
His aura hit me like a landslide, and I was thrown back with a cry, my chair tipping backwards beneath me, spilling me out of it and onto the floor. I hunched behind it, gasping for breath, bile rising to my throat. I doubled over and retched, clutching my stomach. From the corner of my eye, I saw four great black wings burst through into the room, taking it up entirely.
“You went up those stairs, didn’t you!? You knew you weren’t allowed to, but you did it anyway! You went up there and… and YOU MET BELPHEGOR?!”
“Mammon… Beel…” I gasped, clutching at my stomach. “Satan… Any of you… Help… Help me…”
Wave after wave of his power pummelled me. I whimpered helplessly. Gripped by a fear so intense, so powerful. I felt something wet against my lips. I touched my nose, my fingers coming away bright red with blood. I think I’m dying…
“Do you REALLY find it so amusing to poke your nose into our business at every opportunity? Do you really ENJOY stirring up trouble that much?”
I choked, coughed, spluttered, bright red blood splattering onto the floor from my mouth. Blood dripping from my chin. I’m going to die…
"Mammon… Belphie…"
Some time in the near future, he will lose every last ounce of trust he puts in you now.
”HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME!”
I wheezed, pink froth forming at the corners of my mouth. I felt something trickle out of the ear that lay on the floor, spilling. I tried to cough again, but couldn’t get a breath, only choking on the blood that rose up from inside of me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breath. I was suffocating. My lungs, my lungs… I’m dying… Help…
”YOU… a mere HUMAN?! YOU DON’T HAVE THAT RIGHT!”
”STOP…!” I didn’t recognize the voice.
It did stop. He did stop, in his surprise. At least, in the way that his power weren’t smothering me anymore. But it was too late. The room was darkening… Or was it my vision? I laid on my side, cheek on the floor, blood bubbling from my mouth as I sighed out all I had left in me. I couldn’t move.
”Wait, whoa, hey! Wait a minute!”
Mammon’s voice…
I tried to call to him. But I just bubbled more blood with my exhale. I couldn’t take another breath in.
“Wow, is it just me, or does this situation look genuinely serious?!” Asmo.
I was hidden behind the chair. They didn't know I was here.
“Is like, an actual battle going on here? It totally is, isn’t it!?” Levi.
”ALL OF YOU, OUT OF THE WAY…! I’M GOING TO TEAR THAT HUMAN LIMB FROM LIMB…!”
“Oh hells. Oh HELLS. CHISE! CHISE! FUCK, IT’S CHISE!”
I heard the solid kick that landed on the chair that hid me, and it went flying to the side. Then my head was in Mammon’s lap as he cradled me, his hands cradling me, his breathing coming out in a panicked whine. I could only look up at him, sad, slipping, limp, struggling against the darkness in my peripherals that threatened to engulf me.
Satan threw up his arms in front of Mammon and I. “We are NOT about to step out of the way and let you do something like that!”
I saw Levi, and Beel, and Asmo take their places beside Satan as well.
“No no no no no… Chise… Chise… Stay with my, Chees… SATAN! NOW!”
Satan, confident that the others had my back, whirled towards me, throwing himself down to me.
”May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated… May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated… May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated…” His voice trembled, his hands hovering over me.
Beel stepped forward. “That stuff about Belphie… What’s going on…? Are you saying Belphie isn’t up in the human world?”
“Attic… Attic…” I was finally starting to be able to breathe again.
“Shut up, Chise… Don’t fuckin’ talk… Dummy…"
But Beel heard.
“Are you telling me that Belphie is up in the attic, Lucifer? You locked Belphie in the ATTIC!? ANSWER ME LUCIFER. NOW.”
I felt Beel’s change, but his aura skimmed over me. Our pact.
"LUCIFER.”
"Out. Of. My. Way.” Lucifer snarled, turning on Beel.
I felt Beel go down. Just like that. “No…!” I hissed hoarsely.
Lucifer… So strong… The sixth-born doesn’t compare… Beel…
“L-Lucifer!” Levi cried out.
“Wh… Lucifer!?” Asmo’s voice was high. "What do you think you’re doing!? How could hurt Beel?!”
"QUIET!”
Asmo gasped, shrinking back in fear. He was only the fifth-born.
"May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated… Fuck, fuck, fuck… Come on, Chise…” I felt my eyes flutter. There was so much. I could breathe again, but so what? There was so much everywhere else.
“C’mon, baby girl… Shit… May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated…" They chanted together. I didn’t know Mammon could. “Fuck, shit, I’m so fuckin’ bad at this… May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person before me be eliminated…"
“Just keep going, Mammon… I think it’s working with the two of us…"
"ALL OF YOU, GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!!”
"May the vestiges of pain that linger within the person…”
The room extinguished into darkness. My breathing was hoarse, wheezing, forced. But… Was I breathing better now? Blackness enveloped me. Had I fainted? Did I pass out? Did I feel better? Did I feel worse? Was I dying? Was I dead?
The lights burst back into the room, blinding me. I hadn’t passed out. I was alive.
“Y-You…!” Mammon gasped.
“How can this be…?” Satan whispered.
Beel groaned on the ground.
“Well, hello there, brothers… I can’t tell you how much I missed you…”
“Belphie!” My voice was hoarse, but stronger. “Belphie!” I called to him. I took a deep breath, and exhaled. No blood.
Mammon turned back at my voice, cradling me, stroking my face. “Oh thank the fucking stars… Thank the motherfucking stars… Chise… I love you so much…”
Satan shuddered over me, exhausted, resting his forehead on my belly. Magic spent.
"BELPHEGOR…!” Lucifer finally seemed shaken.
“Lucifer, what the hell is going on here?” Satan gasped.
“How…” I whispered. How did he get out? I never made a pact with Lucifer.
I saw the enormous wings filling the room recede, slowly.
“...I bet this comes as a real surprise, huh? Admit it, you didn’t expect this, did you?”
Belphie’s voice. The one he used to manipulate, insult, to tease, for sarcasm, for venom. Not his soft, vulnerable voice.
He sighed, a mocking sigh, exaggerated. “To think that I’d actually show up here after you thought you’d gotten rid of me… Locking me up in the attic and lying to your brothers about where I’d gone.”
“The attic…” Beel sounded heartbroken.
Belphie switched his voice. “It’s okay, Beel. Forget it. I managed to get out, as you can see.” He switched his voice again. “Ahhh, I’ve gotta say, this is really nice.”
It chilled my spine, how he was able to switch this on and off.
“So nice. I love this feeling. This freedom. And I have you to thank for it, Chise.”
Why was he using his venomous voice still?
“This is all thanks to you.” He grinned at my bloodied face. Unconcerned.
“Wait, what?” Mammon looked between the two of us. “Thanks to Chise?”
“…So that’s what you’ve been up to,” Lucifer spoke softly. Dangerously. “This was your true goal all along, wasn’t it, Chise…?”
“What do you mean by that?” I saw Asmo hugging himself, hunched.
Satan looked down at me. “You mean to say that Chise and Belphie have met before? And the reason for wanting to make pacts with us… has something to do with what’s happening now?”
“Chees…” Mammon muttered. “You shoulda fuckin’ told me… I thought we… we...”
“I’m so sorry, Mammon…”
“Y-You’ve got to be joking,” Asmo said, unsure. “How could Chise have been in any sort of position to make this happen?”
“Who cares.” Beel slowly pulled himself up from the ground, one hand pressing to his stomach. “None of that matters now. Belphie… I missed you SO much!”
Beel grabbed at him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Belphie looked so little and frail in his arms. Truly different.
“Heheh, you’re the only one, Beel. The only one who’s happy to see me again, the only one who came up and hugged me. Pay attention, guys. You could learn a thing or two.”
“I…” I whispered. Was I happy to see him?
“Well, we might have done the same thing, but considering the circumstances…” Satan flicked his eyes to Lucifer.
“Chise.” Beel’s voice was emotional as he came to me, pulling me up into his arms in an embrace as well, gently, me now in a half-sitting position. I was still limp, I would drop if he let me go, but I tilted my head into his neck. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but… did you help Belphie? Did you really save him? You saved him?”
I nodded against Beel’s shoulder. “I wanted to do it for you, Beel.”
“Thank goodness you were there for him, Chise…”
“No. If only you hadn’t been there for him!” Lucifer hissed. “Do you seriously think that I’m going to just let Belphie go free?”
Beel set me back down, but I was able to support myself on my elbows now, looking around. I was recovering. I was actually recovering. Slowly. Mammon shuffled in closer to support my back with his knees. I leaned back against him as he stroked my hair.
“…And just what is that supposed to mean?” Beel said dangerously. “Lucifer, are you admitting to all this? You truly locked Belphie up and held him prisoner? Everything you told me about sending him to the human world… That was all a lie?”
“Beel… please,” I called to him, as loud as I could muster. He’s lost two fights to Lucifer already. I didn’t want him to be hurt anymore.
“Lucifer.” Belphie had a dangerous tone in his voice as well. “I’m not going back there.”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“Oh no,” Beel said through gritted teeth. “No, it’s not! You don’t get to make that decision!”
“…Are you saying you’ll turn on me, Beel? Defy me?”
I thought about what Belphie said, about how he was afraid of a civil war. About the rebellion that had them cast out from the Celestial Realm.
“…Turn on you?” Beel said. “Why would I listen to you anymore, when you’re the one who betrayed us!”
Lucifer hissed under his breath.
“I’m leaving.” Beel bent down to pick me up in his arms. “Chise, Belphie, let’s go.”
“WHAT!?” Mammon made a grab for me from on the floor.
“…Go?” Belphie tilted his head. “Go where?”
“H-Hey, wait a minute! Chise–!”
Beel carried me out of the room, Belphie following him. I heard both of them mutter in unison under their breaths. Twins.
“JUST WHERE ARE YA GOING?!” I heard the sound of running footsteps.
SLAM.
A strong gust of wind forced the door shut behind us.
I heard the handle turning frantically.
“G-GUYS, I CAN’T GET OUT, IT’S BLOCKED. HE HAS CHISE. SATAN, HELP ME OPEN THIS FUCKIN' DOOR. HE FUCKIN' SPELLED IT. BEEL! GET THE FUCK BACK HERE WITH CHISE!"
Chapter 18: Chapter 13: House Arrest
Chapter Text
"AHAHAHAHA!”
We were in a park now. It was deserted. Very deeply in the middle of the night, or maybe the very early hours of the morning. Beel was wiping my face with my scarf, dipping it into the fountain next to us to wet it. The water swirled red. I winced a bit as the dried crust was scrubbed off, but I didn’t have any external wounds. I just felt… Utterly exhausted. And my insides ached so, so much.
I was sitting up. Weak, but sitting up on the bench. With Belphie, and Beel.
I was okay.
“Belphie, come on.” Wipe. Wipe. “It’s not that funny.”
“You saw the look on Lucifer’s face, right?” Belphie was giddy. Inappropriately giddy. “The one he had when you said you were leaving? Ahahahaha! It was classic, am I right?! Man, it must’ve been a real shock having you turn against him. His loyal, faithful brother Beel… Hehehe…”
Beel rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb affectionately, not replying to Belphie. He looked so sad.
“Oh, Beel…” I whispered to him.
“Still, are you sure you’re okay with all of this, Beel? Taking off and leaving the House of Lamentation?”
“Well, either way.” Beel wrung out the scarf. “We can’t go back there. Not anymore. I can’t let Chise go back there either…”
Wipe. Wipe.
“I’m sorry for getting you caught up in this, Chise…” Beel looked so sad. “I thought you’d be better off with us. If you’d stayed in that house any longer, Lucifer would have…”
“Thanks for getting me out of there, Beel,” I said quietly. "Thanks for looking out for me.”
Belphie looked back and forth between us, amusement on his face.
Beel gave me his lovely smile. “You really are a good person.” His face fell again. “It was all supposed to be nothing more than a practical joke. I can’t believe it led to this…”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“You must’ve thought it was pretty strange too, huh? All of us disappearing like that, one by one, until it was only you and Lucifer there alone.”
My heart sunk. Stupid, stupid boys… I didn’t think they would do that to me.
They never would have done that if they had known about what happened in Diavolo’s bedroom. But telling any of them would have led to a fight as well.
Satan knew about the bruises, but… I’m sure he thought that things had settled between us after our trip to the human world, like it had between him and me.
His optimism nearly got me killed…
I sighed, and set aside my blame. They were only trying to help.
Stupid boys…
“So, that wasn’t a coincidence, huh?” Belphie tilted his head. “Interesting. Whose idea was it? It couldn’t have been yours, right?”
“Satan was the one who suggested it.”
Okay, maybe I could lay down a little blame. Optimism really DID almost get me killed. I thought about Satan’s strange look when I had asserted that my boys wouldn’t have just abandoned me. It was guilt.
I thought of him leaning over me, desperately chanting, my blood on his hands…
He was punished enough.
“At the time, we thought that you were trying to make pacts with us because you wanted to gain Lucifer’s approval. So, we thought if we could force you two into a situation where you were alone, you’d open up to each other, hopefully leading to something good. Then, Levi and the others took the plan and ran with it… They started talking about how it would be fun to spice things up by turning it into a horror sort of things…”
I’m going to KILL you, Levi.
“Was that really necessary…” I sighed.
“Well, I was against it, personally… And after all that sitting around hiding, I’m hungry.”
I laughed at his abrupt change in topic. My ribs hurt, making me gasp. Still not there yet.
“Oooh, there it is… I’m hungry!” Belphie was so happy. But I didn’t know what to feel. He hadn’t even acknowledged me on the bench at all. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard you say that, Beel!” He looked around. “And now you’re making me hungry, too. Also, I can’t help noticing that something smells good…”
“Wait, I know that smell.” Beel sniffed the air. “That’s the aroma of one of Simeon’s BLT devil sandwiches. I’m sure of it.”
“HUH!?” I sat up straighter. "Simeon?!"
"Um, yes?” I heard his voice from down the path. "Who's there?”
I stood, Beel helping me, and I limped towards his voice. Simeon turned towards me, and shock struck his face. “Chise?! What happened?!”
He rushed forward to support me. Actually, it was more like he took me in his arms entirely. I leaned into his embrace. I guess I still had blood on my face. “I’m so happy to see you, Simeon…”
He ran his fingers through my hair, pressing my face to his shoulder. He looked up at Beel and Belphie’s approach. “Wh…bu…huh?! I don’t believe it! Belphegor?! Long time, no see!”
But he held me a little tighter to him, his palm on the back of my head to keep me against his shoulder.
“Well, if it isn’t Simeon,” Belphie greeted him lightly. “And he’s got a paper bag with one of his BLT devil sandwiches inside. That explains the aroma.”
“Belphie… I heard that you were in the human world on the exchange program. Are you back for a visit or something?” It was like he was pulling me away from them. Subtly. I doubt they noticed, and maybe it was that Simeon himself didn't notice himself doing it. I looked up at him, confused by his reaction.
“You know, Simeon, this is perfect timing.” I heard Belphie’s smile in his voice. “I actually have a favour to ask. What do you say to letting us stay at Purgatory Hall with you?”
“…Also, I’ll take that BLT devil sandwich, thanks.”
Simeon looked down at me, cupping my face to get a better look, studying the streaks of blood in the lamplight. He nodded at me more than at them. He was going to shelter us for me. “Sure… But something tells me that there’s more to this than you’re letting on.”
“That’s an understatement,” I sighed against him.
We all sat around in silence, Beel’s explanation hanging over us in the air.
“I see…” Now it was Simeon wiping the rest of the blood off of my face. Cleaner cloth, cleaner water, enough lighting to see the spots that had been missed. “So. We have a brothers’ quarrel on a grand scale. Does that about sum it up?”
“That’s a mild way of putting it,” Solomon’s smooth voice came from nearby. I felt his eyes studying me as well.
“Okay, I mostly get what’s going on now, but what I want to know is this… Why’d you have to bring them back to MY room, Simeon!? Chise is allowed, but...” Luke, having gotten over his initial shock and tears and outrage after seeing me limp through the door, had turned petulant again.
“It’s only fair, Luke. Beel took you in and let you stay in his room when you ran away, didn’t he?”
Luke crossed his arms and pouted.
“I can’t believe Lucifer actually locked you up in the attic, Belphegor,” Solomon said seriously. “You were gone for such a long time. This whole time, locked in one room.” He shook his head in disappointment.
“Indeed. I thought for sure that you were up in the human world.” Simeon patted my face affectionately, before grabbing the dry towel beside him, to mop up water on my face. “Nearly done, Chise.”
“Call me over after, Chise,” Solomon said. “I want to make sure that what Satan and Mammon did for you was enough. I will add my own power to their lingering mending spell.”
“Well, regardless,” Belphie said, “I’m a free demon again, thankfully. The attic was sealed with a curse that could only be broken through the combined powers of all six of my brothers. So, it occurred to me that if Chise made pacts with each of them and gained the ability to use their powers, then it would be possible to lift the curse without Lucifer’s consent. I wasn’t horribly optimistic that it was possible…” At this, I remembered how he had mocked his faith in me as a human. “…But I guess the fact that I’m out of the attic is proof enough that it was.”
He turned to me, addressing me for the very first time since we had left the House of Lamentation. “I have to say, I’m impressed, Chise. You actually made a pact with Lucifer, of all demons. Well done.”
“Chise?” Solomon turned to me in shock. “You made a pact with Lucifer?”
I shook my head at all of their surprised faces. “No, I never made a pact with him.”
Belphie’s face froze. “What…? You… didn’t make a pact? …Then how was the curse sealing the room lifted?”
Beel turned to Belphie. “What exactly happened in there? How did you know you were free?”
“Well, I was up in the attic napping, when suddenly I thought I heard someone call my name. It told me to wake up. And it said…” He paused. “Well, I sat up, and the door was just open. Just like that.”
Beel looked unsure. “Maybe Lucifer’s curse was incomplete somehow?”
“I was able to see it when I wasn’t supposed to…” I murmured. Simeon beckoned Solomon over, and he came to sit beside me on the bed as well. He laid his hand on the top of my head. I felt a coolness wash over me. I sighed.
“Lucifer doesn’t just make mistakes like that,” Simeon mused. “He is particularly gifted with curses.”
“After hearing your story, I have two questions,” Solomon said, eyes still on my face, his stare intense and curious. “First, how was the curse on the attic lifted without the combined powers of all six brothers? It had to have been very powerful. And even if Chise had somehow managed to make pacts with all six brothers, it wouldn’t have been enough without the ability to control their powers at will. And at this point, I doubt that’s possible.” He rubbed my hair. “Sorry, Chise.”
“Okay, then who did lift the curse?” Beel looked around.
“Hmmm…” Simeon looked down at his hands. “Breaking the curse required the combined power of six of you. Does that mean that it could be any six demons as long as they were your siblings? For example, would it be possible to substitute someone else in Lucifer’s place?”
Belphie looked unsure. “Well, I suppose so, but–"
“But he only has six brothers,” Luke finished the thought, confused.
Simeon looked away at the wall. In particular, he looked away from me, which, well, was REALLY not like him. He always made me feel like… Well.
“Simeon…?”
“–On to question number two. And this is what I’m most curious to know. Why exactly did you end up getting imprisoned in the attic to begin with, Belphie?”
Belphie’s eyes turned cold. A shiver ran up my spine. “That’s none of your business. I’m not discussing that with anyone.”
“…All right, fine. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force the issue.”
“You know, there’s something more important we still need to discuss,” Luke sulked. “All of you can’t seriously be planning on sleeping in my room, can you?”
“I–" I had already slept beside Simeon. And Beel. I blushed.
“What, is that a problem?” Belphie replied coolly. "Why don’t you sleep in Simeon’s room, Luke? And then the three of us will stretch out in here."
I remembered Belphie playing with my pyjamas, and falling asleep while holding my hand. I blushed deeper.
“Wh…!? This is MY room! Mine! Why should I hand it over to a bunch of demons!?”
“Chise is a human, you know,” Solomon reminded him. The coolness had stopped spreading through me, but he hadn’t taken his hand off of my head.
“But the other two are demons!” He sulked harder.
Beel narrowed his eyes. “I let you stay in my room before, and now you’re going to turn me away?”
“I… Uh…”
“You know,” Belphie gave one of his exaggerated sighs, “this is exactly why everyone is always saying that angels are arrogant, stingy, and ungrateful.”
My eyes widened at the bald-faced manipulation.
“You’re the only one here who says that,” Luke mumbled.
Simeon laughed sweetly. “It’s okay, Luke. Why don’t you stay in my room tonight? Come on, I’ll throw something sweet in as a present.” He shot me a look of regret.
I sighed. Simeon was nice to sleep next to. A good bedmate. So much for that.
Luke turned red in the face. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child!”
“Yep.” Beel glanced at Belphie. “He really is arrogant.”
“And stingy… And ungrateful…”
“Hey, I am NOT! And I’ll prove it! Just this once, as a really special favour, I’m going to let you demons use my room.” Belphie’s manipulation worked like a charm. I felt uncomfortable. “So what do you have to say NOW?! You’d best feel honoured! Stand in awe of my tremendous generosity!”
“Mhm, yep.” Belphie nodded, smiling. “We’re totally honoured. You’re so generous, wow…”
Solomon sighed.
Simeon ruffled my hair on the way out.
“Ahhh, this is amazing!” Belphie fell backwards onto the bed, bouncing the mattress a bit underneath him. “I’m really starting to feel like I’m out of that room. This sense of freedom, it’s so great I can barely take it!”
I watched his giddiness. It was strange to see him out of the attic. He wasn’t… Covered by bars anymore. There was his full self. Free.
Beel watched him quietly, too.
Belphie sighed up at the ceiling, legs dangling over the edge of the bed. “So, Beel, want to go out somewhere and have some fun? Aren’t you hungry?”
Beel looked away, glancing at me.
“Oh, and you know what? I haven’t been to Hell’s Kitchen in a long time. I want to go! We used to stop there on our way home from RAD all the time…”
Beel still didn’t respond.
Belphie finally turned his head to look at him from the mattress, frowning. “Hey, are you listening to anything I’m saying, Beel?”
“…It really is you,” he said quietly.
“What?” Belphie laughed. “You’re realizing that now?”
“This isn’t a dream, is it?”
Oh, Beel…
Belphie gave a rare grin that showed his teeth. “Well, do you want proof? What should we do first? Want me to give you another hug?”
But Beel pounced on him on the bed instead, grabbing him in his arms.
“…G’uh!” Belphie had the air out of his lungs squeezed out from the force. “I know I suggested that we hug, but I didn’t mean that you should throw your arms around me and squeeze me to death!” He blushed. “Hey, Beel, come on. Chise’s watching, you know?”
“I don’t care,” he said happily. I smiled at him.
“Well you may not, but think about me.”
“I don’t mind,” I laughed quietly.
“See? Chise doesn’t mind.” He wiggled happily.
“Beel! Come on, I can barely breathe…! Ugh!” He struggled with Beel, finally managing to sit up. “That’s enough hugging, don’t you think? You shouldn’t overexert yourself for no reason. It’ll make you hungry.”
Beel stared at him for a moment. “…Why, Belphie?” he asked quietly. “Why did Lucifer lock you up in the attic? Why did he do something like that to you, and then lie to us about how you were off studying in the human world?”
Belphie glanced over in my direction, uncomfortable. “Well…”
”...Because if he hadn’t, Belphegor might have destroyed the human world.”
We all jumped as the handle on the door turned, swinging it open.
Diavolo, with Barbatos standing behind him. Their faces serious.
“Hello, Belphegor. It’s been a while.”
“…Lord Diavolo.” Belphie froze, his voice flat. “Hello.”
Beel looked between them. “Lord Diavolo, what are you doing here…?”
Belphie touched his chest with the palm of his hand. “I’m sure Lucifer must have told you aaaaall about me. Seeing as he’s your loyal lap dog and all.”
“Belphie…” I said softly. “Is what Lord Diavolo saying true?”
Holding my hand as he slept.
Beel turned to look at him as well. “Well…?”
Belphie didn’t look at either of us, eyes fixed on Diavolo, silent.
“Answer me,” Beel said with a little more force.
“Why don’t you ask Lord Diavolo and his steward? I mean, check out the look they’ve got on their faces. Clearly they think they know everything there is to know already.”
Barbatos tilted his head, eyes dangerous. It chilled me. “You might want to watch your tongue. It would seem that the time you have spent hidden away in that room has made you forget your place.”
“It’s okay, Barbatos,” Diavolo assured him over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to us. “I’ll tell you what happened, though you may not be pleased with what I have to say.”
“I’m listening,” I said softly. Belphie shot me a look. Of pure contempt. His mask had dropped.
I was nothing to him, I realized. I’d been fooled.
“Well, it all started with the plan for the exchange program. When my proposal for the student exchange program was officially adopted, Belphegor was vigorously opposed to it. Apparently, he appealed directly to Lucifer and asked him to put a stop to it. It would seem that Lucifer dismissed his objections out of hand.” His voice turned quiet. “You’ve always hated humans, haven’t you, Belphie?”
Belphie tsked.
I was… such a fool.
“Which is why you couldn’t accept my plan, or the fact that Lucifer was working to execute it. You got angry – so angry that you lost control of yourself. And if no one had stopped you, you might have inflicted great harm on the human world. Lucifer realized that and chose to shelter you. Next, he told me he sent you off to the human world.”
“…What?” I was stunned. “So, wait, you didn’t know that Belphegor was up in the attic?” Lucifer lied to you?
“No. Not until a few moments ago, when he informed me of what had happened.”
Belphegor scoffed loudly. “Lucifer sheltered me...? Did I hear that right…? He LOCKED me up, SEALED me away, CONFINED me, DETAINED me, IMPRISONED me, held me CAPTIVE. That’s what you call sheltering me?! Seriously?! If you’re trying to be funny, I’m NOT laughing.”
“Oh no, that was the correct choice of words. He was sheltering you from me.”
Belphie outrage stopped in its tracks. “…What?”
“Because he knew that if he didn’t, I’d have you put in chains.”
Power ripped through the room. A painting fell off the wall at its force. I gasped, but it slid over me, over my body, not touching me. I was enveloped in a shield of protection as the room around me rattled.
I looked up at Diavolo in shock.
But it wasn’t coming from Diavolo.
“B-Barbatos…” I said in awe. He was enveloped in a black smoke, his eyes glowing green through the obscurity. Narrowed. Dangerous.
“Hear my voice and heed my command.” Power filled the room. “These words are sound… the sound, melody. And through it I bind thee, and rob thee of thy freedom.”
My eyes widened at the poetic words, my jaw dropping. The force, the grace of his cadence, the rich tenor of his voice that shook with his power. And no lisp either.
Belphie went rigid, dropping to the floor on the spot, gasping.
“B-Belphegor!?” Beel ran to his side.
Barbatos’ power vanished, as abruptly as it had come. His control… “That was a binding spell that will keep you restrained. And it cannot be broken… not by you, at least. Belphegor, you are hereby charged with treason.”
“Wh…!” Beel looked over at me in panic, eyes wide. I went to him immediately, putting my arms over his shoulders.
“Barbatos, take Belphegor away. He’s to be kept beneath the castle.”
Beel keened in my arms.
“Yes, My Lord.”
“No no no no NO NO NO!” Belphegor struggled, but his arms were pinned to his sides.
“Stop…!” Beel pleaded with Barbatos. Diavolo. Either of them. Anyone.
“Beel…! No! No!”
“How… HOW COULD YOU DO THIS…!? DIAVOLO!”
I gripped Beel’s shoulders tighter. Don’t do anything stupid, don’t do anything stupid…
Luke peeked his head in. “Umm, what’s with all the noise…? GAH! LORD DIAVOLO!?”
“Run, Luke!” I yelled at him, throwing my arms around Beel. “Go!”
“What?!!”
“Let go of me, Chise!” Beel struggled to pull me off of him, my arms locked around his neck. He wouldn’t hurt me to get free.
I threw my face against him, whispering. “If you put up a fight now, you’ll do more harm than good. We can figure this out another way. Together. Please. For Belphie.”
Diavolo crossed his arms. “If you choose to defy me now, Beelzebub, you’ll only end up making things worse for Belphegor.”
Beel growled in his throat, but dropped his head to my shoulder.
Still holding him, facing away from Diavolo, “What’s going to happen to Belphie?”
“He will likely face judgment for his crimes,” he said, simply. “And I’ve also had Lucifer put under house arrest. He’s confined to the House of Lamentation.”
I turned around and looked at him. He imprisoned his lover? I was stunned. “Are you sure that’s the right thing to do?” Surely, that hurt Diavolo very, very much. “I know that… you…"
He flinched at my admission to knowing about them. “…It is my mission and all my duty to help bring stability to the three worlds,” he said quietly. “To shepherd them along that path. Belphegor is trying to destroy that very same path. Lucifer knew that, and yet he protected Belphegor anyway.” His voice dropped lower. Pained. “I’d say that more than justifies the steps I’ve taken, don’t you think? Also…” He grimaced. “Remember that you are just an exchange student here, and nothing more.”
Nothing more.
I looked away.
“This is a problem that concerns us demons only. As a human, you have no right to interfere. Now, it’s time I go.”
Without another word, shoulders tense, he turned around and strode out of the door.
Luke looked after him in shock. “Wait, so he came all this way here just to cart Belphie away?”
“Shhh, Luke,” I hushed him.
“…Dammit!” Beel yelled against my shoulder, making me jump.
“I-It’s okay!” Luke piped, doing a poor job of comforting Beel. “W-We– Y-You’ll figure it out! It’ll be okay.”
Beel hunched over around himself, his face in his hands.
“Oh, Beel…” I whispered. I patted him and kissed his hair. “I’m so sorry, Beel…”
“I guess it came as a real shock to you, Chise…” he said from his hands. “Everything with Belphie… Hearing about how he hated humans and all.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “Why… Does Belphie hate humans?”
Again, I thought about how Belphie had stroked my fingers against the gate. My leg. My hand. Goddammit I was such a fool.
He raised his head from his hands and leaned into me. “It’s not your fault that Belphie hates humans, Chise. As for why he ended up like that, Lucifer would know better than anyone else…”
“Beel… I really don’t want to talk to Lucifer right now. Or ever, ever again. I want you to explain it to me. Please.”
“Right… Yeah…” He sighed. “Even so… I think we have to go back to the House of Lamentation.”
Fear gripped me at the thought. “Beel…”
“What?! Is that even safe?!” Luke looked at me worriedly.
“I don’t know. But either way, I need to have a proper talk with Lucifer. Also, I’ve got a feeling that if Chise’s there, things will work out somehow…”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Beel! I’m the whole reason why this all happened! I helped Belphie, I stupidly let him convince me not to tell anyone what I was doing, I provoked Lucifer, and now–"
”Lucifer imprisoned my brother for months, Chise.” He looked up at me. His eyes full of tears. "Please. You’re all I have left.”
I looked down at his sweet face. I felt myself wilt at his expression.
“…Okay, Beel. Let’s go home.”
“No matter what happens, I will be there to protect you. We all will."
“Okay. I believe you.”
The door to the House of Lamentation swung in quietly on its hinges.
It was silent.
Beel took my hand in his, and we walked down through the halls together. “Maybe… Everyone’s still asleep?” he wondered.
“Well, well, well, and who do we have here!” Asmo jumped on me from behind, hugging my shoulders. “Had enough of running away from home? That was even faster than expected…”
“Asmo, is Lucifer in his room?”
“Excuuuuuse me? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? Isn’t there something you’d like to say to the rest of us first? Chise? How about you?”
“I’m sorry, Asmo.”
“Hehe. There we go. Nicely done. Very cooperative of you. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find that attractive…” I rolled my eyes, dipping my shoulders down so he would slide off of me. He pouted. “Still, do you really think you can fix everything with an apology? Listen, I’m just going to come out and ask you this, Chise. When we were alone together, were you thinking about Belphie? Because just so you know, I don’t know if I can accept that.”
I sighed and patted his cheek. My boys. I helped Belphie. But I loved my boys. They were who I always thought about. “No. I wasn’t thinking of Belphie.”
“You weren’t? Reeeeeally?” He leaned his cheek into my hand. I let him. “Okaaaay, I’ll take you at your word this time.” He looked at Beel. “Sooooo… Lucifer? He’s been holed up inside his room ever since Lord Diavolo left.”
I’m sure that was a pretty damn difficult conversation for him.
Still, though, he was the one who came forward about Belphie in the end.
“But listen up. Before talking to Lucifer, you need to deal with Levi and Mammon, Chise. Aaaaaaand I believe Satan wanted to have a word with you, too.”
I nodded silently, lest the tears that were filling up my eyes break free.
“I think he was in the planetarium earlier.” Asmo’s voice softened at the look on my face. “Why don’t you try looking for him there?”
I nodded again.
Chapter 19: Chapter 14: I'm Sorry
Chapter Text
I found Satan in the planetarium, just like Asmo said. He was looking out the window at the eternal night, knees drawn up to his chest. He had a book in his hand, but he wasn’t reading it.
“Knock knock…” I said softly. He jumped.
“…Chise,” he whispered. “You’re back.”
I crossed the room, immediately throwing myself into his arms, burying my face against his soft sweater. He put his arms around me, pulling me close to him.
“So… This is all been a huge disaster for you too, huh?” he spoke into my hair. “First, you’re taken from the human world and brought here with zero warning… And then, on top of that, you end up getting caught up in one brotherly quarrel after another. Hurt again and again and again…” He pulled my face away from his chest to cup it in his hands, looking down on me. He smiled gently. “Though in your case, you take it upon yourself to stick your nose into our problems. That’s why you get caught up in them. Though, hah, it’s not like I have room to criticize other people in that regard...”
“Are you okay, Satan?” I whispered.
I remembered how he had chanted above me, his voice getting more and more desperate between each breath, how he had collapsed on my belly, magic depleted.
He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I’ll be okay, Chise. Just… don’t bleed out in my arms ever again. Please.”
I laughed a little bit. “I’ll try to keep that promise.”
We stared at each other for a little longer. So pretty…
“You were really amazing back there,” I broke the silence.
He blushed. “Meaning?”
“You saved my life, Satan. You really saved my life.”
I saw the bottom of his lip tremble, and for the first time ever, I saw tears flood into his eyes.
He kissed me.
I slipped my arms around his neck, kissing him back. Sweet lips. So soft. Gentle kiss. I ran my fingers through his hair. Soft hair. So fine that it flowed through my fingers like silk. So easy to touch. I slid the other hand up the back of his neck. Skin soft. Nice to touch.
We broke our kiss, noses touching, looking at each other.
“I don’t know how you became so important to me, Chise,” he whispered. “I really didn’t see it coming. You snuck up on me.”
I smiled at him as I cupped his cheek.
He sighed and snuggled me close to his chest again, stroking my hair. “The attic has always been Lucifer’s private sanctuary, you see. He’s never allowed anyone else in there. I figured it was probably packed full of sentimental items from back in his Celestial Realm days. Things he couldn’t bear to throw away. But I definitely didn’t think that he would be keeping his own brother in there as a prisoner.” He shook his head against my hair. “Everybody has always told me that I’m so much like Lucifer, but I never could’ve imagined that he was doing something like that…”
“I told you.” I mumbled into his sweater. “You’re nothing like Lucifer.”
He laughed softly. “Thank you, Chise. Thank you. But…” He sighed. “No. Truly, thank you. I think I get your meaning… Your true meaning. Thank you.”
He petted me in silence for a little longer. “Lucifer thinks that there’s no problem he can’t handle on his own, so he keeps everything to himself. He never tells us anything. Then, he deals with whatever it is on his own, in whatever way he pleases. He’s always like that. …It’s so irritating. But, well… I do the exact same thing he does. I keep things to myself, deal with it on my own. Do what I want with no regard for anyone.”
“That’s not true.” I pulled away to look back up at him again.
“You must see something in me that I don’t.” He smiled his charming smile, blushing. “Thanks. But Chise…” His face turned somber. “...I’m asking you to go to him.”
I pulled away. “Are you SERIOUS, Satan?! You saw–“
“You helped me before… Help Lucifer now.”
“He can’t be helped.”
”That’s not true,” he whispered passionately, taking my face into his hands again. “I can’t believe that to be true. Because you redeemed me, Chise. Me. I have to keep believing that he can be redeemed as well. Because otherwise…” His voice hitched as he trailed off.
This time, I kissed him.
I knocked on Mammon’s door. My heart in my throat. It was ripping itself apart, really.
“No one’s heeeeere! The Great Mammon’s not hooooome! I can’t hear youuuu. I can’t hear people who keep secrets from me and never tell me anythiiiiiiiiing! Just so you know, I’m not speakin’ to you EVER again. Apologize all you want. You’ll only be wastin’ your breath.” Despite his words, his voice was getting more and more choked up. “Go back to the human world, and don’t come back here until you’ve changed your ways! You dummy! You great big... dummy!”
“Mammon,” I called through the door, “I love you too.”
Silence.
Silence.
And then the door ripped open on his hinges, and I was swept up in his arms, mouth pressed against mine. I clung to him back. I tasted the salt of his tears. And my own too. I shook and shook as he kissed me. “...You’re alive, you’re alive, you’re fucking alive…” he breathed against me. “You know how long it took to get your blood off of my hands, Chise? You know how long? Dammit… And my fuckin’ jeans…"
He stepped backwards back into his room, kicking the door with his foot, slamming it back into the frame. I jumped up into his arms, and he caught me by the thighs. I wrapped my legs around him. Kissing and kissing. We were both crying.
“Just so we’re clear…” he said through the break in our kisses. “I’m really, really mad at you…”
He stopped, pressing my back against a wall to hold me up. I was trembling all over, guilt and despair and love and the tears I was fighting to hold back leaving me speechless.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” he whispered. “I mean… It’s you and me! Or is what we have nothin’ more than… y’know…”
“Nothing more than what?” I whispered back, a light teasing. He knew better.
“You know, nothin’ more than… whatever, why do I gotta explain everything to you?!”
I cupped his face, and kissed him again. “Mammon, you are my heart.”
He slid his cheek to press against mine. “…Listen, here’s the thing. The very first demon you made a pact with comin’ to the Devildom was me. Which means I was your first guy! You know that, right!”
“First, and best,” I agreed.
His breath hitched in his throat at my words. “…And that’s what makes this all the harder to swallow. I mean, was it all for… Belphie? Ya made a pact with me… for him?”
I shook my head. “We pacted before I had even met Belphie. I promise you. No. It wasn’t for him. I didn’t pact with you for him. I promise.”
“Really?” he said, unsure. “Really for real seriously really?”
“Really for real seriously really.”
“…Hm. All right, then. In that case, fine.” He sighed against me. How easily he was able to let things go. I wondered if he truly actually did, or if he just bottled it. “So, what do you wanna do now? And NO more secrets this time! Tell me everything!”
“I need to know why Belphie hates humans, Mammon.”
“Hah?” He pulled his face away from my cheek. “Wha?”
“I need to understand why Lucifer imprisoned him in the attic.”
“Why d’ya need to know somethin’ like that for…”
I sighed. “I think… I need to talk to Lucifer.”
“You’re crazy. Insane. You’re a big dummy. Are ya kidding me? Didn’t you just hear me talkin’ about how I just got your blood outta my fingernails?!”
“Belphie has been imprisoned again… But by Diavolo this time. I need to understand what’s going on! Nobody will tell me what’s going on!”
“H-He has!? Dammit… Look, I can’t tell ya why Lucifer locked Belphie away. ‘Cause I’ve got no idea! You’ll have to talk to– oh.”
“Yeah...”
He sighed, pulling me away from the wall to walk over to his bed. With a whoosh, he dropped us both down onto it on our sides. I let myself fall to it in his arms, the mattress bouncing from our sudden weight. He put his hands on my hips and wiggled me close there, not quite close enough where I couldn’t see his face, but close enough where I almost couldn’t see his face. Finally, snuggling on a real bed.
“Here’s the thing, though,” he murmured. “Lucifer’s holed himself up inside his room, and he won’t come out. Oh!” He perked up. “I guess I’m gonna have to help you, aren’t I? All right then, this is your lucky day, ‘cause now you’ve got Mammon on your side!”
I smiled. “I thought I always had Mammon on my side?”
“Oh, well, yeah, I guess, shaddup.”
“You’re the best, Mammon.”
“R-Really? I am? I’m the best?”
“You’re the best EVER, Mammon.”
“Whooooo!” He grabbed me firmly by the waist, rolling us over, making me laugh as he came crashing down on the other side. Like we had just traded placed. “I’m the best!”
I smiled, snuggling closer, touching his cheek. He blushed, turned his face, and kissed my palm. I blushed too.
“…Okay.” He peppered my palm with even more kisses. I giggled. He always knew how to lift my spirits. "Enough distraction. We gotta start by workin’ out a plan to lure Lucifer out of his room! But first, uh, we gotta go pay Levi a visit. He… Anyway, we want all the help we can get, right?”
“Do I reeeeeally have to get out of your bed? Really for real seriously really?”
He grinned as I parroted his words back to him. “You’re a nut. Okay, let’s go.”
He rolled off of the bed with a lurch, and then scooped me right up in his arms, bridal style, all while I giggled. I draped my arms around his neck.
He leaned his face down to speak in my ear. “Y’know you’re spending the night here in my room with me, right?”
“Duh."
He grinned, carrying me out into the hall.
Mammon tapped on his door. “Heeeeey, Leviiiiii?” he called sweetly.
Silence.
“HEY!” He pounded on the door this time. "I know you’re in there…! HEEEEEEY! Answer the door, numbskull!”
“All right, Mammon.” I looked at him. “We have no choice. Break down the door.”
“Oh yeah? Man, I had no idea you were the type to go for somethin’ like that. All right, here goes!”
"WAIT! FINE! I’LL OPEN THE DOOR! Don’t kick it in…!”
Click.
I turned the handle, stepping inside.
Levi had his back towards us, hands in the pockets of his sweater, looking into his aquarium. He didn’t turn around.
“See?” Mammon gestured. “What’d I tell ya? He’s right there. HEY, LEVI!"
“…So, Henry, what do you think?” he addressed the little goldfish swimming merrily in his tank. “Like, when it comes down to it, you just can’t trust humans. They’re lesser beings – evil, black-hearted creatures. And yet all I had to do was make a pact with one, and suddenly it felt like we were friends, you know? Though the truth is…” He sighed. “…That I was just imagining it.”
I put my hand on Mammon’s arm to still him, and stepped across Levi’s room, towards him.
“I didn’t realize I was being used. I started sending messages and getting all excited that I had a human in my life and stuff. I made her a bento box and everything! I mean, how could I be so stupid? I’m so disappointed in myself. It’s unbelievable.”
I stood directly behind him. He placed a palm on the glass of the aquarium as he talked to his little fish.
“You’re my only REAL friend, Henry– OOMPH–!”
I tackled him from behind, throwing my arms around his waist, smooshing him against the glass of his aquarium. He squeaked, batting his hands against my arms in panic. I held him there, burying my face against his back, not letting go.
“Wow,” Mammon called from behind us. “All I can say is… LAAAAAAAAAAAME!”
I hugged Levi tighter, nuzzling, squeezing my eyes shut. He stopped batting at me and sighed.
“Look at you, sittin’ there sobbing about all your problems to a goldfish. I mean, c’mon! You’re a sad, gloomy, shut-in of an otaku, you know that?!"
“Shut uuuuuuup!” Levi finally addressed us. “And don’t use that word like it’s an insult! You’re a moron! Chise’s a backstabbing human! And you can both… spontaneously combust for all I care…”
I buried my face deeper against him, a little sound escaping from my throat at his words. Please please please, Levi.
“Y-You know what? J-Just die already! Like, right now! P-Please, I’m begging you…”
Mammon sighed behind me. “It’s no use. He’s reverted back to his old sad and gloomy shut-in of an otaku self.”
“That’s the second time time you’ve said that, you know. You don’t need to keep repeating it. I get it. You’re right, that’s what I am. I’m a sad, gloomy, annoying, useless, socially awkward, gross, recluse shut-in of an otaku…”
I rubbed my hands on his stomach from behind him. He gasped, shivering, going rigid in my arms. I bet his face was so reeeeeeed.
“Aww, c’mon, I didn’t say all THAT!”
I slide my hands up slowly to Levi’s chest. He was making some very strange noises in his throat.
“And anyway, it was all just a big misunderstandin’, Levi! Like, I thought the same thing you did about Chise.”
I trailed one fingertip from his chest back down past his ribs, to his navel. He started to shake.
“But it seems makin’ a pact with me didn’t have anything to do with Belphie at all."
“E-Excuse me? L-L–… Like, do–you–R-REALLY, b-believe that, Mammon?! P…P…People can S-SAY whatever they W-WANT! C-Can’t they?!”
“Huh? Why ya talkin’ like that, Levi?”
Looooowwwweerrrrr…
He sucked in a shuddering breath.
Mammon sighed. “Well, Chise, he doesn’t trust humans any farther than he come throw them at this point. So, guess we gotta go…”
Loooooooooowwwweeeeeerrrrrrrrrr…….
“A-AH!!!! CH-CHISE–!!!!!” He spun around, grabbing my wrists and holding them to his sides. He was soooooooooooo red. I looked down at his sweatpants.
Tent.
He caught me looking.
I quirked an eyebrow.
A look of horror flooded his face.
“…AH!!!!!!” He dove to the side, shooting himself under his computer desk, knocking a whole bunch of things over while he stuffed himself under there.
“The fuck is wrong with him?" Mammon peered over.
I shrugged at him. But bent down to kneel by Levi.
He was pouting at me. Suuuuper mad. And bothered.
“I’m really sorry, Levi,” I said gently.
His eyes widened, and he stared at me, silent.
I slipped my hand into his. He glanced at it, but didn’t move.
“Really.”
“…R-Right, you’re sorry… for being a… a sorry excuse for a friend!”
“Yes.”
His pretty cat-eyes blinked at me.
“C’mooooon,” Mammon groaned, “you sound like a third grader! What are ya two doing under there anyway! Come out!”
“But it’s true, Levi. I made a pact with you before I met Belphie.” I took a breath. "And… And even the great hero Henry made mistakes sometimes.” My voice was soft. I looked into his eyes. “I never meant to hurt you, Levi. I promise that I never meant to hurt you. Never you. My sweet, sensitive otaku. I’m so, so sorry."
He looked away, blushing deeper, considering. “M-Mistakes, huh… Y-Yeah, Henry made mistakes. But then he came out and admitted to them, which is what helped him forge a real, lasting bond with the Lord of Shadow.” A smaaaaaall smile began to curve on his lips. “And then, the Lord of Shadow gave him the Sword of Legend!” His smile was widening now. “He did that, to prove that they were true friends. That they shared a friendship that went beyond race or social position!”
“There we go! The magic words that’re the key to Levi’s heart: true friend and TSL! Good goin’, Chise! Finally…”
“Chise…” Levi looked at me shyly.
I threw my arms around his neck, eliciting another little squeak. But after a bit, shaking, he threw his arms back around me as well, squeezing me tight. He buried his face against my neck. “Chise… I…”
“You’re my Lord of Shadow, yeah?”
“Yeah… And you’re my Henry…”
I kissed his hair. He merped again, jumping a bit. I laughed.
“Hey! HEY! Stop ignorin’ me under there! What’s goin'– Hey! Wait– HEY! Levi, WHOA! Whaddya think you’re doin’ throwing your arms around Chise like that, huh!? Get off before I tear ya off! Nerd."
He shook his head vigorously against my neck. “You’re my true friend, Chise.”
I finally pulled away from him, grinning.
“You’re easy to win over, ya know that…?” Mammon shook his head in exasperation. “Eh, whatever. Guess we got all that figured out. Anyway, LEVI! You gotta help us come up with a plan to get Lucifer outta his room AND not get Chise killed while we're doin’ it.”
“Huh? What do you mean? Something tells me I’m not going to like where this is heading…"
“You really are stupid,” Satan sighed, as my pact boys and I descended down the stone steps into the tomb below.
“Mmmmhmmm, totally stupid!” Asmo agreed.
“Yep, stupid.” Levi nodded. “That’s about the only way to describe it.”
“Hey, shut up! I’m tired of walkin’ along, quietly listenin’ to you guys tearing into me. Callin’ me stupid and moronic and idiotic and a money-grubber. I mean, what the hell!?”
Beel shrugged. “All we said was that you’re stupid.”
“That’s not the point! I mean, what exactly is it about me that you think is so moronic, huh!? C’mon, let’s hear it!”
“What, exactly?” Asmo fake-thought about it. “I mean, like, everything, really.”
“WHAT?!”
“In any event...” Satan touched his chin as we all finally gathered into the chamber. “I think we can safely say that out of all the plans you’ve ever come up with, this one is the most moronic.”
Levi nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Oh, yes. 100% agreed.”
“Okay, Satan! If you’re gonna be so critical, let’s hear what bright ideas you’ve got! What would you do here, huh!? Do you think Lucifer’s just gonna come waltzin’ outta his room after Lord Diavolo told him he’s under house arrest? ‘Course not, right? No way he would! So we gotta find a way to lure out Mr. Loyal-and-Obedient. If you’ve got a plan in mind that’s even more awesome than mine, let’s hear it!”
Satan sighed in resignation. “I don’t.”
“See, what’d I tell you? WHAT’D I TELL YOU?!”
“Okay, okay!” Asmo threw his hands into the air and rolled his eyes at the high ceiling. “We know your plan is stupid, but we stupidly followed you down here because this stupid plan is out only option, you stupid Mammon!”
“Hey, c’mon! You were just lookin’ for a way to say stupid as many times as you could!"
“Hmmm…” I spoke up. “So you’re saying… Agreeing to Mammon’s plan and shuffling your sorry butts down here… That you’re all the stupid ones, and Mammon is the only one using his head on this one.”
“I literally didn’t say that!!”
I loved teasing Asmo.
“CHISE GETS IT!” Mammon cheered, throwing his arms around me. Satan rolled his eyes.
“Maybe Chise is stupid too.” Levi shrugged.
“HEY–!"
“Probably,” I agreed. “Considering that I almost got myself killed yesterday after provoking Lucifer last time. And now here I am. About to do it again.”
Satan looked away, and Mammon squeezed me harder. I kicked myself at my choice of words.
“This time we protect ya. This time you have us. All of us and our powers combined.”
Would that be enough?
“Still,” Satan sighed again, “the idea of using the grimoire to get Lucifer to come out of his room is more than just a little crazy.”
“It grants the power to control a demon whether or not you have a pact,” Levi reminded us. “And on top of that, humans can use it whereas demons can’t. I mean, it’s like something straight out an anime, am I right? I love it!”
“I’m surprised it hasn’t been destroyed.” If it even could be.
“I… had heard that Barbatos himself had forbidden it,” Satan said, uncertainly. “He... knows things.”
I remembered the two of them walking down the halls of the castle together, sparring words. And then, his power… And his precise control over it. I shivered.
Never underestimate him.
Belphie had said that.
“All right. So this will get Lucifer to come out of his room.” I looked around at all of them for confirmation.
Asmo shrugged. “I mean, I’m guessing that should do the trick.”
“You see,” Satan explained, “to us demons, the grimoire is equivalent to a soul.”
Mammon squeezed me tighter. “So, if it ends up in the hands of a human, Lucifer will get so angry he’ll totally lose it, just like last time. And you can bet he’ll come straight down here!”
I sighed. “We’re all idiots.”
Beel twisted his hands nervously. “Still, how are we going to manage to get away with this? Ever since the thing with Luke, that guard dog has been down here patrolling the tomb."
“Cerberus?” Asmo hugged himself. “Ugh, I can’t stand that monster of a dog. He won’t obey anyone but Lucifer!”
“Even you, Asmo…?” I tilted my head.
“Mmmhmmm…”
I bet that bothered him.
“That’s why we’re bein’ so quiet and sneaky, Beel. So he doesn’t find us!”
“You’re the loudest one of all, Mammon,” Levi muttered. “If you don’t keep it down, Doggy McDogface is going to hear you, you know?”
Beel tilted his head. “Doggy… McDogface?”
“Huh, weird. Cerberus may be the most fearsome and ugly guard dog of the Devildom, but even he seems kind of cute when you call him Doggy McDogface.”
“Mammon would be Greedy McGreedface.” Levi beamed. “Asmo would be Lusty McLustface.”
“Let’s see…” Asmo considered. “That would make Satan… Wrathy McWrathface. Hmm, I dunno how well that one works.”
“…Lucifer is Pridey McPrideface,” Satan snickered.
“Pff…"
“PFHAHAHAHAHA!”
“Hey, come on, quiet down!” Beel scolded them.
“What is it, Chise? That look in your eyes tells me that you want something – that you desire something.”
“Shut up, Asmo.” I rolled my eyes.
“Asmo, why not just say, ‘You look like you want to ask a question?’” Levi muttered. “It’s quicker and less confusing.”
Mammon rolled his eyes. "And less creepy."
“Can’t we move the grimoire somewhere safer than here? I don’t understand why it was just down here where Luke could find it before. That doesn’t seem very safe?”
Beel winced. “Ah, well, you see…”
Levi swayed back and forth his feet. “It really needs to stay here, otherwise it would lose its meaning.”
“Yeah… She’d get all lonely if we did that, you see…” Mammon murmured against my ear.
“What does that mean?” I looked around, confused.
Mammon sighed and released me, glancing down at a stone coffin with the figure of a young girl sculpted into its lid. There, set atop her chest, was the grimoire.
“…Whose coffin is that, anyway?” I whispered, uncertain. Already knowing the answer.
“Lilith’s,” Satan answered.
“Our sister, the youngest one of us.” Asmo nodded, sadly. “Though she wasn’t actually laid to rest here… The coffin is empty.”
“The grimoire is a demon's soul,” Beel said quietly. “I think Lucifer placed it here as a way of saying that our hearts and souls are still right here with Lilith.”
“…Our hearts are still with Lilith. Yeah…” Levi kicked at the ground, staring down.
“Oh…” An extra reason for Lucifer to have been so mad that day. Now I had a really bad feeling about this plan.
“…Anyway, right now we need to focus on the grimoire here.” Mammon approached it. He sucked in a deep breath, and then released. “All right, Chise. Go ahead and take it.”
I looked around, worry creasing my own face. They all nodded.
“We’ve got you,” Satan said quietly.
“I… don’t want to die.” I looked at it doubtfully. Yesterday had been so painful… Terrifying…
“Go on, grab it, Chees. It’ll be fine. We got ya.”
“Uhhh, it may not be fine,” Levi’s voice pitched a bit higher.
“Whaddya mean?”
A low growling sounded from the depths of the hall that stretched out from us.
“Is that me, or does that sound an awful like…?”
Flamed erupted from down the hall, licking the walls as it rushed forward.
A roar sounded, echoing through the chamber.
We all shrieked.
“Mammon…!” Beel yelled.
“I-I-I-I know, I know!” Mammon grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. “Chise, the grimoire! Hurry!”
I laid my hand on it, terror gripping my heart, my breaths coming in panicked gasps.
“J-J-J-Just grab the thing, and do it nooooooow!”
I needed to protect my boys.
I picked it up.
-
White light enveloped me.
“…ey. …hey…!” The voice sounded from so far away.
With a breath of wind, a clearing stretched around me, green. Hazy. A path cut through it, fenced in iron. Was this a park…? Where was I…? Which realm…? It was so hazy…
”Ugh…dammit! No…this can’t be…!”
“Lucifer…?" I whispered, turning around in dread.
His wings folded behind him. He held something… Someone…
”How…how could this happen…!?” He looked around wildly. “…Who’s there!?”
I took a step back.
But it wasn’t me he sensed.
Diavolo, resplendent in his demon form, approached Lucifer on the ground. Barbatos followed behind, in his demon form as well… I don’t think I had ever seen his demon form before… He had skeletal bat wings protruding from his head. His horns.
”You two…” Lucifer breathed, clutching what, or who, he was holding closer to him.
Barbatos walked past Diavolo, looking down at whoever was in his arms. ”Yes, her injuries look severe.” He confirmed, in his usual correct tone. "If she’s exposed to Devildom air for much longer, she will likely perish. She doesn’t have long.”
Lucifer inhaled a sharp, shuddering gasp, as he bent his head over the body.
Diavolo looked on.
"Help… Please…” Lucifer begged. "Diavolo… Help her… I beg of you… I don’t care what happens to me! Help her!”
“Lilith,” I breathed.
"You’ve got to help her…! I know you have the means! Please!”
Diavolo crossed his arms. "…Yes, I do have the means to help her. However, it might not be in the way you expect or desire. And if I am to do this, there are conditions.”
"Conditions…” Lucifer repeated. "Anything…”
"You must pledge your loyalty to me, Lucifer.”
Lucifer raised his head to look at him, shocked.
"Young Master…” Barbatos’ eyes widened.
"I know what you’re going to say, Barbatos. I’m taking a big risk here as well. The Celestial Realm has rendered its judgment, and I’ll be interfering with that. But if I end up with you on my side, Lucifer, I’d say that’s a risk well worth taking. Wouldn’t you agree?”
"You’re suggesting I pledge my loyalty… To the son of the Demon King…? …ME?”
My own eyes widened in surprise. It would be unimaginable now, for Lucifer to question Diavolo like this. In anything.
"I am sure there could be no greater disgrace to one such as you, he who was once celebrated as the pride of the Celestial Realm.” Barbatos looked down on him in pity. "However, before you make your decision, perhaps you might want to have a look at yourself?”
Lucifer’s eyes were pure confusion, until they widened in understanding. He whipped his head around to take a look at his wings. Black.
He choked on a sob. "So then… I’ve…”
"You don’t have time to sit around trying to make up your mind,” Barbatos cut in on his shock.
Lucifer whipped his head back to him with a snarl. "Don’t you dare order me around!”
I remembered the three of them at the dinner table, teasing each other. Friendship. I shook my head.
Barbatos only continued to look down on him. Silent.
Lucifer looked back down at Lilith, motionless in his arms. "I don’t need time to make up my mind… I will stay true to my convictions. I have always done so, and I always will. That will never change, whether I am an angel or a demon. If it means you’ll ensure that she stays alive, I’ll make any sacrifice I have to. So…” He took another shuddering breath, steeling his resolve. "Diavolo, I hereby pledge my loyalty and allegiance to you.”
"And I accept your allegiance. It is done, then,” he said simply. Without emotion. Defeated.
I couldn’t believe it.
"Just save her…!”
"I will, as I had promised. Now, it’s time for you to say your goodbyes.”
Lucifer’s eyes widened. More shock. Confusion. Outrage.
And then, understanding… And tears. Tears filled his eyes. He turned back to Lilith, clutching her fiercely. Whispering fiercely. Broken.
"No matter how far apart we may be, no matter how much time passes, even if someday you are no longer yourself… I’ll never forget you. And I’ll always pray that you find happiness… always.”
I felt tears spilling from my own eyes. Why was I crying…?
"I love you, Lilith…” He bent his head over her, kissing her forehead, and shook with his sobs.
The scene before me began to fade, hazing further, blurring.
White light enveloped me again.
-
“….Chise…!”
“CHISE!"
The ceiling of the crypt slowly melted into my vision. My back was flat on the floor of the stone cobbles. Aching. The grimoire lay at my side. My head was in Mammon’s lap. His face came into focus.
I was still crying.
“What’re ya doin’?!!? Get up from off of the floor! Stop starin’ off into space!” He was patting my cheek. I heard the roar of Cerberus as he descended under my boys. I gasped, and shot up into a sitting position.
Asmo was backing away, facing the hall. “Mammon, what’re we supposed to do now!?”
“Pick up the grimoire, Chise!” Mammon begged.
Satan turned to look over his shoulder at me, hands raised towards the beast. “Don’t think, just do it!”
Hadn’t I already…?
I reached for it.
Ivy sprouted from its leather, encasing it. I stared at it with wide eyes. What the hell?
“Mammon, I can’t keep this beast at bay much longer!” Satan shouted.
"CERBERUS!” A deep command reverberated around the chamber from behind us. "SIT!”
The flames licking at the wall dissipated into smoke. From the shadows, the great beast sat in obedience.
“We’re…” Mammon whispered.
“We’re s-s-s…” Asmo gasped.
So dead. I thought.
“We’re saved,” Beel sighed.
Not what I was thinking.
“I thought I was dead for sure this time.” Levi’s face was white.
Satan sighed, lowering his arms. “If you’re gonna show up to save the day, do it sooner, Lucifer.”
I turned to look at him. He wasn’t in his demon form at all. His arms were crossed, though. He looked pissed.
“You should be thankful that I came at all.” He looked around at our faces. “I don’t believe all of you… Can’t you go a single day without causing trouble?”
“Don’t look at me!” Mammon raised his palms up in surrender. So much for protection. “I wasn’t causin’ any trouble! Cerberus and Asmo were the ones who were bein’ loud and stuff! …For the most part!”
“Excuuuuuse me? Why single me out?"
Lucifer's eyes darted from between Beel and me. “And I see that you’re joined by the very two people who should be keeping a low profile… That would be you two, Beel, Chise.”
I picked myself up off of the floor, and walked over to him slowly. He stared at my approach, impassive. I stood in front of him.
And slapped his face.
“Uhhhh… WHAAAAA–?!”
“That’s the first time I’ve ever actually seen anyone hit Lucifer…” Beel said in awe.
“Well,” he said quietly, arms still crossed. “Have you gotten that out of your system?”
I held his stare. “I want to talk to you, Lucifer.”
“I think we all do,” I heard Satan’s agreement from behind me. “What’re you going to do, Lucifer.”
His mouth flattened into a straight line.
“Ah, responding with silence as usual," Satan sighed. “You always have been good at that.”
“C’mon, you owe us an explanation!”
“I’d say it’s about time you actually talked to us…” Asmo said, uncharacteristically quiet.
“This isn’t just your problem. It’s a FAMILY problem, it involves all of us,” Levi insisted.
“A family problem. Is that it?” Lucifer finally spoke.
“You owe me…” Beel whispered. “You owe me something…”
“Beel, I…" He sighed. "Okay. Let’s all head back upstairs.” He glanced at the coffin. “We’ll worry Lilith if she sees us acting like this.”
Chapter 20: Chapter 15: Humbling Pride
Chapter Text
We did not go to the library. My blood still stained the floor.
We crowded around in the music room in silence. My boys looked at Lucifer expectantly, faces glum. All heartbroken. Waiting for him to speak.
I looked around. Family matter. “Would it be better if I weren’t here…?” I broke the silence in a quiet voice.
“No.” Mammon grabbed the hem of my sleeve and pulled me to him. “There’s no need to go.”
“That’s right.” Satan shot Lucifer a look and came to stand beside me, as though daring him to say otherwise.
Asmo nodded. “Actually… I’d say this involves you.”
“You’re family to us, Chise.”
“Levi…”
“You’re staying right here,” Beel agreed.
Lucifer sighed. “…Well, you heard them. It seems my brothers think of you as part of the family now.”
“Brothers, huh…” Beel said, testily. “Okay, then what about Belphie?”
“Beel…” Asmo whispered.
“Belphie’s family too! That goes without saying! Or am I wrong?!”
Lucifer looked away from all of our faces. “…Yes, he is family. And that’s why I locked him away.”
“If he were really family to you, you never would’ve done something like that to him!”
“Beeeeeel, calm down…” Mammon pleaded.
“How can you guys be so calm about this?! Lucifer lied to us, you know?!”
“Right, and we’re mad about that too,” Levi said. “That’s why we’re all here. To talk about it.”
I laid a hand on his back. “Please, Beel… I know how you feel… We’re in this together.”
He relaxed a bit under my touch, looking down at the floor. “Chise… Thanks.”
Satan smiled his smile at me. “Okay then, now that we’ve calmed down, why don’t we let Chise take over from here? You came back here because there’s something you’d like to ask Lucifer, right?”
I nodded to him, and turned back to Lucifer. “First, I want to know how this all started.”
He sighed. “…It began with Diavolo’s plan for an exchange program between the Devildom, the Celestial Realm, and the human world. That’s what triggered the chain of events that led to today. It was to be an experiment, an attempt at opening the door to a new age… But Belphie was outraged. Furious. From the very beginning, he was opposed to Diavolo’s proposal. Despite Diavolo’s attempts at explanation, that times were changing, that the Devildom needed to change with it, he didn’t want to hear it.”
“I remember it happening…” Asmo murmured. “It was announced at a student council meeting. We were all there.”
“Everyone besides Belphie agreed with Diavolo,” Satan added. “With the majority of us in favour of having the exchange program, the plan was approved.”
“Okay,” Mammon addressed Lucifer, “so, like, are you sayin’ that you locked Belphie up only ‘cause he was opposed to Diavolo’s idea? ‘Cause that seems a little extreme, even for you, Lucifer.”
“Yeeeeeah…” Asmo hugged himself. “I mean, that’s kind of awful, don’t you think?”
Lucifer shook his head. “…You haven’t heard the whole story yet. That night, Belphie showed up at my room, alone. He begged me to talk to Diavolo, to try and convince him to reconsider. I told him that I agreed with the proposal, and had no intention of persuading Diavolo of anything. And then, he brought up Lilith…”
“What? Lilith?” Asmo shook his head. “What does Lilith have to do with any of this?”
“The reason why Belphie hates humans,” Lucifer glanced at me, “is because he holds them responsible for Lilith’s death. He holds them all responsible for what happened to her.”
“What…?” I looked at him in confusion. “But… Why…?”
Lucifer sighed. Not quite ignoring me, or my question, but not answering it either. “Belphie accused me of forgetting about Lilith. And then, he lost control. He began to threaten that humans should be wiped from existence entirely. He threatened to wipe out every last human, and kill Diavolo as well. It was… treason. Treason of the highest order. Belphie attacked me in his rage. I… had to subdue him. And then, I locked him away, before his treason became known to Diavolo."
He fell silent. We all fell silent.
“I still don’t understand… why you didn’t tell us,” Asmo murmured.
Lucifer only shook his head.
“Why is it that Belphie hates humans? Why does he hold us responsible for Lilith’s death?” I asked again.
They all fell silent again. None of them made eye contact with me. The human in the room.
“That’s not something we usually–" Beel began.
“There ain’t any rules sayin’ we can’t talk about what happened to Lilith, is there?” Mammon put both of his hands on my shoulders from behind me. “C’mon, we should just answer Chise’s question.”
“…You’re right,” Lucifer agreed. “Well, Chise. The answer to your question… Long ago, back when we were still angels, Belphie felt very differently about humans than he does now. He liked them.”
“Uh, I’d say he more than just liked ‘em,” Mammon cut in.
“Yeah,” Beel agreed. “He loved humans, and the human world in general.”
“His room was filled to the brim with stuff from the human world,” Asmo added. “And whenever he had a chance, he’d sneak down there for a visit.”
Beel sighed. “He’d regularly go down to the human without permission, and he was always getting in trouble with Lucifer and Michael for it. He’d say he wanted to see how humans were doing and what they were up to. No matter how many times he got yelled at, it never stopped him.”
“Lilith was especially close to Belphie,” Lucifer continued. “His enthusiasm for the human world rubbed off on her, and she began to take an interest in humans as well.”
“Yeah, Lilith had always been really attached to Belphie,” Beel said quietly.
“She was really attached to you too, Beel,” Asmo added. “You, Belphie, and Lilith always used to hang around together, laughing and giggling. I was so jealous!”
Levi nodded. “Yeah, whenever you were together, you were like three puppies, playing and having a good time.”
Lucifer took over again. “Lilith started going down to the human world a lot as well. And like Belphie, she developed an interest in humans. But then, one day… she met a man. He was human. And she fell in love with him. He never knew she was an angel. She hid her true form from him to develop a real relationship.”
“Lilith may have hoped to keep the relationship a secret from us, but… eventually word got out,” Beel added, sadly. “Lucifer… did not like it."
“…I did go down to the human world once to have a look at the man she was seeing. He… was a man of virtue, a good man. And most importantly, Lilith was happy. However… That happiness proved to be short-lived.” He paused, sighing. “The man she loved became stricken with an incurable illness. Humans are… frail. Short-lived.”
Mammon’s hands tightened on my shoulders. My heart sunk. I hadn’t thought of that. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
Mammon…
“Lilith tried to nurse him back to health – she did everything she could – but he showed no signs of recovering… She was afraid of losing him, and in her fear, she made a mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake. She gave him forbidden food from the Celestial Realm, hoping it would save his life.”
Beel shuddered. “If only she’d talked to us, told us what was going on…”
“Even if she had, there’s nothing we could’ve done,” Asmo tried to comfort Beel. “I mean, altering the life span of a human is expressly forbidden.”
Altering the life span of a human is expressly forbidden…
My heart was hammering.
“Lilith incurred the wrath of our father, who declared that she was to be punished.”
“What… kind of punishment?” I asked, timidly.
Lucifer’s voice lowered, fierce. “She was to be wiped from existence, so that nothing at all was left. Disposed of, as if she were nothing more than garbage."
He really had loved her.
“We couldn’t stand by and let something like that happen,” Asmo added, voice strained. “As her brothers, we had to do something.”
Beel nodded. “And we did.”
Lucifer looked at the ground. “That wasn’t the only reason behind our rebellion against our father, but it WAS the catalyst that incited it. And… you know how it all turned out.”
And in the end, after all that, she… died anyway. I shivered under Mammon’s touch. He stroked my shoulders with his thumbs.
“And then she lost her life anyway…” Beel whispered. “In the Great Celestial War…”
“Oh, Beel…” I touched his hand. He slipped his into mine.
“Belphie felt that the man she’d fallen in love with was responsible for it all – that it all came back to him. He said that if she hadn’t met him, she never would’ve died.”
“But…”
“I know, Chise. That man hadn’t even known that she was an angel to start with. And it was our father who incited it. Who escalated it. Lilith… only loved. Loved a mortal.” Despite myself, despite all that had happened between Lucifer and I, I felt the surprising romanticism of his words touch me. Like he had actually understood her. "But his rationale was his way of coping with her death. And with our fall. ...And that is when Belphie began hating humans. So, when Diavolo proposed establishing relations with the human world, Belphie couldn’t accept it.”
Satan shook his head. “And then he lost control and turned on you, Lucifer, which would explain how he ended up locked away in the attic.”
“No…” Beel’s voice sounded broken. So very broken. I brushed his hand with my thumb. “No, Lucifer locked Belphie up for his own good.” My eyes widened. "Lord Diavolo isn’t the sort of demon who’d let someone off the hook if they tried to stand in the way of his dreams. If Lucifer hadn’t stopped Belphie, he would’ve been found guilty of treason for sure.” Beel looked up at Lucifer, voice going soft. “And you didn’t want that to happen to Belphie, did you Lucifer? You were protecting him.”
Lucifer was silent.
“I wish you would have talked to Belphie, Lucifer…” I murmured.
“I wanted to… but to him, it probably seemed as though I was nothing more than Diavolo’s puppet."
Diavolo, I hereby pledge my loyalty and allegiance to you. I held the scene I had witnessed close.
“Diavolo is… very important to you.” I looked at him. In multiple ways. A pledge of loyalty. And as a lover.
“Oooh, so we’re going there now, are we?” Asmo frowned. “In that case, I have a question too, Lucifer. Who’s more important to you, Diavolo or us? Hm?”
Lucifer fell silent again.
Before finally. We finally reached the crux. What I was waiting for.
“…I’m sorry… Sorry I never said anything. Lilith, she… she didn’t die in that battle.”
The others choked, eyes wide, not even a gasp drawn from them as they were left breathless; but Beel started to breathe hard, not seeing this coming, wholly in the dark on what was to come next.. But I did. I saw it coming.
I nodded to Lucifer.
“Excuse me…?”
“Hold on, no…”
“What the hell…?”
“It’s the truth,” I said. Their eyes all glanced at me, puzzled. Ever so slightly, Lucifer tilted his head to the side, considering me. The slightest hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, before he made his face impassive again.
“Yes, it is the truth. Lilith didn’t actually die in the Great Celestial War.”
“Wh… What do you mean by that?!” Beel thundered.
“Diavolo saved her…” I whispered.
Lucifer’s eyes widened, shocked. “How did you…?”
“I’m sorry. Please, continue,” I urged him, softly.
“Diavolo…” He took a breath, still staring at me. “Yes… Diavolo saved Lilith when she was on the verge of death. And as compensation, I swore my allegiance to him for all eternity.”
“WHAT!?”
“You did that… to save Lilith’s life?” Beel sounded weak. “But… where did she go…?”
“Diavolo had Lilith reborn as a human.”
“WH…”
The room fell silent at the revelation. I hadn’t gotten that far in my vision either. I didn’t know that part. I also didn’t understand.
“Then… what about her memory?” Levi asked. “Would she have remembered being an angel? As a human? Could she…”
“No way…” Mammon answered. “She would’ve lost all memory of her former life for sure.”
“Wait, you guys are getting ahead of yourselves here,” Satan cut in. "Have you forgotten how long ago the Great Celestial War was? Even if she was reborn as a human, by now she’d have to be…”
“Lucifer… Why didn’t you say anything to us!?” Asmo demanded. “How could you keep something so important from us!?”
“And from Belphie…” Beel broke. I saw tears track down his face. “If Belphie had just known… And we all could have…”
“Because we were prohibited from coming in contact with the human Lilith. Lilith was alive, yes. And nothing was stopping you from going down there to see her if you had a mind to do that. Yet it was strictly forbidden, under any and all circumstances. I thought it was best that I be the only one who had to live with the pain of knowing that.”
“But why couldn’t we go see Lilith, huh!? I don’t understand,” Mammon spoke through gritted teeth.
“It only makes sense…” Asmo answered, sadly. “She had been sentenced to death for her crime. Imagine what would’ve happened if word had gotten out that someone had saved her, and she’d been reborn as a human.”
“Yeah.” Levi looked down at the ground. “Even though it was the son of the Demon King himself who did it, there would have been a SERIOUS reckoning.”
“Still…” Beel choked out. “I at least would have liked to have known. Even if I couldn’t ever see her again, I would have liked to have known that Lilith was alive…!”
“…I made the choice I made because I thought it was best at the time.” Lucifer looked into my eyes. “What if it had been you, Chise? What would you have done?”
I don’t know why he was asking me, but I thought about my poor boys. Of Beel in particular. How he had crawled into bed with me to hold my hand, to be held after his nightmare of Lilith. How he had broken in Lilith’s room, and told me the story of her fall. How he blamed himself. How he held that part of himself from Belphie, the one person most important to him in the world. How he grieved. How he held himself responsible for a death she never had.
I thought about Belphie, and his contempt, his absolute and complete hatred of humans, the very people Lilith spent the rest of her days living amongst, happy.
Would he hate humans right now, if he had known that Lilith had been born as one? That she had gotten a second chance to live in the world that she had come to love? That she had shared with Belphie?
It was too late to know. Lucifer had made the choice for him. For both of them.
“I would have told everyone,” I said, easily.
Maybe that was too idealist of me, but it was the truth. Maybe I couldn’t really know what it was like to have been faced with that choice, and I was making this decision only within the hindsight that he didn’t have at the time, but I knew in my heart, that I would have told everyone.
“I see…” Lucifer sighed. He was disappointed in my answer. That I had contradicted him. That I sided with my boys. I don’t know what he expected. Perhaps my answer was only confirming that he may have made the wrong choice, confirmed his doubts. It was his pride that had gotten him in this mess. Too much pride to share the burden. Too much pride to think of anything other than that he had to do this, alone. “As Satan said, even if Lilith was reborn as a human, when you consider their life span, she has to be dead by now. But even so, if she ended up with the man she loved in the end… then I know she was happy. I truly believe that. Perhaps she even…”
He trailed off.
Beel growled… “Lucifer!”
“Beel, no!” I hissed, making a grab for him as his hand pulled from mine and he made a run at Lucifer.
But he only took Lucifer up into his arms in a hug, falling against him.
We stared at him. At them. Relief washed over me.
“…You chose to save Lilith, Lucifer. You did what you had to in order to keep her alive. Thank you… And… I’m sorry… I’m sorry you had to bear that pain all on your own.”
Oh, Beel…
The best of them. So passionate when it counted.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Beel.” Lucifer looked down at him, eyes soft.
“I also finally understand… I get why you’re so loyal to Lord Diavolo.”
Lucifer sighed. “Yet that same loyalty ended up hurting Belphie."
“Do you regret what you did?” I asked, quietly.
“I don’t regret that I swore allegiance to Diavolo in order to save Lilith’s life, no.”
That wasn’t what I was asking. That went without saying.
"Regardless of my initial reason for taking that oath, I have great respect for Diavolo, and my desire to see his vision realized is genuine. I’m not doing it against my will.”
And that they had come to love each other.
“But as for the situation with Belphie… I don’t know. At the time, I thought I had no other choice but to do what I did. But now, I’m not sure anymore. I don’t know what the best course of action would have been, or whether there was something else I could have done.”
“Well...” Satan heaved a sigh. I realized that as a demon born after the war had started… A lot of this was new for him, as well. He had been pretty quiet through the whole reveal, having nothing to add of his own. Did he even have memories of her? I wondered how he felt about this… I’d have to check in on him later. “We’ve got a good grasp of what happened to get us to this point. So the question is, what do we do now?”
“We need to go see Belphie,” I asserted.
“Chise…!” Beel let go of Lucifer and turned to envelope me in his bear hug instead. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I was picked up from off the ground. Mammon let me go for it, a rare show of no jealousy.
“Heeeeyyyy!” Asmo whined. “You’re just taking advantage of the drama of the moment to hug Chise! That’s cheating!”
“Chise… Ya heard what Lucifer said, right? About why Belphie hates humans? I mean, he wants to wipe out humanity… I don’t know how he’s acted in front of you up to now, but the fact is he tricked ya, right? But you still wanna go see him? Even after all that?”
His fingertips brushing mine as I grasped the cage bars. His thumb and index finger rubbing together the fleece of my pyjama bottoms from through the cage. His hand laced in mine, his cheek resting on it in sleep.
His look of contempt. For me. For humans.
“We need to tell him about Lilith.”
“Yeah…” Levi agreed. “I mean, out of all of us, he’d probably want to know most of all.”
Out of all of us, he was the one who needed to know.
“The rest of us would like to go see Belphie too if we could, but…” Mammon trailed off.
“Diavolo has him locked up now, right?” Asmo looked down. “So if we went to see him, we’d basically be…”
Satan nodded. “We’d be disobeying Diavolo, yeah.”
Levi sighed, turning to Lucifer. “Come on… Come oooooon, Lucifer!”
“Enough of this.” Mammon put his hands on his hips. “Who’s more important to you, Lucifer!? Your sweet little brother, or that hardheaded boss of yours!?”
I shook my head. He probably could have worded that differently.
“Lucifer,” Beel said quietly. “I want to know too. Who’s more important to you, Belphie or Diavolo?”
“…As if you even need to ask. You already know the answer.”
“He locked Belphie away to protect him… From Diavolo. He defied Diavolo. He made his choice already," I answered softly. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at my defence of him. I pulled my eyes away from his. “So let’s get going.”
“…Yes.” I still felt his gaze on my face. I couldn’t tell what expression he wore from the corner of his eye. Guilt? …Regret? “Let’s.”
But guilt and regret for what?
“Right.” Beel finally put me down. “Time to go find Belphie.”
“…Okay then, look into that for me, Barbatos,” Diavolo commanded.
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Depending on how things turn out, it’s possible we’ll have the answers to all of our questions soon enough.”
We heard their voices drifting through the door as we approached.
”…Well, it would seem they’ve arrived.” Barbatos.
Lucifer placed his palm on the door, and swung it open.
“Yes, and even earlier than we thought.” Diavolo considered us as we entered the throne room, all together.
“Diavolo.” Lucifer spoke first. “I want to talk to you.”
“Well hello, Lucifer,” Diavolo said, softly. “And yes, I assumed as much when I saw you at the door.”
Barbatos cocked his head, expressionless. “Lucifer, if I’m not mistaken, aren’t you supposed to be under house arrest?”
“Uuuugh, just listen to you,” Mammon drawled at Barbatos. It was pretty bold. “You think you’re real cute with that ‘if I’m not mistaken’ stuff, don’t ya? How about you come out and say what you mean!”
Well, if anything, I’d like to know too.
“Mammon, enough.” Lucifer held out his hand to silence him. “I came here of my own free will. No one forced me. And I’ll accept whatever punishment is due. But there’s something else we need to take care of first.”
Barbatos’ eyes travelled past Lucifer’s shoulders, to gaze at the rest of us. “I see that the entire family have come along today, as well.”
“Well, what do you expect?” Satan shrugged. “We are family, after all.”
“And we’re about to witness Lucifer in all his glory, riiiiiight? I mean, it’s not like anyone had to twist my arm to get me to come out and see this. I would’ve come either way!” Asmo, relishing in the drama.
Barbatos tilted his head again. “So, you’ve all come along as a moving show of support and brotherly love, then?”
He was feeling chatty today.
“Hmmm…” His eyes finally fixed themselves on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at his levelled gaze. “But it would appear that one among your number neither qualifies as a relative nor as a demon.”
Something told me that his chattiness had been to circle around this exact moment. His focus on me. I shivered.
“That’s right.” Beel moved to stand beside me. “Chise isn’t a demon, nor are we related. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be on the same side. Isn’t that right, Chise?”
“Yes,” I asserted with more confidence than I felt as I fell into Barbatos’ eyes.
“…I see.” Diavolo nodded. “Well, Chise, you may be a human, but it would seem you’ve found a home for yourself here in the Devildom. I have to say, I find that comforting. Now then, Lucifer, how about we hear what you have to say?”
“…Diavolo, never before have I opposed you in any matter until now. Give me back my brother… Give me back Belphegor.”
Diavolo stood, silent, arms crossed. Face serious.
“Please…”
Diavolo sighed. “Truth be told, Lucifer, I already knew. I knew you were hiding Belphegor, and I knew why.”
Lucifer took a shaky breath in surprise.
"Your loyalty to me forced you to deceive your brothers, and I knew that was a source of great guilt. I saw how you struggled with it – how hard it was being pulled in two directions at once.” Diavolo’s voice lowered. “And it made me sad.”
Lucifer stood, looking at him, shock plain on his face.
“Well, if that’s true…” Beel cut in. “If that’s true, then give us back Belphegor! That would solve everything, wouldn’t it?!”
Diavolo shook his head. “The Devildom, the Celestial Realm, and the human world. The balance between our three worlds is a delicate and fragile thing. In order to maintain this balance, we must have rules. Belphegor sought to violate those rules, and that is something I cannot overlook.”
“But…” I piped up. “Belphegor never actually did anything.”
“Right, exactly!” Mammon backed me up. “He might’ve been plannin’ to break the rules, or just runnin’ his mouth, sure, but he never actually did anything!”
“You know, you’d sound more persuasive if you weren’t HIDING behind Chise right now, Mammon,” Levi muttered, pushing him over.
“WHOA, HEY! Quit pushin’ me!”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Diavolo continued. “I can’t forget my position or my mission, you see. And let’s not forget, Belphegor is your brother, Lucifer. You are known as the seven rulers of the underworld, and that’s more than just a fancy title. You have great power here in the Devildom, and with power comes great responsibility. I can’t afford to give Belphegor special treatment.”
“You’re wrong, Diavolo,” I whispered.
“Am I now? And what makes you say that?”
Levi gave me a panicked glance at my audacity. Barbatos narrowed his eyes.
”I’m the human world representative here.”
“Ah…” Diavolo looked at me with a bit more interest. Respect? “Are you saying that you don’t think I have the right to do as I see fit in this case? That as the human world’s representative, you should have a say in the affairs of demons?”
“I’m saying that as the human world representative, I should have a say in the threat against my world. Made by Belphegor.”
“Chise–" Lucifer whispered his warning, concern on his face.
“No, Lucifer, it’s fine.” He held up a hand to stop him. “All right, then. I see what you’re saying, Chise, and there is some logic to it. So, how about we do this? I am going to assign you a special task. And if you can manage to complete it all by yourself, I’ll let Belphegor go free.”
I raised my eyebrows, waiting. Diavolo smiled at my look.
“I want you to prove that you’re worthy to serve as the representative of the human world.”
“Diavolo.” Lucifer took a step towards my side, as though he were protecting me. “What exactly is this task you’re assigning?”
“Oh, yes. Allow me to explain.” Diavolo glanced at Barbatos, who continued to look impassive. “There’s one thing about the events of the last few days that’s bothering me, you see. There’s something that needs clarification, and I want Chise to provide it.”
“And what would that be?” I asked, uncertainly.
“Lucifer, you were hiding Belphegor in the attic room, which you had sealed using very powerful magic. That door could only be opened through the combined power of six members of your family, excluding Belphegor, correct?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“Chise hasn’t made a pact with you, Lucifer, and yet the door still opened.” Diavolo beckoned. Barbatos stepped forth, eyes fixed to mine, unblinking. “Using Barbatos’ powers, I want Chise to travel back into the past and ascertain exactly who it was that released Belphegor.”
“To travel…!? What?!” I stared at Barbatos.
Barbatos always knows more than what’s good for him.
Never underestimate him.
He… Knows things.
Barbatos simply stood. Watching me.
“It’s possible that some third party is involved in all of this without any of us knowing about it. This concerns me greatly. I want to know exactly what happened."
“What… What exactly are Barbatos’ powers?” I whispered, still not taking my eyes off Barbatos. It was like I were falling into those dark green eyes…
“That is a question that Barbatos can answer for you himself.”
“Whoa, okay, wait a second!” Mammon grabbed my hand fiercely. “We can’t let Chise do somethin’ like this alone! I won’t let ya!”
“Someone should be there just in case…” Lucifer agreed. “What if one of us brothers went along? It could be… anyone–"
Him?
I’d probably take Satan. Sorry, Mammon, but you’re a mess.
“Chise is to go alone. Those are my conditions. My conditions for Belphegor’s release.”
We all deflated.
“Diavolo–!” Lucifer protested. I felt uncomfortable that he was defending me so fiercely.
But I just sighed, tearing my gaze from Barbatos to look at Diavolo.
“All right. But if I end up dead, I’m totally going to haunt you.”
“Pff…. HAHAHAHAHAAH!” Diavolo’s voice boomed with laughter around the room.
“Hey, whoa!” Mammon grabbed my arm, panic in his eyes. “Don’t say stuff like that! If that was supposed to be a joke, it sure didn’t sound like one.”
Right in front of everyone, I grabbed Mammon by the collar of his jacket with both hands, and kissed him.
“MMMFMFFFFF–!” He spluttered, as everyone looked on in astonishment. Diavolo only smiled. After the dance, I think he shipped it. “CHISE–!” I let him go. "RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DEMON LORD, ARE YA KIDDIN’!?!?”
“I’ll come back to you, Mammon,” I whispered to him. He turned red, and his eyes went glossy with tears.
“I’m… sorry for getting you caught up in all of this, Chise,” Lucifer spoke softly. I turned my face to him. Expressionless. I didn’t know what to do or say. “…But it seems that you’re the only one who can help Belphie now. So please...”
Lucifer got down on one knee before me, head bowed.
“...Help him. Please, come through for him.”
I stared in shock.
The Avatar of Pride himself, humbled before me.
We all stared in shock, silence filling the hall. Even Diavolo, who knew him best of all, openly gawked. Barbatos had finally broken his gaze from me, finally blinked, to look at the demon on the floor, kneeled before me.
I felt like I stood there for an eternity. The silence stretched. Everyone was waiting for… something. I felt incredibly awkward as I hesitated.
But I finally reached out my hand, and lightly placed it on the top of Lucifer’s dark head. Hair as fine and as silky as Satan’s.
“Okay.”
Barbatos turned the handle on the door, swinging it inwards. He gestured an arm to welcome me inside with a small flourish. A half-bow. Feeling meek, I stepped inside.
“I have been serving Lord Diavolo for a very long time; much longer than you might think,” he spoke in a low voice to me, facing the door to shut it closed. “But I must say, I never imagined the day would come when I’d actually be showing a human to my room.”
I stood still, unsure of what to do, desperate to be polite. It felt wrong to intrude on a man who clearly valued his privacy’s room. His expression always blankly polite. His careful and correct actions and intonations. He did not want to be… Seen.
I tried to stare mostly at the floor, but I couldn’t help but take a peek as well. What I saw made me finally look up with a gasp. Beautiful… So beautiful… Plants everywhere, healthy, bushy, beautiful plants, reaching out towards the moonlight streaming in through his window. Bundles of herbs dried themselves by his fireplace. A propagation station in the corner. An antique table and chair for one, a precious tea set gracing its top, a small chest with drawers of herbs and teas. Everything tidy and… homely. Organic. Detailed. The aroma of the room was filled with spice, with hints of florals, with fresh soil, with herbs. Beautiful.
This was a very private space.
I looked upon Barbatos’ true personality in amazement. I touched my chest, where my heart lay.
He laughed so softly at the expression on my face. “I’ve been around a VERY long time, Chise, and I suppose you never can tell what might end up happening in an interval as long as that.”
I turned around to look into his eyes. His eyes were so soft right now. At home in his room. He tilted his head and… smiled. My heart fluttered in my chest. He was so unusual… Peculiar…
Beautiful. As beautiful as his room. As green. As lush.
“You still aren’t aware of how my power works, are you?”
I shook my head, feeling incredibly timid.
He gestured to my hand, and I held it out. He took it lightly in his, leading me to sit on his bed. Colour rose to my cheeks as I tried to avoid his gaze. I was unsuccessful.
“I have the ability to see into both the past and the future,” he said softly, taking a seat beside me. And then he… drew his knees up to his chest, putting his arms around them, hugging them to himself. Almost childlike… “And… I can send people to either one by using one of the countless doors in my room.”
My eyes widened, and I looked around some more. Hidden amongst the plant life were… Not doorways that I recognized as doorways, but there they were. There was a shimmer. Everywhere. Secrets behind the vines.
I turned back to look into his eyes. “All of this… Did you know all of this was going to happen?”
He shook his head. “No, I did not. Well, not entirely.” I blinked in confusion. He relented with another smile. “Imagine for a moment what it would be like to know everything that will happen from now until the end of time.” He almost… giggled. Smiling. A sound and an expression I had never seen on his face before. “Why, nothing could possibly be more boring, wouldn’t you agree? Which is precisely why I find it so very interesting and refreshing to have the chance to take a human like you into my room.”
I blushed deeply. I couldn’t help it. He was sat so close to me.
“Now then.” He dropped his voice and crinkled his eyes at me. “I am going to explain several points about travelling to the past – things you must be cautious of. Please listen to me closely, as this is very important.” I nodded, holding his gaze. “First, you must not reveal that you are from the future to anyone you meet in the past. If you were to do so, you run the risk of warping history. For the very same reason, it would not be good if you were to meet your past self. It would probably be best if you didn’t make contact with anyone at all. If you can, ascertain who set Belphegor free and then come right back, without speaking to anyone on the way.”
“That seems…” I finally spoke. “Like that all might be… risky.”
He rested his chin on his knees, nodding at me. “…Ah, yes. I nearly forgot to tell you the most important part. When you wish to return to this world, all you have to do is knock on the door you used to get to the past and then proceed through it. That same door will then bring you back here.” He looked at me. Alive. Engaging. My lips parted as I gazed at his lovely face. “Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
So much. This was all so much. So much could go wrong.
“I’m worried I might mess up, Barbatos,” I confided in him.
“I see.” He nodded. “All we ask of you is that you do your best. Okay?”
I nodded back, still not feeling very reassured, but treasuring the words nonetheless.
“This way,” he whispered as he unfolded himself and stood up, reaching his hand out towards me again. I touched my fingers to his fingers, and he curled his to take mine gently back. He pulled me up from off of his bed and led me to a curtain of vines. He pulled them back, ever so gently. “This is your door, Chise. Feel it. Remember it. And good luck. I will be waiting here for you.” He smiled at me in encouragement.
I touched the door, watching it ripple under my palm.
“…Barbatos?”
“Yes, Chise?”
“You are beautiful.”
I heard a small intake of his breath.
And then I pushed in.
Chapter 21: Chapter 16: Time Loop
Notes:
This chapter has more descriptions of violence, blood, and serious injuries.
As well, I got a new job that starts tomorrow, and I'm expecting it to be high-stress. ;n; But this fic is very important to me and I have plans for chapters 20-40 after this one is finished. I just won't be writing for 8+ hours a day like I am now, so additional chapters will be a biiiit slower.
Chapter Text
“Hey, look who’s here?! Nice work, Satan!” Mammon nodded to Satan slipping into his room.
“Where were you when you disappeared on them?” Levi asked in a hushed voice.
“On the staircase, where the portraits line the walls.”
“Ooooh, ooooh! Are Lucifer and Chise alone together now? Are they starting to get lovey-dovey? Come on, let’s have some details!”
Satan sighed at Asmo. “I left right then and there. How am I supposed to know either they’re getting lovey-dovey? Regardless, now that we’ve got them alone together, they can take the time to open up to each other.”
“Yeah!” Levi bounced on his heels. “If I had to come up with a nice, concise name for this plan, it’d be ‘And Then There Were Two: How to Get Lucifer Alone with Chise, Forcing Them to Having a Heart-To-Heart at Which Point They’ll Suddenly Open up to Each Other, Have a Great Talk, and Totally Make Up.’! …Horror-themed edition.”
“Don’t you mean make ouuuuut?” Asmo raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
“UGH! DON’T SAY THAT!” Mammon growled at him.
“So, how about we have something to eat while we’re waiting?”
“Y’know, Beel, when you disappeared, I could still hear your stomach rumblin’ even though you were hidden. I was seriously scared you’d get us caught there for a minute. I mean, if you wanna disappear on someone, you need to find a way to quiet down that stomach, too!”
“Hey! Don’t ask me to do the impossible.”
“Well, regardless, later on we can go spy on them–"
“–GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
“UGH, Mammon! Not so loud! …EEEEEK!”
“What the?! How can… but… WHAT!?”
“Chise?!” Satan helped to picked me up from off the floor.
“Wh-What’re you doin’ here, Chise!? You’re not supposed to be here!”
“I thought you were supposed to be with Lucifer!” Levi gaped.
Asmo slapped at Satan’s shoulder. “You said you were SURE that you were’t spotted when you slipped away!”
“Right, Chise must’ve followed you here…” Beel grumbled.
“Oh no, there’s no way…” Satan furrowed his eyes at me.
“No, it had nothing to do with you, Satan,” I assured him. "Believe me.”
“See? It wasn’t my fault!”
Beel sighed. “Still, I guess this means that our plan failed.”
“Ugh.” Levi stuffed his hands in his pockets. “So, considering Chise found us, we got no choice but to tell the truth now, right?”
“Awww man…” Mammon looked down at me, disappointed that their plan hadn’t worked.
“Well, we’ve been caught red-handed here,” Beel sighed. “So why not?”
“…Well,” Satan started, guiltily, “as you can see, we didn’t actually vanish. We were trying to get you and Lucifer alone, hoping you’d make up. So to do that, we disappeared on you, one by one.”
“Yeah, and while we were at it, we made it into a horror-themed thing!” Mammon grinned.
“You idiots,” I sighed.
“Y’know, though, it might not actually be too late. Chise, go back to Lucifer! There’s still time, so get goin’! Find Lucifer and patch things up with him!”
“Wow, Mammon actually sounds like a responsible adult right now,” Levi mumbled. “Crazy…”
“He’s right, Chise,” Beel added.
“Yeah! It doesn’t matter if you’re in on the plan too, Chise!” Asmo bounced on his heels. "As long as Lucifer doesn’t know!”
Satan looked at me, pleading with his eyes. “You can’t deny that this is the perfect chance to have a talk with Lucifer, right?”
Oh, you sweet, summer children…
I nodded to them all. I had other agendas to take care of. They would have to go through… everything… all over again. I couldn’t change this history.
“Thanks, everyone,” I whispered to them, before slipping out the door.
Thank you for saving my life later down the road.
I heard voices coming from Levi’s room.
”In order to complete the game, you must defeat the demon that serves as the final boss. It says the boss’ name is Lucifer… How ridiculous. They must think they’ve very funny naming him that. So, that means I’m the boss, and you’re the player character. And if you can defeat me, you’ll win the game...”
I listened at the door for a while, my heart sinking down into the pit of my stomach. I cannot change this history.
”…Come on, let’s go.”
I jumped lightly, not realizing how long I had been standing there. I whipped my head back and forth. Ah…
I laid my palm flat on the wall. “Lilith…” I spoke in a whisper. “The eighth of the eight.”
The edges of the door glowed softly, accepting the answer to the riddle.
I pushed into Lilith’s room.
I raised my hand to touch at the cloth draping over the mantle, rubbing it in my fingers.
It was so warm in here.
I recognize this place. I recognize it very well.
A knock on the door. I jumped. Was I seen?
”I’m coming in, okay?”
Levi peeked his head in with a smile. “Aha, I thought I’d find you in here.”
“Levi...?”
He looked around. “Wait, Belphie’s not here?”
I looked at him in confusion. “Belphie…?”
“Huh, that’s weird… He was just telling me that he was going to stop by your room. Both of you were playing hide-and-seek, right?”
Right… Yes, we were… weren’t we…?
Levi laughed. He looked so happy. So carefree. “He said he couldn’t find you. He looked like he was about to cry. You should go find him. I mean, I guess it’s hard to say who’s it at this point, but still.” He tilted his head at my silence. “Well, see ya later.”
He disappeared back through the door, shutting it after himself.
I guess I should… Go look for Belphie…
I wandered to the bottom of cold the stairwell leading up into the attic. I looked up, feeling dazed. I heard two people… Were they arguing…?
”What scares you is the thought of disappointing Diavolo, isn’t it?! Say something, Lucifer! The old Lucifer wasn’t like this. He wasn’t afraid of what someone else thought of him. He wasn’t pathetic like that.”
I thought him and I were playing hide-and-seek… Weren’t we…?
I thought… We were playing… A horror game…
"You’re free to think whatever you want, Belphegor. Also, I’d say you’ve changed as well.”
I heard footsteps coming down from the stairs above. I ducked under the curve of the stairs, hiding myself in the shadows.
Lucifer took the final step down. He kept one hand on the rail, pausing there, eyes downcast. Silent.
He heaved a sigh, and then walked out of the stairwell, head held high again.
”Someone… Anyone… Please…” Belphie begged from above.
I climbed the stairs. The air felt… heavy, the further up I climbed. Like it shimmered.
I went up to him, my footsteps barely making a sound as I climbed. Quiet. Quiet. The heaviness dissipated as my feet reached the top.
“Somebody help me…”
I touched the door, the cage, looking in.
It… opened.
I stared at it in shock. It just… swung open. As though it had never been locked at all. There wasn’t even so much as a shimmer from the forcefield.
It was down.
Was I too late…? Did I miss whoever had opened the door…?
I stepped through.
Belphie was curled up on the bed, breathing hard, eyes squeezed shut. But asleep. Tormented by his nightmares. Clutching his cow-patterned pillow. But asleep.
I sat down carefully on the bed next to him, touching his hair, sweat plastering it to his forehead.
“Belphie…” I whispered.
“Lilith…” he groaned, pressing his forehead up into my touch. “I miss you…”
“I’m so sorry, Belphie…” I stroked his hair gently. “I am so sorry…”
His eyes flew open at my words, and widened at the sight of me. He threw himself up onto his knees, backing away on the bed. “Wh-What are you doing here…? What are you doing IN here?! The only one who can get in here–"
...Maybe Lucifer left the door open…?
He looked behind me, jaw dropping. His voice came in a whisper. “I don’t believe it. The door… it’s open…” He turned his eyes back to mine. “Did you do that? Did you open it?”
“I… don’t know.” I didn’t know.
“But… you opened the door and came in here, didn’t you? Well then, it had to have been you. Amazing…” And then his face broke into a smile, a genuine smile, an excited smile. Jubilant. “That's amazing, Chise! Ahahaha! YES!” He shuffled forward on his knees, grabbing my hands in his. I stared down at them. "Oh Chise, you’ve set me free! You’ve released me from this prison! You’ve saved me! Thank you so much! I knew it! I knew you’d come through for me!”
“Belphie, I need to talk to you–“
“Ahahaha! There’s no way Lucifer or Lord Diavolo ever imagined THIS would happen! To think that I’d be saved… by a human.”
I dropped his hands, slipping my knees backwards to climb back off of the bed. Standing. Looking down at him. The way he had said human… Venomous.
“Hehehe…” He chuckled to himself in glee. “Hehehe… ahahahahaha! It really is ironic! Ahahahahaha!” He slapped his hands down on the mattress, looking up at me with a grin on all fours. “In any event, Chise, all I can do is thank you. Now I can finally achieve what I set out to do!”
I made a noise in my throat as he suddenly bounded off the bed, landing on his feet before me, still grinning. I stepped back again.
He opened his arms wide, as though to hug me.
I took another step back.
He tilted his head at the look on my face. “What, you don’t want to hug? After… eeeeverything?” His fingers on mine… “Hehe, well… That’s not very friendly of you, Chise.” He gave one of his exaggerated sighs, voice deepening. “I was really hoping to share my joy with you, but okay…”
His power hit me. I gasped, stumbling back. His horns were large, glossy, ram’s horns. His tail long and thin until the peak of it bloomed into soft fur that swished in the air. Splotches that looked like a cow’s markings spread down his neck.
“Oh, Chise… How can I possibly express how I’m feeling right now? What can I do?”
He lunged at me, taking me up in his arms, grip strong, like a vice.
I screamed, kicking at the air as his embrace picked me up from off of the floor. My arms were pinned to my sides. Belphie… He laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Uproariously. Terrifyingly. He grinned at me, shaking his head. His face was so close. I huffed in fear against his face, eyes wide.
“You humans really are foolish, idiotic, weak creatures, aren’t you? You’re so stupid that I can’t help but laugh. Soooooo easy to seduce…” He nuzzled his nose to mine to make the point. His eyes were empty. "Don’t blame me for tricking you, blame yourself for falling for it.” He lightly kissed my cheek. I squirmed in his arms. “If you die, the exchange program will be ruined, and Diavolo’s reputation will be in tatters.”
“I need to…” I gasped. “Talk…"
His empty eyes turned fierce. Hatred flooded into them. His pupils dilated. His voice harsh. “I hate humans, you see. I hate them more than anything in the three worlds.”
He squeezed me harder, forcing out a whiny gasp from me. My ribs strained to keep shape. He was so strong. He was so, so strong. “Hehe… Does it hurt? Finding it hard to breathe? I’m sure it must be very unpleasant.” He pressed his lips to my cheek one more time, lingering, leaning further to breathe into my ear. “I have to say, seeing a human face twisted in pain like this… why, it’s so much fun that I can barely stand it! I… I can’t contain the laughter!”
The force and thunderous sound of his laugh directly against my ear was head-splitting, ringing in my ears. He was squeezing… Squeezing… Squeezing… His power enveloping me… Squeezing… Squeezing…
I felt a rib crack. Another. My lungs compressed.
I’m seeing stars… The stars are black… More and more stars… It’s all going black…
…elp…
Help…
…Hey, wake up.
…You can do this. I know you can find me.
…Please…
I opened my eyes. It was white. No… golden? A golden white. White, with a golden light that streaked through it, shining particles dancing within like dust in a gentle breeze. I was being caressed.
I took in a gasping breath, finally able to breathe again.
But that voice…
“I know you,” I said into the empty, golden air.
Really? You do? Oh, thank you. I knew it was the right choice picking you…
I’ve been waiting for so long, you see. I’ve been waiting for you to come find me.
I nodded. Yes, she had been waiting for so, so long. For me. And me, for her.
My name is Lilith.
“Yes…” I breathed. “Lilith… where have you been all this time?”
I felt a sigh envelope me. A warm breeze.
Following the Great Celestial War, I was near death. My very existence hung by a thread. But thanks to Lucifer, I was reborn as a human. And so I lived out my life, a happy one as a human, never knowing who I was or what had happened to me. But then… after my death, I remembered. I remembered who I was.
Oh, my daughter…
I shivered, my soul responding to the whispered declaration.
I’m worried about Belphie. Not only him, but all of my brothers. Ever since becoming a soul, I’ve been watching over them, and in that time, I’ve forgotten how to get to the Celestial Realm.
Please, Chise…
You shall have my power. I bless you. I bless you with all my soul. So please, Chise. Please save them. You’re the only one who can… Please...
“Why me…?”
My daughter…
I was floating.
“…I mean, Chise went to the PAST… Alone!”
Mammon…
“Like, Chise may seem like someone who’s really got it together and stuff, but there’s a real boneheaded streak there that pops up at the weirdest times! Boneheaded, weak, and super reckless. Oh, and too damn gutsy! You never know when Chise’s gonna take some sorta crazy risk!”
I smiled. I’m sorry, Mammon.
“And, like, that makes me wanna be there just in case. Like, I GOTTA be there, or who knows what’ll happen?!”
I love you, Mammon. I love you so much.
“Mmhm, sure.” Levi grumbled. “Chise is SOOOO special to you… What, are we supposed to be impressed or something?”
Oh, my boy of Envy…
“Ooh, I know exactly what you mean! It’s like, you can’t help but want to lie down together on a bed or a sofa and do all sorts of naughty things–“
I sighed. My Lust…
“…You’d better not do that, Asmo.”
“Excuuuuuuse me, Satan? Could that be jealousy that I hear? Chise is sooooo cute! But don’t worry, I think you’re pretty cute too, Satan.”
“Yeah…!” Levi cut in, a little breathlessly. “Chise really IS cute, don’t you think? A-And sort of… hard not to…”
My heart bloomed into warmth. So he really does like me…
“Wait a minuuuute…” Asmo gasped. “Levi, am I hearing what I think I’m hearing…?”
Satan was similarly shocked. “You’ve only ever been interested in your anime characters, Levi. Has something changed…?”
“Oooooh!” Asmo cooed. “Our little virgin Levi! He has a crush?!”
If I could blush, I would. Virgin…
“Hey, come on!” I heard the blush in his voice. “Stop looking at me like that! Uh… Um, Asmo, you should go to the past and check to see how things are going!”
“Excuse me? I know you’re trying to change the subject, but don’t be ridiculous. I mean, you know that’s impossible. The doors into the past are inside Barbatos’ room, you realize?”
“Sure, but can’t you use your powers to charm Barbatos or something?”
I giggled, the sound echoing out from me softly, until it popped like a bubble. Seducing Barbatos… He could never.
“Ugh, no thank you! I mean we’re talking about Barbatos. If my powers even worked on him, who knows what he might do to me once he ends up charmed? He might kill me. And once the charm wears off, he’ll kill me again! I’m too young for that!”
“Pff, what’re ya, chicken!?”
“Okay then, why don’t you seduce him, Mammon?”
“Me? Um… Really? ………Oh no no no no no! No way that’s happenin’!”
I tittered in the air again. He had thought about it. For me.
“But you really considered it for a second there, didn’t you? You considered seducing Barbatos!”
“N-NO! I didn’t! I mean, if it were Chise, that’d be another story…!”
“Uuuuugh,” Levi groaned. “You don’t need to remind us that you’ve got it bad for Chise, Mammon. Keep it to yourself.”
“Come to think of it…” Satan mused. “Why are we all so hung up on Chise, anyway? It’s hard to believe that a simple human could have this kind of effect on us.”
My boys…
Asmo hummed. “I guess Chise is just special, you know?”
“…Yeah,” Mammon breathed. “Special. That’s it.”
“Still,” Asmo sighed, “let’s be honest. When it comes down to it, out of all of us, I’m the only one Chise has eyes for!”
“You are WELL and TRULY delusional, Asmo,” Satan scoffed at him.
“What’re ya even talkin’ about? I’M the only one whose she’s been–“
“Well, it’s only natural, right? I mean, show me a human who doesn’t find me absolutely irresistible.”
“…Well,” Levi interrupted, mumbling shyly, “I’ll have you know that Chise said that I was a true friend.”
Oh, my Levi…
“You’re all dumb as stumps! Have you all forgotten? I was Chise’s first, after all! So clearly I’M the one deservin’ of all the love!”
A small silence.
“Mammon!” Asmo sounded exasperated. “Don’t be intentionally misleading! You’ve got Satan here thinking that you actually WERE Chise’s first! He’s BLUSHING!”
Oh, Satan…
“Satan, what Mammon really means is that he was the first one to make a pact, okay?”
I heard Satan give a small cough, clearing his throat. “…Pff, like I care.”
“If you don’t care, then why do you look so relieved?” Levi teased. “We can all see it on your face, Satan!”
“Oh, Chise… Come back to us, dammit…”
Mammon…
My boys…
I drifted from them, caught in the air, in the breeze. Their voices faded.
Why wasn’t Beel with them…?
“Belphie…?” Beel’s voice. It echoed in an enclosed space. “Are you in there?”
“Shhh, quiet.” Lucifer's voice.
“…Lucifer? What are you doing down here?”
“He seems to be asleep.”
There was a silence that drifted between them, hanging heavy in the air.
“Beel,” Lucifer finally broke it, “there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“What?” Beel sounded unsure. Awkward.
“When Belphie disappeared, you were the one who it hurt the most.”
Did Lucifer have regret in his voice…? Genuine regret?
“I shouldn’t have lied and told you he was up in the human world. It was wrong of me. Also… I knew how hard it was for you, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you about it… I’m sorry.”
Lucifer? Was sorry? Apologizing?
“…Forget it. It’s fine. Belphie’s back now. So, it’s fine.”
“Beel…”
“But to make up for it, Lucifer… From now on, I want you to trust the rest of us more. Look to us for help and support when you need it. Not just me. I mean all of us – including Belphie.”
“But what if that still isn’t enough, even with all of us working together? What then?”
“That’s easy. At times like that… you can call on Chise to help, of course. Isn’t that right?”
I sighed. Oh, Beel… He would never.
“Yes.” Lucifer agreed. “That’s right.”
“I hope she comes back soon…” Beel murmured.
“Me too.”
I felt weird.
I drifted again.
" This pile of… exchange students... too many…”
"Just choose…”
I sighed. Lilith sighed. We enveloped them.
"That breeze…”
"This page…”
"This is the one…"
I was at the bottom of the stairs. The stairs leading up to the attic. My feet were planted on the floor, on solid ground. I looked around wildly, patting my chest and shoulders. I was solid. What was going on? Why was I here again? Belphie attacked me, but I wasn’t injured at all…
"…and so… or what?!”
I heard an argument.
I slipped out from the heavy door to the attic, sneaking down the hall to the foyer.
“CHISE! HANG IN THERE, CHISE!” Mammon was screaming. Was this when I was dying? But that was in the library. His screams weren’t coming from the library. Why was Mammon screaming?
I peeked around the corner.
“Ahahahaha!” Belphie was doubled over in laughter. “Mammon, you look like such a fool! A human’s about to kick the bucket, and yet here you are panicking as if it’s the end of the world!”
“CHISE… PLEASE…”
“Wooooooow!” Belphie laughed and laughed. “This is so pathetic! I can’t believe it!”
“Belphie…” Lucifer’s voice was low. “You…”
“Belphie!?!” Beel ran to Mammon’s side to cradle me as well. “What have you done!?”
“No no no no, Chise…” Levi’s voice was pitched, choked. “What’s going to happen to Chise?!”
“Chise is a human…” Satan’s hands were over me, covered in red, but he was not incanting. “Her injuries… I can’t…”
He had stopped incanting. He could do no more for me.
“Lucifer!” Asmo rounded on him. “Can’t we do something?!”
Lucifer was silent. Rigid. Terrified…?
“Yes… yes! Perfect! That’s exactly the look I was hoping to see on your face, Lucifer! AHAHAHAHAHA!” Belphie bellowed, grating on the misery and grief hollowing out the room.
“Chise, don’t you die…” Mammon was sobbing into my shoulder. I was… covered. Covered in blood. So much blood. Broken. My god. Was that ALL from Belphie? But what about Lucifer… What about when I was upstairs, squeezed by Belphie… Where was I? No, when was I?
"Chise…”
If you reveal that you are from the future, you run the risk of warping history. It would probably be best if you didn’t make contact with anyone at all. If you can, ascertain who set Belphegor free and then come right back, without speaking to anyone along the way.
I could not abandon this timeline. I felt it in my bones. I’m sorry, Barbatos.
I stepped out from the corner where I was hid.
Levi caught my movements out of the corner of his eye, and gave a high-pitched squeak. “WH-WHO IS THAT!?”
“Chise?!” Asmo’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what’s going on?!”
Lucifer’s eyes were wide. He was frozen to the spot, staring at me.
Satan looked back and forth between myself and the body on the floor, eyes drained. “There are two Chises…?”
“What…?” Belphie stared. Shocked.
“S-So,” Beel murmured, looking down at the mangled body between them all, “the Chise that Mammon’s holding is…”
Gone.
“Wh…wh-wh-whaaat…the?!”
Mammon scrabbled at the air, patting himself, blood all over his clothes. My blood. All over his clothes.
“Mammon’s Chise disappeared…” Asmo whispered.
Levi’s face was broken. My heart ached. “The Chise that Mammon was holding was a fake, right? And this one here is the real Chise, right? RIGHT?”
Satan shook his head. “…No, that’s not right.”
“As to the question of which one is real…” Lucifer finally crossed his arms, but it was more like he was hugging himself. “They both are.”
I nodded to them all, slowly, not speaking.
“Wha? …Huh? …Wha? Wh-Wh-What?!”
Mammon’s face was still streaked with tears. I’ve cost him so many tears. I owed him so much.
“…What the HELL!” Belphie bellowed, furious. “I don’t get what’s going on here! How could a human have the willpower to cling to life like that?!” He fixed me with his dangerous stare, power unfolding again. “Well, whatever. Even willpower as strong as this has to have a limit, right? A breaking point?”
“BELPHIE!” Lucifer swung around to him again.
“Time to DIE, CHISE!”
Belphie lunged across the room towards me.
“LILITH–!” I screamed at him, right before his fingers closed around my throat.
“Don’t you DARE say Lilith’s name, human! You don’t have the right!”
I felt Mammon’s terrible power fill the room like a storm, but it only caressed me, protecting me. No, my love, don’t fight, don’t fight him, don’t kill your brother, you will never forgive yourself. Give me a chance. Give me the chance to fix this.
“LILITH LIVED, AND SHE WAS HAPPY!” I cried, fingers scrabbling futilely to try and free myself from Belphie's grip.
He stared at me, teeth bared. Frozen.
“She lived as a human…!”
“What’re ya talkin’ ab–“
“Chise…” Lucifer breathed. “How do you…? How do you know that?”
Belphie’s fingers released me all at once, dropping me to the floor. I fell on all fours, gasping, hand raising to touch my throat. I was so fucking tired of being choked.
Mammon’s power ebbed as I was released, ever so slightly. Don’t fight. He’s not touching me anymore. Don’t fight. It’s okay. I connected with him, pleading.
“What do you mean by that…” Belphie murmured, looking down at the ground, but not seeing me. Lost in himself. “What do you MEAN, how did she KNOW, Lucifer…?”
I looked up into Lucifer’s eyes, pleading. Choose to do the right thing. Again.
He sighed, his face breaking into sorrow.
“I have a lot to explain. To all of you.”
“So then…” Beel was looking down at his hands, twisting them. “In the Great Celestial War, Lilith didn’t–“
“She didn’t die!? That’s what you’re sayin’?!”
I was still kneeling at Belphie’s feet, not daring to move, but wanting to crawl over to Mammon and Satan. So badly.
“She lost all memory of her previous life, and was reborn as a human…” Levi breathed.
“She lived out her life… And then she just… died?” Asmo murmured.
“Y-You’re lying!” Belphie still had his back to all of them, with me at his feet. “Lie! Lies lies LIES! All of it! As if you could ever trust the word of a HUMAN! Or–or–“
“It’s the truth,” Lucifer spoke softly.
“I don’t believe it… can’t… Lilith…”
“Even so, how is it that you know all this, Chise?”
“I heard it from Lilith herself,” I answered, quietly.
“From Lilith…?” I broke at the hope in Beel’s voice.
“It’s true that Lilith was reborn as a human, yes…” Lucifer shook his head. “But you should not forget how much time has passed since then. Lilith has long since passed away. Tell me the truth, Chise. Who told you about Lilith?”
"Chise isn’t lying.”
We all whipped around, Belphie included.
“Chise spoke the truth.” Diavolo strode into the House. Barbatos… Behind him. Impassive. Silent. Knowing.
“Diavolo…?” Lucifer took a step back.
“The truth?” Levi looked back to me. “But how?”
“Also, yet another fact has been made clear as well.” Diavolo met my gaze, eyes twinkling. “Chise… you are the distant descendant of the human Lilith. That is how the room to the attic opened. She was the sixth sibling. Well done, Chise.”
I nodded my confirmation to the room.
A shocked silence, tense, heavy in the air, begging to be broken.
“Chise…” The silence snapped at Beel’s voice. “Is Lilith’s… descendant?”
“…What.” Belphie’s voice was flat.
“Lord Diavolo ordered me to look into the matter, and so I did.” Barbatos held my gaze again in his peculiar way. But… I no longer felt intimidated. How could I, ever again, after seeing his true self? I gave him a true smile. And his… ever so gently… softened in his gaze. Knowing. A secret. “It wasn’t easy to trace down Lilith’s lineage, but there can be no doubt, it’s true.”
“Yes,” I breathed. “I had a feeling that was the case."
My daughter…
“So,” Diavolo winked at me, “somewhere on the inside, you knew? Tell me, Chise, have you ever had visions of Lilith’s past memories? I’m guessing you have.”
I thought back to the vision I had seen where Lucifer had cradled Lilith in his arms, begging for mercy from Diavolo. That wasn’t Lucifer’s memory I had merged with. Or Diavolo’s. It was Lilith’s.
I nodded. “I have, yes.” I turned to Lucifer, voice softening. “No matter how far apart we may be, no matter how much time passes, even if someday you’re no longer yourself… I’ll never forget you. And I’ll always pray that you find happiness… Always.”
In shock, I watched as Lucifer fell to his knees. A broken man. He gasped at me, mouth open, his face white. “…I love you…” was all that he said in return.
“Lilith.” I finished it for him, feeling odd again. I love you, Lilith. That’s how it had went.
“Those words…” he whispered from the floor. “Those words were the very last words I said to Lilith before she was taken away from me. Chise, how could–"
“Being a former angel,” Diavolo answered, “Lilith may have retained some of her celestial powers deep inside, even after being reborn as a human. Those powers, as well as her memories, must have passed down to her descendants, from generation to generation.”
Lucifer still stared up at me, face white as a sheet. He looked faint. “Lilith…”
But then he choked. Got up. And ran to me.
He swept me up in his arms, holding me tight. I gasped at his embrace. Warm. His dark hair brushed against my face. He had never, never touched me in kindness before. I was stunned. I did not hold him back.
“I don’t believe it…” he whispered against my ear. “Lilith…”
Add to the pile of your regrets, Pride… But my heart wasn’t in the thought.
Mammon had slumped in his place on the floor. “Is this for real…?”
“Th-This is really true?” Levi took a tentative step towards Lucifer and I.
“I looked into Chise’s ancestry once the selection paperwork for the exchange program came in. Human lifetimes are short, after all. So while I did have to trace back far into the mists of time, I was able to verify it. There is no doubt: Chise is a distant descendant of Lilith.”
“Chise…!” Mammon pulled himself up from off of the floor, running towards me.
Through the fur of Lucifer’s cape, I saw Beel beaming. “This is so hard to believe… Who would’ve thought…”
“This is like something out of a dream…!” Asmo peeped, emotional.
“I suddenly feel incredibly warm, and happy,” Satan laughed softly. “Do you think it’s because I was born with Lucifer’s emotions? I wonder…”
They all descended upon Lucifer and I, dragging me into a warm pile of hugs. Mammon kissed the top of my head, over and over. Satan’s hand on my back, and then his cheek as he leaned in to rest it between my shoulder blades. Beel’s head on my shoulder as he wrapped around me too. Even Levi, tentatively brushing his fingers against mine, reaching into the pile that he stood apart from. I slipped my hand in his, pulling him closer. Asmo pushed in on his knees to wrap his arms around my leg. I placed my other hand on the top of his head. Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t know how to feel. But they were my family.
“Now, now, everyone.” Barbatos chided us all. I saw unguarded amusement in his eyes. “Don’t throw your arms around Chise all at once. Think about how it would feel being mobbed by all of you like that.”
It felt… wonderful.
“Belphegor?” Diavolo turned to him. “Don’t you want to hug Chise, too?”
I had forgotten about Belphie.
He stood rooted to the spot, face as white as Lucifer’s. Meeting his gaze seemed to finally break the spell that held him motionless.
“This can’t…” he breathed. “I almost…K-Killed… A-Again… N-N-No. It can’t be! It can’t, it can’t, it can’t!” His voice was becoming more and more shrill, out of control. “You’re telling me Lilith wasn’t dead, that she was reborn as a human…? And this human is actually a distant descendant of the human Lilith…? Impossible! There’s just no way! I… I REFUSE to believe that! There’s no way…” His voice broke into a sob. “There’s no way that Chise would just happen to be chosen for the exchange program! It’s all too perfect!”
“Belphie…” Beel tried to reach out to him.
“Someone must be trying to trick me!” His voice was high, shaky, broken, punctuated by choked-back sobs. He was taking steps back away from me, shaking his head. “Trying to lure me into a trap! That has to be it! W-Well I don’t buy it! You can’t fool me like that!”
“I’m so sorry that you had to find out the truth this way,” I spoke softly, mustering as much empathy as I could into my words.
He stopped, eyes wide, stressed, tense. A whine escaped from his throat.
“Belphie…” Asmo sighed. “You can’t hate humans forever.”
“He’s right.” Satan backed Asmo. “Lilith was reborn as a human. She always wanted to spend more time in the human world, so I’m sure she lived a happy life. She must have, to have…” I felt him smile against my back. I arched against him.
“Lilith…” Belphie whined.
He broke down into noisy sobs, shoulders heaving and shaking as he lowered his face into his hands.
“…Pff, you fool. You’re s’posed to be HAPPY, y’know?”
“I…I almost…” he tried to speak through sobs, hiccuping.
Mammon sniffled too.
“I am… so sorry…” He was hunching over, starting to slide down to the ground. I struggled out of everyone’s arms, but they all let me go at once. I rushed to Belphie and swept him up in an embrace before he fell. “It was my fault, it was all my fault…” I felt his tears on my neck. “If I hadn’t been so interested in humans, Lilith would’ve never ended up involved with them. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t invited Lilith down to the human world with me, she never would’ve met that man! I’m so sorry! And then during the war, I couldn’t protect her either! I was so close, right beside her! Lilith was right there!”
I petted his hair. I petted and petted as he sobbed against my neck. He shook uncontrollably in my arms, fists balled into my shirt.
“I didn’t notice… I didn’t notice! I didn’t notice and I wasn’t able to protect her! It’s all my fault! I’m sorry! Lilith!”
“Belphie…” Beel breathed behind me.
“I never knew you felt that way, Belphie…” Levi whispered.
“No,” Lucifer contradicted him. “You’ve got it wrong. It wasn’t your fault, Belphie. I wish I’d told you that sooner.”
Belphie still shook in my embrace, crying, but he quieted to listen. I kissed his hair.
“Come,” Lucifer commanded, glancing down at the pool of blood that still soaked the rug of the foyer. My blood. “Let’s… gather in the sitting room to talk."
Mammon sat beside me, clutching my hand as though I were about to float away. His jeans and shirt were still soaked in blood, though I had at least convinced him to wash his hands. Beel was technically beside me as well, but Belphie was on his lap, small, cuddled, small, and almost pushing onto my lap as well.
“Here you go. It’s a special Mandragora blend.” Barbatos served us tea. I marvelled at the strange man, who could so casually brew tea at this time.
“Yaaaaay!” Asmo chirped. “Afternoon tea prepared by Barbatos!”
“H-Hey, hey, Chise, wanna t-try some of this?” Mammon grabbed at a little pastry on the plate before us. He was still emotional. “O-Oh, ya gotta try these muffins here too!” He deposited the muffin in my lap. I shook my head, smiling.
“Here.” Satan offered me a dainty plate. “I’ll give you this piece of cake as well.” Eyes twinkling. Loving. Doting.
“Satan!” I laughed, looking back at him fondly. “I only have so many hands!"
“Pff… Satan, that’s way too big! Looool.”
Beel reached over Belphie and deposited another treasure into my lap. “I was planning on eating this myself, but here, you can have this scone too, Chise.” I had never seen his face look so bright and happy.
“Guys, pleeeeease!” I sighed in exasperation, but smiling broadly. Oh, my boys.
Asmo threw his hands up into the air, nearly upsetting his teacup. “Did Beel just give his food to someone ELSE!? …BEEL!?”
“Hey…” Belphie’s voice, muffled, came from near my waist. “Don’t snuggle up to Chise like that, Asmo… You’re too close… I’m the one who gets to sit here. Don’t butt in.”
Hesitantly, I rested a hand on Belphie’s side. He seemed to curl up tighter around himself. Beel reached down and petted him, too.
“Awwwww, come on. Can’t you see that I love Chise so much I can’t help it?! You can have Chise’s right side, Belphie. That’s all you need, right? The left side’s all mine, ‘kay?”
“HEY! WHAT AM I, INVISIBLE?! THIS IS MY SIDE!” Mammon shoved Asmo away. “AND THAT’S MY LAP! Y’know what!? You’re ALL too close to Chise! Get away! Go on, SHOO!”
Barbatos sighed, snatching up a serving tray before the struggle could unseat it.
“Uuuugh…” Levi groaned. “It must be nice being so popular, you… you NORMIE! …Um, but you’re the one normie I actually like, okay?”
“I love you, Levi.” I grinned at him.
I was rewarded with a deliciously confused eep and a beet-red face. Satan only sighed.
“All of you, that’s enough,” Lucifer finally cut in sternly. “You’re making Chise uncomfortable.”
More like we’re all making you uncomfortable, Lucifer.
“Hahahaha!” Diavolo boomed. “There must have been so many things you’ve all wanted to do for Lilith over the years!”
My heart sunk at his words. But…
I’m not Lilith.
I looked around worriedly at my boys fawning over me, doubt gripping me.
I caught Belphie’s gaze as he peeked up at me from my elbow.
“Is something the matter, Chise?” Barbatos asked, smoothly.
I didn’t want to reveal my true doubt, so I grasped at another, looking back up to Barbatos. “Do you think I warped history, Barbatos?”
The way the other me had just vanished…
My boys as they discussed me in my dream, loving me, spilling the beans on their feelings for me, wishing that I would come home.
But I didn’t go home to them. I never went back through the door. Did that mean… that those boys… would be mourning my loss? Did those boys lose me?
“Ah…” Barbatos responded, resting his chin on his knuckles. “I take it you’re worried about the other Chise’s disappearance?”
Mammon’s hand gripped mine harder. There was still blood dried in his nail beds. It would take more than a few minutes of scrubbing to get that out.
Barbatos came to me, and I was surprised as he got down on one knee, to look into my face at my level. The others squirmed a bit away from me as well to give him space, awed, intimidated? Mammon had released my hand in his own surprise, so Barbatos took that one. Gently. Like he had in his room.
“I know I told you that I have the power to see both the past and the future, but the truth is that there’s one more secret – something I still haven’t mentioned. You see, I have the power to select from any number of different potential realities and make any of them into sole reality.”
I gaped at him. No one… No one should have that power…
Suddenly, his strange impassiveness, his correctness, his rigidity in his mannerisms and the way he composed himself…
He bore the responsibility with the greatest respect for it.
Thank the stars that this power manifested in a man who took great care to control it. To control himself.
But it also made me sad. To see the sweetheart in his little room having to compose himself so, so carefully. To restrain himself this way.
For thousands and thousands of years.
“Within the various potential realities,” he continued, “there are an infinite number of versions of Chise… however, in the sole reality I chose, the one and only Chise is the one right here. That’s why the previous Chise disappeared while you remained.”
His eyes twinkled. I was floored. No one should have that power… Not even him.
“You know,” Asmo sighed in his intimidation, “I notice how you sort of smiled as you said all that, but, umm…”
“As far as abilities go, that’s a pretty powerful one to have, don’t you think?” Satan’s eyes were likewise as wide as mine.
“The Legend of Barbatos: Most Powerful of All Beings…” Levi wondered.
“Eh, details. Who cares about all that complicated stuff?” Heavy shit rolling off of Mammon’s shoulders, as usual. “We got our Chise back. That’s all that matters to me."
“Good point.” Beel reached to place his hand on the top of my head. I liked that this was a thing people in the Devildom did to me. “It’s thanks to Barbatos’ powers that we’re now all together like this.”
“Chise…?” Belphie spoke from my shoulder. “Would you like to have another cup of tea…?”
“Oooooh! I’ll pour it!” Asmo reached eagerly.
“Oh no you don’t!” Belphie finally sat up, slapping him away. “I’M pouring it!”
Barbatos sighed, slipping his hand from mine, stepping away to avoid the scuffle.
I felt regret as his hand slipped away.
“Yo, morons! I’M the one who pours Chise’s tea… ALL of it!” Mammon slapped at them both.
“Honestly…” Lucifer sighed. But out of the corner of my eye, I caught him smiling. “You’re all hopeless.”
Diavolo was chuckling to himself. Or, very nearly giggling, honestly.
What a puppy.
“And what’s so funny, Diavolo?” Lucifer shot him a glance.
“I told you, didn’t I, Lucifer? I told you that encouraging exchange between humans, angels, and demons would end up being advantageous to us. And see? I was right.”
“What can I say? As always, Diavolo… You win."
“Barbatos…!” I called after him. Both Diavolo and him turned, quirking an eyebrow at me.
“B..B-Barbatos, I wondered if, ah, if I could… have a word with you.” I looked lamely at the floor, my voice trailing into a whisper at the end. Without Diavolo.
Diavolo slapped a hand on Barbatos’ shoulder, the force of it only slightly swaying Barbatos on his feet, nodding. “I shall wait for you in the foyer.”
“As you wish, Young Master.”
And then, we were alone.
He looked down at me, impassive.
I searched his face, looking. For recognition. Anything.
But he wore his mask well.
He didn’t ask me to continue, to ask me why I had stopped him. He only stood, waiting. Empty face. Dark eyes. Steward.
“I…” I gasped, intimidated. “I just… w-wanted to…”
What did I even try to stop him for?
“I-I-I w-wanted to say… Your plants…!”
At this, he tilted his head slightly, a subtle gesture. “My… plants?”
“I-I-In… your room…” I whispered. “The plants in your room…”
“Ah, I see.” The lightest bit of interest touched his irises. “It appears that I must have taken you into my room, in another timeline, to be here now. Yes, I suppose I did, to send you here.”
I gaped. Of course. Of course. This was a different Barbatos.
“Interesting… to have had a human in my room,” he mused. "I never imagined the day would come when I’d actually show a human to my room.”
“You… said that too. Word for word,” I whispered.
Why, nothing could possibly be more boring, wouldn’t you agree? Which is precisely why I find it so very interesting and refreshing to have the chance to take a human like you into my room.
I blushed again.
He made a sound of amusement in his throat. “I imagine that I did. I shall have to… revisit the moment, perhaps. So, you are aware of my powers. And of my room. I wonder, then, what it is that you saw in there…”
And then there it was, the twinkle touching his eyes. A child-like expression of delight. Of interest. Of mischief. Amusement. Engagement.
I broke out into a smile, recognizing him again. I felt relieved. Comfortable again.
“You were saying, Chise, that you enjoyed my plants. I take it, then, that you delight in botany yourself?”
“I do,” I replied, softly. “Before I was taken here… I had…” I trailed off. “I wish I could have shown… But… they would be…” Very much dead by now. “Gone.”
His mouth parted. His carefully-masked features melted, ever-so-subtly. But it was there. He was moved.
“I… see.” He sighed. “It seems that… we had been very careless indeed, when we took you from your world. I did not…” He looked uncomfortable. Actually uncomfortable. “I did not think.”
“Anyway…” I continued. “I just wanted to– No one else, um, I mean, I haven’t seen– I wondered–" I was babbling now, not making any sense. Undone by this strange man. “I wanted to… grow. Again. But the plants here…”
He took my meaning. “Ah, yes. The plants of the Devildom must be very strange to you indeed, Chise. Instead of sunlight, they feed on the moonlight of this world, you know. I imagine that human world plants require different care than our own.”
I nodded.
“To have such a rewarding hobby removed from your life – I imagine that would foster homesickness."
I nodded again, shyer this time. “I… was put into a room that already had plants, but… I guess I’ve been getting lucky so far, caring for them…”
“And you would like to know more?”
“From a master.” I looked up at him with wonder in my eyes.
His widened.
And he blushed.
My mouth parted in surprise.
He cleared his throat, recovering. The blush retreated as quickly as it had arrived. “Well, that will not do, Chise, for you to be left in the dark, so to speak. I have many books on the subject, and… ah. Please, if you would loan me your D.D.D.”
I took it out of my pocket, laying it in his outstretched hand. Characteristically gloved, of course.
He brought it to his face.
“Here is my number, Chise.”
His number. I blushed harder.
“We shall be in touch. I have a number of starters that are ready for… care.” He looked at me again, handing me my phone. “For patience, and for a nurturing heart.”
“Yes,” I breathed. “I think I could provide that.”
He nodded, a small smile curving on his lips. “If that is all, Chise, I really must return to My Lord’s side.”
“Of course, Barbatos. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He flourished me with a bow. I smiled, and gave a little curtsy in response.
“Until next time, human Chise.”
I laughed. “Until next time, demon Barbatos.”
He gave me another amused glanced, but I already saw the impassiveness folding back in on him. He smoothed the creases on his face as he turned around, walking away.
Chapter 22: Chapter 17-A: Generous Greed
Chapter Text
I knocked on Mammon’s door. My heart was in my throat again.
“Who is iiiiiiiiiit?” Sweet voice.
I grinned. “You know who it fucking is.”
I waited. And waited. And waited.
The door burst open, Mammon-style. It was a wonder that the thing still stood on its hinges, honestly.
And just like in Mammon-style, I was swept up into his arms again.
“Chise…” he sighed into my hair, spinning me.
I made a little noise of delighted surprise in my throat. Not at the hug, but because of the whole him-being-shirtless thing that he had going on right now. He was only wearing his pyjama bottoms. I hadn’t seen him without his shirt since… Well. Since I was laid out flat on my bedroom floor.
I glanced over by the door. Bloodied jeans, bloodied shirt, in a crumpled heap. He had taken them off the moment he had found sanctuary in his bedroom.
He dropped me, leaning down, and kissed me deeply. I ran my hands up his bare chest, my fingers dancing up his muscles, sighing against his mouth. I didn’t really think that I went for muscles, but wow, he was really, really fine. I felt heat pool inside me as he deepened the kiss.
But we needed to talk first.
I came up for air, breaking free, and slid a finger between our lips to stop him. He opened his eyes to meet mine, and placed a kiss on my finger. His bright blue eyes, decorated with flecks of gold.
“Mammon…”
He shook his head. “I don’t wanna.”
“But we gotta.”
“I don’t wanna.”
He didn’t want to talk about it. I sighed against my finger, pulling my face away from him to study him closer. His eyes were a bit puffy, a bit bloodshot. He had been crying. He looked at me sulkily. He didn’t wanna. But it was going to happen, one way or another.
I dropped from my tiptoes back onto the flats of my feet, releasing my finger from between our mouths to trail down the centered dip in his chest.
“Let’s take a shower. Okay?”
“Heh?” His face reddened. “With me? You and me? In the shower? Together and all that?”
“Pfff.” I laughed at his expression. “That’s what I said. Let’s. Implying, you and me. Dummy.”
“Are ya trying to put the moves on me, Chees?” His mischievous grin split on his face.
I grinned back. “Maybe a little.”
The shampoo should get the rest of the blood out from his fingernails, too.
“Welp,” he picked me up, bridal style again, spinning us around as I laughed, “I’d say that’s a damn good idea.”
***
The moment he had the shower running, his lips were on mine, and I was groaning against him, hot, anticipation flooding me like a burst dam. His hands dipped to my hips, running up my bare sides as he slid them up underneath my shirt. He broke our kiss with a sigh, before moving down to my neck. He bit me there suddenly, and sucked. I gasped at the sudden pressure, not unpleasant, not quite painful, as he sucked hard. He was going to leave a mark. I moaned as my fingers melted into his thick hair, pulling his face closer to me.
He found my bra strap and snapped the back of it lightly, making me jump with a squeak. He released my neck, laughing at my reaction. Pinch, tug, release, I felt my bra fall slack over my shoulders underneath my shirt. Fuck fuck fuck. He was so hot.
“Get. This. Off.” he commanded me, lifting my shirt over my breasts. I obeyed, raising my arms for him to slip it off of me. My bra undone straps slipped down my shoulders as I lowered my arms back down, the cups of my bra falling away to hang at my wrists.
He pulled his face away to look down at my chest, humming happily in appreciation.
I looked down myself, quirking an eyebrow at him at the obvious desire tenting in his pants. He only grinned, smug, before burying his face down into my cleavage. I sighed as I cradled his head, pressing my arms a bit to my side to make my cleavage a bit more obvious. He kissed and licked between my breasts, before moving, slowly, to one nipple, taking it in his mouth, nipping down. I flinched and squeaked again. He released, laughing.
He reached up to brush the pad of his thumb against the other, the roughness of the caress drawing it out to attention. His other hand slipped down to my hips again, where he danced his fingers to the front of my jeans.
I felt a release of pressure there, as the top bottom came undone.
I pressed my hands to the side of his face and pulled him in, kissing him fiercely, groaning, needing, rolling my hips forward to try and connect with his. He kissed me back, slipping his tongue into my mouth with a moan of his own, and I met it with mine. The heat of the shower was filling the room with steam as our hands ran up and down each other’s bodies. I ran mine down his muscular back, sighing in the pleasure of touching him.
“Now get these off too,” he huffed at me during a break in our kiss, pulling the zipper of my jeans down to its seat.
I obeyed, shimmying my hips in a sway as I pulled them down, down with my panties as well. Because fuck ‘em. I didn’t want to play the slow game he had played with me before. He took a step back from me and ran his eyes up and down at my nudity as he unknotted the tie on his own pants, pulling his down as well.
My eyes widened at his erection again.
He grinned in smug satisfaction. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna get tired of that look. And of you…” He came back to me, pressing his arousal against my belly, tongue in my mouth again, cupping my jaw. I clung to him, keening my own need, wet, wet, already wet.
He grabbed me by the waist, pulling me into the hot shower, peppering me with kisses over and over again.
As the water hit me, I let out a gasp, and grasped him by the shoulders to pull him away from me. “W-WAIT! Wait!”
He looked startled, and then concerned. “Somethin’ wrong? Did I hurt ya?”
“N-No. I’m sorry. I just… Have to say something before this keeps going, or it’s not fair to you.”
He groaned. ”Noooooooooow?”
“Y-Yes. I’m sorry. I have to.”
He pulled me close to him by the waist, cupping my cheek. I could still feel his erection pressed against me, but he looked at me fondly, stopping.
“Y-You might… Actually, you probably won’t like it. Actually, you won’t like it at all, I’m pretty sure. I’m expecting that you will kick me out of here. But I can’t be with you again in this way without you knowing…"
“Never.”
“B-But…”
“Spit it ouuuuut!” His face was really worried now. I realized that I was just making this worse.
“M-Mammon…”
“Yeah?”
“Are we… Um, are we serious? L-Like… Together? Are we serious together? Are you serious about me? Like–" I babbled nervously.
His eyebrows shot up as he looked at me, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
“Well…” he said, considering. “You LITERALLY called me your boyfriend. Like, multiple times. So, duh. Yeah, I’m serious about ya, dummy. Pff. Like, pfffffffffff. Dammit… Dammmiiiiit.”
I inhaled sharply. “I– Y-Yes. I did. Shit. Fuck. Mammon. I…”
He touched my face, frowning.
“I-I-I love you,” I spluttered.
“Yeeeeeeeeah?” He narrowed his eyes at my nervousness. “Well, I love you too. Really for real seriously really. But ya already know that. And I already know that. So what else is there? Spit it out.”
“S-Satan kissed me!” I blurted. “...We kissed."
His jaw dropped. His eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his head.
The rushing sound of the running water roared through my ears.
But it seemed like it wasn’t even there at all.
Silence, between us.
“…Huh…” he finally said, quietly. “That… sonuva bitch. Well, do I kill him?”
“Wh-What?”
“I mean,” he sighed, “do I gotta kill the guy for ya? ‘Cause I don’t really wanna. But, like, if he did that against your will or somethin’, then I gotta go kill him. Which would be such a draaaaaaag. Because he’s my brother, ugh, and then all my other brothers would get all mad and stuff. And uggggghhhhh, you chose the scary one tooooooo. Well, damn. At least it ain’t Lucifer. If I had to beat him up I’d be smeared.”
I stared at him, confused. “Ch…Chose…?”
He sighed. “…Yeah. I know Satan woulda never done that against your will. He’s not like that. I mean, pff, Asmo might, but not him.”
I felt like a rabbit caught in a trap. I didn’t know what to say.
“If you… We…” I stumbled over my words. “M-Mammon, if you say right now, right fucking now, that you and I… A-Are e-exclusive... There is nothing I wouldn’t–“
“It’s okay, Chise.” His voice was so soft that I almost didn’t hear it over the roar of the water.
“W-What…?”
”It’s okay, Chise,” he reiterated. And then he pressed his mouth to mine. My lips trembled against his. I felt tears pricking my eyes.
He broke apart from me.
“I-I-I don’t… Understa–“
“I mean, do I LIKE it? Pfff… But, I need you to be happy. Really, really happy.”
“I-I’m happy… With YOU.”
“I know.” He looked at me, seriously.
“…Mammon, I don’t like playing these sorts of games! If you’re testing me, I’m not playing! Please! Tell me we’re exclusive! Or… Or leave me over this!”
“Nah.” He smiled at me. “I ain’t doin’ either of those things.”
I shook my head, still not understanding.
He sighed at me, and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “All right, Chise. Real talk. No sass. No games. We demons, we brothers, have lived for thousands and thousands of years, right? Well, Satan don’t have as many thousands to him compared to the rest of us, but,” he stroked my cheek with his thumb, “bein’ with just one person is kinda just a dumb human custom, y'know? If you catch my meaning.”
I just looked at him, amazed, and worried.
He kissed me gently, the gentlest kiss he’d ever given me, his lips barely brushing against mine. He pulled away, and we looked at each other, faces close.
“As for me… I ain’t looking for anyone else. Don’t want anyone else. We… You don’t… Have…” He stopped himself, taking in a ragged breath.
My eyes widened. I don’t live for thousands and thousands of years.
My life was just a drop in the bucket for him. He could afford to just be with me, just me, thousands of times over, and it still wouldn’t even come close...
Oh, Mammon… What was I doing to you?
His choice. His choice. Let him make his choice.
“Anyway, when would I even have the time for anyone else, huh!? You’re always rushin' off to do stupid shit and there I am, chasing after ya! All the damn time!” He cleared his throat. He had gotten choked up. “…But that doesn’t mean you gotta be the same way. And no, this ain’t a test, I promise. I’m not gonna get resentful. Jealous, maybe… Well, obviously, duh. Ugh. So don’t go kissin’ anyone else in front of me, or I might kill ‘em. You tell that asshole book nerd that I said that! I’m still stronger than him! I’ll deck him out cold! So you tell him that.”
I nodded, feeling meek.
“Good. You’d better. ‘Cause damn. I don’t wanna have THAT conversation with him. He kinda has anger issues.”
I spluttered out a surprised laugh. Well, wasn’t that the truth.
“And just so we’re clear… this is all as long as you come crawlin’ back to MY bed when I call ya,” he growled, gripping me closer. “Understand?"
I turned red at the crassness of his words. He petted my cheek.
“I’m serious, Chees. I’m okay, and we’re okay, and it’s all gonna be okay. I love ya. ...There, I said it proper AGAIN. So now it’s official. WE’RE official.”
“I love you so fucking much, Mammon.”
He grinned at me. “And how could you not? I am THE Great Mammon, after all.”
I grinned back at him. “Yeah. You are.”
“Say it.”
“THE Great Mammon.” I laughed. “My Mammon."
“That’s my girl.” A sultry touch returned to his voice, and I blushed. “Now… If you’ll excuse me… I gotta reclaim that mouth proper.”
He laughed at my expression – his own turning into a shit-eating grin – before leaning in to devour my mouth again. I jumped as he pressed his arousal back up against me, my eyes flying open in surprise at his readiness. He snickered at my reaction.
But I wanted something in particular. Surprising him with the sudden force, I pushed him up against the shower tile, slipping my tongue into his mouth. Water thundered around us, and he slapped backwards. He moaned against me, and I felt his erection jerk against my belly in need.
I broke the kiss, trailing my lips down the side of his mouth, down to his jaw, down his neck.
“Oh…” he breathed.
Down his collarbone, down his chest, down his ribs. Licking, nipping, kissing.
“Chise…” he gasped.
Down his stomach…
“Chise, are you sure…? It’s… You don’t have to. Seriously."
I stopped my press of kisses briefly to look up at him with a grin. “Well, I’m going to TRY.”
“Pffff–! Ohhh…” He let out a laugh, and then a little groan as I kissed his hip bones. He rolled his hips towards me, his erection sliding against my neck. He sighed at the feeling of my skin against his. “Oh, good girl…”
I turned my face towards his cock, and lightly kissed his shaft.
“Ah…” It twitched against my lips.
“So needy,” I teased him.
He shook his head with a smile. “You take your time, okay? Don’t you hurt yourself. I’ll never forgive ya if you do. Stop when you need.”
I nodded up at him, smiling softly, eyes conveying love.
“Here…” He moved us further along until his back was against the far side of the shower so that my face didn’t get drenched, just soaking the back of my hair. He ran his fingers through my scalp along with the pull of the water, playing with the rivulets that ran down my soaking locks. He massaged scalp along with the pressure of the water. I hummed over his member in the pleasure of it.
“Good girl…” he breathed, gently slipping his fingers through my hair, smoothed out by the water. “So good…”
He gasped as I wrapped my small hands around the base of him. He looked down, and I made sure to keep looking up. For now.
“Fuck…” he breathed. “So pretty…”
He guided my head towards him, not forcing, just gently pressing me forward in anticipation. I grinned at his eagerness. He swallowed, his lips parted, desire plain on his face.
I gripped him a little tighter, and then licked the tip of him, slowly, tasting the salt of him. He sighed out a breath that he had been holding as he watched me. I brought my mouth closer, licking again with a little more pressure. I slowly slid the grip I had on him from the base up along his shaft, eliciting a moan from him. He gently rolled his hips forward into a small thrust, begging for more, pumping his own self with my hands.
I brought my lips closer, kissing the tip, opening my mouth, sliding him in. He groaned, fighting back to still his own thrusting so that he didn’t hurt me. My mouth stretched wider as I kept going, taking him in, the whole head of him. I began to rhythmically glide my hands up and down his shaft, from the base to the swell of him, as I ran my tongue along the tip inside my mouth. He gasped and removed his hands from my hair in an effort to resist forcing me, bracing himself against the wall of the shower behind him instead. I slowly slipped my mouth back until I barely held him there, and then slipped him back in, a little further this time, already feeling like my mouth was stretching to its max.
I sucked, I stroked, I bobbed, slowly increasing my tempo. I released his shaft with one of my hands and drifted it down, down, down to rest in a cup under his balls. He gasped and threw his head back at the sensitive touch. I rolled him there gently while my other hand kept stroking him, gripping him tighter as I pumped faster. He was openly keening now. Fuck, I loved it when a partner was vocal, and he hit that preference deliciously. I could see the muscles in his thighs tensing as I increased my pressure on him, sucking, tongue and head moving back and forth as is slipped in and out of my mouth.
“Mmmfff… Chise…"
I choked lightly, spluttering.
"It's okay. You'll never be able to take it all. Just do what ya can. Don't hurt yourself," he sighed the words.
My jaw was aching.
"Take it out, use your hands now, take a break. Good girl. Fuck…”
I jerked him with my hand, faster, harder, catching my breath, lapping at the head of him instead. I swirled the tip of my tongue around the sensitive spot under his head, rewarded with a sharp gasp. The other hand gently increased in pressure on his balls, and he whimpered. He thighs were shaking now.
I put him back in my mouth.
“Fuuuuuck–!” he groaned. “I… Chise Chise Chise… Hold on! Ah–! I want ya, please, I need ya first, pull back, need to, nnnngggg.”
I obeyed, smirking up at him as I left him just at his cusp. He groaned his frustration out. He aaaaaalmost didn’t make it.
“But…” he panted. “I gotta calm down first…”
I squeaked as dove down to press his head against my belly, pushing me back to the other side of the shower where the stream of water overhead missed us at an angle. I held onto the faucet to balance myself as he heaved my leg over his shoulder, opening me for complete access. He eagerly slid his cheek up my inner thigh, reaching me, gazing.
"Don't you dare spend too much time down there," I huffed. "I need you inside me just as badly. Got it?"
He smiled against the lips of me. "Got it, babe. Whatever you want."
“It's you I wan– Ah–!" I threw my head back in a gasp as he used the flat of his tongue against me, from my entrance up to my clit. There he toyed with me, tongue dancing, swirling, his hand that helped to balance me gripping my thighs even tighter to still my squirming. He took my clit into him mouth, sucking, the very very tip of his tongue hitting the exact little spot that sent my nerves shooting into my belly. I cried out into the hot, humid enclosure, my fingers carding through and pulling at his soaked hair. He hummed against me at the pull on his scalp, sucking me deeper.
"Haaaah... Haaaah..." My mouth was lax, my breath coming out heavy in whiny sighs. "Yesssss, Mammon..."
He slid two fingers inside me.
He was prepared for the seize of my leg muscles as I cried out again, forcing my balance by gripping me tight and dragging me further over his shoulder. It worked to press his face right to me as well. My hand fell from his hair to slap wet against the tile behind me as I fought to keep my balance. He pumped me steadily from the get-go, not bothering with anymore teasing.
"Weeeeeettttt..." he breathed against me. "So ready..."
And he wasn't talking about the steaming water that still thundered over us.
He slid his tongue down to my entrance. I quivered in anticipation. He pushed his fingers down slightly, opening me up some more.
He slipped his tongue inside of me.
I moaned low at the wet and hot feeling of his slick tongue joining in with his fingers. He lapped at me greedily, curling and uncurling his tongue, still sliding his fingers in and out of me, curling and uncurling those as well. My legs were shaking as I fought to stay up, one hand gripping the faucet again, the other palm flat on the tile.
"Fuck." He came up for air. "You taste so fucking good! What the fuck.”
"I'm gonna..."
He dove back into me as my moans grew louder and more desperate. His fingers slipped further in, past his tongue, to curve right up to the top of my wall, pressing HARD on my g-spot. I screamed at the sudden pressure, the build-up replaced with a crashing heat.
"Baby girl," he breathed. "Cum now."
But I already was, bliss overtaking me as I rode his face while he fucked me with his fingers and his tongue. He felt me go rigid against him, against the shower wall, and he immediately pushed us forward to hold me there steady while I writhed. His face was deep against me now as he rode me through the ecstasy that pulled me under and over and under again, threatening to drown me as I struggled to gulp for air in the hot and steamy room. I crested and crested to my peak.
And then he caught me in his arms as I went limp down the shower wall with a low groan of my release. He laughed with unadulterated joy against my neck as he wrapped his arms around me. Lips trembling, a weak but genuine smile pulled at the corners of my mouth at the sweet sound. Stars, I was so happy. He held me there on his lap, his erection still pressing into me, but he rocked me there as I recovered, humming happily in my ear.
"That was so good. Wow you're so good. Your face... The way you tense... The way you collapse... Wow, such a good girl. Good girl, Chise. That was so good."
I sighed at the praise, very much enjoying his words. Since when did I have a thing for praise? Since Mammon, I guess. No one else had ever made me feel this good. My smile widened as I slowly lifted my heavy arms to his ribs, slipping them around to his back. He kissed my neck and cheek and ear and jaw, humming and praising and laughing as I started to giggle as his breath tickled me.
He slapped at the handle on the shower, turning it off abruptly. I pulled my face away from his shoulder, only to be abruptly and deeply kissed. I tasted myself on his lips.
He broke away just as abruptly, grinning. "Guess no soap, huh?"
I laughed. "Guess not."
“Well, up we get." He picked me up as though I were as light as a little doll in his arms, not even slipping on the wet floor with effort. He balanced himself on one foot to slide the shower door open, steam pouring into the room from around us.
"Aaaaaand, down we go..." He lowered himself down to his knees, gently laying me on the soft bath mat. We were both dripping wet, our hair plastered to our faces. I grinned at him, heart squeezing at how gentle he was with me. It was so sexy. My Avatar of Greed was very generous behind closed doors. He leaned over me, a hand curving around my waist as he pulled me into another kiss. I deepened it, slipping my arms around his slippery neck to pull him closer. His face and hair dripped water onto me, and his body slipped against mine easily. I felt his need slide up my inner thigh, seeking.
“Wait,” I gasped, breaking from him. He cocked his head at me.
I grabbed him by the shoulders and rolled him over. He let me, easily, and then shuffled himself and me back onto the already-soaking bath mat. Was that the heat of the shower that coloured his cheeks, or was he blushing?
I slipped over top of him, straddling him there, leaning down to press my breasts against his chest for another kiss. He ran his hands up from my hips to my back, fingers trailing up my spine. I rocked my hips backwards to find him.
And there he was.
I grinned down at him, but he was only looking up at me in complete awe. I gave him another quick kiss, before pulling myself up, my thighs on either side of his hips. He let out a shuddering breath, taking the sight of me in.
“Wow…” was all that he managed to whisper.
I laughed lightly. And then I rolled my hips, grinding down on him. His eyes fluttered as he gripped my hips again, rolling his back up to meet me. I gyrated there, rolling, grinding, pressing, until slowly, naturally, his cock was pulled into position between us, sliding between the hot lips of my sex. A whimper escaped him as he thrusted upwards with more need.
I slowly raised myself back up on my knees, overtop of him. His mouth parted at the sight of me hovering there, at the sight of me reaching down between my thighs, at the sight of my fingers brushing against his needy cock, at the sight of me grasping him in my hand. He swallowed as I slowly lowered myself back down, holding him in place, guiding him towards me.
We found each other.
He held his breath as I kept lowering myself down. His head, pressing against me, a bit of resistance, and then… In. I heard him hitch. I sucked in a breath too.
Lowering more… Taking the entire swollen head in. Soon, the swell of his shaft stretched me further, and I couldn’t stop the moan from escaping my lips. He moaned too at my noise. The swell of his shaft traveling up and up while I lowered down and down; it filled me, stretching me snugly around him.
And then, I sheathed at his base.
Like before when we had first joined, we stayed like that, shaky breaths, adjusting to the other, feeling our heat envelope each other. I trailed a finger down the middle of his chest, and he stroked his thumbs over my hips. We stared at each other, mouths parted, huffing out the breaths that we had both been holding.
And then he gripped my hips a little tighter.
And then I flexed my pelvic muscles around him, pulsing him inside me, and he lifted his chin with a surprised gasp.
Slowly, we began to move.
I squeezed my thighs to his for purchase, and he pressed his palms into my hips to support me. I braced on his chest with the flats of my palms and pulled myself up from him with my thighs.
I lingered there for a moment, his head still gripped by me, until I lowered myself back down with a sigh. His chin tipped his head back again and his mouth parted further, his eyelids fluttering again. Fuck, he was so beautiful. So expressive. Down and down I went, until he was fully sheathed again. He had slowly rolled his hips upwards to meet me, and we held there, his lower back suspended.
And then I pulled off of him again, quicker.
He nodded. I nodded.
And then I was fucking him.
He lifted me up by my hips with every rise, bucked his hips up with every fall. My own eyelids fluttered as I moaned my pleasure, tipping back my head as I rode him. I pressed harder down on his chest as I leaned forward to support myself more, and I was riding, riding, riding.
“Wow…” he whispered, as we fell into a rhythm. I was breathless, holding his eyes in my gaze as he bucked up into me with more and more force. I let myself fall back down on him by releasing my thigh muscles to the gravitational pull. “Wow, fuck, Chise…”
And then h suddenly slammed up into me, and I threw my head back in a high whine as he hit my cervix.
“You, riding me… Wow…”
Slam. I mewled. Slam. I cried out his name.
“Wow wow wow wow wow…”
He pulled himself up into a half-sitting position to wrap his arms around my waist. I travelled the hands I used to support myself up from his chest to around his neck.
“This is beautiful.”
He squeezed his arms around my waist to keep me in place. I slowed my own ride, still grinding, still rising up and down, fighting against the resistance of his hold.
“You’re so beautiful.”
He used the grip he had on my waist to thrust up into me even harder. His teeth were on my breast as I threw my head back with a cry.
“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he whispered hoarsely against my chest.
I slipped my hands through his half-dried hair, moaning in earnest as he slammed up into me. His forearms pulled me down with every flow, and released me to rise again with every ebb. We increased our pace, bucking against each other, fucking in earnest. His teeth were on my neck now. On my shoulder. On my jaw. Nipping, biting, licking through his own groans of pleasure. He pulled me flat against his chest as he took control entirely, holding me suspended in place, as he slammed up and up and up again.
I was getting so fucking close. The heat was bubbling over.
My head fell to his shoulder and I bit there while I muffled a scream into his skin, my nails digging into his arms. He fucked me so earnestly that our careful rhythm fell apart, and it was wild, almost slipping from each other, only held together by the strength of him holding me there.
When he felt me start to go rigid in his arms again, he started cooing praises, giving me permission, all the while slamming into me harder, a feat I didn’t even think was possible. I cried over and over again with each joining, my head rocking against the crook of his neck. He scratched his nails down my back.
“Good girl good girl good girl, cum cum cum cum cum, yes, cum, yes, good girl, so good Chise."
I threw back my head, gripping his shoulders for support, shrieking my orgasm as I stiffened around him. He only held me as he had been, tightly, thrusting thrusting thrusting. I grew more and more sensitive as I neared my peak, writhing on top of him while he held me as still as he could. He rode me through it entirely, unrelenting, forcing my crest to reach further and further. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I made incoherent noises up in the air.
“…Chise. Yep, I’m– I’m fuckin’ done, I’m–“
I nodded my encouragement, keening loudly just as I started to ride down. I gave out one last cry and nearly cracked my head against his as he slammed up into me one more time.
He spilled and spilled and spilled, filling me, and then some. He let out a long groan as he buried his face into my neck. I felt him gulping for air throughout. I flexed my pelvic muscles again, eliciting another cry from him. Again, and another. Again, and another. He dug his nails into my back. “T-Too! M-Much!”
I relented, but pushed down on him as much as I still could. He groaned long and low. I felt the wetness of his seed pooling down from me again, soaking his own lap.
And then we collapsed in each other’s arms, gasping, gulping, out of breath. He fell sideways, and I fell with him in his arms. He caught my head with his palm to cushion me from the floor. We laid there, naked, gasping, legs tangled from falling over. He had slipped out of me and I felt a gush of warmth spill and trickle down my thighs.
Still shaking, he leaned his forehead forward to press against mine. He brought the hand that wasn’t cradling me to my other cheek. He just laid it there, muscles too shaky to pet me. All I could do myself was reach to lay my fingertips on his chest. We huffed there, unmoving, catching our breath.
Breathing. Breathing.
It felt like an eternity, but eventually, he finally found the strength to stroke my cheek. And then the strength to trail his hand down to my ribs, to slip around my back, to pull me to him. I snuggled underneath his chin. My palm rested on his chest. I felt his racing heart and his laboured breathing slowly give way to a more measured pace, finding my own doing the same. We laid there, me embraced in his arms.
I planted a little kiss on his collarbone. And then another.
He huffed out a breathless laugh. “That tickles.”
I giggled too.
Soon, I began to shiver. The room was cooling, and we weren’t quite dry. The tile beneath us was growing cold. He rubbed my arm as goosebumps started to raise, planting a kiss on my forehead.
“Well… We’ve made a mess between your legs. Again. Now you really need that soap.”
I snickered in his arms. “Only if you’re the one to clean me up.”
“Mmhmm.” He kissed my forehead again and unfolded himself from around me. “Come on, I want to be the one to shampoo your hair, too.”
He stood, holding out his hand to me. I took it as he helped me up.
I sighed in relief.
No more blood in his nail beds.
///
We were snuggled in his bed, finally, a real bed, and really actually sleeping through the night together. We were naked. His sheets nice and soft and warm. He was so nice and warm and soft. His arms were around me, pulling me to his chest, where I nestled there, arms folded to my breast. He was stroking my hair. I was very nearly purring.
"Sooooo..." he started awkwardly.
"Sooooo...?"
"About Satan..."
I winced.
"Well, more like, um, if there are, any others, that I should, um, not that it's my business..."
I pulled back and stared at him, wide-eyed, not answering. I felt like a rabbit caught in a trap again.
"...you're into Levi, aren't ya."
I jumped with a squeak.
He laughed.
"Just.. be gentle with him, yeah? I don't think he's ever. Er. Touched someone like that. Y'know what I mean?"
I nodded. I still hadn't said a word. My face was HOT, though. I'm sure it was scarlet.
Levi…
"... Is there anyone else?" he whispered.
I took in a sharp breath. He raised an eyebrow.
"...S-Simeon... and I... seem to have... a bit of chemistry. B-But..."
He groooooooooaned. "Seriously?! An angel too?! Ugggghhhh! Well, fuck, I did forget that I walked in on you two– erm..."
"I'm so sor–"
He settled back down with a sigh. "Well, he'll treat ya right. That's what matters."
If I thought I couldn't possibly turn any redder in the face, I was wrong. I felt like I had a bad sunburn it was so hot.
"....Asmo...?"
I shook my head.
He sighed with relief. "Well, ya got SOME standards at least."
Silence again.
"...Beeeeeeel.....?"
I shook my head, but a little more hesitantly. Absolutely NO idea where him and I stood, or if I even wanted that with him anyway, even if he somehow did. But it was comfy for now.
"Hm. Eh, even if you did, he'd be good to ya too. He's an odd duck. But I think he loves ya in his own way. I've seen it."
Me too.
"....Lucifer?" He asked this quietly, quieter than them all, steadying himself for heartache–
"UGH! FUCK NO!"
He cackled in delight at my outburst.
"Well, that's fuckin' good. Tight-ass... Would probably try to keep you all to himself... And I don't really trust him to, uh, treat you with respect. I dunno. He's got a mean streak to him that not even our angry little Satan has."
I nodded.
"Anyway... You don't gotta tell me if anything changes... But eh. I also wouldn't mind not being surprised. But it's your choice. I know it's awkward. It's weird that I'm askin', huh? Dunno why I am. Stupid brothers... Gettin' all up in my space… Stupid, stuck-up angel… Well, at least you're choosin' the okay ones..."
"Thank you for talking about it. It's... nice. I don't want to keep secrets from you ever again."
"Ohhhh you better not, or I'll be so stinkin' mad you wouldn't believe. I'd sulk for DAYS. You hear me?! DAYS!"
“…You're best boy, you know?"
"Oh? Best boy?" He grinned. "Where've I heard that from before?"
"Uh, um, it's, fuck, sort of an anime thing... Best girl, best boy..."
"PFFFFFFFFFFFF!" He burst out laughing. "NERRRRRRRRD! THAT'S where I've heard it from before! LEVI! Y'ALL TWO ARE A PAIR OF OTAKU NERDS!"
He pounced on me with a grin, grabbing me in a bear hug that pinned my arms to my sides. My initial laughter soon devolved into shrieks and screams as he tickled my ribs, laughing at my helpless struggle as I tried to kick him off, blowing stupid raspberries into my neck like a big dumb child. I clacked my teeth towards him as I tried to bite, making him laugh at my futile efforts, though I finally managed a small victory when he got too close. I plastered the whole flat of my tongue onto his face and dragged it up from his lips to his between his eyes. He yelped, drawing back; he declared me super gross, and then, to my absolute devastation, did the same right back to me.
We heard Asmo slap repeatedly at the wall between rooms. "KEEP IT DOWNNNNN!"
We devolved into quiet giggles, holding each other close.
-
As I finally heard his breathing even out in sleep, it struck me.
He hadn’t asked about Belphie.
Chapter 23: Chapter 17B: Building Bridges
Chapter Text
Levi yawned as he shuffled into the dining room.
“Yo! Levi, you’re late!”
“Yeah, you really are, Levi.” Asmo rolled his eyes. “You were up all night playing games again, weren’t you?”
Levi only let out an “Ugh."
“You’ll end up having to repeat a year if you’re late too often, Levi,” Satan admonished. “Now hurry up and eat.”
“Though, uh, there isn’t much food left at this point…” Mammon looked down at the table.
Levi sat down with a thump, looking down as well. “Wha…? My plate is already empty…”
“Sounds like memory loss to me,” I teased.
“So first we had that whole time loop thing, and now this?” he grumped. “You’re telling me I forgot that I ate my breakfast, and don’t even remember it?!”
“I’m telling you that you forgot that you have a brother of gluttony," I laughed at him. Beel smacked his lips next to me, unconcerned.
“BEEL–! IT WAS TOTALLY BEEL! Ugh! Give me back my breakfast!”
“Sorry…” he sulked. “I already ate it… And throwing it back up would be wasteful.” He stuffed his spoon back into his mouth, slurping.
“Ugh I don’t caaaare! SPIT IT OUT!”
“Whoa, no!” Mammon cut in. "YOU might not care, but I do! Don’t you DARE throw that all back up, Beel!”
“It’s vomit time, Beeeeeel!” I lunged at him from out of my chair, throwing my arms around his shoulders. He choked on his spoon.
“QUIT IT!” Mammon groaned. “C’mon, it’s too early to be all gross!”
“Forget it, Chise. Ignore them.” Satan sighed in exasperation. “Their stupidity is contagious, and you don’t want what they’ve got.”
Too late.
We heard a yawn come from behind us. We all froze.
“Man, I’m tired…” Belphie mumbled, shuffling into the room, looking bedraggled.
Levi and Asmo exchanged a glance.
“…Belphie.” Beel squirmed.
“…Morning,” Satan hesitantly greeted him as well.
Mammon sat, not looking at Belphie.
Blood in his cuticles…
“Um…” Beel twisted his fingers in his lap, looking down. “You've barely got time to eat before heading to class.”
Levi looked down at his empty plate, not saying anything either.
“Good morning, Belphie,” I greeted him with a small smile, trying to break through the tension.
“Mmhmm.. Morning.” He took the empty seat, the seat that had always lacked a brother, between Beel and Levi.
“Belphie, want some of this?” Asmo offered. “It’s really good.”
“…Though Beel already ate most of it,” Levi grumbled.
“And here, Belphie. I’ll leave a fork for you right here.” Asmo gingerly placed the fork beside him, getting up to leave for class.
“Thanks but… no need to do all that. I can serve myself.”
“…Anyway.” Mammon slapped his hands on the table dramatically as he got up, chair legs screeching underneath him. “I’m goin’ to class.”
“…Me too.” Levi stood as well.
“You’re not going to have breakfast, Levi…?” I looked up at him as he started to pass me.
“N-Nah. I’ll grab something at the cafeteria at school.”
“I’ll go with you.” Satan stood up too.
Beel glanced at me. “…Me too.”
“What about you, Chise?” Mammon muttered. “You comin’ with?”
“I’ll… hang back. I haven’t finished my breakfast yet. I’ll go over with Belphie.”
“R-Right…”
“No need to wait for me,” Belphie said quietly. “I’ll head to class when I’m done. Why don’t you go with everyone else?”
“I’ll wait.”
He looked down at the table. “I told you, I’m fine…”
“Hurry UP!” Lucifer strode into the room. “You’re all going to be late!”
They all jumped, rushing off in a flash, leaving Lucifer, Belphie and I at the table.
“Chise,” he addressed me, “there’s going to be a birthday party for Diavolo at the Demon Lord’s Castle coming up soon. And this year, you’re coming too.”
“O-Oh. Okay. Got it.”
“No arguments? Great. That makes things a lot easier.”
I glared at his sarcasm.
“Hmmm…” Belphie mused, looking around the classroom. “I’ve got to say, I’m surprised. I thought for sure that if a human exchange student came to the Devildom, they’d be shaking in their boots down here.”
Well… I was, at first…
“But you seem like you’re right at home here, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I nodded, not wanting to get into how I had gotten to this point. He still made me uneasy, but it was like he had become glued to me since the revelation that I was… family. “I am.”
Hand laced in mine…
“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You sound like you’ve been here in the Devildom your whole life.” He looked down at the desk, growing somber. “Compared to you, I’m not doing nearly as well… I mean, you must have noticed, right? How everyone is so guarded around me? Well, maybe guarded isn’t the right word, but… it feels like they’re keeping their distance from me. You know what I mean? It’s like they’re walking on eggshells around me.”
“Belphie…” I whispered, softly. “You should know… Mammon and I, we’re… And that night, in his arms…”
He was silent as he kept looking down. “…Oh.”
We didn’t speak for a while. It felt weird to have him open up to me.
“…I guess that’s just the way it is, huh? After what I did, I shouldn’t expect any less. I wonder if we can ever go back to the way things use to be…”
“It’s going to take time, Belphie, but… they’re your family. They love you. You’ll all find your way back to each other.”
He gave a short, derisive laugh. “You’re trying to make me feel better, aren’t you? Well, either way, I can’t help noticing that you don’t seem to be afraid of me…” He peeked up at me from under his fringe. “…Are you?”
Fingers caressing mine…
Kiss on my cheek…
The crack of my ribs.
Hands around my throat.
“After everything that I did, and everything I put you through… I…”
I looked away from his glance. “I’m not afraid of you. But as for forgiveness…”
He nodded. “I don’t expect that you would’ve. But even so, you’re still okay with being around me, huh?”
Despite myself, I couldn’t stop the blush. I did my best to look away.
“Hehe… You really are an odd one, you know that?”
“Oh look!” Luke piped, bouncing on the spot. “It’s Chise!”
“Hello there, Chise.” Simeon smiled broadly at me, stepping forward with his arms wide. I rushed into his embrace. He kissed my hair, bringing a blush to my cheeks. Belphie watched us, impassive, eyes blank; sometimes I thought that he did a rather excellent impression of Barbatos. “We heard the big news! I understand you managed to get Lucifer and those brothers of his wrangled together to make up, have you? Good work, sweetie.”
“Yeah, that’s amazing! I mean, you’re just a human, and you managed something like that!” Luke beamed up at me. I ruffled his hair.
“Chise, I’m going to class,” Belphie said tersely, watching me in Simeon’s arms. I looked back at him in surprise. Right… Damn. I’d left him out. That must sting.
“Right, Belphie… I’ll catch up with you."
“Yes, it is amazing.” Simeon pulled me slightly away from him so that he could look down at my face. “I have to say, it really is impressive. And I’m guessing both Belphegor and Lucy are also glad things turned out the way they did.” He glanced briefly at Belphie, who was walking away from us.
“Lucy?!” I broke into laughter. “Did you just say Lucy?!”
“Oh dear…!” He touched his mouth to cover his smile. “Sorry about that! It’s an old habit of mine, calling him that. Michael and I used to call Lucifer ‘Lucy’ every now and then. But do me a favour, and forget you ever heard that.”
“I bet he loved it.”
Simeon only laughed, neither confirming nor denying. “If that name ever slips from your mouth, Lucifer will kill me for sure.”
“Can’t have that.” I grinned up at him.
“Simeon, aren’t you angry at him?” Luke looked up, eyes wide. “Lucifer was keeping secrets from you. Deep inside, I bet you’re livid!”
“Me? Mad? Could you even imagine? Hahahaha!” Simeon forced the laugh out.
“Uh-huh. So, Chise, are YOU all right?”
“I’m okay,” I said, softly.
He pouted. “You’ve got a lot of nerve telling such a blatant lie to an angel!”
Simeon cupped my face. “I’ll be happy to talk with you about whatever’s bothering you. What do you say?”
“Yeah! So talk!”
-
“Wow…” Luke looked down at the ground. “So Belphegor actually cares about that sort of stuff, huh?”
“‘That sort of stuff’?” Simeon sighed. “Luke, you make it sound as if it’s not important.”
“Think about it! That whole situation is only temporary, right? Those demons never take anything seriously. Mark my words, in a few days, it’ll be like nothing ever happened. That’s how they are.”
Blood soaking Mammon’s jeans.
“Hmm, I don’t know about that. I think that they’re a bit more sensitive than you realize.”
Helping him scrub his hands, his arms, wiping his face as tears tracked down his cheeks in the bathroom. Sink water pink.
“And even if it’s true that the situation will resolve itself given time, that doesn’t change the fact that things are difficult for Belphie right now.”
Satan, dejected, exhausted, heartbroken, leaning over my body, declaring me as good as dead.
“Do you have any advice?” I asked, miserably.
“Hmm, let’s see… Ah, I have an idea. What do you say to this: You could serve as a bridge between Belphie and his brothers.”
“Oooh, yeah!” Luke wiggled in his childish excitement. “Nice idea! By serving as a bridge, you mean helping them communicate, right?”
“Yes. You see, these things turn out better when there’s someone in the middle to help smooth things out. Even if two people don’t feel comfortable talking to each other directly, if a third party is present, they can let down their guard and be more open. For example, Luke, whenever you want to ask Barbatos for a new recipe for some sort of cake or scone, you always make sure to take Solomon with you.”
“Well, I mean, Barbatos is… you know… BARBATOS. We’re talking about THE Barbatos here, Simeon!”
We sure were. I didn’t blame him, myself.
“You seem afraid of him, but he’s actually not that scary, you know?”
That, at least, was true.
“I-I’m not AFRAID of him! Pff, as if I would be afraid of some demon!”
The most powerful demon to ever exist, as far as I was aware. Perhaps even more powerful than Diavolo himself. Or the Demon King. He could really fuck things up for everybody if he were inclined to do so.
“Sure, Luke.” Simeon twinkled at him, ruffling his hair as well. “Whatever you say.” He turned his gaze back towards me, crinkling a smile. “Be sure to let me know how things end up going with Belphie, okay, Chise?”
“Of course. Simeon… Thank you so much. For everything you have ever done for me.”
I was rewarded with a pretty blush.
“…Simeon! Hey, listen to me when I’m talking to you!”
“Oh, sorry, Luke. I was, um, distracted.”
“By WHAT?!"
I carried my homework up with me to the planetarium room. Despite how enchanting the room was, the boys didn’t come up here too often, so it was a bit of a chance to find some peace and quiet over their constant bickering. My room wasn’t quite the safe haven that one would expect it to be – it was the first place they looked when they’d decided they had enough of being without me. Not that I minded, exactly, but there was a test coming up, so, planetarium it was.
It was almost like a sun room in a way, except, well, there was no sun down here in the Devildom. Instead, the enormous glow of the Devildom moon that always hung in the sky illuminated the planetarium’s many arched windows that stretched all the way up into the open skylight ceiling. The lattice-design that accentuated the edges of the windows cast enough of a pretty shadow within the room to make it feel a little cozier. The open sky above, where you could see the Devildom stars stretch around you? Magic.
It was a peaceful place.
So, it was no wonder that I jumped and gave a startled yelp when I saw someone stir in one of the plush couches out of the corner of my eye. I honestly hadn’t expected anyone to be up here, and they were so quiet…
Belphie.
He blinked sleepily at me as he stretched out from his curled sleeping position, his faithful cow pillow propping up his head. His hair was its usual mess.
“…Ugh, it’s you. You startled me.”
I frowned at him. “I could say the same thing about you, you know.”
He shrugged, settling back down a little bit, looking over at me from his sideways angle. I felt a bit unnerved by his frank stare.
I could go back down, and take the chance of being found in my room. I could probably even just go find Satan as a study buddy. I felt a little shy about doing that, considering, well, we hadn’t really discussed anything since our kisses, but… it was an option for me.
I sighed. It wasn’t an option that I wanted to take just yet. So, here I was, I suppose, sharing space with another of my would-be murderers.
“So…” I looked around awkwardly, before choosing an armchair nearby. “Whatchya doing up here?”
“What do you mean…? Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking an afternoon nap.” He looked surly as he spoke.
Awkward silence stretched between us.
“So…” Belphie relented. “Do you come here a lot?”
“Yeah, actually. It’s peaceful up here. Away from the rest of your noisy brothers.”
“Huh… I see.” He had pulled his blanket up to his nose, so I could only see his purple eyes peeking up at me over there. “Well, so do I. It’s the ideal spot for an afternoon nap, after all.”
I wondered if maybe the other brothers didn’t come up here very much because it was Belphie’s staked spot, and it had just become habit for them. Duh. That makes sense. I had just camped in it while he was gone.
“You know…” he continued. “Lilith used to like looking up at the stars from the human world. So whenever I’m in here, I almost feel like Lilith is right here by my side.”
His eyes had softened, but I had to look away from him. I didn’t really think it was fair that him and Lucifer were treating me differently because of my ancestry. I was not, after all, Lilith, and I didn’t feel comfortable with the thought of anyone trying to idealize me in that way. But, well, I wasn’t nearly close enough to Belphie to confront him on that front. We’ll see.
He noticed my glance away. “…Anyway, changing the subject, what’re you going to do?”
“What do you mean?” I looked pointedly at the textbook in my lap. “I usually come up here to study.”
“Oh, no, obviously I meant about Diavolo’s birthday.” Obvious. Sure. “You’re going to his party too, aren’t you? I’m asking what you’re going to do for a present.”
“O-Oh.” That was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d actually quite forgotten that Lucifer had extended the invitation to me this morning. What do you even gift to an actual prince? An actual DEMON prince?
“So, do you have money, Chise?”
I shook my head. I was given a meagre stipend as ordered by Diavolo as an exchange student who had been forcefully abducted into another realm against her will, but, well, it didn’t stretch far. It just got me by on the necessities. I did have to replace my entire wardrobe and essentials, after all.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. I figured as much.” He sighed, snuggling deep under the covers, closing his eyes. “I don’t have any money either. After all, I was locked inside the attic day in and day out until recently. No money means no buying Diavolo a birthday present…”
Well, if Belphie wasn’t, I sure wasn’t going to either.
“I mean,” he continued, "I don’t think it’s really necessary to get him anything, personally. But Lucifer would probably be mad and all…”
I breathed out of my nose, the next words coming out of my mouth totally by reflex. “Lucifer can get stuffed.”
“Pffffffff!” Belphie snorted from within his nest.
Silence again.
I opened my textbook.
“…So, Mammon, huh…”
I glanced over at his words to see that he was still looking at me. I knew he was baiting. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response.
“It’s just… really? Mamm–"
“Don’t, Belphie,” I cut him off testily. “You are the very last person in this house who gets to comment.”
“Mmmf. Well, aren’t you boring,” he scoffed, turning over in his nest, facing away from me.
Silence.
Textbook.
And then Belphie peeked out from the covers again, this time to crane his neck towards the staircase exit with a blink. I tilted my head, watching him in confusion.
“...Did you hear that?”
I strained, listening. “Nope, nothing.”
He rolled his eyes, giving me a Look. “You can’t be serious. I definitely heard a noise just now.”
I was just about done with Belphie’s well-it’s-obvious-to-me-so-it-should-be-obvious-to-you holier-than-thou attitude. I shut my textbook with a snap, deciding that I’d go and find some other nook to study in.
But then both our heads turned to the staircase as a sliding noise came from below. Like furniture being moved. Or something heavy, at least.
“See? I knew it. I think it’s coming from the music room. Let’s go.” He uncurled himself again, sliding out of The Nest to stand.
“What?” I looked up at him, perplexed, textbook still in lap. “It’s not like it’s unusual for sound to be coming from the music room. I have shit to–“
Belphie grabbed my hand, dragging me up from the armchair. I widened my eyes at his brazenness. Clutching me, my hand limp in his, he pulled me down the staircase. The soft fabric of his cardigan brushed at my knuckles, and his hand was warm from burrowing in his nest.
I let this lazy, bedraggled, grumpy mess of a boy pull me along. I don’t know why.
”Dammit, there’s nothin’ here at all. …Wait a minute. Ooh! Could this be what I think it is?!”
I groaned as we neared Mammon’s voice. I really didn’t want to catch him in the act of trouble-making. I was caught between a rock and a hard place whenever I did, fully accepting that my boyfriend was the literal epitome of Greed. Plus, I’m pretty sure he lowered Lucifer’s opinion of me even further if I happened to be nearby when he pulled a stunt. Like I was some sort of an accomplice or something.
”Aww, what?! There’s nothin’ but some sheet music in here! I’m feelin’ pretty cheated right now. This box screams treasure from the outside. Who puts SHEET MUSIC in a box like this?”
Belphie pulled me into the doorway. I shook off his hand before Mammon could see.
“MAAAAMMOOONNN..”
Belphie did a fair impression of Lucifer, albeit his voice didn’t quite reach his depth.
“G’AAAAAAAH!”
“You rotten thief!”
“H-H-H-Hey! What’s the big idea, scarin’ me like that?! I thought you were Lucifer for a second. Get lost, Belphie. I don’t wanna talk to ya.”
“Mammon…” I put a little warning in my voice, quirking an eyebrow, arms crossed. “What are you up to in here, exactly?”
He swallowed, totally guilty. “C-Come on, quit it! Don’t look at me like that, Chise!”
“I’ll look at you however I want,” I smirked. He blushed real hard as he stammered.
“This is you we’re talking about, Mammon,” Belphie laced his tone with some extra attitude. “You’re obviously sneaking around the house looking for valuables to steal, aren’t you?”
“Pfff, hah, uh,”
“…You really are a scumbag.”
I surprised myself with a little growl in my throat, and the noise drew a glance over from Belphie. He owed Mammon a lot right now.
Even if, well, he was caught red-handed rifling through Lucifer’s possessions looking for valuables to pawn off.
“H-Hey, shaddup! Listen, I’m just doin’ a little recycling here, okay!? Makin’ use of things other people decided to toss out! …A-And what’re ya doing with him anyway, Chise?”
“So what are you after this time?” Belphie sighed, ignoring his question regarding me. “Looking for a new watch? Boots? Or is it that you owe money to some shady witch again?”
“Hey! Stop makin’ me sound like a scumbag!”
I sighed as well. I stick up for Mammon now and then when I feel like he doesn’t deserve it, but, well… he doesn’t make it easy on me. But I couldn’t exactly enable the guy.
“Well, it’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“NO! Listen, every once in a while even I like to… to… t-to give someone a… a present…”
I tilted my head in a frown. Mammon? Present? Someone else?
“You meeeeean…” Belphie drawled. “A present for Diavolo?”
“Eh, Diavolo? Why would I give him a present?”
I felt my cheeks immediately flush red. Mammon was not meeting my eyes.
Belphie shook his head, completely exasperated. “Because his birthday party is coming up sooooon?” He talked to him as if he were a child.
“…O-Oh. Now that you mention it, Lucifer did say somethin’ about that, didn’t he.”
“If it’s not for Diavolo…” Belphie leaned forward with his fists on his hips, a shit-eating smile on his face. “Then who is this gift for, huh?”
“…Like you said! It’s for Diavolo! Yep, Diavolo!”
“Mmmm.” Belphie’s eyes traveled over to me. I didn’t like the way he looked me up and down, as though he were checking me out. “I see. So that’s what this is all about.”
“Just drop it, okay?!” Mammon shoved the box he was rifling through back in the cupboard. “I’m puttin’ it back, see?! Now stop talkin’! I just don’t have any money right now is all!”
“Money, huh…” Belphie scratched at his cheek with a finger. “All right then, why don’t the three of us just get jobs?”
“No,” Mammon said flatly, his eyes immediately shooting over to mine.
I hesitated. You could serve as a bridge between Belphie and his brothers. But this was… Mammon. He had more reasons than the others to resist making up with Belphie right now, and I hadn’t really gotten a read on who the real Belphie was yet. He was surly and aloof and frighteningly manipulative when he wanted to be. Arrogant, prickly… unfriendly, even. I hated that I had been made a fool of. I felt like I had to bridge the gap between him and I before I could take that step with any of his brothers.
I was also Mammon’s best chance to mediate between him and Belphie. Mammon listened to me a whole lot better than he did his brothers. I knew how to handle him, and to guide him through how to express himself. He just needed a little empathy. He bloomed within it. Within a bit of kindness, and warmth.
And Belphie most certainly wasn’t giving off those vibes.
If I could just make a teeny, tiny bit of progress…
An olive branch.
I hope I didn’t regret this.
“Mammon…” I went to him, taking his arm. Belphie stared, face blank again. “Please? I don’t wanna do it without you. Besides, the streets aren’t as safe as RAD.”
I winced at the manipulation, though there was a shred of truth to it: I didn’t want to be alone with Belphie. Maybe I still didn’t feel safe with him, after all.
Mammon grumbled down at me with a blush, his eyes unhappy. But gave me a single nod. “Guess I shouldn’t leave ya alone.” He glanced at Belphie.
“I know you said we should get jobs, but why does it gotta be at Hell’s Kitchen, huh!?” Mammon was struggling with his apron while he grumbled. I sighed and went to him, taking up the ties. “This place works you harder than any restaurant in the Devildom!”
“Well, they pay by the day, and they work their staff ridiculously hard.” Belphie wiggled a uniform over his undershirt, cardigan hung up in the staff coat room. I carefully looked aside as his shirt rode up, focusing on knotting Mammon’s apron. “Which means they’re always hiring. But in spite of that, it’s a really popular restaurant that does a lot of business, so they’re always short-staffed. It’s the perfect place to make some quick cash, right?”
“Whatever, okay, but more importantly, why do I have to work in the kitchen while you and Chise get to be out waitin’ on tables and stuff, huh!? It’s not fair!”
“Ugh, do you ever stop complaining? Here, Chise, this looks like it should fit you…” Belphie went to slip the shirt over my head, but Mammon snatched it away from him, stuffing it into my arms. Belphie smirked at him. “We’re busy, so less talking and more working.”
Mammon stepped between Belphie and I as I wiggled into my own uniform shirt, half-hiding me from his view. “If you’re so keen on workin’, then why don’t you trade roles with me, huh? I want to be out waitin’ tables with Chise!”
“Order up!” Belphie skipped out into the dining area, ignoring him.
Mammon watched him go, a strange expression on his face. I placed my hand on his arm, kind of regretting my choice. Belphie wasn’t making this easy on either of them… or on me. He looked down at me, troubled. I reached up on my tip-toes to kiss his cheek.
“I’m sorry, Mammon. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Ya better…” he mumbled, mussing my hair. “Just… don’t let him bulldoze you over or anythin'. He can be like that.”
That was very apt, actually. “Thanks. I’ll come to you if I need your help.”
That seemed to soothe him a bit, evident by the sweet kiss that he immediately planted on my cheek.
”Come onnnn, Chise.”
“Coming!” I gave Mammon another glance before taking off, smiling at him. He just huffed, but he was blushing.
-
I sidled up to Belphie, and he turned to me with one of his small, gentle smiles. I still didn’t know how to read him. He yelled over his shoulder towards the kitchen, where I saw Mammon scrambling to take up his designated position. “Table eight ordered one whole roast havoc devil and one bowl of Hell’s Kitchen original Vjedogonian bile soup. Table two wants the shadow goose meat and egg lasagna. And table nine wants an order of mixed belladonna and poison hemlock greens with house dressing, and the sautéed wild hare liver.”
I could probably remember all of this better if I knew what the hell all of these animals were.
“Aaaaand, that covers it for now.” He gave my elbow a gentle shove, crinkling his eyes. "Hurry up, Mammon! We need it ASAP!”
“Whaaaa… Whoa whoa whoa, wait!” Mammon called through the window that separated the kitchen and bar. “Hey, Chise! Do you remember what that last order was?! Fack… Which table wanted the roast havoc…”
“Table eight,” I helped him.
“I knew I could count on you, Chise!” Mammon beamed with a grin. “And then, uh…”
“Table two, shadow goose meat or whatever.”
“Damn, Chees. Thanks. And, uh, number nine…”
I wasn’t sure if he was just trying to interact with me more at this point, or if he truly was forgetting every single thing that Belphie said. I grinned at him, shaking my head.
“Mixed belladonna and poison hemlock greens with house dressing, and the sautéed hare liver,” Belphie cut in. “Seriously, Mammon. Hurry up!”
“Whatever, Belphie! You better be keepin’ an eye on those customers! Make sure they don’t think Chise is on the menu too!”
“Mmhm, whatever you say…” Belphie smirked at me. I turned around to take the order from table four, ignoring him.
Belphie was walking a few steps ahead of Mammon and I, spun around to walk backwards, hands in his pockets. “Well, we’ve managed to earn what we needed. Mission accomplished.”
“So, so tired… I think I’m gonna die.”
“It feels good getting paid for a hard day’s work, huh, Chise? Makes you feel like you really did something.” It definitely appeared as though he were talking to Mammon more than me, the way he stared at him with a grin while he spoke. But underneath, I felt like he was throwing a barbed point my way about my relationship with Mammon as well. I raised my eyebrow at the layered meaning. He only grinned at me. “You looked like you were having a good time out there, Chise. And you had so much energy! When the customers saw that, I think it ended up taking their minds off how hungry they were.”
I was perplexed by the rush of compliments. I didn’t know what to say.
“Yeah, I dunno about that…” Mammon muttered at my side. “Well, at least I got the money I needed.”
“Did you have fun today, Mammon? With Belphie and me?” I asked, softly.
He glanced at Belphie, and then back to me. “S’pose. Anywhere is good with you. And you were real cute dartin’ around, taking those orders.”
I blushed.
Belphie made a surprised little “Hm,” in his throat at Mammon’s words to me, tilting his head to watch us more carefully. Mammon caught his gaze before looking away with a blush himself.
Belphie smiled. “Cute.”
Mammon exhaled a breath. He had been waiting for more attitude. It didn’t come.
Maybe there really could be a little bridge here somewhere.
Belphegor: Chise.
Belphegor: This is Belphie. You gave me your number in class. Well, this is mine.
His messages flashed on my D.D.D’s screen as it lit up. I subtly pulled it into my lap to text under my desk.
Chise: Hi, Belphie.
Belphegor: I’m not really texting for any particular reason.
Belphegor: I sort of felt like it.
I rolled my eyes. Right. This guy didn’t do anything without a reason. Buuuuut, I was here to try and play nice. I had to build a bridge between us, too, if I wanted this all to work out.
Chise: I’m glad you did.
Belphegor: Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy too.
Belphegor: You know how we were all out in the common room yesterday, and everyone was crowded around you?
Belphegor: When I saw that, I felt this vague sense of panic.
Belphegor: Since you first came to the Devildom, everyone except me has gotten to spend time with you.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. And in the little time that we had interacted, he had thoroughly lied to me. Made a complete fool out of me, actually.
Belphegor: It’s sort of like I’m the only one who has missed out. I didn’t get any time.
Belphegor: So, from now on, I’m going to try and hang around you as much as I can.
Belphegor: Are you OK with that?
I stared down into my lap, taken aback by his… supposed honesty. I uneasily wondered if this was just another trick, another set-up, another play to get me into a situation where he could feel superior to me again. Another opportunity to take advantage of my good graces. It was even harder to try to get a read on his motivations through text. At least I was starting to pick up on his different tones and expressions. With text, it just came across as… Genuine. And didn’t know what to do with that. I didn’t trust it.
I’d just be careful.
Chise: Sure, sounds good.
It’s not like I could really stop him anyway, unless I fully told him off. Which… after feeling him break down into sobs in my arms… just felt like… something I just wouldn’t be able to do. Don’t let him bulldoze you over or anythin'. He can be like that.
I sighed. I’ll try.
Belphegor: All right then. Thanks.
“….Hey, Chise…”
I looked around the hallway of the House of Lamentation, on my way to my room. I really had to study, dammit.
“Hey, Chise! It’s me!”
I snorted.
“It’s your true friend!”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Where are you hiding, Leviathan?”
He gasped, and I finally caught him peeking out from his bedroom door at me, eyes wide. “Maybe it’s a little presumptuous of me to say this, but the fact that you actually knew it was me can only mean… that you and I are the BEST of friends!”
I laughed at his beaming face. “Maybe someday you’ll actually believe it, Oh Lord of Shadow."
A sharp intake of breath from the door.
“…H-Hey, come here for a second.”
I started over.
“Come on, hurry up! It’s starting to hurt poking my head through the crack in my door like this!”
“Fine! How’s this?” I suddenly bounded over with a grin, whipping the door open to send him tumbling back inside. I caught him with a hug. He squeaked and squeaked, throwing his hands in the air and waving them as if to slap me off, but didn’t touch me. I hung around his middle.
“CH-CHISE, COME ON! S-Someone could have seen! Us! Th-That!”
I looked up at his face. The Levi special – beet red.
I relented after a few more seconds and let him go. He pretended to wipe his mouth on his hoodie sleeve, but I could tell he was just trying to hide the colour on his face. He was looking to the side, not meeting my eyes. “D-Did anyone see you come in here? Was the coast clear?”
“Yes, Levi. It was just me out there.”
“You mean it, right? Like, you really and truly, seriously mean we’re safe, right?!”
I laughed. “Safe from what, Levi? I promise, I was the only one out there.”
“I-It… just wouldn’t be good if people realized you came in here…!”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Why’s thaaaaat, huh? Are you ashamed to be seen with meeeee?” I teased.
“I-IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!”
“Mmhm, if you say so. Anyway, is this some sort of emergency?”
“Yes, exactly! It absolutely is! Y-You see, the thing is…”
My heart was hammering in my chest.
“…Belphie told me that he wants to play games with me.”
“…Oh.” I blinked, disappointed. Levi gave me a pleading look, as if I should understand what he was trying to say. “So… what’s the problem?”
“What do you mean, ’so’?! This is serious! Before long, he’s going to show up at my door! He’s coming HERE! What do I do once I’m alone with him? What do we talk about?”
I looked up at my nervous little introvert, still a bit puzzled. “He’s your brother. You’ve never just hung out with him before? Ever? In the last, like, how many thousands of years?”
“Mmmff…” Levi looked at the ground, rocking on his heels. “Even at the best of times, Belphie has always been difficult to approach. And… this isn’t the best of times! I’m not sure I can carry on a proper conversation with him!”
“Levi,” I laughed, “you don’t have to do anything but be yourself. He wants to hang out with you. Just be natural. Don’t overthink it.”
“Natural?” He started to pout. “By nature, I’m someone who can’t talk to people! Also… I’m not the only one who’d suffer if things ended up being awkward. Belphie would probably hate every minute of it too, you know…?”
“Aww, Levi.” I took a step towards him, making him jump ever so slightly. I was pretty darn close to him, I guess. “That’s–“
“W-Which is why I was wondering if, um… if you could maybe go tell Belphie 'no’ for me…? Tell him you heard that it’s a bad time for me… that I can’t do any gaming today. Tell him that!”
“Oh, Levi…”
“Please, Chise. You don’t mind doing that for me, do you?”
“Levi… If you don’t want to hang out with him, it’s okay to tell him yourself that it’s a bad time.”
“Tell him MYSELF!? What, are you CRAZY?!"
“You don’t want to hurt him, huh?”
“Mmmff…” He shifted uncomfortably. “I just…”
I sighed. “You’re really kind, Levi. Okay, fine. I’ll do it. But damn, dude, we gotta talk about your self-estee–“
“Really…? Really?! Oh, we ARE the best of friends! I KNEW I made the right choice turning to you for help! I-It’s just that a super important package is arriving for me from Akuzon today – something I absolutely have to be around to accept in person. S-So you can tell him that, right? Th-That’s why I’ve got no choice but to ask YOU to do it, because you’re the only one I can trust to deliver a message like this to Belphie. So, that’s the deal. I’m counting on you.”
I finally caught his eyes as he looked right at me in his earnestness. Pretty amber cat-eyes. I wondered why his eyes were a bit different from the rest of the brothers? The slits of his pupils were markedly more pronounced than the other boys. They also didn’t have perfectly round pupils like humans did, more like lightly oblong, depending on how they dilated. His, though…
We were standing very close. I smiled up at him as we gazed into each other’s eyes. His widened at the realization that he had gotten lost in mine, and he immediately sucked in his bottom lip to chew at it, looking away again.
“All right,” I relented, pulling away from my frank staring, stepping backwards from him towards the door. “I guess I’ll go tell him now?”
Levi nodded.
“But before I go…” I turned the handle to slip out. “You’re a wonderful friend, and you really make me feel at ease when I’m around you. So… I don’t think you have to worry about anything like that. I really like hanging out with you, Levi. I’m not the only one.”
I left him chewing on his bottom lip in silence, face red.
I knocked lightly on Beel’s – well, Belphie and Beel’s – door, sighing in resignation. So much for building a bridge between Belphie and Levi. Little shut-in otaku wasn’t going to make this easy. I should have anticipated that, honestly.
"…Come in.” A sleepy voice.
“…Oh, it’s you.” His usual greeting for me at this point, as I peeked my head in. “Do you need something? I was about to get up and head over to Levi’s room. Make it quick.”
I rolled my eyes at his tone, but even then I still didn’t relish doing this. Despite him being a little twit.
I nervously cleared my throat. “Levi just passed me by in a rush. He told me to tell you that something came up and he was really busy suddenly. He can’t play games right now. He has a package arriving, and…”
I faltered, feeling lame. The damned awkward silence stretched between us. Belphie gave me a measured look.
“…You don’t say. Well…” He laughed softly. “Considering it’s Levi, he must be worried that it’ll be awkward being alone with me, right? I can tell that much. He’s my brother, after all.”
“Oh.” I think Belphie might just be the smartest of all seven brothers, to be honest. At least on par with Lucifer and Satan. Well, anyway, I was caught.
“I mean, he was acting really, really suspicious when I went by his room and asked him to play games with me. I guess he couldn’t bring himself to turn me down right there on the spot. I shouldn’t be surprised… that’s very like him.” He tilted his head and smiled at me, nodding. “Okay then, fine. I won’t worry about it.”
“Belphie…?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t…"
After a moment’s hesitation, I crept into the room, awkwardly approaching his bed. The purple bed with the pretty crescent moon decor that Beel had kept safe for him, no matter what. He was cross-legged amongst the rumpled sheets, looking up at me, hugging his middle.
Gingerly, I reached out and placed my hand lightly on his messy hair. It’s not like I liked being rejected socially, either. It must sting.
He laughed at my expression.
“What… do I really seem that pathetic right now? Still, thanks. I appreciate the thought.” He tilted his head up under my hand so that it was resting on his forehead. I slowly withdrew it, not knowing what to say. I didn’t really have a defence for Levi, but I didn’t want to throw him under the bus, either. He genuinely had anxiety. And Belphie seemed too quick-witted to be bothered with empty platitudes, anyway. I didn’t know him well enough to know what he would like to hear right now, if anything.
I jumped at the knock on the door. Belphie only turned to it quizzically. “Come in…?”
My heart fluttered in my chest as Levi’s indigo head peeked in shyly, relief washing over me. Yes. Yes! You’re doing a good thing.
“…Belphie?”
“Levi…” Belphie sat up a bit straighter on his bed. “If it’s about your message, Chise just told me.”
“Y-Yeah, about that…” Levi at least had the decency to look a bit shame-faced. "Um, I wasn’t lying about that package from Akuzon, you know? In fact, it’s already arrived, so… Um, I mean, we did say we’d play games and all… So, um, look… I brought some over with me. All three of us could play together here in your room? Maybe?”
Belphie shifted on the bed for a moment, looking a bit… relieved. And warm. “…All right, yeah. Sounds good.”
I looked between the two. It was a good compromise; I realized that part of the problem was that Levi struggled with sharing his bedroom sanctuary with others. So doing this in Beel and Belphie’s room, with me there, was nice neutral territory for him. Still… “So you don’t mind if I stay and game with you?”
“Of course not.” They both smiled in unison.
I smiled back, grabbing a cushion off of the couch to sit on the floor by the coffee table that Levi was setting the board game up on. Belphie approached too, cow pillow in tow.
We sat there, my left knee brushing against Levi’s, and my right, Belphie’s.
-
“Ahhhh!” Belphie threw his head back and covered his face with his hands. “I lost every one of my items because of you, Levi! Every one!”
We’d moved on to a good ol’ game of Devil Kart. I leaned carefully up against Levi, curled up with my toes slightly brushing Belphie’s pant leg.
“Hey, don’t blame me!” Levi smirked. Winning games was just about the only time he displayed any meaningful confidence. “You shouldn’t have tried to block my Henry from getting past you!”
Belphie brought his controller up closer to his face in concentration. “Okay then, this calls from some revenge. Let’s see how you like this banana peel! Boom!”
The banana peel promptly hit me instead.
“Belphiiiie!”
“Ah–! Sorry, Chise!”
“Looool Chise, how many times have you ended up slipping on banana peels now? Lolol.”
“That’s YOUR fault, Levi! You keep dodging them and leaving them in her path!"
“Maybe if BOTH of you would stop LEAVING THEM RIGHT ON THE RAMPS!”
“…AAAAAALL RIIIIIGHT! Looks like I win the Bloodroot Cup too!”
I heaved out a breath in defeat, laying down my controller down, relaxing my taught muscles to rest more against Levi. There was no beating him.
“Chise, you came in fifth, and… Belphie, you were dead last! What were you even DOING, Belph–“
Light, muffled snoring came from my feet. We both turned to look.
Our Avatar of Sloth had fallen asleep.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Levi muttered. “How do you even FALL ASLEEP during Devil Kart? I mean, he’s the one who said he wanted to play this game…” He looked down at his shoulder to me to give me a small smile. It looked fond, like he was reminiscing. “Well, I guess this is just how he is, you know? He’s always been this way. Pfff… You know what? I guess I should never have been worried that this might turn out to be awkward, huh? He’s just… the same old Belphie.”
I smiled back at him, and rested my cheek a bit heavier against the bone of his shoulder.
Aaaaaand the gaming-confidence dissipated with my smile, as Levi realized just how close I was. How I was basically fully cuddling him. His pretty eyes widened, and he turned his standard shade of red.
Exposure therapy, right? Incremental steps always helped me with my social anxiety when I struggled in my teens. Levi compromised by taking the small step to extend a hand back to his brother. He wasn’t comfortable with inviting him to his room yet, but he put his foot on the first wrung on the ladder.
So if gaming-confidence Levi was his compromise for a little snuggle, I was going to meet him there. Because I was not ready for this little snuggle to end.
I picked up my controller again. “Wanna do a rematch? I’m going to make you do mirror mode this time, though! Good luck getting the shortcuts on THAT!”
He blinked, recovered, and then grinned in delight. “You know that means YOU’RE on mirror mode too, right? It’s on!”
I gave him a mocking scoff while he set up our next cup, and shifted a bit further on the couch to cuddle more firmly against his side. I felt him shiver a bit at this, but he didn’t move away from me.
By the time he wiped the floor with me again, I was under his arm. His hoodie pressed against both my cheeks, arm and chest cradling me there while we both played. He smelled… like a fresh sea breeze. Salt and sand and water and air. Wonderful. He smelled wonderful. This was the first time I had been close enough for a longer period of time to even notice. It clung to him and, I hope, to me as well.
“Thanks, Chise,” he whispered. He didn’t even stutter. Didn’t even shake. His voice was soft, and amazed, and genuine, and grateful.
I nuzzled a bit in his arms, and I was rewarded with a soft merp.
Maybe I can steal a sweater next time I’m hanging out with him in his room. Pretend I’m cold or something.
Or maybe I’ll even leave a sweater behind. I smiled at that. Like luring a lost cat back home or something, or getting a new kitten used to new surroundings. Get Levi used to me, too. Pfff. So these were the tactics I found myself resorting to. Luring a shy, skittish kitty cat out of his room.
I started setting up our next match as Belphie continued napping on my shins. Levi slowly snuggled back into me.
Belphegor: It’s the middle of the night right now, isn’t it?
Belphegor: Time to sleep for all the people who go to RAD.
Belphegor: I can’t get a wink of sleep.
Belphegor: I’m just getting wider and wider awake.
Chise: Well, that’s because you sleep all day.
Chise: Literally. You slept on my legs for hours.
Belphegor: It’s not like I have anything else to do.
Belphegor: Come to my room.
Belphegor: Then you can tell me all your boring stories.
Belphegor: I’m sure THAT will put me right to sleep.
I rolled my eyes, putting my D.D.D. down on charge while I snuggled back down into Mammon’s arms. His version of ‘making nice’ sure as an interesting one.
Come to my room.
I curled up tighter against Mammon who, stirring in his sleep, pulled me a little closer.
“Ugh, you wiped the floor with me again…” Belphie groaned. “Are all humans good at cards, or is it just you, Chise?”
“Hmmm… I think the problem might be that you’re just bad at cards, Belphie.” I grinned at him.
“Quiet, you…” He gave a petulant little look. “All right, let’s play a game of blackjack next. We’ll see who wins THIS time!”
Satan stretched a bit on the couch across from us, book in hand, shaking his head without looking at us. “You never learn, do you? You’re only going to end up losing again.”
“Nobody asked for your opinion, Satan. Go back to your book. Or are you pretending to read that? Is that book just for show? To be around me… and Chise?"
“My eyes and mind are focused on reading,” Satan said smoothly, ignoring the bait. It wasn’t easy to get him all ruffled. “But my ears are listening to your conversation with Chise.”
“Well, you certainly are clever, I’ll give you that.” Belphie was using his mocking tone. “I’m impressed you can focus on all that at once.”
“Why don’t you take a page from me and try being more clever yourself, so that you can at least win a game of cards?”
I grinned over in Satan’s direction. I loved his wit. I saw him give a small smile into the book he was reading as well. I guess he was watching me from the corner of his eye after all. He turned a page.
“You can keep your pages to yourself. I’ll win the next game.” Belphie hit the stack of cards against the table to even them out. “All right, Chise, I’ll shuffle.”
“No matter how many times you try, the outcome will always be the same,” Satan lifted his voice up into a teasing tone.
“Quiet, Satan. Are you rooting for me here or not?”
“…Go, Chise! Show him what you’ve got!”
I blushed a bit at this, the grin still on my face.
“So.” Lucifer’s deep voice cut into the peace of the room. My smile abruptly faded. “This is where you’ve been, Satan. Perfect timing. I wanted to talk to you about Diavolo’s birthday party.”
“Sure.” Satan closed his book with a snap. “You’re going to be there too, right, Chise?”
From the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw Lucifer turn uneasy. I frowned. Belphie tilted his head at my expression.
“I was just about to head to the kitchen to get a drink, Lucifer. Shall we talk about this on the way?”
“…Sure, sounds good.”
I waited for Satan to get up and turn his back to me before I glanced over at their departure, puzzling over the strange interaction.
“…Something strange is going on with him,” Belphie mused as he watched them leave with a bit more frankness.
“Yeah, that was kind of weird."
“Yep, I thought so. I mean, it’s like Satan is a totally different demon now compared to the way he used to be. The Satan I knew wasn’t nearly so good-natured. He had more of an edge to him. He didn’t show it on the surface, but deep down, it was like he was always irritated. Especially when it came to Lucifer.”
“O-Oh.” I had been referring to Lucifer. “Yeah, him and I, um, well, we helped each other process some stuff.”
“Oh?” Belphie turned to me with an interest that made me squirm a bit in my seat. “Well, now it’s like he’s calmed down completely. He’s as agreeable as he can be. That’s not the Avatar of Wrath that I know… So? What happened?”
I relayed to Belphie how Satan and Lucifer’s relationship had changed, particularly over the train ride in the human world. I… left some details out, of course. The almost-murdering, the healing, the pact details, the kisses…
I really should seek Satan out to see where we stood on that.
“Ugh…I can’t believe something so interesting happened, and I didn’t even know about it. I wish I had been there…” He looked genuinely glum. “To think that Satan was actually in Lucifer’s body, and Lucifer was in Satan’s… I’m sure that must have been REALLY hard on Lucifer. If only I could have SEEN it! Why, why, why did I have to miss that?!”
I lightly put my fingertips on his knee. He looked down at my hand.
“Well, so, the result was the Satan started being nicer to Lucifer.”
“He’s always been nice,” I murmured. He’s always tried to be nice.
“You don’t understand, Chise. Anytime Satan smiled, it was all an act, you know?”
”Well," Satan scoffed, drink in hand as he made his way back to his reading spot. “Look who decided to talk about me behind my back.”
“Satan…” Belphie murmured, turning his attention back to dealing out cards. “Back already?”
“Just so we’re clear, I still love to see Lucifer suffer. Just the THOUGHT of it gets me excited.”
I smirked. “I totally know what you mean.”
“Seriously, is everyone here a pervert?” Belphie sighed.
I blanched. “THAT IS NOT WHAT I–"
“Regardless, I liked you the way you were, Satan.”
I scowled at Belphie. Satan had come a long way in the last few weeks.
“And while I was up in the attic room, I hit on a really good idea. We’ll form a group! I hereby declare us ‘The Formerly Anti-Lucifer League’!”
I tilted my head at him. “Huh?"
Satan did the same. “What are you talking about…?”
“I’m saying that as people who used to have a grudge against Lucifer, we should team up to do something he’s sure to hate! Our group will consist of you, me, and Chise.”
“Used to?” I muttered. “I still hate Lucifer.” Satan reached towards me and ran a lock of my hair between his fingers in response.
Belphie watched him, following his hand. “Maybe so, but the more people we have in our group, the more fun this’ll be, you know?”
I sighed. “Well, I guess if you’re planning on pulling pranks on Lucifer, you can count me in. As long as Satan is in as well.” I glanced over at him.
Satan flashed his smile back at my look. He abandoned his book, shuffling closer. “It has to be fate that brought us together like this, so, count me in. What exactly are we going to do as this so-called ‘Formerly Anti-Lucifer League’?”
“Satan, try to contain yourself. I’m getting to that.”
-
“Well, as far as pranks go, this one is fairly basic.” Belphie strolled towards the drinking station that Lucifer had cozily made for himself in his study. I looked around the room curiously, never having been in here before. Books, books, books, a desk, fireplace, a sitting area obviously set up to share a glass with company. Also, stuffy, rigid, and charmless. A boring boy’s club. “I call it Operation Put Super-Spicy Hot Sauce in Lucifer’s Prized Vintage Demonus.”
“Hmmm…” Satan hummed in vindictive delight. “That should definitely get a rise out of him, yeah.”
“I know, right?!”
I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like one of Mammon’s pranks.”
“Hey!” Belphie slapped an outraged hand to his chest and glowered. “You do realize that’s the most insulting thing you could say, right?”
“When I think about how distraught Lucifer is going to be…” Satan sighed dreamily at the thought. “That moment when he takes a sip, and realizes that his vintage Demonus has been spiked with hot sauce, that it’s ruined…” He started snickering behind his hand, eyes dancing.
I rolled my eyes again. “And we had come so far, Satan.”
He slid a devilish little glance at me. Devilishly flirty. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. We had come so far…
“Ah, it’s a relief to hear you talk like that. You really ARE still yourself, Satan.”
Satan moved his hand to his chin, resting it there as he approached the fireplace.“Well, this isn’t exactly going to be easy. The Demonus is kept behind a secret door somewhere in here… Which means–"
Belphie shook his head, sighing. “The door will be guarded by powerful magic.”
“Mm?” I made the hum without meaning to, Belphie’s words catching my attention. I had come to be very smug over the fact that I had skipped through Lucifer’s safeguards preventing everyone else from reaching the attic. And Lilith’s room, and Asmo’s charm… I’d be thrilled if I could prove myself to be a little cat burglar again.
“As a deterrent to our resident thief, Mammon,” Satan added.
I groaned. Of course. Our resident kleptomaniac.
“Ugh, well that’s a giant pain,” Belphie muttered as he wandered over to Lucifer’s desk to poke around in it.
“There has to be a secret phrase or something to lift the enchantment on the door. The question is, what could it be…” Satan paused for a moment, and then grinned. "Diavolo is everything.”
Belphie broke into laughter. ”I would die for you, Diavolo.”
”Kneel before me,” I offered.
Belphie devolved into light wheezing. “I bet he secretly thinks that all the time.”
“Okay, let’s take this seriously for a moment.” Satan put a hand on his hip, thinking. “Let’s try this…” Pause. "Diavolo, I love you so much it hurts!”
Both Belphie and I doubled over with laughter.
"Diavolo’s lap dog!”
"Diavolo, there’s nothing I wouldn’t let you do to me!”
"In fact, there’s so much I wish you WOULD do to me, if only–"
The door burst open. We all jumped. I fully squawked.
“‘There’s nothing I wouldn’t let you do to me?’ Is that right?” Lucifer looked at us from down his nose, arms crossed, face stern. “Well then, how about I cut you to pieces, boil you, grill you, and devour your flesh? What do you say?”
We stood, stock still, guilt plain on our faces.
“And just what are you three doing, sneaking around inside my library? I might expect this of Satan and Belphegor, but Chise, you too?”
I looked around the room, at the ceiling, at the shelves, hands clasped behind my back. “I was just passing by.”
Belphie snickered.
“Please, spare me the half-baked excuses.” He shook his head. “Obviously you three are plotting some sort of lame prank at my expense. Come with me. I’m going to give you a stern good talking to.”
“Welp, as the only human in the room who was obviously just in the general vicinity for no reason, I think this involves all you brothers. So I think I’m just going to go–"
Lucifer hooked his hand around my arm as I tried to sidle by him. Firmly, but not hurting me. I sighed. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Wow, a lecture from Lucifer?” Belphie chuckled. “This really brings back memories.”
“You seem happy about this Belphie.”
“Well, what about you, Satan? I see you smiling as well.”
"Get moving,” Lucifer ordered.
“Comiiiiing!” The boys followed us out, beaming. I sulked as Lucifer led me away by my arm. I still wasn’t ‘Previously’ Anti-Lucifer.
Belphegor: Hey, got a minute?
Belphegor: My chest has been killing me since this morning.
Not sure what he wanted me to do about that. I didn’t want to catch some demon plague.
Chise: Maybe it’s because you’re in love?
Belphegor: In love,… right. Yes, and pigs can fly, too.
That uncertainty that I had been avoiding tried to rise up in me again. I slapped it down.
Belphegor: Wait, it isn’t my chest that hurts, it’s my stomach!
Belphegor: Ugh, it feels like it’s twisted in knots and being pricked with pins and needles.
Chise: Are you okay…?
Belphegor: Ugh, I know what’s going on here.
Belphegor: Beel’s black hole of a stomach is so hungry it’s starting to affect me, too.
Belphegor: We are twins, after all. We have a special connection, you know?
Chise: …Really? You’re not just fucking with me?
Belphegor: Do me a favour and go make Beel some pancakes or something.
Chise: Ugh. Go make them yourself.
Belphegor: Can’t. Sleepy.
Chapter 24: Chapter 18-A: Building Bridges Builds Trust
Summary:
Woof. Two things: 1. I didn't realize how close I was getting to the end of act one. 2. I forgot how much of the romance stuff actually started to happen in the SECOND act. So with a whole bunch of scenes already written, I guess that's just confirming that I will be barreling head-first into chapters 21-40 when I wrap this one up.
I haven't touched on nearly as much as I wanted, but the second act will make up for that.
The next updates may take a little longer not only because of my new job, but because I'm working on more non-canon scenes to flesh out the relationships more before things move on to act 2. Those take much longer for me to write.
Chapter Text
Belphegor: Chise, I’ve got a question for you.
Belphegor: Out of us seven brothers, who do you get along with best?
Belphegor: You don’t have to let anyone else know.
I rolled my eyes. And where exactly was this coming from? So far, his questions hadn’t been too personal. I wondered if that was by careful design, or if he truly just wasn’t all that curious about me. Well, curious enough for me to be some human-Lilith novelty, but not curious beyond that point.
It was certainly a question that could be used as a set-up. I was determined to be as vague as possible with those. Or to just turn it back around on him.
Chise: That’d be you, Belph-a-roo!
Belphegor: Ugh. Gag me with a spoon.
I snorted at my D.D.D.
Belphegor: I mean that’s cool if you really feel that way, I guess.
Belphegor: Why did I even ask you in the first place.
Belphegor: Whatever.
I blinked in surprise, my heart sinking a bit into a weird mixture of disappointment and confusion.
“Hmmm…” Belphie scratched his cheek with a finger while he leaned down to look in the window of a shop. “It’s hard coming up with ideas for a present, huh? And this is Diavolo we’re talking about, after all…” He sighed, his brows furrowed upwards in defeated resignation. It was… adorable. It softened his face considerably. “I mean, you’ve got to imagine that he has everything he needs. And if there’s ever anything he wants, he can tell Barbatos to go get it for him. Normally I’d say we should look for something he might buy for himself for fun, but even THAT’S a tall order…”
I came to stand beside him and leaned down to peer into the magic accessory shop too. We were shoulder to shoulder. I was frustrated as well. I mean, seriously, the guy had everything he could ever want, but the little human girl that he kidnapped had to come up with a birthday present?
“Maybe we shouldn’t even try…” Belphie muttered at my side. “Should maybe just get a dumb gag gift instead. Ugh, I don’t know… What do you think, Chise?”
I sighed. “It’s… the thought that counts?"
“I know that, I know that. But still…"
“Yeah, I’m in the same boat… I’ve got no idea either.”
“I wonder what the others are getting for him...”
“Maybe I should just message Barbatos and as for ideas…”
Belphie’s brows shot up in surprise. “You have Barbatos’ number? Like, just sitting there, in your D.D.D.?”
“Oh, um.” I felt myself turn red. “Mm. We just. Have. A shared hobby. So.”
Belphie stared at me in incredulity. “Barbatos has hobbies?”
“Ugh, forget it.” I stood back up, stretching my back out. "Why don’t we just go back to that store we were looking at earlier? At least the prices weren’t too crazy in there.”
“All right. There was a promising-looking store off that way too, down a side street–“ He stopped, looking over my shoulder with narrowed eyes. “Is that who I think it is walking towards us…?”
I looked over my shoulder to where he was staring. Solomon.
“Ugh…” Belphie scoffed. “Here we go…”
But I straightened up, walking towards him with a warm smile. I don’t know. Ever since he had added to Satan’s healing magic, it was like a little bit of an awkward bridge had been gapped between us. “Solomon! Hey!"
He gave a little wave as he noticed me. “Hi yourself, Chise!” His voice was so pleasant, his greetings always sing-song, and his eyes lit up to see me. “And Belphie, too. How do I keep finding myself running into people like this? I just ran into Asmodeus over that way. I take it you two aren’t here with him?” His laugh chimed lightly. “You wouldn’t believe it. He came out of Majolish carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff. He had so many shopping bags and boxes in his arms that I’m not sure he could see in front of him.”
I grinned in response. “I think I could believe that.”
Belphie shrugged. “Nothing new about that, honestly. Probably more clothes and jewelry to ‘accentuate’ his ‘already-stunning beauty’.”
Solomon nodded. “So, what are you two up to? You don’t seem like you’re out here looking for clothes or jewelry…”
“We’re on a date,” I asserted confidently, watching in satisfaction from the corner of my eye as Belphie jumped in surprise. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities to get him back.
Solomon raised his eyebrow in amusement. “Hmm… An interesting place for a date, but okay. I see that you two have really gotten close.”
“A-Ah…” I stuttered. I hadn’t planned this far ahead. Belphie only snickered at my side. I lost the gamble.
“Oh, speaking of which, that reminds me.” He turned his sparkling eyes to Belphie and rested his chin on his knuckles. “Well, Belphie? Are you planning on making a pact with Chise?”
If I thought that my date quip had shocked him, Solomon turned the heat-up tenfold. Belphie immediately drew up straighter and looked visibly taken aback, eyes wide, face baffled. “Me…? Make a pact with Chise?”
I blushed. That seemed a lot more intimate than a date, actually. I cursed Solomon in my head. I kept forgetting that he had quite the devious streak, himself.
“Yeah! And by the way, I’d like to make a pact with you myself, Belphie.” He leaned in further to look at him, face so carefully pleasant that it came off as mischievous. “What do you say?”
Ah. And there it was. I should have known. The ulterior motive rears ugly.
“Not interested.” Belphie’s voice was immediate and flat, his eyes narrowing again.
Solomon tilted his head and hummed in his throat, very nearly pouting in disappointment. “I expected you to turn me down, but you’re not even going to consider it?”
“What do you expect?” Belphie said, irritably. “Having to follow someone else’s orders would be annoying. I spent a long time trapped up in the attic living the life of a prisoner. I’d like to enjoy my freedom for a while.”
He made a very quick glance in my direction before his eyes darted away again.
“I noticed that you just glanced at Chise.” Solomon’s pleasant smile got a little wider as he called him out. I think we were both cursing him in our heads. “Were you checking for her reaction? Why might that be?”
“No reason,” Belphie sighed with a shrug, as though this were the most boring conversation in the world. “And I wasn’t checking for anything. Are you sure you didn’t imagine that? Anyway, if you don’t need anything, we’ll be leaving now. We’re kind of busy. Let’s go, Chise.”
He grabbed my hand, pulling me along. I stared at his hold on me.
“If you change your mind about the pact, Belphie,” Solomon called after us, “do let me know!”
“I won’t be changing my mind,” Belphie muttered under his breath, too low for Solomon to hear. “So go ahead and forget about it.”
I squeezed his hand.
He sighed as we finally made it through the Hall of Lamentation’s front doors, dropping his bag near the shoe rack. “We’re finally back. We really walked all over the place today. I guess it’s been a really long time since I’ve gone into town to do some shopping.” He toed at the bags lying at our feet. "Eh, but at least we managed to buy presents, so it was worth it.”
“I hope I’m making the right choice.” I said uneasily, second-guessing myself for taking Barbatos’ advice. Would it be enough? “What do you think?”
“Ugh. Don’t you think it’s a little late to be having second thoughts now?” He looked up at the grandfather clock that stood towering in the foyer. “Looks like we still have some time before dinner. Why don’t we head back to my room and–"
"Fiiiiiinally! You’re back!” Asmo came stomping down the hall, hands on his hips, frowning. “Just how long were you planning on making me wait for you? Come on you two, let’s go!”
“Heh?” Belphie was pulled forward by the sleeve of his cardigan. Me, by my wrist. Asmo stomped along with us down the hall, presumably to his room.
“Hurry uuuuup, come on!”
I stepped into Asmo’s room hesitantly. I’d seen it before, but I generally made it a point to avoid going in, for very, very obvious reasons. I dropped Asmo’s hand and hugged my middle as I looked around the lush purple-and-pink decor, his canopy bed and walls draped in silky curtains.
“Now then, come right on in, both of you! No need to be shy!” He shot me a wink as he said the last part.
This is why I don’t come in here, Asmo. I rolled my eyes at him.
“What is going on here?” Belphie looked around, frowning. “There are clothes strewn around everywhere. You’re not usually this messy, Asmo.”
“Well, I can’t help it, can I?” He sighed, throwing his hands up in the air as if in defeat. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to make a decision!”
I looked down at the piles and piles of clothes as well, and at the discarded shopping bags in the corner.
Belphie looked too. “Solomon told us that he saw you walk out of the store carrying a mountain of stuff. Do you really need all of this?”
“Whatever, not important. Chise!” His tone switched to sugary sweet. “Come here!”
The sugary sweet tone rooted me to where I was currently standing.
“Pleeeeease, I need your opinion. What sorts of outfits do you prefer, Chise?”
“Um.” I shifted from foot to foot, my arms still hugging me. “I guess something a little different? Unique? Quirky? With a bit of personality. Not that I usually have the guts for stuff like that…”
I flinched, forgetting that Belphie was standing to my side. I didn’t like being personal or honest around him. I didn’t like revealing any insecurities. Not yet.
“In that case, maybe something from over here…” Asmo muttered, digging through a pile to the right.
Belphie climbed onto Asmo’s bed, crossing his legs, comfortable. Comfortable on any bed, I guess. “The overall image you project is important as well though, right? It can completely change the impression people have of you. Whether you go for a mature, subdued sort of look, or you prefer something cute and girly…” He looked at me almost… shyly, at the last part.
I looked at him in surprise, eyebrows raising. It was a smart, honest remark, with no barbs behind it that I could tell. Like it was a genuine interest.
I hesitated, considering. “I… do like cute and girly. When I bother.”
Belphie nodded, looking down at his lap.
“Oh, TOTALLY!” Asmo cooed. “Looking cute is what it’s all about! All right, what colour do you prefer, Chise?” Asmo was beaming at me in delight.
I hesitated again. “Wh-White. I guess.” I kicked myself at the lame answer. Uninspired.
“Hmmm…” Belphie considered. “White doesn’t really stand out, but it doesn’t offend, either.”
I nodded to him. That was perfect. Exactly what I had meant.
“Okay then, that settles it! I’ve found our outfit!”
He held out a cute little bell-shaped dress with a sweet-heart neckline. White, with a thin gold band and buckle that cinched the waist. The metal of the belt was shiny, glinting, contrasting with the soft matte white. It looked like it would come up just above my knees.
And best of all, the skirt was lovingly embroidered in a white-satin thread with twining vines and blooming roses. The subtle glossy finish on the thread gently caught the light as well, almost seeming to shimmer. The detailing didn't exactly command the room, but it gave the dress a lovely personality when up close.
It was really cute.
“Chiseeee,” Asmo bounced on his heels as he held it up against me. “Make sure you wear this on the day of the party, all right?! Don’t forget!”
“O-Oh.” I blinked at him. “This was all… for me…? I thought, for you…”
Belphie chuckled on the bed. “Is that what you thought? That we were helping to choose clothes for Asmo to wear? As if Asmo would ever be satisfied with an outfit like that. It’s not nearly bombastic enough for him.”
“Oh…” I breathed, looking down at the floor, suddenly feeling unsure. Insecure.
“…But it’s absolutely perfect for you,” he said sincerely, in a low voice.
I flushed.
“Well, in any event, we’ve made a decision, and that’s all that matters.” Asmo was beaming again. “It’s so perfect for you, Chise! Ugh, I could just gobble you up! I’ll have to pick shoes to match… A bracelet… Hmm…” He perked, suddenly twirling to Belphie. “You really pay a lot of attention to Chise, don’t you Belphie? You knew what she’d like so well!”
“Huh? What? Why do you say that?” Belphie quickly tried out his fake unconcerned-shrug, again a little too abruptly to be very convincing. I realized that I actually was starting to be able to read him. Was he also… blushing? “Just because I have a sense of fashion, doesn’t mean I’m paying a lot of attention, does it?”
“Oh come now, don’t be embarrassed!” Asmo bounded over to the bed and threw his arms around him with a giggle. I smiled. Belphie needed more hugs in his life.
“Ugh… I’m not embarrassed." Belphie’s face was covered in a blush now. “…I’m not. Really.”
He avoided my gaze at the last part.
Belphegor: Chise.
Belphegor: I have nothing to do right now.
Belphegor: Help.
Chise: Wanna play a game?
Belphegor: I’m not a child, thank you very much.
Belphegor: Ugh, I just wish that something interesting would happen.
Belphegor: Chise. I command you.
Belphegor: Go throw a pie in Lucifer’s face.
Chise: 😨
Belphegor: You’re not going to do it? Fine.
Belphegor: Ugh, so bored.
”Come in.”
I peeked through the gap in Satan’s door hesitantly. I had finally mustered the courage to talk, but, well, I had already started to lose my nerve. I don’t know what it was about him that made me so nervous. How perceptive he was, maybe? How well he could read me? Like a book.
“Oh? Chise.” His voice, soft, reached me from behind a stack of books piled on his desk. He straightened up taller to look over them at me, smiling his pretty smile. “I hadn’t been expecting you. This is a really pleasant surprise.”
I took in a small breath and held it, frozen in place with the door still only open a crack.
He laughed at my expression. “I told you, you can come in.”
“Right,” I breathed, slipping through the door and closing it behind me. “Sorry. I just wanted to… uh, that is, just… to check on you. To see how you were doing.”
“Oh?” His tone was light and playful, green eyes gleaming. He came around the desk to lean back against it, steadying himself with his hands. “Are you checking up on anything specific?”
“Actually, I…” I paused again, trying not to let my embarrassment show, but this man was no fool. “I actually had some questions about… the night Belphie was freed. And to check in with you on everything that had happened… Everything you did.”
He winced. And I winced at my own words, too. After all, the whole disappearing-act had apparently been his idea. And he had been the one to beg me to make nice with Lucifer, who begged me to redeem him, as he felt he had been.
That didn’t exactly turn out as he had planned. I’m sure he carried that weight with him.
“I see.” His flirtatious tone had faded a little bit. He faded a little bit. “Well, of course. It doesn’t seem like this will be a quick conversation, however, so why don’t you… Ah.” He looked around, a little embarrassed at the state of his room. He bent over to pick up part of a stack of tomes that had collected on his reading chair, glancing around at the floor for a spare place to put them. “Let me find you a seat.”
I laughed at his attempts at hospitality, breezing past him to sit on his bed instead. He smiled and shook his head at this, shoving the last of the books over to squeeze himself into the armchair.
We were quiet for a moment while I tried to collect myself. He looked at me with a forward expression that I found rather distracting.
“Well,” I began, “I think you've probably put two-and-two together and figured out that a lot of time travel was involved in sorting the whole thing out. To be honest, I, um, am a little hazy on the details of what exactly happened that night, in this timeline. In the one I had come from, things were a little more… progressed?”
He looked at me with keen eyes. “Fascinating. So things somehow played out differently for you in the timeline that Barbatos ultimately chose as canonical? That has some serious implications for, well, everything. To think that Barbatos has a power so incredible. We have all heard the rumours and stories about his general capabilities, but to be able to… shut down other timelines like that? Whole other lives and choices and stories? It would be completely unbelievable if we hadn’t experienced that for ourselves… And the Devildom had this power at their command the entire time…"
I was nodding as he talked. “I don’t know anything about… demons, but that a power like that could manifest in any being is incredible, in a terrifying way. No one should have that sort of power. I don’t understand why he has something like that… That’s what’s unfathomable to me. But I guess I am missing a lot of pieces on how angels and demons work.”
Satan nodded as well. “No, you’re right. His powers seem to break the very laws that the rest of us demons seem to be born by. All I know is that Barbatos is very old, even by demon standards. Perhaps the fact that he was born of a different age… Could he even be one of the first…?”
I shifted on his bed a little bit, lost in thought. Who decided when Barbatos’ powers were to be used? Him? Diavolo? Did Diavolo give him approval for which timeline he plucked from the threads of fate? Or did he do that of his own accord, on a whim, to knot the world into a single point to spring forth from again?
“Anyway,” Satan broke me out of my own reverie, “I don’t think you stopped by to philosophize with me. It sounds like you may be asking for something specific.”
“I-I am, yeah.” I only stuttered around Satan, I swear. “How my timeline went, that night of the, um, horror game ended with Lucifer attacking me. We were interrupted by Belphie showing up. Beel and I left the House of Lamentation with him, the three of us together. We went to stay with Simeon… Well, I mean, to stay at Purgatory Hall. That’s where Belphie was taken into custody by Diavolo. Beel and I came back to the House afterwards to talk it out with everyone, and that was when things started to progress towards the whole time travel thing.”
Satan only looked at me with curiosity, his brows furrowed as he compared what I was saying with his reality.
“What I’m saying is… My timeline kept going an entire day or two after I jumped backwards into this one. I’m wondering… what is real, I guess. I don’t know how our stories line up, exactly.”
“I see. Well,” he started slowly, “you were attacked by Lucifer, and…” he glanced away for a moment, “…you were badly injured from it.”
So that did happen. Lucifer had still tried to kill me, then. And Satan had struggled to save my life.
I should have spoken to him sooner.
"Belphie did show up then and distracted Lucifer.” He hesitated a moment. “…You were mending, but slowly. Too slowly. Beel got angry, picked you up to carry you out, told Belphie to follow him, they spelled the door…”
All correct, then.
“But then the door just… opened.” He tilted his head at the memory. “Like Beel and Belphie had just stopped spelling it.”
That, I wondered at.
"Mammon ran out first, but, he was too late…” He looked away. “We all were… I was… You hadn’t recovered from Lucifer… Too slow…”
He fell silent.
I stood up abruptly and walked over to him, taking both his hands in mine. He looked up at me with the same sad, soft expression he had given me when he had healed me on the train.
“In my timeline, you fully saved my life,” I whispered. “And what happened in yours, you couldn’t control. I saw how you fought and fought and fought to save me. I felt it in my blood. Thank you, Satan. If it weren’t for you, I would have died in my timeline as well, and I wouldn’t be standing here right now. You still saved me. I’m here right now because of you. You did save me."
His eyes widened. His lips parted in shock.
He was speechless.
I took the rest of the books that were beside him and sat them down on the floor. He watched me, quietly, digesting, and emotional. I held out my hand again, and he took it.
“Thank you,” I whispered again. “Thank you, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t come to you sooner to check in on you. I just…”
I realized.
Our kisses outside of our pact had never happened in this timeline. That had been the next day in my own timeline.
I had been agonizing over nothing, while this man had to go through my death alone. I had been there for Mammon, but I had abandoned Satan.
He pulled on my hand so that I would step closer to him. He reached up to slip his arms around my hips, pulling me down towards him, sliding me onto his lap as his arms wrapped around me. I curled up on his thighs and tucked my head against his neck, under his chin. I could feel his heart racing, and how quietly ragged his breathing had become.
“Thank you, Chise…” He choked on the words, his breath in my hair as he cradled me. “Thank you for everything. For giving me another chance. For pacting with me. For accepting me. For redeeming me. For…”
He trailed off as he wrapped his arms around me tighter, burying his face in my hair to inhale deeply. His words, redeeming, echoed a second time in a second world, touching my heart again.
“You didn’t need redeeming, Satan,” I spoke softly against him. “You just needed…”
I hesitated.
“…You,” he finished.
I shook my head against him, the word stuck in my throat.
Love.
At my denial of this, he slid his hand up my back, caressing my jaw, his fingers coming to a rest on my chin. He lifted my face to his, looking into my eyes again.
He kissed me.
I had been waiting for it. Expecting it. The hands of fate bringing us back together for a second time, like it had been ordained in all possible realities. I slid my hands up his chest, up the soft fabric of his sweater, to wrap my arms around his neck. I tilted my head to deepen the kiss, pulling him closer to me, one hand slipping into his silky hair to keep his lips against mine. He sighed against my mouth in long-awaited satisfaction. The kiss was slow and deep and long and…
Loving. So, so loving.
When we finally broke apart, my hand still threaded through his hair, he looked so… sad. His brows were furrowed upwards in a worried look, and his green eyes glistened with… held-back tears?
“What is it?” I whispered, worried.
“It’s just that…” He took in a ragged breath. “You deserve… So much m– mm…"
I cut him off with another kiss, my hand sliding down to cup his cheek. I kissed him harder than he had me, a desperate tinge to it that tried to convey all that I thought he deserved. His own hands wound up over my shoulders to cup my whole face, pressing my mouth even harder against his with an urgency that flooded me with heat. I made a noise of desire in my throat as we deepened and deepened, mouths meeting and parting as our breaths came in shorter gasps. His hands were in my hair now, and mine in his. I shifted on his lap to better face him, pressing. At this, his hands dropped to my waist to balance me, where they were soon running up and down over my ribs to my hips and back to my ribs again. I dipped my fingers under the collar of his shirt to trace the line of his collarbone. His hands dipped under the bottom hem of my shirt, his bare fingers caressing my bare waist, making me shiver.
I will be so much more. You are so much more. I promise, Satan. We will be so much more.
My pact-bound promise to him.
I moaned softly against his mouth as he touched my bare skin with his warm hands.
But hearing me, he abruptly pulled away with a gasp, his eyes wide as I opened mine to the suddenness of the break.
I looked at him in confusion. “Satan…?”
“Chise, I…” He was nearly starting to hyperventilate. I placed my fingers over his heart. Racing. “I don’t… I can’t… I need to…”
“Hey,” I whispered, “it’s okay, just breathe. Just breathe, and then tell me.”
He took in a long, shaky breath, before expelling it in one go. He shook his head, tears finally spilling after he had fought all this time to contain them. “I’m sorry, Chise… I think I need… some time, to think about this.”
“To think about…” Despite my determination to help him through this, disappointment and embarrassment were starting to flood me at his reaction.
Not about you not about you not about you.
He took my face into my hands. “It’s not you,” he whispered hoarsely. “I just have so much I need to… Just need to… Think…”
I nodded in his hands as I struggled to keep the hurt from showing on my face.
But he wasn’t fooled.
He never was.
“I’m so sorry…” he whispered. “You deserve so much more."
Belphegor: Hello.
Belphegor: I slept a lot, but I’m still crazy sleepy.
Chise: Want me to go get you some coffee?
Belphegor: No, not if it’s instant. I hate that stuff.
Belphegor: I’ll only drink coffee if you literally pick the beans and brew it yourself.
Belphegor: Ugh… Drifting off…
Belphegor: Good night…
Chise: Where are you?
Chise: I’m feeling kind of alone.
Chise: Belphie...?
“D’aaah! I lost big on the stock market again!” Mammon threw his head back and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “And hey, Chise! You had ANOTHER kid!? How many does this make now?! Seriously, now I gotta pay you a bunch of money to congratulate you again! …And dammit, Levi! Why’d you have to go and suddenly list your company on the stock market?! I can’t believe you did that!”
“Hehehe…” Levi hid his devious smile behind his hand, eyes mischievous. "You shouldn’t have underestimated how serious a game like this can get. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Rags to Riches: The Paradise and Underworld Life Simulation Game. We don’t play nice ‘round these parts!”
I smirked, glancing at Mammon’s sulk. “You don’t play nice in any game, Levi.”
“No truer words have ever been spoken, m'lady.” My smug boy.
“Y’know what? Let’s start over! Reset back to the beginning! Whaddya say!?”
“As if! Go on, Chise, it’s your turn next.”
“Nooooo!” Mammon made a grab for the cards in my hand, but I leaned backwards in a quick dodge.
SLAM.
We all jumped out of our skins at the noise, whipping around to my door.
“GRRRRRAAAAHH! MAN!” Belphie stomped inside, fury on his face.
“Dude!” Levi threw a pillow at him, coming up short for it to land at Belphie’s feet. “Don’t scare me like that!”
Mammon looked around wildly, as if whatever was ticking off Belphie was in the room with us. “Wh-What is it?! What’s wrong?!”
“It’s unbelievable! Seriously, what’s wrong with Beel?”
“Oh no…” I put my cards face-down on my bed, out of Mammon’s reach. “Did you two get into a fight? That’s unlike you.”
“Yeah, we did.” The words came out of his mouth through gritted teeth.
“Huh… That’s a rare thing, you and Beel fightin’…”
Levi tilted his head. “Yeah, you two are usually close and all.”
“Don’t look at me!" Belphie kicked the pillow at his feet, sending it rocketing across my room. “It’s all Beel’s fault. Seriously, I’m sick of it. Ever since I got back, he’s been acting strange. Like, he’ll keep glancing over at me, but then as soon as he realizes that I see him, he’ll suddenly look away. It’s like he’s a preteen girl with a crush!”
I shifted on my bed to face him a little better. “I’m sure it’s only temporary, Belphie. He’s going to get over that eventually. This is just a bit of a ‘now' thing.”
“Maybe so, but I don’t like this now thing! I mean, I’m known as his twin for a reason. I can pretty much tell what’s going through his head at any time. He’s feeling guilty, because he didn’t realize that I was being held prisoner… I’ve told him over and over again not to worry about it… but he always says, 'That’s not possible'. He can be so stubborn.”
I sighed. That did sound exactly like Beel. Shouldering the weight, quietly. I should have seen it, myself.
“Ah…” Levi looked down at the floor. “That does sound like something Beel would say.”
“Yep,” Mammon nodded. "He has some pretty weird hang-ups sometimes – things he can’t accept.”
“So, we got in a fight just now, and I walked out on him. I’m done, I’m moving out.”
“…M-Moving out?” I gaped. “Where? What do you mean?”
“I guess I should say I’m moving rooms since he and I share. It’s the same thing.”
I sighed in relief. It was not the same thing. “Want me to trade rooms with you for a little while? I’ve stayed with Beel before, it’s not a big deal.”
“Nah, that won’t be necessary.” A small little smile came to his face. He avoided looking at Mammon, just focusing on me. “I mean, this room of yours is big enough for two, right?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“…Where’re you goin’ with this, Belphie?” Mammon practically growled.
“Tonight I’m sleeping in YOUR room, Chise!”
“Oh,” I said, faintly, a blush rising to my cheeks. I hadn’t thought…
“You don’t mind, right?” He looked earnest and eager, framing his question not so much as asking for permission, but assuming it was there to begin with after declaring his intention. Very much like Belphie, always determined, and even expecting, to get his way.
Typical youngest brother behaviour, to be honest.
“OOOOOOH NO YOU DON’T!” Mammon hopped off of my bed, fists on his hips, nearly standing between the two of us.
Belphie didn’t take his eyes off mine. “I’m asking Chise, not you, Mammon. This is none of your business.”
“You better bet it is!” Mammon reached over and half-dragged me up in his arms off the bed, like I was a precious limp doll being fought over. The breath was squeezed out of me. “Chise! Tell him no! And be real mean about it!”
“I don’t mind, Belphie,” I wheezed. It’s not like I didn’t have a couch. Thooouuugh, Belphie was a pretty smooth-talker when he wanted to be, soooooo maybe I shouldn’t have said yes.
“HEY! I said tell him NO!” He lifted his head back to Belphie. "I don’t care what Chise says, your older brother is against it!”
“It’s hard to take you seriously when you only play the older brother card at times like this. When you’re trying to get into Chise’s pants.”
“Belphie…!” I hissed at him.
“Actually, I think it’s pretty funny! Lololol.”
“Levi–!” I hissed at him, too.
“Shaddup! Seems like YOU’RE the one tryna get into Chise’s pants! In that case, would ya be happier if I played the older brother card more often!? Okay, you got it! I’m gonna FORCE you and Beel to make up! You’re gonna be best friends when I’m done with ya! So Belphie, tonight you’re goin’ back to your OWN room and sleepin’ THERE!”
“Wooooow.” Levi shook his head, apparently done with the normies buzzing around him in my room. “You must be REALLY desperate to do that, Mammon.”
“All right, fine,” Belphie sighed. “If you really can change Beel’s attitude, I will.”
Good. He wanted to make up with Beel more than he wanted to sleep with me, at least.
…I started blushing again.
“You bet I can! Just leave that to your older brother here! I’ll make it happen, or my name ain’t Mammon! I swear, on my reputation as the second-oldest!”
I wheezed out a laugh.
Levi rolled his eyes. “You’re making yourself sound all honourable and stuff, but we all know you’re only doing this because you don’t want Belphie sleeping in Chise’s room.”
I looked over at Levi at the strange tone of his voice. Subtle, but there. He was carefully looking down at my bed, avoiding everyone’s faces.
“Well, whatever.” Belphie muttered. “You might not have honest motives, but as long as it works out in my favour, I’m okay with it. All right then, I’ll be here playing games with Levi and Chise. Good luck with Beel!”
“Pff, I don’t need luck! And Chise is comin’ with me!” He dragged me the rest of the way off the bed like a limp kitten. I stumbled to plant my feet on the floor while still in his arms. “C’mon, Chise! We’re goin’!”
“Right.” I was finally able to stand up straight, sucking in a much-needed breath. “I won’t let you down, partner.”
“Wh… Where’d that come from!? Y-You just… In front of…”
“Pffff.” Levi snorted. “Mammon’s actually embarrassed now. Ugh, gross…”
I sighed as Mammon grabbed my hand and dragged me out.
Levi, my demon of Envy.
-
“Huh, that’s weird.” Mammon peered into the bedroom at the door. “Beel isn’t in his room. Where’d he go?”
“Kitchen. Definitely the kitchen.”
“Yep, gotta be it. Back we go.” Drag drag drag.
-
“Ah, bingo!”
Beel was standing over by the stove, twisting his hands. He glanced over at us as we walked in.
“…You need something?”
“Huh?” Mammon watched him. He was hunched, and concentration on something in front of him on the stovetop. “What’re you doin’, Beel? It’s not very often I see you in the kitchen doing somethin’ other than snacking.”
“Cooking.”
“Huh?”
“I’m making soup.” Beel sounded miserable. I went over to him, looking down into the pot. It smelled really good, but also smelled like it was just on the verge of burning. I grabbed at the wrist of his sleeve on his sweater with my fingers to stop him fidgeting with his hands. Finally freeing him of his nervous habit, he used the other hand to pick up his stirring spoon.
“Soup?” Mammon came over to inspect the pot too. “Hey, isn’t that the stuff Belphie likes? It is, isn’t it?”
Beel didn’t reply, stirring. I slipped my hand in his with a squeeze. I looked up at his face, trying to get a read on him. “…Are you making that for Belphie, Beel?”
“I mean, yeah…”
“All right!” Mammon brightened. “In that case, this’ll be quick and easy! You’ve done all the work for us already! Belphie’s over in Chise’s room right now. That soup’s ready, isn’t it? Well, let’s take it over to him!”
Beel shifted back and forth on his feet, slowing his stirring. “…I guess we should.”
-
“Belphie is a nice guy, so I think he’ll accept this soup when I offer it to him,” Beel explained, quietly. I didn’t think he was very nice, myself, though he certainly didn’t lack a certain charm that made up for it. But he was kind to Beel, which mattered most. “But deep down inside, he won’t have forgiven me…”
“Forgiven you for what, specifically?” I whispered to him. He didn’t reply, only looking down at the soup in his hands. Forgiven you for this fight, or for everything else you imagine you’ve failed him on?
“Man, listen to you. What’s up with all this negativity, huh? Levi’s the depressin’ one here. He’s got that role covered, so knock it off with the sad sack routine, would ya?”
I shot Mammon a dirty look before resting my palm on Beel’s arm. “You’re worrying about it too much, Beel. Just talk to him. It’ll be okay.”
“That’s what Belphie says…” More misery in his voice. “But he can just say anything, right? I don’t know what he’s really feeling.”
I sighed. You and me both, Beel.
“Why ya gotta be so difficult?! Just believe him when he talks already! You can come up with all the lame reasons you want, Beel! It still doesn’t–“
"Quiet, Mammon,” Belphie bit behind us.
Beel jumped, sloshing the soup slightly as he turned around in nervous surprise.
“You’re so loud that I could hear every word you said from Chise’ room,” Belphie berated him. “I can’t focus on the game with all this noise.”
“But Belphie!” Mammon protested. “The whole reason I’m doin’ this is for you and Beel–“
“Uh, no.” Levi peeked around the corner behind Belphie, hands in his pockets. “You’re doing this because of Chise, if we’re being honest.”
“Shaddup! Back off, Levi!”
“Either way, none of that matters.” Belphie looked at Beel directly. “I’m here to talk you you, Beel.”
Beel set the soup down slowly, eyes downcast as he turned to face Belphie.
“If you want me to punish you that bad, then fine! I’ll give you what you want!”
“Belphie–!” I gasped in shock and rushed to get in the middle of them as Belphie’s fist connected with Beel’s face. I pushed in between them, grabbing Belphie’s wrists.
“Chise, dammit– What the–" Mammon made to move towards us, but Belphie didn’t harm me. “Well, that was interestin’…”
“Belphie?!” Levi’s eyes were wide. “You didn’t have to PUNCH him–"
Beel held his hand up to him. “It’s okay, Levi."
“But–"
“Now listen up, Beel, and listen good.” Belphie’s wrists tensed as he balled his hands into fists. I kept my grip on him. “Lilith getting injured in the great battle, me getting locked up in the attic… Never ONCE have I thought that any of it was your fault. Never once."
…Belphie hasn’t ever come out and said it, but I think he blamed me for not being able to save Lilith. I know he wanted me to save her instead of him…
The guilt that was buried deep in Beel’s heart.
And then during the war, I couldn’t protect her either! I was so close, right beside her! Lilith was right there!
The guilt buried deep in Belphie’s, too.
“And being the older of us two doesn’t mean you have to worry over me for all eternity. I’m not a child. You have all this guilt, so you keep feeling like you need to make it up to me. But that actually makes things HARDER on me! Why don’t you get that, you idiot!? Is it because you’re all stomach and no brain?! Is that it!?”
Belphie was getting louder and louder, shouting the words above my head towards the end. His arms were flailing a bit as he talked, shouted, and I struggled to keep hold of him.
“Belphie…” Beel whispered, voice breaking. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”
“…Beel, you idiot.”
Belphie suddenly launched himself at Beel, catching me in between them with an oomph from me. He threw his arms around his shoulders, standing on the tips of his toes to reach him over me. Beel grabbed him back, pulling us both against him. I had no choice but to hang on around Belphie’s waist.
“When I hug you like this,” Belphie whispered, “you understand, right? You understand how I really feel?”
“…Yeah, I do.”
I leaned into them both, burying my face in Belphie’s cardigan. They enveloped their arms around me, too, pulling me into their embrace. Including me.
Lilith.
We were complete.
“Well, that takes care of that!” Mammon beamed. “Nice goin’, Mammon! Whew, now that I don’t gotta worry anymore, I suddenly feel hungry!"
“Uh,” Levi peered closer, “what are you eating over there, Mammon?”
“Mammon!” Beel let us go to grab him by the scruff of his collar, forcing out an eep. “That’s the soup I made for Belphie!”
“Huh?” Belphie tilted his head to get a better look. “You made soup for me, Beel?”
“Hey, it’s okay if I have a little, right? After all, it’s thanks to me that you were able to make up–"
“…I’m gonna kill you,” Belphie said flatly, eyes cold as he advanced towards him. Mammon gave a pathetic squeak, backing away.
So much for the powerful second-born. Cowering back from the seventh.
“Instead of having soup–” Beel advanced on him too, “–I’ll have to devour you, Mammon.”
“WH-WHOA, c’mon you two! Wh-Why do serious all of a sudden, huh!?” Mammon darted around them with surprising agility, slipping behind me and grabbing me by the shoulders to peek over. Hiding. Using me as a shield. Again. “I mean, it’s just some soup…”
Levi shook his head. “You know, whether it’s in games or real life, Mammon always manages to screw up…"
Leviachan: Chise Chise Chise Chise
Chise: Levi Levi Levi Levi
Leviachan: There is a marathon happening tonight for 'Devilkin of the Concords: When I Was Reborn as a Servant in the Evil Demon King’s Household and Was Forced To Fight My Way Out Of Servitude With the Incredible Power Bestowed Upon Me by the True Gods' that has unreleased scenes and interviews with the voice actors and animator making-of commentary and EVERYTHING this is a DREAM.
Leviachan: Pinch me, Chise! I need to know that this is real!
Chise: Wow, it's already after dinner. How long is this marathon running for?
Leviachan: ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
Leviachan: SO EXCITE.
Leviachan: BRING THE SNACKS OF YOUR CHOOSING, CHISE.
Chise: Huh?
Leviachan: Well, you're coming over to my room, right?
Leviachan: I can't watch this by myself! I have to do a verbal play-by-play of everything! I need someone there to be my sounding board!
Chise: Well, how could I say no to that?
Leviachan: You're my true friend, Chise! ^^
Chise: See you soon, shadow lord.
-
"Knock knock!”
Click.
Hm. I pulled the handle on his door, peeking in. I jumped back in surprise. He was RIGHT THERE, beaming, bouncing, hands in fists to his chest. Eyes sparkling and a grin on his sweet face.
SO. FUCKING. CUTE.
"No password today, Levi?”
"Pff. No password for my best friend. Come on! Get in here! It's about to start! What snacks did you bring? Ahhhh I forgot to ask you to bring drinks too! Maybe I have something around here." He was babbling with excitement as I stepped through the door.
I laughed at him as I swung the backpack in my hand to show. "I've got everything covered, Levi. This ain't my first rodeo.”
"Yesssss!" He snatched the pack out of my hand, twirling around. His voice always pitched a little higher when he was excited over a passion.
So. Fucking. Cute.
I sighed contentedly as I looked around his water-inspired room, making my way over to the wall-to-wall fishtank where little Henry was floating around. I leaned in near the glass, my breath fogging it lightly.
"Has he been fed yet?" I turned around to ask the question.
Levi was staring at me, mouth parted, my backpack held tight against his chest in his arms.
I looked at him quizzically. "Levi…?"
He snapped out of it, flushing. "S-Sorry! What did– What did you say?”
"Oh. I was just wondering if Henry had been fed yet? Could I do it, maybe?”
He only nodded, the strange look still on his face as he watched me.
"O-kay then." I tilted my head at him and held his gaze for a moment, before turning to the cabinet where Henry's little fishy things were kept. I grasped the little shaker and looked around for the step-ladder I used to reach.
"H-Here. It's... here." He dropped the bag and rushed over to his desk, where I saw that it has been wedged up in between that and the wall. He hesitated for a moment when he faced me again, before slowly walking towards me to hand it off.
"You okay?" I asked softly.
"I-I'm fine! You feed Henry. I think... he... really loves you. I mean! Loves it when you feed him." He was turning redder and redder. "A-Anyway... I'll... set up the stream.”
I nodded, unfolding the ladder with a smile.
So. Fucking. Cute.
"It starts in three minutes, Chise! Hurry hurry hurry.”
"I'm coming, I'm coming." I tipped the little shaker in, reaching as far as I could to put a little distance between myself and the glass. Henry swam merrily, eagerly, up to the top, flashing around in his golden-orange hue. Much like Levi's own eyes, I mused. I breathed deeply as I took in the gentle sound of the filter running. I was still reeling from what happened between Satan and I, trying to relax myself, determined to be in the present for Levi.
"Startinnnnng!”
I hopped off the ladder, not bothering to fold it, and turned to him huddled on the 'Great Nest of Pillows' that he arranged when he had anime guests over. His bathtub wasn't an ideal hang-out spot. "On my way! Did you check my snacks?”
"Yes! Cream puffs. Chips and dip. Cheese and crackers. Chocolate almonds. Jerky. Juice. Soda. Perfect." He brightened. "I can order sushi for us if we get hungry again in the night.”
I lowered myself down to my hands and knees on the pile of pillows, crawling towards him. "Yesssss pleeeeease.”
"They're open 24/7 so we can even order at like 4 a.m. or something." He was watching me get closer out of the corner of his eye. He was sat folded, knees drawn up, hugging them while hunched. His usual I'm-sitting-on-the-floor position.
I stretched out on my tummy beside him, resting my chin in the palms of my hands. "I haven't seen this one yet, right? But I remember you talking about it.”
He nodded, eyes glued to the tv. "I knew this marathon was coming up so I waited to watch it together.”
I turned my attention to the tv too. "I'm so glad you invited me.”
He didn't respond, only nodding again, trying to hide his blush.
-
"This is a scene that was cut!" he whispered excitedly, near bouncing where he sat. He was cross-legged now with his hands gripped between them, leaning forward with wide eyes. "Never-before released! Like, people online have been speculating that this scene changes the WHOLE story in a big way! There are references in the light novel and in the manga, and there has always been this debate over why this was cut, or why it’s been changed so much between re-tellings. Like, this is so IMPORTANT! One single scene that could change the entire meaning of a story, and it was CUT?! Who does that! Why! Who made the decision!”
I smiled at his adorable excitement. I shifted a little closer, lightly resting my cheek against his thigh. I heard him take in a small breath at the touch as he glanced back and forth between me and the tv. I settled there, head barely there on his lap, but also not moving so he could focus on the cut scene. Eventually I felt him relax again and turn his attention back to the show. I found it a little hard to concentrate with him so close, but I knew I'd have to at least get the gist of it to be able to talk to him about it after, so I tried to turn my attention back to it as well.
He smelled so good.
-
I smiled slyly to myself on the floor as the outro between episodes started to play. "Levi, I'm a little cold. Could I borrow a sweater from you? …Orrrr we could… Share a blanket? Maybe?”
He blanked. Full-on blue-screened for a hot moment while the end credits played. I think he had even stopped breathing entirely. I raised an eyebrow at him, amused.
He finally wheezed in a gasp. "Sh-Share a... blank... a s-sweater... Uh." He stumbled over his words, immediately turning red, agonizing over the choice. "W-We c– Uh, wh-which, I-I could... Sw... Blank... Do you want…"
I laughed, finally relenting on the torture. "Let's just share a blanket, okay? If I'm still cold after I can do a sweater too.”
"R-Right. Yeah. H-Humans are... always... c-cold. Th-That makes… s-s-sense…”
Not always, but I didn't correct him. I honestly wasn't that cold at all. Just cool enough to be comfortable under a blanket with my favourite otaku, really, without over-warming. He got up, pulling his sweater that had ridden up a bit down and stumbling over a pillow while on his way to his bathtub. I sat up, cross legged, and watched as he bent over to rummage through his little pile there. He glanced at me, quickly looking away when he noticed that my eyes were on him; he hesitated, and then chose what looked like a soft navy fleece throw. He hugged it in his arms, looking at the floor as he padded back over to me. I stretched out my arms to him and he gently handed it over before finally sitting back down beside me.
Too far away.
I snuggled in a little closer as I threw it around my shoulders, lifting my arm as I held a corner out to him. He took it shyly, draping it over his opposite shoulder. I snuggled closer. Tension. Snuggled closer. My head rested on his arm. Snuggled. I slipped my arms around to hold the one I was leaning against, and slowly interlaced my fingers with his.
He let out a shaky breath, curling his knuckles to hold my hand back.
-
He was wiggling beside me in his spot, jostling me around. I grinned at his enthusiasm, holding on to his hand a little tighter. He didn’t seem to notice.
“I love love love LOVE listening to voice actor commentaries and interviews! You get to hear their real voices which are sort of like their characters but not really and ahhhh it’s so cool! And then sometimes they do bits, or you know, say something that’s so in character or so much like their character that the internet goes craaaazy with fan audio edits to make their own scenes and stuff. Sometimes they even take requests if they’re allowed. I bet the fan forum is going nuts right now. But I, uh…” I felt his breath on my hair as he turned to look down at me. “I just want to… watch with you. I-I’ll check that later."
I raised my head up on his shoulder to look back at him with a smile.
His pretty orange eyes widened at how close our faces suddenly were. He froze, staring at me, tv forgotten, commentary forgotten, to look into my eyes.
If I leaned just a few inches further, I could kiss him…
I tilted my face further up, ever so slightly, to test that.
He suddenly jumped, pulling his face back from mine, making me jump back too. His lips thinned as he immediately pulled the bottom one into his mouth to chew, looking back at the tv with a beet-red face. I turned back to the tv myself, head still on his shoulder, rubbing his hand with the pad of my thumb. I could feel him struggling to slow down his breathing.
I looked down at his lap, and grinned at what I saw.
“A-Aft-er, this, th-there will be, um, an in-inter-mission. Um.” He shifted, trying to subtly adjust himself. Too late, Levi. I’d already seen. That he usually wore sweatpants was really unfortunate for him in a situation like this. “I could… order sushi for us? Then? During? That?”
I nodded enthusiastically on his shoulder. “Yes, please. I want real food now.”
“Y-Yeah."
-
I swallowed down my piece of sushi, touching my mouth to hide my chewing. “Hey, Levi?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when you made me that bento box in that dating sim game we played?”
“Yeah… I-I remember.”
“It was so good.” I looked over at him and grinned once my mouth was clear. “Rememberrrrrr when you fed the omelette to me on chopsticks?”
He turned bright red, from forehead to what I could see of his neck. He didn’t reply with any words, only managing to let out a “mmmph” at the memory, shifting on the spot.
“Do that again.”
“W-WHA– CHIS–"
“Pleeeeeeease?” I begged with a sweet little smile, looking up at him from under my lashes. “It was really sweet. Please do it again?”
He gaped at me for a moment, his brain short-circuiting as he tried to process my request. We had been playing a game back then, one he had been forward in because of his determination to win. And now…
Seemingly in a dream, face covered in a blank sort of shock, he picked up a piece of my roll from my tray with the end of his chopsticks. He raised his eyes to look at mine at the same time that he raised the chopstick to my lips. His eyes were wide and his mouth was parted as he watched me take it daintily in my mouth, sliding my lips down the length of the chopsticks. Again. Like I had last time. Making direct eye contact while I did.
Now I was the one blushing as I raised my fingers to my mouth to chew, nodding at him in delight and wiggling in my own spot this time. He snapped out of it at my movements, making a sort of squawk in his throat before he pulled his lip back in between his teeth. His pretty cat eyes were practically falling out of his head, and I bent my head self-consciously, hiding the lower half of my face behind my hand.
-
I was warm, and full, my heart full as well, and it was late. Very, very late. I snuggled further in against his side, pulling the blanket around me as I fought to keep my eyes open. I shoved my way against him deep enough where it forced his arm half-around me. He looked down at me, and I looked back up at him, eyes half-closed, cuddled and tired. Fuzzy and comfy.
In a jerky sort of way, he moved his arm the rest of the way around my back, and pulled me closer. I inhaled the scent on his sweater, and nuzzled my face into the soft fabric.
I drifted off with his arm around me.
-
I think we both woke up at the same time.
We were both curled up, lying down and facing each other, foreheads nearly pressed together. I hogged most of the blanket, though he did have a bit of a corner for himself. I exhaled a small breath out of my nose as I opened my eyes blearily. I think the sound woke him, or at least pulled him the rest of the way into wakefulness, as his eyes slowly cracked open too shortly after mine.
We just looked at each other, the haze of sleep still hanging over us.
I reached out from under the warm blanket to lightly touch my fingers to his cheek. His eyes opened a little wider, though still not all the way. He was watching me with almost a light curiosity, still half-asleep.
“It’ll be time for breakfast soon,” I whispered to him.
He nodded under my touch, still relaxed.
He’ll start freaking out soon. I smiled, enjoying the moment while it lasted.
Levi and I shuffled into the dining room together. Me sleepily, but Levi wide awake, face classic Levi-red as he hugged himself. He refused eye contact with the rest of the room. Belphie looked up at us walking in with a sly smile, raising an eyebrow at me. Satan looked away, expression falling despite his efforts to mask it. My heart sunk at that. Mammon only shovelled a fork full of food into his mouth, pointedly not looking our way. Asmo grinned and took in a breath to undoubtedly make the most suggestive comment that he could come up with, but Lucifer, nearly mercifully, cut in on the moment.
“Chise. After classes are over, I’m going to go shopping for a present for Diavolo. I want you to come with me.”
I paused in the middle of taking my seat, mouth dropping as I looked across at him in confusion and not a small amount of indignation at his assumption. Mammon raised an eyebrow too.
I bit my lip in frustration at the command in his voice, immediately alert and pissy. “…What’s the magic word, Lucifer?”
He only smirked at me for a moment.
“Please.”
This got eyebrow raises from all around the table as everyone exchanged glances.
Lucifer stood up, his face still smug, directly holding my gaze in a way that made me squirm in my seat. I didn’t like the game he was playing. It very much felt like he was winning. “…Was that good enough for you, Chise? Now, I will see you later, after class. Don’t forget.”
He cleared his plate up and whisked out of the room. I glared after him.
Well, at least his declaration took the heat off of Levi and I, for the time being anyway. Asmo only stared after him in wonder, lewd comments entirely forgotten for the moment.
“Well, that was a successful shopping trip, and it’s all thanks to you.” We both sat down on opposite sides of the table in a restaurant. He picked up the napkin, smoothing it over his lap. "Sorry for making you come along with me. To show my appreciation, I’m paying for your meal."
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Of course you are. I didn’t bring any money.”
“Of course.” He smiled… genuinely, and with an amusement that didn’t seem to be at my expense. It unnerved me. "Now, have whatever you’d like.”
I picked up the menu with mild interest, focusing my eyes on that while he continued.
“Satan told me about what you’ve been doing for Belphie… He says you’ve been working to patch things up between Belphie and the others.”
I shifted in my seat. Satan, shut up. “Yes, I suppose I have been. I… wanted to help them all.”
“You’re so committed to doing things for the sake of others. Could it be because you have the blood of angels in your veins?”
I shot my eyes back up to his at his comment. He looked serious, curious, but not unkind. His attitude towards me had changed immensely after it was revealed that I was a descendant of Lilith, and it made me deeply uncomfortable. Kindness should be offered for the sake of kindness, not because…
“Humans are kind. And I am human.”
I needed to remind him, deep in my bones: I was not Lilith.
I would rather have him try to kill me again than go through whatever this mess was.
“Hm.” He didn’t seem to particularly agree with me, but let the matter drop. “Either way, I appreciate that you are helping my brothers. Thank you, Chise.”
I looked down at the menu again, not knowing what to say.
“…You’ve really become part of the family, haven’t you?”
I paused. “…To some,” I said, pointedly, not looking at him. But relented after a moment. “I sometimes think of myself as part of the family…” To my boys, anyway.
We were interrupted by our waiter requesting our drink and food orders. I ordered something light, not feeling particularly hungry in the company of this particular demon. We sat in silence for a little while after he left. I could feel Lucifer’s eyes boring into me, but I avoided meeting his gaze.
“…When we first brought you here to the Devildom, I never could have imagined things would turn out like this. It was the right choice bringing you here as an exchange student. And, well, actually…” I looked up at his hesitant pause, surprised to see him looking to the side, away from me. “Let me rephrase that. We’re lucky to have you, and I’m glad you came.”
He finally caught my eyes when he turned to look back at me, with a small amount of expectation on his face. Nearly, and strangely, eager for my response.
Mammon, Levi, Satan, Beel…
And… even…
“…I’m glad too.”
Lucifer hummed, a pleased smile quirking on his lips. “Really…"
Belphegor: Hey, do you know what Lucifer has planned? You’re with him, right?
Belphegor: If you don’t, please find out for me.
Chise: Pfffft. Are you asking for something specific? It’s not like he trusts me to tell me his plans.
Belphegor: His plans for tomorrow or the next day. Or any time he’s planning on being out all day.
Belphegor: I mean, if we find out what time Lucifer’s not around…
Belphegor: …we can see each other without having to worry about him showing up!
Chise: Do you want to be alone with me, Belphie?
Belphegor: Hey, don’t read into things too deeply now.
Belphegor: Anyway, let me know once you find out.
We trudged through into the front hall of the House of Lamentation, a few shopping bags in hand. “Sorry for making you tag along today, Chise.” His strange apologetic behaviour was starting to grate on me. Just say what you mean. He cleared his throat. “Well then…”
He paused after he hung his jacket, hesitating again. I inwardly sighed, waiting for the next burden to come.
“Actually, Chise, do you still have time?” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. I kept waiting, quiet. “What do you say we hang out together for a bit? Now that we’re done shopping, and we’ve eaten.”
Hang out? Friends hung out. People who actually had things in common ‘hung out’. Honestly, the gall of the man.
But it did immediately make me curious.
Still, I didn’t commit to an answer. “…What do you want to do?”
“Well…” He paused again, before beckoning me to follow him down the hall. “Come with me.”
I sighed. So much for not committing to it.
But, I still found myself following anyway. I could always just turn around and go back to my room. I had a feeling that he wouldn’t actually stop me this time if I tried.
-
I didn’t voice my confusion as we climbed the steps to the planetarium room, deciding to just see how this all played out. It’s not like I didn’t have a whole lot to say to the man, anyway. Or that he was ever forthcoming even if I did decide to ask.
“Ah.” Lucifer turned as he reached the top of the stairs, confirming his suspicions. “I thought you might be in here.”
I peeked over the railing. Belphie was curled up, actually awake, D.D.D. in hand as it lit up his face in the dim room.
“Lucifer…?” He looked up quizzically at the sound of Lucifer’s voice. “Hey. You’re back pretty late.” He slid his eyes over to where I was peeking and a gentle smile touched his lips. “So Chise was with you? I thought that might be the case when I didn’t see either of you at dinner.”
“Do you have a second? I want your opinion on something. Come with me. You too, Chise.”
Now I was very confused. I looked up at Lucifer in puzzlement as Belphie stretched in his spot, also puzzled, but also not voicing the question. Well, at least Belphie will be with us. Strange, how I felt safer with Belphie now than with Lucifer himself. Lucifer may have tried to kill me multiple times, but Belphie had succeeded in that endeavour many times over, in many different timelines.
But he had been doing everything he could to make up for it. Like Satan.
Lucifer breezed by me on the stairs, and I follow him down, Belphie taking the rear. I felt Belphie poke a finger teasingly on the top of my head as I stepped down. I batted at him like a kitten without turning.
-
“Here we are.”
I froze at the blank stretch of wallpaper that he gestured to, realization hitting me. I glanced over at Belphie in worry, who still only wore a look of light curiosity. He had never seen this. Maybe he shouldn’t. Beel had been so shaken up. It wasn’t the right time. Maybe it never would be.
Lucifer placed his hand on the wallpaper with a whisper so low it wasn’t audible to anyone else but him. But I knew the name that fell from his lips.
Lilith.
The edge of the doorway shimmered, and he pushed in.
I immediately shot my hand out to grab Belphie’s tightly. He turned his head to me in confusion, but held mine back. And then he turned to look into the room. His eyes immediately widened in shock.
“…This… This is… Lilith’s room.”
I could almost see him withdraw on himself a bit, the shock masking away into a strange, sad seriousness. I squeezed his hand tighter. I don’t think he noticed.
“It’s her room from back up in the Celestial Realm, isn’t it…!? But why–"
“I created this room,” Lucifer cut in.
Belphie darted his eyes to look at him. Confusion, shock, puzzlement, pain, despair…
I slipped an arm around his waist. Lucifer nodded slightly at my movements, as if in approval of my physical signs of support. He had brought me along for a reason.
Lucifer also looked… very sad.
“At first, I vowed that I’d never forget Lilith, and I meant to keep that vow. But I think that maybe, somewhere inside, the secret that only I knew about was weighing on me. The secret I was keeping from all of you – that I’d had Lilith reborn as a human.” He turned his eyes to me as he said this. I didn’t particularly like it, but now was definitely not the time to challenge him on it. “I wanted a place where I could unload it… a place to leave it all, so I wouldn’t have to think about it.”
“You put it all in a box, and locked it away…” I whispered out loud without meaning to.
He nodded slowly, reluctant to admit it. “I was the only one who knew, and it was too big of a burden to bear. So I tucked it away here to keep it out of sight.” He looked around. “All of it.”
Belphie only slowly looked down at the floor, undoubtedly feeling crushed.
Lucifer lowered his voice, turning it soft. He was more attractive when he didn’t have his usual smug or stern face on… “But I don’t need this place anymore. After all, thanks to a certain someone, my secret has been laid bare for all to see.” He looked at me again as he said the last part.
At this, Belphie seemed to finally realize that I was clinging to his side. He moved an arm up around me to pull me closer. I rested my head against him.
“And the hole in my heart..." He looked at us both, arms around each other, with a deep… longing. “The sadness I felt having lost Lilith – times have changed. I have all of you.”
“I…” Belphie’s arm clutched at me a little tighter, his other hand stuffed in his pocket, and he hunched a bit further. “I still feel sad… and lonely, with Lilith gone…”
“I know.” Lucifer nodded. “Which is why, Belphie, I want you to know that if you ever need this place – if you ever want to come here – you’re free to do so whenever you’d like.”
Belphie lifted his head back up to look at his brother, blinking in surprise. “Lucifer, I…”
He trailed off, lost in thought.
We waited for him.
My heart squeezed in my chest as a small smile came to his lips, face softening. “I’ve made my decision.” His voice was a little stronger, too. “Lucifer, I don’t need this place, either. I don’t need it. I’m sad that Lilith’s gone. But even if I had this room, that wouldn’t change. And if we leave this room here forever, then I have a feeling that this sadness will never go away. I’ll always have it inside me. It’ll be like when I was stuck up in the attic. I won’t be able to move on… to move forward.”
I squeezed him around his middle in support. “You’re making the right decision,” I whispered up to him.
He turned his face to smile down at my own, a little broader. “Hearing you say that makes me more confident that this is the right thing to do.” His eyes unfocused for a moment, as if he were far away. “Even now, the smallest things still remind me of Lilith…” He shook his head, coming back to the present. “But she’s still alive, right here in my memory. But you know… with Chise here, I feel like there’s a new spark in my life, something warm.”
My eyes widened and my lips parted in surprise as I looked up at him. His eyes crinkled as a true, genuine smile graced his face. Sincerity. He pulled me in tighter. “I’ve got something better than this room right here beside me, someone I want to treasure.”
“…Belphie…?” I whispered, confused.
He turned his face back to Lucifer, dropping the matter, leaving it to me to process. “So, it’s okay, Lucifer. I don’t need it.”
Lucifer smiled too, but his eyes were on me in Belphie’s arms, regret flashing there for a moment. But still, he nodded at Belphie, focusing on him. “…All right.”
“Lucifer…”
“What?”
Belphie’s voice softened. “Thank you for letting me be the one to make that decision.”
Lucifer made a little surprised noise in his throat, his smile widening. “…Sure, don’t mention it. Because the truth is, I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.”
Belphie guided me with his arm back to where we came from. I walked in tandem with him until he paused in the door on the way out.
“Goodbye, Lilith…” he whispered over his shoulder. “Be seeing you, okay…?”
We walked out together, with Lucifer following quietly behind us.
Belphie withdrew his arm from around me but placed both hands on my shoulders, facing me to him with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here, Chise. I’m glad you came to the Devildom, and I’m glad you’re here by my side now, despite how I first treated you.” He glanced over to his brother for a moment with affection. "Thank you for choosing Chise, Lucifer.”
I threw myself against him, and he wrapped me up in a tight hug.
Lucifer took in a breath as he watched Belphie’s frank honesty with me. Honesty in his fondness for my company, honesty in his regret for his treatment of me. His casual intimacy with me, his arms embracing me, face buried against my hair with a smile. How I embraced that intimacy with feelings of my own.
“…Sure,” he answered him, soft, and quiet.
Belphegor: Hey, go borrow some manga from Levi for me.
Belphegor: A bunch, if you can.
Chise: All right, I guess I can do that… As long as you return them in pristine condition, per Levi’s usual conditions.
Belphegor: Thanks.
Belphegor: You can’t say I’m the one who’s going to read them though.
Belphegor: Make him think they’re for you.
Belphegor: He’ll probably want your opinion on them later
Belphegor: So I guess you’ll have to come to my room so I can tell you how to respond.
Chise: Mhm. But don’t worry, I won’t read into that too deeply.
Belphegor: Good human.
Belphegor: Hey, could you get me some room fragrances from Asmo?
Belphegor: I’m sure he’s got a ton of bottles, so I doubt he’ll refuse.
Belphegor: Any fragrance is fine.
Chise: Maybe something like Indian sandalwood?
Belphegor: Ah, I like that one.
Belphegor: Oh, before I forget.
Belphegor: He’s supposed to think it’s for you, so make sure you use the same one in your room, too.
Chise: You want our rooms to smell the same, Belphie?
Belphegor: Hey, like I said, don’t read into things.
"Chise, ummm..." Asmo fell in step beside me as the flock of us returned home from school.
I rarely saw him unsure of himself, but the tone of his voice indicated a bit of nervousness. I cocked my head at him curiously. "What is it, Asmo?”
"Well..... I was just wondering." He paused. "Ummm, I was wondering if you'd like to come to my room later before Diavolo’s party, to get ready, and, um, I could do your hair, and paint your nails too…?"
I raised my eyebrow at him, suspicious. "Uh-huh. Just nails, is it? Asmo—"
"Really!" The word burst out of him "I'm... really! I mean it. It would just be nice... to spend time with my pact mate." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "That's all.”
I gave him a measured look. But something in his eyes, his demeanour, even his uncertain body language, and the way he hugged himself. It told me he was being genuine.
An olive branch, maybe?
"Okay, Asmo," I answered softly. "We can do that.”
He immediately brightened, his bubbly self rising back up to the surface. "Yes! Y-Yes! Ohhhhhh, Chise, thank you so muuuuuch! Your nail beds are so pretty! I think I already said that. They’re square! What colour should I do... Or colours! Eeeeeeee!" He squealed in delight, clapping his hands as he twirled about in step with me.
I gave a soft smile. Maybe he was trying. Maybe he was getting it. He HAD been watching how his brothers and I interacted all this time. How intimate we had all become.
And he, the Avatar of Lust, stood firmly outside of that circle, kept at bay by me.
It must be killing him. It had been hard for me to make myself care about that, considering what had happened between us and what he had tried to do to me.
But, I suddenly thought, a little uncomfortably... Satan had insisted that I had redeemed him.
If Satan can wrap his hands around my throat with the intention of killing me, if Belphie could LITERALLY kill me over and over again, and if they then could be redeemed…
It didn't make sense for me to hold Asmo to a higher standard.
I don't know why I was so particularly afraid of him and what he had done. I guess it was the mind control aspect of it, rather than outright physical violence. That he could have made me be an enthusiastic participant to... whatever he had planned for me. The threat of a deeper, more agonizing sort of violence. Worse than death.
That was really scary. And I had slapped him for it. Called him a demon with pure hatred and outrage in my voice. I hadn’t used the word demon in a derogatory manner like that with anyone else. Not even with Lucifer.
And it had shaken him to his core.
But, I realized, he never turned against me in the face of my own wrath that day. He didn't transform and fight back like Lucifer and Satan and Belphie did. He could have turned to outrage himself at my rejection. It seemed to me that personal rejection WAS the antithesis to Lust, the natural catalyst that could have easily triggered him to lose control.
But now that I thought about it... The only time I had ever seen him in his demon form was during the dance at the castle, drifting by just out of my line of sight after our fight, and when I had breathed magic into his abilities in the labyrinth. He hadn’t even transformed when Solomon imbued him with magic previously. Just those two times.
He... was sort of, a bit, like Mammon, I realized. He wasn't a fighter. He was a little shit who fed on drama and teased his brothers to death, but I realized in that moment that he didn't want to actually HURT anyone. Ever.
He hadn’t realized that he was hurting me. That wasn't a GOOD thing, mind. It's not a good thing to not realize that charming people into getting what you want against their will was a form of violence in itself. But... Sometimes people don't realize that they're being bad until they get that awakening, because that's all they know what to do. Of course it wasn't a GOOD thing that he didn't know. But if he didn't know, he didn't know. If he didn't know, how could he have known otherwise without a real reckoning that shook him in his beliefs and experiences? And now that he knew, what was he doing with that information in his head, despite still being the very NATURE of lust? How hard was he fighting? What progress was he making?
I hadn't bothered to check in on the answer to any of those questions. I had checked out, leaving him behind.
It’s not that I was obligated to have checked in on that by any means; I was the one who was wronged, and dealing with that fallout of that was his sole responsibility.
But leaving him in the dust… wasn’t me.
I thought back to my own mistakes that I had stumbled through in my life to get to where I am. I wasn't BORN knowing what I know now. I had to learn each lesson, and sometimes the learning process wasn't smooth in the least.
Sometimes I had hurt people along the way, too. Without meaning to, I had inflicted maybe as much pain as I was burdened with by others.
Because I didn't know any better.
Until I did.
With the peace he extended here, and the care that he took to let me know that he was actively choosing to forego lust when he did, it told me that he HAD been reflecting on what had happened before.
If he was trying, like Satan tried when he literally healed what he had inflicted on me, like Belphie tried when he clung to me in a genuine show of wanting to be close, why couldn't Asmo be redeemed, also? Both Satan and Belphie took ownership of what they had done and had genuinely shown me their remorse.
I had to give Asmo the chance to do the same. If I shut him out forever, he would never get the chance to show remorse in the way that the others got to. If I refused to put myself in a position with him where he felt like he could open up, felt safe enough to open up, he never would. And I never would either.
I’d be my own hypocrite.
I hesitated, but then I slipped my hand in his and held it. His jaw dropped as he looked at me with utter shock on his face. It was the first time I had actually, willingly touched him, in complete and confident kindness.
"I'm looking forward to it, Asmo.”
He glowed like the soft pink warmth of a sunrise.
Olive branch.
-
He gently wended his fingers through my hair, teasing the curls out looser. He was careful not to touch my neck and shoulders; his fingers barely even whispered across my scalp. I think he hummed to himself more to fill the silence between us than anything. I had slowly begun to force myself to relax, muscle by muscle, after realizing how tense I had kept myself the moment I stepped into his room.
“You’re so pretty…” he murmured, more to himself. “This little curl here…”
I figured he had been trying to keep himself so quiet in an effort to stop himself from saying anything that could set me off. He was always a natural flirt, and I’m sure it was a struggle for him to turn that part of himself off for this particular ‘hang out’.
I allowed myself a small smile, and forced myself, again, to breathe out the breath I kept finding myself holding. He looked up in the mirror to my face at the noise, catching my smile there. He paused the work on my curls to meet my eyes in the glass.
“Thank you, Asmo. I haven’t looked this good in a while.”
He bubbled lightly behind me, face brightening at my praise. I smiled a little wider too.
“Well!” He bounced my curls with both his hands to shake the rest of them loose. “I think we’re all done with this part! The spray made them so soft, and it smells good too. You smell like a pretty flower now, you know.”
“What are you wearing tonight, Asmo?”
“Oh!” He hopped up lightly to pad over to his vast closet. His frame was small, and he was the shortest of all the brothers. His androgynism was very attractive. He had an unabashed femininity to him that the others completely lacked. He was a very pretty boy, and one that anyone of any gender could find themselves drawn to. I suppose the Avatar of Lust had to be like that?
I watched as he rummaged around a bit, pulling pieces out hanger-by-hanger.
“Thiiiiiis…” He shook one hanger at me. The shirt somehow ended up being a combination of very interesting, very cute, formal, and sexy, all in one. It was like a button-up blouse had its sleeves instead come up to tie around the neck like a halter, with the bottom-half of the buttons missing, likely exposing midriff. Sleeveless, revealing shoulder and belly, with the buttons coming down just enough to cinch the waist into an hour-glass shape before it belled out into a more relaxed fit.
“Oh!” My eyes widened. “I LOVE that! It’s so you! I struggle with halters. I hate strapless bras…”
“Oh.” He beamed at my compliment. “I’ll have to remember that when I pick out clothes for you in the future.”
“Yeah, at least the dress you chose for me at the last dance had cups–"
I stopped myself, feeling my face flush. Talking about my breasts. A little too intimate. Too much invitation for too much comment.
But Asmo only nodded genially before reaching back to the rack of clothes.
“And thiiiiiiis blazer, if it gets coooooold.”
I nodded at the delicate seashell pink. The fabric looked soft and the stitching was fine. The inner lining had a white-and-red rose pattern, and looked silky to the touch. It would flash with little peeks of personality as he moved, and would be revealed on his cuffs if he rolled the wrists up. “I love that too. That lining is so pretty.”
“Isn’t it!?” He wiggled on the spot as he held the two articles of clothes up. “It’s so cute, but I don’t usually wear coverings when I turn. The shirt is backless so my wings can breathe.”
“Oh, right.” I thought back to how Mammon had worn… very little from the waist up to 'make room' for his wings as well. I blushed at the memory.
“And then a pair of slacks,” he raised the silky black pair up for my inspection, “cut a little higher at the ankle, so I can show off my shooooooes.”
I smiled at his exuberant energy, and how his self-consciousness had melted away when talking about a passion. Much like Levi in a way, though Asmo was rarely self-conscious enough to make that sort of comparison. “Honestly, Asmo. You’re going to look so good.”
“Thank you, sweetie,” he cooed to me, turning away to drape them over a chair. Not before I caught a little blush rising to his cheeks, though. He took in a deep breath to steady himself. ”Nails next!”
I laughed as he turned to bound back towards me to grab my hands for inspection. He held mine there, my fingers lightly resting on his, his touch gentle, soft enough where I could snatch away easily if I needed to.
Every movement and noise he made was full of careful consideration towards me and my comfort. I pressed my fingers forward against his palms, indicating that I was comfortable with the touch. He hummed happily, and not just to fill the silence.
-
“Are you okay in there, kitten?"
He had allowed me the exclusive use of his vast bathroom for me to change. Hair done, nails painted, only a touch of makeup applied at my request, tastefully done, it was time for the most important part. In my opinion, anyway.
Buuuuut there was another fucking zipper.
I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror, though the sight took my breath away. It had been a long time since I went to so much trouble, though Asmo had respected my request for a toned-down look. I was still me, but I shone. My hair shone, the tops of my cheeks shone, my lips shone, the dress shone, the gold buckle snug around my waist shone. I looked like a little angel, honestly.
I took in a deep breath as I walked to the door, lightly touching the handle to peek back into the room. To catch his gaze.
I looked at him shyly, deciding to extend trust. "Could you... help me with this?”
I opened the door a little wider, turning to show him my bare back. My bare skin. I was shivering a bit, and my heart was thumping in my chest.
Asmo swallowed and nodded, stepping lightly towards me. He gently pulled the zipper up my back, careful not to touch my skin, his fingers only resting lightly enough to brace the fabric against the pull.
"There you go," he said, his voice tightly controlled to maintain a casualness to it. This was a very big test, and he was not going to fail.
"Thank you.” I adjusted the neckline a bit to get myself in there now that I was zipped up, smoothing the fabric over myself with a satisfied sigh. It fit like a pretty little glove.
I heard a hitched breath behind me.
“Asmo...?"
I went to turn, but before I could, he rested his forehead against my shoulder with a soft bump.
And began to cry.
I stood there, shocked, letting him, as he shook with his sobs behind my back. I felt the wetness of his tears against my skin. I didn't know what the do. I felt rooted to the spot. I didn’t know what to do.
It was when I felt him hiccup that I finally turned around to cradle his head against my shoulder.
He slowly fell into me and shook in my arms, one hand gripping the sleeve of my dress, a wet stain of tears forming along my collar.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." His voice was so very small, defeated, sincere, broken.
I trailed my hand up his back lightly to rest on the top of his head. I petted his hair, the softest brush of my fingertips skimming smoothly through his strawberry blonde locks. He relaxed against me a bit more at my touch, but his hand on my sleeve was tentative, hesitating, avoiding touching me any more than he had to. He still trembled, uncertain. I had never seen him so unsure of himself. It was like he had just… broken. Shattered into tiny little pieces.
I moved to place my hands on his shoulders to push him away a bit to look at his face. His eyes were red, cheeks wet, horrible misery on his face.
"Asmo. Are you okay?"
He shook his head, mutely.
"Would you like to talk about this...? Together?"
His breath hitched again as he stared at me, undecided. After a moment, face breaking, he nodded.
"It's going to be a hard talk."
His lip trembled. But still, he nodded again.
I turned to wet a face cloth in cold water. It wouldn’t do to have his eyes turn puffy from crying, I know he’d never get over that. I took his hand and guided him over to his bed to sit him down, handing him the damp cloth.
I sat down next to him, my fingers holding his.
Ready to finally talk.
Chapter 25: Chapter 18-B: Finding The In-Between
Notes:
Lol I cried when I wrote this. Anyway one NSFW scene in this.
Chapter Text
One week leading up to the party:
“Oh… Chise, uh…” Mammon blushed as he tied the laces of his shoes, ultra-focused on the knots. “I was, uh, just thinkin’… Whaddya say we play a little game? Like, you and me will take turns sayin’ what we’d like more than anything else!”
Belphie rolled his eyes. “You know class is about to start, right? You’re going to be late.”
“Okay, uh, I’ll go first: Money!”
I grinned at him, following Belphie out. “Come on, Mammon. We don’t have time for games, we’ve got to get to class.”
“W-Wha!? Hey, Chise! Wait up!"
-
Levi shifted from foot to foot with a weird smile on his face. “So, Chise. I was wondering… do you know about the rumour that’s been going around the House of Lamentation?”
“The rumour going around…” I raised an eyebrow in confusion. “…that you and your brothers are spreading? Because you’re the only ones who live here.”
“Uh, not important. Anyway, apparently, if you write down the thing you want more than anything else right now on a piece of paper, and then you leave that piece of paper next to a fish tank containing a goldfish, then you’ll get whatever it is you wanted. A-And it just so happens that I’ve got a goldfish right here in my room. Wow! Henry’s tank is right over there… So if you want to use it, feel free…”
Belphie sighed in exasperation. “Whatever. Levi, enough about that. Come show me how to get past this stage.”
-
“Oh…” Beel twisted his hands, eyes eagerly looking into mine. “So Levi told you that, did he? Well… What he said about the rumour was true. But the version I heard was a little different. Apparently, if you write down the thing you want more than anything else on a piece of paper, and then leave that paper in the refrigerator, you’ll end up getting whatever it is. That’s how the story really goes – from what I’ve heard.”
I raised another eyebrow. “Really.” I didn’t phrase it as a question.
“Um, Beel?” Belphie leaned over. “You might want to grab a different utensil. People don’t usually eat soup with a fork.”
-
Lucifer cleared his throat as he approached me at my desk. “Chise, I have to submit a report to Diavolo, and I was wondering if you could help me with it. Tell me, what’s the one item in the Devildom that you like the most? What tickles your fancy?”
“What… item?” I shook my head, feeling like I was completely in the dark over something. “What tickles my… fancy? Did someone slip Demonus in your coffee this morning, Lucifer? Or something a little stronger, perhaps?”
“…Really, Lucifer?” Belphie drawled. “I don’t remember Diavolo asking for a report like that at the last council meeting.”
“Deadly nightshade, maybe? Crude cockatrice oil?”
Lucifer rolled his eyes, walking away from me with his arms crossed.
“…BELLADONNA’S SWEET KISS OF DEATH, PERHAPS?” I called after him, Belphie snickering noisily beside me.
-
“Oooh, Chise!” Asmo wiggled in his seat beside me at the dining table, eyes shining with excitement. “Tell me, what do you think of the cologne I’m wearing today? Here, try some yourself… What do you think? Liiiiiike iiiiiit?”
I dodged away from the spray, coughing, eyes watering, curling an arm around my plate to protect my food.
“You know…” Satan leaned over too. “There are so many excellent authors from the human world, huh? Do you happen to have a favourite, Chise?”
“What on earth has gotten INTO all of you!?” I waved the spray from my face, pulling up my shirt to cover my nose.
Belphie sighed, shaking his head. “Here we go again.”
-
“Everyone keeps asking you about what sort of stuff you like, and what things you want, don’t they? It’s like they’re desperate…”
I looked up at him from across the little café table set outside in the cobbled street, taking another lick of my ice cream cone. My brow furrowed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s kind of pissing me off… in a funny, exasperating sort of way. Do you know something that I don’t? Like, what the hell.”
“Too bad.” He ignored my question. “They really need to learn to do a better job.”
“Well?” I raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to ask me? You’re the last one who hasn’t.”
“Nope, I’m not.” His face turned smug. “But make no mistake. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in you.”
I swallowed too much ice cream at the extra emphasis on ‘interested’, giving myself instant brain freeze as colour rose to my cheeks.
“If you’re wondering why I haven’t asked, well… that’s because I already know you well enough that I don’t need to.”
I rolled my eyes at that. “You’re such a brat, Belphie.”
He crossed his arms with a sly grin.
Belphegor: Chise. I’m sure you’re bored out of your mind with nothing happening here in the Devildom.
Belphegor: I know just what to do to spice up your life.
Belphegor: Ooooh, tell me.
Belphegor: All right, that’s the spirit.
Belphegor: Listen.
Belphegor: Strike up a conversation with Satan and call him Lucifer by accident.
Belphegor: Over and over again.
Chise: Whoa, you’re a wild one, Belphie!
Belphegor: You bet! Oh man, he’d get so furious.
Chise: Though, now that I think about it, I don’t feel like getting murdered today. Again. ;)
Belphegor: Ooooooooh, low blow.
Belphegor: Too soon, Chise. Too soon.
“Welcome to Lord Diavolo’s birthday party. We’ve been expecting you.”
Barbatos made a sweeping bow at the door, ushering us into the room. His demon form was a dazzling display that took my breath away. He was so elegant, the ruffled scarf at his neck matching the shock of teal in the fringe of his hair. The same design ruffled around the cuffs of his black formal waistcoat. I could see that the lining of it was the same teal as well. Just black, black, with shocks of teal gradients. A beautiful man. His skeletal horns curved around his head. Beautiful demon, I corrected myself.
He briefly held my gaze in particular, and I felt a small warmth in the look. I smiled sincerely, curtsying back, as had become our usual.
He swept his eyes over all of us, a touch of a carefully-placed professional smile gracing his face. “Chefs from around the Devildom have prepared exquisite dishes for you to sample. So please, relax and enjoy the party.”
“Thank you, Barbatos,” I murmured as I moved past him, brushing my fingertips against the sleeve of his coat to catch his attention. He inclined his head towards me in acknowledgement. Nothing particularly special in his eyes as he caught mine again, but a singled-out acknowledgment was already a gift.
“All riiiiiiight, time to DIG IN!” Mammon came up from behind me in a rush, grabbing me by the waist to hurry me in faster.
“MAMMON!” I squeaked and kicked my legs, pulling the skirt of my dress down to preserve my modesty.
“Mmmrphm, mrapho marcher fracas mraphaful.”
“Looks like a certain brother of mine’s ALREADY chowin’ down."
“BEEL!” I told him off from across the room, still struggling in Mammon’s arms. “HOW DID YOU GET OVER THERE SO FAST? MIND YOUR MANNERS. WIPE YOUR MOUTH.”
We had already caught the attention of a number of guests milling about the room. Rulers of the Devildom, indeed.
Asmo skipped up beside us with a sigh. “I know Barbatos said to enjoy ourselves, but I’d say Beel’s taking it too far.” I looked at the demon markings on his arms with interest. I hadn’t bothered to get close enough to him after our fight last time. It was like he had dripping heart marks winding down his skin. His four wings, smaller than Mammon’s, freed with the open-backed design of his shirt, rose and fell gently along with his sigh. He glanced around the room, and then perked. “Wait a minute, you there! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you before. Are you a new footman here? Just started at the Demon Lord’s Castle, did you…?” He wandered off, bubbling flirtatiously as he went. “Listen, are you doing anything after this…”
His voice faded into the murmur that had picked back up around the room. I sighed in exasperation, shaking my head.
“I’d say Asmo’s the one who’s enjoying himself too much.”
I jumped in Mammon’s arms at the sound of Satan’s voice. I hadn’t noticed that he was standing nearby. He was very pointedly avoiding my eyes, simply watching Asmo drift off to ’socialize'. “Especially compared…” He swivelled his eyes past me to the other side of the entryway, "to a certain someone…”
Levi was plastered to the wall, absolutely and horrendously miserable. “I can’t take it anymore!” He was whimpering pathetically. “So many people… I just wanna go back to my room…”
“Awh…” I struggled out of Mammon’s embrace to go to him.
Seven rulers of the Devildom.
“Must be hard being socially awkward,” Satan sighed as I passed him by.
“…Mammon?” Barbatos’ voice, smooth as silk, reached us from behind. I turned to see a very unusual look of delight on his face, eyes creased in a closed-mouth smile, like he was greeting a long-lost relative. It was… frightening. “Would that happen to be the Golden Fruit I just saw you slip into your pocket? One of the most treasured items in the Demon Lord’s Castle?”
Ah. So the happier Barbatos looked in public, the more pissed off he was. Good to know.
“…Wh? Whaaa? …WHA?! W-Well look at that! How’d one of the castle treasures get into MY pocket…!?”
“Mammon, for fuck’s sake.” I abandoned Levi to stomp over to him. “I literally left your side for a total of three seconds.”
“Ugh, unbelievable! This treasure here is such a prankster!” He tossed the Golden Fruit at Barbatos like it were a piping hot potato. Barbatos caught it smoothly. “What’s the big idea, jumpin’ into my pocket like that, huh?! Bad treasure!”
“I’m so sorry for him, Barbatos.” My face was red as I clasped my hands in front of myself and bowed to him apologetically. “I’ll keep a better eye on him.”
I looked up to see genuine amusement in Barbatos’ eyes as he looked down on me.
”...What’s this I hear, Mammon?”
Lucifer, black raven’s wings stretched large and wide, descended upon his kleptomaniac brother.
“Yikes…” he whispered at my side.
“So you’re not content simply stealing the castle’s ornamental treasures? You have to go and lie about it, too?”
“Owwwwwww! D-Don’t pull! OOOWWWW!”
And off he went.
“Careful, Chise…” Belphie sidled up beside me. It had been a long time since I’d seen him in demon form, too… Not since. Well.
I really wanted to touch his fluffy tail now that he wasn’t trying to kill me.
He placed a hand on my head. “Mammon’s stupidity levels are so off the charts that watching him might cause your brain cells to rot.” He leaned down to my ear as Barbatos bowed low to us, drifting off. “Are you having a good time?”
His warm breath on my neck tickled me. I felt myself flush. “H-How about you, Belphie? Having a good time?”
“Me...? Hmm… I don’t know if I’d say that.” I looked up at his face. He looked apathetic. Bored. “To be honest, I wasn’t particularly enthused about coming here.”
“I… kind of figured that this might be awkward for you.”
He smiled down at me, pretending not to catch my true meaning. “Parties have never really been my thing, after all. For a while, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to come today, but… I figured if you were going, I had no choice, you know?”
“Well, thanks for not leaving me to the mercy of your other very responsible and respectable brothers.”
I provoked a laugh out of him as he straightened out to stand beside me, eyes gleaming in amusement. “Did you grab yourself a drink already? Diavolo’s speech is starting now.”
“Hm. I guess I’ll have to grab one after. Or you could get me one, like a proper gentleman.” I smiled mischievously up at him, jostling him with my elbow.
“Pfffff.” He grinned at me with a shake of his head.
”Hello there!” Diavolo’s booming voice rang through the ballroom, echoing up to the tall ceiling. “I’d like to thank you all for coming here tonight on my behalf. It would seem that today’s my birthday!”
Cheers rang out through the room as demon after demon raised their glasses in toast towards their lord. He grinned all around, sweeping the room with his nodding.
“By the way, could anyone here possibly tell me how old I am now? Because I’d like to know myself.”
Laughter and groans echoed around the room now. I’m sure it was a very old, tired joke for demons. The demon version of a bad dad joke.
“All jokes aside, I’d like It if you all used my birthday as an excuse to have a good time. So enjoy yourselves!”
”Here here!” Someone in the room called out, and the crowd broke out into a smattering of applause.
“And lastly,” he continued as the noise in the room died down again, “I’d like to introduce our other guest of honour tonight.”
A murmur of expectation from the crowd as they parted, turning their heads.
To me.
“Come here, Chise.” Lord Diavolo beamed at me from the podium.
I stared, uncomprehending, frozen.
“Yes, you.” He chuckled at my shock.
“It’s…. Not my birthday…” My voice was small and meek, but carried in the room regardless. This got a genuine little laugh of merriment from the guests around me.
Diavolo boomed with laughter. “I take it that Lucifer and his brothers must have wanted this to be a surprise for you.”
I felt a push on my back from behind to propel me forward. I stumbled a bit, shyly proceeding through the crowd with the momentum that the prod gave me. My legs were shaking as I made my way, too slowly, fists bunched in my skirt, over to where the resplendent Demon Prince waited for me.
“You see, Chise.” His voice lowered to a more normal level as I finally approached. He held out his hand to me, and I took it. “Tonight’s party is being thrown for you as well.” He bent over my fingers and kissed them lightly. Someone in the crowd cat-called like a jackass. I felt the heat immediately rush to my cheeks.
He lowered his hand, still holding mine, to pull me lightly to his side. He was a very large demon. Larger, I think, when he turned form. His wings engulfed the space around us. Black and gold and red, I looked tiny standing beside him in my little white dress. He gestured for me to look forward. “It seems that Lucifer and the others would all like to express their appreciation.” He grinned, face turning sly. “Did you really think that they bought all of those presents for me alone?”
I gasped. “Those bastards…”
“PFFFF.” I actually cracked the Demon Lord’s public royal veneer, getting him to giggle like a schoolgirl at my unguarded expletive.
Mammon stepped up, his hand cupped around something small in his palm.
I stared at him as he approached.
“Weeeell?” He cocked his head at me. “C’mon, hold out your hand, silly.”
I did what I was told, almost robotically, still not quite sure what was going on.
He took my hand in his, uncurling the other palm to reveal a dainty little bracelet. My eyes widened at the gift that he wound around my wrist.
“These’re dark pearl oysters,” he explained as he fiddled clumsily with the clasp. “Damn thing… Well… They’re unique to the Devildom and I… You’re practically a denizen already, so you oughta have a black pearl somethin’ or other to call your own. There we go…” His voice got softer and softer as he spoke. “Man…” he whispered now, looking up from my wrist to meet my gaze. “I can hardly take my eyes off ya, it’s so pretty…”
“Mammon…” I breathed out his name, barely audible.
“Hush, you.” He covered my wrist in his hands, pressing the bracelet against my skin. “I want you to know that THE Mammon actually worked part time at Hell’s Kitchen to save up the money to buy ya this present. I didn’t borrow money from any witches to pay for it. I didn’t steal or pawn stuff, either. Everything was done on the up and up, okay?”
I placed my other hand down on his, sandwiching them between us. I leaned towards him and pressed my lips to his. It was only when we broke apart that he realized where we were again, his face burning red as he glanced around us. “Seriously, again? In front of eeeeveryone?”
“Thank you, Mammon,” I whispered again. “I love you so much.”
He shifted on the spot, going even redder. “I love you too, you know.”
"Enouuuugh,” Levi called. “It’s my tuuuuurn.”
“R-Right.” Mammon released my hands, stepping back down to take his place in the lineup. But he was grinning. Sheepishly, and entirely red in the face, but grinning.
“…Here.” Levi was the next to approach, shyly, with a blush, but a genuine little smile and a warm light in his eyes. His indigo hair fell over his eyes as he made a cute little bow, looking up at me from under his lashes, his antler-like horns gracing his scalp. He had no idea how precious he was. “This is the limited edition pre-order copy of Devouring Souls. I-I think I noticed that it's been your favourite game that you play with me, a-and there was a limited run on these when it came out so it’s hard to find, s-so now you have your own… c-copy… Th-Though…” His confidence wavered, his face falling a bit with all of the eyes that were on him. “I guess you still may not want it, considering it’s a gift from someone like me and all.”
I bent my head, my face close to his as I took his gift in my hands. “I love it so much, Levi,” I whispered to him. “Thank you…”
He nearly jumped out of his skin, expelling some sort of unholy guttural squawk as my lips brushed his cheek with a soft kiss. He damn near tumbled down the couple of steps from the podium back to his brothers. Beel caught Levi against him with an exasperated sigh. If Beel got exasperated with you, you knew you were being needlessly silly.
My eyes still on Levi for a brief moment while he settled back down, I hadn’t noticed that it was Satan who approached next. I jumped when I noticed him out of the corner of my eye.
We stared at each other for a moment. His expression was carefully composed, but his eyes… While his cheeks were relaxed, his mouth set to appear neutral, his brows still, his eyes were full of a conflicted anguish that he struggled to suppress. They implored me for… something. Without meaning to, I think. Beseeching me. Begged for my forgiveness, perhaps.
He broke his gaze away, inclining his head down as he raised the book in his hands up as offering. I laid my hand on it.
“Books enrich one’s life,” he said softly, still looking at the ground. “That’s true whether you’re a human or a demon. And this is one of my favourite books. I hope it ends up making your life… a little bit… richer.”
I lifted my other hand up to support the bottom of it, pressing his hand between mine and the book. I slipped it out of his fingers, my skin gliding against his. I saw him swallow.
I bent to brush my lips against his cheek too. “Thank you, heart,” I whispered to him.
I heard him take in a deep, ragged breath as he stepped down and away.
Asmo bounded up to me immediately as he left, wiggling. “My present is that outfit I picked out for you, Chise! Oh, and I got you some new, limited edition cosmetics! After hanging out in my room and getting to know your skin so intimately–"
I sighed, rolling my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling.
“–I know JUST what you need to live your best liiiiiife! I also threw in some of the same cologne I wear in there as well. If you wear it, it’ll feel like I’m holding you in my arms every minute of the day!”
“Asmo!” I was giggling as he kept up the funny charade. The flirting felt like a precious inside joke now, a public front for the platonic affection that had tentatively taken root between us. A single evening together broke down what had seemed like an insurmountable barrier.
I leaned down and pecked his cheek too, and he squee’d in delight.
Levi safely deposited to recover on the floor, Beel stepped up next, face serious. “…Here.”
He placed a little booklet on my palm. It was the size of a cheque book. I looked at it with a blink, not understanding.
“…There are tickets for one year’s worth of free meals at Hell’s Kitchen.”
“It’s WHAT!?” I shouted into the room, gaping at him. It earned a tittering from the crowd around us.
“It kills me to give it away, but… for you, I’ll do it, Chise.”
“Beel…!” I threw my arms around him in a huge hug. He hugged back, even tighter, lifting me off of my feet with the power and height of his embrace. I peppered kisses over and over on his cheek, eventually earning a laugh out of him out of the silliness of it all. “Thank you, Beel…” I whispered to him. “We’ll go on dates together."
“Mm…” He inhaled against my neck for a moment before finally letting me back down.
Lucifer approached next.
I had been dreading it.
He was a beautiful demon, really. But nearly every time I had seen him in this form… He had accustomed me to associate those large wings and S-shaped horns with death and injury and agony. With fear. There could be no appreciation from me for him. That ship had long sailed.
He quietly, humbly, got down on one knee, proffering the little box he held up to me. The crowd around us murmured to see the Great Lucifer, clad in black, down on one knee before the little human girl dressed in white.
I took the little box in my hands carefully. He lifted his eyes up to watch me open it.
“Oh…"
“It’s a brooch, and embedded within is a midnight stone,” he spoke quietly, matter-of-fact, with no extra flair. “Even here in the Devildom, it’s considered a rare jewel.”
“Lucifer, I…” I can’t.
"When we went shopping together, this was in the display window at Hocus Pocus, remember? I believe it caught your eye. I want you to have it as a memento of your time here in the Devildom.”
I can’t take this…
“I wanted you to understand how much I appreciate you, as did each of my brothers. But without an opportunity like this, we wouldn’t have been able to properly communicate that, would we?”
I finally raised my eyes to meet his. They were lit with affection. Fondness. I was tearing myself to pieces inside. Please. I’m not Lilith. Please, Lucifer. What do you actually want from me?
His voice lowered. “Thank you, Chise. Please accept these gifts from us. All of us.”
Closing the lid on the box slowly, I finally decided to press it over my heart. Accepting it.
“Thank you…” I whispered, uncertain, shy.
He nodded in acceptance and understanding, straightening up as he smoothed his face back into a composed mask – very much like Satan. He towered over me at his full height.
I hesitated for a brief second, before extending myself up on the tips of my toes, to land the quickest, lightest peck on his cheek. I had to hop up to do it, with the brooch still pressed to my heart.
He stared at me as my face pulled away, absolutely stunned into a deeply shocked silence. His eyes seemed to fill with some sort of wonder. His lips parted in amazement.
Looking up at him, it looked like he had been struck by lightning. Like he realized something. Something incredibly, vitally important. And he looked so, so sad, like the same realization was slipping through his fingers, too late to grasp. I stepped back from him uncertainly, unsure if I had done the right thing with that stunt. I had done it while swept up in an emotional moment that had touched me, but... I glanced over at Diavolo, but he was only beaming towards us in his own delighted surprise, arms folded in front of him.
"–We’re the ones who should be thanking you, Chise!” Asmo wiggled behind him in delight, breaking the moment.
Satan looked around with a frown. “You know, I don’t see Belphie anywhere around…”
“Ugh.” Levi slumped. “Well, he’s pretty socially awkward too, so I’m not surprised. But he didn’t even take me with him… Uggghhh…”
“Maybe so,” Asmo furrowed his brow, “but don’t you think he’d at least give Chise a present?”
“Oh, I don’t need–“
“Dammit. Okay, where’d he go?” Mammon peered around the room. “Little shit…"
The spectacle done and over with, the noise in the room drifted up in volume as everyone went back to their own business. Music took up on one side, and some people took to the floor to dance.
Before I could even think about finding Belphie, Mammon grabbed me around the waist to whisk me off to the floor with a twirl.
I laughed and smiled up at him as his arm snaked around my waist while the other laced fingers in my own. I owed him this first dance.
I felt the heat of Lucifer’s eyes on my back as my doting boyfriend swept me away with a grin.
“Hm...?” Belphie glanced over his shoulder at the sound of my soft footsteps. I stepped over the loose rock daintily to reach him on his bench. “…Oh.” He hummed happily. “I was wondering who was there. So it’s you, Chise.”
“Hi, Belphie,” I greeted him softly, taking the seat next to him. I slipped my tight shoes off to curl my legs up underneath me, smoothing down the skirt of my dress.
He watched me with a soft smile. “Are you sure it’s okay for you to be heading off by yourself and coming to a spot like this?”
I looked out ahead of us over the beautiful little pond that shimmered under the glow of the moon. Crickets sung their song around us, humming in the air. I peered a little closer at the water’s edge. “You even have fireflies down here in the Devildom.”
“Hmm.” He nodded at my wonder, leaning his body towards mine. “They must have told you by now that you’re tonight’s other guest of honour, right?”
I nodded, still looking out over the water. “But you weren’t there. It’s not a party without you now, is it? So here I am, finding you."
“Really…?” He chuckled lightly. “Well, you certainly have weird tastes, don’t you?”
I finally turned to look at him, a grin on my face. “You’re the one who said it, not me.”
“Pfff.” He shook his head, returning my grin. I settled back a little closer to him, rubbing my arms in the chilled air. He kept his eyes on me. “What are you, some sort of expert at finding me or something?” He shifted a little closer to me, watching the prickles rise on my skin for a moment before draping an arm around my shoulders. I cuddled closer against his jacket, soaking in his warmth. I yelped in surprise as he slapped his fuzzy tail on my lap, making him laugh at my expense. “And after I went to all the trouble of slipping out of the party and coming here to relax in peace…”
I rested my head against him, petting his fluffy tail. He pulled it up further to cover my cold arms. I smiled as I brushed it with my fingers.
“But still…” he whispered. “If I’m being honest… I had a feeling that you might come after me.”
“Mm.” I tilted my face back up to his. “Well, I did.”
“Yes.” His eyes softened as he looked into mine. “You did indeed.”
He pulled me close to him with both arms. I cuddled against his chest, his tail still in my lap. He held me quietly for a little while. I sighed as I relaxed against him, lulled by the chirps of the crickets and the sound of the water. Lulled by being wrapped warm in a cool night’s chill.
“So,” he broke in softly, “has everyone already given you their presents?”
“Mhm.” I answered, wiggling a bit in his arms. He laughed.
“Well, judging by how happy you sound, I take it they gave you some nice stuff.”
I didn’t say anything back. He didn’t need to give me anything. None of them needed to.
“…You know,” he continued, “I had a hard time deciding what to get you for a present.”
“Oh, Belphie–"
“And maybe this isn’t very original of me, but…”
We sat in silence for a while longer. I lifted my face back up to peek at him again. He was already looking down at me with a smile, expecting my look.
“Chise…” His smiled widened a bit. “How would you like to make me yours?”
“Wha–!" I shot upright with a squeak, heat hitting my cheeks so fast I felt faint with dizziness. “Y-You– Wha… M-Make– Belph… Wh–"
He burst out into laughter, throwing his arms back around me to pull me against him again after I had shot away in my shock. “Don’t be so surprised!” He suddenly gripped my chin to look up at him. A huge grin on his face. “I’m asking if you’ll make a pact with me.”
“BELPHIE!”
"What’s wrong?” He caught my attempt at a play-slap with a laugh, pinning my arms to my sides as I struggled against him in indignation. “What was going through your head, huh? Pervert.”
“You set me up!” I muffled into his sweater, pinned against him. “Brat…"
He snickered down at me, finally releasing me when he had decided that I had calmed down enough. Still, I raised my hand to give him a little slap on the shoulder. He pulled his legs up underneath him to sit cross-legged. We sat beside each other. He looked at me, and I looked at him.
“I thought…” I started, “you said you didn’t want to do that.”
“Mmm. I did say that before, yeah…” He shrugged, nonchalantly. “I know that when we ran into Solomon in town, I made it sound like I wasn’t interested in making a pact with anyone at all. But–" he nudged me with his elbow, “you don’t seem like you’d turn me into your own personal servant, working me like a slave and making absurd demands and stuff.”
“Ohhhh, I don’t know about that.” I grinned at him, teasing.
He grinned back for a moment, before his face fell into an unusual shyness as he held my gaze for a bit. He finally slid his eyes away from mine, a touch of pink colouring his cheeks. “Also…” He looked down at his lap for a moment. “I’d like it if I could be the closest demon to you… the first one you turn to for help whenever you need it.”
“B-Belphie…” I turned pink too. I didn’t know what to say to that. It was a level of possessiveness that I didn’t realize he had reached with me, and I had no idea what to do with it. He knew about Mammon. And I’m sure he suspected others. And I mean, Mammon was my literal lover, as close as you could get…
The possibility of a dual-implication hit me as I thought more about it, and I went from pink to deep red, feeling myself heat up.
“…So then.” He didn’t wait for an answer on that, thankfully, though he finally turned his face back to mine with his smile. “Let’s make it official. Here’s to a long and lasting relationship, Chise…”
He held out his hand to me. I laid my palm on his easily, a hand I was used to holding now.
…If Beel was the warm flame, he was the cool night. In a way, he was just like everything around us right now; the peace and quiet that could only be found in the small hours of the morning, when everything else was asleep. I shivered as my skin prickled again at the chill breeze that wasn’t really there.
That feeling held for a moment, but before I knew it, I was being pulled under. Darker and darker, pulled under the black water, the surface tension breaking only enough to allow me to pass, before stilling again. The darkness was everything at once, and nothing at all. It could be empty, or it could be oppressing. It pulled at me, pinched me, clutched me, but there was nothing there for me to struggle against. All I could do was float down to the bottom, blinking up at the inkiness that surrounded me. Terrifying, or peaceful? Apathetic, or the culmination of all of everything, all at once? Absent, or full? Empty, or brimming?
It felt like I sat there, in the dark, on the ocean floor, for an eternity. Time and silence stretched before me, smothering, liberating.
Finally, I held up my hand in the dark, reaching, and finding, and I touched him.
There you are.
In the in-between.
He laughed in delight, throwing his arms back around me to drag me fully onto his lap. “You found me, you found me! You found me again.”
I blinked back the daze, looking up at his sweet face. He cradled me there with a grin, and finally, I felt myself grin back, feeling giddy with his energy. With his power.
Fingers brushing mine at the cage door.
“Always.” I smiled up at him. “I’ll always find you."
At this, he leaned his face close to mine, staring into my eyes; his were soft and warm and full of eager affection. I felt my heart start to race in my chest as he came closer, bridging the already-small distance between us, his mouth so, so close to mine…
I tilted my face up to him, intending to meet him there, right there, my eyes closing and my lips parting with my consent.
We both jumped with a start as a piercing whistle ripped through the air. I pulled my face back with a gasp, eyes wide. He looked around for the source, though the noise was now ringing out over the water, directionless.
"Chise, where in the nine hells are ya?!”
Mammon.
”Oh Chiiiiiseeeee, sweetie, you’re missing your party!”
Asmo.
I shot Belphie a guilty, regretful look, sliding off of his lap. He reluctantly let me go.
“Looooook! Ugh, what’s Chise doing all the way over there?”
“Belphie’s there too.” Beel’s deep voice broke through the quiet as well.
“Heeeeey!” Mammon called. I looked behind us to see him waving both arms over his head to get my attention. “Whaddya think you’re doin'?! Did ya forget you’re the guest of honour!? Get back to the party, on the double!”
“You missed the gift giving for Diavolo!” Asmo added. “Levi had to give him yours!”
“I DIDN’T HAVE TO DO IT, YOU ALL MADE ME. IT WAS SO EMBARRASSING."
Belphie sighed out his chuckle, looking up at me as I stood to toe back into my shoes. “...Hard to have much time alone to talk when you’re that popular, huh?”
“Oh, shut up.” Though I rolled my eyes with a smile.
“Well, come on, Chise.” He stood up too, holding his hand out to me. “Let’s head back.”
I took his hand without hesitation.
He paused before heading over. I looked up at him, questioning.
“I want you to know…” he started slowly, watching his brothers come down the slope towards us. “It’s not because you’re Lilith’s descendant that I want to protect you and keep you safe. Lilith was very special to me, she was my sister… But you’re not her, Chise. I want to do it because you’re you. Don’t forget that.”
I immediately felt a flood of tears fill my eyes. The world around me broke into bright fractals from the force of them. “You have no idea…” I breathed, struggling to blink them back, not even realizing it myself until just now, “just how much that means to me.”
He looked down at the raw emotion laid bare on my face. He reached to dab affectionately at the corners of my eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, staining it lightly, catching my tears before they fell, not saying a word. Just a smile. “Let’s go.”
I nodded, clutching his hand in mine for support.
Belphegor: I was bored, so I was surfing the internet and found a curry recipe.
Belphegor: I’ll send you the link, so make it.
Chise: Aren’t you feeling bossy today.
Chise: You like curry?
Belphegor: No, not really.
Belphegor: I think you’d get the gist of it if you looked at a few pictures of the ingredients and the final product.
Belphegor: Beel loves this kind of curry.
Belphegor: The others might get suspicious if you make it for him out of the blue though.
Belphegor: Make it when you’re on cooking duty next.
Chise: Well, I guess… if it’s for Beel…
Chise: You’re a sweet brother.
Belphegor: Ugggghhh, forget I said anything.
Chise: Nope. One huge Beel-sized pot of steaming curry, coming right up.
Belphegor: Don’t you dare say it was because of me. Or else.
Chise: Or else what, hmm?
Levi yawned wide as he shuffled himself into the dining room for breakfast.
“Yo, Levi! You’re late again!”
“Did you stay up late again last night?” I asked with a sly smile.
“As if you even need to ask.” Asmo rolled his eyes. “I’m sure he was up until the wee hours of the morning gaming. Ugh, Levi… I’d really hate to see that soft, supple skin of yours end up all dry and rough from lack of sleep.”
“Ohhh?” I tilted my head at Levi with a grin. “What a coincidence! I was gaming last night, too.”
“Yeah, I know.” He shot me a grumpy look. “That sniper that was constantly hounding me in DDO was YOU, wasn’t it!?”
“Who, meeeeeee?” I fluttered my lashes prettily. "A sniper?”
“Ugh…"
Satan shot him a look from across the table. “If you don’t want to end up having to repeat a year, Levi, you’d better hurry up and eat.”
“Though, uh…” Mammon looked down. “There isn’t much food left at this point. As usual…”
“That’s weird…” Levi looked down too. “I haven’t eaten anything, but my plate is already empty.” He gasped, looking up. “I know what’s going on here! This isn’t the first time this has happened! I’ve been through this before… Maybe this is only déjà vu? This happens all the time, though…”
“There can only be one explanation,” I whispered at the head of the table. “Magic.”
Mammon grinned. “Yeah, Beel’s magic stomach, that is.”
Beel was scarfing down his meal with gusto, smacking his lips.
“Wh… Beel?! So it WAS you! I knew it! Give me back my breakfast!”
“Mmm… It’s my breakfast now. And Beel doesn’t share food.” You knew it was dangerous when Beel talked about himself in third person.
“Whatever, I don’t care! Spit it out, now!”
“Ugh.” Mammon scrunched his face. “Is there some rule that says you two gotta keep havin’ this same fight all the time!?”
“Chiiiiiseeee, wanna try a bite of this?” Asmo cooed. “Open up and say ahhhh.”
“Ahhhhh.” I obeyed, opening my mouth and leaning forward.
“Hehe, how is it? Gooood?”
"Man, I’m tired…” Belphie let out a deep yawn from behind us.
“Oh!” Asmo jumped, nearly impaling my nose with his fork.
“Y’know… you’re even later than Levi! Do ya WANT to be late to class? Is that it? I mean, come on, Belphie!”
“Belphie, I can’t have your skin ending up all rough and dry, too! You know how much I love to snuggle up against you, my sweet little brother… Don’t take that away from me!”
“Sweets…” Beel whispered to himself, nodding.
“Gr…!” Demon of Envy growled. “There was ONE thing I did better than anyone else – ONE THING – and now Belphie’s stolen my crown. I shouldn’t have gotten complacent… Now I’ll regret it for the rest of my life!”
Demon of Sloth just rolled his eyes at him.
“You mean you were PROUD of bein’ the number one oversleeper? For real?” Mammon shook his head.
“Good morning, Belphie.” I smiled at him as he took his place beside his twin.
“Mmhmm… morning.” He smiled back, eyes so soft for me.
“Belphie, hurry up and eat,” Satan admonished. “You’re gonna be late.”
“Mmhm.” He looked up at Satan with irritation.
“Well, BEEL ate most of it already…” Levi grumbled.
Belphie sighed with a sulk. “There’s no fork here for me…”
It was Asmo’s turn to roll his eyes again. “You’re not a guest, you live here. Get your own fork.”
“Fine…”
"Chise.” Lucifer’s voice made us all jump to attention. “Are you in here?”
“Oh, hello, Lucifer!” Asmo bubbled. “Good morniiiiiing!”
“Good morning. Chise, we need to talk about next week. You are I are going to see Diavolo tomorrow to discuss it. Put that in your schedule.”
“Wait… What’s happening next week?” I looked around at the similarly confused faces.
“Are you telling me you’ve forgotten?” He frowned at me.
“What’s so special about next week?” Levi mumbled. “Is something special happening?”
“…Yes.” Lucifer glanced away from all of us. “Next week marks the end of Chise’s stay as an exchange student.”
“Wait…” I dropped my fork with a clatter, the noise ringing in the hushed room. “Wait… That’s still happening? No. You can’t be serious? The end of my stay? ...Lucifer!”
Everyone stared at their plates in shock, eyes wide, held breaths around the table.
“So she’s… going back home? Next week?” Asmo whispered.
“Wow, that…” Satan hunched forward more. “It went by so fast…”
“Lucifer, answer me!”
“B-But Chise and I still haven’t managed to finish our playthrough of Mononoke Land…”
“I’ve suddenly lost my appetite…” Beel murmured, pushing his plate away.
“You can’t be SERIOUS, Lucifer.” I was choking up, desperate. “You can’t be serious...”
“Compared to the rest of you, I’ve barely spent any time with Chise at all…” Belphie pulled at the sleeves of his uniform jacket, plate untouched.
Mammon didn’t say anything. He was frozen, tense, staring at the table, not seeing anything in the room around him. Lost.
“In any case…” Lucifer whispered, still not looking at me. “Now you know.”
Mammon slammed his palms on the table, chair screeching out from underneath him as he stormed out of the room.
“Mammon…” I pleaded.
“Hey… Mammon, wait.” Levi got up too. “I’m going with you.”
Asmo held my gaze in sympathy. He knew how much Mammon meant to me. He took my hand in his from underneath the table. “Look at the state he's in… His expression… I’m so sorry, Chise.”
I shook my head, shock overwhelming me, sucking in small gasps for breath.
“Go after him, sweetie,” he whispered. “Go on now.”
I ventured into the hall to look for him.
“…One more moment, Chise.”
I froze at Lucifer’s voice.
“There’s something I wanted to let you know. The others may not want to fully admit it, but they’re all sad that you’re leaving. So I want you to spend as much time with them as you can during your remaining days here in the Devildom.”
“Obviously,” I whispered, refusing to turn or look over my shoulder.
“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”
I found him in the foyer, staring at the front door. Everyone had already left for class. Screw it. It’s not like either of us would be able to concentrate much anyway.
He slid his eyes to meet mine. “Heeeeey, you there…”
I tilted my head at the weird inflection in his voice.
“Yes, I’m talkin’ to you, human! You don’t have anything goin’ on now, right? I’m right, aren’t I? You’re free now, aren't ya?”
“Yes,” I whispered, walking over to him, deciding to play along.
“You caught me at a good time, that’s all! I’m totally a busy demon! Don’t lump me together with you!”
“Mammon…”
He turned his face away from me to hide the tears in his eyes. “Anyway, it just so HAPPENS that I’m free right now, and so are you… which means you should hang out with me.”
“Always, Mammon.”
My breath caught in my throat as the words came out of my mouth. Always…
“And we’ll, um… like, I guess we could, uh–"
"Mammon.”
We both whirled to face Levi, who glared at his brother from down the hall.
“LEVI! Y-Y-You SCARED me! Quit sneakin’ up on me like that, will ya?!”
I raised an eyebrow at the guilt that tinged his higher-than-usual voice.
“Give me my money back.”
“Oh for fuck’s…” I muttered under my breath.
“Wha?! Now listen, I ain’t got time for this ri–"
“You took my money out of my wallet during lunch break yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Wha!? I-I dunno what you’re talkin’ about!”
“It’s no use playing dumb.” Levi’s voice was low and threatening. “I always make sure to polish my wallet until it shines just in case you try something like this. It was covered in YOUR fingerprints.”
I shook my head. The lengths all the brothers went through to take anti-Mammon prevention measures.
“There’s a limited-edition figurine in a rare outfit, but it’s part of this new store promotion starting today where you have to draw a winning ticket out of a box. You can only draw tickets if you buy stuff, so I have to go do it now, otherwise, I might miss out… So… give me back my money. NOOOOOOOOW!”
“Yikes!” Mammon grabbed my hand as Levi started gathering power. “Chise, time to run!”
If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you’d better listen REAL close to what I’m about to say. If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you… run away.
I grinned up at him, pulling to the right. “Let’s go this way!”
He grinned back. “Right!”
”I’m NOT letting you get away, Mammon!” Levi yelled from behind us.
-
We rushed up the portrait stairwell. I was giddy from the chase, grinning, Mammon’s hand in mine, but struggling to keep up with my zoomy escape artist.
“We’re not safe here,” Mammon puffed, coming to a merciful standstill as he looked around for where to go next. “Levi’ll find us in no time! What do we do? Dammit, where should we hide?!”
“Your room!” I whispered in a hiss, smiling wide.
“My room? We can’t do that, that’s the first place he’ll go to… Oh, I get it! No one would be dumb enough to hide in their own room, so he won’t think to look there! It’s all part of your plan, right?!”
I giggled, nodding up at him.
“Okay! My room! On the double!”
He pulled me forward.
-
We rushed into Mammon’s room, closing the door behind us to latch softly. The adrenaline was still racing through my veins.
“Maaaaan, I can’t stand Levi! Always gettin’ on my case about small stuff like this… I mean, who cares?!”
“You STOLE his money, Mammon!” I laughed. “You’re not the only one who LOVES or NEEDS money!”
“He’ll never stop chasin’ me! Never! What am I gonna do…?”
“Well, we’d better hide first.”
“R-Right, yeah. We can’t go thinkin’ we’re safe just ‘cause we’re in my room. We’ve gotta hide.” He looked around, considering our options.
”...Mammon? Are you in there? You are, aren’t you?”
“Yikes…” he whispered. “He’s already sniffed us out! Okay, okay, w-we’ll have to hide in here!" He pulled me up the stairs to his loft where his car was very weirdly parked. I had never been near it before. “No better hidin’ spot than this: the trunk of my Demonio 666 Lexura! She’s my baby, my favourite car! Come on, Chise! In ya go!”
I took his hand and bent my head down to avoid hitting it on the trunk door, crawling inside. He crawled in with me, not-quite-closing it behind us. We curled there together, and he wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled in, stifling another giggle.
“Sh…” He kissed my forehead. I could feel the grin on his lips.
"Mammon, I’m coming in… I’m opening your door! Please don’t be naked again…”
We laid there, holding our breaths.
"Mammon? …Huh, he’s not here. That’s weird, I could swear I smelled him through the door.”
"What is he, a bloodhound or somethin’?”
“Shh!” I grinned.
”Seriously… He’s such a moron… A money-grubbing, pea-brained dunce. Self-important, incredibly stupid, and to top it all off, his feet stink, too!”
“My feet don’t–!” I smothered his mouth with my hand.
"And not only did he run away, he even took Chise with him. That’s so not fair. No one told me that Chise was going back next week… I had no idea… The thought of it makes me so sad…”
My heart squeezed on my chest, as Mammon squeezed me close to him.
"My Chise is leaving… How can this be happening?”
Mammon buried his face into my neck. I held him closer.
"Well, if he’s not in here, then… hmm… He must’ve run off somewhere. If I don’t hurry, I’ll miss my chance to get that figurine. All the winning tickets will end up getting claimed. Just the thought of Ruri-chan dressed as a succubus… hehe.”
“Ew…!”
“Shhh!” Mammon hushed me.
We waited. The silence stretched.
“…Is he gone?” Mammon whispered. “He is, isn’t he?”
“Sounds like it,” I whispered back.
“Phew! That was close! I thought we were done for when he came inside the room! Pffff hahahahaha! Stupid Levi!”
He made to get out of the trunk of his car, but I increased my hold on him, pulling him back. I could barely see him in the grey-dark space, only a crack of light shining through the gap of the trunk door.
“Chise…” he whispered against my mouth, coming back to me.
***
I danced my fingers slowly up his chest to his neck, resting them on his jaw. We both leaned towards each other, together, and met with our kiss. He kissed me slow and sweet, savouring me, hands running smoothly up my back, pulling the fabric of my uniform jacket up with them. I deepened our kiss with a sigh. His mouth, his lips, my Mammon, so familiar, like second-nature. As natural as breathing to kiss the light of my life. He breathed out a warm sigh against my mouth in turn, pulling me in tighter, rolling half on top of me as far as he could in the limited space around us.
I ran my fingers up to run them through his thick, white hair, stroking the tanned skin of his forehead, savouring the texture of all of him under my fingertips. He rolled his tongue into my mouth, and I met his with mine, savouring his taste. His hands roamed around to stroke at the swell of my chest, deftly undoing the buttons on my jacket.
“Mammon…” I breathed. “What about Levi…”
“Shhh… He won’t come back here for a while…”
He managed my jacket, but there was no room to pull it off. Instead, he continued on to my blouse, turning his attention to my neck with his lips. I groaned under his touch, shuddering as my skin met air when he pulled my shirt open with each button. I fumbled with the loose knot of the tie around his neck as he kissed my throat, slipping a hand under to cup at my bra. His tongue danced and licked lightly at my collarbone as I struggled to work on his own buttons while he moved. I slid my hands up the muscles of his bare chest, marvelling at him in the dark. He gently pulled down a cup on my bra, taking me in his mouth, swirling his tongue. I felt myself roll my hips up in response, back arching to his face, sighing out a low moan.
He kept most of his focus there on my breast, though his fingers slid down my soft belly to rest at the waist of my pants. He pulled at the button there too, releasing the pressure the waistband held on me. My own fingers drifted down to the buckle on his belt, freeing him of its clasp. I whined lightly when he rolled his hips forward to meet my fingers with his erection. It never failed to awe me. He chuckled in sly delight at my sharp gasp.
“Guess I can’t take ya for real in here…” he breathed against my skin. “Guess I gotta… Love you down here…”
He slipped his hand down my pants, stroking my panties. I whined again, needy, working to pop the button on his pants next. He snaked his other hand around to hold me close to him by my waist, bringing his face back up to kiss me. I huffed against his mouth while I raised my top leg for access. He took advantage, sliding his hand down further, pressing there between my legs. I rolled my hips again.
“Wet…” he breathed.
“Always…” I whispered back. “For you…”
He stroked me there, teasing me through the thin cotton fabric, my panties riding up as he pushed them through the lips of my sex. He stuffed them there by my entrance, pulling them taut, before swirling his fingers upwards to find my clit. I gasped, indicating to him his success, and he sighed out a laugh at my eager response. He circled a finger there, tantalizing, the fabric between us frustrating me, but delighting me as well. He took a sharp breath as he felt my own hand slip down into his pants next, and I stroked him through his boxer briefs, running my fingers up and down the fabric.
“Guess I know how it feels now…” he huffed. “Bein’ a tease through underwear…”
“You get what you dish out,” I whispered back, smiling. He always made it so fun… So clever… So funny and casual and light and sexy. Like I could talk to him about the damn weather and laugh about the absurdity of it and still have the best sex of my life. My best friend, as well as my lover. My best lover.
“Well then… Guess I’d better…” he breathed against my mouth, taking my lips back to his. My back arched sharply and I gasped as he slipped his fingers underneath my panties, pulling the fabric to the side as he dipped in between the curves of my sex. “Fix that…”
I moaned as I felt him grazing the slick heat of me, eyes closing, my head rolling to the side.
“Soooo wet… Holy damn, Chise…” He found my clit again, circling slowly. I arched my back for a third time with a groan, pressing my fingers against his hardness more firmly. I danced them up to find the waistband of his boxers, slipping my hand down to find him. I grazed his tip, eliciting a moan from him as well as he humped forward to meet me. I drifted my hand down his swollen shaft to settle at the base, grasping, rewarding me with a gasp as he threw his head back. He struggled to focus on me, as I struggled to focus on him, but we clumsily, hips rolling, breaths heavy and hot, explored each other in the trunk of his car.
“So gooood…” he whined as I dragged my fist up the length of him. “Good girl… Oh…”I moaned too as he slipped his fingers down from working on my clit, to come into slippery contact with my entrance.
“Pleeeeease…” I begged him, the word coming out shaky and hoarse. I squeezed the tip of him, the head of his cock, swirling my own finger at the top, smearing his pre-cum. “You’re so wet too…”
“For you…” he groaned, sliding his finger up and down, slick, slippery, covering himself in my lubricant.
“Pleeee-eee-eeease,” I begged again.
I cried out quietly as he obliged, finally, finally slipping his finger inside of my heat. “Ahhhh-hahhhhh…” I moaned as he slid further and further. I grasped him more firmly in my fist, starting to jerk him more rhythmically, feeling his stomach flex and his legs tremble around me.
“G-Good.” He slipped in and out of me more rhythmically too, matching my speed, encouraging me to pick up the pace on him so he would do the same to me. Second finger. A low groan expelled from me as the pressure inside doubled. He was right. I was so so so wet. His fingers were covered in me, slick, fingering me competently with ease. I fisted his cock harder, feeling it pulsing in my hand with every flex of his stomach. We were picking up speed, huffing, our mouths finding each other’s again, though the kisses were lazy and distracted, a lovingly habitual afterthought, as we both tried to focus on the other while shuddering in our own pleasure.
He began to curl his fingers up as he moved them in me, pressing and releasing, press and release, forcing a cry from my lips again. He was trying now. No more teasing. I shivered in anticipation, understanding his intentions, opening myself up for the build. He took my bottom lip in between his teeth and bit lightly, tugging, and I huffed another hot breath against his mouth. My eyelids fluttered as I increased my pace on him, squeezing the top when I reached, squeezing the bottom when I came back down. Faster, and faster, him matching my tempo with his own fingers, following my lead, following what I wanted. Needed.
Both of us were rolling our hips messily against each other, causing us to slip now and then, but we came back with even more vigour each time. I was crying out my moans against his mouth, and his chest vibrating with groans of his own.
I was building. And building. Writhing, and squirming. He pulled me closer by my waist. I could feel his eyes on me, wide, intent as he watched me come closer to my peak. He loved to watch my face… I fought to stop my eyes from rolling back to meet his gaze in the dim light, fluttering my lashes instead, mouth parted. He stooped in for a kiss, pulled away to look, stooped back in. I kissed him back clumsily each time. My hips were rolling and rolling, humping. He was thrusting his erection into my palm, jerking himself with the force of it.
“Mammon…” I whined at him.
“I know, baby. So good.” He was breathless, struggling to get the words out in gasps. "You’re gonna cum, huh? Me too. Keep going. Let it happen. I’m right there behind you. I’m gonna too."
I moaned loud and low, throwing my head back. He kissed my chin, his own breathing come out in stuttering gasps.
“Haaaaah… Haaaaah…” I tipped my head forward to press my forehead against his.
“Come on, baby.” He licked my lips lightly, making me shiver. “Cum for me.”
I went rigid in his arms with a cry, and he caught me against him, holding me tight. I writhed in his embrace, trying to keep my own hands going on him, but I slipped and struggled as I exploded into my peak.
“Shh… Focus on you…” He let go of my waist to snake his hand down to himself while he still fingered me, grasping my fist in his own through his pants to take over, using my hand to jerk himself. “I’ll do that…”
He pressed and pressed against my g-spot as I convulsed against him. He rode me through it, his own hitched breathing, so familiar to me now, indicating the approach of his own orgasm. I clutched at his open shirt with a whine as I bit at his jaw.
“Fuck… Fuck…”
With a low groan, I felt his cock pulse hard once, twice, before he released, pumping his hot cum into his boxers. I gave a choked sob of satisfaction as he moved to press my palm to the head, wrapping my hand there to cover me in his sticky release while he pumped. Soon I felt my hand dripping from the flood of him as I came crashing down from my own high. I squeezed lightly for the rest, making him gasp out a strangled yelp at the sensitivity. But I knew he liked that part. I squeezed again. “Ah…!”
He finally fell against me. Spent.
We both went limp. We laid there, huffing hard, hearts racing, sweating from the trapped heat in the trunk, our hands still down each other’s pants as we recovered. He shifted to cuddle his head against my collarbone, and I kissed his hair.
We breathed, and breathed, gulping air, and then gasping it, and then whistling it in shakily while we slowly calmed.
“…Pfff…” I giggled lightly, a smile touching my face.
He snorted too, and I could feel his grin appear against my collar.
“Fuck it, Chise… Now I gotta change my pants…”
I laughed. “Now I gotta wash my hand…"
“…So gross…”
“Sooooo gross…” I agreed.
We devolved into chaotic giggling.
“When I take my hand out of here...” I snickered, “Fuck, this is going to be such a mess.”
“You have it so eeeeeeasy.” He pouted in the dark.
I laughed at him. “It’s my hand that’s covered in your cum, Mammon!”
“Don’t get it on my caaaaaar.”
“It’s your own faaaaaault.”
“How's it my fault? You’re the one who came onto me.”
“Admit it, now you think your car is extra special.”
“Pfff. I’m not admittin’ to nothin’.”
“Well, here I go…”
“Gross...!"
///
He grinned. “Well, that was fun.”
“What part?” I grinned back. “Getting chased by Levi, or messing around in your car like a couple of teenagers? Or was it having to clean up the aftermath…”
“Not tellin’.” He picked me up by the waist and whirled me around, making me laugh again. “But… We can’t go thinkin’ we’re safe now, okay? Levi’s one persistent bastard, he won’t give up that easily. If we stay here, he’ll find us. How about we head outside.”
I looked at his face fondly with a nod. “All right. The chase is still on.”
“Good girl. Now, kiss me again.”
I did, with a smile.
We wheezed and panted in the crisp air outside, having finally come to a stop at an overlook with a view that spanned over the entire city of the Devildom. The city lights twinkled in the distance, but I was too busy doubled over to take it in, palms on my knees, trying to catch my breath.
“All… right…” Mammon wheezed. “We should be far enough away that we’re safe now.”
I only kept panting. I wasn’t as fit as him.
“Pff…. Ahahahahaha!” He gasped in a breath at the end of his laugh. “Hey, Levi was totally watchin’ from up on the second floor as we ran outta the house. Man, did you see the look he had on his face!”
“Pfff…” I started giggling too. I felt a bit bad for Levi, but damn, this song and dance between them was just too familiar.
“Y’know what…” He looked over at me, and I at him. “I… really have a lot of fun when I’m with you. When we’re together, it’s like I’m always smilin’, always laughin’.”
I stood up with a final deep breath, going over to him as he stretched out his arms to pull me close.
“Me too, Mammon. You’re my best friend. I love you so much.”
“Listen, Chise…” he whispered into my hair. “Why doncha just stay here from now on? Who needs the human world… Don’t go back there…”
I turned my face up to look at him. His eyes were shining with tears.
“Do I have that option…?” I didn’t mean for my voice to sound so broken, but I couldn’t help choking up. I loved this man, so deeply. I didn’t want to go.
“I dunno yet… But I want you right here in the Devildom. I want you right here with me, all the time.”
“I want that too.” The words came out emotional and hoarse. “I don’t want to leave you.”
He tipped my chin, and kissed me softly. I felt a the tears spill out of my eyes, forced out when I closed them for his lips.
I broke apart from him for air. My nose was stuffing.
“No. I’m gonna need you to do that again. Once it’s nearly enough. Come here…”
He pressed his lips to mine again, both of our lips trembling. I pulled him closer to me by his jacket, and he wrapped his arms around me tighter. Each time we came up, I saw more and more tracks of tears staining his cheeks. Mine were stained too.
“I love you…”
Kissing, kissing.
“I love you…”
Touching, stroking.
“I love you so much.”
Thumb wiping away a tear.
“I love you too. So much…”
Noses nuzzling.
“Please be with me.”
A shuddering breath.
“I promise. I promise.”
He wrapped me tightly and buried his face into my hair, forgetting the kisses. “If they make you go back, Chise, I’m gonna go up and find ya. We’ll be together, got that? I won’t be leavin’ your side for the rest of... your… I promise. No matter what happens, doesn’t matter how long it takes, doesn’t matter… age, health, the good and the bad, I’ll be goin’ up to find you, we’re gonna go through that all together. You’re never gonna be alone again.”
“Please…” I buried my face in his jacket, wetting it with more tears.
“I promise… I’m gonna love ya for the… for… always…”
He pulled me away from him, running his thumbs along the tracks down my cheeks, wiping away my tears. I reached up and caressed his cheek too, doing the same.
“I’m gonna find a way to be with you,” he whispered. “We’re gonna be together again. So don’t cry, okay? We’ll get married or somethin’ stupid up in the human world. Have a kid or somethin’. Whatever it is that you humans like to do.”
This made me splutter out a laugh, provoking a shaky smile through my tears. Bottom lip still trembling, I could only nod, for fear of breaking down again. Nodding to it all. All of it.
“There we go…” He bent down to kiss me again. “My little human… Chise…”
"AHA. FOUND YOU!”
We both jumped apart, me squeaking, Mammon yelping, whipping our heads over to where Levi stood.
“Mammooooooon!” Levi thundered as he advanced towards us. “Give me back my moneeeeeeey!”
“Uh. Uhhh...” Mammon looked around wildly, trapped. “Ch-Chise, you take care of Levi for me, will ya? Gotta go!”
“Mamm–!”
He shot past Levi, slipping through his grasp as he made a dive for him.
“HEY! Don’t run AWAY from me, Mammon!"
I rolled my eyes, wiping them with my sleeve, heading to Levi’s side. He was panting and wheezing too, doubled over like I had been. “Ugh… Why’re you… only this fast… when you’re running away…?” I smiled, shaking my head as he puffed. “You’ve got to be… really evil… to make a shut-in like me… run after you…”
He stood up with a groan, clutching at a stitch in his side. I went to brace against him in support. He looked down at me, helplessness in his eyes. “Listen…” He took in a nervous breath. “I’m a little wound up right now, so I might say something I normally wouldn’t, but… I… don’t want you to leave, Chise. I don’t want to lose you…”
I saw tears start to collect in his eyes too. I stood to face him directly. He watched me, genuine, earnest, pleading.
I stood up on the tips of my toes, kissing him softly, my hand coming up to rest on his cheek. I lingered there on his lips. One kiss, but soft, held for a little longer.
Gently, subtly, perhaps only on instinct, I felt his lips move to kiss me back.
It wasn’t until we parted and I leaned back away from him that he seemed to truly realize what had just happened.
He took in a noisy, breathy gasp, eyes shooting open in shock.
“Wh…?”
I smiled at him, tilting my head flirtatiously.
“Huh...? Wh-Wh-Wha?!” He gaped at me, open-mouthed, face slowly rising in colour. “W-Wait, was that an accident? Did you, like, lose your balance and stumble into me lips-first!?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “No, Levi. I actually kissed you.”
“N-N-No! That’s… Not possible! You gotta have stumbled. That IS what happened, right?! You can tell me… Like in one of those anime where the lucky nerdy guy ends up in really sexy situations by total accident? That just happened to me IN REAL LIFE, didn’t it?! That has to be it! As if someone would actually k-k-k-k-k-kiss a yucky otaku like me by–"
I pulled his face down to meet mine this time, pressing my lips back against his. He made sweet little squeaking noises in his throat against my mouth.
But he stayed there, lips on mine.
He was shaking so hard I thought his legs were going to buckle from underneath him. I think he might have held onto me more to keep himself from falling than anything else, but it leaned him down against me more firmly, and I pulled that in. His lips were dry, and they trembled. He was deeply inexperienced, but he held my lips to his, tentatively kissing me back, close-lipped, anxious, but also so very earnest. He rested his fingertips lightly on my shoulders. The barest touch.
I finally released him, taking a step back to face him. We looked at each other. Me with deep and painful affection, him with utter shock and… awe. His pupils were thin slits, his orange irises were shining with tears.
“Levi…” I whispered to him. I felt my heart breaking in my chest.
“Chise…” he whispered back, his voice agonizing. “M-Marry me… Like, for real..."
I gasped out a laugh as I smiled at him warmly, lovingly. I found myself fighting back the tears again.
We stared at each other a little more.
Eventually, I patted his arm shakily. “L-Levi… Go find Mammon now.”
He’d had enough. Let him process the rest without me interfering.
He fully jumped in the air as he came back to himself. “R-R-RIGHT! …M-MAMMON!”
He took off down the street, stumbling on shaky feet.
I stared after him.
…Fuck. Who was I kidding? It wasn’t Levi who needed to process.
I pressed the sleeve of my jacket into my eyes after I watched him go, taking in a deep, shuddering breath.
Before I broke, sinking down to the ground in open tears, shoulders shaking as I wept my grief into my sleeve.
Chapter 26: Chapter 19-A: Lust and Wrath
Notes:
I was really stuck on this one! Thank goodness it's done. NSFW break near the end. Let's goooo, slutty Chise.
Chapter Text
Barbatos: Good morning, Chise.
Barbatos: I apologize. It has been some time since we last spoke.
Barbatos: I wanted to extend thanks from Lord Diavolo for the excellent human world cookies that you gifted him for his birthday. I tried one myself, and they were exceptional. Your great-grandmother had a gift. As do you.
Barbatos: Lord Diavolo expressed interest in having me obtain the recipe. I understand from your previous message that this is a family recipe of yours, so I hope I am not imposing on you for asking. If you would like, I would be happy to exchange a special recipe of my own, with conversions for ingredients commonly found in the human world so you can still make them when you return there.
Barbatos: Please let me know if this is an agreeable exchange or if you would rather your recipe remain your own. I will, as ever, respect your decision.
Barbatos: Good evening, Chise.
Barbatos: I see that you have read my previous messages but have not replied, which is unusual for you.
Barbatos: My messages this evening are not about what I had asked previously. I am only messaging now to see how you are doing.
Barbatos: Chise?
Barbatos: I see.
Barbatos: I will see you tomorrow at the meeting with Lord Diavolo and Lucifer. Perhaps we will find a moment to speak then.
Barbatos: Have a good night, Chise.
“You can’t be serious,” I whispered, hoarse. “You’re really going to make me leave? After everything? Everything that’s happened?”
“That was the deal, Chise.” Diavolo’s face held the lack of expression on his face very still. Neutral. Business.
“The deal?!" I raised my voice. “What deal!? I didn’t come here by my own choice, and now I just have to, what, leave!? You brought me here against my will, knowing that I would be in a great deal of danger, I almost died, and now… Th-Those seven are my family! My actual, literal, long-lost family! I belong with them! I don’t HAVE any other family up top! Only them!”
“Chise…” Diavolo’s voice was sympathetic. It only enraged me further.
"Lucifer,” I begged. “Lucifer, please. Talk to him!"
He wouldn’t meet my eye.
"BARBATOS!”
Barbatos’ head snapped up in shock at my address. He took a step back, uncertainty on his face, glancing at his lord. Diavolo glanced back, face impassive, but undoubtedly confused that I would address his steward.
“Barbatos, I TOLD you what it was like to have been ripped away from the human world, you AGREED that it was callous and ill-planned. I was just… taken away from the plants that I had raised from nursery to maturity, plants that were years old, and you just left my hobby to die. And now I’m just supposed to… Go through that again?! After everything you said!”
Barbatos’ face got whiter and whiter as he stared at me while I raged, expression struggling to remain blank. It was like he was looking just above my head. Looking at me, but not looking me in the eye, not seeing me. He clasped his hands behind his back, shoulders rolling to straighten himself rigidly, the entirety of him tense.
I looked around. "You're both cowards! You just let HIM rip a human out of their world without evening THINKING about the consequences of that! That they had belongings, people in their life, a job and rent and responsibilities that they were ripped from! You let him do that! And now, I find ACTUAL FAMILY, an actual place where I belong, and you're going to, what?! Plop me back down in the human world, no job, no place to stay, everything I had worked for GONE, NO ONE left in my life?! You're going to let Diavolo rip me away AGAIN from the new life that I had to re-forge for myself here after you scorched the other down?! The two of you are just going to LET HIM–"
I broke off, hyperventilation clawing at my throat, unable to breathe. Tears stung my eyes as I swung my gaze from demon to demon before me, not understanding, not comprehending. I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just STAY.
Lucifer was still looking at the table. Barbatos, a statue, lost in himself. Diavolo was the only one who looked directly at me.
“Chise… The agreement was for a one year stay in the Devildom, and that cannot be extend–"
“Why NOT?!" I shouted into the room, my voice ringing through the high ceiling. “You are the Prince of the Devildom! You set this whole thing in motion! You are the one with the POWER here, Diavolo!”
“Our relations with the human world–“
“What relations? Who are you consulting on this? It sounds like you negotiated the arrangement for the angels with ‘Michael', but I am still COMPLETELY in the dark on whoever arranged this with you in the human world! Because I was certainly not consulted by anyone there. What does it MATTER if a NOBODY HUMAN leaves that world to stay in another!?”
“You are not a nobod–“
"Answer my questions, damn you!” I sobbed. Barbatos flinched. “Lucifer, I’m begging you!” I turned back to him, pleading, tears down my face. “LUCIFER, PLEASE! FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE TO HURT–”
“Diavolo.” Lucifer finally took a deep, shuddering breath, turning abruptly to his lord. “I rarely ask…”
“Lucifer,” Diavolo sighed, not meeting his eye.
“She is… Chise is family. We do not want to let her go. I… do not want to let her go. Please, reconsider, Diavolo. I never call upon the bond between you and I…”
“Young Master…” Barbatos breathed behind him.
Diavolo, arms folded in front of him, shook his head at the stack of paperwork that laid before him.
“She leaves,” he said, quietly. “In one week. Chise, I’m sorry.”
"Hardly,” I hissed at him.
He hesitated. “As for… your exit essay. You don’t have to–”
“Oh don’t worry,” I choked through tears. “I have it right here.”
I slapped the single sheet of paper down on the table, staring at Barbatos as I did.
I whirled, marching out the door.
-
A long silence held in the room. Heavy, suffocating. Lucifer was bowed over the table, hands folded in front of him, eyes closed. Barbatos, pale, unmoving aside from the lightest tremble of his lip, stared straight ahead. Not looking at either of them.
Finally, Diavolo sighed.
“What does the paper say, Barbatos?” he asked, quietly.
So tense that his movements looked unnatural, robotic, Barbatos approached the table. He looked down.
“It only says, ‘Let me stay,’” he whispered.
Lucifer bowed further, resting his forehead on his whitened knuckles. His dark hair fell forward to cover his face.
“We have some arrangements to make," Diavolo whispered, quietly. “To help her get back on her feet."
“…It shall be done, My Lord.”
Diavolo flinched.
Barbatos’ voice was terse, disapproving.
Disappointed.
Disappointed in his Lord.
He strode out of the room as well.
Barbatos: Chise.
Barbatos: I am so very sorry, my friend.
“Chise?”
At the sound of Asmo’s voice, I quickly rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket, trying to dispel the tears. It was no use. It was obvious that I had been crying.
“Chise! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, sweetie!”
I heard his light footsteps approach me from the side. I was on the ground, back up against the brick of RAD, knees drawn up to my chest. I thought I had found a good little place to have my cry, out here, outside, outside of school hours when no other students were around.
“Hey…” Asmo’s voice was soft as his shadow fell over me.
“Hey, Asmo,” I greeted him back, not looking up so he wouldn’t see my face. But my voice cracked, and it came out nasally from my stuffed nose.
He knelt down, nestling against the brick beside me. I tried to turn my face away, but he just cupped my chin lightly with his fingers, turning my face to his.
“Hey, sweetie.” His eyes were gentle and fond. “I’d been looking for you. I looked between the House and here, figuring you’d be somewhere around here after… um.”
I nodded. I kept my face to his, but my eyes glanced down.
“It didn’t go well…” he whispered sympathetically. Disappointed too.
I shook my head.
He nestled closer to rest his head on my shoulder. I leaned my head down, resting my cheek against his hair. He played with the button on the cuff of my jacket sleeve in silence, giving me time.
Well, I had stopped crying, at least. I gave a sniffle instead.
“You know,” he finally spoke when he heard my breathing even out, “I was about to ask you out on a little date, actually. So how about it? Want to hang out with me?”
I sighed. He knew I didn’t want to. Of course he did. But maybe that was the point.
“What did you have in mind…?”
He wiggled a bit against me. “I was thinking that we could get a drink. It’s one of my favourite places. And kinda quiet.”
I gave a final loud sniffle before expelling a breath through my mouth.
“Pleeeeeeease?” he begged, lightly, before lowering his voice. “I don’t want you to be alone right now, yeah? And… let’s stay out of the House for a bit.”
Yes. He intuited that too. I don’t think I could face everyone right now. Not all at once. They’d undoubtedly mob me to try and comfort me. It would be too overwhelming. I’d cry.
He touched the back of my hand lightly.
“…All right, Asmo."
“You really are too cute for words, Chise.” He shifted his head to the edge of my shoulder so that he could look up at my face with his sweet smile. “Come on, then. Let’s get you out of this dump.”
We walked into a blessedly quiet little bar. Considering I was with Asmo, I was worried that his version “quiet” didn’t quite match my own.
He skipped a step ahead of me, turning to take both my hands in his with a smile, half-twirling us together. “This is one of my favourite places to come drink! What do you think? Nice?”
“Mhm…” I couldn’t help but crack a small smile at being twirled. My dad used to do the same…
He waved down the bartender as we took a place together at the bar. He made some sort of indicating hand symbol, and then the sign for ’two’.
“It’s got a good atmosphere, and the drinks are good as well, of course. But it also has private rooms in the back, you see.” He winked at me. “They’re useful for when you really hit it off with someone, and you’re looking for a more private spot to… doooo thiiiiiiings.”
I laughed, exasperated. “You really are incorrigible, you know.” I watched as the bartender placed two glasses in front of us, nodding to him in thanks.
“Once, we rented the whole bar out for a private party, so it was like the whole place was one of those private rooms… Ooooh that was fun. And naughty.”
I nodded, taking a sip. It was good. Fruity. Not too sweet.
“O-Oh, sorry!” I saw the self-consciousness that I had seen that day in his room begin to surface. "Am I talking about myself a little too much?”
Worried about overstepping.
“It’s okay, Asmo. I want to hear more about you.”
“You know, you’re so sweet…” He smiled to himself as he looked down at his drink.
-
“Hmmm, I’m feeling a bit tipsy right now,” he admitted with a sigh.
“Uh-oh, do we have a lightweight on our hands over here?” I teased him with a smile.
“I was really hoping we’d get the chance to spend some time alone together like this, you know? I… I feel like,” his voice rose a little higher with emotion, though he put a lot of effort into keeping it cheerful, “like we didn’t bond as much as I’ve always wanted to!”
“Yes…” I shifted in my seat. “Me too.”
“I-I mean, someone’s always interrupting us when we’re at the House of Lamentation, you know? Especially… well.”
Mammon.
“So tonight feels special! It’s like I’ve got you aaaaaall to myself!”
“Don’t worry.” I smiled again. “I don’t have any other plans tonight. I’m all yours.”
“Ooooohhh…” He blushed, rushing to cover it with a mouthful of his drink. Yeah, I guess that’s something Mr. Lust would struggle to hear without pouncing on. Whoops. “Though… we’re not really alone,” he sighed. “There are other customers around.”
“We could go back…”
“N-No.” He shook his head. “I have something…”
He took a deep breath. I tilted my head in curiosity.
I gave him a moment.
“Up to nooooow,” he started, “I’ve always loved myself above everyone else. But ever since you arrived…” He fidgeted with his glass, turning it back and forth on the bar. “Something’s been a little off.”
He suddenly laughed merrily, turning his face to look into my eyes.
“Sometimes I find myself wanting to put YOU first, even before me! What… do you think about that, Chise? I want to hear… your opinion.”
“Well…” I took a moment to think about it, and to recover from my surprise. “I would say… that doesn’t sound very much like you, Asmo.”
It was a very honest answer.
“Exactly!” he bubbled a bit, though his voice was higher than usual. “I agree! It… isn’t like me at all to think like that…”
He had more to say. I waited.
“I…” He bit his lip, pausing.
“It’s okay, Asmo,” I encouraged him, softly. “Let’s put aside a couple of the boundaries that we talked about for tonight so you can be honest. Just… not too many boundaries. …And just for tonight!”
He nodded, a small smile on his lips. “I find myself thinking… that I’d really like it if you could look at me and tell me that you love me more than anyone else. And that if you did that, I’d feel safe knowing that I really am the best.”
He knew I couldn’t do that. It was just… his inside thoughts, tearing him up.
“Is that really so important?” I murmured. “For you to feel like you’re the best? And that… I have to be the one to validate that?”
He drummed a little rhythm on the bar, not answering. Maybe he couldn’t.
“I have a drunken idea!” He beamed as he turned back to look at me.
“All right, tipsy boy, let’s hear it.”
“Get ready, because it’s a good one: you and I should have a drinking contest!”
“….Oh boy,” I muttered under my breath. He really was tipsy.
“If you lose, you have to say, ‘I love you Asmo more than anyone else!’. And if I win…” He dropped his voice into a whisper, looking down at his drink again. “I get to… kiss you…”
Hmph. Nothing in it for me if I won, I noticed.
I looked down at our glasses of Demonus. My heart was sinking in my chest.
Asmo waited, completely still.
I sighed before motioning to the barkeep to indicate two more.
“All right, Asmo,” I agreed. “You’re on.”
“Yesssss!” He brightened, eyes glittering. “Let the competition begin! I don’t plan on losing, you know!"
I guess he didn’t know that Demonus doesn’t affect humans.
-
“…That’ss weird.” He wobbled in his seat, slurring. “I don’t get it. How can this be happening…? I’ve never lost a Demonus drinking competition! Never ever! How can you shtill be fine after drinking all of that?”
“Ready to throw in the towel?” I smiled patiently at him. So many pee breaks. So little buzz.
“Yeah… I am.” His voice was sad. “I give up.”
I watched as his bottom lip started to tremble, his eyes shining, damp.
“Asmo…”
“It’s not fair…” he whispered. “You’re leaving and… I don’t want you to go, Chise. I don’t want you going back to the human world. We just… only just… started… Just don’t do it! Don’t go!” A tear, and then two, spilled from his eyes. “Stay right here, forever…”
He took a shuddering breath before turning to me, throwing his arms around my neck. I pulled him in tightly for a hug, rubbing his back. Barkeep looked over at me. I raised an eyebrow, shaking my head. He nodded and went to go tabulate our bill.
“I-I’m going to need way more than a hug…” he hiccuped in my ear.
I sighed, pulling him closer, petting him lightly. “Asmo…” I whispered. “That’s… not what you need from me.”
“Wh-Wha…?”
“You don’t need that. From me. Not that.”
“Need…?”
“That’s not what you need from me.” I shook my head. “And it’s not what I need from you.”
“B-But… O-Okay… Want…”
“No,” I whispered. “Need.”
I heard him take in a ragged breath, confused, not understanding. I stroked his hair gently with my fingers. I don’t know if I wanted him to remember any of this tomorrow or not. He’d probably be beside himself if he realized he’d drunkenly pushed the line between us. But for this, I wasn’t going to hold it against him. It felt too… Important. And could I really be mad at someone who was just trying to express that he was… falling in love?
So I don’t know. We’ll see. Pros and cons to either one, I suppose.
He sighed, slipping from my arms to lay his head down on the bar, closing his eyes. I watched his even breathing, how his strawberry blonde hair fell delicately to cover part of his face, the curve of his parted lips as he relaxed in his drunken stupor. I thought I was going to be the emotional mess when I walked into this bar.
Well, nothing like taking care of an emotional drunk to snap you out of your own misery, I suppose.
I sighed, pulling out my D.D.D, trying to figure out who I could call. Maybe Beel… He would be strong enough to carry Asmo, and always happy enough to do me a favour without me having to hear about it for the next…
…For the next week…
"I knew it.”
I familiar voice cut through the gentle murmur of the room. I turned my head to it.
My heart seized in my throat. Satan.
“I figured I’d find the two of you here,” he sighed, approaching the bar to look down at Asmo.
“What are you… doing here?” I asked, timidly, uncertain. We hadn’t really spoken since that day in his room…
“You two never came home, so I went out looking for you.”
“I’m… sorry, for troubling you.” It came out awkward. "I was just about to call… someone."
He was quiet at this, only prodding at Asmo, who was clearly fast asleep now. “I take it Asmo challenged you to a drinking contest? Hm. I’ve never seen him lose one before. Are humans immune to the effects of Demonus, then? Is that it?”
I nodded. “It does seem that way, yes.”
He gave the softest laugh, not meeting my eyes. He ruffled Asmo’s hair a bit. “Looks like this turned out to be a real disaster for you, Asmo.”
Asmo lightly stirred with a soft groan at his touch.
“Well,” he sighed again, “whatever. Come on, we’re going home. I’ll carry Asmo.”
“Are you… sure?” I whispered. “I could… catch up later. Or call someone.”
“Come on, Chise.” His voice was soft and sad as he hoisted Asmo onto his back. “Let’s go home.”
I sighed, taking out my wallet to pay our tab. Not like I’d be needing the Grimm I’d saved up anymore anyway. Satan nodded to me as I turned to leave with him.
“…All right.” Satan latched Asmo’s door. “I put Asmo to bed.”
“He’ll be all right?”
He rolled his eyes. “He’ll be fine. But we won’t hear the end of it tomorrow, I’m sure.”
“Yes… probably.”
We stood in the hallway, awkward. The entire walk home had been in complete and utter silence, save for Asmo’s occasional groans and sad mewling.
“I should…” I turned to leave, to go to my room. It was late. It’d been a long day.
“Chise. Wait.”
I paused in the hall, cursing my heart for beating faster when he called my name.
“Could I… Could we go to my room for a moment? There’s something I want to show you. To ask you, I mean.”
“All right…” I said slowly, turning around to face him. The muscles in his jaw tensed for a moment when he swallowed as he looked into my eyes. He was nervous. After a moment, he gestured with his shoulder to follow him down the hall. I trailed behind him.
-
“…It’s about a human world book I acquired recently.” He strode forward to pick up a hardcover that rested on his bed, by his pillow. A recent read, then. “Apparently, it’s a collection of old folklore tales and legends from the human world, and one of the stories in particular caught my attention.”
He hesitated, looking down at the book that he grasped with both hands, running a thumb down its spine.
“Go on, Satan,” I encouraged him, quietly.
He cleared his throat, opening to a page, resting a finger on the paper. “This is the one. As the story goes, there was once a country that had been stuck in a long war with a neighbouring land. Just as their resources were about to be exhausted, a beast with magical powers appears before their king. The beast tells the king, ‘I’ll help you win this war against your neighbours, but in return, you must give me that which you hold most dear.’”
“Ah.” I laughed softly. “Well, the outcome of a pact like that is pretty standard.”
He quirked a small smile. “Yes. The king agrees to these terms, and with the help of the beast’s magic, he succeeds in winning the war. But afterwards, he breaks his promise and kills the beast. The slain beast… transforms into a terrible… monster.” He paused to clear his throat again. “…And curses the king’s entire country, inflicting a series of calamities upon it. Fearing the wrath of the beast, the king eventually offers his newborn daughter to it as sacrifice.”
I nodded. He nodded too.
“At that point, the disasters cease, and the land is spared. Twenty years later, the girl who was supposed to have been sacrificed to the monster appears on the mountain where it lives. When the people see the girl they once thought dead appear before them, they’re so afraid that they try to kill her.”
He took in a long breath. I waited.
“They shoot a great volley of arrows, which hurtle down towards her like raindrops from the sky. But just as they’re about to hit, the monster shields her, giving up its own life instead…”
He closed the book gently before raising it to press against his chest. Over his heart.
My own heart felt tight in my chest, waiting, until he finally looked up to meet my gaze. His face was serious. The look I saw him get when he was studying, or working in the library. Focused.
“Chise… Tell me. What do you think the beast felt in its dying moments?”
While I paused for a bit, I already knew the answer. I just found it hard to say out loud, like the word was stuck in my throat. I took a breath, licking my lips lightly. “…Love.”
“…Yeah.” He looked down at the book again with a wistful look on his face. “Maybe the truth is that the monster loved the girl… so it sacrificed itself to protect her, because it cared for her so deeply that it was willing to die for her. In that case, maybe the monster was happier in its final moments than we’ll ever know.”
“Satan…” I whispered.
“…Then, what is it that I’m feeling?”
I felt tears pricking my eyes. Waiting. Waiting.
He took a small step towards me, looking back up to meet my gaze. Desperation had flooded his eyes. He looked down into mine, searching. “I used to feel nothing but rage, but then you came along and another sort of emotion took root inside of me. The way I feel towards you…” Another step. “Could this be…”
He stood in front of me. I looked up into his face, he looked down at mine.
“…Love, as well?”
In answer, I raised my arms to cup his face in both of my hands, pulling him down.
Kissing him as we met.
He kissed me back, the book falling to the floor with a thud as he raised his hands to cup my face as well. I felt the tears that had pricked my eyes finally fall down my cheeks when I closed them. He kissed me sweetly, lingering on my lips, leaning forward a little more to press more deeply.
When we broke, he stroked my cheek with his thumb, still holding my gaze with those favourite green eyes of mine. The tops of his cheeks were pink, and he looked so, so earnest, affection plain on his face.
He sighed, pressing his forehead to mine. “If we take this any further, it’ll make it all the harder for me to say goodbye…” He reached to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “…And yet, even knowing that, you’d still kiss me? After everything…” He laughed softly. “You really are cruel…”
“I’m reminded of a quote,” I whispered. “A poem.”
“Oh?” He continued stroking my cheek, forehead still pressed to mine. “I like poems.”
“It’s by Nikita Gill, and it goes like this… ‘I will not have you without the darkness that hides within you. I will not let you have me without the madness that makes me. If our demons cannot dance, neither can we.’”
He took a sharp breath, holding it for a moment, before expelling.
“…Chise…”
“I love you, Satan.”
“Chise… I love you.”
And then his mouth was on mine again, more urgently than before. I stretched my arms to drape them around his neck, pulling his face down closer. His hands slid around to the back of my head to slip into my hair as he parted his lips to deepen the kiss. I returned in force, feeling heat flooding through me all at once with a strength that took my breath away. He took a shuddering breath against my mouth.
And then his hands were on me, and mine on him, as the force of his renewed embrace sent us both stumbling backwards. We knocked over a tall stack of books as we tripped, laughing against each other before coming back to our frantic kissing, frantic touching. He half-dragged me in his arms to his bed, with me clutching to him as he laid me down there.
When he felt my fingers start to lift his sweater, he paused. I froze, looking up at him.
“Sorry. It’s just been… a long time for me,” he whispered. “And the times before, I wasn’t in a good place… This has never meant anything to me before.”
I nodded in understanding, cupping his face in my hands again. “Then thank you for letting me be the first to mean something.”
He gasped softly at my words as his mouth came crashing down to find mine again.
***
I trailed my fingers down his back to find the hem of his sweater again.
This time, he broke our kiss to take it off himself in one motion, the shirt he was wearing underneath removed with it. He threw it onto the bed beside me.
I sighed in appreciation as I laid the flat of my palm on his stomach and slid it smoothly upwards to his chest. He heaved there, breathing hard with want and anticipation, heart racing. I brought him back down to me with a sigh, and he returned in kind against my lips. I traced my thumb over the elegant shape of his eyebrow while he worked on the buttons of my uniform shirt. He broke our kiss to lower his head to my chest, a kiss for every button released.
“I didn’t know how much I wanted this. That I even wanted this at all...” He sighed against my stomach as he freed the last button. “I never thought…”
I slipped my hands into his silky hair; it fell smoothly from between my fingers, like a blonde waterfall.
“I need you,” he whispered against my skin again, his thumbs working my pants button. “I need more of you. Right now.”
I moved to sliding my hands down from his hair to his shoulders, caressing him there, biting my lip as I caught sight of the bulge straining in his pants. He stood upright, me still on the bed with my legs dangling off it.
“Shirt off,” he whispered down at me. “Bra too.”
I obeyed, unclipping and pulling both off of me, breasts freed while he watched me undress with interested delight.
We looked at each other for a moment, shirts off.
Fuck… He was so fine. I stared at him in open appreciation. I saw a blush suffuse his cheeks as I watched him. Then he finally leaned down, grabbing my pants by the waistband. I lifted my hips off from his sheets and wiggled to help as he slid them down my thighs.
Before he had even gotten them fully off his face was already down between my legs, biting at the fabric of my panties, breathing deep. I felt him inhale me there and whimpered at the warmth of his breath flooding between my legs. With my pants still bunched over my knees, I couldn’t part my legs any further. I whined in need.
And then he abruptly grabbed the band and inside seam of my panties, and in one smooth motion, tore them apart with a snapping sound, with surprising ease and strength.
I sat up with a shocked gasp, eyes wide at the sight of my frayed underwear half-exposing me. He only briefly acknowledged the aghast expression on my face with a sly, unapologetic little smile.
“I’m keeping these, just so you know. Thanks."
I blushed deeply, swallowing, eyes still wide as he pulled the ruined fabric down my other leg, the only half still clinging on. He took my pants off the rest of the way as well alongside them.
And then they were discarded to the side.
He pushed me down roughly with his palm to my chest once he had me completely undressed beneath him. His eyes roamed over my body in appreciation, and I blushed deeper under his direct stare. He still wore his pants, but that was… kinda hot.
“…I summon the vapour of the air around me, and command thee to frost upon my touch,” he breathed.
I jumped in another shock from underneath him, an involuntary squeak escaping me when he pressed his fingertips to hollow of my throat. He trailed his cold, icy fingers down my clavicle, down between my breasts, down my soft stomach. My eyes widened at the sensation.
He gave a soft laugh at the expression on my face, flashing me his flirty little smile. "I've always wanted to try that.” He kept trailing down…
I threw my head back in a shocked cry as the frost on his fingers met with the heat between my legs, slipping between the folds of me without hesitation, mingling to meet in a sensation that burned me. I sat up like a shot and stared down at his hand as he just…
…Slipped right into me. No pause. No teasing. Right into me.
The cold forced a shaky groan from me as I fought against the urge to pull away. It felt so good – so cold, so hot, a deep burning – that the instinct to throw myself away from his touch was akin to the instinct of yanking your hand away from a hot burner. The sound that came from my throat as he continued pushing the frost inside me, two fingers, was stuttered, shaky, low and deep and slow. He scissored his fingers to widen me, and the walls inside me screamed at the sensation as he pushed. Pulled? I couldn't tell anymore, I felt like I was on fire.
Oh, fuck, now it was a pull, now it was back from where it came, as he slipped his fingers down from deep inside to my entrance again. Breath raspy, I raised my eyes to look at his face. He was staring at mine already, satisfaction in his eyes at my reaction. He quirked another smile when I met his gaze.
He pressed two fingers with his other hand to my throat. "I call upon the static that energizes all around me, and I command thee dance upon my fingers. Here…"
I yelped as the tingling shock ran from my throat down to my sternum. It wasn't an overwhelming sensation, but an incredibly odd one that snapped my focus to attention. As if faded, it left a tingling sensation.
He only smirked. "I've always wanted to try that, too.”
I was gasping my breaths as he slid his fingers back into me between my legs. "Seems like... You've wanted…"
I arched my back with a cry at the next shock.
"T-To…"
“…Play?" He tilted his head, smirk only deepening.
I only groaned in response as he kept pushing his fingers back in. What the hell, I was already aching and overwhelmed, and he had only just barely started fingering me.
He wasted no time in picking up speed between my legs until he was pumping me hard and fast, my back arching in short bursts each time he reached into my hot core with the frost. He was quick, efficient, his fingers slender and long. I felt cold water trickling out of me every time he pushed back in as the frost on his fingers melted, though the chill never seemed to ease, replaced as quickly as it was expelled. I found myself shivering with the cold at the same time that heat was building inside me as he rode me harder and harder to my peak with his fingers.
I gave another yelp as he shocked me again abruptly, snapping my focus to one sensation, before increasing the chilly pressure inside me, snapping my attention back down. Back and forth he overwhelmed me, mostly between my legs, with a shock that he would deliver just as he intuited that I would least expect it.
“Satan…! Satan… Oh, oh fuck, oh…!"
I was crying out his name, shivering, sweating, his sheets underneath me bunched in my fists as I climbed higher and higher.
“Please… AH–!”
Another shock.
“Please what, Chise?” he murmured the question, though his eyes were dancing with delight. Flirting, damn him, while his fingers were already deep inside me.
“Neee-EEEED!” I cried out into the air as the frost burned brighter inside me.
“I’m not stopping you, Chise,” he said softly, amusement in his voice.
I crested hard and fast around his fingers, not even responding to the shock he delivered again while at my height. I writhed on his bed, pulsing around his fingers, my orgasm washing over me as my muscles went rigid. I heard him puff out a long breath as he watched me intently while my body jerked beneath him.
Another shock. I cried out into the air, my toes curling, knuckles white and pulling at the sheets underneath me. Another. And another.
I hadn’t realized that I was sobbing with the overwhelming pleasure until he started to ease up, just as I started diving down slowly from the intense peak. My eyes were blurry with tears. My breath came out in pathetic mewling whines as I struggled to suck in enough air. He pulled his fingers out of me, smiling in smug satisfaction as he brought his face closer to mine, quirking an eyebrow.
“That was amazing,” I groaned, head lolling on the bed as my muscles finally began to relax. He laughed at me, leaning over to prop himself up over me on the bed.
“Good.” He brushed his lips to mine. I lazily kissed him back.
I looked up into his glittering eyes when he pulled away, heart hammering as his hand snaked down to unzip his pants.
My eyes traveled down his taut body to where his hand was.
“…Fffffffffuck,” I whispered after he had pulled himself out of his boxers.
“Well,” he grinned, leaning back down to me. “I take it you’re pleased?”
“Uh-hu–" He stopped me with another press of his lips to mine. I kissed him back, leaning forward into it, before he pulled my head back gently by my hair to break our us apart. I pouted. He shook his head with a smirk.
Hand still holding me there by my hair, he stood back up, pulling me forward with him into a sitting position, to where his member stood proud.
“Open.”
I obeyed, looking up at his face.
“Just wet it for me,” he ordered, sliding himself into my waiting mouth. “I’m going to take you now. Prepare it for me.”
I struggled to take him in, a little sucking gagging noise escaping from around his member as he slipped right past my jaw to the back of my tongue in one smooth, slow motion. I opened wider to avoid scraping him with my teeth, jaw already aching. My tongue instinctively rose to press and slide along his shaft as he seated his cock in my mouth. Satan rewarded me with a sigh as he held himself there on my tongue, hot and wet. It was a struggle, but I managed to pull back slightly to roll my tongue in a swirl at his tip, tasting his pre-cum. He hummed in approval at the flick of the tip of my tongue on the slit of his member's head, kitten-licking to taste him.
Embolden despite his instructions to only wet him, I bobbed my head a little, pleading up at him with my eyes, lips pressed down on his shaft to add pressure with my movements.
“That feels good...” he breathed. After allowing for it for a moment, he started pulling himself back out of me, slowly. “But I want the best part of you.”
Once he left my mouth, after I had reluctantly let him go, he placed the flat of his palm between my breasts, falling forward, pushing me down with his own weight. I wrapped my hands around the wrist that pinned me there. My breaths were quick and frantic, my heart racing in my chest. I pushed his hand down harder so he could feel it.
He lined his cock up against my entrance. Just like that.
At the same time, he slipped his fingers into my mouth just as the head of him slipped inside.
My eyes widened.
And then I threw my head back with a screaming cry as he slammed his full length into me all at once, at the same time that he shocked the inside of my mouth with his fingers. I bit down in instinct, clamping his fingers between my teeth in a hard bite, my cry fading into a sobbing whine. My tongue tingled as I licked at the tips of his fingers while he stayed sheathed within me.
He leaned down to my ear, his warm breath on my skin. “Still a bit cold inside, are you?” Teasing, flirting. He ran the pad of his thumb along the bite of my teeth. I shivered with a mixture of excited anticipation and anxiety, never knowing when the next shock was going to come.
He pulled out slower than he had entered, but still smoothly, with purpose, all the way back until it was just his head that remained inside of me again. My breaths huffed in tiny little gasps as I waited.
He slammed into me again, delivering a more painful shock this time. He shoved all four fingers roughly to the back of my throat to muffle the shriek I let out as he penetrated right up against my cervix. My scream was abruptly cut off into a gurgling gag as I choked on the sudden presence of his fingers.
“You really do feel good, Chise...”
I only choked out a strangled moan, trying to breathe around his fingers.
He began moving inside me with steady, hard strokes, relentlessly piercing me as deep as he could go, or maybe as deep as I could possibly take him. He relented and eased his fingers out from my throat, to replace them with his lips on mine, kissing me greedily before I was able to recover any breath. I moaned against his mouth again and again with each stroke, jumping with a mewling squeak as he slid his frosted fingers around my waist to settle on my lower back. He rolled his tongue into my mouth as he took me hard but steadily, no wavering, no pause, unflinching in his pace and tempo.
I was very, very quickly building again as he hit up against my cervix over and over. The curve of his cock grazed my spot hard with each stroke, every joining building me higher and higher. Soon I was crying out nonsensically with his tongue still rolling persistently in my mouth as he took me closer and closer.
He released my mouth with a gasp. “Don’t tell me when it happens. Don’t tell me you’re about to. Just cum. I just want to see you cum. Your beautiful face...”
I whimpered, nodding, feeling the rigidity of my muscles starting to set in. I was clawing feebly at his chest, leaving little red welts from my nails. He caught my lolling head again as he shoved his tongue back in my mouth. I mewled and mewled and mewled, mouth open, letting him greedily lick my tongue and teeth and gums and lips while he fucked me.
And then my back arched and my head snapped back from his, his attentive tongue left behind, and I was cumming. I cried out at the electric heat that shot through me from my core, flooding with intense pleasure while he just kept taking and taking me at his hard, measured pace. He rode me right through, relentless, that same pace, the same hard stroking, even throughout the spasming buck of my hips that he was met with. I bent my knees to lift my legs up to wrap around his hips, tilting my pelvis up towards him. He adjusted slightly to meet me, not even breaking stride for that. The metal of his opened belt buckle hit cold against my ass with each joining. The cold metal of his zipper pressing against me with each slam of his hips.
I keened again as I came back down, though I raised my hips to grind up against him. Still, he took me, took me, took me, over and over, never breaking or slowing. And that same piercing sensation in my core, that same grazing against my spot.
Still so sensitive from just having cummed, still relentlessly fucked with no let-up, I was close again. Already again. I was already so fucking close again. I was so close I was so close I was–
And then I was arching again. My hands fell from scrabbling at his chest to clutching back in his sheets, tearing at them with my nails as I shook and screamed and pulsed around his cock. This time I felt a little shiver run through him as he watched me crest and writhe, unbidden tears starting to track down my face to roll down wet into my hair. Still without slowing, he laced his fingers with mine, resting our hands together on either side of my head. My breathing was wheezy and noisy and I made little begging sobbing noises without even realizing, I was so overwhelmed, my nerves on fire.
Taking me. Taking me. Taking me. Steady. Uninterrupted. Unabated. Unrelenting. Deep. Hard. Over. And over. And over.
And then I was flooded again, arching, rigid, pulsing, sweating, crying, my fourth of the night in such quick succession, begging and sobbing nonsense. My body was trembling uncontrollably. It was like I slid from one orgasm to the next as smoothly as he took me, just kept at a constant peak. So overwhelmed, I was barely reacting to his strokes inside of me now, no longer bucking to meet him, no grinding, no scrabbling. I just laid on the bed with his fingers locked in mine while he took me and took me.
He leaned back down to my ear. “Done, Chise?” Despite his smooth movements, his voice was hoarse and ragged. I realized that his own chest had started to heave, his own body tensing, his own eyes glazing. He was finally close. Hells.
I could only sob out a little whimpering moan in response. I wasn’t even moving anymore. Just numb. Pulled in the undertow, drifting, being fucked right into the sheets like a little limp doll that had been ready and waiting for him.
“Good…”
With that, his own back curved as he buried his face against my collarbone, his breathing ragged, his grip on my hands so tight I felt the pressure on my bones. I rubbed my jaw against his hair as he kept taking my lax body towards his own release.
And then with a loud gasp, his right hand flew from mine to grab the shirt that he had thrown beside me. He shot his arm down between us, abruptly wrenching himself out of me to wrap the fabric around the head of his twitching cock.
He fell on top of me, hips rolling while he groaned out his release, pumping cum over and over into his shirt. I threw an arm around his broad back to pull him to me, placing my other hand over the one that held the rag to his cock. I squeezed his fingers around him, and he gasped sharply against my neck as the sensitivity shot through him.
Finally, eventually, he began to relax, resting on top of me. I released the hand holding his shirt to wrap both arms around his shoulders, holding him shakily, entirely spent myself. My limbs felt heavy and limp. I had never cum so many times in one go. I felt like I was floating in a dream-like state.
He stirred finally after catching his breath a bit, peppering my neck with sweet little kisses. “I’m sorry,” he breathed against me. "My affinity is with fire. I think it would be too hot for you if I filled you. It’s… happened…” He took in a shaky, unsure breath. “So, just in case.”
“Ahhh, okay.” I nodded, nuzzling him. “In that case, I understand. You’re off the hook this time.”
I wondered uneasily how he had felt the first time that mistake had been made.
“Hmmm,” he hummed, a smile quirking on his lips. “Maybe we can try another time, when I’m more prepared…” His voice lowered into a whisper. “I’d… like to try.”
I nodded, pulling him closer to me in a tighter embrace, kissing his hair. I knew he was desperate not to hurt me.
I felt him hesitate. I petted him.
///
“…I don’t know how to be a very warm person,” he murmured into my neck. “I hope that was…”
“It was wonderful. Don’t worry, Satan. I love who you are. And more warmth will come, if that’s what you want to be. But you were perfect as you were.” I quirked a smile. “It was a lot of fun, actually. And your kisses are so passionate… You’re such a good kisser… Satan, you're already warm.”
He felt him sigh in relief as he wrapped his arms loosely about my waist. “I don’t think I’m ever going to tire of saying it now that I have,” he laughed, “but I do love you.”
I grinned and peppered his hair with more kisses. “I love you too.”
And then it was my turn to hesitate. He waited, like I had.
"So... First time it's meant something." I drew lazy circles on his back, trying not to phrase it too much as a question.
He shifted a bit to look up at me. I looked down at him.
"First time I've done it from the front, where I could look at the woman's face, actually," he whispered.
I blinked at him in surprise, confused.
He laid back down with a sigh, breaking eye contact, though he pulled me closer to him. "Always done it from behind. In a rage. As wrath. Always with succubi. Not caring about what the other wanted. Just about what I could take.”
He shuddered in my arms. I stroked his back.
“...I love you,” he choked out. “I want so badly to learn how to love you the way you deserve. But now you're…”
He choked on the last of his words, trailing off. My own throat tightened so fiercely it felt like I suffocated.
Now I’m leaving in a week.
I pulled him tightly into my arms, kissing his forehead. It felt good to do that. He was so self-sufficient and direct and in-charge, and it felt good to take that into my arms to kiss in such a sweet, vulnerable spot. I kissed there again. And then placed another in his hair for good measure. Underneath that cock-sure exterior he was soft and... afraid, actually. That's what it was. He was so afraid.
Wrath born from fear.
"We're going to figure this out," I whispered into his hair. "I don't care how long it takes. This won’t be the last time we’re together.”
I caressed the embodiment of wrath, trying to soothe him.
“…Stay here tonight?” he finally whispered. “In my room?”
"Of course.”
He nuzzled into my neck with a sigh, relaxing.
He fell asleep there in my arms, my face still buried in his silky hair. He curled his body up in his sleep, tucking his head further in against my neck, knees pressed to my thighs. I cradled him there, fighting back tears.
Chapter 27: Chapter 20-A: Surrender Does Not Mean Defeat
Notes:
Hello! I had a kidney stone blasted on Friday after 10 months of random strikes of agony, which I’m VERY happy about, but I wasn’t much in the mood to write porn after that, which this chapter required! Porn takes me the longest to write too.
Which brings us to this: The end of this chapter is Dirty with a capital ‘D’. Just absolute wretched self-indulgent FILTH. Absolutely disgusting. The raunchiest of raunch. If that ain’t your thing, it’s totally skippable; there isn’t any character development stuff within, just pure raunch. Comes after Beel & Belphie scene.
With the NSFW comes an additional warning: While it is fully consenting in-fic, there isn’t a ton of communication going on throughout, which, IRL, would not fly with most folk, so people who are uncomfortable when things get really nasty without explicitly stated consent: this is your warning.
Also uh. Not that we are going QUITE that far yet in act 1, but since someone just recently inquired on the very first chapter of this fic... If you haven’t noticed the incest tag yet, I’d like to oh so casually remind you that it IS tagged here (with a question mark). Because we are currently in scrambling-to-set-up-for-act-2 mode, I thought I’d just blast that reminder into the void before you get into THIS particular chapter. Just in case. Sorry if you made it this far without realizing that I’m about to run over you with a bus or something. You’re in my Devildom, though, so I do what I want.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go take a long shower and then find God.
Chapter Text
“Has it been a whole year already? How time flies…” Simeon sat forward on the bench in the classroom, one leg crossed over the other, soft sadness on his face. “It’s hard not to be sad when I think that we’ve only got a few more days here.”
“S-Sad?” Luke squirmed in his seat, looking down at his lap. “I’m not sad… The whole idea of angels and humans hanging around in the Devildom was strange to begin with… So we shouldn’t be here, and neither should Chise. W-We should be happy to… to be going home.” He picked at the corners of his nails, avoiding eye contact.
“There, there, Luke. It’s okay to cry if you’re feeling sad,” Simeon teased as he turned his eyes to him with a patient smile. He reached over to ruffle Luke’s hair.
“I-I’m not going to cry! Simeon, stop patting me on the head!”
“It’s okay, Luke. I’m sad too,” I said, voice soft. I glanced up at Simeon just as he met my eyes as well. “Very, very sad.”
He dipped his head gently to me in acknowledgment. His smile was warm and soft, but his eyes had sorrow within.
“N-No…! Seriously, I’m not sad! Really!”
“So,” Solomon leaned closer to me, “we’re going back to the human world for the first time in a year… You must be happy to go home, surely?”
I could only shake my head as I thinned my lips in a line to stop their tremble, not daring to speak as the intensity of my grief gripped my heart.
“I see,” he said, sympathetically.
“What?” Luke shook his head. “Why not? You get to go back to the human world, and you’re telling me that you’re not happy about that?”
“Luke,” Simeon’s voice lowered, still looking at me, “sometimes things are complicated for adults.”
I really wish I had spent more time with him. I can’t believe I didn’t make the time. I had been foolish. How could this just be… it?
“Hey! Don’t talk to me like I’m a child!”
“To be completely honest,” Solomon admitted with a sigh, “I was worried in the beginning.”
“Yes,” Simeon laughed. Gently, as always. “I know what you mean. I thought that one of the lower-level demons might decide to have me for lunch.”
Solomon lightly touched my sleeve, the pressure sending my eyes back over to his. “I’d really like to be able to meet you again, even after going back to the human world.”
“Yes,” I whispered to him. His eyes danced at my ready reply, his familiar mysterious smile on his face. “Yes, I’d really like that, please. Don’t forget about me.”
He nodded, patting my arm. “I certainly don't think this will be the last that we see of each other. You are far too interesting for me to just leave alone, you know. Six pacts with upper demons within a year…”
I raised my eyebrows at this, feeling like a bit of a science experiment. He only smiled with a hint of devious knowing.
Still, he was powerful. If I could somehow… Topside… He was my only chance… Only connection…
My eyes widened as I reached out my hand to grip his. He gave a little throaty hum in surprise.
He was my chance.
“We really should all see each other again.” Simeon watched the two of us with a twinkling smile. He seemed kind of picky over who he agreed with touching me, I realized with a curious start. And he actually made it quite plain to me. “Next time, we can do it up in the Celestial Realm.”
“What?!” Luke butted in. “Are you talking about after Chise DIES!?”
“Oh…” I blinked in surprise, a loooot of answers to the questions of the universe being delivered by Luke’s outburst. Solomon laughed lightly, sing-song, at my expression. I shot him a look.
“Well, that’s not quite what I meant, no,” Simeon said with a laugh as well. “But that would… work too, I suppose?” He smiled at me apologetically. I snorted in amusement.
“Seriously? You’re okay waiting until then?” Solomon teased meaningfully, looking between the two of us while simultaneously squeezing my hand back. I blushed at his insinuation, and at the realization that I was still holding his hand.
The bell rang about us, signalling that lunch was ending. We all sighed as we packed up our things, our moods dropping low again.
“Luke…” Simeon addressed him. “Would you mind if spoke to Chise for a moment? I will meet you in class.”
Luke harrumphed, but trailed after Solomon. Solomon’s eyes lingered for a moment on my face, nodding once encouragingly, before he slipped into the hall. I could roll my eyes at the man.
Simeon and I sat together, across from one another, alone.
A small little silence stretched between us. He smiled as he looked into my eyes, and I smiled back. He reached out his hand. I took it in mine.
“I will miss you, Chise,” he admitted. “You’re… quite special. I just wanted to tell you that now, in case another chance didn’t present itself.”
His striking blue eyes, intriguing halo around his irises, his dark, soft skin, and darker, softer hair… His gentle laugh, gentler touch, warm embrace… The way he ended his sentences breathily, like a sigh.
“I’m going to miss you so much, Simeon,” I whispered to him. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me too. You’re so…”
I trailed off, a blush rising to my cheeks. He laughed lightly at my expression.
“I understand,” he whispered too. “We have… gotten along very well.”
I gave a shaky little laugh in response, mostly at how we danced around the topic of our clear mutual attraction to one another, as if it were our first ever little crush confession. Two teenagers in a classroom at the end of the school year confessing the feelings that had welled up between them over the course it, only to have to part at the approaching summer break.
Too late.
“…I never told you, but in the alternate timeline I came from, you took care of me after Lucifer attacked me.”
“I did?” He smiled, eyes shining. “I’m very happy to hear that.”
“You were… wiping blood off my face.”
I laughed at his horrified expression.
“W-Well!” he stuttered. "While it would be an honour to clean blood off of your face any day, Chise, let’s not let that happen again in this timeline.” He grinned at me.
I grinned back. “I agree.”
He squeezed my hands.
“…The Demon Lord’s Castle retreat,” I said slowly, continuing, “meant a lot to me. I was going through a lot then, and still so new to everything. And you were so perfect that weekend... So supportive. I meant it, when I said that you must be the very best angel out of all of them. You always seem to know just when I need protection…" I took a shy breath. "...I’ve always wanted to be that for you too. You’ve done so much, and I’ve just…” Another shaky breath. Emotional.
Pulling me lightly by the hand towards him, he leaned over to kiss my cheek. I leaned forward a bit more to rest my forehead on his collarbone, inhaling against him. His other hand came up to stroke at my hair. His petting was familiar to me now, and so comforting. His scent. His skin. Somehow this intimacy had bloomed between us, without it ever having gone beyond soft touches and furtive glances. A slow and steady burn. A precious, smouldering ember. And now...
“Thank you,” he whispered against my ear. “I’m ready to lend my strength to you any time. Don’t ever forget that."
I tilted forward further, lifting off of the bench, sliding into his open arms. I perched lightly on his lap, nestling against him. He held me there without hesitation, arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace to pull me closer. I rested my head against his chest. His heartbeat was strong against my ear. I placed a palm over it too.
He held me like I was a soft, fragile little bird in his arms. I melted against him.
I felt him hesitate a moment. I tilted my head up slightly, but he wasn’t looking back down at me.
I felt him nod to himself, and take in a slow breath.
“…May the blessing of light burn brightly within you,” he whispered into my hair, “and keep the darkness at bay. In the name of Simeon, Archangel, I protect thee, always...”
My eyes widened at the sweet, gentle sensation that flowed through me. I felt light and loved and protected, all at once, like a frightened child embraced by a long-lost parent. I lifted my head up from his chest to look at him. The halos of his blue eyes had expanded slightly, glowing white, and positively shimmered.
“Simeon…” I whispered. “What was that…?”
“I suppose you could say that it is an angel’s version of a pact.” He brushed my cheek with his thumb. “…To bless a human is a serious thing.”
“Simeon…” I breathed.
“My blessing will protect you to a certain degree. And now I will always be with you.” He tilted his head to kiss my forehead. “It is the only gift I could possibly give you that would…”
I raised my face to his, cupping his cheek.
He smiled gently, leaning forward as I did, to meet me in the middle.
Softly, I kissed him, our lips finally meeting. His moved on mine to lengthen it, lingering, gentle, like a whisper. I moved my lips again, and he brushed his back in turn. Gently, slowly, we kissed.
“We’re going to be late for class,” he teased as I finally pulled my face away to look at him again.
“What are they going to do, expel us?”
He laughed breathily before bringing my face back to his, deepening our kiss. I sighed against him, accepting it, returning it in kind.
“What do I do now?” Beel muttered to himself. “This is really bad… What am I gonna do?”
My bag hoisted over my shoulder on my way to my room, I came across Beel in the hallway, his back to me as he fretted openly.
I saw his head dip down to undoubtedly look at his hands while he fidgeted.
“What’s wrong, Beel?” I asked quietly from behind him.
He whirled to me, surprise turning into immediate happy recognition. “Chise…! I didn’t realize you were back.” His face fell again as he walked towards my open arms, landing into my embrace. “I can’t find Belphie.”
“Oh? Maybe he just hasn’t come home from RAD yet?”
“No, he didn’t go to RAD this morning…” Beel shifted anxiously. “He said he was too sleepy… What do I do…? I’ve finally got him back in my life, and now I can’t find him.”
“Oh, Beel…” I reached up to place my palm on his chest. “He’s probably just found a little nook somewhere to sleep. He’s pretty much our resident cat in that way.”
“I dunno…” He looked doubtful. “He wasn’t in any of his usual places. Maybe he was so upset about you going back to the human world that he ran off…”
“Was he upset?” I whispered up at him in surprise. “He hasn’t really talked to me about it yet.”
Beel nodded. “We’re both really sad, Chise. And Belphie… um… I guess I shouldn’t say. But he is really upset, yeah.”
“Well,” I took Beel’s hand in mine, taking him along to drop my bag off at my door, “let’s go and look for him together, then.”
“Yeah. Good idea.” I heard the gratefulness in Beel’s voice from behind. “Where should we look first…?”
“Let’s start room by room. The kitchen is right there. We’ll go there first and circle around.”
“Yeah, okay. He might’ve gotten hungry and gone there to get something to eat.”
We paused in the doorway.
Beel’s stomach growled.
He fidgeted beside me.
I sighed. “Let’s just grab a snack for along the way, okay? You can get something more substantial later, but we can get something to keep you going.”
He nodded happily as I walked in to rummage in the cupboards for a bag of chips or something.
“Chise…” He paused, considering. “Does this seem familiar to you? Looking around for someone. We’ve done this before, haven’t we?”
I turned to look at him quizzically. Surely he wasn’t forgetting that we had done this looking for Luke?
But he was smiling gently at me, eyes happy and light. It was a rhetorical question. My heart swelled in my chest at the trust that this man emanated for me.
I smiled back as I grabbed a family-sized bag of chips from the back of the cupboard.
Bringing it over to him, I leaned forward to rest my body against him. He pulled his arms up to embrace me in a warm hug, his thick sweater enveloping my face. I nuzzled at his chest as the room darkened around me from under the fabric, like hiding under a blanket. Warm and safe.
I sighed happily against him after a moment. Best hugs.
“Let’s go find Belphie.” I raised my face to look up at him.
“Yeah.” He took the chips from my proffered hand. “Where should we look next?”
“The attic room.”
I had a hunch.
“Belphie!” Beel cried in delight and relief, rushing forward to the curled little form on the attic bed, kneeling down. “You didn’t run off! Thank goodness…” He turned towards me, his face lit up like a sunrise. “Thank goodness he’s actually here.”
I grinned at him as I approached with my hands in my pockets. I looked down at the slight sleeping form in front of us.
“Belphie?” Beel shook him a bit. “Hey, Belphie, wake up!”
I leaned down towards the sleepy little demon, his messy dark hair falling over his sweetly relaxed face. “Belphiiiiiiie,” I cooed. “Time to wake uuuuuup.”
Nothing. I laughed. Pretty typical.
Beel sighed in exasperation. “I’m guessing that nothing we do is going to work. I go through this eeeevery morning, trying over and over to wake him up with no luck. Still… It’s hard to put into words, but…” He smiled as he looked down at his brother. “When I see the look on his face when he’s asleep like this, it makes me feel better – like things are going to be okay. We were apart for so long, so it really hits me that he’s back when I see him asleep like that.”
I stroked my fingers through Beel’s soft hair. My sweet ginger. “He’s here and safe. He didn’t leave you. It is going to be okay, Beel.”
He beamed at me as he stood, looking down. “He can stay here and sleep if he wants. As long as he doesn’t go anywhere, that’s all that matters.” He hesitated for a moment, face softening. “It’s thanks to you that our family is back together again. Thank you, Chise.”
I reached up to place my palm on his chest again, smiling back up at him.
He pressed his palm over mine. “I want you to know that you are very important to me. Of course Lucifer and Mammon and the others are also important to me… But it’s… not the same. The way I feel about you is different.”
“Beel…” I breathed, eyes widening.
I remembered when he had held me against his chest in his bed that night that he had a nightmare. How I had decided that I would just accept him at face value.
“It’s sort of like… you’re more special to me.” He paused a moment, looking down at me. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
There was tentative hope in his eyes as he gazed down at me. I raised my other hand to touch his cheek.
Honestly, I didn’t really know how deep I went with Beel. I hadn’t even thought about it much since he didn’t really… express anything even remotely close to this before.
But he was my sweet Beel, and I had come to understand him a great deal, like Belphie had. He was right. His connection with both Belphie and I ran deeper. And naturally, he would place me in a different category as his brother. It should have been obvious to me, really. He was quieter and more withdrawn, and while he verbalized a bit slower, I knew his mind was very observant and sharp. He thought differently than others, expressed himself differently, and I don’t think his other brothers had really come to appreciate the depth of that. Belphie did. He took care of him and looked out for him. They looked out for each other, but sometimes Beel seemed a little more defenseless than Belphie. Certainly not in physical strength, but with a certain naivety that Belphie made up for in spades. It made Beel a really special and warm person, but I could imagine that his kindness could be easily taken advantage of. We were in the Devildom, after all. In a lot of ways, Beel was still more angel than any of them.
I loved these twins. They were so special to me.
I stood up on the tips of my toes, and brushed my lips sweetly against Beel’s.
He kissed me back. Light as a feather, lips warm and soft.
When we broke apart from our first, he wrapped his arms around me gently, and leaned down for another. I gave it back, palm still on his chest. Soft, delicate, sweet.
“Up to now…” he whispered as I pulled a bit away. “I always felt like I was hungry for something. Ever since I got to the Devildom and was named Gluttony, I would eat and eat and eat, but I still wasn’t satisfied, so I’d eat more.”
I tilted my head as I really considered the implication of that. Honestly, while Beel’s constant hunger had seemed to fade into the background as just His Thing, a bit of an annoyed joke amongst his brothers… Thinking about it a little harder, that sounded really hard to struggle with. I honestly couldn’t imagine being so hungry, all the time, and never feeling satiated. It sounded like a special sort of torture, I realized.
Torture.
I felt bad that I hadn’t thought about it that way before. I felt like I should have. Belphie struggled to stay awake long enough to function day-to-day. I thought about how Levi struggled with his measurement of himself against others, and how the intensity of that comparison sent him into spirals that confined him to his room, cut off from the world. Satan battled and warred within himself to contain his rage… And then here was Beel, his struggle plain for me to see now, too. I should have seen it...
“But when I’m with you…” his face was serious. “it’s like that hunger is suddenly gone. For once I feel strangely satisfied.”
“Oh, Beel…” I gazed up at him, touched to my core.
He leaned down again, warm breath on my face.
“Don’t stop, Chise…” he whispered against me. “Kiss me more…”
I obliged, raising both hands to cup his face as I pressed my lips to his. He sighed happily against me as he leaned down further to deepen the kiss. I slid my hands up and into his thick ginger hair.
He was a very sweet, very earnest kisser. An amazing kisser, actually. His lips were big and soft, and he followed the curve of my own, smaller mouth slowly, not too much, not too little. Perfectly matching my step.
“…Hey.”
We both sprang apart with a mutual shout. I tripped on the edge of the rug underneath us, landing flat on my ass while Beel immediately started twisting his hands nervously, facing his brother.
The memory of Belphie and I embracing on the bench by the pond, me on his lap, his face inching closer to mine, flooded me. I turned bright red.
“What’s the big idea doing that in front of me, huh?” He scratched at his cheek sleepily, looking between us. “Seriously…”
“B-Belphie–!” Panic began to settle ominously in my chest. “I–"
“Belphie,” Beel smiled shyly, “you’re awake.”
I looked over at Beel, unable to comprehend his casual bashfulness. No guilt, just shy.
Belphie’s eyes traveled to settle on Beel as well.
“Well, yeah. I skipped school, and I’ve been sleeping here ever since. So yeah,” he uncurled himself in a stretch, “I’d say it’s about time I woke up.” He sighed with a smile. “I can sleep in peace up here, without anyone showing up to bother me. It’s a pretty useful space to have.”
I was still looking back and forth between them, heart hammering, waiting for some sort of condemnation from Belphie. Some sharp remark. Something that would send me fleeing from the room in shame and guilt.
Beel glanced over at me with a smile, including me. “Chise and I were worried about you.”
“Really?” Belphie tilted his head over to look at me. He was still stretched out on the bed on his back, shirt lifted slightly, the skin of his belly above the buckle of his belt exposed. “Why?”
“We didn’t see you around anywhere…” Beel said, sadly. “So we thought maybe you’d left – run off on your own.”
“Pff. As if I’d do something like that.” He sat up with a heartfelt smile for his brother. "I'd never leave you, Beel."
Beel sighed with more relief. “Well, now that we’ve found you, I’m super hungry again…”
Belphie chuckled. “In that case, run and grab some food to bring back here. Bring enough for Chise and me as well, okay?”
“Okay.” He grinned at Belphie before turning to me. “Be back in a bit.”
I nodded, weakly, voiceless.
Belphie and I were left alone in the attic together.
I was still on the floor, eyes wide, frozen.
Belphie rolled into a cross-legged sitting position on the bed, looking at the now-permanently-unlocked gate that Beel had strode from.
We were both silent for a bit.
“…Now that I’ve got you alone,” he started, slowly, “I’ll come out and ask you this: Chise, do you have feelings for Beel? Do you like him?”
He finally tore his gaze away from the door to look at me directly.
I withdrew within myself, feeling so very, very small. “I…”
“Come on,” he encouraged me, patiently.
I drew my knees to my chest. “…Yeah.”
“Really?” Belphie grinned at me, practically beaming. “I have to say, you’ve got good taste."
My eyes only went wider in confusion. Belphie and I clearly had something too. That was undeniable. And I had just kissed his fucking brother right in front of him. What was I thinking? That was rash and stupid and ill-planned. Not planned at all, actually. Just completely and utterly stupid and selfish.
“Come up here.” He gave me a soft smile as he looked down at me, patting a spot beside him on the bed.
I hesitated for a moment, before finally rolling onto my hands and knees to crawl slowly to the bed. I raised myself up on it with my elbows, huddling small next to Belphie, cross-legged, hunched.
“I’m really impressed that you can see how special Beel is,” he said, softly, reaching to take my hand. I watched him curl my fingers in his palm. “Actually, it’s no surprise. You’re the one person I would expect to understand how great Beel is.”
I looked down for a moment at my lap, but he poked me on my side to make me look back at him.
His eyes shone fondly.
“I like you, Chise,” he whispered. “I really like you.”
“Belphie…” I whispered back. “I am so sor–"
“So, listen…” He slid his hand onto my thigh, leaning closer to me. “Why don’t you, me, and Beel all live here together? All three of us living happily ever after… what do you say?” He held my gaze intently. “...Would you give it a try?”
He was drawing closer to me.
“T-Togeth–"
His lips touched mine.
And then he was kissing me, deeply, slowly. He lifted a hand to brush my hair away from my face as he leant further in, tilting his head to deepen it further, mouth widening a bit against my lips. I did so too, allowing his tongue to slip into my mouth. I pressed my face closer to his as I met his tongue with my own with a sigh.
“Is that a yes?” he breathed, hand on my cheek. “Or is it a no, and you’re just trying to make me feel better?” He pressed his forehead against mine. “…Are you going to leave me with only this one final memory of you stuck in my head? If so…” He pressed his lips back to mine, briefly, before breaking apart again. “Then I want to do the same to you. I want to leave you with a memory so vivid and lasting that no matter where you may go or how much time passes, I’ll always be stuck right there in your head.”
“Belphie…” I sighed against his mouth. He kissed me again. I pressed harder, urgency blooming between us.
“I want to do more than just kiss–“ he murmured through our frantically-increased kisses, hand sliding up my thigh. “–a lot more. I want to know you more intimately than anyone ever has.”
My lips trembled against his as I reached for another warm kiss. His hand slid further up as heat slowly coiled inside me.
“…I’ll be visiting you there, you know,” he whispered against me, shocking a sharp gasp out of me as he dipped his hand to the warm centre of my crotch. He pressed a finger a little harder against me. “In the human world.”
“I’m back,” Beel announced.
I jumped with a squeak to move away, but Belphie only held me firmly in place, not even flinching as he turned to look at his brother with a smile when he pulled his face away from our obvious heavy petting. Beel smiled sheepishly back, arms loaded with snacks and drinks.
Belphie’s hand was still between my thighs, finger still crazing the curve of my folds through the fabric of my pants. He lightly squeezed. I shuddered out a confused breath.
“Come here with them, Beel.” He indicted over to the bed him and I sat on. “We’ll watch tv or something while we eat. Together.”
Beel moved into the room happily, head barely able to see over the armload of snacks. I smiled and reached up to take a few things from his arms to help him, with Belphie doing the same, releasing his grip on my thigh. We laid them all out on the bed together, organizing them into little piles of sweet and salty and savoury. I finally began to relax at the familiar little ritual between us – just snacking, hanging out, whatever. I had just kissed both brothers right in front of the other and I was feeling deeply relieved that it hadn’t driven a wedge between them. I still felt slightly uneasy on what exactly this meant for the future, but… well… I had less than a week now.
My heart wrenched. I hoped there would be some sort of future.
“…Chise?”
I snapped my head up to Belphie.
He took my hand with a grin. “I was talking to you.”
“Sorry…! I just…” I looked between the two of them. Beel had crawled over to settle against the pillows with a bunch of bags of chips and candy piled beside him and commanding the remote to the tv. Belphie was still sitting cross-legged, facing me. I looked into his eyes. “I’m just glad that... That the three of us are here.”
Beel nodded happily.
Tugging my hand, Belphie crawled over to his brother. I crawled after him.
“Snuggle Beel. And I’ll snuggle you.”
“A cuddle puddle,” I said with a smile. He smiled back.
Beel put his arm up to drape over the pillow beside him, and I crawled in to snuggle into his side, head on his chest. Belphie followed closely behind, wrapping his arms around my middle, spooning me, nuzzling the back of my neck. Beel relaxed his arm to rest it on Belphie’s head.
Beel leaned over, kissing the top of my head. Belphie kissed behind my ear, making me shiver.
I hesitated. “…This is really okay?”
“Yes.”
“Mhm.”
His two people settled in against him, Beel deftly opened a bag of chips.
I took in a shuddering breath as Belphie’s hand slid up from my stomach to cup at my breast. He subtly rolled his erection against the curve of my ass. I pressed back, looking up at Beel, who seemed preoccupied with the tv and snacking, though he absently lifted his hand off of Belphie’s head to stroke my hair gently when he felt me move to look at him.
Beel wasn’t an idiot. Maybe he just wasn’t interested? I mean, not interested in me, but whatever Belphie was…
I forced the gasp that bubbled up in me to come out as a soft sigh instead as Belphie’s other hand drifted back down to slide between my legs. He was planting quiet kisses up and down my neck while he rolled his hips against me again. With a squeeze of my breast, he licked and nibbled at my earlobe, his warm breath against my skin.
I laid there cuddled under Beel’s arm while Belphie quietly and persistently felt me up. Sandwiched between them as I was, I dared not move because I didn’t know where Beel and I were standing on this. I followed Belphie’s lead instead, knowing he would never deliberately hurt his brother, as I was quietly groped and pawed at while I struggled to keep my breathing even. The swell of his erection rolled against me over and over, dry-humping me in an achingly slow rhythm.
“…Would you kiss Beel again for me, Chise?” Belphie breathed against my ear.
I turned red as he released the pressure on my breast to pull his hand away, giving me room to sit up a bit. I looked up at Beel, who had looked down at me at Belphie’s words, with a blush of his own. I reached up to touch his cheek with a question in my eyes. He smiled gently with a nod, and I raised myself up a bit on his chest to press my lips to his. With the return of his own kiss, I leaned into it with a little more pressure, savouring his sweet mouth with a relaxed exhale.
Such a good kisser.
Belphie let out a breathy sigh of satisfaction, squirming slightly. “Yes."
***
I had slipped from the twins’ sleeping embrace in the attic to tiptoe down the stairs, sleepless myself, not wanting to disturb either of them with my restlessness. The heat between my legs from Belphie’s grinding begged for private release. Clearly, with Beel around, I wasn’t going to be sated up there, so–
I felt a hand slap over my mouth, muffling my shriek as a body pressed hard up against my backside, sending the two of us careening into the wall in the dark.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Belphie whispered hoarsely in my ear.
I felt his erection grinding back up against my lower back, pressing, pushing. I whimpered against his hand.
"Tease," he breathed. “First Mammon. I know you came out of Levi's room the other day, too. And Satan? I saw you come out of there just this morning. And now my twin brother… You sure do get around… Tsk.”
I swallowed, motionless, heart hammering. I almost felt faint.
“You know I’m going to take you, right? And I’m not gentle.”
I shivered with a nod, an electrifying heat pooling in my belly at the promise.
"Oh? So you've thought about me then?”
I nodded again from under the restraint of his hand still over my mouth, breathing hard at his words.
"Hmm…” He considered me, inhaling against my neck. “You’re not fighting back TOO badly. So, do you like what I'm saying to you, Chise? Do you like being talked down to? Do you like it dirty?" He crushed his erection against my ass, forcing out a gasp as I was pressed further up against the wall. "Am I hitting the spot, Chise?”
I only whimpered in response, shuddering as the heat inside of me intensified, causing me to pulse between my legs.
I slightly parted them.
"That's what I thought. Whore. Is your goal to fuck all of us brothers? Huh? Were pacts not good enough for you? You want to be passed around, too? Slut.”
I keened at his accusations while he bit down on the lobe of my ear, making me yelp and yank my head away. He chuckled deep against my skin. “…I can help you with that, you know. One more brother on your checklist, right?”
He shoved his hand down the front of my pants.
“W-WAIT! In the hall–!”
"Whats wrong? It's nothing my brothers haven't seen before, right?”
I scrabbled at the wall with a gasp as he thrust his hand further down to cup at my crotch. He pressed there against my bare skin, hard, before sinking a finger between the hot folds of me. He see-sawed it back and forth while I whimpered, pinned, felt up, my soaking underwear clear evidence of my own arousal. He ground his cock against the crook of my ass at the same pace that he slid his finger back and forth through the folds of my lips.
He slipped a finger inside of me.
“Belphie–!” I groaned, struggling against him in the open hallway.
He only shoved me up further against the wall, crushing my breasts, limiting my breathing. "Say you don't want it right now," he hissed. "Say it, and I'll leave you alone.”
I only panted in response.
"That's what I thought.” I could hear the grin on his face in his voice. “But you know… I have a better idea. Did you know that Lucifer has been staying out quite late with Barbatos over the last couple days?"
He suddenly grabbed a fistful of my hair by the scalp and started to drag me down the hall. I yelped, clutching at his fist, stumbling with the drag to ease the burning pull on my head, hunched and scrambling after him.
“…So why don’t we leave a present for him in his room, hm? We owe him.”
I stumbled forward as he threw me by my hair through Lucifer’s bedroom door, barely catching myself from falling right onto the floor. I looked around wildly, but the eldest brother was no where to be found, just like Belphie had predicted. I hesitated as I looked around shyly at the tidy, uniform room. I was an intruder. In Lucifer’s room.
Belphie grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me forward towards Lucifer’s wide bed made up neatly with grey sheets. Looking over at him, my eyes widened at the large spiralling ram’s horns that now adorned his head, and I felt the swish of his tail brush against my thighs as he pushed me down roughly onto the mattress.
He quickly pinned me there, crawling up to straddle me, looking down at me with a devious grin. My breath was coming out quick and frantic, like a fragile little butterfly fighting hard against a gale in my chest.
My lips parted, eyes wide, I looked back up at him.
I was so fucking turned on.
He grabbed my uniform shirt and ripped it open roughly down the front, buttons tearing off to scatter into the sheets and on the floor.
“BELPHIE–!"
“Hmmm,” he hummed with satisfaction, staring at chest. “I think Lucifer will like cleaning those up tomorrow. I think I’ll leave them there for him to find. Now…”
He grasped the band that connected the cups of my bra in his fist, pulling me up by the thin fabric so that my back was lifted.
“Let me see your tits, Chise,” he whispered. “Take it all off.”
Breaking eye contact, face red, I stripped off my ruined shirt, unclipping my bra from around my ribs to fall around my wrists. I shivered a bit under his frank stare, peeking up to see his shit-eating smirk on his face.
“Great set of tits,” he commented vulgarly, looking me up and down, before reaching forward to grab at one in a rough squeeze. I winced in pain. He pinched me there, hard, and I gave a pained squeak in response, trying to slap him away. He only laughed at my attempts as he pushed me down roughly again with a slap over my lungs that caused me to whoosh out a breath. Winding me lightly.
I watched in frank admiration myself as he neatly and efficiently unbuttoned his own shirt, peeling it off of his arms before balling the fabric and tossing it to the side. His cow-patterned demon marks spread down from his neck to his upper chest. I reached a hand to trace the edges of them. He was slim, skin soft, but still fine. For the first time since pinning me up in the hall, he looked at the fingers that touched him with tenderness in his eyes, and I felt the brush of his soft tail trail down my arm in response.
He smoothly started on his buckle. “Yours too.”
I obeyed.
Soon we were both kicking off our pants and shimmying out of our underwear, me beneath him, him over me, dragging them under his knees. I sighed as his arousal broke free of its confines, standing long and proud above me with a slight bounce. He grinned slyly at my expression.
Cock proud, he reached down again to squeeze at my breast, rolling the nipple between his thumb and index finger with a sharp twist. I finally moaned as I rolled my hips up towards him, my eyes never having left the reveal of his member, reaching my hand up to touch him.
“Shameless…” he chuckled. “Now flip over. I want to see the rest of my little prize tonight.”
Blushing and biting my lip, I slowly rolled my hips to the side, flipping onto my stomach in place. I settled there, arms drawn up tightly underneath me to support my breasts, face half-buried in the sheets. I laid out before him, huffing, feeling small and embarrassed.
“Ahhhhhhh…” A sigh. "Now this…” he murmured, running a hand down from between my shoulder blades to my tail bone, “...is a view I could get used to.”
He spanked me. I yelped.
He grabbed me by the hips, pulling them up with a rough tug so that my ass was displayed in the air right in front of him. He roved his palms over the soft, plush skin of my hips and ass and thighs, and I whimpered as a finger grazed through the soft exposed folds of me.
“Great hips… Great ass… And, hmmm, great pussy… So beautiful.”
With my ass in the air, I let out a sharp cry as I felt him suddenly line his cock up against my exposed entrance, wasting no time to sink himself into me without any further foreplay. I groaned low and long as every inch of him slid into my heat. Inch by aching inch, I took him in, until he was fully seated, pelvis flush against my ass.
"Oh, fuck, yes, tight fit..." he breathed. "I was worried, considering how much of a used up whore you are.” I shuddered at his humiliation of me, shame heating my face.
He pulled back out and slammed into me in quick succession. I grabbed at the sheets under me with a cry as he pierced me.
"....But you're the perfect fuck, aren't you?”
At the sound of my soft whimper, he grabbed a fistful of my hair again, yanking me up as I yelped.
"I said..." he whispered, "you're a perfect little fuck, aren't you?”
"Y-Yes…"
"My little whore, hmmm?”
I gasped as he rammed into me again. "Y-Yes…!"
"Does my cock feel good inside you?”
He slammed again, harder, rougher, meaner. I cried out into the open air. "Yes…!"
He yanked harder on my hair, snapping my neck up as I sobbed out a little moan.
"Say it.”
"Y-Your cock feels s-so... fucking good, Belphie…"
"And you're my whore.”
"Y-Yes—"
"Say it.”
"I'm your little whore…!” I cried out as he pierced me again. "P-Please... Fuck me…!"
"That's better." He yanked my head to the side so that he could tilt my face towards his in a rough, breathless kiss. He bit my bottom lip, hard, eliciting another yelp from me. "Now... It's time that you put out for me. I'm gonna fuck you right into this mattress. You're gonna leave your scent all over these sheets. Your sweat, saliva, tears, cum – your cum is the most important – all over them. We're not leaving until these sheets are properly soiled, got it? Even if he has to walk in on us, on me using you up right in front of him, that’s what’s going to happen, so you'd better deliver. Got it?”
I could only give a weak little nod.
With that promise, he shoved me roughly back down onto the bed and grabbed my hips, pulling them up higher for a better angle.
And then he plunged back into me while I cried out into sheets. He fucked me senseless, relentlessly, rough and unkind, taking me for himself entirely. The ache between my legs was pierced over and over by his cock as he picked up speed, pushing his weight down and down and down, nailing my hips into the mattress beneath us. I scrabbled under him to find purchase, flexing my knees, arching my back under while he kept fucking me flat. I struggled to keep my entrance open and ready for him as he slammed into me over and over and over.
My moans and cries were starting to slip into open keening as the heat in my belly quickly built up into an inferno with every thrust of Belphie's cock. I whimpered as he dug his nails painfully into my hip bones while he impaled me over and over and over again. With every thrust, my cheek rubbed back and forth on the damp sheet beneath my head, soaked in my drool. The position I was in, the way I had been flattened down, the angle that he had to thrust down into to pierce me, perfectly lined up for him to slam into my g-spot with his rapid, wild strokes. Over and over again my little spot was speared, relentlessly bringing me up and up and up. I was losing control.
"B-Belllllphhhiiieeee..." I moaned his name in desperation, warning him of how close I was coming to my peak.
He pressed his palm to the back of my head and ground my face into the mattress, cutting off my breath. "I didn't say you could cum yet, did I?”
He angled down deeper and thrusted harder. My moans were muffled by Lucifer's blankets. I was bucking back into him, building uncontrollably.
"Did I say you could cum yet, Chise?”
"P-Please..." I groaned, barely audible. He wasn't letting up, pounding me harder and harder, the heat inside me beginning to bloom. I was there. I was right there. "I nee-eeed…"
"Needy little whore.”
He withdrew from me roughly, entirely, leaving me right on the verge of my orgasm with a complete and utter emptiness inside of me. I gasped at the shock of his sudden absence, a void left by the withdrawal of his hot cock. The heat that had been building inside of me so deliciously was extinguished immediately, leaving me reeling and lost and frustrated. I looked up at him with a pathetic little whimper, disappointed, nervous about what he would do to me next.
"Told you." He smirked down at me, cock in his hand, palming himself slowly to keep himself hard. "You cum when I say you cum. Not a second before.”
I panted at the sight of him fisting his own cock, eyes fixated on him.
"Yeah, I thought you'd like that." He moved forward on his knees to grip me by the chin. "Roll over onto your back. I'm going to fuck your little whore mouth now.”
I obeyed, turning over from underneath him. He moved his hand down from my jaw to my breast, pinching it until I cried out in pain. Grinning at the sound, he moved forward on his knees to straddle himself over top of me, his weight on either side of my shoulders.
He leaned over and dipped his hips down.
"Open that filthy mouth for me.”
I opened.
He slid himself right in.
I immediately gagged as he pushed right down into my throat. I struggled underneath him, clawing at his thighs, trying to push away. He pulled out just long enough for me to take a breath before he impaled my mouth again. I choked while he looked down into my face with a satisfied smirk as he watched tears prick the corners of my eyes. My eyes were wide while I struggled.
Finally, fighting to breathe, for the first time, I grasped him with my own fist, trying to take control back as I wedged my hand between my lips and his base, which he seemed to allow. I took out a long gasping breath as he relented with a pleased hum.
"How do you taste?" He murmured to me as he pushed himself back in. I blew out a long breath through my nose as I struggled to take him. After holding a moment, satisfied that I had adjusted, he withdrew. "Do you like how your pussy tastes on my cock, Chise?" He slid back in. I took it. Hold. Back out. "How does it feel to have my big cock filling your mouth after having fucked your little pussy?" Back in. Took it. This time I braved a little lick around the head of him.
He grinned at me. "Well, at least you're trainable.”
My eyes widened at the realization of what he was doing. He withdrew, and then back in, I took, he held. He was getting deeper each time. I was taking it, adjusting. I could almost feel my throat bulge. Withdrew.
He fucked my face just like that, humping down into my wet mouth, sliding in and out of me over and over. I tentatively started using my tongue, squeezing with my fist, putting pressure on his shaft with my lips. My breaths were coming in and out shaky and exaggerated through my nose as I breathed through and around the unrelenting assault of his member. He sighed in satisfaction as I started getting bolder with my tongue, rolling it against him as he came and went. Aside from the grip I had on his base and the sucking of my mouth, I laid perfectly still, to be use by him how he liked, trying not to choke, focusing on breathing, letting him fuck my face at his leisure, like a little sex sleeve.
"That is one good fucking mouth..." he groaned, running his fingers gently through my hair while he pumped his hips back and forth into me. After the intense degradation, the praise and tender touch felt electrifying, and the tears that were tracking down my cheeks weren't just from choking.
He looked down at my expression. I must have looked broken. Or maybe the worship in my eyes shone through. Maybe both. Broken, and worshipping, just like he wanted. He sighed in pleasure at the plain sight of my desperation to please, still stroking himself in and out of my little stretched mouth.
"Okay," he breathed, slowing, stopping, withdrawing, unstraddling himself from over top of me. "Roll back over. Ass up.”
Biting my lip, I obeyed, getting myself back into position for him. I was trembling. Quiet. He grabbed my hips to roughly adjust me to where he wanted me again, humming in appreciation at the sight of my exposure. I withdrew smaller within myself at his obvious inspection of me. He leaned forward and blew on the heat of my entrance, causing me to jump with a little squeak.
Without any warning, he slipped a finger into me. I gasped and tensed, pulsing around it.
"Gooood," he cooed, working the finger in, dragging it along the top of my walls, grazing my g-spot. "Still nice and ready.”
He withdrew the finger, and next, his cock came crashing in with a grunt from him, a cry from me. Filled again. Finally. Void filled. As suddenly as it had gone away.
I tried to rock my hips back against him, but he stilled me.
I yelped at the touch of his thumb against the entrance to my ass, immediately tensing in alarm.
"Belphie, w-wait—!"
He just left it there. Not entering. I shivered, waiting, tense.
He leaned forward to lightly kiss the crown of my head. He nuzzled me gently. He started stroking his arousal into me at a slower and gentler pace, though his thumb never left the ingress of my ass. I slowly relaxed into the gentle fucking, my little moans returning in earnest. He fucked me tenderly for a while, peppering my hair with kisses and contented sighs that were warm on my skin. I tentatively rocked my hips back against him to meet his thrusting. My own movements pressed his thumb harder against my other entrance, but he didn't allow it to go any further.
Slowly he made love to me there, leaning over to lay his chest lightly over my back. He kissed the back of my neck and shoulders, sliding in and out of me easily, fluidly. My moans fell from my lips in soft sighs as I took him into me, nestled between the soft sheets and his warm chest. He stroked and stroked and stroked himself evenly inside of me.
Until he swirled the pad of his thumb in a circular motion. I made an alarmed little noise, tensing again. Immediately my breaths started coming out quick and fast in anxiety.
"I'll let you say no if you really don't want it, Chise," he whispered against the back of my neck. "But something tells me you'd be a willing ass slut too. So..." He pressed a little more firmly. "...What's your answer?”
I was frozen to the spot for a moment, heart hammering, mind racing. I've never done anything like this before. I've never even been remotely this kinky. Did I want this? Did I trust him? Was I into this? Would it hurt? Was I ready? I've never had my ass…
“…Don’t worry. I have lots planned for you if not. I won’t be mad."
I took in a deep breath,
Before I bent my head back down into the blankets. Shamefaced, I gave a single, small nod of submission.
"That's what I fucking thought," he breathed with a sigh. "Just a whore.”
"Belphie..." I whispered. "I've never…"
He was quiet for a second. "You've never had anything in your ass…?”
I nodded again.
“…Good." Though he paused, lowering his voice. "Don't worry. I’d never actually hurt you.”
I nodded a third time, closing my eyes, my back suddenly cool again as he raised himself back up above me. He circled his thumb there for a little longer, giving me time to reconsider. To back out.
I didn’t say a word.
Withdrawing his thumb, I felt him spit directly where he wanted. My face burned deep at the crassness of the gesture as the glob of warm liquid slid down between my cheeks.
I waited with shaky breaths for his next touch, not being able to see what was happening behind me. I jumped at the gentle brush of his finger against my hole, feeling him swirl his saliva into my entrance without crossing the threshold himself yet. He worked at moistening me with a gentle massage, delivering a curious sensation that had me relaxing again with a sigh.
I shivered as another glob was directed to where his finger was beginning to press.
“I’m going to train you so well…” he murmured. “I’m so lucky… An inexperienced little slut that I can shape how I want… How’d I get so lucky…”
His finger covered in slick spit, he pushed lightly into me. I gave a sharp gasp and lifted my head up at the strange sensation, fighting down my urge to fight against him.
“Ass is my favourite, everybody has one to play with… And here you are,” he sighed again, “a little flower ready for me to pick…”
He worked the finger in a little further, gently, but persistent. I groaned low, eyes half-lidded, my pussy automatically trying to pulse down on something that wasn’t there. I pulsed again, harder this time, with more muscles, and felt myself clamp at the finger that was burying itself further and further.
“Virgin whore,” he whispered. “You’re so tight."
I whimpered as he released his finger backwards a bit, before he worked forward again. The slow easing back-and-forth motion had me practically purring underneath him. I felt myself relaxing completely in a way that I never did during sex, intuiting how good it would feel to let go and give the reins…
And holy hells…
I positively glowed from the inside.
“Good… Just relax into it, baby.” His voice was a little hoarser as I felt the push of a second finger against me. I sighed out my consent, my need, knowing the pressure would be there at first, but eager for the reward.
He worked the second in slowly along with the first, taking his time again to work back and forth, back and forth. I felt myself give away to him. The intense tightness eased into a comfortable fullness, a warm delight.
“You’re doing so good.” I felt him sit back a little straighter. “A natural.”
I gasped at the feeling of his cock lining up with the entrance to my pussy again, his two fingers still buried inside of me. I clung to the sheet beneath me with a whimper of realization, never really having considered this before. Heat positively rushed through my groin at the thought.
A third finger prodded gently. “Both holes filling… Now that’s a whore…”
My moan was high and whiny as he slipped the third finger in at the same time that his cock started to fill me again. My mouth was wide open against the sheets, drooling out a high keen. He worked all three fingers in gently, stroking his member into me at the same pace. I gave out a soft cry as I felt him separate his fingers a bit to open me up wider. The intensity of the dual sensations had me short-circuiting on the bed, unable to process the two of them together, shuddering wordlessly in my place beneath him. From the back where my tailbone rested to the front where my lower belly burned, I felt full, stretched.
He started to hump into me more earnestly with his cock, picking up the pace with his fingers at the same time. I was mewling noisily, eyes glazing over, overwhelmed by him in a way I never had been before.
“You like both holes filled at the same time…”
“Yesssss…” I hissed with a sigh, taking the sheets in between my teeth as he worked me over a little harder.
Every time he picked up pace, every time he took me a little harder, my needy little groans fell from my lips in a higher and more frequent pitch. I was open-mouthed panting and moaning noisily, unable to move at all as he administered the most incredible and curious pleasure of my life. The pressure under my tailbone and the pulsing heat between my thighs was building naturally, deliciously. His cock filled me perfectly from tip to base, his fingers were clamped tightly in my ass. I was filled, and worked, and fucked. My high whines fell into a gravelly groan as he finally did away with build-up and started to truly fuck me in rough earnest. His fingers slipped in and out of me with a hard stop-and-start, the base of his knuckles slamming against the entrance to my ass, forcing that open more too. His cock started to take me with rough abandon that pierced up against the deepest part of my core, lighting me on fire.
He bucked into me harder and harder, the slapping sounds of skin-on-skin contact echoing around the quiet room. He fucked me fucked me fucked me. My keening was starting to stutter into a ragged nonsensical noise as he built me higher. The orgasm that threatened to drag me under with the pressure in my ass was unlike anything I had felt before.
“B-Belph…” I finally got out, struggling to pull myself from the dazed limbo I felt myself drowning in to communicate the nearing of my climax.
“Don’t you dare fucking cum, Chise. Not until I tell you to. Do not disobey me. You wouldn’t want to get hurt now, would you?”
“B-Belphie…!”
“Do not,” he growled.
He kept slamming into me, fucking, fucking, rutting, taking me like a bitch animal, both of my holes screaming for my release as I fought against myself. But it was too late. I was already there. I struggled one final time to clamp down on myself, before the dam flooded me entirely.
“Belphie! Please! I can't—!"
And then I came, writhing underneath him, back arched as I choked, contracting hard and tight.
He reached over to grip my jaw hard, forcing me to look at him while I was still at the peak of my high, trying to thrash against him. "Did I SAY you could cum?" The grip he had on me was so tight that I couldn't open my mouth to speak. I could only shake my head, eyes wide. He was still slamming into me, other fingers still ramming me, I was still pulsing through my orgasm as he cruelly gripped me. The aggressiveness of his condemnation only served to flood me with more desire, increasing the pleasure of my climax ten-fold. My eyes rolled to the back of my head in the grip of his hand on my jaw. He kept riding me through it with a growl, not letting up, shoving a thumb into my open mouth to produce a strangled noise out of me, watching the way my eyelids fluttered as I came.
The rigidity of my muscles came and went as I pulsed hard around his cock and fingers, peaking, ridden through it by his long, rough strokes. He pressed his thumb deeper into my mouth and I met it with my tongue, choking out a groan as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me. My hips shuddered through his administrations, my thighs and knees threatening to buckle from underneath me entirely. I sucked and sucker at his finger while I came on him.
When I finally whimpered and relaxed my muscles to signal the start of my descent, I felt a sharp slap on my cheek. The shock of it forced me to focus back on his eyes, dark and dangerous.
"Bad bad bad. Bad Chise. Just a whore who can't control herself, huh?”
"I-I'm sorry... I couldn't..." My voice was weak, eyes glazed. He had set me up to fail. There was no way I would have been able to stop myself from that, I realized.
With a jolt, I felt him remove his fingers from inside of my ass with a tsk. I slackened with a whimper at their sudden absence. Grabbing my hair abruptly to pull me up with a yelp, he kissed me roughly while driving himself back into me with the full length of his cock. He kissed me so hard and my neck tilted so far back I couldn't breathe; I was trying to gulp for air against his mouth, unsuccessfully. He wouldn't let me.
He abruptly broke off the kiss, if you could call it that, before releasing my hair to roughly push down between my shoulder blades. I was bent further over.
He cracked his palm across my ass. Hard.
I yelped again, and then devolved into a low keen.
"That's what you get for disobeying.”
Crack.
The same spot, over and over, unrelenting as I began to literally and physically cry and beg into the sheets beneath us. I gnawed and chewed and pulled at them with my teeth to muffle my screams, trying to take the force of his hand on my skin for as long as I could. He only shoved my head down to muffle me further as I got louder and louder with each spank.
"PLEASE!" I finally lifted my head with a sob, tears tracking down my cheeks. "N-Not there again! Enough, Belphie!”
He stopped the slaps, and slowed down his rutting for a moment, leaning forward to kiss me between my shoulder blades. I shuddered at the touch of his lips on my skin. I felt so sensitive, the entirety of my body on fire, he may as well have been kissing blisters.
"Good whore," he whispered, trailing kisses down my spine. "You've done so well to make me happy." I whimpered at the praises. "I'm gonna use you to make myself cum and then you’ll be all done, okay?”
Use me to cum.
I shuddered, nodding, feeling the heat rise in me again.
He picked up speed again, burying his cock deep within me, my cries returning at the echoed slap of his skin on mine.
"Fuck..." Belphie groaned as he slammed into me over and over. "Where the fuck do I want to cum for our first time…"
I moaned into the sheets, biting them; it was all I could do to keep my hips up and my ass raised in the air for his ramming. My muscles screamed at me to relax from my intense orgasm, and from the beating my ass got. I fought to keep my muscles tight, to hold myself upright for his rutting.
"I could cum on your tits, or on your ass, or… fuck... all over your cute little face. Or maybe I'll just fertilize your tight little pussy until you're dripping. Huh, Chise? Where on your little slut body should I cover in my cum? Where should I claim you?”
"Belphie..." I looked over and up at him, eyes glazed. I could barely see.
He slowed down a bit, caught off guard by my gaze. He tilted his head.
"Cum in my ass…"
I heard him take a shaky breath. “…That's what you want?”
"Please... Claim me…"
He leaned over to kiss me on my tailbone, slowly withdrawing his cock from my sex. I groaned at the absence of him.
Empty.
He traced a finger down the crack of my ass lightly. I shivered.
I felt the head of his cock line up. I whimpered.
"You have to relax," he whispered. "The whole time. Don't tense. Got it?”
I nodded, taking in a deep breath, willing my muscles to relax entirely. I forced my breathing in and out in even measure.
“And just… Let me know if you need me to stop.”
He spat on me again. I felt him palm at himself. I shivered once more.
"Relax," he commanded. "I'll take care of you..."
I nodded, turning my focus on my breathing.
He pushed a bit.
Breathe. Breathe.
A bit more.
Breathe. Fucking breathe.
More.
His head was in.
I whimpered again, forcing every muscle around my hips to stay lax. I took the rigidity up into my shoulders instead. He paused for a moment.
"Relax, baby..."
I nodded quietly.
And then he pushed more.
My groan was a little louder this time, more pained. He gave me a moment to adjust, quiet, no disparaging remarks or words of encouragement, just waiting for his little toy to be ready.
More. More than he had before.
My groan now was long and deep and guttural. It felt more natural to keep myself relaxed around him now as I adjusted. I wanted to relax. It felt good to relax.
It felt good.
He felt good.
He kept going, but this time, didn't stop. He pushing and pushed, achingly slow, but without stopping. My cry went from low and long to sharp and high as I took his entire length inside me. I was keening again, completely overwhelmed by the new fullness inside of me. A sensation unlike anything I'd ever felt before. My breathing was coming in and out in pathetic little mewling whines. My ass clamped on him, tight, filled to the brim with his demon cock.
"Fuck," he breathed. "Now that is fucking tight...”
I gave a shaky little moan in reply, eyes squeezed shut.
"Can't believe I got so lucky to take your ass virginity..." he murmured. "You're never going to forget this.”
I nodded.
"You're so fucking tight. I don't think it's going to take long for me to fill you with my cum. Fuck. I'm so happy I'm the first inside your ass, Chise... You... have no idea…"
I let out a desperate groan as he began to withdraw himself from inside of me. The tunnel he had pushed through collapsed behind him, tightening again. The sensation pulled at me in a way that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Pain and pleasure and fullness and pressure.
He paused at my entrance again, before pushing himself steadily back in. I curled my fingers into the sheets and bit down with a low keening as he opened me back up again, sliding all the way, sheathing. I felt him pulse inside of me in a twitch, I was so sensitive to every inch of him. It was such a tight fit. I shivered around him.
And then he was sliding back again, and the tension in my shoulders released with his withdrawal. I huffed into the bed.
And then back in. Another shaky groan.
Withdrawn. A moaning sigh.
And then I screeched as he slammed his full length into me all at once.
At the sound of my voice, his hand was back in my hair, gripping a fistful to grind my face back down into the sheets again. I screamed into the mattress as he took me as relentlessly as before, all pretenses of tender patience gone, replaced by a raging storm of need as the demon behind me took my virgin ass hard and rough. I shook and sobbed and cried while I took the beating inside of me, relishing the intensity, terrified and overwhelmed by it. His cock slammed into me over and over again as Belphie himself began to groan loud and low in the throes of his own passion. He gripped my hips on either side tightly, digging painfully, forcing me back against him with every thrust forward, taking control when it became clear I wasn't going to be able to keep up.
I was lost in the experience completely, numb with senses that were too overwhelmed to process. My backside screamed as it took its beating from the length of his cock, and I screamed with it, louder and longer, into the mess of sheets beneath us.
Belphie cracked another palm against the flesh of my ass, forcing me to cry out again, though I barely moved.
"You... Feel... So... Fucking... Good…!"
He cracked another, on the other side. I was sobbing now, my thighs and hips collapsing from underneath me. I laid flat on the mattress while Belphie angled himself over to fuck downwards, pounding and pinning and spearing me in place. I heard the desperation growing in his own groaning, and felt his thrusting become more rigid, less fluid, less of a roll, more of a puncture.
"Belphie... Filllllll…"
"Fucking... Whore," he panted. "You wanna take me? Beg for it.”
“P-Please…”
“I said BEG, Chise.”
“Please…!” I gasped. “Fill my ass, Belphie! With your cum! I’ve never had cum in my ass before, Belphie! Be the first! Cum in me!"
"You my anal whore?”
"Mmm your whore…!" I could only groan the words as I collapsed again in anticipation. "Asssss whore..."
"Yesssss..." he hissed down at me. “Mine... Haaaaaah…"
He half-fell on me with a low groan against the back of my neck. He still rutted, but rutted in place, quickly, using my ass to jerk himself over the edge. I sobbed out a little gasp as I felt his cock engorge, twitch, and then pulse rhymically inside of me with his release. His seed was hot, almost uncomfortably so, as he pumped and pumped his load into my ass. I felt his arms shaking around me before he finally gave in to collapse on me entirely, though he still twitched and poured more cum. I found myself mewling over and over in desperate need as I felt the hot spurt of liquid fill and then overwhelm me.
Belphie laid on me, panting, gulping deep breaths as he finally slackened inside of me. I puffed noisily into the blanket beneath me as well, already feeling a trickle of his cum leaking from somewhere it never had for me before.
We laid there together, stunned, struggling for breath, his softening cock still half in my ass.
He rubbed his hand up and down my back, tracing the bumps down along my spine with a fingertip. I lazily nudged a shoulder to try and get closer against him, but gave up, muscles screaming at me to just fucking relax. I laid where I was while he caught his breath on top of me.
I couldn’t move a fingertip even if I wanted to.
After a long, long moment, an eternity as I fought to stay awake, Belphie finally sighed from above me.
“…Let’s get you cleaned up," he finally murmured, planting another kiss on my sweaty skin, "and then we go back to Beel. You're not leaving us again tonight.”
I nodded with a happy sigh. He placed a gentle kiss on my neck before withdrawing the rest of himself from inside of me. I groaned at his slow absence, and at the cum that flooded out with his withdrawal.
"Perfect..." he murmured, watching the gushing mess unfold beneath him. He chuckled. "Lucifer will be SO pissed…"
I blushed a deep red as I watched Belphie unfold himself from around me to edge himself off of the bed, padding over to Lucifer’s drawers. I watched his naked body move smoothly across the room with a light heart, my eyes traveling up and down to capture the moment into my memory. His impressive spiralled horns, the ink of his demon marks down his back, where his tail met the skin of his lower back, the soft swell of his ass moving beneath it while it swished, grazing the floor…
My Belphie…
He rummaged through a drawer briefly before finding a plain undershirt, throwing it my way with a smile.
“Since your own shirt is ruined,” he smirked. “Wanna make sure you have something to wear for breakfast.”
I curled Lucifer’s shirt into my fist with a shy little nod, smiling back. He padded back over to me to help me up with open arms, taking me up into his embrace with a gentle kiss.
Chapter 28: Chapter 20-B: Don't Make Me Leave
Notes:
Fiancé got walked out of his job on monday, so guess who hasn't been able to write her fic because a certain bored dude can't stop his nattering in my ear? Ugh, I love him, but I deeply enjoyed the 4-5 hours of silence I got every day from when I got off my shift to when he got home from his. He's driving me up the wall.
Chapter Text
I woke to gentle kisses on my cheek. I stretched sleepily, turning to the source, my eyes hazy as I opened them to see Beel’s sweet face. I smiled at him as he nestled in closer, his lips nearing mine. I took him up on his offer, returning the gentleness of his kiss as he stroked my hair lightly.
“A good way to wake up…” I whispered to him. He nodded with a soft smile.
He nuzzled my cheek. “You smell like Belphie…”
“Mhm…” I slipped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“Good. I’m glad.”
He kissed me again. I wrapped myself around him, pulling him on top of me.
It took Beel and I quite a while to wake Belphie up, but when we finally got him going, he eagerly pulled me down to the dining room for breakfast. He practically had to drag me… due in no small part to my deep reluctance to show my face.
What the hell was I thinking? Swept up in the admittedly extremely sexy moment, I allowed Belphie to fuck me in motherfucking Lucifer’s room.
And allowed him to leave So. Much. Evidence. Of the act.
There was absolutely no denying what had happened in there. On MULTIPLE fronts.
Idiot. Am I really such a horny loser that I couldn’t think first?
I almost crashed into his back, he stopped so suddenly, right at the entrance to the room, taking it in. I peeked around his arm, hoping against fucking hope that Lucifer had, in fact, stayed out all night doing whatever it was that he had been doing. Maybe bedding Diavolo or something.
But no. The demon in question sat in his usual place, at the head of the table. Dark circles under his eyes, lips folded in a tight line. He looked up at our approach.
Shit.
Belphie sauntered easily into the room with a satisfied sigh while I continued to hesitate in the doorway. Beel shuffled carefully around me, eager for his first meal of the day.
After a moment, avoiding Lucifer’s gaze, I slunk over to the other end of the table to take my place at its head. I sunk down into the chair, staring at my plate.
Mammon narrowed his eyes. “You doin’ all right, Chees?”
I nodded immediately, waving away his concern a little too quickly.
The only sound around us was the clattering of utensils. The usual cheerful, teasing atmosphere deeply dampened by the presence of the very displeased demon on the other end from me. No one else at the table knew why. Just that he was very, very angry.
Belphie was the first to clear his throat. I inwardly groaned.
“Well, everyone? Doesn’t Chise look so pretty today? How about you, Lucifer? Don’t you agree?"
“Belphie–!” I hissed at him over Beel’s head.
"Chise is a rare beauty every day. Today is no exception.” His voice was smooth, honest, but dangerous too, taking up Belphie’s challenge in stride.
Heat flooded my cheeks.
Mammon waved his fork in the air between Lucifer and Belphie, mouth half full. "The fuck's going on right now? The heck happened?"
Lucifer cleared his throat, eyes dark, sweeping the room.
We all waited. I held my breath.
"Well, since there seems to be a certain PATTERN here, Chise, I should let you know, as well as a reminder to you ALL," he looked around meaningfully, "that you should not have to worry about accidental pregnancy by a demon."
Mammon dropped his fork on his plate in a clatter, mouth full, choking. Satan brought his hand up to his mouth and coughed lightly into it, face pink.
Asmo tittered behind his hand. Levi turned white as a sheet. Beel kept eating.
Belphie toyed with his hair, pretending to look bored, but I could see that he couldn’t quite hide a satisfied smirk.
I swallowed my own mouthful in one gulp.
“As the rest of you know, human and demon union only results in a child should the demon choose. As long as there are no UNFORTUNATE, TERRITORIAL, ILL-ADVISED CHOICES made by any demon partner of yours, Chise, you should be free and clear of worrying about falling with child. I do hope that you trust the numerous partners that you have chosen for yourself, Chise.”
Eyes wide, I glanced at the slight form of one particularly territorial demon sitting near me to my right. Belphie grinned deviously as he caught my eye.
"As for you, Mammon, Levi, Satan, and Belphie,” the bite in his voice as he said the last name made me wince, “I trust that the four of you will be making responsible choices with your pact mate.”
Food fully fell out of Levi's mouth as he gaped at Lucifer while he was included in the address as being one of my lovers. I’m sure he would protest and insist that his own virginity still yet remained intact if it weren’t for the fact that he looked like he was about to pass away on the spot in his chair at the mere idea. Mammon was wheezing from his choking, slapping at his chest to dislodge what he had inhaled. Satan dabbed at his lips lightly with a napkin, but the pink in his cheeks had spread down to his neck, and he was refusing all eye contact with absolutely everybody in the room. Asmo continued to titter. I sweated in my seat, eyes as wide as saucers.
Belphie did away with pretending to have no stake in the conversation, leaning back with his arms crossed, smirking openly down the table at Lucifer.
Beel was unaffected, continuing on with his breakfast, shovelling food into his mouth.
"Should you have anymore questions, you need only ask. I do believe that Satan is in possession of a DETAILED book on the matter. Should you find yourself present in his ROOM again, perhaps he will allow you to borrow it.”
Satan tsked audibly, turning his face away from Lucifer’s direction to stare at the wall.
Lucifer looked at me levelly, evidently awaiting my reply. The rest of them waited for me too, looking down at their plates, silent. Except for Asmo, who had fully slapped a whole napkin over his face to smother his laughter. He was not doing a very good job of it. Belphie continued to look extremely pleased with himself.
"Th-Thanks..." I squeaked, faint.
"I'm sure that you are quite welcome." He let the silence stretch for a bit longer, torturing us, before standing. He walked over to my spot on the other end of the table. I stared at him like a deer in headlights. A bunny cornered by the fox.
Lamb, meet wolf.
“I believe you left these in my room as well, Chise.”
His hand was cupped. He reached forward to tip what he was holding onto the table before me.
Five little teal buttons clattered there beside my plate. I felt my face go white as I stared at them. I vaguely heard Belphie lightly snickering from down the table.
For a brief moment, I caught sight of Lucifer still holding the sixth; he held it there between his fingers, making sure that I saw it, before depositing it back into his pocket to keep. I swallowed, my face going from white to red so quickly my vision swam.
“And you may keep that.”
I looked down at where he pointed, at myself, still wearing Lucifer’s stolen shirt.
Actions, meet consequences.
“Next time, do take care not to make such a mess in my private quarters in future… Unless, of course… I am the one there... allowing for it.”
The table gawked at us. I gaped at Lucifer.
He rounded on the rest of them. “Finish up your breakfasts or you’ll all be late.”
With that, Lucifer strode out of the room. We all stared after him.
Silence.
Silence.
More silence.
“…Lucifer’s room?” Satan hissed across the table at Belphie.
Belphie only smirked at him, arms still crossed.
“Dammit… Why didn’t I think of that…” Satan muttered to himself, shaking his head. He returned to his breakfast.
“Hey, Levi, next time, gimme those fuckin’ headphones so I don’t have to listen to this shit...” Mammon mumbled. I felt a deep pang of guilt that everyone had been dragged into that.
Levi’s mouth was still open, face still white. He didn’t seem to hear him. Or see Asmo lean over to wave his hand in his face.
“…A-And what's Lucifer's deal anyway! Pfff, pssh, pffffff... I-I-It's n-not like, Ch-Chise and I... h-have... W-would E-EVER... I-I'm just a... lllloser sh-shut-innn... Wh-why did he have to include ME…!"
It was my room that they had all piled into for my little going-away party.
My last night here.
My last night.
And Belphie had to go and give everyone something to gossip about.
Asmo just sighed sadly, shaking his head. "I wish he had assumed ME, personally. Honestly… I feel so insulted…"
"I'm literally RIGHT HERE in the room, guys," I groaned, falling backwards on my bed with my face hidden in my hands, straight into Beel’s lap.
Beel ruffled my hair sympathetically.
“Wha–!" Asmo gawked at the gesture. "BEEL TOO, CHISE?!"
"WHAT? NO! SHUT UP!" I sat back up to throw a pillow at him.
"Kissed him pretty thoroughly, though." Belphie shrugged, smirking.
“You did WHAT?!” Asmo screeched.
"BELPHIE, SHUT UP! AHHHHHH!” I directed the next pillow straight at his face.
Levi hugged his knees. I pretty much growled at Belphie, gesturing over to the poor demon of envy with a lift of my shoulder.
"Oops." Belphie shrugged again, unapologetically.
“Don’t worry, Levi,” Satan sighed. “We’ve all seen what’s going on between you two. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Again, I am RIGHT HERE–"
“SH-SH-SHE WOULD…! …N-NEVVVV…ER! N-NO ONE– I– WH– HUH– HNK–"
"Don't be ridiculous." Satan rolled his eyes. "She obviously would if you’d just chill out for once."
"Hey, Levi, lemme borrow those headphones." Mammon snatched them off his neck.
"HEY, WAIT, WHY!"
"So I don't have to listen to this shit. Lalalalalala."
"They're not even on, moron.” Levi slapped his arm, temporarily forgetting the topic of conversation. "You can still hear everything."
"Lalalalalala I can't heeeear you, I can't hear anyyyyy of youuuu talk about Chiseeeee."
-
“Wh… Mammon! Ugh, you suck SO BAD! How could you DIE there!?” Levi shook his head, exasperated, eyes glued to my tv while his fingers darted on the controller.
“Don’t ask me!” Mammon snarled at him. “How do you even jump in this game, anyway!?”
“The A button!” Levi yelled over at him. “It’s always the A button! For every game! Everyone knows that!”
“…So basically,” Satan continued at my side, flipping through a massive tome, “the materials of the Library of Ashurbanipal were originally broken down into six categories: history, law, science, divination, religion, and epics and myths.”
“Six categories?” Asmo leaned over to take a look at the page Satan’s finger laid on. “Didn’t they have anything on the art of loving? Which category would the Kama Sutra fall into?”
“If there was no food and drink category, then this library was really lacking if you ask me…” Beel muttered, his hand diving back into his bag of popcorn.
I sighed, absently petting Belphie’s hair. His head was on my lap. “Belphie, I gotta go get some air.”
“Where you going…?” he murmured sleepily as I gently slipped my hand to the back of his head to lift him off. He pawed at me a bit, eyes half-closed.
“Just going for a breather.”
“Mmm… Make sure… come back…”
I gave his forehead a quick kiss, slipping off of my bed to pad into the hall, away from the chaos. My heart kept rapidly flitting between joy at being in their company to deep sorrow at the dwindling time I had left with them.
I just needed to calm down. Calm down, and be my best in there. For them all.
I stopped, hugging myself around my middle, tilting my head.
I heard the faint sound of music coming from downstairs.
I continued forward until I stood, hesitating, at the top of the stairs.
The slow, deep melody of a piano drifted up from below.
I padded down the stairs in my socks, towards…
Lucifer’s study, that stood ajar.
I stopped abruptly as I rounded the corner to see the light that shone through the cracked-open door. The music within was sad and low and pulled at my heart. I stood for a while, drinking it in, my own somber mood resonating with it.
My heart squeezed in my chest as the melody tugged at me.
Come tomorrow, I will be alone with grief such as this. But tonight, my boys were upstairs. I could be sad tomorrow. Not tonight.
I turned to leave with a sigh.
“…Where do you think you’re going?”
With a yelp, I whipped back towards the door, where Lucifer stood within its arch. I felt myself go white with fear as I looked up at the obscured demon who towered over me, the light drifting through from behind him shadowing his features. I couldn’t quite make out the expression on his face.
“You come all the way here, then walk away without so much as a greeting?” His voice was soft. But when it was soft, it was usually dangerous. I took a step back.
“Get in here.” He grabbed me lightly by the wrist, pulling me inside.
–
The music engulfed me, sad and beautiful. I stood awkwardly beside the crackling fireplace while Lucifer bent to pour a glass of Demonus for… seemingly the both of us, though I didn’t intend to linger long. And by the looks of the fingerprints on the one glass, and the current state of the bottle he was pouring, it didn’t look like this was his first of the night.
“Lucifer...?”
“It sounds like quite the party upstairs.” He handed me a glass, but he wouldn’t look at me. Instead, he turned around, settling into an armchair, gazing past me into the flames of the fire. “Thanks to the fact that everyone else is busy up there, I get to stay here and enjoy my music in peace.”
I took a sip of the Demonus. He took a swallow of his.
“…What is this you’re listening to? It’s… haunting.”
“It’s nice, don’t you think?” he murmured. “This is the cursed vinyl edition of The Tale of the Seven Lords soundtrack, which you managed to borrow from Levi for me.”
“Right…” I murmured back. I hesitated. “Quite… a while ago.” The significance of him listening to this on the final night of me being here was not lost on me, but it made me deeply uncomfortable. “It’s… lovely.”
“Yes. So you appreciate how good it is, then?”
I nodded. I took another sip of Demonus to quell the anxiety that met our silence. He kept staring into the fire…
Until he finally turned his gaze to me. Crimson eyes. Eyes I’d always associated with pain and danger and anger and fear. But they had dark circles under them now, and while I couldn’t be quite sure from the way the light of the fire danced on his face, they looked bloodshot as well.
I held his gaze, though it took a great deal of effort to keep my face carefully blank.
“…It was in this very room that I selected you for our exchange program. When I first welcomed you here, I was only doing it for Diavolo. I figured that if you managed to survive a year here without any incidents, that was really all I could ask for…”
I tore my gaze from his to look down at my drink.
“And even if things didn’t go as planned, as long as I could keep you from getting eaten by any lower-level demons, everything would be all right. That’s what I thought…”
I shifted back and forth on my feet lightly, frowning. The lower-levelled had very quickly been quelled by Mammon during the first week of my being here. They had never bothered me again. They certainly weren’t the beings that had actually tried to murder me.
“…But I somehow…” The softness, the tenderness in his voice made me look back up. “Somehow managed to choose a human who’s such a magnet for trouble that it almost defies belief, wouldn’t you say?”
He drained his glass with a tsk of sad displeasure, moving to pour himself another one. I waited, continuing to nurse my own glass in silence.
“There were times when I thought that I’d made a mistake by choosing you.”
He let that linger in the air between us. He wanted me to ask.
I gave in. “…And now?”
He gave a soft, dry laugh. “What do you think…? I’d say you know the answer.”
I shook my head. No, not really. I really didn’t know what he was thinking anymore. Ever since the Lilith reveal, he was unknowable to me. Before, all I knew was that I should be very, very afraid.
I was still very, very afraid. But he had given me no real reason to be lately. And it left me deeply confused. Deeply wounded. A trauma that had abruptly ceased to engulf me, and I didn’t know what to do with the pieces of me it had left behind.
Lucifer’s face fell slightly at the shake of my head. Did his cheeks just flush slightly with shame? The firelight still danced on his skin, making it difficult to tell.
“…I made the right choice in selecting you for the program,” he finally admitted. “You’ve… kept my family quite entertained over the past year. You’ve kept… me entertained.” He left out another bark of sad laughter. “In fact, it’s probably the MOST entertained I’ve been in my whole life.”
“I’m glad our time together has been so amusing for you,” I murmured darkly, heartbroken over his casual glazing over everything he had put me through.
“That’s not…” He tried to rush to explain, but the words failed him.
The silence stretched between us again.
He sighed.
"...No matter how far apart we may be,” he whispered into his lap, "no matter how much time passes, even if someday you’re no longer yourself…”
I sighed. “I’ll never forget you. And I’ll always pray that you find happiness. Always.” I finished it for him. His last words to his dying sister.
He sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh. Cheeks flushed from the alcohol?
“…So then, Chise.” He stared up towards the ceiling. “Have you done all that you set out to do here in the Devildom? No unfinished business? No loose ends?”
I stared at him in disbelief. He knew very well after my outburst that there were plenty of loose ends that I would be leaving behind here.
I soothed the bubbling anger that threatened to rise to the surface. No. No, he wasn’t talking about them. About my boys up there, or all my other griefs and regrets. He was getting at something very specific.
I thought for a moment, considering him, swirling my drink in my hand. His fingers grasped his own glass around the rim. His head was still tilted back, but he glanced over at me as the silence stretched.
I met his gaze levelly. “I still haven’t made a pact with you.”
A lazy, perhaps tipsy smile played over his lips at my words. “A pact, you say…?”
I stood firm as he sat himself back upright with a lurch. I stood firm when he set his glass down and rose from his chair to come stand before me. The light danced stronger on his face. Grief.
“I see…” He looked down at me. So close I could smell the Demonus on his breath. “You’ve made pacts with all my brothers, which just leaves… me. But…” He gazed at me. I couldn’t discern his expression. “Do you really want to make a pact with me? Truly?”
I met his gaze coolly. I felt like prey, trapped there, but tried not to show it.
His eyes darkened. I swallowed lightly, forcing my face to remain expressionless.
“I don’t know how my brothers felt about making a pact with you, but I am more than a name to be crossed off of your list,” he murmured. “I can’t have you lumping me together with everyone else. That won’t do… Little Lamb.”
I dropped my glass, the Demonus soaking my socks as the glass shattered apart when it hit the floor; I bit my lip hard as Lucifer’s power engulfed me. His wings expanded to fill the room, and his red eyes swirled, dark and dangerous. His thick, twining horns stretched from his head.
I bit the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from trembling. To stop myself from fleeing. I glared back up into his crimson eyes.
He wouldn’t dare. Never again. He’ll never hurt me again.
He would never hurt Lilith.
“…You aren’t going to run?” He stared at me, almost in disbelief. “You’ve certainly got guts, don’t you? I’ve always found that aspect of you irritating. But…”
He leaned down closer to me, nose almost touching mine, Demonus hot on his breath. I didn’t flinch.
“…As irritating as it is, it’s even more endearing.”
It was my turn to tsk. I frowned. “You’re too familiar. Step back.”
“Hah…” He looked amused by the little human making such a demand, but to my surprise, he did take that step back. A small one. He considered me for a moment. “…Now listen, and listen well. I will not be your possession. I won’t belong to you. You will belong to me. You will be mine. So, what will it be? Will you make a pact with me, Chise?”
I stared at him in abject fury. After everything. EVERYTHING. This man still didn’t GET IT. I closed the gap.
“No!” I snarled at him, both hands coming up to press on his cheeks, holding his face still. “You’ll be mine!”
I met his power just as he unleashed it, and forced the pact between us myself. He gasped in shock, in awe, in unfeigned confusion as my will kept him bent from touching me. I felt the shroud of him pooling like a heavy fog around my feet. You cannot touch me again. It was dark, he was dark, powerful, powerless as he tried to smother me, failing. You cannot touch me again. He was a poisonous miasma, and undefined enigma that slipped again and again through my fingers, against my insistence. But I eventually found him, and pinned him down firm. I touched his soul in a way that he had refused to be touched. He had tried to force the pact over me to avoid revealing his nature, revealing anything of himself, like the others had revealed to me before him.
But I caught him there.
You cannot touch me again.
"But I can touch you,” I hissed in his face.
He stared into my eyes, pupils pin-prick, breath ragged and desperate and hot on my face. “How did you…”
I said nothing.
He sucked in a breath to hold it.
Before lurching forward, kissing me.
I told myself that I had become so accustomed to kisses at that point that for a moment, that I let him, just on pure instinct. But no, that’s not entirely true… For a moment, I leaned into it, kissing him back with force, fiercely, heady with his power, drunk on it. Our mouths moved in tandem, heated, frantic, passionate as he wrapped his arms around me to crush me against his body in a desperate embrace that lifted me clear off my feet. Our mouths rolled against each other’s as I thrummed, thrummed, thrummed with him.
It was when he took a shaky breath, when the sound of his low rumble of need in his throat followed it, when the resulting hardness pressed up against my belly, that I came back to my senses.
Lucifer.
I pulled apart from him with a gasp, springing away as he dropped me in surprise, fear gripping my heart.
He stared at me for a moment in a similar shock before his bloodshot eyes widened in horrified realization. "Wait, Chise, no, I'm sorr–"
I fled.
I booked it straight out of the room, choking back a sob, flinging the door open to crash out and down the hall as fast as my feet could carry me. Back to my room.
"...FUCK." I heard him shout from the room that I left behind.
-
I whipped the door to my bedroom open, face red, gasping for breath.
I was met with wide-eyed stares and white, blanched faces. The sound of Levi’s game continued, but the controls were entirely forgotten, a game over scene appearing shortly as his character met his end.
They stared at me. I stared at all of them.
“…You made a pact…” Levi whispered in disbelief. “…With Lucifer…?”
I looked around the room at their stunned faces, confused. “You already knew…?”
“Uh, yeah, DUH. It was so powerful it about floored all of us, dummy. I bet the entire freakin’ Devildom felt it happen.” Mammon jumped to his feet, scrambling over Levi to catch me as I slid down the door against my back. “What the hell happened!? You disappear and then just… boom. …Are you okay!?”
I gripped his shirt in my fists, leaning into him, shaky. I took a deep breath. “…I’m okay. Yeah, I’m okay. And that bastard will never be able to hurt me again.”
“Chise…” Satan whispered, looking down at his lap.
“...Pfff…” Asmo tittered behind his hand. “Oooooh, can you imagine… Our sweet little human Chise, bringing Lucifer himself to his knees… I wish I could have seen that.”
Levi snorted. Belphie chuckled too.
“Serves him right,” Mammon muttered.
I cracked a smile.
And like a flood, we all devolved into stupid, helpless laughter. Relieved and heartbroken all at once. The bond complete, I realized. It bloomed between us all.
***
I slipped into Mammon’s bed, right into his outstretched arms. Naked. Seeking.
“Finally…” He murmured into my hair as I tucked myself up against him as the little spoon. “Thought you weren’t gonna come after all… That I’d have to hunt ya down in the halls myself…”
I could tell that all of them would have loved to have asked that I spend the last night with any of them. But they all knew that I would be here tonight. They didn’t ask. It hurt my heart, but tonight, I belonged here. Without question.
“I’ll always come when you call,” I whispered in the dark. “You made me promise that, remember?”
“Mmm…” He nuzzled his nose against the crook of my neck, making me giggle as his breath tickled my skin. “That I did… Glad ya still remember whose most important around here…”
“My Mammon…” I breathed, reaching back to run my fingers through his hair.
Holding me there against him tightly, my back flush against his chest, his hands wandered up the curve of my stomach to cup around each of my breasts. He slowly and gently kneaded me while he grazed little kisses down the side of my throat. I rolled my hips slowly backwards, shivering in his arms as the swell of his arousal met my roll with his own. Slowly, I lifted the leg I had on top, rolling, rolling again, until his cock seated itself between my soft inner thighs. He sighed with desire as I lowered my leg back down to trap him there to roll again, pulling the length of him into a gentle tug of encouragement.
He thrust gently forward the next time I rolled back onto him, and I felt his cock slide between the grip of my legs. Gently he humped me there, gently I jerked him between my soft thighs. He hummed out a groan into my neck as I clamped just a little bit tighter, pulling the skin of his shaft taut with the next push. He hands massaged my breasts a little deeper while he slowly fucked my thighs with his thick cock, sighing, groaning, picking up speed. My own fingers drifted up to rest on top of his to press on my breasts more firmly. He took the hint, splaying his fingers until a nipple fell naturally between each, and I groaned while he pinched me there.
The need between my legs at his touch was starting to burn, and I lifted my top leg again, wiggling my hips slightly to re-adjust his position between me, indicating my desire. He nodded against my neck with another sigh, one hand dipping down from my breast to trail over my hips. He gripped my top thigh from underneath to open me further, keeping me in place, while he adjusted his knees below to angle himself upwards.
With a slow, aching slide, he slipped inside my wet, waiting heat with ease.
“Ahh, Chise…” he panted lightly against me with need. "My pretty girl…"
The ease of him. How I took him now. Fitted so naturally, but still so incredibly and deliciously full. How wet I always was for him. We both moaned in unison as he climbed up inside of me with his thick member in one smooth, slow motion. We huffed together when he had fully seated himself, relishing the moment of our joining. The first of this night. Familiarity in all the rest.
He leaned forward a bit more to kiss the corner of my mouth. I turned my head slightly towards his lips. We looked at each other in the twilight dark through half-closed lashes, love and desire plain on our faces. He didn't kiss me, and I didn't kiss him, as he began to move inside of me. Instead, each rise and fall of him entering and leaving had us breathing against each other's mouths in unison, warm breath on each other's faces as we looked into one another's eyes.
He hiked the other hand that had still been cupping my breast down to curve tightly over my waist, holding me in place. The other still held my thigh up for access. And like that, in his arms, he took me sweetly, sheathing and unsheathing, slow and steady, though his own breath was shaky with each pull and push. I lazily pushed my hand through his hair to run it through my fingers, breath coming out in a more exaggerated huff as he pushed into me with a little more urgency this time.
“Chise…”
I nodded at him.
With a groan at my permission, he brought his face back down to bury against my neck, the next thrust of his inside of me reaching just a little deeper. I lifted my leg backward to hook it over his own, adjusting, angling myself so he could take me deeper. With a moan of his own he pressed my thigh into position more firmly, fitting me tight against him, access fully granted now as he began to hump with more earnest. My chest heaved and prickles rose on my skin as he trailed his freed fingers up the curve of my waist, tickling me lightly, until he cupped his hand around my elbow. With his arm around my waist he pulled me back onto him so that I nearly rolled half on top of him while he kept thrusting forward. I moaned openly into the air around us as he took me deeply from behind, the angling grazing my g-spot deliciously.
“You feel so good…” he breathed, breath hitched. “So good… around me… Perfect..."
“Mammon…” I moaned his name into the night.
I pushed back into his embrace, the warmth of his skin heating me along my spine. He brought my elbow near his face to kiss down my forearm lightly, dragging my arm towards him until his lips reached my hand. He brushed his lips against each one of my knuckles as I turned to sigh near his neck, my other hand drawing circles on the hand he held around my waist. I did what I could to roll back onto him as he moved in me.
He held me tighter in his arms as his moans increased in pace with his own stroking. Fuck, I loved how noisy this man was in bed. I moaned in unison with him before heaving out a sudden arched cry when he really did slam into me, piercing me deep, holding himself there to grind right up into my core.
He gave a shaky laugh against my ear as I howled when he did it again, and again, and again, slamming the full length of him into me from tip to base. With a sudden growl he dug his fingers into my ribcage and my elbow, pinching the soft flesh of my neck between his teeth.
"Need you..." ge begged me, throatily.
"Take me..." I pleaded with him. "Mammon... Take me– Oh gods–!"
He slammed up into me again, and again, fucking me properly now, tenderness evaporating into uncontrolled need. I felt pinned between his grip on my waist and my own gripped balance around his hip and could only lay half-back while he took me from behind with a force that caught the breath in my throat. I cried out heavily with each piercing plunge of his cock, tears pricking my eyes as fire and lightning struck a match in my belly. He bit down on my neck a little harder with another growl and I heard myself sob in need in response.
He abandoned my elbow to slide his arm down my body, pulling me even tighter against him by my ribcage, fulling engulfing me in his hard embrace while he fucked and fucked and fucked me from behind. I turned my head and cried out over and over again against his hair, bucking wildly myself with every joining, scrabbling to get him in deep, deep, deeper, please, tilt of my hips, press of my thigh, deeper, reach me deeper...
“…I'm gonna fucking cum!" I cried out in sudden realization, limbs already trembling and going rigid.
"Cum cum cum..." He released my neck, his voice high in his own needy little beg for me. "I wanna make you cum, Chise, let me make you cum, let me, let me–"
I crested in his arms as he tightened around me to hold me in place against him. My back arched and folded, rolling in waves against his chest while I struggled in a writhe in his arms. I let out a loud cry before the breath in my lungs fully left me, the force of his rutting pushing strangled little noises out of me instead. I rose and fell as the flood dragged me under into the undertow, strangling in near-silence while I flexed in his grip. I felt him let out a long, hot breath against my skin as he rode me all the way through it, cock hitting my g-spot over and over, jolting me over and over as a new wave of sensitivity struck me.
“Holy fuck, Chise…” he groaned. “You’re so pretty… So perfect… You cum so perfectly for me… I’ll never get tired of you cummin’ in my arms, baby."
Finally, my strangled noises gave way to new pathetic cries, signalling the end of my peak as he crooned praises in my ear. At the sound of my descent he moaned his own need against me as he picked up his pace again. My body was on fire, a constant stream of keening falling from my lips, no longer in stride with his thrusting, but a constant gush of mewling moans as each thrust blended into one long feeling of fire inside of me.
"Chise..." he groaned in desperation, barely getting the word out, fingernails clawing into my skin.
"Please, Mammon..." I choked out my beg. "Fill me again. And then again. And then again. Always fill–"
"Fuck..." he moaned as he gave a final slam up into me, grinding in place. I let out a sharp gasp as I felt him swell inside, until finally, one pulse, and then two, and then a cascade of hot seed spilling out inside of me. I rolled lightly in his arms, barely able to move for how tightly he gripped me while he came inside of me in a hot gush. He crushed the breath out of me while he keened and moaned deeply into my shoulder. I pulsed myself around him, drawing out a sharp cry from him in response, a small buck of his hips, another gush of cum, pulse, cry, his cum was seeping out of me now, around the girth of him, forced out from how full he made me in both cock and seed. Full full full of him. Entirely. Overflowing with him. Dripping with him.
And then he released his grip on me with a high cry, falling back fully on the bed. I fell back with him as I sucked in the air that his embrace had denied me. He panted openly against my neck, hands loosely placed on my ribs. The rapid rise and fall of his chest heaved me up and down on top of him. I fully relaxed on him, rising and falling myself, relishing the feel of the hard thudding of his heart against my spine and the rush of air from out of his lungs flooding against my skin.
With great effort, I raised my arm up to thread my fingers through his damp hair from behind me, slowly rolling over so I could reach to deliver a shaky kiss to his sweaty forehead.
He could only push his head forward a bit to meet my lips in acknowledgement, still openly panting from the force of his orgasm. I petted at him loosely and gave a deep, shaky sigh of satisfaction as I felt him finally soften inside of me.
We both heaved rasping breaths for a while, recovering. I trembled on top of him, his muscles shook under me.
Breathing. Breathing. A squeeze in my chest.
"I love you..." My words came out hoarse, choked.
"I'm coming for you." His voice was unexpectedly fierce despite how his limbs shook. "You'll see. We'll be together. Build a life."
"Yes." I promised him back in a breath.
"I'll tear all three fuckin' realms apart to get to ya. I don't care what it takes. I'm gonna marry ya. Put a baby in ya. Take care of ya. Everything. Everything for ya. YOU'RE my everything. I'd die–"
"I know." I whispered. "I love you. I'll marry you. I’ll have your baby. I love you so much. I'll move heaven and earth and hell to find you again. I promise."
"I fuckin' promise."
"I promise.”
I turned onto my belly to lay on him, and our mouths met there in the dark, desperate, declarations and commitments and pledges falling from our lips as we clung to each other, trembling.
///
The seven of us were the last to arrive in the council room, but we all arrived together.
I was surrounded by my boys, encircled, so not a one of them had to be separated from me further than any other. Though it was Mammon who gripped my hand.
Diavolo, Lucifer, Barbatos, Solomon, Simeon, Luke. They were already in the centre of the room, polite smiles, saying their goodbyes.
I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. Some changes of clothes, the book Satan had gifted to me, Levi’s game, manga, a lunch that Beel had packed for me… I wore the black pearl bracelet from Mammon, as well as a silk scarf from Asmo that was clasped in place by Lucifer’s brooch.
More than I had arrived with.
“All right, well…” Simeon’s eyes slid from Diavolo over to me as I approached. “Thank you again for the hospitality you’ve shown us this year.”
Luke was pink in the cheeks, looking down at the floor. “I finally get to go back to the Celestial Realm. Finally free of this… foul Devildom.”
I moved forward to say goodbye to the angels, laying a hand on Luke’s hair. He jumped lightly at my touch, looking up at me with tears in his eyes. His bottom lip trembled.
“If you’re sad to leave, just say so,” Simeon said softly. “It’s okay, you know?”
“S-Sad… I-I’m actually relieved to go!”
After ruffling Luke’s hair a bit, I approached Simeon with a kiss to his cheek.
“I really had fun this past year,” Solomon said graciously beside us.
“Solomon,” Satan nodded to him, “I’m looking forward to hearing you tell me a lot more about your human world books in the future.”
“Oh, and while you’re at it,” Levi’s words came out half-muffled as he chewed on his lip, “make sure to keep me updated on release dates and stuff for anime and games coming out.”
Solomon nodded genially. “Will do. Diavolo has made it so that we will be able to use our D.D.D.’s up in the human world, so I’ll be in touch.”
I sighed in relief. That revelation solved a lot of problems.
“Hmm.” Simeon looked around at us all. "Maybe I’ll send you some of our more famous Celestial Realm delicacies as well. You know, pick out a few especially delicious items to send over.”
“Ohhh.” Beel perked up. “I’m looking forward to that… a lot.”
Belphie sighed, but smiled endearingly. “Make sure you don’t address the package to Beel. He’ll devour everything before the rest of us even have a chance to sample any.”
“All right,” Simeon laughed lightly. “Then I’ll address it to you to divvy out, Belphie.”
Lucifer extended a hand to the slim angel, eyes soft. “Take care, Simeon.”
Simeon took it in his own. “Take care of yourself as well, Lucifer. I think of you as a brother. And I’m glad I got to see a new side of you… A side I never got to see back in the Celestial Realm.”
Lucifer shook his head, softness giving way to mild annoyance. “You’d better not go telling Michael anything embarrassing about me.”
“Hahahah…” Simeon laughed, light as a feather, teasing. “I’m afraid I can’t make any promises.”
The sweet angel turned to me.
“Well…” he breathed. “Take care of yourself, Chise.”
I walked right into his arms open, ignoring the demon of pride glaring jealous daggers at Simeon’s backside.
“Don’t forget about me, Simeon,” I whispered against his neck.
“I could never.” He petted my hair. “My sweetheart. I will always be with you. Like I told you. Don’t forget that.”
I realized out of the corner of my eye that Levi was gawking at us openly too. With a blush, I pulled away, looking up into Simeon’s face.
“We’ll meet again,” he murmured to me with a smile. “One way or another.”
I raised my eyebrows in amusement. “Don’t take THAT long.”
He laughed while kissing my forehead, warm breath on my skin.
Luke tugged at my sleeve. I half-turned to him with a smile, wrapping my arms around him as he threw himself around my middle in a hug.
“Till next time, Chise…” He nearly whimpered the words. “And no more associating with demons from now on."
I laughed, ruffling his hair. “Take care of yourself, Luke. I hope we see each other again someday.”
“A-And…” He looked up at me, face pink. “I know it’s against the Realm's rules, but… I don’t care! I’m really glad that you and Simeon love each other!”
“LUKE…!” Simeon stared at him, aghast, face reddening.
“Oh...?” I grinned, turning pink myself. “Is that what Simeon said?”
Luke nodded, looking serious.
“Luke…” Simeon groaned, slapping a hand over his face. “That’s not…”
“What?” The little angel turned his head to him in confusion. “We’re angels! Love is ALWAYS a good thing! It’s serious stuff!”
“That it is.” I smiled at Simeon, who still looked horrified and red in the face as he peeked at me from between his fingers. “I’m really glad he told you. He must trust you a great deal to tell you his secrets like that.”
He groaned again at my words.
“Yep!” Luke beamed. “We’re best friends, you know. And… you’re my best friend too, Chise. Which is why I’m extra glad that–”
“All right, now.” Simeon’s voice was high and artificially light as he laid a hand on the little angel’s shoulder. “It’s time for us to go home, Luke."
I heard Luke make a little whine in his throat, but he unclasped his arms from around me bravely, taking a step back with his mouth pressed in a thin line to hide the emotion on his face.
“Goodbye, you two,” I spoke softly, sadly.
Face still red, Simeon nodded at me with deep fondness in his eyes, taking a step back with Luke. We had said our true goodbye the other day. It would have to be enough. My heart felt heavy in my chest as he looked over at Barbatos, giving him a nod as well, signalling that they were ready.
Barbatos stepped forward with a small gesture, and a portal shimmered open. The angels turned towards it, though Simeon glanced at me from over his shoulder. I lifted my hand slightly in a wave of farewell, blinking repeatedly so that tears wouldn’t form in my eyes. Not yet. I can’t cry already.
The portal sealed behind them.
“That’s it…” Asmo murmured, stepping near me, hugging himself. “They’re gone.”
At a glance at Solomon, Diavolo and Barbatos turned to address the other brothers in greeting.
Solomon gently took me by the elbow to walk me away from the crowd, eyeing the demons that clustered together, now on the other side of the room. Lucifer glanced at us breaking off, face grim, but said nothing.
"Solomon...?"
He turned his eyes back to mine, face lighting gently at my voice. Though he still looked serious, sad even, a little grim himself.
"Chise..." He took my hands in his, soft-grey eyes holding mine. “There is something that you must understand before we leave here. Both the Devildom and the Celestial Realm possess overwhelming power. Since ancient times, they have used their power to influence the human world again and again. We humans have been caught up between those two great powers, and they've continued to toy with us, throughout all of history."
I nodded my understanding. That I was here at all was a testament to that. That they held so little regard for a small human life that they couldn't understand how life-changing it would be for a mortal to be plucked so casually like a fruit off the vine, away from their place of birth, away from what nourished them.
And then discarded when they were done.
"Well, my goal has always been to change that." His eyes twinkled now in earnestness. "I want to show that humans aren't as weak as they think. And my endeavours have earned me no small amount of mistrust from their kind in striving to represent the human world in the way that I do. To see a human command the kind of power that I do challenges their preconceived notions of what a human SHOULD be. So much so, in fact, that I doubt they consider me much of a human at all anymore. They can’t understand it, so they strip me of my humanity in their minds to make peace with it. The thought of humans actually rivalling their own power strikes fear in them, shakes their understanding of the world at its core, whether they will admit to it or not."
I nodded again, though I sensed something bigger there, something I didn't quite understand, something he was trying to tell me that I couldn’t grasp.
But I have seen their general mistrust and uneasiness around him. It almost seemed like being around ME was a relief to them. A counterpoint. An explanation.
Of what a human SHOULD be, to them.
A reassurance that we were powerless after all.
Anger flared inside of me at the thought.
"Diavolo is friendly towards us," he continued, "especially compared to the average demon. But he still doesn't see humans as equals. The idea that we should wait for them to change their ways and show us more consideration... If we do that, then we're accepting that things are okay as they are right now. At least, that's how I see it."
He bent his face down to my ear to continue. Lucifer was openly watching us now.
"If you want to accomplish something, you have to fight for it," he whispered to me, hands clasping mine a little tighter.
He pulled his face away, eyes returning to their secretive twinkling, his smile expressing his mischievous, mysterious aloofness once again.
I looked up at him in despair. And confusion. "I'm powerless, Solomon," I whispered back. "Being hard-headed and stubborn and willful might get me somewhere in the human world, maybe, but here, I have no literal power... Not like you..."
He laughed his delightful, musical laugh, amused. "Hard-headed, stubborn, willful indeed... And yet," he loomed closer, face inches from mine, "you have done what I could not, and have pacted with the seven rulers of the Devildom, seven former angels, fallen angels so powerful that they had held their own against the entire Celestial Realm before coming into power here. I can't help but wonder how you managed such a feat..."
"Apparently with a great deal of demon sex appeal?" I muttered, exasperated. "Circumstance of birth? …Alcoholic consumption?"
"Ahahaha!" A laugh as musical as wind-chimes. "You are so spunky, you know? Wait… which one was under the influence?”
“Lucifer.”
His mouth fell open in shock. “You’re… You’re joking.”
I couldn’t stop the mischievous grin. I raised my eyebrows at him.
“You’re not joking…!” Solomon burst into laughter, doubling over on the spot, glancing over at the now-openly-glaring demon that watched us from across the room. “That’s what it took?! I can’t believe it…!”
“Solomon,” I hissed at him with a smile. “He’s going to come over here if you keep it up."
“I’m sorry. Ahhh…” He grinned down at me, delighted, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. “Aha… Chise… I could really use someone like you at my side, you know; someone with the true heart and grit to represent our race in the face of such indifference. Of such power. Someone who has come to truly understand what we face.”
"Grit and heart can't command demons as you do," I pointed out.
He shook his head, mystery in his eyes, all smiles. Knowing something I did not. It frustrated me. But also nursed a small ember of hope inside of me as well.
"But does that mean..." I started, slowly, "that you meant what you said the other day? That you will come find me in the human world?"
He nodded, no hesitation.
"Will you... Help me?"
My voice sounded broken.
One of his hands left its grasp on mine to reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yes, Chise. I think that we can very much help each other.”
I threw my arms around his middle, hugging him tight, taking him by surprise with a little oomph as I knocked the breath out of him.
After a moment, he wrapped his arms around me with another delighted laugh.
“…You might be my only hope, so I'm holding you to this, Solomon," I whispered to him fiercely, burying my face against his chest.
"You might just be mine as well," he whispered back, petting my hair. "Do not fear, little Chise. Now... Our lovely demon hosts who deigned to allow for a bit of patience in letting us speak alone do appear to be running out of it. We will speak more on this later."
"Thank you, Solomon."
"It was an honour to meet you, Chise." He kissed my cheek lightly, but in a human-like gesture; a kiss of greeting, or goodbye, lips only really brushing air.
The touch of true humanity warmed me. I had an ally.
But judging by Lucifer's expression as he strode towards us, he did not seem to understand the difference in the polite human-culture ‘kiss'. Solomon released me with a mischievous grin at having realized that he had provoked Pride in such a way. I rolled my eyes at the glint in his.
"Well, Solomon," Lucifer butted in, voice crisp and terse. "It has been a pleasure to have you here in the Devildom. I believe Barbatos had mentioned that you shall be the next to depart. It is time for you to make your goodbyes." He glanced at me.
"Indeed?" Solomon raised his fingers to his chin, radiating smug delight. "Well, of course, it just so happens that the two of us fellow humans were wrapping up our goodbyes just now. It's why we were over here, after all."
The overly-sweet innocence dripping in his voice was ENTIRELY designed to be over-the-top and suspicious as all hell. Lucifer bristled.
"Goodbye, Solomon.” I looked up at him fondly. “I’m so very glad that we plan on seeing each other so often in the human world. To have made a friend like you… Thank you." I played along, earning a wider grin from Solomon as Lucifer bristled even more; the discomfited demon folded his arms over his chest with a hmph.
“Actually, I should be the one thanking you,” he said sweetly. “You really made my experience down here a lot more fun. I hope you know I appreciate that."
Solomon offered me his elbow to walk me back to the waiting crowd, and I took it without hesitation, breezing past Lucifer so Solomon could make his goodbyes to the rest. Another dig at him, to ignore him as he boiled, the two humans walking arm-in-arm away from him. A moment of tension, and then Lucifer shook it off with a tsk, turning to follow us back over.
Diavolo held out his hand to Solomon, which he reached back to clasp with a shake as I drifted off from his arm, seemingly old friends.
But he doesn't see humans as equals.
Yes. That much was evident.
I was proud of Solomon. In that moment, I wished deeply that I had thought to spend more time with him. He had always just seemed so sure of himself, confident, busy, too busy for a regular little human.
Well, there will be time to get to know him better in the human world, if he really meant to keep his promise.
Mammon took me back up into his embrace as I walked back over to my boys. I fell into it. Next, Asmo wrapped himself around us as well, and then Belphie and Beel and Satan. Levi chewed on his lip nervously at the side, hands in his pockets. Shifting a bit in the hug pile, I reached a hand towards him. He took it, and I dragged him in as well, right into the center with me. I nuzzled my face into both Mammon's shoulder and Levi's hair, feeling backrubs and hair pets and little kisses from all around me.
“It’s been a very special, enriching year for all of us here as well. Thank you…” I heard Diavolo’s voice from outside of the warm pile I was enveloped in. I clutched at Mammon and Levi tighter. Mammon dragged Levi in a little further with a little eep from him. I kissed both of their cheeks.
“…Well then.” Diavolo’s voice turned somber. “That brings us to you, Chise.”
I didn’t move.
He sighed. “You’ll have your chance, everyone. Please allow me to speak to Chise directly.”
After a moment, they begrudgingly parted. Except for Mammon, who held onto my hand still, clasped tight, lips thinned and glaring daggers at the prince. Belphie, too, stood close enough that he brushed against me, shoulder-to-shoulder. Satan’s tall form took up behind. A wall of protection.
…Specifically, my three lovers, I realized with a small blush.
Diavolo walked forward, face serious, arms folded. “To be completely honest, when I first met you, I felt both hope and anxiety in equal measures. I figured that two angels and a sorcerer could hold their own here… But I was worried whether I’d made the right choice inviting a regular human here, one without any special powers.”
I glared at him.
“Some were opposed to the idea of inviting humans here to the Devildom, and they made their opinions known.”
Belphie shifted uncomfortably beside me. I shot my hand out to grasp his.
"If anything had happened to you, I would have been the one to blame.”
Lucifer looked to the side, away from us.
“I knew that when I brought you here, and I was prepared to accept the consequences, come what may.”
He doesn't see humans as equals. In the end, my life didn’t really matter. If it really had, the gamble never would have been made. A small human life. A bit of embarrassment for the Devildom if that had gone wrong, but hey, if Solomon did okay, that was a 50% success rate, right?
“But as it turned out, I was worried over nothing.” He smiled softly. “You’ve had a wonderful effect on all of us here – more than I ever could have hoped. You’ve brought change to the Devildom, to RAD, and most importantly, to each one of us.”
Mammon gripped my hand tighter.
“The exchange program between our three worlds has been a success. It really had borne fruit… and you are the reason why. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for us. Thank you, Chise. I’d… like to think that this has been a meaningful, enriching year for you as well. At least, I hope so.”
I think he waited in hope that I would deign to reply to him. I didn’t. I couldn’t, not even to yell or scream or accuse or fight or cry. The lump in my throat wouldn’t have allowed any sound even if I had tried.
He sighed as the silence stretched. “Well… I can’t stand here hogging all of your attention. The brothers are waiting for their turn to say goodbye.”
Barbatos stepped forward with a gloved hand raised before any of them could rush to me. “I will be opening a portal for all of you to use, one at a time, to say your goodbyes to Chise.” I looked for some sort of spark there on his face, but he held himself apart, not looking at me. “You will all get your time, but do be mindful that I will pull you out if you take too long, and it will not be a pleasant experience. Holding portals like the ones I’m about to open is quite draining. Now…”
With another flourish, another doorway swept into shimmering view. I looked at it curiously. It was darker. It swirled.
“Chise,” Barbatos addressed me. I looked back into his eyes. Still nothing. No goodbye from him, it seemed. My heart sunk in my chest. “It is time.”
I gritted my teeth, hoisting my pack on my shoulder, breaking Mammon’s clasp on my hand with great reluctance and effort.
I stepped through.
Into a void.
I looked around in confusion and alarm at the inky blackness that I found myself in. Dark as dark could be, like Belphie’s in-between. I whirled to look behind me, but my doorway was gone. Or maybe it was just so dark…
I looked down at myself. There I was, as clear as day.
So it was just… black.
I whimpered into the silence, and the sound fell flat, nothing to bounce off of, lost in the nothing. I hugged my arms close to myself. Alone.
A touch of light in front of me.
With a relieved gasp, I rushed into Belphie’s outstretched arms.
I lifted my hand up to his forehead to brush his mop of dark hair back a bit so I could look into both purple eyes. He gave me his soft little smile. His sweet face... Babyish, youthful. His higher, softer voice, slim figure, pale, not particularly tall. The opposite of Beel. Only his eyes were identical to his twin’s. Purple, pink, soft and kind when he wanted them to be.
And yet devious, always with some sort of plan, some ulterior motive, not to mention incredibly aggressive in bed, but you wouldn't know it when you first saw him. No wonder he had pulled the wool over my eyes when we had first met.
A true brat.
I pulled him down and kissed him, hard.
He immediately shoved his tongue into my mouth, grabbing me up in his arms to hug me close. I whimpered against him, clutching at his cardigan, rolling my tongue against his.
"I wish…” he whispered as we dipped in and out of coming up for air. "I wanted– More..."
I groaned against his mouth in agreement.
"I'll fight to get you back– Three of us– Together..."
We finally broke, clutching each other. I panted against his chest, eyes squeezed tight.
“…I love you, Chise."
My face shot up to look at his, eyes wide, breath caught in my throat.
I went to move my lips, but he pressed his thumb to them to silence me, bringing me up short.
"You can give me your reply to that when we next see each other. I know we haven't spent as much time together as the others. I know I've hurt you. No–" He pressed his thumb tighter against my mouth as I began to protest. “–say it when you're next in my arms. Got it?"
I nodded up at him, eyes wide.
"Good." Thumb still on my lips, he kissed me again. I kissed him back. Thumb and mouth.
He laughed breathily as he pulled away. "I can't believe I fell in love with a human too. Just like Lilith. Now I know..."
"Belphie..." I whispered.
"Now I get it," he murmured, staring into my eyes. Earnest. Surprised at himself maybe. “Now I get it…"
“Belphie, please, I lo–"
"Remember," he cut in, serious. "It's you. I love YOU, Chise."
It’s not because you’re Lilith’s descendant that I want to protect you and keep you safe. Lilith was very special to me, she was my sister… But you’re not her, Chise. I want to do it because you’re you. Don’t forget that.
Tears welled up in my eyes, just as they had when he had declared it before.
He tapped the bridge of my nose a couple times with a smile on his face. "None of that. I'll message you all the time. You'll be sick of me."
"Never," I whispered, leaning up for another kiss. He granted it to me, slower, sweeter, deeper.
He pulled his mouth away, but pressed his forehead to mine with a sigh, cupping my face. I reached up to cup his too.
“No, Belphie. From the moment we met, you were important to me,” I whispered to him. “I’ve had just as much time to fall for you as with anyone else.”
He paused, sorrow and guilt flooding his eyes.
“Don’t,” I hissed, pulling his face to mine. “Everything happened for a reason. I’m glad for all of it. I have you now. I’m glad for you. And it’s exactly as it should be. I–"
His mouth came crashing back down onto mine as the softest whine escaped his throat. I clutched at him, kissing, desperate, desperate to keep him with me. Kissing kissing kissing. I could feel Barbatos’ warning in the air. I clung. Clung to him desperately.
“…Time to go, little human," he whispered, voice hoarse, heavy with emotion, clutching my wrists to pull me away. "I'll get you back, though. You, me, and Beel. The three of us. Together. Don't you worry."
I nodded as he withdrew, his thumb giving one last brush against my cheek as he stepped back, smiling. Though his eyes were soft and sad.
“Take care of Beel…” My voice was a high and pitched. “He was lost without you, you know. He needs you. He still has so much angel in him. Take care of him. Take care of each other… And…”
He nodded, stepping backwards through the portal with a little wave, a little smile.
My chest ached. I pressed my palm over my heart as he disappeared.
“…And I love you too,” I said, brokenly, into the empty air.
-
Asmo stood before me, cheeks pink, face sad.
“Oh…” I ran forward to take his slight form up my arms, holding him tight against me.
“Oh…” he echoed me, wrapping me in his arms with a sigh. “This… This…”
We leaned into each other.
After a moment, he gingerly leaned down to lightly kiss my cheek. I grazed his with my fingertips as he pulled his face away.
"I wish I had gotten more time with you." There was deep-seated misery in his voice.
"I know." I brushed my thumb against his skin. "I'm sorry that it took us so long to make up.”
"No! I'm sorry...!" His eyes widened in horror that I would be the one to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Chise. Not only did I hurt you so badly but it took me way too long to understand why. You have no idea how much you've changed me. No idea. Maybe more than everyone else here.”
I laughed. "I still have to take Lucifer down a notch, so the fact that you identified what happened, changed, and apologized... You are on the right path. I love you for it.”
Tears flooded his eyes at my words. "I... love you.”
We both knew he meant it in a different way than I did. I nodded sympathetically, leaning up to kiss his cheek lightly. "I know. I just want you to know that I like where things have been going with us. You don't have to worry, or walk around on eggshells, or tear yourself apart like you have been. You're really dear to me. Thank you for being who I need. For being you.”
"Thank you..." He sniffled, blinked, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I don't want you to go…"
"I don't want to either. I don't want to leave you. I promise that I don't want to leave you either.”
He clung to me. So hunched and broken that despite my shorter stature his head managed to nestle under my chin. I wrapped my arms around him and placed a couple kisses into his soft rosy hair, running my fingers through it. I felt him place a shaky little kiss against my collarbone. I said nothing, knowing he wouldn't go any further, knowing how important it was for him to sneak a little bit of intimacy in before I left his side.
I rubbed his back and nuzzled his hair. "Please text me.”
"Yes," he whispered against the silk scarf he had gifted me so long ago.
"Take care of everyone. You are the sweet bubbly brother that keeps them honest, you know? You're the light of the family. Their spark.”
He gasped out a little laugh, nodding his head.
"But most of all, take care of yourself. And message me whenever you feel alone.”
"That'd be all the time now..." he murmured.
"That's not true. You're my social little butterfly. My sweet heart.”
He shook his head. "It's all felt so... Empty.”
“Asmo…" I pulled him away by his shoulders. "You ARE the social little butterfly. I need you to keep being you. You love life and people. You're vivacious and charismatic and beautiful. You’re so beautiful, Asmo. Please keep being you, please find yourself again, I don't want to keep being the reason why you keep losing yourself.”
He sniffled again, eyes red, giving me another small nod. Though he didn’t look particularly convinced.
"I love you," I whispered. "I need you to be you. A new you maybe, and I know that must be hard, but please still be you. Please don’t let this…”
His bottom lip trembled. “Make sure to wash your face every night…” he whispered.
“I will...”
“And drink lots of water… And get lots of sleep… For your skin…”
“I will. I will.” I kissed his cheek again. And then the other. “Send me pictures of your nails and I’ll paint mine the same colour.”
His eyes widened at the offer, and he nodded, eager.
“And I’ll try to grow roses like the ones in your room,” I murmured. “…No promises, though. Flowers are hard for me. But I’ll try…”
He gulped in a breath of air, throwing his arms back around my neck. I hugged him back with a tight squeeze, inhaling his sweet scent. He inhaled mine too.
He nuzzled against me. “Take care of yourself, sweetie…”
“You too... Take good care of yourself... Until we see each other again. And we will. See each other again.”
He nodded, finally stepping back.
We looked at each other for a moment. My heart broke for him.
“…I have to go now,” he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks again.
I nodded. “I’ll come back to you. We’ll have more time.”
He nodded back. “Please…”
He stepped back through where he came from, eyes not leaving mine until he was fully gone.
-
Beel walked through. I ran to him as he stepped towards me, and we met in his arms in a fierce hug.
"Beel..." I whispered, enveloped by his warmth.
"Thank you, Chise," he murmured into my hair, placing a kiss on the crown. "Without you, I never would have found Belphie up there. I would have been alone. I would still have those nightmares. I would still feel so sad and guilty and..." He hesitated. "Incomplete."
Perhaps that's a deep part of what gluttony was. A sense of being incomplete. Unfulfilled.
I jumped up lightly to signal that I wanted closer. He shifted his arms to wrap around my waist, lifting me up off of my feet with ease in a hug against him, our faces level.
I looked into his purple eyes, touched his ginger hair.
Kissed him.
He kissed me back without hesitation, sweetly eager.
“…Nothing could keep the two of you apart for long," I said as our kiss broke. "You would have found him. I believe that."
"And it would have torn our family apart." His face and voice were serious. "It would have destroyed all of us. You found him, AND kept us all together through it all. You made Diavolo release him. You made Barbatos find a way. You fought for him.”
"Belphie was an ass to me at first," I explained, laughing, "once I realized that, and after that night together in your bed…” I paused, not having meant that to come out the way that it did. “…I did all that for you. Not just Belphie. I need you to know that it was for you as well. Just as much as it was for him. Maybe even more, if I’m being honest… You are such a gem, Beel…”
He paused, gazing at me in surprise. I smiled at him.
"Thank you..." he whispered, his face drawing close to mine.
We met in another kiss, exhaling against each other. He wrapped his arms around me tighter, engulfing my waist. Gentle and soft we explored our kiss. I don't know about electric passion, but it was warm and loving and still incredibly earnest and eager.
It was ours. The two of ours.
"Umm..." I started, shy against his mouth. "Were things really okay... The three of us...? I should have checked in before..."
He nodded. "Don't worry."
"Belphie wants the three of us to be together, always."
Beel pressed his forehead to mine, like Belphie had. "I want that too. We love you very much. We both do. I can feel it from him."
I stared at him. "...You and I feel different from everyone else. Even Belphie. I don't know how to explain it."
I needed to be honest.
He nodded, self-conscious. "I know…"
"So this is all okay? We're okay?"
"If you are okay with it…"
There was an edge of nervousness to his voice.
"I love who you are," I whispered, the words pouring out of me without thinking. I leaned into it, cupping his face with my hands as he held me. “I love how we are..”
He smiled wide, a rare treat on his face. "Thank you for seeing me."
I smiled back, planting another soft kiss on his mouth. He met it sweetly. Soft lips.
He pressed his forehead against mine again.
“…Always let me know if things get uncomfortable, Chise. Belphie can be..."
I laughed. "You'd better do the same, then. You are I are a separate thing. Let's not let him steamroll it. I want to work on us together, too."
He laughed too with a nod. "Deal."
I wrapped my arms around his neck tighter, burying my face against my neck. He held me tight too, inhaling against my shoulder. I relaxed. We held each other for a while in silence. But silence never felt awkward with Beel.
"I've gotta go," he eventually whispered, heartache in his voice.
I nodded. Gently, reluctantly, he set me down again.
He gently kissed my forehead.
"Protect them all, Beel. And take good care of Belphie for me."
He nodded, looking down at me with deep fondness.
“Take care of yourself. Pancakes are easy to make. I showed you how.”
“I’ll eat lots of pancakes.”
"And I'll come back to you," I whispered to him.
He smiled. "I know."
He stepped back through the portal.
-
Just as suddenly as Beel was gone, I was in Satan’s familiar arms, held close, held tight, his mouth taking my breath away as he pressed it to my own.
"Once is not enough..." Satan breathed against me. "I need more of you. I want more of you. I want your skin against mine. All night. Every night. I should have kissed you sooner. I never should have hesitated."
He pressed against me. I gasped as I felt his eagerness.
"I'd take you right here and now..." he growled, “If only I could..."
I shuddered against him, offering my mouth again. He took it greedily, sweeping me up off my feet. His delicate mouth rolled heavily against mine as I reached my hand up to his face, sliding my fingers up into his silky hair.
“I wish…” he panted against me as we broke apart. “I don’t know how to be who you deserve. I don’t know how to properly romance. I just know how to reel in. I don’t know how to keep. But I want to be…”
"You're joking…?” I tilted my head at him in surprise. “Our time together has always been romantic.”
He looked at me, uncomprehending.
“The flirting, the secretive smiles, the quotes and wordplay and the stupid angsty tension…” I blinked up at him. "You’re the romantic one, silly. I was drawn to you immediately. You know that. And I’m still here. To keep.”
“I…” He stared. “Oh…”
“You only need to be yourself, Satan. I love you how you are. You don’t have to shape yourself into something different for me.” I laughed at his expression. “You’re someone straight out of a romance novel, I swear.”
“Oh...?” He couldn’t help himself. His sly flirty smile broke out on his face. There you are. "Hmm... Maybe I should be reading romance novels then.”
"Oh, hells." I turned pink. "You don't have to do that.”
"Pff!" He laughed at my expression. "Well now, it kind of looks like maybe you have some specific recommendations in mind for me?”
"I do not!”
"It'll have to be human romance novels, specifically... Are you suuuure there aren't any that you could throw my way? For some light inspiration?”
"Nope! Not a one! I've never read a romance novel in my entire life!”
"I see..." he said slowly, thinking, teasing. "So if I happened upon your logging history in the RAD archives, I wouldn't find anything of particular note?”
I gasped in mock outrage. "The greatest invasion of privacy there is…! You would never dare abuse your student council powers for such evil!"
His sweet chuckle erupted from his chest. I traced the curve of his lips with my fingertip, gazing into his lightly slanted eyes. Bright. A beautiful green. Sparkling with mischief. I smiled up at him in delight at the fondness on his face.
He leaned down to kiss me again, deep and passionate. I groaned into it, heat immediately spreading through me. He had that effect. I wasn’t joking. Everything in the way he moved screamed romance. Screamed sexy.
“You’re so beautiful…” he sighed against my mouth.
“So are you…” I murmured. “Like a bird…”
“A… bird…?” He grinned. “Care to expand on that?”
I flushed. “Just! Like! A bird, dammit! A pretty bird! Your face...! You know?!”
“My face?” He was laughing openly at me now. “I definitely don’t know what a bird has to do with my face. Sorry..”
Clearly I had fumbled at my attempted description of his delicate, angled features.
“Like a pretty, pretty bird…” I asserted, doubling down. “…Shut up.”
“Well then.” He grinned again. “In that case, you’re my pretty little dove.”
“I said shut up–!”
He kissed me greedily again as our time together closed in on us, and I clutched at him close.
Our faces were serious as we broke apart. My eyebrows were creased in worry.
"Satan..." I had to do it. He was the smart one. I had to ask. "Will we actually ever see each other again…? Do you believe it…?"
"We have to. I have to see you again. It would break me not to see you again. Losing you would mean losing myself all over again. I need you.”
It was more of a wish than a reassurance… But I clung to the lifeline regardless. If any one of them could figure it out, it would be him…
He kissed me again, lightly this time, brushing against my lips. “I have to go, little dove…”
I reached to caress his cheek. “Don’t stop pranking Lucifer.”
“Oh, believe me, I won’t.”
“I love you, Satan...”
“I love you, Chise.” He nuzzled his nose against mine. “I’ll be bringing you back. Personally. I’ll be the first one of us that you’ll see when you get back. You’ll see.”
I laughed, nodding, blinking back tears. “I’ll hold you to that.”
He set me down, and we reluctantly let go of each other. He stepped towards his portal.
“As soon as I can,” he promised.
He disappeared.
-
Levi walked through, looking down at his clasped hands, mouth in a thin line. Misery on his face.
I rushed to him, throwing my arms around him while he gave a little squeak of surprise.
I buried my face in his soft sweater, inhaling his scent.
Slowly, trembling, he raised his hands to gingerly place them on my back, tentatively holding me there against him, breath whispering warm against my hair.
I looked up at him. He was chewing his bottom lip now, trying to hide how it trembled, but his eyes... There were tears there.
"Levi..." I whispered, pulling him closer.
He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. I touched his cheek, and he flinched.
"Levi?" He turned his head away, into the palm of my hand. "Please... Say something."
"I..." He took a ragged breath, eyes still squeezed shut. "I-I've never... Had anyone like... Y-You. Before. I..."
I stood on the tips of my toes to rest my forehead on his cheek.
“…Y-You're my very best friend."
“You’re mine, too… But Levi..." I whispered against his skin. "I need you to know something very important. And I need you to believe it. Or promise me, that you will try to."
"O-Oh..." He slightly turned his head, resting the corner of his mouth on my forehead.
I pulled away, face close, looking up into his pretty cat eyes. They shone with unshed tears.
“The others were right. I love you. As more than a friend."
'Y-You...!" He choked, shaking his head vigorously with denial. "You can't! Th-Thats not... Possible! I-I don't..."
"If you don't feel the same way, that's okay."
"N-N-No!" he squeaked. "I... Mmmphhh... Ch-Chise, I– l-l-like, um, n-no, that's... I... L-Lo... Ch-Chise..." His voice was getting higher and higher, becoming more strained. I touched his cheek, but he shook his head against it, whining in his throat.
I pulled him into a deep kiss.
The whine he made against my mouth was higher now, and he immediately began to tremble, but he leaned forward to press too. He was nervous and shaky, but he tried, hands raising to curl against my arms as he moved to try and follow the pace of my lips. He unfolded his bottom lip that he had been chewing, cracked and dry from worrying it in his teeth, but I took him up on the additional surface area, softly, gently ebbing and flowing against his mouth. I slipped my arms to drape around his neck, pulling him down closer, and he eventually moved his arms to wrap me against him too.
It was when I made a little sighing noise against him that he finally jumped, breaking the kiss off abruptly. I stared at him, lips still parted, and he stared at me, eyes wide, the slits of his pupils thin in nervous fear.
"I-I d-don't understand..." he whimpered. "N-No one has ever... I-I've just, a-always... N-Never... A-And I can't c-compete with... M-Mammon and..." Tears were flooding his eyes again. "I-I'm just a shut-in… otaku…"
"You're so beautiful. One of the most beautiful..." I choked on the whisper. "And YOU'RE my type. My true type, you know, the kind of person I’ve always gone for. I feel such a connection to you. YOU'RE the one I have the most in common with. I wish..." I trailed off.
I wish he hadn't kept me at a certain arm's length. I wish I hadn't let him.
He stared at me, disbelief plain on his face.
"I'm SERIOUS about this, Levi." My whisper grew fiercer. "Please try to find it in your heart to believe me. Even if you don’t–"
This time, he kissed me, starting it clumsily until I recovered from my surprise and took back control. He followed my lips with a bit more confidence this time, the whine back in his throat, a little bit of need behind his mouth. A tentative eagerness. Hope. That I truly wanted this. I pounced on it, sliding my hand up to rest on his cheek, using it to press his face closer to mine. This time, it was him who sighed into it, releasing the nervous little whine.
He still shook, shook like a leaf actually, but he held me more firmly, more assertively. I stretched into his embrace, pressing myself up against him.
Finally, we pulled away for air, breathless, shaky. Tears had started to track down his cheeks. The same with me, I realized.
"C-Come back," he begged in a small, broken voice. "I-I can't lose this. N-Not after waiting so long. T-To be in… I want this."
"I'll come back," I promised him. "I'll find a way. We will figure this out."
He nodded, eyes spilling over with tears again, pulling his bottom lip back between his teeth. He closed his eyes as I kissed both of his cheeks, raising a hand to brush his bangs back.
"I-I don't want to go b-back..." He glanced at the portal behind him.
"I know," I whispered, brushing my thumb against his cheek. "This sucks."
He nodded, looking down.
I gave him one last quick kiss. He returned it with a dry peck.
He released his arms from around me, raising his arm to bury his face into his sleeve.
He gasped, choking on a sob. And then he began to cry in earnest.
"Oh, Levi..." I placed a hand on his chest. He buried his face deeper into the crook of his arm, shoulders shuddering.
"I-I love you too!" he cried out against his sleeve. "I do! I love you! Too!"
I smiled softly. "I know."
"S-So you better come back! Because I… W-Want you to be my... girlfriend."
"I will. I'll come back to you. I want to be your girlfriend too.” My voice grew hoarser on the last part.
“And play Devouring Souls with me…”
“I will.”
He took in a deep, choking breath, rubbing his sleeve back and forth. "I h-have to go..."
"I know."
"So come back..."
"I will," I promised.
He turned on his heel and fled through the portal, still in tears. My heart broke as I watched him disappear.
-
My heart sunk as the next demon came through the portal, his hands clasped behind his back. I took a step backwards as Lucifer regarded me with a grim sigh.
We stared at each other. Despite our recent pact, despite my assertion over him, despite… Well. I still felt small.
And very confused.
"...Chise," he started.
"No." I cut him off. "I need you to listen for a moment. To me."
For a moment, the silence stretched. But then he nodded. Uncertainty on his face. Nervousness?
"Ever since you found out that Lilith is my ancestor, you have treated me differently. Much, much more differently. And I want you to know that it feels truly awful for me, that it's someone I have absolutely no true connection to that is the reason why you'd ever consider treating me like a person worthy of your respect. It's not fair. I'm the same person as I was, and over and over again, you tried to squash my spirit. It hurts me more now that you have shown a degree of kindness because of Lilith, than having no kindness from you at all. I've always been me. Nothing has changed. And you were cruel. Needlessly cruel. Horribly cruel. Murderously... cruel."
At some point, he had turned his gaze down to the ground. Hands still behind his back, he nodded at my words.
“I need you to understand… That I am not Lilith. She is gone. I am the one who is here.”
“…I have much to regret." His voice was soft, and carefully even. "Concerning you."
The silence stretched between us. I waited.
He eventually raised his crimson eyes back up to mine, regarding me seriously.
"You are correct. I did not give you a chance." He paused. "...You are also correct that I only started giving you a chance when the connection between you and Lilith was revealed."
I gritted my teeth, jaw tensing.
"...But." He took a step towards me. I shrunk back a bit. "It was when I finally gave you that chance, that I realized how truly special you were. Outside of Lilith. I should have extended that chance to you much sooner. I regret that deeply. More deeply than you could possibly know, after I came to realize that you are..."
I waited, but he had trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
I wasn't letting him off that easy. "Realized that I am...?"
He shifted slightly, back straightening.
"...That you are you. That you are important. Important as you are."
"Important..." I repeated the word in a murmur, seeking clarification.
"Important to this family."
I nodded.
"...Important to me."
I didn't know what to say to that, though it had been what I was looking for from him. The memory of his lips still burned on mine. I raised my arm to wipe my mouth on my wrist, swallowing hard.
"I know it is too late." His voice had dropped lower. "That we will never be close. That is on me. I don't deserve or expect your forgiveness, but..."
I shifted too. What I had been waiting for was right here, and now that he was about to say it, I didn't know what to do with it.
“...But I am so incredibly sorry, Chise.” His voice came out in an emotional rasp. “What can I say...? What could I possibly say to you that would be enough...? There is nothing... There are no words..." His voice had dropped into a despairing whisper. “But regardless of if it would have been enough or not, I should have apologized to you a long time ago. I missed my chance. By a large margin."
I nodded, looking away. "...Pride."
"Yes..." he breathed. "It has always been my undoing. Even in the Celestial Realm."
I raised my chin at him. “…Take care of them."
"They are my brothers. I will always take care of them."
“…They will need you more right now."
He nodded, slowly. "That is true."
"Take care of Mammon."
I saw him swallow hard before he nodded again. "Of course. He will take it hardest. You have my word."
"...Be good to him," I begged, eyes welling with tears. “He’ll act out… But…”
"You were right back then, Chise," he murmured. "He is very, very good to you. I'm sorry that I ever doubted him. Doubted the two of you."
I nodded, looking away, struggling not to let the tears spill. Staring at the ground determinedly, lest I blink and they flow.
"...Goodbye, Chise."
I kept my eyes to the ground as he turned to leave.
"...Wait."
The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to really think it over.
He stopped in his tracks, back turned to me, taut and straight.
I slowly approached him from behind. Reaching a hand forward, I placed my palm to the center of his back, against his coat.
I felt him inhale sharply at my touch.
"I don't know if I can ever forgive you..." I whispered. "But thank you. And when I spoke to Lilith... She loved you, Lucifer. Very, very much."
"Spoke to..." he breathed.
I laid my cheek on the hand that rest on his back. He didn't move, didn’t even flinch. I think he held his breath entirely, not daring to, for fear that I would flee again.
"They all clearly love you very, very much, to have followed you here. I don't get it, but..." I hesitated. "Maybe one day I'll understand why. Not for myself, but… If we ever meet again, that is…."
"...Chise..."
"Goodbye, Lucifer. Go now. Please. Go. Right now."
With a shudder, he took his next step forward, breaking away from my touch. He disappeared through the portal without a backwards glance.
I held my head in my hands, taking a long, shuddering breath to try to calm myself.
Be calm, be calm, don't cry, don't break. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
-
Finally. Finally, it was Mammon who came through next, my final joy, final grief, thank the heavens, because I would be too much of a mess to support the others if he had come before. I rushed at him, gasping as he lifted me up bodily into his arms, squeezing the air out of my lungs in a hug, my feet dangling.
"I love you, I love you," he choked. "I promise."
"I promise!" I buried my face against his cheek, squeezing my eyes shut, tears spilling.
"I mean it. I fuckin' mean it. I'm yours I'm yours I'm yours."
"I'm yours!" I broke against him. He broke too, breath ragged, tears spilling.
He set me down and pressed his mouth hungrily against mine, needing, pleading, begging. Salt on our lips.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he murmured against my mouth. "I'm coming for ya. Don't forget about me."
"Never," I whispered back, fiercely. "I'll be waiting."
He lifted my hand, pressing his lips to the black pearl bracelet around my wrist.
"I'll get ya a proper ring next time..."
I laughed through my tears. "Not if you have to borrow from any more witches for it."
“Not a chance. You don't trust me, huh?" he teased, pulling me close again.
"With my life? Maybe." I smirked. "But not with my wallet."
"Pffff." He leaned to kiss me again, deeply. I sighed into it, kissing him back, so familiar, his scent, taste, my Mammon…
“…Dammit!” he suddenly cursed, pulling away from my face abruptly. "I shoulda put that baby in you last night! Lucifer would never let you go at that alone, that's literally family right there, he’d fight Diavolo tooth and nail and we'd be all set. Why didn't I think of that?!”
“Mammon!” I turned beet red, slapping lightly at his arm in protest.
"Maybe there's still time..." he whispered huskily, fingers dancing up along my spine. “You know I don’t like to take ya quick, but…”
“Oh no you don’t! Promise me you’d–!”
"Ugh,” he scoffed. “You know I won’t without your say-so. But ugh. It’d be such a good plaaaan…”
I laughed, fighting back tears. The declaration touched me deeply. This man loved me. Unconditionally. He never left me with any doubts about it. “We’ll find another way. S-Solomon, well, uh, he… Well, he…” Oh, he wasn’t going to like that I revealed that. I regretted saying his name instantly.
"UUUUUUGH.”
“I-It’s not like that!” I said quickly.
“Just… be careful around him, Chees. But…” He hesitated. “If he ends up finding us a way… I’ll be the first one on the ground kissin' that man’s feet.”
“I don’t want to talk about him.” I clung around his neck. “But we will find each other, one way or another. I love you so much, Mammon.”
“Yeah, duh.” He returned his face to my neck, dropping his voice into a whisper. “I was your first, after all. Hells…"
“First and best,” I whispered back.
“–FUCK YOU, BARBATOS!” He pulled his face away with a shout into the void. “I’m the one who gets the most time with her! Fuck off! Shut your tuggin’!”
“Mammon…” I breathed against his chest, clinging closer.
“He’s gonna to have to tear me out of here by force.” He kissed my hair. I felt two drops splash against my forehead. Tears. Mine ran unchecked down my face as well.
“He said–"
“Don’t care. The last thing I’ll feel when I leave this place is you in my arms.”
“I can’t believe how much I love you…” I whispered. “My soul mate…”
“I love you… I love you I love you I love you.” He peppered my face with kisses before taking my mouth against his again. The salt from our tears stained our lips as we sighed into each other’s embrace.
He broke us off to hold me as tight as he could to himself, flush to his chest. I heard his heart race, felt his limbs shake. One sob came from my throat. And then the a second. And then I broke against him, shoulders heaving with the force of them, wailing openly against his shirt. I felt him break around me too, though he tried to smother it, tried to be braver, but his shoulders shook hard as well and he gulped for air as his tears stained my hair. I had never felt such grief. Never felt so tormented. I cursed Diavolo. Cursed him. Hated him in this moment as much as I loved Mammon. Fiercely.
We clung, and clung, and clung, sobbing, loving.
“I love you…"
And then he was gone from my arms.
I fell to the ground with a shaking cry, my palms slapping to the inky black floor. My tears fell from my face, but did not mark the strange ground. I curled up on myself, hugging my middle, nausea gripping me. I shook and shook. Defeated and alone in the black void.
I fought against the hyperventilation that threatened to grip me, gulping air to breathe through my tears. I nearly retched on the spot from the intensity of the grief I felt. The shock of horrifying despair. Ripped away from my home. My home.
I slid my hands into my hair, gripping the roots, rocking back and forth on my knees, eyes squeezed shut as I desperately gasped for air.
Please don’t make me go.
Please don’t make me go…
I jumped at the light touch on my hair, looking up, startled, vision blurred by tears.
Barbatos.
I stared at him in surprise, tears still rolling down my cheeks unchecked, blurring his form.
He stroked my hair again, sadness and sympathy gracing his face. And uncertainty.
Trembling like a leaf, arms heavy, I reached up to him to lay shaky fingers on his wrist. I couldn’t stop the whimper from finding its way out of my throat.
At my touch, he slowly bent down to the ground beside me, hesitantly taking my fingers in his, like he had in his room in that forgotten timeline. I didn’t pull away. I curled my fingertips to hold his a little firmer.
He looked down at our hands in sorrow.
“I’m so sorry, Barbatos…” I whispered.
He raised his eyes up to mine quizzically. "...I should be the one apologizing to you, Chise. I serve Lord Diavolo in all things, and it is not my place to challenge him. It is not my place to challenge what is best for the Devildom as a whole. And yet..." His voice dropped into a low whisper. "I feel like I could have done more in this matter. I don't know why I feel that way, either. I apologize for that as well. I have no answers for you.”
I shook my head. "I never should have put you in that position, Barbatos. There is nothing to forgive. You have been good to me, and I didn't consider your feelings or your station. I was desperate, but I never should have taken things out on you. I'm so sorry…"
He blinked at me. "I..." He took a breath, shaking his head. "Thank you for saying so, my friend. But I am so sorry as well.”
I squeezed his fingers.
He cleared his throat, moving to sit on the ground properly beside me, sliding his hands right into mine properly to hold them in earnest. He leaned forward. "You did not unmove Lord Diavolo in all things. He realized, too late, of course, the position he was putting you in when he took you away from your world only to place you back there with nothing."
I tilted my head.
"What I am about to say, you must accept. I know that you are not the type to accept a gift, but I will not allow you to decline. You are being given accommodations with a comfortable stipend to get you by in the human world, at the very least until you get back on your feet and no longer wish to keep accepting it, should you choose. You will keep your D.D.D., of course, which we will guarantee will continue to work in the human world so you can continue to communicate with..."
“…All of you," I confirmed, nodding to him. Including him. He nodded back, face still grim, but eyes shining in appreciation.
That was the best gift of all.
"You were the one who put this all together," I whispered to him, "weren't you?"
He nodded again. "As well as with Lucifer. For the last week."
…So that’s what Lucifer had been doing with Barbatos the other night while Belphie had fucked me without mercy in his bed.
Whoops.
I leaned forward, shyly brushing my lips against his cheek in grateful thanks. Pulling away, I saw him blink a few times, rapidly, in surprise.
I smiled at the stunned expression on his face. "Thank you, Barbatos. For everything."
He only looked at me intently, puzzled, following my eyes with his. It was an odd look.
He came back to himself with an inhale, nodding. "...I hope we meet again someday, Chise."
I swallowed, biting my lip to stop it from trembling. Biting harder to stop tears from welling. He watched my face.
I nodded. "Me too. Barbatos." My voice was strained. Emotional.
He exhaled slowly, looking down.
A wave of his hand. A doorway, beside us.
The final portal.
I couldn't look at it. The tears I had tried to hold back fell down my cheeks.
Barbatos looked at me in sympathy, reaching forward to catch one on his finger, brushing it away. "...There is one other thing. You had said something to me before, but did not give me the chance to respond."
I sniffed and tilted my head, too choked up to ask, vision blurred with tears again.
He stood up with grace, like a cat. He looked down at me with deep sadness, teal hair falling over his pretty face. He backed away towards his own portal.
"...You are beautiful, as well."
I started, eyes widening.
He had... gone back to the other timeline to experience that moment?
He smiled knowingly at me, before disappearing.
His portal disappeared with him, collapsing in on itself.
I was left alone in the void.
I don’t know how long I kneeled there, with the door shimmering beside me. I hoped I wasn’t fatiguing Barbatos too much by lingering. But I couldn’t bring myself to even look at it.
But the inky blackness around me was pressing on me as well.
I had no where to go. The nothing, or truly facing my rejection. Either way, I was alone. Lonely. Truly alone… again.
I stroked the pearls that adorned my wrist. I touched my lips, at all the kisses that I wished I could keep lingering there. I felt like I had no more tears left in me. A dry husk of myself. Skin tight with salt. Achingly thirsty.
I slung my pack back over my shoulder, standing shakily.
“Okay, Barbatos,” I whispered into nothing. “I’m going now.”
I turned to the portal. I couldn’t stop the whimper.
I stepped forward.
"...Wait."
I looked around in stunned disbelief.
A bright, cheerful little cottage-style home. Rustic and colourful and bubbly. Homely.
And.
All my plants. Carefully arranged.
All my supposed-to-be-dead plants, very much alive, as though I had not been gone for even longer than a day.
I choked. I stopped breathing. My heart racing.
I couldn’t…
The demon of time and space itself had used his unfathomable power to...
Save a little collection of plants for an unremarkable human girl.
I fell to my knees, weeping, grief-stricken, my bag falling to the floor alongside me as a despairing wail erupted from my mouth.
Chapter 29: Chapter 20-C: Epilogue
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"...Barbatos?"
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Is there something between you and the human girl, Barbatos?"
Barbatos blinked in surprise, though his expression didn't change. "I am unsure as to what you could be referring to."
Diavolo rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. You know exactly what I mean, Barbatos. I have never seen you take an interest like this before. You have stepped up for her. You care for her, don't you?"
"...My duties do not permit me the luxury of the sort of... interest that you may be implying, My Lord."
"I wish for you to be happy, you know."
"Thank you, My Lord. I assure you that I am content with what I have."
"Content is not exactly happy." Diavolo hesitated. “Perhaps… you would allow yourself a day to visit her."
"...If your Lordship wishes."
"What do YOU wish, Barbatos?"
Barbatos didn't answer, pouring the steeped tea smoothly from the spout into his Lordship’s cup.
"Barbatos..."
"My duties have conflicted with her interests enough as it is. I do not want to lead her on," he finally answered, voice soft, mask slipped. "I have nothing to offer her."
"Now that's just not–"
Barbatos shook his head. "She is well cared for. That is how it should be."
Diavolo sighed, exasperated. "She is a sweet girl. And very brave."
"Indeed. She is."
"Couldn't you..."
"A day is not enough. That is my answer."
Diavolo winced at the justly-delivered admonishment in Barbatos' voice as he pulled the teacup towards him with a sigh. He looked down thoughtfully into the swirling liquid. “...The pendant you wear now. It's newer. And you hide it."
This time, Barbatos visibly shifted in discomfort, silent.
"It's very curious. Does it have something to do with her?"
"I..." He hesitated. "I glimpsed myself wearing it in a future version of myself, long ago. It seemed... important. I appeared to have held it in high regard."
He fingered the piece of porcelain around his neck. A broken piece of a teacup, sharp edges polished down smooth.
“I see.” Diavolo’s voice was soft as he watched him. “So she’s not done with us.”
Barbatos slipped the piece back under his collar without an answer.
Notes:
Thank you for sticking with me. ;u; My next chapter update will be a link to the next act. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making it this far.