#demons run fanfic

[simpingforthisonedeer]

Chapter 16: New Moon

Summary:  We turn to Spade Kingdom as history is made and Zogratis siblings are doing their best to be there for one another in these confusing times. The new regime under Queen Ciel of Spade knocks on the frontier of Clover Kingdom, looking for what was once theirs. Jayce keeps the secrets of the Wizard King as he struggles to shoulder the burden of all the work he was left behind with. Fuegoleon embarks on a project that will change his life. Yami and William finish up their insignias to present to Julius when a little girl walks in and throws them in for a loop. A nurse in a far away land wonders why this stranger brings her an impending sense of doom.

Notes: 

- Check the notes at the end after reading! They are super important and provide explanations for some stuff. Science or reminding yall of plot points mentioned in previous chapters. - No NSFW - 5.7 k words

“Do you think he is dead?”

Zenon Zogratis kept quiet.

“I mean he has to be if we suddenly came out of the…haze.”

Yesterday, three siblings were planning a strategy for the next battle to push into Clover Kingdom in Dante Zogratis’s office but then, the hold over them just vanished. The malice that motivated them to scorch this kingdom to the ground just…disappeared. There was an hour of panic and existential crisis then Dante went catatonic. Vanica Zogratis stayed quiet in thought for once while Zenon sprung into action. He pulled back all troops and locked up those he knew weren’t just simply listening to orders but actually wanted to hurt people. He lugged Vanica around to use force where it was needed and Dante joined soon after, with a new resolve glimmering in his eyes.

“He fucked with our heads I get that, but why make us forget Aika? I didn’t matter what we remembered or not—”

“That was a different spell.”

Vanica and Dante looked at Zenon with furrowed brows.

“How do you know that?”

“Do I need to explain magic sensing to you two?” He asked quietly as he turned to look at the snowfall. The streets were blanketed in a soft layer of white and people were daring to step outside again. He felt like he was hearing music for the first time again as a miscellaneous group of kids and adults sang songs of home and about flying and being free.

The cathedral in the capital opened its doors once again and a sweet chorus sang. And the whole city sang with them, out loud, under their breaths, and in their hearts.

Across my memory

“Then why did we forget her?”

“It’s not only us, Vanica.” Dante sat next to Vanica with his hands clasped together. “I heard some of the guards and former classmates of hers talking about them suddenly remembering her all at the same time. Some are theorising that she must have hidden her existence for some reason and that she died so the spell must have disappeared with her.”

“That seems most likely, yes.”

“But why at the same time as our brother’s brainwashing?”

Vanica gasped.

“You don’t think?”

“They must have found one another and fought and both died at the same time.”

“But that means Julius should have also died and we would have received news by now if Clover Kingdom’s Wizard King is dead.”

“Not necessarily,” Zenon interjected, slowly pacing back and forth in front of his siblings. “If Lucius died, Julius wouldn’t die just because they share the same body.”

“Isn’t that the basis of them sharing the same body and Lucius choosing to keep Julius alive?”

“I don’t know why Lucius kept Julius alive but I know for a fact that while they ‘share the same body’ their bodies are not the same. Julius had a papercut and when he switched with Lucius, the cut was gone.”

“You noticed that? How?”

“He spent most of the time in Lucius and Julius’s lap so I’m not surprised,” Vanica teased, scooching closer to Dante’s side as he wrapped an arm around her.

Zenon froze when fond memories hit him.

Far away, long ago.

Julius would laugh as he would tickle little Zenon, revelling in his squirms and giggles and then abruptly switch with Lucius so he could experience it first hand too. Zenon would stop slowly when he realised that the hands stopped and they were a bit colder, fingers a bit longer as they laid on his head. He would stare up at his older brother, confused and be met with dark hair and an impassive face and he would hug Lucius anyways, hoping that it would make him happy just as it would make Julius happy.

Glowing as dim an ember,

Things my heart used to know.

Zenon never knew if it worked, but even if it did, it didn’t matter because here he was, far into his adult life, with a reputation as a psychopath and a tyrant, believing that he was serving his country.

All because of him.

Things it yearns to remember.

They were now under house arrest as Queen Ciel assumed the Spade throne, trying to get the domestic and international matters in order.

A knock sounded on his bedroom door and it swung open without giving them a chance to reply.

“I have a message from Queen Ciel.”

Speak of the Devil. Ironic.

“She requests that the most sensible sibling, Zenon Zogratis, come help her figure out some of the paperwork and other matters.”

“Did she throw in that insult too?” Vanica drawled.

And a song someone sings.

“No, I did,” the messenger smirked as she looked at their anti-magic bracelets.

“Whatever, but believe it or not, we actually did the paperwork and the planning and the decisions together ,” Dante lied. “So you would need all three of us to be of any use.”

Zenon went with it, nodding as the messenger looked at him for confirmation. Dante and Vanica would hate to feel left out and he would rather not deal with the whining when he would come back.

“Alright,” the messenger’s magic whizzed through the air, tying them together, tethered to her. “Follow me.”

Zenon sighed as his two older siblings giggled conspiratorially, and they marched to their uncertain futures.

Once upon a December.

Sister Lily sang a song she had been hearing since last night, wafting from the West, where she heard just this afternoon, was liberated from the Zogratis siblings. She smiled.

Hage laid still at the frontier, the Demon Skull casting a shadow as the Sun set in the West and Sister Lily prayed to the Goddess for the people of Spade. She prayed that they may live free again and smile at the same Moon and stars as her.

Asta and Yuno, the oldest children at the church, bounded around the tree where she sat. While Asta chased him in good-natured fun, Yuno had a determined look on his face.

Sister Lily touched her cheek and sighed.

Ever since that day when Yuno was supposed to give a letter to the Mayor and Asta followed him, they both came back, looking extremely beat up. Yuno hadn’t shed a single tear since that day. When asked why, he said he decided to never cry because he needed to be strong if he wanted to be Wizard King.

She didn’t know what to say except support him in his dream. When Asta said the same thing, she felt sad. As much as he was a strong kid with his heart in the right place, she couldn’t encourage him because when he realises that it is completely out of his reach, he will despair.

She could not lie to him like that.

“Sister Lily! Can you hear that?”

A stampede slightly shook the ground and she quickly hid the two kids behind her legs as she looked at the Grand Magic Zone past the forest in worry.

She could see some firelit torches shining between the trees and smoke. It wasn’t an army. It was neither fast nor big but it was a sizable group of people making their way over.

Sister Lily fiddled with the keystone in her pocket given by their new neighbours. Raymond and Lydia said they were retired Magic Knights and were willing to help if need be. She hesitated though. What if it was nothing?

When the first line of men broke through the tree line, she activated the keystone. She wasn’t taking my chances.

The group made their way to her, the only person in sight.

As they got closer, she could see their clothes a bit more clearly. They were men and women of the Spade Kingdom with their fur-lined cloaks and heavy chains keeping them together. These were soldiers.

Sister Lily’s heart raced as she silently prayed for Raymond and Lydia to come quicker.

Jayce stumbled and braced himself against the cold stone wall. Ever since that day he had been plagued by uncomfortable dreams, sometimes edging on the nightmarish side. He could feel himself getting sick with the lack of proper sleep. The dreams, he feared, were not really dreams but memories. Memories of Julius Novachrono. They were not all of his memories, just the disturbing parts of his childhood in Spade Kingdom.

It came to him as a surprise that he was not from around here but he was not the one to judge. Jayce was also not from around here, but from the neighbouring Diamond Kingdom.

Diamond kingdom where many of his sealed sigils exist.

Every seal, every oath, every promise, all sorts of magic broke down in that room that day.

Between visiting Evan, studying, doing Miss Aika’s paperwork as her proxy, and redoing the broken seals not only in Diamond Kingdom but all over the world: in dungeons, caves, under the sea, in uncharted forests and territories but he had some people as capable at sealing magic help him out in various regions. Jayce was so grateful that he only had to execute the final runes of some of them.

Regardless, it was safe to say that with no proper sleep or food for two weeks, he was haggard as all hell and felt it in his soul. He was understandably afraid to even look at himself in the mirror.

“Yo!”

Jayce turned around, not even bothering to hide his exhaustion.

“Mister Arthur,” he looked past the man and saw the Magic Knight Captains following him. That’s strange but Arthur often was. “And Co.”

Fuegoleon waved in greeting as Arthur peeled him off the wall and supported his weight on him. Jayce shook his hand gingerly once he was close enough.

“Congrats on Captainship again, Fuego. It looks good on you.”

“Thank you, Jayce. But weeks of no sleep does not look good on you.”

He laughed hoarsely.

“How is the paper Miss Aika assigned coming along?” The Captains gathered around them, failing to hide their eagerness to listen. Fuegoleon has been working on an idea that Miss Aika had given to him as a present for becoming Captain. She had not even sat down with him and properly congratulated him but simply sent him a letter and a package of books for him to read and research. Books about fire magic, mundane sciences such as chemistry and physics, electricity and magnetism, a rare book about Time Magic by an unnamed author, and for some reason, spirituality and transcendence through magic that is entirely theoretical and never been achieved before. At least on public record. She gave him such an assignment as a gift.

“Well,” Fuegoleon sighed. “I finally have a title for it.”

“I didn’t know you were working on a paper,” Jien sidled up to him, poking in the side light-heartedly, but inwardly, he was dying of curiosity. Fuegoleon is undoubtedly very smart but he had never heard of the man doing any sort of research or writing a paper. “What is it about?”

“‘Reversibility of Entropy through the Attribute of Fire: An Expansion on Laplace’s Demon.’ That’s the title.” Fuegoleon bore a slight frown as he said it.

“Reversibility of Entropy…” Jien tapped his chin as he searched his memory. “People with the Fire attribute did try that before but research has shown that entropy cannot be perfectly reverse engineered unless…” His eyes widened as realisation struck him. “Unless you can use Time Magic!”

Jayce grinned as the fog lifted from his head. Miss Aika was crazy.

“She is trying to teach you Time Magic!” He exclaimed.

Fuegoleon nodded grimly.

“It didn’t make sense why she would do that but after that day…” She was using him as an experiment essentially, to see how people can develop Time Magic through fire.

“Why would she try to teach you Time Magic?” Nozel raised a curious brow. There was something they were not telling about that day two weeks ago when the Captain’s meeting happened.

Fuegoleon looked to Jayce who nodded.

“Because, Miss Aika, like Sir Julius, also uses Time Magic.”

Nozel and the rest of the Captains were silent for a second, then burst into noise.

“What?!” Nozel hissed.

“Is it a weaker version of Time Magic or?”

“There is a reason why there is no record of Time Magic ever.”

“Yes, even Sir Julius’s ability to wield it is a historical moment but everyone knows it’s strange.”

“Mhm. Even his grimoire looks strange.”

“Well, we hide it from the general public because it’s a tactical advantage but we also don’t want negative attention from foreigners overseas. They would want to use it for all sorts of things.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Jayce exclaimed, holding his head, taking his time to put together a coherent sentence. Everyone quieted down and looked at him.

“There is no record of Time Magic? Ever?”

“Weaker forms of it had existed before but not to the extent Sir Julius has. Wielding it is believed to be forbidden.” Charlotte offered.

“Why?”

Everyone looked away, uncomfortable with the question posed. Jayce was confused. Why the sudden awkward atmosphere?

Nozel squared his shoulders and spoke up.

“Because a long time ago, the Time Devil, Astaroth had declared when he was summoned that Time Magic will never be wielded by anyone because it’s too much power in any human’s hands.”

“Nozel!” Fuegoleon snarled.

“Hold on. Why is everyone on the edge about this?”

Arthur sighed. “Because in the Clover Kingdom, knowing about devils, forbidden magic and stuff is taboo.”

“That’s the issue? Haven’t all of you maimed and tortured before?”

“I mean yer right but you don’t have to say the quiet part out loud,” The tall, lanky Captain with blades on his forearms harrumphed.

“Then y’all can relax a little bit. So you’re telling me that it’s a little suspicious that they both happened to have Time Magic, both know each other, are born on the same day, share the same blood type, and are a little in love?”

“I don’t buy into that hanky panky superstition stuff,” Gueldere began “but same day, same blood type, and same magic that is supposedly forbidden?” He shook his head. “That sounds awfully suspicious to me.”

“Yeah, just like you,” Jack nudged him in a thinly veiled insult.

“It’s not superstition.” Fuegoleon said as his frown deepened. “In a world of magic, it is an indication of important events.”

“Shouldn’t we all be moving along,” Arthur dramatically waved down the hall. “To the study to meet with your Master that you are oh-so-suspicious of?”

“Well, you don’t think that with your two thousand years of knowledge, it’s a little suspicious? Has there really never been any Time Mages as long as you have lived?”

“Wait, he’s two thousand years old?” A Captain whispered to another.

“No, there have been no Time Mages but there are now and yes it is a significant event and as for the coincidence, extraordinary individuals have extraordinary backgrounds,” Arthur explained in one breath. “There is no conspiracy, there is nothing. Don’t go poking your heads where it doesn’t belong now if we can please move along.”

Fuegoleon looked like he wanted to say more but he kept quiet. He could ask after the meeting.

“Can you walk?” Arthur whispered to Jayce, his arm tightening around his waist.

“I don’t know,” Jayce murmured. Just as quickly as he regained his energy, he lost it again. His body felt heavier and his stomach turned. The older man just sighed and picked him up.

“Where are you headed?”

Jayce didn’t even care to be embarrassed to be carried at his grown age. He was far too tired for it. The last time he saw Arthur, they might have been like cats picking fights for seemingly no apparent reason, but next time they see each other, they always go back to normal. That was simply their dynamic. He laid his head on the man’s chest and sighed,

“The study. The armchairs look really comfy.”

“What a coincidence, we’re headed to the same place.”

Jayce was swimming in and out of consciousness. He just wanted some sleep.

“Mmm.”

Sukehiro Yami brought his painting up to sunlight to see the pencil sketch beneath the painting. The Black Bulls insignia is coming along very nicely. He even used his expensive metallic gold paint for the accent colour, and in his humble opinion, it definitely catches one’s eye.

He looked at William Vangeance’s draft of his own squad’s insignia from the corner of his eye. Yami didn’t know much about the guy except that his Qi was all strange and wrong from the handful of times he worked with him. And today, he found out he was also shit at drawing.

Yami was making all sorts of faces but he most probably can’t even see because peripheral vision is blocked by that ugly mask of his. He had always wondered why he would wear that mask knowing that a good bit of his vision was blocked.

But each to their own, I guess.

His fingers itched to reach for a cig but he refrained considering that he was sitting in a lavish study, stuffed floor to ceiling in books on top of books. Julius may actually get mad for once if he waved a lit one near his books. He’ll be considerate for once.

Only for Julius though.

Yami and William froze when the doors to the study creaked open. They turned expectantly for the Wizard King and Captains to walk in but to their surprise, it was a little girl with long blonde hair who invited herself in. She carried some art supplies under her arm and closed the door quietly behind her.

She toddled over to the coffee table the Captains-to-be were hunching over and made herself comfortable on the floor and table-space opposite to them.

“You guys mind if I use this table?”

“Not at all,” William assured her instinctively but he was still unsure who she was or if she could even be in here.

“Thanks.”

They just stared at her as she kneeled on the floor and spread her supplies out on the table. It looked like she had already finished lining her sketch and just got to colouring. She stuck her tongue out as she concentrated. What felt like forever passed as they stared at her but it had only been a minute.

The little girl sighed as she set her pencil down, exasperated.

“Have you two never seen a kid or something?”

“Where are your parents, kid?” Yami blurted before William could.

“I think it’s more polite to ask someone their name first but okay.” She picked her colour pencil up and continued filling in between the lines. “My mom is on a work trip and my dad is also working.”

“What’s your name, young lady?” William asked, slightly embarrassed. He doesn’t see many kids around except maybe on missions or errands in populated areas. He can’t think of anyone at the Magic Knight headquarters who may have a kid. In his field, everyone would almost instantly know if anyone at work had a kid.

“My name is Holly. Thank you for asking, Cool Mask Guy.”

Yami stifled a laugh at William’s shock. Almost everyone thought that mask of his was tacky but that kid’s quick and honest compliment must’ve been nice.

“Why thank you, Holly.” He smiled. “Do you know anyone in this building?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’m not some random kid that wandered into the Magic Knight Headquarters.”

William laughed.

“That’s good! Do you like my mask, Holly?”

“Mhm.” She looked up to take a closer look at it. “It looks good in an ironic way.”

It was Yami’s turn to laugh.

“Haha, thank you,” William covered his mouth as he chuckled. “My name is William, by the way. William Vangeance.”

“Cool name too.”

Holly turned and looked expectantly at Yami.

“Yami Sukehiro.”

“Is that first name, last name or last name, first name?”

“Huh?”

“‘Cause I know in the East you say last name, first name.”

He huffed in amusement. No one had ever realised that before.

“Just call me Yami.”

“Nice to meet you, Yami.”

The three fell into companionable silence after acquainting themselves. After a while, Yami had finished his drawing and sat back to stare at the sealing. Holly got bored of colouring for a bit so she started a new drawing, using the two men in front of her as models. William looked up from his sketching and smiled when he saw that she was drawing them, and she was especially being careful with the way she drew his mask.

“Want to know a cool fact about my mask, Holly?”

“Sure!” She chirped. She seemed to be warming up to them.

“The Wizard King was the one who made this for me when I was younger and he made different sizes of it as I grew older.”

Yami listened indifferently. He didn’t know that but that sounds like something Julius would do. He’s got a soft spot for kids.

Instead of amazement, William was met with a warm smile.

“Yeah. Julius is cool like that.”

“You’re on a first name basis with the Wizard King?” William asked, in half confusion and amusement.

Holly went back to her drawing causally as she said, “Yeah. I think I can be since he’s smooching my mom.”

Yami’s head snapped to her, nearly giving himself whiplash.

Blonde hair, light purple eyes, working dad.

“Are you Julius’s secret love child?”

Holly looked up at him in shock and fell back laughing.

William and Yami just stared at her helplessly. If she was his kid, they felt a little betrayed because Julius hasn't told them a single thing about his life even though they have both known him since they were children. He was so charismatic that most people forget to inquire about him or his family. But even when they did, he had always dodged the question. He did let it slip once that he had a sister but no one dared to make any jokes about it. One guy tried it. He tried to make a poorly constructed joke about becoming Julius’s brother-in-law and everyone in the vicinity who heard the joke saw Julius’s face and found out first hand how terrifying he can be.

“I don’t think his secret love child would be hanging around the building where he works!” Holly guffawed, clutching her stomach. She slowly came to as she wiped tears away, feeling a little bad for the men she left in suspense.

“He’s just courting my mom. I think it’s really cute.”

Yami and William shared a look. Wow. They both sat back in shock.

“Why do y’all look like that?”

“Well, we’ve never heard of our Captain—well, not captain anymore but, we’ve never heard of him courting anyone,” William explained.

“He looks pretty good for his age. And he’s really nice and cool. Why couldn’t he get a date before?”

Yami could not stop laughing at that.

“It’s because I didn’t want to.”

Holly leapt to her feet at the familiar voice of her mother’s lover. He stepped out of the mini passage between his office and study and smiled warmly at them, the corners of his lips reaching his tired eyes.

“Julilus!”

William and Yami stood up at his arrival, the latter man wiping tears as he spluttered with laughter.

“Holly!”

Holly ran and jumped up into Julius’s arms and hugged him tight. He buried his face in her shoulder as he felt oddly emotional. He suddenly missed the days when his wards were younger and now they’re about to become Captains, he missed the memories of his childhood, hugging his younger siblings. He was at his wits end about his past coming back to him but he had to be composed. He was doing his best not to think about Aika because he was losing his peace of mind every time he did. It was a little hard not to when he was hugging her daughter but he has been through harder things in life. He can do this.

Julius pulled back with a sniffle and gave Holly a watery smile when she furrowed her brows at him in concern.

“I’ll be fine,” he whispered.

He had to be fine. He was the Wizard King.

Julius turned his attention to Yami and William.

“Congratulations you two,” Holly stayed close to him, resting on his hip, propped up on his arm. “Chairman Kira has finally approved your Captainship.”

“You knew he would,” Yami smirked, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword and his right brought up to his chest in a Three-Clover Salute. William mirrored him with a polite smile. Julius did know he would. His foresight was a blessing.

“We would be honoured to dedicate our grimoires to you, Sir,” they declared in unison.

Julius beamed with pride. He was so, so proud of how far they have come. Two scraggly little boys who had no dependable adults in their lives; he was glad they had grown to not only depend but look up to him and followed his path to become a Magic Knight and then a Captain. He wanted to peer into the future but he refrained. He was sure one of the two would follow his footsteps to become Wizard King as well.

Julius absolutely refused to let them be pawns in Lucius’s game, raised to be lambs for slaughter.

A young woman, a nurse, wiped down her patient. The man lying in bed was tall with dark, dark hair with purple eyes. Well, purple eye. His other eye was covered with an eye patch for her and everyone else’s safety because it thrummed with ominous mana. Everyone felt like they should avoid it and it was no problem because it doesn’t seem to be causing him any issues.

Purple eyes were common, especially where she was from. In her culture, people believed that it was a sign of great potential; for magic or for life. Mainly for magic though. She lived in a Grand Magic Zone after all.

It was a region called Bain, snowy and white. Only specks of colour were the dark wood and leaves of evergreen trees and plants. It was fine by her though because it was not like she could leave. Her people have adapted to survive in the snowy Grand Magic Zone and have a lot of mana but they cannot survive outside of it because there was so little mana everywhere else. Because of the environment, they also had light skin and even lighter hair to absorb energy from what little sunlight they received. Warm blood, almost literal fire, coursing through their veins, which also makes Fire Magic common amongst them.

So the dark hair was somewhat of a rare sight. The man was clearly not from around here.

They do have adventurers and travelers that pass through their Grand Magic Zone but even then it was kind of rare for this dark of hair.

If she was being honest, she was jealous. She wished she had dark hair. She wished she could be an adventurer and see the world. She heard there are places in the world that are just fantastically green all over or even blue. She wished she was from a place where she wouldn’t have this light hair.

Hyperfixation on his hair aside, the young woman massaged her patient’s calves with her Fire Magic, keeping them warm and blood flowing faster as she eased her mana into the flesh.

Most people’s mana just get overwhelmed after a few days of staying in this region but after a week of staying here, his mana which was depleted before, was actually replenishing at the same rate as natives here. Healers have concluded that he was from another Grand Magic Region and was allowed to stay.

“Listen if I just place the pillow over his face,” her partner whispered in induced madness. “It will open up one more bed for us in the ward. These travelers keep taking up spots that us native folks desperately need!”

She just sighed. This clinic was only for outsiders to use specifically so they don’t take up beds and medical attention away from the natives. But she didn’t even bother correcting them because the homicidal behaviour was due to her patient’s unique mana as a Forbidden Magic user.

She had exposure to forbidden magic before so she was fine but her partner wasn’t. Usually they wouldn’t be in this room but they were a bit short staffed today so they had to step in.

“Okay, Mier. Time for you to step out.” She pushed them out with only a bit of resistance but to her shock, they swiftly side stepped her. Mier grabbed a glass bottle near them, broke it against the wall and lunged at her patient.

She could only watch in horror as her body didn’t move.

Mier threw themselves against the prone man but when they fell on top of him, they fell on the bed.

The man disappeared.

“Sad to see someone lose their sanity like that.”

The young nurse jumped when a voice spoke beside her. She pressed her back against the wall as she looked up in fear at the tall man. Her patient had woken up.

He raised his hands and backed off.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She stayed quiet and breathed deeply when anxiety threatened to clog her mind. But in that brief moment of silence, Mier threw themself again at her patient but the man held them at an arm's length and flicked them between their eyes, hard enough to knock them out.

They went slack and the man caught them before they fell to the ground.

“Sorry, I don’t want him to hurt me so I had to do that.”

“Them,” she corrected him reflexively. But she regretted it because she might’ve made the situation worse. He was definitely toying with her but she didn’t want to incur his wrath.

“Sorry, I didn’t want them to hurt me so I had to do that,” the man smoothly corrected himself as he placed Mier onto the bed he was previously in.

She relaxed. Wow. He took it really well and corrected himself immediately. That told her a lot about his character.

“What’s your name…Miss?” She nodded as she conjured up a shaky smile.

“Gwynevere.”

“Like the Princess of Sunlight?” He asked with a charming smile.

She blushed as she looked at his feet. He was trying to make her feel at ease and she appreciated that.

“Yes.” She was the Princess of Sunlight but he didn’t need to know that. “What’s your name? We…we couldn’t ID you.”

“I have a few names but one that is most known in this area is ‘Sarkany?’” He asked and looked at her to see if that rang any bells. She stared at him blankly. It didn’t.

“Could you go talk to your supervisor about it and maybe bring me some clothes, Gwynevere?”

That’s right. He was standing barefoot and naked in his hospital gown and she should probably let someone know he had woken up.

“I will be right back then.”

He nodded with a polite smile and she walked out without turning her back to him.

He was quick and not lethargic at all meaning he must have been awake for a while but he seems relatively harmless for now. She needed to be careful regardless.

Gwynevere went and explained the situation to the Head Healer. He tsked when she told him what happened to Mier.

“These outsiders will put their hands on anybody, I swear.” She explained to him that Mier was trying to kill the patient but he didn’t care. “Did he tell you his name?” “He said the name ‘Sarkany’ should be familiar.”

The Head Healer grew pale when she said his name. Maybe it did mean something then and she just didn’t know.

“Okay, Okay,” he hastily put his coat on. “Get the man what he wants and treat him as if he were our own.”

Gwynevere grabbed onto his sleeve as he turned away to supposedly go see the man.

“Wait, sir. Who is he?”

“I’m so surprised you don’t know but you are out here from that castle of yours to learn about us common folk and the world anyways so know this: That man is Atropos Tolliver and he is Eidolon’s best agent. He is very strong and not someone to mess with.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that. She did know about Eidolon but not about Atropos Tolliver. She could tell he was strong and it made sense.

She brought some loose, brown pants, white shirt and a long strip of cloth to tie around his waist while her supervisor spoke to the man she was assuming.

She neared the door and she heard voices talk.

“No, no. Mier may have had trouble but Miss Gwynevere was the perfect caretaker.”

“Thank you, thank you! I’m glad to hear that her training has paid off. I am so sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier, Sir. You didn’t make your portrait public so I hope you understand…”

“Absolutely. Please don’t treat me any differently and contact the guild for the expenses. They should pay it in full.”

Gwyn walked in and felt strange when their eyes turned to her. She handed his clothes to him and stepped back as she looked at the floor.

“Thank you,” he said solemnly and she felt her ears burn.

Later after he checked out, he stopped her as she passed by him.

She craned her neck up to look at him in his one eye.

“I studied Medicine when I was your age.” Gwyn’s eyes widened in surprise. “You demonstrated excellent use of mundane and magic techniques in your physiotherapy for me. Well done.”

“How long were you awake?”

“Long enough. I apologise if that makes you uncomfortable.”

She shook her head.

“No, I was just wondering…You’re welcome. I was just doing my job.”

He patted her on the head as he walked out.

Gwyn stared at his back and wondered if she would ever see him again. Why did she feel that way? She didn’t know. Her heart was beating fast and it was in her throat. That man was scary for reasons she knew, but she wondered about what she didn’t know. The red cloak he borrowed billowed in the wind and the door snapped shut behind him.

That was not the last time she would see him.

Notes:

- In the first scene, the song “Once Upon a December” from Anastasia is playing and the lyrics are displayed in the scene.

- Next chapter, how will the former Wizard King and his wife deal with the uninvited guests? How will Julius and the Captains react when they see Yami and William’s squad insignias? When will Gwyn see Atropos again?

- As you could’ve guessed by now, Atropos is Aika. Aika having transformation magic and it being limited to her being a man was referenced in earlier chapters with Aika’s conversations with Julius.

- Sarkany was also a code name used for her in this region of the world. It’s the name that Sven, the assassin, used when he came to kill Aika.

- Julius is suffering right now but we don’t get to see the depth of it until the next chapter.

- What is Fuegoleon working on? You can ask me all about it on my tumblr or find out in chapter 17 or 18.

- Laplace’s demon is an old idea of determinism in Newtonian days that basically says that if you know the past, you could explain the present and if you know the present, you could predict the future with equations and such. When we’re talking about the future, we’re talking about the movement of objects and particles and such. This idea of determinism in science was cast aside when scientists realised that the world has random components and forces in it that cannot be predicted and this is the science of chaos. A part of why determinism in science doesn’t work is because the entropy of the universe, the disorder of particles as they expand, is very chaotic and unpredictable after a certain extent. So you cannot reverse entropy, physically or mathematically.

- So, Fuegoleon is trying to use his understanding of fire and heat to reverse entropy but that would mean using Time Magic. But it doesn’t have to be time magic specifically, but it can be time magic as a magic form. Magic forms are basically sub classes of the attributes in Black Clover. For example, trap magic even though Zora has Ash Magic, transformation magic when Julius has time magic, memory magic even though Ralph has fire magic, etc.

[sugoi-writes]

Scent Kink - Featuring Alastor x GN! Reader

A/N: HEAVILY inspired (and partially written for) @hazelfoureyes... UNO VERSE, DEER! I hope this is alright, as I feel you do him SOOO much more justice. Your thirsts have made me cave in. I will need to go to confessional after this one.

Includes: scent kink (Alastor has it for reader), GN! Reader, some implications, mentions of violence/carnal desires, and of course, some m*sturbation. Yippee~

Honest to Satan, it took him by surprise. Rarely was Alastor motivated by anything "innate" or "carnal" (past his violent urges against ne'er-do-wells). That is... until you came into the picture.

Alastor's always had a great nose: all the better to spot bad meat with! ...But now? Now he can't help the way he drifts and looks your way. Now, he has to hide the perk in his ears and the subtle nostril twitches and flails. Now, he often stands closer to you when engaged in group activities. Hell, the seat to his right will always be reserved for you. Anything to get closer and catch just a momentary, minute whiff to take in your scent...

When you arrive back to the hotel, he's at the door, helping to take your coat. It's always on the coat rack by the door when you need it most... but when you weren't paying attention? Alastor had it all to himself.

There had even been times where Niffty was doing laundry, and he had half the mind to volunteer to help... it'd much less suspicious of him to handle your things this way, right? But alas, that was maybe a touch obvious... and Alastor is not known for his charity.

When you're fresh from a shower and coming down for dinner, he always seemed out-of-sorts. Little did you know that the Radio Demon was sad that your natural scent was muted by flowery, excessive fragrance. No, he much preferred seeing you worked up, disheveled, maybe even a bit... unkempt? A normally tidy, avoidant, do-NOT-touch-me man was reduced to this? It unnerved him to no end; his blood was boiling.

He had his normal mask, that damned smile, working overtime. Anything to distact you from his eye twitching. Anything so you wouldn't notice how he shifted his weight next to you. He would curse himself, his back straightening and even arching when you leaned over him on the couch, straining to grab the TV remote. He made grand, almost cartoonishly bold gestures now... just so you would miss how much he needed to adjust himself around you. How much his eyes would dialate when you were close to him, for any reason...

But the more he tried to hide it... the more craved it; the more he needed the real deal.

---

You were adjusting yourself after a recent scuffle, loan sharks having come looking for Mimzy again... You winced, clutching your side from a harsh blow you received. You would definitely need some help taking care of that...

You could barely make it two steps before Alastor has you by the wrist, pulling your arm taunt. You panic, wriggling and squirming as Alastor's eyes roamed over you. You had a delectable little nick on your cheek, weeping blood. Alastor leans down, breath ghosting your cheek as you shuddered. You felt a jolt of electricity race up your spine as he spoke:

"Dear, you should really be more careful...," a thumb grazes your flushed flesh, before his taloned digit is licked clean. You found yourself struggling to swallow the lump in your throat as a toothy, sultry grin is sent your way.

"You're getting sloppy...~"

You can't help but notice how obsessively attentive he was. How he managed to pull you inside, and forced you to sit on his bed. He asked you to strip down to the basics, and tended to your wounds, no matter how little. You could hear every time that Alastor's breath shook and hitched, absolutely enthralled by you. You were in his sights, in his hands, and you invaded his sense of smell.... he was so close, yet he felt miles away...

The only way he didn't have you was with his tongue, lapping at your sweet, sweet sweat... Maybe, he would consider licking a little lower... did you taste as good as you smelled?

He would inhale deeply as he spied fresh blood or helped remove old clothing/bandages. This routine of yours would continue, even as your wounds became more manageable.

One would assume he was concentrating when he held his breath... but NO. He was memorizing this. He would remember this map-out of your musk and body like the back of his hand... He felt like a mut in heat with how hungrily he regarded you.

You had missed the way that Alastor's eyes gleamed when he offered to wash your dirty, bloodied clothing for you. Embarrassed but appreciative, you took him up on his offer. As he gave you one of his blouses as a temporary cover up, sending you on your way... Alastor locked the door, practically salivating.

Never had he been brought to his knees so quickly, doubled over and panting. Never had he practically torn his pants off, seams frayed and barely hanging on.

He frantically fisted his cock, pumping hard and fast as his precum glided down his warm, agitated tip. The desperate mewls and blissful sighes that escaped with every pant was almost musical, bouncing off the walls of his room in a grotesque cacophany. The staticy filter cloaking his voice had vanished, leaving him nothing but a bare, hungry, frenzied sinner.

As he balled up your shirt, inhaling sharply, he fumbled through curses and praises... You. You. You. This was your fault.

And even as his mind demanded more, his body sought its release, making a mess of his hand and the carpet. He grimaced at the warm fluids, realizing he'd have to deal with that sooner, rather than later. Alastor would fall back onto his haunches, shirt still gripped tightly in his left hand. Shakily, he held it up to his face again, nuzzling into it as he took in more of your musk. His own had started to cling to the shirt, his sweat and drool starting to dampen your smell.

You were driving him to madness. To his dismay, he realized that this would not be enough... not anymore.

He let his hands fall lazily in front of him, cock still throbbing absentmindedly.

First, a quick wash and preening. Then... he'd be looking for you to answer for his desires.

[thealatvs]

no more mirrors (the beginning of dante’s nightmares)

[theglamorousferal]

DPXDC Prompt

Demon Twin AU but it's Sam instead of Danny

Once she moves in with the Bats she ends up with a large greenhouse next to Damian's barn. Bruce got help from the Sirens to build it. Sam ends up basically adopted by the Sirens. She does roller derby with Harley, protests and charity galas for saving wildlife with Ivy, and steals evidence of corruption with Selina under the identity of Vulture. A bird that's around death, decay, and carrion.

Vulture and Robin are a brutally efficient team, Vulture using a chain hammer with a rubber end and Robin his katana. Vulture also has reinforced knee pads like scare actors have to slide around while fighting and gloves with reinforced knuckles for close combat. She also has a Fenton wrist ray and laser lipstick on her at all times, maybe even a thermos as a precaution.

[allastoredeer]

Chaggie's Totally Legitimate Dating 101 Crash Course - Chapter 3 Snippet

>───⇌••⇋───<

“Vaggie has a point,” Charlie says, putting a hand on Vaggie’s shoulder and gently pushing her back on the couch when she rises, mimicking choking Alastor with her hands. Her tone is gentler than her girlfriend’s. Padded and careful, like she’s trying not to spook him.

Alastor glowers.

“I understand why you and dad are doing this,” she says. “Dad, he…I think it’ll be good for him to get out and see the city. And after what happened downstairs,” to Alastors surprise, her expression darkens, and her eyes dart briefly to his chest, “that shouldn’t have happened. My dad…I talked to him. It won’t happen again, I promise. I want you to have all the time you need to heal, Alastor. As much as you need. ”

Alastor glowers harder.

“But, if you still want to do this, well…” she sucks in a breath through her teeth, cringing, “you guys aren’t exactly giving off relationship vibes.”

“And what kind of relationship ‘vibes,’” Alastor finger-quotes, “were you expecting?”

“Something that isn’t antagonistic,” Vaggie offers dully.

“Well, seeing how you two are the experts here, how would we do that?” Even as he asks, he leans back, crossing his legs and flipping open his book. His eyes skim the paragraphs blindly, stuffing his rising agitation into the gaps between the words before it reaches his pulsing chest.

“I don’t know, like, holding hands occasionally. Sticking by each other. Showing a smidgen of affection. It’s not that hard.” Vaggie gestures between her and Charlie. “Do you think anyone has a hard time figuring out we’re together?”

Alastor’s eyes slide over to her and he snaps his book shut.

>───⇌••⇋───<

It's been a while since I've posted anything for "Just Kiss Already," so please enjoy this little snippet from chapter 3 of "Chaggie's Totally Legitimate Dating 101 Crash Course." Why did I give this fic such a long title T.T

[frobby]

one of my favorite senarios to imagine to put yukio in is sending him 10 years into the future (with the exwires usually) and everyone from their class are like chill adults including himself working their boring ass exorcist job and hes trying to assert dominance over them as the teacher™ but they're all like bro why so serious?

[frostyblustar]

Klance Angel x Demon AU

Read here!

Word Count: 40,216

Synopsis: Lance memorized the man’s face in the picture. Man, that was a sharp jawline. He took a single glance at the other information and was only able to grasp that Keith was some sort of fire demon before he could hear a door open. That paralyzed him for a moment; thankfully it wasn’t the office door, but that was still a person he had heard.

Jumping out the window was the only reasonable option, so he did that. In his dash towards the window, he did rustle a few of the papers. Oops.

Lance felt like he had a mission now, and his curiosity would not be patient about this.

or

Lance is an angel who is interested in demons. It just so happens a fire demon named Keith is available in the overworld.

Anddddd Holy shit. It’s done. IT’S DONE!!!

THE FIC IS COMPLETE!!

CHAPTER 10 IS OUT!

Also bye Julance!

[rayan12sworld]

💙demons run when a good man goes to war

By:Miranda_Aurelia

Summary:

In their attempt to consolidate power, Wei Wuxian is framed and executed by the Jin Sect.

A pity, because Wei-xiong was possibly the only person that could have stopped Lan Wangji from razing Koi Tower to the ground, thought Nie Huaisang uncharitably. As for him? They really should have left his brother alone.

Chapter:10/10

Words:20,187

Status:completed

“Between Jin Guangyao and myself, which one of us,” Lan Wangji bit out as his fingers tightened around Bichen, “Is your real brother here?”

~~

[mightystory]

So after like a gazillion revisions and tweaks and like 450 color pallets that just DID NOT WORK OUT (Believe me we have gone through Shadow the Hedgehog, Lab coats, His purple toga, and like a hundred versions of those), I think I finally landed on a color pallet and design that fits

This is my design for Sinner Adam (No duh) because since Sir Pentious went to heaven I REALLY REALLY want this bastard of a fucker to show up in season two as a VERY ANGRY DEMON The theme and general design philosophy for my Adam is dramatic irony. I've tried retaining a lot of Adam's original angel design, such as trying to make his coat mimic his dress. His face remained mostly the same, his neck piece having the same spiked design, and the coat having the patterns the toga/dress had.

At the same time, I have designed him with Imps in mind. Both from the show but also the Stereotypical/Classic Demons of Christianity, giving him the pointed tail, and claws. (And of course breaking his halo in four pieces, shoving it straight into his forehead and back of his head to mimic horns + Making sure no one misses how he died)

[that-one-fanfiction-blog]

Hello. It appears you have fallen through the cracks of tumblr and stumbled upon my humble abode. You are welcome to stay or carry on. If you decide to stay, please order something. We offer many things to fuel your deepest desires, from the sweetest fluff to the most bitter angst. We, however, do not offer spicy foods at this time as we are utterly hopeless at preparing them.

We are willing to offer dishes from any menu if given ample time to get experience with it. Here are some we are already experienced with:

📓☠️ Death Note ☠️📓

🦇🩸 Vampire Knight 🩸🦇

🐉🍺 Seven Deadly Sins 🍺🐉

🦠🥼 Cells At Work / Cells At Work: Code Black 🥼🦠

🎻🏃‍♂️ The Promised Neverland 🏃‍♀️🎻

🗡🍡 Demon Slayer 🍡🗡

🦝🐅 Bungo Stray Dogs 🐅🦝

🪽💟 Angel Beats 💟🪽

🧠☕️ The Disastrous Life of Saiki K / Saiki K Reawakened ☕️🧠

✨️🧬 My Hero Academia 🧬✨️

⏳️👶 Erased 👶⏳️

🧸🔪 Danganronpa 🔪🧸

🖊💌 Violet Evergarden 💌🖊

✖️🌙 A Silent Voice 🌙✖️

🍳🏠 More Than A Married Couple But Not Lovers 🏠🍳

💕🩰 Obey Me 🩰💕

🃏🔮 The Arcana 🔮🃏

✒️🧁 Doki Doki Literature Club 🧁✒️

🐈‍⬛️💊 Fran Bow 💊🐈‍⬛️

🎭🎸 Sally Face 🎸🎭

🪄⚡️Harry Potter ⚡️🪄

🔱🦉 Percy Jackson 🦉🔱

👼🏆 The Mortal Instruments 🏆👼

🕊🏹 The Hunger Games 🏹🕊

🍕🐻 Five Nights At Freddy's 🐻🍕

🎨🖌 Death Palette 🖌🎨

🍪👑 Cookie Run 👑🍪

🍓🍰 Strawberry Shortcake 🍰🍓

🐴🦄 My Little Pony 🦄🐴

👭🫶 Hello Kitty 🫶👭

I obviously have the right to reject any orders at any time for any reason. Have an excellent day / night!

[keiry]

IM GOING FLIPPING INSANE I NEED TO SHOW OFF MY OCS RN SO IM SHOWING THEM (also oc X canon are in all of these ocs but there all from different fandoms 😋)

My first ever oc Aikya I made her to be in 7DS 🥺 I ship her with gloxinia IK HES FRUITY LEAVE ME ALONE 😞

This is alvah pendragon she’s in 4KOTA I ship her with Tristan Liones it’s like a forbidden love idc if Tristan is with isolde I made her before isolde and Tristan got together btw but again I will still ship her bc I can and idc 😋

This is Reika kamiya I ship her with sanzu IDC IF HES THE MOST BASIC CHARACTER AND THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE SHIP THERE OCS WITH HIM SANZU IS MY PRETTY PRINCESS. Oh btw she’s dying by Heart failure 🥺 she’s alive in the last time line tho and bonten but she’s not happy there😋

Yuki tomoe I made her before I knew about Yuki Tsukumo so don’t hate on me 😞💔 but I ship her with Toge 😋 and yes all of my ocs except moonshine were made in gacha😞 I’m a gacha kids💔💔💔

My crk oc moonshine before you hate on my and call her a moonlight copy SHES MOONLIGHTS OLDER COUSIN 😡 oh and i ship her with shadow milk

This is her now (she looks like she’s going to do the cha cha swing😭)

My demon slayer oc she’s not a demon slayer but her brother is her name is akemi Itami 🥺

Im sorry this isn’t fanfic but I have gotten no requests or anything so I just wanted to post this please don’t be shy and request it might take a while until I post it but I swear I will do it if you request it

[djevelbl]

... You do have to tell her — today, tomorrow, someday you'll have to tell her. It'd just be easier if you told her now, not letting her form conclusions. Not letting it drag and then later on become a question of "did he start seeing me because he liked me, or because I remind him of Alice?"

[a1tie]

Let me cook.

I got something scrumptious for y’all coming up but lemme give you guys four incorrect quotes today.

✰

Shinobu: Mitsuri, is that a hickey?  Mitsuri: It’s just a mosquito bite.  Obanai: [walks in the room] Shinobu: How’s it going, mosquito.

✰

Kiyo, in a high voice, holding barbie: hey ken! I was thinking about going back to school and starting a career! Naho, in a deep voice, holding ken: nonsense, barbie. you’re staying home and having my kids Aoi: what are you guys DOING. Kiyo: playing systemic oppression!

✰

Akaza: Do you ever want to talk about your emotions, Kokushibo?  Kokushibo: … No.  Douma: I do!  Kokushibo: I know, Douma.  Douma: I’m sad!  Kokushibo: I know, Douma.

✰

*Hatengu Clones having dinner.*

Aizetsu: C-can you pass me the salt?

*Urogi and Karaku throw Sekido across the table.*

✰

Mwah!~

[lavenderpanic]

I just wrote 12 pages (!) of I Am Ash From Your Fire in one sitting which is slightly insane but also so incredibly frustrating because my typical chapters are like 20 pages so you might be like oh you're halfway to a full chapter but NO it's a whole bunch of incoherent scenes that happen like weeks apart from each other and are missing all the connector bits so it's basically nothing for now. But also it felt good to write again

[jessamine-rose]

/obey me! vent/

[simpingforthisonedeer]

𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 & 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥

summary: Aika is followed by a stranger who begs for a mission that can change the course of her destiny. Salvation only comes to those that seek it.

notes: This excerpt is kinda far along in Demons Run and it’s been sitting in my drafts for a while so I’m just posting it.

Aika turned around the corner and into the dark alleyway to see if her pursuer will confront her. And almost if on cue, a haggard, white-haired man, materialized from the shadows, eyes crazed. His mouth opened to say something but he fell to all fours with a harsh gasp.

She watched curiously as the man gather himself. Is he some drunkard? That would be the most logical explanation considering he reeked of whiskey, cigarette and...devil?

“I heard you were a forbidden magic user that specialized in life and death,” he breathed.

Aika grew still. She tamped down her anger as she wracked her head for who might’ve told him that.

“What is your name?” Her voice came quietly.

He raised his head and looked at her with startling blue eyes, that shone even in the dark of the alley.

“Faust.”

Her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. He said his last name on purpose. He knew that everyone forbidden magic user in Clover Kingdom knew that name well. She was definitely listening now.

“Nacht...Faust? The last surviving son of the Faust family?” Aika knew the family well. Not personally, but she had studied them thoroughly, seeing that they are the only people in Clover Kingdom who are rumored to consort with devils and other forbidden magic practices.

His mouth curled into snarl. He didn’t need to be reminded that he was alive and his brother wasn’t.

Nacht stood and steadied himself, feeling a bit more sober and gave her a sharp nod.

“Well, Nacht, may I help you with something? Seeing as you’ve been following me all the way from Clover Castle.”

“I want your help to bring my brother back.” His dead brother? She couldn’t bring back people who were already dead and their soul had passed so long ago.

“No,” she said almost immediately.

That crazed look was back again.

“No! Please! You have to help me.” He fell to his knees again, his hands clasped together pleadingly, tears falling in twin streams down his cheeks. Aika resisted the urge to sneer. She hated people who threw all their dignity aside and prostrate themselves, especially to strangers. She was about to leave him but his next words made her pause.

“Please, I’m begging you. His soul isn’t even resting in the After. Someone like him doesn’t belong in the Underworld! You are the only necromancer who lives without any serious repercussions. Please, I’ll do anything!”

Underworld? She could definitely use this to her advantage.

Aika laid a hand on his shoulder, making him snap his eyes up to hers.

“You want to bring your brother back from the Underworld?”

Nacht nodded frantically.

“Necromancy has a lot do with life and death,” she explained as a smile grew on her face. Internally, she was shaking with excitement. If he agrees to her plan, then she is saved. No one can give her Salvation except herself. She would put him through many trials: a different country, a different name, a different life. But in the end, they would both get what they want. “But it isn’t without sacrifices. You would have to wait years, give up your life for--”

“I don’t mind...” Nacht interrupted. “If I die...”

She rolled her eyes. Now, that was way too dramatic.

“You’re not going to die if you do this right. The point is to live and enjoy your life with your brother.”

He moved quickly and clasped her forearms, his eyes wide with hopeful desperation.

“You have a plan?!”

“Yes, now please unhand me.” Nacht let go as if he was burned and took a step back. “I’ll need you to sober up, gather your essentials and meet up with me at the church in Hage Village in a week from now. Have you ever been to college?”

Nacht was listening attentively but the last question caught him off guard.

“I-No?”

“Oh.” Aika touched her chin pensively. “Then, this will be a new experience for you then...” She thought out loud to herself. “Don’t worry I’ll send you to my alma mater. I’ll make sure they treat you right.”

He cocked his head at her in confusion.

“Clover University?”

“No,” she looked up at him and smiled thinly. “Spade Nation War College.”

Nacht opened his mouth to throw a slew of questions at her but she raised a halting hand.

“I will answer all your questions in a week, but only if you are prepared to do anything to bring your brother back. Sober up, think on this, and if you show up at that church, there’s no going back, understood?”

He stared hard at the dirty alley floor between them and slowly clenched his fist. Nacht needed to know something before he made up his mind.

“How sure are you that this is going to work?”

“Ninety percent sure.”

“And if this plan fails?”

“Then ninety percent of the world dies.” He shot her an alarmed look. “But that won’t happen as long as you do what you are told.”

Aika stared him down nonchalantly as he looked at her in disbelief.

“You have a week to make up your mind,” she adjusted her leather gloves. “And if there’s nothing else, then it was a pleasure to meet you, Nacht.”

He could tell that he was dismissed. His shoulders fell and he closed his eyes for a moment before he began to fall into the floor, into his own shadows. Just before his head disappeared, his eyes flew wide open and met her’s with a fierce resolve.

Aika relaxed. She need not worry. 

Nacht Faust was definitely going to come to that church.

She took a deep breath. She wasn’t done yet because he wasn’t the only person who pursued her tonight.

“You can come out now...Julius.”

A hooded man man dropped from the sky and landed noiselessly behind her, blocking the way out of the alley. The cloak fell, revealing the cold, expressionless face of the 28th Wizard King.

“Even if it is actually in good faith, I can’t let you proceed if this ‘plan’ really does have a 10 percent margin to fail and kill nearly everyone.”

Aika hadn’t lied to the stranger but she was sad that she has to lie to someone she was growing to like a lot.

“I lied to him. No one is going to die,” She assured him with a smile. “I just needed to be sure of his resolve before I trust him to come through.”

“I...won’t say I don’t trust you--”

“But that is exactly what you’re going to say.”

“No. I want Nacht to also bring any information he can on the movements of the Dark Triad.”

“That’s definitely doable.”

“Wh--Really?” That was so easy? Julius felt like it shouldn’t be.

“Absolutely. I still haven’t figured out all the logistics of the plan because I just came up with it,” Aika took his hand and brought it up to her face. “I am happy to include you in it if you want.” She kissed his knuckles.

Julius smiled down at her. He lived a life where nearly everyone disagreed with him on a daily basis. It was their job but he couldn’t help but be used to that. But Aika was someone who understood him on nearly everything. Even if she disagreed, she saw his viewpoint. Someone who stood next to him, someone who understood him. Yes, that was her.

He felt his heart race.

“Thank you.”