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** Plans, Schemes, Late Nights, and So the Inspection Begins
The constant chaos of the Devildom made the next couple weeks pass like a breeze. Student council meetings were running late as the permit deadline for the Blood Moon Festival was approaching. Diavolo insisted that every one of them had to be closely reviewed due to the panic that was caused the prior year when they were overburdened with the “animal-maid cafes” that Levi and Satan pushed through. They also had several fights break out at Mammon’s underground casinos.
The added workload had done very little for the prince’s mood since finding out that the angels were inbound for an inspection that he felt completely unprepared for. He barely had a few moments to meet with Solomon to ensure that the sorcerer was adequately prepared. They had not even discussed what new findings had come from the time he was spending with the female exchange student.
The late hours of the prince's nights had gone into preparing the forged files that were going to be used to deflect the focus off her. Barbatos had done perfectly with the task of preparing every shred of paperwork they were going to need. His thorough attention to detail was something Diavolo had come to favor most about him. It did not matter what task he was set to do, he always executed it perfectly.
Barbatos produced thirteen files that showed elevating power levels for a variety of mid and upper level demons that were attending the school. Six of the students, and one teacher, had even been involved with experiments that were intended to directly cause the type of effects that had been witnessed in the human world. It truly was the perfect plot to soothe the minds of both the prince as well as the angelic council.
Solomon was rather pleased that the prince had too much going on to have forced a deeper conversation about the powers of the female exchange student. He had gotten a bit nervous over the thought of running any new tests on her after the strange way she had reacted to the way he took Mammon’s power from her. He decided to shift the focus of their training to more honestly reflect what they had told her they would be doing.
Solomon was optimistic that if he could teach her a few basic spells, he would be able to gauge how she handled them or if they got easily out of her control. This should also help him figure out which elements she would most strongly be able to work with. He still had not been able to find another reference for the way that she physically manipulated magic.
Solomon also had very little time to delve into more proper research as he had been forced to find various levels of alternate masking to protect the research he had already done from falling into the hands of the incoming angels. Between Luke’s innocent curiosity, and Simeon’s eye for details and magic, it was going to be impossible for him to keep the notes stored in his dorm.
He hated to get the prince involved in the plans, but found he had very little choice if he was going to avoid potentially serious consequences to the choice he made. Solomon had Barbatos assist him with creating a small fold in space where he would be able to safely keep his notes, study in private, store reference materials, and so forth. Barbatos also set the space outside of the time-flow, allowing Solomon to move outside of time. This would allow the Sorcerer to sleep or study without losing any of the limited time that they had available.
While Solomon appreciated this gift, he had not found a reason to take advantage of the extra time. What he truly needed about the fold was after hours access to the library. The space was set with a connection from their private room at Hell’s Kitchen directly to the library. This gave Solomon the ability to access items from the library’s restricted sections at a moment’s notice, even if it was the odd times of the night. While that was the original idea, with the shift in his approach to her training, there was currently no need for him to have the access that was set-up.
Solomon made the choice to focus himself fully on the illusion that he had returned with her out of simple desire to continue their schooling in the Devildom. This meant keeping up on his conversation with Simeon that had previously dropped. He also needed to provide just a bit of information to the angel so that his additional meetings with the prince or Barbatos would be covered. Even though he could easily secure the angel’s trust, he wanted to make sure that everything appeared to still be in order.
***
The angels were coming late Tuesday afternoon and Diavolo promised to end the day’s council meeting as soon as they arrived. He was going to treat everyone to dinner at Ristorante Six in place of a formal welcome party. All the brothers had been on their best behavior over the last month, and even Mammon had pulled up his grades so that he was passing all his courses. Best of all, there had been no shenanigans hidden in the festival paperwork.
The angels’ timing was impeccable as ever. The only thing they had to discuss for that day had been Satan’s overwhelming list of overdue books from the library. Lucifer had been too shocked that Mammon had ever been to the library to check out a book to know how to react to his name on the list. Lucifer simply told Mammon that he would add it to the brother’s outstanding balance due, under the presumption that he had sold it too long ago to remember whom it went to.
The magic that transported the angels into the Devildom came with some of the most delicate and pleasing music she had ever experienced to announce their arrival. A beam of light cut into the council chamber, directed at the center stage. The beam widened to the width of the two it was transporting, just before the intensity of the brightness began to peak.
The audio trigger was an obvious warning for the demons to cover their eyes as the angels’ holy light filled the council chamber. She was also forced to cover her eyes, since becoming more acclimated to the constant night of the Devildom. Even though she averted her eyes, she enjoyed the warm feeling of the magic that flooded the chamber. It brought such a content feeling to her that she was completely caught off guard by Luke’s squeal as he leapt off the stage into her arms.
She laughed heartily as her eyes opened to find the bright blue eyes of her young angelic friend. It was difficult to tell if he was simply excited or he had been crying over the chance of seeing her once more. Luke started incoherently babbling the instant her eyes opened, leaving her to simply set him on his feet and pat his head as he unloaded everything he had pent up to tell her.
Luke spoke for a solid twenty minutes before her eyes were able to catch a break and glance at Simeon. The tall angel had already started a very deep conversation with Lucifer and Diavolo. While it did not appear that Barbatos was participating in the discussion, he was attending to every spoken word with incredible detail.
Luke quickly noticed the shift in her attention, and grabbed at the hem of her coat sleeve to pull her back into the current item he was attempting to inform her on. It would have been a lie to say she wasn’t incredibly relieved when she heard Beelzebub’s fists hit the table, waking his twin with a sour look. The avatar of gluttony bellowed, “You said we would go for dinner as soon as the angels got here, and that was a half hour ago!”
The speed that Belphie was able to provide Beel with a few pieces of candy was swift enough to even make Lucifer do a double take. Beelzebub took a long slow breath as he sucked on one of the comfort candies that his twin had passed over to him. Lucifer and Diavolo also quickly exchanged glances before ushering everyone out from the council chamber.
It had been faint, but she had distinctly heard Simeon say, “We’ll be able to continue this discussion later. You’re not going to like what they have to say. It’s a lot worse than you realize.”
Luke was snoring softly in Solomon’s arms as the sorcerer made his way toward Purgatory Hall. He was disappointed that he would not be present when the official directive was handed down by Simeon. He knew he would be told the full details later, once the demons had time to ruminate on a plan, but he wanted Simeon’s unfiltered words the instant they were uttered.
“Ridiculous,” Solomon uttered as he tucked the small angel into his dorm bed. They had intentionally allowed Luke to binge on sweets alongside Beelzebub. The sight of the angelic child’s face covered in ice cream and frosting while the female exchange student took pleasure in feeding him desserts had given the sorcerer a belly-ache of a laugh. It wasn’t until Simeon had asked if he would carry Luke to the dorm, that he realized why they were allowing such a show.
From that point the rest of the night had carried forward much as expected. Beel had carried his twin and the female exchange student on his back, while also carrying the third born brother in a bridal style. It took both Mammon and Satan to drag the very drunk avatar of lust out of the restaurant with what still remained of his clothing after he lost a drinking contest to Mammon’s cheating. All the commotion as they left made it easy for Simeon, Barbatos, Diavolo and Lucifer to slip away toward the Demon Lord’s castle without being bothered.
Simeon decided not to wait until they reached the castle grounds. He stopped them in the middle of the RAD quad. Even for such a public place, this was one area that was impossible to eavesdrop in without being sighted.
“Diavolo, the Well of Souls is low and the Tree of Life has begun to wilt. We need all the information you have about your female exchange student right away. We have ample reason to believe that she is severely throwing off the balance.”
Simeon’s quick and to the point statement stopped the entire quiet party in its tracks, forcing everyone to turn their eyes to him. The angel had serious lines drawn along his face, and the loss of their more jovial brothers gave him the freedom to be as blunt as necessary to impress on them that he was not about to fool around with any level of misdirection.
“Excuse me?” Diavolo made no effort to hide his annoyance at the angel’s request as he met his eyes. He did not want to accuse Barbatos of giving him busy work before, but Simeon had made the last weeks of late night work a complete waste.
Simeon sighed softly, he wasn’t as oblivious as the rest of the council. He knew his friends well enough to know that there were a lot of things that they weren’t willing to share outright. That was why he would have to stay in the Devildom, back in the same observatory role that he had the first time they had brought the beautiful human female to stay with them.
“Diavolo, you were warned, when you first brought the idea of this program to the council, that you would have to provide any documents as soon as they were requested. First as your friend, and second as the primary ambassador from the angelic council, please prepare a copy of the documents specific to her and have them ready for me to turn in by the end of next week.”
Simeon did not give any time for the demons to protest. He immediately turned on his heel and swiftly made his way to Purgatory Hall. Simeon was very happy that Michael had allowed Luke to tag along with him. The young angel offered the perfect, constant, distraction. Solomon had been surprisingly tight-lipped about what he was doing in the Devildom with the female exchange student. He had told Simeon that he was also meeting with Diavolo to plot a course of magic training for her, but outside of that, Solomon was not willing to give Simeon any details. Simeon’s careful observations had been part of why he was a primary selection to monitor this program; and he was not willing to allow any harm to come to the soul of his friend.
The stunned trio of demons stood in silence as the angel strode away into the darkness. Heat radiated off Diavolo as his demonic aura swelled, filling the quad with dark ripples of anger. Lucifer stood next to him, completely immune but enveloped in his own aura of prideful fury. They had lost sight of Simeon’s shape quite a while before the prince spoke.
“So be it. Barbatos, fetch the angel the files that he has requested. Create them a perfect copy without any alterations. Am I clear?”
“Yes Sir, crystal clear.” Barbatos spoke just loud enough so that he would not have to repeat himself, but he was fully aware of the prince’s disappointment in the time that was lost over the last weeks. Even for beings such as themselves, who would have an infinite life, the loss of time was still a very bitter thing for the prince. Especially when he considered that his female prize was not immortal, like the rest of them were.
Lucifer turned his glowing red eyes on Diavolo and Barbatos, “If anything happens to her, I will make you regret every bit of magic you’ve invested in me.” Lucifer also huffed away before saying anything else that he may later end up regretting. He had no intention of heading directly to the House of Lamentation, so he allowed himself to lazily walk through the campus.
Once Lucifer got out of the prince’s aura, he began to feel his own head lighten and his thoughts clear. Lucifer knew, deep down, that Diavolo cared as deeply for her as he did, and there was no way that he was going to allow the angelic council to bring her to harm. It had just been the blunt way that Simeon approached the subject that threw him off. Urgency was not something the angelic council had ever been known for. Therefore, such urgency being put on the request meant that they believed she was responsible for more than just what Simeon had said. Though, he still could not imagine what more was putting so much pressure on them to produce a detailed report on her.
The prince stood silently for a moment while he watched Lucifer’s figure disappear into the shadows. No matter how upset this turn of events had made him, the demon avatar of pride would always make his reactions seem on the more level side. He finally turned, taking a slow pace to return to the castle. Barbatos stayed close, following slightly behind the prince in case any orders were passed down. The slow silent walk under the Devildom stars left the prince with no more answers for this turn of events than when the order had been delivered.
Through the tension, Barbatos followed Diavolo’s slow movements until they were at last brought to the castle. There was no delay as the prince made his way to his chambers. He had not slept properly while they prepared for this inspection, and now that he knew the long nights had been in vain, the only thing he wanted was a night of deep sleep. He had so many questions, and none of them were going to be answered tonight. Furthermore, Barbatos now had adequate work ahead to prepare the requested documents in a timely fashion.
***
While the rest of the student council was overseeing the beginning stages of preparation for the Blood Moon Festival, Beelzebub was beginning an intense training routine to improve his performance. He had finished with his team at the top of their league, but he never wanted that to limit his efforts to improve.
Asmodeus had shown him a new Devilgram challenge, #666Exercises. The challenge was the exact thing that Beel wanted to give his off season training a focus. Asmo originally agreed to help Beel with posting the updates and tracking his progress on the challenge. It came as little surprise to anyone when he began to run into scheduling conflicts, leaving the rest of the house to pick up his slack.
That Friday afternoon, she sat on the sidelines with the brothers that had come to support Beel’s weekly update on his attempt to set a new record on the challenge. Since she knew how much it meant to Beel, she had agreed to pick up what Asmo started. However, with the additional help in tow this week, she was not left with much to do beyond cheering for him.
Levi had taken over the video feed for the challenge, insisting that it would be a better way to track progress over using their DDD cameras. This would also allow them to do more enhanced editing, if the desire came up at the end of the project. He also added several personal reasons for his hatred of live streamed videos, insisting that a properly finished production would yield a more content following.
She was often tempted to tease him for the overly unnecessary explanation. She valued his skill as well as his willingness to provide the equipment and time that it would take to do editing. But it was never really a secret that Levi was desperate to have any extra time around her that he could give reason to offer, even if that meant sitting outside on the field sidelines.
She agreed to let Luke come along as well, and put him to the task of tracking and recording each part of the challenge in Beel’s workout log. She had to stifle a giggle as she looked over the angel’s shoulder to observe his delicate handwriting. The young angel’s brow crinkled as he squeezed small numbers into the spaces of the graph paper. He was deep into the list before he even realized that the tight column he had created didn’t come close to lining up with the previous entries.
When she glanced over again, she saw him cleaning up the prior entries. Top to bottom the numbers were rewritten and lined up. His strict manner made the entries much easier to read and follow for progress. It warmed her heart to see how proud Luke was when he showed Beel the finished product. It was such a pure expression of his friendship with Beelzebub.
Lucifer had taken Mammon, Satan, and Belphegor with him to tend to the plotting of the festival grounds. Lucifer knew that the avatar of sloth and the avatar of greed would ensure that the task was completed as quickly as possible, allowing them to get back to whatever other plans they had made. He also wanted to observe Mammon’s and Satan’s expressions as they laid out the spacing for the festival, to know if his brothers were going to try to sneak anything in the back of an officially registered stall.
Across campus, Barbatos was serving tea to Diavolo and Simeon. The paperwork that had been requested was already prepared and sitting in front of the angel. Barbatos insisted that he kept three copies of her paperwork, in case just such a request made such things necessary. He also insisted that Lucifer routinely asked for updates on her, which was why he had more than just the celestial copy.
Simeon made no effort to review the file. The exact contents of the file were not his concern, nor did he feel any pressure to check the files for accuracy or forgery. They would be delivered to the angelic council, exactly as they were, at the time he had said they would be. In spite of the speed that they had produced the files, Simeon had no intention of rushing the files back to the council. He easily found out that she had a date planned with Beelzebub for that Saturday, when she was forced to turn down the offer to join him and Luke for tea and baking.
“I find it quite charming that you’re encouraging her to spend more quality time with each of the demons that she has a pact with,” Simeon’s tone bled with sarcasm as he added some sugar cubes to the tea that Barbatos had served them.
“I am not directly encouraging it. I am simply not prohibiting it. She certainly should spend more quality time with each of her pact mates while she is visiting. There shouldn’t be any harm in that. It’s far easier to arrange such things while she is visiting here, rather than allowing the brothers to travel up to the human realm. Wouldn’t you agree?” Diavolo took his tea hot and black.
The angel was left to simply nod in agreement with an acquiescent chuckle. The prince’s excuses rolled from his tongue without any need for rehearsal. He was clearly convinced of what he had set up and the goal of their current actions aligned to all of his claims. The angel knew it was foolish to expect the prince to openly admit to anything; but to deflect the question with some of the most obvious logic caused him to feel his holy wrath building behind his normally calm exterior.
“Diavolo, don’t you ever tire of these games?”
Diavolo barely offered him a grunt to acknowledge the question as he took a long slow drink of tea from his cup. When he finally withdrew the cup from his lips, he focused his attention on the angel, “Simeon, the only thing I tire of, is your insistence that I must be hiding something. Solomon brought the female along with him as a personal favor to her, and she has been excited to extend her visit and continue to attend classes. Seeing as how her grades are in the top tier, I feel that her presence is a value to our overall program.”
The annoyed angel placed his cup down with deliberate motion and sat back, giving the prince a deliberately slow clap. He lost his ability to sit quietly with the prince and leaned in to collect the pristine file that had been prepared for him. Barbatos was waiting, as expected, at the door as he approached. The demon butler escorted him out of the castle.
After stepping through the front door, Simeon turned back to face Barbatos, “I know it’s in your nature to look out for your master, and cover for him, but do not try to impede this investigation.”
The demon simply turned his head slightly to the side, a wide smile cut across his face like a mask. “Simeon, do not forget your place as an ambassador and GUEST. And as always, do not hesitate to let us know if your accommodations require any review.”
The butler felt little remorse as he shut the castle door promptly in the angel’s face to bring a swift end to their conversation. He already knew what was coming this weekend. There was no way to change this particular course. It would look no better or worse for him to have provided the documents with the speed that he did. It would give Simeon a few days to decide if he really was not going to review what had been collected before the next event took place.
Barbatos had fostered her connection with Beelzebub once before. An action that was not without its own consequences. However, what he had foreseen for this coming weekend, reflected a much more intense issue coming up. Searching for the root cause of this went far beyond what was previously manifesting, and this left him with the curious question of whether it was her power building or something else that was about to take place.
After realizing that this would be a fixed point, he knew it was best to simply allow it to pass. Situations that he could not fully anticipate still annoyed him, but there was still an element of excitement that came with this approach. Someone else had to make a choice before he would be able to see what the next set of paths to open up would be.
As Barbatos silently returned to the study, he caught the flutter of the covered painting that sat out of the way in the study. His delicate eye for the prince’s details allowed him to easily get an idea of what the subject of the painting was. Knowing the prince as he did, it would bring a slow stone to the pit of his stomach. There were a lot of reasons for the prince to be excited about their female guest. Barbatos had already confirmed that, even if he had not quite delivered the full results to Diavolo, it had already been noted in the file that Simeon now possessed. He was long past his disappointment that Lucifer had not realized how important the small detail had been. It was nothing that would trigger the angelic council if they actually did take the time to review the file.
Diavolo had direct reason to be overly excited. He did not need to read all the details of the reports to be pleased with what had been happening. Even if the council attempted to remove her from the Devildom, Diavolo was quite certain that the brothers were already prepared to fight for their treasure. Allowing each of them to savor her flavor would only keep them tied more deeply to her. All of it was coming together so much better than he could have planned, even the way Barbatos had attempted to deflect attention away from her. Diavolo did not need Barbatos’ ability to manipulate time to know that they were on the cusp of something big. The excitement was nearly palpable, and all the pieces were in play. He had only to sit back and watch the dominoes fall.
*** Sushi, Burgers, and the Attic Club Sandwich
She wasn’t going to have the option to sleep in on the day of her date with Beelzebub. Even with the last weeks of hard training, Beel wasn’t able to complete all 666 exercises in a single stretch. He had taken nine hours off the total time it took him to accomplish the routine; but it still meant it took him two days to complete. She promised to be there with him extra early on Saturday morning so that he could finish the remaining exercises before they went out for the evening.
Since Luke had been disappointed that she wasn’t going to join him and Simeon for a day of baking, he begrudgingly dragged his mentor out to meet them at the field in the wee hours of the morning. Beel didn’t ask, he simply scooped up Belphie in a sleeping bag and carried his snoring twin along like a workout weight. Even Levi was uncharacteristically prepared for their early morning, though her suspicion was that he had not slept the prior night for fear of oversleeping this morning and missing his chance to spend time with her today.
The sleepy gaggle of companions made their way, rather quietly over to the field in the early morning stillness. In spite of everyone’s lament for the earliness of the morning, Beel insisted that they move at a swift pace. He didn’t want to dedicate any more of his morning to warming up than what he would already need before he could get going on the remaining challenge updates. It was a particularly pleasing sight when she saw Luke bouncing up and down with boxes of fresh donuts. Simeon had taken responsibility for the stack of hot beverages that they brought along, to ensure that nothing was spilled.
Beelzebub took the top box of two dozen donuts from Luke before the small angel had a chance to say anything. Beel started devouring them two at a time, much to the horror of the angel. The scent of coffee also brought wakefulness to the avatar of sloth, who had been laid on the sidelines. Simeon took care of passing around the beverages as everyone else helped themselves to the remaining box of donuts.
The avatar of gluttony began his speed warm-up while finishing the box of donuts. Beel had the uncanny ability to combine the first round of stretches with the actual eating of his donuts. Both Levi and the female exchange student were laughing at the animated gestures that he stretched his body into as he prepared to push through the remaining exercise challenges. After finishing the box, he went for a jog around the track. It was a bit of a mystery yet that there were times when he was not able to catch Mammon, given the speed he showed in his training.
Beel was the epitome of results that came from physical training. The determination he displayed that Saturday was truly astounding. In many of the categories, he displayed measurable improvements. Luke insisted that he had not altered any of the notes in the workout log, but she felt that there was a more obvious reason for Beel’s enhanced efforts.
The margin of improvement started to get more intense as they approached noon. Belphegor had long fallen back to sleep, and was snoring contentedly in the sleeping bag that he was carried in. The female exchange student leaned back against the avatar of sloth, rather enjoying the warmth he generated. She was also finding it difficult to stay awake, and soon dozed off, using Belphie as a pillow. When Beel stopped for a water break he noticed that she had fallen asleep. Luke and Levi were still easily keeping up with him as he finished the last of his workout.
She was embarrassed when she was woken up by the flushed face of the avatar of gluttony. He was breathing heavily as he gently shook her to wake her up. Luke was excitedly going on about how quickly the last of the exercises had gone. It was becoming more obvious that Beelzebub was excited to have time alone with her tonight.
Once she realized that he was letting her know that he had finished, she understood that they were all getting ready to head back to the dorms. She reassured Beel that she would be able to walk back on her own. She knew it would be better to walk, and it would help her wake up a bit after snoozing on top of Belphie. Taking her at her word, Beel took the end of the sleeping bag and swung his twin over his shoulder. With a giggle, she strolled along next to them after saying her goodbyes to the angels.
It was rather difficult for Simeon to watch as she walked away between the twins and the avatar of envy. She had such a bright spirit that it was a constant anomaly how she did so well to survive the constant danger that such a human should face in the Devildom. There was something far beyond the power she gained from her pacts that kept her safe. Even the prince could not place such a guarantee over the life of a human.
Simeon was dragged from his own curious thoughts by Luke tugging his arm. Luke had put up a strong front while their human friend was present, but now he wanted to rush back to Purgatory Hall to warm up. He also did not hide his layered enthusiasm over their promised plans to spend the evening baking. Simeon turned his famous smile on the young angel and scooped him up with the most convincing laugh he could manage. Certainly these were the type of questions that would have to take their course to unfold.
As soon as they arrived back at the House of Lamentation, Levi mumbled a bit and immediately left toward his room. Since they had only recently been able to cut the challenge time down to two days, he scheduled the upload for Sunday night. This would allow him to finally get some sleep before he began editing the footage they had collected over the last two days. This response only reinforced the initial belief that he had not slept the prior night, which comforted her heart to have his dedication to helping Beelzebub meet these goals.
“Did you get a good rest? If you want to take a nap before we go out, I understand. I got done as quickly as I could so that we can go out as soon as I shower,” Beel’s words were laden with excitement. He had been patient coming up to his turn to take her out, but now that the time had finally come, he allowed himself a bit of overflowing excitement.
She beamed a smile up to the tall demon, “I feel fantastic. I just want to get cleaned up as well and maybe pick out a nice outfit.”
Beel returned her smile, with one of his own. “I’m going to tuck him up in the attic. You can help yourself to the shower first. I had Lucifer send a deposit to the new Hellfire Hibachi for us for tonight. I guess Diavolo suggested it. The food is supposed to be pretty good, and they cook things right in front of you. I figured we can spend the night trying all kinds of great foods together.”
She did remember the prince bringing up the new Hellfire Hibachi that opened downtown. She had expected Lucifer to eventually take her, or maybe Belphegor. Belphie always had the most selective palate when it came to things like sushi. Though the element of having someone do performance cooking for them did seem like the exact thing that would appeal to Beelzebub. Again, Beel brought her back from her own daydream, this time by kissing her forehead before heading up the stairs with Belphie in tow.
She watched him, carrying the sleeping bag as though it weighed nothing. He had the strength to be brutal, but his heart wasn’t built that way. Even for a demon, he had a softness that made it so easy to open up to him. While his manners were sometimes selfish, she really did not feel any malice from his actions or the way he interacted with his brothers.
She watched as the pair disappeared around the corner before she made her way to the bathroom for a shower. Even if Beel enjoyed the smell of field grass, it wasn’t at the top of her list of personal fragrance choices for a date. Living with Asmo gave her access to several collections of bath products, but she finally decided on the pomegranate collection that Belphie and Asmo had gifted her last Easter. The shower scrub and deep moisture creme would make quick work of refreshing her mind and body.
She opened the door to leave the bathroom and stumbled backwards half a step. She was startled as Beel nearly came stumbling in on top of her. As he fell forward, his eyes turned up to her with a deep hunger written across his face. He took a deep breath, and she watched as he inhaled the steam from the bathroom.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t stop myself. You smell so great.” He was tripping over his words as he attempted to wipe the stream of saliva from his mouth. Edible fragrances were often joked to be a weakness for him, but he normally was not willing to show himself so near to the edge.
She did not want him to feel bad, so she leaned in and gave him a small kiss. It was something she did without thinking about the direct consequences that followed. The familiar taste of Beel’s ginger flavored magic washed over her lips and began to make its way to her stomach. She pulled back and swallowed hard. They sat with their eyes locked onto each other. She was overwhelmed by the perfect physical form he had, when they were this close together.
She was forced to turn her eyes away from the handsome face of her friend. The incident from when she first returned to the Devildom was fresh enough in both their minds to give cause for a necessary hesitation. The gesture had been more than enough to ease Beel’s guilt, as well as the intense hunger that had come from the scent of her products that infused the bathroom steam.
Beel straightened up and stepped to the side to allow her to pass by him and get to her room. She held her towel tight around her body as she walked with her head down around him and into her room. Once she closed the door behind herself, she paused for a moment to lean back against the door. Her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest and she was trembling all over with excitement.
“Tonight, I get you all to myself.”
It was a strange way to think about the upcoming date, but that was the exact way it began to resonate within her mind. There was little room for debate over the fact that Beelzebub was one of the most desirable males in the realm. He also was practically impossible to date because of his intense sports schedule. Even when he had time, he often remarked that he would rather spend time with his brothers over anyone else. She was one of the few that had the kind of access to know when he would be available, or maybe he made himself specifically available for her.
“But tonight, I get you all to myself.”
She was not even going to share him with his twin. She was going to relish in the full loving attention that Beel was capable of giving. He would focus his attention entirely on her, and her alone for the entire night. Her teeth subconsciously raked over her lip, her mind lost in the delicious flavors of love that were inbound to her this evening.
When she looked up, she saw several bottles sitting on the table in the center of her room. The bright color of the contents brought her an instant recognition of what they were. She smiled as she walked over and took a small drink from one of the bottles. As expected, her thoughts began to settle and clear. And so with a slow sigh, she began to select the items she wanted for her outfit.
It did not take her long to pull together the pieces she wanted for her outfit that evening. Even though she had the Life Tea, she was still becoming incredibly hungry. The hunger rooted deeper inside of her than she remembered from before. The dress she selected had a burnt orange color and cream lace trim. The stacked layers of satin and lace made her look like a cupcake. She added to the indulgence by using an orange crush scented body mist, and glittery makeup.
She was taking one last moment to look herself over in the mirror before she headed down to meet Beelzebub in the main entryway. She gave her reflection a sultry smile and struck a few extra poses. Before leaving her room, she couldn’t help but say, “It may be Beel’s gluttony… but honestly, I’d eat myself.”
She gave a hearty laugh at her own admission as she walked out into the hallway. She had been so self focused that she was not paying attention and walked directly into Mammon. He was making an attempt to sneak out while Lucifer was seeing her and Beel off for the night. Mammon’s arms instinctively wrapped around her as they collided.
“Ay, ya, ya,” he would feign annoyance over the situation, but the way that his arms pulled tighter around her would easily overshadow any illusions he may attempt. “You know, you better be careful. We’ve got a demon in this house that eats first, and asks questions later.”
She laughed as she slid her hands over the greedy demon’s shoulders. Mammon may not have Beelzebub’s muscle bulk, but it was no stretch of the imagination why he was such a successful model for Mojolish. His lean muscular build was easy to appreciate especially when he was wrapped around her. It was Asmo’s coy giggle that dragged the two apart.
They both turned to face Asmodeus with a flush in their cheeks. The avatar of lust was watching them with wide eyes and a dreamy look. “Oh, don’t mind me, I just love seeing two bodies in a loving embrace. However, Lucifer will be looking for both of you out front, so you should probably get headed that direction.”
Asmo’s sensitivity to any erotic intent left him positively cooing over the two, but the reminder he delivered had the necessary effect of getting the pair moving toward the front door. Asmo was practically gliding on air as he drifted down the main stair. Mammon was not covering his annoyance over his brother’s whimsical attitude regarding the intrusion. She alone was stopped, breathlessly at the top of the stairs when she caught sight of Beel.
She certainly did not expect a high-class date from her dear avatar of gluttony. His manners were the type that would be shunned at such locations. She was still far from prepared to see him in his casual attire. His additional training made it necessary for him to get new jeans, but his tank top and jacket were well worn in. The simple sight of him brought a playful laugh to her, Beelzebub simply did not put value on things like appearances.
Beelzebub caught sight of her as soon as his brothers came down the steps. It was easily apparent that Lucifer had been scolding him over his lack of formal attire for the date. Satan made no effort to hide his amusement as Lucifer continued his lecture on the value of putting effort into his appearance for such things.
“I happen to love the way he looks,” she snarked to Lucifer as her hand came up over the back of his shoulder. Lucifer stopped speaking immediately and she could feel him relax under her gentle touch. Satan’s face twisted into a disgusted sneer as he watched Lucifer melt under her touch. The expression was lost on her as she gleamed a smile over Lucifer’s shoulder, directed at Beelzebub. The excited avatar of gluttony did not need any further encouragement to take her hand and whisk her away for their night together.
It was not a far drive and they quickly arrived at the Hibachi. The building was lit up beautifully, with flaming pillars adorning the opening. A large sign was posted stating that they were closed for a private party that night. Her heart sank into her stomach for a moment before she realized that they were the party that had closed the establishment. Beelzebub’s infamous appetite made it necessary for the top chef to take them as a single reservation for the entire night.
Beel parked and turned off the car’s engine. Two Little D’s of Pride drifted up from the entry and came to offer them door side service. Beel’s eyes glowed as he smiled at her. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek while unclasping the buckle. When they entered the Hibachi, they were greeted by the cooing of a Little D of Lust. The creature had apparently been put to the task of overseeing the night’s ambiance.
The excitement that radiated off the avatar of gluttony was truly palpable as they were led around into the main serving area. The closing of the restaurant had allowed the chef to prepare for their arrival. He had already been working all day, but that did not stop him from continuing the fantastic display. Flames roared up from the grill as they were guided to their seats, which were set before a full buffet of already prepared options.
There were four Little D’s of Gluttony assisting the chef with keeping a constant flow of food for the couple to enjoy. Two supplied the chef with raw ingredients, while another added the freshly cooked items to the nearest section of the table. The last Little D of Gluttony took care of clearing the emptied plates to the kitchen. The entire ballet of movement only helped to add entertaining ambiance.
Beelzebub wasted no time diving into the fine selection of foods that were already prepared. She took her seat next to him but was enjoying their chef’s performance. The heat of the grill and the wonderful smells that he created while he cooked were a rich experience. It was clear that this establishment was used to catering to the gluttonous nature of demons such as Beelzebub.
The eyes of the chef turned to her with a concerned expression, and she became acutely aware that everything around her had gone silent. She was positively salivating, but had not begun to eat any of the items that were being prepared. The experience had been so overwhelming she was completely unsure where to start eating.
It was Beelzebub’s soft caress on her cheek that pulled her attention. Even he had noticed her lack of enthusiasm to start eating the foods that were prepared. His tone was warm, but firm, “It’s dinner and a show. So, it’s kind of rude not to eat, honey.”
Beelzebub was no fool. He was well aware of the limits that her human stomach would have with such an elaborate feast. He had also been hopeful that after their prior encounter that he would be able to remedy that. His fingers tugged gently at the edge of her jaw and he pulled her into a hunger inducing kiss. They both enjoyed the warm, wet feeling as Beel’s magic flooded into her. His tongue slid over hers, enhancing the taste of everything with a single swipe. Even the scent of the foods around her built up to an entirely new level.
When Beelzebub withdrew his lips from their embrace, they were both panting with hungered breath. She was absolutely entranced by his face, but the scent of the food she hadn’t yet enjoyed was far more overwhelming to her newly found hunger. When she turned back to the food options that were spread before them, her mouth fell open. She began eating and the look on the chef’s face began to relax as he resumed the show of his preparations.
Tender cooked meats, flame roasted vegetables, rice, noodles and more sauces than she knew existed for this style of cooking delighted her palette. Sweet, savory, and spicy flavors fought for control of the balance. Each distinct flavor profile found its own perfected execution through the chef’s actions. She found that she enjoyed the performance more, as she was more drawn into the specific actions he used to finish each dish just before it was served to them.
Soft, pleasurable moans would pass between the two as they continued to enjoy the many dishes that were prepared for them. She had long been an exception for Beel. She never looked down on him for the extent of his appetite. His brothers’ constant teasing and Lucifer’s exhaustion over their food budget often wore on him more than he cared to show. She was the only one that did not make him feel bad for his lack of control over his sin. The longer he watched the various food items passing over her lips, the more he could feel his hunger for her growing and overshadowing the hunger he had for the foods in front of them.
Beelzebub realized he was staring when one of the Little D’s of Gluttony bumped against him while it was removing a plate full of spare rib bones. She was resting between courses, but he could not help but watch with a hungry desire as her tongue licked over her sauce covered fingers. The intense glow of his eyes pulled her in once more. He had a deep flush to his cheeks that could not be blamed on the spice in their dinner.
She could feel the desire she had for Beelzebub building in her lips again, but her eye caught the glint of a machine in the back corner behind him. It was not something she was expecting, but she wanted to give him something in return for the incredible way he had arranged their date to allow them some time alone. She gave Beel a fast smile and walked over to the karaoke machine.
She had only taken a few steps toward the machine when the Little D of Lust popped up next to her with its curious cooing. She knew that Beel had a heightened sense of smell, primarily due to his sin, but she was not sure if he also possessed a heightened sense of hearing. She waited until she got all the way over to the karaoke machine to ask the Little D of Lust if they had the song she wanted to perform for Beelzebub.
The creature gave her a wide smile to affirm that they had the title she was requesting. The Little D of Lust passed her the microphone and then bounced over to type in the song code on the machine. She could feel a flutter in her stomach as she waited for the title of the song to come up on the monitor. Bright red letters popped up on a yellow background with the title, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”.
She could feel the electric response in the avatar of gluttony from across the dining room. His positive reaction gave her all the confidence she needed to get fully into the performance. By the second chorus, all the Little D’s were clapping along while her and Beelzebub were singing. As soon as the song finished, she gave the microphone back to the Little D of Lust.
Beel’s eyes stayed glued to her through the entire performance. Once she returned to the table, he scooped her up into his lap. His arms snaked around her like an anaconda, holding her in a vice-like grip. The intense pressure made her feel more safe than scared. It also made her realize how incredibly overfull her belly was. Yet, there was still one intense hunger that remained between them.
Beelzebub did not take his eyes off her as he addressed the head chef, “Please finish your preparations and have the leftovers sent to the House of Lamentation with the final bill.”
Beel hoisted her up in his arms and stood with a single motion. She let out a squealing giggle and wrapped her arms around his neck. His grip was tight and comforting, though a bit clumsy as he made his way out of the restaurant and to his car. One of the Little D’s of Pride stayed hot on his heels to open the doors for him.
Beelzebub deposited her as gently as he was able to in the seat and reached across to fasten her seatbelt. The gentle pressure combined with his warmth and scent were all pushing her heart to beat fast and hard in her chest. As he pulled back he kissed her once again, smiling as he pulled back to shut the car door. Her mouth ached for him with heat like a smoldering coal.
It only took a few moments for the excited demon to circle the car and secure himself in the driver’s seat. Their energy seemed to vibrate together as he pulled away from the restaurant. While they drove back she took hold of his hand in hers, bringing his fingers to her lips and teasing them with playfully gentle bites up and down the lengths of his fingers. His touch seemed to be the only thing that could cool the hungry burning in her mouth.
She had been enjoying the cooling tease of his fingers on her lips so much that she was not aware of their arrival back at the House of Lamentation. Beel had parked and was watching her play with his hand. He had a look on his face that was a mix of arousal and pity. His hand brushed up from her lips over the soft curve of her face. He cupped the side of her face while he looked deep into her eyes.
“I’m sorry, I know how much it burns. But, I know another way to help. I- uhhh….” he paused for a moment, but she could feel the hot flush in his fingertips, “I know another way to fulfill that hunger. Do you trust me?”
His thumb brushed over her lips once more. Her cheeks flushed with heat as she closed her eyes and nodded her head at him. A broad smile crossed his lips and he nearly leapt out of the driver’s seat. In a heartbeat he was opening her door and had scooped her up to carry her inside. In spite of his bulky size, he managed to make a fast and silent track for his room.
Once they were in the room, Beel sat down on the bed with her in his arms. In the low lighting of the room she could put all her focus on his eyes as they peered deep into her own. He pulled her tight once more and they connected in a slow, savory kiss. There was something extra indulgent about finally having a chance to simply kiss each other without having to worry about anyone else interrupting them.
His tongue slowly tickled over her lips, sending hot shivers through her body. His kisses were excruciatingly slow. She had never realized how incredibly sensual he could be. His sin gave him the most heightened senses of all the brothers, and in this moment he was committing every sense to the way he wanted to enjoy his time with her.
Beel held the back of her head with his hand while he began to massage her inner thigh with his other. She moaned into his mouth, feeling the burning hunger of arousal building within her. But, somehow, the way he made her lips move while they kissed seemed to help her hunger.
She wasn’t sure how long they had been kissing. It felt like time slowed down to match the slow pace of Beelzebub’s kiss. She was only brought back to the moment by the sound of shuffling bed linens coming from his twin’s bed on the other side of the room. When her eyes opened, they were met with the piercing gaze of the same violet eyes across the room. She gasped, catching Beel’s attention and turning him to the matched set of eyes that glowed from the other bed in the room.
Beel shushed her with a smile as he cupped her cheek and turned her face back to his, “Shh, please don’t be upset. I actually asked him to join us for the night. I hope you’re not upset.”
By this point Belphegor was sitting upright, cross legged facing the two of them. He looked down sheepishly, embarrassed that Beel had not mentioned the arrangement sooner. Yet, as she stammered for an answer, he was given renewed hope.
Without further hesitation he stepped out of the bed, walked over, and kissed her while she sat in Beelzebub’s lap. Her head spun with clouds as his slow kiss spread soft, relaxing magic through her body. She could still feel Beel’s hand squeezing on the inside of her thigh. A deep groan radiated through her body as she felt their magics mixing inside of her.
She could feel Beel begin to kiss and nibble teasingly on her shoulders and neck. At the same time, Belphie started groping at her breasts. Her head was swimming with arousal when she finally heard Beel’s voice, the heat of his breath sent shivers across her shoulders.
“I thought it might be nice to spend the night together, all three of us. I want you to be as satisfied as possible, especially since you’re going to be filled with my sin. You deserve to have as much pleasure as your body can handle.”
Beel pulled her back onto the bed. Belphie had no trouble keeping her locked into the kiss while they moved. The mix of their magics left her body completely relaxed and pliable. Belphie pressed against her chest while Beel was pulling her back into the bed and spreading her legs with his hand.
She could feel the shift in the bed as Belphie climbed into the bed to join them. His fingers were nimbly going about the task of removing her top while he continued the light kissing assault of her mouth. Beel had already slipped her panties off her before he pulled her back into the middle of the bed.
Her body melted like butter as two sets of hands rolled her over between the two of them. She felt the burning hunger building like an inferno as Beel kissed her again. Everything felt like a dream as she curled around his warm, muscular body. She was so aroused that he easily entered her. She broke the kiss, turning her head back to gasp, only to have Belphie pull her into a passionate kiss.
Beel’s thrusts were strong and deep, and she could hear him growl with arousal as he watched his twin kissing her. She could feel the corner of Belphie’s kiss twist up in a smirk when he felt her wince from the strength of Beel’s thrusts. Belphie released his grasp on her chin, only for Beel to pull her back into his own kiss.
She felt the sets of hands change positions across her body as her hips were pulled back. Beel had released her, letting his erection slide completely out, only for Belphie to enter her from behind. Belphie’s strokes were softer, massaging her with a slow gentleness while Beel took his time slowly savoring the pleasure of kissing her again.
Her head spun faster, and she could barely catch her breath. Her belly felt like it was filling with butterflies as the twins spun her between the two of them again, moving closer together. She was turned to face Belphie, who scooped her into a passionate kiss.
Beel entered her again, but this time from behind. He was stroking her a bit faster than before as he leaned in to bite softly on her shoulder. Another gasping whimper was swallowed up by Belphie’s smirking and hungry kiss just before everything was swallowed in white light.
***
Lucifer could not allow himself to wait any longer. He felt the shockwave of magic that rippled through the house and he had been staring at the message on his DDD for the better part of the last hour. Obviously, Barbatos already knew what had caused the shockwave just as well as Lucifer did. That was why he had only sent a time for Lucifer to be at the Demon Lord’s castle.
Standing outside of the twins’ bedroom, Lucifer could feel the radiant heat coming from the magic inside. He had to contain the shaking in his hand as he opened the door. There was nothing that could prepare him for the sight of the three of them wrapped up in each other’s grasp.
It took a few good tugs to pull Belphie away from her. After that it was easy enough to deposit the youngest in his own bed. Turning back toward Beel’s bed Lucifer was stopped in his tracks at the sight of bite marks along her shoulders. Once he was able to regain his composure, Lucifer scooped her up in a blanket and left the room.
Bite marks were a terrible sign. Lucifer had heard a few rumors about Beel losing control of his sin during sex. The results had been quite terrifying. Several succubi had permanent scars and had been sworn to silence by Diavolo himself. The humans were listed as missing, only because there was never enough left to file a case.
Beel’s sin robbed him of all restraint, yet these markings showed that he managed to pull back. She would certainly have a bit of healing time needed, but he had left her with minor bruising. He had not broken her skin once. Lucifer gave her one last look over before confirming that the bottles of life tea were on her bedside table and leaving her room.
His walk over to the Demon Lord’s Castle was laboriously slow. So many questions battled for control of his thoughts. None of it seemed to make sense. She should not have any power beyond what was given in her pacts, but every obstacle that she encountered caused her to elicit a display of power beyond belief.
Lucifer barely noticed that he had already traveled the full length of his practiced path to the Demon Lord’s castle. The main doorway opened and he was ushered inside by Barbatos’ stoic figure. The butler was succinct as he addressed Lucifer, “Diavolo and Simeon are already waiting for you in the library.”
Lucifer nodded and continued walking in the direction of the meeting. The echo of his footsteps as he crossed the castle was a hollow reminder of how alone he was at this moment. It was oddly comforting to see the relieved looks that he received from both the prince and the angelic ambassador when he entered the room. The tension in the room was palpable as he strode over to the open seat that was left for him.
The three sat silently. Whatever hope Simeon and Diavolo had that Lucifer was going to ease the tension evaporated as soon as he sat down. His own aura was unsteady and confused. Each of them was waiting for one of the others to break the silence. The silence was only broken when Barbatos led a wizard into the room. The man uncomfortably looked over the solemn faces in the room, fearful of the report his investigation brought him to deliver.
Simeon was particularly pleased for the wizard’s arrival. With a smile he beckoned the man forward saying, “Please do not worry. You may step forward and let us know what you found.”
The worried man took a few steps forward, his eyes were locked on Diavolo as he closed the circle. Barbatos stayed by the door, but was still near enough to hear everything. The wizard took a deep breath, then spoke up in a dry and raspy voice, “Two hours ago a record breaking earthquake occurred. Three villages were lost to mudslides that coincided with the quakes. The magical containment that was placed around the Tree of Life to aid its recovery was able to deflect the shock wave. However, the barrier is currently down to twenty percent.”
Every single face in the group was left in shock. Even Barbatos had been caught off guard by the scale of damage that was being reported. After a short pause, the wizard nodded at the prince and turned quickly on his heel to take his leave. When his eye met with Barbatos’, the butler realized that there was something that was purposely left out. In an effort to avoid alarming the others further, Barbatos led the wizard out of the room.
Just before the wizard left the castle he turned and passed the full file over to Barbatos. The man gave the butler an uncomfortable look as he murmured his apology under his breath. “I’m so sorry, I just could say the last part. They already looked so shocked. I’m not sure how you’ll manage.”
In a cool wisp of wind the wizard had vanished from the front step. His face showed the relief of having gotten out of the castle. He was all too happy to depart as soon as the information was delivered. Barbatos opened the file from the wizard and scanned the details. He felt his heart sink into his stomach, now understanding why the wizard was afraid of saying more than he did.
The human world was not the one that had experienced quakes and mudslides. It had occurred in the Devildom. The area surrounding the Tree of Life was destroyed. The containment spell had repelled the blast, not absorbed it. The area directly outside of the barrier was now a wasteland and the barrier itself was estimated to crumble within the next few days, leaving the tree exposed. Barbatos dashed over to his room with the report. He would deal with adding these details to her student file soon. Right now, he could not risk the information falling into any other hands than the ones that already had it.
Barbatos specifically wanted to talk to Solomon. The sorcerer had been tasked with identifying ways to classify her power. Solomon had begrudgingly told the butler about what happened with the brothers as a reason for cutting back on his reports. Now they needed to work together to prevent losing control of her power anymore than they already had, and they were falling behind an exponential growth curve.
He was willing to do anything to protect her, and he hated the feeling of anxious helplessness that fixed events caused. Barbatos could only hope that they wouldn’t be too late. The series of fixed events that this started was going to push everyone over the edge. The important decisions that were going to be made depended on how these events played out, and Barbatos was determined to do everything he could to positively influence what was coming.