Two For One Deal (Welcome To Demon School, Iruma-kun!/SI)

[pingas plight]

Without hesitation, Iruma stepped off our feathered friend and jumped down into the valley.

Click to shrink...

OH MY GOD HE'S LEARNED TO WEAPONIZE HIS OPNESS

EVERYONE HIDE THE FRIDGES AND PANTRIES THE SON OF THE BLACK RIDER HAS COME FOR US ALL

 

[Leekz01]

Spoiler: Optional Music

Fire was nice and all, but not when it was on me.

"Lee?!" Iruma gasped, eyes bulging out like melons. "Your foot's on fire!"

…

"Yeah…"

I kicked at the air, trying and failing to hide my growing panic. My foot was on fire!!

Strangely enough, it didn't hurt, but still…

"My foot's on fire!"

I screamed, hitting the ground, the cliff faces around us, and just about anything I could reach. The earth shook, cracks raced up the nearby walls, and the massive beast staring down at us did nothing.

Maybe it was just as surprised as I was.

My foot sunk into the rocks as if they were made of paper mache. The wilder I thrashed and the more force I put into it, the more violent my destructive path became.

Had I always been this strong? That small voice in the back of my head whispered.

The fire refused to fade, and with each kick, it only seemed to grow in intensity. Soon enough, the flames were melting rock.

"I-I think you're making it worse!" Iruma shouted. "M-My eyebrows are starting to hurt!"

Beside him, Sabnock struggled to sit up. He let out a bloody cough and stared. His eyebrows caught fire a moment later.

"Lee! Do something!"

Something?! Like what?!"

"I'm trying!" I said, deciding to just shove my foot into the nearest wall. Fire needed air to burn things, right? I sure as hell didn't go to school, but I knew that much. "There!"

Even now, I didn't feel a lick of heat from my leg.

"I-It worked?" Iruma asked, carefully lifting up Sabnock or trying to, at least. Behind him, the massive monster leaned in to get a closer look at my leg too.

What? I wasn't some damned circus act!

The popping of stones and a loud crackle echoed through the valley. For a brief moment, I saw what looked like lightning arc around my legs before everything exploded.

Stone was blown aside and melted. To no one's surprise, my foot was still on fire. The cliff wall I'd jammed it into was smoldering. Liquid rock ran down its face like cheese and a massive hole had been punched into it.

"Fuck it," I said and sat down on the nearest rock.

A loud, yet soft hoot or something that sounded like one came from behind me.

"Ahhh!" Iruma shrieked. "O-Oh, wait… y-you're friendly."

Right. The damned monster was still there. Clinging to its back was the bird who'd been flying us around not too long ago.

"It's your family?" Iruma whispered. "C-Cool!"

Of course. I somehow end up unlocking some demon powers or something and it was all a waste.

I glared at my burning leg. It better put itself out. Just thinking about trying to live with it made me want to punch something.

"Whatever," I said with a grunt. "I'm going to take five."

I'd really had enough.

———————————

The three of us laid back on the massive, fluffy monster and enjoyed our ride to the finish line. It wasn't the fastest, but it was definitely comfortable.

"Lee…. are you feeling better?" Iruma asked.

My brow twitched. I looked down at my half-scorched pant leg.

"I'm fine," I said with a shrug. "No point getting annoyed over spilt milk."

What I was really worried about was the fact that I could set my leg on fire. What if it happened while I was sleeping? What if I was taking a shit? No, I had to figure out how to control that… whatever it was.

"So your ability the power to wield fire?" Sabnock asked. "It's pretty common, though there are all sorts of bloodlines that use it differently."

"Yeah, a friend of ours is pretty good at it," Iruma said with a smile. "I didn't know you could do that, though."

"Neither did I," I said with a huff. "You bet I'm going to figure it out, though."

Iruma smiled meekly and nodded.

At this point, we were sure to be in last place, but Sabnock was alive. To be honest, it was a fine trade.

"I'd like to express my gratitude for saving me," he said, bowing to Iruma and then to me. "I made a grave error and my arrogance nearly cost me my life. If the two of you hadn't arrived as you did, I'd be dead."

Wow. The guy was a real nerd when it came to formal talk.

"The two of you are truly impressive."

Iruma chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, that was all Lee," he said with a sheepish smile. "All I did was flail around and distract it."

"Don't downplay your achievements," he countered. "What Lee did was, erm, something else, but your efforts took a great deal of courage."

Yo. Did he want to fight?

"And you were faster than me, Iruma" I added. "Besides, if you hadn't somehow charmed that bird, we'd have had to fight the big one."

Our ride chirped in agreement.

Iruma started to blush. He looked away and chuckled nervously. The kid was like one big tomato. There wasn't anything like seeing Iruma get all flustered when being praised.

"I guess it just goes to show that even the meanest-looking guys can be your friend if you try hard enough, right Lee?"

I shrugged.

"Maybe."

Sabnock wasn't that bad. That's something I realized now. Still, there were some really rotten people out there.

"We're almost there," I pointed out. "Let's hope Neby doesn't bite our heads off."

Sabnock coughed and Iruma snickered with a panicked look on his face.

"I've decided," Sabnock said with a grin. "The two of you are my rivals from this day forth! Let's test each other so that we may learn, grow, and rise to individuals worthy of being called Demon Lo-"

I pushed my palm into his face.

"Can you just shut up for a bit!"

Ugh! The guy had lungs strong enough to peel the back from trees!

"You're giving me a headache, man!"

"Lee!" Iruma fussed and tried to get me to calm down.

Yeah, whatever.

—————

Unsurprisingly, we were in last place. What was surprising was the fact that our teacher just had us sit in the corner with some weird signs around our necks. Iruma had been shaking like a leaf when we arrived.

"You dare go against everything I said? Are you idiots?!"

The guy looked like a volcano about to pop! If this was all he did after getting so worked up, maybe he wasn't so bad.

I took another look at Sabnock.

"Once more, I want to express my gratitu-"

The guy just wouldn't give it up, huh?

Maybe Iruma was right. These demons all looked scary and like assholes, but maybe they were like really big dogs?

"Let us begin your rank evaluation," Nebe said as he pulled an owl out of nowhere. Another magic trick?

"Come forth when your name is called and reach into its pouch," he said, plunging his hand into the small pouch on the owl's chest. Was that normal? Did owls have pouches like that? "This special owl has been watching all of you. It'll decide your rank."

Huh. Just another weird quirk, then?

He sent an annoyed glare toward us.

"Those who think themselves special will go last."

Yeah, yeah. We did mess up, so I couldn't even blame him there. Still, we made it, didn't we? That had to count for something.

We'd shown up on the back of that massive monster. Like hell we were getting the lowest rank!

"Hehe," Iruma giggled beside me. He was staring up at me with an amused expression. "For someone that didn't care about the ranks, you seem pretty excited to see what you get."

I rolled my eyes.

"After all the trouble we went through, I'd be pretty pissed if we got last place."

He nodded and then turned back to the owl.

"I don't want to lose either," he said with a determined expression.

Soon enough, it was our turn.

——

I reached into the owl's pouch. It went still and then looked at me with a horrified expression. Still, it didn't say a thing.

"Hey-"

It chirped out a panicked cry and then I felt something cool brush against my fingers.

"Hmm? What the hell is this?" It was a small badge, just like the others, but it was faded, cracked, and practically falling apart. "I can't even make out the damned rank!"

The owl hooted and then flew away, practically begging for Iruma to take his turn so it could leave.

Nabe moved closer, snatched the emblem from my fingers, and then studied it real close like.

"I think this is Rank Five?" He said, furrowing his brow. "Though it also looks like Rank Six. We'll go with the lower interpretation for now."

What? Why the lower one?!

"Rank five?"

"Wow!"

"No way!"

"And I thought hot stuff's Rank Four was amazing!"

…

Whatever. Five out of ten was a passing grade.

"Moving on, it's your turn," Nabe said as he urged Iruma forward.

Like everyone else, I watched the next few moments with my full attention. Iruma slowly pushed his hand into the pouch, and just like when I did it, the damned bird froze. This time, what came next was much worse.

The owl practically jumped away from Iruma, screeching wildly as it flew in terror.

"W-wait! You didn't give me a rank!"

Iruma called out, waving his hand in desperation. Rank or not, the bird had given him something. Attached to his finger was a plain, silver ring.

…

It was just a ring. So why? Why did I suddenly feel this strange, oppressive feeling weighed down on me?

"I-Is something wrong?" Iruma asked as he took a step closer to me. The others stepped back, but not I. Whatever the hell was going on, I wasn't going to just let it push me around.

"Lee? Are you ok?"

I shut my eyes and took another step forward, smashing straight into this "wall" that was making my hands twitch. It wasn't fear, not quite. Rather, my instincts were telling me to punch Iruma's head off.

Fuck that.

"I think that ring of yours might be doing it," I said and reached out, only to freeze as two massive, shadowy claws tore through my stomach.

I blinked and then looked down, mouth open in shock. It had happened so fast that I couldn't even react.

I winced and held back a scream. The claw was digging through my guts, looking for a very specific organ. My heart. Sharp talons cut through meat, and bone and then wrapped tightly around its mark.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.

And then it clamped down, ending my-

"Lee?" Iruma spoke, ripping me out of my mind. "You're looking a bit pale. Do you have a fever?"

He reached up and put a hand on my forehead. It took everything I had not to punch or push him away.

Fuck this. Fuck that ring. And fuck whatever is making me feel like that.

"I'm fine," I said, staring at his ring with dagger-like eyes. "Let me take a look-"

I'd smash the damned thing to bits. If I had to throw the thing into a volcano, then I would!

"The ring? Oh, su-"

The instant he reached for it, an earsplitting shriek erupted from the ring. I saw a dark, shadowy creature poke its head out and roar.

It was annoying, but-

"Ahhhhh!"

"My ears!!"

"It hurts!!!"

"It's like death is shouting at me!"

The other students weren't handling it very well.

"Iruma, cover it! "

"Shut it up!"

Iruma's eyes went wide, and in a desperate attempt to keep it quiet, he cradled the dark monster as if it were a baby.

…

What. This was dumb. The dumbest part was that it actually worked!

This place. God, why couldn't things be normal for one bleeding moment?!

"Can't take off the ring, can you?" Sabnock said as he stood up and walked closer. "Leave it to-"

The shadow touched him and he spat out blood, falling to the ground in an instant.

Fuck this place.

 

[OverReactionGuy]

No idea what just happened.

 

[NooneImportant]

No idea what just happened.

Click to shrink...

*cocks shotgun* Ring's haunted.

 

[Leekz01]

Spoiler: Optional Music

The more I kept seeing demons, the less I saw them as all that different from humans, at least when it came to the way they acted.

"Don't worry, master Iruma, I'll-" Alice fell to the ground, clutching his throat as if he were choking. "M-My m-magical… en-"

He couldn't speak anymore.

"What the heck's going on?!"

One of the other students shouted.

"Oh my! That ring looks quite dangerous!"

"Don't worry, Il- Ugha!"

In short, Demons were either as stupid or as stubborn as humans. It was clear that Iruma's ring was draining them like a sponge. A single touch was more than enough to lay them out flat.

But they kept trying. Whether to prove themselves or to get into Iruma's good graces, a few had tried to take off the damned ring.

"Buncha idiots," I sighed and looked back at Iruma. "Let me try it again!"

I reached out and clamped my hands on the ring. It felt as if a thousand blades were cutting away at my fingers. The very flesh was sliced to the bone, leaving behind a skeletal digit.

I winced and pulled away.

"L-Lee!" Iruma stuttered out. "I think you should stop or you'll end up like everyone else!"

What? Was he saying I was dumb? Stubborn?

"Don't worry, little bro. I'll get this-"

"Stop being so stubborn," Kagelo grumbled as he sauntered up to Iruma. "I have no idea what's going on, but-"

He reached out for the ring and then froze. I'd seen the scruffy and weird teacher make a lot of expressions, but the pale look he had on his face was new. His eyes went wide and then he clamped his teeth down into a concerned frown.

"Dangerous," he whispered. "Best to get rid of it now."

He raised his finger. Jokes or not, the guy was a teacher. It was at that moment that I learned exactly what that meant.

In an instant, it felt like he'd gone from a scraggly guy to something greater than life. His shadow grew deep enough to freeze me where I stood. An unseen force crashed down on my bones, and I swore I heard them creak.

"Iruma," he said in a very calm and collected voice. I couldn't speak. Iruma couldn't speak. The cries and groans of the students had died. "Stay very still."

It wasn't an order or a suggestion. He was stating the truth of the world. Iruma would not move and there was nothing neither of us could do to stop him.

He brought his finger down toward the ring and the malicious presence within. Surprisingly, it shrunk away from Kalego. Like a cat who'd been bullying mice encountering a tiger, it could not resist the new predator.

And then-

"Hohoho, no no no~" A childish, haughty, and disgustingly familiar voice chortled. "You can't do that~"

H-How? Had he always been watching? That had to be the case, right?

"P-Principal?!" Kalego shouted- practically squealing at the sight of the old, horned demon.

He had to be watching, right? It was the only logical explanation. The other, less logical one was a bit too much for me to think about.

How fast would he have to be to reach us if he wasn't watching from nearby?

The thought made my stomach churn.

"You looked like you were getting ready to blow off poor Iruma's hand!" he said in a haughty, teasing laugh. "Can't have you do that now, can we?"

His words were soft. His smile was kind. And yet, his eyes spoke of malice beyond compare. If things had gone differently, there would have been hell to pay.

Kalego swallowed and then shook his head. Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he whispered out his response.

"I thought the other students might be put in danger," he said through gritted teeth.

Fuck em.

Iruma was worth way more than anyone else here. If it meant putting them in danger to take off the damned ring, then he better know I'd do it!

Alice and Val, though...

"Hohoho, but this is all caused by a misunderstanding!" the old goat said with a laugh. "You see, that ring is called the ring of gluttony!"

He reached out and tapped Iruma's ring. The shadowy presences within ballooned and then vanished completely.

"It is used to contain the user's magical power, but since it was empty, it tried to fill itself up!"

He snapped his fingers, did a twirl, and then scurried behind Iruma, fingers gently caressing his shoulder. A goofy grin split his lip.

"It's all good now~" he cheered and then turned to me. "I also saw your little find, Lee-ke~ Good job!"

…

What? No.

I didn't want to know.

Kalego sighed and then shook his head.

"Are we done here, then?" he asked.

Demon-face chuckled and stared at our "teacher."

"You tell me, Kalego-kun~ You're their teacher, after all~"

What a condescending prick. Still, he did save Iruma. I wasn't blind enough to miss that.

"Sul-"

A finger was on my lip before I could even finish the sentence.

"Come on, Lee-ke!" he whimpered and then fell to the ground, squirming like a worm. "You promised! You have to call me Grandpa, Grandad, or Grandpapa!"

Ugh. God, I hated this guy.

Everyone was staring now. I wasn't one to care about what others thought of me, but this old bat was making it so damned hard!

I took a breath, calmed the raging flames within me, and nodded.

"Thank you for saving Iruma, grandfather,"

Fuck em. It wasn't one of the options. If I was going to do what he wanted, then I'd do it this way!

"So cute~" he squealed. "I can't believe I have such a rebellious, handsome, and strong pair of grandsons!"

It was so damned embarrassing! I could feel my cheeks getting as red as a tomato.

"Could you wrap it up?" Kalego huffed. "I'd like to take the damned photo so we can all head home."

…

Maybe Kalego was a great guy after all. It was hard not to smile and look at him as if he were an angel.

"Everyone say violence!"

Someone shouted out.

"Violence!!"

What a way to start the school year…

—————

Hell, The Underworld, The Netherworld, this place had a bunch of names, though most people just called it the Demon Realm or some such.

"Why the hell are we going through this?" I asked, staring at Opera. "Isn't the point of school to teach us this crap?"

We'd just finished getting our ranks and finally securing a spot in that stupid abnormal class. Why the hell did we have to go through this?

"Don't be rude, Lee," Iruma said as he fussed over me. "Mr.Opera's trying to help. I-I mean, yeah, it is kind of counterintuitive, but I'm sure he means well!"

The quiet catboy's ears twitched. His tail moved left and then right.

"Though you've managed to skate by without knowledge so far, there is a big chance that you'll draw attention to yourselves moving forward."

"And?" I shot back. "Y'all didn't seem to care when you threw us into that school with barely any information."

Sure, they taught us the very basics of the world, but that was about as efficient as trying to feed rats with crumbs.

"The new year is filled with all kinds of weird, unique, and mysterious demons," he said casually. "Your shows of strength, dexterity, and loud mouths weren't all that surprising."

The cheeky smile on his lip was seriously pissing me off. The guy was too much like an actual cat!

"However, you'll be around your peers for much longer moving forward," he continued. "These are basic things you'll need to learn. It'd be like not knowing what color the sky is."

Iruma blinked.

"Ummm, blue?"

"At times," Opera said with a nod. "Sometimes it's red, orange, green, or even purple. See? You need to learn these things."

What a pain in the ass.

"Fine," I said with a shrug. "Teach us what we need and make sure we don't forget."

I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded.

"But if you tell us something that screws us over, I'll make sure to return the favor."

The catboy blinked.

"Lee, I'm on your side," he said sternly. "Well, I'm on his side, and he's on your side, so it's basically the same thing."

Yeah, yeah.

"As long as that's the case, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you succeed," he said, a tiny, genuine smile tugging on his lip. "Now, Let's get back to work, shall we?"

I sighed.

"Can either of you tell me which one of these Demons is supposed to have a tail and which one is not?"

…

"Ok, but why the hell do we need to know this?!" I said, pointing at his damned portraits. "I doubt every Demon knows this crap!"

Opera sighed.

"The curriculum was decided by the master of this house, so if you have an issue-"

"You bet I have issues!" I roared, jumping to my feet. "I'm going to have a chat with him so we only get what we need!"

"Lee!" Iruma gasped and was soon on his feet too.

The guy was clearly messing with us.

—————————

"Magic, huh?" Iruma looked down at the small ball. "A-Are you sure I can use it?"

"Of course," Opera said with a nod. "The ring allows you to harness the energy stored within and shape it to your will."

He then turned to me and tossed another one of those tennis balls.

"I'm certain Lee will have an easier time accessing his budding reserves, but control might be more… problematic."

"W-What am I supposed to do?" Iruma asked. "How's it work?"

I stared down at the ball. I knew how to hide my wings and tail, but doing something else? Was it similar?

Hmm. I stared at the ball and tried to transfer the same sensation into it.

"Magic is your will manif-"

A deafening explosion wracked the mansion's grounds as tiny bits of rubber struck my face.

"-ested," Opera finished and cleared his throat. "Your goal is to soak the ball with magic and make it glow. Any Demon your age should be able to accomplish such a feat."

His eyes turned to me.

"Large reserves mean very little if you can't control them. Please try your best and know that I'm rooting for you."

"Go! Go!"

"You can do it!"

"Yes, you can!"

"Go! Go!"

"Who are the best grandsons?"

"Yes! You two are!"

My brow twitched. I did everything in my power to stop myself from reacting.

"I think it'd be much easier if we didn't have someone distracting us."

"No can do," Opera said. "Think of it as simulating real-world conditions. You'll always be distracted in the middle of a dangerous situation, right?"

God damn it. I hated that he was making sense.

"Here's another ball, Lee," he said, chucking another one of the damned things at me. "Try not to-"

It popped the second it landed in my hands.

"Impressive," Opera mused and then reached behind his back. "But I have plenty. Don't you worry."

He pulled out half a dozen and then rolled them toward me.

Ass.

"This is hard…" Iruma grumbled. "How does it work? I-I know you said to use my will, but what does that mean?"

He looked up at me, a pleading spark in his eyes.

"H-How do you do it, Lee?"

…

Well, he didn't have wings or a tail. The closes thing to that would be-

"It's like taking a shit," I said with a nod. "You feel the energy building up inside you-" I pointed at his chest and then slowly moved my finger toward his hands. "And then you push it out as if you were opening up a dam! You'll feel a little bit refreshed after it too."

He blinked, turned to Opera and-

"H-How do you do it, Mr.Opera?"

 

[A.O]

"It's like taking a shit," I said with a nod. "You feel the energy building up inside you-" I pointed at his chest and then slowly moved my finger toward his hands. "And then you push it out as if you were opening up a dam! You'll feel a little bit refreshed after it too."

He blinked, turned to Opera and-

"H-How do you do it, Mr.Opera?"

Click to shrink...

Spoiler: Even Iruma can't deal with Lee T~T

 

[Leekz01]

Spoiler: Optional Music

View: https://youtu.be/erKlU8sL2Tk

The demon world was a surprisingly large place, all things considered. I'd taken a look at one of their maps just to check a few things, and, well, it was big.

"I wish I knew how to read a map…"

I'd only seen a map of Earth once or twice before, but it was around the same size as this, right?

"Ready for school?" Iruma said as he stepped into my room. "Oh… sorry. Are you setting something up?"

I sighed and shook my head.

"I usually just get Hans to do that stuff."

The penguin demon in question was lying on my bed.

"S-Sardines… d-dood…"

He was snoring, rubbing his stomach, and lazing around like some dog.

Iruma blinked and then let out a laugh.

"You really like him, huh?"

Like?

"That guy's a pain in the ass," I said with a shake of my head. "Always going on about food and other crap. He woke me up last night cause he was too scared to go to the bathroom."

Yeah, what's his face was terrifying, but that didn't stop me. Still, the thought of being caught by him while walking to the bathroom… ugh, it made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

The guy didn't even need to use it! He just wanted to brush his teeth!!

"I think he reminds me a bit of Sulfur," Iruma said with a cheeky smile. "You remember him, right? His black fur was always so fluffy, but it'd get full of dust, dirt, and all that stuff. We had to give him a bath every day!"

I shut my eyes and calmed the feelings building up inside me. That damned cat…

"Time for school you said?" I finished with the map and stepped forward. "What do we have today?"

"Huh? Oh! I think there's some plant class. It had a long, complicated name, so I didn't really memorize it…"

"Good," I said with a grin. "Remember what I told you?"

His lip rose into a confident grin.

"If it's too long to remember, it ain't worth jack!" he proclaimed proudly.

Heh.

"Damned right!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled both of our attention toward the door.

"Opera? I-Is something wrong?" Iruma asked nervously. "You usually wait for us by the front."

The cat boy nodded and did a little bow.

"Your friends have arrived a bit earlier today."

Friends?

"Oh, I guess that's Asmodeus-kun."

"He said friends," I pointed out. "As in more than one."

"Correct," Opera said with a teasing smile. "I see your observation skills are sharp as ever."

…

That damed smirk. What the hell did he mess with now? I took a good look at my room, his uniform, and even Iruma's clothes. Nothing seemed out of place.

"She's small, has green hair, and calls herself-"

A loud explosion echoed through the grounds.

"Clara!" Iruma gasped.

"We have another stalker now?" And here I thought Alice was enough.

"Don't be like that, Lee," Iruma chastised. "I think Clara's really friendly."

"Right, right," I said with a nod. "Let's go pick them up and be on our way before goaty decides to skin them and string them up for disrupting his beauty sleep."

Opera snorted.

"Please," he said, shaking his head. "I believe he's more likely to turn them into slippers and gift them to you."

The mischievous flash in his eyes was damned annoying. I knew he was full of crap, but a small voice in the back of my head told me otherwise.

This guy was a real shit-disturber, and he only messed with me.

Hopefully, Val wouldn't be too much of a pain.

——————

"And so I followed Alice home and told him to take me to your house!" Val said as she jumped onto my lap, stood on it to look over my shoulder, sat next to me, sat back in my lap, pulled out some weird toys, and then started jumping up and down again. "And I didn't stop until he said yes!"

The carriage was big enough for at least six people. Why was she doing this?!

"I apologize," Alice said with a disappointed expression. "I tried to resist, but she was simply too persistent. I'm willing to accept any punishment you might have, Lee-Sama!!"

He proceeded to prostrate himself in front of me.

Yeah, it was just another one of those days.

—————————

School was still a brand-new experience for me. I'd only really heard things from Iruma, and it wasn't like he knew all that much about school either.

If I ever saw his parents again, I'd-

"And that's how it works~"

"Wow!"

"Amazing!"

"I mean, doesn't everyone know this already?"

"Please stop ruining my immersion."

Ah, crap. What did I miss?

"Now everyone try and bring out your own magical power, ok?"

Wait, was she actually the teacher, then? The tiny… gremlin? No, wait, wasn't Val a gremlin?

…

Eh, close enough. Anyways, she was our teacher? I'd thought she was some kid who'd sneaked in or something.

"Y-Yes, Ms.Suzy!" Iruma exclaimed. "D-Do you have any more advice?"

Really? Did he need to ask? He was probably fine, especially after that little training session of ours.

"Why, yes!"

Right. Ignore her.

"Lee~" Val said as she scurried over next to me, a pot in hand. "Wanna try this together?"

Iruma was fussing over his pot while Alice and Suzy talked. It was probably for the best if I kept Val entertained. The alternative was probably worse…

"Sure," I said with a nod, giving Val some space. "I kind of missed the first bit, so what are we supposed to do?"

Val giggled. She quickly put her pot next to mine and then placed her hands on her hip.

"Visualize your magic! Feed it to the sprout! And then see what happens!"

Huh. Alright. That didn't sound so difficul-

"Screaaagh!" an ear-piercing shriek had me spinning around. Was that some sort of enemy attack-

"Yeah!" Sabnock exclaimed. "You go, little guy!"

His "plant" had evolved into some sort of violent thing. It had a wolf's head. It had fangs. Oh, it was eating the very pot it had grown in.

"So cool~" Val whispered. "Do you think our plants will be like that?"

I winced and looked down at my pot. Considering all the crazy stuff that happened, I wouldn't be surprised if it set itself on fire.

"I'm sure yours will be something I'll never forget…"

Her eyes practically turned into stars at that.

"Really?!" she asked excitedly. "W-Well, I can't disappoint you, then!"

Oh boy.

"Here. I. Go!"

I took a few steps back and watched her pot. A shiver raced down my spine and I could feel something in the air. It made my nose tingle and the hair on my arms stood on end.

I knew this feeling- or at least I did now. It was magic.

"Grow, my pretty!" Val exclaimed, a devilish grin on her lip. And still, she somehow managed to look childish.

The small, green sprout in her pot bubbled. It ballooned up like some growth, and then from that came another growth. Like a twisted jenga tower, more and more growths kept sprouting until an uneven tower remained.

It was about half as tall as Val.

"Wha-" she stuttered out, eyes wide and uncertainty reflected in them.

The tower wiggled and then grew a pair of meaty, muscular arms and fists.

This time, it was I who was completely caught off guard.

"What-"

It lashed out with a mean, right hook. The damned thing shot out of the pot like some sort of cartoon. It stretched out past Val and came right for my face!

"Mother-"

I slapped it aside and then ducked as it launched a left straight.

"What are-"

I stepped to the left, dodging its follow-up.

"Sto-"

A barrage of punches came for me. With each strike, the thing was speeding up!

"Enough!" I hissed, kicking the damed stretchy monster. It didn't work and I found a fist kissing my face for the trouble.

"…"

Ok. That's it.

"You di-"

"Stop!" Val shouted, grabbing the pot and then shoving it up her shirt.

…

What.

Like some sort of vacuum, the damned plant was dragged inside. It clawed at the ground, reaching out to me as if asking for help.

I blankly stared as it was devoured by the darkness under Val's shirt, and I wasn't the only one.

"D-did anyone else-"

Val smiled. Her face was devoid of all emotion. She was like the Mona Lisa, except way creepier.

"Let's see your plant, ok!"

I nodded and stepped forward, reaching out toward my pot.

Some things were better left forgotten.

"Can I see under your shirt?"

This wasn't one of those things. I wasn't one of those people. I had to know!!

Why wasn't anyone else asking the important questions?! How could they just ignore-

"Not unless you marry me!" Val said, sticking her tongue out. She was blushing. "Are you going to marry me?"

"If you show me-"

"Lee!" Iruma shouted, rushing to my side in an instant. "I know you didn't mean it like that, but you really have to be careful with what you say!"

I frowned and crossed my arms.

"But don't you want to-"

"That's rude!" he hissed, face heating up. Oh, man. His blush was even more intense than Val's. "Calra, sorry about Lee. He's kind of… um… dumb when it comes to social stuff."

I wasn't the only one, Iurma!

"You're pretty bad too, you know?"

"Not this bad!" he hissed. "J-Just, apologize, ok?"

I rolled my eyes and faced Val.

"Sorry If I said something that might have offended you." There. A formal apology, just like he'd taught me.

Val blinked and then started giggling.

"Everyone calls me a little kid, but you're even more innocent than me!" she said with a teasing grin. "You're so much fun!"

In the next instant, she'd clamped herself onto my face like a tick. I was pretty sure I could feel her legs wrapping around my neck.

I couldn't breathe.

Surely I was having some horrid nightmare, right? Iruma and I got hit by a car, right?

—————————

"It's kind of… cute?" Val said as she looked at my plant. "What's it supposed to be?"

It looked like a sunflower, except it had a mouth. The thing coughed and spat out a ball of fire. It coughed again and then spat a bolt of lightning.

"Lee? Can I have it?" Val asked. "It's cute."

"Uhh… sure?" It hadn't exploded. That was good enough for me!

"Yay!" Once again, Val grabbed the plant and lifted her shirt up. No one was looking so-

She turned around and stuffed it inside.

"No peeking~" she said, glancing over her shoulder and winking at me.

Clever girl… still, I would learn her secrets. Clearly, it was magic and I wanted it.

"Let's see how Iruma-"

"Wagh!!"

"What the heck?!"

"So big!"

"Heh. That's what Lee said!"

Huh. Well, I guess there was no point moving anymore.

"It's so pretty…" Val whispered.

Well, it was a tree with pink petals. It was about twice as tall as Iruma and its roots had dug into the classroom floor. Thankfully, that was all the damage it caused.

Would it have gone as smoothly if we hadn't had that training, though?

Val furrowed her brow and then looked at the tree. She glanced down at her shirt and then back at the tree.

Impossible. That wasn't going to happen.

"Excellent!" Our teacher said with a genuine, if small, smile. "All of you made such wonderful little friends!"

"I think Sabnock's plant escaped."

"It nearly bit my finger off!"

"Yes. Very nice little friends!" the teacher said again. "I hope you take this lesson to heart."

"No, seriously. I think it stole a knife he made and jumped out the nearby window…"

"Magic is shaped by our will. Whether that be the conscious or unconscious mind, we must always be careful."

"I think I hear someone screaming from outside…"

"A lapse in intent could have unexpected consequences!"

"Ya." Val said with a nod. "Lee. Good job! We did good!"

She gave me a thumbs up.

A good job, huh?

 

[A.O]

"I think Sabnock's plant escaped."

"It nearly bit my finger off!"

"Yes. Very nice little friends!" the teacher said again. "I hope you take this lesson to heart."

"No, seriously. I think it stole a knife he made and jumped out the nearby window…"

"Magic is shaped by our will. Whether that be the conscious or unconscious mind, we must always be careful."

"I think I hear someone screaming from outside…"

Click to shrink...

Thanks! your chapters are the best!

 

[Kloudianorici]

The sheer mayhem and energy captured by your chapters is hilarious. Continue cooking, I want to see how this madness goes.

 

[Sir_Swagalot]

Pure insanity, I love it.

 

[Leekz01]

Spoiler: Optional Music

View: https://youtu.be/K3Kh3nFGBjk

Life had a habit of passing people by if they didn't pay attention. To be honest, I was feeling a little bit like that.

As Iruma, Val, Alice and I sat quietly in one of the school's many courtyards, I couldn't help but think such thoughts.

"I can't believe they have homework too…" Iruma said as he looked down at our first "project."

"It's fun!" Val exclaimed, fiddling with her own.

"No, it's annoying," I grumbled. "This thing keeps falling apart…"

What the heck was that crazy teacher thinking? We'd only been at her class for a week at most!

"Precision and endurance are just as important as power, Lee-sama," Alice said as he held up his project. "I'd be honored if you would allow me to show you how it's done."

The puddle of slime in his plate jiggled a bit.

"Simply pour your magical energy into the slime and then shape it into the desired form," he said, pouring a bit of his magic into the gelatinous blob. "Imagine that you can achieve your result, even if you are not confident. Hold that thought and allow the slime to mold itself to it."

I blinked. What…

"Try not to push too much or the shell will pop and and destabilize," he said, demonstrating by allowing his slime to burst. "It take a great deal of patience and control, but I know both you and Iruma-sama will be able to do it."

"Yeah!" Val said with a cheeky grin. "Just cause I got it before you guys don't mean anything!"

She giggled and then held out her slime. It twisted and quickly took on the shape of a… shark. No, that shark had wings and legs!

"You've got an active imagination," I said, rolling my eyes. "What even is that monstrosity you've made?"

Val blinked and then held out her figure.

"It's a juvenile sky-shark, I believe," Alice answered for her. "But she's shaped it all wrong. It's like a child's interpretation."

Oh…

"Y-You mean those are real?" Iruma asked, gulping nervously. "O-Or are you joking? Haha…"

"Of course they're real!" Val said, puffing her cheeks out. "They're kind of endangered cause people really like their wings, but I've seen some!"

Seriously? What other crazy monsters did this world have?

"While she may come up with ludicrous ideas at times, I must reluctantly agree," Alice said with a nod. "As a child, I adored demonic beasts. I had several in a pen at home."

"Y-You had a zoo at home?" Iruma asked, eyes going wide in shock. "That's kind of cool, actually…"

"As is loaded," Val said with a toothy grin.

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, let me give this another shot!" There was no way I'd lose to a slime!

"A-actually, I was curious about this," Iruma said as he pointed at his slime. "Is this a demonic beast too? Or-"

Alice's eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Why, yes! They're not very smart, but-"

A deafening explosion shook the area. Dirt, debris, and bits of rubble flew past our heads.

All eyes turned to me.

"What?" I growled. "I didn't do anything!"

Hell, Iruma was as much of a klutz as me at times when it came to magic!

The cloud of dust and smoke cleared a little bit, revealing a demon groaning near us. He had a pair of goat horns on his head and a lion's tail. What sort of demon was he? Why was he on the floor?

Did he cause the explosion?

"H-Help!" he whimped, reaching a hand toward me.

"You-"

"Don't," a sharp, commanding voice called out. "Troublemakers like him don't deserve mercy."

Alice frowned, and as Val tried to jump and do something, he held her back.

Stepping out the remaining cloud of dust was a girl with scarlet hair. It reached to the back of her knee and swayed in the wind.

Her eyes were as sharp as daggers and her boots had a few spots of blood on them. She towered over everyone else and just about matched my height.

Who was she?

"You three seem to be enjoying your lunch, so ignore this fool," she said, stepping on the pleading demon's head. "When one breaks the rules, order must be upheld or everything devolves into chaos."

She said with a sigh.

"S-Stop!" the demon whimpered. "I-I didn't-"

"Don't lie," the girl said with a shake of her head. "You were caught red-handed and tried to run by breaking the window."

She huffed and then pointed her hand toward the school. The rest of the dust was gone, letting me see the large hole left by the explosion.

"If you can't do at least that, then don't call yourself evil, got it?"

She pressed her foot down slowly, causing the boy to squeal until he passed out.

"Worthless," she grumbled, picking him back up and throwing him over her shoulder. "You guys, clean this place up. I'll take him to the infirmary," she ordered.

It was only now that I noticed the other people behind her. All of them were wearing the same black coat. Was that another kind of uniform?

"They're the student council," Alice whispered as everyone watched them go. "I would suggest not affiliating yourselves with them…"

Student council?

"So they're like the big boss of the students?" I asked.

"In a matter of speaking," Alice said with a nod. "They're responsible for listening to the students and being their voice. Should there be any problems, then they are to stamp them out."

"Literally in this case," Val said with a frown. "Did you see how far that guy flew? I want to go that far…"

Her eyes went wide and she turned to me.

"Lee! Lee! Can you throw me?!"

The tiny gremlin rushed to my side, arms up in the air and jumping in place.

Without hesitation, I picked her up, turned around, and lobbed her away in a random direction, making sure she wouldn't get hurt.

"Yay!"

She rolled through the air and landed no worse for wear.

Demons were surprisingly resilient!

"Sounds like a job with a lot of authority," I said.

"Quite!" Alice said with a nod. "If either of you are interested, then I'd highly suggest trying to aim for student council president! There are no better candidates than you two!"

"Didn't you say not to mess with them?" Iruma asked curiously. "Why did you change your mind?"

Lifting his head up, Alice chuckled.

"Because it's you, obviously," he said confidently. "It-"

Running back in, Val stood in front of me again, jumping up and waving her hands while laughing.

"Lee! Lee! Do it again!"

I wordlessly threw her again, humming as I stared at the redhead walking away.

"Who's she?"

"Azazel Ameri," Alice answered immediately. "She's the current acting student council president."

Huh.

"Well, she's imposing, I guess…" And, was she looking our way? What, did she have super hearing or something?

"Lee! Lee! It's your turn!"

Actually, it almost looked like she was watching Iruma, but why? Could it be she wanted to fight him to assert dominance or some-

"Why did you grab my haaaaaaaaaaaa-"

That was all I managed to get out before Val started to spin. In the span of a second, she launched me away.

It taught me a valuable lesson.

Never ignore Val unless I'm prepared for her to do something crazy.

—————

Time continues to flow. A few days later, I had a small disagreement with Iruma.

"You really need to stop helping these people…" I said with a sigh. "I'd say forget about it, but getting the teacher's attention probably isn't a good idea…"

Iruma smiled. It was that classic innocent turn of the lip that made him look like some sort of angel.

"It's fine, Lee," he said with a smile. "You can go and do your lap around the school. I'll be fine, you know!"

Fine?

I crossed my arms. The school was a den of literal demons.

"Come on," he said, flashing me his ring finger. "I appreciate it, but I can protect myself now, you know?

Ugh… damn it, he was right. How could I expect him to get out of his shell if he didn't do things alone? But at the same time, I didn't want him to go off alone! He needed me to make sure he didn't get caught up in something he couldn't deal with!

"Alright," I said with a nod. "I'll be around, so just call if you need me."

He smiled.

"Alright, see you later, Lee!"

I watched as he turned a corner. Once the coast was clear, I made my way after him. Like any good brother, It was my job to make sure he was safe. What better way to do that than let him do things by himself than watching from afar?

"Watcha doing?"

I nearly jumped out of my pants as someone sneaked up on me.

How the-

"You sneaking after Iruma-kun?" Val asked with a curious grin. "Is it a game?"

She reached into her pouch pocket and pulled out some twisting bar of candy.

"Want some?" she asked. "Tastes really good!" Taking a bit, she offered me a piece.

"…"

"Fine," I said, snatching it up and shoving it into my mouth. I'd learned a few more things after knowing Val. To be specific, she'd just keep escalating things until she got her way.

"How's it taste?"

I ignored her and glanced down the hallway. Everything seemed to be going fine.

"Do you know where Alice is?" I asked. "Haven't seen him all day."

That guy was something else. I honestly wouldn't be surprised If he came to school sick so long as it meant being with Iruma and me. There was loyalty and then there was that.

"Don't know," Val said with a shrug. "Maybe he's got a fancy meeting with his dad or something? He's pretty important, you know!"

Right…

"Come on, he's moving."

I couldn't afford to let Iruma leave my sight!

——————

The rest of the day went more or less the same. Iruma walked around, helping with this and that. He couldn't turn down anyone who genuinely needed help. Once upon a time that wasn't limited to just good people. Thankfully, it was one of the things I managed to knock loose out of him.

I couldn't blame him for being nice, could I?

"Oh! Look!" Val whispered, pointing down the hall. "I think the president is trying to suck out Iruma-chi's soul!"

His what?!"

I nearly sprinted around the corner. Thankfully, Val was in the way, so I had to settle for crawling onto her back.

"What? No, that's-"

The president was definitely sucking something, but it wasn't his soul, right? She was a tall girl, and while I wasn't the best at these kinds of things, I could tell a kiss when I saw one.

"Look, she's holding his head and leaning down!" Val whispered. "Classic soul-sucking position!"

I could only see Iruma's back and the top of that girl's face's head. She was bending over and her face was right in front of Iruma's. What else could it be?

"Come on, Lee! We have to save Iruma!" Val shouted, ready to leap out and charge the student council president.

I sighed and wrapped an arm around her stomach, pulling her away.

"I doubt that's it, so let's keep quiet and watch what actually happens…"

Demons were weird. It was entirely possible that she was sucking his soul, but it looked more like she was sucking his face. Besides, she'd have to be crazy to try something like that.

"Wha- b-but what else could It be?!"

I turned to her and raised a brow. Really?

"Don't play coy," I said with a huff. "Weren't you the one talking about getting married or whatever because of a kiss?"

Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

"It wasn't a kiss, Lee," she said, folding her hands over her chest. "It was something way more embarrassing."

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. Look, can people actually suck souls out of each other with a kiss?"

"Well, umm… I can't," she said, shaking her head. "At least I don't think so, but I could always practice and see if it's something I can learn!"

Practice? What was she even-

"Oh! They're leaving!

What?!"

Damn it!

"Ok, follow me!" I hissed, crouching down and rushing after them.

Don't worry, little bro. I'll look after you…

 

[Kloudianorici]

Clara once again being an absolute gremlin, though it seems like she's a bit more aggressive with flirting with Lee than in canon with Iruma. Lee doing the classic anime trope of leaning head around the corner to stalk ensure Iruma's safety, and witnessing things with a complete misunderstanding of the context. Gotta love unreliable narrators!

 

[InfiniteChaosRai]

I can't wait for Azazel to notice lee out of the corner of her eye and instantly compare it to something in her mangas and fangasm at the thought

 

[Leekz01]

Spoiler: Optional Music

View: https://youtu.be/6OayHkxRIhw

———————————-
Pov: Azazel Ameri
———————————-​

Humans were little more than silly fairy tales. This was something everyone knew- they were as "real" as the bedtime stories parents told their kids to keep them in line. I knew this, or at least I believed that to be true for the longest time. But they were real! My father had told me long ago.

They were mythical creatures that once formed potent contracts with Demons. An equivalent exchange, as it were. We Demons granted their desires, and in return- in return… well, that was a bit more questionable. Supposedly we took the energy from their desires and added it to our own. Eating their souls was also an option, though something that barbaric couldn't be true.

Father always refused to go into the details of that part.

They were still a mystery, even with what our family knew.

In any case, humans were real. Sure, most might see them as tall tales, but I had proof. More importantly, I was certain that one of our newest students was a human.

His scent was… odd, but that wasn't the reason. Ever since his appearance, things just didn't quite fit. He chanted a forbidden spell on his very first day and survived. He managed to summon one of the teachers and form a contract with him. The tree he'd summoned during class, while small, was like nothing in the Demon world! It was a completely new species! And then there was his "brother." Oh, he was undoubtedly a demon, but my gut said there was something there too...

No. This "Iruma" was doubtlessly a human and he'd somehow managed to bend the wills of two powerful demons and a young girl to his whims. How? Was he a danger to the school?

I had to know. Humans were both incredibly weak and strong at the same time. A simple blow to the head could knock them out, but they had mystical, almost reality-warping powers along with such frail constitutions!

I reached into my blouse and pulled out a familiar book. The "Forbidden" book held all manner of information on humans. My family had passed it down from generation to generation. Now it was in my hands. I'd read through every volume, but the language used within still eluded me.

Still, from what I'd understood, they could command great power. Power such as the "Bump With Bread" charm. Simply running into a member of the opposite sex while holding a piece of bread in one's mouth was enough to bend fate itself to their whims! I didn't know how this worked, but it did. The other individual would be fated to fall in love with the user of this cursed technique.

Personally, I found it silly, but the Forbidden Book had illustrations of these powers. In fact, simply looking at the book made my heart beat faster, so there was no doubt in my mind that such effects did exist!

If looking left me like that, then the real thing had to be so much worse!

Something like that… I couldn't just watch as the students were put in danger. If my hunch was correct, then this "Iruma" had to be stopped.

The paradoxical existences known as "humans" could be defeated. I just had to be smart about this.

——

I knew what I had to do. I'd prepared myself for it.

And yet… and yet!

How?! How did I wind up in a situation like this?!

"Ah! Sorry about that!" the human said as he held out a hand. "I should have been paying more attention. Are you ok?"

He bumped into me. He'd performed the same actions as in the book! I could already feel my heart starting to race. A blush crawled over my face and I couldn't avert my eyes from him.

There was one saving grace, however.

He had no bread! The charm was incomplete! Ha!!

What a fool! Did he think such half-hearted measures were enough to claim my mind? Well, if he wished to challenge someone of my standing, then I would bring my all to bear!

I steeled myself and reached out, clamping his shoulders and bringing my face close to his. My eyes met his and he stared back.

"I won't fall so easily," I hissed, a confident grin crawling across my face. "This is the end. You've failed!"

I swiftly grabbed his hands so that he could not run away. The only thing left to do now was call Father and-

"I'm sorry!" he shouted, bringing his hands down and nearly pulling me to the ground.

W-What?! Was this another blasted human technique?! The book didn't say anything about-

"A-Ah!"

It fell. The forbidden book tumbled out of my blouse' pocket and onto the floor.

He… He knew! The bastard was trying to get a hold of the book so he could cast even more dangerous spells! Well, I wasn't going to-

"Oooh! This is 'First Love Memory'" he said with a cheerful smile. "I used to read this all the time! Lee didn't like it. He said it was too girly, but stuff like this is really nice!"

He furrowed his brow and then glanced in my direction. "But, wait, since when is manga here?"

"Y-You know the book?" the words left my lips without hesitation. How? Was this another trick?

"Oh, yeah!" he said with a smile. "My favorite part is still when Rin and Kakeru went to the beach! Everyone loves a good beach episode, you know!"

"Y-You can read it?" Of course, he could. He was a human! But, wait, why was he so happy? Was this another charm?

…

He hadn't done anything yet.

"…"

"W-Wait! I don't kno-"

I tightened my grip.

"Come with me."

In one swift motion, I started dragging him away.

"W-Wait! What?!"

He could read the book and he didn't have any bread.

All I needed was a few minutes- an hour at most!

I had to know what the characters in the book were saying!

I had to!

Once that was over and done with, I'd decide what to do with him.

Yes. This was the smartest way after all.

————————

——————
Pov: Lee
——————​

"Are… are you serious?" What. The. Hell.

"Yes!" Val exclaimed, nodding vigorously as she adjusted the small mirror underneath the door with one hand. With her other hand, she brought up her tail and stared at the heart-shaped tip. "They're reading books!"

"That can't be right," I said, shaking my head. "Look, she dragged him back here for a reason, and I doubt it was just to have him read some stupid books!"

I grumbled.

"Now's not the time for games, Val."

"But I'm not playing," she said, staring at me firmly. "I'm looking through my tail, and that's what I see!"

Damn it. Iruma could be in actual trouble! Was she actually joking or not?!

"Let me just take a look for myself," I said, reaching out and snatching her tail before she could say anything. It was strangely soft, but also a bit slick. If anything, it reminded me of Hans' smooth penguin skin.

...

"There's nothing here." What was she staring at, then? It was just her tail.

"Lee…" Val looked up at me, cheeks puffed out and brow furrowed in frustration. "Y-You shouldn't go grabbing people's tails like that! It's super rude, and embarrassing, and I can't believe you'd touch me like that! We're too young to get married, you know!! I told you this a bunch of times!"

Huh?

"Iruma-chi was right! You suck when it comes to social stuff!"

Erm…

"Umm… sorry?" I let go. "I just wanted to see-"

She spun around, playfully slapping my hand with her tail. My eyes went wide and I nearly jumped as something nibbled on the back of my hand.

What the heck?!

"It's oki doki!" she said, reaching out and spinning me around. "I'll just grab your tail and we're even!"

But I don't-

"Gah?!" I jumped. "Did you just pinch my ass?!"

Val was looking at me, a small blush on her cheeks. Her index finger and thumb were pressed together.

"Well... I didn't see a tail!" she shot back with a huff. "Since you don't have one, I thought this would make us even instead!"

That didn't make any sense! Ugh… this girl…

"Look, I'm sorry," I said with a sigh, reaching out and patting her head. "I won't grab it again if it bothers you. I just want to make sure Iruma's not in danger."

Pouting like some sort of fish, she locked eyes with me. Was… was she going to cry?

"P-Play?" she asked meekly. "C-Can we play a-after school? T-Together?"

Shit. Did I mess up that badly?

"Alright, alright. Ok. I'm sor-"

"Yay!" she said, jumping up in the air. "I'll go grab you and take you out somewhere fun!" she stuffed her hands into her pockets, pulling out another small mirror. "We can eat candy, play a bunch of games, and if some bad guys try to mess with us, we kick their butts! I call their faces!"

What.

She held out her tail, turning it around so I could get a good look at the heart-shaped end.

"Here, squeeze the sides!"

Huh? But wasn't she just complaining about-

She grabbed my hand, clamping down on it and forcing me to squeeze her tail. That was all it took to reveal a hidden eye slumbering underneath all that sleek, red… flesh?

I stared at it. It stared back at me.

Val's demonic energy flared and then I could see through the eye. Reflected on its surface was Iruma and that Ameri girl.

He… he really was reading her a damned book! Wait, I knew that book! It was that drivel love romance crap!

"See?" Val proclaimed, pressing her hands against her hip. "I wasn't lying!" She puffed out her chest. "Don't you feel dumb now? You have to trust me more, Lee!"

Son of a-

"I'm sorry," I said, looking away from her. "I should have listened to you the first time."

Damn it. Why do I always-

"It's ok~" Val said. "You do get kind of fussy whenever Iruma is involved." She giggled. "You kind of remind me of a Dino-hen! They always go around biting off the heads of anything that gets close to their chicks!"

A… a dino what?

I scratched the side of my head and sent another look toward the door. If Iruma was fine, then maybe we didn't have to stick around.

…

No. He needed my help. As long as he needed me, I wasn't going anywhere.

"Don't know what that is," I said with a shrug. "You don't mind sticking around until he gets out, do you?"

"Nope!" she said with a grin. "I have some cards! Let's play!"

I sighed.

Everything was a game with her, wasn't it?

"Sure."

——————

"Huh? You're not going home?" Iruma asked, his brow rising in surprise. "Really?"

I grumbled and nodded.

"Did something to that loud-mouthed girl, so have to play with her for a bit to make up for it."

He blinked and then smiled.

"Hehe, I see," he said, staring at me as if I were some kind of puppy. "It's good that you're doing stuff like this, Lee! I remember when you didn't even like talking to other people!"

Yeah, sure.

"That's cause they didn't have anything important to say." I shrugged. "I'll be back as soon as I can, so don't do anything crazy."

Chuckling, he nodded. "You worry too much," he said. "Though, yeah. Don't be gone for too long! I'll miss you!"

Ugh! Son of a-

"Y-yeah," I grumbled. "Be back in a bit. Here, keep this guy for company."

With a snap of my finger, Hans appeared in front of me. "Throw him if something attacks you. He makes for a pretty big explosion."

"Dood!" the penguin gasped. "That's so evil, dood! Say no to murder, dood!"

Smiling, Iruma gently picked him up.

"D-don't worry, I won't do that."

"Yay! You're the best, dood! Don't worry, I'll make sure to aim for the nuts and bite super hard if something does attack, dood!"

Iruma winced.

"M-maybe not the nuts…"

I rolled my eyes. Right. Time to head off before Val comes up with an even worse idea...

"Cya."

Grabbing his little penguin's hand, Iruma waved at me.

"I get the heebie-jeebies around her, food! Just be careful she doesn't eat your face, dood!"

I made sure to ignore every word that was coming out of his mouth.

 

[Stivanderen]

Loved the chapter and im waiting for more.