《A Fair Exchange》


 Chapter 1: The Summons

    Where am I?


    Melody looked around herself, blinking in the darkness of the room. It wasn¡¯t pitch black, but she could have sworn she was somewhere much brighter a second ago, and her eyes were just trying to catch up to her change in location. She was in a place like none she had ever seen before. The seats in front of her were raised and quite ornamental, looking very much like a court of law or parliamentary chamber. There was a singular seat in the highest position, and then seven on a tier beneath it. Beyond that was a row of chairs facing the assembly. Behind them were several banners, depicting a variety of animal silhouettes.


    Some of the seats were filled.


    It took only a second for Melody to see this, and it took a second more for her to realize that she had no clue where she was, or even how she got here. A feeling of panic started to well up in her gut. But the man in the highest seat stood and spoke, giving her mind something to focus on other than scrambling for the hint of a memory.


    ¡°Welcome to the Devildom, Melody. Oh, pardon me. Feeling a bit shocked, are we?¡± At first he had smiled, then he looked contrite for a moment. Shocked didn¡¯t even begin to encompass what Melody was feeling. The situation already seemed too surreal, and now this man was throwing around words like ¡®Devildom¡¯. She was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t some absurdly named city in the States. But she didn¡¯t even have time to form a protest, or even agree with the man¡¯s assessment.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s understandable. You¡¯ve only just arrived, after all.¡± It still begged the question on ¡®how¡¯ Melody had arrived, since she didn¡¯t remember taking a trip anywhere at all. And the man was smiling again, which oddly wasn¡¯t reassuring. Melody wasn¡¯t sure how anyone could just say things so calmly and not expect a person to flip out. But she suspected freaking out wouldn¡¯t help her case, so she took a few, deep, steady breaths.


    ¡°As a human, it will probably take a little while for you to adjust to things here in the Devildom.¡±


    More than anything else, that sentence set off alarm bells in Melody¡¯s head. To refer to someone as human that way meant the speaker was not human. Generally it didn¡¯t apply in reality, because humans were the only one capable of saying it that way to begin with, so it was regulated to the realm of science fiction and fantasy. This time she couldn¡¯t help but blurt out the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°This has to be a dream!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ What a very human thing to say.¡±


    The man¡¯s words didn¡¯t help, referring to her as human, as though it described her exclusively, for a second time. His somewhat indulgent chuckle didn¡¯t help either. Under casual scrutiny, he looked as human as she did, though on closer inspection, the shade of his eyes was too golden to be brown. That didn¡¯t mean people couldn¡¯t have eyes that color, or use contacts to achieve such a color, but it seemed a rare shade at any rate. His tanned skin and red hair were fairly normal. He had the regular features of a human face and the proper number of limbs in the proper number of places. The fact that he was handsome didn¡¯t distract her¡­too much. He was wearing a very formal red uniform, but it wasn¡¯t one she recognized.


    ¡°Outstanding. I have a feeling you might be just the sort of person we¡¯re looking for. I suppose I should start by introducing myself. My name is Diavolo. I am the ruler of all demons, and all here know of me.¡±


    Well, at least he wasn¡¯t offended; in fact, he laughed often enough to give the impression of being a rather jolly fellow, despite professing to be a demon. If he was just a dream, it wouldn¡¯t matter in a few minutes, but if this somehow wasn¡¯t a dream, Melody felt that insulting him wouldn¡¯t be a good thing. Fantasy or not, most people didn¡¯t run around claiming to rule demons. And what was with that particular phrasing: ¡®all here know of me.¡¯ Melody felt like there was a meaning there she was missing entirely. But Diavolo was still speaking. ¡°And someday soon, I will be crowned king of the Devildom.¡±


    He stood up and moved to the side of the room, drawing Melody¡¯s attention to an opening that led onto a balcony. It was dark outside, and below them was the expanse of a city she didn¡¯t recognize. In the center of it was a huge, multi-towered castle, illuminated in purple light. Around it sprawled a lot of other buildings of varying shapes and sizes. Beyond it was a backdrop of mountains and a dark, starlit sky. It was beautiful, yet ominous at the same time. Melody gave a little gasp.


    ¡°This is the Royal Academy of Diavolo¡­though we just call it RAD.¡± Okay, that would be easy enough to remember. ¡°You¡¯re standing inside the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD. This is where we officers of the student council hold our meetings and conduct our business. I¡¯m the president of said council.¡±


    Melody had always suspected that school was hell; this just confirmed it.


    ¡°Um¡­.but why am I here?¡± she asked. She didn¡¯t recall enrolling in any school, demonic or otherwise. It didn¡¯t matter that she planned to go to university soon; she knew she hadn¡¯t actually sent in any applications.


    ¡°I will explain everything to you.¡± Another man spoke up, and Melody naturally turned towards the source of the second voice. He was just as handsome as the first man, if not more so, but in a very different way, with his black hair, pale complexion, and dark red eyes. His uniform was much like Diavolo¡¯s, except it was black, and the medal pinned to his shoulder was red instead of blue. Most pertinent to Melody, however, was the much stricter expression on his face; he seemed far less affable. His arms were folded across his chest, which did nothing to soften the effect.


    ¡°Melody, this is Lucifer. He is a demon and the Avatar of Pride. He¡¯s also the vice president of the student council and my right-hand man¡­and not just in title, I assure you.¡± Once again Diavolo punctuated his remarks with a soft chuckle. And it was back to the demon talk. Melody still couldn¡¯t see it. The situation was completely absurd, but it was also why she was more than half inclined to believe it. Or, at least, tuck away her disbelief until later. She didn''t see the benefit of such a charade. While she, in fact, had reasons to believe they were real, this wasn''t what she would have ever suspected demons were like. Diavolo was still talking, however, so she had to pay attention with part of her mind still.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Beyond that, he¡¯s also my most trusted friend,¡± Diavolo summed up with a broad smile and even fuller bout of laughter. That seemed potentially contradictory to Melody. Did demons have friends? And if they did, could they trust them? Generally the word ¡®demon¡¯ called to mind all sorts of unpleasant things. Lucifer didn¡¯t seem pleased to hear the words either, he frowned, eyebrows lifting slightly in something that could either be disapproval, or embarrassment.


    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo,¡± objected Lucifer. Melody would have to be careful. Pride was something that she was wary of; probably because she didn¡¯t have much of it herself. She shifted uncomfortably in place.


    ¡°Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and storied school of ours... I offer you a most heartfelt welcome, Melody.¡± At least Lucifer was smiling now. It wasn¡¯t as warm or uninhibited as Diavolo¡¯s seemed to be, but it made him seem less intimidating. But, she supposed, it would make sense to at least be civil when welcoming someone in an official capacity. He wouldn¡¯t be a right-hand man if he was inept at his job. Nor, she suspected, would it be good for the pride which he stood for.


    ¡°Pardon me, but, that still doesn¡¯t explain what I¡¯m doing here; this is a bit confusing you see.¡±


    ¡°¡­Interesting. This one is quite different from Solomon.¡± Lucifer dropped his smile, his face assuming a neutral aspect. ¡°Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm. As a first step toward this goal, we¡¯ve decided to institute an exchange program. We¡¯ve sent two of our students to the human world, and two to the Celestial Realm. And we¡¯re welcoming four students to our school: two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm. So, I take it you¡¯ve probably put two and two together at this point, right?¡± Lucifer was frowning again, though it was only a slight one. Melody couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he was bored, or just didn¡¯t think much of her ability to reason.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been chosen from among the people of the human world to participate in this program of ours. You are our newest exchange student. Your period of stay is one year. You will have to work on the tasks that you will receive from RAD. After one year, you will write a paper about your exchange here in the Devildom.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by tasks?¡± asked Melody. Normally in school, they said assignments. Somehow, ¡®tasks¡¯ seemed more ominous. At the very least, it sounded more labor intensive. The paper, at least, sounded self-explanatory. Melody had written her fair share of essays in high school.


    ¡°You are here as an exchange student. Did you really expect to spend your time here fooling around?¡±


    ¡°No rest for the wicked, I suppose,¡± murmured Melody softly.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± The intensity in Lucifer¡¯s eyes made Melody regret saying anything at all.


    ¡°No, sir, Lucifer, sir.¡± Never did she once imagine calling someone claiming to be a demon ¡®sir¡¯. But, so far, she hadn¡¯t imagined most of what had happened upon arriving in this room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t glare at me like that. It¡¯s not like I will abandon you all by yourself here in the Devildom.¡±


    Melody gulped. It had never occurred to her that she might have been abandoned to begin with, so Lucifer¡¯s reassurance, if that¡¯s what it was meant to be, had the opposite effect. Then again, by the way he was smiling, she doubted that he was saying it for her peace of mind. No, she would have to be very careful with this man¡­or demon.


    ¡°You need someone to look after you, and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon.¡±


    Like Lucifer, Mammon¡¯s name rang a bell, though Melody couldn¡¯t remember the details. Just that he was associated with money somehow. A line from a novel she read in the past floated to the surface of her mind, but the bubble popped before she could fully grasp it. But Lucifer was continuing to talk, and now he was scowling, so she paid attention.


    ¡°He¡¯s the Avatar of Greed and¡­how should I put it¡­?¡± Lucifer looked resigned. ¡°Oh well, you¡¯ll understand soon enough.¡±


    At least Melody was on the right track with her half recalled memory. Lucifer handed her an object; it looked like a cell phone. It felt calmingly familiar in the palm of her hand. She tried to ignore the time set distinctly at 66:66; other alarm bells were more pressing. Lucifer had started off by saying that Mammon should be the one to look after her, then followed it up by sounding as though there was something wrong with him. If that was the case¡­how much worse were the other possibilities? Melody trembled to think of it.


    ¡°Here, take this device. It¡¯s called a D.D.D. It¡¯s a lot like the cell phones of your world. This will be yours to use for as long as you¡¯re here. Now, go ahead and try calling Mammon with it.¡±


    This was definitely becoming more surreal. Demons like this were a hard thing to accept, but seeing something so modern here was a startling contrast. It was feeling more and more dream like, but at the same time, there wasn¡¯t that odd, disjointed feeling, as though nothing were properly fixed in place, that so often met Melody in her dreams. She would have to be cautious. The only thing to do now was to keep doing as the self-proclaimed demons asked and hope that things would be okay. It had never been her way to pick fights.


    As Lucifer said, the DDD was very much like a cell phone, and Melody rather easily found the contact list for calls. The only name on it was the aforementioned Mammon, his icon a cheeky looking fellow with a wide grin, white hair, and glasses with yellow lenses. Honestly, she couldn¡¯t see the point in them. Assuming it was a picture of him, and not just an unrelated image, he didn¡¯t look much like his brother at all. With mild trepidation, she pressed the icon and put the ¡®phone¡¯ up to her ear. It started ringing.


    ¡°Yoooo,¡± came a lazy sounding voice from the other end.


    ¡°Um, hello? Mammon?¡± Melody wasn¡¯t very good at talking to strangers in the first place, which made her nervous on its own merits. And how did one strike up a conversation with a demon anyhow?


    ¡°Huh? Who the hell are ya? You ain¡¯t Lucifer.¡±


    Melody had two thoughts. Firstly, was it ironic, redundant, or just silly, that a demon would use the phrase, ¡®who the hell¡¯? Secondly, she thought it was pretty obvious from her voice that she was not, in fact, Lucifer.


    ¡°I¡¯m a human: Melody,¡± stuttered the poor mortal, far less sassy in reality than she was in her own mind.


    ¡°Whaaa? A human?¡± Mammon¡¯s voice on the other end sounded baffled. ¡°Geez, I was gettin¡¯ all chilly here thinkin¡¯ it was Lucifer again. Ya should¡¯ve told me right away.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t occurred to Melody to point out that she was someone she wasn¡¯t. Maybe phone etiquette was different here. From just the sound of his speech, Mammon didn¡¯t much resemble his brother. There was nothing of the cold, elegant refinement that radiated from the man, or demon, in the room with her.


    ¡°So, what business does a human got with THE Mammon?¡±


    ¡°I was told you were going to be in charge of me for my stay here,¡± replied Melody, a little put off by his self-aggrandizing attitude.


    ¡°No way! There¡¯s nothin¡¯ in it for me. Whaddya even mean by ¡®be in charge of you¡¯?¡± There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. ¡°AAH! I get it now, you¡¯re the other human¡ªthe new exchange student! G¡¯luck with that, and see ya.¡± Even with recognition, the voice on the other end seemed pretty disinterested. But Melody had the impression that Lucifer wouldn¡¯t be happy if she didn¡¯t at least try.


    ¡°Lucifer told me to call on you,¡± protested Melody, starting to feel overwhelmed.


    ¡°Pfft, whatever. Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just ¡®cause you¡¯re tryin¡¯ to scare me with that name?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got 10 seconds¡­9¡­8¡­¡± said Lucifer, his face suddenly a little too close for comfort as he spoke into the phone. Still, the result was immediate.


    ¡°YESSIR!¡± Mammon practically shouted. Then he promptly hung up.

 Chapter 2: Meet and Greet

    ¡±Sounds like you had a nice chat,¡± commented Lucifer smoothly, a hint of amusement on his face.


    ¡°He seemed¡­um¡­¡± Melody didn¡¯t know how to express her misgivings in a diplomatic way. ¡°Disinterested,¡± she finally concluded, a bit lamely.


    ¡°You look even more worried now, huh.¡± And now Lucifer decided it was time to laugh. Poor timing as far as Melody was concerned.


    ¡°Well, if you were suddenly brought to a strange place and then get told that an unfamiliar face will now take care of you, you¡¯d certainly feel anxious,¡± Diavolo stepped in to point out, looking a bit concerned himself. Melody honestly couldn¡¯t imagine Lucifer with a worried expression. ¡°However, Mammon isn¡¯t the only one to help you out. Now then¡­we still need to introduce our new friend to your brothers, Lucifer. And it¡¯s probably better that you do that instead of me, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Diavolo was chuckling again, apparently quite amused at something. As for Melody, she didn¡¯t have time to sit and analyze how she felt about a demon, specifically a demon prince, calling her a friend.


    ¡°Yes¡­ As much as I dread the idea of doing so, you¡¯re right.¡± Now Lucifer was not looking at all amused. He looked somewhat weary actually. Melody felt a bit uncomfortable at that; she knew she wouldn¡¯t be thrilled to introduce her siblings to anyone.


    ¡°Oh, come now. Really? You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!¡± said one of the other men in the room, his voice a higher, softer one than Lucifer¡¯s.


    Melody gave a startled jump; she had forgotten there were others here. This demon, with a youthful face, was very pretty and had very light brown hair with a slight hint of red. His eyes were a beguiling amber. His uniform was much like Lucifer¡¯s only instead of a black shirt he wore a green one with a pinkish orange tie.


    ¡°This one here is Asmodeus. He¡¯s the fifth eldest.¡± Lucifer gave the name of his brother with a tired sigh. ¡°He is the Avatar of Lust.¡±


    Melody almost choked on her own tongue. Somehow being so blatantly told that this man was the embodiment of lust was disconcerting, more so than hearing about pride or greed. Shyly she looked away from Asmodeus. She also admitted to herself that this wasn¡¯t what she would have expected from someone associated with lust; she would have imagined a voice closer to Lucifer¡¯s.


    ¡°Wh¡­I can¡¯t believe you just totally ignored what I said! And not only that, you referred to me as this one. How rude!¡± Asmodeus raised a fist in an angry gesture.


    ¡°Hmph. At least he didn¡¯t ignore you altogether. How do you think I feel?¡± The owner of the next voice was a blond man with green eyes and a sad expression. His voice wasn¡¯t as light as Asmodeus¡¯, nor was it deep like Lucifer¡¯s. His uniform was almost identical to Asmodeus¡¯ except he wore a pale green bow-tie with it.


    ¡°That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest of us. At first glance he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving.¡±


    Idly Melody wondered what the definition of a responsible demon was, or a good one for that matter.


    ¡°Aha, so I¡¯m that one, am I? Nice to meet you, Melody. I am Satan, the Avatar of Wrath.¡± His sad expression had changed when he spoke to Melody directly, and he even tacked a little laugh on the end.


    Melody gulped. Of all the names so far, Satan¡¯s was the one that sent the most chills down her spine. It was a name that was irrevocably tied in with all manner of evil things. Yet he was standing there, smiling and greeting her. In a bow-tie no less. Melody felt her grasp on reality slip further.


    ¡°Wrath?¡± she asked, only able to make herself echo the last word said to her. She knew her manners were lacking, but at the moment, she couldn¡¯t scramble enough politeness to care.


    ¡°It basically sums up what he¡¯s about. He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful because it is all an act,¡± said Lucifer. He really seemed determined to push home the fact that Satan was not a good guy. As if his name wasn¡¯t clue enough, despite his smile. But Lucifer¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to dampen his brother¡¯s spirit. In fact, he seemed somewhat pleased.


    ¡°If you continue saying such nonsense, you¡¯ll just scare Melody. Don¡¯t take him too seriously, Melody.¡± Satan sure seemed to like to say her name, but each time he did, Melody felt a lump in her throat. ¡°Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Lucifer asked Satan, sighing again. He didn¡¯t seem at all amused by his brother¡¯s reproof. ¡°Now, the one there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He¡¯s the sixth oldest.¡±


    Melody was instantly put in mind of a song, the only place she had ever heard that name before. But somehow Queen just wasn¡¯t helpful at the moment, and she was sure that laughing would be a bad idea. Especially since the demon indicated did, in fact, look incredibly grumpy. Not only was he grumpy, but he was tall and muscular. Even if they had been normal humans running some sort of deception, he would have been quite a threat. His uniform was the same one his brothers wore, except it was quite rumpled up and he had no tie at all.


    ¡°Lucifer, I¡¯m hungry,¡± he said with a scowl. It seemed like such a mundane complaint to Melody. Lucifer looked less weary now, and was bordering on cross himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Now behave yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony.¡± The introduction was punctuated by a gurgling growl from his stomach. He put his hand up to it as though he were in great discomfort. Melody wondered if he had no tie because he had eaten it already.


    ¡°So¡­ There are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest. Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon. My other brothers aren¡¯t here at the moment, but¡­well, we can get to them later. All in good time.¡±


    Pride, Greed, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony. That was five sins. Melody tried to wrack her brain to remember the last two, but she couldn¡¯t quite manage. Then again, she could never name all the Seven Dwarfs without help either, so she tried not to fret over it.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°During your stay in the Devildom, the seven brothers will lend you their strength. To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation,¡± explained Diavolo. It was not a comforting name to Melody at all. Lamentation was sorrow, wasn¡¯t it? Why would anyone call their place of residence that?


    ¡°Keep me safe?¡± Nothing about this so far had been what Melody would call safe.


    ¡°Most agree with Diavolo, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there aren¡¯t vulgar demons out there who wouldn¡¯t harm you.¡± Lucifer¡¯s smile was less than reassuring; he was far too amused at her expense.


    ¡°If anything were to happen to you, it would be our responsibility. And I won¡¯t betray Diavolo¡¯s expectations. So I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive your stay down here in the Devildom.


    Although we will all be living together, you should still have the means to reach us at any given time. All of our phone numbers are already in there. And your D.D.D also has a messaging app. Make sure to add all of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and send you a message!¡± chimed in Diavolo.


    ¡°Is that nice, Melody. Now you will be friends with the future king of the Devildom!¡± Again there was that emphasis on friends. She barely knew them, and they could hardly know much about her, so it was a bit soon to be calling anyone her friend, demon or otherwise. But nothing about this situation was normal, not in the least.


    There was a brief respite in the conversation as she waited for Diavolo to text her. Moments later the text showed up on her screen. It was pretty standard fare as far as messaging services went: it even had stickers. True, those stickers looked like little demon birds and other cute demonish things, but the normalcy of the D.D.D just made everything else feel stranger by comparison. Diavolo even made the classic error of sending the wrong sticker, which Melody had personally done a few times in her life.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got that done now, and it seems the idiot has arrived as well.¡± Lucifer didn¡¯t look at all happy when Melody looked up from her screen. He looked rather dismayed. Turning slightly, Melody heard a few angry bootsteps on the floor. Finally she was seeing Mammon in person, this time in a uniform like the others; he had been wearing more casual clothes in his D.D.D image. Personally, Melody thought he looked better without the glasses on.


    ¡°HEY! Just who do you think you are, human? You¡¯ve got a lotta nerve summoning the Great Mammon! Listen up, because I¡¯m only gonna say this once. If you value your life, then you¡¯ll hand over all your money now! And anything else of value, too! Otherwise I¡¯ll wipe that stupid, happy-go-lucky look right off of your face¡­by eating¡¯ you! Startin¡¯ at your head and working my way down, until ¡ª¡±


    Melody barely had a chance to process even half of Mammon¡¯s words before he was interrupted by a very cross looking Lucifer.


    ¡°Mammon, shut up or I¡¯ll punch you!¡± It seemed a somewhat less elegant thing for Lucifer to say, but Melody supposed that elegance was hard to achieve while annoyed and angry. It would have been even harder to achieve while punching Mammon, which is exactly what Lucifer did.


    ¡°GAH, OWW! Hey, what¡¯s the big idea?! I thought you were actually gonna give me a chance to shut up before punching me!¡±


    ¡°Melody, Mammon here is the Avatar of Greed. He governs and oversees all forms of it,¡± Satan helpfully supplied. ¡°Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money. But from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They¡¯re left without a Grimm to their name.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s also a masochist. That part¡¯s important,¡± Asmodeus added, somewhat less helpfully. Meldoy blinked, not sure why it was important to add that. It wasn¡¯t as though she was about to inflict anything on anyone here.


    ¡°Indeed. And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother.¡± Lucifer using the same description made it seem more likely, but Melody was still a bit wary.


    ¡°Y¡¯all stop telling lies! I ain¡¯t asked for that punch, and I AIN¡¯T a masochist!¡± Whatever Mammon was, or was not, he wasn¡¯t refined. His language was rather awful.


    ¡°Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human¡¯s needs during the whole exchange. I expect your full cooperation.¡± Lucifer referring to her as ¡®this human¡¯ was off-putting, and she had a moment of sneaking sympathy for both Asmodeus and Satan; she didn¡¯t like it any more than they did.


    ¡°What?! Why me?!¡±


    ¡°Aww, lucky you, Mammon! I¡¯m so jealous¡­¡± Asmodeus piped up.


    ¡°All right, then why don¡¯t YOU do it, Asmodeus?!¡±


    ¡°What? Hell no, too lazy.¡± Melody was relieved at this; she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be able to handle being taken care of by the Avatar of Lust. Greed would be easier, though certainly not optimal. She had more experience with it at any rate. Come to think of it, none of the sins attributed to the brothers were ones she felt much of.


    ¡°I thought you said you were jealous of me?!¡±


    ¡°Just give it up, Mammon. There¡¯s no getting out of this. You know you can¡¯t refuse a direct command from Lucifer, correct?¡± It was Satan¡¯s turn to talk again; he seemed a little too pleased over shutting his brother down.


    ¡°But why does it have to be me?! What about Beel. Why can¡¯t he do it?!¡± Mammon was still hell bent on shifting the responsibility to someone else. Melody wanted to object, since she was right there in the room, being quarreled over as though she were a troublesome pet that no one wanted to take care of. She wasn¡¯t planning on being trouble for anyone. She was used to staying out of people¡¯s way, not making a fuss, not rocking the boat. Yet they all seemed to think she would take particular effort to manage.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a job we can entrust to Beel. We might as well ask him to eat this human.¡± It was the second time someone mentioned eating her, and Melody didn¡¯t want to find out if they were being literal, figurative, or just trying to scare her in general.


    ¡°Mm, yeah. I can¡¯t promise I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Beel hadn¡¯t said much so far, other than to talk about being hungry. Still, Melody was surprised at his frank admission, and the fact that he didn¡¯t seem to have any malice or cruelty in his tone or face. It was just a simple fact that he might actually eat her. She felt her eyes go wide, and her throat go dry.


    ¡°You¡¯re useless, you know that?!¡±


    ¡°¡­Mammon?¡± It wasn¡¯t a question so much as a prompt from Lucifer.


    ¡°¡­Wh-what?


    ¡°Surely you¡¯re not going to tell me that you object to this assignment, are you?¡± There was an aura radiating off of Lucifer that immediately caught Melody¡¯s attention. This, more than anything else so far, seemed to lend credence to the possibility that they were telling the truth about being demons. Mammon¡¯s reaction only solidified that; he jumped nervously. While Lucifer was a little taller than Mammon, neither one of them looked heavily built. In a fist fight she would give them almost even odds, so the fear must be from something else to get that sort of response.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I hate you guys! Every last one of ya! Fine¡­FINE! I¡¯ll do it, okay?!¡± Mammon turned away from his brothers and faced Melody directly. She tensed up. ¡°All right, human, listen up. As much as I don¡¯t want to look after you, I¡¯ve got no choice. It¡¯s a huge pain in the ass, and I¡¯m too important for this kind of thing, but Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better make sure you don¡¯t cause me any trouble, got it?!¡±


    It all seemed unnecessary to Melody. She had been watching and listening the whole time, so Mammon¡¯s words seemed more an attempt to save face than actually tell her anything she didn¡¯t know. But she wasn¡¯t going to point that out to him; she had observed enough to know it would likely make things go even more sour between them. Instead she just nodded meekly.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s what I want to hear. As long as you do as I say, we won¡¯t have any problems. Just be sure you don¡¯t forget which one of us is the boss here.¡±


    There was precious little chance of that. Melody had never been in charge of anything really. As the youngest sibling, she had always been at the bottom of the totem pole. Mammon, according to Lucifer, was the second oldest. Which meant he had a lot more to prove than perhaps any other sibling. Melody had two older sisters, and three older brothers, so she knew a bit about family dynamics. Though, technically, they were her half-siblings. Regardless, she knew that it was a bad idea to get involved in a dispute between siblings, and she only hoped she wouldn¡¯t be pitted by one against the other.

 Chapter 3: Tasks and Tribulations

    ¡°We have decided who will take care of you, so on to the next subject: your tasks.¡± Lucifer seemed pleased that the matter was finally resolved.


    ¡°What exactly is it I¡¯m expected to do?¡± Melody felt her shoulders slump in defeat. She hadn¡¯t really had much choice up till now. Even the question of who would look after her was decided without her input. Not that she would have had anyone else to suggest. The other brothers present had already made it clear they either couldn¡¯t be bothered or couldn¡¯t be trusted. Actually, when she stopped to think about it, none of them suggested Satan, so he hadn¡¯t felt a need to refuse. Melody wondered what the implication of that was¡­and whether she should be concerned.


    ¡°Good question¡­ Your task is to polish up your soul nicely and to acquire the power to resist demons.¡± Lucifer¡¯s explanation was less than helpful. While Melody didn¡¯t disbelieve in the concept of a soul, she certainly never thought it was something that one could ¡®polish up¡¯.


    ¡°Wait, you want me to be able to resist demons¡­wouldn¡¯t that be counter productive to you?¡± Her last words were rather uncertain, and she almost mumbled them out.


    ¡°Demons like humans with nice souls. Let me put it another way. Nice souls look like shiny jewels. Do you understand now?¡±


    Nope. Lucifer¡¯s explanations were still not terribly helpful. Or, rather, they just gave Melody more questions that she was afraid to ask. Could they see her soul right now? What did it look like to them? She felt exposed, but she wouldn¡¯t even know how to cover herself up. At least he didn¡¯t say her soul looked like a buffet.


    ¡°Demons will use their wisdom and abilities to tempt the humans so they can get their hands on their souls.¡±


    Again, Melody wondered if her soul was a physical thing, and if so, where was it? Doctors certainly hadn¡¯t found one in the human anatomy as far as she knew. And how much would she have to ¡®shine¡¯ her soul up? How shiny was it already? She had no way to gauge the condition of her own soul, yet somehow these strangers could. This was all a bit too existential for her liking. As much as she had liked to think about such things in the past, the moment the answers mattered, it was a terrifying prospect.


    ¡°Other demons at RAD also have tasks assigned to them just like you. In other words, either humans will be tempted by demons, or demons will lose against the shiny and noble soul of a human and make a run for it. You could say it is an experiment to find out who will win.¡±


    Melody didn¡¯t like the thought of being used as a guinea pig, and she didn¡¯t like her odds. There was nothing particularly noble about her. She thought of herself as a basically good person, but nothing special. And what happened if she lost to these demons?


    ¡°If I lose¡­what then?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep the tremble out of her voice. Stories of demons gobbling up the souls of the unwary flittered through her mind.


    ¡°There is no penalty set. Would you like me to think of one?¡± Lucifer had been smiling at her discomfort, but then he dropped into a neutral expression. ¡°There, there, don¡¯t give me that look. Don¡¯t take it so seriously. You won¡¯t have to do those tasks on your own. After all, you don¡¯t have any magic in you unlike the other exchange student from the human world¡­ so my brothers and I will lend our power to you and you alone.¡±


    Melody had almost forgotten there was another human exchange student; she wondered what they were like. Obviously they had some kind of magic, as Lucifer stated. That was a bit of an uncomfortable notion. While there were witches in her family, she hadn¡¯t inherited that gift, and it had always created a bit of a distance between her and the other members. Still, she hoped her fellow human was strong enough to do everything on their own. And, even if the other student had magic, and Melody had help, there were only the two of them against all the other demons in the Devildom, and she had no idea what sort of population it boasted.


    ¡°To see is to believe, so why don¡¯t you go ahead and give those tasks a try, Melody?¡± At least Lucifer was using her name now. That was a step in the right direction. Melody turned her attention back to the DDD. Luckily for her, there was a tutorial of sorts set up that explained things. But, standing around fiddling with her device with so many pairs of expectant eyes on her was a little much, and she wavered on her feet. Her mind was quickly becoming overloaded, and her body was too. Knees buckling beneath her, she fell to the floor. It hurt, but she was more stunned than damaged.


    ¡°Oi! I think this human¡¯s broken, better send her back,¡± Mammon said, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Lucifer shot Mammon a glance that would have slain the Avatar of Greed on the spot if looks could kill. Since they couldn¡¯t, Mammon merely broke out in a sweat and quickly turned away. But whatever punishment Lucifer had in mind would have to come later; he was too busy extending a gloved hand towards Melody to help her up, the gesture stiff and polite, yet the hand itself pulled with an oddly gentle strength. Just as Lucifer was helping her up, Diavolo had brought over a chair, which a much shaken, and very grateful, Melody sat in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m not sure what came over me,¡± she managed to stammer out. ¡°But, thank you for the chair.¡± Her eyes were focused so intently on the screen of the DDD that she didn¡¯t see any of the looks exchanged by the demons.


    ¡°Think nothing of it.¡± Diavolo¡¯s rumbling voice was somewhat soothing. ¡°We should have been better hosts.¡± Sometimes it was easy to forget how fragile humans could be. ¡°Take a few moments to collect yourself, then try the first task. It¡¯s important.¡± While his tone had a firmness behind it, it was generally friendly, aiming to put Melody a little more at ease. It worked, to some small degree. With the firm, high back of the chair keeping her in place, Melody turned back to the task.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Going through the apps until she found the right one, Melody was surprised to find the nature of it. The app was arranged like a mix between a card collecting and a matching puzzle game with some level of strategy involved, combining the strengths of the brothers against situations that their abilities called for. While much of it was color coded, certain key words linking back to the sin of each avatar gave clues as to the best method of doing each task. Solving the puzzles quicker made the cards stronger, or helped her obtain new ones. Initially it seemed much like any other app Melody had played, but a certain frisson that ran across her scalp when she did well, and a lurching feeling in the pit of her stomach when she did poorly, made it easier to believe there was some mystical connection between the game and the realm she was in: a rather wondrous combination of the technological and the supernatural. Melody wasn¡¯t sure how much of the game was merely aesthetic, and how much had meaning, but it was interesting.


    Looking back up, she noticed most of the demons had turned away and struck up conversations with each other; only Diavolo and Lucifer were paying her any attention. This made things a little easier. Diavolo looked curious and excited, while Lucifer fixed her with a rather scrutinizing gaze. The latter was definitely less than comforting.


    ¡°How did you find it?¡± asked Diavolo, almost eagerly.


    ¡°It was¡­interesting,¡± Melody said cautiously, but honestly. ¡°I mean, as an app it was fun and the rules were easy to follow, but I suspect it will get more difficult as I progress.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if she should mention the strange sensations or not. ¡°I think whoever designed it thought it through carefully though.¡±


    ¡°Astute of you,¡± Lucifer said. ¡°It will, indeed, it more difficult. But you wouldn¡¯t learn anything otherwise.¡± He folded his arms across his chest. ¡°With that, my explanation has come to a close. But, to sum it up for you¡­ You will be an exchange student here at RAD for one year, and you must do your tasks. Your tasks consist mainly of solving the puzzles against other demons, using the information you get from your various classes, which are part of your tasks. Since you have no magic power, we will lend you a hand. If you want to use our power, you will have to use special cards. You can summon those cards through the app called Nightmare. And when your exchange period comes to an end, you are to submit a paper about your stay here in the Devildom. It¡¯s as easy as pie, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I wanna make one thing clear right now: Don¡¯t blame me if someone gets eaten, ¡®cause ain¡¯t my fault,¡± said Mammon before Melody could answer, assuming the question wasn¡¯t simply rhetorical.


    ¡°Lucifer, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Beelzebub was nothing if not consistent as far as Melody could tell. In fact, she couldn¡¯t get a read on him at all except that he was one hungry fellow. The gurgling growl of his stomach only proved his words.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Now, behave yourself.¡± Lucifer seemed rather worn out; Melody could only imagine that he had heard such a complaint countless times before. She wasn¡¯t sure if she felt more bad for Lucifer, or for Beelzebub. She surprised herself for managing to feel bad for either one. They were already on familiar grounds, while she wasn¡¯t. If anything, they should feel bad for her, not the other way around. But, if they truly were demons, she couldn¡¯t expect that from them. So she just looked at her feet, not sure what to say.


    ¡°Melody, from now on you will be living in the House of Lamentation. You¡¯ll be staying there with Lucifer and his six younger brothers.¡± Listening to Diavolo talk, Melody briefly wondered if she could connect each of them with one of the seven dwarfs, but she highly doubted it. ¡°Humans, angels, demons, I imagine a universe where each accepts the other. Where we are brought together as friends. This is my dream, and I¡¯m asking you to be the foundation for it. One year, that¡¯s what I ask of you. Good luck, Melody.¡±


    Diavolo¡¯s words struck a chord with Melody, and all the talk of friends earlier in the meeting finally made some sense. She blinked a few times, then smiled slightly. If she took him at his word, it was a beautiful dream. Yet, at the same time, it felt oddly naive coming from a demon. Humans could barely keep themselves from falling apart as it was. Nations were divided. People often struggled to make friends with their neighbors, let alone people that were vastly different. Perhaps demons had fewer differences among themselves. Or, perhaps, they were so used to being seen as the worst inhabitants of the three worlds that they assumed humans weren¡¯t terrible people. It was hard to tell, really. But Diavolo seemed so open and hopeful, she hated to throw cold water on his idea. What made Melody feel worse was the fact that she was not the kind of person that was used to carrying such a burden of expectation. The whole thing gave her goosebumps.


    She didn¡¯t have much time to think about it any further. Already Mammon was eager to get going. Since the matter was decided, none of the other brothers stepped in to tell him to slow down. They just watched as he hustled Melody out of there before she could even say good bye. Once they were alone, she meekly trotted after him, not wanting to run the risk of being left behind. When they made it outside, it was even harder to keep thinking it was a dream or a prank. The moon looked far too large, and the scenery, while not completely fantastical, had enough elements that wouldn¡¯t be found in an earthly setting. Mammon was not a comforting figure, but she at least knew his name and face now, and would rather deal with the devil she knew¡­


    ¡°¡­Ugh, I don¡¯t believe this. Of all the rotten luck¡­ Why should I have to look after some human? It¡¯s insulting, that¡¯s what it is! That rotten bastard¡­ Does he really think he can scare me into doin¡¯ whatever he wants?¡± Mammon was loud about his protests, but he wasn¡¯t really looking at Melody, so she wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to himself, or to her. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear¡­it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t say no to Lucifer, okay?!¡± That was definitely directed at her. ¡°I only agreed to babysit you because, um¡­ Well you know, because¡­uh¡­¡± Mammon was clearly floundering, and Melody didn¡¯t know what to say to make him stop. She feared anything she said would make it worse, so she just listened. ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter! Just don¡¯t go thinking that I¡¯m scared of Lucifer or anything! Because I¡¯m not!¡± Mammon was protesting far too strenuously for Melody to fully believe him. But, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was lying to her, or lying to himself so well that he believed he was telling her the truth. It really didn¡¯t matter, she wasn¡¯t going to try to argue the point with him. Then, he looked at her expectantly, so she had to say something.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why you would be,¡± Melody said, her voice falling a little flat. She wasn¡¯t one to talk; she was afraid of her older siblings. But she wasn¡¯t the second born; she was the sixth. And if her older siblings were afraid of each other, none of them would ever admit it to her.


    ¡°¡­Oh. Okay then, as long as we¡¯ve got that straight.¡± Melody was relieved that Mammon didn¡¯t suspect she was just trying to keep things peaceful. ¡°¡­Ugh, whatever. Let¡¯s move on.¡± Mammon tromped off, leaving Melody to patter behind him as quick as her legs could carry her.

 Chapter 4: Home Away From Home

    After walking a bit further, they arrived at a rather large looking manor house. It was not what she was expecting. Not only was it large and beautiful, it looked more like a home than a dormitory for school. Then again, she had never gone away to school, so what would she actually know about the subject. Stepping through the gates and in the front door, Mammon stopped in a grand foyer with two sets of curved stairs going up to another floor. The room was large, with classic blue wall paper, and lots of portraits on the wall, further accented by a pair of dragon statues. It was impressive.


    ¡°This is the House of Lamentation. It¡¯s one of the dorms here at RAD. Well, it¡¯s not JUST one of the dorms. It¡¯s the dorm reserved for student council members. Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can to insult me. Callin¡¯ me scum, sayin¡¯ that I¡¯m a money-grubber and stuff¡­ but I¡¯m an officer on the student council, same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid. In other words, I¡¯m a big shot. A REAL big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am. So don¡¯t you go thinking that I¡¯m just some ordinary demon. I¡¯m nothing like those other peons walking the halls here. By the way, Diavolo is even MORE of a big shot. He¡¯s so important that he¡¯s got his own castle. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t live here with us. Anyway, the long and short of it is that us seven brothers all live here together. Now it¡¯s time I show you to your room¡­¡±


    In all that, Melody couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise. It was interesting how rapidly he fluctuated between moods. Did he really believe he was that great, or was it a comforting lie he told himself? His brothers didn¡¯t seem to think much of him, but brothers could be like that. She didn¡¯t know how other demons reacted to him. Either way, it seemed important to him to seem as great as he claimed to be. Without any evidence one way or another, she was more than happy to take him at his word. But, she didn¡¯t have a chance to respond to any of this.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just stand there with your jaw open. Hurry up, or I¡¯m gonna leave ya behind. If there¡¯s something you wanna ask me, you¡¯d best do it now.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m coming. I don¡¯t want to hold you up anymore than I already have,¡± Melody said quickly. As much as she had questions, she didn¡¯t want to ask them now.


    ¡°Hmph¡­fine then. Now, I¡¯m gonna give you a piece of advice, so listen up. If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you¡¯d better listen REAL close to what I¡¯m about to say. If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you¡­ run away. Either that, or die.¡± It was a very bald-faced statement, with nothing to soften the blow. But, before Melody could protest, another voice spoke up behind her.


    ¡°How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon.¡±


    Melody whirled around so quickly she almost felt dizzy. Behind her was another man, this one with vibrant purple hair with bangs that hung so low she could barely see his glittering orange eyes. He looked smaller than Mammon, but not by much, and his expression was definitely angry. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing if the ¡®die¡¯ was literal or not. She was hoping not.


    ¡°D¡¯ah¡­! Levi¡­¡± Mammon was looking both startled and dismayed to see the other man. ¡°¡­Uh, l-listen up, human! This here is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. He¡¯s the third oldest of us brothers. Since his name¡¯s sorta hard to say, you can just call him Levi! Okay then, let¡¯s move on.¡± Mammon spoke rapidly, the sound of someone in a great hurry. Melody didn¡¯t bother interrupting him to mention she wouldn¡¯t have any trouble at all saying the man¡¯s full name. She¡¯d spoken it enough times already, though it had always referred to a video game character, and not a guy wearing a school uniform.


    ¡°Mammon, give me back my money. Then go crawl in a hole and die.¡± Levi, as he was called, seemed pretty hooked on saying ¡®die¡¯.


    ¡°Come on, I told you I¡¯d get it to you! I just need a little more time. ¡­And you still want me to die even after I give it back? That¡¯s real harsh, Levi!¡±


    Privately, Melody agreed with that. No sense in wishing someone dead after they complied. But, some people just spoke that way. Melody couldn¡¯t tell if Levi was truly malignant, or just really angry. She listened quietly, hands tucked behind her back, as the two of them bickered back and forth, with Levi getting angrier and angrier, while Mammon¡¯s defenses got worse and worse. Quite a few insults were slung towards Mammon; Levi seemed to have a full stock of them to use. Eventually it was revealed that Levi wanted to buy a Blu-ray set of what sounded like an anime title. That at least confirmed that there was some level of similarity in technology between the realms, beyond just the DDD. Despite claims of not having any money, Levi continued to press the case. Finally, Mammon turned to Melody and addressed her directly.


    ¡°Listen, human. You remember my advice from before about what to do when demons attack? Well, you¡¯re about to witness that for real. So¡­ time for you to die, because if it¡¯s either you or me, it ain¡¯t gonna be me!¡±


    ¡°Hold on. I thought your advice was to either run away or¡ª¡±


    Before Levi or Melody could do, or say, anything else, Mammon was gone. The speed in which he ran away had Melody staring in disbelief.


    ¡°¡­Wh¡­dammit, Mammon! That ass¡­he ran off¡­!¡± Levi shook his head, but then he turned to Melody, who was still standing there, feeling a bit dazed. ¡°Do you realize what just happened? Mammon used you as a distraction to get away from me ¡­Or maybe I should say he used you as a sacrifice.¡±


    Melody trembled, the word striking a chord of horror in her that ran deeper than the mention of demons did. What was Levi going to do to her? Was he somehow holding her responsible for the fact that Mammon had got away? Was that angry energy and desire to see Mammon die going to be turned on her? For the moment, it seemed he was content to use words only.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that Mammon is one of the scummiest scumbags you¡¯ll ever meet¡­a total lowlife. But still, that was pretty dumb of you letting him use you like that.¡±


    Melody did not point out, at this juncture, that Levi was the demon here, not her, and he should have been more capable of stopping his brother than she was. Instead, she simply hung her head, not wanting to give an impression of defiance. He was still one of the older brothers, and she responded to him very much like she¡¯d respond to one of her own siblings. But, Levi was still talking.


    ¡°This is EXACTLY why humans are¡ª¡± Then Levi suddenly laughed, a smile breaking over his face. He looked far less intimidating that way. ¡°¡­Wait a second. Humans¡­yes, that¡¯s it¡­ Suddenly, I¡¯ve got an idea. Listen, are you free right now? Of course you are. You¡¯ve gotta be, right? You know what? Never mind. Either way, you¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    Melody didn¡¯t have time to protest. As it was, she clutched her DDD tightly in her one hand as Levi pulled her along by the other arm. She heard the sound of her device beeping to alert her to a notification, but she didn¡¯t have a chance to check it. Whoever it was would have to wait. Not that she knew a lot of people, so it was probably Mammon, Lucifer, or Diavolo, by her best guess.


    Levi dragged her all the way up the stairs and a little down the hall. Stopping in front of one of the doors, he frantically looked both ways, similar to how one checks traffic before crossing a street. Satisfied at what he saw, he opened the door and pushed Melody inside, hastily following after her. Again he glanced both ways into the hall before shutting the door with an ominous click. Melody looked around herself in stunned awe. The room was not what she was expecting. It looked like a miniature, professional aquarium, the whole place decorated in shades of blue, with a huge fish tank taking up the far wall¡­and a bathtub in the middle of the floor. She opened her mouth to speak, but Levi cut her off.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that now? You want to know why I looked around to see if anyone was watching before I closed the door? Why do you THINK I did it? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Imagine what would happen if someone saw me inviting you into my room! A human who doesn¡¯t even look like an otaku, but a normie! You know what people would say, right?!¡±


    No, Melody didn¡¯t know what the people would say, or even which people he was talking about. Wearing his RAD uniform, Melody couldn¡¯t guess what Levi usually wore, nor did she know what an otaku would look like on sight. She was vaguely aware of the definition of one, but she didn¡¯t know much about them in general. Personally, she didn¡¯t fit into any particular social group or type. She was just¡­her.


    ¡°Do you look like an Otaku?¡± Melody asked, her eyes widening as she realized she had spoken her thought out loud. It didn¡¯t go over well.


    ¡°Hey! Are you trying to judge me? You think you¡¯re better than me, is that it? Don¡¯t you dare make fun of otakus! Listen up, because it¡¯s time for a truth bomb. The fact is that no matter how much of a normie you think you are, everyone out there is an otaku in some way! Every single person! ¡­Well, I mean, I guess I¡¯m not technically a person, but that¡¯s beside the point!¡±


    Otaku or not, Melody was realizing that Levi was an incredibly emphatic person. Mammon had sort of a lazy drawl to him, while Levi was very emotive. But she felt a little bad; she hadn¡¯t been trying to judge him, he was just confusing her a lot. She didn¡¯t know what to make of him, honestly. And, she never claimed to be better than anything. A moment later she remembered that Mammon had called him the Avatar of Envy. That might explain a few things.


    ¡°I¡­um¡­sorry,¡± Melody mumbled, looking away from the explosion that was Levi¡¯s emotional state. She was surprised that Levi didn¡¯t say anything about her apology. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t ready to forgive her, or perhaps he was waiting for her to say it with more clarity. However, when she looked back she saw that he was looking away also. Well, that was awkward. ¡°Levi?¡± she asked, tentatively.


    ¡°¡­All right, enough of that. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any harm in just coming out and saying what you already know is true: Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag. It¡¯s very important that you understand this. So I¡¯ll say it one more time. Mammon is a hopeless, worthless, scumbag.¡± For a few words, Levi seemed calm, but then he became excitable again as he proclaimed the depths of Mammon¡¯s scummy nature. ¡°I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back. But being the scumbag that he is, he won¡¯t do it. I wish I could force him to, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon¡¯s still the second oldest. As the third oldest, no matter how hard I try, I don¡¯t stand a chance against him.¡±


    From there Levi launched into a harrowing tale about a figurine that Mammon had won that Levi coveted. Told from his perspective, he sounded like the tragic hero trying to rescue a loved one from the clutches of an evil kidnapper, but Melody didn¡¯t feel he was being insincere. Just, his devotion seemed rather misplaced. Emotional slant aside, what she could gather was Levi wanted this figurine, and his brother wouldn¡¯t hand it over. While Melody could sympathize with both sides of the story, it felt like there must be something deeper between them than just a simple object. Some vital point she was missing. Either way, Levi seemed pretty traumatized in the failed attempt to secure the figurine, after walking in on his brother sleeping in the nude and counterattacking. She could definitely empathize with that, and was glad she¡¯d never walked in on any of her own brothers in such a state.


    Still, it was an indication of his mental state that he confused the disregard his brother had for the object with a right to own that object. The two were not actually related, but it seemed to make perfect sense to Levi, if the story he told was any indication. But Melody knew very much what it was like to want something one of her older siblings had. However, she never would have been brave enough, foolish enough, or entitled enough, to try to take it from them. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know what to think of the situation, except to come to the conclusion that both brothers handled the situation poorly. And now she was being pulled into the middle of it, despite having just arrived.


    ¡°But if, say, a human made a pact with Mammon, and bound him to their service¡­ then he¡¯d have to do whatever that human told him to.¡± The idea set off alarm bells in Melody¡¯s head. ¡°Which means that if you make a pact with Mammon and then ordered him to give me back my money¡­ he wouldn¡¯t have any choice but to do it.¡±


    Melody was stunned. The whole notion was problematic. Firstly, she had heard that souls were often exchanged to demons. How could she keep her soul shined up for the exchange if she gave it away? Would that kill her? If it did, what good would anything do her in trade? Perhaps it came to the demon after she died? Or after a certain amount of time? Sure, she could just ask Levi, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. But, even if her soul had nothing to do with it, having that much power over someone was a frightening thought. And to use such a power to simply secure money didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°What exactly does one of these pacts entail?¡± she asked, ever so carefully.


    ¡°The demon lends his strength to a human to make their wish come true in exchange for their soul.¡± Melody clutched her chest; it was as she feared and expected.

 Chapter 5: The Worth of Souls

    ¡°But¡­don¡¯t I need my soul?¡± Melody protested, not able to keep the waver out of her voice. Wasn¡¯t the soul the essence of who she was? What would she be without one? Dead? An empty shell? Neither sounded appealing to her.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t always necessary. It depends on what¡¯s in the pact. But, well, you need to give SOMETHING to the demon to make it worth the exchange, so it¡¯s pretty much inevitable. If you don¡¯t want to give up your soul, then I¡¯ll tell you how you can negotiate with Mammon. Also, I¡¯m sure it would be useful having him as your servant. I mean, despite how awful he is, he¡¯s still a powerful demon.¡± While this was a tiny relief, it still sounded sketchy to Melody. What right did anyone have to hold such power over another person? It sounded more like straight up slavery than merely having a servant. Also, Levi seemed pretty casual in talking about her soul; it made her feel even more small and insignificant than usual.


    ¡°But I bet you feel worried, being dragged here to the Devildom and all,¡± Levi continued. ¡°So, I don¡¯t think it would end up being a bad deal for you, either. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Melody nodded slightly to this part; he wasn¡¯t wrong there. She was very worried. But, she was more worried over that power. After all, there was a saying ¡®power corrupts¡¯ for a reason.


    ¡°I am worried,¡± Melody confessed, but then she shook her head. ¡°But I just can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t give up before you¡¯ve even tried! I thought humans weren¡¯t quitters. I thought your kind¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Melody said hastily. Levi didn¡¯t look at all impressed at being interrupted, and his eyes narrowed. But, he seemed to wait for Melody to continue what she wanted to say with a glowering impatience. ¡°I don¡¯t mean I think I¡¯m not capable; I don¡¯t want to try in the first place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re refusing to help me? You? A human normie?!¡± Leviathan was getting angry, and Melody cringed back. She had already seen that he was very emotional and even without being a demon, that was hitting her anxiety.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. I just¡­it¡¯s wrong to have that sort of power over someone else.¡±


    ¡°Wrong?¡± Levi went from narrowed eyes to a look of stunned surprise. He blinked at her several times. ¡°Pfff. That sounds just like something a normie would say.¡± He laughed, but it wasn¡¯t a friendly laugh. It was mocking, but Melody honestly couldn¡¯t tell how much of that mockery was directed at her, and how much was directed back at himself. ¡°Fine, then, take your normie values and get out of my room.¡± Levi practically shoved Melody back out of the door, leaving her out in the hallway, alone. Feeling somewhat bewildered, Melody retraced her steps back towards the entrance hall. Dejectedly she sat on the steps, elbows resting on her knees. Then she remembered that her DDD had been beeping earlier.


    It was just a text from Mammon saying he had to run off and take care of something, and to ask any questions of Levi. Unfortunately, that ship had sailed, and Melody doubted she would get a very nice answer, possibly any answer at all, if she knocked on his door now. There was also a warning to not tell Lucifer anything. Not that Melody had any plans to do so. She learned the hard way that ratting someone out usually ended poorly for everyone involved, and a double extra helping of trouble to her since she was the youngest. To top it off was a very intimidating looking bird demon thing. Melody still thought it was cute, but the message was still clear. She replied with that same bird demon saying ¡®OK¡¯, and Mammon¡¯s response was a horned demon blowing a kiss. Well, that was adorable, but ultimately, unhelpful. She sighed.


    ¡°Oh, look, the human is unhappy.¡± That sugar-sweet voice was too recognizable; Melody knew it was Asmodeus before she even looked up. Actually, she decided to not look up would be the better course of action. Lust wasn¡¯t really something she had much dealings with, so even though he didn¡¯t look scary, she was pretty terrified of the demon.


    ¡°Well, um¡­.¡± Melody didn¡¯t know how much she should say. ¡°I think I got off on the wrong foot with Levi,¡± she finally confessed.


    ¡°If you keep sighing and frowning like that, your face will be stuck with so many wrinkles!¡± Asmodeus didn¡¯t seem to saying it ironically, or flippantly. He truly seemed aghast at the notion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to not frown if I¡¯m feeling sad or stressed,¡± Melody blurted out, truthfully enough. Honestly, Melody thought wrinkles were the least of her worries right now. A bell like laugh came from Asmodeus, and he put his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s your problem right there. Poor little human. But we can¡¯t have your face getting so scrunched up if you¡¯re going to live in the same house as me, so why don¡¯t you tell Asmo what¡¯s bothering you.¡± He leaned in closer, uncomfortably so, to Melody, who had to do everything in her power not to curl up into a ball. ¡°You can even whisper it into my ear, if you like.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Melody¡¯s first word came out in a squeak, and she cleared her throat. ¡°It won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Shuffling sideways, she moved away from Asmo¡¯s close proximity. ¡°Mammon left me with Levi, and then Levi kicked me out of his room, but I still don¡¯t know where to go, or what to do.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately for you, Asmo is here to take care of you! And I always take the best care of people.¡± Even awkward, wallflower Melody couldn¡¯t miss the overtones of suggestion in Asmo¡¯s voice, but since his words alone were innocent enough, she had no idea how to object. Feeling rather exposed, she just nodded her head. ¡°Excellent. Well, first thing¡¯s first. Time to get you to your room. After all, relaxation is the key to settling those horrid wrinkles.¡± By the way Asmodeus spoke, it sounded like Melody had aged fifty years between leaving RAD and sitting down on the stairs. She was half tempted to look for a mirror. Instead she just picked herself up and dusted herself off. Usually she would have luggage or something to carry in a situation like this, but all she had was the small weight of her DDD.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± she mumbled as she followed behind the Avatar of Lust. For a moment she imagined how happy her older sister would have been to be here instead. Asmodeus seemed like just the kind of person, or demon, that her sister would have sought out. And, in turn, she was pretty sure that Asmodeus would have preferred her sister. But, that wasn¡¯t helpful now. Melody was the one here, and that was that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Seriously, don¡¯t.¡± The light laugh that came from Asmodeus contradicted his words, but that didn¡¯t surprise Melody too much. She fell quiet as they walked, listening to Asmodeus talk all about skin care and avoiding wrinkles, and a bunch of things that really didn¡¯t have anything to do with her. Still, she didn¡¯t dare tune him out. He was a demon and she was just¡­a human guinea pig. Finally, they stopped in front of a door, and Asmodeus opened it with a careless sort of grace. Gesturing for her to enter, she did so.


    What she saw, surprised her. She expected a sparse, austere room without much in it, bare and unwelcoming. Yet, the room was lovely, and had a certain otherworldly charm to it, the most pointed feature being the tree growing right through it. She¡¯d never seen anything to compare with it, and was sure she looked rather foolish as she gaped in wonder. The d¨¦cor was a cross between the whimsical and the macabre, with the hanging lanterns in the tree looking like something out of a festival, while a skull sitting on a shelf had a less than friendly appearance. The room was much larger than she anticipated, with space not only for a sizable bed, loaded with pillows, but a dining room table able to seat six people. There was a lot of furniture to store things in, such as a sideboard and a dresser, both of which were filled with knick-knacks. There was even a coffin-shaped bookshelf. Despite some of the darker themes of the room, it was clean; no dust or spiderwebs.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Melody said once she recovered her power of speech. ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t expect so much.¡± When she had still been in the RAD council room, she had gotten the impression they didn¡¯t think much of having a human stay with them.


    ¡°Why thank you. It¡¯s not my best work, but you¡¯re only human. Still, I would never do a shoddy job of designing a room. And those pillows, they are so soft and won¡¯t irritate your skin. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­a bit overwhelming.¡± Melody wasn¡¯t sure if she was talking about the room, the company, the conversation, or the entire exchange program.


    ¡°Of course it is, sweetie. It¡¯s natural to be overwhelmed in the presence of such charm and beauty. So, I¡¯ll be kind this once and let you gather your wits. Ta!¡± And, with that, Melody was alone. She felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, a burden too big to hold anymore, and she flopped onto the bed. It was very soft, and the pillows were quite nice, just as Asmodeus had suggested. She didn¡¯t know what to make of him. Part of her had been stressed, thinking that with his designated sin, he would do something to her. But, all he did was flatter himself and flit off. Which, she supposed, was probably for the best. And, at the very least, she wouldn¡¯t have to lie down on a bed of nails or hot coals, or something else torturous.


    Rolling onto her side, Melody pulled up some of the pillows that were on the floor and hugged one to her chest. Closing her eyes, she thought about everything that had happened so far. None of the demon brothers really seemed to take her seriously. Mammon, Levi, and Asmo had all been fairly quick to just drop her and find something more interesting, or pressing, to do. With her eyes closed, she could smell a faintly sweet fragrance coming from the tree in her room, and it was oddly soothing. She wondered if she should have turned Levi down. Maybe having someone on her side would be a good thing? But, she really didn¡¯t want it to be forced. Or, perhaps she should have asked more questions to get a fuller understanding before rejecting the idea. Either way, she wasn¡¯t making any friends at this rate. Mammon complained a lot, and it was clear he didn¡¯t want to take care of her. Asmo seemed friendly, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a friend. Not that Melody had had a lot of friends before.


    Eventually she dozed off, and her dreams were mercifully quiet.


    ¡°Oi! Human! Get yer butt out here!¡± The impatient voice of one Avatar of Greed rattled against Melody¡¯s door, and she jolted awake. Rubbing her face, she took a deep breath.


    ¡°Okay, just a moment.¡± Hastily Melody combed her fingers through her hair to be at least a little bit presentable. Then she rushed to open her door before Mammon could bang on it, or yell again.


    ¡°Never keep the Great Mammon waiting,¡± he huffed, squinting at her. ¡°You look terrible.¡±


    ¡°Sorry; I just woke up.¡± Melody expected him to find something else to complain about, but he seemed to let her pass for now.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s dinner, so you¡¯d best eat up. Beel will eat everything in sight; you have to learn to eat quick and never be late for meals, or you¡¯ll go hungry,¡± Mammon warned. ¡°Not that I care if you starve, or anything.¡±


    Melody didn¡¯t know why Mammon had to make such a big deal about not caring. Most people who didn¡¯t care simply wouldn¡¯t go through the trouble of stating it. Then again, he didn¡¯t strike her as terribly subtle. In a way, it was a relief; he wasn¡¯t blandly polite in a way that was entirely unreadable. And, the warning, while gruffly given, was useful information. He didn¡¯t have to give her such advice at all.


    ¡°Thank you, all the same,¡± she said with a hint of a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even¡­.well, alright then,¡± Mammon huffed, after starting to object to something that Melody didn¡¯t end up saying. Used to his brothers¡¯ sarcasm and insults, he¡¯d come to expect it from most people. Melody¡¯s simple sincerity wasn¡¯t what he was accustomed to, and it took his brain a second to sort out that she hadn¡¯t said anything to even hint that he was somehow less of a demon. ¡°Just remember to keep bein¡¯ grateful for all the help the Great Mammon is givin¡¯ a lowly human like you.¡±


    Melody kept her face neutral. As much as his words stung, there wasn¡¯t as much bite in them as the meaning would have indicated. He reminded her of a cat who, after being startled, would walk off as if nothing had happened to save face. It was something she was familiar with. Still, what threat could she, a human, have to a demon? It baffled her mind, so she put trying to sort it out on the back-burner and followed Mammon.


    ¡°Did you finish the things you needed to do?¡± Melody asked as they walked to the dining room.


    ¡°What?¡± Mammon asked the question faster than his brain could tell him not to. ¡°Oh, that. Ya, I got it all done,¡± Mammon said. It wasn¡¯t entirely a lie; his intention was to get away from Levi, and it succeeded. He was pretty sure Levi wasn¡¯t going to actually kill Melody. Maybe. He hoped. It took a lot to tip Levi into a murderous rage; he was more likely to make someone else annoyed with his otaku talk, or whining about how unfair the world is, than to be the aggressor. Except against Mammon, who no one took seriously. Yet, this human was watching him with completely earnest eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Melody said, and she wasn¡¯t lying either. Even if she felt abandoned, she didn¡¯t see any purpose in begrudging Mammon a successful task. She simply didn¡¯t work that way. And, in a way, she felt guilty talking to him, as though she should mention Levi¡¯s designs against him. She had no idea how to bring it up though, and walked the rest of the way in silence.

 Chapter 6: Demons at the Door

    Melody was almost starting to feel like the evening wouldn¡¯t be so bad, but the dining room was a lot more than she was expecting. Gold seemed to gleam from all over, and the ostentation of the table and its settings was definitely not cozy. The amount of skulls and skeletons worked into the decor was intimidating, and the high backed chairs spoke of a stiff formality that made Melody feel small and insignificant. While her family was wealthy, there was a far more subdued aesthetic to the home she grew up in. This place looked like it was plucked from the estate of some bygone nobility.


    However, at the table, the brothers that sat there seemed fairly relaxed. Only Lucifer, sitting in a central seat, kept up the appearance that fit with the room. Levi didn¡¯t even look up from his game as she and Mammon entered, though he made a soft sound of derision in his throat. Satan seemed to be conversing with Asmodeus, and Beel was busy stuffing his face. Mammon was quick to sit down and start dishing up, while Melody simply lingered in the doorway.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t ya listenin¡¯? I told ya, you have to eat fast around here!¡± Mammon¡¯s irate voice snapped Melody out of her hesitance.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­I wasn¡¯t sure where to sit, or¡­¡± Melody could recall being pushed off of the chair if she happened to sit where one of her brothers wanted to.


    ¡°Everyone else has a place; you¡¯re the last to sit down. Sit where you please,¡± said Lucifer, his voice a mix between authoritative and bored. Sometimes he was too much like one of Melody¡¯s older brothers for her to feel completely comfortable around him. Still, uncomfortable or not, it was natural for her to obey that tone of voice, so she meekly slid into the chair closest to her, ending up sitting next to Satan and across from Mammon. For a moment, Melody thought she saw Satan¡¯s face express surprise, but it was so fleeting, she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°Hello, Melody,¡± he greeted with a smile that was more polite than happy. But Melody was fine with that; they barely knew each other, and certainly she didn¡¯t see herself as cause for joy. Finally looking at the food served, Melody realized that she didn¡¯t exactly know what most of it was. While at first glance, it definitely looked like food, she couldn¡¯t really tell what each dish was made up of. Tentatively she took a sniff, and the smells were largely unfamiliar, but without necessarily smelling bad. With a degree of caution, she served up a bit from the dishes that looked the least unusual. Although there was quite a bit of hesitation, she eventually took a taste. It, to her surprise, wasn¡¯t bad. And she nibbled away at it until one of the brothers casually mentioned that the brains were particularly good that day.


    Melody dropped her fork instantly and rushed from the room. No one tried to stop her. There were exchanged glances, a few eyes rolled, and some snickers at her expense, while Beel simply helped himself to everything she had abandoned without thinking much on the subject. Food was food, after all. Back in her own home, Melody would have felt a bit queasy, but just assumed her siblings were joking and kept eating. However, down here, she didn¡¯t know what to expect, and with her nerves already shot, that comment was enough to send her over the edge and into her bathroom. Once that was done, she curled back up in bed, the evening ruined for her. Melody wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to survive this.


    After tossing and turning fitfully for a while, she sat up cross-legged, back against her headboard. Swiping her finger across her DDD, she turned the screen on. Even if she couldn¡¯t eat and felt under the weather, she still had to make it to her first day of school on the morrow. It was a daunting prospect, but she knew it would be even worse if she didn¡¯t mentally prep herself. Luckily the first day was mostly orientation and class introductions. What would it be like, compared to high school, or even compared to a human college? Melody had not enjoyed high school; the kids were mean, the teachers wary. The work itself wasn¡¯t super hard, but there was no subject she excelled in. Both Diavolo and Lucifer seemed interested in having her succeed, even if the latter could care less about her as a person. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint either of them. Melody was about to check on her tasks, which she hadn¡¯t done since she was first told about them, when another knock interrupted her.


    ¡°Ya in there human?¡± A few words different, and it would have sounded suspiciously like the conversation just before dinner. Either way, Melody could tell it was Mammon speaking.


    ¡°Y¡­yes. Where else would I be?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know? Ya gonna open the door, or what?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure. Just a second.¡± Melody cautiously slid off her bed and went to the door. Mammon was there, looking a bit sheepish, but the moment she made eye-contact with him, he scowled.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Mammon sounded as though he¡¯d been waiting an eternity and a half, instead of the few seconds it took Melody to get to the door.


    ¡°Did you¡­need something?¡± she asked, though the moment she did, she felt foolish. What could she have that he wanted?


    ¡°Pfff, why would the Great Mammon need something from you?¡± It was just as Melody thought. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m here to give ya somethin¡¯, so you should be grateful.¡± Mammon tossed her a few bags of something that looked very familiar. ¡°I got these human world snacks, but grabbed the wrong kind and they¡¯re just too sweet for me. Who better to dump them off on than the human?¡± Melody couldn¡¯t tell if he was actually trying to get rid of them, or if he was being nice in a really weird and awkward way. Not only was it a human world snack, but something Melody was used to, though she usually wouldn¡¯t go for that specific flavor either. And, with the way Beel seemed to consume food, she guessed he was just as likely a candidate as she was, perhaps an even better one, considering their familial ties.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡­¡± Melody sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not finishing dinner.¡± The snacks weren¡¯t the most healthy meal, certainly, but it was better than starving.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; Beel ate your share before most of us could blink twice,¡± Mammon said, a bit brusquely, but sounding oddly pleased.


    ¡°At least some good came out of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­I mean¡­why would ya go an¡¯ say a thing like that?¡± Mammon asked, his hands gesturing with an impatient motion. The question surprised Melody as much as her previous statement seemed to take Mammon off guard.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? Just because I couldn¡¯t enjoy it doesn¡¯t meant someone else shouldn¡¯t,¡± Melody reasons. ¡°After all, wasted food does no one any good.¡±


    ¡°You are aware we¡¯re demons, right? We don¡¯t do things ¡®cause they¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a demon, so, I¡¯ll just keep believing in the silver linings.¡±


    Mammon shrugged and shook his head. This human was very different from Solomon. The sorcerer was shifty and hard to read, his soul darkened and criss-crossed from a long life and a great deal of magic use, as well as the subjugation of scores of demons. Melody had a soul that was dim, but untarnished. More like someone who had great potential, but no chance to truly shine. Her behavior so far had made her seem weak, timid, and fragile. But, when he peeked at her soul again, in this moment, it seemed to have a flash of brilliance that soon subsided. Interesting. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t worth much as far as cold hard Grimm went, but Mammon oversaw all forms of Greed; he knew much about the value of things.


    ¡°It¡¯s your funeral. Anyhow, since I¡¯m here, do ya have any questions? Might as well answer them now since I have a bit of downtime.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s mentioned that I need to wear a uniform, but, I haven¡¯t received one yet,¡± Melody said.


    ¡°Hm, really? Should be something in your closet.¡±


    Melody stepped aside, tacitly allowing Mammon into her room. He brushed past her, and she sat back on her bed, opening the first bag of snacks. Though her tummy was still a bit sensitive from earlier, the familiar flavor of the snack soothed her nerves, grounding her. She watched as Mammon rummaged around through the drawers and closets, something she hadn¡¯t really had the nerve to do. Muttering under his breath, he finally found her uniforms tucked into the back.


    ¡°Looks like the spell on the light in there fizzled out. No wonder ya couldn¡¯t see anything in there with your feeble human eyes. It¡¯s a wonder you guys have survived as long as you have,¡± he said, bemused. ¡°Seein¡¯ as you came here with nothin¡¯ at all, I¡¯ll be nice and not charge you this time,¡± Mammon added, grinning widely. The fact that he would have charged her otherwise, didn¡¯t help Melody¡¯s estimation of him, but, she actually wonders if he would have. Somehow, it kept cropping up in her mind that he wasn¡¯t completely sincere with everything he said, and it was hard to tell which things he meant, and which things he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you found them; thank you.¡± Everything Mammon did, he complained about, but, other than the one time he abandoned her to Levi, he hadn¡¯t actually left her floundering for too long. And every time she thanked him, he seemed surprised. Was this a demon thing? She supposed that all the stories had to come from somewhere, and she didn¡¯t really expect them to be polite.


    ¡°Whatever. You¡¯re not going to be worth much if you can¡¯t even arrive at school for classes ¡®cause you didn¡¯t find your uniform. If you get behind, you¡¯ll never earn anything, and then no one will help you.¡± His warning sounded pretty extreme, but, Melody took it with a grain of salt. After nibbling some on her snacks, she cleared her throat.


    ¡°So, it said in my DDD that I just show up at the main hall first thing?¡± she asked, looking to him for confirmation. Even with all his complaints and brush offs, she looked at him with a certain amount of trust and, Mammon had to admit, it was a bit flattering.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s easy to find; ya can¡¯t miss it really. Just go in the front doors, and boom, it¡¯s right there,¡± Mammon explained. It was good enough for Melody, and she relaxed a bit. Looking over Mammon, she contemplated him while nibbling a bit more on the snacks. Levi wanted his money back, and was angry at Mammon. Mammon had claimed to not have the money. As an outsider, it wasn¡¯t really her business, but she felt that if she helped one, it would strain her standing with the other. How could she avoid alienating one of them? She still felt guilty with the knowledge that Levi had tried to convince her to team up and hedge Mammon into making a pact. But, she only had the one perspective on the matter. What did it mean for a demon to make a pact?


    ¡°Mammon?¡± she asked, tentatively.


    ¡°Yeah, what?¡±


    ¡°I really do appreciate all the help, and I know there¡¯s not much I can do, or give you right now, but, I¡¯d like to find a way to help you back,¡± she found herself saying. To her surprise, Mammon appeared to blush.


    ¡°Ya already said you don¡¯t have much,¡± Mammon pointed out. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it. Just behave and don¡¯t go makin¡¯ any more extra work for me, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡± Then he grinned, laughing, and Melody was surprised at how carefree the sound was. ¡°But if ya do happen to find your way into some Grimm, I¡¯m always happy to take it off your hands.¡± He seemed positively thrilled at the prospect, yet, to Melody, it felt more like a child being promised a treat than a cold-blooded capitalist. Even so, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was serious or not.


    ¡°I never planned on making any extra work for anyone,¡± Melody says. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to come here after all.¡± It was a gentle reminder that none of this was her idea. But, it was also her way of saying she didn¡¯t hold it against him personally.


    ¡°Alright. There should be an alarm on your DDD to wake you in time for school. I¡¯ll get you there if you¡¯re ready in time,¡± Mammon said, his tone slightly bored, as his enthusiasm for the conversation petered off. ¡°See ya.¡± And with that, the Avatar of Greed was gone. Once more alone, Melody quickly finished off her snacks, carefully throwing away the wrappers. Her tummy a little less empty, and her worries a little eased, it was much easier to curl up in bed and fall into a proper sleep.

 Chapter 7: First Day of School

    Melody woke up in time to have a shower. Fortunately for her sanity, the bathroom was pretty much identical to one she¡¯d see in the human realm, apart from some of the grimness of the decor, and slightly sturdier fixtures. She supposed that probably had something to do with the fact they were demons. The shower was refreshing though, and helped her prepare for the day. Scrambling to get into an unfamiliar uniform, she had to fiddle quite a bit with the fastenings before she got it looking quasi-presentable. Rushing out of her room, she found her way to the dining room. Although she was afraid of the food, she was also afraid of going hungry. Maybe some fruit, or a bun, would be safer than whatever was being served last night. Come to think of it, she never did ask Mammon if the brain was literal, or just a joke at her expense.


    Speaking of Mammon, he was waiting for her at the dinner table. Beel was there also, stuffing his face. He grunted slightly and nodded his head in Melody¡¯s direction, but didn¡¯t say anything. Melody suspected that if he tried to speak, he¡¯d likely choke, and was just as happy to go without a verbal greeting. None of the other brothers were present. Shoving a bag into one of Melody¡¯s hands, Mammon grabbed her other arm and started rushing her out of the room. Looking back over her shoulder at the table, she wondered if she had done something wrong, but she didn¡¯t have much time to protest. The sound of her feet, in their new and polished shoes, were rapid as she tried to keep the pace with Mammon and his longer legs.


    Once they got out the door, and past the gate, Mammon stopped short, and Melody almost stumbled because she didn¡¯t expect it.


    ¡°Go on; open the bag. You can eat while we walk. If I¡¯d let you open it up in there, Beel would have been after it in a heart beat,¡± Mammon said. ¡°I scrounged around for some food that¡¯s suitable for your weak human stomach, so ya should be thankin¡¯ me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Mammon,¡± Melody said, opening the bag and reaching inside. The fruits in there looked a lot like human realm fruit, with some slight differences in shape and texture. But, at the least, they wouldn¡¯t be some strange part of an animal she¡¯d never heard of. Carefully she bit into one of the fruits; it was sour and tangy, but not too sour.


    ¡°Do ya always just do what people tell you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Melody had to think about that one for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt your brain, human. Let¡¯s just go.¡± And, without further ado, Mammon was off again. Boy, was he ever fast! Melody was hard pressed to keep up with him, yet, he never completely lost her. Every so often, he¡¯d stop and look back, his face exasperated. He¡¯d grumble, he¡¯d complain, he¡¯d insult, but he never took off completely, and Melody was grateful for that last part, even if the rest wasn¡¯t entirely pleasant. At least it wasn¡¯t only her slowness that irritated him; he seemed to be able to find something wrong in everything around him, or head of him. Melody wasn¡¯t sure she had ever heard someone complain that much. But, with his constant tirades, her mind wasn¡¯t free to completely wander, and she found it oddly soothing to hear a voice, even if it spoke only negative words.


    However, as soon as she got past the large front doors of RAD, the white-haired demon sprinted off, leaving her in a sea of strangers. It was then that she felt a stab of anxiety. As worried as she had been on the way, Mammon¡¯s constant chatter kept her from dwelling too much on the strangeness of her situation, and her complete unfamiliarity with where she was. Fortunately for her, the students were assembling for orientation, and there was instructions given, questions asked and answered. Melody paid attention, tapping in a few notes on her DDD as she listened. When all the prep was done, however, she was left to her own devices before classes started. Hovering uncertainly off to the side of the main hall, she heard some voices a little ways away from her.


    ¡°Hey, check it out. That¡¯s the human that everyone¡¯s been talking about. You think it¡¯s true what they say, that Mammon became a babysitter?¡± one student was saying to another. From what Melody could see, they looked human, but so had the brothers and Lord Diavolo. It was not at all flattering to hear Mammon compared to a babysitter, because that just meant she was seen as a child, a nuisance.


    ¡°Well, if so, then I¡¯d say that actually works out great, doncha think? If we wait and strike when he¡¯s not paying attention, he¡¯ll never figure out it was us. C¡¯mon, we should devour the human before Beel does.¡± There were too many things wrong with those sentences for Melody to get past them, and she trembled in fear. Firstly, they wanted to eat her. Secondly, Mammon wasn¡¯t reliable and they were trusting in his unreliability to cover their crimes. Thirdly, she now lived with Beel, who, by the demon¡¯s assumption, would devour her. They didn¡¯t make it sound like it was a question of if, but of when. Melody gulped.


    ¡°Hey, you there.¡± A voice even closer to Melody made her turn. Standing a little ways from her was a youngish looking man, though he had silvery-gray hair a few shades darker than Mammon¡¯s. At first he was smiling, but when Melody gave him a questioning look, he frowned. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m talking to you, the human with that frightened, tormented look on her face that demons love so much. You¡¯re practically screaming, ¡®Come and eat me! I¡¯m scrumptious!¡¯ Your name¡¯s Melody, isn¡¯t it? This DDD here belongs to you, right? I saw you drop it just now. Here, take it.¡±


    Nervously Melody patted her pocket, finding that the man¡¯s words were true, at least in the respect that it could be hers, for it was no longer on her person. Reaching out, she accepted the device from the man, her hand clutching onto it. She remembered that Lucifer said all the student council¡¯s numbers were in there so she could get help if it was needed. If those demons had made a move¡­her stay in the Devildom would have come to an abrupt end. Even if it was true, she wished everyone would stop talking about her as though she was a walking menu option.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Haha. What¡¯s with that look? There¡¯s no need to be suspicious of me. My name¡¯s Solomon. I¡¯m an exchange student from the human world, just like you. Nice to meet you Melody.¡± It took Melody a moment, but she remembered saying that the other human exchange student had magic of some kind. Melody did believe in such things, since her family knew about magic, though she knew little about it personally. Her siblings rubbed it in that she had no magic, while they did.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re the other human student? Truly?¡± She was intimidated, but at the same time, hopeful. If he had magic, he might be just as bad as her siblings. On the other hand, he was unlikely to want to eat her, so that familiar disdain would at least be a safer option.


    ¡°Haha, good question. Honestly, there are times when even I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Solomon said. That wasn¡¯t a response Melody was expecting. Solomon pulled a face, and Melody wasn¡¯t entirely sure what his expression was, but it wasn¡¯t a happy one. ¡°Long ago, I obtained a ring of wisdom¡ª a gift from a certain someone in a VERY high position. And, drunk on its power, I used it to form pacts with 72 different demons, becoming a wicked sorcerer¡­ That is, if you believe the stories people tell about me. Regardless, I¡¯m fairly sure that I am indeed still human, though it may not seem like it.¡±


    Really, it made Melody feel very small an insignificant again. Obviously, even if the rumors weren¡¯t true, it would be enough that the man in front of her had the power to have such things whispered about him. He had magic, and she didn¡¯t. How did someone as ordinary as herself end up in this program? Maybe one of them was the control group, while the other was the experiment. She just couldn¡¯t tell which was which. Melody sighed deeply. Was he the Solomon of the legends, or was he using the legend to make himself seem more powerful? She was half inclined to believe the former, since he didn¡¯t seem to be bragging. Something seemed to be bothering him, but she couldn¡¯t begin to guess what.


    ¡°..Uh-oh. I¡¯d better get going. See you around, Melody. Take care of yourself.¡± And, just like that, Melody was abandoned by the second white-haired man that morning. Melody didn¡¯t have time to be nervous this time, for soon after Solomon left, Lucifer approached. She noticed how the other students gave him a wide berth. Since he made eye-contact with her and was headed straight for her, she stood still and waited for him, rather than scuttling away like some of the other students. Still, she trembled as he came to a stop a polite distance in front of her.


    ¡°Good morning, Melody. You¡¯ve become quite the celebrity here, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Lucifer¡­um¡­sir.¡± Melody hadn¡¯t been told, definitively, how to address Lucifer. ¡°I don¡¯t know about celebrity, but, well, I¡¯ve definitely been noticed,¡± she said meekly, remembering the students she heard gossiping about her. No, if she was honest, it didn¡¯t feel like gossiping so much as plotting her demise. That was a lot more deadly than idle gossip.


    ¡°Looks like you made it through the night without being eaten. Good for you. Still, there¡¯s no guarantee that you¡¯ll make it to tomorrow.¡± Well, if Lucifer wanted to applaud her survival, it could have at least been in a less threatening way. Not that Melody felt he was going to take action against her himself, but that he was simply waiting to see who would move against her, when, and if she¡¯d be able to defend herself. It was¡­uncomfortable. On the surface, his smile was pleasant enough, but there was a gleam in his eyes that only made her feel more vulnerable. It didn¡¯t last long though, before it turned into a more neutral expression.


    ¡°Was that Solomon I saw you talking with earlier? You and he are the only two students from the human world here. Seeing as you¡¯re both human, it¡¯s fine if you associate with him, but know that he can¡¯t be trusted.¡± By now Lucifer was scowling, and Melody felt like the weight of his displeasure could easily suffocate her. ¡°He may be a mere human, but he has a ring imbued with wisdom, and he wields powerful magic. He¡¯s the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance.¡±


    Great, so the closest thing Melody had to an ally in this realm was a power hungry maniac, according to Lucifer. Solomon had also mentioned his ring, and pacts with demons. Curious, how he brought it up after Melody had turned down the option to pursue a pact with Mammon. What would he think of that decision? Had she made an error? On the other hand, Lucifer seemed angry at the use of pacts, so perhaps making one would turn the others against her. She had no way to know, and Lucifer didn¡¯t seem like the kind she could ask a question of. And Solomon was already gone. Why hadn¡¯t she tried to ask him more information? Obviously he hadn¡¯t given up his soul to the first demon, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to make further pacts? Unless, a soul could be divided somehow? Melody¡¯s head hurt from trying to sort it all out.


    ¡°What is it, Melody? Is there something you wanted to ask me?¡± Lucifer was smiling again, and Melody couldn¡¯t tell if he was amused or not. If he was, it was likely at her expense. Melody simply shook her head.


    ¡°Can you tell me a little more about Mammon?¡± Melody asked, blurting out the first question that came to mind that wasn¡¯t about pacts, or souls, or Solomon.


    ¡°Mammon? Why do you want to know about him all of a sudden? Still, I guess it¡¯s only natural, considering he¡¯s the one assigned to look after you. Mammon is my brother. I don¡¯t want to say anything unkind about him. So, I¡¯ll try to be sparing in my criticism.¡± Lucifer shook his head, his expression going into one of regret. He coughed lightly. ¡°He¡¯s pure scum. The scummiest sort of scum. Pure, unfiltered, disgusting scum to the point that I¡¯m embarrassed to call him a fellow demon, much less my brother¡­ So, any particular reason you asked, or were you just curious.?¡±


    Melody had to take a few moments to unpack that as well. Lucifer did speak a lot, but, usually what he said wasn¡¯t idle words. She wasn¡¯t sure she could keep up in an extensive conversation with the man¡­er¡­demon. If that was a sparing criticism, she would hate to hear the full version, which worried her. Also, the completely unflattering depiction of Mammon made her siblings sound downright complimentary when it came to how they described her. Yet, despite this terrible report of Mammon¡¯s characteristics, he had entrusted her to Mammon. What did that mean for her? Another thing that nagged at her mind was that Lucifer said that being scum made him embarrassing as a demon. So, what was the actual nature of a demon, if not to be, well, scummy? Not that Lucifer seemed at all scummy. Harsh and autocratic, perhaps, but still someone that demanded respect just by breathing.


    ¡°Curious is a good word, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite it. I¡­ well¡­ he complains a lot, but I get the feeling he¡¯s not always honest about how upset he is.¡± She was about to say more, but then a bell buzzed, giving her a knot in her stomach. It sounded far too close to the school bell at home, and she had not enjoyed high school. The similarity was not a welcome one.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first bell. Class is about to start. Time to get going. You¡¯d better hurry too. You don¡¯t want to be late on your first day here.¡±

 Chapter 8: Edges of a Secret

    By the time Melody made it home from RAD, she was exhausted. The stares of hungry demons following her everywhere was tiring enough; Melody felt like she was going to run into trouble every time she stepped out of a classroom, or turned a corner. Her nerves were wound so tightly that even catching an errant movement out of the corner of her eye was almost enough to make her scream. Every so often she¡¯d catch a glimpse of Mammon in the halls. He never really made any attempt to approach her, or help her. Melody wondered if he was shirking his role as her guardian, or if his mere presence was enough to keep her safe. It was hard to tell, since no one she had ever spoken to seemed to have a kind word to say about him.


    Apart from that, being in classes again was stressful. At the very least, the teachers tended not to stare her down as their next meal. Or, if they did, it was a far more subtle thing. But, they had probably been spoken to quite specifically before the program. Even in a place like the Devildom, there were probably guidelines for how a teacher could, or couldn¡¯t, act. The structure of the classrooms made her feel a little safer, but at the same time, she felt put on the spot to perform academically. In public school she had been a rather average student, not really excelling at anything in particular, though her teachers rarely had occasion to complain much about her behavior, they also didn¡¯t put much effort into bringing out any hidden talents she might have had. She was the academic equivalent to a wallflower. Socially, she was much the same.


    Fortunately for Melody, a lot of the classes she was in were beginner-level classes, so they started with the basics of a variety of subjects. Some of them were similar to the ones she had back in high school: math, science, literature, history, home economics. While it was true that literature and history had a lot of elements that were different, since they looked at Devildom writings and history, the system of studying them was similar. However, on top of such ¡®mundane¡¯ topics were magical classes and potion classes, which definitely would have been out of place in the human realm¡¯s public schools. Magical matters was largely theory; she had no ability to use it. Potions would be easier to do without being able to cast, but it wasn¡¯t like anything she had learned before. The mix of the strange and the familiar definitely made her wonder at her own sanity. She wondered how a student with not even a vague belief in magic, or the supernatural, would have fared.


    And then there were her tasks. It wasn¡¯t strictly an academic thing, since there was a component to it that wasn¡¯t simply knowledge and the application of skill. As the demon students challenged her, she channeled power through her DDD since she had no magic to work with herself. But she found that her belief in her own ability to do the puzzles helped her win as much as anything she knew. There seemed to be a strange symbiosis between her and her DDD, and the fact that it affected the demon students she was up against showed how strong magic really was. Melody had to keep that in mind for the future. Maybe someone could explain it to her someday, if she were ever brave enough to ask.


    Dinner, at the very least, was better than yesterday¡¯s had been. There were several things from the human realm that Melody was familiar with, and so she filled up. Lunch had also been sparse for her, since she was trying to get used to the food, and remembered too keenly the previous evening. The brothers didn¡¯t seem to mind the mix of human food in with their normal fare and didn¡¯t even comment, except for Beel, who was just happy to be eating period. But the security she felt by eating something she knew so well did a lot to ease her mind, and it was nice to have her belly feel full for the first time since she arrived. In fact, it made her rather sleepy, and when she was sure that she couldn¡¯t take another bite, she meekly excused herself from the table and padded down to her room.


    Melody was just about to doze off when she heard her DDD buzz. At first she was inclined to just roll over and ignore it, but then she remembered what Lucifer had said earlier. He had congratulated her for surviving the night without being eaten? If she ignored a text, was she putting herself at risk? Not wanting to figure that out the hard way, she sighed and groped around for her DDD. Finding it, she turned on the screen and blearily tapped to open the chat message. The chat icon showed a dragon, which was unhelpful, but at least the name was clear: Leviathan.


    - - Come to the kitchen, Normie. I¡¯ll give you one last chance to make up for earlier. - -


    - - Okay¡­.I¡¯ll be there in a moment. - -


    - - Don¡¯t tell anyone what you¡¯re doing. I don¡¯t want anyone to mistakenly think that I hang out with some human normie. - -


    Melody was very much done with being called ¡®normie¡¯. And it seemed strange to her that someone from a very fringe group was worried about what people thought, since usually it was not caring about what people thought that allowed someone to exist in the fringes. But she was too tired to sort out demon psychology at the moment. Casually pulling her hair back, she padded out into the hallway and headed for the kitchen. However, she was surprised to find someone there who wasn¡¯t Levi. Beel was snacking away at something in the fridge. Although she couldn¡¯t see his face, his size and hair were enough to give him away. Melody wasn¡¯t sure if she should stay, or go, but Beel took the choice away from her. Pulling out of the fridge he noticed her standing there, and blinked a few times.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± he said with his low, rumbly voice.


    ¡°Um, yeah.¡± Remembering Levi¡¯s instructions not to tell anyone what she was doing, she made something up. ¡°I just came here to get a drink.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re hungry too?¡± asked Beel, scowling at her. ¡°Because I can¡¯t have another person in here looking for food. There¡¯d be less for me.¡± That seemed fair enough to Melody, who wasn¡¯t the least bit hungry, but with her nerves being ruffled, she could certainly use a drink to counteract the dry feeling in her throat.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­I just need a glass of water,¡± Melody said. While it¡¯s true she could drink from the tap in her room, she just preferred to have a glass. She didn¡¯t know if Beel felt constantly thirsty along with his hunger, so she couldn¡¯t guess whether there¡¯d be anything else to drink. ¡°I¡¯m still full from dinner.¡± This declaration seemed to ease Beel¡¯s mind, and his scowl relaxed into a rather neutral expression. Still feeling a bit like a deer in the headlights, Melody tried really hard not to look around for Levi, so she kept her focus on Beel¡¯s face. Beel, not sure what to make of this, jumped to his own conclusions. ¡°What? Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?¡±


    Melody almost hiccupped. What could she say that would keep him from being suspicious about her presence here. Stalling for time, she looked for a glass and slowly filled it with water from the sink. As she sipped, Beel watched her, apparently not in a hurry. Her mind was ticking so fast, she could barely keep up. It occurred to her that something had been nagging at her mind for a while now. Mammon, Lucifer, and Diavolo had all mentioned there being seven brothers, but she had only seen six.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if I¡¯ve misunderstood something¡­.everyone kept saying there were seven brothers, but I¡¯ve only counted six¡­¡± Melody managed to make herself say. She was unprepared for the immediate reaction of anger coming from Beel, and she shrunk back.


    ¡°¡­Now listen, don¡¯t you ever mention him in front of Lucifer. Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m not going to tell you anything, either. Lucifer would yell at me if I did.¡± Then the anger faded away, leaving behind a pensive sort of sadness. Melody winced, the sadness hitting her harder than the anger had. ¡°And don¡¯t bother asking any of my brothers either. No one talks about him. Even though he¡¯s our brother¡­ We have to treat him like he doesn¡¯t exist¡­ It¡¯s not right. But since no one can defy Lucifer¡­ You know what? This isn¡¯t any of your business, human. I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ve already eaten everything there was in the refrigerator anyway.¡± Finally he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Lucifer is hiding a poisoned apple in the desk in the study¡­¡±


    Melody had stepped on a land-mine of a family issue. Her emotions flickered rapidly, as did her thoughts. The youngest brother was out of favor? Shunned? A matter to not be discussed, even among family? It sounded a little too close to home. She was sure if her mother didn¡¯t step in, her brothers and sisters would be more than happy to ignore her, or cast her aside entirely. And, somehow, they all agreed to this, though Beel sounded reluctant. Her heart was up in her throat. Beel was already walking past her, but, she couldn¡¯t let him go like that.


    ¡°Beel, wait!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The large demon turned around to face Melody, hands in his pockets.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know. But¡­ I do know families can be complicated. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± Beel¡¯s expression softened.


    ¡°Now you know,¡± was all he said, but even though his tone was neutral, and his words short, Melody felt that he wasn¡¯t angry with her, just the situation and being hit with an unexpected question. She let him go, and he quickly left to pursue the hidden treat. Or, at least, what Melody assumed was a treat. It wouldn¡¯t actually be poisoned¡­would it?


    ¡°¡­psst¡­hey!¡±


    ¡°Eeek! A ghost?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? No! Over here! Look!¡± Melody glanced around wildly, until Leviathan stepped out from his hiding spot.


    ¡°What were you doing back there?¡± Melody asked, hand over her heart while she tried to calm it back down.


    ¡°What do you think? Beel was just in here! I can¡¯t have him finding me with you, now can I?!¡± Levi moved a little closer, but still kept quite a distance away. ¡°Look, I have a clue to finding Mammon¡¯s credit card, so we can go ahead with my plan to get my money back.¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you need me for then?¡± Melody asked, her emotions still flip-flopping from her earlier question, one that she regrets asking.


    ¡°Just think about it. Mammon is scum, like I told you. And he¡¯s more powerful than me. He¡¯ll promise me the world to get the card back, but once he gets it, do you think he¡¯ll follow through on his promises? No! But, if you make a pact with him, he¡¯ll have to do as you say, with no choice in the matter.¡± Those words still sent a chill down Melody¡¯s spine. No choice. But Leviathan didn¡¯t seem to think twice about such a plan, and instead sounded pretty excited over having hatched such an idea. Not stopping to hear whether Melody was willing to comply, he opened the freezer and started poking around inside.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that the freezer?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­all I see is a bunch of ice inside. ¡­Oh wait, look! It¡¯s the ice cream Satan hid from Beel about a century ago. I totally forgot about that. Heh, I¡¯m not about to tell him, though. It¡¯d spoil the joke. He¡¯ll probably figure it out in another 2000 years or so, I¡¯d say.¡± It took Melody a bit to process that. While it was true a lot of humans exaggerated things, but, it did enter her mind to wonder whether or not they were being literal. Did Mammon actually borrow money from Levi 260 years ago? Was that ice cream in there for a century? Could ice cream even last 2000 years without turning into a weird rock? Melody couldn¡¯t imagine it.


    ¡°¡­Wait a second. There¡¯s something else there behind the ice.¡± Levi¡¯s exclamations brought Melody out of her musing in time for her to see Levi pull out a huge chunk of ice. Encased inside was a black and gold card. ¡°Found it! Lucifer wasn¡¯t lying. It really IS frozen! Ugh, it¡¯s super heavy! And big, too! I¡¯m gonna put it in the microwave and thaw it. Let¡¯s see, I guess about two minutes on auto should do the trick.¡±


    As he spoke, Levi popped open the microwave and shoved the ice chunk in there. Closing the door with a click, he started plunking in the numbers. But, before he could press ¡®start¡¯, Melody caught at his sleeve. Startled at the contact, he turned sharply towards her, orange eyes narrowing as he scuttled back from her, a slight twitch forming in his cheek. Melody took a step back, holding her hand up in an apologetic way.


    ¡°If you turn it on, you¡¯ll break it, and the water will probably make a mess¡­that¡¯s all,¡± she sputtered out, answering the unspoken question. Levi continued to glare, but then rolled his eyes and sighed. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to have to clean it up; that¡¯s not worth it. Maybe we can chip away at most of it with a knife¡­¡±

 Chapter 9: A Bite of the Apple

    ¡°What¡¯s with all the racket, you two? ¡­HEY, wait a minute! There, in the microwave¡­¡± Before Levi could take the frozen card out of the microwave, Mammon had walked into the room, complaining. Seeing Goldie again, Mammon let out a laughter of relief and joy. Melody was amazed again at how carefree he could sound. ¡°That looks like Goldie, my credit card! My baby! The one thing more important to me than life itself..!¡± Then he seemed to realize where the card was, and he frowned. ¡°Get it outta there before the microwave demagnetizes it and makes it useless!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we were about to¡­¡± Levi started to say, but Mammon cut him off.


    ¡°Levi, you idiot! How could you do somethin¡¯ so stupid?! You¡¯re dumb as a stump, ya know that?!¡±


    Melody was looking for somewhere she could escape to, fearing a fight might break out between them, based on what she had seen the other day in the entrance hall. Getting between fighting brothers was not at all ideal, and Mammon¡¯s early advice had been to run if there was an aggressive demon. Even if they didn¡¯t get into a physical fight, the way they insulted each other was uncomfortable enough on his own. True, Mammon seemed to bear the brunt of it, but he had insulted Levi as well. To her surprise, Levi just laughed.


    ¡°Hmm, are you SURE you should be talking to me like that, Mammon? After all, I¡¯m the one who found the credit card Lucifer took from you.¡± That got Mammon¡¯s attention, and he gaped at Levi. ¡°So, do you want me to give you your card back?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d BETTER! ¡­Um, I mean, yes, please. Please give it back, Leviathan, sir ¡­!¡± Mammon did a complete reversal in a very short amount of time, starting out with a huff, but quickly changing his tone to a placating one, and even kneeling on the ground. Levi just shook his head.


    ¡°Ow wow, this is embarrassing! I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s all it took for you to abandon your pride! You¡¯re even down on your knees! You¡¯re one of the seven rulers of the Devildom, Mammon. Shouldn¡¯t you be ashamed of yourself?¡± Levi was ripping into Mammon, and Melody shifted uncomfortably, but neither demon was looking at her right now. ¡°Well, whatever¡­ Okay then, if you want your card back, you¡¯ve got to give me the Seraphina figurine you won at the convenience store.¡±


    ¡°The Sera¡­what now? What¡¯re ya talkin¡¯ about? I don¡¯t remember winnin¡¯ anything.¡± Mammon sounded confused, not belligerent, but Levi glared at him all the same.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this! You forgot that you even have her! How could you?!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, c¡¯mon, enough! Whatever you want, I¡¯ll give it to ya! Just give me back my credit card!¡± Levi couldn¡¯t help but look sideways at Melody, the barest hint of a smug smile on his lips. It was just as he predicted: Mammon was ready to promise him anything. But he knew it was a promise as empty as the fridge after Beel raided it. Melody felt like she was going to be sick; this was where her part came in, and it wasn¡¯t a part she wanted to play. She gripped the counter.


    ¡°All right, but there¡¯s one more condition: I want you to make a pact with this human.¡±


    ¡°Right, a pact, fine. I¡¯m more than happy to do whatever you¡­¡± Mammon started out sounding fairly positive, as he was willing to promise anything, but since he didn¡¯t expect this twist of events, it took his brain a few seconds longer to catch up with his mouth and tell it to stop talking. ¡°¡­wait, WHAT?! Why d¡¯ya want ME to make a PACT?!¡±


    ¡°Think about it: If you make the pact with Melody, you¡¯ll have to do whatever you¡¯re told, right? Then Melody¡¯ll order you to give me my money back immediately. And since you can¡¯t refuse a direct order from your master, you¡¯ll do exactly that. Game over, I win!¡± While Melody could appreciate a good video game reference, she was feeling too queasy to even smile at it. Levi, on the other hand, was looking pleased, as though victory had already been decided. But Mammon wasn¡¯t quite ready to concede.


    ¡°Pff, I don¡¯t believe this. It¡¯s just money, Levi I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d go through all this trouble!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Remind me again which one of us tossed aside what little pride he had left, all to get his hands on a credit card?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you shut up! And you, human! What¡¯re ya thinking, lettin¡¯ Levi use you like this? Are you stupid? Go on, say somethin¡¯!¡± Mammon was irritated, looking for someone to blame besides himself. Melody just happened to be right there as an available scape-goat.


    Melody could feel her eyes widen as Mammon finally turned his full attention to her. Levi also fixed his eyes on the human, and she could tell each of them wanted her to side with them. Neither one wanted to lose to the other. Her vision narrowed; she could only see blue and orange, with hints of gold and purple, staring straight at her. She was convinced that if she wasn¡¯t already clutching the counter for dear life she would have fallen over.


    ¡°No¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± she was almost hyperventilating as she was put on the spot, being pushed towards making a choice. Either way, one of them would walk away disappointed, perhaps even angry with her. And¡­she doubted the one she sided with would return the favor in the event of an attack. Despite the water she drank earlier, her throat was dry again.


    ¡°Nice try. The human knows what¡¯s what. Ya might as well just give me back my card. As if I, the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed, would ever let some human be the boss of me!¡± Now Mammon looked as though he was the one with the flag of victory perched on his castle. But Levi had a final card to play.


    ¡°Oh Luuucifeeer! Mammon¡¯s here unfreezing his credit card!¡± That was the final straw; Mammon capitulated.


    ¡°I mean, of course I¡¯ll make a pact with you, human! I¡¯d be thrilled to!¡± He turned towards Melody, expecting something to change. But, he felt nothing. Peering closer at her, he turned to Levi. ¡°Oi, she has to do something too, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Go on, normie, you just have to accept. Easy. This isn¡¯t like hardcore mode, mastery level, boss battle stuff,¡± Levi said, shaking his head. The plan was going so well, all this human had to do was agree to the pact. Mammon started tapping his foot in agitation. His beloved Goldie was so close, he could almost grab her, but even he wasn¡¯t fast enough to steal her back before Levi could call for Lucifer in earnest. What was keeping her? Was she toying with him? She had seemed so compliant earlier.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Come on human, I don¡¯t have all night,¡± he urged, ¡°Goldie and I have places to go, things to buy.¡± Then he peered closer to the human. She was struggling to breathe, her eyes so wide he feared they would pop out of her head entirely. Glancing to Levi, he realized the shut-in didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Hey, look, it¡¯s okay, see? Just, agree to the pact. I won¡¯t get Goldie back if ya don¡¯t. I¡¯m counting on you, human. Remember, you said you¡¯d help me,¡± Mammon pointed out, hoping that his words didn¡¯t wind her up worse. To his relief, Melody drew in a shuddering breath. Slowly the world came back into proper focus.


    ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Levi gets what he wants, I get what I want, and you get to go back to bed.¡±


    And then it happened. Mammon felt a surge of energy snap around him, tying him to the human, who had at last capitulated. The deed was done, and she was now, technically, his master. He waited for her to say something, to order him to deliver the money to Levi. But, she didn¡¯t say anything, she peered at him with sad eyes, as though he had taken control of her, not the other way around. What was wrong with this human anyhow? Getting a pact with him was a rare thing that most people would never claim to have, and yet she looked like someone had run over her puppy. Twice.


    ¡°Well, no need to burden ourselves with the human any further. I¡¯ll just go get you your money, lickety split, and then ya can get whatever weird shut-in stuff you wanted,¡± said Mammon, trying to sound dismissive about the whole ordeal.


    ¡°But the human hasn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up Levi! You¡¯ve already won, what more do you want? I said I¡¯ll get your money, and I¡¯ll get your money. Don¡¯t get your headphone cords in a twist,¡± muttered Mammon, drawing out his words.


    Levi turned to tell Melody that he wanted her to order Mammon to give back the money, just to be absolutely sure that he got it, but Melody had already fled back to her room. At the end, Mammon had seen the wild, desperate look in her eyes, like a trapped animal. Deep down, he felt bad about it; he was being a terrible guardian to her so far. But at least he gave her enough time to run this time, instead of being the one doing the running. And, just to keep Levi distracted, he hunted down his money and paid him back. Sure, it was a bit shy of the total, but it was enough for Levi to buy what he wanted.


    Meanwhile, Melody had curled up into a ball, deep under her covers. She did feel ill, but there was nothing she could do about it. There was no mistaking the jolt of power she had been hit with. It had been a split second of sheer euphoria, but when it faded, she just felt horror. What exactly had she agreed to? And why had she given in? Would Levi have hurt her if she didn¡¯t enter the pact? Would Mammon have let him? But Mammon had looked so desperate to get his card back, desperate enough to accept this pact, even though he didn¡¯t know anything about her, not her intentions, and not her character. Melody rolled over, trying to keep the tight feeling in her stomach from overwhelming her completely.


    Melody fell asleep way too late, but felt like the morning came way too soon. Tried, but not willing to stay in bed longer than she had to, Melody managed to pull herself up, get dressed in the heavy RAD uniform, and drag herself to the breakfast table. Four of the brothers were already there, chatting to each other: Asmodeus, Satan, Leviathan, and Beelzebub. Technically Satan and Asmo were chatting; Beel was just eating, of course, and Leviathan was pouring over his handheld console. A peal of laughter from Asmodeus startled Melody, and she winced.


    ¡°Asmodeus, keep your voice down,¡± said Satan, his own voice calm and measured. ¡°If Mammon hears you, he¡¯ll get upset again, and we won¡¯t hear the end of it.¡±


    ¡°Eh, he won¡¯t be awake for a while. He¡¯s really not a morning demon, you know?¡± Asmo¡¯s response was dismissive, not taking Satan¡¯s caution seriously. ¡°And anyway, how can you NOT laugh after what¡¯s happened? I mean, this is Mammon, and yet a human was able to play him like a fiddle and force him into a pact.¡±


    Melody quietly slipped into an empty seat, starting to dish up a little bit of breakfast, just enough to tide her over for the morning. Classes would start in earnest today. If only Levi hadn¡¯t found the card so quickly. She didn¡¯t like how the conversation was going at all; it just sounded like mean spirited gossip to her. Asmodeus sounded way too much like the nasty kids at school that took delight in the scandals that happened between the students. Apparently Satan also thought this was funny, and laughed softly. Laughter, being contagious, brought another giggle from Asmo.


    ¡°Hey, I hear you laughing, Satan! I know you think it¡¯s funny too!¡±


    ¡°Mm, this is delicious. The meat is so tender¡­¡± Well, at least Beel wasn¡¯t joining in the conversation with anything mean to say. Not that his meal had anything to do with the subject at hand. Still, at least he was smiling now; Melody wasn¡¯t sure how he fared last night after he left her in the kitchen.


    ¡°Beel, calm down. You¡¯re biting off chunks of your plate along with your food.¡± Levi shook his head at the taller brother, who was definitely eating with a fervor Melody had rarely witnessed when it came to food. Unfortunately, at this juncture, Asmo turned his honey-colored eyes on Melody. She felt her heart start to hammer in her chest.


    ¡°Anyway, I have to say I¡¯m surprised. I never thought an average human like you would be able to make a pact with Mammon¡ª certainly not THIS fast. I guess they really did know what they were doing when they picked you for the exchange program, huh?¡± Asmo was staring at Melody so intently, she guessed the question wasn¡¯t rhetorical. But the way they described what happened, it wasn¡¯t at all how she remembered it. Certainly she didn¡¯t think she had played anyone like a fiddle. She hadn¡¯t wanted to make the pact at all to begin with. It was only at the insistence of both demons that she gave in.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to play anyone¡­or do anything like that at all,¡± she stammered out.


    ¡°Well, I guess it could simply be beginner¡¯s luck, yes¡­¡± Satan agreed with a dry laugh, smiling pleasantly. Leviathan echoed this with his own laugh.


    ¡°All I know is that I finally got Mammon to give me back my money. So I couldn¡¯t ask for a better outcome! Epic win for Leviathan! I should¡¯ve rounded up a random human and done this sooner!¡± While Melody was relieved Levi wasn¡¯t angry at her for her reluctance, she couldn¡¯t help but feel used and tossed aside with his callous description labeling her as a ¡®random human¡¯. She shrunk further into her seat, barely listening to Levi as he rambled on about how excited he was to get what he wanted. But when Asmo spoke, she almost instinctively turned her head towards the sound.


    ¡°You know, I find it surprising that Melody managed to make a pact with Mammon¡­ ¡­but what¡¯s even more shocking is the team-up with Levi that helped make it happen. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Asmo said, mostly speaking to Satan again. Satan let out another soft chuckle.


    ¡°Yep, I never thought I¡¯d see the day that a human won over Levi, but here we are.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?! Don¡¯t go getting the wrong idea. Nobody won me over! Our interests just happened to align, that¡¯s all! The relationship was purely business! I mean, why would I want anything to do with some non-otaku normie of a human? I wouldn¡¯t! I mean, I¡¯m spoken for! I¡¯m no cheater! M-M-My one true love is¡ª¡± As Levi sputtered, blushing beet red, he was interrupted by a word from Beelzebub.


    ¡°Cheeseburgers.¡± Beel had cleared his mouth long enough to say the single word. Melody couldn¡¯t tell if he was actually stepping in to fill in the blanks left behind by Levi¡¯s stuttering, or if it was just a random interjection that happened to line up. Either way, he was smiling broadly as he spoke. Levi was not impressed.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s YOUR one true love, Beel!¡±


    ¡°Mm.. I get hungry just thinking about them.¡±

 Chapter 10: Escalating Factors

    With a lull in the conversation, Asmo turned his eyes back to Melody, who looked like she was trying to disappear from the world by will alone. Not a wise idea around demons, who are predatory by nature, even when there wasn¡¯t any malice involved. Although she didn¡¯t verbalize it, Melody agreed with Levi. She was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t won him over at all; in fact, it felt more like he had bullied her into doing something she really didn¡¯t want to, and applied pressure on Mammon, who then applied double pressure on her. She just wasn¡¯t built for this sort of thing, and the fact that everyone else seemed to be laughing at her expense made it very hard to sit there among them. But Asmo wasn¡¯t going to let her just sit in peace.


    ¡°You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with Melody as well, if we¡¯re not careful.¡± He looked far too happy saying that, and Melody could only guess he was teasing her, not believing for a moment that she had any chance of making pacts with the rest. Not that she wanted to. ¡°If you had your choice, which one of us would you forge a pact with next, Melody?¡± Melody¡¯s tummy lurched, and she suspected another meal of hers would end up Beel¡¯s property. Even so, she felt she couldn¡¯t just ignore when someone asked her such a direct question.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t want to make pacts with anyone to begin with,¡± she said miserably. ¡°I was just under a lot of pressure.¡± This seemed to delight, or at least amuse, the Avatar of Lust.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said. ¡°Because the rest of us won¡¯t be easy to tame.¡±


    ¡°Tame?¡± Melody blinked. That seemed even worse, as though he thought she viewed them as creatures more than people. She could feel her hands shaking beneath the table.


    ¡°In fact, it would have been quite offensive if you thought we were as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon,¡± Asmodeus said. Melody couldn¡¯t tell if he was saying this to insult her, or Mammon, or just enjoying the double-feature. She could feel the familiar sting in the corner of her eyes; at this rate she would be a bawling mess. But, before she had time to actually have a breakdown, there was a flurry of white hair and black uniform racing across the room. Mammon smacked Asmo upside the back of his head. Asmo¡¯s expression was immediately cross, and he made a series of chiding sounds at Mammon.


    ¡°OW! Why¡¯d you hit me?! I can¡¯t believe you actually STRUCK my beautiful, beautiful head!¡± It was probably the angriest Melody had seen Asmodeus so far, and it only made her more anxious. ¡°Not even Lucifer has ever done something like that! Why are you always getting so VIOLENT with me, Mammon?¡± He was now sounding more hurt, playing the victim. And while Melody didn¡¯t believe in smacking people just because they insulted her, she couldn¡¯t claim that Mammon wasn¡¯t provoked in this case.


    ¡°That was for callin¡¯ me a poor excuse for a demon, you peabrain! Actually, I oughta hit all of ya, the way you talk about me. Y¡¯all think you¡¯re so great.¡± Despite not being a morning Demon, Mammon was definitely lively right now, fueled by anger. Or was it shame? Melody couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we think we¡¯re so great.¡± Satan put in his two cents.


    ¡°No, not at all. We just think you¡¯re a complete and utter fool.¡± Asmodeus completed Satan¡¯s thought fairly fluidly. Melody got the impression a lot of conversations happened that way. In fact, she remembered them talking back and forth when she first arrived.


    ¡°HEY, that¡¯s even worse! Don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m stupid!¡± Mammon was really not having a good morning. Melody just looked awkwardly at her plate. She felt a bit bad for him; he hadn¡¯t enjoyed last night¡¯s transaction any more than she had, she could only guess. And to have everyone mocking him first thing in the morning, it would be hard to stomach. But, she was feeling far too anxious to say anything, and she hated how afraid she was. She should do what¡¯s right, but all she could do was stop herself from being sick. It was too much of a reminder how her own siblings viewed her. Not necessarily as scum, but definitely not worth any amount of respect or consideration.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s one thing that¡¯s not going to change,¡± Satan said, continuing his back and forth with Asmodeus.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Asmodeus added, backing up Satan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Mm, this right here is delicious, too¡­¡± At this point Melody had already pushed her plate towards Beel, and his commentary was at least a brief respite from all the insults. He might only be talking about food, but at least he was being positive.


    ¡°Serves you right, Mammon! Lololol¡± Even though Leviathan was laughing, he actually spoke the last bit. Obviously he spent far too much time on computers, but Melody wasn¡¯t too concerned about that right now. What did it matter how he spent his time; it was his attitude that bothered her. The gloating felt, petty. He had gotten what he wanted, but was still rubbing it in.


    ¡°I hate every last one of you. None of this would¡¯ve happened to begin with if it weren¡¯t for that bastard Lucifer! It¡¯s all because he took my credit card from me! Just snatched Goldie away¡ª kidnapped her against her will!¡± With Mammon¡¯s tolerence level reaching its limit, he was shifting blame, a tactic Melody was uncomfortable with because it hit too close to home. As the vulnerable youngest, she would shift blame on her siblings, until she realized it backfired more often than not. Her anxiety was increasing, not decreasing.


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t talk about your credit card like it¡¯s a person. It¡¯s gross.¡± Levi shook his head.


    ¡°Mmhm, it really is¡­¡± Asmo made a small sound of disgust as he agreed with Levi.


    ¡°SHUT UP, both of ya!¡± Then Mammon laughed, pushing his anger into another diversion. ¡°Also, I can¡¯t believe that when he said he froze it, he meant that LITERALLY! Who sticks a credit card in the freezer?! What¡¯s up with that?! What it supposed to be some sorta dad joke?! ¡®Cause if so, it was awfully lame!¡±


    Despite his obvious fear of Lucifer, Mammon was now turning around and ridiculing him, probably to take the heat of embarrassment off of himself. While Melody could understand wanting to shove it off onto someone else, she doubted that his new target was a wise choice. Especially since the demon himself had appeared in the doorway, but from where Mammon was standing, he couldn¡¯t see his older brother. Melody tried to say something, but her voice stuck in her throat.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Eh, guess maybe I shoulda expected somethin¡¯ like that from him. I mean, he may not be a dad, but he¡¯s pretty old, isn¡¯t he? Guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised he¡¯s a fan of dad jokes.¡± Mammon laughed again, trying to bolster himself against the verbal onslaught of his brothers. But, as Melody had learned with her own family experiences, this was going to backfire. From behind Mammon, Lucifer¡¯s deep voice rang out with a laughter that had subtle undertones of mocking and a dark satisfaction at catching Mammon at just the right, or wrong, moment. Hearing the voice, Mammon jumped, letting out a loud exclamation. With cold precision, Lucifer reached out and hit Mammon. Hard.


    ¡°¡­Ow! Hey, what¡¯s the big idea?! You didn¡¯t have to hit me THAT hard!¡± It had been harder than Mammon had hit Asmodeus; as far as Melody could tell, this was just escalating things. Satan and Asmo both got a few more verbal shots in, while Mammon grumbled about it. But Melody was barely paying attention anymore. Lucifer fixed his dark eyes on her, and she couldn¡¯t look away, even if she desperately wanted to.


    ¡°I heard about what happened, Melody. Apparently you outfoxed a certain dimwit of a demon, and forged a pact with him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯re you callin¡¯ a dimwit?!¡± Mammon interjected.


    ¡°Your opponent may have been stupid, but even so, you¡¯ve only just arrived. It¡¯s a real accomplishment managing a feat like that in such a short span of time. Well done.¡± Despite being praised¡­sort of¡­Melody only felt a flicker of pride before she was overwhelmed with how bad she felt about the whole thing. ¡°I imagine Diavolo will be pleased as well. We continue to expect big things from you.¡±


    That was the last thing Melody wanted to hear. She wasn¡¯t up for the task of ¡®big things¡¯. She could barely stomach having one pact. And she didn¡¯t like pressure; she never had. Again she was ashamed of how fast she gave in last night. Why wasn¡¯t she able to stand up for herself, or for others? Mammon seemed to be at his limit too; his face had gone red, and it was like her internal shame was mirrored on his face. And she truly felt bad for him.


    ¡°¡­Hey, human! C¡¯mon, time to get going. Don¡¯t just sit there with your head in the clouds. It¡¯s time for class! So, let¡¯s go!¡± While Melody¡¯s head was the opposite of being in the clouds, she couldn¡¯t get up out of her seat fast enough to follow Mammon. Anything to get out from under the stare of all the other demons. She didn¡¯t know if it was the pact, or just her level of empathy, but Mammon¡¯s humiliation felt like her own. Quietly she followed after him, moving as fast as she could to keep up with his hurried strides. As he walked, Mammon ranted, and Melody didn¡¯t get most of the beginning, but then he switched focus to her specifically.


    ¡°Anyway, ever since you got here, human, it¡¯s been nothin¡¯ but one bad thing after another for me.¡± Again, he was shifting blame, finding anyone else to pin his misery on but himself. While Melody could sympathize with this, she couldn¡¯t help but think that finding a scape goat wouldn¡¯t actually solve anything. And, surely he remembered how much she had resisted making the pact? Or, maybe it didn¡¯t seem that way from his perspective. ¡°So, let¡¯s get somethin¡¯ straight. I didn¡¯t make this pact ¡®cause I wanted to, and I ain¡¯t happy about it! Everything I did, I did for my credit card¡ª for my baby Goldie! If you end up gettin¡¯ yourself eaten by some demon here at RAD, don¡¯t blame me, ¡®cause I don¡¯t give a damn. You got that?! Don¡¯t go thinkin¡¯ you¡¯re all great and stuff just ¡®cause you managed to make some stupid pact, human!¡±


    Melody was already to her breaking point, and she felt like all of these negative feelings were just a huge mess. She was used to being at the bottom of the rung; all the trickle down stress and frustration from her older siblings had always found their way to her, and now she was dealing with the same thing, but these were not her brothers. It almost felt like it was her fate, something inevitable that she couldn¡¯t escape no matter what she did.


    ¡°My name is Melody,¡± she said, her voice miserable. It wasn¡¯t ¡®Squirt¡¯ or ¡®Shrimp¡¯ or ¡®Baby¡¯. It certainly wasn¡¯t ¡®human¡¯ or ¡®normie.¡¯ She thought it was a pretty name; why did so many people think it was okay to call her something else?


    ¡°Shut your mouth! I¡¯ll call you what I damn well please! You don¡¯t deserve to have me call you by your real name, human!¡± Mammon¡¯s anger was in full force. He had been looking for somewhere to dump all the baggage his siblings heaped on his head, and when that outlet suddenly spoke back to him, he took it as a sign of defiance, even though Melody sounded more like a puppy that was left out in the rain than any kind of serious threat. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a lowly human. Don¡¯t think you can go givin¡¯ orders to ME! ¡®Cause I¡¯ll eat ya, I swear! Startin¡¯ from the head and workin¡¯ my way down! Is that what ya want?!¡±


    By this point Melody was staring at him, her eyes gone wide as saucers. She hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction to her simply stating her name. Her insides felt like they were solidifying and her chest felt tight. She couldn¡¯t tell how much was bluster, and how much was serious intent, and her head was swimming as she struggled to sort out the difference. Was she actually in trouble now? Could her life be ending in this stairwell, alone, far from home? She felt a tugging in her mind, as power whispered in her ear. She could stop Mammon, she could do it! But, she didn¡¯t want to. She was still ashamed of making that pact, and if he was that angry about it, perhaps she deserved that anger?


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong? Am I that intimidating? Do I frighten you?¡± Despite being called a pitiful excuse for a demon, Mammon was definitely still a demon, and that predatory side of him preened at the fear he sensed from Melody. After being demeaned so thoroughly on all sides, having someone cringe fulfilled a part of him. But that wasn¡¯t the only side there was to him: a greedy demon who wanted more, always more. ¡°Then listen¡­ If you stop talkin¡¯ back and just do what I tell ya, then things won¡¯t be so bad for¡ª ¡° Mammon had been leaning forward, just to get a better look at the fear that demons found so enchanting. But what he saw wasn¡¯t just fear, it was resignation. No, not even resignation. Acceptance. It struck him that she could use the pact, but she didn¡¯t. She had met the anger in his eyes, and, unable to be more afraid, simply let go. In that look, he saw someone who had not only given up, but come to the conclusion that it was proper to do so. Mammon stepped back, hands dropping to his sides. He had a very undemon like thought: this wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Huma¡­er¡­Melody, listen. You¡¯re lucky it was just me gettin¡¯ mad at ya right now,¡± he said, forcing himself to calm down. Now that he thought of it, Melody had never jumped into the insults and taken her shots at him. She¡¯d always been polite, even grateful. He had to agree with his brothers at that moment; he was acting pretty scummy to take out his problems on her, just because she was weaker. He¡¯d been taking so much for so long, it was hard not to push all that negativity onto someone else, but he should have known better. None of this was Melody¡¯s fault. Even so, he couldn¡¯t just take it all back. ¡°Other demons would¡¯ve already eaten ya, but The Great Mammon is lettin¡¯ ya off the hook this time.¡± It was sheer bravado, but he didn¡¯t know how else to deal with this situation.


    Slowly Melody forced her breathing under control. Even though Mammon was still talking big, she saw the concern behind his eyes. The angry tone was gone, and it was just empty bluster, like the wind in a hot air balloon, making him look bigger than he was. She could be mistaken, but even if she was, at least she wasn¡¯t being eaten, or otherwise killed. Slowly the lump in her throat, and in the pit of her stomach, started to dissolve. Carefully she pulled herself back into a proper standing position, instead of being hunched over, bracing herself for a blow.


    ¡°I get it; we demons are pretty scary, so just take a few minutes to get yourself settled. Then we¡¯ll go to school, got it?¡± Gratefully, Melody nodded her head, taking in deep breaths to relax herself.

 Chapter 11: Word Spreads

    Melody was very relieved to make it to RAD in one piece on that second morning. It had been a close call with Mammon, but, now he seemed to at least be backing off, though he took care to make a show of not treating her much different. Most of the traces of her anxiety were gone by the time they walked in the front doors. Mammon even managed to walk her all the way to class, though he was quick to sprint off the moment she crossed the room¡¯s threshold. Almost immediately she heard some demons chatting.


    ¡°Did you hear the news? Apparently that human forged a pact with Mammon.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I don¡¯t get it. Why forge a pact with an ordinary human?¡± a second demon chimed in. Off to the side another demon, one with dark green hair and a splash of teal, was peering at them with a curious look. Melody didn¡¯t recognize him, but the demon beside him was hard to miss; Lord Diavolo cut quite a striking figure, after all. Lucifer, who was on the other side of Diavolo, was also still just as impressive.


    ¡°Huh. Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn¡¯t care less. But rumors¡­ they really do spread like wildfire. Just when I thought the uproar about the new exchange student from the human world had started to subside some, now they¡¯re all freaking out about this.¡± The demon didn¡¯t look at all impressed, and Melody wasn¡¯t sure if that was aimed at her, or the gossiping demons.


    ¡°Come now, don¡¯t say that, Barbatos.¡± Diavolo laughed, apparently finding the whole thing amusing. ¡°Actually, I¡¯d say that all this gossip is a good thing. It means that everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any demon to go after Melody¡¯s soul when no one is looking.¡± As always, talk of her soul made Melody uncomfortable, and she shifted from one foot to another.


    ¡°Yes. Since Mammon¡¯s not doing a very good job as a guardian. I told him he was to look after Melody, but he¡¯s off somewhere shirking his responsibilities. Though I figured this would happen.¡± Lucifer was definitely not impressed; the narrowing of his eyes distinctly showed his displeasure. But Diavolo laughed it off, perhaps a bit too easily. He turned his attention to Melody directly now.


    ¡°I must say, I can¡¯t believe you managed to forge a pact with Mammon, Melody. That¡¯s no small feat. And what¡¯s more, you did it in such a short time.¡±


    Melody held back a sigh. Everyone seemed so completely blase about the pact; they didn¡¯t seem to realize how much it troubled her. And it bothered her that they weren¡¯t bothered at all, but seemed to think it was great fun.


    ¡°I suppose it stands as proof that you chose well bringing this human here, Lord Diavolo,¡± said the green-haired demon, who was smiling now. Seeing the rather lost look on Melody¡¯s face, he inclined his head politely towards her. ¡°¡­ Ah yes, pardon me. I suppose we haven¡¯t met before, have we? My name is Barbatos. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I have the honor of serving as steward to Lord Diavolo. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Well, at least he seemed polite, which was nice. Melody managed a smile in return.


    ¡°Barbatos here is a smart and talented individual, so much so that I wish I could trade a certain idiot brother of mine for him instead.¡±


    It struck Melody as a rather unkind statement to make, but she was starting to expect that from, well, pretty much everyone, when it came to Mammon. She held in a deep sigh. Her thoughts started to wander as the demons discussed several points. But then another voice joined the conversation, and Melody looked up again to see an unfamiliar man. He was dressed very differently, in white, black, and blue fading to teal, with accents of gold. His clothes were rather tight fitting across his chest, and his shoulders were bare.


    ¡°If I might offer my own opinion, out of you seven brothers, you¡¯re without a doubt the most troublesome, Lucifer.¡± The soft spoken man spoke with a familiarity that indicated he must have known Lucifer for some time. Melody found herself staring, and quickly looked away.


    ¡°Is that meant as a compliment, Simeon?¡± Lucifer¡¯s eyes were narrowed again, and he didn¡¯t look as if he trusted the other man¡¯s words¡­ or intentions.


    ¡°Pff, of course not! Duh! That was a put-down. An insult! He¡¯s taunting you!¡± A much younger voice startled Melody, and she saw a much shorter person step out from behind the one called Simeon. He looked like a child, and definitely didn¡¯t fit in. He wore similar colors to Simeon, but without any black, and his clothes were fully concealing. But, for his small stature, he seemed to have a lot of anger, and his little hands were balled into fists.


    ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve brought your chihuahua along with you.¡± Lucifer was unfazed by the angry outburst of the boy, and returned the childish exclamation with a smooth, cutting remark. This only riled the boy up further.


    ¡°I am NOT a chihuahua! How many times do I have to tell you that, demon?!¡± By those words, Melody surmised that he was not, in fact, a demon. She had already met the other human exchange student. Did that make him¡­


    ¡°Well, what do you expect? I am a demon, after all. Now then, stop yipping at me. C¡¯mere boy¡­ shake! Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± Lucifer was really pushing that particular insult. Melody couldn¡¯t tell whose behavior she disliked more in this scenario that was unfolding before her eyes.


    ¡°Quit it! Don¡¯t you make fun of me! And don¡¯t tell me to shake! I¡¯m not a dog!¡±


    ¡°Allow me to introduce you, Melody,¡± Lord Diavolo said, neatly cutting into the verbal war between Lucifer and the child. Melody shot him a thankful look, but didn¡¯t interrupt. He gestured towards the man who had spoken to Lucifer. ¡°This is Simeon. He¡¯s an exchange student from the Celestial Realm. Which is to say, he¡¯s an angel.¡±


    ¡°Well, hello, Melody. I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors!¡± Simeon¡¯s benign smile was soothing, and part of Melody relaxed. The other part, however, wanted to run away and hide. Did he know she had a pact? Had he overheard that? What would an angel think of such a thing? Could he see her soul too? And why was an angel dressed like that? But before she could say much of anything, Diavolo continued on, gesturing towards the child.


    ¡°And this is Luke. Let¡¯s see, you¡¯re¡­ a chihuahua, was it? Or are you an angel?¡±


    Luke¡¯s face turned bright red, and he uttered a sound of protest. Personally, Melody felt bad for him; he was obviously the youngest person there, and that was something she could sympathize with. And no one seemed to be treating him kindly. On the other hand, the first thing out of his mouth had been a verbal attack on Lucifer, which probably didn¡¯t help. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Wh¡­! Diavolo, now YOU¡¯RE getting in on the act, too?! I am NOT a chihuahua! I¡¯m an angel!¡± Finally he turned to Melody, and continued to talk. ¡°Listen up! As you can probably tell, I¡¯m a low-ranking angel. BUT I¡¯ll have you know that in the Celestial Realm I report directly to Michael the Archangel, as¡ª¡± Luke seemed to really be getting into his introduction, but Simeon shook his head and interrupted.


    ¡°Luke, calm down. You need to learn not to make such a huge fuss about everything.¡±


    ¡°But Simeon¡­!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly why people call you a chihuahua, you know?¡± Lucifer¡¯s interjection probably wasn¡¯t going to help. But the little angel didn¡¯t seem at all intimidated by Lucifer.


    ¡°Usually the only one who calls me chihuahua is YOU, Lucifer!¡± he shot back. In a way, he was a bit like a small dog who didn¡¯t know when to back down from a bigger threat. But Melody felt that if they didn¡¯t treat him that way, he wouldn¡¯t have a reason to be so defensive. She feared the back and forth could go on forever, but then Barbatos stepped in.


    ¡°It¡¯s nearly time for the first bell to sound.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I apologize for any trouble we¡¯ve caused, Melody.¡± Simeon¡¯s words were gentle, and Melody felt soothed by them, giving the older angel a timid smile.


    ¡°In any event, I¡¯m relieved to see that things seem to be going well for you here,¡± said Diavolo.


    ¡°Melody, look after Mammon for me, would you?¡± Lucifer smiled as he spoke.


    Melody blinked, staring at Lucifer with a stunned expression on her face. It had seemed before, that he cared little for Mammon, and had said a lot of bad things, not to mention hitting him, at least twice in her sight. Yet, here he was asking her, of all people, to take care of him. Was this because of the pact? A warning, perhaps, not to abuse that power? She couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°As I remember it, Mammon was supposed to be the one looking after Melody, correct?¡± Barbatos asked, looking mildly surprised. Melody was relieved she wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how I remember it as well. Your point?¡± That seemed to be the end of the matter for Lucifer. He turned and left the classroom, as did Barbatos, Diavolo, and Simeon. Luke stayed behind.


    ¡°Never trust¡­mmmrmhrm¡­¡± Luke mumbled.


    ¡°Pardon me?¡± Melody hadn¡¯t caught the end of that, and just needed him to clarify his words. She worried about offending even a¡­ what had he called himself? ¡­a low-ranking angel.


    ¡°¡­Never trust a demon. Especially when that demon is Lucifer. Listen to me. He¡¯s a monster and a brute. He¡¯s uncivilized, immoral, and¡­ and also¡­¡± That sounded a lot more like the depiction of a demon than what Melody had seen so far. Though there was often something dangerous and brutal about Lucifer¡¯s methods, she couldn¡¯t quite agree that he was uncivilized. In fact, he had all the trappings of a very civil person. Then again, civilized didn¡¯t mean kind or benevolent. Whether he was a monster, or immoral, Melody couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°Also what?¡± Melody asked, not sure why Luke had stopped there; it seemed he had already said a mouthful about how poorly he thought of Lucifer. It also struck her that Luke told her not to trust Lucifer, while Lucifer told her not to trust Solomon. Did that mean Luke would trust Solomon, or was no one trustworthy? It was a frightening thought.


    ¡°He¡¯s the most sadistic of sadists! ¡­I was against this from the beginning. What are they thinking, bringing humans to the Devildom as exchange students¡­¡± That seemed a little too extreme for Melody. So far Lucifer struck her as more cold, aloof, and domineering rather than being sadistic. Then again, she wasn¡¯t trying to pit herself against him. Luke seemed about to say more on the matter, but the bell buzzed again. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been warned. You get what I¡¯m saying, right? Okay.¡± And then he sped off to his class before Melody could ask any questions.


    The rest of the day droned by. Classes seemed to be pretty standard. Melody hadn¡¯t been a great student in the past, but she was feeling a little more motivated to do well now. Perhaps because there were fewer comforts waiting at home, perhaps because failure seemed more dangerous. Or, perhaps, she was simply more mentally mature now and better equipped to learn. Whatever the reason, she found she was doing a pretty good job listening to the professors, taking notes, and other common student tasks.


    During any of her spare time, she worked on the specialty tasks on her phone. Sometimes demon students would challenge her, and she would use the program on her DDD to bolster her defenses. She still couldn¡¯t fully understand what was happening, but it seemed to stop the demons from making a move on her, and it made her feel a little more safe. Even so, it was a bother being stopped in the halls. At least there seemed to be a general rule that they couldn¡¯t accost her while in class, or during the first half at lunch, or else she¡¯d probably miss lectures and go hungry.


    When she finally got back to the House of Lamentation, she stayed in her room, except during dinner. It seemed all the brothers were out that evening, though Levi was probably just in his room, so she had a simple supper on her own. As intimidating as they all were, having the large dining room to herself seemed worse, so she ate in the kitchen. Even though it was big, at least it was less fancy, and the space seemed more evenly distributed. Fortunately for her, there was enough human items, or food that was similar enough, to fill her belly. She was just finishing up when Mammon walked into the kitchen and went straight to the fridge.


    ¡°Um¡­ hello Mammon,¡± Melody said, swallowing the last bit of her drink. Startled, Mammon pulled his head back out of the fridge.


    ¡°Daaaah! Don¡¯t startle me like that.¡± He paused a beat. ¡°Not that The Great Mammon is scared of anythin¡¯. It¡¯s just a bad idea to startle a demon, ya know.¡± Looking Melody over, he shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the task at hand.


    ¡°Are you home for the evening?¡± Melody scrounged around the courage to ask. An idea had occurred to her, and she wanted to see if it was possible. Mammon almost hit his head on the freezer handle as he turned around a second time to face her.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be askin¡¯ me to do any favors for you,¡± he said with a fair amount of bluster. Either he wasn¡¯t thinking of the pact, he didn¡¯t believe she would use it, or maybe he was simply blustering out of habit and hoping that she didn¡¯t force his hand. Not that Melody planned to do any such thing. Instead she looked shyly at the ground.


    ¡°I just wanted to ask if I could maybe straighten up your room a bit to look for that figure that Levi wanted from you,¡± Melody explained. Then, seeing the look on Mammon¡¯s face, she hastily added, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to do anything except just be there, since it¡¯s your room and your things.¡± She didn¡¯t want him to get the wrong idea. ¡°You did say that you would give him is figure and¡­ I just thought¡­ it would be a show of good faith.¡± Melody was starting to feel really self-conscious about her request. Mammon shrugged and shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s really between Levi and me, but I¡¯m not gonna object to someone wantin¡¯ to clean my room. Means it¡¯ll be that much longer before Lucifer gets on my case about it bein¡¯ a mess,¡± Mammon said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell ya you¡¯ll be really sorry if ya try to take any of my things, or mess with stuff I tell ya not to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t disturb anything of yours you don¡¯t want disturbed,¡± Melody assured him. Mammon stared at her so long, she could feel her face turn bright red.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strange human, I¡¯ll give you that much. But I¡¯m famished, so I¡¯m just gonna grab somethin¡¯ to eat. When I¡¯m back in my room, I¡¯ll beep your DDD. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine; thank you!¡±


    ¡°Why are ya thankin¡¯ me for bein¡¯ allowed to clean my room? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand how that human mind of yours works.¡± It was muttered under Mammon¡¯s breath as Melody was walking out of the room, but she caught the first little bit of it before she closed the kitchen door behind her.

 Chapter 12: Making Amends

    About half an hour after Melody met Mammon in the kitchen, she was assembled outside of his room with a couple of large garbage bags, a broom, a dustpan, a pair of cleaning gloves, and a bottle of water. Even though Mammon had texted her, she knocked on the door, since it was a room she¡¯d never been in. A mumbled response from inside told her to come in. Though she had seen Levi¡¯s room, Mammon¡¯s surprised her quite a bit. The fact that he had space for a whole car, a pool table, entertainment equipment, couches, a table, his bed, and an extensive closet, surprised her. So did the very modern aesthetic, compared to the House of Lamentation as a whole. And, as Levi had described before, the place was a mess. Still, Melody had been pressed into cleaning several of her siblings¡¯ rooms on multiple occasions, so she wasn¡¯t too concerned.


    ¡°Oh, you came after all. Guess you were serious. Well, go ahead. I¡¯ll just be relaxin¡¯.¡± There was something indulgent about sitting there while someone cleaned his room. And for free. True, Lucifer would throw a fit if he hired someone, and he would definitely disapprove if he pressed one of his younger brothers into doing it for him, but he could hardly object when the human offered, without even a hint from him. Mammon had been completely surprised when Melody offered, and even a little suspicious that he was being set up somehow. But, as he watched her work, he started to feel somewhat at ease.


    Melody worked diligently, and with organization. Part way through, she did find the elusive Seraphina figurine. It was in a bag, buried under trash. The box itself was slightly dinged, and she worried it might upset Levi, but at least it would be in his hands to make a decision. She did take a cloth and carefully clean away any smudges on it, painstakingly making sure that the cardboard didn¡¯t get soaked or warped. And, even after she found it, she continued to clean Mammon¡¯s room. After he had felt that she was going to be true to her word, and explained the things he did not want touched, Mammon started playing a game and paid less attention to Melody. He barely even heard her when she quietly said good night and slipped back out of his room. And though she was exhausted from work, she had the prized figurine in her hands and a strong sense of accomplishment. But, it was late enough that she didn¡¯t feel up to disturbing Levi.


    That night, she had a dream. Someone was calling for help, someone so far away their voice sounded faded. But every time she tried to reach them, they seemed to call her from another direction. She climbed up stairs, climbed down a well, climbed up a ladder, and climbed out a window, all trying to find the mystery voice. Black and white birds often swooped in front of her face, some of them hovering in place, while others dove at her, trying to scratch her cheeks. At one point she fell down and hurt herself. She never found the source of the voice, and she woke up feeling utterly exhausted, and with an odd pain on her hip. Feeling around, she discovered that a bruise had started to form. Frowning, she tried to recall if she had done anything during her clean-up session that would have resulted in such a bruise. Her mind came up blank.


    Regardless of the source of the bruise, Melody had to get up, shower, and dress. It was only her third day at RAD and she was already feeling like it had been forever since she first ended up in the Devildom. It didn¡¯t help that the sun didn¡¯t rise and set; it screwed around with her natural rhythm. The nuance between night and day in the Devildom was too subtle for her eyes, used to the more distinct times in the human realm. Again she walked to school with Mammon, and again he was fast to dart off when they arrived at her first classroom. She was definitely getting more accustomed to being in classes, being able to put her worries aside long enough to focus on the lessons. But in the last few minutes of each class, her anxiety would return, as she always felt more vulnerable walking the halls. Not only was she bound to be approached by demon students, but even social interactions were more unpredictable outside of the stricter setting of the classrooms.


    What¡¯s more, Melody still had the Seraphina figure in her room, waiting. She hoped that delivering the box to Leviathan wouldn¡¯t backfire. Even though she had agreed to the pact with Mammon, she wasn¡¯t sure where she stood with Levi. The Avatar of Envy, with his striking purple hair, seemed mostly content to ignore her. But, he was also good at ignoring everyone in the room when absorbed in his games. Not that she blamed him; she knew how interesting a good video game could be. Still, the fact that she had let him down once, and almost let him down twice, was sure to be a mark against her. She just didn¡¯t know for how long. So she was determined to at least give him the figure he wanted, that Mammon had promised. By the time her last class was dismissed, she was in a great hurry to get home.


    Despite the fact she had no reason to believe that the figure wouldn¡¯t be in her room, she was relieved when it was still there, sitting serenely in its box. Carefully Melody picked up the coveted object and carried it down the hall to Levi¡¯s room, though part of her mind was worried she¡¯d get the wrong room somehow. Because of that, her hand was shaking slightly as she raised it and knocked three times on the door. There was a bit of a wait, and she could hear some movement from inside. Seconds later, she heard a voice speak from right behind the door, almost causing her to jump back with how close it was.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Levi¡¯s voice was distinctly cranky.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but¡­¡± Melody hesitated, her courage drying up in her throat.


    ¡°Hm. It¡¯s the human. Didn¡¯t expect it to be you. Well, hurry up; you¡¯re lucky you caught me between games.¡±


    ¡°I can¡­ come back later¡­ if that¡¯s better.¡± Melody was half tempted to just run back down the hall, but that would be rude and most likely damage any chance of getting along with Levi in the future. But she didn¡¯t want to intrude either.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You might as well just come out with it now. If I get into a game, it could be hours before I¡¯ll want to come to the door again, and then, after that, I have so many more animes to watch, and posts to check, message to send, and I certainly don¡¯t want to be interrupted by a normie for a second time in the evening. Or even the week. So, just spit it out, already.¡± Melody was pretty sure he barely stopped for breath during that whole thing.


    ¡°I brought something for you; that¡¯s all. It won¡¯t take more than a few seconds, but, I can¡¯t give it to you through the door,¡± Melody said. There was a brief silence.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that then?¡± Melody stepped back a pace when she heard the doorknob start to turn. Soon she was staring back at Levi, who had opened the door. Quickly she stuck out the box she was holding. Upon seeing the box, Levi¡¯s eyes lit up, and he had a boyish grin on his face as he reached for it. Then his hand stopped short.


    ¡°Mammon was supposed to give it to me; why did he send you?¡± he asked warily.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was the one who found it. Mammon didn¡¯t know where it was; you remember he seemed confused about it when you asked for it before?¡± Melody said mildly. ¡°So, I offered to clean his room if I could take the figurine for you,¡± she added. Levi¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Wait, you CLEANED Mammon¡¯s room. On PURPOSE?! You¡¯re braver than I thought. His room is about as scummy as he is, and that¡¯s saying a lot.¡± Anxiously, Levi looked around, then gestured for Melody to go into his room, the motion urgent as though it was a matter of life or death. Not wanting to agitate the easily disturbed Leviathan, Melody slipped into the room, still holding the box in her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a hero Melody, you rushed into no man¡¯s land to rescue the Elf Queen herself! I could hug you¡­ that is¡­ if you weren¡¯t 3D, and a normie, and I wasn¡¯t already spoken for¡­¡± said Levi, his words pouring out quickly at first, until he realized what he had said, and stumbled over himself trying to backpedal. His cheeks had gone bright red, and Melody looked away, not wanting to stare and make him feel more self-conscious. She held the box out again and felt, rather than saw, Levi take it from her. While she was still staring a hole in Levi¡¯s floor, she heard him bustling around, probably rearranging his figures to find a place for his new acquisition.


    As for Melody, she was happy that this was going well, even more so that Levi had used her name. True, he hadn¡¯t given up calling her normie, but at least he was aware that she had a name and knew what it was. And, she was glad he didn¡¯t hug her, not that she objected to hugs in general, but she just didn¡¯t know him well enough to get a sudden hug. Especially since Levi didn¡¯t seem to like people at all.


    ¡°It was just cleaning,¡± Melody said, thinking that Levi was giving her far too much credit.


    ¡°I guess, if you just focus on that part, it isn¡¯t a big deal. But, Mammon is really possessive of his possessions. He wouldn¡¯t let any of us rifle through his stuff. Guess he figured he could outrun you. Still, he¡¯s the one who should have had to clean his room.¡± Levi paused for a moment. ¡°In fact, you could have made him clean his own room. You have that power now, so why would you do it yourself?¡± Levi noticed that Melody had gone pale when he mentioned the pact. He peered at her with curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be sick are you? I hope you¡¯re not going to be sick!¡±


    ¡°Um, no, not sick,¡± Melody said, making sure she stayed steady on her feet. ¡°It¡­ it really wasn¡¯t too much trouble. After all, he has been walking me to school and everything.¡± Melody tried to steer the subject away from the pact.


    ¡°But why did it matter? You could have just left Mammon to sort it out on his own,¡± Levi persisted. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out the human. At first he had dismissed her out of hand because his focus was on Mammon and getting his money back. Then he had only wanted to pay attention to Melody to use her to force Mammon to return what he owed. He hadn¡¯t been happy when Melody turned him down, taking it personally; in his mind it was just more proof that no one really wanted to help the yucky shut-in. Yet, here she was, not only delivering the figurine he wanted, but she had been the one to dig through the trash pile that was Mammon¡¯s floor to secure it. And for what?


    ¡°B¡­ because you really seemed to want it,¡± Melody said, brows furrowing. ¡°If Mammon didn¡¯t want it, and you did, then what good would she do sitting on his floor,¡± she reasons. Though, when she thought about it, that wasn¡¯t everything. ¡°And it was part of the deal.¡± That didn¡¯t seem completely right either, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it.


    ¡°And what do you want for it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°No one just gives something away for nothing,¡± Levi said. He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe she was doing this out of the kindness of her heart, especially not for him. Maybe it was pity? She felt sorry for him. Of course, that had to be it, if she didn¡¯t want something in return. She must just be tossing him a bone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one giving it away though; it was never mine to begin with,¡± Melody said. ¡°I¡¯m just the messenger.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Levi felt like he had been deflated, yet he was also oddly relieved. He had been over thinking it, and his thoughts gradually started to slow down and become more organized. And, really, she was a lot more tolerable to deal with than Mammon. She seemed generally respectful and not terribly loud. She wasn¡¯t insulting him or yelling over every tiny thing. This wasn¡¯t so bad, really, and Levi started to relax, just a little.


    ¡°I should let you get back to your games,¡± Melody said, turning towards the door. ¡°Though, sometime, if it¡¯s okay, I¡¯d like to see some of the games you have here,¡± she said, surprising herself at her request. After all, he didn¡¯t seem fond of visitors, and had been responsible for bullying her into a pact. But she was starting to think it was never about her; Levi wanted something so badly he was going to do anything to get it. ¡°You must have some in the Devildom that we don¡¯t have in the human realm.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that would be okay, maybe, once in a while,¡± Levi agreed tentatively. He didn¡¯t really like company; people were nosy, judgmental, and unpredictable. On the bright side, Melody was a human, and a non-magical one to boot. If he didn¡¯t like what she was doing, it would be an easy thing for even him to kick her out. And if she was actually interested in games, it might be nice to talk to someone about his favorites; if she didn¡¯t, well, it was her own fault for asking if she got bored.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Melody said with a little shy smile. And then she was gone. Levi took a deep breath and got back to his computer. But, whenever he caught sight of the Seraphina figurine from the corner of his eye, he found himself smiling too.

 Chapter 13: Gamers Paradise

    Slowly Melody got into a good routine. The Devildom foods were becoming less intimidating to her, although she still flatly refused to eat anything with the word ¡®brain¡¯ in it. As she got used to the classes, they became less stressful as well, though the students in them never really felt much safer. Most of the demons kept looking at her as a cross between a meal and a prize to be won; they certainly didn¡¯t make many friendly overtures. Luke remained a tiny ball of anger and indignation. Simeon and Solomon were both equally unreadable. Mammon continued to escort her to school, but she only rarely caught sight of him during school hours, before walking home with her. While she no longer felt threatened by him, they didn¡¯t really become friendly with each other either.


    It was really starting to feel lonely for Melody, so one evening she found herself standing outside of Levi¡¯s room. Since the night she delivered Seraphina, they hadn¡¯t really talked, except a few passing words coming and going. Levi spent as much time shut in his room, while Melody was mostly in hers. But, she thought several times about the comforting reflection of water that rippled across Levi¡¯s room, the more modern aesthetic compared to the old Gothic style of the rest of the house, the familiar sight of a computer screen and gaming consoles. And, if the worst happened, he would tell her to go away, and she would do so. But, the first thing to do was to knock on the door, so she raised her hand and took that first step.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Levi¡¯s voice on the other side of the door didn¡¯t sound pleased, but Melody wasn¡¯t surprised. He didn¡¯t seem to get along with his brothers half the time, and the other half they were ignoring him while he mutually ignored them.


    ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s Melody. I was wondering if you were busy.¡± Melody fell silent after making her statement, straining her ears to make sure she didn¡¯t miss Levi¡¯s response. It seemed to be a long time in coming.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not really busy right now; just grinding some levels. Not a big deal,¡± Levi said. Melody could hear the door unlocking and it opened. Levi¡¯s expression was neutral and wary, but not overtly hostile, which was a good sign as far as she was concerned. She didn¡¯t want to make anyone angry, especially since the nearest human was in another building, and she wasn¡¯t even sure he would help her other than during that first day of classes.


    ¡°I was wondering if I could just come in and sit for a bit, maybe look at what games you have. To¡­ you know¡­ compare them with games I have,¡± she said nervous.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that would be okay as long as you don¡¯t make any sudden loud noises or bring up any boring normie subjects,¡± Levi replied with an indifferent shrug, stepping aside to let the human into his room for a third time. He didn¡¯t even bother looking both ways this time, but even so, he was really quick to shut the door behind Melody.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it before, but I think you have a really nice room,¡± Melody said, looking around. ¡°The blue, watery lighting is soothing.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Levi shuffled his feet a bit awkwardly, but looked slightly pleased at the compliment. He wasn¡¯t going to admit that he also found it soothing, that the watery patterns made him feel more at home than the much ¡®drier¡¯ spaces of the House of Lamentation. After all, he doubted a human normie would understand anything about his other form. ¡°My console games are all on the shelf there,¡± he gestured to a low-lying shelf near his TV, ¡°while my computer games are along here,¡± and he pointed to another shelf. ¡°They¡¯re all in alphabetical order, by title, so make sure you put them back where you found them. Leave all the instructions where they are; don¡¯t lose any of the inserts. And keep your fingers off the disks.¡±


    Melody didn¡¯t bother retorting that she knew how to take care of video games. Somehow she didn¡¯t think that it would do any good, and there wasn¡¯t really much pride there to hurt to begin with, so she just absorbed the blow. There was no reason for Levi to believe she knew anything at all, so, she just let it lie. However, once she got to the shelf and started looking over the titles, she realized one major flaw: a lot of them were in Devildom languages. Oops. Still, she pulled one out, just to look at the cover art. Even without being able to read the text, the cover art and graphics on the back were entertaining. But it also meant she went through them fairly quickly, and soon she was left kind of hovering.


    ¡°You can sit over there,¡± Levi offered from his seat at his computer, pointing to a koi-patterned bean-bag chair. Melody nodded and sank gratefully into it. For a while, there was quiet between them. Melody listened to him click his mouse and type away at his keyboard; his headphones were on, so she couldn¡¯t hear anything from his actual game. Nor could she really see his screen, though the colors from it reflected on surfaces nearby. Quietly she took out her DDD and worked on some tasks as well as reviewing her homework. The clacking of the keyboard was actually very soothing to her, and after a bit, she just put her phone down on her lap, closed her eyes, and listened.


    She had almost dozed off until a shout woke her. Levi¡¯s focus was still intent on his screen, but now he was yelling into his mic, presumably at a team mate, or maybe an opponent. He was speaking so rapidly, Melody took a few moments before she could even grasp what he was saying. Yup, it was definitely video game rage. While Melody rarely raged at a video game, at least out loud, she knew they could be incredibly frustrating. Still, the anger was unsettling, probably because she was well aware that he was a demon. Her body tensed, and she curled up smaller in the chair. But, eventually Levi calmed down, though he pulled his headset down and moved away from the computer, almost tripping over Melody in the process.


    ¡°Wha¡­. Oh! You¡¯re still here? I thought you left ages ago!¡± Levi said, staring down at Melody.


    ¡°Um¡­ you don¡¯t mind¡­ do you?¡± Melody managed to gasp out, wondering if she had messed up somehow.


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess not,¡± said Levi slowly, eyes shifting to the side. ¡°Usually if someone¡¯s in here with me, they¡¯re yammering on about something, or asking me a million annoying questions, or screaming in my ear because something on the screen startled them.¡± His expression gentled so mildly that Melody wasn¡¯t sure if she was actually seeing anything or not. ¡°But you were just quiet.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb your game,¡± Melody said. ¡°It sounded pretty intense there at the end.¡±


    ¡°They were totally using hacks,¡± Levi grumbled. ¡°I hate cheaters; all the work and skill can¡¯t stand against them. It¡¯s so not fair!¡± Melody was about to ask a question when her DDD beeped. With an apologetic smile, she checked it. There was an alarm for her to look over all her assignments and make sure they were up to date.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Thanks for letting me spend some time in here,¡± Melody said, picking herself up out of the beanbag chair. ¡°But, I need to go double check to make sure all my homework is done. I get nervous if I don¡¯t,¡± she explained, feeling a bit lame. Levi raised his hand in a lazy wave.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I guess it¡¯s okay if you come back some time,¡± Levi said a bit grudgingly, more out of habit than any issue with Melody. ¡°If I don¡¯t answer, just assume I have my headset on and I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that,¡± replied Melody, giving Levi a shy wave in return. Quietly she slipped out of his room.


    After that, Melody found herself going to his room many times, and just sat in the background, working on her homework, or reading a book, or listening to something with headphones. She never bothered him with questions or unsolicited advice, so he tolerated it, despite the fact she wasn¡¯t a 2D girl or even an otaku like himself. He even found she was kind of useful, sometimes getting him drinks from the fridge or snacks from the kitchen. And if he ever said he was busy, or didn¡¯t want company, she didn¡¯t try to push herself into his space. It was far more pleasant than dealing with his brothers.


    Mammon was concerned at first, and would often listen at the door. Not that he cared about Melody as a person, or so he told himself, but Levi wasn¡¯t always the most stable person, and he worried that Melody might make him angry, so he made sure things were okay. But, usually all he heard was the sounds of Levi playing his games. From the sounds of it, they weren¡¯t really doing anything together at all, which made him wonder why the human was in there at all. Maybe she just really liked water, or jellyfish. Mammon didn¡¯t get a lot of what Levi was into, but even he had to admit, Levi¡¯s room was kinda awesome. When he was certain that Melody was safe in Levi¡¯s room, he took it as a good sign; it freed him up for other things. After all, if Melody was holed up with Levi, she wasn¡¯t running amok in the Devildom at large getting eaten by some lower level demon.


    Up to a certain point, it had always been Melody approaching Levi. But one evening, a few weeks into their new pattern, Levi texted Melody on her DDD, asking her to come to his room. He wouldn¡¯t explain what he wanted, but by his use of all caps, Melody could guess he was feeling very excited, or angry, about something. She was a bit worried it might be anger, but she was more inclined to believe it was excitement. After all, she was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t done anything lately to upset him, and she was hardly in a position to help him with anything that would make him angry. So, she found herself knocking on his door. Levi opened it so quickly she suspected he had been waiting for her right there instead of sitting at his computer.


    ¡°Quick, get in here Normie,¡± Levi said, and he was bursting over with excitement. Melody was relieved that he wasn¡¯t angry, but she also felt really disappointed that he was still calling her by that name.


    ¡°I um¡­Levi?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Levi looked a bit annoyed at having his enthusiasm interrupted, but let her speak anyhow.


    ¡°Could you please stop calling me Normie?¡±


    ¡°Why? That¡¯s what you are,¡± retorted the Avatar of Envy. He had important things to tell Melody, and she was quibbling over what he called her. Which felt exactly what a Normie would do.


    ¡°Well, it just doesn¡¯t seem quite right. This is the Devildom, and so the normal here is demons. I¡¯m one of only two humans here, so that makes me less than normal.¡± Melody shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. ¡°There is more than one way to be an other,¡± she said, more gently, worried that he actually would get angry at this point.


    ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s¡­ that actually makes sense,¡± said Levi, starting to protest and then finding his reasoning unable to hold up against the human¡¯s words. After all, Pride was his brother¡¯s vice; Leviathan stood for the opposite. He was too well acquainted with not feeling good enough, for being overlooked and underestimated. And he sensed some of that coming from Melody. Not exactly envy at the moment, but the other feelings that often built up into Envy. She was hovering on the edge of his sin without falling into it. Part of him wanted to push her over the line. ¡°Is that why you keep coming in here?¡± he asked a moment later. Was she also some kind of other or outcast?


    ¡°Well, yes, part of it,¡± Melody returned slowly. There were a lot of reasons she went in there, some of them which even she hadn¡¯t realized at first.


    ¡°Why do you never say anything?¡± he asked. At first he hadn¡¯t minded the silence; he found it refreshing. But, he often wondered why she was there. If she was interested in games, as he thought she might have been from her original request, then why didn¡¯t she talk about them?


    ¡°Um¡­it¡¯s because I find you intimidating,¡± Melody confessed.


    ¡°Wait¡­me? Intimidating?¡± That was a new one; she hadn¡¯t even seen his demon form yet. Without it he just looked like some guy who couldn¡¯t beat anyone in an arm wrestling match, couldn¡¯t charm anyone to do a single thing, or couldn¡¯t outwit anyone with clever lies. What was there to find intimidating? He was just the family shut-in.


    ¡°At first, it was because you¡¯re a demon, and bullied me into making a pact. So, you seemed pretty scary. But, then I realized that you¡¯re just so intense and passionate about the things you like,¡± she said, a blush creeping across her cheeks. It wasn¡¯t easy to say these things out loud. ¡°You have all these facts in your head that you can recall at a moment¡¯s notice, and you don¡¯t let anything get in the way of those things that you love.¡±


    By the time Melody was done speaking, Levi was blushing harder than the human. Most of his brothers either made fun of his interests, barely tolerated them, or couldn¡¯t even understand what he was saying half the time. But he got the impression now that Melody had heard his one sided conversations with people online and followed the bulk of it. Often he had forgot she was there in the room, but other times he was fully aware she was there, and he wondered what he had said that made her see him that way. And, as flattering as it had been to hear someone say he was intimidating, it was even more flattering to hear that she thought well of him because of his intensity rather than the fact he was a powerful demon. He vaguely recalled being indifferent to the arrival of a human exchange student during the meeting it was voted on, and he just voted to get back to his games. Now he was actually glad the program had happened.


    ¡°Well¡­ um¡­¡± He was too flustered to make much of a response, so he took refuge in distraction. ¡°ANYHOW! I called you in here because there¡¯s this really cool game that just started today; it¡¯s called Mononoke Land, and it¡¯s only on the DDD. It¡¯s a big, big deal; people are going crazy over it! You go around and collect spirits, and it¡¯s one of those games that you need, really NEED friends to get anywhere. So you totally have to install it and send me a friend request.¡± As Levi was talking, Melody was already tapping away on her DDD.


    ¡°On it,¡± she said, smiling at Levi. Although he didn¡¯t address what she told him, the fact that he launched right into talking about a game with that same excitement just illustrated her point. And, oddly, it made her happy. She was watching the installation bar creep across her screen, and it seemed to be taking forever. Levi had already slouched into one of his beanbag chairs and was playing on his DDD.


    ¡°You can sit too,¡± he told Melody without looking up. But she thought she caught a smile on his face when she sat down. When her game started up, Levi was pretty insistent in imparting his wisdom for starting to Melody, and she didn¡¯t want to burst his bubble by telling him she knew how to navigate a video game. Instead she just listened to him and followed his suggestions. Pretty soon she had done all the tutorial stuff and they had set each other up as friends: mission accomplished.

 Chapter 14: Trouble in Paradise

    From that point on, it became more obvious that Melody and Levi were getting along. At least, to the brothers. To an outsider, it wasn¡¯t very noticeable. Levi would raise his head when Melody came to the table to eat, and stopped calling her ¡®Normie¡¯. Sometimes, he even greeted her with a wave, taking one hand off his game to do so. Of course, whenever anyone teased him about warming up to Melody, he would blush bright red and claim he was still true to Ruri-Chan. For her part, Melody thought the devotion was sweet, if a little odd. And, it seemed to say a lot about Levi himself. Asmodeus, as the Avatar of Lust, was pretty vocal about the kinds of things he found attractive, often to the point that Melody could feel her own cheeks going red before someone cut him off. But Levi was devoted to this very innocent looking character, and rarely commented about any of the female characters in his other games as objects to be gawked at.


    Melody took all this with a grain of salt, though she wished everyone else would stop teasing Levi about the matter. Since there was nothing romantic between her and Levi, her feelings weren¡¯t hurt when he denied any sort of interest in her. But, she did wonder if that was because he didn¡¯t like real girls at all, if it was because she was human, or too normal, or if it was her in specific that he objected to. Whatever the case, Levi certainly marched to the beat of his own drum, and she admired that, though a lot of the intimidation factor had worn off. She still didn¡¯t talk much in his room, but sometimes they would be playing Mononoke Land together, and then he could be quite vocal, asking about what spirits she had, and if she had anything rare, while showing off his rare items. Sometimes Melody would feel a bit envious about his progress in the game, and in those moments, she felt his eyes on her, in a very intense fashion. But, usually the moment would pass and he would blush in embarrassment and turn away.


    Sometimes he would get angry at one thing or another. In these cases, Melody would usually just sit in place and try to make herself look small. Anger made her anxious, though after a few outbursts from Levi, she started to get used to those too. Gamer rage was a real thing, after all, but still less threatening than road rage, since most games couldn¡¯t physically affect the outside world. Usually Levi calmed down after a bit. The first major outburst, of course, was the worst. There had been banging, yelling, and Melody could have sworn his eyes were glowing orange, but it could have been a reflection off the screen. However, when he calmed down, he looked embarrassed.


    ¡°I hope people weren¡¯t hacking again,¡± Melody offered. Her wish was honest, but mostly she spoke to avoid an awkward silence. Levi looked a bit relieved.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t cheating this time. I just hate when people camp my spawn,¡± Levi muttered, scuffing his foot against the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s why I stopped playing games like that,¡± Melody responded quickly, not thinking about how it might be taken.


    ¡°Wait, you played games like that? What have you played before? If you don¡¯t play those games anymore, what do you play now? How long have you been playing for?¡± The questions came out so quickly that Melody couldn¡¯t process any of them at first, and she laughed a little nervously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been playing since I was little,¡± Melody answered slowly, tackling the last question first. ¡°I¡­ my family situation was a little tricky, and I think my mom found it easier to keep me quiet with games,¡± she admitted, not knowing anything about demon families. The seven demons she lived with called each other brothers, so she simply accepted that they had some notion of family, and left it at that. ¡°Most of the ones I play now are either really relaxing, like Animal Crossing and Pokemon Snap, or at least are more about making tactical choices than being able to mash the button faster than someone else,¡± Melody adds, trying to answer the questions. ¡°I got tired of being yelled at in games becau¡­¡± Melody trailed off because Levi had been yelling into his mic just a few minutes ago.


    ¡°They¡¯re not for everyone,¡± Levi agreed, either not noticing the fact that Melody dropped her sentence, or simply not caring. ¡°It takes a lot of skill and concentration for those kinds of games. So it¡¯s fine to stop playing; at least you know what camping a spawn is. Beel always asks if they toasted any marshmallows,¡± the Avatar of Envy said, rolling his eyes. Melody laughed at this; it wasn¡¯t forced. She could see the large Avatar of Gluttony tying it back to food. Everything seemed to be about eating with him, but he also seemed less inclined to pick on his brothers, as long as they left his food alone.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Melody said. ¡°When I realized I wasn¡¯t very good at the games, it just seemed like a better idea to focus on the ones I was good at,¡± she smiled, a little bit shyly. While a lot of people wouldn¡¯t think of playing video games as a skill, Levi felt that Melody understood this, and it made him feel just a tiny bit better about himself.


    One night, however, things took a turn for the worse. It started out fairly peacefully. Melody was curled up on one of the beanbags, tapping away at Mononoke Land to catch up because she had fallen behind. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know how Levi could keep up with all the things he did. Maybe demons needed less sleep than humans? It wasn¡¯t as if Melody was in any of their rooms when they fell asleep. Soon enough, however, Levi started to get heated, but since he often had outbursts, Melody tried her best to ignore the familiar tightening in her stomach when she heard someone raise their voice. Breathing deeply, she reminded herself it would be fine when Levi calmed down.


    But, this time, Levi did not calm down. Instead he pushed away from his desk hard enough that his chair rolled away, hands slamming into fists against the desk as he shouted into the mic. Within seconds, a shimmer of light rippled across his form, and he changed before Melody¡¯s widening eyes. Gone was was the rather unassuming and awkward Otaku who was usually slouched over a computer desk or handheld. Now Levi was standing at his full height, made even taller by the coral-like antlers on his head. A long, powerful tail coiled out behind him, lashing back and forth with envious rage. He had completely forgotten about Melody behind him; his tunneled vision was on his screen.


    ¡°How¡­!¡± Crash! His tail smashed into a shelf. ¡°Dare¡­!¡± Thud! The tail whipped to the other side, smashing dully against the very strong glass of the tank. Henry swam back into the far reaches of his home. ¡°YOU!¡± This time, when the tail lashed back, there was a scream and the sickening sound of flesh impacting flesh. Levi never finished his sentence. Turning around, he saw Melody lying on the ground, a welt already forming on her arm and cheek where his tail had struck her. Panicking, Levi switched back to his more human form. Generally he didn¡¯t want to draw attention to his room, but this time he didn¡¯t care. Running out into the hall, he screamed for help.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    From his room, Mammon heard the panicked yell for help, and his first instinct was to ignore it. Levi was always getting excited, or upset, about something, and so he didn¡¯t much of it. Then he remembered his earlier concerns about Melody being in the third-born¡¯s room. What if she was in there now? Like a shot, Mammon was out of his seat and down the hall, grabbing Levi by the shoulders and shaking him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Melody!¡± It was all Levi could manage to say before Mammon had run into the room. It was a harsh reminder of how fragile humans were. A bump that would have barely phased him, or his brothers, had rendered the human unconscious. She looked a little too still, lying there, with a look of panic still on her face.


    ¡°What did you do Levi!¡± The otaku¡¯s panic was catching. Mammon was, of course, worried about losing Goldie again, as well as Lucifer¡¯s wrath if he failed to protect the human and something truly bad happened to her. What if she didn¡¯t recover? Would he be back at the witches¡¯ mercy? But, even beyond that, he was worried about the girl. She seemed so helpless half the time. She could have tugged on the pact and hoped that he arrived, but he hadn¡¯t felt the vaguest hint. Maybe she couldn¡¯t summon him the way Solomon had summoned Asmodeus from the middle of family dinner a few times. He¡¯d have to look into that. He was so used to witches and their greedy paws that he didn¡¯t know much about non magical humans. He cursed his ignorance. He cursed Levi¡¯s carelessness. He cursed the human¡¯s trusting nature.


    ¡°I got mad at a game. Someone had a super rare, impossible to fi¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the details; skip to the part where the human got hurt, ya blockhead!¡± Mammon cut off Levi quickly; he knew his brother would go on forever, without taking a breath, before they got to the important part. Levi glared, temper rising, but he forced himself to get to the point; he could be mad at Mammon later.


    ¡°She got hit with my tail,¡± he admitted sullenly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose; I forgot she was back there!¡± To his credit, he felt really bad about hurting Melody; it hadn¡¯t been his intention at all. Mammon could sense this; usually Levi would whine a lot more about it, trying to put all the blame on the other person.


    ¡°We¡¯re going ta have to get help; I don¡¯t know how to fix a broken human,¡± Mammon admits. ¡°You go get Satan; I¡¯ll get Asmo.¡± It turned out to be unnecessary. Both the other brothers were outside the door. Satan was holding a book in his hand, looking very cross. Asmo was pouting more than angry, but he definitely wasn¡¯t pleased.


    ¡°Why are you two always making such a fuss; I was just getting to the good part of this book,¡± grumbled Satan. It was a warning; everyone knew that he was a wrecking ball of rage when he got going.


    ¡°I almost spilled my new nail polish all over the place, you were being so obnoxious,¡± added Asmo, looking incredibly indignant. He didn¡¯t scowl though; that created wrinkles.


    ¡°Cut it out, both of ya,¡± Mammon growled. About to protest, Asmo and Satan exchanged glances. That wasn¡¯t Mammon¡¯s usual huffing sound of protest; he wasn¡¯t playing games now.


    ¡°Melody¡¯s hurt,¡± Levi pointed out. ¡°But neither of us know anything about first aid.¡±


    ¡°Tempting as it is to get egg on Lucifer¡¯s face, this isn¡¯t the time for it,¡± Satan agreed, going in to look at the damaged human. Asmo, however, was already on his way to get something to use. While he was generally more interested in cosmetics, he always had items on hand to make injuries go away quickly, and without scarring. A body needed to be cared for in all ways necessary, not just makeup, bathing, and other methods of pampering. And humans were so very fragile, after all.


    By the time Asmo had zipped back to the room, Satan was already rising to his feet from a kneeling position, having assessed Melody¡¯s current state of health. He nodded his head, waving Asmo to come on over, and the two of them worked to apply cold compresses to the welts. Melody¡¯s wrist was bandaged carefully, just loose enough that it wasn¡¯t going to cut off circulation. Satan¡¯s excellent memory served him well, and Asmo¡¯s practiced and steady hands were smooth and efficient. He could draw things out, when it was a matter of fun, but he could work quickly when it was needed. Satan and Mammon then lifted the unconscious human between them, and carried her back to her room, with Asmo leading the way in case her door was closed. Levi was left alone in his room, forlornly looking at the damages left behind. With a sigh that came from deep in his belly, he started picking up the mess.


    Meanwhile Melody was deposited into her bed. Her expression eventually evened out, perhaps because she sensed she was in her bed, perhaps because her pain had lessened. The three brothers remaining looked between each other: someone would have to tell Lucifer. Mammon could feel his brothers eyes boring a whole into him. Of course it would fall on his shoulders. On the bright side, at least Satan and Asmodeus generally got along with each other; Satan¡¯s anger would often keep Asmo in line, while Asmo¡¯s charming ways could add some warmth to Satan¡¯s more reserved personality. And, Mammon wouldn¡¯t be left alone with either one to snipe at him, so he trudged down the hall to Lucifer¡¯s office.


    Lucifer himself, once apprised of the situation, had to choose which took priority: scolding Leviathan for his carelessness, or checking on the human. He decided on the latter: if anything needed to be done further for Melody, then it was better to do it sooner; Levi wouldn¡¯t be any more, or any less, in trouble when Lucifer got around to him. When he got to Melody¡¯s room, he could tell the damage wasn¡¯t a small matter, but the human was not in harm¡¯s way anymore. At least Diavolo would be spared any great embarrassment in this case. Naturally he would have to tell the Prince what happened, but no one else outside the inner circle would have to know. And if the human missed a few classes due to some human sickness, no one would think twice about her absence. The only problem was if Melody herself kicked up a fuss.


    Leviathan was oddly quiet during the entire scolding. He bravely bore the ¡®what were you thinking¡¯ segment, suppressed his retorts during the ¡®think of Diavolo and the program¡¯ section, hung his head during the ¡®learn to control your temper¡¯ portion, and sighed deeply at the end when Lucifer told him he couldn¡¯t have Melody in his room anymore until he found a better way to keep her safe. That was the part that hurt the most to hear; the rest was mostly old news to him. But Levi took the whole thing so well, Lucifer fixed him with a discerning stare. Levi didn¡¯t brush off the lecture, or try to displace the blame, or minimize the danger. He just accepted it all with the occasional nod of his head. Lucifer decided to forgo hanging him, upside down or otherwise, from the ceiling. It was a good sign, in his opinion, that he seemed to care about the well-being of someone that wasn¡¯t a fictional character.

 Chapter 15: A Matter of Safety

    When Melody came to, she was safely back in her room. Her face and arm hurt, but she quickly realized the latter had been bandaged, while something cool was on the former. Groaning, she sat up in bed, her body protesting. Slowly she pieced together what had happened as her memory sharpened into focus. She had barely seen it coming when Leviathan¡¯s tail snapped straight towards her, hitting her with surprising force. She must have passed out, because she remembered nothing after that, but she definitely had been injured. But, someone had obviously brought her in here, and taken care of her injuries. Thinking about it for a few moments, she shot a text off to Mammon. After all, he had been given the role of looking after her on her very first day in the Devildom.


    Within moments, there was a knock on the door. There was only the briefest pause before the door opened; Melody didn¡¯t even have a chance to respond before Mammon stepped into the room. His blue-gold eyes immediately locked onto her, and he just shook his head. Melody again noted how soft and fluffy his hair was; it made her think of a Persian cat, but she kept the thought to herself. She doubted Mammon would care for the comparison. Stepping over towards her bed, Mammon looked down at her and made a slight huffing sound.


    ¡°You really are trouble, you know that?¡± he said, the question largely rhetorical.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be,¡± Melody objected, though her words came without much conviction.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Mammon said, waving aside the protest impatiently. ¡°You really get it now, don¡¯tcha? Even someone like Levi, who is usually just harmless and annoying, is a real danger to ya,¡± he pointed out bluntly.


    ¡°Yes, I saw,¡± Melody replied, hanging her head. She didn¡¯t have much of a chance to really get a good look before she was knocked out by Leviathan¡¯s tail, but there was no doubt that he wasn¡¯t human. And, as scary as the moment had been, she hadn¡¯t felt any malice towards her. She had been overlooked, true, but she was used to that. What worried her more was that she found herself curious to know what everyone else looked like. Did they all have tails like that? But she felt it would be rude to ask.


    ¡°Oi, human! Get your head out of the clouds,¡± Mammon said, noticing that Melody¡¯s mind was wandering. Not only did Mammon hate being ignored, but this was a serious subject that even he couldn¡¯t just dismiss.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Melody took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what else to say,¡± she admits. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, though. Nothing seems to be broken; I¡¯m just really sore.¡± A thought crossed her mind. ¡°Levi is okay though?¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s your concern?¡± Mammon let out an exasperated sigh. What was with this human? Well, he supposed it could have been much worse. She could have been a jerk, or a rebel, or a pact-abuser. ¡°Look, ya could¡¯ve been hurt real bad in there,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Levi might be useless in a lot of things, but remember this, he¡¯ll always be stronger than a human like you, even if he can¡¯t run laps or anything.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about him physically¡­¡± Melody said softly. It was so quiet, Mammon wasn¡¯t completely sure she was talking to him anymore. Which irritated him, but, at the same time, it was just proof that his charge was a good person. Mammon might tease and insult his younger brothers, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t stand around and let someone outside the family do the same. Certainly not some insignificant human brought here just to fulfill Lord Diavolo¡¯s whims. Not that Mammon hated humans, or even disliked them, but he did know they were greedy and some of them were downright scary, particularly witches. But Melody came across as quite harmless.


    ¡°Anyway, I should let Lucifer know you¡¯re up; he¡¯ll want to talk to ya,¡± Mammon said, his voice oddly neutral. Melody wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she was in trouble, or if Lucifer just wanted to make sure she was okay as well. Perhaps both.


    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± Melody said. ¡°Thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t mention it,¡± mumbled Mammon, blushing slightly. The human was a little too nice, but her politeness didn¡¯t have the stiff and forced feeling of Satan or Lucifer¡¯s. Mammon exited the room, and Melody leaned back in her bed, shifting slightly to get comfortable. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn¡¯t sleeping, just thinking. About fifteen minutes later, there was another knock on the door, this one quite sharp.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Melody said quietly. She was unsurprised when Lucifer entered with very little fanfare. While she hadn¡¯t thought much about it when Mammon came in, she felt far more vulnerable with Lucifer there, not for any immediate sense of threat, but because he was so formal and immaculate, it was awkward for him to be in the room while she was lying all broken in bed.


    ¡°Ah, Melody. It seems as though you are recovering well enough from your ordeal,¡± Lucifer said crisply. Technically, he couldn¡¯t help but look down at her, given that he was standing and she was lying down, but he didn¡¯t think less of her personally for being fragile: that¡¯s just the way humans were.


    ¡°I¡¯m still sore, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that will be permanent,¡± Melody said tentatively. She looked uncertain, and Lucifer held back a sigh. He was used to people not feeling free to speak around him. In fact, he counted on it most of the time. But, if something was weighing on the human¡¯s mind, he wanted to hear it. He could hardly do his job to make sure the program was a success if she held back too much.


    ¡°Feel free to speak your mind, Melody,¡± he said, his tone carefully neutral. He didn¡¯t want her to feel too liberated or see him as ¡®friendly¡¯, but he didn¡¯t want her to be afraid to express any legitimate worry or need.


    ¡°Um¡­ Levi¡¯s not in too much trouble, is he?¡± Honestly, the question surprised Lucifer, and he peered more carefully at Melody.


    ¡°Not too much, no,¡± he said slowly. ¡°But you won¡¯t be going back into his room any time soon,¡± Lucifer announced. He noticed that Melody¡¯s face fell at this. Interesting. He hadn¡¯t thought she would be too eager to return after what happened. Was she really that foolish and reckless, or was there more than met the eye to the interactions between her and Levi? He doubted both options. Shifting his gaze, he noticed that her soul was a bit brighter than when he had first met her. She seemed actually concerned about Levi. Perhaps more so than his brothers at this point.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Is¡­ that is punishment?¡± Melody asked tentatively. It didn¡¯t seem like much of a punishment to her, since she didn¡¯t think she was very good company. Not that she wanted him punished, but, it seemed strange to her.


    ¡°No. But we can¡¯t guarantee that he won¡¯t be angry again and hurt you, and it might be worse next time. If you recover quickly enough, we won¡¯t have to tell Lord Diavolo, but if you had been more severely hurt, I would have had to mention it. Levi would definitely be punished in that case.¡±


    Melody let all this sink in. Levi wasn¡¯t being punished, but they wanted to keep her safe. Not just wanted: needed. It wasn¡¯t about Melody as a person, it was about her role as an exchange student. While this was a little bit of a sad thing for Melody, she understood it, and wasn¡¯t about to make a fuss over it. What bothered her more was the reminder that she really wasn¡¯t like any of them, and she was only safe because they had a reason to keep her safe. What was worse, she didn¡¯t know how Levi felt about it. Did he care that he had hurt her?


    ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. I would hate to have to repeat myself,¡± Lucifer said, relieved that she wasn¡¯t going to protest. ¡°Remember that we are all more dangerous than you are when something makes us angry,¡± he added firmly, echoing Mammon¡¯s earlier words.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    The next little while was tense for Melody. She didn¡¯t see Levi at all during meals, and when she asked about the matter, she was told that he had started taking his meals in his room. But she was too afraid to ask the more important question: why? Was he angry? Ashamed? Melody could only guess. And it felt lonely without someone to talk to. She still saw his activity in Mononoke Land, so she hadn¡¯t been taken off his friend list. But even that was little comfort, since friends were needed for the game. All it proved was that he didn¡¯t hate her enough to remove her. Sometimes Mammon would try to make her smile, and occasionally it worked. Sometimes he would just tell her to stop sighing and moping. The other brothers mostly left her alone, though sometimes Asmo would make an observation about wrinkles, or Satan would tell her that her sighs made it hard to read. Beel¡¯s appetite remained strong, however.


    Fortunately for everyone¡¯s sanity, this didn¡¯t go on for too long. About a week after the incident, Melody received a text on her DDD. Levi told her to meet him in the Planetarium. Even though Melody had seen it a few times, she had never gone in there, only glimpsing it from the entrance of the music room. With a nervous feeling swirling in her stomach, she went to meet him there. After all, she had been told she couldn¡¯t go to his room, but Lucifer had said nothing about meeting him outside of his room. It occurred to her that she should ask, just to be sure, but decided that Lucifer would have been very clear when instructing her.


    It was a beautiful room, truly, and if Melody had been more relaxed, she would have been very much appreciative of it. But her eyes immediately fixed on Levi, who was standing in the middle with an awkward look on his face; he looked as nervous as she felt. She offered him a shy smile, hoping to show she wasn¡¯t angry with him, or had any hurt feelings. Yes, she was still a bit in awe of his power, but, that wasn¡¯t her strongest feeling at the moment. Levi shifted from one foot to another. Finally, he coughed.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re wondering why I called you down here,¡± he said, looking anywhere but at Melody¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes, though, I¡¯m glad you did contact me,¡± Melody said. Startled, Levi looked directly at her, only to look away just as quickly, his cheeks pinking slightly.


    ¡°Well, um¡­ okay.¡± Levi coughed again. ¡°Listen, and don¡¯t interrupt, because this isn¡¯t easy for me to say,¡± Levi mumbled. Silently Melody nodded to show she understood. Without any other reason to hold back, Levi spoke up again. ¡°Lucifer told me that I can¡¯t have you in my room anymore until I can find a way to keep you safe. But I know I¡¯m going to get mad again, so I can¡¯t promise it on my own.¡± His cheeks went even pinker. ¡°I miss having someone to talk to though, someone who gets all the game terms I use, and even when you don¡¯t, you learn them really quickly.¡± Levi found himself smiling, in spite of how awkward this whole meeting was. ¡°It¡¯s not as fun playing Mononoke Land without you either.¡± Levi shook his head. ¡°And, I know you¡¯ll probably say no to this, because, I mean, I¡¯m just a yucky Otaku shut in, and you¡¯re not likely to really miss me at all and¡­¡±


    ¡°Levi?¡±


    ¡°I thought I told you not to interrupt,¡± Levi reminded Melody, his expression a mix of angry and petulant.


    ¡°Just ask me what you want to ask,¡± Melody said gently, her expression sad. She couldn¡¯t deny that Levi was a shut in, or an Otaku, but she certainly didn¡¯t think he was yucky. Although she didn¡¯t have the best self-esteem, she never thought of herself as gross, so she wondered where Levi got that idea for himself.


    ¡°Melody would you¡­ maybe¡­ make a pact with me?¡± Levi asked, the words almost agonizing to get out. He wasn¡¯t sure if the fear of rejection was worse, or the fear of her accepting. Melody¡¯s eyes went wide, and then she blinked furiously a few times.


    ¡°I¡­ is that the only way to make sure I¡¯m safe?¡± she asks, her tone hesitant.


    ¡°The only way I could think of,¡± replied Levi glumly, sure that she was about to say no.


    It was true Melody didn¡¯t like pacts, but¡­ she could see where Levi was coming from. When Mammon had threatened her near the beginning, she had felt the pact¡¯s power bubbling beneath the surface. She hadn¡¯t used it then, but she also hadn¡¯t known if Mammon had meant to attack her. She didn¡¯t know if she could use it against Levi, but, she also felt like it would be cruel to turn down the offer, since he was giving her such a precious thing just so she could be safe in his company. Finally, she smiled, her mind made up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Melody said. ¡°I¡¯ll make a pact with you.¡±


    ¡°Just as I thought you¡­ wait¡­ you will?¡± Levi¡¯s jaw almost dropped. He had been so sure Melody would say no. Flushing deeply, he shuffled his feet again. ¡°Um¡­ would it be okay if we did a high-five to make it official?¡± he asked, peering through his heavy bangs. Melody laughed when she heard the request, but she wasn¡¯t laughing at him; she sounded delighted.


    ¡°Okay,¡± was her simple answer. Levi held up his hand, and Melody reached up to give it a firm slap. The moment their hands touched, she could feel that band of power wrap around her again, the same as it had with Mammon. Only this time, she didn¡¯t feel ill inside, just a bit warm. By the surprised look on Levi¡¯s face, he had felt it too. For a few minutes they just looked at each other in awkward silence. Finally Levi pulled his eyes away.


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ now that that¡¯s done and over with, let¡¯s go catch up with Mononoke Land!¡± It was an excellent distraction, and Melody nodded her head. She was sure she would need to sort out how she felt about the whole situation, but she still had the feeling that it was the right call to make, even if pacts themselves were an uncomfortable topic. She only hoped that it didn¡¯t make her a bad person.

 Chapter 16: The Question of Custard

    After the fuss made over Mammon¡¯s pact, the reaction to Levi¡¯s seemed almost anti-climatic. Asmodeus was probably the one who made the biggest fuss over it, alluding to all sorts of things in his teasing fashion. And Levi denied it all, of course, for even if there had been a desire somewhere in his heart for that kind of attention, it certainly wasn¡¯t a fact he could honestly admit to. Really, Asmodeus was just excited for Levi, and showing it the only way he knew how. He had been wrong before about Levi warming up to the human, but now that was obviously not the case, even if it seemed completely platonic. Baby steps, after all, was the only way to move some people along. Mammon grumbled a great deal about how much everyone had teased him for his own pact, but didn¡¯t have anything bad to say about the pact with Levi itself.


    Eventually, however, the novelty wore off. No one seemed terribly concerned that Melody had made two pacts; neither one of them had been her idea to begin with. The first was to satisfy Mammon¡¯s greed and his debt to Levi. The second one had been for her safety, true, but Levi had been the one to suggest the pact, not Melody. The remaining brothers felt it had no real bearing on them, other than the fact it made her safety more likely, which meant that Diavolo wouldn¡¯t have a reason to breathe down their necks. As affable as the Prince was on most occasions, he was still an absolute monarch, and not a person to be dismissed. So, with that excitement over, things slipped back into their usual groove.


    Midterms were stressful for Melody, but she managed to pass all her courses with decent to good grades. It gave her a sense of satisfaction to do better than she had in her years of public school. Even so, the relief of making it through was stronger than her satisfaction, and she almost wanted to just sink into the ground for the rest of the year. But, she knew that this was only the beginning. There were the actual end of term tests, but two other whole terms to get through. She had been so nervous during the last week before the tests, and the actual tests themselves, that her appetite had dropped sharply. Now that she had seen her grades, it picked back up, and she found herself snacking more than usual.


    Sometimes she would run into Beel in the kitchen, but not matter how hungry she got, she never tried to cross the Avatar of Gluttony. Although he was pretty mild most of the time, the moment food was involved, he could be pretty scary. So, she was always nervous around him in the kitchen, or dining room, but when they meet in the common areas, or the halls of RAD, she found him to be quite different. Even so, she tried to be polite, and always greeted him when they crossed paths. If there was plenty of food, she would take whatever was left. If it was something that was easily shared, like a bag of chips, sometimes Beel would give her a few, but he always ate the major share. Since she didn¡¯t challenge him for food, he soon started to let his guard down a bit when it was involved; she never lectured him for eating too much, though he could tell she was sometimes disappointed if there was nothing for her to eat.


    But, mishaps were bound to happen. Melody was up one night, looking for a drink. She had padded into the kitchen. Beel wasn¡¯t there at the moment, so she decided to take her chance with the fridge. It was largely empty, though there was a jug of juice in there. She was just about to pull it out when a loud sound startled her. The jug tipped slightly and spilled, the liquid dripping past the bars further down. Flailing slightly, Melody scrambled to turn the jug back upright, then fished into her pocket and pulled out her DDD with shaking hands, turning off the notification. Somehow her volume had gotten bumped way up, so the magnitude of the sound had left her rather high strung.


    Melody couldn¡¯t just leave a mess in the fridge. Carefully she pulled out everything that had been spilled on. There wasn¡¯t much left except condiments, but she did find a cup of custard with writing on it: Property of Beelzebub. You eat it, you die. Yikes. It was another case that Melody would have not taken literally back home, but she could never be certain whether the demons were being serious or not when they threatened someone with death. Certainly they all seemed capable of delivering said threat, if that was their intention. And, as the biggest brother of them all, Melody was sure she would be in big trouble if she got Beel angry. But she had zero intention of eating his custard. However, she did have to clean it off.


    Gathering up everything that had been spilled on, she took it all to the sink and started rinsing it off. Unfortunately, the writing on the custard package was mostly washed away. Melody would have to fix that. But, she had to finish rinsing everything else first. It took her several minutes, but finally she turned off the water. When she dried her hands off and walked back to the counter where she had left the newly rinsed items, she realized something was wrong. The custard was not where she left it. Not only was it not where she left it, Mammon was eating it! Already, Melody could feel her heart rate start to pick up.


    ¡°Mammon, no!¡± she called out in panic. Turning at the sound, Mammon looked rather startled to hear Melody call out like that. It was effective in halting him, but it was too late; the damage was done. The custard was down to the bottom. What¡¯s worse, Beel had just walked into the kitchen at that juncture. And he was not a happy Beelzebub at all. By the way he glowered at Mammon, it was clear he saw the custard and knew it was his.


    ¡°Wh-what¡¯s the big idea sneakin¡¯ up on me like that?¡± Mammon said with a squawk.


    ¡°Did you eat my custard?¡± The question was asked directly, with no wavering. ¡°Did you actually eat my CUSTARD?! Answer me, Mammon!¡±


    ¡°N-Now wait a second, Beel! Lemme explain! There¡¯s a good reason for-¡± Mammon honestly hadn¡¯t known it was Beel¡¯s custard. Melody tried to speak up, but Beel was already talking again; her small voice couldn¡¯t compete.


    ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡± In an instant Beel had changed, just as Melody had seen Levi do a while ago. Only this time, the anger was directed at someone in the room, not someone through a computer screen. Melody felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising. But she did notice that Beel had wings instead of a tail, wings that looked a great deal like a fly¡¯s. ¡°You¡­ ate¡­ my¡­ CUSTARD¡­!¡± With the crown-like horns on his head, and the heavily studded jacket accenting his rage, Beelzebub was definitely an intimidating figure to behold.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Uh-oh¡­!¡± Mammon was worried, and that only made Melody more anxious. Moving faster than she expected, Beel was already charging towards Mammon, and Melody finally found her voice.


    ¡°Mammon; get down!¡± Although she hadn¡¯t meant to, Melody invoked the pact, and instantly Mammon threw himself on the ground. Beelzebub charged right past him, crashing heavily into the wall, ending up in Melody¡¯s room. The impact shook the house heavily, and it wasn¡¯t long before the other brothers arrived on the scene, Lucifer being the first, and Levi being last. What they saw was a somewhat stunned, but still angry, Beel standing in the wreckage of Melody¡¯s room, while Mammon was lying prone on the ground, and Melody was huddled in the corner, looking pale and afraid, but unhurt. While she wasn¡¯t happy about using the pact, she was relieved it had at least saved Mammon from getting caught up in that destructive force.


    Lucifer gave direct orders for Melody and Mammon to go into his room and stay put while he calmed down Beelzebub enough to join them there. More orders were given to the other three to make sure that the wall was at least stable enough to not make things worse, while he stepped into the mess that had once been Melody¡¯s room. It took Melody a moment to release the command on Mammon so he could stand up. At which point he put a careful arm around her shoulders and ushered her out of the room. While he was shaken as well, he knew that even if Beel had hit him directly, he would have been okay in the long run. Melody wouldn¡¯t have been so lucky, and if Beel had gone after her instead, the program likely would have ended that very day. Seeing her fear, he didn¡¯t bother coming up with a snappy retort as he saw her down the hall.


    Once there, Mammon helped Melody over to a couch and had her sit down. At this point Melody was largely unresponsive, and just curled up into a tiny ball. For his part, Mammon wasn¡¯t sure what to do with her. But he did notice that she had never used the pact to protect herself from him, but she used it rapidly to save him from Beel, even though he was much stronger than she was, and more powerful overall than Beel, even if his younger brother could likely physically twist him into a pretzel. Shifting his vision, he looked over her soul. It just kept getting brighter every time he looked. There wasn¡¯t anything unusual about a human¡¯s soul getting brighter, or dimmer, over time. But it was not a usual phenomenon to grow brighter after associating with demons, especially not after making pacts with them.


    Melody was still doing an impression of a roly-poly by the time Lucifer and Beel entered the room. Lucifer was still looking quite cross, but at least Beel was back to his more human-looking form. Gone were the wings and horns. He glared at Mammon as he walked in, but didn¡¯t say anything immediately. Lucifer shook his head and let out a sigh of disappointment. Why couldn¡¯t his brothers just behave for once? The damage had been extensive, but at least this time the human wasn¡¯t harmed. Melody was definitely scared though; it radiated off of her in waves.


    ¡°Alright. Start from the beginning. What happened?¡±


    ¡°I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen lookin¡¯ for something to eat¡­ and there was this custard just sittin¡¯ out on the counter. It looked good, so I decided to help myself. Beel just came outta nowhere and attacked me!¡± said Mammon, starting off the tale.


    ¡°You ate my custard.¡± Beel¡¯s objection was simple.


    ¡°How was I supposed ta know it was your custard!?¡±


    ¡°I made sure to write my name on it, and you still ate it.¡±


    Things went back and forth between the two of them for a while, getting more heated, until Melody burst into tears behind them. Turning towards the sound, the three demons just stared at her. She had uncurled from the ball she was in, and her hands were in small fists, digging deep into her thighs as she struggled for breath.


    ¡°It was all my fault,¡± Melody said between sobs. ¡°I spilled juice over everything, and I was trying to clean it all up, but it rubbed the letters off the custard. By the time I had turned around, Mammon was already eating it, but he couldn¡¯t have known it was Beel¡¯s so it was all my fault!¡± Melody certainly didn¡¯t look her best with her face red, puffy, and streaked with tears. Lucifer crossed his arms and shook his head.


    ¡°Even if you made a mistake in the first place, my brothers both made their choices. But, I thank you for your honesty, Melody,¡± he said firmly. ¡°And for looking out for Mammon when you saw what was happening.¡± Melody took in a deep breath and nodded her head. While she didn¡¯t feel completely absolved, she was at least able to start calming down.


    ¡°That was my custard,¡± repeated Beel, though now he sounded more sad than angry, his hand going up to his stomach.


    ¡°Give it up already,¡± grumbled Mammon.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you two.¡± Lucifer¡¯s voice was clipped and cold, bringing both his brothers to attention. ¡°However it all happened, the fact remains that the kitchen is now completely unusable, as well as Melody¡¯s room. Trying to figure out who to blame isn¡¯t going to fix either room.¡± Both younger brothers hung their heads; Lucifer was right.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we get it,¡± said Mammon, waving the issue away with a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± complained Beel.


    ¡°Melody, it seems you won¡¯t be able to use your room for some time. You know, since it lacks a wall now,¡± Lucifer said, addressing Melody directly, since she was at least taking the matter seriously. ¡°So, for the time being, I want you to stay in Beel¡¯s room.¡± Melody stared at Lucifer in shock. After Levi had gone on a rampage, she had been told to stay out of his room. But now that Beel¡¯s rampage was over, she was being told to share a room with him? It didn¡¯t make any sense to her. But before she had time to say anything, Mammon spoke up.


    ¡°WHA?! Now just a second. Why¡¯re ya puttin¡¯ Melody in his room? I mean, there¡¯s enough space in my room, isn¡¯t there?!¡± Melody was in his charge, helping clear up his debt. Mammon certainly didn¡¯t want her sharing a room with any of his brothers. How could he protect her in there? Not that he objected to Beel specifically. Next to him, he was probably the most likely to protect Melody, having a very protective nature. The only problem was, food could make him lose it, while a loss of income just made Mammon whiny.


    ¡°This is a trivial matter, Mammon. Don¡¯t get jealous over it. It shows immaturity.¡± Lucifer¡¯s words were calmly dismissive.


    ¡°Wha¡­ jealous?! Wh-wh-who¡¯re you callin¡¯ jealous?! As if I¡¯d be jealous¡­ pff!¡± No, of course Mammon wasn¡¯t jealous! Melody was just a duty, after all, but she was HIS duty. His, meant he had a claim on her, and his greed simply wouldn¡¯t have her placed elsewhere. ¡°Anyway, Melody has a pact with me!¡±


    ¡°Your pact is irrelevant. Also, if I¡¯m not mistaken, there¡¯s an extra bed in Beel¡¯s room.¡± Lucifer was still calmly rational, spelling out his reasoning with complete dispassion. Mammon grumbled, feeling defeated. It was true; there was an extra bed in Beel¡¯s room. And while his own room had space, it wasn¡¯t space suitable for Melody to stay in. Mammon fell silent in acquiescence, so Lucifer turned his gaze on Beelzebub. ¡°Do you understand, Beel? This isn¡¯t a request.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I understand.¡± Melody was surprised at how quickly Beel nodded in agreement. He didn¡¯t huff or protest like Mammon tended to. True, he didn¡¯t look happy about it, but neither did he look miserable.


    ¡°¡­Ugh. This sucks¡­¡± Mammon still had to show his displeasure. But he didn¡¯t try to stop them as Lucifer motioned for Melody and Beel to get going.

 Chapter 17: The Final Brother

    Both Beel and Melody were quiet as the former led the latter down the hall. Beel¡¯s room was at the very end, and when he opened the door and gestured for Melody to enter, she was surprised at what she saw. The room was much more neatly organized than Mammon¡¯s, and much less exotic than Levi¡¯s, but she found it beautiful. It was both oddly symmetrical, but with an asymmetrical charm. The left hand side of the room was done up in red and gold, while the right hand was done in purple and gold. The left featured sun motifs, and the right featured the moon. Between the sides, a winding staircase went up to a balcony. There were a lot of pictures on the wall. It looked comfortable and cozy, actually looking like a bedroom compared to the more display-oriented rooms of Levi and Mammon.


    ¡°So, this is my room,¡± said Beel without any flourishes to his words.


    ¡°It looks nice; it has a kind of harmony to it,¡± Melody said, moving towards the right hand side of the room. She wanted to get a better look on the moon that was emblazoned on the wall there. But she didn¡¯t get far before Beel spoke up.


    ¡°No. Use my bed. It¡¯s the one on the left. Don¡¯t use the bed on the right. I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Beel seemed rather pensive about something, and it stopped Melody in her tracks. Turning around, she took a few steps back to him. Looking Beel up and down, she shook her head.


    ¡°Beel, you¡¯re a lot taller than me. I can easily stretch out on the couch and have plenty of room; you sleep in your bed,¡± she said, as firmly as she dared. Melody was not a large person, and she couldn¡¯t imagine pushing Beel out of his bed for her sake. It made no sense. Plus, she just wasn¡¯t comfortable sleeping in someone else¡¯s bed, period. Especially not someone who wasn¡¯t a relative, like when she had stayed with an aunt a few times. ¡°Do one of the other brothers stay in here with you?¡± she asked. She hadn¡¯t seen Satan¡¯s room, or Asmo¡¯s. Then her mind trickled back to when she first arrived. There was another brother¡­


    ¡°The bed on the right is my twin brother¡¯s. His name is Belphegor. He¡¯s in the human world right now as an exchange student.¡± So, that was the name of the last brother. When Melody had asked about him before, Beel had been very defensive over the matter. Melody wasn¡¯t sure what had changed in the meantime, but, at least the mystery wasn¡¯t hanging over her head anymore. It might have had something to do with the fact he was more used to her being around, or the fact they were stuck sharing a room now. Maybe it was because she now had a pact with two of his brothers, and was therefor ¡®closer¡¯ to the family. Either way, she didn¡¯t feel it was right to ask the question.


    ¡°Oh, you have a twin? That must be nice.¡± Melody wondered if things would have been better for her if she had a twin; someone she could have bonded with. Perhaps someone else that didn¡¯t have magic¡­


    ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t look alike though. Actually, we¡¯re total opposites.¡± For a few moments, Beel was smiling as he talked about his twin. But then his expression grew worried again. ¡°¡­Belphie had a falling out with Lucifer, so he was chosen to be an exchange student. Belphie didn¡¯t want to go, but he was forced. So don¡¯t mention his name in front of Lucifer.¡± Ah, at least that warning remained the same. Regardless of what Beel was willing to tell Melody, the subject was still off limits for Lucifer.


    ¡°Do you¡­ want to tell me more about Belphie?¡± asked Melody tentatively. She remembered Beel saying he wasn¡¯t able to talk about him to the other brothers, and, if he was that close to his twin, she could only imagine that would be painful. And, she only wished she had a bond like that with one of her siblings.


    ¡°Even though we¡¯re twins, all that means is that our father made us at the same time. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re alike in any way.¡± Then Beel was smiling again, giving Melody the impression he did, maybe, want to talk about his twin. She was curious about the fact that he said he was ¡®made¡¯ rather than ¡®born¡¯, but she didn¡¯t want to interrupt him. ¡°Still, Belphie and I always got along.¡± Just as quickly, Beel was sad again; it seemed there was a lot going on beneath the hungry surface that he had always shown. ¡°We used to have a little sister, Lilith. So the three of us were always together: me, Belphie, and Lilith. ¡­But that was a long time ago now.¡±


    Used to? The sister was¡­ dead? It was the only thing that Melody could think of. Even if a sibling moved away, or was cut out from the family tree, a person never stopped being related. If they weren¡¯t demons, Melody would have thought it could be a childhood illness, or a tragic accident. But, what could kill a demon? She was afraid to ask. Tentatively, she reached out and touched Beel¡¯s wrist. He looked surprised, but didn¡¯t pull back.


    ¡°Beel, it¡¯s okay. If you don¡¯t want to talk about her, you don¡¯t have to,¡± Melody said gently. ¡°Family is¡­ sometimes very tricky. Something like that is so personal; you don¡¯t owe me any explanations.¡± Her voice felt heavy in her throat, and she didn¡¯t know why she felt so sad. It had been less than a day ago that Beel had almost stampeded over Mammon and busted her wall wide open, but she hated seeing him so sad. Still, she found herself looking at him, wondering what Belphegor looked like, if they were opposites. Someone small? Someone with green hair, since it was the opposite of orange? Someone thin? Or was being opposite more personality?


    ¡°Thanks Melody,¡± Beelzebub said, letting out a sigh of relief. He had felt a lot of tension, not wanting to tell Melody no, but even less comfortable with telling her about Lilith. He was glad she not only understood, but was reaching out to close the gap, despite her earlier scare. But then he noticed the way Melody was peering at him. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? I told you, didn¡¯t I? Belphie and I are twins, but we don¡¯t look alike.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ sorry,¡± Melody said, looking away awkwardly and pulling back her hand. ¡°I was just trying to imagine what the exact opposite of you would look like,¡± she confessed. Beel didn¡¯t seem bothered by this.


    ¡°You know the portrait hall, right? I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a picture of him there.¡± Beel was kind enough to go with Melody to the place and point out the picture. ¡°See? Right there, that¡¯s Belphie.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Melody look at the image. The demon depicted there looked a fair bit smaller than Beel, but it was hard to tell, the way he was cuddled up to a black and white pillow that was clutched in his arms. His expression was sleepy, so it was hard to tell his disposition. His hair was a dark blue-ish black color with white tips. The only thing he had in common with Beel was the color of their eyes; mostly purple with a hint of pink at the bottoms. On Belphegor they looked just right, rather than clashing with Beel¡¯s orange hair. And though Melody had never seen Belphegor before, he seemed oddly familiar. Perhaps it was just the eyes that made her think that way, but something else nagged at the back of her mind.


    ¡°You share the same eyes though,¡± she observed. Belphegor seemed to toe the line between ¡®pretty¡¯ and ¡®handsome¡¯, while Beel was pretty squarely parked in the ¡®ruggedly handsome¡¯ category. Not that she would tell any of them how attractive they were; that would be incredibly awkward¡­ especially since she lived with them all.


    ¡°I guess we do have that in common,¡± Beel said, and he truly did look pleased at this. ¡°But, we should probably get you some blankets and sheets for the couch so you can settle in. And, if you hear me moving around in the night, don¡¯t worry. I often get up for snacks.¡± Melody nodded and let Beel lead her away from the pictures, though she did take one last look at Belphegor¡¯s portrait, trying to figure out what bothered her about it.


    Fortunately for both Beel and Melody, the custard fiasco happened on a night before a non-school day, so Melody¡¯s disrupted sleep didn¡¯t matter too much. It took her a long time to fall asleep, and she was sure Beel fell asleep much quicker. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because it didn¡¯t matter that she was in there, or if he was just that tired. But she wasn¡¯t used to sharing a room anymore, and she certainly wasn¡¯t used to sleeping in the same room as a stranger. The couch wasn¡¯t uncomfortable though, so it was only her thoughts that kept her up. However, she eventually fell asleep.


    The next morning, she was sitting alone at the breakfast table, wondering why no one else was there. Eventually Mammon walked into the room to see Melody was staring off into space. Her expression was thoughtful, and it took Mammon a bit to catch her attention, which didn¡¯t sit well with him. Mammon hated being ignored, and what made it worse, his brothers knew he hated it, and did it anyway. At least with Melody he felt that he should be able to catch her attention quite easily, but she really did seem lost in thought.


    ¡°Oi! Human! Pay attention when I¡¯m talking to ya!¡± Mammon waved his hands in front of her face. Startled, Melody focused her gaze on him.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry Mammon,¡± she said, promptly lowering her gaze. ¡°Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Get your head out of the clouds. You keep spacin¡¯ out like that and you¡¯ll get into more trouble than you already do.¡± He paused to look her over. ¡°Somethin¡¯ in particular on your mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Something Beel said last night confused me,¡± Melody said, thinking it was okay to bring it up, since Mammon asked.


    ¡°Beel? Really? Most of the time all we can get out of him is a complaint that he¡¯s hungry again.¡± Mammon didn¡¯t actually believe that, but he also knew that Beel wasn¡¯t the most eager conversationalist among them.


    ¡°Well, he was telling me a bit about himself, but, he said that he was created, not born. But, you all call yourselves brothers, right? Are demons not born then?¡± It wasn¡¯t the conversation that Mammon was expecting. And it certainly wasn¡¯t the same as a child asking ¡®Where do babies come from,¡¯ so at least he was spared that particular discussion.


    ¡°What exactly did Beel say?¡±


    ¡°He was saying that being a twin didn¡¯t mean he was exactly like his twin, but that they were just made by their father at the same time. Humans don¡¯t talk about their fathers ¡®creating¡¯ them; we talk about being born,¡± Melody said. It was confusing to her. ¡°He also mentioned that you had a younger sister as well, which sounds more like something a human would say. And¡­ it sounds like he misses her. A lot.¡± At the mention of the younger sister, Mammon drew in a sharp breath, and Melody was worried that she had upset him. But he simply let that breath out slowly.


    ¡°¡­Huh. So, Beel told you about Belphie and Lilith, did he? I¡¯ve gotta say, gettin¡¯ Beel to tell you about Belphie and Lilith¡­ for a human, you¡¯ve done good! I gotta hand it to ya!¡± Mammon¡¯s praise was unexpected, and Melody blushed slightly. ¡°¡­Anyway, how do I explain this?¡±


    There was a long pause. Melody waited, almost breathlessly, feeling a slight tingling down her spine. Her gut told her this information was important, and she worried that Mammon would leave her hanging. Fortunately, she was not disappointed.


    ¡°So, we were all actually angels up in the Celestial Realm before we fell from grace, so to speak.¡±


    The news rippled through Melody like a shockwave. Angels? She remembered back when she first met Simeon; he had mentioned Lucifer being the most troublesome of the brothers, a fact she had trouble reconciling with the demon she knew. But, did that mean Simeon know them from before? Had Luke? Was that why he seemed so angry at them, or why they were so quick to dismiss the two angels? They were definitely demons now, but, she didn¡¯t know how such a thing could happen. Melody didn¡¯t know much about angels in general, but they were usually described as coming into being by the will of God, or their Father, as he was described. Yet, they were all a family, of sorts. She was about to ask another question, but Mammon seemed to be in full reminiscence mode.


    ¡°Back then, Lucifer was especially fond of Beel, Belphie, and Lilith. He loved those three. But things changed after we ended up in the Devildom. Lucifer is such a super-serious guy and all, so¡­ after pledging his loyalty to Lord Diavolo, he always put Diavolo¡¯s desires first from that point on, no matter what. He does it even when it¡¯s something he doesn¡¯t agree with, ya know? I mean, seriously, would it kill him to be a little flexible sometimes? But anyway, that¡¯s what brought this on. When Lord Diavolo suggested this exchange program thing, and Belphie opposed it¡­ Lucifer wouldn¡¯t listen to a thing Belphie said. He just sent him straight up to the human world, and that was that.¡±


    As curious as Melody was about the fate of Lilith, she didn¡¯t feel now was the time to ask. She simply nodded her head to show she was listening to Mammon. He seemed done for the time being though.


    ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s been hard on Beel,¡± Melody said softly.


    ¡°Yeah, it has been. But Beel¡¯s pretty tough. I mean, you saw what he did to that wall, right? There¡¯s not a lot out there that can hurt him,¡± Mammon pointed out. Melody nodded slowly to show she had heard. Again, it wasn¡¯t the physical harm that worried her. Demons might be strong and hardy, but their emotions seemed just as fragile and varied as human ones. And, since the brothers were originally angels, and little Luke seemed highly emotive, she had to assume the same was true for angels as well. It was not what she had believed before coming to the Devildom, but the whole experience was tearing away her beliefs, piece by piece.


    ¡°Being tough doesn¡¯t make someone immune to being sad,¡± Melody returned quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you get all these ideas from,¡± Mammon said with a shrug. ¡°Now hurry up and get ready; with the kitchen destroyed, we¡¯ll have to go somewhere to get some breakfast, and I don¡¯t want to get stuck paying for Beel.¡± Somewhat reluctantly, Melody found herself being dragged off by Mammon. But, at least she would be fed, even if she ended up paying for both of them out of her meager allowance.

 Chapter 18: Wayward Angel

    Melody found it wasn¡¯t too difficult to get used to Beel¡¯s room. Other than being one hungry demon, Beel was very mild mannered otherwise. Apart from their initial conversation when she arrived in his room, he didn¡¯t talk much, though he never gave her the impression that she shouldn¡¯t talk to him when she felt the need to speak. Instead, he¡¯d listen to her attentively and usually respond with a brief comment if he had something to say. If he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d just shrug or shake his head. Melody noticed that he spent a lot of time working out, when he wasn¡¯t eating or studying. Some exercises he did in his room, and it just accented further how strong and fit he was.


    It wasn¡¯t long into her stay with Beel that something else interrupted, almost as if fate itself just wanted to make her Devildom experience as chaotic as possible. Melody got a message on her DDD from Luke of all people. She hadn¡¯t had much to do with the tiny angel since meeting him, though sometimes they met in the halls at RAD and made idle chitchat. Luke¡¯s conversation seemed to contain three things: hating demons, idolizing Michael, and baking. But this text had little to do with the last two. It was very simple, just a couple of lines:


    - - Can you come outside now? - -


    - - I¡¯m in front of the House of Lamentation. - -


    Although it was a strange request, Melody didn¡¯t think twice. Slipping on some shoes, she went outside to meet Luke, never once suspecting foul play from an angel of all people. Especially not the small Luke, despite his anger. Never was that anger turned against her specifically, so she didn¡¯t feel that Luke disliked her. He looked even smaller, standing outside the gates all alone, than he had at RAD. Perhaps because Simeon was no longer by his side, a rare sight indeed. As soon as he saw her, Luke gave her a big grin.


    ¡°Melody¡­! You came, thank you! I was worried¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if someone saw me hanging out in a place like this.¡± True to form, Luke had nothing positive to say about anything demons did, said, or owned.


    ¡°Was there something you needed from me?¡± asked Melody, wondering what would have compelled the young angel to venture this far alone.


    ¡°Yeah. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have come to this den of demons.¡± Luke looked fairly indignant over the idea. While Melody couldn¡¯t deny that there were demons in the house, it didn¡¯t really feel like a den; it was a home. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll get right to the point. I need you to let me spend the night in your room tonight. Please, I¡¯m begging you¡­!¡±


    Melody tried to explain the situation, but being outside in the Devildom was making Luke jittery, and he hurried them inside. Feeling somewhat helpless, Melody brought him inside. Luke was on hyper alert, twitching at any sound or motion as they traversed the halls. When she finally made it to Beel¡¯s room, they managed to slip inside without being seen. On the other side was one very stunned looking Beel, whose eyes went very wide at the sight of Luke coming in on Melody¡¯s heels.


    ¡°What is he doing in here?¡± Beel and Luke asked at the same time, each referring to the other.


    ¡°This is Beel¡¯s room¡­¡± Melody said, trailing off.


    ¡°Melody, this isn¡¯t what I was talking about at all. I believe I asked to stay in your room¡­ so what are we doing here in Beelzebub¡¯s?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking too loud. If you don¡¯t want the others to know you¡¯re here, you¡¯d better keep it down,¡± said Beelzebub, looking rather apprehensive along with his confusion.


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± demanded Luke, despite the fact he really wasn¡¯t in any position to demand anything of anyone. Melody tensed, looking over at Beel anxiously. So far she hadn¡¯t seen him lose his temper in a case where food wasn¡¯t involved, but that didn¡¯t mean it was impossible.


    ¡°No one can use Melody¡¯s room right now,¡± answered Beel, even though he didn¡¯t have to. Melody gave him a grateful smile.


    ¡°Wha? What do you mean no one can use it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the custard,¡± Beel explained. Melody still felt bad about that, and sighed.


    ¡°The custard¡­?¡±


    ¡°Melody and I have to share a room now. We don¡¯t have a choice. Those were Lucifer¡¯s orders. I don¡¯t remember asking anyone to pick up a dog from the street and bring it back here, not to mention one that never stops barking.¡± Beel was obviously able to take verbal shots as well as his brothers, but Melody hadn¡¯t realized it before then. She blinked at him a few times, but then her cheeks went red when she realized how inconsiderate it had been or her to bring him inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Beel; I was just worried about leaving him out there on his own¡­¡±


    But Melody was cut off by Luke freaking out about being compared to a dog again. Honestly, Melody had to agree with the others, even if it wasn¡¯t kind: Luke only encouraged them by acting this exact way. Still, she didn¡¯t excuse the behavior in the others, even if she understood it. There was a bit of back and forth between the two before Beel handed over a drink. This set off Luke on another tangent, until Beel explained that no, it wasn¡¯t blood, just pomegranate juice. Even this was met with suspicion from Luke.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Wh¡­what?! Beelzebub, why are you being nice to me? It¡¯s creeping me out,¡± protested Luke. Melody just shook her head; Luke had absolutely no tact. How he could be so much older than her seemed beyond believability.


    ¡°Because you gave me cake once.¡± Beel¡¯s answer was simple, and very much in line with his personality. Still, Melody was surprised that he remembered when other people gave him food; she just always figured he promptly forgot it. He inhaled his food so quickly, she wondered if he even registered who gave it to him. She was curious if he remembered all the food she had pushed his way as well.


    ¡°Did I? ¡­Ah, right, you¡¯re talking about that one time¡­¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡± Melody asked. With how much Luke bad mouthed demons, she was surprised he would share any cake with one.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, really.¡± Luke launched into a narrative about wanting to make really good cakes to please Michael, of course, and that he was practicing making all sorts of cakes until he could make one good enough to present. Beel had mentioned being hungry, so Luke had given him one of the practice cakes. Even if it wasn¡¯t made for Beel, Melody thought it was nice of Luke to give it to Beel, especially since he seemed to hate demons. But, it made her question if he really hated them, or just thought he should. From there, Luke kept going, explaining that Simeon was getting too friendly with the demons, and ignoring him. She wanted to tell him that being jealous was okay, but she thought better of it. Beel wasn¡¯t quite so nice, muttering small things as an aside to Luke¡¯s rant, but he didn¡¯t fully interrupt the angry angel either.


    ¡°I told Simeon our friendship was over, and then I strode right out of Purgatory Hall¡ª that¡¯s our dorm¡ª so I can¡¯t go crawling back now, not after I did that. Which is why I¡¯m asking you to let me stay here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Even though you hate demons?¡± asked Beel bluntly. Cake or not, he was obviously not impressed with Luke¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Well, what choice do I have?! ¡­This is the only place I could think of to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luke, but the decision isn¡¯t mine alone,¡± Melody said, shaking her head. If it was just her room, she wouldn¡¯t mind the angel staying there. It was wrong for him to run away from Simeon, but she feared what would happen if she turned him out to. Still, her room was under repairs, and any trouble she got into would land on Beel¡¯s head too. She couldn¡¯t make the decision for both of them.


    ¡°¡­Okay, Luke can stay here. I do owe him for giving me that cake, after all,¡± Beel said, nodding his head. He didn¡¯t look pleased over the arrangement, but he still agreed.


    ¡°¡­! Really? I can stay?!¡± Luke was smiling with relief.


    ¡°Just make sure that my brothers don¡¯t find out about you. If they knew I was sheltering an angel, they¡¯d kick me out of the dorm,¡± Beel cautioned. Melody doubted that it would actually happen, though the knowledge that they were once angels made the threat seem more severe, somehow. Still, she got the impression that apart from all the squabbling and insults, the brothers were quite close.


    The next little bit was rather stressful for both Melody and Beel. At breakfast they both ate less than usual. While it didn¡¯t make anyone bat an eyelash when Melody did it, Beel leaving food behind on his plate had all the brothers chiming in about the occasion. From the sounds of it, Beel¡¯s unusual behavior was equated to the end times. And even when he said he wasn¡¯t leaving the food, but taking it back to his room, there was a lot of speculation on the matter. Satan ended up guessing it had something to do with a cat that Beel had snuck in, which was the closest to the truth that any of them had guessed.


    When Melody and Beel made it back to his room with food in tact, Luke was outside the room, excitedly exploring the hallway, and wouldn¡¯t go back inside Beel¡¯s room. He darted around so quickly that Beel couldn¡¯t catch him, even when he handed the plate over to Melody so the food didn¡¯t get everywhere. Not only was Luke moving around, but commenting on everything he saw, exactly like the excited child he appeared as. Melody was getting exhausted just watching him, and watching Beel try to grab a hold of him. Eventually they coaxed him back into Beel¡¯s room, but not before he talked about how stir crazy he was getting. Beel had to excuse himself for a bit, leaving Melody alone with Luke.


    ¡°¡­So, you¡¯ve heard the story about Lucifer and his brothers, right? They used to be angels. ¡­Well, all except for Satan.¡± Luke seemed to be feeling talkative, so Melody let him speak. She took particular note of Satan being the exception; Beel hadn¡¯t mentioned that part. As curious as she was, however, she didn¡¯t interrupt Luke. ¡°It was a long time ago. So long ago that you humans couldn¡¯t even imagine how far back it was. Back then, Lucifer was the strongest and most beautiful of all the angels. He had six pure white wings, and light radiated from them¡­¡±


    Melody tried to picture this image of Lucifer, but it was hard. Certainly there was something beautiful about the man: his poise and elegance alone were impossible to miss. The features of his face were finely sculpted, thin eyebrows expressive. But he looked so at home in the dark, almost as if he was a part of it. Imaging him with glowing white wings was difficult.


    ¡°¡­Now keep this between us, all right? You absolutely can¡¯t tell anyone else, understand? Not Beelzebub or any of his brothers either.¡± Luke waited for Melody to agree, and she nodded her head, hoping it wasn¡¯t a secret that she would feel guilty about keeping. ¡°But back then, I admired Lucifer even more than Michael. And it wasn¡¯t just me. Other angels felt the same way. I think everyone did. Hehe, remember¡­ this is our little secret, okay?¡±


    It was cute, really, but also sad in a way. Melody remembered looking up to her oldest brother when she was very small, only to realize that he was not the person she thought he was. Was that why Luke was so angry with Lucifer? It seemed oddly human to her. But she was beginning to strongly suspect that the difference between angels, demons, and humans was more about their strength and origin than their psychology.


    ¡°I understand, and I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± said Melody, nodding her head to confirm her words. It was a nice moment between them, but it was interrupted. At that juncture, Beel came back into the room. And he looked worried.


    ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble. You¡¯re about to be found out.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The words had an immediate effect on Luke, who was now looking twice as worried as Beel had.


    ¡°We¡¯re having a surprise inspection. Now.¡±

 Chapter 19: Hide and Seek

    ¡°A surprise inspection? What do you mean?¡± Luke trembled a little.


    ¡°I mean exactly what I said.¡± Beel looked slightly annoyed; he was usually pretty plainly spoken, so being questioned on something that simple irritated him. But Melody understood that it wasn¡¯t his words that were being questioned, and she gave each of them a sympathetic look, though she didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°Lucifer shows up unannounced, and goes around checking each room to see if anyone is out past curfew.¡±


    ¡°Oh. In that case, all I have to do is hide, right? Maybe under the bed, or behind the curtains¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh no. You¡¯ll have to do WAY better than that.¡± Beel was frowning, showing how serious the matter was. ¡°Lucifer does more than check to see if everyone¡¯s in their rooms. He also searches the inside of the room itself.¡± Beel sighed. ¡°Asmodeus had a witch that he¡¯d brought back home one night in his room. She transformed into a spider and hid, but Lucifer still found her.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ ?! Why does he have to go to such lengths? We didn¡¯t have anything like that at Purgatory Hall!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t have Lucifer living with you at Purgatory Hall,¡± said Beel, as if evoking Lucifer¡¯s name was an explanation in and of itself. ¡°He originally started doing it because Mammon kept sneaking out after curfew and coming home late. And he¡¯d hide stacks of unpaid bills in his room so no one could find them.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Mammon, that IDIOT!¡± exclaimed Luke in frustration. Melody just shook her head; it sounded like Asmo contributed to the issue as well, yet only Mammon got insulted for it. It seemed pretty typical around here, but it surprised her that Luke fell into the same pattern.


    ¡°There will be time to blame Mammon later. Right now you need to hide. Get inside the closet.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of me hiding in the closet?! I mean, you said he even found a witch that had transformed herself into a spider, right?!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you keep standing there doing nothing, he¡¯ll find you for sure. I¡¯ll think up some excuse to keep him from looking in there. Now hurry!¡± Without spending any more time arguing, Beel opened the closet and pushed Luke in, not exactly gently, but definitely not with full force. Luke made a disgruntled sound and the door closed.


    ¡°Step out into the hall, Beel; I think I can buy a little more time¡­¡± Melody said. She was trembling as she spoke, and she was hoping her idea didn¡¯t backfire. Used to following instructions, both in sports and in war, Beel nodded and slipped outside the room. Melody, not yet in her pajamas, started to get into them, not worried about the angel in the closet, but hoping that Lucifer at least gave her time to finish getting changed.


    ¡°Move away from the door, Beel.¡± Lucifer¡¯s voice could be heard from the other side.


    ¡°I¡¯m changing right now; that¡¯s why he¡¯s out there,¡± called back Melody, her shirt half off, her heart beating fast. Demons must have some concept of modesty, since they weren¡¯t all running around naked, but she didn¡¯t know if modesty would trump the inspection.


    ¡°Very well. You have five minutes Melody. I¡¯m timing you.¡± Lucifer¡¯s voice from outside was crisp, calm, and completely firm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m just not comfortable with him in here while I¡¯m changing, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t ask him to leave his own room,¡± Melody said from her side of the door, scrambling to get into her pjs before Lucifer walked in. She was sure she would die on the spot if he entered the room before she was done.


    Exactly five minutes after he spoke, Lucifer walked in, Beel close behind. Melody had, fortunately, just managed to get into her night wear, but her heart was still going crazy. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t out of place for her to be flustered. Even if Luke hadn¡¯t been there at all, the fear of having someone walk in while she was changing was enough to set her trembling.


    ¡°Beel, Melody. I see you¡¯re both here,¡± said Lucifer, smirking slightly at Melody¡¯s state. Then he frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a look through your room to be certain everything¡¯s in order here. But before I do, is there anything you¡¯d like to tell me?¡±


    ¡°N-no, Lucifer sir,¡± Melody mumbled. ¡°Just that I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t run out of time¡­¡± Which was entirely true.


    ¡°I see.¡± Lucifer folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Beel, open up the closet.¡± The fact that Lucifer was drawn to the closet first of all the places made Melody¡¯s heart drop down to her stomach, but she made herself stay put.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in there but Belphie¡¯s clothes¡ª¡± protested Beel. Lucifer was not impressed with this one bit.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Open it.¡± It was the voice of authority, and Melody trembled under the weight of it. Apparently Beel felt it to, for he walked over and opened the closet. As he said, there was little in there besides a bunch of clothes. No sign of Luke could be seen at all. Had Melody bought him enough time to hide? Was this some kind of crazy angel magic?


    ¡°Well, it seems you really aren¡¯t hiding a puppy in here. I guess it was only a rumor then. All right, that wraps up my inspection. Both of you make sure to go to bed early.¡± With that, Lucifer left the room, leaving Melody and Beel alone. Melody almost collapsed from relief.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Luke disappeared. Weird¡­ I know I pushed him into the closet a minute ago. What¡¯s going on?¡± A fuller investigation into the closet yielded no results. But they didn¡¯t dare leave their room that night to look for him. Melody struggled to sleep that night, and even Beel didn¡¯t fall asleep as fast as usual. He ended up working out more than usual, just to exhaust himself enough to pass out. Fortunately, his even breathing helped Melody fall asleep sometime after.


    The next morning was a quiet one, and Beel and Melody slunk off to school as soon as they were finished breakfast, both hoping that no harm came to Luke while they were gone. Melody could barely concentrate on her classes or her tasks. It felt like rubbing salt in the wound when Simeon approached her and Beel during one of the breaks, telling them to keep looking after Luke and hoping he wasn¡¯t any trouble.


    ¡°Luke can be a real handful. He¡¯s still young and immature as angels go, and he knows little of the world. So he tends to judge everything in life from the perspective of someone in the Celestial Realm, using its logic. Though that¡¯s also one of the positive things about Luke. He¡¯s honest, genuine, and he adheres to a strict set of values that he doesn¡¯t break.¡± Simeon kept talking, but Melody spaced out a bit, falling into her own thoughts. The way Simeon spoke about Luke made her wonder about the older angel. Did that mean he did not share the tendency to judge things by Celestial Realm logic? If so, what logic did he use? By the time she tuned back into what the angel was saying, Simeon was telling them good bye. Melody could only nod her head and wave.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯d better track down Luke, ASAP,¡± Beelzebub said once Simeon was gone. Together they went back to the House of Lamentation, looking around for Luke. But he was simply nowhere to be found. They didn¡¯t dare call out to him. While they were quietly discussing their plans for continuing the search, Satan came down the hall.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re looking for something, are you? What are you two whispering about?¡± Satan didn¡¯t seem suspicious or jealous, just curious. And perhaps a wee bit smug, though Melody wasn¡¯t sure on that one.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. We¡¯re not whispering.¡± Beel¡¯s denial wasn¡¯t helpful, but Melody couldn¡¯t blame him; there wasn¡¯t much else they could say.


    ¡°Oh yes you are. And you¡¯d better give me the truth, or I might have to go tell Lucifer about this.¡± Satan was definitely looking smug now; there was no two ways about it. He seemed absolutely delighted in stumbling across something that appeared clandestine. Melody, however, couldn¡¯t think of a good response, and shot Beel a look of panic. She hadn¡¯t dealt much with Satan personally so far, and she couldn¡¯t read his motivations. At least Beel would be familiar with his own brother¡­ or whatever Satan was. Melody recalled that Luke had mentioned Satan was never an angel.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a dog named Luke.¡± Beel¡¯s response was almost so close to the truth it hurt. Melody nodded her head in agreement. Satan didn¡¯t drop the smile on his face.


    ¡°So, you really are hiding a dog in your room then¡­ I did think it was awfully strange that you didn¡¯t finish your breakfast. I won¡¯t say anything to Lucifer about this, but after you¡¯ve had your fun with this dog of yours, you need to get rid of it.¡± With that advice, or warning, Satan walked off. Beel relaxed only a tiny bit.


    ¡°Looks like we managed to worm our way out of that somehow, huh¡­ We¡¯d better find Luke fast.¡± The two of them searched the downstairs again, double and triple checking some areas. By the time they ended up in the foyer again, they were at a loss.


    ¡°If we assume he left the House of Lamentation, then did he go back to Purgatory Hall, or could he have gone somewhere else? Still, we definitely hid him in the closet. I know we did. So even if he did go somewhere else, it¡¯s weird that he disappeared while inside the closet. Could Luke actually be somewhere inside the House of Lamentation?¡± Then something caught Beel¡¯s eye, and he gestured towards it. ¡°Wait a second. Look at the dollhouse here.¡±


    Melody looked at it. First was the shock that there was a dollhouse in a mansion with seven demons living in it. That seemed really house of place. But taking a closer look, she realized it was an exact replica of the mansion itself. Was it a model then, and not just a dollhouse? If so, why was it here, since someone who came to visit could see the real thing?


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s an extra room here, one that doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Beel pointed out. Melody peered at it. She was sure that Beel, after all this time, would know his own home, so she took his word for it. Still, it seemed he might be on to something, and when all reasonable possibilities had been exhausted, the two were desperate. So, they climbed back up the stairs together. Unfortunately, it appeared to be a false lead.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing here. It¡¯s just a wall. But the dollhouse¡­ it definitely showed a small room here. But there¡¯s no door. And if I remember correctly, the only thing that should be on the other side of this wall is Lucifer¡¯s room. Could the dollhouse model be wrong¡­?¡± Beel seemed really disappointed that his idea hadn¡¯t panned out. Melody tried to think of something she could say to comfort him. Things hadn¡¯t been easy on Beel since the custard incident, something she still felt bad about.


    ¡°Well, in some movies and games, old houses like this have secret rooms. Usually there¡¯s a hidden lever or loose panel,¡± Melody pointed out. She didn¡¯t know how likely it was, but maybe by searching for it they¡¯d find some kind of hint as to what happened to Luke. Beel proved to have very good eyes, because he found something before Melody did.


    ¡°¡­Take a look at this, Melody. Look at this spot on the wall. It looks like a decorative pattern, but I can make out words written there.¡± Melody peered closer, and while she could make out what looked like lettering, it wasn¡¯t in a script she recognized. Still, there was a prickling along her spine as she stared at it. ¡°It¡¯s a message written in the language of angels. This is what it says: ¡®When the morning star dwelt in the heavens, its light shone down upon this one, sparkling brilliantly, the eighth of the eight.¡¯ It¡¯s a riddle. And more importantly, I know the answer to it.¡±


    Melody smiled. Beel looked pleased at knowing the answer to the riddle. Honestly, she was a bit surprised, and her surprise made her feel guilty. The Avatar of Gluttony hadn¡¯t struck her as the kind of person to enjoy or guess riddles. Still, she listened with full attention as Beel explained the pretty sounding riddle to her.


    ¡°¡¯The morning star¡¯ is another name for Lucifer. So ¡®when the morning star dwelt in the heavens¡¯ means ¡®when Lucifer was an angel.¡± So far so good; it made sense. ¡°¡¯Its light shone down upon this one, sparkling brilliantly, the eighth of eight.¡¯ That part refers to someone Lucifer loved deeply: the eighth child of eight, our sister.¡± Although Beel had been sad talking about Lilith before, he was smiling now. Perhaps because the poem spoke so warmly of his sister. ¡°Her name was Lilith.¡±

 Chapter 20: Eighth of Eight

    As Beel spoke the name of Lilith, the world went white; Melody¡¯s eyes were forced shut by the brilliance. When she was able to open them, she found herself in a room that was unfamiliar to her. A room, by her estimation, that hadn¡¯t been used in some time by the way there were white cloths draped over all the furniture. Beel also looked quite surprised.


    ¡°I¡­ I know this place¡­ It¡¯s Lilith¡¯s room from back up in the Celestial Realm. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± The room was very pretty, and full of light. But, it didn¡¯t look anything like what Melody imagined ¡®Heaven¡¯ to be. Instead, it looked much like the time period of the House of Lamentation, but with a more airy and cozy look. Even so, it looked like it could have easily belonged to a house in the human realm. There was a beautiful chandelier and many lovely paintings. ¡°What¡¯s Lilith¡¯s room doing here, in the House of Lamentation¡­?¡±


    ¡°Was she¡­ never here with you in the House of Lamentation?¡± Melody asked softly. She knew Beel had been reluctant to speak of her before, but, she had to say something.


    ¡°She died. In the Great Celestial War.¡± Beel looked so sad that Melody wished she had the courage to give him a hug. Her earlier guess had been right though; Lilith had died, leaving behind her brothers to live as demons somehow. ¡°Do you know about the Great Celestial War? About what happened then?¡±


    Melody shook her head no. Mammon had mentioned it briefly, when he spoke to her at the dinner table, but she had no clue what had gone on. Not really. Only that they were all angels to start with, and had fallen from grace. Luke had told her a similar story, pointing Satan out as the exception. But now they were demons, and Lilith was dead. It sounded like a family tragedy.


    ¡°My brothers and I were originally angels. That was back before the Great Celestial War¡ª before we were cast out.¡± Beel had been looking sad, but his expression soon switched to angry; it reminded Melody of how he looked when he came across Mammon eating his custard, only this time it was much more personal. ¡°Lucifer incited a revolution against our father, and we aligned ourselves with him. Those who followed our father fought against those who followed Lucifer. That was the Great Celestial War.¡±


    It sounded a lot more like the classical Bible story that seemed to float around a lot of the Abrahamic faiths; even those who weren¡¯t religious had heard the basic story. But, it seemed much more real after coming to the Devildom. Yet, at the same time, it wasn¡¯t nearly as black and white as a lot of Christians made it out to be. Melody idly wondered how well one of them would have fared here. She had no particular faith, and she was struggling enough as it was.


    ¡°In the end, our father crushed our rebellion, and cast us out of the Celestial Realm.¡± Beel was looking sorrowful again. It must have been hard to fight, and lose, such a battle. Against his own father. Melody had never known her own father; she only knew her mother. But she couldn¡¯t imagine fighting her.


    ¡°During the battle, my sister Lilith¡¯s wing was pierced by an arrow. Both Belphie and I saw it. It happened right in front of our eyes¡­ She fell down out of the heavens and¡­ died.¡± And there was the tragedy. Melody didn¡¯t love her siblings very much, but, she would have been devastated and traumatized to see such a thing. She hadn¡¯t had the faintest idea of what Beel had gone through; it turned out it was a lot more than she anticipated. Beel wasn¡¯t finished yet though.


    ¡°Just before Lilith was shot, I saw angels from the opposing side draw their bows and aim at both her and Belphie. I couldn¡¯t save them both¡­ the three of us were too far apart. I knew I¡¯d only be able to get to one of them in time. Then suddenly Belphie¡¯s eyes met mine¡­ and just like that, I rushed over to him and shielded him from the attack.¡± Beel looked down and away from Melody. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to save Lilith. She died, and it was my fault.¡±


    Melody was breathless, her eyes stinging with tears that leaked from the corners. To have to make that choice¡­ Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. It didn¡¯t matter that she hadn¡¯t met either Belphie or Lilith. She could only imagine that Beel was haunted by his decision, and the worst part was, no matter what choice he made, he would always be troubled that he didn¡¯t take the other option.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! He was your twin, and you had a bond with him,¡± Melody protested; she couldn¡¯t be silent while he blamed himself.


    ¡°Everyone tells me that. ¡®You couldn¡¯t help it,¡¯ that¡¯s what they all say. But none of them saw what I saw. They didn¡¯t see how Lilith looked at me as the arrow pierced her wing in the split second before she fell. They didn¡¯t see that look of despair¡­¡± Beel was angry again, but it was clearly directed at himself, and even perhaps at all the brothers who tried to tell him it wasn¡¯t his fault. ¡°¡­Belphie hasn¡¯t ever come out and said it, but I think he blames me for not being able to save Lilith.¡± Anger flipped back into worry and sorrow. ¡°I know he wanted me to save her instead of him. In fact, I knew that at the time, but I chose to save him instead. ¡­Melody, what would you have done?¡±


    ¡°I would have frozen because the decision was too hard and lost them both,¡± Melody admitted quietly, looking away in shame. If she had to choose between two of her siblings, or between two people she cared about, she knew that indecision would have stopped her from making her choice in time. Beel was very strong, and not just physically, but it also came at a cost. Beel looked like he was thinking of a response, but then Melody¡¯s DDD began ringing.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You should get that,¡± he said, his tone neutral. Melody couldn¡¯t tell if he was annoyed at the call, or relieved that he didn¡¯t have to say anything more about the matter. Melody just nodded and fished out her DDD, clicking the display to answer the call.


    ¡°HEY! Melody¡­ where are you?!¡± It was Mammon, and he sounded upset. No, more than upset: he sounded worried and the matter was urgent. ¡°Something seriously bad is about to happen here! Get your butt down to the underground tomb now! Hurry! The dog is down here, and Lucifer¡¯s about to kill him¡­!¡± Yup, that was definitely bad. Melody didn¡¯t know anything about an underground tomb though, and she turned to ask Beel about it, but apparently Beel had heard both sides of the call.


    ¡°The dog? Does he mean Luke? Come on, we¡¯d better get to the underground tomb.¡± At least it solved that issue; Melody could just follow Beel down. Though, she had no idea why Mammon called her in the first place; if Lucifer was that angry, what could she do about it? She didn¡¯t have a pact with Lucifer, and he was the strongest, so her pact with Mammon would only get Mammon hurt as well. Still, she had to go, and her legs scrambled to keep up with Beel¡¯s long strides.


    They got there as quick as the two of them could, and quite a scene was unfolding. Mammon, Lucifer, and Luke were there, as evidenced by the fact that Mammon did the calling, and mentioned both Luke and Lucifer. The room was a high vaulted place with rows of sarcophagi on either side. Torches lined the walls, and candles were at the base of each stone contained. Everything was decorated with skulls and other death motifs. At the end was a particularly ornate sarcophagus on a raised dais with stairs leading up to it, and a backdrop of even more candles.


    But all this was seen in a glance; Melody¡¯s eyes were drawn specifically to Lucifer, who was in his demon form already. Usually Melody had barely seen such a form before things got violent, so she trembled at the sight of him. Yet, at the same time, she was in awe of the sense of majesty that came from him, even while enraged, from the curved horns on his head, to the four great, black wings that came from his back.


    ¡°Lucifer, come on! Calm down a little, would ya?! He¡¯s just a lost dog, that¡¯s all! There¡¯s no need to go revealing your true form over this, now is there?!¡± Mammon was trying to talk Lucifer down, who had cornered Luke close to the sarcophagus at the end. Luke looked even smaller than usual against the expansive wings Lucifer had; he was clutching tightly to a large book in his hands.


    ¡°R-R-Right, e-exactly! A-And if you th-think you¡¯re gonna s-scare me looking all evil like that, y-you¡¯re wrong! It w-w-won¡¯t work!¡± Luke was trying his hardest to be brave, but it was obvious he was terrified. But Lucifer was between Melody and Luke, so there was no way she could reach him. She just wanted to hold him like she would a child and reassure him, even though he was a lot older than she was in total years. His childish appearances just instilled that instinct in her. ¡°I¡¯I¡¯ll h-have you know that I r-report directly to Michael the Archangel, one of the g-greatest¡ª¡± But he was cut off.


    ¡°Luke. That book you¡¯ve got in your hand¡­ Do you realize what that is?¡±


    ¡°Y-You mean this¡­? I found it a minute ago. The sculpture on the stone coffin there was holding it.¡±


    ¡°I know that book¡­¡± Beel was looking at the book with shock and dismay. Mammon, slightly diverted from the scene that was unfolding, turned towards the two newcomers.


    ¡°FINALLY! Melody, Beel, you¡¯re here! IT TOOK YA LONG ENOUGH!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a grimoire.¡± Beel¡¯s expression was severe; it was on the verge of anger, but not quite there yet. The word sent a chill down Melody¡¯s spine. She didn¡¯t know the in depth details, but she knew that it was a very powerful magical book of some sort. The kind most witches would love to get their hands on.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Mammon was shocked by Beel¡¯s assessment. Clearly this object was something that got everyone¡¯s attention, and Melody could feel the tension tightening in her stomach.


    ¡°Wh¡­!¡± Luke went even more pale than he had been.


    ¡°A-Are you sure?¡± stammered out Melody, not sure what else to say.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a book of magic known as a grimoire. Several of them exist. Actually, there¡¯s one installed on your DDD as well, Melody. ¡®Nightmare¡¯ is a grimoire. But Nightmare is nothing more than a trial version of sorts. It can temporarily borrow a demon¡¯s power.¡± Beel made a harsh sound in his throat. ¡°The grimoire Luke is holding has the power to control a demon¡ª to make him do anything, even if it¡¯s in violation of a pact. Everything that we are rides on that book. We can never allow it to be stolen under any circumstances. I didn¡¯t realize Lucifer was hiding it here in the underground tomb.¡±


    Melody shuddered. Her pacts had made her uneasy, but, this was an even greater source of power. Did¡­ all demons have some connection to a grimoire somewhere? It seemed risky; she could only imagine it would be some sort of necessity or else no one would create such a thing. The thought of someone having that book¡­using that book¡­made her feel sick to her stomach.


    ¡°This is no time to be standing around lost in thought, Beel! Get with the program!¡± As rude as Mammon¡¯s words were, he had a point. The information was useful, but it didn¡¯t calm Lucifer¡¯s anger, or explain what Luke was doing with such a book. Even so, she couldn¡¯t imagine the little angel doing anything evil with it¡­ ¡°Now, listen up, dog! What I wanna know is how you ended up lost in a place like this!¡± Again, Mammon¡¯s words lacked any pretense of tact, but at least he got straight to the point. ¡°No one else but us has access to this place! So how¡¯d you get in here?!¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! Y-your guess is as good as mine! I tumbled out of the closet in Beelzebub¡¯s room and found myself here! And then¡ª¡± Again, Luke was cut off by Lucifer.


    ¡°Wait. Beelzebub¡¯s room¡­? Did I hear that correctly? Did you just say the words Beelzebub¡¯s room?¡± Lucifer was more than shocked¡­ more than angry. He looked like a man, or demon, betrayed.


    ¡°Uh-oh, this is bad¡­!¡± Mammon¡¯s words were unhelpful this time.


    ¡°BEELZEBUB¡­!¡± Lucifer¡¯s anger shook the room. After the outburst, his anger turned into something cold and sharp as a steel blade. ¡°Were you hiding this angel in your room? Did you allow him access to the House of Lamentation? This angel who would try to steal that grimoire¡­?¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve got it all wrong! I wasn¡¯t trying to steal it at¡ª¡± Luke tried to speak up in both his and Beel¡¯s defense, but his words were like paper in a storm.


    ¡°Once Lucifer flips out, it¡¯s no use tryin¡¯ to stop him! I mean, there¡¯s one guy who could do it, but¡ª¡± Mammon interrupted Luke, and in turn was interrupted by Lucifer.


    ¡°You two had better be ready to face the consequences¡­!¡± From the sound of Lucifer¡¯s voice, these consequences would be dire; this would be no slap on the wrist.

 Chapter 21: Between Heaven and Hell

    This had all gone on long enough. Melody believed Luke that he wasn¡¯t trying to steal the grimoire. He hadn¡¯t been aware of the damage to her room, and couldn¡¯t have known he would be in Beel¡¯s room instead. Even if he had been there with malicious intent, he couldn¡¯t have planned this. Melody also believed that Beel didn¡¯t know that pushing Luke into the closet would have this result. What she did know was that it was HER that invited Luke inside, not Beel. Melody was the only one to blame. Despite the trembling in her legs, she stepped in front of Luke and Beel, her arms spreading out. She felt so pathetically small and weak facing off against Lucifer.


    ¡°Melody?!¡± Mammon was shocked. He knew his human was soft, but, he didn¡¯t think she was quite that foolish. Or that brave.


    ¡°Out of the way, human!¡± Lucifer¡¯s expression shifted from pure anger to a mix of disdain. ¡°Or do you want to die here?!¡± It took everything Melody had not to run away.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, not their¡¯s,¡± she said with trembling voice. From behind and above her, she heard Beel¡¯s voice, but it took her a moment to process what he was saying.


    ¡°Stop it, Melody¡­!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, this is serious! He¡¯s gonna kill you for real!¡± Mammon was standing right there, but his voice sounded far away.


    ¡°A human risking so much to defend a demon and an angel¡­how very interesting.¡± Contrary to his words, Lucifer didn¡¯t sound interested at all; he sounded more like he wished to squash Melody like a bug. ¡°Well, if you want to be a hero, you¡¯re going to have to choose one of them to save. Beelzebub or Luke. It¡¯s one or the other. Make your choice!¡±


    Melody¡¯s vision narrowed to almost a pinpoint; she could barely see Lucifer¡¯s face as he spoke, the black diamond in the center of his head seeming to loom out at her. That proud, cold face telling her to make an impossible choice. And she could feel herself failing already. It wasn¡¯t her place to make that choice, but to choose would be to let someone else go¡­ She couldn¡¯t do that to Beel, and she couldn¡¯t do that to Luke. She couldn¡¯t even do that to Lucifer, who was the aggressor. He had already lost his youngest sister; loosing Beel as well to his anger¡­


    ¡°They don¡¯t deserve to be punished; only I do,¡± Melody insisted, wishing she sounded brave instead of terrified and miserable.


    ¡°What¡¯s that now? You want to save both¡­?¡± This seemed to enrage Lucifer even more. Melody could feel the air crackling with energy. ¡°Do you actually think I¡¯m going to allow a lowly human that choice?! That you can have whatever it is you want?! NO¡­!¡±


    There was a surge of power and then¡­ blackness.


    ¡°¡­Melody.¡± Melody woke up to the sound of her name being spoken. Her eyes were closed, her back against something soft. Carefully she opened her eyes and saw Beel staring down at her, expression concerned. The last thing she had seen was the full fury of Lucifer; she didn¡¯t know how she was still alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Beel¡¯s face broke into a relieved smile as soon as he realized that Melody was looking at him, but there was still worry behind his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been here watching you. I thought you might never wake up, since humans are so fragile and all. I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re awake again. Do you remember what happened?¡±


    ¡°No. Not past being yelled at,¡± Melody admitted, her mind foggily trying to grasp what the last thing she experienced was.


    ¡°You made Lucifer really mad when you stepped in to protect Luke and me. You almost got yourself killed. If Lord Diavolo hadn¡¯t come running up, you¡¯d be dead right now, you know. Lord Diavolo managed to stop Lucifer. You saw how Lucifer looked back then, and yet you stepped in front of me and spread your arms to block him. It was like you had a death wish. You need to go to Lord Diavolo and thank him for saving your life.¡±


    ¡°I was never so scared in my life,¡± Melody said, her stomach lurching at how close to death she had been. ¡°But, it worked, right? You¡¯re safe?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± Beel smiled, but it was short lived. ¡°But is this really the time to be worrying about me? You almost died, you know. A human stepping in to shield a demon from harm. I¡¯ve never even heard of anything like that before.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about what you were when I did that¡­¡± Melody said quietly. ¡°No matter what you¡¯re called, you¡¯re still a person.¡± She sighed. ¡°How is everyone else?¡±


    ¡°As for Luke, Simeon came and took him back to Purgatory Hall. He was pretty shaken up after what he experienced.¡± Beel shook his head. ¡°Luke didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m the one to blame here. I¡¯m the one who hid him in my room, I¡¯m the reason he disappeared. I¡¯m the one who failed to calm Lucifer down, and ended up putting you in danger¡­ All of that was my fault. When you stepped in to shield me from Lucifer, I was pretty shocked. I mean, why would you go to those lengths? You¡¯re not a demon or an angel, and you¡¯re not even someone with powerful magic. You¡¯re just a regular human. So why¡­ why did you try to protect Luke and me?¡±


    It was a good question. Melody herself couldn¡¯t fully understand why she did it. She knew she wanted to protect them, but the hard part was figuring out why she thought she could make a difference. An angel and a demon were definitely in a better position to stop Lucifer than she ever could be, yet she had stepped in front of them. Why? Beel¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, but he didn¡¯t seem in a hurry to hear her answer. There was a certain patience on his face that helped Melody focus.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I suppose I really did think it was my fault. You said it was yours, but Luke asked me for shelter, not you. I made the decision to bring him in,¡± Melody said slowly. ¡°And¡­ Lucifer is your brother, not mine. Family shouldn¡¯t turn on family like that. I¡¯m sure that, after he calmed down, he would be very sorry if he had hurt you.¡± Then she shook her head. ¡°But, to be honest, I didn¡¯t think it through too much. I just¡­I didn¡¯t want to feel guilty for not stepping in.¡± She felt her eyes tearing up again. ¡°What you said about your own choice¡­¡± She rubbed her hand over her eyes impatiently. ¡°And what you asked me¡­ I didn¡¯t want to lose anyone.¡±


    For Melody, it had never been about defying Lucifer. It hadn¡¯t even been about being brave, or a hero, as he said. She had felt the weight of Beel¡¯s decision, and she knew she couldn¡¯t carry that burden. To her it wasn¡¯t brave, it was cowardly. She was afraid of living with that kind of weight on her own shoulders. She felt so small and frail, not because she had been knocked out, but because she made choices with her heart, not her head. Beel continued to stare at her for a little while, his expression showing he was considering her words carefully. Although Beel didn¡¯t come across as the most intelligent of his brothers, Melody suspected it was because he was a deep thinker rather than a quick one. He was smart, but it was an honest and forthright intelligence rather than a crafty or clever one.


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s simply the sort of person you are, then.¡± Beel tilted his head to the side as he looked down at Melody. ¡°As I watched you there sleeping, as I looked at your face, I couldn¡¯t help wondering¡­ If the situation had been reversed, would I have stepped in to defend you?¡±


    ¡°I think you would have,¡± said Melody, nodding her head. ¡°Even if the reason had nothing to do with me personally.¡±


    ¡°Still, I want to do something to make it up to you¡ª to thank you for saving me. So, is there anything I can do?¡± Beel sounded so earnest about it that Melody¡¯s heart warmed.


    ¡°You asked yourself if you would have defended me, so, I want you to turn that answer into a yes,¡± Melody says with a quiet resolve. She felt that he had a protective personality; she didn¡¯t want to ask him of anything that he couldn¡¯t, or wouldn¡¯t want, to give. ¡°I just want us to keep standing up for each other.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t stood up for you yet,¡± Beel pointed out, looking a bit downcast. Then he smiled suddenly. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you¡­ we can make a pact,¡± he suggested. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like them, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like them,¡± Melody replied. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t at first, but, I don¡¯t seem to have come to any harm from them, and neither has Mammon or Levi,¡± she went on to say. ¡°Unless you count a little bit of teasing,¡± she amended with a wry expression. Satan and Asmo were sure to get a few shots in, though they seemed less prone to picking on Beel compared to the older brothers.


    ¡°We¡¯re all used to getting teased,¡± Beel pointed out. Melody could easily believe it. She doubted that the teasing had started upon her arrival. It likely had been going on for a long time before she got there, and would likely continue for a long time after she was gone. For some reason, however, the second part of that equation made her feel sad.


    ¡°I kind of got that impression,¡± Melody agreed with a faint laugh. She felt like it was a bit misplaced, considering how serious things were, but it seemed to make Beel relax a little too, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. ¡°Alright; if you¡¯re sure you want to do this, then I would like to make the pact too.¡±


    And that agreement was all it took; both of them felt the surge of power that bound them together. By now the bit of euphoria Melody could feel wasn¡¯t followed by the same sinking feeling of failure. Probably because both Levi¡¯s pact, and now Beel¡¯s, were more on their terms, rather than being forced. She still felt bad about Mammon¡¯s pact. With a third one now, she felt she should go back and talk to Mammon, sort things out between them. But that would have to wait; after what just happened, she didn¡¯t feel quite like getting up.


    It was then that she realized she was in Beel¡¯s bed. When she first woke up, she¡¯d been so alarmed from her last memory that she didn¡¯t even stop to consider where she was. Now that she knew, she tried to sit up hastily, but felt dizzy and had to slow down. Beel, looking concerned, just shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush to get up Melody; it¡¯s still a ways before bedtime,¡± Beel said, gesturing for Melody to lie back down. Gratefully, she did so, with a little sigh.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m still recovering,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sor¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± Beel interrupted. ¡°I still feel like it¡¯s not quite enough, just to be in a pact with you. When you feel better, we should go out to eat, my treat.¡± Being taken out to eat was a nice enough thing on its own, but being treated by Beel was a rare occurrence; food was something he took very seriously. But, apparently being saved was just as serious a matter.


    ¡°I think I would like that,¡± said Melody, feeling a bit shy again.


    ¡°For now, you should just keep resting. I¡¯ll let everyone know you¡¯re okay.¡± Beel stuffed his hands in his pockets and went to talk to the others. Mammon and Levi had both been concerned about Melody¡¯s wellbeing, but he had insisted that too many people when she woke up would be a bad thing. That was true, but he was grateful for the opportunity to talk to her without an audience. Not that he was ashamed or embarrassed by anything, but he knew his brothers wouldn¡¯t be able to resist chiming in with their two cents.


    Of course, neither of them would openly admit to being concerned for Melody¡¯s health, but that¡¯s just who they were. Beel didn¡¯t try to get either of them to confess to it, not when it was something this serious. All of them were set in their ways, and Beel knew he wasn¡¯t excluded from this. Whether it was because they were broken, or because they were fallen, or because they were demons, he didn¡¯t know. Perhaps a combination of all of the above.


    As expected, the relief in Mammon¡¯s and Levi¡¯s eyes told more than their words ever did. Mammon insisted that he didn¡¯t care about the human at all; he was just glad that he wasn¡¯t going to lose his credit card. Levi claimed he wouldn¡¯t worry about some 3D girl; he was just relieved he didn¡¯t lose a trading partner in his game. Beel just nodded and accepted their answers. The fact that the three of them had pacts with Melody made them allies of sorts, even among the brothers. At least, that¡¯s how it felt in his mind.


    During all this, Melody had fallen back asleep, too exhausted from her trials to worry overly much about the fact she was sleeping in Beel¡¯s bed. As she dozed off she realized she felt a little like Goldilocks. Except she was living with six demons instead of three bears. It was kind of a funny thought, yet wholesome, and it helped her drift fully back into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 22: One More Night

    ¡°Have anything off the menu you want, Melody,¡± said Beel with a laugh. They were sitting in a restaurant that looked a lot like an old world tavern. Melody liked the rustic charm of the place, though like the House of Lamentation, it seemed to have its fair share of skeletal decorations. ¡°We¡¯re celebrating you getting a clean bill of health. So order whatever you want. Anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Right, don¡¯t mind if I do! Time to order big¡­ real big!¡± Mammon laughed as well, his face positively lit up with glee. Levi, also sounding thrilled, listed off the human world foods he spotted and the corresponding anime they belonged to, once again impressing Melody with his ability to get so many words out without taking a single breath. His lung capacity must be truly wondrous.


    ¡°I said I was taking Melody out to eat, not you guys. So, why are you two here?¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on. What¡¯s the harm in havin¡¯ us tag along, huh? Don¡¯t be such a killjoy!¡± asked Mammon.


    ¡°Order first, we should. Talk later, we can,¡± Levi insisted. Melody laughed in delight at his syntax, recognizing it almost instantly.


    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m not paying for either of you guys,¡± stated Beel firmly, shooting his older brothers a glare.


    ¡°Now come on, Beel. Even if there were ten of us here with you, we still wouldn¡¯t be able to eat as much as you do on your own. Payin¡¯ for us won¡¯t set ya back that much,¡± Mammon tried to reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. But I¡¯m still not paying.¡± Beel was looking a bit worried now. Melody just shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to jump into the middle of this, but, she felt that Mammon was going to take advantage of Beel¡¯s better nature. However, she couldn¡¯t entirely fault his reasoning either. In the end, Beel was right: it was his money, regardless of whether he spent more than all of them combined on his meal.


    ¡°Begin by ordering drinks, I will,¡± said Levi, continuing to talk in that iconic way.


    ¡°You turnin¡¯ into one of your 2D characters again, Levi?¡± asked Mammon, his attention temporarily diverted.


    ¡°Actually, he was originally a puppet, so, technically, he was 3D,¡± pointed out Melody, her tone mild. ¡°Though, I guess, any film appears 2D on the screen, so¡­¡± She trailed off as she fell into over thinking the matter, but Levi laughed anyhow, the sound happy rather than mocking this time. He was just glad that she spoke up and was giving it a lot of consideration. Mammon just shrugged it off, but Beel caught the relief and amusement in his older brother¡¯s expression.


    Melody ordered a lot of appetizers to share with everyone; her appetite hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet from her ordeal, but tonight was the best night to go out since the last touches were being done on the kitchen and her room. It was probably why Mammon and Levi had tagged along. She didn¡¯t mind their company at all; the only drawback was any stress they put on Beel. But, when they saw she was sharing with them, they backed off a bit and paid for their own food and drinks.


    Once the details got sorted out, Melody found that the evening was very enjoyable. True, Mammon and Levi took shots at each other, and sometimes at Beel, but it felt somehow more light hearted than most of the arguments she had seen before. Beel, true to nature, was eating quite a bit, and commented on the dishes, but he also seemed really happy to just listen to everyone else talk, and occasionally join the conversation. Usually he seemed almost oblivious to conversations and only interjected with food commentary.


    Melody had the most in common with Levi, so they talked a lot to each other, but Melody also made sure to talk to Mammon, asking him things about topics he brought up. She had noticed that all the brothers had a tendency to talk over and around him; he often complained about being ignored. Sometimes he blushed when Melody seemed to take particular notice of him, but he denied it. Always.


    It was quite late by the time they made it home. Melody was full, and sleepy, and almost nodded off a few times, even as they were walking, though the cool Devildom air stopped her from being too comfortable. When they actually walked in the front door, Lucifer was there in the foyer, his expression mostly neutral. It had been the first time they had really encountered each other since the conflict in the crypt. Melody trembled a bit, but made herself stay calm on the outside.


    ¡°You sure are back late. Did you go out to eat with Beel and the others?¡± he asked. Melody nodded her head, her eye contact already sliding away from Lucifer¡¯s face. Mammon and Levi, who had started arguing, walked past without paying Lucifer much attention, and he patiently waited for them to be on their way.


    ¡°¡­So Mammon and Leviathan were there too? I was worried whether they¡¯d be able to put their differences aside at first, but it seems like they¡¯re getting along well.¡± Lucifer smiled at that. Even though they had been arguing, they didn¡¯t say ¡®die¡¯ once, which was definitely an improvement from the first time Melody met Levi. ¡°The repairs to the kitchen are finally done. And the wall to your room is fixed, too.¡± Lucifer¡¯s smile faded back into a neutral expression. ¡°You should move back into your room tomorrow and start sleeping there again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for letting me know, Lucifer,¡± Melody said, nodding to show appreciation. Even if she was afraid, she didn¡¯t think it was acceptable for her to be rude. The night had been lovely, but she doubted she would ever have the same level of comfort with Lucifer as Levi and Beel, or even Mammon. He seemed like the distant star he was named for; even when he was calm, he gave a very closed off impression. Not to mention the fact that he had almost killed her as well. Though, that was becoming far too commonplace a thing since she came to the Devildom. How was she still functioning?


    If she was honest, Melody was a little sad to be moving back to her room. Sharing a room with her own siblings had been awful, but she found there was something relaxing about hearing Beel¡¯s breathing at night, almost as if it was a promise she wasn¡¯t alone and forgotten. So, she walked up to his room with heavy steps, wondering if Beel was happy to have his room back. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be, since he was used to sharing space to begin with. Melody could see it going both ways, but was sure that asking wasn¡¯t good manners.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Despite all this, Melody fell asleep fairly quickly once she had curled up on the couch. It had been a long, difficult day, followed by a late night out, and while Levi and Mammon could be exhausting to listen to normally, they had been well behaved, for them, that evening. So, though it had worn her out, the evening had been one of the more pleasant ones she¡¯d had in her life that involved being in public. Happy thoughts helped her drift into sleep. She was fairly soundly asleep when a voice woke her up.


    ¡°¡­Melody, you awake?¡± It was Beel¡¯s voice, rumbling softly in the darkness. It wasn¡¯t loud enough to be an alarm, but he sounded hopeful. ¡°Well, either way, it doesn¡¯t matter. I need you to listen to what I¡¯ve got to say.¡±


    ¡°¡¯m here,¡± Melody murmured sleepily, though she didn¡¯t open her eyes.


    ¡°You remember how I told you about Lilith, right? Well, sometimes I dream about her, and they¡¯re not happy dreams. They¡¯re the sort of dreams you don¡¯t want to have.¡± That Beel had nightmares was no surprise to Melody; not after what he had been through. In fact, she was surprised he slept as peacefully as he did some nights.


    ¡°Long ago, back when we were in the Celestial Realm, I asked her a question: ¡®Lilith, if you had to choose between saving either me or Belphie, who would it be?¡¯ She just looked at me and said, ¡®both of you!¡¯ Now, everything I just told you really did happen.¡± Except that Melody was not Lilith; she certainly wasn¡¯t an angel, beloved by all her siblings. But she kept these observations to herself and let Beel speak.


    ¡°¡­But when I dream about it, it doesn¡¯t end there. Lilith and Belphie disappear, and I¡¯m left all alone.¡± Melody stood up and padded over to Beel in the dark. Lilith and Belphie had both left him, it was true, though Lilith had left him for good. Belphie would be back, when the year was up, but Beel must feel so lonely.


    ¡°Everything is pitch-black and suddenly I¡¯m falling. Falling down through a void¡­¡± Beel looked up, noticing that Melody was there. ¡°Would it be okay if¡­ if I held your hand, Melody? For a little bit. Until I fall asleep,¡± he asked, his voice sounding so small that Melody¡¯s heart hurt. Melody didn¡¯t answer with words; she slipped her hand into Beel¡¯s much larger one, sitting on the bed beside him. He smiled instantly at the contact. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Melody sat there quietly and held Beel¡¯s hand. She watched as he eventually closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. And though she was sure that she could slide out of her position and go back to the couch, she found that she couldn¡¯t make herself leave. Quietly she pulled her legs up on the bed and shifted her position, still holding onto Beel¡¯s hand. Soon she fell back asleep as well.


    When she woke up the next morning, Melody was feeling quite stiff from her odd position. Usually, she would have been really embarrassed if she had fallen asleep on someone else¡¯s bed while they were still in it, but she knew exactly what had happened the night before, and felt oddly tranquil about it. Beel was already awake; she could hear him brushing his teeth in the bathroom. Quietly she got up and folded the bedding on the couch she had used; she wouldn¡¯t need it anymore.


    Beel came out of the bathroom, and Melody took her turn in it to get dressed and freshen up. When she was ready, she gathered up her school things and moved downstairs. Everyone else was already in the dining room, and the atmosphere was tense. No one was saying much of anything. Seeing Melody walk into the room, Asmo spoke up.


    ¡°¡­Aw, normally everyone¡¯s so happy and full of energy at breakfast. But things are sooo tense today!¡± he pouted.


    ¡°After hearing about what happened last night, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± said Satan with a nod. Of course he¡¯d be the one to respond to Asmo.


    ¡°How about you, Levi? You weren¡¯t involved in the drama at all?¡± Asmo asked. Levi looked up from his game momentarily, fixing his eyes on Asmo.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t left my room for three days before going out to eat last night, and that was after all the chaos,¡± Levi said with a little shrug. He hadn¡¯t known it had happened until it was all over; if he had, he might have been worried. But Melody had already survived by the time he was even aware her life had been at risk. It was a close call, and it had frightened him after the fact, but he wouldn¡¯t admit to that now.


    ¡°I have to admit, sometimes there are advantages to being a shut-in. You avoid getting caught up in unpleasant business, like what happened last night.¡± Satan¡¯s way of describing the incident was an understatement at best, and a callous dismissal at worst. But, Melody had noticed he tended to be well spoken most of the time, so she tried not to take it to heart.


    ¡°Yeah, you can definitely say that. Just look at Beel. He¡¯s on his sixth cup of soup. That¡¯s only half his normal pace.¡±


    ¡°I see that Mammon has the same stupid look on his face as he always does,¡± said Satan, not wanting to exclude the other member of the pacted trio.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that about my face now?!¡± asked Mammon, who had only been paying half attention. ¡°You all! Stop whisperin¡¯ over there! If you¡¯ve got somethin¡¯ to say, just come out and say it!¡± He was even more defensive than usual. Yesterday had scared him badly. He had been the one to call Melody down, and she had almost gotten killed. By Lucifer, no less, the one who had directed him to take care of Melody to begin with. No matter what choice he could have made, it would have been the wrong one.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. We weren¡¯t whispering. Don¡¯t have a hissy fit, Mammon.¡± Asmo¡¯s words were chiding.


    ¡°You know, we weren¡¯t able to use the kitchen until just now, as someone had destroyed it. So I¡¯d say we¡¯re the victims here.¡± Now Satan was cross. Melody wasn¡¯t angry, but it was rather uncomfortable realizing that he cared so little about her wellbeing. She hadn¡¯t meant to trigger the chain of events that led to the destruction of the kitchen. And she had almost died recently, but Satan still said victim as though he had been hurt somehow.


    This accusation just increased the tension. Beelzebub looked distinctly unhappy; he had been through most of the dangers with Melody, plus he had been the one who ultimately crashed through the wall. Lucifer was looking less than impressed as well. The program had almost failed due to his temper, and it would have compromised their entire household if they had let harm come to Melody. The damage to the kitchen felt like a minor inconvenience in comparison. Unable to stand the tension anymore, Melody slipped out of her seat and moved towards the door.


    ¡°¡­Melody,¡± said Lucifer, halting Melody in her tracks. His expression gave away nothing. He sighed, neutral expression sliding into a frown. ¡°Would you come see me in the music room before heading to class?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­okay,¡± agreed Melody, though it made her more anxious to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there waiting for you,¡± replied Lucifer, turning on his heels and exiting the room.


    ¡°Ooh, Lucifer wants to see Melody? Yikes! Super Scary!¡± Asmo, of course, was being over dramatic, raising his hands and everything. Satan snickered beside him.


    ¡°Pff¡­ Careful Asmodeus. He might hear you.¡± Satan was smiling as he said that, implying he wasn¡¯t the least bit worried that Lucifer would hear. Mammon, Levi, and Beel all looked at Melody with solemn expressions. Worried, even. Melody offered them all a weak smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she assured them, though she wish that she could reassure herself. Her nerves were rather frayed, but she doubted that Lucifer would call her in to finish her off. True, she might make him mad again, but she didn¡¯t suspect him of ill intent. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at school.¡±


    Although they were worried, none of them stopped Melody. If they did, most likely it would make her more nervous, not less, so they saw her off with the best smile each of them could muster. Even so, Melody¡¯s heart, and feet, were heavy as she walked down the halls to the music room. Quietly she tapped on the door.

 Chapter 23: Regret and Gratitude

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here,¡± greeted Lucifer once Melody had stepped into the room. Melody had not spent a lot of time with Lucifer alone; usually his brothers or other students were around. Even in his more human looking form, he was intimidating. Melody couldn¡¯t forget those huge wings¡­ ¡°I assume you know what it is I want to talk to you about. It¡¯s regarding last night.¡± For a moment Lucifer looked angry, and Melody feared she was about to get the worst lecture of her life. Then Lucifer¡¯s expression turned pensive, and he glanced away from her. ¡°What I did to you was inexcusable. I apologize.¡±


    Melody¡¯s head began to swim; her thoughts were a contradictory mess. Part of her was thinking that yes, Lucifer owed her an apology, big time. Another part of her instinctively wanted to say it wasn¡¯t necessary, that he didn¡¯t owe her anything. Yet a third part was simply in awe of the fact that THE Avatar of Pride was apologizing to her. Struggling with all these impressions, she managed to speak.


    ¡°Thank you, but¡­ even if it was inexcusable, I think I understand, even if just a little bit.¡±


    ¡°You have a good soul, Melody, and that¡¯s going to get you into trouble,¡± said Lucifer, with a shake of his head. ¡°You think with your heart, not your head, and you keep ending up in harm¡¯s way. You need to be more careful.¡± He frowned deeply, staring at Melody so intently that she was forced to look away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize: do better,¡± Lucifer stated bluntly. ¡°You have pacts with three of my brothers now, and I haven¡¯t interfered because they made the choice themselves. But that¡¯s a big responsibility you¡¯re carrying,¡± he warned her. ¡°Try to make it to the end of the year without making any further waves.¡±


    ¡°I will try not to,¡± Melody said, though she doubted it would mean much; she had never tried to cause any problems to begin with.


    ¡°I imagine that last night served as somewhat of a learning experience for you.¡± He gave a dark, dry chuckle that had no real mirth to it. ¡°Still, the fact remains that I put you through a very scary experience. Sometime in the near future, I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal out somewhere to make it up to you.¡± It was another thing that was very similar to humans: offering food for comfort. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I had to say. You¡¯re free to go.¡±


    Melody nodded her head and made her way out of the music room. Somehow she made it to school on her own this time, though her mind was reeling over that brief interaction. As much as she appreciated the invitation to dinner some night, she didn¡¯t know how well it would go, sitting alone with Lucifer over a meal. What on earth would she be able to talk to him about?


    Once she arrived, she had a notification on her DDD to attend the council meeting later. This was a fairly rare occurrence, so she wasn¡¯t sure why she was attending. It wasn¡¯t as if she could make any meaningful decisions. Her best guess was it had something to do with the exchange specifically. Either way, she hoped it wouldn¡¯t cut too much into one of her important classes. Playing catchup always made her a little anxious.


    ¡°Hey, how about that! Melody, you¡¯re alive!¡± As soon as Melody walked into the Student Council room, Mammon looked her way and greeted her. He had looked worried before, but now he was all smiles.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ yep, you¡¯ve still got both arms and both legs. Your eyes are still in their sockets, and your ears are still attached. Guess you¡¯re okay.¡± Beel¡¯s assessment, while correct, was somewhat disturbing. Would Lucifer have really removed body parts while he was calm? Melody doubted Beel was joking; it didn¡¯t seem his style.


    ¡°I want to know what Lucifer did. You¡¯ve got to give me the deets L-8-R, yo!¡± Levi¡¯s request was said in a way that was very true to form, and Melody found herself smiling in response, even through her discomfort.


    ¡°Man, there you go again! ¡®Give me the deets L-8-R, yo¡¯?! Like, what lame message board did ya learn THAT on?! Also, it¡¯s one thing to type L8R, but who the hell actually says it out loud?!¡± Mammon was yelling at Levi again, so, that was at least normal.


    ¡°Whaaat, you¡¯re still alive? Well that¡¯s boring¡­¡± Asmo¡¯s words were definitely not for Melody¡¯s benefit. She suppressed a sigh. Asmodeus had never struck her as overly violent, or loving violence, so his protest left her feeling off kilter.


    ¡°Of course. Unless he went crazy again like last night, Lucifer wouldn¡¯t harm Melody,¡± Satan said, smiling. That was what Melody thought, but Satan¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t comforting. ¡°And do you know why that is, Melody?¡± Melody shifted uncomfortably; Satan usually didn¡¯t address her with a direct question.


    ¡°It¡¯s just because of the program, isn¡¯t it? Because he wants the exchange to succeed?¡± Melody was under no illusions that she meant anything to the three remaining brothers. And the last brother had never heard of her before.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Satan said with a laugh. He had a nice voice, but the laugh still didn¡¯t feel friendly to Melody. ¡°I see you have a good grasp of what¡¯s going on here.¡± His smile quickly faded. ¡°If anything were to happen to one of our exchange students, it would make Lord Diavolo look bad.¡± Satan made a sound of indignation, his expression quickly turning to one of anger, possibly disgust. ¡°Lucifer would never do anything to harm Lord Diavolo¡¯s reputation.¡± Melody couldn¡¯t tell if Satan was mad at Lucifer, Diavolo, or the program in general.


    ¡°Ooh¡­ speak of the devil! Lord Diavolo and Lucifer just showed up.¡± Come to think of it, Melody didn¡¯t often hear the word ¡®devil¡¯ applied to any one person, just the Devildom in general, despite the fact that Diavolo¡¯s name basically meant devil.


    ¡°Well, it seems that everyone¡¯s here. Shall we get started, Lucifer?¡± asked Diavolo, smiling and gesturing with open arms. It amazed Melody again how affable the Demon Prince was. She hadn¡¯t spent much time with him, but, she remembered Beel told her that he was the one to save her. She nodded towards him; now wasn¡¯t the time to speak though, with the meeting about to start.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m going to go ahead and call this officer¡¯s meeting to order. To start things off, Lord Diavolo has an announcement for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well then, I assume that some of you have already heard the rumors about the group retreat. And they¡¯re true. I¡¯m planning an exchange party between demons, angels, and humans to be held at my castle.¡± The word castle send a thrill down Melody¡¯s spine, and for once, it was a good one. ¡°I have a feeling this will turn out to be quite the interesting experience for all of us,¡± continued Diavolo with a laugh. It was a much more comfortable sound than Satan¡¯s earlier laugh.


    ¡°Maybe for you, but for me it¡¯s simply going to mean more headaches,¡± Lucifer said, clearly displeased; he looked like a man facing an unfortunate, but inevitable, outcome. Come to think of it, Melody couldn¡¯t remember seeing Lucifer relaxing, or having fun. She didn¡¯t envy him.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t say that, Lucifer,¡± returned Diavolo, his spirit not at all dampened by Lucifer¡¯s protest.


    ¡°The exchange party will be held at the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle. In addition to spending the night there, you¡¯ll be attending several events, including a dinner party and a formal dance,¡± explained Lucifer. Melody¡¯s stomach sank; she had never been to a formal dinner, let alone a dance. She doubted she even had any clothes for such an occasion.


    ¡°A dinner party¡­¡± Beel, of course, was over the moon about that tidbit. Melody somehow didn¡¯t imagine Beel at a formal dance either. Or Leviathan for that matter.


    ¡°I assume you must have some questions?¡± said Diavolo, his expression open.


    ¡°Are we talking about a literal castle?¡± Melody thought it was a dumb thing for her to ask, but she didn¡¯t really have any other questions, so she just blurted it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s hands down the most magnificent, impressive structure in all of the Devildom,¡± Satan supplied with a smile. This one felt more genuine, either because Satan was showing off his knowledge, or he had a love of fine architecture. Possibly both. Levi, on the other hand, launched into a long narrative as to how much the castle resembled one from a video game series, and then into the series itself, which was very much a Levi thing to do. It settled Melody¡¯s nerves a bit, and she gave him a relieved smile. Unfortunately, part way through, Asmo interrupted.


    ¡°Yes, the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle is like something straight out of a fairy tale. It¡¯s absolutely beautiful!¡± Asmo was smiling, as he often did when discussing the aesthetic merits of something.


    ¡°¡­At first glance, sure,¡± said Mammon. ¡°But I know the truth¡­ I know about the tons and tons of horrible stories they tell about that place. It¡¯s enough to make your skin crawl.¡± Mammon¡¯s report was far less glowing than the other brothers¡¯.


    ¡°Dinner¡­ there¡¯s gonna be a dinner¡­¡± While Beel¡¯s hunger was sometimes destructive, at least he was largely predictable in his behavior. Sometimes Melody had a bit of mental whiplash reconciling the ¡®food only¡¯ version of Beel she usually saw with the very sensitive and aware Beel that had told her of the family¡¯s history and his personal struggles.


    ¡°Barbatos has a secret torture room beneath the castle. And every night you can hear his victims¡¯ screams of agony echoing up from outta there¡­¡± Mammon pretty much ignored Beel¡¯s interjection and kept going. ¡°And there¡¯s a huge mirror, and behind it is the entrance to a secret labyrinth. And inside the labyrinth lives a monster that feasts on the innards of demons¡­¡± It sounded very scary, but Melody couldn¡¯t believe it was the whole truth, even if there might be some elements that were based on truth. After all, running a kingdom had to have a dark side. But, Diavolo didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person that lived in a place where tortured screams were heard on a daily basis. As for the steward, well, she didn¡¯t know what to make of him, as she had only met him the once.


    ¡°So, Asmodeus claims it¡¯s like something out of a fairy tale, and Mammon thinks it¡¯s a hell house,¡± observed Satan, clearly amused by the contrast. ¡°Who do YOU believe, Melody?¡± Melody was startled by being called on out of the blue.


    ¡°I believe they both think they¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Melody managed to say. If Mammon heard different reports, then, he wasn¡¯t necessarily lying if he believed them. Misinformation wasn¡¯t a lie on the behalf of the person who repeated it. It might show foolishness or gullibility, but not deceit. ¡°Just because a place is beautiful, doesn¡¯t mean that it can¡¯t have something terrifying inside.¡± Melody blushed a tiny bit as she realized that described the brothers she lived with. They were all very handsome, to varying degrees, but they were all demons, and very terrifying when angry.


    ¡°You have a fair point,¡± Satan said, peering at Melody as if seeing her for the first time. In truth, he was taking a look at her soul, something he didn¡¯t do often. After all, what was the point. Either she¡¯d be unremarkable, or she¡¯d be a temptation he couldn¡¯t afford to indulge. The damage to Lucifer¡¯s reputation wouldn¡¯t be worth the consequences if he harmed Melody directly, or even allowed her to be harmed. And, while had never shown much interest in her, he held no ill will against her. He was surprised to find that her soul had definitely improved since he glimpsed it when she first showed up. Well, whatever she was doing, it was working.


    The rest of the meeting had little to do with Melody, so she quietly did tasks on her DDD while the Council members continued to discuss other matters. She didn¡¯t interrupt, though sometimes she did see one or another of the demons glance her way, including Lord Diavolo. At the end of the meeting, Melody shot him a questioning glance, and he gestured for her to approach. Timidly, she did so, even though the other demons had filed out of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing so well, Melody,¡± he said, his expression and body language both open.


    ¡°So am I. Sir? Lord? Your Highness?¡± Melody wasn¡¯t really sure how to address him, and she shuffled awkwardly in place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about it. Sir is fine, if that is what you are comfortable with,¡± Diavolo reassured her. ¡°After all, you are a guest here; not actually one of my subjects,¡± he adds. Melody took a relieved breath.


    ¡°I¡¯d just like to say, thank you for stepping in to s-save me,¡± Melody said, stumbling over that word as she remembered how close she had been to dying.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Diavolo, his expression growing serious. ¡°You are very important to my plan. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a wonderful person on your own, so don¡¯t look so disappointed,¡± Diavolo added when he saw Melody¡¯s expression fall. ¡°I¡¯ll get to interact more with you in the upcoming retreat, and then I can speak honestly about you as a person. But I can already guess that you are at least a good person; you have pacts with three very powerful demons, and you haven¡¯t used that at all to your advantage.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve only used it once.¡±


    ¡°So I heard; to save Mammon, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Melody said. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t really thinking about it at the time. I just acted on impulse because I was afraid.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, Melody. Truly, I do.¡± He inclined his head towards her. Melody still wasn¡¯t sure what to think of the Demon Prince. He seemed very affable, and normal. He certainly didn¡¯t seem proud or stiff. Yet, he must be very powerful all the same. She just didn¡¯t know to what degree. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±


    ¡°No. Just that I really am glad you got there in time. And I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°By all accounts, it was an honest mistake. You were trying to help Luke, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was. But, I didn¡¯t know there were hidden places that were so¡­ sensitive. Or else I never would have done that. And, I don¡¯t think I realized how serious it was until it was too late.¡± Melody frowned and looked at her feet.


    ¡°Chin up, Melody. Everyone made it out safely. Just remember what you¡¯ve learned going forward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir, I will!¡±

 Chapter 24: Slice of Life Pie

    There was a bit of time left before the retreat was scheduled to take place. Things were still a bit tense for a while; it wasn¡¯t easy for Melody to forget she had almost died. She was also fairly tired. Although she didn¡¯t remember any nightmares by the time she woke up, she felt like she must be having them because of how worn out she felt in the mornings. Being a bit lethargic didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the brothers, especially those who she had a pact with, as well as Lucifer, who was just mindful of her wellbeing in general. Again, it was for the program¡¯s sake, not her own, or so she assumed. Beel, of course, linked it back to food, and tried to get Melody to eat a variety of different things, some of which were more successful than others. Levi really didn¡¯t have a clue why she was so tired, though he did keep an eye on how late he would keep her gaming. Mammon actually brought some vitamin D pills he acquired ¡®by accident¡¯ to hopefully make up for the lack of sunlight.


    But as Melody became a little more relaxed, and stopped thinking that the next person who entered the room was going to kill her, things picked up a bit. Although she still felt tired, she didn¡¯t feel like anything bad was hanging over her head. ¡®Her¡¯ three demons were still a bit concerned at how tired she seemed, but since she seemed a little more positive now, they didn¡¯t fret too much. Not that any of them would ever admit to fretting, though Beel also wouldn¡¯t deny it if asked, unlike the other two.


    Apart from being a little groggy first thing in the morning, and going to bed a bit earlier at night, Melody¡¯s general routine wasn¡¯t affected too much by her tired state. And, she had a plan she was working on to keep herself occupied. Even after all this time, she felt uneasy about her pact with Mammon, and hadn¡¯t gotten a good opportunity to really talk to him about it. So, she was working on something to help her do just that. It wasn¡¯t always easy to find time. She needed to do her school work, attend classes, and game a bit with Levi so his envy wouldn¡¯t be stirred up too much, though she was definitely playing less with him. He didn¡¯t seem to mind too much, though sometimes she caught him looking a bit anxious. Still, she couldn¡¯t know for sure that it had anything to do with her.


    There was one other thing she had to take care of, and it did weigh quite a bit on her mind. She had no idea where to even start to look for a dress for the formal dinner and dance. She hadn¡¯t even attended prom when she finished High School. Her clothes were generally comfortable and practical rather than fashionable. Surprisingly enough, it was once again Asmodeus that came to her rescue. Ever since he had shown her to her room, he had largely ignored her, other than to put her on the spot during his verbal sparring with Satan and the other brothers. But, it was almost as if he could sense her floundering.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to run out of time soon,¡± Asmo said casually one day, as they met in the hall.


    ¡°T-time for what?¡± asked Melody, alarmed. Was there a project due she was missing somehow? Was she in danger.


    ¡°Relax, sweetie. Remember, wrinkles are bad!¡± Asmo chirped. ¡°I was just talking about clothes for the dance coming up. You simply can¡¯t go wearing the things you usually do around here. And I¡¯ve kept an eye open. You have nothing at all suitable.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Melody tried to relax her face, but it didn¡¯t work so well. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really know much about fancy dances and dinners,¡± she admitted. Asmodeus just laughed.


    ¡°I could have told you that just by looking at you, honey,¡± he pointed out. ¡°But, didn¡¯t I tell you that I always take the best care of people. Clear your schedule for tomorrow evening; we¡¯re going to remove the ¡®wall¡¯ from wallflower, and let you bloom.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ um¡­ okay,¡± replied Melody meekly. She really did need help, and Asmo was the only one who even stopped to think that she might need it. Levi probably had as much fashion sense as she did, so he wouldn¡¯t be much help, and Beel also seemed the type to wear comfortable, casual clothes. In addition, Beel didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d know how to dress a girl up. Mammon seemed a little more likely, but probably would try to get her to buy more things for him than herself. Despite any worries about going with Asmo, she felt it was probably the better course of action. Even though Asmo had seemed disappointed a while ago, when she turned up safe, he had never once intimated that he wished to harm her himself. ¡°But, I don¡¯t know if I have that kind of money in my budget,¡± she pointed out after a moment of thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sort that out with Lucifer for you,¡± Asmo promised with a smile. ¡°He won¡¯t want the little exchange student to embarrass herself when she¡¯s under his wing, so to speak.¡± Melody twitched slightly at the thought of being an embarrassment to anyone; it was too uncomfortably close to home for her, and she looked down at her hands. ¡°Oh, but sweetie, I¡¯ll make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, so leave yourself in my very capable hands.¡±


    ¡°Oi! Melody doesn¡¯t need to know anythin¡¯ about yer hands, Asmo,¡± Mammon shouted, coming around the corner and getting in Asmo¡¯s face. ¡°Go on, shoo!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here helping Melody, which is more than what I can say for you,¡± Asmodeus said, scowling at his older brother. ¡°You certainly can¡¯t be trusted to buy things for anyone except yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you certainly can¡¯t be trusted to be alone with Melody for the same reason,¡± retorted back Mammon. If he had to admit to his sin, greed, then he¡¯d make sure Asmo would admit to his own, lust.


    ¡°The difference between us is that I always make sure my partner is interested in what I have to offer. You just take things indiscriminately,¡± returned Asmo. ¡°Besides, we all know that I¡¯m the only one who can really make her shine.¡± Mammon couldn¡¯t really debate either matter, and that just made him grumpy.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s okay, really,¡± Melody said quietly, moving towards Mammon and touching his wrist. Mammon looked startled; Melody hadn¡¯t really shown she was comfortable enough with him to do that before. For the moment, Asmodeus was forgotten. ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t know what sort of dress to get, and he did offer to help.¡± She didn¡¯t want to see the two of them fight. ¡°But, I needed to talk to you too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m listenin¡¯,¡± Mammon said, glancing sideways to see what Asmodeus had to say about that. But the Avatar of Lust had already wandered off, finding talking to Melody wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting with his brother standing there.


    ¡°Well, actually, I have something to give you,¡± Melody said. Mammon stared at her for a few moments. Most of the time people didn¡¯t give him stuff. Usually he was the one either begging for something, or taking it on the sly, which was why he couldn¡¯t refute Asmo¡¯s earlier words.


    ¡°What kind of something?¡± Despite the fact that Mammon had seen no evidence of Melody being sneaky or malicious, he was still wary.


    ¡°It¡¯s in my room right now,¡± Melody said. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure how to say what it is in a word or two, so, it¡¯s probably better if I just show you.¡± She smiled a bit. ¡°Unless you¡¯re busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Not too busy, no,¡± Mammon said. Truth be told, he was curious, and at least he wouldn¡¯t be left hanging. Time was money, but time without a plan wasn¡¯t going to get him much of anything anyhow, so he might as well go with Melody. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he followed Melody down the hall. She opened her door and stepped inside without any fanfare. The room, of course, looked differently than when he first brought her to the House of Lamentation, due to Beel¡¯s rampage. It was mostly the same, but a lot of the decor was in lighter colors, and looked less grim and gloomy. Not that Melody had ever complained about her room, but given her disposition, when the room had to be refinished, it was done in a much milder way.


    ¡°I just have to get it from a drawer,¡± Melody explained and she motioned for Mammon to take a seat if he wanted to. He declined, still not sure if this was some kind of prank or joke, and wanting to be able to bolt if he had to. Not that he could really do anything if Melody decided to use the pact, but she hadn¡¯t harmed him with it so far. But, well, demons just weren¡¯t a very trusting, or trustworthy, bunch. Idly he watched as Melody rummaged around in a drawer. Finally she brought out a small black box. Shyly, she handed it to him.


    Mammon opened the box. Nestled inside was what looked like a rectangle of yellow-gold silk cloth. At first he thought it was some kind of handkerchief, but as he pulled it out, he realized it was more like a pouch. The material it was made of was the yellow silk, but also had black edges of a stiffer material, and seemed to be filled with something soft, like quilt batting. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was.


    ¡°What, exactly, is this? Some kind of human thing?¡± Mammon asked. Melody just blushed a bit and shook her head.


    ¡°Not really. More like¡­ um¡­ it¡¯s kind of silly, but, it¡¯s for Goldie,¡± Melody murmured. ¡°Because she¡¯s obviously very important to you, so, it¡¯s somewhere to keep her safe and w-warm. Since, you know, she was frozen.¡± Melody felt like it was very childish and lame, now that she had to explain it all. It made sense in her head. Mammon stared at her for a few moments, his expression blank. Then, he laughed. But it wasn¡¯t a mocking laugh, it was a sound that was a mix of joy and relief.


    ¡°This is probably the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me!¡± Mammon said. Yes, it was a bit childish, but the gift itself wasn¡¯t what made him so thrilled. Melody had not only remembered that Goldie was important to him, but she wasn¡¯t demeaning him for the way he personified his credit card. She wasn¡¯t calling him gross or stupid for it. Instead she had completely validated it by making something for his card. It was like, a little sleeping bag for his baby. Then, realizing that he was being a little too enthusiastic, he had to add, ¡°You did alright, for a human, I guess.¡±


    Even that couldn¡¯t dampen Melody¡¯s spirit. Mammon was always backpedaling, she had come to expect that of him. But he did seem happy about the gift, and she noticed the careful way he put it back in the box. He didn¡¯t just stuff it back in, or jam it into his pockets. And, there was that telltale blush when he was outed as being nicer than he wanted to appear to be. Melody just didn¡¯t think it was right to ask him about it. Not yet.


    ¡°Hopefully the color is okay.¡±


    ¡°The color is good,¡± Mammon agreed. Gold was something that always caught his eye. ¡°But, what¡¯s the occasion?¡± he asked her, looking over the rim of his glasses, as if wanting to see her properly.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Melody shifted from one foot to the other. ¡°I still feel bad for letting Levi bully you into making a pact with me,¡± Melody admitted. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve never really talked about it, and I wanted to make a peace offering.¡± She offered him a sad little smile. ¡°Levi made the decision on his own, and so did Beel, but as far as I know, we can¡¯t undo the pact, so, it¡¯s important to me to make sure that things are going to be okay between us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re okay,¡± Mammon said, his voice a bit gruff. Obviously Melody took this situation very seriously. Even though she had gotten into pacts with two of his younger brothers, she hadn¡¯t forgotten the circumstance of his pact, nor justified it to herself. If only his brothers would show him that kind of consideration. Then again, he hadn¡¯t really taken much from Melody; without knowing it, she had already given him one of the few things he desired. So, of course, she wouldn¡¯t have much reason to be angry with him, though he hadn¡¯t really given her a fair chance on that first day. ¡°After all, I left ya hangin¡¯ in the beginnin¡¯, so maybe we¡¯re even now?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on keeping score,¡± Melody said softly. ¡°But, I understand what you mean. If you can forgive me for being weak, then, I can definitely forgive you for not showing me around that first day.¡±


    ¡°You got me back my Goldie, and it was Levi who made the terms, not you. If ya remember, I told you to make the pact, so even though it wasn¡¯t my idea to begin with, it wasn¡¯t like you were tryin¡¯ to trick me or anything,¡± Mammon pointed out, shrugging his shoulders. He had thought looking after her was a drag, and Melody did seem to get into a lot of trouble, but she never seemed to do it on purpose. He supposed it was just the natural consequences of bringing a non-magical human into the Devildom. But there was just something about Melody that made him want to protect her, and evidently his brothers felt the same. At least, Levi and Beel did, or else they never would have agreed to those pacts. Yes, maybe Mammon was a little late to the game, but he was definitely going to do a better job in the future. Maybe. He very easily became distracted, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say that,¡± said Melody, smiling more genuinely this time.

 Chapter 25: Chrysalis

    Melody found herself dragged along with Asmo to Majolish for shopping. Although her family was well off, Melody had never felt comfortable in fancy clothes, and her mother had rarely pressed the matter. Most of Melody¡¯s older siblings had varying degrees of interest in fashion, but all of them were well-dressed, from formal to flashy. Melody preferred to stick to comfortable slacks, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. Even when she had gotten clothes again in the Devildom, based on her allowance, she picked similar items, other than her RAD uniforms, of course. Asmo had said, in a fit of zeal, that all her clothes should be burned, but then she pointed out that they weren¡¯t given enough allowance to buy her an entirely new wardrobe, and he dropped the subject.


    Asmo had sulked a little on the way to the store, which at least gave Melody a reprieve from his rather heavy-handed flirting, but as soon as they got inside, Asmo came back to life and had a thousand things to say, and seemed to want to go a hundred directions at once. Melody gently reminded him that they were there to find a dress for her, even though she struggled to get her words out. Telling a demon what he ¡®ought¡¯ to do often had less than desirable results. However, although he didn¡¯t like to be told what to do, Asmo was easily placated because he knew that Melody ¡®needed¡¯ him. And, she had a way of asking for things without ever demanding. Probably what kept her alive when many humans would have pushed their luck. Humans were far too used to being at the top of the food chain; they didn¡¯t realize how much stronger demons were simply because most of them didn¡¯t believe demons existed.


    ¡°Hm, with your hair and eye color, a nice purple or blue would look good,¡± Asmo mused, wiggling with his finger to indicate Melody should turn around. Shyly she did, and then repeated it a few times at varying speeds. She felt a little bit like a puppet on a string, but she bore with it. ¡°I mean, blacks and grays would look nice too, but we really need to make you pop. This is a dance, after all, not a funeral.¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly sleek, so probably something with a bit of draping to it would be best, especially since you¡¯ll be doing some nice dancing. Tight clothes are sassy, but that¡¯s more for a club than a formal dance.¡± Slowly Asmo was collecting a variety of dresses, which he carefully draped over one of his arms.


    ¡°But, you don¡¯t even know my size,¡± Melody protested weakly. Asmo fixed her with a long gaze, then smirked.


    ¡°Honey, I have a lot of experience with these matters, trust me,¡± he said with a little laugh. ¡°I can definitely eyeball your size, even with those baggy clothes you wear. And on the very off-chance I¡¯m wrong, it won¡¯t be hard to fix the problem.¡± Asmodeus was unconcerned, and he conveyed that quite clearly.


    ¡°Um¡­okay,¡± replied Melody. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could trust him overall, but she didn¡¯t doubt his word as far as knowing his way around fashion. She even tried to not care that he wasn¡¯t really doing it for her, but mostly to show off and further validate his own skills. After all, as the saying went, beggars can¡¯t be choosers, and he had a skill she needed. The two of them went through several dresses and with each one Asmodeus found something he didn¡¯t like. One would be too fluffy, while the next would be too slinky. One would be too plain, and the next would be too overdone. Sometimes the color didn¡¯t quite suit her when she put it on, or there were other flaws that were only apparent when she donned the dress. It was¡­ disheartening. But, finally, they found a garment that fit his approval.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Melody asked, staring at herself in the mirror, catching Asmo¡¯s reflection as he hovered behind her.


    ¡°Do you doubt my eye for fashion?¡± Asmo was appalled.


    ¡°N-No!¡± Melody shook her head, quick to dispel the misunderstanding. ¡°The dress is gorgeous! But¡­ aren¡¯t my shoulders a little too bare?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I mean, of course, we¡¯ll have to add something to set off the dress to increase the flow of the overall ensemble. But, covering yourself up entirely is doing you a disservice Melody.¡± Even though Asmo wasn¡¯t close enough, Melody somehow felt his breath against her bare shoulders. The dress really was everything a girl could want for something fancy, and it suited both her figure and color. It was a pale blue, with darker blue accents and intricate stitching. The skirt portion was long and full, barely hanging above the ground; with heels, she¡¯d be able to stop the dress from dragging. All the layers made it seem like it should be heavy, but when she twirled around in it, the skirt felt light enough to dance in.


    By the time Asmo was done with Melody, she had a complete outfit. Shoes, gloves, jewelry, a little purse, and a cape to cover her shoulders, were all included, all in various shades of complementary blues. Melody had to pinch herself a few times to assure herself that this was all real. So far, a lot of things in the Devildom had been scary and nerve-wracking. But, this felt more like a fairy tale; it reminded her of how Asmo had described the Demon Lord¡¯s castle when the retreat had first been mentioned. Additionally, they stopped by a hair salon to experiment with a few different hairstyles that he thought might suit her dress and face. They decided on a charming style with curls carefully framing her face and spiraling down her back.


    ¡°On the day of the dance, I¡¯ll do your hair and makeup,¡± Asmo promised as they rode back on the way home. ¡°Once we get inside the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, we won¡¯t be able to leave so easily, but I can definitely manage, as long as you remember to pack all the supplies needed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for helping me, Asmo,¡± Melody said, meaning it completely.


    ¡°It really was no problem. I do enjoy bringing out the hidden beauty in people,¡± Asmo replied, his tone rather excited. ¡°Obviously, no one is as beautiful or charming as I am, but that just means I have more responsibility to help others.¡± Melody wasn¡¯t sure how serious that sort of responsibility was, but she didn¡¯t doubt that Asmodeus saw it that way. Most people desired to be desirable, and she supposed that was right up his alley. As they sat in the backseat, they weren¡¯t touching, or even very close, but Melody kept having this strange feeling like Asmodeus was touching her, a brief brush of a hand or thigh here and there, but every time she looked, he was still completely on his side of the car. She chided herself for being so suspicious of him, more than she was of his brothers. Besides, Beel and Mammon¡¯s speeds had been mentioned as noteworthy, but no one had even hinted that Asmo was particularly gifted in the speed department.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Asmo largely seemed interested in his DDD, but Melody couldn¡¯t read in the car, so she rested her head against the window and watched the scenery go by. Sometimes it looked a lot like nighttime back home, but other times she saw people, or places, that simply couldn¡¯t exist in the human realm. The juxtaposition of the commonplace and the supernatural often took her by surprise, even now. But the shock didn¡¯t last long anymore, so she guessed she must be getting used to it. After all, seeing several of the brothers in their demon forms had effectively hammered home that she was no longer in Kansas, so to speak. The sounds of the vehicle, and Asmo¡¯s delicate tapping on his DDD¡¯s screen, were oddly relaxing.


    Melody hadn¡¯t realized she had dozed off until Asmo¡¯s voice woke her up. Feeling mildly disoriented, she took a few moments to focus enough to notice that she was still in the car, but it had stopped. Asmo didn¡¯t shake her, and she was glad of this, but he was looking at her rather expectantly. After blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she slowly got out of the vehicle. Together she and Asmo pulled the bags and boxes out of the trunk and made their way into the House of Lamentation. Soon they were neatly stacked inside her room, waiting for the day of the formal dinner and dance. At one point Lucifer came by to check to make sure that everything was appropriate, and by the expression on his face, Melody guessed that he was surprised to find nothing to criticize, which was quite a relief to her. If the Avatar of Pride himself thought it was good enough, then it must be so.


    Even with her dress picked and approved, Melody¡¯s worries about the upcoming retreat were still pretty strong. She didn¡¯t know how to dance well, she didn¡¯t have overly refined manners, and even if she did have those two things covered, she couldn¡¯t assume that they would be the same here as they would be back home. After all, different human cultures had different ideas of proper manners and dress, and she wasn¡¯t even among humans anymore. Except for Solomon, of course. But, they were the minority. And, assuming Solomon was who he claimed to be¡­ Melody couldn¡¯t even begin to think what his views on propriety would be after all this time. It wasn¡¯t likely that the habits of an ancient Israelite king would still fit in with modern human culture. Though, she couldn¡¯t be sure he wasn¡¯t just pulling her leg; Melody knew she could be rather na?ve and gullible at times.


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask someone to help her with the dancing issue. While he wasn¡¯t a mind reader, Beelzebub noticed that Melody was rather pensive at dinner the next day. It was just him and her at the dinner table, and he could tell that she wasn¡¯t being her usual self. Generally, if she was done with her food because she was full or unwell, she¡¯d hand it over to him. Or she¡¯d finish it. Instead, she was just moving things around on the plate and sighing a lot. As much as he was tempted to just take the food, he pushed that impulse down. After all, Melody had never grudged him food just because it was hers, so he should at least find out what was wrong before taking action. In addition, her frail human body would hurt more from missing food than any of his brothers, who he commonly snatched food from. And, in all honesty, he was quite fond of her. She was¡­ sweet.


    ¡°Something bothering you?¡± he asked her between mouthfuls.


    ¡°Oh? Me?¡± Melody looked up from her plate with surprise. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know how to dance,¡± she said, after deliberating a few moments over whether or not to answer the question.


    ¡°Right. There¡¯s a dance. I forgot about that.¡± Beel paused and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Usually I just stand around and snack on anything left over from the dinner. Not much of a dancer.¡± He thought about it for a bit. ¡°Neither is Levi. He¡¯ll either be holed up in a corner, chat with Satan between dances, or leave entirely.¡± After a few more swallows, he continued. ¡°Honestly, I think Asmo and Mammon are the only ones who really enjoy dancing, though they prefer more informal meetings. Lucifer and Satan are, of course, excellent dancers, but I suspect they don¡¯t overly enjoy it. And Belphie¡­¡± Beel¡¯s face fell. Belphegor had always been there before, usually falling asleep before more than a couple of songs had played, but he was a good dancer. This year, though, he wouldn¡¯t be here. Maybe he was dancing with some nice humans or angels.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Beel; you¡¯re allowed to miss him, even if Lucifer doesn¡¯t want him talked about,¡± Melody said gently, giving Beel a little bit of a smile. ¡°I know he got sent away, and I¡¯m here instead of him, but¡­ I¡¯m glad I got to meet you and your brothers.¡± And, she wasn¡¯t just saying that to comfort him; she was glad. Though some of them still scared her or made her uncomfortable, the ones she had connected with made the whole trip worth it. Still, everything Beel told her pretty much confirmed her earlier suspicions, which also made her happy. It meant that she actually had a pretty good understanding of the people she was living with. That meant progress, both for her and for Lord Diavolo¡¯s program.


    ¡°Thank you for saying that, Melody,¡± Beel said honestly, forgetting the greatly diminished pile of food in front of him for the time being. Melody was so nice and understanding. He wondered, for a moment, how Lucifer and Lord Diavolo managed to find this sort of human. People like Melody didn¡¯t consort much with demons. Still, he imagined Lord Diavolo probably had a network of trusted demons roaming around the human realm incognito looking for candidates. While the Demon Prince often seemed whimsical in his wishes, when he did start enacting a plan, he was fairly meticulous in actually planning something. Of course, that was largely to the credit of his butler, arguably one of the most competent, and powerful, demons in the realm. Though, it was his competency in the kitchen that impressed Beel the most personally. That thought was enough to remind him of his plate of food, so he started eating again.


    The conversation seemed to help Melody too, because she also began eating again, though much slower. When she was satisfied, she pushed the rest of her food towards Beel with a smile. Since she stayed at the table, he could only guess that it was simple fullness, rather than distress, that made her relinquish the rest of her meal. The two of them had a sort of pattern. He gave her fairly big portions, she would eat what she needed, and then he would finish. That way, she had her needs taken care of without worrying about him, and even if he snatched some food, it was usually excess anyhow. True, it had taken them a few tries to get the quantities right, but, Melody was always patient with him. And, if one of the other brothers had to get her more food the few times they messed up, she never lost her patience or temper with him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the dance, though, I wouldn¡¯t be. Everyone knows you¡¯re an exchange student, so if you don¡¯t know something that isn¡¯t covered in classes, I don¡¯t think anyone will bother you because of it. If Lucifer thought it was something you needed to know, he would have done something about it already,¡± Beel pointed out. ¡°Just try your best. That¡¯s all Lord Diavolo wants, and in this case, he¡¯s the only one that matters. Other demons will usually fall in line, especially when he¡¯s standing right there.¡±


    Melody nodded gratefully. Of all the brothers, Beel seemed the most consistently honest. Not that she felt Levi or Mammon deceived her out of spite or malice, but they were so busy denying how they felt or pretending to not care about things, that it was sometimes hard to sort out the truth from the deflections. Lucifer would always put forth the most smooth or controlled face until it shattered, and then pick up the pieces. She was still withholding judgment on Satan and Asmo as far as truthfulness went. So, she took Beel¡¯s words as comfort with her to bed that evening, hoping that everything would turn out for the best.

 Chapter 26: Foyer to Foyer

    ¡°All right! It¡¯s finally time for our retreat! Three days, and two nights!¡± Mammon¡¯s attitude had done a reversal, and he was now sounding quite enthusiastic about the situation. Melody leaned on her luggage at the top of the stairs. Well, at least he wouldn¡¯t be grumbling about it. However, she couldn¡¯t say the same for his brothers.


    ¡°Mammon, you¡¯re being really loud,¡± griped Leviathan.


    ¡°Aw, what¡¯s wrong with you, Levi? Get that grumpy look off your face, killjoy! Ah, I know what¡¯s going on here. You stayed up real late last night playin¡¯ games and readin¡¯ manga and stuff, didn¡¯t ya? Yup, I knew it! One point for Mammon!¡± Naturally, Mammon loved the feeling of being right. Unfortunately, it was a very rare day in the Devildom when anyone would acknowledge that he was right¡­ even when he actually was.


    ¡°You¡¯re like¡­ too excited right now, Mammon, and it¡¯s really annoying.¡±


    ¡°Mammon being annoying is nothing new, but yeah¡­ this morning he¡¯s ESPECIALLY annoying,¡± grumbled Satan, arriving with his own luggage.


    Before Mammon could get riled up too much, he was interrupted by the soft thud of Melody carefully walking down the stairs. Not only did she have a pull-case in each hand, but a backpack on her back. She looked way too loaded down, and thus was being very cautious in her descent. The three brothers present looked up at her. Levi and Mammon looked mildly concerned, but Satan just looked surprised. Nothing so far had indicated that Melody was an overly material person. In fact, Asmo had mentioned on several occasions that Melody didn¡¯t have much in the way of clothing. What was in all those bags?


    ¡°Actually, he wasn¡¯t only up playing games and reading,¡± Melody said, a bit breathlessly as she made her way down the stairs.


    ¡°Oi! Give one of those bags here, or you¡¯ll hurt yourself, and I¡¯ll never hear the end of it from Lucifer,¡± Mammon said. For a moment, Melody was about to refuse, but then she smiled gratefully and offered him the bag. Satan just shook his head. In his experience, he had never seen a human, with a pact, so blatantly ignore its usage. Was she truly so unaware of the power she held? She could have gotten Beel, Levi, or Mammon to treat her like a princess, but it didn¡¯t seem to occur to her.


    ¡°Whoa, Beel, that bag of yours is way too big! Pff, I bet it¡¯s stuffed with food, ain¡¯t it?¡± Mammon said as he turned away from Melody. Speaking of Beel and bags, the Avatar of Gluttony had appeared, with a rather large bag. Melody suspected it was one of his Fangol bags that he had temporarily re-purposed for the retreat. And it did look very heavy. Still, she gave him a smile, which he briefly returned before frowning again.


    ¡°What about Asmodeus? I¡¯d say he¡¯s the one you should be criticizing when it comes to luggage,¡± Beel pointed out mildly, gesturing to Asmo, who had come puffing up behind him. But, Asmo wasn¡¯t at all bothered by the metaphorical finger-pointing.


    ¡°Gooood morning, everyone! My, you¡¯re all early!¡± he chirped, looking as pretty as always. Melody often wondered how he managed that; she¡¯d never seen him on a ¡®bad¡¯ day. ¡°Ugh, I just couldn¡¯t decide how I wanted to do my hair this morning, you know? It took so much time¡­¡± Of course, that would be Asmo¡¯s complaint! Melody put a hand up to her very basic ponytail, nothing fancy. At least he had promised to help her with her hair the night of the dinner and dance. Now, if only she could be sure he was the kind to keep a promise.


    ¡°¡­Asmodeus. WHY do you have so much luggage?¡± Satan often seemed like he was in cahoots with Asmo, as far as Melody had observed, but that didn¡¯t stop him from giving his younger brother a jab now and then.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s only for two nights, ya know?¡± piped up Mammon, wanting to get his shots in too. ¡°You think you¡¯re headin¡¯ off on a tour of the three worlds or somethin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°This is actually quite a bit less than what I wanted to bring.¡± Asmo wasn¡¯t having any of it. He looked cross for a moment. Then he brightened and turned to Melody. ¡°But Melody was such a dear and lent me a tiny bit of her space to pack a few extra items.¡± Mammon almost dropped the bag he had helped Melody with, staring at it as though it were a bill of debt.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you have to go help him of all people?¡± Mammon objected. Melody winced slightly.


    ¡°Well, he was going to help me with my hair, and makeup, and things. So, he wanted to make sure that he had the right equipment with him, plus, I feel like I owe him for helping me. It¡­ just made sense.¡± Mammon opened his mouth to protest, but then the final brother arrived, cutting all conversation short.


    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s here,¡± he said calmly. ¡°It won¡¯t do to keep Diavolo waiting. We should head over to the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle right now. I want to get there before the angels and Solomon do.¡± His glare said that now would be a bad time to delay things any further. Melody tightened her hands on her backpack straps. While Lucifer had been entirely civil since the incident in the tomb, she still wasn¡¯t entirely over her fears.


    Since everyone had luggage, the group of them piled into a large van that was rented for the trip out. While Mammon had his own car, he rarely used it, and it wouldn¡¯t fit everyone. Lucifer had a car he used, primarily for shopping, but it had the same difficulty. It was rare enough for all of them to go to the same place, at the same time, with enough of a burden to make flying, or running, impractical. They lived fairly close to RAD, and most of them were in good enough shape to walk regularly, even Levi and Melody.


    During that ride, Melody told herself that she never wanted to be in the car with all of them again if she could help it. Crammed into such a small space, their arguments seemed even louder and more oppressive than usual, and she had to put all her efforts into just breathing and staying calm. Everyone except Lucifer, and Beel, were intent on sniping each other with complaints and insults. Lucifer listened with the air of a martyr, and Beel mostly kept his face full of snacks he had brought. Finally, Lucifer issued a few threats which made Melody pale, and they managed to have a short span of peace for a few moments. When they arrived, she couldn¡¯t get out of the vehicle fast enough.


    Fortunately, when she went to unload her luggage, she was told it would be brought in, and not to worry, but to go on inside. It was then that she looked up. The Demon Lord¡¯s Castle was¡­ everything it was said to be. The structure was beautiful, haunting, and every inch the fairy-tale item that Asmodeus described. However, Melody was still sure that even a beautiful place like this could hide the threats that Mammon had mentioned. Whether or not the Demon Prince condoned such things, she had no way of knowing. He seemed nice enough to her, the few times she had actually stopped to talk to him.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Oi, get your head out of the clouds and get inside,¡± Mammon said, prodding her gently in the back, since she was no longer wearing her backpack.


    ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Melody replied sheepishly, following him into the Castle, keeping close so she didn¡¯t lose her way. While she couldn¡¯t know the layout of the building, she could tell it was rather grand from the outside, and it was exactly the kind of place she would get lost in. Fortunately for her, Mammon didn¡¯t speed ahead, but even if he had, the chances of her getting lost were actually lower than she expected. As soon as they entered through the double doors, she found herself in a large room which was so opulent, it made the dining room at the House of Lamentation look positively ordinary. Gold was worked into the bulk of the d¨¦cor, to the point that the light reflecting off it stained the marble floor yellow. Everything was shined to a high polish, and the walls were lined with portraits. Skulls peered at her from the tops of marbled columns, and a double-sided, grand-stair case dominated the far back, bracketed around a two-floor tall set of windows, draped in red.


    Melody¡¯s jaw dropped, and she felt like a codfish. Realizing it probably made her look rude, she shut her mouth quickly. Diavolo was there waiting, with his usual beaming smile, arms spread wide in a gesture of welcome. It felt a lot like when she first arrived. At least she was more used to the Devildom by now, but, castles were still something new to her. Barbatos, as expected, was standing beside his Lord, and a little behind, his calm expression a wonderful counterpoint to the Prince¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡°Well, good morning. I must say, I couldn¡¯t wait for you to arrive!¡± Diavolo¡¯s words were more heartfelt than proper.


    ¡°Welcome to the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here.¡± Barbatos¡¯ greeting was far more clipped and subdued, his expression betraying nothing.


    ¡°Good morning, Diavolo. And you too Barbatos.¡± Lucifer¡¯s mannerisms were closer to Barbatos¡¯ than Diavolo¡¯s, but with a much more tired sound to them. But then the barest of smiles graced his lips as he continued on. ¡°Well, it seems that neither Solomon nor the angels have arrived yet, have they?¡±


    ¡°Man, now that¡¯s just shameless. Listen to you pre¡­¡± Mammon didn¡¯t get far though. Melody could tell this would not go over well with Lucifer, and she didn¡¯t want to see them fighting this soon into the retreat. Actually, it wouldn¡¯t even be a fight; it would be Lucifer saying something intimidating, or hitting Mammon, and Mammon withdrawing, probably with a yelp and a complaint. So, she acted quickly and ¡®slipped¡¯, clutching at Mammon¡¯s arm. Blushing, he immediately forgot what he was saying to Lucifer. In that moment Melody caught Lucifer¡¯s raised eyebrows, and she looked away, her face sporting its own embarrassed blush.


    ¡°Well, Mammon, I see you¡¯ve gotten better at taking care of Melody. How wonderful!¡± Diavolo exclaimed, his face blooming with a broad smile. Meanwhile, Asmo and Satan exchanged glances; Mammon getting praised for anything was pretty unusual. They just weren¡¯t sure if it would go well to point out that Melody was taking care of Mammon, not the other way around.


    ¡°Ah, speaking of our other guests, they¡¯ve just arrived,¡± Barbatos said, smoothly, making any commentary by Asmodeus or Satan superfluous. Finally realizing how close he was still standing to Melody, Mammon took half a step away, turning to see the three residents of Purgatory Hall being ushered into the main hall.


    ¡°Hello, and good morning!¡± greeted Simeon, his voice gentle, but bright. ¡°We¡¯ve already got quite the crowd here, don¡¯t we?¡± Melody gave him a faint smile. She didn¡¯t know Simeon very well at all, but it was hard to actively dislike the angel. She simply didn¡¯t know what to make of him, largely because she didn¡¯t know much about angels in general. Being in the Devildom, she had learned quite a lot about demons, but angels were still a mystery.


    ¡°You demons sure know how to get an early start. I see you managed to get here before us,¡± chimed in Solomon. Melody was quite a bit more wary of Solomon than Simeon. He made her quite nervous. By all accounts, he had sought out his pacts, a full 72 of them, while she had stumbled into her 3. The vast difference between them was daunting, and she often worried about how the sorcerer would view her and her paltry experiences. But, she didn¡¯t worry about that for too much longer. Luke poked his head out from behind Simeon. Spotting Melody, he sprinted across the floor, sliding slightly on how smooth the floor was, and practically crashed into her, wrapping his small arms and folding her into a hug.


    ¡°¡­Melody!¡±


    ¡°What the¡­! HEY! What¡¯s the big idea, runnin¡¯ up and huggin¡¯ Melody like that?!¡± Mammon wasn¡¯t impressed, and it probably didn¡¯t help that if Luke¡¯s start had been even a little off, he would have crashed into the Avatar of Greed instead.


    ¡°Ugh, THIS is why I can¡¯t stand normies¡­¡± Levi muttered. Melody wondered if Levi really hated hugs, or if it was his envy speaking and he actually wanted one. It was a little hard to tell with Levi sometimes. Not that she minded. But, she considered being more careful. Even so, she couldn¡¯t help but hug Luke back; if he had been bigger, she probably would have had to ask for relief to breathe.


    ¡°Melody, I¡¯m SO happy you¡¯re all right¡­! So, SO HAPPY! There aren¡¯t even words¡­!¡± It was probably the most excited Melody had heard Luke get when he wasn¡¯t proclaiming how much he didn¡¯t like demons. Which, she supposed, was a step forward¡­ right? Melody comforted Luke the best she could, telling him she didn¡¯t blame him at all, and that everything was just built on a lot of misunderstandings that spiraled out of control.


    ¡°Are you actually an angel? Is that it? An angel disguised as a human?¡± Luke asked. Melody didn¡¯t want to point out this was unlikely as she had a pact with three demons already. Truth be told, she didn¡¯t even know if an angel could pact with a demon. And she didn¡¯t know if it was blatantly impossibly, or just highly dangerous. While she was turning this over in her mind, she almost missed what Solomon was saying.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that Simeon and Diavolo met and mediated a solution together. Is that right?¡± Melody was curious to hear about this since she wasn¡¯t there for the actual aftermath; she had woken up in Beel¡¯s bed and he had filled her in, somewhat, with what happened.


    ¡°Yes we did,¡± agreed Simeon with a gentle nod of his head.


    ¡°Indeed, yes. Isn¡¯t that right, Lucifer?¡± Diavolo asked, turning to Lucifer with a chuckle. Melody tensed slightly; as curious as she was, something nagged at her mind. Rehashing all this probably wasn¡¯t a good idea after all. She didn¡¯t think the Avatar of Pride would appreciate any mention of his¡­ loss of temper.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The look on Lucifer¡¯s face after that short word was enough to confirm Melody¡¯s suspicions. Lucifer was not happy. Melody decided to take another risk.


    ¡°You have a very beautiful home,¡± she said, politely but still leaving off his name, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about his title. He seemed to want to be spoken to in a more familiar way, but with Lucifer and Barbatos standing there, she was sure that would be a bad idea. Yet, not calling him how he preferred to be addressed felt rude since it was his home, even if it was a whole castle. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing more of it.¡± It was completely true, and the way her eyes were shining made it obvious that she meant it.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Melody, and you¡¯ll soon have your wish!¡± He said, laughing straight from his belly. ¡°All right, then. Now that we¡¯re all here, perhaps we should go ahead and explain how this retreat is going to work.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, My Lord.¡±

 Chapter 27: Scheduling Chaos

    Melody sat down on her luggage, careful to make sure it was the bag that only had her stuff in it. Asmo wasn¡¯t the only one who had taken advantage of her kindness. She had a few items of Levi¡¯s as well as some things for Beel. She was surprised that Mammon hadn¡¯t approached her at all, but she guessed he was so used to having to hoard what he had that giving her anything would be too difficult. In fact, it probably had never occurred to him. But, she wouldn¡¯t take it personally, and she was just as happy to not have to carry even more stuff. She wasn¡¯t all that strong after all.


    ¡°The aim of this retreat is for demons, angels, and humans to intermingle so that each may gain a better understanding of the other,¡± Barbatos said, his voice smooth, professional, and impersonal.


    ¡°Well, as we¡¯re stayin¡¯ the night, I say the best way to intermingle is by havin¡¯ a pillow fight!¡± said Mammon. Generally, Melody wouldn¡¯t think it was a bad idea, though it wasn¡¯t really her type of entertainment, having a pillow fight against demons seemed a worrisome prospect.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll begin by explaining what we have planned for each day of the retreat.¡± Barbatos continued along as though Mammon hadn¡¯t said a word.


    ¡°Wha¡­ so you¡¯re just gonna ignore me?!¡± Mammon wasn¡¯t happy at all, but Melody leaned up slightly to say something to him.


    ¡°He¡¯s just doing his job, Mammon; it¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered, hoping her tone was soothing without being condescending. After all, she was just a human. Levi began to snicker, but she shot him a questioning look that actually stopped him before it turned into a full on laughter. He looked away, a bit shame-faced, but she made sure to give him a smile as soon as she could catch his eye again; she didn¡¯t want him to think she was taking sides. She just wanted to hear what was going to happen without too much interference.


    ¡°After you¡¯ve taken your belongings up to your rooms, we¡¯ll begin with a tour of the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle, where you¡¯ll have a chance to learn about Devildom history.¡± Melody tilted her head to the side, realizing she hadn¡¯t actually taken that subject. Was it something that they didn¡¯t want to trust to a human student? But, she didn¡¯t stop to ask, letting Barbatos continue with the schedule. ¡°We¡¯ll be serving Devildom cuisine for dinner tonight, and I¡¯ve taken the liberty of volunteering to prepare tonight¡¯s meal myself.¡± Barbatos actually smiled at that last part, and Melody reflected that it did wonders for his face. Usually he looked as though his expression was permanently ironed into polite neutrality.


    ¡°Mmm, Barbatos¡¯s authentic Devildom cuisine¡­¡± Barbatos wasn¡¯t the only one smiling; Beel was looking very attentive now, smiling as he mused over that tidbit. He was even starting to drool, so Melody fished out a handkerchief and handed it to him. Levi shot her a look of relief; sometimes when Beel started drooling it would end up on anyone nearby. It wasn¡¯t one of his more charming qualities, but Melody was sure it was a struggle to stop himself.


    ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll be having a scavenger hunt. Each day, we plan to have a representative from one of the three worlds prepare a meal for us. So, tomorrow, Luke will be making food from the Celestial Realm. I¡¯m sure it will be quite a treat.¡± Melody was curious what kinds of foods the Celestial Realm would have. More pressingly, she wondered how much work had to be done to get the ingredients down here in the Devildom. Even though Diavolo wanted peace, it didn¡¯t meant that trade was frequent or stable between the three realms. ¡°Incidentally, there will also be a dance following dinner tomorrow.¡± Ah! That must be the formal dinner then. And the dance after. Melody was a bit concerned; she just hoped that Celestial Realm food would be easy enough on her stomach. She had a sinking feeling she was going to be the plainest one there, and without any real ability to dance, she really wasn¡¯t certain she would enjoy the event at all. Still, she planned on trying her best; she didn¡¯t want to disappoint Diavolo.


    ¡°Then on day three -the final day- we¡¯ll get to enjoy food from the human world for lunch, which Melody will be preparing for us,¡± Barbatos continued smoothly.


    Wait¡­ what? Melody didn¡¯t remember anything about that. She wasn¡¯t prepared! Nervously she started wringing her hands.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t remember hearing anything about this at all,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but protest. Was this one of those nightmares, where you had to do something, and everyone was aware of it but the person the expectations were placed upon? She looked around helplessly. Barbatos finally showed a crack in his calm demeanor, looking surprised.


    ¡°I did send notice regarding our plans,¡± he pointed out. Melody believed him, so her eyes moved elsewhere, catching a dark scowl on Lucifer¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mammon, I believe I told you to let Melody know about this?¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? W-Wait a minute, didn¡¯t I, um, mention that?¡± Mammon asked, starting to break a bit of a sweat. Melody shook her head. ¡°¡­No?¡± He turned back to look at Lucifer, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°Well, can you blame me? With everything Melody went through, it wasn¡¯t right to tell her immediately, and then, I guess it slipped my mind after,¡± he said, working to justify his failure. Melody could see his point; she was kind of a skittish mess for a while. Still, it was awkward being told after arriving rather than before. She couldn¡¯t be mad at him though.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to try and make anything complicated,¡± Solomon observed. ¡°Even something simple would be an interesting treat for them. I haven¡¯t gotten to eat human world food in a long time. I¡¯m really looking forward to what you make, Melody.¡±


    Melody gave Solomon a grateful smile, more for his effort to help than any actual help received. In fact, his words just gave her more questions. How would she get the ingredients? What exactly were they expecting from ¡®human world¡¯ cuisine? It wasn¡¯t as if earth was terribly unified. There were so many different cultures and regions, all with their own styles of food. Speaking of which, what the heck had Solomon been eating all this time if he hadn¡¯t been eating human world food. He made it sound like he had stopped eating it long before he made it to the Devildom for the exchange program. What was up with this guy? Melody didn¡¯t have time to worry too much longer though, as Barbatos was moving along as though no interruption had taken place.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t we move on to the room assignments?¡± Another subject that made Melody jumpy; she was the only female there, as far as she knew, which means she¡¯d be sharing a room with a guy. True, she¡¯d already slept in the same room as Beel, but he didn¡¯t seem nearly as threatening once she got to know him, so she could only hope it would be the same for her temporary room mates. Since Luke was already invited to the retreat openly, she wouldn¡¯t have to fret about hiding him in a closet, so she doubted this would be a repeat from last time. ¡°Lord Diavolo will be sharing a room with Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°You have your own bedroom here. Why share a room with me?¡± Lucifer looked surprised by the widening of his eyes, and the small sound of confusion he made wasn¡¯t one Melody had often heard. Only one room assignment in, and there were already issues. But, at least she didn¡¯t have to share a room with the demon who had, so far, come closest to killing her, and with the most intent.


    ¡°Why do you think?¡± said Diavolo with his trademark laugh. ¡°Because this is a retreat, of course!¡±


    ¡°You certainly seem to be looking forward to this,¡± remarked Lucifer, again having that look of someone resigned to the inevitable.


    ¡°Luke, Beelzebub, Leviathan, you will be sharing a room,¡± Barbatos continued to list off names.


    Melody¡¯s face fell. Two of her pacted demons were ticked off the list, plus Luke. Three people who she felt were ¡®safer¡¯ were not an option for a potential room mates. She barely heard the three of them commenting on their room assignments, as she held her breath, listening for the next set of names.


    ¡°Simeon, Asmodeus, Melody, you¡¯ll be sharing a room.¡± Whose idea was this? Melody had to press her lips tight to stop herself from gasping. Why, why would they put her in a room with the Avatar of Lust? The prospect was frightening. Perhaps they felt Simeon could keep him in line? While Melody wasn¡¯t actually afraid of Simeon, she didn¡¯t know the angel very well at all. Then again, that was the point of the retreat, wasn¡¯t it? But, then why bother putting Lucifer and Diavolo in the same room? By now, her head was spinning, trying to sort all of this insanity out.


    ¡°And Solomon, Mammon, Satan, you¡¯ll be sharing a room as well. And that covers everyone.¡± Apparently Barbatos himself didn¡¯t count, as he wasn¡¯t on the list. This didn¡¯t overly surprise Melody, however. She imagined Barbatos probably needed to go to sleep late, wake up early, and thus every hour of rest was important. Being a butler sounded like hard work to her. Although her mother employed a couple of maids to keep the house clean, they weren¡¯t quite so ostentatious as to need a butler. Diavolo was a Prince though, so it wasn¡¯t surprising at all.


    ¡°¡­Yo, Asmodeus. Switch rooms with me!¡± Mammon seemed just as dissatisfied with the arrangement as Melody herself, and she shot him a faint smile. As boisterous as Mammon was, she still felt safer around him than Asmodeus. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the pact, or because Greed scared her less than Lust, or because she just felt that Mammon was softer under all his bluster than he seemed.


    ¡°¡­What? Why?¡± Asmo seemed surprised at the request. Mammon, however, simply glanced away.


    ¡°Because, um¡­ y¡¯know¡­ Solomon looks like he snores, and¡­ and Satan¡¯s feet probably stink¡­¡± Even if that would convince Asmo to switch, Mammon¡¯s tactics were not helping him overall.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an awfully rude thing to accuse me of. And it¡¯s not true,¡± objected Solomon, looking quite indignant. Melody couldn¡¯t blame him. While snoring wasn¡¯t something most people could help, and it was unfortunate, it was also something very annoying for any potential room mate.


    ¡°My feet don¡¯t smell. Mammon, the truth is that you want to be in the same room as Melody, don¡¯t you?¡± Satan said, coming to the defense of his feet. Mammon blushed, and seeing his blush, Melody found herself blushing also. Was that the truth of the matter? She couldn¡¯t say. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it either. Grateful? Worried? Thrilled? It was hard to tell what his motivation was. Especially as she watched him turn into a bit of a sputtering mess.


    ¡°Wh?! You idi¡­! N-No I don¡¯t! Why would I want to share a room with Melody?! I mean¡­ a human?! And when you sleep in the same room as a human, their smell ends up rubbin¡¯ off on ya. So you should be grateful I¡¯m even willin¡¯ to trade with ya! You should be HONORED, actually!¡± Melody was almost completely certain this was nonsense. For one, no one had complained of her smell before, and she was sure that several of the brothers would not have held back if she was irritating them in any way. Secondly, Solomon was human himself, so either way, Asmo and Mammon would each be sharing a room with a human, unless Solomon himself was the one to swap places. Unless Solomon somehow didn¡¯t count because of how old he was. She doubted that, however. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Mammon was just terrible at being smooth.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. So that¡¯s why you want to switch rooms, is it?¡± asked Asmo. Then he smiled quite a cheeky fashion. ¡°Well, in that case, the answer is no. Too bad!¡± Melody suppressed a sigh. As transparent as Mammon was being, she was kind of hoping Asmo would agree. She felt she understood Mammon better than Asmo. On the other hand, Asmo had promised to help her with her hair and things on the night of the formal dance, so at least he would be close by for that situation. Maybe things wouldn¡¯t be so bad?


    ¡°WHY NOT?!¡± Mammon wasn¡¯t going to give up that easily, however, despite declaring he wasn¡¯t actually interested moments ago.


    ¡°Maybe because I enjoy seeing that bitter, frustrated look on your face?¡± Asmo teased with a giggle. Another hope dashed; that sort of petty answer did little to soothe Melody¡¯s worries at sharing a room with him. Mammon growled at the answer, which only made Asmodeus laugh harder. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the one! I really DO love that look!¡± It was settled; this retreat was going to be a nightmare. Goodness knows what kind of mean things he was going to tease her with!


    ¡°How long do you all plan on goofing around? Let¡¯s go. Time to take your belongings up to your rooms.¡± Lucifer already sounded like he was done with his brothers¡¯ antics. And while it put a stop to the teasing, he certainly didn¡¯t seem to see any reason to question the room assignments, other than being put in a room with Diavolo, so either he thought Asmodeus would behave, or it was only her physical survival he was concerned with. Either way, he would not be saving her from sharing a room with Asmo.


    ¡°OWWWW! Hey! Lucifer, stop! Quit pullin¡¯ me along by the ear!¡± Mammon protested as Lucifer did just that. Melody shot him a sympathetic glance, and a self-depreciating smile. She couldn¡¯t help him, and he hadn¡¯t been able to help her, but at least he had tried, and she appreciated it¡­ even if his motives were selfish. ¡°Ugh, COME ON! What¡¯d I do to deserve this, huh?!¡± What indeed? As far as Melody could tell, Asmo had been the one being more petty and catty, but he seemed to suffer no repercussions at all. Sure, Mammon could be loud, but that didn¡¯t seem like such a bad thing, in comparison.

 Chapter 28: Roommates

    Melody withdrew into her own mind as she dragged her belongings along with her on her way to the room. Barbatos had given clear directions to the room, and Asmo was off like a shot. Simeon walked more quietly with Melody, both of them falling behind the Avatar of Lust. He seemed to see that she was deep in thought and did nothing to distract her from it. She was grateful for this but also wondered if his silence was from indifference, or from kindness. Perhaps it was just some sort of angelic wisdom, or even a directive not to get involved. A few times she was tempted to ask him but decided against it.


    Finally, they made it to the room. Asmodeus was already inside, perched on a bed at the back of the room by a secondary door. At a quick glance, it was obviously the bathroom. Melody wasn¡¯t surprised. Simeon just stepped into the middle of the room and took a long look at everything. Melody, seeing a chair right by the door, sat down and did the same. The d¨¦cor was darkly beautiful, the kind of thing she had come to expect from the Devildom. The flower vases that resembled the heart organ were a bit unnerving, but it made Melody wonder if Demon¡¯s hearts were shaped differently. Not that it mattered; she had no desire to see a demon¡¯s literal heart. There were three dressers across from the three beds, and not much else in the room, besides the little night tables and the chair she was in. Melody supposed that guest rooms didn¡¯t need much more than that. It was nicer than camping out, and that was enough for her.


    ¡°It looks like Asmodeus has already made himself comfortable. Which bed would you like, Melody?¡± Simeon asked, turning his gaze on her. His expression was gentle, but she felt her heart rate speed up. There wasn¡¯t anything in her entire life that had been particularly holy or religious. Her mother was a witch, and though Melody had never had any magic herself, she certainly hadn¡¯t been raised to attend Church, or say prayers. Her half-siblings followed in their mother¡¯s footsteps, and she was certain they had all dealt with demons before, though not likely any so formidable as the six brothers and their Prince. Would Simeon be looking at her so kindly if he knew that? If he knew about her pacts? She had no answer and was afraid to ask.


    ¡°I would like the one closest to the door if that¡¯s okay,¡± she said, timidly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not picky,¡± Simeon said with a soft laugh. ¡°Well, that leaves the middle bed for me then.¡± Walking to his own dresser, he started to unpack his single bag. He didn¡¯t carry nearly as much as the brothers had, but, Melody supposed that worldly objects weren¡¯t really encouraged in angels. At least from what little she knew of them. Seeing Simeon being industrious, she did the same. From the other side of the room, she could hear Asmo start to unpack as well. Briefly, he came over to retrieve the few items he had asked her to take for him, and she relinquished them without objection. Even in that short interaction, she felt apprehensive. How would she sit still long enough for him to do her hair and makeup later?


    ¡°Well, it seems we¡¯ve gotten ourselves settled here in our room now. Our belongings are in order, and we¡¯ve decided who¡¯ll be using which bed,¡± Simeon said once everyone seemed to be more or less done. ¡°So, Asmodeus, Melody, let me take this opportunity to say that I look forward to sharing a space with the two of you these next few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, me too,¡± agreed Asmodeus, looking a little surprised at Simeon. ¡°And I have to say, Melody, Simeon, you two certainly lucked out, now didn¡¯t you?!¡± Asmodeus gave a tiny laugh. ¡°Considering you get to share a room with me.¡± Simeon just blinked a few times at Asmodeus, as though trying to process what he just said.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I suppose you could say we¡¯re lucky to have you on the team, he replied. Melody wasn¡¯t so sure about the lucky part, but she supposed an angel could take care of himself. She didn¡¯t know for certain, though. Were angels and demons of comparable strength? Most likely angels had different levels of power, same as demons.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Asmo only gave a coy little giggle. ¡°Now, now, there¡¯s no need to hide how thrilled you really are right now.¡± He paused dramatically. ¡°Stop and think about it for a moment. You¡¯ll be sharing a room with me-with Asmodeus himself. Which means you¡¯ll be there to see me when I first wake up in the morning, after I¡¯ve stepped out of the show¡­¡± Asmo looked like he could go on and on about himself, but at the mention of the ¡®shower¡¯ Melody started coughing so hard that Simeon walked over to her and started patting her on the back. It was just too much. Melody¡¯s face was red as a beet, partially from embarrassment, and partially from the coughing fit.


    ¡°Melody, are you alright?¡± asked Simeon gently. At first, all Melody could do was nod her head so she didn¡¯t worry him. Asmodeus just laughed again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to so completely overwhelm you with joy that you ended up choking on your admiration for me!¡± Even when he was showing concern, it was all about him. As worried as Simeon was, he laughed at what Asmodeus had to say, rather than getting angry or chastising him.


    ¡°Ahahaha. I have to say, you really are funny, aren¡¯t you, Asmodeus?¡±


    ¡°Funny? I believe you mean beautiful¡­ It¡¯s okay, you can just come out and say it, you know?¡± Asmo went from wiggling with excitement to a still apprehension. ¡°What sort of image did you have of me in the first place, Simeon?¡±


    After thinking about it for a while, Simeon quoted some lines a bard from long ago had composed, calling Asmodeus the Jewel of the Heavens. Asmo seemed to like this at first until Simeon mentioned working hard to be admired, at which point he seemed much less thrilled. Melody couldn¡¯t quite figure out why though, after how much he talked about his looks and getting attention for them. What was she missing here? She was thinking about it so much, that she almost missed the fact that Asmo had asked her a question.


    ¡°Melody, what do you have to say about this? You think there¡¯s actually someone out there who does not love me?¡± asked Asmodeus, his expression more serious than Melody had ever seen it. She was stunned by the question, and just stared at him for a few moments. During this, Asmo waited, patiently at first, but then started to look a bit agitated, so Melody decided it was better to say something long-winded than nothing at all.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really answer that. I mean, I hadn¡¯t seen or heard of you until coming here, so I imagine most humans haven¡¯t, and how could they love someone they¡¯ve never met before? So, there has to be a lot of people out there who can¡¯t love you, because they just don¡¯t know who you are,¡± she tried to reason, hoping she wasn¡¯t sounding like she was trying to be difficult. Asmo pressed his lips together as he thought over her answer. Melody waited in awkward silence, afraid she had offended him. Finally, to her relief, Asmodeus laughed.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful Melody. Most people would either just agree with me, or get jealous and say something horrid and mean-spirited, but you really listened to my question didn¡¯t you? I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t find that attractive,¡± he said with another little giggle. ¡°Eventually, if Lord Diavolo¡¯s plan succeeds, I¡¯ll have a chance to charm the whole human world, and then there won¡¯t be any question about it.¡±


    It might not have been exactly what Melody was trying to say, but at least Asmodeus wasn¡¯t angry at her. Or, didn¡¯t appear to be. Melody felt he wasn¡¯t the type to crash blindly through a wall the way Beel had, so she had no clue what to look for if he actually did lose his temper instead of just being mildly annoyed with one of his brothers. However, the conversation was brought abruptly to a halt when the three roommates heard a knock on the door. Simeon opened it with a smile, revealing Satan on the other side; he had switched out of his RAD uniform and into his casual clothing.


    ¡°Hey, the tour of the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle is starting soon,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Well, I suppose we should get going then,¡± said Simeon easily.


    ¡°Do I have time to get changed first?¡± Melody asked. Satan gave her a quick glance over.


    ¡°There should be time; I¡¯ve never seen you fuss too much over what you¡¯re wearing,¡± he said with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders, his eyes fixed on Asmo with a faint warning. Asmo was the exact opposite of Melody in that regard. Asmo held up his hands with a little smile as if to say, he was who he was.


    ¡°I could help you with that, Melody,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll be fine. Really. Just¡­ no help.¡± Fortunately, she didn¡¯t end up in a coughing fit this time, as she quickly grabbed some clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. ¡°You guys go on ahead,¡± she called from behind the door. Fervently she hoped that if Asmo was also getting changed, he didn¡¯t take too long. She definitely didn¡¯t want to walk out on him in any stage of undress. Even when she was done getting changed, she listened at the door for quite some time to be sure he wasn¡¯t still rustling around in there. By the time she made it back to the grand hall, several conversations had already broken out. When Diavolo spotted Melody approaching, he cleared his throat, and the conversations ceased.


    ¡°Well, it looks like everyone¡¯s here now.¡±


    Melody noticed that Lord Diavolo was still wearing his RAD uniform, although no one else was. In fact, it was all she had ever seen him wear. Then again, this was the first time she had seen him outside of school. Did this Demon never take any breaks? Then again, being royalty was probably a job that one never could take a break from. It didn¡¯t seem to get him down though, or, at least not that he let show. Either way, she felt bad for him; she didn¡¯t find the RAD uniform overly comfortable. Perhaps his uniform was made of nicer material? He lived in a castle, after all, and it wasn¡¯t as though she had reached out to feel the fabric of his coat or shirt.


    ¡°In that case let¡¯s being our tour of the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle,¡± said Lucifer.


    ¡°¡­Oh man, that was CLOSE! Good thing Lucifer didn¡¯t hear what I said,¡± murmured Mammon. Melody held back a sigh; what trouble had Mammon gotten into in the meantime? And why was he saying something like that out loud? She glanced between him and Lucifer apprehensively.


    ¡°Mammon, when the tour¡¯s over, I expect you to come to my room and explain everything about what you just mentioned in detail.¡±


    ¡°YIKES!¡± Melody shot Mammon a sympathetic glance in response to the panicked look on his face.


    ¡°What an idiot¡­¡± sighed Satan, bemoaning his brother¡¯s antics. Melody couldn¡¯t completely disagree with him; it was a foolish thing to say, but, she still didn¡¯t think Mammon was an idiot exactly. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on why, however, since most things he said, and did, made little sense.


    ¡°Now, now, I think it¡¯s nice to have at least one foolish character in the group you can tease. It lightens things up a little, don¡¯t you think?¡± piped up an unfamiliar voice. Immediately Melody started looking around; was someone else here?


    ¡°HEY! Who¡¯re you callin¡¯ foolish?!¡± demanded Mammon, not even looking around to see who was calling him names.


    ¡°¡­Wait a second. Where did that voice come from?¡± Simeon actually looked startled, as he peered around, trying to pinpoint where the source of the voice was. It was the first time Melody had seen him more than calmly smiling or gently laughing.


    ¡°Whoopsie! I suppose I really should have introduced myself earlier!¡± A tiny black figure stepped out from behind one of the pillars. It was mostly round; the body being a head a little else. The face had large, yellow eyes and a mouth filled with little sharp teeth. Its legs and arms were so small in comparison to the body, Melody was surprised it could move at all. Perched on top of its head was a black hat with a yellow band, nestled between a pair of yellow, spiraled horns that stood straight up. ¡°Hello there, I¡¯m Little D. No. 2!¡± It wasn¡¯t much of a name, but Melody didn¡¯t ask about this. Also, she thought it looked kind of adorable, but she was afraid it would be rude to say as much. ¡°Ah, but call me Number Two, if you would, mmkay?¡±


    ¡°Wh-What is THAT?! A tiny demon¡­?¡± asked Luke, peering at Number Two in disbelief.


    ¡°Look yummy.¡± Beel¡¯s comment surprised no one¡­ though Melody was a bit put off. But, then she remembered he said he would have eaten her the first time they had met, and they had definitely progressed far past that point by now. She hoped.


    ¡°Careful, Beel. He¡¯ll make you sick to your stomach.¡± Solomon shook his head. Melody noted he didn¡¯t seem at all surprised by the appearance of Number Two, and he seemed to know enough about him to predict that he would be adverse to Beel¡¯s digestive wellbeing.


    ¡°Apparently Barbatos has some student council business to attend to at the moment, so I thought I¡¯d ask Number Two here to be our tour guide,¡± said Diavolo, his expression showing how much he would miss his butler. ¡°He may be small, but he¡¯s very helpful,¡± he added, turning his frown upside down. At least he recovered from his disappointment quickly. Surprisingly, Lucifer actually laughed a little.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s MUCH more helpful than a certain OTHER ¡°number two¡± I know.¡± Lucifer might have been smiling, but his words were not kind or friendly. Melody flicked a glance towards Mammon, certain that the slight in the Avatar of Greed¡¯s direction would have him protesting again. Instead, he looked baffled.


    ¡°A certain other number two? ¡­Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You know, every once in a long while, I¡¯m actually a little envious of you for being like this, Mammon¡­¡± Levi announced with a sigh and a shake of his head. While it wasn¡¯t kind either, Melody kind of sympathized with Levi on that one. From the way he spoke about himself, she was sure Levi would immediately pick up on any slight in his direction, and probably misattributed several slights aimed at others as being directed towards him into the bargain.


    At this point the Little¡­ Number Two¡­ launched into a bit of narrative, introducing the tour itself. Melody was listening, certainly, but she often looked towards the three brothers she had pacts with, just to gauge how they were reacting so far. Although they were all much stronger than her individually, let alone all together, she felt there was a certain¡­ disharmony¡­ to their lives, and it was something she wished she could help, even just a little.


    ¡°Boring¡­¡± muttered Mammon, grudgingly trailing behind.

 Chapter 29: Frame Up Job

    ¡°So, let¡¯s start with this portrait here!¡± announced Number Two. Melody turned her eyes towards the portrait. It was a rather handsome, but foreboding, looking demon with dark hair, just with a hint of red. He looked somewhat familiar, but Melody couldn¡¯t immediately say why.


    ¡°I doubt you even need to introduce HIM, right?¡± asked Satan, looking mildly surprised, and perhaps a bit dismayed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure, Satan. After all, I¡¯m guessing Melody doesn¡¯t know who this is,¡± Simeon said, his voice gentle once more, now that he had gotten over his surprise. Melody gave him a grateful smile for stepping in; she had started to feel a bit foolish and insecure.


    ¡°Right, so this is a portrait of the great Demon King himself!¡± explained Number Two, grinning enthusiastically. Ah! That would explain why he looked familiar; that must be Diavolo¡¯s father. Melody glanced surreptitiously towards Diavolo to compare them. Diavolo wasn¡¯t showing any of his demonic traits at the moment, so it was a bit harder, but they had similar enough facial features that Melody could see a resemblance, although the Demon King had a goatee that was quite absent from his son¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ah, right, so that¡¯s what he looks like. The last time I saw him was at a ceremony over a thousand years ago,¡± said Luke. Melody blinked a few times. Although she knew Luke was actually older than her, it was just another shock to hear those words come from what looked like a little boy.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen my father in several hundred years myself. He¡¯s slumbering at the bottom of the Devildom now,¡± agreed Diavolo. ¡°I¡¯d say he isn¡¯t much interested in the world at large these days.¡± And it looked to Melody as though he was a bit peeved at this fact. At any rate, he didn¡¯t seem pleased about his father¡¯s absence. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he missed his father, or if he was just displeased at having to take his father¡¯s place. Perhaps it was both. Since Melody had never known her own father, she didn¡¯t blame him. Curiously, there was no mention of his mother at all. Perhaps her portrait was here somewhere too then.


    ¡°That crown there¡­ what is it?¡± asked Solomon, gesturing to a crown on a display pedestal close to the portrait. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it must belong to the Demon King?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? ¡­Oh, you¡¯re right! I didn¡¯t even notice that crown there,¡± exclaimed Number Two, floating upwards to get a better look. Melody supposed that it wasn¡¯t easy being so short. The Little D made Luke look tall. ¡°And as for whether it belongs to the Demon King¡­ I think maybe it could?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± disagreed Lucifer, shaking his head, ¡°that belonged to the previous Demon King.¡± Idly Melody wondered if that was Diavolo¡¯s grandfather, or if he had belonged to another dynasty, but she kept the questions to herself for now.


    ¡°Oh, wow! It looks like you¡¯re right, actually! The former Demon King¡¯s inscription is etched into the inside surface!¡± Number Two had gotten really close to the crown and was busy peering at the inner rim. The crown was discussed a little bit more, but Melody was struggling to pay attention. Trying to fathom how far back it must have been made was making her dizzy, since everyone seemed to casually speak about years in the thousands as if it were nothing. Still, she wasn¡¯t so distracted that she missed when the tour started moving out of the grand hall.


    Eventually, they came to a deeper part of the castle. It was darker here, and Melody¡¯s eyes had to adjust a bit. There were a lot of columns in this room, and a high arched ceiling. Stairs led up to a gallery walkway, lined with portraits, but there was a circular section in the middle of the room. Melody looked down, and wished she hadn¡¯t; the fall would be painful if she managed to go over the edge. Awkwardly she shuffled closer to the center.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothin¡¯ but paintings in here,¡± Mammon grumbled. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t much of an art connoisseur. Melody was mildly surprised, as art was often seen as quite valuable, and he was the Avatar of Greed, after all. She wondered if paintings were just too awkward and bulky to catch his interest much.


    ¡°Yeah. There are plenty in the House of Lamentation too, but not as much as here,¡± agreed Satan.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t stopped to look at these in quite some time myself.¡± Diavolo looked around as he spoke, eyes passing over the paintings with the air of someone so familiar with his surroundings that they no longer held much charm. Luke, however, was far more enthusiastic.


    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s even a picture of the Celestial Realm here¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. I believe this was painted around the time that I first met Lucifer,¡± Diavolo said, suddenly interested in the subject again.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not bring that up¡ª¡± Lucifer started to say, his eyes wide. He looked, frankly, uncomfortable, and Melody wondered what would upset the Avatar of Pride this way. True, she had seen him weary, or angry, but this was an entirely different reaction.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the harm in it? The first time I met you, you were simply so divine, so awe-inspiring that you took my breath away. I couldn¡¯t believe such a beautiful, magnificent angel actually existed.¡± Diavolo said with such enthusiasm that Melody was caught quite off guard. While she had learned already that Lucifer had once been an angel, it was surprising to hear the Prince of the Devildom have such glowing praise for any angel, even one that was now his close adviser. Still, what he said was in line with what Luke had told her previously. For a moment, she wished she could have seen Lucifer this way also, but she wouldn¡¯t tell that to anyone. ¡°And then there was the way you refused to shake my hand at first.¡± It sounded like a negative experience, but Diavolo was laughing about it.


    ¡°Why do you sound so happy right now¡­?¡± asked Lucifer, his expression both baffled and worried. Melody secretly agreed with him; Diavolo¡¯s reaction to the memory made so little sense.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even shake your hand¡­? Wow, that¡¯d be unthinkable now,¡± asked Satan, clearly surprised at this little conversation.


    ¡°All this walking around is making me hungry,¡± Beel interrupted them to say. Melody started fishing in her pocket for a snack bar she had secreted away. Handing it to Beel, she smiled as he took it, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. Within seconds, it was gone. True, it wasn¡¯t much, but he seemed grateful for the attempt to help him. Wondering if it would be enough, Melody was about to find another one, when a loud, piercing scream interrupted her. Startled, she yanked her hands back out of her pockets and clasped them together.


    ¡°Wh-What was that¡­?!¡± asked Luke, also upset by the sound.


    ¡°It sounded like a woman screaming¡­?¡± Simeon didn¡¯t seem completely sure, but he also looked shaken. Almost everyone seemed startled by this, exchanging uncomfortable murmurs and questions surrounding the mysterious scream.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I feel like I¡¯ve heard a scream like that somewhere before¡­¡± mused Asmodeus, his expression more thoughtful than confused. When he spoke up, however, the scream turned from a singular sound into actual words.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°How could you¡­ HOW COULD YOU¡­?!¡± Anger and indignation were clear in the voice. It hadn¡¯t been a scream of fear, but of rage. ¡°Asmodeus¡­ this is all your fault! All of it, YOUR FAULT¡­!¡± Still, Melody had no idea where the scream was coming from.


    ¡°Is that portrait talking?¡± asked Solomon, pointing a finger in the direction of one of the pictures lining the wall. On it was a beautiful woman with soft hair of reddish gold. Although the image itself was still, frozen in an eternal smile, there was a glimmer around the eyes that was malevolent. Melody shivered.


    ¡°Bingo! Yes, you¡¯re exactly right!¡± chirped Number Two, pushing forward towards the painting.


    ¡°That¡¯s a portrait of Helene. She was a witch,¡± supplied Lucifer calmly.


    ¡°Helene¡­? Hmm, Helene¡­ why does that name sound familiar¡­?¡± Asmodeus murmured to himself, putting a finger cutely up against his cheek. Then he smiled. ¡°Ah yes!¡± Melody could imagine a light bulb turning on over his head. ¡°Yes, of course! Helene! I remember now!¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s going on here, anyway?¡± asked Mammon.


    ¡°Ooh! I can answer that question!¡± Number Two certainly seemed eager to please, or at least show off his wealth of information. His less-than-human features made it hard for Melody to truly get a read on his expression. He launched into a long tale about how Helene was a witch that usually did the seducing, but ended up being seduced by Asmodeus, which didn¡¯t go over well with her current lover. This resulted in a terrible war and the destruction of Helene¡¯s reputation as well as the loss of many lives. It sounded suspiciously familiar to another tale Melody had heard while growing up. Minus the witch and demon parts.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying all this happened because Asmodeus fooled around with some woman long ago?¡± asked Satan, sighing. He didn¡¯t look at all impressed with the information, or Asmodeus¡¯ part in it all. Melody felt awkward hearing it said so bluntly, but Satan didn¡¯t seem aware of this. Or perhaps he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°¡¯One of Asmodeus¡¯ ex-girlfriends just showed up! OMG!¡¯ And¡­ sent!¡± Levi said with a laugh, reading out his text as he was typing it.


    ¡°Leviathan, you know you sound like a teenage girl, right?¡± Luke protested, shaking his head. Melody held up her hand.


    ¡°Even as a teenage girl, I wouldn¡¯t have sent something like that,¡± she pointed out meekly, giving Levi an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Ahaha! Now wait a minute, everyone. We¡¯re talking about something that happened hundreds of years ago!¡± Asmodeus said, as though the entire story was nothing more than a garden variety failed romance, rather than something violent and tragic. Melody hoped this was just demon humor, or just an Asmodeus thing, and not an indication of how most demons took to romance. Then again, she hadn¡¯t heard much of anyone¡¯s romantic endeavors except for Asmo, and, she wasn¡¯t sure if just wanting to have a lot of sex could be considered romantic or not. ¡°But regardless¡­ Helene, I never expected to run into you here of all places! I mean, what are the chances?!¡± Asmodeus laughed to himself, then realized how much time had actually passed. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been so long! So, whacha up to these days, hm?¡±


    It seemed an odd question to Melody, and the little bit of humor she had in the back of her mind just thought the answer should be something like, ¡®Oh, you know, just hanging around¡¯ since Helene was currently in a portrait hanging on the wall. But then she chastised herself for even thinking such an insensitive thought; she knows she wouldn¡¯t want to be stuck in a picture.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s still trying to flirt¡­¡± Solomon grumbled, looking both as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing, and that he had heard similar things from Asmodeus far too often. Either way, he wasn¡¯t impressed at Asmo¡¯s one-track mind.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that nice, running into an old friend again like this.¡± Diavolo¡¯s smile as he spoke made Melody blink a few times. What he said should have been sarcastic, given the circumstance, yet nothing on his face or in his voice indicated he was anything less than sincere. How could he run a kingdom and still think that things were friendly between the screaming woman from the portrait and Asmo? Then again, he had been so quick to call her a friend the first day she arrived. It had shocked her then too, but, now she wondered if the throne wasn¡¯t the best place from which to make friends, and his view of friendships were skewed because of that.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she considers herself an old friend,¡± objected Lucifer. Melody was a bit relieved that he said as much because she wouldn¡¯t have dared.


    ¡°¡­After what happened, I incurred the wrath of the nephew of my former lover, who was a sorcerer. He sealed me inside this painting,¡± Helene explained, her tone venomous despite the inescapable smile of her portrait. Instead of reacting with any sort of sympathy, or empathy, Asmodeus was too busy talking about how handsome the relatives of the sorcerer were, and how long it had been since he had seen any of them. Then he chastised Helene for not coming to him for help and being stubborn. Melody took a few steps back; this wasn¡¯t going to end well, she was sure of it. How could Helene have asked for his help while trapped in a portrait?


    ¡°¡­Silence!¡± Even the single enraged word only got more nostalgic words and giggles from Asmodeus. Melody had to stop herself from physically face-palming. He seemed so completely unaware of the woman¡¯s anger, and she called him on it in a most unflattering way. She waxed fairly loquacious over how much she now despised him, and never once did he drop the smile on his face. He even managed to ¡®misinterpret¡¯ her words as a sign that she missed him. Melody wondered if he needed to get his ears checked.


    ¡°Maaan, she¡¯s not gettin¡¯ through to him AT ALL!¡± mumbled Mammon with a sigh of exasperation. Usually, he was the one being called an idiot, but even he could see that this was going nowhere fast.


    ¡°I may be imprisoned inside this portrait, but I haven¡¯t lost all my power. Oh no¡­ In fact, I still have power enough to capture you, as you¡¯re about to see¡­!¡± The witch¡¯s threat made Melody stop in place. She glanced around at the people she was with. Most of them had shown to be powerful in their own rights, though she couldn¡¯t be sure about the two angels, or Number Two.


    ¡°Oh dear! Everyone be careful now, mmkay?¡± cautioned Number Two, stepping as far away from the portrait as his stubby little legs could take him and hiding behind a pillar. ¡°Because it just so happens that Helene¡¯s portrait is known to drag those who look at it inside the painting itself!¡±


    Melody almost screamed. Why was he just telling them this NOW of all times? Slowly she started to inch away again, thinking Number Two had the right idea in hiding behind something solid. Almost as if the warning set things in motion, the room began to tremble. Mammon was sliding towards the painting now, his expression going from confusion to panic.


    ¡°D¡¯AAAAAAAH, I¡¯M BEIN¡¯ DRAGGED IN! WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU SAY SOMETHIN¡¯ EARLIER?!¡± he shouted in the direction that Number Two had been, saying what was pretty much in Melody¡¯s mind. She tried to hunker down and stop the movement, but she could feel herself being drawn in the same way. She had started much further back, but she was also much weaker than the demons. Mammon grabbed onto Levi, and the Avatar of Envy was already texting about it, narrating it as he was being pulled in. ¡°Whaddya expect?! You were the closest thing for me to grab! Now c¡¯mon, Levi! Dig in! We¡¯re losing ground here!¡±


    ¡°You know I sit inside all day every day! I¡¯m not strong enough for this!¡± countered Levi as both of them continued to slide across the floor. Even if what Levi was saying was true, he was still stronger than Melody; she had no hope of escaping this, unless the portrait was content once it got Asmo. Perhaps, if he got dragged in before her, she would be spared. Not that she wished such a fate even on him, but she knew she had no magic or powers to help her if she did get trapped. However, there was more than just the second and third born between Asmo and the painting. Beel and Solomon were being pulled in now too.


    ¡°Hey, Solomon? Why are you holding onto my arm?¡± asked Asmo, who had been pretty calm up to this point. Usually, he didn¡¯t seem to mind being touched, and actively sought it out, but as soon as Solomon had grabbed him, the power pulling him in doubled, and he didn¡¯t seem to like that one bit.


    ¡°Because when it comes down to it, this is all your fault. So if I¡¯m going in, so are you,¡± Solomon explained calmly, despite the glare he was sending Asmodeus¡¯ way.


    ¡°Well then, in that case, I¡¯m pulling in Melody along with us!¡± Asmo said with a big smile on his face. His slender hand curled around Melody¡¯s wrist, and at that moment, she knew it was over for her. Despite his appearances, he definitely was strong enough she couldn¡¯t break free, especially not with the painting pulling at them all. And, she couldn¡¯t quite figure out how Solomon yanking Asmo into the picture equated with Asmo pulling her in. She had barely spoken to Solomon the entire exchange this far, except that little bit in the first few days when she barely knew anyone. Was it simply because they were both human?


    But Melody didn¡¯t have time to think about it. Soon the world was so blurry she couldn¡¯t focus on anything at all. Shutting her eyes tight to avoid becoming nauseated, she felt herself being pulled along and then suddenly she lost consciousness.

 Chapter 30: Amazingly Bad Luck

    ¡°¡­Melody. ¡­Melody.¡±


    The sound of her name being called brought her back from unconsciousness. It took Melody a few moments to open her eyes and get them to focus on the face in front of her. It was really dark, the dim lights high up the wall offering little illumination. Eventually, she could make out Solomon¡¯s features. Her mind was a bit fuzzy, but she was sure it was Asmo who had grabbed onto her in those last moments. Rubbing her eyes, she realized she was in a strange corridor, slumped awkwardly against a wall. Solomon was standing, and he looked concerned.


    ¡°Ah, good. You¡¯re awake¡­¡± He smiled with relief. She mused that he looked nicer when he smiled in a genuine sort of way.


    ¡°I thought it was Asmodeus that latched onto my arm. So, what happened to him?¡± she asked, that little detail really nagging at her mind. Her thoughts were so fuzzy, but they kept coming back to that. Solomon pinched his chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Asmodeus? ¡­Well, I grabbed onto his arm as I was being dragged inside the painting, so he should have gotten sucked in too. But it looks like you and I are the only ones who ended up in this particular spot.¡±


    ¡°Where is the witch, Helene?¡± She remembered that Helene had said ¡®capture¡¯ so she had thought they¡¯d all be brought to the witch. Looking down each direction of the hall, she didn¡¯t see anyone. And this didn¡¯t look like the background of the portrait.


    ¡°Perhaps the spell was incomplete or misdirected. Until we find out more, I can only make an educated guess,¡± Solomon admitted with a shrug. But then he frowned. ¡°Two humans alone together in an unfamiliar area of the Devildom¡­ this isn¡¯t safe.¡± Melody stopped breathing for a few moments. It was pretty much established that Solomon was fairly powerful, but he was still saying this wasn¡¯t safe. Which meant that demons were more powerful than even a human with great magical abilities. This wasn¡¯t very encouraging. Melody nodded weakly. ¡°I¡¯d better go ahead and call Asmodeus over.¡± Oh! Melody knew that Solomon had multiple pacts; was one of them with Asmodeus? Or was that just a general sorcerer ability?


    ¡°How can you do that?¡± she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, despite their situation.


    ¡°By summoning him. If you have a pact with a demon, you can call them to your side whenever you want.¡± Melody had seen the pact in action, a little bit, the time she told Mammon to duck. Otherwise, she hadn¡¯t used it, though she had felt them humming in the back of her mind from time to time, especially when she wanted something from one of her pacted demons. She wondered if he felt that too. ¡°Though I¡¯m guessing it would be a difficult task for you, since you have almost no magical power.¡± It was another point of curiosity. Could Solomon sense her lack of magic? Did he cast a spell to do that? Or was he told by Lord Diavolo or Lucifer? ¡°Here, watch.¡±


    Solomon stepped a few paces back from Melody; she stayed where she was, assuming this was part of the summoning. He took a deep breath, and when he started to speak again, his voice was a bit deeper, holding a hint of an echo to it. Purple wisps of power emanated from him. His expression was both fierce and highly focused.


    ¡°¡­Hear me, denizens of the darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command!¡± Melody wasn¡¯t a demon, but his tone was so authoritative she would have listened to it just because of the sheer assurance in it. It wasn¡¯t hard to believe the man had been alive for centuries and held strong magic. Though, she did wonder what her mother¡¯s power would be like, stacked against his. And, she then realized how little she had thought of home in the last little while. But, she shoved that thought away; it wouldn¡¯t help her here.


    ¡°I, Solomon, call upon you to send forth one of your number! I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus¡­!¡±


    A loud crack split the air, and a few flashes of light almost blinded Melody. Then there was a slight popping sound and Asmodeus appeared in the space between her and Solomon, yelping with surprise as he was suddenly relocated. His hands were up in the air, and he looked dismayed, and a bit disheveled. Seeing Solomon, he made a chiding sound in his direction.


    ¡°Ow¡­ that hurt¡­ Solomon, how many times have I told you to be more gentle when summoning me? What if I had injured my face, hm? What then?¡± From the sounds of it, Solomon must have summoned Asmodeus several times over the years. Even after everything that happened, Asmo still only seemed worried about his appearance. Instead of being angry, Solomon gave a short laugh.


    ¡°Stop complaining, Asmo. This is your fault. ¡­Anyway, where are we?¡± Solomon apparently wasn¡¯t going to let Asmodeus off the hook.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! From the looks of it, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re in that underground labyrinth or whatever that¡¯s supposed to be beneath the Demon Lord¡¯s Castle¡ªthe one Satan and Mammon mentioned.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the others?¡± Solomon asked, looking only mildly annoyed that Asmo didn¡¯t have a better answer to give.


    ¡°How should I know? But I¡¯ll tell you this much: We¡¯d better find Beel before he gets REALLY hungry. We have to get him out of here, or we¡¯ll have a real problem on our hands. If he gets too hungry, he¡¯ll lose control and go on a rampage. He could end up destroying the entire castle, and then Lucifer would be SUPER mad!¡± Somehow Asmo being more worried about Lucifer¡¯s anger than the destruction of a whole castle, especially one that might fall right on their collective heads, left Melody feeling unsure of whether she should be annoyed with him, or amused. Either way, he seemed rather consistent with his priorities.


    ¡°Hmm. I have to say, I¡¯d enjoy watching Lucifer tear into you brothers for doing something like that. But yeah, I¡¯ve got no interest in being involved myself,¡± Solomon admitted. Melody wondered if he included her in that callous assessment; would he enjoy seeing Lucifer ¡®tear into¡¯ her too? She hoped not. But she did agree with Asmo; she had seen Beel crash through a wall already, just for the sake of one custard. How he would be if he missed an entire meal after a prolonged amount of time was something she didn¡¯t want to witness. Especially since she didn¡¯t know if her pact would protect her at that point. ¡°I guess we should start by finding Mammon and Leviathan since they were sucked in as well,¡± was Solomon¡¯s pragmatic suggestion.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    For a while they walked in silence, following one wall carefully. Even though Melody was curious about a lot of things, she was also feeling a bit worn out, and she had no idea how far they had to walk, or what troubles might find them down there. She had to conserve her strength. Neither Solomon nor Asmodeus seemed tired, but neither of them seemed inclined to talk either. Quietly Melody counted her steps in her mind, but after a while a stray thought made her lose track and she didn¡¯t bother trying a second time. Eventually, Asmodeus broke the silence between the three of them.


    ¡°¡­Solomoooon, how far does this labyrinth go? Are you even sure we¡¯re going the right way?¡± Asmodeus whined.


    ¡°Quiet, Asmo. You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re in this mess to begin with.¡± He sounded more like a parent chiding an unruly child for poor behavior than someone talking to a thousands-year-old demon.


    ¡°Meee? It¡¯s not like I did anything wrong. Melody, you agree with me, don¡¯t you?¡± Asmodeus turned his eyes on Melody, his expression pleading with her to take his side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Melody hedged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there, so I don¡¯t know what you told her, or what she told you. Maybe you should have apologized.¡± That¡¯s what the after-school specials always mentioned. She doubted they had those in the Devildom, or at least no the kind she grew up with.


    ¡°Apologize? Me? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not quite sure why you¡¯d want me to do that. I mean, true, I suppose an entire country was destroyed in the end, but how could I have known that would happen, hm?¡±


    ¡°Even if you couldn¡¯t know what would happen, bad things did happen to her, and, if you gave her some kind of condolence, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have gotten as mad,¡± she suggested hesitantly. It wasn¡¯t the same as an apology, even if Helene deserved it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I manipulated Helene, after all. I simply gave her an opportunity to have what she wanted¡ªto unleash her inner desire,¡± Asmo said, his voice lowering for a bit. He let that hang in the air for a moment before he giggled again. ¡°You see, everyone desires something. Everyone has lust in their heart. No matter how noble and saintly they may be, they¡¯re always keeping something locked up in there.¡± He placed a long, well-manicured finger against Melody¡¯s forehead. She wanted to pull away but found she couldn¡¯t make herself. She couldn¡¯t even look away from Asmodeus to see what Solomon was making of this interaction. ¡°As hard as they may try to control it, deep inside, they wish they could do what they want and have what they want. They¡¯re constantly fighting the urge to stop suppressing it, to set desire free.¡± Asmo leaned closer, and Melody froze up. ¡°¡­And it¡¯s the same with you as well, isn¡¯t it, Melody?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Melody¡¯s words got stuck in her throat, but Asmodeus didn¡¯t seem to mind. He moved his finger from her forehead down to the center of her lips.


    ¡°I wonder¡­ who is it you desire? What sort of secret, shameful thoughts are hidden inside that heart of yours?¡± Images flickered through Melody¡¯s mind as Asmodeus spoke. The brothers she lived with, were all attractive in their own ways, and while it hadn¡¯t been comfortable living with them all the time, her bonds with them so far had been entirely platonic. But with Asmo thinking that way, her mind started to wander, to pour over the possibilities¡­ No, there were no possibilities. Not only were they demons, but, they were way out of her league. Unless¡­ Her head felt heavy, and she was struggling to make sense of her thoughts.


    ¡°Why not let me help you reach inside and unleash it?¡± Asmo¡¯s eyes were fixed on hers. Usually, Melody would have pulled away already, a blushing, stammering mess. Instead, she stared back. Even though her heart was now hammering like crazy, and she was starting to feel faint, she couldn¡¯t tear her gaze from his.


    ¡°¡­Hey!¡± Solomon¡¯s voice was sharp, breaking the tension that hang in the air between Asmodeus and Melody. Gasping, she finally looked away, turning towards the sound.


    ¡°Quiet Solomon. We¡¯re having a moment here,¡± complained Asmodeus, his tone sharper than Melody had ever heard it. And it wasn¡¯t that facetious annoyance that usually crept into his voice. No, this was definitely a demon speaking, not a peevish prima donna.


    ¡°Are you sure now¡¯s the time for that?¡± asked Solomon thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, things are just starting to get good¡­¡± Asmodeus said with a smile, and even that much was enough to set Melody blushing again.


    ¡°Okay, but you should probably know that Mammon, Leviathan, and Beelzebub are being chased by a giant snake right now,¡± Solomon said, his tone somewhat sarcastic. Asmodeus paled. Melody hiccuped.


    ¡°¡­Come again?¡± It was all Asmo could think of to say; it sounded so ridiculous, but at the same time, threatening. Only then did Melody see and hear the other demon brothers in the distance, calling for help.


    ¡°So hungry¡­ can¡¯t¡­ run¡­¡± Beel didn¡¯t look like he was doing well at all.


    Sure enough, there was a gigantic snake chasing the three other demons. While Melody liked snakes well enough to say it was a very beautifully colored snake, she had no experience with snakes of the proportion. The fact that three very powerful demon lords were fleeing from it meant that it was a serious threat, and if they couldn¡¯t stand up against such a creature, then she surely would be a mere hors d''oeuvre.


    ¡°¡­Wait. What is that thing chasing them?¡± asked Asmo, looking as though he was going to be ill.


    ¡°It¡¯s a snake, and a really big one at that,¡± replied Solomon with an almost eerie calmness. His expression was thoughtful, eyes narrowed as he considered the problem.


    ¡°Gah¡­ it¡¯s giant. And disgusting! Ugh, I hate having to look at unattractive things,¡± was Asmo¡¯s sole complaint.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t chasing down your brothers, I would say it¡¯s very pretty, for a giant snake,¡± Melody observed, her tone meek. Asmo gave her a look as though she¡¯d suddenly grown a second head. Then he shook his own.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no accounting for taste.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how ¡®bout you stop talking¡¯ and HEEEEEELP!¡± screamed Mammon. Melody was sure, even with all his yelps and signs of fear, this was the first time she¡¯d actually seen him terrified. Her stomach lurched.


    ¡°I¡¯m a fan of eating, but I¡¯m not interested in being eaten,¡± Beel stated with a scowl.


    ¡°As if we didn¡¯t already have enough problems as it is, they had to go and bring us another one,¡± said Solomon, bemoaning his luck. With a sigh of resignation, he added, ¡°Well, we¡¯d better get out of here.¡± There were a few objections and questions, but Solomon silenced them all. It amazed Melody that he was the one to take charge. As far as she knew, Asmodeus was the only one who could be compelled to follow him, yet they all did. Perhaps he really was that wise. Or, perhaps he just was the one who could be the most convincing leader at that moment. Honestly, Melody was more worried about getting safe than caring about who got her there.


    Eventually, they came to a section that looked like it was a dungeon of sorts, with barred-off cells. It wasn¡¯t a comforting location, but at least it was empty, other than the demons and sorcerer she had arrived with. Exhausted, they all leaned against the walls, taking a bit of respite. Melody was breathing heavily; she wasn¡¯t used to running like that, at all. She might have asked for help from Beel, except she worried that his hunger would get worse if she imposed, and she truly didn¡¯t know if any of the others could scoop her up and run with her without risking both of them being eaten.

 Chapter 31: Flavor of Freedom

    ¡°¡­Looks like we managed to lose it somehow,¡± said Asmo with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Yeah, but what¡¯re we s¡¯posed to do now, huh?¡± countered Mammon. ¡°You expect us to hide here forever?¡±


    There was some bickering back and forth between Beel and Mammon about whose fault it was the snake had come after them, but Melody wasn¡¯t paying much attention; she was still trying to catch her breath and stop herself from trembling too hard. Levi chipped in, mentioning the snake had been his pet, lovingly named Henry, at some point. And though there was some bravado about killing the snake, she doubted it would be so easy, or they wouldn¡¯t have all been running in terror to begin with. However, despite being hunted down like common prey by the snake, Levi seemed overjoyed that he was still alive, much to the chagrin of his brothers. He had even snapped a selfie as he was running away, which he showed proudly to everyone who would look. Melody had to admit, it was a good picture, even if she doubted the wisdom of taking it in the first place.


    ¡°If he used to be your pet, do you think there¡¯s some way to pacify him?¡± asked Solomon, getting back to the problem at hand. Levi answered in the negative. Beel proposed hunting the snake down and eating it, but Levi wouldn¡¯t hear of it. Nor would he hear of sacrificing Mammon to the snake to let others get away, averring that Mammon would give his former pet a stomach ache. She certainly hoped it was just more sibling squabbling; she really didn¡¯t want to believe that any of them would let one of their brothers get eaten by a giant snake if they could help it. She completely agreed with Mammon that they were being rude, however, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to protest this. She feared she would collapse at any moment.


    ¡°Are you thinking of using Asmo to mesmerize the snake?¡± asked Beel, bluntly cutting through the arguments. Beel was fairly reliable that way; he didn¡¯t devolve into the petty bickering quite so much as his brothers did. She gave him a weary, but grateful, smile.


    ¡°Exactly. We should make use of Asmodeus¡¯ natural charm. If he can manage to tame Henry and win him over, then maybe he¡¯d be willing to show us the way out of the labyrinth,¡± Solomon said, acknowledging that Beel had guessed correctly.


    ¡°Ah, okay¡­ yes. Well, I suppose I could do that,¡± Asmo agreed, though he still didn¡¯t look terribly enthused about becoming a snake charmer. However, it didn¡¯t take long for his self-adoration to overcome that issue. ¡°You know, it really should be illegal to be so stunningly beautiful that you can even charm a snake. I¡¯m so attractive sometimes I scare even myself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yikes.¡± Beel¡¯s single word wasn¡¯t sarcastic, and he wasn¡¯t looking at Asmo.


    ¡°Ah, so you find it scary too, Beel? I mean, I¡¯m not surprised,¡± giggled the Avatar of Lust.


    ¡°No, I said that because I think he just spotted us. ¡­ Henry, I mean,¡± corrected Beelzebub, pointing at the snake, which had started to come towards them.


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll begin by using my magic to amplify Asmodeus¡¯ powers. Then Asmo, you mesmerize Henry. The amplification process is going to take a bit of time. So, Mammon, you distract Henry in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± protested Mammon.


    ¡°Then you leave me no choice¡­¡± said Solomon with a frown. With such casual indifference that no one suspected what he was going to do until it was done, he pushed Melody away from the wall she had been leaning on. Surprised, and exhausted, she stumbled into the corridor, scraping one of her knees on the rough floor. Cursing to himself, Mammon had little choice but to go after her; he had promised himself he wouldn¡¯t let her down again. Offering her a hand up, he pulled her along with him, giving Melody the best smile of encouragement he could muster considering the circumstances. After being treated so callously, Melody couldn¡¯t help but let the tears well up in her eyes; it was so strange that it was her fellow human who acted against her this way with such calculated deliberation. When the demons had attacked her, it had always been from a place of anger and misunderstanding, but there was no mistaking his intentions.


    ¡°Okay, Asmo, I take it you¡¯re ready?¡± Solomon¡¯s voice already sounded distant behind Melody and Mammon.


    ¡°Yep, go right ahead,¡± agreed Asmo.


    ¡°WHATEVER! JUST DO IT ALREADY! Melody can barely keep going as it is!¡±


    ¡°¡­Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I am the one called Solomon. I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust.¡± Solomon¡¯s voice was like thunder in the corridors as he invoked the powers of his pact, channeling his own magic into Asmodeus.


    ¡°Ooh yes, I LIKE this! I¡¯m SO turned on right now!¡± It wasn¡¯t what Melody wanted to hear, as she was scrambling for her life, but she could feel the echo in his voice, giving it a weight that it rarely possessed. Calmly he stepped out into the path of the snake, tendrils of power shimmering in a network of power behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Henry. Look me in the eyes. ¡­ Yes, that¡¯s a good boy.¡± The snake stopped, frozen in place, eyes locked on Asmo. Melody couldn¡¯t force herself to move another step, and slumped heavily against Mammon, who put an arm around her to hold her upright, feeling her fragile human heart beating so hard in her chest he was afraid it would burst. On the other side, he saw both Levi and Beel stare in wonder at the scene unfolding before them. ¡°...What¡¯s that now? ¡­Well, how about that. He says he¡¯ll show us the way out of the labyrinth!¡±


    ¡°Nice job, Asmo!¡± cheered Solomon.


    ¡°Well, really, did you expect anything less of me?¡± questioned Asmo, fanning himself. At that point, with the crisis averted, Melody passed out completely.


    The next thing she was aware of was the cool feeling of water on her forehead. Bolting upright, she looked around to find herself back in her room. The lights were dim, and three people were in the room with her: Mammon, Beel, and Levi. Beel was the one holding a soft cloth to her forehead. Levi stood on the opposite side of the bed, watching her face. Mammon was leaning in the door frame, gaze switching between the hallway and the room. All three were looking worried.


    ¡°Easy, Melody,¡± Beel said, putting a cautious hand on her shoulder and urging her to lie back down.


    ¡°This¡­ is becoming a bad habit of mine,¡± she said to him with a weak little smile. ¡°We all made it out okay?¡± she asked, since she couldn¡¯t see Solomon or Asmodeus.


    ¡°Yes, everyone¡¯s safe now,¡± Beel said, though there was a bit of a scowl on his face. Melody could guess well enough that it wasn¡¯t directed at her, and by looking at the other two demons, she could tell they weren¡¯t the targets either.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Melody said, lying back on the bed. Beel¡¯s stomach rumbled, and she laughed a bit. Instead of being embarrassed, he just gave her a smile in return. ¡°You must be really hungry Beel; you should go eat something,¡± she suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine here.¡± Beel looked between his two older brothers. Mammon stepped aside.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Go on ahead, Beel; ya won¡¯t do Melody any good if ya get too hungry and start gnawing on her elbow or somethin¡¯. She should be safe enough in here fer now.¡± With encouragement from both Melody and Mammon, Beel allowed himself to leave, but not before giving Melody another little pat on her shoulder. It was a credit to him that he stayed as long as he did, knowing his hunger. When he was definitely gone, Mammon turned to Levi. ¡°You stay here an¡¯ keep an eye on her, okay Levi? Just, play one of those games on your DDD. I¡¯ll bring back some food for ya both. They don¡¯t need to be givin¡¯ her an interrogation before she¡¯s had something ta eat, and I know you don¡¯t care much for big groups anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Stay here and watch, I will,¡± Levi agreed, his tone solemn despite using that familiar syntax again. It put Melody oddly at ease.


    ¡°Thank you Mammon. Thank you Levi,¡± Melody said, feeling somewhat relieved. She really didn¡¯t want to face Solomon again already. At the moment, she didn¡¯t know if his endangerment of her had been revealed to Lord Diavolo, or if it was being kept a secret. As tired, sore, and hungry as she was, she didn¡¯t want to deal with it. Honestly, she couldn¡¯t tell what would upset her more, seeing Solomon get in trouble for his actions, or seeing a lack of any consequences at all for what he did. She had no idea if they would have made it all out safely if he had made another choice or not. And, perhaps it had been his only option. What troubled her most was that he did it without hesitation or even an apologetic tone or gesture to show he had the least bit of concern for her wellbeing.


    Melody dozed off for a bit, while Mammon was getting something for her to eat. Levi sat quietly and played on his DDD; he would have done that even without Mammon¡¯s suggestion, but the situation was serious enough that he didn¡¯t bother pointing it out. When he was being the Avatar of Greed, Mammon was annoying, loud, and almost insufferable to the shut-in. But, from time to time, the second in command that he was shone through his demonic habits. It was almost the natural response to listen to him then. Since Melody¡¯s arrival, that side of Mammon had come forward more. Then again, so had Beel¡¯s role as guardian. While, ostensibly, he was Lucifer¡¯s bodyguard, he rarely had to act in that capacity anymore; very few people dared tangle with the Avatar of Pride these days.


    After a while, Mammon returned, bringing Satan with him, to help carry the food so there would be enough for both Melody and Levi. Something in his gut told him that leaving Melody alone at this point would be a bad idea. Beel was still too busy eating, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t gobble up half the food, or more, on the walk back. Asmodeus was still too busy talking about himself to help. Lucifer was unlikely to budge from the banquet since he was expected to stay there with Diavolo. Mammon simply didn¡¯t trust Simeon or Solomon. Especially Solomon. And Luke¡¯s distaste of demons was¡­ unmistakable. That left Satan, even though he had little concern for Melody as a person, he also had no particular ire against her, and it was at least a respite from the eldest brother¡¯s smug face.


    Mammon chatted a bit with Melody and Levi as they got her set up to eat, and Satan dropped a few comments before the two of them returned to the dinner. Melody and Levi were both hungry enough that neither of them spoke much while they dug into the feast. It was¡­ actually really good. Mammon had chosen things that wouldn¡¯t upset Melody, and Barbatos¡¯ cooking was delicious. True, the Devildom flavors were a bit on the strong side, but, Melody still found them quite tasty. Even Levi, who didn¡¯t seem to care over much about food in general, looked very happy while he ate. As they slowed down near the end, however, Melody couldn¡¯t forget what had happened before.


    ¡°Levi?¡± Melody asked, tentatively. Levi looked up from his plate of almost finished food.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Solomon did the right thing?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Why would you ask that?¡± Levi shook his head. ¡°I mean, Mammon was being an idiot for arguing; he¡¯s the fastest one of us and had the best chance of luring Henry 1.0 away. But you were the last person he should have shoved out there. I mean, I would have had a better chance of running away from Henry than you, and I¡¯m just a shut-in. It¡¯s like picking on an NPC when you¡¯re the hero group. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not offended,¡± Melody said. Effectively, she was exactly what Levi said, an NPC, only important in her relation to the brothers and Lord Diavolo¡¯s plans. ¡°My first actual day at RAD, Lucifer warned me not to trust him. I guess he was right. I didn¡¯t want to believe him; I wanted to think that at least the other human was safe but¡­¡± Melody sighed deeply. ¡°I guess a sorcerer isn¡¯t much better than a witch after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was a witch¡¯s fault we were in the picture,¡± Levi agreed, hesitantly. ¡°Oh, and Asmo¡¯s fault too,¡± he grumbled. ¡°But I don¡¯t think she was targeting you at all. You just got caught up in Asmo¡¯s mess, the same as the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Helene.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you have experience with other witches?¡± Levi asked. It never occurred to him that Melody had any association with anything magical at all prior to coming to the Devildom.


    ¡°Yes; my whole family can use magic except me.¡± Melody sounded sad, but Levi could feel strong waves of envy inside her. Even though he felt a bit bad for her, he also felt a thrill. There was definitely more evidence of her being envious than any other sin. He leaned forward.


    ¡°Sounds rough,¡± he murmured, feeling a strong temptation to egg her on, to see how far that envy would go. But, he also knew she had been through quite a lot that day, so he steeled himself against his own temptations.


    ¡°Yeah. They all picked on me quite a bit, though some were more obvious about it than others. At least my mother never seemed to hold it against me. She¡¯s actually why I got into video games; she found it was an easy way to keep me quiet while dealing with my older siblings. It helped me keep my head down, and get noticed by my siblings less as well. There are five of them older than me; I am the youngest.¡±


    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t so bad coming here then if it gave you a break from that,¡± Levi said wryly, and immediately felt stupid afterward. Melody hadn¡¯t said anything about being attacked by her siblings, just picked on. But several of his brothers, including himself, had already almost killed her. To his surprise, Melody just smiled and gave a little laugh.


    ¡°Actually, yes. I mean, I was scared at first, but, I feel like I¡¯m doing something useful here, even if it¡¯s just by being a normal human without any powers. It¡¯s what Diavolo wanted, right? Just a normal person to prove that we could get along?¡± She let out a long sigh. ¡°My siblings would have been too similar to Solomon, I guess, even if they¡¯re so much weaker, so, for once, I was the better choice. It¡¯s not a great reason to be happy, but it still makes me happy. Is that strange?¡±


    ¡°Not so strange,¡± Levi assured her.


    Later Barbatos and Lord Diavolo stopped by to make sure she was okay. Although Melody wished that Levi could stay with her, it was strongly suggested he leave, and so she was left without an ally. Not that she had any reason to suspect Diavolo or his butler would do anything bad. But, she just felt more comfortable around the brothers she had a pact with. That extra level of safety was helpful. Still, she supposed it was a sign of how important she was to the program that the Prince of the Devildom himself would check in on her. And, there was the fact he had saved her from Lucifer before¡­


    ¡°Good to see that you are doing well Melody. And it looks like you ate quite a bit too. Mammon explained everything, so while we missed your presence at dinner, I completely understand why you chose to stay here.¡±


    ¡°How much of everything did he explain?¡± Melody found herself asking, not wanting to cause any further trouble.


    ¡°Enough so that I had to have a talk with Solomon,¡± Diavolo admitted with a frown. Melody had rarely seen the Prince frown in anger; usually, if he frowned it was more of a sad or worried expression. Still, he was far from losing his temper, or so she hoped. ¡°Since he is not a demon, and thus not my subject, my response had to be tempered. But, I did let him know he is on very thin ice.¡± His frown shifted to a more familiar, pensive, expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that, Melody. I¡¯ve kept the Little D¡¯s busy, finding any other objects in my castle that might pose a threat to you and removing them to a safe location for the time being,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you; I appreciate that,¡± Melody said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome; it¡¯s the least I could do. Now, since I¡¯ve seen that you¡¯re safe and sound, I will leave you be so your roommates can return and get ready to rest for the evening. Have a good rest, Melody.¡±


    ¡°I hope you also have a good rest, Lord Diavolo. And you too, Barbatos.¡± Melody nodded toward the butler after smiling at Diavolo; even though Barbatos hadn¡¯t said a word the entire time, she still felt rude to not acknowledge him. In turn, he gave her a very slight bow, the corners of his lips creasing upwards in such a slight smile, Melody almost missed it. And, with that, the two demons departed, leaving Melody alone.

 Chapter 32: Angelic Counsels

    Asmodeus came back to the room about fifteen minutes later. He plunked himself down on his bed with an over-dramatic sigh, fanning himself as if he had worked up a sweat, which Melody couldn¡¯t see a trace of. The Avatar of Lust looked as good as he always did. As much as he fretted over his appearance, Melody wondered if he actually could look bad, or if the fear was all in his head. Or, maybe it was his own way of humble-bragging. Honestly, she couldn¡¯t tell. What she did know, however, was that he always made sure he was noticed, even if the reason for it was negative.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like those sorts of adventures at all!¡± he complained, fixing his amber gaze on Melody, who slid her gaze away. Instead of being offended, Asmodeus just giggled. He was about to say more when the door opened once more. Simeon stepped inside, and Melody could feel herself relaxing, just a little. As worried as the angel made her, at least his presence ensured that she wouldn¡¯t be alone with Asmodeus.


    ¡°How are you doing, Melody?¡± he asked, his tone gentle. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve gone through quite the ordeal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m mostly okay now,¡± Melody ventured to say. ¡°Thank you for asking. Did you enjoy the rest of the tour?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fair to say I would have enjoyed it more if we all hadn¡¯t been so worried about you and the others being sucked into the portrait; we had no idea when or how you¡¯d be able to get out,¡± admitted Simeon. ¡°Luke was beside himself; he had just assured himself you were safe after the incident at the House of Lamentation, only to see you disappear again.¡±


    ¡°Well, time for me to get some sleep. Nighty-night, you two!¡± exclaimed Asmodeus, suddenly getting up off the bed and moving into the washroom with a bundle of clothes in his arms. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t interested in talking more about the adventure, having already gotten his fill during dinner. Simeon blinked in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to bed already? It¡¯s awfully early for that.¡±


    ¡°Lack of sleep leads to unhealthy skin, and I don¡¯t want that! I¡¯m sure both of you want to see me looking my best, right?¡± he called from behind the door, amid the sounds of fabric moving around. Melody blushed and looked away, not wanting to think too hard about Asmo getting ready for bed. She also wasn¡¯t going to tell him that she¡¯d rather see him look less than his best; he¡¯d be less intimidating that way.


    ¡°Well, I suppose that means that I¡¯ll get to enjoy some peace and quiet tonight, which is much appreciated,¡± mused Simeon, giving Melody a conspiratorial smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be a disturbance?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any evidence that you are a troublemaker, Melody. Just, very unlucky. Hopefully, you¡¯ve used up your bad luck for the week, and it will be smooth sailing from now on.¡±


    ¡°HEEEEEY!¡± The door opened and Mammon stepped inside, calling loudly. ¡°Look who¡¯s here¡­ it¡¯s Mammon! And you know what that means?! You ain¡¯t gonna be gettin¡¯ ANY sleep tonight! AHAHAHA!¡± He was loud, even bordering on obnoxious, but Melody couldn¡¯t be upset that he was there. Asmodeus, who had just exited the bathroom, looked quite annoyed, on the other hand. ¡°All right all right all right! Time for a pillow fight deathmatch with the Avatar of Greed himself! LET¡¯S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLE!¡±


    Melody was less certain about having any sort of ¡®deathmatch¡¯ even if it was just pillows. But, she assumed that either Mammon didn¡¯t think this over, or he must just think his phrasing wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He had been very supportive, even protective, when Solomon had used his dirty tactics, and she felt she could forgive Mammon almost anything except an outright betrayal. Even so, it wasn¡¯t the way she would want to spend the evening, and by the look on Simeon¡¯s face, she guessed he didn¡¯t want it either.


    ¡°¡­Asmo, he¡¯s your brother, isn¡¯t he? Do you think you could possibly do something about him?¡± Simeon asked, looking over to where Asmo had already crawled into bed and seemed to be asleep. His only response was light breathing at any rate. Whether he was truly asleep or not wasn¡¯t discernible from that distance. Melody pressed her lips together. She had a pact with Mammon, and technically could make him stop. But Simeon didn¡¯t even look her way. Did that mean he didn¡¯t know about the pacts? Or perhaps, as an angel, it would be unseemly to encourage her to use one.


    ¡°OH NO, UH-UH! You¡¯re not gonna fool ME, pretendin¡¯ to be asleep!¡± Mammon said, already crossing the room towards Asmodeus. Honestly, Melody would rather let sleeping demons lie, even if the demon was only faking it. Idly Melody wondered what Mammon had to eat or drink, at dinner. He seemed more hyper than usual. ¡°Right, so it¡¯s gonna be me and Melody versus Simeon and Asmo! So c¡¯mon, get up already, Asmo!¡± Annoying or not, it was touching that Mammon wanted Melody on his team, especially since a human and a demon would have a strong disadvantage against an angel and a demon. ¡°All right all right all right! Let¡¯s get started before that ass Lucifer comes ¡®round on patrol and starts botherin¡¯ us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Who did you just call an ass?¡± Lucifer¡¯s deep voice cut through Mammon¡¯s hyper talking, causing Melody to squeak in surprise, even though she hadn¡¯t been doing anything wrong. Lucifer still wasn¡¯t a comforting person to her, and to have him suddenly in her room was a bit nerve-wracking. She didn¡¯t hold the previous altercation against him, but, he was still very dangerous. And being angry with Mammon didn¡¯t help. She also wondered if Mammon hadn¡¯t insulted him, if he would have still walked in at that moment, or if Mammon somehow invoked him simply by complaining about him.


    ¡°Gah¡­!¡± Mammon wasn¡¯t eloquent in his surprise and displeasure at being caught insulting Lucifer. His older brother sighed and shook his head, his expression showing dismay more than anger now.


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t want to spend my evening patrolling the halls, nor did I want to bother you,¡± he said, looking at Melody, a hint of apology in his tone. But then he was scowling again as he faced Mammon. ¡°But I received word that a certain dimwit tried to sneak inside the castle vault. So, as much as I¡¯d like to rest now, I can¡¯t. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Mammon?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Ah¡­ y¡¯know what? I suddenly feel sooo tired¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll just¡­ go back to my room and, uh¡­ sleep,¡± Mammon hedged, starting to inch back towards the door.


    ¡°MAAAAAMMOOOOON?¡± Lucifer growled.


    ¡°Yikes!¡± Mammon squeaked at the same time Melody hiccuped, both of them reacting to Lucifer¡¯s irritation. Melody wasn¡¯t sure how Mammon managed to get her and Levi settled, attend dinner, and attempt to sneak into the castle vault, and still have enough energy to barge into her room and demand a pillow fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming to my room. Now. And tonight it¡¯s not going to be just me in there, but Diavolo as well. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to have all sorts of fun, don¡¯t you?¡± Lucifer¡¯s expression belied his words, and Melody was sure she¡¯d never heard anyone mention ¡®fun¡¯ in that tone of voice before. He grabbed Mammon by the arm and ushered him out of the room, Mammon pleading for mercy the whole time. It left Melody trembling. But, when she glanced over toward Simeon, the angel was definitely smiling.


    ¡°¡­Well. It seems as though we¡¯ll get a peaceful night¡¯s sleep after all, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he asked pleasantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little too indifferent?¡± Melody asked.


    ¡°It might seem that way, yes,¡± Simeon conceded. ¡°But I¡¯ve known them both for a very long time. I know you¡¯ve seen a lot of scary things since coming here, Melody, but you have to remember that they¡¯ve been living with each other for much longer than you¡¯ve been alive. They both know what to expect from each other, no matter how much they might act otherwise. You¡¯re the wild card here. More than Luke and I. Even more than Solomon.¡± His voice was gentle but firm. ¡°I can almost guarantee that by morning, Mammon will have a lot to complain about, but he¡¯ll be no worse off than he was when he left this room.¡± Simeon seemed so serene about the matter, that Melody found herself calming down quite quickly.


    ¡°Thank you, Simeon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Now, get a good night¡¯s sleep. We still have one full day left, and another half day,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°I will.¡± And, with that, Melody snuggled down under her covers and quickly fell asleep.


    Despite falling asleep relatively early, Melody was slow to wake up. Asmo was already up, prepped, and out of the room before she even stirred. Simeon gently woke her before any of the other brothers came in to loudly demand where she was, thinking that it might be better that way. Even so, she was startled when the first face she saw that morning was Simeon¡¯s. Then she looked away, in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sorry for almost shouting at you; I guess I¡¯ve already gotten used to everyone else,¡± she said meekly.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, Melody. And I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s exactly why Lord Diavolo put us in the same room; he knows we haven¡¯t interacted as much. I would like to say thank you for standing up for Luke that one time. It was very brave of you,¡± Simeon said earnestly, causing Melody to blush at the compliment. The last time the incident had been brought up, they had been in a room full of people.


    ¡°I was terrified, but¡­ I didn¡¯t want that sort of thing on my conscience. I really should have told you right away that Luke was with us, even if he was mad at you,¡± Melody said, frowning slightly.


    ¡°You certainly could have made that choice, and I wouldn¡¯t have judged you for it. But, sometimes, we¡¯re stuck in a situation where there are no good choices. If you have called me, he might have been safer, but he wouldn¡¯t have trusted you, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t have taken offense and run off where neither of us could have found him. You¡¯re a human without magic, living among demons. You¡¯re making a lot of decisions that most people never have to make, in any of the realms. As long as you are doing things because you think they are right, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be led astray,¡± Simeon said with a gentle smile. Melody nodded her head. Angels in some stories were depicted as quite fierce, while others were shown to be serene and mild, yet others were described as firm and unbending. While Simeon didn¡¯t seem like a doormat, he didn¡¯t seem terribly harsh either.


    ¡°That makes me feel a little better; thank you. I think I¡¯m going to get up now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside while you get ready, if you like, then we can walk together to the main hall,¡± Simeon suggested.


    ¡°I would like that, yes,¡± Melody agreed. Simeon just nodded once and stepped outside the room. When she was alone, Melody quickly got dressed and ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a loose bun. The formal dinner and dance were supposed to be that evening, but for a scavenger hunt, her normal clothes would be good enough. She pushed down any nervousness about that evening and focused on the upcoming activity. She remembered doing things like that in school, and usually, they were pretty fun. Except this time she¡¯d be in a castle. She had missed so much during the tour that she was looking forward to seeing things for the first time, even if she came in last as far as the hunt went.


    So, she was in fairly good spirits as she exited her room, DDD in hand. As promised, Simeon was waiting outside their room, effectively standing guard so none of the brothers barged in while she was changing. She would have died of mortification if any of them had wandered in while she was at any stage of undress, no matter what Asmodeus had been saying the day before. When he saw that she was done, he dropped into step beside her and they made their way to the main hall. They were met on the way by a rather anxious-looking Luke, who probably hadn¡¯t felt comfortable milling about with demons when his guardian was elsewhere. When he saw them, his expression brightened.


    ¡°Melody! Simeon! I¡¯m so glad to see you. Those demons are so¡­¡± He struggled to find the words, and he balled his hands into fists.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Luke, we¡¯re here now.¡±


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re doing okay Melody, but I was so worried when you got sucked into that picture. They should let you move to Purgatory Hall with Simeon and me! These demons are nothing but trouble,¡± he said. Melody just shook her head, though she gave him a little smile; she didn¡¯t want to bring up the point that Solomon had proven he was just as willing to put her at risk as the demons.


    ¡°They¡¯re not so bad once I got used to them,¡± she tells the little angel. ¡°Remember how much Beel was willing to help you?¡± was her gentle reminder. From the corner of her eye, she saw Simeon smile in approval.


    ¡°Aww, you¡¯re right, but, still¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be hard for you to trust any of them. But, even though some of them have scared and hurt me, it was always because they were angry or had the wrong information. There are actually demons out there who might hurt me just because I¡¯m human, and if I was staying with you and Simeon, they might hurt you two as well,¡± she said seriously. She remembered what Lucifer had told her the first day, about vulgar demons who would try to attack her. When Lucifer had lost his temper and almost killed her¡­ he had thought that someone was trying to control him and his brothers. He was wrong, but it wasn¡¯t from a place of malice that he acted.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they should never have invited a non-magical human in the first place,¡± protested Luke. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Luke, if you keep going on this way, you¡¯ll just scare Melody,¡± Simeon warned, though he was still smiling. Luke¡¯s shoulders drooped, and he looked at the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, both of you. I think you both care what happens to me, and to each other. But, as long as I¡¯m careful, things should turn out in the end.¡± Whether Melody truly believed this herself, she wasn¡¯t sure. She only had to convince the angels so that it didn¡¯t turn into a subject of contention between them. ¡°And, we have a scavenger hunt to get to, so, let¡¯s get to it!¡± She sounded more chipper than she felt, but it seemed to put Luke more at ease, and his posture bounced back. The three of them continued on their way to the great hall in better spirits.

 Chapter 33: Faux Hunt

    There was a conversation going on between everyone when Melody and the two angels arrived. By the blush on Mammon¡¯s face, and the expressions of everyone else, it looked like they were at it again, teasing him. She moved away from Simeon¡¯s side and stood beside Mammon. It was true they hadn¡¯t started off very smoothly, but, once they had talked it over, Mammon really had been trying to watch out for her, and she appreciated that. His brothers might not appreciate him, but Melody did. He smiled, a bit awkwardly, as she approached him, the relief on his face obvious: he was glad she didn¡¯t hear any of what they had been discussing, and even more relieved that it had come to a stop.


    ¡°So, back to business,¡± said Solomon smoothly as it appeared the whole group was there. ¡°I think you mentioned that day two of the retreat was supposed to be-¡± He was facing Diavolo and Lucifer specifically, but Simeon cut in.


    ¡°A scavenger hunt, right?¡± He had noticed that Melody was looking a bit uncomfortable, and it didn¡¯t miss anyone¡¯s notice that she had moved even further behind Mammon, sort of wedging herself between him and Levi.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be having a scavenger hunt,¡± confirmed Lucifer, his eyes only briefly taking in the sight of Melody shying away from Solomon. Well, he had told her not to trust the sorcerer; but, given the circumstances, she had had little choice. He wondered how such an innocuous human got into so much trouble. Especially one that seemed to try actively to avoid it. Maybe he should start looking into possible curses that might have afflicted her with bad luck; after all, she was related to witches. His brother had been surprised, but he also hadn¡¯t seen the girl¡¯s profile when the choices had been made. ¡°Each group will be given riddles to solve. Each riddle hints at one of the works of art or historical items here in the castle. Once you figure out the answer, you find and take a picture of the item in question,¡± he explained. ¡°The things you learned during yesterday¡¯s tour of the castle should come in handy as you try solving your riddles.¡±


    Melody¡¯s stomach sank. She had missed most of the tour, because of the little adventure in the labyrinth, and its aftermath. She barely knew anything. Plus, she didn¡¯t have the long life and historical background of pretty much everyone else there. Even Luke knew more about Devildom history than she did. And, she was still a little fuzzy on how long she had been out for after she passed out. Were Solomon, Mammon, Beel, Levi, and Asmo also going to be at a disadvantage? Even if she tried her best, this wouldn¡¯t end well for her. On the bright side, there were no real stakes here; it was for fun, right?


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this in groups, huh? In that case, I¡¯m groupin¡¯ up with Melody,¡± announced Mammon. Melody bit her lip; it was nice that he wanted to group with her, but neither of them had seen the whole tour. But, she didn¡¯t want to seem ungrateful either. She didn¡¯t have time to fret about it though, because Diavolo spoke up.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just say that the groups will be made up of the same people you share a room with?¡± suggested Diavolo. At least, his words made it sound like a suggestion, but his tone was rather final, despite sounding as friendly as always. Mammon grumbled about this, but Melody wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he couldn¡¯t group with her, or because he didn¡¯t like the group he was in. Maybe a bit of both? Either way, as Melody recounted who was in which group in her mind, she concluded that it was probably the fairest outcome; each group had someone who had been lost in the labyrinth, and someone who had been there for the whole tour: Satan, Luke, and Simeon had safely made it through the entire tour, and thus could help their group along.


    The lists were given out to the groups, and they split up to find the various things on the list. Some items were the same with the same clues, some items were the same, but had different clues, and some items were unique to each group. Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos oversaw the endeavor, so they mostly wandered around to make sure that no problems cropped up, such as a portrait with a thirst for revenge. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t come across any such thing. However, Asmo soon lost interest and sprinted off ahead to see what everyone else was up to, leaving Simeon and Melody alone to look for things.


    Simeon was gentle in his approach, letting Melody try to sort out some of the clues for herself before stepping in with his much older wisdom and experience. He didn¡¯t rush her, or fault her for any mistakes. Shoulders aside, it wasn¡¯t hard for Melody to think of him as an angel. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to feel bad that Asmo had left them to their own devices; neither Simeon nor Luke had ever expressed anything that indicated they wished her harm. While she was still a little wary of them, it wasn¡¯t because of ill intent. She simply feared to disappoint them.


    Eventually, they heard voices up ahead, and the two of them quickened their paces. Everyone else had ended up in the same room where Helene¡¯s portrait had once graced the walls. She was no longer there, for safety reasons. Idly Melody wondered if Diavolo would hang the picture back up once they were all gone, or if the unfortunate witch would be relegated to some dusty back room forever¡­ or for a few centuries at any rate. She felt a little bad for the woman, even if she had almost gotten her, and others, eaten by a giant snake. Whether that was her plan, or not, Melody had no idea.


    ¡°Hey there, Satan. How¡¯re things going for your team? Well, I hope?¡± Simeon was just a little ahead of her, trying to strike up a conversation with Satan. But, Satan shook his head looking disappointed in the questions.


    ¡°Oh please. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. You hatched a plot to keep us from winning, didn¡¯t you?¡± Satan accused, though he sounded more weary than angry. Melody sometimes forgot he was the Avatar of Wrath. Simeon, however, looked as shocked as Melody felt at these words. What would have given Satan that idea?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you referring to?¡± Simeon asked. Solomon stepped up beside Satan, shaking his head. Melody forced herself to not move away, but her eyes darted to the floor.


    ¡°He¡¯s referring to Asmo, who¡¯s preventing us from making any progress at the moment.¡± It was a curious thing; Melody knew that Solomon had the power to stop Asmo, so she wondered if he was truly as upset as he seemed. Then again, maybe it would strain their relationship if he ordered Asmo around in situations like this. It was just a friendly competition, not a death-threatening trap, after all.


    ¡°Check it out! We found what we were lookin¡¯ for, so we tried to take a picture. But then HE went and jumped in front of it so we can¡¯t get a clear shot¡­!¡± complained Mammon, seeing that the rest of Asmo¡¯s team had arrived. Melody gave him a bit of a smile; she hoped he didn¡¯t think it was a plot too. She wouldn¡¯t have done something like that, and she hoped that Simeon wouldn¡¯t either. If Asmo was doing this to cheat, he had chosen that path on his own.


    ¡°Whaaat? Oh, come on. Wouldn¡¯t you rather have a picture of ME than this boring old piece of art? I¡¯m much better looking. Your camera will thank you!¡± Asmodeus went on to look at the photo on Mammon¡¯s screen and gushed over how good it was, and the best angles by which to photograph him in the future. Melody could only think about how badly he was missing the entire point of their protests. Especially since Mammon lived with Asmo; he certainly didn¡¯t need pictures of him on his DDD. Partway through Asmo¡¯s raving about himself, Luke made a startled sound of dismay. Simeon was quick to get to the younger angel¡¯s side.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Luke, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    For a few moments the little angel could barely speak. But, finally, after taking a few deep breaths, he said, ¡°I was trying to take a picture of the goddess statue here, but before I could get the shot, Asmodeus CHARMED the statue¡­!¡± Wait¡­ no one had told Melody that Asmodeus could charm inanimate objects! How was that even possible? Beel mumbled something which Melody couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of, due to a large donut that he was munching on.


    ¡°Beel, how about you swallow that doughnut you¡¯re eating before trying to talk?¡± chastized Satan, who looked very close to being done with the entire retreat. Meanwhile, Levi was aggressively tapping away at his DDD screen, probably sending another complaint update to his followers. The anger in the room towards Asmodeus was nearly reaching the boiling point. The Avatar of Lust¡¯s narcissism seemed to be on the verge of undoing Diavolo¡¯s plan without him even realizing it.


    ¡°Hey, Asmo! Whaddya think you¡¯re doin¡¯ huh?!¡± demanded Mammon. Asmo just defended himself, claiming he couldn¡¯t help how charming he was. As much as Melody could admit he was a good-looking individual, she doubted that he would get as far as he did on looks alone. His power, and his position, did a lot of the work. And, that was something he could help, to some extent. But she wasn¡¯t about to say these things out loud.


    ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going? We¡¯re not done talking to you, Asmo!¡± Satan shouted, his voice thin from his efforts to keep his wrath from bursting out of control. Melody shrank back, feeling Beel¡¯s hand rest reassuringly against her shoulder.


    ¡°Where am I going? Oh, I dunno, maybe somewhere where I don¡¯t have to listen to someone lecturing me?¡± Asmo spat back as he flounced off out of the room. Melody had to fight back a laugh. Asmodeus seemed so much like one of Melody¡¯s sisters after having a fight with their older brother, or their mother. The similarities in tone and body language were so close, it was almost surreal. Simeon sighed and gave a helpless gesture.


    ¡°He really is a handful. But, he¡¯s our teammate, so we should go after him,¡± he said, his tone regretful. It would be so much easier to go on without Asmo, but it would also defeat the purpose of the retreat. Melody¡¯s shoulder slumped, but she nodded.


    ¡°Okay, Simeon.¡± She turned towards the rest of the room. ¡°Good luck finishing up; I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be back in time. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry we weren¡¯t able to keep him in check.¡± She didn¡¯t know if they could have stopped it, even if they had followed him the whole time. But, she felt like she should have at least tried. Then again, hindsight was 20/20.


    The two of them made it out into the hall, but there was no trace of Asmo. He might not have been the fastest of the demons, but he could move quickly when it suited him. They had no way of knowing where he went. Would he have retreated back to his room, or gone somewhere else in the castle? Melody felt a headache coming on and imagined that Lucifer felt that way almost perpetually by the way he frequently reacted to his younger brothers. She gave Simeon a questioning look.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s best to split up to cover more ground. I¡¯ll check back in our room, you go down the other hall there,¡± Simeon said. ¡°He has a list too, and he might have gone ahead and tried to finish some of these on his own. Or, maybe he¡¯s just going to sabotage it further since everyone has been banding against him.¡± Sadly, Melody could imagine Asmo doing any of those things. She just hoped that Simeon found Asmo first; she wasn¡¯t sure she was ready to face him alone when he was in a mood like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later then, Simeon,¡± Melody agreed, putting on a brave face. Then she turned and went down the hallway Simeon had indicated. She heard him walking away behind her, each step taking him further from her, and further from being able to aid her. It was only when she couldn¡¯t hear his footsteps anymore that she let out a deep sigh. However, she almost turned back on her heels when she found Asmodeus alone in a room, peering between his DDD and a piece of sculpture. But, he turned around before she had a chance to leave quietly.


    ¡°¡­Hm? Ah, I was wondering who was behind me. So it¡¯s you, Melody.¡± He gave her a wicked smile. ¡°What? Did you follow me hoping we could have a little alone time?¡± That was so not what Melody was looking for, but she struggled to find the words to say it. So she side-stepped the question.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back,¡± she said, hoping that Asmo would, though doubting it very much. It wasn¡¯t like he had been given enough time to cool down from his little fit.


    ¡°Go back? Eew, no. I don¡¯t want to have to deal with them,¡± exclaimed Asmo, looking quite peevish. Again the similarities between him and Melody¡¯s sister were hard to miss. But, then he smiled at her, and she felt her knees get weak. ¡°What? So now you¡¯ve come to lecture me too? Is that it?¡± he asked, almost daring her with his tone. Melody¡¯s throat went dry. She didn¡¯t follow him to lecture him, exactly. She just wanted to finish the scavenger hunt, as a team.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t come to lecture you, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how the scavenger hunt was meant to go¡­¡± Melody protested.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I should¡¯ve done that? Reeeally?¡± Asmo was practically purring now, perhaps at her distress, eyes gleaming with mischief. Or¡­ was it something else? Melody swallowed her response.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, her voice coming out in a hollow tone that sounded strange in her ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Melody, just tell me what you really think. It¡¯s not hard,¡± Amso cooed, taking a step towards her. She backed away from him until she bumped against a wall. Then she froze still. Casually Asmo leaned against the wall, elbow bent slightly as he rested his arm above her head. ¡°Do you really think I shouldn¡¯t have made this game a little more fun, a little more challenging?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you did miss the tour, so, I guess it makes sense to try to get an advantage,¡± Melody said, the words still sounding a bit off to her. Part of her was screaming at her to move, but all she could do was gaze upwards into Asmodeus¡¯ eyes. They looked like a mix of amber and honey, with a hint of pink. Like a sunset.


    ¡°And after I had done so splendidly in the labyrinth, I deserve to have a little fun, don¡¯t you think?¡± he asked, still looking her in the eyes. Melody nodded, her lips feeling strangely heavy. Actually, everything was feeling heavy to her, and she leaned more against the wall behind her for support. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be modest, Melody. You don¡¯t need to be shy about speaking up.¡±


    ¡°It seems fair to want a little fun,¡± Melody answered, her mind feeling dull, as though it was wading through molasses.


    ¡°Do you remember what we talked about, in the labyrinth, before Solomon so rudely interrupted us?¡± Asmo asked. He didn¡¯t miss the way Melody flinched at the name of his pact-holder. It was little surprise, considering how the sorcerer had treated Melody. Not that Asmo would do something so¡­ brutish. No, he had more grace than that. Or so he liked to tell himself. His charm could get people to do things, it was true, but it was easier to convince someone to act out on hidden desires than it was to hide things that troubled them. His power was very useful, but it really only worked in the direction of uncovering things, not hiding them. Anything he wanted to remain hidden, he had to manage on his own.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Melody, sucking on her bottom lip. It only took the slightest nudge from Asmo¡¯s power to bring that scene back quite clearly to her mind.


    ¡°Good girl, Melody,¡± Asmo purred, putting a hand gently under her chin. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we get to the bottom of things? What is it¡­ or should I ask who is it¡­ that you desire?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I want¡­¡± Melody¡¯s mind flickered rapidly. What did she want, deep down? What would she desire, really, if she was free to have anything she wanted? There was no face that stayed in her mind long enough to generate the sort of response that she was being prompted to give, no place or object that clicked into place.


    ¡°Go on¡­¡± breathed Asmo.


    ¡°I want¡­ someone to want me,¡± she finally said, the words bursting forth as though they had been held back for far too long.


    Asmo just stared at her in silence.

 Chapter 34: Prism of the Soul

    There was a long silence between Melody and Asmodeus, finally broken by the sound of Asmo¡¯s bell-like laughter. Melody¡¯s eyes teared up as the charm shattered. With what she had seen of Asmo so far, she could only guess he was laughing at her, mocking her for her simplistic desire. But the sight of her tears cut the laughter short. Gently, Asmo reached forward with a delicate finger and caught one of the tears on the tip of it. Peering at it, he gave her a smile that was oddly out of place.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a true romantic, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said, his tone somewhat subdued. ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, Melody; I¡¯m just delighted with your answer.¡± He giggled then, the sound a little more like his usual laugh. ¡°You see, most people are so good at hiding what they want, they convince themselves they actually don¡¯t want the thing they desire. Sometimes it¡¯s because they¡¯re not sure they can get what they want, and sometimes it¡¯s because stuffy people tell them they shouldn¡¯t want it.¡± Deliberately he sucked the little tear off his finger. ¡°But you, even under the weight of my charm, want something so completely heartfelt. That hungry part of you is obviously still sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping?¡± Melody asked, slowly finding her voice, speaking free of the charm again.


    ¡°Do you know what a soul looks like to us? It¡¯s sort of like a bright bauble that we can see. The purest of souls, ones we rarely see, are just white light. Dazzling, but ultimately boring. You see, a little bit of sin, here and there, adds a splash of color.¡± Asmo thought for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve seen stained glass windows, right? Beautiful, aren¡¯t they? A soul with just the right amount of sin looks like one of those. When a soul becomes too tarnished, too broken, it¡¯s not strong enough to light up the window. Such a pity.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that what you all see when you look at me?¡± Melody¡¯s voice trembled as she asked. She remembered Lucifer talking about it when she first arrived. Shining up her soul.


    ¡°Not usually. It does require a choice to look at your soul, a tiny bit of effort and concentration,¡± Asmodeus said, shaking his head, not really interested in talking about that part. That sort of discussion was more up Satan¡¯s alley. Asmo didn¡¯t care much for knowledge; he preferred practical experiences to teach and inform him. Not that he blamed Satan, given his sin. ¡°So, don¡¯t fret about that; we need to keep that face of yours wrinkle-free, remember?¡± He made a soft tutting sound towards her, and she tried to smile. It would be a lie if Melody said she wasn¡¯t relieved that her soul wasn¡¯t perpetually on display for them all to gawk at.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± she said quietly. Asmo largely ignored her statement, though his eyebrows did twitch upwards slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think this is the end of this little discussion, though. One day, you will feel a shift, and that delicate, sleepy little spout will wake up inside you. And, when that happens, I¡¯ll be right there, ready to let it grow into a full flower,¡± he said, his tone a hushed whisper of intent. ¡°If you had been like most humans, I would have already had my fun and walked away; but you¡¯re actually giving me a challenge.¡± Causally, he pushed himself away from the wall, giving Melody some space. ¡°I¡¯m so excited, I just can¡¯t contain it!¡± He clasped his hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Melody. After all, we still have the formal dinner and dance to get you ready for.¡± Laughing, he waved to Melody and left her in the room. Melody did not follow. Instead, she slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. She didn¡¯t know if she wanted to laugh or cry.


    Simeon found her there a little while later. His expression immediately showed alarm, and he extended a gloved hand for Melody to take. Looking a bit bemused, she accepted the hand and felt the angel assist her to her feet. Like the demons, Simeon was stronger than he looked, but without the sense of building power behind him. She tried to force a smile, but somehow she couldn¡¯t quite manage it.


    ¡°Are you okay, Melody?¡± The question was gentle, not pushing. Simeon wasn¡¯t demanding an answer.


    ¡°I think I will be; I just need a bit of a rest.¡±


    ¡°You seem to spend a lot of time resting. Has this exchange been too hard on you?¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong to lie to an angel?¡± Melody asked, a bit wryly.


    ¡°Well, in this case, I wouldn¡¯t advise it, not because of any punishment, but because I want what is best for you,¡± Simeon said, shaking his head. He spoke cautiously, but his voice was as gentle as ever.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s been hard on me, but since I¡¯m still alive, I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s too hard,¡± Melody hedged. ¡°Sometimes, I think it might be though. I feel so weak,¡± she said, her tears coming back, but only just a few squeezing from beneath her eyelids. If Asmo had actually meant her harm, he could have easily done something irrevocable while they were alone, and she would have just stood there and let it happen, and that terrified her more than Lucifer¡¯s anger, or Beel¡¯s loss of control.


    ¡°Physically, and magically, you are the weakest person here. But, that just might mean you have the strongest character. A lot of other humans would have broken already,¡± Simeon said. ¡°Still, it¡¯s better for you to be cautious, or even afraid, than to think you can handle everything on your own. You can ask any of us for help that you trust enough to do so. No one will think less of you for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Simeon,¡± Melody agreed, though something still held her back. ¡°Asmo, he¡­ he scared me for a while. But, he didn¡¯t actually do anything other than ask me a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°That does sound a lot like him. He¡¯s the least likely to actually attack someone. But you could feel it, that you weren¡¯t quite safe? That just means you have good instincts. They are demons, after all.¡±


    ¡°Simeon¡­ are demons evil?¡± Melody asked, barely able to squeeze the question out of her throat. Simeon gave her a long look, not saying anything for quite some time. Melody regretted asking the question and held up her hand. ¡°Never mind¡­¡± But Simeon shook his head, actually reaching to take her hands in both of his.


    ¡°Melody, good and evil are far more complicated than most humans realize. If I could answer the question you think you are asking, I would,¡± he told her, his tone serious. ¡°But, I will tell you, if they were completely evil in the way you¡¯re thinking, this exchange never would have been allowed to go forward. I hope that is enough to give you some comfort.¡±


    ¡°It is; thank you Simeon.¡± Simeon let go of Melody¡¯s hands, leaving behind a soothing warmth. Melody felt like a burden had been lifted, and by the time they made it back to their room, she was smiling. Feeling somewhat refreshed in mind, though still somewhat weary physically, the idea of a nap still sounded good.


    ¡°You just rest here for a bit; I¡¯ll go see if I can find out how the scavenger hunt is going, and maybe find Asmo,¡± Simeon said kindly to Melody. When she sleepily nodded and slid under her covers, he left her to her nap. Melody dozed off quickly, wondering if Simeon just had a soothing personality, or if he had used some subtle angel magic to help her feel better. By the time she drifted off completely, she hadn¡¯t come to a conclusion.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Oi! Melody, wake up!¡± Mammon¡¯s voice intruded into whatever dream Melody had been having, and slowly she opened her eyes. It took her a few moments to question why Mammon was in her room¡­ again. Rubbing away the sleepiness, she sat up.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, everythin¡¯s fine. Just, we don¡¯t want ya to sleep too much, or you¡¯ll miss getting ready for the dinner and dance is all,¡± Mammon said, shrugging.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Melody exclaimed, almost falling out of bed. Mammon put out a hand to steady her.


    ¡°Calm down; you get in enough trouble as it is without fallin¡¯ out of bed like that,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lucifer realized how much effort it is ta keep ya in one piece,¡± he added. Then, seeing how her shoulders were drooping, he softened his tone a bit. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t look at me like that. I know you don¡¯t mean to get into all this trouble; it just seems to follow ya. Good thing you have The Great Mammon lookin¡¯ out for ya,¡± he said, grinning, the expression widening even more when he saw Melody relax again.


    ¡°Thank you, Mammon,¡± she said, letting out a breath she had been holding in.


    ¡°Now, the dinner was said to be a formal dinner, but that¡¯s mostly about the setup; we gave up tryin¡¯ ta dress for the dinners a long time ago. Beel makes it difficult. So, just get yourself presentable, and we can head into the hall to eat. You¡¯ll be given time ta get ready for the dance after.¡± Mammon paused for a moment. ¡°Asmo said he¡¯d help ya out, right? Are ya still okay with that, after everythin¡¯? Because if you¡¯re not, it¡¯s my job ta make sure you¡¯re all safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t want to get in the way of anything you have to do to get ready,¡± Melody said. For a moment Mammon looked as though he was going to object, but then he just laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about The Great Mammon for even a minute; I¡¯ve got this down to an art,¡± he said, still chuckling through his words. ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised Asmo offered ta help you at all. He¡¯s always the last ta get ready for these things; takes him forever.¡± He rolled his arms. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be just outside the door. Step out when you¡¯re ready, and we¡¯ll go to dinner.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Melody to get up and get ready. While Mammon was often seen as unreliable, she couldn¡¯t see a reason for him to lie about the dinner. So, she just made herself look decent enough and stepped out into the corridor. As Mammon said, he was standing there waiting, and when he saw her step out, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He seemed pretty eager to get to the dinner, so Melody didn¡¯t ask any further questions; she just followed him to the dining hall.


    As Mammon had stated, the table was completely decked out in formal splendor, but everyone was wearing their casual clothes. It clashed a bit, but she didn¡¯t care too much; it wasn¡¯t as if she spent a lot of time at formal dinners or anything. And, in a way, it made sense. Who would want to spill food on their nice, fancy clothes? Especially just before a dance, when most people would want to look their best. Napkins would just cover up a lot of the finery anyhow. Still, it puzzled her why they bothered with the fancy dishes as well. But, as the saying went: when in Rome, do as the Romans.


    The seating had been arranged in a way that Melody ended up somewhere in the middle, across the way from Lucifer. To her relief, she wasn¡¯t next to, or even close, to Solomon. The spread on the table, now that Melody could look at it, was mostly made of very light-colored dishes. Soft and fluffy textures were common, and she could have sworn some of them actually glowed, just a little. Curious to try Celestial Realm food, she dished herself up a little of this and that, just enough to try everything. If she was still hungry, she could have more¡­ assuming Beel left enough food by the time that happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had food from the Celestial Realm,¡± said Levi with excitement. ¡°This is so special that it almost feels wrong to eat it.¡± It was yet another reminder of where the brothers came from. Still, she guessed that they must have had some good memories still of that part of their life, or Levi wouldn¡¯t have seemed quite so enthusiastic.


    ¡°Huh¡­ the flavors are a lot different from what you¡¯ll find in the Devildom. And the ingredients, too. But it¡¯s really good, in its own way.¡± Satan¡¯s observations were a bit more clinical sounding, yet he still had a little chuckle to add to his assessment. Melody remembered how Luke had told her that Satan was never an angel, yet he was clearly seen as family to the others. Now wasn¡¯t the time to ask about it, and Melody had to make sure she didn¡¯t stare too much at Satan. Usually, she had avoided him, for the most part, perhaps unfairly, due to both his name and the sin he stood for. Plus the fact he had made no effort to reach out to her.


    ¡°More please.¡± Beel, of course, was happy to be eating, and his request for more came as no surprise to Melody. Not only was it normal for Beel, but the food itself was quite delicious when she tasted it for herself. There was just something light and euphoric about the dishes. Eating them made her feel satisfied without the sense of being bloated or weighed down. Some of it was sweet, or tangy, but there weren¡¯t any hot spices.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not full?¡± Solomon asked with a sigh. ¡°¡­ Okay. Here, you can have mine.¡± Melody didn¡¯t look directly at Solomon, and tried not to wonder too much if he was just full, didn¡¯t like the food, or perhaps wanted to keep Beel from rampaging.


    ¡°Would you like mine as well, Beelzebub?¡± offered Diavolo. That one surprised Melody. No matter how pleasant the Prince seemed to be, the fact that Diavolo was royalty and a demon always made Melody a bit wary of him. She suspected, however, it was the royalty more than the demon part that was the reason for this. Still, it seemed a nice gesture or at least one that showed he knew his Avatars well.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to be nice, but if you keep giving him food like that, he¡¯ll never stop eating,¡± protested Lucifer, giving Diavolo an uneasy glance, eyebrows lifted up in a pensive manner. ¡°He¡¯d even eat your arm if you let him.¡± While Melody believed that was true, she also believed that the ¡®let¡¯ part was a key distinction to make. She couldn¡¯t actually imagine Beel eating someone while in his right mind. The only question she had was, how much warning did Beel give before he wasn¡¯t in his right mind anymore?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so good at cooking, Luke,¡± Melody said when she was about halfway done. The little angel beamed brightly with the compliment. It was nice to see him happy about something. Overall it seemed to be a success, with Simeon and Mammon both complimenting the food. Unfortunately, Mammon had to tack on a dog reference to the end of his compliment, which certainly didn¡¯t go over well with Luke, who went from happy, to angry, in seconds flat, denying being named ¡®Fido.¡¯ But before Melody could kindly ask Mammon to stop, Asmo stepped in and did the same thing. Mostly.


    ¡°You know they keep teasing you because you always get upset like that. ¡­Or do you do it on purpose? Is that it?¡± asked Asmo. And though he was talking to Luke, as he asked the last question, his eyes locked onto Melody¡¯s. She felt her cheeks blushing before she even processed his words. It didn¡¯t feel quite like earlier when he had charmed her, yet, she felt somewhat dazed. Finally, she was able to lower her eyes and ended up staring blankly at her plate for quite some time, the rest of the conversation around her blending together in her ears.


    ¡°¡­Melody. ¡­Hey, Melody!¡±


    The world of sound suddenly snapped back to its normal clarity as she heard her name spoken with a sharp tone. Looking up, she saw Lucifer peering at her expectantly, but, she couldn¡¯t seem to think of a context for why. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. Lucifer sighed and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I asked you to pass me the dipping sauce,¡± he said, looking halfway between annoyed and worried. ¡°You really seem to be off in space today, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s still only day two, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ here¡¯s the sauce,¡± Melody said, very carefully picking up the desired bowl and handing it over to the Avatar of Pride. ¡°I guess I got a little bit lost inside my own thoughts,¡± she said, not wanting to leave the impression that she was trying to ignore him, or didn¡¯t care about his request. Lucifer simply nodded and accepted her explanation, not going deeper into it. Melody very quietly finished what was on her plate. Almost the second it was cleared, she heard Asmo speak up again.


    ¡°Are you done, Melody? We still need to get you ready,¡± he prompted.

 Chapter 35: Dance Magic Dance

    Asmodeus whisked Melody back to their shared room before anyone could really protest, including Melody herself. It was already known that he would be helping her with her preparations, and so no one thought anything was out of place about this. But, since everyone knew where they were going, Melody tried not to be too worried. If they took too long because something bad happened, she was sure someone would come looking to see what happened.


    As it turned out, however, there was no real need for worry. Despite Asmodeus¡¯ earlier words, he was almost professional as he helped Melody get ready. The beautiful outfit he had helped her pick out was finally peeled out of its case, all the accessories lined up on her bed. He waited with quiet patience for her to get into the dress, and didn¡¯t even try to flirt as he helped cinch it all up and get it properly settled on her. And though Melody kept expecting him to do, or say, something that would make her uncomfortable, it never happened. Still, she could see the blush across her face as she sat in front of a mirror and watched her reflection while Asmo did her hair and makeup.


    By the end of it, she looked like she had stepped out of a fancy movie, maybe even a fairy tale. It was a suitable comparison, considering Asmo had earlier likened the castle to something out of such a story. She had never been so dolled up before, and she couldn¡¯t help but touch her cheeks, just to make sure the version of herself in the mirror mimicked the gesture. Even though she was far from being a child, and had left her awkward teens behind her some time ago, she always felt younger than she was because of how her siblings treated her. But, dressed this way, she felt more like a woman than a girl, and it wasn¡¯t exactly the most comfortable feeling. At the same time, however, she felt a thrill of elation run through her.


    ¡°I told you that you should stop hiding behind all those loose and baggy clothes, didn¡¯t I?¡± Asmo said as Melody stood up. She could only nod at this, still not completely certain that she wanted to be dressed up this way more than on very rare occasions. Still, she was glad to not be a disappointment. ¡°Well, then, let me escort you back to the ballroom,¡± he said, extending an arm. Timidly, Melody took the offered arm, and the two of them returned to the hall.


    To Melody¡¯s surprise, everyone looked the same as when she left them. She almost pulled away from Asmodeus, panic starting to well up inside her. Was this a joke? Why was she the only one dressed up? But, if it was a joke, why such an elaborate and expensive one? Asmodeus held her firmly in place, but not to the point of hurting her. Glancing down at her expression, his eyebrows went up.


    ¡°You look good, Melody, don¡¯t fret,¡± he assured her. ¡°I always stand by my work, and I¡¯ve done a wonderful job, if I do say so myself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m the only one dressed up!¡± she almost wailed, keeping her voice to a low whimper instead.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Asmodeus couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that right now; you¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± Gently letting go of her arm, he took a few steps away. ¡°Speaking of which, that¡¯s my cue to go. You go on inside.¡± He sprinted off, and she soon lost sight of him. Hoping that he was right, she stepped into the ballroom, her heart hammering with nerves. Diavolo spotted her from the center of the room, and nodded his head.


    ¡°All right then, here we go¡­¡±


    The room went black; Melody couldn¡¯t see anything at all, and for a moment her panic nearly doubled in its intensity. Seconds later, a slight popping sound could be heard, and the room slowly grew brighter from a thousand little motes of light, sparkling and growing, until she could see the room properly again. The room itself hadn¡¯t changed, but the occupants had. Not only were there a lot more of them, but¡­


    Melody didn¡¯t know where to look. The room was now packed with people in full demon form. Her eyes had been on Lord Diavolo last, and as she adjusted to the light again, she could feel her cheeks grow red. Instead of being so completely covered up in a stiff uniform, he now looked every inch a demon Prince. Even his hair and skin had changed to hues that no one would see on a human being; his hair was brilliant like a cardinal, his skin almost a charcoal color. He had two pair of magnificent dragon-like wings, and a very impressive set of horns. His clothes left¡­ little to the imagination as far as his physique went, though Melody wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he was wearing. There was a lot of black and gold, and the tight collar around his neck looked elaborate, expensive, and hard to put on. Yet, even with all this, he still wore the same affable smile as ever. She hated to stare, but she couldn¡¯t pull her eyes away either.


    ¡°Well then, let the dance begin! Everyone enjoy yourselves!¡± Diavolo¡¯s words seemed to set the room in motion, bodies moving as people started to ask each other to dance, a swirl of unfamiliar faces moving around. Melody found herself getting lost in the sea, her panic now being of a different sort. Where were the angels? Where were her pacted demons? Mixed in with the crowd, she saw some familiar demon forms: Leviathan, Beelzebub, and Lucifer. This was only partially comforting. Before she had seen them in brief moments when the demons in question were angry and had been a definite threat to her. Now they were surrounded by other demons in a formal setting, not even looking her way. Demons who were strangers felt far more dangerous now than back in RAD, where they had all looked human. Now some of them leered at her, making her wish she could run and hide. It was tempting, and she tried to weave her way through the crowd, vainly trying to find the door until¡­


    ¡°¡­Yo, Melody.¡± Melody heard Mammon before she saw him; her head eagerly turning towards the sound of the familiar voice. What she saw was not what she was expecting either. While she had been aware that the brothers were all quite good looking, Mammon¡¯s demon form was¡­ surprising. Usually she didn¡¯t stand that close to someone showing so much skin. She didn¡¯t even know how to describe what he was wearing except that there were a lot of belts involved. His horns were sleek and upright, curled in a tight twist. He had bat-like wings, with spikes on the joints, that hung low on his body¡­ and they weren¡¯t the only things that hung low; his pants looked about to fall off, causing her to blush harder. While he didn¡¯t look threatening, she was sure that if she hadn¡¯t met him before seeing his demon form, she would have been completely intimidated. But, the way he was blushing as well, made it hard to be too worried.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Um, like¡­ you know¡­ Uh, I mean, like¡­ uh¡­¡± Mammon was stuttering pretty badly, and rescued himself by throwing in a laugh. ¡°L-Like you¡¯ve gotta have weird tastes to ask a human like you to dance. I¡¯m guessin¡¯ no one here¡¯s gonna do that, huh?¡± He laughed a bit more. Melody wished he didn¡¯t feel the need to push himself away so hard. ¡°¡­So y¡¯know, as long as you don¡¯t have a partner, I guess I could maybe go ahead and pair up with you for a li¡¯l bit.¡±


    ¡°Mammon, why not just admit that you want to dance with Melody?¡± Satan said, chuckling at his older brother¡¯s expense. This was the first time Melody was seeing his demon form as well. He was far more covered up than Mammon or the Prince, not showing any more skin than usual. His clothes weren¡¯t so much startling, as confusing. She wasn¡¯t sure what those oddly intricate knotted ribbons were for. But his double-curved horns and rather vicious looking tail were definite signs that he was in demon form. He didn¡¯t seem to have wings, but he had a large feather boa slung around his neck that he definitely didn¡¯t have prior to the change.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a lo¡­¡± Leviathan began, but then seeing Melody¡¯s rather stricken expression, he changed his words a bit, ¡°such a liar! And a total tsundere!¡± He was still laughing at Mammon as well, but his words weren¡¯t as harsh as they usually would have been. Melody was glad to get a better look at Leviathan¡¯s demon form this time around, though she still felt a split second of apprehension at the sight of his tail. But, here in the bright light of the ballroom, she thought it looked rather majestic. Not that Levi was likely to believe her if she said as much. Still, she appreciated his redirection, and she smiled at him. Catching the smile, he blushed and hid his face behind his hand.


    ¡°GRRRRR! Get outta here, both of you! Shoo! Shoo!¡± Mammon grumbled, trying to wave away his two younger brothers as they heckled him. Mammon hadn¡¯t completely sorted out how he felt about Melody, warring between his Greed claiming her as his property, and the warm way he felt when she thanked him, or tried to nudge his brothers away from picking on him. She was nice, not because she had an angle, but because she was truly a kind person. That sort of thing was rare in the Devildom. Rare meant precious, and that started the cycle of questioning his Greed all over again.


    Another laugh stopped any further words from Mammon. Lucifer had approached the small group. Melody had to force herself from shrinking back. While both Beel and Levi had hurt her in their demon forms, Lucifer¡¯s attack had been the most recent, as well as the one with the most intent. He hadn¡¯t simply lost his temper, he had spoken at length about his anger, trying to force her to make an impossible choice. It was¡­ not a good memory. And while she doubted that the circumstance would be repeated, the sight of him was unnerving. But, she couldn¡¯t deny that, out of the gloomy atmosphere of the crypt, and away from the near-death experience, Lucifer was quite a sight to behold.


    ¡°Melody, come dance with me. Now.¡± His words were imperative, the kind that no one could ignore. His expression was completely assured; he knew that Melody had little choice. Even though she would have rather danced with Mammon, she found herself taking Lucifer¡¯s extended hand, clothed in its red glove, before she could even consider the option. Was he that commanding a presence, or was she that afraid of him? Melody didn¡¯t know, but she gave Mammon an apologetic look as Lucifer guided her to the dance floor. Dimly she was aware of Satan and Levi teasing Mammon a bit, but they seemed so far away now. ¡°Do you know how to dance?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± Melody admitted. But Lucifer didn¡¯t even show a trace of annoyance. In fact, he smiled.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll lead,¡± he said putting his hands in place, one around Melody¡¯s waist, and the other holding her hand. As he guided her into a proper dancing position, and walked her through the steps, he continued to talk, his face going neutral. ¡°In general, there are all sorts of reasons why one might ask someone else to dance. For example, they might be interested in them, they might want to touch them, or they might simply be doing it out of politeness.¡± Melody wondered where he was going with this, but out of the three, she could only guess the last one would be anything close to accurate. Lucifer wasn¡¯t finished, however. ¡°Or it could be because they want to have a private conversation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Melody was at a loss for words. There had been ample time for Lucifer to discuss things with her at any other point of the day. At least, she thought he was in enough of a position to make the time if it was necessary.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to dance to lecture you,¡± Lucifer said, removing any need for Melody to continue to flounder. ¡°Think of it as a warning instead.¡± He chuckled, the sound a bit dark, as the two of them glided against the dance floor. Although Melody didn¡¯t know the dance, Lucifer¡¯s skill at it was so great, he could guide her with just the right pressure here or there; the experience was almost dizzying.


    ¡°Warning for¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Ah. The warning is not meant for you,¡± Lucifer clarified. ¡°I saw your expression when you realized you were in a room full of demons, many of them unfamiliar. You are right to be afraid, Melody. But, by dancing with you, I am showing that I am completely aware of who you are. That I have chosen to dance with you first, above anyone else, means that you are important and not to be touched.¡± He lowered his voice slightly, pulling Melody closer as the song shifted slightly. Melody¡¯s heart rate sped up significantly. ¡°Although I am fully aware you are likely not comfortable with this arrangement, it is the best way to get my point across. Mammon may be the second most powerful, but he doesn¡¯t command the same respect.¡± For once, Lucifer was not speaking of Mammon to insult him; it was simply a fact.


    ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± Melody said. She could feel her face grow pale. As much as Lucifer and his brothers were meant to keep her safe, the room was full, and it would be easy for her to get lost, especially in such a large crowd. She was shorter than most demons, and didn¡¯t have any extra horns or wings to help her stand out. The brothers might not be able to see her, let alone reach her, in time if someone were to try something to harm her. And yet, at one point, Lucifer had been the one she needed saving from. It was a lot to think about. Fortunately, Lucifer didn¡¯t press the conversation further, and the two of them finished the dance in silence.


    ¡°¡­Pardon me.¡± The sound of Solomon¡¯s voice behind her made Melody instinctively grip Lucifer¡¯s hand tighter, the comfort-seeking motion making even the Avatar of Pride¡¯s eyebrows flick upwards a trifle. ¡°Well, looks like a new song has started. I¡¯d love the chance to dance with Melody. Might I cut in?¡± Although Melody was tempted to say no, she also didn¡¯t think that Lucifer would dance another round with her; surely he had many other demons he wished to dance with¡­ or felt an obligation to dance with. She remembered Beel speculating that Lucifer probably didn¡¯t enjoy the dances, per se.


    ¡°¡­Fine. I get the feeling that you¡¯ve gotten the message and you understand what I¡¯m telling you, Melody. I¡¯m glad we got to have this little talk,¡± Lucifer said pleasantly, letting go of Melody with a graceful step back, adding a slight bow to the process. It was a mere formality of the dance, not a sign of respect or subservience. Still, his dark eyes conveyed that the warning was meant for Solomon too, not just the demons. No one was going to harm her tonight. Melody didn¡¯t know how to execute a proper curtsy, but she made a basic attempt; she doubted that Lucifer would mock her for it in this instance. Pride had to know when to let the other person save face as well. Too bad it wouldn¡¯t save her from having to face Solomon.

 Chapter 36: A Pale Jewel

    ¡°¡­You look pale. Did Lucifer say something to you?¡± asked Solomon once he had taken Melody¡¯s hand. Melody held back a sound of protest; did Solomon really think her paleness was from Lucifer alone? She was just as wary of Solomon now. Still, his expression seemed earnest enough.


    ¡°He just gave me some important information,¡± said Melody cautiously.


    ¡°¡­I see. Well, good,¡± replied Solomon. While he wasn¡¯t quite as smooth of a dancer as Lucifer, he still lead the dance with a fair amount of grace and surety. ¡°This is the Devildom. When it comes down to it, you¡¯re human, and that makes you different. Never forget that.¡± Melody could feel a bit of anger rising; Solomon had shown himself to be a threat as well, even though he was human.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t forget it,¡± Melody replied, regretting the icy sound of her own voice; she rarely spoke to anyone that way. Solomon peered at her for a few moments, almost fumbling his next step, but he recovered well enough.


    ¡°Melody, the truth is, I am sorry for what happened in the Labyrinth,¡± he said, his tone quiet, barely audible past the music. ¡°I didn¡¯t act out of malice; if I had stopped to argue with Mammon, it was likely that more damage would have been done than rattled nerves and a scraped knee,¡± he went on to say. ¡°I acted based on my knowledge of demons, my understanding of my own powers, and the big picture. And while I would do the exact same thing again, I frightened you badly, and that was not my intention.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid, and you did hurt me,¡± Melody agreed, her voice quivering a bit. ¡°I felt like I was expendable.¡± She could feel her eyes threaten to tear up, but she didn¡¯t want her makeup to run; then everyone would know she had been crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to making decisions like that and dealing with the consequences of my actions. But I didn¡¯t make that move because you¡¯re expendable. In fact, I would say you¡¯re quite the opposite. I was taking a bet that at least one of those brothers would go after you if you were there; you had a pact with three of them. Even if you didn¡¯t invoke any of the pacts, they would have an interest in making sure you were safe, which would give me the chance to finish the incantation to boost Asmodeus¡¯ power to get us all out safely.¡± Solomon shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at apologies, are you?¡± Melody asked, surprised at herself for her boldness. Oddly enough, Solomon didn¡¯t seem offended, and he ended up laughing, his expression sheepish.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Solomon¡¯s tone was frank. ¡°It¡¯s rarely come up that I¡¯ve had a desire to apologize sincerely,¡± he admitted. Then his expression grew serious. ¡°You may have made pacts with demons, but you still lack the power to command them,¡± he went on to say.


    ¡°I thought I had commanded Mammon once,¡± Melody pointed out meekly. Solomon gave her statement a moment of thought as they danced.


    ¡°Well, there are degrees. Commanding obedience from a demon is different than commanding their powers. When you gave Mammon an order, it was something purely physical, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Melody agreed. ¡°I told him to get down, and he ducked immediately before he would have even had time to process the words,¡± she said, trying not to feel guilty about it.


    ¡°You were in the room with him. That¡¯s the most limited part of the pact, and even a non-magical human can manage that much. But, you can¡¯t call him to your side via a summon, or augment his power that way,¡± Solomon explained. Then he blinked, and a hint of a smile grew on his face. ¡°Would you like me to lend you my power? Think of it as a peace offering.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I mean¡­¡± Melody took a deep breath, pushing down her fears. ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable forcing them to do anything they don¡¯t want to,¡± she managed to explain. Solomon shook his head. The song ended, but he whirled her away into another before anyone could ask to cut in; he wasn¡¯t finished with this conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, Melody thought she saw Lucifer watching the two of them, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°I think you want to die even less. And, honestly, you might even do harm to them, or yourself, if you don¡¯t at least learn how it feels to use the pacts in a different way. Once you set an order in motion, they must fulfill it if at all possible. If you can¡¯t recognize when you do something like that, you might issue a command that puts them in the path of danger, or has them torn up internally while they fight against it.¡± Solomon paused for a moment, seeing the distress on Melody¡¯s face.


    ¡°Is this¡­ true? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me this?¡± she asked, horrified at the thought she might hurt the three demons she had pacts with. While Mammon¡¯s had been more of a blunder, they had made peace and they had protected each other at least once since. Beel and Levi had both made pacts to keep her safe! She couldn¡¯t return the favor by putting them at risk.


    ¡°Because, they¡¯re demons; revealing their weaknesses would be a foolish move. And because humans like me exist,¡± Solomon said, pulling Melody a bit closer, gray eyes meeting her blue ones, expression serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you at the beginning how many pacts I have? It was neither a joke nor an exaggeration. There were times in my life when I certainly wasn¡¯t making them with benevolence in mind. At least, not as far as the demons themselves were concerned. Like many other humans, I bought into a certain narrative about demons that informed my choices. I learned things the hard way, and I don¡¯t wish for you to do the same.¡±


    Melody remembered that conversation, and what had followed. Solomon had spoken of his reputation as an ¡®evil¡¯ sorcerer. Lucifer had said that she shouldn¡¯t trust Solomon because he was willing to subjugate demons to his will. But demons were often seen as evil, so, was it evil for him to subjugate something that was already evil? Perhaps evil actually was subjective; what was evil to a demon wasn¡¯t the same as what was evil to a human. Or angel. And would it be evil for her to hold this power over the three demons without learning to use that properly? Maybe not, but it definitely struck her as careless, and, she had no desire to see them hurt. Simeon had also mentioned that good and evil were very complex, and she was starting to understand why.


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Melody said with a sigh of resignation. Maybe she could ask them first if it was okay to use the pact. Would it be so bad if they said yes? She wasn¡¯t sure. Even asking would be difficult for her. ¡°Will it hurt?¡± Melody had never pretended to be any tougher than she was; she didn¡¯t like pain one bit.


    ¡°Not at all. You¡¯ll barely even feel it,¡± Solomon assured her. With a snap of his fingers, the spell was done. Melody felt an odd tremor run through her, similar to when she had made the pacts, though it had an oddly layered effect inside her. She shivered slightly. ¡°¡­There. I¡¯ve put a spell on you. As of this moment, you have use of my powers for the next six hours. You should experience what it¡¯s like to control a demon and use his powers.¡± Finally, Solomon lightened up a bit, smiling. ¡°We are on a retreat after all. Why waste this opportunity? So, go¡­ show me what you can do. I¡¯m counting on you to deliver.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Despite Solomon¡¯s serious talk, Melody felt as though she was walking into a trap somehow. His last lines sounded more like someone expecting entertainment, not someone looking out for her, or her demons¡¯, best interests. She was so busy trying to sort it out, she almost didn¡¯t notice that the song had ended. Solomon very carefully let her go and gave her a slight bow. Though his expression was mostly polite, the slight crinkles at the corner of his eyes showed that he was amused. She just wasn¡¯t sure if it was at her expense, or not. Then the sorcerer turned his back on her and disappeared into the crowd, leaving her alone.


    Again Melody felt the sense of being lost in a sea of strangers and automatically went looking for a friendly face to serve as a lifeline. Lord Diavolo was hard to miss, with his brilliant red hair and tall stature. He was near the middle of the room, dancing with a very pretty demoness. And though he had a polite smile on his face, there was something about his expression that made Melody feel he wasn¡¯t exactly enthusiastic about his dance partner. Which struck her as strange; Diavolo seemed to usually be so jolly and interested in everything around him. Perhaps he didn¡¯t like the way the demoness was hanging on him. For a moment, she happened to lock eyes with him, and his smile brightened the tiniest bit before he, and his partner, were swallowed in the press of bodies.


    Every so often she thought she saw one of the six brothers, but with so many demons in the room, it was even harder to find just one. Levi wasn¡¯t the only demon with purple hair, just as Beel wasn¡¯t the only one with reddish-orange hair. Satan and Lucifer had hair colors that wouldn¡¯t be out of place in the human realm and were even harder to find. For a few minutes, Melody was frankly terrified, and she had a suspicion that the demons around her could tell, just by the way they looked at her. Fortunately, she applied a bit of logic and started looking toward the edges of the ballroom, rather than through the middle. Sure enough, she saw Beel standing by a long table with snacks laid out on it. Carefully she tried to weave her way through the crowd, but it was slow going. It seemed like some of the demons were deliberately blocking her path, and the fear inside her kept building up. She almost screamed when someone grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Oi! Melody, next time there¡¯s an event like this, we gotta get you some stilts or somethin¡¯!¡± Mammon might be brash and loud, but Melody was instantly comforted at the fact it was he that had found her. ¡°You¡¯re so hard to find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that short, Mammon,¡± Melody weakly protested. While she knew she was short in general, especially compared to a lot of the demons, she wasn¡¯t outside the normal range. 5¡¯2¡± wasn¡¯t that small, was it?


    ¡°Sure ya are. You¡¯re just a tiny thing,¡± Mammon teased, patting her head. A lot of people would have objected to this, but Melody just smiled. But then Mammon took a closer look at her and frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re lookin¡¯ paler than usual. Somethin¡¯ happen?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ well¡­ yes,¡± Melody said. It was a habit, back home, to just pretend everything was okay. Her siblings would make things harder for her if she told their mother how they picked on her, just as she knew her mother would make things difficult for her siblings for how they treated her. The cycle just kept repeating until Melody mastered the art of the ¡®everything is fine¡¯ attitude. But here, in the Devildom, it was better to be safe than sorry, especially since no one person had harmed her, so there was no one to point the finger at, thus no one to get in trouble. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to crowds.¡± It was completely the truth. ¡°And it was a bit scary to dance with Lucifer in his demon form, and Solomon after the labyrinth incident. But, I don¡¯t think they did it to scare me.¡± Also completely true.


    ¡°Alright then. If someone actually harasses you, you just tell the Great Mammon and he¡¯ll sort it all out for ya,¡± said Mammon, giving her a look to be sure that she didn¡¯t have anything else she needed to tell him. Melody still looked a bit pale, but her body language was slowly showing that she was less anxious than moments before. Mammon felt a bit warm inside; it was nice to have someone feel better after his arrival, rather than worse.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± As always, Melody was being polite to him, another thing that seemed rather unique to her. Even when lower demons were ¡®polite¡¯ it was usually because of his station, because they wanted something from him, or were avoiding negative backlash. Melody seemed to be polite because she was considerate of how the other person felt.


    ¡°No problem, really,¡± Mammon said. ¡°Hey, just to be sure that people get the idea, how about I dance with you now,¡± he said, unable to completely conceal the blush. He had made such a mess of things earlier. Whether it had anything to do with Satan¡¯s suggestion or not, he was trying a more direct approach now. He couldn¡¯t have known it was close to Lucifer¡¯s reasons for dancing with her. In reality, however, he just wanted to see if dancing with her could help him sort out his conflicted feelings.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± replied Melody, also blushing a bit. Neither Solomon nor Lucifer had been quite as¡­ under-dressed¡­ as Mammon. Formal wear must be a different kettle of fish in the Devildom. Or, maybe the Lords were expected to dress to their sins, rather than a strictly formal look? But, she couldn¡¯t guess what his clothes had to do with greed. She expected it to be more of a lust thing, maybe. Speaking of which, where was Asmo? Melody hadn¡¯t caught sight of him since he left her, and she still hadn¡¯t seen his demon form.


    But the thought soon drifted from her mind as the next dance started. Mammon was a more impatient dancer, and not nearly as smooth and precise as Lucifer and Solomon had been. He was also less distant and seemed to enjoy dancing for the sake of it. He chatted animatedly about various things, mostly centered around earning Grimm, yet never once did Melody feel that he was trying to get something out of her, or convey any sort of hidden message. He simply seemed to be relaying his interests to her. And while Melody wasn¡¯t overly interested in money for the sake of money, there was a certain charm to how excited Mammon got about the topic. When he casually mentioned his job as a model, however, she was momentarily stunned. Well, that would explain the amount of skin he was showing. Maybe.


    ¡°Oh, ya didn¡¯t know I worked as a model?¡± asked Mammon as he twirled her around.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± After a pause, Melody added, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t surprise me, now that I think about it.¡± The first expression that crossed Mammon¡¯s face was surprise, which rapidly shifted to a blush as his eyes shifted to the side. This was followed by a laugh and a wide grin.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not surprised. I am the Great Mammon, after all, and that includes lookin¡¯ great!¡± Still, he seemed pleased, rather than simply taking it for granted that Melody would be unsurprised as his job as a model.


    ¡°It also seems like something that you would be able to do at the same time as going to school,¡± Melody pointed out. Not that she was going to refute that he was good-looking; she just never would have openly admitted that he was. ¡°Shoots can probably be arranged around the schedules for your other duties.¡± Then it struck her that she might have put a damper on his work. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I got in the way of that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Mammon said, though in the past he had chafed under that very problem. ¡°I was almost always on time for shoots before, so all I had to do is tell them I had more official business to do, and they found a way around it.¡± It wasn¡¯t just that he was a model in demand, but that he was, as he said in the beginning, an actual big shot. A lot of demons might have dismissed his personality and his habits, but no one could say he wasn¡¯t a powerful demon, with a powerful family.


    ¡°Can you show me some of the shots you were most proud of?¡± Melody asked, looking down at her feet. Models were the kind of people she would have avoided in the past, but, it didn¡¯t seem right to think of Mammon differently just because he happened to have a side job that she associated with unpleasant people.


    ¡°Sure thing! Soon as we get back to the House of Lamentation and settle back in!¡± Mammon said, completely over the moon. Sure, he was happy when people admired his shots, and bought the magazines he was in, but most people looked at them for the fashion and the articles, not for him specifically. But now Melody was asking to see them because of him. She was just too nice. Slipping briefly into his soul vision, he saw no indication that she was doing this from any angle other than to express interest in what he had done.


    ¡°Pfft, normies!¡± scoffed a voice off to the side. Melody didn¡¯t need to turn her head to know it was Leviathan speaking, but she did so anyways, giving him a smile. Mammon tightened his grip around her waist, just the tiniest bit, though not enough to hurt her.

 Chapter 37: Deja Vu View

    Leviathan looked cross, and Mammon looked annoyed. Melody tensed at this, noticing that the song was dying down, coming to a close. Did Leviathan want to dance? Beel had mentioned before that Levi usually didn¡¯t care much to dance at all, preferring to leave these events or hide in a corner and play his games. The few times she had spotted him in the crowd, he hadn¡¯t been partnered up with anyone. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had changed his mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re dancing here; shoo,¡± Mammon huffed.


    ¡°Song¡¯s almost over,¡± Levi said impatiently.


    ¡°Did you¡­ want to dance?¡± Melody asked, looking up at Levi. She wasn¡¯t asking him to dance with her, exactly, but she was looking to see if that was his intention. Her question made him turn bright red, and he shook his head.


    ¡°O-of course not!¡± he sputtered. ¡°That¡¯s such a normie thing to do.¡± He scowled, but it quickly turned to an expression of almost panic. ¡°Besides, who would want to dance with a yucky otaku like me?¡±


    Melody held back a sigh. She squeezed Mammon¡¯s hand, giving him a little smile, and her expression conveyed the question of whether he was okay with letting her go. Mammon reluctantly let go, and just gave her a shrug. He was greedy, yes, and would have kept her to himself all night, just for the fact that she had been assigned as his charge for the year. But, he also knew that, if she could coax Levi into a dance, it would be nothing short of a miracle. Helping his brother out of his shell might be good for him, but, if it didn¡¯t, he could always tease him about it later to get an edge in an argument. Mammon could be a nice older brother when he put his mind to it, but it was also part of his nature now to look for the advantage.


    ¡°I would,¡± Melody said. The two words were simple, meaning very little on their own, but they made Leviathan blush even harder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dance,¡± he said. ¡°My tail, it¡­ it gets in the way.¡± Melody could see how that could be the case. Especially with the more elaborate dances. Then again, other demons seemed to manage just fine. On the other hand, Leviathan¡¯s tail seemed particularly long.


    ¡°Maybe we can find some space off to the side, and give it a try,¡± Melody suggested. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t want to dance, that is okay too. I spent most dances back home sitting on a bench. I hated school dances,¡± she confessed. ¡°And I never went to anyplace to dance outside of school if I could help it.¡±


    Leviathan really looked torn, and Melody felt bad for asking. Yet, she had the feeling that not asking would have been even worse, overall. Pensively, she watched as Levi seemed to war with himself; sometimes he would look like he was just about to speak, and then think better of it. Eventually, she reached out and took his hand. He almost pulled back completely, his body freezing in place, but he forced himself to relax as her fingers curled against his hand.


    ¡°Melody¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Levi,¡± she said when the Avatar of Envy couldn¡¯t seem to get past her name. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go sit over there on the bench?¡± She looked over to Mammon. ¡°I¡¯d like you to come too,¡± she added, ¡°but if you want to keep dancing with people, that¡¯s also okay.¡±


    Levi, who was still trying to reboot his brain after having his hand grabbed, nodded mutely. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time someone had taken his hand this way, let alone a human. True, they had given each other a high-five at the moment they made a pact, and a few times after during some epic gaming moments, but, there was a gentle warmth to the way her hand just rested in his that felt so foreign. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. He did know, however, that he wasn¡¯t overly eager to let go, and thus he followed Melody over to the bench she had indicated. Mammon followed along, grumbling slightly, but he didn¡¯t fully protest. Beel was there, munching happily away at the buffet, giving his brothers, and Melody, a smile. Though his eyes did widen a bit when he saw that Levi and Melody were holding hands; a rare sight indeed.


    Melody sat on the bench, and Levi sat next to her, Mammon parking himself on the other side. Quietly Melody encouraged Levi to play one of his games; she wanted him to feel comfortable and relaxed after she kind of short-circuited his brain. With the game becoming his focus, Levi easily let go of her hand, though not without a momentary sense of loss. Melody leaned towards him to see the game he was playing but didn¡¯t make any further contact. The dance continued on around them, but, she was fairly happy to leave it behind; while she had liked dressing up for it, she found that dancing around a bunch of strangers was not her idea of a good evening. Only her dance with Mammon had been truly enjoyable, and watching Levi play a game was much more her speed.


    However, the familiarity just highlighted how stressful her evening had been, and once she was lulled into something more comfortable, she started to realize how exhausted she was. Gradually, she started to lean even closer to Levi, eventually to the point her head was resting against his shoulder. Levi looked panicked, like a deer in the headlights. While Mammon could have left him to sort it out for himself, he decided to be a good older brother and ¡®rescue¡¯ him from contact with a real person. Gently he pulled Melody towards him, only to realize that she had completely dozed off. Carefully he wrapped one of his wings around her so that the other demons weren¡¯t gawking. Realizing that Melody had drifted off, Levi slid his tail around her as well. Noticing this, Beel came around from the other side of the table, still snacking away, and loomed over the three sitting on the bench. The message was clear to onlookers: don¡¯t mess with this human.


    Eventually, the more dignified music of the early part of the dance seemed to shift in favor of something louder. Not wanting Melody to wake up with a start, Mammon decided it was best to get her to her room.


    ¡°Oi, Beel! Make yourself useful an¡¯ pick up Melody. You¡¯re the best one to carry her without gettin¡¯ her dress all dragged on the ground.¡± Usually, Beel would grumble about being ordered away from food, or even because Mammon never asked anything nicely, but he would do it for Melody. Carefully he finished eating what he currently had in his hands and cleaned them off, not wanting to get her dress damaged. She had looked very pretty in it, something he usually didn¡¯t pay much attention to. But, he knew she didn¡¯t have much in the way of material goods down in the Devildom and didn¡¯t want to be responsible for ruining the things she did have.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± he said, coming around to the front of the bench.


    ¡°What, no arguin¡¯?¡± asked Mammon.


    ¡°No need; I¡¯m not doing this for you, after all,¡± Beel said with a shrug. With gentle care, he leaned down and scooped the slumbering human up in his arms. Melody shifted slightly, not so deep into sleep that she was insensible to what was going on, though she did turn her face a little more towards Beel¡¯s chest and away from the room in general. Mammon stood up afterward, making sure that Melody¡¯s dress was snugged around her, so it didn¡¯t flop all over the place and create other problems.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Levi, go on ahead and make sure that her door is open. And, don¡¯t leave her alone in there if Asmo¡¯s in. You guys will have to find another place to put her if he has company.¡± As soon as the words left Mammon¡¯s mouth, he realized that this could be a problem. ¡°Actually, never mind that. Let me just quickly do a once around to see if he¡¯s still on the dance floor somewhere.¡± Mammon took off like a shot and did a survey of the room. Eventually, he did spy Asmo still dancing, so he reported back. ¡°Okay, everything¡¯s all good.¡± He was honestly a bit torn; he liked to oversee Melody¡¯s safety himself, but he also knew the fun part of dancing was about to start, and he didn¡¯t want to miss it. Finally, he decided that Melody didn¡¯t really need him while she was sleeping, as long as he knew the other two were taking care of her.


    During all this, Melody was dimly aware of what was going on, her mind not completely fallen into deep sleep, but she was tired enough that as long as it was her pacted demons that were caring for her, she didn¡¯t feel the need to rouse herself enough to object to the plans. She felt a bit guilty though since she knew she would have to change out of her dress once she got back to the room, which required her to wake up anyhow. But, she hadn¡¯t been carried to bed because she was sleepy since she was very little, and allowed this indulgence. Feeling safe, feeling cared for, was nostalgic. When Beel finally let her down in her own bed, she opened her eyes, though she still felt groggy.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she murmured. ¡°Sorry for not walking on my own; but, I have to get up now anyhow. Sleeping in this dress will just ruin it.¡± She smiled at both brothers. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you walked me back here. I don¡¯t think big dances are something I enjoy after all.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a problem, Melody. You don¡¯t weigh much.¡± Beel had probably never been told it wasn¡¯t a good idea to bring up someone¡¯s weight, or, if he had, it wasn¡¯t a piece of information he thought was important enough to keep. ¡°And you looked tired.¡±


    ¡°I am. Today felt really long; a lot happened,¡± she admitted. ¡°But, I¡¯m here and safe now, so you can go back to the table if you want.¡± She doubted that the dance held any allure for Beel either, but the snacks obviously did. And she didn¡¯t think there was much point in pretending the situation was otherwise. Beel didn¡¯t misunderstand; he smiled at her consideration.


    ¡°I appreciate that. You sure you¡¯re okay though?¡± As eager as he was to go back to the food, he also felt he could stick around for a bit, if she needed anything. He was never fully satiated, but he wasn¡¯t starving at that moment.


    ¡°I will be okay, though¡­¡± Melody hesitated. Looking between Levi and Beel, she decided that she trusted them, but she was sure the request she had in mind would just make Levi uncomfortable. ¡°Do you think you could help undo the back of my dress?¡± Levi immediately went red and turned away. Beel just shrugged.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. Melody moved over towards the bathroom. She faced the mirror, her back to the door. Beel¡¯s reflection in the mirror showed a mostly impassive expression, with a hint of concentration, as he very carefully unzipped the back of Melody¡¯s dress down to the point she could easily get out of it. ¡°Is that low enough?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Melody, holding her dress in place by the front. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you get changed then,¡± Beel said, turning and closing the door behind him. In the background, Melody heard Levi ask Beel how he could just go in there so calmly. Beel¡¯s response was too muffled for Melody to catch, but he sounded calm still, as his voice got further, and further, away. Left alone, Melody got out of her dress as quickly as she could without ruining or wrinkling it. She hung it carefully back up in its bag and got into her pajamas. Yawning, she tucked herself into bed and fell promptly asleep.


    Disorientation and pain struck Melody like a ton of bricks. She could have sworn she was in her bed moments ago. But now she was on her hands and knees, both of which hurt. Feeling groggy, she forced her eyes open, only to see a dark and blurry world around her. Blinking ferociously cleared some of the haze, and her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, seeing reddish brown stone beneath her hands. Stone that looked oddly familiar.


    ¡°Melody?¡±


    She immediately recognized Beel¡¯s rumbling voice from somewhere above her. Slowly she tried to get to her feet but almost fell down again. Within seconds, she felt Beel¡¯s large hands help her up and hold her steady. Finally standing, and able to see better, she could get a look at where she was.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible. How¡­ how are we here again?¡± she asked Beel, panicking. Beel just shook his head, looking pensively down the hall. The two of them were in the labyrinth again, alone. Melody wanted to believe it was just a nightmare, her way of processing the last few days, but the pain in her hands and knees took away that refuge. Looking down at her hands, she noticed they were scraped. She was still wearing her pajamas, and the knees had shown some wear and tear. But, how?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You were walking around, and when I called to you, you didn¡¯t listen,¡± Beel said, frowning. ¡°You don¡¯t act that way. You¡¯ve never ignored any of us on purpose. But, no matter how much I spoke to you, or what words I said, you just kept walking around.¡± He sighed. ¡°You opened one of the doors and went inside, and since I didn¡¯t know what was in there, I followed you.¡±


    ¡°Then how did we end up down here?¡± It was clear that Melody was very upset now, and Beel couldn¡¯t blame her. The last time they had been here was harrowing enough, but at least then she had been aware of Helene¡¯s role in the situation.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Beel trailed off. Then he shook his head; there was no sense in keeping the truth from Melody. ¡°It turns out the room you walked into had Cerberus in it.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ the three-headed dog of Hades?¡± Melody asked, confused. After all, nothing had really hinted at Greek mythology being present. On the other hand, Leviathan was usually seen as a sea-serpent, or monster, certainly not a purple-haired otaku who was oddly insecure despite his power.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Beel grimly nodded in affirmation. ¡°Usually he¡¯s under Lucifer¡¯s command, but, he shouldn¡¯t have been here of all places. I tried to get us out of the door we came in, but it was locked. I found a second door and thought anything was better than getting chewed on by Cerberus. But¡­ we just ended up falling down into the labyrinth again.¡±


    What was with this castle? How did Melody end up here a second time, from unrelated instances? Had Helene somehow cursed some of the doors before she was taken away? Melody shivered at the thought; it didn¡¯t help that her pajamas weren¡¯t meant for exploring underground labyrinths. She moved a little closer to Beel, both for security and for warmth.


    ¡°I think this castle hates me,¡± she said glumly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s personal,¡± objected Beel. He couldn¡¯t imagine someone actively hating Melody for herself. A lot of demons disliked humans or even hated them, but that was a statement about humans in general, not Melody specifically. Even the demon students at RAD he had overheard conspiring to eat her soul weren¡¯t doing so from a place of hatred. Callous greed, perhaps, but not because they hated her. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m in here too,¡± he pointed out, a fact which seemed to ease her mind. Just a little.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t last for long. The sound of something sliding along the floor made both demon and human freeze in place, their faces mirroring each other¡¯s horror. It sounded eerily like the last time they had been here, which could only mean one thing: Henry 1.0. Only, this time, they didn¡¯t have Asmodeus with them, nor did they have a sorcerer. Melody cringed. Maybe the snake wouldn¡¯t find them. But, as the slithering sound grew louder, and likely nearer, her hopes on that front were dashed.


    ¡°We need to run,¡± Beel said, already taking off. But Melody didn¡¯t budge. Concerned, Beel turned back. ¡°Come on,¡± he urged, but Melody just shook her head. Beel almost reached out to pick her up and take her with him, but she held up a hand, finally finding the words to tell him why she wasn¡¯t running.


    ¡°Solomon gave me his powers¡­ at the dance,¡± she said, her words tumbling out. ¡°I think I can bring Asmodeus here like he did before.¡± Beel hadn¡¯t heard anything about this, but, if it was their best chance to get out, they had to take it. Still, if the snake got too close before Melody could try, he would pick her up and run regardless. He kept himself tense, alert, and ready to spring into action.


    ¡°Act quick,¡± he brusquely encouraged her. Trembling, Melody nodded, hoping that the loaned power wasn¡¯t actually a prank on the sorcerer¡¯s part. If it was, no one would be left laughing. Not even Solomon himself, she suspected.

 Chapter 38: Fourth Times the Charm

    ¡°¡­Hear me, denizens of the darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it. Hear me and do as I command!¡± Melody couldn¡¯t have explained how she remembered the words, but she did, almost as though they had been etched in her mind, ready to spring forth when needed. True, her voice warbled a fair bit more than Solomon¡¯s had, but she hadn¡¯t been practicing for nearly as long. Or at all. And she physically didn¡¯t have the deeper tones of his masculine voice, which made the effect somewhat underwhelming. ¡°I, Melody, call upon you to send forth one of your number! I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus¡­¡± Melody wasn¡¯t sure if she should use her own name, since that¡¯s who she was, or Solomon¡¯s, since it was his power. And, he was more impressive¡­


    The corridor was lit with a series of flashing lights, and then a popping sound crackled through the air, bringing Asmodeus into the space right in front of her. He looked tired and bit disoriented, wearing the pajamas he had brought to the retreat, though she also remembered him saying he was only doing so as a favor to her and Simeon, and himself, of course, of they would never let him have a peaceful night¡¯s sleep if he slept the way he usually did. But Melody didn¡¯t have much time to think about that.


    ¡°¡­Solomon, what could you possibly need at this hour?¡± grumbled Asmo, rubbing the sleep, delicately, from his eyes. ¡°You know that lack of sleep is bad for my skin, right?¡± It took him that long to realize that it wasn¡¯t Solomon in front of him, but a rather roughed-up-looking Melody. ¡°¡­Wh ¡­huh? Wha? No way¡­ how could I be here?!¡± He peered at Melody, then to Beel. ¡°Wh¡­ how was Melody able to¡­?¡±


    The snake was starting to get closer, and there wasn¡¯t time for explanations, so Melody started the second half of the incantation, which also sprang easily to her mind.


    ¡°¡­Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I am the one called Melody. I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!¡± Since the summons worked so well, Melody was a little more confident this time around, and she felt more weight in her voice, a force that she had never heard in it before. Asmodeus¡¯ eyes went wide, and the air in front of him shimmered pink. Seconds later, he stood there in his demon form. Melody didn¡¯t have much time to appreciate it, but she wasn¡¯t surprised at how pretty he remained, with his dainty double wings and pink-tipped horns. More importantly, he had not shifted form when Solomon had done the same incantation. Had she screwed up somehow?


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­! Haha¡­ what¡¯s even going on right now¡­ ?¡± Asmodeus wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore, though still rather bemused. The jolt of power that ran through him had put him on high alert. Pink tendrils of power were circling around him. ¡°This power¡­ not even Solomon has ever managed to draw this out of me¡­¡±


    This means Melody didn¡¯t screw up, which was a relief, but it also made no sense to her. How could she have given Asmo more power when the power was only borrowed to begin with? Then again, she had no idea of magic followed the basic rules of mathematics. She turned to see the snake still charging towards them, but then it stopped suddenly, peering at Asmo in¡­ recognition? Awe? Melody wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°¡­ Henry, you can totally tell too, right?¡± asked Asmodeus of the snake, his tone giddy with the power running through him. Despite calling Henry ugly the other day, he spoke to the snake as though it was a treasured companion. In response, the snake actually purred. Were snakes supposed to purr? This was becoming increasingly surreal to Melody.


    ¡°So, you can get us out of here, even with Solomon¡¯s borrowed power?¡± Beel asked, impatiently breaking Asmo¡¯s self-admiration.


    ¡°Not only that, Melody¡¯s got way more magical power than he does,¡± Asmodeus said, oddly smug. He turned towards the girl in question. ¡°Melody dear, what exactly is the story with you, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a story,¡± Melody hedged. She was not only confused but really tired, now that the threat seemed over. And, looking at Asmodeus was a bit distracting. She had always thought arms were just arms, nothing really to pay much attention to, but somehow Asmo¡¯s clothes made them seem more alluring than usual.


    ¡°We can talk about this after we get back to the castle,¡± Beel said sternly. Even though Asmodeus was technically older than him, he usually worked by charms, not with outright commands. Besides, Beel tended to tower above him, which gave the illusion of being stronger overall. Asmodeus pouted, but he didn¡¯t argue as he coaxed Henry into leading them out of the maze again for the second time in as many days. Melody was quiet as she walked along, and Beel often had to make sure she was okay. Asmodeus was also oddly quiet; usually, he would have peppered the silence with a lot of self-adoring commentary.


    Melody had been hoping to make it back to bed without a fuss, but luck was not with her. Lucifer was standing in the grand hall, and they had to pass him to get back to their room. But, Lucifer wasn¡¯t alone. All the retreat guests were there, expressions ranging from irritation to concern. Lucifer, of course, looked quite annoyed, arms folded across his chest.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We fell into the labyrinth again¡­¡± said Melody, forcing herself not to yawn. Beel then explained everything that had happened, keeping his narrative short and to the point.


    ¡°¡­All right, I understand how you got yourselves into this mess. It¡¯s all too clear.¡± Lucifer sighed, his eyes narrowing. ¡°And what¡¯s also clear is that no matter where you go, you always manage to stir up trouble.¡±


    Melody¡¯s lips quivered; it seemed a rather harsh thing for Lucifer to say, and she almost felt her eyes tear up. Then she realized that Lucifer had probably been woken up with news that the exchange student had gone missing. Of course, he would be cranky. She tried not to take it too personally, but it still stung.


    ¡°Well, how were we supposed to know that Cerberus was in there?¡± demanded Beel, frowning. He figured it was his duty to go after Melody, even if he didn¡¯t care about her fate at all. Why was Lucifer blaming him? ¡°Why was that room set up like that anyhow?¡±


    ¡°I had a curse put on that door. If you open it without knocking, it transports you straight to Cerberus¡¯ room,¡± Lucifer said flatly.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that¡­?¡± asked Luke.


    ¡°To prevent a certain someone from breaking in and stealing any of the castle¡¯s decorative pieces to sell for profit.¡± Of course, that could be only one person, and everyone¡¯s eyes went straight to Mammon. Even Melody¡¯s, though she mostly wanted to see his reaction.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Mammon¡­¡± Beel, of course, was less than impressed.


    ¡°Drop dead, Mammon. Like, right now,¡± grumbled Levi. Although he had not been involved this time, Melody had been put at risk and everyone had to get woken up to find out what happened to her.


    ¡°Hey! How¡¯s this MY fault?!¡± asked Mammon.


    ¡°Mammon, you are known for stealing things, but¡­ I don¡¯t blame you,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You didn¡¯t know this would happen. I don¡¯t think anyone could have known this would happen.¡± She knew it probably wouldn¡¯t mean much in the long run, but she wasn¡¯t going to label him as the bad guy in this case. It was just a series of unfortunate events, and blaming anyone at this point was just asking for more trouble. Lucifer wasn¡¯t finished, however.


    ¡°¡­Also, it would seem that a certain someone very kindly lent his powers to Melody. Isn¡¯t that right, Solomon?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Solomon laughed at the question. ¡°You mean there¡¯s actually someone out there in the Devildom who¡¯s that kind? Well, it¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard of this.¡± The smile on his face looked a little too happy, the innocence of it far too forced to be believable¡­ and he knew it too. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Asmo?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯ll make a pact with Melody.¡± It was not the conspiratorial agreement that Solomon had been looking for, and it took the room by surprise.


    ¡°Wha?!¡± Mammon was flabbergasted. Lucifer scowled, peering at his brother as though waiting for a punchline. Asmo must have loved it, because now all eyes were on him, intently so.


    ¡°Even if Solomon did lend his powers, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for someone to draw that kind of power out of me, you know?¡± Asmodeus giggled, soaking in the spotlight. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve got to admit, it¡¯s super impressive! Melody, you really were amazing down there! So, I¡¯m making a pact with Melody. I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±


    Melody wasn¡¯t sure she deserved any praise for that. It was borrowed power, and she was only repeating back what Solomon had said earlier. Really, she hadn¡¯t done anything worth particular merit. And, the fact was, she didn¡¯t feel the same closeness to Asmodeus as she did the other two, nor was this the blunder of a newcomer to the Devildom, as had been the case with Mammon. Asmodeus hadn¡¯t even asked her if she was interested! Still, perhaps she would feel less worried about being around him if they had a pact. So far, Lord Diavolo hadn¡¯t shown any sign he was worried about a human making so many pacts. Speaking of which, where was the Prince?


    ¡°WHOA, HOLD ON!¡± objected Mammon. But Asmo just cut past him.


    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to do that, right Lucifer?¡± ask Asmo, putting on his best wheedling voice. Lucifer stared back at Asmo for a few moments before giving a barely perceptible nod of his head. Asmodeus turned towards Melody and locked eyes with her. Within seconds, she felt that familiar band around her, snapping the bond between them as the pact finalized. She guessed it must have been what she wanted, deep down, or it wouldn¡¯t have happened. Unless having so many pacts just made her an open conduit for them? She hoped that wasn¡¯t the case¡­


    ¡°Score one more pact for the exchange student! That makes four!¡± cheered Levi, laughing. Melody wasn¡¯t sure if he was actually happy about it, or amused, or if it was just the release of the tension that had been floating in the room. Knowing him, it could be any of the above. Solomon gave Melody a wink and nodded her way. Apparently, he was happy with how his little experiment turned out.


    Melody yawned all the way back to her room, feeling both bemused and sleepy. No matter how tired she was, there was too much to deal with for her to just be able to fall asleep again. Especially since Asmo seemed to be hurrying her towards their room, giving Simeon slightly annoyed looks when the angel kept pace with them. Melody could hear the voices of the other retreat members behind them a fair bit, still talking over the evening¡¯s events in the grand hall. She was too tired to look behind her to check on what they were doing; she just wanted a little peace and quiet to sort out where she stood with everything.


    But, peace and quiet were not obtainable. As soon as she sat down on her bed, Asmodeus plunked himself down on her bed, causing her to blush simply at the fact that they were both wearing their pajamas. It didn¡¯t help that he was seated respectfully on the other end of the bed; he was right next to her. Without even asking, he took one of her hands in his and looked it over, as if he was seeing a human hand for the first time.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Melody, you know that your ring finger is longer than your index finger, right? Hmm. Oh, and I looove the shape of the nail of your thumb. So cute!¡± Why on earth, or in the Devildom, Asmo found a thumbnail cute was beyond Melody; it seemed ridiculous to her sleep-infused brain. ¡°Seems to me that your ears are a wee bit on the small side, maybe? Come here, let me see your teeth. Go on, open your mouth¡­ Let¡¯s hear you say aaaah.¡± Melody did not go ¡®aaaah.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t a horse or a little child. ¡°Hehe. Come on, there¡¯s no need to be shy,¡± coaxed Asmo.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly taken quite a liking to Melody, haven¡¯t you?¡± came Simeon¡¯s voice from across the room, sounding drier than Melody had ever heard it, even though he was smiling. Asmo pouted at him.


    ¡°Well of course I have. Otherwise I never would¡¯ve made a pact, would I?¡± he countered.


    ¡°Still, who would¡¯ve thought that Melody kept such powerful magic hidden within¡­¡± mused Simeon, his smile faltering a bit. ¡°Where had it been hiding all this time, I wonder?¡± Melody had to agree there. Every test her mother had put her through had failed to show any magic. She still wondered if it was actually all Solomon¡¯s, and he had been hiding his true power the whole time. It seemed easier for her to believe than suddenly having a source of magic on her own.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I intend to find out. We¡¯re going to discover where it¡¯s hiding. I¡¯m going to take it nice and slow, and be very thorough¡­ ¡®kay?¡± Asmo sounded both suggestive and as though he was talking to a young child, the combination of which was disconcerting to Melody, and she shrank back a bit. ¡°Ooh, Melody! Is it okay if I sleep together with you in your bed tonight? You don¡¯t mind, do you? Of course you don¡¯t!¡± While Asmo had asked the question, he rambled past it so fast, Melody barely had time to blink twice before he assumed her answer would be positive. Alarm bells were ringing in her head.


    ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± Mammon chose that moment to bust through the door, not bothering to close it behind him. Startled, Asmo nearly fell off the bed and wrapped an arm around Melody to secure his position. ¡°Asmo! What¡¯re you doing¡¯ in THAT bed?! And why do you have your arm around Melody¡¯s shoulders, huh?! You¡¯re too close! Get away! Get away right now! Far enough away that I can¡¯t see you! Go!¡±


    Melody privately agreed that Asmodeus was too close. But, telling him to go so far Mammon couldn¡¯t see him was a bit of a stretch; it was Asmo¡¯s room too, after all. It wasn¡¯t his bed, true, but he had a right to be in the room at least. Melody opened her mouth to point this out to Mammon, but was neatly cut off by Asmodeus.


    ¡°So, Melody, when you wash yourself, where do you like to start? Because I like to start with my¡ª¡±


    Melody blushed at Asmo¡¯s words but was also confused. She certainly didn¡¯t have a particular order when she took a bath or shower; it wasn¡¯t something she really thought much about. The fact that Asmo would ask her that specific question felt very contrived, and she was very glad that Mammon interrupted him, obviously not wanting to hear him finish the sentence any more than she did.


    ¡°Hey! So you¡¯re just gonna ignore me, are ya?! ¡­Also, I SAID you¡¯re too close! Don¡¯t get near Melody! And NO touchin¡¯! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Mammon was really having none of it; he bounded across the room and parked himself on the bed in front of Asmo and ¡®his¡¯ human. Melody peered at him, unsure if he was trying to protect her safety or her dignity. Perhaps both. Or, was it actual jealousy, as others had hinted at? As far as words went, Mammon had always been pretty adamant about not being interested, but his expressions often belied that. If it was her actual safety, she was content to let Mammon take care of that. However, if he was jealous, was it really his place to ¡®allow¡¯ or ¡®disallow¡¯ the contact? Not that Melody craved contact from Asmodeus specifically. It made her uncomfortable.

 Chapter 39: Dodging Arguments

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s loud in here. What¡¯s all the commotion?¡± asked Satan, stepping into the room, looking a bit confused. Several other people trooped in behind him.


    ¡°Melody, Asmo, and Mammon are all in bed together, tangled up in each other and stuff. It¡¯s hard not to fantasize about where this might be heading¡­¡± said Levi with a smirk, standing slightly behind Satan. This time Melody did fall off the bed, landing uncomfortably, but not painfully, in a heap.


    ¡°Levi!¡± she squeaked in protest. Usually, Levi¡¯s commentary was relatively tame as far as such things went. His love for sweet Ruri-chan was often mocked by his siblings, but it seemed he was less insensible to more¡­ adult¡­ topics than he had otherwise shown. Melody¡¯s face was now quite red. Levi didn¡¯t blush at all, however, until he noticed that she was blushing, at which case he averted his eyes and turned equally red.


    ¡°Fantasize? Ooh, what sort of fantasy are we talking about?¡± asked Luke popping into the room at just the right moment to hear Levi mention fantasizing without the previous context. ¡°Like knights and wizards and stuff?¡± Melody only wished that was what the conversation was about, and by the look on his face, so did Simeon.


    ¡°Are they eating anything good in this fantasy?¡± asked Beel, staying true to form, having also missed the initial statement.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to be another night full of drama,¡± Simeon observed with a sigh from where he was sitting on his bed. He patted the bed beside him for Luke to hop up and sit with him, just close enough to cover his ears and run interference if necessary. Melody shot him an apologetic look from her place on the floor; she wasn¡¯t quite ready to climb back up into the bed yet. Especially not after Levi¡¯s line. Above her, Asmo and Mammon were still arguing, while she slowly started to scoot away towards the door, the soft fabric of her pajamas allowing her to slide silently along the floor.


    ¡°And that makes me Melody¡¯s first man! So, of course, you should keep your hands to yourself when I¡¯m around, out of respect!¡± Mammon demanded. Melody almost choked on air again. Wait, what? She should have been paying attention to the whole conversation. While he was the first pact, did that have some other significance? She¡¯d been trying to lay low, but, did she need to speak up now, or else leave a wrong impression hanging over her. Asmodeus laughed in Mammon¡¯s face, so she held off.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ what? Did you seriously just call yourself first man? Are you TRYING to make me laugh?¡± Asmodeus lowered his voice. ¡°She¡¯s a sweet little thing, and she doesn¡¯t have a first man. Or first woman, or first¡­¡± For a second, Asmodeus got lost in his own thoughts, on the brink of imagining all sorts of things. But, Mammon had to be dealt with first. ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter who was first. If Melody didn¡¯t like snuggling with me, then it would be different. But otherwise, what gives you the right to boss me around?¡± asked Asmodeus. Melody curled up on herself. Having people so openly talk about her past experience or lack thereof was not comfortable. She would wish the floor would swallow her, but then she¡¯d just end up in the labyrinth again, and she did not want a third visit.


    ¡°Melody, don¡¯t be¡­¡± Mammon looked around and finally spotted Melody. ¡°Okay, then Asmo, if Melody¡¯s so happy about snuggling with ya, what¡¯s she doing halfway to the door by now?¡±


    ¡°What do we have here¡­? Two idiots fighting over a normie? Pff, they can both keel over and die for all I care.¡± While it was nice Levi wasn¡¯t fighting over her, as though she had no preference or opinion of her own, the distancing language hurt quite a bit, and she flinched. She stopped crawling and sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest. Seeing the expression on her face, Levi frowned and looked away, shamed. ¡°Sorry Melody; the ¡®normie¡¯ just slipped out. Habit,¡± he mumbled. Melody tried to find the words to tell him it was okay, but she still didn¡¯t want to speak up. Not yet. So she just nodded at him. While she wasn¡¯t exactly okay, she understood what Levi meant and wasn¡¯t going to hold it against him.


    ¡°What about you, Beel?¡± asked Luke, piping up again. ¡°I notice you aren¡¯t getting involved. But you¡¯re in a pact with Melody too, right?¡± Melody felt her chest tighten at Luke¡¯s words. So the angels did know about her pacts. It¡­ didn¡¯t seem to make a difference. She watched Simeon¡¯s face, and he betrayed no sign of surprise, no hint that he hadn¡¯t already known these facts. Slowly, the tightness abated. She could only hope that meant the pacts weren¡¯t a black mark against her, though she feared that perhaps she was now a lost cause, so any concern about her was negligible. Still, Simeon had seemed concerned earlier; if she was hopeless now, would he have bothered?


    ¡°Too hungry right now. Don¡¯t feel like it.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly a ringing endorsement from Beel, but Melody didn¡¯t doubt that he was actually too hungry to care. That wasn¡¯t a good sign. Finally, she got to her feet.


    ¡°Beel; do you know where the kitchen is here?¡± she asked him timidly. Beel looked at her in surprise.


    ¡°Are you hungry Melody?¡± Beel¡¯s question was almost drowned out in the argument that had intensified between Mammon and Asmodeus, including a pillow thrown by the former, hitting the latter square in the face.


    ¡°Um, no, but¡­ I just remembered something. If you know, can you show me?¡± Melody leaned up on her tippy-toes and tried to whisper in Beel¡¯s ear, but she was too far off still. He leaned forward to help bridge the distance. ¡°I have to make food tomorrow, and I¡¯m feeling anxious about it.¡± On top of everything else, she had forgotten the bomb that was dropped on the first morning at the Castle. She clearly wasn¡¯t going to get any sleep here any time soon, so she might as well put the other worry to rest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find the kitchen,¡± Beel said. The two of them slipped out of the room, barely noticed by anyone, as one thrown pillow escalated into a full-blown pillow fight. Melody could hear bits and pieces behind her as she shuffled down the hall with Beel. One by one, people seemed to get involved in the fight, and Melody was glad she had left; that sort of chaos was something she could do without. Especially since several of the raised voices sounded distinctly angry. Beel looked unconcerned, however, so the two of them kept going.


    To Melody¡¯s surprise, she met Lucifer and Lord Diavolo in the hallway. Diavolo, of course, was jovial and greeted Melody with a smile. Lucifer simply raised his eyebrows at the sight of Melody walking around when she had been so tired earlier.


    ¡°What is going on in your room?¡± he asked, frowning.


    ¡°Um¡­ I think it might be a pillow fight,¡± Melody said. ¡°Though, it might have changed to something else by now. I needed to take a walk.¡±


    ¡°Lucifer! A pillow fight!¡± Diavolo¡¯s eyes gleamed with almost childish glee. He had an entire castle, an entire kingdom, and yet the thought of a pillow fight is what made him seem so happy. He definitely looked more pleased with this than the entire dance earlier that evening.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that when we get there. It¡¯s far too noisy for it to just be Asmodeus and Simeon in there, and that means trouble.¡± Lucifer sighed. Melody truly felt bad for him. The man seemed to take joy in nothing. ¡°Do you know how it started?¡± Lucifer¡¯s eyes were fixed on Melody. She gulped. A loud grumble beside her, however, distracted her from answering. Lucifer shook his head. ¡°Never mind; we¡¯ll find out on our own. I¡¯m guessing the two of you were on your way to the kitchen?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Melody managed to gasp out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble; Barbatos is in there right now,¡± Lucifer said. He seemed about to say more, but already Lord Diavolo was speeding down the hall, and he picked up his pace to catch up with him. Melody had no way of knowing the age difference between two such long-lived beings, but, she suspected that Lucifer was much, much older than Diavolo. Not that it should matter; she was a mayfly compared to them. Tugging gently on Beel¡¯s sleeve, she gestured for him to keep walking with her.


    Sure enough, they found Barbatos in the kitchen. At the moment, he was doing the dishes. His jacket had been taken off, and neatly hung up on a hook behind the door. His sleeves were rolled up, held in place by black bands. Even doing something as mundane as cleaning, he had the perfect poise and stoic expression he generally did. Melody wondered if he ever relaxed. Hearing them enter, Barbatos turned towards them, inclining his head politely.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± There was a slight edge to his voice, not exactly hostile, but it carried with it the unasked question of whether they should be there at all.


    ¡°Lucifer and Lord Diavolo know we were coming here,¡± Melody said, answering the unspoken question first. ¡°I¡¯m sure one of them would have told us not to if it would be an issue.¡± She sighed softly. ¡°Lucifer did remind us not to cause trouble because you would be in here. But Beel is hungry, and¡­¡± She trailed off. She didn¡¯t know Barbatos well at all and rarely spoke to him for any length of time.


    ¡°Ah, of course. I have some sandwiches put aside for that very reason,¡± Barbatos said crisply, motioning Beel towards a pile of neatly cut wedges. The Avatar of Gluttony started helping himself. ¡°After all, we would be poor hosts if we didn¡¯t anticipate the needs of our guests,¡± he said, showing only the smallest trace of a smile.


    ¡°That makes sense; though I¡¯ve never really had to host anyone before,¡± Melody admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable when one is a Prince, or retainer to a Prince,¡± Barbatos replied smoothly. ¡°But I¡¯m certain Beelzebub could have made it here on his own, so you must have some reason to be here. Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Melody said with a little sigh. Barbatos gave her an expectant look, silently waiting for her to continue. ¡°I¡¯m really nervous about tomorrow, about making food for everyone,¡± she said, the words tumbling out when it was clear Barbatos wasn¡¯t going to give her any kind of assurance. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t know ahead of time, I couldn¡¯t have asked for the supplies. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to make.¡± At this point, she couldn¡¯t hide the panic in her voice. Beel stopped eating, and half rose out of his seat, but Barbatos tutted softly.


    ¡°There is no need for you to fret. Tell me what you need, and I will be sure we have it in stock. I frequently am the one preparing meals here, and it is no loss to me if I have to help prepare this one as well. Lord Diavolo¡¯s goal isn¡¯t to judge you based on your culinary competence. The exchange is about getting used to different realms and the way they work. As long as you choose something that represents the Human Realm, it makes little difference whose hands help prepare the food,¡± Barbatos explained. While Melody couldn¡¯t quite relax, she could feel her anxiety start to die down. Barbatos wasn¡¯t exactly soothing, but the calm air that radiated from him dispelled the panic in her gut. She took a few deep breaths.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sit down and think about it,¡± she said, trying to tackle it from a rational point of view. Quietly she sat beside Beel, who was once again munching contentedly away at his sandwiches, the pile dwindling down quite rapidly. However, he was nice enough to hand one to Melody while she thought, a gesture she received with a grateful smile.


    By the time she was done with her singular wedge, Beel had finished the whole plate and was idly picking up the crumbs and eating them too. But, at least, Melody now had an idea of what she wanted to do. Asking Barbatos for a piece of paper to write it down, he instead redirected her to text the information to her, giving her his contact information. Being as thorough and organized as she could, when working on such little sleep, Melody made the list and sent it to Barbatos. Hearing the alert, he scanned over the text on his device. Though he looked a little surprised, it wasn¡¯t enough to be concerned over, and he smiled at the end of it.


    ¡°This will be quite manageable; thank you, Melody,¡± he said. ¡°Now, I think it best that both of you get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully my room will be free by now,¡± Melody returned. ¡°But, thank you, Barbatos.¡±


    ¡°No thanks necessary; I¡¯m simply doing my job.¡±


    ¡°I want to thank you, all the same.¡± Melody turned to Beel, who had run out of crumbs now too. He slowly rose to his feet. Together they went back towards her room. It was deceptively quiet, so Melody thought that everyone must have gone to bed. But, when she opened the door, she saw the room was in quite a state. People were lying haphazardly, on beds and on the floor. Only three people were unaccounted for: Lord Diavolo, Lucifer, and Satan. Everyone else was passed out; a couple of them were snoring. Melody looked up at Beel, and Beel looked back, gesturing for her to close the door. They walked a few paces away from her room and broke down laughing together.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I left before things got that rowdy,¡± Melody said, wiping a tear from her eyes. ¡°But, I don¡¯t think I want to go back in there, even if everyone is still asleep.¡±


    ¡°The beds in my room should be free,¡± pointed out Beel. This was true, and they had shared a room before, so Melody didn¡¯t think too much about it. The two of them finally crawled into a bed and were soon fast asleep.


    A soft buzzing woke Melody the next morning. It was a text from Barbatos reminding her to wake up and prep the food for brunch. Uncomfortable with going back to her room to retrieve her day clothes and brush, she tidied her hair the best she could in the current room¡¯s bathroom and padded down to the kitchen. Barbatos looked surprised for a moment, but it didn¡¯t last. He didn¡¯t spend a lot of time with humans anymore, but he had heard and seen enough of Melody to know she wouldn¡¯t have crept back into her room; she just had that kind of personality. Hopefully, by the time the actual meal took place, most of the extra bodies would be gone from the room, leaving her to dress in peace. He even cut Melody off when she tried to explain the reason for her disarray, telling her it was okay, and that he understood.


    Even though Melody was tired from the interruptions to her sleep, she didn¡¯t mind working so much. Being tired was harder when she was waiting for something to start than when she was actively doing something, and soon she was fully awake, evening humming while she worked. She certainly wasn¡¯t as skilled or knowledgeable as Barbatos, but her chipper mood made her presence in the kitchen a pleasant one. Perhaps fifteen minutes in Solomon made his way into the kitchen, and he seemed to be in a good mood as well. He was wearing one of those funny ¡®Kiss the Chef¡¯ aprons. He exchanged silent glances with Barbatos, offered Melody a faint smile, and then got to work on his own food project.


    Although Solomon had made amends, so to speak, Melody was still rather wary of him. She couldn¡¯t really tell if he had set her up to make a pact with Asmodeus, or if that was just an outcome that amused him. Or, perhaps he was setting Asmodeus up, and she was a means to an end? It was hard to get a read on the sorcerer. She did believe Diavolo, however, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of Solomon doing anything to endanger her physically, but, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to just forget everything that happened to her. Subconsciously, she held him to a different standard because he was human; she had forgiven the demons for more much sooner.


    Eventually, Melody made it to the end of her preparation; the only thing left to do was repetitive cooking. At this point, Barbatos pulled her aside and told her to go freshen up; he would take care of cooking whatever was left. Melody was about to protest but decided to give in. After all, she was still wearing her pajamas, while Barbatos was already neatly dressed and pressed. She had no doubt that he would be able to finish making the meal, and would likely do it better than she ever could. There was just no way to catch up with the very competent butler.

 Chapter 40: Toxic Tastes

    Based on the amount of cooking Barbatos had left to do, Melody decided to take the time to shower. Fortunately, the room had been cleared by the time she returned, so there was little to interrupt her efforts to make herself presentable. The warmth and cleanliness of the shower really improved her mood, and she felt more alert rather than falling back to sleepiness. After brunch, they were scheduled to pack up and return home. Her longing for the place surprised her. Although she had been calling it ¡®home¡¯ for some time, it was mostly because saying ¡®House of Lamentation¡¯ every time she mentioned it would have gotten old fast. But, now it felt like a second home to her. She wondered what it said about her that she was able to win over high-powered demons more easily than her own siblings.


    Cleaned, dressed, and groomed, Melody made her way back to the Grand Hall for the final meal of the day. The table was set, but the food had not yet arrived; which meant that she wasn¡¯t late, much to her relief. Everyone was there already, including Solomon without his apron, engaging in bits and pieces of conversation. They didn¡¯t seem to notice her entrance, because she overheard Asmodeus and Mammon talking as if she wasn¡¯t in the room. Then again, it didn¡¯t seem to stop them during the times they were aware of her, so it was hard to tell.


    ¡°I mean, if you want to get lovey-dovey with Melody, then why don¡¯t you just do it?¡± demanded Asmo, leaning back in his chair and glaring at Mammon in a decidedly cranky fashion, his tone irritated to match. Then he laughed, his expression turning to wicked glee. ¡°Really, you¡¯re making yourself look like a total fool. Actually, scratch that, you are a total fool.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­ hey!¡± Mammon immediately blushed, turning his head slightly so he wasn¡¯t directly facing Asmo anymore. ¡°C-c¡¯mon, as if I¡¯d ever get lovey-dovey with a human! The odor would rub off on me and then I¡¯d smell like human!¡± Melody tried not to sigh out loud; there was that smell problem again. She¡¯d just had a shower too. There was the brief temptation to point out that he hadn¡¯t been worried about that when he was dancing with her last night, but, she knew she¡¯d never say anything like that. If she spoke her mind, she¡¯d be in a lot more trouble than she already was. Besides, she really had no expectation that Mammon would want to¡­


    ¡°Um, I notice you didn¡¯t deny the part about being a fool¡­¡± muttered Luke. Before Mammon could protest, however, Barbatos entered the hall, pushing a food cart with brunch on it.


    ¡°Good morning everyone,¡± he greeted politely. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I suppose it¡¯s not correct to say good morning, considering it¡¯s past noon already.¡± Even when Barbatos was calling people out for being rowdy the previous night, he did it so smoothly and politely that Melody could only envy him for his delivery.


    ¡°Is that sarcasm I hear?¡± asked Satan, clearly less impressed with Barbatos than Melody was by the shaking of his head. ¡°¡­Anyway, where¡¯s Lord Diavolo? I haven¡¯t seen him yet this morning.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in bed. He and Lucifer stayed up talking well after the rest of you went to sleep, you see,¡± returned Barbatos, unruffled. Melody thought she saw a faint twitch of one of his eyebrows, but she couldn¡¯t be certain. Satan paled just slightly, and Melody wondered if she had missed something.


    ¡°Can we get to the part where we eat now? I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Beel¡¯s complaint was expected.


    ¡°Ah yes, pardon me. Brunch is ready and waiting,¡± Barbatos said with a slight bow, already starting to place all the plates, bowls, and pots on the table. Everything looked and smelled right, much to Melody¡¯s relief. She hadn¡¯t felt hungry at all until she saw the food; her nerves had been acting up.


    ¡°We were supposed to have food from the human world on the last day of the retreat, right?¡± asked Simeon, looking at everything Barbatos was spreading on the table. He gave Melody a smile as he said this, the expression more about encouragement than anticipation. Asmodeus, however, looked frankly dismayed, even panicked. Melody froze; had she done something wrong somehow?


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me that this means¡­¡± began Asmodeus, but Solomon cut him off.


    ¡°Yep, you guessed it. It means I did some of the cooking as well.¡± Solomon was smiling.


    ¡°Indeed. Melody was in charge of making today¡¯s human world fare, and Solomon helped out,¡± Barbatos clarified, modestly leaving his own part out. Melody took a few moments to explain what the food was, and how to prepare it. She had decided to make crepes and fixings, both savory and sweet, so that people could eat according to their tastes. Barbatos had even dished things up on color-coded dishes so that those who were less aware of human realm food would be able to make good choices. Mammon leaned forward, surveying the items on the table with a sniff.


    ¡°Hmph. So, there¡¯s stuff Melody cooked, huh¡­ ? Well, I¡¯m hungry enough that I guess I could tolerate eating some of it.¡± Mammon¡¯s lack of verbal endorsement was something Melody knew she should expect. If only she could convince herself to not have the knee-jerk reaction of disappointment. It would be even better if she could convince Mammon to be more honest, but, she doubted that was going to happen any time soon. From the way his family reacted, it seemed like this habit had been formed a long time ago.


    ¡°Why not be honest and say you¡¯re looking forward to trying it? Ugh, this is why I can¡¯t stand demons.¡± The fact that Luke voiced what she was thinking was a bit surprising to Melody, but then he followed up with his own declaration that he didn¡¯t like demons, even after warming quite a bit to Beel. Oh well. She wasn¡¯t going to tell him at this point that he was a little too similar to some of the demons he proclaimed to dislike.


    ¡°Mm, this is great. I¡¯m ready for seconds,¡± mumbled Beel, having already taken one full helping and finished it off. Melody knew he wasn¡¯t picky, so it wasn¡¯t the best endorsement, but at least he didn¡¯t dislike it, so she gave him a smile.


    ¡°So, which of these dishes did you make, Solomon?¡± asked Asmodeus.


    ¡°This one here. Oh, and what you see on that plate there too,¡± Solomon answered, pointing to each in turn as he spoke. The food did look good, and though Melody could recognize most of the main ingredients, she wouldn¡¯t know they were seasoned until she tried some. She was curious if they were more traditional dishes from where Solomon was originally from or something he had learned along the way. She was about to ask, but Asmodeus had another question.


    ¡°So Melody and Barbatos made everything else then?¡±


    ¡°Correct. Everything from here to here was Melody¡¯s idea, but I was the one who did most of the actual cooking, per her instructions, so she could go freshen up and not keep everyone waiting,¡± Barbatos informed them. Now that the question was put to him directly, he didn¡¯t deny his involvement. In the background, Leviathan was dishing himself up and getting excited about exactly which anime he had seen similar foods in, making sure that he made his own serving look as close to the anime version as possible. Mammon, who was being much less particular, had already served himself and was trying it out.


    ¡°¡­H-Huh¡­ So Melody made this one? I-I guess it¡¯s all right¡­¡± Mammon muttered between bites, his words not even able to hide how pleased he sounded.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Asmo, aren¡¯t you going to try any of that dish there?¡± asked Satan, gesturing towards one of Solomon¡¯s dishes. It looked like some sort of salad, the kind of thing Asmo often tried to eat, for his health of course.


    ¡°That? Well, Solomon¡¯s the one who made that, after all¡­¡± protested Asmodeus, trailing off, as though his words meant more than they seemed to.


    ¡°Nobody likes a picky eater,¡± admonished Beel. Leaving food untouched was practically a crime in his eyes.


    ¡°Okay then, you go ahead and eat all you like, Beel. Be my guest,¡± retorted Asmodeus. Beel, who usually left salads for last, since they rarely filled him, wasn¡¯t about to let it just sit in the bowl, untouched. So, he dished himself up a generous helping and started munching away. Partway through, he stopped abruptly, expression stunned.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. Beelzebub froze. The food must be so good that he¡¯s in shock right now,¡± said Simeon, taken by surprise. Somehow, Melody didn¡¯t think that was the case, the expression on Beel¡¯s face wasn¡¯t one of joy or even the thoughtful indecision of someone trying to place a unique or complex flavor.


    ¡°Solomon¡¯s cooking looks so good that I decided to upload pictures of it to social media. Mmm, I can¡¯t wait to try this! It¡¯s going to be SO epic!¡± There was a flash of the DDD as Leviathan took a picture of Solomon¡¯s dish before he skewered some on his fork. ¡°¡­All right, food! Your end is nigh! Prepare to be consumed!¡± Melody found herself laughing over this; when Levi got into this sort of mood, it was quite endearing to her. But, then Levi froze as well, his eyes wide, expression dismayed. This was not a good sign. While Beel was likely to be stunned into silence by good food, Leviathan was more likely to put out some novel-length praise of anything that caught his attention positively. Everyone else seemed to think that this was a sign to try to food as well, but Melody couldn¡¯t organize her thoughts fast enough to the others from following Beel and Levi¡¯s leads.


    Mammon found his voice first, managing to describe the dish in the most gruesome way, such as having needles poke his tongue or his stomach being on fire, declaring that it wasn¡¯t even food. Satan, for his part, described it as a weapon of mass destruction. Simeon tried to actually describe the flavors themselves, but it ended up so contradictory, Melody couldn¡¯t even imagine the taste. However, she was certain she was not going to find out for herself. Luke just held his stomach and looked like he was about to be sick.


    ¡°Even Beel is sitting there paralyzed, and he can eat anything¡­¡± noted Satan, shaking his head. Asmodeus was almost gloating though; his warning had been very oblique, but it had been there.


    ¡°The food looks so good, though. It¡¯s hard to believe that it can taste so bad, huh?¡± he whispered the second part as an aside to Satan.


    ¡°Now now, don¡¯t compliment me too much, okay? You¡¯re going to embarrass me,¡± Solomon said, his expression oddly pleased. Melody did a double take. How could he be such a powerful and threatening sorcerer, but still completely miss what was going on around him right now?


    ¡°Look at Solomon. He¡¯s eatin¡¯ it like nothing¡¯s wrong¡­¡± grumbled Mammon, half in disbelief, half in awe.


    ¡°Mmm, the flavor isn¡¯t bad. Looks like my hard work paid off.¡± It was true, Solomon wasn¡¯t even flinching as he ate. Maybe there was just something in it that tasted bad to demons and angels, but not humans. Melody wasn¡¯t sure she was brave enough to test that theory.


    ¡°I know. As bizarre as it is, Solomon seems to have no trouble at all eating his own cooking,¡± Asmodeus said to Mammon, feeling some odd sort of joy in the chaos that had erupted. He held out a forkful of food to Solomon. ¡°Solomon, this looks good too.. Here, open wide and say aaah¡­¡± Solomon looked a little surprised but did as he was asked.


    ¡°Mm¡­ thanks.¡± Again, there was no change, and he ate the food contentedly. Satan watched in complete disbelief.


    ¡°¡­So he doesn¡¯t even¡­?


    ¡°¡­Nope¡­¡± said Luke.


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t look like it¡­¡± agreed Mammon.


    ¡°Solomon¡¯s cooking is so insanely bad that it¡¯s become the most memorable part of the whole retreat. Wow, Solomon¡­ that¡¯s epic! Loool.¡± Levi got in the final word. The rest of the meal passed in relative silence. Leftovers, a rare occurrence whenever Beelzebub was involved, were saved for when Lord Diavolo and Lucifer woke up. Though Melody strongly suspected that Barbatos got rid of anything Solomon had made. Handing such dishes over to the Prince would not be wise.


    The members of the retreat returned to their rooms and started packing their things. Eventually, they all met together in the grand hall, a collection of bags and woes. Of course, there were arguments, but that seemed par for the course. At least it didn¡¯t devolve into another fight, which was fortunate, for pillows were less accessible here, and Melody was sure someone would get seriously hurt if they started throwing luggage around. Fortunately for everyone¡¯s personal effects, Lucifer and Diavolo finally arrived. The Prince bade them all a hearty farewell and thanked them for coming. Although it was the polite thing to do, Melody felt that he meant every word of it.


    The ride back was uneventful, more or less. Melody ended up squished between Mammon and Levi in the backseat, but half-dozed through most of the trip. Oddly the two were relatively docile with their pacted human creating a soft and sleepy wall between them. As much as tension was common between them, often escalating into a shouting match or a chase, neither seemed particularly keen on disturbing Melody. Perhaps it was the pact, perhaps it was because she had grown on them, or maybe they were just aware of how much trouble they¡¯d be in with Lucifer if they hurt her because they couldn¡¯t rein in their tempers. Lucifer stopped briefly through a drive-in to get enough food to make up for the failed brunch at the Castle.


    All Melody wanted to do was haul her luggage back to her room, unpack, and fall asleep in blissful solitude. Sharing a room with Simeon had been pleasant enough, shoulders notwithstanding, but Asmo had been a rather nerve-wracking roommate. Even after the pact was made, she knew she wouldn¡¯t use it just to make herself more comfortable; only if she was threatened would she employ it, and that was still questionable. However, her luck from the smooth ride home didn¡¯t hold over. As soon as they were in the door, the status quo resumed. Mammon was already enthusiastically cataloging everything he liked about the House of Lamentation.


    ¡°I mean, doncha agree? There¡¯s really no place like the House of Lamentation, huh Melody?¡± As soon as Mammon made it a direct question, Melody felt she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. Especially since it really seemed to hurt his feelings with how frequently his brothers did exactly that.


    ¡°I completely agree; there¡¯s no place like it,¡± she said. While she didn¡¯t like how big and stuffy it was sometimes, she couldn¡¯t say it was like anywhere else, even if it was only for the fact she had nearly died at least three times under its roof. Mammon seemed pleased with the answer, and Melody started breathing normally again as he started to enthuse about his home once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. We were only away on our retreat for three days,¡± said Satan, expression caught somewhere between bewildered and exasperated. Although the comment was directed at Mammon, Levi was the one who was set off by it, accusing Satan of being dismissive of his prolonged absence from a great number of his Ruri-chan figurines. True, Melody had helped him smuggle in a few extras, but, even between the two of them, several had to stay behind. He then went into very explicit detail about how painful it was to be separated from them, comparing it to being ground down into burger patties and grilled. Still, as much as Melody hated when he raised his voice that way, she was still in awe of his dedication.


    ¡°Ahaha! Look how serious Levi is! He¡¯s honestly mad right now!¡± Asmodeus laughed, not taking his brother¡¯s anger to heart at all. Melody suppressed a sigh, wondering why she had entered a pact with him again. It felt like Asmo really hadn¡¯t learned anything at all during those three days.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t words to describe how much I can¡¯t stand you guys¡­¡± grumbled Satan. Melody flinched, wondering if she was included in that. Of everyone there, Satan was the one she had the hardest time reading. The others showed the color of their sins quite often, but he usually didn¡¯t push further than being mildly peeved at people. In addition, he made very few references to her, and any time he did address her directly, she always felt there was some sort of motive involved. But to what ends he worked, she couldn¡¯t tell. While it was true she wasn¡¯t close to Lucifer either, he was clearly motivated by keeping order and not bringing shame to Lord Diavolo¡¯s name. Satan was a wild card.


    ¡°Patties¡­ Now I want a cheeseburger¡­¡± said Beel. Melody felt bad for him; he hadn¡¯t gotten to eat as much as he would have liked because of Solomon¡¯s food. Being put off his appetite hadn¡¯t diminished it, just delayed it. Unfortunately, even that simple statement started another argument, headed by Satan, all about how terrible the human world food had been. Melody tried not to feel hurt about it, since as far as she could tell, hers had been fine. Maybe even good. But Solomon¡¯s had been so completely awful that it rendered hers almost non-existent.