《Kingdoms: The Fall》


 The Kings Frustrations

    Satan, January 2nd


    Satan sat on his throne, leaning his head on his hand as he watched two fellow demons argue. Though the demons screamed back and forth at each other, staring each other down, their voices were drowned out by Satan¡¯s thoughts instead. His eyes darted around the palace¡¯s throne room, staring at the carpet leading up towards his throne, and the large door he knew dozens upon dozens of demons lined up behind as they awaited their turn. Drifting upwards, Satan looked out the windows. Despite Hell not having much sunlight, some parts of this Hell had some sun let into the palace through the windows, with lava also joining in. Satan¡¯s eyes returned to the two demons. He frowned. ¡®Maybe this is the year I can quit, would be nice if I could focus on my writing and poetry again¡­¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Your majesty, are you listening?¡± the gray tailed demon called out, Satan finally listening again.


    Satan sat up, his left eye twitching. ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m listening to your stupid fucking argument.¡±


    The red demon said, ¡°But your majesty, this man robbed my home and refuses to give my stuff back.¡±


    The gray tailed demon fired back with: ¡°Well, maybe if you weren¡¯t dating my daughter against my wishes, then this wouldn¡¯t have¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Satan shouted over the two, his warm bronze skin morphing into a blush red, balling up his fists as he rose from his throne. ¡°This has gone on long enough. The palace is open for citizens to air grievances for things related to the laws of this kingdom, or the way I rule. Not for your petty disagreements. You better get out of my sight, or Diablo help me resist dragging you out myself!¡±


    The two demons deflated with his outburst, scurrying out the door.


    Satan descended from the throne, with his advisor tagging close behind. ¡°Your majesty, I get that you¡¯re annoyed, but was that really necessary?¡±


    ¡°If I just let them continue, who knows how long I¡¯d have to wait for them to finish. This public forum has gone so downhill since my reign started. I think we need to start screening citizens in line,¡± Satan said as he tied his messy, raven-colored hair into a low ponytail.


    ¡°Alright, sir,¡± the advisor said.


    Satan took a deep breath as he moved his ponytail over his right shoulder. His rage melted away as his skin shifted back to bronze. He stopped in his tracks in the doorway behind his throne with just enough space to open the door, as he rested his hand on the doorknob. Turning to face his advisor, he asked, ¡°I think now¡¯s a good time for my break. No one needs another outburst from me. I don¡¯t mean to be a bother, but would you be able to screen everyone waiting in line?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll get started on that then, your majesty. I¡¯ll call you back when it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Satan entered the room. He shut the door behind him, before making his way over to the couch. Carelessly, he kicked off his boots, and flung himself on it, with his long legs taking up the entire couch. Yawning, as sleep began to take over Satan, he wondered, ¡® What are Arsene and Nico up to right now? Usually they¡¯re home right about now. Arsene must be swamped with her creation goddess work I suppose¡­¡¯


    Arsene, January 2nd


    Arsene lifted her dress with one hand, making sure she wouldn¡¯t step on it, as she walked in a field of tall grass and flowers that brushed against her dress. In her other hand was her sceptor, a which had a circular crystal at the top, another crystal, that one being white and tinier at the very top, and to the side of the crystal, white wings. The delicate, gentle scent of the flowers wafted in Arsene¡¯s nostrils. Behind, she knew Nico followed, as hearing him step on the plants and shift the grass from side to side.


    Arsene looked over her shoulder at Nico. "I¡¯m so sorry to make you pull out that note again, but can you read me my next assignment, please?"


    She watched Nico pull out the unfolding paper, forming a pile at his feet. He groaned as he started rolling it up. All the while, he scanned the page, before stopping at the end of the long paper. ¡°Good news, only one more thing to create for the day. You have to create a seed for a lily, and then plant it on the other side of this field.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s easy,¡± Arsene said.


    She raced through the grass until she reached the other side. She marveled at the field in front of her. Flowers dotted the landscape, thick oak trees reached into the clouds, and a waterfall flowed into a lake, creating a mist that showered both her and the nearby grass.


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    She tightened her grip on her white and blue sceptor. Magic began pouring out of her hands as she uttered a spell. ¡°Creo: granum.¡± She directed the magical particles of blue and white angel wings to her other hand, while guiding them with her scepter. The particles all joined together as one, rapidly morphing into the shape of the seed until the particles faded away, leaving the seed resting in her palm.


    Arsene knelt in the dirt and buried the seed. She held out a palm towards the lake, then partially closed it, and softly said, ¡°Magicae: capto.¡± Particles surrounded a small part of the lake, and as if in a tube, a thin stream of water approached her, before guiding the stream into the dirt.


    As she stood up, she heard footsteps and panting. Turning around, she saw Nico at her side again, bending towards the ground as he panted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just hope your father doesn¡¯t get me in trouble for not being around to bodyguard or protect you from someone trying to assassinate you, or whatever ridiculous thing he¡¯d say. Not like you even need protection, but you know,¡± Nico said in between pants.


    ¡°He better not! It¡¯s not like you were that far away either. He can be so unreasonable sometimes¡­¡± Arsene huffed.


    ¡°I know. Well, you know him better than me. Not like I¡¯ve met the guy¡­¡± Nico rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you haven¡¯t. He¡¯s just a miserable God looking for power. Sometimes I think if he actually had some worshippers I could do my assignments by my terms since he¡¯d actually have other things to occupy his time.. But nobody has any business worshiping him anyway, besides other power-hungry mortals¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± was all Nico could respond with.


    Silence fell for a moment, as Arsene turned her attention to the lake again.


    A smile grew on Arsene¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    For a few minutes, the pair stood, looking and taking in the scenery of the surrounding nature. Wind and singing birds filled their silence, with the water of the lake flowing. Arsene¡¯s thoughts wandered to her sisters. ¡®I wonder what things would be like if you were home again. How long has it been Arista, some thousand years? I still read each and every single letter, but nothing gives me any form of clue. And Araya, you¡¯ve still been off for ten years now, and I haven¡¯t heard a thing from you. What happened?¡¯ As she wondered about them, tears pricked her eyes and her lips quivered. As the sounds of nature faded back in, she wiped them away.


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re done for the day, why don¡¯t we just get out of here? If you want to leave for home, that is. Speaking of, wonder what Satan¡¯s up to, I know the reunion is coming up and all,¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the honors. Magicae: transportari!¡±


    The magical particles surrounded the pair once more, until bright whites and blues were all they could see. And like a comet in the sky, they shot off the face of the Earth, Arsene¡¯s magic carrying them through space.


    After ten minutes, finally, they went downwards, twisting and turning. Their feet touched the ground again. Magic particles dissolved in mere seconds as the pair took a moment to steady themselves.


    Their first sight upon the end of their journey was the familiar, large, black palace, with a black door, both towering over them. Arsene pushed the door open like it was nothing, beckoning Nico to follow inside.


    Arsene walked through the empty throne room, the red carpet crunching underneath Arsene¡¯s shoes. She smiled as she said. ¡°I think my teleportation speed is getting faster. I feel like when we first started working together, the journey was twenty minutes.¡±


    Nico followed behind her. ¡°That sounds about right. I just wish I could see something that wasn¡¯t blinding bright magic. Ten minutes of reading on the trip would be nice.¡±


    ¡°It would be. At that point we might as well just get a ship, but then the journey¡¯s a week long, so it¡¯s not even worth it.¡±


    They walked behind the throne into the living room. Arsene and Nico stopped upon seeing Satan laying on the couch, curled up like a sleeping cat. His eyes were delicately closed and his chest rose and fell. He had on his black robes, akin to a grim reaper¡¯s, over top a pair of gray sweatpants. To top it all off, were the chains adorning his waist.


    ¡°Is he¡­ asleep?¡± Arsene whispered.


    ¡°Seems like it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe let¡¯s leave him be, then.¡±


    Arsene and Nico began to tiptoe away, but stopped when they heard shuffling from Satan.


    ¡°Fuck, how long was I asleep for?¡± Satan wiped his left eye, his other still covered by extra long bangs like they usually did. Slowly, he rose from the couch, his hair messier than usual, with stray locks curling around his horns,


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Nico looked at the time on his phone, ¡°but it¡¯s five-ten now.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! I slept too long¡­ whatever. You two know that the reunion¡¯s the 4th, right?¡±


    Arsene and Nico nodded.


    ¡°Good. I think this year I¡¯m finally going to retire from being king. Just have to talk to dad first. Really hoping dad says yes, I¡¯m so done with these Ayuzumian demons and Ayuzuma in general. No offense, Nico,¡± Satan scowled, frowning with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°None taken. Things have gotten worse among the Ayuzumian demons for demon. If I knew anything I¡¯d help, but I¡¯m just the bodyguard. You¡¯d think since I grew up in the Ayuzumian Hell I¡¯d know better how to help but I guess I just don¡¯t have anything¡­¡± Nico rubbed the back of his neck.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been good since the¡­ well, you know, so there¡¯s a good chance you can stop. I just wonder who¡¯s gonna take over.¡± Arsene bit her lower lip. ¡®Hopefully talking about the incident isn¡¯t going to anger him¡­¡¯


    ¡°No idea, but I¡¯m gonna hold on to that hope. Speaking of, Nico, do you wanna come? My parents have been itching to see you again.¡±


    Nico paused for a second. ¡°You know what? Sure, I¡¯ll come. Do I need to bring something or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Everyone usually brings some kind of food. All the main dishes have been covered so you can bring a side dish or a dessert. I can show you the list of what everyone else is bringing if you need.¡± Satan wandered to the kitchen.


    ¡°Alright, perfect.¡±

 Reunion

    Satan, January 4th


    When Satan, Arsene and Nico were ready to leave for the reunion, they gathered outside of the palace on the bridge.


    ¡°Everyone has what they want to bring?¡± Satan asked.


    Arsene and Nico nodded.


    ¡®Blood: transform¡¯ Satan mumbled in demon tongue, his native language. The chains wrapped around his waist appeared to melt as they turned into blood, flowing down Satan¡¯s clothes. Before they could move any further, Satan said, ¡®Blood: move,¡¯ as he brought his hand out to the side, the blood following his hand. ¡®Blood: teleport,¡¯ he muttered made a circular motion with his hands, moving the blood around the three until blood covered every inch of their vision and bodies. Finally, they took off.


    After a ten-minute journey, they ended up on a long stone bridge that led to a gothic styled palace of mainly jet black and charcoal gray with crimson red accents wherever possible. Towers reached high in the air and windows dotted and decorated many surfaces of the castle, all with decorative carvings depicting various demons, angels, and other heavens and hells.


    At the entrance gate stood a woman in red with horns curling inward toward her face. Satan squinted as he looked at her from afar.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely Lillith, right?¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°Not sure. Can¡¯t tell from over here.¡± Satan said.


    As the woman ran forward and her features became clearer, there was no doubt it was Lilith with her upturned, widened eyes of pale red, her thin face, and pale pink skin. Upon reaching Satan, she tackled Satan in a hug.


    ¡°Ah, mom geez!¡± Satan smiled as he hugged her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you. And you finally brought Nico to the reunion. Dia will be thrilled to see him after all these years!!¡± Lilith zipped around as she greeted them all. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make your way inside? Everyone else is here. We haven¡¯t really done much yet, but we¡¯ll probably hang out, and chat a bit first.¡±


    ¡°Does that include Luce?¡± Satan mumbled to Lilith as they began walking forward to the castle..


    Lilith sighed, her demeanor immediately deflating like a balloon. ¡°I wish it did.¡±


    ¡°Have the search parties been able to find anything?¡±


    ¡°Still no. All my friends keep telling me that maybe it¡¯s time we stopped looking. Maybe he really is-¡±


    ¡°Well, did they ever find a body?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if uncle Lucifer¡¯s alive either though,¡± Satan¡¯s youngest child piped in out of nowhere.


    Satan turned to glare down at him.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    As they finished up their conversation, they began to enter the first room of the palace, which had coats and shoes scattered about in the front. They took a left and continued down a long hallway until they came to a red door. Behind the door were all the rest of the family members, which were mostly just Satan and Arsene¡¯s other nine kids from before divorce, having long reached adulthood at that point, plus some of their kids¡¯ partners.


    Once they entered the room, Lilith took Nico over to Diablo, while Arsene went around talking to some of her children. Satan stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking at the rest of his family members being involved in a conversation. As some of his children greeted him, he¡¯d greet them back, but not without looking back at Diablo every couple minutes.


    Finally, when his children were busy talking to others, and Diablo walked away from Lilith and Nico, Satan smirked.


    ¡®Fucking finally. I''ll talk to dad and quit ruling over the stupid Hell of Ayuzuma and live in the Earthinian Hell again!¡¯ Satan cheered in his head as he made his way over to Diablo.


    Before Satan could even get a single word out, Diablo raised his voice. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s hungry?¡±


    Everyone cheered in response.


    ¡®Fuck, and I don¡¯t want everyone at the table to know about this¡­ I can wait until after food then, I suppose.¡¯ Satan¡¯s eyes twitched as he made his way to the dining room.


    The ceilings were lofty, walls crimson red, and the floors were wooden and gray. High above the table was a stained glass window with Satan¡¯s family members and other various family friends. The table was long and wide, with lots of chairs. Black porcelain plates, utensils and various foods lined the surface. Satan, Arsene and Nico each placed their own contributions in the space in the middle of the table. Satan brought garlic bread. Arsene scurried off to a much smaller table set to the side, and placed down her blue and white cupcakes with angel motifs, referencing her being a patron goddess of angels. Nico joined Arsene and placed down a ten tier cake.


    Nico and Arsene ran back over. Finally, they sat in the three seats that were right near Diablo. Crow ran off to sit next to one of his siblings.


    Satan, Arsene and Nico¡¯s eyes fell onto a large ham in the middle of the table. It was a beautiful brown ham sitting on lettuce and even roses. One of Satan¡¯s children fussed with the ham.


    The last few of the children brought in their contributions and took their seats, with only three seats remaining empty.


    Diablo rose from his seat at the head of the table.``Before we begin, I¡¯d like to say a few words. These past thousand years haven¡¯t been easy. Two thousand twenty-three years without Lucifer and it hasn¡¯t gotten easier. We still know Arista¡¯s out there, but we have not seen her since. And it¡¯s been ten years since Araya left to look for them. We haven¡¯t heard from her either, but when, and not if, but when she gets back, we need to thank her. I¡¯ve known her since Satan and Lucifer first met the Mendozas, and she¡¯s one of the strongest women I¡¯ve ever known. Today is a happy day as well. I get to take a break from my duties of ruling the Earthnian Hell and spend time with all of you. Now, Let¡¯s get to eating.¡±


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    They barely got through five bites of their food before Satan watched the stained glass windows from across his seat windows shatter. Something, or someone skidded across the floor, black clothing or fabric covering it, or their entire body, The family all froze in place, some even dropping their utensils on the table. Satan glanced over at Arsene and Nico, who were frozen in place with widened eyes like everyone else, then turned his gaze to his parents who rose out of their chairs.


    ¡°The rest of you, keep eating. We¡¯re gonna see what that was about,¡± Satan mumbled.


    Satan and his parents rose from their seats and ran over to the person. As they got closer, they noticed white horns protruding from their heads. Satan watched Diablo get down on his knees and gently hold out a hand to the person.


    ¡°Are you alright¡­ sir? Or ma¡¯am? Um, fellow demon?¡±


    The demon in black sat up slowly. They smacked Diablo¡¯s hand away, making Satan and Lilith glance at each other again.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Satanel. You¡¯ve made things much easier.¡± The person gave an evil grin.


    Satan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the person. Blood surrounded the demon, and in seconds, they sped past them, making their way down the hallway in their blood comet-like form. A chill ran throughout Satan¡¯s body as he watched, the feeling growing stronger when he looked over at the table and saw all the seats were empty.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone!¡± He alerted his parents.


    His heartbeat quickened as Satan went to run down the hallway they had entered from. He was slowly being covered in black magic particles. He tried teleporting farther down the hallway to get it off, but it stayed stuck to his body. He shook his limbs around in a frenzied panic, when in a flash, the particles disappeared. Satan inspected his body rapidly, with more and more questions popping into his head with his heartbeat pounding in his head like a drum, While he checked himself, the chains around Satan¡¯s waist turned back into blood and dripped onto his robes. He held up the bloodied ends of the robe and groaned.


    Satan looked behind him and shouted, ¡°Did¡­ whatever that was mess with your magic, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± His parents yelled from a distance.


    Diablo quickly approached Satan, matching his pace as he panted out: ¡°I just texted the family group chat. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s even going on, but we need to check the palace and see if they¡¯re here or not. Go to the armory and grab some weapons in case you encounter that person again.¡±


    ¡®I guess there are downsides to only having a weapon I need to form out of blood.¡¯ Satan thought as he went into the armory. He grabbed a pitchfork, hand still trembling and briefly glanced at his phone. His stomach sank as he read a barely legible text message from one of his children, one that only mentioned two of his children were attacked in the kitchen. Images of his children being violently murdered flashed in his mind. He bit his lower lip as tears clouded his vision.


    ¡®Get your ass together, Satan, if your family dies because your ass was too emotional, that''s on you.¡¯ Satan berated himself in his head as he sprinted toward the kitchen.


    Upon reaching the kitchen, he kicked open the door and saw his two oldest children with their partners. His children¡¯s partners attempted to fight off new attackers all dressed in black, his eldest daughter lay on the floor as one attacker moved a sword back and forth on her legs, eyelids threatening to fall while his eldest son¡¯s head was bashed into the kitchen counter.


    Adrenaline surged as Satan charged forward at the attackers with his pitchfork. He swung at one, but they all teleported away when they noticed him.


    ¡°Dad.¡± His eldest daughter weakly mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Please don¡¯t close your eyes.¡± Satan dove onto the floor, and grasped his daughter¡¯s hand.


    His daughter¡¯s boyfriend raced over with a paper towel and handed them to Satan, together the two wrapped the paper towels around her legs. The boyfriend said, ¡°This¡¯ll work for now. When we can we¡¯ll give you actual bandages.¡±


    Satan rose from the floor and looked at his eldest son, now joined with his queerplatonic partner as he washed his mouth in the sink.


    ¡°What the hell did they do to you?.¡± Satan walked over and gave him a paper towel.


    Arian covered his bleeding mouth with it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, you know what I mean. Did they mess with your magic as well?¡±


    They all nodded yes.


    ¡°Of course. Let me see if anyone else sent a text¡­¡± Satan pulled out his phone again. He turned it on.


    His heart sank.


    Another one of his children described how Arsene¡¯s eye was cut open on the second floor hallway near the bedrooms.


    ¡°We need to get out of here! Come on!¡± Satan shut off his phone and ran up the stairs. He gripped his pitchfork tighter. With how frenzied his run up the stairs was, Satan couldn¡¯t help almost falling every other second. On the other side of the hallway, the rest of the family ran in as well.


    Arsene lied on the floor. Her chest rapidly rose and fell. She shut her eyes tightly, as a mixture of water and blood flowed from them.


    Satan dove towards Arsene. His parents also joined him, Lilith soothed her as Diablo and Satan helped her get up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡± Diablo said.


    Everyone agreed.


    The family made their way down the stairs and out of the palace. The unharmed attendants kept a fighting stance or called for the hospital as they all filed out of the palace.


    As they made their way outside, citizens crowded the palace entrance. They filled the bridge, making exiting by walking impossible.


    ¡°Why are they all here?¡± Satan whispered.


    ¡°Must¡¯ve seen or heard it or something,¡± Diablo whispered back.


    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t want a speech,¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Maybe they do.¡± Diablo stepped forward, closer to the citizens, and adjusted his clothes. ¡°Citizens of Earthinian Hell, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve seen or heard, but I can confirm this. Tonight, there was an attack on my family. Just as we began our dinner, a figure in all black broke in through a window. We thought they got hurt or in an accident, but we believe they have something to do with the attacks. Not all of us got targeted, though. They attacked only nine of my grandchildren and Arsene. Of all the thoughts and opinions others may hold on my family, there has never been an attack quite like this. In the past years, since we¡¯ve had our yearly reunion, we have never needed guards. I see now that it was a foolish mistake. The fact that all past reunions have never had an incident like this was luck. We hope to find out more about this later, but for now, we must get to the hospital.¡±


    As Diablo finished up, paramedics and guards teleported onto the scene. They gave their testimonies and sent the others into the hospital.


    The unscathed members of the family sat in the waiting room, sounds of unfolding chaos and running from other hospital goers filled their ears as they waited in silence. By then, they¡¯d waited hours for any kind of news.


    ¡°So, cut open irises, attempts to cut off legs, making a Glasgow smile and punching in teeth, attempts to stab through the heart, stealing of an eye, cutting a stomach open, shattering of bones, attempting drowning, head bashing. What does it mean? Why only nine of my kids and Arsene? Why not all of us?¡± Satan mumbled to himself.


    Satan suddenly remembered he had his diary on him. He fished it out of his pants pocket and began writing. He wrote out the facts of what had happened. They weren¡¯t anything special, but there was something he couldn¡¯t put on his finger about it all.


    ¡°Well, everyone, it¡¯s been¡­ six hours, officially. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe to be in the palace right now. Why don¡¯t we go to a nearby hotel? We can all get rooms and be there for everyone tomorrow.¡± Diablo got up and stretched.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. Satan, wanna room with me?¡± Nico asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As they exited the hospital, Satan finally had a revelation.


    ¡®Maybe this is all because of¡­ me. Maybe this has something to do with Katherina and Takahiro.¡¯

 Visitation and Investigation

    Satan, January 5th


    Satan shrieked as he rose from his bed memories of the previous night flooded in. Beads of sweat coated his forehead, which he quickly wiped away. He took a few deep breaths, and tried to take in his surroundings. White walls, a white bed, a matching bed on his left, and a tv on the wall.


    Nico sat on a couch across from the bed with raised eyebrows. His eyes, blue with a hint of gray to them, seemed to look at Satan concerningly. ¡°Hey, uh, you alright?¡± He gently pried.


    ¡°Not really. How long was I out for?¡± Satan straightened up, rubbing his shoulders to soothe himself.


    ¡°I think it was twelve hours.¡±


    Satan¡¯s eyes widened as he tore the blanket away. ¡°I was asleep for twelve hours?¡± He threw on his shoes and wrapped his chains around his waist in seconds. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Nico nodded. Satan teleported them, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the hospital as the blood went back into its chained form. Fellow demons lined the waiting room, filling up most of the seats.


    The receptionist, a short woman barely visible above the desk, rushed over to Satan as he approached, pointing to the only empty seats in the waiting room. Before they could sit down, a doctor with blue skin appeared from a hallway.


    ¡°Hello again, Mr. Satanel. Some of your family members are in more critical condition than the others, so recovery times will vary..¡± The doctor motioned for the duo to follow.


    One by one, Satan checked in on his children in their various hospital rooms. Some talked with Satan like nothing happened, while others were still as statues, saying very few. Despite the varying conditions, his heart still stung upon seeing each of them.


    Finally, the duo checked on Arsene. Satan opened the door to see yet another small white room with Arsene sitting on a bed. She faced the doorway as she talked with a doctor. Satan¡¯s eyes were drawn to the blue fabric that covered her eyes. He recognized the fabric to be the same that Arsene would wear around her head on most other days. Satan furrowed an eyebrow. ¡®She¡¯s hiding her eyes? What¡¯s up with that?¡¯


    The doctor rushed out of the room, while Arsene slowly stood up. Her mouth curved down slightly, and she faced the floor. She began walking out like she could see as normal, albeit slowly, despite the covering on her eyes.


    ¡°Arsene? Are you alright?¡± Satan asked, wrinkling his brow.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Arsene said monotonously.


    Satan and Nico looked at each other for a moment, with upturned eyebrows and slight frowns, as she walked ahead of them. They matched her pace quickly and walked to the main room. While leaving, he noticed some of his children walking out.


    ¡°Hold on, I want to talk to them for a second.¡± Satan looked over at Nico and Arsene and held up a finger. He raced over to the group as they made their way out. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hi dad.¡± His eldest son greeted, his bandages on his mouth still there as they were earlier.


    ¡°Where are you guys headed to?¡±


    ¡°Home.¡± His eldest daughter said. She had blue hair, similar to Arsene¡¯s, but more messy, like Satan¡¯s.


    ¡°I know you guys are ready to run back home, but what if you stayed with us in Ayuzuma for a couple of days while we wait for everyone else to be discharged?¡±


    ¡°I just want to go home. We¡¯ll talk to everyone else once they''re discharged. And, uh¡­ keep an eye on mom, alright? I¡¯m worried,¡± his eldest son said. The other siblings nodded profusely.


    Satan frowned and bit his lower lip while looking back at Arsene. Just yesterday, she laughed and smiled with the rest of the family, but at that moment, her face was completely blank, devoid of any expression. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you know when that happens.¡±


    The trio landed back at the palace. Immediately, Arsene walked to her room.


    ¡®What can I do for her? I feel like I should know since we¡¯ve known each other for so long and even were married, but I genuinely don¡¯t know how to help.¡¯


    Satan and Nico looked at each other again.


    ¡°Should we talk to her?¡± Nico expressed.


    Satan shook his head. ¡°Later. If I talk to her now, I think she¡¯s just gonna shut down. I have someone to call first.¡±


    Before entering his room, he stared at the door to Arsene¡¯s room, right across from his. Lingering for a bit, he finally entered his room, walked over to the black curtains, and opened them. Darting over to his desk right across from his bed, he opened the drawers and rummaged through old journals and books, until he unearthed a large, leather journal that slammed on his desk after dropping it.


    ¡®This should be it¡­¡¯ Satan thought as dust clouded the room, coughing as he waved a hand around to clear the dust. He rapidly flipped through the pages and scanned every word on them until one name caught his eyes.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡®Reyes Valencia, 202-452-5429, [email protected]</a>. I hope that¡¯s still your number¡­¡¯ Satan thought as he dialed the number.


    ¡°Hi, this is Reyes Valencia, monarch of the Hell dwarf planet Eris by day and detective by night. How may I help you today?¡± said the voice on the other end.


    ¡°Hi Reyes- erm, Mx. Valencia? I don¡¯t know which I¡¯m supposed to use, but this is Satan Satanel.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Satan, hi! Oh, uh, sorry about the recent¡­ stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, speaking of that, I want to talk to you about that. We still have zero idea about why anything happened. Would you be able to help us figure it out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Are you looking to turn this into a court case? I can also hook you up with a lawyer if needed.¡±


    ¡°If possible, then yeah. What would we need to do? When are you free?¡±


    ¡°Well, we need every witness of the attack to give their statements. I can investigate your parents¡¯ palace as long as it hasn¡¯t been tampered with, and we can find potential suspects and narrow them down.¡±


    ¡°Are you able to take my statement soon, at least? I¡¯d like to get mine out of the way. I don¡¯t know about everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure! Would you be free later tonight, by chance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll make a group chat for your family to let them know what¡¯s going on. See you in a bit.¡±


    Satan stood by the palace entrance, tapping his foot with darting eyes. Blood particles appeared at the entrance. Instinctively, Satan clenched his fists and took a step forward, ready to throw punches if needed.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s probably Reyes,¡¯ Satan¡¯s heart pounded as he moved out of his defensive stance.


    The blood formed into a body, quickly dispersing away from Reyes.


    ¡°Wow, what a long journey! Anyway, hi! It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve last seen each other,¡± Reyes greeted. She had a deep fuschia coat and scarf, with a fuschia hat to top it all off. Three white horns also poked out of holes in the hat.


    Satan took a deep sigh of relief before leading Reyes into the dining room, where Arsene and Nico sat.


    ¡°This is Arsene, my ex-wife but still a good friend, and Nico, technically the bodyguard to both of us, but he mostly works as Arsene¡¯s bodyguard now. Have you guys met Reyes before?¡± Satan asked.


    The two of them shook their heads.


    ¡°Hi! As you know, my name is Reyes Valencia. I am the monarch of the hell of Eris by day and a detective by night, but that¡¯s not important now, so no royal formalities! Oh, and I¡¯m non-binary and use she, he and they pronouns. Please, just switch them up and we¡¯re all good!¡± Reyes introduced themselves.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. How is this supposed to go down?¡± Nico said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to question Satan¡¯s perspective on the event first, you guys can also give me your perspectives as well if you can. It¡¯s a tricky line. I don¡¯t want to stir up any grief, but I also need to question others as soon as possible,¡± Reyes said.


    ¡°I can go after Satan. I don¡¯t think Arsene¡¯s going today,¡± Nico said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve never been to the Ayuzumian Hell to be quite honest. Can you bring me to a room where we can speak privately?¡±


    ¡°Yes, follow me,¡± Satan nodded.


    Satan teleported, making their way out the palace and going underneath to older parts of the palace.


    When their vision cleared, they¡¯d ended up in a dimly lit room with a long table, dust everywhere. Satan and Reyes sat at the nearest seats, coughing on the dust everywhere for a moment. Satan watched Reyes tear up from coughing so much.


    After enough of the dust dispersed, Reyes said, ¡°Alright, tell me about the incident from your point of view.¡±


    Satan finished off his side of the story while Reyes rapidly scribbled on a piece of paper. Waiting on Reyes to finish up, Satan took a long sip of his water, instantly moistening his dried throat from all the talking. His heart pounded as memories of last night stirred, as he remembered how each of his children looked after all their injuries.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s everything that happened. Are there potential suspects or things you think could be connected to all this?¡± Reyes leaned back while stretching her hands.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t exactly things Nico and Arsene know about.¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me, did you, like, cheat on Arsene or something back in the day?¡± Reyes leaned in.


    ¡°Fuck no! Why would I do that? Still nothing good.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m worried. Well, why don¡¯t you just get on with it?¡±


    Satan took a deep breath before saying, ¡°So, about two-hundred and twenty-nine years ago. I befriended Takahiro Koizumi, one of Ayuzuma¡¯s most well-known figures of evil.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of him before, hold on.¡± Reyes had their phone pulled up. From a distance, Satan saw their phone open to a wikipedia article on Takahiro. ¡°So, it seems like this Takahiro dude is dubbed evil by practically all of Ayuzuma at the moment. Did you meet him before the Ayuzumians called him evil?¡± Reyes said.


    Satan almost jumped at his voice. ¡°Yes, sorry. They didn¡¯t start calling him evil until Saori, his and Eris¡¯ daughter, was an adult, and it got worse after his parents died.¡±


    ¡°Before they described him as evil, were you secretive about being friends with him?¡±


    ¡°Sort of..¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think it¡¯d matter if they knew or not. If they had asked, I would¡¯ve told them, but once the evil rumors started, I got really secretive.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s also an immortality law in Ayuzuma, where to my understanding, if an immortal marries a non-immortal, the non-immortal may become immortal if they want. When did you learn about that?¡±


    ¡°Same day we met, actually.¡±


    ¡°And what were you doing in those two-hundred and twenty-eight years?¡±


    ¡°Before we met Katherina, it was just hanging out. When Takahiro lost his title as king, Eris and I wanted to help him get it back, but we weren¡¯t good at it. We didn¡¯t take attempting to make Takahiro King of Black again seriously until we met Katherina, which was a turning point of¡­ everything, really.¡±


    ¡°When did you meet Katherina?¡±


    ¡°I wanna say about¡­ 1998? She definitely made us get our act together, but at the cost of our relationships.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±

 Gaslighter

    Satan, November 5th


    2009.


    Satan sat on his throne with crossed legs as he glared down at the demon standing in front of him.


    ¡°I swear, it was just an accident! I didn¡¯t mean to go into the meeting room.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re lying or not. Just get out of my sight and don¡¯t do it again, or else I won¡¯t be as merciful.¡±


    The demon profusely thanked Satan, bowing repeatedly as guards pushed him out the open door.


    One guard called out next, and the next demon rushed in.


    He was a tall demon with a light gray tail with a five-pronged star at the tip, along with a younger girl with long locks of fuschia hair. The taller demon¡¯s sclera was reddened, lips trembling, while the young girl sobbed audibly.


    Nico and his daughter.


    Satan widened his eyes and raced off his throne. ¡°Guards! We¡¯re taking a break from this for a bit!¡± Satan yelled as he ushered them into the living room.


    He quickly shut the door. ¡°What happened, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know who else to turn to,¡± Nico apologized, as he tried to keep his sobs back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± Satan frowned and raised his eyebrows sympathetically.


    ¡°And I interrupted the public forum too, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nico, please. I¡¯ll interrupt every public forum for a friend.¡± Satan placed his hands on Nico¡¯s shoulders.


    Nico immediately backed away, more tears forming in his eyes like a storm.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Satan thought. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve asked.¡± Satan paused for a moment. ¡®Wait, Nico¡¯s here with his daughter, all their stuff, but they¡¯re sobbing their eyes out. Katherina! I knew it!¡¯ Satan spoke again, saying, ¡°Wait, does this have something to do with-¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. I can¡¯t stand to talk about it right now.¡±


    Satan nodded. ¡°Alright. Here, let me show you to your rooms.¡± As he walked them down the hallway of bedrooms, he furrowed his eyebrows. ¡®What have you done, Katherina? Do I even want to know at this point?¡¯


    Hours later, Satan¡¯s eyes bored into the oven clock, which read five at night. Satan leaned over the kitchen counter, thinking, ¡®She should be here any minute¡­¡¯


    Faint blue and white magical particles began to appear a little bit in front of the door, until the particles burst open through the door, landing as Arsene and her new bodyguard slowly faded in as normal.


    "Arsene!" Satan cried out.


    "Yes, we''re home. You''re not usually taking a break when I get home. Did something happen?" Arsene asked as she waved off the new bodyguard, biting her lip.


    "Something happened to Nico. He came to me with his daughter and luggage, all in a rush. And they were both crying. I touched his shoulder, but that was a mistake. Something''s telling me it has to do with Katherina," Satan leaned in to mumble to Arsene, frowning.


    "Wait, what? That''s awful! Can I talk to him? Is he here?¡± Arsene asked while covering her mouth with her hands.


    As they spoke, Satan noticed Nico out of the corner of his eye, tiptoeing down the hallway.


    "Nico?" Satan called out, raising an eyebrow.


    "I can''t sleep. Hi, Arsene," Nico greeted, his voice devoid of any emotion as he curled a lock of his hair around a finger.


    "Hi Nico," Arsene greeted back, frowning.


    ¡°I guess you guys deserve an explanation-¡± Nico rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°No, no! You don¡¯t have to tell us anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Well, right now, I kind of want to. Can we go into the living room?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The trio walked to the living room in silence. Each took a spot on the couch, while Satan and Arsene looked at Nico, awaiting what he had to say.


    Nico ran a hand down his face, before saying, ¡°Well, I knew this was coming for a while, but my relationship with Katherina is probably over.¡±


    Questions lingered in Satan¡¯s head, but he bit his lower lip before they could dare to make an escape.


    ¡°She used to be so awesome, and really fun, but over time I¡¯ve realized that she never loved me. Probably, at least. Like, she was really desperate to marry me as soon as possible, and then afterwards, she either ignored, hit, or talked down to me.¡±


    Satan gritted his teeth as he listened to Nico¡¯s story. He felt his skin briefly flicker to its muted, rose red color, but he breathed in slowly, forcing the appearance of his demon skin back in and his emotions on the back burner.


    ¡°But sometimes she¡¯d also flip to her old self from before we married, like nothing ever happened. I thought maybe I did something, or therapy could save our marriage, and I tried so hard, but nothing happened. And then when she got pregnant, she didn¡¯t have any strong feelings, and I worried about accidentally forcing her into everything, but she told me she was fine. When our daughter was born I was over the freaking moon, but she wasn¡¯t happy still.¡± Nico waved his arms around as he talked.


    ¡°So, I thought it was postpartum depression. I did whatever I could to help her, but it wasn¡¯t enough. As our daughter got older, I noticed how awful she acted towards her, until a few years ago it spiraled into full on abuse. Part of me still thinks it¡¯s not, but after so much talking with others I can¡¯t deny it any longer. I wanted so badly to get out, but I felt like I would die trying, plus, Katherina just made me feel so ashamed of all of this. Today, we got into a huge fight because she wouldn¡¯t ease up on our daughter, so I finally packed as much as I could, took my daughter, and left. We don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going to happen next,¡± He gradually gained speed in his voice, speaking as if he¡¯d die before he could get it all out.


    ¡°Nico¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. You don¡¯t deserve any of that. You will always have a place here. Whatever happens, please, stay here as long as you like.¡± Arsene scooted closer to Nico.


    ¡°This is probably not appropriate, but, now that we¡¯re on the topic, I¡¯m out of a job now, since I¡¯m also going to step down as King-Consort of Fuschia. I hate to trouble you even more, but is it possible there¡¯s any open positions I can apply for?¡±


    Arsene put a finger on her chin. ¡°Well, we can always give you your old bodyguard position back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! Please, don¡¯t fire someone so I can get it back. I can take something else, or look elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not being fired. It was only temporary, we didn¡¯t expect him to be a bodyguard again. He¡¯s been wanting to take the head guard position for a while now, since the old one has been looking to retire. I know he¡¯d be happy for this bodyguard search to finally come to an end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relie,.¡± Nico sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking so much, I¡¯ll make my own meals and take care of my daughter on my own, you two worry about your stuff.¡±


    ¡°Nico, please. Don¡¯t worry about it. I love kids, and Crow wouldn¡¯t mind having another friend to play with,¡± said Arsene.


    ¡°Alright, I think I ¡®m going to try to sleep again. Thank you both again, and goodnight.¡± Nico rose from the couch and walked down the hallway.


    ¡°Goodnight!¡± Arsene smiled.


    The pair remained silent until they heard Nico¡¯s door close. Satan immediately sighed. He felt as if his emotions were all in a frenzied spiral, but he pushed them all back again.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad things worked out at least, but geez. Anyway, I¡¯m starving, but I don¡¯t feel like cooking in all honesty. Should I go pick up something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me either, maybe Chipotle or something? You remember my order, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡±


    Satan walked out of the palace, eyes glued to his phone. Now alone, he finally let his skin flicker back to muted red again, and clenched his teeth, frowning as he glared down at his phone.


    Satan


    We need to talk.


    Text me tomorrow morning when you¡¯re awake.


    5:03 PM


    Kathy


    y


    what u mad about nico


    hes just a bitch boy


    we can talk about it now


    5:03 PM


    Satan


    No.


    Tomorrow morning.


    Your palace in Fuschia.


    5:03 PM


    Kathy


    okay geez


    calm down dude


    5:04 PM


    Satan, November 6th


    Satan snuck out of his palace in the early morning after getting a text from Katherina at five.


    He scurried through the Fuschia palace, made of aged stone walls and wooden ceilings. His all-black ensemble had a soft hood that obscured part of his face. He stopped in front of a door, checking over his shoulder, before he slowly opened it to just a crack. Peaking in, Takahiro and Katherina were seated lazily in two seats around a long table. Satan pushed the door open and closed it behind him.


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Satan tore off the hood of his jacket, his skin turning red yet again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought maybe he should be here.¡± Katherina shrugged.


    ¡°Get out. This doesn¡¯t involve you.¡± Satan furrowed his eyebrows in Takahiro¡¯s direction.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean to me. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Takahiro sniffled, as if he were about to cry. Immediately, he teleported out of the room.


    Satan quickly took a seat right across from Katherina. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡±


    ¡°What? To the bitch boy? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking call him that! And why did Nico come to me, with his daughter, suitcases packed, telling me you and him are over?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just so over dramatic, it¡¯ll be fine! I just didn¡¯t want my daughter to show off those nasty demonic traits of hers, fairies are so cruel to demons in Fuschia.¡±


    Satan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°And what about what you did to Nico? What¡¯s your excuse?¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Oh, I never beat him, it was just an accident!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, an accident that happened multiple times,¡± Satan rolled his eyes. He rose from his chair, scowling. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to your excuses. Nico¡¯s been my friend longer than you have, and I can tell how fucked up you¡¯ve made him and your daughter. What is wrong with you? Nico loved you, but now you don¡¯t? I don¡¯t want to see your face ever again. Don¡¯t text or call me anymore. Goodbye.¡±


    Katherina stared back at Satan, frowning and furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°You will regret you ever said that.¡±


    ¡°Try. I dare you.¡± Satan pulled the hood over his, head before teleporting off.


    Satan, December 6th


    A month passed.


    Satan breathed in and out, slowly while resting in his bed. His eyes were shut, unable to see anything but the darkness.


    A sudden ringtone jolted him awake. Mistakenly, he opened his eyes to see the blaring light of his phone, resting upon his night table.


    Satan groaned, shutting his eyes and rubbing them with the palms of his hand. ¡®Should I bother? Maybe it¡¯s important¡­¡¯ Satan hesitated before reaching out for his phone slowly.


    He squinted his eyes as he read the text.


    ¡°From 20413049394¡­ Fuck y¨C okay I know who that is.¡± Satan mumbled to himself. Turning the phone off and flipping to the other side, he closed his eyes and cozied himself up under the covers again, trying to silence his mind, but the thought kept bouncing around. He questioned, ¡®Maybe I need to talk to them one more time. If I clearly lay out everything, then they¡¯ll back off. Hopefully..¡¯


    Sitting up, Satan dove for his phone and unlocked it, rapidly texting the number back


    Satan


    Can we settle this once and for all.


    I need you to leave me alone.


    Let¡¯s do six twenty in the morning later.


    I have work though so I can¡¯t stay too long.


    If this is actually Katherina¡­


    3:19 AM


    20413049394


    fine


    meet me in the Fuschia palace


    3:20 AM


    Satan


    Good


    Now let me sleep


    3:21 AM


    Satan gently placed his phone back on his night table, and attempted to drift off once more.


    ¡®Can¡¯t believe I have to do this yet again¡­ Will they actually listen this time? I feel it¡¯ll be like talking to a brick wall, but oh well, better to try than nothing I guess¡­¡¯ Satan thought as he entered the room where Katherina and Takahiro were draped over the table yet again, their long hair pratically laying on the table. They turned their heads toward him with seemingly zero reaction on either of their faces.


    Satan pulled out a seat and sat down, crossed arms while glaring them down.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get this over with. Can you leave me the fuck alone?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! You¡¯re being a baby. They¡¯re just words.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is at this point! I¡¯ve said multiple times, to fuck off, and leave me be.¡± Satan rubbed his forehead, frowning. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to move on with your lives?¡±


    ¡°Well you don¡¯t even know the full story of what happened. There are two sides to every story¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Nico has been nothing but a good friend, but you on the other hand have been awful since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t even hear my side.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine, what¡¯s your justification for abusing your husband and daughter then?¡± Satan glared them down.


    Katherina and Takahiro¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at each other. Katherina said, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re calling me an abuser? You are sick.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Nico¡¯s been a fucking wreck, and yet me rightfully telling you off makes me sicker than you?¡±


    Katherina pointed at Satan.¡°You don¡¯t even know half of the stuff that went down, you weren¡¯t there with a camera to record every single thing.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, so tell me, what¡¯s your justification for all of this?¡±


    ¡°Nico and Bree are just lying, I¡¯ve never done anything to them!¡±


    ¡°So what about the bruises Nico showed me? And the conversations and arguments Nico recorded and showed to me as well?¡±


    ¡°The bruises were faked, and the conversations were all out of context!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, sure, next you¡¯ll tell me that you are a full-blooded fairy, or whatever else. I have work to do, I¡¯d like to not see you again, good day,¡± Satan growled as he rose out of seat and prepared to teleport away, getting halfway through his spell.


    ¡°Wait, wait! I can prove it!¡± Katherina leapt out of her seat and grabbed Satan¡¯s shoulders.


    Satan tensed up, and smacked her hand away. ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously! Can you come back here after work?¡±


    ¡°No, show me it now or never.¡±


    Katherina sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, just give me five minutes.¡±


    Satan plopped back in his chair. Takahiro remained across from him. They glared at each other wordlessly, the entire time.


    ¡®I feel like I should say something to him, but everything has been said at this point anyway.¡¯


    After a few minutes, clicking shoes echoed down a hallway, as it got closer. Satan gulped. The clicking finally entered the room.


    Yet again, it was Katherina.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Katherina waved and smiled, as if everything was right with the world.


    Satan only scowled back at her. ¡°Just show me your proof already¡­¡±


    Katherina pulled out her phone, and scrolled through it for a moment, before she actually showed Satan pictures.


    The first picture was one of Nico supposedly applying black and purple eyeshadow and makeup around his face and eyes, the same bruises Satan saw. Satan approached the photo, inspecting it. Uncanny and unnatural shadows were on Nico¡¯s hands, the sink, and in the background of the bathroom.


    Satan laughed. He covered his mouth to attempt to mask it, but it did nothing. ¡°Katherina. That is so obviously faked, are you kidding me? Faking evidence?¡± Satan smiled with furrowed eyebrows.


    ¡°Oh, so you just think women in domestic abuse situations are all just liars huh?¡± Katherina retorted with her hands on her hips.


    Satan twitched his eye. ¡°If I could talk with the time gods I know they would show me that you¡¯re just a liar.¡±


    ¡°Okay, before you go and call me a liar, why don¡¯t I show you a recording of an argument then?¡±


    ¡°Reluctantly, sure, I¡¯d like to see how far you¡¯d go for all this,¡± Satan sneered.


    Katherina tapped a few buttons and scrolled around a bit, before reaching an audio recording. She tapped it, and it began with a barely audible conversation, before the audio gradually became clearer. Whenever Nico talked, Satan noticed a jump in quality or an odd sounding sentence being said.


    ¡®Wait, she edited this conversation together! What the fuck?¡¯ Satan¡¯s blood boiled.


    He rose from his chair and slammed the table. ¡°Katherina, you are a fucking liar. You know what? Don¡¯t ever talk to me ever again, for real this time! I never thought you¡¯d stoop so low to edit and photoshop flimsy ass evidence, but apparently, I was wrong.¡±


    Katherina¡¯s lip trembled and she sobbed, with tears even rolling down her face. ¡°How could you do this to me? I painstakingly looked for the best pieces of evidence to show Nico was abusing me, and yet you still believe him?¡±


    Satan rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m done with your bullshit, truly. Goodbye.¡±


    Katherina continued wailing, louder and louder to the point Satan could hear it despite him leaving the room, Satan angrily muttered the spell to himself, ¡®Blood magic: Teleport!¡¯, before teleporting back to his palace in a seething rage.


    Satan, December 7th


    Satan laid in his bed. He curled up under his comforter like a cat, all rolled up in a ball. Despite his closed eyes, and slowed breaths, he remained awake. He tried stayingin the same position for a few more minutes, before rising out of bed, thinking to himself: ¡®Okay, you know what, this isn¡¯t working. Not a great idea but I guess if I just go on my phone for a little bit it¡¯ll be fine¡­¡¯


    He grabbed his phone and turned it on, immediately noticing the thousands upon thousands of messages. His eyes went wide as he finger hovered over his phone screen.


    ¡®What the fuck? What am I supposed to do?¡¯ Satan thought.


    Hesitantly, Satan entered his password and entered his messaging app. From one random phone number alone, he had over ten thousand messages.


    ¡®Should I see what this is about? I guess so, if I want to figure out why I have over ten thousand messages on my phone¡­¡¯ Satan slowly pressed the message from the contact. He rapidly scrolled upwards to the latest message, as he read various phrasings and messages all conveying the same thing: ¡®you suck, kill yourself, you support abusers, if you don¡¯t come back and be our friend we¡¯ll kill you and your entire family.¡¯


    Satan shut off his phone, and held the screen to his chest. He stared up at his dark ceiling, blinking. ¡®Am I siding with an abuser? But Nico wouldn¡¯t¡­ but abusers don¡¯t always seem like the type. But who do I believe anymore? Nico asked for help and cried, while Katherina only showed flimsy evidence and threatened me for not siding with her. But maybe she doesn¡¯t really have evidence to show but it happened? Ugh, I have zero idea what I¡¯m supposed to do¡­¡¯


    Satan sighed, putting his phone face down onto his night table, before going back to sleep, despite the many thoughts that swirled in his bed.


    Satan, December 16th


    In his throne, Satan shivered, as memories of the past week flashed through his mind.


    December 8th, he¡¯d woken up to over a million new texts.


    December 9th, he went out of the Hell Sector for once, and narrowly missed bullets that were shot at him.


    December 10th, his servant had to evacuate the palace after receiving a letter of a bomb threat.


    December 11th, he received endless calls.


    December 12th, Nico came to him about being spammed with over ten thousand messages.


    December 13th, Arsene came to him about being spammed with over ten thousand messages.


    December 14th, his children all brought up to him the tens of thousands of text messages they¡¯d receive.


    December 15th, his palace caught fire.


    And now, December 16th, nothing happened.


    Yet.


    He breathed heavily, in terrifying anticipation of whatever horrible event was to come.


    Satan felt a sudden touch on his shoulder. His heart beat spiked and he began panting. Immediately, he said to himself, ¡®Blood: Turn to an iron pitchfork!¡¯ The chains around his waist melted down into blood, for a split second rolling down his clothes before it followed his hand he moved to the side, forming into a pitchfork that Satan pointed at the person.


    ¡°Sir? It¡¯s just me. Are you alright?¡± His advisor quivered, raising his arms with his palms facing Satan.


    ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t even been a full week of all this shit happening, and I¡¯m still anxious. I¡¯m sorry, is there anything extremely urgent I need to do? Otherwise I really need a break, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Satan shifted the pitchfork to one hand and rested his head in the other.


    The advisor ran out of the palace for a moment, Satan hearing him yell something to the line of citizens, before running back in, saying, ¡°Nope! You¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Satan sighed as he rose out of his chair. ¡®Blood:  transform to iron! Blood: turn into chains!¡¯ Satan thought, as his pitchfork melted out of his hand, and spun around his waist, until it slowly formed the links of the chains.


    As soon as he shut the door behind his throne, he raced for the couch, burying his face into the cushions. His mind was empty, clear, before a sudden thought appeared in his head:


    ¡®Maybe what I have to do is keep hanging around Katherina and Takahiro. They won¡¯t stop harassing me until they get their way, or I die.¡¯


    Shame and guilt raced through Satan¡¯s body, as tears welled up in his eyes. ¡®Nico, Arsene, I¡¯m so fucking sorry. If I felt like it was safe to do so, I¡¯d stop being their friend for good. If you ever find out, please don¡¯t hate me too much.¡¯


    He pulled out his phone, opened the texts from the random number, and started writing out a text message.


    Satan


    I will continue to be your friend


    Just leave me and everyone else alone


    Please


    12:00 PM


    104235910


    Good boy.


    12:00 PM


    Satan curled up into a ball after he sent the message, burying his face onto his couch.


    Satan, December 19th


    Satan stared blankly at the floor, while seated in the meeting room again. The door opened to Katherina, Takahiro, as well as Eris, Takahiro¡¯s former wife, who he hadn¡¯t seen in awhile. Satan¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, before he lowered them again.


    ¡°Hiii!¡± Katherina said as she made a beeline right towards Satan, wrapping her arms around him.


    Satan slowly maneuvered his arms away from Katherina, avoiding as much contact with her.


    ¡°Uh, hi¡­¡± Satan awkwardly greeted out, unnecessarily drawing his words out.


    ¡°Glad you worked things out, it¡¯s nice to get to hang out with you again,¡± Takahiro gave a slight smile.


    ¡®It¡¯d be nice to hang out with you again without threats on my life or my family¡¯s life, you know,¡¯ Satan thought to himself, saying aloud to the other three, ¡°Yeah, totally.¡±


    Takahiro and Eris waved, exiting the room. Satan turned an eyebrow as he watched them leave, seeing Katherina leaning in towards him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see Katherina closing in the distance between them even more.


    ¡°Hey, what are you-¡±


    Katherina¡¯s lips met Satan¡¯s. Satan immediately pushed her away by the shoulders, frowning.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Katherina briefly furrowed her eyebrows and frowned, before smiling and closing her eyes, saying, ¡°You¡¯re so mean sometimes Satan.¡± Katherina turned around before following Eris and Takahiro out of the room.


    Satan sat alone in the meeting room, staring blankly at the floor. ¡®This will be my life now. More secrets from my family, and feeling absolutely powerless. Great,¡¯ Satan thought as a brief tear rolled down his cheek.


    ¡°Satan, are you coming?¡± the echoed voice of Takahiro approached towards the meeting room.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sorry,¡± Satan abruptly rose from the chair and wiped his eyes, chasing after them, despite the rest of his body and mind screaming at him with, ¡®Don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t do it. If you go now with them, you¡¯ll be stuck with them for the rest of your life!¡¯

 Save Me

    Satan, January 19th


    In Takahiro¡¯s mansion, Satan stood alone at a party, leaning against the wall. He watched as the other party goers talked, some even screaming too, with the smell of alcohol and other illegal goods wafting into his nose.


    ¡®I could¡¯ve been home, reading a nice book in my room, or talking with Arsene or Nico. But of course, I just had to go to this party for whatever bullshit reason, or else, next time, according to Katherina and Takahiro, Araya gets it,¡¯ Satan clenched his hand around the flimsy red cup, spilling liquid. As it poured out of the cup, dripping onto his hand and the floor, he rolled his eyes. ¡®You want to hold death over my head to keep me as a friend? Fine, but I can trash your shitty mansion,¡¯ Satan carelessly dropped the cup on the floor. Various ideas on how else he could trash the mansion popped into his head, but he quickly shook them off.


    He sighed, his eyes falling onto Eris and Takahiro talking. An awkward smile plastered her face as he led Eris around, an arm over her shoulder. ¡®I wish I knew how to at least help you, but I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ he thought, as if Eris would be able to hear it.


    Out of the blue, Katherina raced over to Satan, her head slamming into his stomach. Satan groaned, pressing himself against the wall, avoiding her touch as much as possible.


    ¡°Uh, Kathy¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± Katherina said in a slurred voice as she rose her head to look up at him, while swaying.


    Satan mentally vomited, only saying aloud, ¡°Can you please not? This is not comfortable for me, like, at all¡­¡±


    Katherina immediately frowned, and straightened herself. ¡°Shut the fuck up. I don¡¯t want your excuses.¡±


    Satan raised an eyebrow, before she yanked on the collar of his robes, and pulled him down to her height, aggressively shoving her lips onto his. Satan pushed her back by the shoulders, frowning and furrowing his eyebrows at her. The taste of alcohol lingered, making him want to die inside.


    ¡°Katherina, stop!¡± Satan said in a quiet voice, attempting to not draw too much attention to them.


    ¡®Magic: Transform to Blood!¡¯ Satan thought, keeping a hand behind his back as he directed his chains off his waist.


    Katherina only glared at him with crossed arms.


    ¡®Blood Magic: Teleport!¡¯ Satan said, racing off to the nearest bathroom.


    The water in his hands splashed onto his lips and into his mouth


    ¡®Gross, gross, gross¡­¡¯ Satan repeated over and over again, briefly letting more water into his mouth before spitting it out again. He looked up at himself in the mirror, admiring the black eyeshadow, lipstick and eyeliner. Looking down at his clothes, he wore robes akin to a grim reaper¡¯s, with batwing sleeves and silver skulls decorating it.


    ¡®Maybe this is my fault, maybe Luce was right all those years ago, I just need to put away all the gothic makeup, right?¡¯ Satan thought as he splashed the water against the rest of his face, his black makeup smudging and flowing down his face. Grabbing a wipe from a bathroom cabinet, he cleaned his face. He stared back in the mirror with a frown.


    ¡®God I look so ugly without my makeup¡­ But maybe she¡¯ll fuck off if I¡¯m ugly, right? She has to. Maybe I should cut my hair and wear a suit¡­ Except that¡¯s not happening, I can do without makeup, even if I can barely stand to look at myself, but I¡¯d rather be shot in the face than cut my hair and start wearing suits on a regular basis. Besides, that just sounds like Takahiro, which, eugh¡­¡¯ Satan thought as he turned to walk out the door.


    Satan, January 29th


    Satan entered Takahiro''s mansion as usual, walking in through a back door with a hood over his head. He looked back and forth at the hallways, gold and black decorated each and every corner and crevice, before sighing, and taking off the hood. He stared down at Takahiro''s earlier text for a moment on his phone. Putting his phone into his pants pocket, he walked, hunched over, constantly looking back and forth with every step he took.


    "Hey," sounded a voice from behind as he looked ahead.


    Satan jumped, and immediately turned around to see Katherina, wearing a long fuschia and black dress, with an extravagant fur over top.


    Satan frowned. "Oh, it''s you," he said. ¡®Please don¡¯t pull any weird stunts again,¡¯ He thought as he turned back around in the direction he was walking in earlier. The halls were still empty. A pit formed in his stomach as he turned back around to Katherina. "Uh, where''s Eris and Takahiro?"


    "There''s no reason they need to be here."


    "Wait, what? But Takahiro was the one who invited me over-"


    Katherina, despite her height, managed to slam Satan against the wall. She smirked up at him as she yanked his robes¡¯ collar down to her height.


    Memories of the party flooded in. Satan pushed her back, his heart beating. "Katherina, stop. I''ve told you no already."


    "You wouldn''t be saying that if your family¡¯s lives were on the line, right?"


    Instinctively, Satan thought, ''No,'' as he weighed the options in his head, with nothing coming from his mouth.


    "Alright then, you''ve left me no choice," Katherina whipped out a small bottle with a deep red liquid inside.


    Satan raised an eyebrow as he began racking his brain, trying to figure out what the potion was for.


    As Katherina drew her arm back, ready to slam the bottle into him, Satan tried to make a run for it, but the glass shattered upon his chest, with the deep red liquid flowing towards his hands and chains, as if it were a snake. The fluids spread over all him, as his chains slowly melted back into blood, seeping into his clothes. Satan''s eyes widened. ''Blood: Transform into iron!'' He thought, making a motion with his arms to try and get the blood off.


    Nothing.


    He repeated the spell to himself again and repeated the same motion.


    Nothing.


    A few more times, rapidly, he said the spell to himself.


    Nothing.


    "What the hell did you do?" Satan demanded, his fingers curling into to make fists.


    Katherina crossed her arms. "Sealed your magic. Of course, there''s worse I can do-"


    "Alright, alright! Do what you want," Satan gave in.


    "Good boy," Katherina grabbed at his collar again, and pulled him down to her height again, albeit more gently that time around.


    ''I''m disgusting. I''m just like Katherina. I need to die to repent for the hurt this would- no, not would, will, cause.''  Satan thought, Katherina''s lips against his as the demeaning words replayed in his head over and over again.


    Satan, March 29th


    He slammed open the door of the bar, scowling. Other patrons'' heads turned to stare at him. They quickly turned back as Satan began walking in. He walked up to the brown bar, where the bartender zipped around.


    "The usual, Mr. Morningstar?"


    "Please," Satan sighed.


    The bartender nodded, and walked off to grab some drinks. Satan lingered around the bar for a bit.


    "Here you are, Mr. Morningstar."


    "Thank you. I''m gonna be taking a seat in the back," Satan motioned to the right.


    He walked down the way, going straight for a few paces until he had to take a right, where a booth was tucked into the corner. On the right side, a young woman in her twenties lazed over her table. His eyes widened with his eyebrows as he looked at her familiar golden eyes. He walked closer to her, her eyes widening in turn.


    "Eris?"


    "That''s me. What are you doing here?" Eris moved off the table and sat up.


    "Here to drink my worries away. Mind if I sit with you?"


    "Yeah sure, better to drink with a friend than alone."


    Satan pulled out the chair on the opposite end and put his glass on the table. "How the hell did you get into Hell?"


    "The legal route, of course."


    "You took the legal way to get into an illegal bar? What are your morals?"


    "Fucked, that''s what."


    "Makes sense."


    Satan held the tiny glass up to his mouth, and downed it. "I could use another glass... I''ll wait for someone to come over though, if I go get it myself I¡¯ll probably get more, then I¡¯ll be too drunk to get home,¡± Satan laughed to himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really a laughing matter, Satan.¡± Eris frowned.


    ¡°I know, I know, but if I get help, I¡¯m afraid of the backlash, and then I¡¯ll probably have to abdicate. Thus, I disappoint everyone for breaking an Ayuzumian rule, and nobody really wins. Could always try going to another planet, but still, I don¡¯t think that fixes anything.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this forever, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    They sat, not talking for a few minutes, the sounds of patrons, glasses being shuffled around, and creaking floors filled their ears in lieu of talking.


    "So... does Takahiro treat you as bad as Katherina treats me?" Satan twirled his glass around.


    "I wouldn''t say it''s too bad, but maybe that''s just the things I tell to comfort myself. He''s hot and cold, one moment he''ll be extremely affectionate and loving, another he''ll act like I''m not even there. But it''s not like he''s ever hit me or anything."


    "Ah, the bare minimum. That''d be nice to have, so I can pretend my relationship with her is good. Though at this rate I don¡¯t think what I have with Katherina really counts anymore."


    "Yeah... I''ve been doing some thinking lately. When we met, and he learned I was a deity, it was like a flip switch and suddenly, he wanted to get to know me better. So I¡¯ve been wondering, what if he wanted me for immortality? But then¡­ was our entire relationship a lie then, so I¡¯m not really sure what to feel."


    "Sounds on brand for him. God I just miss when he was a somewhat better person, now that you mention it I can''t even pretend he used to be good. I feel like even back in the day he still sucked."


    "Is anyone good? Are we good?"


    Satan shook his head. "Can''t really say we''re good, but I think we''re at least on a different level then them. That¡¯s gotta count for something¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Cheers to us for¡­ being better than them, I guess. When the waiter gets around to us, of course.¡± Eris proposed.


    He nodded in return.


    Almost as if waiting for that moment, a server walked by.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Morningstar! Would you like another?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. Just the usual.¡±


    The waiter took his glass and walked away.


    ¡°Mr. Morningstar? Is Satanel not your real last name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pseudonym. I can¡¯t go around drinking as Satan Satanel like there¡¯s no tomorrow, but Lucifer Morningstar can.¡±


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s smart.¡±


    They sat, avoiding making eye contact with one another. As the waiter came back with a new drink for Satan, the two clinked their glasses together, and drank.


    Satan, May 14th


    About a year passed, making it 2011, and Satan was freaking out. He paced back and forth in Katherina¡¯s bedroom, with upturned eyebrows. Katherina was sitting on her bed in a short fuschia dress, as Satan paced around.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you think I¡¯d pull your leg?¡±


    ¡°With your track record, yeah!¡±


    Katherina rolled her eyes and pulled out the pregnancy stick, putting it closer to his face. ¡°Does this prove anything to you?¡±


    Satan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So now what? What do we do?¡±


    ¡°I want to keep it,¡± Katherina flopped back onto the bed.


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t even like the daughter you already have! What¡¯s the point?¡±


    Katherina stood up and drew in closer to Satan, pointing at him. ¡°Having you suffer for being the worst person alive is worth it.¡±


    ¡°If you hate me so much why won¡¯t you just let me break up with you already! And you have to go through all nine months of that, is that going to be worth it just to spite me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve done it before, I can do it again!¡±


    ¡°Just let me leave! I don¡¯t like you, you don¡¯t like me, there¡¯s no point in trapping each other in this, whatever this even is anymore! Let me live my life, the way I want to, on my terms!¡±


    Katherina scowled and narrowed her eyes, before getting up from her bed and kicking Satan to the floor. She crossed her arms as she stood over him, despite her short stature. ¡°You¡¯ll regret ever saying that.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand! What the hell is this all for?¡±


    ¡°None of your business,¡± Katherina dug a heel into Satan¡¯s head.


    ¡°It is my business, we¡¯re dating, even if this is your twisted version of dating!¡± Satan pushed away her heel.


    ¡°Just shut up. You¡¯ll do better if you just shut up, and do what I want,¡± Katherina knelt down and aggressively gripped onto Satan¡¯s collar.


    Satan quieted down, as various thoughts, like, ¡®You¡¯re disgusting, Nico and Arsene could never forgive you now, your children will be disappointed, you¡¯re better off dead at this rate,¡¯ swirled around Satan like a dark cloud.


    Satan, February 7th


    A few minutes ago, Satan raced through the hospital.


    Now, he sat near Katherina''s hospital door. He tapped his foot as he held his head in one hand, hunched over, a hood obscuring his face, of course.


    ''Well, now that I¡¯m officially having a child with Katherina there''s no going back. Even if I tried to explain my reluctance to do.... that, plus Katherina being, well, Katherina. I don''t think anything is saving my case. I guess I should just be prepared to lose everything at a moment''s notice if anyone else finds out. Geez, this should be a happy day, I''m having a son again, which I never thought would happen. Still, it is with Katherina...''  Satan pondered as he waited for someone, anyone, to let him in with what was going on.


    The door suddenly opened. Satan turned towards it, a doctor peeking their head out of the door, with his and Katherina¡¯s baby, who flailed around. The doctor began with: "Sir, your wife-"


    "We''re not married," Satan interrupted, while looking at the baby.


    "Oh, apologizes, your partner is refusing to do skin-to-skin contact with your baby, can you convince her?"


    Satan scoffed, thinking, ''Of fucking course she did!¡¯'' He rose from his chair and turned towards the doctor. "She''s not gonna listen. Here let me do it."


    As the doctor handed him the baby, he said, ¡°it seems like she might also have postpartum depression, have you noticed any signs?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of.¡±


    ¡°I see. We¡¯ll run some tests and see if that¡¯s the case. If she turns out fine now, but later she has the symptoms, then come back to the hospital.¡±


    When the doctor stopped talking for a minute, Satan finally had a moment to focus on the baby. The baby had Satan''s light, reddish-brown skin, with Katherina''s upside down triangular-like nose. Satan''s eyes were especially drawn to the baby''s tiny ears, in a pastel reddish-pink, that were shaped and colored just like a butterfly''s. He also noticed a tiny demon tail as well, that matched the baby¡¯s ears in color. Warmth filled his chest as he upturned his eyebrows. A rare smile appeared on his face, for the first time in awhile.


    ''I hope he doesn''t expect me to just take my robes off and be shirtless- er, robeless around the hospital, gross,''  Satan dreaded as he remembered the last time he got a good look at his self harm scars, finally taking a seat again, then maneuvering to get the baby down the front of his robes. "Did she at least give the baby a name?"


    "No. I guess now''s a good time to mention the baby''s a boy."


    Satan''s eye twitched upon hearing she left the baby nameless, but tried to play it off, saying, "Man, she must really be out of it! Hm, what about... Phoenix? If she wants us to change it later it shouldn''t be too much of a hassle, right?"


    "You have thirty days to change it for free if you end up changing it."


    "Okay, good, my last baby was a long time ago, it was so different back then."


    "I see. Well, there''s a few tests we want to run with your partner, make sure she''s alright. Phoenix seems fine in his tests, so if she''s good then Phoenix and your partner can be discharged soon. I''ll be back in her room again. If you need something, just knock."


    Satan nodded, as he stared at Phoenix, who was curled up on his chest, eyes closed. After the doctor shut the door, he looked around, but when realizing nobody else was down that area of the hallway, he sighed. "Hi Phoenix. I''m your dad. ...when I say it like that it sounds silly, huh? Your mom is... not a great person. I just hope that I''m enough for you. I won''t be perfect, but I''ll certainly try, for you."


    Phoenix''s eyes opened, revealing his irises, a dulled, less bright fuschia color, with some of Satan''s red eyes mixed in. His heart dropped to his stomach. ''He looks so much like Katherina, way more than I thought he would''ve. That''s not his fault though. It may be hard, but I''ll take care of Phoenix as best as I can. I know I can''t trust Katherina around Phoenix. so while I''m working I need to find someone else willing to help out...''


    As Satan pondered, his eyes fluttered, as the sudden urge to sleep washed over him. He peered down at Phoenix, who seemed to think the same, as he curled up on his chest and closed his eyes again.


    Satan''s eyes slowly opened. He looked down at Phoenix still sleeping on his chest and smiled. He leaned over as gently as possible, trying not to disturb Phoenix. Grabbing his phone, he turned it on with one hand.


    ''It''s four... Shoot, I really need to be getting home soon. And seventeen missed calls from Eris, shit,''  Satan thought as he maneuvered towards the phone app and went to call her. He put the phone towards his ear and tilted his elbow towards it to keep it in place.


    "Satan?" Said Eris on the other end after a few moments of ringing.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Hi, Eris," Satan said.


    "Oh my god, oh my god! Is the baby finally here?"


    "Yes. His name is Phoenix."


    "Do I dare ask about... her?"


    Satan scanned the hallway from his seat for a moment, before lowering his voice to just above a whisper. "She refused to do skin to skin contact, I can''t say if she''s just out of it after giving birth or if she''s going to refuse doing anything for the baby. I mean, she hasn''t set up a fu- I mean,¡± Satan paused, finding a word to replace the curse, ¡°...freaking nursery at her palace or anything either! I had to do it all myself!"


    "That sounds like bad news. I''m surprised your family hasn''t called you or anything. How long have you been out?"


    "A few hours, I just told them I''d be stepping away from work but not to expect me for a bit. I also said I might just not come back in time to do any more work."


    "Oh, that''s good. Are you telling them?"


    "No. I know the more I wait to tell them, the worse the consequences will probably be, but I feel like I''ll be like... cut off from everyone and everything I know if I tell them that I was stupid enough to get into a relationship- well, if you can even call it that, with Katherina, much less have a child with her. I feel like having a kid with her will be an unforgivable thing, I don''t think any explanation of what happened will fix it. I just want to live as normally as possible before it all turns to shit. Maybe then I can just hand Phoenix over to someone and just die already-"


    Eris interrupted him. "Satan, I get where you''re coming from, but even if you lose everything else, you still have me! I want to help. Believe me, as someone who abdicated from the throne a long time ago and as goddess who''s been on leave for the past... who even knows how long at this point, I''m painfully bored. Helping you out makes my life not boring, and I want Phoenix away from Katherina and Takahiro as much as you. Speaking of, what will you do with Phoenix while you go back to your palace with Arsene and Nico and everyone else?"


    "No idea, didn''t think about that. Definitely not staying with Katherina or Takahiro, I know that."


    "Well, I know someone that has nothing better to do and can take care of him when you can''t!"


    "I know your relationship with your own daughter is sour, how do I know you won''t sour your relationship with my son?"


    "I''ve learned a lot of stuff I did wrong with Saori, trust me. I think I can raise Phoenix better than I did for Saori.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to accidentally make Saori bitter towards Phoenix or anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure. We don¡¯t talk anymore, and I feel like our relationship is as good as dead at this point. No point trying to fix something we just might never be able to fix really, so that''s the least of my worries. Can I come see you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to wait a bit. I¡¯ll be heading over as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Finally! Can¡¯t wait to meet Phoenix. Alright, see you later.¡±


    ¡°See you,¡± Satan smiled as he hung up.


    He sighed as he looked down at Phoenix, who still laid on his bare chest, under his robes. Closing his eyes, he leaned back towards the wall and gently rubbed Phoenix¡¯s back.


    Satan, April 25th


    For five years, Satan and Eris excitedly watched Phoenix grow up, as they each did their part to raise him, making sure he never saw Katherina.


    But in that moment Satan fearfully wandered around with Takahiro, in Katherina¡¯s palace. The pit in his stomach swirled around as he walked around the palace, bent over to grasp onto Phoenix¡¯s hand as he followed them around.


    ¡°So, I can trust you?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Yes dude, I¡¯m great with kids?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You and Eris did fu- ahem, mess up Saori quite a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, I know, I regret it, but it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take from that and grow from it, can I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny, Eris said something similar.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t even say that name.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m still not really thrilled with you, you know. This is only out of desperation. And keep him away from Katherina, please.¡±


    Phoenix looked up at Satan, with his big, beady eyes, and mumbled, ¡°why can¡¯t I see mommy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer that way, trust me Fifi,¡± Satan said as he bent down to pick up Phoenix.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, mommy is not a nice person.¡±


    Satan caught Takahiro rolling his eyes. Immediately, Satan whipped his head around and  furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°Alright, please show me I can trust you with Phoenix, at the very least.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Takahiro nodded as Satan hesitantly handed Phoenix off towards Takahiro. ¡°Hi, Phoenix! Your dad¡¯s a little swamped and Eris regrettably can¡¯t help out, so today you¡¯ll be with uncle Takahiro!¡±


    Satan looked on for a moment before finally teleporting away. ¡®I hope this wasn¡¯t a huge mistake. Please tell me this isn¡¯t a mistake¡­¡¯


    Despite the fact that Satan was supposed to be in a meeting with advisors, Satan stood outside the meeting room, pacing back and forth, Satan circled the hallway over and over again, as he kept opening his phone and staring at the time.


    ¡®Come on, come on! You said the doctor¡¯s checkup or whatever should be finished by now, right?¡¯


    As he stressed himself out, he turned around and saw the millions of tiny wing-shaped particles. His eyes widened as he bit his lower lip. ¡®Shit.¡¯


    Slowly, Nico and Arsene were revealed from the magical particles. Arsene waved them away as she greeted, ¡°Hello! Oh, oops, I think we teleported to the wrong part of the house.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Satan said.


    ¡°You seem nervous, like you''re waiting on something, everything alright?


    "Yup! Just waiting to be called into my meeting, they still have some stuff to sort out amongst themselves before I jump in," Satan said as the lie poured out of his mouth, smooth like butter. ''Great. I''m a liar too. I guess I''m just like Katherina now. I''ve become what I swore to never become. They''d never forgive you now if they found out...''


    "Oh, alright then. I can handle dinner tonight if you want, just give me a bit to wind down."


    Satan nodded. He watched Arsene and Nico stroll towards the hallway towards the door together, chatting and laughing together.


    ''If me being with Katherina is what Nico needs to have happiness and be left alone, then I guess it''s worth it...''


    Out of the blue, Satan''s phone rang. He jumped as he grabbed it, racing to the farthest room from the advisors, He scanned for others before he accepted the call, finally seeing who was calling: Eris.


    "Hello?"


    "Hey, I''m done. All good health wise, in case you cared."


    "Ugh, no, I hope you die," Satan said sarcastically in a shrill voice.


    "Wow, what a great Katherina impression," Eris laughed, "Anyway, I''m on my way to get Phoenix."


    "Would it be weird if I came with you? I''m just super anxious about something happening to Phoenix, I want to see if Takahiro can be trustworthy. Maybe you could get a bit of a break then."


    "Would be nice, but I don''t mind if I don''t. It''s nice to have some kind of purpose in life again."


    "I don''t get why you still don''t do your godly duties anymore. How long have you been on leave?"


    "Since I married Takahiro. It was meant to be so I could settle into my marriage, then get used to being royalty, then so I could raise Saori. Once I actually had control over those things I didn''t have much of a desire to go back, and it''s not like there''s demand for strife and discord deities, they already have similar deities anyway, so I could easily not do my job."


    "Are you still technically on leave?"


    "Yup. I thought one day I''d have the desire to do my duties again, but it hasn''t come back. Deities are all powerful but our powers aren''t really chosen, and not everyone enjoys their godly duties, and I''m unfortunately one of them. Anyway, this got off topic, let''s get Phoenix now, yes? Go wait outside of the palace, I''ll join you in a bit."


    "Oops, yeah, see you there," Satan sighed as he lowered his phone and hung up, quickly texting Arsene what he was up to as he slowly walked out of the palace and waited for Eris''s text. Once he sent it, he began teleporting over.


    Satan''s eyes flitted back and forth from the palace to the sky, to the path, to the ground. He pulled out his phone and navigated to the phone app, hovering his quivering finger over the call button. Just as his clawed finger jammed into the button, a hand was placed upon his shoulder. Immediately, he turned around, chanting a spell in his mind to turn the chains around his waist into blood.


    Eris smirked at him with a cocked head. "Do you wanna fight for fun or something?"


    "No, sorry. I''m on extra high guard lately. Let''s not waste anymore time, we already did that before" Satan said as he entered with Eris, pulling his hood over his head.


    They sped walked together, trying to find Phoenix without drawing too much attention to themselves


    "Where the hell is he?" Satan mumbled as he bit his finger.


    "I''m sure he''s fine. Let me call him..."


    As they went through the motions, Satan felt his thoughts racing in rapid pace, like a dangerous wind carrying leaves to random destinations. ''Oh god, what if he did something? Is that why we can''t find him? But he seemed so excited to have Phoenix for a bit... Was it all just some ruse?''


    Eris'' voice broke through all his anxieties, almost in a dream-like voice, saying, "Takahiro just called, he said he''s down this hallway, first door to the left."


    Eris took the lead as Satan followed from behind. Though his worries diminished a few notches, he couldn''t shake the awful feelings still swirling.


    They entered a small room, one with bright walls and toys, Takahiro smiled, seated on the floor with Phoenix as they played with action figures.


    Phoenix moved in a stiffened way, and as they entered, he moved his head towards the door, revealing a large purple bruise on his right eye.


    Satan''s stomach sunk, as Satan dove towards Phoenix. "What happened, Fifi? Are you alright?" He cocked Phoenix''s head upwards as Satan examined his face.


    "I saw mommy," was all Phoenix could say.


    Satan whipped his head to look at Takahiro, who raised his eyebrows and his lips curved into a line.


    "Hey Fifi, why don''t you come with me for a little while," Eris said as she entered, lifting Phoenix into her arms. She looked at Satan for a moment, as if to say, ''I have him now, do what you need to do,''


    Satan smiled and waved at Phoenix one last time before she teleported off. Immediately, Satan got on his feet and glared down at Takahiro. "What the fuck? It was a few hours! And I thought I explicitly told you to keep him away from Katherina!"


    "Listen, it sucks that he got hurt and all, but they happened to cross paths, She was supposed to be doing shopping or something, but I guess she finished early. As I was making food for Phoenix she saw him, and he annoyed her, he deserved it."


    "Deserved it? Takahiro, he''s five! He doesn''t know any better, all he knows is that the mother that birthed him hasn''t seen him, and he doesn''t understand how dangerous she is. And you clearly don''t either. You know what? I see why your relationship with Saori is so strained."


    Takahiro rose from the ground, his eyebrows furrowing as he frowned. Shadows blanketed his bare skin, until the shadows fully encompassed him, becoming like a creature of shadows. "How dare you say that."


    "And how dare you justify Katherina abusing my son! You know, if this went well, we could''ve built up trust. If our relationship would never be the same, ever again, then at least Phoenix would have another adult to care and look up to. Now, that''s not happening again. You keep siding with her, not even thinking about the consequences of her actions or anything!"


    Takahiro just stood there, staring at him, with his glowing, fully golden eyes.


    Satan groaned, as he turned to storm out, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Katherina leaning against the wall, smirking.


    In shock, he froze in place, staring between the two. As he began saying the spell in his head to get out of there, he heard Takahiro''s gun and Katherina''s daggers being brought out. His heart pounded as he tried to get out as quickly as possible, but Katherina charged at him with a dagger.


    Satan huffed as he landed on the grass outside. He scanned the area until his eyes finally landed on Eris and Phoenix, seated at an outdoor table outside of an ice cream place.


    Eris'' eyes widened as she noticed him, and she made a waving motion.


    "Geez, what the h- I mean, what happened? Also, sorry, I hope you don''t mind the ice cream, it''s the easiest thing I could think of while waiting. I got you something too. You still like cotton candy ice cream, right?" Eris explained as she handed him his cup of ice cream and a spoon that was huge, even in Satan''s already abnormally large hands.


    Satan sighed and he sat next to Phoenix. ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± Satan leaned over towards Eris and brought his voice down to a whisper, ¡°I called them out on their¡­ everything, I guess, and then they fought me because I said Katherina¡¯s name in a way Takahiro disapproves of. I¡¯m just so tired and angry. It¡¯s like¡­ when  I comply with them to prevent anything else, they make my life a living nightmare. I try to stand up for myself when I can? Beaten, cut up, insulted. I make another attempt to stop being their quote unquote friend? Threats on myself and my loved ones. Seriously, any decision I make, I can never win.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I wish there was some magical solution but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any for us. We¡¯re just stuck for now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Satan frowned as he ate his ice cream, now a sorrowful purple.


    Satan, November 1st


    The year was 2019.


    Satan wandered Takahiro¡¯s mansion. Every few minutes he¡¯d call Katherina, or Takahiro, and immediately the call would end. ¡®Where the hell are they? I get swamped with my actual job for one day, and the threats come pouring in, once again, so here I am, ready to do the thing they need me for, now they¡¯re nowhere to be found¡­¡¯


    Satan made his way up the stairs. ¡®Maybe I should look in Takahiro¡¯s room? But I have literally zero idea where to look.¡¯


    He looked down at his phone and called Takahiro, as expected, the call ended immediately. Satan¡¯s eye twitched. ¡®Now what?¡¯


    Stopping in his tracks, Satan¡¯s ears picked up on some strange, breathy noises. ¡®Please don¡¯t be what I think it is.¡¯


    He heard Katherina¡¯s voice, clear as day, cry out Takahiro¡¯s name.


    Immediately, Satan made his way downstairs and prepared to turn his chains into blood.


    Back at the bar again, voices filled the room, as Satan furrowed his eyebrows as he leaned his head on his hand. Across the square table was Eris, looking at him with raised eyebrows in sympathy.


    ¡°Well? What happened?¡± Eris asked.


    ¡°As usual, Takahiro and Katherina wanted me to do something, but I was busy with work and I wasn¡¯t able to get to it like they wanted me to. So of course, they sent threats, so I finished their thing, which was to print papers, for who fucking knows why, and give it to them. I was at Takahiro¡¯s mansion trying to find them, and their phones weren¡¯t working. But lo and behold, as I¡¯m trying to find them, I make the mistake of going upstairs and hearing,¡± Satan hesistated as the contents of his stomach swirled, ¡°do I even have to say it?¡±


    ¡°No. But did you even see anything? Maybe it¡¯s some misunderstanding? I know, weird to play devil''s advocate, but maybe there¡¯s a sliver of a chance.¡±


    ¡°Potentially, but at this point I¡¯m just so done. I really want out of the friendship we have with those two. For real this time. And if they choose to murder me for it, so fucking be it.¡±


    ¡°Me too. What I don¡¯t get, is that she¡¯s in a relationship with you, even if it sucks, and still has the balls to cheat on you. Allegedly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a fulfilling partner for her, because I never wanted to be her partner in the first place. I used to be so stupid, at one point she made me think our relationship was love, even though she was never affectionate, never did anything with me unless she needed something, or whatever the other languages of love there are. Nothing. Just a boyfriend in name, and the only thing to do was to insult me, hit me, and whatever else. I guess that might be why.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I thought she¡¯d keep this up way longer, but I guess there¡¯s a limit to her stubbornness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe this will give her the opportunity to finally fuck off and leave us alone now. I just hope she won¡¯t treat Takahiro the same as she treated me. Well, still continues to treat me.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay, I¡¯ve been noticing some stuff but I kept brushing it off, but with this it really does seem like¡­ they like each other I guess? I catch them staring longingly at each other, they¡¯re so affectionate with each other, and literally flirt now. I was convinced it was a joke, and when I asked they said the same thing, but now I realize it wasn¡¯t a joke after all.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± Satan sighed, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°This is kinda changing the topic, but¡­ do you miss how Takahiro used to be?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Without Katherina he was fun to be around. I can¡¯t not acknowledge him being a shitty husband to you, but he was a good friend to me. The whole fear of death stuff has spiraled way too far, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever get help for his genuine issues at this point unfortunately. Sucks how things have turned out, huh?¡± Satan¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°Oh Satan¡­¡± Eris joined in, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.


    The pair hugged each other for a bit, before breaking away.


    Satan sniffled and wiped away a tear, the liquid balancing on his long, black nails. ¡°I just want to say, thanks for being my friend and everything. I¡¯ve missed Araya a lot. I¡¯ve been really lonely since she left to go look for my brother and her sister, and spending time with you is nice. Considering that I¡¯m probably gonna finally cut them off for good I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll see each other again, so, I guess I just wanted to get that out there.¡±


    ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t do much. We¡¯ll see each other, don¡¯t worry. Probably a lot more considering how bored I¡¯ll be. Plus, you still need someone to look after Phoenix while you can¡¯t, right?¡± Eris smirked.


    ¡°I hope so. Let¡¯s have one last little hurrah to the good old times, before I confront them, shall we?¡± Satan raised his drink.


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Eris cheered as she clinked her glass with his, and she downed hers in one gulp.


    Satan, November 2nd


    Despite being still slightly hung over, Satan headed over to the Black Palace. Before he entered from an open window, he looked at his text messages.


    Satan


    I need to meet you and Takahiro as soon as possible


    It''s urgent and you can''t put it off


    It needs to happen as soon as possible


    8:19 AM


    Katherina


    what


    8:19 AM


    Satan


    We''ll discuss it when we meet


    But for now just give me a time and a place to meet up


    8:20 AM


    Katherina


    shit uh


    how about two in the afternoon in conference room C?


    8:20 AM


    Satan


    Works for me


    I expect to see you AND Takahiro there


    8:21 AM


    Katherina


    alright


    8:22 AM


    He sighed before he entered the palace. Falling onto the floor immediately as he entered, he shook his head as he stood up.


    ''Shit, I took the wrong window inside. You''d think after all these visits to Takahiro''s mansion I''d know where to go.''


    He glanced around, realizing he was lost. Walking around randomly, he''d peek into random rooms, until he caught Katherina and Takahiro in the same conference room they meant to meet up in soon. Annoyed, Satan leaned against the wall, peaking into the room as they talked.


    "Alright, so really quick, before our next meeting, we want to discuss our plans to take over White. My current line of thinking is that we poison the citizens somehow to take the kingdom, but I don''t know how that works. If anyone has tactics or ideas please think of them before our next meeting! Now please, we have another meeting, so please make your way out of here immediately."


    As random people began filing out of the meeting room, Satan ducked into another conference room as he waited for them to make their way out. Takahiro''s words replayed in his mind as his blood boiled underneath his skin.


    ''Oh now I really have to fucking cut them off. But first let''s get the confrontation out the way today, and worry about that tomorrow. I need to talk to Eris later...'' Satan thought as he peaked out of the door, before making his way into the right conference room that time. He forced his face into a more neutral expression as he entered and took a seat.


    "Alright, let''s not mince words. Are you cheating on me with Takahiro?"


    Katherina did not react, while Takahiro widened his eyes and turned his gaze towards Katherina.


    "Yes."


    "Wow, absolutely no shame or guilt or anything?"


    "Nope."


    "Good then, we are finally fucking done," Satan smiled triumphantly as he raised his middle finger at Katherina.


    "What? But-"


    "Oh my god, shut up, all you''ve done is abuse and manipulate me. You don''t even love me, what''s the point anymore? And Hiro," Satan furrowed his eyebrows and turned to look at Takahiro, who''s gaze was glued to the ground, "I hope this turns out well for you, in all seriousness, and Katherina treats you well."


    Before either of the pair could butt in with anything else to say, Satan teleported off.


    Satan, November 3rd


    Satan tapped his foot as he stood against a wall. He was in a darkened corner of Eris¡¯ cottage Eris rarely set foot in. He scanned the hallways on either side, waiting. Satan tensed up when he heard footsteps coming closer. He slid into the darkest corners of the area as he kept his eyes peeled for the person making the noise. As the figure neared, Satan realized it was Eris.


    He raced out of the darkness and over to her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Eris jumped.


    ¡°Sorry. I had something important to tell you, didn¡¯t mean to scare you. You got my text, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t sound good, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Earlier today I went to Takahiro¡¯s mansion to break things off with Katherina and cut them off for good, and I caught a meeting I wasn¡¯t supposed to, where they were planning to take White by harming the citizens.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even say I¡¯m surprised.¡± Eris ran a hand down her face.


    ¡°Eris, you need to cut them off too,¡± Satan put his hands on Eris¡¯ shoulders.


    ¡°But what if their threats are genuine?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know at this point. I can guess what they¡¯ll probably do, though, so we¡¯re prepared. I believe in you. I can come with too if you want.¡± Satan reassured her.


    ¡°Alright, I just hope seeing you again doesn¡¯t piss them off more¡­ Oh, speaking of, you ever get around to telling Arsene and Nico about¡­ everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m terrified of telling them. I don¡¯t know what their reaction is and I don¡¯t want to find out. It¡¯s funny, I¡¯m more scared about telling them what¡¯s been going on for the past, like, two hundred something years than I ever was of Katherina.¡± Satan subtly moved the chunk of his hair covering his right eye, showing a blackened eye.


    Satan watched Eris¡¯ eyes widen.


    ¡°And how¡¯s Phoenix? Maybe I can come see him again once everything¡¯s less crazy?¡± Satan spoke rapidly


    ¡°He¡¯s good. Maybe let¡¯s wait for things to die down before you come see him again.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Now at Takahiro¡¯s mansion, they made their way to the room Takahiro and Katherina were in, Satan¡¯s stomach twisted. The closer he got, the more knots formed.


    ¡°You seem worse off than me, and I¡¯m the one coming to cut them off.¡± Eris commented.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Satan mumbled back.


    Finally, they stood in front of the door. Satan took a deep breath. He wanted to step forward, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so. A hand touched his shoulder suddenly. He turned to see a softened face from Eris, a rarity for her. They walked into the room together. Satan masked his anxiety furrowed eyebrows and a frown.


    Katherina and Takahiro were at the end of a long table, draping themselves over it lazily as they chatted with each other. Satan felt his blood boil just at the sight of the two.


    ¡®Maybe I won¡¯t have to mask that much after all,¡¯ Satan thought.


    As Satan and Eris arrived, Takahiro and Katherina turned their attention towards the two.


    ¡°Back for more?¡± Takahiro sat up in his chair.


    ¡°No. I know what you plan to do to the White Kingdom,¡± Eris said.


    ¡°You do? Perfect, saves us time. So, I was thinking-¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not helping you out anymore. Not at the expense of other people¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°And neither am I. Yesterday was going to be the last day I¡¯d interact with you, but I had to come too to make sure you know,¡± Satan added.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Takahiro sat up in his chair. ¡°But that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been doing for over two hundred years!¡±


    ¡°And maybe that was a mistake. I don¡¯t even understand how you can be so afraid of death, yet you are so eager to inflict it on others.¡±


    Takahiro froze. Satan watched his eyes gloss over. He looked over at Katherina, who glared daggers at him, digging her hands into the table.


    He turned around and made his way out the door with Eris, but not without saying: ¡°We¡¯re done. Goodbye.¡±


    Satan and Eris exited and said the spell incantations. They teleported out of the palace for the last time.


    They ended up in the northernmost part of Black, where it was mostly empty and the northern ocean was all to be seen. Satan and Eris took a seat on the grass. The beach and ocean were just ahead of them. They sat in silence for a few moments before Satan burst into tears. Eris joined him immediately and together they sobbed.


    January 5th (Present)


    As Satan finished up the last of his story, Reyes stroked their chin while looking down at the floor.


    ¡°Geez, anything else?¡±


    ¡°Oh, also, since I left Takahiro and Katherina, they were sending all these letters and texting threats, which is to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a few of those letters and threats I can look at?¡± Reyes stood up from his chair.


    Satan nodded. He recited the spell and teleported to his room. He slipped his phone into his sweatpants pocket, and from the file organizer, Satan grabbed the box of letters and teleported back to Reyes.


    When he arrived back in the interrogation room, he plopped the box on the table.


    Reyes¡¯ jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s all the letters they¡¯ve sent you?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if I took all those letters with me to investigate further?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t want to read them so¡­¡± Satan trailed off as he searched through his text messages for the threats. He showed them to Reyes, who took pictures of the texts. As he went through the motions, he shivered as he forced himself to reread the old texts.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna talk to Nico next, then hopefully in the next few days I¡¯ll get to everyone else. Afterwards, I¡¯m gonna investigate Katherina and Takahiro to see if it¡¯s true that they were behind the attack itself. Did you have any specific courts in mind for if and when we get this case off the ground?¡±


    ¡° Is there a possibility we can take this to The Martian Court of Hell?¡± Satan queried.


    ¡°Depends on how booked The Martian Court¡¯s schedule is. You also know TMC¡¯s main judge as well, so it¡¯d have to be handled by another judge. Going to another court instead might be easier. You may have to wait months, maybe even years. If not, I can get some alternatives, plus I have some lawyers¡¯ names as well.¡±


    ¡°If we get there, I think we should just go with whichever one has the closest open date.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Whenever I¡¯ve collected all I need, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± The Detective trailed off. She perked up as she gathered her things and exited, Satan following them from behind.

 Unfortunate Allies

    Takahiro, January 11th


    Wow, when''s the last time I returned to the Royal Koizumi Palace?'' Takahiro thought to himself as he teleported near the Black Kingdom''s palace. As the darkness cleared from his shadow magic, he stood in the street beside the palace entrance. City-goers froze and paused their conversation. Takahiro paused before he walked past them to the palace gates. He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows at the guards.


    "Shadow: Coverage." Takahiro said as his shadow magic began to surround his hands, and slowly, the rest of the surrounding area.


    The guards eyed each other warily, as they opened the doors with shaky hands.


    Takahiro said, "Shadow: Disintegrate," and the shadows faded away rapidly, like they were never even there.


    Takahiro stepped inside the palace and took in the scenery. A beautiful yet unfamiliar chandelier hung overhead. He glanced down to find a red carpet at his feet over the purple floor ending at the throne. He frowned at the sight.


    ''What have you done to my lovely palace?'' He thought to himself as he wandered around, trying to find someone.


    As Takahiro paced from room to room, startled servants seemed to stop and stare until he finally encountered a familiar face.


    "Hello... great-grandpa. You''ve never visited me like this before." Greeted Yami, one of his descendants. Takahiro''s eyes were immediately drawn to the dark circles underneath his eyes, and his clothes, which were very much comfortable over fancy.


    "I know, I''m sorry," Takahiro apologized. "But I have a proposition for you. You''ve been ruling for about 20 years, yes?"


    "Get to the point."


    "Well... what if you let me rule again? You wouldn''t have to worry about the ruling, and I''d take care of everything. Plus I know how awful ruling Black has been for your mental health, and you don''t have an heir either now, do you?" Takahiro proposed.


    Yami''s face scrunched up into furrowed eyebrows and a frown. "No. End of story," Yami conjured a ball of darkness in his hands, "I don''t know what you''re up to, but I want no part of this. Get out."


    The darkness swallowed Takahiro, and with no proper light elemental counterattacks on hand, he found himself back right where he started.


    ''Alright then, if asking didn''t work, maybe something else could''ve. It''s a shame though, I really thought with everything Yami''s been through, he''d say yes.'' He thought as he ran his hands through his hair and adjusted his glasses before taking out his phone.


    Takahiro


    Ughhh


    Motherfucker wouldn''t even consider the proposal


    I thought he''d jump at the chance to give up the throne!


    Now I have to come up with another plan


    2:49 PM


    Kathy <3


    im surprised too


    well i guess we go to force next


    ok spitballing the first idea out of my head


    make up a reason they all need to leave, and then fire all the servants and replace them with your own


    2:50 PM


    Takahiro


    What if it was literal fire instead?


    2:51 PM


    Kathy <3


    fuck it why not


    go hard or go home


    good luck


    2:50 PM


    He turned off his phone and wandered around to begin formulating a more thought out plan. As he passed by a garbage, he saw gasoline and matches sticking out of it.


    ''Perfect!'' Takahiro thought as he raced over and grabbed them. ''I''m definitely gonna look suspicious with these, so I have to be careful. Maybe if I try teleporting into random rooms I''ll find a way inside, somehow?''


    Still with the matches and gas in hand, Takahiro activated his magic again, saying, ''Shadow: Teleport!'' in his head. He circled the palace, and tried to enter from the windows. Over and over again, he''d approach a window, but would bump up against a seal. As the number of windows to attempt entry in dwindled, he started sweating. Finally though, he accelerated towards a window, and felt shards of glass pierce his skin and heard the sounds of shattered glass.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ''Shadow: Teleport stop!'' Takahiro said to himself, as he rolled on the ground before coming to a stop. He sat up and looked at his bare forearms and fingers, covered in cuts and blood.


    ''Fuck, I''ll deal with that later,'' Takahiro rolled up the sleeves of his button-up shirt. He cringed as he saw the blood seep into his shirt.


    ''What was that seal? Something from Yami? Guess he didn''t do a good enough job at keeping me out.'' Takahiro thought as he began dumping the gas can onto the floor and lit a match. The smoke detector blared as soon as he landed it. He jumped, a little startled, then turned himself into pure shadows and slipped into hiding, close enough to watch. Mere seconds passed, panicked shouting and screaming filled the halls and rooms as the fire spread, along with the seeds of chaos. Chaos from the fire gave the palace a liveliness that it hadn''t in decades. Takahiro reveled in it. Takahiro smirked at his doings, but the joke was on him when he realized the fire headed his way.


    He checked over his shoulder quickly as the adrenaline pumped through his veins.


    ''Oh thank the goddess of shadows and darkness herself, the fire''s not too tall so I won''t be burning myself today!'' Takahiro thought as he teleported carefully to the lowest room of the palace. He looked at the map, carefully scanning around him to ensure no one else was there. Finally, his finger stopped at the security room and teleported himself with his shadow magic to the room.


    Checking the cameras, he saw some people still inside. He carelessly teleported them out of the palace fast enough that they fell. Takahiro raced to the palace roof, pulling out a potion.


    ''I''ve never done this before, stupidly. This better work!'' He thought, ''Shadow: Dome! Shadow: electric potion combine!'' Darkness surrounded his hands, until it grow to a large patch of darkness in the sky. The shadows quickly blanketing the castle in a shield-like dome.


    ''Shadow dome: allow Katherina Astraia and Takahiro Koizumi to enter!'' He finished off. Takahiro quickly teleported through the dome, and he passed through it like it was a bubble on his arm.


    Coming back down to the palace roof, he pulled out his phone and called Katherina. "I did it, Kathy!" He exclaimed.


    "Okay good. Wait, why does the news talk about a fire smell?"


    "Wait, the news is on this already? Fuck, I forgot to put out the fire, I''ll call back!"


    Takahiro rushed towards the kitchen, somehow untouched by the fire. He grabbed some giant jugs and filled them up with water. As one was all filled up, he swapped another in, as he took it towards the fire. After monotonously switching out the jugs, throwing water at the fire, and panicking, finally, he took out the fire.


    Takahiro slumped on the floor as he took out his phone. "Okay, I did it."


    "Maybe next time we can do without the fire."


    "Yeah, what the hell was I thinking? I built this palace too, and I almost burnt the thing down because I was so caught up in the moment. Argh!"


    "It happens sometimes."


    "I think this is all I''ll do for the day. Were you going to do anything?"


    "Well, I still need you to send an official request to be allied with Fuschia, and then I can deal with that in Fuschia.."


    "Oh, right! I''ll get started on that."


    "I also have to deal with the other kings and queens that rule kingdoms on the Tempest continent. Since they''re such hardasses on who can be allied with who because of the time gods, I''ll have to argue with them because all five of the kingdoms have to agree to an allyship."


    "Geez. Have fun!"


    "Thank you, I won''t. When you get the document lined out, can you just teleport it over? It''ll make things easier than some official mailperson loosing it or something."


    "Of course! I''ll see you later, hopefully?"


    "Hopefully. If not I''ll probably just fight the other rulers in Tempest."


    "Maybe then you''ll have genuine fun."


    "I hope so. Bye."


    "Bye."


    ***


    Katherina, January 11th


    Katherina stared at the document right in front of her.


    ''Dear rulers of the Tempest continent,


    I, Takahiro Koizumi, hereby request for an alliance with your kingdoms so we may do business with one another. Should you accept my request, sign your names below and send it back to me. If not, return the document untouched.


    Signed, Takahiro Koizumi.''


    Katherina pulled out her pen and ink, ones she hated yet had to use on business documents. She quickly signed her name on the line designated for the ruler of Fuschia, and blanked out upon seeing the rest of the lines.


    ''Shit, I haven''t forged their signature in awhile. I know there''s some official document from each of us though, let me go find it.'' Katherina thought as she raced out of her office, down the hallway and stairs towards the storage.


    Upon opening the door, she began coughing on the dust and cobwebs. She waved her one hand in the air as she pounded against her chest. After she stopped, she shook her head and began opening random chests and documents, until finally, she found a recent document with all of the rulers of Tempest''s names at the bottom. She smirked as she raced back to her office.


    Once she sat down, she placed the document next to the one from Takahiro. Carefully referencing their signatures, she forged their signatures, enough so they looked like the real thing. After the last stroke of her pen, she put away her pen and ink and stared at the document as it dried.


    ''Perfect! After it dries and it''s sealed all I need to do is find someone to teleport it over, which shouldn''t be hard, unless apparently all the servants in today are fairies without magic. God how I wish my fairy lineage was actually helpful sometimes!'' Katherina thought as she tugged on her ears, which functioned like a normal human''s ear, just shaped and colored exactly like ears of a butterfly. Katherina always thought they were pretty, but functionally useless otherwise.


    A sudden knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. ''Oh, here comes the tradition squad. Can''t wait,'' Katherina thought as she hesitated to get up. She opened the door to her allies, the rulers and consorts of Lime, Brown, Light Grey and White.


    "Katherina Astraia. Or should I say Conmara, would that expose your wrongdoings to the public better?" the Lime king spat.


    "First off, how the hell did you find out? Nobody even said anything about this to you. Second off, you guys are overreacting. Just because I allied with the Black Kingdom doesn''t mean we also can''t remain allies." Katherina refuted.


    "I had a hunch, and it turns out that I was right. This alliance would displease the time gods. They would take away our powers. Do you want to ruin our ways of life just for a man that no one in the entirety of Ayuzuma can trust, and screw over our descendants?"


    "Our traditions are bullshit. Don''t you see what the time gods have done to everyone? You''ve never even met Takahiro anyway. Why do you have such a firm opinion of him?" Katherina yelled back. Their four faces all fell, and the Lime king turned to look at the rest with wide eyes.


    "Because the time gods are smart enough to know he has bad motives!"


    "I don''t care! The Black Kingdom has plenty of things to offer to me you''ll never be able to!" Katherina exclaimed.


    The lime king sighed, "You are making a grave mistake." He and the other rulers exited, as Katherina locked the palace gate and called Takahiro.


    It was time.

 Son

    Satan, January 11th


    Satan entered the tv room from the throne room. He stared at Arsene, who laid on the couch and watched TV, flicking through channels. Though she never said it directly, he could guess she couldn¡¯t stomach working that day, with everything that had happened, and he couldn¡¯t blame her. Nico sat next to her, staring more at Arsene than whatever was happening on the TV.


    He watched as Arsene paused on the news channel.


    ¡°King Zeta and his fellow Time Travelers have announced that Queen Katherina of the Fuschia Kingdom has cut ties with the Time Travelers of Tempest and is allying with the Black Kingdom. The Black Kingdom''s palace caught on fire and Takahiro was believed to have been the one that sealed it away by a shield of darkness. King Yami claims he did not make the shield. He reported being visited by Takahiro Koizumi moments earlier. He believes he was the one behind the fire and the shield. Investigators are working on the way to shatter the barrier, and King Yami predicts Takahiro Koizumi is plotting something.¡± The newscaster explained. Then, it switched to the five Time Travelers in Tempest, who denounced Katherina. Arsene hugged a pillow uncomfortably.


    Satan clenched his fist at the news, whisper-rambling in demon tongue, both his and Nico¡¯s native language. Arsene knew it too, but not to the extent they did. Initially, it seemed nonsense, but Arsene and Nico started hearing about Katherina and Takahiro.


    ¡°Of course, showing your true colors again. I can¡¯t believe I ever dated you.¡± Satan mumbled in demon tongue.


    ¡°You¡­ what?¡± Nico¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. But then Satan paused as he realized the mistake he had made.


    ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t want you to tell you now¡­ to make a long story short, I met Katherina while you were separated. We were in a relationship for 11 years. It was abusive, but that still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I was with her behind your back. We also had a son together, and for that I¡¯m sorry,¡± Satan bowed with crossed arms, digging his sharp nails into his clothes and skin, and his eyes glued to the floor, feeling tears threaten to spill, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to keep working for us, I understand-¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Where is your son?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not mad?¡±


    ¡°No, Katherina has a way of manipulating and abusing people. Me, of all people, should know that.¡±


    Satan¡¯s lip trembled, and in a rare sign of affection, he ran up to Nico and hugged him, sobbing happily, but just a little.


    He¡¯s not with Katherina, right?¡± Nico asked.


    ¡°No, never,¡± Satan wiped his eyes and sighed, ¡°He¡¯s with my best friend, Eris. She had to go into hiding after her separation from Takahiro. He wants her back for reasons I¡¯m not sure of yet. I¡¯m not worried about Katherina getting her hands on him, but I don¡¯t want Eris to be found by Takahiro¡­.¡± Satan thought aloud.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t know his motivations, maybe it''ll be fine if we just exercise caution?¡± Nico suggested. Satan nodded. His eye seemed to catch Arsene¡¯s; the blindfold made it hard to tell for sure.


    ¡°You¡¯re quiet¡­ are you okay with all this?¡± Satan fretted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the relationship. If Nico isn¡¯t mad about that, then I¡¯m not. It¡¯s more so the fact you hid an eleventh child from me.¡± Arsene sighed.


    ¡°It took me an long time to realize I was being fooled¡­ I have little to say. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Satan apologized yet again. Arsene shut off the depressing news and stood up off the couch, grabbing her winged scepter.


    ¡°You can¡¯t change the fact you made those decisions, but you can make the effects of those decisions better. Let¡¯s start with getting your son back. What¡¯s his name?¡± Arsene asked. Satan nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s Phoenix. Eris is hiding on one of the Rainbow Kingdom¡¯s islands. I¡¯ll teleport you there, if you want.¡± Satan explained.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to meet him.¡± Arsene said.


    Satan turned his chain belt to blood, by saying, ¡°Blood: transform into chains!¡± The chains melt and slid down his clothes, until Satan moved his hand to the side, making the blood follow him.


    A door creaked, and Satan froze in place, looking at Nico and Arsene.

 And There Were... Wait, How Many? I Can鈥檛 Keep Track of This Shit

    Satan, January 11th


    From the palace entrance stood four that stared back at Satan, Nico, and Arsene. Satan noticed Araya first. Arsene¡¯s younger sister. Araya still had the ends of her hair curled and her flower hairpin. Thank Diablo. She barely changed.


    Arista, Arsene¡¯s older sister, towered over everyone as usual. She was hunched over, clutching her stomach. She looked much more disheveled and cozier than the last time they had seen Arista.


    The third girl was unfamiliar, tiny, with umber brown complexion, wavy carmine red hair, and a grey sweater. She resembled Arista somewhat. From the letters Arista sent, which Satan barely read, he could only guess that that was Arete, Arista¡¯s daughter.


    The last person was someone Satan least expected.


    Lucifer.


    He had the signature Satanel hair trait of having messy hair, his much shorter and parted to the side. He had glasses, boots, and a leather jacket. Satan felt mixed as he stared blankly at his brother, who averted his gaze.


    ¡°Hey, been a while. I finally convinced Lucy to show himself.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Can I sit down? I feel dizzy¡­.¡± Arista asked as she swayed back and forth. Arsene took her arm and led her over to the couch in the next room while Satan marched up to Lucifer and glared him down.


    ¡°Uh - hi,¡± Lucifer greeted.


    ¡°What the hell were you doing away all these years and telling none of us about it? Satan spat


    ¡°He ran away to avoid becoming a ruler..¡± Araya clarified.


    ¡°And this is true?¡± Satan demanded, staring Lucifer down.


    ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s so wrong with that? You never liked the idea of being a king either.¡± Lucifer defended himself.


    ¡°Because you left, and for two thousand years, you had us convinced you were dead. I made things easier by accepting my position, now that you¡¯ve finally thought to show your face I think you should too.¡±


    ¡°Why is it even necessary for ME to rule Arsenia¡¯s hell? Arsene can choose anyone for that, it¡¯s her planet after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your punishment for everything that happened with the sins. So why can¡¯t you make things easier and just go with it?¡± Lucifer readied his scythe while Satan created his Pitchfork, the brothers¡¯ skin shifting to red. As Araya watched the two brothers launch into an argument, she slowly slinked away with Arete.


    ¡°Um¡­ can you handle this outside or something? I don¡¯t think Arete or anyone else needs to hear all that¡­.¡± Araya hesitated.


    ¡°Gladly.¡± Satan hissed with a furious smile. Satan quickly teleported himself and Lucifer away with his blood magic. Araya walked over to the couch where everyone else was while Arete followed from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you both again, but why did you never mention Lucifer being with you?¡± Arsene asked Arista.


    ¡°Well, he wanted to run away from responsibility, and so did I, in a way. Mortals on Earth were always so weird towards me, you know? I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arista apologized.


    ¡°I know in your last letter you said you were pregnant. How far along are you now?¡±


    ¡°Six months.¡± Arista rubbed her stomach, ¡°But that¡¯s the least important thing right now. Nen, why are you hiding your eyes?¡±


    ¡°I had a corneal abrasion during the Satanel reunion. People invaded the palace, hurt only the kids and I, and left. We¡¯re still trying to figure out why.¡± Arsene explained. Araya tried to peek under the blindfold to see. Arsene shooed her off, crossing her arms in annoyance. Araya retreated reluctantly with a frown. Nico stifled a laugh. Araya rose from the couch and pulled Nico away from the others.


    ¡°Wh- huh?¡± Nico said. They sat at the kitchen table. Araya smirked as she rested her head on her hands.


    ¡°So¡­ How¡¯s your relationship with Arsene¡¯s? Any changes? Are you becoming my brother-in-law anytime soon?¡± Araya asked, swinging her legs on her chair.


    Nico bit his lip, looking off to the floor. ¡°It¡¯s been the same since you left, unfortunately.¡±


    Araya burst up in her chair, slamming the table.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made absolutely no moves on her?¡± Araya screamed. Nico became nervous, shushing her with a finger to his lips.


    ¡°Back when you left to look for Lucifer and Arista, I didn¡¯t really know how to feel about Katherina,¡± Nico winced at mentioning her name, ¡°I felt so confused. Did I love her or hate her? I needed to solve that before pursuing anyone else, but even so, I also wanted to make sure any new woman in my life would be someone Bree could feel could be her true mother. She¡¯s always wanted a new mother. That took a long time to unpack. I was going to try to start pursuing her this year but then the reunion incident and now the war. I¡¯d feel gross pursuing her in such a difficult time. Unless she herself pursues me, that¡¯s a different story.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe I¡¯ll just have to play matchmaker.¡± Araya trailed off.


    ¡°Please, but don¡¯t tell her any of my feelings.¡±


    ¡°Duh, of course.¡±


    ***


    ¡°So um, what else did I miss?¡± Arista asked.


    ¡°Satan had a secret son.¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°Another Satan kid? Wow. I¡¯m glad you stayed the same mostly. Please don¡¯t change too much.¡±


    ¡°I mean, wasn¡¯t planning on it, but I¡¯ll try not to.¡±


    ¡°Hey, who told you you could talk about Phoenix just yet?¡± Satan¡¯s voice boomed. Everyone paused, turning to Satan. Satan and Lucifer were covered in bruises. Satan had a black eye, his hair looked messed up, and he used his blood magic to put his hair back into its usual side ponytail. One of his horns had a crack in it.


    On the other hand, Lucifer had cuts on his face and neck, his glasses were shattered, and his jacket had some tears.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Araya?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need her to heal you. You just have cuts and ruined clothes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect them to start tearing in the middle of a fight or for my sunglasses to get flung, which by the way, thank you very much for that.¡±


    ¡°Your. Absolutely. Welcome.¡± Satan gritted his teeth. Before another fight could happen, Araya and Nico walked out of the kitchen chatting. Araya turned to look at the brothers before groaning and whipping out her grey pole, her unusual healing tool. She walked up before Satan first, and her hands and pole glowed yellow transparent flowers. She pointed the pole at the spots where Satan got hurt. Since the horn crack wasn¡¯t huge, it could be repaired. Satan¡¯s bruises faded a bit, some smaller ones fading away entirely. That face bruise was mostly gone, but it would still stick around a little longer. While best suited for healing wounds and bruises, healing didn¡¯t necessarily make the bigger ones go away entirely.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Araya stepped before Lucifer and healed his bruises before the yellow glow faded.


    ¡°Well? What about my jacket and glasses?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°Really?¡± Araya asked.


    ¡°Yes, really!¡±


    ¡°But not the ones on your pants?¡±


    ¡°Not the ones on my pants.¡± Lucifer echoed.


    She readied her pole and pointed the pole at the tears and cracks. The tears were fine, but some cracks still remained.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to give it a day, I¡¯ll get rid of the cracks for good tomorrow. Also, guys, I get you¡¯re mad at each other, but on a normal day I¡¯m working. I will not always be readily available to heal you after your fights, so either, a) hire a healer when I¡¯m not around to heal you after your fights, or b) fight each other with your words. But please, be mindful of Arete.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°I can work with that. After work, I¡¯m going to make up a list of the best insults.¡± Satan smirked.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Lucifer laughed. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t launch into another fight right now. Araya covered the ears of Arete, who averted her eyes from her idiot step-father and hot topic step-uncle.


    Araya groaned, launching into a Latin rant that made Satan burst into laughter. As Araya finished her healing, Satan finally stopped laughing.


    ¡°Okay, that makes things easier, I have to go get my son now.¡±


    ¡°Can we come with you?¡± Arsene begged.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If we meet him right off the bat maybe he won¡¯t feel so awkward around us!¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, just don¡¯t overload him.¡± Satan sighed.


    ***


    Satan and others arrived on the smallest island surrounding the Rainbow Kingdom¡¯s palace. Takahiro¡¯s methods of finding Eris¡¯s location were unbeknownst to even Satan. The seven trudged their way up to the island''s highest point, the highest hill with a singular large tree. You couldn¡¯t tell by sight alone if someone was supposedly living here.


    ¡°How the fuck does she live here?¡± Lucifer commented, gesturing to the tree.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Satan sat in front of the tree with arms crossed and clasped his hands together until¡­ ¡°wake the fuck up.¡± Nico, Arete, and Arsene stared at him dumbfounded while Arista and Lucifer burst into laughter.


    A portal appeared, and out stepped a short gold-eyed woman with a small child hiding behind him. Eris and Phoenix. Satan got up slightly and opened his arms, signaling Phoenix to run into his arms into a hug.


    ¡°Why did you bring everyone?¡± Eris growled as she pulled a black shawl over her shoulders more.


    ¡°Sorry, they insisted so they could meet Phoenix.¡± Satan apologized as he lifted little Phoenix to carry him better. Satan smiled gently at Phoenix as Phoenix wrapped his arms around Satan again, closing his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°I missed you, daddy.¡± Phoenix mumbled.


    ¡°Me too, Fifi.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Eris, what are you gonna do now?¡± Phoenix asked, turning to look at her.


    ¡°See you off to the palace, go back into hiding in the void, probably.¡±


    ¡°The void was boring though! Daddy, couldn¡¯t she stay with us?¡±


    ¡°Hm, Takahiro wouldn¡¯t even set foot in Hell if he still has that phobia of death, but,¡± Satan hesitated, ¡°would he send you-know-who after you in his place? If you want to, you can stay with us. If you''re okay with the maybe threat of Takahiro and living with mine and Nico¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take.¡±


    ¡°Why are we still fucking walking, we have Eris and Phoenix, can we just teleport home?¡± Lucifer yelled.


    ¡°Language!¡± Satan yelled back as he teleported them back to the palace.


    Satan first took Eris and Phoenix into the long hallway where everyone¡¯s rooms were. Though only nine rooms needed to be occupied, it extended much farther than it likely ever needed. There were probably two hundred rooms. Eris took the room to the right of Arsene¡¯s, which had a themed nameplate with her signature angel wings and everything, very fitting for her. She opened the door to nothing special. Grey walls, a decent-sized bed, night tables on either side, candles, a desk, a closet, and an empty shelf. Just an average room.


    Phoenix took the room next to his half-brother, Crow, on the opposite side of the hallway from Eris. The inside was the exact same as Eris¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± Phoenix said.


    ¡°Really? Even though it¡¯s nothing special?¡± Satan smiled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We can go buy new furniture tomorrow or something if you want.¡±


    ¡°We also need new clothes.¡± Eris said.


    ¡°That too.¡± Satan replied.


    Arete, Lucifer, and Arista entered the hallway, and each picked out their rooms. Arete chose the right of Eris¡¯s, and Arista and Lucifer shared a room across from Aretes and right of Phoenix¡¯s. Arete, Lucifer, and Arista set their things down in their new rooms. Finally, a more permanent place to have all their things.


    At least, when Arete was with Arista, she had been living in the same home when it was time to be with her father.


    Satan and Eris made their way to the living room to chat, and Arista and Lucifer headed for the kitchen, leaving the two kids behind. Phoenix turned around and hesitated before walking up to her and greeting her.


    ¡°Oh, hi. Um, Phoenix, right? Uncle Satan¡¯s kid?¡± Arete said.


    ¡°Yes. Daddy never mentioned you.¡±


    ¡°I mean, he didn¡¯t really know I existed until today so I don¡¯t blame him.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I. Do you like teenage mutant ninja turtles?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Do you have any of the episodes?¡± Arete beamed.


    ¡°I do, I¡¯ll show you!¡± Phoenix grabbed Arete¡¯s hand. They raced to the living room and the laptop sitting on the couch. Phoenix opened the laptop, opened up Netflix, and started playing the show.


    Satan¡¯s Diary


    January 11th, 2020           11:53 PM


    I revealed my secrets to Arsene and Nico and thank Diablo. They aren¡¯t mad. I brought Fifi home, and Eris came with us. I set up their rooms too. We may go shopping and get some new furniture and things for their rooms tomorrow or something. Fifi and Arete are getting along well, I didn¡¯t expect that, but I¡¯m glad. Fifi never had friends his age.


    I¡¯m still worried Katherina may come down here and start things with my family. One calm day, or even a few quiet hours, is something I¡¯d take any day. But, unfortunately, yesterday and the 4th were crazy.


    In other news, I¡¯ve been thinking. If it¡¯s Takahiro and Katherina behind the attacks, they won¡¯t stop. Suppose Takahiro managed to take back his kingdom despite his lousy reputation there. In that case, I doubt he will try to take over more and more and more until he has taken all of Ayuzuma. If I don¡¯t do something sooner or later, more kingdoms will look the other way, and he¡¯ll be free to keep conquering.


    Maybe I can talk with the Queen of The Rainbow Kingdom herself. I tend not to leave unless it¡¯s for diplomatic reasons. Me going out of my way to contact her should show that. Honestly, I¡¯d do that right now, but Araya has me trapped. I think she¡¯s sleeping. Fuck it. I¡¯ll talk to the queen tomorrow. I missed cuddling with my first best friend.

 We Don鈥檛 Speak Anymore Of War

    Satan, January 12th


    It was only eight in the morning, and few in the red king palace were awake. It was too early for Satan, much less anyone, to be pacing around the castle with endless thoughts, yet here he was. Arsene seemed to be staring. She leaned back on the couch, head resting on her hand.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking this,¡± Arsene calmly said.


    ¡°But what if-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a meeting with the queen of The Rainbow kingdom, right? You just need to go and tell her about it so something can be done about Takahiro and Katherina. You¡¯ve barely worried a day in your life, I don¡¯t understand how this is one of the things that gets you so riled up.¡± Arsene explained.


    ¡°I guess because it¡¯s all about Katherina and Takahiro? Ugh, I don¡¯t know, though.¡± Satan groaned while checking on his phone for the Rainbow Kingdom website, and with a few loud taps from his clawed fingers, he had booked a meeting with The Rainbow Kingdom¡¯s Queen.


    So that solved one thing, at least.


    Seemingly out of nowhere, young little Phoenix appeared and tugged on Satan¡¯s robes, making him jump.


    ¡°Ah, Phoenix! Good morning, did you eat breakfast yet?¡± Satan smiled as he leaned down to Phoenix¡¯s height and ruffled his hair. Arsene couldn¡¯t help but watch from afar with a lazy smile. She hadn¡¯t seen this specific side of Satan since Crow started becoming a teenager.


    ¡°Yeah. Are we gonna start my tutoring sessions again today? I could barely sleep last night thinking about it.¡± Phoenix said


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that will happen today. I have to take care of something important to protect the other Ayuzumians.¡±


    Phoenix frowned, ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I promise that if we can¡¯t have our first tutoring session in a while, I¡¯ll either take you out for ice cream today or take you to IHOP first thing tomorrow, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Phoenix cheered in response, ¡°auntie Arista, where¡¯s Arete?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at her dad¡¯s.¡± Arista yawned.


    ¡°Could I go with her? Please?¡± Phoenix begged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯ll ask.¡± Arista sat up and grabbed her phone. Satan decided now was as good a time as any to head over to the Rainbow Kingdom. But, just as he readied his magic to transport himself over the Rainbow Kingdom, he was stopped by Eris.


    ¡°I know this has nothing to do with the war thing, but I want to see Iris again.¡± She said.


    ¡°How do we know Iris is even free for meetings right now?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know- maybe now would just be as good as a time as any.¡± Eris sighed.


    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re coming with me, let¡¯s leave now.¡±


    ***


    Satan waited in a room to the left of the throne room, as the website directed. Unfortunately, Satan found himself easily distracted by the sheer size and beauty of the palace. It seemed almost double the size of his. It was white with rainbow and flower adornments everywhere, representing the first rainbow queen and the current one. The waiting room was nothing special, just a few chairs all in a row. He had to stop staring around and focus on the task at hand. On the other hand, Eris was practically silent, playing with the ends of her shawl. It seemed like it would be hours, but thankfully things played out to be only twenty minutes.


    ¡°Mr. Satanel, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever visited the Rainbow Kingdom ever!¡± The queen greeted.


    ¡°I did not expect it to be so beautiful¡­ and hot! I¡¯m sweating to death here.¡±


    ¡°Probably because you''re wearing all black¡­¡± she trailed off with gritted teeth. Her eyes glanced at Eris and fell into a defensive stance, pointing with shaking hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s with me, and she¡¯s changed. Is Iris available?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Eris, why don¡¯t you come with me for a second?¡± Auriana quickly pulled Eris aside, and Satan noted how she transported her and Eris away with flowers sprouting from the ground. Magic was quite strange, and seeing how different types of magic functioned and worked was something Satan enjoyed.


    ¡°Is that why you came here to see me today or¡­?¡± Auriana asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s about Takahiro. He and Katherina are trying to take back their kingdoms and take over Ayuzuma.¡±


    Auriana¡¯s face withered, and she rushed him into another room. She couldn¡¯t let anybody else hear that name. Satan glanced at the long table with many different chairs, each seemingly decorated to fit the various rulers. He didn¡¯t want to focus on the chairs, though. He had more pressing issues to tackle.


    Auriana pulled out her phone and typed quickly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Texting the emergency royalty group chat! I could also call everyone if you want.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency group chat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought you were in it?¡±


    Satan pulled out his phone and checked his messages; sure enough, he saw the group chat.


    ¡°Oh. Wait, how did you get my number in the first place?


    ¡°Crow gave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Moving on, can we call the other royals? I highly doubt they¡¯d be checking their phones unless they were on break.¡±


    Auriana nodded. They started calling all the ruling kings and queens, but Auriana had much better luck since they recognized her number. Satan was forced to leave messages. Satan opted to use the Rainbow Kingdom¡¯s landline, which worked out much better, but he only managed to call one of the royals as Auriana managed to take care of the rest. He wasn¡¯t too surprised, as the rainbow queen was more trustworthy than him, a king that barely left hell. When he did, it was never for business either. Despite the urgency that Auriana described, it still took an hour for everyone to gather and silence themselves. Finally, Auriana could quiet everyone and get them to sit down.


    Auriana rose from her seat at the head of the table, which was rainbow-colored and adorned with flowers. ¡°I¡¯d like to start this meeting by saying that we believe this is a serious issue that we must squash. But I don¡¯t know the details, so I¡¯ll let Satan take it away.¡±


    Oh, I¡¯m already going to talk about this. Satan groaned in his head. Oh well, he supposed he signed up for this when he thought befriending Katherina and Takahiro, two people hated by their respective kingdoms, was a bright idea.


    ¡°So as you may know Takahiro and Katherina have recently taken over¡­ well only Takahiro, but they assumed full control of their kingdoms and allied with each other. I have called you all here today because I know exactly what they¡¯re planning. As a former friend of both of them, I¡¯ve learned that they want to control the entire planet and if that goes well, they also want to conquer the entire galaxy.¡±


    The monarch of The Green Kingdom chimed in. ¡°You¡¯ve never interacted with most other kingdoms before this point. Sure they¡¯re both horrible people but how are we supposed to believe you when we¡¯ve never even seen you before? And honestly, Takahiro is just some spoiled rich dude destroyed by grief, and Katherina might¡¯ve cheated on all too many people, but your accusing them of crimes that don¡¯t really match up with the rest of the things they¡¯ve done.¡±


    Satan paused. He slid a folder of papers and documents across the table he brought in case they questioned. The monarchs pawed and glanced at the papers. They found various photos of Takahiro and Katherina¡¯s early plans to take over and texts between Satan and Katherina.


    ¡°It¡¯s literally just an allyship at the moment though.¡± The orange queen argued.


    ¡°That¡¯s untrue! Because they¡¯ve denounced the allyship with the rest of our continent, fucking up our relationship with the time gods potentially putting the citizens all throughout Tempest in danger if the time gods are severely displeased. In our talks with our gods, they already aren¡¯t happy, and WE¡¯RE the ones that will have to pay.¡± The Lime King yelled.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Maybe your gods are just shitty.¡± The Gray King suggested. The lime king quickly sat up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table, leaning to glare down at the gray king. The gray king smirked, but before anything else could go down, The Rainbow Queen quickly cut in and stopped them.


    ¡°Maybe, we don¡¯t need to declare war, but at least something! If we let this go unnoticed we risk letting the smaller kingdoms be taken over.¡± Satan suggested.


    ¡°Fuschia IS one of the smaller countries though, how would it take anything over?¡± The Cyan King questioned.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s allied with one of the major kingdoms, hello? D-does nobody else hear what he¡¯s saying?¡± The Lime King pointed it out. The remaining royals stopped their counterarguments and realized he was correct.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you¡¯ve all arrived at the point we¡¯d like to make. Please raise your hand for those who favor going to war against Fuschia and Black.¡± The Rainbow Queen directed her fellow royals. Of course, she raised her hand, and so did Satan. She counted white, light blue, yellow, lime, pink, gray, light gray, cyan, purple, blue, brown, green, and- that was everyone, despite how some initially seemed against it.


    With everyone in unanimous agreement, they each signed their declaration of war, two so they can send both to both kingdoms. Then, the royals teleported them to the black kingdom palace and the Fuschia kingdom palace, so they knew, and possibly even back down. This was the first step of many, but at least it was something.


    Satan watched the other rulers get up from their chairs and start talking. He realized it was customary for rulers to gather like this after big meetings. He watched them from across the room and tried using his blood magic to get home. The actual gathering was a few minutes compared to the hour of waiting, and he didn¡¯t want to dilly-dally anymore. The Rainbow Queen stopped him.


    ¡°Are you not going to stay to meet everyone and catch up?¡± She wondered.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t expect this to be a social event. I just want to go home,¡± Satan admitted.


    ¡°Oh, alright then, I suppose, tell Crow I said hi if he¡¯s home!¡± She waved him off. He quickly teleported himself home. He had to admit. It was somewhat draining. But he just needed to get out of there if he wanted to tutor Phoenix. He immediately turned to Arista, who wasn¡¯t glued to the couch as she usually was yesterday.


    ¡°Is Phoenix at Arete¡¯s dad¡¯s place?¡± Arista asked


    ¡°Oh, hey, yeah he is. Why?¡±


    ¡°I was gonna bring him home so we can start our tutoring but you know what? He just started living with me at home, one more day of waiting to start tutoring him shouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Satan declared. And Arista agreed.


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Nico took the day off to spend it with Bree, poor Nen forced herself to go to work even though I tried to tell her she didn¡¯t need to, Araya went with her to make sure she didn¡¯t overexert herself but she¡¯s healing people along the way, and Lucifer is exploring Ayuzuma. So I guess it just leaves us two! Are you busy normally?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I just declared war on Katherina and Takahiro, so I¡¯m gonna start thinking of possible plans to use against them, for now it¡¯s my usual. Guess I¡¯m just gonna do that now so, uh, bye. Oh, also remember to be careful.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry. Lucifer tells me that constantly.¡±


    ***


    Eris was teleported away to talk to Iris by Auriana. Auriana wished her good luck as she teleported away with her flowers. Eris sighed nervously as she stared at the back of Iris.


    Iris turned around. All those years apart, of hatred and confusion, and never seeing each other since Eris shut her out, she looked the same. Her hair was still wavy and color-changing, wings still white and feathery, eyes pink.


    Eris bit her lip. What would she say to her?


    ¡°It¡¯s been two hundred and thirty one years, old friend. Are you here to talk or to fight me?¡± Iris asked. Her calm stance of clasped hands said she was ready to talk, but her dagger in hand said she was ready to fight her.


    ¡°To talk.¡± Eris said. Iris motioned towards two seats that sat right across from each other.


    ¡°So, what brings you here for our first conversation in a long time?¡± Iris asked.


    ¡°To say sorry. Takahiro seemed nice at the time and he seemed pretty certain you were a horrible person. I should¡¯ve trusted you, who I¡¯ve known for a long time, rather then a guy I only known for, what, a few months? He wasn¡¯t as good as a guy as he seemed to be those first few months. I didn¡¯t realize I was aroace back then either.¡± Eris looked at the floor. She looked back up at Iris, hoping for something, but she was wordless.


    ¡°How long did it take you to realize?¡±


    ¡°Too long.¡±


    For a moment, silence washed over them.


    And then, forgiveness, despite everything, despite Eris telling Iris so many years ago how much she hated her. They both became overcome with emotion, tears flowing down their faces as they laughed, cried, and reminisced together for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°Oh, you know how the greek gods announced that we¡¯re actually roman gods? What¡¯s technically your birth name?¡±


    ¡°Arcus. Yours?¡±


    ¡°Discordia. Do you use yours?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, I just feel so disconnected from it and everything. It¡¯s just not me. Discordia is a pretty name though.¡±


    ¡°It is. I use it occasionally. It feels uncomfortable for my friends and family on Ayuzuma to call me that as frequently as they did with Eris. Only my family from Mount Olympnos calls me Discordia on the regular really.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so crazy that our destinies were basically to follow the ones of the greek gods? It feels like a crime.¡±


    ¡°We should call Justitia to help us with that.¡± Eris laughed.


    ***


    Late at night, Eris slipped back into the Red Kingdom palace. So much for a quick apology and then leaving swiftly after. She tiptoed through the kitchen and the dining room, trying to make her way to her new room, but she saw Araya.


    ¡°Oh hey. Satan said you were still busy by the time he got out so he just went home.¡± Araya greeted.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Eris said. She continued walking but froze, ¡®Araya is back in Ayuzuma. I never got to talk to her before but this is the perfect chance to find out how she feels about Satan since he talked about her a lot.¡¯


    Eris turned around and sat at the table across from Araya, who looked up at her.


    ¡°I thought you were going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°I realized I needed to ask you something.¡± Eris¡¯ fingers interlaced, and she rested her arms on the table. She laid her chin on her interlaced fingers, staring at Araya, who seemed to sweat.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not about to get interrogated or something right?¡± Araya smiled with upturned eyebrows and crossed her arms, digging into them a little.


    ¡°Oh no, not at all! Sorry, I made it seem more serious. We just haven¡¯t gotten a chance to interact just yet, that¡¯s all.¡± Eris apologized. Araya sighed, letting go of her arms.


    ¡°You are Satan are close, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I met him when I was twenty one which was like. Quite literally four billion something years ago.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, we¡¯re old. He talked about you a lot, you know.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Eris thought a second to properly think. ¡°Yeah, he really missed you during those ten years, if I didn¡¯t bring something else up he was talking about you and things you did back in the day. Thinking about it now the day you left he cried, which he never does, much less in front of other people, which I don¡¯t need to tell you but you know. He was upset that you never got to answering his letters and texts too.¡±


    ¡°Wait, he genuinely missed me that much?¡± Araya jumped up from her seat, leaning on the table.


    ¡°Yeah. Now with everything going on I¡¯m worried he¡¯s going to be overworking himself constantly. I don¡¯t exactly have a job anymore so during the day I can look after him but can you look after him after you get off work?¡± Eris said, which wasn¡¯t a lie necessarily, he didn¡¯t need constant supervision to ensure he didn¡¯t become overworked, but you know. If you convince your best friend and his other best friend to spend more time together, maybe he¡¯ll finally confess to Araya and maybe shut the fuck up a little about Araya. Or maybe he¡¯ll talk even more than before. Russian roulette.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, but what happened to your old job?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my old job back in the olden days was to cause discord. When I married Takahiro I retired from the discord thing and did queenly duties, but when my daughter took over I was more just tending to our personal palace, not the Black Kingdom palace and helping him with his rebel stuff and trying to plan ways to get his kingdom back when he was clearly too sad and too much of a mess when my daughter took over but you know.¡±


    ¡°I keep forgetting you have children. I have another question also. I know everyone calls you Eris but Satan says your technical real name is Discordia, is Eris just a nickname?¡±


    ¡°Sorta. The roman gods basically were all taught that we were the real greek gods and the other greek gods were fake so we¡¯ve basically hated each other for the longest time. Quite literally like last year the greek gods pretty much went around to us romans in disguise as greek gods and said, ¡®hey so your not a greek god at all you basically existed as a replacement of the greek gods.¡¯ Apparently if a greek god was to die or something when nothing else in the world said they should be dead, they¡¯d kidnap us romans, erase our memories, and we¡¯d take over like nothing happens.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck.¡± Araya covered her mouth,


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it either, but it does make sense why the romans look and seem a lot like the greeks to begin with. Anyway, what time is it?¡±


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s like one in the morning.¡± Araya gasped.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m heading off to bed, goodnight. We should find the time to talk more.¡±


    ¡°For sure. Goodnight!¡±

 Conquered

    Katherina, January 12th


    Katherina Astraia was stupid. She was stupid enough to think she could take over four kingdoms without a hitch.


    Takahiro told her it was a bad idea, but she was too stubborn to listen and refused assistance. Instead, she took her kunai and called someone else to teleport her to the northwest, disguised. She made sure to secure the palace perimeter before leaving.


    She arrived in front of the palace, carved out of white ice. As Katherina shivered, she realized she had forgotten to bring warm clothes. But the teleporting fairy had already gone back to Fuschia. She never visited the white kingdom and didn¡¯t know where to find a teleporter, so she forced herself to enter the palace.


    Katherina shivered in the cold as she pressed upon the ice-cold door. Eventually, she was able to open the door and get inside. Katherina cursed herself for not having more fairy blood. With magic, she didn¡¯t need someone to teleport her, and she could get that over with way quicker. But, alas. Her bloodline seems to have an affinity for humans, and her only fairy trait was her pink butterfly wing-shaped ears, which had no actual use. Her annoyance at herself stopped when a familiar face caught her eyes.


    Paris. The King of The White kingdom.


    ¡°Hey-¡± Katherina exclaimed.


    ¡°Leave,¡± he simply said. Paris raised an arm in the air, and from the concrete floors rose a sharp pillar of ice that he flung in her direction. Katherina ran out of the way to dodge it. It crashed into a castle wall, making the walls start to shatter. Ice shards flew in the air. More and more ice pillars were thrown at her. Ice shards were everywhere. How nothing in the castle broke yet was a wonder. It was getting harder to dodge. Katherina became so exhausted out she couldn¡¯t avoid them anymore. Finally, she was pinned against the wall by two smaller ice pillars. She tried to push them out of the way but was too weak. She only managed to get it slightly off her body so it wasn¡¯t pressing her against the wall.


    ¡°I have a deal to make with you!¡± Katherina slurred, fighting against the pillars of ice.


    ¡°What¡¯ll it be this time? My firstborn child?¡± Paris kept pressing the pillars against her more.


    ¡°No, your sister.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Paris stopped using his ice magic


    ¡°I have your sister, and the rest of your family held hostage. Give me control of your kingdom, and I can free them.¡± Katherina grinned and finally gained the strength to push the pillar away from her, shooting back at Paris in his direction.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± He shouted, dodging the pillar as it crashed into the opposite side of the palace as began to collapse. Paris murmured no¡¯s to himself as he tried to repair it quickly. Katherina crept over to him and drew a pink kunai she hid in her garter belt. One of the kunai that Takahiro gave her only a few days ago. Her old throwing knives were getting stale, so she intended to use them graciously. Instead, she smirked as she raced towards Paris, who turned while in the middle of trying to repair the castle and attempted to conjure up another ice object to throw at her. Still, Katherina had pinned him to the floor before he could try it. Katherina wanted to stab him, and slit his throat, but Paris managed to hold her arm away from his body.


    Katherina backed away upon hearing voices calling Paris. She recognized them, Paris¡¯s wife and son, running down the stairs. Paris¡¯s wife froze when she made eye contact with Katherina. Katherina took one of her kunai and threw it in the direction of Paris¡¯s wife and son, but just as soon as Katherina threw it, it stopped, and so did Katherina.


    ***


    Katherina woke up swaddled in a warm blanket near a fire. She immediately recognized it as the Black Kingdom palace with all the paintings of Takahiro¡¯s family. Still, she had no idea how she even ended up here.


    The door slowly creaked open. Katherina saw Takahiro, who immediately called her name and raced over and hugged her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s-his-face¡¯s wife froze you in ice. It took longer than normal to reach you, so I got concerned and went to the White Kingdom palace. You were frozen in ice, the palace was completely destroyed because I guess the white king didn¡¯t think throwing ice around in his ice palace would be a bad idea.They were trying to put you in jail. So I called up some friends and favors. I took you home and had them throw the white kingdom royal family in my personal dungeon.¡± Takahiro explained.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s crazy, but I could¡¯ve probably saved myself though. But anyway, did we take over the white kingdom at least?¡±


    ¡°I mean we did, but that¡¯s beside the point. Kathy. I know you like to be independent and rely only on yourself, but it¡¯s okay to let your guard down and let others help you for once.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Katherina trailed off, ¡°wait how did I get out of the ice?¡±


    ¡°We had to melt you out of it, but also break it? Also, I took you to the hospital earlier and they said you have hypothermia.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you start off with that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but I should¡¯ve, sorry,¡± Takahiro apologized. They both fell into a comfortable silence. Katherina furiously wanted to keep taking over other kingdoms for Takahiro, but she also knew Takahiro was right. Katherina and Takahiro finally found time to take a break from conquering and spend some time together for most of the day.


    And they barely slept a wink.


    ***


    The following day Takahiro and Katherina woke up still half asleep. Takahiro tried to convince Katherina that she might not be fully recovered and to rest for another day, but she wasn¡¯t having any of it, just wanting to get the rest of Tempest conquered. They drafted their plans, but after coffee, they completely ditched their first plan, that was barely legible, and made a new one. First, they¡¯d take the light grey kingdom, then lime, and lastly brown.


    They headed to light grey, donning the proper clothes this time so they weren¡¯t freezing. Since Takahiro had magic of his own, he was able to teleport them over themselves. They arrived at the front of the palace, which was made of snow. They walked around, noting any openings.


    ¡°Is there a way we can teleport in through a window or something and fly under the radar?¡± Katherina said. Takahiro pointed to a long string of windows on the lowest part of the castle, and they approached closer. They could see three people talking near a throne inside.


    Katherina recognized them immediately as the light grey king, his wife, and their daughter.


    ¡°I may have an idea.¡± Katherina realized they had found another door. Katherina slowly opened it, finding themselves at the entrance. Katherina realized they were at an advantage.


    ¡°Hey, so I found these tranquilizer darts last night. No idea why they were even in your castle in the first place, but I don¡¯t want to use a gun for obvious reasons,¡± Katherina whispered. ¡°What if you used your magic to shoot them?¡±


    Takahiro nodded. Darkness covered one of his hands and three darts, and he moved his hand, which made the darts follow, aiming at the family at the side of a pillar. Takahiro moved his arm back as if he were shooting an arrow and then moved his hand to point at the family, the darts flying forward. The family¡¯s eyes all widened together as they dropped to the floor. Katherina and Takahiro silently cheered but stopped themselves when they remembered that it was likely that servants were roaming the castle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go throw them in the dungeon. You start making sure this place is empty.¡± Takahiro leaned down to pick up the light grey king and haul him over his shoulder. Katherina nodded, racing to the front and locking the entrance, where she found a map that she tore off the wall. She fished a pencil out of her bag, checking off rooms as she wandered the rest of the palace. It was also almost like a tour for her. Once Takahiro rejoined her, he came with some vials of amnesia potions he bought off from someone. Anyone they encountered, they would hit with a potion and throw them out the nearest window. Once they had checked the castle, they called in more of their associates to keep anyone out, and Takahiro laid a shadow barrier around it, his associates adding some unbreakable potions so only Takahiro could break the seal when it was time.


    Two conquered, two down to go. They hoped to have Tempest by the afternoon, which seemed entirely possible. Takahiro and Katherina probably could conquer the rest of the smaller kingdoms with the same methods, assuming their citizens wouldn¡¯t riot. If the citizens of Tempest were told it was the will of the time gods, most would be dumb enough to believe it wholeheartedly.


    Takahiro and Katherina teleported south near the lime kingdom¡¯s capital. Firstly, they looked for another door in the lime kingdom¡¯s palace. Still, there was none, so they looked at all the windows and teleported to the one that looked the safest, but as their luck would have it, a servant saw them and leaped to tell the lime king. They immediately threw an amnesia potion on them. Still, they didn¡¯t know other servants had heard the commotion and ran to tell the king. The two started to panic slightly but made their way to the throne room, where they assumed the lime king would be.


    Of course, on their way there, the Lime King saw them. They could throw a potion at him, but other servants knew they were still there, and if they did anything, there would be guards sent to deal with them.


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


    ¡°Katherina Astraia, I thought I explicitly told you that you weren¡¯t welcome here.¡± He crossed his arms. Katherina immediately sought to throw a kunai at him, but he dodged it. Instead, he brought a hand to the mask covering his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Takahiro whispered.


    ¡°The lime kingdoms¡¯ royal family has the power to paralyze anyone that looks into their eyes, turn the other way!¡± Katherina frantically pulled Takahiro to face the other direction. Then, they took off, watching the servants become paralyzed.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Katherina shouted.


    ¡°Maybe throw something at him to slow him down?¡± Takahiro suggested. But before they could try anything else, a familiar girl with a fuschia ponytail stared down at Katherina.


    Her daughter.


    Crow, Satan¡¯s youngest, also accompanied her.


    ¡®Why was she here? Wasn¡¯t she with Satan at the red kingdom palace in hell, with the other filthy demons,¡¯ Katherina thought?


    ¡°We have you surrounded, Katherina Astraia and Takahiro Koizumi. If you give in, your charges will be less than they should be.¡± The Lime King¡¯s voice boomed from around them.


    They could teleport away, but someone would find them. Takahiro could use his shadow magic, but the Lime King would stop him. Katherina could throw a kunai at someone, but Crow will likely catch it with his blood magic. No plan they could think of would turn out well.


    They had no idea how they¡¯d get out of this tight situation.


    ¡°Mother.¡± Bree coldly greeted.


    ¡°Are you looking for a new mother or something? You¡¯re not finding that here you know.¡± Katherina mocked.


    ¡°I heard on the news what was happening, you did a pretty shit job at trying to cover it up, you know,¡± Bree said, mimicking Katherina,


    ¡°Zeta, why is she here?¡± Katherina asked the lime king.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve guessed from how you were conquering the rest of our former allies that I was next. She¡¯s going to help me deal with you. Your strategies have gotten worse it seems.¡±


    ¡°My strategies are perfectly fine, thank you! Why are you so intent on helping demons like her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I know how you treat your family. And maybe you should try getting over your hate for demons, you¡¯ve influenced your people in the worst way.¡± Zeta taunted. Katherina mistakenly turned around while Takahiro tried to stop her, but it was too late.


    Leaning forward, Katherina was frozen in place, staring into Zeta¡¯s eyes. They were fittingly lime, just as she remembered. He kept as much eye contact with Katherina as possible and put her hands in handcuffs. Katherina was forced to drop the kunai out of her hands. Takahiro discreetly used his black magic to take it in his grasp. She tried to protest the movements she could move but couldn¡¯t finish a sentence.


    ¡°Crow, can you use your magic to help me, please?¡± Zeta asked. Crow nodded and transformed a small set of chains he had on his wrist into blood, but before he could try to use his magic to move anything, Takahiro used his. He grabbed Crow¡¯s wrist and twisted it so he couldn¡¯t control his magic, then held the kunai to Bree¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Jail me, and I will hurt her.¡± Takahiro threatened. Zeta growled and tried to move in Takahiro¡¯s direction, but he closed his eyes. Zeta sighed and attempted to grab Takahiro¡¯s kunai but Takahiro used his shadow magic to pin Zeta against the wall with his eyes covered by shadows and freed Katherina.


    He reopened his eyes and stared down a nervous Bree, who slowly moved away, then cut her eyelid.


    And her eye.


    Now staring with wide eyes, his hands trembled. He went too far. Bree tried to stop her sobs while covering her left eye. A young boy peered over the corner from the hallway, covering his mouth at the sight.


    ¡°Alpha, you shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± Crow whisper-yelled.


    ¡°This is my kingdom too!¡± He protested.


    ¡°Alpha, is that you? You need to leave. Please.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°But dad-¡±


    ¡°Go! Go with Crow and Bree! I¡¯ll deal with them myself.¡±


    In a flash, Crow teleported himself, Bree, and Alpha away. Katherina could only guess they were headed to the red kingdom palace. She¡¯d make her way over there, too, if not for Takahiro¡¯s hatred of hell. Of course, she could also go there herself, but the fight would be less satisfying without Takahiro by her side.


    Turning around to face Takahiro, Katherina looked upon Zeta. They had him trapped. They could send him to their dungeon. They could be finished with him, no?


    Not yet.


    Zeta had some words.


    ¡°Before¡­ whatever your planning, do you know what happened to my wife?¡± Zeta asked.


    Katherina pondered, but if she was going to put him in a state of unconsciousness, maybe some last few moments of suffering could be fun to watch.


    ¡°I killed her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zeta shouted, fighting against the shadows that hid his eyes and kept him trapped. Still, Katherina stopped him by throwing another potion she had on hand.


    ***


    The palace gates creaked, making Satan, Nico and Arsene jump out of their focus on their book club meeting. Satan rose from his seat. He felt something terrible was about to happen or had already happened. Crow, Bree, and an unfamiliar black-haired boy appeared.


    Nico¡¯s stomach dropped. Bree covered her eye, hands caked in blood as it dripped down her arms. It was almost like experiencing the reunion all over again.


    Nico threw his book down, racing to Bree. At the commotion, Araya revealed herself from her room and immediately went to help Bree with her bleeding eye. Crow, on the other hand, pulled Satan away from the commotion.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Bree and I and a few of our friends were just hanging out like we said we were, but then Bree heard what her mom was doing. I told her it wasn¡¯t a great idea so I came just to make sure it was safe- I knew exactly what she could be capable of! We went to the lime kingdom and talked to the lime king, we thought we¡¯d be safe with him around. I didn¡¯t expect Bree¡¯s eye to be stabbed, and not by Katherina BUT by Takahiro!¡± Crow rambled on with worry.


    ¡°Takahiro did this?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Satan sighed, ¡°You both know you should¡¯ve gotten involved.


    ¡°I know-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for you two to deal with, I should be dealing with it.¡±


    ¡°What? What about the other rulers?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t really understand. I¡¯m going to end this, once and for all.¡± Satan countered. Before Crow could try to stop him, Satan was out the door, pitchfork in hand. He hoped he knew what he was doing.


    ***


    By the time Satan finally caught up to Katherina and Takahiro, despite him leaving the palace almost immediately when Crow, Bree, and the other kid came home, Katherina and Takahiro had already arrived at the Brown kingdom and taken it. Satan searched the lime palace but to no avail, and he had checked the other palaces.


    Satan opened the door, and Takahiro and Katherina stared at him.


    ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s a blood magic master. We¡¯re screwed in this fight!¡± Katherina whispered. Takahiro used his shadow magic to carry the king of the brown kingdom.. They ran out of the throne room into Satan, who formed himself out of the blood.


    ¡°This. Ends. Now.¡± Satan spoke, pointing his pitchfork at them. Takahiro teleported away while Katherina threw a knife at Satan. He dodged, allowing for her escape. Then, he chased her, turning his pitchfork back into blood, and surrounded her in it, turning it into metal. Katherina tried to escape the metal she was trapped in, but it was no use. The metal was not coming off Katherina.


    From the corner of his eye, he saw Takahiro and chased after him.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Satan yelled as he chased Takahiro.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Takahiro yelled back. He slid against the floor and rounded the corner, opening a door into the library. Satan continued to chase him. To keep Katherina in the piece of metal, he had to keep maintaining it. He had no extra blood unless he cut himself or Takahiro, but he had to stay focused on running. Slowly, Satan realized that he was practically unable to do much against Takahiro but continued. He¡¯ll figure out something, right?


    Not Satan, but Takahiro did. Satan chased Takahiro inbetween library shelves, but Takahiro noticed how he was at a dead end. He mentally cursed at himself but accidentally made a shelf fall while being distracted. Satan focused on Takahiro so hard he didn¡¯t realize the shelf. He cursed out while it hit him.


    Takahiro stared in horror. Satan¡¯s twigness did not help him lift the heavy shelves and books off himself. Takahiro sighed and stepped over Satan.


    ¡°Hey! Where are you going? Get back here.¡± Satan yelled.


    ¡°Bye.¡± Takahiro simply said, barely sparing him one last glance as he left the library. Satan yelled, a fist hitting the floor as he could feel the shift of his skin to red once again. Takahiro sprinted towards Katherina, pulling the piece of metal down.


    ¡°Is he on his way here again?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, I was in the library, I accidentally made a shelf fall and it crushed Satan. He¡¯s too weak to get it off him.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Always knew he was weak as hell. How does he count as a real man still? Oh, we should book it.¡± Katherina realized. Takahiro nodded, starting up his magic and quickly grabbing the brown king.

 The Golden Kunai

    Katherina, January 14th


    There, the last one.¡± Katherina sighed as Takahiro threw the brown king into one of the dungeon cells while Katherina shut the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Can we take a break now?¡± She complained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just check all of Tempest, make sure the law enforcement isn¡¯t trying to take them away and assign them figureheads. That should hopefully take like an hour.¡± Takahiro said. They quickly checked in on the White, Light Grey, Fuschia, and Brown. Citizens seemed confused and crowded around each palace, but as soon as Takahiro and Katherina showed up to each respective kingdom, the citizens were scared off. They assigned an associate to be puppet rulers to each kingdom and returned to the Lime Kingdom once more.


    ¡°Get in here!¡± One of them yelled at Katherina and Takahiro from the inside. They entered and they shut the door behind them immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°We think there are still servants in here, and law enforcement was here before too.¡± Another associate whispered.


    ¡°Shit, did you lock everything down? Wait, did you also make sure nobody can teleport themselves in if they tried?¡±


    ¡°Working on it!¡± A third called out. They had a wand in hand, trying to sneakily cast spells by the window. The shield they were trying to place kept fizzling out.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna be looking for the time gods. You guys keep doing that.¡± Takahiro said. He and Katherina looked at the map by the entrance, nothing suspicious there.


    ¡°I can only guess that there¡¯s some kind of entrance either in Zeta¡¯s room or the throne room¡­.¡± Katherina said


    ¡°What are we gonna do after we find them?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Hmm, either try to sway them to our side or just kill them. I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If we have them on our side, fewer people will want to go against us when we have literal gods on our side. Or, we can kill them we show our dominance, it¡¯s a win-win.¡± Katherina said.


    They started to look around the throne room. They looked behind some curtains and moved the throne around, but there was nothing really of note that could be useful, so they headed to Zeta¡¯s room.


    Katherina opened the door and surveyed the room. Lime comforter, lime chair, lime curtains? Not even Fuschia went hard on making everything as Fuschia as possible, Katherina thought.


    ¡°Where would Zeta hide an entrance to the time gods?¡± Katherina mumbled While running a hand against the wall, Katherina pressed a button in the shape of Zeta¡¯s usual mask. A door slid open, and she saw an upward staircase. Her eyes widened, and she beckoned Takahiro over. She grabbed his hand as they went up the stairs together, Takahiro slightly blushing at the touch. When they arrived at the top, they met with the time gods. Katherina only counted twelve, the head time god was missing. She could deal with him later.


    They all wore similar flowing garments and some gear-themed accessories, like how Katherina remembered. Even though most of the time, only the time travelers saw them, they still insisted on dressing extravagantly. Their garments also had crystals stitched into them because of course they did.


    ¡°Oh, there you are. Haven¡¯t seen you in awhile.¡± Greeted one with a red gear anklet. She didn¡¯t remember any of their names, and she didn¡¯t care anymore.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you greet me? Really?¡± Katherina questioned.


    ¡°What else do you want? Hello, your highness, it is I, the one you worship. Is that better?¡± Another with a jade gear bracelet mocked.


    ¡°Not really. Anyway, my good friend Takahiro and I have a proposition for you.¡± Katherina explained.


    ¡°Go on.¡± said the violet with a gear choker.


    ¡°You probably know how we conquered all of Tempest, and I think I can make this benefit you as well. If you tell all the citizens of Tempest that you believe in us, pledge your allegiance to us, and give us unlimited access to time travel, then once we¡¯ve finished taking over Ayuzuma, we can spread tales about you and gain you more followers!¡±


    The twelve time deities all paused. They turned to each other, forming a circle, and whispered.


    ¡°Would Katherina do that?¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s a criminal. Who¡¯s to say she¡¯ll keep her promise, let alone any promise?¡±


    Their discussion was cut short by clocks ticking and a gear shape appearing on the ground.


    From the ground appeared the head time god, who wore a Fuschia gear circlet and Fuschia hanfu. The circlet was the sign of the head time god.


    Katherina smirked and crossed her arms at the floating time god, who frowned.


    ¡°I leave to survey the situation in Tempest and think of solutions for a few hours and you¡¯ve decided to talk about siding with the one that¡¯s about to plunge Tempest into chaos?¡± Shi yelled at the twelve other time gods. They cowered and whimpered, trying to give flimsy excuses, but Shi would not hear any of it.


    ¡°And you. I thought I said you were never welcome to be a part of the timetravelers ever again.¡± Shi growled at Katherina.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. Unfortunately, I just don¡¯t care. While I was banished from the time travelers, I realized just how corrupt you all are, you know? Maybe Tempest would be better if there were no more time traveling gods.¡± Katherina said. The head time god growled and floated with a weapon in hand. Katherina, in turn, drew a kunai.


    She threw her kunai, which the head time god barely dodged. Katherina threw more, which the head time god couldn¡¯t manage to dodge all of them. A few hit him, and he tumbled to the ground, some hitting a few of the other time gods. Katherina threw a few more, picking off the rest. None of them moved. They all lay still in their own pools of blood. Katherina smirked as she spun her kunai around her finger. She bent down to pick up the keys and clocks they adorned. Now they could time travel without restrictions.


    ¡°That was¡­ what was that? Why didn¡¯t any of them really fight back? What happened to the kunai I gave you?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Despite their really powerful time powers, none fought in wars or anything. They also float around very slowly and hate walking, so I used that to my advantage. And don¡¯t worry, I still have the ones you gave me. In certain pantheons, there are many tales of immortals being struck down by golden weapons, ones specifically enchanted to kill immortals. Turns out one of my associates is a demigod, and her mother was around for the creation of the golden weapons. You remember Milena, right? She taught me how to enchant any weapon into being able to kill immortals so we can make more weapons like these, and we can target any immortal in Ayuzuma.¡±


    ¡°Why do they have to be gold?¡±


    ¡°Hm, it seems like they only used these weapons in dire situations or those who were or were especially violent. Anyone that encountered immortals with the golden weapons would know they had them for one of those reasons and could prepare accordingly, I suppose. Anyway, no more history for today. I¡¯m exhausted. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Katherina again took Takahiro¡¯s hand in hers, and they returned home.


    ***


    Satan hated being helped. He was supposed to be the independent man in the house, taking care of everyone else. Now, he was severely limited in what he could do, thanks to his legs being broken. Satan growled at the thought as he lay on the couch late at night, barely listening to the Netflix show he had on for background noise.


    He slowly sat up when he heard his phone vibrating. He felt excitement and dread; it could be a call from Lilith or business things. He hesitated as he flipped it over. Reyes. Business time, yay. He picked up the phone, bringing it to his ear.


    ¡°Hello, your highness. Or, hello you little bitch, do I count as your superior or not?¡± Reyes started.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Satanel. That automatically makes my status higher than yours. Anyway, did you finally figure out everything?¡± Satan said. He dug his nails into his arms in anticipation and dread.


    ¡°Yes. So in talking with the rest of your family and doing my own digging by paying a visit to Katherina and Takahiro themselves, which by the way I was spying and snooping in their castles I bribed one of their associates to let me into their palaces but that¡¯s a story for another time. Takahiro keeps documents of his texts because¡­. I don¡¯t know reasons, you knew him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very orderly about everything, it¡¯s just how he is.¡± Satan sighed, laying down on the couch once again.


    ¡°Anyway, I found out the attack on you and your family was motivated by your friendship ending. They want to orchestrate more but they¡¯ve been busy. Busy doing each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh my Diablo. At least their affair is being helpful to me in someway.¡± Satan groaned.


    ¡°And, as you know, all the time gods are dead. Katherina and Takahiro were bragging about killing them. I also did some research on the time gods too. Which I mean. You didn¡¯t hear this from me, but they kinda deserved it. They haven¡¯t conquered anything else besides all the kingdoms in Tempest. They¡¯re both technically the rulers of all of Tempest and the Black Kingdom, but everywhere else is just figureheads. They only do legit ruling and king and queen stuff at the Black Kingdom. Their next target may be the Grey Kingdom.


    As I was wandering around the Black Kingdom palace, I noticed that there were definitely some gods in there, too, not at all related to the time gods. Some seem on their side, some seem completely opposed to teaming up with them, and some need convincing. If one of the big gods like, I don¡¯t know, whoever the old deity worshipped by those in the Black Kingdom turns to their side, I think Ayuzuma¡¯s gonna be in trouble. With ruling 6 kingdoms at once, trying to get attacks on your family, raising armies, swaying gods to their side, and becoming immortal gods, I¡¯m not sure trying to get a court date will work. The best thing we can do for now is to get everyone on high alert, and try to capture them, and once we can, we need to make their jail as difficult to escape from as possible. Do not give them their weapons and null their powers. I think that¡¯s everything? Let me know if you need anything else. I can also repeat some things too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Detective. I figured they¡¯d be behind it. I¡¯m not sure I can lead an army to capture them in my place can be done in good conscience. But we may not have time to wait either.¡± Satan thanked.


    ¡°Wait, why?¡± Reyes asked.


    ¡°They broke my legs. I was running trying to end the war, but then they pushed a huge bookcase with books on my legs. It¡¯s been a month, so hopefully, in another two weeks, I can get out of the casts soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, they broke both Hope you recover quickly so you can end this war soon. If you need me to do some more spy work. let me know. I¡¯m on Ayuzuma¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°I will, thank you,¡± Satan thanked one last time. He put his phone down and sighed. Then, he collapsed back on the couch and closed his eyes, taking in everything he was told over the phone.


    That¡¯s one thing taken care of, at least.


    ***


    The next day Katherina and Takahiro met up with the demigod girl, Milena, that knew how to make immortal killing weapons. Since Melina was stationed at the Fuschia Kingdom palace, they went over to Tempest to see her. They called her before they showed up to ensure they weren¡¯t just wandering, looking for her for too long.


    They agreed to meet in the throne room, which was the easiest solution. The throne room at the Fuschia palace was smaller than other rooms they¡¯d seen before. At the end of the room, opposite the entrance, was a Fuschia chair with fake pink wings on the sides, and the floor was made up of tiny black tiles. The ceiling had a tree hanging upside down and lights hanging from it. Melina was standing by the windows when Katherina and Takahiro arrived. They approached her.


    ¡°Oh, hey Kathy. What do you need?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Do you know where we¡¯d find things to make us immortal? I know in the greek pantheon there¡¯s nectar, but that¡¯s about it. I know there are elixirs in the Chinese pantheon too, I think. Is there not anything we can get locally?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think finding nectar would be easy. Its natural reserves of it died out a long time ago. I don¡¯t know anything about the Chinese pantheon, but those elixirs were of mercury, so those aren¡¯t even a thing. Unless you feel like dying, I suppose. Your best bet would be to go to Kansas in United States. I assume I don¡¯t need to tell you that¡¯s on earth, right?¡±


    ¡°Duh!¡±


    ¡°Good. When you get to The Turtle Island Pantheon¡¯s home, it¡¯s heavily guarded. It¡¯s supposed to be disguised as some small town. You have to go to the gas station and tell the person working in the store, ¡®Kimimela on the floor, Talia, through the door, Cosmos and Anenome around, Blake underground¡¯. To find the elixir of immortality, you need to walk all the way down the brick path to the end. You¡¯d be entering a forest, and from there, you can see the elixir. There¡¯s a waterfall that goes into a heart-shaped lake you can see from there. Getting in is super difficult. I should also mention that this is the pantheon Arsene, Araya, and Arista are part of, so just be wary.¡± Melina explained.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Katherina questioned.


    ¡°I knew that,¡± Takahiro mumbled.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°After learning Arsene was the ex-wife of Satan I was curious and read everything I could on her at the library.¡±


    ¡°Like she was an animal?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds way worse.¡± Takahiro mumbled.


    ¡°Okay, okay, we¡¯re getting off track. How should we sneak in?¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°Your best bet is to disguise yourself as either a god or goddess or some other Turtle Island pantheon-affiliated person that only visits the lands reserved for the American mythology, not very often. I can¡¯t think of anyone off the top of my head but Takahiro if you still have your books on American mythology, you can go do some research.¡± Melina explained.


    ¡°Okay, thanks!¡± Katherina thanked. As she walked away, she grumbled about being forced to read, which made Takahiro laugh.


    Takahiro teleported him and Katherina to the black kingdom¡¯s palace library. Upon seeing it Takahiro launched into a rant about how unnecessary the changes to the palace were, all the while he grabbed research books and dumped them on the table. Katherina took one and sighed. Her eyes already felt heavy, and she could almost feel eyebags despite sleeping relatively well last night. She scrunched her face up as she tried to read. Takahiro sat down and finished his rant, flipping through one of the books, scanning pictures and renditions of various gods. He stopped when he came upon a black-haired man with gold eyes.


    ¡°Kathy! I think I found who I should disguise myself as! Arima was the youngest child of The Shadow King Kotoku and his wife, The Shadow Queen Hiroyo. It was believed he went to the planet Ayuzuma and was a revered figure in the modern-day black kingdom; as of now, he is a mostly forgotten figure,¡± Takahiro read aloud, ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna basically cosplay as your kingdom¡¯s former deity?¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, when you put it like that, it sounds horrible, but basically, yeah. This is interesting though I need to read more.¡±


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


    Katherina stopped reading and opted to flip, stopping at a fairy queen. Katherina noted how she¡¯d probably need to buy a wig and fake fairy wings but somehow make them realistic. Katherina groaned, trying to think about it.


    ¡°Okay, so growing up I worshipped the goddess Miyako, and it seems Arima was her great-grandfather. Anyway, have you found anything?¡±


    ¡°Their queen of the fairies, Enya, looks like me. I need to get a wig and figure out how to get convincing fairy wings.¡±


    ¡°I know an illusionist that can have illusions last for a day.¡± Takahiro suggested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t those come off if the illusions come into contact with hands?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°Never mind, maybe let¡¯s just buy clothes and wigs and everything.


    Despite the thought that their plan would take less than a day, they still needed to have perfect replicas made of Enya and Arima¡¯s clothing and accessories. So Katherina and Takahiro got wigs of the ones they were to pretend to be. Thankfully, sewing the costumes only took two weeks, so they planned to sneak in in just a few minutes.


    They were in Katherina¡¯s bathroom, which had light pink walls and a floor made up of white tiles. The toilet and cabinets were matte black, and the trash can was unusually clean. Back when Katherina lived at the palace regularly, it was almost always overflowing to the point of garbage getting on the floor.


    Katherina looked in the mirror, adjusting everything to fit the photograph of Enya. She applied heart-shaped black lipstick and put on much more blush than she ever needed. She applied mascara and put on dark purple, glittery eyeshadow, then some long-winged eyeliner. If only this wasn¡¯t to sneak into the Turtle Island pantheon, otherwise she¡¯d never put this much effort into her makeup.


    She wore huge pink wings that she hid the straps underneath her dress. She draped a black cape over her shoulders in case the wings'' straps fell from under her dress. The dress was Fuschia with black crystals decorating it, placed strategically to look like wings. The wig was a dark purple and very long and poofy. Katherina kept tripping over her hair and dress, much longer than she was ever used to.


    Takahiro wore a patterned black kimono with a golden kamishimo, a coat with fabric jutting out over the shoulder like shoulder pads. Over all that, he wore a grey hakama, which were skirt-like pants. He stuffed his long shoulder-length hair into his wig cap and put on much shorter hair with bangs in his eyes and hair down the scalp. It was a saddening sight to see Takahiro forced into having short hair. He switched out small rectangular glasses for circular lenses. Finally, he put on socks and geta, wooden sandals, and tested maintaining his shadow form for longer.


    Looking in the mirror, Takahiro¡¯s skin turned jet black, like his body was made of shadows. His sclera, iris, and everything all glowed yellow.


    ¡°This feels weird¡­ Do I look good?¡± Takahiro turned to Katherina.


    ¡°Yes. Rest in peace to your long hair though.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cut it though.¡±


    ¡°Still, rest in peace because I won¡¯t see if for like an hour,¡± Katherina fake cried. Takahiro smirked and rolled his eyes. As Katherina finished getting ready, he rested his shoulder on the kitchen sink and his head on his hand, staring longingly. When she finished, he quickly turned away.


    ¡°Wait, we got all of this together but we don¡¯t even have reasons for why we¡¯re going to the Turtle Island mythology town or reasons we can give if we¡¯re caught taking the elixir.¡± Takahiro realized.


    ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right. For Enya, I think her coming out of boredom is on brand; the book said she gets bored easily. And for Arima¡­ doesn¡¯t he have family there? You can just say you''re visiting them. Arima has a huge family where the earth equivalent of shadowlings so you can rattle off a name and say they¡¯re getting married for the elixir thing. Enya seems to immortalize certain people in her court so I think that can be my excuse. Okay, are we ready?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    And they were off. Takahiro teleported himself and Katherina into a forest outside the American mythology town. They covered their elaborate clothing and inhuman features with hoods at the sight of seeing humans. They walked to the left of a road with cars. The town had dirty buildings falling apart and seemingly no residents, only tourists stopping for gas or food. Finally, they spotted the gas station, also in poor condition like the rest, and made their way over. Katherina looked over to Takahiro, upturned eyebrows. Takahiro slightly smiled and rubbed her shoulders wordlessly.


    They hesitantly stepped inside, ensuring it was only them and the cashier before taking off their hoods. The front had candy below and snacks, food, and drinks lined the shelves. Just a standard gas station. They started to say the entry code, but the cashier interrupted. It was only to be used for deities not belonging to the pantheon. Seems Katherina¡¯s friend didn¡¯t remember things quite as well as she appeared to. Hopefully, the stuff about the immortality elixir is still true.


    ¡°Enya, what are you doing with Arima?¡± The cashier asked.


    ¡°Ran into each other on the way, obviously.¡± Katherina dramatically flipped her hair. Takahiro stifled his laugh.


    ¡°Oh. Neither of you visited in a while. Do you need help getting around? A lot has changed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure it out ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Enjoy your visit!¡± Said the cashier. She led the disguised Katherina and Takahiro out the back door. It was entirely different compared to the town they first wandered into. There was a transparent dome-like shield over the entire thing, likely to make sure humans couldn¡¯t see the gods. The grass was green and finely trimmed. The houses were painted in vibrant colors. The path in front of them even had stones cut to tell stories of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon. In the distance laid a palace, five thrones at the top, each with someone sitting there.


    In front of the palace lay the lake, and the waterfalls were to its sides.


    The cashier was long gone then, so they were free to let down their acts, at least somewhat.


    ¡°Why are they watching? Do you know who they are?¡± Katherina whispered as she started walking down the path, attempting to not make them suspicious.


    ¡°The five main gods mentioned in the code word. I¡¯d hope it¡¯s because the real Arima and Enya haven¡¯t been here in awhile.¡± Takahiro mumbled. They continued down the path, making their way to the lake, stares burning into them and the creeping feeling of being caught looming over them.


    As if visiting didn¡¯t seem suspicious enough, they felt the stares more harshly as they sat in front of the lake.


    ¡°You brought the bottles, right? I forgot to check.¡± Katherina mumbled.


    ¡°Everything needs to be planned out when your me and checked five times, so yes, I have them.¡± Takahiro took out the bottles with lids, so they don¡¯t spill, making Katherina sigh in relief. Katherina glanced up. The deities were still there. They sat silently for a few minutes before Katherina decided to take the plunge and start filling the bottles. Takahiro hesitated before joining in.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A voice from above sounded.


    They froze, hiding the bottles like they would do anything. Sweat dripped down their foreheads, bodies tense and frozen in place as they awaited their punishment.


    ¡°What¡¯s the occasion for the visit?¡± A lady, one of the goddesses sitting on the thrones now standing in front of them, asked.


    ¡°My brother¡¯s getting married, and Enya is stocking up immortality elixirs to immortalize her court members,¡± Takahiro explained.


    ¡°Oh, how nice! Do you plan on staying long? I¡¯d love to discuss what¡¯s been going on in your respective kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re busy.¡± Katherina flipped her hair dramatically again, and Takahiro clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.


    ¡°Oh, I see. You should come again soon, though! That¡¯s all I wanted to say to you. See you soon,¡± She said as vines raised her back to the palace roof. Takahiro and Katherina sighed as they finished filling the rest of their empty bottles just in case and rose.


    ¡°That was fun! We should do something like that again.¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°Fuck you, I was dying back there. Literally covered in sweat right now,¡± Takahiro fanned, laughing a little as they made their way out of the pantheon area and into the dingy town, not without hiding their inhuman features. They teleported back to the black kingdom as soon as they made it far from the people. As soon as they entered the palace, they hid the immortality elixirs away and changed out of their clothes.


    ¡°Okay, these elixirs don¡¯t mean shit if we don¡¯t officially divorce Eris and Nico. You have ways to contact Nico, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. God, this has been years coming, but I¡¯m glad I can finally divorce that loser¡­.¡± Katherina mumbled.


    Katherina


    I want an official divorce.


    No funny business.


    Finances were already split, and you already have Bree full time, let¡¯s just sign the divorce papers and have it be done.


    Loser Ex #1


    Finally.


    Don¡¯t even dare attacking me or anything.


    Satan is on my side.


    And don¡¯t contact me my family again.


    Leave us alone after this.


    Katherina


    That¡¯ll be done, as long as you don¡¯t try anything.


    Go to the Black Kingdom palace, knock on the bubble, and wait a few seconds.


    Takahiro will teleport you in


    Nico jumped at the noise of his phone notification. He felt his stomach drop upon realizing it was Katherina. At least she finally was divorcing him. No more leeching off him just for immortality, thank The Unknown. He started shoveling the rest of his lunch into his mouth.


    ¡®Wait, we¡¯re doing this at the Black Kingdom palace?¡¯ He realized.


    Eris must be a part of this.


    And when he heard her greeting him as she seemingly appeared at the table out of nowhere, he also jumped again.


    ¡°Slow down, dude.¡± Eris eyed her surroundings before leaning closer to Nico, ¡°Does Katherina wanna divorce you too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why are we both divorcing our partners at like¡­ the same time? Something feels off¡­.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re scheming something, not sure what. If anything happens, I¡¯ll protect you of course.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I think technically I¡¯m the one that is supposed to be doing that. I¡¯m the bodyguard in this palace.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re Satan¡¯s close friend and Katherina¡¯s ex, they can¡¯t do shit to me, but Satan would not be happy if something happened to you. Or Arsene.¡± Eris smirked when she mentioned Arsene¡¯s name...


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go. This should take us maybe ten minutes at most, I hope.¡± Nico stood up. He hid a dagger in his pants pocket. Can never be too careful around Katherina and Takahiro. He opened up a bottle of blood he stored in the other and used it to teleport him and Eris to the Black Kingdom palace.


    As they opened their eyes, the shield of the Black Kingdom lay in front of them. Nico nervously looked around, seeing the eyes of multiple shadow elementals on him. He hesitantly knocked.


    Darkness swirled around them, and they found themselves in the palace, with Katherina and Takahiro standing right in front of them. Eris guessed they were in the kitchen from the looks of the table.


    ¡°Why the fuck does everything look so different¡­.¡± She mumbled to herself.


    ¡°I know! Anyway, hi, I have the divorce papers for all of us. Kathy brought the god of giving immortality to take mine and Kathy¡¯s immortality away as soon as we divorce you for good.¡± Takahiro explained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± Nico sighed, grabbing one of the papers and signing his name on the table, then slid it in front of Katherina, who also signed it. As soon as she finished writing out her name and the pen left the page, the immortality bestower lifted his hands up in the air. Above their heads was a scene of two rings, shattering as they broke apart, and liquid lifted from Katherina¡¯s body.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Katherina questioned.


    ¡°Your marriage is tied to the elixir. Now that your marriage has ended, the elixir left your body, so you aren¡¯t immortal anymore. Standard practice for mortals marrying immortals that end up divorcing,¡± Nico explained. The immortality bestower nodded, though their name should also be the immortality stealer.


    Takahiro and Eris quickly signed their papers, and the same ceremony was performed. The immortality god was still there, even though he should¡¯ve left at that point. Nico pulled the blood out of his bottle, half getting ready to leave, half preparing for whatever might go down.


    ¡°Oh wait, don¡¯t leave yet. There¡¯s something I need to do.¡± Katherina stopped Nico, who still held onto the blood, waiting for whatever it was.


    Katherina threw a kunai at Nico, and he dodged it. Next, he noticed the wine glasses at the end of the table, except there wasn¡¯t wine.


    The liquid was gold. It had to be the elixir of immortality.


    Nico used his blood magic to lift the glasses and bring them to himself. Takahiro started using his shadow magic to pull it back to him while Katherina took out more golden kunais and raced up to him, trying to stab him, which Nico dodged while downing them. Katherina cursed out.


    ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t worry! There¡¯s still more hiding in my room!¡± Takahiro announced.


    ¡°Hiro!¡± Katherina growled.


    ¡°Fuck, sorry,¡± Takahiro mumbled, covering his mouth. Then, he used his shadow magic to teleport away.


    ¡°Quick, where¡¯s his room?¡± Nico asked quickly.


    ¡°Should be the room left to the stairs on the third floor,¡± Eris said. They quickly teleported there.


    Too late.


    Takahiro and Katherina already had cups of gold elixir flowing into their lips. Nico raised one of Katherina¡¯s golden kunai at them, and Eris went into a fighting stance, but Takahiro quickly teleported them outside the palace¡¯s shield. Nico tried to teleport back in, but it was no use. Whatever they used to keep them from teleporting back in had already worked.


    Nico and Eris immediately teleported back to the Red Kingdom palace.


    Satan needed to know.


    ¡°Satan! They divorced us!¡± Nico said.


    ¡°They¡¯re immortal now on their own! They got the elixir of immortality,¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Wait, is that why Enya and Arima were supposedly in my hometown? My pantheon¡¯s group chat is blowing up about it,¡± Arsene commented.


    ¡°I thought you were raised in space,¡± Lucifer asked, walking into the TV room and inserting himself into the conversation when he didn¡¯t need to be.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± Arsene huffed.


    ¡°What have they not done at this point.¡± Satan growled as he sat up from the couch, hair a mess, ¡°I can¡¯t do much myself. Is there a chance we can send someone over to¡­ wherever they are?¡±


    ¡°The Black Kingdom palace has that shield and teleportation isn¡¯t an option either, I tried to teleport back in, but it was like getting electrocuted. There¡¯s also this,¡± Nico took out the golden kunai, ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but I feel something off about it.¡±


    ¡°Well we¡¯re not sure about its origins, but for my pantheon and other pantheons, there have been times when gods and other immortals would use specially enchanted weapons that were golden to kill other immortals. I know someone that might know whether this weapon was made for that purpose or not. Do you mind if I send this to them?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna text the other royals then return to my nap,¡± Satan mumbled, pulling out his phone and typing.


    Nico returned to the kitchen, hoping to finish his lunch. Eris followed him on the way.


    ¡°Hey, that was pretty cool what you did back there.¡± She said.


    ¡°Um, thank you?¡± Nico said.


    ¡°Now tell me everything between you and Arsene.¡±


    ¡°Oh baroness, another one,¡± Nico sighed. Eris sat down, her gold eyes sparkling as she laid her head on the dining room table, waiting. Nico sighed, ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re sleeping together.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eris yelled a little too loudly. Nico had to shush her before he continued.


    ¡°Not in that way, Arsene was just¡­ feeling lonely and sad with everything going on recently. It¡¯s quite literal, one of us will crawl into the others¡¯ bed, and we¡¯ll just cuddle and talk. I also want to get into dating again, but I want Bree to have a potential mom who would, you know, actually be a mom to her.¡± Nico quickly explained.


    ¡°Good for you! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met Bree before, though, where is she?¡±


    ¡°She spends a lot of time with her friends. Since she¡¯s an adult now I think she wants to move out. She wanted to inherit the Fuschia Kingdom and be a ruling queen alongside some of her royal friends, espcially since her mother never enjoyed being a queen herself but with everything I don¡¯t think that¡¯s happening anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Have you considered protesting in Fuschia? You could get the civilian fairies to rally to overthrow Katherina and have Bree rule instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a demon, which fairies don¡¯t like all that much. I mean, when I was king consort I was definitely a more well-liked demon compared to other demons, but still. I suppose that¡¯s something I can talk about with her though.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Eris smiled.

 The Goddess

    Satan, February 27th


    Do you think Ayuma is watching over her people right now?¡± Eris asked, lounging around the tv room with Satan.


    ¡°Who?¡± Satan yawned.


    ¡°Wait, all these years spent in Ayuzuma, you don¡¯t even know about Ayuma?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    Eris got up from the couch and looked down at Satan. ¡°She¡¯s the patron goddess of Ayuzuma. She¡¯s like an equivalent to Gaia. There are still people in The Black Kngdom and The Fuschia kingdom that worship her. How have you not heard anything about her?¡±


    Satan sighed while watching Eris roll her eyes while she tried to give information on Ayuma as helpfully as possible. ¡°Guess I conveniently missed everyone talking about her.¡± Satan sighed.


    She shot up. ¡°Ayuma should save her people! If she doesn¡¯t know about all that¡¯s going on right now. we should make her know about it!¡±


    ¡°Are we doing this right now? I think if she¡¯s just like Gaia, as you said, she¡¯d have done something for her people.¡± Satan groaned.


    ¡°Maybe the war can end like, right now. Come on, I¡¯ll get you your crutches.¡± Eris grabbed them off the floor and handed them to him. He rose from the couch reluctantly, one leg raised off the ground.


    ¡°Wait, do you even know where to find her?¡± Satan¡¯s tail flicked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s by the palace in the Rainbow Kingdom. I¡¯m not sure where exactly but at least we can walk around and you¡¯ll get out of the place, let¡¯s go!¡± said Eris, placing her shawl on the couch. Satan sighed and teleported them to the Rainbow Kingdom.


    They took a moment to take in the sights of The Rainbow Kingdom. Who wouldn¡¯t? The palace in the distance, with flowers in a vast array of colors decorated outside, with Queen Auriana tending to them. Everything seemed to be peaceful as usual in The Rainbow Kingdom. She turned around and frowned at Satan''s state but still waved. Satan waved back, half asleep. Eris looked around and saw a temple in the distance. It reminded them of temples they¡¯d seen back in The Black Kingdom. It was golden, with a roof that swooped upwards. Gold plastered almost every surface, and only trace amounts of white were visible.


    In front of the temple was only one torii gate, made up of two ceramic pieces, spread out very far. On top of the pieces lay another piece of ceramic swooped up and down. There were also three smaller pieces hanging down, holding onto another piece of ceramic that fitted between the parallel blocks. Of course, the entire thing was gold. Eris pointed ahead, which Satan could only make a face at.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t temples like these supposed to be way longer? There¡¯s no sacred fence, guardian lion-dogs or purification fountain.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°You remember the terminology of The Black Kingdom temples!¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Well duh, I¡¯d hope I did if I was visiting The Black Kingdom so much.¡± Satan quickened his pace, mumbling about his crutches to himself.


    Eris walked inside, still very ahead of Satan, and surveyed the inside. In front of her stood a table with a red tablecloth that had an oil-painted portrait of Ayuma herself and offerings of food, jewelry, letters, flowers, urns, anything that could be thought of was probably there. Satan continued to lag behind, only just making it inside the temple.


    ¡°Um, hello goddess Ayuma. We have come to find you and discuss the state of Ayuzuma.¡± Eris shouted.


    ¡°There¡¯s a war that¡¯s only just started!¡± Satan yelled. Their voices bounced off the temple''s walls, echoing back at them. They stared at each other for a moment.


    ¡°How the hell do we summon a goddess?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s always different! Maybe we should¡¯ve brought offerings¡­¡± Eris explained.


    ¡°Maybe let¡¯s try that.


    They left the temple and slowly walked over to Auriana¡¯s garden. They asked for some flowers to offer to Ayuma, which she graciously gave. According to Auriana, the purple violets and the peace lilies symbolize peace, one of Ayuma¡¯s most important titles.


    They made their way as fast as possible back to the offering table. They placed the bunches of flowers on the offering table. Looking at some food offerings, they noticed a small bowl of steamed white rice with a pair of chopsticks.


    ¡°Really? Just rice for the patron deity?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°According to legend she really likes plain rice. Plus, it¡¯s an easy offering, why not do it?¡±


    ¡°I think we can do better then that, Eris. If that¡¯s her favorite she¡¯s had it over and over again, she must get sick of it at some point.¡±


    ¡°Do you plan on making a twelve course meal for her?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Can¡¯t we at least have an optional topping?¡±


    ¡°Fine, you got any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Chicken soup with rice, but they¡¯re separate. We bring two bowls, chopsticks and a spoon, so she can either combine them or just eat the rice.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, if she doesn¡¯t like it you¡¯re cooking another batch of white rice by yourself.¡± Eris said. Satan groaned but agreed.


    Since they were in the capital, it wasn¡¯t hard to find a grocery store. With Satan on crutches slowing them down, they opted for Eris to do the shopping and Satan to set up everything. As Satan arrived at his palace, he went to the kitchen. Nico and Arsene¡¯s conversation fizzled as they watched him struggle to pull out pots from the cabinets.


    ¡°Uh, you need help there?¡± Nico asked.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Satan let the other pot crash onto the stove from the above cabinet. Nico winced at the noise.


    ¡°How did that talk with Ayuma go?¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t get to talk yet. Eris is coming back with stuff to cook food offerings.¡± Satan pulled out a salt shaker and two wooden spoons.


    A human-shaped patch of darkness appeared in the room as if it was on cue. Satan quickly whipped out his pitchfork. It had to be Takahiro.


    But as the darkness cleared from Eris waving her hands, it was highly unlikely it was. She greeted the three while slamming a bag of rice, plastic containers, chopsticks, chicken, carrots, and a colorful array of herbs on the kitchen counter, She slowly placed two bowls of fine china onto the counter. Eris and Satan cooked their offerings together while having side conversations with Arsene and Nico and getting into occasional banter. After almost three hours of mostly just making broth, they finally finished. Nico and Arsene didn¡¯t realize how hungry they were and drooled over the offerings, but Eris had to stop them so three hours to cook offerings for Ayuma wouldn¡¯t be a waste.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    They finally made their way back to the temple, teleporting in front of the offering table in hopes that they could finally get this over with. Eris placed the two bowls down, Satan placed the chopsticks in front of one bowl and a spoon in front of the other, and he helped Eris open the plastic containers to pour into the bowls, pouring slowly to make sure they didn¡¯t make a mess. As the last drop of soup flowed down into the bowl, and the last grain of rice dropped into the other bowl, the two immediately made a prayer motion with their hands. They slowly opened their eyes and saw¡­ the exact same thing. Satan covered his face while groaning, digging his nails into his face. A sudden idea popped into his head, and he brought his hands down to hold onto his crutches again.


    ¡°Do you think if you reveal you¡¯re a goddess she¡¯ll appear?¡±


    ¡°What does being a goddess have to do with her appearing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know just try it!¡± Satan almost yelled but covered his mouth immediately and apologized.


    Eris brushed it off and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Ayuma, goddess of Ayuzuma, I am the goddess Discordia, and I urge you to show yourself for the good of your people!¡± Eris dramatically spoke, placing a hand on her heart. Satan covered his mouth and stifled his laughter, leaning on his crutches.


    Smoke appeared, and it shifted into someone. Ayuma had olive skin, a long white kimono, and long raven hair. She twirled in the air a few times before floating downwards to look at Eris, then at her offering table.


    ¡°You called? Sorry, I was taking a nap.¡± Ayuma began scarfing down some of her food offerings, including the one Satan and Eris cooked up.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not too tired. We want to discuss an important thing with you,¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Oh, what is it?¡± Ayuma placed the food back on the offering table and spun around to sit down. They eyed each other and sat on the floor, Satan opting to just lay down rather than sit.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not good news, unfortunately. Have you been watching over your people or reading the news lately?¡±


    ¡°Nope. if it¡¯s not in my temple, then I don¡¯t know about it. I try to stay out of planet business anyways, last time I got too involved, things didn¡¯t end very well¡­.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense. Well, long story short, a war is going on. Six kingdoms taken by the enemy in a matter of days, and they won¡¯t stop until they¡¯ve taken over the whole planet. After they¡¯re finished, they want to colonize the rest of the galaxy and rule over everything as gods. They¡¯ve also managed to kill the time gods,¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Is that for real?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Is there not anything you can do?¡±


    ¡°Well, who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Katherina Astraia, formerly Conmara, and Takahiro Koizumi. They¡¯ve become black sheep to this planet.¡± Satan interrupted.


    Ayuma froze up at hearing their names, eyes widening. She hugged herself, frowning with upturned eyebrows.


    ¡°Them?¡± Ayuma mumbled.


    ¡°Yes! Is there not anything you can do?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself, they killed gods. What if they kill me?¡±


    ¡°We can make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, don¡¯t worry! Please, whatever you can do, we¡¯d like to hear it.¡± Satan begged.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t face them again!¡± Ayuma covered her face and disappeared into smoke. Eris and Satan turned their heads to each other, then back at the fading smoke in disbelief. They walked out of the temple, standing. They were frozen outside the temple for a few minutes, just processing what happened.


    ¡°Do we tell someone? Who do we even tell?¡± Satan mumbled. As Satan said that, a man in white priest robes ran into the temple.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone! I can¡¯t feel Ayuma¡¯s presence!¡± The priest screamed out as he ran up to his other fellow priests. The Rainbow Kingdom¡¯s citizens heard the news and started running like there was anything to run from. The priests raced up to Queen Auriana, who dropped her watering can and covered her mouth, horrified.


    ¡°Something tells me we don¡¯t have to,¡± Eris mumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡±


    Satan agreed. Blood coated their vision as usual, and they appeared back in the red kingdom palace¡¯s living room as quickly as it did. Satan laid his crutches on the floor and flopped onto the couch, turning on the TV. As expected, the news was covering Ayuma¡¯s disappearance. Satan clenched his fist while his other hand changed the channel.


    Araya, Arista, Lucifer, Arete, and Phoenix were all seated at the dining room table. Cards of red, blue, green, and yellow decorated the table in a messy pile.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re playing uno?¡± Eris smirked, seating herself next to Araya.


    ¡°I am destroying Lucifer right now, don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Araya placed a card on top of the pile, only one more in her hand. Arete, Phoenix, and Lucifer all placed cards but it didn¡¯t even make a dent in their massive decks.. Araya slammed down her last card.


    Lucifer, Arista, Phoenix, and Arete groaned as Araya pumped her fists in the air and threw cards at Lucifer.


    ¡°In your face!¡± Araya screamed out.


    ¡°You¡­ meanie head!¡± Lucifer hesitated.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your best insult.¡± Eris laughed.


    ¡°There are children here, Eris. I am not cursing in front of them.¡± Lucifer pointed at the kids.


    ¡°I know what fuck means.¡± Arete said.


    ¡°Arete!¡± Lucifer and Arista panicked and covered Phoenix¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I know that word too. Daddy taught me to not use it until I¡¯m older.¡± Phoenix said. Lucifer and Arista sighed in relief.


    ¡°Up for another round?¡± Eris suggested, holding the back of some Uno cards to the four. Everyone nodded, and they dished out the cards, preparing for another battle- er, card game of Uno.


    Araya left the kitchen, still celebrating her victory. She walked over to Satan, who was dramatically lying on the couch.


    ¡°Hey, how are you holding up?¡± Araya rested her head on the couch, peering down at him.


    ¡°Annoyed at myself, nothing out of the ordinary.¡± Satan yawned. He blinked, trying not to doze off.


    ¡°You should go to sleep.¡± Araya suggested. She reached out a hand, caressing his face. Satan hummed in response, making himself more comfortable. They both remained still for a moment. If they had a say in the matter, maybe they could both stay like this forever. Maybe there would be no Katherina, no Takahiro, no wars, nothing in their way. Maybe they could be together with no obstacles.


    But fate is unkind.


    Not yet.


    One day, but not yet.


    Araya slowly moved her hand away from Satan¡¯s face, who was still and quiet.

 Top Ten Things To Do Once Your Cast Is Off

    Satan, March 10th


    There we go, casts off,¡± the doctor placed the remaining cast into the garbage with the cast from Satan¡¯s other leg. Seated on an examination table, Satan kicked his legs around to ensure nothing felt off, but they felt perfectly fine.


    ¡°Do I need to avoid activities still or can I start using them like normal?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Walking is fine, but don¡¯t do anything too crazy for six weeks. After that come back and I¡¯ll assess if you can do things as you normally would.¡±


    ¡°Alright, hank you so much Dr. Arias.¡± Satan shook his hand. For the first time in six weeks, he slipped on his demonias and didn¡¯t have to hobble around on crutches again.


    Satan exited the room and walked outside, teleporting back to the living room at the palace and kicking open a door for dramatic effect.


    ¡°Crutches are gone!¡± Satan yelled out. Arsene and Nico were seated at the dining room table and jolted at the noise. He threw his crutches at the large fireplace, perfectly landing on the burning wood. The flames ate at the aluminum as it melted.


    ¡°That was pretty Lucifercore of you, to be honest.¡± Eris chuckled.


    ¡°Ugh, ew. Anyway, I¡¯ve been drafting some ideas on what we can do next against Takahiro and Katherina, and now that my legs are healed, I think it¡¯s the perfect time to start putting my plans into action. ¡± Satan flopped onto the couch. He looked up at Eris.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Well, I want to talk to the rest of your descendants about this one plan I have in mind. Could you call them?¡±


    ¡°I could certainly try, some of my descendants I¡¯ve never met, and some I haven¡¯t seen in a while. I may not be Takahiro, but I¡¯m not super well liked either.¡±


    ¡°Do you think if I called some of them, they¡¯d come?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. I need to get some of their numbers first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let me know when you¡¯ve got their numbers and I¡¯ll call.¡±


    ***


    Eris


    Calling Eris¡¯ descendants plus their spouses was quite a challenge. Somehow, they managed to convince them all to come. Some fought to not go, while some needed no convincing at all. And all that, just in a day!


    Now, the day after, Eris was opening the door and greeting her fellow Koizumis and Satan was shaking hands with everyone that entered. Since the Black Kingdom was taken by Takahiro and the Red Kingdom Palace¡¯s dining room was tiny, Satan decided to hold the meeting in an actual meeting room, a remaining feature from when the palace used to be where the old Red Kingdom government met.


    The meeting room walls were black, lined with paintings of politicians from over a thousand years ago. The silver table was long but dented, the chairs a mix of wooden, poorly crafted chairs and spinning chairs on wheels. Whatever renovations and updates were planned to happen to that room never happened. Satan barely talks to the other rulers of other kingdoms anyways, so there was no need.


    Eris stood in the corner of the room as her descendants talked to each other as if nothing had ever happened. She wrapped her shawl around her freezing shoulders.


    ¡°Why did I wear a crop top today?¡± Eris wondered to herself.


    As the last Koizumi walked into the meeting room, Satan shut the door and looked to his side, where Eris stood. ¡°You nervous?¡±


    ¡°Cold. But also a fight could break out if I¡¯m not careful. There¡¯s also the fact that Youko¡¯s was the last of my descendants¡¯ I saw regularly. I¡¯ve talked about her before, right? She¡¯s my great-granddaughter.¡± Eris said.


    ¡°You have. Surprised Hikari let you see her with everything with Saori..¡± Was all Satan could say.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me about that,¡± Eris growled before taking a deep breath. She whispered: ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready. Grab the seat closest to me, I¡¯m taking the head of the table.¡±


    Satan walked to the end of the table by the whiteboard and sat down. Eris followed him, shaking as she felt the eyes of her descendants glued to her.


    ¡°Um, hello everyone. We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. Are we missing anyone?¡± Eris asked, glancing down at the table.


    ¡°Besides great grandma Saori and great grandpa Yamato, yup! Unless you also wanted to see great grandpa Takahiro.¡± Kuroyami, Eris¡¯ seventh great-grandson said. Eris felt her stomach drop at the mention of those three.


    From an empty seat appeared a patch of darkness, alarming all of the Koizumis. Everyone either pulled out a weapon or got into a fighting stance, but when the darkness cleared, everyone immediately recognized her.


    The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with a slim face and wide nose. Her eyes were gold with an x for a pupil. Her black hair flowed down her shoulders in waves. It was obvious that the woman was Saori, Eris¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Mom! I thought you wouldn¡¯t be coming!¡± Hikari, Saori¡¯s daughter, gasped.


    Saori growled as her eyes scanned the people in the room. Her face contorted more at the sight of Eris. ¡°I¡¯m still a Koizumi, I need to know if there¡¯s something I can do to be helping others.¡±


    Saori pulled out the chair she was already standing near and sat down.


    Eris cleared her throat and started.¡°Well, I suppose now we have everyone. You¡¯re probably wondering why I¡¯ve gathered you all here today. This is due to the situation we have in the Black Kingdom and all of Tempest which is also starting to be a problem everywhere else unless something is done about it. How many of you know about the war?¡±


    As expected, the youngest descendants all raised their hands, while the older descendants kept their hands down with puzzled expressions across their faces.


    ¡°Alright, to keep a long and detailed story as short as possible, Takahiro and his accomplice, Katherina have taken over the Black, Fuschia, White, Light Grey, Lime, and Brown Kingdoms, and they plan to take over more.


    I called you today because a friend of mine, Satan,¡± Eris gestured to Satan, who gave a small wave. ¡°...And I believe that if we can attack the Black Kingdom and take it back, the war can end soon. If all goes well, jailing Takahiro and Katherina should be a breeze, and Ayuzuma can return to normal. Does that sound reasonable?¡±


    The Koizumis had puzzled looks on their faces. They were silent for a few seconds, then burst into conversation, talking over each other, forcing some to yell to be heard.


    ¡°Why should we trust her and some demon? You¡¯ve been part of the problem for so long.¡± Tooru, Eris¡¯ great-great-granddaughter, pointed out.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to fight back against Takahiro.¡±


    ¡°Great grandma, we¡¯ve never even met in person before. Since Great-grandma Tooru and every descendant after her, we¡¯ve never met you. Now, all of a sudden you want our help when a good majority of the people in this room have never met you?¡± Kuroyami, Eris¡¯ youngest descendant, said. He watched his hair move around, almost like eight snakes.


    ¡°Is this not a start, at the very least?¡± Yami, the king of the Black Kingdom before Takahiro, said.


    ¡°Exactly. Can we not start to fix the problems that¡¯s plagued our family rather then be angry at great-grandma and never making a change?¡± Kaito, Yami¡¯s father, yelled over everyone.


    At his words, the Koizumis quieted down. They all started whispering to each other,


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re just trying to come to a consensus.¡± Yami apologized.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try a vote, how many people would like to help?¡± Eris asked.


    Surprisingly, all other Koizumi¡¯s hands were raised, even Saori¡¯s.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Here¡¯s what we need to do,¡± Satan rose from his chair and took a marker to the board, explaining his plans and assigning roles to everyone.


    By the next hour, Satan had already finished discussing his plans. Everyone was assigned something to do or somewhere to be. Eris assumed everyone would be leaving as soon as everything ended, the senior members of the Koizumis had things to do, but almost everyone had stayed in the meeting room.


    The only one to leave was Saori.


    ¡®Shoot, I wanted to talk with her. Let me go out there and see if she teleported away yet.¡¯ Eris panicked in her head.


    She shot up, causing everyone left in the room to glance over at her as they watched her race out the door. Satan called after her, but something made him stay in the meeting room.


    Eris was thankful to see Saori only a few steps down the hallway.


    ¡°Saori!¡± Eris called out, racing towards her. Saori furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Eris.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Saori said as she crossed her arms and turned around.


    ¡°Saori, please. I haven¡¯t seen you in so long.¡± Eris said.


    Saori sighed and turned back around, rising to look Eris in the eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°To apologize.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, because ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ will fix the damage you and father have done.¡±


    ¡°I know, your father said the same thing to me recently.¡±


    Saori opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but nothing came from her mouth. Eris could see the uncertainty on her face.


    ¡°Did you finally get divorced?¡± Saori mumbled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Thank Miyako, that fucker needs to die.¡±


    ¡°I wish he could, but he got his hands on an immortality elixir. I tried to stop him from drinking it, I was there when that happened but it didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on!¡± Saori screamed. Eris giggled a little at her outburst, but Saori flared her nostrils at her. Silence washed over them.


    ¡°Okay, bye.¡± Saori started using her shadow magic.


    ¡°Wait, wait! Before you go, do you want to talk about¡­ Well, about everything? On a day where we don¡¯t have the weight of all of Ayuzuma weighing over our heads?¡± Eris begged.


    Saori paused in her tracks, slowly closing her hand, her shadow magic fading away.


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s your phone number?¡± Saori quietly asked. Eris gave her her phone number, which Saori entered into her phone. Saori turned away, glancing at Eris before using her shadow magic to teleport away properly this time. Eris waved with a hopeful smile curling on her lips.


    As the shadow figure faded away, Eris¡¯s heart began to ache. So much she wanted to tell Saori, but she couldn¡¯t.


    The war better be over soon.


    ***


    Lucifer


    Lucifer laid in bed, staring up at the grey ceiling. Since he arrived in Ayuzuma, he¡¯d made it a point to explore everything from top to bottom, but he got bored of it very quickly and had to take a break. He tried setting some things on fire to relieve his boredom, didn¡¯t have any other ideas, but that got him in trouble. At least it was the first offense, so no jail time in Ayuzuma, thank Diablo.


    He tried riding his motorcycle, but those were illegal in Ayuzuma.. Ayuzumians just don¡¯t know how to party, it seemed to Lucifer. Then, he tried doing some wheatpasting, but it was also illegal to post in random places.


    The nail in the coffin for him was when he went to a restaurant late at night to try to do something entertaining, and he asked for alcohol. Guess what was also illegal.


    Alcohol.


    Pissed about everything illegal, he stormed back home and didn¡¯t do much, at least, when Arista and Arete weren¡¯t around. He tried picking up some video games, but it was only a matter of time until they got boring. Lucifer was in bed, bored out of his mind with nothing to do, while Arista was out and about.


    ¡®Holy shit, it¡¯s almost the end of February, and March is just around the corner. My son is gonna be born in seven weeks. Shit, I¡¯ve never raised a baby from birth. I mean, I helped with Arete, but it¡¯s different. I¡¯m not her biological father, but she sees me as her second dad. I should talk to Artemios¡­¡± Lucifer thought to himself.


    His thoughts were interrupted by Satan opening his door. He wasn¡¯t wearing his ridiculously long hair in his side ponytail, but instead a high ponytail at the back of his head, with shorter black robes and no batwing sleeves, and to top it off, he was missing his demonias but instead had combat boots.


    ¡°What the fuck happened to you?¡± Lucifer interrupted. Satan rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a job or do much in Ayuzuma, do you?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°I will get to it, let me explain. I¡¯ve just spoken to Eris¡¯s descendants and they¡¯re going to help us stage an attack on the Black Kingdom in hopes we can take it back for the current king. I need to raise an army of course but I also need help. I figured since all of your hobbies are illegal and you have nothing else to maybe you¡¯d like to join us?¡±


    Lucifer bolted up in his bed and grabbed his scythe off his floor. He hadn¡¯t used it since that fight with Satan.


    He proudly posed with his scythe, leaning on the end of its long hand as the blade rested on the floor.


    ¡°So, what do you need me to do?¡±


    ***


    Satan


    Satan fidgeted in the alleyways of the Black Kingdom¡¯s capital, the tight sqeezes making him claustrophobic. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his mind down as it raced, thinking of every way it could all go wrong, from some huge mistake to the tiniest detail.


    A week had passed and today was finally the day Satan and everyone else he rounded up would attack Takahiro and Katherina. He had spent that week gathering people to join. He tried his best to keep it as secretive as possible, but word spread, and he had people from other kingdoms wanting to join. At that point, he could only hope Takahiro and everyone working for him hadn¡¯t heard about it.


    Now, Satan, his friends, and his makeshift army were hidden between buildings at the Black Kingdom capital, the palace just in sight. He felt claustrophobic with being stuck in tight spaces, too close for comfort, but comfort was the last thing he should¡¯ve worried about.


    Satan watched the guards talk and walk up and down the castle walls from afar. Their outfits were all completely different. Some wore casual clothes, while others wore suits. In past times Satan visited there, and the guards all wore armor. Must¡¯ve been new guards placed by Takahiro.


    Satan pulled a walkie-talkie from his pants pocket and spoke into it, ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    Hushed voices all whispered back yeses.


    ¡°Whenever the distracters are ready, leave the corridors and go distract all the guards.¡± Satan whispered.


    From behind Satan, some of the distractors made their way out of the alley, and footsteps were heard from nearby alleys as the distractors all found ways to occupy the guards. Some stole something right in front of them, some hitting on them, and others straight up just fighting them. From Satan¡¯s walkie-talkie, the voices of others all reported all guards guarding the palace being distracted, the area surrounding the palace becoming barren.


    All of the magic users or those born with powers stepped out and used their various powers to tear down the barrier. Satan chipped in from the shadows as well, using his blood magic to form tiny weapons that tried to pierce through the shield. Finally the shield came down, Arista went out from the dark corridor and swung her scythe at the shield, in her disguise of course. T citizens all watched the shield come down. Some cheered, some could only stand still and watch, and some screamed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we think of that before?¡± Satan whisper-groaned to himself.


    ¡°Who would predict you could destroy a half physical half shadow shield with a destructions goddess scythe that also destroys pretty much anything it touches?¡± Kuroyami commented.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Alright, go, go! Remember where I told you to go. Koizumis we¡¯re all heading inside.¡± Satan spoke into the walkie-talkie for the last time, readying his blood scythe and motioning his hands to the palace in front of them.


    Kuroyami used his hair to open the large doors as the rest of his family barrelled inside. The rest of the members of the Koizumi family started fighting off other guards while Satan, Kuroyami, Yami, and Eris all walked down the carpet leading to the throne. Unexpectedly though sitting in that throne was no Takahiro. In fact, the one sitting in the throne disappeared as soon as the palace door opened to them.


    ¡°Uh, what do we do now?¡± Kuroyami asked.


    ¡°Someone should stay here in case Takahiro shows up, and someone else should check out the castle, maybe Takahiro or Katherina are just roaming. Maybe check out the dungeon too, I suspect there might be some people down there as well.¡± Satan said. Kuroyami, Yami and Eris all made sure they had their walkie-talkies on them, and each headed in different directions. Eris went downstairs into the dungeon, and Yami headed upstairs while Kuroyami kept going up the stairs, likely on the roof to check the towers.


    ¡°You keep looking out for Takahiro or someone else to arrive in here, I¡¯m gonna help my other family members fight. Oh wait, before I do that, thank you for helping us get our kingdom back.¡± Yami smiled a little, an unusual sight for him.


    ¡°Of course, anything to repent for befriending Takahiro and Katherina. Once you get your kingdom back, we should officially ally our kingdoms together.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    Yami rushed towards his other family members, spear in hand, to fight other guards. Satan he paced up and down the throne room, checking behind random areas for Takahiro or other hidden people, occasionally kicking and slashing away any of Takahiro¡¯s agents that went up to him as he tried to keep himself busy while waiting for Takahiro.


    Satan heard the sound of shoes coming up stairs in a fast pace, and he gripped his blood scythe, pointing it in the direction of the dungeon staircase.


    Thankfully, it was only Eris.


    ¡°There¡¯s people in the dungeon but I don¡¯t recognize them. Can you see if they¡¯re royalty or something? I don¡¯t want to open the cells in case they turn out to be bad or workers for Takahiro or something¡­¡± Eris heaved.


    Satan nodded, and ran to the corner left of the throne, down the staircase. Eris stayed in Satan¡¯s place to watch for Takahiro.


    The dungeon was a decently long hallway with bars all the way down. To either side of the door entrance were bars attached to the walls, separating to make twelve separate cells. Looking over his shoulder, Satan saw an unlit torch above the door, and a shelf with a box of matches and a set of keys just underneath. He grabbed a match from the box and lit the torch, grabbing it so he could see.


    In six of the cells closest to the entrance, laid six unconscious people, but not just any random person.


    It was the now former rulers of the Lime, Brown, White and Light Gray Kingdoms. They were all declared missing as soon as they were taken over by Katherina and Takahiro. Satan grabbed the keys and unlocked all the doors, checking each of their pulses.


    ¡®Hm, at least they¡¯re still alive. I should call Araya though, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to them¡­¡¯ Satan thought.


    He spoke gently into the walkie-talkie, ¡°Hey Araya, if you can, can you come take a look at these unconscious people real quick? They¡¯re unconscious, but their hearts¡¯ are all still beating.¡±


    ¡°Just finished healing some of the others. It¡¯s turned into a real riot out here. Where do you want me to teleport to?¡± Araya mumbled on the other line. She sounded tired. Satan was for sure going to make sure she gets some rest after the events of today.


    ¡°Just teleport into the palace throne room, then go to the left of the throne, and there should be an open area. Go down those steps and open the door and I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I hope this is quick. Be right there!¡±


    As the line cut off Satan anxciously opened the door and peaked up at the throne room. Thankfully it had calmed down since before, all the guards from before were unconscious at that point, but not hurt. At least, not from that angle they appeared to be. Magic flower particles started to fade in of grey and yellow, the colors and symbol of Araya. Araya finally appeared inside the palace and raced over to Satan, who stepped out of the downstairs dungeon and waved.


    ¡°What the hell are you about to show me?¡± Araya said as they descended downwards.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. At least, I don¡¯t think. I¡¯m not a healer or a doctor, so I wouldn¡¯t really know.¡± Satan said. He grabbed the torch from above the door once again and pointed at the unconscious bodies of the missing rulers of the kingdoms in Tempest. Araya stiffened at the sight.


    Leaning down, Araya inspected everyone, analyzing their faces and the way they laid on the floor. After a good few minutes of Araya inspecting and hm¡¯ing, she finally stood up.


    ¡°Their bodies seem to be in good shape, no unnatural paleness, no bruises or scars or anything. Most likely, they had a potion of unconsciousness placed on them. They tend to use those in hospitals to put someone under nowadays along with painkillers, but sometimes they can wind up in the wrong hands who use it to kidnap someone, get away with whatever the hell they want, and either keep them as long as the capturer is alive, or free them like nothing happened. This stuff also freezes their body in a way. In this state they don¡¯t get hungry, but they don¡¯t wake up unless someone wakes them up for them. Thankfully, my healing magic can wake someone up from this kind of thing.¡± Araya explained.


    She went back into each cell and performed her healing magic. Her hands became covered in glowing, transparent, tiny yellow and grey flowers. She used her healing magic to restore their consciousness, covering their entire bodies in the tiny flowers. Slowly the six royals in the cells are started to wake up, the first being the king of the lime kingdom.


    He was a olived skinned man in about his 40s with lime tinted white hair. He wore a black mask concealing his eyes and a black cloak, wearing a muted lime chiton to top it all off. Satan¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t stop staring at his blackened hands and arms, the black extending all the way to halfway up his upper arm.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Why am I in jail?¡±


    ¡°Something to do with Katherina and Takahiro, most likely. Oh, uh, I¡¯m Satan Satanel. Are you the king of the Lime Kingdom, by chance?¡± Satan knelt down to extend a hand.


    Zeta took it as he came up to his feet. ¡°Yes. You know, your an urban legend in most Ayuzumian kingdoms. Except for Fuschia, they hate demons. I¡¯m Zeta Prasinos.¡±


    ¡°Why are you and your son named after greek letters? It¡¯s driving me a little crazy that your son is literally named Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Alpha! Is he okay? I feel like I was out for a ridiculously long time, how long has it been?¡± Zeta panicked, completely ignoring his question.


    ¡°It¡¯s been six weeks. Don¡¯t worry Mr. Prasinos, Bree has been watching over him and the rest of your other children are also safe. Bree and Frost have been checking in on them. Alpha and the other two younger ones are in the Green Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh thank the time gods. Six weeks though? How the fuck have I been out for six weeks and not feel hungry or anything?¡±


    Araya explained the unconscious potion as she finished up waking the rest of the royals.


    ¡°Being in my palace, pinned to a wall by Takahiro¡¯s shadow magic and then having a potion thrown at me.¡± Zeta sighed.


    ¡°Yup, sounds exactly like that potion.¡±


    Araya talked to the other royals, who all shared similar experiences of having a potion being thrown at them by Katherina and Takahiro being their last memory. As the now-conscious royals gathered together to talk, Satan went outside of the dungeon and waved over at Eris, who stood around, looking until her eyes fell on Satan. When they locked eyes she raced up to him.


    ¡°Still no sign of Takahiro or anyone else. We took out the rest of the guards. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We woke up the royals that were in the dungeon. Long story but they had some potion that made them unconscious for six weeks. We woke them up thankfully so it¡¯s not as bad as it could¡¯ve been. They¡¯re all perfectly fine it seems. I know I want Araya outside making sure the rest of the volunteers have their injuries taken care of, would any of your family members want to escort them out of here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask, do you know where to?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, I¡¯ll ask them.¡±


    Satan went back into the dungeon, feeling his heart warm a little at the reunion between the royals. Araya smirked at Satan as she watched from the other end of the hallway.


    ¡°I hate to break up this reunion, but unfortunately, all of your kingdoms have fallen under the control of Takahiro and Katherina since you were all put to sleep. To keep you all safe I think the best course of action is for you to be escorted to another kingdom for the time being. Is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go to?¡±


    The royals all gasped.


    ¡°Great.¡± Zeta groaned. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to go to Green since Alpha¡¯s already there.¡±


    ¡°Same for me.¡± Said the King of The Light Grey Kingdom. The Queen of The White Kingdom nodded in agreement.


    ¡°And me.¡± Said the King of The Brown Kingdom.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Frost?¡± Asked the King of The White Kingdom.


    ¡°Bree said he¡¯s been in Rainbow.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go there.¡±


    Satan motioned for the royals to come up the stairs slowly. Satan still saw no sign of Takahiro. Some of the other Koizumis were waiting at the staircase entrance. The royals greeted the Koizumis and to Satan surprised, were very friendly with one another. The Koizumis started teleporting away the royals, but someone finally showed up when Zeta and another Koizumi were about to teleport away.


    Takahiro.


    He teleported in the middle of the room, adjusting his fingerless gloves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick, shall we?¡± Takahiro said. He turned his body to face Satan, Eris, Araya, Zeta, and another Koizumi. Balls of shadow emitted from his hands, and he raced up to them. They all moved out of the way except for Zeta.


    ¡°Run!¡± Araya tried to convince him to move.


    But Zeta stayed still, removing the mask over his eyes as he stared directly into Takahiro¡¯s eyes. Takahiro stopped in his tracks, still like a statue. The Koizumis that remained at the palace entrance all ran behind Takahiro. Some knew to avert their eyes while others couldn¡¯t help but stare into Zeta¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why he wears the mask. But wouldn¡¯t looking into his eyes with the mask freeze you anyway?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°The lime royal family¡¯s power only work with direct eye to eye contact. If the one being frozen can see his eyes it doesn¡¯t work.¡± said the Koizumi.


    ¡°Oh. I guess that makes sense.¡± Satan said.


    Kuroyami hair¡¯s moved to wrap around Takahiro to restrain him. His hair moved like tentacles, or more sets of arms. Either way, his hair was very helpful. But Kuroyami started to rise Takahiro up in the air too quickly.


    ¡°No! Leave him! If you move him around too much then we can¡¯t maintain eye contact and then he¡¯ll be able to move again!¡± Zeta growled. Kuroyami apologized and slowly lowered him to the ground again.


    The Koizumi all remained just behind Takahiro, Yami, the now former king of the Black Kingdom stepped forward.


    ¡°Listen, Takahiro. You can either peacefully renounce the Black Kingdom back to me and stop conquering other kingdoms, and you won¡¯t have as harsh a charge. If you keep putting up a fight, trying to keep conquering more and more then not only will your charges be harsh but I can almost guarantee Queen Auriana will want you off the planet. Mr. Prasinos, can you stop looking at him for a second? I want to talk to him.¡±


    Zeta nodded and put his eye mask back on, but still had a hand gripping, ready to take it off again at any moment. Kuroyami¡¯s hair tightened around Takahiro more as he tried to wriggle himself out of Kuroyami¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Why should I renounce it? Besides, you don¡¯t even have an heir anymore, do you?¡± Takahiro glared at Yami, turning to face him. Kuroyami bit his lip and looked at the floor, hugging himself as if he were trying to make himself small.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, I have that situation covered. This is your last chance to give me back my kingdom. What is your decision?¡±


    Silence washed over the room, Yami glared down at Takahiro.


    ¡°I choose¡­ to keep fighting you.¡± Takahiro announced. Kuroyami tried to tighten his hair around Takahiro harder, and Yami¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he revealed a golden knife and tried to plunge it into his head. But Takahiro managed to cut himself free from Kuroyami¡¯s hair with a knife he apparently had and dodged.


    ¡°My hair!¡± Kuroyami yelled as his hair retracted back to him, now only moving as any other person¡¯s hair would.


    Takahiro got up and began flinging balls of shadow magic at everyone in the room, in some sort of attempt to get them out of the palace. Just as it took Takahiro quite awhile to get to the Black Kingdom palace, it seemed the same was true for his associates, who only then burst open the door and began fighting the other Koizumis. There was one that completely ignored them, however.


    Saori.


    She forcibly moved Yami out of the way and tried to tackle Takahiro to the floor.


    ¡°Saori? What are you doing here?¡± Takahiro asked, dodging her but his tone and fierceness noticeably softened. Satan readied his scythe and tried to race up to Takahiro, but Eris pulled him back.


    ¡°I know you want to help but Saori hasn¡¯t seen Takahiro in years. Let her handle this for now.¡± Eris said. Satan nodded but kept a very close eye as they kept watching.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you did nothing wrong.¡± Saori growled, kicking Takahiro in the stomach as he fell to the floor.


    ¡°Riri-chan, please calm down.¡± Takahiro said, sitting up and trying to rise up on his feet.


    ¡°And don¡¯t ever call me Riri-chan again!¡± Saori yelled. She pulled out yet another golden knife, and plunged it into his stomache. Takahiro groaned, as blood began to flow from his stomach. Saori rose up to stare him down, while Takahiro looked at her pitifully.


    Satan chuckled a bit at the look but Eris punched his shoulder to get him to shut up.


    ¡°Ever since grandma and grandpa died you stopped caring about us. Nowadays all you care about is to sit on the throne again, taking over Ayuzuma and Katherina. And even before they passed I could tell you cared more about me having an immortal deity child. What the fuck happened to you?¡± Saori asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to have to experience loosing your family like I did. I know now it was wrong, but please, do you need to bring up grandma and grandpa?¡± Takahiro¡¯s voice wavered until he finally began sobbing on the floor.


    ¡°Oh, so me getting fucking raped by Yamato doesn¡¯t matter as much as making sure nobody dies?¡± Saori asked.


    Takahiro froze up, and the remaining Koizumis all had to cover their mouths to quiet their gasps. Satan, Eris, Araya, Zeta, and another Koizumi were distracted by the scene unfolding in front of them to the point where they didn¡¯t notice Takahiro¡¯s agents sneaking up behind them. Satan felt one attempt to handcuff him, but he managed to kick them away before they could.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you. Me telling you that Yamato is abusive makes you dismiss it but when I tell you about him raping me that¡¯s what finally makes you care? Are you kidding me? I¡¯m ashamed to have you as a father. I hope I never see you again. Actually, I hope someone kills you in this war.¡± Saori threatened.


    Takahiro, eyes still red and tear streaks still down his face somehow found the strength to get up. Saori glared at him in disgust.


    ¡°I know you hate me, but I love you so much. You¡¯ve grown so much and I¡¯m proud of you. You can come to the Black Kingdom palace anytime and we can talk about this another time, but for now, you can¡¯t stay hear. Stay safe. I love you.¡± Takahiro smiled. He used his shadow magic to gently lift her up in the air and float her away in a semi-transparent shadow bubble. Saori aggressively shook in the bubble but nothing seemed to free her from it. The bubble suddenly floated away much faster out the entrance which Takahiro also made slam shut. Satan felt some kind of stunt happen and with Eris they readied their weapons and raced up to him.


    Takahiro pulled the knife out of his stomache, groaning, then flung it in Satan and Eris¡¯s direction. They thankfully dodged it fast enough but Zeta wasn¡¯t as fast enough and the knife landed in his hip. He collapsed on the floor as Araya fell to her knees to heal him.


    Takahiro transformed into his more shadow elemental form, his pale skin transforming into darkness and his lips and mouth becoming gold. His gold irises spread to his sclera, all parts of his eyes now a matching gold. Something was different about his transformed form this time around. He also grew taller, and became more of a blob of shadows rather then a silhouetted shadow of himself. He growled, shaking the entire palace, and began scooping up anyone nearby, including people that worked for him and throwing them outside a window, even if that window was glass.


    ¡°What the fuck? Eris have you ever seen anything like this?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°No! Maybe this is the shadow elementals¡¯ version of a demon¡¯s skin color changing to a quote unquote unnatural skin color when feeling a strong emotion?¡± Eris suggested. As they looked in front of them Takahiro was headed straight for them, his hands outstretched, ready to fling them out the window. They began to collectively panic, and they all tried to help Zeta to his feet, but it was too late, Takahiro already had them in his giant hands, and they were already headed for a window, that thankfully already had it¡¯s glass cracked. Satan used his blood magic to safely teleport them on the ground.


    Outside the palace guards were now fighting anyone in sight, Satan¡¯s volunteer army struggling but doing it¡¯s best. Lucifer, Nico and Arsene raced up to Satan. Nico noticed Zeta and hugged him, smiling and happily chatting as if they weren¡¯t in a battle and Zeta did not take a blade to the hip.


    ¡°Satan, it¡¯s a disaster. Takahiro brought in a shit ton of guards that are taking no-nonsense. They¡¯ll attack anyone on the outside palace¡¯s path. Our healers can¡¯t keep up anymore with all the volunteers getting terrible injuries. We need to fall back.¡± Lucifer panted.


    ¡®Crap. Alright,¡± Satan began to speak into his walkie-talkie, ¡°everyone we need to fall back. If you can teleport others take as many people with you. I¡¯ll be making sure we left nobody behind.¡±


    Satan asked Araya and Nico to take Zeta back and with Arsene and Lucifer, they went further from the palace, watching from the alleys they watched everything unfold in front of them earlier. As they walked in the parts of the alleys further away, they saw none of the other volunteers, at least, the ones they recognized.


    ¡°Anyone left out there?¡± Satan whispered into his walkie-talkie while lowering the volume. They waited a few minutes, but there were no responses. Satan turned around to look at Lucifer and Arsene. Up close Lucifer looked quite beat up. His hair was a mess and he had gained some new holes in some leggings he had on. Arsene¡¯s ponytail she had just for this battle was loose and the normal headband around her eyes was holding it up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teleport us home.¡± Arsene softly spoke. Blue and white wing particles surrounded them until they were back at home.


    They appeared on the Red Kingdom bridge to the palace, slowly trudging along. Right before the entrance was a set of steps that lead down to where the former government building was, beneath where Satan and his family lived. Satan opened the door to see volunteers chatting while Araya and other healings were frantically moving around to heal everyone. Nico and Zeta sat next to each other chatting away, Zeta now wearing bandages around his hips. Kuroyami and Yami were all the way down the hallway, and sat up against the floor. Once Yami looked at the opening door he stood up and made his way over to Satan.


    ¡°Mr. Satanel, I know today wasn¡¯t successful, but I want to thank you for your help. Unfortunately, this war will last longer than we all thought but I think we¡¯re in good hands.¡± Yami shook Satan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to have helped. I think I might need to fuse armies with another kingdom next time.¡±


    Though the attack wasn¡¯t successful, everyone still remained underneath the palace living space in the old government building, chatting away. Satanels, Koizumis and volunteers all delightfully chatted like old friends, despite some people never having a face to face conversation. Unfortunately, the good times had to come to an end at somepoint.


    Suddenly, Kuroyami shot up from the floor and beckoned everyone over. ¡°Everyone! The news is on and there¡¯s something about the Black Kingdom, come look!¡±


    Everyone flooded into a room at the end of the hallway and around the tv. Satan bit his finger in anticipation, either it would be about the events of earlier or some other terrible thing happening in the Black Kingdom, either way it was likely not anything good.


    ¡° ¡­After the storming King Takahiro and Queen Katherina have issued a joint statement, saying quote ¡®The Black, Fuschia, White, Light Gray, Brown, and Lime¡¯s borders are now closed. Those living within these kingdoms are to not leave. If you have a reason to leave please contact the respective websites of these kingdoms. Each palace will be heavily guarded and any unauthorized attempt to enter any palace will be met with heavy punishment. We are not taking questions at this time but in a few days we will hold a forum. We thank you for your cooperance with these new changes.¡¯¡±


    As the news anchor spoke there were sounds of angry screaming and crying that were heard. It was unlikely that the Koizumis could reasonably sneak back into the Black Kingdom.


    ***


    Takahiro


    Takahiro was so embarrassed about the events that happened. Not only did he cry in front of the people he worked with, not only did he accidentally throw the people that worked with him out the windows, but he was inconsolable. His coworkers knew Takahiro for being charming, always happy, with an edge of unpredictability, and sometimes even making his coworkers fearful.


    Because of the events of today, that facade has crumbled.


    Takahiro finally managed to get away from his coworkers. While they went and did his work he was going to sulk and be generally useless. What a great boss.


    Takahiro trudged up the stairs and opened the door to his room. As he walked past the mirror he couldn¡¯t help but look at himself.


    He could see the dried tear stains, how messy his hair became. He couldn¡¯t stand it. He couldn¡¯t stand looking at himself. He punched the mirror, immediately regretting it as shards of glass fell and his hand started bleeding.


    Takahiro flopped on his bed, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts started to swirl.


    ¡°You made such a fool of yourself today. Katherina must be getting tired of this.


    Wait.


    Katherina.


    I should call her!¡±


    Takahiro felt his mood brighten at the thought of her. He hadn¡¯t seen her all day, and hanging out with coworkers is only fun when it¡¯s your favorites, not the randoms that somehow end up in your castle.


    He opened his phone and pressed the call button on Katherina¡¯s contact. His leg bounced in anticipation.


    ¡°Hey Hiro, what¡¯s up?¡± Katherina greeted.


    ¡°So there was a situation today at the palace and I think we should close the borders, don¡¯t let anyone leave or enter without permission and we should put way more guards at each palace.¡± Takahiro explained.


    ¡°What happened at the palace?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, just a little fight, no big deal, guards took care of it..¡± Takahiro awkwardly laughed, hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Good to hear. You know, I haven¡¯t seen you in awhile. I know you¡¯re busy handling your stuff in your kingdom, but I miss you. Can I come over?¡± Katherina asked. Takahiro could feel her almost tugging on his heartstrings when she said she missed him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, but we¡¯re ordering in, I¡¯m tired and I don¡¯t want to leave the palace today.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good. Give me a minute, need someone to teleport me other. See you!¡±


    Katherina hung up, and Takahiro put his phone on the bed, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. The sound of magical moving vines was heard in front of the bed. Takahiro opened his eyes to see vines move backward to reveal Katherina standing right in front of him, jumping forwards on the bed and greeting him. He expected her to be wearing one of her normal dresses with a high slit, but this time, she was wearing just a simple sweater with grey sweatpants.


    ¡°What do you wanna eat?¡± Katherina asked, hugging Takahiro and her head resting on his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ramen, I know a good place.¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Can we just chill here for like, twenty minutes before we do that?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡± Takahiro closed his eyes and rested his head on Katherina¡¯s.


    Probably should¡¯ve changed out his suit, but whatever.

 Those Goddamn Yinyras!

    Takahiro, April 25th


    As you may know, about a week ago, there was an attack on us by the Satanels.¡± Takahiro started. He stood on a makeshift stage made of his shadow powers, one only he and other shadow elementals like him could stand on. His coworkers, and Katherina, were seated at the Black Kingdom¡¯s dining room table because, honestly, where else would he give a speech or have a meeting? The dining room table was ridiculously long and could fit many people. It¡¯s the perfect place.


    ¡°They want to ruin the empire I¡¯m building that could change Ayuzuma and hopefully the rest of our endless universe with it. Katherina and I finally decided to seal the borders of all the kingdoms we¡¯ve taken thus far. That decision has been the best decision we¡¯ve made. We¡¯d like to expand once more and we¡¯ve decided,¡± Takahiro paused, taking a minute to pass a large-scale map of Ayuzuma down the table so that the entire map would unravel, ¡°that the Green Kingdom would be the best choice for a next target. Any questions?¡±


    Several hands went up.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Green considered a larger kingdom then Black?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but since it would be a combined effort between Black, and the small kingdoms that makeup Tempest, we think we¡¯d have a chance-¡± Takahiro tried to explain.


    ¡°The elves of Green know their terrain better then we do! They¡¯d use all the forestry to their advantage and probably trick us into doing¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯d do exactly but they¡¯re definitely gonna do something!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not gonna rush this type of thing, we¡¯re gonna send our army that was born in Green to survey the terrain and they¡¯d help us navigate.¡± Takahiro tried to reassure them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have an officially recognized army, Mr. Koizumi. All we have is a combination of yours and Ms. Astraia¡¯s associates that specialize in very specific niches.¡±


    ¡°Okay you know what that¡¯s true, we should raise that army. Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°We should each draw an enlistment poster and hang them up in the towns and cities we actually live!¡± One suggested. Takahiro furrowed his eyebrows at that idea.


    ¡°What is this, a high school bake sale? You know what, you¡¯re fired. Someone take them away.¡± Takahiro sneered. He motioned to the other co-workers seated around the table until a few rose from their chairs, forcibly ejecting whoever spoke from their seat, and went downstairs to get them outside. Takahiro took some deep breaths while they took care of that.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Takahiro started up again while the others sat back down. ¡°I think we should discuss setting up a conscription.¡±


    ¡°A conscription?¡±


    ¡°Well, as you hopefully know, the most any kingdom has had is guards to protect royals and royal housing and areas. There¡¯s never been a military anywherebecause there¡¯s been no need, plus the royals in Rainbow spread all those military horror stories so few would join willingly. If we can get every able-bodied person to enlist through some type of scare we can pool armies from White, Light Grey, Fuschia, Lime, and Brown. Then we should be set to take Green.¡± Takahiro explained.


    ¡°What kind of scare would scare the majority of the Black Kingdom¡¯s residents though?¡± Someone said.


    ¡°Maybe the fact that I¡¯m the king of Black now?¡±


    ¡°What about age limits?¡± Another person asked.


    ¡°Hm, eighteen is hard because barely anyone isn¡¯t going to college, let¡¯s just say those who are under the age of sixty and graduated from school. Can someone write that down?¡± Takahiro asked.


    Someone at the table nodded furiously and took out a pen and a pad of paper, writing down what Takahiro said.


    ¡°What about children with parents?¡±


    ¡°Forgot about parents. If it¡¯s a single parent with no other parent in the picture, they can stay, but if it¡¯s two or more at least one must enlist in the army.¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Getting people to conscript means we¡¯re more likely to let people avoiding conscription go under the radar. Is it possible for us to go door to door?¡±


    ¡°Sir, that would take a ridiculously long time. If we¡¯re not carefully keeping track we might go to the same houses over and over again.¡± Milena complained.


    ¡°We could all take turns visiting homes. We can just start here in the capital and work our way outwards.¡±


    ¡°Even so if so few of us are doing that we¡¯re barely gonna get many enlisters,¡± Milena said.


    ¡°We have the time! We haven¡¯t even set up armies in Tempest. If we keep at it for, say, a week, we should be good.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ I hope you don¡¯t regret this.¡± Milena sighed.


    A few days later, after Takahiro cleared through his schedule, he finally began to go door to door. He made his way out of the palace gates, following the purple path in the ground before him.


    The area around the palace had few citizens walking around, talking. The ordinarily loud and bustling market was silent; most of the stalls and store buildings had become deserted and abandoned, windows cracked, and shelves closed to empty. It starkly contrasted the ordinarily bustling area that once was crowded and noisy.


    ¡®I wonder what that¡¯s all about¡­¡¯ He thought to himself.


    He rounded the corner and walked towards the housing district, a sinking feeling welling in his stomach.


    ¡°Kuso, what have I got myself into?¡¯ Takahiro mentally groaned. On the outside, he maintained a sly smirk because, of course, he did.


    Finally, Takahiro slowed to a stop in the housing district, taking note of the area before choosing the closest house. He stepped up the stairs as slowly as he could. He took a deep breath before knocking and clearing his negative thoughts.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Greeted a young woman who slowly opened the door. Her already uncertain expression fell as she laid eyes on Takahiro. She began to close the door, but Takahiro stopped her.


    ¡°Wait, wait, miss, please! I just have a few harmless questions, that¡¯s all.¡± Takahiro said, with his hands on her door.


    ¡°How long this will take?¡± The woman mumbled.


    ¡°Five minutes at the most.¡±


    ¡°Alright, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Firstly, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Thirty-six.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any dependants?¡±


    ¡°Yes, three children.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any spouses or partners living with you?¡±


    ¡°Have any of them graduated from at least high school or post-secondary?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Any independent adults also graduated from at least high school or more I should know about, like a spouse?¡±


    ¡°Also no.¡±


    ¡°Great! Since you have dependents and they¡¯re all minors, there¡¯s no conscription needed.¡±


    ¡°Conscription?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened, and she slightly closed the door as if to hide behind it.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting mandatory conscription for anyone who graduated from at least high school. Anyone not in school that¡¯s over eighteen or below sixty must join or face severe consequences, but since you have children, it doesn¡¯t affect you.¡±


    ¡°What happens if this conscription is still going on when my children graduate from high school?¡±


    ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll address that but most likely, if they decide to go to college they won¡¯t be drafted. If they decide after high school that they¡¯re done with school then they¡¯d be conscripted. Anyways miss, I have a lot more households to get to, thank you for your time!¡± Takahiro beamed, stumbling as he tried to think of a response. He didn¡¯t think of that. Nobody else did, except for this woman. Oh well, too late now to ponder.


    The woman mumbled something in response. Whatever it was, Takahiro didn¡¯t catch it. But it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°There, one household out of a hundred twenty-nine million.¡± Takahiro trailed off as he walked down the stairs of the first house.


    ¡°Mr. Koizumi, this is exhausting and it¡¯s a time waster. We need to hire people specifically to conscript people into the army, we have much better things to do.¡± Milena panted as she collapsed into Takahiro¡¯s office.


    Takahiro¡¯s office was neatly arranged, everything neatly organized. The walls were grey, with no imperfections in the paint job, the carpet was perfectly vacuumed, the desk was a polished dark brown wood with no scratches or damage, and Takahiro¡¯s computer was black with a golden apple logo, plugged into its charger which somehow was in a perfectly straight line that was plugged into an outlet. Takahiro would not have anything less than a perfect office. Milena¡¯s stack of papers she had carried was now scattered everywhere as soon as she stumbled in, ruining the perfect office he had crafted.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you suggested this, I was just thinking the same thing. But now you¡¯ve ruined my schedule and my office, couldn¡¯t this have waited until my meeting hours?¡± Takahiro growled.


    ¡°Well, you did tell us that someone needed to be conscripting people into the army at all times, but nobody else wanted to take their damned turn! So I was stuck doing this for hours and I was getting hungry, sir.¡± Milena spat.


    ¡°Ugh, alright, you can stop. I¡¯ll order everyone to halt the conscription process and hand over all documents thus far to me. I¡¯ll post a job opening for someone to do job conscripting for us.¡±


    Takahiro lay in his bed, peacefully asleep on the chest of a sleeping Katherina. The sound of an annoying alarm blared in his ear all of a sudden, jolting him up. He groaned, adjusting his glasses.


    ¡®Crap, I forgot to take these off¡­¡¯ Takahiro thought. His eyes fell on Katherina, and his gaze softened. She frowned in her sleep, covering her shoulders with her arms. Takahiro placed the comforter on her, patting her head. He stretched before finally stepping on the cold floors.


    As he looked at the floor, he saw Katherina¡¯s dress and his vest haphazardly thrown on the floor.


    ¡®Oh. That happened.¡¯ Takahiro realized. His eyes raised and stopped at his calendar hung on the wall. The 11th was crossed off, which Takahiro clearly remembered doing the night before. The day afterward, in large red letters, read GREEN KINGDOM INVASION TODAY!


    ¡®Chikuso!¡¯ Takahiro thought as he scrambled around in his room. He looked at the clock, which read five in the morning, there was still time, but Takahiro knew he couldn¡¯t waste time on a day like this. He threw on some black jeans, a white button-up shirt, and some white socks, and he grabbed a yellow ribbon to tie his hair up and fumbled to put on his golden tie. He stared at himself in the mirror for a second before running down the hallway towards the stairs.


    The oversized table only had one person, Milena.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Asleep. The only ones that get up this early are me and you, sir. Since we have time to spare I suggest you eat as much breakfast as you can and make sure the plan is perfect, that way when everyone else is awake you know exactly what to do and while we¡¯re attacking you don¡¯t need to stop and eat food.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± Takahiro turned around and started walking to his office


    Later in the morning, at a more sensible time, Takahiro and his army, composed of conscripted persons, which were now being handled by someone paid purely to deal with conscription, and his coworkers arrived at the Green Kingdom. They arrived on the southwest-most part of the Green Kingdom, the Volodar Beach, the only part with no forest and other fauna towering over it.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, your gonna regret walking through half of the Green Kingdom forest by the time you get to the middle half of Green.¡± Milena pointed out as she was teleported onto the Green Kingdom¡¯s beach.


    ¡°Listen, I know what I¡¯m doing. It¡¯s not just for no reason, it¡¯s to take out as many elves that may try to stand in our way, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you.¡± Takahiro tried to argue.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t complain to me in an hour when your feet are killing you and the horses¡¯.¡± Milena said.


    ¡°Cut it out you two, you¡¯ve been fighting nonstop since I woke up, and only since I woke up, why couldn¡¯t you fight when everyone else was asleep?¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, Milena is helpful, but also annoying.¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°So are you.¡± Milena retorted.


    ¡°Okay, okay, everyone¡¯s here, right?¡± Katherina sighed.


    Random coworkers of Katherina and the generals of the new army counted. As they each finished up, they reported that they had everyone. Each division was about the size of ten thousand.


    ¡°Alright. Second army division will be teleported to the capital and will pick off as many elves as it takes. Third army division will be going down from the capital and will meet us somewhere in the middle of the capital. The first division will start here on the beach and work our way north, and naval divisions one through five will on the surrounding waters of Green to assist at any point possible. Any last questions?¡± Takahiro said.


    Silence washed over them.


    ¡°Alright. Make sure you have your earpieces in and head to your stations.¡± Takahiro said. Takahiro, Katherina, and Milena started walking, leading their division, while the second and third started teleporting away to their respective starting points.


    The first division made their way up the beach hill, walking on the wooden path that led them into the woods. As they went on, there was no beach to be seen, only moss, and the wooden path was replaced by dirt. The trees all were large, unlike the thin ones seen in Black. True to its name, Green had lots of green plants and trees, but there were trees of many different colors, even leaves in different shapes.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so¡­ green.¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Almost like we¡¯re in the Green Kingdom.¡± Milena said.


    They continued walking on the path. Hushed conversations, whispers, and footsteps were all heard, but for the most part, the walk was silent so that everyone could focus.


    For the first twenty minutes, that was all they were doing until they spotted a face watching them from the trees.


    ¡°Sir! There¡¯s someone there!¡± One of Takahiro¡¯s co-workers walked up to Takahiro and whispered.


    ¡°Get your weapons.¡± Takahiro mumbled.


    Everyone slowly revealed their weapons, except for Takahiro, who hadn¡¯t had one for quite a few months. Takahiro¡¯s eye caught the person, who furrowed their eyebrows before hopping out of the trees and landing on the floor. They removed their hood, and Takahiro¡¯s eyes fell right on their ears, which were pointed. Similarly, hooded figures revealed themselves, slinking from behind the trees or landing from the trees above, similar to the first elf they encountered.


    ¡°Mr. Koizumi, you and the rest of your army are under arrest!¡± The elf declared.


    ¡°For what?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°For being here, after everything you¡¯ve done. The monarchs may believe they¡¯re safe, but I know with you still out there, we¡¯re not.¡±


    The elf whipped out a dagger, raising it to Takahiro¡¯s heart. Takahiro swiftly dodged it, teleporting out of the way. The others started to join in on the fight, pulling out their weapons and attacking Takahiro¡¯s army.


    ¡®I really need to get a new weapon, fuck¡­Oh wait, I have a good idea,¡¯ Takahiro thought while attempting to dodge the spear attacks.


    He teleported up into the trees. The spot he was last in was a fading patch of darkness in the sun. He watched the elves become confused before they switched their focus to fighting someone else in Takahiro¡¯s crew. He raised his arms in the air before bringing them down. The area the elves and his crew were fighting in became pitch black, like they were in a tunnel with no light. But as his sclera and iris faded to gold, a sign of a shadow elemental¡¯s ability of also seeing in the dark, he could see every move of everyone below him.


    His skin faded to black, and Takahiro also concealed his clothes. Every part of him became a shadow of darkness. He removed his fedora and covered his eyes before jumping down again.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± An elf screamed, frantically spinning their head around and waving their hands around in some attempt to clear the darkness.


    Takahiro grabbed a dagger lying around and walked behind them, covering their mouth before stabbing them.


    The sun was starting to set more and more. They ran into about five separate bands of elves, and thankfully they¡¯d managed to either kill or scare them off.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve been on and off either walking or riding the horses since it was twelve, and now it¡¯s six, can we please set up a camp to sleep and make dinner?¡± Milena begged.


    ¡°It¡¯s six, shit, I didn¡¯t even realize. Why don¡¯t we go set up a camp over there?¡± Takahiro pointed to a large circle of trees with a large space in the middle. Everyone cheered and raced over, taking out their tents and pitching them.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Takahiro caught the attention of one of the elves working with them, ¡°Do you know where we could get wood to make a fire? Or would we need to cut down a tree for that?¡±


    ¡°Last sign I saw said we were in Cohnal¡­ Here, give me your map.¡± They said. They looked at the map and went into a sunny part of the woods.


    ¡°It¡¯s illegal to chop down a tree here for no good reason. Thankfully, there¡¯s a nearby town that sells wood, and there¡¯s also food there too. Did we bring food, or am I gonna need to buy some?¡± The same elf asked.


    The voices of Takahiro¡¯s crew were split. Some said yes, and some said no.


    ¡°Alright, let me get a list. What do you all want?¡± The elf asked everyone as they took out a pencil and a notepad. They all shouted out food and ingredients.


    ¡°Oh, before you go, remember to hide your army indentification so they just think your¡¯re a random passerby.¡± Takahiro reminded.


    ¡°Of course. Cohnal is a bit of a walk from the main road and they don¡¯t follow news, the chances of them thinking I¡¯m with you are slim. Alright, I¡¯m out.¡± The elf said, putting on a hood and starting to walk in the distance. Takahiro thanked them before picking a spot to pitch his tent.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± Katherina said, appearing out of nowhere.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve barely seen you all day since early this morning. Where have you been?¡± Takahiro laid out the tent and started putting the pegs on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m not super fast, so I ended up at the back, talking to my other friends in the crew for the most part.¡± Katherina started putting up poles.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Takahiro finished by pitching his tent, but his eyes fell on Katherina¡¯s shoes, ¡°Are you wearing heels?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Why wouldn¡¯t I? It doesn¡¯t matter what I¡¯m doing. I need to look perfect at all times.¡±


    ¡°I hope you at least brought a different pair of shoes.¡±


    ¡°I did, but I won¡¯t need them!¡±


    ¡°Alright, suit yourself. Wanna chill in the tent while we wait for wood and food?¡±


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


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Takahiro laid out the sleeping bags on the floor of the tent right next to each other and laid down on the left one. Katherina crawled inside the tent and laid on the right sleeping bag, but not without hugging Takahiro and resting her head on his shoulder, making him blush.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Takahiro unhooked his walkie-talkie from his pants pocket and turned it on before bringing it to his face, ¡°Division one is setting up camp. How are divisions two and three holding up? Over.¡±


    ¡°Division three is currently looking for a place to set up camp as we speak. Over.¡± Said someone from division three.


    ¡°Division two has infiltrated the capital but cannot get into the palace. We¡¯re scrambling to find a place to sleep for the night, over.¡± Said someone from division two.


    ¡°Hi, sorry, this is one of the elves in division one. Have you checked out Mama Myra¡¯s inn? They¡¯re very welcoming to anyone, no matter what.¡± Said the same elf that went to get wood and food, who was now fading out of Takahiro¡¯s view.


    ¡°No, where is that?¡±


    ¡°Right at the capital entrance to your left.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll look there. Thank you.¡±


    The following day, Takahiro¡¯s crew woke up and began making their way northwest as soon as possible. They¡¯d make it to the halfway area by nightfall if all went well.


    And that they did, despite them encountering another five groups of elves wanting to stop them.


    Now, the sky faded into dark blue, the three moons of Ayuzuma all peering around the corner. Takahiro and his crew all trudged along the path.


    ¡°Someone got a flashlight? I can¡¯t read this map¡­.¡± Takahiro mumbled. Katherina fished out of her bag and gave it to him.


    Shining the flashlight, there read Essarae¡¯s Woods, right above the last town they passed that was near the path.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re about at the halfway point. Hopefully, somewhere around here, we should run into the third division pretty soon.¡± Takahiro yelled, looking behind to ensure every crew member heard the news.


    They continued walking forward until Takahiro swore he saw figures in front of him. Katherina started to use her walkie-talkie while Takahiro transformed into his shadow form to use his nocturnal abilities to see if that was the case.


    ¡°Division three, are you there?¡± Katherina spoke into her walkie-talkie, which was heard from the walkie-talkies of everyone across the first division. And Takahiro recognized them, at least somewhat. It was clearly the third division.


    ¡°Yup.¡± The leader of their division said, standing in front of everyone else.


    ¡°Found any good spots to turn in for the night? One last break before we head to the capital would be good.¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Right to the left, actually.¡±


    The leader of the third division walked in the woods, their division following after, and the first following close behind. They spent a good five minutes walking in the woods, and just before Takahiro¡¯s doubts started setting in, they made it to a cleared path of land deep in the woods.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°The abandoned Tri-Moon Town. The people in Essarae used to live here, but something happened, so they went to what¡¯s now Essarae.¡± The third division leader said.


    ¡°That seems risky.¡± said Katherina.


    ¡°I agree, but as long as some people look out for us, we should be okay. As long as we don¡¯t have heavy sleepers.¡±


    Looking up, sure enough, the three moons were higher in the sky, visible from their chosen camp. Uneasiness set in for Takahiro when he started putting down wood for a fire. He looked behind him to see Katherina humming while putting up the tent.


    Nothing would happen to Katherina in Tri-Moon as long as he was around.


    Yet again, as soon as it was morning, they immediately teleported to the capital, but not without a change of clothes, so they wouldn¡¯t get recognized, especially for Takahiro and Katherina, who would get arrested if recognized in Green.


    The capital was bustling and had the most elves ever seen in one area. Of the towns they could glimpse, there were no more than a couple thousand, and buildings had few elves ever in them, while at the capital, there were at least ten elves in every place at any time. Buildings were made on top of hills and on the branches of trees. And the thickest tree trunk was in the capital. Its tree branches were out and above everyone from high above. Just below it was the palace of the royal family of Green, the Yinyras, and the capital city''s official name.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Come on. You can gawk after we take it over.¡± Milena mumbled, dragging Takahiro along.


    The three divisions agreed to meet up in an abandoned building in the capital to discuss and draft the next steps of their plan. It wasn¡¯t that far either, just in a left corner of the capital, tucked behind alleyways of the least populated areas of the capital. The same elf that got wood and food was leading everyone, yet again, down the alleyways that somehow felt much colder than it had felt all throughout the journey in Green.


    They arrived in front of the door, which had paint chipped off and visible wood on some parts. The entire building was small, with a white block of wood overhead. There were remnants of a sign glued onto that block of wood, and there were brown stains near where the old sign would¡¯ve been. The paint of the building was a faded pink, very unusual.


    The elf guide paused, lingering in front of the door.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Do we have more discreet ways of contacting the third division leader?¡± The guide elf asked in a low voice


    ¡°We could text them. Hold on.¡± Takahiro mumbled.


    Takahiro put a finger to his mouth and looked at everyone, signaling them to stay quiet. Then, whipping out his phone, Takahiro typed out a quick text message to the third division leader.


    ¡°Okay, yes, they¡¯re in there. We¡¯re fine.¡± Takahiro walked ahead to open the door.


    The interior had a similar run-down and dingy feel, everything was very dark, and the lights were broken. The windows were all boarded up, so little natural light could even get in, but as soon as they came to the abandoned building, it became frigid and cloudy. The floors were dark mahogany, the wood of the floor had loose screws and even some holes in the floor and pieces of wood not laying in the spots they should be. As expected, this building had the third division, too many people even to count them all, all seated and chatting in the antique chairs and booths, and even someone behind the bar like they were entering a restaurant.


    The first and second divisions entered, and the third warmly greeted them. They all found themselves chatting and catching up, talking about some of their adventures while traveling Green, as if those two days were months. Takahiro and Katherina had to physically drag themselves away from the division leaders to finally get into what they planned to meet up for.


    ¡°Alright, alright, we can talk more about all that later. So, what did division three manage to do?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°We attempted to get into the palace on the first day, but they have so many guards it¡¯s ridiculous. We were so stretched thin and split up. Thankfully the Yinyras didn¡¯t try to drive us out, I think they thought we were just petty thieves wanting something from the palace. And then, we had to get inns, and we tried the second day again, but we ended up giving it up by the time it was dinner. We figured it was probably because our army wasn¡¯t big enough to outnumber those people, so we waited for the other divisions to show up today since that was already happening.¡± The third division leader explained.


    ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t manage to get anything done?¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot! We did manage to find out their weak spots. The entrance only has four guards, two guarding the gates and two watching from above. If something happens close enough to them yet also far enough, they may think it¡¯s safe to step away from their posts for just a couple minutes so you get in. However, a citizen will see you in their place so I have no doubt you¡¯ll be seeing guards constantly. If you have more people I have no doubt taking down the guards will be no problem. They also don¡¯t have guards around the back, and they have no glass in their windows, so you can get in there easily.¡±


    ¡°If you noticed that other weak spot, how came you didn¡¯t take advantage of it?¡± Takahiro growled, angry at how this takeover mission could¡¯ve been done much quicker.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t realize until it was too late, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, no better time to take advantage of that than now. Let¡¯s go-¡± Takahiro was interrupted by the door slamming open.


    In the door stood a pale young woman who looked about as pissed as Satan would whenever Takahiro stole his hair tie. She had white hair that faded to light green and brown, braided to the side in a green bow. Her black mask covered her mouth and nose, obscuring most of her face except for her green eyes. She wore black arm gauntlets, a brown cape over a brown shirt, and light green pants. Her boots were dark green and folded over. Her most noticeable feature was her pointed ears that stuck out to the side, very noticeable.


    Takahiro bit his lower lip and scooted closer to the leader of the third division.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s her deal?¡± Takahiro whispered.


    ¡°The Princess of Green and Leader of the Hunters. Ever since we¡¯ve been trying to get into the palace, she¡¯s been on our tail trying to capture us.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Koizumi, you and all divisions of your army have been fighting and murdering our hunters. I hereby sentence you and everyone else that has participated in such things to the dungeon.¡± She announced.


    Groans and screams were heard. While some army members tried to leave their meeting space through the windows or by using magic or powers to get away, some tried to fight their way out, trying to land a spell or an arrow on the princess, but either she either dodged out of the way or one of the hunters grabbed arrows and took the spells instead. With the elf princess and her hunters blocking the door, those that attempted to fight their way out couldn¡¯t get very far. Some elves with bulging muscles ran up to some of the members and pinned their arms behind their backs.


    Takahiro quickly used his shadow powers to plunge everyone into darkness, transforming himself to see in the dark. Takahiro heard screams from the elves and attempted to use the opportunity to take down the princess, who was right in front of him, eyes darting around in confusion. The third division leader handed Takahiro a dagger, and he raced up to her, close enough to attack her but not so close she could hear her breathing.


    He raised his dagger up in the air.


    He was stopped in his tracks by two elves grabbing both of his arms and the princess kicking him in the balls. He groaned in pain and felt liquid and glass splash on his back.


    Everything went dark,


    As Takahiro slowly regained consciousness, he could feel magic particles surrounding his body. His vision started coming back in, but it was blurry at first despite him having his glasses on.


    When his vision cleared, he could barely make out a figure in the darkness. He was lying on the cold floor, with a few beds and a toilet. His eyes stopped at the bars on his right.


    Shit.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Takahiro slowly sat.


    ¡°Some parts of the army managed to get away, but us? They took us, used the unconscious potions and put us in the dungeon. Thankfully they didn¡¯t get me but I managed to fake it until they threw us into the dungeon. It¡¯s only been like a day? They took all our forms of communications with the other divisions, I can only guess they¡¯re monitoring what our walkie talkies say very closely. I can also only guess that we¡¯ll be transferred to some other dungeon very soon. They may not have a guard in here but they definitely have a guard out there.¡± Milena explained, pointing to the door at the farthest end of the hallway.


    ¡°If your magic works, how come you couldn¡¯t teleport us out there?¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°This jail cell has some kind of teleportation prevention spell. Using your magic and trying to teleport it sends your whole body in pain.¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew those existed when we captured the Tempest Royals¡­ Oh, do we have any demons or earth elementals that could break us out?¡±


    ¡°In here? No, we have a fire elemental over there that could melt the bars, but I can¡¯t get out of this prison, and they¡¯ve been unconscious the whole time, so either the rest of the army somehow gets over here, or we are screwed.¡±


    ¡°Fuck. Where¡¯s Kathy?¡±


    ¡°Right across from us.¡± Milena pointed.


    Takahiro scooted closer to the bars, trying to spot her. He faintly saw dark Fuschia hair, and a blanket over someone. It was too dark to tell, but he could only assume it was her. He looked around him; others from his army were scattered, awake but not moving.


    ¡°They better get here soon.¡± Milena bit her lip.


    There wasn¡¯t anything to do, so all they could do was sleep, sit, lie around, or talk, but if they talked, they had to be quiet. There was still a risk even when whispering, so they opted just to sleep. At this point, it¡¯d been a few hours. Who knows what time it was outside? It was practically silent, the group awake, only hearing faint buzzing outside the door.


    After hours of near silence, they started hearing running upstairs, the sound getting closer until it neared the door. They heard glass shatter and the thump of two people falling on the floor, likely the guards. The door was opened, and Takahiro opened his eyes to see the rest of his army.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Someone that opened the door asked.


    ¡°Unconcious potion¡¯d everyone. I was the only one who wasn¡¯t properly potion, so I woke up everyone in this cell with my magic. I couldn¡¯t break out of this cell to wake everyone else up. Anything going on out there?¡± Milena asked.


    ¡°We had to regroup back at the Black Kingdom palace and make a plan to find everyone else. We also started trying to take Green. If you¡¯d all like to rest, we can take you back to Black.¡± Someone said, unlocking the cell doors while members of the army with magic began waking the rest still asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to help out this time. I¡¯m the reason this war is going on, to begin with. What¡¯s happening out there right now?¡± Takahiro slowly picked himself up off the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you. The rest of you, get everyone out of the cells and at Black, then meet in the Green palace¡¯s throne room.¡± The third division leader waved over Takahiro.


    They exited the dungeon, Takahiro glancing behind him at Katherina. Someone had just woken her up and teleported her away. Takahiro sighed in relief. At least she could take a break.


    The third division leader guided Takahiro up a wooden staircase, and they walked up to see the inside of the palace. The inside was huge, the ceiling much higher than Takahiro had ever seen. The walls were a light green, and the floors were a wooden dark brown. At the right end of the hallway were wood chairs, as if tree trunks and thick tree branches were bent around to create the chairs. They were decorated with leaves and flowers. It was hard to take in the palace while Takahiro and Green¡¯s armies were currently duking it out.


    ¡°We¡¯re fighting off the Yinyra army right now while trying to look for the Yinyras themselves.¡± The third division leader explained.


    ¡°Where were they last seen?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°They went behind their thrones, but the hunters either blocked or fought to keep us from going back there. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they¡¯re in a different area at this point.¡± As the third division leader explained, one of the hunters noticed them and started shooting arrows at them. The third division leader raced up to the hunter, pulling out two daggers and attempting to stab them. Another hunter raced up to Takahiro with a sickle and swung it at him. Takahiro teleported away before they could touch him.


    Takahiro raced to the thrones, using his shadow magic to plunge the rest of his army into darkness. He heard shouts and yelling of confusion while making his way over. And for good measure, he also made a shadow barrier around the thrones so that if someone made their way to them, they could see, though their vision wouldn¡¯t get any farther from the throne rooms.


    Just as he made it down the hallway and was about to walk up the staircase, he saw blood forming out of thin air. Starting from the ground up, the blood turned into someone in seconds. As the person finished teleporting, Takahiro got a good look at the person.


    It was Satan, the first time he¡¯d seen him in a long time, but his skin was now a light coral. Technically his demon skin color would be classified as red, but it might as well just be pink due to how light it was.


    Takahiro stumbled backward, eyes widened. Satan held out his left arm, directing blood to morph into a pitchfork. He grabbed it, and twirled it around.


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Takahiro began dodging Satan¡¯s attacks.


    ¡°The Yinyra¡¯s and the remaining royals have been meeting. As soon as they captured you and Katherina, they called a meeting to decide what to do. We have just gotten out of that meeting, and what do you know? Your army has caused another ruckus.¡±


    ¡°So? I¡¯ll do what I need to do to take over Ayuzuma.¡±


    ¡°As some kind of homage to your parents?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my parents!¡± Takahiro¡¯s voice cracked, freezing up.


    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s one thing to be grieving them, but taking over Ayuzuma, so people know they existed? Really? When you first started planning this all, did you realize how ridiculous that sounded?¡± Satan kicked Takahiro to the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just Ayuzuma¡¯s black sheep for wanting to keep ruling to fulfill my only purpose of being alive.¡± Takahiro deadpanned.


    ¡°Does all of this matter when there have been and will be so many people hurt? Possibly even lives lost?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Neither do you.¡± Satan fumed. As Takahiro tried to raise himself off the ground, Satan swiftly moved his blood to his hands, the blood transforming into a pair of handcuffs. Takahiro panicked and tried to wrestle his way out of them like there was any way he could.


    Of course, Satan also had an unconscious potion he threw at Takahiro, the liquid getting his white button-up shirt dirty.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to confiscate those damned things. If I ever wake up again¡­¡¯ Takahiro last thought as he drifted off again.


    ***


    Katherina


    Katherina woke up to magic encapsulating her body, Milena hovering over her. She rubbed her eyes, slowly sitting up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Got captured by the Green royal family, put in jail, potioned us all into frozen unconsciousness, just an average day,¡± Milena explained. Magic particles surrounded them, and Katherina and Milena were suddenly back in the Black Palace, Katherina still sitting on the floor. She glanced around the carpet, the throne behind her, and the throne room. Others were lying on the floor, too, being awoken by those with magic powers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Takahiro?¡± Katherina yawned.


    ¡°He went with the third division leader to help take Green. Everyone else that got captured was sent to rest, including you.¡±


    ¡°I was just resting before, though! How long has it been, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Only a day and a few hours, nothing too crazy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than what I would¡¯ve thought. If anyone needs me, let me know, I haven¡¯t eaten in a bit.¡± Katherina sighed.


    Milena gave a quick goodbye, then teleported away to help more of the army still left in the dungeon. Katherina stood up, walked up the stairs, and went to the kitchen, where others took food from the communal fridge. She grabbed an orange and took off her gloves. She walked over to the dining room table, taking a seat away from everyone so they wouldn¡¯t bother her. She placed the gloves on the table, then started peeling the orange. She piled the orange skins on the table, placing the unpeeled orange on the orange skins. She popped an orange slice into her mouth, trying to look as focused on eating as possible to listen to the others¡¯ conversations. Typically, she¡¯d hear about things as juicy as the oranges she was eating. Unfortunately for her, nothing. Just about the weather.


    ¡®Part of our army was in the dungeon! How is there no juicy story to come out of this?¡¯ Katherina thought.


    Just as she thought about that, she heard walkie-talkies go off. Perfect, something interesting had to be going on. The others sitting at the table resting raced downstairs.


    ¡°Satan got Takahiro!¡± One yelled, racing down the stairs.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Katherina thought.


    She rose in her seat, shoving the rest of her orange in her mouth, and carried her gloves and the orange skins. She frantically threw out the orange skins and washed her hands, so the inside of her gloves wouldn¡¯t get gross.


    ¡°Mrs. Astraia, while Takahiro was going to capture the Yinyras, Satan got to him first. He managed to use an unconscious potion on him, and Satan fought off anyone that tried to take Takahiro back. What should we do?¡± Someone panted, asking Katherina.


    ¡°Take me to them, and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± Katherina put on her gloves, eyebrows furrowing as she faced them.


    They teleported somewhere within the castle. Where they were, they really couldn¡¯t tell. The hallway walls they saw while walking, trying to look for Takahiro, or even anything really, were lined with portraits of past royals of Green. Past Yinyras. There were decorations of trees and nature surrounding the portraits on the walls.


    Finally, they managed to find a map on the walls of the halls and just so happened to walk down a hall Takahiro was also at.


    Takahiro was there but passed out on the floor, as expected. So was Satan, in a hoodie and his long black hair tied into a bun, much different from how he last looked. There were five more that were also there as well, the first being Nico. He looked the same since they last interacted, still the light grey hair, still immortal, and forever twenty-five without having to marry someone for it, the usual stuff. There was a woman all in blue, a shorter guy that looked like Satan, and a woman all in yellow. She could guess their names, but she didn¡¯t care to at this point.


    The person who told Katherina the news pulled out a sword and started to march forward, but Katherina quickly pulled them back. Thank the fairy goddess that the hallway was dark so they wouldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Not yet! Wait for them to turn away.¡± Katherina whispered.


    They both leaned over the wall, peeking over the edge to see what they were up to, waiting for the perfect time to strike.


    After five minutes of waiting, the five finally faced the other direction. Katherina and the other person finally charged, taking out her golden kunais. She may not be known exactly who the other three were, but she had a particular hunch they were at least immortal.


    Katherina approached Satan, attempting to grab his arms and pin them to his back. Satan immediately yanked his arms out of Katherina¡¯s hands and turned around, eyebrows furrowed and red eyes matching his actions. But as soon as his eyes fell onto Katherina, his eyes widened, and he stepped back. He pointed his pitchfork at Katherina with an unconscious potion in hand.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± Satan shouted.


    The other four turned to Satan, and they were just as shocked to see Katherina, but they couldn¡¯t stop fighting off Katherina¡¯s other army agents.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Katherina shrugged. She waved her hand towards her as if trying to get Satan to move closer to her. Satan looked back at her, confused and retracting his weapon. Katherina smirked as she watched two of her agents, huge and much more physically robust than Satan ever was, restrain Satan, coming from the same hallway she came from. He tried to fight back but couldn¡¯t, as one agent used magic that sealed away Satan¡¯s blood powers, his pitchfork reverting to blood and the blood spilling onto his clothes and dirtying his hand. More of her agents finally managed to close in on the other four. Milena raced out of the swarm of army people and confiscated Satan¡¯s unconscious potion, and scooped Satan off the floor, teleporting away without a word.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep getting away with this!¡± Satan yelled out.


    ¡°Oh, but I¡¯ve been getting away with it, and I will keep getting away with it. Goodbye!¡± Katherina smiled while Satan tried to protest her.


    ¡°Mrs. Astraia, we¡¯ve found the Yinyras.¡± A group of army people approached her with the four Yinyras in their hands, restrained. The rest were still, but the teenage girl protested and fought to be freed from the hands that held her back. Katherina took a moment to glance at them; they all had pointed ears, nature imagery, and wore lots of green and brown. Milena also teleported back in, handing the unconscious potion to Katherina.


    ¡°Ugh, your fashion is so boring. Will you shut up already?¡± Katherina commented.


    ¡°No!¡± The girl yelled back.


    ¡°That¡¯ll make you shut up, alright.¡± Katherina rolled her eyes, tossing the potion at the four. They all passed out, making the army people drop them on the floor.


    ¡°You still need to carry them to Black¡¯s dungeon,¡± Katherina said. The army people quickly apologized, and one of them, with magic, teleported them away.


    ¡°Do you need me to teleport you back?¡± Milena asked.


    ¡°Yes. Can you come back here, secure the perimeter, and ensure only our agents are here, no hunters? Also, do you have a recommendation on a figurehead for here?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°Mirthal, probably? Let¡¯s worry about that later, though. Okay, to Takahiro!¡±


    They teleported back to Takahiro¡¯s room. Takahiro himself swaddled under the blankets, staring up at the ceiling. Katherina chuckled to herself at the sight.


    ¡°Hey, Hiro, did the unconscious potions fuck you up or something?¡±


    ¡°Sorta. I guess you''re not supposed to use it more than once within a one-week period, makes you sick or something. I literally haven¡¯t eaten in so long. Oh wait, did we get Green?¡±


    ¡°We captured the Yinyras and threw up Satan and the other four, so I¡¯d say we pretty much have. Just need a figurehead and to set up more guards over there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯m gonna go get some food now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t I get it instead? You should rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay, works for me.¡± Takahiro flops back on the bed.


    They both stayed still in their respective spots for a moment. Katherina walks over and kisses Takahiro¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Wh-¡± Takahiro blushes.


    ¡°See ya in a second.¡± Katherina races off. She giggles to herself as she makes her way to the fridge.

 Guarded

    Satan, April 16th


    It was a miracle Satan and the others made it home. They''d been freed only thanks to Arista and Eris; otherwise, they¡¯d be stuck in the Black Kingdom dungeons for who knows how long.


    Now, Satan was seated at the desk in his room, away from the world and everyone else, drafting plans to advance with the war and papers of things he¡¯d collected on Katherina and Takahiro across his mess of a desk. The more the war advanced, the more he holed himself up in his room to be alone.


    Satan glanced out the window to see the Red Kingdom. The magenta moon shined down from a crack in the caves above. When was the last time he was in his kingdom and not hauled up in the palace? He couldn¡¯t remember. By now, he¡¯d popped in to see many other kingdoms but barely went out into his own. He didn¡¯t need to, anyway. Arsene would get groceries, and any issues within his side of Red would go directly to him.


    An alarm stopped him from his thoughts, and he dropped his pencil in surprise. He looked at his phone, which read Tutoring Session with Phoenix.


    ¡®Oh, it¡¯s Thursday? God, my sense of time is fucked lately.¡¯ Satan thought as he stacked all his papers on top of each other in a neat pile. He took his pencils and pens with him and opened the door. While looking ahead, and something grasped onto his legs. He jumped slightly, looking down, only to see Phoenix.


    ¡°Oh, hi Fifi.¡± Satan smiled at the sight of his son, who was now nine, his birthday in February.


    ¡°Hi daddy! You don¡¯t look so good. Do you wanna put off tutoring and do it some other day?¡± Phoenix greeted with a smile.


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯m fine. Why do you say that?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Your eyebag looks the worstest it¡¯s ever looked. And your hair is messy!¡±


    ¡°But my hair is always like that. I got that from grandpa.¡± Satan combed his hair back with his fingers, exposing his right eye.


    ¡°I mean messier than normal! I¡¯m gonna get Auntie Araya make you a hot chocolate!¡± Phoenix turned on his heel down the hallway.


    ¡°Fifi, I¡¯m fine you don¡¯t-¡± Satan¡¯s voice faded as he watched Phoenix run to the living room.


    No use fighting it, so he went to the dining room and sat down. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and fixed his side ponytail.


    ¡°A little rascal tells me your not yourself. I haven¡¯t seen you leave your room much since the attack on Black. You okay?¡± Araya says as she walks into the kitchen, Phoenix clutching her hand. She has to bend down slightly so he can reach her. Satan noticed Phoenix was much shorter than he was nine.


    ¡°Oh, you know. Planning our next move. That kind of thing.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Makes sense. You need a break, even if it¡¯s just for a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°But things are so dire! I don¡¯t want to lounge around or waste time, they always invade other kingdoms at the most unexpected times, I have to be ready for anything!¡± Satan leaned in closer to whisper to Araya.


    ¡°You¡¯re still finding the time to spend with Phoenix, I think you can spare another hour to yourself and another eight to sleep at night too, plus two hours each for breakfast, dinner and lunch. That¡¯s still eight hours for planning, just saying.¡± Araya whispered back. She walked away as she finished what she was saying, leaving Satan and Phoenix to their thing. Phoenix had brought a bunch of papers and threw them across the table, leaving a mess as he rushed to grab pencils from his room.


    Finally, after a few minutes of Satan watching Phoenix go back and forth between the dining room and Phoenix¡¯s room, he stopped and set the last of his things on the table, grabbing the chair and sitting in it. His head barely reached the top of the table. Satan smiled at the sight, tucking his long bangs that usually covered his right eye out of the way to see better.


    ¡°Alright, what do you want to start off with for today?¡± Satan smiled.


    CRASH!


    Satan whipped his head around to see a wall crumbled, the pieces landing on the floor. About fifteen masked figures, demons this time similar to the ones behind the reunion incident, appeared in front of the broken wall.


    ¡®No, I thought they couldn¡¯t reach the Hell Sector.¡¯ Satan thought. He felt overwhelming dread as he unhooked the chains around his waist and transformed them into his pitchfork. His hands shook, pointing his pitchfork at them as Phoenix hid behind Satan.


    Everyone else that had been living in the house came to the dining room to see the commotion. The others were shocked as they looked at the destroyed wall and the mysterious demons.


    ¡°You¡¯d disobey your ruler to work for criminals?¡± Satan yelled, but quieter than he usually would. He couldn¡¯t get too into his emotions in front of Phoenix. He shouldn¡¯t see that side of him.


    ¡°You did the same for them..¡± One masked demon taunted, stepping closer towards Satan with an axe.


    Satan''s hands gripped his pitchfork harder. He teleported behind them and held the pitchfork handle up to their neck. Satan motioned Phoenix to go to Arsene and Nico while the demon tried to turn their body around to hit Satan with their axe. Arsene, Nico, and Phoenix teleported away, but he wasn¡¯t sure about where. After knowing Phoenix was safe, Satan finally let up but pushed them onto the ground and stepped on their body. Not enough to break anything but enough so they would have trouble getting up, the other masked demons teleported towards the rest remaining in the castle:


    Lucifer, Araya, Bree, Crow, and Eris. Lucifer stepped forward and cuffed the demon with his blood magic while Arista teleported away with her and Lucifer¡¯s baby, who was nine days old.


    Satan took a few seconds to take in sight in front of him. Araya and Eris were taking out three demons together, Araya twirling her pole around and Eris using her chaos powers to influence the three to fight each other. Bree was using her guitar as a weapon, as terrible as that sounds, trying to hit the invading demons with the thick end of it but missing. Crow teleported with his blood magic, tricking them into being hit by Bree. Satan felt relieved they could all hold their own in such situations.


    Distracted, the cuffed demon kicked Satan while he wasn¡¯t looking. The cuffed demon managed to stand up and tried to stop Satan, but Satan grabbed his leg and threw the cuffed demon away. By now, only eight remained. The other seven either passed out or were too injured to carry on. Satan tried to stand back up and steady himself, but the remaining eight raced up to him. Satan used his blood magic to push them back as they approached him. The others raced up to the other demons to take one on, while Satan was left with two others that raced back up to him. Satan pointed his pitchfork at the two and made jabbing motions with it. His pitchfork stabbed one in the stomach, and they fell back, but the other teleported behind him. Satan turned around, but the demon punched him in the eye, making Satan fall back again.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± The demon that punched him shouted into a walkie-talkie, and all of the invading demons teleported away with blood magic of their own.


    Satan slowly rose to his feet again, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Wow I really can¡¯t catch a break huh? Anyone injured?¡± Satan sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, you have a black eye though. Here, let me heal that.¡± Araya glanced at everyone else, who looked perfectly fine, before walking up to Satan and holding his face. She touched his injured eyelid with her hands that glowed yellow and gave off tiny flower particles.


    ¡°There, good as new. Wait, did Arsene, Nico and Arista tell anyone where they went to?¡± Araya said as she retracted her hand.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯ll call them though.¡± Lucifer said.


    And almost like nothing happened, almost everyone immediately turned to talk to each other like normal while Satan watched.


    ¡®Oh, still have my tutoring session with Phoenix, as long as he still wants to, I suppose.¡¯ He thought. Immediately Satan called Arsene, Nico, and Arista back. They teleported back with Phoenix. Arista immediately teleported after they all returned.


    Satan knelt in front of Phoenix. Unexpectedly, Phoenix had a smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°You alright, Fifi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, are we gonna start the tutoring session already?¡± Phoenix said


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I can¡¯t say no to that. Come on.¡± Satan shrugged with a slight smile.


    As soon as they had wrapped up, Satan went to his room. The whole session felt as if it was done all on autopilot. Currently, he was seated in his desk chair. His thoughts spun wildly, unable to focus on anything else. How could he not with everything that¡¯s been happening?


    He glanced over at his map of Ayuzuma. The entirety of Tempest was crossed out with many colorful thumbtacks, also in the color of the Tempest kingdoms. The Black Kingdom was crossed out in Black thumbtacks, a doodle of Takahiro likely scribbled out in five minutes at maximum pinned right next to it. Another doodle of Katherina was next to him, thumbtack arrows pointing from the doodles to the places they conquered on the map.


    ¡®Ah, I haven¡¯t talked to Reyes in a while. I¡¯ll see if they have any new information for me.¡¯ Satan thought. He turned on his phone and called them.


    ¡°Oh hey, it¡¯s been awhile! How¡¯s it been?¡± Reyes chirped on the phone.


    ¡°Bad, fifteen demons showed up to my palace today. They were dressed the same as the attackers at the reunion incident too! Do you have anything on that, and if not, anything new in general?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to get into the kingdoms much lately. I¡¯ve been forced to investigate other cases while ruling the Erisian Hell, but I do have some more stuff.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, how the fuck do you balance all that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, in the daytime I handle my royal duties, at night I do my detective duties, and whenever I¡¯m taking a break from both and it¡¯s been awhile I¡¯ll sneak my way into one of the invaded kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Workaholic much?¡±


    ¡°So are you!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, back on topic, what have you found out by now?¡±


    ¡°So despite the diversity of Katherina and Takahiro crew, associates¡­ whatever the hell they¡¯re called, for awhile they had yet to get any demons or people with connections to demons on the crew so they could actually get into hell. They¡¯ve been wanting to catch you out of the Hell Sector of Red and attack you again just to piss you off but they said you don¡¯t leave Red much, and when you do, it¡¯s not long enough for them to plan and send people after you. Finally, they got a few demons on their side so they could only just now place an attack on you, and they¡¯re planning more that will be as bad, if not worse then the reunion incident. They plan to get some demon spies around your palace too so they can plan more attacks on you and foil your plans further down the line.¡± Reyes explained.


    Once Reyes finished explaining, Satan spent a minute in silence, hand over his mouth, eyes widened as Reyes¡¯ words sunk in.


    ¡°You good?¡± Reyes asked.


    ¡°No. Did you catch any more of their plans for taking other kingdoms?¡±


    ¡°Nope, seems those are kept to their private inner circle.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Is there a way you can get into their private circle somehow?¡±


    ¡°Most likely not, their private inner circle has the people they hang out the most, and with my obligations to my kingdom of hell and my detective work that¡¯s not gonna happen. I can probably find ways to sneak into their meetings or bug their meetings.¡±


    ¡°Is that not what you¡¯ve been doing already?¡±


    ¡°I sit in as a part-time member of their crew, actually and mostly get into Katherina and Takahiro¡¯s offices¡¯ if they¡¯re not in their for the most part, but I¡¯ll get to that as soon as I can. Is that all you need from me this time around?¡±


    ¡°That should be all.¡±


    ¡°Alright, talk to you soon!¡±


    When Reyes hung up, all Satan could do was sit still, pondering and spacing out. When he zoned back into reality, his eyes happened to be on a map of Earth. Somehow, that map made him realize something.


    ¡®The attack this time was barely anything. But I do not doubt that they¡¯ll get more and more violent in the future. I think¡­ Phoenix, Arete, Arista and her baby might not be safe here anymore.¡¯


    Satan took a break that day, later on, to get to do some stuff he hadn¡¯t been able to do in quite a while, but as soon as he woke up the next day, it was back to business. As usual, he was busy dealing with issues of the Red Kingdom¡¯s Hell Sector in the day, but in rushing through as much as he could to an unhealthy degree, he finally found time to talk to Arista and Lucifer. Satan was wandering the palace, looking for Lucifer and Arista. Just before he was about to call Arista¡¯s phone, he spotted them in the living room, Arista lounging on the couch with baby Aragon in his arms.


    ¡°Arista, Lucifer! I have something important to ask you guys, is now a bad time?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Actually, this is the perfect time. What¡¯s up?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°Can we talk just the three of us, actually?¡±


    ¡°Sure, how about in Arista and I¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Give us a second. We¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Satan walked to their room, which was painted a light purple rather than the standard grey all the extra bedrooms had before. He sat in the black spinny desk chair. The table in front of it was dark brown with carvings depicting demons and angels on the drawers. This was standard when the palace was remodeled into what it was today. A computer and open drawers had an almost unholy mixture of Lucifer¡¯s random junk and baby supplies. Their room was messy, with baby clothes and toys all on the floor. Satan spotted the crib in the corner, and Satan began reminiscing on his time raising his children so many years ago. His thoughts were interrupted by Lucifer and Arista opening the door and entering, taking a seat on the bed, which notably was missing the canopy; also a standard for the rooms in Satan¡¯s palace, and the comforter and pillows were a matching light blue rather than the unnecessarily expensive black and grey fancy comforters they used to have.


    Lucifer and Arista sat on the bed together, Arista holding and cooing to baby Aragon. Satan maneuvered the swivel chair over the carpet to be facing them.


    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t be there when he was born, I got so busy with planning attacks and what to do for hypothetical situations that I passed out. You said his name was Aragon, right?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Yes. do you want to hold him?¡± Arista held out Aragon to Satan.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s been a few years since I last held a baby, so I must warn you, I might not know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Satan said as he gently held Aragon in his arms, cradling him. Aragon was sleeping peacefully, swaddled in a red blanket. Satan felt the corners of his lips lift upwards as he looked at Aragon.


    ¡°What did you want to talk to us about, anyway?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°You know about the attack yesterday, right?¡±


    ¡°Pft, yeah? I was there, and if you didn¡¯t notice, I killed it.¡±


    ¡°And you remember the one I told you at the last Satanel reunion as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ This attack really was quite pathetic, but the last one felt like they actually put some effort into harming us. Well, not you and Arista, but you get the idea. I learned from my spy that Takahiro and Katherina got demons to work for them, so they¡¯ll keep the attacks coming, and they want to get spies down here to foil my plans and watch us.¡±


    ¡°Yikes. Did you tell anyone else yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but you I feel are the most vulnerable, so I wanted you to be first.¡±


    ¡°Oh we¡¯re not vulnerable as long as you have me around.¡± Lucifer smirked.


    ¡°Are you sure? Even you¡¯ve had times you¡¯ve gotten hurt before. I¡¯m not sure this palace is safe anymore to be quite honest. I¡¯m scared for Aragon, Phoenix and Arete. I know you could hold your own,¡± Satan looked at Arista, ¡°but I really don¡¯t think I should risk anything happening to you, especially with¡­ you know¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean my father, right?¡± Arista bit her lip as she glanced at the floor.


    ¡°Partially, but mostly I mean what would happen if the attacks get to you, when your still in pain? Would the universe get all out of shape if something happened to you? And would he get on my ass and kill me?¡±


    ¡°I gave birth like a week ago, and the universe is still fine, so I don¡¯t think anything will change much. There are plenty of other destruction goddesses like me, maybe I don¡¯t have an heir but they¡¯ll find someone to take over for me if that happens. Honestly, haven¡¯t seen him since the day the girls and I descended down to Earth though, he sends someone to give us our assignments and that¡¯s it, I really doubt it with the ways things are panning our right now. Unrelated, but man, you and Lucifer are a lot more alike than you think, you know?¡± Arista laughed, ow-ing in pain at the same time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you''re talking about, we couldn¡¯t be any more different. He¡¯s a menace and I¡¯m the stable one.¡± Satan argued.


    ¡°Hey, at least I have a sense of humor. You¡¯re boring.¡± Lucifer pointed at Satan.


    Satan could¡¯ve fired back another insult, but he heard baby Aragon cooing, and he felt his anger at Lucifer fade away as he shushed Aragon and rocked him gently.


    ¡°Getting back on topic, I¡¯m wondering if it might be good idea to move out of the palace. Not just you three but all of us. I¡¯m also wondering if you should go off the planet indefinitely for Phoenix, Arete, and Aragon.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense, but what would you do for Phoenix?¡± Arista asked,


    ¡°Maybe Eris could take him, and I could help them buy temporary residence back on Earth? Or he could stay with my mom and dad, but I¡¯d have to explain the situation here, and I¡¯m not quite ready for that¡­.¡±


    ¡°If worse comes to worse, I¡¯m sure Artemios would have no problem watching Phoenix. When I pick up and drop off Arete he always tells me how Phoenix is a sweet kid and Arete adores him.¡± Arista said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you won¡¯t let mom and dad help. They could end this all super quick with a shi- I mean, a heck ton of soldiers. Why don¡¯t you just tell them?¡± Lucifer said, making sure not to curse in front of the baby.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to follow through on my punishment. I need to show them I¡¯ve grown since then and I can handle this on my own. They still have to run their kingdom, after all¡­¡± Satan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a war. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much for just you to hold all on your shoulders?¡± Arista pointed out.


    ¡°Before this war, I had the entire Red Kingdom Hell Sector resting on my shoulders, which was fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want mom and dad¡¯s help, make an army. Maybe some of the other royals can pitch in.¡± Lucifer suggested.


    ¡°I will for sure.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°How would we even go about moving out of the palace though?¡±


    ¡°You and Arista can move back to the freedom pantheon, and so can Arsene and Araya. Nico could go with Arsene, I guess I¡¯ll need a new bodyguard. I don¡¯t know where I will go yet. I¡¯d have to talk to my guard staff on where to go that¡¯d be secure.¡±


    ¡°So, what are we gonna do, then?¡± Arista asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone else my idea and get them on board so they can start to look for a place to go. Arista, you and I can call Artemios once I tell Phoenix about this. The last thing I want to do is spring this on him out of nowhere. I¡¯m almost done making plans for potential war scenarios, so once I finish that up, I¡¯ll be a little less swamped.¡±


    ¡°Alright, once you tell Phoenix, let me know, and we can talk to Artemios,¡± Arista said.


    Thinking he was finished, Satan stood up and returned Aragon to Arista and Lucifer. He began using his blood magic to teleport but was stopped by Lucifer.


    ¡°I forgot, Eris and I were thinking, you¡¯ve been super stressed about everything. What if you took a vacation for a week soon?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°Are you crazy? I still have a war to deal with! Who¡¯d take over for me?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Well, Eris was the queen of the black kingdom, so she knows how to run a kingdom. Sure, it may be different down here than it would be up there but she could deal with your duties as a king. And remember how growing up I¡¯d sit in dad¡¯s meetings with his friends, planning attacks on the angels? I know a thing or two about planning attacks and war and blah blah, so I could take over that.¡±


    ¡°That does sound nice¡­ Maybe for a week Phoenix and I can spend some time together before he goes to Artemios¡¯ house. But would you two be alright with it?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Dude, we¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while; we wouldn¡¯t want to take over your duties if we weren¡¯t okay with it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you still want to do that, I¡¯ll tell you when I tell Phoenix. I also need to let my staff know as well¡­ Alright, I still have some work to finish, unfortunately, but once I clear the most important stuff out of my schedule I¡¯ll tell everyone.¡±


    Now more determined than ever to get to work, Satan said bye before finally teleporting back to his room and immediately got back into planning possible attacks for the war and doing royal duties, ready to get them done and out of the way soon as possible.


    A few days later, Satan managed to talk to everyone, and everyone was on board. Everyone except Phoenix. He¡¯d been procrastinating talking to him, finding things in his work to change or tweak that didn¡¯t even need it, finding any excuse to avoid having the complicated conversation.


    Satan was in his throne room, which had grey walls and stained glass windows depicting him and his loved ones. His throne was metallic black and a soft red to go with how Satan wore almost exclusively black, save for the red hair tie that went with his eyes.


    ¡°Wait no, give me that letter for a second, actually.¡± Satan said to his advisor, reaching out to them. The advisor gave Satan the letter and he read it. Satan took out a pen and began scribbling.


    ¡°You know what? My writing doesn¡¯t look too good in this. Why don¡¯t we scrap this one and throw it in the fireplace?¡± Satan suggested.


    ¡°Sir, I really don¡¯t think-¡± The advisor protested.


    ¡°Give me a moment, I¡¯ll go chuck this one and get a new paper.¡± Satan rose from his throne and walked to the living room where the fireplace was. He was about to throw the paper into the fire, but he was stopped by a thought.


    ¡®I really need to talk to Phoenix¡­ You know what? No more procrastination, I¡¯m gonna do this right now!¡¯ Satan thought, dropping the letter on the ground to deal with later.


    He walked to Phoenix¡¯s room and knocked on the door. Satan felt his body tremble as he retracted his hand back.


    The door opened to Phoenix, looking up at Satan with his big, beady eyes.


    ¡°Hi, daddy!¡± Phoenix chirped.


    ¡°Hi, Fifi.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. I want to show you something!¡± Phoenix lead Satan into his room and took him to his small desk. Phoenix¡¯s room was painted a dark red, something Phoenix chose and Satan painted for him as soon as Phoenix moved into the palace. He had a medium-sized bed with teenage mutant ninja turtle-themed bedsheets, a bed too big for Phoenix all on his own but would fit Satan if Phoenix wanted him to sleep with him one night. Phoenix¡¯s room had a small wooden desk like the ones he¡¯d see if he went to school and a cabinet beside it with a lamp. On the desk Phoenix was showing was a drawing with everyone Phoenix knew with their names written on top.


    ¡°I really like it! Man, you really made me and Aunt Arista tall. You got everyone in here!¡± Satan complimented.


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    Satan looked it over, taking in the small details. Phoenix got down Satan¡¯s sharper-than-a -humans-but-not-as-sharp-as-a-vampiress upper canine teeth, Arsene¡¯s wing clips in her hair, Lucifer¡¯s snake tattoo, and the list goes on. But as Satan looked over the drawing, he noticed a name he thought he would never see.


    Takahiro.


    ¡°Fifi, why is Takahiro on here?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Because uncle Takahiro is nice?¡±


    ¡°You do know he started the war that¡¯s happening, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe if you brought me to him, I could convince him to stop.¡±


    ¡°Fifi, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be that easy, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s stubborn. I¡¯m not sure just a conversation would convince him to stop. And part of why he started this was because he misses his parents and wants history to remember them.¡±


    ¡°I remember the stories he told me about his parents! I could help history remember them! But what does missing parents have to do with taking over the world?¡±


    ¡°I guess as ruler of Ayuzuma everyone will know about them and being a king is his only reason to be alive.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mommy be another reason, too?¡±


    ¡°I would think so. Speaking of all this¡­ Do you feel safe here?¡±


    ¡°I always feel safe with you and Auntie Eris, daddy, don¡¯t worry!¡± Phoenix reassured.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure about Arista, Lucifer or Arete, we¡¯re also concerned about Aragon. You know what happened back and January and why Arsene wears the mask over her eyes, right?¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°The reunion incident.¡±


    ¡°Right. This time, it was nothing, but what if another attack happens and it¡¯s as bad as the reunion attack?¡±


    ¡°So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna fight Takahiro and Mommy in an epic fight?¡±


    ¡°Not this time, but eventually I will. I think you, Arista, Lucifer, Arete, and Aragon should leave Ayuzuma.¡± Satan described, his gaze falling to the floor.


    ¡°How long would I be gone for, Daddy?¡± Phoenix asked, voice cracking.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯ve only been here for three months!¡± Phoenix begged, hugging Satan, finally breaking down into tears.


    ¡°I know, but knowing them, even if I just moved you out of the kingdom they may search every kingdom, top to bottom just to lay an attack on you just so it hurts me.¡± Satan frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll come back for me as soon as everything¡¯s over?¡± Phoenix asked.


    ¡°Of course. As soon as everything¡¯s okay in Ayuzuma I¡¯ll go straight to you. And I¡¯ll call and text you as much as I can. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Phoenix smiled, wiping away his tears.


    ¡°And, we¡¯re gonna go on vacation a week before you stay at Artemios¡¯ house!¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, where do you wanna go? I still haven¡¯t booked anything. We can go anywhere you want, as long as it¡¯s not some super far away planet.¡±


    ¡°Disney world?¡± Phoenix looked up at Satan with a gleam in his eye.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Satan smiled.


    Satan took a few days to plan and book everything for their vacation without letting everyone else in the palace know. Satan and Phoenix had a lovely vacation and enjoyed their time together. Unfortunately, even a week-long vacation, which Phoenix had never experienced and Satan hadn¡¯t done in many years, wasn¡¯t enough. Although they both thought that Phoenix being dropped off at Artemios¡¯ would go by without a hitch, they still grew a little sad on the inside as the days passed.


    They were currently in their hotel room, soaking in a few last minutes in it. The room was quite luxurious if one room was the way to put it. Phoenix was draped on the bed, he claimed, which was the right one, although he ended up sleeping with Satan in his bed most nights. All his belongings, clothes, toothpaste, toothbrush, and other miscellaneous things were packed into his little green turtle shell backpack. He was ready to go when Satan was, but Satan was absolutely not.


    He was almost finished putting everything into his sleek black rolling carry-on. However, he still wanted to double-check everywhere, racing throughout the hotel room like a madman even when he finally finished. Finally though, he slowly walked up the stairs again as he panted.


    ¡°You ready, Fifi?¡±


    ¡°Are you, though?¡± Phoenix retorted, sitting up and putting on his backpack.


    ¡°Yes. Do you want to teleport to the front desk or wanna walk?¡± Satan asked, grabbing his luggage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s walk.¡± Phoenix slid off the bed and put his backpack on.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡± Satan said.


    Phoenix approached Satan and grabbed Satan¡¯s hand as they walked downstairs and out the door. They both purposely walked slowly to drag out how much time they now had left with each other. What would be a five-minute walk to the front desk turned into a twenty minute walk with how slow they ended up walking. Satan finally realized how ridiculous he looked and walked at a normal pace up to the front desk, while he made Phoenix sit near the front desk. Satan gave Phoenix his phone, so he could text Arete.


    Phoenix


    We¡¯re gonna see you soon!


    1:48 PM


    Arete


    Finally.


    Have you talked to my mom lately? I know your not close but it¡¯s been too long since I last saw her.


    1:49 PM


    Phoenix


    Yeah!


    I think auntie Arista and uncle Lucifer are coming with daddy and I!


    1:49 PM


    Arete


    Wait really?


    Why?


    1:49 PM


    Phoenix


    Dunno.


    Maybe since it¡¯s been awhile since she¡¯s been to your house?


    1:49 PM


    Arete


    I see.


    I¡¯ll see you soon!


    1:50 PM


    By the time Satan finished checking out, Phoenix had also finished texting Arete. Phoenix turned off Satan¡¯s phone while Satan approached.


    ¡°Ready to go to Artemios¡¯s?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Yeah! Are you gonna be meeting him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have a few things I need to tell him. But first, let¡¯s meet with Arista and Lucifer.¡±


    Satan used his blood magic to transform his chains back to blood and teleported away.


    When Satan¡¯s vision went back to normal, he found himself in front of a run-down gas station. Phoenix raised an eyebrow at the sight.


    ¡°We¡¯re meeting them at a gas station?¡± Phoenix asked.


    ¡°Just wait a second, you¡¯ll see.¡± Satan said. Phoenix grasped onto Satan¡¯s hand a little tighter as they walked into the gas station store. The clerk looked Satan with wide eyes.


    ¡°You know your supposed to hide your demon features for a reason!¡± They said.


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s quite different from how it used to be. I swear, it must¡¯ve been the medieval period when I last visited.¡±


    ¡°Yikes, has Lady Arsene not visited since then?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, she came here often. The medieval period was¡­ certainly an interesting time for me. Have you been a clerk here for long?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, only for three hundred or so years, I¡¯m a demigoddess, actually, my dad is a deity, they had me quite late and I didn¡¯t really inherit much godly anything, so they just set me up with this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, better than nothing I suppose.¡±


    ¡°It is, I wish I could¡¯ve been born a little more interesting¡­¡± The clerk whined as they moved from behind the counter. They stopped in their tracks upon noticing Phoenix.


    ¡°Another kid? But this can¡¯t be with-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Remember when Enya and Arima came here together?¡±


    ¡°...You and Enya are-¡±


    ¡°No! Not Enya, I meant the woman disguised as her that time. Her real name is Katherina. She¡¯s not a great person, we¡¯ve since split up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry for asking. Anyway, I¡¯ll stop talking and let you on your way, enjoy your first time at the freedom pantheon little one!¡± The clerk said as they opened the back door. Satan looked down at Phoenix, whose jaw dropped at the sight of all the tall buildings, the crowds of demideities and deities and the lush nature of the town compared to how it looked at the entrance.


    ¡°What?¡± Phoenix shrieked in shock.


    ¡°That was my reaction when I first came to the freedom pantheon. It really was not like this though when I was younger. Come on, let¡¯s go see Arista and Lucifer.¡± Satan lead Phoenix over. Satan followed the stone path to the palace in the distance. The five deities resting in their respective thrones all waved and cheered down at Satan as he walked.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Phoenix asked.


    ¡°Close friends of your aunts. The lady in green helped them when they first arrived here. Now, where is their stone¡­ Aha, look, there¡¯s your aunts, and there¡¯s me and Lucifer!¡± Satan pointed at a part on the path. The scene had two giant hands that were painted like a galaxy looming over the Mendoza triplets.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Phoenix pointed at the looming hands.


    ¡°Your aunts¡¯ father. He raised them for the first sixteen years of their life but he was a terrible father to them.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever meet Mr. Mendoza?¡± Phoenix looked up at Satan.


    ¡°No, and I have no wish to. He gave all three of them issues, I¡¯d probably try to fight him if we ever crossed paths. I never learned his name though, but Mendoza isn¡¯t his last name.¡±


    ¡°What issues?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a story best told by your aunts. Please don¡¯t pester them about it much, that situation was very hard on them and it might be painful to recall.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They shifted their attentions to the triplets that were posing in the order of the life cycle, Arsene, Araya, and Arista. Birth, living, and death. Creation, preservation, and destruction. Arsene¡¯s normal eyecovering was around her head, like a headband. She wore a long feathery dress with uneven light blue coloring. And of course, her classic creation staff was in hand.


    Araya was in the middle, with a puffy yellow dress with a short front and long back. As usual, she was wearing various flowers, most prominently her flower on the left side of her head, still the same one she wore at the present. She had her grey pole as well, of course.


    And lastly to the right was Arista. She wasn¡¯t wearing a veil, but she did wear the furs of a wolf over her head, dyed red of course. Her hair was much shorted, and she also wore wolf furs as a dress as well. The head of another wolf laid over her right shoulder, and the dress dragged on the floor. Her arms and legs also wore small strips of wolf fur as well in black, like arm and leg warmers from many years ago. She still had her same scythe of course.


    And in the space between the giant hands and the three sisters were Satan and Lucifer, Satan with hair down, but at a more practical length of down to the end of his torso. In the carving, he wore sleeveless black furs that went down to about his knees. To the right, was Lucifer, in similar black wolf fur clothing, but wore what resembled pants, a sleeveless shirt and a jacket.


    ¡°You actually used to not cover your arms and legs?¡± Phoenix asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lucifer looks so weird without his upside down cross earrings and sunglasses.¡±


    ¡°Oi! I wanted to show it to him first!¡± Lucifer shouted from behind them. Phoenix and Satan turned and there was Lucifer, walking on a path to them from a tall and very colorful house, with a door for each section of color. He wore a very toned down version of what he¡¯d normally wear, his sunglasses and upside down cross earrings, a black and white skull shirt, a black leather jacket and some blue jeans. He dressed basically as if he took one of his very decked out outfits, and tore off all the pins and extra pieces he¡¯d sewn on.


    ¡°Hi Uncle Lucifer!¡± Phoenix greeted.


    ¡°Hey kiddo, ready to go to Artemios¡¯s?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°I think so!¡±


    Satan looked in the distance at the house and saw Arista standing at the door, very exhausted, hair in a messy bun and wearing a grey sweater and sweatpants. No extravagant dresses with a high slit, no veil, something he had never seen her without. Arista approached Satan, with baby Aragon in hand.


    ¡°You look tired.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to the baby stuff, it¡¯s been a couple years.¡± Arista yawned.


    ¡°Are you moving here?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Did Arsene and Araya also¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, Arsene wants to stay on Ayuzuma to help with the war and Araya wants to bond with you and Arsene more since she¡¯s spent the last ten years with Lucy and I. They moved into a new apartment together, actually.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t leave the palace unguarded though, right?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about Nico?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not quite sure what to do yet. He kept talking to his dad¡¯s portrait in that one hallway though, maybe he¡¯s not quite ready to leave the palace.¡±


    ¡°Did he say where he¡¯s gonna go?¡±


    ¡°Last I talked to him it seemed like he was gonna go with Arsene and Araya. Oh, and we also found a nice apartment you might like. It¡¯s in the same building and Arsene and Araya¡¯s and there¡¯s a lot of black. Let me get my phone.¡± Arista turned on her heel and ran back into her house, and in a minute she raced back out, phone in hand instead of baby Aragon, apartment pictures on the screen to show. Arista handed him her phone and he grabbed it to get a closer look.


    The first picture showed a modest little kitchen, dining room and living room all rolled into one. The kitchen and dining room area had black linoleum flooring while the living room was almost separated by the kitchen and dining room area by grey carpeting, even there was not wall separating all three areas. The kitchen area to the left had a partial wall with a opening for a pickup window near the dining area table. There was a stove, oven, and a few black cabinets. The dining area was a black circular table with matching black wooden chairs, all very minimalist and uncomfortable looking. The living area had a long leather couch, the back of it facing the dining area table. By a window there was a black tv stand and a medium sized tv.


    The second picture was the first area of the apartment, which wasn¡¯t much, just a place to hang coats and shelf to put keys, as if anyone still drove cars.


    The third picture was of the bathroom, taking just outside the entrace. The bathroom was very cramped, barely walkable and any room, with a tiny tub with curtains, sink and a toilet a little bigger than it needed to be. There was a window on the other side of the bathroom, opposite to the doorway entrance with a generic decorative film over it, so anyone that happened to look over at the apartment can¡¯t watch Satan shower.


    The last picture was of a bedroom. The walls were painted grey and the floors were a black carpet. The bed was pushed to the left wall, inbetween a nighttable so small, Satan might as well not bother to put anything on it. The right corner had a desk akin to a school desk. Thankfully, the chair was one that spun around. And lastly, on the right wall from where the picture was taken was an empty bookcase.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Arista asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed but it could work as a temporary residence, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever lived in anything that wasn¡¯t a palace?¡± Arista laughed.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it then, I bet this war will be a long while.¡±


    Suddenly, Arista heard crying from her house. She apologized while she rushed back into the house, the crying starting to ease.


    ¡°Not to rush you, but are we ever leaving?¡± Lucifer huffed.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t expect to talk this much with Arista. Does she wanna come with us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let me go get her.¡± Lucifer said as he ran into the house after Arista.


    Now it was only Phoenix and Satan left outside of Arista and Lucifer¡¯s house. Phoenix was staring at the path carvings, mesmerized by intricate they were, all visually telling a story of other gods, goddesses, deities, even those of another species in a place he¡¯d least expect.


    ¡°You ready to go in a bit?¡± Satan whispered.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Phoenix nodded.


    And almost as if right on cue, Arista and Lucifer came back outside together, baby Aragon in Lucifer¡¯s hands, now much more quieter.


    ¡°You know the address, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Satan once more readied his chains into blood, and teleported away from the freedom pantheon town. Their journey definitely felt like it was longer than Phoenix and Satan¡¯s, this teleportation feeling like it lasted a few minutes then the thirty seconds Satan¡¯s previous teleportation job lasted.


    When their feet finally touched the ground they all had to pause as Satan controlled the blood to turn back into chains and wrapped them around his waist once more.


    Finally taking a moment to look ahead of them laid Artemios¡¯ house in the distant, a small yet cozy home that was a dark grey with a wrap around poarch and two circle windows on either side of the door.


    Satan walked on the path to the door, hesitating before finally knocking on the door.


    The door opening to reveal Artemios, after months of hearing about him from Arista, Lucifer, Phoenix and Arete, Satan could finally put a face to the name.


    Artemios had warm toned dark brown skin and black hair tied in twists. Satan admired how well his makeup done, how crisp his eyeliner looked and how his black eyeshadow wasn¡¯t smudged. This was someone Satan could get makeup tips from. Artemios had a black choker with a silver heart and rings adorning all his fingers. He also had very long armwarmers, in black, of course. His clothes weren¡¯t all that much, just a white tank top, light blue jeans with a black and white checkered belt, and brown boots, but he still made it work.


    ¡°Geez, Lucy said you were tall but I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be that tall¡­¡± Artemios commented, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s good to finally meet you. Why don¡¯t you all come inside for a bit?¡±


    Artemios lead everyone inside and they took a seat in the living room that was just right by the door.


    Arete rushed into the room at the noise, entering from the middle hallway and greeted everyone quickly, before she took Phoenix down the hallway to play some game in her room.


    Artemios fawned over Arista¡¯s new baby, holding him.


    ¡°He¡¯s so cute. What¡¯s his name?¡± Artemios asked.


    ¡°Aragon.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t your family already have a lot of names starting with ¡®Ar-¡¯ though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just been the family tradition.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Satan. How have you been?¡± Artemios turned his attention to Satan.


    ¡°Very stressed to say the least, the war is going on. But, I¡¯d rather not talk about that more than I need to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Does Phoenix have school or anything?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been homeschooled for a long time, but I¡¯m starting to wonder if I should send him to school. Arete is really his only friend. Back in Ayuzuma, the Hell Sector of the Red Kingdom, where I live if you didn¡¯t know, doesn¡¯t have too many schools. Most demons are homeschooled and the schools that do exist probably have few students if they can get any. The one school I did consider for a bit was one that accepted demons all over Ayuzuma, so it was very populated, but unfortunately, I just don¡¯t think the rowdy students would work with Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to register him for in-person school?¡±


    ¡°Zero idea, I¡¯d have to research. I have another question. I know humans on Earth are iffy about demons sometimes. Do you know generally kids are to demons at school?¡±


    ¡°Nobody really knows about Arete being a demigoddess, but kids at school have sort of seen her as something¡­ inhuman in a way? But it¡¯s not everyone, it¡¯s more of a fifty fifty.¡±


    ¡°Is this the only school in the area?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ I know of a spell that could cover up Phoenix¡¯s horns, tail and make his eyes a more ¡®normal¡¯ color. It only lasts slightly longer than the school day, so it¡¯d have to be recast every day Phoenix would go to school. Arista and her sisters have more vanilla magic powers, does Arete have hers? Blood magic can¡¯t do that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Still learning, how do you perform it?¡±


    ¡°You move your hand around the areas you want to conceal.¡±


    ¡°You should show it to Arete before you leave. Is there anything else I should know before you leave?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so, you know about Phoenix¡¯s mother, right?¡± Satan scooted a little closer to Artemios to talk a little quieter.


    ¡°All I know is that she¡¯s not a great person, why?¡±


    ¡°When Phoenix still saw his mother she was very abusive to him. He gets upset and shuts down whenever anyone yells or Diablo forbid even hits him. He also gets nightmares, not a ton just occasionally, whenever he does he usually just wants to sleep with me in my bed. It might be different with you but if he does have a nightmare about his mother, maybe just let him talk about it a little bit, maybe get a drink, do something to get his mind off the dream so he gets back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh geez¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think I have one last thing to ask, do you know how registering works?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a registration office online actually. There¡¯s a personal information form, emergency contact form, and you need to bring proof of residence, proof of child¡¯s age and immunization records.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡­ You know, we could register him like right now, if you just give me a bit to get back home and get everything.¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect, actually. If Phoenix comes out of Arete¡¯s room I¡¯ll let him know your not quite ready to leave yet. I know teleporting from Earth to Ayuzuma is basically impossible, so we actually have a teleporter you can use if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Just give me like fifteen minutes.¡±


    Satan teleported back to the palace and scrambled to find Phoenix¡¯s documents. He kept getting stopped by people for kingdom duties but he had to tell them he¡¯d meet with them later. Finally he gathered everything and rushed back over to Artemios, but not without rushing to the nearest teleporter just so he wouldn¡¯t be exhausted while registering Phoenix for school. And after another fifteen of Artemios and Satan finagling with trying to register. But finally, they figured it out, and Phoenix would be going to Arete¡¯s former elementary school the coming Wednesday, if everything went well. Even better, Satan taught Arete the spell and she was immediately successful, Phoenix¡¯s dark fuschia hair now a dark orange, his fuschia eyes now a dark brown, and his horns, tail, and fairy ears, the ones where they are shaped like butterflies, were all gone, his fairy ears replaced by normal human ears.


    Now for the hard part.


    Satan shook hands with Artemios, sincerely thanking Artemios. Arete and Phoenix suddenly ran down the hallway together. Satan looked down at Phoenix with an expression of happiness, mixed with slight sadness. He lowered himself to the floor so Phoenix could properly hug him, and Phoenix almost jumped into a hug, and for what felt like hours, they were on the floor embracing. Eventually, they both finally had to let go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you as much as possible through Artemios. Have him text me if you want to call, okay? I¡¯ll make sure this war is done as soon as possible so I can bring you home.¡± Satan spoke in demon tongue to Phoenix.


    ¡°Okay, Daddy.¡± Phoenix slowly replied, a little unfamiliar with the language.


    ¡°Alright. Arista, Lucifer, you coming back to Ayuzuma or¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re staying here just for the night. I want to spend time with Arete and make sure she meets Aragon. Oh, also, Arsene, Nico and Araya all said they¡¯d be willing to help you move into your apartment, the landlord is sworn to secrecy and if you want to take it, it¡¯s yours, no lease or anything.¡± Arista explained.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s cool. Alright, I guess I should go back. Talk to you later Artemios, and thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, happy to have Phoenix in my home.¡± Artemios smiled.


    Satan made his way to the teleporter in Artemios¡¯ house and waved bye before finally being transported away, back to the palace.


    After Satan returned home he started moving everything to his new apartment as planned. A piece of him felt so wrong moving away, the new apartment was so tiny compared to both his childhood home and the palace of the Red Kingdom Hell Sector. And now everyone lived away from each other too. Sure, Nico, Araya, and Arsene were just next door, but nobody else was. Eris was moving outside of the capital of the Red Hell Sector, Lucifer and Arista moved back to Earth, and Phoenix was now staying on Earth indefinitely. Nothing about the new apartment was home.


    It took almost five hours to move everything, and as soon as everything Satan wanted in the new apartment was in there, and he¡¯d quadruple checked just to be absolutely sure, he broke down. He cried for hours, he¡¯d been keeping up a brave appearance for Phoenix, but he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He muffled his sobs as best as he could in his new bed but still remained on high alert in case Araya, Arsene or Nico came into his apartment. He ended crying himself to sleep, waking up in a daze in a bed he still felt wasn¡¯t really his own.


    Satan rose in his bed, the Ayuzumian sun flowing in from one of the few areas of Hell where sunlight actually got in. He forced himself out of bed, despite his heart not really being in it.


    Making the short trip to the bathroom he looked in the mirror. His face had dried tear stains, his hair a mess and untied. His eyes had dark circles around them, as if he had stayed up all night. He couldn¡¯t stand looking at himself. He left the bathroom, and collapsed onto the bed.


    ¡®Still have to take care of the kingdom¡­¡¯ Satan groaned. He remained in bed, refusing to get up.


    Then he heard a text.


    Zeta Prasinos


    I know you only just got back from vacation yesterday but me and the royals of conquered kingdoms have formed a resistance


    We have a meeting today if you wanna join


    It¡¯s technically only for royals of conquered kingdoms but your the best leader


    No pressure but it¡¯d be nice to see you again


    2:59 PM


    Satan


    Thank you


    Where would the meeting be?


    3:00 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    Still figuring that out


    3:00 PM


    Satan


    There¡¯s a meeting room in the Hell Sector we can use if you want


    3:00 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    Can I come slightly early so I know where I¡¯m going?


    That way when others arrive I can show them where to go and everything


    3:01 PM


    Satan


    Of course.


    What time were you thinking?


    3:01 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    I¡¯ll come over at like 4:15


    And everyone else will start coming at around 4:30


    Is that good?


    3:02 PM


    Satan


    Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t worry


    You remembered you can¡¯t be in Hell without a pass from someone you know right?


    Does everyone have those?


    3:02 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    Shit, I knew I forgot something!


    3:03 PM


    Satan


    Don¡¯t worry, I can get them sent to you in time


    Just give me the names, ages, and birthdays of everyone coming


    3:04 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    I have to get that from everyone, give me a couple minutes


    Again I¡¯m really sorry


    Kinda excited to visit Hell Sector I¡¯ve never been!


    3:10 PM


    Satan


    It¡¯s good


    I can pull pictures of everyone off the internet and get by


    I¡¯m the king of the Hell Sector of Red so


    Gotta run to post office to get these made then I need to get back to work


    Text me when you¡¯re here


    3: 11 PM


    Zeta Prasinos


    Will do!


    3:11 PM


    As soon as Satan received all the info he needed from Zeta, he was off at the post office in seconds. But, unfortunately, he had to return to work, despite the thought of taking a few more days off becoming more and more tempting. Eris and Lucifer had been working hard to run the kingdom in his place and he felt guilty, so he reluctantly forced himself to return to work. He decided to just reuse the meeting room when all the Koizumi family members attempted to take back Black, it was easiest.


    Now, he was by the end of the Staircase to Hell Sector. Non-demons couldn¡¯t just waltz into Hell whenever they felt like it, they needed a pass that could only be made with the help of a demon connection in the Hell Sector of Red, who would get their pass made for them in Hell. Not by the demon themselves of course, but at the post office. If one of both of the people involved in this process is royalty, especially if Satan is the one getting your pass made for you, then that¡¯s all you¡¯d need to do. However, if not, then a background check would be performed. With all of the people needing passes being royalty, and the pass-making being handled by Satan, the process can be sped up just by Satan and the faces of other Ayuzumian royalty being present. There was also a similar process and staircase for the Heaven Sector of Red, but the Heaven Sector of Red is immensely more strict about letting non-angels.


    Satan stared at the large doors guarding the top of the staircase, waiting for them to be opened. Finally, Satan heard creaking and the doors slowly opened. Zeta excitedly raced down the stairs, pass in hand with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Zeta greeted.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Satan yawned, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, it¡¯s so pretty down here.¡± Zeta squealed like a kid, looking at the scenery around him. In the distance he could see how high the caves extended, the palace bridge from the staircase guiding the eye towards the high palace towers. Sunlight dripped in from cracks in the ceiling.


    ¡°Glad you like it. Why don¡¯t we get going, maybe you¡¯d enjoy a tour of the palace?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    They made their way to the meeting room and hung out until people started arriving, Satan constantly having to walk back and forth between the staircase on the mortal lands and underground into hell.


    Now Satan had finally finished with escorting everyone he sat at the table and planted his face on the table for a couple minutes. Afterwards he sat up straight, waiting for everyone to quiet down.


    ¡°Alright, what in specific did you all want to meet to talk about?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve made a bunch of plans predicting what kingdoms¡¯ next, right? We¡¯ve been predicting as well. At this point, it¡¯d probably make sense for him to go after Orange, the motherland of Black, or Grey, the smallest kingdom in Ayuzuma. We think it might be good to talk to the rulers of each of these kingdoms, give them extra soldiers, all that.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Is Cyan not also a possibility?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Your right, I guess we should consider them too. We¡¯re all out of power though, so we can¡¯t send help ourselves, we need to contact one of the remaining kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°I know Yellow is allied with Grey so we can talk to the Queen. Does anyone know who the Queen is?¡± Yami mentioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jodie Illuka, Dad.¡± Kuroyami leaned over to Yami.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. And Orange is friends with Blue since the Water Elementals in Blue are descended from Water Elementals in Orange. Cyan is also allied with Purple and Light Blue since they¡¯re so close, right?¡± Yami asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Said Frost, the heir of White.


    ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t need the help of both, let¡¯s go with Light Blue. Satan, you in to help?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Kuroyami, Yami and Satan, you go talk with Orange. Robert, Feodorovna, Alaska, Frost, Paris and Tatiana you go to Light Blue, and Mazatl, Aztlan, Alpha and I will go to Blue.¡± Yami said.


    ¡°Wait, Blue and Light Blue are underwater, how are we supposed to go underwater and not die?¡± Alpha asked.


    ¡°On the beaches of Cyan and Brown, there¡¯s witches that will transform us temporarily into merpeople.¡± Zeta explained.


    ¡°I better be a shark merman, then,¡± Alpha said, Satan, chuckling.


    Kuroyami, Yami, and Satan used their magic collectively to teleport to Orange. Kuroyami is already dating Queen Amber, so nothing crazy could happen, right?

 Rescue and A Riot

    Satan, May 2nd


    Talking to the royals of Orange, Light Blue, and Blue was easier than Satan thought. Satan didn¡¯t need to do much Orange. Kuroyami was the one that held the entire conversation while Satan and Yami just awkwardly stood, watching Kuroyami and Amber talk. It lasted only five seconds, and then Satan could just go home.


    As soon as Satan got home, he went to catch up on some work. But not even catching up, more like an ¡®I-feel-guilty-for-going-on-vacation-so-let-me-work-to-make-up-for-it¡¯ type of thing. Still, it was a very productive day, and he got a lot done. If only it would carry to the next day. Oh well, at least he could work at a more steady pace.


    Satan was writing a letter to his troops, letting them know that they should prepare to be called to a battle very soon. Satan and royals from kingdoms Takahiro had taken wanted to take Green. They also wanted to free the Yinyras from their capture. If taking back Green wasn¡¯t viable, then hopefully they could at least have the Yinyras. Satan¡¯s focus was broken when he noticed Eris racing down the hallway. Satan finished up his last pencil stroke and put the letter into the envelope, placing it on the seat of his throne before running up to Eris.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Nothing war-related, don¡¯t worry, but it¡¯s¡­ Saori.¡± Eris said.


    ¡°Ugh, what did he do this time?¡± Satan growled in disgust.


    ¡°Takahiro¡¯s stationed a bunch of guards near Saori¡¯s home, she¡¯s never had guards near her home before. She thinks Takahiro¡¯s watching her.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°We need to get Saori out of Black. Takahiro would never approve of her moving away from him.¡±


    ¡°How are we supposed to get in?¡±


    ¡°Teleporting in according to Saori would be our safest bet.¡±


    ¡°Did Saori by chance send a picture of what the guards look like?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. Here.¡± Eris pulled out her phone and showed him a picture of the guards. They dressed like modern-day samurai, they had the armor on the chest and the little pieces of armor dropping down to the waist, but they wore thick pants and a shirt underneath. The guards had a variety of weapons, some had swords in a scabbard around their waists or held naginatas, while others had no weapon at all, or held a book.


    ¡®Those guards must either have magic powers or fight with their fists¡­ Must not be shadow elementals then.¡¯ Satan thought.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ She wants to get out, like, now, right?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Oh wait, before we do anything, how heavily guarded are those ends of Black?¡±


    ¡°Yami said at the time there wasn¡¯t too many guards, but apparently it¡¯s really difficult to sneak in or out by boat. They still haven¡¯t figured out something that will keep people from teleporting in, I guess that shadow barrier is hard to cast over an entire country.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s stopping Saori from just teleporting away herself?¡±


    ¡°Those guards set anti-teleportation spells on her so she can¡¯t teleport away herself but anyone else could teleport her away with them, and they follow her everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yikes, that sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen¡­.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go now. We can teleport nearby and maybe we can use our magic to figure something out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get her out.¡±


    Teleporting into Black was easy, despite the closed borders implying that it should¡¯ve been much more challenging for Satan and Eris to get in. Regardless, they ended up in Black immediately after.


    Satan and Eris were hiding behind a large bush in a forest. In the distance, they could see Saori¡¯s house, which looked like a mini traditional Japanese palace, with roofs that swoop up, fencing, and everything painted in black and red. Guards were seen in front of the fencing, inside, by the front door, in windows, and everywhere else.


    Satan looked over Eris¡¯ shoulder as she texted Saori.


    Eris


    God, how many are in there?


    2:28 PM


    Saori <3


    Too many.


    2:29 PM


    Eris


    Well, how many in the room with you, at least?


    2:29 PM


    Saori <3


    Look like there¡¯s five.


    2:29 PM


    Eris


    Is there anything you can do that makes them leave?


    2:29 PM


    Saori <3


    When I go to the bathroom, usually two people stand by the door, and if I tell them I¡¯m changing, they¡¯ll do the same. The rest in the room would go farther and just guard any other areas nearby the bathroom or my bedroom.


    2:30 PM


    Eris


    Okay. I think I have an idea. Make sure your bedroom windows are covered. You make them think your changing in your room, and we¡¯ll teleport into your room and teleport you with us.


    Let me know when you¡¯re ready.


    2:31 PM


    Saori <3


    Alright, ready.


    2:31 PM


    Eris turned off her phone and used her magic to teleport this time instead of Satan, for once. Eris¡¯ magic was golden and black colored, looking more like the Witches¡¯ magic then an elementals¡¯.


    They teleported to Saori¡¯s room, partially in the air before falling. Her room was very dark, to the point where it was very hard to tell what things in her room were. He could faintly see a bed across the room and a dresser. Everything else was impossible to see.


    ¡°Sorry, I really need to practice with my magic more. I¡¯m good with my chaos magic but not my vanilla magic¡­¡± Eris apologized.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that racket, Ms. Koizumi? Are you alright?¡± A voice came from Saori¡¯s bedroom door.


    ¡°Just¡­ struggling to find my clothes!¡± Saori yelled back.


    ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± They said, Satan hearing the door handle turn.


    Adrenaline began running through his bloodstream, and the same must¡¯ve been for Eris, as they immediately teleported out of Saori¡¯s bedroom to Satan¡¯s palace. Their joint effort landed them on the floor this time, in the living room of Satan¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Shit, they probably saw your magic, I think they know who helped me. Ugh, just be careful in the coming days, I won¡¯t be surprised if dad tries to do¡­ something.¡± Saori said.


    ¡°Oh well, he was probably going to do something regardless. Anyway, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time, how¡¯s it going?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Oh you know, dad mysteriously put guards in front of my house and I couldn¡¯t leave. I guess I¡¯m reconnecting with mom too, haven¡¯t seen Hikari as much as usual though.¡± Saori said.


    ¡°It might be easier if Takahiro wasn¡¯t doing¡­ whatever he¡¯s trying. I have a feeling this has something to do with his abandonment issues though¡­¡± Eris mumbled.


    ¡°Oh my Miyako, call me uncaring but newsflash, he¡¯s not the only one that feels guilty about grandma and grandpa passing away while we weren¡¯t there! How stuck in your own head do you have to be to realize it¡¯s not just you that misses them?¡± Saori growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just that¡­ Satan and I probably made them way worse back when our friend group split up, and now? Probably made things even worse¡­¡± Eris glanced at the floor.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to see him, but I wish there was some way to get the message across that I¡¯m a fucking adult, I was born 231 years ago for Miyako¡¯s sake! And technically, I¡¯m older in a way, he may be 253 but I¡¯m technically forever twenty-five, and he¡¯s forever twenty-two!¡± Saori said.


    ¡°Immortality is sometimes confusing, what can I say?¡± Satan shrugged. ¡°Oh, I had an idea on something you could do to help us with the war; I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d be up for it, though.¡±


    ¡°Hit me, anything that could make Black be normal again.¡±


    Satan hesitated. ¡°I wonder if, you could, I don¡¯t know, talk to Takahiro?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Saori shouted.


    ¡°Maybe you could pretend that you genuinely want to talk to him, and get him distracted long enough so that maybe Eris and I can get into the palace, take down as many of his soldiers, and then come to you and arrest Takahiro, then use him as bait to get Katherina so we can arrest her too, and boom! War over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a lot harder than that. It¡¯s entirely possible they have walkie-talkies they can use to communicate with at Black so they can know we¡¯re coming, plus they have the other soldiers from the conquered kingdoms to send, and then Katherina¡¯s not accounted for-¡± Eris began rambling but was quickly cut off by Satan.


    ¡°Anyway! Not a perfect plan, we still need to work out the kinks, but would you be willing to go meet with him?¡±


    ¡°Fuck it, sure.¡± Saori said.


    ¡°Thank you so much, I¡¯ll call you and let you know when we¡¯re going. Uh, where are you going from here?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Probably just wander around, think about where to stay. I left everything back home, shit, can someone help get some of my stuff with me?¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Satan said.


    May 6th


    Like last time, they barely managed to get Saori¡¯s stuff without getting caught by the guards, but somehow they did it. By now, Takahiro¡¯s guards probably knew who helped Saori by that point.


    After a few days, Satan finally could call the ex-rulers of taken kingdoms and move forth with the next phase of the plan. Satan finally got an official army for Red, and now that he had one on board, he could include them in plans.


    Now, Saori was off to talk to Takahiro and put on her best performance at wanting to reconnect with Takahiro. At the same time, an army brigade gets into the palace, while Satan was with the division in Green.


    Satan was standing amongst the division with his walkie-talkie, eyeing the entrance to the kingdom like a gate. He couldn¡¯t help but glance around every couple of minutes, looking at the nature surrounding him.


    ¡®I miss those days when I could spend hours outside¡­ Now I¡¯m held up inside my house most of the day. If I didn¡¯t have to move, I wouldn¡¯t leave the house at all.¡¯ Satan thought to himself.


    ¡°Satan?¡± Araya said in a low voice, practically whispering. Satan turned to see her approaching him from behind. ¡°I think we¡¯re just about ready to approach the Yinyra Palace, it¡¯s looking pretty empty.¡±


    ¡°It looks fine from far away. Can someone look a little closer?¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± said a soldier, raising binoculars to their eyes and glancing around before bringing them back down again. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Satan brought his walkie-talkie to his mouth, ¡°Everyone knows what they¡¯re doing, right?¡±


    There was a chorus of yeses from the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°On the count of three,¡± Satan slowly counted down, ¡°one, two, three, go!¡±


    Everyone raced out from the hiding spot and into the palace streets. Division Red Zero headed to the left, while Division Red One headed to the right, taking out agents of Takahiro and Katherina.


    Behind Satan followed the Major General of Division Red Seven as they advanced into the Yinyra palace. As expected, there were still agents of Takahiro and Katherina that tried to stop them, but only a maximum of twenty, and even that was likely too generous of a number, tried to take them out. And Satan¡¯s division of fifteen thousand would be victorious against them. Even the strongest fighters would be no match for an army with that many people.


    Satan and Division Red Seven made their way into the Yinyra palace. Swinging open the door, they saw various agents of Takahiro and Katherina sitting, talking, nothing out of the ordinary, before their attention turned to them. Someone was also seated in one of the four thrones in the distance with a crown, glaring them down.


    ¡®That must be the figurehead¡­¡¯ Satan thought as he raced to approach them. The other parts of Division Red Seven split, some making sure the others within the palace walls were taken down peacefully. Others followed Satan, making sure no one else would interrupt the plan.


    The figurehead of Green, or at least what Satan assumed to be, rose from their throne and charged at Satan, taking out a kitchen knife, much to Satan¡¯s confusion.


    Satan kept running forward, but behind his back he discreetly used his blood magic to teleport behind them.


    The figurehead¡¯s head shifted from side to side in confusion. Satan gently lifted The figurehead¡¯s leg off the floor, careful not to make any loud noise. Then he kicked his boot in the figureheads¡¯ back to make them fall over.


    Immediately after they ended up on the floor, Satan made sure to teleport away from the chaos. Satan remembered a room with a lock on it from last time, with food inside, probably a pantry if his memory was still accurate. Who knew if they still kept the pantry around.


    Thanks to his magic, Satan was now in the food pantry, and it still looked similar to how it did last time, still very dark and various elf foods lining the shelves. He tore off the lock and shut the door, locking himself and the figurehead inside. He took out a glowing potion from his pocket as well, and threw it onto the figurehead. The glowing liquid splashed on the figurehead, but dried up completely, and glass shards scattered everywhere around the room.


    Finally, as if he couldn¡¯t get anymore careful, he used part of his blood chains around his waist to make blood handcuffs and put them around the figurehead¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°What was the potion for?¡± The figurehead growled.


    ¡°Prevents you from using your magic.¡± Satan leaned against the door as he glanced down at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m a full-blooded elf!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t take chance, but thanks for that helpful piece of information.¡± Satan shrugged.


    ¡°I will call Mr. Koizumi if you don¡¯t get me out of here! And why¡¯d you lock the door?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore!¡± Satan said sarcastically as he quickly used his magic to empty the pockets of the figurehead, taking away a walkie-talkie and their phone.


    ¡°Answer my question.¡± The figurehead growled.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I want to know what happened to the Yinyras.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just the one they put on the throne! Let me out of here!¡±


    ¡°Who knows what happened to the Yinyras then?¡±


    ¡°It has to be either Takahiro, Katherina or Milena. I gave you what you want, get me out!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but until you can tell me something, you¡¯ll stay in here.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine! They¡¯re in the Black Kingdom palace dungeon.¡± The figurehead reluctantly gave in.


    ¡°Give me a second, I¡¯ll have you out of here in a minute.¡± Satan nodded, then teleported out of the pantry. He shifted his head both ways down the hallway. Thank Diablo no one else was there. He walked to one end of the hallway, a decent distance from the pantry.


    ¡°This is Goth Demon requesting for a few people¡¯s assistance to take the figurehead to the dungeon. Over¡± Satan mumbled into the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Of all the codename suggestions I gave you why that one? Over.¡± Lucifer answered from the walkie-talkie. Satan rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Keep the lines clear for the important stuff, asshole. Over.¡± Satan hissed.


    ¡°Hey, my codename is Sequel! Over!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, you were doing so well in not fighting every five seconds. Over.¡± Araya said. Satan perked up upon hearing her voice, but the sound of marching made him panic, and he put away his walkie-talkie and turned around, using his magic to form his pitchfork. But as he turned around, he saw two people from his army.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Let me get that lock for you.¡± Satan said, using his blood magic to unlock the door from the inside, hearing the noise of the lock, and then it falling to the floor inside.


    The two opened the door and made the figurehead stand up, who protested and wriggled around in their grasp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, help me!¡± The figurehead shouted.


    ¡°I did what you want, I got you out, I never said I¡¯d set you free.¡± Satan shrugged with a slight smile. The figurehead groaned as the two that took him away teleported to the dungeon back in Red.


    ¡°The figurehead has been taken to the dungeon. Brigade Red One, finding the Yinyras lies in your hands now. Good luck. Over.¡± Satan spoke into the walkie-talkie.


    Satan sighed before readying his magic but was stopped by Araya.


    ¡°You got the figurehead person, right? Can you help me get some soldiers to a safer place? It¡¯s hard to heal them out in the open when they¡¯re so vulnerable to attacks.¡± Araya panted as she slowed down.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Lead the way.¡± Satan said. Instead of walking, Araya immediately teleported them to the scene, and Satan began to help.


    ***


    Lucifer, May 6th


    ¡°Roger, Demon Bitch. Over.¡± Lucifer replied to the walkie-talkie. After he turned off the walkie-talkie, he burst into laughter, as Arsene and Nico could only stare blankly.


    ¡°Is it that funny? I don¡¯t get it,¡± said Nico.


    ¡°Me either,¡± said Arsene.


    ¡°You guys are just flavorless. We still have a few rooms left to check before we¡¯ve knocked out anyone that isn¡¯t Takahiro, Katherina, or Saori.¡±


    Nico and Arsene eyed each other in confusion as they began to walk forward. Every new door, hallway, and crevice was checked and inspected. If someone were in there, they¡¯d knock them out with an unconscious potion, and if someone else on Takahiro¡¯s side happened to appear, they¡¯d get potioned along with them. If they were potioned out in the open, they¡¯d be put in a random empty room.


    Unlike Satan, Lucifer, Arsene and Nico had never been to the Black Kingdom palace. While Arsene and Nico marveled at the purple walls, white wooden tiled floors, black trim, and gold for extra accents within every area they passed, Lucifer brushed it off.


    He¡¯d been to many palaces, and this wasn¡¯t as impressive. Even a palace alone is something he just wanted to burn to ashes purely for the fun of it.


    After twenty minutes of the same routine, they finally found something more interesting than another random agent of Takahiro¡¯s.


    They ended up in the throne room on the first floor, walking very carefully and darting after even a single footstep. After a few minutes of going ridiculously slow, Lucifer¡¯s foot hit something on the floor. He yelped as he jumped back, then looked closer at the floor.


    ¡°Does this look like a handle to you?¡± Lucifer asked. Nico and Arsene nodded. Lucifer got down on the floor before the handle and slowly reached for the handle before opening whatever was inside. Lucifer found a staircase leading downwards into the castle.


    ¡°Something about this feels very fishy, Nico, you stand guard. Arsene, we¡¯re going down this together.¡± Lucifer said.


    Nico stood by with a dagger in hand while Lucifer and Arsene descended downstairs together, Lucifer in front with Arsene behind. Arsene clutched her sceptor while Lucifer hauled his scythe downstairs. As he went downstairs he began scanning all the jail cells underneath, glossing over the four people passed out on the floor before quickly shifting his eyes back to them.


    ¡°Oh my Diablo, are they dead?¡± Lucifer gasped, turned to Arsene. Arsene created a ball of light in one hand, and a hammer in another. She gently touched the jail cell door which swung unexpectedly. Lucifer watched Arsene kneel down as with the ball of light near the faces of the bodies.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re still breathing. They may be the Yinyras, actually. I want to create a few things for them with my magic for if they wake up, can you call a healer?¡± Arsene asked.


    Lucifer nodded, and began to use his walkie talkie again. ¡°Hey, I think we found the Yinyras in a dungeon? It¡¯s to the left of the carpet in the throne room, and there¡¯s a little doorway downstairs.They¡¯re breathing thankfully, but they¡¯re all just lying on the floor, can you send a healer? Over.¡±


    ¡°Sending a few now. Over.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Still using the unconscious potions, huh? Someone¡¯s gotta make those illegal, I swear. Over.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty useful if you need to capture someone but can¡¯t feed them or risk escape. Don¡¯t jinx it though, they may find a way to confiscate them all so we can¡¯t use them. Over.¡± Araya said.


    Just as they finished up their conversation, the healers arrived, and Lucifer and Arsene went back upstairs to soldier on.


    After two hours they¡¯d gone through practically everything, without a hitch or anything. All agents of Takahiro were downed, anyone that tried to alert him were also downed, it was a miracle things had gone this well, and there was only hope things could stay that way.


    The trio were now on the highest floor that was indoors, walking around and looking for anymore stragglers.


    Of course, with everything going right, something had to go wrong.


    As the trio turned the corner, out of nowhere Katherina walked down the hallway. Lucifer panicked internally but on the outside he tried to appear calm. He silenced Arsene and Nico and pulled them back, forcing all of them inside a closet. Arsene and Nico were stuffed in the back while Lucifer stayed near the door, glancing out of a small crack in the door. He heard Katherina¡¯s footsteps as she rounded the hallway, going down another. After a few moments of waiting for her to pass, Lucifer cracked open the door slowly, looking left and right to make sure she was gone before fully revealing himself and letting Arsene and Nico to move again.


    They continued on, now with a twinge of fear, and extra cautious, and fortunately for them, they didn¡¯t have to.


    Almost as soon as they¡¯d kept walking on, Katherina slid around another hallway corner, now this time right in front of them, staring the trio down directly.


    ¡°I knew I wasn¡¯t just hearing things when I heard the commotion going on downstairs! You¡¯re finished.¡± Katherina smirked.


    ¡°No comment about me being related to Satan? Damn.¡± Lucifer said, readying his scythe. Katherina could only stare him down more, unamused.


    ¡°Mr. Satanel, really not the time.¡± Nico mumbled, getting his daggers out from the sheaths attached to his pants.


    ¡°I was genuinely expecting her to comment on that though!¡± Lucifer said.


    Katherina lunged forward at Lucifer, with her kunai in hand. Arsene and Nico went behind Katherina and Lucifer, keeping some distance between them to make a triangle with their formation, and Katherina in the middle. Lucifer backed away, pointing the blade of his scythe towards her. Katherina tried to yank the pole of the scythe but Lucifer kept a firm grasp on it, managing to kick her back.


    ¡°Are you wearing heels right now?¡± Lucifer shouted.


    Katherina jabbed her kunai at Arsene while Arsene attempted to create handcuffs around her wrists, but couldn¡¯t get her wrists behind her back to be successful. Katherina finally just turned around and stabbed Arsene in the stomach.


    ¡°Yes! I always have heels on.¡± Katherina shouted back as she lunged at Lucifer again,


    ¡°Oh my Diablo,¡± Lucifer spoke in demon tongue. ¡°Nico! Get Arsene away from here and when you¡¯re done, let me know where you went!¡±


    Nico nodded and took Arsene from the scene, running gently enough for Katherina not to realize. Katherina remained, still trying to do¡­ whatever she was trying to do, staring at Lucifer in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you seriously talking secretly in demon tongue?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Want to learn a word?¡± Lucifer asked in a playful tone.


    ¡°Sure, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Fuyiyoikeykul yishiteoskiyoi means fuck you in demon tongue.¡±


    ¡°All that just for two words?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just the english variant, there¡¯s even more.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Katherina demanded.


    Before Lucifer could give a proper answer, Lucifer heard his walkie-talkie go off, a message from Nico about where he went in a demon tongue.


    ¡°Yeah, demon tongue is weird, that might be why it¡¯s starting to go extinct. You owe me a thousand dollars for teaching you since it¡¯s dying out. Anyway, seeya.¡± Lucifer smirked, maybe joking or serious, before disappearing with his blood magic.


    Once again, Lucifer was with Arsene and Nico in another random hallway.


    ¡°Did we almost see every room?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Nico said.


    ¡°You good Arsene?¡± Lucifer asked Arsene while looking at the wound by her stomach. Blood dripped down her clothes and stained, Arsene quickly clasped a hand over it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a stab wound, it¡¯s fine.¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°You still need a healer or bandages or¡­ I don¡¯t know, something! Nico, take her to an empty room and call a healer, and I can look at the last room, if you show me.¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°That one, over there.¡± Nico pointed across the hallway before walking Arsene over to another room that was right behind him.


    Lucifer slowly approached the door, back glued to the hallway, before slowly turning the knob and pushing it open. He peaked inside, seeing Takahiro and Saori. He stiffened before going the opposite direction, but was met with Katherina.


    ¡°There you are, aiyahsaisai¡­ hole. God, I hate demon tongue.¡± Katherina remarked as she walked closer and closer to Lucifer.


    Lucifer pointed his scythe at her, furrowing his eyebrows. Just as Katherina changed her speed to race forward at Lucifer, a few of the members of the brigade that came to assist held her back as one of the members handcuffed her. Lucifer smirked and chuckled as he watched her thrash and fight to be let free while they kept a tight grip on her shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Takahiro will not like this, when he leaves that room you¡¯re dead!¡± Katherina shouted as loud as possible.


    ¡°Can you please be quiet?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°Hell no.¡± Katherina said.


    Lucifer sighed as he teleported into the room where Takahiro and Saori were having their ¡®meeting¡¯. He chose to teleport into a closet behind Takahiro he saw earlier when he peeked inside. The inside of the closet was crowded, and Lucifer froze up in the dark and cramped space.


    ¡®Keep it together Lucy, the fate of the war rests on your shoulders now.¡¯ Lucifer attempted to calm himself down. He ran a hand across the door, and stopped when he felt the handle. He slowly pushed the sliding door to the left until he could peak one eye out of the closet.


    Takahiro was probably a whole foot taller than Lucifer, so his sight was partially blocked. Thank Diablo he wasn¡¯t facing him. Lucifer mentally groaned as he stood on his toes and waved his hand in the air until Saori noticed him. Lucifer used his blood magic to scramble together a quick message, he couldn¡¯t really see it himself but he was sure his message of ¡®Katherina found us, we handcuffed her but she won¡¯t stay quiet. Be prepared if this falls apart soon.¡¯ was clear enough.


    ¡°What are you looking at, Riri?¡± Takahiro asked, turning his head to look behind, where Lucifer was. Panicking again, Lucifer teleported away.


    He was back out in the hall again where Katherina threatened to scream louder and louder at the members of the brigade that handcuffed her in the first place. Lucifer frowned.


    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s just get out of here quickly, while we still can.¡± Lucifer suggested to them in a mumble. Arsene, Nico and the brigade members all agreed, and all the magic users readied their magic to depart, Takahiro showed himself.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Takahiro raged as he turned into his shadow form, blanketing the hallway and every nearby area in darkness. Lucifer whipped around in confusion. He held out a hand in front of him, and yet he still couldn¡¯t see.


    Lucifer began to run in a random direction, hoping to get out of the darkness but there was no end, he only stopped when he ran into a wall and ended up on what he could only guess to be a cold linoleum floor.


    ¡®Still in the hallway, hm¡­¡± Lucifer thought, as he raised himself back up to his knee, scythe in hand.


    Suddenly, he heard shouting, one voice from Takahiro and another from Saori down the area he now faced.


    ¡®Oh dear, please don¡¯t get into another fight¡­¡¯ Lucifer begged mentally as he hesistated running in the direction of the noise.


    The darkness went away in mere seconds, like it wasn¡¯t there. Lucifer shook his head and shut his eyes before reopening them. Down the hallway, Saori was behind Takahiro, with a golden knife just hovering above his throat and a hand clamped over his mouth. Takahiro was paler than he normal was, white as a ghost, trying to fight against the knife. He had handcuffs on his legs and arms, but ones made of shadow, likely from Saori. Across from Takahiro and Saori was Katherina, who managed to break free from the grasp of the members of the brigade and was closer to Saori and Takahiro, but she was held back by a heavy weight attached to her leg and Nico used his blood magic to create even more chains that kept her close to the wall. Arsene and Nico stood nearby each other, trying to reason with Saori.


    Lucifer teleported over as fast as he could manage.


    ¡°Saori, what are you doing?¡± Lucifer asked, trying not to let his panic slip.


    ¡°What I should¡¯ve done a long time ago.¡± Saori brought the knife closer to his throat.


    Nico and Lucifer quickly used their blood magic together to force her hand away from his throat.


    ¡°This was not the plan, come on, we have all of them now, let¡¯s just take them and go.¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± A voice said out of nowhere. Lucifer rapidly looked around the room, but couldn¡¯t find the person the voice belonged to. He saw bullets in the air that freed Katherina and Takahiro from their restraints and one that went into Saori¡¯s leg, forcing her to let go of Takahiro as she fell on the ground.


    As Lucifer helped Saori up, the voice revealed herself from behind Takahiro and Katherina, who now ran over to the side of the hallway Takahiro was on. Nico looked at her, but she clearly wasn¡¯t anyone he¡¯d recognized before.


    The same couldn¡¯t be said for Lucifer and Arsene.


    ¡°Milena?¡± Lucifer and Arsene said at the same time.


    ¡°You know them?¡± Katherina yelled.


    ¡°It was a long time ago, calm down.¡± Milena said.


    ¡°Why are you with Katherina and Takahiro?¡± Arsene asked.


    ¡°None of your business Mendoza.¡± Milena spat.


    Lucifer watched Milena, Katherina and Takahiro all mumble something to each other. Before they could even discuss anything else, Saori went into her shadow form and used her shadow powers to capture all three again, but Milena shot Saori in the stomach this time. One member of the brigade used their magic to teleport Saori away, leaving only Nico, Lucifer and Arsene. All three of them readied their respective powers, but were quickly stopped by Milena shooting each of them with her pistol, Lucifer in the forehead, Arsene in the hand, and Nico in the hip. Nico dropped to the floor while Arsene used her remaining hand to create something, but whatever it was, Lucifer didn¡¯t know, as her creation looked like a combination of medicine and a bottle.


    ¡°Come on, help me get them before they escape.¡± Milena turned to whisper to Takahiro and Katherina, but not quiet enough. At her words, Lucifer quickly teleported away.


    ***


    Satan, May 6th


    ¡°Hey Satan. we found the Yinyras. Should we help them evacuate to another kingdom or should we bring them to Red and discuss some things with you and the other former royals? Oh, over!¡± Asked someone. Whoever it was, Satan couldn¡¯t really tell who it was, nor comprehend what they were saying.


    Soon after helped out Araya, he rushed back into fighting at the wrong time it seemed. More men arrived at the Green Palace and Satan was one of the unlucky ones that had to deal with them. He was currently fighting off ten at once in the throne room, trying to cover one of his fallen soldiers. He flung his pitchfork around with his blood magic, but every direction they went the enemy dodged.


    ¡®I really need a hit. Like, now. It¡¯d be nice to find new people to take blood from.¡¯ Satan thought as he retrieved the pitchfork with his magic and began swinging at the enemy. He cleared his mind, trying not to focus on anything but the fight.


    ¡°Um, Satan? Are you getting this? Over.¡± The same voice asked yet again.


    ¡°We¡¯re a little busy right now! Over!¡± Another voice replied, the same one of the soldier that Satan was covering for.


    Finally Takahiro¡¯s men began to slow down a bit. Satan took the opportunity to his advantage, using his magic to grab them and bring them in the air, then slamming them back on the ground.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Satan turned to help the fallen soldier. The soldier nodded.


    Satan surveyed the damage. The soldiers attempted to regain their footing but could only stay stuck to the ground.


    Satan turned around to the door, but all he could see was an angry mob of elves. Not even agents of Takahiro, but ones that were already living in the capital or another town or village nearby. Satan bit his lower lip, his sharper teeth cutting into lip.


    ¡®Shit¡­ At least I have some new blood to add to the collection, even if it¡¯s not that much.¡¯ Satan made the mistake of letting his mind wander as the elves approached. As he brought his gaze back up he jumped at how close the elves had gotten. He tried to count how many, but he ran out of time to count them all with how many had gotten closer and closer.


    Satan used his blood magic and teleported himself and the other soldier away from the palace to the entrance of the capital city.


    ¡°Attention all brigades, the¡­ original citizens of the capital are attacking us? Does that sound right? Over.¡± Satan said to the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re shouting something about preferring the figurehead to you. Over.¡± Said one of the soldiers.


    ¡°Why? Over.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the figurehead is an elf that understands the people¡¯s problems while your a demon with a whole different culture maybe? Over.¡±


    ¡°What? But I was planning on reinstating the Yinyras! Over.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s not how they saw it. Over.¡±


    ¡°You think we¡¯d be able to tell them our intentions and change their minds? Over.¡±


    ¡°You could try. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d listen, it¡¯s pretty loud. Over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing. Over.¡± Satan turned to the wounded soldier, ¡°Do you need healing?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine, Mr. Satanel.¡± The soldier said.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± Satan said. The soldier nodded.


    Satan teleported to the highest point of the palace, the roof of an area where the Yinyras could look over the entire capital.


    ¡°Attention elves of The Green Kingdom! We have come in peace and to fight in your honor! We have no intentions of taking over Green, we only intend to reinstate the Yinyras!¡± Satan screamed as loud as possible.


    ¡°We can take our own kingdom back without your help, thank you very much.¡± One elf with a bow an arrow yelled.


    ¡°And all your attempts at putting rulers back on the throne have failed, why should we trust you!¡± Another elf pointed a torch they were holding up at Satan.


    The elves all began screaming individual obscenities that Satan could barely discover. They all entered the palace from below and Satan heard their footsteps as they stormed the palace.


    ¡°Everyone, the elves are mad, they¡¯re not happy with us helping. We need to retreat. We¡¯ll regroup at the Red Palace and heal everyone. Over.¡± Satan said as teleported back to the entrance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­ Hey, can someone else help me move some of the soldiers that can walk? Over.¡± Araya spoke frantically.


    ¡°On my way. Over.¡± Satan said before teleporting over.


    ***


    Lucifer, May 6th


    Lucifer teleported back to the castle with everyone else, all taking a moment to sit down and get a breather.


    ¡°So uh, it didn¡¯t go as well as we thought. Over.¡± Lucifer hesitated before speaking into the walkie-talkie, tapping his foot on the floor anxiously and pressing a hand to his head.


    ¡°You too? Where are you now? Over.¡± Satan said in between coughs.


    ¡°At the Hell Palace. Shit, did the take back on Green not go well?¡± Lucifer asked.


    While he asked, Lucifer saw the swirling of blood right in front of him, which was definitely Satan¡¯s.


    ¡°Sorry, I- Shit what happened to you guys?¡±


    ¡°Milena.¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°Did you know Milena was working with Takahiro or Katherina?¡± Arsene raced up to Satan and shook him by the shoulders, accidentally bloodying his shoulder.


    ¡°Fuck, I never told you. She¡¯s only been working with them for like, twenty years? She came to Ayuzuma sometime in the nineties, her mom died and either she didn¡¯t do as good as a job as taking over for her mom or the forces screwed her over.¡±


    ¡°Of course they did! That¡¯s what they always do! When Arista, Araya and I came down all they did was threaten to send us back up to father. They¡¯re¡­ terrible people!¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°That was sad, no cursing from Arsene Mendoza?¡± Nico asked as a healer treated his leg.


    Finally, right next to Satan they could all see yellow flower particles, that was definitely Araya.


    As she appeared next to Satan, she took in all their injuries with widened eyes.


    ¡°Geez, the one time I¡¯m not with you you all get injuries. Who the fuck shot you?¡± Araya said as she magically removed the bullet in Lucifer¡¯s head and started to heal it.


    ¡°Milena.¡± Lucifer said again.


    ¡°What?¡± Araya shouted in surprise before moving on to help heal Arsene¡¯s injury.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ What happened at Green though?¡±


    ¡°We took the figurehead of Green into our custody, but we didn¡¯t actually get to take over Green. Some of the locals actually ended up helping but I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many of Takahiro agents, people, whatever everywhere, so we had to retreat.¡± Satan explained.


    ¡°Is this our curse? Are we doomed to only be able to break out all the royals but never take any kingdoms back for their rightful rulers?¡± Lucifer pondered.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Satan shrugged.


    ¡°Guys, look at what they¡¯re saying on the news!¡± Araya yelled as she pointed to the tv. There was footage of the islands of Grey Kingdom from above, with many of Takahiro¡¯s agents advancing towards the palace on the largest island. From the water there were many mermaids coming out of the water and fighting against Takahiro¡¯s agents.


    ¡°Do we ever get a break?¡± Satan groaned.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Lucifer said.

 Thirteen Islands

    Takahiro, May 6th


    Hey, you alright?¡± Katherina shook Takahiro gently by the shoulders as reality faded back in. The purple walls, white wooden tiled floors, black trim, and gold for extra accents of the hallway they were in was a dead giveaway that they were still at the Black Palace. His eyes flitted around, seeing Katherina to his left and Milena to his right, walking down the hallway.


    ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You seem out of it.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Takahiro said. He looked around, but saw no traces of Satan and everyone he brought with him earlier. ¡°Are they still here?¡±


    ¡°They teleported away, and everyone else here got the fucking unconcious potion and I get to be the lucky bastard to wake everyone up!¡± Milena grumbled, slowly raising her voice to yelling.


    ¡°We really need to find a way to restrict those things¡­¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°What are they made of, anyway?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Melatonin, some kind of sleep spell, and something from some animal, I don¡¯t remember exactly.¡± Milena said, ¡°I have a feeling they teleported back to their palace in hell. You know we could capture them, if we make it in there without a pass and also make it past security somehow. Everyone in here is asleep now, but if I got help from a few others at the other kingdoms we could probably wake everyone up, and capture Satan and co, if you want to.¡± Milena continued walking down the hallway as she used her magic to wake one of the ten people passed out on the floor out of their prolonged unconsciousness, then another, and another.


    ¡°Nah.¡± Takahiro decided.


    ¡°Really?¡± said Milena.


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think you wanna see the Mendozas again anyway.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wow. After everyone¡¯s awake again, what then?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s finally go after Grey.¡±


    ¡°Already? Even after-¡± Katherina said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I can just use people from the other kingdoms I¡¯ve conquered.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± Katherina shrugged.


    Takahiro managed to gather another army within twenty minutes. From Green, he got an army division, a naval division from Brown, and an air force group from Light Grey. Combined together, he had about 45,000, which would be overboard even for a kingdom as small as Grey.


    He now stood on the dock on an amphibious assault ship, a large ship with planes on the edges and a square platform at the end the planes could take off from. They were a reasonable distance from Grey, close enough to see it somewhat, but not too far they couldn¡¯t see anything. They¡¯d stopped sailing ten minutes ago, keeping still on the calm waters of Grey. staring at the main island. It was called Holoholona, sometimes known as Animal Island to outsiders of Grey like Takahiro himself. Holoholona had beautiful green grass and bushes with palm trees and beaches where the land met light blue waters. The Grey Kingdom, or at least Holoholona, was second to the Green Kingdom of how beautiful its nature was.


    Takahiro watched the humanimals of Grey go about their lives. Some walked around markets, and others went in tiny boats and sailed away from the island, throwing fishing lines and bringing back their biggest catches. He knew he¡¯d completely change everything, but he didn¡¯t care. He spaced out, his eyes glued to the island, but head otherwise empty.


    ¡°Hiro? Hiro? Are we gonna get moving soon or are you just gonna keep staring at Grey?¡± Katherina waved a hand in front of his eyes as he came off autopilot. He turned around and saw Katherina, in a short sun dress and Milena was wearing long flared pants and a brown tank top, parts from her usual outfit with the bandana around her head, jacket and corset removed. As if they just came down to the southern parts of Ayuzuma, Takahiro suddenly felt how hot he was getting.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Sorry.¡± Takahiro said as he took off his fedora and fanned himself with it. He walked into the cockpit while motioning for Katherina and Milena to follow. He opened his laptop that was on a side table and logged in as quickly as possible, wifi out at the sea was patchy at best. As soon as the laptop was ready, he opened Zoom and invited the leaders of each brigade and other necessary parties. When everyone was on Zoom, he turned the computer around to a map of Grey Island he had taped to a nearby pillar. He stood right next to it so he was visible to the Brigade leaders.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just get to it. Grey consists of thirteen islands,¡± Takahiro pointed out on the map, ¡°We¡¯ll need to divide the work between us. My personal crew will be with Army Brigade Green Seven. We¡¯ll focus on Animal first since it¡¯s the most populated and where the Chang royal family lives. Assuming things go well for us, we¡¯ll move on to the next most populated island. This is likely Bunny, Dragon, Tiger, and Rat Island. Now, Naval Brigade Brown Two will focus on Snake, Horse, Goat, and Monkey. For them, the order doesn¡¯t matter. Finally, Air Force Group Light Grey Will take Ox, Pig, Dog, and Rooster. Though I doubt, we¡¯ll need them, there are other brigades on standby in the event of something happening. Are we clear?¡±


    The other brigade leaders and commanders said yes and nodded. Takahiro bid them farewell, closing the laptop.


    ¡°Captain?¡± Takahiro turned to the boat¡¯s captain. The captain¡¯s head whipped around to look Takahiro in the eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s time. Take us to the coast of Animal Island, where Army Brigade Green Seven is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The captain saluted before turning their attention back to the waters and steering the wheel to Animal Island.


    Takahiro, Katherina, and Milena all teleported onto the sands of Animal Island. Suspiciously, there were no citizens on the beaches of Animal. Takahiro walked up to the Colonel of the Green Brigade to greet him.


    ¡°We almost ready? Did we already scare off the citizens?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°We are, I think the ship not being at the docks was what did it.¡± The Colonel explained.


    ¡°Of course. Call in your army, let¡¯s just get this show on the road.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye sir!¡± The Colonel saluted before using their walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Alright, you two are coming with me, we¡¯re gonna break into the palace and deal with the royals.¡± Takahiro motioned towards Katherina and Milena, who followed him.


    The Grey Palace was just in the distance. Compared to other palaces Takahiro had encountered, it was relatively small but still a gorgeous sight. The palace was elevated on wooden poles, and a small staircase led up to the entrance with two doors with matching bunny carvings. The roof was raised high in the air to a point and swooped down, then back up again at the back. There were two other sets of small staircases that lead to slightly lower elevated palaces in the palace. Of course, the palace had as many Grey parts as possible without looking too boring. Grey was the namesake of the island, after all.


    Guarding the palace were multiple guards, as expected, each with a diverse range of animal features, some with ears and tails, some with markings, and some with other less obvious animal features like claws or animal legs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re getting in there if we just waltz in the palace, no disguises or anything, sir.¡± Milena whispered to Takahiro.


    Almost as if the brigade from Green was waiting for her to say that a few of the soldiers from the brigade marched up, guns and swords in hand, and fought off the guards. While the guards seemed to put up a good fight, the soldiers from Green outnumbered them and could take them out.


    ¡°Alright then, guess we don¡¯t need that.¡± Milena said.


    The trio followed the brigade from behind, but the brigade was pushed back. From the entrance came two bunny humanimals, on the left was a man in his mid-forties and a girl in her early twenties.


    ¡°You will be leaving this island immediately.¡± The girl marched up to Takahiro as the man disappeared back into the palace.


    ¡°No.¡± Takahiro said as he used his shadow powers to attempt to plunge her into darkness, but his magic fizzled out. He whipped his head around, and suddenly he was encircled with other humanimals from Grey.


    ¡°Takahiro, catch!¡± Milena threw a switchblade at Takahiro.


    ¡®Fuck, I should¡¯ve gotten a new weapon before today, oh well, this works for now.¡¯ Takahiro thought as he raced up to the girl. She dodged him in what felt like less than a second, sliding to the left.


    ¡®Come on, come on, please help¡­¡¯ Takahiro thought as he turned around to swing the switchblade at the girl. Just as he thought that, finally, one soldier grabbed the girl by her neck, forcing her to stop, the others that the girl had summoned were either held back or restrained in some way until, finally, they were all captured.


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    ¡°Hey, let me go!¡± She fought against the members of the brigade.


    Takahiro looked over to Katherina and Milena, who had just captured one of the humanimals the girl summoned. He motioned for them to follow him inside the palace, slowly creeping inside together.


    The inside of the palace was small, as expected. Compared to other throne rooms, the Palace of Grey felt much more cramped. The throne was only a few steps away, and doors were on either side of the entrance. Takahiro listened for any suspicious sounds but heard none.


    ¡°You two, thoroughly check what¡¯s behind these doors, see if the other royals are in here. I¡¯m going back outside to hold onto the princess.¡± Takahiro whispered.


    Milena and Katherina nodded, then they all went their separate ways.


    Takahiro raced down the steps and saw the huddled brigade all whispering.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Takahiro asked, forcing his way through the group.


    The brigade all collectively said ¡®um¡¯, hesitating until Takahiro frowned at them like a disappointed mother. Then one blurted out: ¡°The princess was able to use her speed to wiggle out of our grip, and someone came and led her into the water!¡±


    ¡°Someone? Wait, did you catch what species they were?¡±


    ¡°Well, they looked practically human, might¡¯ve been some fins on either side of their torso but otherwise-¡±


    ¡°The merfolk!¡± Takahiro hissed. both at the brigade member that spoke and at himself as he marched over to the beach where the water was. As expected, there was the bunny girl from before, and a mermaid.


    ¡°My hanfu is wet Marisol!¡± The girl complained.


    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m sorry. Just let my people handle this.¡± Marisol comforted the bunny girl. The merperson happened to glance over and saw Takahiro making his way over.


    ¡°Oh hell no. Kiana, we¡¯re going under.¡± Marisol said. She pulled the bunny girl, who Takahiro now knew was Kiana, farther out to sea. A fellow merperson used magical powers on Kiana before they all went under together. Takahiro raced to the edge of the beach, trying to use his shadow powers to plummet them into darkness under the ocean, but he felt his magic not grasping on anything human-shaped.


    ¡®Of course I can¡¯t even swim¡­¡¯ Takahiro backed up before the water could splash on his legs. Takahiro whipped out his walkie-talkie before saying, ¡°Hey, naval brigade, are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we just got Snake and Horse, and we¡¯re on our way to take Goat now. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°A mermaid- well, I think they were a female merperson, just took the princess underwater. I tried using my powers to take them out of the water, but my powers weren¡¯t gripping on anything merperson shaped, and I can¡¯t swim either.¡±


    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°Eastern Beach on Animal Island.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send a small boat over there. If it¡¯s just the one princess, it should be fine.¡±


    Just as Takahiro said that the same man from before raced past him and dove straight into the water. An unfamiliar merperson and the same one that performed the magic on Kiana appeared and used the magic on the man before disappearing underwater again. Takahiro tried to use his magic to capture all three, but another magic-using merperson blasted magic at Takahiro. Whatever spell they used, he wasn¡¯t sure, but it was enough to keep him from getting a grasp on who was likely the king. Takahiro heard footsteps behind him and whipped his head around, but thankfully, it was only Milena and Katherina.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Katherina cursed.


    ¡°We still can get the Queen, at least.¡± Milena sighed.


    ¡°But where is she?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t in the castle¡­ Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°While you do that, I¡¯m gonna get an update from the other portion of the army and the air force,¡± Katherina began using her walkie-talkie, ¡°army and air force, what islands do you have?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got Bunny, Dragon, and Tiger!¡± The army brigade¡¯s commander said.


    ¡°Tiger, Pig, and Ox. Do you have animal?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll update you later.¡± Takahiro said as he raced back to the palace. ¡°A few parts of the Green brigade should guard the palace. Milena, Katherina, and the rest are with me.¡±


    ¡°Now what? Still don¡¯t know where the queen is.¡± Milena asked.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s possible she went to one of the other islands?¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Could be.¡± Said Katherina.


    ¡°Sorry, another question, anyone happens to see the Queen of Grey on the islands at all?¡± Takahiro used the walkie-talkie again.


    ¡°Nope.¡± said the air force commander.


    ¡°Me either.¡± said the navy commander.


    ¡°Nothing here.¡± said the army commander with the rest of the Green Brigade.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If they still haven¡¯t taken Rat, Monkey or Rooster, we could pay a visit to each of those islands maybe¡­¡± Takahiro thought out loud.


    ¡°Which one¡¯s closest? Monkey?¡± Milena asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± said Takahiro.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Monkey, you guys handle the other two,¡± Milena said, as she began to walk off.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna ask for someone to sail you over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a quick swim, it¡¯ll be five minutes. I got this.¡± Milena waved them off as she headed for the southwestern area of the island towards Monkey. Takahiro and Katherina eyed each with an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°To each their own, I guess.¡± Katherina shrugged.


    ¡°Sorry again, Katherina and I are gonna hit up Rat and Rooster. Whoever was gonna look for the princess, are you on your way?¡± Takahiro spoke into the walkie-talkie once more.


    ¡°Almost there, sorry!¡± Someone, presumably the one controlling the small boat. Takahiro looked up and saw the boat come closer. He waved as he went onto the beach, approaching the boat even more.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Takahiro yelled as he jumped off the boat onto Rooster Island. The captain waved and swiftly turned the boat around, making its way back to Animal. Takahiro made sure to enter the island by the ports, where there was a map. He approached the map and let his eyes observe. There were three main villages, one near the port, one in the middle of the island and one to the northwest. One of the houses was abnormally larger and more detailed than the other miniature houses, and the key noted that it was the home to Mr. and Mrs. Kalani,.


    ¡®Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­ the Queen¡¯s parents? I know I read somewhere the Queen¡¯s father grew up in Rooster. Must be why their house is huge and a landmark. If she¡¯s on Rooster, she¡¯s gotta be there! Or, if she¡¯s trying to throw me off, she went to some other village.¡¯


    As Takahiro was lost in thought, a voice pulled him out of his thought.


    ¡°Takahiro Koizumi, you are under arrest!¡± They yelled.


    Takahiro turned his head around and just laughed. The guard growled and bent down slightly as if they were about to pounce on Takahiro, but Takahiro began using shadow powers, making a clasping hands motion to wrap them in shadows, and raising one hand up in the air and moving it like he were holding a basketball to throw the guard into the water.


    ¡®I wanted to take a nice walk, but I guess that¡¯s not happening. Oh well!¡¯ Takahiro thought as he began teleporting himself away.


    Takahiro looked around and saw the house. The house had fencing that stretched high enough to be excessive and red ropes leading to the gate as if others entered before.


    ¡®Hm¡­ I wonder if I can teleport in?¡¯ Takahiro thought. He used his magic again and, shockingly was now inside the house gate. He peeked at the closest window and saw a somewhat chubby woman, possibly in her 30s or 40s, with muted copper skin, white wavy hair, and bunny ears pointed downwards. She was talking to another man and woman with similar traits, just much older.


    ¡®I can see how she resembles the princess.¡¯ Takahiro thought. As Takahiro watched them, trying to formulate a plan, the Queen happened to look out the window and saw him, watching. Staring.


    Takahiro watched her rush out with her assumed parents, and Takahiro teleported every few seconds to keep up with them, but every time he almost caught up with them, they ran past. It all continued until they made their way to the nearest ocean, the merfolk waiting with open arms to take them underwater.


    Takahiro growled as he teleported closer for the last time, only able to watch the merfolk take the Queen and her parents underwater. Takahiro made a daring move to attempt to go under the water, throwing his hat, shoes, and socks aside and diving in.


    ¡°Ugh, what am I doing. I can¡¯t swim! And I just got my clothes wet¡­ It is pretty nice, though¡­¡± Takahiro said as he went deeper into the water.


    As soon as all of Grey was in the hands of Takahiro, he and his crew headed straight back to the palace in Black. Takahiro immediately changed from his soaked clothes into a simple button-up shirt and pleated pants. He flung himself onto his bed, exhausted.


    ¡°Was the water nice?¡± Katherina asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Takahiro raised himself from the bed to look at her entering the room before plopping back down again.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Katherina sat next to Takahiro.


    ¡°Finally get a new weapon for me. Milena did give me a pretty nice switchblade.¡±


    ¡°I meant what kingdom to take next, but that¡¯s good too. You sure you''re not going to¡­¡± Katherina trailed off.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I told you I¡¯m fine. That was me in November and December. The me now can handle it. We just took over Grey and stopped an uprising in Green, I want to rest for a bit.¡± Takahiro yawned, sitting up to lean his head on Katherina¡¯s shoulder and hug her,


    ¡°Alright then.¡±

 Blood and Razors

    Satan, May 20th


    Two weeks had already passed, Satan continously stressing over the war. After the loss of Grey and being unable to do anything, his blood boiled and his immense guilt overtook him. He threw himself into his work, trying to stretch his limits, working as much as possible. He could rest later, right now Ayuzuma needed his help.


    And so that was what Satan was doing at the moment, hauled up in his room the entire day. He kept nodding and dozing off every couple minutes.


    ¡®What time is it?¡¯ Satan turned his head to the clock.


    ¡®Seven. I missed dinner completely, shit¡­ Oh well, I¡¯ll just grab a snack and keep working.¡¯ Satan thought as he rose from his chair. He stretched, feeling his bones pop and crack with every movement.


    He walked out of his room to the kitchen to see¡­ everyone? Even Lucifer who was supposed to be on Earth.


    ¡°Finally, he¡¯s here. Shut up.¡± Araya mumbled something as he approached.


    ¡°So, Satan.¡± Araya greeted as she glared down Satan.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s going on?¡± Satan asked as he went to the fridge to scavenge for food.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Have you looked in the mirror lately?¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Not particularly. I do know a war is going on and I should probably get back to that-¡± Satan said as he tried to scurry away, half knowing what was probably about to go down and half confused.


    ¡°No, no. Stay.¡± Araya cut him off.


    ¡°Ria, you¡¯re confusing him. Satan, you¡¯ve been working constantly. Are you alright?¡± Arsene asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I can catch up on sleeping and eating once-¡±


    ¡°There is no catching up when your magic goes and you become another case study on what happens when an immortal doesn¡¯t take care of themselves!¡± Araya yelled, starting to get a bit annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that matters right now. I need to put my all into the war, or else-¡±


    ¡°You still have Zeta and the rest of his crew. I know they¡¯re willing to help They won¡¯t explode if you take the time to take care of yourself better, promise.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m gonna eat, go to my apartment, shower, then crash.¡± Satan sighed, deciding to eat out in the dining room of the castle for once while having small talk with everyone else.


    A few minutes into his meal, Satan heard footsteps. All the advisors and people he had to meet with were dismissed for the day, and everyone at the palace today was right in front of him. He felt his stomach sink as dread flowed through every part of his body.


    ¡°Guys, am I hearing noises or do you hear footsteps?¡± Satan leaned in to whisper to everyone.


    ¡°Yes. Shit.¡± Araya got up from her seat and summoned her pole and went to the wall just near the entrance of the dining room, ready to swing.


    Everyone else summoned, or in the case of Lucifer, ran to get their weapons. Satan teleported himself into the throne room and creeped up to every area he thought someone could be hiding. He was stopped in his tracks by the sound of a pole hitting something, and the voice of¡­ Yami?


    He quickly teleported back to the dining room and saw Araya using her magic while Yami covered his nose.


    ¡°Yami?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. My mistake by rushing in and not announcing it, I¡¯ll tell everyone else that too.¡± Yami said.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Satan bit his lip.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working with that Detective, they found out Takahiro and company plan to take over Orange.¡±


    ¡°Orange? But that¡¯s the motherland of Black!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    ¡°But he is your great-great¡­ too many greats of a grandpa to say out loud.¡±


    ¡°True, but I was never close with him. Something about this feels off though.¡±


    Yami was cut off by more footsteps and Zeta pushing Yami and Araya out of the way.


    ¡°They don¡¯t just plan to take over, they¡¯re doing it right now! Look!¡± Zeta shouted, shoving a phone in Satan¡¯s hand.


    Zeta was facetiming someone. The screen showed someone clearly part of Takahiro¡¯s army looking down at Queen Amber. While she tried to lift herself off the ground but kept falling back down. Satan noticed the bone poking out of her leg.


    ¡°Shit, we need to leave, right now!¡± Satan gave Zeta the phone back and rushed off.


    ¡°No, you still need to take a break from working. We can handle this.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, see you later. Oh before I forget¡­¡± Satan rushed back to his old room in the palace and came out with a thick notebook with post-it notes, notecards and bookmarks sticking out from the sides. ¡°I¡¯ve made many potential plans for if Takahiro takes Orange. I don¡¯t have anything for this exact situation but it may help you.¡±


    ¡°Alright thanks. Now go take care of yourself for once.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Satan slightly smiled.


    ***


    Araya, May 20th


    The group rushed over to Orange immediately. As soon as they made it on Orange Kingdom soil they rushed over to the palace. Araya gripped her pole harder as they walked through the palace on high alert. The palace was made up of many circular parts with orange clay walls and roofs made of grass. The largest of the rooms was thrice the size of the group and had a large door. The entrance before the palace even had sticks that made an arch as well.


    The group stormed the castle, and the same scene that played out over the phone was playing right in front of their eyes, if playing was really what it could be called.


    The members of Takahiro¡¯s army turned around to face the group. They all charged at the group, but Araya dodged them, leaving them to everyone else that came. Araya approached the woman on the floor with her pole in hand, and slid to the floor. She had skin like deep mahogany and short coily hair with a deep red color. She didn¡¯t recognize her before but now it was clear that the woman was Amber Murazvo.


    ¡°Oh my god, Mrs. Mendoza! I haven¡¯t seen you since I was thirteen!¡± Amber half smiled, half grit her teeth.


    ¡°Hi Amber. Are you the Queen now?¡± Araya asked as she examined the woman¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Yes. I would¡¯ve loved to have you at my coronation.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯d like to have been there, but I couldn¡¯t thanks to him.¡± Araya motioned to Lucifer as he fought off Takahiro¡¯s army while begining to use her magic.


    ¡°Who? Wait, he kinda looks like Mr. Satanel¡­ Is that his brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Araya finished up using her magic. Amber¡¯s leg had wood with bandages wrapped around it. While one of Takahiro¡¯s agents tried to approach Araya from behind, Araya grabbed her pole and smacked them away, leaving them to Lucifer and the others.


    ¡°There. Healing magic never fully fixes anything unless it¡¯s something small, I¡¯d say my magic fixed about¡­ ninety percent probably? Don¡¯t get up yet, stay here. I want to attend to the others.¡± Araya instructed, but she was stopped as quickly as she started to make her way across the room.


    ¡°Oh no, they¡¯re fine. I¡¯m not.¡± Amber explained. Araya looked to where the other two were. On the left was someone with the brightest green hair she¡¯d ever seen, and the right someone with a long white coat. She squinted, trying to remember their names. She was sure she¡¯d met them before she left.


    ¡°Is that¡­. Kiyoshi Watanabe- or wait, was it Kurogiri? Or both?¡± Araya thought.


    ¡°Watanabe. Hi, Mrs. Mendoza.¡± Kiyoshi greeted.


    ¡°Hi. Not to sound like every adult ever but you¡¯ve gotten so big.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Kiyoshi chuckled.


    ¡°They cut my fucking hair!¡± The one with the long coat complained as they grasped at their short hair, black and cut unevenly into a bob.


    ¡°It¡¯ll grow back, just give it a day.¡± Kiyoshi reassured.


    ¡°I know, but still! That¡¯s one day of not being able to use my hair for anything!¡± They said as they rushed over to Amber.


    ¡°Use¡­ your¡­. Hair?¡± Araya puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s Kuroyami. You know, the one that had the long hair that moved like arms.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t even recognize him.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Are you almost done? Some help would be nice!¡± Lucifer yelled from across the room as him and the others were fighting off Takahiro¡¯s agents.


    ¡°Yes, sorry!¡± Araya apologized. She quickly teleported herself over to them and finished off the rest of Takahiro¡¯s agents by throwing them onto the ground.


    ¡°Yay! Crisis averted!¡± Lucifer cheered.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t really anything, only crisis was that they fucked with our powers, so now we can¡¯t use them.¡± Amber commented.


    ¡°Oh, you should¡¯ve told me. Here.¡± Araya went back over to them and used her healing powers. Amber and Kuroyami immediately after being healed tested out their powers, Kuroyami shrouding everyone in darkness and Amber using her fire which cleared the darkness.


    ¡°Am I the only one that feels suspicious about this? It felt too easy compared to all the others battles we¡¯ve fought.¡± Yami pointed out.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, about that, you might wanna come look at this.¡± Amber said, pointing at her phone. They all gathered around her phone to watch the footage.


    The footage showed a bunch of agents of Takahiro, again, chasing around assumed citizens in a desert. The citizens were all varied species, from centaurs, to werewolves. Nearby buildings were set on fire by Takahiro¡¯s agents, whilst other buildings were set on fire due to surrounding buildings. A large majority of Takahiro¡¯s agents all raced towards the top of a dune that had a large shelter made only with sticks for a rounded framework and leaves and bark covering the outside. The shelter was only on one side while the other was open, with only carpeting and a modest throne pieced together with only sticks.


    ¡°Where is that?¡± Lucifer asked.


    ¡°Must be Yellow near the capital. Yellow¡¯s a large kingdom, if we lose Yellow then we¡¯re screwed.¡± Yami paced.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get over there!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just the six of us, we¡¯re gonna need the army on this one.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Not six, eight. We wanna help too.¡± Amber butt in, glancing over at Kuroyami.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Zeta asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Kiyoshi can handle things here until we get back, and if anything happens there¡¯s always Bree too.¡± Amber said.


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Bree?¡± Nico asked.


    ¡°Getting groceries.¡±


    Almost as if she waited for someone to mention that from the entrance, Amber noticed Bree walking down the path with the grocery bags floating all around her with her blood magic. She opened the door, eyes drawn to Takahiro¡¯s agents littering the floor.


    ¡°What the hell happened while I was gone? Wait, dad?¡± Bree¡¯s eyes fell on Nico. The two rushed to hug each other.


    ¡°Average actions of Takahiro.¡± Kuroyami said.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, seems like Takahiro and his gang or whatever wanna take over Yellow now, wanna join in?¡±


    ¡°Count me in! Uh, you¡¯ll be alright on your own, right Kiyoshi?¡±


    ¡°As long as someone scans the area and makes sure there¡¯s nothing nearby, I¡¯ll hold down the palace just fine.¡± Kiyoshi said.


    ¡°I can check real quick, then we can go.¡± Amber said, before rushing off to inspect the surrounding area quickly.


    As soon as the group gathered an army to help them properly, they teleported to the capital of Yellow. They teleported slightly away from the capital to survey the scene from afar. Then, they began walking in sweltering heat, sneaking closer and closer to the capital. The same scene they watched on Amber¡¯s phone still playing out in front of them. Though Araya was dressed the most suitably for the heat of Yellow, sweat still tricked down from every pore on her body.


    The group was now behind an acacia tree, hiding from Takahiro¡¯s agents as much as they could manage. They began discussing and formulating potential plans on how to help, when they heard hooves on the sand approaching them closer and closer. They all either pointed their weapons in the direction of the sound, or started up their magic.


    In the distance was a centaur woman, who wasn¡¯t just a human from the torso up and a horse¡¯s body attached, but she has a small curved horn protruding from the front of her head, horse ears and a pair of yellow wings. She wore both armor as well as a light and airy yellow shirt.


    ¡°Are you-¡± Yami was cut off.


    ¡°Queen Jodie? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you. Unfortunate it had to be now of all times, but we¡¯d like to offer our help.¡± Yami said.


    ¡°Thank you for the aid. We should hurry up, or else there¡¯ll be nothing left of the capital.¡± Jodie began to run down the dune, ¡°Your army should focus on Takahiro¡¯s men. I¡¯ll focus on getting the fires out and evacuating my people.¡±


    ¡°But how are you getting those fires out?¡±


    ¡°Some of the Water Elementals from Light Blue are helping us out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, perfect!¡± Yami said.


    The group all began to split up. Araya and Lucifer headed for the left area of the capital, Yami, Kuroyami, and Amber went right, Arsene and Nico went straight ahead while Zeta went around to take on the northern area. Jodie followed Arsene and Nico only to take citizens out of the capital. Each took a portion of the army with them as well.


    Araya and Lucifer ran on forwards, Araya regretfully glancing at the burning houses and apartments.


    ¡®If only I could stop, then I could heal all the houses, so at least these people wouldn¡¯t be loosing everything¡­ I¡¯d exhaust my healing magic just by doing that unfortunately.¡¯ Araya thought.


    Her thoughts were broken by the sight of a small group of Takahiro¡¯s group. Small, meaning fifty, wouldn¡¯t hold a candle to the resistance¡¯s portion of the army of five hundred. Araya raised her pole in the air, ready to strike, while Lucifer raised his scythe in the air and readied his magic, but the army jumped out in front of them and took Takahiro¡¯s men on themselves.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Araya asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Save your strength for when you really need it, we¡¯ll handle the rest for now!¡± One yelled out as they kicked one of Takahiro¡¯s men to the ground.


    ¡°I have an even better idea.¡± Araya retorted. From her bag she took out another unconscious potion, simultaneously one of the most useful to use on others yet annoying on yourself potions in all of Ayuzuma, maybe even the universe. She motioned for the army to move away from Takahiro¡¯s guard and threw the potion. The glass shattered all over the capital¡¯s streets, and the liquid splattered everywhere. If even a tiny drop touched one of Takahiro¡¯s men, they¡¯d be out until awoken again. Of the fifty that initially showed up, thirty were made unconscious thanks to the potion, leaving another twenty the guards would need to take out.


    ¡°Those potions sure are helpful. Do you need to splash them on the ground though?¡± One soldier asked.


    ¡°No, good idea. I only have so many of these so I should probably also use them only if there¡¯s a lot of enemies¡± Araya said.


    Araya, Lucifer and the army got into a good few fights. Run into Takahiro¡¯s men, survey how many there were. If there were just a few, the army would take care of it. If there was a lot, Araya would splash unconscious potion liquid on as many as possible. And if there looked to be especially strong opponents, finally Araya and Lucifer would get to step in. But it seemed the more they marched on, the more of Takahiro¡¯ men they¡¯d encounter, the more injuries the soldiers sustained and the longer they¡¯d need to stop for her to heal everyone.


    And now, they were waiting again. They¡¯d run into probably a thousand of Takahiro¡¯s men, so the unconscious potions and Araya and Lucifer stepping in was a must that time around. But when looking in her bag, Araya only saw one potion that could be used.


    Araya teleported on top of a shorter apartment building, and took out the potion.


    ¡°Please get as many of Takahiro¡¯s men as possible.¡± Araya wished while she tore of the cap and poured it down, shaking it to get as much of the liquids out of the bottle.


    She looked down, and there appeared to be a little less than half of the army unconscious. She stomped at the sight, then teleported back down.


    ¡°Hey Nen, are you busy? I¡¯m kind of out of unconscious potions right now¡­¡± Araya tried to use her walkie-talkie while fighting off some of Takahiro¡¯s men, sloppily dodging swords and bullets and lazily throwing her pole around with her one hand.


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re everywhere! Can you wait a few minutes? Ove- Nico!¡± Arsene yelled from the other line, the sound of a gunshot giving Araya that feeling of her stomach dropping.


    While not fully paying attention, one of Takahiro¡¯s men finally managed to land a hit on Araya. They managed to leave a deep cut in her arm and were forceful enough to make her fall backwards. She landed on the ground and one of the few soldiers able to fight charged back at them. A soldier helped her up.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Araya mumbled. She ran off to a nearby dark corridor to focus on healing herself, but as she began using her magic she felt faint and her eyelids grew sleepy. Her vision became blurry and she held onto a nearby wall to stop from collapsing. She took out her walkie-talkie as quickly as she could manage.


    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯ve depleted all my healing magic for today. Can someone help?¡± Araya¡¯s weakened voice asked.


    ¡°All our healers are overwhelmed, sorry.¡± Yami panted into the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Same here.¡± Nico coughed.


    ¡°You too? Damn I hate magic sometimes!¡± Zeta screeched.


    ¡°Is there a lot of Takahiro¡¯s men for you too?¡± Araya said.


    Everyone replied yes.


    Araya silently cursed as she made her way over to where the soldiers and Takahiro¡¯s men faced off. There looked to be even more of Takahiro¡¯s men, and some of the ones that were unconscious before were being awoken by his men.


    ¡°I think we may need to fall back, there¡¯s too many.¡± Araya slowly slipped back down the corridor.


    ¡°What do we tell Jodie then?¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Takahiro¡¯s getting too powerful.¡± Araya said.


    All separate groups managed to get away from Takahiro¡¯s men. Araya, Lucifer and their portion of the army simply teleported, Yami, Amber and Kuroyami escaped thanks to the Koizumi¡¯s shadow powers and managed to sneak away, Zeta used his powers to paralyze Takahiro¡¯s men, and Arsene created a giant bear while she and Nico teleported away. They regrouped somewhere in the desert, away from the capital.


    As soon as Araya¡¯s feet touched the desert sand again, she almost collapsed. Her body swayed but Lucifer grabbed her by the shoulders.


    ¡°Easy, easy, don¡¯t faint on me Mendoza.¡±


    Despite Araya¡¯s exhaustion, she still thought like a healer, observing the injuries of the group. Lucifer had a deep cut in his neck from a sword, Yami had a black eye and limped, Zeta had some knocked out teeth and his hand bleed like crazy, Arsene¡¯s shoulder had bone quite literally popping out. Nico was the only one not to have any injuries whatsoever.


    They spotted Jodie in the distance and waved her over. Somehow, in the darkness, she saw them and rushed over.


    ¡°Jodie, we¡¯re sorry, it-¡± Yami started, but was cut off by Jodie.


    ¡°I know. The entire capital is in ruins. For every water elemental that put out a fire there was another five shadow elementals that set fire to something else and then hurt my people. Everyone that pitched in got too exhausted, I even called for armies from other kingdoms but their power wouldn¡¯t too anything.¡±


    ¡°What? How? How does he keep winning and taking over more kingdoms?¡± Zeta demanded.


    ¡°Could be related to the disappearance of Ayuma, could just be pure luck, or something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t fucking be luck that¡¯s letting him take every single kingdom he sets foot it, it¡¯s gotta be related to Ayuma¡¯s disappearance or something else!¡± Zeta screamed.


    ¡°Hey, hey. I get your annoyed but yelling won¡¯t fix-¡± Yami said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! If Katherina wasn¡¯t an influence in his life maybe my friends parents won¡¯t be dead. Maybe my wife would still be here.¡±


    ¡°Your wife? Wait¡­ do you mean-¡± Nico gasped.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m surprised I¡¯m even alive.¡±


    While the former rulers all continued talking, Araya became dizzier, tuning out all voices and noises. All she could hear was a loud buzzing noise, and the headache she had certainly wasn¡¯t helping. A blue figure approached Araya, likely Arsene.


    ¡°I need to get back to my apartment, I¡¯m gonna collapse out of exhaustion sooner or later.¡± Araya dug her hands into Lucifer¡¯s jacket, trying to keep steady.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    And then, Araya¡¯s eyes closed as she finally collapsed.


    Araya¡¯s eyes slowly opened. She was in bed in her room at her apartment, and she heard Nico and Arsene talking. She slowly sat up in bed and got up. She tested her magic by lifting a random object, which thankfully smoothly floated in the air.


    ¡®Yes! My healing¡¯s gotta be fine now too, right?¡¯ Araya thought. She opened the door to her room to venture out, trying to look for something to heal, but was greeted by Nico and Arsene sitting at the dining room table.


    ¡°Your awake, how are you feeling Ria?¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°Better. My magic¡¯s working but I haven¡¯t checked my healing. Can someone give me something to heal?¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Try this.¡± Nico handed her a mug with a part chipped off on the top.


    Araya grabbed it and held her hand over it gently as she dispelled her healing magic. The area that was chipped slowly repaired back to what was assumed to be the way it looked before. Araya jumped up in the air as she cheered, accidentally letting the mug out of her hand and it shattered. Araya quickly went to fixing it again, and it was good as new. She placed it on the table.


    ¡°Well, my magic¡¯s good again now. What happened after I passed out?¡± Araya slid out a chair from the dining room table and sat down.


    ¡°We told Satan what happened earlier. He¡¯s not happy, to say the least. Not really at us but at¡­ himself? He asked everyone stay away from him unless it¡¯s something related to the war. Lucifer went back to Earth but I have a feeling we¡¯ll need his help for something again.¡± Nico explained.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised, but not much we can do but hope we get lucky soon, otherwise I think hope may be gone for the Ayuzumians¡­¡± Araya sighed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine now so I suppose I¡¯ll be going to work. See you both later.¡±


    ***


    Satan, May 28th


    Satan stared at the blood pooling on his arm as he spaced out, thoughts of the past five months and everything that¡¯d happened flashing through his brain. When he finally spaced back into the world, he only then realized the tears flowing from his eyes. Looking at the dozens of scars littered on his arm made him sick. He quickly took what little blood flowed and added it to his collection of blood. Another few links on his chains weren¡¯t much, but it could be useful. He bandaged his arm and rolled down his sleeve. He stared at his reflection, a first in the long time. He knew he hadn¡¯t even brushed his hair in a week, but it looked even worse with a closer look.


    ¡®I can¡¯t even look at myself.¡¯ Satan rubbed his eyes and stopped his crying, grabbing the bloodied razor and teleporting it away, but not without adding the blood to his collection once. He threw a blanket over the bathroom mirror and walked over to his room. He brushed his hair quickly and threw it into a sloppy side ponytail.


    ¡®Good enough.¡¯ Satan made his way out of the hallway of rooms and down the stairs in the throne room to the meeting room. As soon as he opened the door he was greeted with the sounds of conversations of others, ranging from the recent battles to talking about breakfast. His eyes lingered on his friends and other ex royals before making his way to his usual seat.


    Everyone began quieting down and shushing each other as he sat down.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming here. I apologize for not being quick enough but I believe I may have thought of a solution to the war ending.¡± Satan began. Some of the people in the room cheered and whooped, making Satan slightly chuckle. ¡°This may be drastic and not something all of you want, but at this rate I think we¡¯re all desperate enough.¡±


    ¡°Just tell us already!¡± Zeta yelled from across the room, making Satan roll his eyes.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I think we should kidnap them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± A chorus of voices shouted.


    ¡°Listen, anytime we¡¯ve tried to protect a kingdom from being taken over or try to take and return a kingdom to the original rulers, it hasn¡¯t gone over very well. If we stop the problem at the source, then they can be thrown in jail and everyone that¡¯s worked for them will have no choice but to stop.¡± Satan tried to argue.


    ¡°How would we make that happen though? Last time someone snuck into their palace it didn¡¯t go over so well.¡± Yami brought up.


    ¡°Well, we could do a similar thing with more people, or we could invite them to one of the palaces under the guise of surrendering one of the kingdoms to them.¡±


    ¡°Going to one of their palaces again is too risky, they¡¯d outnumber us.¡± Nico pointed out.


    ¡°But which kingdom would be willing to be our bait? Red in either sector is completely out of the question, I¡¯d have to issue a bunch of passes and that¡¯s not something I¡¯d like to do. I don¡¯t think Blue or Light works either, as far as I know they have no mermaids, no water elementals nor people with the right magic to make people be suited to be underwater.¡±


    ¡°The only ones left are Orange, Cyan, Purple, and Rainbow.¡± Araya brought up.


    ¡°Who¡¯s most likely to accept this?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Hard to say. Might have to just ask around.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Seems like it, of course. Why don¡¯t we split up? Araya, Nico, Arsene, why don¡¯t we go to Pink?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd choice. You don¡¯t just want to get out of the castle, right?¡± Araya commented as she got up and walked over to Satan.


    ¡°Totally not. Anyway, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Wait, Satan! The royals at Pink are much different than any- Shit, he¡¯s gone.¡± Zeta tried to warn Satan, but since it was too loud, he was already teleported away and gone before he could get his attention.


    When they first arrived Satan couldn¡¯t get his eyes off of the beautiful lush valleys of Pink, They were standing at the higher areas of the valley, and below them were the buildings and houses that were white and pink, with roman influence in mind. The buildings had arches and columns, and the people were dressed in roman clothing. Only Araya gently nudging his face with her pole broke him out of his trance.


    ¡°Which one is the palace?¡± Satan held a hand over his eyes to see better.


    ¡°Probably the one with the path.¡± Araya pointed at a large house with ornate columns and statues, as well with lettering in Roman and hearts. Lots of hearts.


    They made their way down the hill and to the palace, and Satan kept loosing focus and staring at the capital in closer detail, needing to be brought back multiple times.


    ¡°Wait, do we need to make an appointment or something?¡± Araya asked.


    ¡°Already on it, and yeah, we do. Oh, did any of you know Pink seven six reigning rulers?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Satan yelled.


    ¡°Yeah, they decended from the seven deities of love. Anyway, closest appointment we can get is at two in the afternoon, and it¡¯s only twelve now, and we have time to kill. Should we get lunch now?¡± Nico scrolled on his phone while walking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry but I¡¯d like to explore. I haven¡¯t been able to do that in ages.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Araya said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can tell when you haven¡¯t eaten, Satan.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I just know. I can¡¯t force you to eat, but I know you¡¯ve barely taken care of yourself for the past week.¡±


    Satan thought about how awful his week had been, from new cuts he gave himself to the bottles of alcohol he¡¯d managed to empty, then he looked at Araya¡¯s face. She frowned slightly, her bright yellow eyes almost glimmering.


    ¡®Just for today, I can keep up the facade, at the very least.¡¯ Satan thought, before giving in and going to look for a place to eat with the others together.


    The quartet eventually found a very nice place to eat, one with fancy columns and statues but more casual food. They became distracted and at one fourty five, they rushed through all their food and drinks to pay the bill and teleport over.


    They ended up in front of the palace. They hesitantly entered, then took a left into a small waiting room. It was almost like a Roman version of a waiting room, except with less chairs, only enough chairs to seat the four.


    After ten minutes, the door opened to a young woman in her 20s in a bun.


    ¡°Hello, are you the ones with the appointment to meet with the royal family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± They all rose from their seats.


    ¡°Right this way.¡± She held the door open as she lead them down a staircase to the right, and made a few turns down a downstairs hallway before they made it to the meeting room. She bowed as she took her leave and they entered.


    The meeting room was like a theater, but on a much smaller scale. There was no big stage, but there was a circular middle that was presumably where they¡¯d stand. A woman with pink curled hair stood up and walked over to them.


    ¡°Hello, you are Satan Satanel, the ruler of the Hell sector or Red?¡± The woman stuck out a hand.


    ¡°Yes, pleased to meet you. You are¡­?


    ¡°Queen Venus. The over six over there are my co-rulers and cousins.¡±


    ¡°Cousins? But you at look so-¡±


    ¡°Different? I know, we¡¯re very distant cousins. Anyway, feel free to take a seat or just stand, whatever you feel like.¡± She motioned to the unoccupied seats next to the royals. The quartet each took their seats.


    ¡°So, I assume you know what¡¯s been going on in Ayuzuma, right?¡± Satan began.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s awful.¡±


    ¡°I know. Our luck has been garbage, so we¡¯ve been thinking of something drastic.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±


    ¡°I thought we could kidnap Katherina and Takahiro.¡±


    ¡°That is pretty drastic. Why does this involve us though?¡± Venus¡¯ eyes darted over to her cousins.


    ¡°Well, the last time we went directly to the Black Kingdom Palace to stop them, it didn¡¯t go over well. Inviting them to Red in either sector is risky since we have to issue the passes so they could just skip the surrending and take over themselves, and for the underwater kingdoms they probably don¡¯t have the ability to go underwater without submarines. So we wanted another kingdom to take the bait. Would you be willing?¡±


    ¡°All cousins that would be willing, raise your hand.¡± Venus turned to her cousins, Venus¡¯s hand immediately shot up, and five others as well. The only one that didn¡¯t was the royal wearing much more frumpy clothes. ¡°Pragma, why don¡¯t you want to?¡±


    ¡°I thought this was democracy, not convicrary.¡± The man assumed to be Pragma rolled their eyes.


    ¡°Pragma, please, I just want to know why. Maybe we can help alleviate your fears or something.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Koizumi has the power of nine kingdoms now, and it¡¯s essentially one against nine. If we¡¯re bait, we¡¯re gonna be next.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re not doing this alone. All the former royals are part of the resistance, plus the Hell Sector. There¡¯s citizens from the taken over kingdoms so it¡¯ll be more evenly matched.¡± Satan clarified


    ¡°Alright, I guess that¡¯s a little better. Fine by me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you were that easy to convince.¡±


    ¡°If you agree, can I make you all hell passes? I¡¯ll tell the others to come back to my palace, and we can discuss a fully fledged plan to kidnap Katherina and Takahiro.¡±


    ¡°Yes, might be nice to see Hell.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll be back a little later.¡±


    Satan, June 3rd


    Satan stood on the docks of a small rowing boat that rocked enough to make him nervous he¡¯d fall out. He watched over the Pink Palace, close enough to get a good look but far enough not to attract too much attention. His eyes fell on his friends, all disguised as the guards of Pink. While some stayed stationary, trying to blend in, others quietly chatted or made faces at Satan.


    ¡°Hey, careful, they might spot you if you¡¯re too red over here.¡± Yami mumbled, grabbing Satan¡¯s robe hood and putting it over his head.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said that.¡± Satan growled back as he adjusted his hood. He took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and looked down at his hand. Yup, normal skin color there.


    ¡°According to Takahiro, he should be over in five more minutes,¡± Queen Venus spoke.


    ¡°Did you plant the mics and camera  in the castle so we can listen and watch? Over,¡± Satan mumbled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, thank you for the reminder!¡± Venus said.


    Satan listened to the sound of a microphone turning on as he tapped his foot, staring right at the entrance and now at an iPad screen on the bottom of the boat.


    ¡°Can you hear and see me?¡± Venus spoke as she backed up from the camera.


    ¡°You¡¯re good. All fake guards planted?¡± Satan asked.


    A chorus of voices answered ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°Takahiro and his men should be here very soon, every ready and knows what to do?¡± Satan asked.


    Another chorus of voices shouted ¡®yes¡¯ the second time around.


    A few more minutes passed, and then various versions and colors of magic appeared, each clearing to reveal more that were part of Takahiro¡¯s army. In front of them all, were Takahiro, Katherina and Milena. Satan used his binoculars to see closer. Takahiro seemed to cast a glance at Katherina, who smirked back at him. Satan¡¯s stomach dropped at the sight, and his blood boiled at the sight of Katherina. Milena had her arms crossed and rolled her eyes before finally entering, before them of course.


    Satan and Yami got closer to the dock floors to watch the footage on the ipad screen. The army entered from the left, and all nine of the Pink royals were lined up together on the right.


    ¡°Hello, Pink royal family,¡± Takahiro greeted with a smirk.


    ¡°We prefer to be called the Amares.¡± Venus corrected.


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t really know much about anything outside of Black, forgive me. Anyway, what is it that you needed us here for today?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve watched how the war has played out, and after we all discussed things, we¡¯ve decided: we¡¯d like to join your empire on peaceful terms. Instead of a conquer deal, maybe, we surrender ourselves willfully? You can be the emperor and make the decisions for the good of the empire, and we can keep up Pink while pledging our allegiance to you.¡± Venus proposed with a hand to her heart. Satan glanced over at Yami.


    ¡°Convincing?¡±


    ¡°Very much so.¡± Yami shivered. They turned their attention back to the ipad screen.


    ¡°Hm, that does sound like a nice idea¡­ What made you want to change your mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, I saw how¡­ good your conquered kingdoms are doing.¡± Venus hesitated. Satan bit his lip as he looked at Takahiro¡¯s facial expression. He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. Takahiro¡¯s shadow powers began emitting from his hand, shadows blanketing everything.


    ¡°Fuck, jig¡¯s up, everyone in there, now! Those with light or light-related powers, use them, it¡¯s shadowy in there!¡± Satan yelled. He quickly pushed himself up to his feet. He glanced at Yami, who nodded at him.


    Yami used his shadow magic to teleport, the shadows swallowing them up. When the darkness cleared Yami waved his hand to make his shadows disappear. They were on a raised platform with the nine thrones of the Pink royals.


    Looking at the scene in front of them, Takahiro was fully in his shadow form facing the other way on the royal carpet. Besides his mouth and eyes which were gold, his entire body was a black shadow. The shadows Takahiro created had spread throughout almost the entire room, quickly eating Takahiro up until he couldn¡¯t even be seen.


    Thankfully, the door burst open to the Pink army, candles and lights in hand alongside their weapons. With what little they could see, they raced up to Takahiro¡¯s army and began fighting them off.


    Satan began readying his blood magic, transforming his chains to blood and moving the blood particles around in the air, while Yami went into his own shadow form and charged into the darkness. A minute later, Takahiro was pushed out of the cloud of darkness onto the floor. Immediately, Satan transformed his blood into a ball-and-chain and attached it to Takahiro¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Wait, what? This can¡¯t be!¡± Takahiro protested, as he tried to lift himself off the ground and run, but couldn¡¯t get very far.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Satan swiftly brought out a syringe and used his magic to move it to Takahiro¡¯s skin. Takahiro dodged it, but eventually, Satan managed to inject Takahiro in his neck, causing him to collapse on the floor.


    Next was Milena, who was still on her feet after being pushed out of the shadows. She looked around, and locked eyes with Satan. Immediately after she appeared, Satan used his magic to take the legcuff off of Takahiro and move it to Milena as she began charging at Satan, even able to get to the stairs before the legcuff was put on.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you. I thought you of all people wouldn¡¯t become like them.¡± Satan admited, before injecting her as well.


    Milena looked at him with a regretful expression before she passed out.


    Last was Katherina, who had to be forced out with hands behind her back by Yami, rather than pushed out. Yami used his magic to force the legcuff around her leg while Satan readied another syringe. Yami kicked her to the floor for good measure, backing up a fair amount of distance.


    ¡°Hurry, she¡¯s pissed.¡± Yami mumbled to Satan.


    He nodded and swiftly moved to inject Katherina, but not without Katherina yelling and insulting him, of course.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about what you¡¯ve done. You are and awful person and you know nothing about what Takahiro¡¯s been through because of you.¡± Katherina rushed through her little speech, before she succumbed to her sleep.


    Satan winced at her words, scrunching up his face before shaking them off. He looked in the distance again, and the shadows had dissipated by now completely. A large portion of Takahiro¡¯s army either had injuries, were laying on the ground, or left. There were some fighting the Pink army, but slowly, they had begun leaving the scene.


    ¡°Holy shit. Wait, where¡¯s the royals?¡± Satan¡¯s head darted back and forth.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Venus waved from a opened door in a strained voice, the other royals looking on as well.


    ¡°You guys all alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Did we do it?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Satan slightly smiled, for the first time in what felt like a long time.


    ***


    June 3rd, Takahiro


    The first thing Takahiro felt upon waking up was the cold, hard floor. He slowly raised himself up off the floor, still seated, and noticed the prison bars.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Takahiro mentally cursed. He scooted closer to the prison bars and frantically glanced around. It was decently dark, not too dark to not be able to see anything, but enough to make it hard to see. Katherina was in the left prison cell and Milena was in the right, and both were also slowly waking up, getting up. Takahiro looked at the end of the hallway, and saw two guards passed out.


    ¡°Guys? What happened?¡± Takahiro asked.


    ¡°Satan being an asshole, that¡¯s what.¡± Katherina growled.


    ¡°No, I mean, the guards. Did either of you stay awake before we got here?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ not right though.¡± Milena said, sitting upright.


    While they pondered, the jail cell doors slowly opened, creaking all the way. Takahiro could¡¯ve sworn he saw magic particles floating around.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Takahiro said in a whisper-yell.


    ¡°Maybe these doors are broken.¡± Katherina shrugged.


    ¡°This feels like a horror movie¡­¡± Takahiro shivered.


    ¡°What are we waiting for, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Milena got back on her feet.


    ¡°Wait, we don¡¯t know if the guards are setting us up or something!¡± Takahiro said.


    ¡°Hey, I know this situation seems weird, but I only want to help, promise!¡± A high pitched voice spoke, causing the trio to scream. ¡°Are you done? I made sure you had a clear path to escape. Just go down to the left and hop out there. Now hurry!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Takahiro asked as got to his feet.


    ¡°A secret. Just know that¡­ the Pink royal family would not be happy for you to know who I am. I¡¯ll come see you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. See you, I guess.¡± Takahiro said, before turning around and walking out of the broken wall. Outside it was night, the three moons of Ayuzuma shining down on the trio like spotlights. Takahiro used his shadow magic to teleport back home, lazily wrapping the shadows around the three of them.


    When the shadows cleared, they were back in the blinding light of the Black Palace. Katherina immediately ran to her shared room with Takahiro and dramatically flung herself on the bed, face down.


    ¡°That was¡­ something, to say the least.¡± Milena mumbled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Glad to know there¡¯s someone that wants to defect to our side.¡±


    ***


    June 3rd, Satan


    Satan was in the throne room of Pink, all rulers of the other kingdoms present. For the first time, Satan felt a sense of peace. No more dealing with the war, no more Takahiro.


    He could finally see Phoenix again.


    But what was supposed to be a closed meeting was interrupted by a guard frantically rushing in.


    ¡°What are you doing? This is a closed meeting.¡± Venus said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Takahiro, Katherina and Milena escaped their cells!¡±


    ¡®No¡­¡¯ Satan thought.


    ¡°Show us.¡± Venus got up  from her throne. Everyone else who was sitting got up as well and followed the guard to the cells.


    Just as expected, the cell doors were wide open, and on the other end of the hallway was a broken down wall.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Satan crossed his arms and tapped his foot. ¡®Don¡¯t explode at them. Don¡¯t explode at them. Don¡¯t explode at them.¡¯ Satan repeated the mantra in his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we just¡­ fell asleep suddenly. When we woke up, they were gone.¡±


    ¡®So you fell asleep on the job? Guarding two of the most hated criminals and Ayuzuma plus their biggest supporter? You should be fired for this negligence!¡¯ Satan thought about what he¡¯d say if he wasn¡¯t filtering himself. It¡¯s not even his guard after all.


    ¡°Do you have security cameras?¡± Satan turned to Venus.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s look at them.¡± Venus used some of her magic to teleport to the security camera. Her magic had particles made up of pink and green hearts, a magic unlike anything Satan had seen before.


    When the hearts cleared, they were in a small, dark room, overcrowded with the amount of people in it. There was a large tv-like screen with multiple, smaller screens attached to the black walls. Each screen showed footage of different rooms in the castle. In front was a table with a keyboard and mouse, and a chair where one man had his legs propped up on the table with a cup of microwaveable ramen in hand.


    ¡°Excuse me, can you show the footage of the cell room and go back?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He brought his feet back to the ground and moved the tab with the cell room to the largest screen and used his mouse to look at the footage.


    Everyone in the room, or outside trying to get a tiny peek in, peered closely at the screen. According to the time on the bottom left, the cameras went static an hour ago. Only five minutes earlier, Takahiro, Milena and Katherina were all passed out and in their individual cells.


    ¡°Of course they did¡­ Zeta, are you able to go back in time and see what happened?¡± Satan turned to look at Zeta.


    ¡°Can¡¯t, it¡¯s illegal to time travel without the time gods¡¯ permission.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t they dead? Wouldn¡¯t that not matter anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are, and I¡¯m quite aware. While the major thirteen are dead, there¡¯s still minor ones floating around currently traveling through time. All time travel has been suspended for months, they haven¡¯t been able to come to a consensus since they died.¡± Zeta huffed.


    ¡°Can you not contact them and ask?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been unreachable since they suspended all time travel, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t do anything else to find out what happened?¡±


    ¡°No, but I think it¡¯s clear now that their may be a traitor among us¡­¡± Venus wrapped her arms around herself, almost in a protective way while pushing past everyone.


    ¡°Who? We¡¯ve all been sitting in a meeting for the past hour!¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Maybe if not one of us, maybe it¡¯s someone in this castle, as unfortunate as that may be. I think¡­ we¡¯re done here for today. The rest of you can take your leave.¡± Venus walked off.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you? Only you act like this.¡¯ Satan breathed heavily as he stared down at the palms of his hands, his hands back to his light red demon skin. He felt seething rage throughout his entire body, almost shaking at how much rage he stored within himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, in some attempt to calm himself down, but it didn¡¯t work. He wanted to rip his hair out, to kick something to scream, to cry, to cut, to bleed out. He eyed the razors sitting on his bed table. ¡®No. We are not going down that route today.¡¯ Satan fought off himself. He flung himself into his bed and laid there, limp for a couple minutes. Enough to let his rage fade away.


    He opened his phone. The screen read 4:20 PM. ¡®I should call Phoenix and Artemios. I¡¯ll see if they¡¯re free right now.¡¯ He texted Artemios to set up a call with Phoenix. A few seconds later, the call screen showed up on Satan¡¯s phone. He immediately pressed answer. The first thing he saw upon answering was Artemios sitting comfortably on his couch, his twists now up in a high ponytail. He still had the eyeliner and black lipstick from the last time Satan saw him, but now was wearing a black hoodie.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Artemios waved.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Satan waved back.


    ¡°You look tired.¡±


    ¡°When do I not? The war is¡­ exhausting, to put it simple.¡± Satan covered his eyes with his hand and slid it down his face.


    ¡°I can only imagine. I¡¯ll hand this over to Phoenix now.¡± Artemios got up and walked down a hallway and entered a room. He turned the camera around in the phone app, giving a slight showcase of Phoenix¡¯s room. Since the first picture, Phoenix¡¯s room on Earth had the same night stand, twin sized bed. Now, it had a candle similar to ones Satan had on the nightstand, a teenage mutant ninja turtles bed set, and a kiddie table in the middle of the room with papers stacked and spilling off the sides onto the floor and a backpack in the equally as small chair.


    ¡°Satan wants to talk to you.¡± Artemios said.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Phoenix got off his bed and raced to the phone. Artemios bent down to hand Phoenix the phone, and Phoenix went back to sitting on his bed to talk.


    ¡°So am I gonna get to go back home yet?¡± Phoenix beamed.


    ¡°I wish¡­ We got really close to ending the war but somehow Takahiro, Milena and Katherina all managed to escape, and we can¡¯t figure out why. But enough about the war, how¡¯s school?¡±


    ¡°School is awesome! I have a lot of new friends like Mike, Lorraine, Peyton, Isabelle, and Tiffany. My teacher says I¡¯m ahead of my classmates so sometimes we do one-on-one time. We¡¯re learning something completely new in history though, like what¡¯s a president?¡±


    ¡°They run the United States, kinda like what I do. Get used to it, Earth history is much more different. Kids at school aren¡¯t picking on you, right?¡±


    ¡°No! Although sometimes the magic gets messed up and they see my fairy ears. None of my classmates have ever seen my horns at least.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. How did the magic get messed up though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe it has something to do with Arete still learning.¡±


    ¡°Probably. Do you know what you¡¯re doing over the summer?¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought I might be back home, so I didn¡¯t really think of anything.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, you miss home. I¡¯m doing everything I can to end the war, okay? Promise.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else you wanna talk about or?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s everything!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you go. Tell Arete I said hi!¡± Satan waved before ending the call. He sighed. ¡®Can I live up to that promise? Even when I get so close, they somehow find a way to fool me and escape.¡¯


    He rose from his bed and teleported back to the castle. He was back in the throne room, staring at the black throne with red plush accents. He made his way towards the throne before sitting in it.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know if I deserve to be sitting in this throne anymore if Takahiro can keep fooling me. I don¡¯t deserve to be an heir, I don¡¯t deserve to be called a king, or even a prince for that matter. Even asking to be called the Ruling Prince of Red, I still find a way to disappoint everyone¡­¡¯ Satan thought, as water pooled in his eyes. A tear began to start sliding down his face, when he heard the sound of someone.


    ¡°Sir! If you can, someone wants to schedule a meeting with you!¡± A voice called out as he heard footsteps of them getting closer.


    ¡®Back to work, I suppose.¡¯ Satan thought as he wiped his tears and prepared to put on his brave face.

 Annoucement [Not a chapter]

    I just had my last day of school. Here''s an important announcement for the summer. This was copied and pasted directly from my discord. Once the summer is over I will be deleting this announcement.


    my first summer working on kingdoms i spent the time i had in june working and august. i take part in art fight in july and i''ve been mostly pushing all my usual art and to-dos aside to focus almost entirely on art fight. but as the publish date of kingdoms looms closer i think this year i need to be working on kingdoms in july. my plan right now is still to write tuesdays, thursdays saturdays and sundays but i also really want to do two hours on those days since its summer and ive got the time lets use it! my hope is that this summer i might be able to finish up actually writing and start the editing process by september but if i can only manage my schedule of monthly chapters it won''t be a huge problem, i redid my numbers and if i dont get ahead i will get 5 months to edit which i think would be fine honestly, we''re in good shape so atm chances of having to push things back is low! By fall at the latest I should be starting to find people to edit/beta read. If you''d be interested or know someone that might be start considering. Please know you will not be paid in money but I hope to repay you in art, writing or maybe even something else


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

 Defection

    Satan, June 4th


    Bzzt! Bzzt!¡¯ The phone rang for the millionth time. Satan groaned as he rose out of his bed. He frowned upon realizing he was in his apartment bedroom, not his old room at the palace.


    ¡°Bzzt! Bzzt!¡± The phone rang yet again. Satan reached for his phone, eyelids blinking, and staying closed for a minute. He answered.


    ¡°Holy shit finally. Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Zeta¡¯s voice panted, with loud unidentifiable noises in the background.


    ¡°No, what is it?¡± Satan yawned as he got out of bed.


    ¡°Pink is under attack. Are you gonna come help or-?¡±


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you start with that?¡± Satan yelled as he lept out of bed and manuevered the blood in the jar over to him to turn into his pitchfork. He snatched his walkie-talkie off his dresser


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just get over here!¡± Zeta said, before yelling and being cut off.


    Satan arrived to Pink on one of the high ends of the valley. Below he saw the palace in shambles, fire swallowing up almost everything in it¡¯s path. Satan quickly teleported in closer. Now he was on the long brick path to the palace.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Satan asked into his walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Try to get into the palace, stop the fire, avoid Takahiro¡¯s crew trying to kill you. They¡¯ve already done a good job at keeping us out. They¡¯ve locked the doors and placed some kind of seal, the ones with magic can¡¯t teleport in anywhere.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Geez, got it.¡± Satan remarked. He turned his scythe back into blood to throw away some of Takahiro¡¯s soldiers, then turned it back again. He teleported into a forest behind the palace and ducked underneath a bush. He peeked over the bush slightly, and saw nobody else at the back of the palace with him.


    ¡®Well, couldn¡¯t hurt to try, I suppose.¡¯ Satan thought. He transformed his scythe into blood and attempted to teleport inside.


    When the blood cleared he was in a small and dark room, with light gleaming in from behind. Satan hesistantly reached out an arm. Nothing. Then he stepped forward. Still nothing. To his left, he saw something, like a transparent bubble, but huge and unpoppable. Satan touched it, and felt an uncomfortable, tingling sensation. He immediately retracted his hand.


    ¡®Holy shit¡­ Well, I figured it out, at least.¡¯ Satan jumped back. He pulled out his walkie-talkie again. ¡°Hey guys, the back has some open area, it looks like¡­ some empty room on the first floor, if that narrows it down. If you see something that looks like a bubble, don¡¯t touch it, it shocks you.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Zeta said.


    Satan put his walkie-talkie away and began walking forwards more. He pushed the door open, cringing at the creaks of the door. He looked both ways, only advancing forward when he was sure it was empty. He speed walked across the hallway to another wall, and peeked over yet again.


    Again and again, he snuck around, pressing himself against walls and getting lost in hallways and random rooms for twenty minutes. Eventually, he spotted familiar curly black hair and glasses. Satan pressed himself back again the wall and transformed his chains to blood, swirling the blood around himself as quietly as he could manage. Takahiro turned him his direction as he began teleporting away. While in the middle of the air, Satan felt his surroundings bloodied by the blood be darkened. He felt his body moving in a different direction then intended.


    After the darkness cleared he was in the back of the palace again, sprawled out on the grass.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go back in there, they¡¯re guarding the back of the palace while they patch that open spot.¡± Satan heard Zeta¡¯s voice over the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Shit, Takahiro saw me, I wasn¡¯t careful enough¡­¡± Satan mumbled into the walkie-talkie. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°What are the chances we could get your sister-in-law to help, the one with the destruction powers. I forget what her name is¡­¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°That¡¯s Arista. It¡¯s so early in the morning, she¡¯s on Earth, and she has an infant son now.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Alright.¡± Zeta sighed.


    ¡°Are we giving up on the palace then?¡± Satan said as he slowly stood up and readied his blood pitchfork.


    ¡°I guess so. Can you go help put out the fires?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Satan prepared to teleport once again. He floated in the air inside the blood until he spotted a part of the city on fire. He landed and formed some of his blood supply into a bucket, rushing to a nearby stream of water and throwing it at the burning buildings. Despite that, the fire began to swallow more and more surrounding buildings. Satan even used the rest of his blood supply to make a bigger bucket, but it was still no use.


    ¡°Attention, we¡¯re evacuating as many people as possible. Get to the ports and help out as many as you can.¡± Zeta¡¯s voice yelled over the walkie-talkie.


    ¡®Are you kidding me? Again?¡¯ Satan thought as he yelled out to the frightened citizens of Pink. Some used their love magic to teleport, while others, probably humans, all raced down the streets of the town. Satan began to run with them, stopping to help others on the way.


    After twenty minutes, he arrived at the port, seeing Venus and the rest of her family being ushered onto one of the boats.


    ¡°Venus! Are you alright?¡± Satan raced up to her.


    Venus turned to face him. Her makeup was smudged and her eyes were red and puffy. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Why are you evacuating by boat? Can¡¯t you use your love magic?¡±


    ¡°Takahiro did something to all our magic,¡± Venus motioned to her other family members. ¡°We¡¯re not really sure what but we can¡¯t get it to work. He also got some of the other citizens with magic. I guess in the panic of it all, a lot of the love magic users fled and left the ones that are powerless behind.¡±


    ¡°Of course he did. Do you need help or¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. You did your best.¡± Venus leaned in closer to start whispering, ¡°We¡¯ll be in Cyan if you need us.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Satan sighed. He began teleporting away, this time back to his palace.


    ***


    Satan, June 9th


    In Satan¡¯s apartment bedroom, he had a large map of Ayuzuma, with the Heaven and Hell Sector maps on either side of it. After the events from Thursday, he had to update it again, but he held off from updating it immediately. Today, he finally would be updating it, as much as he wished he couldn¡¯t.


    He stared at the bottom left corner, where the long main island of Pink was, with a few small islands at the southern end. Like a corkboard with red strings, he tacked on four thumbtacks surrounding Pink and surrounded them each in red strings to create an x.


    His eyes fell on the surrounding kingdoms. Under Pink was Grey, the twelve tiny islands surrounding the one main island. He shivered at the thought of how recent the takeover of Grey way.


    To the right of Grey was Rainbow, with thicker land on the left becoming thinner on the right and many islands on the right. Still untouched, thank Ayuma.


    Above, was the Blue Kingdom. Not land, but all the sea and waters on the western portion of Ayuzuma.


    Right of Blue was Light Blue, taking up the other half of sea not claimed by Blue.


    Above Blue was the continent Cyan and Purple shared. Cyan was a smaller kingdom with ports on the sea. Purple had the rest of the bulk of the continent to it¡¯s name. Purple even had some snowy regions up north. Both still free from Takahiro¡¯s grasp.


    Right was Black. Compared to the other kingdoms in the western portion of Ayuzuma, Black seemed much smaller. Satan scoffed at the sight, thoughts of Takahiro truly overwhelming his brain by then. Black had been crossed out with the red string. His eyes lingered on the staircase to Hell on the peninsula that brought Black closer to Green.


    ¡®I should really make a staircase to hell somewhere else. Hell, maybe even one in all kingdoms. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s happening with this war anytime soon though.¡¯


    Below Black and above Rainbow was Green, also crossed out like many others.


    Next to Green was Yellow, one of the largest kingdoms of Ayuzuma. Largest by land size, anyway. Yet it still was taken and now crossed out on the map.


    Northwestern from Yellow was Orange, with each of it¡¯s individual clans laid out.


    Right of Orange was all the kingdoms on the continent of Tempest. Starting from the southern end, there was Brown, Fuschia, Lime, and Light Grey on the mainland. On a group of islands was White. All of Tempest was crossed out as well, going with the rest of the taken kingdoms.


    ¡®Hm¡­ Now they have Grey, Pink, Black, Green, Yellow, Brown, Fuschia, Lime, and Light Grey. The untouched kingdoms are Cyan, Purple, Rainbow, Orange, Light Blue, Blue, and Red. Yellow is the third largest Ayuzumian kingdom, and the largest in landmass overall. Their military numbers could obviously increase with each new kingdom acquired, when they got Yellow they had Black, Grey, Green, White, Light Grey, Lime and Brown. In landmass I¡¯m guessing that¡¯d be about equal to Yellow so I suppose it could make sense¡­ I¡¯m still worried though. I don¡¯t know if they have mermaids and demons so they can access the sea or either afterlives, but they might have the numbers to invade. God, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s only been six months of this. This is way different from the war between Demons and Angels.¡¯ Satan stepped back to ponder the events of the war, so invested in his thoughts that he completely blocked out his phone buzzing.


    Finally though, one last ring of his phone snapped him out of his thoughts. He finally answered the phone saw The Detective calling. His eyes widened and throat went dry as he picked up the phone.


    ¡°I have some¡­ not great updates.¡± Reyes gulped on the other line.


    ¡°Can¡¯t get any worse than it already has, hit me.¡± Satan groaned.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been particularly busy with my royal duties on planet Eris, so I wasn¡¯t able to investigate Takahiro and Katherina. Finally though I was able to, and I accidentally overhead a secret meeting while on my way to get into Takahiro¡¯s office. I peeked in and they were talking to a bunch of gods.¡±


    ¡°I take that back, it is getting worse. Did you take a video or catch any names?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. I¡¯ll send the video to you right now. And of the names I caught I heard Xenia, ¡®Esato, Snezhana, Ximena¡­ There was definitely more but those were the names I heard thrown around.¡±


    Satan quickly scribbled the four names down on a piece of paper. ¡°I recognize Xenia, but not ¡®Esato, Snezhana or Ximena.¡±


    ¡°I mean, Xenia sounds like the name  of one of those Greek words of death or something, but-¡±


    Satan froze in place. He clenched his fist, and had to resist the urge to punch the wall. ¡°That¡¯s one of the deities in Pink! Maybe that¡¯s the one that helped Takahiro and Katherina escape!¡±


    ¡°They escaped?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t ask, it¡¯s a long story. Is that all you have for today?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Yeah, never made it into Takahiro¡¯s office this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. I hope somehow things are better next time we talk. Bye.¡±


    As he hung up, Satan looked down at his hands as they trembled and his veins flowed with rage. His skin shifted from his usual warm, light brown, to the same light red of his demon tail. A symbol of anger or strong emotion within demons. His eyes happened to fall upon the map yet again, looking at the unconquered kingdoms. Purple. Cyan. Light Blue. Blue. Orange. The Heaven and Hell Sectors of Red. Rainbow. He paused, then immediately went to his phone again.


    June 11th


    Back again in the meeting room. Kings and Queens, both former and current were around the room, chatting, except for Venus. Satan frowned while he watched her sob to the Queen of Purple and the King of Brown. He noticed how only the remaining royals were still dressed in their crowns and jewels, while the former royals were missing those. They wore more plain t-shirts and pants, plain skirts and shoes. Except for Yami, who could always pass off as a normal citizen of Black. At least, without the tiny kanmuri that usually adorned his hair before Black was taken.


    Finally, the other royals made their way over to each of their seats and began to quiet down. Auriana, who was right next to him, motioned to Satan to start. He sighed and rose frm his chair.


    ¡°Hello again, royals of Ayuzuma. I don¡¯t need to be the one reminding you that things have been worse since our last meeting, but I do. Since the attack on my family back in January, a detective has been going undercover for me. His name is Reyes Valencia and she¡¯s a demon that works under my father, but that¡¯s besides the point.¡± Satan paused to turn on a TV in the corner of the room. ¡°In case you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking at, Reyes was able to find out that somehow, Katherina and Takahiro have gotten gods on their side. I was also given the names of four gods Reyes overheard, ¡®Esato, Ximena, Xenia, and Snezhana.¡± Satan crossed his arms, frowning as he awaited their reactions.


    React they did, as Amber cursed out not only ¡®Esato, her home clan¡¯s deity, but also Snezhana, a deity worshipped in both Light Grey and the ice clan. The Queen of Purple screamed at the sight of her goddess, and Venus sobbed even harder at the sight of Xenia, not only a deity from her kingdom, but one of her ancestors. The rest of the royals all reacted poorly, if their deity was spotted, heard, or name was mentioned in the recording, they were screaming or crying.


    ¡°Well now what? Some of our deities have betrayed us, what hope is left for the kingdoms that are free?¡± Venus asked Satan in between her sobs as her cousins all surrounded and comforted her.


    ¡°The remaining kingdoms need to band with each other and the resistance. If we focus only on our own kingdoms I wouldn¡¯t doubt that we¡¯ll fall faster, Takahiro has the strength of eleven kingdoms now. Who¡¯s in?¡±


    Of the remaining rulers, only Amber¡¯s hand didn¡¯t shoot up immediately after Satan asked his question. In fact, she didn¡¯t raise her hand at all. Satan looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°With Ayuma gone, peace is gone. With how everything¡¯s going so far, I feel like fate is against us and all of Ayuzuma will be in Takahiro¡¯s grubby hands. It doesn¡¯t matter how much of a fight my kingdom can put up at this point, it¡¯s inevitable. I¡¯d like to spend the least moments of peace in my kingdom with my family, my friends, my boyfriends, and enjoy ourselves for a little bit longer.¡±


    ¡°We still have a chance! Just because Ayuma is gone doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t win, it just means our win may have to be chaotic. Plus, we got close to capturing Katherina and Takahiro.¡±


    Amber rose from her seat and began grabbing her things. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but in history, the last time Ayuma left things didn¡¯t turn out so good. Everyone began tearing each other apart. Takahiro has betrayed it¡¯s homeland, and the deity I put all my faith in growing up, after everything I went through, has abandoned her people. Any hope I had is gone. I think I¡¯m done here.¡±


    The reigning royals all lept out of their seat and went over to Amber, trying to convince her.


    ¡°We made our choice, let her make hers.¡± Satan mumbled to them. They sat back down. Amber gave one last glance, before she burst into flames, and teleported away.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Auriana groaned as slumped in her chair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss who could be next.¡± Satan sat back down, and scooted his chair in.


    ¡°His patterns aren¡¯t specific, but he¡¯s been roughly going after bigger and bigger kingdoms. My guess is Blue and Light Blue must be next.¡± Yami pointed out.


    ¡°What do you mean roughly? Right after he took Green, which is considered a medium sized kingdom may I remind you, he went after Grey, fucking Grey, the tiniest kingdom! After Grey they also went for Yellow! Their pattern is random as hell, like they spin a wheel everytime to decide! We need equal defenses for all the rest of the kingdoms, and if anything happens, we can send a bulk of the defenses over.¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Oh, my bad Pr¨¢sinos, I¡¯ll check myself next time I make a suggestions, your highness.¡± Yami fake bowed in his seat.


    ¡°Fuck you Koizumi!¡± Zeta playfully raised a middle finger at Yami, who responded similarly.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a better time for that. Zeta, how were you when you lost all thirteen of the time gods?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Right, right, sorry, I wanted to break the tension.¡± Zeta sat up straight in his seat.


    Once that distraction was done and over with, they began discussing their plans more. Satan felt oddly hopeful again, yet also fearful.


    Was Amber right?


    June 15th


    Crickets chirped as Satan crawled into bed, after being up for hours and hours. He¡¯d spent his days since the meeting  with other royals in constant meetings, occupying his time with as much work as possible. Only when he began hallucinating Takahiro and scaring the few demons that worked in the palace did he finally slink back into his apartment. Even him sleeping had to be mandated by the workers at the palace. As soon as Satan¡¯s head hit the pillow, he immediately drifted off.


    But only for an hour.


    After an hour into possibly the best sleep in his life, yet again, Satan¡¯s phone vibrated on his night table. He slowly sat up, eyes closing, then opening. Then closing. Then opening. Then closing. He rubbed his eyes and face with a groan as he went to grab his phone.


    Zeta.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Satan steadied himself, trying not to lay back in bed and doze off.


    ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s a situation.¡±


    ¡°When is there not¡­ What is it this time?¡±


    ¡°Takahiro and Katherina are invading Orange right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ eleven o¡¯clock at night!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said when I heard about it! Can you help?¡±


    ¡°Normally I¡¯d say yes, but I haven¡¯t slept. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want my help this time when I¡¯ve started to hallucinate Takahiro and Katherina.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­ Alright, it¡¯ll be fine. Probably¡­¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Goodnight.¡± Satan yawned, before immediately plopping back onto the bed, drifting back to sleep.


    ***


    June 15th, Eris


    Eris leaned against the yellow wall as Zeta called Satan. To her left, her descendant Yami paced back and forth. She listened into Zeta¡¯s conversation, trying to guess the specifics as she watched Zeta bite his lip so hard it started bleeding.


    ¡°Guess not, huh¡­¡± Eris moved from the wall she was leaning on. ¡°Not surprised. He has not been doing so hot as of late.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t need to tell me. Anyway, can we get a move on, please?¡± Zeta wiped his bloodied lip.


    ¡°Right.¡± Eris said. She used her gold and black colored chaos magic to teleport to the Fire Clan in Orange.


    The voices of conflict seemed to fight each other in unintelligible speech, yelling at each other about something not even Eris knew. The feelings of disagreement and friction weld up in Eris after teleporting, but she would not act on them. She knew by now how that went.


    ¡°Ugh! Is your magic supposed to make you feel like you want to get into a fight?¡± Zeta held the sides his head in his hands.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have used it on you.¡± Eris brought her gaze to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad great-grandma didn¡¯t inherit your magic, I sure wouldn¡¯t want to listen to that each time I used my magic. Uh, no offense.¡± Yami said.


    ¡°Yeah, none taken.¡± Eris said with widened eyes, locked on the flames.


    ¡°Wait, wh- Holy shit.¡± Zeta said, joining her and Yami as they looked on.


    Not too far in front of them was the main city of Orange. There were many circular houses and buildings with roofs of made of grass in all varying sizes. The largest one stood out the most, looking as if it were multiple circular houses put next to each other and connected. The walls were a vibrant orange and it even had two torches on poles with fire. Unfortunately, the largest was not safe from the path of destruction, as the roofs had all practically decimated and the walls melted, the orange coming off and revealing a more light sand color.


    ¡°Wow, burning another capital city of a kingdom, how original.¡± Eris raced towards the fires.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what we should be most worried about.¡± Yami ran with her.


    They ran closer and closer towards the fire, joining the citizens that screamed and panicked with each other.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Eris asked one woman, with warm skin like a dark oak tree.


    ¡°We¡¯re not quite sure, but Takahiro¡¯s army torched one house as a distraction, and now that it¡¯s spread we¡¯re having trouble putting them out. Even with the Water Elemental¡¯s help we¡¯re struggling.¡±


    As Eris listened to the woman, taking her hands in her own, the citizens began shouting and running in another direction. She could¡¯ve sworn she heard them shouting about Takahiro. When her eyes looked onto the commotion there he was.


    Takahiro with Katherina.


    ¡°Yami! Zeta! Help them put out the fire, I just saw Takahiro and I¡¯m going after him!¡± Eris yelled to them as she began running. She heard them freak out with the other citizens at the mention of seeing him, but she couldn¡¯t deal with that. The other citizens all eventually slowed down, but only Eris remained. Eris made fists at the sight of them.


    ¡°She¡¯s still there, let¡¯s teleport somewhere!¡± Eris heard Katherina say to Takahiro.


    ¡°Hold on, I can¡¯t run and think of where to teleport.¡± He mumbled back.


    Eris began to use her magic, surrounding the two with the voices of discord while she teleported in front of them. Hesitantly, she removed her magical voices of discord from them. They glared at her with furrowed brows and frowns.


    ¡®Bad idea, Discordia. Now what? You don¡¯t have the means to take them into custody.¡¯


    Takahiro turned into his shadow form, his entire body becoming shadowed and black. Except for his eyes, which were now fully gold, sclera and everything, that glowed as he stared Eris down. Katherina pulled out her pink kunai from the garterbelt on her exposed leg. Takahiro teleported behind Eris in seconds while Katherina¡¯s butterfly wing shaped ears fluttered, aiming her kunai at Eris.


    Eris used her vanilla magic this time to teleport, sliding back on the grass while Takahiro and Katherina exchanged glances.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself after what you did?¡± Katherina demanded as she properly aimed this time and threw her kunai.


    ¡°I know what I did, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eris dodged, running over a nearby tree and leaning against it.


    ¡°Do you really hate me that much that you¡¯d leave without telling me?¡± Takahiro glanced at the ground and his shadowy form faded back to his more humanoid self. His fedora shadowed over his eyes.


    ¡°Wh- No! I never hated you, it¡¯s just¡­ complicated¡­¡± Eris trailed off as she happened to turn her gaze back to the village.


    Fire spread even faster. Flames swallowed everything in it¡¯s path, from the citizens to more houses. The screams and cries grew louder. Eris coughed and her eyes watered at the smell of the smoke that blew into her face, even unwillingly tasting it. She frantically scanned the pathways in between all the buildings, for Yami¡¯s high ponytail and Zeta¡¯s mask over his eyes. Finally, her eyes fell onto them, running from the fire and beckoning forth the citizens to join them and the many others as they raced away.


    ¡®Thank Iris¡­¡¯ Eris thought as she turned to where Katherina and Takahiro once stood. But all she could see was more of the fire. If only circumstances were different a night in the woods would¡¯ve been nice.


    If only.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Eris screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡®Well, no use dwelling now. I guess I can go teleport back over to the guys¡­¡¯


    She teleported over, being launched right in the middle of the racing citizens.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Eris yelled over the chaos.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I was filling a few buckets with water thanks to the Water Elementals, we put out a few of the fires, suddenly, the fire is everywhere. It¡¯s only been a few minutes too.¡±


    ¡°That goddess, ¡®Esato, she must be doing this!¡± Zeta said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take our goddesses¡¯ name and use it like that! ¡®Esato would never do this without a good explanation!¡± A citizen of Orange that had been running with them pointed an accusatory finger at Zeta.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, just throwing a theory out there.¡± Zeta said.


    The group continued running. Eris was starting to pant and slow down. The ports were closer and closer now though, they were almost there. Eris could¡¯ve sworn she saw a familiar face, but only when she got closer did she recognize the face.


    Amber Murazvo.


    Right next to her were her Kiyoshi, Crow, Bree, and Kuroyami, who leapt at Yami and hugged him, almost making Yami fall over.


    ¡°Holy shit, Amber! Do you know the status of the other clans?¡± Eris asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve all been taken, Fire was the last one. They managed to mess with the internet lines so none of the other clan leaders could get in contact with me.¡± Amber mumbled as she looked ashamedly down at the ground.


    ¡°Already? Is there nothing we can do?¡± Eris said.


    ¡°You could try. At this point, there¡¯s a low chance you could do. When there was that attempted takeback on Green, it didn¡¯t really go over well.¡± Amber readied the boat and motioned for her citizens to get on.


    ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t bother.¡± Yami mumbled to Eris.


    ¡°Alright. See you, Amber.¡± Eris said.


    ¡°See you.¡± Amber said in a barely audible voice as she lead her friends onto the boat and departed.

 Magic and Ships

    Satan, June 16th


    Blood flowed from the multiple cuts on Satan''s arms like the tears that rolled down his face. He dragged the tiny razor against his skin for what felt like the millionth time, yet the tears kept flowing.


    Satan remembered the millions of times he''d cut himself in the past, and the relief it gave him. The happiness of it. It used to be one of the few joys in his life. Yet now it had no effect. No relief. No happiness.


    ''Fuck this.'' Satan thought as threw the razor back into the cabinet by the bathroom sink. He grabbed the bandages and began wrapping them around his arms. Blood seeped into the bandages immediately.


    ''More for the collection, at least.'' Satan used his finger to guide the blood to the chains around his waist. With the amount he bled he was able to have an entire new chain around his waist.


    Satan pulled his flowing sleeves down his arm and waved it in front of the mirror. He peered closer, moving his arms around. No sign of bandages, thank Diablo. Satan wiped away his tears and splashed water from the sink on his face. Still had red eyes. Oh well. He readjusted his side ponytail which had become loose. He leaned over to look in at the clock right next to his emptied jar of blood.


    3:05 PM.


    "FUCK!"


    Satan quickly scrambled to get his demonias, cursing at himself the whole time. Finally, when they were on, he teleported over to the palace.


    He ended up in the throne room standing right on the carpet that led to the throne. His head darted around, searching.


    "Yo." Said Eris'' voice from behind him.


    Satan jumped upon hearing her voice.


    Eris was leaning against a random pillar. "You look awful dude."


    "Don''t even mention it, ugh." Satan sighed, "Anyway, I assume you''ve heard the news about a bunch of Ayuzumian deities betraying the kingdoms that worship them, correct?"


    "Yup."


    "I need you to round up as many Ayuzumian deities that haven''t defected."


    "Why?"


    "The only way we might be able to change anything at the rate things have been going is if we can get their help. We only know of four deities that have defected but I''m hoping the number of defections are low so the rest of the gods can easily help us."


    "Alright, I can do it. Before I go, have you talked to anyone lately? Or done something... I don''t know... Not war related? I know you''re struggling." Eris'' brows turned as she walked closer to Satan.


    "I can''t do anything that isn''t war related without feeling guilty about all the lives lost and destroyed... I know I''d probably blow up on them for something small, avoiding everyone is best for everyone." Satan turned around, completely avoiding her gaze.


    "If you say so... Just know we''re all here for you if you need, okay?"


    "Okay." Satan mumbled.


    He watched Eris teleport away with her vanilla magic, while he felt his stomach drop at her words, the guilt eating at him, making him feel like he was sick.


    ***


    Eris, June 17th


    Eris immediately headed to Rainbow and requested to see both Iris, and the other eight love deities of Pink. She was inside a different meeting room this time. Like the meeting room for the reigning monarchs of the kingdoms, there were chairs all along a long table, each chair decorated and customized to fit each deity. Eris'' chair was an ancient roman style chair in black with golden accents. And golden apples as well, of course. The whole thing was a new sight to Eris, she''d never been allowed in meetings like this before. Eris glanced around, as she tried to guess which belonged to which god. Once she made her way to thirteen rainbow chairs with gear and clock adornments, she stopped.


    ''Oh. I forgot about that...'' Eris thought.


    Just as she thought that, the door burst open and she almost jumped in surprise. Nine familiar deities showed themselves, most notably Iris and Eros. Eros still had his pink hair that curled around itself that was cropped short. He had a much more modern outfit on, with blue jeans and simple white shirt underneath a black leather jacket. Iris had her flower crown with her wavy mood ring hair and wings in yellow. Her off the shoulder dress was flowy and light, with pastel rainbow colors. Eros'' other siblings blended in the background. Eris was never close with them like with Iris and Eros, so she couldn''t really put a name to their faces.


    ''At least she''s happy to see me.'' Eris thought.


    "Eris Koizumi. Never thought I''d see you again. Last we remember, you Takahiro got engaged. I guess-"


    "It didn''t work out quite the way I planned. It''s a very long story, but the short of it is that I eventually figured out I was aroace, and Takahiro was using me for immortality and it was barely based on love." Eris sighed as she got up.


    "Yeesh. I knew he was trouble when I first met him," Eros said, "Anyway, uh... are we good now?"


    "Yeah. I have one problem though."


    "Shit, what?" Eros visibly panicked.


    "Your real name is Cupid." Eris leaned in.


    "Oh fuck you Discordia!" Eros raised his middle finger.


    "Ahem, wasn''t there something else serious we were gonna talk about?" Iris mumbled.


    "Oh, right! So, you''ve all heard about the gods betraying their kingdoms..."


    "Not even just the others, fucking Xenia betrayed us, and my other siblings and I had to learn it from Xenia''s descedant." Eros huffed.


    "I''m not really surprised now that I think about, in our deity meetings she always brushed off Takahiro, even after the war began.." Iris said.


    "By the way, I''m really sorry about Xenia," Eris looked at Eros and his other siblings, "Anyway, Satan proposed a plan. Round up all the deities that haven''t defected so we can hopefully help Satan have enough strength to defeat Takahiro once and for all. I also ended up thinking that maybe we should try to get Ayuma, since, well, you know..."


    "That was you that made her leave?" Iris frowned and put her hands on her hips, her wings and hair shifting to deep red.


    "Okay, well, technically- yeah I can''t really justify this, but to be fair, Satan helped. We''re both to blame. Anyway, I still need to run it by Satan. So there''s ten of us, fourteen kingdoms, and like... twenty other deities we need to talk to."


    "So we each talk to two or three deities, ones that remain, anyway. Simple enough." Eros shrugged.


    "We have to hurry though." Eris locked eyes with all her fellow deities in the room.


    "Of course." Iris nodded.


    "Oh, can I just say. It''s nice to see each other again. Not the circumstances I would''ve liked to have a reunion in, but good enough." Eris said.


    "I''ll do my best to make sure we''ll have that." Iris smiled before she and the others took their leave. Iris teleported away with her rainbows, that shot off into the ceiling of the meeting room.


    Eros and his siblings all teleported away with various multicolor hearts and love symbols being left behind, like evidence they were there.


    Eris sighed before she took her leave as well with her vanilla magic, leaving behind her plain in comparison black and gold magical particles.


    ***


    Satan, June 17th


    Satan paced back and forth in the throne room of his palace. Waiting, Watching. Fearing. He turned on his phone and opened up his camera, looking at himself. His eyes seemed devoid of color, devoid of life, and his eyebags were still, very, very present. Despite the concealer he put on. Maybe the concealer was garbage anyway. His hair looked messy, and not in the way it naturally looked. It looked like it was on the verge of matting.


    ''Can''t wait for more jokes about me needing to cut my hair to make me snap.'' Satan thought.


    While trying to look at himself, his sleeve slipped, and he could see a sliver of the bloodied bandages around his arm. Satan quickly adjusted his sleeves to hide it again. He looked down at the chains around his waist, feeling the cold metal and hearing them jingle against each other.


    ''Are they gonna notice I have more chains than usual?'' Satan pondered. He went through his camera roll, scraping for any full body picture of himself. Even pictures of his nails, boots, lips, anything but his full body were absent. Until he finally managed to find a picture of himself from back in 2010.


    He was smiling, surrounded by Takahiro, Katherina, Milena and Eris, each wearing clothes from the horrendous fashion choices of 2010.


    It finally sunk in how long ago that last picture was.


    ''Has my self-esteem really been that bad for so long?'' Satan thought. He was quickly brought out of his head by a random number texting him a picture.


    A picture of dead bodies bleeding out on the floor of a palace.


    149 1934 1393


    You''re next.


    3:14 PM


    Satan felt sick, his stomach squeezing and rejecting the photo. He groaned.


    Only one person would be keeping up with these texts.


    Satan Satanel


    Cut it out Katherina


    I know you want me dead no need to remind me


    3:14 PM


    149 1934 1393


    its not just that anymore


    do you feel any remorse for what you''ve done?


    3:14 PM


    Satan Satanel


    Oh my fucking god is it about that again


    Yes I fucking do


    He was my best friend


    But him being my best friend doesn''t excuse what he''s done to Ayuzuma


    3:14 PM


    149 1934 1393


    do you know what happened that night?


    3:15 PM


    Satan Satanel


    He broke down?


    Yes.


    3:15 PM


    149 1934 1393


    not just that


    because you left


    he wanted to kill himself


    i remember seeing him in his room


    with his gun


    to his head


    If i wasn''t there he''d be dead


    do you know what it feels like for the man you love to have almost killed himself?


    3:16 PM


    Satan Satanel


    Wait what?


    3:17 PM


    149 1934 1393


    exactly


    i think it should''ve been you


    you should be dead


    you deserve to be dead for that


    3:17 PM


    Satan Satanel


    I had no idea.


    Why are you telling me now though?


    3:18 PM


    149 1934 1393


    :)


    3:19 PM


    Satan Satanel


    You''re doing this now too?


    3:19 PM


    149 1934 1393


    i think you deserve to feel the pain takahiro felt when you left


    maybe you should stop fighting against us


    give up


    and i''ll make you feel pain like he did


    or


    kill yourself


    if you don''t do either we''ll end you and your family too


    3:20 PM


    Satan Satanel


    I''ll keep fighting you rather then do either.


    3:20 PM


    149 1934 1393


    you still have time to give in


    time''s ticking though


    be quick or these bodies could be you


    3:20 PM


    Satan Satanel


    Wouldn''t this upset Takahiro again?


    3:20 PM


    149 1934 1393


    we''ve agreed at this point that anything terrible that happens to you is deserved


    3:20 PM


    Satan Satanel


    Amazing.


    Are we done now?


    I have a personal thing I''d like to get to.


    3:20 PM


    149 1934 1393


    nope unless you plan to visit me or kill yourself


    i''d love to see you hanging from a noose


    3:20 PM


    Satan Satanel


    Actually, I do have one more thing.


    You are a vile human being.


    Stay away from me.


    3:20 PM


    Finally, Satan blocked the number, and just in time, as he heard footsteps. He became suddenly aware of the tears rolling down his face and wiped them away.


    ''I hope I can keep this facade up...'' Satan growled, ''No, no anger today. You know how that usually goes, let''s be a pleasant face for once.''


    The footsteps got closer, and Araya, Arsene, Nico and Lucifer all chatted. Despite everything going on, Araya, Nico and Arsene all looked relatively normal. Lucifer however had the flashiest jewelry on, the most ridiculous sunglasses and the most decked out leather jacket.


    "What the hell are you wearing?" Satan raised an eyebrow.


    "Fashion. I don''t think you haven''t heard of that in a long time, bro." Lucifer dramatically moved his sunglasses to his head.


    ''You don''t know what I''ve been through. While you went out and screwed around for over two thousand years I stayed on Ayuzuma and now I have a whole war on my shoulders while you get to play family? Fuck you.'' Satan wanted to say, but he bit his lip to prevent himself from saying any of it. "Uh-huh. I don''t have time for any jokes or whatever. Moving on, I''m sure you''ve all heard the... recent unfortunate news. Morale in all of Ayuzuma is almost at rock bottom, and the only remaining kingdoms are Red, Blue, Light Blue, Purple, Cyan, and Rainbow. The current rumor is that Rainbow will be last to fall but we have no way to confirm. At the rate things have been going, we need all hands on deck, anyone that can help should. Are you in?"


    "Of course. And Arista probably can''t chip in but she''ll probably send some kind of chaos or destruction artifact or whatever." Said Lucifer.


    Everyone else agreed with no hesitation.


    "That''s it then, goodbye." Satan began to walk off.


    "What? That was like, only a few minutes tops!" Lucifer said.


    Satan turned his head to face them slightly. "And I still have a thousand plans to end the war to make, plus run a kingdom. Not like you''d know about that, Lucifer."


    "Wh- Oh fuck you Satan!" Lucifer''s skin shifted to his demon skin color, the same light red, or pink as he claimed it was. He attempted to lunge forward but was held back by Nico and Araya.


    "I guess it''s not an interaction between the Satanel brothers without a fight happening." Araya said with clenched teeth.


    "This is a tamer fight, Mendoza, you should know that." Satan said. He watched her annoyed expression shift from worry as she looked down, probably at the amount of chains around his waist.


    ''Fuck.''


    "Anyway, I have to get back to work, seeya." Satan rapidly teleported away, managing to hit the ceiling while making his exit.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    June 23rd


    For the eleventh time within ten minutes, Satan opened his phone and stared at the news app. He scanned for any mention of war, battle, Cyan, Rainbow, Light Blue, Blue, Red.


    Still nothing.


    All week, there''d been nothing to do but wait and plan, be prepared for anything. Would the next battle be in the next hour or the next month? Though Satan specifically sent Reyes to investigate more, they haven''t been able to find much.


    The stress only grew and grew each passing minute. Right now, if he had to assign it a size, it''d probably be as big as the entire Red Kingdom.


    So much that the urge to bleed out consumed Satan.


    ''You need to stop, Araya''s already disappointed in you. There''s no way she hasn''t put two and two together with the sudden increase in chains you carry. You can barely call yourself a man with all the crying you''ve been doing lately.'' Satan thought.


    A ding from his cellphone grabbed Satan''s attention, he turned it on immediately. It was from the news app.


    Just a few lines that said how Takahiro''s troops have spread out between Purple, Rainbow and Cyan was all he needed.


    The next battle has come.


    Satan teleported to Rainbow, close by the palace. The other buildings and houses surrounding the palace were knocked down by parts of Takahiro''s army. Citizens pleaded and fought against the army, but whatever powers or abilities the citizens had seemed to have no effect. They still hadn''t even touched the palace yet, thank Diablo.


    Satan inspected the colorful palace, looking for an entrance. He happened to be right near a window, and he peered inside, seeing Auriana talking to what he could only assume to be other family members. They had royal jewelry and fancy clothing, plus some even looked like Auriana, how could they not be? Auriana happened to turn and almost jumped at seeing Satan.


    "Get in here!" Auriana hiked up her rainbow dress and pulled Satan through the window, opening it to yank him inside.


    The inside of the palace was just as he remembered, white everything with the rainbow colored accents and all. He felt almost intimidated at the clean and pristine feel of the palace and the royal family. He hunched over, trying to make himself smaller, as if that was a possibility for a seven feet tall man in platform boots.


    "Oh, you''re the one that mom and Eris was talking about. You look like if Eris and Takahiro knew a guy eviler than the both of them." A woman commented. She had color changing hair, as evidenced by how it changed to white after she saw Satan.


    "Great-Grandma, this is really not the time!" Auriana talked rapidly while flailing her hands around.


    "I just got the news alert, what happened?" Satan asked.


    "I wasn''t really paying attention! I was having lunch with a bunch of my friends, and as soon as I got home, Takahiro''s army comes out of nowhere! And Great-Grandma Iris is helping Eris recruit gods so she can''t help..."


    "I don''t think mom''s gonna help you much, she''s a goddess of rainbows. Neither can I, what can a goddess of color do?" The same woman said.


    ''Wait, so that must be Iris''s daughter, Vivienne!'' Satan realized. "You''re Vivienne, correct?"


    "Yes!"


    "Perfect, I''ve prepared a plan that uses you. Uh, Auriana, how many of your ancestors can we work with here?"


    "Basically everyone, actually. Not including Iris. Plus my great-grandpas, grandpas, my dad and my other friends that have been living here could chip in as well." Auriana said.


    "Perfect."


    Satan raced out of the front door of the palace, teleporting and zipping across the paths. He''d capture parts of Takahiro''s army with some of his blood chains, and intimidate others by pulling out his pitchfork. Thanks to the larger collection of blood he''d amassed, his pitchfork was much larger, with chains and jewels galore.


    Thanks to Auriana''s other family members and her friends, they''d managed to make a good team together, able to capture quite a large amount of Takahiro''s army.


    At least, for a little while.


    As the large group approached another of Takahiro''s army, they were interrupted by a woman with skin like snow and light hair. She stepped in front of Takahiro''s army and blasted the group down the path with snow.


    "Svetlana!" Auriana cried out.


    Satan''s eyes widened.


    He transformed his scythe into chains as he began standing up. He used his magic to throw them at Svetlana. She dodged, and hurled more snow at them. Satan tried to capture her again, but Svetlana grabbed the chains. She teleported behind Satan, managing to wrap the chains around him


    ''This is humiliating...'' Satan thought as he struggled to untangle himself. He turned the chains back to his scythe. He swung at Svetlana, who teleported away again. He felt hands on his shoulders, and he jolted and turned around. Svetlana pushed him over and he fell on the ground. He could''ve sworn he felt some kind of needle in his back as well. He tried to get back to his feet but felt weak.


    He collapsed and blacked out, the last thing he saw was being Svetlana fighting against Auriana and her other family members.


    ***


    Lucifer, June 23rd


    Lucifer marveled at the various ships in the waters, both modern and more classic pirate looking. The ports with various people in pirate get ups were even more intriguing.


    "Maybe Nico and Arsene should''ve sent you to Purple, you would''ve hated their calm, vanilla magic vibes." Araya growled as she shook Lucifer by the shoulder.


    The two stood in a small wooded area, right in front of the docks'' entrance.


    "But the pirates are so cool!" Lucifer protested.


    "You can fawn over them after we deal with Takahiro''s army. They should be here any minute..." Araya glanced around.


    A large pirate ship with grey sails slowly docked. Lucifer and Araya looked between that boat and others, trying to keep an eye on multiple ships at once. A group of people all disembarked while they watched. They happened to look away, and when they looked back yet again, the group had weapons in hand and casted spells. Citizens nearby noticed them, and carried on like normal, until they noticed a figure of Takahiro''s army that had been in the news a lot, face, name and everything. Unlike many other kingdoms, the citizens of Cyan were ready for a fight, using the daggers and ships at their disposal against them. For being the only kingdom with a majority population of humans in Ayuzuma, they sure seemed braver than the other kingdoms.


    "That''s them, let''s go!" Araya jumped from her spot in the woods, dragging Lucifer by the arm.


    "The citizens seem to have it under control though, why do we need to step in?" Lucifer yelled over the fighting.


    "There''s still more!" Araya pointed at the western end of the docks where another group of Takahiro''s managed to race upwards uninterrupted.


    The duo teleported over, Lucifer with his blood magic and Araya with her yellow and grey flower particle magic.


    They landed behind Takahiro''s army on cobblestone streets, in a housing district in the capital city. When they landed, they darted after Takahiro''s army, keeping on their tail the entire time. Araya waved her pole, trying to use a spell to trip them over, but it didn''t work.


    Instead, it seemed to catch the attention of Takahiro''s army who only just realized they were there. One member of Takahiro''s army looked behind and almost jumped at the sight.


    ''How the fuck did they not notice us until now?'' Araya thought as she teleported in front of the army.


    As she readied her magic for another spell, they ran past her at a faster pace. She growled as she ran after them again.


    "I can''t do much with my vanilla magic, can you use your blood magic for... I don''t know, something?" Araya asked.


    "Sure." Lucifer said. He opened a bottle of blood he had in his pocket, and directed the blood around the group. The blood swirled and transformed into chains, wrapping them up like a weird present. Unfortunately it didn''t prevent them all from being stopped but some were rendered immovable.


    "Ugh, and that''s all the blood I have on me right now, fuck..." Lucifer sighed into his hand.


    "We''ll worry about that later, you still have your scythe, right?" Araya asked, grabbing Lucifer by the arm and beginning to run again.


    "Yeah, let me just..." Lucifer fished around in his pockets and pulled out a folded up piece of metal. He pressed a button and it unfolded into a scythe twice his size. It had a black pole with a gray grip and a red blade. The end of the pole even had a decorative pair of horns that looked just like Lucifer''s.


    "I can not get used to that thing, I swear." Araya said.


    They ceased their chatter and focused on running forwards. The various houses and buildings all started blending together, little details indistinguishable at that point. After what was a full ten minutes of running, they finally made their way to the palace of Cyan.


    The Cyan palace was unique in that it was technically a houseboat. The palace was a mix between a classic pirate boat, a circular house structure, and a hut made of various fabrics and woods. The entrance had a small bridge that led up onto the boat.


    Of course, the palace was surrounded by Takahiro''s army.


    A man with dark umber skin rapidly untied a rope from a wooden pole, Araya recognized him as Mukami Mwangi, the heir of Cyan. A similar looking girl with lighter umber skin fought off parts of Takahiro''s army with only a dagger. Otherwise known as Marina Mwangi, a princess of Cyan. A third girl used magic to teleport Takahiro''s army away. Araya realized it had to be Izumi Mwangi, by her blue hair bow. The girl with the dagger happened to look at the panting Araya and Lucifer.


    "Hi Mrs. Mendoza. And... Satan''s brother? Hop on!" Marina yelled as she slashed into a soldier from Takahiro''s army.


    Araya and Lucifer speed ran onto the boat, both kicking back a few of Takahiro''s army as they tried to make their way on. They ran inside the circular hut at the farthest end of the ship. The inside of that particular hut wasn''t anything special, cyan walls, of course, and a steering wheel. Araya and Lucifer collapsed on the floor as they listened to the yelling between the Mwangi siblings outside. They heard more footsteps, and the duo braced themselves. They saw Marina running over to them, and immediately relaxed again. Marina grabbed the wheel and Araya felt the movement of the boat.


    "What the hell kind of house boat is this? I feel like it''s from a bunch of different eras." Lucifer slowly stood up on the floor.


    "That''s because everything is! The other hut was my ancestors'' first home. When my ancestors became royalty they built this. Once our kingdom started getting into sailing the seas, we built our first boat that became our pirate ship. Once shipbuilding and sailing became more standardized we moved our homes on here, and within the last few hundred years we''ve added more modern tech, like the propellers." Marina explained.


    "Oh. Nice. Oh shit, we should probably be on the lookout for the army..." Lucifer looked both ways cautiously.


    "Nah, we''re probably fine. For a little bit at least."


    Araya felt the vibrations and sounds of more running that approached the group in the hut. She looked outside and saw Mukami and Izumi again.


    "Araya. Guy that looks like Mr. Satanel. Good afternoon." Mukami panted as he greeted them.


    "I''m Lucifer. Satan''s my brother. You already could tell, obviously." Lucifer shook hands with Mukami. "How do you know these people?" Lucifer mumbled to Araya.


    "When I visited Ayuzuma, Crow was doing a group school thing with other young royals. Marina and Izumi were two of the kids he was basically doing school with, and I''d bring Crow back to Satan''s when he was on the younger side. I''d see Mr. and Mrs. Mwangi occasionally." Araya said.


    "Oh!" Lucifer said.


    Izumi crossed her arms, scowling. "Mom, Dad and Desta are not gonna be thrilled when they see the house out in the waters, again."


    "They probably won''t enjoy seeing Takahiro''s army either. Zooms, you go call them and let them know what''s going on. I don''t mean to trouble you, Mrs. Mendoza and Mr. Satanel, but would you mind keeping a lookout for Takahiro''s army on the waters?" Marina turned to Araya and Lucifer as she continued steering the ship, eyes flitting back and forth between them and the waters that lie ahead.


    "Of course. That''s what we''re here for." Lucifer said.


    The four all exited and left Marina to pilot. Izumi walked down a hidden set of stairs and went under the ship, leaving Araya and Lucifer with Mukami. Wordlessly, Mukami went to the left side of the ship, looking out. Araya took that as a sign to go to the right, yet again dragging Lucifer with her. She leaned over the side of the ship while Lucifer stood in the shade under a pole.


    "Of all things I did not expect to be on a pirate ship." Lucifer mumbled.


    "Yeah. I wonder how things are going in the other kingdoms..." Araya said.


    "Me too."


    Silence washed over the two as they kept an eye on the waters. For quite a while, there were only the sights of the ocean making waves. The sound of creaking and seagulls flying above. The smell of salt. The touch of the wooden ship against Araya''s arms. Just a few more moments of peace, for once.


    And for once, the peace crumbled as Lucifer asked one simple question.


    "Do you know what''s going on with Satan?" Lucifer asked in a barely audible voice.


    "What?"


    "He looks awful."


    Araya raised an eyebrow at Lucifer.


    "Not because of the way he''s dressing. Well, kind of the way he''s dressing. Wait, no, I mean- ugh. Do you see how tired he looks? How his hair is a lot more messy than normal? All the chains he has? I mean, with the chain thing, unless he bought non-blood chains, there''s not great implications there."


    "I do. It''s gotta be the war stuff! I just don''t know what to do. You saw that last meeting, I think he was pushing us away."


    "You gotta think of something though," Lucifer turned to face her, "You should say something to him. I don''t know if he''d listen to me right now, and... I can''t blame him. I know he''d listen to you though. Or Nico. Or Arsene. Or Eris. Maybe even the lime guy and that one descendant of Takahiro? Hell, anyone that isn''t me would probably be fine."


    Araya thought for a minute. "...I''d need to think of something, but I will."


    "Thank you." Lucifer smiled.


    Silence was back.


    But only for a moment.


    In the distance, Araya saw a tiny black dot. At first, it seemed like nothing to worry about. But as it rapidly approached, she couldn''t ignore the flag of the Black Kingdom that flew over the ship. The flag was a black background with two circles, representing Shadow Elemental eyes. Araya felt the adrenaline start pumping.


    "Ah shit, and of course this is after I''m out of blood to use. Curse you, blood magic." Lucifer complained.


    Araya happened to look down from the edge of the ship, and saw cannons.


    Bingo.


    "Lucifer! Go below deck! There''s canons you can use."


    "Oh, perfect! Can''t wait to blow up shit!" Lucifer yelled as he ran off to the stairs.


    Araya ran over to where Marina steered the ship. She wasn''t the only one though, as Izumi was running in with her at the same time. "Marina! Takahiro''s ships are over on the right."


    Marina looked out an open hole in the hut. "Yeesh. Zooms, help Mrs. Mendoza fight them off. One of you should let Mukami know about this, but tell him to keep watch over the left side."


    "Aye aye captain!" Araya said with a salute. "That''s pirate lingo, right?" Araya mumbled slightly to herself as she went back to the right side of the ship while Izumi went to Mukami.


    When she went back to the same side of the ship, Takahiro''s ship had gotten much, much closer. So close, in fact, that she could see the faces of Takahiro''s army on the ship. At least Lucifer was using those cannons, but the ship still remained mostly intact.


    Araya began to hold out her pole, using it like a large wand. She began to use the canon spell. She fired off many canons, much more magical then the ones Lucifer was shooting off. She aimed at the lower parts of the ship, creating many holes. The ship slowly began to tip over. At the last second, Izumi ran in and fired off a huge magical cannon with her hands. Izumi''s magic had a purple tinge to it, with generic white and purple particles coming off her glowing hands. Finally, the ship sunk entirely, leaving Takahiro''s army swimming in the waters. Araya and Izumi cheered.


    But it didn''t last long.


    Almost as if they waited for this to happen, another of Takahiro''s naval ships pulled up. Then another. And another. Until Takahiro''s ships had them trapped in the middle of a sea of enemy ships.


    "ARGH! Maybe I should call my parents and siblings to help..." Izumi began tapping on her phone screen.


    "Izumi, I don''t think we have the time for that." Araya said as her eyes darted around the ship. People from Takahiro''s army began teleporting on the ship, surrounding the duo.


    Izumi looked around and jumped at the sight.


    "Help me, Ximena." Izumi groaned.


    "I don''t think you want her help." Araya mumbled as she began using her magic again. She threw whatever random spells she could think of at Takahiro''s army. Teleportation, the canon spell from earlier, summoning random weapons.


    "Oh, right." Izumi said, joining in with the random spell usage.


    Fighting off Takahiro''s army became a blur. Araya knew she was moving and fighting them, she even punched one in the stomach. But it didn''t feel real. Her mind was elsewhere. Thinking about Satan, the war. Only the sounds of cannons firing off kept her somewhat involved in the fight. At one point, one cannon seemed to sound a little too close than normal. Instead of starting off loud and fading out, the sound got louder and louder.


    Until she heard the sound of breaking wood and metals close by .


    "What the hell was that?" Izumi yelled.


    Araya felt the vibrations and sounds of feet making their way up the steps. Lucifer swung his scythe at one of Takahiro''s men, but missed.


    "They shot at the under deck, the boat''s going under! We need to get off!" Lucifer began fighting his way through Takahiro''s army over to Marina.


    "What? But this has been our home for thousands of years, we can''t just leave it to them!" Izumi protested.


    "I know, I''m sorry. There''s no way we can fight off everyone with such a small crew." Lucifer said.


    Lucifer joined the girls on the side of the ship they were still on. On the other end of the ship, Araya saw Mukami trying and failing to fight off Takahiro''s army. While Mukami was technically half-witch, half-human, he had none of the magical powers of a witch. Araya used one hand to teleport him over while still using the other to fight off Takahiro''s army.


    Mukami appeared surrounded by the gray and yellow flower particles of Araya''s magic. He waved a hand to shake them away.


    "Ugh, why are your particles like that?" Mukami said.


    "No idea. This ship is starting to sink though, we''re gonna need to get out of here." Araya said.


    "Oh god, the rest of my family is not gonna be happy about that... let''s just tell Marina." Mukami said.


    Araya nodded and quickly teleported them to the wheelhouse.


    Marina was also struggling to fight off Takahiro''s army. Araya immediately used her magic to seal off the entrance and windows.


    "Did you guys realize they hit the bottom of the ship?" Marina panted.


    "Yup." Everyone said.


    "Guess we gotta say goodbye to the ship. It''s been a good couple thousand years old friend. I''ll see you again soon... somehow." Marina patted the wood that held up the ship.


    Mukami said goodbye to the ship as if it were an old friend as well. Izumi could only say goodbye, and thank the ship.


    "Ready?" Araya said.


    The three siblings nodded.


    Once again, Araya teleported. Since they had to teleport back to land, it took slightly longer than usual.


    The group landed back at the dock Araya and Lucifer were watching last time. The numbers of Takahiro''s army unfortunately increased while the number of citizens that fought back seemed to decrease. In the middle of the chaotic crowds were a few familiar faces, the queen and king. They were surrounded by eight kids and teenagers that looked similar to them, probably their kids.


    "Mr. Mwangi! The house ship has been taken!" Araya shouted over the commotion as she used her magic to move Takahiro''s army aside and clear a path to the rulers of Cyan.


    "What?" Said Tendaji, the king of Cyan.


    "They bombed the ship and it started sinking, so we had to leave." Izumi yelled as she used her magic on some of Takahiro''s army.


    "Of course they did... I''m glad you''re alright, at least. We may have to evacuate unfortunately. We can''t hold them off forever- hey, watch it!" Explained Suzu, the queen of Cyan. She was tackled by one of Takahiro''s men. Tendaji kicked them away as he helped her up.


    "Hold on, if we''re gonna evacuate, let''s think where to go." Araya said.


    Yet again, she teleported.


    When their vision cleared, they were in an area of grass and animals. Birds chirped and cicadas made their cicada noise. They could still see Takahiro''s army in the distance.


    "Can you take us to Rainbow?" Tendaji asked.


    "Takahiro''s army is trying to take Rainbow too." Araya said.


    "Purple?"


    "Same for Purple."


    "That''s unfortunate..."


    "I think Satan would approve your entry into the Hell Sector in Red, same for any Cyan citizens too. You''d have to wait for Satan to finish trying to prevent Rainbow from being taken over."


    "Where would that be?" Tendaji cocked his head to the side.


    "They supposedly have secret offices in every kingdom. I don''t think it''s a good idea to look for the one in Cyan right now. Probably best we went to the one in... Black maybe? There''s probably lower security there since they''re focused on taking the three kingdoms."


    "Good idea. Can you teleport us there?"


    "Sure."


    Araya began using her magic and they teleported off once more.


    ***


    Arsene, June 23rd


    Arsene shook as she stepped on the stairs. Nico gently wrapped a hand around hers.


    "Careful." Nico mumbled.


    "I know." Arsene said as she slowly made her way up the staircase. She looked behind her anxiously. All she could see was seemingly endless green grasses as far as the eye could see. She turned back to stare at Nico. His hair had been growing since the reunion, now it reached past his shoulders. He''d slowly stopped wearing his contacts too, donning his glasses. The rising temperatures, especially near the equator, also meant he''d need to dress warmer, and Arsene couldn''t help but stare at his arms.


    "What are you staring at?" Nico turned to Arsene, breaking her out of her trance.


    "Nothing." Arsene quickly faced the palace in front of her. It was much closer now than it was before.


    The palace was more akin to a church than a palace she''d seen before. It had purple and white walls with many rounded parts that jut out the top. By the entrance three women waited, one of them being the Queen of Purple herself. She was short, with spiral curls and medium brown sepia skin. The Queen wore a white and purple off the shoulder dress with three tiers.


    "Hello! I''m queen Ixchel, if you didn''t already know." The Queen greeted, extending a hand to Arsene and Nico.


    "Hello, I''m Arsene and this is Nico. We were sent to protect Purple from, well, you know..."


    "Have you seen them at all? I sent my armies out past the palace awhile ago, but I haven''t seen or heard from them at all. Oh, by the way, these are my daughters, Violet," she gestured to her daughter on the left. She had looser curly hair with the same skin tone as Ixchel. "and Lavender." She gestured to her other daughter on the right, who had straight hair cut into a wolf cut and more lighter brown sepia skin.


    "I see the resemblance they both have to you. We teleported relatively close to your palace, so we weren''t able to see anything too far from here. They''re still not here though, I kept looking back." Arsene said as she looked back yet again, and still nothing new.


    "That gives us time to prepare a bit. Come inside." Queen Ixchel motioned for them all to come inside.


    The inside of the palace was much more ornate, with lots of little arches and tiny windows from high above. The entrance was very long but thin. At the end of the hall was the throne, while on either side were two doors. Very symmetrical.


    "So, what''s the plan?" Nico said.


    "Like I said, I sent out the army to find Takahiro''s army. They''re supposed to let me know when and how far away Takahiro''s army is, so that I can prepare the soldiers I have here and in the city farther north. Because the palace is in front of the city, we''re screwed if they decide to conquer the Cyan-Purple border. Violet is technically old enough to help, but I decided that her and Lavender are just better off hiding away so that they can be brought to safety elsewhere." Ixchel walked down the hall to her throne and pointed out the window that was behind the thrones.


    The group heard a static voice out of nowhere, all jumping at the suddenness.


    "Your majesty! They''re on their way!" The voice huffed into whatever device they spoke into.


    "Where are you?" Queen Ixchel spoke into her walkie-talkie she pulled from her pocket.


    "Behind them! You can probably start to see them in the distance from the castle!"


    The group all went to the windows facing the staircase, and sure enough, there they were. Takahiro''s army was racing forward, with weapons in hand and magic being casted.


    Queen Ixchel turned to a nearby guard. "Evacuate the kids. Take them to the secret office of Red Kingdom entries."


    The guard nodded. The Queen and her daughters shared their goodbyes, then they were teleported away with a striking cream colored magic from the guard.


    "Alright, now that that''s dealt with, what powers do you have?" Queen Ixchel spoke fast, her eyes darting from the window to Arsene and Nico.


    "I have vanilla magic and creation powers." Arsene held her scepter slightly in the air to demonstrate. With her blue and white colored magic, she lifted Nico''s glasses off his face and created a butterfly.


    "I have blood magic." Nico uncapped a bottle of blood he had on a necklace around his neck.


    "I see... Could one of you deal with Takahiro''s army while I evacuate the army?" said Queen Ixchel.


    "I could. I know what I could do. Nico, you coming?" Arsene said.


    "I''ll help the Queen, you go do your thing." Nico said.


    "Alright." Arsene smiled.


    The Queen tossed her a walkie-talkie right before she teleported outside the palace. Arsene chose to land on the lower areas of the plateau. Takahiro''s army were closer now, a few steps forward and Arsene could touch one of the soldier''s. Arsene pointed her scepter at the ground, her blue and white magic particles, now joined with her signature wing symbol that all flashed on like a lightbulb. She raised the scepter up, and a stone wall shot up high in the air. Arsene teleported again, landing on top of the wall.


    The wall was just thick enough to stand comfortably, though the threat of moving wrong and accidentally falling was imminent. She looked down, and Takahiro''s army was so far below her.


    Arsene readied her creation powers again, ready to send lions and bears. But she heard a punch and the falling of stones. She didn''t even realize she was falling, and so was the wall. It all happened so quickly she couldn''t make out how they even managed such a move. She quickly teleported back onto the ground. She turned back and saw them advancing farther, close enough to get onto the stairs. Arsene quickly activated her powers and sprouted a wall in front of the stairs. She made the wall sprout horizontally instead of vertically this time. Still, there was one soldier from Takahiro''s army that was jumping up and smashing through the wall with their bare fists. Arsene quickly made a jail to capture, but it was too late.


    The wall was broken up enough for Takahiro''s army to make it through.


    Arsene panicked and used her magic to grab hold of everyone part of Takahiro''s army and push them back. She rapidly made each a little jail, causing some to be dented or imperfect, but at least the job was done. Arsene used her magic to jiggle the doors of all the cells at once, and at least it seemed like there''d be no escaping.


    Arsene suddenly became aware of the heat that beat down on her. Even in a light and airy dress with short sleeves, she was sweating.


    "I''m gonna move you to a shadier place. I may be your enemy, but I''m not a monster." Arsene wiped sweat off her forehead.


    She looked around the plateau, and noticed shade underneath the castle. With her vanilla magic, she moved the cells and the remnants of the walls into the shade temporarily.


    ''I wish Arista was here to help me destroy the wall. I should go see her after this battle''s over.'' Arsene thought as she began to teleport to the city.


    Arsene decided to land next to Queen and Nico as they ran in the midst of chaos yet again. Takahiro''s army also ended up in the city too. Some citizens used their magic against the soldiers, while others just ran.


    "What happened?" Arsene asked.


    "I sent another portion of my army the opposite direction but they were defeated and had their walkie-talkies confiscated. There''s just too many of them." Queen Ixchel sighed as she ran.


    "I might be able to do something about it..." Arsene teleported away.


    After a few minutes of searching, she spotted the Purple army in chains. They were forced to march in the sweltering sun in the direction of the capital city.


    Arsene chose a plateau to land and hide behind. She spied from behind the plateau. While the Purple army sweated, and some even collapsed, Takahiro''s army drank water and had fans.


    ''That''s sick!'' Arsene thought as her blood boiled, an unfamiliar sensation to Arsene.


    She slinked more behind the plateau. She hid her glowing scepter and right hand behind the plateau while she freed all of the Purple army soldiers. She heard the chains all slowly unlock, and each member of the Purple army immediately charged after Takahiro''s army again. Arsene slightly smiled in satisfaction.


    ''I think they got this. My work here is done.'' Arsene was almost about to teleport away.


    Just as she was about to teleport away, she saw a tiny flame in the middle of the air. Then it grew bigger, and bigger. Slowly, the fire began moving like hair, revealing a floating woman with warm brown skin. She frowned at the Purple army and began shooting fire out of her hands. The Purple army scrambled to run away, some even getting caught on fire and screaming. Arsene''s hands shook as she took all of the Purple army soldiers and teleported away.


    She landed in an area of the capital city away from the chaos and quickly got healers before she went off to search for Nico and Queen Ixchel.


    She landed next to them as they were running still.


    "So did you help them?" Queen Ixchel asked.


    "Yes... But then some fire lady swooped in so I had to take them back here, some of them were getting hurt and I''m not a healer, so-"


    "Fire lady? Could that be... ''Esato?"


    "Shoot, maybe. I''ve never seen her. How are things here?"


    "A disaster. They want to blow up the entire city just so they can take it over. And they have another force field too so I can''t even stop the bombs." They slowed down as Nico kicked at a force field that kept them out of where a pile of bombs where.


    "We need to get ready to evacuate. But where to?" Queen Ixchel asked.


    "Hell Sector of Red, I know Satan will be fine with it." Arsene said.


    "We need to get on that, right now. I think they''re gonna set them off soon." Nico said.


    "Alright," Arsene said.


    The three all round up as many citizens within the capital and took them to wait for a pass into the Hell Sector.

 Gold

    Satan, July 7th


    Satan stirred in his bed. Every couple of seconds his phone dinged. He turned in his sleep and buried himself in the covers of the bed, trying to drift away again. But the phone dinged a few more times. He groaned as he grabbed his phone. He turned it on, thinking of nothing.


    When he looked at the screen, there were more images of gore.


    He turned it off before he could linger on the pictures. He clamped a hand over his mouth. Satan got up and raced to the bathroom to empty whatever was in his stomach.


    After he was done, he splashed water on his face. His eyes happened to look at himself in the mirror. He looked almost like a skeleton. His skin was tight against his bones. He felt sick all over again.


    After the second round, there was a knock at the door. Satan wiped his mouth and face with a paper towel and raced to the door.


    When he opened the door, there stood Eris. She leaned against the door frame. She had her usual off the shoulder crop top and shorts with the golden sneakers and all.


    ¡°Well, I may be a little late-¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± Satan rolled his eyes while he moved out of the doorway.


    ¡°Okay still! There¡¯s a fuck ton of deities in Ayuzuma and we couldn¡¯t even get them all despite me working with all my old friends! Anyway, we¡¯ve gotten as many on our side as we could. Some still defected to the other side.¡± Eris collapsed onto the couch.


    ¡°Of course. Did you count how many?¡± Satan groaned.


    ¡°Last I counted it was like¡­ thirty four?¡±


    ¡°What? Ugh, whatever. Thanks.¡± Satan went into the kitchen.


    ¡°Dude, you good? You look even worse than the last time.¡± Eris sat up from her seat.


    ¡°Take a guess.¡± Satan sighed as he got a hot pocket from the freezer.


    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s something more that¡¯s going on than just the war.¡± Eris rose from her seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like nothing.¡±


    ¡°Just leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­ Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Satan stared at the spinning hot pocket in the microwave as he listened to Eris leave. His mind flashed back to the events of the past six months.


    Six months.


    Only six months.


    ¡®Can I change anything anymore? They have gods and can take whatever we throw at them. But, we have a bunch of Ayuzumian deities now too¡­ I need to meet with the remaining kingdoms and the resistance. It¡¯s been a suspiciously long time since the last battle. We need to be prepared for the end.¡¯ Satan thought while he began contacting the rulers of Light Blue, Blue, and the Queen of the Heaven Sector.


    Satan sat in silence while other rulers, past and present, chatted happily. Mostly. Though he had spaced out and focused all his attention on a random spot of the meeting table, he knew the other rulers were staring. Their eyes were all probably burning into the face of their skeleton-demon friend. If he could even count as a friend to most of them. Hell, they¡¯re probably talking about his condition too. More people and faces piled into the room. Other deities, resistance members, common folk. They all filled up the room, making leaving it anytime soon impossible.


    Finally, Satan made his way out of his trance. His eyes snapped upwards and he looked at everyone in the room. The rest all began to quiet down as they started to give him their attention.


    ¡®Time for an inspirational speech, even if I don¡¯t really believe in it at this point.¡¯ Satan thought.


    He rose from his seat, his body shivering even though it was the summer. Hopefully they didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Resistance members, deities, fellow royals, and whoever else showed up to this meeting, I shall first thank you for your time. Secondly, only both sectors of Red, Light Blue, and Blue currently remain. We have been searching, but unfortunately, we do not have access to any plans by Takahiro at this time. Currently, the plan is to divide up our numbers and split them between what remains. Any questions?¡± Satan asked.


    Silence washed over the room.


    ¡°Then I think that¡¯s all for today, let¡¯s not waste any time.¡± Satan rose from his chair and distributed papers with how they¡¯d all be divided.


    Satan, July 14th


    ¡°They¡¯re going after Blue and Light Blue. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be long before they come for us too.¡± An advisor explained.


    Satan knew he heard him, but it was like there was a haze or mental fog in his brain. He knew it was bound to happen eventually, but he still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Ah shit. Are you fighting or leaving the capital?¡± Satan raced from his throne to find his walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Leaving.¡±


    ¡°You should get out of here quick then. Who knows what Takahiro¡¯s up to this time.¡± Satan fished his walkie-talkie out of a drawer.


    ¡°Alright then. Hope to see you again someday.¡± The advisor said before teleporting away.


    Satan looked sorrowfully at the walkie-talkie. A symbol of the war, the hurt, and everything he¡¯d been through.


    ¡°Takahiro¡¯s after Blue and Light Blue right now. Get ready for them to make their way to Heaven and Hell next. Over.¡± Satan said as he marched outside the palace entrance. He quickly teleported onto the roof.


    He lowered himself onto the roof, gripping the roof of the palace to keep steady. His eyes scanned the surrounding area. Demons walked around like normal.


    ¡®Shoot, I should warn them¡­¡¯ Satan hopped off the roof. He rapidly texted a news station the news. Soon enough he could hear faint alarms going off, and news anchors reporting the situation.


    Four distinct sets of magic particles slowly faded into view right in front of Satan. His immediate gut reaction was to aim his pitchfork at them. Slowly Lucifer, Araya, Arsene and Nico all descended from the sky. The particles all cleared as they came into full view. Lucifer¡¯s eyes first landed on Satan. He jumped back slightly upon seeing him.


    ¡°Jesus christ,¡± was all Lucifer said.


    Araya immediately swatted him on the shoulder and glared at him.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just-¡±


    Satan growled. ¡°Really not the time for that. Anyway, I checked and they¡¯re not close by, but I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re in Hell in general. Can someone check that for me?¡±


    ¡°On it! Oh, wait. Nico, take this.¡± Lucifer handed Nico a pair of golden knives before teleporting away.


    Just as he left, shadows appeared. Satan and the others all braced themselves for something, and¡­


    It was Zeta and Yami.


    ¡°You guys gotta start letting me know it¡¯s you,¡± said Satan.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± Yami apologized quickly.


    ¡°Um, does anyone know what this is? And why is it different from my usual daggers?¡± Nico held up the golden knives.


    ¡°Ooh! Those were created by the goddess Marika in my pantheon! Golden weaponry is the only thing that can kill a deity, traditionally they are usually in dagger form. Now that Marika is passed I can only guess the gem nontuplets and Arista worked together to make it since she passed¡­¡±


    Slowly, more of the members of the resistance began flooding in. They waited for twenty minutes for any sign of Takahiro. But nothing.


    Until Satan spotted blood zipping down to the ground. Lucifer came out of the blood magic huffing and panting. He had some minor cuts and bruises on his face.


    ¡°I found them. They¡¯re on the western side, and they¡¯re on their way now.¡± Lucifer pointed west.


    Satan looked behind Lucifer, and sure enough, there they were. Some even began teleporting right in front of the group. Satan charged at them with his pitchfork, fighting them off. The other members of the resistance slowly joined in as well. Some ran off to the portion of Takahiro¡¯s army that was in the west. Others stayed on the palace bridge to fight off whoever teleported over. A resistance member pulled out an unconscious potion. Just as they threw the potion at one of Takahiro¡¯s men, Satan jumped away. Satan¡¯s boots were stained with the liquid, but it didn¡¯t touch his skin.


    They all continued fighting off the portions of Takahiro¡¯s army. Satan used his blood magic to chain up members of Takahiro¡¯s army. Slowly though, the part that was in the west made their way to the bridge. The bridge got crowded. Even moving one step forward became a challenge. And if things couldn¡¯t get any worse, Satan¡¯s walkie-talkie went off right in the middle of fighting off a horde of soldiers.


    ¡°We¡¯re struggling with Blue and Light Blue, could we get some help?¡± A frantic voice begged.


    Satan swung his pitchfork around while trying to grab his walkie-talkie. ¡°We¡¯re struggling too!¡± He teleported off the bridge inside the palace.


    ¡°Shit. Maybe just send a few people to us?¡±


    Satan made sure his voice wasn¡¯t being transmitted before groaning. ¡°Hey, Araya, Nico, Lucifer and Arsene, any of you wanna go to Blue or Light Blue?¡±


    ¡°We could go to Light Blue, but aren¡¯t those underwater kingdoms?¡± Nico rapidly spoke over the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°Just go on either ends of Green, we¡¯ll send someone with transformation magic to transform you into merpeople.¡± The voice spoke.


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯re in.¡± Nico said.


    ¡°Araya and I could go to Blue then!¡± Lucifer said.


    They both teleported back into the fray of the claustrophobic fight. He used the excess blood he¡¯d collected to use his magic more. He created multiple little blood daggers and threw them at many of Takahiro¡¯s army. He created twice as many chains. It all felt like no use, for every blow he landed, ten blows would be landed on Satan in turn.


    A flash of light threw Satan off. Deities zipped around and began helping, whether that was in the form of magic, punching or whatever else they¡¯d been doing. Sudden determination made Satan kick into overdrive. He fought faster, harder, longer. Even when his limbs hurt. Even when he was starving. Even though he still had his doubts.


    Eventually, he got dizzy and stumbled. His vision was blurry, all he could make out was moving figures, and nothing else. Someone approached him and he clutched his pitchfork and pointed it at them, despite his entire body quivering.


    ¡°Relax, Mr. Satanel. I¡¯m not part of Takahiro¡¯s army.¡± They said as they leaned down and touched Satan¡¯s forehead with their hand.


    Their hand glowed yellow as Satan¡¯s quivering slowly stopped.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do much else unfortunately. You seem like you haven¡¯t eaten in a while.¡± The assumed deity commented as they got up.


    ¡°Oh, I just haven¡¯t been¡­ able to access food for a bit. Hell¡¯s been having a food shortage and I¡¯m letting my citizens access it first.¡± Satan stumbled over his words as he lied through his teeth.


    ¡°Makes sense, but you really should try to eat something if you can. You know what not eating does to immortals.¡± The god turned around to charge back into the thick of the battle


    ¡°I know.¡± Satan trailed off, as he thought: ¡®Wow, perks of them not knowing what''s going on.¡¯


    He slowly rose from the ground. He charged back into the fight. He punched, kicked, used his magic, his pitchfork, whatever. But even with the help of the gods, he was overpowered. Someone used magic on Satan that he couldn¡¯t do anything else to but be under their spell. He was flung in the air far away from the bridge. Satan watched helplessly as the gods tried to put barriers in front of the palace entrance, but the other deities were either thrown, flung or hurt enough they had to withdraw. Satan watched with widened eyes, still in the air, as the gates were forcefully opened and they ran inside.


    As soon as he landed on the ground he teleported back in, trying to make or do whatever, but he was handcuffed to a wall as he could only watch them torch everything. Shadows appeared in front of Satan, slowly forming a vague human shape until Takahiro appeared more clearly. Takahiro frowned at seeing Satan.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± Takahiro glanced at Satan and walked down a hallway.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Satan said.


    ¡°Oh, so all I get from the one that almost made me blow my brains out is just a sorry?¡± Takahiro shifted into his shadow form. His entire body became silhouetted black with only his eyes and open mouth being a more visible gold that glowed.


    ¡°Well, what else do you want?¡±


    ¡°For you to die? Has that not been obvious enough?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t die, because I have to deal with this shit you and Katherina have been putting me through!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care.¡±


    They stared each other down, before Takahiro reached where his pockets were visible earlier. He quickly whipped out a familiar potion.


    An unconscious potion.


    Satan tensed up and tried to wriggle out of the handcuffs or avoid it, but it was too late.


    When Takahiro threw the potion at Satan, the liquid splashed on Satan¡¯s skin, along with the glass.


    Satan collapsed on the floor.


    ¡®This is it. I hope I never wake up again. I¡¯m sorry, Phoenix.¡¯ Satan thought as he faded off.


    ***


    Arsene, July 7th


    As Arsene stepped into the water, magic surrounded her entire body. The farther she waded into the ocean the more her legs turned into blue tentacles. Her dress skirt turned into a more high-low skirt. Slowly, she was able to breathe normally underwater as she did on the surface. As she heard Nico being transformed behind her she looked at the beauty of the ocean. Sea creatures swam with Water Elementals and down below were endless aquatic buildings and architecture.


    ¡°Arsene, are you ready to go?¡± Nico swam next to her.


    Arsene turned and looked at Nico¡¯s merfolk form. His aquatic tail looked akin to a seal. Unlike with Arsene, his clothes didn¡¯t change much.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You better be. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± The person that helped them transform said.


    The trio quickly swam downward. The transformer swam quickly ahead, while Arsene and Nico lagged behind slightly. It was all so unfamiliar, moving their tails up and down, the gills on their body, the fact they even had a tail.


    As Arsene focused again she noticed how many soldiers there were. She swam faster upon seeing a soldier attack a woman and her child. The soldier stiffened upon seeing Arsene charge at him. The soldier¡¯s spear and Arsene¡¯s scepter smacked against each other. Arsene pushed the soldier back. Arsene used her magic to throw the soldier as far away as possible. The woman quickly thanked her as she swam away.


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


    Nico and the transformer caught up to Arsene.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Nico mumbled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s going after a woman with her child!¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°We have bigger fish to fry right now.¡± The transformer led them over to where the real fights were going down.


    Likely thousands of soldiers and citizens were fighting against each other. Nico and Arsene charged into the fray immediately. They pushed back the soldiers with their weapons and magic. A mermaid with a striped blue and white tail zipped past them. Arsene glanced at the mermaid as she continued fighting off the soldiers.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Queen of the Blue Kingdom!¡± The woman yelled over the commotion. She twirled a spear and stabbed a soldier.


    ¡°Oh, sorry Marisol. How long has this been going on?¡± Arsene apologized as she struggled to hold off a soldier.


    ¡°Like, ten minutes?¡± Marisol swam to the soldier and used her tail to force them away, like a kick but a version for mermaids.


    ¡°Ten?¡± Arsene and Nico yelled.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Marisol dodged a spear.


    ¡°What even¡­ you know what, I¡¯m not even gonna question it anymore.¡± Arsene said. She used her vanilla magic to lift up as many soldiers in the air and throw them like she threw the other soldier.


    Arsene turned in the water to look behind her and saw more soldiers rapidly swimming forward. Arsene groaned at the sight. Nico and Marisol turned to look in the same direction. Arsene immediately used her magic to teleport them away.


    ¡°Get the citizens closer near the palace, I¡¯m gonna put up a force field!¡± Arsene turned to the two for a moment. They nodded.


    Arsene swam out to the edges of the capital city. She circled the city, placing her magic down onto the floor. Once she¡¯d encircled the entire city, she went closer to the capital city and raised her arms above her head. A dome came from the magic she placed on the floor, expanding until it completely covered the entirety of the capital. The dome was a semi-see through teal. She immediately looked for Marisol and Nico.


    ¡°Is that all? Are we safe?¡± Arsene asked almost breathlessly.


    ¡°Um, yeah, about that-¡± Marisol started.


    ¡°Takahiro¡¯s army is charging back at Blue again! Over!¡± said someone from the underwater walkie-talkie hanging off of Marisol¡¯s skirt waistband.


    ¡°Oh come on!¡± Arsene yelled as she swam off towards the barrier. Marisol and Nico quickly swam behind her, weapons in hand.


    Arsene began using her magic again, throwing them around like bowling balls.


    ¡°Uh, Mrs¡­ Mendoza was it?¡± Marisol tapped Arsene on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arsene said while she swam rapidly to keep a soldier from even touching the barrier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think throwing the soldiers is quite working, they¡¯ll just come back.¡± Marisol dodged a spear.


    As Arsene began to apologize, a soldier charged at the barrier. Nico and Marisol went to charge after them but they already broke the barrier. Arsene turned around at the commotion and tried to fix the barrier as she used her magic against a soldier. But the crack became big enough for the soldiers to begin flowing in.


    ¡°Ugh, we can¡¯t trap them in the capital now! That¡¯ll make things worse. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Arsene swam by. Marisol and Nico followed again. They swam through the capital towards the middle, where soldiers tore down buildings and went after more citizens.


    Immediately upon reaching the middle soldiers lunged at the trio. Arsene felt her body being wrapped in unfamiliar magic. She swam but the magic followed. She whipped her head around and saw them surrounded in familiar magic. Looking around she spotted a merman with his hands glowing the same color of the magic they were wrapped in. Arsene began using her magic while swimming rapidly towards him. She got close enough to begin creating a potion to stop his magic, but she shot into the air against her own will.


    When she was able to move of her own will again, Arsene swam forward but stopped at the absence of the merman. As she turned around she saw Nico and Marisol appear as well.


    ¡°That damn merman!¡± Arsene crossed her arms.


    Nico laughed as Arsene took a moment to take in her surroundings. Now, they were close to the top of the sea. A few swishes of the tail and they could be in the sun and the sky. The capital of Blue was down below, just a barely seeable blob of blue houses. Arsene grabbed the wrists of Nico and Marisol swimming as fast as she could manage back down.


    ¡°How are you even seeing that with the blindfold on and still managing to swim so fast?¡± Marisol mumbled.


    ¡°Oh! I can use a tiny bit of magic to see as normal.¡± Arsene said.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you were always a mermaid.¡± Marisol said.


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Silence washed over them as the sight of the capital moved closer and closer. Arsene¡¯s barrier slowly crumbled like glass. Arsene immediately began her magic again and went to teleport.


    But in the span of seconds, she was back where she started. Looking at the capital again she noticed a new barrier taking the old one¡¯s place. It looked like some huge shadow was cast over the capital that blanketed it in darkness. Arsene went to teleport again, but was brought back again. She groaned, holding her head. Arsene tried to use her magic but she ended up creating some indecipherable object.


    ¡°I think they did something with my magic. I wonder if my magic stopper potion was created still, but since I didn''t quite finish it got corrupted or something.¡± Arsene mumbled. Slowly, merfolk from inside the enclosed capital began teleporting or coming out of the capital. Arsene watched Marisol swim forward as the pain in her head throbbed. Marisol¡¯s body became blurred as she swung a spear at a soldier. Arsene struggled to stay upright, and she blacked out. A dreamlike voice called out to Arsene, but she couldn¡¯t even move.


    ***


    Araya, July 7th


    ¡°Wow, of course you¡¯re an axolotl.¡± Lucifer said.


    Araya rolled her eyes as she continued taking in her mermaid form. She had orange feathered gills on the side of her head, and a yellow tail. The rest of her outfit on land was the exact same.


    She watched as Lucifer zipped around underwater. Lucifer had a light pink shark tail and fins all across his body. He even had a fin on his head.


    ¡°A shark huh? Fitting.¡± Araya commented to the person that transformed the two.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± They added awkwardly.


    ¡°Do you consciously decide on what animal we transform into or..?¡±


    ¡°I can, but I didn¡¯t do it this time since I don¡¯t know you and all. Anyway, we should get going.¡±


    The merperson that transformed them led them downwards to a city just below where Araya saw soldiers fighting citizens and destroying buildings, as per the norm. The citizens looked like a mix of normal looking humans, to having parts of their body look like water, to having every part of their body look like water. There were some merfolk and other species sprinkled about, but they were far and few. Still, as they got closer to the Light Blue capital city, Araya¡¯s eyes were drawn right to the non-Water Elementals.


    She also noticed a Water Elemental swimming upwards, with a stocky, bronzed and tattooed body of a Water Elemental showing himself. His hair was even water-like, if not straight up water.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Araya whispered to the transformer.


    ¡°That¡¯s the king of Light Blue.¡±


    Araya tensed up and grabbed Lucifer to stop his crazy swimming as the king stopped in front of the trio.


    ¡°Um, hello. I¡¯m King Kairangi of Light Blue.¡± The king awkwardly put out a hand.


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think we have the time.¡± The transformer merperson swam towards the capital.


    Araya, Lucifer and Kairangi began swimming downwards.


    ¡°How long have they been here for?¡± Araya asked.


    ¡°Ten minutes.¡± Kairangi said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you are. I got all my best soldiers in the capital and I¡¯ve been prepared for this since they took Tempest, but they still got my ass.¡± Kairangi groaned as he got close to the bottom of the ocean.


    The three all readied their respective weapons as they slowly paddled forward. Their eyes all darted around as they entered the capital city. Suddenly, a soldier of Takahiro¡¯s swam right at the trio. Araya immediately took to hitting them in the face with her pole, knocking them out.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Araya mumbled.


    ¡°Just leave them here.¡± Kairangi said.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Have you spotted Takahiro, Katherina, or even Milena anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Just as Kairangi spoke, familiar fuschia hair slowly revealed itself. Katherina had pink and black jellyfish tentacles that replaced where her legs would usually be. Her normal outfit was mostly the same, with the usual dress becoming a two piece instead.


    Upon seeing Katherina, the trio all readied their weapons and began charging at Katherina. Katherina glared down at them with a smirk and snapped. She accelerated away while a huge Water Elemental began approaching the city.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Kairangi yelled.


    ¡°Quick question. What the hell is that?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°That¡¯s Moana, the goddess I worship!¡± Kairangi gripped Araya and Lucifer¡¯s shoulders as he pulled them backwards while Moana brought a hand down to the ocean floor.


    Katherina caught Araya¡¯s eyes from afar. Araya watched Katherina zip around, stabbing citizens and making her way towards the palace with other soldiers.


    ¡°There¡¯s Katherina! If they get to the palace, who knows what¡¯s next!¡± Araya pointed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight my deity, I¡¯ll get Katherina. You fight Moana, just¡­ don¡¯t kill her, alright? And meet me at the palace if you can stop her, I¡¯ll try to get Katherina in there.¡± Kairangi said.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Kairangi disappeared into the water, literally. Araya and Lucifer readied their weapons again and swam up to Moana. Lucifer swung his scythe at her chest while Araya swam farther up to her head to smack her. Both weapons phased through Moana¡¯s body.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Araya swam backwards to avoid another hand.


    ¡°Well now what?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°Only thing I got now is to pollute the water so it hurts her, but I don¡¯t think Kairangi or the other residents of Light Blue would be very happy about that, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Electricity?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯d kill everyone! You think there¡¯s a way we can like¡­ blow her away with air or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Can we get a huge fan or something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe from Arsene¡­¡±


    The fan slowly materialized, as evidenced by Arsene¡¯s blue and white magic particles. Araya kept glancing over towards the fan as she and Lucifer led Moana over. Araya swam behind the fan once it was ready. She turned on the fan as Moana tried to make her way over but was blown away. Araya and Lucifer high fived each other but noticed soldiers and other citizens being blown away as well. She quickly shut it off.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check on Katherina and Kairangi.¡± Araya grabbed Lucifer¡¯s arm and swam towards the palace. The palace was a similar low building, but with many more rooms attached at the back and sides. They swam towards the open entrance and entered. The first room was a long hallway with glossy floors. In the middle of the hallway was Kairangi and Katherina duking it out, Kairangi struggling to swim away from Katherina¡¯s seemingly endless kunais.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Katherina turned her head to Lucifer and Araya.


    ¡°Yeah, it is. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Araya spun her pole as she raced up to Katherina. She and Lucifer glanced at each other


    ¡°I see now why he likes you.¡± Katherina dodged Araya¡¯s attempts at swinging at her head.


    Before Araya could make a proper response, she managed to hit Katherina in the head. Katherina¡¯s eyes widened before hitting the ground. Her eyes closed and she went limp.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know you could give people concussions.¡± Lucifer stared at Katherina¡¯s body on the seafloor.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Araya yelled.


    ¡°Well, she probably deserved it. How¡¯s things going outside?¡± Lucifer floated over to the windows. He watched soldiers attacking citizens and other buildings. Another soldier even jumped through an open window and Lucifer started fighting them.


    ¡°Do we just¡­ leave her there?¡± Araya joined Lucifer in fighting the soldier.


    ¡°I guess?¡± Kairangi shrugged as he kicked back the soldier.


    Other soldiers began attempting to flood into the palace. Lucifer created a large iron block to keep them out as Kairangi used his water-shaped hair to blast waves at them. For a moment, they cheered, but the roof of the palace was immediately torn off. The trio looked up at Moana once again. She lowered her head into the opened palace as the trio tried to scurry off. Moana grabbed Kairangi in her left and Araya and Lucifer in her right. She threw them out of the capital. As Lucifer and Araya twirled and struggled to stop, Kairangi used his water powers to force them towards the capital again Araya swore she spotted shadow magic in the now partially destroyed Light Blue palace. Just as they were about to arrive back at the capital, a shadowed barrier went up. The trio landed on the barrier, hard as a rock. Araya banged against the shadow barrier.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡­ What now?¡± Kairangi said.


    ¡°We could call someone else for help!¡± Araya suggested. She pulled out her walkie-talkie. Satan and an unfamiliar voice both asked for help though, and Araya slowly slid her walkie-talkie back on her dress collar. ¡°Nevermind!¡±


    Lucifer whipped out his walkie-talkie from his jacket pocket. ¡°Hey, soldiers in Light Blue, if you can hear this, how¡¯s things going inside the capital?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been picking us off one by one since we were trapped in! We can¡¯t find a way to escape. There¡¯s not much we can do now. Just leave us.¡±


    Kairangi grabbed the walkie-talkie. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much that can be done. I¡¯d give my life for Light Blue if I must.¡±


    Kairangi sighed. ¡°I salute you soldier.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Red¡¯s taken, Light Blue¡¯s taken, and Blue¡¯s probably gone too! Arsene, Nico, what¡¯s your status? And Nico, if you can hear me, I have something to tell you.¡± Satan¡¯s voice pierced their ears from the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°They used the barrier to block off the capital and we can¡¯t get back in. Arsene¡¯s magic got messed up and she passed out. Marisol helped us escape to land and she went back to her kingdom to help her citizens evacuate. But what did you need to tell me?¡±


    ¡°They torched the palace again, I don¡¯t know why they keep burning down so many things but with it, they got the ruins of your parents¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Silence washed over them. They stared at the walkie-talkie, waiting for Nico¡¯s response, but it never came.


    ¡°If taking those kingdoms back is now proven hopeless, anyone wanna help me with Heaven? Oh, uh, is this a bad time?¡± An unfamiliar low pitched voice said.


    ¡°Wait, is that¡­ Queen Angelica?¡± Satan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s me. Can you help?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need passes to be up there? And don¡¯t we have to wait on them too?¡± Araya said.


    ¡°Just teleport in, you¡¯ll be fine. I can cover you.¡± Queen Angelica said.


    ¡°Give Luce and I a minute, we¡¯re still in our merpeople forms.¡±


    ***


    Satan, July 7th


    Satan peaked out from the floor, watching the palace gates where Queen Angelica was leaning against. Her straight platinum hair was long enough to sit on, her dress dragged on the ground and her huge feathered wings flapped idly. Her jewelry even shined in the light. Slowly, the others would teleport up. Satan giggled as he watched them step hesitantly on the clouds. He even watched as the guards tried to send them back where they came from.


    Finally though, they began making their way into the palace. Satan slowly rose from the floor and put his hood on. As he began walking he looked down at his bony hands.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t comment on my¡­ everything. Please¡­¡¯ Satan begged in his head as he made his way to the palace gates.


    The palace gates opened to Queen Angelica, Nico, Lucifer, Araya, and even Kairangi.


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the greetings and whatever else. Follow me, and quickly. We really need to be out there soon.¡± Queen Angelica said.


    The group silently followed Queen Angelica down a left corridor. Araya, Lucifer and Nico looked at Satan in concern, but he averted his eyes. They entered a small room of chairs and tables galore. It looked more akin to a cafe space than a meeting room, with brown walls and a cozy atmosphere. Everyone grabbed the closest seat as Queen Angelica made her way to the middle of the room.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve sent my angel soldiers and they¡¯ve told me that Takahiro¡¯s soldiers are coming from all directions. Despite many of them having experience in the war between Heaven and Hell they¡¯re still having problems. I want you five to go join my troops while I stay at the palace. Any questions?¡±


    Everyone remained silent. Taking that as a cue, everyone immediately left and teleported away. Lucifer and Araya teleported east, Kairangi went south, and Nico went west.


    Satan walked outside the palace and began teleporting north. As he teleported higher in the sky, he glanced downward, looking for any sign of soldiers. To his surprise though, he found them quicker than expected. Within a minute of teleporting, he had to land on the clouds in a town not too far from the capital city.


    As Satan¡¯s feet touched the ground, he wobbled. With every step he hesitated.


    ¡®There¡¯s no time to be afraid. If I fell through these clouds right now and died that¡¯d probably be the best damn thing that happened for everyone else.¡¯ Satan thought as he suppressed his fear as best he could. Though it lingered as he ran forward to attack a soldier from Takahiro¡¯s army he continued on like it wasn¡¯t even there.


    Satan blocked a sword with his pitchfork. The soldier tried to stab Satan but Satan quickly teleported away.


    ¡°Excuse me, who are you?¡± An angel soldier kicked the soldier to the ground.


    ¡°Satan Satanel, here to help prevent your kingdom from being taken over?¡± Satan dodged a dagger thrown at him.


    ¡°Oh! My bad, sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good- Milena?¡± Satan¡¯s eyes fell onto Milena.


    Milena was in a fighting stance, gripping a golden knife. Her platinum blonde hair was tied in a long braid, and she¡¯d ditched her usual corset, hanging fabric from her belt and flared pants. She wasn¡¯t armored or uniformed like the rest of Takahiro¡¯s soldiers, making her stand out. Milena didn¡¯t even speak in response, she just charged directly at Satan. She aimed her knife right at Satan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± The same soldier asked.


    ¡°An old friend that¡¯s worked with Takahiro and Katherina for a long time.¡± Satan tried to jab her in the stomach with the opposite end of his pitchfork.


    Milena remained wordless even as they talked about her, right in front of her. She dodged Satan¡¯s attempt and teleported away, leaving behind yellow particles.


    Satan whipped his head around, scanning the battlefield. All he could see were other angel soldiers and soldiers from Takahiro¡¯s army. He jumped at hearing a scream from the same angel soldier. He turned around and saw Milena behind the angel soldier with a knife at his throat. Satan ran behind them, causing Milena to push the angel soldier to the ground. They charged at each other, Satan trying to stab her with his pitchfork and Milena doing the same with her knife. Eventually, Milena teleported away, and the rest of Takahiro¡¯s army in that town joined her.


    ¡°Takahiro¡¯s army is surrounding the palace. As soon as you can, you need to get over here.¡± Queen Angelica¡¯s frantic voice sounded over the walkie-talkies of both Satan and the rest of the angel soldiers.


    Satan immediately teleported with the rest of the angel soldiers. As they teleported, Satan watched the angels. Since they had light magic, their form when being teleported was more like a comet or a tiny light flying through the air.


    The scene nearing the palace wasn¡¯t pretty, as Takahiro¡¯s soldiers crowded the outside of the palace. The gates had already been destroyed and they seemed to be working on tearing open the walls.


    ¡®How the fuck did they do this so quick- oh, wait¡­¡¯ Satan thought as he landed on the top of the palace and slipped inside by one of the palaces. As he walked down the stairs he heard footsteps. ¡®Oh shit, did I implant that idea in their heads too? Motherfucker¡­¡¯


    When Satan made it in the main hallway, he paused. Queen Angelica was on the floor, every part of her body bleeding. Takahiro stood over her with a grin. Milena was right next to him with the same golden knife from earlier, now entirely covered in blood. All the others that Satan came to the Heaven Sector with were pressed against some barrier. They punched, kicked, stabbed, slashed, whatever, but they were still stuck near the palace gates. Satan immediately sprung into action. He teleported Queen Angelica out of their sight, deep in the palace. He also teleported Araya with her. As Takahiro and Milena reacted to Queen Angelica disappearing out of the blue, he used his magic to grab Milena¡¯s golden knife to shatter the barrier. Finally, the others could destroy the barrier and began fighting Milena and Takahiro with him.


    ¡°This ends today.¡± Satan twirled the golden knife in his hand as he ran up to Takahiro. His skin involuntarily shifted to his light red demon skin. He didn¡¯t even realize that he was angry until now.


    Takahiro also went into a different form as well, this time in his shadow form. He raced up to Satan with a golden knife of his own. They two both tried to stab each other, but they kept missing.


    As they fought, Satan couldn¡¯t help but notice a troubling scene. Milena was facing off Nico, Kairangi and Lucifer. She seemed to be merely dodging Kairangi and Lucifer and actively going after Nico. At some point Nico got distracted, looking away for one moment. Then the next moment, he was on the floor with multiple stab wounds in his chest and panicking. And thanks to Milena¡¯s magic, Lucifer and Kairangi were both rendered immobile and unable to help.


    One moment of Satan looking over at them in panic, and that was all it took.


    Takahiro finally used his golden knife to stab Satan in the heart.


    Satan fell backwards.


    ¡®Second time today, huh? I hope I die this time. I don¡¯t want to deal with any of this anymore. I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m sorry Phoenix. I¡¯m sorry Araya. I¡¯m sorry Takahiro. I¡¯m sorry everyone. I failed you all,¡¯were Satan¡¯s last thoughts before he passed out.


    He didn¡¯t even expect to shed some tears.

 Goodbye

    Satan, July 8th


    Satan''s eyes slowly opened. His blurry vision cleared. He was in a small room with brown wooden walls and floors. A turned off tv lay in front of him.


    ''Am I dead? Is this Heaven? This is certainly not any Hell afterlife I''ve been to...'' Satan thought briefly.


    Beeping interrupted his thoughts. He turned to his left and noticed a heart monitor screen. He didn''t even realize the heart monitor that was attached to his chest.


    ''Fuck, fuck, fuck. Nobody was supposed to know. I''d deal with it. Now, I''ll probably have to go to the psych ward. But I can''t do that! I''m Satan fucking Satanel, I don''t belong in a psych ward! There''s still a fucking war going on!''


    A shifting doorknob interrupted his thoughts as Satan tensed up. In came Araya in nursing scrubs and carrying around her pole.


    "Oh thank god, you''re alive." Araya said, while walking over to the chair on the left of Satan''s hospital bed.


    "Alive? What happened?"


    "To put it bluntly, that golden knife almost killed you. I healed Queen Angelica as soon as you teleported me to that closet-"


    "I put you in the closet? Shit, I could''ve sworn I put you guys in some empty bedroom."


    "Ah, don''t worry about it. Anyway, I healed her, so that it was like it never happened. We teleported back and saw you falling while getting stabbed. Nico, Kairangi and Lucifer were already unconscious when I got there. I didn''t even have time to sit and heal you, so I teleported us all away. I didn''t want to waste time trying to get other healers to help me, so I just took you all straight to the emergency room. Nico was in the worst condition and I''m bad at healing multiple people at once, so I tried to close up some of his stab wounds. Then, they finally got you all in beds. I was more focused on Nico, so I helped those doctors out while the other doctors did surgery on you. Can''t say I''m surprised though. I know this hospital and they have a tiny healing team. Lucifer and Kairangi just needed some air really, so they ended up being discharged as quickly as we admitted them. Nico has yet to wake up though, but I don''t doubt he''ll be up and at it in a few."


    "What about the war?"


    "Well... they took Heaven. The Resistance has been arguing with each other on their next move. It''s possible they might disband. You''ll have to see what Lucifer and Kairangi say in specifics, I''ve been helping at the hospital while I waited on you and Nico."


    "Oh Diablo, am I gonna have to step in the day I get home from the hospital?"


    "I can''t allow you to do that, sorry. Oh, and uh," Araya inched closer to Satan, "the doctors said that while they were putting your heart monitor on they noticed a bunch of self harm scars, plus how you''re underweight and tired. Are you okay? Because they were thinking of sending you to the psych ward."


    Satan''s stomach dropped. "I was just stressed about the war. I''ve been using my diary whenever I felt the urge, but I''ve stopped. It''s fine. I''ve been sleeping and eating more though, don''t worry, I guess I haven''t been able to regain my lost weight yet," Satan lied while thinking; ''Please don''t be mad if you find out I''m lying. Please.''


    "Really?"


    "Yeah!" Satan faked a smile.


    "Alright, good. I''ll go check on Nico and get started on these discharge papers. Be back soon."


    Araya rose from her chair and opened the door. She jumped when she saw Arsene and Arista in the doorway. She let them in as she scurried down the hospital hallway. They entered, but it wasn''t just the two. In Arista''s hand was Arete.


    "Wow, I get to see all the Mendoza sisters today."


    "I know." Arista said as she sat in the chair.


    "No baby today?"


    "I left him with Lucifer. Trust me, you don''t want to hear the baby screaming. Neither does the rest of the hospital."


    "Wow, even after him being in the hospital?"


    "He told me he was fine, I trust him. I know you need his help with this war, but these are the things that worry me."


    "Well, I don''t know my next move, but he doesn''t need to help anymore. There''s more than enough people and deities in the resistance."


    "Really? Thank Indiana." Arista put a hand to her chest.


    "So, Arete, been awhile. Uh... how''s school?"


    "Over."


    "Oh. Right. How''s Phoenix?"


    "He''s been enjoying the summer and playing out a lot. He misses you a lot though. Phoenix wanted to come see you but-"


    "Actually, can he not? He''s the last person I want to see me like this. I promise I''ll call him when I''m discharged."


    "Oh, okay. He''ll be disappointed though. He thought he could be home soon."


    ''Geez kid...'' Satan thought as he imagined Phoenix''s disappointment.


    Silence washed over them. Satan scanned the room and let his gaze rest on Arsene. She frowned at the floor with crossed arms. Although the headband covered her eyes as they''d been for the past few months, , Satan knew she was looking right into his eyes. Satan frowned with her, cocking his head to the side and raising his eyebrows as if to say ''You okay?''


    Arsene sighed and her head dropped, like she was saying, ''No.''


    The door burst open and slammed the wall, making everyone jump and scream. In the open door was Araya.


    "Sorry. I got too excited. Nico''s awake." Araya said.


    Arista immediately got up, and everyone began rushing out the door down the hallway. Araya stood by the door as she ushered everyone outside.


    "Am I ready to leave or-" Satan stood up from his hospital bed.


    "Uh, uh, uh, nope. If you try to leave now and tear off your heart monitor, you''re gonna alert every nearby doctor, nurse and healer. I got your papers though." Araya walked over to hand him his discharge papers and a pen.


    Satan filled out the paperwork at a rapid pace and adjusted his long side ponytail before walking out the hallway.


    "You''re leading me there, right?" Satan said as he walked behind her.


    "Duh. Plus it''s a maze in here, only the people that work here can navigate it." Araya looked at Satan.


    They finally neared Nico''s room after the most confusing five-minute walk known to man. They entered the door and saw Arsene and Nico embracing and Arista standing awkwardly to the side with Arete.


    "Oh, Satan. How are you holding up?" Nico sat up while continuing to embrace Arsene, who was sobbing audibly, albeit a little muffled.


    "Good, woke up not too long before you did. I''m discharged now too."


    "That''s nice, I think I may have to stay in the hospital a little longer. Is that right Araya?"


    "Yeah, since your injuries were so severe they want to monitor you for an extra day."


    "That''s what I thought."


    "Well, I think maybe you two should be alone for a bit. Let''s go." Araya pulled Satan, Arista and Arete out of the room.


    Arista and Arete walked in front of them while Satan and Araya lagged a bit. Satan looked at Araya dumbfounded.


    "What was that for?"


    "I think they need some alone time. You know how close they are with each other."


    "Yeah..."


    "Oh, and before I forget, I told the resistance that you are taking a break for a couple days."


    "But-"


    "No, no buts or anything. You had an injury, and you still have the stitches after all. It''s necessary to take the time to heal. You need at least a week. If you are fine after they take your stitches out, then by all means, go plan stuff with the resistance, but you need to take it easy." Araya raised a finger to Satan''s mouth as they walked out the entrance. Satan didn''t even think they were still in the caves of Hell Sector, but they were. He glanced at the grey and murkiness of it all, his eyes falling on the palace where one of the few areas of natural sunlight poured in.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "Now go to your apartment, I still have stuff to do. I''ll stay out here as you teleport away, just wanna make sure your magic is fine. Oh, and don''t go into the palace! There''s a puppet ruler in Hell Sector and I think they''d been searching for you."


    "Already? Alright, see you later Araya. Arista and Arete, I''ll see you even later."


    And Satan was off.


    As soon as Satan made it to his apartment, he booked it towards his room. He flung himself on the bed. It bounced. He closed his eyes. He rested for five minutes, then got back up.


    Satan made his way into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He didn''t have eye bags anymore, and he looked less like a skeleton. He even looked at his bare arms as well, and they were the same. Less bony, more like how they used to look.


    ''I guess this looks fine.''


    Satan made his way back to his phone and went to the chair in his tv room. He would not be falling asleep on this call.


    He called Artemios, and his heart began pounding.


    ''Why am I so nervous?'' Satan thought.


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


    The screen showed Artemios sitting on the couch. He had a calm gaze and slight smile as he leaned his head on his hand.


    "Hey, been awhile. You alright?"


    "Yeah, a lot of stuff happened that''s too long to even summarize but I''m fine. The hospital discharged me like a few minutes ago and I''m being forced to have a break for a week."


    "Oh, good. We''re actually going on vacation tomorrow, would you wanna join us? We''re going to the beach, the boardwalk, visiting my parents, that kinda thing. Assuming you''re well enough to come."


    "Hm... I don''t really know. I need to think on that. I have stitches so I should be fine, I''m just hesitant. It feels kinda slimy for me to leave as soon as Takahiro and Katherina conquered Ayuzuma, you know?"


    "I get it. Well, as much as I can get it. We''re not leaving until like two in the afternoon so just let me know if you wanna come. Phoenix really misses you."


    "I know, I know, Arete told me."


    "Yes, I know. I''ll hand him over to you now," Artemios looked down as he spoke. "Sorry, Phoenix wants his turn now. We can talk later."


    Satan''s screen showed Artemios handing the phone to Phoenix. He was beaming as usual, and his dark fuschia hair was longer, flowing past his shoulders by then. He wore a black sweater, one Artemios likely bought.


    "Geez, your hair is so long. I missed you Fifi."


    "I missed you too. I even started growing my hair out so it can be like yours!"


    "Artemios said you''re going on vacation. Are you excited?"


    "Yes! And Arete''s inviting her friends and I''m inviting mine! We''re gonna have fun and play so much! Artemios also said you might come, are you?"


    "Maybe. I got hurt and Araya told me to take a break, but I feel guilty leaving. I''m like a prince in the resistance, I have a lot of duties I''ll need to do once I''m back."


    "Does that mean I''ll get to go home soon?" Phoenix inched closer to the camera and beamed brighter than before, somehow.


    "No, Takahiro has all of Ayuzuma now and I don''t really know our next move at this point. The other leaders in the resistance are supposedly arguing about what to do next."


    "Oh..." Phoenix frowned.


    "When I''m off my break though, I''m going to work extra hard to make everything alright again. Just for you. Okay? Some things are just not in my control but what is, I''ll use it to my advantage."


    "Okay!" Phoenix smiled again.


    "Is there anything else interesting happening on Earth? Or anything else you wanna talk about?" Satan leaned his head against his hand.


    "Not really."


    "Alright then, I think I will let you go. As soon as I decide I''ll let Artemios know if I''m coming or not. I''ll see you soon. I love you."


    "Bye daddy! Love you too!" Phoenix waved aggressively.


    Satan waved back before he ended the call. He sat back in his chair. The post-Phoenix call emptiness was hitting harder that day.


    A sudden ding made Satan jump. He quickly opened up his phone and saw another text from an unknown number.


    And yet another image of gore and dead bodies. His stomach dropped. He would''ve turned off his phone immediately, but his eyes stopped at a message.


    562 610 0517


    were tired of this


    were not kidding anymore


    24 hours


    surrender yourself over to us, kill yourself, or let us kill you and your family for you


    i even went to the courtesy of making a timer that you dont fucking deserve


    If we dont get an answer then we choose to kill you and your family for you


    hell well get the kid too


    12:10 PM


    ''Don''t answer. Don''t answer. Stop. What are you doing?'' Satan thought as he went to answer her.


    Satan Satanel


    Is this all because you got a concussion?


    Maybe you deserved it.


    Maybe you should let go of your fucking grudge.


    Yes, I feel guilty that I made Takahiro try kill himself.


    Yes, I have regrets.


    But don''t pretend like you''re the perfect one here.


    You''re just as messed up as all of us.


    I miss Takahiro.


    But I sure don''t miss you screaming at me.


    Bruising me, turning my one escape from the stresses of being a king into a nightmare.


    Grow the fuck up.


    12:11 PM


    Satan panted. His skin shifted to pink. Anger threatened to spill over. He didn''t even realize the tears that flowed from his eyes. He wiped away his tears and sniffled.


    All those things Katherina sent and told him, and yet he glued his eyes to the screen. Waiting. Watching.


    The bubble with three dots showed up. Satan''s heart beat even faster than ever.


    When she finally sent her response, it was another gory image.


    Satan immediately flung his phone across the room. It cracked on impact. Ignoring it, he made his way to his bedroom. He opened his diary and started writing for the first time in a while. He poured out his heart and soul onto the pages.


    November 22nd. 1998


    He remembered it all like it was yesterday. Satan, Eris and Takahiro landed on the ground. They were unfortunate enough to land right in the middle of the city. Fairies surrounded them from all sides. They took it all in. Fairies, the fuschia plastered wherever possible, beautiful buildings out of fantasy illustrations, everything.


    "Are you just gonna keep standing there?" A woman smirked at the trio.


    "Oh, sorry. Uh, who are you?" Takahiro asked.


    "Queen of Fuschia." She tapped her circlet.


    "Oh. Right, I don''t keep up with news outside of Black."


    "You''re all still standing in the middle of the path, why don''t I take you to my palace?"


    They nodded and followed Katherina as she walked forward. Satan immediately noted how she could clear a path for both them and herself, without even asking.


    At the time, Satan''s immediate thought was: ''Wow, she must be a really respectable queen if they''ll do what she asks without even asking.''


    What he should''ve been thinking was to run away.


    He didn''t even realize then how frightened the other fairies looked. They clung to each other, keeping as much distance from her as they could manage.


    He remembered her outfit clear as day as well. Her dress at the time was long, covering every inch of her skin. She even had a ribbon on her backside that moved with every step she took.


    After a relatively short walk, they arrived at the palace. The outside had a fancy gate, with patterns made of the thin metals. The outside of the palace was fuschia colored, of course, and it was huge. Many towers protruded from the sides.


    "What''s the point of a gate if most fairies have wings?" Takahiro asked, interrupting the silence that had fallen over them.


    "Keeps out the flightless. We have an invisible barrier on the entire thing to keep the rest out."


    "Where''s your wings then?" Eris said.


    "I wasn''t born with them." Katherina opened the palace gates.


    They walked inside. The floors and walls were fuschia, as usual with black and gold accents. The throne was gold and appeared made of wings and flower petals. But the group ended up taking a right down a less beautiful hallway.


    "Are you even a fairy?" Satan asked.


    "Barely. My family has been marrying other humans for so many generations I don''t even have magic. My only fairy trait is these." She moved her hair backwards to expose her ears. They were like tiny butterfly wings. Satan''s eyes fell onto a large diamond ring on her left hand.


    "Wait, are you engaged?"


    "Yup. My fiance''s busy working for his boss today. King of the Hell Sector in Red. Was it Satan or Lucifer? I don''t remember."


    "Wait, is your fiance Nicolaus Astraia?"


    "That''s him. You know him?"


    "Yes, I''m his boss. And it''s Satan, Lucifer''s my brother."


    As they entered a cramped meeting room, Katherina took a moment to stop and stare at Satan. She looked him up and down, making Satan tense up.


    "You don''t look that intimidating, you just look like you''re trying too hard."


    Satan growled as Takahiro, and Eris laughed. They each took a seat at the table.


    "So uh, what''s this meeting about, anyway?"


    "Well, I found how you''ve wanted to Takahiro to rule Black again but you''ve been unsuccessful, correct?"


    They nodded.


    "I''d like to help you. Apparently the current king doesn''t even want to rule, and neither does the previous king, so this would ease their problems. Do you know why you haven''t been successful?"


    Satan and Takahiro glanced at each other. Satan whispered for Takahiro to talk, while Takahiro motioned to Satan to talk.


    "Uh, about that-" Satan said.


    "We haven''t really been working towards that-" Takahiro said.


    "We''ve mostly been goofing off and hanging out. I don''t like ruling mine and this is one of my escapes." Satan finished.


    "Oh, well, that explains it. Black Kingdom law states that if a candidate for king is unwilling to rule, another may step in."


    "Thing is though, I''m not really well liked. So chances of them accepting is pretty low." Takahiro mumbled.


    "I wouldn''t really know about that. Us fairies are kinda weird. It''s worth a try though, don''t you think?"


    "I guess."


    "I''ll think of some plans if they don''t. You put together a proposal and bring it to the king. Oh, and also, before you go, you may here many rumors about me."


    "What kinds?" Satan stood up from his chair.


    "That I murdered my parents, everyone at my school, even rape for some reason. I don''t know, I guess they don''t like me for marrying a demon."


    "Wow, really? That''s crazy." Takahiro laughed.


    "Do fairies not like demons?" Satan tensed up.


    "No. Couldn''t tell you why, most just... don''t"


    "And I thought this planet was the most peaceful one out there." Satan sighed.


    "You not from Ayuzuma?"


    "No... I grew up on Earth-"


    "No! Not someone from Earth!" Katherina wailed.


    "I know Earth''s got a reputation, but the hell part of it is actually really nice. The mortal grounds of Earth are the reason Earth even has a reputation."


    "Oh, you''re one of the good ones. Okay! Well, I have my queenly duties to get to. Takahiro has his proposal. Oh, my number before I forget to tell me how it went." Katherina wrote her number on a slip of paper. The trio put her numbers into their nokias, before taking their leave.


    Satan, July 8th


    As Satan flashed through his memories, he got angrier. The warning signs were all there, how could he just brush them off? And why, when all the signs were confirmed, did he let it all happen? The beatings, the fighting, the threats of murder?


    Why didn''t he do more?


    His rage at himself, Katherina, Takahiro, whoever else, grew. His skin turned to its unnatural pink and tears streamed down his face.


    Then he blacked out.


    When he recollected himself, he was curled up in a ball on the ground. He stared down at his hands. They changed back to his normal skin color, like the inside bark of an oak tree. As he stood up, he saw scratch marks on his walls and all his belongings. He trashed random things, like the windows.


    ''Do I want to know what else I did? I guess I should check and see what I''m gonna have to pay for...'' Satan thought.


    He walked down the hallway, and like in his room, everything was scratched or trashed. He frowned, and he cried even more. Not only at just how much he''d have to pay for it all, but the damage he caused.


    More memories he didn''t want to think about surrounded and haunted him. When Satan was young, similar things would happen. He''d get so pissed off he''d go on a rampage, tearing up everything in sight. He''d pass out from the anger and wake up later like it was all a bad dream. But the memories of scratched walls and destroyed belongings he loved were all just reminders it really happened. Lucifer was unlucky enough to be in his room during an episode as a kid. He didn''t remember specifics, but all he knew after waking up was that Lucifer had so many scratch marks and stab marks.


    And it was all thanks to Satan.


    From then on, he''d vowed to suppress his anger as much as he could. Nobody deserved to see him angry, especially not Lucifer and especially not his children. He''d designate a room to be his anger room and lock himself in there if he felt an episode coming on. He''d also make sure it was far away from everyone else.


    When Satan first went to Ayuzuma, his anger episodes got even worse. He remembered he''d have to step back from his work as a king at least five times a day to get his anger out. Thankfully, he got good at sensing them, but one time he wasn''t so lucky. Once an episode happened around Arsene and he attacked her. He vowed to never love another woman from then on.


    As Satan remembered all the hurt his episodes caused he teleported back to his bed. Like everything else, he destroyed it. He cried himself to sleep.


    Katherina''s deal could wait.


    Satan, July 9th


    As soon as Satan woke up, he checked the time.


    ''12:39 AM. I was out for like twelve hours? That would''ve been the best sleep of my life if I wasn''t having nightmares.''


    He switched over to the clock Katherina gave him.


    Eleven hours left.


    He stayed in bed, pondering.


    ''You know, I''ve wondered if I''d just be easier to kill myself and spare everyone the trouble. Living lately has not been worth it. But... my kids. My friends. Araya! I can''t just leave them alone! But either choice makes me leave them, regardless.''


    And so it began, a nine hour thinking session. He thought of all the consequences, and ways to escape his fate.


    He knew what Katherina and Takahiro could do. He''d lived it firsthand, after all.


    Finally, at nine in the morning, he came to his conclusion.


    ''I have to surrender myself. I don''t know what''ll happen, but at least everyone else will get to live. Right?'' He thought as he bolted up from his bed.


    He went over to his scratched up desk and scribbled words on pages. They were barely legible, but he needed to get them out. When he finished, he checked the countdown again.


    Ten minutes left.


    He quickly used his blood magic to put them in his mailbox, along with his apartment key.


    He realized he didn''t even know where he was supposed to go, so he went to text the last number Katherina used to harass him. His stomach swirled as he saw the gore images out of the corner of his eye. He held a hand over his mouth and went into the bathroom while trying to get his text sent.


    Satan Satanel


    Where do I need to go


    9:44 AM


    He stared at the reply bubble. He felt sicker just waiting for her response.


    562 610 0517


    so youre surrendering after all?


    good boy


    go to the entrance at the black palace


    well go from there


    9:44 AM


    Satan grimaced at her words. He strolled to the front of his apartment one last time. Satan glanced at everything he''d leave behind. He stopped at a collection of pictures tapped to the wall of everyone. He tore them off the wall and shoved them in his pockets. Mentally, he could see the clock ticking down. Sighing, he finally began to teleport to the Black Kingdom palace.


    He may have been the ruler of one of many Hells, but the real hell started then.

 What Must Be Said

    Takahiro, July 9th


    The three moons of Ayuzuma shone down on the Black Kingdom, along with the stars that were scattered across the sky. Takahiro and Katherina whispered, as they moved farther from the palace, every step crunching the grass beneath them. Takahiro spread out a blanket out as they slowly laid down atop the slight hill that overlooked the palace. From afar, they watched the ship being built, where the market used to be.


    ¡°The palace actually looks nice from here.¡± Katherina¡¯s voice almost disappeared into the gentle breeze of the night as she spoke.


    Takahiro turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Thought you hated palaces?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d be more beautiful if I wasn¡¯t constantly in and out of them.¡±


    Takahiro chuckled.


    They laid next to each other in content silence, taking in the sounds of Takahiro¡¯s crew working on the ship.


    ¡®Alright Takahiro, it¡¯s time you finally tell her. She deserves to know,¡¯ Takahiro thought.


    He glanced over at Katherina. She had closed her eyes by then. She¡¯d tried on a new outfit that day, a fuschia to black ombre dress with a low cut v-neck and high slit, her signature. And she wasn¡¯t Katherina Astraia without her black gloves, even if it was summer, but the ones she wore were lower this time, only going up halfway her arms. Of course, she also had her usual gold jewelry as well. She was his favorite fashion icon.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re staring.¡± Katherina interrupted his thoughts.


    Takahiro jumped..


    ¡°And I know you have something to say.¡± She opened her eyes and turned to face him. They gazed into each other''s eyes for a minute. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I-uh, give me a minute. Another minute, I mean.¡± Takahiro covered his face with his hands as he repeated the words in his head. His stomach twisted itself in knots more than ever.


    Finally he uncovered his face, took a deep breath and said: ¡°So, I¡¯m bisexual. And biromantic as well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? How did you know already?¡±


    ¡°Well, hm, let me think. You told me how you had butterflies in your stomach as a kid for two of your friends, one boy and one girl. There was one time you were telling me about one of your deities from Black, and how, and I quote ¡®he¡¯s hot, but I don¡¯t like men.¡¯ Oh, recently you. simped for one of your co-workers and you told me about it. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure once when you were drunk-¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it!¡± Takahiro shook Katherina by the shoulder with one hand and covered his reddened face with another.


    ¡°And, uh, I¡¯m sorry if I made you scared to come out. I don¡¯t know what was wrong with me when you first met me. I hope you can believe me when I say I¡¯m not homophobic anymore. Of all my crimes, that¡¯s the only one I actually feel guilty about. Plus, I think I¡¯m also demiromantic too. Not trying to steal your spotlight or anything.¡± Katherina averted her gaze.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t think you knew already. And don¡¯t worry, I believe you. You stopped looking disgusted whenever we talked about LGBTQ+ anything a long time ago. The fact you were even homophobic in Ayuzuma at all makes me wonder if your dad or one of your other human relatives were from Earth.¡± Takahiro pondered.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Fuck no, I hate Earth!¡± Katherina yelled.


    ¡°I can tell. So do I.¡± Takahiro laughed.


    Silence washed over them again. Takahiro thought: ¡®That¡¯s one big reveal. Although, I guess, that wasn¡¯t really one. How long will it take for my second reveal of the night I wonder?.¡¯


    After pondering for another twenty minutes, Takahiro finally blurted it out. No point wasting time anymore. It needed to be said. ¡°So, um, for the longest time, I¡¯ve had a crush on you. Do you like me back?¡± He asked with a pounding heart.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I knew that too.¡±


    ¡°Wait what? How do you keep finding these out?.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I have good gaydar and can tell when people are crushing on others.¡± Katherina shrugged.


    ¡°Okay but, do you like me back?¡± Takahiro took Katherina¡¯s hands into his own.


    Katherina surprised Takahiro by throwing her arms around him. ¡°Yes, of course. You know my patterns. Almost any other guy I date would be to fulfill a need. You already know what Satan and Nico were for. With you, there¡¯s no need, more a want. To be with you. It took an embarrassingly long time to realize but I think after, well, Satan left to put it bluntly was what finally made me realize my feelings.¡±


    ¡°So are we-¡±


    ¡°If you want to.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They remained silently in each other''s arms, neither wanting to be the ones to let go.


    A deep and feminine voice called out to Takahiro. He couldn¡¯t make out any of what they were saying until they got closer, the voice asking: ¡°Did you guys fall asleep instead of-¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we did. Got a problem, Milena?¡± Katherina growled, half-awake.


    Takahiro opened his eyes. They were still in each other¡¯s arms partially, but Katherina began removing herself from Takahiro¡¯s grasp. Milena briefly had raised eyebrows, but then it transitioned back into its usual, resting bitch face. They helped each other get up and pick up the blanket, wrapping it around each other.


    ¡°What did you wake us up for?¡± Takahiro yawned.


    ¡°They finished building the ship. We¡¯re gonna do a test and then leave for the next planet.¡± Milena walked them back to the ship.


    ¡°Oh, shit really? What time is it now?¡± Takahiro looked at his watch. ¡®3:29. Oh, shit.¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯ll be here for a few hours so you can go back to sleep. Everyone else is probably gonna be sleeping except for me, the pilot, and some builders.¡±


    They made their way onto the ship. Past the entrance was a large circular room with a control panel and a massive window at the front. Co-workers of Takahiro and Katherina moved some furniture inside the ship, while others just brought in sleeping bags. They turned right, down a long hallway with multiple doors.


    There was a large room of bunk beds, bathrooms and showers, a cafeteria, a medical center, a room with weapons, a room to board mini ships and, finally, a room for relaxation. Each room had the proper amenities needed, but Takahiro was too sluggish and tired to focus on the specifics. Finally though, they made it to the mysterious end of the hallway. There were two desks facing each other. There was another door behind it that led to a bedroom.


    ¡°And this back area is for you two to do¡­ whatever you want. Just don¡¯t be too loud, I¡¯d like to pretend to not know what you get up to. I¡¯m gonna go help with the lift-off. Talk to you later.¡± Milena fake gagged as she made her way out the room.


    Takahiro and Katherina looked at each other before collapsing on the bed. It was very comfortable, enough for the both of them to tell they¡¯d be back to sleep in minutes. They smiled at each other and gave each other a gentle kiss before they drifted off peacefully.

 Whats Next?

    Araya, July 9th


    Araya splayed out on the couch by the wall. She knew she had a duty to go to work. To heal and preserve the living on Earth when needed. But she''d already used her magic to communicate to her boss, her ''Father'', that she was taking the day off. At least he had the gall to not ask why. In her mind, she fought against herself, duty versus break.


    Another thought came to mind out of the blue.


    Satan.


    "Anyone heard anything from Satan?" Araya interrupted the conversation going on between Lucifer, Arsene, Nico and Arista.


    They answered in a chorus of no''s and nope''s.


    ''That doesn''t sound very good. I hope leaving him alone was a good decision rather than a bad one...''


    "I''m gonna invite him to breakfast. Be right back." Araya got off the couch.


    Making her way to Satan''s apartment, she stopped outside and rang the bell, waiting patiently for him to come to the door. And yet... nothing. She tried again. Still nothing. She slammed the doorbell a few more times for good measure. Still nothing.


    ''Maybe he''s just asleep, I''ll come back later.'' Araya began walking away, accidentally hitting her arm on the mailbox. When it opened, all the papers and letters spilled onto the floor.


    She bent down and picked them all up, one by one, setting them into one neat pile. She couldn''t help but read what the papers had to say, even if she could barely make out the words. Her eyes glazed over one paper, but upon seeing, ''If you are reading this, then I''m gone.'' her blood ran cold. She stopped to fully take it in.


    ''Dear Everyone,


    If you are reading this, then I''ve departed this place for the foreseeable future. Katherina has harassed me with real life pictures of gore for a few weeks now. She also proposed a few deals. I could either surrender myself over to them, kill myself, or allow them to kill all of us. After thinking about it, I decided I would surrender myself over to them so nobody else has to get hurt. This sort of thing happened a lot so I''m used to it at this point. I don''t know what will happen to me with them now. Maybe I''ll be dead, maybe I''ll become another anonymous survivor of Katherina. Whatever it is, I hope you understand my decision and distribute the rest of my letters to everyone else. I tried to get to as many people as possible but I was running on a deadline. And please, do not come looking for me. The consequences of rescuing me will not be good, and this is a sacrifice worth making for all of you.


    Goodbye,


    Satan''


    Araya remained, sat on the floor after she finished. She froze, like a statue, as she stared down at the barely legible letter. Tears welled up and threatened to spill. Only when it all truly set in did they finally fall, slowly dripping onto the papers.


    She grabbed the rest and raced back to her apartment. She pushed the door open, making it slam against the wall as she sobbed more audibly. Everyone jumped at the sudden noise and turned to look at her.


    "Wh- Araya?" Lucifer said.


    "It''s Satan." She held out the letter addressed to everyone.


    They all got up and barreled over. Lucifer grabbed the letter Araya held out and read it to everyone else. Araya watched them frown collectively, with disturbed and pained expressions on their faces.


    As Lucifer finished reading, he looked at the paper in disbelief. "What?"


    "He went with Katherina and Takahiro. Zero clue what they''ll do to him. He also wrote individual letters." Araya shuffled through the papers to find them, and handed them out. She found her own as well, and began to read.


    ''Dear Araya,


    I''m sorry. I know I followed none of your advice. This war was all my fault, and I wanted to take care of my problem, but I failed.


    I wish I could''ve told you this in person, but I wish we could''ve been together. I don''t know if that''s a secret to you anymore. Since I first met you, I''ve had a crush on you. Maybe the reason my past relationships didn''t pan out was because I wanted you the most, but I just didn''t realize it. If I hadn''t been so stupid as to get involved with Katherina, things could''ve been different. Please try not to dwell on me for too long, I want you to live your life without me.


    Don''t tell your sisters this, but I think you are my favorite Mendoza sister. I will miss you, and I know it''s way too early to say this, but since we''ll probably never see each other again I can''t leave this letter to you without saying this:


    I love you


    Satan''


    Araya sobbed harder as she finished her letter. She looked up at everyone else and watched them either cry or frown at their individual letters.


    "What the hell do we do now?" Lucifer shifted to his pink demon skin.


    "We can''t let him go through with this! Takahiro is building a ship near the palace, we should start there!" Araya said.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea." Arsene cried.


    "Why? Do you want whatever might happen to Satan to actually happen?" Araya growled.


    "It''s not that. I''m worried that if we do rescue Satan, they will go through with their threats of murdering our entire family. And if they do that, what happens next? I''m afraid to know the consequences."


    "And how do you know they will?"


    "It''s a hunch."


    "So there''s no reason we can''t go rescue him!"


    "Listen, I know a foresight god. I will go ans ask him about our dilemma, and we can weight the consequences. For now though, we have to wait." Arsene folded the letter up gently as she willed her sadness away.


    "Wait? Satan might be dead by now, or worse!"


    "I''ll be as quick as possible. For now though, just please wait."


    For thirty minutes, the rest of the group stayed in the apartment. They couldn''t bring themselves to chat and sat in silence. Araya shuffled through the rest of the papers, keeping track of all the names he addressed the letters to. Her phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts as she pushed the letters to the side and answered.


    It was Arsene.


    "So?" Araya said.


    "Yeah, it''s what I thought. Foresight deities aren''t supposed to interfere with things as much as possible. He told me that if we did rescue Satan, Takahiro and Katherina would kill all of us. Without us being the major driving force of any kind of resistance, Takahiro will take the universe over and there''d be universal poverty, deaths, and homelessness among other things. There''s a next to zero chance that if we did rescue Satan, they wouldn''t kill us. It''s such a low chance though that if we did try to rescue him the god of foresight would have to stop us. If we don''t rescue Satan, there''s a 50% chance we''ll be able to save the universe if we just keep fighting. Maybe then we could rescue him, so there''s still hope."


    "Ugh... alright." Araya hung up.


    She slumped in her chair, but was scared by Arsene teleporting into the apartment.


    "What are we supposed to do now?: Lucifer asked. Do we keep fighting against Takahiro and Katherina or what?"


    "I don''t even know about that." Araya picked up the pile of letters. "We definitely need to give these letters to everyone else, and we need to let the resistance know what happened. Lucifer, you really need to tell your parents that you''re back though." Araya glared at Lucifer.


    "Wait, you never even told them you''re back?" Arista said.


    "...no." Lucifer said.


    "Why would you wait for so long?"


    "Listen, I''m afraid of their reaction. I''ve been gone for so long, another, what? Six months or so wouldn''t be that bad, right?" He glanced around at everyone''s faces.


    Arista''s eyes widened. "You can''t do that, they need to know!"


    Lucifer sighed. "Alright, I will. Can you at least come with me? And bring Arete and Aragon, they''d wanna know about that."


    "Alright."


    "Wait, a minute... Phoenix too! Shit, who''s gonna break the news to him?" Araya said.


    "Oh god, he''s not close to any of us... We should all tell him together." Arsene suggested.


    "Good idea. I think I''ll be the one to distribute all these papers. Luce, you can give Diablo and Lilith theirs while you''re at it." Araya shoved two papers to Lucifer.


    "Arsene, you and I are on meeting with resistance duty, I suppose." Nico rose from his seat and went over to Arsene.


    "You take these to the resistance members, and I''ll take the rest wherever they need to go. Alright, let''s all head out!" Araya said.


    They all teleported out of the apartment.


    Arsene, July 9th


    Arsene checked and rechecked the text message on her phone.


    Zeta Prasinos


    Urgent resistance meeting 10:30.


    Get here early if needed.


    Meeting at 194 Magic Lane in Purple


    10:05 AM


    She glanced around. The Magic Lane sign was to her left at a street turn, and google maps said it was Purple, but there was no number on the building. The building itself was purple and short, with arches around the entrance.


    "Is this really where the meeting is? This just looks like a regular old house..." Arsene mumbled to Nico.


    "Google maps says this is it. Maybe that''s the point?"


    Nico walked up to the door. He turned to look at Arsene, who hesitantly came and stood beside him.


    Before they even got to knock, the door opened. A person with long raven hair, golden eye, and warm olive skin greeted them. They obscured most of their face and body for the first few seconds until they opened the door more, revealing themselves as Yami.


    "Oh! Nico and.... I know the red one is Arista but I don''t remember if you''re Araya or Arsene..." Yami shook hands with them both.


    "It''s Arsene. That''s new, usually people will forget one of my sisters'' names, not mine."


    "Anyway, you''re pretty early. Something didn''t happen, right?" Yami leaned against the door frame.


    Nico and Arsene eyed each other for a second. Arsene opened her mouth to speak but got interrupted by Yami calling Zeta to come to the door. Once there, Arsene continued


    "So Katherina was threatening Satan to either surrender himself to her and Takahiro, kill himself or do nothing and let our entire family die. Satan surrendered, and we''re not sure what''s going to happen to him really, but if it''s in their hands?" She shook her head. "It''s nothing good."


    "Are you kidding me?" Zeta slammed his fist against the door. He turned around to yell. He walked away from the door, as he ranted in Greek.


    "You''re not getting him back? Because we can lead a mission to get him." Yami frowned.


    "No. Another threat is that if he''s rescued, then we''ll die. I even asked a fortune god, and he told me there''s an extremely low chance that if that were to happen we wouldn''t die. If we tried to rescue him he''d have to stop us since the consequences would not be very great."


    "Man, kills me to leave him in their hands. If you find any loopholes let me know, I''d be glad to help." Yami put a hand on Arsene''s shoulder. "And I''m sorry that had to happen."


    "Wait, don''t forget! Satan wrote some letters to you two. He also wrote a third letter to all the rest of the rulers he wasn''t as close to." Nico handed them the letters.


    Yami accepted the letter gently, as if it would fall apart at any minute. Zeta raced up to Nico, frantically snatching the letter out of his hands. Yami read his in silence while Zeta mumbled the words aloud. Yami''s lips trembled as his eyes poured over the letter.


    "Damn it Satanel! Wish you would''ve said something. I''ll kill Katherina for you and the rest of us bro!" Zeta talked like Satan was listening.


    Meanwhile, tears slid down Yami''s face as he read the letter. "Sorry Satan. I won''t let your sacrifice be in vain," he whispered.


    For several minutes, Arsene and Nico tried to comfort him, while Zeta raced back upstairs.


    "Sorry," Yami wiped his tears away, while his voice continued to tremble, "You probably knew this, but we have a meeting with the ex-rulers. But I guess if Satan''s gone he can''t come. Excuse me if I shouldn''t be asking, but is there someone who could attend in his place? It invited all the ex-rulers for a reason, after all."


    "Well, Crow is technically the heir to the Ayuzumian Hell, so I could ask him. No promises though." Arsene said.


    "Alright, thank you. You guys sticking around or...?"


    "No, we split up a few errands between the rest of us. We need to figure out our next move afterwards."


    "Alright. Thank you for letting us know. I hope we''ll see you later."


    They waved bye before Yami slowly shut the door. They walked off the porch and Arsene began using her vanilla magic.


    "Actually," Nico hesitated, biting his lip, "Can we talk?"


    "I don''t like the sound of that. Shouldn''t we go back to the apartment and wait on everyone else?" Arsene''s heart sunk, expecting the worst.


    "Luce''s probably gonna be talking to his parents awhile. I don''t know if Araya will be quick with her letters though. Just walk with me." Nico began to lead Arsene down sidewalks, adding, "Don''t worry though, it''s nothing bad."


    "Still nerve wracking."


    "I know, I know. Sorry. So um... did Satan encourage you to, I don''t know, date me in his letter to you?" Nico tried to hide his blush by turning away. Even from behind Arsene still saw his bright red face.


    "Yes, why?"


    "I don''t wanna just be your bodyguard anymore, following you around because I''m paid to. I want to also follow you around because I want to. Not that I don''t already want to. Okay, that doesn''t make sense, I mean, do you want to date me?" Nico turned back to her.


    "Yes." Arsene smiled gently, taking Nico''s hand in hers.


    Lucifer, July 9th


    Lucifer stood at the end of the bridge with baby Aragon in hand. He glanced at Arista and Arete. Arete gave him a blank stare while Aristas was more judgemental, her mouth twisting downwards as she cocked her head towards the distant palace.


    "Well?" Arista said.


    "Well, what?" Lucifer said.


    "You going or what?" Arista put her hands on her hips.


    "Alright, alright, let''s walk." Lucifer sighed.


    Lucifer slowly strolled forward. His eyes darted around Earthinian Hell. Everything there had become so much more modernized, so unlike the place he once called home. Could he ever call it home again?


    After the slowest five-minute walk in the world, guards noticed them. They began rushing forward, making Lucifer and the others stop in their tracks. As the guards approached, their eyes widened. They turned around and fled into the palace.


    Minutes later. Diablo and Lilith rushed out with the guards.


    It was as though time had frozen. As his parents rushed toward him, tears spilled from their eyes while the emotions in Lucifer''s head swirled around, as if being stirred by a straw, mixing and blending into each other. He hesitantly stepped forward into their arms that wrapped around him so tightly he was almost tackled to the ground.


    "Luce! You''re alive!" Diablo wrapped his arms around Lucifer even harder.


    "What happened?" Lilith broke away, looking into his eyes with a familiar worry.


    "Lily, can that not wait-"


    "It''s okay," Lucifer reassured them, "You''ve waited long enough, you deserve an explanation. The day I learned I was going to be forced into being a king I was not happy. I could never see myself as a king, ever. But I didn''t think you''d listen to me though, so I thought leaving was the only thing I could do. I planned to be gone for just a little white, and on my own, but after telling Arista, she wanted in. As more time passed, I became more and more got nervous about coming back, and before we knew it, two thousand years passed. Then I saw Satan not too long after the reunion, and finally worked up the courage to come back."


    "I wish you would''ve just come home earlier, you would''ve saved a lot more tears." Diablo sighed.


    "I know, I''m sorry. I regret a lot of things."


    " Wait, who are these two?" Lilith motioned to baby Aragon and Arete.


    "This is Arete, she''s my daughter with a human from Earth, and this is Aragon, mine and Lucifer''s son."


    "Oh my Diablo, I''m a grandmother again! Can I see?" Lilith motioned to baby Aragon.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Arista handed Lilith the baby, and she cooed at him as she rocked him.


    Diablo went up to Arete and leaned down so he could get down to her height.


    "Are you the grandpa that Lucy always talks about?"


    "I don''t know, am I?" Diablo turned his head around to look at Lucifer.


    "You are, I''d never talk about your mom''s father."


    "Why don''t you talk about grandpa Mendoza, anyway?" Arete said.


    "Well, it''s up to Arista to talk about him." Diablo got back up.


    Lucifer looked over at Arista who frowned uncomfortably. Lucifer walked over to her and rubbed his hand on her back in a soothing motion.


    "I hate to destroy all this happiness, but something else happened." Lucifer sighed.


    "That doesn''t sound good. What happened?" Lilith bit her lower lip.


    Lucifer''s hands shook as he handed them their letters. He explained what happened while trying to hold back his own tears.


    Lucifer watched Lilith and Diablo silently reading their letters in tears. Both opened their mouths at separate instances as if to say something, but closed their mouths again.


    "What are we supposed to do now?" Lilith finally said.


    "No idea." Lucifer finally gave in and began sobbing with them.


    For minutes, the trio all sobbed together, comforting each other all the way. Finally though, they began calming down.


    "I''ll do it." Lucifer wiped his tears away.


    "Do what?" Diablo asked.


    "You wanted me to rule the Hell of Arsenia all those years ago, right? I''ll do it."


    "But you don''t have to anymore! Not after, well, you know..." Lilith said.


    "We don''t know what''s gonna happen to Satan. If I''m going to be the next heir, then I should get my practice in now in case of the worst."


    "Are you sure?" Diablo said.


    "Yes."


    Araya, July 9th


    The sun shone through the window, as Araya lay sprawled out on the couch again in her apartment. Nico and Arsene arrived back a few minutes after she arrived. Now for thirty minutes they waited on Lucifer, Arista, Aragon and Arete.


    ''This is all my fault. Maybe if I was a little more forceful in getting Satan to take care of himself and made him feel more comfortable being open, this wouldn''t all be happening right now.'' Araya thought.


    When she opened her eyes and saw Lucifer, Arista, Aragon and Arete all standing there. She bolted upright upon the sight of them coming out of nowhere.


    "Sorry," Lucifer gave an apologetic smile and looked around at the group. "Well, we all did what we wanted to do. Now what?"


    Araya had zero idea on what she''d be doing, so she stared down Arsene and Nico, blankly, awaiting what they had to say. Simultaneously, a notification on the sisters'' phones all went off at once. The sisters all glanced at each other, as if to say ''that''s not good, time to see how we fucked up this time.''


    Araya sat up properly to check her phone. Her stomach dropped as she looked at the text message from ''Father.'' Even looking at the short snippet of the text made her feel sick. Her body trembled as she prepared to read it in full. Finally, she entered the messaging app and looked at the message.


    Father


    What the fuck is going on?


    First you three have been slacking off for a while


    Now you haven''t even worked for days?


    I can''t send your demon or angel replacements all the time girls


    They focus on their jobs in their respective homes


    YOU are the goddesses of the cycle for humans for a reason


    After today you need to come back to work


    12:05 AM


    Araya immediately began typing out a response.


    Arista watched her, saying "Araya, if you''re gonna say anything, please don''t make a comeback. The last thing we need is him to be mad at us."


    "I don''t care. He''s never cared enough to come from wherever he''s been for the past, however long it''s been, to punish us. Nothing''s gonna happen, and if it does, we can just use our powers on him."


    "Who''s he?" Nico asked.


    Arista''s mouth fell open."Wait, Arsene, you never told him?"


    "There was no need to bring him up!" Arsene lifted her chin up.


    Ignoring Arista''s, everyone''s voices faded into the background as Araya continued typing out her original message.


    Araya


    For your information shitface, we rarely take days off in our life


    It''s a few days


    Everything will be fine


    Try losing your best friend because of a war and going to work the same day


    Oh that''s right, you can''t!


    You have no friends and no job


    You are more useless then you''ve ever said we''ve been


    12:05 AM


    Father


    Don''t give me your excuses


    I want you back to work as normal tomorrow


    12:06 AM


    Araya


    And what will you do to make sure we do that?


    12:06 AM


    Father


    Well, you remember how things were back when we all lived together, yes?


    I have no problem fighting Arista again


    It''ll be a fun family reunion!


    12:06 AM


    Araya lowered her phone and jumped upon seeing Arista in front of her. Arista''s lip trembled.


    "Araya, stop!" Arista begged.


    "But we''d have to go back to work tomorrow." Araya said.


    "I don''t care, I''m not going through all that trouble to relive those times again."


    "Sorry." Araya whispered while putting a comforting hand on Arista''s shoulder.


    "That got off track. What are you guys doing now? Are you staying here or... something else?" Lucifer said.


    Araya''s ears perked up. "Wait, did you decide what you''re doing?"


    "Well, I thought since we have zero idea what the future holds, I guess I''ll truly take on the position of being the new heir of the Earthinian Hell. I guess I should finally rule the Arsenian Hell after all this time." Lucifer growled.


    "Wait, but Lilith and Diablo wouldn''t make you- wait hold on, you voluntarily decided this?"


    "Yeah."


    "What!" Hands on hips, Araya''s eyes narrpowed. You''re lying."


    "He''s not, I was there." Arista mumbled.


    Araya shook her head. "I still find that hard to believe."


    "Well, maybe you can help me move into my new palace if it''ll help you believe."


    "We''ll see about that." Pursing her lips, Araya turned to Arsene, "Anyway, what are you doing? And is Nico getting fired?"


    "Well, I definitely want to keep helping the Ayuzumians. But I think I should move back to Earth so working is more convenient, On my off periods I can go back to Ayuzuma. Nico''s staying though, don''t worry." Arsene turned to Nico and smiled.


    "I knew it!" Araya pointed at them suddenly, her eyes brightened for the first time since she read Satan''s letter.


    Arsene and Nico eyed each other, then Araya.


    "Knew what?" Arsene cocked her head to the side.


    "You''re finally dating!"


    "How the fuck do you even-?" Nico''s face went red, Ugh, I wanted to wait because of the situation, but I guess cat''s out of the bag now."


    "I''m owed fifty dollars now, Luce!" Araya grinned at Lucifer.


    Lucifer sighed and walked over with his fifty-dollar bill in hand.


    "Well, what are you doing Araya?" Arsene asked.


    "I still need to think about that. Probably gonna go back to Earth as well though. I''ll still do my part with everything though, don''t worry." Araya''s eyes dulled again as her mouth frowned


    Araya, July 12th


    After everything they''d been through, they needed a few days to relax. Though the group enjoyed talking and hanging the past couple days, they couldn''t do it for long. Araya finally decided she''d get her own house and settled on the United States, reluctantly. She managed to find a house nobody wanted in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, she wouldn''t have to blow too much money on the house, since the owners seemed desperate to get it sold.


    Currently, Araya was standing near one staircase that brought citizens from the mortal lands down to Hell.


    She gazed upon the old palace that laid in the distance. "It''s a shame we can''t go to the old palace."


    She turned around to look at the others, as a crowd formed a semicircle around Araya and the others. Nico was still saying his goodbyes to what seemed like an endless supply of royalty from Tempest. Lucifer just finished giving personal thank you''s to a bunch of other members of the resistance, royal or not.


    "Yeah..."


    Finally it was Zeta and Yami''s turn. Zeta and Nico shared the longest hug in the world.


    Yami turned to the rest of the group. "If there''s anything we can do, or even I can do, now or in the future, please let me know." Yami said.


    "I don''t think there''s much you can do at this point. We''ll be in touch though." Araya said.


    Next, was Eris. She looked at Araya, with tears in her eyes. She gently placed her hands on Araya''s shoulders. "I''m so sorry. I''ll be keeping track of Takahiro and Katherina''s wearabouts, and staying with the Ayuzumians while you guys all do what you need to do."


    "Thank you, for watching over Satan in my absence. Come visit us and Phoenix soon, okay?"


    "Of course."


    They embraced each other. Eris returned to the crowd. Araya''s eyes fell on Saori right next to her. Saori waved, tears in her eyes as well. She crossed her arms as she avoided Araya''s gaze, wiping them away quickly.


    It was finally Crow and Bree''s turn. Crow hugged Arsene and Bree hugged Nico. Then, they switched. Araya swore she heard a mention of Bree thinking of Arsene as her mother, but she didn''t take it in. All she could think about was the millions of possibilities after they all landed in their new homes.


    Lucifer tapped her on the shoulder, interrupting Araya''s thoughts and making her jump.


    "Sorry, sorry. We''re gonna leave now. Are you ready?"


    "Oh, yeah."


    They all waved as Arsene began the teleportation spell.


    Finally, they began teleporting. Planet Arsenia was very far away, so teleporting took a full ten minutes, after which time, they landed in the Arsenian Hell. Looking around, it had all the staples of the Hells on every planet, from the lava, the caves, to the demons that roamed. In the distance, there was even a castle. Parts of it had fallen apart, but there were demons that teleported around to repair the damage. Suddenly, three of the demons that roamed around raced up to the group. Their tails were red and their horns pointed up and inwards.


    Just like Satan''s


    "Are you the new king?" One asked.


    "That''s a dumb question of course it is! We have awaited your arrival for many years and we are glad to finally see you here!" The second shoved the first demon around while bowing


    "Please follow us, we''d like to show you around!" The third began pulling Lucifer by the arm.


    Lucifer forced the third demon''s grasp off of him and began following them. They brought all their luggage and boxes with them.


    The first room was, as expected, a large throne room. The castle was a lot more blindingly white on the inside then on the outside. There was nothing even in the throne room at the moment, so it barely even counted as one. According to the demons doing the tour, they''d be redoing the castle slowly, so Lucifer could mold the throne room and all other rooms into whatever he desired. Araya watched Lucifer grin wildly at that statement. They stopped to put all their stuff down before continuing on with the tour.


    All the other rooms were a blur of white, undecorated, falling apart messes with room names such as ''Servant Bedroom Sixty-Nine''. Why they went to the trouble of checking each and every single room, Araya had zero idea.


    After what was supposed to be maybe an hour of checking and unpacking became four. Afterwards, they set out to pack everything. The repetition of Araya opening and putting away Lucifer and Arista''s belongings made her feel like a zombie.


    Finally though, Araya had the last thing to be unpacked: A single kitchen plate. Araya teleported to the kitchen, put it with the, then returned to the throne room and stretched her entire body.


    "We''re done!" She cheered.


    Araya excitedly teleported Nico, Arsene and herself away as Lucifer and Arista waved.


    Lucifer, July 12th


    As the three departed, Lucifer felt his mask, his emotional barriers falling apart. His face fell as they left. His gaze softened as he looked over at Arista and their baby she held in their hands. He motioned for her to hand him the baby. She gently placed the baby in Lucifer''s arms.


    "What do you wanna do now? I don''t think they expect you to rule or anything yet, don''t even have a proper throne room or anything." Arista asked.


    "I don''t know. Sulk?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Everything."


    "I know... But we''re in this together, aren''t we?" Arista offered a hand to Lucifer.


    "We are?" Lucifer hesitated.


    "Why else would I be here otherwise? And besides the fact I don''t want to go to Earth to see Father..."


    They glanced at each other in silence for a couple minutes. Then, out of the blue, Lucifer threw his arms around Arista. Baby still in hand and all. Arista leaned down to reciprocate.


    "I''m sorry. I''m gonna be a mess for a while." Lucifer said in a hoarse voice.


    "That''s alright." Arista mumbled back.


    They pulled back and gazed at each other. Lucifer felt tears slid down his face he didn''t even realize he had. He quickly wiped them away.


    "Well, I guess since you''re gonna be a king, I get to be a queen-consort now."


    "You don''t need to have a title to be a queen."


    "What do you- oh! Same goes for you." Arista playfully nudged Lucifer.


    "I''m a queen too?"


    "Well, no- I mean, I guess you could. You get what I mean though."


    They kept walking towards their shared bedroom, hand in hand.


    Araya, July 13th


    Yesterday, they all unpacked.


    Today, they had to figure out how they''d go about one of the hardest things in their lives.


    The group was at Arsene and Nico''s house, also the place Arista formerly lived for a few months and the Mendoza sister''s childhood home. Araya was in sitting in a yellow and gray chair themed after her, with flower decorations. Each sister got their own themed chairs while everyone else sat in plain chairs.


    "Okay, we should really get going now. Phoenix deserves to know what happened." Araya rose from her chair.


    Hesitantly, everyone else rose and teleported away.


    They walked up to the familiar house. The group all glanced at each other, as if to brace for the worst.


    "Wait, you have the letter, right?" Lucifer stopped in his tracks.


    "Yup." Araya held up the folded up letter.


    When they reached the house, Lucifer got to the door first and was about to knock, if not for Artemios opening the door.


    "Hey, what''s going on?" Artemios greeted.


    "We''d like to talk to Phoenix. It''s... not... good. Let us talk to him first, please."


    "Oh dear. Hold on, I''ll get him." Artemios ran back inside.


    Araya watched Arete follow him inside. Araya turned to look at Arista, who just shrugged.


    Finally, Artemios led Phoenix outside. Artemios gave the group a sympathetic look before closing the door, presumably for privacy reasons.


    "You''re all here! Except daddy. Where''s daddy?" Phoenix looked around.


    "Yeah, about that..." Nico said.


    Lucifer leaned down to Phoenix''s level.


    "A few days ago there was a huge battle. Takahiro and your mom took Light Blue, Blue and both sectors of Red. He came home hurt, but soon after he got home he..." Lucifer paused and turned to look at the group behind him.


    Araya walked up the stairs to join the pair. "He left. Your mom was sending... not nice things to him and telling him she''d hurt the rest of us if he didn''t go with her."


    Phoenix dropped his cheerful grin. "Wait, what? Did you not go after him?"


    "I wanted to, but a fortune god said we''d probably all die if we did." Arsene said.


    Phoenix started bawling. Araya watched Arsene walk through everyone away to comfort him. The rest of the adults left Arsene to comfort him as they walked away from the pair. They stood around at the edge of the lawn.


    "What do we do with Phoenix now?" Araya said.


    "We could just leave him with Artemios. I know he wouldn''t mind." Lucifer mumbled.


    "I don''t think that''s right. Sure, Artemios is taking care of him, but he''s still a human. He won''t learn demon tongue or other things about Hell he should know." Nico said.


    "I mean, I could always stop by like once a week and teach him things."


    "Wouldn''t it just be easier if he lived with a demon to begin with?" Arista said.


    "True... but if he lived with them he''d be seeing Arete on the regular."


    "I think if one of us took him in he''d see her on the regular, anyway. Which of us would take him in anyway?" Araya said.


    "I don''t know, I know that''s Satan''s kid, but I still have my own kids to raise." Lucifer said.


    "Well, maybe Arsene and I could. Our kids are adults now so we don''t have to juggle Phoenix and raising other kids so... I have to ask though. I just need to get her away from Phoenix." Nico said.


    "Give Phoenix to me." Lucifer said.


    "Alright." Nico said.


    Araya watched Nico go up to Arsene, crying Phoenix in hand and all. Lucifer walked up to them and led Phoenix away momentarily. That left Araya and Arista to awkwardly watch everything.


    "So." Arista said.


    "So." Araya said.


    "These past few days have been... interesting."


    "Interesting? Maybe more like life changing. Ayuzuma''s been taken, Takahiro and Katherina''s out there, I lost my best friend, and I do not know if he''ll ever be back. And his letter to me..." Araya''s voice cracked.


    "What did yours say?"


    "That we could''ve been together, and he loved me!" Tears spilled out of Araya''s eyes again.


    "Woah, wait, really?"


    "Yes!"


    "Oh, my god..."


    Araya''s tears flowed freely now and she lowered her head, her shoulders shuddering as she wiped them away. Arista wrapped her arms around Araya slowly, and hesitantly.


    As Arista pulled away, she said: "Sorry..."


    "For what?" Araya wiped away her tears.


    "For... Well, you know..."


    The sisters fell into silence. They averted each other''s gaze, looking over to the others. By then, Arsene and Nico walked over to Lucifer and Phoenix. Araya couldn''t help but listen into their conversation.


    "So Phoenix, Arsene and I have been thinking... What if we took you in? We know we might never really replace Satan, but we have plenty of stories to tell, plus, I can continue your tutoring sessions. We moved off Ayuzuma though, it''s complicated, and we''d be living on Earth in the freedom pantheon."


    "Remember when you visited me and Arista before you went to Artemios''? They moved into the house Arista and I had for a little. You could be there every day."


    Phoenix''s tears dried on his face, and he frowned. "I guess. I still miss daddy though."


    "I know. We all do. But we still have our memories and stories of him at least."


    Araya watched Lucifer hand Phoenix his letter before he rose. "I think I should go fill in Artemios on what happened. And give him his letter. Be right back."


    Lucifer raced to the front door and Artemios and got let in soon after knocking. Nico and Arsene walked up to Araya and Arista to rejoin them.


    "Well, looks like that''s done and over at least." Arsene sighed.


    "Auntie Araya? Daddy said you were his best friend, right?" Phoenix said.


    "Yeah." Araya said.


    "How did you meet?"


    "Well, when I met Satan all of us met each other. Except for Nico, that''s later down the line. Arista, Arsene, and I were roaming around the freedom pantheon. We were about twenty then, and we were doing our jobs together. Suddenly though, one of us sees Satan and Lucifer hiding in... something I don''t even remember honestly. I go over and ask them who they are, what they''re doing. Lucifer immediately runs away while Satan is apologetic and promises to go back where they came from. I don''t want to leave without at least knowing who they are, so we introduce ourselves plus our siblings to each other. But we end up talking some more, Arista catches Lucifer and they immediately hit it off, and Satan and Arsene also start talking..."


    In the middle of Araya explaining the story, Araya feels arms push her forward.


    "What was that?" She turns around.


    "You can''t just tell your side of us meeting! Okay so when the Mendoza sisters and the Satanel brothers first met it was because I snuck out of the palace back home when I wasn''t supposed to. Satan was trying to coax me to come back home while I was not listening and getting further and further away from home..."


    They stayed at Artemios'' for a while, sharing stories and other treasured memories of Satan. Maybe he might be gone for good, but he''d be in their minds forever.


    Araya, July 14th


    Araya opened her eyes slowly. She stared at the ceiling and her new bedroom. Yellow and grey everywhere and pots of flowers and other gardening tools lay everywhere. Sure, it was all either her belongings or things she bought for herself, but it didn''t feel like her bedroom. She slowly sat up in her bed. Memories of the past few days flowed back in. She pressed her back to the headrest.


    After a good few minutes finally she threw the covers off and stood up. She checked the time on her phone, which read six in the morning. She glanced at the window; the sun being covered up by trees and forests.


    ''Work doesn''t start yet... I can get ready and eat and have some time to myself. I might even fit in some time to see that fortune god! Would one person looking for Satan make for a good loophole?'' Araya thought, as she picked out clothes for the day.


    After spending breakfast writing every possible loophole that came to mind, Araya then had the confusing task of locating the fortune god''s place of operations. After she finally found it, Araya teleported over.


    Now she sat in the fortune god''s waiting room. The waiting room was a quaint room, with chairs and magazines. Still, Araya couldn''t shake the feeling she might actually be in a hospital waiting room but did not know it.


    "Mendoza, Araya?" A voice called out.


    Araya immediately jumped out of her seat. A tall god in trailing robes waved her over and led her down a hallway. He opened the door and invited her into a cramped room with dark walls, furnished only with a long table and two chairs.


    "Take a seat. I take it this is your first time here? And Mendoza, that sounds like a familiar last name..."


    "Yes/ My sister was here recently on the whole Satan situation."


    "Really?''


    "I know with all the foresight and fortune stuff, there''s a bunch of loopholes. I brought a list." Araya slammed down her notebook on the table.


    The foresight god glanced at the pages he could see from his seat. He looked back up at her with raising eyebrows. "Wow. That''s a long list. I must warn you, not every loophole works. Sometimes no loophole anyone can come up with will aid any situation. You have to be prepared for the possibility that there is nothing else you can do with your situation. Are you alright with continuing?"


    "I am."


    "Alright. Read me one loophole, I''ll see if it''s a working loophole or not, and we''ll go through the entire list until you''ve read every single one. Alright?"


    Araya took a deep breath and read out the first loophole. In a few seconds, the fortune god confirmed it wouldn''t work. She read the next one, it wouldn''t work. Then the next, which also wouldn''t work. They continued on. The first few loopholes not working didn''t worry her, but the further down the list she went, the more her hands got clammy.


    After thirty minutes of reading loopholes and getting nowhere, she was close to finishing the list.


    "Okay, If just one person went looking for Satan would that work?" Araya''s voice shook as she read the loophole.


    The fortune god''s eyes remained closed as he thought. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, the first they opened when she first entered his office.


    "Yes! It seems like if you look for him in groups smaller than five, then you might get Satan back. There''s a 50% chance of this working."


    Araya finally circled the loophole and another loophole he answered without her explicitly asking rather than crossing them out. She finished the rest, which yielded no results, but just the two loopholes having even a chance brought a renewed sense of hope.


    "That''s everything. Thank you." Araya closed her notebook.


    "You''re welcome. I hope these loopholes help you find Satan."


    Araya teleported into the dining room of her new house. She whooped, cheered and danced around for a good five minutes all by herself. Araya rapidly texted everyone the good news to the warmest reception imaginable. She was on a high like no other until one thought crossed her mind.


    ''If I make some sort of deal with Takahiro, you think maybe I can raise my chances?''


    Araya''s own thought made her freeze. She still knew little about Takahiro, and Satan hadn''t shared all that much either. Of all things, were deals and agreements things he made? Despite her hesitance Araya still looked up Takahiro''s email. Apparently, Takahiro made a website for the war.


    ''Oh, you are actually kidding me. Wait, his email is ? That checks out.'' Araya thought as she browsed the website.


    She pasted his Gmail into the Gmail app and froze again.


    ''What the fuck am I doing? What kind of deal am I supposed to enter with him?''


    She tossed around a few ideas in her mind until she finally thought of something.


    ''Dear Takahiro Koizumi,


    I would like to make a deal with you. If I can find Satan and get him out of your clutches, then you have to leave him and my family alone.''


    Araya stared at Gmail. Her finger hovered over the send button for a good minute. Eventually, her finger accidentally pressed the screen while she was still thinking things over.


    "No!" she growled at herself.


    Thoughts swirled and her stomach tied itself into knots as she reflected/contemplated on what Takahiro might respond with. She heard a ding while in the middle of pondering. Her hands shakily grabbed her phone and looked at the email.


    ''Dear Araya Mendoza,


    I do like deals. However, there''s nothing in this for me. If you can think of something good for me in return, then I might just accept. But your current offer does nothing for me.''


    Araya pondered more. What the hell could she offer this guy that he might just accept?


    Herself? Absolutely not.


    Money? He already has that.


    The forces that lead the freedom pantheon? While it might be good for her fellow deities and others in the freedom pantheon, he might just take over the freedom pantheon if he had them.


    Her father? Well, she couldn''t pass up an opportunity to get rid of him. Araya and her sisters could do their deity duties on their own terms, finally. Though he might also start working for Takahiro and Katherina, Araya was confident that with the combined strength and powers of her sisters, they could easily defeat him.


    ''Dear Takahiro Koizumi,


    What if I offered you my father? He''s a god that represents the universe and he''s pretty powerful. He might be an excellent ally for your cause.''


    Araya sent it immediately without looking over it. She didn''t want to linger on what would happen if other people found out about her deal. Nobody else can know about this. Another ding brought her out of her thoughts again.


    ''Dear Araya Mendoza,


    I like that. I accept your terms. Have fun looking for Satan.''


    Araya stared at the message. Fun. Yeah. Totally. At least there was some sliver of hope. She began making plans to look for Satan in her notebook, as she fantasized of what might happen if she could find Satan again.


    ''It''s up to me. I''m part of the reason he''s in this mess. I will get him out of it.'' Araya thought as she wrote her plans.

 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! (NOT A PART OF THE STORY!)

    So I''ve finished the story right? We''re done and now we jump right to the next book? Not quite!


    I don''t remember if or where this was mentioned, but my intention was to self-publish this book sometime in the future! Now that I''ve written all the chapters we start the editing process! Yay!


    While I''m editing things may change in this book, and get confusing. I just want you to be warned.


    I''ve also debated on what to do with this book once it''s published. I tried to get in contact with my publishing company of choice and ask if having previews online like this would be allowed, but I think a bot answered me because they did not answer my question at all.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I also tried looking up the rules but I couldn''t come to a concrete answer so my decision has come to this:


    When my book is coming close to publication, I think it would be in my best interest to hide this book on sites like these where it''s free to read. I''m not fully deleting it, as I may want to look at old comments or something, but I don''t want there to be an issue having a published book online and physically. I will let you know when that time will be as we approach it.


    I suggest now that if you are interested in the series that you follow me so you know when this book is published and when the next books come out. Like this one, future books will be published on here as like an early access thing.


    We still have time until then though! I hope this ride is enjoyable and you continue to enjoy this journey with me. If you have any questions about this book''s future please let me know!