#celebrate 1.5k with me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

devildom-drabbles · 2 years

Text

Snippet - Stained with Red (MC Attacked by a Demon)

Here's the winning headcanon for the 1.5k+ Followers Celebration! I hope you all enjoy it! =) Warnings: Blood, bodily injuries, violence, swearing, implications/mentions of torture and death — (None of these are overly descriptive, though.) Note: Due to the length and type of content, each character's reactions can be found under the "Keep reading" cut-off. Tag List: @not-a-cat-lawyer, @deepestartisanhumanoidshark, @qilinelf

How does everyone react when MC has been attacked by a demon?

It was just supposed to be a quick errand. Pick up a few items at the store and then head straight home—that’s all MC wanted to do. But accidentally bumping into a demon in the crowded streets put a major dent in their plans. Having already been in a sour mood, the demon snapped at MC’s unintentional shoulder-check and hardly gave them a chance to speak before dragging them to a more secluded area nearby.

“You think you’re so high and mighty here, don’t you, human?” the demon snarled after tossing MC’s body to the hard ground. “You may have won the favor of our prince and seven lords, but that doesn’t give you any right to trample on us lower-ranking demons.”

Although MC attempted to explain themself and apologize, the demon simply spat, “Oh, shut it. I’m sick of even breathing the same air as you. It’s about time someone reminded you what demons are truly capable of.”

MC scrambled to their feet as the demon lunged at them. A brief tussle ensued, one that left MC with parts of their clothes torn and few wounds on their skin while they struggled to escape the demon’s sharp clutches. The fight would have been fatal to the human if they hadn’t managed to retrieve the defensive magic charm gifted to them by Solomon from within their pocket. With the demon incapacitated by the charm’s power before striking another blow, MC hastily retreated back to the House of Lamentation.

More focused on getting to safety and trying to recover from the sudden attack, MC was too distracted to notice the individual almost directly on the other side of the house’s front door, causing the two of them to roughly collide when the human hurried inside. Both of their groans echoed in the entrance hall. The one whom MC ran into was about to say something, only to stop short upon registering the disheveled and mildly bloody figure in front of him/her.

“MC?" was what came out instead. "What happened?”

Still a bit shaken up, MC hesitated in answering the question right away.

The individual had come to care about MC during their time together in the Devildom, so there was no way that he/she was going to let them remain silent on this matter. Thus, he/she promptly took them to another—more private—room, where MC soon ended up admitting everything.

“This is precisely why I tell you not to go out on your own,” Lucifer chided as he disinfected the last of MC’s open wounds. It was the first time he had spoken since bringing the human (and a first aid kit) into his bedroom and demanding that they explain exactly what happened to them while sitting them down on the sofa. As they told their story, the powerful demon used his magic to heal their minor injuries and remove the dried blood from their clothing and skin, and then he tended to the few, more severe wounds on their body, not allowing MC to do it themself. His touch was surprisingly gentle against their injuries, a significant contrast to his stern expression that was just barely containing his growing anger while he listened to what the spiteful demon did to the human he held dear.

“I’m certain you’ve learned your lesson,” Lucifer remarked, moving on to bandage the wound he had cleaned, “but in light of these events, you’re not permitted to leave my side for the rest of the day. I’ll also be accompanying you to and from RAD this whole week. Do I make myself clear?” Knowing that there was no room for argument—and because they’d genuinely feel safer by Lucifer’s side—MC accepted his decision, which effectively removed some of the tension from his shoulders. “Good," he said.

Upon ensuring that all of MC’s physical injuries were taken care of, Lucifer reached out to rest his hand on their cheek, his gaze becoming warmer. “I’m glad you’re safe. I’m sure you were frightened, but you did well in keeping your wits about you and pulling through to escape. I promise, I won’t let that demon harm you again.”

Afterward, Lucifer obeyed just about any request MC had—from making their favorite food for dinner, to holding them in his arms whenever they were alone—in an effort to ease any lingering anxiety they felt and remind them (and himself) that they were safe with him. Once the human was fast asleep in his bed, the affectionate smile faded from his face as his serious features took over once more. With them protected in his room, he took this opportunity to hunt down the demon who assaulted them. The details from MC’s story, the type of scratch marks and wounds he saw, and the scent left on MC’s clothing were enough to help him pinpoint the exact culprit, so he headed straight to where they lived.

If the low-ranking demon wasn’t wide awake from the sound of their door being kicked down, they certainly were at the sight of Lucifer in his demon form looming over them.

“So,” he began darkly, “you’re the one who attacked MC. Do you have anything to say for yourself? Think carefully. They may be your last words.”

The red gradient from Lucifer’s irises seemed to glow within the dark room and foreshadow the color the quivering demon's body would be stained with when he was through with them. No one messed with what belonged to the Avatar of Pride.

“Ya should’ve called me right away!” Mammon declared, fumbling over the bandaging that he was attempting to secure around MC’s swollen wrist. He had been doing his best to help MC clean up from the attack in his bedroom, giving them some of his loungewear to change into and using the house’s first aid kit to address their cuts and bruises. All the while, he bit his tongue for as long as he could while the human explained their quarrel with the demon in town. At this point, he couldn’t hold back his thoughts anymore. “I could’ve taken ‘em down in no time flat, y’know! And I promised ya that I would save ya next time something like this happened, remember? But now I gotta patch ya up instead. Tch, damn demon, touchin’ what don’t belong to ‘em... Hey, don’t give me that look! I fixed ya up just fine after that TSL contest with Levi, didn’t I? So I can do it now, too, no problem! Just—”

Mammon paused as he stared down at MC’s wrist, his jaw clenching from how much damage the demon had done to his most precious human. His voice quieted down into a more solemn tone, “—don’t make me have to do this again, MC. It doesn’t matter if I’m busy or somewhere else, ya better tell me the next time ya even think about goin’ out alone so that I can come with ya, got it? No ‘buts’ about it. ...Gahh, why’d this stupid bandage come undone?!” He growled at the inanimate object—despite his true fury stemming from the demon who caused the wounds that he had to bandage—before redoing the wrapping process from the beginning. “I swear, when I find who did this to ya, MC, I’m really gonna let ‘em have it!”

For the remainder of the day, Mammon was glued to MC’s side, appearing “more clingy and overbearing than usual” in his brothers’ eyes. Of course, if anyone questioned his behavior, he simply refuted it with a red face and asserted that he just-so-happened to need to go to the same places MC went to throughout the house. In truth, he couldn’t shake off his concerns for their well-being and wanted to be the first to jump to their aid if anything else happened, such as if their injuries worsened. They were obviously safe from harm in the house, but Mammon found it impossible to relax unless they were within his line of sight, to the extent that he had to be in the same room (if not the same bed) as MC that night. In order for this feeling to stop, he needed to locate the demon responsible for this, and fast. So, in the early morning hours before MC awoke, he sent out his crows to gather intel on the low-ranking demon’s name and whereabouts.

The crows returned to Mammon just after dinner, and he left the house in a hurry, shouting back to his puzzled brothers and MC about how he was off to win big at the casino. Soon after his arrival, he spotted his target at one of the poker tables and challenged them to play one-on-one with him. Since Mammon didn’t have much money on hand, the demon accepted, thinking it would only last a few rounds at the most. However, the Avatar of Greed kept winning until the demon was out of money/chips. They tried to call it quits, but he wouldn’t allow them to leave, insisting that they still owed a lot after what they did to MC. The color drained from the demon’s face at this realization.

“Didn't I mention that we’re playin’ ‘all or nothing’ tonight?” Mammon questioned with a smirk. “Should we try a different ‘game’ then? ‘Cause I ain’t nearly satisfied—not ’til I bleed ya dry.”

Although he urgently wanted to know what happened, Leviathan panicked more at how roughed up MC looked as they stood before him, so his brain temporarily went into a fear-induced autopilot. He hastily dragged them to his room with a first aid kit, sat them down on the floor with him, and began handling their wounds without fretting over how he was touching them. Hearing MC express their thanks managed to snap him out of his trance and drive him to apologize profusely for putting his “yucky otaku hands all over” them. With their permission (and reassurance), he cautiously resumed his task while they told him about the events that put them in their current physical state.

“Ugh, normies are already terrible, but that demon is the worst of them all,” Levi commented bitterly. “They’re stupider and scummier than Mammon, and that’s saying something. I mean, you’re S-tier status, MC! Nobody should be able to touch you at all, not even me! You really are an angel for putting up with being this close to me.”

He cleared his throat. “A-Anyway, if anything, this is a good reason to stick to ordering the things you need online instead of going out to buy them. That’s what I normally do, and it hasn’t failed me yet. So, when we’re done here, let’s go on Akuzon to buy the stuff you were trying to get earlier. And, um, if it’ll help, you’re welcome to chill out here with me for the rest of the day. We can catch up on some anime and play that new game I was telling you about the other day, and you can borrow my Ruri-chan pillow and blanket set for extra comfort! It’s like the best otaku-certified medicine for any ailment, don’t you think?”

Since they enjoyed his company and wanted to take their mind off of what happened to them, MC agreed to Levi’s ideas. In turn, Levi did whatever he could to ensure that the human was having fun and felt relaxed the whole time they were together. A sense of relief washed over him when he witnessed MC smiling for the first time since they came home. It was good that they were at ease with him, but he still wished he could do more for them...

Levi's wish came true when, later, he and MC decided to play an online co-op game, using their own accounts and on separate computer screens at the otaku’s desk. Through their headsets, they could communicate with their randomly assigned opponents during each round, and it was at the start of a new match that MC recognized one of the voices. The sound of the player’s angry shouting toward the game’s mechanics caused the human to yank off their headset while pushing their chair away from the computers. Levi slid his headphones down around his neck to hear them admit that a certain player was the same hostile demon from earlier before logging off and excusing themself to the bathroom. Seeking to avenge his Henry, the Lord of Shadow mercilessly targeted the demon in the game and mocked their skills throughout the match. But just winning against them in a game wasn’t enough—Levi needed to destroy them in the real world, too. A bit of hacking gave him the location of the demon he was playing against, bringing a triumphant yet menacing grin to his face.

Upon receiving a threat from the attacker for him to fight them in reality, Levi simply answered, “Gladly,” before logging off.

When MC returned to the bedroom after a while, all that awaited them was a note from Levi stating that he would be back after taking Lotan out for “an urgent mission."

Satan could physically feel the wrath boiling and intensifying within him the more that MC spoke about the incident in town. He initially was working alongside them in his bedroom to properly address their injuries, using his knowledge to determine which ones could be healed with magic and which ones required the items from the first aid kit. However, he reached a point where his thinking grew too clouded and his movements became too rough, so he had to step aside to let the human handle the rest of their wounds while they continued to talk. Then, just as they had come to the end of their story, Satan abruptly changed into his demon form. He was seething with pure rage as his tail whipped wildly behind him, knocking over some of the book piles in his bedroom in the process.

“I’m going to rip them to shreds,” the Avatar of Wrath hissed, overwhelmed with resentment toward MC’s attacker. “Where exactly did you leave them, MC? They might still be stuck from Solomon’s magic charm, so now’s my chance to teach them a lesson.”

MC tried to calm him, but their words fell on deaf ears. Satan seemed to be too far gone to care about anything other than taking revenge on the “brainless” demon who laid their hands on someone so important to him. As such, he started to push through MC when they attempted to prevent him from leaving, only to freeze at the sight of the human wincing in pain. His hand had accidentally squeezed the injury on their arm while he was trying to pull them away from the door. That was all it took for him to finally stop seeing red and reconsider his priorities. With a deep exhale, as if to let out all of his fuming rage, his demon form disappeared, and he looked back at MC in a much kinder yet still troubled manner.

After confirming that MC was okay, Satan’s tone became softer as he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you like that. I...couldn’t think straight at all, and I almost lost sight of what matters most right now.” He patted their head with a smile. “Thank you for helping me come back to my senses. Let me take another look at what you’ve patched up to make sure everything is good for now. Then, I think it would be best for your body if you took a short nap. You can stay here in my room so my brothers won’t disturb you, and, if you’d like, I could sit beside you and read you a book until you fall asleep. ...Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Satan did just as he stated, but while MC slept, he started getting in touch with his countless acquaintances via text message in hopes of acquiring any further information about the demon who harmed MC earlier. A few eyewitness accounts of the fight’s aftermath and some exchanges of info enabled him to figure out the hostile demon’s identity. With the hardest part taken care of, he spent his time in between hanging out with MC and reassessing their injuries to plot their attacker’s impending doom.

RAD classes had just ended for the day when Satan cornered the demon, who happened to be a student, into a classroom under the guise that he wanted to learn more about one of their hobbies. Once the rest of the students had left the room, he casually locked the door before replacing his friendly façade with his demon form.

“You put MC through a lot of pain yesterday, you know,” Satan remarked with a monstrous expression as the low-ranking demon hurriedly backed away from him. “For that, I intend to give you an experience a hundred times worse than what you did to them. I even read through the latest books on torture just for this occasion. Are you ready? Because I sure am.”

While leading them upstairs, Asmodeus actually decided to hold off on having MC discuss the details of their situation in favor of tending to their physical condition. He whisked them into his large bathroom, filled the tub with warm water and a mix of bath salts and oils that loosen tense muscles and promote healing, and instructed the human to take a bath (whether or not he stayed with them and helped was entirely MC’s choice). Once they were done, Asmo gave them a soft robe to wear and brought them to his room so that they could rest on his bed while he basically gave them a mini spa day. His voice encouraging them to relax was as delicate as his touch on the injuries he examined. He then used magically enhanced ointments on any reddened or bruised areas of their skin and bandaged the more severe wounds.

By this time, MC was ready to reveal how they got hurt, and with their approval, Asmo settled down at their side to gently cuddle with them. When he normally listens to stories, he’s prone to be rather vocal and interject during key parts, but considering the context of this one, he kept his lips sealed from start to finish.

“You did absolutely nothing wrong, MC,” Asmo reassured them. “That nasty demon should’ve never acted that way toward you. If you ask me, it sounds like they were jealous of your popularity. We all love you because of who you are, and someone with an ugly personality like that demon won’t ever receive such positive attention. I almost feel sorry for them. ...Oh, that gives me an idea!”

He grabbed his phone and began tapping away on the screen, prompting MC to question what he’s doing. “Well, if they’re so eager for attention,” he replied, “then that’s exactly what they’ll get. A little quality time with me should set them straight. ...Hm? What do I mean? Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, dear. I’ll take care of everything. Soon, that no-name nobody will be a forgotten memory.” He then set aside his phone to completely refocus on his precious human, pampering all of their pain and troubles away.

That evening, a notification sound pinged on Asmo’s phone, bringing a giddy smile to his face. Earlier, he had reached out to his social media followers to help him track down the one who assaulted MC, and it looked like a group of his fans now had that demon in their clutches as they awaited Asmo’s orders on what to do next. With a skip in his step, he headed off to “a special gathering with his adoring fans,” leaving MC in his brothers’ care for the time being. The bubbling delight in his features grew more wicked the moment he locked eyes with the captured demon at the designated meeting place.

“Why, hello there,” Asmo greeted as he walked closer. “You must be the naughty demon who just couldn’t keep their hands to themself when they saw my darling MC. But you didn’t ask for consent and went way too far with them, so now I’m going to do the same with you.” He giggled at their reaction. “Aw, you’re just dying with anticipation for what I have in store for you, huh? As much as I’d love to give you the full ‘Asmo treatment,’ I don’t want to ruin my freshly manicured nails, so I’m going to leave half of the work to my adoring fans here. Everyone, watch me closely! This is how you punish a bad demon.”

About an hour later, MC came across a new post on Asmo's Devilgram. It was a photo of him surrounded by a bunch of others holding or drinking glasses of Demonus with the caption: “Cheers to all these lovelies for their hard work today! My fans are the best! ❤ ”

“I’m so sorry, MC,” Beelzebub said, guilt etched on his face while he assisted MC in tending to their wounds. With how worn out the human looked when they arrived home, he had decided to carry them to their bedroom so that they could rest a bit while he took care of their needs, such as fetching them some food and water from the kitchen and picking out clean clothes from their dresser. Soon enough, MC finally had the strength to explain what transpired between them and the malicious demon in town. The details saddened Beel greatly and reminded him of how he wasn’t able to protect Lilith, leading him to blame himself for the pain that MC experienced. “I should’ve gone with you. Then I would’ve been able to stop that demon from hurting you.”

After MC reassured that none of this was his fault, Beel felt a little better, but the guilt continued to gnaw at him relentlessly, just like his hunger always did. “I know,” he replied, “but I still wish I could’ve been there to save you before things turned out the way they did. I don’t like seeing you in this state.” His eyes somberly trailed over the human’s beaten figure before he gave a serious firm nod, making an unbreakable vow to himself and them. “I won’t let this happen to you anymore, MC.” With their approval, he then (carefully) wrapped them in his warm embrace.

Beel became rather overprotective of MC for a while, offering to help them with the smallest of tasks and even having Belphegor watch over them at home while he went out to get the items that they were shopping for earlier. He also wanted to avoid making their injuries any worse, so he encouraged MC to eat and rest whenever they seemed sluggish and kept his hugs as gentle as possible. He never strayed far from their side unless they asked him to or circumstances required them to be apart, such as when they had different RAD classes. If one of his brothers was with MC, then he didn’t worry too much, but he strived to ensure that they were never alone, at least in public places.

About a week after the incident, when Beel and MC were waiting for their order in Café Lament at one of the indoor tables, MC’s whole body tensed the moment they witnessed their attacker walk through the door. Beel noticed the abrupt change in their demeanor, so he asked them what was wrong. They gave him a hushed answer along with a subtle motion toward the demon waiting in line. Beel then draped his jacket over their shoulders—as if to provide them with an impenetrable layer of protection—and instructed them to stay at the table. Without another word, he approached the low-ranking demon, grabbed them by the face with one hand, and dragged them out of the café. He ignored their muffled pleas as he rounded a street corner and then slammed the back of their body against the outside wall of another building.

“You tried to kill someone who matters a lot to me—and to my family, too,” Beel declared, his tone strongly matching his intimidating features. “I can never forgive you for that. You should be grateful that I’m going to make this quick.”

Beel later returned to the busy café just in time for his and MC’s order to be brought to their table. After assuring MC that the demon wouldn’t bother them again, he retrieved his jacket, zipping it up the whole way to cover the splattered stains on his black shirt. When asked about the stains, he simply replied that they were caused by the snack he ate before he came back.

MC’s unnaturally messy appearance snapped Belphegor’s lazy eyes wide open, and he checked if anyone was following behind them from outside before leading them to the attic with him, grabbing the first aid kit along the way. Once both of them were sitting comfortably on the bed, Belphie casted the strongest healing spell he could remember to cure the bulk MC’s injuries and then asked them again to tell him how they got hurt. Although he was prone to dozing off whenever he listened to a story, MC’s retelling of their encounter with their attacker kept him wide awake. The sheer hatred that coursed through his veins were reminiscent of when he blamed humans for Lilith’s death.

“That bastard,” Belphie cursed through gritted teeth while working with MC to patch up their remaining wounds. “They’re not going to get away with this. I’ll make them pay for doing this to you, MC.” He calmed down somewhat when he felt his favorite human place their hand overtop of his. “...Well, I guess revenge can wait for now. After all, you’re still here, and I want to hold you close for as long as I can before we’re inevitably interrupted by one of my brothers. We’ve done all we can for your injuries, so why don’t you lie down to rest while I cuddle you?”

The warm snuggles with MC did make Belphie drowsy, but he struggled to fall asleep knowing that the demon who assaulted them was still on the loose. Once the others found out what happened, he was sure they’d likely be on the hunt for the nameless demon as well, but he wanted to be the one who ultimately handled it, which he ended up voicing to his brothers. So, the details of the incident remained strictly within the family, and by the end of the day, they had all the information they needed for Belphie to take care of MC’s attacker on his own. Because of this, he was able to relax and smile more when he and Beel hung out with MC that evening.

During the lunch break at RAD the next day, Belphie roamed the halls in search of his prey. His expression may have appeared grumpy or tired at a glance, but anyone who decided not to move out of his way witnessed the murderous intent in his eyes before he continued onward. With no luck indoors, he headed outside to the school’s courtyard, where his gaze soon landed on MC’s attacker eating and conversing with a few other classmates on a bench.

“Hey, you,” Belphie said as he approached the small group, staring down at the oblivious demon. “Get up. You’re coming with me. Now.”

Any sensible RAD student was aware that an order from a student council officer—or simply one of the seven demon brothers in general—could not be ignored, which led the demon to reluctantly follow behind Belphie without question. When the two of them reached the back of the school, the Avatar of Sloth immediately switched into his demon form.

“I know what you did to MC,” Belphie declared with a dangerous look in his eyes. The demon started to stutter out excuses, but their words abruptly became garbled from the pressure of Belphie’s hands around their neck. “Save it. Your fate was sealed the moment you touched them. ...In pain already? This is nothing compared to what I have in store for you.”

“I see... And that’s what led to you rushing into the House of Lamentation like that at the same time I was leaving from my meeting with Lucifer,” Diavolo noted, his eyes closed thoughtfully as he took in the details of MC’s story. With MC looking the worse for wear, he had contacted Barbatos to open a portal to the Demon Lord’s Castle so that he could provide them with the best treatment for their injuries and a new set of clothes. Even with his and Barbatos’s combined efforts to clean and heal MC, he still called upon a doctor who was familiar with human physiology to double-check if there was anything else that needed to be done. Determining that “rest” was the only other thing they needed, Diavolo dismissed Barbatos and the doctor and encouraged MC to take a nap in his bed while he did some work nearby in case they needed him. It wasn’t until after MC slept a bit that they mentioned wanting to talk to him about their earlier predicament, which was why he was now seated across from the human in his room.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, MC,” Diavolo stated as he opened his eyes to gaze remorsefully into theirs. “The denizens of the Devildom are allowed to have their own opinions, but none of them have the right to unjustly harm visitors from another realm because of those opinions. Therefore, I will ensure that demon is found and receives a punishment fitting for their crime. Your safety matters greatly to me, so I’ll continue to work towards a future where you and all other beings can peacefully coexist here. I hope just knowing that relieves your stress a little.”

Still concerned about their condition, Diavolo reached out to Lucifer to let him know that MC would be staying overnight at the castle (and to provide him with a summary of the situation itself). The prince also tasked Barbatos with tracking down the malicious demon so that he could finish his own work as soon as possible in order to spend time with the human he cherished. If MC had any lingering fears, he offered them reassuring words and distracted them through fun activities. It was MC’s choice that night whether they slept alone in one of the guest rooms or with him in his bed, securely wrapped in his arms.

It wasn’t long after the demon brothers picked up MC the following morning that Barbatos informed Diavolo that the demon who attacked MC had been located. Shortly thereafter, the low-ranking demon was brought into his office for a private chat about their altercation the previous day. He easily noticed the lies, exaggerations, and hidden hostility in their words, which made it more difficult for him to be professional the longer they spoke. The last bit of patience that he was clinging onto disappeared completely when the attacker claimed that they “only wanted to give MC a good lesson on the true strength of demons.” The prince rose from his seat, taking on his demon form as he promptly yanked the weaker demon up by the neckline of their shirt to bring them to his eye level.

“Your ‘lesson’ nearly killed them,” Diavolo declared sharply to the terrified demon. “You would’ve not only disrupted the balance between the three realms, but also taken the life of someone who’s done a lot for me and the Devildom.” He dropped MC’s attacker to the ground and loomed over their quaking figure. His wings stretched wide while magic sparked from his fingertips. “As punishment for your crimes of attempted murder and lying to your sovereign about it, allow me to teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget.”

Barbatos already knew that humans were fragile, but witnessing MC in such a damaged state was a painful reminder of that fact. He wasted no time in bringing them straight to a guest room in the Demon Lord’s Castle through one of his portals, where he took it upon himself to take care of their wounds in an efficient yet tender manner. The Little D.’s also provided their aid by fetching water, clothes, disinfectant, and any other items that the royal butler requested.

“If it’s too much for you to speak on the matter right now, then that’s all right,” Barbatos assured MC while casting healing magic on their body. “However, I must ask that you reveal everything to me before you leave the castle. It is imperative that I know the truth behind your injuries so that I can guarantee your safety in the future. Furthermore, judging by what I’m seeing here, it’s likely that this incident affects Lord Diavolo’s goals, and I cannot allow anyone to threaten his work or the peace between the three realms.”

When MC felt that the time was right, Barbatos listened patiently as they finally disclosed that they had been assaulted by a demon in town. Holding their hand in both of his own, he replied, “Thank you for telling me all of this, MC. Lord Diavolo and I shall see to it that the demon who attacked you faces consequences for their actions, so you needn’t worry about them going after you anymore. If you’re still feeling anxious, however, then you are more than welcome to remain here until you’re ready to return to the House of Lamentation. ...And, if I’m being honest, I myself feel more at ease knowing that you’re safe and sound right by my side. What I’m saying is, take all the time you need here. It’s no trouble at all.”

For the duration of MC’s stay at the castle that day, Barbatos served the human dutifully as if he was their butler. Whatever they required (as long as it was within reason), he made sure it was done, along with the completion of his regular daily tasks. They even were permitted to sleep overnight there if that’s what they wanted, which also gave Barbatos the opportunity to cuddle them close and reassess their injuries for any additional treatment they may need.

After MC left, Diavolo granted Barbatos permission to go back in time to see who exactly assaulted MC, with the condition that he couldn’t interact with anyone there. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself from the sight of someone so special to him being harmed, he entered the past at the time the demon was recovering from being incapacitated by the magic charm. With their identity verified, he returned to the present time and located the demon’s whereabouts. He lurked in the shadows, waiting for the low-ranking demon to be alone before knocking them unconscious from behind.

MC’s attacker awoke in shackles in a room filled with various weapons and dangerous devices. Their stomach sunk at the sight of Barbatos’s sly grin from across the room, realizing that they were in the royal butler’s rumored torture room.

“I’m sure you know why you’re here,” Barbatos remarked as he picked up one of the weapons to toy with it. “Your actions toward MC posed a great risk to both Lord Diavolo’s goals and the life of the one most precious to many others here, myself included. Such misdeeds cannot be overlooked. So, consider this your ‘karma.’ Or, if you’re not as strong as you act like you are, then perhaps ‘execution’ will be the more fitting word.”

Simeon was a nervous wreck from seeing MC’s condition, but he managed to remain calm enough to attend to their immediate needs once the two of them entered MC’s bedroom. For the time being, he concluded that it was more important to prioritize the human’s health over learning how they ended up like this. His voice and gestures contained their usual levels of warmth and gentleness while he took care of their injuries, but his worry lines deepened at each new bruise or open wound he came across. He also became alarmed whenever MC flinched from the pain of certain injuries, causing him to apologize and ask if they were okay before continuing his self-assigned task even more carefully. When MC let him know that they were ready to talk, he checked to make sure they weren’t forcing themself to recall the incident this soon for his sake. They promised that it was fine, so he offered his hand for them to hold and even his shoulder for them to lean on as they spoke.

“Oh, MC...” Simeon murmured sadly at the end of their retelling, his hand moving over to rub their back soothingly. “To think that something like this would happen after how much time you’ve spent here in the Devildom. You didn’t deserve it at all. I’m sure you already know this, but not all demons outside of our friends think about humans in the same way that the one who attacked you does. It was purely bad luck that you bumped into someone that cruel at the wrong time. I wish I could’ve been there to protect you...”

He shook his head and then resumed, “Well, there’s no use dwelling on what can’t be changed. But I’m here now, so please tell me what I can do for you. Shall we get you into some clean clothes? Or maybe you’d like something to eat first? ...Oh! Would you like to see this new app on my D.D.D.? Levi helped me install it earlier and went over the basics, but he wasn’t able to teach me everything since a new episode of an anime was about to start. It’s still a little confusing to me, but perhaps we could learn more about it together? It’s supposed to add silly details to photos, so I’m sure we’ll have fun with it.”

Simeon stuck by MC’s side for as long as they wanted him to and focused on comforting them to the best of his abilities. Once MC was doing better, he left the House of Lamentation feeling a bit more relaxed yet still fretting over what had happened to the human. While mulling over if there was anything else he could do for them, he received a text from Solomon asking him to pick up a few items from Hocus Pocus before returning to Purgatory Hall. Because he accepted this request, he was able to literally bump into MC’s attacker as they were browsing the store’s wares. The demon snapped at him, and in the heat of their anger, they brought up how they “already got rammed into by a pretentious human earlier today” and now had to “find a potion to get rid of the aftereffects of the magic charm they used.”

Simeon firmly pressed his hand against the demon’s sternum to prevent them from storming past him. “It was you who hurt MC?” he questioned with an uncharacteristically narrowed gaze. The demon’s panicked expression confirmed his suspicions. “I see. In that case, listen to me carefully: If you come anywhere near them again, I won’t hesitate to show you exactly why demons used to fear the power of angels. Do you understand?”

The strange burning sensation coming from the angel’s hand that joined with his threat was enough to make the pale-faced demon nod repeatedly, desperate to avoid a terrible fate. Simeon removed his hand and flashed a friendly grin as he bid them a permanent farewell. Sure enough, MC never encountered that particular demon again.

“While I’m glad that my defensive charm was of use to you,” Solomon stated, “it’s unfortunate that you still had to go through such an ordeal. I’ve had my fair share of demons try to pick fights with me, too, specifically back when I wasn’t as skilled with my magic. So, I can understand how you’re feeling right now. Maybe I can create a new charm that activates automatically when its holder is in danger..."

The immortal sorcerer brainstormed the technicalities of making this type of magic charm, muttering his thoughts aloud as he searched in his collection for a potent tonic that would aid in healing MC’s injuries. He had decided to use the spell that allows him to instantly travel to different places in order to take MC back to his room in Purgatory Hall. It was not only one of the best places for privacy, but it also contained plenty of magical items that would help with MC’s current condition. He had already taken care of their dried blood, tattered clothes, and small scratches, which only left the bigger wounds and bruises untreated. Throughout this time, he had listened to his fellow human’s explanation about how they ended up this way. He wasn’t too shocked that this sort of exchange occurred, but it deeply angered him nonetheless, even though he didn’t outwardly express it.

Solomon soon chose the best tonic he could find, giving it to MC to drink as he resumed, “In any case, I’ll make you a duplicate of that charm so that you can protect yourself if a similar situation arises. Still, your best bet in avoiding any irritable demons would be to stick with someone you know when you go out.” He grinned warmly at them while retrieving the empty bottle from their hands. “I’m more than willing to join you anytime, MC, so don’t hesitate to contact me. Whether it’s to hang out or just to watch over you, I always enjoy the time we spend together. ...Oh, look at that! The bruises on your arms are already starting to fade. That tonic worked very well. How are you feeling, though? Any other ailments I should address?”

Just to be sure that there were no unusual side effects from the magically enhanced healing items, Solomon insisted that MC stay with him for a little while longer. The two of them engaged in leisurely and comforting activities during that time, like reading, watching videos on DevilTube, and listening to music. Solomon also tried to cook MC a meal—certain that they must’ve been hungry after everything that happened—but they managed to talk him out of it. (They want to get better, not worse!) Depending on how well MC was doing in the evening, they either went back home or spent the night at Purgatory Hall with Solomon and the others.

After escorting MC home from RAD classes the following afternoon, the sorcerer locked himself in his room to conduct a summoning spell. He had noticed a peculiar strand of hair on MC’s shirt the previous day and—based on some of the hair-pulling struggle in their story—concluded that it belonged to their attacker. It was a lucky find that enabled him to summon the low-ranking demon directly to his room without having to track them down. Once the demon appeared, Solomon quickly followed up with a spell that rendered them completely immoble.

“What’s this? Can’t move?” the witty sorcerer inquired with feigned surprise. “I thought you wanted to show us humans ‘what demons are truly capable of?’ Well, since you’re not going anywhere, I’m going to show you what I’m capable of when you hurt someone important to me.”

It was fortunate that no one else was home to hear the demon’s mangled screams.

“What an awful demon!” Luke huffed as he helped MC clean and bandage their wounds in the bathroom. “They had no right to treat you like that just because you bumped into them by accident! Demons really are—!” He paused abruptly, realizing what he was about to say. As easy as it would be for him to label all demons as “evil,” “ruthless,” “the worst,” and so on, he knew better now that such thoughts weren’t true, especially with how kind the demon brothers, Diavolo, and Barbatos had been to him.

“I’m sorry, MC,” Luke said. “I’m just really upset about what that demon did to you. But I shouldn’t be focused on my feelings right now. Are you okay? If you’re feeling up to it, would you like to try one of the cupcakes I just brought over? I made extra so that I could share them with you and the others. That’s why I was here when you came home. Beel isn’t around right now, so they should still be in the kitchen.”

The young angel put on a smile for MC’s sake, and it seemed to be enough to persuade them to accept his suggestion. While they went to their bedroom to change out of their blood-stained clothes, Luke trotted off to the kitchen to fetch a cupcake for them. During his brief time alone, he pondered over what happened to MC, and his heart ached from how hurt his best friend was and from the understanding that not all demons were as accepting of humans and angels as those closest to the two of them. He didn’t want MC to go through such a scary, terrible event again, so shortly after he entered their bedroom, he offered to cast his angel’s blessing on them, which would protect them from any other malicious demons. He also told them that they can rely on him anytime, even if it’s just to accompany them to a store.

Luke then stayed with MC for the rest of the day, chatting and playing games until he fell asleep and Simeon was called to pick him up. The next time the young angel saw all of the demon brothers together, he scolded them, demanding that they do a better job in watching over MC from now on. (The brothers outwardly brushed off his remarks, but they actually felt the same way. By this point, though, they had already learned about what happened from MC and handled the demon together through their own means.)

“Considering the results of the latest ‘RAD Exchange Program’ survey, I can’t say I’m too surprised about this,” Mephistopheles noted. “Nevertheless, this is unacceptable. Any civilized demon— Hold it! The bandage will fall off if you don’t wrap it correctly, and then it'll be harder for that cut to heal.” He sighed as he took off his white gloves and set them on the table in the human’s bedroom, not wanting to get any of MC’s slightly-oozing blood on them. “Hand it here. I’ll wrap it for you this time, but watch carefully.”

When Mephisto had come over to the House of Lamentation to borrow a book from Satan, the last thing he expected to encounter in his short visit —and just before leaving, of all times!—was a battered MC. To top it off, now he was dressing their wounds! Though, if he was being honest with himself, he was more concerned about what transpired between the malicious demon and MC than about having to spend more time at HoL on his day off.

“As I was saying,” Mephisto went on, scooting his chair a bit closer to where MC was seated beside him while he tended to their arm, “any civilized demon would know better than to threaten Diavolo’s goals. They may as well have put a target on their back for assaulting an exchange student, especially you out of everyone. But without a name, that target could still easily hide in a crowd. How would we bring them out into the open...?”

After securing the bandage and putting his gloves back on, Mephisto had an idea. He proceeded to ask MC to describe the demon who hurt them in as much detail as they could recall. The image of the individual that formed in his mind prompted him to take out his D.D.D. to show MC a photo of some RAD students that he used for a past newspaper article.

“That’s them on the end?” he double-checked with the human. “You’re certain? ...All right, then leave the rest to me. In the meantime, focus on taking care of yourself, got it? And if you need anything, you can call or text me. Don’t abuse this privilege, though! Anyway, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

Mephisto believed that noblemen like himself should never get their hands dirty, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t tear apart MC’s attacker in another way. Once he returned home, he drafted an article about the incident, complete with the malicious demon’s name and face, and emailed it to the demon with the warning that if they didn’t want it to be published, then they would meet him in the newspaper club room before tomorrow’s morning classes. Sure enough, the demon arrived the next day, their expression irate but their words filled with fear and desperation. They admitted to everything that had happened with MC the previous day at Mephisto’s request, but they also tried to rationalize their actions and plead why the article shouldn’t be published. Unbeknownst to the demon, however, Mephisto had already sent the article to Diavolo and Barbatos and even had his phone opened in the middle of a call with the two of them, allowing them to hear everything MC’s attacker had said to him. Within minutes, the prince and butler entered the room to seize the demon and punish them for what they had done. No one saw that student ever again, much to Mephisto’s delight.

“Hm, so that’s what happened...” Raphael muttered pensively, his gaze trained to the shirt he was sewing in MC’s room. He had asked the human to give him their tattered clothes for him to mend, certain that he could fix it to be as good as new considering how often he used to do this for Lucifer’s younger brothers. He also insisted that he didn't mind doing so since he was free the rest of the day—he was just on his way out from a brief meeting with Lucifer when MC had run into him. As he worked, MC spoke to him while they tended to their wounds and changed into clean clothes, not once feeling the angel’s eyes on them but assured that he was still listening to them when he was able to repeat back things they had said.

“That goes against Lord Diavolo’s rules here, though, right?” Raphael questioned. Upon receiving confirmation, he continued, “Then, that demon broke a law. Such an act cannot go unpunished. When I find them, I’ll take care of them for you.”

Regardless of MC’s response, the angel was determined to seek justice. In his mind, just as those in the Celestial Realm were obligated to follow the rules, so should those in the Devildom, no matter how feral or bound by instinct the demon may be. Plus, he wasn’t going to let anyone get away with hurting someone close to him, especially for no good reason. But as for the present moment, he would finish mending MC’s clothes and, if they wanted him to, stick around a little longer to help them feel better and safe.

“Make sure Lucifer or one of the others is with you when you go out,” Raphael calmly lectured before he left. “If they’re not available, then I don’t mind if you call on me. And try to keep a closer eye on your surroundings so that you don’t unintentionally upset someone again. Oh, and I'll ask Solomon to make you some more of those defensive charms for similar emergencies. ...I’ll get going now. I hope your wounds heal quickly, MC.”

The next day, MC seemed to be doing better, so Raphael didn’t dwell on the situation as much aside from watching out for anyone who looked like their attacker. But later, when the two of them were out in town, MC caught sight of the demon from before. Raphael wasted no time in summoning a shower of spears that ultimately cornered MC's attacker into an alleyway. He pulled one of the spears out of the ground and pointed it dangerously close to the demon’s throat, his gaze on them just as sharp as the weapon in his hand. If MC chose to intervene, then he’d leave with a threat that’d shake the demon down to their core and drive them to live on the other side of the realm. Otherwise, Raphael would wordlessly cut down the demon in an instant with no remorse, making it clear why he’s known as “the hit man from the Celestial Realm.” In either case, Raphael would feel relieved in knowing that MC was safe from that particular demon, and perhaps other demons would think twice before they lay a hand on the human he protected.

“There’s plenty of demons like that one out here,” Thirteen remarked, her leg crossed over the other as she sat on MC’s bed. She passed the human some gauze from the first aid kit so they could wrap it around their forearm. “I guess that’s hard to believe with those seven brothers constantly fawning over you, but even they were cruel to you when you first met, right? Well, that’s what Asmodeus told me while he was painting my nails earlier. My point is, you can’t ever let your guard down.”

After hearing MC express their understanding of her words, the reaper resumed, “Glad we're in agreement. Now hurry and get yourself fixed up. The sooner we head back out, the better. ...Why? We’re going to get revenge on that demon, of course! I doubt they’re still subdued from that magic charm, but they should still be weak enough for us to track them down.”

While the human finished cleaning themself up, Thirteen excitedly discussed the different traps she had in order to capture the demon and give them a taste of their own medicine. Since MC wasn’t able to properly fight back when they were attacked, Thirteen had every intention of helping them one-up the demon, viewing the skirmish more like a competition that she and MC had to win. The demon struck first, so now the two of them were going to strike back, even harder and better than the attacker would ever expect, she concluded.

Should MC express hesitation toward the idea, Thirteen would try to persuade them by saying that letting the demon get away with their actions would be the same as admitting defeat and permitting them to attack again anytime. Also, despite knowing the true nature of demons, she couldn’t help but feel angry about what happened to MC and wanted to stop anyone who dared to threaten their life.

Whether they followed by choice or were basically dragged along, MC soon returned to the scene of the crime with Thirteen in search of the perpetrator. It took a bit of time, but the duo eventually found the demon on the outskirts of town and pursued them into the forest. Thirteen used a trap she named “Pretty Pitfall Number 6” to blast a deep hole in the ground for the demon to fall into. The reaper stood over the edge of the pit, looking down smugly at the disoriented being below.

“I was expecting more of a fight,” Thirteen laughed. “Oh well. I guess that just makes it easier for me to test out some more traps on you. They’re designed to help me reap the soul of a certain immortal sorcerer, you know. I wonder how they’ll fare on you.” She then happily tossed down a multitude of her handmade mechanisms to attack the demon as payback for what they did to MC.

The cries of the demon echoed through the forest as Thirteen watched her traps in action. Satisfied with their effectiveness, she put her arm around MC’s shoulders and led them back into town for a celebratory meal. (Even if the demon survived, there was no way they’d have the courage or physical strength to retaliate again with the reaper on MC’s side.)

693 notes · View notes