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Kalego let out a snarl as his shoulder blades collided harshly with the soft grass of the forest undergrowth. He raw back—shredded by Cerberion’s claws—stung as the fresh wounds were pressed into the dirt.
The tangy iron bite of blood on his tongue sharpened his senses; the wet, unwelcome scent of crushed grass and dirt filled his nostrils.
Just behind him, the golden beast let out a howl and pounced, paws outstretched, claws glistening with his blood, ready to tear him to pieces. Ignoring his screaming back, Kalego pushed himself to his feet, pivoting to face the raging spirit that was a symbol of his failure.
Cerberion pounced, and the boy rushed forward to meet the manifestation, grunting as its heavy paws solidly collided with the hard wall of his ribcage. He used the spirit’s momentum to swing his legs over its back, pinning it to the ground. A furious howl tore through the air.
Kalego gritted his teeth. He was a Naberius. He was supposed to have his emotions under control at all times. It is our duty to remain dignified at all times. And he failed.
“Kalego-kun!” A familiar voice shook him from thoughts. Cerberion growled, snout whipping toward the new threat.
Shit. Of course the one demon whom he didn’t want to see in this disgraceful state had to show up. He was there, in all his tangled, white hair glory. A heavy coat lay heavy across his shoulders. He was perched on the branch of a large tree overlooking the clearing where Kalego was quite literally fighting his inner demons.
He felt Cerberion’s hackles raise at the new arrival, and before Shichiro could jump down to come to his assistance (he knew he would) Kalego snarled, “Don’t come any closer!”
Shichiro flinched at the harshness of his tone. Kalego had only ever spoken like that to others, but never to him. “But—”
“Don’t!”
He wasn’t sure if he was speaking to Shichiro or Cerberion, who let out a growl before shaking itself harshly, throwing Kalego off its back. He could feel its accusatory rage burning into him from its beady red eyes. Its claws dug into the soft soil, gouging the earth in its frenzy.
How dare you let your attention wander? Focus on me. On our duel.
For Cerberion was his burden to bear.
The next time it pounced he was ready. With a harsh swipe of his hand and flash of violet light, a barrier engraved with his seal manifested, and the dog whimpered as it collided with the wall snout first.
Kalego rushed forward, lightning crackling in his palms, which he thrust forward. The resulting shockwave caused Cereberion’s body to violently spasm, immobilizing it momentarily.
He wasted no time leaping forward to wrap his arms around the beast’s neck and muttering a desummoning spell.
As soon as Cerberion vanished into smoke, he collapsed onto the grass, exhaustion wracking his body. As the adrenaline left his bloodstream, the pain of the clawmarks gouging his back came back in full force. He gritted his teeth against the throbbing agony, focusing on taking deep breaths, in and out.
This was exactly why he couldn’t get close to anyone. He couldn’t even get his own manifestation under control. He’d always been chastised by his older brother for not being reticent enough. And now that lack of reticence had resulted in someone seeing him in such a disgraceful state.
Never before had he envied Narnia’s stoicism this much. If only he could stay calm. Control his emotions. He was a Naberius. He was supposed to be dignified. Noble. Solemn. Oh, how his uncle would laugh if he could see him in this sorry, pathetic state. He was truly—
“—ego-kun. Kalego-kun!”
Oh, right. Shichiro had been watching the whole time. The thump thump thump of his talons gradually got louder until they stopped, right by his head.
From his view on the ground, he could see split, dirty claws that were quickly obscured by bulky, trouser-covered knees and then Shichiro was kneeling beside him, worry and panic etched all over his face. Or at least the top part of it; that was all he could really see. His eyes trailed over his prone form, and he gasped at the deep gouges in his back. Courtesy of Cerberion.
“Kalego-kun, your back! We need to get you to the Blueshenko-sensei. Nightfall is approaching, and your wounds—”
“M’fine,” Kalego grumbled into the dirt, interrupting his classmate’s incessant chattering. He rolled over onto his stomach, managing to push himself up onto his forearms with no small amount of effort.
“You clearly aren’t. Those wounds are serious, and it’s the first night of the Harvest Festival no less!”
“I meant,” he panted, struggling to get the words out, “what I said.”
A pause. And then,
“You’re not going to withdraw, are you?” the white-haired boy sighed exasperatedly.
Kalego couldn’t help a smirk. “Finally, you’re starting to get it.” As he tried to shift again, his back screamed in protest, and his smirk quickly twisted into a grimace of pain.
He expected to be told off by Shichiro once again, but only heard the rustling of plants and the soft thumping of his classmate’s talons on the soil. Raising his head, he saw him collecting various herbs in the clearing, holding them gently between his gloved hands. He shuffled toward Kalego’s prone form, plopping down beside his head once more, and began to sort the herbs.
“I’m treating your wounds,” he told him. Kalego opened his mouth to protest, but before he could even get a word out, Shichiro glared at him and threatened, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Kalego-kun.”
Which was how the young demon currently found himself shirtless within the Harvest Festival’s deadly forest, listening to his classmate crushing herbs together into a minty-smelling salve. What is his fucking life.
Kalego hissed, trying not to curse from the pain as Shichiro gently applied salve to his shredded back. “Stop moving,” the demon mumbled. Kalego felt him shift closer, his rough talons brushing against his lower back. Embers curled in his stomach.
He stilled, and soon the numbing agent in the balm sunk into his wounds, alleviating the pain in his back.
Kalego was still unused to how Shichiro had shot up in the past few months. They were now around the same size, and it was entirely possible that one day he might be the shorter one.
A strange warmth shot through his abdomen as he tried picturing it. For some reason, whenever he thought about Shichiro, that strange warmth would worm its way into his stomach. It was actually rather irritating; he would be walking beside the boy in the halls, or being dragged around by that battle-junkie, and something Shichiro would say or do would cause heart palpitations so intense and distracting he would lose track of his surroundings.
He resolved to investigate the symptoms of this strange ailment later. The student library of Babyls was extensive. Surely, there would be something in there that would allow him to pinpoint what sort of illness he had.
The night was muted, save for the rustling of plants and Kalego’s occasional winces. Shichiro was the one to break the silence.
“Why did you tell me to stay away?”
Kalego picked at a plant near his shins. “Cerberion is my burden to bear,” he spoke to empty air. “If I needed assistance to tame my own manifestation, I would bring shame on the Naberius name. We have a duty to remain stoic in the face of adversity.” Parroting one of the many lectures Narnia had pounded into his brain.
The only sign that Shichiro had been listening was a thoughtful hum. He knew that that wasn’t all he had to say. Kalego ripped the stray root from the ground, moist dirt wedging underneath his sharp nails.
“I…” Kalego felt his face flush at the ridiculousness of what he was about to say. He squeezed the poor plant tighter, his palm crushing the roots. “I…didn’t want Cerberion to hurt you.” He released his fist. The once-green plant lay desecrated and shriveled. He flicked it onto the ground.
Shichiro’s hands paused as he absorbed his words. “You know that I’m perfectly capable of—”
“I know,” he snapped back. “You’re one of the most reliable, capable demons I know. But Cerberion is mine. If I had let you get in its line of fire, I’d…”
He knew that Shichiro was strong. Probably stronger than him; physically he would’ve had no problem defending himself against Cerberion. But, on the off chance he had been hurt…
Kalego would never forgive himself.
“Lift up your wings,” Shichiro instructed softly. He did so, and the feeling of his gentle hands winding bandages around his torso scattered his thoughts.
“I’ve always assumed the reason you avoid being touched was for a different reason. But it’s so Cerberion doesn’t lash out at anyone?”
“It will bear its fangs at anyone it doesn’t acknowledge as its master. When I lose control of my emotions, I lose its respect. And it certainly won’t recognise anyone who isn’t a Naberius,” he quoted another lecture he’d had to sit through. Cerberion was not a familiar, or a partner, or magic beast. It was mana infested with pure Naberius blood.
He felt a slight tugging at his back as Shichiro tied off his wound dressing. “Have you ever been physically affectionate with anyone since first seeing its manifestation?”
“...No.”
“Then how would you know Cerberion would lash out if you haven’t even tried yet?”
Kalego did not like how fast his heart was suddenly beating.
“Are you finished?” he snapped, trying his best to sound incensed. They both knew his voice only had a fraction of the bite it usually did, but he didn’t care.
“Yeah, but your shirt’s shredded.”
Kalego huffed. Things could never be made easy, could they?
“Well, I’ll figure something out.”
“You know, if you went to the dropout tent, then maybe they’d—”
“No.”
Shichiro made that humming noise again. Kalego wished that he’d stop it with that. It gave him those odd heart palpitations. How irritating.
“...it’s because Opera-senpai is gonna tease you about it, right?”
Since Opera wasn’t in the same year as he and Shichiro, they were completely safe for these next few days from all their “Top-Dog” nonsense. Kalego vowed that he would survive until the end. All 6666 minutes.
Kalego whipped around to face him, ignoring his back’s protests. “T-that isn’t—”
He waved a gloved hand, chuckling a little. “That’s okay, Kalego-kun. I know that it’s a touchy subject for you—”
“It is not—”
“But you aren’t seriously going to go around without a shirt on for the rest of the Harvest Festival, are you?”
Of course, that was hardly feasible. Kalego knew that. It was only the first night of the Harvest Festival, and he was far too exposed…
But he’d already lost enough dignity for the night. He chose to hold his silence.
“Stubborn as ever, aren’t you?” came his eventual response.
Kalego could hear him shuffling around behind him, but refused to turn around to meet his eye. Instead, he hunched over and pulled his knees to his chest, picking at his trousers and hoping that Shichiro wouldn’t notice his shivering as the brisk night wind began to seep into his body.
“You’re getting cold, aren’t you, Kalego-kun?”
Fuck.
“No,” he dissented half-heartedly. There wasn’t much of a point in lying anyway—he was well aware of Shichiro’s Bloodline Ability.
Growing antsy at his classmate’s apparent lack of response, he deflected, “It’s not that big of a deal, so quit worrying, because I know that you are. I’ll simply use Raffire to sustain myself for tonight—”
Fwump. Something soft and warm settled heavily onto his shoulders. Shichiro’s warmth, came Kalego’s belated realization as he grasped what the object was. Why did that revelation send so much heat rushing to his face? Seemingly against his will, Kalego’s hands reached for the cloth and pulled it tighter around himself. His body relaxed and he breathed in Shichiro’s scent of tea leaves and campfire.
He felt, more than heard, the heavier demon settling down to his right.
For some reason, Shichiro’s close proximity caused his mind to race. He knew what he should do, as a Naberius—refuse the coat, shove it back into Shichiro’s arms, and assert, once again, that he had no need for his company nor his assistance. He would survive—no, dominate the Harvest Festival, and he would do it by himself. Independently, by his own strength, like a true Naberius would. And yet, there was a smaller voice inside him, like a pathetic baby crow, that leaned into the warmth—welcomed it, even. And it seemed that that pathetic side had somehow taken hold of him; thus, he kept his mouth shut, and pulled the coat even tighter around his body. He wished he could feel a little more embarrassed about it.
The pair fell silent once again, listening to the chittering of Nest-Squirrells as they strangled unsuspecting first years in their sleep, and the stupefied laughs of students falling to drooling vinegrass trickery. Light-speed Mushrooms dashed through the underbrush, emitting irritating high pitched squeals. Hallucination hedgehogs gamboled about, raising their spikes at the smallest sounds.
All in all, a typical night in the forest of the Harvest Festival. None of the ghastly noises unsettled or unnerved Kalego; not while Shichiro was by his side. It was almost irritating, how much the other demon’s presence could calm him.
Just as he was beginning to nod off, Shichiro spoke softly, “I’ve never seen Cerberion that agitated before. Normally, your control over it is flawless. What could have happened to set it off like that?”
Just the question he didn’t want him to ask. That enigmatic warmth returned in full force, curling in his stomach. He burrowed deeper into Shichiro’s coat, the sour taste of shame heavy on his tongue.
Shichiro took the hint, retracting his query. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable. After all, it must have been something very serious.”
“...Hrrmph.”
More silence. Kalego slapped himself internally. He wasn’t the best at keeping conversation, nor was he socializing’s biggest fan, but something in him was almost disappointed that Shichiro hadn’t tried to keep their exchange alive.
Rather unreasonable of him, considering he was the one who had given a non-answer.
“I…overheard some students talking,” Kalego finally spoke, almost against his own will.
Shichiro shifted a little, evidently surprised that the boy had decided to speak.
“There was a group of them. They…were talking about you. About those contemptible, ridiculous rumours. It took all my willpower”—his hand curled into fist as he recalled the memory—”to not slam their pathetic skulls into the dirt.” The only things keeping him from doing so was the knowledge that it was against the rules to attack others in the Harvest Festival—it would have resulted in his immediate disqualification—and his pride as a Naberius.
I heard that he kidnaps people and experiments on them in the prep room.
I bet that he wears that creepy mask to hide poison or something.
That guard dog has such weird taste. I can’t imagine hanging out with someone so disgusting.
He couldn’t help but smirk at the memory of their terrified faces upon their realization that the future Guard Dog of Babyls was crouched in the underbrush, fixing them with a glare that could crush bricks. He thought that that would have been enough to sate his bloodlust.
But Cerberion thought differently.
And to think that none of it would have happened if he could only keep a tighter leash on his emotions.
Kalego fully expected Shichiro to laugh at his foolishness. Heck, he would’ve if he were in the other’s place. But when he finally cautioned a glance at the taller demon, he only found a quiet thoughtfulness and the moon reflected within his dark blue eyes.
Not even a hint of judgement.
Then finally, the crinkling of skin around Shichiro’s eyes. He was smiling. “Thank you, Kalego-kun, for sticking up for me like that. It puts me at ease knowing that I have someone so reliable in my life.”
And it was as if hearing those words made a field of spectral violets bloom within his chest.
Cursing the strange giddiness building in his throat, he huffed and looked away. “It’s not like I did it for you or anything. I simply despise those who are inconsiderate of others. That was all.” And he almost convinced himself that that was the case. Almost.
Shichiro laughed; a gentle, melodious sound. More of those heart palpitations. “Well then, I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
And then, he added in a tone so soft that Kalego had to strain to hear it, “And know that I would do the same for you, too, Kalego-kun.”
Kalego was a Naberius. His family is tasked with the important duty of guarding the Netherworld and Babyls Demon School. Those of the Naberius Clan were meant to be stoic, independent. There was no need to rely on anyone else. And as the second son, these values had been drilled into his skull since a young age. He believed in them more than anyone.
…I would do the same for you, too, Kalego-kun.
But now…Kalego started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, opening up to one other demon. in the entirety of the Netherworld… was alright.