Chapter Text
Five sets of footsteps echoed through the room.
It held a table far too large for the amount of people present, and far too distancing for the intimacy of the matters for discussion.
Iruma was the last to enter the room, holding the door open for everyone with a warm smile.
Asmodeus cringed, which immediately turned back into yet another bout of admiration for his master. Even as the highest ranked in the room, even after he was the one responsible for adding yet another task to Iruma's nowadays already packed schedule, even with the added status being just months away from ascending to the thronw brought, Iruma had insisted on waiting for everyone to take their seats.
He touched his ring while he closed the door. The fall of the lock was unusually heavy, as if the simple metal had been replaced with a piece twice its weight.
Kirio had been watching attentively from a chair near the corner of the table. Both Ameri and Azz glared at him for stealing the spot, foreign to Iruma's fidgeting; a shared glance made it evident to each other they both hoped the seat would not become a habit once the new Thirteen Crowns were announced and the room became part of their lives. More interested in Iruma, Kirio tilted his head with confusion. "Magic?"
Iruma froze on his tracks, caught.
"Uh..."
Before he had any chance to even properly think of how to explain the situation, Clara stole his turn. "A spell on the door? We're gonna have to pow-pow our way out of here, Iruma-chi!"
"Clara, don't be rude!" Azz scolded her.
"I have to admit I'm curious as well," Ameri raised her eyebrows in agreement.
Azz, for his part, was turning a closer shade of pink to his hair by the minute. Iruma figured he should spare him the embarrasment and finally explain before the boy felt compelled to do it himself at the cost of his pride.
"Well, so, uh... The incident. Last week. You all remember that, right? When we went out for dinner as Amu-chan's restaurant?" Calling Amuryllis as she wished still felt far too strange; it would still need more practice from him. Iruma shook the thought to focus on the matter at hand.
Asmodeus grimaced, now closer to red than true pink. "Unfortunately so."
"It's 'bout that?" Kirio asked, his tone almost of disbelief. "No offense, Iruma-kun, but I thought this would be something more... important. 'N more 'bout me. Given the place 'n all," he explained, getting up from his seat. "Now, if ya must excuse me, Your Future Highness, I'm gonna be in the lab, unless ya need me. Ya can stay with dear Azz-Azz-kun all ya want today. It's m'consolation gift for him after all that; I'm working on a tool anyways. But, if ya change yer mind, just call," he added with a wink that wouldn't have been out of place for an incubus. "Oh, 'n don't forget to call me if he breaks down or something. At least take a video for me, will ya?" He stood up smugly, knowing he could spend the night on his own giggling about the thought of whatever could be going on there without actually having to sit through the meeting.
The four others stared at him with various degrees of amusement, ranging from Ameri closing her eyes to keep calm and doing her best to not beat some sense into the demon right there and then, to Iruma on the verge of laughter for some reason.
Kirio tried to open the door, the handle not turning. He tried again, using a little more strenght, until he remembered.
"Wait, Iruma-kun, can ya dissolve the spell? I'd do it m'self, but ya know, vanishing anything of yours takes half of this" he said while pointing to his magic aid. "The sooner I can be back at the lab, the less ya gotta worry 'bout it."
"I can't," Iruma replied, bluntly.
"Did you forget the spell?" Clara questioned.
"I figured at least one of you was going to try exactly that," he explained, pointing towards Kirio. "I was thinking you or Ameri, to be honest," he laughed.
Ameri gasped outraged. "Me?"
"You always have boring new work to do," Clara reasoned with a pout. "Iruma-chi's bets weren't off."
"You- I- With the Border Patrol reorganization I have lots to do!"
"Clara isn't wrong," Azz admitted reluctantly.
Ameri sank back into her chair, having lot even Asmodeus' support in this.
"Well, as I was saying," Iruma got back on track, "I figured someone would try to get out of this, and I might have created a magic lock on top of the real lock that might only disappear once two hours go by or we solve a couple of questions, whatever happens first."
"Hey!" Kirio whined. "Weren't we working on a tool like that years ago? The conditioned clasps?"
"I might have taken the same incantation I used on those and made it stronger," Iruma admitted.
"Using my own inventions against me, just how more unpredictable can ya get, Iruma-kun!"
"So, what are the questions, Iruma? The sooner we solve this, the better," Ameri resolved. Two hours sounded like too much for something as simple as talking about the incident.
"Basically, the dinner the other day left me thinking. Since I'm about to be crowned, we mostly have the Thirteen Crowns reorganized, the Border Patrol is in the process of, and al that. The thing is, Grandpa reminded me of something I was completely missing."
"Missing? Clara and I spent months helping you review the paperwork and positions to be filled," Azz questioned. "If I made a mistake, if I missed something-"
"I- it's not your fault! Honestly, even Grandpa completely forgot until he was looking at some pictures of the last crowning yesterday, and with the incident... The thing is, how do I announce you all as?" Iruma blushed at the last part.
"Aren't Azz-Azz, Makka and I gonna be Crowns? And Kiri-yan your Security Devil?" Clara stated.
Iruma closed his eyes and swallowed, mentally preparing himself. He began pacing around, getting closer to where he was supposed to take a seat.
"Well, yes, but... When Derkila was around, there were Crowns, and Amduscias-san was a Crown, while Grandpa was his Security Devil. Amduscias-san and Grandpa, though, you know... They were courting Derkila as well. Which, I mean- There's no pressure, but also there's a little pressure, and not even Grandpa is sure how to consider you all, even less now it's all going to be so formal..."
"So, ya wanna know if we're courting so ya can announce us as Consorts or what?" Kirio summarized
"...basically?"
All of a sudden, Iruma began considering he probably should have set the timer on at least six hours.