Chapter Text
The trio sat in a triangle, focusing intently on the board game in front of them. Asmodeus knew he had to win. It was the only way to impress his beloved Iruma-sama after all! Clara had the same feelings; she also wanted to win. Not necessarily to impress Iruma-chi, but because Azz-Azz has been spending wayyyyyy too much time with Iruma-chi. And that…is not okay.
‘Here I come, Azz-Azz!’ Clara exclaimed. She rolled the dice and moved her piece six steps. Clara landed at Demonesque Parade.
‘Rent is six-thousand vills,’ Asmodeus exclaimed, reaching out his hand to Clara, signalling for money.
‘I have to pay you?!’ Clara exclaimed, rolling backwards.
‘Yes! That’s literally how the game works!’ Asmodeus yelled back. ‘We explained it!’
Clara groaned, and hesitantly handed Asmodeus fake six-thousand vills, her hand shaking at the thought. Asmodeus smiled proudly, looking at Iruma with a bright smile.
‘W-wow, Azz-kun is really good at this,’ Iruma said, trying to keep the peace between his friends.
They continued to play for thirty more minutes until it was time to go home. Clara celebrated, jumping up and down, while Asmodues looked at her in disbelief.
‘You must have cheated!’ Asmodeus exclaimed, pointing a finger at Clara.
‘Clara won fair and square!’ Clara retorted back.
‘Guys, calm down,’ Iruma interrupted, waving his hands frantically. ‘Let’s pack this up.’
Clara tapped her pockets, letting it glow, before she pulled out a large, silver capsule. Clara grabbed the pieces and dice and threw it inside, while Asmodeus rolled the board game, putting it inside the capsule.
‘Clara, that’s a time capsule,’ Iruma gasped. ‘I didn’t expect to see one here.’
‘A time capsule?’ Asmodeus asked, turning to look at Iruma. ‘As expected of Iruma-sama! You know so many things!’
‘A tomorrow box!’ Clara declared, waving the silver capsule around.
‘Don’t wave it around!’ Asmodeus snapped. ‘If Iruma-sama holds it in high regard, it is an important item!’
‘Let’s calm down, guys,’ Iruma interjected, trying to settle the other two.
After settling down, Asmodeus and Clara turned to look at Iruma, listening to his explanation on the so-called Time Capsule.
‘We put some momentos and cherishable items in the capsule,’ Iruma started, explaining the invention. ‘And we open it again a few years later and we use it to see how much we’ve changed.’
‘An extraordinary concept!’ Asmodeus gasped, stars in his eyes as if Iruma just explained the principles of the cosmos. ‘To preserve a physical manifestation of our current bonds so that our future selves may look back upon the glory of our youth... As expected of Iruma-sama! Your wisdom knows no bounds!’
A time box!’ Clara cheered, completely ignoring Azz as she began to bounce on her heels. ‘We put treasures inside! And then we dig it up like pirates! Clara the Pirate Queen!’
Iruma laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Yeah, exactly like that. We can each choose a few things that mean a lot to us right now, put them inside, and promise not to open it until we graduate.’
‘Yay! Let’s do it, let’s do it!’ Clara chanted, already shoving her hands back into her pockets. ‘I’m gonna find the bestest, weirdest treasures ever!’
__________
The next day, the trio gathered in a circle, holding large bags of all their cherishable belongings. They sat in the middle of their battler room, the time capsule in the centre of their circle. Before Iruma could speak, the door barged open, revealing Schenell with an excited smile on his face.
‘I found the perfect potion to—’ Schenell started. But before he could finish his sentence, Clara pushed him onto the ground, before she and Asmodeus started to comically stomp on him, yelling at him for interrupting their moment.
‘Let’s not do that guys,’ Iruma said.
Clara and Asmodeus stopped and pushed Schenell out of the room, locking the door. After settling down, they sat back down, ready to start.
‘Okay, Azz-kun, do you want to start?’ Iruma asked, gesturing to the capsule.
Asmodeus nodded happily, opening his bag. He picked up a pair of glasses before gently placing it inside the tube.
‘This is the first detention-warding glasses I wore when I went to the District with Iruma-sama,’ Asmodeus explained, before moving onto the next item. He took out a paper, which was revealed to be a test paper from their first ever test. Before putting it in the box, he happily showed it to Iruma. ‘Iruma-sama, look! This is your first ever test in Babyls!’
‘T-that’s great, Azz-kun,’ Iruma replied. ‘But you also need items that represent you.’
‘But Iruma-sama, you represent me,’ Asmodeus insisted.
‘You need something of yourself!’ Iruma insisted back, his eyes changing to slight determination.
‘I…don’t have anything,’ Asmodeus said hesitantly.
He looked around his bag, hoping to find something that could make Iruma happy. Except looking around, the only things he could find relate to Iruma; the shirt Iruma recommended to him, the matchstick Iruma used to light up the fireworks…basically, everything Iruma. Asmodeus frowned his eyebrows, hesitant that he’ll disappoint Iruma.
‘Iruma-sama…I don’t have anything like that,’ Asmodeus said. ‘Everything is related to you.’
‘It doesn’t have to represent you as an individual, Azz-kun,’ Iruma said with a smile. ‘It can be something that makes you happy, or something that represents the three of us.’
Asmodeus nodded, looking back in his bag. His pink eyes lit up when he found his perfect item. He reached into his bag, shuffling everything to the side before grabbing his item.
‘Iruma-sama, look! Asmodeus said, pulling his item from the bag to show to Iruma. ‘This is the letter you and Stupid-Clara gave me for my Demonics Right!’
‘That’s so great Azz-kun. I’m really glad you kept it!’ Iruma exclaimed, his smile brightening.
Just as Asmodeus put his letter into the capsule, Clara ran up to them, tapping her pockets twice.
‘My turn! My turn!’ Clara yelled, pulling out a vending machine. ‘This is the vending machine I used when Iruma-chi asked me if he wanted to play with me! I used it on those meanies that wanted juice!’
Asmodues stands up immediately, glaring at Clara.
‘You’re going to ruin the floor!’ Asmodues yelled, pointing a finger at Clara. ‘And it clearly won’t fit!’
‘But-but…I have nothing else!’ Clara retorted, pouting at Asmodeus. ‘Azz-Azz you can put so many items! I’m only putting one!’
‘Yeah, but at least mine fit!’
Iruma let out an embarrassed chuckle, as he tried to calm his friends down.
‘Let’s calm down guys,’ Iruma said, patting both their shoulders, hoping they’d sit down. ‘Clara, why this item?’
Clara sat down, a reminiscing smile appearing on her face. ‘Does Iruma-chi and Azz-Azz remember when I first met you?’ Clara asked. ‘Other people only played with Clara because they wanted something. You were the only ones who wanted to play with me.’
Iruma and Asmodeus exchanged glances before nodding, remembering that time in their first year.
‘So I threw this vending machine at them when they wanted three juices,’ Clara continued. ‘You were there Iruma-chi. Do you remember?’
Iruma hummed, looking at the ceiling before turning his head slightly to think of that moment. His eyes widened at the thought and he nodded with a smile.
‘I remember! And then you threw slimy paint at Azz-kun.’
‘Iruma-sama, I suggest you should remember something else,’ Asmodues said, looking away slightly.
‘Well we clearly can’t put an entire vending machine in here,’ Iruma said. ‘Is there anything else, Clara?’
Clara shook her head, unsure of anything else she could put in the capsule.
‘What about a toy version of the vending machine?’ Asmodeus suggested. ‘Or that perfume you used and ended up smelling really bad?’
‘Oi! Azz-Azz is so rude!’ Clara pouted, crossing her arms. A moment later, her pout disappeared, replaced by a bright smile ‘But…I’ll use those!’
She tapped her pockets again, pulling out a miniature vending machine. She carefully placed it in the time capsule before tapping her pockets again, pulling out the perfume she used to try and impress Iruma when they were in their first years. Clara also put that item with a smile on her face. After all, she never had to use it again. Iruma would always continue to support her, no matter what. And one day Iruma would fall for her — that’s what Clara had always wanted.
After she put her items in, Asmodues and Clara turned to Iruma, with a smile on their faces.
‘Iruma-sama, what will you put?’
Iruma thought for a moment, before reaching into his bag. He pulled out a light blue full sleeves shirt with a grey collar. He smiled at it, nostalgically before placing it in the capsule.
‘Iruma-sama! Is that a legendary garment you wore?’ Asmodeus said, looking at it. It was worn out with dirt and had a faint scene of tuna. But Asmodues paid no attention to the details. If it was Iruma’s, it was legendary.
Iruma shook his head. ‘This was- this was my life before I met all of you,’ Iruma said, looking up, hoping Clara and Asmodeus wouldn’t see his watery eyes. ‘This was before–before I discovered my ambition.’
‘You’re perfect no matter what, Iruma-chi!’ Clara exclaimed. ‘Anything else?’
Iruma reached back into his bag, pulling out a thin sheet of paper. ‘Do you remember? We drew random things on this paper?’
Asmodeus and Clara leaned in closer to Iruma, looking down at the sheet of paper. Asmodeus had tried to draw Iruma, claiming he’d make a masterpiece. But he had messed up with drawing the other second eye. Then he concluded that he was a failure and decided to exile himself because he wasn’t worthy of Iruma.
Clara had drawn Falfal but she didn’t know how to draw the spikes so it turned out to be a green monster that was wearing a pink version of Conner and Murph.
Iruma had drawn the cherry blossom and he tried to draw it to the best of his ability. He wanted it to be the best possible artwork so he used six shades of brown and pink but it became random brown lines and different shades of pink in circular clutters.
Once Iruma put it in the capsule, Clara grabbed the lid, about to cover the capsule.
‘No wait!’ Iruma said, stopping Clara. ‘We also need to write a letter to our future selves.’
Asmodues and Clara gasped at the idea. Clara pulled out a pen and paper from her pockets and laid it flat on the ground.
‘Let’s each write a letter to our future selves and future each other,’ Iruma suggested, giving the pen to Clara.
Clara thought for a moment before a large smile spread on her face.
‘Future Clara should still be the playtime queen! She’s still amazing and unstoppable. And no matter, she’s still with Azz-Azz and Iruma-chi.
Iruma-chi and Azz-Azz, are you still playing with Clara? Make sure she’s not lonely! And Azz-Azz, no matter what, we will protect Iruma-chi.’
Clara handed the pen to Asmodeus.
‘To Future Me, I hope you’ve had the courage to tell them what your secret is. And if you did, I hope they accept you. You’re still Iruma-sama’s right-hand man, right?
To Stupid Clara and Iruma-sama, I hope I am still supporting you. We will always stay together’
Asmodeus gave the pen to Iruma, letting him have his turn.
‘Dear Future Iruma, thank you so much for coming here. I hope you’re still in touch with everyone, and that no one has left you. Has Kalego-sensei finally accepted that he’s a familiar?
Dear Azz-kun and Clara, I’m grateful that you’ve always supported me. I don’t know what the future holds; I don’t know if we’re still together. But we made a promise, and I hope we’re still keeping that promise.’
Asmodeus, Clara and Iruma looked at each, smiling before Asmodeus rolled up the paper and gently put it inside the capsule, letting Clara put the lid on top.
They got up together, carrying the capsule to the back of the Royal One. Clara summoned three shovels and handed one to each of her friends. They set the capsule down on the ground, and dug a small hole, ensuring it was big enough for the capsule to fit. Once they finished their hole, the three of them grabbed the capsule together and placed it inside. They covered the hole with dirt and soil, before standing up to look down at their spot.
‘Let’s open it in our last year,’ Iruma said, holding out his hands for Clara and Asmodues to hold it.
‘When we graduate,’ Asmodues added, holding onto Iruma’s hand.
‘Clara promises! Better not forget!’ Clara exclaimed with a smile.
And that was the promise they made to each other; they would open their capsule on the last day of graduation. It was their promise… under the glowing, purple Netherworld sky.