Chapter Text
Lily nervously sat at the opposite side of her interviewer's desk, hands politely folded in her lap and with a posture so stiff that one could've immediately discerned just how anxious she must've felt; despite having done this countless times already, there was no escaping the sense of uneasiness that came with applying for a new job.
“So…” The interviewer raised her gaze from the woman's resume, interrupted in her sentence by a quick sip of coffee.
“...I see you've had quite a few part-time positions in the past. What are you actually looking for?”
"Well…something stable.” Lily explained with an awkward smile on her soft face, the palms of her hands growing sweatier by the moment.
“But also… Something where I can be useful.”
“Useful how?” The interviewer inquired with a raised brow, still taking notes.
“Well…” Lily hesitated for a moment, though she already knew the answer to this. It was the same thing she'd responded with for many of her other job applications… The most of which went poorly, unsurprisingly.
“I want to help people, even if it's in small ways.”
“That's a very common answer.” The interviewer spoke with a gentle look on her face.
“Almost everyone without a clear direction ends up saying something along the lines of that. We need specific skills, goals… Helping people is a really noble thing, but it doesn't tell me a lot about what you can actually do for this company.”
Lily's cheeks went red with embarrassment, her digits clutching at the soft fabric of her long skirt; the image of a young woman dressed in such professional attire admittedly clashed with the sight of her long, fluffy pink hair, something she'd kept since her high school days as a bit of an eccentric gyaru. The flow of time had certainly toned her excitable personality down, leaving her as a much more socially awkward individual now.
“Ah… I'm a quick learner…I can be reliable…”
“I don’t doubt that.” The older woman spoke with a kind tone, almost as though she was trying to help ease the visible tension that had fallen upon the girl who sat before her.
“But we're not a volunteering organization. We need someone who knows what they're aiming for. Do you have any other goals, perhaps something a bit more concrete?”
There were a few moments of silence between the two, with Lily opening her mouth just to close it soon after; everything she thought of eventually just came back to her initial, much more abstract motivation.
“...I guess not.” She said quietly, to which the interviewer took a few more notes, before putting the pen down.
“We really appreciate you coming here today, Lily. We'll be in touch if anything were to change.” Despite the kindness in her voice, they both knew that nothing would've changed; that was something Lily had heard countless times before, a polite way to reject her application and leave her searching for another job.
Lily finally stood from her seat, politely bowing her head before leaving the room, walking through the hallways, which led to the very same elevator she'd taken to come all the way up to the interviewer's office. She finally rested her back against the lift's interior, shoulders dropping as the only sound to keep her company was that of the old machine going down the many floors of the building.
“I'll never get a job at this rate…”
The doors, which led to the lobby, finally opened, and Lily excused herself past some of the workers to leave the building, suddenly finding herself hit by the cold afternoon breeze.
The pink-haired woman slid her phone out her accessory-adorned bag, the notification of many messages from her friend Sayuri lingering at the top of the screen; she'd been alerted of Lily's new attempt at a job interview earlier, though she'd long gotten used to receiving the same news every time, in that regard. Lily's application had been rejected once more.
> “How’d it go?”
Lily let out a tired sigh, hesitating on what to respond to the message; chances were that her friend Sayuri was still busy closing down the cafè she worked at, so giving her a call would've been not only pointless, but also a potential nuisance to her.
> “Total Disaster!”
And attached to the message, Lily sent a sticker of a cartoonish cat bawling its eyes out. The very least she could do was to find lighthearted fun in the situation she was in.
“Ugh…What am I gonna do now?”
Lily quietly muttered to herself as her round glasses turned foggy against the chilly winter air, forcing her to remove them and wipe them against the fabric of her sleeve. The twilight sky's beautiful colors were already being replaced by shades of blue, which meant that it was time for the woman to return home; she couldn't risk being outside while it was dark, not when considering all of the recent disappearances she'd heard about in the news.
She could recall seeing a young, bespectacled man named Akikaze Sora on television and through interviews and articles online, supposedly some higher up of the government who worked in the fields of public safety. He'd already acknowledged a sudden rise in mysterious disappearances, and suggested people to stay indoors during the night and avoid isolated areas when possible until more information about the whole situation is eventually found.
“I better hurry…”
She spoke quietly, walking through the mostly empty streets at a faster pace, one of the only things keeping her company throughout the whole journey being the sound of her steps. She'd worn heels for the occasion, matching her buttoned shirt and skirt, though the decision came back to bite her now that she was trying to walk home before it got too late.
With the option to take a bit of a shortcut through an even less populated street appearing before her, the pink-haired woman was effectively left with no choice but to take it, especially now that marching around had taken a bit of a toll on her. She'd never been the sporty type.
It was only by the time that Lily was halfway through the alleyway that she heard an odd sound from above, almost as though something large was moving on the rooftops of the buildings to her sides. She hesitated for a moment, stopping in her tracks to inspect her surroundings, though that immediately proved to have been a huge mistake.
An odd figure dropped from above, landing just a few feet away from Lily; the sight of it alone elicited a fearful scream from the woman, though as her gaze finally lingered on the monstrous creature, brief flashes of memories she'd long forgotten began to rush through her mind. She could recall having seen monsters the likes of this in the past, though all the details of her previous encounter appeared to be blurry and impossible to discern; could she have forgotten it all as some kind of coping mechanism?
Before she could think much about it, the creature finally rose up to its full height, towering over the human woman with its long tentacles dragging on the cemented floor; for as monstrous as it might've been, its appearance seemed to resemble some kind of squid.
“M-Monster!”
Lily screamed, though upon realizing that she went completely unheard, she instinctively began to take a few steps back from the strange kaijin. She grabbed onto the first thing she could find, in this case a swollen bag of trash abandoned on the side of the street, and tossed it in the direction of the creature, smearing filth and garbage alike all over its tentacled body.
“Humans can do nothing against us Devils.”
The monster finally spoke with a cold, feminine voice, albeit distorted and eerily inhuman; could these strange beings have been the ones behind the countless mysterious disappearances?
Lily tried to run away, though she came to a sudden stop as one of the Devil's long tentacles stretched out towards her, swiftly coiling around one of her arms to prevent her escape and slowly dragging her closer. The woman groaned and tried to pull away, though her attempts at breaking free from the Squid Devil's grasp were all unsuccessful; while she was being brought closer to the kaijin she couldn't help but burst into tears, crying at the thought of her own helplessness and fear of dying at the hands of a monster.
“Let me go!! I beg you! I…I don't want to die!”
“Not quite my preference, but you'll work fine as a human disguise.”
The squid-like beak at the center of the Devil's chest suddenly opened up wide as the pink-haired woman now stood just a few meters away from the creature, with a pair of seemingly incorporeal fangs manifesting in the air and plunging towards the girl, but shattering upon contact.
“Huh?”
The both of them shared a fairly surprised reaction, though before the Devil could even attempt to harm Lily again, a mysterious figure fell from above, landing between the two.
Sharp claws swiftly gripped onto the long tentacle, tearing through the rubbery flesh with ease and causing the severed limb to melt into warm, inky substance; Lily was finally free, though as she directed her gaze towards her mysterious saviour, she was quick to realize that the other person appeared to be a Devil too, one which resembled a bat-like creature.
“W-Who are you…!?”
The woman gasped out, taking a few steps back and hiding behind the monster who had supposedly saved her, though the possibility of them fighting over the honor of devouring Lily was still a scary thought which filled her mind. It was best to remain careful and vigilant.
The monster merely glanced at her for a few moments with its blank eyes and expression, a gaping maw coursing through its whole neck area; he almost seemed disappointed, though he soon turned back towards the Squid Devil.
“You…What are you scheming!?”
The Squid Devil shrieked out, her long tentacle regenerating in a mere matter of moments.
“Becoming the strongest Devil there is, what else?”
The Bat Devil spoke with a cocky, arrogant laugh, holding what appeared to be a strange block of stone in his hand, covered in moss, vegetation and all kinds of mysterious patternings and engravings alike; perhaps some kind of ancient artifact?
“The Contract Driver?! It can't be…How did a fool like you get his hands on it!?”
“Wouldn't you like to know? I'd gladly tell you someday, though I’m afraid there won't be a next time for you, Squid.”
Lily took another few steps back, cowering in fear behind a large trash container and fighting the urge to throw up at the sheer stench of it; for as much as she'd liked to flee, she knew that monsters the likes of these could easily track her down, if they desired to.
The Bat Devil proudly puffed out his chest, holding the so-called ‘Contract Driver’ to his waist…And yet, nothing happened.
“Huh?”
“You fool, there’s no way someone like you could use such a powerful thing!”
She quickly extended one of her tentacle-like whips towards her opponent, smacking the mysterious block of stone from his hands and violently whipping his body, not showing any kind of mercy against the overly confident Devil; admittedly, one might even argue that it was somewhat deserved, due to the sheer arrogance he'd displayed earlier.
The Contract Driver dropped to the floor, still a few meters away from where Lily hid; attempting to retrieve it could've been potentially deadly, and yet what she’d heard about the mysterious object still lingered in the back of her mind. There was a chance that she could use that thing to defeat the tentacled Devil…And potentially the other one too, were he to reveal himself to be a dangerous individual to humans, too.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline coursing throughout her body, Lily came out of hiding and pushed past the Squid Devil, kneeling to collect the strange artifact before placing it in front of her own waist, just like the Bat Devil had done just moments prior.
“I…I'm tired of not being able to help others! I won't die here…A-And I won't let you monsters harm other people, either!”
Lily stuttered with tears still running down her soft cheeks, and much to the two Devils’ surprise, something seemed to awaken within the ancient Driver.
Light began to flow through the many engravings, and the rocky surface began to crack, breaking apart and revealing what had been long hidden within; it was a fully golden device, with its front section adorned by gems in a way that made it resemble an eye. Straps suddenly emerged from its sides, wrapping around the woman's waist as though it were some sort of belt.
“Talk about impressive…!”
The male monster took advantage of the scene to break free from the Squid Devil's attack, stumbling his way towards Lily with a hand on his chest, trying to resist the pain that the other creature had inflicted upon him.
“I see two options for you now, human: make a contract with me, and help me defeat every single Devil there is as a powerful Demon Lord…Or else, we'll both become her victims, here.”
“He's merely trying to manipulate you! Hand over the Contract Driver, and I'll spare your life!”
Lily looked at both of them with fearful eyes, sliding her fingers under her round glasses to wipe away the tears which had been turning her sight all foggy; upon having made her decision, she turned towards the bat-like creature with newfound determination in her voice.
"I...I don't know what your deal is or who you are, but if it means that I'll have the strength to defeat monsters like her, I'll accept!”
“I knew you’d have made the right decision. It’s a deal, then!”
The Bat Devil suddenly grabbed onto the woman's hand, giving it a firm shake while being careful not to harm her with his long, sharp claws. With the contract between the two having been sealed, a mysterious artifact known as Devi-Jewel was finally created.
The Bat Devi-Jewel had a generally oval shape, though it retained many sharp edges and flat surfaces, which allowed the alleyway's faint artificial light to reflect against it quite beautifully, displaying all kinds of pink colors and hues.
“Go ahead and transform, now!”
Lily instinctively nodded in approval to her new ally's instructions, though upon looking down to the Driver on her waist, she was quick to realize that she had no clue on how to do that. Besides, what did he even mean by ‘transform’?
Taking advantage of the moment of confusion, the Squid Devil began to run towards the pink-haired woman's direction, preparing to claw at her stomach to dispose of her as swiftly as possible.
“Just transform already!”
“I don't know how!”
Lily huffed out, just barely managing to avoid the monster's attack, kicking the ferocious Devil in the side to push her away while she attempted to learn how to use the Contract Driver and Devi-Jewel she'd just obtained.
“Transform…Like this?”
Lily reached for the Driver, trying to fiddle with whatever mechanism might've been within it until the jewel finally made contact with the belt. The colors quickly disappeared from the gem, being transferred into the eye-shaped front of the Contract Driver and leaving the mysterious mineral fully transparent as though it were quartz.
With that the Bat Devil's body suddenly disappeared, his essence absorbed by the Driver, and allowing for the transformation to finally initiate. Vegetation suddenly began to spread across the woman's body, leaving her panicking for a few moments as a demonic voice began to speak from the Driver until her appearance was changed into that of the mighty Demon Lord: Kamen Rider Devi.
Bat!
Deal!
The Fierce Beast whose wings shall blot out all hope…
Devi: Bat!
“Leave it to me, now.”
The Bat Devil spoke with his usual arrogant, cocky tone of voice, being the one in control of Lily's transformed body as a Kamen Rider. He swiftly turned towards the fellow monster, the Demon Lord's gemstone-covered body shimmering and shining as the flickering lights and faint moonlight reflected against it.
“Don't think betraying our own kind will go unpunished, Bat!”
The Squid Devil took a step back, extending one of her whip-like tentacles towards the Kamen Rider in an attempt to strike while maintaining a safe distance…Though with a swift move, Devi dodged the attack, grabbing onto the tendril and wrapping it around their wrist.
The Devil couldn't flee anymore, and with a sudden tug of her tentacle she was forcefully brought closer, where she couldn't avoid the barrage of attacks that had yet to come.
“Spare me the whining.”
Bat growled out as Devi raised their leg, striking the Squid Devil in the side with such a force that her tentacle was torn in the process, sending her flying a few feet away and spilling inky blood all over the ground.
In a desperate attempt to fight back, countless tentacles emerged from the many sucker-like holes scattered all over the Devil's body, stretching in the Kamen Rider's direction once more…But realizing that they couldn’t use the same strategy once more, the Demon Lord leapt up in the air, taking advantage of the alleyway's close walls to bounce from one to the other, before pouncing the kaijin and falling to the floor with her.
“Don't get cocky…Just because you got lucky!”
The Squid Devil growled out as both her and the Demon Lord fought on the ground, punching and kicking each other, scattering black blood and sparkles all over both their bodies and onto the floor below them.
“You’re done for.”
The Bat Devil's voice exclaimed as he controlled Lily's transformed body into punching straight through the other Kaijin's body, reaching for a Devi-Jewel contained within her and mercilessly extracting it; it was different from the first, orange in color and with an engraving that seemed to resemble a kick on its surface.
“This should do!”
The Kamen Rider rolled off of the monster, standing up and holding the newly obtained Devi-Jewel to the front of the Contract Driver, allowing it to siphon the gemstone's energy; in a matter of seconds its color turned pale, almost as though it were devoid of any power before shattering into small fragments, unlike the jewel Lily had received through her contract with the monster. It seems that there were some who could only be used once, before fading away. The gemstone armor forming Devi's right leg began to shine bright, filling with the energy to land the finishing blow to the vicious kaijin.
Devi Kick!
Deal!
The foot that crushes the weak…
Devi: Bat…Breaking!
Just as the Squid Devil was trying to rise to her feet, the Kamen Rider leapt towards her and slammed their leg into her chest, forcing her back to the ground with the sheer power of the impact. The monster's inky blood began to gush and pour all over the place as the two remained onto the cemented floor, many small explosions and bursts of energy slowly starting to take over the Devil's entire form.
“This…This isn't how it ends…!!”
She shrieked out as her entire body was engulfed by a powerful explosion, sparkles being sent flying in all directions and the shockwave shattering the damaged windows which faced towards the inside of the tight alleyway. The Kamen Rider's armor had protected both Bat and Lily from the explosion, and by the time the flaming remains of the monster began to extinguish, about three Devi-Jewels were left there, completely unharmed by the monster’s loud destruction.
“Better leave the scene before any humans may come to check on this.”
The Devil thought aloud, retrieving his rewards before leaping high in the sky, finding refuge on some of the nearby buildings’ rooftop before undoing the transformation. Lily dropped to her knees, audibly panting and still sweaty from the physical toll that the fight had on her; she may not have been the one in control, but she was still effectively exhausted as though she'd done everything there.
“We…We did it…?”
Lily coughed out, weakly turning to her side and looking up to the monster she'd made a deal with; he stood there triumphally, admiring the cityscape from above before turning down to the pink-haired woman, who was still recovering from the battle…But before she could even process the situation, she fainted to the sheer exhaustion that had fallen upon her.