Chapter Text
Where are you..? A group of men are all looking at you, and the one in the middle speaks up.
"Welcome to the Devildom, ___. Oh, shocked, are you? As a human, it may take some time for you to get used to the Devildom."
You stare in silence, trying to get your bearings. One moment, you were in the hall, listening to Ace and Deuce talking about some incident that happened in Applied Spellworks class, and the next, you're in a completely different place and the people in front of you seem to know who you are.
The man continues speaking, and you consider it best to listen, in hopes that you can glean some kind of hint as to who he is, and what this place is, and why you're here. He calls himself 'Diavolo' and 'The ruler of all demons'. He explains that this is a campus.
You're starting to get a familiar headache. Did this happen to you again? You didn't touch a carriage. There's no magic mirror here.
"Where the hell is Crowley..?" You ask, eyes narrowing. If they know your name, maybe they know Crowley. And if they know Crowley, then this is his fault.
"Ah! Yes! Your guardian and headmaster! He was very nice to speak with when we met. He's back in the human realm, where you came from." The man is smiling, but you're visibly pissed.
Crowley called himself your guardian? What the hell is he making you do now? What lows will that bastard not sink to? What, did he decide to send you away without telling you? Something about that feels so goddamn appropriate. "Why am I here?" Your voice is dripping with venom.
"I will explain everything to you." A new voice speaks up. It's a dark-haired man with red eyes. He's introduced as Lucifer, the demon "Avatar of Pride". Right away, it's apparent that he's both important and has a lot riding on his shoulders. The sunshiny Diavolo seems to have a liking to him though. He greets you warmly and very professionally. You're almost a little sorry that he's going to have to deal with your rage, because it is stirring like a growing storm with every second that passes.
"Answer my question." You say, on-guard and annoyed.
And yet, he seems amused by your demands. Even compares you to someone named.. 'Solomon'? He explains Diavolo's plan to strengthen relations between different realms- All of which is a foreign concept to you entirely. Human World? Celestial Realm? What's this place? If these people aren't humans, does that mean they really consider themselves demons? What sets them apart from humans? They look so.. Human.
You almost get lost in your thoughts when it hits you.
You're an exchange student?
They plan to keep you here for an entire year?
Oh hell naw Crowley-
Before you can really protest, the man before you explains that you'll need someone to protect you and watch out for you, and that this person's name will be Mammon. The "Avatar of Greed". He does, however, hand you a cellphone-esque device.
Already, this place is very different from your stay at the Night Raven College. It took you over a year to get Crowley to give you a cellphone, and he put you on the most limited plan he possibly could, claiming that you should only use it for emergencies. AND HE DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER WHEN YOU CALLED HIM ABOUT EMERGENCIES. Here, you're getting a cellphone immediately, and you're not responsible for yourself? They also explain that your data is unlimited, and you've got unlimited texting and calling.
...
Okay. Well, maybe this might be interesting.
You call up this 'Mammon'. You explain to him that he's in charge of you now. He immediately tells you "No way! There's nothing in it for me." Well this feels like it's getting off to a great start. You explain that it's what Lucifer told you, and he just scoffs. Lucifer, listening to the call to ensure that the transfer of power goes well, begins counting down so that Mammon can hear him, which quickly changes Mammon's tune. After having to be the one who solves all the problems and makes shit happen at Night Raven College, it's refreshing to have someone who is capable doing the work for you.
Lucifer begins to introduce you to two others of the council, which both appear to be his brothers; Asmodeus, the "Avatar of Lust" and Satan, the "Avatar of Wrath". Wait, isn't this a school? A college, like Night Raven?
"... Avatar of Lust?" The words seem so strange coming off your lips. As though you're not really sure you should be saying them yourself. NRC didn't really go much into the birds and the bees, it was mostly just a place where they learned magic and trained physical physique. Do they study an even more wide variety of magic in this place? As soon as the words leave your mouth, this Asmodeus guy seems really keen on showing you what that means. He mentions that his title is related to his power? He offers to give you a demonstration.
You figure, well, that's a pretty good way of learning about this world, yeah? Looking into his eyes, he coos warmly to you, bubbling at your compliance, but he's then caught off-guard. You feel nothing, but Satan explains that if you're not careful, Asmodeus will charm you to do his bidding and then.. Eat you??
He seems taken aback that Satan would tell you such a thing, but.. no one's refuting it??? Not even the headmaster???
Crowley's gonna die when you get yourself out of this place. You already can tell this is gonna be a hellscape.
You're introduced then to Beelzebub, the "Avatar of Gluttony". Speaking of eating people, that doesn't feel very reassuring.
Diavolo tells you that while you're here, the seven brothers, including Lucifer, will be keeping you company and helping you survive your stay in this strange world, but you're not so sure.
"What do you mean 'Keep me safe'..?" You ask, in reference to why you'd need the help, and are met with an explanation that there are those who would do you harm.
Great. Back at NRC, the worst you ever had to deal with were punks with emotional issues that only wanted to kill you when their bottled emotions burst. Now you have to deal with things that actively wanna kill you? You begin to wonder if your life is some kind of cruel joke. Did Crowley put you into this program on purpose? Is he hoping you'll die and cover his tracks of gross negligence?
Well now you have to live so as to spite that bastard.
Is there any way to reach him? You ask as such, and have it explained to you that because Crowley is in the human realm, you're incapable of reaching him remotely. You'd have to physically travel to the human world to be able to reach him.
You make a mental note to hunt Crowley for sport when you get back to the human realm.
Sending you into this god-forsaken place is the quickest way he has ever pissed you off. You bet he did it because he didn't want any of his PAYING students to get hoisted away. You're visibly seething with annoyance as you stare at your phone, which doesn't work here, which doesn't go unnoticed by the brothers and Diavolo. They kind of shift a little, wondering what to say, when Mammon crashes into the room beginning to threaten to eat you for bothering him. The others quickly turn to knocking him down a few pegs and he becomes visibly shy from their teasing and harassment.
'Ah, so he's all bark and no bite.' You think to yourself, watching him.
The brothers bicker amongst themselves about your care, and once again the topic of them eating you comes up. You begin to keep a tally in your head. Every time someone here threatens to eat you, you're going to demand Crowley compensate you for the emotional damages, lest you expose him for the shadiest practices you've ever experienced in a headmaster.
Speaking of which, how did you get approved for an exchange program..? You had no paperwork. Did.
...
Did Crowley forge documents for this..? Diavolo does seem to think Crowley's your 'Guardian'- So did he list himself as your father and emergency contact..? And what of THIS headmaster? Is this guy any less of a shady bitch?
You don't have much time to think about it, because Lucifer begins to explain to you your tasks while you're in their care.
Apparently you have to 'polish your soul' to be capable of resisting demons..? Is. Is this a magic thing? Oh god.. Your head's already swirling with what it means to be a magic-less human in a world full of things that actively wanna kill you, when Lucifer mentions that they already know you don't have magic, and that's why the brothers will be lending you their power while you're here.
Okay. So to summarize;
- You're expected to spar things, but now instead of letting others do the muscle for you like you did back in the NRC and you'd call out directions from the sidelines, you'll be channeling the power of these seven brothers through yourself through your phone to do these spars.
- The spars are non-violent in nature, and more a test of your mettle and resolve.
- If your resolve beats the demon's resolve, then you win!
- If your resolve fails, you lose! But there's no punishments. You just have to keep going at it until you get better.
You ask to go 'home', in hopes that you can kick Crowley's ass, but Lucifer explains that it's unfortunately not an option. The tone in his voice makes you feel like he's just telling you to resign yourself to the fate before you.
At least these guys have the decency to tell you to your face that you shouldn't get your hopes up about going home any time soon, and they've given you a date at which you will be leaving. These demons just keep racking up points while Crowley digs himself deeper into your shit list.
So far, being whisked away to hell has been... Oddly refreshing. You're not expected to know the ropes, and you're not expected to survive all on your own. You're not randomly being put in charge of someone just because you're the only one who can prevent them from setting everything on fire, and you're not being put in charge of an entire household. You're not being thrust headlong into danger because one man just doesn't wanna do his job and knows he can extort you into picking up his slack.
Here, you're just, a random student being dropped into the care of a local family, who, while they seem quirky, seem to at least acknowledge that you need help in an unfamiliar place. They even explain that they'll be taking you to get clothing in your sizes, and that school uniforms will be supplied to you, all free-of-charge. Your food and board is covered by the program, and you'll be allowed to eat whatever it is you want, and are encouraged to partake in local cuisine whenever you can.
The best part is.. You don't have to worry about the budget. You just let them know when you need groceries, food, clothes, anything, and they'll make sure you get it. You are warned that this comes within reason - They appear to be looking at Mammon when they explain that they won't be buying you very many frivolous goods, "So don't go asking for a car or anything of the sort."
'A car? That's where they draw the line?'
Crowley wouldn't even give you snack vouchers for Sam's shop.
Is hell more accommodating and understanding than Night Raven College? Are demons better hosts than Crowley?
Every minute of their hospitality gives you more fodder that you begin to store to leverage against him when you get back. You're going to make his life a living hell when you get back to the human world. And hey, maybe the answers to your little 'Interdimensional problem' lies here? If Crowley wouldn't/couldn't find it, surely a place chock-full of magical entities and inter-dimensional travel would have a better grasp on how to get you to your real home than some random college whose campus abducted you some years back.
Apparently you have contact with this realm's ruler - Diavolo - So that already puts you in a better position to study interdimensional magic than you ever did at Night Raven College.
---
Upon arriving to the House of Lamentation, you're relieved to see.. no dust. No broken furniture. A little saddened not to see your familiar faces - The ghosts and Grim had become like family to you. But, there's no major messes. It's a dream. In fact, it feels too good to be true. Supposedly this is the dorm for the student body's best representatives, but also the seven brothers supposedly are the only ones who live here? It's bigger than you're used to in a dorm, but also, it's quite small compared to the massive dorms of the NRC.
In some ways, you're a little relieved. Having to meet a ton of new people would have been exhausting, considering you're supposed to be on guard against potential threats. If the only people who live here are the family that's in charge of keeping you safe, it's hard to imagine they'd let harm come to you. You're already getting a sense that this 'House of Lamentation', despite its name, is going to be your home away from home away from home.
A gentleman comes down the stairs and begins insulting Mammon as he's explaining how to keep yourself safe in the event of a demon attacking you. Unlike Night Raven College, you won't be expected to fight things that want to kill you.
Demons: 14
Crowley: 0
You're introduced to Leviathan, the "Avatar of Envy". He and Mammon begin bickering, and you glean that they've been having this same fight for.. 260 years..? What is their lifespan? And Mammon, your supposed protector, immediately throws you to the wolves the first chance he gets. He uses you as bait to distract Leviathan as he takes off, telling you to put his self-defense tips to good use.
You didn't expect him to be much help, but you won't forget this. Using you as a sacrifice to save his own ass is now going to the top of your list of things you know about this guy.
Instead, however, you get dragged to this new guy's room. There's... A tub?? A large fish tank?? A lot of anime and fantasy books, all kinds of memorabilia, a tv, a gaming setup, but.. where's his bed..?
He begins gushing about some series from this world. You vaguely remember a thing or two about it when you hung out with a few Ignihyde students back at NRC. A few of them were really into what they called 'Interdimensional media' and they'd gush about the lords and their abilities and their themes.
Immediately, you can put two and two together that the seven lords from that tale almost kind of emulate the seven brothers from this dorm. It's no wonder Levi likes this story, because it tells something that feels the most real to him. He starts going on a self-indulgent tangent of jealousy over what humans have in this world compared to the demons, and you can't help but feel like you've gotten a little off-track. Why are you here? Why did he bring you here?
Mammon told you to run, this guy's the 'Avatar of Envy', and he obviously envies humans. Ah, did you just walk into a trap? On your first day?
You decide to attempt to endear yourself to him. Better for him to think you're similar than for him to think of you as an outsider, yeah? You know the lingo pretty well, and you come across as decently similar enough that you feel like you and Levi have bonded a little, even if you don't know much about what it is he's talking about. He begins to gush to you about Mammon, and how much more powerful that guy is than him.
Which is when you get to the crux of the matter: Levi wants you to make a pact with Mammon.
Ah yes. Getting dragged into bullshit. Such a familiar sensation. At least this one isn't setting you up to be beheaded, or turned to sand, or having your life force sucked outta you, having your mind controlled, or any of the other assortments of your usual brand of bullshit. And this time, you don't have an entire dorm or your ability to go home hanging over your head.
This one's much more tame. You just have to find his credit card, and extort him for a pact, and then keep him honest to his deal with Levi. And, if things go sour, you can dip the second you want to. This isn't mandatory bullshit, it's free-lance bullshit. You can opt-in or opt-out on your own terms.
And for now, it sounds like this is exactly the type of bullshit you could use. Making a pact with Mammon would mean you'd have some leverage, yeah?
And hell, what's the worst that could happen?