Chapter Text
The smell of rotting fish stung his nostrils, bringing hot tears to the corner of his eyes, and the constant swaying of the fishing boat made his stomach churn with nausea. But Iruma knew that if he were to vomit and make a scene, the captain would certainly throw a fit and dock his pay in half—not that it mattered to him anymore. Still, the last thing he wanted was another round of shouting, so he blinked away the tears, swallowed the thick bile rising in his throat, and forced himself to keep going. With a weary sigh, he tossed another spoiled fish into the murky water, watching it sink into the depths with a quiet, detached resignation.
This wasn’t the worst job he’d ever had—not by a long shot—but his circumstances made it hard to stay positive. Living in the Netherworld with his Grandpa had spoiled him with so many comforts that he had nearly forgotten what real hardship felt like. The cold, hard reality of the human world had come crashing back, and it was foolish of him to ever think those luxuries would last forever.
"Iruma! Stop slacking off!" the captain shouted from his cabin, his voice cutting through Iruma's thoughts. The gruff old man glared through the small window in the door, his eyes narrowed with irritation.
"Ah! Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" Iruma responded quickly.
The reprimand sent the boy back to his work with a jolt, his hands moving faster now as he resumed sorting the fish with a vigor that felt almost forced. In truth, he didn’t know why he was putting in so much effort, as there was no real reason to push himself this hard anymore. Yet, a part of him held on to the routine, perhaps out of some hope that keeping busy would stave off the anxiety gnawing at his insides.
He couldn’t shake the nagging hope that keeping busy would somehow make time move faster, would somehow bring Grandpa back to him sooner. He clung desperately to the belief that someone—anyone—would come to take him out of there. The thought of being abandoned in the human world was unbearable, and he didn’t know what he would do if the universe played some cruel joke, leaving him stuck here forever.
What if something went wrong? What if this is it?
The chill of the salty air stung his cheeks as he finished meticulously sorting through the final batch of fish, and with careful steps, he headed toward the storage room, ensuring he didn’t drop anything in the process.
Iruma flicked on the light, the dim bulb overhead blinking once before casting a dull, yellowish glow over the cramped space. His eyes immediately dropped to the damp floor, slick with water and streaked with fish blood, A strange, nagging feeling stirred within him. He... he recognized this room in particular. Iruma hesitated at the threshold, something clicking in the back of his mind.
The realization only hit him, as he took a tentative step forward, losing his footing on the slick surface, and landing on the cold, wet tiles with a thud. The fish slipped from his grasp and flopped uselessly beside him.
Ah.
A short, breathless laugh escaped his lips, surprising even himself. Iruma couldn't contain the nervous grin that now spread across his face as he lay there, staring up at the flickering light above him. The rhythmic buzz of the bulb created a strange sort of comfort, and he allowed his thoughts to drift.
Iruma closed his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath. Any minute now...
Naberius Kalego wasn't having a good day. Then again, "good days" were a rare commodity for him. Most of his days were bearable at best, marked by routine and punctuated only by the occasional visit from Shichiro.
The term "good" was solely reserved for those moments when his coworker would come to his office, introducing a new type of tea blend that Kalego invariably enjoyed—after all, there was nothing Shichiro made that didn’t appeal to his refined tastes—or simply engaging in conversation, providing a welcome distraction from the nosy brats he had to supervise. But today felt different. From the moment Kalego opened his eyes, he knew it was going to be one of those days—the kind where everything that could go wrong, would.
However, his irritation reached a peak when his beloved mug—the one adorned with a charming cactus, a thoughtful gift from Shichiro for his 30th birthday—slipped from his grasp. It shattered into a million pieces on the kitchen floor, the sound of breaking porcelain slicing through the morning silence. Kalego felt a deep sense of foreboding; this was clearly a bad omen.
“Fuck,” Kalego muttered under his breath, glaring at the shards scattered across the tile.
As the day wore on, his mood continued to plummet, and things only grew worse. The strain in his eyes intensified, transforming into a pounding headache that pulsed with every tick of the clock. Every task seemed to take twice as long as it should have, and each form and document felt more laborious than the last. Despite his workaholic tendencies and the pride he took in his job, he begrudgingly admitted it was beginning to take its toll. He massaged his temples, desperately trying to ward off the discomfort.
Yet today, it felt as if they had collectively decided to test the limits of his patience. Their behavior was especially grating, each interaction rubbing against his already frayed nerves. Their constant chatter resembled nails on a chalkboard, irritating him to no end. To make matters worse, Shichiro was absent from school that day, leaving Kalego to suffer through it all alone. It was more than enough to make him want to tear his hair out in frustration.
"It’s official," he thought bitterly. "Today I’m spiraling into my evil cycle. No doubt about that."
By midday, Kalego was convinced that the universe was conspiring against him. Or perhaps it was all Opera's doing—cursing him and making his day a nightmare just to fuck with him. Or maybe it was that damned fool of a principal. Probably both.
As he was finishing up a particularly mind-numbing report—thanks to one of the demons thinking it would be hilarious to cover the school rooftop with toilet paper—he suddenly felt a disorienting pull yanking him from his chair. His instincts flared, and he immediately tried to summon Cerberus for protection. But to his dismay, nothing happened.
"What the hell?" he muttered, alarm rising in his chest. He never failed in his summoning; the fact that Cerberus didn't appear only heightened his sense of impending danger. It was a chilling realization that something had gone terribly wrong.
The summoning circle flickered to life beneath him, its letters and lines glowing with a blinding intensity. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he was being pulled downward. The room around him blurred, the familiar surroundings of his office melting away into a chaotic swirl of colors and lights. The disorienting sensation caused a wave of nausea, making it difficult for him to maintain his balance. Within moments, the world around him dissolved entirely, and Kalego found himself standing in an unfamiliar, dimly lit space.
The transition was jarring, and he struggled to find his footing, feeling like he had just stepped off a spinning carousel. He scrunched his nose in disgust, trying to push past the discomfort. The air was thick with the cloying scent of incense, cheap perfumes, and something so sickly sweet that it made his mind foggy and his senses overwhelmed. The pollutant seeped into his consciousness, invading his senses and dulling his usually sharp focus. Kalego shook his head slightly, attempting to clear the haze that threatened to cloud his thoughts.
"Honey! I told you it would work!"
Kalego's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and he took in the bizarre scene unfolding before him. Creatures surrounded him, their features curiously lacking in horns, wings, tails—anything demonic. Devi, Shichiro would have a field day with this, he thought in bemusement.
Damn it. This was not how he had envisioned his day unfolding.
The woman turned to Kalego, her eyes wide with a cheerfulness that only served to further irritate him. "We summoned you because we want to make a deal," she began brightly, as if she hadn't a care in the world.
Kalego's patience was already thin, and this nonsense was wearing it even thinner. "And why shouldn't I just eat you both?" he growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The very thought of these humans, so nonchalant about the gravity of their situation, made his blood boil.
The woman didn’t even flinch. "Hmm? Because we have something you might want," she replied, tilting her head with an infuriating smile.
The man beside her nodded, his demeanor disturbingly casual. "We need money. And we're willing to offer you our son in exchange."
Kalego’s jaw tightened as disbelief coursed through him. "You want to sell your child? For money?" he echoed, incredulity and anger swirling in his chest. In the Netherworld, the idea of discarding one's offspring for any reason was unthinkable. The harsh environment made it difficult to conceive and raise children, so each one was a rare and precious gift, fiercely protected by their families. The sheer callousness of their proposal left him momentarily speechless.
"Yeah," the man said, shrugging as if it were an ordinary transaction. "We need the money more than we need him."
Kalego clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, his fury rising like a tidal wave. How could anyone be so heartless? The thought of such a precious life being treated as a mere bargaining chip infuriated him.
He knew what he was about to do was not only illogical but also very much illegal. But as the guard dog of Babyls and the protector of its students, he had a moral duty he couldn’t ignore. Abandoning this child to such scum was unthinkable. His mind raced, considering the implications, but his instincts screamed at him to act. He just couldn’t walk away from this. Not as a demon, and certainly not as an educator.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he tried to calm the storm brewing within. "I see," he said through gritted teeth, his voice a low growl. He stepped closer, his towering presence looming over them. "Give the child to me."
The parents exchanged a quick, relieved glance, misinterpreting his anger for compliance. Kalego's eyes flashed with a mixture of resolve and disdain as he extended his hand, accepting the deal.