"Krampus, you can't be doing stuff like that." The caretaker demon scolded. He had ran out of ingredients for cookies and so did most the farms in the area. He had also ran out of candy. Luckily, tonight was the night he would be taking her back to Baphomet.
If he could get everything packed up.
"NO! YOU SAID I'D GET ALL THE CANDY I WANTED!" The small demon screamed teleporting around. Her ability was annoying, with eating candy and sweets came a range of annoying powers, the worst was short teleportation, making it impossible to keep the young demon in check.
The spellcaster used all the safe trap spells he knew. They were all useless. He was kinda annoyed about it. However her attempts in trying to get him to stop packing everything up were futile. She attempted to punch her subordinate but her attacks just bounced right off.
Krampus quickly realised it wouldn't be effective and decided causing a mess would be better.
"Krampus..." The subordinate demon growled.
"Fine!" She teleported once more and out of the room.
Not even a few minutes later.
"The hell do you think you're doing?" Judgement growled with a very proud looking Krampus on her back.
"Uh, packing up Krampus' stuff." Judgement quickly realised she had been lied to. "For the love of Gaia please tell me you didn't believe whatever Krampus told you?" He sighed.
"But it's true! He bullied me!" The small demon accused.
"That! That's what you believed?" The servant demon laughed. "Isn't judging things literally your job!?"
The high prosecutor felt stupid. Very stupid. "Look... any chance you just don't bring it up again?" She'd pray to about any god right now
"On behalf all the idiot friendships around the world, I swear I will never let you live this down... until I forget in like a month or something." He put all of Krampus' suitcases into his inventory spell. He passed by Judgement picking of Krampus by the back of her collar. "Time to get going."
"I don't wanna!" The child attempted to escape but ran out of energy to teleport. So she mostly became a tornado for a good bit while being held. "I don't want to be stuck in anymore stuffy cars!"
She was expecting the adult demon to say deal with it or grow up, instead he laughed.
"Cars? So as long as we don't use a car, you'll be fine?"
"Yes!" If they weren't going to walk or drive there was no way they were gonna go back, at least that's what went through Krampus' child brain.
"Alright then, well have you said goodbye to everyone?" Krampus nodded. "We're going then."
Now Krampus was even more confused but remembered that the demon had wings and quickly became very excited. Her tantrum had quickly ceased as the young demon looked up towards the winged demon. He could see the sparkles in her eyes and placed her on his back. She held on tightly with a big smile.
She just got more and more excited as he walked out the door.
"Now you have to hold on tightly got it, even if you fall I'd catch you, but it'll make the trip longer. Got it?" The demon on his shoulders nodded confidently. She just wanted to fly.
He pulled out his grimoire and it flew out his hand, not even prompted by him, he felt like he had used it enough by this point to have it do things automatically by this point. 'Felt', he didn't actually know what was prompting it, but it was helpful, so he didn't mind.
It opened to a page, to a spell he was now much more used to.
"Révma aéros" A large white magic circle embeds itself into the ground. Wings shoot out the demon's back, he crouches down letting more magic enter the circle. A large burst of air fills the demon's wings. Launching him high into the air. When the acceleration of the spell wears off, the demon stayed flapping in the air at the same altitude he stopped at. "Hm, four-hundred meters maybe?"
While he was casually measuring himself, Krampus was in shock, she had never gone this high before. She could see the entire forest around Justice's mansion, she could even see a few farms in the edge of her vision.
"Alright, well we best get going. The fact she has multiple mansions annoys me." Her other mansion was in the Pride Ring but he needed to go to the Greed Ring this time around. At least he didn't have to run into Mammon this time around, he could sense she didn't really like him, or anyone really. He felt bad for her assistant.
Krampus was amused all the way along to the Greed Ring as Y/n performed tricks and stunts.
-Timeskip, brought to you by chibi Y/n doing loop de loops to amuse Krampus-
"So Aunt Tindira isn't a demon?" The small demon asks confused.
"I don't think so. But she won't exactly give a straight answer." The larger demon answers confused. "Apparently she actually saved Beelzebub."
They were currently in the Greed Ring, home to Baphomet's main estate. She had bought acres and acres of land, of course meaning she was just on the edge of the Ring.
"Y-y-n?" Krampus immediately started stuttering.
The demon she sat on glared. "Yeah, I see it..."
Ruins. Complete and utter ruins.
Where the mansion would have stood, all that was left, was a foundation and some rubble, the surrounding nature which probably thrived was burnt and rotting.
A screech was heard at the end of the estate which was a beacon for the flying demon. However he soon came upon the actual battlefield, weapons littered, bodies dropped, beasts slain.
Baphomet was bleeding on the ground, conscious, her two bodyguards barely standing by her side. A good while away there was a small army of variously dressed people, hunters, probably been hired from a guild, they looked like it in Y/n's eyes.
However one of them stood out, a man in a completely black suit. He looked like... "A noble... shit..."
It was a noble fight, to absorb Baphomet's resources. This was the trouble, this why she had him look after Krampus.
The annoying thing was he couldn't interfere. It was one of the rules to a more civilised society, it was law. Not even Lucifer could let it slide. Only the respective Overseer of the Ring could interrupt and that was only under certain circumstances.
It was a spell. A realm wide spell. That's how Lucifer made the rules, hundreds of years ago.
He could only watch.
A mage readied some sort of living dead branches.
And hope.
Another reading a flaming blade.
They'd survive.
An archer pulling back the bow string.
"AUNTIE! SUBORDINATE HELP THEM!"
Oh yeah. Technically he was Krampus' caretaker. Working under Baphomet.
The cracking of branches. The snapping of arrows. The immediate dispersion of fire.
All that was left was a clean transparent shield.
Slow. To damn slow.
"AUNTIE!" The small demon was a sobbing mess in Baphomet's arms.
The goat woman looked up at the demon in confusion, only those who worked for her would be allowed to interfere or the consequences would be dire.
The demon met her eyes. "I'm still technically taking care of Krampus, so I'm gonna need my payment for overtime." The demon smiled.
If Baphomet wasn't as injured as she was now, she get up and kiss him. Even if she knew that Y/n was doing this more for Krampus and the grimoire, she'd still do it. The demon motioned towards her bodyguards that they could rest, and they immediately took him up on the offer falling unconscious. Probably not good but they should be fine.
"What the fuck!" The man in the suit spoke.
"I guess one of their mages came late... with a child?" The archer spoke out with their naturally good eyesight.
"A child!? Are they mocking me! I am a knight underneath the Wealthy Mammon!"
Y/n couldn't be bothered to listen into their conversation with a spell anymore. "Frágma thólou" He walks past his transparent shield as it morphs into a dome surrounding the group.
The demon began talking to himself while walking forward. "Get it down clean an-" He raises his hand a clutches. "And quick." He stares at the arrow in his grip, before letting it roll out his hand. "She's a good shot, her first." The archer felt a chill up her spine. His wings shot out his back once again. "Ákro san atsáli" The soft skin of his wings quickly hardened into a material akin to steel. He kept walking while bending his wings in front of himself.
As he got closer the more and more spells and projectiles were thrown at him. His newly hardened wings took the brunt of the damage.
"Nope." His wings retracted and he spun to the left dodging a sword. "Nah." He tilted his head to dodge another slash. "Nuh-uh." He grabbed the swordsman's arm. "Your technique needs work." A singular punch took the guy out.
Y/n could tell. That guy got lucky surviving the battle they had. All he had was a flame blade, not much.
The powerhouses were standing near that guy.
Justice and Judgement was gonna be pissed that they missed this. So was Pandemonica.
The guy in the suit was just shouting orders. Y/n looked over at Baphomet, his book flew in front of his face. "Sýndesmos sképsis" Baphomet's head suddenly panged. "Baphomet can you hear me?"
The goat demon looked over at the staring demon. She cautiously answered back in her thoughts "Y/n? Is that you?"
"Yup, mind linking spell. Conditions for the battle?"
Immediately Baphomet becomes deadly serious. "All opposing sides must be incapacitated, whether temporarily or indefinitely."
"Want to explain why you'd agree to stupid ass terms like that."
"He's a branch from a family owned mining company, sure he's Mammon's knight but he's not exactly the smartest or strongest tool in the shed. I thought I could win and I was wrong, he used some dirty tactics, I should've been better, most of my workers and guards were preparing for attacks in other weak points. I didn't think he'd come straight here."
To be fair it was Baphomet's main home. Y/n would've probably made the same mistake.
"So are all of them-?"
"They are all his main combatants, hired hunters I think. If they're gone and him. I win. As long as I don't go unconscious between now and when they get the shit beaten out of them." She laughs inside her own head.
That was really all he needed. Just lay them out and he wins.
His wings stretched out before returning into his back and he broke the link to Baphomet.
He'd have to get his clothes fixed by Beelzebub when he got back, or he might just have to buy some new ones entirely.
The demon began walking forward once again. He needed to taunt them some how. There was a large man, much larger then the others, even bigger then a minotaur demon, yet his appearance was pretty basic. He carried a large battle-axe, he seemed like the easiest one to taunt.
He swept his hand across the rotting soil underneath him and spoke. "Dimiourgía: me pétrino sfyrí" As his hand swept upward off the ground, pebbles and stones came with it creating a sort of staff out of it, then a large burst of dirt erupted upwards as a perfectly shaped boulder sat on the staff. He created a war-hammer and use it to point at the man.
He then shook his head no, and pointed at the other melee fighters. He said that the demon was not good enough for a fight.
The battle-axe did not appreciate that at all.
The man leapt forward like he was as swift as the wind, especially for a man with his stature. A crack was heard as the hammer connected with the axe, the axe head was stuck in the stone.
The servant demon kept pushing the other. The larger demon was surprised at the amount of strength he presented, but even if it was impressive for his size, there's no way he could push this legendary hunter ba-
Scrape.
The noise his feet made. He had been pushed back by this calm demon. And he was wearing a suit as well, he was one of the strongest hunters, he was even nominated to be a knight for Sathanas for his potential. Yet this smaller mage demon was pushing him back. Who was he?
No, it had to be an artefact somewhere. It was probably the suit. It had to be, there's no way a sane person would wear a suit to a noble battle.
He immediately remembered a young woman he fought years ago. No sane person... No, he could feel the magic coming from the young demon, he was too young to have a mass amount of magic like that, the suit was the issue.
Dead vines had wrapped around the young demons ankles. He used this chance to put all his strength in a barge and try to push the suited man off balance. However...
"Aren't you supposed to be like a great hunter or something, at least when that was my main job you were?" The same demon trapped by the vines was now on standing left arm, bees buzzing by his head.
The large demon was confused. He had been a hunter, had the demon mistaken his age? The demon was awoken from his thoughts with a quick kick in the face.
"Don't ponder in battle." Y/n jumped off his shoulder, and quickly dashed away grabbing the pulling the war-hammer off the axe while doing so.
"Aren't you supposed to work together! Hurry up and kill him!" The man in the suit screamed. Greed knights obviously weren't accustomed to doing things themselves.
The hunters got their shit together pretty fast. They probably worked together in som capacity, he only really recognised the big guy, but other than that. Not a clue.
Finally the challenge properly came. The vanguard first, a swordsman and the axe man. The swordsman was fast and no idiot, he had immediately heard the chanting and made it his job to interrupt. Every-time he tried to speak, his sword travelled by his face. Luckily he could dodge that.
He tried to swing his war-hammer up against the swordsman, but the axe warrior had brought his axe down on top of the head, destroying his creation. Y/n had to coat his fists in mana to block the wide swings, all while dodging the swordsman's fierce attacks.
The bowstring twanged, as the skilled archer using it kept barraging the distance with arrows. Y/n could kick away most of them in the midst of dodging but some would still fly by, they bent like they had a mind of their own.
This was not caused by the archer, but by the dead nature mage creating infinite arrows made of wood for the archer.
Even so, the servant continued to dance between the weaponry, both aggravating and impressing the hunters. The servant dodged a downwards sweep from the swordsman, going horizontal in the air, barely dodging the axe. For a split second the axe man and servant looked at each other, the servant had his hand up pointing at him.
In that moment the servant was releasing a wave of mana from his finger, it quickly ignited into flames straight into the warrior's face. He dashed back clutching his face.
A dried up plant appeared beneath him and started shooting out spores, the swordsman quickly backed up. However the spellcaster had no fear.
The magician sniffed the air. "Hmm, honey!" He hummed. His bees near his face, releasing pollen like a mask. The rotting mage in the distance was mortified, it looked like he was having a field day in the deadly poison, it was an insult to his craft.
A noise came from below him, a buzzing sound. He looked around, but couldn't see anything, it took him a moment before overwhelming fear took him. The ground it was green. The rotting black it used to be had disappeared. He looked back to Y/n, who was still standing in the poisonous cloud, he was smiling.
He was smiling at the fact his suspicion was confirmed by the fear in his face.
It was probably his ability, dead plants was equal to his fuel. His fuel could be healed by the bees. He was pretty much useless. So that was the bees job, he sent them away to go heal the land. To ruin that man's life.
Y/n squashed the spore-spewing plant. He quickly ran straight forward to the swordsman. He readied his sword, preparing for a fight however what he didn't expect was magic circles surrounding him at all angles.
"Are you the honourable kind or the slash-now talk-later kind?" The servant demon walked up, blocking another arrow while doing so.
"I'm the kind who just wants to learn more about the sword and be good at it." Both stared at each other. He was familiar, he was a young demon, younger then himself, it was like he had seen him before.
However before he got to ask why.
"YOU BASTARD! LEAVE HIM ALONE"
The servant demon was whacked a way by the larger demon, who used the side of his axe. It was completely unexpected, he didn't even hear him, he rolled along the ground, he manoeuvred his body to claw at he ground and he was crouched again. Only to be hit again.
He was definitely just testing his strength before.
He quickly caught himself this time. He watched as the larger man held his axe above his head and brought it down. The ground shook, the trees uprooted, what was left of the ruins rumbled.
The man's ability was to cause earthquakes. Immediately the demon's wing unfurled to counteract this. That was a mistake, two holes were made in both.
He had underestimated them.
That was his mistake.
He took a moment to breathe in and out, to analyse his situation. And only that breath.
The axe was about to hit. Sword trapped. Arrows on their way. Mage distracted.
A burst of wind hit the demon's feet. It launched him forward, it was close, but the axe didn't hit and the man wielding it couldn't dodge the throat punch. Even if there was a small reaction to it, the reaction was good enough for the servant to take advantage of it.
The large man immediately realised what was going on. There was something in his guts, it wasn't a sword or a knife though it was as sharp as one, it was debris or a bit of armour though it was just as sturdy as that. It was the demon's hand, it had pierced through three layers of quality enchanted armour and continued into his guts.
But even considering the predicament he was in, he laughed.
"Too late..." The demon dropped his axe and fell backwards clutching the bleeding wound he had gained.
The sounds of pounding footsteps, a lot of them and all coming in quickly. Beasts, that's why there were so many carcasses, he'd alerted them with earthquakes.
Two unconscious people, one bleeding out and a child. Perfect prey. A scream confirmed that, specifically, Krampus' scream.
Wolves scraped the top of the shield, the energy poured into it was running out, it was cracking, Baphomet had Krampus underneath her, Baphomet kept still, hoping if they broke through, that she would be first, maybe they'd ignore the demon she held.
However the scratching stopped, instead was grunts and whimpering. She looked up, the servant demon was back.
He wasn't as calm as before. He wasn't even using spells, he was just covering his body in magic and using it to kill the beasts, some he slammed into the barrier, some he broke the noses of, it didn't matter, they all died.
More beasts were attracted towards the sound and so they came, boars charged into him, lizards bit, more and more.
The mage was terrified. The axe-demon impressed. The archer stopped shooting after even shooting two arrows into his back did nothing. But the swordsman smiled. Even though he had no escape, he smiled.
Y/n' forearms were covered in blood. He was weak, tired, but he couldn't stop, he probably had enough in him to incapacitate the rest of them.
He breathed out heavily, been a bit since he fought like that. He moved a hand to the left, his grimoire appeared by it. His head hurt but he continued. "Iremistikó kýma" His head felt clear for a few solid seconds, his thoughts quickly collected. He didn't use the spell often but he did enjoy using it when he needed to.
His frown quickly changed back to his usual smile, his face relaxed.
He looked around. The hunters had given up. They weren't going to fight him.
Not after what just happened now.
The demon walked up to the swordsman. The younger demon immediately spoke. "I yield." He sword was already in it's sheathe.
"Uh, what?"
Y/n immediately dashed away, hearing the deep voiced man behind him, he was using his axe as a walking stick, clutching his wound still. "Fast..." Considering all that, he was still a threat.
"This is the guy I was looking for!" The young demon excitedly shouted out.
"Right so you definitely know me, so I should know you. Correct?" The demon had now completely lowered his guard to everything.
The mage had been taken care of, he even had a flower crown on his head, courtesy of his bees. The swordsman was trapped. The large demon obviously listened to the trapped demon, so he was considered trapped as well. The archer demon gave up, even if he did hit him which was barely, he didn't even seem to bothered by the arrows in his back.
He quickly refocused. "Remind me. who are you?" Y/n felt sort of embarrassed that he couldn't remember, especially since he was ready to kill him when he was looking for the servant.
"It's me! During the servant fight! You healed me right!" He had a huge smile on his face.
The large demon beside him eye's widened. It was him, one of the most ruthless demons that had existed, The Sadist's Assistant, Justice's Eyes, Lucifer's Ward. He was prepared to bow down. Why? Some may ask. He fought well against him, that's because he was still alive, no vital organs were hit and he had seen people hold back anger up close.
He heard all the stories about this demon. He was less scary then the stories, which somehow made him scarier.
"Oh it's you." The cage of spells that had lasted indefinitely around the swordsman disappeared immediately. "How are you? Did your wounds heal well?"
"Yes they healed amazingly thanks to you!" He thanked the demon.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A TOP PARTY!" The suited man walked over with a magic knife in hand. As he got closer and closer though, his face contorted more and more.
Fear.
He had seen this demon up close and personal. The Bloody Butler. The way he killed his enemies. Most nobles knew his name, it was common knowledge to them. Servants it was the complete opposite, they had nothing but respect, even lower noble houses would be respectful.
However this was not common knowledge to Y/n. He didn't interact with nobles, or really anyone outside the mansion and he didn't really have any idea on current affairs. He kinda closed himself off, because reality was pretty awful.
"Look, I kinda beat you guys could I just knock you guys out and be done with it. That'd be great." The servant asked politely.
"I w-will never let you defeat me in battle, y-you mongrel!" The noble demon stuttered.
"I'm a pure Hellborn thanks." The demon said somewhat insulted.
It didn't take long for him to be soon knocked out on the ground. He was getting to used to using the sleeping dust.
"So were you looking for me to say thanks? Because if so it was nothing." The helpful demon was pretty alright knowing the young demon was okay.
"I appreciate it but that's not why I was looking for you." He scratches the back of his head. "I'm looking to be-"
"Hold that thought." The servant demon holds up a finger.
Quickly the minds of both demons go blank as they fall to the ground, the same happens with the mage and archer. Sleeping pollen.
"That was a lot easier then I was expecting." He looked at the larger demons face, he crouched down before putting his palm near his face. "Exoterikí Therapeía" The large burn mark on his face began to heal. He did the same with the stab wound.
He began walking to the translucent dome where he heard hysterical laughter. He got close enough to see that Baphomet was the source. He cleared the dome and Baphomet stared directly at him, Krampus was even sitting still, by Baphomet's orders presumably, it worried the demon so he didn't move.
"I almost just lost everything, my monopoly, my workers, my life. And then you come in, not just saving all of that, but getting me all this beautiful property!" She holds up deeds to various locations. "What will it take?" She looks up completely serious.
"Baphomet, I was just joking about the overtime-" He just wanted the book. That was it. And to suggest himself in case Krampus' needed taking care of.
"I am not messing around anymore, however many resources." She was currently bleeding out and still making deals.
"Baphomet. Please, you're like this close to dying." He goes to quickly heal her and her bodyguards before anything else. He could feel her eyes on him at all times.
"Do not ignore me." The goat lady spoke. The servant demon turned. "I made a simple mistake that almost destroyed everything and you came and cleared it up instantly... I need you. Anything you could possibly ask for and it's yours! I'd hunt every single copy of those books, access to Earth, I'd fight against any noble house with you!" She looked at the tattoos on his hands. "I have a potion! It completely cleanses the body, no pacts, no contracts, not even Lucifer's survive. You could have a completely exclusive deal with me!"
'Useless!' 'How could something so weak be related to her.' 'Your mother would be ashamed.'
Now that last one was something he was interested in. The tattoo on his nape. He wanted that gone more then anything, he tended to block it out of his mind, because bad thoughts tended to come up.
He wanted it. More then the book. More then being a servant. More then just being helpful in general.
He had never wanted something so bad before.
It was such a strange feeling, so much so his face showed the emotion. And Baphomet could see it.
However before either party could act on it.
Someone interesting appeared.
"What in the ever-loving fuck happened here? Brother!" A new demon called out, looking quite familiar.
Baphomet sighs. However she knew that the demon would stay according to his reaction. "I don't suppose you could help out a bit longer, do you?"
"Nothing but time. Nothing, but, time." The servant demon spoke.
Baphomet's smile got bigger. She had something he wanted.