Momonoki had gone to that party just as a formality, but she never thought she would have fun.
Sullivan was a very understanding boss with everyone, as well as being very friendly in general when he didn't show the dark side of him. He always wanted all the teachers to have their fun time after a great job at Babyls, and that night he wasn't going to make an exception. Everyone was going to have a happy time, including serious people like Kalego.
That night, he had invited all the teachers and part of the upper class of the Netherworld to hold a special celebration, according to him to commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Babyls insignia and the fact that Iruma had ranked up. And once he delivered the invitations, almost everyone went excitedly to Sullivan's mansion. Everyone knew that the reason was a cheap excuse because there were debates about when the badge was made and it was normal that Iruma did achievement every week, but it was a party in which was covered by Sullivan himself. No demon was going to miss a fun time with everything being paid by him.
Among all the guests, there was Momonoki. She wasn't one of the girls who liked to go out too much to parties, but she had gone because many of her close ones had convinced her to go and have a good time, and her grandfather had gone to visit his family's home, so she could feel free to have a small drink. Dressed in elegant and charming clothing, she arrived accompanied by her trustworthy friends and her great prince charming.
The mansion only had certain special decorations, but overall, it was the typical director's mansion. Luxurious, spaced out, full of food and perfectly lit. It was a meeting where some of the 13 crowns and many of the Babyls teachers were present. And there in the middle of everyone, Opera was serving the food with the help of Iruma, thanking the presence of each guest in his home.
Although the place looked normal for a high-ranking party, Momonoki only wanted to be next to Kalego and Raim since she didn't want some stranger to approach her, knowing that not all demons had good intentions with someone at such parties. However, that plan went up in smoke just an hour later, because Opera and Balam dragged Kalego towards them because they wanted to celebrate like old times, while Raim went to dance with some of the guests.
She was surrounded by many people, but she felt alone. There was no one else for her to hang out with, and most of her colleagues were drinking wine or just chatting on some corners, which wasn't much to her taste. So, to distract herself she went to drink something refreshing at the main fountain.
At the fountain, she poured herself some lemonade with ice, which was enough to calm her nerves a little and kill her boredom. She headed to a corner of the table while she looked at the clock occasionally, to see what time Kalego cleared up, because the party wasn't fun without him by her side. She sighed, knowing that she had to wait a long time knowing how Opera and Balam were like with him. After finishing her glass, she turned her body towards the fountain again to pour more lemonade but ended up hitting a demon that had arrived at that place without her realizing it.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"Don't worry." A male voice answered him.
The girl recognized that voice everywhere. It was there that she looked up and a familiar face appeared in front of her, leaving her paralyzed for a few seconds. The demon was paralyzed in the same way because he also knew her.
It was an old friend of her, Corvus. A demon who was her classmate for a good number of years when she was in her times of stress and learning. He had blue hair, black pupils with light blue eyes, black horns, a slim figure and of normal height. He was a master of magic, but he had focused on spells that were taboo and dangerous to cast.
At first glance, he looked like a cold and ruthless demon. However, his personality was very contrary to the dark figure he had. He was a friendly demon and someone who loved to show a positive attitude. Once he realized that it was Momonoki, he hugged her with happiness at seeing his friend again. Momonoki did the same, excited to have met her old friend at that party. It was a reunion after a long time.
It was from that moment that Momonoki began to enjoy the party. She began to talk to him about the news and goals she had set in her life, including her work as a teacher at Babyls and her new experiences since she had that position. Corvus listened attentively to her friend, surprised at everything she had achieved. He still remembered that her main goal was to enter Babyls, and she had achieved it after a lot of effort according to what she said.
On his side, Corvus told her all his adventures he had as a spirit walker once he graduated. He had control of a spirit that almost always followed him and was like his familiar in a sense, in addition to being able to make writings about taboo spells and how to make them less lethal for any demon that wants to cast them. Momonoki had the same reaction he had when she told him of her accomplishments, impressed at how Corvus had mastered spells she considered dangerous.
They both shared their adventures and their crazy goals, missing the times where they helped each other on schoolwork. Now they had grown up a lot and had achieved great things in their lives. As they talked, Momonoki felt more cheerful than usual. Her old school friend was back, not thinking that she was going to find him at Director Sullivan's casual party. She asked him for his number to keep in touch with him, excited to know much more about his life.
Their conversation was interrupted by a small power outage, but a few seconds later, the main spotlights illuminated the dance floor, with the director's words being brief and concise for everyone.
"Free yourselves and have fun, this party has just begun."
Some began to bring certain demons to the dance floor, including some of Momonoki's colleagues. She wanted to dance with Kalego, but she knew she couldn't because he was spending time with Opera and Balam. For a moment, she only thought about sitting and talking with her friend; however, she was greatly surprised when Corvus invited her to dance.
"Well, it's an order from one of the Three Great, so, if you'll allow me, Momonoki."
Corvus bowed his hand before her, making the image of a knight. Momonoki knew how much of a joker he was, so she accepted his invitation and they both went to the dance floor.
It was a slow and safe dance. They moved like two free butterflies, light in their movements and spinning while the music calmed the atmosphere. Momonoki looked at his friend's smile, a smile that she missed seeing after every passed exam. Corvus was a good dancer, even lifting Momonoki into the air to make her feel like she was floating. In her case, she made him twist his own body on that small stage, almost making him fall, but he was able to catch himself in time. The demon could still remember that friend who had her style of humor even though she looked very shy.
The few who saw Corvus and Momonoki dance thought how cute they looked on stage, and there was no doubt that they were both having fun. Both demons were laughing and enjoying a unique moment after having been separated for a few good years. But what they both didn't know was that not everyone was looking at them with good eyes.
After finishing dancing, they both headed back to the main fountain of drinks. They took something else to recover some energies, and a few minutes later, Momonoki said that she had to fix her hair in the bathroom. She left for a moment, leaving Corvus at the table taking his drink.
It was there that two dark eyes began to approach Corvus from behind him. Some eyes that were somewhat hostile and gloomy.
"I see you know Momonoki, right?"
The male voice made Corvus turn around suddenly, being greeted by the dark figure of Kalego. His tall, intimidating figure made him a little nervous.
"Emm, good evening sir... sorry, I don't know your name."
"Kalego. Naberius Kalego. You don't need to tell me yours, Corvus."
Corvus also had some fear of certain evil-looking demons, and anyone who knew Kalego would have that perspective. He was very different from the type of demons he liked. But Kalego noticed how he became more nervous when he mentioned his full name. It was as if that name had brought Corvus flashbacks that he didn't want to remember.
Kalego looked at the insignia on Corvus's shoulder, analyzing the demon he had in front of him.
"So, you are a Zayin rank. I am surprised to see new faces here at this party."
"W-well, I received an invitation from Mister Sullivan, and I came to represent my family."
Corvus didn't lie at the end of the day, his honesty was remarkable even though he could sometimes make too many jokes. Sullivan had sent the invitations through Opera, and Corvus had been one of the official guests on the list.
"I see. And I think you also know well the family of the girl you danced with, right?"
"Yes, technically I know them." Corvus said, trying to remain composed. "Momonoki has been my classmate when we were little demons, so our joy was great when we saw each other here again."
"Perfect, I'm glad to know you're not someone looking to hurt her."
"What do you mean?"
Although there were many demons around the place, the light focused on the dance floor and the fun that many of them were having made Corvus feel trapped with Kalego. No one focused on the conversation between the two demons.
"There are certain demons who don't know anything about respect, not even some personal space. There are some who are unbearable, irritating and who don't know the value of a lady like her. And knowing that certain demons have tried to threaten my treasure, I wouldn't mind taking drastic measures against those who try to damage her integrity right here right now."
"I-I'm not looking for any problems with Momonoki, I can assure you that."
"If that's the case, then you wouldn't mind getting away from her, right? You know, to corroborate that your words are true."
Corvus was scared. Kalego acted in a hostile, lethal and ready to kill manner. He couldn't continue the conversation, because he felt that, if he said something bad or wrong to Kalego, he would probably end up six feet under.
"Remember that the sincerity of a demon is always demonstrated by actions." Kalego's smile turned malicious, putting Momonoki's friend on a lot of nerves. "If you say you know Momonoki and you're not looking for doing something... daring with her, then you have to understand that there are limits. And I think you know that, if you don't do what I tell you, there may be... not so good outcomes for your integrity."
At that moment, Momonoki arrived at the table again, carrying her small bag and showing the same smile as always. Kalego's face changed instantly, while Corvus didn't know what to do.
"Hey Kalego! How nice that you are here, what did I miss?"
"Oh, hello honey. I was just meeting this special guest..."
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A small smoke covered him before he continued speaking, and a few seconds later, Kalego realized that he was transformed into a familiar. He looked around him, being surrounded by some of his colleagues along with a student he recognized anywhere.
Kalego focused his eyes on Iruma, seeing that he had an entire box of sandwiches in one of his hands with a summoning seal in the other.
"I'm so sorry sensei! But they offered me food!"
Although he had always told Iruma not to transform him in moments that weren't serious or important, he could fall quickly into the temptation of food. You didn't have to be an analyst to see that Kalego was furious at being transformed into a cotton ball.
"Hey Iruma! Why..."
However, Balam quickly approached him, interrupting him, instantly grabbing him very easily and preventing him from saying another word.
"Wait a minute, we need to talk about whether he's going to pay for the beers."
"Hey! The director said that...!"
"We'll be right back." Balam put his hand on Kalego's mouth to prevent him from saying any further words.
His colleagues laughed and watched with tenderness as Kalego tried to free himself from Balam without success. Even Opera raised his ears too quickly, showing that they were laughing at Kalego for being in that adorable shape. Iruma, even though he felt bad for having transformed Kalego into a familiar, couldn't stop eating because at the end of the day, they were good sandwiches.
Kalego didn't know what was worse. That humiliation that was probably done by Opera and Balam, or the fact that Corvus brought bad vibes in general.
Both demons headed to the backyard of the Sullivan mansion, and once they got there, Balam released Kalego to catch some air. He looked angry, but it was impossible to tell that he looked threatening with that chinchilla form.
"Hey, why did you all make Iruma transform me into this?" Kalego asked immediately.
"Calm down Kalego. I just saved you from doing something stupid." Balam responded.
"What are you talking about?"
It was there that he discovered that it was Balam who had given Iruma the order to transform him in exchange for sandwiches. But he didn't understand what he meant by "having saved him."
"Man, maybe you don't see it or you're just stupid to not recognize it, but you're jealous."
For a moment, Kalego was confused, it even got to the point that he almost burst out laughing at what his friend said. However, Balam didn't loook like someone who was joking.
"What?"
"Kalego, you don't fool me. That person who is with Momonoki is making you angry. I know your look and your movements when you want to attack someone. And believe me, you wouldn't want Opera to hit you if you hurt someone for no reason."
It was there that he knew that Balam was seeing him from a distance. He saw how he acted in an almost hostile manner against Corvus, and it wasn't necessary to hear much of their conversation to know that Kalego was making the demon uncomfortable. Balam knew when Kalego could bring out his darker side, and he knew that if he caused a disaster, he could not only receive a punch from Opera that would send him to the hospital for a full week, but he could also disappoint Momonoki for his actions.
"I dont trust him. That's all." Kalego responded.
"He isn't someone bad or someone who wants to return to the origins. Also, his family has been close to the Morax, they have no history of war or anything like that."
"Is Corvus someone close to them?"
"Yes, she told me that in the first days she arrived in Babyls. I thought you still had her resume when it was your turn to be her mentor, there she mentioned people who were close to her family so that there would be transparency in the staff and there would not be any infiltrators."
Kalego remembered that Opera had made a mess on his organization of papers, so Momonoki's file must have been hidden somewhere in his office. However, that was a minor issue for him, he wanted to ask more important things.
"Did I really look jealous?"
"Well Kalego." Balam started to say. "Honestly yes, anyone who could see you and knew your relationship with Momonoki would know that you were jealous of Corvus. And it's normal that you couldn't hide it. You had never been good with feelings, you never knew it was jealousy until I told you today, you were always cold in Raim's little sessions when she tried to explain things about love and friendship to us; and well, you always look mean."
"It's not necessary to say all that, you know?" Kalego said, wanting his friend to stop saying how stupid he was when it came to love and feelings.
Suddenly, a female voice interrupted their conversation.
"Kalego!"
Kalego and Balam turned their gaze to see the girl who was the main topic of conversation.
"Momonoki?"
"I finally found you."
The girl looked tired, probably from having been looking for Kalego all over the mansion. Both teachers began to stare at her, waiting for her to catch her breath after taking a long walk. After all, Sullivan's mansion was very large.
"What happened honey? What were you summoned for? You vanished in front of me, and I got worried because I thought something serious had happened."
"Don't worry Momonoki. I just needed him to tell me something about the drinks there. Nothing serious." Balam responded.
For a moment Kalego wondered why Balam suddenly changed the subject, but he quickly realized that it was to prevent Momonoki from feeling bad. He decided to follow his friend's game.
"Yes, it was a small thing, but it's now solved. Now I'm just waiting that the effect of the seal ends so I can return to normal."
Momonoki felt more relieved to hear both of their words, because she had actually thought the worst. Although she liked Kalego's cute form when he was a familiar, she knew that summoning him meant that he had something important to do with Iruma.
"Alright honey. I was worried because that summoning had been very sudden."
If there was one thing he had always loved about her, it was that she was probably the only demon who took an interest in his health and well-being. Momonoki always focused on his mental state, she calmed him down in moments of high stress and gave him a hand when he needed some help. All his colleagues joked and didn't take him seriously, but Momonoki made his work worthwhile. She was the perfect girl.
However, he needed some answers from her now. He had already heard Balam's perspective, but he needed to check if what he said was true. Unknowingly, feelings of jealousy still lingered in his mind.
"By the way. Are you ok? Hasn't anything strange happened with that man?"
"Oh, with Corvus? No, nothing strange my love. We were talking about everything we did in these years that we didn't see each other. Although, I didn't expect to see him at Sullivan's mansion today. We took the opportunity to dance and have some drinks, and well, I wanted to introduce him to you, but Iruma summoned you when I arrived. By the way, he was a little nervous around you, did something happen?"
It coincided very much with what Balam had said. He didn't look like someone bad, that's what he was sure of. Still, he needed to know more. He decided to continue the conversation looking for a quick answer to his girlfriend's question.
"No. Nothing happened. Maybe he didn't know what to say at the time, I don't know."
"Heh, I think I understand." Momonoki said innocently. "Corvus told me his dream was to meet a Naberius in person. When I told him that you were my boyfriend, he was shocked. He couldn't believe that I had someone strong like you as a partner, and he was happy to know that I was next to a unique and special demon in the Netherworld."
His chest felt relieved once he heard those words, but at the same time, he was surprised at what she said. At least he was sure that Corvus was not someone... disrespectful to her, plus that demon understood that he was in a relationship with Momonoki. But he didn't know that the Naberius was a family that Corvus was interested in investigating.
"He wants to get to know you more. If you knew everything he wrote about your family over the years, you would be surprised."
Kalego didn't know of anyone who also genuinely noticed his family, other than just Momonoki and a few who read about the Naberius out of obligation. He didn't care in the end if he had scared the demon, although he also felt that Corvus deserved a better introduction from him. Maybe Balam was right and had acted a little hostile, but at least Momonoki had already given him a better context of the situation. And it hadn't end up with anyone in the hospital, whether it was Corvus or him.
"I see." Kalego responded.
Balam knew by hearing his voice that he had already calmed down. He understood well that Kalego was bad with those new feelings, and he was happy to have given him a hand. He deserved some happiness, and he didn't want that jealousy to ruin the trust he and Momonoki had built for a long time.
Knowing that his friend was feeling better, he knew it was time for the three of them to celebrate again.
"Hey Momonoki, how about we go back to the dance floor and this time you dance with Kalego? He would love it, and I could take care of suggesting a song that you both like."
"Of course, Balam. Although, I'll better wait for him to return to normal."
"Alright, I'll see you guys on the dance floor!"
Balam walked away from the place, leaving the couple to have some time alone. There they were both talking about how the party was going so far, enjoying that conversation with some laughs and hugs. Momonoki couldn't resist hugging Kalego in his familiar form, but there was no problem, because she was the only one who could touch him without problems.
On Kalego's side, at least he overcame one of the most classic couple problems. He was happy that he had the best girl next to him, and he was sure that their relationship was a strong and genuine one. He still didn't understand much about love, but he had the basis and the heart that every gentleman should have. And that made his relationship with Momonoki almost perfect.
Maybe Corvus wasn't evil. But still, he was going to be watching him because at the end of the day, Momonoki was his.
And no one was going to take her away from him.