Why was I suddenly so nervous?
Perhaps it was because I was about to deliberately disobey a powerful demon who could easily snap me like a wafer, or perhaps it was due to the fact that the last time I had climbed such steep stairs I had rolled back down like a fleshy pinball.
Nah, this is fine. Worst case scenario, I die.
Taking a deep breath, and taking one final look around to make sure nobody was nearby, I began to ascend. I was positive that I had heard something up there. Someone. There was no way I could just forget about it.
About halfway up, I took a break to lean against the bannister, already out of breath. Physical activity had never really been a strong suit of mine, and I cursed the fact that there were no elevators in the House of Lamentation.
"Maybe being smited by a demon would be more pleasant..." I muttered under my breath, groaning as I pushed myself to finish the unholy climb. There was a time limit, after all. Satan could only distract Lucifer for so long.
When I reached the top, it was safe to say I was wildly underwhelmed. It was just another room, exactly like the others. The only difference was that there were bars blocking the arched entrance from the stairwell.
"Who are you..?" The sound of another voice caused me to leap backwards, hand flying to clutch my chest so my heart wouldn't burst out and splatter the walls. A figure moved closer to the bars from the opposite side, his deep navy hair covering part of his face.
A...boy? Lucifer, you creepy son of a bitch...
"Uh...sup, my dude..?" Giving the captive guy an awkward wave, I shuffled just a little closer, my fight or flight instincts lagging. "I'm (Y/N), I, um, lowkey got kidnapped by demons for the year." There was something off about his momentary critical gaze, but I chose to stand and wait until his face eased into a small smile.
"It's nice to finally see another human. I've been up here for so long. I'm actually surprised you managed to find me..." He sounded relieved, sure, but I wasn't buying it. I knew I was typically dumber than a box of rocks, but I definitely knew that humans didn't have violet eyes.
"Sorry, but...you're totally a demon. I mean, your eyes, man. Human's don't get cool aesthetic shit like that unless they splurge on cosplay contacts." I pointed out, noting how, just for a moment, his face dropped.
"Okay...yeah...you got me...Sorry, I just wasn't sure if you'd help me if you knew I was one of them..." The mysterious captive admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lucifer locked me up. I never even did anything wrong...I just didn't want to do the whole exchange thing..."
Wait a diddly darn fucking minute...
"You're Beel's twin! Bessie, or whatever your name is! Beefy? Bellemy?" Names really weren't my strong suit. Taken aback, and obviously a little annoyed by my blatant idiocy, the demon cleared his throat and moved closer to the barrier.
"Belphegor. So, Beel has mentioned me, has he? It's nice to know he misses me..." That was definitely the truth. I could see it written all over him, and I felt bad. Why would Lucifer lock him up? Was this one of his famous punishments I was always getting threatened with? If so, I wasn't exactly keen to experience it first hand.
"Yeah...he really does miss you. Damn, and you've been above him the whole time? Oh! I can go get him! He'd be so exci-"
"No!" I jumped when Belphegor shouted, again clutching my chest as I watched him come to the realisation of his reaction. "S..sorry, just...no. If Beel, or any of the others, found out about it...they'd lose it. You don't want to find out what happens when a demon loses it."
Yeah, nah, definitely not.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I tried to assess the situation. Belphegor was trapped in this room, by Lucifer, and none of his brothers know about it. He doesn't want them to know, but he wants my help? My brain wasn't quite able to keep up.
"So...what do you want me to do, then? I'm less of a heroic character. More like the comedy relief. Unless this door can be unlocked by cringy jokes and self depreciation, I'm useless." Scuffing the toe of my boot against the floor, I waited for him to tell me what to do. That was, if he even knew.
"Have you heard of a pact..?" That word had been coming up a lot lately, and I started to wonder if it was a bigger deal than I initially thought.
"Yup. Beel asked me to pact with him not too long ago. Why? Will it help?" My answer seemed to stun the demon into silence, and I just stood there awkwardly.
"He...already..?" Shaking himself out of it, Belphegor straightened his shoulders, fixing his posture as though it would make me realise that this was a serious conversation. "Yes, it will help. If you're able to pact with all six of my brothers, then this door will be able to be unlocked. It's the only way to get me out without anyone getting hurt."
It all seemed ridiculously dramatic to me, but then again, this was the Devildom. Maybe this kind of thing was a common occurrence? The problem though, was that none of the other demons seemed to want much to do with me. Sure, some of them were a little kinder to me, but that was likely just pity.
"I mean, I can try..? I'm pretty sure Leviathan hates my actual guts, and Lucifer is...Lucifer...but if it'll help you...and if nobody is gonna get hurt..." Talk about a real deal with a devil moment. I wasn't even sure if this guy was actually Belphegor or not. Still, I was willing to go along with it. If it really was, then he needed to be freed.
Sighing in relief, Belhpegor gave me a lazy smile, his body seeming to relax.
"Thank you. Really. I just want to see Beel again. Being apart from him is like being lost." That hooked me. I couldn't imagine being apart from somebody I cared for so much, and shared such a bond with. I was a sucker for that kind of thing.
Puffing out my chest, I gave him an unnecessary salute, backing towards the staircase again, knowing I didn't have long left.
"I'll do what I can, Beefy! Can I get you anything, in the meantime? A sandwich? A magazine?" He blinked at me, nose kind of scrunching up.
"Uh...no? Thanks?"
"Okay, then! I'll keep you posted, I guess!" Turning tail, I began to trot back down the stairs, hoping I hadn't run out of time.
"Don't forget! Nobody can know I'm here!" I didn't bother responding to him when he called after me. I just kept going until I was back on the ground floor, completely out of breath and likely sweating like a sinner in church.
"What the shit is your deal, human?" When Mammon popped out of nowhere, I very nearly socked him in the nose, grabbing for my chest for the third time in less than an hour.
"Do you enjoy scaring the ever loving crap out of me? I'm starting to think it's your favourite hobby..."
For once, the demon of greed wasn't wearing his signature shades, and stared down at me with dazzling two-toned eyes. For some reason, they reminded me of blueberry lemonade.
"I'll admit, it's a plus to my day." He shrugged, tilting his head. "Why are you so out of breath? I swear you just came from upstairs..."
I wanna tell him...but Belphie said not to...and I promised Satan...Dammit...
Stretching my arms up above my head, ignoring the loud crack of one of my poor joints, I snorted loudly.
"Pffft, as if! I mean...okay, I was running up and down like, six steps...Y'know, to get in shape. Can't be letting myself go, now can I?" I was a hopeless liar when it came to other people's secrets, but Mammon seemed to believe me.
"Right...well, Diavolo has called a meeting, and he wants all the exchange people to come along. Something about...peer whatever-it-is." He explained, sounding unenthused. "Because I'm such a gracious guy, I decided to accompany you. We all know you'd end up lost and dead in a gutter somewhere if you tried to go on your own."
Ouch. True, but ouch.
Still, the fact that he searched me out just so he could take me along made me feel great. Even if it was his duty as my supposed babysitter, it meant that he had been thinking of me. At least, that was how I decided to take it.
"Oh! Thanks for waiting on me, then! Let's go!" Taking hold of his arm, I started towards the door, forcing him into a brisk walk so we could get away from the forbidden staircase.
"D..don't go touching me, human..! I still haven't gotten your germs off after you slobbered all over me when you were drunk..!" Mammon complained, though he made no move to release himself, which would have been an easy task.
"Ohoho? Does that mean you haven't washed your face, you dirty boy..?~"
"I...You...What is wrong with you..?!"
.
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***Struggling to make a cover that includes both Mammon and Satan? Bet.
I managed this, but I gave up.
I pulled a Lemon Parfait Mammon UR today, but dammit, all I want is a purple SSR Beelzebub. I have no purple mains.
When it comes to the canon Belphie arc, I'm gonna do my own thing. We all know this MC is a fuckwit.
Next Time: Peer Pressure***