Chapter Text
Suzuki Iruma, 15 years old.
A second year student of Babyls Demon School who is currently rank 5.5 despite his young age. A promising individual who is the grandson of one of the greats, and a student of the thirteen crowns.
And yet he has one secret: he is human.
He is in the school's hallway walking on the way to Balam-sensei's office, leaving his soulmates in the cafeteria arguing over the best cake recipe known to demonkind— when he spots Ifrit-sensei crouching on the floor nearby, a serious look resting on his face.
At the risk of disturbing the working teacher, "Good afternoon, Ifrit-sensei," he greeted softly with a polite bow.
Ifrit looks at the student in acknowledgement, morphing a smile as he sees one of the usual troublemakers in the most interesting class in Babyls, "Good afternoon too, Iruma-kun. You aren't eating in the cafeteria today?"
It is a rare sight. It is a common knowledge in Babyls that the Chairdemon's grandson has a voracious appetite that he usually stays in the cafeteria the entire lunch period just to satisfy it. And what's rarer is seeing him without the sight of his friery favorite student with that beautiful fire of his and Raim's precious Baby-chan.
Iruma shakes his head, "I have a question to Balam-sensei so I ate fast," which roughly translates to: he will continue snacking in later classes, "If it's alright to ask, what are you doing?"
Ifrit gives a reassuring grin to the polite kid, "Just some security work. Don't worry about it."
"Do you need help?" Iruma asks. Despite being in the demon realm for more than a year where he slowly gains himself as his own person, his habit of unconditionally helping others in need is still stuck with him.
"Don't worry about it, I got it all covered." The teacher reassured boastfully, "You should go to Balam-sensei, who knows until when he'll be free."
Unbeknownst to Iruma, greeting Ifrit really did disturb him. Ifrit was tracking a remnants of a forbidden spell casted by the magic research club that would transport someone to a place never seen before.
Unfortunately to them, that spell is now moving towards them at light speed. Ifrit and Iruma noticed a second too late.
And white engulfes them whole.
Ifrit rubs his stinging eyes, cursing at himself for letting his guard down. He is a teacher damn it, how the hell did a student's spell caught him off guard?!
He should have disrupted Furcas-sensei's debate with Allocer-kun for assistance. This is way beyond his depth.
As his vision clears, he founds himself in a messy alley. The ground is damp while the buildings around him are tall with a smell he is unfamiliar with. He could hear the sound of a crowd passing by nearby. Next to him is a hunched over Iruma-kun.
Oh right, Iruma-kun was with him. Sullivan-sama and Opera-san are so going to kill him for this or even worse, dock his pay.
He crouches over the boy, carefully grabbing his shoulder, "Iruma-kun, are you alright?" He softly called out.
The shoulder shakes under his touch. Ifrit leans closer, he hears a sob and a choke.
Iruma-kun is hyperventilating.
He ignores the curiosity that bubbles within him as he lets his responsibility as a security demon take over. He gently leans the student to the nearby wall, instructing him to breath on his count. He held on the kid's hand, patiently waiting as his breaths became more controlled and relaxed.
He is no psychology expert like Murmur but he knows a panic attack when he sees one. What causes the spoiled grandson of the chairdemon to fall into such a state is beyond him.
Once Iruma calmed down, he bows down sluggishly to the teacher, "I'm sorry for that sensei. I didn't intend to bother you."
"It's quite okay Iruma-kun," Ifrit reassured, "Are you alright? What happened must have disturbed you."
The kid still has his head down. Either he still felt the need to apologize to Ifrit or he refuses to look up and see the sight around him.
He felt like it is the latter so he tested it, "Do you know where we are?"
"NO!" Iruma denied, head still down and yet his body vibrates even more, "I- I don't. Yes, I really do not know!"
"Okay, okay. I believe you," Ifrit placates, hands up as if to calm the boy down. He doesn't want him to spiral to another attack.
This is way beyond his depth. He doesn't know Iruma-kun as well as the other teachers but he usually heard that he is a soft and hardworking kid who is an embodiment of a sunshine.
The boy in front of him does not paint the same picture with the way he is shaking like a prey cornored by fear.
If only he is with Balam-sensei or Opera-san since Iruma-kun is way more comfortable with them than him. Or instead, Asmodeus-kun is here since he slightly knows how to deal with him more. But that would quickly turn into a fight so perhaps that isn't ideal.
Oh how he wants a smoke.
First things first is to find out where they are. The sooner they are back in school, the faster Iruma-kun gets to be with demons he is comfortable with.
The fire within him vibrates.
The next second, he and Iruma dodges an attack from a dark suited demon who is covered by the smoky rubble they created. He stands in front of Iruma as he prepares his fire to counterattack.
"Opera?!" Iruma-kun's voice exclaimed from afar.
Wait, wasn't Iruma-kun behind him?!
"Young Master, stand back. We have some bugs to squash," the silhouette grumbled. They sound rough and yet somehow it reminds him of Opera-san.
Iruma-kun behind him must have thought so too, "Opera-san?"
The rubble cleared and indeed it was the Chairdemon's trusted security demon. Ifrit may not know much about the security demon, but the demon infront of him wasn't them. It wasn't the different attire that clued him in but rather the way they present their self. Opera-san was known for being straight and proper— no matter what the situation, their demeanor was always that of a proper calm servant.
The demon before him does not. The suit they were wearing was unironed paired with their uncombed red hair. And the eyes that are glaring at him are as wild as the beasts in the Netherworld's deepest forests. It reminds him of rumors about the security demon during their childhood before they cultivated the image of being a proper demon by Sullivan's side.
Behind the Opera lookalike was a kid who is an exact mirror of the one behind him. Instead of a school uniform, he wore a white suit with a cute matching hat, looking at him so sharp it felt like daggers. It is very unlike of the sunshine behind him.
A forbidden spell that would transport a target to a world never before seen. A spell that nobody was able to come back alive to.
Too little information.
"Forgive me for this, Iruma-kun," he mumbles, summoning a wall of fire between him and the lookalikes. He then carried the light Chairdemon's grandson under his arm, running to the other side of the alleyway.
He has a feeling that he and Iruma-kun are not going to leave this world unscathed.