As Kir approached, it became clear that there were more than a hundred students suspended in the air.
"How much you wanna bet there’s 128 up there?" the voice said. For original chapters go to novèlfire.net
"Who the fuck are you?" Kir thought back.
"Wouldn’t you like to know," the Voice replied.
Oh so now it wanted to talk?
"I heard that thought," the voice said. "And it’s He or Him. Same as you. Funny... I usually only get a second to get a word in. Maybe this has something to do with that tingle in your ear."
As soon as the voice said it, Kir reached up. The seal felt hot. It was not burning yet, but it was clearly reacting to something.
As Kir and Noir passed the bubbled students, they came closer to the massive crystal that was the Academy’s heart.
And from behind it stepped...
"Maledict..." Kir growled.
His father was not in his human guise or war-form, but rather in a demonic form that looked a lot like Kir’s. A strange glow suffused him, not aura, but more like the form he was seeing was made up entirely of mana...
"You promised to leave me alone!" Kir said, raising his voice.
"Oh, but I am... leaving you alone, that is. I’m just collecting a few things I need from your school since they were so kind as to lower their guard for you. This would have gone far less smoothly if they’d put the demonic alarms back on - Stop!" Maledict shouted the last word, holding his hands and arms out.
It was then that Kir saw them. Academy students in the dozens had slipped out from the pillars and were looking at Kir, some of them were armed.
"Adopt forms for stealth and make ready, there might be more trouble on the way," Maledict ordered. "You cannot harm him anyway."
In no particular order, the demons bowed and shifted into dark, agile-looking forms that were about half his height on average.
"So that’s how they got so many students... they replaced them, but they didn’t have enough to get all of them, so some just went ’missing.’" The voice in Kir’s head felt like he was nodding to himself.
"Can you can the commentary?" Kir thought loudly.
"Sorry, I’m just used to talking to myself. If this whole ’You being able to hear me’ thing had happened sooner, maybe I’d feel less crazy about narrating my whole captive existence."
"Who’s keeping you captive?"
Maledict smiled and stepped forward, his tail curling behind him. "And who is this?" He tilted his head at Noir. Then he frowned. Deeply. "What have you done?"
"I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about," Noir replied, slightly brandishing Kir’s knives. "Mr, uh... Maledict, sir."
"Well at least he’s respectful," Maledict raised himself to his full height with a smirk, then looked at Kir. "You’re already forging your soul... I must say I’m impressed. But what I’m less impressed by is that you’ve seen fit to swear an oath with this... Aytherian..." He sneered. "What ever would you give your oath to, my boy?"
"The ending of slavery," Kir said, looking around warily.
Maledict began to laugh. "Slavery?! You think you can... by yourself? My son, slavery is everywhere. This world you live in, it’s been enslaved for longer than you or I have been alive. Enslaved by power and hate and lies." Maledict ran a hand through his hair, under his horns. "It will change nothing to try to burn out one wart when the problem is a disease."
"And what problem is that? Heaven?" Kir asked. "I know about the Heavenswar; how Heaven wants to kill every demon. But that doesn’t mean it’s right to do the same thing back. Beat them, conquer them, but don’t kill innocents just because their leaders wanted to do the same."
"There are no innocents, boy!" Maledict hissed. "They have everything they need because we suffer. This isn’t just about survival. They have never needed to kill us! They benefit from killing us only because it is what they want. Hell, Ayther, it doesn’t matter how much suffering we go through so long as they get what they want.
"And what do they want, Maledict? Tell me, so I can try to understand how this all ends." Kir’s arms expanded in a gesture that was more annoyed than inviting, especially given he was holding Kangetsu. His tail curled in agitation. The seal in his ear was getting almost distractingly hot.
"They want our souls. The stones that form when a strong demon dies have the potential to retain the wells from which mana emits itself into being. And if they are willing to annihilate us now, that means they have another source. So this is how it ends. It ends when we destroy them first. When demonkind finally has the home that was always meant for us. A paradise. There is so much of the truth that has been denied you, my son. The past... and what it was supposed to be..."
From above, suddenly the edge of the portal became visible as the school slid upward. It wouldn’t be long until the entire room was subsumed.
"He’s stalling", the voice said.
"...but no, you are not ready to know my plans. And you have sworn yourself to a most inconvenient oath. Fortunately, I have the means to free you."
Maledict lifted one hand, pointing his finger at Noir.
Without even thinking, Kir threw himself between his father and his lover, slashing with Kangetsu-
His blade passed through Maledict’s arm, as if...
"I’m not even here, son. I’m above, pulling this grotesquely massive Academy of yours to where it can be more useful."
The sound of blood dripping on the floor told Kir that he was too late.
"Kir..." Noir gasped.
From behind Noir had come a man. Someone Kir recognized.
Withdrawing his rapier with a flick that sent Noir’s blood spraying onto the ground, was the first demonkin Kir had met in Norneau.
"I’m sorry it’s come to this," spoke Lucifer the Bard.