A Demon's Tale

In the enormous world of Shin existed a country of mighty dragons that took pride in their strength. Countless virtuous warriors had been born and trained to perfection within this land. The dragons of these fields had not been the vicious type, but rather they focused their attention on the opposite area of such a view. Protection. Protecting their wives and husbands, protecting their children, protecting those dear to them. It was as if an entire country had been built into one large shield. However, the state of political affairs had been unknown to many. Even to those who had lived in the very same grounds, the information that should have been provided was never sent to them.

The great history of their lands had stopped around three years prior, where the king’s wife who had been a foreigner to the country had sadly lost her battle with a terrible fever, leaving the king to raise their child on his own. Following that event, not a single word about the royal family had been provided to the citizens.

Far off from the lands however, was the location of an area that held the opposite values as the kingdom of Dranilia. The land of the slums had been free for the vile to commit their atrocities. No matter the action taken, the residents would go unpunished. At least, this had been the law of the cruel lands for a while. The horrible crimes of these slums had died down due to one singular area that was nearby. A church.

Tiles on the roof missing, and moss growing around it, was a church standing on its unrelenting last legs. It had looked as though it was abandoned, but there was a singular resident that had lived within. A sister. One who had prayed to the omnipotent gods above many times daily.

For a vast majority of time, her prayers resulted in silence.

But within the past ten years, there was someone who had both listened and spoken to her.

The person who many in the slums had feared.

Allowing her wings to quickly flap in the wind as she descended, the very same woman had appeared once more.

???: [Lady Shiro! It is a gift to see you today!]

Bowing her head with her hands held together, the blond-locked sister replied to her savior.

Shiro: [It is good to see you as well, Sarah. I apologize for not visiting as of recently. I’ve been rather busy on my end and haven’t been able to accommodate some time to see you.]

Sarah: [I do not deserve the honor of receiving just my name alone from you. And please, I should be the one apologizing. I had begun to grow worried about what might have happened to you for nothing. I ask that you forgive this foolish sister’s thoughts.]

Shiro: [Nonsense. It’s normal to grow worried when you haven’t seen a friend in a long while. I myself know how that feels.]

Sarah: [To be called a friend by such a graceful being. I truly am unworthy of such praise.]

Smiling at the bowing nun in front of her, Shiro began to turn her head as she inspected the area around her.

Shiro: [Things seem different here since I last visited. It’s odd to say, but it feels a lot more refined. I don’t mean that in any insulting way of course.]

Sarah: [I have had some assistance as of late. It has been rather delightful to reside in the church.]

Raising her eyebrow in confusion, Shiro turned her full attention to the sister.

Shiro: [Assistance? Have the people on the outside stopped with their former actions and helped you with the church?]

Sarah: [Sadly, no. It is unfortunate, but I believe there will be change in that regard in the future. There was someone else, however, who has joined me.]

Shiro: [Oh? A fellow sister of the church? Now I’m intrigued.]

Sarah: [Around last year, there was a starving little girl who had looked beaten.]

Shiro’s eyes widened in horror over the depiction that emerged into her head.

Shiro: [A beaten little girl?! What happened to her?!]

Sarah: [I am unsure. She has not spoken of it very much. However, at the time, her face was bruised in various sections, and both of her eyes were swollen black. Like I had previously mentioned, she seemed to be starving. Mainly due to her stomach not looking well, as I was able to see her ribcage and the bones surrounding it over her disheveled clothing.]

Shiro: [What could even cause a little girl to end up in that state…]

Sarah: [I wish to know as well…I had made sure to treat her wounds with what I could. Some of it required providing food to her even if her body did not wish to cooperate. Eventually, I was able to have a proper conversation with the girl, but she had been rather hostile to start. I allowed for a step by step reduction in distance over the following days to gain her trust, and from then onwards, I was able to speak with her properly. She’s become a rather kind girl now. It is not my place to compliment myself, but I feel rather proud with what I have provided to her. She seems to have grown rather close to me. She had even stated once that I am like that of an older sister to her, which in some ways, is correct.]

Hearing the kind words that Sarah provided, Shiro began to gleefully smile as she searched the area once again, only this time with her sights set on finding the girl mentioned.

Shiro: [And this girl, where is she now?]

Sarah: [There’s a farm close by here that I have started. It’s simply for the means of having some food to put on the table. She often goes out there to play the guitar you bought her.]

While searching the bushes and behind trees, Shiro turned to face Sarah once more as her face began to light up.

Shiro: [Ah! The guitar! I remember that! Asher and Lily told me you needed one, which I found odd at first, but I was willing to hear out the request. So that’s why you needed it. I guess it makes sense, given that it was around Christmas.]

Sarah: [Yes. That very same guitar. She has enjoyed using it very much. She often plays it by the farm as I had asked for her not to disturb the prayers with her music. Luckily, she is quite skilled with magic, and has no issues with creating electricity to use it on her own.]

Shiro: [Oh man, she even uses thunder magic like I do? This girl seems better and better the more you speak about her.]

Sarah: [Hmhmhm! I’m glad you are growing fond of her. She has begun to look up to you as well after praying with me many times. Ah! Speak of her and she shall arrive.]

Popping up in shock, Sarah noticed someone approaching to her right. Shiro followed her eyes, only to be met with a girl walking forward who was barely above the height of her knees. This girl had a mix of orange and red hair crafted into a messy ponytail. Her hair had been long enough however to still drop down to where her elvish ears were. Her skin was an azure blue, while the color around her sharp almond eyes was a dazzling orange. Her clothes were similar to the clothes that Sarah had worn, only the sockets for the arms and legs had been ripped up. Likely not by any damage received but rather by choice.

???: [...We have a guest?]

Sarah: [Yes, and quite a special one at that.]

Shiro watched as the girl turned to her, only to look up and down and shrug her shoulders in response to her appearance.

???: [...Doesn’t seem that special t’me.]

As Shiro’s eyes widened. Sarah began to nervously wave at both the girl and Shiro herself.

Sarah: [A-Ah! I promise she does not normally act like this! She is a very kind girl! Our guest here is Lady Shiro! You remember her, right? From the prayers?]

???: [WAIT, THIS IS LADY SHIRO?! I’M SO SORRY MA’AM–I MEAN, LADY SHIRO! PLEASE DON’T SMITE ME AND SISTER SARAH!]

The girl dropped her guitar to the floor as she turned back to Shiro in a wild splash of surprise, only to start bowing with her whole body laid out across the grass.

In response to both her words and her display, Shiro could not help but laugh.

Shiro: [Hahaha! I’m beginning to like this girl a lot! You’ve got yourself quite the nice supporter, Sarah.]

Calmly walking towards the girl, Shiro crouched down and supported herself with her knees. While at the same level as the girl’s very own height, she spoke to her.

Shiro: [You don’t need to act so formal with me. Please, tell me your name, little one.]

Mez: [It’s…M-Mez, Mez Midorina. That is the name I was given, Lady Shiro. It’s an honor to meet you. Thank you for everything you have done for us.]

As Mez spoke her name, a hand was gently placed atop her hair. What followed was a soft stroke from left to right, something that felt like the touch of a mother to the girl.

Shiro: [I see. It’s nice to meet you, Mez. I hope you and Sarah have gotten along well.]

Mez: [Y-Yes! Sister Sarah is very nice to me. She feeds me lots and deals with my bad temper very well.]

Sarah: [Mez is not that bad in temper, Lady Shiro! I’m rather fond of the energy she provides to the church!]

Mez: [--Sometimes when we make bread, I kinda have to flatten the dough. So I take my guitar and try to hit the dough with the big end of it and Sister Sarah has to stop me because I always think it’s a good idea–]

Sarah: [I am fine with her method of making bread! It is very effective! There is certainly a lot of force provided to it, but she is very talented!]

Mez: [--Or when she teaches me math and tries to explain the ones and pluses or something like that but I can’t understand any of it cause I always just try to make words with the numbers. By the way, did you know that you can write out boobies with them–]

Sarah: [She is a fantastic child! I promise you this, Lady Shiro!]

Shiro closed her eyes as the joy in her body only increased. Finally raising herself off her knees, she spoke to Sarah once more with a gleaming smile.

Shiro: [You’re right. She’s truly incredible. You’ve gotten yourself the perfect assistant, Sarah. If you do not mind me asking, how old are you, Mez?]

Mez: [S-Six, Lady Shiro.]

Shiro: [Hm…Six, huh? Perhaps there is something fun I can provide then.]

Mez: [Really?]

Shiro: [Yes. Though, it will have to be for another time. I should head back to the Babylon District by now.]

Sarah: [Very well, Lady Shiro. It was a pleasure to once again be graced with your presence. Say your goodbyes to her as well, Mez.]

Mez: [Goodbye, Lady Shiro! Make sure you remember the fun thing for next time!]

Shiro: [You need not worry, I won’t forget. Farewell for now, you two.]

Waving their goodbyes, Shiro once again took a massive charge into the air with her wings before flying in the direction she had come from.

The church that she had not visited in quite some time had already changed from the way she had remembered. Thus, a new joy was brought upon the violent land.

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By a nicely crafted bridge of white was a man gazing at a family of ducks swimming along the water below. He watched as the ducks focused on each and every one of their family. They did not allow even a single one to get lost, or be forgotten within their own. This could be seen the most in the father duck, who had secured their safety before they had even taken the dive onto the surface of the water. The man simply smiled at the demonstration the mighty father had provided.

???: [Perhaps that duck and I are not that different in what we value.]

Despite focusing on each other to their fullest, the ducks had their attention taken from them by someone who had been approaching the area. It was not just them however, as soon, even the man himself would have his focus taken from him.

???: [I thought I saw a familiar face from up there, but then I said to myself “There’s no way it’s him”. To think that I was right from the start.]

The man turned to see a smiling friend of his who was colored in white. Seeing this person who had donned the opposite shade as him forced his face to create a kind hearted smile.

???: [Shiro. It’s been far too long.]

The two moved towards each other and performed a kind hug.

Shiro: [It really has. I hope you’ve been doing well, Nero.]

Nero: [I’ve been doing very well. How have things been on your end?]

Shiro: [I’ve just been busy. No big deal really. I’ve had some fun exciting stuff of my own, but I’m sure I wrote to you about some of it.]

Nero: [Indeed you did. Though I must apologize, as I did not have time to speak about the wonderful occasions I have been able to experience.]

Shiro: [Hey! I was at your wedding! You still have the half heart necklace, don’t you?]

Nero: [Yes, I have not forgotten. In fact, it is rather hard to forget. Yoro will often take the necklace and put both hers and mine together to form the full picture. She then usually starts to giggle as she shows me it every time. Though now, I suppose it is not just her that enjoys putting the necklace together.]

Shiro’s eyebrow began to wrinkle in confusion at the final statement provided to her.

Shiro: [Not just her? Oh wait, is it Kō? I heard that she visits you two quite often.]

Nero: [Two is a rather odd way to put it, Shiro.]

Shiro: [Huh? What do you–]

The realization struck her, causing Shiro to both widen her smile and exhale air as if she had been laughing towards what Nero had said.

Shiro: [No…There’s no way…Did you actually…]

Nero simply nodded in response.

Shiro: [And the name?]

Nero: [Just as Kōkatsu had mentioned when we were still mischievous teenagers.]

Shiro: [Nero…This is…Wow…How old are they?!]

Nero: [She’s now four. Her birthday was back in April, on the twenty ninth.]

Shiro: [Wah! Talk about timing! How could you withhold all this info?!]

Nero: [I’m sorry, Shiro. I should have gotten you to visit.]

Shiro: [It’s fine. But holy hell, that’s crazy! I mean I should have guessed considering…Wow. This is just a lot to take in from that alone.]

Nero focused his attention back to the ducks, and signaled Shiro to join him. The two walked over to the railing of the bridge as they gazed at them.

Shiro: [Speaking of birthdays, yours is coming up, right?]

Nero: [Indeed. I’m rather glad to see you today, as I wanted to send a letter about it.]

Shiro: [A little late on the whole letter considering it’s, what, tomorrow? Still, I don’t mind. If anything, I feel kinda bad for showing up after not being in contact for a while and just now arriving a day before this whole thing.]

Nero: [It’s quite alright. To be honest with you, the process was rather stressful. I was expecting a more formal birthday, but Yoro had wanted to do something more extravagant for once. Thus, she invited many of our friends, family, and all of the like to this. She had piles on top of piles of letters that she had written. I’d recommend bringing a bag if you plan on coming. Yoro had written at least two per day just for you and she was too busy writing more to even send them.]

Shiro: [Haha! Yep! Sounds about right for her!]

As they continued to watch the ducks, Shiro noticed Nero’s face had lowered in the corner of her eye.

Shiro: [You alright, Nero?]

Nero: [I’m fine. There’s just…many things that have bothered me as of late.]

Shiro: [Like in regards to your family, or…]

Nero: [My family is fantastic. If my love for them could be shaped into an object of some kind, it would likely eclipse the world with its very size. My issues have involved…other things.]

Nudging against him with her shoulder, Shiro began to prod at him to spill the details.

Shiro: [Come on, it’s just me. You can talk.]

He smiled at the calm, reassuring Shiro, before turning his focus back towards the ducks.

Nero: [It’s an odd question…and rather not a good one in the slightest…but…do you believe our role lacks true purpose?

Shiro: [True purpose? That’s a little odd to speak about, but what do you mean exactly?]

Nero: [For quite some time now, I’ve been unsure of what we’re truly supposed to be doing. There is something to be said about achieving peace within the world, but can we truly perform this with just words alone?]

Shiro: [That’s a tough question to answer, but the way I see it is, we can be the first to try.]

Nero: [Try, but there is no guarantee it can be performed.]

Shiro: [Sure, but there’s nothing stopping us.]

Nero: [I do not wish to disagree, but I believe there are many things that are, and will continue to stop us. No matter what we may try, violence will still exist in this world, acts of the vile will still occur, there will always be something that lurks beneath the surface.]

Shiro: [I can agree that there’s still a lot to fix out there, but I think it’s still possible. Plus, we’re not alone, are we? We all have each other to help out, and we even have the support of the Bloodfire and Tensetsu family.]

Nero: [And yet, many who are forgiven still continue to perform the actions they had done so before.]

Shiro: [Not all of them get off with a clean slate though. There’s some that stay locked up, there’s others on the clock, there’s all sorts of scenarios to it.]

Nero: [I’m just not sure, Shiro. It feels as though we were merely given a title without a single extra piece to it. The gods and goddesses of ancient tales are often depicted as these all knowing, powerful beings who are capable of anything. And yet, we’re unable to help those in need at all times.]

Shiro: [Unlike those tales, we have our own lives to live. We can’t exactly do everything we want. If I’m being quite honest…]

Nero: [Hm?]

Nero turned away from the ducks to once again gaze at Shiro.

Shiro: [...I’m not all too fond of the system myself. There’s a lot of holes in it as is, and there’s definitely some things that could be improved upon. But hey, we’re the higher ups now. So technically, we might be able to make that possible. We could even try and start our own votes to see what we can all mutually agree on!]

Casting his eyes down, Nero spoke to the woman beside him once more.

Nero: [Perhaps you’re right…but that’s only a matter of if we can do so. Otherwise, it’s merely a joyful, empty thought.]

Shiro: [Doesn’t hurt to try though.]

Nero: [Shiro…]

Shiro: [Hm? What’s up?]

Nero: [It may sound odd, but…do you believe some should be held to a higher judgment than others?]

As Nero finished his words, he looked back up to face the ducks he had enjoyed watching. Only now, they were flying up into the air above and away from his view.

The air was silent as the flow of water filled the ears of the two. After a large series of seconds, Shiro opened her mouth again to break the silence.

Shiro: [I’m not sure I can agree with that at all. There’s a standard we need to keep with our actions. If we don’t hold up to that standard, then who will those around the world look up to? We need others to ask for our assistance, not fear us, Nero.]

Nero closed his eyes as he swallowed the words provided to him.

Nero: [I apologize. That was stupid of me to even consider. I’m not quite sure why I had even thought of it in the first place.]

Shiro: [Hey, it’s alright. We’re friends. We can talk about stuff like this no problem. Even if it’s not the best stuff to talk about, it’s always good to get something off your chest. There’s room to learn from friends in every scenario, you know?]

Nero: [You are indeed correct. I’m rather glad to have met you, Shiro. The help you have provided me with every chat has always assisted in creating a much better version of myself, both for my family, and those around me.]

Shiro: [I’m glad I could help! Well, I hate to break our nice chat, but I gotta head back to my office to sort some things out.]

Nero: [Alright. Make sure to take care of yourself, Shiro.]

Shiro: [You too, Nero! Oh, and I’ll make sure to get you something nice for the big day tomorrow! Don’t forget to show me what she looks like either, I really wanna see which one she takes after in terms of appearance!]

Nero: [I’ll be sure to tell her about your request, don’t worry.]

The two friends of opposing colors waved to each other as the woman clad in white flew back towards the office she had occupied.

Nero: [Shiro is right. As a god of the world, I must uphold the values and duties brought with the role. It was foolish to even consider such questions.]

As Nero watched her exit, he began to feel a buzzing from a phone in his pocket. Pulling the phone out, he accepted the call only for the person on the other side to speak first.

Nero: [Hello?...A question?...Ah. Ah, yes. You’ve called at quite the interesting time. I just spoke with her…Indeed. She should be heading over there at this very moment, so you’ll likely see her shortly after.]

Smiling at the sounds of excitement being produced from his phone, Nero gave a final message to the person on the other side.

Nero: [Alright. I’ll see you when you return to the castle. Take care, my love.]

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A large office occupied a space of land in the Babylon District. There were not many who worked within this office to begin with, only supporting that of three people. However, it was an office that often stayed busy all throughout the year. In the room in which the woman in white, who was in charge of the whole building, had resided was a mess of different filing cabinets and opened files. There were pictures of her childhood, her teenage years, and her adulthood displayed on one wall. One the other was an incredibly large, beautiful painting.

As the woman in the room continued to search through her files, a human man and a snake woman appeared by her door and began to knock as to not interrupt her.

Shiro: [Don’t worry, the two of you can go home. I can handle things from here. Have a great night, Asher, Lily!]

As she excused the two, the man spoke back to her.

Asher: [Are you sure, Lady Shiro? We do not mind helping–]

Shiro: [No, no, I’m all good. You two just get some rest, alright? I probably forced too much on you two as is considering how long I was gone.]

She spoke once again, only for the woman to now respond.

Lily: [We can help if you need it, Lady Sssssssssshiro! Really!]

Shiro: [It’s fine. Really.]

Asher and Lily: [But–]

Shiro: [No, seriously. I’m all good! Go have fun!]

She gleamed a genuine smile at the two as they casted their heads down in disappointment.

Asher and Lily: [...Alright…]

The two began to move away from the door, before Asher stopped himself.

Asher: [Oh, right! Lady Shiro, there was a guest by the door who rang us up on the system. Should we let them in or do a quick search or–]

Shiro: [Huh? Oh, sure. Bring them in.]

Asher: [Are you sure? I’m unsure of who they are exactly but assuming they’re unsafe…]

Shiro: [I’ll be fine. If anything is wrong, just shout and I’ll be down there before they can even do something.]

Asher: [Alright. Have a good night, Lady Shiro!]

Shiro: [You too!]

After saying her farewells, Shiro continued to focus on the sorting of her files in the room.

Louder and louder, she could hear the clacking of heels as they moved towards her office.

Shiro: [They sure are noisy, whoever they are…]

As they drew closer, Shiro felt a sharp but familiar feeling across her spine from the aura of the guest.

Noticing the sweet softness to it, she couldn’t help but smile, as she had already deduced who it had been.

Putting down the file in her hand, she stood up from her chair and readied her body for a greeting.

Shiro: [Twice in one day…This is really something…]

The heels tapping the ground only echoed in the halls to a higher degree, until eventually stopping altogether. The very shoes responsible for this noise were now planted by the door to Shiro’s office. Giving a teasing knock to the door despite their figure being visible, Shiro spoke to the woman.

Shiro: [Once one rose begins its growth…]

???: [...The other follows suit!]

The two smiled at each other as they moved in to give a comforting hug.

Shiro: [I’m so sorry we haven’t had a chat in a few years. I was so busy that I wasn't able to make time with the two of you.]

???: [It’s alright, Shiro! You don’t need to apologize for these things. The two of us are busy with all the natural elements that affect us at our age.]

Shiro: [Haha! I guess that’s true! Sooooo? How’s little Miss Varius? I just heard about her today from your other half.]

???: [Incredible. She’s the sweetest child I have ever seen. I have a lot to discuss about her!]

Shiro: [I bet you do! I hope it wasn’t too bad at the time of…you know.]

???: [It was a tough battle. One I certainly did not have a full grasp on. But it was a battle that I refused to lose no matter the cost!]

Shiro: [And you had the strength to prove it! Anyways, let me make some tea for the two of us. I’m sure you have a lot more than just your daughter to speak about.]

???: [Of course! I need to make sure I’m up to date with my closest friend! I’ve even made sure to bring snacks for our chat!]

Shiro: [Careful with what you might have brought. If even a scent of something good is on me, I won’t hear the end of it.]

???: [Oh trust me, I know how that feels.]

The two laughed as Shiro cleared off the table and couches in the corner of the room. Putting the teapot down and pouring the contents into the two fine cups in front of her, she softly slid the cup on the opposite side to her guest.

???: [Thank you as always!]

The woman that had spoken to Shiro was as beautiful as one could imagine. A woman gifted with an elegant black dress, with heels to match that very dress. Her hair provided an interesting but radiant contrast to her appearance, as two long pigtails of red were formed atop her head. Since Shiro had met her, she had grown in many ways. The largest being her personality, which was now the complete opposite to what Shiro had experienced the very first time they met. The only area she had barely changed in however was her height, as she had only grown an inch since then, causing a near foot difference between her and Shiro.

This woman was a close friend of Shiro’s, and to her, Shiro was the closest friend she had. Her name was Yoro Kobi, or more specifically, due to the advancement of her relationship with her beloved, Yoro Virtuoso. The once demon lord of the sands, who was now the loving wife and mother of a beautiful family.

Shiro: [So, tell me all about everything that’s happened!]

Yoro: [Alright! I have quite a lot to say, so I recommend getting a notepad to remember it all!]

The two sat there, ready to have a nice chat with one another.

The two who were once enemies, a girl attempting to become a goddess and the deathly sweet ruler, now sat across from each other as two friends having some nice tea.

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