Guardian of My Heart

Chapter 27: Calm Before the Storm

Iruma's POV:

It's time. Lately I had stopped using my hellclock to wake up for the day, instead allowing myself to be roused from slumber by Ruin's voice. We were getting along pretty well now, and he didn't technically need to sleep, so it worked out for me in the end. Normally I'd be a little startled by the sudden wakeup call, but today there was no intense reaction from my body. I simply opened my eyes and made my way out of bed. You remember the plan, right? The plan. Of course, because I couldn't just leave things in the hands of the adults while I tried enjoying the Battler Party like every other student. I remember. Good. We moved on in silence towards the dining room for a little while before Ruin spoke again. I know you aren't thrilled about this situation, neither am I. But sometimes sacrifices need to be made. *sigh* I know. It's just . . . I just wish things weren't so complicated, you know? I thought for once I might actually be able to have a normal life at a normal school, surrounded by people like me who understand what I'm going through. And they do understand. Especially Alice and Clara, now more than ever. That was part of the reason I had slept so well last night, from crying myself to sleep after the sheer exhaustion of learning that they knew I was part human and that they still loved me. I was grateful, but it was something I still needed to process and fully internalize. Thinking on it with a clear mind, I realized that the number of demons who knew my secret was actually pretty vast; Grandpa (and probably his two friends Belial and Levi of the three greats), Mom, Kalego, Balam, Narnia, Henri, Ameri, Sabnock, Clara, and Azz.

Quick question by the way; Why do you call Azz by his given name? Alice? Yeah. Doesn't that seem a bit too intimate for friends? Perhaps. But he's not just our friend, remember? My cheeks flushed a fine pink at the reminder that me and Az- that me and Alice were in a romantic relationship. After he and Clara confessed to me that Sabnock had told them the truth, Alice had made sure that I knew our bond would not be broken by him having such knowledge. If anything, ever since learning about my heritage he and Clara only seemed more supportive of me. I guess I'm still trying to figure out how having a boyfriend works. Well stop, okay? Seriously, just stop. These things don't 'work', they simply are. Continue being who you've always been, and everything will be alright. "Good morning, son. How are you feeling after yesterday?" Mom placed their hands on my shoulders from behind. I startled a bit, somehow not having heard them despite my cat ears keeping vigilance. "How do you do that?!" Mom's tail swayed back and forth in an excited manner as they passed me into the dining hall. "I've no idea what you're referring to. Come, let us talk more over breakfast." Ruin was snickering in our head, and I focused my mental energy to glare at him internally. You distracted me on purpose, didn't you? Guilty as charged. Ugh. Breakfast was divine as usual, though I may be a bit biased in that regard. A mother's cooking was incomparable after all. "So, what did you and your friends have in mind for the Battler Party Eve celebration tonight?" I slowed down shoveling food into my mouth as I thought about it. Right, the plan. "Whether or not Kirio is planning something malicious or not, his machines are still dangerous and prone to malfunctioning. So, I figured I'd pitch a relatively safe idea that should nonetheless be entertaining." "And what might that be?"

"I know that the Netherworld has movies. Ameri showed me some when I first arrived here, while I was living with her and her dad for a bit. But I wanted to try something like an outdoor movie. One time back on Earth, when I was overseas in America for a job, I worked as a sound equipment technician for an event called a drive-in theater." Mom seemed to perk up at that, a flash of something going across their face before they quickly schooled their features. "Yes, I do recall something of that name from my time studying under Lord Sullivan during my youth. If memory serves, humans assemble together in their metal carriages and view a projected film from within their transports." "Well, the 'metal carriages' are called cars, but yeah, that's pretty much how it works! It's not really all that popular anymore, but a few places still hold the tradition." Mom hummed in thought, closing their eyes while clasping their hands in their lap. "And you wish to emulate that experience tonight at the Battler Party?" "Sort of. I was thinking of projecting a performance into the sky over the school, that way any demon outside can see without their view being blocked!" The strain on people's necks might be a bit much, but it was a reasonable trade in my opinion. Besides, no one said that people had to watch our short film, it would just be there if anyone was curious or bored. "And how do you plan on accomplishing this goal?" We're being tested. I knew as well that Mom was looking for holes in my ideas, any sign that I wasn't actually putting in effort into the Battler Party. The mission with Kirio was everyone's top priority, but Mom still wanted to make sure I didn't waste my chance to have fun. It was something I truly appreciated, knowing that at least one other person was looking out for the things I sometimes forgot to take care of myself.