Chapter Text
-Chapter 1-
Scaramouche had no idea how he'd gotten into this situation…
Just a second ago he was sitting in his cell (which Buer insisted was his room), and now a second later he found himself tied up with ropes by a bald old man with a ridiculous-looking mustache standing with his hands on his hips in front of him.
Besides the old man's bald head and his ridiculous glasses, plus mustache, what he noticed were the two pairs of horns on his head, like those of a buffalo, two pointed ears.
Ahaha… looks like the devil has come to drag him down to hell to punish him for his crimes… Great. Exactly what he needed.
His eyes opened half-heartedly, not bothering to find out who this old man was or how he had captured him.
Guilty and anger still consumed him from the day he discovered the truth about Niwa's death, and how he had been manipulated by the Doctor - no different from his own nature, a puppet.
And so he locked himself in the ‘prison’ that Buer herself had prepared for him, waiting for time to somehow gnaw away at his mind and kill him from the inside.
But it seems fate had other plans for him…
Then the bald old man suddenly waved his hand, and a white piece of paper with the words ‘exchanged’ immediately appeared behind him. The paper quickly flew towards him and stuck to him as if he were an item that had just been traded.
Scaramouche frowned at the paper before glaring at the man, but the old man only grunted before the scenery around Scaramouche changed, much to his surprise.
Then a circle of light surrounded him, causing his entire body to levitate and be pulled along by the bald old man with a golden thread. Both of them sped quickly through the bare forest, the night sky illuminated by stars.
Scaramouche stared at the man's outstretched bat wings for a moment before finally speaking for the first time since his capture
"Who are you?" — He asked emotionlessly, too emotionless for the current situation.
Then the man began to say something in response, but Scaramouche couldn't understand a thing he was saying at all.
‘Is he even speaking Teyvat’s language?’ He thought, frowning, trying to listen even though he understood nothing.
And then, as if realizing he couldn't understand him, the bald old man immediately raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a purple light enveloping Scaramouche for a moment before vanishing.
And then the man spoke again, and surprisingly, this time he understood what he was saying
“I have helped you understand the language of the Netherworld, Scaramouche”
“...What?”
Scaramouche frowned and asked again, ‘The Demon world? What the heck is that?’ His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
The fact that this person knew his name didn't surprise him; given his position as a Fatui Harbinger, it wasn't impossible for someone to know his name.
However, this whole situation immediately put him on alert; all his previous fatigue was quickly replaced by a defensive stance.
And then the old man continued speaking, giving Scaramouche further explanation
“This is the Netherworld, a place where demons live”
“Hm? But how did I understand you this time?”
Scaramouche asked casually, but his mind was still pondering the information he had just received.
'A place where demons live? The demons here... are they similar to Yokai?' He thought, staring at the wings behind the man and the horns on his head. As far as he could remember, there was a similar type of Yokai in Inazuma with horns called Oni.
But this one had wings too. A combination of Tengu and Oni? But Tengu didn't have bat wings like that.
And then there's this Demon world... Does this place exist in Teyvat? Or... is this a completely different world?
But then he shifted his attention back to the bald man when he spoke
“That's because I've cast magic on you”
“...Magic?” — Scaramouche raised an eyebrow and asked again.
Magic? What is he, a witch?
“I am a demon, so it's only natural I can use magic”
The bald old man replied in a low, deep voice
“My name is Sullivan”
Scaramouche stared at the man who identified himself as Sullivan for a moment before asking the question that was currently bothering him
“So, Sullivan, why did you bring me here?” — Sullivan turned his head slightly to look at him as he answered
“That is because the goddess of wisdom has exchanged you for me, Scaramouche”
His eyes widened instantly before narrowing, his expression darkened, and a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, formed on his lips.
‘Ha, of course. After everything I've done, of course she'll see me as worthless’ He should have foreseen this from the start.
He harmed her people, tried to usurp her position, and failed miserably. And when she gave him a chance to do something for her, he couldn't even do it because of this damned emotion.
Therefore, her decision to give him away to a demon is understandable, a thing like him wouldn't be good for a goddess like her.
But Sullivan's giggles immediately brought him back to reality.
Scaramouche lifted his weary eyes, all his previous vigilance and defensiveness vanishing, leaving only an emptiness in his chest.
Sullivan turned his head away, continuing to speak as if he knew he was still listening
“Don't worry, she's not abandoning you. She's just temporarily handing you to me”
“...” — Scaramouche blinked, completely bewildered
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, what I meant is…”
Sullivan held up his finger and twirled it back and forth
“You have committed many sins, yet the goddess still wants you to change and become a better person because she feels empathy for your past”
“…”
Scaramouche clenched his fists, an indescribable feeling welling up in his chest
“But because your mental state is so unstable, she decided to give you to me in exchange for… something I desire”
Sullivan's eyes gleamed from behind his glasses
“Therefore, from now on you will be under my control to change into a better person before you return to the goddess's authority”
Scaramouche couldn't help but frown.
Hand him over to a devil to change him into a good person? What was Buer thinking?
But then he sighed softly, deciding to comply because, after all, he had no right to question the choice of the goddess of wisdom.
Then he looked up, his eyebrows slightly raised as he saw a colossal castle standing majestically in the middle of the dark forest.
As if anticipating the question in his mind, Sullivan quickly spoke up
“This is my mansion”
He blinked before turning back to look at the mansion, 'Mansion? More like a castle' He sniffed softly.
This place is probably on par with the Cryo Archon's castle…
Then his eyes looked up at the sky, and they immediately widened when he saw two enormous moons in the sky, one pink and one blue.
‘This place... have two moons?’ He was so engrossed in thinking about the two moons that he didn't notice they were almost at the mansion.
And only when the silhouette of the mansion's gate became clearer in the corner of his eye did he snap out of his thoughts and return to reality.
Scaramouche frowned, looking up at Sullivan as he asked
“And, what are you planning to do with me?”
But Sullivan didn't answer, only giving a smirk that made his frown deepen.
Whatever, if this demon decides to enslave him, what does it matter? He's spent too many years under someone else's control, even the little 'freedom' he found when he became a god has vanished.
What he needs to focus on right now is 'changing' himself, becoming someone Buer can trust.
So now he's ready to accept any order this devil gives him.
Okay this shit is NOT on his bingo list.
Scaramouche's face was ashen, his eyes shifting from the pink baby napkin draped around his neck to the bald man kneeling on the floor before the throne he sat on, holding his hand.
His mouth hung open, and he stared blankly at the old man, his face beaming as if he had just seen his savior
“Can you…” — Sullivan's eyes sparkled, far too joyful for Scaramouche's current mood
“Become my grandson?”
…What the fuck.
Scaramouche stared blankly at Sullivan, the crib toys swaying above their head, their gentle sounds contributing to the scene's almost comical atmosphere.
His lips twitched, disbelief overwhelming him as he looked at the bald man.
‘Is this a fucking joke?’
It must be, ‘cause there's no way a demon would beg him to be his grandson. No fucking way.
Ignoring the boy's bewildered expression, the demon stepped back, his cheeks slightly flushed as he spoke
“Actually, I’m single… but I’ve always longed to have grandchildren” — Sullivan let go of his hand and began to embarrassingly put his arm around his shoulder.
Scaramouche remained silent, refusing to understand the situation.
And then he lost another brain cell when the bald old man began to bend down and grab his hand, weeping sadly as he lamented
“Really, I’m jealous! Of Levi and Belial boasting about their grandchildren!”
“...So” — Scaramouche blinked, trying to utter a word after processing what he had just said
“Am I allowed to decline?”
“I’ll respect your wishes… If you don’t want it, you may decline…!” — Sullivan spoke sadly, and Scaramouche responded immediately without hesitation
“No”
“...”
“...”
“Did I mention I can sentence you to death if you don't make any progress?”
And so he stood there, helplessly watching the bald old man happily hold up the adoption contract as if it were a life achievement.
Then, after a moment of celebration, Sullivan finally turned to look at Scaramouche, who wore a dejected expression as if regretting his decision.
But he completely ignored the boy's expression and spoke up
“Well then, since that is decided…”
He spoke, raising his hand. And then, with a snap of his fingers, a blinding flash of light enveloped their room, and a second later, they were both in a completely different room.
Scaramouche frowned, his gaze sweeping across the room with a look of analysis.
The room they were standing in was a large, luxurious bedroom with a rich red carpet, a huge red bed with a bat-shaped headboard. In one corner stood a tall bookshelf filled with books, with a black desk in front of it. The room also featured an ornate wooden wardrobe, purple-tinted windows, elegant furniture, and spooky decorations such as skulls and bat figures.
Scaramouche looked around the room for a moment longer before turning to Sullivan and asked
“What is this?”
“Your room!”
His eyes darkened. His 'room'? Again with this nonsense? If he wanted to lock him in a fancy-looking prison, he should just say so.
Unaware of the chaotic thoughts swirling in his head, Sullivan continued speaking
“You’re my first cute grandson, everything is guaranteed! Food, clothing, shelter and…”
He snapped his fingers again, and this time Scaramouche's clothes instantly changed.
He stared down at his new attire before grimacing in disgust.
The outfit he once wore as a Fatui harbinger has now been replaced by a uniform consisting of a long, bright blue coat with white trim, a high white collar, matching blue trousers, and a red ribbon around his neck secured by a round gold brooch that resembles an eyeball.
He stared at the uniform for a moment before giving Sullivan a judgmental look
“What now…?”
“Education!” — The old man replied enthusiastically
“It suits you perfectly~ You’re so cute!”
“…Are you fucking-”
Scaramouche was about to utter a loving word to the old man, but the latter completely ignored him and continued speaking while clapping his hands happily
“You’re going to attend the demon school!”
“…A what?”
Okay, maybe the death penalty sounds better.
“Thanks to your mother, you never really went to school, did you?”
Scaramouche shuddered slightly at the words, his shoulders tensing, his defensiveness returning as he glared at Sullivan
“How much do you know… about my past?”
“Only the main parts!”
He responded nonchalantly, but that did not diminish Scaramouche's vigilance.
Then Sullivan continued, speaking with a mixture of excitement and shyness
“Anyway, all the paperwork is done! Because I’m your grandpa after all!”
“…”
‘Is he really serious about this?’ Scaramouche frowned at Sullivan before sighing and reluctantly accepting.
Whatever, it’s not like getting into a particular school going to be a problem for him.
But what is this school in the Netherworld like? Is it similar to Akademiya? If the school here is similar to Akademiya, then it seems he'll have to deal with a bunch of arrogant show-offs.
But then Sullivan's intense gaze pulled him back to reality.
Scaramouche frowned, looking at the bald old man with a puzzled expression
“What?”
“Uhm…” — Sullivan fiddled with his fingers, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the indigo
“Can you call me grandpa? You know… because I am your grandpa now!”
“…No”
His cold reply instantly petrified the old man, who then sank to his knees, his face utterly devastated
“So cruel…”
Scaramouche rolled his eyes, ignoring the man's sadness.
Then Sullivan suddenly lifted his head, his eyebrows furrowed resolutely
“No! We’re legally a family now! That means you have to call me grandpa to strengthen our bond-!”
“No”
“But-”
“No”
“…”
The old man once again bowed his head in defeat.
Scaramouche folded his arms, looked down at the demon with a frown, and spoke
“Ugh, stop whining and just take me to the damn school you mentioned”
“Okay…”
Sullivan sighed before standing up, clearing his throat before speaking again with an excitement that seemed to drain all of Scaramouche's strength in the face of the old man's enthusiasm.
At this point, who’s old and who’s not…?
“When we’re there, let’s take a picture together at the school entrance ceremony!”
Then he put his hand to his chin, constantly changing the subject, leaving Scaramouche at a loss for words in the situation
“Well even though you’re not human, but your scent sound like one”
“…What-?”
“But don’t worry! You won’t get eaten if you’re not exposed~”
“Excuse me-?”
Then the bald old man suddenly produced a bucket of purple liquid from somewhere and poured it all over Scaramouche's head, leaving him completely speechless.
He blinked, staring at the old man in stunned silence as he explained
“This perfume will erase your human scent, so relax”
“…Can I choose the death sentence now-?”
Scaramouche spoke up, but Sullivan interrupted him again, causing him to grit his teeth
“Ah, but it great that Scara-kun is such a good child~”
“Hah?”
“Because if you declined…” — Sullivan slumped down and turned his back to the puppet
“The goddess would be disappointed in me…”
“…”
Scaramouche immediately frowned; although the remark wasn't directed at him, the implication was clear.
Buer would be disappointed if he chose death instead of changing himself.
Despite their past relationship, an indescribable feeling welled up inside him when he thought about how she had done all of this for him only for him to disappoint her.
He pursed his lips and lowered his head.
Then Sullivan turned back and asked him again, as if he hadn't heard his previous remark
“Eh, what did you just say?”
“…Nothing”
He tilted his head before quickly standing up, gesturing around the room as he spoke
“As I said before, this will be your room from today! The school entrance ceremony will be early tomorrow so sleep early!”
Sullivan walked toward the door of the room, waving goodbye to Scaramouche one last time
“Good night!”
Scaramouche stood there, watching the room door slowly close before surveying the room once more.
The empty feeling in his chest returned to him once again, just as it had every time he was alone in the prison in Sumeru.
No matter how many times Buer and the old man told him this was his room, the feeling of emptiness remained. No matter how much furniture and decoration was added to make the place seem safer, it offered no warmth or comfort to Scaramouche.
He stood there silently for a moment before moving to the light switch, darkness enveloped the room as he switched it off.
He glanced at a set of pajamas neatly folded on the bed, blinked at the purple color of the pajamas before letting out a snort.
He picked up the pajamas and set them aside, refusing to wear them.
He doesn't need to sleep anyway, so does it matter if he doesn't wear more comfortable clothes to sleep in?
He lay sprawled on the bed, his eyes wide open and vacant as he stared at the ceiling.
Although his body was exhausted, his mind could not remain silent as it constantly reminded him of the crimes he had committed.
Niwa has never betrayed you.
I know.
But you massacred them all because of your childish anger.
I know.
You have harmed many people because of your weaknesses and insecurities.
I know…
You did all of that, only to fail.
…
Pathetic.
…Shut up.
Yet she somehow still gave you another chance.
Shut up.
She should have executed you for what you've done.
Shut up. Shut up.
Sad? Because of what? What right do you have to feel that way?
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
Your mother should have killed you that day.
SHUT UP!
Scaramouche's fingers twitched as he tried to move his body, but they wouldn't obey him, as if his mind and body were now completely separate.
He tried to breathe, but nothing went in.
Because he doesn't need to breathe, he doesn't need air.
Inside him there was nothing, just an empty shell. No organs, no lungs, no heart.
His eyes stung, and tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. His chest tightened, as if something was pressing down on him, trying to crush him.
He wished that feeling would kill him, so that all these damned emotions and thoughts would disappear, so that he could die as he deserved.
Time just kept passing by.
One minute, one hour, or ten hours? He didn't know anymore.
His sense of time seemed to vanish as he lay there, his eyes vacant, staring at the ceiling, his body languid as if it were decaying.
He continued to stare blankly, gazing on and on without noticing when the sun had gradually risen above the horizon.
It was only when the light from the window stung his eyes that Scaramouche slowly regained consciousness. He blinked slowly, opening and closing his hands as he finally regained control of his body.
He glanced out the window before slowly sitting up, his body feeling heavy as if he were underwater.
He sat on the bed, staring down at his hands for a moment before jolting awake from his reverie as the bedroom door suddenly burst open.
Scaramouche frowned slightly when he saw Sullivan enter with an excessive amount of energy for the morning
“Scara-kun~! Did you have a good sleep?”
Scaramouche rolled his eyes at the nickname before nodding, not bothering to tell the truth.
Then he frowned slightly when he saw a guy with red hair tied in braids that reminded him of the Traveler; he had cat ears and a tail behind him. The guy had an expressionless face and stood by the door as if waiting for orders.
‘Is he the butler of this place?’ Scaramouche pondered for a moment before turning his attention back to Sullivan when the latter suddenly spoke in a worried tone
“Oh my, why are you still wearing your uniform, Scara-kun? Is the pajamas uncomfortable or do they not fit properly?”
Scaramouche blinked before remembering the outfit he had set aside the night before.
He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as he replied
“I don’t like it”
“What? Why? I thought it would look cute on you!” — Sullivan spoke with puppy dog eyes while the puppet's eyes twitched with discomfort.
He gritted his teeth, trying not to get angry at the man who was now his grandpa
“I don’t like the color, it’s too bright”
“What? B-but”
Sullivan seemed shocked by his remark, as if the idea that someone could hate such a bright, childish color was impossible.
Scaramouche raised an eyebrow at the old man, his head bowed sadly as he mumbled
“Okay… Then what color do you prefer…?”
“...” — He gazed blankly ahead, thinking for a moment before replying
“Just black”
Scaramouche's face fell, and he struggled to force a smile as he and the bald old man struck a bizarre pose for a photo.
Meanwhile, the butler - whom he learned was named Opera, held the camera and took pictures of the two of them.
As soon as the photo was taken, the bald old man jumped around happily like a child, making him reflect on his own life once again.
Scaramouche let out a frustrated sigh before his gaze fell upon the sign that read 'School Entrance Ceremony'. He hadn't been able to read it before because it was written in the Netherworld’s alphabet, but Sullivan had once again helped him understand it with his magic.
‘According to what he said yesterday, demons can also use magic... but are all demons born with the ability to control magic, or do they need to practice?’
He thought for a moment before continuing his way to school with the two devils.
The path to school was a narrow, winding stone road clinging to the edge of a steep cliff. And as they went further, a strange, enormous structure resembling a castle, surrounded by dark, twisting vines, gradually emerged from behind the mist.
He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the building while Sullivan spoke up beside him
“That’s the demon school, Babyls”
“Hm” — Scaramouche mumbled in response.
Then a series of sounds like flapping wings made him look up, and he immediately widened his eyes in surprise to see countless teenagers in uniforms flying toward the school with bat-like wings behind them, similar to Sullivan's.
‘So, all demons have wings?’ He blinked at the sight for a moment before frowning.
Okay, let's ignore the fact that he doesn't have a demon scent. How could he possibly hide the fact that he's not a demon if someone asked about his wings?
Scaramouche sighed again before continuing on to school with the other two. Whatever, he challenged the demons to eat him, he wasn't human after all.
Scaramouche frowned at the school gate as if it had insulted him, the bald old geezer and his butler had left, leaving him completely alone.
He sighed softly before stepping inside, heading in the direction he'd seen the other students go, since he didn't know where the auditorium was anyway.
He walked past teenagers dressed somewhat differently from the others, who seemed to be in charge of helping and supervising the students.
He glanced at them before his eyes inadvertently met those of a tall, orange-haired girl with a pair of long fox ears.
The girl's orange eyes met his violet-blue eyes for a moment before she turned away to talk to the others.
Seeing that, Scaramouche quickly turned away and continued walking towards the auditorium.
But then a noise caught his attention. He turned his gaze toward the noise and saw two people behind a large tree, a man with dark hair and a long nose, and a muscular guy with spiky blond hair, who was wielding a huge axe and appeared to be attacking the man with dark hair.
And judging by the mature face and distinctive attire of the dark-haired man, perhaps he's a teacher?
“You! What’s the meaning of this?!” — The teacher said angrily.
The blond man smirked before raising his axe, his voice arrogant as he spoke
“An arm wrestling match before the school entrance ceremony...! I'll go up the ranks if I defeat the teachers, right?!”
Ah, great. An arrogant brat.
Scaramouche rolled his eyes, his slight interest in the situation had vanished.
Then he turned his back and walked away, if anything happened to the teacher or that blond brat, it wasn't his business.
Scaramouche entered the auditorium, so crowded with students that he hesitated between walking in or jumping off the cliff beneath the school.
But in the end, the decision to change himself prevailed, and he could only reluctantly step inside.
He stood between two demons with beastly faces, trying not to show his disgust as they sniffed around him and asked what that delicious smell was.
'But why do I smell like a human? Is it because I live among them?' He silently wondered to himself before looking around.
Nearby, a girl with lime-green hair was waving loudly at her family, causing him and the other students nearby to frown.
‘Tsk, this place seems more like a school for a bunch of childish teenagers than a place for arrogant intellectuals like Akademiya to study…’
“Silence”
Then, a deep, low male voice silenced the entire auditorium.
Scaramouche looked up at the stage and immediately saw a man with dark purple hair that made him look like he had two wolf ears. His eyes were cold, and his whole demeanor exuded a gloomy atmosphere that sent shivers down the spines of some students.
Beside him were other teachers from the school. Scaramouche observed each of them, noticing that some were dressed quite similarly to him, while others were dressed differently and in more colorful attire.
‘Is this place not strict about dress code?’ He frowned when he saw a female teacher dressed rather provocatively before averting his gaze as a male teacher with light brown hair and two pairs of horns stepped forward and began to speak
“Thank you for waiting”
Scaramouche blinked, staring at a black eyeball with two bat wings that had just pushed the microphone closer to the teacher.
“At 6:06 AM, the demon school, Babyls. The school entrance ceremony shall begin”
“All present, stand up!” — A student wearing glasses stood beside the teacher and gave the order, and everyone present quickly stood up, including Scaramouche
“Sing the school song!”
‘School song?’ He blinked before looking around, and everyone quickly began singing the school song.
Scaramouche stood stunned, listening to the song that was literally about humans being food for the demons.
…Okay, he might hate humans... but certainly not to the point of writing a song about eating humans’ meat.
‘Buer… what the fuck are you thinking?’ He looked up at the sky, as if the image of the goddess of wisdom would somehow appear and tell him this was just a dream.
He just stood there, waiting for this damn song to end.
And then finally, his liberation came when everyone finished singing the school song and the principal was invited to give a speech.
Scaramouche blinked in confusion when he heard some students shout 'next demon king' upon hearing the announcement.
‘Next demon king? What happened to-’
“Scara-kun!~”
“...”
He fucking take it back, his liberation DIDN’T come.
The puppet's face darkened as he glanced towards the platform.
And standing on the podium was none other than the fuckass bald old man - Sullivan.
Scaramouche ignored the devil and found the ceiling more interesting than anything the old geezer was rambling about.
‘Hmm... maybe I should jump off that cliff…’
And then, after a while of rambling, that FUCKING old geezer decided to put the huge photo he'd taken with him on the table, which now made him want to bury himself alive.
All eyes immediately turned towards him, leaving him with no choice but to close his eyes and accept his fate.
Ahahahaha… Surely it couldn’t get any worse, right-?
“I shall send everyone a copy of our picture later~”
FUCK NO.
Scaramouche glared angrily at the seemingly proud old man, his cheeks flushed with a mixture of shame and rage.
He swore that if that old man said another stupid thing, he would strangle him and everyone in the school, then kill himself-
“Alright, I've said everything I wanted to, so… The end!” — Sullivan quickly left after a speech that made Scaramouche want to disappear into the ground.
He sighed irritably, crossed his arms, and ignored it when it was the freshman representative's turn.
Then a boy with a handsome looking face, light pink hair and a white suit with gold trim stood up, judging from the conversations around him, the representative seemed to be the one who had scored the highest.
‘Ha, whatever, let's just get this over with’ He rolled his eyes as the pink-haired boy, introduced by the presenter as Asmodeus, approached the stage.
But then the presenter's hesitant, stammering voice caught his attention
“Uh- uhm, in place of him, the speech will be…”
The presenter's comment immediately left him speechless
“Made by the scholarship student, Scaramouche!”
…Scholarship my ass.
The confused murmurs of the students immediately echoed throughout the area.
And…
Ohoho, look at that old ass geezer still even dared to stick his head out and give him a thumbs-up… He swears he'll strangle that bald head of his-
“Scaramouche-kun, to the stage!” — And then the presenter's words brought him back to reality.
Scaramouche gritted his teeth before slowly standing up.
The girls sitting nearby couldn’t help but blushed and whispered when they saw his face
“Damn, another handsome guy!”
“He’s cute~”
Scaramouche, hearing the whispers, immediately frowned. He glared at the whispering girls, startling them before they quickly made his way to the stage.
And so he stood on the podium, completely at a loss for words. But Scaramouche just calmly considered what he should say, should he simply say hello? Or should he tell everyone how ugly they looked? Hm… decision decision…
“Your speech, please” — The presenter urged him on, causing him to blink and look down at everyone.
But before he could utter any of the heartwarming words that were on his mind, the photograph of him and Sullivan that was floating beside him suddenly fell onto the podium.
He blinked when he saw a line of text written on it.
‘To ensure you do not fall or stumble in your future school life, I gift you this phase - From Grandpa.’
And below that was a piece of text that looked like some kind of spell made him frown in suspicion.
But then he just sighed, whatever, if the whole place accidentally exploded because he recited this incantation, he would blame the principal.
And then he began to read what was written on the paper, and each time he read, the expressions on everyone's faces changed from panic to horror.
And then, as soon as he finished reading, his eyes swept over the people below, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw that everyone was gaping and completely silent.
Okay, what the hell he had just read?
But less than a second later, the entire hall erupted in cheers as if he had just won a life-or-death battle.
Scaramouche blinked in confusion, but before he could do anything, the teacher who had been in charge of the speech approached him with a reprimanding look
“You! You can’t-”
“It’s the principal’s fault”
“...”
“...” — Scaramouche calmly pointed down at the piece of paper
“He forced me to read it”
Although he didn't know what he had just read, he refused to take responsibility for the mess that the old geezer had caused.
All the teachers slowly turned their gaze towards the back of the stage, where the esteemed principal was holding a video camera, capturing the moment.
Then he was startled to see all eyes on him and quickly looked away, causing a few teachers to blink in confusion.
The brown-haired teacher stared for a moment before sighing and turning back to look at Scaramouche
“But still, you shouldn’t go chanting the ‘Forbidden Incantation’ like that! It’s a taboo! A stutter or just one word wrongly pronounced, you’ll blow up!”
‘...That fucking old geezer…’ He pursed his lips slightly, trying not to let his anger show on his face as he continued to listen to the teacher
“That’s really dangerous and crazy…”
The teacher maintained his scolding expression for a moment longer before suddenly breaking into a smile that was far too broad for the situation and saying
“And I had the best time!”
“...”
Maybe he should pronounce it wrong…
“People who chant that are either an idiot, stupid or don't fear death” — The teacher continued with a smiling face, as if he found the situation amusing. Scaramouche frowned at him before asking
“What effect does that chant have?”
“If you succeed, you won’t fall for the entire day”
…Ha. Haha. Hilarious, he should have chanted that spell when he fell from the Shouki no Kami.
Scaramouche felt as if all his strength was being drained from his body, perhaps this was Buer's real reason for bringing him here - to let him die at the hands of these fucking demons.
He slowly walked off the stage, desperately wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible.
But then a tall figure suddenly stood in his way, causing him to look up. He blinked when he saw it was that Asmodeus boy.
The pink-haired guy looked at him with a serious expression as he spoke
“My name is Asmodeus Alice”
“...What do you want?”
Okay, so the kid representing the school wants to challenge him. That's 'DEFINITELY' something he'd think a normal teenage student would do… especially when they’re a noble looking dude.
Scaramouche flashed a smile that didn't reach his eyes, the absurdity of the situation only intensified his desire to leap off the cliff.
Surrounding the courtyard where they were standing were a crowd of students, all curious and excited about the match.
Scaramouche frowned at the crowd before turning back to look at Asmodeus as he spoke
“I should have been the one to make the representative’s speech”
‘Oops, I stole your spotlight’ Scaramouche rolled his eyes, and that only angered the pink-haired boy further
“The crime of tainting that important stage is worth a thousand deaths!” — As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand, and instantly a flame erupted from it, causing Scaramouche to raise an eyebrow.
‘Is that magic too?’ He thought for a moment before turning his attention back to the pink-haired boy as he continued
“Sullying my big moment… I have the right to determine if you’re a worthy demon or not!... Right?”
The flames in the boy's hands blazed even more fiercely, but the puppet didn't seem to care, merely shrugging his shoulders
“Whatever, just get this done quick so I can leave”
His nonchalant remark immediately angered Asmodeus
“You-!”
He reached behind him and threw the fireball in his hand towards Scaramouche, but Scaramouche easily dodged it without any effort.
Asmodeus widened his eyes before unleashing a barrage of fireballs with tremendous destructive power at Scaramouche, but if the boy thought that could faze someone who had lived for around 500 years, he was greatly mistaken.
Scaramouche nimbly dodged each attack while thinking, ‘Does elemental power work here?’
If possible, he could perhaps use the electro power within him... if it still remains.
However, after a moment of thought, he decided against it. Who knew if the demon's body could withstand his power?
And he wouldn't intentionally kill a student and disappoint Buer.
After a while of struggling back and forth, with one throwing and the other dodging, Asmodeus finally collapsed to his knees, panting heavily, while Scaramouche stood with his arms crossed, seemingly unaffected.
Scaramouche stared at the boy with a raised eyebrow while the crowd around them began whispering to each other
“Scaramouche is awesome!”
“He hasn't even attacked once!”
“Eh, does that mean he doesn’t even need to raise a hand?”
Hearing the crowd's murmurs, Asmodeus tightened his grip on the grass in his hand, frowning as he looked up at Scaramouche
“So I'm not worthy of you attacking, is that it?”
“…”
Scaramouche blinked, looking down at the pink-haired boy while deep in thought.
Should he say something comforting? Be friendly? But why would he, this brat started the fight first.
But if he says anything harsh, Buer will certainly be disappointed…
After some thought, he decided to be honest with his conscience
“Yeah, you’re too weak”
“…”
“…”
The crowd immediately gasped and were surprised by his bluntness.
Asmodeus clenched his fists, his teeth ground together as he forced himself upright, rising slowly from where he had been kneeling on the ground.
His magenta eyes burned like twin embers, blazing with a fierce, defiant anger that refused to be extinguished.
And then Asmodeus summoned a blazing fire in his palm.
Within seconds, the fire condensed into the form of a sword, its blade shimmering with intense heat, its edges flickering like living light
“If magic doesn’t work, then I’ll use martial arts to have you yield!”
Asmodeus’s voice rang out with fierce determination.
The moment the words left his lips, he stomped his foot on the ground before swiftly lunging at Scaramouche, who calmly folded his arms before easily dodging to the side, causing the boy to lose his balance and fall forward.
But then he widened his eyes when he saw a group of girls standing several steps ahead, frozen in shock as the sudden chaos unfolded right in front of them.
They clearly hadn’t expected a blazing sword and a charging boy to come hurtling in their direction
“Eiko!” — One girl in the group screamed in terror as she saw Asmodeus's fiery sword hurtling towards her friend.
The blonde girl, Eiko, could only stand there and watch as the sword hurtled towards her, unable to dodge.
Seeing that, Scaramouche gritted his teeth before quickly rushing forward, grabbing the pink-haired boy by the waist, and pulling him back, successfully saving the girl.
However, that action also caused both of them to fall backward, and Scaramouche could only helplessly let himself fall heavily to the ground... or so he thought.
The spell the old geezer had made him recite earlier took effect, causing him to successfully throw Asmodeus to the ground instead of falling, sending him crashing headfirst.
And so that's how they ended up in this position, one has his head befriend the ground and the other looking like he's about to break his spine.
And everyone in the school witnessed it all... Buer would be so proud.
Scaramouche stared blankly at the newspaper in his hand; all the events of the day were reported, and the fight between him and that noble boy was at the top of the page.
He clutched the paper tightly as if about to tear it apart, the old man's shouts echoing in his ears as if his grandson's appearance on the front page of the newspaper was something to be proud of.
Meanwhile, Opera stood in a corner, still wearing an expressionless face.
Hahaha… this is bullshit-
Slam!
All three of them immediately looked towards the principal's office door as someone abruptly flung it open.
And Scaramouche immediately frowned when he saw that it was that Asmodeus brat.
‘What now…?’ His eyebrows twitched as he watched the guy slowly approach, he swore that if this kid dared to challenge him again-
Then all his thoughts vanished, leaving only confusion as he stared wide-eyed at the noble guy who was now kneeling before him in a respectful greeting.
What the actual fuck?
Asmodeus bowed his head before raising his determined eyes to Scaramouche, who was looking at him as if he were an escaped mental patient
“I’ve lost, Scaramouche-sama!”
“...What-?” — The puppet blinked, but Asmodeus took that as a signal to continue as he spoke
“In the previous duel, I was completely and soundly defeated. Moreover, you carried me all the way to the infirmary”
“Actually, Opera was the one-”
“This Asmodeus is so deeply touched that no words can convey my feelings!”
‘...Did I hit his head on the ground too hard?’ Scaramouche was completely speechless, only able to stare at the rambling demon
“It’s a demonic custom for the loser to serve the winner! Therefore!”
Asmodeus raised his head once more, looking directly into Scaramouche's eyes. And then, as if trying to restart the puppet's brain, the pink-haired boy suddenly flashed the most radiant smile he had ever seen on his face.
Scaramouche looked at the demon with fear as he spoke in a voice full of determination
“I shall devote my body and give my all in helping Scaramouche-sama to rule over this school!”
“...Did you have brain damage-?”
“Without further ado, let us gather all the freshmen under us!”
“When the fuck did I agree-”
“Scaramouche-sama, please give me an order as to who we shall first cut down!”
“...”
Scaramouche stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes searching for some supreme deity up there.
‘Buer... Is having a crazy guy wanting to serve me part of your plan for self-improvement…?’
“Scara-kun, can I put this picture on the school homepage-?”
“NO!”