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[Bathroom of Rito, moments after the confusion.]
[Water droplets still fall slowly from the faucet, plop... plop... plop...]
Rito remained seated on the cold bathroom floor, head buried in his hands, desperately trying to ignore the feeling that the entire universe had decided to play a joke on him. Beside him, Lala watched everything with an innocent smile, like a child who had just received a new toy.
— Rito-kun... — Asia finally breaks the tense silence, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind. — Can you explain again what happened?
He slowly lifted his head, his face redder than a ripe tomato:
— Look, Asia... it's not what it seems... I mean, it's complicated...
— It's not complicated at all! — Lala interrupts, enthusiastic. — I'm Rito's fiancée now!
— FIANCÉE?! — Mikan bursts in from the door, looking at her brother as if he had completely lost his mind. — Rito, have you gone crazy? Is this some kind of prank?
— I swear I can explain! — Rito raises his hands defensively, the towel almost slipping again, and he quickly holds it, preserving what little dignity he has left. — She appeared out of nowhere in the bath! Completely naked, by the way...
Mikan gives him a deadly glare:
— Great job improving the situation, congrats.
Asia covers her blushing face with her small hands, but her eyes peek curiously between her fingers, shining with an innocence that only increases Rito's discomfort.
— Oh my God... — Rito mutters, looking at the ceiling as if seeking divine patience. — Can someone, please, believe me?
Lala laughs, carefree, and grabs Rito's arm again, pressing it against her as if they were childhood friends:
— No need to be shy! You saved me from those annoying guys sent by my dad! Now we are officially engaged, according to Deviluke rules!
— Devil... what?! — Asia and Mikan exclaim together.
Lala nods, her eyes sparkling like distant stars:
— Deviluke! My home planet, really beautiful, but my dad decided I need to marry someone worthy of ruling the galaxy. Such a hassle, really. Luckily, I found Rito!
— Lucky?! — Rito blurts out, feeling like he's slowly sinking into quicksand. — Lucky for who, exactly?
Asia tilts her head, with an expression between worry and curiosity:
— But, Rito-kun, does that mean you're really going to marry her?
— NO! — Rito raises his voice louder than he intended, echoing through the bathroom like an unintentional thunder. — I mean, I just said that to help! I didn't know she would take it so seriously!
Lala shrugs, unconcerned:
— Of course I took it seriously! Words have power, you know? Especially words said in the bathtub!
Mikan crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow in a perfectly sarcastic expression:
— In the bathtub, huh? Sure, because every great romance starts that way...
— Hey, I already said it's not a romance! — Rito protests, his face burning once again. — I'm just trying to sort out this mess that landed on my head!
[THUD!]
Something heavy falls on the roof of the house, slightly shaking the walls. Everyone looks up with alarmed expressions, except for Lala, who just sighs dramatically:
— Ah, here we go again.
— What now?! — Rito groans, getting up quickly, almost dropping the towel once more.
Lala points upward with a mischievous smile:
— I think Dad sent reinforcements. Looks like our honeymoon will have to wait a bit, Rito!
— Don't joke about that, for God's sake! — Rito pleads, almost begging.
Asia approaches with a nervous, yet genuinely sweet smile:
— Don't worry, Rito-kun, whatever happens, I believe you.
He sighs deeply, feeling a bit calmer for the first time since Lala literally fell from the sky:
— Thanks, Asia... at least someone's on my side.
Mikan rolls her eyes but also smiles softly:
— Yeah, it looks like our family just got a lot weirder.
[CRACKLE... BOOM!]
A lightning bolt cuts through the sky, illuminating the bathroom with a momentary glow, foreshadowing the storm about to hit them—both metaphorically and literally.
Rito looks out the window, feeling a shiver run down his spine like a cold serpent:
— Seems like my life will never be the same...
Lala hugs him cheerfully, completely oblivious to the tension in the air, murmuring sweetly:
— I promise it will be much more fun, at least!
He sighs, resigned:
— Fun, huh? Heaven help me.
But deep down, he felt the entire universe smiling ironically. Because, in the end, maybe that was exactly the adventure he needed, even without knowing it.
Rito sighs and accepts his fate, deciding to go along with becoming Lala's fiancé and see what happens. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
**
("Underworld")
Ajuka let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples like a man trying to chase away a headache more loyal than a stray dog. The dark room around him was lit only by holographic screens, blinking mercilessly with endless reports and annoying notifications—beep, beep, beep—like little demons laughing at his exhaustion.
— Devils... literally. — he muttered, leaning back in the chair and staring at the dark ceiling. He felt as worn out as an old engine struggling to start.
The last meeting with the Diabolical Council had been especially tough. The old men, stubborn as mules, kept pushing for a quick solution to the population problem. Ajuka could understand the urgency, of course, but sometimes he was absolutely sure that some council members thought with their backsides rather than their heads.
— "Leave everything as it was before," they say — he grumbled, imitating a high-pitched and mocking voice. — As if it were that simple, you idiots!
"Before" meant allowing reincarnated humans to fully transform into devils. And that led to another problem—if they became complete devils, the Sacred Gears would simply vanish like smoke on a windy day. It wasn't something he could control or predict, and he had tried everything, from tweaking the Evil Pieces to delicately adjusting the very essence of demonic magic.
He snapped his fingers, a gesture as tired as it was futile, staring at the screen in front of him. He had tried to create an intermediate solution: "half-evil" Evil Pieces, like half-melted ice cream that no one really wanted, but it could be enough to keep the Sacred Gears in their hosts. Of course, that also resulted in more shouting and complaints from the Council—because, apparently, half-baked solutions pleased no one.
And to top off the bureaucratic hell, some bastard decided to leak the secret of the King's Pieces. Just now. As if he wasn't already buried in enough problems, this news appeared: the discovery that the Great King's group was abusing the rules of the game, manipulating secret Pieces to gain an advantage in the Rating Games. The news hit the Underworld like a thunderbolt on a clear day, echoing shouts and accusations everywhere.
— Just what I needed — Ajuka muttered, feeling the weight of those words sink into his already hunched shoulders.
He slowly stood up, cracking his aching back. His office was a mess, with documents piled up like a wall around him, threatening to literally bury him. He felt like a tired general in an endless war against stupidity and greed. A war he, honestly, was beginning to doubt he could ever win.
— Ajuka-sama, the Council requests your presence again — announced a mechanical voice coming from the communicator.
He rolled his eyes at the ceiling, as if asking for mercy from a non-existent deity.
— I'm coming — he replied without any enthusiasm, walking to the door and hearing it slide open silently—shhhh—as if mocking the lack of peace in his life.
Long, silent corridors led him to the council hall. Ajuka pushed the heavy door, creaking like a prolonged groan—creeeeeeek—and found dozens of irritated eyes waiting for him.
— Welcome again, Ajuka Beelzebub — said Zekram Bael, his voice sounding as old and worn out as his outdated ideas.
— Didn't have much of a choice, did I? — he retorted with a dry smile, taking his usual seat and crossing his legs with rehearsed patience.
The discussion began immediately, a tangle of voices shouting absurd solutions or useless complaints. Ajuka closed his eyes briefly, imagining himself far away, perhaps on a distant beach with the sound of waves replacing the constant whining.
— We need to decide about the King's Pieces! — someone yelled, abruptly pulling him back to reality.
— And what do you suggest? — Ajuka asked, pretending calm while his insides boiled with irritation.
— Remove them completely! — another shouted.
— Keep them, but strictly regulate! — countered someone else.
Suggestions collided like cars in a chain crash, and Ajuka felt his patience slowly draining away.
It was then that a low, ironic laugh escaped his lips, making everyone fall abruptly silent.
— Do you really think we have time for these stupid fights? — he asked, leaning forward, his eyes gleaming dangerously. — The war ended a long time ago, but it seems you want to start another one, right here, among us.
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, dense and heavy like smoke from a fire. Ajuka slowly leaned back, taking advantage of the brief pause to catch his breath.
— Let's do this — he finally proposed, his voice firm despite the evident exhaustion in his eyes. — I'll adjust the Evil Pieces again. It won't be a perfect solution, but it will prevent the loss of Sacred Gears. As for the King's Pieces... — he took a deep breath, knowing those words could ignite another fire. — They will be investigated individually. Those who abused them will be punished. Those who used them correctly may continue, but under strict supervision.
Murmurs began to rise like small waves before a storm, but Ajuka raised a firm hand.
— Take it or leave it. I'm not coming back here to discuss this again.
With that, he stood up, leaving the council in silence behind him. As he left the hall, closing the door with a definitive thud—BAM!—he felt a faint, tired smile form at the corner of his mouth.
Maybe it was too small a victory to celebrate, but it was already a step. And at that point, he would take any step in the right direction, even if he had to drag the entire Underworld along.
(A/N: The King's Piece will be allowed for those who do not participate in the Rating Games. In other words, whoever used it and participated in a Rating Game will be punished.)