The Devil is a Part-Timer

Chiho didn't seem to bring out a word, but Suzuno didn't mind. "Sadao-dono! Visitors!" - "Whoa, Chi-chan!? Why are you here so early?"
Auriel watched the scene before her while entering the apartment right after Emi. Chiho and Maou were talking about Ashiya being sick and something with a bento, but it didn't actually seem interesting. Why did she let Emi convince her to come along again?
After a while Suzuno and Chiho seemed to have finished cooking and searched for enough dishes for everyone while Lucifer seemed to finally be awake, looking around confused. "Breakfast already?" Auriel quickly looked away to hide her smile and slight blush that she just couldn't hold back while everyone else seemed rather annoyed by the fallen angles behaviour. "I don't see any seat or chopsticks or teacup for me, dude."

When Lucifer finally seemed awake, Lux barked happily, though he was almost looking more at the proper angel than the fallen one.

"Guess you don't get anything, then." Azriel just gave Lucifer a small glare. She wasn't going to eat anything, either, though at least in her case, it was a choice; she just made sure to stay near Alciel.
He seemed to agree with her assessment, though. "Our guests come first. And the person who contributed the least to the meal comes last."
"...Dude, you're so gonna regret this. Like, isn't that the container my Sugiya dinner came in?"
"You'll live." If words could kill, Lucifer might've already dropped dead; then again, that was probably true for almost anyone Azriel had talked to recently. Her coworkers had more or less accepted her explanation - you really couldn't call it an apology - that "someone important to her" was sick, but they all made sure to keep their distance for the time being. Hell, even the dogs, even Lux, weren't nearly as interested in pets from her for the time being. Azriel wasn't used to this kind of problem. Usually, her problem had been a foe; that, she could deal with. Or if she had to be worried about someone, she could blow off her steam by tearing down unrelated enemies. But here, in this situation, she was stuck; she had no way of helping her general, and even less of tearing out an opponent's throat.

"So...how are you feeling anyway, Ashiya-san? Are you okay?", Chiho asked, probably trying to prevent an argument.
"Thank you for your concern. Thanks to Kamazuki-san's kindness, I've been able to rest very well. I hope to return to my regular routine beginning today", Ashiya replied smiling, while Auriel started eating some of the food. It was just a hint, but she instantly recognized the holy energy in it. No wonder the demon general didn't feel that well these last days. At the same time something else came to the angels mind. Since this Suzuno was the one cooking she had to be the one putting it in. And that meant she at least knew about Ente Isla and the demons true natures. But what exactly was her goal? The holy energy might've been able to weaken the demons except for Lucifer, but Suzuno didn't seem like she was actually planning on attacking the demons otherwise. What a strange girl.

Azriel barely suppressed a growl. Chiho was no danger; while Azriel didn't care much for humans, not even this human girl who'd taken such an interest in her king, it wouldn't do to alienate her.
"And we have Chiho to thank for that!", Suzuno added. "Such a cornucopia of rejuvenating ingredient she brought along! Nothing like some good meat to revitalize a man's appetite."
Azriel just scoffed. She knew how she'd prefer her meat, and it definitely wasn't like this. But oh well. Hunting wasn't really an option right now, not when she spent most of her time at the Devil's Castle.
"Well, thank you! I wish I could cook like you though, Suzuno."
Just plain human conversations; nothing of special interest to Azriel, so she mostly zoned out, just listening for her or the fellow demons' names. Instead, she focused more on the guests' behaviors. Not Chiho's - the girl was no threat, so no need to watch her - but that still left an angel, a Hero and a strange girl Azriel refused to trust.

Lux, meanwhile, left Lucifer's side after he'd refused to pet him, and instead trotted over to Auriel, lying down next to her and putting his head in her lap. Seemed like there was something about angels that drew him in; as long as he didn't hesitate should he have to fight one, though, Azriel saw no reason to stop him.

Auriel was still in thought when she suddenly felt something in her lap. Looking down she was greeted with the sight of a dog. "Nyaw, you're a cutie, aren't you?", she said barely audible, patting his head.
"Hey, would you like me to show you around in Shinjuku and so on?", Emi just asked Suzuno when the angel finally turned her attention back to the conversation, still petting the dog. "Yeah that...and not just for a job, but you probably better do something about her clothes and stuff. Yukatas are cute and all...but isn't she gonna need a business suit and bag like Yusa's?", Lucifer commented, grabbing Emis bag. "Hey! You can't just touch that! You'll infect me with your unemployeditis!" - "I will not! Jeez, dude, I was just lookin at it!" - "I'm amazed you can just do stuff like that, Urushihara-san." - "Aw, quit it already! You're treating me like some sort of idiot!", Lucifer complained while Auriel tried to hold back a smile. Comparing this situation back to the time when they were still in Heaven, this was just too hilarious. "If you don't want to be treated like an idiot, then quit acting like one", the angel simply stated, looking at the dog she was still petting.

Lux responded by trying to snuggle up closer to Auriel; a difficult feat considering his size and the very small amount of space. His tail was wagging, and thanks to his size, lightly slapping against Lucifer with every wag.
Tense as she was, even Azriel had to smile just a little bit seeing her dog happy. He might have bad taste in the friends he chose, but he was still a precious member of her pack.

She didn't interfere with the argument surrounding Lucifer; he wasn't her general, and Alciel didn't make any gestures telling her to, after all. For another demon, she might have, but Lucifer? Nope. "True words, little one."
When he retreated, Lux raised his heads with a soft whine. For a moment, he looked conflicted, as if trying to decide whether he should follow him or stay with Auriel. The old friend or the one who actually petted him?
He nudged Auriels hands once, then got up to keep Lucifer company, but after one or two half-hearted pats, he just tried to shoo Lux away again. Tail wagging, the dog stood there a moment longer, before just licking Lucifer's face - probably covering it in slobber - and returning to Auriel.

"Indeed, though, my chest of drawers is lacking in such things. I have little in the way of purses and footwear. Perhaps I had best atone for that, if necessary."
"You've got more than just... kimonos, right?" Emi looked surprised. As if the girl hadn't already shown to be weird.
"I do not. I have kimonos, and sandals, and these socks, but none of the pairings that you and Chiho are sporting so dashingly."
Azriel just raised an eyebrow. "Girl, where the hell are you from?"

Auriel didn't manage to hald back a little laughter when the dog licked Lucifer before returning. "Good boyyyy", she said smiling while petting him again, earning an annoyed look from Lucifer which she just ignored.
"Is that...strange in some way?" - "No, not strange exactly, but..." - "Damn, Suzuno-chan, you're like some kind of old-world princess."
After the conversation went on for a while Emi and Suzuno were the first ones to leave, shortly after Chiho decided it was time to go as well. While Maou got up to accompany her, Auriel just stayed seated, still patting Lux.

Azriel relaxed just a tiny bit once Suzuno had left.
"You know, you should be a bit more curteous towards our guests," Alciel scolded, but Azriel just scoffed.
"I'm a guest here, too, aren't I? Besides, I don't trust her. One bit." She shook her head, quite like a dog shaking its fur to get rid of water. "The first time I've seen a demon sick, and it JUST so happens to be the exact day she moved here?"
Lux raised his head again, while Aya's and Sayu's fur was just a little bit raised as they watched their pack leader.
Azriel looked over to Auriel. "C'mon, tiny angel, look me in the eye and tell me there wasn't anything off about that girl."

Auriel looked up and thought about it for a bit before just shrugging. "What would I know? I'm just that tiny angel who you don't trust anyway", she replied before looking back at the dog she was patting.
The demon girl was right though, something was off about that girl. Putting holy energy into the food to try and weaken them, but at the same time just standing by and taking care of them? Quite a strange behaviour. Auriel kinda wondered if anyone else noticed the holy energy or that this Suzuno seemed to know about Ente Isla, but it didn't seem like it.

Azriel rolled her eyes. "You're better than that girl, at least."
Lux raised his head, but Azriel just gave him a quick sign that he could stay down. He probably sensed his alpha's annoyance--and didn't want to be by its source--but there was no reason to forbid the dog to get his pets.
"But don't tell me you're mad I don't trust you. Newsflash, little one, I'm a demon, you're an angel. The last couple run-ins with you little birds haven't exactly involved making friends."
"Azriel." Alciel's voice was weaker than what Azriel was used to, but even so she immediately turned to look at him. "Control your temper. Even if you don't trust Kamazuki-san, she's helping our finances tremendously."
"The girl can be glad she's still got her throat," Azriel growled. "That's as controlled as it's gonna get."

"I was just pointing out the way it is. I'm not mad nor can I blame you", Auriel simply replied before looking over to Lucifer who seemed rather busy with his computer. Kinda hard to imagine this guy actually was one (if not the one) of the most powerful angels back in Heaven.
Auriel slightly sighed, thinking about how she yelled at him. Everything would've been so much easier if he didn't just leave without saying anything. They used to be so close and now...they didn't see each other for years and barely exchanged a word. It was kind of frustrating.

Alciel kept his eye contact with Azriel until she lowered her gaze with another growl. He was still her general, despite all the strange things that had happened; that didn't mean she liked being reminded of it, though. Azriel shook not just her head, but her body the same way a dog would; it probably looked more than a little uncanny to others, considering her human shape.
"You should also be careful to not be too obvious in the presence of humans." Of course Alciel noticed.
"There are no humans here." Azriel's voice dropped even lower than before; if it had sounded like growling before, it was now probably just what would happen if you could understand a snarling dog.
Under normal circumstances, Azriel would have dozens of options to release all that tension. Fighting, mostly, but even if that wasn't an option, there'd be plenty more. However, she also didn't want to be away from Alciel's side for longer than necessary, especially not considering that both an angel and the Hero knew where he was and that he was weakened, and that was before even counting that damn girl.

After a while of silence Auriel sighed again and got up, patting the dog one last time. "Guess I better leave too, huh? Still got some...stuff to do and I only was dragged here by Emi in the first place. But let me know if you find out more about this Suzuno, can't be too careful", the angel said before putting on her shoes and waving goodbye while leaving the apartment. "See ya."

Since she knew that Emi had planned to help out Suzuno and mainly knew the direction, she just started walking towards the station to follow her sister. Auriel was quite aware that Emi was able to protect herself, but like she said earlier, you couldn't be too careful. As long as she didn't know what Suzunos true intentions were she wouldn't be able to just stand by without watching over her sister.

Lux whined softly when his petter left, then tried to snuggle with Lucifer again, without much luck.

Azriel just glanced at Auriel; truth be told, that was probably better than even trying to say any goodbyes, considering the circumstances.
"Don't you have to go to work as well?"
Azriel nodded, though it looked kind of as if she had to force herself to do so. She was probably running late already, and would've just skipped work entirely if Auriel had stayed any longer.
Alciel's tone sounded scolding. "Then you should go."
"But..." Azriel sighed. "Fine. But call me if anything happens."
Alciel had been in worse shape before; so had Azriel, and pretty much every demon she knew. But that was different; that had been back on Ente Isla, with magic flowing through the air. None of this idiotic conservation of it, easily able to tap into it whenever needed.

But be that as it may, her general did, technically, send her away. At least Lucifer was still with him; while Azriel neither liked nor trusted the fallen angel, anyone attacking Alciel would probably target him, too. So, the dogs by her side, she'd have to get through another photo shoot before she could return.

I took quite a while for Auriel to wander around in Shinjuku until she spotted Emi talking to Suzuno. With them was another girl who looked kinda familiar, probably one of Emis co-workers.
"What are you doing here?", Emi asked a little confused when the angel just joined the group. "Oh, I was just about to do some shopping when I noticed you guys. Do you mind if I come along?" Since none of the girls disagreed Auriel just stayed while the others went back to the conversation they just had. "So, where were we...oh right, Sadao Maou! The guy you were talking to after the tunnel accident! Ohhh, this wasn't some kind of competition I was just listening on, was it?!", Rika said excitedly, while Auriel just listened a bit confused. In the end they decided to pay the MgRonalds a visit since Rika seemed eager to learn more about Maou.
"Well, we're here in Hatagaya but the MgRonald's looking pretty dead. Bad time for an intervention. If it ain't busy in there, it'll get reeeaaally awkward if things go south with you guys. Having other people around would help keep this more restrained, you know? But, hey, this Sentucky over there's packed, huh? Let's plan this out over there first!"

Once the shoot was finished, Azriel had a new message on her phone, from Alciel; apparently, Maou had told him to go to Sentucky for a recon mission. "Learn the definition of 'call'," Azriel texted back and left. The text had come a while ago, and it'd took a while longer to actually get to that Sentucky.
At least her current mood meant that nobody would be dumb enough to stop Azriel as she left. She didn't even bother to leash the dogs; they'd follow her anyway, and it didn't seem like anybody wanted to argue with her about it. At least she remembered to leave them in front of the restaurant instead of just letting them follow her inside.
Now, where was that damn general of hers?

With probably the last people Azriel wanted to see. She bit her lip to stop a growl. Did he have to spend his free time with the Hero and that girl?
She would've gone to them immediately, but one of the cashiers caught her attention. He was tiny, even smaller than Lucifer, but that wasn't it. And if her general was here, she couldn't leave it completely uninvestigated; that meant getting in line for something small.
Just as she reached him, she turned on her wolf senses--and immediately sneezed. That cologne had been bad as a human, but with an even better nose? Gross. But there were two other smells, too; one Azriel couldn't quite place, but it seemed like he'd been trying to cover it up. The other, Azriel knew way better than she would have liked. Another angel.
She stopped the flow of magic, gritting her teeth. Azriel didn't even really hear that angel's words, but at least she managed to just order some small fries instead of going at his throat.
Taking a deep breath, she went over to join the table with Alciel.

Inside of the Sentucky they had to wait in pretty long line before they were able to order. It took a while until Auriel recognized the guy behind the counter since he wore the uniform and the sunglasses, but after hearing his voice she was pretty sure it was Sariel. He probably recognized her as well, or maybe he didn't, but even if, he didn't act on it, so Auriel did the same. Probably wouldn't have been the most clever idea right now anyway, with all these people around.
After they got their order Rika lead them to one of the tables, bringing the conversation back to Maou. Auriel just sat there listening until Alciel showed up. He started talking something about a company he worked for and how he met Emi and stuff, but the angel didn't pay that much attention, since she was more focused on what Sariel could want on Earth. Especially so close to the Hero and the demons.

Azriel only heard the last couple of words about a construction company when she joined the group, just sliding onto the last free spot on the bench.
There was one human Azriel didn't know yet, who seemed more than a little bit surprised. "And you are...?"
"Asuka." The human name still sounded strange to her own ears, even after quite a while of using it. "I used to work for Maou, too." Even without looking, she could sense at least a little bit of relief coming from her general. "I heard you talk about him, so I figured I'd join in."
Right now, though, Azriel was more curious about Auriel, who'd pretty much zoned out. Maybe she'd noticed the other angel, too. But what was she thinking about it? Maybe her wolf senses would help her find an answer... Though Alciel wouldn't be too happy if she kept using her magic so much. Then again, yet another angel could easily prove a threat.
Honestly, it was hard to smell anything in a place like this. Oil, fries, chicken, and tons of people. Sariel's downright obnoxiously holy stench had been obvious, but the finer nuances were completely impossible to make out. At least Suzuno and the other girl appeared to actually be human; that much was a relief. And there was an oddly warm smell coming from the new girl, that one was strong enough to make out, but Azriel couldn't quite place it.
Even better was Alciel's scent, though. It was a bit off compared to what Azriel was remembered, but it had been over a year since she'd last been able to truly sense him; and such a long time in the human world was bound to change it at least a little. And even so, it was incredibly relaxing. Of course Azriel hadn't just forgotten the angels and the suspicious girl, but such a familiar scent relieved at least a little tension; if it weren't for the severe lack of magic in this world, she'd just keep her wolf senses active whenever she was near Alciel or Maou.
But as things were, she could only allow herself a few seconds before she had to stop the flow of magic, without much new information.

"A-Anyway. Well, Asuka, my name's Rika, nice to meet you." She seemed still confused, but Azriel had to give her credit for catching herself again that quickly. "Y'know, I'm starting to think I should see that Maou guy for myself."
So much for Azriel's little bit of relaxation; her muscles tensed instantly, though at least she didn't growl or bare her teeth. Yet. Rika was probably not a threat, but if she wanted to see her king, there was a far too high chance the others would follow her.

The conversation went on and the group decided to head over to the MgRonalds which Auriel didn't quite get due to her not listening. When people started to get up though it caught her attention, so she did as well. Looking around a bit confused she noticed that Azriel had joined them though the angel totally couldn't recall when exactly. It took a little while listening to the conversation til the white haired combined they probably were going to see Maou, but Emi went back into the line to order something before leaving. Auriel stopped in her tracks, staring a while at Sariel who seemed busy with work, before following the others outside. But even after leaving the building she kept looking back inside at her sister, just to make sure the other angel wouldn't make any move on her. And even though Emi just seemed a little bit confused when she rejoined the group, she was fine. Maybe Sariel didn't even recognize her...or he was here for other reasons...but Auriel couldn't be sure of that.

Well, it wasn't like Azriel could just let them go alone. Just in case.
But even with her focus on other things, it would've been hard to not notice Auriel's behavior. Seemed like she noticed something about that manager, too.
So, once they were outside, Azriel pulled her tiny angel to the back of the group, a little out of earshot of the others; the street noise would work to her advantage, as long as she didn't yell. Easier said than done, though.
"So, Aurora, you've recognized that little feathery friend of yours?" Her voice wasn't exactly accusing, though it did sound at least a bit pissed off; then again, that had been the case for several days now. "Anything you know about him that you'd tell a demon like me?" Azriel flashed her tiny companion a grin, though truth be told, it looked more like she was just baring her teeth.

"I've just seen him before I think, that's all. Couldn't hurt to be catious around him though, I'm not sure what brought him here...", Auriel replied with crossed arms before catching up to the others. Sure, the demons didn't seem to pose a threat right now, but that didn't mean she fully trusted them just yet. Aside from maybe Lucifer, but that was another story.
After entering the MgRonalds Ashiya directly reported to Maou what he had learned about Sentucky while the girls sat down and listened to Rikas frst impressions on Maou until he came over.
He actually just wanted them to order something but it ended up with him and Emi argueing and Chiho trying to end it.

"Not even a name for me?" Azriel's voice was near a growl; she wasn't angry at Auriel per se, but even though he was out and about, she knew that Alciel was still not entirely healthy. Under normal--well, if you could call anything involving demons that--circumstances, she might've tried to banter a little, even.
It was clear Auriel was hiding something; she'd been way too focused on that angel for him to just be a random acquaintance.

Inside MgRonald's, Azriel would've stuck close to Alciel, but he gave her a subtle sign to sit down with the others. Oh well, then that would be what she had to do. She'd rather stick with Alciel, but did as she was told, sitting down at the table as well.
She barely suppressed a growl when Emilia started arguing with her king. "Emi, don't you think it would be the right thing to actually follow the rules of this place?" Of course, Arziel's voice still sounded a lot like a growl, but at least there were actual words in there, too. Did the hero have to be here of all places?

The discussion wnt on until an older man entered the MgRonalds who seemed to know the Devil King. He brought some kind of plant and caused the whole stuff to start working on decorating and trying to bing in new costumers. The girls still stayed for a while and watched surprised how Maous plan worked, filling up the place wit a lot of costumers. It was only when Chihos shift ended that they got up and left, all except for Rika accompanying the schoolgirl. Auriel just trotted along while Emi chattered with Chiho.
"Ah, I'm still happy we got all those costumers in!", Chiho stated and Emi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and that right after you put up that Sasa plant!"
"Maybe that Feng Shui stuff isn't so dumb after all, huh? I don't believe in horoscopes or whatever, but it makes you think!"
"...Was is truly a coincidence?", Suzuno suddenly said who had just been walking after the girls til now. Auriel stopped, not liking the change of atmosphere, but she still didn't say anything.
"Huh?"
"Emilia, did you not notice at all?"
"Um...Emilia? Suzuno-san, you aren't...?"

Azriel could easily feel the magic emanating from the plant. It didn't seem like Maou had used it on purpose, and it wasn't much, but it was undoubtedly there. And Azriel couldn't even get too mad; after all, it was pretty obvious she'd infused her dogs with a bit of demonic magic, too.
Of couse, she didn't show what she'd noticed. It'd be better if the angel and the Hero were unaware, not to mention that she still didn't trust the strange girl.

As soon as the others left, Azriel and her dogs went back to the Devil's Castle. The subway was already excruciatingly slow, but Azriel managed not to run. For now.
Until she was close enough to hear her general scream in pain. Azriel broke into a sprint, taking the crooked stairs in only two or three big boungs, throwing the door open just to find Alciel twitching on the floor.
"That's it, I'm calling an ambulance for you!" Lucifer grabbed the one, ignoring Alciel's protests.
Then her general spotted her. "Azriel, stop him!"
Azriel let out a disagreeing growl and instead leaped to Alciel's side. With a whimper, she cowered down next to him. She didn't like disobeying him, but in this case? No way she'd listen; instead, she tried to comfort him. Not that she was too good at it, but at least there were no humans around to see her decidedly not human behavior.

It didn't take long for the ambulance to come and load Alciel in the back. The humans tried to stop Azriel from jumping in behind him, but she just gave them a glare; Lucifer helpfully said something about her being his girlfriend, so they'd allow her access.

Suzuno continued talking and started mentioning Ente Isla stuff and how they had to defeat the Devil King before it was too late.
Well, if that girl was in fact from Ente Isla, that'd explain where Auriel had probably seen her before, even thoufh she still couldn't tell an exact place or date. The angel still remained quiet, just watching the situation, until Suzuno started talking about erasing Chihos memory which said girl most certainly didn't want.
"This is going to far, don't you think? You can't just erase her memories that she treasures this much! After all it's not like it did any harm until now", she claimed, narrowing her eyebrows, but Suzuno was stubborn, even though Chiho tried to explain why she had to keep her memories and why Maou wasn't a bad guy. All of the girls continued argueing until in the end Suzuno just left, being kind of defeated by the other 3 females. Chiho blamed herself and Emi tried to calm her down, when suddenly they were attacked.
Emi saved Chiho, while Auriel jumped out of the way and tried to indentify the attacker. She didn't pay enough attention to her surroundings thanks to the argue and now she regretted it. A small figure approached them, covered in cloth, so they couldn't see his face, but something seemed familiar. Emi seemed to recognize him somehow and attacked, only to be defeated and getting unconscious. Angered because of this Auriel let her sword appear and attacked as well, but somehow that guy made it disappear again and tried to knock her out as well. She dodged his attack just in time but unfortunately wasn't fast enough to do so again right after, getting unconscious as well.