Chapter Text
On the morning of September 1st, 20XX, the Null Estate was buzzing with excitement. In just a few hours, their new masters and mistresses, the future of their monarchy, would walk through the hallowed halls. And yes, a few have anticipated some struggle from a few chosen partners, but otherwise, things should run smoothly. Or so Toshinori prayed to the celestials. Especially considering one of the chosen was one that he had hand-picked for the eldest of his charges.
When Lord Valac rejected the suggestions given to him by other members of the council, he turned to the former fairy king for guidance.
While the vampire had his pride to uphold (for it was his birthright), he was not callous enough to assume that his judgment was always the correct move.
“Truth be told if the bride doesn’t please me, I will eat them.” Valac swished his wine glass in hand, careful not to spill the blood inside.
“I don’t doubt that, sir.” Toshinori watches the vampire drink his fill when he has an idea. “Might I give you a suggestion for your betrothed?”
“Speak.” Valac waved his hand and the fairy bows.
“I know of a boy with a rich lineage. His mother and I are old friends. While I have not seen this boy in some time, I understand he’s grown into an audacious man with quite an inquisitive nature.” Toshinori can see the vampire is intrigued.
“Is he intelligent?”
“He graduated from Yuuei University on a scholarship with a degree in magic studies and herbology. And my sources tell me that he is employed at a bookstore run by the former record keeper of the estate.”
“And his face?”
“Fair with freckles. His eyes are like clovers under a summer sky.”
“So he is not unfortunate-looking. Good.” Valac seemed to be convinced enough. “And what of his attitude? Does he have a problem with those of Null?”
“It seems as though his closest companions are all members of our society, my Lord. One of them is the protege of the royal tailor and chosen for your brother.”
“I see. Very well. Send the letter to this prospective bride. If he meets my expectations, he will have the privilege of becoming queen of Null.” Valac waves his hand, motioning for Toshinori to leave. The fairy bows, smiling at the thought of his charge and the son of his dearest friend.
“Morning, Mom…” Izuku yawns. Today was Tuesday, a day off from the bookstore and the perfect time to catch sleep, but when his mother didn’t answer in her usual cheery manner, his adrenaline rose.
Inko is sitting at the kitchen table, eggs burning on the stove, with a letter in hand. Her hands are shaking, wrinkling the envelope and it’s making the young man nervous. His mother is a tough woman, raising her son alone since his piece of shit father up and left, and despite the bills and the bullshit, they made it work. She got him through school and he’s functioning fine. When he arrives downstairs, he finds a man dressed in black sitting across the table from his shaking mother drinking tea.
“Lovely blend, by the way.” the man says, taking another sip. “Gets the blood pumping.” he laughs at his joke before cerulean eyes land on Izuku. “Well then, you must be the package the old fairy told me to pick up.” He stands before Izuku, holding out a gloved hand. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, little master.”
Izuku slaps his hand away and he sees the man’s fangs in his smirk. “Feisty little thing.”
The human bullets over to his mother and tries to console her. “What did this asshole say to you? Did he hurt you?”
His mother swallows as tears begin to build in her eyes. Her hands are still crushing the opened envelope and when Izuku sees the broken seal, the dots connect.
“You called me little master.” Izuku turns to face the man leaning on the wall. “Elaborate.”
“But you seem to know the answer already.” the man laughs before shrugging his shoulders. “Very well.”
He stands up and bows, “I am Touya Todoroki, loyal attendant to Pride, our beloved Lord Valac and I have come to retrieve our new master, Mr. Izuku Midoriya.”
Izuku felt his blood freeze. Him? Chosen to be a bride to a Null, let alone one of the rulers of Null?
“No,” Izuku says. “I refuse this offer.”
“I’m afraid this isn’t an offer, little master, but an order. You have been chosen to become Lord Valac’s bride to keep the peace between the humans and us.” Touya claps his hands. “Aren’t you lucky?”
His mother begins to sob and Izuku’s frozen blood thaws with rage. He reaches into his back pocket and grabs his emergency silver pouch, a specialty against the Null of an undead class. He holds it up for the vampire to see and he watches Touya’s eyes curiously widen.
“Say that again and I’ll turn you to goop.” The cerulean eyes narrow and he can see the fanged smile.
“You are just as clever as the old fairy suggested.” Izuku saw the vampire snap his fingers as what looked to be smoke emerged from his hands. “Unfortunately, it’s hard to kill an old vamp like me.”
“Please! Don’t fight! Don’t hurt him!” Inko stands between her son and the vampire and pleads, “Just let me go with him! It’ll be easier to explain that way!”
“Explain?” Izuku lowers the pouch. “Mom?”
“Right. The old man did mention you guys were old friends. So long as you don’t get in the way, I don’t mind.” Touya’s smoke vanished as he motioned towards the front door, opened as though by magic. Outside stood a black limo with the backseat door open. “Your belongings will be delivered after inspection. Now, right this way.”
Izuku sees his mother wipe her eyes. “Come on, Izuku. We can’t keep them waiting-“
“Hold on!” Izuku yanks his mother. “What does that mean, explain? Explain what? Did you know he was coming today?”
“I can tell you, but you can’t get angry.” Inko’s somber eyes look to the floor, guilt written on her face. “It’s about your father.”
Izuku’s rage intensifies. He barely remembers the old man, but it doesn’t matter. He left him and his mother to fend for themselves. So he couldn't care less. But the man made his mother sad with every thought she had of him and that infuriated him.
“What about him?” Izuku grips his fist.
Inko sighs. “It was a long time ago, but after he left, I made a deal with the king of Null-“
“What?” Izuku screams.
Inko tries to calm him. “It was for your own good! We wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t done this. And the price I had to pay one day was for a favor the king would ask of me. Even if he isn’t the king anymore…” Inko can see the disappointment in her son’s face.
“So… You sold me to a demon?” Izuku asks and Inko grabs his face, smothering him in love.
“No! It’s just a temporary solution! I can fix it! I just need to talk to him.” Inko hugs her son. “Please. Just give me some time. I promise he won’t hurt you.”
“Can you promise that?” Izuku asks, looking at the limo beckoning him.
“He promised that to me,” Inko says. “Toshinori did.”
He also promised me that no matter what, she thought, my boy would be loved.
Izuku and his mother pile into the limo not too long after that, Touya slamming the car door behind them. He dials the palace line and relays that the package has successfully been received and will now be delivered. He also mentions the extra morsel and he can hear the old fairy sigh. Seems the old man had a feeling this would happen. Oh well, the vampire thought, not his problem.
The knock at the door startled them somewhat. Hitoshi was on high alert, sensing that a Null was behind the door. Denki is shaking in his arms, his thoughts running wild. The jinn had half a mind to just take his human and start running, but he knew that there was no way whoever the Null estate sent would make that job easy.
Another knock follows and a croaky voice says, “Please open the door, ribbit.”
Denki and Hitoshi share the same confused look. Out of curiosity, Denki leaves the comfort of Hitoshi’s arms and opens the door to find a short, slightly stubby girl with large hands, green hair, and big froggy eyes.
And Denki, with his lack of impulse control, said, “Cute!”
The frog girl gave a smile before letting herself in, “Thank you, ribbit.”
”Denks-“ Hitoshi sees the girl and realizes, “You’re a kappa.”
”Correct, Hitoshi Shinsou, son of Sir Shouta Aizawa. Ribbit.” The girl takes a seat at their tiny dining table. “Please sit. I’ll gladly introduce myself and answer any questions before our new queen’s journey begins, ribbit.”
Denki looks at the jinn and he nods. The two take the opposing side of the table and the frog girl smiles. “You two are wonderful together. I can see it, ribbit.”
”Kappas are gifted with aura readings. Like the jinn with dreams and sirens with song.” Hitoshi says. “You’re saying we’re compatible.”
”Extremely so. You two suit each other quite nicely, ribbit.” The frog girl clears a scratchy throat, “My name is Tsuyu Asui, loyal attendant to Greed, the esteemed Lord Balam, and I was told to take our new master, Mr. Denki Kaminari, to his rightful place by the king’s side. Ribbit.”
”Why me? Why would the king, a demon, choose me? I’m not anything special.” Denki gets a stern look from the jinn, “Well, not special enough to be a ruler or anything like that.”
Tsuyu blinks. “Have you been having strange dreams as of late? Ones that result in messy circumstances, ribbit?”
Denki blushes and Hitoshi squeezes his hand. “How did you know that?”
”You may not recall because he simply did not want you to, but Lord Balam has had his sight set on you for ages. You answered his call and he has been visiting you for the last several days to be sure. Ribbit.”
Denki’s face is burning. “Visiting?”
”Lord Balam’s origins are that of the sirens. After becoming the demon king, he could apply those origins to those of the realm of dreams. In his eyes, you are the one. Ribbit.” Tsuyu points to the blonde’s pink face and the jinn grinds down on his teeth.
”He can’t have him. Denki isn’t some object to be used.” Hitoshi pulls Denki closer to his side, burying a blonde head into his chest, “And he’s taken. You said so yourself.”
Tsuyu shakes her head, “I expressed that you were compatible, but you are not his intended nor have you made any efforts to mate him. Ribbit.”
Denki can hear Hitoshi grit his teeth. He knows why the jinn is hesitant to take such a big step. His father is evidence of that.
”That’s none of your business.” The jinn huffs.
”Of course not, ribbit.” Tsuyu agrees. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Lord Balam will receive a bride today.”
”He’ll have to duel me for him.” Hitoshi said and both the human and the kappa’s eyes widened.
“A duel? With a demon king? Do you have a death wish?” Denki grabs the jinn’s shoulders, “You barely use your voodoo power to begin with and you wanna take on a monster like that?”
Hitoshi sighs, taking Denki’s hand and kissing into his palm. “Denks, a life without you might as well make life not worth living.”
The blonde could feel his heart beat faster. Tsuyu nods. “I see, ribbit. I shall inform Lord Balam of your request upon our arrival to the estate.”
She stands from the desk and offers an arm out the door, “Please rest assured. We have prepared the car to take you to the estate. We shall retrieve your things at a later time. And we have been sworn to not harm, ribbit.”
Denki watches as Hitoshi runs up to the half-full duffel bag on the bed and pulls out his lemon-themed medication box. “Can’t leave without these.”
Denki takes the box and places it into his pocket. “Thanks.”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.” Hitoshi grasps Denki’s hand as the human shakes his head.
“You can’t promise that.” The blonde looks into sleepy purple eyes before being pulled into a gentle kiss.
“I can and I will. You are worth it.” Hitoshi caresses the blonde’s face before the two walk hand-in-hand out the door.
Tsuyu gently closes the apartment door behind them and makes notes. The auras between the couple are entangled together ever so nicely. It’s rare to find that kind of compatibility between Bhaile and Null. Which is a shame, she thinks. It’s not likely her Lord was going to be merciful towards the jinn that dares to challenge a claim. But miracles have occurred before. He is Greed after all.
Dumping his bag by the door, Katsuki brushes off the morning rain from his jacket. He scoffs at the wet patch forming on his shoulders, a sign of wear on the jacket meaning that the piece was no longer doing what it was meant to do. That also meant another project to handle now that his thesis was over. He can smell the bacon coming from the kitchen meaning his father must be home, which is odd considering his and his mother’s working schedules. Neither of them should still be here this early.
He heads into the kitchen shouting, “Shouldn’t you two be at work or some shit?”
“Watch your mouth, you brat!” his mother shouts back and he can hear the sound of laughter he doesn’t recognize.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, he finds his father at the stove making some bacon and eggs and his mother at the table talking to a strange man he’s never seen before. The man was a Null, he could tell by the horns but didn’t give the vibe of a succubus or a demon.
“The fuck is a dragon doing here?” Katsuki looks over the dragon as he laughs. Chainmail arm made of silver dragon scales. Expensive, both in fabric and weaving. Trimmed nails, platinum earrings, and sterling hairspray that he knew went off the shelf faster than the stock market crash since Jeanist’s promo. This dragon had money, old money judging by the wear and keep of the rings he had on.
“Who the fuck are you supposed to be?” Katsuki sees the laughing dragon stand up and that’s when he notices the opened letter on the table bearing the seal of the Null estate.
His eyes widen, “No fucking way.”
The dragon wipes a tear, “Your folks were telling me you were the observant one. They weren’t kidding!” He turns to Katsuki’s proud mother, her tail wagging with delight. “He’ll make a fine bride for my master!”
Katsuki snarls. “Like hell.”
“Katsuki, don’t be rude. This is a huge honor!” His mother reprimands him as his father continues to wash dishes and tries to ignore what is going on.
“For who, hag?” Katsuki slams his hands on the table, “What the fuck did you do?”
His mother’s eyebrows furrow, “You are Jeanist’s protégé, and your final project was so dazzling, even the best Null school was impressed. Such a stunning child, and he refuses to take in his heritage. So I took it upon myself to volunteer your name into the internal ballots for the bride lottery.” Katsuki’s eye twitches, nails dragging against the table. “And you were chosen! Isn’t that exciting?” His mother is giggling with glee and Katsuki can feel himself beginning to rot inside.
For as long as he can remember, he hated what he was. He used to have a tail and little wings and once upon a time, he did feel big and strong. But then… He can still remember the heat. It was palpitating through him, increasing every few seconds. It was hard to concentrate on anything. Sights and sounds are a blur, but he can recall one thing: the stares. Wide, hungry, seeing him as nothing but a piece of meat. Many Null around him kept sniffing around as though he was ripe for the taking, the heat continued to consume him and fear grew in his belly. He had never felt so vulnerable in his life. And then Izuku. He hates to admit it, but he’d never been happier than when the fearful little shit showed up and held him. He didn’t share the same face as the other men around them. He didn’t know why they didn’t just attack. But when he whispered, “Let’s go home, Kacchan,” Katsuki cried. He spent that week bedridden, only allowing Izuku inside to tend to him.
He trained long enough to get rid of the extra appendages, started on his meds, and wore collars. He would never make himself that weak again. And his bitch mother now wants him to marry a demon, a bloodthirsty demon king who could do who knows what to him, all for the sake of accepting what he was? No fucking thank you, he thought.
“Fuck you.” He spat, turning his attention to the dragon, “And fuck you too! I ain’t going nowhere and you can’t fucking make me!”
The dragon cracks his knuckles, “You’re cute, little demon.”
“Shut the fuck up! I’m leaving!” Katsuki turns to get out of the house when the dragon grabs him up by the wrist and hoists him over his shoulder. He doesn’t show panic on his face, but he struggles to get out of the dragon’s grip. “Let go, you overzealous lizard!”
“Am I forgetting something?” The dragon ignores Katsuki’s shouts as the young halfling’s father attempts to stop the madness, but his mother has him stay back. The dragon shouts, “Oh yeah!”
He pulls out a golden card and hands it to Katsuki’s mother. “The old fairy said I had to give this to you. For the wedding.”
Katsuki’s ears blast red, “Wedding?”
He struggles as the dragon bids his parents goodbye and walks out the door, “Don’t worry! Your shiny things will all be coming with us.” He opens the door to the limo outside, “Watch your butt!” And proceeds to throw Katsuki in before jumping in himself.
The car locks and Katsuki hiss, trying to pull the lock open. The dragon is picking at his sharp teeth. “Try all you want. This car was treated so that even someone as strong as Lord Beelzebub couldn’t get out with one punch.”
The halfling growls, “Let me out of here!”
The dragon runs his forked tongue over his teeth to check if he missed a spot. “No can do. I can’t disappoint Lord Asmodeus, especially after finding such a treasure.”
“I’ll kill you,” Katsuki warns and the dragon laughs.
“And with such a sense of humor!” The dragon smiles, “You know, I did forget to introduce myself. I’m Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, loyal attendant to Lust, the great Lord Asmodeus!” He points to Katsuki, a sharp manicured nail stretched out, “You, Katsuki Bakugou, are to come my master’s queen and sit beside him like a good little wife.”
Katsuki felt goosebumps go over his body. A little wife? Not him, no fucking way!
“I’m going to escape. Probably kill the son of a bitch too-“ Tetsutetsu was suddenly on top of him, nails against his throat and ready to pierce into flesh.
“Watch your tongue. Or you won’t have one anymore.” Tetsutetsu smiles, “Okay?”
Katsuki grits his teeth, “Fine.”
The dragon hops back into his seat, seemingly pleased with himself. Katsuki sat up, crossing his arms and trying to comfort himself. If he’s lucky, the demon king will throw him away and he’ll go live with Jeanist or Izuku. If not… He tried not to think of that as he slowly dozed off to the sound of the car driving down the street.
Neito awakens by the sound of his alarm twinkling with chimes. He sits up, gets a good stretch, and checks the time. He knew that the story about the prospective brides was going to be news all over the world today and their tiny town would be no different. And a good reporter never waits to get on a scoop.
He hops out of bed and sets the shower to blazing. By now, his mother should be out of bed and set up her knitting, and his father out for work. The house will be at the optimal time for writing a new piece. Of course, he’d have to get his research in first, see who got picked, if anyone can see anything from the internet, things like that. Neito can hear a knock from the bathroom door. The water from the shower is muffling the voice, but he can tell it’s from his mother.
He shuts off the water, throws on a towel, and opens the door, “Good morning, mother dear.”
His smile is quick to drop when he sees the somber look on his mother’s face. “What’s wrong? Is it Dad? Did someone say something again? Cause you know I can destroy them.”
His mother smiles and pats his wet head, but tears only begin to build more in her eyes.
Neito’s mother has always been sensitive. He knows that better than anyone. As the halfling child of a changeling, he had been subjected to harsh words, jokes that weren’t very clever, and even threats by the folks who were anti-Null. His father was Bhaile, a blonde, fair-faced human. His mother had a snout, fangs, and scales. Changelings can mimic any person they see, but they do not have a human form they can call their own and thus have been regarded as evil shapeshifters and wicked baby stealers since the beginning of time. His mother is critical enough of herself so, if someone has made his mother cry, they are going to pay for it. Severely.
He smiles at her, “Come now, mother. Don’t cry.”
But his mother only cries harder, sniffling between the sobs. “I’m sorry, my baby.”
He doesn’t understand why she apologizes. And he wouldn’t understand until he was instructed to get dressed and come downstairs by his father. His father shouldn’t be here. And it’s too early for a drink so, why all the attitude?
He’s looking at his mother’s arms and sees a missing patch of scales. He can feel his pupils form into slits. “That bastard.”
His mother shushed him, tears falling out of her big yellow eyes. “Please don’t. Do as your father says.”
Neito grits his teeth. Twenty-four years old and still unable to protect his mother from that man. Despicable, that’s what he is. He reluctantly lets go and dresses in simple attire. Upon descending the stairs, he’s quick to notice a guest sitting in his father’s favorite chair. That horrible floral printed chair was his father’s prized possession, able to pull back for maximum comfort with just a pull of a lever. And a strange luminescent girl is sitting in it sipping on tea. Her holographic suit glints into his face, blinding him enough that he made his presence known.
”There he is! Come here, son!” His father says with a wide grin that did not suit him.
Neito’s father was someone the blonde had learned to be wary of. The man married his mother and claimed not to know she was Null when she was pregnant with him. He was always quick to blame his poor weeping mother. She barely went out without an appearance on and even as a child, Neito knew that his parents’ relationship was toxic. His father couldn’t divorce her; it went against not only the treaty but his old-fashioned morals. Instead, he would beat his wife and teach his seemingly normal son to know who is best. Well, unfortunately for Neito’s father, the young man was not one to be intimidated and he’s gotten good at hiding how he feels.
Neito applies the masked smile and says, “Sure thing, father.”
He descends the last of the stairs and stands by his father. He can see the fresh patches of missing scales on his mother’s face. His teeth grind, but he keeps a pleasant smile.
”Here he is, my perfect son! We’ve been looking forward to your arrival. Isn’t that right, dear?” His father nudges his mother and she meekly nods.
Neito continues to observe. The translucent girl places the teacup into the saucer. Her eyes glitter, a rainbow refracting against them, and she peers right into his own. He isn’t afraid to stare back at this strange Null and she seemed to understand that. She was quite pleased when he didn’t turn away. There is a smile on her face as she stands, “Indeed. He is perfect.”
”Of course!” His father laughs, his hand gripping Neito’s shoulder, “So… When should we expect the first payment?”
This breaks Neito’s mask and pieces start to go together. The prospective brides, the strange Null, his father’s sudden elation, full attention on his halfling son he barely acknowledges, his mother’s apology… He sees the open green envelope on the coffee table hidden under the strange girl’s teacup. The seal is gold and who else would be so pretentious to use gold seals other than Null royalty?
His mother began to sob. Neito attempts to keep the smile that is slowly turning into a scowl. “Excuse me?”
”Huh?” His father played dumb. “What, boy?”
”You heard me, old man.” Neito says. “What payment? For what? Another loan shark perhaps?”
His father’s amused face returns and he strokes his mustache. “Son, you know I love you.” Neito felt the urge to cringe at the lie. “But money is tight and with me at the factory and your mother unemployed-“ Not that you’d ever let her out, he thought. “And your “writing career”…” he sees the quotation marks. “I came up with the plan to get money by selling your name for a better chance to get picked for that royal marriage thing for the demons!”
There were two hits: Neito hitting his father and his father hitting the floor. Never once had the blonde ever dared to retaliate against the man, but he didn’t have time to think. It was as though his body moved on its own. He stares at his arm and can see that it shapeshifted into his father’s. His father is groaning, the bridge of his nose bleeding and the sound of his mother’s cries are ringing in his ears.
“A treasure indeed.” The strange girl smiles, “My Lord will be most pleased, I’m sure of it.”
Neito fixes his arm as his father struggles to stand. He knows that he has two choices: convince the woman to take his mother away from this place or get the shit beaten out of him by this man.
”There will be no need for that, sir.” The strange girl says, gently pushing him aside. “I have been instructed that no harm shall come to you. By any means necessary.”
His father lunges and the girl’s eyes flash before kicking him into the kitchen. He crashes into the drying rack, smashing plates and glasses and even the sink’s spout. Water sprayed all over the man and all you could hear was the soft moaning. He wasn’t going to be getting up for a while. Neito can see his mother shaking. She knows that when her husband recovers, there will be hell to pay.
”You.” Neito points at the girl, “Tell me your name.”
”Of course.” She nods. “I am Tooru Hagakure, loyal attendant to Envy, the bewitching Lord Mania. I was told to retrieve you so you can take your rightful place by his side.”
Neito connects the dots. “So I’m going to be your new master?”
”Of course.” Tooru says.
Neito smirks. “Okay then.” He crosses his arms. “Then I want my mother to join me.”
The translucent Null leans over the kitchen counter to see the man who fell into unconsciousness and back to the trembling lizard woman who was contemplating her life. She thinks for a moment. So long as she brings back the young man as she was told, there shouldn’t be an issue. Of course, there was no telling what the vain fairy might decide when they arrived at the estate. For now, reassure the target so he won’t be prone to running away.
”Alright.” Tooru says, motioning to the door. “After you.”
Neito almost takes a sigh of relief. He turns to his fragile mother and gently grasps her hands. He can see that she’s still in shock and he bears a smile, “Let’s go, mother. I’m going to take you away from here.”
The woman remains silent and continues to stare at her husband. Neito is careful, but he finally gets her to walk to the door. He grabbed her orange cardigan and the pencil case he left on the staircase and saw Tooru open the door to a white limo outside. His mother remained silent, her hands shaking when he got her into the car. He caresses her hands, helps her put on her seatbelt, and tries to keep a positive head. Though his thoughts are rushing a mile a minute, he keeps telling himself that there is no way where they are going could be any worse than where they already were. And he continues to tell himself that when Tooru closes the limo door.
It was normal for a young werewolf to go on a morning run, especially when said werewolf was the track star of the Null team, Tenya Iida. He sticks to his schedules, ever diligent and unwavering. Focus is the key to success, he tells himself. Go around city hall, cut through the alley between the tailor and the pharmacist, do not go through the cemetery-
His internal checklist is interrupted when he finds a suspicious vehicle parked outside his family home. Werewolves live in packs and despite his age, it was common for his kind to stay in the same home for generations. He didn’t recall his mother or brother saying that there would be guests coming along and his family was not fond of strangers. Especially strangers with black limos with Null wearing security details and earpieces. Or strangers whose flags bore the insignia of the Null Estate.
Tenya could feel his fangs grow. Considering the likelihood of Null to Bhaile populations, separations of sex, and age, there was a one in seventy million chance that someone in this town was to be chosen. Cut that down further, it was one in forty thousand and by neighborhood was one in three hundred. And to his house, it was one in fourteen. And by viable choices, it was one in three. He, his brother, and his cousin. All unwed, young, and perfectly healthy Null. At least, that was on paper.
Tensei is older than Tenya by fifteen years. He first held him after arriving home with perfect scores on his second-year midterm and became the man Tenya associated with the smell of home. He taught him what it meant to be connected to the ancestors, to protect the pack, and to care for the sick, elderly, and young. Tensei made him the man he is today. But unfortunately, his brother was in a car accident that severed his spine to a point that not even werewolf blood could repair. And when he recovered from the road rashes and stitches, he was saddled into a wheelchair and was never quite the same again. And never had Tenya seen such a troubled look on his brother’s face than the day he returned home six months earlier.
He could only imagine the look on his face after seeing that car drive up to their home.
Tenya races into the house, past the shouts of the suited men outside, and follows the unfamiliar scent. It’s a Null, but the scent is sour, nearly acidic. She’s attempting to mask it with perfume, something sweet and infused with rose, but there is no fooling him. He finds himself cautiously wandering the hall, hearing the muted chatter of people upstairs. There are three scents, two he recognized quickly as pack, his family. The intruder is also there. The scrambling of footsteps is approaching behind him and he races up the steps.
The chatter is silenced when he slams the doors to the study hall open. Tenya is irked that the intruder was allowed into his father’s study, especially when the man was away on business, but he can see his mother’s wary eyes. His brother is in his wheelchair, pleased to see Tenya, but also alert. The intruder sat opposite his family. She is bright pink and judging by the flickering tail and the horns, she was closely related to the demon races. Black sclera suggested somewhere in the house of lust. An incubus.
“Mother. Tensei.” He is not quick to drop his guard, especially when the suits arrive upstairs at a frantic pace. Tenya growls, threatening to lay waste to these intruders when the pink woman laughs.
“Chill out, guys! Rules are we can’t hurt anybody.” with a wave of her hand, the men shifted into a formation, standing by for instruction. Tenya huffed, but with the threat out of the way, he could properly assess the situation at hand. His mother is picking at her nails. His brother is attentive as always but seems to be more exhausted today than usual. And this woman was eagerly awaiting an answer of some kind.
Tenya adjusts his glasses. “Excuse my sudden intrusion.” He takes a seat between his mother and brother. The woman smirks as though something is amusing her. “But I am acting pack leader until my father is to return. So might I inquire who it is that trespasses this property?”
The woman responds with gusto. “Such confidence! I like it! Alright, glasses, I don’t mind starting the introductions over.” she has a sharp grin on. “I am Mina Ashido, attendant to our one and only Gluttony, the glorious Lord Beelzebub, and it was under her instruction that I return with her bride-to-be-” she points across the table and Tenya nearly bit his tongue till it bled, “Mr. Tensei Iida. He will become our new queen and rule by her side. Isn’t that exciting?”
He can hear his mother biting down on her nail and Tensei had a look on his face that Tenya refused to understand: acceptance. His dearest elder brother was smiling softly with large bags under his eyes. He looked so tired today as though he was the one who did six miles this morning. Tenya wonders if he’s grown immune to his supplements again and they would have to up the dosage. But his thoughts were more scrambled into this conundrum. Marriage. Between a demon Lord and his brother. Tensei couldn’t go through with this. He was no longer physically capable of it. And Tenya did his research about the demon Lords following Monoma’s comments yesterday. The demon Lords were strong and with strength often came cruelty. There was no way Tenya would allow anything to happen to Tensei.
“You cannot have him,” Tenya says.
The men at the door turn their heads, ready to react, but Mina has a smirk on. “And why not?”
“If you have not noticed, my brother, while strong in spirit and with our blood, is not adequate to be bride or ruler of Nullkind. His spine has yet to recover and any hindering of his progress will jeopardize his health further. As pack leader, I refuse your demand.” Tenya adjusts his glasses and just cites his sources, “Null Law, volume 4, section 34, paragraph 12: when placing a bargain between clans, there must be an equal exchange.”
The yellow of the incubus’ eyes flicker with excitement. “Clever. You have a lot of balls, don’t you?”
“Crude way of expressing it, but yes.” Tenya agrees. “I will not hesitate to protect what is mine.”
“Interesting. But something you said got my attention, glasses.” she rests a cheeky grin on her hands, “You said equal exchange was required.”
“I am fully aware that you must return with a bride for Lord Beelzebub. Because you represent the Null Estate, there is no going against a command of yours without challenging all of Nullkind. However, you will not have to lay waste to anyone.” Tenya glances at his mother’s worried eyes and his brother’s now concerned glare, “For you can happily take me in my brother’s place.”
His mother is grabbing his arm and he can hear Tensei say, “No! I won’t allow that! They’re here for me! I’m your older brother, let me take care of myself!”
The incubus finally stopped smiling and could only stare. “Are you sure? You do realize that once you step into the estate, you will not be able to return here?”
“My cousin is here to find a mate. He is perfectly capable of attending to our family for my father.” He gently takes his mother’s hand and rests the other on his brother’s shoulder. “I am willing to do what it takes to protect the pack.”
The smile returns. “I see. You’ve got fire inside you, wolf boy. My Lord will be very pleased to see that, I’m sure.”
Tenya nods. “If that is what qualifies.”
“I can make arrangements in the car, and inform the estate of the changes. My Lord will be told too, of course. She won’t care, very spontaneous she is.” Mina steps up from the table and holds out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”
Tenya can feel his mother and Tensei’s eyes burning into him, but he cannot refuse this. Tensei won’t be able to survive there. But he can.
He reaches out his hand and gives a firm shake. “I accept. We can discuss proper terms and conditions straight away.”
The incubus laughs. “My Lord isn’t really into nerds. We’ll see how long you’ll last.”
Tenya’s pupils slit. He’s a survivor and his job is to protect the pack.
Her alarm hits at six and she tries her best to throw a shoe to knock the machine out. Alas, her hand-eye coordination has never been great. She hears the shoe hit the wall and the alarm continues to blare in sensitive ears. Kyoka attempts to smother herself in her pillow to drown out the noise. To no avail though, a pity. She groans, getting up out of bed, and groggily walks over to the alarm to shut it off. When it’s finally silenced, she lets out a good yawn. She checks the time and scoffs at seeing it was six-fifteen. The screen of the clock was cracked too and she had no means to get a new one.
“Damn it…” she cursed to herself, scratching her scalp as she walked to the kitchen to fetch some instant breakfast.
She has work at eight-thirty and she still has to shower. Her bags are getting bigger, she notes. Well, that’s what happens when you write and record all night instead of sleeping. She can see the large amount of bills that continued to pile on her coffee table. After pouring some cereal, she sat on the couch and slowly began munching. The mail by the door was catching her attention. Lately, she’s been receiving final notices and warnings about her studio apartment following her falling on rent. She had also heard that the building was due to foreclose any day now. She hates the thought, but Kyoka has to consider that it might be time to move back home and work in her parents’ music shop. The last thing the young woman wanted was to return a failure. She just got a gig at the Null bar downtown too and she’s sure that it’s the place that will finally hook her up. And once her newest song was done, she was gonna blow the ceiling off the joint.
Finishing her cereal, she cleans up and gathers the mail on the floor by the door. It’s the same envelopes she’s been expecting over the last several days. Bills, notices, a postcard of her parents’ latest trip to the Grand Canyon, but the last one strikes her as odd. It was green with a gold seal, much too fancy for her folks or the landlord. And it certainly couldn’t be for her, how could it? She can see her name written in gold letters and the address perfectly spelled. She at first wonders if this was the response to the application she sent to Mic Radio last week for their rookie position by the sound booth, but this seemed unlikely. Much too fancy for punks and men of leather and spikes. Her kind of folk.
Opening the letter, she found what looked to be an invitation, but her stomach dropped at the signature.
“To Miss Kyoka Jirou,
You have been cordially invited to have an audience with King Abbadon of Wrath, your future wife. In the morning, Sir Mashirao, King Abbadon’s faithful attendant, shall be sent to retrieve you. Should you refuse this letter, he has been instructed to bring you in no matter the means.
We look forward to making your acquaintance and greeting you as a future queen.
Sincerely,
The Null Estate”
“Null? Like the shitheads the news was spouting off yesterday?” she scratches at her head.
“Shitheads would not be the word I would use to describe the Lords.” Kyoka jumped when she heard that. She swerved through the kitchen, grabbed a frying pan, and frantically checked her small apartment.
She finds a man sitting on her couch, feet up on the scratched-up coffee table. He’s blonde, covered in spikes and bandages, going over her mail. “You have amassed quite some expenses since coming out here. My Lord won’t be pleased about that.”
She grits her teeth, feeling her ears burn, but she holds up her frying pan with shaky hands. “Who the fuck are you?”
The man looks up with dark eyes and she notices smaller eyes under them. She gulps. “You’re a Null.”
“Correct.” he continues to nonchalantly flip through her mail. “And you are Kyoka Jirou, age 26, an only child to Bhaile parents and aspires to be a musician despite having never tried out for a job in that field.”
She attempts to smack him with the pan when he expertly flips over her head and lands on his feet. A slither goes up her arm and that’s when she notices a tail apprehend her weapon before she is taken to the floor, pinned under strong arms. “Even with my research, I didn’t anticipate you going in for an attack. That’s brave. Stupid, but brave.”
She attempts to struggle, but with an arm pinned to her back and the other being held hostage by a monkey tail, Kyoka decides to just let the Null have his way. “I’m calm. Can I please get up before you ruin my chances at life?”
He is quick to release and as she is sitting up to rub sore wrists, a hand is offered to her. “My apologies.”
She is hesitant, but getting off the dusty floor would be better for her poor back. Kyoka is lifted to her feet and she begins to brush herself off. “How did you get in here anyway?”
“You live in a three-story apartment complex without decent security cameras or proper locks on doors or windows. It also helps that I am trained in the art of silence.” she stifles a chuckle and he raises an eyebrow.
“You need to learn to be silent?” she asks.
“We all come to this world with a scream and therefore, we must learn what it means to be silent.” a fly buzzed past her ears, but with a swift motion, the Null captured it in his hand. He then arrives at her window, raises it gently, and releases the creature back into the wild. “So you’re a ninja?”
“You could simplify it as that if you wish. My Lord requested that she be assigned someone competent in combat and efficient enough to do it undetected. That is why I was sent to retrieve you.”
Her eyes glanced at the opened letter on her coffee table. She remembers the name, “Mashirao.”
He nods. “Mashirao Ojiro, loyal attendant to Wrath, the elegant Lord Abbadon. I was assigned to take you, Ms. Kyoka Jirou, to be our new master and to her rightful place by the king.”
She shakes her head, “You’ve got to have me mixed up with someone else.”
“There is no doubt,” Mashirao states. “The lottery had chosen you fair and square. There were no mistakes, bribery nor falsifications, or treachery. This is your destiny as well as your sentence.”
She furrows her eyebrows. “They’re gonna kill me, aren’t they?”
Mashirao offered a small smile, “If you were any other human, I would say yes. However, you fight back. Strength is a core trait my Lord appreciates in all subjects. So a bride like you could be suitable. Of course, I cannot speak for her.”
The human presses down on the fresh bruise on her arm in an attempt to keep herself together. “Will I be able to see my parents again?”
“At the wedding. They will be the honored guests of the bride.”
“And my bills?”
“All taken care of by the estate.”
“What about my music?” she asks and he pauses.
He sees the guitar case next to her laptop. Wear and tear suggests that the case is old, perhaps a decade, maybe more. It’s covered in Null and Bhaile band stickers, a testament to her love. And her laptop is covered in tape, no doubt that it’s old and in need of repair. He knows from his initial research that she goes into town once a week to sing at Midnight’s. He can see that the two accompass a dream long in the making.
“Perhaps in time, my Lord will consider helping you achieve what you have been searching for all your life,” he says and her eyes widen.
It’s the chance of a lifetime, she tells herself. Marry a demon Lord, become a queen, and finally have the chance to show what she has to offer this world. It’s a risky move, no doubt about that. But what other choice did she have? Two years since moving here and she has yet to get any closer to that stage than back when she started. This could be the last shot she has at fulfilling the dream she’s clung to since childhood.
Kyoka takes a deep breath, walks to the kitchen table to grab her laptop, and picks up the guitar case. “So, I assume you didn’t get here on foot?”
Mashirao opens her front door, “The limo is awaiting us.”
She doesn’t stifle her short laugh this time. “Fancy.”
She doesn’t trust this, but she doesn’t have a choice. Not if this meant finally doing what she wanted.
The tiniest bit of sun hits his eyes, awakening the harpy instantly. A creature of night and habit, Tokoyami is quick to close the blinds and hide the morning rays from his sight. Of course, his brother is also a creature of habit and on schedule, a knock is at his bedroom door.
“I heard you shuffling, baby bird.” His brother laughs.
Curse the fact that his dearest brother is a creature of the day. How can he be so happy at seven in the morning?
“How does Nutella bread sound for breakfast?” Tokoyami’s ears pick up at the thought. Perhaps it was alright to get up now.
He reluctantly decides to face the day and open the door. His brother’s cool-headed grin and golden hawk-like eyes greet him. “Good morning.”
His dark hair is fluffed further by his brother rubbing his head. “Get dressed. You don’t want to miss your weekly occult meeting. Jirou-chan should be picking you up today, yeah?”
The young harpy nods, rubbing his eyes. “Good morrow, Keigo.”
The elder harpy smiles before he heads down the stairs to make breakfast. Tokoyami takes his time throwing on his apparel for the day. It’s still early so, not quite the time for the ensemble, but some eyeliner and a decent hoodie would suffice. He stumbles into the bright hallway and proceeds to brush his teeth, noting that Keigo left out his feather wax again, before cleaning up. He can smell butter and brown sugar wafting from the kitchen. The dishes are already piling up in the sink and bills are set on the table, but Keigo continues to make French toast and waffles like their home wasn’t temporary.
“Soup’s on!” The elder harpy calls out, happy to see the younger already sifting through their mail.
The scent of hazelnut and chocolate breaks Tokoyami’s concentration long enough to drop the letters on the table. He digs into the brioche and chews happily while his brother sets his dish with fresh fruit and syrup.
“Sugar fiend.” Tokoyami says and the elder harpy gasps.
“How dare you?” Keigo laughs. “I just happen to have a sweet tooth unlike you, sir coffee as black as my soul.”
The elder harpy is about ready to dig into his masterpiece when a glint of gold catches his attention. Harpies are known for being fond of shiny objects, but the elder was also suspicious of most things. It’s what kept them alive this long. So he finds the shiny thing in the messy mail pile and nearly drops his fork.
Tokoyami can sense the sudden drop in his brother’s mood. “What is it?”
Keigo’s poker face is better than anyone he knows, but Tokoyami can see that his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. The green envelope in his hand is ripped open and out pulled a letter on fancy card stock with gold borders. Keigo silently reads the letter and Tokoyami puts down his mostly devoured toast.
“You aren’t going to the occult club today.” The elder harpy said.
“What?” Tokoyami asks.
”Get the bag.” and the younger harpy realizes that they must’ve found them.
Keigo goes up to his little brother and the two quickly race to his room, grabbing a backpack filled with two days worth of clothes, a passport, and some money. The elder sifts through the bag to pull out a set of silver blades, hooked at the end. His red wings are fashioned with the weapons and the younger bites his lip, holding the novel he just finished yesterday to his chest.
“Where are we going this time?” He asks.
“I don’t know. Far.” Keigo responds, sipping the bag shut before handing it off. He tries to smile for his brother. “You can take a few books this time. Maybe our next place can have bigger shelves.”
Tokoyami sighs. “Sure, Keigo.”
They were out of the apartment shortly afterward, the smell of eggs and syrup still lingering on them. Keigo drove as fast as he could out of town as Tokoyami stared out the window. He felt his phone buzz and could see that Kyoka had texted him. The elder reached out his hand and the younger reluctantly gave his phone to him before watching it be turned off and thrown into the backseat.
“Sorry, Yami.” Keigo says, trying to put on a smile, “Do you want to play some of your metal?”
Tokoyami shakes his head. “I am not quite in a headbanging mood.”
Keigo knew that this was going to be the hardest move yet. His little brother finally found his bearings in this tiny town and found a place to be himself. He found a place he called home too. But their world is too dangerous and it’s his job to protect them. And getting caught is not an option. So when he began to hear sirens, he attempted to speed down the road. Tokoyami grips his seatbelt as Keigo grits his teeth. This car was persistent! He switches lanes, but the car catches up to them and he can see the Null estate’s flags.
“Shit!” Keigo shouts. “Yami, duck!”
Tokoyami quickly leans over the seat as Keigo fires several blades through the window. The other car however does not let up and instead swerves over to cover the road. Keigo cannot crash the car, he risks harming himself and his brother. He hits the brake as fast as he can and the car ceases movement only a second before impact. Taking a breath, he sees two men in uniform, a skinny guy and a lumpy guy, get out of the car.
Tokoyami’s side door is ripped open by the lumpy guy and Keigo releases a blade into his hand.
“Run!” Keigo screams as he jumps out of the car to engage in battle with the lumpy man.
Tokoyami rushes off, trying to get a bearing of his surroundings when the skinny guy rests a hand on his shoulder.
“Please rest assured, young one. We are not here to harm you.” The skinny guy adjusts his glasses. “You are associated with Izuku Midoriya, are you not?”
Tokoyami’s tense shoulders relaxed. “He’s a friend.”
“I see. How intriguing.” the man says, watching the elder harpy pull out the largest feather blade from his wings and stab the lumpy man in the chest. Blood sprays over the blonde’s face and he delivers the final blow, decapitating the giant. The body falls with a mighty thud and the elder harpy takes a breath before turning his attention to the man standing next to his brother.
“Move,” he warned, lifting a bloody blade into the air.
“You are as spry as my reports told me. Please calm yourself, Keigo Takami. I am not here to hurt you or your brother.” the man approached the beastly blonde and gently pushed the blade away. “We’ve been meaning to replace this servant for a while.” the man kicks the decapitated head away, repulsed. “He had been stealing from his master, the nerve.”
Keigo is quick to run towards his brother and shield him from the man. “What do you want?”
“Allow me to introduce myself.” the man snaps his fingers and gold dust travels from his body to the disheveled car, repairing it and settling it undamaged. The dust even traveled to the harpies, making the blood on Keigo’s winged blades vanish and the scraps Tokoyami received on his knees disappear. Even the body of the fallen giant had been devoured by the earth without leaving a trace. “My name is Toshinori Yagi. I am the head of the Null Estate and direct consultant of the rulers of Null.”
Keigo’s grip around his blade tightened, golden eyes locked on the fairy.
“This creten was assigned to retrieve his new master, Mr. Tokoyami Fumikage, to his rightful place by the mighty Lord Fenrir, Sloth himself. However, upon doing my research, I discovered that he was under the care of none other than you, Mr. Keigo Takami, last of the golden harpy legion hunted down nearly two centuries ago.” the fairy sees the elder harpy hiss. “So I decided to give you a test, allow you to run and test your strength. You took down the traitor and I offer you my thanks. For that, I will give you a choice: you can choose to continue running and be killed for keeping the promised bride or you become Lord Fenrir’s new attendant and can continue to watch over your brother.”
Keigo doesn’t allow himself to relax as he weighs options. He refused to let himself be tied down by anyone else. But Tokoyami grabbed his arm and those pleading red eyes stared up with worry.
“I’m tired of running, Kei,” he says and the elder harpy sighs.
“He won’t be hurt?” he asks the fairy.
Toshinori nods. “Both of you will arrive safely to the estate. I swear on my honor as former fairy king.”
Keigo wasn’t a fool. He read the news. He knew that Toshinori Yagi was as powerful as the kings themselves. If he wanted to kill them, he would have already. So that just leaves the truth.
He sets his blades down and nods, “Fine.” He takes a glance at his brother and offers a smile, “The Shire is burning.”
Tokoyami takes his hand, “To Mordor.”
Seven limousines arrive in front of the elusive Null Estate.
Hidden inside a pocket dimension created by a former demon Lord, it is a one-hundred-acre property covered with lush greens and sectioned off into the seven houses of Nulldom, each with greenery that matches the Lord that lives there. The main house where all the servants live is built in the style of an eighteenth-century Victorian mansion, equipped with elegant staircases, a grant courtyard, and a vintage water fountain that rests in front of the property encrusted with sapphires. Security is airtight. No one would be getting in or out without knowing the complexities that came with using old magic and advanced teleportation spells. No unauthorized communication could be used to contact the outside world. This place was isolated from Bhaile and Null alike. It was perfect for the Lords who wanted quiet and attend to their selfish desires.
For the incoming brides, this was to be their prison. There were only two choices: conform and accept the circumstances or find a way to escape by any means necessary.