Chapter 15: The west zone deal

‘Apologetic smile’ “Are we still getting our lunch?”(Diuscrucis)

“..........Yes…… One moment please master.”(Waitress)

“Take your time.”(Diuscrucis)

{She’s a lot calmer about this than I thought she would be. I mean, everyone else looks petrified and are too scared to move.}(Diuscrucis)

{She must have expected something like this to happen considering that you gave her money for the repairs.}(Lulu)

‘Mental shrug’ {Meh…}(Diuscrucis)

After flipping a table over, Tomo grabbed a chair and sat next to me.

“So, we are going to send these guys to jail. Then what?” (Tomo)

“Then we are going to clear out the rest of this city. After which, we will go onto the next.”(Diuscrucis)

“The job you told me about earlier is to get rid of all the criminals in west zone?”(Tomo)

For the most part, yes. I was wondering Tomo. you're not as pale as the last time you saw this much blood. Why is that?”(Diuscrucis)

“Compared to the stuff in the castle, this much blood isn’t so bad.”(Tomo)

{I think I might have jaded her…}(Diuscrucis)

{I’m impressed she’s adapted this fast.}(Lulu)

{Well….. That’s just a skill she picked up from her intense training}(Diuscrucis)

Pulling out the white phone, I hand it to Tomo and smile.

‘smile’ “Now that we have some time, please show me how to use this thing.”(Diuscrucis)

“Well firstly, this is the power button but this can also be used to……..”(Tomo)

______________________________________________________________________________

* Several minutes of explaining later -

After several minutes of explanation from Tomo, I finally learned how to use my phone. A few moments later the waitress brings us our meals.

“Here are your meals. One steak with a glass of water and a salad with green tea.”(Waitress)

“You forgot to add master and mistress to your statement.”(Diuscrucis)

Saying that, Tomo and I watched as the waitress’s left eyelid started to twitch while she glared at me.

“I apologize master. I will not make that mistake again.”(Waitress)

“It’s alright. Now sit down. I want to have a talk with you.”(Diuscrucis)  ‘Chew’ ‘Chew’ Chew’

Grabbing a chair from the floor, the maid takes a seat in front of me and the other maids in the room started cleaning up the mess that was created from the fight.

“What is it you want to talk about master?”(Waitress)

“Firstly, I believe that introductions are in order. My name is Diuscrucis. Diuscrucis De Reaper. This is my companion Tomamas Revaline. You may refer to us as Tomo and Reaper. What’s your name?”(Diuscrucis)

“My name is Teresamolina Xiexieatelipolis Heartfallen, Mr. Reaper.”(Heartfallen)

______________________________________________________________________________

* Present day

* Star’s POV -

“I think I said her name wrong.”(Diuscrucis)

“Do you have it written down somewhere?”(Star)

“Ya, here.”(Diuscrucis)

Saying that, Diuscrucis pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. After he gave it to me I looked over the signature. It reads Terisamolena Xiexieatelipoliz Heartfallen

“I can’t pronounce this.”(Star)

“Neither can I so, let’s continue.”(Diuscrucis)

______________________________________________________________________________

* Several thousand years earlier

* Diuscrucis’s POV -

{Is it just me or does it seem like she’s hiding something?}(Diuscrucis)

{Why do you say that Dad?}(Lulu)

{Don’t know. She just doesn't seem like a waitress kind of person. The way she reacts and holds herself is closer to a butcher than a servant.}(Diuscrucis)

{I know a way to make her talk about herself.}(Lulu)

{Be a dick and piss her off?}(Diuscrucis)

{Like any respectable demon.}(Lulu)

“Well then Ms. ….. Heartfallen. ‘Chew’  I assume you are the owner of this place?”(Diuscrucis)

“I am. Why do you ask?”(Heartfallen)

“Well all the other waitresses seem to be worried about you. They won't approach because they are scared of me but, they glance over here quite a bit. ‘Slirp’ Some of them are even whispering prayers under their breaths so you can be ok. I just wanted to make sure.”(Diuscrucis)

“Was that all you wanted to talk about Mr. Reaper?”(Heartfallen)

“No. What I want to ask you is this. Why do you run this place? By the look of the building before the fight, I could tell that this place has been here a few weeks. Some dust has settled on the vents and the way you have been acting proves that you aren't very experienced when it comes to dealing with others. You seem to be fine when it comes to all this blood though. It’s almost like you shouldn’t have this kind of job and…..”(Diuscrucis)

Slamming the table to interupt me, Heartfallen starts yelling at me accusingly.

‘Yelling’ “Don’t you dare tell me what I can or can’t do! I have worked my ass off to get this Cafe to where it is now! I have turned against my father’s wishes. I have built this place up, recruited and payed my employees with my own personal supply of credits, and changed my goals slightly to make this place as successful as possible!”(Heartfallen)

“Really? Then 32 customers must be your average per hour on a slow day. No? Then you get more? Less? Less. Judging from how this conversation is going. You probably get about a hundred people a day don’t you? Every few days?”(Diuscrucis)

“Fuck you Reaper!”(Heartfallen)

“Well if you insist. I am always willing to play it a bit rough and this table would make a great spot but, ‘Slowly shakes head’ I don’t think that’s what you meant. Besides, that wouldn’t be a scene I would like Tomo to see. ‘Side glance’ Oh don’t give me that look Tomo. I know you wouldn’t want to see it.”(Diuscrucis)

‘Yelling’ “Fucking asshole! Why are you here? Did my father send you? Has he grown tired of slowly bleeding my business dry, so he sent you to finish scaring away my customers. I already have to deal with that guy up front and now you are making me pay for repairs! I refuse to go to him and beg for help! I will smuggle myself as well as my employees through the reincarnation gate before I go back to him for anything! So if you have nothing else to talk about then leave!”(Heartfallen)

{There we go.}(Diuscrucis)

{It looks like this woman is quite important.}(Lulu)

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

{It seems so. Let’s see if we can convince her to help us out.}(Diuscrucis)

‘Smile’”....”(Diuscrucis)

‘Scowl’ “Why are you smiling?”(Heartfallen)

“You look very pretty when you're angry.”(Diuscrucis)

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!”(Heartfallen)

With that last line, Heartfallen flew into a rage. She yelled at the top of her lungs, stood up, and tried to punch me as hard as she could. Catching her fist before it reached my face, I held it there just long enough for her to realise she fucked up. I then started crushing it.

‘Crack’ ‘Crack’ ‘Snap’ ‘Snap’ ‘Crack’ ‘Snap’ ‘Crunch’ ‘Groans’ “Hhuuuummm!”(Heartfallen)

‘Slight frown’ “Hmm. Not even going to give me the satisfaction of hearing you scream huh? Too bad. Guess I was hoping for too much. Now sit down. We still have things to talk about.”(Diuscrucis)

After she sat down I let go of her fist. When it was released, she held it close to her chest. It then started to rapidly reshape itself as her snapped and broken fingers realign themselves as they healed. Before I could move the conversation forward though, Tomo started talking.

“Ms. Heartfallen. I am sorry if my Sensei is being rude but, let us talk about your business. You said you changed your goals. What do you mean by that?”(Tomo)

“Sensei? Are you her teacher?”(Heartfallen)

“Ya. It’s a long story that I don’t want to get into right now.”(Diuscrucis)

“Maybe some other time then. As for your question, yes I changed my goals. You see, I wanted to make a successful business that was not illegal and was respectable. I’ve tried many different professions but my father kept framing them for crimes that were never committed and got them shut down. This place is all I have left and these girls are the only ones who have not abandoned me so, yes. My goals have changed. They change each and every time I start a new business……. Why are you looking at me like that?”(Heartfallen)

‘Look of utter confusion’ “Sensei. What did she just say?”(Tomo)

“Wait? Does she not understand basic Human tongue?”(Heartfallen)

“Yaaaa. Listen, she only understands demonese. Also, why do you know the Human language?”(Diuscrucis)

“I’m not like you Demons. I don’t have a universal translation ability….”(Heartfallen)

“Wait……. Vampires aren't Demons?”(Tomo)

When Tomo said that, both Heartfallen and I froze. After a few moments we looked at her and gave our answers simultaneously.

‘Slowly shaking their heads’”.........No……..”(Diuscrucis and Heartfallen)

“Then what are they?”(Tomo)

“We are Angels Ms. Tomo.”(Heartfallen)

“How?”(Tomo)

“That’s a funny story but, the short version is that you should never trust an angel with science.”(Diuscrucis)

“Please explain the full story Sensei.”(Tomo)

“Sure. You see, the gods in Heaven tried to create a new variant of angel. After many years, they created the Vampires. Unfortunately, vampires were not what they wanted. The vampires of that time were violent, bloodthirsty and………… Let's just say that they were like Demons in an Angel's body. They were powerful and they hated all other Angels. Even the gods that created them. Because of this, they were hunted to near extinction by the Angels. The few who escaped from Heaven went straight to Hell and that’s how the Demons learned about them. After some time, it became obvious that Angel scientists had no idea what they were doing. So in the end, the Demons created dragons to taunt the Angels. We then gave them the dragons out of pity but they were still created to taunt the Angels.”(Diuscrucis)

“I see.”(Tomo)

“So as I was saying Mr. Reaper. I am not like your kind. In order to communicate with all the races I had to learn how to speak all their languages and I’m sorry Ms. Tomo. I am so used to talking to members of each race in their own language. I thought you could speak arithmetic.”(Heartfallen)

“Wait. Arithmetic.”(Tomo)

“Ya. It’s the name of the Human language.”(Diuscrucis)

‘Annoyed frown’ “Ok. What are the language names?”(Tomo)

“Demonese, angelic harium, rune, and arithmetic.”(Diuscrucis)

“Good to know.”(Tomo)

“Now Ms. Tomo, what I said earlier was this. As for your question, yes I changed my goals. You see, I wanted to make a successful business that was not illegal and was respectable. I’ve tried many different professions but my father kept framing them for crimes I never committed and got them shut down. This place is all I have left and these girls are the only ones who have not abandoned me so, yes. My goals have changed. They change each and every time I start a new business.”(Heartfallen)

“Oh! Then why don’t you just run a tavern?”(Tomo)

“Excuse me?”(Heartfallen)

“A tavern. A place where anyone can come for a drink and meal. It doesn’t matter who the person is as long as they can pay. Don’t you people have taverns?”(Tomo)

“We do but……. How is running a tavern capable of fixing my problems and able to accomplish my goals?”(Heartfallen)

“Easy. All you have to do is…….”(Tomo)

‘Quickly shakes hands and head’ “Woh! Woh! Woh! This conversation ends here.”(Diuscrucis)

“Why?”(Tomo and Heartfallen)

“Because you can’t get something from nothing. If you want our help, you need to help us.”(Diuscrucis)

‘Squinting eyes’ “What do you want?”(Heartfallen)

“I want a detailed map of the entire west zone underworld. Their trade routes, suppliers, their armories, and bases. I also want to see what’s upstairs as well as use your business as a hide out from time to time.”(Diuscrucis)

“And what will I get from this?”(Heartfallen)

“You get to hear and plan out everything you want to do with Tomo. I will be funding all improvements and renovations to your business. I will also be killing your father so…….”(Diuscrucis)

“That’s too beneficial to me. What else are you getting out of this?”(Heartfallen)

‘Shrug’ “What can I say? Someone has to take charge of west zone after it’s consumed by flames. After all, whoever takes control at that time will have total control of west zone and the unquestioned support of its citizens. If they play their cards right then they could aim to take over the rest of the Underworld. Or they can enforce law and order so that it is impossible for criminal organizations to flourish into anything more than wannabe street gangs fighting over small parks. The choice is yours Ms. Heartfallen. I’m only giving you an opportunity. I’m going to kill your father anyway, this will only make it a lot faster.”(Diuscrucis)

“..........Will my business thrive and will I become the unquestioned leader of west zone?”(Heartfallen)

“Yes. Though for the second part of your question, the answer is probably. I can guarantee that you will become the leader of west zone and I can keep you there for a few weeks. After that your on your own. Your own political ability will be what protects your life in the end. After all, no one like a tyrant and a capable leader is always loved by their people.”(Diuscrucis)

“I accept your offer Mr. Reaper.”(Heartfallen)

Standing up we both shake hands and smile. While we are shaking hands, velvet energy starts circling around our connected arms and presses down on them. After several seconds the energy disappeared and in its place is a small tattoo of a sword made of chains on each of our arms. Mine is red while hers is blue.

“So this is a demon’s contract.”(Heartfallen)

“Yup. As long as you keep your side of the deal then I’ll keep mine. This way we know if you breaks it.”(Diuscrucis)

“I’ll be sure not to Mr. Reaper. The last thing I want is to have my soul belong to you forever.”(Heartfallen)

“No need to be so formal Heartfallen. Just call me Diuscrucis or Reaper. Whichever one you prefer.”(Diuscrucis)

“I’ll keep that in mind Reaper. Here are the keys for upstairs. I hope you find what you're looking for. The stairs leading upstairs are behind that door to the right.”(Heartfallen)

‘Slight grin’ {She’s a sharp one.}(Diuscrucis)

{Be careful Dad. She might turn on you when you least expect it.}(Lulu)

{I’ll keep my eyes open.}(Diuscrucis)

“Now let’s talk about this tavern idea of yours Ms. Tomo.”(Heartfallen)

“Ya, let’s.”(Tomo)

Leaving the room, I walked through a side door and find wooden stairs to my right. Walking up the steps I reach a hallway with three closed doors. One on each side of the room.

{Want to look through all of them?}(Lulu)

{No. I just want to look through one. Which should be the one door straight ahead.}(Diuscrucis)

Walking to the door that was farthest away, I started putting keys in the lock until it finally clicks.

“Here we go.”(Diuscrucis)

Opening the door, reveals a room that is a mess. There are burn marks on the walls and floor, The window at the side of the room is broken and something is on the floor.

{It looks like there was a fight here.}(Lulu)

{Ya but who was fighting?}(Diuscrucis)

Walking to the window I look at the broken glass on the floor and then out the window.

{They came in through the window.}(Diuscrucis)

{How? there is only a brick wall there. Hell, the gap between the wall and the window seems so small that only water can pass between them. Why is there even a window here?}(Lulu)

{Probably to circulate the air in the room.}(Diuscrucis)

Stepping away from the window, I trace my finger across the four burn mark in the room.

{Three on this back wall and one on the floor. All of them are cold.}(Diuscrucis)

{These marks were created by a mana weapon. They should have stop producing heat moments after coming in contact with the surface.}(Lulu)

{Then why do the marks look like they were made by a plasma rifle?}(Diuscrucis)

{I don’t know.}(Lulu)

Walking to the lone object on the floor I picked it up for a closer examination. The object is a broken pistol. The top half of it seems to have been melted off and the grip is bent and twisted in a weird angle. It looks like they failed to reload the gun and the cartridge got stuck in place. The sides of the gun has some runes on it but they are mostly covered in melted metal.

{The bottom of the barrel has an engraving of a sword made of chains.}(Lulu)

{So this might have been a fight between me and someone else.}(Diuscrucis)

{Possibly. Or someone using your weapons.}(Lulu)

{Lulu. Deconstruct the weapon and scan every part of it. I will try to make a working model of whatever this gun is supposed to be later.}(Diuscrucis)

{Right away Dad}(Lulu)

Pulling out my phone I call Death while the gun vanishes into my left arm in a storm of small gray dots.

“Hey Death I have a question.”(Diuscrucis)

“Ask away.”(Death)

“How do I send people to jail without dragging them to prison or calling you?”(Diuscrucis)

“There should be an app on your phone called prison. Put in the required information and the city guards will deal with the rest.”(Death)

“Thanks.”(Diuscrucis)

“No problem. That will be 700 credits.”(Death)

“Fucking!...... ‘Deep breath’ I will give it to you the next time I see you.”(Diuscrucis)

Hanging up the phone I looked at my many, many, apps. Three apps are hard to look through. Clicking on the prison app. I answered a few questions like name, location, bounty and so on. I then went back down stairs. When I got there I saw Tomo and Heartfallen shaking hands and smiling. A few seconds later, several men in full body armor marched in and took all 32 criminals away. Before they left a small child gave me the rewards for their capture and left to follow the guards.

“So those are the people who are supposed to take them away?”(Tomo)

“Yep and Heartfallen, here. This should be enough to get you started on the new business. Now where are the maps?”(Diuscrucis)

“This way, follow me.”(Heartfallen)

After putting the credits and keys on the table, Heartfallen took the keys and had her employees take all the credits away. Taking Tomo and I back upstairs she opens the door to the right and we follow her inside. This room was covered in maps and pins that hold them together.

“Why do you have all this.”(Tomo)

“I keep track of all current underworld routes and locations so my people can avoid them when they are being heavily used. This way I have a better chance of actually getting my goods.”(Heartfallen)

{Smart.}(Lulu)

{Scan all the maps in this room and recreate them for later. They will be the key to finishing our job within the year.}(Diuscrucis)

{Understood.}(Lulu)

After several minutes of examining the maps myself, Lulu gave me the ok that she scanned every single one of them.

“Let’s go Tomo. I have what I need. Be seeing you around Heartfallen.”(Diuscrucis)

“Bye you two. Visit again soon.”(Heartfallen)

After walking past bouncer, Tomo started questioning me.

“So what now Sensei?”(Tomo)

“Now we head back to Silky Wears to get some equipment. We will then start your advanced field training.”(Diuscrucis)

“I am looking forward to it.”(Tomo)

“Ha! That’s the spirit! If you keep thinking like that then you will be a hero in no time!”(Diuscrucis)