“Have you ever just looked up at the sky and marvelled, how is it like to live high above?”

 

“And all of you, you, who are living way up there. Have you ever gazed down and wondered, how is it like to live here? Yes, yes , right here. Under the lights.

 

Bound to always cling to the darkness.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Chiyu, I request for your presence in my study in the next ten minutes.”

 

 

Was the only line that could interrupt Chiyu’s activity, the only one that could make the demon prince reschedule his time for the day. He knew it was a dead serious order from his father. It was seldom for the latter to call him in the middle of his class. Yes, class. No kidding.

 

 

He was currently attending a lecture at a local university in the mundane world, simply for the sake of adding more knowledge to his field of study, but only when he wasn’t simply being a lazy . However it was his own idea to volunteer himself to join classes here at this university with a strong support from the king himself. Well long ago, he clarified that it was imperative to learn more about humans, to interact with them, to witness with his own eyes, observe and calculate just how much their success and failure have been reflected by the humans under their invincible demon realm.

 

 

So far, ensuing the centuries, their success exceeds the failure.

 

 

Such a corrupted world. Ah, lovely.

 

 

Chiyu raised his hand to call for the lecturer’s attention in order to excuse himself and was then granted the permission to leave the class. And as he stood from his seat, a female student who was sitting on his immediate right instantly helped him to arrange his books and some papers, clearly had been looking forward to do this since the beginning of the class. He could see it; judging from the way she smiled and all those flirtatious gestures she applied and not to mention her revealing clothes she wore, despite her attempts to hide them. He didn’t really pay attention to her, never had, because she was just the same like some other girls, but he was somewhat thankful for her fake generous deed though. It saved him the energy and time.

 

 

Yes, humans can be nice. They can act nice; in this case.

 

 

But that’s only when there’s a presence of an angel for the former. Oh yes, each human has one angel and one demon taking care of them. Either one would affect their upcoming actions; it’s just the matter of who wins and who loses. Chiyu smirked silently to himself as the girl handed him his things. The demons were triumphantly littered almost every corner of the class, and he didn’t even have to take a glance at them. They were just there; to lull some students to fall into a slumber, to distract them from the teaching with smart phones hidden underneath the desk and whatnot.

 

 

Humans should be aware that demons are actually their greatest enemies.

 

 

The same girl had thought the y smirk was only for her that practically made her almost sway in her seat with a dreamy look. Poor, poor girl. But the demon prince had so little time to lose now. Therefore, without thanking her and taking a firm hold around his stuff with one hand holding the straps of his back pack, he spun on his heels and quickly descended some stairs along the aisle before heading out of the lecture room.

 

 

***

 

 

“Need I remind you again …that this is a perilous matter.” The king of angels attached, detached and reattached his shaky, long fingers as he muttered those bitter words. He could taste the venom in his mouth slowly seeping through his tongue, waiting to be tossed out of his lips. But he clamped down the urge, although it was so damn near unbearable.

 

 

“You do not have to, I am highly aware of it.” An equally strained voice replied. “Let us not forget we were both once in this as well.”

 

 

Uruha almost rolled his eyes sideways, or more like throwing his gaze out the window. He didn’t even have to answer because he never forgot about it at all.

 

 

To see the unity of two different races is something that’s truly impossible to achieve, it was almost possible though when the two kings were younger, in their own worlds. They fell in love with each other after they were brought to meet up for the first time, and they believed in the love at the first sight. But one day, an issue was brought up that had kept the archangels away from the demons. They were separated for so long since then, and eventually they gave up after so many attempts, because they really had to, thinking it was the best decision they could have ever decided. And the hardest.

 

 

And the story of their love belonged to history, undisturbed by anyone else for so long, should have been forgotten, but couldn’t. Partly because they meet whenever it is necessary for them to do so after being the new rulers, on some occasions and under certain circumstances, they will reminisce those times again, silently. Even in this moment.

 

 

Now it seemed like it was their sons’ time. But like both kinds were raised, their sons were taught to loathe each other by their own educators and of course, their parents as well– no matter what happened in the past, they still need to stick to their own nature beings - even though they never met, or even being placed near to each other. It could develop a major chaos between those two, to which Suzuki Akira and Takashima Kouyou were definitely not looking forward to.

 

 

But the sudden loud and disturbing sound outside had confirmed their worst fear.

 

 

***

 

 

After he was directly transferred to the castle under the sphere of his father’s realm by a portal he’d just closed right behind him, Chiyu’s heightened sense alarmed him of a very…. unfamiliar presence in his surrounding, yet it felt like something he’d had encountered like before….and then it occurred to him; it was an archangel.

 

 

Without a word as he unleashed one of his swords that appeared right in his hand that instant, his face was already darkening at the thought of having such creature break into the castle and lurk around freely with no boundaries. Though, in the back of his mind, he found it….totally absurd for such angel getting the access to enter the structure without even getting caught.

 

 

 Taking some trained, quiet steps towards the nearest window, he looked out of it and down at the tough-looking and obedient demon guards lining along the high walls around the castle, not stirring a single muscle…and at that moment Chiyu questioned himself whether he was the one who lost his mind or literally everyone else was.

 

 

Soundless seconds crept by and he slowly lowered his weapon at the rather still sight, thinking to himself that it was maybe his feelings after all.

 

 

A door suddenly creaked open from a distance, drawing Chiyu’s full immediate attention.

 

 

He sensed another archangel in the next split second, but this one was someone he should not mess with. But they were not on the move though, so he figured he could set that one aside for now. Spinning on his heel without hesitation, Chiyu then dashed in the direction of the approaching footsteps of the former angel that had captured his attention. There were so many corners and stairs he needed to take in order to seize whoever it might be, whoever this intruder was. But he wasn’t going to give up yet. And he doubted he ever would.

 

 

“Show yourself. I’m not in the mood to play with you.” He ground out under his breath, speeding up. He knew it was already late by now than he should be to meet his father as requested and boy, was he usually punctual. But this mere presence of an archangel made his blood boil and his anger increase a hundredfold, turning him into an impatient mess.

 

 

Knowing so much better not to be a fool, the silver-head prince pressed his back to a wall right beside a junction, holding the throbbing desire to attack the latter who was now moving closer to him from the other side. After taking a quick and close inspection, his mind instantly began working and calculated the distance of how he was just a few doors away from the study at where his father was holding the small and private occasion, and if anything, he would have noticed and –

 

 

Until a male with long black locks passed by him with a wary movement; ready to defend himself instead of attacking with his superior angelic bow and arrow settled in his hands aiming directly at Chiyu that the demon quickly pushed his thoughts away and then threw himself at the archangel, tackling him with his arms before both of them were dropped to the floor, rolling a few times before crashing hard  into the demon’s father’s study wooden double doors as they screamed and groaned in pain.

 

 

“What the hell—get off me, beast!!” The angel attempted a kick at Chiyu as he let out a strangled cry, obviously at the weight being pressured on his smaller frame. “I said—”

 

 

“I should ask you first as to why the you’re ing here, huh?!” Chiyu raised his voice with fury, his green pupils awakened with rage, he was halfway through his true demon form already; at this rate his horns and claws were bare. He grasped the angel’s small and feeble wrists, digging in his sharp claws into the smooth skin that wrung yet another scream of agony from the latter who almost gave away at the actions against him. Chiyu was sure he was going to win this and probably have his dinner for the evening and damn had he been wondering what would an angel taste——

 

 

Before he suddenly felt a blast at the back of his head, collapsed on the ground next to the terrified angel and could only see stars.

 

 

***

 

 

“I apologize for my son’s foolish behaviour.” The demon king bowed his upper half at his guests, his face was so red, filled with so much shame he had never felt like before in his whole life.

 

 

“My poor Masato was almost murdered by him! His own ...insane fiancé! And it was their first meeting for goodness’s sake!” Uruha spat at the unconscious younger demon. He was undoubtedly beyond angry and he should be. If Reita hadn’t been quick enough to knock Chiyu out, his son would have certainly begun feeding on Masato.

 

 

 Several demon servants rushed over to help their king with the two princes and tidy the whole place.

 

 

The younger archangel, after the mindless assault, took a few sharp indrawn breaths as he shakily pushed himself to his feet with the help of his parent and had to lean into the other for support. His formerly beautiful, generously long black hair was now left dishevelled.

 

 

The boor boy…Reita swore he would surely kick Chiyu’s after this. Or throw him into the hellish sea. Or left him to the starving and menacing creatures somewhere far.

 

 

“Is he …really my fiancé, mother?” Masato asked in disbelief after recovering from the aftermath. He was offered a chair to sit on by one of the servants. “Now that I know of…”He bent down to pick up his bow and arrow, and tried to take a tight grip along the sheath but failed, and he realized it was because of his fiancé’s murderous and determined attack to his wrists. “I-I refuse to marry him.” Uruha, who was about to gently rub his back, stopped short.

 

 

It suddenly fell deadly silent around them that Uruha took some time to speak as a reply.

 

 

“You… still have to.” That brought immediate tears to the younger archangel’s eyes. Uruha quickly went on to …calm his son, or rather, argue with his point. “It was not you who made the decision. And it was already decided by—“

 

 

“I know!” Masato cut in, tears smearing his cheeks. “I know too well! But … this is madness! If the news reaches them soon, t-they would probably consider the matter and I would still stand the chance to avoid myself from getting married to him! Isn’t that right?” If Masato was searching for support, he was hopelessly wasting his time. Even the two kings had no power to alter the decision, let alone influencing it a little. “…Right?” Overwhelmed and helpless, he sobbed quietly then weakly wiped at his eyes with his trembling hand. “Is there no way out…? Someone help me out...please...”

 

 

“I’m sorry, Masato. We wish we could.”

 

 

Left with no choice.