Ball of Nothing

"What happened?! You look terrible!" Zero exclaimed when he saw Baal nursing a cup of tea with a pained frown on his face. The Demon Lord looked like he barely slept at all and that couldn't be too far from the truth.

Coux didn't know what the listless demon was up to last night. Everyone, including her, was wiped out and fast asleep. The secretary smelled some alcohol when she entered Baal's room earlier. It was rare for Baal to indulge in that so she didn't know what to think when he did. The half-succubus decided to be nicer to her employer today seeing how the metaphoric dark cloud looming over his head was burdening him.

Zero ate his breakfast with worry. Now that there were fewer people around, the place was emptier and quieter. The teen wondered what they were going to do today. With Schaf and Kerberos' sentences successfully executed, there was only one thing left to do before he would return. The young doctor felt conflicted over this. On one hand, he was eager to see the villagers again and the greenery on Earth. On the other hand, parting with Baal would be difficult. Not being able to see, be and talk to Baal in person was going to make Zero cry. It was like parting with Truen all over again.

Coux and Amaraline excused themselves early for work. Zero didn't blame them. However, it surprised him that both Sekkin and Ruth were sent out for errands. Ruth had to fill in Qin Yun's position and Sekkin had to make a trip back to Half Moon Village for a while. Wiser was still catching up on his sleep so there was only Zero and Baal in the huge dining hall.

The silence was slightly unnerving and Zero didn't know what to do since Baal forbade him from checking on his health. That was an obvious sign of a hangover that could easily be treated with healing magic. Really, Baal should stop being so stubborn sometimes and let others take care of him.

The Demon Lord spent the long night pouring through his thoughts and facing his demons. Still, there was no conclusion. Lilith was right without a doubt. The choice should lie with Zero. He knew that he would come to regret what he was about to do with every fibre of his being but he couldn't bear to see his friend's betrayed expression when he found out. There were no questions about whether Zero would discover the truth. With his curious personality and determined nature, it was something given.

Without saying anything, Baal snapped his fingers and a letter materialised from thin air. He flicked his finger and sent that letter towards Zero who caught it smoothly.

The young doctor was surprised. That letter looked very similar to the one Lucifer sent him. However, unlike his, this letter was already opened. The wax seal was destroyed and Zero searched Baal's expression before deciding that it would be alright to check its contents.

[Greetings!

The Morning Star Academy wishes to invite you back as a guest lecturer from xxx month in the xxx year on the xxx day to the xxx month in the xxx year of the xxx day. All food, transport and accommodation will be taken care of by the Academy during your trip.

We hope to hear your favourable reply.

P.S.: As a Demon Lord who has been slacking for the past few decades, you should at least show your face.

- Lucifer.]

Zero blinked at the last statement. That sounded more of a threat than an invitation. He looked up at Baal who was still nursing his headache. The Demon Lord didn't seem fazed by it and Zero decided to pull his out from the inventory.

"You should set up a mind barrier when you open it," Baal cautioned his friend when he saw the unopened letter. He was slightly curious as to why Zero hasn't ripped it open yet.

Zero heeded Baal's advice and didn't regret it when a Mind Hollow escaped from the seal and rushed at Zero before it was dispelled by the barrier. Mind Hollows were pesky puppets created using dark magic that attack a person who is off guard and latches itself in their minds, feeding on their positive thoughts, making them hollow and lifeless on the inside. Zero knew that Lucifer would pull such tricks but was still annoyed that the ancient demon would do something as nasty as this.

[Dear Zero

You are invited to the Prestigious Morning Star Academy as part of our Earth-Hell exchange programme for a week starting from xxx day of the xxx month in the xxx year. All your travelling, accommodation and food expenses will be sponsored by the Morning Star Academy.

We hope to see you there!

P.S.: You still owe me a favour.

- Lucifer]

The young doctor knew it wasn't appropriate to be amused with such tricks by the ancient demon. However, a chuckle slipped past his lips before he could stop it. It was almost adorable thinking about a sulky Demon Lord penning down threats to hide his embarrassment at sending out invitations. Baal gave him a strange look and Zero stifled the giggle bubbling beneath his surface. He didn't want to give the wrong impression after all.

"I guess we should start preparing to leave in two days?" he smiled at Baal who didn't look any less grouchy.

The Demon Lord didn't reply immediately. Lucifer's words continue to plague him. He knew that he shouldn't tell Zero about their plan as it might jeopardize the mission but it didn't feel right keeping such a thing from the young doctor.

Zero noticed the troubled look on Baal's face and was immediately concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Zero... promise me that you won't cause trouble when you are there and that you will defend yourself when needed."

The doctor's apprentice blinked. "Why? Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

Baal didn't say anything and Zero's suspicion increased. His eyes narrowed. "What are you not telling me?"

They stared at each other ins silence with Zero demanding to know what's going on and Baal resisting. The tension started getting heavier when Baal dropped his gaze to look away.

"Bell, if there is someone being a danger to you I have to know. What is Lucifer's request about?"

The Demon Lord grit his teeth in frustration. "Lucifer will fill you in on the details when you reach the Academy. However, I need you to promise me you'll not be reckless. You have to take care of yourself because I might not be able to it this time. I'll be going there as a lecturer, we won't always be together and the aristocratic nobles can be an awful bunch."

He didn't think that Zero would buy it but wasn't too surprised when the brunet's eyes softened. Zero smiled warmly and Baal wondered what was going through Zero's mind when he heard that.

"Don't worry, Bell. I can take care of bullies without resorting to violence. Wiser taught me a good way to deal with them."

Relieved but mostly amused by how it came to that conclusion, Baal decided to let the matter rest now that Zero was satisfied. It was an inevitable thing. Lucifer would hunt them down if they didn't show up in the Academy so Baal relented. It was better to start with preparations before the big day of Zero's debut into the society. There were many things that had to be done before that.

"Let's head to town. I need to get a few things and so do you. We can go through the Demon Etiquette crash course while we're on the way."

Zero had no time to protest when Baal teleported them straight into the waiting carriage. The coachman set off immediately and Zero wanted to ask how they were going to pay for anything without Coux's help.

***

An hour later, Zero was nursing his headache. He would never again agree to a mind to mind connection and transfer of memories. No amount of healing magic could help his brain cope with the overload of information any faster.

As they stepped out of the carriage, Zero realises that they were in an unfamiliar part of Baal's domain. The cafe was nowhere in sight and according to Mii's map, they were closer towards the wilderness. It was very silent for a bustling town and the teen wondered where all the demons were.

"Follow me closely," Baal warned and Zero hastened his strides to catch up to the Demon Lord who morphed into an older looking demon with greying streaks in his hair. Zero wanted to ask why Baal decided to take on a different form but didn't have the time when Baal shoved a cloak he materialised out of thin air.

"Cover yourself with this. Whatever it is, do not speak to anyone who asks you a question. Do not tell anyone your name. We're in the more dangerous parts of town but this is the only place I can get what I need."

Zero nodded and did as he was told. He silently wondered what Baal was looking for that they had to visit such a shady place. His questions were soon answered.

-Welcome, what can I do for you?- A demon spoke in an archaic tongue that Zero understood. Sadly, it wasn't something he was able to speak. Wisdom only helped with understanding, not communicating.

Baal's eyes darted from one corner to another to ensure that there was nobody tailing them. He was speaking to a gruff demon through an eye slot in the door separating them.

-The birds are tired, the skies are dark. I'm looking for food, a nest and a story.- Baal replied swiftly in a hushed tone.

The eyes slot was closed and there was shuffling behind. Zero heard what sounded like five different locks before the door was opened for them. The teen wondered why so many locks were required. He thought that the gruff man would be taller but kept the comment to himself.

The gruff 'man' turned out to be two imps who climbed on top of each other to reach that eye slot level. Zero also realised that the interior wasn't any better than the exterior. However, it was larger than he expected. There was a wide cavern immediately after the door that was dimly lit. A small table with two rotting chairs was in a corner, presumably for the guards on duty. At the back of the cavern was a flight of stairs leading downwards.

Zero followed Baal wordlessly down the stairs. They went through many twists and turns in the maze-like city underground. Zero never knew that such a place existed. Baal didn't stop or pause despite some of the hostile and curious gazes. Zero didn't dare stop in fear of losing sight of his pal. They continued for the next ten minutes until the population grew scarcer.

Baal then morphed back to his normal form and told Zero it was alright to remove his hood. Zero did so and wondered what they were going to do next.

The Demon Lord was in front of an old building. It was run down, abandoned and very archaic. The words on the signs were faded but one didn't know how to read to know what I graveyard looked like. Zero wasn't scared but he was slightly more on guard. Why did Baal bring him to an underground city's graveyard? Weren't they supply shopping for the Academy?

"Here is the place of my birth," he told Zero calmly as he stopped in front of a grave that had been dug. The coffin was open and it was empty.

Zero was perplexed. A graveyard? Why would Baal be born here?

"This is the city of the outcasts that Hell doesn't welcome. While there is no miasma here, it is often plagued by things like curses, the black death and invaded by wild beasts for an easy meal. I was born in this very graveyard after a necromancer tried to create his puppet and transfer his soul into that new body. Simply put it, I stole the artificial body as my own after I was murdered here many centuries ago. Like those imps, I was an inferior species called Tsukumogami. My old body is in this very grave."

Zero blinked. The grave was clearly empty. What could possibly be there?

Baal bent down and stuck his hands into the coffin, digging around for something. He pulled up something small but shiny and Zero's eyes went wide. It was a simple brass ring that looked like it was about to disintegrate.

"A ring?"

Baal smiled. "I was the spirit that lived inside this ring. After existing for so long, I developed a soul on my own and slowly fed off the negative energy in this underground. Without a body, there was nothing much I could do. It was my fate to be bound to this object until the day it disintegrates. When it does, I would have died too. It's a meaningless birth and death. However, I still wanted to go on an adventure to see this ugly world with my own eyes. I seized that opportunity when the necromancer came by."

Zero didn't say anything when Baal crushed that brass ring in his hand, grinding it to dust. The pained look in Baal's eyes made Zero hurt inside.

"I lied about needing to go shopping to prepare for the Academy... everything is ready. Coux is an efficient secretary. I just wanted to show you where I came from. Not many people know this. Only Lucifer knows about my origins."

The teen nodded and wrapped his arms around Baal. "Thank you. I will guard this secret with my life."

Baal didn't say anything more. "You'll need to leave the Abyss after you finish Lucifer's request. Staying any longer will only be detrimental to your progress. Take the vampire back as well and learn from him. While he has quite the attitude for someone so young, he's one of the best combat masters out there. I can guarantee as much."

Zero didn't interrupt the Demon Lord and Baal continued. "The request Lucifer has can be dangerous. I don't want you putting yourself in any harm's way. You only need to be the eyes and ears, we will handle the heavy lifting. This is our fight, not yours. Please do not interfere like what you did with Schaf and Kerberos. If you cannot promise me that, I shall seal you here until everything is over."

Zero's eyes widened at Baal's sudden surge in power. Sure, it wouldn't keep him trapped forever but dark magic was a tricky thing to figure out. Who knows how long it would be before he could break out of this trap? Baal would've succeeded in what he wanted to do by the time Zero figured a way out.

The seriousness in Baal's eyes told Zero that there was no room for compromise on this matter. It had to be a different level of seriousness if Baal was going so far.

"I understand, Bell. I won't be rash. I will defend myself if necessary and won't interfere with how you handle it. I'll leave immediately once the mission is over. Just... don't ever think that I would abandon you. You are my friend. Even if we fight, I will never leave you in the lurch."

There was no lie in Zero's words so Baal cancelled the spell. He was glad that they could come to an agreement. These were the true traitors of Hell. Knowing Zero's kind heart, he would want to try and guide them onto the right path once more. However, kindness is ineffective against the power hungry.

"Your words not mine," the Demon Lord shrugged. "How does lunch sound? We can drop by Belles and Begonia to see how your vampire is doing."

Zero beamed, glad that they made up. And allowed Baal to guide him out of the underground city.