Magic Hunt at MFing Aokigahara

[disorder_heaven]

The fact that Urushihara had a keen eye for patterns and trends was one of his less appreciated skills. As one of the war generals in Demon King Satan's army, it made his division highly feared and nearly unstoppable.

Here, it had gotten him something more along the lines of a snarky comment from Ashiya. "About time," or something like that. Hard to tell. Urushihara hadn't really been listening.

Either way, upon Urushihara's elaboration regarding the Suicide Forest, Ashiya had grown more and more uncertain. Eventually comments about warning signs and body sweeps deteriorated into snide remarks about cell phones failing to work and the pitch blackness that came with noon.

A bowl of miso soup full of something-whatever beta took care of the bitching, but Ashiya managed to come out of the bathroom just long enough to lob a thick volume of Maou's favourite manga at the back of Urushihara's head. So, when Maou returned home from his long, hard day at MgRonald's, it would be to the sight of Urushihara on the ground and Ashiya in the bathroom groaning dramatically.

Just another day at the Devil's Castle.

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[disorder_heaven]

The touch of his wings had been an accident, but Urushihara soon realized that it was him that had made Maou stop speaking mid-sentence. A moment later, he was grateful for it.

"You lead, I'll follow." His drawl sounded a lot more bored than he really was.

[mickeyd_emon]

"That's the idea!" Maou boomed, a smile knifing across his face. It had taken him jumping at the sensation of his friend's feathers against his skin to make him realize the embarrassment they'd find further in was not worth it. Maou wanted to keep the loyalty of his subordinate as well as his dignity.

Also the forest was really really creepy. Mostly that.

With every step, the weight on his chest lessened by just that much, for which the Demon King was grateful for. His heavy hooves, however, still made no noise against the earth.

"So we've got an excuse for Ashiya. Now I've just gotta expend a Helluva ton of magic."

[disorder_heaven]

"Yeah, that's something else. I shouldn't be researching how to get magic, yet. I should be researching how to hide whatever magic we can get hold of. Humans are super suspicious of anything like that."

Maou might have felt a little better knowing they were leaving, but Urushihara wouldn't feel any better until they were actually out of the forest. Preferably back at the apartment, with take-out that he didn't have to share with Ashiya.

[mickeyd_emon]

"Emi bein' the most suspicious of 'em all. Just add that to the list. We can't exactly hide magic we don't got," Maou said, stooping under a rotting rope tied to a broken branch. Had they really passed that before?

"I like my convenient-packaging idea, too, so that makes three research topics."

[disorder_heaven]

"Hey, come on! You have one job and get food, shelter, clothes, and spending money, plus you actually get to go out. You can't give me three topics and no pay raise."

He glanced up, hesitating for only a moment. Surely Maou knew where he was going... Right?

[mickeyd_emon]

"But I don't actually pay you." Maou hummed a moment, thoughtful. "Alright, let's say . . . you find a good lead, I'll bring you back somethin' that's not konbini food."

[disorder_heaven]

"Or MgRonald's?" Urushihara aimed a lazy glance his way, his eyes the only part of him really visible in the darkness. "You promise?"

It wasn't like Urushihara didn't take more than his fair share when he got the chance, but it was questionable whether he still would if given an equal one to begin with. His foot caught on a branch, but he instinctively kept himself from stumbling.

[mickeyd_emon]

Maou glanced back at Urushihara's near miss, the glow of his own eyes squinting with a wry smile. Oops, he got caught.

"Or MgRonald's," he said honestly. "Cross my hearts."

[disorder_heaven]

"So no konbini food, no fast food, and no leftovers. Something real and good. Right?"

Urushihara's paranoia might have been well-placed, but either way, he interrupted anything Maou might have said.

"Um. Dude? P-Pretty sure I almost tripped over that boot over there earlier..."

[mickeyd_emon]

"Yeah, on our way in," Maou said as breezily as a brick wall could. Though truly, he didn't remember Urushihara tripping when they were headed toward the source. He hadn't gotten them turned around, had he?

No, of course not. "Relax, I know where I'm going."

[disorder_heaven]

"F'you say so." His voice was steady, but a bit strained. He moved closer to Maou, flexing his wings again as a sign of unease. "Personally, I'll be glad when we actually get to the exit."

There was a glint of many colours as his eyes flicked up to what he'd hoped had been a brief flash of sunlight. If there had been, it was gone just as quickly. This forest was like a black hole.

[mickeyd_emon]

"We'll be out in no time," Maou said, caking on a thick layer of enthusiasm. He sounded too at ease. "It'll be getting lighter before ya know it."

As they trekked onward through the dense forest, it did not, in fact, get lighter before anyone knew anything. In fact, the darkness was static. No more light, no less. It was as if, rather than going down the spectrum toward white, they were pacing back and forth within its very opposite.

Maou ducked to avoid a familiar, rotting rope.

He ignored it. A bead of sweat inched down Maou's temple.

[disorder_heaven]

Urushihara was a lot of negative things, but one positive about him was that, as a general, he was steadfastly loyal to his king. Even through his doubts, he remained obedient, even silent.

The silence was broken an indeterminate length of time after Maou's reassurance, not by his voice, but by a sudden bright light from the palm of his hand.

"...Um, Maou... We've been heading back longer than we've been heading in."

[mickeyd_emon]

"So we have. Must be another magical effect o' this place," Maou said, his own voice cheerily strained. He surveyed the darkness around them, then decidedly headed right.

There was no way they could be lost in this freaky forest. Absolutely no way. He couldn't accept it. Maou knew where he was going. He just had to walk faster!

[disorder_heaven]

"Maou--" Urushihara's burning question was cut off, first by his own hitching breath, then by a sigh. He tightened his wings close to himself, lowering his head and his lashes in the same movement.

"...No wonder humans kill themselves in here. I might kill myself if we don't get out soon."

[mickeyd_emon]

"Please, don't." Maou looked back to his friend, expression anxious. "Neither of us are gonna die in here."

Said Satan, as he led Lucifer deeper into a suicide forest.

[disorder_heaven]

Urushihara shifted and grumbled to himself, but a rustle a little behind them and to their right made him jump, backing up almost directly into a tree.

"F-fuck, man, by the time we get out of here the sun will have gone down and we won't be able to see anyway... W-what the hell was that?!"

Had something with glinting red eyes darted behind Maou, or was it only the reflection of his own demonic gaze?

[mickeyd_emon]

Maou spun around, but he couldn't track the thing before it disappeared beyond his vision. He took a deliberate step back, stumbling closer to Urushihara.

"I don't know. I-it was a trick of the . . . dark, right? It had to be . . ."

[disorder_heaven]

"Dude, back off, I can't see..."

Normally, hiding behind the Demon King's nearly two-meter tall form made him feel safe. However, with his current ability to see already so limited, he felt irritated. He braced a hand against Maou's back.

"C-come on, man. Stop foolin' around and get us out of here."

[mickeyd_emon]

"Okay, fine!" Maou thundered, throwing his gigantic arms into the air. He turned on Urushihara. Magic blasted from him, staining the darkness red. Somehow, the air managed to feel more oppressive.

"I admit it. I'm lost!"

The red bled out of the air, returning the atmosphere to normal.

[disorder_heaven]

To Urushihara's credit, he did not piss himself and faint. He cowered, but only slightly, crouching into a submissive but defensive stance. His wings spread slightly, making his small form appear much bigger than he really was. Despite the slight tremble in his voice, his tone was sarcastic.

"You could've told me. I can get us out. I just need your help."

He didn't feel right showing up his king, but if Maou had only told him the truth, they could have been out of this accursed forest an hour ago.

[mickeyd_emon]

Maou's great shoulders settled back as he reeled in his anger, though it still broiled beneath the surface, fed by the roots of Aokigahara. If he hadn't been so stubborn, Maou could have gotten them out earlier, as well. He swiped that thought to the side to deal with later. He wanted to hear Urushihara's advisement.

"What did you have in mind?"

[disorder_heaven]

"I was going to ask you to give me a boost," Urushihara said, his eyes clearly wary, even in the low light. "But I think I can manage."

He turned to the tree he stood against and scaled it with an athletic aptitude that didn't seem to fit one who so rarely left their one-room apartment. He spread his wings as far as the impossibly dense trees would allow, making a slight sound of discomfort. Once he was clear of lower, overhanging branches, he flapped. Hard. Just once.

The effect swept away all the leaf litter, all trash and debris, everything but the rooted trees and Maou himself. Urushihara cleared the treeline and made another pained sound, this one more of frustration than anything. "...We're going the wrong way. Get up here."

[mickeyd_emon]

Maou frowned to himself, bothered that Urushihara didn't specifically ask for a boost in the first place. Lucifer could rely on him! Right?

He huffed a frustrated breath and pulled himself up the tree with ease. With one leap, Maou burst through the tree tops, slowing on his ascent to hover near Urushihara. He surveyed the view, a hand propped on his hip.

"Oh, damn. You're right. We're not even in the right galaxy." They were indeed heading deeper into the forest, and not even in the complete opposite direction. "Let's fly a bit o' the way and drop down closer to the edge."

[disorder_heaven]

"We should've flown up here the moment we decided to turn back," Urushihara grumbled in an undertone, admonishing himself silently for the comment even as he said it. He flapped, out of habit, before flying lazily over the trees. Even from up here, he could feel the forest, as though the trees themselves had ill intent.