Emi and Ashiya were on their usual shopping trip on Saturday, and while it was filled with more small arguments than before, it could be felt that the two now really considered each other friends. Both of them seemed happier than usual.

'You know what, Alsiel?' Emi spoke after a couple of minutes in silence. They were already heading home. 'You were the last one I could imagine making friends with.'

Ashiya sighed annoyedly. Actually, he would have really liked it to stay unsaid.

'The last one?' he asked. 'What about my lord?'

'I hate to say that, but even he looked more normal than you. Sorry, but that's the cruel truth.'

Ashiya sighed again, but then smiled, half-consciously. They stopped in front of a zebra crossing.

'But now we could be called friends, huh?' Emi continued, and they looked at each other. She looked a little bit more serious now. 'Or maybe even... more than friends.'

And Ashiya woke up, breathing heavily, thus waking up Maou as well. Urushihara just turned in his boxes.

'What happened, Ashiya?' Maou asked, and he sat up too. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes... yes, sire,' he said. 'I just had a strange dream, that's all.'

'Okay, then. Oh, it's just five in the morning.' With that, Maou lay down again and put the blanket on his head. Ashiya lay down too, but he was wide awake. Actually, his dream wasn't that strange. At least it wasn't really a dream either. It had happened last Saturday, and Emi said 'comrades' afterwards.

Why did I dream about something that happened two days ago? And why did it have... and ending like this? She said comrades back then. But in my dream, she didn't, and I am completely sure I had the word... lovers in my mind. No, I am just overthinking. He smiled slightly. Fortunately, she would never mean that. I just had a dream.

He couldn't fall asleep anyway, so he decided to get up and start preparing breakfast – as quiet as possible of course. This dream came to his mind a few times during the week, but he didn't tell anyone about it and there wasn't any change in his behavior either.

Next Saturday the shops were very crowded, and they could only walk one after the other in the supermarket. Emi walked in front of Ashiya and he soon became distracted by her long hair. He had never noticed it looked that soft and shiny. And her scent was... pleasant. He became so distracted that he unconsciously leaned forward to hug her from behind.

And that was when Ashiya woke up panting.

I can't believe it! I dreamed something like that... again! What happened with me? No... no, I am completely not myself in these dreams. There is no way I could do these things.

It was pitch black in their apartment now, but a few minutes later he could see the clock on the wall and tell that it was half past one in the morning. He sighed and turned to his side – that was when he realized that Urushihara wasn't at his place.

He immediately got up and went closer to the boxes. No, he wasn't there. Then Ashiya knocked on the bathroom door, and after no answer, he opened it. No one was there either.

'My lord! I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at this hour, but you need to wake up!' he rushed to his master.

'What's that... Ashiya?' Maou asked sleepily, and rubbed his eyes.

'Urushihara is neither in his boxes, nor in the bathroom!'

Maou got up, completely awake now.

'What? Where could he go?'

'I don't know, but we must seek him!'

They both stood up and went to the corridor – they immediately noticed the light under Suzuno's door.

'Do you think he might be there, my lord?' Ashiya asked.

'Let's see.'

Maou knocked on the door, and they heard Suzuno's somewhat startled voice:

'Who could that be at this hour?'

When she opened the door, they saw that Urushihara was sitting at her table.

'Oh, Good Sadao and Good Shiro. What can I do for you?' she asked now in her usual tone. She was wearing her everyday kimono, just as if it wasn't in the middle of the night.

'We just looked for Urushihara,' Maou said. 'He wasn't in the apartment, and we couldn't think where he had gone.'

'Because I can't come to Crestia any time I want?' he asked in an annoyed tone. 'She had problems with her phone, and I was still awake, so I helped her.'

'At least, leave a note!' Ashiya shouted. 'You know you cannot go outside without chaperonage!'

'I am not a child, am I?!'

'Officially, you are!'

'Stop it guys, it's too late for that,' Maou interrupted. 'Let's go back, Ashiya.'

'I'll go too, just let us finish this,' Urushihara said and leapt up. The two demons left them there, and went back to their place.

Urushihara closed the door behind them and after a moment of hesitation, turned to Suzuno. She bowed her head down as soon as he caught her glance.

'So...' he started. 'So... do you...'

'Uhm...' she moaned nervously and was blushing, just as Urushihara. 'Maybe it really is too late now...'

'O-okay...' He glanced aside, and sighed annoyedly. 'They ruined it.'

'Yes, maybe...'

They struggled to look at each other and just stood there in an embarrassing silence.

'But it was fine!' Suzuno exclaimed suddenly, finally raising her head, with eyes closed and her fists clenched in front of her. Urushihara leaned back frightened from the sudden outburst, but then blushed even redder and smiled.

'Yeah, it was...'

Meanwhile, Ashiya and Maou were talking in their apartment.

'You know what, Ashiya?' Maou turned to his faithful general. 'Somehow I feel that there's something going on between Urushihara and Suzuno.'

When he said that, an even weirder thought came to Ashiya's mind than his dreams, a thought of him and Emi together.

'It could be,' he said, and yawned. 'It's late, sire, let's go back to sleep.'

'Yeah, but really?' Maou continued to think. 'It's so absurd. Urushihara might like Suzuno, but who would like Urushihara?'

'I still hear everything,' Urushihara spoke, who has just opened the door to come in. 'Because I live here too!'

'Please, let's go back to sleep,' Ashiya pleaded. 'Tomorrow... or now today is a workday. My lord needs to get up early.'

'It won't be my fault if he's late,' Urushihara said and got back inside his boxes. Ashiya and Maou lay down on their mattresses as well. Ashiya heard that they both fell asleep soon, but he couldn't. He couldn't free himself from the thought of him and Emi together... as a couple. What happened to me? What if I... took a liking to her... that way? Do I really like her? I never felt anything towards her before. Then what? I'll find out anyway next time we meet. And somehow that excites me. It's not a good feeling.

The same day in the afternoon, a few minutes after Emi left from work, she got a call. She was very surprised because it was from Maou.

'I don't even know why your number is in my phone,' she accepted the call.

'Yeah, whatever, Chiho's phone went dead. Would you like to eat with us?' Maou asked. 'Dinner is alm...'

He couldn't finish because suddenly Chiho's scream could be heard in the background, just before Ashiya's and Maou's loud shout – then the call ended.

'Hey!' Emi shouted. 'Hey, what is going o—'

Her eyes widened. No way...! What if... someone came from Ente Isla... She ran as fast as she could. No, Lailah said she wouldn't hurt them! Who could that be? Another angel? I must hurry!

She soon turned into the street where the demons' house was, but nothing suspicious seemed to be happening there. The area was unusually quiet. Emi ran up the stairs and almost smashed the door of the demons' apartment as she arrived there: then almost collapsed in surprise. Maou was sitting at the dining table completely calmly, Suzuno was sitting next to Urushihara in front of his computer, and Chiho was standing next to Ashiya in front of the cooker. Apart from the white haired ex-demon general having some black stains on his face and apron, they truly did not seem to be in trouble.

'What the--?! Why the hell did you shout?!' Emi yelled at them, and stomped up to them.

Ashiya looked her over; she was somehow different. Yes, he saw that shine of her hair, and noticed a scent he had never paid attention to before.

'I called you again, but you didn't pick it up,' Maou sighed, and Chiho laughed nervously.

Emi looked at her phone, and it indeed showed two unaccepted calls. She didn't hear it in the big rush.

'Sorry, Emi, I didn't want to scare you,' Chiho apologized.

'No, it was my fault,' Ashiya spoke. 'I am terribly ashamed. I was careless and the cooker burst into flames.'

'WHAT THE... but you're a DEMON! And the housekeeper by the way!'

'Saying for Ashiya, he never really had to deal with fire this way to tell the truth,' Maou said, and Emi turned to him now.

'AND?! You are the demon king, aren't you?! I can't believe how useless you are!'

'Calm down, it's not the end of the world,' Maou said boredly.

Ashiya's lips formed a tiny smile and he closed his eyes. Nonsense. What an absurd thought that I, Great Demon General Alsiel could like Emilia, the Hero. No matter what he thought and how unnoticeable that smile was, he was definitely smiling.

'I don't think you have right to call me useless,' he said. 'Remember when I took care of your house while you were ill. And I do everything in my power to take care of my lord and the castle too. Anyway, Emilia, there's a leaf in your hair.'

As he reached to sweep it down, she pushed his hand away.

'Don't touch me!' It really surprised Ashiya because she seriously blushed. 'I-I can sweep it down too, just say it! Anyway, what are you talking about, you were the only one who has always been useless during the battles!'

'That only happened once and I was ill!'

'Just like all the time!'

'Would you just shut up a bit?!' Urushihara interrupted them, and turned back to his laptop. 'Thanks.'

'Sorry, I could not hear what Good Hanzo was explaining me,' Suzuno said.

'I didn't hear my voice either.'

'Says a former demon general whose favourite entertainment was to fly above crowded battlefields covered in blood...'

'That is not true!' he yelled at Emi.

'Please, don't argue,' Chiho tried to calm them down.

'Would you stop it?' Maou spoke too. 'I have go back to work for the night too and I didn't sleep very well.'

'I am sorry, my lord,' Ashiya apologized. 'Emilia, stop shouting.'

Emi was shaking as she was trying to suppress her temper.

'Yeah, you say so? I have to admit that it is very important for Maou to go to work in time, because you really need that money in your status...'

Now it was Ashiya's turn to suppress his temper, and sighed.

'I could never imagine you two would accord in something, Good Emi and Good Shiro,' Suzuno said innocently.

'They even went on a date once, don't forget that,' Urushihara said, but only to get hit on the back of his neck. 'OUCH!'

'Say that one more time!' Ashiya and Emi shouted in chorus. 'I can't believe you are just a bunch of shameful humans now. Is it a good feeling? Huh?' – she jested. 'Whatever, bye.'

She left the apartment followed by the gaze of everyone.

'So aren't you going to eat with us?' Maou shouted after her.

A moment of silence.

'I am!'

And then a loud yell, followed by some bangs and cracks.

'I can't believe it... coming!' Maou said boredly.

'STAY THERE, YOU EVIL SPIRIT!'

Maou just sighed.

'Then no...'

'Is she okay?' Chiho asked.

Ashiya took off his apron and went out to the corridor. Out there, he waited until a few seconds later Emi appeared; she was a bit hobbling and looked up at Ashiya with a half ashamed, half angry face, almost making him laugh. He couldn't hold back a tiny smile though. He reached out his hand, and saw on her face that she eventually decided to put her pride in her pocket and accept it.

She had a bleeding wound on her knee.

'Come, we have first aid kit in the bathroom.'

He helped her inside by holding her arm.

'Oh, pizza is here,' Maou said when they heard the doorbell.

'I'll come and help,' Chiho stood up cheerfully, and left with him, out to the gate. They took the pizza boxes and turned to head back to the apartment. Maou smiled at her, which she returned.

In the bathroom, Emi sat down on the edge of the bathtub and Ashiya kneeled in front of her with the first aid kit.

'Not as embarrassing as bathing me, is it?' he said. Emi glanced aside.

'Well, don't worry. Looking back, that was just as embarrassing as it is now. And don't tell me I'm indebted to you now.'

'You don't have to worry either, you're not.'

'By the way... I guess helping you is fine,' she said quietly.

'Yes. It's the same the other way around.'

He looked up at her, and smiled. It was a genuine and quite kind smile Emi had never seen on his face, but it made her smile as well.

In the main room, only Urushihara and Suzuno were there now, and as no voices could be heard either from outside or from the bathroom, Urushihara glanced around. No one was expected to return right in that moment, so he turned to Suzuno and pressed a kiss on her lips.

THE END