Toji felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a plastic container waving above his face. His brow furrowed as he took it. He glanced up at the bearer, Nox staring down at him.

“Should I be worried?” he asked.

“It’s a sandwich, kid, not demon chow.”

Toji sat up with a grown, opening the lid, the scent of eggs, mayo, and spices assailing his nose. He grinned as he took out one half of the meal. “Thanks,” he said, taking a bite.

“Yep,” Nox said, taking a seat next to him with a loud sigh. “Doin’ alright?”

Toji shrugged. “Good as I can be, I guess.” He smiled softly around a bite of the egg salad sandwich. “I got to touch Natsu for a second.”

Nox glanced over at him. “How’s he doing?” he asked gently.

Toji’s smile faded.

“That bad, huh?”

Toji lowered the sandwich to his lap, his gaze cast down. “He wants to give up, Nox. He wants to…” he swallowed, unable to finish the thought. “I told him not to give up, to just hang on a little longer.”

“How long’s it been for him?”

“Seven years, just a little over, maybe.”

“Shit,” Nox breathed, shaking his head. “I mean, not as bad as here, but still…damn.” He brought his knees up, resting his elbows on them, his hands folded loosely. “I waited to be with Charlotte for millenia,” he said. “I know that doesn’t make this any better for you, but at least you know there’s someone that understands. Your fathers do, too.”

“I’m glad someone does,” Toji said, taking another bite of his sandwich, the taste not as satisfying as before. He looked off into the distance, over the rough mountains and small villages that dotted their Realm. He’d gone so far out there, even into the other Realms looking for that crack, with little success. He frowned. “I know we’re close,” he said quietly. “I know it…”

“Lana thinks so, too,” Nox nodded. “She says it feels almost like the barrier is double-backing on itself the further out you get.”

Toji nodded. “It’s a bizarre experience,” he said. “For thousands of miles, it’s straight across. If you can even consider an invisible barrier that can be all places at once ‘straight.’ The further out we go, though, it’s like the energy starts to shift, bending and curving, almost like a mirage.”

He opened his hand, a small black cloud forming above his palm, smoothing out to resemble a ribbon that began to dance and twirl around itself, waving, separating, coming back together, and separating again. He closed his hand, Nox understanding completely.

“My guess is the crack is distorting the reality of the barrier itself,” Toji said. “It’s not like a crack in a brick wall where we can just take a hammer to it and there you go. This is going to take some crazy-ass magic to make it work.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re a crazy-ass Devil God.”

Toji slid his gaze over to his uncle, a grin tugging at his lips. “I hate that title.”

“Get used to it, it’s one you earned, if not completely outright become at this point.”

Toji frowned. “Why, because I’m the next ‘Blood King’?” 

“No, shit-for-brains, because you’re a god with devil powers.” He flicked Toji in the side of the head, making the young man glare at him.

“Ass,” he muttered.

“And stop comparing yourself to that asshole, you’re nothing like him.” Nox dropped his knees, sitting cross legged. “You actually know how to love.”

Toji sighed, setting the other half of the sandwich aside. “That may be, but…what if he doesn’t recognize me?”

“How many times have you seen him face-to-face in the last fifty years?”

“Three.”

“Has he said anything about you being a scary and ferocious cocksucker?”

Toji shook his head.

“You’re still the same man he fell in love with, kid. At least, your heart and soul are. You’re not corrupted, and neither is he. Miserable, yes. Depressed as all fuck? Absolutely. And no, I’m not going to sit here and say you haven’t become something Hell doesn’t need, that I don’t need, but in here…” he poked at Toji’s chest. “You’re still the same temperamental brat you’ve always been.”

Toji rubbed at the sore spot, clutching at the spot just underneath where his core was. He had to admit Nox was right. For all the horrible things he had done in the name of keeping his cover from being blown, he hadn’t once lost what actually mattered; himself. The man who still desperately loved Natsu, the man who missed his family, the man who would, and was about to, destroy all of existence as they knew it just to get back to all of them.

“Thanks,” he muttered. He lifted the sandwich before putting it back down. “For this, too.”

“Thank your Aunt, she made it.”

Toji’s eyebrows raised, impressed. Charlotte really wasn’t bad at cooking, she just didn’t do it very often. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Good.” Nox got to his feet, helping Toji to his. “Let’s get home, you’ve got a visitor.”

Toji frowned. “Who?” Not too many people bothered to come see him, and when they did, it was either regarding the barrier, or nothing good.

“Your cousin.”

Toji stopped, Nox continuing on, his hands folded behind his head. Something Hero had sent through the link before Toji had closed it down jumped to the forefront of his mind.

When it’s time, I’ll send Noah to you. I hope you’ll be ready.

With a burst of speed and a trail of purple light behind him, he flew past Nox toward the castle, a gust of wind blowing Nox’s long blood-red hair over his shoulder. The Devil King grinned. 

Not much longer now.

-*-