The Devil and The Plague

Chapter One

Maou POV

After Urushihara moved in all of the expenses went way up. Mikitty raised the rent slightly with one more person using the utilities, the utilities went up, specifically the energy bill... our food expenses went through the freaking roof because all Urushihara ever does is eat!

"Urishihara, you need to find a job," I told him. "Everything is getting too expensive for me to support the three of us alone. And you have a tendency to impulsively buy things on that jungle thing you have. Even if it's part-time, you've got to pull your weight around here more. Either get a job or do the chores so Ashiya can get a part-time job. Your choice. Either way, you need to work if you want to stay."

"I'll do the chores around here. I'd rather do that than leave the house every day." He yawned.

"Fine. Ashiya, teach him how to properly do the chores around here. Also, teach him how to budget. It might help him to know where the money goes." I said. "I gotta go to work now." After I shut the door behind me I hopped onto Dullahan and rode to work. MgRonalds was dead, very dead in fact that as soon as I walked in the door, Miss Kisaki ushered me back out.

"Sorry, kid. No work, corporate called and told me to shut down for two weeks. There's a nasty virus going around and to stop or at least slow the spread Everything is shutting down. Tomorrow if anyone is caught outside they'll be punished. So, go home and stay in until the mandate is lifted."

"I'm guessing these are two weeks unpaid, right?" I gulped.

"Indeed you are correct. If I were you I might apply for an online job so you can work from home at least until you can come back to work." She gave me a weak smile.

"Right." I waved and rode Dullahan back home in shame. "I'm home."

"Sire what's wrong?" Ashiya immediately quit arguing with Urushihara.

"MgRonald's is shut down for two weeks. There's a virus going around bad enough to shut everything down and force everyone to stay inside for two weeks to try and slow the spread." I said before turning to Urushihara. "Urushihara can you find any information about it online?"

"Currently there isn't much info about it. Just the current symptom list and the death toll thus far. This thing isn't just here in Japan. It's worldwide. They're calling it C-91 for some reason. The death toll in Japan alone is 11,386 people so far."

"What are the symptoms?" Ashiya asked.

"Typical common cold and flu symptoms. The most important is losing your senses of smell and taste. That's the most common symptom that can identify this virus versus the common cold and flu. People with weak immune systems are the ones mostly dying from it." Urushihara explained. "Since we aren't from here sicknesses from this world may affect us harder than people born and raised here. We need to tread lightly without our magic."

My phone rang startling me to death. Once I composed myself and got off the floor I answered.

"Hello?"

"Maou, have you heard about the virus?" Emi's voice sounded strained and more than a little hoarse.

"Emi are you okay?" I asked.

"No." She coughed. "I caught the virus from someone at work. Maou... it hurts. I can't eat, I can hardly move. I need to ask a favor of you. Sorry..."

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Medicine. I just ran out. I'll reimburse you. The pharmacies are still running because they are essential to the survival of the citizens. Can you please, bring me more medicine?" She sounded awful, weak even. It would be a total understatement to say it was weird.

"Yeah, I can do that. But why me?" I asked.

"I asked Rika initially. But she has the virus too. She can't get out to help. I asked Chiho but she's sick too."

"Will they be okay?" I asked.

"I'm sure they will. Rika has plenty of medicine and Chiho's parents aren't sick so they can get some before tomorrow if they need it. You better get some for you guys too just in case."

"Yeah, I heard if we're caught out starting tomorrow we'll be punished. I'll head over now. How much do you think you'll need?" I asked.

"Two bottles of daytime and two bottles of nighttime. I've got the money ready for when you get here." She tried to catch her breath after another coughing fit. "Please hurry."

"I'll do what I can." We hung up and I grabbed my wallet and went out to Dullahan to ride to the nearest pharmacy. "Hello, just these please." I put eight bottles of medicine on the counter.

"These all for you?" The cashier asked.

"No ma'am, my friend is sick. Half of these are for her and the other half is for me and my roommates. Just in case." I explained. "I'm hoping we don't get sick like my friend did."

"Everyone is hoping that at this point. Have you seen the updated death toll of Japan?"

"I saw the death toll about thirty minutes ago, is that the one you're talking about? 11,000 something?"

"No. They just updated the numbers two or three minutes ago. It's up to 13,531 now."

"Are you serious? That's horrible! And scary..."

"You'd better get this to your friend. The latest update said drinking hot tea will help so tell her that."

"Will do. Thanks so much!" I waved back and ran to Dullahan to ride like the wind. I got to Emi's building and realized I had no idea which apartment was hers.

"Hello?" Emi answered her phone weakly.

"Hey, Emi I'm at your apartment building. Which one is yours?" I asked. She told me it was up on the third floor and that the elevator was out so I'd have to take the stairs. Of course... Huffing and puffing I knocked on the door of her apartment. My vision blurred as she opened it. The next thing I heard was Emi struggling to yell my name as she shook me on the floor. My body felt so heavy I couldn't move even if I tried.

Before I knew it, everything went dark.