4 A Primaeval Entity In A Cafe

(A/N: You can find appearances in the chapter comments.)

Failure.

An abstract yet grounded concept.

What even was failure in the first place?

Well... Exact definitions weren't quite important.

The point to be noted is that most things going awry was in some way, failure. If taken at face value, then even death was simply failure at staying alive. Darkness spreading was simply failure to sustain light. War was simply failure to ensure ever-lasting peace. Famine was just failure to meet demands. Pestilence was just failure to prevent the spread of a disease, or a failure at coming up with a way to cure it.

It was a broad term.

To not fear failure would be a foolish act.

One who did not fear it was a fool.

Even those not capable of complete thought feared failure.

After all, failure could completely ruin something.

Yes, people learn and overcome failure but that doesn't mean they stop fearing it. Failing once, overcoming it, was no doubt a great thing... But, such a person would also no doubt fear failing a second time. If they didn't, it meant they'd learnt next to nothing from the first time.

The point to be drawn here was that Failure was something nearly everything that lived feared.

The Devil born from it would then be old, far older than most other things and far more powerful. Whimsical, annoying, depressive, hateable, such traits were things to natural expect from such an existence.

Except,

"Would you believe it? I was human once."

In a rather simple cafe with large windows to one side, tables lined up against them, a carpet covered floor and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, an unassuming young man that looked to be a college or university student sat at a table.

A cup of coffee lay just in front, a slice of somewhat eaten chocolate cake lay on a plate just to the cup's side. The young man himself was unassuming, averagely built if not slightly taller than the norm, though, his depressed gaze and unruly black hair did make him stand out to some extent.... That and swirling red eyes.

"How... is that even.... possible?"

A stout yet well built man stood across from him, cold sweat rolled down his forehead and his gaze wandered around the area. It was more than apparent that he was afraid and even if it wasn't, the fact that his shirt was drenched in sweat on a relatively cold day certainly did. The other people in the establishment looked at him with confused gazes from time to time, unable to understand his actions.

"How would I know? I mean, I barely even remember. One day I was one thing, the next another. It was like.... poof! And I'm a Devil! You get me?" The Devil of Failure, unlike his appearance suggested, was rather energetic, waving around his hands in a bid to explain his point.

Though, the person he addressed seemed to be not buying it at all. It would go against logic and understanding after all, and this was a Devil. For all the man knew, he could be trying to deceive him.

"It was actually pretty tough starting out y'know? No one was there. Well, one cunt was but he attacked me." The Ancient Devil sighed, animatedly shaking his head, "So I was like, let's go back to the humans, I knew I could." He folded his arms, rubbing his chin sagely, as if he was talking about some greatly philosophical topic.

"...." The Devil Hunter looked at the being before him in a mixture of horror and confusion, he was going about his day a few moments ago and somehow, it had gotten him sitting across one of the most powerful entities to ever exist.... Even though he didn't know just which, though, what it said just now would suggest he'd been underestimating it.

"I bet you're curious about what I did. I busted out, broke outta hell! But man, all I came to were some weird dinosaur looking things so I just went back. Least I'd have someone to talk to there..." Failure once more appeared depressed near the end, he'd tried to make conversation with a lot of Devils back then.... They just attacked on sight....

....So he just started shuffling around Hell alone.

"So anyway, back to our talk. After that I kinda just walked around for no idea how long till yesterday. Yeah... Attempts on civilised conversation all ended with them hitting me. Then yesterday, I took over this youngster's body. Well he offed himself already so yeah. No harm done." Failure oozed a depressed aura, it wasn't like they could really hurt him though so all they got in return were flicks.... Well said flicks had them land in the opposite part of hell but that didn't matter.

"....Why... converse?"

"Well what's your name?"

"Just....Yu."

By the growing difficulty in his voice and the lagging responses, it was more than obvious that the Devil Hunter was developing serious problems just from his presence.

"Well Yu, I'm actually really suppressing my already nerfed presence.... Are you weak as hell?" Failure leaned forward, tilting his head in mild curiosity, it had really really been a long time since he talked to someone properly... He couldn't even exactly remember what he was supposed to be like... but, that came with age, or so he supposed.

"For me... Hm, let's go with something symbolic. Call me Six." The Failure of Devil, or Six as he'd just named himself nodded with a pleased smile. Most things became inconsequential with the passage of time anyway so it wasn't important what he called himself. Everything was pretty much meaningless in the end, a life as long as his really drove that fact home.

"Right.... Six, can I know..... y-your purpose in coming here?"

Ah, there was the stutter. Failure, or Six, sighed again, once more depressed with another failed attempt. Long lives making a person wise were bullshit, it just made them more whimsical because their actions would have no real consequences.

"Just wanted to mess around...." Six muttered under his breath before once more turning to his companion with a wide smile on his face, "I came here to lounge about and have some fun."

Though admittedly, the Devil's sense and meaning of fun greatly differed from the traditional meaning. It probably meant a whole lot of suffering for some unlucky person.

At the same time, 'Six' failed to understand.... or 'accept' that his demeanour and way of talking would be offsetting to many a person.

"Right, you can leave now." He shooed away the Devil Hunter with a hand, "If you tell someone, this city disappears." He waved him goodbye with a cheerful smile, his head resting in the other free hand.

"Oh and, here's our contract. Kill one person and I won't kill you since you're actually something of a boor... Though, innocence and all that. So you can just kill some criminal... Traditions, do understand." Six smiled with closed eyes, a harmless and unassuming smile that sharply contrasted with his words. He had just told a man he'd kill him if no sacrifice was made.

Yu tried to leave as soon as possible, he was just a private Devil Hunter! Who would he even tell? Something like this.... It would definitely do what it said it would. The creature was ancient, powerful, incomprehensible and capable of blending in too. It was disgusting and vile, it's aura putrid and ugly.

As was expected of Devils,... but, Yu was no fool. He knew he wouldn't be able to do shit alone and so he ran... only to epically stumble and fall on the carpeted ground facefirst.

"You 'failed' to walk straight I see. Want me to help you home?" The Devil still chiding him didn't help much.

"Excuse me! More of this please." Seeing 'it' brightly order for more made his stomach churn in fear and disgust.

Though..... Failure's gaze was no longer on him, it had wandered to a short statured girl that looked like she was scared of her own shadow. Four moles, two under her left eye, one on the lower right side of her mouth and one on her left cheek, she had short black hair tied in a ponytail.

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