Time For An Explanation

I open my eyes and see I'm back in the joint guild halls meeting room. I see a masked man with a painted Lion mask and another with a Fox. Across from me is Kallen, Kagiyama, Sugano, Liz and Hino. They're all looking at me shocked and it takes me moment to realize my new wings and horns are out. I quickly hide them like I do my claws and boots.

"Too late for that. You got caught with your fly down." The masked Lion says. His voice sounds familiar but before I can figure it out someone opens the doors behind me. I hear footsteps and see Myla run up to sit next to Hino.

"What did I miss?" She asks seeing everyone's shocked expression.

"Not much." I say sarcastically and she turns to me.

"Eric! You're okay!" She says happily.

"Yeah, but not for long." The masked Lion says again. "So Eric, what were you thinking? Breaking that seal before you were ready? Then becoming... THIS!" He says angrily and gestures to me.

"I had a good reason." I say defiantly. He punches me in the shoulder and I get knocked out of my chair.

-107 Dmg

"Larion!" The Fox says standing up. The masked Lion I now recognize as my gramps, picks me up and hugs me.

"So Eric, what do you have to say for yourself?" Larion asks after letting me go.

"Well Myla, turns out men can be complicated too." I say and I feel my gramps get confused. It takes Myla a moment to remember but when she does she starts laughing.

"I feel like I'm missing something." My gramps says confused.

"Oh you definitely are gramps. This is pay back for the punch." I say with a grin. "And for your information, Zeferon was calling me. That's why I've been their twice before..." Before I can continue Kallen interrupts me.

"ZEFERON!" He shouts, panicked and connecting the seals and my wings together. I turn to my gramps confused and look at him.

"I thought you'd have told them. Why didn't you?" I ask.

"Well, I did but not about what the seals contained."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust them!"

"Eric! Did you break one of your seals?" Myla asks me excitedly.

"How do you know about that?" Her father asks making Myla look at him nervously.

"Um... Magic?" She answers, obviously lying.

"She knows?" My gramps asks me.

"Yes, I told her." I say with a sigh before continuing. "But I made her promise me to not tell anyone else."

"Why did you tell her?" My gramps asks suspiciously, already suspecting the answer.

"Eric, I think we need to tell them. All of it." Myla says, and it takes me a moment to figure out what she means.

"No. No, no, no. Why would we do that?"

"Well, we need to tell them about... me to explain it. We might as well go all in." She smiles saying this and I sigh.

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"Don't you love me!" She asks faking a sad voice. I hear her father start **** on his saliva hearing this and putting it together.

"You just had to play that card." I say and she giggles mischievously.

"Well, don't you?" She asks taunting. Before anyone can say anything else Liz decides to say something.

"I know this isn't the best time but Eric's mana circuits have changed. They have the same mark that all Devils get." I look at her and she shrugs.

"Thanks Elizabeth, great timing." I say sarcastically.

"Oh someone didn't learn their lesson the first time."

"I guess not." I say before my gramps claps. With his strength his clap is loud enough to be heard from outside the room.

"Eric!" He starts calmly. "What were you saying about your reasons?"

"Okay, well Zeferon was calling me because he wanted to take my body. I don't know how but Bergeth stopped him from doing it again but he couldn't do it forever. So Gaia and Bergeth wanted me to fight him and I did. Then I became the new Flame Devil." I say nonchalantly, knowing the reaction they'll have. As expected they freak out.

"What do you mean, you became the new Devil?" Sugano asks and most of the others nod, agreeing with her question. I think about it and don't think of a way to answer so I bring out my wings and horns again.

"Um, I mean this." I say looking at my flaming wings. Silence falls on the room. "I should've answered differently." I say before getting smacked on the head.

-19 Dmg

"Why are you so nonchalant about this!" The Fox says and I realize who she is.

"Claire!?" She nods and motions for me to continue.

"Well, I had my reasons and I stand by them."

"That's it? What were the reasons?"

"That's private."

"Speaking of." Kallen starts before turning to his daughter. "What did you want to tell us earlier?"

"Oh, um..." Myla trails off while looking at me. I sigh and nod, letting her know it's fine to continue. "Me, Asami and Luna are dating Eric. That's why he told me."

"Jeez, no sugar coating?" I say sarcastically. Kallens face is distorted from the shock. I hear my gramps chuckle and immediately get smacked by Claire.

"Eric." Kallen says calmly and in a odd tone. "Is this true?" I nod hesitantly and he turns to Myla. "We're going to have a talk later."

"Great." She says roiling her eyes.

"So, Eric." Kagiyama starts looking at me. "Why are the Devils after you?"

"You didn't tell them anything did you?" I say looking at my gramps. "Anyway they need my power and mana circuits to break the seal Gaia and my parents place on their God."

"You're really just laying it all out." My gramps says shocked.

"Yep, I'm taking Mylas advice and going all in.

"Yeah you definitely are." Claire says sounding shocked.