It was Christmas Eve in Japan. Snow was falling in droves, and made travel rather dangerous, but when you have magic, you needn't worry. As such, when a large Gate opened on the front lawn of the Villa Rosa, and several people stepped out of it, Emi clapped her hands excitedly.

"They're here!" she said happily.

Maou, whom had been hard at work all day preparing enough food for the party, smiled as Emi waited at the door. Somehow, just seeing her so cheerful made all the hard work he'd put into the food worth it. The sound of heavy travelling boots pounding up the stairway was heard, and hushed voices whispered from behind the door before someone knocked.

Without waiting, Emi threw open the door to reveal Ashiya, Urushihara, Suzuno, Chiho, Rika, Emerada, Alberto, and Nord. They were all dressed in fine clothes, as was fitting their stations in Ente Isla, along with long matching cloaks for warmth.

"Hi, guys," Emi chirped, "come on in!"

"My lord," Ashiya said, nodding stiffly to Maou.

"Come on, man, you're King, now! Buck up!" Maou said, wrapping his former subordinate in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground.

"I know that… I just wanted to say it again," Ashiya laughed, embracing Maou in return.

Rika, Chiho, and Emi and a great group hug. Urushihara held out a fist so that Maou might bump it, but the former Demon King slapped it aside and wrapped him in a hug just as fierce as the one he gave Ashiya. Suzuno gave Emi a light peck on the cheek and asked about her health before going to help Maou with the food. Nord was last, and he was dressed splendidly in long black robes that made him look scholarly.

After he had finished grieving his wife, Nord had drafted by Chiho to help draw up maps of the lands as they once were, so that war torn regions of the world could be reclaimed, and debts could be repaid by the lords of those lands, whom had failed in defending their people. Nord had also begun dabbling in chemisty, and worked closely with Emerada to further scientific advancements in Ente Isla. Compared to the last time Emi had seen him, he looked positively delighted.

"Emi," he said, opening his arms as the woman quickly embraced her father.

"Oof! Easy, darling, I'm not quite as spry as I once was. War does a number on an old man's tired bones," Nord laughed as his daughter beamed at him.

After greetings had been had all around (Suzuno and Emerada positively screamed to be put down when Maou wrapped them in his patented bear hug) everyone gathered at the tree in the corner to tuck presents away underneath them. Emi and the woman went to what was once Suzuno's apartment, but was now Maou and Emi's dining and living room. Even after renting the second room, and ending up with almost as much living space as Emi's old apartment, they were saving almost ten thousand yen.

Maou explained the deal he'd made with the landlady in earnest, and how she had even agreed to install a full bathroom in one of the upstairs rooms in exchange for another security deposit.

"You are certainly moving up in the world," Ashiya smiled.

It may have seemed a strange thing to be proud of, seeing as all of the other men in the room dealt with Emperors and Kings and politics in grand castles, but Maou was extremely proud of himself. Not only had he been a King in his old life, but he was doing quite well in his current one, too.

"Yeah, I guess I've been doing really good at work, now that we're not fighting for our lives on a regular basis. I've been promoted again. I'm co-managing with Kisaki. She's going to school so that she can crunch numbers for corporate, and once she's gone I'll be a manager in full!"

They went around the room, discussing their achievements as Maou spoke to them and put the finishing touches on the feast he'd spent all day preparing. Ashiya and Urushihara had very little opposition from the demons under their banner, and power had been seamlessly consolidated after the United Demons Militia had been formally disbanded. Camio worked hard to make sure that peace was kept, as did Rika and Chiho.

"How have they been?" Maou asked quietly, stirring a boiling pot on the range.

"Well, they're…" Urushihara broke off.

Even after three months, it seemed there was still some animosity surrounding Rika and Chiho. Their appointment at the hands of the Tree of Life as the guardians of magic had changed them, making them a little less human in several ways.

"They're fine," Ashiya sighed, rolling his eyes at Urushihara.

"Yeah, but dude, they just… I mean- they're so…." Urushihara tried and failed to make his point. At one time, Maou might've rolled his eyes and told him to shut up, but instead, he laughed. It was good to see his friends after so long.

The door burst open, and Emi came in, grinning ear to ear. Held in her arms, waving her pudgy fists and yelling "Papa!" was none other than-

"Alas-Ramus!" Maou cried, putting down the large stirring spoon and taking off his apron so that he might hold the wriggling bundle of joy. Emi handed the girl to Maou, who hugged her tightly and sprinkled her with little kisses.

"I missed you so much, Alas! How have you been?! How are you here?"

Maou turned to find Rika and Chiho in the doorway. The two of them were grinning just as broadly as Emi, their cheeks touched with color as they bowed to Maou.

"We've been conversing with the Tree of Life," Chiho said quietly, "and Alas-Ramus really missed you…"

Chiho looked sad for a moment. Rika's face darkened as well. Maou frowned at them, and then at Emi, who turned away sadly.

"Hold on, what are you guys not telling me?" Maou asked, turning to look Alas-Ramus up and down for signs of injury.

"Wha- where's… Alas-Ramus, what happened to your hair?"

The little girl usually had a large violet streak in her hair, but now it was gone. Her eyes, too, were no longer violet. They were just as silvery as the girl's locks.

"Wanted to be wiff papa and mama," Alas-Ramus said quietly, unshed tears in her eyes as she looked at Maou.

"She's no longer technically a fragment of Yesod," Emi explained, "she gave it up… and asked to be separated from the Tree of Life. She's a human, now."

"Papa, can I live wiff you and mama? Pwease?"

Maou looked at Emi, who was watching him closely as she gently massaged her baby bump, which was now more pronounced. Maou was making better money now, and his expenses were limited now that his loan had been repaid, but was he ready for another child?

"Of course, sweetie," Maou laughed, "you pretty much have to, now! It'll be me and you and mama, and soon you'll have a sibling, too!"

"Uh, what now?" Nord asked.

Emi turned as white as a ghost. Through Chiho, Emi had had the news of her pregnancy spread to everyone… but that was before Nord had decided to join them in the Saint Aire capital… back when he was still grieving his wife.

"Uh… dad… can I talk to you in the other room for a minute," Emi asked, still holding her stomach.

Nord looked at Emi, then at Maou, his eyes wide. After a moment, he laughed, and before Emi and Maou could stop him, he had them both in a hug.

"It seems I owe your mother twenty gold pieces, bless her soul," Nord laughed, "she called this from a mile away!"

That Christmas, it felt as though everything had gone back to normal. Everyone sat together around the table, eating, drinking and laughing loudly. Even Rika and Chiho, who were normally quite reserved, managed to let loose to a certain extent.

But even more exciting news was yet to come, in the form of an announcement from Suzuno, who stood up, wrapping her cup with a fork to garner everyone's attention.

"Hello, friends," she said, sweating quite profusely as everyone stared at her. Lucifer looked at her and turned pale. For a moment, his eyes flicked towards the closet, as though he were tempted to dive into it.

"I have a very important announcement to make… later this year, Urushihara and I are to be wed in holy matrimony!"

Everyone was floored. Suzuno shook a hand free of the constraints of her robe and showed them all the amazing ring Lucifer had given her, which was topped with a diamond so large it made Emi elbow Maou in the ribs and point to it like, 'Why can't I have one of those?'

"We're so happy for you!" Chiho and Rika said in unison, clapping as Urushihara slumped down in his chair.

"Of course, you are all invited," Suzuno was saying.

"So, Urushihara, when are you gonna make me an Uncle? Huh? Huuuuh?" Maou asked, jabbing at the Demon General with a forkful of mashed potatoes.

"In about seven months," Urushihara smirked.

Maou's jaw hit the table as he spluttered, "But-wha- you're having a baby?!"

"We are, too!" Emerada said, raising her hand and jumping up and down in her seat, "Alberto and I are having a baby as well!"

"Looks like we started a chain reaction," Ashiya muttered in a sidebar with Rika, "at this rate, every woman in the world will be pregnant within the year."

Rika giggled and kissed Ashiya on the cheek.

Dinner slowly dwindled away, and the party wound down. People lounged around tiredly, setting up sleeping bags and changing into pajamas. As couples drifted off to sleep, Maou and Emi curled up together in a sleeping bag, but this time they had Alas-Ramus with then, as well.

"Night, mama, night papa," Alas-Ramus said quietly.

"Goodnight, darling," Emi muttered, pecking the girl on the cheek.

"So what do you think," Maou whispered in his wife's ear, "pretty good Christmas, right?"

"Yeah, it was nice," Emi yawned. "So nice to see everyone again…"

And just like that, Alas-Ramus and Emi were asleep.

And that is also where our story ends, with a slumbering Hero, and a Demon King snuggling his family. There is plenty more to tell of their friends, of the places they would venture, the things they would change, the sights they would see, and of the progeny they raised. But those are other stories. This one ended when the Devil and the Hero set aside their differences, and learned to forgive and forget.

The End.