“And both a parasitic and poisonous one from the human world at that,” Satan added.  “I’m surprised we don’t have any growing naturally in the Devildom.”

“What?!  Isn’t it dangerous to have it here then?!”

“Not to worry, Luke,” Solomon assured the angel.  “It’s only a parasite to trees and other plants, and it can only hurt someone if they ingest it.  Aside from that, it’s a nice decoration, especially during this time of year.”

“Ah, I remember seeing pictures of it before,” Simeon remarked.  “Even though it can grow in cooler weather, it still has vibrant green leaves and white berries.”

“Berries?” Beelzebub questioned, his mouth already watering.

“Beel, you did hear the part about it hurting you if you eat it, right?” Belphegor reminded his twin, suppressing a yawn while leaning onto him for support.

“I’ve got a strong stomach.  I can handle it.  So, where is it?”

“I hid it, big guy,” Little D. No. 2 told him.  “You gotta find it yourself!”

“What fun!” Diavolo exclaimed with a wide grin.  “It’s like a treasure hunt!”

“Hehehe, it’s a little more than that, Your Majesty!”

“Hm?  What do you mean?”

“There’s a tradition in the human world revolving around mistletoe, My Lord,” Barbatos explained.  “If you intend to find it, you’ll want to be with someone very special to you when you do.”

“That’s right!” Asmodeus chimed in cheerfully.  “Solomon taught me all about it last time he summoned me during the holidays, so I got to experience this fantastic tradition first-hand.”

“Yes, and so did everyone you came across at the party that day,” the sorcerer commented, recalling the event in his mind.

“Oh, so something exciting happens when you find a mistletoe with someone special?” Diavolo inquired.  “In that case, Lucifer, you should join Barbatos and me in searching for it.”

Lucifer shook his head, already appearing exhausted from the whole situation.  “I’ll pass.  I want nothing to do with this nonsense.”

The eldest brother’s demeanor gave Mammon an idea.  “You’re right, Lucifer!  This is all just nonsense!  Tell ya what,—”  He secured the demon familiar under his arm.  “—I’ll have this troublemaker tell me where the mistletoe is, and I’ll get rid of it right away.  Consider it an extra gift from the Great Mammon!”

Mammon glanced over at the human who’d been silently observing the conversation this whole time.  “Hey, MC, instead of starin’ off into space, ya oughta come help me out.  B-But only because this pipsqueak is more likely to tell you where the mistletoe is than if I asked him.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Leviathan spoke up, “I see what you’re doing here, Mammon.  You’re planning to get MC under the mistletoe with you alone!  That’s not fair!”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about!  Ya really think I wanna bring MC along with me just to follow some human tradition about k-kissin’ under the mistletoe?”

“Kissing?!” Diavolo and Luke shouted in unison, completely taken aback.  Their matching bewildered expressions made Barbatos quietly chuckle.

“Obviously you do, Mammon,” Satan remarked.  “You couldn’t be more obvious if you tried.”

“Yeah, and there’s no way we’re letting you get away with being under the mistletoe with MC!” Asmodeus declared.  “Besides, I’m sure they’d much rather find the mistletoe with me, wouldn’t you, MC?”

“What?!  No way!” Mammon argued, too distracted to notice Little D. No. 2 slipping out of his hold.  “They’re coming with me!”

“You’re all so noisy,” Belphegor noted.  “I’m sure MC would much rather go with someone calmer, like me.”

“MC, my nose is really good, so I can sniff out the mistletoe’s berries quickly,” Beelzebub explained.  “You want to try them, too, right?”

“You might be okay, Beel, but those berries are definitely poisonous to humans,” Satan pointed out.  “MC, why don’t you stick with me instead?”

“H-Hey, don’t leave me out of this!” Leviathan butted in.  “I mean, then again, maybe you wouldn’t want to be under the mistletoe with a yucky shut-in otaku like me, MC, but...please choose me anyway!”

“Why am I not surprised it’s turned out this way?” Lucifer muttered with a sigh.

“Perhaps because Mammon and the others always tend to act like this whenever MC is involved?” Simeon answered with a gentle laugh.

Everyone had certainly become rowdy, most of them bickering amongst themselves about who would end up under the mistletoe with MC.  As for the human in question?  They continued watching from the sidelines, unsure of how to remedy the situation.

“Hoo boy, it sure gets crazy with those guys, huh?” Little D. No. 2 said, floating over to MC’s side.  The human shot them an annoyed glance.  “H-Hey, don’t look at me like that!  I just wanted to add a little extra excitement to the day, that’s all.  And I thought I’d help you find an excuse to have a special moment with your special someone...”

The demon familiar snickered at MC’s shocked expression.  “What, you think I haven’t figured it out by now?  You should be thanking me for such a thoughtful Christmas gift!”  He glanced at the commotion nearby.  “Though, I guess it’s gotten a bit out of control, huh?  Ah, well, this is practically normal for these guys at this point.  More importantly...”

They moved in closer to the human to whisper, “I wanna know if my hunch was right:  Who do you want to be under the mistletoe with, MC?”

MC mulled over the question while gazing at the chaotic group in front of them.  They had someone in mind, but...where was he?  He was with everyone a few moments ago, but now he was nowhere in sight.  Suddenly, someone grabbed their hand and pulled them out of the room, leaving the startled demon familiar and the preoccupied group of boys behind.  This warmth...  They’d recognize it anywhere.

Who is it, MC?