On his throne, Zarathor sat like a storm incarnate.
His eyes burned with fury, and with a thunderous roar, he slammed his fist onto the ornate table, causing the courtiers to jump and clutch their robes nervously.
Sparks seemed to dance in his gaze as he glared down at Kai, who stood before him, breathing heavily.
His hands were clasped behind his head, and his purple bangs hung over his face, obscuring his expression.
"How can you lose again you lazy sack?" Zarathor's voice was low, cold, like a blade sliding into ice.
"I gave you mortals to kill, to wipe off the face of this world. And what did you do? You danced and joked with them." His eyes bore into Kai with disappointment, like a parent scolding a child who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Kai tried to hide his smile, but it was a losing battle. "Sorry, Father, but I can't kill anyone—even a fly," he muttered, trying to sound sincere but failing to suppress a mischievous grin.
Zarathor's eyes narrowed.
"You're laughing?" he asked, voice dripping with menace, then smirked.
"Don't worry—you will suffer the consequences of your laughter..." His tone turned icy as he turned his gaze to Leo, who was nearby, poking his nose with an utterly disgusting expression.
The demon lord looked at Leo, then back at Kai, his voice sharp as a dagger. "You both will suffer."
Leo choked—literally—on thin air, turning a shade of purple as he clutched his throat.
"What? What did I do?" he gasped, stumbling closer to Kai.
"You were supposed to train me! Instead, what? You're out chasing girl wolves and cat girls up and down the forest!"
Zarathor's gaze flicked to Leo, piercing enough to silence even the loudest of protests.
"What is this nonsense? Your job was to train him, not to follow every feline and furry around like a lost puppy."
Leo looked confused, then annoyed, but wisely shut his mouth as Zarathor's stare hardened.
Kai, now lifting his chin defiantly, smirked. "What's the punishment, Father? Do I get to be turned into a frog—again?"
Zarathor's lips curled into a cold smile.
"No. You both will be sent down to the human world. And every week, I will send you evil demons—creatures that can kill for fun—to fight and prove your worth. Remember—we are demons, not angels. We thrive in chaos, not mercy." His voice was quiet but filled with deadly intent.
"If I were you, I'd let all the humans die. It's easier that way. I mean it's fun to watch"
Kai's eyes gleamed with a mixture of defiance and amusement. "So, what you're saying is... we get to play with demons and kill humans? Yeah I am not doing that."
Leo, finally catching his breath, grinned nervously. "Uh, yeah. Sounds... fun? Right? we are not heartless like you father" His tail flicked nervously, betraying his uncertainty.
Zarathone's expression hardened.
"Remember—this is your punishment. Fail, and you will not see the light of this world again." He paused, then added softly but with a deadly tone,
"And if I hear that either of you hesitates or refuses, I will personally make sure the demons you face are very eager to kill you both."
Kai chuckled softly, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Well, Father, I guess we're going to have a hell of a time."
Zarathor's smirk deepened. "Indeed. Now go—your new lives begin at dawn. And try not to get yourselves killed before then."
As Kai and Leo were dismissed, Leo muttered under his breath, "Well, at least we're not being turned into frogs... yet."
Kai grinned. "That's a relief. I was starting to think I'd have to start practicing my croaking."
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Kai flopped onto his bed with a theatrical sigh, stretching his arms wide as if he'd just escaped a great trap. He looked up at the ceiling, eyes sparkling with exaggerated relief.
"I'm finally leaving this cruel world... I am so happy," he whispered dramatically, a grin creeping onto his face. Then, with sudden enthusiasm, he bolted upright and shouted, "This will be the greatest—"
Before he could finish, Leo barged into the room, looking both worried and amused. His arms were crossed, and his expression was serious—an unusual sight for Leo, who usually wore that playful smirk.
"Hey, Leo… thank me for, of course, freeing you," Kai said proudly, holding his ear like a medal of honor. "You're welcome, brother."
Leo tilted his head, unimpressed. "Yeah, sure. Thanks for nothing. But… what about me?" he asked, voice heavy with concern. "I've got an ear and a tail. What should I do?"
Kai lazily nodded, a mischievous smirk spreading across his face.
"Come on, Leo. You're talking like it's the end of the world. You can wear a hat or—" he waved his hand dismissively "—I'll use my powers to make that tail disappear… temporarily, of course."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Temporary? No way Even hearing you say that gives me a hear attack"
Kai chuckled.
"Relax, brother. We'll find a way. Besides, it's not like we're going to be hiding forever." He sat up and looked around thoughtfully.
Leo groaned loudly. "Yeah, right. Just what I wanted. No more demon chaos, just… human chaos. Sounds perfect."
Kai groaned and flopped face down onto his bed again, voice muffled.
"Oh, Leo… we're demons. We'll make it work. I've got some money—well, I stole it last year when I… uh… forgot about it," he added sheepishly, scratching his head.
Leo looked at him skeptically.
"You stole money last year? And you forgot about it? That's your solution to everything?"
Kai shrugged with a grin.
"Hey, it's all part of the plan. We buy a house, stock up on food, and then… chaos! Or whatever demons do in the human world. Honestly, I don't care. As long as I get a break from this demon nonsense." Kai said with a deep lazy voice.
Leo's face softened slightly, a small smile forming.
"Alright, then. We'll figure it out. But, uh… don't forget—we'll need to hide that tail. And your magic tricks. Last thing we need is Zarathor finding out we're causing trouble."
Kai nodded, already thinking ahead. "Got it. No tails, no magic—just good old-fashioned demon wit. We'll be fine. Probably."
Leo hesitated for a moment, then turned to leave. "Alright, I gotta go. Celine's waiting for me—I promised I'd help her with something. You sure you don't want to come?"
Kai waved dismissively as he rolled onto his side.
"Nah, I think I'll stay here and dream about all the chaos I'll cause in the human world. Besides, I have a feeling Zarathor's gonna give us a lot of 'fun' over the next few weeks."
Leo shook his head with a smirk. "Yeah, fun. Sure. Have fun… not dying."
As Leo left, Kai looked up at the ceiling, a mix of excitement and mischief in his eyes. "Yesterday was Aurora. Today is Celine. Tomorrow… who knows? But one thing's for sure—things are only getting crazier."