Two days later...
At the entrance of the shop, the ever-wretched Mephisto reappeared, grinning like he'd just pulled the biggest prank of the century.
Trailing behind him were two little girls who looked no older than five, one with golden curls, the other with shimmering silver hair.
Despite their youth, their features were unnervingly flawless… smooth porcelain skin, enchanting eyes, and an otherworldly charm that felt just a little too perfect.
Mephisto gave Garfield a look… the one that screamed 'you old dog, I know exactly what you're about.' Then he turned and vanished without another word.
Inside, Queenie's eyes narrowed dangerously. Without hesitation, she marched over and twisted Garfield's ear.
"Ow ow ow, QUEENIE! What was that for?!"
"You pervert! I can't believe you! I knew you were shameless, but this?" Queenie hissed, cheeks red with fury.
Baima stood to the side, arms crossed and an expression of pure betrayal on her face.
"I trusted you…" She whispered, as though Garfield had committed a cardinal sin.
Garfield sighed dramatically. "Women... always jumping to conclusions."
Yes, the two succubi were stunning, frighteningly so. Their youthful appearance hid the glint of ancient seduction in their every blink.
They clung to each other, trembling like frightened lambs, their charm so potent it bordered on weaponized cuteness.
But Queenie was the first to see through it.
As a telepath, she sensed the cruelty, the cunning, and the pure demonic malice behind those innocent-looking faces.
"They're not human." Queenie drew her wand and pointed it directly at them.
Baima reacted instantly, summoning a shimmering magic shield around them and stepping into a defensive stance.
The two succubi cowered, clutching each other with wide, teary eyes.
Garfield lashed his tail and knocked Queenie gently aside. "Alright, alright, calm down."
"You're not wrong, they're succubi, yes. But they're not here for what you think."
With a wave of his paw, Garfield opened his dimensional space and brought the two girls inside.
Once inside, a shadow flickered within his soul, and out stepped Pandora, manifesting beside him like a ghost from the abyss, pointer in hand and mischief in her smile.
She circled the trembling succubi like a schoolteacher inspecting misbehaving students.
Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Hmph. Mephisto may be scum, but he does have a good eye. These two... are talented."
Pandora said, nodding in approval. "You did well, cat."
Garfield rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything. You were the one who asked for them. I only played the part."
Pandora smirked. "If you didn't have such a sleazy look about you, Mephisto wouldn't have taken the bait."
"He thought you were one of his kind… perverted and shady. That's why he gave in so easily and even brought top-tier material."
"Look at them! Beautiful and untouched."
"I'm honestly tempted to slap them myself, just for being this adorable."
"…Huh….!"
"Wait… are you jealous?" Garfield teased.
Pandora twirled her pointer and ignored the jab. She turned to the succubi. Her voice dropped an octave.
"State your names to this monarch."
The two succubi flinched. This... was worse than Mephisto.
They could sense this woman was above them in every conceivable way.
A true predator. They clung to each other tighter, silent and shaking.
Pandora sighed. "Fine. The hard way, then."
She summoned a glowing black whip from the void.
Instantly, the girls cried out.
"M-my name is Lilith Drustvar!"
"A-and I'm Vivienne Drustvar!"
Typical demon names… dramatic and impossible to remember without a blood pact. Garfield groaned internally.
Just call them Lili and Vivi or something...
Pandora looked equally exasperated, then pulled out a sleek black contract scroll from her pocket.
"Sign your names. From this moment, you are mine… my familiars, bound by demon law. You evolve from toys to servants."
"A great honor, really."
The two sisters didn't hesitate.
Fearing Pandora might change her mind, they rushed to sign their names in infernal script and pricked their fingers to add a drop of devil's blood each.
The scroll pulsed with dark light.
SHOOM
The contract split into two tendrils of black energy, one entering each of the succubi, and the other embedding itself into Pandora's soul.
Garfield blinked as the spell activated, and instantly felt new information surge into his consciousness… identities, skills, magical affinities and most importantly, the authority to command them.
It seemed Garfield had somehow gained two new servants, succubi, no less, each possessing mysterious powers over life and death.
Too bad he didn't have the tools to commit any crimes.
"Life really doesn't go easy on me sometimes." Garfield muttered with a sigh.
Oh well… he'd just have to settle for hugs.
Garfield was then bored out of his mind. Across the way, Pandora had taken the two young succubi aside for 'lessons.'
He couldn't hear what she was teaching them, which, in a way, was probably for the best.
Pandora's lesson lasted the better part of the day.
When she finally brought the girls back, she gave Garfield a sharp glare. "You little perv. You're getting a good deal out of this… hmph."
Garfield blinked. Why is she staring at me like I'm the one who organized this?
I didn't do anything!
"Colorful little furball." Pandora snorted and flicked her pointer at him.
Then she vanished, re-entering Garfield's soul, leaving him alone with the two wide-eyed succubi.
Garfield exited the dimensional space, and with a shimmer, he, the girls, and the cat reappeared in the shop.
Queenie and Baima, who had been on edge, immediately relaxed when they saw them.
Queenie stepped forward, concern in her eyes. "Garfield, what exactly did you do in there?"
"Master Garfield, were you… alright?" Baima added with a serious look.
Would you believe me if I said I was just babysitting?
Garfield puffed out his chest. "Simple."
"I gave them contracts. They're officially my servants now."
He gestured proudly to the sisters.
"This one's Lilith Pando Godzilla Garfield… she's the blonde. And that one's Vivienne Pando Godzilla Garfield… the silver-haired one. My newest additions."
He turned to Queenie with a smug smile. "From now on, they'll handle the basics… serving tea, pouring drinks, opening doors, cleaning the shop."
"(⊙o⊙) Huh?!" Queenie's eyes popped wide.
"That was my job... what am I supposed to do now?" Baima's little voice piped up from behind a counter, clearly sulking.
"You're promoted. Chief Maid. Just take care of me directly." Garfield, without missing a beat.
"…And cooking?" Queenie asked, more hopeful than offended.
Garfield's ears twitched. Crap. I forgot she's obsessed with cooking.
"Cooking and bathing duties are still yours." He said quickly.
Queenie nodded with unusual seriousness. "Alright, that's fine."
Baima raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more.
Not wanting to hide anything, Garfield shrugged. "They were sent by Mephisto. If my master asks, just be honest."
"Mephisto?" Baima froze.
She knew that name, everyone in Kamar-Taj did. Mephisto: cunning, powerful, a prince of lies.
He wandered the Earth in search of strong, untainted souls, luring them into ruin.
The Ancient One herself had battled him on multiple occasions.
Eventually, under the watch of the cosmic laws, a contract had been drawn. Mephisto and his minions were barred from Earth, physically.
The souls they could claim had to be dark, corrupted, or willingly fallen.
But of course… demons were masters of fine print.
His body couldn't come. But avatars? That loophole had driven the Ancient One up the wall.
She'd been forced to watch him cheat the system without technically violating the contract.
Still, Mephisto wasn't here to conquer or destroy.
He was a collector, a connoisseur of souls, and Earth was just one of many markets in his little game.
After dropping off his 'gifts.' he vanished again, like a bored traveler moving on.
With Mephisto gone, Garfield returned to his usual routine: napping, snacking, and gradually transitioning into fattening mode.
That is… until a chubby, round-faced Scottish hen burst through the shop window, flapping its stubby wings in full panic.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
PhantomDream
