"Wake up, honey."
Blinding daylight stabbed my eyes as Mom yanked the curtains open.
"Time for school. Breakfast's on the table—eat before it gets cold."
She left, and I got moving… but something felt off.
"Where are those hellspawns?"
Downstairs, I found them sprawled on the sofa. Beelzebub clung to a pouting Asmodeus.
"Hey, hellspawns."
"Yuriko!" Beel launched into a hug. "Asmo's mad!"
"What happened?"
"This perv tried getting into your room last night," Levi said. "But he failed 'cause you were holding something sacred."
"I'm sorry- what?"
Asmodeus crossed his arms. "It's normal for a demon like me!"
"Then how come your brothers didn't try that?"
"I didn't choose to be Lust's avatar!"
"So you did try."
"I—"
"Maybe I should lock sacred objects in the bathroom too. I gotta go to school," I said, rushing to get ready. When I came down, Mammon handed me my bag.
"I packed your stuff."
"Aw, thanks." I nudged him playfully.
Outside, I froze at the sight of an expensive, metallic race car. Levi was in the front seat, his brothers packed in the back like chaotic sardines.
"WHAT IS THIS?! Where did this come from?!"
"It's Leviathan's," Mammon said. "We're escorting you. Gotta make sure your soul stays intact."
"I'm walking—no way am I pulling up in that! Do people even see it? Will they see you?!"
"You're overthinking," Mammon said. "Levi just wants to show off. He feeds on envy."
"No. Just let it pass by the school if he's so desperate."
"You'll break Leviathan's heart…"
Ugh. I was late.
"Fine. Open the door, Levi."
With a hiss, the door opened smoothly. Fancy. I stepped in.
Then the car blasted off.
"LEVIATHAN, SLOW DOWN!"
"Wheeee~" - Beelzebub
"Faster! Mortals drive like limp noodles!" - Luciferre
"MY GOD—"
"Oops. Left Mammon." - Levi
"I'm on the roof!" - Mammon
"So cozy~" - Belphegor
"WE'RE GONNA DIE."
"Is this the best you can do?" - Satania
We screeched to a stop in front of school. I stumbled out, dizzy.
"This will be your ride from now—"
"NEVER. AGAIN."
I stormed off.
"Sinner," Levi called out.
I turned, annoyed. "What?"
He smiled—honest, not smug. "Be safe. Have fun."
I… didn't expect that.
I walked into school. Then—
"Yuriko?"
A familiar voice. I looked—and spotted Saku, arm in a sling.
"Saku!" I ran over and smacked his good arm. "You're alive!"
"Stitched like a hamburger. But yeah."
"I was your hero, you know."
"Yeah, yeah…"
One: he survived the attack.
Two: he survived Satania.
We walked together. His friends greeted him, and he responded nonchalantly.
"Yuriko," he said, "I never apologized for being a jerk, did I?"
"Nope."
"I'm sorry."
I smirked. "People always apologize after realizing they were jerks to the person who saved them."
"I'm genuinely sorry!"
"Not forgiven."
"Yuriko~"
Then came another familiar voice. "Yuriko!"
Sasha. My childhood bestie, soul-sister, and certified talkaholic.
"Where have you been? On vacation?!"
"No, Sasha."
"You saw the sky last week?! Sooo gorgeous!"
"Yeah, but—"
"You know what's more gorgeous? Mikhail SHINSOU. OH MY GOD. I'm in his Home Ec group! HE BAKES CAKES!"
"Sasha, can I speak?"
"Oh, whoops! Your turn."
"Let me copy your notes."
"Hmph. Your fault for being absent."
"Pretty please? Without me, you'd be in a different group, remember?"
"Ugh, fine!"
We laughed and headed to class.
It's been a week and a half since I returned. Life's been weird—well, weirder—but school felt… normal.
"Sasha, not now."
A ponytailed girl with a flower clip strolled beside me. "Why not? You haven't answered my calls."
"You called?"
"We had a sleepover planned, remember?"
"Mom's still paranoid. She only allows me to go to school."
"Ugh. But the skies were red like fire—it was like a movie scene!"
We entered the classroom and chatted our way to dismissal.
"He's sooo much hotter than Hisaki."
"Hisaki's not bad," I muttered.
"Seriously?! Mikhail is a whole different league! He even dodges girls at lunch!"
"You carved his name into your eraser, didn't you?"
"...He doesn't know yet."
"Hope he finds out."
I unlocked the door to my house. Sasha followed.
"…Whoa," she whispered.
The seven hellspawns sat in the living room, stunned.
I looked at them. Then at Sasha. Then back at them.
No way.
Mammon mouthed, "We didn't expect guests."
"What do you mean?!" I mouthed back.
"We're not invisible right now."
Sasha stared at them. "I didn't know your cousins came over from a cosplay event."
"Y-Yeah," I nodded. "Surprise visit."
"All seven?"
"Yep."
"Cool… NICE COSTUMES. Where'd you get them?"
She touched Belphegor's sleeve. "WOW. THIS IS SHINY."
He blinked, unsure what to do.
"Sasha, let's—"
"We're demons," Satania said.
Everyone froze.
"Nice joke, Sherlock," Sasha laughed nervously.
"I am not joking," Satania said seriously.
Then, Asmodeus flaunted his horns. The others followed, each showing signs no human could fake.
Sasha backed up. "What the hell did you summon, Yuriko?!"
"I don't even know where they came from—"
"Are you in a cult?! Stuff's floating!"
"Calm down, Sasha!"
It took effort, but she did. Eventually.
"JUST WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?!"
"I woke up and—bam—they were there."
"No way. This isn't real."
"It is."
"Those aren't cosplay eyes. Those are real." She shuddered.
"So you believe me?"
"Are they really from… like, hell?"
"They said so."
She glanced at them, then stood up straighter.
"Hey there, horned beasts."
"We prefer 'demons,'" Mammon said.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Demons, not aliens," Belphegor corrected.
"You're so annoying," Luciferre muttered.
Sasha squared up with him. "You could hurt her!"
He scoffed. "We're demons. Not humans."
"Exactly!"
"Humans betray each other with lies and hate. You judge your own kind. You spit on the weak. You hurt your own. You're disgusting."
Sasha blinked, taken aback.
"And you dare judge us based on fables? Yes, we're cruel—but only because of what you mortals deserve. We are your punishment."
She stepped back, then pointed at me. "So… if she's with you, she's in danger."
Luciferre smirked at me. "She's the worst sinner of them all. If she suffers, it's what she earned."
I sighed. "Is everybody done?"
Sasha observes them all. "I'm not done with all of you yet-"
She then took her leave.
Chaos.