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Chapter 7 - Rock, Paper, Chaos

A year had passed since Luceris Vael had declared himself Demon King.

In that time, the Demon Realm had transformed. Roads were paved, cities stood tall, demons bathed regularly (though many still cursed the "Tyranny of Soap"), and for the first time in centuries, no wars broke out every other day. The empire ran smoothly under a strict schedule of work, rest, and the occasional festival.

Which, for Luceris, was the problem.

"This is boring," he muttered one morning, slumping sideways on his throne like a sulky cat. "I didn't claw my way up from fish-boy to king just to spend my days signing papers about wheat harvests and sewage management."

The butlers exchanged nervous glances but said nothing.

"Work, rest, bath, eat, sleep. Rinse and repeat," Luceris continued, waving his quill dramatically. "Where's the thrill? The scandal? The drama? I'm the Demon King, not some overworked civil servant in a soap opera!"

Veylen, his Vampire Grand Duke, only smirked faintly from his seat. "You're the one who invented half of these bureaucratic systems, Demon King. Suffer the consequences."

"And you're the one who eats soup with bread like a fake vampire," Luceris shot back instantly. "Don't sass me."

The Dark Elf Grand Duke coughed discreetly, as though to hide his laugh.

Luceris leaned his cheek on his palm, golden eyes narrowing in thought. "I need entertainment. Adventure. Something new."

And then it struck him—literally, because a dusty old scroll slipped from a stack and smacked him in the forehead.

It was a map. And not just any map—it showed the one active magic circle in the entire Demon Realm, a gateway to the Human World.

Luceris grinned slowly. "Ohhh. Perfect."

.

Luceris, of course, had no intention of traveling alone. What was the point of adventure if you didn't drag people along to suffer your antics?

By now, both Veylen and the Dark Elf Lord had reluctantly surrendered their handsome sons as aides to the Demon King.

Caelum Draven — the Vampire Lord's son. Dark hair that gleamed like ink, crimson eyes, sharp as daggers but surprisingly soft-spoken. He had the delicate, aristocratic beauty that made half the demon maids swoon, though his deadpan sarcasm kept most at bay.

Sylas Duskbane — the Dark Elf Lord's son. Silver hair falling to his shoulders, violet eyes with an unearthly glow, a tall and lean frame that moved like water. Unlike Caelum, Sylas smiled too easily, the kind of mischievous grin that promised either charm or trouble—sometimes both.

Luceris dubbed them "Pretty Boy Number One" and "Pretty Boy Number Two." They hated it.

But they followed him anyway.

So it was that one bright morning, the three stood before the ancient magic circle carved deep into the obsidian cliffs.

Caelum adjusted his cloak. "Are you certain about this? The Human Realm is… unpredictable. Not like here."

"That's exactly the point," Luceris declared, throwing his arms wide. "We're going sightseeing! Maybe I'll buy a castle. Or a bar. Or kidnap a princess for fun."

Sylas chuckled under his breath. "And here I thought this was a diplomatic mission."

"Diplomacy is boring," Luceris said with a sniff. "This is tourism."

The magic circle flared beneath their feet, light engulfing them—and in the next heartbeat, they were gone.

.

When Luceris opened his eyes again, he was standing knee-deep in grass. A warm breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers. Birds chirped. Sunlight dappled through trees.

"Oh gods," Luceris muttered, shielding his eyes. "It's bright. I hate it already."

"Welcome to the Human Realm," Caelum murmured, scanning the forest.

Sylas stretched lazily. "Smells… fresh. I like it."

Luceris flopped dramatically against a tree trunk. "Ugh. Too peaceful. Where are the evil overlords? Where are the melodramatic villains? This is supposed to be fantasy, not a nature documentary."

He didn't have to wait long.

Rustling bushes. Crude laughter. The crunch of boots.

A ragtag group of human bandits emerged from the shadows, clutching rusty swords and clubs. They grinned at the sight of three finely dressed strangers.

"Well, well," their leader sneered. "What do we have here? Rich little nobles, all lost in the woods?"

"Hand over your coin," another shouted. "And maybe we'll let you live."

Luceris stared. Then looked at Caelum. Then at Sylas. Then back at the bandits.

"Seriously?" he said flatly. "Bandits? This is what passes for danger around here? I've seen scarier toddlers."

Sylas tilted his head, amused. "Shall we?"

Caelum sighed. "It would be over too quickly."

Luceris brightened suddenly. "I know! Let's play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to mop up these clowns."

The bandits blinked in confusion as the three demons lined up and held out their fists.

"Ready?" Luceris grinned. "One, two, three—shoot!"

Rock. Rock. Rock.

They all tied.

"Again!"

Scissors. Scissors. Scissors.

Another tie.

The bandits shifted uneasily, weapons lowering slightly as the three strange men continued their bizarre ritual.

"Best of three," Luceris declared.

Paper. Paper. Paper.

The bandits exchanged bewildered looks. One whispered, "Are they… are they sorcerers or idiots?"

By the seventh tie, Luceris threw his hands in the air. "Forget it! This is stupid. We'll all just hit whoever's nearest!"

"Agreed," Caelum said smoothly, tossing aside his cloak.

"Finally," Sylas laughed, rolling up his sleeves.

The bandits barely had time to process before all three demons exploded into motion.

Luceris's fist connected with the leader's jaw, sending him spinning into a tree. Caelum moved like a shadow, his kick snapping a bandit's sword in half before hurling the man into the undergrowth. Sylas twirled gracefully, landing punches and slaps so sharp they cracked like whips.

It was chaos. Glorious chaos.

Bandits flew left and right, yelping, crashing into trees, tumbling into bushes. The three demons fought like they were playing a game, laughing, mocking, and occasionally arguing mid-brawl.

"Luceris, you stole my target!" Sylas called, throwing a man headfirst into the dirt.

"He looked weak," Luceris shot back, punching another into unconsciousness. "I like easy prey."

Caelum sighed as he elbowed a bandit in the gut. "Children. Both of you."

"Excuse you!" Luceris shouted, kicking two men at once. "I'm majestic!"

"Majestically violent," Sylas corrected with a grin.

Within minutes, the bandits were strewn across the forest floor, groaning pitifully. Not one dared move.

Luceris brushed dust off his jacket and huffed. "Pathetic. I wanted adventure, not pest control."

Caelum adjusted his cuffs calmly. "At least it passed the time."

Sylas leaned on a tree, still chuckling. "And we learned something important."

Luceris narrowed his eyes. "Which is?"

"That none of us can win at rock-paper-scissors," Sylas said cheerfully.

Luceris groaned. "Don't remind me."

The three of them laughed as they walked deeper into the forest, leaving the broken bandits behind.

Somewhere ahead, the Human Realm waited—with dukes, empires, and the kind of chaos Luceris lived for.

And for the first time in months, he wasn't bored.

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