Kaito Kurogane—once Azrath, scourge of a thousand realms—descended the narrow staircase with the gravitas of a conquering emperor entering a newly subjugated capital.
In reality, he was a seventeen-year-old in a rumpled school uniform two sizes too small, hair sticking up like he'd lost a fight with static electricity, and stomach growling loud enough to wake the dead.
The kitchen greeted him with warm light and the scent of soy sauce, eggs, and rice. It was… pleasant. Annoyingly pleasant.
Three women turned toward him.
Sayuri Kurogane, his mother, stood at the stove in a pale blue housedress that hugged her full figure more than it probably intended. The thin cotton clung softly to her hips as she moved, the hem brushing mid-thigh. Her long black hair was twisted up in a loose bun, a few strands framing a face that looked far too young to have raised three children alone. She smiled at him—gentle, tired, radiant—and Kaito felt something in his chest twist.
Akari, the elder sister, leaned against the counter in gray yoga shorts and a cropped tank top that showed a strip of toned midriff. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her green eyes narrowed in familiar disapproval. She was nineteen, home for the weekend from college, and clearly still in "responsible big sister" mode.
Yui, the youngest at sixteen, peeked from behind the table in an oversized anime T-shirt that hung off one shoulder and soft pink pajama shorts. Her long silver-dyed hair (a phase she refused to abandon) was tied in twin tails, and her big blue eyes widened when she saw him actually out of his room before noon.
All three were beautiful. Devastatingly so. And Kaito, who had once commanded succubi queens, suddenly found himself very aware that he was a healthy teenage boy in a house full of women who hadn't had male company in years.
"Morning, Kaito," Sayuri said softly, sliding a plate toward him. Tamagoyaki, grilled fish, miso soup, rice. Simple. Mortal. Infuriatingly appetizing.
He sat with deliberate dignity. "This… offering appears adequate," he declared, voice low and dramatic. "I shall partake."
Akari snorted. "You've been playing too many RPGs again. 'Partake'? Really?"
Yui giggled behind her hand.
Sayuri just smiled and set a cup of tea beside his plate. Her fingers brushed his as she pulled away, and Kaito nearly dropped his chopsticks. The touch was brief, innocent, maternal—and it lit a small fire under his skin.
He ate in silence at first, observing them like a general assessing new territory.
Sayuri moved with quiet efficiency, refilling bowls, checking the time. The neckline of her dress gaped slightly as she bent over, revealing the soft curve of her breasts and the edge of a simple white bra. She was thirty-eight, but stress and loneliness had only refined her beauty into something fragile and luminous.
Akari stretched, arms overhead, tank riding higher. "You're actually going to school today?" she asked, skeptical. "Like, actually leaving the house?"
Kaito lifted his chin. "I have decided to re-enter the battlefield of education. And seek employment to bolster this household's coffers."
Yui's eyes sparkled. "Onii-chan's going to get a job? Really?"
Sayuri paused, surprise flickering across her face. "Kaito… you don't have to—"
"I insist," he cut in, voice ringing with imperial authority. "This domain shall not fall to ruin while I draw breath."
Akari rolled her eyes. "Drama king."
But Sayuri's expression softened into something dangerously warm. "Thank you, sweetheart."
After breakfast, the sisters headed upstairs to change. Kaito lingered, pretending to finish his tea while actually watching his mother wash dishes. The way the fabric pulled across her backside when she reached for a high shelf was… distracting.
He cleared his throat. "Mother."
She glanced over her shoulder, suds on her forearms. "Yes?"
"I shall require guidance in securing gainful employment."
Sayuri dried her hands and came to sit across from him. Up close, he could see the faint shadows under her hazel eyes, the worry lines she tried to hide. "There's a fast-food place a few stations away—Burger Baron. They're always hiring students. I could ask the manager if you like."
Kaito inclined his head regally. "Do so. I shall conquer this 'Burger Baron' and bring tribute home."
She laughed—a soft, surprised sound that made his heart stutter. "You're so dramatic lately. It's cute."
Cute. The Demon Lord Azrath, called *cute*.
He stood abruptly. "I must prepare for school."
Upstairs, he changed into the properly sized uniform Sayuri had laid out—crisp white shirt, navy pants, tie. The mirror showed a perfectly average Japanese high-school boy. Except for the eyes. They still held that crimson glint when the light hit right.
Akari passed him in the hallway wearing her college outfit: tight jeans, off-shoulder sweater, hair down now. She paused. "You're really going?"
"I am."
She hesitated, then reached up and straightened his tie with quick, practiced fingers. "Don't overdo it on the first day, idiot."
Her touch lingered half a second too long. Kaito caught the faint scent of her shampoo—citrus and something floral. When she pulled away, her cheeks were slightly pink.
Yui bounded out next, now in her school uniform: sailor blouse, pleated skirt, knee socks. The skirt was regulation length, but on her petite frame it looked almost scandalously short. She twirled nervously. "How do I look, onii-chan?"
"Like a worthy subject," he said solemnly.
She beamed.
The three of them left together—Yui to her high school, Akari to the station for college, Kaito to his own school for the first time in months.
But he paused at the door when he heard Sayuri on the phone in the kitchen, voice low.
"…yes, I know the rent is late again. I get paid next week, I promise… No, please don't send anyone yet…"
Kaito's hand tightened on the doorframe. The wood creaked under his minor strength buff.
Debt collectors. Overdue bills. A mother working herself to exhaustion.
His crimson-tinged eyes narrowed.
This would not stand.
By evening, he had submitted three online applications—including one to Burger Baron—and registered for full attendance at school starting tomorrow.
When Sayuri came home from her office job, bone-tired in her pencil skirt and blouse, hair escaping its bun, Kaito met her at the door with a cup of tea.
She blinked, startled. "Kaito?"
"I have begun the campaign," he announced. "Victory is assured."
She laughed again, weary but genuine, and hugged him impulsively. Her body pressed soft and warm against his for several long seconds.
"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder.
Kaito stood frozen, arms slowly coming up to return the embrace.
For the first time in either life, the Demon Lord felt something more powerful than conquest.
He felt needed.
And that, he decided, was a realm worth ruling.