The Grand Sanctum of Healing in Aethelgard was reserved exclusively for royalty, high nobles, and incredibly wealthy merchants. It was a pristine, white-marble facility that smelled of crushed lotus and expensive restorative potions.
Grand Healer Valerius, an arrogant man draped in gold-threaded robes, was currently scolding a young nurse about the temperature of his tea when the solid oak doors of his clinic ceased to exist.
They didn't just open; they were violently blown off their hinges, shattering into toothpicks against the far wall.
Valerius shrieked, dropping his teacup.
Through the dust walked Maya. She wasn't wearing her sunglasses. Her eyes were sharp, cold, and radiating an aura that caused the healing crystals in the room to instantly crack from the pressure. She was gently cradling the unconscious, silver-haired little girl in her arms.
Behind Maya, completely blocking the doorway, were Demon Lords Malakor and Kaelen. They were both still wearing their black-and-white butler suits, but their demonic, murderous intent was leaking out. Behind them, General Pavan, Karthik, and Aman were awkwardly trying to squeeze into the waiting room while holding twenty bags of luxury souvenirs.
"Clear a bed," Maya commanded. Her voice wasn't a yell; it was a quiet, terrifying absolute that bent reality to her will.
Valerius stammered, his face turning purple with indignation. "S-See here! You cannot just barge into the Grand Sanctum! Do you have an appointment?! I am the personal physician to the King! I demand you—"
Before Valerius could finish his sentence, Kaelen moved faster than the human eye could track. The Demon Lord materialized behind the Grand Healer, his shadowy, venomous dagger pressed directly against Valerius's jugular.
"The Lady Maya said to clear a bed," Kaelen whispered, his red eyes glowing in the dark room. "If you make her repeat herself, I will personally show you what the inside of your own lungs look like."
Valerius let out a high-pitched squeak. "BED NUMBER ONE! RIGHT THIS WAY, MADAM!"
Maya laid the bruised, battered child gently onto the pristine silk sheets. She stepped back, crossing her arms. "I want her completely healed. Not just patched up. If she wakes up with so much as a single scar, a lingering headache, or a bad memory of this hospital, I will flatten this entire capital city into a parking lot. Do your job."
Valerius frantically began chanting, his hands glowing with the highest-tier restorative magic in the human realm. Sweat poured down his face. Malakor stood directly over him, breathing heavily, acting as the most terrifying micromanaging supervisor in history.
Meanwhile, across the city in the Aegis Royal Palace.
King Aldric and King Vane were enjoying a quiet, stressful lunch, trying to figure out how to govern a kingdom without an army, since their "Summoned Heroes" had basically gone on a permanent vacation.
Suddenly, the air in the throne room shifted. The temperature plummeted.
Leo materialized out of thin air, sitting perfectly relaxed on the edge of the grand conference table. He was casually eating the rest of his gelato.
Both kings screamed, knocking over their goblets. "L-Lord Leo! We did not summon you! We swear!"
Leo held up a hand. "Relax, Al. I'm just here for a quick chat. Five minutes ago, a golden rift tore open the sky above your luxury shopping district, and a little girl fell out of it. Almost ruined Maya's latte. I want to know what that rift was."
King Aldric turned ashen. He looked at King Vane, trembling. "A... a golden rift? In the sky?"
"Yeah," Leo said, taking a bite of his gelato. "Big, shiny, looked like a portal. Spit out a kid. Start talking before I lose my patience."
"Lord Leo, we know nothing of a child!" King Vane panicked, falling to his knees. "But a golden rift... that is not demonic magic! That is divine! The legends say the Higher Realms—the Domain of the Gods—are sealed away! A rift of that color could only mean someone... or something... was cast down from the Heavens!"
Leo paused. He looked at the half-eaten gelato in his hand, then out the window toward the healing clinic.
The Domain of the Gods. Leo let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. Demons, dragons, and now angry gods dropping kids out of the sky. This was supposed to be a relaxing trip."
He hopped off the table. "Thanks for the info, boys. Oh, and by the way, if anyone comes looking for that little girl? You tell them she's not here. If you mention her to anyone, I'll come back and play golf with your castles. Have a great lunch."
Leo vanished.
Back at the clinic.
The little girl slowly fluttered her eyes open. She gasped, frantically sitting up, clutching her chest. But the pain was gone. The bruises had vanished. Her breathing was steady.
She looked around the room in absolute terror. The first thing she saw was a massive, seven-foot-tall Demon Lord (Malakor) holding a juice box with a trembling hand, wearing a tiny red bowtie.
"O-Orange or apple, tiny mortal?" Malakor asked, his booming voice reduced to a terrified whisper.
The girl blinked, completely stunned.
Then, Maya stepped forward. The terrifying, icy aura she had used to threaten the doctor was completely gone. She sat on the edge of the bed, her face softening into a warm, surprisingly gentle smile.
"Hey there, sweetheart," Maya said softly, brushing the silver-blonde hair out of the girl's eyes. "You took quite a tumble. How are you feeling?"
The girl looked at Maya, sensing the overwhelming, god-tier strength radiating from her, but also feeling an undeniable safety. "I... I'm okay. Who... who are you?"
Leo strolled through the broken doorway, popping the last bite of a gelato cone into his mouth. He walked over, standing next to Maya and giving the kid a cheerful grin. "We're the complaint department. Seems like someone upstairs has a problem with you."
Maya looked up at Leo. They didn't need to speak. After fourteen months of planning a wedding, they had practically developed telepathy.
Leo's look: Are we keeping her? Maya's look: Obviously.
Maya turned back to the girl. "What's your name, honey?"
"E-Elara," the little girl whispered, clutching the sheets.
"Well, Elara," Maya smiled, standing up and grabbing her designer tote bag. "Your parents are clearly terrible at their jobs. So, you're with us now. We're on a honeymoon, and it looks like it just turned into a family vacation. Kaelen, grab the bags. We have a new VIP."
Kaelen the Demon Lord bowed deeply. "At once, Lady Maya! Shall I procure a carriage? Or perhaps a war-beast for the child?!"
"A carriage, Kaelen," Leo sighed. "She's seven. Let's start with a carriage."