Satel and Shin were teleported to a small abandoned country house. Shin looked around the dusty interior.
Broken and worn-out furniture lay scattered across the floor. Windows were shattered. Shin walked out of the room he was in, Satel following close behind.
Satel walked past Shin and opened the front door. She ran down the porch steps and looked up, taking in a large breath of air.
"Demon Kingdom! I have returned!" she yelled out in joy.
Shin carefully stepped out the door onto the porch. He cautiously looked around at the clear green fields, dotted with a few scattered houses.
Shin walked off the porch and stood beside Satel. It was quiet there—so unlike the noisy town he grew up in.
"Hey, Satel. Where's the Demon King's castle?" Shin asked.
Satel looked at him, then pointed toward the distant mountain range.
"It's on the other side of the country," she answered, lowering her hand.
Without warning, Satel sprinted toward the nearby houses. Shin, startled, dashed after her and quickly caught up.
They ran until they reached a cluster of five houses. A commotion filled the center of the settlement—it almost looked like a celebration.
Satel moved toward the crowd, with Shin close behind.
A demon turned its head and noticed them.
"Hey, Chief. Looks like you've got a visitor," the demon said, nudging another demon sitting in a chair.
The seated demon looked back, then stood up. He was tall, with a large beard streaked with grey in his hair.
Satel smiled and ran to him. She hugged him, and he lifted her into the air, spinning her around before setting her back down.
"Welcome back, sweetheart," the chief said, a smile forming on his face.
Satel smiled back, nodding like a little child. The chief's expression shifted as his eyes moved past her, toward Shin.
"And what of the human?" the chief asked, his smile fading.
Shin stepped forward and bowed.
"Hello, sir. My name is Shin," he said, still bowing.
The chief was momentarily surprised before turning his gaze toward Satel.
Satel lowered her head in shame.
"This is the replacement I've been preparing to take the Demon King's place… father," she said quietly.
The chief fell silent. The crowd also went silent, the atmosphere growing heavy. The stillness echoed through the gathering.
"A human!?" the chief finally roared, his anger rising.
Satel said nothing.
"Yes, sir. I owe her my life, and as such, I will follow her command," Shin said firmly.
The chief studied Shin's eyes and saw determination within them. He exhaled heavily.
"Well… I can sense demon blood in you, so we'll allow you a shot at the throne," the chief said with another sigh.
Satel looked up at her father with a smile.
"Thank you, Father. I promise you, he will not fail," she said with confidence.
The chief turned and gestured to the crowd. They parted, revealing a demon lounging comfortably in his chair.
The demon grinned, standing and walking toward the chief.
"Our trial is simple," the chief declared. "Defeat Bael in combat, and you'll earn the first approval out of seven."
Shin tilted his head in confusion.
"What do you mean, the first approval out of seven?" he asked.
"You'll need the approval of all seven demon clans to become king," the chief explained.
Shin glanced at Satel, anger written all over his face. She avoided his eyes.
This bitch didn't even have the courtesy to tell me about this.
"Draw your weapon, human," Bael said, pointing his sword at Shin.
Shin responded by pulling out his weapon, extending its blade. The two locked eyes as the trial began.