The day had started normally enough — if "normal" meant a demon lord and his snarky undead waitress wandering through town eating ice cream and arguing about humanity's fashion sense.
"Lucien, why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?" Valerie muttered, side-eyeing him as they walked through a mall.
"Humans do it all the time," Lucien said coolly. "It makes me look mysterious."
"You look like an idiot."
"Mysteriously idiotic, maybe."
Valerie sighed. "You're hopeless."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled.
Screams filled the air as cracks tore through the tiled floor.
"Lucien… what did you do?" Valerie asked slowly.
He blinked. "Nothing! I swear!"
Before she could respond, the floor burst open.
A creature crawled out — molten black skin, glowing eyes, and a roar that rattled glass windows.
People ran in terror. Valerie summoned her wings instantly.
Lucien stepped back, rubbing his neck nervously. "Okay, if anyone asks, this wasn't my fault."
The demon growled, locking eyes with him.
"You…" it hissed.
"Oh great," Valerie muttered. "It does know you."
"I—uh—it could be a coincidence," Lucien stammered, forcing a smile. "Lots of people have my… general aura of pure evil."
The demon roared again and lunged — straight at Lucien.
He ducked. "See?! It's attacking randomly!"
Valerie's palm lit up in crimson flame. "Oh for Hell's sake—MOVE!"
She blasted the creature mid-air, sending it crashing into a wall.
Lucien dusted off his jacket. "You could've hit me!"
"I'm slim has been messy recently, how did l hit the demon?."
The demon rose again, snarling — but Valerie was already in motion.
She vanished in a flash of fire, appearing behind it, her leg igniting as she kicked it skyward. The air cracked with heat as the creature flew through a billboard.
Lucien whistled. "Okay, that was actually hot."
Valerie blushed faintly. "Don't say that while I'm burning something."
The demon came down hard — and Valerie met it with another blazing punch, slamming it into the ground, the pavement melting beneath her feet.
Steam and smoke filled the air.
Lucien peered through the haze, clapping slowly. "Ladies and gentlemen, Hell's most terrifying waitress."
"Keep talking, and I'll show you terrifying," she replied, shaking off the flames from her hands.
Interrogation Time
A few minutes later…
The demon, now tied up with glowing chains, sat glaring at them behind an abandoned diner.
Lucien crouched in front of it, holding a notepad upside down.
"Alright, first question—favorite color?"
The demon blinked. "What?"
Valerie facepalmed. "Lucien."
"I'm building rapport!" he whispered. "That's what humans do before interrogation."
She sighed. "We're not cops, Lucien."
He cleared his throat. "Fine. Then tell us — how'd you get here? Did someone summon you?"
The demon hesitated. "No… the gates… they're weakening. Others are coming through…"
Lucien's smile faded. "Others?"
"Yes. Most of Hell has already started to escape."
Lucien froze. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
Valerie stepped closer. "What do you mean 'escape'?"
The demon laughed weakly. "Your realm is emptying, 'lord.' The souls have fled."
Lucien and Valerie exchanged looks. Then, as if on cue, they both turned toward the nearest TV store window.
Every screen blared breaking news:
"Reports of strange creatures appearing worldwide—witnesses describe them as monsters or demons—governments urge citizens to stay indoors—"
Lucien's expression darkened. "Oh no…"
Valerie looked at him, concern flickering beneath her sarcasm. "What's happening to you?"
Lucien stumbled slightly, his knees buckling.
"My power…" he murmured, clutching his chest. "It's… leaving me."
Valerie caught him before he fell. "Hey! Don't pass out on me!"
Lucien's breathing slowed. "My strength comes from souls in Hell. The more there are, the stronger I get… but if they're escaping…"
He looked up weakly at the sky.
"I'm going to lose everything."
Valerie tightened her grip on him, frowning. "Guess it's a good thing I've been training then."
Lucien chuckled faintly. "Yeah… guess I'll have to rely on my terrifying waitress for protection."
"Damn right you will," she said, half-smiling.
Just then, her wings flared — her eyes glowing brighter than before.
The air shimmered with heat as the ground cracked under her feet.
Lucien blinked. "Uh… Valerie?"
She smirked. "Huh. Guess I just leveled up."
Lucien grinned weakly. "Figures. I get weaker, you get hotter—uh, stronger."
Valerie's cheeks flared pink. "Don't make me drop you."
Lucien laughed, leaning against her shoulder. "You won't. You love me too much."
She groaned. "Keep dreaming, Lucifer Jr."
The camera pans upward — the city skyline glowing red under a rising moon, dozens of portals opening in the distance.
Lucien whispered, "Looks like Hell's missing me already."
"
Sirens blared. The night sky glowed crimson as cracks split open across the skyline — a dozen fiery rifts shimmering above the city.
Screams echoed through the streets.
Lucien and Valerie stood on a rooftop, wind whipping through their hair, watching chaos unfold below.
Valerie's eyes scanned the horizon. "There's too many of them… they're spreading fast."
Lucien forced a smirk. "This isn't good at al, I was supposed to be the leader when hell breaks loose."
"Lucien, this isn't funny."
He tried to reply — but his knees buckled again.
Valerie caught him before he fell off the ledge. "Hey! Don't you dare pass out now!"
Lucien's eyes flickered between red and dim crimson. "It's… happening faster. The souls — they're going."
Valerie gritted her teeth. "Then we stop the ones that are left."
Lucien chuckled weakly. "With what? My stunning looks?"
"Maybe," Valerie shot back. "At least those still work."
He tried to laugh but winced, clutching his chest.
"Feels like my head's getting foggy," he said, voice trembling. "I can't even think straight anymore…"
Valerie frowned. "You're telling me your IQ's linked to your demonic soul count?"
"Apparently…" Lucien muttered. "The fewer souls I have, the dumber I get."
She blinked. "Oh great. So the fate of the world depends on whether Hell's full enough for you to think properly."
He smirked weakly. "Pretty much."
Before Valerie could respond, a loud roar shook the streets below — a massive demon burst through a building, its molten claws tearing through concrete.
Valerie turned, summoning fire into her hands. "Alright, genius, stay here. I'll handle this one."
Lucien nodded, collapsing to his knees as his vision blurred. "Don't… die again, okay?"
She gave a small smirk. "Not planning on it."
Street Below
The demon towered above the buildings, its eyes burning with hatred. Valerie dove from the rooftop, wings flaring open in a blaze of crimson light.
She struck it midair with a fire-coated punch, the impact shaking the street and scattering debris.
"Come on then!" she shouted. "You think you can take on the Devil's waitress?!"
The creature roared, swinging wildly — but Valerie moved faster, weaving around it, flames dancing at her fingertips.
With a swift motion, she blasted through its chest, leaving a crater of fire before landing gracefully.
"Order up," she muttered as the monster's body dissolved into ash.
She turned back, panting slightly — only to see Lucien collapse fully onto the rooftop.
"Lucien!" she shouted, flying up toward him.
Lucien was lying motionless, eyes half-open, breathing shallow. The air around him was faintly flickering with demonic energy — fading like a dying ember.
Valerie landed beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Hey, wake up. You can't die now — who else am I gonna make fun of?"
No response.
She clenched her fists, frustration trembling through her. "Damn it… why do you always make me worry…"
The sky flashed again — more rifts opening in the distance.
And far away, across the city… something else stirred.
ELSEWHERE – HANA
A scream tore through a marketplace.
A hulking demon emerged from the street — a grotesque creature with glowing red veins and smoke seeping from its body.
Among the crowd stood a young woman — pink hair flowing, eyes wide with fear.
Hana.
Her heart pounded. The memories hit her like lightning — the fire, the blood, that terrifying night when a strange man in black flames saved her.
That same crimson light…
The demon roared and charged, crushing cars underfoot.
Hana stepped back, trembling. "No… not again… please not again…"
Her pulse raced.
And then — her body moved on its own.
The demon swung a claw — she caught it.
The street went silent.
Hana blinked, staring at her own hand gripping a monster's arm twice her size.
"What…?" she whispered.
Her eyes began to glow faintly red.
She twisted her wrist, and the demon's arm snapped like glass.
Gasps filled the air.
Hana barely realized what she was doing as she drove her fist into the creature's chest — flames erupted from the impact, sending the demon flying across the street into a billboard.
The dust settled.
The crowd stared.
Hana looked down at her hands, trembling. "What… what's happening to me?"
In her mind, a flash — the memory of a boy with glowing red eyes smiling down at her as he said,
"You'll tell me your story in Hell, okay?"
Her breath hitched. "Lucien…" she whispered.
Back on the Rooftop
Valerie was holding Lucien's unconscious body as faint embers drifted off his skin.
She looked up, feeling a sudden rush of power in the air.
(To Be Continued)