The store was a disaster. Cup noodles were scattered across the floor, soda cans teetered on the edge of broken shelves, and the faint scent of burnt microwave lingered in the air. Bella leaned against the counter, dagger in hand, exhausted. "I cannot believe this," she muttered.
The manager, a small, no-nonsense human with a clipboard, walked in and surveyed the chaos with wide eyes. "Okay, everyone," he said, raising a hand, "I'm going to teach you how to clean this properly."
Arthos stepped forward confidently, holding a mop upside down. "Yes! We shall conquer the dirt as we conquered kingdoms!"
The manager pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, you don't conquer it. You clean it. Listen carefully—start with the floors, then the shelves, then the spills. Got it?"
Nyx giggled. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
The Demon King crossed his arms. "We've fought wars, defeated heroes… surely wiping a floor is beneath us."
The manager sighed. "It's not about skill. It's about method. Watch." He demonstrated a careful sweep of the floor, wiping up spills efficiently.
Yuwen watched for a moment, then waved her hand and muttered a spell. The soda cans floated into place, but they were now perfectly stacked in midair, wobbling precariously.
Varkos tried to "help" by picking up candy wrappers with a dramatic battle stance, accidentally sending a pile flying back across the aisle.
Drogan laughed so hard that he slipped on a spilled soda and slid across the floor like a luge.
Garruk, taking the manager's instructions too literally, stood guard over the cleaning supplies, pointing his broom like a spear at anyone approaching.
Nyx hid behind the counter, tossing Pokémon cards onto the shelves instead of cleaning. "I think this counts as organization!" she declared.
Bella sighed, rubbing her temples. "I've trained to assassinate kings, infiltrate castles, and survive death traps. Yet here I am, watching children and demons fail at sweeping."
Seraphine floated over to bless the floor, chanting softly, and Lunaria waved her hands over spilled soup cups, muttering a minor fire spell that only slightly steamed the contents.
The manager groaned, hands on his head. "I don't know whether to cry or call for help."
Finally, the Demon King picked up a mop and moved it half-heartedly across the floor, spilling water everywhere. "Perhaps this is a battle," he muttered.
The manager sighed deeply. "Next time, I'm hiding the cleaning supplies until someone learns responsibility."
Nyx clapped her hands gleefully. "Oh, yes! That would be fun!"
Bella groaned again. "Retail hell, indeed."