Chapter 323
Saturday morning, on the eve of Christmas, I called for an emergency meeting at my apartment. When I explained the situation over the phone, not a single one hesitated to drop what they were doing and rushed over. Selene, Yumi, Hana, Shayle, and Layla were seated nervously in the living room. Elendir, Erma, and Mio were present, too, but not as tense.
Meanwhile, Kana made us some spiced eggnog and bought some take out for us, since there were too many people to cook for. But he wasn't around for long after making plans with friends. The alcohol in the creamy drink beverage heated me up on this incredibly chilly morning. Seated on my lap, the little Demon King sipped on some warm milk through a straw.
"Uwah… So, that's definitely the Demon King…" Hana grimaced.
"Just looking at her makes me feel an indescribable anger. It doesn't even matter that she is a child. I want to wring my hands around her throat." Selene growled, and the girl stuck her tongue out in response.
"Saeko, did she spend the night here?" Yumi asked worriedly.
"Yeah. She was fast asleep before we even got home. I just rolled out an extra futon and let her sleep in it. By the way, does she have a name? Or are we going to keep calling her Demon King?" I looked down at the demon girl, who hadn't spoken a word since we found her.
Everyone exchanged glances like they were trying to figure out who knew the child's name. They shrugged.
"We were always told to call and refer to the Demon King as the Demon King, any nothing more," Layla explained.
"It's Nyrath," Mio answered, drawing all eyes to her. "I only know because Bea muttered it once. Can't be too sure if that's her actual name though."
"Nyrath sounds so brutal. Why don't we call you Nyra for now?" I bounced the girl, and she giggled playfully.
"Queen Saeko… have you taken a liking to the Demon King?" Selene frowned.
"I didn't know her like you all did. Nyra showed up to me as a child, so you can't possibly expect me to wish harm on her. At the same time, I understand all of your reservations about her. More importantly, does anyone have any idea how she's here?" I asked.
"Perhaps the one who had a hand in it may illuminate us." Elendir turned to Erma.
"Me?" Erma took a step back, only just now realizing that she was in a room full of the Demon King's former subordinates. "To say I had a hand in it is overstatement. I merely planned the siege on Axas. The hero of my people— Elendir, you would know his name— Dawnbringer, was the one who had truly slayed the Demon King, at the cost of his own life, may the Everlight smile upon him. We all believed your dreaded master was dead. I am just as confused about the Demon King's survival as everyone else is."
"Survival doesn't seem right. Resurrection? Regression?" Shayle blurted out a couple of more words.
Then it hit me. If the Demon King had been well and truly dead, the only other attempt to revive him was when Queen Beatrice played a hand in it.
"Could it be that Beatrice's ritual a few years back partially succeeded?" I suggested.
"Oh, yeah. We kicked her ass in the middle of it. Must've fucked something up," Mio said.
"Possibly." Elendir thought hard but eventually gave up. "I think the biggest question we need answered is what do you plan to do with her, Saeko?"
"I'm absolutely not on board with hurting her. Nyra's just a kid. I… I'm going to try and take care of her. Sorry if that's not what you guys wanted to hear." I hung my head.
"You're queen, which means your decision is final. But just understand, that if there ever comes a time that she must be put down…" Selene trailed off as Nyra snarled quietly in her direction.
I understood alright. If it ever came to that, the responsibility fell to me. The others wouldn't hesitate to help, but this was my decision. As some of the guests began to leave, I put Nyra down on the couch and saw them off at the door.
"Saeko." Yumi paused at the door. "If you would like, I can take some time off work to babysit Nyra while you're at Tsuki during the day."
"Thanks, Yumi." I smiled.
"Ufufu~ It looks like she is already a handful." The matronly succubus pointed behind me.
"Queen Saeko, can you get the Demon… Nyra off me?" Selene grumbled as Nyra clung to the succubus' back and gnawed on her horn.
It took some wrangling, but I wrenched Nyra from Selene. When everyone was gone, it was just myself, Elendir, and Mio around with the little murderous demon girl. But for all that violence, she was particularly attached to me.
"Man. So, our Christmas gift is this brat." Mio playfully waved a tail in front of Nyra's face.
"Why don't we show Nyra around the city? It's a nice day and would be a shame to stay home all day," Elendir said, though she was probably eager to see sights herself.
We decided to do just that. I pulled the car around, and since it was only a four seater, Nyra had to sit on someone's lap. Elendir reluctantly accepted responsibility. I drove us down to Takashimaya Times Square, a giant shopping mall with everything anyone could possibly want inside.
Outside, however, decorations had been put out in force. Snowmen, light ornaments, and cotton snow blanketed the square outside the department store. Of course, the biggest attraction was their giant Christmas tree, adorned with an array of colorful sleeves, blinking lights, and more.
Couples held hands and snuggled close to each other. Families took pictures next to the decorations. Popular Christmas pop music blasted from speakers. There was a lot of joy to go around. Except for Nyra, it seemed.
"Mmrr…" Nyra pressed both hands to her ears, pouting.
"Looks like she doesn't enjoy the music. I confess, I'm not sure what's so special about it either," Erma admitted.
"Hey, where'd the brat go?" Mio started frantically looking around.
"Nyra was here just a moment ago…" Elendir recalled.
"Oh, my goodness! That child is climbing on the tree!" someone cried.
The four of us had a sinking feeling who it was…
We raced over to the commotion, where the big Christmas tree was. A small group of people had gathered, and they were staring part-way up the tree. I followed their eyes up to find Nyra, hanging on a branch like a monkey.
"Get down from there!" Mio yelled.
The demon girl giggled mischievously, picked up an ornamental ball, and tossed it. A few of the people closest to the tree backed away in fright as it shattered on the ground.
"Nyra, we're going to leave you unless you come down!" I shouted.
Nyra furiously shook her head.
"Saeko." Elendir tapped on my shoulder. "Perhaps a bribe? Tempt her with something worth coming down for."
I looked around the square and spotted a hot chocolate stand. Erma and Mio stayed to keep watch, while Elendir and I went over to buy some for all of us. When we came back, the scent of hot cocoa filled the air. I handed one to Erma, and Elendir gave her extra to Mio.
The scent drew Nyra out of the tree. Her nose sniffed like a hungry wild dog. Sharp eyes stared down at us. More specifically, at the steaming beverage topped with a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg. She swallowed hard, still refusing to come down.
I flew up until I was level with the demon girl.
"This is reaaaally good." I drank from my own cup and breathed a sigh of delight. "If you come down, I have another cup for you."
Nyra reached out. But she lost her grip on the branch before I got close enough. She plummeted from the tree. My heart jumped out of my chest. Everyone gasped. Fortunately, Erma was right beneath us. She pushed past the barricade and caught her just in time.
"By the Everlight, what a troublemaker." Erma frowned.
"Nice catch!" Mio cheered.
"You were quick to save the Demon King. Growing soft, Erma?" Elendir teased her light elven counterpart.
"My mistress wouldn't have liked for Nyra to get hurt, I know that much." Erma put the child down.
"I'm glad you did. Thanks." I flew down and kneeled in front of Nyra while holding her cup of hot cocoa just out of reach. "No more fooling around. You have to stay near us, alright?"
Nyra jumped on her toes to try to get it, but she wasn't tall enough. Pouting, the girl relented and nodded in some semblance of understanding. When I gave her the toasty drink, she was all smiles again.
I held Nyra's hand tightly as the five of us entered the shopping mall together. We got as far as the door before she finished her hot cocoa. She even licked the inside of the cup and started sulking that it was empty. I gave her the rest of mine that I'd hardly drank anyway. That seemed to satisfy her plenty.
"It's certainly a strange feeling, knowing who that is. But seeing how much like an actual child she is, I'm beginning to regard her more as a child," Elendir walked up to me and said.
"I know I kinda made the decision for all of us by keeping Nyra around. Sorry, guys. The way I see it, maybe we can make a difference for her. She doesn't have to grow up to become the Demon King that was killed in Elza," I explained.
"As long as the little brat doesn't cause too much trouble, then I'm cool with it." Mio stuck her tongue out at Nyra, who did the same in return.
The mall was packed. We were shoulder to shoulder with crowds of people doing last minute Christmas gift purchases. Just as many were hoping to catch a holiday discount. Nyra was getting uneasy between all the legs, so I put her on my shoulders. She held onto my horns, eyes glinting at the many decorations hanging from the ceiling, plastered on giant windows, and people in big costumes.
We came up to what used to be a large open area now turned into a winter wonderland. It had a small train running through cardboard cutouts and blow-up decorations of Santa's workshop. Children were lined up with their parents to ride it. To the opposite side, another line led to an older gentleman dressed as a portly Santa Claus that people could take pictures with.
"Who is that man you are staring at? And why is he dressed in such striking red colors?" Erma noticed me staring and asked.
"Oh, I guess Elza doesn't really have this kind of culture. During Christmas on Earth, Santa Claus goes around giving presents to good kids and coals to bad kids," I explained.
"Ah, yes." Elendir nodded fondly. "Elza has something similar. But instead of Santa Claus, it is Goddess Everlight. Parents tell of how she rewards well-behaved children by allowing them to wake to her morning light. If they misbehave, they may never awaken again."
"What the… That's terrifying!" I cried.
"And effective." She chuckled.
We lined up to take a photo together with Santa Claus. The line moved quickly, since it was only to take pictures. When it finally got to our turn, we walked up to the decorated stage where Santa was seated.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas Eve! I see some of my elves have left the workshop. Naughty, naughty!" Santa Claus wagged a finger at Erma and Elendir.
"Workshop? Are you keeping elven slaves, human?" Erma glared.
"Er…" He gulped.
"He's just joking!" I chimed in. "It's folklore that Santa has elves that work with him!"
Erma let it be, and the man in the Santa suit breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, someone take a picture of me!" Mio plopped down on Santa's lap and rubbed his inner thigh. "Got a present for me under those pants?"
"Ho, ho… Ho… That's a very naughty thing to say…" Santa pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Elendir snapped a photo for Mio, and she jumped off the nervous man. Nyra tugged on my hand and pointed to him.
"Do you want to take a picture with Santa, too? Here!" I lifted her up onto Santa's lap.
"Why, hello! Aren't you a cute little angel? Have you been good this year? If you have, I know just the present waiting for you under the tree!" Santa laughed in a boisterous manner.
However, that laughter was cut short when Nyra started ripping and tearing into his costume. Children shrieked, parents gasped, and the rest of us stood there appalled. Cackling, she tore off the cotton stuffed into his belly to make him look portly and pulled on his beard.
"She's killing Santa, mommy!"
"Oh, my god! Don't look, honey!"
"HELP! GET THIS DEMON CHILD OFF ME!" Santa cried.
"Nyra!" I yanked her away before she got down to his actual belly.
Mio laughed so hard, tears welled at the corners of her eyes. Elendir had been filming the entire ordeal on her smart phone. Erma pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I apologized profusely.
Security raced over due to the commotion and promptly kicked us out. I could have easily charmed them to look the other way, but I figured Nyra caused enough trouble already. On the way out, we settled on buying her a big stuffed bear about her size to play with. Or rip apart, whichever she felt was more fun. Better a toy than a human being.
As soon as we got home, however, Nyra was all tuckered out. I put her in my bed, still clinging to the stuffed teddy bear.
"Whew. Talk about a day, and today isn't even over yet." I sighed.
"I'm gonna knock out in Kana's room for a little nap!" Mio yawned into her hand.
"Our Christmas Eve dinner isn't until later, yes? I think I'll do a little more studying on my Japanese. You're welcome to join me, Erma. Or you can stay incompetent on the language," Elendir teased.
"Tch. Fine." Erma followed Elendir into her room.
I stayed in the living room to play with the cats and watch television. But exhaustion caught up with me. Looking after a child was tough. How Hatsumi managed to do it was beyond my fathoming.
Eventually, without even realizing it, I fell asleep on the couch…
A creaking door woke me up, and I looked up to find Mio coming out of Kana's room, stretching her arms.
"Man, I needed that!" Mio jumped onto the couch next to me.
"Nnh… How long has it been?" I rubbed my eyes.
Before Mio could answer, she was interrupted by our cats shrieking fiercely from my bedroom. The blood drained from our veins. We bolted in to see Nyra holding Shadow by the scruff of her neck, and Snowball by his tail. The demon girl giggled mischievously, reveling in them thrashing around trying to escape her.
"Nyra, stop! Put them down!" I shouted.
"Let go of them, you bitch!" Mio jumped past me and tackled Nyra.
The cats escaped on the way down, but now there was another problem. Mio pinned Nyra to the ground and raised a clenched fist.
"No, don't!" I grabbed her hand before she could throw a punch.
"I don't care if she's a kid, Saeko! I'll beat the shit out of her!" Mio growled.
The others, drawn in by the commotion, emerged from their rooms and rushed in.
"What happened?" Erma asked.
"This cunt was hurting Shadow and Snowball! Ain't no way am I going to forgive that!" Mio exclaimed.
"It seems Nyra's sadistic nature as the Demon King is still inside her. Saeko, you must understand that even I can't forgive someone who hurts my baby." Elendir picked up Snowball and cradled him.
"I know, but—"
Mio didn't give me a chance to finish. She grabbed Shadow and stormed into Kana's room, slamming the door shut.
"Mio's got the right idea… You should probably keep Snowball in your room just in case. I'll figure something out, alright?" I promised them.
It was still early in the afternoon. I had plenty of time. The only idea I got was to rely on the only person I knew would help me no matter what. Of course, that included a lot of people. However, a single person came to mind, who would have experienced caring for a young child. Erma came with me as I took Nyra on a train to Tsukiji.
There, I hailed a taxi home. Standing in front of my house, snow shoveled off the driveway and streets, I felt a great sense of nostalgia.
"Your second home, I presume?" Erma asked.
"Home home. My first home. Here we go…" I pressed the doorbell and waited with bated breath.
The door swung open to the last person I expected though.
"Saeko's got a baby?" Taira gasped.
"T-Taira?!" I stared at her, dumbfounded.
My coworker from Isekai Gohan looked straight at Nyra, then cupped both hands over her mouth..
"Saeko's got a baby!" she screamed again, but at the top of her lungs.
"Saeko… S-S-Saeko… you were pregnant? You had a b-b-baby?" Hatsumi ran right up to the foyer.
"LET ME EXPLAIN MYSELF FIRST!" I groaned.