Sunlight blasted through my curtains the next morning, Tina made sure they were tied up and the windows were wide open. My body was creaking like a rusted door hinge as I forced myself to sit up in my bed. I wiped the dirt from my eyes, yawned, and tried to stretch the languor out my system. A devil… The events, or lack thereof, in the underworld were still replaying in my head like a broken record. As sure as a windmill’s blades would turn upon hugging the wind, my mind would scatter different parts of itself. It was basically a business with different departments.

One department was managing the demons and their mana crisis. The other worked on the pact, and the genesis of the pact – the great war. My lifestyle and relationships were handled by a separate department that didn’t quite know what it was doing, but tried haphazardly anyway. The integration of the Darkviper clan into my territory was another thing entirely, but I left the technical stuff to the experts and only inputted when the issue was a big one.

Tina and I had breakfast with Einar, Agares, and Knerog. And of course, a new department was created the moment I went to the underworld. Devils, man, I sipped my coffee in thought of the two rather inconspicuous devils in front of me. And souls too. They said something about torturing souls being a good thing. But, I ruffled my hair in frustration, I really don’t want to get into that. Feels like that’s above my paygrade, and I’m already way above my damn paygrade dealing with this demon-human conflict.

“My Lady, there’s been a summon for you from Queen Ayana.” He cleaned his mouth with a handkerchief. “Would you like that I represent you?”

“Sure, Einar.” I smiled. “You’re a lifesaver.” He really was my savior. If it weren’t for him, I’d be spread thin with responsibilities, but now that he was here, I could get more things done than I realized.

“Did you think about it?” Tina asked, referring to me joining the party. “Come on, we’re all looking forward to it!”

“Alright, alright, but I can’t make any promises. Look,” I cleared my throat, “I have to handle some important matters first. If it’s not too late when I’m done, then of course.”

With that said, I could get started on my day, and that day would begin with the first task of visiting Fyren yet again. I teleported to the plateau atop the flight of stairs that led to the demon king’s house. The second I appeared everything went dark.

The girl’s body that I used Cadaver Possession on was blown to smithereens. There was next to nothing remotely identifiable about the splatters of blood, ashes, bits and pieces of bones, tissues, and other unsavory substances that was left behind. I was murdered in the one of the most gruesome ways possible.

Similar to how I first felt when I died back on Earth, my consciousness travelled lightspeed towards my staff and my lich vessel manifested next to it. Tina jumped when that happened, because usually there’d be a portal before I appeared. Well, you motherfuckers! You really killed me, huh? After I literally went to hell and back for your miserable asses, you decide to fucking kill me?! The fact that I actually liked the female vessel made me even angrier.

I put on Mana Shield and Aether Shell, then teleported directly into Fyren’s residence. The place was empty, and of course, shaken by the explosions from those Rays of Sol outside. When I finally went outside, Fyren was standing next to the craters left by the explosions. I grabbed him by the neck with Telekinesis and slammed him against the ground, then cast Graveyard, Hand of Winter, and Cage of Exhaustion. The bones from the cage parted ways for me to enter, and Fyren was held tightly by the icy Hand of Winter.

“Fyren, you fucking piece of shit!” The Hand of Winter’s icicles failed to impale him, so did the sharp bones of Graveyard. Cage of Exhaustion however, worked, but slowly. Arcleave, a white semi-circular concentration of arcane energy that travelled in a straight line and severed everything it touched physically, including spells and magic effects, was sent right at him.

He dispelled the Hand of Winter that kept him still and barely dodged Arcleave, a devastating master spell that never stopped until it reached its target. He lost a horn, but didn’t bother retaliating. “Calm yourself, lich. Why do you attack me?”

“Why did you attack me?!” I posed back to him.

He squinted. “I, did not.”

“You expect me to be—” Wait… “You didn’t?”

“No.” He stopped tensing up. “You gave me the dagger. Why would I attack you?”

Holy shit, he’s not lying!

“Well,” a strange voice wiggled into the conversation, “that’s disappointing.” A robed demon floated downwards at the side of us. He chuckled, his elven ears bouncing a little with his movement. “A lich not dying even when killed, hmm? I wouldn’t have it any other way. You have hastened my hand, Lich God Deidre. And you,” he spoke with a hint of disgust, “associate yourself with this miscreant. You’ve even accepted quite the gift, hmm? Did you think you’d save us with the Shadowsiphon dagger, Fyren? You fool.”

The demon king became even more serious, and his massive amounts of mana leaked out. “I will assume that your derisive tone, and those spells earlier, is a clear sign of treason, Abdiel. I applaud your bravery in finally showing your true colors.”

“Hmm, yes.” The traitor’s wine-red robe ruffled in the wind. “On the topic of treason, I suppose I should inform you that we will no longer live under your rule, Fyren. You’ve grown weak, boy. Your precious Darkvipers have abandoned you. The Clownhorns were single-handedly conquered.” He scoffed with a smile. “I’m honestly shocked that our Hellfire brothers still remain loyal to you. Well, they are lesser, so it doesn’t matter.” He conjoined hands behind his back. “Ah, yes, one last thing,” he smiled at me and whirled opened a portal, “Tina Morgauss sends her regards.”

“What?!” I shouted.

The red crescent moon tattoo on his forehead disappeared into the portal behind him when he stepped back.