King and Master
"My liege, this is the dish my subordinates prepared today. Please, have a taste."
"Whoa, look at that gorgeous color. My mouth's watering already."
Life in the demon realm was pure bliss. All I had to do was lounge in my chair, napping away. Whenever my minions offered food or tribute, I'd graciously accept—that was it.
"Delicious! The seasoning's spot on!"
"Haha, you're too kind, sire. We've got dessert ready too, so no need to worry about going hungry."
"But I'm pretty stuffed now?"
"Then feed it to the dogs outside."
"We have dogs here?"
"Yes."
I arrived at the barren desert of the demon realm with my loyal retainer. Sure enough, wild dogs roamed there. Starved to the bone, they stirred pity in me. Up close, though, they were shockingly huge.
"Whoa... they're pretty big, huh? Like three stories tall, apartment-building style."
"No need to worry, my liege. You get bigger when you transform."
"I know, I've transformed before."
Anyway, they were massive.
My retainer held a massive leather sack filled with my leftovers. He dumped them on the ground— a tangled, stinking mess. Still, the wild dogs chomped it down eagerly, bones and all. Big as they were, skin and bones, they were still adorable pups.
"Heh heh heh, good doggos. That's it!"
"Pleased to see you like them?"
"Yeah, they're cute as hell, heh heh heh."
The food vanished in seconds. Then the dogs crowded around me, begging for pets.
"Hey, let's kidnap one and raise it at home. Plenty of space anyway."
"Understood."
"Aww, who's a good boy!"
Suddenly, one dog started drooling and lumbering toward me, eyes blood-red, completely feral.
"What's wrong with that one? Rabies?"
"Ah, those are Cerberuses."
"What a shitty name. So what's the deal? Special breed or something?"
"Just wild dogs with a nastier temperament."
Temperament changes the name?
"Kinda like how a Golden Retriever differs from a Pomeranian—different breeds."
"Oh, got it. Just innately mean bastards, huh."
Woof woof!
"I get that, but why the freakout?"
"Their minds are simple. They were happy eating, but once the food's gone, they're miserable. So they're barking for more from you."
"Crazy mutts."
Then one Cerberus lunged at me. Pissed off, I grabbed its jaws and ripped its head clean off with both hands.
"Ungrateful shithead."
I scooped up one of the friendly ones under my arm and headed home.
"I'll kill you!"
Three massive fireballs materialized above Mantus.
"Haha! You thought I was an assassin 'cause of the sword? I'm a mage! Die, you blasphemous scum!"
The three enormous fireballs Mantus launched came crashing down on me. Like a dinosaur staring at a falling meteor, I guess.
BOOM!
The fireballs turned the area into an inferno. The air scorched, smoke billowing everywhere.
"Kikikikiki! How's that taste? My Fireball! Normal ones are just ball-sized, but with extreme research, I can make 'em this big... too..."
Toasty warm~ But what can ya do? The demon realm's hotter than this.
"I-Impossible. Fireball! Fireball!"
Two more giant fireballs spawned above Mantus's head and plummeted toward me. I poked one with my finger. It popped like a soap bubble, vanishing instantly.
"Uh... so, um..."
Impressive. Wonder how many hours he poured into this power.
Alright, ant, loved the fancy flight show. Got anything else?
I approached Mantus. To him, I must've looked like a deer-skulled monster spewing black smoke from its maw.
"Hiiiiaaaah! Stay back! Stay away!"
Mantus swung his sword. A red aura-coated sword beam hurtled at me, radiating intense heat. A normal person would've melted to the bone.
But honestly? Weaker than a convenience store hot pack—the kind you don't shake.
"Hah... hah..."
I strolled toward him, the warmed sword beam clinging to me like pimples.
Really nothing else up your sleeve?
"I-I'm sorry! I messed up! I'll go quietly now. Take my goons and leave. Please spare me."
If he heard my slurred speech right now, the mood would shatter.
I flicked my finger through the air, forming letters flickering in black flame.
Why did you try to kill my master?
"W-Well... we needed you from the demon realm. Not your master. So we planned to secretly kill the master... c-capture you, and take you back... haha."
Oh, really? Needed me, so you off my cute master and take just me? That's your big reason? All that killing intent for that?
"P-Please spare me."
Mantus dropped to his knees, kowtowing like praying to a god, trembling. Tears, snot, even drool—total mess. Why do the ones who fear me always shit themselves like this?
I will spare you.
"Th-Thank you!"
For a little while.
"Eh?"
I gestured in the air. Deep purple hands bound Mantus's entire body—mouth, eyes, ears, throat, arms, legs, feet.
"Mrrghmmph! Mmph!"
Off to the shadow realm for now. I'll check on my master and join you. Let's have some fun, you two.
I dispelled the smoke. The dormitory hallway reappeared, as if nothing happened.
Humans have cults worshiping rabid lunatics like these. Gotta interrogate him later back in the shadows.
I phased through the wall like a ghost to check on my master. She should be fine—I left Black Eye with her.
I slipped through the wall into her bedroom. But... something unbelievable was happening.
Black Eye is a massive eye covered in writhing tentacles, floating in the air. It petrifies intruders on sight—a beast few in the demon realm could tame.
And yet...
"That's it, good baby. So cute, our little one."
Lur cradled it in her hands, now shrunken to infant size, eyes closed in bliss. Not a metaphor—a real puppy-sized version.
Demon realm horrors turned to stone trying to tame it... Of course, it wouldn't attack my master, the one I protect.
Then it hit me—the day I said goodbye to my retainer.
The day mysterious dark smoke enveloped me.
—
"H-Hey! Wait, I'm the demon king! Why am I becoming a summon?!"
"Th-This can't be right..."
"Don't just stand there—help me!"
My panicking retainer said:
"C-Calm down, sire! Anyone worthy of making you their summon must be... close to godlike!"
—
He never lied. And after that, I met Lur.
"Mmm... so cuuute..."
My adorable master rubbed her cheek against the cutified Black Eye. Her gentle gaze turned to me.
"Mmm...? Thanatos is here too. Hehe, Thanatos~!"
Lur hugged me tight.
"Nice seeing you in my dream, hehe."
Dream...? Ah, that's the constraint. Like how I slur after becoming a summon. No—deeper.
Now I get it. Why I didn't resist the Wood Golem choking me, or notice Liz tailing me.
Someone worthy of summoning me.
"Weird. It's a dream, but you smell like real Thanatos."
Mana drain's heavy, though. Gotta unsummon Black Eye soon.
Spotting my eye, it wisely faded away.
"Thanatos, I'm glad you're my summon."
Me too. Glad you're my master.
I cradled her like a baby and laid her in bed. Exhausted from maxing mana, she fell asleep fast.
"Alright, master's fine. Time to watch Mantus scrap with his ants."
I slipped into the shadows.