It was a normal Saturday morning, and a boy and a girl were messing around in a closed room. A room we inherited from those who came before us and will pass on to those who'll come after (if any do.)

A sacred room for any kid... the toy room.

There was a building station with many 'creative toys' and an indoor sandpit bound by barrier magic that only trapped sand. There was a trampoline that you could jump on, but never jump off. It was the safest room in the castle, when in danger it became an impenetrable bunker. It was impossible to get hurt in here.

Inside it, Yuu-chan and I were busy doing our own thing. We had both earned our freedom after my entire year of absolute dependence on my parents.

[I was thinking about how we can fix this vampire problem of yours.] I told her while making something grand in the 'creative corner', the most natural space for me, as I was somewhat of an artist myself.

[What vampire problem?] She asked while jumping around on her trampoline. As expected of a brute.

[You know… being a vampire in general.]

[First of all, saying that me being a certain race is a 'problem' is extremely racist. And also, how do I fix it?] She took the bait.

[You need to evolve.]

[That takes centuries. Plus I wouldn't reap the benefits, my descendants would.]

[Nah nah nah... What I mean is that you should evolve into a devil… the highest form any demon can take. All of my retainers were devils. Even the demon kings of the Left Hall were all devils.]

I, the demon lord, was in a league of my own. Back in my previous life, I was more akin to a deity than a mortal. But devils were the second strongest beings in the entire demon empire. More than strong enough to suppress the rest of the world if they were let loose.

[Hmmm... how exactly do I evolve?]

.

.

.

[Well, I dunno. They all just suddenly changed one day saying that it was because of their devotion to me.] I shrugged.

[Oh wow! That really helped! You just gave me hope and took it away! Thanks for making me more miserable.]

[Just shut up for a minute and think. If you devote yourself to me then you might evolve into the devil. Since I have the soul of a demon lord and all.]

Usually, a longer sentence would be distorted when jumping on a trampoline, because it's your mind that takes gaps not your tongue. So it also held true for thought transmission. But her transmission was undisturbed. Guess that's what you'd expect for someone who fought entire battles while giving out commands.

But you see, when you use thought transmission and your brain isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, you tend to move your mouth along mimicking the orally enunciated version of thought you're transmitting. That's when you realise why your brain stops thinking when your legs come in contact with a trampoline...

[I'd rather die again than devote myself to -!!PHOUU! I BIT MY PHONGUE!]

The dimwit bit her phongue.

I ran, I mean waddled over to the trampoline and got on.

[You really are a kid.] I opened her jaw and pulled her tongue out. I took out candy from my pocket and put it on her. Placebo. The sugar does nothing but tricks kids into believing that it hurts less.

[Ouchhhh!] She exclaimed at first. [Ah, it's gephing bepher.] She admitted later.

'I can't believe I have to take care of a girl older than me.'

We had our memories, so our personalities should be intact. But emotions are a fleeting surge of neurotransmitters and hormones. Hormones change from age to age and body to body. So our emotions too were heavily dependant on our current body.

I caressed her hand. She wasn't crying but some tear drops did form around her eyes.

While her personality might not be the best, she looked like a little angel. Her dark yellow hair had now reduced to a calming golden, and her iridescent eyes had become even more pearl-like.

If she were my daughter, I'd dote on her.

Too bad she was older than me and completely unlovable.

[It's fine just let it all out.] Crying was an infant body's response to anything.

[No, we're teenagers in the body of children. That's embarrassing.]

[Well, actually, I am a teenager, but your consciousness is about to turn 20, you know?]

[Kukk! Don't attack me like that.] She grabbed her heart as if exaggerating. Guess she'd be fine if she's able to do that much.

I waited for her pain to go away, and then went back to complete my masterpiece.

I picked up the final block and place it atop my tower mega-structure replica. I had the real deal constructed when I was the demon lord. Now, all I could make is a pale imitation out of ligo blocks.

Time truly had changed.

[Now that I think about it, it's almost time don't you think, Ma-kun?] Yeah, she calls me Ma-kun now. Mao sounded a little weird after all.

[Time for what?]

[Time for you to talk.] She wiped the little droplets beside her eyes.

I already "learnt" how to walk half a year ago. I debuted in front of my parents last month.

'It has already been 14 months since my resurrection, huh? Time truly passes by quickly when you're having fun.'

While I was occupied with reminiscing, my hand suddenly slipped and the tower comes falling down.

'Crap! This is why you make the prisoners do all the labour!'

I curled up. I didn't even have any external mana. The only thing I can do was hope for everything to work out.

[You dumb little idiot!]

The next thing I knew, Yuu-chan is there covering my little baby head with her mana-protected arms. The blocks fell around her as she does a kabedon against the floor with me in between.

If this were a shoujo manga, I'd be going all doki doki now.

[I'm… sorry. Yuu-chan!] I apologised sincerely.

[You didn't get hurt right?] To think there would ever come a day when the demon lord's safety would be in jeopardy over some little playing blocks. And that the hero would save him.

[I didn't… are you fine?] I answered.

[I don't know... I feel like I'm fading.]

[Yuu-nee!!!! Don't go!!!!]

[This life was shorter than I expected too... alas.]

[HEROOO WENCHHH!!!]

[Oi, shut up.] She pushed back up and dusted the ligo blocks off.

"YUU-CHAN DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?" Her eldest brother came running in. The first prince of the kingdom, Sadou Alez.

"YUU-YUUUU!!!" A woman came running in too. The first princess, Sadou Hime.

"WHO HURT MY YUUNO-CHAN?!" And finally the siscon. Wait, all three of them were siscons. He was just the one most obsessed with her, Sadou Rune.

"N-No one hurd me. Da bloggs fel so I pwotected Mao."

The room was busy with the siblings pampering Yuu-chan, but my head was entirely silent, until-

[PFT-HAHAHAHAH!! BWAHAHAHAHA! You PWOTECTED meeee… HAAHAHAH!]

[SHUT UP YOU ROTTEN PIECE OF DEMON FLESH! I CAN'T HELP IT! I HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE A KID.]

[BUT YOU ALMOST GOT HURDDD! lolololol.]

[I swear to god I'll murder you.] A chill ran down my spine.

Didn't change the fact that this was frigging hilarious. I continued to crack up in my mind as the other's checked over her body for wounds.

"Ah, a scratch." Alez said.

"A SCRATCH?!" Rune threw Alez out of the way and examined her hand. "A SCRATCH!!! IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU! WHAT IF YUUNO-CHAN GETS A SCAR BECAUSE OF YOU?!" He turned to me and emitted a threatening aura.

Is this a situation where I was supposed to cry in?

Moreover, she actually got hurt trying to save me. That idiot. I did get saved from definite hurt, but what if she actually got a scar? That'd be really bad... Well, Dad will heal her so it'll be fine. I hoped.

"SO HOW ARE YOU GON-" A heel hit the back of his head.

"Can you just shut up already? It was an accident. Kids get into those when playing around." Hime knelt down and patted my head.

"Yeah, do you remember how many times we got hurt trying to protect you?" Alez picked Yuu-chan up and starts carrying her out. "I'll get her to Yiho-san. You two take care of Mao-kun."

"Yeah yeah." Hime waved her off while lifting me up.

"Tch. Why do I have to be stuck here with this brat?" The real brat here was you, you fourteen-year-old kid.

"Don't call him a brat! He's such a cutie. Arenchu Ma-kun~" She drove a finger in my cheek.

In all honesty, I was fine with her calling me a brat. She was seven years older than my soul after all. Rather, It'd be weird if she treated me like an equal.

Oh well, all that drivel aside… I still couldn't get over the fact that Yuu-chan got hurt because she tried to protect me.

Or should I say, hurd twying to pwotect me. HAHAHA!!!

There's no way I'd feel guilty about hurting a girl who put a sword through my chest. Plus, my father would heal her. Yeah, he'd definitely heal her until her wound is totally non-existent!

### A few days later...

"Maoooo—kuun say Daddy!!" Dad yelled while sitting under me, in front of the dresser. He massaged my mouth.

And it dawned on me- It was finally time. Time for my first word. Time to debut the speech feature.

'Since he's the one who asked before Mother did, 'Dada' it is.'

"Da-" I opened my mouth but a screech stops my right as I start to enunciate.

"No!!! He'll say Mama first!"

Mom rushed to the back of the mirror, without doing her top properly. Maybe it was because my mind was elsewhere and preparing to say something, anything. Or maybe it was because it was my first time seeing them after eight whole months, but my mouth suddenly let loose-

"Ah… boobies."

A brief moment of silence radiated inside the room.

'Son of a bi...! What the hecc did I just say?!'

Please say they didn't catch on. Please say they didn't catch on.

I'll say mama. I'll say dada too. Just forget I just ever said that! Please!

"Darling…" Mother said.

"Honey…" Honey, Father replied.

"Our kid's first word was boobies."

"Indeed."

Damn it!

My first word was boobies.