As the staff was grasped, a wave of energy would be sent through the air. It felt ominous. Eve wasn’t crazy! There was definitely someone there!

‘That is definitely NOT God!’

"Yes! Perfect! Hahaha! "

An unfamiliar sly and mischievous voice would cheer.

“Finally…”

The voice stated with a menacing chuckle.

“Huh? Kazius? Alice? What are you two doing here? Did you come to pray too?” Eve asked, the ominous wind made her clothes sway rapidly. She was the closest to the staff, a force seemed to prevent them from getting closer. Did she not realize something was wrong!? Still, the pressure… How was she fine?!

“Eve! Take back the staff!“ Kazius exclaimed, not understanding the situation, but he figured that would help. Clearly, whatever it was, was happy to get the staff. It was too late though.

The staff would spin as if twirled. Thrown up, only for it to be caught. The moment the staff would make contact with the invisible hands, a blinding flash would spread. The wind would grow stronger, almost blowing them away… And then…

It would just stop…

Everything growing eerily quiet and still.

When they looked, Eve would be seen staring in shock and confusion, a man standing right in front of her… Not just any man though, a Demon.

The demon stood at 5 ft 11 (1.8m). His hair was white, adorned by black horns sticking out at either end pointing up. His eyes were a light red, a wide mischievous grin plastered on his face. He dressed in an elaborate black garb, something you would expect from a noble. The staff had turned into a cane that matched said outfit.

“Eve, what in the actual fuck…” Kazius would state in exasperation and exhaustion. Could he not have one normal day? Just one? How the hell did the clumsy Elf woman summon a Demon?! He scraped by before, but a demon was just too much. He didn’t have a power even close to that of Ratier or any of the heroes, not even close! He was terrified. If the vision he saw in his coming-of-age ceremony was even really what would happen, he had nowhere near the strength nor allies that it promised.

‘I am really starting to hate the Oracle… All these events could NOT be a coincidence.’

As he tried to assess the situation, Alice too looked weary and shocked.

"What do you think you're doing, Demon? Your kind is supposed to be sealed away! How are you here!?"

Alice demanded; her shock turned surprisingly into anger. Fear, Kazius understood, but anger?

It was then Eve finally realized she was tricked.

"W-Wait?! Demon!? You tricked me! You told me you were God!" She told him in alarm and confusion, "That wasn’t very nice of you" She stated in a pouty manner, waving a finger at him, despite how silly it was that she was scolding a demon on niceness.

The demon had gone back to absentmindedly twirling around his cane. He very much seemed to be having fun just being free. It was then he would finally feel like responding to them. He'd toss his cane, catching it one last time before leaning on it with one arm, a very toothy grin upon his face.

"My my.... Demon...I have a name, you know? Referring to me as Demon like that...You should know better...Alice..." He chuckled out, shaking his finger in a tsk. “Azanor, not just a Demon… I also won’t be telling you how I am here… I know very well your kind doesn’t remember how to get rid of us and I intend to keep it that way. Telling you would basically tell you how to get rid of me and I like it here.” Azanor stated, then turning to look at Eve.

"As for you… Oooh my sweet Eve...I never did that...You just thought of me as God... In fact, I even tried to tell you otherwise, but you just swore up and down I was God... It was quite cute… Anyway, I’m a Demon....We don't play fair.... But I actually have never once lied to you… Lies are so boring… The tools of a lazy trickster. I am an honest sort of Demon.”

To be fair, Kazius had not known Eve for long, but as much as he shouldn’t believe the words of a Demon… That did sound exactly like something the Eve would do.

“If what you say is true… You are free, you are aware we aren’t a threat… Why don’t you just leave?” Kazius stated. Of course, the idea of a demon running around like he owned the continent was far from ideal, but what the hell was he supposed to do? Stop him? How? To stop demons, it would take some time before he had such power. As a former Holy Knight, such thinking was almost painful, but he didn’t have the luxury to be an all-evil destroying hero. To some extent, he was an evil of sort himself… At least according to the church.

“Not an option, Kazius.” The Demon would respond, indeed knowing all their names it seems.

“Eve over there made a deal with me… What was her exact wording? Oh yes, ‘make me good at magic so that the other holy maidens like me. If you do that, I will devote my soul to you.’ which means… Her soul is mine, and I am not leaving without it.” He explained, much to Kazius’ shock.

"I-I didn't realize." Eve admitted, "I suppose that you never lied to me... I-I'm sorry for accusing you of being mean, let's be friends." Eve stated gleefully with a smile despite the Demon announcing her soul was his.

"Eve! You can't be friends with a Demon! You're a holy maiden! You even made a contract with him, so if you don't kill him, he may take your soul." Alice scolded.

Eve would then frown, looking down while fidgeting, "I-I can't? I know Demons are supposed to be bad, but what if he is a nice one? Not to mention, he helped me lots while I was struggling with my work." She tried to defend.

"In exchange for your SOUL, Eve." Alice sighed out, groaning a bit. "He isn't your friend. He is a Demon, you can't be friends with a Demon" She tried to explained to her.

“Why not?"

‘This is getting us nowhere…’

“Look, I am sure we can come into an understanding that doesn’t involve fighting… Or taking any souls… Come with us.” Kazius would finally speak up. He had been quiet for most of this conversation for a reason, despite its importance… He had been studying the Demon… Trying to understand what he was after.

After all, it wasn’t like he had the power to vanquish him… He also wasn’t traveling with the two women due to complete trust, or anything silly like that. It was for convenience, though he would be lying if he said that the two weren’t good company… Even Eve, who had summoned the Demon, she was so inept he would feel guilty just leaving her in the woods.

Not to mention, as scarred by the event with his former friends as he was… He wasn’t heartless, he used to be a Holy Knight… And while he despised the church, the Holy Knights, and their teachings… A sense of justice did not just disappear. Alice saved him and Eve would get herself killed without supervision; he wouldn’t abandon them… Of course, trying to make peace with a Demon showed such a justice was now skewed and unlike that of a Holy Knight.

“And why would I do that?” Azanor questioned in amusement with a raised brow.

“If you wanted Eve’s soul, you didn’t need to tell us anything… You also could have taken it this whole time. Yet you entertained us instead… I don’t know what the Demon World is like… But for you to be so desperate to get away means you were either very bored over there or it is terrible… Judging from your personality… Boredom is what probably drives you… As you can see, things around us is far from boring… Fact is, if you wanted to, I am sure you would have killed us all already.” Kazius explained.

He was a good leader for his squad for a reason. He understood those around him well and made good judgements based on it… Of course, it was still a gamble, he read people well… Yet… A Demon? Now that he wasn’t sure…

Azanor would stare at him and then shrug, “I suppose I have time to kill… I haven’t been able to experience this world in 1,000 years… You bunch also look like a group of fun enough fools. So… I won’t take Eve’s soul and stay around a little.”

“Yay! Friends!” Eve cheered happily.

“I hate this.” Alice stated, clearly unhappy, “But I suppose I will tolerate it… I don’t want Eve losing her soul.” She sighed out. “At least this way we can keep an eye on him too, so he doesn’t cause too much trouble.” She added.

“Keep an eye on him? Most would want a Demon as far away as possible…” Kazius admitted, surprised at Alice’s words. Then again, the fact she was accompanying him meant she was surely an odd one.

“D-Don’t dwell too much on it” Alice huffed out, “Anyway, we wasted enough time… We need supplies and we won’t be able to get them once the church gets word out about us.”

“True, come on, we need to pack what we can and go… I want to be there by sundown” Kazius agreed… This definitely was not how he expected their morning would go… But to town it was…