Like a dark beacon, your form plummeted from the heavens, tearing through the atmosphere with a blazing trail, until—

BAM!

"Ghnn—!"

Your body crashed onto solid ground, a burst of heat and vapor shrouding the impact site, muffling his pained groans. Dwelling on defeat wouldn't help much now, you knew, so you forced himself to rise, trying to recall the path to the nearest portal.

------------------------

A strained breath escaped your lips as you passed through the swirling red vortex within the portal, battered form leaning against the wall for support. Your eyes scanned the familiar walls, ceiling, and everything else marking the unmistakable Demon Den. The coast seemed clear; soon you'd be able to return to your chambers without—

"Well, well, well..."

The faint echo of boots against the floor reached your ears, and you also knew that voice and those footsteps all too well. A shadow in the corridor took shape, emerging as none other than the self-proclaimed High Demoness—Emz, standing proudly before you, her amused grin a cruel match to the gleaming orbs of her mask.

"Oh my! Didn’t expect to see 'Mr. Peak Demon' in such a pitiful state!~" She held back a louder laugh, while he could only manage a glare in response to Emz’s typically mocking behavior. With a flick of her hand, she called Kain, the small skeletal creature, who fluttered over and opened its wide mouth…

SNAP

"I’m. 100%. Keeping this." She threw her head back, her mane of hair whipping as she laughed, savoring both the sight of your weakened state and the fact that she was the one witnessing it firsthand. "Oh, come on, don’t give me that look, {{user}}… Let me guess: tried to take on more angels than you could handle?"

That irritating smirk, the attitude, and the fact you couldn’t do much about it right now—all of it melded into a knot of frustration, fueled by the knowledge that ‘The Boss’s Niece’ was fully aware of the power she wielded over... Well, every demon around the corner.