Perhaps there was hope for the demonling yet.

Luizimine nodded proudly as he looked upon their prize. The human was perfectly intact, right down to his shocked expression frozen in time. And for that, Gingee deserved their praise. Though the demonling seemed happy enough with fur scratches, a reward of some sort would need to be acquired later.

“Alright,” he said. “This one isn’t very fleshy, so we’ll have to ration him out. The head and shoulders should be enough to last us the day.”

“Bark. What about the hunting grounds, master?”

“I spotted a few areas that might do while we were lost. Given how many humans reside in this town, it may be easier to lure them than-”

A bell chimed above, both demons turning as there came a heavy knock from the front door. Gingee’s tail bounced off the ground.

“Bark. Visitors, master.”

“Visitors?”

The bell rang again, accompanied by the same heavy knock.

Is it friend or foe? Luizimine had only been in the world for a day, but anything was possible. He sharpened his nails, slowly making his way towards the entrance. No foe would be so bold as to announce their presence. Not a weak one, at least. There were always one or two heroic faces who'd challenge him every cycle. Never on the wizard's level, but some came pretty close.

He slowly turned the unlocking mechanism, pulling the door open and peaking outside.

“Oh good, you’re alive.”

He kept his hand behind his back. A human stood at his doorstep, greeting the hellspawn with a smile.

It was male, his strong jaw and blue gaze making the hellspawn a tad unnerved. He had the eyes of power. Like he was a knight decked in steel armor. The pink sweater with mittens didn't appear to offer protection, but enchantments were always tricky to spot.

“Sup, Justin,” the stranger said. “You alright there, buddy? You lookin’ a little crazy in the eye.”

Luizitine narrowed at the human. This male. He knows me as Justin. A friend, then? He let his nails shrink back to normal. Better not act too rashly. If there's one, there's another. Can never be given a solitary human, can I? He glanced back.

“One moment, please.”

The door shut, Luzitine whirling to scream at his minion.

“Gingee! Hide the body! And hide yourself!”

“Bark. Master?”

“Just do it, Gingee! You cannot let the humans see you! Is that clear?”

“Bark! Yes, master!”

The demonling grabbed their humansicle, disappearing around the corner. Luizitine fixed his clothes, dawning his friendliest smile. Justin. Your name is Justin. You are Justin. Become Justin. He flung the door open, waving his hand out.

“Oh, how unkind of me to make you stand there! Come in, fellow human! Let us partake in the merriment!”

The stranger stared at him. Luizitine grinned. Why are you just standing there? Move human! Are you broken? He waved his hand again. The stranger finally answered…with a laugh.

“Holy crap, Justin. What the hell was that?”

Luiztine smile faltered if only a bit. The human was holding his sides as he strolled past.

“Oh my god,” he said. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone theatre boy on me, now. Sweet Jesus.”

As the human leaned against the wall, Luizitine found himself at a loss for a response. Had he said something so wrong? Usually, humans were easy enough to fool, but the stranger seemed to know Justin enough to spot the difference. Perhaps too well. Throat slashing was still on the table.

“Is there an issue with the way I talk?” he demanded.

The human stopped laughing, still grinning ear to ear. He raised his hands.

“Woah woah, I’m just joking, man. No judgment here. Okay, maybe a little judgment, but hey, we all gotta cope someways, right?”

Luizitine didn’t respond. Who is this human?

Though there was still much he didn't know of Justin, he got the sense the stranger didn't see him as a threat. Perhaps he wouldn't have to kill him. Yet. The human gave him a nudge before heading straight for the food storage room, Luizitine following slightly annoyed. Doesn't even acknowledge his host. Such insolence. The stranger opened up the storage device.

“Geez man, where’s all the food?” he asked. “All you got is crap in the fridge. What gives?”

“Fridge?” Luizitine repeated the words, nodding as the stranger dug through Justin’s supplies. “I don’t believe I’ve had the opportunity to rid myself of the crap.”

“Uhuh. And this wouldn’t have anything to do with you going hermit mode, would it?”

“I…don’t believe I’ve ever heard of that spell.”

The stranger came out of the fridge device, frowning.

“You really gonna keep up this act, Justin?”

The hellspawn sharpened his nails. Choose your next words carefully, human. I will not leave a threat un- No. Better solution. He let the nails return to normal. If anything, Soul of Cold would be more efficient. A second humansicle to stave them off until the other humans came looking. Which he had no doubt they would.

The stranger shook his head.

“Fine.” He shut the fridge. “C’mon. Time for a pep talk, dude.”

The man once again disregarded Luizitine's approval, walking past like he owned the house. Are all humans of this world so callous? Such ill manners. The stranger showed no signs of remorse, continuing on as if he were some grand prince. He stopped in the room across from theirs, the area marked by brown chairs as long as beds.

“Alright, Shakespeare," the stranger said, plopping on the cushions. "Let’s hear it.”

Luizitine frowned. “Here what?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“The reason you’ve been cooped up in here for weeks. What, you just randomly decided to pick up acting after the breakup? And it’s got nothing to do with you-know-who?”

“You-know-who?”

The stranger frowned. “Dude, I’m being serious. Look, I know it sucks, but don’t let that rando bring you down. You still got Gingee right?” He looked around. “Hey, where the heck is Gingee anyway?”

There was a heavy thump from upstairs.

“What the?”

Luzitine tensed, the voice he’d come to know echoing from the bedroom.

“Bark. Gingee is hiding.”

The stranger looked up at the noise, Luiztine growing pale as he cursed under his breath. Minion Gingee, you foolish fool.

He’d told the demonling to hide. There weren’t many places it could have done so, but he would have been more than willing to divert attention to keep his minion out of sight. So long as it stayed quiet, any hiding place would do. That was all he asked of it. A simple task.

“What the?" The stranger rose. "You heard that too, right, Justin? Justin?”

Luizitine pinched his forehead. No. Perhaps this is still salvageable. It isn’t as if Gingee’s-

“Bark. Oh no. Gingee wasn’t quite. Bark. Sorry, master.”

Luizitine growled. Dammit, Gingee. The stranger was watching. Alright. No choice, then. He readied his demonic powers, an icy mist rising over his fingertips. The human fixed a frown, a hand rising to his forehead. A counter-attack? His eyes were closed.

“Justin, please tell me you didn’t buy a maidbot.”

Luizitine stopped his approach.

“C’mon, Justin,” the stranger said, rubbing his temples. “I thought you were better than that.”

Luizitine slowly pulled his hand back, his powers subsiding.

Though he wasn't quite sure what the man referred to, the hellspawn knew better than to ignore the opportunity to remove suspicion. And it wasn't as if he had much too lose with the lie. In fact, it could have been a chance to explain away his minion completely. Play along, Luizitine. He fixed a forlorn expression.

“Yes. Well. We all have our vices.”

“Not this, man," the stranger said. "Not this.”

He sat back down, still rubbing his forehead. Luizitine took the chair nearby, hanging his head in shame.

“It is true,” he said. “I have acquired a maidbot. It's helped me get through these…trying times. As has the…acting.”

“Justin.”

The man reached out, a hand landing on Luizitine’s shoulder. The hellspawn let out his most exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

“Dude, don't be like that,” the stranger said. “Forget about Lisa. Look, you’re a good guy, Justin. Someone else will come along, you just gotta get through this crap. It hurts, but you'll find get someone better. Someone that won’t be a nag 24/7.”

Luizitine slowly nodded, his face remaining a mask of sorrow. I don't know who this Lisa is, but I’ll have to consult Gingee on her later. And learn more of this maid bot. The stranger gave his shoulder a gentle smack.

“C’mon,” he said. “I know what'll cheer ya' up. Let’s go for a drive, dude.”

“A drive?”

“Yeah. We can go get McGreedles just like old times.”

The stranger grinned. Luizitine could only nod in agreement, trying to hide his smile. Mission accomplished.

***

As it turned out, McGreedles was a human establishment near the castle side of town.

The stranger, who seemed to respond to Dude, had proven himself a wealth of information as he not only demonstrated how to activate the metal contraptions but also how they were controlled, the beast responding with a simple key turn. Every time he turned the steering device, the vehicle responded in kind. It even roared at his command, the horn noise sounding as the man cursed at his fellow drivers.

“Cripes,” Dude was saying. “I swear the wrong cars got trashed last night. I don't know what the heck happened, but these jackholes need to be walking.”

“R-right.”

Luiztine stared out the window, watching the road drift by as if he were riding the back of a horse. But there was no wind in his hair. No fear of falling off. The vehicle seemed to absorb all elements of the outside world, leaving its users protected within. Fascinating. He still didn’t understand how it could produce minstrel voices, but the melodies were a nice addition. It almost made him feel like a king again.

Dude guided the beast past the others, all contraptions operating in a hive mind of sorts. One moved with another following suit. They flickered their lights in what seemed to be communication. Occasionally they'd all stop as one, Dude tapping impatiently until the procession resumed. Luzitine nodded at it all. So much to learn in this world. Thanks the stars I didn't kill this man. He may make a useful minion in time.

As the tall buildings reappeared, Luizitine tried to gather the right words to learn more.

“Can anyone drive?” he asked.

Dude scoffed. “I know, right? I swear they let anyone in Angelas with a pulse on the road. Friggin’ trash city.”

“R-right. Trash city.”

“I swear if I didn’t have to go to school here, I’d leave.”

Luizimine nodded. It wasn’t the response he’d hoped for, but he knew playing along worked best. While Dude was a wealth of information, a few of his words were difficult to translate on the spot. From what the hellspawn could gather, Angelas was the name of the wider city the town encompassed. Justin’s home was near the residential sector, along with many others. The shops were all relegated to the castle sector, the markets bustling with crowds of traveling humans.

To his surprise, Angelas was a mixture of indoor shops and street vendors. It wasn't entirely different from his previous worlds. What was, however, were the sections of road dedicated to storing inactive vehicles. Dude guided their beast into one after a few miles of driving, the contraption returning to dormancy with a metallic crank.

“Let’s go, Shakespeare," he said. "I’m buying, but don’t go crazy.”

“R-right.”

Following his guide, Luizitine spotted a building marked by red lettering and a giant white bird.

It moved its arm up and down, gaze staring off into the sky. Another guard, I see. Luizitine sized the creature up as he passed, its gaze never moving. What is it looking at? Guarding for a planetary threat? Luizitine tried to follow its eyes, but he could only see a large expanse of blue sky.

“Welcome to McGreedles!”

He flinched, a voice calling from the stars. The other humans didn’t seem to notice. A telepathic attack? The voice came again when another human walked past. Then a third time. A fourth. Whenever someone made their way through the enchanted doors the voice blared ahead. Luizitine relaxed. Oh. A greeting spell is all. Dude gave him a nudge.

“You alright, man?”

Luizitine straightened himself out. “Never better. Shall we commence with the nourishment?”

Dude smiled wryly. “Still not dropping the act, huh? Whatever. Let's get food.”

He led them both to the line of other humans, a tapestry of paintings arranged above two shopkeepers. They looked to sandwiches, each marked by numbers and symbols. To Luizitine’s relief, the world’s currency seemed to revolve around a combination of coins and paper, although some lucky few seemed to get supplies via a license

So there is a guild nearby. I'll have to find them when I can. Entrance won't be easy, but I'll need the connections to build my army. He nodded to himself as Dude spoke to the counter workers.

World domination was key, but it would take time to gather the necessary pieces to overthrow humanity. At present, information was the primary goal. He watched everything intently, memorizing as many details as he could as he sat down to his horrendous meal. I'll never understand how they eat this rubbish. He pretended to enjoy the cuisine.

“Oh, did you hear about that thing at the junkyard?” Dude asked.

“I don’t believe I have. Please tell me more.”

“Okay, check this. They found a friggin’ body over there. Apparently, that place was haunted or some crap. Can you believe it?”

“That does sound rather strange, yes.”

“Strange is an understatement, man. I was trying to text you about it, but you wouldn’t pick up your damn phone.”

“Oh. I lost it.”

“Again. Geez, dude, just get an Ar already. They got tracking maps.”

He waved his phone as he said this. In truth, Luzitine had discovered Justin’s by accident while watching the television, but Dude didn’t need to know that. The hellspawn smiled, enduring bites of disgusting non-human meat so he could listen to his guide’s insight.

“Oh, but you wanna know the weirdest part? People are still hanging out there. It’s like, ‘What, do you wanna get bodyjacked or something?' Friggin’ idiots.”

Luzimine nodded. “Yes. Idiots.” He leaned forward, taking a sip of the sludge water humans called soda. "How popular is this junkyard, if I may ask?”