"I am War Minister Latela, but you probably know this already," the demon said.

"Yeah, we know," Def said, glaring at the... rather good-looking demon. "This third time we meet."

"Do you think whenever we meet again, the other Latela disappear and new one is born?" Troma asked.

"What? Of course no-- actually," Def blinked. "That actually make some sense for once."

Troma nodded. "Right? Maybe when we sleep, everything disappear. And when wake up, everything created again. Maybe actually, only I real, and all of you, imagination."

"Excuse me? What the fuck?" Latela raised an eyebrow. "What is this nonsense?"

Def held up a hand to Latela. "Boobs. Quiet. Def about to receive enlightenment."

"I am the War Minist--"

"Shhh..."

"Affhole!" The Living Word chirped.

"So maybe, every time we meet new person," - Troma looked at Latela - "Or new person again, that person just begin to exist. History and everything appear in that moment."

Def nodded. "Def see. Very interesting."

"Def feel that way too?" Troma asked.

"No. Of course not. That absolutely insane. Def not stupid. How it possible for Troma to be such idiot, but have PhD in Economics? Def still can not believe," Def lamented.

"What? Troma go to school. Then high school. Then university. Then Troma write distraction on global economics, inequity and global market growth. Why it weird for Troma to have PhD?"

"Dissertation," Def corrected Troma. "Troma can't even read or write, or speak properly. What dissertation Troma write?"

Troma thought about it for a moment. "Maybe Troma introduce too many times, and new Troma can't write. Troma pretty sure, at one time, he able to read just fine."

Def sighed.

"Anyway, if Def find paper marked 'Sex-change rat', can Def ask rat how much it cost?" Troma asked.

"Def see a paper marked 'exchange rate'," Def said, pulling up the paper.

"No rat live in there?" Troma asked.

Def sighed. "No, Troma. No sex-change rat live in there."

"Def didn't even look," Troma said.

"Affhole!"

Def looked despondent, literally on the verge of tears. "Def know there is no rat here, Troma. Troma know why Def know?"

"Why?"

Def sighed. "Forget it."

"I can come back later," Latela said, suddenly deferential. No surprises there. There was a reason Senon wasn't here. She had to listen to this nonsense ever since Troma proclaimed that he was better suited to being the Faction's chancellor than Def, because Troma had a PhD in Economics. No one believed him, of course, until he proved it.

On the wall, behind Troma, was a framed degree, confirming Troma's words. It had to be fake.

Def shook his head. "No, it fine. Def done. Def think he saw rat poison around here, and maybe check potency. Ah, there it is."

"So, as your faction representative," Latela said, looking at Ain, who was staring out the window, "I have to ask. What kind of syndicate is exactly the 'Syndicate Faction'."

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"Crime Syndicate," Troma responded.

"I see," Latela said, marking something on her notepad. "And what exactly is your Faction specialty?"

"Salt and Lavatory," Troma said, proudly.

"Assault and battery," Def corrected, gulping down a spoon-full of rat poison.

"Affhole!"

"Also money laundering. And petty theft," Troma said.

"Uh-uh," Latela nodded, marking down several things in quick succession. "Funny."

"What funny?" Troma asked.

"The joke. Ha ha. Look, I am laughing," Latela seemed to be getting angrier by the minute.

"Who say we joking?" Troma asked.

"Yeah, who say we joking?" Def echoed.

"You are not joking?" Latela asked. "You are a Crime Syndicate? You are not even of legal age."

"That why we Crime Syndicate. Stupid." Def rolled his eyes.

"You can't be a Crime Syndicate. You can't be a Syndicate," Latela said.

"Why not? Who say we can't?" Troma asked.

"The no Syndicates in Academy law," Latela said.

"There no anti-unionization or anti-syndicate law in Demon Realm!" Troma said, standing up. "Troma check!"

Latela narrowed her eyes. "There is now! This isn't a joke! Lord Ain, you are now a leader of a Faction in the Academy. You are a potential successor of the Calamity Lord, may-he-live-forever-even-though-he-probably-has-only-a-few-years-left."

"So what?" Ain asked, not even bothering to turn around. "What difference does it make?"

"You are a Count in the Demon Court now. This is an embarrassment," Latela said.

"If human Count in Demon Court, then why human not rich? Where coronet?" Def asked.

"Troma hear coronet got lost on the way here. Apparently, goblin intercept wagon and mug--"

"Shut up. Idiot," Def snarled.

"You also don't have enough members for a faction," Latela said. "You need at least five members."

Def laughed. "I member. Troma member. Susu member. Future-ex-bloodthirsty-psycho-wife member. Of course, Master member."

"No, you didn't pass the Entrance Exam. We allowed Susu- excuse me, Eternal Suffering - into the Academy because Lord Ain requested it, but it was a special exception. You only have three members."

Troma snickered. "Minor spirit future Calamity Lord. Troma die of laughter if that happen."

Def smiled. "It was good joke. Sometime, Def think Troma only pretend to be stupid."

Troma nodded. "Troma also think he only pretend to be stupid."

Def glanced at Troma and sighed. "This rat poison not working. Def still alive."

"Actually... about Def al--"

"Shut up," Def growled.

"Look, please change the name of the Faction, Lord Ain," Latela pleaded at this point. She had no other choice.

"To what? The Calamity faction?" Ain asked.

"Yes," Latela said.

"And what, Miss Latela, would our specialization be?" At this point, Ain turned around to face Latela. "Soul Ruination?"

Miss Latela licked her lips. "If... and only if... your Lordship possessed such a skill. It would be... applicable."

"And Source magic, I presume?" Ain asked.

Latela's smile grew wider. "Again, if your Lordship was capable of such a forbidden art... we might look the other way and allow this new, bright and gifted, generation to experiment. Perhaps allow them to redefine our opinion on whether it is worth the trouble... Lord Ain."

Ain smiled and approached Latela. "Is that so?" he asked, laying his palm flat against Latela's cheek, like a lover might.

"Mm, it is so," Latela whispered, placing her hand over Ain's. "There might even be a reward for you."

"Reward?" Def put the bag of rat poison down.

"A tax-free infusion of capital?" Troma asked.

"Yes. A reward."

Ain's free hand plunged through Latela's chest, and all the way through. Her demonic, blackened heart in his hand contracted and expanded, pumping empty air through severed arteries.

Latela spat out a mouthful of blood over Ain's shirt and face, and the moment the blood touched either, it disintegrated, turning into black ash and fell off him. As if he was too pure to be marred by such filthy things.

"Latela," Ain whispered. "I am not here to help you discover those things again, or to help you break the world with magic that was forbidden for a reason - even if that may make me seem like a hypocrite. As a War Minister, you and I are ideologically opposed. I love peace, while you prepare for war."

"Ghhrk," Latela gurgled on her own blood, becoming faint.

"Did you ever consider why a Human - a Hero - might want to become the Calamity Lord? Even though we are mortal enemies - humans and demons - we are also organisms that share the same world. We might not be able to coexist as we are now, but we must exist next to each other. If our fate is to fight each other until this world is doomed, then our fate is self-destruction."

"Ghaak, gak," Latela gasped, her breathing disjointed and agonized.

"I no longer believe in such a Fate. I no longer abide by it. I no longer allow it to exist in this world. A War like that one, from one thousand years ago, can never be allowed to happen again. There will be peace in this world, like there is now and has been for a thousand years. It must be perpetuated. I will make sure of it... by becoming the Calamity Lord. And if you stand in the way of my goal - in the way of this peace - I will slaughter you and your entire filthy cabal."

Finally, Ain allowed Latela to slip off his arm, and she did so gracefully, falling like a melting snowflake as her raven-black hair rested peacefully over her pierced bosom. He threw Latela's heart to the Living Word of Fire which swallowed it in a burst of flame - a single gulp, so to speak.

"And if you run to the Calamity Lord again, to fill his head with nonsense you may or may not have seen... well, there are fates far worse than self-destruction," Ain said. "This time, I will forgive you. Don't scheme against me again, demon."

"Khk, khk," Latela coughed, spitting out a final mouthful of blood, before her body became still, tears frozen in her eyes.

"Idona," Ain uttered.