Yuto cautiously entered the cave, his senses on high alert.

It was dark, the only light being what little that entered from the cave entrance.

His steps echoed through the cave as he walked deeper, his eyes sweeping the area for any potential threats.

As Yuto crept deeper into the cave, he started to hear soft murmurs coming from the darkness in front of him.

The sound of voices, both male and female, was faint but gradually growing louder as he approached.

He slowed his steps until he was walking almost silently, his senses straining to hear what was being said.

The voices were clearer now, and he could make out a few words - "master", "prisoners", and "sacrifice"

The words were ominous, and Yuto's hackles raised slightly.

He couldn't tell how many people were in the cave, but the voices sounded like at least a couple dozen.

He moved a bit more cautiously now, his hand instinctively going to his sword.

The voices got louder as Yuto reached what seemed like a large cavern.

The light was a bit stronger here, revealing a sight that made Yuto's blood boil.

Row after row of villagers were chained up, bound to the cave walls.

They were all sleeping, their breath steady and even but their faces pale and drawn.

These villagers had been kidnapped, and chained like livestock.

Anger flared in his gut as he scanned the room, looking for whoever was behind this.

"What is this? A little rat made his way here?"

Before Yuto could respond to the voice, he felt a giant fist hit him square in the face.

Yuto was sent flying back, slamming into the cave wall.

Pain flared up his spine as he slumped to the ground, dazed and disoriented.

He heard the other person - a male, judging by the deep timbre of the voice - let out a bark of laughter.

"Aww, did I hit you too hard?" the voice taunted, the mockery clear in every syllable.

“Shut up”

“What? Can’t face the-”

Skill: Speed Blitz

In a flash, Yuto got off the floor, pulled out his sword, and slashed the demon’s arm off, causing it to howl in pain.

Dark blood splattered as the arm reached the floor”

“Y-you Bastard!”

Yuto recovered quickly, jumping to his feet and facing the demon.

It was a hulking, horned monstrosity almost twice Yuto's size, its remaining arm flailing in pain.

“You caught me off guard you sack of shit”

Yuto chuckled as he sliced off both of its legs, causing the demon to howl in agonizing pain.

“Still… it was a good hit… for a low-ranking demon”

The demon was now nothing more than a writhing, screaming mess on the ground, unable to move but alive.

It was clearly in agony, its breaths coming in quick, ragged gasps.

"Tell me... who is responsible for this?"

"You think... I'll betray my master, you weakling?" it spat, its voice hoarse and filled with venom.

Yuto proceeded to stab its shoulder.

"Tell me"

"You... won't get... any information... out of me," it grunted, its eyes full of defiance.

"Hey…”

“?”

“Could it be that you are currently waiting for the demons in the village to come save you?"

The demon's expression flickered for a moment, uncertain.

"What?" it rasped, its eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Stop playing stupid, the ones from the village where you kidnapped the villagers"

“H-how did you-”

Yuto twisted the blade in the demon’s shoulder further, eliciting another pained yell.

“Ah ah, don’t play coy. I know a demon when I see them”

“...”

“Staying quiet is the same as admitting the truth”

“...”

“Heh, wanna know something funny?”

“W-what?”

“I didn’t mean to raise your hopes or anything,” Yuto leaned in to whisper.

“They're not coming”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Why? Well because I…killed…them”

The demon's expression went from shock to fear as the words sunk in.

It began to struggle more frantically now, its eyes wide with panic.

"No... no, you couldn't have-" it gasped, its voice trembling.

“HAHAHAHA”

Yuto chuckled darkly as he twisted the blade again, causing more pain.

"Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted, the corners of his lips upturned in a sadistic smile.

"What is not as funny as before?"

"What happened to threatening me?"

The demon was now clearly terrified, its eyes darting around as if looking for an escape route.

"Stop, p-please," it whimpered, its bravado from before completely gone.

"Please... I'll tell you everything, just please stop"

Yuto pulled out his sword and sheathed it once more.

"Go on, tell me"

It took a shuddering breath, its body trembling more now from fear than pain.

"W-what do you want to know?" it asked, its voice shaky and trembling.

Yuto looked around, the villagers had their clothes ripped and torn, causing him to grit his teeth.

"Which demon general do you morons serve?"

The demon, sensing Yuto's fury, hesitated for a moment before answering, its voice quaking with fear.

"I... we serve the Demon Lady Lilith," it confessed, its eyes glued to the ground.

“I figured as much”

The demon looked up at Yuto then, its expression one of fearful defiance.

"She... she will kill you for harming her servants," it warned, its voice a mixture of bravado and unease.

“...”

SWISH

Yuto cut off the remaining arm.

It howled in agony as its remaining arm landed near Yuto's feet.

It was now completely immobilized, unable to move or fight back.

"P-please," it whimpered, its voice pleading and trembling.

"I-I told you what you wanted to know!"

"No no no, you see, you haven't told me how to save the villagers you have here"

The demon's eyes widened further in alarm, its body trembling even more now.

"S-save? Save them from what?" it asked, its voice a shaky croak.

"Hmm? Do I just cut the rope and that's it?"

The demon's eyes widened again.

"Y-you can't!" it protested, its voice filled with alarm.

"If you free them, they'll be-"

It suddenly cut itself off, its eyes darting nervously around the cave as if to make sure nobody was listening.

Yuto stabbed the other shoulder, "Or what?"

It let out another pained howl as Yuto stabbed it again, its body going rigid with pain.

"Please...no more," it whimpered, its voice hoarse and pleading.

"If you free them, they'll become demons. It's... part of the ritual"

“What?”

“It’s the truth”

“YOU FUCKING”

The demon flinched at Yuto's outburst, cowering in fear. Its eyes were full of terror now, the reality of its fate starting to sink in.

"P-please, I was only following orders," it stammered, its voice trembling.

"Please s-spare me”

“HOW DO I FREE THEM!”

“The stone! It’s the bloody black stone in the heart of the cave!”

“...”

The demon was shaking in fear now, its eyes fixed on Yuto.

"It... it's a powerful artifact. It's what grants the Lady's power, and it's what converts the villagers into demons. If you destroy it..."

It trailed off, its eyes flickering uncertainty.

“...”

“Is that all?”

“Y-yes”

“B-but there’s something you should know”

“What?”

"The Lady... she'll know. As soon as you destroy the stone, she'll feel it. She'll know what happened, and she'll come after you"

“...”

“When you see her in hell... tell her the prince has come back"

The demon's expression changed to one of surprise, then fear, then disbelief.

"P-Prince? You can't possibly be-" it stammered, its eyes wide with shock and terror.

SLASH

It didn't even have time to finish its sentence before Yuto's sword cleanly sliced its head off.

It rolled away, hitting the far corner of the cave wall with a wet thud.

The demon's body convulsed once, then went still.

Yuto took a deep breath, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

He glanced around the cave now eerily quiet save for the soft breathing of the sleeping villagers.

“Heart of the cave he said”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Yuto looked towards the center of the cave, his eyes scanning the area.

Sure enough, there was a dark, almost black stone lying in the middle of the cave floor.

He walked over to it, his footsteps echoing through the silent cave.

As he got closer, he could feel a strange aura coming from the stone.

And when he was standing next to it, he realized the stone was glowing faintly, its surface slightly warm to the touch.

He knelt, his hand hovering over the stone.

He could feel the power emanating from it, a dark and malevolent energy that sent a chill down his spine.

But he knew he had no choice.

He had to destroy the stone, to stop the villagers from becoming demons.

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the hilt of his sword, raising it high above his head.

“Here we go!”

Just as Yuto's sword was about to hit the stone, a sudden burst of magical energy hit him, sending him flying back against the cave wall.

He crashed to the ground with a pained groan, the magical impact stinging all over his body.

In front of him, a woman had appeared out of thin air, blocking his access to the stone.

The woman was tall and elegant, her long black hair framing a face with sharp, angular features.

She was dressed in a long, flowing black gown that seemed to make her even taller.

This was Lady Lilith, the Demon Lady herself.

"Kgh, a demon general's hit sure is different"

He got up, wiping his clothes and the blood from his mouth.

Lilith smirked as she saw Yuto get up, her eyes raking over him with a cold, calculating gaze.

"I see you've met my minions," she said, her voice silky and smooth.

"I'm surprised they didn't turn you into a rug. They're usually not so... incompetent"

“Heh”

“What’s so funny?”

“How could I be made a rug when I killed them?”

Lilith's expression darkened at Yuto's words, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"You killed my demons," she said, her voice sharp with anger.

"How... dare you”

“And what’s up with that false elegant attitude?”

Lilith's eyes flashed with anger.

"Watch your tongue, human," she warned, her voice cold and dangerous.

"You stand before a demon general, not some common peasant”

“Hmph, all I see is a demon who doesn't know its place”

Lilith's eyes narrowed even more, her face contorting with outrage.

"And what, pray tell, do you think my place is?" she asked, her voice a low, dangerous growl.

“...”

“Demons like you,” he said, his voice steady and coming off as a warning.

“Belong in the prison of my making”

Lilith's face twisted into a sneer.

"You think you can tell a demon general where she belongs, do you?" she hissed.

"You're nothing but a pathetic mortal. I could kill you with one snap of my fingers"

Yuto gave a huge grin as he turned his sword into a claymore.

"BRING IT!"

Lilith's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Yuto's transformation, but her expression quickly returned to its cold, impassive state.

"You think you stand a chance against me?" she sneered, her voice dripping with arrogance.

"You're a fool, human"

Yuto jumped in the air and brought down his claymore.

Lilith's eyes widened in surprise, her quick reflexes allowing her to sidestep Yuto's attack.

Yuto's claymore hit the cave floor with a loud crash, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"You're fast," Lilith conceded, her eyes appraising Yuto with a hint of begrudging respect.

"But you're still no match for a demon general"

With that, she raised her hand, a surge of dark magic swirling around it.

With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the magical blast at Yuto.

Dust was created with the powerful force of her magic, as it settled the clear black blood on the floor could be seen.

Lilith let out a low, pleased chuckle.

"That should keep you down for a moment," she said, her eyes flickering to the cave floor.

Then she saw the blood.

She raised an eyebrow, looking more closely now.

"That... that's black? Demon blood?"

"Hehehe, whose blood indeed, aren't you missing an arm?"

Lilith's eyes widened in shock as she realized the implication of Yuto's words.

"You... you didn't-" she gasped, her voice betraying her sudden panic.

Yuto lifted his hand, showing the arm he had ripped off, "Hmm, I dare say you do have some soft skin"

Lilith's eyes narrowed in anger, her face going dark at Yuto's taunting.

"You barbaric little-"

She cut herself off, a sudden realization dawning on her face.

"That's... no," she breathed, her voice suddenly shaky.

"You're the one"

A dark, creepy grin formed on Yuto's face.

He walked forward as Lilith stepped back, her knees shaking in fear.

"Realized too late did we?"

Lilith's face paled as she took in the sight of Yuto's sinister grin.

She knew what that smile meant, and she knew what it implied.

"No," she whispered, her voice full of disbelief.

"It can't be... you.."

Yuto chuckled darkly as he sauntered forward, his footsteps echoing in the now-silent cave.

"Me? You sound surprised," he said, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Did you really think I was just a random human? A simple adventure for hire?"

Lilith's eyes widened further, a look of horror slowly dawning on her face.

"You... you're the lost prince," she whispered, her voice quaking with fear.

"Ahhh, yes... I guess you can say that"

Lilith's mind was racing, her calm facade crumbling rapidly.

"But... no, it can't be," she whimpered, shaking her head as if trying to deny reality.

"You were supposed to be dead, long gone. You... you shouldn't be here"

“I supposed, I was supposed to die 3,000 years ago”

“HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!”

“Heh”

“No use telling a dead person”

Lilith's eyes narrowed again at Yuto's cryptic response.

“What... do you mean, 'telling a dead person'?" she asked, confusion lacing her words.

Yuto pulled out his claymore from the ground.

Lilith's eyes were riveted to Yuto's claymore, her body tensing in anticipation.

She knew what was coming, and her mind raced to find a way out of this situation.

"W-wait!"

Yuto stopped, “What?”

Lilith took a shaky breath, her eyes darting around the cave as if trying to find a way out.

"Please, wait," she repeated, her voice quivering.

"We... We can talk about this, right? W-we can negotiate"

Yuto thought about it and placed his claymore down.

"Free the people first"

Lilith blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting Yuto to actually agree to talk.

She looked towards the villagers, then back to Yuto, her eyes calculating.

"You... you want me to set them free?" she repeated, her voice edged with suspicion.

“NOW”

Lilith flinched at Yuto's sudden command, her face becoming more uneasy.

"Fine, fine," she said, her voice now thin and nervous.

She raised her hand, a swirling black magic gathering around it.

She pointed it at the villagers, and dark energy seemed to soak out of their pores, leaving them, breaking the stone on the floor.

“Done, that’s all right?”

Yuto chuckled as he walked closer, dragging his claymore along the ground.

"That's... y-you got what you wanted, right?" she stuttered, her voice betraying her growing panic.

“Right?!?”

“SAY SOMETHING!”

“Please…: don’t kill me”

“...”

"What, now that you know my real identity you plead for forgiveness?"

"And if I was a mere adventurer making money for his family, would you have killed me?"

Lilith's face twisted with shame.

"I... I..." she fumbled for words, her mind racing for some kind of explanation or excuse. But she couldn't find one.

"Yes," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I would have killed you"

“...”

“You told the truth”

“Young Prince, can you spare my life?”

“Give me a good reason”

Lilith's face was desperate, her eyes pleading as she looked at Yuto.

"I... I can help you," she said, her voice soft but desperate.

"I know things, things about the kingdom you don't even know about. I can help you reclaim your throne”

What?

Yuto's thoughts were a mix of emotions and worries, yes he knew of his identity about two years ago, and both Kaz and Elise verified it.

But to have a Demon General confirm it, was the final nail.

"Yes, the throne," Lilith repeated, her voice becoming more eager now.

"I know exactly how to get you seated on the throne again. I can give you the power, the soldiers, the allies you need to reclaim what's rightfully yours"

"..."

"Kneel before me, and kiss the hand of your new King"

Lilith's eyes widened at Yuto's command, but she didn't hesitate.

Slowly, she sank to her knees before him, her eyes never leaving his.

Then, she took his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing his knuckles gently.

"I swear it," she whispered, her voice soft with conviction.

"I swear loyalty to you, my King. I will help you reclaim your throne, I will serve you with unwavering devotion, and I will obey your every command"

"On your name?"

Lilith pressed her forehead to Yuto's hand, her eyes closed.

"On my name, as Lady Lilith, the sixth general of the Demon Lord’s army," she swore softly.

"I will serve and obey my King, without question, without hesitation, without fail"

With Lilith holding his hand, he poured a bit of his demonic energy into her.

Healed her arm immediately.

Lilith gasped as she felt Yuto's demonic energy wash over her, healing her wounded arm.

The flesh knits together, the damaged tissue regrowing as if it had never been torn off, to begin with.

“This power…”

"Shh, now do you have a human form?"

Lilith nodded, still staring at her healed arm.

"Yes," she said, her voice regaining some of its former composure.

"We demons have a human form we can take. It makes it easier to blend in with humans”

“Transform now”

Lilith closed her eyes, concentrating.

Then, in a flash of dark magic, her form changed.

When the transformation was complete, she was a beautiful young woman with long black hair and captivating blue eyes.

"Let's help the people down and get the hell out of here"

“As you wish, My King”

- Meanwhile, Outside of the Cave -

"The Demon King," Catherine repeated, a shiver of fear running down her spine.

Luna pulled the girl in front of her, "No, listen closely, Yuto is a hero, a human hero, got it?"

The demon girl blinked, her eyes flickering from Catherine to Luna, clearly confused by the discrepancy.

"But... he had such strong demonic energy," she protested.

"I've never felt anything like it on a human before"

Luna shouted, probably for the first time in her life, "HE'S HUMAN!"

The demon girl flinched at Luna's outburst, her eyes widening in surprise.

"O-okay, he’s human!" she said quickly, her hands up in a placating gesture.

Catherine pulled Luna back, "I get it, I know how you feel but this is not you"

Luna took a shaky breath, her shoulders tensing as she fought to keep her emotions under control.

"I... yeah, I know," she said after a moment.

"It's just... Yuto..."

Catherine gently put a hand on Luna's shoulder, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

"I know," she said quietly.

"We all care about Yuto, but yelling at this girl won't help anything"

Before Luna could reply, she heard the squeak of the demon girl/

"L-look," the demon girl pointed at the cave entrance.

The missing villagers and adventures were starting to come out.

Luna and Catherine whipped around to see the villagers slowly stumbling out of the cave.

Some of them looked dazed, others were clearly relieved to be free.

"They're... they're alive," Luna whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yuto must have done it," Catherine said, a note of relief in her voice.

"He saved them and..." She trailed off as her eyes fell on a different figure exiting the cave.

Lilith, in her human form, was walking beside Yuto.

They both appeared unharmed and were talking quietly to each other.

"This mother fucker," Catherine murmured.

"Yes, I agree," Luna's eyes looked cold as she stared at Lilith.

As Yuto and Lilith approached, the villagers they had saved backed away, wary of Lilith's presence.

Even though they didn't remember the demon attack, they could intuit something strange about her.

Catherine and Luna, however, didn't hold back their glares of hatred.

Yuto looked up and waved his hand.

Catherine and Luna reluctantly allowed Yuto and Lilith to approach.

As they stopped in front of them, Yuto gave a casual wave.

"Hey," he said, as if everything was completely normal.

Catherine and Luna both had very different reactions to Yuto's casual greeting.

Luna just gave him a cold glare, while Catherine blurted out, "What the hell is she doing here?" gesturing at Lilith.

Yuto looked at Lilith who was clinging to his arm, he leaned in and whispered, "Let go"

Lilith's grip on Yuto's arm loosened reluctantly.

She had enjoyed clinging to him, but she obeyed his command.

Yuto turned back to Catherine and Luna, his expression concerned.

"Yeah, I know it was wrong of me to go alone and I'm sorry for that"

"And..." Yuto glanced over at Lilith.

"I know she doesn't make things look great, but trust me, I have a good reason for bringing her along"

Both Luna and Catherine exchanged a glance before looking back at Yuto.

"Go on, tell us the good reason"

"You see a demon general was inside the cave, after a few blows they fled with their tail between their feet"

Lilith rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed by Yuto's description, but she stayed silent.

Catherine and Luna, on the other hand, didn't find the story as amusing.

"A demon... general?"

Catherine repeated, looking between Yuto and Lilith skeptically.

"And you say they fled... how is that possible?" Luna added, her expression not convinced.

Yuto pulled a stone seemingly out of his ass, “Look, at this demonic stone that was chipped out of their wing”

Both Catherine and Luna looked at the stone Yuto was holding, their expressions both surprised and wary.

The stone radiated a faint black aura, the demonic markings on its surface unmistakable.

"Is... is that real?" Catherine asked, her voice hushed.

"Of course it's real," Yuto answered nonchalantly, flipping the stone in his hand.

"As I said, a demon general was inside the cave, and they left this behind when they fled"

Luna and Catherine exchanged another glance, this time tinged with begrudging belief.

The stone was a tangible proof of Yuto's story, and it was difficult to deny the truth right in front of their eyes.

"And..." Luna said slowly, turning to Lilith.

"Who exactly is this new friend of yours, Yuto?"

Yuto chuckled slightly and patted Lilith on the back.

"This is..." he started, but before he could say anything else, Lilith interrupted.

"Lilith," she said simply, giving a slight curtsey.

"My name is Lilith. I was a... wandering traveler, lost in the woods when I stumbled on this adventure. He..." she gave Yuto a sidelong glance.

"... helped me out of a situation. I'm here simply to thank him"

["Holy shit she's good at making things up"]

"Exactly like she said"

Both Catherine and Luna eyed Lilith skeptically.

Her story had a certain amount of plausibility, but it was also a little too convenient.

However, as Yuto seemed to vouch for her, they were hesitant to question her any further.

"Cough, let's take the villagers back to the village and report what we found at the adventurers guild, after that, we can go to the kingdom of Thornwild, okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan," Catherine nodded, her eyes still shifting toward Lilith with a hint of suspicion.

Luna didn't say anything, her face remaining stoic as she looked at Yuto and Lilith.

"Alright then," Yuto said, clapping his hands together.

"Let's get moving"

He began to lead the way, with Lilith closely following.

Catherine and Luna fell into step behind them, keeping a wary eye on Lilith, despite Yuto's apparent trust in her.

The walk back to the village was mostly silent, Yuto and Lilith walking a little ahead of Catherine and Luna.

The villagers they had saved looked at Lilith with a mix of curiosity and fear, not sure what to make of her presence.

The sun lowered in the sky, painting the world in warm, golden hues.

The air was still and peaceful, a stark contrast to the events that had taken place inside the cave.

To forget the events of the past month they tried throwing a party for the group but Yuto told Luna and Catherine he had something to discuss with Lilith and the demon girl.

Reluctantly, both agreed to let Yuto talk to Lilith alone, though they made it clear that they were not happy about it.

The villagers continued to celebrate, unaware of the tension seething just a little aside.

Yuto led Lilith away from the bustling party, finding a quiet and secluded spot away from the main festivities.

He looked at her seriously, his eyes searching hers.

"Now that we're alone..."

Lilith looked up at him, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

She knew that he wanted to talk about something important.

"Yes Milord?"

“...”

"Look don't call me that in public, people might assume things"

Lilith chuckled, a small smirk on her lips.

"I suppose I should watch my tongue then, huh?"

She leaned against a tree, crossing her arms and looking up at Yuto with a playful glint in her eyes.

Yuto ignored her little act and took a seat on a barrel, "Do you have a way to send this girl here to your domain?"

He pointed at the demon girl who was attempting her best to hide behind the boxes.

Lilith raised an eyebrow at Yuto's question.

"Yes, I do have a way to transport people to my domain. Why do you ask?"

"Hey come here," Yuto with his hand waved for her to walk forward.

The demon girl, who had been quietly observing the conversation, looked bewildered but complied, walking up to Yuto as he asked.

She stood before Yuto, her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

"You... wanted to see me, sir?"

“... Do you wish to go back home?”

The demon girl's eyes widened in surprise, and a look of longing flashed across her face.

"Y-yes," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I do wish to go home. I'm tired of being trapped here"

["Trapped? Is the human world just a trap for demons?"]

"Lilith, make a portal for the girl to go home"

Lilith nodded, understanding the situation instantly.

"Of course," she said, her voice firm.

With a snap of her fingers, a dark portal appeared out of nowhere, its edges glowing with sinister energy.

"This will take you home," Lilith told the girl, gesturing towards the portal.

"Just walk through, and you'll be back in your realm before you know it"

The demon's eyes were filled with awe and disbelief as she stared at the dark portal.

She hesitantly took a step towards it, as if afraid it was a trick.

"Is... is it really home?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Lilith nodded reassuringly, her face softened by empathy.

"Yes, it is. Go on, you'll be safe there”

The demon girl took a deep breath, the tension in her body evident.

With a look of determination, she took one last step forward and walked through the portal.

As she disappeared, the portal began to shrink and closed with a loud 'whoosh', leaving Yuto and Lilith alone again.

"Thou are surprisingly kind Milord"

"How so?"

"That blood lust you showed in the cave, the deep-rooted hatred towards our kind"

"Yet, you commanded me to open a portal so that a mere demon child may go home"

"..."

"I don't and will never kill children"

"Is that so?" Lilith mused, her eyes studying Yuto closely.

"Thou have a soft spot for them then..."

"It's not a soft spot," Yuto said firmly.

"It's basic decency. Demons may be creatures of darkness, but not innocents caught in the crossfire"

"Oh? You refer to us as innocents?"

"... You must also have a reason for hating humans, yes?"

"Indeed I do, I think I've already repaid that debt 2 fold"

"Then you understand why I hate demons"

Lilith tilted her head, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yes, I understand your reasons for hating demons. We are creatures of chaos, beings that revel in destruction and despair"

"But, allow me to ask you a question, Milord," she said, a subtle challenge in her voice.

“What is it?”

"You hate demons, yet you spared me..."

Lilith took a step closer, her body almost flush against Yuto's.

"Why is that?"

"..."

"Because you told the truth, that is all"

Lilith chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that echoed through the silence.

She took another step, closing the distance even further.

"And if I had lied?" she purred.

Yuto's eyes glowed red as he stared directly at her soul.

"I would have spared you but left you wishing for death"

Lilith didn't flinch at Yuto's intense gaze, instead letting out a soft, mocking laugh.

"My, such a ruthless answer..." she teased.

"You would truly condemn me to a fate worse than death, all for a simple lie?"

"You're a demon general"

Lilith nodded, her smile never wavering.

"That I am," she agreed.

"A high-ranking member of the demonic hierarchy feared and respected in equal measure"

"You are quite optimistic for someone who's constantly on thin ice"

Lilith's smirk widened at Yuto's words.

"You're smart, I'll give you that," she said, her tone almost approving.

"And as for your comment... let's just say, I've been on thin ice for a very long time, and I'm still very much alive," she purred, her voice laced with arrogance.

Yuto chuckled as he got up and ruffled her hair, "What am I gonna do with you"

Lilith's eyes widened slightly at Yuto's gesture, surprise momentarily crossing her face.

His unexpected touch and casual attitude momentarily caught her off guard.

She quickly composed herself, a slight flush on her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"That is an intriguing question indeed," she mumbled, pretending as if his action did not affect her.

Before Lilith could say more she saw Yuto being pressed against the wall.

Roughly.

He grunted as he was pushed against the wall by Luna and Catherine, his back hitting it with a thud.

The holy magic was thick in the air, the tension palpable.

"What are you-" he was about to ask, but he was cut off by Catherine's angry question.

"What the hell is that demon doing with you?" She demanded, her eyes narrowed in anger.

Next to her, Luna's expression was equally upset.

"Yeah, care to explain that little stunt with the portal?"

This was a mess, a bigger mess than anything he’s ever had to deal with.

Both girls looked pissed, rightfully so, he lied to them.

So how was he going to fix it?