[https://s17.directupload.net/images/190528/3gv792ak.png]

Tia arrived home on time despite being a little desperate in the shack. Asoera just giggled and jumped out through the window. “Wait, how should I get out?”, shouted Tia. “Just get away from the window for now.”, answered Asoera and without a second delay came the box flying through the hole in the wall. Tia jumped out of the way and landed with her body stretched out on the ground. A burst of loud laughter emerged from behind her. “The heck are you doing?”, pressed Asoera barely out between her chuckles. “You almost squashed me with that thing!”, belled Tia, covered from head to toe in dust. “Ah, I’m sorry. Forgot you are weak and slow.”, gave Asoera back with a wry smile. Tia gave her a grumpy look and climbed wordless out through the window. “Well then, guess see you tomorrow.”, said Asoera smiling. “Yeah, sure. Till tomorrow.” Asoera waved her arm widely and ran to vanish behind the trees.

Tia let out a sigh and walked home herself. That girl, she thought, is a little different than I imagined. She could be easier manipulated than even Herold.

  “Those idiots finally did it!”, spat Tia’s father. “John, not on the table! The children are here and we are eating. Put the paper down already!” A dangerous glare escaped her mothers, Cirit’s, eyes. John shuddered and folded the paper hastily. “Don’t worry, mom.”, threw Tacat in. “Nothing we can’t handle. Also, I agree with father. What did those sector managers think by agreeing with that?” “It is nice that you are okay with it, but I sure ain’t. Tia sits on the table too!”, complained Cirit. “Huh?” Tia, who had until now an absent look in her eyes, snapped her head up by the sudden mention of her name. She was daydreaming about the hideout and how they would master magic in the following days. “But mom, this is a serious threat to our sector. It won’t hurt her to know about what happens here. Listen to this. They already plan to demolish Tori’s and Migird’s shops. That's half a block. And for what? Just to build a big Shopping center? That will cost us more than just a few jobs.” “And that's not even all. That as… bad person who wants to build it even wants a house in our sector. Why not throw all common sense right out of the window and run nude on the streets?”, added John. Cirit looked sternly at her husband and son.   

“That is why I don’t want you to discuss this at dinner. Tia could get the wrong idea and actually do it.” Tia stared at her mother with a brow raised. “I wouldn’t do something like that. I am not dumb after all.” Tacat snorted and earned himself a deadly glare from his mother. “Of course you aren't, but you children tend to do stuff without thinking much when adults speak about such dumb things.”, said Cirit thoughtfully.

There was no way Tia would ever do something because someone told her to, that much she was sure. If any, other people would do what she said. But she was still confused. With her head a little tilted she asked. “Why is it bad that a new building is built and that that guy gets a house here?” “Because it disrupts our very lives here.”, answered her father. “There was no change in this sector for more than hundredths of years and with good reason. Everything worked just like it is supposed to. But with a new shop, that encroaches on other businesses as well, everything gets thrown into chaos. People will lose their jobs and can’t support their family's anymore. And there is no good reason for him to move here and steal that house from someone who could need it, like a younger person of this sector.”

  “There are certain regulatory requirements you have to fulfill, which one is that it needs to benefit the sector. That's why there weren't any changes in a long time since I bet even you can see how changing our ways will only hurt us. And getting rid of jobs will certainly not benefit the sector.”, threw Tacat in. Tia nodded, but then furrowed her brows in confusion. She understood that losing jobs was bad. What she didn’t understand was how change was bad. But then again, disruptive change would be definitely bad. Huh? No, disruptive change can be good. Isn’t that what the dark knight always did. A little chaos to bring a better world. Also wasn’t that what she desired as the demon lord? To destroy the fake world and build it anew? Sometimes something could look bad at the beginning but way down the line it shows that it is actually way more beneficial. “I heard that guy is a relative of the baron. Bet he used that as leverage.”, grumbled Tacat. “Ah, so our fine sector managers want to have a favor. Better propose to write a letter to the baron at the next assembly.”, laughed John dangerously.

So that guy only has self-interest in mind, thought Tia. Just like troopers. Then as the demon lord, I should do something against those intruders. I can not let my sector be defiled.

  “We need defense mechanics!”

Herold and Birim starred at her confused. Again she had just arrived at kindergarten and without another word she announced what was on her mind. But this time her face was serious. “You mean for the base?”, asked Herold.   

“No, haven’t you heard of that bad guy who wants to steal people jobs?” Tia looked at him wide-eyed, wondering why she had to explain. “A bad person just waltzed into our sector. We have to figure out how to get rid of him and prevent other people from doing the same! Isn’t that obvious?” “Ah, you mean about the new shopping center? Yeah, my parents were complaining about it yesterday.”, nodded Herold. “My p, parents d, did so too.”, muttered Birim, who was half hidden behind Herold. “But why do we have to do something about that?”, asked Herold with his one brow raised. Tia gave him another confused look. Wasn’t that more than just obvious?

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Because I am the demon lord and you are my general. We have to go against anyone who will infringe on our territory!” Still with his brow raised Herold opened his mouth. “Okay, and what do you want us to do?” “Well, that we have to figure out. But I guess the most important thing would be to stop more to come first. After that, we can investigate the bad guy and get rid off him.”, said Tia. Herold let out a sigh and opened his mouth again but before he could let out a word, a different voice called out to them. “Tia, hi.” Tia turned around towards the voice to see Asoera walking towards them. She had a shy smile on her face.

  “Hi, Asoera. You come right at the right moment. We are currently…” “Wait!”, interrupted Herold. But Tia raised her hand in front of him. “No, you wait. First, you apologize to Asoera. She came yesterday after you left and showed me the hideout.” She gave him a stern look. On Asoera’s face formed a grin. “What? I never said I would!”, protested Herold. “Ah, shut up. You were in the wrong yesterday and you know it. You left me alone, which wasn’t nice.”, accused Tia. He mad a painful grimace and his shoulders slumped a bit. In her mind Tia smirked. Just as she had thought, he felt guilty about abandoning her. After a few seconds of what seemed to be an internal struggle, he heaved a heavy sigh. “Alright, I am sorry for just leaving you like that. And I am sorry to think that Asoera had tricked us.”

Asoera put on a smile of superiority. “As you should, you idi…” “Alright, now that that is done with, let us go back to the main topic. Defending ourself from outside threads.” With a disgruntled face, Asoera glared at Tia who had just interrupted her. Internal Tia sighed. It would be a lot of work to make these two to cooperate with each other. But before Asoera could give her disgruntlement any voice a snark remark came from behind them. “Oh, look. The weirdos have all assembled together. We should better be careful not to get to close or their stupidity might infect us.” Tia snapped around to see the fake Heroes. In the middle stood a silver-haired, blue boy who had just released his spiteful comment. The laughter of his two friends on each of his sides brought a proud grin on his lips. But his eyes, which were directed at Tia, sparkled with hate.

  “Shut up, stupid idiot!” “What did you just say?” “Hoh? So you want to be burned to death?” Asoera’s hair puffed up while becking her teeth. Or rather her feathers, which looked just like hair. Herold took a step forward raising his chin defiantly and Tia gave off a dangerous smile while pointing her hand towards the three fake Heroes. Birim vanished without a trace.

  “Reacting just like true villains, huh? You better want to lower your hands, weirdos!”, said the boy in the middle while taking a step towards them. But Tia just gave him a hollow laugh. “You are the true villain here, brief-stain! But I have to commend you for daring to come in front of me again. And now, DIE!” She straightened her arm and a small flame materialized in front of her palm. But despite his imminent doom, the boys' grin grew even wider. “Ms. Raloka, they bully us and threaten us with magic!” Without letting his eyes move from Tia he shouted in a terrified voice which didn’t match his expression.

Tia froze and couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. “Get your arm down!”, called Herold out and pulled her hand to the ground. The flame disappeared without any evidence that it ever was there. And not a second to soon, since a caretaker just rushed towards them. “What is… You three again?”, she said exasperated towards Tia, Herold, and Asoera. All three of them looked at the caretaker in shock. “We didn’t do anything, miss. Those three just came and insulted us.”, argued Herold who was the first to find his voice. “Yeah, that's right. Those idiotic stupid…”

  “See, They are still doing it.”, interrupted the boy with a face close to tears. His friends also tried to make hurtful impressions but they couldn’t hide their smug grins fully. If the caretaker actually took a look at them she could have seen how insincere they were but her eyes were hefted at Tia and her group. Her lips grew thin and her eyes were angry. “You apologize to them right now!” “What? They started it. I am not gonna apologize to them!”, growled Tia with a purple head. Asoera nodded beside her. “I absolutely won't, too.” Herold gave them an unnerved look but kept his mouth shut. “You will apologize or we will have a serious problem. You all have been troublemaker since the first day so don’t try to play the innocent her!” The caretaker glared at them and raised her finger threateningly. Behind her, the fake heroes hold their hands before their mouths to keep them from laughing. This railed Tia even more. “I swear to my name as the demon lord that I will never apologize to their kind.” “Miss, look behind you they are laughing. They just…”, started Herold but was cut short by the caretaker losing her patience. “You will! Right now! Apologize!”

Tia gazed towards the three who now very audible laughed. “If you buttheads think you can hide behind adults forever, you are greatly mistaken.” Her voice was guttering with hatred and her face reflected that. “That's it! You all follow me to the office right now and you will sit there for the rest of the day reflecting what you did!”, snapped the caretaker and grabbed the arms of Tia and Asoera with one hand and with the other Herolds. The force with which she pulled hurt Tia but she didn’t let it show. A small crowd of children had gathered around them and now dispersed in a quick manner. “Bye-bye, weirdos.”, laughed the boy as they passed him and his grinning friends. Tia turned her head towards him. She whispered quiet enough for the caretaker not to hear her. “No words next time. Just fire.”