The morning sun hadn't even had the chance to dry up the dew on the grass when Mikaboshi left. She didn't say much, just gave me a hug, whispered, "I'll be back," and floated off into the sky like she always did, disappearing into the stars she'd created. It felt strangely quiet after that. Mikaboshi always filled the air with her energy, like a crackling spark, and now that spark was gone. But I knew she'd come back. She always did.

Meanwhile, Fukuhara, Koyasu, and I had other things to worry about. And by 'other things,' I mean finding some ridiculous way to prank Soseki. There was a festival in a few days, and we needed something good. Something… unforgettable.

So, as the sun dipped behind the trees and the night air filled with the sound of crickets, we set out. Soseki, as usual, was holed up in the woods, living his odd hermit lifestyle. Tonight, we had decided to drag him into our ritual prank.

"Alright, we got everything, right?" I asked, glancing back at the others as we trudged down the barely visible path. The moon was half-hidden behind clouds, casting dim light through the dense canopy. "Candles, chalk, goat skull—"

"And rope," Fukuhara added, tossing a thick coil of it over his shoulder. "Can't forget the rope."

Koyasu snickered. "I still don't understand why we're always dragging Soseki into these things. We could just leave him alone for once."

I waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, where's the fun in that? Besides, he'll love it. He's got nothing better to do."

As we walked deeper into the woods, the trees grew thicker, their branches twisting together above us like skeletal fingers. The air was heavy and cool, and the only light was from our lanterns, bobbing in the darkness like will-o'-the-wisps. It was the perfect setting for a good scare.

"Hey, you think we should do this over by the old shrine?" Fukuhara suggested, his voice low. "Add a bit of ambiance?"

Koyasu chuckled. "Yeah, nothing like a cursed shrine to set the mood."

I grinned. "Perfect."

But as we neared the clearing by the shrine, something—or rather, someone—caught my eye. Two figures stood by a small campfire, the orange light flickering over their faces. A boy and a woman. The boy looked about twelve, with a mop of unruly black hair and eyes that darted around suspiciously, like he was expecting a monster to jump out of the woods at any moment. The woman, on the other hand, seemed carefree, staring up at the stars with a dreamy smile.

I nudged Koyasu. "Look, we got company."

"Campers?" Fukuhara asked, squinting through the trees.

"Looks like it." I grinned. "Let's go say hi."

We made our way over, and the boy immediately tensed up, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you guys?" he demanded, his voice wavering slightly. "What are you doing out here?"

I held up my hands in mock surrender. "Woah, easy there, kid. We're just passing through."

The woman turned to us, still smiling. "Oh, hello! Are you guys locals? I'm Kurumi, and this is my son, Sora."

I glanced at Sora. The kid looked like he was one conspiracy theory away from grabbing a tinfoil hat. "Nice to meet you, Kurumi," I said, putting on my best charming grin. "I'm Y/N. These are my friends, Fukuhara and Koyasu."

Kurumi's smile widened. "Oh, wonderful! We were just out here camping. Sora wanted to find the monster people say lives in these woods. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Koyasu snickered under his breath. I smirked. "Oh, we might've heard a thing or two."

Sora crossed his arms, looking skeptical. "Yeah, right. You guys look more like you're up to no good."

Fukuhara grinned. "You could say that."

"Well," I said, leaning closer to Kurumi, "if yo''re interested, we're actually heading over to the shrine for a little… ritual. Maybe you and your son would like to join?"

Kurumi clapped her hands together, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, that sounds fun! Doesn't that sound fun, Sora?"

The boy glared at us, his face set in a frown. "I don't know, Mom. These guys seem kind of weird."

Kurumi shrugged. "Everyone's a little weird, honey."

"Truer words, Kurumi. Truer words."

We led them to the clearing, the old shrine looming in the background, half-covered in moss and ivy. The place had an eerie vibe, with its weathered stone steps and crumbling torii gate. Soseki was already there, sitting cross-legged on a rock, looking as disheveled and haunted as ever.

"Oh my," Kurumi said, her eyes going wide. "Is that… a slave from Africa?"

I choked back a laugh. "No, he's just playing West Park[Parody of South Park] on Insane Difficulty."

Sora, on the other hand, was wide-eyed, pointing a trembling finger. "That's him! That's the monster people were talking about!"

Soseki glanced up, his red eyes narrowing. "Who's calling me a monster?"

I grinned. "Don't worry about it, Soseki. We're just here for some fun."

The ritual was set up quickly. Candles in a circle, the chalk lines forming an intricate pattern on the ground, and the goat skull positioned just right for maximum effect. Soseki, to his credit, didn't even struggle when we tied him up and placed him in the center of the circle.

"This is gonna be hilarious," Fukuhara snickered, lighting the last candle.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," I said, holding up an old, tattered book filled with cryptic symbols. Of course, the book was just for show—part of the prank.

Or so we thought.

I started chanting nonsense words, waving the book around dramatically. "O mighty powers of the unknown, we call upon thee! Show us thy presence!"

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Suddenly, the wind picked up, blowing out some of the candles. Sora's eyes went wide, and even Kurumi looked a little concerned. "Uh… is this supposed to happen?" she asked.

I frowned. "No…"

Before I could say anything else, the ground beneath us began to tremble. The air grew thick and heavy, a palpable darkness creeping in from the edges of the clearing. I exchanged a glance with Fukuhara and Koyasu. "Guys… did anyone bring real summoning materials?"

"No way," Koyasu muttered. "We were just messing around!"

And then, in the center of the circle, a pillar of dark fire erupted, blazing up into the sky. From within the flames, a figure began to take shape—short(by King Standards), imposing, with dark red hair that flowed like molten lava and skin the color of blood. Yellow eyes with black pupils stared out from the inferno, gleaming with a sadistic light.

"Well, well," the figure said, his voice low and mocking. "Look who decided to play with fire."

I felt my stomach drop. "Oh… crap."

Kurumi blinked, her mouth falling open. "Wow, that's one Hell of a Magic trick."

Sora, on the other hand, was pale as a ghost. "D-demon…" he stuttered. "You summoned a demon!"

The figure stepped forward, the flames around him dying down but not disappearing. His presence was overwhelming, like a weight pressing down on all of us. "Y/N," he drawled, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "It's been a while."

"Akuma," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Didn't expect to see you here."

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "And yet, here I am. You should really be more careful with those summoning rituals."

Fukuhara nudged me. "Hey, Y/N… any plan on how to deal with this?"

I forced a grin. "Oh, I've got a plan." I turned to Akuma. "Hey, how about a truce, huh? We just wanted to mess with Soseki. You know how it is."

Akuma laughed, a booming sound that seemed to shake the very air around us. "A truce? With you? I don't think so."

Before I could respond, Kurumi stepped forward, her eyes wide with excitement. "Wow, your costume is amazing! Did you make it yourself, or…"

Akuma blinked, clearly taken aback. "Costume?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding enthusiastically. "It's really detailed! The horns, the red skin—very convincing."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Even Akuma looked like he wasn't quite sure how to respond. "It's… not a costume," he said finally, his voice a bit uncertain for once.

Kurumi tilted her head. "Oh, I get it! You're one of those method actors, right? You really get into character!"

Sora, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with fear. He tugged on his mother's sleeve, his voice a frantic whisper. "Mom, that's not an actor! That's a real demon!"

Kurumi waved him off. "Oh, Sora, stop overreacting. It's probably just some theater troupe out here doing improv or something. You know how those people are."

Akuma's eye twitched. "I am Akuma, the Demon King of Hell," he growled. "I am not some... actor."

Kurumi gave him a bright smile. "Well, you're very convincing! You should come down to the village and put on a show. I'm sure everyone would love it!"

I snorted. This woman had nerves of steel, or maybe she was just that oblivious. Either way, Akuma was clearly struggling to deal with her.

"Look," I said, stepping between them before Akuma's patience snapped. "Akuma, buddy, pal, why don't we just call it a night? No need for any... hellfire or world-ending curses, right?"

Akuma's eyes narrowed. "Y/N, you've always had a way of testing my patience."

"That's what makes me so charming," I replied with a grin. "But really, let's not escalate things here. We didn't mean to drag you into this."

Soseki, still tied up in the circle, decided to add his two cents. "Could someone untie me, please? This is getting out of hand."

Kurumi, still smiling like she was watching a circus act, walked over to Soseki and began fumbling with the ropes. "Don't worry, Mr. Monster, I'll get you out. You don't deserve to be a part of whatever weird LARPing these guys are doing."

Sora gawked at his mother. "Mom, stop! What if he curses you or something?"

Kurumi chuckled. "Oh, Sora, always with the imagination. You're gonna be a great storyteller one day."

Akuma sighed, clearly growing bored of the banter. "Enough," he said, his voice echoing with a deep rumble. "I didn't come here to listen to this nonsense."

I held up my hands. "Okay, okay. You made your point. Big, scary, demon dude. What do you want?"

Akuma's lips curled into a malicious smile. "What I want is quite simple. You've meddled with forces beyond your understanding, Y/N. And now, you must pay the price."

Koyasu rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go. What is it this time, Akuma? Gonna make us fight some ridiculous monster or face our deepest fears?"

Akuma's smile widened. "Something like that." He snapped his fingers, and the flames around him flared up again. The ground cracked open with a deafening roar, and a monstrous clawed hand began to emerge, followed by a grotesque, slavering maw filled with razor-sharp teeth. The creature—some sort of hellish beast—pulled itself up from the depths, growling menacingly.

Sora screamed and scrambled back, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Mom, run!"

Kurumi, however, was still staring at Akuma, her brows furrowed in thought. "Hold on," she said, completely ignoring the demon beast. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Akuma blinked, clearly thrown off. "Uh... no, I'm not."

"Thought so!" Kurumi nodded. "I've never seen a guy like you around. You should really come by the village sometime. I make a mean bowl of soba. It's to die for!"

Fukuhara burst out laughing. "To die for, huh? That might actually appeal to him."

The demon beast snarled and lunged forward, its claws swiping at us. We scattered, ducking behind trees and rocks. Akuma just stood there, looking bemused by the whole situation.

"Y/N!" Koyasu shouted, ducking a swipe from the beast's claws. "A little help here!"

I sprang into action, channeling my divine energy into a barrier that repelled the beast's attack. "Alright, time to get serious."

Akuma's smile returned. "Yes, Y/N, show me what you're made of."

The beast growled, circling around me. Its eyes glowed with a menacing, fiery light, its massive frame blocking out the moonlight. I could feel the tension in the air; this was not going to be easy.

Fukuhara and Koyasu were on either side of me, ready for action. "Got any brilliant ideas?" Fukuhara asked.

"Always," I replied, my eyes never leaving the beast. "Koyasu, flank it. Fukuhara, go for the legs. I'll distract it."

Without waiting for a response, I charged forward, my movements swift and fluid. The beast lunged at me, its massive jaws snapping shut inches from my face. I dodged to the side, sending a blast of energy straight into its snout. It roared in fury, staggering back.

Koyasu moved in, his sword gleaming in the moonlight as he slashed at the beast's side. Fukuhara went low, his blade slicing into its legs. The beast howled, thrashing around wildly.

"Mom, we need to get out of here!" Sora yelled, trying to pull Kurumi away.

But Kurumi just stood there, completely unperturbed. "Oh, come on, Sora. They seem to have it under control."

Soseki, now free of his bonds, glanced around, his expression torn between annoyance and resignation. "This is why I avoid you people," he muttered, before grabbing Sora by the collar. "Come on, kid. Let's get you to safety."

The beast roared again, and I could feel its power swelling. "Brace yourselves!" I shouted.

Akuma watched with a gleam of amusement in his eyes, like he was enjoying a private joke. "You're not bad, Y/N," he said. "But let's see how you handle this."

He snapped his fingers again, and the beast's eyes flared with an even more intense light. It charged at me with a speed that defied its size, its jaws wide open, ready to devour.

I gathered all my energy and unleashed it in a powerful blast, colliding with the beast's maw. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then, with a deafening roar, the beast disintegrated into a cloud of ash, scattering into the wind.

Silence fell over the forest. I stood there, breathing hard, my body tense and ready for another attack.

Akuma chuckled. "Impressive, as always, Y/N."

I let out a breath, relaxing a bit. "Alright, Akuma. You had your fun. Now get lost."

He laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Very well. But remember, this is just the beginning. You never know when I might drop by again."

With that, he vanished in a burst of flames, leaving only the scent of sulfur lingering in the air.

Kurumi clapped her hands. "Wow, what a performance! That was amazing! You guys should really take this act on the road."

Sora, still trembling, looked up at me. "You... you actually fought a demon."

I shrugged, trying to downplay it. "Eh, just another Tuesday night for us."

Fukuhara sheathed his sword, chuckling. "You know, this wasn't the kind of prank we had in mind, but it turned out pretty great."

Koyasu nodded. "Yeah, nothing like accidentally summoning the Demon King to spice things up."

I turned to Kurumi. "So, how about that soba you mentioned?"