The next day, Ra-One's legendary double life officially began.
By day, he was the most dangerous soft object on the MIT campus: a chubby-cheeked, dimpled, 13-year-old genius who attended every single class purely for entertainment value. He raised his tiny hand with angelic innocence, then casually dismantled the egos of seniors and professors alike with solutions so elegant they bordered on personal attacks. Girls still tried to put him in their pockets. One particularly bold mechanical engineering student offered him a juice box mid-lecture. Ra-One accepted it with a smile that could end wars, then corrected the man's thesis outline in the same breath.
By night, the soft cheeks disappeared.
The moment the sun set, Ra-One slipped into his private building, in his child form, and stepped through a golden portal the Ancient One opened with casual elegance.
The first time he watched her create a teleportation circle, his Quantum Brain practically screamed. Dimensional geometry, energy folding, spatial anchoring — he could feel the urge to reverse-engineer it on the spot rising like a fever. He crushed the impulse immediately. Slow and thorough. That was the plan. The Ancient One had seen futures where his magic lagged behind. He would not rush the foundation. He would rebuild the entire house better.
They stepped through.
Kamar-Taj unfolded around them in daylight — crisp mountain air, ancient stone, the quiet weight of centuries. Birds somewhere. Prayer flags whispering. It smelled like power and old secrets.
Unfortunately, the Ancient One had opened the portal directly onto the main training ground.
Dozens of students mid-kata froze like someone had hit pause on reality. Then, as one, they dropped into deep bows toward the Ancient One.
Ra-One, still in full adorable-child mode for maximum psychological damage, stood beside her looking like a lost mascot who had accidentally wandered into a martial arts movie.
A senior Master approached, bowing low to the Ancient One before his eyes landed on the tiny boy. Confusion radiated off him in waves.
"Ancient One… who is this… small kid?" (In his mind " is this child of Sorcerer Supreme?)
The Ancient One's lips twitched as she can guess what he is thinking, it written allover his face.
"An important guest."
She offered no further explanation and simply walked on. Ra-One followed, hands behind his back, radiating pure "I am definitely not suspicious" energy.
In her private chambers, the Ancient One waved a hand. Low tables and cushions appeared. Another wave produced a spread of perfectly hot pakoras, sliced mangoes, and tall glasses of lassi.
Ra-One's eyes narrowed.
"You already knew my favorites."
The Ancient One casually touched the Eye of Agamotto at her chest. The Time Stone pulsed once, smug.
"Of course."
They sat. She began to speak, voice calm and measured, laying out the foundations of their world.
She spoke of the Vishanti — the mystical triumvirate.
Agamotto the All-Seeing, first Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and founder of their order.
Oshtur, the ancient Elder Goddess of life and light.
Hoggoth, the powerful cosmic entity whose name alone carried weight.
She spoke of the Book of the Vishanti, the ultimate tome of light magic, the perfect opposite of the thing that came next.
The Darkhold. Book of Sins. Book of the Damned. A collection of dark magic transcribed from the ancient engravings of Chthon himself.
When she said the name "Chthon,"Ra-One's Observation Haki caught it instantly — the microscopic tightening around her eyes, the fractional drop in her voice, the way her fingers rested a fraction closer to the Eye of Agamotto. A warning wrapped in history.
Chthon was going to be a problem for him in some future. Noted.
Then came the history of Kamar-Taj itself.
More than five hundred years ago it had been a simple Himalayan village. Yao — the woman who would become the Ancient One — was born there. Her friend Kaluu studied the mystic arts beside her. Together they transformed the village: disease vanished, poverty ended, the people became functionally immortal.
Then came the split.
Yao believed magic should serve. Kaluu believed magic should rule. He twisted the villagers' minds, crowned himself king, and prepared for conquest. Yao opposed him. He imprisoned her and forced her to watch as the prosperity spell collapsed and death returned. Kaluu fled into another dimension. Yao survived, took a new path, and eventually became the Ancient One — eternal guardian against the misuse of power.
When she finished, silence settled over the chamber like soft snow.
"This," she said, "is the full history of Kamar-Taj and the promise we keep. Now, Red Demon King… where do you wish to begin, and what do you need?"
Ra-One stood.
He looked at her with a mysterious little smile that somehow still worked on a thirteen-year-old face, then delivered the most dangerous sentence in the building:
"Books. Lots of books."
And without waiting for permission, he walked straight out toward the library.
The Ancient One did not follow.
Wong was having a peaceful afternoon.
He sat behind his desk, one hand on an ancient tome, the other reaching for tea, when the door opened and the most aggressively adorable child he had ever seen walked in.
Wong blinked.
"Who are you, kid? I haven't seen you before. Who is your master?"
Ra-One's eyes lit up with pure chaotic joy.
In the span of a heartbeat he shapeshifted.
One moment: soft-cheeked human child.
Next moment: chibi red devil. Tiny horns. Bright red skin. A little spaded tail swishing behind him like an angry metronome. Still somehow chubby-cheeked.
He floated an inch off the ground, pointed a clawed finger at Wong, and declared in the most dramatic high-pitched voice he could manage:
"I am the great Red Demon King! How dare you, insignificant fat mortal, question this king's presence in this forsaken place called a library?! Today I shall burn this library to the ground!"
He spun a sphere of Fiendfyre in his palm — pure Voldemort leftover knowledge — and threw his head back in a maniacal chibi cackle.
Wong's tea cup shattered on the floor.
Mirror Dimension activated instantly.
Reality folded. The two of them stood in an endless reflective void.
Ra-One looked around, still in full chibi demon mode, and gasped in theatrical outrage.
"You dare trap this king in this damn dimension?! Today I will destroy you, this dimension, and Kamar-Taj itself so that my Demon Clan may invade Earth and create literal hell!"
He launched into the most spectacularly incompetent magical assault Wong had ever witnessed.
Fireballs that curved away at the last second.
Water whips that dramatically missed.
Earth spikes that erupted three meters to the left.
Wind blades that ruffled Wong's robes but never touched skin.
Thunderbolts that exploded in pretty sparklers above his head.
Every single time Wong dodged (which was easy, because the attacks were deliberately terrible), Ra-One shouted things like:
"Incredible! Your footwork is divine!"
"You predicted that?! True sorcerer instincts!"
"Even my ultimate left-hook fireball cannot touch you!"
Wong, sweating, began to believe he was actually that good.
Finally Ra-One dropped to one knee, panting theatrically, chibi chest heaving.
"You… fat sorcerer… I see it now. The potential of a future Sorcerer Supreme burns inside you. I cannot allow you to live and grow stronger. You will become the greatest obstacle to my Demon Clan. Therefore… I shall use my origin life force and self-destruct! My future clansmen will avenge me!"
He began gathering a ridiculous amount of glowing energy between his tiny hands, face scrunched in fake strain.
Wong's eyes widened in pure heroic resolve.
"I will not let a demon destroy Kamar-Taj… even if it costs my life!"
He charged.
Ra-One whispered the Lumos spell at maximum output.
A pure white flashbang detonated in Wong's face.
When the light faded, a normal 13-year-old human child lay crumpled on the mirror floor, clutching his chest, eyes glassy.
Wong panicked, scooped him up, and checked for a pulse.
Ra-One's heart was slowly beating.
With the last of his "dying"strength, the child opened his eyes just a fraction and delivered the greatest performance of his life in a weak, broken whisper:
"Impossible… how did you survive my Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Gengai Cannon…? How can a human be so strong…? Is the fate of the Demon Clan… to fall under the boot of humans like you…? So be it. We demons accept the primal rule… that whose fist is bigger… rules. I, the Red Demon King… declare you… the strongest of them all. Throughout Heaven, Hell, and Earth… you alone… are the Honored One…"
His head dropped. Heartbeat stopped. Oscar-level corpse achieved.
Wong stared down at the tiny body in his arms, eyes filling with tears, soul leaving his body from pure emotional whiplash and misunderstanding.
He stepped out of the Mirror Dimension carrying the "dead" child like a fallen hero.
And froze.
The Ancient One was sitting in a floating recliner chair, wearing oversized 3D glasses, a bucket of popcorn in one hand and a cold drink in the other. She had clearly been watching the entire mirror feed like it was premium cinema.
She stood, removed the glasses, and began a slow, delighted clap.
"Oscar-worthy performance, Ra-One. The final monologue actually made me tear up a little. Now that you have had your fun with my student Master Wong… I hope you will stop acting and begin studying sorcery properly."
Ra-One's eyes snapped open.
His heart restarted with a cheerful thump.
He hopped lightly out of Wong's arms, dusted off his clothes, then turned to the horrified Wong and gave a bright, angelic smile.
"Just kidding."
Wong's soul left his body a second time.
—To Be Continued…