Chapter 407: Cerberus's Prank, Sora's Potential Unleashed
With the last of the customers gone, the shop settled into a comfortable quiet, leaving only Ren and Lucifer. A playful smile touched the Queen of Hell's lips.
"Hey, Ren," she began, leaning against the counter. "Do you think Caitlyn and Vi, those two officers, will actually quit their jobs?"
Ren considered it for a moment. "It's possible. They did say they wanted to see what this world was like."
Lucifer's smile widened. "Of course. It looks like the next time Jinx drops by for a visit, she'll be bringing two vacationing policewomen with her."
"That's true," Ren mused, "but there's a slight complication... The officers themselves would be fine, but... Vi's gauntlets probably can't be brought over..."
Lucifer blinked, processing that. "Then she can just have them made smaller. Problem solved. Say, why is it so quiet upstairs? Hasn't Cerberus woken up yet? That's not very scientific."
Ren gave her a deadpan look. "You're a demon, and you're talking about science?"
"And who told you demons don't understand science?" Lucifer retorted, puffing out her chest with mock pride. "This Queen's business portfolio is quite diverse, you know."
"Right," Ren nodded, a flicker of genuine interest in his eyes. "Speaking of which, the technology of Hell... it feels outrageously advanced. I'm suddenly curious what your domain is actually like."
Lucifer's expression shifted, her eyes glinting with a mischievous light. She leaned in close, her voice a low, tempting whisper. "Oh? Why don't you come back to Hell with me? I'll provide for you, keep you in style... How about it, you wicked man?"
Ren simply reached out and gently flicked her forehead. "You really never get tired of these games, do you?"
"Ouch! But it's so much fun," she pouted, rubbing the spot. "By the way, something does feel a bit off. Should we go check?"
Ren's expression grew thoughtful as he listened to the silence from above. "It is a little too quiet... Did Cerberus get into the chocolate stash? Lucifer, you go check."
"Alright, alright, you bad man," she sighed dramatically, turning toward the stairs. "Just wait for your Queen to return and whisk you away to her mansion! Hahahaha!"
Watching Lucifer head upstairs, her laughter echoing with a slightly unhinged glee, Ren let out a soft sigh. He glanced out the window at the sky, which was gradually brightening with the dawn. A rare wave of laziness washed over him, and he stretched languidly.
'I have a feeling some interesting guests are on their way…'
Upstairs, Lucifer's playful demeanor vanished. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, staring into Cerberus's empty room. Her gaze then shifted silently to the adjacent door—Pandemonica's room.
For some reason, a premonition washed over her. Lucifer was certain that Cerberus was in the middle of doing something incredibly reckless.
Sure enough, the moment she pushed the door open, she immediately slapped a hand over her face in exasperation.
Somehow, Cerberus had split into her three forms. Each one was poised in a different direction around the bed, staring with intense, unblinking focus at the peacefully sleeping Pandemonica. The most damning piece of evidence, however, was that each of the three little hellions was clutching a paintbrush.
"Cerberus!"
"Eeek!" came the triple-yelp of surprise.
Discovered, the three forms instantly merged back into one and, in a panic, dived directly onto Pandemonica. The sudden movement caused Pandemonica's eyes to snap open, a crimson glow flaring within them. The sight was enough to terrify Cerberus, who immediately scrambled to hide under the covers.
Seeing that the intruder was only Cerberus, Pandemonica's dangerous aura dissipated. She sighed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and checked the time on her phone. Exactly eight hours. She stretched her arms over her head with a satisfying groan.
"Boss," she said, her voice still thick with sleep. "Are you in charge of wake-up calls now, too?"
Lucifer was about to launch into a lecture when she heard Pandemonica mutter under her breath, "It's easier than dealing with customer service, anyway…"
"That's some serious resentment you've got there…" Lucifer deadpanned.
Pandemonica looked at the lump quivering under the covers and said softly, "Cerberus, good morning."
The quivering stopped. A moment later, the covers were thrown off as Cerberus popped up, tail wagging furiously and brimming with energy. "Good morning, Pandora! Good morning, Lucifer!"
Watching the demon dog instantly regain her spirit, Lucifer pressed her fingers to her temples. "Alright, you two, up and at 'em. Pandora, go get washed up. And Cerberus, you go back to your room and change out of your pajamas!"
"Got it…" the two replied in unison.
Lucifer sighed again and trudged back downstairs. Ren saw her helpless expression and couldn't help but smile. "Cerberus went to find Pandora, didn't she?"
"How did you know?" Lucifer asked, slumping into a chair.
"Because last night, Cerberus was muttering, 'I wonder what Pandora's face feels like. It must be fun to play with!' or something along those lines…"
Lucifer nodded grimly. "Hmm… she went to Pandora's room, alright. But not to pinch her face. She was going to paint it."
"Hm?" Ren's smile turned into a soft chuckle. "Heh… That really is Cerberus's style. It seems having more people around has made her happy, too. I can only imagine how ecstatic she'd be if Jinx and Yuko were here."
"Perhaps," Lucifer agreed. "Yuko hasn't sent any messages these past two days, so she must be swamped. She said she'd be back before her toner runs out. It seems she's really desperate to get back quickly…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because Yuko uses toner like she's drinking it; she goes through a bottle incredibly fast!"
"Is that so…" Ren mused. "I actually think she'll probably be very frugal with it while she's away, and then use it extravagantly the day she finishes her mission…"
"Is she really that petty?"
"Who knows?" Ren shrugged with a smile.
In fact, Ren had guessed correctly. In a distant location, Fuji Yumiko was indeed rationing her skincare products with careful care, though she would never admit it to anyone.
By the time Pandemonica had washed up and changed, the dark circles under her eyes had actually faded a little. She stared at her cool, delicate reflection in the mirror, her fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw.
"So… it's very beautiful?" she whispered to herself, a faint, wry smile playing on her lips. 'Heh… What an interesting man… But if Justice found out… what would the Boss's reaction be? Interesting…'
With that thought, she picked up her glasses from the counter. This time, as she put them on, her eyes weren't tired. Instead, they held a spark of playful curiosity. She was very much looking forward to seeing how she would spend this rare vacation.
---
"So, that girl Sora overslept again?" Cerberus asked, tail wagging as she prepared to bound up the stairs.
Ren held up a hand, stopping her. "You don't need to go up, Cerberus. I'll go myself. You all eat breakfast first. Also, Pandora…"
He turned to Pandemonica. "You can take off your employee badge for now."
After she unclipped it, she looked questioningly at Lucifer. The Queen of Hell just waved a dismissive hand. "You really don't need to wear it here. We'll go buy you some casual clothes and pajamas later. For now, eat."
A few minutes later, a frantic Ren was herding a sleepy-eyed Kasugano Sora down the stairs.
"How did you manage to mistake Friday for the weekend, you girl?" he chided gently.
"Ugh… I misread…" Sora mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Brother Ren, what's for lunch today?"
"You'll find out at noon. Eat first, then hurry to school. I swear, you're something else, almost late two days in a row."
The others watched, amused, as the scene unfolded. Kasugano Sora, her long silver hair still down and a hair tie clutched in one hand, dashed to the table. She greeted everyone with a quick nod, began eating, and then finished at a speed that defied physics. She grabbed a can of cola from the fridge, snatched her bag and bento box, and bolted out the door.
The entire sequence left everyone at the table stunned into silence.
Nakiri Mana tilted her head, a look of pure confusion on her face. "Eh? Who was it that said Sora wasn't feeling well and was bad at sports even after recovering?"
Silence descended for another moment. Ren hadn't even made it back to the dining table, and Sora was already gone.
Lanterby, who had been staring blankly at the door, finally processed the scene. His eyes widened.
"Eh?! That was my cola! That girl is supposed to be drinking milk!"
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