Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, Mantra sat on the edge of the bed with Shion's head resting on her lap. She gently stroked his hair, then leaned down, bringing her face close to his.
"Will we succeed?" she asked softly.
Shion nodded. "Yeah."
She smiled warmly. "I believe in you."
And I will deceive you, Shion thought.
A loud knock rattled the door, followed by a demon shouting, "Mistress! Some demons have captured the targets!"
Mantra smirked. She held Shion's head, leaned in close, and whispered in his ear, "I have to go."
Jumping off the bed, she quickly strode outside.
As she passed through the hallway, she met Shikha, who immediately knelt before her.
"Today I completed my training," Shikha said. "Can I rest now?"
Mantra hugged the young girl and picked her up with a smile. "Shikha, you are going to see your new friends."
Shikha's eyes sparkled, widening with excitement.
Shion followed a few paces behind, watching them with a lingering thought: Is she really using them, or is she teaching them to rely on her?
Mantra turned around and saw Shion trailing behind. "Come here," she said. "We have to do these things together. After all, you are officially my boyfriend now."
Shion offered an awkward smile. "That was really fast."
Mantra nodded with innocent charm. "Yeah, but I had to do it."
Shion took her hand and walked alongside her.
Out on the open grounds, a group of demons guarded the captured human children. Mantra set Shikha down. "Go and meet them."
Shikha tugged at Mantra's sleeve. "They aren't able to communicate with me."
Mantra smiled gently and patted her head. "Alright."
The children's eyes were dull and dark, as if their innocence and emotions had been completely drained away.
Mantra muttered under her breath, "These damn humans deserve to die."
Shion nodded in agreement, though he thought, But this is their fate.
Mantra walked up to one of the boys and raised her hand. Seeing her gesture, the frightened boy flinched and squeezed his eyes shut in terror. Mantra stared at his face, her hand freezing mid-air. Instead of striking, she turned to the demons and ordered, "Prepare food for these children."
Something is strange, Shion noted mentally. She hates humans, yet she spares human children.
Shion stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Mantra, I have a question."
Mantra closed her eyes briefly. "It's rare for you to ask me anything. Let's head inside first, then you can ask."
When she turned toward him, her cheeks flushed—Shion's face was dangerously close to hers. Stepping back, she murmured, "We're in front of the children."
Shion smiled warmly and took her hand.
Meanwhile, the children braced for the worst, assuming they were about to be used as food.
"This is still better than living like livestock," one boy muttered. "At least we'll be used up one by one."
Several small girls began to cry softly, but a few female demons stepped forward to gently calm them down.
Back inside the room, Shion finally asked, "Hey Mantra, why do you hate humans so much?"
Mantra smirked. "Actually, I wasn't born a demon. I used to be human."
Shion's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"When my parents sold me, Nyxara, the First Demon Lord, saved me," Mantra explained. "She asked me, 'Do you want to become a demon?'"
Shion nodded. "And then?"
Mantra smiled gently. "Then I met Dusk. We became friends, and later he fell in love with me." Sensing his reaction, she hastily waved her hands in denial. "But I never fell in love with him!"
Shion turned his face away, feigning jealousy, though his internal thoughts were far colder: She holds the title of the Deceiver, deceiving everyone around her.
Mantra looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Are you jealous?"
"Yeah," Shion replied softly.
Mantra smiled, thinking, At least he's jealous. That means he loves me.
She reached out, turned his face toward hers, and kissed him. "Thank you for loving me, Shion."
Shion stiffened, his mind racing: Don't love me too much, or it will only hurt more later.
Once he caught his breath, he said aloud, "Alright, I won't doubt you."
Inside, Mantra felt a wave of relief, thinking, This will ease things between us.
Shion then showed gentle concern. "So you were human once, too."
Mantra nodded, stroking his head gently. "Yup."
Over at the dining hall, the children sat with empty bowls placed before them. A few demons arrived and poured hot soup onto their plates.
One child gulped nervously, then took a cautious sip. His eyes immediately lit up. He devoured the entire plate, and when the demon asked, "Do you want more?", he nodded eagerly. The demon poured another serving.
Seeing this, the rest of the children gathered the courage to eat, filling their stomachs completely.
A demon stepped forward and said, "If you want to sleep, follow me."
The children followed the demon down a long hallway lined with rooms. Each child selected their own room and sank comfortably into a soft bed.
Back in their quarters, Mantra lay sleeping near the edge of the bed while Shion was in the bathroom. He was speaking privately with Renjiro through a magic communication screen, recounting the day's events.
At the end, Shion admitted softly, "I think... I might actually fall in love with her."
Renjiro smirked. "That just means you're alive, Shion."
Shion nodded as the blue screen vanished.
He splashed cold water over his face and stepped out of the bathroom. Seeing Mantra turn over in her sleep, he quietly shut the door behind him.
Mantra fluttered her eyes open and saw Shion standing there. She offered a tired smile, and Shion remarked softly, "It was an emergency."