A magnificent chariot, pulled by phoenixes, raced swiftly down the dark, shiny streets of the City of Blazing Judgment, leaving glowing trails of molten gold.
Princess Xiao Rui sat comfortably against red cushions, fanning herself with phoenix feathers while adjusting her dark curls. Her bright blue eyes glanced calmly at the crowd staring at her.
"Go faster, my darlings," she gently urged the phoenix creatures pulling her chariot.
"It is said that being fashionably late is okay, but being boring is unforgivable."
Behind her, elegant socialites from the underworld tried to keep up, their fancy dresses swirling like dark butterflies. Several servants followed, their arms full of shopping bags.
"Your Highness," her assistant said, panting.
"Perhaps we should slow—"
"And miss the auction of cursed artifacts? Absolutely not." Rui snapped her fan shut.
"Kee Kee gets grumpy if we're late for snacks."
The tiny black-furred demon in her lap growled, smoke puffing from his nose.
They finally arrived at the Midnight Bazaar. Rui gracefully stepped out of her chariot, her presence glowing with pink-gold light as sellers hurried to show her their items.
"Your highness, look at this soul-eating bracelet—just three previous owners, all consumed efficiently!" a vendor offered, holding out a twisted silver band that seemed to whisper.
Rui wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"This bracelet eats souls? That's outdated. Everyone knows soul consumption is out. Transforming souls is what's in."
The vendor looked deflated while Rui's entourage chuckled.
"Princess Xiao Rui!" boomed a voice from the crowd. A demon noble came forward, his horns gleaming and his luxurious robes trailing.
He carried an ornate box that pulsed with dark energy.
"Lord Feng," Rui acknowledged with a slight nod.
"What a... predictable surprise."
"I offer this to show my affection."
He opened the box, revealing a necklace of deep red rubies.
"These are tears of the last phoenix queen. They say whoever wears them commands eternal flames."
Kee Kee growled more intensely, his eyes narrowing to slits. Rui examined her nails in boredom.
"How thoughtful. Another trinket to prove your worth." She sighed theatrically.
"Unfortunately, Lord Feng, I already command flames. Your gifts do not spark my interest."
"But Princess—"
"Kee Kee, my dear, what do you think?"
The little beast leaped from her lap, inhaled deeply, and shot a jet of flame at Lord Feng's feet.
The noble jumped back, trying to save his expensive shoes from burning.
"My apologies," Rui said without any hint of regret.
"Kee Kee has strong opinions on fashion. And on suitors."
--------------------------------
In the glow of red light in the Hall of Infernal Decree, nobles from the Nine Houses stood together in quiet groups.
"Five months," whispered Lady Mai from House Lust, her face mostly hidden by a veil, leaving only her bright eyes visible.
Her fingers, adorned with rings of magical silver, nervously traced the rim of her wine glass.
"The Demon King has been missing for five months."
Lord Shi from House Greed leaned in closer, his golden claws clicking against his cup, echoing slightly in the tense room.
"The royal guard claims he's in seclusion for cultivation."
"Convenient," sneered Duke Au from House Pride as he adjusted his elaborate crown. The jewels on his crown caught the candlelight, sending colors dancing across his perfect robe.
"Just as the Celestial Alignment approaches. Some say his strength is fading."
"Or perhaps," Lady Mai suggested in an even softer voice,
"Someone made sure it faded forever."
Their eyes moved to the empty black throne.
Usually, black flames would dance around it, but today, the fire was low and barely flickering—like stars dying in an empty sky.
The sight sent a shiver even through these tough nobles.
"And that leaves us with Princess Rui," Duke Au said with disdain.
"The useless heiress."
A shadow moved away from behind a pillar, and the nobles tensed as Shadow Agent Yan appeared with a hood pulled low over their shifting eyes.
Yan traced patterns in the air without a word, collecting their whispers into dark threads that twisted like living smoke before disappearing into the agent's sleeves.
"Gathering information, Agent Yan?" Duke Au asked, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Or spreading rumors for your secret masters?"
Yan tilted his head at a precise angle, a slightly eerie gesture.
"I merely observe what already exists, Your Grace," Yan replied in a voice neither male nor female, smooth like water flowing over stones.
"Truth needs no extra embellishment."
"And whose truth are we talking about?" Lady Mai asked, subtly using her charm abilities to try to understand Yan's mysterious demeanor.
Yan smiled under the hood, an expression felt more than seen.
"The one that survives."
-----------------------
At the Golden Petal Café, Princess Rui carefully adjusted her magical mirror to the right angle. Her pet, Kee Kee, sat grumpily on her shoulder as she practiced her poses.
"Just one more photo," she instructed the mirror.
"Make sure to get my best side with this new hellfire dessert."
Kee Kee growled,
"You've got a lot of 'good sides,' and this is your third dessert."
"Looking beautiful takes effort," Rui replied, arranging her curls.
"Besides—"
Suddenly, the café window burst inward.
Glass shards hung suspended in the air as Rui's aura reacted naturally, causing everything around her to briefly pause.
A panting courier demon crashed through the broken window with singed wings and a smoking uniform.
He slid across three tables before stopping at Rui's feet, clutching a black scroll sealed with royal fire.
"Princess!" he gasped, thrusting the scroll towards her.
"Urgent message from the palace!"
His wings were still smoldering as he bowed, the scroll shaking in his clawed hands.
"The Infernal Council needs you right now, Your Highness."
Rui blinked, still holding her dessert spoon.
"Right now? I haven't even finished my hellfire soufflé."
"It's about the Demon King," the messenger whispered.
A cold sensation crept through Rui's chest. She masked it with a dramatic eye roll.
"Alright. But I'm bringing my latte."
Twenty minutes later, Princess Xiao Rui walked through the vast doors of the Infernal Court, her gauzy gown flowing behind her. She held an ornate latte cup in one hand, a fan in the other, and Kee Kee perched on her shoulder.
Royal guards, with serious faces, accompanied her.
The chamber was enormously high, with walls of polished black stone mirroring the eternal flames circling the council seats. Nine thrones formed a crescent, each occupied by a masked figure in ceremonial armor.
Behind each councilor, their House banner hung brightly, marked with symbols like the golden claw of Greed and the flaming spear of Wrath, glowing with power.
Nobles and courtiers leaned forward, whispers echoing through the gallery.
Rui took a deliberate sip from her cup to mask her unease.
"Princess Xiao Rui," called the masked representative from House Pride, his voice resonant.
"You appear too casual for such an urgent summons."
"Apologies," Rui said, fluttering her fan.
"Your message didn't specify formal attire. Is this about the Phoenix chariot race I organized in the human world?
"Technically, no humans witnessed it."
"This involves your father, the Demon King," spoke the councilor from House Despair, her weeping mask gleaming in the firelight.
"He is missing, believed to be in isolation... or worse."
Rui tightened her grip on the cup.
"Father often retreats for training. Is this really necessary—"
"He has been gone for five months, and we only have days before the Celestial Alignment," interrupted House Treachery's representative, their dagger emblem glowing ominously.
"No word to his guards or advisors."
"In such cases," the House Wrath councilor said, "The ancient laws are straightforward."
The nine councilors stood together, their masks reflecting the fiery glow.
"The Trial of the Infernal Heir must commence."
Rui's latte cup slipped from her numbed fingers and shattered on the polished floor.
She staggered back, her eyes wide as understanding struck her.
The Trial of the Infernal Heir—nine perilous challenges through the darkest aspects of demonic power. Reserved only for severe succession crises.
"This can't be right," she protested, her voice tinged with panic beneath her calm exterior.
"I've barely started my basic training. My chaos core is not even awakened!"
The councilor from House Sloth let out a dramatic yawn.
"Too bad Princess. Maybe you should have spent less time on chariot races and more on getting ready for your responsibilities."
Rui's hands shook as she held onto her fan.
"I can't do this—Father would never agree to this. I'm not ready!"
"The law is clear," announced the representative from House Pride.
"With the King gone and the realm in danger, the heir must prove their worth or give up their claim."
The crowd reacted in various ways. Some nobles from the smaller houses laughed out loud.
"The useless Princess, facing the Trials? She won't last past the first test!"
"Finally! Let her show us she's more than just pretty dresses and parties!"
Yet a few voices in the crowd supported her.
"Princess Rui! Show them your strength!"
A guard approached her, carrying a silver tray with a simple circlet—the crown she had worn since childhood.
Rui stepped back but was surrounded by the council members.
"By order of the Infernal Council, your royal privileges are suspended until you complete the Trials," House Greed's representative said, raising a golden claw.
With a wave, the crown lifted off Rui's head. Her jeweled hairpins clattered to the floor. The enchanted bracelets that enhanced her limited powers crumbled to dust. Her elegant silk dress turned into plain black linen.
Most painfully, her beloved phoenix-feather fan, a companion through many court plots, withered in her hands, the magical feathers turning to ash.
"No!" Rui cried out, her facade breaking as the ash slipped through her fingers.
Kee Kee, her loyal companion, jumped from her shoulder, doubling in size as he landed. His small fangs extended, and he snarled at the council, smoke puffing from his nose.
Before the guards could act, he dashed across the floor and clamped onto Duke Au's boot, who had moved in to mock her.
"Insolent creature!" Duke Au shouted, shaking his leg to dislodge Kee Kee, who refused to let go.
The obsidian floor beneath Rui started to tremble, ancient symbols lighting up around her.
The nobles stepped back as lines of golden light spread through the black stone, forming a perfect circle.
"What is happening?" Rui asked, her confident act dropping to reveal fear.
The councilor from House Greed stepped forward, golden claws glinting.
"The Trial doesn't wait, Princess. Your first challenge begins now."
With a loud crack, the floor opened up, revealing a swirling pit of red and gold flames. Heat blasted upwards, almost singeing Rui's eyelashes and drying the air around her.
"This is madness!" Rui exclaimed, backing away from the edge, but guards closed behind her.
"I haven't even packed! I need my talismans, my—"
"The heir brings only their own power," stated House Pride's councilor firmly.
"It has always been this way."
Kee Kee released Duke Wei's boot and hurried back to Rui, growing to the size of a large dog, ready to protect her.
A guard's spear nudged her forward, forcing her closer to the edge. The flames roared higher, eager for her. Rui's knees shook as she peered into the fiery depths.
"Father, where are you?" she whispered.
Another shove, more brutal this time, made Rui stumble, her arms flailing as she neared the edge.
"Wait—" she gasped.
Something shifted inside her. A flutter beneath her ribs, followed by intense heat.
The crowd gasped as crimson light glowed beneath Rui's skin. Her eyes flashed red, illuminating her face.
The palace shook. Dust fell from the ancient ceiling, and weapons hanging on walls rattled as the tremors grew stronger.
"Her Chaos Core!" someone exclaimed. "It's awakening!"
The guards stepped back, unsure. Rui stood still, looking at her hands as the red light flickered between her fingers.
For one breathless moment, power surged through her veins. Then it disappeared, like a candle being snuffed out.
The guard behind her seized the moment and pushed her.
Rui fell backward with a startled scream, arms outstretched as she plummeted into the flames.
Kee Kee howled and leaped after her, his small body disappearing into the fire.
Her scream echoed as she vanished into the swirling vortex of gold and fire. The portal closed with a thunderous boom, leaving only a smooth obsidian floor where the Princess had stood.
In the silence that followed, a noble from House Envy stepped forward, examining the spot with barely concealed satisfaction.
"She won't last a day," he murmured to his companion.