"Well, well, who do we have here? The Phoenix family's fourth son, Tenra Kamiyo himself."
The voice came out of nowhere, smooth and mocking. Figures stepped from the shadows—at their head, a black-haired boy Tenra's own age, eyes narrowed in a sly, knowing smile.
To his left, a silver-haired girl floated, bound by shimmering magical arrays. Her robes marked her as a nun—no, a saint—from the nearby church. On his right, Gaspar dangled awkwardly, the boy's slender waist firmly encircled by the newcomer's arm.
Tenra's eyes narrowed. "Diodora Astaroth."
Astaroth—one of the Seventy-Two Pillars, just like Phoenix. Once a middling power, now vaulted to the Underworld's elite thanks to a prodigy: Diodora himself, direct kin to the current Demon King, Ajuka Beelzebub. Tenra had met him before, back when their families exchanged formal visits. He knew exactly what kind of person he was dealing with.
Spotting the captive saint, Tenra pieced it together. Diodora was here hunting holy women—and Gaspar, unlucky enough to be on watch, had gotten caught in the crossfire. Trouble, and not the kind that would go away quietly.
"Mm… mm… Lord Tenra, help me…" Gaspar whimpered, squirming in Diodora's grip.
Tenra winced and looked away. The scene was almost too much to bear.
Diodora must have come for the saint, but found Gaspar "cute" and decided to take her—him—along for the ride. If only he knew the truth…
"Tenra-kun, I heard you left for training years ago. Didn't expect to run into you here." Diodora's gaze slid to the unconscious Tosca on Tenra's back, a sly glint in his eyes. "So you have these tastes too? I suppose we're kindred spirits."
Tenra didn't bother explaining. He set Tosca down and fixed Diodora with a cold stare. "Gaspar is my companion. Let him go."
There was history between Phoenix and Astaroth—enough that Tenra would rather avoid a fight. If Diodora released Gaspar, that would be the end of it.
Diodora just smiled wider. "Sorry, Tenra-kun. I'm rather taken with this lovely Miss Gaspar."
He glanced at Tosca, eyes flashing with greedy interest. "But if you really want him back, I suppose we could trade. That beautiful young lady you're carrying would do nicely."
Tenra shook his head, resigned. "Gaspar's a boy."
Diodora blinked, then stared at Tenra as if he'd grown a second head. "Tenra-kun, that's a poor lie. Look at this skin, this sweetness…"
He stroked Gaspar's cheek, leaned in, and inhaled deeply at his hair.
Tenra's stomach churned. He averted his gaze again.
"I-I may be cute, but I'm a boy!" Gaspar managed, voice trembling on the verge of tears.
If Tenra had said it alone, Diodora might have brushed it off. But hearing it from Gaspar himself gave him pause. With a suspicious frown, he sent a pulse of magic into Gaspar's body to check for himself.
He expected a trick. What he got was a shock. Diodora's face froze, then twisted in horror—like he'd swallowed a cockroach.
"Get away from me!" he shrieked, flinging Gaspar aside. He conjured a torrent of water, frantically scrubbing the hand that had just caressed Gaspar's cheek.
He'd held a boy's waist. He'd stroked a boy's face. He'd inhaled a boy's hair, lost in the scent…
Diodora was losing his mind.
"Damn it! Damn it!! DAMN IT!!!"
Gone was the elegant composure. Diodora's face contorted with rage and humiliation.
Gaspar scrambled back to Tenra's side, eyes wide and wet. "Lord Tenra, I've been defiled…"
"I told you to stop dressing like a girl," Tenra muttered, exasperated. "But you never listen."
Gaspar sniffled, voice small. "But… Valerie said I look cute this way…"
Hopeless, Tenra thought. He was about to say more when his senses screamed danger—he grabbed Gaspar and leapt aside just as a magic blast obliterated the spot where they'd stood.
"Diodora! What the hell are you doing?!"
Diodora's eyes blazed. "He must die! I'll kill him!"
The humiliation was too much. If word got out in the Underworld, he'd be a laughingstock. He had to erase the evidence—starting with Gaspar.
"Diodora, I said Gaspar is my companion. If you keep this up, I won't hold back."
Tenra's tone was icy, his eyes cold with disgust.
But Diodora was past reason. "You? A worthless nobody who can't even awaken his demon blood? Get lost, or I'll kill you too!"
He didn't care about consequences anymore. Rage had made him reckless.
Tenra's eyes narrowed, his face darkening. Once, being called "worthless" wouldn't have bothered him; he'd known it was true. No bloodline, no talent for magic—trying to prove himself had only brought ridicule.
But now?
Now he had power. He'd worked ten, a hundred times harder than any pampered "genius." He wasn't afraid of anyone—not anymore.
Anyone who insulted him would pay.
Dark energy crackled around him as Tenra summoned a pitch-black sword, lifting it to point at Diodora.
"I'll say this once, Diodora. Take back what you just said."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong