The first light of dawn barely touched Ishiyama City when Tatsumi Oga stirred beneath his sheets. Sleep had been rare and chaotic in the past two days, but tonight had brought a new nightmare—one that left him drenched in sweat, tangled in sheets, and utterly horrified.
In his dream, the green-haired baby atop his back had grown into a towering, fully grown demon lord, muscles like stone, wings unfurling with a metallic glint, eyes sparking electricity, and yet somehow still perched squarely on Oga's back. The streets shook beneath his weight as they trudged through the city together. Every store, every street vendor, and every unsuspecting human screamed in terror. But worse, every restaurant door slammed in Oga's face.
"No! No, this can't be happening!" Oga shouted in his dream, his knees buckling under the immense weight of the growing Beel. "I just wanted breakfast! I just wanted to get him some food!"
The grown-up Beel cooed, sparks crackling around him like miniature thunderstorms, clearly unimpressed by the chaos he caused.
Oga woke up with a strangled scream, clutching his hair. "No... no way! I need to dump this kid immediately!"
Morning Madness
Oga stumbled out of bed, hair sticking up at every angle, his uniform a wrinkled mess. Beel, sitting on the floor, began bouncing slightly, his eyes glowing with early-morning mischief.
Hilda, ever composed, appeared behind him with a breakfast tray neatly balanced in her arms. "You need to take this with you," she said, placing a small container of formula and some carefully measured snacks into Oga's hands.
"Take it to school?" Oga groaned. "Do I look like a daycare delivery guy?!"
Hilda ignored him, recounting instructions in perfect detail: "Feed him at exactly 7:20. Ten milliliters. Do not exceed. If he cries, use the pacifier only. Do not deviate, or you will regret it."
Oga blinked. "Regret it?"
"The consequence is immediate, violent, and most likely lethal," Hilda said simply, turning on her heel and leaving him.
Beel, sensing food, squealed in excitement and lunged at Oga's hands. Sparks shot off, frying a corner of the floor. Oga yelped, trying to shield himself while thinking: I swear, this kid is going to kill me before he even graduates from preschool.
The Yogurt Incident
Walking to school with Beel strapped to his back, Oga paused as the baby's cries became insistent. It was feeding time. Following Hilda's instructions, Oga set down a bottle and tried to feed him, but the bottle was empty—forgotten at home in the chaos.
Desperate, Oga approached the nearest vending machine and bought a "Yogurty" drink instead. Unbeknownst to him, this was the personal favorite of Hajime Kanzaki, one of Ishiyama High's infamous first-year "Big Four."
As soon as Oga handed the drink to Beel, the ground vibrated ominously. A shadow detached itself from the corner of the street.
"You... you bought my Yogurty?" a tall, imposing figure demanded. Hajime Kanzaki, all sneers and menace, towered over Oga. Sparks of anger practically radiated off him, sending nearby pedestrians fleeing in terror.
Oga froze, realizing the magnitude of his mistake. This is bad. Really bad. He could already imagine the reports in the delinquent grapevine: "Some fool brought the sacred Yogurty to his demon kid and survived... somehow."
Seeking a Guardian
Oga, gripping Beel tightly, considered his options. If this kid's going to cause a massacre over yogurt, maybe... maybe someone else should take him.
And then he saw Kanzaki's smug expression, the absolute confidence in his ruthless gaze. This is perfect. He's cruel, ruthless, powerful... maybe he can take the kid off my hands.
Oga straightened. "Alright, fine! You take him! Here—take him! This little monster is yours!"
Kanzaki's eyes glinted. "What? You want to hand him to me?"
Oga nodded emphatically. "Yes! Take him! I don't care what happens! You're apparently strong enough—take responsibility!"
But the moment he said it, one of Kanzaki's henchmen stepped forward, clearly eager to assert dominance. Oga didn't hesitate. One punch later, the henchman was flung several meters into a trash bin. Sparks flew from Beel's excited giggles as Oga muttered: "Don't wake him too much, alright?"
The Confrontation
Kanzaki's expression darkened. "Throw him out of the window."
Oga froze. Wait... what? But the reasoning was clear: Kanzaki wanted to test him. Perhaps only the strong deserved to carry Beel's fate.
Oga frowned. He watched the henchman wriggle helplessly in the street below. "You... you call yourself strong? That weakling?" He shook his head. "No. I can't leave him to you."
In one fluid motion, Oga delivered a precise strike, knocking Kanzaki out cold. Sparks from Beel arced into the air as he giggled from atop Oga's back.
Kogen's Observations
From the shadows, Kogen watched the entire fiasco. Hands clasped elegantly, lips curved into a thin, dark smile.
"Interesting," he mused in narration. "The human had every opportunity to abandon his charge, to hand him over to someone suitably brutal. And yet... he chose not to. Fascinating. Perhaps this one has... potential. Perhaps not in strength alone, but in spirit. How delightful."
Beel cooed and sparked happily. Kogen's gaze lingered on the baby for a moment, then returned to Oga.
"I suppose I should continue watching," he murmured. "It would be a shame to miss the next act."
Oga's Realization
Oga, sitting on the curb with Beel in his arms, wiped sweat from his brow. "You know... I thought I could just dump him on some big shot, let him do all the work. But no. He's... mine. Somehow, that little demon is mine."
Beel yawned lazily, arcs of electricity dancing harmlessly along Oga's back.
Furuichi, who had arrived after hiding behind a lamppost in horror, muttered, "You're insane. Absolutely insane. And that kid's going to fry you in your sleep."
Oga ignored him. For once, he was quiet, reflecting on the absurdity of the morning. He had tried to abandon the demon lord, failed spectacularly, and realized something he couldn't quite put into words: he wasn't ready to let go.
From the shadows, Kogen chuckled softly. "Yes... let him cling. Let him struggle. This is the only way the drama will be perfect."