The convenience store smelled faintly of stale soda, burnt noodles, and lingering chaos, but for now, the aisles were mostly intact. Feria patrolled silently with her clipboard, ensuring that the shelves were still pristine, while Bella leaned against a display, keeping a wary eye on the Demon King.
Nyx was busy arranging Pokémon cards in "strategic inventory positions," humming happily to herself.
That's when the Demon King, Vario, wandered into the snack aisle, still clutching his Blue Bull and glancing suspiciously at the neatly stacked cup noodles.
"Hmm…" he muttered, picking up a cup at random. "These… appear… ordinary."
He twisted the lid, sniffed, and immediately recoiled. The smell hit him like a cursed spell: sour, putrid, and unmistakably rotten. The noodles inside had congealed into a slimy, grayish mass, emitting a faint, glowing green haze that threatened to make even him gag.
Bella jumped back instinctively. "Wait! Don't—don't touch it!"
But Vario was already intrigued. "Curious… this substance defies the very laws of culinary decay. I must… investigate further!"
He poked it with a claw, and the cup wobbled ominously. A small cloud of putrid vapor puffed upward, curling around his face. His eyes watered, and he coughed violently, sending Nyx screaming and flailing backward for cover.
"Oh nooo! That's evil! Even worse than your vape!" Nyx shrieked.
The Demon King waved his claw, trying to dispel the smell. "Impossible… no mortal food should reach such a level of corruption!"
Feria glided over, frowning. "That is… well, unsurprising. Expired products must always be removed promptly. But… you, Vario, are making a scene."
Varkos, curious as always, peeked over his shoulder. "What's wrong with it?"
"Wrong?!" Vario bellowed. "This cup noodles has become… hostile! It emanates noxious energy—perhaps a curse left over from an unknown dimension!"
Bella sighed. "Or… it's just rotten. People forget to check expiration dates in retail hell."
Nyx peeked over the counter again. "Maybe we should put it in a dungeon! You know… for science!"
Vario's eyes gleamed. "Science… yes. And battle. We shall test this corruption. I… I will contain it!"
He grabbed the cup and slammed it on the floor. The lid popped off, releasing a pungent cloud that filled the aisle like a toxic fog. Nyx coughed, gagged, and waved her hands dramatically. "You're destroying the store! I… I love it!"
Feria groaned, flipping a page in her clipboard. "Perhaps next time, we shall assign someone to inspect perishable goods before the Demon King handles them."
Bella pinched the bridge of her nose. "I survived cursed relics, demon generals, and armies of undead… and now I almost die from a rotten cup noodle."
Vario glared at the remaining noodles with suspicion. "All of these could be tainted! We must investigate… systematically."
Nyx clapped her hands gleefully. "Yes! Let's test every snack! Retail science experiment!"
Bella groaned again. "I am so done with this job."
Feria just sighed, clipboard in hand, and began reorganizing the aisle while muttering about proper stock rotation.
And somewhere in the back, a lone, slightly suspicious soda can rolled, as if silently cheering Vario on in his battle against the horrors of expired convenience store food.