"Uhh… eh… hi, honey… Long time no see...ing you, in that form."
Whoosh
In a blink, Lilith—who'd been ten meters away—now has Solo by the neck with one hand, lifting the level-1 orc until he's dangling in the air. His feet kick uselessly in the air as he chokes.
"Hi, honey, you didn't answer my call."
Her voice isn't one voice. It's several, layered, like every demon from a horror movie is speaking at once. Solo hasn't heard that tone since the last time he screwed up during an in-law visit. Decades ago.
"I—I'm sorry, babe! I couldn't charge my phone—there's, uh… no electricity here?" He wheezes.
Lilith narrows her eyes.
"I see. And how was your holiday?"
"G-Good?"
"Is that so?"
CRASH
Lilith hurls Solo into the bar, shattering half the liquor stock.
Whoosh.
In an instant she's on him again, snatching him by the neck and hoisting him up a second time.
"Now tell Me! Who is the slut that's keeping you here!? Is it a cat girl? Or a bunny girl?"
"N-No girl... I swear... please… can't breathe…"
Lilith flings him again. This time he crashes through tables and chairs.
"Cough… gasp…" Solo wheezes, finally pulling air into his abused lungs.
"Dont't you lie to me! You always ask me to wear those animal ears! You must have found a real one here!"
"Honey… honey… I promise you, there are no girls. Now calm down… We're not in Murica now… We don't want to cause a diplomatic incidents with our only ally, right?"
Solo tries to smart-talk Lilith—he knows that the only thing sharper than his wife's rage is her professionalism.
Lilith smiles sweetly.
"Oh, but we are in Murica. You are technically standing on the recently purchased land for the new Murica embassy. I signed the deal three hours ago. As the acting Prime Minister."
"Oh shit..." Solo mutters, looking down at the ground beneath him.
"NOW GET READY, MY LOVE." She grins. "YOU HAVE A LONG NIGHT AHEAD OF YOU."
A ball of demonic energy crackles to life in her palm.
On a Street Nearby
BOOOMMM
Hannya and the tavern owner look at the explosion from afar. Behind them, curious townsfolk are held back by Secret Service agents and Dawn's guards, forming a strict 500-meter perimeter—standard procedure for Homewreck protocol.
Homewreck is a special emergency procedure devised by the Murican Secret Service.
Whenever a fight between the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff is imminent, they evacuate an area, lure the weaker party into it, and let the stronger spouse vent in a controlled environment. Property damage is then contained to a "somewhat acceptable" level.
"Thank you for your prompt cooperation, sir." Hannya says, handing a bag of gold to the tavern owner.
"Ah… sure…" He already has his luggage packed with him. "Uh… Miss Demon, may I ask… Is it true? That Orkie is actually a wanted criminal?"
"Yes, he is being wanted for his crime right now."
Hannya answers while watching the land clearings for her new office being in progress.
Dawn Castle, East Wing
The East Wing has always hosted foreign dignitaries. This time, it houses the Prime Minister of Murica and his wife, the Chief of Staff.
Sunlight filters through the window into the master bedroom, waking Lilith. She stretches, enjoying the warmth—a little habit she picked up from Solo.
She walks to the bathroom.
Click. Click.
Locked. Right—she locked it last night.
She retrieves the key and opens it.
Inside, Solo is asleep in the bathtub—bruised, bandaged, and snoring.
She kicks him.
"Guh-huh??"
"Get out. I'm taking a bath."
Battered, bruised, and wobbling, Solo limps out, every bone in his body protesting.
---
Later, Solo examines his wounds in the mirror. Lilith steps out of the bathroom, toweling her hair.
"Honey… you killed me three times last night."
"You deserved it," she replies while getting dressed.
Solo briefly wonders if he should attempt to pass a Domestic Violence Act again. Last time he tried after a fight, the entire demon court laughed hysterically.
Banning domestic violence in a violent demon house? Comedy gold.
"I don't know if I should thank the goddess or not for this curse," he mutters.
"You should thank me for not killing you in my true form again." Lilith scowls. "Ugh. That reminds me of that slutty Harpy."
"Oh, come on, honey, that was fifty years ago—"
"Shut up. For a long-lifespan demon like me, fifty years is basically last month!"
"…sorry."
Solo notices Lilith wearing a bikini under her light summer dress.
"Uhh… I thought you came here to drag me home. What's with the outfit?"
"You're not the only one who gets to take a vacation."
SLAM
She leaves. Solo stares.
"…wait! I'M COMING WITH YOU!"
Dawn City, Sandy Beach
Lilith has fully commandeered Solo's private beach spot. She lounges beneath a parasol on a luxurious beach bed, sipping a chilled tropical drink provided by Murican Secret Service.
Solo, meanwhile, sits on the sand with his old towel.
"…Honey, may I—"
"Don't talk."
"…"
He knows better than to challenge Lilith's silent treatment.
After several minutes—
"So what are you running from? The goddess?" Lilith asks casually.
"At first… I thought so," Solo exhales deeply. "But I think… I'm actually running from you guys."
"…Explain."
"For 130 years, we prepared weapons—everything we could build—to kill as many Talvarians as possible. We even built a nuclear bomb. We believed that by destroying the goddess's worshippers and ruling the planet, we could finally get our revenge.
"I promised that. To you. To all Muricans." He pauses. "And… I failed."
"Why did you fail?"
"Are you listening? We can't kill people anymore! How do we win a war without killing? And if the other kingdoms learn that, they'll wipe us out."
"That's true," Lilith nods. "But isn't it your job to lead us through that?"
"You just… don't understand how I feel."
Lilith sighs.
"Remember, Solo," Lilith says calmly, closing her eyes, "you may be the weakest demon, but I married you because you're the strongest existence I've ever known—in your own way. Now stop bothering me with your human pity party. I'm taking a nap."
Solo falls silent.
Dawn Castle, East Wing
That night, Solo sits alone on the balcony, watching the city lights fade into quiet. He hasn't spoken with Lilith since the beach.
"May I join you?" says a familiar voice.
It's King Luxtar—now simply Luxius's retired father.
"Ah, your majesty—"
"No 'majesty.' That's Luxius now. I'm just an old man enjoying retirement." He sits beside Solo and discreetly produces two chilled cans of beer from under his robe. "Your wife banned you from alcohol, so I smuggled these in."
"Bless you."
They clink cans.
"Aaaahh… wonderful," Luxtar sighs. "Soon your ships will bring more of this, and even commoners can enjoy it."
"When we finish upgrading your port, yeah," Solo nods. "Container ships will bring cheap beer in bulk."
"Ha! I never thought I'd see the day Ravendawn became prosperous."
He takes a slow sip. "Hell, I didn't even think that I could return to this castle."
Luxtar gazes wistfully at the castle, then gestures at Solo's chair.
"You know… the chair you're sitting on—I used to sit there whenever something troubled my mind."
"…"
"So tell me. What troubles the mind of a demon leader? Is it how to defeat the goddess?"
Solo freezes. "How—how did you—? We kept that secret from outsiders."
"Ohohoho. I'm old. Humans don't live long, but as we grow older, we grow sensitive to… changes."
Luxtor taps his chest. "Your people changed everything about their lives: culture, instinct, identity. That kind of devotion only comes from two things. Love… or hate. And demons aren't exactly known for love, heh. Well, I'd be pissed off too if I were caged for thousands of years."
Solo is stunned by the old man's insight.
"And you don't mind helping us?" Solo asks quietly. "Even though—when we get the chance—we'll kill your goddess?"
"I stopped praying to her a long time ago."
Luxtor snorts. "She never answered anyway. Hell, the only one who ever answered me was your foreign minister."
Another sip.
"You Muricans take things from us, yes. But at least with you, we can say yes or no. And what we get in return is clear. Fair. The goddess takes, takes, takes. Can we even refuse? And what do we get? A vague promise of heaven? Pah."
He spits over the balcony.
"So go for it. Kill her. You have my blessing. Hahaha!"
Solo huffs. "Thanks… but I don't know. Everything I believed in… feels like a lie now."
"Belief cuts both ways."
Luxtor stares toward the distant hills.
"A long time ago, my family believed every kingdom respected us—the bastion of humanity standing against demons. But when they thought they were strong enough to fight the demons, when Vandoria stole our land… they all turned their eyes away."
He sighs.
"I also believe surrendering Dawn would protect it—protect the city and its people that my wife loved. I thought, what's the worst that can happen? They're humans like us. Boy, was I wrong. Some humans are demons in different skin."
"…is that your biggest regret?"
"No."
Luxto shakes his head. "My biggest regret is that after failing the people who trusted me… I hesitated. I was too scared of failing again."
He glances meaningfully at Solo.
"Sound familiar?"
"…you crafty old man."
"We're leaders, Solo. No one understands what we carry. So crack a beer, swear, cry, whatever demons do. Stay in Dawn. Clear your mind. Then go back and be the best demon leader your people could ever hope for."
"…I'll try." Solo smiles faintly. "Are you always this wise?"
"No," Luxtor chuckles. "It was my wife. Whenever I sat here, she'd sit right where I am now. Saying the words I needed to hear… or staying silent when I need to think. But she never let me face my problem alone."
Solo smiles warmly.
"And you know what?" Luxtor grins. "Whenever I'm done with the thinking. We always end up fucking! Right here! In this balcony."
"EWW! OLD MAN!"
"No, I'm serious! We like to do it in that chair you sit on or on the railings!" Luxtor demonstrates with his hip thrusts. "Like this!"
"STOP IT! OH NO, IT'S STARTING TO FORM IN MY MIND!"
"I may be an old man now, but if my wife were still alive, I know I could still ride her like a stud! HAHAHAHA!"
Solo covers his face. Luxtor spanks imaginary buttocks vigorously.
The two laugh like idiots—unaware of the figure perched quietly on the roof above them.
Lilith watches with a tiny smile.
"…stupid husband. If you asked me to talk, we could be fucking right now. Oh well. Your loss."
She quietly flies away, letting the two men enjoy their bro-moment.
For several nights, Solo and Luxtor continue to hang out on the balcony. Drinking, joking, swearing, and sneaking booze from the castle storage.
Dawn, A Hill Nearby The Castle
A week passes.
Then one morning, the maids find King Luxtor passes away peacefully in his sleep, a gentle smile on his face.
A private funeral led by Archmage Gregor is held on a quiet hill overlooking the castle, beside the grave of Luxtor's beloved wife.
Luxius stands between the two gravestones.
"Goodbye, Father. Everything will be alright now. You and Mother can rest and watch over us."
A few steps behind him, Solo, Lilith, and Hannya stand respectfully as Murican representatives—and friends.
"Are you sad?" Lilith asks gently.
"Not really…" Solo answers. "I'm jealous. That dirty old man got everything a man could wish for."
"…I suppose so."
Hannya interrupts bluntly, "Is it the son? Are you two planning to have a son like former King Luxtor?"
Solo and Lilith turn bright red.
"A-Anyway!" Solo coughs loudly. "Please arrange transport to Bashington tomorrow. I have work to do."
"Yes, sir!" Hannya replies.
Lilith smiles gently, seeing her husband return to the man she fell in love with.
On their last night in Dawn Castle, Solo invites Lilith to the balcony for wine under the moonlight.
In honor of the dirty old man…
They spend the night doing enthusiastically recreating his balcony tradition until dawn.
Bashington DC, Cabinet Meeting Room
The meeting table is already full with Solo's Cabinet's members and their staffs. After more than a month of vacations, the captain is finally back to sail the ship.
"Huh, Belphy?" Mo' says, "It's rare to see you joining a meeting."
"I tried to bail as usual, but this time Lilith's threats are so fucking real."
A short moment later, Solo and Lilith came into the meeting room.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, sir."
Solo takes his seat. A staffer pours his coffee with practiced precision.
"Thank you."
He sets the cup down.
"Alright. As you all know, we've had major developments in our war against the goddess, especially after discovering the true nature of the goddess virus. Oh, and congratulations to Director Lich for winning the No-bail Award in Physiology and Medicine for his latest discovery.
Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap
"Ohohoho, thank you, thank you."
The skeleton beams proudly, his medal hanging on his neck.
"Sorry for being late, Lich. My vacation took longer than expected. Now, our discovery changes everything. Our initial plan of using peace to buy time, then erasing goddess-worshipping nations one by one with force… is no longer viable."
He rises to his feet.
His voice becomes firm.
"That's why from this moment, I—Alex Solomon, Prime Minister of the United Demon Kingdoms of Murica—decide on a new path. We will continue our campaign for revenge and the downfall of the goddess Celes…"
A pause.
A breath.
A grin.
"-By building world peace."