The convenience store was quieter than usual, a deceptive calm after the chaos of the rotten noodles, sick days, and hentai-fueled "cultural studies." Nyx, of course, found the calm unbearable.
She leaned on the counter, grinning mischievously as she glanced at Vario. The Demon King stood behind the soda tower, stiff as a statue, crimson eyes flicking toward Yuwen every few seconds.
"Ohhhh, look at him!" Nyx squealed, bouncing in place. "He's totally flustered! The Demon King… flustered! HAHAHA!"
Vario froze, his claws tightening slightly around the edge of the counter. "Nyx… cease immediately."
Nyx cackled, hopping onto the counter. "Cease? Oh no! I live to torment you! You're all red and twitchy! It's adorable! Come on, Vario, don't try to act all scary!"
Vario's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. "Adorable? I am the Demon King… adorable is not in my lexicon."
Nyx leaned closer, eyes glinting. "Ohhh, it's definitely in your lexicon now! Don't deny it!"
The Demon King's tail flicked impatiently behind him. He inhaled sharply, his usual aura of authority flaring around him like a dark storm.
"You dare mock the Demon King in his… current state?" he growled. Slowly, deliberately, Vario reached behind him. A glimmer of steel appeared—a long, dark blade, pulsating faintly with an otherworldly light. His dimension sword had been summoned.
Nyx's eyes widened in mock horror. "Ohhh! He's pulling out the big guns! Wait… is that his—ohhh, it is! It's his dimension sword!"
Bella sighed, rubbing her temples. "I swear, I survived demon armies, cursed relics, and rotten cup noodles… and this is the most dangerous thing in the store right now."
Vario held the blade aloft, the air around it shimmering, casting distorted shadows over the aisles. "I will not tolerate this insolence. One more word…" His voice echoed like a thunderclap, filled with raw authority and barely restrained power.
Nyx grinned wider. "One more word? I love this challenge! You're scaring yourself more than me!"
The Demon King's eyes burned crimson, energy crackling along the blade's edge. "Nyx… one more word and you will feel the full extent of my wrath."
Nyx leaned back dramatically, hands raised in mock surrender. "Oooohhh… okay okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't… don't slash me with the dimension sword!"
Yuwen, watching nearby, raised an eyebrow, lips twitching in a half-smile. "This is… amusing. And slightly alarming."
Vario lowered the blade slowly, though the aura still shimmered ominously. "You… understand that I am not joking. Your teasing is… intolerable."
Nyx pouted playfully. "Ohhh, come on! I was just having fun! You can't act all broody and scary at the same time!"
Bella groaned again. "I can't even… I can't even…"
Vario, still gripping the hilt, muttered under his breath, "…Perhaps… I need better control over these feelings… and this human… audacity."
Nyx clapped gleefully. "Yes! That's it! Keep talking like that, and I might just tease you even more! Mwahahaha!"
Vario's tail lashed behind him, eyes narrowing once more, but there was a flicker—barely noticeable—of something else in them. Something that wasn't just wrath.
Yuwen smirked, leaning slightly closer. "Interesting. He seems… affected. Perhaps your teasing has more power than even I imagined."
Nyx grinned at her. "Exactly! That's the fun of it! Demon King's flustered… and it's hilarious!"
Vario let out a low growl, the dimension sword still shimmering faintly. One thing was certain: this store had officially become a battlefield of chaos, flirtation, and teasing—and he was not prepared.
And somewhere, in the back aisle, a lone cup noodle wobbled, as if silently cheering for Nyx's victory.