NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Too much in
In this intense moment, Demon Girl's rage overtakes her, feeling completely betrayed and questioning her place in the demon hierarchy. She storms into the throne room, where the Demon Queen and Kiki stand, her anger blazing.
"I'm stronger than Scarlett, I'm older, and I'm a full-blood demon. I am Demon Girl!" she declares, defiant and unyielding.
The Demon Queen responds calmly, acknowledging her strength but bringing up a hard truth: "True, but you also carry the blood of the former king." This sets Demon Girl off even more.
"So what? He was a good king!" she snaps, defending her father's honor. "He fought for me when I was kidnapped and hurt. The people wanted that war."
Kiki, his voice measured, intervenes: "That war was not for peace but for destruction."
Demon Girl's heart wavers momentarily as the Queen delivers the final blow: "You were the reason he's not here now, and you will be the reason Hell loses everything if this goes on."
The words hit her like a blow, and Demon Girl's voice shakes with emotion. "I was his true successor," she insists. "The kingdom he built—he left it to me, not to you, not to Kiki, and definitely not to Scarlett!"
Unfazed, the Queen answers coldly, "Do I look like I care?"
Kiki echoes the Queen's resolve, stating firmly, "Scarlett will be the true Queen of Hell."
Demon Girl, furious, lunges at Kiki, her punch deflected effortlessly as he manipulates time to avoid her blows. Kiki is now nearly a master of time itself, evading her easily. The Queen calls upon the guards, and with a wave of her hand, demons appear, dragging Demon Girl to the Pit, a place of punishment reserved for those who need to learn control and restraint. The betrayal cuts deep, and Demon Girl's rage grows, even as the doors close behind her.
Demon Girl hung in the pit, lava licking at her skin as the soldiers took turns striking her with swords, their blows relentless. Her wounds healed just enough to keep her alive, but the Queen had added something crueler: she forced her to wear the same clothes her father once wore, and each lash of the rope cut deeper into her spirit. "It's your fault," they taunted. "He died because of you." Each word hit her harder than the blows.
Suddenly, she saw Scarlett stumble into the pit, eyes wide with horror. "Big sis!" Scarlett cried out, rushing toward her. One guard raised his hand to hit Scarlett, but Demon Girl's protective fury ignited. She broke free from her chains, catching the guard's hand mid-swing. "Let her go," she growled.
When he ignored her, still striking Scarlett, her rage exploded. Demon Girl fought back, fists blazing with demonic energy as she kicked, punched, and shattered every soldier in her path. Finally, she lifted Scarlett into her arms, carrying her safely to her room. She gently laid Scarlett on the bed, watching her fall asleep, before stepping outside and looking up at the dark sky. "Scarlett, I'll come back stronger. I'll never let this happen again." And with that, she left the town, heading to a distant corner of hell, determined to grow stronger.