Zone 3 officially hated me.

  I could tell because the moment we finished stabilizing the stove, yes, stabilizing, not “saving the world”, a loud siren-like horn echoed through the streets.

  I froze.

  Charmie froze.

  The group of demons watching us from behind rubble did not freeze. They panicked.

  “ALERT...!”

  “INTRUDER!”

  “THE CURSED FIRE HAS ESCAPED!”

  [Announcement: Unauthorized Fme Detected Near Demon Lord.]

  “…Why does everything I touch come with a soundtrack?” I muttered.

  I sighed.

  Of course.

  I hadn’t even finished processing the fact that my legendary fme technique was named after a panic attack, and now I was apparently triggering demon arm viotions.

  The horn bred again.

  BWOOOOOO—

  Then...

  BOOM.

  Something exploded two streets away.

  I stared. “…Was that part of the horn?” I asked.

  Charmie shook her head slowly. “No…”

  Another explosion followed, closer this time.

  BOOM! CRASH!

  Dust shot into the air, followed by shouting.

  “ENEMY SPOTTED!”

  “WAIT, NO...!”

  “WHY IS IT MOVING?!”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “Charmie,” I said calmly, “on a scale from one to ‘this is normal,’ how bad is this?”

  She hesitated. “…Eight?”

  “That’s manageable,” I nodded. “I’ve survived worse meetings.”

  We didn’t have to wait long. Something... or rather, someone came flying over a broken wall and nded hard in front of us.

  CRASH.

  A female demon rolled once, twice, then sprang to her feet like a lit fuse.

  Bright red hair. Twin tails. Short. Sparks literally snapped around her boots. Her spear hit the ground with a loud cng.

  She scanned the area sharply.

  “WHERE IS IT?!” she shouted.

  I blinked.

  “…Hi?”

  Her eyes snapped to me. For exactly half a second, she looked ready to attack.

  Then she froze.

  Her posture stiffened.

  Her pupils shrank.

  Her spear cttered to the ground.

  “…Ah.” The sparks around her fizzled out.

  She straightened instantly and smmed a fist to her chest. “G-GLORY TO THE DEMON LORD!”

  The demons behind her scrambled into formation.

  Charmie gasped. “Sparky!”

  I cleared my throat. “You may rex.”

  She did not rex. She stood so straight I was genuinely concerned she’d snap in half.

  “MY LORD!” she barked. “REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY SIGNAL!”

  “What emergency?” I asked.

  She gestured wildly behind her. “THE ZONE DETECTED UNAUTHORIZED FIRE ACTIVITY...!”

  Her eyes flicked to the stove.

  Then to the lighter in my hand.

  Then back to my face.

  “…Ah.”

  There it was again. That tiny, painful realization.

  “…You,” she said quietly. Her jaw clenched. Sparks popped at her feet. “…S-so you were the source.”

  “Yes.”

  “…Of the unauthorized fire.”

  “Yes.”

  “…In Zone 3.”

  "Correct.”

  [Announcement: Unauthorized Fme Source Confirmed. Source Identified as Demon Lord.]

  Sparky’s soul visibly left her body. “…I RAN ALL THE WAY HERE,” she yelled, “FOR A STOVE?!”

  “Impressive response time, thank you,” I offered.

  She inhaled sharply. “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT WITHOUT WARNING?!” The explosion of sound nearly knocked Charmie over.

  I didn’t flinch. Mostly because I was already tired.

  “I did warn,” I said. “Just not formally. Or loudly. Or in a way anyone listened to.”

  She opened her mouth.

  Closed it.

  Then snapped, “THAT DOESN’T COUNT!”

  “Noted.”

  She paced in a tight circle, screamed into the sky. “AARRRGHHHH! Stupid horn… stupid false arm… stupid prophecy zones…”

  Charmie whispered, “Captain, please lower your voice...”

  “I AM LOWERING IT!”

  The ground sparked.

  I raised a finger. “Captain Sparky.”

  She froze instantly. “…Y-yes, my lord.”

  “Two questions.”

  She nodded rigidly.

  “One: why was the response this fast?”

  She hesitated. “…Because the alert registered ‘uncontained fme.’”

  “And two: why did something explode before you arrived?”

  Her face twitched. “…That was an accident.”

  “Define accident.”

  She looked away. “I may have… tested the perimeter.”

  “With what?”

  “…Force.”

  “How much force?”

  “…Enough.”

  I stared at the smoking crater behind her. “…I see.”

  She bowed sharply. “I take full responsibility! P-Please punish me if necessary!”

  I sighed.

  Why did everyone keep offering themselves up like this was a suggestion box?

  “No punishment,” I said. “Next time, don’t test the environment like it owes you money.”

  “…Understood.” She straightened, then frowned. “But my lord, these human artifacts were dangerous...”

  I interrupted. “That’s why I’m here to check on them.”

  Her eyes widened. “…You are?”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  Charmie visibly rexed.

  Sparky looked… conflicted. "…You’re different,” she muttered. “You don’t act like the previous Demon Lord.”

  “Great.”

  “That’s not a compliment!”

  Then... Her nose twitched. She squinted at me. “…Are you glowing?”

  “…No.”

  She leaned closer. “…You are.”

  ACHOOOO!!

  Light exploded.

  [ACHOOOO!! Skill Activated!]

  [Transforming…]

  [Announcement: Demon Lord successfully transformed into a male!]

  Sparky stumbled back. The guards screamed. Charmie cheered quietly.

  I groaned. “…I hate allergies.”

  Sparky stared.

  Then snapped to attention so hard sparks flew. “G-GLORY TO THE DEMON LORD’S ALTERNATE FORM!”

  “…Please stop adding titles.”

  Her face flushed. “I-I didn’t mean—!”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Just… don’t explode anything.”

  “…I make no promises,” she muttered. Then, more quietly, “…But I will obey.”

  I looked at her.

  Tsundere. Definitely.

  Explosive. Literally.

  But loyal.

  “Alright,” I said. “False arm resolved. Stove works. No invasions. Everyone calm?”

  The demons nodded enthusiastically.

  Sparky saluted. “YES, MY LORD!”

  She turned, paused, then gnced back. “…Um…You handled fire without chanting?”

  “Yes.”

  “…That was cool.” Then she bolted away in a crackle of sparks.

  [Sparky Affection +5]

  I stared after her.

  “…She’s loud.”

  Charmie smiled. “But she respects you.”

  I looked at the stove. The fme still steady.

  “…Yeah,” I muttered. “Somehow, that worries me more.”

  [Announcement: Emergency Status Cleared. Demon Lord Authority Stable.]