The Daily Life of the Demon King

The lounge was steeped in tense silence after Alex left again without explaining his intentions. Those who knew him well understood: if he was heading out to "visit" someone, it rarely ended well for his target.

Rebecca, her face set in a pout, still stared toward the spot where he had vanished. Brunhilde, on the other hand, appeared calm—she had a good idea of where Alex had gone. Her suspicion was confirmed: his target was Heimdall, a god whose behavior had raised eyebrows. After all, there was no way he could have known the identities of the clones Alex had used to participate in battles.

Buddha, sprawled lazily in a chair, seemed to have decided to take advantage of the moment to rest before the upcoming tedious meeting. The "kids' team"—GIR, MIMI, Stitch, Zerofuku, and Göll—returned to their video games, doing their best to ignore the situation.

"Uh… can someone explain what's going on here? And who's that guy who called himself my father? Also, Sister Hilda, where did this whole relationship thing come from? Why do I know nothing about it?" Siegfried broke the silence, looking visibly confused.

All eyes instantly turned to him. Rebecca immediately pretended to be busy and moved to Alex's desk, focusing intently on "important tasks."

Buddha closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, as if the entire situation had nothing to do with him. The kids' team dove even deeper into their games, acting as though they were the most riveting activities in the world. The Valkyries tactfully looked away, as if giving Brunhilde full freedom to handle the brewing storm on her own.

"You're all unbearable," Brunhilde muttered, casting a stern glance around the room.

"He's your son. It's your job to explain everything to him," Rebecca replied without turning her head.

Sighing, Brunhilde motioned for Siegfried to sit across from her. He noticed the peculiar "harmony" of the situation, even though everything seemed chaotic at first glance. His gaze lingered on three strange creatures he had never seen before. Meanwhile, Brunhilde was debating where to start—so much had happened that day that it was hard to pick a beginning.

Meanwhile, Alex had already found Heimdall's location and opened a portal without hesitation. Entering the god's quarters, he quickly scanned the room, paying little attention to its decor. Heimdall appeared oblivious to the uninvited guest. He was engrossed in his search; every cabinet and drawer had been turned upside down, but that didn't deter him. The god was feverishly looking for something, muttering under his breath:

"Where did I put it?" he murmured, opening yet another drawer.

Leaning against a table with one elbow propped up, Alex watched the scene with evident indifference. At one point, he focused his gaze, attempting to discern Heimdall's true essence. What he saw made his eyebrow rise in surprise. The god's essence resembled a kaleidoscope, and Alex knew only one being in the multiverse with such a trait. This person definitely didn't belong in this world.

Not wanting to waste time, Alex spoke to announce his presence:

"Need a hand?" he asked in a bored tone, finally catching Heimdall's attention.

Without stopping his search, Heimdall heard the voice behind him but paid no mind to it.

"No, thanks. I can manage. I left it here somewhere," he muttered absently, continuing to rummage through his belongings.

Alex smirked, patiently waiting for the realization to hit Heimdall that he wasn't alone in the room. A few seconds later, it finally did. Freezing like a machine, Heimdall slowly turned his head. His gaze met Alex's, who was sitting casually on a chair with his cheek resting on his hand. A playful, almost mocking smile spread across Alex's face, as if he were watching an amusing performance.

Heimdall froze, his mind desperately searching for an explanation for what was happening. Why had Alex come here? What was the purpose of his visit? The only thing that came to mind was the possibility that Alex knew about the fighters who should not exist in this world.

Realizing he had made a mistake, Heimdall decided to remain calm and continue playing the fool to the very end. Heimdall now understood that the reason Alex had come was because he knew the history of fighters from another world.

"What brings you here, Mr. Voldigoad?" Heimdall asked cautiously, carefully choosing his words.

Heimdall's eyes darted around the room as though searching for an escape. Alex, with undisguised amusement, watched his panicked attempts to hide his confusion. However, Alex had another question: where was the real Heimdall? Could this imposter have killed the true god using his magic? But what bothered him the most was how the gods hadn't noticed the fake.

"And what do you think I'm here for?" Alex asked with a smile, adding a hint of mockery to his voice.

Heimdall's eyes again flicked nervously around the room, eventually landing on a rainbow-colored sphere on a shelf. It shimmered in all hues, and that was the item he had been searching for. Alex calmly observed him until he noticed where his gaze had landed. Following his eyes, Alex too saw the sphere. Raising an eyebrow, he decided to check what it was.

With a single motion, he pulled the sphere toward himself. The rainbow-colored sphere seemed to obediently float into his palm. Heimdall watched bitterly as it disappeared out of his reach.

Alex examined the sphere closely, completely ignoring Heimdall's presence. He quickly realized that the energy inside it was similar to the one emanating from Heimdall himself, but more concentrated—as if it were a separate source of power.

"Mr. Voldigoad, perhaps you could return the sphere to me? It's a family heirloom. It's dear to me as a memento," Heimdall said with feigned sorrow, attempting to invoke sympathy.

Alex looked up at his face, which seemed genuinely upset, as if something truly precious had been stolen. If it weren't for the long weeks spent with his fiancée Loki, Alex might have believed this pitiful act. But the over-the-top dramatization was so obvious that he just smirked.

Noticing the mockery in Alex's eyes, Heimdall clicked his tongue in irritation.

"How about you stop pretending, Heimdall? Or should I call you Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg? The old vampire obsessed with little witch girls, and the possessor of the Second True Magic—Kaleidoscope?" Alex said in a light, but biting tone, spinning the sphere in his hand.

When Alex revealed Heimdall's true identity, the figure before him began to change. Before him stood a tall man with short gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard of the same color. The stranger's attire, entirely in black, exuded an air of elegant severity: a black cloak with a short cape over a suit jacket, pristine white gloves, black trousers, and shoes.

Alex, surveying him from head to toe, showed no surprise—he had already heard of the old vampire, known for his fascination with young witch girls.

"How did you figure out it was me? How do you know me? How did you learn about my obsession and the Second True Magic?" Zelretch, no longer hiding his curiosity, asked as he examined Alex intently.

Alex gave a slight smile and raised one finger, signaling that he was ready to answer. Zelretch, catching the gesture, eagerly awaited an explanation. The vampire used his magic, trying to find information about Alex, but all his efforts proved useless. Alex's future was hidden from him, and his past seemed nonexistent. Alex appeared to be an anomaly, living only in the present.

"Let's start with the first question," Alex said, raising his index finger. "Your essence looks like a kaleidoscope, and that brings us to the second question. I only know one person who possesses such a power—you."

Pausing for a moment, he raised two fingers.

"Now, regarding the other questions. If you're familiar with the theory of the multiverse, the explanation becomes easier. Every world is, in some way, a story for another world. So, in one of these worlds, your existence is part of such a story. It describes your abilities, your obsessions, and even the fact that you stir up conflicts for fun, relishing the chaos."

Zelretch nodded thoughtfully, processing what he had heard. He wasn't surprised that somewhere, his world might have been used as the source of a fictional story. However, he was extremely curious as to why Alex had sought him out.

"So, what do you need from me, Voldigoad? Does it have something to do with the fighters who weren't supposed to be part of Ragnarok?" Zelretch asked with a smile, sitting down on the nearest chair.

Hearing the question, Alex pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Do you smoke?" he asked, offering the pack.

"No, it's bad for you," Zelretch replied with a light laugh. "Old guys like me have no use for it."

Alex smirked as well, lit a cigarette, and, exhaling the smoke, continued the conversation:

"You're right. I'm here because you knew about the fighters who shouldn't have been in this world. Although Dracula was indeed here."

"And where did I mess up?" Zelretch asked with genuine interest.

"To keep it short, from the very beginning. Somehow, you knew who I was, even though I'm not from this world. Then came the story of the Pantheon, and finally, Might Guy. One case is a coincidence. Two is suspicious. Three is a pattern. And with each battle, my doubts grew stronger."

Zelretch just smirked but couldn't hide his admiration. Alex, looking out the window, calmly finished his cigarette, as though their conversation were a normal chat between an old acquaintance and a young upstart.

Zelretch nodded, realizing he had messed up at the most obvious point. He had already suspected that the stories about the warriors he had recited while pretending to be Heimdall had raised suspicions.

However, now Zelretch had the answer to another question that had been bothering him: Alex clearly was not from this world. But what intrigued him most was another aspect—how Alex managed to travel between worlds, or more precisely, between universes.

Alex calmly observed Zelretch's reaction, his curiosity piqued by how the vampire had managed to cross the multiverse. The Second True Magic, the Kaleidoscope, from what Alex knew, only allowed one to see and move between parallel worlds, nothing more.

"Well, I suppose it's my turn to ask questions. How did you end up in this world? More specifically, how do you manage to travel between universes if the Kaleidoscope doesn't have that ability? It's limited only to parallel timelines, perhaps the past and future," Alex said, pointing his cigarette at his conversation partner.

Hearing the question, Zelretch gave a self-satisfied smile and glanced at the rainbow sphere in Alex's hands. Alex immediately noticed the look. It was exactly as he had suspected—the key was in that sphere. It was practically pulsing with Zelretch's magic, and its purpose was becoming increasingly clear.

Without waiting for a response, Alex began to analyze. It was likely that a normal human body couldn't generate enough energy to overcome the Kaleidoscope's limitations. Zelretch's magic allowed him to move only between parallel timelines, but the sphere acted as a battery, compensating for this shortcoming.

"It's all thanks to this sphere you're holding. It contains my magic. If I charge it up, I can travel to another universe," Zelretch explained proudly.

"So, my suspicions were correct. The sphere allows you to bypass the Kaleidoscope's limitations," Alex nodded, confirming his thoughts.

Zelretch choked slightly upon hearing Alex's precise analysis and looked at him with surprise. How had this person understood the mechanism so quickly?

While they conversed, Alex tried to determine which Holy Grail War should be beginning at this point. The major events, as he knew them, were tied to the third and fourth wars. However, he didn't particularly want to visit this universe—not just because there was a likelihood that Allaya or Gaia might send Counter-Guardians after him, but also because his actions there could have serious consequences.

Alex particularly despised the Matou family, considering them to be scum. If he found himself in that universe, the first thing he would do would be to annihilate them. The only thing that might draw him there was the idea of robbing Gilgamesh to seize all the legendary artifacts, including the Gae Bolg with Scáthach.

From Zelretch's words, Alex learned that the Fourth Holy Grail War was about to begin. He had time to think about potential intervention.

"Well, it's time to wrap up. I still need to talk to the gods and start putting plans into motion to change this world," Alex said, extinguishing his cigarette.

"Hmm, leaving already?" Zelretch asked calmly, looking at his companion.

Zelretch had enjoyed Alex's company. He saw him as an intelligent, powerful individual who didn't recklessly abuse his strength. However, he had no idea that Alex used his power for more unusual purposes—such as creating chaos or weapons he never intended to use.

"Yes, time waits for no one. So much to do before I start new endeavors. By the way, catch, this is for you," Alex said, standing up from the chair and tossing the rainbow sphere into Zelretch's hands.

"Don't you want to visit my universe when you're done here? I think you'd like it there," Zelretch offered with a wide smile.

Zelretch already imagined the chaos Alex could cause with nothing more than his presence. His mind painted pictures of possible disasters, especially considering how Allaya and Gaia would react if they noticed Alex in the timeline. Upon hearing Zelretch's question, Alex squinted thoughtfully, but he clearly wasn't in a hurry to give a definitive answer. He already had plans for potential travels, including the need to track down other Nyann-Nyann Avatars. Moreover, it had turned out that the most powerful of them had already extended his tendrils into other universes.

"I'll think about it. I might visit your universe, but only to add to my weapon collection," Alex said, shrugging. "I don't want to waste energy on local problems, especially knowing that Allaya and Gaia will definitely stick their noses into my business. And, you know, I really can't stand it when idiots poke around where they don't belong."

Zelretch laughed, flashing a wide grin.

"Haha! You're right, those two will definitely come asking questions if you start doing something on a large scale like you have here. Well, I won't insist. But if you decide to drop by, you know where to find me."

Alex merely nodded and headed for the door. His hand had just touched the doorknob when he suddenly turned around, casting a sharp glance at Zelretch. The vampire raised an eyebrow, waiting for Alex to speak.

"And before I leave," Alex began in a grim tone, his eyes glowing with an ominous violet light. "I recommend you destroy the Matou family to the last. If I do it, the consequences will be far worse. I'll wipe out all the magical families who dare interfere with my affairs. So, my advice: act before I show up in your world. Because neither Allaya nor even Gaia will be able to stop me."

The violet glow in Alex's eyes made Zelretch freeze. For the first time in many centuries, he felt real fear. There was something in that gaze that made his body instinctively tremble. Zelretch frantically considered what the Matou family could have done to anger Alex.

"How did they piss you off so much?" he asked cautiously.

"Figure it out yourself, you've already researched the parallel timelines. But if you don't do it, I will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to."

With a wave of his hand, Alex left the room, leaving Zelretch in a stupor. Slowly, a smile appeared on the old vampire's face, which was soon replaced by loud laughter. Zelretch knew exactly how the Matou family had angered Alex. And he could only sympathize with the fact that the Matou family had provoked a real monster.

"Hahaha! This is going to be fun. His arrival will definitely drive Allaya and Gaia mad. And the other magical families will get their share too. I can't wait for him to show up in my world," Zelretch said, activating the rainbow sphere.

A portal, resembling a kaleidoscope, opened behind him, immediately engulfing his figure, and the room was plunged into silence.

Meanwhile, Alex walked down the corridor, contemplating his potential visit to Zelretch's world. His thoughts wandered between the idea of stealing several artifacts, saving the necessary people, and simultaneously restoring order among the magicians.

He remembered that he hadn't asked Zelretch where he had hidden the original Heimdall. Sighing, Alex decided to put those questions aside for later and focus on the current matters—finishing Ragnarok and implementing a new system, if the gods supported his idea.

Stopping, he instantly teleported to the rest area where the others were. His sudden appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Where have you been?" Rebecca asked, puffing her cheeks and glaring at Alex.

Alex noticed Rebecca puffing her cheeks and, with a slight smile, walked over to her. He hugged her, lifted her in his arms, and sat on the couch to calm his disgruntled "gremlin." Rebecca snorted but didn't resist his actions. Settling down, Alex glanced at Brunhilde, then shifted his gaze to Siegfried, who was still staring at him with a strange expression.

Buddha, hearing the tension in the conversation, opened his eyes and also focused on Alex, waiting for an explanation.

"So who turned out to be Heimdall?" Brunhilde asked, understanding where Alex had recently been.

Her question grabbed everyone's attention—now everyone was waiting for the answer to uncover the mysterious identity of Heimdall. Many knew that Alex had suspected him, especially after his clone took the form of a person who didn't exist in this world.

"Heimdall turned out to be an old vampire from another universe, obsessed with magical girls," Alex replied calmly, as if speaking about something completely ordinary.

Buddha couldn't hold back and laughed loudly, realizing the absurdity of what was said. The others looked at Alex with confused expressions, not understanding how these two things could be related. However, during Buddha's laughter, he suddenly realized the mention of another universe.

"How did he get here?" Rebecca asked, pulling Alex by the cheeks as if demanding a clearer answer.

"This old man uses magic called 'Kaleidoscope.' It allows him to travel through parallel timelines and move between the past and the future. Moreover, he created an artifact that enhances his abilities, allowing him to travel between universes," Alex explained, trying not to overload the others with unnecessary details.

Rebecca nodded, indicating that she grasped the essence. Brunhilde, however, placed her hand to her forehead, realizing that the involvement of an external force in Ragnarok only complicated the situation further. She assumed that the old vampire was acting purely for his own amusement. If he was indeed obsessed with magical girls, something was clearly wrong with him.

"And where is the real Heimdall?" she asked tiredly.

"I don't know. Actually, I forgot to ask," Alex replied in a carefree tone. "I didn't expect to meet that old man, especially in this universe."

Brunhilde looked at him with a blank expression, clearly puzzled by how he could forget such an important question.

Buddha, observing Brunhilde's reaction carefully, noticed that the other Valkyries were not at all surprised by Alex's words about other universes or the vampire from a foreign world. Even Siegfried looked stunned. For him, the interaction between Brunhilde and Alex resembled the relationship of an old married couple who knew each other perfectly.

"A-chan, you're not from this universe either, are you?" Buddha suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Did I ever say I was from this one?" Alex replied in an obvious tone, as if discussing something trivial.

Buddha sighed and shook his head, deciding to pretend nothing unusual had happened. Siegfried, on the other hand, was deep in thought—the information he had just heard seemed incredible, but it only fueled his curiosity even more.

"Alright, time's short. It's time to meet the gods and talk," Alex said, glancing at an imaginary watch on his wrist. "Buddha, Brunhilde, you're coming with me. The rest—take a break."

Brunhilde nodded and got up from the couch, knowing they were in for a long conversation with the gods, which would most likely be filled with endless discussions. Unless Alex, as usual, would make everyone accept the only choice that could not be refused.

Buddha grimaced, clearly not thrilled about the prospect of attending a boring meeting. Alex ignored Buddha's displeasure and gently lifted Rebecca off his lap.

"Do I have to go too?" Rebecca asked, pointing to herself.

"Only if you want to spend several hours at a dreary meeting full of long and tiring explanations," Alex answered calmly.

"Alright, have fun," Rebecca said, lying back down on the couch, clearly eager to continue her rest.

Alex's eye twitched slightly at her indifferent behavior. She asked the question, but didn't even try to consider her refusal. Sighing, Alex gave Rebecca a playful smack on the backside to release some of his frustration. Rebecca felt the smack, turned around, and stuck out her tongue, showing she wasn't going to change her mind. Alex merely grunted and walked toward the door.

Buddha, who looked as though all his energy had been drained, reluctantly got up, and together with Brunhilde, Siegfried also stood, clearly intending to attend the meeting. Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Brunhilde stepped forward and, as usual, took his arm.

"Well, let's go have a chat with these arrogant fools," Alex said nonchalantly.

Buddha suppressed a smile, grunting. Brunhilde only gave Alex a brief glance, not even attempting to comment on his words. Siegfried laughed, following them.

Alex pinpointed the gods' location—they were in a massive hall. A magic circle appeared beneath his group, instantly teleporting them to their destination. They found themselves at the entrance to the conference hall.

"Ugh... A-chan, warn me when you're going to use your magic!" Buddha said, covering his mouth with his hand to keep from gagging.

Alex rolled his eyes, then turned his gaze to Brunhilde, who also looked a little pale. He gently patted her back, helping her regain composure. Siegfried, leaning against the wall, was struggling to stay on his feet—fatigue was clearly taking its toll.

"Not much of a father, are you?" Siegfried said with a smile, continuing to lean on the wall.

Alex turned to him, raising an eyebrow and studying him closely. He could help, of course, but he was too lazy to do so. If Siegfried had been Brunhilde's daughter, Alex might have shown more tact. But he knew Siegfried was a legendary hero who had killed a dragon.

"So why are you acting like a child? How old are you? You're the hero who killed a dragon. Stop acting like a little kid—act your age," Alex said tiredly, rolling his eyes.

Buddha listened to the exchange between Alex and Siegfried and couldn't help but laugh. Brunhilde, recovering, also noticed the banter. She just rolled her eyes, well aware that Alex preferred daughters to sons, despite all the obvious affection he had for Siegfried, which he was trying hard to hide. Siegfried himself just smirked, not reacting to Alex's jabs.

Once everyone had recovered, Alex led them toward the massive doors. Pushing the doors open, he entered the spacious hall where the gods had gathered, apparently discussing the recent conclusion of Ragnarok. Alex quickly surveyed the room, trying to identify who was who, but realized that most of the faces were unfamiliar.

He immediately recognized Zeus, representing Olympus, and Adamas, who seemed to represent the underworld of Hades. However, the representative from Poseidon's territory remained a mystery to him. His gaze then caught on Amaterasu and Rudra, who appeared to have replaced Shiva for this meeting. From the Scandinavians, there was Thor, since both Odin and Loki had recently perished. The other gods were of little importance to Alex, and he quickly lost interest in them.

Behind the main gods stood their advisors or close associates—such as Hermes and Ares, who were accompanying Zeus.

"Well, thank you all for gathering on such short notice," Alex said as he entered the hall.

He guided his group to some free seats. First, he helped Brunhilde get comfortable, then sat down himself. Siegfried took a seat on the other side of Brunhilde, and Buddha sat across from Alex. All their actions were met with the watchful eyes of the assembled gods.

Once seated, Alex adopted a serious expression and, adding some drama, lit a cigarette.

"I don't think I need to introduce myself—you all know who I am. And Zeus, as far as I know, has already told you about my intentions and plans after humanity's victory in Ragnarok," Alex said, releasing smoke through his nose.

He carefully observed the gods' expressions, waiting for their reactions. Some looked wary, some irritated, and some surprised. Alex gave them time to ponder his words.

"Um… Voldigoad," Amaterasu interrupted the silence, raising her hand, "may I hear your plans from your own mouth? What exactly do you intend to do?"

Alex nodded, seeing no reason to refuse.

"Alright, let's start with what I originally intended. My first plan was to completely sever Helheim and Valhalla from Midgard. The purpose was to ensure that mortals would no longer be under your control," he explained calmly.

After these words, the gods began to murmur among themselves, consulting with their advisors. Adamas cast angry glances at Alex, which he chose to ignore, continuing to wait for the gathering to finish their discussions.

"So, what made you change your mind?" Susanoo, who was standing behind Amaterasu, asked.

"It's simple," Alex replied, shrugging. "If I did that, you idiots would start killing each other. It wouldn't happen immediately, but over time, war between the pantheons would be inevitable. In the end, you'd either exterminate each other, or one pantheon would survive… though that's highly unlikely."

He accompanied his words with gestures, demonstrating how absurd their war would look from his perspective.

Some gods nodded, agreeing with Alex's words, while others watched him with suspicion. However, the wiser and more experienced gods understood why Alex thought the way he did. Time had proven that divine nature inevitably led to conflict, especially if gods were stripped of their influence over the mortal world.

"So, what is it that you're trying to achieve then?" Rudra asked calmly, his gaze attentive but not challenging. "It seems you've changed your mind about causing a massacre."

Alex looked closely at Rudra. This god was different from Shiva—his manner conveyed more calmness and awareness. Unconsciously, Alex compared him to the Rudra from Orario, who had been an arrogant fool.

"My younger sister didn't want the good gods to die in meaningless wars. She asked me to find a solution," Alex began, his voice firm but not harsh. "Yes, I admit, I think you're arrogant goats. But that doesn't change the fact that there are good gods among you. So, I decided to propose the Arena system."

Some gods grimaced at the bluntness of his words, but there were also those who involuntarily nodded, agreeing that their ranks were full of self-satisfied egotists. Alex continued to explain his idea, paying no attention to the mixed emotions in the hall.

He described the Arena system: a concept where gods and mortals could fight together, combining their efforts and strengthening mutual understanding. The more thoughtful gods immediately understood that Alex sought to bridge the two worlds. He proposed introducing a system of challenges, rankings, and competitive elements to awaken the spirit of rivalry.

The gods who loved fighting perked up at the thought of everyone being able to battle on equal terms in the Arena. Alex calmly answered the questions that came in, explaining the details and considering the desires of the gathering.

Gradually, the idea of the Arena began to gain support, especially among those who were tired of endless conflicts and sought new ways to apply their strength and passion for battle.

To be continued...