A chilling voice cut through the smoky air.
"I found Princess Lilith!"
Eleo and Lilith whipped their heads toward the source. A tall, grotesque demon with sharp horns and glowing red eyes grinned at them from the ruined street.
Lilith's face paled. "Oh no…"
Then—more demons appeared. Dozens. Crawling out from behind destroyed buildings, rising from the debris, perching on rooftops.
"There she is!"
"Kill her!"
The mob charged forward.
Lilith instinctively took a step back, her breath catching in her throat. She was ready to bolt—until a firm hand grabbed hers.
Eleo grinned confidently. "Don't worry, Lilith! I got this!"
Lilith snapped out of her panic. "You?! Against all of them?!"
Eleo cracked his knuckles. "Pfft, easy."
THE BATTLE BEGINS!
"INK BARRAGE!!"
Eleo lunged forward, throwing rapid-fire punches at the nearest demons. His fists turned into ink, stretching and morphing like liquid steel as they pummeled the enemies.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A demon flew backward, crashing into a building. Another spun through the air before slamming into the ground.
One demon leapt at Eleo from behind—
Eleo teleported. Vanishing in a blink.
The demon looked around, confused. "Wha—"
Eleo reappeared in the air above him.
CLAP!
Eleo smashed his palms together, transforming both hands into a massive cannon.
"INK CANNON!"
A huge ink projectile shot out, blasting the demon off his feet and sending him skidding across the ground like a skipping stone.
Eleo landed with a goofy grin. "Hah! Too easy!"
Lilith watched in stunned silence. "He's… actually winning?"
The demons, now angrier, swarmed him.
Eleo smirked. "Oh, you want more?"
His hands shifted, ink morphing into a pair of massive hammers.
"INK HAMMER SLAM!"
Eleo leapt up and swung both hammers down, creating a shockwave that shook the entire town.
BOOOOM!
The ground cracked beneath him, sending demons flying like ragdolls.
Lilith blinked. "This idiot… is actually strong?!"
A straggler tried to run—
SNAP!
Eleo lashed out with an ink rope, wrapping it around the demon's ankle and yanking him back.
WHAM! The demon faceplanted into the ground.
Eleo grinned, holding the last struggling demon up by the collar. "Okay, jerk—why'd you attack Burger Town?"
The demon groaned, eyes spinning. "Ugh… assassination mission…"
Lilith tensed. "They were trying to kill me?"
The demon chuckled weakly. "Lucky guess… but when you didn't show up, we decided to wreck the place instead."
Lilith scowled. "Because I was kidnapped by that damn DuDu bastard."
The demon smirked. "Also… your father's furious that you ran away."
Lilith crossed her arms. "Of course, he is."
Eleo scratched his head. "Wait, wait, wait—I'm confused."
Lilith sighed. "It's simple. I was supposed to find some prince to marry. Didn't want to, so I ran away to this world, disguised myself, and lived normally. Then DuDu kidnapped me, and now we're here."
Eleo nodded slowly. "Ohhh, okay! That makes sense!"
Lilith stared at him. "No, it doesn't. At all."
THE KNIGHT ARRIVES!
Before the conversation could continue—
A portal tore open in the sky, rippling with dark energy.
BOOM.
A tall figure stepped through.
His jagged black armor shimmered with an unnatural light, crimson eyes glowing menacingly beneath a dragon-shaped helmet.
The air grew heavier.
Lilith groaned. "Oh great… Iron."
The knight's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "Miss Lilith. There you are."
Eleo squinted at him. "Dang, bro, you look so cool."
Lilith rolled her eyes. "Iron, this demon tried to assassinate me. Can you take him in for questioning?"
Iron glanced at the demon struggling in Eleo's grasp.
"Yes, ma'am."
Without hesitation, he grabbed the demon by the throat, lifting him effortlessly.
The demon gulped. "I-I ain't saying nothing!"
Iron tilted his head. "Oh, you will."
The demon shivered. "...I suddenly feel very talkative."
Iron turned to Lilith. "Say your goodbyes."
Lilith hesitated. She glanced at Eleo, rubbing her arm. "...I can't believe I'm saying this, but… I'll miss you."
Eleo grinned. "I'll miss you too, Lilith!"
Lilith bit her lip, hesitated… then scoffed.
"Screw it."
She ran forward, grabbed Eleo's shirt—
—and kissed him on the cheek.
Eleo froze.
Lilith turned bright red, spun around, and sprinted through the portal.
FWOOOOSH.
The portal vanished.
Eleo stood there, blinking. He touched his cheek. "...Huh."
He grinned. "I knew she liked me!"
Eleo took a deep breath, surveying the aftermath of the battle. The once-lively streets of Burger Town were reduced to smoldering rubble, with eerie silence replacing the usual hustle and bustle. He carefully stepped over the debris, peeking into broken buildings. What he saw made his stomach twist—lifeless bodies, frozen in their final moments of terror. His ears drooped.
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope!" Eleo muttered, backing away. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the sinking feeling in his chest.
Just then, something caught his eye—a tattered map, barely clinging to the remains of a scorched wooden board. He picked it up, shaking off the ashes. Half of it was destroyed, but one destination was still legible: Lola Island. The rest of the map was completely useless.
Eleo exhaled, shoulders slumping. "Alright then… Lola Island it is."
Before leaving, he turned back to the wreckage of Burger Town. He took a deep bow, lowering his head in respect.
"I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time to save you all," he said softly. "I hope you're all having a nice time in heaven… and that they got good burgers up there."
With that, he made his way to the docks. Most of the boats were nothing but splinters, wrecked beyond repair. Only one remained—small, rickety, and barely floating.
Eleo let out a dry chuckle. "Hah! Just like my other boat! This brings back memories… of almost drowning."
He hopped aboard and grabbed the oars. As he began rowing, he started singing—loud, off-key, and completely making up the lyrics as he went.
"Row, row, row the boat~! To Lola we will go~! Hope there's food and not some dude, trying to break my bones!~"
After hours of rowing (and a few naps in between), Eleo's boat finally bumped against solid ground. He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Alright! Land! Let's see what Lola Island—" He blinked. "—HUH?!"
Instead of a welcoming town, there was nothing but a massive, dense forest. Towering trees stretched endlessly in every direction, their thick canopies blocking out most of the sunlight. The air was humid, and the distant calls of strange animals echoed through the trees.
"Aww man! I was hoping for a town with food!" Eleo groaned, hopping out of the boat. His stomach rumbled in agreement. "Guess I gotta walk... again."
After a few minutes of trekking through the woods, he stumbled upon a dirt pathway. His ears perked up. "Huh? A road? That's a good sign! Roads mean people, and people mean food! And... probably trouble. But mostly food!"
He followed the path, humming to himself, until the trees thinned out, revealing something far beyond anything he expected.
His jaw nearly hit the ground.
"WHOA!"
Far in the distance stood a breathtaking city—massive, circular, and surrounded by shimmering water. Long bridges stretched across the waves, connecting the mainland to the fortress-like metropolis. Towering walls wrapped around the city's perimeter, standing tall and unyielding, as if daring anyone to challenge its defenses. Inside, countless buildings filled the space, with one grand white castle piercing the sky, its elegant structure dominating the skyline.
The scene was framed by rolling green hills, vibrant forests, and towering mountains in the far distance. The sun cast golden reflections across the water, making the whole place look like something out of a legend.
Eleo took a deep breath, staring in awe. "Man… this place looks important. And important places mean important people. And important people have food!" He pumped his fists. "Alright, let's go!!"
His stomach growled loudly. He laughed awkwardly. "...After I find something to eat first."