The Daily Life of the Demon King-Chapter 348: The Day the Conversation About Summoning Magic Went Off the Rails"

That same day, after Alex, Claire, Moira, and Recca conducted an experiment testing three different viruses on demons, they witnessed a shocking event — a group of people performed a summoning ritual and called forth a prince of Hell into this world. The demon turned out to be quite talkative and, without realizing it, indirectly revealed Alex's identity, hinting that he wasn't a mortal at all.

Alex had no choice but to tell the three girls the truth — who he really was and why he had come to this world. However, upon returning home, he was met with equally sharp reprimands. Each of the girls in his family, as if in agreement, said the same thing: "It's your own fault! You let the enemy talk too much again instead of finishing him off right away!"

Surprisingly, the girls were barely interested in the results of the viral experiment. What intrigued them far more was the summoning ritual of the prince of Hell itself. They were curious whether the viruses developed by scientists could truly work against demons. Once they got a firm "yes," they quickly lost interest in that subject.

However, Alex's story about the ritual sparked genuine excitement. The girls bombarded him with questions, eager to know every detail. After all, up to that point, they had only seen such things in movies and TV shows like Supernatural, and now they couldn't wait to find out how reality compared to cinematic fantasy.

Fortunately, Alex could project memories using magic, which made telling the story much easier. However, when the girls saw that the ritual looked painfully cliché — with pentagrams, incantations, and sacrifices — they sighed in disappointment. Demons were summoned exactly the same way as in movies. The banality of the event was written all over their faces.

But the next day, during dinner, a question was asked that made everyone pause mid-bite.

"Is it possible to summon Alex through a ritual too? I mean, he's technically a demon," Shizuka said thoughtfully, placing her finger on her chin.

All eyes immediately turned to her. Even Alex froze for a moment, staring at the girl intently. As he pondered the question, silence fell over the room.

The girls' faces grew thoughtful — each one now wondering if it was truly possible to summon Alex. And Alex was no exception. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. On one hand, he was the embodiment of the concept of destruction. On the other, he was a demon — the very first one, created by the Creator himself.

He tried to recall which powerful beings could be summoned through rituals. The answer was simple: many. However, the essence of summoning was always the same — creating a channel between the summoner and the entity. Simplified, it was like calling a deity on a cellphone and hoping it wouldn't kill you just for bothering it — all thanks to your little "containment spell."

But there was one problem — all known summonable entities had existed for a long time, while Alex was relatively new. That meant one thing: no summoning ritual for him should exist.

"Good question, Shizuka. And I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking about it now..." Saya said as she adjusted her glasses. "If Alex is a demon, then in theory he can be summoned. But he's the first demon — that adds a whole different layer of complexity."

"Ugh, Shizuka! There you go again with your headache-inducing questions! Now I'm curious too — can you even be summoned, Alex?" Rika groaned, pinching Shizuka's side.

"Hey! I just asked a question! Why the pinching?!" Shizuka pouted, slapping Rika's hand.

"You 'just asked,' but now we're all going to be obsessing over it! How do you even come up with stuff like that?!" Renka huffed, clutching her hair.

"Who said all your nutrients go to your chest? Clearly none of them stick around in your head!" Koko muttered, shooting an annoyed look at Shizuka.

All the girls nodded in agreement. The question Shizuka raised was now stuck in their heads, refusing to let go. Now they truly understood why Alex got so frustrated when he couldn't find the answer to something that intrigued him. And even though they threw irritated glances at Shizuka, the truth was — they all desperately wanted to know the answer too.

Even Brunhilda couldn't resist. She, too, was intrigued by the question. Even Rory, who had a connection with a deity and served as its apostle, became curious: was it really possible to summon such a powerful being as Alex? Zero Two and Lucy, on the other hand, got lost in the conversation and decided to ignore the topic entirely. Red and White, however, decided to gather as much data as possible "for the future."

"What about you, Brunhilda?" Yuriko turned to her. "You're the oldest and most experienced among us, and you've spent so much time in the realm of the gods…"

"Even I'm stumped by this question," Brunhilda sighed. "I want to say it's possible. But Alex isn't just a demon. He's the embodiment of destruction. So I can't give a definite answer…"

"Girls, aren't you forgetting something?" Ada suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention at the table.

"What exactly?" Saeko raised an eyebrow with interest.

"Just ask Daddy. He's right here. If Daddy can be summoned, then he'll definitely know whether or not he can be summoned," Anya said with a wise seriousness, nodding solemnly as if she'd just revealed some great truth.

"That's true…" Rei murmured, nodding as well. "Why rack our brains when we can just ask Alex himself?"

All the girls turned their eyes to Alex, who was still staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, stroking his chin. His thoughts were still wandering, trying to find an answer to the question Shizuka had asked. He didn't even notice that the girls were practically burning holes in him with their stares—they were watching him that intently.

Alex was deep in thought: was it even possible to summon him? From what he remembered, John Constantine had supposedly managed to summon Lucifer a couple of times to strike deals. That was where he began his line of reasoning: if even Lucifer could be summoned, then it was logical to assume he could be too. However, even this thought hit a dead end—he didn't actually know how those kinds of rituals worked.

He had summoning spells in his arsenal, but they all dealt with creatures like dragons, godly vessels tied to specific concepts, or divine weapons. The question Shizuka had asked turned out to be interesting even for him.

He knew that beings from the Chaos could be summoned using the Necronomicon, demons through rituals and sacrifices, and angels and gods through prayers and by creating a suitable vessel capable of containing their essence. And even then, it all depended on the power of the specific being and the form it existed in.

"Cupcake, you still with us? Or do you not have an answer to Shizuka's question either?" Becca snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Actually, Shizuka's question really did catch my interest. I've been thinking about it... But I can't give a clear answer," Alex admitted, finally lowering his gaze to the girls.

"But still, do you have any ideas or at least a theory?" Cammy asked, gesturing animatedly. "After all, you're the one closest to all this magical nonsense."

"She's right. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even know magic existed," Beatrix added, nodding enthusiastically.

"Well... First, you have to understand what summoning really is. It depends on the type of being you're trying to summon. It doesn't matter if they're good or evil. For example, you can even summon a person from another world without making them go through the standard procedure… you know, the isekai thing from anime," Alex said, drawing a circle on the table with his finger.

"You mean like in those mangas where high school kids get summoned to another world to defeat the Demon King?" Miu clapped her hands excitedly, as if she'd just solved a riddle.

"Exactly. The essence of that kind of summoning is pretty simple: the spell searches for a person with specific characteristics, usually a so-called 'hero.' Though in practice, those 'heroes' are often more trash than talent. In games, for instance, there are classes called summoners. They can call upon spirits, dragons, and other beings. And it looks something like this. Azepht," Alex said, finishing the circle and activating it with a spell.

The girls stared at the summoning circle with interest as it began to glow. A second later, a small red dragon appeared inside it — a baby, about the size of a plush toy. Anya and Alice's eyes practically lit up with delight at the sight of the little creature. The dragon yawned, looked around in confusion, and when it spotted Alex, it let out a soft rumble and nuzzled his hand like a puppy.

The girls' eyes widened in shock — it was the first dragon they'd ever seen, even if it was just a tiny one.

"As you can see, that's how a summoning spell works," said Alex, gently stroking the dragon, which purred contentedly in response. "This little guy came from another world. It all depends on the spell and its parameters."

"Alex, that's adorable and all… but could you explain it in more detail?" Ada asked, resting her chin in her hands.

"Alright, let's keep it simple. Summoning is basically like calling someone. The magic circle is your phone, and the spell itself is the number you dial to reach the one you want," Alex explained as plainly as possible.

"Then by your logic, we should be able to 'call' you too? Or are you out of range because your dad's the big boss?" Revy asked, squinting at him while rocking back in her chair.

"In theory — yes, I can be summoned. There's this drunk guy who fights demons and other nasty stuff, and he managed to summon my brother — Lucifer — a couple of times," Alex said, tapping his finger on the table and toying with the dragon's tail.

"Hot stuff, I'm really thrilled some drunk can summon your bro," Rika said sarcastically, waving her arms. "But you still haven't answered: can you be summoned?"

"Exactly. Honestly, we don't care about your brother," Nobuna added, folding her arms across her chest.

"Okay, I'll make it even simpler. Theoretically, yes — I can be summoned if the spell specifies something like summoning the First Demon or the One Who Brings Destruction. But, here's the catch: in the world where the ritual is being performed, there might already be beings that match those conditions. And if I'm not present in that world at the time, then breaking through the interdimensional barrier would be extremely difficult. It's like trying to call a number that's already busy — or blocked by another country," Alex explained with a tired sigh.

"So," Koko said thoughtfully, twirling a lock of hair, "if the one trying to summon you is strong enough… or if you're already in that world… then it's possible, but only if a bunch of conditions are met?"

"Exactly. It all depends on several overlapping factors. Even Nyan-Nyan and Yog can be summoned — there are worlds where books describe how to do it. But honestly, it's better not to," Alex added, tracing his finger along the table as the dragon scampered happily.

"What would happen if someone actually did summon them?" Alcina asked curiously, raising a brow.

"Trust me… that's something better left unknown. There are things you truly shouldn't mess with," Alex said quietly, catching the dragon and holding it close.

The girls just nodded in silence when they saw the serious expression on Alex's face. They didn't need words to understand — summoning the beings Alex mentioned would end in disaster. For everyone.

Alex knew full well what it could cost the entire universe if Yog and Nyan-Nyan were brought into it — especially given how temperamental those two could be. Even Odin had to sacrifice not just humanity, but the gods themselves to summon Nerexo — an avatar of Nyan-Nyan. And Nyan-Nyan and Yog? They weren't avatars. They were the originals. Their arrival would demand a much greater price…

"Well, that's settled. But what are you going to do with that dragon?" Valmet asked, pointing to the little creature in Alex's arms.

"No! Daddy, don't! Please keep him! Can I have him, please? I promise I'll take good care of him!" Anya shouted, running up to Alex and tugging on his sleeve.

Alex looked at Anya, who was practically hanging off his arm, and met her tearful eyes. Something inside him began to crack. He threw a pleading glance at the other girls, hoping for support, but the moment Anya turned to her mothers with the same expression, they immediately looked away, pretending they hadn't seen anything. They didn't want to upset her.

Alex squinted, realizing he wouldn't be getting any help. On one hand, he wasn't against Anya having a pet dragon. On the other hand, it could be dangerous. The girls' looks clearly said, "Let's see how you deal with this one."

He didn't even bother looking at Red and White — he knew them too well. Those two would rather dissect the dragon for research. Giving it to Zero Two or Lucy was also risky… but more for everyone else around them.

Sighing internally, Alex tried to look away from his daughter's pleading gaze, but his heart was softening by the second.

"Alright… We can keep him. But only on one condition…" Alex began, realizing he couldn't resist anymore.

"Yay! Daddy, I love you!" Anya shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and smothering him with kisses on the cheek.

"Anya, daddy's not done talking yet…" Alex said with a smile, feeling his cheek grow wet from her overwhelming love.

"Okay!" Anya nodded quickly.

"First, you'll make a contract with him. That means he'll be yours and yours alone. Second, you'll take care of him yourself — feeding, bathing, walking. A dragon is not a toy. He's your friend and protector, and he needs to be looked after. And third — until we return to my home world, he must stay inside the house or my workshop. Understood?" Alex said, stroking her hair gently.

"Yes! I promise I'll take good care of him!" Anya replied seriously.

"Good. Now give him a name. That will seal the contract," Alex said, gently placing the little dragon on the table.

Anya looked carefully at her new friend, thinking hard about what to name him. The girls also leaned in with interest — everyone was curious to see what name she'd choose. Meanwhile, Alex glanced at Alice and winked, silently hinting that she, too, would have a pet in the future. He was already considering giving her a summoning contract.

Alice caught his look and nodded with a bright smile — she understood that her big brother had something planned.

"I know! I'll name him Bond!" Anya declared with a proud and wide smile.

Alex and the girls choked a little. The name was unexpected. Alex even found it oddly symbolic — after all, the lab he rescued Anya from had listed her as Subject 007. And now, her dragon bore the name of the famous Agent 007.

Brunhilde noticed the approving nod from Alex, as if something had clicked in his mind. She reestablished her spiritual link with him and was also surprised at how perfectly Anya had chosen the name.

The moment Anya spoke the name, the dragon began to glow slightly, and a golden bracelet appeared on her wrist — shaped like a dragon biting its own tail. It was the sign: the contract was complete. Anya was now its rightful owner.

She looked at the bracelet in awe.

"Let me guess… that bracelet means the contract with the dragon is sealed?" Ada asked, pointing at the piece of jewelry on the girl's wrist.

"Exactly. Though the sign can vary. Some get a bracelet, others a tattoo," Alex explained with a nod.

"Congratulations, Anya. You have your own dragon now. And remember what your dad said — you have to take care of him," Namiyo said with a warm, motherly smile.

"Okay, Mom," Anya replied with a serious nod.

"Well then, go and play," Kiriko said with a sweet smile.

Alice, Anya, and Nobukatsu couldn't wait any longer and ran off with joyful shouts to play with the little dragon. GIR, MIMI, and Stitch weren't far behind — they all wanted to have fun with the new pet. Alex and the girls stayed behind in the dining room, sipping tea and coffee after dinner, watching the colorful group rush toward the children's room.

"Am I the only one who thinks we're going to have to keep an eye on that dragon anyway?" Chun-Li asked doubtfully, glancing around the table.

"Yeah, unfortunately, that's exactly how it is," Yuriko replied with a tired smile, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's always the same: kids get pets, but it's the adults who end up taking care of them."

"And it's not even a cat or a dog — it's a dragon!" Valmet snorted, resting her elbows on the table. "I honestly have no idea how to take care of it. Does it need walks? What do you feed it? What are its habits?"

"Well then, go and tell Anya all that," Ada stretched lazily, leaning back in her chair. "Want to ruin your daughter's mood?"

"None of us want to upset Anya," Chiquita sighed, twisting her coffee mug in her hands. "No matter how you look at it, she's our daughter now. We're stuck taking care of a dragon… which, by the way, could grow to the size of a house."

A collective sigh hung in the dining room. The girls simultaneously shot irritated looks at Alex — after all, he could have summoned something less troublesome… But no, the Demon King decided to give the girl not a hamster, not a puppy, but a real dragon.

Alex silently endured their judging stares. He fully understood the parental truth: when a child gets a pet, the adults automatically take responsibility for it.

"But still, how are we supposed to take care of it?" Rory asked, tapping her fingernail on the wooden table. "In my world, dragons were wildly aggressive. And very dangerous."

"Alex summoned it — let him deal with it himself," Saya snorted. "Or maybe he's got a little book somewhere called 'How to Train Your Dragon'? Oh, great Demon King…"

"There's no manual like that…" Alex muttered, massaging the bridge of his nose. "But I do know where to get one."

"Wait, you seriously want to go to another world just for a book?" Nobuna asked, clearly intrigued.

Alex raised a finger, signaling "everything's under control." He was hoping for one single being who could help in situations like this. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he quickly typed a message and sent it.

The girls watched him with interest until suddenly a small portal opened above the table. With a dull thud, a thick book with a bright cover fell out: How to Train Your Dragon for Dummies.

"Uh… Alex, what was that just now?" Revi was the first to recover, pointing at the book lying in the middle of the table.

"In the current situation, I shouldn't leave this world," Alex calmly explained, putting away his phone. "But we need the book right now. So I turned to someone who can get it… instantly."

"And who was that?" Alcina asked, sipping her tea.

"His father," Brunhilde replied calmly, picking up the book. "He helped."

"I'm liking my future father-in-law more and more," Koko smirked, moving closer to peek at the text.

The girls nodded in agreement. Alex just smiled, glad that his father had solved the problem so quickly. He was already starting to feel a headache from thinking about how to take care of the dragon. With GIR, Stitch, and Mimi, everything was much simpler — those three were quite independent and smart, but the little dragon… that was a whole different matter.

While Alex was lost in thought, the girls headed to the living room. They sat in a circle, carefully studying the book — all to be ready for any situation related to the new pet.

Knowing that tonight's movie night was postponed, Alex quietly went upstairs. He gently cracked open the door to the children's room and saw Anya, Alice, Nobukatsu, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch running around the room, squealing as they tried to catch the flying little dragon.

Alex smiled softly and closed the door. Let them play. He knew the dragon wouldn't hurt anyone — after all, it already had an owner. And it would obey her. Always.

Going back downstairs, Alex noticed the girls were deeply and tensely discussing how to properly care for dragons. Not wanting to disturb them, he decided to go outside for a walk and breathe in the cold night air.

Throwing his coat over his shoulders, he gave a short whistle, calling the Wolf to join him. The robo-wolf immediately left standby mode upon hearing the signal and came to its master. Alex and the Wolf left the house, and once on the porch, Alex lit a cigarette and settled on the steps. The Wolf lay down beside him like a vigilant guardian.

The silence of the night enveloped them. Alex's thoughts slowly filled his head — and not the most pleasant ones. Especially the vision of GIR, Mimi, and Stitch riding the dragon, reenacting a scene from Game of Thrones, burning some poor city to the ground. Alex flinched at the absurd but, alas, possible scenario. He knew that if he didn't keep an eye on those three, something like that could very well happen.

Looking up at the sky where the first stars were beginning to shine, Alex placed his hand on the Wolf's metallic head and gently stroked its muzzle. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he felt a calm settle inside him. The wind blew in his face; the chill sobered him slightly and reminded him that it would all end soon. Just a little more — and his work here would be done. Then he could finally go home. Take a vacation. A family vacation. Visit a couple of peaceful worlds where there were no villains, no idiots, no Nyan-Nyan avatars dreaming of devouring entire timelines, no Dark Lords destroying realities.

A smile appeared on his face on its own. He even gave a slight nod — as if he was already mentally on vacation, surrounded by loved ones.

"What are you sitting here grinning like an idiot for? Did the girls kick you out of the house?" came Shino's mocking voice.

Alex opened his eyes and saw her standing in front of him, hands on her hips, looking at him with irony. His smile flickered at her words. He patted the step beside him, inviting her to sit.

Shino raised an eyebrow but, hesitating for a moment, still sat down next to him. Without realizing it herself, she leaned slightly toward him, almost pressing her shoulder against his.

"So what brought you here, Shino?" Alex asked, extinguishing his cigarette. "Looking for some warmth and hugs on such a cold night?"

"No, idiot," she snorted. "The people Hannibal sent have already arrived at the settlement. I came to tell you. Actually, Itami was supposed to do it, but he found a thousand reasons why it should be me again."

"Itami's doing his usual thing…" Alex muttered. "But why are they so late? They were supposed to arrive last night, or at least during the night. But they only showed up now."

"They said they ran into demons and had to take a detour. The guy with the mohawk explained everything. That's why they're delayed."

Shino leaned even more on his shoulder. Alex frowned slightly.

"So Hannibal sent Bosco to watch over them… Interesting where exactly they encountered demons," he muttered, stroking his chin.

"You can go ask yourself," Shino shrugged. "They're still settling the newcomers in. I think you'll make it before they scatter to rest."

"Then I'll go," Alex said, standing and offering her his hand. "Won't you keep me company?"

"Well, since everyone else ditched you," Shino smirked, taking his hand, "I'll pity you. Otherwise, you'd end up completely alone."

Alex laughed and whistled for the Wolf. The robo-wolf's eyes lit up as it jumped down the steps and walked beside them. Shino headed toward the vehicles the people arrived in.

Alex noticed military trucks. People were unloading their belongings from them. He was impressed—Bosco and the others had managed to get such a large group here safely. Most likely, they were lucky: no demon nests in the area, which made the route much easier.

Alex didn't see Bosco among the soldiers—apparently, he had been taken straight to headquarters.

"Looks like Bosco's already at the HQ," Alex said, looking at Shino.

"Or maybe he's already asleep, who knows," she shrugged, throwing her hands behind her head.

Alex gently ruffled her hair, only to immediately get an annoyed swat. Smiling, he headed toward the headquarters.

Inside, he saw not only Bosco but also Peck—the handsome one. Alex couldn't help but be glad Murdock hadn't arrived—otherwise, everyone here would have a headache. Especially if that psycho managed to worm his way into the company of GIR, Mimi, and Stitch.

"Oh, Alex! Just in time," Soap said, noticing him and Shino.

"Yeah? Did you need me?" Alex smirked, approaching the table.

"Something like that, kid," Price replied, pointing to Peck and Bosco. "The guys said they ran into a suspiciously large group of demons on the way here."

"And where was that?" Alex immediately asked, suddenly serious.

Price silently unfolded the map toward Alex, allowing him to take a look. Alex lowered his eyes and raised an eyebrow, noticing the marked region. The area wasn't too close, but not too far either — almost halfway between them and Anchorage. The only thing that came to Alex's mind was that the demons were gathering to move precisely in that direction. For now, it seemed they were just accumulating strength, preparing to march on the settlement with a massive horde.

"How many were there?" Alex asked calmly, shifting his gaze to Bosco and Peck.

"Not just a lot… a hell of a lot," Bosco shook his head, clearly displeased with what he saw.

"So what do we do, Alex? Send scouting teams? Or do we strike first?" Ghost asked, looking at Alex intently.

"No need for anything. I'll handle it myself," Alex replied, shaking his head.

"Oh, seriously? And how do you plan to do that? Using your ninja tricks again? Or showing us something new?" Soap asked with a smirk, intrigued.

Alex just smiled mysteriously and said nothing. Whistling for the Wolf, he stepped out of headquarters under the watchful eyes of the others. He needed to find a high enough place to execute his plan. Looking around, Alex spotted a sizeable elevation just outside the settlement and headed there.

When he reached the top, he pulled a bow from his inventory.

"Don't tell me you seriously plan to shoot a bow?" Shino's voice came from behind. She had followed him and now looked at the bow in his hands with disbelief. "Are you sure that's even possible?"

"You'll see soon enough," Alex replied calmly without turning around. "Wolf, connect to the satellites and target the designated area. We need a full picture."

"Connecting... Targeting... Demonic presence detected... Target locked... Ready to fire," the Wolf responded in a mechanical voice.

Alex nodded and took out a spear from his inventory — the very one he had once used to defeat Hercules during Ragnarok. A crack was visible on its tip. Alex sighed. It was time to say goodbye to an old friend.

Shino watched the scene in confusion. She couldn't wrap her head around why Alex had pulled out a damaged spear. She thought he was going to… shoot it with the bow?! But that was madness!

Alex took a deep breath and, as if not noticing her, placed the spear into the bow like an arrow. At that moment, it began to glow and slowly change shape, transforming into something more like a giant arrow. He drew the string to its limit — his eyes narrowed, and his face grew focused. A moment later, he released the string.

A strong gust of wind instantly swept across the hill, making Shino squint and step back. When she opened her eyes, she saw the arrow soaring into the sky, leaving behind a sparkling rainbow trail. People in the settlement looked up, thinking a shooting star was passing overhead.

Shino watched the retreating arrow in fascination… and then, on the horizon, a brilliant flash lit up the sky. A second later, a powerful explosion rolled through the area, and its thunder echoed back to the settlement.

"Target destroyed. All sources of demonic energy eliminated," the Wolf reported in the same emotionless voice.

"Well, that was a piece of cake… Hey, Shino, you can close your mouth now. A fly might fly in," Alex said with a smirk, turning toward her.

"W-what?.. Damn it… How did you do that?! What was that even?!" she blurted out, still unable to believe her eyes.

"Magic," Alex answered calmly, spreading his arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Shino could only nod in bewilderment, unable to fully comprehend what she had witnessed. Alex chuckled softly, watching her expression, and gave her a moment to collect herself. Then he lit a cigarette and glanced toward the place where the explosion had just subsided. Chuckling to himself, he just shook his head — another one of the demons' plans ruined.

Patting Shino on the shoulder, he began to descend the hill, pulling the still stunned girl behind him. She kept looking toward the destroyed demon lair but gradually came back to herself. Like everyone else in the settlement, she silently repeated the familiar phrase: "If Alex did it — no need to be surprised."

After seeing Shino safely to her home, Alex said goodbye and headed back to his own.

To be continued…

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