Chapter 12: A Day In The Life Of Emiko

            Emiko tried to catch her breath, she was hiding in a closet from her demon captor. She could hear his footsteps outside. She covered her mouth, hoping to muffle her uncontrollable gasping. The door flew open, Emiko let out the loudest scream she could as the demon grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She flailed and kicked like her life depended on it. “Will you bloody stop, you stupid brat!” The demon shouted. “I am just about the best think that has ever happened to you! Quit that screaming or I’ll give you something to scream about!”

Emiko stopped, she stared at him, deadpan, directly in the eyes. “I have every right to scream. I do not want to; you can’t make me.”

“I own you. You shall do as I say.” The demon growled.

“You can’t own people!” Emiko spat back.

“No, humans can’t own people. You are far too inferior. Many demons eat humans, you are lucky you weren’t bought by someone who thought of you as a meal.” He then brought her to the living room. “Now you are going to repay my kindness.” He grabbed a tablet off the table. “You are going to learn this; there will be a pageant in three months. I need the prize money, and this is only one of seven things you need to master by then, there isn’t any time for you to act like a brat!”

Emiko took the tablet and stared at the dance routine playing on the screen. “Yeah, no. I don’t do pageants.”

“You do now.” The demon stated as he set her down on the couch. He walked over to an open space in the floor. “Watch me.” He proceeded to do the dance. He turned around to see Emiko about to shove the tablet into a water bubble she had created. “No!” He lunged forward, snatching the tablet out of her hands. “You are so troublesome.” He set down the tablet and picked up Emiko. “That’s it. You leave me no choice. I’m going to have to punish you.”

“Please tell me it’s throwing me out the window.” Emiko sassed as she crossed her arms.

“No.” The demon narrowed his eyes. “The only reason I am using this spell instead of hitting you is because any bruises or scars can cause you to lose points. I warned you, this won’t happen gain if you smarten up.” The demon grabbed her collar once more, then put one hand around her arm. A red light began to glow primarily from his palm.

The girl began to squirm. There was a pain the likes she had never felt before, surging through her arm. Emiko began to cry. With her free arm, she created a water ball about the size of her own torso, she threw it at the demon while she made a feral scream. The water burned the demon. He dropped Emiko as he collapsed to the ground, screaming himself. Emiko’s confused expression became smug, “Yeah, that’s what you get, butt-wipe!”

“Gah, how!?” The demon franticly wiped the water off his face, burning his hands in the process. “That is impossible! I always knew I was weak, but this, this is a new low. I-I can’t let anyone find out. I can’t leave this place until the burns heal! What have you done, you stupid brat!”

“Do you want more?” Emiko asked as she created another water ball, preparing to throw it. “My dream of becoming the thing you have nightmares about is about to come true!” She then threw the water ball.

The demon dodged, practically teleporting behind her. He grabbed her, holding down both her arms. “You ungrateful swine.” He growled lowly. “The world you knew is gone. I am doing my best to give you a half decent life, I will care for you. I won’t beat you, I won’t eat you, but you have to make it worthwhile. I won’t hurt you if you simply do as I ask. You need to earn your keep, you weren’t cheap, and feeding you costs an arm and a leg. So, let’s call it even and forget this ever happened.”

“No, I will keep fighting. I don’t want to do some stupid pageant. I will restore the world, the one I was born to. The day I surrender, is the day I die.” Emiko vowed.

“Such mature words from such a young girl. With an attitude like that, you will end up a martyr in a ditch.” The demon snarled, he then cast his pain spell on her again, only with both hands this time.

“Ahhh!” Emiko wailed. She hadn’t felt pain like this, she wanted it to stop, she couldn’t even create any water because it hurt so terribly. Part of her wanted to beg for mercy, wanted to give in, to do anything to make it stop, but the other side of her brain knew that wasn’t an option. She had to be strong. “Big brother….Shin-go…” She uttered. “Shingo…Ko-suke…help me.”

“No one is coming to save you. Not your brothers, no one. They are dead. I am the only one who cares about you now. I might stop caring if you keep acting up.” The demon then dropped her. “You have a week to get start training, or I’m renting you out as a farm slave.”

Emiko hunched over balling. “My brother… Shingo. He is alive. I can feel it. He and Kosuke-kun will come for me, that is the day you will regret what you have done to me.”

“Yeah, sure, and then there will be a dance party afterwards to celebrate. You’re delusional, Emiko-chan.” After he mocked her, he tossed the tablet in front of her. “Start practicing. Times a ticking.”

She took the tablet. She watched the dance, a couple times over. When the demon wasn’t looking, she opened up a news app. The main headline read: ‘Commander Reganam Defeated? Morisumo In Chaos!’

“I know they are alive.” Emiko muttered to herself.