The boy hung in the air, held aloft by a muscular man with horns, clad in luxurious armor. The man looked down with a sneer, preparing to hurl him to the ground. Lesser demons were always frowned upon by stronger demons, but it was even worse for demons like me. I was supposed to be royalty. At my age, I should have been at least a high or supreme demon, but my evolution had been capped at the rank of a lesser demon. Exiled from my home, I was cast out into the wilderness, thrown out of the castle by a guard who once served me. He looked at me with disdain, muttering, "I can't believe this trash used to be my prince."
I stared back at him with disgust before getting up, dusting myself off, and walking away. Behind me, I could hear the guard's mocking voice echo from the gates, "Hey, loser prince, take a swan dive off a tree and hope you'll be stronger in your next life."
Days turned into weeks, and then a month passed with nothing—no food, no shelter. The dark forest was unforgiving. How would I survive? Luckily, as a demon, I could last a while without eating. Just then, something caught my eye. Hovering in the air was a figure, a girl with white wings, white hair, and a golden halo—an angel.
Why would an angel be in the demon region? It was nearly impossible for them to survive here. The angel looked down at the two trees where I was wedged, and a white light shot directly towards me. It missed, singeing a hair follicle. I pulled myself between the trees and used wind magic to float up towards her.
Puzzled, the angel spoke, "Demon, what are you? I sense divinity from you, and you use wind magic too. That's not like demons."
I chuckled, scratching the back of my head, "I guess I'm an anomaly." She didn't seem to accept my answer. Suddenly, a yellow rope shot out, wrapping around me with telekinesis, and she pulled me into the sky. I was freaked out. "Where are you taking me? Let me go!"
The angel looked at me blankly, "I'm taking you to God for a trial." Then she chuckled, "I'm sorry, my goddess." She waved her hand, and I blacked out.
When I awoke, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. The air was clear, easier to breathe, with a pleasant smell. The grass was green, the sky blue, and a big yellow light shone in the sky. "Am I in heaven?" I wondered aloud.
The angel replied indifferently, "This is Earth. I'm stopping to rest. Try anything, and I'll kill you."
I protested, "Stop dragging me everywhere. I don't even know you." I summoned winds under my feet and floated for a bit, looking down at the tired angel. In desperation, I blasted her, then yelled, "WAIT!" But it was too late. I flew into the forest, taking in the peaceful air. This was nothing like the demon realm. I soared into the blue sky, reveling in the freedom. But thoughts of my brother and the demon realm welled up, bringing tears to my eyes.
A sudden smack sent me crashing into the grass. A massive bear—sans horns—loomed over me. It was just big, maybe not demonic. I used my wind magic to push it into a tree, but it overpowered me, punching me into a few more. "I just reached this paradise called Earth. I won't let you take this from me!"
Purple energy radiated from me, and my wings burst out from my back. I drew a line across the air, and the bear's head toppled off. Then, I passed out again.
Meanwhile, the angel watched. "I hate being an angel," she muttered, smashing her wristwatch. "Lady Selene is no more." One of her wings turned black, and her halo vanished. The angel had fallen from grace.
Lesser elves, small and furry with wide eyes, carried my unconscious body through the massive trees to their hideout in ancient human ruins. These creatures, usually hunted or kept as pets, now looked at me with concern. I woke up to see their tiny faces inches from mine and screamed in fear.
A cheery female voice behind me answered, "They are elves." I scurried behind the girl, not recognizing her new appearance as Selene.
Selene picked me up with black chains, her lost divinity turning them from yellow. She turned me to face her, an agitated smile on her face. Shaking, I tried to joke, "What's up, angel? Funny seeing you here."
Her vein pulsed in annoyance. Moments later, I was on the ground, bruised and bloodied. The lesser elves scurried over, touching me with their small hands. "Uhhh, what's happening?" I asked, confused.
Selene, amazed, replied, "I think they want a contract with you, but they need a powerful catalyst." One elf approached with a wind bear core. "How did they defeat that by themselves?"
I realized it was the bear I killed. "Wait, don't—" I tried to protest, but it was too late. I passed out again, feeling my mana deplete.
Days later, I woke up in a wooden room, lying on something soft—unlike anything in the demon realm. A tall man with pointy ears, light green eyes, and purple skin stood over me. "Are you still hurt, my king?" he asked.
"King?" I thought, still dazed. "I'm one of the elves that made a contract with you," he explained.
"Does this mean you're my subject... umm," I trailed off.
"I don't have a name, my king," he replied shyly.
"How about Shiro?" I suggested. His face lit up with happiness. "I will accept this honor, my king."
I got out of the comfy bed and walked out to find Selene waiting. She smiled and walked up to me. "Hey, now we're both stuck here on Earth. How about we go on an adventure?"