Moloch was in his office, seated on his comfortable chair while looking at the screen displaying the children's pictures. He had sent a dress to one of the newest additions to his little family.
She was an orphan, a victim of war, who had been sacrificed to him. When she first arrived at his castle, she was malnourished and covered in scars.
But in hell, all wounds healed easily. Now, the little girl had a home and even cute dresses made just for her.
Tears welled up in Moloch's eyes as he watched a video of her playing happily. "Poor little girl," he murmured, wiping his tears.
His expression quickly changed to anger. "That disgusting human! How can they torture their own kind!" He hit the table.
"I should order my followers to kill all the adults in that orphanage! Yeah, I'll do it now." He started drawing a pentacle when someone burst into his room.
"Mr. Moloch! There's an evolved monster on the first floor!" a werewolf man reported, panting heavily.
"Ughh... What a pain, just when I thought this might be a good day!"
Moloch sighed, rising from his seat. He stepped out of his office and saw a giant purple slime on the big screen, devouring a ruin near the settlement.
The slime was attacking humans and emitting bolts of lightning. The control room was in chaos, with many complaints coming from the floor guardians.
"Have you sent the purge team?" Moloch asked the panicked workers.
"Ye-yeah! But the purge team on the first floor has been eaten by the slime," one worker pointed out.
The screen showed cat-like creatures, walking on two feet, about 140 cm (4'7") tall, with colorful, unique clothes. They were using machine guns to attack the slime, but it was futile. The slime simply devoured the creatures.
"Damn! Ashtarot should just get rid of those useless creatures!" he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Have you called the Control and Safety Division to send more purge teams?"
"Yes, but they need to go through Madame Red first... and you know she's kind of..."
"Rigid and follows all the rules you call 'inconvenient,'" a voice interrupted.
Moloch turned pale and the workers pretended to be busy. "Ashtarot, you came at the right time!" he grabbed the man's shoulder with a forced smile.
He responds by gripping Moloch's wrist hard, making him flinch. "And those 'useless creatures' are called Meowi, and they are not useless!"
"Akh! Sorry, sorry. Stop grabbing my wrist like that! It hurts!" he winced, trying to free his hand. When he succeeded, he rubbed his red wrist.
"But look at them! They keep getting tossed around because of their round bodies!"
"That round and pointed body is for their protection! They are adorable creatures that help us purge unwanted or overcrowded monsters!" Ashtarot's red eyes bore into him, and he started sweating.
Meowi was one of Ashtarot's creations. His love for cats led him to design a monster worker based on them. But his dream had faced opposition from many divisions, all claiming, "The design isn't made for combat."
He found it ridiculous, believing their small legs and mumble bodies provided speed and high endurance.
Seeing his creatures being purged instead enraged him. "Let me be the one to kill that bastard slime!"
He declared, a dark aura emanating from him, causing some workers to faint and others to panic, worsening the control room's situation.
"Ashtarot! Just turn off that damned aura and get out of the room!" Moloch shouted, pushing him out of the control room.
After that, he tossed a round object at him, who caught it effortlessly. The round thing was made of metal, and when released, it floated, revealing the devil's wings on its round black body. Two red eyes shone brightly on it.
"This is called Diabolical Sphere, and I will be your navigator on the first floor!" a voice emanated from the sphere, unmistakably Moloch's.
"Why do I need this? I know the way there," he grumbled, attempting to swat the sphere away, but it dodged easily.
"Careful, this sphere is pricey! The Treasury and Finance Division will have your head if you destroy it! Besides, it can analyze the design flaws of that monster!" Moloch explained.
"Hmm... I see," Ashtarot nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see Sorrush standing there with a larger Meowi beside her.
"Oh, my baby has already been fixed," he exclaimed, approaching the Meowi and hugging it tightly.
Sorrush pouted, trying to separate them. "Where is my praise and thanks?" she demanded.
Ashtarot gazed at her and let go of his embrace. "Thank you, but next time, don't destroy my beloved creature!" he then grabbed her head and playfully swung it around.
'YES!!! ASHTAROT IS PAYING ATTENTION TO ME!' she screamed internally, smiling brightly even as her head was being swayed around.
After that, he declared, "Let's go, Moewki the First. Follow my lead."
"Ah! Ashtarot! I want to go too!" Sorrush grabbed his hand, hugging it tightly, refusing to let go.
He pondered for a moment. Sorrush was the only one of the three dragon sisters he hadn't touched yet, and he wasn't sure if Sarissa had passed on his message. Maybe this was the right time to show her with action.
"Sure, let's go," he smirked as the three of them made their way to the first floor.
***
Ashtarot, Meowki the First, and Sorrush sat in a cozy restaurant on the first floor, enjoying a quick lunch before starting their expedition.
They had cleverly hidden their horns, tails, and any other monstrous features to blend in with the humans around them.
In the background, Moloch's angry voice crackled through their communication devices, urging them to skip lunch and finish their job. Ignoring him, they continued eating their sandwiches.
'Ah~ a date with Ashtarot! What a great day! Ugh, except that thing that keeps us apart!'
She glared at Meowki the First, which absorbed all of Ashtarot's attention. He stroked its head with a faint smile, completely oblivious to her irritation. She pouted and held his hand.
"You know, today I finished signing all the documents that needed to be signed! Aren't I the best?!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with the need for validation and praise.
Ashtarot considered reminding her that it was her job in the first place but decided against it.
Instead, he said, "Good, you need to do your job properly." He patted her head, making her beam with joy.
'AAAKHHH!!! I LOVE YOOUUUU!!! I DON'T WANT THIS TO END!!!' she screamed internally.
Just then, the sound of a bell chimed as the door opened. A party entered, seemingly looking for a place to eat, but the server quickly approached them, informing them that the restaurant was booked for the day.
As Ashtarot peeked at the newcomers, he raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... Isn't that the party that almost cleared the 14th floor? Interesting," he murmured.
"Just let them in, I don't mind sharing the place with them," he told the server.