The Scumbags Guide to Enslaving Demon's

”He’ll come.” Elena had said.

Malrec came at dawn.

The ash clouds blanketing the commercial district burned red under his army. Austin stood with his back to the Grand Meridian’ balcony, roots still concealed beneath his coat but never far from his mind. Breathing felt strange now, as if every lungful reminded him that something in his chest had shifted shape.

Silent work continued below stairs. Elena positioned rifles behind overturned tables. Seven marshaled the freed demon prisoners into defensive lanes with clipped gestures. Rin fluttered overhead, ghosting the roofline in red bursts to scout the army’ sides. Kaela guarded the front gate with the chain pole she had wrested from Malrec’ riders, amber eyes stalking the advancing columns.

Maelis joined Austin’ side.

”He isn’ bringing enough troops to take the hotel,” she pointed out.

”Has enough to make an impression.”

”That’ what worries me.”

Malrec’ army stopped one block from the Meridian’ front doors.

Bone- armored soldiers formed a line across the street. Behind them rode cage wagons, siege hounds, and black banners hung with the crowned- jaw crest. At their center strode Malrec himself.

At first he did not look monstrous.

He looked human, just a tall man in a black military coat with silver hair knotted at his neck and his hands clasped behind him. Then he stepped into brighter light, and Austin saw the horns curling tight against his skull, green fire flickering in his pupils, and the faint hints of chains disappearing beneath his skin.

Every root inside the hotel recoiled.

[Hostile authority detected: Lord Malrec.]

[Threat estimate: catastrophic.]

[Warning: target possesses territorial claim over local demon assets.]

Malrec climbed the street until he was looking up at the balcony.

”You devourer,” he called.

His voice was quiet, but it rolled easily down the district’ street.

Austin descended to the hotel lobby entrance alone.

Elena grasped his arm before he reached the front barricade. ”You are not going out there.”

”I need to hear him out.”

”You know what he wants.”

He stared down at her hand tightening on his sleeve, then back at her face. ”If I walk away from this circle, he burns the whole block down and calls it fear. If I stay here, I learn what he thinks he can take away from us.” Elena loathed him for that answer. He could tell. But she let go.

Seven opened the root gate wide enough for Austin to slip through.

Malrec waited in the street while both armies watched.

”You grew strong quickly,” Malrec said, eyes sweeping across the Meridian’ barricades. ”My ram became your flesh. My hounds became your tools. My prisoners became your court.”

”They were never yours.”

Malrec chuckled. ”Everything inside my borders is mine until proven otherwise.”

”I should have protected them better.”

Malrec’ soldiers rippled around their commander. Some glared angrily. Some looked scared. But Malrec himself seemed entertained by their master’ presence.

”You wear your authority like a lord these days,” he continued. ”But that arrogance will end poorly for a human.”

”I’m not only human anymore.”

”No,” Malrec agreed with a smile. ”Least that’ why I’m here.”

He raised one hand. Cage wagons behind him shuddered as their chains rattled. Adult demons pressed against iron bars, faces pinched with fear. Austin smelled bloodlines he didn’ t recognize then: salt, storm, poison, fur, and burning coal.

”You surrender my assets,” Malrec continued, voice still gentle but now dangerous, ”and I’ ll allow your humans to leave this district alive.”

Austin laughed, loud and mocking. ”You honestly think I buy that?”

”I do not care what you believe.” Green fire crackled in Malrec’ eyes. ”Only what you can defend.”

Malrec kicked at the ash with the toe of one boot.

Words of demon script ignited across the street.

”You know better than to step into that,” Maelis growled from the gate behind Austin.

Malrec looked over Austin’ shoulder at her. ”The ember stray still lives? How quaint.”

”What does it mean?” Austin demanded

”A territorial claim,” Malrec said. ”Old law. Public law. To make a challenge, a claimant and a holder meet under witness. The stronger authority claims the land, assets, and right to say what remains.”

Elena joined Austin at the gate, knuckles white against the wood. ”Austin, please.”

Malrec smiled wider still. ”Decline, and your claim will be forfeit for weakness. Let word spread that you are nothing but a scavenger holed up in a building you cannot defend.”

Austin stared down at the circle on the street.

The trap hadn’ t even occurred to him until that moment. Of course it was a trap. Rules, witnesses bribed in secret, chains already buried into the street; Malrec had probably planned this moment weeks ago while he waited for them to surrender. But if Austin turned back now the demon lord would be able to bleed his new faction dry one soldier at a time without ever needing to cross the hotel’ threshold.

Then Rin reappeared on the balcony above.

”He wants your pride,” she called.

Austin glanced at her. ”Tell him he can have mine when he proves he deserves it.”

And with that he crossed into the circle.

Demon script flared beneath his boots.

[Territorial Challenge initiated.]

[Claimant: Austin Veyron, rogue devourer.]

[Holder: Lord Malrec, registered territorial lord.]

[Stake: Grand Meridian district and all assets declared.]

[Challenge Rules: Witnesses required. Present.]

Malrec’ army struck their weapons against the ground. The sound echoed down the street.

Austin turned back to face Grand Meridian itself.

Survivors crowded behind the roots. Seven guarded the gate behind him. Elena squeezed her fists at her sides. Rin regarded him stone still with a huntress’ focus. Ember light from Maelis’ tails flared so bright they stung his eyes.

They were his stake.

Not possessions. Not trophies to barter away.

His responsibility.

A harder knot of hunger clenched deep in Austin’ chest at that thought, but it didn’ t lessen the hunger. It gave it focus. If Malrec wanted to play ownership then he could show the bastard what it meant to care for the people fighting alongside you. More than that, what it meant to lose them.

Elena met his gaze through the front gate. She looked terrified, but she didn’ t shy away from his touch. Seven slapped a fist over his scarred chest. Rin raised a singular tail behind her, wicked red tip catching the morning’ light. Behind them all, Austin Veyron was no longer just a devourer. He was their leader, and they had chosen to fight beside him no matter what came next.

Malrec extended his hand toward the street.

”Terms?” he asked.

Austin looked to Malrec’ army, then at the cages waiting beyond them, then down to the expanding circle of red-hot light at his feet.

”One battle,” he said. ”No armies on the challenge ground. No murdering civilians. Winner takes district. Loser releases every demon they were holding.”

Malrec’ smile twitched sideways. ”Generous.”

”You wanted public law.” Austin shouted now so every demon around them could hear. ”Make it public.”

The lord regarded him steadily. Then he nodded.

”Accepted.”

The circle expanded, igniting street ash until rock slid into place around them. Black stone grew from the ground up until there was a ring large enough for armies on both sides but empty aside from the two challengers at its center.

The System pulsed.

[Challenge terms registered.]

[Combat will begin at dusk.]

[You may now speak.]

”Prepare yourself,” Malrec advised.

”Enjoy the day,” he said, stepping back from the line of rock demarking the battleground. ”By nightfall I will teach you what it truly means to own something.”

Austin watched him retreat to his own waiting army.

The hunger beneath his ribs answered him then with the image of the ram skull smashing apart beneath his hands.

Come collect, he thought. He already knew which part of Malrec he’ d be devouring first by nightfall.