Demonic Witches Harem: Having Descendants Make Me Overpowered!

Theo stood in front of Claude's window, his dark eyes observing every movement inside. The Chaos Hounds—Sun, Moon, and Star—had already sensed him. 

Their glowing eyes glared at him from the shadows, and they bared their fangs, low growls rumbling deep in their throats.

The three cacodemons moved as one, their stance tense, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. 

But Theo saw through their display. Despite their ferocity, they didn't dare step closer.

"Pathetic," Theo muttered, his tone sharp and disdainful.

He took a slow step forward, his presence radiating authority and something far more menacing. 

The hounds' growls grew louder, yet they held their ground, refusing to retreat or yield.

"You dare show your fangs to me?" Theo's voice dropped, low and menacing. 

"Three lowly cacodemons. Do you think you stand a chance?"

He raised his hand, and a black sphere began to form, swirling with dark, unstable energy. The air around him grew heavy, crackling with power.

"You're only alive because Claude found you. Because he gave you his blood," Theo continued, his gaze piercing. 

"Without him, you'd be rotting carcasses, forgotten in some pit."

Despite the threat, the Chaos Hounds didn't budge. Their growls deepened, and their hackles rose higher. 

Whatever fear they felt was drowned out by their instinct to protect their master.

Theo tilted his head slightly, his sharp features illuminated faintly by the sphere's glow. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Hmm. At least you're willing to die for him," he murmured. 

With a flick of his wrist, the sphere dissolved into nothingness. The hounds shifted uneasily, their eyes following him as he stepped closer to the open window.

Theo peered inside, shaking his head at the sight of Claude tossing and turning in his bed. The blanket was half on the floor, his limbs sprawled out carelessly.

"That child," Theo sighed, his voice carrying a mix of irritation and something softer—something almost fatherly.

He climbed through the window with fluid ease, his movements silent and precise. 

The hounds followed him closely, their glowing eyes tracking his every step, their bodies tense, ready to strike if he dared to harm their master.

Theo approached the bed, his expression softening slightly as he looked down at Claude's restless face. 

The boy mumbled something incoherent, his brows furrowed in his sleep.

"No… Jesus, don't burn me with your holy spirit," Claude muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Theo froze, his brow lifting in confusion. "Who the hell is Jesus?" he muttered under his breath.

"Ugh… Don't burn me…" Claude mumbled again, his face twisting into a slight grimace. 

"I'm your loyal follower…"

Theo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This boy," he muttered, shaking his head.

The hounds growled softly as Theo leaned closer, pulling the discarded blanket back over Claude. 

He tucked it around him, brushing the boy's disheveled hair out of his face.

Theo's dark eyes flashed red as he focused, scanning Claude with precision. His gaze lingered for a moment before he leaned back, nodding slightly to himself.

"It's fine," Theo murmured, his voice barely audible. 

"It hasn't awakened yet. No one will know… for now."

He let out a small breath of relief, his shoulders relaxing. "Until you're eighteen… please, stay alive," he whispered, his voice carrying a rare tenderness.

Bending down, he pressed a light kiss to Claude's temple, the gesture fleeting but sincere. His lips curved into a faint smile before he straightened.

In the next instant, he was gone, vanishing into the shadows as if he had never been there at all. 

The Chaos Hounds stay still and lay in front of Claude like a dog, leaving the room silent once more, save for his soft, restless murmurs.

*** 

Claude woke to the sound of his mother screaming in panic. 

His eyes shot open, his heart pounding as he bolted upright in bed. The sharp noise immediately put him on edge.

Standing by the door were his three wolves—Sun, Moon, and Star—alert and curious. Their glowing eyes met his, and he frowned.

"What the hell are you three doing in my house?!" he hissed, jumping out of bed. "Get back to the forest!"

The wolves exchanged glances as though considering disobeying him, but after a moment, they slunk back into the shadows, vanishing entirely.

Claude ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself, "Did Mother find the cacodemon in my room? Or maybe that bastard Enzo felt the darkness somehow?"

Another panicked scream snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What happened to my husband?!" Dalia cried from somewhere downstairs.

Claude froze for a moment, then exhaled in relief. 'Must be the holy knights found that bastard fainted in the forest—and probably peeing himself too! Serves you right, asshole.'

Unable to hold back a laugh, Claude clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle it. 

Once he got the amusement out of his system, he straightened, smoothed his expression, and made his way to his parents' room.

Inside, Enzo lay unconscious on the bed, pale and disheveled, with two holy knights standing nearby. 

Claude hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the room with carefully practiced worry.

"Mom, what happened?" he asked, his voice tinged with feigned panic. 

He gasped and covered his mouth dramatically. "What happened to Dad? Why is he fainted? And… what's that smell?"

One of the holy knights, a young man named Kai, tried to suppress a laugh, but his composure faltered for a moment. 

"We found him like this in the middle of the forest," he explained. 

"The cleric we brought with us found traces of darkness nearby. Our theory is that he was attacked by a cacodemon."

"Oh my," Dalia gasped, her knees buckling as she nearly collapsed. Claude caught her and guided her to a chair.

"Can you… track the cacodemon?" Claude asked cautiously, masking his growing unease. 

He needed to know just how capable the Everbright Church's forces were—and how careful he'd need to be.

"It's difficult," replied the other knight, Julo. "We're understaffed in this small town."

"But don't worry," Kai added. "Since this is a cacodemon attack on the holy knight, we'll likely receive reinforcements from the main church."

Dalia sighed in relief, but Claude's stomach twisted. Reinforcements would mean more eyes, more scrutiny—and more danger for him.

"Can you let me know when the reinforcements arrive?" Claude asked, his tone carefully neutral. 

"I'll need to warn my father to stay out of the forest. I don't want him to get hurt again."

Dalia hugged him tightly. "You're such a caring boy, Claude," she murmured, her voice heavy with gratitude.

Kai and Julo shared a small smile before one of them reassured her, "He'll recover soon. Just make sure he gets plenty of rest." 

The two knights excused themselves shortly after, leaving mother and son alone.

Dalia refused to leave Enzo's side, her devotion making Claude's irritation bubble to the surface. 

'What's so great about that bastard anyway?' he thought bitterly as he stirred a pot of soup in the kitchen.

'What a pain,' he muttered to himself. 'Should I just kill him? No… Mom would never forgive me.'

Once the soup was ready, Claude poured it into a bowl, planning to take it to his mother. But as he approached the room, he froze.

There was someone else inside.

Peeking through the door, Claude saw Theo. The man stood close to Dalia, embracing her with an air of familiarity that made Claude's blood boil.

His fear of Theo dissolved instantly, replaced by raw irritation. 

He hated seeing his mother touched like that—especially by a man who had made his life so miserable.

'Does anyone in this house know how to leave my mother alone?!' he thought angrily, scoffing as he pushed the door open.

"Here, Mom," Claude said curtly, setting the soup on the table. "I made you something to eat."

Dalia smiled warmly, her eyes softening. "Thank you, Claude. You're so thoughtful." She kissed him on the cheek, but Claude barely noticed.

His gaze was fixed on Theo, who stood nearby with an amused expression. "And… What's he doing here?" Claude asked sharply, his tone dripping with annoyance.

"Don't be like that," Dalia scolded gently. "Theo is one of your father's friends."

Claude rolled his eyes. "Some friend," he muttered under his breath.

Theo chuckled, seemingly unfazed by Claude's hostility. "Well, I suppose I've stayed long enough," he said, turning to leave. 

But before he stepped out of the room, he leaned down close to Claude's ear.

"Next time, be more careful with your cacodemons," Theo whispered, his voice low and threatening.

Claude's face turned pale as Theo pulled back with a smirk, walking out without another word.

Left behind in the suffocating silence, Claude clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over.

'What does that bastard want from me?!'