Surviving in the Demon's Academy as a Human

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lilith cackled, tears forming in her crimson eyes. "You—pfft—you turned him into a woman! A slave at that! Oh, Aiden, how did you manage to make such a mess of the exhibition?"

"I didn't mean for that to happen!" Aiden snapped, wincing as he adjusted his bandages.

The infirmary was a dimly lit room, lined with glowing red crystal sconces and eerie, pulsating walls that seemed alive. Aiden sat on a plush, albeit unsettlingly warm, couch, nursing his bruises with a cool compress. Across from him, Lilith was doubled over in laughter, barely able to contain her amusement.

"Oh, I know you didn't," Lilith grinned, wiping her tears. "But the absurdity of it! My vessels told me the whole thing—apparently, you received the blessings of Hell itself. Not a simple blessing, mind you, but one tailored to your deepest wish. And what was that wish again? Oh yes—'I want to protect the smiles of the people I care about!'"

"Yeah," Aiden muttered, not liking where this was going.

Lilith leaned in, her horns glinting ominously. "And this is how Hell interpreted your noble desire? By turning men into submissive slaves? Really? Aiden, are you sure that wasn't some deep, dark fetish of yours bubbling to the surface?"

Aiden's face turned bright red. "It's not a fetish! I didn't ask for this!"

Lilith erupted into laughter again, clutching her sides. "Oh, please! Hell doesn't make mistakes. It always grants exactly what the wisher truly wants. I still remember hearing that you have recited some incantations that rhymes and call the spell Crimson Veil!" Lilith then laughed again. "And apparently, what you wanted wasn't some fancy shield or a power to protect others. No, no, no. You wanted a hot slave. Don't deny it, Aiden."

"Shut up, Lilith!" Aiden groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This is all a misunderstanding." Aiden thought about the words he has spoken during that time. He only said that out of the whim and didn't think too deeply at the time but now that he thinks about it again 'Yeah it's so cringe, out of all the words I've chosen, why that!?'

Lilith wiped her eyes, still chuckling. "Oh, I believe you... but the facts don't lie. Speaking of which—" She waved her hand in the air, summoning a flicker of her dark magic.

Aiden watched curiously, distracted momentarily from his embarrassment. The air rippled like water, and Zepharion suddenly appeared in the room.

The once-mighty delinquent now stood as a tall, statuesque woman with piercing golden eyes. Her muscular frame, once intimidating, had softened into a striking but sorrowful beauty. Her goat-like horns gleamed under the faint light, but her posture screamed defeat. She looked like someone who had been utterly crushed—her expression blank, her eyes hollow.

Aiden, uncomfortable with the whole situation. He wondered how she was able to summon people. Aiden also experienced this when they teleported from the seats of the auditorium to the front stage, a spatial power. A skill passed down through her bloodline. She can summon objects—or people—from anywhere in Hell. Aiden then wondered that 'Is this the same ability that managed to summon me?'

Aiden thought back to Lilith's mansion, with its high walls and lack of gates. 'So... that's how you enter the mansion that has no entrances or gates. Makes sense.'

Lilith smirked, circling her like a predator. "Well, well, well. What a marvelous transformation. Zepharion, my dear, how are you enjoying your new... role?"

Zepharion didn't respond, her head hanging low. She looked like she had given up entirely.

Lilith glanced back at Aiden with a wicked grin. "You've done quite a number on her, Aiden. Look at that! Tall, muscular, and utterly subservient—everything you could ever ask for!"

"Will you stop?" Aiden hissed, his face now burning with embarrassment.

Lilith ignored him, turning her attention back to Zepharion. "What's the matter, darling? Cat got your tongue? Or is it just that you've realized your new position in life—kneeling before your master?"

Zepharion's lips trembled, but she said nothing.

Lilith chuckled darkly, tapping her chin as if pondering something. "Do you think she's planning her revenge, Aiden? Or do you think she's too broken to try? Either way, it's delightful, don't you think?"

Lilith leaned back on her chair, arms crossed, her red eyes gleaming with devilish delight. The faint smirk on her lips betrayed just how much she was savoring the situation. She stared at Zepharion, who stood stiffly in the corner of the infirmary, her expression blank yet trembling ever so slightly—a statue of despair.

"Ah, the irony," Lilith mused, her voice dripping with mockery. "The mighty Zepharion, once the tyrant of the academy, ruling with brute strength and arrogance, now reduced to this." She gestured dramatically toward the fallen demon.

Zepharion didn't flinch, her eyes glued to the floor.

Lilith continued, her tone both amused and venomous. "Tell me, Zepharion—how does it feel? You, who once paraded around with a harem of women, using them as mere playthings to satisfy your whims, have now become one yourself. A harem member of a human, no less."

Aiden, sitting awkwardly on the infirmary couch, shifted uncomfortably. "Lilith, do you really need to—"

"Oh, hush, Aiden. Let me have my fun," Lilith interrupted, her attention fully on Zepharion. "So, dear Zepharion, are you ready to bear Aiden's children in that lovely womb of yours? Ready to be the proud mother of a half-human, half-demon brood?"

At this, Zepharion's face darkened noticeably, her fists clenching at her sides. The tremble in her posture grew more pronounced, but she remained silent.

Lilith turned to Aiden with a sly grin. "Well, Aiden? How many children are you planning to plant in her belly? Five? Ten? A full army of little Zepharion juniors running around the academy, perhaps?"

"What? No! I—Lilith, stop it!" Aiden stammered, his face heating up.

But Lilith was relentless, her grin widening as she saw the flicker of panic cross Zepharion's face. "What's wrong, Zepharion? You don't look too thrilled. Oh, I get it—you're worried about what your parents will think when they see you like this, aren't you?"

At the mention of her parents, Zepharion's face darkened further, her jaw tightening.

"Ah, yes," Lilith continued, tapping a finger against her lips in mock thought. "Your father, who prides himself on the family's strength and prestige... what would he think, seeing his once-proud son reduced to this? Or better yet, your mother—do you think she'd weep for you, or laugh at the irony?"

Zepharion's trembling grew more violent, her breathing shallow, but she still refused to meet Lilith's gaze or utter a single word.

"And," Lilith added, her tone growing even more venomous, "when your family inevitably finds out, do you know what they'll do? Oh, it won't be to save you, dear. No, no, no. They'll likely use you as a marriage tool, handing you off to some vile noble." She paused, her eyes narrowing with exaggerated disgust. "Perhaps to someone like Baron Velgroth—yes, you've heard of him, haven't you? The fat, sweaty blob of a demon, with his oozing rolls and stench that could clear an entire banquet hall."

Aiden grimaced at the vivid description, but Lilith pressed on.

"And if not Velgroth, well," Lilith said, her voice dropping to a sinister whisper, "there's always the other option. You'd make an excellent breeding livestock for your family. Your strong genes, once so revered, now reduced to nothing more than a commodity. How fitting, don't you think?"

Zepharion's face, which had already gone pale, now seemed devoid of all life. Her shoulders slumped as if the weight of Lilith's words had crushed her entirely. For the first time, Aiden thought he saw tears glistening in her eyes, though she quickly blinked them away.

"She's not going to say anything," Lilith said, turning to Aiden with a shrug. "She's too broken for that. But don't let her silence fool you. Inside, she's screaming. Isn't that right, Zepharion?"

Zepharion didn't answer.

Lilith let out a soft chuckle, turning her attention back to Aiden. "You know, Aiden," she began, her tone light but tinged with mischief, "as amusing as it is to see Zepharion like this, you should know that things won't stay quiet for long."

"You better be ready for what comes next. Because as amusing as this is, there's a little detail you should know. The academy is isolated from the rest of Hell for the next six months—think of it as a dimensional bubble."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "So... no one outside knows what happened here?"

"Not yet," Lilith said, her tone turning serious. "But once the semester ends, messengers will be sent out, and the news will reach Zepharion's family. And trust me, Aiden, they won't take this humiliation lightly. You've made a powerful enemy, whether you meant to or not."

"And another thing" Lilith said, waving her hand dismissively. "Zepharion might be broken now, but he—or rather, she—wasn't just some lone wolf running wild in this school. Despite being hated and feared by most, Zepharion had his fair share of allies. Loyal ones."

Aiden blinked, the weight of her words slowly sinking in. "Allies?"

Lilith nodded, her golden hair shimmering as she tilted her head. "Indeed. Zepharion was... well, is the kind of demon that commands respect, even if it's born out of terror. There are demons here who still admire her strength and power—or at least the remnants of it—and who would gladly seek revenge on her behalf. It doesn't matter if you've received the favor of Hell or not, Aiden. Demons are... how should I put it? Stubborn. Their skulls are too thick to process logic. All they'll see is that you humiliated someone they respected, and they'll come after you for it."

Aiden sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Just what I needed—more enemies."

Lilith chuckled, clearly enjoying his frustration. "Oh, it gets better," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I can't say for sure if any of his harem truly loved him—or if they just enjoyed the perks of being with him—but if any of them did... well, let's just say you might want to sleep with one eye open."

Aiden's expression darkened. "You're not exactly reassuring me, Lilith."

"Relax, darling," Lilith said with a sly smile. "I've got some good news to balance out the bad. You see, it's not all doom and gloom for you. In this school, there are a few demons who are... how should I say this? Rooting for you, especially the women Aiden."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Rooting for me? Why?"

Lilith's grin turned wicked. "Oh, it's quite amusing, really. Word spreads fast in this school because we as demons are always starving for amusement. After what happened to Zepharion, some demons are terrified of you. Particularly the men. They're whispering about you in the halls, you know. Wondering if they're next. Wondering if they'll end up as the newest member of your harem. The girls here believes that the boys deserves the treatment they've been doing to girls for years already. Men will now get to experience what it feels like to be r*ped." 

Aiden's eyes widened. "Wait, what? They actually think—"

"Of course they do!" Lilith interrupted, laughing. "Hell granted you a blessing, after all, and that's how demons think. They don't care about the specifics or the context. All they know is that you turned one of the most feared demons in the academy into your... how shall I put it? Your obedient little pet. Naturally, they're scared it could happen to them too."

Aiden groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This is a nightmare."

"Oh, come now," Lilith said, patting his shoulder mockingly. "It's not all bad. Fear is a powerful tool, Aiden. If you play your cards right, you might find yourself with a few unexpected allies. After all, some demons are smart enough to see the advantages of siding with someone like you. The favor of Hell isn't something to be taken lightly."

Aiden peeked at her through his fingers. "And what do you think I should do?"

"You know, Aiden," she began, her tone unusually light but still dripping with mockery, "there's a little something we demons like to say when things get... chaotic."

Aiden gave her a skeptical look, rubbing his sore jaw from the earlier fight. "Oh, this ought to be good. Let me guess—it's something inspiring, like 'eat or be eaten,' or 'when life gives you lemons, set them on fire.'"

Lilith laughed, a sound that echoed with both amusement and menace. "Close, but no. What I mean is this: enjoy the journey, not the destination."

Aiden blinked, stunned by the sheer absurdity of her words. "You're joking, right?"

Lilith shrugged, her grin widening. "Not at all. Look, darling, you've been thrown into Hell—literally—and you've got all these demons out to get you. But that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun along the way. Laugh at the madness, savor the absurdity, and revel in the chaos. After all, what's the point of surviving if you're not enjoying the ride?"

Aiden stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. "You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right? I'm being hunted by demons, I've accidentally turned one of the academy's strongest into... that," he gestured toward Zepharion, who remained slumped and silent, "and now I've got the entire school either terrified of me or plotting my demise. And you think I should just... enjoy it?"

Lilith nodded enthusiastically, her horns glinting as she leaned closer. "Exactly! Think of it this way: life—or unlife, in our case—isn't about where you end up. It's about all the chaos, danger, and hilarity you experience along the way. And honestly, Aiden, your story so far? It's shaping up to be one for the ages."

Aiden sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "This is insane. Who even gives advice like this? Enjoy the journey? I'm in Hell! Literally!"

Lilith tilted her head, her grin never faltering. "And that's why it's perfect advice. If you can find joy in the madness of Hell, you can find it anywhere. Trust me, darling, you'll thank me later."

He shook his head, muttering, "I doubt it," under his breath.

Lilith's laughter rang out again, filling the room. "Oh, Aiden, you've got so much to learn about this place. But don't worry—I'll be here every step of the way to make sure you don't miss a single ridiculous moment."

Aiden slumped back against the bed, already feeling the weight of her words and the chaos they promised. "Enjoy the journey," he repeated bitterly. "Yeah, sure. I'll try to remember that when I'm running for my life."

Lilith winked, her grin widening. She raised from her seat "That's the spirit but unfortunately I will have to leave the both of you to mate" Lilith looked at Aiden and blinked. Aiden saw the space around Lilith distorting before her body disappearing. Aiden immediately remembered about Seraphina and forgot to asked Lilith on what happened to her.

Aiden turned his head and saw Zepharion crawling into his bed.