The Black House, Meeting Room
The meeting room was packed—uncomfortably so—with Murica's highest-ranking demons. Solo sat at the head of the table, relaxed in the way only someone about to disappear for months could be. Lilith stood beside him, arms crossed. Around them were Stan, Levi, Mo, Belphy.
Solo cleared his throat.
"So," he said, casually, "that's how it's gonna be. Belphy will be the acting Prime Minister while me and Lilith are absent. Any question before I end this meeting?"
Belphy's hand shot up instantly. Fast. Eager.
Solo look around for a few seconds.
"Good," Solo said. "Then we can close the meeting."
"Excuse me?" Belphy snapped. "Does the one being appointed not get asked how they feel about it?!"
Lilith tilted her head. "What do you need to be asked, exactly?"
"Probably just 'why me?'" Stan said, leaning back. "Or 'why not Stan, Levi, Mo, or literally anyone else.'"
Belphy whipped his head toward him. "Not cool, Stan!"
"But yeah!" Belphy spun back to Solo and Lilith, jabbing a finger at his own chest. "Why me?!"
Lilith answered immediately, fingers interlaced, tone flat and merciless.
"Because you're the only senior executive demon who almost never leaves Murica."
"And," Mo whispered without looking up, "almost got nothing to do."
"I can hear you, old man!" Belphy snapped, glaring at Mo before turning back again. "Then what about Monny? Or Bub? They always stay in Murica too!"
"Can't," Solo replied instantly. No hesitation. Like he'd rehearsed it. "Bub's busy preparing the upcoming world expo in Dawn City. Monny's preparing the economic summit right after."
"That's just a glorified science fair!" Belphy protested.
Lilith raised a finger. "The first ever world science fair."
She emphasized every word.
"Sponsored by Murica. Invitations sent to every country on Talvaris."
Belphy opened his mouth, then closed it, recalculating.
"You don't need to worry too much," Stan said, trying to sound reassuring. "The world's still going slow right now."
"Stan's right," Mo added. "My agents report that both Celeste and Elvandar aren't planning anything dangerous in the near future."
"Yep," Levi said with a small smile. "Both alliances are busy gathering more members. Which is mostly my job to deal with."
Lilith nodded. "Solo and I already sorted and pre-approved all documents that will need your approval for the next seven months."
Solo leaned forward slightly, finishing the thought like a salesman closing a deal.
"And if you do this," he said smoothly, "Monny will approve an additional ten percent for your office budget next year."
Silence.
Belphy slowly looked around the table. One face at a time. Calm. Confident. Prepared.
"…All of you planned this beforehand, didn't you?" he said quietly.
"Yep," everyone replied in unison.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the table, General Hanz sat perfectly still.
Next to him were the misfits.
They were also perfectly still—but for very different reasons.
All four of them were sweating. Not the dignified, controlled kind. The oh-no-we-are-surrounded-by-demon-dukes kind. Their backs were rigid, eyes forward, bodies locked in.
"H-hey," Kovalski whispered, barely moving his lips. "Are we… are we really supposed to hear all of this?"
"I honestly don't know," Irving whispered back. "This is way above our pay grade."
"M-maybe," Bella said, forcing a small smile, "they deemed us trustworthy and worthy enough?"
Ivy hesitated. "Or," she added carefully, "they just think we're disposable if we leak anything."
The four of them slowly turned their heads toward General Hanz in perfect, synchronized desperation. Hoping for some answer.
General Hanz glanced at them.
He glared.
Then he scoffed.
Then he looked forward again, completely ignoring them.
The message was unclear. Their morale, however, was not.
"Now," Stan suddenly said, breaking the tension, "let me introduce you to your… helpers during your journey."
He nodded toward General Hanz.
General Hanz stood.
The misfits panicked and shot up from their chairs a half-second too late.
"Mr. Prime Minister," General Hanz said, voice crisp, "allow me to introduce Captain Irving Blackwell, Specialist Kovalski Hartman, Private First Class Bella Bloom, and Ivy Elara."
The misfits snapped to attention, trying very hard to look professional.
"At ease," Solo said.
They hesitated.
Then, very carefully, they sat back down.
"I assume all of you are wondering why you're here," Solo continued.
"Y-yes, Mr. Prime Minister," Irving replied immediately.
"Well, congratulations," Solo said. "You're about to be pardoned for all your past mischief."
All four of them froze.
"As long as," Solo added calmly, "you help me during my journey for the next six months."
"Uh," Irving said, swallowing, "sir… where exactly are we going?"
Solo's grin widened.
"We're going to hunt some dragons," he said.
---
A Dungeon Somewhere in Elvandar
Deep inside Elvandar territory, where the jungle grew thick and lush enough to swallow ruins whole, a crumbling castle hid a dungeon long forgotten by time and common sense. At its deepest point—the boss room—five humans stood among the aftermath of an epic battle that had very clearly just ended.
Cracked stone. Scorch marks. Broken pillars. The unmistakable signs of a heroic struggle successfully concluded.
"Praise the goddess, you finally got it, Sora," Isabel said, clasping her hands together in genuine relief.
"Heh," Yumi replied, fixing her pointy hat with a tired grin. "I really hope this was worth all the trouble."
Aryn said nothing. The female elf archer simply stared, eyes slightly widened, gaze fixed forward. It was unmistakably a look of admiration—borderline adoration—her lone archer stereotype prevented her from expressing it in any visible way.
Standing at the pedestal before them—surrounded by beautiful women and clearly forgotten by the narrative for many chapters—was the hero of the party.
Nobuyuki Sora.
Still young. Still handsome. Still Japanese.
He held aloft an oversized golden sword so gaudy it looked like it had been designed by a committee that had never heard the word "subtle." Jewel ornaments ran along the blade, glowing faintly, radiating unmistakable holiness.
His clothes were now far more knight-like than before, polished and reinforced, clearly the result of many level-ups since the last time anyone bothered to check on him.
"I finally have it," Sora said, striking a heroic pose with the holy sword raised high.
"Ara ara," came a cheerful voice. "Even I, as a blacksmith, am impressed by the craftsmanship of that sword."
Rita, the last member of the harem party, stepped closer. The sexy older-sister vibe furry girl adjusted her axe and shield, blacksmith attire smudged with soot, eyes shining with professional appreciation.
"Yes, Rita," Sora said proudly. "We finally obtained Durandal."
He lowered the blade slightly, inspecting it with gleaming eyes.
---
Outside the Dungeon
Moments later, the hero party emerged from the castle ruins and into the open jungle. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, fresh air washing away the stale dungeon atmosphere. Yumi stretched happily, clearly enjoying being outside again.
"So," Rita muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "does this mean we're ready to defeat the demons now?"
Isabel hesitated. "I… don't believe it's wise to head to the Demon Kingdom yet. Our average level is still around fifty."
She frowned slightly, choosing her words carefully.
"We are progressing much faster than the previous hero parties," she continued, "but we're still not strong enough to defeat the Demon King and his army."
"That's right," Sora said calmly. "We still need to clear more monsters and dungeons."
He rested Durandal against his shoulder.
"I need to level up further if I want to unlock Durandal true potential."
"…But we've already cleared most of the dungeons on the Solis and Elvandar continents," Aryn muttered quietly.
Sora stopped walking.
He reached into his subspace bag and pulled out an old parchment, edges worn and curled with age. Slowly, deliberately, he opened it.
"Then," he said, "I suppose it's time to do this quest."
The others gathered around, peering at the parchment.
"Hm," Rita murmured. "That means we're heading east, huh?"
"Is it time to leave Elvandar and go to a new continent?" Yumi asked, eyes lighting up with excitement.
"That's right," Sora replied, confidence settling naturally into his voice.
He folded the parchment and looked ahead.
"We're going east," he said. "It's time for us to hunt a dragon."
---
The Black House, Lobby
The Black House lobby was crowded. Solo and Lilith's friends and family, are gathered for one thing: Solo's departure.
At the center of it all, Solo and Lilith were locked in a tight embrace.
"When I get back," Solo said lightly, patting Lilith's head "we're gonna have a serious problem figuring out where to display the dragon's head."
"Haha," Lilith chuckled while wiping a single tear. "Yes, we will."
Nearby, the misfits—now changed out of their prisoner uniforms and into clean civilian clothes—were clustered together and whispering among themselves.
"Well," Irving muttered, adjusting his collar, "I guess we're basically back to adventuring again."
He paused.
"With a VIP."
"I don't care what it is," Ivy said under her breath, eyes shining with relief. "As long as I stop being an intern."
"Since we're escorting a VIP," Kovalski said with a grin, rubbing his hands together, "prepare yourselves to taste some premium VIP treatment, guys. Kukuku."
"I can't wait," Bella added excitedly. "This is going to be the most luxurious adventure we've ever had."
Beep Beep
A car horn echoed through the lobby from the driveway outside.
The misfits turned around in unison.
Parked just beyond the entrance was… a completely ordinary family van.
Nothing armored. Nothing magical. No banners. No intimidating aura.
The driver-side window slid down, revealing a skinny, utterly average-looking demon behind the wheel.
"Uh," the driver said flatly, checking his device, "Uber for Mr. Solomon?"
"Yeah! That's me!" Solo shouted back cheerfully.
From the side, Samael watched the scene and nodded approvingly.
Solo was, indeed, following the rules. Travel not as a Murica leader.
The misfits, meanwhile, could only stare in stunned silence.
"Well," Solo said, turning back to everyone, "I'm heading out now. Take care of Murica while I'm gone."
He flashed them a grin.
"Don't worry about us, honey," Lilith said, leaning in to kiss him. "Just worry about yourself, alright?"
"Heheh, don't worry," Solo replied. "I'm immortal, remember? What could possibly go wrong?"
---
Elvandar Forest
"Say," Yumi said casually as the hero party made their way through the forest, "what is Durandal's special ability again?"
"It's the only weapon capable of instantly killing any enemy of the goddess," Sora replied confidently.
"Ah," Yumi said. "Too bad this time we're fighting dragons, not demons."
"Well, what did you expect?" Rita laughed. "Running into a demon leader outside the Demon Kingdom?"
"Hahahaha!"