My Wives are Beautiful Demons

The strong aroma of herbs and spices filled the small kitchen, mixing with the steam rising from the cauldron. Selene stirred the soup with a thoughtful look, her hair carelessly tied up to keep it from falling over her face. Her soft yet firm voice echoed through the room.

"He should have been back by now..." she murmured, casting a sidelong glance at Katharina, who sat at the table, impatiently biting her nails.

"I know." Katharina replied, her leg bouncing non-stop. "But it's Vergil. You know how he is. He disappears without warning, comes back as if nothing happened, and expects us to just accept it without question."

Selene sighed, tossing a handful of leaves into the boiling broth. "But something is off this time. His energy... before he vanished, it felt different."

"I know!" Katharina grumbled, slamming her hand on the table. "And this damn feeling that something bad is about to happen won't leave my head!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Zuri, now in her human form, was furiously punching a training dummy. Her powerful strikes echoed through the space. Her teeth were clenched, sweat dripped from her forehead, and her breathing was heavy.

"Vergil, you bastard!" she growled, landing a kick on the dummy hard enough to almost topple it over. "Who the hell disappears like that?! What kind of irresponsible master does that?! I should drive my sword through your throat the moment you return!"

Katharina rolled her eyes but didn't bother to calm Zuri. The truth was, no matter how angry she sounded, she was just saying what all of them were feeling.

It was then that the room darkened for a brief moment. The shadows on the walls twisted like serpents, and a vortex of darkness swirled at the center of the room. The air grew heavier, as if something colossal was about to manifest.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Vergil appeared.

His black armor gleamed with an eerie light, purple flames flickering across its metallic surface as if they were alive. His cold eyes scanned the room, analyzing every detail as if nothing had changed.

Katharina froze, her eyes widening at the sight of him. Her breath caught in her throat, and her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Selene, on the other hand, slowly set her spoon down into the cauldron, narrowing her eyes as she assessed him. She could feel that something about him had changed, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what.

Zuri, however, halted mid-punch. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and then, without hesitation, she spun on her heels and marched toward him, fists clenched.

"YOU BASTARD!" she roared, overflowing with fury. "You just disappear, no warning, leave us here with no news, and then you come back in this damn armor as if nothing happened?!"

She raised her fist, threatening to punch him.

Vergil merely arched an eyebrow, watching her without the slightest hint of concern.

"I see you missed me," he said, his voice laced with irony.

Zuri trembled, her rage boiling over, but in the end, instead of punching him, she just slammed her fist against his chest, gritting her teeth.

"Idiot..." she muttered.

Selene crossed her arms, sighing. "Vergil... What the hell happened to you?"

He smirked slightly. "It's a long story."

Katharina, who had yet to say anything, finally stood up, her eyes shining with a mix of relief and frustration. "Then you'd better start talking."

Vergil looked at all of them, the slight smile never leaving his face. "Like I said... you missed me."

"TWO HOURS!!!" Katharina snapped, her voice filled with frustration. "You were gone for TWO HOURS!!"

Her body trembled with rage, and in the blink of an eye, her hair ignited. Golden-orange flames flared up in furious waves around her, her eyes glowing like burning embers.

"You have two seconds to start talking before I turn this house to ashes, Vergil!" she growled, the fire around her flickering with her fury.

Vergil watched her, unbothered, and then raised an eyebrow. "Two hours."

Katharina frowned. "What?"

"You said I was gone for two hours," he murmured, crossing his arms. "But for me… it was only twenty minutes."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Selene narrowed her eyes in suspicion, Zuri blinked in surprise, and even Katharina hesitated for a moment before her anger flared up again.

"Twenty minutes?! Twenty minutes, huh?!" She stepped forward, the flames around her roaring even higher. "Vergil, we were waiting for you for TWO HOURS! I was about to jump into that damn portal and drag you out of wherever the hell you were!"

Vergil sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Well… then I suppose I should explain." He looked around, and seeing that all eyes were on him, he continued:

"I entered that portal and ended up in a place that... well, shouldn't exist. A space between the Underworld and the Realm of the Dead."

Selene's eyes narrowed. "The Shadow Dimension."

Vergil nodded. "Exactly. There, I encountered a dragon that called me 'Monarch' and led me to a throne. Seated on it was an empty suit of armor… but it wasn't just any armor."

Katharina crossed her arms, still ablaze. "Get to the point, Vergil. What happened?"

He smirked. "I got this."

With a casual movement, he raised one arm, revealing a black chain of energy coiling around it like a living serpent. The aura emanated an eerie coldness, a stark contrast to Katharina's blazing flames. The energy of death pulsed around the dark metal of his armor, wrapping around his forearm as if it were a part of him.

Selene's eyes widened. "That's..."

"Death Energy," Vergil finished. "And apparently, I can control it."

Without warning, he snapped his fingers, and the shadow beneath him stretched like living tendrils, rising and writhing before dissolving back into the ground.

Zuri's eyes widened, her anger fading into pure fascination. "It looks pretty cool."

Katharina, on the other hand, remained unimpressed. "So... what else?" she asked, as if obtaining a new power was nothing out of the ordinary.

"That's it." Vergil shrugged. "Well, considering that I now possess the power of the Death Knight… yeah, that's pretty much it." He grinned.

"And what about those corrupted bastards?" Selene asked anxiously, remembering how those creatures had almost killed her.

"I've already absorbed all the Death Energy," he said with a reassuring smile. "Nothing will attack you again."

Then, turning to Zuri, he added, "Transform into a small familiar. You're coming with me."

She nodded and instantly shifted into a tiny 10 cm snake, leaping onto his arm. "No way I'm staying behind," she murmured.

"Alright," Vergil chuckled as the little serpent slithered up to his shoulder.

"Vergil," Selene called, and he turned his head. "Yes?"

"Be careful with that energy," she said, a hint of concern in her voice. "It doesn't seem like something that will be all that advantageous in the long run."

You know exactly what I mean. Selene sent her voice telepathically to Vergil.

"Relax," Vergil said with a smile before taking Katharina's hand. "I'll come back for a visit." His grin remained as the magic circle beneath him began glowing red.

"See you later," she waved before Vergil teleported away.

After he disappeared

Selene served the soup into her bowl with slow, precise movements, watching the thick liquid pour from the ladle and settle calmly. The aroma was comforting — but not enough to warm the cold she felt inside.

"That boy..." she thought, pressing her lips together lightly as she rested the ladle on the edge of the cauldron.

She sat at the wooden table, holding the bowl in her hands as if its warmth could drive away the worries creeping into her mind. The silence in the house was heavy, and even the occasional crackle of the burning firewood felt distant.

The energy Vergil brought with him... that wasn't just power. It was something deeper. Older. Darker. Death, in its rawest form. Not as a transition, but as a weight — a burden that clings to the soul of anyone who dares to wield it.

He showed up as if nothing had changed, as if the purple glow rippling through his armor was just a stylistic choice. But Selene felt it. His aura wasn't the same anymore. It was... too quiet. Like a tomb.

She stirred the soup absentmindedly, not really eating. The energy of death wasn't like the others. It didn't obey out of respect, or fear. It was a force that whispered — always hungry, always lurking. Selene knew this better than anyone — she had seen mages go mad just by touching it.

"He hasn't realized it yet... or he's pretending." Her golden eyes narrowed. "He's probably pretending..." she muttered. "After all... there's no way he hasn't noticed that... his shadow has turned into a dimension, right?"

Vergil was strong, yes. But also proud, impulsive… and above all, protective. And that's what worried her the most. Because the power of death loved those who tried to use it for a greater good. They became the perfect tools. First to protect, then to judge… and finally, to destroy.

Selene took a deep breath and finally brought the spoon to her lips. The taste was good — well-balanced. But still... empty.

She looked toward the corner of the room, where Vergil's shadow still seemed to linger.

"Hmm... should I talk to Thanatos? Maybe he could help Vergil?... Nyx, Thanatos, not even Persephone or Hades would help..." she murmured, before her phone lit up with a message.

[Group Chat ~ Retired Gods: Aphrodite: Let's throw a party? It's been a while since we last saw each other!!]