An Unlikely Alliance

Eleo clapped his face with both hands, bracing himself. "Okay, okay! Let's figure this out." He jumped out of the bush dramatically, pointing a finger at the group. "Alright, which one of you is evil?!"

The two men in suits turned to look at him, momentarily stunned. The first man tilted his head and then smirked. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," he said, nudging his companion.

The second man snickered. "Yeah, look at him. Did you lose your mommy, kid?"

Eleo crossed his arms, looking serious—or as serious as an 8-year-old bunny kid could look. "Nope, I'm here to ask questions. Are you guys evil or not?"

The first man raised an eyebrow and laughed. "No, kid. We're Recruits!" He puffed out his chest and recited, "Role: New members in training. Assists Officers and learns basic duties. And we are the Ascendants, the supreme council military force!"

Eleo blinked rapidly, trying to keep up. His brain felt like it was overheating. "Uh... wait, wait, wait. Too many words. Supreme council... what? Military... huh?" He rubbed his temples and groaned. "Man, you guys are like school but worse!"

The demon girl, watching this ridiculous exchange, scoffed and spat at the first man, hitting him square in the cheek. "Eat shit, asshole!" she growled, her voice dripping with venom.

She followed up by flipping him off with both hands, her glowing yellow eyes glaring daggers. "Why don't you go crawl back under whatever rock you came from, you pathetic grunt!"

The first man wiped his cheek, his face turning red with anger. "Ahh, you bitch!" he yelled, raising his gun. "Not only are we taking your horns, wings, and tail—we're gonna kill you for that!"

The demon girl's confidence faltered for a moment, and she stammered, "I-If you kill me, the entire demon race will go to war with you!"

The second man chuckled darkly. "Like we care. It's not like you're gonna live long enough to see it happen."

Eleo stood there, scratching his head again. "Wait, so you're going to kill her?"

The first man looked over at him, annoyed. "Yeah, kid. She's a demon. She's evil. This is just pest control."

Eleo shrugged. "Oh, okay. Continue doing what you're doing then." He waved casually and began to walk away.

The demon girl's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What the hell?! You're just gonna leave me here, you little furball?! I'll kill you first!"

She gritted her teeth, then formed a tiny sphere of glowing purple gas in her palm, her eyes narrowing mischievously. "Let's see if you're dumb enough to fall for this..."

She tossed the gas toward Eleo, and it exploded into a faint cloud around him. Eleo blinked as his eyes suddenly turned into cartoonish hearts. His body stiffened, and his arms fell limply to his sides.

"Whoaaaa," Eleo said, his voice dreamy. He turned back to the demon girl, his heart-shaped eyes sparkling. "You're... sooooo pretty..."

The demon girl smirked, tilting her head with mock sweetness. "Aw, thanks, bunny boy. Now, be a good little hero and untie me before these losers do something stupid!"

The first man stepped forward, raising his gun. "What the hell is this? Kid, don't even think about it!"

Eleo turned to the men, his fists clenched. "How dare you threaten such a beautiful lady! I'll save you, miss demon girl!"

The second man facepalmed. "Are you serious right now?! This kid is brainwashed!"

The demon girl burst out laughing, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Brainwashed? Nooo, he's just finally seeing reason. Now hurry up, bunny boy, chop-chop!"

Eleo cracked his knuckles. "Alright, villains! Time for you to get a taste of justice... and my fists!"

Eleo lunged forward, landing two solid gut punches on the men, their eyes bulging in shock. Before they could even react, Eleo grabbed each of them by the collars and, with surprising strength for someone his size, hurled them far into the forest. Their screams faded into the distance until there was nothing but silence.

Dusting his hands with a satisfied grin, Eleo turned to the tree where the demon girl hung. "Alright, time to save the damsel!" He hopped up the tree with ease and began biting through the ropes like a determined bunny.

The demon girl, dangling and watching him, muttered, "Damsel? Oh, please."

With a final chomp, the ropes snapped, and she plummeted to the ground, landing with a hard thud. "Ow, you jerk!" she yelled, glaring up at him as she rubbed her backside.

Eleo hopped down and leaned toward her, concern in his voice. "Are you okay, my dear?"

The demon girl, clearly flustered, waved him off with a huff. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. I didn't ask for your help anyway!" She snapped her fingers casually, releasing the purple gas still clouding Eleo's head.

Eleo stumbled, holding his head. "Ugh... my head. What just happened?"

Lilith smirked, crossing her arms and leaning slightly toward him. "Oh, nothing much. Those Recruits saw reason and decided to let me go. We even waved goodbye to each other. Super friendly."

Eleo tilted his head in innocent surprise. "Oh, that's nice! But why am I standing all the way over here?"

Lilith blinked, quickly trying to come up with an answer. "Uh, because... you wanted to tell me your name! Yeah, that's it!"

Eleo's face brightened, his usual enthusiasm returning. "Oh! Right! I'm Eleo, the one who's going to become the strongest! And I'm eight years old!"

Lilith stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. It wasn't a polite giggle; it was loud, mocking, and full of disbelief. "You? The strongest? Oh, don't make me laugh! That's the funniest thing I've heard in centuries!"

She took a deep breath, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye. "And you're eight? You're barely out of diapers, bunny boy."

Eleo, unaffected by her teasing, simply smiled. "Yup! That's me!" He then turned and started walking away casually.

Lilith froze, her laughter dying instantly as she noticed him leaving. "Hey! Don't walk away while I'm talking!" she yelled, her voice sharp and demanding.

Eleo paused, looking over his shoulder with a sheepish grin. "Oh, sorry! I just need to head to town so I can sign up to fight the strongest."

Lilith stomped her foot, her hands balled into fists. "What kind of idiot turns his back on a demon princess mid-conversation?! Do you even know who I am?!"

Eleo turned back fully, tilting his head. "Oh? Who are you?"

Lilith straightened her posture, brushing invisible dust off her dress. "I am Lilith, the Demon Princess, heir to the throne of the underworld! And I am nine years old! You should bow to me, you peasant!"

She smirked, expecting Eleo to be awed by her introduction. But instead, she opened her eyes to see him already walking away again.

"Hey!" she yelled, her face turning red. "Are you even listening to me?!"

Eleo turned his head slightly, flashing her a carefree grin. "Yup! Nice to meet you, Lilith! But I gotta go now. See ya!"

Lilith clenched her fists, her pride stinging. "What kind of idiot just leaves after hearing my name?! The nerve!" She watched him walk further into the forest, muttering under her breath, "Stupid bunny... I should've let those Recruits take him..."

But as she stood there, her expression softened slightly, and she sighed. "What an idiot..." She looked down at the spot where he had stood, the tiniest of smiles tugging at her lips. "A ridiculous idiot..."

As Eleo strolled through the forest, humming a silly tune to himself, he heard faint footsteps crunching on the leaves behind him. Stopping abruptly, he turned his head and saw Lilith walking a few paces behind him, looking anywhere but at him.

"Hey," Eleo called out, tilting his head curiously. "Why are you following me?"

Lilith stiffened, her face flushing slightly as she scrambled for an answer. "W-what? Me? Following you? Don't flatter yourself!" She crossed her arms and turned her nose up. "I'm not following anyone, okay? I just... happen to be going in the same direction as you."

Eleo grinned wide, his carefree nature shining through. "Oh really? You're going to town too? That's awesome!"

Lilith froze for a split second, her eyes darting nervously. "Uh... yeah! Of course, I am!" She straightened her posture, trying to look confident. "I know exactly where the town is."

Eleo's smile grew even wider, and he pumped his fist in excitement. "Wow, that's perfect! I thought I was going to wandering around this forest forever, I was starting to think I'd have to eat berries and bugs!" He leaned toward her, his eyes shining with admiration. "You're like a lifesaver, Lilith! A hero even!"

Lilith blinked at him, her mouth slightly agape. "Hero?" she muttered under her breath, clearly caught off guard. Shaking her head quickly, she cleared her throat. "I mean... well, of course. I am pretty amazing, after all."

"Totally!" Eleo said with a grin. "So, which way do we go, fearless guide?"

Lilith faltered for a moment, her pride not allowing her to admit she had no idea where town was. She pointed vaguely ahead. "That way! Definitely that way."

Eleo nodded enthusiastically. "Great! I knew you'd know! You're so smart, Lilith!" He walked forward confidently, his stomach growling loudly.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously hungry ? Didn't you just eat those berries like few minutes ago?"

"No, those were not food," Eleo said, rubbing his belly. "I need real food. Like a whole feast! Maybe two!"

Lilith stared at him in disbelief. "How does someone that small eat that much? You're like a bottomless pit."

"I know, right?" Eleo said proudly, as if it were some great achievement. "If they have a food-eating contest for carrots in town, I'll totally win!"

Lilith rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a small smirk. "You're ridiculous. What if there's no town ahead? What then?"

Eleo laughed. "Then I'll just follow you until we find one! You're my guide, after all."

Lilith opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. Instead, she sighed and muttered, "Great. I've somehow become a babysitter."

As they continued walking, Eleo turned to her with a curious expression. "Hey, Lilith, what kind of food do you like? Do demons eat normal stuff, or is it all, like, scary demon food?"

Lilith huffed. "Scary demon food? What is that even supposed to mean?"

"You know, like... eyeball stew or flaming meat or something," Eleo said, his eyes wide with fascination.

"Ugh," Lilith groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "For your information, we eat normal food too. Not that it's any of your business."

"Cool!" Eleo said, grinning. "When we get to town, we should eat together. I'll treat you!"

Lilith blinked at him, momentarily surprised by the offer. She quickly looked away, her cheeks faintly pink. "W-whatever. You'd probably spend all your money on yourself anyway."

Eleo laughs. "You're probably right! But I'd save you something. Like... maybe a bread roll."

Lilith smirked despite herself. "Gee, thanks, Mr. Generosity."

As they walked on, Lilith found herself smiling without realizing it. "This idiot," she muttered under her breath, glancing at Eleo, who was now loudly wondering if the town had pies big enough for his appetite.