Little Pink Starfish

The two girls in front of her—Tang Shi, the little demon, and Qiu Ling, the human.

“Do you two… want something to eat?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked as she blew on her cup of hot milk tea. She’d just taken a couple of sips and her mouth was already burning.

Across from her, the two girls had already finished their cups. Maybe because they’d just been talking behind her back, they both looked a little awkward now. Her sudden appearance had been too perfectly timed—not suspicious at all…

“N-no, we’re leaving soon!” Qiu Ling quickly waved her hands. Yuan Yuanyuan figured she’d rather leave right now.

“It’s late… Want me to walk you back?” Yuan Yuanyuan glanced out at the snow outside and offered sincerely.

“No need, really.” Tang Shi said quickly. “We live close by, in the neighborhoods nearby.”

“Alright, then I’ll walk you out.” Yuan Yuanyuan smoothly took the opportunity to usher them toward the door. Keeping them longer would only make things more awkward. Honestly, she wasn’t even mad. That girl, Qiu Ling, had some serious skills—just yesterday she’d used blood to practice a spell, and even now she felt like she could smell blood on herself… though that was probably just her imagination.

Still, for Qiu Ling to see through her so easily, picking up the aura of blood—pretty damn impressive.

Yuan Yuanyuan got up and put on her coat, ready to walk the girls out. Tang Shi glanced around the room and pointed at a nearly finished black garment, asking, “Did you make that, shopkeeper?”

“Yeah, but it’s expensive. Probably more than your allowance can cover,” Yuan Yuanyuan replied, looking back at the half-sewn piece—it still needed a collar.

Tang Shi looked like she wanted to admire it some more, but Yuan Yuanyuan was already shooing them out the door. “Come on, time to go. It’s almost midnight. You two have guts—back in my day, I wouldn’t dare stay out past ten…”

The moment she opened the door, Yuan Yuanyuan froze.

Snowflakes drifted in on the wind—and a faint scent of blood wafted in with them.

The streetlights down the block were going out, one by one, as if some unseen giant were walking past them, snuffing them out like candles.

When there were many demons around, this kind of blackout wasn’t uncommon. Humans usually couldn’t sense it. It reminded Yuan Yuanyuan of that time during the Hundred Demon Parade, when the lights on both sides of the street slowly died.

Only a few streetlights remained before it would reach her street.

She noticed. So did the girls. And they saw even more than she did.

Qiu Ling immediately shut her eyes, lashes trembling.

Without hesitation, Yuan Yuanyuan grabbed the collars of both girls and yanked them back inside, slamming the wooden door shut behind them.

The moment the door closed, the blood scent vanished—completely blocked out by the simple wooden barrier.

…

“…What the heck was that?” Tang Shi whispered.

“That? In layman’s terms, demon fight,” Yuan Yuanyuan replied, staring at the wooden door and rubbing her chin.

She hadn’t realized this place was so well-protected. Even the door had defensive properties. And she’d scrubbed it with a brush the other day!

“Let’s wait before going out… once the demons finish, we’ll talk. I’ve got some manga—want to read?”

She’d seen this scenario too many times while drifting outside. And her go-to tactic was always: hide and sneak away quietly.

When demons fought, it wasn’t your average street brawl—it was life-or-death. If she waited a little longer, someone might come by to clean up the corpses.

Once they started, demons didn’t hold back. Little ones like her wouldn’t even leave ashes behind. She’d seen it happen with her own eyes.

She went to pour two cups of hot water. The instant milk teas were finished, and those had been her own purchase. Handing a cup to Qiu Ling, she patted the girl’s arm gently. “It’s okay. Just stay here and don’t go out.”

Qiu Ling had gone pale. She looked shaken. Understandable. Yuan Yuanyuan remembered how rattled she’d been the first time she saw someone die. Couldn’t sleep for a night. That had only been, what, five or six years ago?

There was a school nearby—probably considered a “youngling zone.” If demons were able to befriend humans here, it meant the area wasn’t too dangerous. Normally, this neighborhood was peaceful. Something like this was rare.

Qiu Ling seemed to be able to see things most couldn’t. Who knew what she’d just seen out there?

“Do you need the landline?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked quietly, trying not to spook her.

“…No signal.”

Ah. Right. Too many demons around jammed signals.

She grabbed today’s new issue of Dream Manga and shoved it into Qiu Ling’s hands. “Here. Read. Distract yourself.”

Qiu Ling blinked, dazed. She hesitated, but took it. “Dream Manga?”

“Boss!” Tang Shi, who had been watching the window, suddenly called out in a weird tone. “Say…?”

“…No way. Demons don’t usually fight in homes. That’s against C City rules. No demon from a Hundred Demon Parade would barge into someone’s house,” Yuan Yuanyuan said, frowning.

“I don’t know… but I think that thing’s coming toward the house?” Tang Shi’s voice trembled.

“…Huh?” Yuan Yuanyuan rushed to the window.

She didn’t dare stand upright. Carefully, she parted the curtain a sliver and peeked outside.

There was a dark mass in the road.

It was massive—about the height of a streetlamp. A hulking shadow crouched in the center of the street, muscular to a terrifying degree.

Seeing this in the middle of the night, juxtaposed with the familiar flowers and trees from daytime, was deeply surreal—like a real-life Resident Evil.

That thing across the street? Looked like a final boss in the third dimension.

A puddle of liquid pooled beneath it—no moon, no streetlights, and she couldn’t smell it. But Yuan Yuanyuan was pretty sure it was blood. The creature’s big red eyes were locked onto her house.

Of course she knew why.

She’d lit a candle. A faint light glowed from her room. That was all it took.

Seriously? It was actually coming? Who the hell owned this thing?

Yuan Yuanyuan stared in shock. What she didn’t know was that the hulking figure across the way wasn’t anyone’s demon at all—it was new to C City.

See, during chaotic times, C City’s rules had grown strict. Demons were forbidden from entering people’s homes at will. Violators would be held accountable.

Why?

First, to limit private duels. Second, to avoid humans getting hurt—it would be hard to explain away.

After all, demons had lost the last war. They had signed a treaty forbidding large-scale appearances in front of humans.

Despite C City’s chaotic vibe, certain unspoken rules still stood strong. Break them, and the consequences were serious. Demons policed each other fiercely. That was how humans in this city could live in blissful ignorance despite being surrounded by monsters.

This was the first time she’d seen such a clueless idiot.

The little human girl might not know, but small-time demons like her had been taught the rules from day one. A local wouldn’t make this mistake.

She didn’t know what exactly was going on—but she immediately turned to Tang Shi and said, “Take your friend upstairs. Stay there. Don’t come down until I say so.”

Tang Shi immediately grabbed Qiu Ling and bolted upstairs.

Qiu Ling was still confused, clutching Dream Manga tightly.

Crap… Yuan Yuanyuan looked back at the massive shadow. She could escape easily—but there were two girls behind her.

She couldn’t run. Not this time.

The creature looked like a brute-type fighter. That was actually good for her. She was best at dealing with brute types. If the enemy had fancy spells, she’d be in trouble.

Since that duel, she hadn’t had a real fight. Sure, she’d taken out a few thuggish demons—but only ones she knew she could beat.

This one? No idea.

Despite the anxiety, she quickly entered “serious mode.”

Her biggest improvement over the years? Knowing how to look calm, even when she wasn’t. She’d been scared enough times to learn how to fake it.

She walked to the center of the room and sat down in the chair, directly facing the front door.

Tang Shi tucked Qiu Ling away upstairs and crept to the staircase corner to peek.

The moment she looked, a loud BANG rang out.

The door flew open, wind and snow pouring in.

A hulking figure stood in the doorway, blood stench thick in the air.

On the chair sat a man in black, expressionless, staring coldly at the busted door.

For a moment, Tang Shi couldn’t even recognize him as the same lazy shopkeeper from before.

His entire aura had changed—no longer laid-back, but cold, grim, intimidating.

Before she could even react, red tendrils whipped out from behind him.

The shopkeeper’s eyes… slowly turned red.