One Sarcastic Survival

The Day Kalego Didn't Kill Me (Surprisingly)

Okay, this is it. I'm dead.

Kalego was staring at me, arms crossed, eyes narrowed into thin slits. I could practically feel the heat of his gaze boring into me, and for once, my usual stream of witty comebacks was stuck somewhere between my brain and my throat. After everything—the ranking event, the fights, the dodged accusations—it had finally come to this moment.

He knew. Completely, 100%, no more dancing around it.

Yep. 

This is how I die. 

At least it's not in the cafeteria. 

That'd be embarrassing.

Kallego: Iruma.

...Here it comes.

Kallego: You're human and this is a demon school....

He said it so flatly, like it wasn't the bombshell of the century or the ultimate nail in my coffin. But there it was, out in the open, no more dancing around the truth. No more dodging accusations with sarcasm.

Me: So, you're not gonna kill me? Cool. Let's never speak of this again.

It just slipped out before I could stop myself. A reflex, maybe. My mouth was faster than my brain, as usual, and it was somehow trying to joke its way out of the apocalypse. Kalego's expression didn't change, but there was a very slight twitch in the corner of his mouth, like he was fighting off... a smile?

Kallego: Do you ever take anything seriously?

Me: Depends on if it's going to get me killed.

Kallego's eyes flashed dangerously, but instead of launching into a lecture or dragging me off to expose me, he just... sighed. A long, drawn-out, exasperated sigh that made me question if I had broken something inside him.

Kallego: You're infuriating.

Me: I've been told that."=

He was still standing there, arms crossed, looming over me like the embodiment of demon discipline, but there was something different about him today. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was a shift. Normally, he'd be lecturing me, probably throwing in some threats about how being a fool in the Netherworld would get me killed. But instead, he was just... quiet.

Too quiet.

Me: So... what happens now? You gonna toss me into some demon tribunal? Maybe throw me in a dungeon for, I don't know, forever?

Kallego raised an eyebrow, giving me a look like I had said something particularly stupid—which, okay, I probably had.

Kallego: Don't tempt me.

Oh, great, here comes the threat.

But instead of dragging me off, he stayed rooted where he was, his expression unreadable. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating, and I had no idea what he was planning. I mean, he could expose me at any second. It would be the easiest thing in the world to call for reinforcements and have me dragged away for being a human in a demon school. I had no magic, no real powers to speak of—just dumb luck, a fast mouth, and a faster pair of legs.

But Kalego didn't move. He didn't shout. He just watched me, like he was sizing me up for the hundredth time, and I still didn't measure up to whatever standards he had in his head.

Kallego: You're still a fool.

Me: Yeah, you've said that before.

Kallego: And yet...