Devil's Business

The Breach

Juno’s tenure upon the terrain of hell has finished. As usual, he waits for the portal to take him back to earth inside the enclosure of Mia’s inn branch, right now within the authority of Selima city. He got surprised on how unscathed the interior are after the immediate rebirth from the red dragon’s attack. The cushion are carefully treated and giving off fragrant aroma when he clutched it on his stomach for an artificial mood booster. Surely speaking, the drama and disastrous event of the third phase of his life around the ticking clock of the heating world has fed him up to bits. One mere mistake that occurred in his action for the challenge, which was unknown for him until this very end of the two-weeks event, has cost him a bundle of thoughts and energy over time.

Nonetheless, he could not be certain on his next-in-line misdeeds, but he choose to be prudent about it later on.

As he leaning down the smooth surface of the room's bed, He looks at his current level that inscribed within his demonic black tattoo on his left arm. Because of the brawl with two legendary creatures over such a short time, he has attained more than 20 levels up from the last time of his arrival to reach level 60 of his duty as a nonsense hero of the zombie city. It means one thing to increase, and two abilities to utilize for the next arrival upon the land.

Shortly later, the red flux has appeared, marking his end of life to the very start of the next entry of challenge upon earth.

---

He ascends back to earth, the home of living and competent being to which he interacts as a servant of a demon. A slice of the current challenge is nestled above many layers of his procurement assignments for his business. He almost never noticed it right away, all because of the lame design and state of the nearly-crumpled contracts paper that he has subscribed for three years on.

“Have you returned George’s remains, Juno?”

One bland voice of a mischievous deity has situated on the right side of his bed. Lafath was sitting there, patiently pondering over the lists of contracts from Juno’s emerging company. It sometimes chuckled by the tremendous bulks of purchase and the tremendous bargain under the terms, but most of them laying its own impression of satisfaction over Juno’s meticulous work.

Thinking of the demon’s omniscient capabilities, Juno bounced the question back with his grin,”Are you sure not seeking it through your all-seeing eyes, master demon?”

“Right. You are now extending my presumptions, Juno. I am astonished by your growth for a newbie in this ground.” The demon contorted his humble servant’s deflection with gentle head bob,”Look at this procurement contract. So modern and outrageous for a solution to me.”

The demon suddenly teleport to Juno’s front, standing ahead of Corporal Jatra and his shield. He suddenly closing in and whispering on Juno’s ear,”You would be in trouble, so I’ll give you leniency for this month. Please learn the contract and do it accordingly.”

It disappears afterwards by popping out from the scene with its magical powers, leaving behind a speck of dust from its abrupt departure.

“Aye-aye- Uh, his body smells like burnt logs, stereotypical of a demon, maybe?”

He then picked up the contract to review it in thorough fashion. The demon’s enticement of his latest challenge brought him to wonder of what is going on inside his mind for now. Having a demonic contract agreement with a malevolent being has demanded him a careful assessment in each of his moves. So far, the demon’s most merciful challenge was happened on his first run of the challenge, and the rests were storming him out from the ‘fun’ side of being rich.

The new challenge is written:

‘The party mentioned therein has to conduct less than five hundred thousands dollars of purchase in every week. Any available methods on living above this margin has to be consulted with the demon king in execution of such arrangements implied.’

“He is literally restricting me from spending a hoard of money out from my pocket, huh. I guess there’s something to it that he has predicted from my business somehow.” Juno mumbled while spinning across his bed in full of thoughts over the deal,”I have to handle a meetup with Je-llo before-“

“Ah, better read the news first. It might be there for an answer to this vague ordeal.”

Juno switched on the tv of his bedroom and shifting around the channel to find the one in specific to news headline feed for the routine on the break of his working hours. When he finally come across such media, A lady in blouse was looking intense in front of the camera beside the man in suit that acted as her cohort for the current events occurring in Dinesa. They are assorted under the rubric of “breaking news”, stating their stern-looking expression upon the window of concern over the current happening of the city’s business days.

(Knock!Knock!)

“Boss, are you inside? Two men in uniform are needing your assistance. They forced myself to let them in, so-“

Betty’s lowered tone indicates her concern to the upcoming visitors of the mansion. She only do this against anybody with authoritative figure or scary-looking faces of the block. As she was ordered to rejecting anyone that came to the mansion in under two hours of his ‘meditation’, their attendance might be against the protocol advised upon and takes a lot of energy for Betty to meddle with.

As Juno opened the door, Betty hugged him immediately before Juno even begin to question over her failure,”It’s policemen in the front lobby, Boss Juno! I can’t tell them to move away, I’m apologize.” She said while crying on his chest.  The abrupt information tingling his memories of Lafath and its reaction to the procurement business that he has settled in for awhile.

“So that’s the problem. I get it, Lafath. You’re trying to save my ass from them, are you?” Mumbled Juno to himself. Yet again, he forgot of Betty’s presence down his chest.

“Lafath? Who is he? Your recent business partner, Boss Juno?”

As he got shocked by Betty’s pure curiosity, Juno tried his best to cover up his mistakes by coughing a few times before speaking nonsensical answer to her absent-minded brain,“Yeah, kind of. Now let go off my chest already, Betty. I have to meet those police boy before they got fed up and ransacking my property without my consent.”

---

When Juno arrived to the front lobby, what Betty had warned him are true as implied. There are two police officers having a seat on his private couch while enjoying the snacks upon the table. Soon as the two of them sees Juno and his casual attire, they smile and greets him formally with their gentle bow,“Good day, Mr. Ayodhya. Nice house you have here.”

“What can I help you right now, Mr. Policemen? I see that this is private area, and you can’t do a search without warranty here.” Answered Juno with no interest in formal courtesy, since he did not replied them back with warm welcome as they do towards him.,

One officer of the two, which could be considered as the leader of their group, is moving up front and give him the warrant documents Juno had spoke about,“We need you to answer a few query from us related to your business. Having a nice coffee in my office sounds neat for you? My treat.”

“I would no-“

All of sudden, Lafath’s bland and authentic voice emerges from the void of Juno’s mind.

‘I’ll give you permission to do as you please with those pest, Juno. Any cash you spend for them would be exhibited as usual with no penalty to your hell’s journey.’ Said the demon’s echoed voice from within.

‘really? To what extent?’

‘bribes, extortion, whatever you choose, mortal’ The demon answered in brief,’Just be a beast and settle down with this as a true demon’s servant and you’ll be alright in no time’

---

The two Metropolitan police officers are escorting him to their central department within the safe space of their car. Their path to the city are still long and wild, all thanks to Juno’s exclusive residence that are situated upon the business central areas on the cornerside of the town. As a capital city of Dinesa, their office are also acted as the headquarters for the country’s policemen, so being held on sight of the office’s representatives like this  is not a pleasant moment for him to have. Juno has frequently watched them on the scene, declaring their success upon arresting major criminals and misdeed makers of the country. No matter on what issues he is into, it should be staggering for him to carry on as the criminal itself, since his own reputation would be tainted for lifetime.

‘There are doubts over Juno Ayodhya’s status as one of the richest personality in town. With assets doubled in less than three months from nothingness, even the authorities sniffled a big fish of baddies among the exclusive residents of our capital city-‘

As they ventured across town, Juno could listen to the radio and acknowledging the circumstances of his current position at the time. He was being accused on newsmaker’s tirade as  a malevolent guy in urban areas of Jatra. If he speaks in honesty and full of pure concession towards his own status, the statements are undressing him perfectly to the toe.

However, no further compliance over good faith is needed for a demon seal bearer, or so to speak for his own credentials to proceed.

“Hey man, you’re famous!”

“Clearly. He is 30 under 30, ya know! Best of the best for an investor out there, perhaps.”

The two police officers then laughed incessantly after mocking Juno out as they drive the car into the runway to the police department building complex. In regards to what the demon has stated, He could just paid them up to stop by, but it would be a fuss if their upper-class police officer are not bribed as well.

He needs to brace the momentum and inclined towards paving his way out from the police officer’s highest order rather than pampering the two personnel in front of him.

---

Their long journey eventually ended when they approached the police department building. In front of the main entrance, Juno perceived a lot of press officers rushing into the place and taking pictures wherever possible. A few of them has started going live and following the car as it tries to park over the front areas parking lot.

“What are you going to do with the company once you’re deemed as guilty, Mr. Ayodhya?”

“What would you going to say in front of the judge, Mr. Ayodhya?”

“Mr. Ayodhya!”

Lots of journalist has pressed him with barrage of questions once he gets out from the rear side of police car. In spite of his accusation towards some issues, he was not cuffed up for questioning as everyone else. Juno is rather free to walk around, smiling to media as they go on recording him in live session of their office’s headline news.