D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

— Kat —

Time was passing at a crawl. Perhaps it was all of the demonic energy pumping through her body, perhaps it was just the situation she found herself in but it was really starting to drag on. Kat was feeling fairly philosophical at the moment.

*If you never eat anything in the morning, is your first meal of the day still breakfast even if you eat it at dinner time?*

[Kat this is like your fifth strange question you don’t really want me to answer. Is the blood loss getting to you?]

*Not sure I agree on the ‘don’t want an answer bit’ I’m genuinely curious!*

[Kat your first question was ‘is a hotdog a sandwich’]

*Yes, it was, and I feel like the topic deserves some major debate. If we define a sandwich as ‘various ingredients sandwiched between two pieces of bread’ then a hotdog ISN’T a sandwich. Of course, if we decide that the two pieces of bread aren’t necessary… then a taco is probably also a sandwich.*

[Yes and I pointed out it’s like ‘vegetables’ and how it’s a term made up and based entirely on feelings. It doesn’t have a proper factual definition and the category doesn’t make any real sense if you examine it from a biological and horticultural perspective… but from a culinary one it makes enough sense for people to keep using it.]

[Therefore, a hot dog CAN be a sandwich but a taco definitely isn’t because it’s a TACO not a sandwich. These are two mutually exclusive categories.]

*And who died and made you the Earl of Sandwich to decide such a thing?*

Lily giggled across her mental link with Kat. [Presumably the previous Earl of Sandwich.]

*Hmm… fair enough. So what do you think about my previous question? The one about breakfast.* Find more chapters on freewebnovel

[Well I think the first meal of the day is always breakfast, but unlike the whole sandwich thing, you can be having lunch and breakfast at the same time because lunch is a time based thing, while breakfast is just based on when you’re having your first full meal. Snacks don’t count.]

*Well what constitutes a snake then?*

[I’m going to say… that if you need to sit down at a table to eat it, or at least you really should, then it counts as a full meal.]

*Does that mean cake is a full meal?*

[It’s obviously a desert don’t be silly.]

*Yeah but you need a table to cut the cake.*

[Yes, but plenty of office parties hand out cake to everyone in the office and then have them walk around with plates.]

*True but that’s dumb. It’s so much more awkward to eat a slice of cake without a table.*

[I guess. Um… so not to drag us back to the whole ‘ceiling’ issue, but we can see the exit now. It’s a… pretty small tunnel by the looks of things. I think everyone except Hunter is going to have to crouch down. Do you think you’ll be able to hold up?]

*Hmm…* Kat examined her body and her demonic energy. The burning in her muscles was easily ignored at this point. She was if anything getting used to it. Sure it was probably really bad for her body, but she had regeneration. It’d be fine. As for her demonic energy reserves?

On the lower side… but maybe enough?

*Ok so… it seems fine? I’m down to around twenty-five percent or so. The real issue will be when my body cuts me off and puts me into that ‘shutdown’ mode to recharge my demonic energy. If it stops me at around 5-10% as it does sometimes then you guys might be in trouble. If it lets me go until I’m basically empty? Then I think you’ll make it.*

[Will you be fine then? Like… will you fall safely?]

*Um… no. If my body gives out, or more accurately, my demonic energy runs low and my body decides it wants to relax and recharge I might get crushed? I’m actually not sure how durable I’ll be without demonic energy helping me out. I mean, the weight of the ceiling would be resting on me… but it’s not like it has a long way to fall. Hmm…*

[Kat please don’t test your durability with a giant glass ceiling.]

*Well tell everyone else to hurry up then. Thought Kat with a smirk. *I’m doing what I can here Lily but I can’t hold this thing up forever. When I drop it, if you guys are still in the main chamber? That bit of lift from resting on my back will keep you guys safe a bit longer. Might send us out of the world though… and that would be a problem.*

[Yeah… though hang on. Wait. What happens if we get to the exit and then it kicks us out of the bubble? You made me think of it just now.]

*Um…. I don’t know? Maybe that’s something to ask Bower about?*

[I really can’t right now. Transforming isn’t on the table and we’re already cutting in close according to you. I’m not going to slow everyone down, again, to mention it. I can chat with you if it happens. Even if I’d really rather it not. Um… is the bracelet fine?]

*I assume so? It feels fine but… hmm I think my heads stopped bleeding so I can open my eyes… but I’m also not sure I could turn my head enough to see it. Sort of have my horns stuck in the glass above me a bit.*

[Dammit.]

*So… in other news. How many holes does a straw have?*

— Lily — Like a minute later max.

*KAT!* Lily screamed mentally as she watched the slab of glass slam down to the ground. They’d just managed to squeeze into the small tunnel at the end of the room. Everyone had needed to get off Hunter to fit. Well, Lily could’ve stayed but there was plenty of space for her.

[I’m fine, I’m fine.] Kat sent back. [See, I didn’t have all that much space around my legs and I didn’t know how to make space for the rest of my body… then I remembered I could turn into water. Took the rest of my energy to do it and I can’t really see or move despite just being water at the moment. But I’m fine.]

*Dammit Kat… at least you’re fine I guess.* Lily turned around to look at the falling glass and grimaced. The exit was sealed off by the slab. Sure there was a little gap at the top but Lily knew it was too small, even for her. The horns just made it impossible.

“Is Kat ok?” asked Kamiko.

Lily glanced around and decided to make sure she had space. Squeezing past everyone in the tunnel Lily transformed in front of Hunter’s face. Apparently the lamia had decided to remain in snake form. While their current tunnel was short, it was decently wide so it was probably fine. “Yeah.

She transformed into water before she had to drop it so she didn’t get hurt… but I have no idea how she’s getting out,” answered Lily.

“That… that could be bad…” mumbled Kamiko.

“Can she not slide between the glass pieces?” asked Bower.

“Um…” Can you fit between the glass pieces?

[Gonna say… maybe? I’m not exactly regeneration energy fast here Lily. If I had to guess I’m only gaining a small amount of energy because I’m connected to you. It’s going to take a while to test that.]

Right sorry. “Kat can’t really move yet so she can’t test things for the moment,” answered Lily.

Hunter let out a long hiss and nudged Lily slightly. To someone so used to transforming the message was clear in Hunter’s eyes. Lily backed up a bit further into the tunnel, praying they wouldn’t be kicked out of the bubble, and gave Hunter space to transform her upper half. Once she could speak again, Hunter said, “There is a chance Kat can move, but if she cannot we need a plan,”

“I mean… can’t we just chip away at the glass, probably have you do it Hunter?” suggested Lily.

“I can do such a thing, but I will require assistance to ensure the shards do not become an issue. Additionally, you will need work where to stand to be above Kat… and we also need to be concerned about potentially more monsters,” stated Hunter.

“Is there likely to be some?” asked Lily.

“Yes,” stated Hunter firmly. “The ceiling dropping was clearly a trap. I am unsure what the normal method of survival is… but my foremost guess is that it is intended for the party to cut a whole either in the ceiling or the floor. If that’s the case then I suspect that monsters will come in later to catch everyone off-guard,”

“We’ll need to be careful,” said Bower. “Even if Kat didn’t protect us much from the monsters so far, her presence likely gave you all some peace of mind. Stay on your toes, but don’t freeze up. Especially if Hunter will be focused on digging. Someone will need to stay on the lookout,”