Chapter One:

Izuku didn't like being this deep into demon territory, even when he'd been hired to fight for the local demon lord. It made him jumpy. His eyes scanned the crowd of civilians watching the mercenary procession from the side of the road. Most were humans, but he picked out horns or a flash of claws. He shifted his knapsack over his shoulder. His leather armor made him sweat in the summer heat, but it had saved his life several times, and he had the dents just over his heart to prove it. He'd spent five paychecks enchanting the leather to be as durable as metal, and it had been worth every gold coin.

Hizashi Yamada, Captain of Present Mercenaries, stopped in front of a wooden inn. His men stumbled to a halt behind him. Yamada called, "We have the entire inn to ourselves. All drinks are free, courtesy of Demon Lord Hisashi!"

A ragged cheer went up among the company. There was no way faster to a mercenary's heart than free drinks. Hisashi had brought himself more loyalty with his alcohol than with his gold.

As he joined the line filing through the door, Izuku stifled a yawn behind his hand. He'd risen early to march into Greed territory. He looked forward to falling onto a bed and becoming dead to the world for the next nine hours at a minimum. But first, he needed a drink to parch his dry throat.

There were nearly a hundred mercenaries, so he had a long wait. Izuku accepted a key to his room from a receptionist standing behind a desk. Then he sat down at the bar. Since plenty of others had the same idea, he had to wait again. Finally catching the eye of a bartender, he called, "I'd like a White Knight on the rocks."

The giant man nodded and silently got to work. Izuku did like one thing about demon territory: no one hesitated to serve alcohol to someone with the outward appearance of a teenager. Izuku hated looking like a child despite being over two decades old, but his demon blood from an unknown father had made him age slower. In demon territory, either people realized Izuku was older than he looked or they simply didn't care.

"Izuku!" Itsuka Kendo slid into the seat next to him. "You're just the person I need to help me convince Ibara. She doesn't want to fight for demons."

Ibara Shiozaki crossed her arms and muttered, "Those who eat souls deserve no mercy. They are damned."

Itsuka said, "Come on, demons have no choice but to eat souls to survive. They're just people, with good ones and bad ones like anyone else. I'm sure they don't want to have to kill in order to live." She flashed Izuku a smile. She clearly believed that he would side with her because he was a half-demon.

Izuku made no secret of it. His pointed teeth and slightly curved ears immediately betrayed his demonic heritage. Besides, Captain Yamada wouldn't hire a child soldier. (Unlike the first mercenary troop Izuku had worked for before he'd even hit puberty.)

Izuku snorted. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm closer to Ibara's side on this one. My mother was murdered and had her soul eaten by a demon when I was only nine years old."

Itsuka turned as red as her hair. "I'm sorry, Izuku! I had no idea."

"I didn't tell you to make you feel bad, I told you to warn you." Izuku locked eyes with her. "You've never been to demon territory before, have you? Demons kill humans as easily as we might step on an insect. Human romance novels would have you believe that demons are a bunch of tragic figures writing poetry about how much they hate killing in order to survive. Cold reality is that they don't care. Demons see nothing unethical about eating a person's soul and leaving their dead husk lying on the ground for their family to find." Izuku shrugged. "Maybe that's understandable. Like you said, demons die if they don't consume souls. We're food to them. I've never hesitated to eat a cow or a pig. But I don't expect a cow or pig to have sympathy for my appetite, either. It's dangerous for humans to get attached to demons, because they'll act civil and friendly up until they get hungry. At least I wouldn't fuck a pig. Some demons think that devouring a soul in the act of intercourse increases the flavor. Another thing the romance novels won't warn you about."

Ibara applauded.

Wide-eyed, Itsuka nodded. "I'll be careful. I'm sorry again about your mother."

"I'm sure the demon who ate her must have been desperate. An outcast, all alone, deep in human territory, where humans would kill him on sight if they found out what he was. So he targeted an isolated, poor woman living on the outskirts of the village." Izuku's lips peeled back into a snarl. "I don't care if he had to eat her to survive. If I ever find him, I'll remove his fucking head from his shoulders."

Ibara asked, "If that's how you feel, then why would you venture to this sinful place at all? I only came because I owe a great debt to Captain Yamada."

Izuku shrugged. "A mercenary has to eat. I joined the captain's troop because he tries to pick noble causes. That makes me feel better about fighting under him. I have no doubt in my mind that Demon Lord Hisashi is better than the Demon Lady of Pride. Just look at the people here in the territory of Greed: they're well-fed and prosperous, even the humans. Pride is known for keeping humans in pens. Lord Hisashi is the lesser of two evils. That's enough for me."

The bartender slid him his drink. Izuku waited a moment until the man wasn't close enough to overhear, then added, "Despite what I said earlier, I don't think of demons as evil. I think of them as our natural enemy. They eat people like me, so it's them or us. I'm not going to act self-righteous about it, but I'll kill a demon given the opportunity." His fangs flashed in a sharp smile. "And the coming war should give me plenty of opportunities to kill demons."

Ibara nodded. "I believe I understand your meaning. If you don't attack our current demonic allies, then you'll obtain more chances to kill demons later. We can help the abominations rip each other to pieces." She tilted her head, considering. "I believe that's an acceptable holy calling for me to join the coming campaign. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Izuku took a long sip of his drink. After speaking of Inko Midoriya's death, he needed it.

That night, Izuku dreamt of the day his mother had died. He'd remembered standing over her body lying on the wooden floor of their cabin. She'd had two slash marks across her chest. There was no sign she had tried to defend herself. Her eyes had been wide-open with shock.

She'd still been warm when he'd picked up her hand. "Mom," he cried, then he ran for cloth to bandage the corpse. He'd been in denial that it was too late. The village priest had to drag him off her body. The priest had been the one to deliver the regrettable news that the hideous state of her aura proved that her soul had been eaten. Izuku had probably seen it happen, then forgotten due to the shock.

Even to this day, he couldn't remember. He hated himself for that. If he'd remembered the face of his mother's killer, then he would have had a better shot at avenging her. He'd killed as many demons as he could over the years, but that method had a low success rate.

Izuku had been barely tolerated as a known half-demon before Inko's death, and the villagers had driven him out afterward. He'd been nine years old. He'd begged. He'd starved. He'd joined a mercenary troop to fetch and carry for men who threw knives at him if he didn't leap to their bidding fast enough. He'd learned how to fight from watching them. He'd survived.

He did not like to think of the past. Because of his ruminations, he barely slept for half the night. It put him in a bad mood as he trudged downstairs to claim the complimentary breakfast.

Koji Koda passed him on the stairs. He called, "You're up late, sleepy-head!"

"Fuck off," Izuku said, in an affectionate way. Along with Itsuka and Ibara, Koji was one of his squad, the team he trusted with his back and would fight and die for.

Koji smiled. "You'd better hurry—the food is almost gone."

Izuku groaned and forced his sleep-deprived body to move faster.

Breakfast was merely porridge with a dab of butter, but it still tasted better than the leaves Izuku remembered choking down during his childhood.

As Izuku finished his last bite, a young human woman in a threadbare dress approached him. "My Lord, may I have a moment of your time?"

He snorted. "I'm no one's lord, but go on."

"A wyvern has attacked my family's farm. I was hoping to find a big, strong man to take care of it for me." She tried to smile, but her terrified eyes made the expression grotesque.

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Is this a job requested by the demon lord or the village head?"

She lowered her eyes and muttered, "N-no."

"Then you ought to go through whoever is in charge." Izuku didn't want to get in any trouble. Humans or even half-demons with no rank who caused trouble in demon territory simply vanished. There were likely local laws about hunting wildlife. As a stranger to this area, he had no idea if her request would violate them.

She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. Then she yanked down the collar of her dress to flash her breasts. "I could make it worth your while." She tried to sound coquettish, but sounded one note away from a sob. He felt like a rapist, even though he hadn't asked for this.

"Stop that!" Izuku jerked his eyes away. "Keep your clothes on. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't have a choice!" She wept openly now. "I have no money to pay you. The wyvern killed all our animals, then my father and brother. I have nowhere to go. No one will send soldiers to help. The village head doesn't care about a few dead humans."

Izuku winced. This was why he hated the demonic lands. This young woman was trying to sell her body to obtain protection that ought to be considered part of the normal duties of any decent lord. But no one cared about a few dead humans. The Demon Lord of Greed might be better than Pride, but not that much better.

Hardening his heart, Izuku said, "You should leave. Collect anything you can move from your home and sell it. Start over."

She stared at him through her tears. Her eyes burned with raw hate. "That wyvern took my entire family from me. I want it dead."

The look in her eyes got him. He'd felt the exact same urge after his mother died. He knew he couldn't stop her from seeking revenge. If he turned her down, she'd keep offering her body to any mercenary she could find, and one of them would take her up on it. These were mercenaries, not heroes. If she paid in advance, most wouldn't even bother to kill her wyvern for her afterward.

Sighing, Izuku asked, "How big a wyvern are we talking about?"

"Thank you!" Her eyes lit up and her words tumbled over themselves. "About the size of a sheep." She measured with her hands. "Blue scales."

A young one, and not one of the poisonous varieties. Izuku could kill something like that in his sleep. He was far stronger and faster than the average human. Better if he took care of this job on his own. Anyone in his squad would help him. Koji, Ibara, and Itsuka were all soft-hearted. But he didn't want to drag any of his friends into this in case he got into trouble.

Izuku stood up. "Lead the way. Consider this a free gift, from one orphan to another. The only payment I'll request is your silence about my involvement."

Izuku ordered the girl to fetch him meat. He could tell from her face that this was probably all the food she had left, but she didn't argue. She gave him a raw chicken drumstick, then retreated into her house as instructed.

After hanging the meat from a tree, Izuku waited. It didn't take long. Blue wyverns loved chicken.

The creature looked like a miniature dragon, except with two legs instead of four. Two horns and a ridge of scales ran down its back. A long, snakelike tongue shot out to grab the chicken.

Izuku stood up from behind a bush and beheaded the wyvern in one blow. He leapt aside before the blood splashed on his boots. Easy. Now to get back the inn before anyone even noticed he was gone.

A roar pierced the air. A white dragon with a red ridge dropped down from the sky like a mountain falling. Blurring, he transformed into a handsome white-haired man wearing a red kimono. His lips peeled back in a snarl. "Who dares steal the prey I've been hunting all morning?"

Izuku recognized the regal demon from the statute in the town fountain. Hisashi, the Demon Lord of Greed, stood before him. Izuku was dead. At least he hadn't dragged his friends down with him.

Hisashi froze with his hand raised. He sniffed the air. His eyes widened. "My son?"

This near-death experience had taken a very strange turn. In case the demon lord was hallucinating and wouldn't notice him, Izuku edged backward.

Hisashi shot forward in a blur. He lifted Izuku off the ground into a…hug? Yes, this felt like a hug. It wasn't tight enough to be a strangling attempt.

Izuku contemplated stabbing the demon lord in the back of his neck while he seemed distracted. It probably wouldn't work, but Izuku preferred to go down fighting. He only hesitated because he no longer felt certain the demon lord planned to kill him.

Hisashi set him down and took his shoulders. Of all things, the demon lord was smiling. Looking him in the eye, Hisashi asked, "What's your name?"

A thousand lies flashed through Izuku's mind, but he saw no point to it when his name was registered with the Present Mercenaries. "Izuku Midoriya."

Hisashi gasped. "We were going to name him Izuku if he was a boy."

Izuku guessed, "Do I look like your deceased son?" He hadn't heard of the Demon Lord of Greed having a child. Word on the street said the crazy bastard had annihilated his entire family.

Hisashi beamed. "You are my long-lost son! I felt your soul in the womb, and I would recognize it even if it was buried in the darkest depths of the earth."

"What the fuck," Izuku stated.

"Language!" Hisashi barked. "My cute little baby, who taught you such a bad word?"

Just Izuku's luck. This demon lord was completely insane. Izuku forced his lips into a fake smile. "Whoa, what great luck meeting you here, daddy dearest! How about I go back to the inn and collect my belongings, then meet you at your palace?" If given the chance, Izuku intended to steal a horse and ride out of the realm of Greed as fast as he could.

Hisashi flipped his hand dismissively. "A servant can fetch your belongings. I'll take you back to the palace at once." He stepped backward, then transformed again. Before Izuku had time to react, the dragon snatched him up in his claws and took flight.

Izuku swore with every curse word in his colorful vocabulary as he was carried through the sky, his feet dangling helplessly.

For as long as he could remember, Hisashi had hated his parents. They'd been nothing to him but a string of demands that only increased every time he'd fulfilled the last ones. He'd been a magical prodigy, so they'd demanded he start inventing his own spells. After he'd mastered the sword, they'd put a bow in his hands. Even violin and painting lessons were so they could show him off to other demonic nobles. They'd used his younger brother against him, threatening to kill their own son to force Hisashi onto the battlefield before he'd even hit puberty. Every time Hisashi had returned, he'd found new cuts and bruises on Yoichi, yet he'd had no choice but to go off to fight his parents' battles again. If he'd died in one of their pointless wars, he'd known his younger brother wouldn't live long after him—their parents wouldn't tolerate a nearly magicless runt as heir. Dozens of ambitious cousins had lurked in the background, attempting to assassinate him. Every single day, he'd fought for the survival of himself and his little brother. There had never been a single moment when he'd imagined his parents might love him. He'd been an asset to them, not a child.

Centuries later, when he'd placed a hand on Inko's stomach and felt the tiny life only starting to form inside, Hisashi had vowed that he would never, ever let his son experience even a drop of his own hardship. He'd failed to protect his younger brother, but he wouldn't fail his son. His child would never once doubt that his father loved him.

After Inko had run away—he'd known she'd be surprised about his true identity as the Demon Lord of Greed, but how could he have anticipated she'd take it that badly?—he'd been in a state of panic. He'd searched with increasing desperation over the last two decades. A human did not have the knowledge to raise a demonic child properly. To his despair, he'd never found a trace. But he'd refused to believe his child might be dead.

Now his son stood before him, alive and well, but Hisashi feared he'd already failed his precious only child. Izuku was a mercenary. He'd been forced onto the battlefield, just as Hisashi had sworn would never happen. He looked ill-fed and dirty. Scars speckled his visible skin. Furthermore, when Hisashi had set Izuku down on the steps of his castle and transformed back to his humanoid state, Izuku had cursed him using the vocabulary of human scum from the gutters. Hisashi hadn't even understood half the words, but Izuku showed no sign of running out of them.

Surely this proved that Izuku needed Hisashi more than ever. That thought brightened the demon lord's spirits. Hisashi would give his son the tutoring he always should have had as his birthright and shower him with gentle care. His dear child would never want anything ever again.

Izuku continued, "…turkey-cock whoreson, clay-brained milksop…"

Hisashi interrupted, "I'm sorry I startled you, my little treasure. I thought you might like flying. It's your birthright."

"My life flashed before my eyes! It was mostly one long unrelenting stream of misery."

"How about we get some breakfast in your tummy? Will that make you feel less grumpy?"

Izuku stared at him. Slowly and deliberately, he asked, "My lord, have you taken me for a simpleton?"

"Of course not!" Hisashi cried, affronted at the mere suggestion that any child sprung from his loins might be stupid.

"I wondered if lack of wits might run in your family." Maintaining eye contact, Izuku leaned over and spat a loggie on the marble steps.

Hisashi had never planned how to discipline his future child, because he'd always assumed he'd be such a wonderful parent that Izuku would love him unconditionally. Besides, he'd never deny Izuku anything he wanted. Hisashi had no idea what to do. His question emerged sounding plaintive: "Why did you do that?"

"I had a tickle in the back of my throat, my lord." Somehow Izuku conveyed his contempt while sounding perfectly neutral.

"Don't call me 'my lord.' Call me Dad."

Izuku's stare became even more deadpan. "I believe you've mistaken me for someone else, my lord."

"I would recognize your soul anywhere."

"I expect all fetus' souls look rather alike."

Hisashi drew himself up to his full height. "The nobility of the House of Greed all bear its mark on their souls. We even look alike!" Izuku could have been Hisashi's green-haired twin from centuries ago.

Izuku grunted, which Hisashi took to mean he couldn't think of a counter-argument but still didn't like it.

This reunion wasn't going as planned. His long-lost son was supposed to be happy to see him and delighted to become part of the demonic nobility. Hisashi tried again. "I'm extremely rich. You'll never have to risk your life fighting again. If you're intimidated by the responsibilities of being the heir to Greed, then please don't worry. I intend to take care of everything and provide you with a life of comfort. I've already killed all your cousins, so you will have no rivals." Given his past experiences with his extended family, Hisashi felt particularly proud of this, but it only made Izuku's face turn wary.

Cautiously, Izuku asked, "What if I like my current job? What if I treasure my comrades and want to feel useful instead of idling in luxury? What if I don't want to be a demonic noble?"

"You can't possibly like being a mercenary!" Hisashi cried. "If you want to feel useful, little one, then I'm confident I can find nice, safe work for you. Please, let's talk over breakfast."

Izuku's face shuttered shut. "If that's what my lord orders. You're paying my company for my service."

Fear rose up inside Hisashi. Izuku already had his own life. Izuku didn't need him. Izuku didn't want anything he had to offer.

No, no, that couldn't be true! Looking at Izuku's pitiful and impoverished state, to say nothing of his foul mouth and bad manners, he clearly needed parental guidance more than ever. The poor, abused child simply didn't trust Hisashi yet. That was understandable. After Hisashi had proved his sincerity, his son would be willing to call him "father."

Hisashi couldn't have failed his son without ever even having had a chance to try.

Forcing his lips into a smile, Hisashi said, "My chef will prepare the best breakfast you've ever had. Then you'll like it here." His cheer rang hollow even to his own ears.

The breakfast looked fancy, Izuku had to give it that. He didn't even recognize half the dishes, but there was everything from fruit salad to fish on rice to miso soup to sweet omelets. A jasmine scent rose off the tea.

The only utensils were chopsticks. Izuku didn't know how to use chopsticks—he'd been born in a distant human kingdom where most peasants didn't even bother with forks and knives. He stared at the two sticks, trying to figure out how to hold them. Then he gave up and speared an omelet on one end of the stick, holding it up to chomp on it like a lollipop.

Hisashi looked faint. If the demon lord passed out in horror, then it would be Izuku's chance to run. He chewed more aggressively.

"Why are you interested in me now, when you never were before?" Izuku asked.

Hisashi shuddered. "My treasure, I wanted you from the moment I knew of your existence. But your mother…we had a disagreement. I offered to turn her into a demon, and she felt…strongly…about that."

"Makes sense. I always knew you'd tricked her and lied to her about your identity, even if she never said. Humans don't want to be mixed up with demons." Izuku held Hisashi's gaze while unhinging his jaw to let the food inside show. His claim was not strictly true—the world was full of humans who would be delighted to move up on the food chain and become demons. But Izuku had gotten his point about his own feelings across. Baby-talk aside, Hisashi probably wasn't stupid. He could read between the lines.

Hisashi asked, "Where is your mother?"

"Dead. She was murdered by an unknown demon when I was nine years old."

"Oh." Hisashi inhaled sharply. Izuku didn't like the look on the demon lord's face, as if he'd realized something important. He seemed oddly unsurprised about Inko's death. Maybe the snooty prick thought it served her right for leaving him.

Izuku picked up a bowl of rice and poured it straight down his throat, dropping grains around his collar just to make his so-called father flinch.

Hisashi asked, "Who looked after you after your mother's death?"

Izuku snorted. "No one looked after me. I starved. A mob beat me mostly to death after I stole a loaf of bread. I begged mercenaries to let me do chores for them. I learned how to fight. I survived. Here I am. Completely capable of taking care of myself."

By the time he'd finished, Hisashi looked like he might cry. But his tone filled with a harsh anger. "How could the Present Mercenaries let a mere child fight? I'll have them all executed for this!"

"No!" Izuku slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the miso soup. "A different troop took me in first, a much less reputable one. I picked the Present Company later, after I had the reputation to get offers. They're my friends. If you lay a finger on them, I'll never forgive you." Izuku sat down, the wind gone out of him. He wished he hadn't revealed that he cared about the Present Mercenaries. That meant they could be used against him. It would complicate his plans to run away as soon as Hisashi turned his back.

"Of course I won't, not if you don't want me to, little one," Hisashi said soothingly. The babying tone made Izuku's hair stand on end.

Izuku still wondered if this would all turn out to be a misunderstanding from a demon lord who longed to find his dead child so badly he jumped on a stranger. Then Izuku would probably be executed even though he'd never claimed to be the heir to Greed in the first place. But honestly, Izuku had to admit that Hisashi looked exactly like an older version of himself. This insanity was probably real.

Why had his mother never warned him? Perhaps he'd been too young. Maybe she would have told him when he'd gotten older. He'd known she'd been hiding from someone. She had strong magic, but she refused to let anyone in the village find out. She wouldn't sell her services for money they badly needed. She'd tried to stop people from noticing he was a half-demon before certain features had made it obvious. They'd lived hard lives. Hisashi could make up all the excuses he wanted, but he'd done nothing but make Izuku and his mother suffer. It was his fault that Inko had fled to such an isolated shithole to hide from him.

Izuku felt tired. All this because he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. No good deed went unpunished.

Hisashi said, "Once you move into the palace, we can start your transformation into a full demon."

Horror filled Izuku, so deeply he couldn't keep it off his face. "No." His voice shook. "I'll never become a demon."

Hisashi tilted his head. "But why? Demons live longer. Demons are stronger and healthier."

I'll never eat souls like the monster who murdered my mother, Izuku thought, but he couldn't expect a demon lord to understand. "This is a lot, and I'm struggling to adjust. Please, give me some time to think about your…offer." He couldn't quite bring himself to call it a generous offer.

Hisashi said, "Of course, this must be overwhelming again." The demon lord had turned patronizing again, like he couldn't help himself. "There's no rush. We'll have plenty of time to bond."

"Great." Izuku planned to use the offered time to get far away from Hisashi as soon as possible.

Hisashi said, "I'll send a servant to move your belongings to the castle."

Izuku knew he had no choice. "I'd like to collect my own belongings. Please. How would you feel about a stranger pawing through your personal things?"

This argument convinced Hisashi, as Izuku had suspected. "I see you already have a natural greed in you!" The demon lord beamed as if Izuku had actually said something impressive. (Was this more patronization?) "I'll send servants to escort you while I prepare your new room."

Izuku hadn't expected to left alone, although he'd hoped. This would suffice.

Hisashi muttered to himself, "I'll fill your room with all my old favorite books. What color should the wallpaper be? I wonder what clothes would look cute on you?

Izuku felt tired.

As Izuku stepped into the inn escorted by two demons in full armor, every single eye turned to stare at him.

Neito Monoma leapt up from his table and pointed. "Are you in trouble already? I had a bet with Itsuka that you'd last at least one day without getting into trouble. I should have known better."

Izuku scowled. "Go fuck yourself."

"How dare you insult the prince?" One demon bellowed. He reached for his sword.

Izuku glared at them. "Knock that off and wait for me outside."

The two hesitated.

"You're here to keep me from running. You can do that by standing at the door." Izuku lowered his voice to a growl. "Am I your goddamn prince or not? Scram."

The two demons scrammed.

"Prince?" Neito asked in a dazed voice.

Izuku thought it wiser to keep that a secret, but he knew Neito wouldn't let it go. Izuku jerked his head and mouthed, "Follow me." Neito was curious enough to obey without complaint for once in his loud-mouthed life.

Sitting on his bed, Izuku said, "Get this. The resident asshole demon lord says I'm his long-lost son. Wants to transform me into a demon." He couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice.

Neito demanded, "Why wouldn't you jump on a chance to become a noble demon? You could live the rest of your life in riches and luxury!"

"At the price of becoming one of those assholes." Izuku's mouth twisted.

Neito shook his head. "I'd take it in a heartbeat, but I know what you're like. A shame we don't look enough alike to swap." He patted Izuku on the shoulder. "The captain is in his office doing paperwork."

"Thanks. Can you and Koji pack my bag while I talk to the captain? I'm not sure how long the bastards outside will wait."

Neito smirked and mock-bowed. "As long as you remember me when you're rich and famous, Prince Izuku."

Izuku punched him in the shoulder.

Captain Yamada sat behind his desk flipping through reports. As soon as Izuku opened the door, he laughed loudly. "I just won a hefty bet with Lieutenant Ectoplasm that you'd be the first soldier to get in trouble with the local law. I'll use the money to cover your bail. What happened?"

The captain's usual boisterous cheer comforted Izuku. He sat down. "Technically, I'm being dragged to the palace, not jail." He explained the situation as quickly as possible.

Yamada's face lost his smile, which worried Izuku. The mercenary captain tapped his fingers on the desk. "I can't protect you from the demon lord himself. I'm sorry, Izuku."

"This shitshow isn't your fault." Izuku slumped lower into his seat. "I'll make him lose interest in me. Once he sees that I'm an ignorant peasant with an attitude problem, then he'll drop his charity project and let me go home."

Captain Yamada sighed. "Demons who bear the mark of Greed never let go of what they believe belongs to them."

Izuku groaned. "Fucking fabulous."

"It won't be impossible to make him lose interest, just difficult." Yamada leaned forward. "Act boring. Defying him will only make him more determined to own you. The more difficult something is to obtain, the more a greed demon wants it. Don't be a challenge. Passively go along with everything, but half-ass your lessons. You have a brilliant talent at anything you put your mind to. Keep that hidden. Be incompetent, so he won't see you as valuable. Make yourself as bland as possible until the demon lord loses interest. Then you'll be able to leave."

"Thank you, captain." Izuku clenched his hands into fists. "Don't make that worried face. I'll be back here within the week." He'd played the part of a simple country boy on recon missions before. He could do this. He had to succeed, because he would never give in to that damn demon.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Patricide is Hard

Izuku: (Stabs Hisashi with a dagger when he tries to hug him.) Now, time to run!

Hisashi: (Yanks out the dagger, apparently unharmed.) My dear child, I only want to talk to you. You're my—

Izuku: AHHHHHHHHHHHH! (Hits Hisashi with his sword, his shield and a rock on the ground.) Why won't you die?

Hisashi: Would you please stop trying to kill me and listen to me for one second?

#

Omake: A Side quest From Conquering the World

Hisashi: A long-lost son! This is a legendary SS+ grade item that I must obtain at once!

Izuku: I heard you refer to me as an object.

Hisashi: Uh…it was a joke?

Izuku: I'm leaving now.

Hisashi: No! Come back!

Author's Note: This story is a prequel to my fic The Sin of Greed, focusing on how Izuku met his demon lord father for the first time. I made one small edit to The Sin of Greed: Inko is now dead, for reasons that will be plot-important later.

Many thanks to Konilt for suggesting this fic idea, betareading, and brainstorming omakes with me. This fic is set in Konilt's BNHA Demon AU, which can be found in Chapter Fifteen and Seventeen of "Fragrances of Mildly Good Parenting" on Archive of Our Own.

My title comes from the Buddhist saying: "Embrace nothing: If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your father, kill your father. Only live your life as it is, Not bound to anything." ― Gautama Siddharta. This quote is not meant to be interpreted as literally as Izuku attempts to in this chapter. But my actual title inspiration comes from the manga Saiyuki, where the murder is significantly more literal.

This story will update once a week on Sundays. I'm excited to bring back Demon King All for One for another fic.