Demonic Dragon: Harem System-Chapter 822: She’s back.

Strax awoke slowly, not for any specific reason, but because of a strange sensation that took a few seconds to fully process. It wasn’t pain, it wasn’t danger, it wasn’t even the presence of hostile energy around him. It was... heat. A lot of heat. And weight. Weight everywhere. His body was sunk into something too soft to be just the mattress, and his mind, still somewhat lost between sleep and reality, tried to organize the situation without immediate success.

He opened his eyes with difficulty, blinking a few times as the soft morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains, slowly illuminating the scene around him. For a moment, he simply remained silent, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember exactly what had happened the previous night, but any coherent line of reasoning was immediately shattered when he realized he couldn’t move his arms freely.

Or rather... he couldn’t move almost anything.

His gaze slowly descended.

And then stopped.

The room was... absolute chaos.

Sheets completely disheveled, pillows scattered in impossible positions, blankets partially on the floor, and in the middle of it all... bodies. Many bodies. Scattered everywhere, in positions that clearly hadn’t been planned with any kind of organization or common sense. Women. Many of them. Wearing only light lingerie, some still partially covered by the sheets, others simply ignoring any attempt to maintain a minimally composed appearance.

Strax blinked.

Once.

Twice.

His brain tried to process the scene.

It failed.

For a whole second, he remained completely still, looking around without reacting, as if waiting for it to disappear on its own or for him to truly wake up. But nothing changed. The weight was still there. The heat too. And the faint sound of tranquil breathing filled the room.

He looked to the side.

Scarlet was practically leaning on his shoulder, her hair spread across his chest, her breathing calm, as if she were completely comfortable in that position. On the other side, Rogue was partially lying on top of him, one arm draped over his torso, as if she’d decided he was a particularly useful pillow during the night. Somewhere near his legs, he could see Cassandra, still tangled in the sheets, while further on, Daniela seemed to have simply given up on any organization and slept in the most chaotic way possible.

And that was all he could see immediately.

Strax took a deep breath.

Slowly.

And then he spoke, his voice still heavy with sleep, but completely sincere.

"Did I die?"

No one answered.

"Is this paradise?"

Still silence.

He turned his head slightly, observing the scene once more, trying to find any logical explanation for it, but before he could conclude anything, a sound completely shattered the tranquility of the moment.

A firm knock on the door.

It wasn’t delicate.

It wasn’t polite.

It was direct.

And immediately followed by a voice that had absolutely no patience.

"Come on, you piranhas, breakfast’s ready."

Monica’s voice pierced the room like a blade, without any attempt to soften its tone, carrying a level of authority and irritation that seemed completely natural to her.

The effect was immediate.

Some of the women began to stir slowly, muttering softly, others simply turned to their sides, trying to ignore reality for a few more minutes. Scarlet was one of the first to react, opening her eyes with a slight frown, clearly bothered by the interruption, but without immediately moving from where she was.

"What a sweet way to wake someone up..." she murmured, her voice low and still sleepy.

Rogue let out an almost inaudible sound, still without fully opening her eyes. "If you complain, she’ll come back and throw water."

"She wouldn’t do that..." Cassandra murmured, still with her face partially hidden in the sheets.

"She would." Daniela answered, without even opening her eyes. "And you know it."

Strax let out a low sigh, finally managing to move one of his arms with some effort, slightly brushing Scarlet’s hair away from his face as he looked at the ceiling again.

"Definitely not paradise..." he murmured.

Scarlet smiled slightly, still with her eyes closed. "You seem disappointed."

"I expected less chaos," he replied.

"Then you woke up in the wrong room."

The door was knocked on again, this time more forcefully.

"I’m counting to three!" Monica shouted from the other side.

Some of the women immediately began to move more quickly.

"She’s going to come in," Yennifer murmured, already partially getting up, adjusting her hair with a resigned expression.

"She always comes in," Kryssia added, sitting up slowly, still with a heavy, sleepy look in her eyes.

Strax finally managed to sit up, the movement being more difficult than it should have been due to the absurd number of people around, but after a few seconds, he managed to get rid of most of the weight on him.

He ran a hand over his face, letting out a long yawn, still clearly trying to truly wake up.

"We need a bigger bed," he said, his voice slurred.

Scarlet, now sitting next to him, put her hand to her neck, making a slight grimace. "I agree. My neck hurts."

"That’s because you used his shoulder as a pillow," Rogue commented, already getting up.

"It worked," Scarlet replied, without any regret.

"It worked until you locked your neck."

"Details."

Cassandra stretched slowly, her movements more elegant even in that sleepy state, before finally getting up. "A bigger bed would solve half the problems."

"Or fewer people." Kryssia commented, crossing her arms.

The silence that followed was immediate.

And heavy.

Everyone looked at her.

Kryssia raised an eyebrow. "What? I’m just being logical."

"You can be logical somewhere else," Daniela replied, already standing, picking up a piece of clothing thrown in some corner of the room.

"I can be logical wherever I want."

"Not here."

"Why?"

"Because logic doesn’t survive here."

Scarlet chuckled softly. "That’s true."

Strax simply observed the exchange, resting his elbow on his knee while running a hand through his hair, clearly still waking up.

"A bigger bed," he repeated. "That’s a priority."

"Noted," Yennifer replied, now fully awake, adjusting her posture. "But perhaps you should consider limiting the number of people."

Strax looked at her.

Then he looked around.

Then she turned back to her.

"No."

Yennefer sighed lightly. "I tried."

The door slammed open.

Monica entered the room without ceremony, her gaze quickly sweeping over the still disorganized scene, clearly assessing the level of chaos with a certain silent judgment.

"You took your time," she said, crossing her arms. "The coffee isn’t going to serve itself."

"You could serve it," Scarlet commented, rising slowly.

Monica glanced directly at her. "And you could cook."

Scarlet paused for a second.

"...valid point."

A few low laughs echoed through the room as everyone began to move for real now, grabbing clothes, tidying up the bare minimum before leaving.

Strax stood up last, stretching slowly as he let out another sigh.

He looked at the bed one more time.

At the chaos.

At the completely destroyed sheets.

And then shook his head slightly. "We definitely need a bigger bed."

"Or discipline." Monica replied, already leaving the room.

"That’s never going to happen." Daniela said, following right behind.

Strax gave a small smile.

The group descended the wide staircases of the Asgard mansion in a relatively organized flow, although there were still remnants of the morning chaos reflected in the way some of them adjusted clothes along the way while others were still fully waking up, their footsteps echoing through the main hall until they reached the large dining room where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee dominated the atmosphere with an almost too comforting presence for this group accustomed to constant tension.

The table was already set with almost irritating precision, each plate aligned, each utensil positioned impeccably, and in the center an absurd variety of food that made it clear that Monica didn’t do anything halfway, even when she was clearly irritated, which made everything even more impressive and, at the same time, slightly intimidating for those who knew her temperament well.

Monica stood beside the table, arms crossed, observing everyone’s entrance with a critical eye that analyzed everything from posture to energy levels, as if she were assessing troops before a battle, and to a certain extent, perhaps she was, since for her even a simple breakfast seemed to be an extension of organization and control.

"Sit down and eat before it gets cold," she said, her voice firm, leaving no room for unnecessary arguments, and curiously no one questioned it, which in itself was an indication that this was not a time to test limits, even among people who normally loved to do exactly that.

Strax sat down unceremoniously, pulling out her chair naturally while resting her arms on the table, quickly observing what was available before beginning to serve herself, her tranquil movements contrasting with the more dispersed energy around her, where some were already eating, others were still settling in, and some simply observed the surroundings as if they were still truly waking up.

Scarlet sat down beside him, elegantly crossing her legs as she examined the food with a slight smile, clearly pleased with the result, while Cassandra and Daniela positioned themselves nearby, still exchanging occasional glances that carried remnants of previous provocations, but without escalating to anything more, at least for now.

Yennefer was already seated with impeccable posture, calmly drinking her coffee while Cristine observed everything in silence, absorbing every detail as she always did, while Rogue remained more relaxed, leaning back in her chair with a neutral expression that hid more than it revealed, but without missing anything that was happening around her.

For a few minutes, the atmosphere remained surprisingly tranquil, filled only with the subtle sounds of cutlery, cups, and calmer breathing, an almost absurd contrast to their lifestyle, as if that small space of time were a pause granted before something inevitable happened.

And as always...

The pause didn’t last.

The first sign was subtle, almost imperceptible, a distant sound coming from the heavens, something between a muffled roar and a deep vibration that didn’t seem to belong to the ordinary world, but which immediately caused some of those present to slightly raise their gaze, even if without immediate reaction.

Strax stopped moving for a second.

Scarlet did too.

The sound came again, this time clearer, closer, laden with a presence that didn’t need to be seen to be recognized, something ancient, heavy, familiar in a way that deeply disturbed.

And then...

The impact.

The ground trembled suddenly, not enough to bring down the structure, but enough to make cutlery vibrate, cups clink, and some chairs move slightly, while outside, in the garden, the sound of something hitting the ground echoed loudly, accompanied by a pressure that spread through the air like an invisible wave.

The silence that followed was immediate.

Total.

Everyone stopped.

Their eyes met. And there was no need to say anything.

Because they all felt it.

Scarlet slowly turned her face towards Strax, her eyes already different, more attentive, deeper, as if they recognized that presence even before any confirmation.

Strax did the same.

They stared at each other for a second.

And spoke at the same time.

"She’s back."

It wasn’t a question.

It wasn’t a doubt.

It was certainty. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Scarlet tilted her head slightly, her smile disappearing completely as the energy around her began to change almost imperceptibly, like a flame about to gain strength, controlled, but ready.

"Do you want me to solve it?" she asked, her voice calm, but full of a clear intention that left no room for misinterpretation.

Strax kept his gaze on her for a moment.

And then shook his head.

"No."

Simple.

Direct.

Final. Scarlet watched him for another second, assessing not only the answer, but everything that came with it—the weight of the decision, how he was handling it—and after a brief silence, she simply nodded slightly, accepting without question.

"Then go."