Chapter 15: The Art of Flipping Burgers (A Battle of Honor and Destiny)Morning: A Mission of Great ImportanceThe morning started like any other.

  I arrived at Burger Castle, tired as always. My uniform was wrinkled, my soul was half-dead, and my paycheck was still too small to exist.

  And yet… today felt different.

  I stepped inside.

  The Demon King was already there, standing behind the counter with a serious look on his face. His eyes burned with ancient wisdom. His cape flowed dramatically—even though there was no wind.

  Kenji was beside him, nodding like this was a life-changing event.

  And Melodia… well, she was sharpening a knife. That was normal.

  I sighed. “Alright. What stupid thing is happening now?”

  The Demon King turned to me.

  “Rento. You have arrived. Good. It is time.”

  I blinked. “Time for what?”

  He slowly raised his hands.

  “The Great Burger-Flipping Tournament.”

  I stared.

  Then I stared some more.

  Then I turned to Kenji. “He’s joking, right?”

  Kenji shook his head. “No, bro. This is real.”

  The Demon King nodded. “This is not a game. This is an ancient tradition. A battle of skill. A war of fate.”

  I blinked again. “…It’s just flipping burgers.”

  The Demon King narrowed his eyes. “Just flipping burgers?”

  Suddenly, the lights dimmed. The air grew heavy. A dark aura surrounded the Demon King as he slowly stepped forward.

  “Cooking is an art. Burger flipping is a test of precision. Discipline. Power. Only those with the strongest spirit can master it.”

  I looked around. “Why is it suddenly dramatic?”

  Kenji nodded again. “This is his thing, bro. Just let him do it.”

  I sighed. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

  The Tournament Begins: A Csh of TitansTanaka, our soulless manager, walked out of his office, holding a clipboard. He stared at the Demon King.

  “…Again?”

  The Demon King nodded. “Again.”

  Tanaka sighed. “Fine. Rules are simple. Three rounds. Winner gets the title of Master of Burgers.”

  I frowned. “What do they actually win?”

  Tanaka flipped through his clipboard. “Uh… free fries for a week.”

  Kenji gasped. “FREE FRIES? BRO, I’M IN.”

  Melodia grinned. “I will cim this honor.”

  I sighed. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s do this.”

  Round 1: The Test of PrecisionThe first round was simple: Flip a burger. Land it perfectly on the bun. No mistakes.

  Kenji went first.

  He tossed the patty into the air. It flipped once. Twice. Three times.

  It soared like a bird. A graceful, greasy bird.

  Then it crashed onto the floor.

  Kenji gasped. “NOOOOOO.”

  Tanaka wrote something down. “Disqualified.”

  Kenji fell to his knees. “BRO, I HAVE FAILED.”

  I patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. You’ll live.”

  Next was Melodia.

  She unched the patty into the air. It did a backflip. It sparkled. Somehow, the air sang as it moved.

  Then it nded perfectly on the bun.

  Kenji gasped again. “BRO, SHE’S A GOD.”

  Melodia smirked. “Hmph. As expected.”

  Now it was my turn.

  I sighed, picked up a patty, and flipped it.

  It nded. Perfectly.

  I stared. “…That was way easier than expected.”

  Tanaka nodded. “Pass.”

  Finally, it was The Demon King’s turn.

  He picked up a patty. His eyes glowed. His cape moved dramatically again, despite there still being no wind.

  He flipped the patty.

  It vanished.

  Kenji blinked. “Uh… bro? Where’d it go?”

  Suddenly, a deep rumbling filled the room.

  The ceiling cracked. The air shook. The walls trembled.

  Then—BOOM!

  The patty descended from the heavens, glowing with pure, divine energy. It nded softly on the bun, perfectly centered.

  Silence.

  Kenji whispered. “…bro.”

  Melodia nodded. “A worthy opponent.”

  Tanaka sighed. “Pass.”

  The Demon King smirked. “Naturally.”

  Round 2: The Speed ChallengeThis time, we had to make a full burger as fast as possible.

  Kenji went first. 10 seconds.

  Melodia? 9 seconds.

  Me? 8 seconds.

  Then it was the Demon King’s turn.

  He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.

  Then he snapped his fingers.

  BOOM.

  A perfect burger materialized in front of him.

  Kenji dropped his spatu. “…bro, what?”

  Melodia narrowed her eyes. “That’s cheating.”

  The Demon King shrugged. “I used my resources efficiently.”

  Tanaka sighed. “Pass.”

  Final Round: The Ultimate BurgerFor the final challenge, we had to create a new burger. Something unique. Something great.

  Kenji’s burger: The Bro Supreme—a mountain of meat, cheese, and regret.

  Melodia’s burger: The Shadow Fang—a burger so spicy it set fire to the table.

  My burger: The Please-Just-Pay-Me—a simple cheeseburger with a note that said "I hate this job."

  Then the Demon King stepped forward.

  He raised his hand. Dark energy swirled. The ground shook. The lights flickered.

  And then…

  A massive, glowing burger appeared.

  The Ultimate Dark Lord Burger.

  It was perfect.

  Everyone stared.

  Tanaka sighed. “Winner: The Demon King.”

  Kenji fell to the floor. “I HAVE BEEN DEFEATED.”

  Melodia folded her arms. “A true challenge. Next time, I shall win.”

  I groaned. “Can we just go back to work now?”

  The Demon King smirked. “Yes. But first—”

  He grabbed his prize.

  A single free fry.

  He took a slow, dramatic bite.

  Then he looked at all of us and nodded. “Victory is delicious.”

  …

  I hate this job.

  Epilogue: The True Meaning of WorkThat night, as I counted my tiny paycheck, I thought about everything that happened.

  The honor. The battle. The passion.

  And then I realized something important.

  None of it mattered.

  Because I still couldn’t pay my rent.

  I sighed. “I need a new job.”

  To Be Continued…