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"Master, I really think my level went up."
Chelsea couldn't see her own stats, but the strength coursing through her body was undeniable.
It was… more.
Since becoming a demon, the power she gained in such a short time outstripped everything she'd ever achieved in a lifetime of training.
"Trust me—this is just the beginning," Edgar said. "But whether you grow stronger from here… that's up to you."
"Mhm. I get it."
Chelsea drew in a deep breath. A rosy flush bloomed across her pretty face, only making her look more alluring. For a while, she let herself sink into the joy of newfound power.
[Chelsea][Race: Demon][Master: Edgar Lucifergus][Level: 27][Skill: Stealth][Stealth: Erases presence and conceals aura perfectly.]
"One level already?" Edgar muttered. "As expected, the lower the level, the faster the gains."
If this kept up, he thought, his servants would only get stronger with ease. At this pace, some of them might even leap straight into high-ranked demons after just one contract.
"My god, Master actually turned her into a servant like this?!""Ugh, I lost after all…""If Master had been that gentle with me back then…""You shut it, fallen angel. With trash like you, he had to use hard methods."
Outside the grand hall, his other servants were chattering nonstop. But their voices died all at once when Edgar's gaze flicked toward them.
Oh, so when it was time to help they dragged their feet, but now they had the energy to gossip?
"…Crap.""This is bad."
The smiles froze on Shiho Miyano and the others' faces. Somehow watching the show had turned into them being dragged into it.
A sharp hum split the air—!
Light burst from the magic circle, and figures dropped in like dumplings into boiling water, one on top of the other.
Chelsea: "..."
Saturday afternoon.
Edgar returned to the human world.
The old school building, Occult Research Club.
"You bastard, gone for days again…" Rias pouted, leaning against him, playfully hammering his chest with her small pink fists.
"You know I was in the other world," Edgar said, pulling her closer and stealing her lips before she could protest further. He whispered in her ear, "Besides, didn't you say you'd be too busy to come along anyway?"
Still, the truth was, the lack of communication between worlds was becoming a real headache. He'd have to look into fixing that.
"Hmph." Rias gave a soft, flustered humph, her cheeks tinted with faint red. "Fine… I guess you have a point."
"By the way, when are you planning to enroll in school?"
"Ah…"
At that, Edgar's expression stiffened. Right. He'd nearly forgotten about that.
Part of him wanted to say he wouldn't bother. But after everything Rias had arranged for his admission, ditching it outright would feel too cruel.
Then suddenly—his eyes narrowed.
The [Demon Summoning] skill was glowing.
A contract call.
Edgar's lips curved upward. "Finally took the bait, huh?"
In a shabby little house, Hitagi Senjougahara paced restlessly with her phone in hand, her eyes full of worry.
"Dad… where are you?"
Normally, she wouldn't care if he ignored her calls. But earlier, that woman had shown up. That alone was enough to send her thoughts spiraling.
That woman—her so-called mother.
Ever since joining a twisted cult, she had gone completely insane. They had cut ties long ago… yet somehow, she had found them again.
She hadn't expected this to happen again.
If it were just another scam for money, that would've been fine—because they didn't have any.
What terrified her was the thought that woman might actually do something insane.
Pressing her fingers against her temples, she froze when her eyes landed on something in the corner of the room: a black contract book.
Her brow furrowed.
"…Didn't I throw that away?"
"Don't tell me… is this some kind of ghost story?"
Hitagi Senjougahara's face stiffened for a moment.
"No, no. It's got to be a prank."
But then a thought slipped in, one she didn't want to acknowledge.
"…And what if it isn't?"
She picked up the black book, torn between fear and resolve. Finally, determination won out.
If it meant saving the last of her family, she would give up everything—even to a demon.
She took out a pen, signed her name across the contract, and whispered under her breath:
"Mr. Demon… will you really answer me?"
Hope flickered in her eyes. She knew the chance was slim, but she clung to it anyway. She had nothing left.
And then, after a pause, she laughed at herself.
"Of course. Fake. What was I expecting?"
She shook her head, bitterly amused.
How desperate could she be, falling for something like this? She wasn't any different from that cult-obsessed woman after all.
But just as she thought that—
The parchment in her hand burst into radiant light.
A dark violet magic circle whirled into existence at her feet.
"What the—?"
She stumbled back, eyes wide.
A deep, confident voice echoed out of the glow.
"So, you finally decided you want my help."
And then, before her, a strikingly familiar yet unknown figure appeared.
"You… you're really a demon?"
Koyomi could hardly believe it. But that magic circle—there was no way it had been an illusion.
"You summoned me, and you're still asking dumb questions?"
The man—Edgar—smirked, a playful curl tugging at his lips.
"Well then, my contractor. What is it you wish for?"
Koyomi drew in a shaky breath. The world around her suddenly felt strange, unreal. The impossible had actually happened.
Still… if she'd gone this far, there was no turning back.
"Um… Mr. Demon," she said carefully. "Could I ask you to… save my father?"
"Of course. No problem."
He answered so easily it almost stunned her.
He didn't even know what was wrong with her father, but to him, a human life was hardly a challenge.
Koyomi blinked. This demon was… way more agreeable than she'd imagined.
Could it be—she'd run into one of the good ones?
Shoving aside that chaotic thought, she quickly urged, "Then please, Mr. Demon, let's not waste time. We should act now!"
"Not so fast," Edgar chuckled, watching her puzzled expression. "Before we get to work, we should talk about payment."
"…Payment?"
"You didn't seriously think demons do charity work, did you?"
Koyomi's lips twitched. Of course. She really had been too naïve.
"T-then… what do I need to give you? I… don't have any money."
He laughed lightly. "Money? Please. I'm a demon—I've no interest in something so petty."
His smile turned sharper. "What I want… is you."
"…Huh?"
Her eyes flew wide. "Isn't that even more vulgar?!"
"You say vulgar, I say noble." His grin widened. "Building a harem is a grand and worthy goal, after all."
She stared at him, dumbstruck. "…So you really are just some pervy demon, huh?"
"Why, thank you for the compliment."
"…Heh. Heh-heh…"
Her lips twitched again, torn between laughter and despair.
Had summoning a demon been a huge mistake?
Just when she thought she might try again, reality crashed down on her, leaving her completely deflated.
Even if she were given another chance… she would probably make the same choice. After all, what else could she do?
Hitagi Senjougahara was on the verge of losing her mind.
"Wait—so my first time… is going to a demon?"
Her eyes hardened in despair almost immediately. She glanced at Edgar nervously."Um… right here?"
"Anywhere's fine. No one else is around."
"…Hah."
Senjougahara drew in a deep, steadying breath, then slowly slipped off her outer coat.
Her perfect figure was already beginning to show.
Seeing this, Edgar simply raised his index finger.
Her pupils shrank in alarm."Don't tell me—you're planning to… you perverted demon! With your finger?!"
"Eh? Your finger's bleeding!"
"Obviously. The marking has to be drawn in my blood."
"Marking? What marking?"
"The ritual. To make you my familiar."
A faint heart-shaped sigil flashed across her skin, gone almost instantly.
Senjougahara's face went crimson in an instant.
W–wait… I misunderstood?!
Oh god. This is mortifying.
He doesn't seriously think I'm some shameless girl, does he? I should've asked first…
Thump.
Thump-thump.
A hundred thoughts raced through her mind before everything went blank. Her heart was pounding wildly, and from deep inside her, an unfamiliar surge of power began flooding outward.
"M–my body… what's happening to me?"
"The reincarnation ritual has begun. You'll be a demon soon."
She bit her lip, struggling to get the words out."…What?"
Her brain short-circuited completely.
Edgar ignored her dazed reaction and pulled up her status screen.
[Hitagi Senjougahara][Race: Demon][Master: Edgar Lucifugus][Level: LV9][Skill: Weight Manipulation]
[Weight Manipulation: Allows precise control over one's own body weight.]
Edgar's eyes lit up.Weight Manipulation + Rubber Body + Steel Physique… That combo had potential.
Meanwhile, Senjougahara stared in shock at the wings and tail that had sprouted from her back.
"I… I'm not human anymore?"
Tears threatened to spill.
Tearless.
"Of course."
Edgar gave a casual reply, then leaned in again to carefully inspect the wound on Hitagi Senjougahara, jotting the details down.
Hitagi's cheeks flushed pink as she realized—she had greeted him while half-dressed. Flustered, she hurried to pull on her outer clothes.
The next second, a glowing status screen appeared before her eyes.
She scanned the information, and her expression twisted into something complicated.
So it was true. She really had become… the demon from the legends?
Panicking, she grabbed a mirror.
Thank god. Her face hadn't changed.
Aside from the sudden wings and tail, she looked exactly the same as before.
And yet—
She clenched her fists instinctively.
Her body felt different, stronger—no, unbelievably stronger, like her physical abilities had skyrocketed a hundredfold.
And deep inside her pulsed some mysterious energy. Magic. It had to be.
Put together, all these changes weren't exactly drawbacks. In fact, it kind of felt like she'd hit the jackpot.
Her earlier despair at no longer being human was already gone without a trace.
"Alright," Edgar said, "let's talk."
"Talk? About what?" Hitagi blinked.
"Your father," he replied with a sigh, giving her a helpless look.
Seriously? Was this woman about to forget the actual problem here?
Realizing her slip, Hitagi straightened up quickly."Right—my father. He should've been taken by my mother."
"I don't know the details, but it's very likely he's being held by the cult she's part of. The Feishin Society."
"...Huh?"
Edgar froze.
That name. Why did it sound so ridiculously familiar?
How much random junk had this crazy mixed-up world mashed together already?
"Do you know where they're based?"
"No. I'm not sure."
Edgar shook his head, pulled out his phone, and dialed Belmod.
"Mr. Demon—"
"Call me Master."
"...Alright, Master. What's this about?"
"Find me the address of the Feishin Society."
"Wait, seriously? You're a demon. Don't you have, like, some grander method than… Google Maps?"
After rattling off a few instructions, Edgar hung up and muttered, "Even demons have to keep up with the times."
The truth was, he couldn't sense Senjougahara's father at all.
Without a trace to lock onto, technology really did beat magic.
His phone buzzed again.
Belmod had already sent over the Feishin Society's location.
"..."
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