Beelzebub had just woken up and was happy to know which world he was in. The power levels were low. Even weakened by the crossing, he was still confident.
"Onii-chan, Makoto-nee, he woke up!" she said, quickly standing up and running toward the passage between the two rooms.
Still a bit "groggy," Beelzebub stood up… but when he noticed his height, a slight surprise hit him. Did I get taller?
Feeling his hair reaching down to his back, he became even more bewildered. It was obvious something had changed in his body during the crossing. But here, without his laboratory, he had no way to analyze it properly.
"Ah, right!" As if remembering something important, he touched the center of his chest searching for something — soon finding the pendant where Lilith rested.
"Ah, I'm glad you woke up!"
Drawn by the voice, he saw two people walking toward him. Kei was carrying a tray with food and some water.
"Here, you must have fainted from hunger, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he pushed the food toward him, and Beelzebub caught it by reflex.
"Yes! Yes! You can't stay hungry!" Chinatsu scolded him with a serious face.
Makoto was next to them, nodding furiously.
They really are very welcoming… thought Beelzebub. It was hard to find this kind of attitude in the world of the gods — everyone there was either too arrogant or too prideful.
Not wanting to reject their kindness, he sat back down on the tatami. On the wooden tray, three onigiri were lined up vertically. Beside them, a cup with cold water.
Noticing Beelzebub's look, Kei felt a bit embarrassed. "Well… dinner isn't ready yet, but I made this so you wouldn't stay on an empty stomach. Sorry for it being so simple…"
"You misunderstood me…" With smooth movements, Beelzebub gathered his hair. Then he noticed that a large white strand with red tips stood out.
Is it due to the crossing? Never mind… I'll examine my body more carefully later.
Setting his apparent transformation aside, he made a small samurai bun. Since he had always had short hair, it felt a bit uncomfortable.
Bringing one of the onigiri to his lips, he took a small bite… followed by another, and another. In no time, he had devoured all three.
Taking the cup of water, he drank slowly… it had been a long time since he had done something so mundane.
"So this is how mortals live…" he murmured.
Without him noticing, Makoto, Kei, and Chinatsu had been watching him the whole time, and all came to the same unanimous conclusion:
"He was hungry!"
---
After the meal, Beelzebub, the Kuramoto family, and Makoto were gathered in the living room, sitting around the chabudai.
Kei's father, Keije Kuramoto, and his mother, Nana Kuramoto, were seated side by side on the left. On the opposite side were Makoto and Kei. At the far end of the chabudai sat Chinatsu facing Beelzebub.
"So, Beel-san, what exactly happened?" Keije asked. Hearing him, the rest of the family paid close attention. It's not every day you find someone lying in front of your house.
Beelzebub now wore a traditional Japanese yukata that belonged to Mr. Keije. "Well, I don't really remember what happened…"
That was the background he chose: amnesia. Even though the world level was low, there were certain things you simply couldn't go around saying… like a certain airheaded witch…
"I see… Do you at least remember any family members?"
Beelzebub simply shook his head.
Keije felt a bit sorry for the young man. Despite being tall and strong, he didn't seem to be much older than his own son.
"Dear…" His wife touched his arm and gave him a pleading look. She looked like a young woman who had found an abandoned puppy and wanted to bring it home.
"Arff…" Keije sighed exasperatedly. He couldn't say no to his wife. And looking more closely at Beelzebub, he didn't seem dangerous… but still, letting a total stranger into his home was out of the question.
Beelzebub also had no intention of staying long. He needed to build a safe base. And Makoto, who could use magic — even low level — had room for improvement. So she was a great candidate for a future pantheon.
Noticing his father's dilemma, Kei decided to help. "Well… I know a restaurant that opened recently. They're looking for a full-time waiter."
"That's a good idea…" Keije added.
Beelzebub was reluctant, but the next words he heard made his heart race a little…
"You mean the Western Restaurant Nekoya?" asked Nana, Kei's mother.
That name…
For a second, Beelzebub's neutral expression almost broke. That name was strangely familiar…
"Uh… out of curiosity, what's the name of the owner of this restaurant?" he asked. If his assumptions were right, this world was much more dangerous than he had initially evaluated.
Noticing Beelzebub's interest, Keije made another assessment of him. Well, he's young and he's eager to work… truly a good kid.
"If I'm not mistaken, his name is… hmm… I think it's Master Mako!" Kei answered.
Beelzebub's pupils widened.
"Just as I thought!" he murmured. Judging by the restaurant's name and the chef's name, his suspicions were correct.
The Western Restaurant Nekoya.
An apparently ordinary place, but in reality, a door to another world.
A fantastic place where gods and demons exist.
And best of all… these gods have no pantheon.
Now with a clear goal set, he stood up quickly. "Mr. Kuramoto, please take me to this place!" he said, giving a slight bow.
Seeing his enthusiasm, everyone smiled.
"I'm glad you're excited, but we should wait until tomorrow. It's already late, don't you think?" Kei said in a serious tone, pointing to the window. It was already dark outside.
"Well… tonight you can sleep here." Nana said before leaving to prepare dinner.
Chinatsu glanced at Beelzebub, but when she noticed he was looking back, she looked away shyly. "Haha, she took a while to react like that," Keije chuckled, then left as well, leaving behind only Makoto and Kei.
But Makoto soon had to leave too, since she hadn't organized her room after all the events. "If you'll excuse me…" she said, standing up and heading toward a room, but—
"Makoto… your room is the other way!" Kei interrupted her. She could get lost inside her own house. Truly terrible sense of direction.
"Ah, right!" With a goofy smile, but unfazed, she walked toward the direction Kei indicated.
After everyone left, only Beelzebub and Kei remained in the living room.
"So… what's up with those horns?" Kei asked curiously, pointing at Beelzebub's head.
"Eh? Horns?" Beelzebub's expressionless face shifted into something never seen before: confusion.
Nodding, Kei stood up and left the living room. "Wait here!"
He soon returned holding a small mirror in his hands. "Here, look." he said, handing it to Beelzebub.
Even though it was small, he could still see his whole face clearly. "This…" Even Beelzebub was impressed by what he saw.
His hair, black as night, reached down to his back, meaning it had grown in a short amount of time. Another striking feature were his eyes.
His former red eyes now shone in a gold as bright as white gold. His irises had turned into a beautiful compass rose on the right side and a clock on the left.
This clock really looks like Kurumi's right eye from Date A Live… thought Beelzebub.
But what surprised him the most was the pair of horns that seemed to be growing constantly. Emerging from his temples, they were already almost curving…
For a moment, he was speechless. First shock, then acceptance.
"Ugh…" With a tired sigh, he ran his hand over the horns. "If they keep growing, I'll end up looking like Tiamat."
It seems the ability to accept strange things is something you gain once you arrive in this world.
And so, all of Beelzebub's plans to "look normal" were washed away before they even began.
Haha… but this family really is strange. Faced with all of this, they continued acting normally… worthy of the world of Flying Witch.