Toying with people's hearts. Bewitching humanity.
Terror, cunning, the root of all evil in the world.
Every ominous event in history is somehow related to them.
These are the evaluations of Devils in various legends.
And today...
Miyano Shiho was facing all of this directly.
She clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly.
Come on, my genius brain... think of a solution quickly!
"By the way, I am your savior. You don't need to be so afraid of me," Arlen said, amused by her visible panic.
Shiho stunned for a moment, and then she relaxed somewhat.
It seemed logically sound.
The idea that all Devils are pure evil... perhaps that was just a stereotype born of ignorance.
"If you've calmed down, let's talk business."
Shiho froze, subconsciously asking, "What business?"
Arlen smiled. "Let's talk about compensation."
Shiho's pupils contracted, and she said in disbelief, "You expect payment for saving me?"
"That's right. Excellent summary."
Arlen said with a faint smile, "After all, when we Devils do things, we always collect a price."
Gulp!
Shiho swallowed hard, feeling a wave of despair.
What he said... made perfect, terrifying sense.
"You... what kind of payment do you want?"
Arlen extended his hand. "Let me engrave a mark on you."
Shiho immediately crossed her arms over her chest, stepping back with a mix of shame and indignation. "You... you perverted Devil!"
"Eh? How did you know?"
"..."
Shiho's mouth twitched.
Should I try to run away?
Thinking about the gruesome fate of those Curses moments ago, Shiho felt like a deflated balloon.
How could she possibly escape a monster like him?
She took a deep breath and began to mentally prepare herself.
No matter what, he really did save my life.
Being touched once won't kill me.
Damn it, I haven't even had a boyfriend yet.
However... this Devil is objectively quite handsome.
Shiho gritted her teeth, having already made her decision.
She leaned closer to Arlen, pulling open her collar with trembling fingers, and said with a flushed face, "Only once, okay?"
"???"
Arlen blinked.
What was this woman thinking?
Or was it that smart people just had overactive imaginations?
Realizing she had misunderstood, Arlen had no intention of correcting her.
Anyway, as long as the goal was achieved, it was fine.
Without hesitation, Arlen began to make his move.
"Wait a moment! Why are you undoing the buttons? Mr. Devil, please restrain yourself!"
"Don't think too much. It's just easier to leave the mark directly on the skin."
"Wait!"
Shiho tensed up, her face flushing bright red as she stared at his hand. "What are you doing with that finger?"
"Rest assured, it is definitely not what you are thinking."
"It seems Arlen-san is very aware of just how perverted this situation looks!"
A faint light flickered, and a complex, glowing heart-shaped seal flashed into existence on her skin before vanishing without a trace.
"Th-that's it? It's over?"
Shiho asked, bewildered.
Arlen smirked. "What else were you expecting to happen?"
"..."
Shiho's face turned red with a whoosh.
It seemed she had completely misunderstood the situation.
Thump! Thump-thump!
In the next moment, Shiho didn't have time to be embarrassed anymore.
Her heart beat violently, and every cell in her body seemed to be cheering and jumping for joy.
At the same time.
Lines of mysterious text surfaced in Shiho's mind.
[Miyano Shiho]
[Race: Reincarnated Devil]
[Master: Arlen Lucifuge]
[Level: LV9]
[Skill: Magic Heart]
[Magic Heart: To you, the magic of this world holds no secrets; you possess an innate ability to master any spell extremely quickly.]
"Is the limit for a newly turned Devil just a Low-Class Devil?"
"And Magic Heart... a pretty good skill."
Arlen glanced at the data, a satisfied smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
A great start.
He had just arrived in the Human World and already had his second Servant.
He took out a pen and paper and began to write down the data.
Shiho leaned in to look and gasped, losing her voice: "I'm a... Devil?"
"Yes. I should have told you, right?"
"Heh... hehe."
Shiho's eyelid twitched violently.
Like hell you told me!
She opened her mouth to argue, but ultimately sighed in resignation.
Forget it.
She was already in too deep. There was no turning back now.
Besides, becoming a Devil didn't seem to be a loss.
She still looked human, except for the ability to manifest wings.
And...
Shiho clenched her fist.
It felt like she could punch through a concrete wall.
And this [Magic Heart].
It meant she had the chance to learn magic.
Thinking of the destructive power Arlen had just displayed, she actually felt a surge of excitement.
Suddenly, Shiho remembered something.
"Um, since you are my Master, shouldn't you protect me?"
Arlen nodded. "That is only natural."
"Then... if I want to take revenge on some people, that's also okay, right?"
Shiho began to gnash her teeth.
Hmph.
Black Organization.
You never imagined there would be a day like this, right?
"Sure. Lead the way."
...
Kuoh Town.
A secret pharmaceutical research institute hidden in the outskirts.
Arlen and Shiho descended from the sky.
Shiho was somewhat dazed.
So this was the feeling of flight.
"Actually, you could just take me directly to the Black Organization's headquarters and solve it once and for all."
For Arlen, destroying the Black Organization was about the same difficulty as stepping on an ant nest.
"I want to, too."
Shiho came back to her senses and shook her head helplessly. "Unfortunately, the Organization doesn't truly trust me. I don't know where the main headquarters is."
As they spoke, the two of them walked toward the facility's entrance.
Their arrival was clearly captured by surveillance, immediately alerting the guards inside.
"Sherry? What is the meaning of this? Who is this outsider?"
"Have you betrayed the Organization?"
Several men in black suits calmly attached suppressors to their handguns, blocking the path.
Shiho swallowed her saliva and whispered, "Devils... shouldn't be afraid of guns, right?"
"Just how much do you look down on Devils?"
Arlen rolled his eyes. "Change your perspective."
"To a Devil, even if they use firearms, ordinary humans are really just too fragile."
As his voice fell, demonic power spread out invisibly.
Crack!
One of the men's heads twisted at an unnatural angle, spinning a full circle before he collapsed to the ground, dead.
Do ordinary humans yield no experience points?
Arlen's eyes flickered with disappointment as he checked his log. Then he said, "See? Just like that."
"B-but I haven't killed anyone before."
Shiho retreated backward, instinctively hiding behind Arlen.
"..."
Arlen's mouth twitched.
"Weren't you the one who wanted revenge?"
Arlen grabbed Shiho by the back of her collar and lifted her up like a kitten.
Shiho flailed her hands and feet. "I... let me think about it some more! I need mental preparation!"
"Stop thinking. Actual combat is the best teacher."
At this moment, the remaining men in black reacted to their comrade's death.
"How did he die?!"
"Forget it! Just shoot!"
In the next moment.
Muzzle flashes flared in the dim light.
Several bullets cut through the air, flying straight toward Arlen.
Seeing this, Arlen didn't hesitate.
He pulled Shiho forward and placed her directly in front of himself as a human shield.
"Shiho, I leave it to you."