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At the sa ti—far north, in the Underworld.
The midday sun scorched the barren lands. Its blazing heat beat down rcilessly as a wooden rickshaw trundled across the stone-paved road, kicking up tiny bursts of dust in its wake.
This was one of the major cities of the northern Underworld—the forr territory of the late Demon King, Wilbert.
Unlike the current Demon King Leohart's domain, which resembled a lush oasis amidst desert sands, this city had fully embraced the harsh climate of the north.
From the imposing stone walls to the residential blocks to the grand palace towering at the center, everything here was built of colossal stone slabs, their unified earthen tone giving the whole place the look of a minimalist Babylon from a fantasy RTS ga.
Though Wilbert was long gone, his bloodline hadn't perished.
Aside from his daughter Mio Naruse, who now lived in the human world, the forr Demon King had left behind a younger brother and sister. That younger brother—Ramusas—was the one currently overseeing the city.
Rumor had it that he'd inherited Wilbert's gravity magic as well. Though his raw power didn't quite match his brother's, he was still considered a formidable figure among the Old Demon King Faction. Under his leadership, they maintained a fragile standoff with the New Faction led by Leohart.
Inside the city's central palace, Ramusas—a towering, red-haired man with a crimson beard and a monocle perched over one eye—sat beside a low tea table. In front of him were two delicate teacups and a steaming pot of freshly brewed flower tea.
He listened intently to the report being delivered by a silver-haired maid—a Succubus with a face strikingly similar to Maria, though more voluptuous and mature in every way.
"Leohart wants to challenge us directly?" Ramusas frowned, his baritone voice heavy with thought. "Why now, all of a sudden?"
"The exact reason is unclear," the Succubus replied evenly. "But I suspect the objective is obvious—to decisively cent the New Faction's dominance and unify the north."
"Hmph..." Ramusas set his teacup down with a quiet clink. His eyes narrowed.
"Sounds like it's ti we summon Mio back ho."
"Second Brother!"
The protest ca sharply from across the table.
A stunning red-haired woman—clearly of demon lineage, marked by the small horns on her head and sharp, confident gaze—rose to her feet. Her toned fra, paired with bold eyeliner and a fiery presence, gave off the aura of a battle-hardened valkyrie.
She was Ramusas's younger sister—Sapphire.
"No matter what happens, Mio is still Big Brother's daughter," she snapped. "Our niece. If we're seriously considering sacrificing her just to protect the Old Faction's pride, then what the hell are we even fighting for?!"
"...Sapphire."
Ramusas said nothing more. He simply gave her a calm look before turning back to the silver-haired maid.
"Find Mio Naruse. She's still sowhere in the human world. Summon her ho. Imdiately."
"Understood."
❁❁❁❁
Back on Earth—inside the first-floor elevator lobby of Bokue's apartnt building.
The atmosphere was thick with silence. Not the awkward kind—but the kind that ca with a heavy question hanging in the air.
The blue-haired hero from the Hero village—Yuki Nonaka—had clearly forgotten all about her original mission. Her gaze was locked on Bokue as she slowly tilted her head up, her arms still wrapped tightly around his waist.
"Is that true?" she asked softly.
"She's just a kid saying silly things," Bokue replied, a drop of cold sweat running down the back of his neck.
Can you bla him? Astarte had just casually dropped a verbal nuke—an AI girl calmly announcing she was customized specifically to satisfy her Master's X-rated needs.
Even Origami would've done a double-take.
Thank god no one else was around. If soone had overheard that bombshell, this whole lobby might've gone up in flas.
We're not even in "social death" territory anymore—we're talking straight-up criminal charges.
And technically... Bokue was still a minor.
Yuki's voice ca again, still calm:
"So, what's your relationship with her?"
"Think of it like... a Master-and-familiar thing." Bokue didn't even try to hide it. He explained the situation quickly and clearly.
Then added one last line:
"She needs to be recharged every so often."
"Hmmm," Yuki nodded thoughtfully.
She was a fast learner. She'd already pieced together 80% of the story before he even finished. But she still had one more question...
"So..." she said slowly, "Did you two do it?"
"..."
"..."
"We did."
To Bokue's surprise, it wasn't even him who answered—it was Astarte. Her voice was as neutral as ever, but beneath it was a strange hint of pride?
Just two words. But they hit like a truck.
Yuki's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah." Bokue had no excuse. It was the truth. But the reaction he got wasn't what he expected.
No anger. No shock. No dramatic outburst. Just a quiet, pouty sigh as she averted her gaze.
"Bokue, you're still the sa perv you were back in the village."
"I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Another bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
In his defense, it was Yasaka who'd really awakened that side of him. That was after he'd already left the Hero Village. Before that, he'd been a model student—focused, disciplined, pure.
"Liar."
Yuki raised her index finger and gently pressed it against his lips.
"You used to grope my butt all the ti when you hugged ."
"...You're the one who said I could."
Bokue nearly choked on his own spit. Seriously, what was he supposed to say to that?
He sighed and gently pulled back, slipping out of her embrace. His gaze drifted to the glass front doors, still rocking from the impact of her entrance—clearly damaged beyond repair.
"Alright, enough of this. We just reunited after so long—let's go upstairs and catch up properly."
"Upstairs, huh... So this is where you're living now?" Yuki asked, tilting her head.
In a way, she and Astarte were alike. Both looked cold and reserved at first glance—like they wouldn't say much. But once you got to know them, they had a way of dropping the most outrageous lines without blinking.
Luckily, right at that mont, the elevator Bokue had summoned arrived with a soft chi. The doors slid open with a hiss, giving him the perfect excuse not to react.
"Yup." He stepped in, waited for both girls to follow, and pressed the floor number.
As the elevator began to rise, Bokue turned back toward Yuki.
"So, what's the Hero Village sending you out here for anyway? Must be serious if they dispatched all of you."
"It's a surveillance mission," she replied calmly.
"There's a rumor going around that Demon King Wilbert's daughter has been seen sowhere in the Kantō region. The village has marked her as a high-priority target."
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