— — — — — — —
"She's the one."
Iwanaga Kotoko quickly pointed at Isayama Yomi.
Lynn glanced at Yomi, then at the devil contract flyer still in Kotoko's hand.
"Uh…"
Kotoko gave an awkward chuckle before shoving the flyer into Yomi's hands.
"…."
Yomi opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately just sighed in silence.
No helping it.
After all, she was the one who dragged Kotoko into this mess.
But who could've expected things to go south like this?
Every other time, things had gone smoothly.
Yet this time…
Yomi's eyes flickered slightly.
This time, they had run into a really powerful yokai.
She cursed in her mind before meeting Lynn's crimson eyes. After a brief pause, she nodded. "Yeah, it's me."
Lynn nodded in return.
Now that the client was confirmed, things would be simple.
His gaze shifted to take in their surroundings.
The sky was dim, with 108 floating bronze mirrors hovering in the air, their edges inscribed with ominous crimson runes.
Strangely, the mirrors didn't reflect them.
Instead, they showed various historical scenes—some depicted burning cities, others serene spring gardens.
As if each mirror contained an entirely different world.
"This place is weird," Yomi warned. "Every mirror reflects a past battle."
"Kotoko and I already shattered eight of them."
Hearing this, Kotoko scratched her cheek sheepishly.
To be fair, Yomi had done all the work. She had just analyzed the situation, yet Yomi still included her in the count.
Yomi continued, "I figure if we destroy all the mirrors, we'll be able to escape this strange space."
Her expression grew heavy.
Just breaking eight mirrors had already left her in a battered state.
And there were still a hundred left.
If it were just her and Kotoko, they'd never make it out.
That's why— Even though she had hesitated before summoning a devil… Now that he was here, she had no more doubts.
She was even beginning to consider what price she would have to pay.
As for whether Lynn could actually get them out of here?
Someone capable of chatting casually with Natsuki-dono probably wasn't weak.
Kotoko, meanwhile, was discreetly sizing up the summoned devil.
Something felt… off.
Weren't devils supposed to be hideous and terrifying?
Why was this one so good-looking?
"Wait… That's the Shuchiin Academy uniform…" she muttered under her breath.
So he's a student at the same school?
Can this guy really be trusted…?
Suspicion flickered in her eyes.
---
"Alright, I've got the gist of it."
Between Yomi's explanation and his own magical probing, Lynn had already figured out the nature of this place.
In short—
If he wanted to be direct, he could just blast through it with raw magical power.
This was just an illusion space.
For someone of Lynn's level, it was a joke.
If he wanted to be more refined about it, he could just use the Blade Devil to cut through or use a Lightning Strike to shatter everything.
"Alright, let's talk payment first."
"Eh?"
Kotoko blinked, surprised by his bluntness.
Yomi, however, remained expressionless.
In fact, she looked somewhat relieved.
Since Lynn was already talking about payment, it meant he was confident he could get them out.
Now, the problem was on her end.
What could she offer?
Yomi glanced down at herself.
Aside from her body, she possessed her prized sword, Shishio—the heirloom katana of the Isayama family.
Well…She understood that the choice wasn't really hers to make.
After all, this was a deal involving two lives.
Yomi sighed inwardly.
She felt like she had already sighed more today than in her entire life.
Steeling herself, she said seriously, "Whatever the devil lord desires, he may take."
At the very least, she would get to live.
She didn't want to leave Kagura behind…
Thinking of her sister Kagura, her heart softened slightly.
Lynn, seeing this, didn't hesitate.
"Alright, then join my peerage."
Yomi wasn't surprised.
For a human, she was considered quite the talent.
"Fine."
She nodded without hesitation.
Once she had made up her mind, she wouldn't regret it.
Lynn raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by how quickly she agreed.
Kotoko, on the other hand, nearly yelped in shock.
"peerage? What does that mean?"
She blinked her seemingly innocent eyes at Lynn, curiosity shining in them.
Lynn didn't look at her, answering casually, "In simple terms, it means she's now part of my harem."
"H-Harem?!"
Kotoko was completely dumbfounded!
Did he really have to say it so openly?!
Were all devils this straightforward?!
She couldn't understand it at all!
Even Yomi stiffened slightly.
Did joining a peerage mean… fulfilling the duties of a wife too?
She felt a bit uncomfortable but managed to keep her expression neutral.
Her gaze wavered slightly.
…So she was getting married just like that?
But then again…Maybe this wasn't so bad?
Even though they'd only met twice—no, wait.
He was a Devil.
Yomi felt conflicted.
If she really had to fulfill a wife's duties, she was going to need some time to adjust.
Iwanaga Kotoko, seeing Yomi lost in thought as if she was daydreaming, couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Lynn glanced at Kotoko with an amused expression. "What's wrong? Thinking of joining my peerage too?"
"N-No way!"
Kotoko frantically waved her hands and even took a step back.
Sure, this Devil was handsome and pretty much her type, but joining a harem? That was a bit much...
She forced a smile. "Uh, well, my delicate little body probably couldn't handle the 'impact' of someone like you, so I'll pass."
"No worries. Once you become a Devil, your body would naturally strengthen."
Kotoko froze, then looked like she was about to cry. "D-Devil-san, I have a loli's body! There's no way I'd even fit!"
Lynn's expression turned strange. "Alright, alright. I was just messing with you."
Now that the payment was settled, there was no need to stick around.
"It's time to leave."
Hearing that, Kotoko patted her chest in relief.
Then she tilted her head in curiosity. "So, Devil-san, how do you plan to get us out?"
She and Yomi had been trapped in this space for days.
She knew very well how strong Yomi was, but even after fighting so many battles, Yomi had barely managed to break eight mirrors before she hit her limit.
How was this Devil going to do it?
She figured he would follow the rules too, right?
Based on her observations, this space had specific rules.
Through Yomi's battles, she had already confirmed two of them.
First, the gaze rule.
If someone stared at a mirror for too long, the scene within would materialize into reality, forcing them into combat.
Second, the obsession strike.
Each mirror contained an echo of its creator. Breaking a mirror meant facing the lingering will of its owner.
That was what drained Yomi so much.
Her heart was already fragile, and the constant barrage of negative emotions was mentally exhausting. If she pushed any further, she felt like she'd drown in their obsessions.
Kotoko relayed her findings to Lynn, her voice laced with concern.
But Lynn simply raised a hand. "No need to worry."
"All I need is..."
"A single move."
"...??" Kotoko blinked in confusion.
A surge of black magic exploded from Lynn's body!
Like roaring flames, his aura swept across the entire space in an instant.
Crack! Crack!
The illusionary mirror space couldn't withstand the sheer magnitude of his power. Fractures spread through the air, followed by—
BOOM!
The entire mirror dimension shattered!
The golden hues of the setting sun bathed them in light as reality reasserted itself.
Kotoko's eyes widened, her voice trembling. "A-Are you sure he's just a Devil? He's a full-on monster!"
She had never encountered a Devil before, but comparing the raw power Lynn had just displayed with what she knew of other supernatural beings, it was clear—
This guy was on a completely different level. He was a monster.
"A-A Devil?"
"H-He's terrifying!"
"Run! Run for your lives!!"
"W-We're doomed! Goddess of Wisdom-sama has been taken by a Devil!!"
The yokai scattered in every direction, screaming nonsense about how their Goddess of Wisdom was about to be devoured.
...
Kotoko twitched. Her small hands clenched into fists.
Seriously?! Those guys were beyond unreliable!
Meanwhile, Yomi stared blankly at Lynn. "You actually..."
"You just used raw magic to break through?"
It was such a simple and brute-force approach—but damn, was it effective.
This man...
No, her soon-to-be master...
Could he be on the verge of reaching the level of Satan?
Hiss—
Yomi's normally calm expression cracked as she sucked in a breath.
Was she about to take a shortcut to the top?
Becoming a peerage member of a future Satan?
This was a massive win...
---
"Let's begin the reincarnation ritual."
Yomi's body tensed.
But before she could react, Lynn, while gazing in one direction, added, "Though I'd love to get started, we've got a little pest to deal with first."
Pest?
Yomi and Kotoko both blinked in confusion.
Then they heard it—the sound of heavy footsteps.
"Well, well, I was wondering why you were taking so long to come out from my mirror Space."
The two women turned towards the voice.
A massive fox stepped into view.
"Yaaaaaa!!"
.
.
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