Kuroka's golden eyes now burned with determination, no longer trembling.
It was a strange feeling.
That woman, who had once seemed so terrifying, a Shinigami-like existence that had nearly driven her to abandon all hope, now made her heart race with just a single glance from those dark, alluring eyes.
Had Kuroka ever truly been trusted by anyone before? During her long years on the run, she had grown accustomed to the greedy, calculating gazes of others, believing that people existed only to be used.
She had joined the Khaos Brigade out of convenience, a means to hide herself, and allied with Vali's team purely out of cold pragmatism—strong allies meant survival.
But Kazuki was different.
The sheer conviction in his words, the unshakable honesty in his gaze—it stirred something in her. She had never known how good it felt to be trusted by someone.
Even if Kazuki possessed immense combat power, he was still just a reincarnated devil. Against the might of the underworld's aristocracy, he might be powerless, Kuroka knew that.
'So why did I believe in Kazuki?' For now, the answer didn't matter.
"I'll stick with him… at least until I figure it out, nya~."
—
———
The next day…
Kazuki Fuwa found himself once again in Sirzechs' office.
"Thank you for taking the time to see me despite your busy schedule."
"Not at all. What brings you here today, Kazuki-kun?"
"I'd like to request a reinvestigation into the House of Naberius regarding Kuroka's case."
Sirzechs paused his work, straightening in his seat.
"Explain in detail."
"Yes. After speaking with Kuroka recently, I noticed discrepancies between her account and the official report."
"So you want a reinvestigation… What did she say?"
Kazuki relayed Kuroka's side of the story.
Sirzechs listened silently before finally speaking.
"Hmm… Kazuki-kun, do you believe her words?"
"Yes. I trust Kuroka."
"You would take the word of a criminal over our government's investigation… Why?"
"After speaking with her directly, I sensed no deception in her words. Besides… I have my own doubts about the upper echelons of the underworld."
Sirzechs remained silent, prompting Kazuki to continue.
"At the recent gathering of young devils, aside from the Demon Lords themselves, the others… they reeked of condescension. They looked down on every young devil there."
It was obvious. Whether it was Sona's proposal for a Rating Game academy, Sairaorg's declaration to become a Demon Lord, or Rias' ambition to dominate the games, the higher-ups devils had already written them off, sneering internally at their so-called "impossible dreams."
"According to Kuroka, her master violated their contract and attempted to harm her little sister, Koneko. She had no choice but to kill him. Do you really think the noble houses would admit to such a scandal? Or do they simply believe contracts with reincarnated devils aren't worth honoring in the first place?"
"..."
"Moreover, the ones chasing Kuroka tried to kill her on sight without a single word. By all rights, they should've captured and interrogated her first. This reeks of the Naberius family covering up the incident. That's why I'm asking for a reinvestigation into them."
Having said his piece, Kazuki waited for Sirzechs' response.
"So it was as I suspected... Kazuki, where is Kuroka now?"
"I've been protecting her, but..."
"Let me see her. There's something I need to confirm."
Sirzechs' expression turned deadly serious as he pressed the issue. After a brief pause, Kazuki called out into the empty air.
"You heard him. What'll it be, Kuroka?"
"...Fine. I'm comin', nya~."
Responding to Kazuki's voice, a seductive, kimono-clad, cat-eared beauty—Kuroka—emerged from the void. She had been hiding in a pocket dimension, eavesdropping on their conversation all along.
Manipulating space was an advanced technique, and Sirzechs couldn't help but be impressed by Kuroka's mastery of it.
"So... you're Kuroka. I am Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Great Satans. A pleasure."
"...Kuroka, nya."
Kuroka responded curtly to Sirzechs' greeting.
"Right. Let's cut to the chase. Do you still have the contract from your former master?"
"Devils value contracts above all."
As the saying went, when a servant was reincarnated, a contract was drawn up between master and subordinate—two copies, one for each party. Even Kazuki had later formed a contract with Rias.
"...Got it right here, nya."
Kuroka reached into the void and pulled out a single sheet of parchment.
It was the contract she had signed with her former master from House Naberius. But unlike the usual jet-black script, the master's name was now stained crimson, and a large ✕ was emblazoned across the entire document. This was...
Even Kuroka seemed surprised by the change, her feline eyes widening slightly.
"Sirzechs-sama, what on earth is this...?"
"This is something only high-ranking devils know, but demonic contracts have a built-in failsafe. If either party violates the terms, the offender's name turns red, and a mark of nullification appears. It proves who broke the agreement."
"So this is solid evidence?"
"Indeed... Truth be told, there were already suspicions about this case. We'd been investigating the Naberius family's corruption for a while. I figured if Kuroka still had her contract, it could be the smoking gun we needed. That's why I asked you to capture her when she reappeared in the Underworld."
Hearing this hidden agenda he hadn't been told about, Kazuki could only tilt his head back and stare at the sky in exasperation.
"You could've told me that from the start!"
'If things had gone wrong, I might have ended up killing Kuroka,' Kazuki thought.
"Hahaha, my apologies. There were circumstances on our end as well. —At any rate, Kuroka, I'd like you to surrender yourself into my custody. While I can't grant you complete exoneration, I can arrange for a significant reduction in your sentence. What do you say?"
'Thank god.' With this, she'd be under the protection of the Demon King. But Kuroka pressed herself tightly against Kazuki and set her own condition.
"…Only if Kazuki stays with me, nya~!"
"Kuroka?!"
Just as he'd begun to relax, thinking his role was over, her unexpected demand caught him off guard. But seeing the unease in her eyes, he steeled himself.
"Sirzechs-sama, please allow me to continue acting as Kuroka's guard. I have a responsibility to see her fate through to the end."
Sirzechs observed the two standing close together, a knowing smile curling on his lips.
"Very well. Then I'll leave her in your care."
—
———
After having Kazuki and Kuroka wait in a separate room while his subordinates handled the arrangements, a knock came at the door—Grayfia entered.
"How did it go with Kazuki-san?"
Sirzechs smiled at Grayfia's immediate question.
"Better than expected. He didn't blindly accept the information given to him and instead sought out Kuroka's testimony to uncover the truth. This proves he's more than just brute strength."
Now, the Naberius family—long shrouded in dark rumors—would finally face justice. If this served as the catalyst, even Ajuka and Falbium would have to acknowledge it.
Kazuki's power already rivaled that of a high-class devil. Letting such strength go to waste would be a shame.
"—So then?"
"Indeed. It may be a bit early, but I believe it's time to elevate him to a position befitting his abilities."
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