"So, becoming yours means being reincarnated as a demon and becoming your follower?"
After hearing Arashi Hayata's explanation, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally understood, though her eyes were filled with a complex mixture of emotions.
"Can you… speak more clearly?"
Arashi gave a calm expression, as if to say, It's obvious you misunderstood.
Essentially, what he had said wasn't wrong. Once she became his peerage, Utaha would be his .
Utaha took a deep breath. "Okay… I agree."
"You agree so easily?"
Arashi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I was planning to use threats or inducements if you refused."
"You seem to be thinking of something dangerous," Utaha said, narrowing her eyes, but a small smile appeared.
"Actually… if you think about it, there's nothing wrong with becoming a demon," she continued. "After all, this world has cursed spirits and demons. Other myths and legends are probably real as well. I didn't know before, but now that I've seen the truth… I can't allow myself to remain ordinary."
"And according to you, even the lowest-level demons live for several hundred years, and some can stay eternally young. That's something anyone would dream of."
Arashi was speechless. Her reasoning was surprisingly convincing. Could she be a novelist or someone who thinks very logically?
Even so, he picked up the queen chess piece with a calm expression. "Then let's begin. It might sting a little."
"Bring it on!"
Utaha nodded firmly, determination in her eyes.
After a moment, she noticed that Arashi hadn't started and looked at him in confusion.
"Ahem… it's my first time. I have no experience," he said with a dry cough before starting the procedure.
"Wait… why are you preparing this, dear Mr. Devil? Are you in such a hurry?"
"Don't worry. It's just a small part, and it will be over soon," Arashi reassured her.
"Just bear with it…"
Finally, the queen chess piece merged perfectly with Utaha.
"Is it… a success?"
Utaha covered her shoulders with her hands, her voice slightly trembling.
"I think so," Arashi replied, still observing carefully.
"Ah?"
Utaha's eyes widened. "Mr. Devil… are you sure there's no danger?"
"Don't worry. Absolutely not," he answered firmly.
"That's not the answer I wanted, Mr. Devil!"
As she spoke, her body shivered slightly, and she felt a strange surge of power.
At the same time, a dark red magic circle appeared beneath her.
[Origin: +1]
Arashi observed carefully.
This was his first time witnessing a reincarnation ceremony. Each demon reincarnated through a chess piece was granted specific characteristics:
King: Gains the ability to transform other creatures into demons.
Queen: Possesses the abilities of all chess pieces except the King and Soldier.
Castle: Extremely high attack and defense power.
Bishop: Magical talent.
Knight: Super speed.
Pawn: Lowest value, but can be promoted to any chess piece with the King's permission.
He had given the most valuable Queen piece to Utaha based purely on intuition. The demon chess pieces were powerful tools, but having a capable follower like her was priceless.
After a while, Utaha stood up, flushed and sweating. She removed her stockings, revealing pale, jade-like feet that stepped delicately on the floor.
Arashi's gaze unconsciously flicked down, but he quickly looked away.
"Mr. Devil… have you seen enough?"
Utaha's toes curled slightly as she smiled at him.
Arashi smiled back. "Should you… settle in now?"
Utaha looked at him with a strange expression. "You… pervert master?"
"If you insist on that title, I won't argue," Arashi replied casually.
"Indeed, Master… you are a pervert, aren't you?"
"Thank you for the compliment," he said lightly.
Arashi then took out his phone. "Let's exchange contact numbers so we can reach each other in the future."
"Are demonic communication methods really so… mundane?"
Utaha muttered as she took out her phone. After exchanging numbers, Arashi produced several magic books.
"In addition to the changes in your body, you should also have magical talent. Start with these," he said.
Utaha's eyes lit up instantly. Magic! Legendary power! Could this finally reveal the truth of this world?
Arashi picked up a foundational magic book. "This is the basis of magic. Begin here. If you have questions, you can ask me."
"Uh-huh!"
Utaha nodded repeatedly, flipping through the pages like a child who had just found a new toy.
Arashi, meanwhile, sipped a cup of black tea he had brewed.
Soon, his pupils constricted. Utaha raised her hand, and an inexplicable ripple filled the air.
Arashi recognized it immediately. She was actually casting magic.
Buzz!
A small, light-blue magic circle appeared, and a gentle breeze swirled in the room.
Even at this basic level, her talent was extraordinary.
Watching Utaha study and practice magic like this, Arashi remained silent.
His intuition had been correct — she was a genius.
But even for someone so talented, this was astonishing. Learning even the most basic magic by merely observing it once was nearly unheard of.
He thought quietly: Even Himejima Akeno, with her special bloodline, might not surpass this level of aptitude.