"I am a Hero!"
Kouki's eyes widened, looking utterly incredulous.
"Hero? How dare you still call yourself a Hero?"
Unexpectedly, the Demon Woman flew into a rage upon hearing this.
She had been informed that the Hero was the strongest human, and she was instructed to either win him over or kill him if that failed.
In fact, she had been following these instructions all along.
But now, a monster hundreds of times stronger than this so-called "Hero" had appeared!
He had mercilessly crushed one of her strongest monsters as if it were a bug, right before her eyes!
What happened to the Hero being the strongest human? What happened to humanity being doomed if the Hero joined them?
As a Demon Woman, her senses for monsters were acute.
The longer she observed Hiyama, the more fear grew in her heart!
Because she smelled the stench of countless monster corpses on this white-haired young man!
How many monsters had he killed?!
Not only that, the auras of those monsters had accumulated on him, so in the Demon Woman's eyes, Hiyama was no less than an ancient Demon God!
It was laughable that this fool still talked about joining them.
The Demon Woman was deeply convinced that even if everyone here, including her own demons, attacked together, they might not be enough for just one of his right hands!
So she had walked on thin ice, step by step, to this point.
It was all to use the method of holding hostages, the only trick she could use to make Hiyama yield.
"Yaha Tode, make him shut up."
The Demon Woman couldn't be bothered with this idiot and commanded directly.
The horse-headed monster snorted a puff of white air from his nostrils, faithfully executing the order, and punched Kouki in the stomach.
"Waah!"
Kouki spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes rolling back.
Meanwhile, Hiyama, who heard Kaori's bold declaration, couldn't help but let out an "Oh."
He raised an eyebrow, looking at Kaori with a playful expression; this girl was indeed good, with a figure and breasts.
Her appearance was also top-notch, a rare beauty from any angle.
Moreover, she was the healing profession that the team lacked, although Hiyama and the others didn't really need one.
But an adventure party without a healer really wouldn't make sense.
Based on these reasons, Hiyama had no reason to let her go.
He recalled how he had painstakingly set a trap for her just to barely force her to confess to him.
Now, he didn't even need to set a trap; she was directly giving herself away, this business was definitely a huge profit!
Thinking of this, Hiyama wasn't pretentious and said, "Alright, I agree. From now on, remember this."
"After this, you are my woman."
A wicked, charming smile appeared on Hiyama's lips.
Upon hearing this, Kaori instantly blushed scarlet.
Even Shizuku, standing beside her, felt her heart stop for a moment when she saw Hiyama's smile.
"Could it be me too...?"
Shizuku's heart pounded wildly.
Realizing this, she quickly forced herself to calm down.
That was the person Kaori liked! What was she even thinking?!
"It seems you've changed your mind."
Seeing them finish talking, the Demon Woman suppressed the joy in her heart and asked with a feigned calm expression, "Hmm, you're right."
"That... hothead, it seems I really have to save him."
Hiyama remained calm, as if nothing could stir his emotions.
"In that case, then according to my previous conditions, as long as you surrender and put on this collar."
The Demon Woman threw out a collar with a chain and said, "I can release this boy. Of course, if they are willing, they can also join us."
Hiyama didn't rush to answer, but looked at the collar on the ground and said indifferently, "So this is how you control humans."
"What about it?"
A drop of cold sweat ran down the Demon Woman's forehead; Hiyama's attitude made her feel a sense of danger.
"Hurry up, or I'll really kill this boy!"
The Demon Woman commanded the horse-headed monster, Yaha Tode, to grip Kouki's neck with his two large hands, so that if Hiyama made any strange move, Yaha Tode could immediately kill Kouki.
At this point, she had gone all out.
Anyway... it was death either way! Might as well take a Hero down with her!
"Hiyama...-kun."
Kaori looked at Hiyama's back worriedly.
"Let's trust him."
Shizuku said in a deep voice, but her hands were trembling slightly.
Hiyama made no extra movements; he simply extended his right hand and made a grasping motion forward.
It was as if he had grasped some transparent object in the air.
"Do you remember the first thing I told you?"
Hiyama asked with a smile.
"What did you say?! I warn you... Ugh!"
The Demon Woman suddenly felt her heart stop and her breathing shorten, a powerful force tightly binding her heart.
It was as if a large hand had passed through her body and grabbed her heart!
"Since you don't remember, I'll repeat it to you."
"I said, your appearance looks just like a human's..."
"And coincidentally, this magic of mine can only be used on humans!"
"Heart Seize!"
Hiyama increased the force in his hand, and the Demon Woman's eyes widened, immediately losing strength and collapsing to her knees.
"Guh!"
The monster Yaha Tode looked at his master suddenly kneeling on the ground, and with his low intelligence, he had no idea what was happening.
He could only let out a confused sound.
Unfortunately, his master's current condition made it impossible for her to answer him a single word, let alone give any commands!
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Chapter 71: How Do You Know!
"Wait, Hiyama."
"There's no need to kill her; we can still get information about the Demon people from her."
Shizuku came to Hiyama's side and said.
But Hiyama's expression remained cold and unmoved.
Shizuku gritted her teeth and said, "I owe you another favor."
Hiyama's expression finally softened, and he playfully said, "Aren't you afraid of owing too many favors, that you'll have to give yourself to me in the end?"
"...I believe you wouldn't force someone to do something they don't want to do."
Shizuku's face instantly flushed crimson, and she managed to say after a long pause.
"I didn't expect you to understand me so well..."
Hiyama raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.
"Alright then, I'll give you another favor; remember it."
Hiyama agreed.
"Go pick up that... collar, and then put it around the Demon Woman's neck."
"...Is that really necessary? Her life is in your hands."
Hiyama shook his head and said, "You don't understand the Demon people. Once she gets a chance to speak, her first command will definitely be for that monster to twist the hothead's neck."
"You say that as if you know a lot..."
Shizuku retorted.
But she still obediently picked up the collar the Demon Woman had dropped and then, according to Hiyama's instructions, walked towards the Demon Woman.
Yaha Tode became somewhat agitated upon seeing Shizuku approach, but without the Demon Woman's command, he wouldn't do anything on his own.
He could only watch helplessly as Shizuku walked over and placed the collar around his master's neck.
"It's just as he said..."
Shizuku thought to herself.
Before leaving, Hiyama had warned her not to make any unnecessary movements; that Yaha Tode wouldn't attack her without receiving a command.
"Heh, heh, heh..."
After the collar was in place, Hiyama released his magic.
The Demon Woman, regaining her freedom, gasped for air like a drowning fish, making sounds like a bellows.
As soon as she recovered a little consciousness, she tried to open her mouth to command Yaha Tode.
But Shizuku, who was prepared, was faster than her.
"Make that monster release... Kouki."
She commanded.
So the words on the Demon Woman's lips turned into, "Yaha Tode, release... that human."
Yaha Tode obediently followed the command and released Kouki.
Kouki collapsed to the ground like a broken sack.
"You are not allowed to speak without my permission."
Shizuku gave another command.
The Demon Woman instantly looked at Shizuku with hateful eyes, but she clearly couldn't do anything to Shizuku at this moment.
The moment the collar was placed on the Demon Woman, the chain part became transparent and hidden, but Shizuku could faintly feel the chain in her hand.
"This collar doesn't seem to have a brainwashing effect."
"But it can make the person wearing it obey the commands of the one holding the chain unconditionally."
Shizuku observed the Demon Woman's appearance and concluded that the Demon Woman was precisely planning to use this item to control them, the summoners.
She probably intended to take them back to the Demon people's country and then brainwash them by other means.
"I'll ask you one question, and you answer one question."
Shizuku thought for a moment and said.
Ignoring the Demon Woman's hateful gaze, she asked, "What is your name?"
"...Gaderia."
"What is your purpose?"
"..."
"Are those... monster armies controlled by you?"
"..."
"How can you control such a large monster army? Do you have some ability?"
"..."
The more Shizuku asked, the more annoyed she became; this Demon Woman had not given out any information except her name.