Jahy, her eyes closed, gradually settled into steady breathing.
The Tanaka household sank into silence as the long, busy day finally came to an end.
"No—wait!"
Jahy suddenly snapped her eyes open and sat bolt upright in bed.
"I still have to collect magic stones and rebuild the Demon Realm. How can I sleep at a time like this?"
She clenched her fists, her face filled with frustration.
"The human world is way too dangerous. The moment you let your guard down, you get addicted to comfort and pleasure."
"Jahy, Jahy, pull yourself together. The Demon Realm—and the Demon Lord-sama—still need you."
After pumping herself up, Jahy slipped out of bed, still wearing her pajamas and those slippers printed with adorable little cats.
She cracked open her bedroom door and cautiously peeked left and right.
Only after confirming no one was around did she quietly step out.
Tiptoeing all the way to Tanaka Masao's door, she made sure not to make a single sound.
Standing before his door, Jahy didn't move right away.
Instead, she bent down and peered through the gap beneath it.
When she saw that the lights inside were already off, she clenched her fist and silently celebrated.
"Nice!"
Certain that Tanaka Masao was asleep, Jahy finally reached for the doorknob.
"Huh? Why won't it open?"
She pushed, only to realize the door was locked.
"Damn it, it's locked from the inside. Who are you guarding against in your own house? You're definitely doing something shady in there."
Still, Jahy didn't give up. She pulled out a magic stone.
"Good thing I came prepared."
Some of the magic power inside the stone had already recovered—more than enough for her to cast a few minor spells.
A strange glow lit up around the lock.
"Magic: [Unlock]"
Calling it magic was a bit of a stretch—she was simply manipulating magic power to open the lock, like invisible hands at work.
With a crisp click, Tanaka Masao's door opened.
Jahy slowly pushed it open and stepped inside.
As a demon, even without the full support of her magic, Jahy still possessed excellent night vision. Her golden eyes reflected faintly in the darkness.
She approached Tanaka Masao's bed and looked down at him.
Listening to his steady snoring, Jahy shook her head.
[He's really out cold… but that just makes things easier for me.]
Once again, she sensed that powerful energy emanating from his chest. There was no doubt—this was her target.
She gently reached out and pulled back the blanket.
Fortunately, Tanaka Masao wasn't gripping it or lying on it, allowing Jahy to pull it down easily.
The blanket stopped at his waist, just barely covering his navel.
Embedded in Tanaka Masao's chest was a triangular crystal, glowing softly.
Jahy's eyes sparkled with delight.
She murmured softly,
"My precious little baby… you're so beautiful. Sticking with a guy like Masao must've been hard on you, huh? Come with me—I'll take really good care of you."
She wasn't saying this because of any strange fetish.
In her eyes, the armor possessed something akin to a spirit—a core consciousness.
So first, she needed to get on good terms with it and earn its approval.
Jahy showered it with praise, then gently stroked the armor core embedded in Tanaka Masao's chest.
Just as she expected, there was no rejection.
"Oh, my sweet little baby… hehehe~"
·····
Meanwhile, in his sleep, Tanaka Masao felt someone on top of him.
Half-awake and groggy, he heard someone whispering.
"My precious little baby, you're just too pretty. Come with me—I'll be good to you."
Tanaka Masao: ?
He forced his eyes open and followed the sound.
What he saw was Jahy crouched by his bedside, her small hand pressed against his chest.
Tanaka Masao: QAQ
His mind instantly snapped awake, utterly confused by the situation.
[Is this… a night raid? Then should I lie still and slowly enjoy it, or take the initiative?]
After hesitating for a moment, Tanaka Masao decided to wait and see.
If Jahy really tried something, he'd wake up right at her most relaxed moment.
Just imagining it was amusing. Heh heh heh.
While indulging in his fantasies, Tanaka Masao kept an eye on Jahy.
It didn't take long for him to realize something was off.
Because Jahy didn't seem interested in him at all—she was after the armor core in his chest.
She was sweet-talking the core while already trying to pry it loose.
[Damn it… so she's not after my body. That's way too damn irritating.]
Tanaka Masao was deeply displeased.
Back when he set up the armor system, he had installed safeguards to prevent it from harming those around him.
It wouldn't attack his family, and it wouldn't activate on its own unless his life was in danger.
That was precisely why Jahy could mess with the armor without being injured.
Right now, Tanaka Masao was angry—and he needed an outlet.
And that outlet was, naturally, Jahy.
He continued pretending to sleep, then rolled over, turning from lying flat to facing Jahy at the edge of the bed.
...
Jahy, completely absorbed in prying at the armor core, was startled by Tanaka Masao's sudden movement.
When she confirmed he had merely rolled over, she finally let out a breath of relief.
And went back to work.
At that moment, Tanaka Masao's hand suddenly reached out and rested on her back.
"Eh—?!"
Jahy's body shuddered, a startled yelp slipping out reflexively.
She reacted quickly, clapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from making any noise.
She looked at Tanaka Masao and saw that he still appeared to be asleep. Relaxing slightly, she assumed he had just rolled over and left his hand there by accident.
What she didn't notice was that Tanaka Masao's snoring had already stopped.
Feeling Jahy carefully trying to remove his hand, Tanaka Masao's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.
His fingers began to move—slowly.
His hand had landed a bit lower on Jahy's back, right around her waist.
And as everyone knows, the waist is an extremely sensitive area.
So the moment Tanaka Masao's fingers began to move, Jahy immediately reacted.