Inside the room.
"So, you really won't eat me?"
Miko asked cautiously.
"Don't compare me to those low-level, stray Devils."
Ayato explained. "And if I wanted to hurt you, I could have done so during the day."
"It seems... that's true."
Nodding, Miko's expression grew complicated.
'This Mr. Devil seemed different from the legends.'
'At least,'
'He didn't look ugly or evil, and was quite handsome.'
'He seemed to genuinely mean me no harm.'
"So, what is your wish?"
"Hmm?"
Miko was taken aback. "What wish?"
"The rules should be clearly stated on the flyer, right?"
Ayato was speechless. "Or did you summon me just because you missed me?"
"Let me be clear, I don't dislike it, but the contract must be fulfilled."
"Who... who would be thinking about that."
Miko's face flushed. She began to fidget.
She retracted her previous thought.
'This Devil didn't seem very proper.'
'But a 'wish'... it did say something about that.'
And for her, such a wish was indeed necessary.
She was fed up with Cursed Spirits.
She didn't want to live in fear anymore.
She took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Mr. Devil, I don't want to see those Cursed Spirits anymore. Please grant this wish for me, Mr. Devil."
Ayato blinked. "That seems... a bit troublesome."
"Can't Mr. Devil do it either?"
Miko's eyes dimmed. "So I have to live like this forever."
"Don't misunderstand. Granting your wish is actually very easy."
Ayato smiled and explained. "Sealing your spiritual ability is very simple for me."
"It's just... for a Devil, not being able to see Cursed Spirits seems a bit strange."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Miko was confused.
'What did Devils have to do with me?'
"You didn't think you could make a wish to a Devil without paying a price, did you?"
Ayato looked at her strangely. "After granting your wish, I will reincarnate you as a Devil. That is, you will become my servant."
'B-become a Devil?'
Miko's body stiffened.
Looking like she was about to cry again, she very smoothly knelt down. "This humble girl did not know her place. Please, Mr. Devil, go back."
"No can do. The contract is already established. I will collect my price no matter what."
"That... doesn't sound very fair."
Miko looked up, forcing a smile. "Unfair clauses... you can't do business like that."
"That's a very good point."
Ayato nodded thoughtfully. "Then sue me."
Yotsuya Miko: "..."
'Sue you?'
'I can't sue you for shit!'
'This behavior... is simply devilish.'
'Wait!'
'He is a Devil. Never mind then.'
'Oh my god! My brain must have short-circuited earlier to actually summon him!'
"Alright, you don't have to be so conflicted."
Seeing Miko about to cry, Ayato smiled. "Becoming my servant isn't a bad thing."
"Your fear of Cursed Spirits is just fear of the unknown."
"After becoming a Devil, mere Cursed Spirits can be destroyed with a wave of your hand."
As if cooperating with Ayato...
The large-headed Cursed Spirit outside the window floated by again.
"You can see, right?"
"You can see, right?"
Ayato opened the window and snapped his fingers lightly.
Crackle!
With a flash of cursed power,
The large-headed Cursed Spirit instantly exploded, disappearing without a trace.
"See? Like that."
Miko: "..."
'That looked... really easy?'
After a moment of silence, she said hopefully, "Can I do that too?"
If she could easily kill Cursed Spirits herself,
Then there really didn't seem to be any reason to be afraid.
At the end of the day, she was just afraid of being eaten by Cursed Spirits.
"Killing low-level Cursed Spirits like that is effortless."
"So, have you decided?"
Ayato said calmly. "If you insist on having your wish granted, I can do that for you."
"After becoming a Devil, your ability to see Cursed Spirits will be sealed. I hope you don't find that troublesome."
"That's just redundant."
Miko retorted.
Then,
She fell into thought.
If she looked at it that way...
Becoming a Devil didn't seem like a bad thing.
And most importantly,
At this point, she had no choice.
"Okay, don't seal my spiritual ability."
Miko nodded firmly. "I want to become a Devil and use my power to destroy Cursed Spirits."
"Very good. That's the right choice."
Ayato smiled, then took out an Evil Piece.
"Then, let's begin the Reincarnation Ceremony."
"???"
Miko's face was full of question marks.
'What's with the chess piece?'
'This Reincarnation Ceremony seemed a bit abstract.'
'Thinking about it, the Devil flyer was also a bit abstract.'
"Why do I feel like you're thinking something rude?"
Ayato looked at her strangely and explained, "Next, take off your clothes."
'T-t-take off clothes?'
Miko's pupils shook. Her skin was almost covered in pink.
'Th-this is too sudden.'
'As expected of a Devil. This so-called Reincarnation Ceremony was far too evil.'
'But,'
'How was the chess piece supposed to be used?'
'It wouldn't...'
'No, no, no. My first time couldn't be given to a chess piece.'
Ayato: "..."
'Well,'
'Another woman with a rich internal monologue.'
"Don't worry. Just take off your outer clothes."
Afraid she might faint from embarrassment, Ayato could only explain helplessly.
"Ah?"
Miko's body trembled.
'So,'
'I had misunderstood.'
'Then my behavior just now...'
'It's far too embarrassing.'
"So, can we begin now?"
Ayato played with the Evil Piece, asking.