Holding <The Lesser Key of Solomon>, from which the chains of light had sprung, like a leash, I looked down at Paimon crawling on all fours, his neck and limbs bound in shackles of light.

CLINK...

As the chain around his neck pulled taut, the crown atop his gleaming golden hair tilted.

"Ugh... Hah..."

His beautiful face twisted at the heat of the shining shackles, beads of sweat forming on his skin. He bit down on his pink lip, seemingly resentful.

... It wasn't actually that sort of situation, but judging by appearances alone, I really did look like I was tormenting a pretty, delicate young girl.

Of course, he wasn't a girl—or even human. He was an archdemon, one of the kings of Hell.

Still, if he was going to take the form of a beautiful woman, why not just be a woman? I didn't understand why he was male.

Apparently, the only purely female demon among Solomon's seventy-two was Gremory, the fifty-sixth, so Paimon being a pretty cross-dressing man was accurate to demon lore.

... Well, at least he didn't look like some hairy middle-aged guy.

Anyway.

Gripping the grimoire, I pulled the chain of light, tugging at the resisting Paimon's leash.

"Ah... Ugh...!?"

"You seem to have greatly enjoyed playing king in the lowest depths."

Paimon tried to resist, but the chains fastened to his wrists and ankles pulled him forward.

CLINK... CLINK...

Trembling, he crawled toward me on his palms and knees.

"Whose glory do you think I am vested with?"

"Ah... Ugh... Hah..."

"Am I to kiss your feet, or are you to kiss mine?"

CLINK!

"Aagh!"

The demon army filling the banquet hall could not utter a word. They kept their mouths shut in fearful silence.

Dragged up to the magic circle where Yohan stood, Paimon parted his trembling lips.

"G-Great One... Your Majesty... I was wrong."

He bowed his head, letting his sweat-soaked golden hair hang down, and pleaded in a sweet voice.

"... So please loosen the shackles just a little."

I yanked the chain connected to Paimon's neck.

RATTLE!

"Sorry about this."

I forced his torso upright and made him lift his head.

"I don't even listen to my own mom and dad."

"...?!"

Despite his sweet voice, defiance still lingered in Paimon's eyes. I met them directly and gave him a gentle smile.

Holding his leash, I looked coldly down at him.

"You may receive only what I give you," I said in a low voice. "Do not dare ask me for anything first."

Paimon looked at me, his face flushed as the shackle constricted his neck.

"..."

I closed the grimoire, releasing the shackles.

"Ah...!?"

As the chains of light vanished, Paimon lost his balance and landed on his backside.

I addressed him.

"Now take what you have harvested here and return."

Still sitting on the floor, Paimon rubbed his neck and wrists where the shackles had been.

"... Understood."

With deliberately exaggerated movements, he folded his hands demurely and bowed. Then he raised his torso and spoke.

"Then I shall look forward to the day Your Majesty steps out of that coward's circle..."

He looked up at Yohan with narrowed eyes and a beautiful smile.

"...and caresses my body with your own hands."

I answered Paimon's taunt casually.

"That day will never come, demon."

WHOOOOSH.

A whirlwind swirled up from the summoning circle.

The corpses throughout the banquet hall and the rest of the building turned to smoke. Down to the last drop of blood, they dissolved along with Paimon and his demon army and were sucked into the summoning circle.

They took all the blood and flesh, except for the living Yohan and Sua.

A moment later, an eerie stillness filled the building, with nothing left behind.

The banquet hall was so clean that it was hard to believe corpses had been strewn across it moments before. Only the two magic circles remained, as if to prove that what had happened here was no lie.

I staggered out of the magic circle.

Mental exhaustion washed over me. The spell I'd placed on my forehead wound wore off, and it reopened, sending blood trickling down.

'Damn... I've never been this tired after using magic...'

Summoning an entire demon army really had been a bit much, huh?

... Well, that aside, putting a demon on a leash and making him crawl like a dog had been pretty entertaining.

Maybe it was like driving a tank in that uncanny dating-sim world?

Next time, I'd like to try it with an actual female demon—the prettiest girl in Hell, big tits, a virgin.

Obviously, that was just a fucked-up joke.

I'd only summoned one this time because the circumstances left me no choice. I'd avoid sharing a table with demons whenever possible.

With unsteady steps, I made my way to the table where Sua was hiding, knelt on one knee, and lifted the tablecloth.

She was trembling beneath my coat.

"M-mister?"

"It's all over. Come out."

Sua crawled out from under the table. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood running from Yohan's forehead down his face.

"Mister... You're bleeding!"

Her dark eyes wavered. Clenching her trembling hands, she sank to the floor.

"I'm..."

She lowered her head as though she felt guilty even looking at me, and murmured,

"... I'm sorry. You got dragged into this because of me... You got hurt... I'm sorry."

Her shoulders trembled pitifully.

And seeing her like that—

"What?"

—I got irritated. My face creased into a scowl.

It wasn't as if she'd gone somewhere after being told not to because it was dangerous. It wasn't as if she'd done something she'd been told she shouldn't do.

What part of this situation was her fault?

"Hah..."

A sigh escaped me. I'd thought she was a budding magician.

Instead, she was just a shitty little brat who couldn't be honest.

When a magician got mixed up in something, their default mindset ought to be:

'How the hell is this my fault?'

Still kneeling on one knee, I looked at Sua sitting on the floor, her shoulders trembling.

I didn't know what had happened between her and her father. It wasn't my concern.

It was just—

"... I'm sorry."

"That's not right."

"What?"

"I didn't get hurt because of you."

—that I didn't think this was her fault.

I couldn't stand seeing her with her head bowed, so I reached out, grabbed her bangs, and forced her to look up.

"Eek!?"

"I saved you."

I said what the car hitting me had kept me from finishing earlier.

"Try living a little more positively, you bitch."

"—!?"

At those words, at the sight of Yohan looking her straight in the eye, Sua's eyes widened. Only Yohan was reflected in them.

I let go of her hair and stood up.

"There should be a notebook inside the coat."

After causing such a huge, blatant incident, perhaps killing Sua to silence at least one witness was the right move. But I didn't want to.

It wasn't a matter of morality. It was a matter of profit.

I'd nearly died and gone through all this trouble. Getting nothing out of it would be irritating, wouldn't it?

I had to gain something.

I looked down at Sua as she looked up at me.

"It's a notebook of magical knowledge I've compiled. Memorize it."

Even if all I gained was an amateur assistant.

"Starting today, you're my holy-water pisser. Make holy water and bring it to me every Wednesday. Understood?"

Sua blinked for a moment, then turned her head slightly as she spoke.

"Um... I don't mind. I'd be happy to. But I think that choice of words might give people the impression you're a scumbag, mister."

"That's... definitely true."

I dragged my palm down my face.

"I'm already regretting saying it. Sorry. Holy-water maker? No, let's just go with plain old assistant."

Damn... My vision was getting even blurrier.

I swayed, and Sua hurried to her feet to support me.

"Mister! Are you okay?"

"... Honestly, I'm struggling."

I gestured toward the magic circles with my eyes.

"Splash water on those circles to ruin them, and let's get the hell out of here."

"Okay! I'll do it. Sit down for a moment."

Sua quickly poured the water from the kettles over the magic circles, washing them away. Supporting the staggering Yohan, she left the building, hailed a taxi, helped him inside, and departed.

* * *

At the luxury hotel she'd visited after the zombie campground incident, Sua first told her father's secretary that Chairman Kim's men had attacked her and killed her two bodyguards.

However, she thought Yohan wouldn't want what had happened in the building revealed, so... she made up a story that he'd helped her before she could be abducted, keeping her safe.

She said Yohan had been injured in the process and asked for the family's personal physician to be called.

The middle-aged female doctor finished treating Yohan, who lay asleep on the hotel bed, by applying gauze to his forehead.

Sua cautiously asked about his condition.

"Um... Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. Don't worry too much."

The doctor nodded.

"He has no injuries apart from the wound on his forehead. He's just fallen asleep from exhaustion."

Sua let out a relieved breath.

After the doctor left, she quietly watched Yohan sleeping in the room.

"Ah..."

Remembering the notebook he'd mentioned, she took it out of his coat and checked its contents.

'I wonder... Is it in here?'