Hataraku Maou sama Volume 5 Part 2

Vol 5 Chapter 2:

 The Demon King, talks about the relationship between people

“Even though I know that you are still in Japan, but what are you doing here? If you’re looking for Maou, he’s gone out already.”

Urushihara said while staring intently at the computer screen.
The floor that Chiho finally had time to clean was quickly made into a mess by empty PET bottles and snack remenants. It was as though Urushihara’s surroundings would naturally produce a magic barrier and form a special space.  The summer sky was clear through and through and the sunlight shone mercillessly on Sasazuka town. Urushihara drank a mouthful of wheat tea from his cup.  “I know, I did take a look around. I’m not looking for him, I’m looking for you. Since the Demon King and his lackey as well as the Missus next door have all gone out, so the best chance is now.”  “What is it?”  Urushihara still, as before, has not looked at the person who is speaking in the eye.  “Wow, but this room is really warm! Is it alright to use a computer under this sort of heat? I remember that computers don’t take heat well.”

“It’s not that bad. As long as you don’t push it too hard.”
 “Oh, I see. So that’s why the table is next to the window. Eh, at least this place has some wind.”  “Anyway…”  “Oh right, isn’t it very hot right now? I have become quite hooked onto Hiigan Diaz ice cream, the mint chocolate one is delicious!”
(T/N: Hiigan Diaz is a parody of Häagen-Dazs.)
 Finally, Urushihara’s eyes left the screen and he turned his head with a look of annoyance on his face.  “Anyway, if you have something to say, spit it out. Or I’ll use the Skyphone to report to Maou and say that you invaded our house and is rummaging throught the fridge, Gabriel.”  A large stocky angel was currently taking an ice cream stick from the fridge of Maou’s house on his own accord and happily eating it.  “Ah, your home’s finaces seem to be a bit tight lately?”  “Stop fooling around, it you continue messing around, I’ll get scolded.”  “Don’t be so rigid, just treat it like a guest is visiting and you served some wheat tea and ice cream to the guest.”   “Who the hell is a guest. Enough, if you have something to say, say it and leave. If those people come back and ask you for repair fees for the wall, I’m not going to involve myself.”  “Hey, it isn’t like that is it? More accurately, the one who wrecked the wall isn’t me, but that little girl, Alas=Ramus, who sent me flying right?”  “But the one who made her do that was you wasn’t it?”  Urushihara replied coldly.  Of course, Gabriel was unaware that the repair fee for the wall was settled by the landlady, but just for the case of destroying the wall, he seemed to have enough insight that he was partially responsible.  “Speaking of which, “I’ll get scolded”….”
 Gabriel gave a cunning smile while he finished the ice cream and licked the stick feeling a bit reluctant to throw it away. But he still took the stick and threw it into the trash can in the corner of his eye.
“That’s the trash can for plastic trash. The combustibles should be thrown next to the fridge.”  “Don’t be so rigid, so I was saying—“

“What do you mean “so I was saying”, didn’t I say that you’ll cause me to get scolded? Whatever, get out of here, you’re damn annoying! What did you even come here for!”  Seems like even Urushihara’s patience has also reached a limit and he had not intention of hiding his displeasure.  “But—“

“Now what!”
“To hear from your mouth, the one who has been named “The Son of Dawn”, the one closest to God, to hear you say “I’ll be scolded” or something like that is truly comical. And to think you will be picky about the trash category of an ice cream stick. It really is queer to the point that I can’t even laugh.”  Gabriel pointed out this fact.  However, there was no change on Urushihara’s unhappy face.

“Then I’m so sorry. The present me is like this. Basically, didn’t you say earlier that an angel’s image is important? Since you call yourself an angel, then at the very least, sort the trash.”  Urushihara said with disdain before turning his head again to face the computer.  But Gabriel ignored the comment and continued talking.  “Why do you choose to stay under such a young demon? Even though everyone says that your current power is far far less than where you were at your prime, but I have never seen your ability at its fullest so I’m a bit curious about what kinds of ideas you were having when you decided to become a demon in the Demon World.”  “Because I had nothing to do.”

Urushihara answered simply.  “Nothing to do?”  Gabriel smiled slightly repeating Urushihara’s answer.  “I’m quite happy now you know?”  “…..You’ll get scolded for not sorting the trash and you have to stay in this stifling hot room surfing anime sites and you are happy? Even though it's a bit…you know…to say this, but even I’m a lot more comfortable then you, staying in that internet café.”  “It’s enjoyable here. At least…..”  “You’re not going to take a jibe at the internet café part?”

Urushihara used his pair of amethyst eyes and stared at Gabriel sharply though his long bangs.  “Compared to that place which has absolutely nothing, this is a lot better than letting a long time, long enough to drive anyone to madness, pass by idly.”  “But our side is in a deep mess because of you.”  “You could make use of it to occupy yourselves right?”  Gabriel did not reply, the tree in the yard of the apartment gathered different kinds of cicadas, emphasizing on the stifling heat of the summer day.  “Because I had nothing to do and I was so idle that I could not bear it so I followed Satan in his deeds. That’s all. Alright, I’m done talking. If there is nothing else, leave quickly.”  “That’s right, it's about that.”  “Ah?”

Just as Urushihara was thinking of chasing the uninvited guest out, Gabriel suddenly clapped his hands causing Urushihara to jump.  “I wanted to ask about that Satan, so that’s why I came all the way to this kind of faraway place, Sasazuka, in this hot day.”  “Then ask the actual person. It's not as though Maou went on a trip. He should be in Shinjuku or something.”  “Oh my, I have the feeling that he won’t answer even if I asked him. Besides, isn’t he still young? Rather than asking him, asking you is more practical.”  Gabrie reverted back to his original frivilous tone and said to Lucifer.
“Also, rather than asking the one who only knows about the rumors, why not ask the fella who knows the actual person, the information would be more accurate, don’t you think?”  “?”  Isn't Maou Sadao the Demon King Satan himself?

Even though there was no question about whether one knows the actual person or not, Gabriel still waggled his finger and said,  “Lucifer, the ‘Satan’ you had connections with, there should be another one right? I’m not referring to that young man who knows nothing about the world.”
Urushihara listened and narrowed his eyes.
Gabriel continued talking with a sinister smile on his face:  “I want to ask, information about the “Legendary Demon King Satan”, how much do you actually know.”  “That’s it? So you just wanted to ask about that. You made me put on such a serious expression for nothing.”  Urushihara sighed in a very disappointed manner and turned his head again to look at his computer monitor.  On the contary, Gabriel who did not expect Urushihara to have such a reaction, collapsed on his knees without thinking.  “Hey, what kind of reaction is that! I should have created a atmosphere to talk about serious topics just now right?”  “NEETs who bother about looking at the atmosphere are only second rates.”  “Even if I become a first rate, what good does it do?”  “Even if there are no advantages, there are no disadvantages or any loss either.”  “That’s only your subjective opinion right? If you look at it objectively, no matter how it is, this kind of life is just one that puts you at a disadvantage, don’t you think?”

“If you waver because if other people’s opinions, then you can forget about being a NEET. This kind of people only deserve the title of a third rate.”
 “If you already reached that sort of stage, by convention, you would have been kicked out of the house right?”  “Someone who gets chased out of the house is essentially beneath a third rate. Even if one does not make any effort to do favors for the other party, he still has to be careful not to let the person he’s depending on deal a fatal blow. Someone who can accurately see this line is a first rate. This is a bit like a kind of sport.”  “You need to apologise to everyone on earth who has some involvement in sports. But in conclusion, isn’t that the same as looking at the atmosphere?”  “Nope. That is called being able to look at the tolerance level of your opponent and them taking action according to their rules, you’re not always looking at the atmosphere. Although occasionally, the rules may change or become even more strict, but no matter which world you are in, isn’t it always the same?”

“… …”
“As long as one is not afraid of death and is willing to put in the effort and determination to go under the category of [Not in Education, Employment or training], then he can become a real NEET. If he breaks the rules and gets chased out, that is not a NEET but a normal vagrant.”

Usually he would be agitated and angry to be called a neet, but now he has the attitude of someone trying to attain a higher level of art, seems like Urushihara’s illness is quite serious.  Honestly, there is no other situation in the world less appropriate for the usage of the rhetorical terms “not afraid or death” or “real” to describe ones determination.  Even though he is an archangel from another world, but with regards to how he felt about the situation, he is not that much different from other Japanese humans, so he has already gone beyond the feeling of surprise. Because he is so open-minded, Gabriel just gave an emotionless face.  “These words have no convincing power at all, I would say? If you think you can use such a method to convince others, then you’re making a big mistake.”  Urushihara seems to be enjoying Gabriel’s reaction and followed up by saying,  “You should be the one to become less rigid, Gabriel.”
“Eh?”  “If there isn't such a thing, then whether it’s me, you or anyone else, everyone over there is a NEET.”  “!”  Gabriel was speechless for a moment and breathed in sharply.  Urushihara read the situation and smiled a sinister smile. He continued talking knowing that he has won in the conversation.*

(T/N: The phrase used was .... meaning pursuing enemies who are retreating. So I kinda guessed that must be what Urushihara was feeling.)
“See, you matched up with the atmosphere. So you can only be ranked as a second rate.”  “….I say.”  Gabriel who finally figured out that he was being messed around with shook his head lightly to regain his composure and said,  “It seems that we are digressing from the main topic, what I want to ask is----”  “You still have the cheek to say that, from the start, you were the one who was standing there acting high and mighty.”  Gabriel stared intently at Urushihara and said,  “Regarding “The Great Demon King Satan’s Legacy*”, if you know something, please tell me.”

(T/N: The term used is .. which means inheritance or legacy. I suppose it’s a treasure of some sort?)  “If it’s money then I also want it, but I do not wish to pay any legacy taxes.”  Urushihara completely did not plan to answer the question properly.
“I’m not asking you about that. Essentially, it isn’t even money anyway.”  “Then what do you want to ask?”  “Because I have no clue, which is why I’m asking you.”
 “If you have no clue, then how do you know it’s not money.”  “Does the Demon World even have a ‘money’ system?”

“Nope.”
 “I’m going to get angry you know?”  “Really….so troublesome….”
 Urushihara got up from his seat and stretched his stiffened back.  Then he took out a piece of paper and pen from the drawers and started to carelessly write a few words on the paper.  “Here, these are the treasures in the Demon World that would probably make Heaven pale in terror.”  “Your handwriting is really a mess.”  Urushihara’s handwriting was so bad that even Gabriel could not help but express his complaints. And all the characters were in hiragana.  “Noton….Nothung? This is referring to the Demon Sword Gram right? It’s not this. And there’s also Adelroa…that’s not right, Adoramerekinesu spear? How do you read this?  “It's the spear of the Adramelech tribe. It existed since legendary times.”
“So it’s the Adramelech Lance of Longinus! You should at least learn some Katakana right! Like this, I can’t even tell where the word ends!”
“I think you people who bother to remember Kanji are even weirder.”
 “Really…Gikin no madou….Counterfiet Money Demonic arts huh. Isn't that the one where you make gold to con people but in the end it’s actually bronze? The Stone of Astral, bracket, Renbererureberube….what is this?”   “Renberureberube is the name of the demonic beast reared by the Great Demon King Satan. According to rumors, it’s wearing a collar made by the Great Demon King Satan which has the mysterious gem—the Stone of Astral, and still exists somewhere in the Demon World. That might be a fragment of Yesod?”  “…I’m really going to be angry.”
“What…don’t look at me like that, I’m actually being serious here!”

Gabriel scowled and glared at Urushihara while Urushihara retorted in surprise.

“Since legendary times, every single demon who was called Satan is dirt poor! Even when they become the great demon king, they will still dabble in petty things like the demonic arts of conterfeiting ne? I don’t remember any skill or weapon that can be termed as a legacy, I really can only think of these things!”  “Seriously….I really can’t figure out how serious you actually are about this….”   Gabriel crumpled the paper that Urushihara wrote on and threw it into the trash can.  “Anyway, since I have no way to force the information out of you, that’s it for today, I’ll take my leave.”  “Did I say that you can’t throw the combustibles there?”  “But, don’t forget, because your opponent is me, that’s why I can leave just like that.”  “Ah? What’s that supposed to mean?”  Gabriel looked towards a scowling Urushihara who was picking up the note paper and ice-cream stick from the trash can with an unexpectedly solemn expression.  “The “Watcher” is coming. Judging how he is, the people who come to visit you guys in future will probably not be a pigeon class* like me.”

(T/N: Pigeon class is a political term used to refer to people who use soft tactics.)  For the first time, Urushihara seemed shaken.  “You said the “Watcher”?”  “What’s with that sort of unexpected expression? His tag team partner “The light of the Fallen” isn’t around anymore right? Then you should expect that that person will make his move one day.”  “Who would expect that, this is just a gathering of NEETs, why are you all so energetic all of a sudden. Besides, you’re not some pigeon class, if you really want to describe it, it should be a shoebill class that no one has any clue what they are doing?”
“When you say that, I feel pissed off. By the way, what’s a shoebill?”  After talking, Gabriel took a piece of paper from his robes.  “If you think of anything, just call the number on this paper. Not that I have high hopes or anything.”  “Who would want to call you?”  After putting a name card sized paper with a phone number on the tatami mat, Gabriel put on his sandals at the entrance and prepared to leave.  “Speaking of which.”  “What?”

“Never mind about whatever Satan’s legacy, what about that fragment of ‘Yesod’? A while ago, a new one appeared next to Emilia.”  Even though that fragment just happened to be put on the scabbard of the sword that Kameo brought over, Urushihara had not idea how Emilia dealt with the item afterward.  Logically, she probaly would have merged it with Alas=Ramus to increase the power of the holy sword and her Evil Repelling Armour and then make use of its destructive power to prevent Gabriel from doing anything.  Even if it was just one fragment merging with Alas=Ramuse, it probably can make the Evil Repelling Armour even more complete.  If Emilia’s power increases, whether it’s the Demon Army or to Gabriel, they will be put at a great disadvantage.  That was what Urushihara assummed, but surprisingly, Gabriel did not seem shocked at all.  “Erm, that. For now, we’ll just leave it with her. Since the “Watcher” is coming over, we can deduce that from the mistake in management and the previous failure, I have been removed from the front line of this incident. Since the fragment is currently with Emilia, there shouldn't be any problem for now.”  “Hmph, then nevermind.”
 “Thanks for your information. If you see Emilia, tell her that we will not do anything for now, tell her to treasure that child.”  After talking, Gabriel waved and walked out of the door.  After the sound of Gabriel’s footsteps faded away and the aura of holy energy that he could not hide even if he wanted to disappeared, Urushihara returned to the front of his computer once more.  The room only had the sound of cicadas’ cries and the tapping of the keyboard.  Then Urushihara started humming to the song playing on an anime website.  “Father Abraham had seven children, one of them was tall, the others were short….”*  (T/N: *This was what I translated from the novel. The scout song version is “Father Abraham had seven children, seven children had Father Abraham, some of them were tall, some of them were short but none of was bright, raise you right, raise your left etc.” The Church song version is “Father Abraham had many sons, had many sons had Father Abraham, I am one of them, And so are you, So let's just praise the Lord” and it continues with raising your right hand, left hand etc…)

. There was a strange tension hanging in the air of the telephone service centre located beneath the banner of the Phone company Docodemo.
 Yusa Emi who is kind and friendly to others, fluent in foreign languages, is daring and dependable and is becoming the key employee in the service centre is currently emitting an indescribale aura.  She is still handling foreign calls that her colleagues could not handle.  If someone chats with her, she still responds like the usual Yusa Emi.  But---  When she is not talking to anyone, the period of time when she is waiting to get a call, in other words, when she was by herself.  Emi’s expression was very scary, in conclusion, it was just plain terrifying, even other people could feel it, she was currently furious and insecure for some unknown reason.
Emi was obviously worried about something, and because of that, it was frustrating.  Even though this does not affect her work, but today’s Emi just feels unapproachable.  “Yu, Yusa-san, uh….”  “….Yes?”
 “Eh, ah, so, sorry, it was nothing.”
The lady who sits next to Emi tried to chat with her. She seemed to have felt the mysterious unhappy air around Emi and quickly retreated.  Was her expression really that horrible? Emi pressed her hand against her forehead for a bit.  As Rika need not work today, the one sitting next next to Emi, also the one who is usually sits opposite Rika is Emi and Rika’s junior – A female college student, Shimizu Maki.  Even though she has a steady personality, but as she has a job in the telephone service where she is responsible for dealing with many queries and tends to encounter bad complaints, as a student, she’s considered an excellent employee with the rare daring trait.
“….Sorry, Maki, is there something wrong?”  Maki seems to be in the second year of college, so when it comes to the terms of actual age, Emi is younger than her.  But if you judge by the amount of experience and training that these two people gathered, no matter how you look at it, Emi seems older.  So in the end, Emi was treated and respected by many colleagues in this industry as their senior.  “About that…..your expression is really scary.”  The honest answer made Emi recoil a bit.
Was her own face really that tensed up? Now that she thought about it carefully,even the fearless Maki found it difficult to chat with her, so it’s most likely that she made the entire atmosphere very stiff.  “Sorry, this might be a weird question, that is….”
“Yes, what is it?”  Although it looked like it was difficult to put into words, but Maki still asked as clear as she could,

“You wouldn’t have argued with Rika-san, would you?”  “Eh?”
Even though she had asked this in a very direct manner, Emi still got a shock because of the totally unexpected question.

“W, why?”

“That wasn’t it……ah……that’s great……”

“I didn’t fight with Rika, you know? Why would you ask that?”

Perhaps she was relieved because of Emi’s honestly shocked reaction, Maki’s nervousness dissipated by a lot.

“I was working together with Rika-san esterday. Even though the lunch break was a little later than usual, but when we were planning to go out to eat lunch, Rika-san received a call.”

The topic which Maki started to talk about caused Emi’s stomach to feel heavy in an instant.

Because Emi knew who called.

“After that, Rika-san started to act strangely……and after work, she seemed to have called Yusa-san, so I wondered if anything happened.”

“Then today, I look really unhappy, no wonder you thought we had a quarrel……”

Emi sighed deeply.

The evening call which Maki mentioned, should be the one Emi received when she was in the bathroom.

As for the call in the afternoon……

“Sigh……recalling it now, Rika-san’s expression seemed to switch between happiness and worry, and she seemed quite distracted.”

Maki suddenly grinned, and cheerfully seeked confirmation from Emi.

“Could Rika-san, have gotten a boyfriend.”

“Ugh!”

Emi reacted in a very exaggerated manner.

“Yusa-san?”

“I, I’m fine, it, it’s nothing……”

At this time, the scene at Sentucky suddenly surfaced in Emi’s mind.

“No way, no no no no, I don’t want to be involved in these kind of matters again!”

“Yusa-san?”

Ignoring Maki’s flustered reaction, Emi couldn’t help but flop on the table.

For Chiho’s situation, it had already reached a stage where Emi couldn’t intervene by the time she knew Chiho. If even Rika also fell in love afterwards, Emi’s stress would probably increase in an explosive manner.

“Of, of all things, why……”

“Ah, a call came. Good day, thank you for calling, this is the docodemo customer service centre, my last name is Shimizu……”

“Hello, good day, this is the docodemo customer service centre……”

“Thank you for calling, hello……”

“Why does it have to be so busy at this kind of time!”

Emi started to feel like crying.

Ever since work started in the morning, the equiry calls came in continuously.

In the morning, all the customer service officers received an email containing an important notification, saying that all slimphones with the mobile digital television function met with bad signals on their screens.

“Seriously, even here, it is related to television!”

“Yu, Yusa-san……!”

Maki gripped her own microphone and showed Emi a strict expression.

Perhaps Emi’s voice had transmitted over to her end. With a tense look on her face, Emi raised a hand to express her apologies.

“……Hello, thank you for calling. This is the docodemo customer service centre, my surname is Yusa……”

Emi’s extension number also started to ring, and after picking it up, as expected, the problem was something to do with the mobile digital television.

The common malfunction amongst these enquiry phone calls is that the screen would sddenly turn totally white give off a flash.

And after that phenomenon, which is after the flash, the battery will run out of power at a shocking speed.

However, this situation will not occur in places with poor signal.

In addition, most of the users met with this phenomenon at similar times.

The remaining point might be less important, but in the enquiry phone calls, unexpectedly, many users mentioned this,

“At that time, I was at home watching digital television on my phone……”

Most of the situations are like this.

“Since you’re at home, then use a normal television……”

Emi said to herself.

As the call centre had not received any information from the project team at the docodemo headquarters, who were in charge of investigating the reason, so when the employees, including Emi handled these enquiry calls, they could only apologise continuously.

Or rather, they were lucky that the problem did not occur with the calling, messaging or internet sytem, so the number of calls was not a lot.

For mobile phone users, mobile digital television was definitely not something which is used often.

Compared to mobile digital television, the most demanded function is actually the music player. No matter how high the resolution, the screen of a mobile phone is only a few inches across.

Right now, it was the age when even at home, as long as a digital television is installed, multiple programmes can be recorded, other than the users who were very insistent on watching television programmes in real time, mobile digital television was only a secondary function.

Amongst the newest phone models every season, there will definitely be some models which chose to omit the mobile digital television function to improve the call and messaging functions, it was clear from this that the demand from the users for this function was only that much.

So even if there was a problem with the docodemo model which comes with the mobile digital television function, the calls which asked about it were not much, and Emi even had enough allowance to worry about Rika’s matters.

In the past, when there was a malfunction in the internet connection related communications, just 30 minutes of being unable to message was enough to hold up all the lines of all the call centres in the whole country, and was even reported on the news.

“……Television huh.”

Even though Emi’s mind did go blank at one point of time when she discussed matters with Rika yesterday, it was only after hearing the background of the situation did Emi know that Ashiya had asked Rika for opinions for buying a television.

Emi did not know how Ashiya obtained Rika’s contact details, but in the end, Ashiya seemed to have made a promise with Rika that he would ask for her opinion when he wanted to buy a mobile phone.

Even though this matter was postponed because Maou and the others went to Choshi, Ashiya had contacted Rika yesterday, and speaking in a rather depressed voice, he had expressed his wish for her to go buy things with him.

Emi, who was unable to tell Rika who knew naught about Ashiya’s real identity, not to go, even if she felt extremely anxious, she could only give a simple advice “just go as how you would usually do” and hung up the phone.
 Afterwards, Emi immediately contacted Suzuno, perhaps one can say that it was was expected, after returning from the housing agency, Maou had a victorious smile on his face while Ashiya had an expression as though it was the end of the world.  The result was that the rent is unchanged, the tenants do not even have to bear the additional labour fees. The reception fees from MHK are handled by the landlady as per the rental contract and this fee has already been included into the rental charge.

“Considering the things we talked about last night, I also plan to take the chance to buy a television together with them.”

After hearing this sentence, even though it was as light as cotton wool being dropped in the corner of the room, Emi’s finally felt a little relieved.

It looks like it wasn’t just Rika and Ashiya going out together, Maou and Suzuno will tag along too.

“……But, what about it?”

“Yu, Yusa-san?”

Emi started to talk to herself again. Maki hesitantly struck a conversation with Emi, but Emi, deep in thought, did not notice her at all.

Rika saw Ashiya as a man.

It was better to stop avoiding this fact.

As the Hero, Emi decided to back up a number of steps equivalent to walking seven and a half rounds around the Earth via moonwalk, and tried to judge this human Ashiya Shiro.

He is a intelligent, tall and strong guy. With a hairstyle which can still be considered casual, and a haggard looking face because of poverty, in the eyes of people who do not know him, he was the perfect image of a melancholy fair skinned Ikemen.

(T/N: Ikemen: Good looking man)

“Ugh!”

Emi subsconsciously felt grossd out when she was still thinking about it, but in conclusion, Ashiya did give others that impression.

Besides that, Ashiya, who was amiable towards others, would alway adopt a gentlemanly attitude to other people, and would definitely not act arrogant; on the other hand, even if the person who made a mistake is his master Maou, Ashiya would still admonish him bluntly, and would strictly lecture Urushihara, who had become a NEET.

Even though the problem with Ashiya himself was that he has almost no income, but that was only because of his conscious decision, if he took up a job through normal procedures, with his qualities, he should be able to easily triumph over any job. In addition, he is a demon, so not only was he strong in languages, he had a brave personality.

Because of his personality to save whenever possible, Ashiya would never spend money on nonessential items, so there was no need to worry about him having any troubles related to smoking or drinking.

In addition, whether it was cooking, washing the clothes or cleaning, Ashiya was good at all that.

Even for the high school girls now, Sasaki Chiho had already reached the level of a national monument and was widely acknowledged to be exceptionally gifted, if one follows this level of logic, it has to be admitted that Ashiya, for a guy, is considered to be a surprisingly good partner.

“I wonder if Rika…….knows that the Demon King and Bell are coming along too.”

Thinking about this, for this moment, a feeling of dissatisfaction surfaced in Emi’s heart.

This feeling did not come from the Hero Emilia, but the friend of Suzuki Rika, Yusa Emi.

In Rika’s voice when she called yesterday, other than the perplexed feeling which she could not supress, a small amount of anticipating was mixed in.

Since Rika herself did not use the term ‘date’, that meant that Rika should know that Ashiya did not specially see her as a girl.

However……

“Just on this part, those guys would probably take care of others properly……”

Since it was already known that what Ashiya wanted to buy is a television for the Demon Fortress, that mean Rika, Ashiya, Maou and Suzuno would be together in the end.

Considering Ashiya’s meticulous personality, he might have even told Rika about this in advance.

However, in Rika’s heart, there must be a faint anticipation somewhere in her heart, so small that it wouldn’t even be called a hope.

Anticipating that she could go out with Ashiya.

If Maou and Suzuno also came along, even if Rika could understand, she would still some disappointment……

“Wait wait! This isn’t right!”

“Is, is there anything wrong?”

Emi rebutted herself, causing the neighbouring Maki, who was waiting for calls, to sit up straight due to fright.

However, Emi did not have the leisure to care about that at all.

What exactly did she get wrong.

Ashiya is a demon, right now he had changed into a human form because he lost his demonic magic, how can she allow that kind of man go out together with her important friend Rika.

Her own thoughts have turned a little strange since yesterday.

Just like what Suzuno said, she is too used to this peaceful life.

Even Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara only temporary called a truce because they had no choice but to do so, those people were still the enemies of humans through and through.

In addition, as long as Suzuno is around, she could protect Rika, Maou and Ashiya if anything happened, so about this portion, she did not have to worry.

“Wrong, I don’t have any need to worry about the Demon King and Alsiel at all!”

“Eee!”

Maki, sitting beside her, was very close to crying.

After that, behind the Emi who was scratching her head anxiously, a huge shadow appeared. Even though Emi did not realise it, but Maki looked at the newcomer with an expression of ‘finally, I’m saved’.

“……”

15 minutes later.

Emi, wearing her casual clothes, stood outside the company.

The floor manager in charge of managing Emi and the rest called her out.

Emi normally took her work seriously, and had good relations with her colleagues, but even if she wasn’t scolded----

“You’re tired right? If you continue staying here, it’ll be a bad influence on the workplace atmosphere, I think you should go home for today.”

The other party still mercilessly said these cruel things to her.

Even if Emi had a gloomy expression, but she knew that she really worried about too many things today, and it caused her to be unable to maintain her usual composure.

Especially to Maki, she felt very apologetic, she would need to find a chance to apologise to her later.

Emi looked at her watch.

It was 3pm right now. Today, she got off work 2 hours earlier than usual.

If so, she should carry out appropriate actions.

Inferring from Maou and Ashiya’s conversation yesterday, Rika and them are probably somewhere in Shinjuku at the moment.

Emi flipped open her phone, prepared to contact Suzuno or Rika.
“…..But like this, it’s a bit strange.”  In the hand, Emi still restrained her urges and dismissed the idea she had.  Just yesterday Emi had a discussion with Rika, if she appears suddenly when Rika and Ashiya and the rest were shopping, she would make Rika completely lose face.  Then again, it would also be extremely inappropriate for her to follow them while being unnoticed by Rika.  According to Emi’s experiences over the past few months, Ashiya will definitely treat Rika in an extremely gentlemanly manner.  Not to mention if this situation gets discovered by Maou, she had the feeling that the other party would tease her for the rest of her life.

Also from the current circumstances, if the stalking gets exposed, it might cause a crack to form between her own relationship with Rika. In other words, this bears no advantages for Emi.  “Even as such…..it’s alright to occasionally take action for our own goals….”  Emi mumbled.
Since Alas=Ramus has already merged with the holy sword, then Emi has no way to take down Maou immediately.  Even if Suzuno’s concerns were correct and someone really plans to take away the Demon King and the Demon Generals, Emi also had no need to follow them closely. And if you really want to push it, before this entire thing even started, she should not even have made any contact with Rika in the first place.  In this way----  Emi opened a zippered pocket on her shoulder bag and used her fingers to remove a small stone line object from it.  That was something which was smaller than a marble, a fragment of Yesod that had some changes to its shape.  This fragment was initially embedded on the sheath of the precious sword that Kameo brought over, but Maou gave the reason that he didn’t need it and entrusted it to Emi.  What was surprising was that even though Alas=Ramus saw the fragment, she showed no interest at all.

Thinking about it carefully, this was the first time Emi got hold of a normal fragment. Considering the connection Alas=Ramus had with the other fragments until now, Emi deduced that she can use some sort of method to draw out the power of the fragments and let Alas=Ramus and them attract each other.

Just like that time in the Demon Fortress at Ente Isla, there was an attraction between Emi’s holy sword and Alas=Ramus.

Therefore Emi decided to search for the “Yesod” fragments that may be present in Japan at the moment.

Although Emi was unaware at that time, Maou had mentioned that those things were called fragments of “Yesod”.

That precious stone has the ability to let Alas=Ramus regain her powers.

And the person who is holding onto it knows Alas=Ramus’s name.

On that day, Emi met the lady who was wearing a white dress and had a ring with a purple stone on it at the Tokyo Dome City.

Maybe she is……

“.....At this moment, I think it’s better not to think so much…”

Emi shook her head as though to remind herself of that fact.

The other party was someone who should not exist.

Someone who only existed in rumors spread by others.

Someone who stayed by her companion’s side for a few days but did not come and see her.

That person might be----

“Well, I can’t possibly take out the holy sword in the middle on the streets……”

When Emi received the fragment at Choshi, she already decided that was how she was going to make use of it.

Fragments of “Yesod” will be drawn to each other.

But the only fragments of “Yesod” that Emi possesses consists of the Evolving Holy Sword, Better Half, Alas=Ramus and the Evil Repelling Armor.

No matter how much she suppresses her holy magic, Emi is still unable to shrink the holy sword to the size of a knife. And if the holy magic output is reduced below a certain level, the holy sword will not be able to maintain its form.

If she wants to use the fragment embedded on the handle of the holy sword, no matter what, she will have to let the sword materialise. If that lady in a white dress is residing in some city in Japan, then Emi, who is waving a sword around in the middle of the streets will definitely get reported to the police and arrested.

Even so, if we talk about Alas=Ramus’s situation, the girl’s fragment appears to be the crescent moon mark on her forehead.

If she uses Alas=Ramus to search for the other fragments, then the strange beam of light which resembles that which an inter-galactic hero uses to shoot down his enemy, emitting continuously from her forehead will definitely attract a fair share of attention.

Then as for the Evil Repelling armour where she does not even know where its core is, there is no room for discussion at all.

When one considers these options, the pebble sized fragment not only can be kept in the bag and transported, judging by the situation, there are many different ways to hide it.

In this day and age, it is not uncommon to see glowing key chain accessories.

The only thing left to worry about was accidentally attracting Gabriel’s or other heavenly powers when they trace the source of the fragment’s reaction once she makes use of the fragment. But Emi feels that the chance of that occurring was pretty low.

When Emi was at Choshi, she activated the Evolving sword, Better Half and the Evil Repelling armor’s power fully.

If it was Gabriel from last time, logically he would rush over upon detecting any reaction from the woman in the white dress or Alas=Ramus. But this time, there were no signs of him showing up.
 As for the fact that the fragment has been carelessly put on the jewelled sword which was made by Olba, who knew where Emi’s location was, and the fact that Kameo had it, was a bit fishy.
Although one cannot be sure who was the one speaking to Ciriatto via the communication crystal ball, but the other party probably also holds a fragment of “Yesod”.
And also, that person on the other end seems to have no intention of coming into contact with Emi.

Of course, the other party might just want to let Emi move freely and observe from the shadows, but Emi’s ability is strong enough to defeat Gabriel. No matter what kind of tricks the other party pulls, she just has to fight back.

“.....I actually just wanted to live more intelligently and more peacefully….”

While feeling depressed over her own muscle headed thought, she left the building where she worked and headed towards Shinjuku station. There was originally a staircase leading to the underpass from the front of where Emi works, but as Olba and Urushihara caused the place to collapse a few months ago, the place has not regained its access till now.

“There would be air-conditioning if I can walk in the underpass.” Emi muttered unhappily and instead of going to the east gate of Shinjuku station which was nearest to the business district, she prepared to head towards the new south gate where the long distance bus ticket stalls were located.

After walking past the front of the south gate, and under the the overpass which was always under construction, Emi climbed directly up the stairs leading to the new south gate, and walked towards the automatic doors of a high end department store Takashidaya.

(T/N: Takashidaya is a parody of Takashimaya.)

Emi secretly took a breath when she encountered the department store’s air conditioning. While ignoring the branded bags, shoes and accessory shops lined up against the sides, she directly headed for the deeper part of the building.

Going across the area with high end clothing, Emi came to a space that was decorated with a dark green theme and was filled with various kinds of goods.

This place was separated from Takashidaya by an escalator. Even though they are both located in the same building, but the feeling it gives is that it is in another space altogether.

Tokyu Hands Shinjuku Branch.
(T/N: Real store. Full name: Tokyu Hands creative life store. http://www.japan-guide.com/g3/3007_18.jpg)
That was a department store that claims to be to provide stationary and material for the urban life.
From woodwork and tools, to electronic tools, watches, leather materials, stones, outdoor products, tool boxes, party props and materials, various merchandise and chara-goods, you can say that Tokyu Hands has a very wide variety of goods.
Emi took the escalator and went towards the level that sold various colourful mineral rocks and fossil rocks.  First she bought small bottle which has a soft wooden cork meant for storing and displaying mineral rocks, then she went to the accessory tools section to buy a bead chain for making key chains and other metal parts.

After that, Emi directly walked out of the Tokyu Hands situated at Takashidaya, and headed towards the Yoyogi Docodemo building where the Yoyogi Docodemo business office and communications room were located.

This building, which reminded people of the superior skyscrapers from the early age of America, had an Umami Burger shop on its ground floor, Emi entered the store and drank her tea as she put the materials she bought on the table.

(T/N: Umami Burger is an actual burger shop with locations only in America so far. It’s a burger shop which uses Japanese ingredients. Umami refers to ‘savory’ which is considered a fifth taste, other than the usual sweet, sour, salty and bitter.)

“……It’s done.”

After adding a key ring onto the small soft cork bottle, and placing the “Yesod” fragment inside, in the eyes of others it was only a slightly strange small ornament. As there is no need for it to glow all the time, even if it was accidentally seen by other people, this would be enough to bluff them.

Compared to carrying the holy sword around, or letting Alas=Ramus’s forehead glow, this would be a much better option.

It was already past afternoon, and it was still too early for dinner time, therefore there weren’t many customers in the store.

Emi placed the small bottle keychain which she had just finished into her shoulder bag, then injected her own holy magic into the “Yesod” fragment inside her bag little by little.

The “Evolving Holy Sword, Better Half”, Evil Repelling Armour and Alas=Ramus also responded to Emi’s holy magic, increasing the power for the fragment to respond.

Recalling the situation when she first stepped into the Demon Fortress in Ente Isla, Emi carefully adjusted the power so the surrounding people would not see the glow of the holy magic……

“Success.”

Emi used her free hand to strike a small victory sign.

The ‘Yesod’ fragment within the small bottle started to give off a faint purple glow like the holy sword and Alas=Ramus’s forehead. And after that, the light shone from the small bottle to point straight at a certain direction.

Of course, all of this occurred within Emi’s shoulder bag, the beam of light was also immediately blocked by the inside of the bag, but it was enough to know the direction.

The beam of light shone to the southwest from Yoyogi.

As for the district which came to mind in that direction……

“It, it’s the direction of Sasazuka……”

It happened to be the area where Emi and Maou and the others conducted their daily activities.

“W, wait, it’s not for certain yet. Perhaps it might be much furher down……anyway, let’s try to see where it leads to.”

Certainly Sasazuka needs to be considered as well, but since it was only known that it was generally in the southwest direction, then no one could guarantee that the beam of light will not extend all the way to the Okinawa region.

The only thing which could be confirmed is, besides the fragment Emi placed in the small bottle, as well as the “Evolving Holy Sword, Better Half”, Evil Repelling Armour and Alas=Ramus, there was still another “Yesod” fragment on Earth.

“If the location which reacted happened to be on the other side of Earth, I wonder which direction the light will point to.”

Emi thought about these meaningless things as she walked out of Umami Burger.

.

She was very clear about this matter.

Thinking about it, since the other party had already said so beforehand, if she changed her mind at the last minute, she would be troubled as well.

The other person should be so concerned about this matter, and when she thought about it carefully, her actions when she was alone with that person were obviously unnatural.

However……

“Anticipating that some unexpected development can happen, is also the truth.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Ashiya who was standing beside her spoke in concern, and Rika shook her head with a wry smile.

Rika, who kept worrying about how much she should dress up, choose a short western dress which would not grab too much attention when going out and hot pants in the end, matching it with the rubber sandals she was used to wearing, and by the result, it was the correct answer.

Even though Ashiya did stand beside her, but in front of the two of them were Maou Sadao, who she didn’t know whether to see him as Ashiya’s friend or previous employer, and Emi’s friend Kamazuki Suzuno.

Ashiya and Maou were wearing the UNIXLO casual set wear which looked almost identical to the times when she met them before, and Suzuno, as usual, was the only one who wore a kimono.

If she got motivated and dressed up too much, then there will be a huge difference between her and the two guys. The result is at Rika’s attire barely succeeded in forming a balance within the group.

The four of them met up at the ticket gantry at the west gate of the JR Shinjuku station, going through the underpass to prepare to head towards Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances located in front of the long distance bus terminal.

Originally Rika only brought a small shoulder bag which carried her wallet, handphone and various makeup products, but right now she was carrying a strudy large plastic bag in one hand.

Choshi’s local products were contained inside, stewed Sanma, Saba and and Iwashi. These are local delicacies given to her by Ashiya.

(T/N: Sanma, Saba and Iwashi are types of fish. Sanma: Pacific saury, Saba: Mackerel, Iwashi: Sardine)

Before setting off, Ashiya had already called Rika directly to tell her this.

These three types of stewed fish products were 100% “local delicacies” no matter how one looked at it, and there was no other meaning at all.

“Sigh, forget it.”

Rika felt a warm feeling different from the summer heat and a smile subconsciously appeared on her face.

This present suited Ashiya’s style very well.

Even if she put this matter aside first, for Rika, who lived alone, these side dishes which could go with rice were beneficial to her.

Thinking in this direction, different from childhood where just a mild feeling is enough, even though this can be considered a type of growing up, it can also be seen as becoming an aduit in a negative sense.

“Then? In the end, what does everyone want to buy today?”

Rika switched her feelings and asked this in a volume which Maou and Suzuno could hear.

“I only want to buy a television. As for these two people, I’m not sure.”

“Television, a television!”

Suzuno said with certainty that she did not know what Maou wanted to buy, but he expressed his goal in a straightforward manner. Rika raised her head to look at Ashiya’s face beside her, and no matter how she interpreted it, that expression looked like he wanted to express his opposition at this.

“Then how about a mobile phone?”

“……That, I’ll decide after seeing the price of the television……”

“What about the mobile phone?”

Maou turned his head and asked because he minded Rika’s question.

“Didn’t I say so before? Because Ashiya-san did not have any mobile phone till now, so I originally agreed to give him advice on mobile phones.”

“When did you make that agreement?”

Maou did not know that Ashiya, Rika and Chiho had followed them to Tokyo Dome City.

In Maou’s eyes, just like Emi, he felt that Ashiya and Rika suddenly became very close, and felt bothered because he didn’t know when the two people made that kind of agreement.

“But about television, I’m not sure if I would be able to give you any advice, yeah? My home is only able to have digital television sets installed, and I don’t research much about television itself.”

“No, it’s already very important that Suzuki-san has a television. You bought your own television, right?”

Rika’s apartment is situated at Takadanobaba, and the thin LCD television was something she saved money to buy after coming to Tokyo.

“Yeah, it’s Toshiba’s RAGZA. Even though it’s an old model from when digital television first started, but it’s a model which has an independent video port and analog video port, and I finally bought a blu-ray player recently.”

(T/N: RAGZA is a parody of REGZA.)

While talking, Rika started to introduce the equipment for her television in her home.

However, three confused stares were received because they did not understand what Rika was talking about.

“Erhm……”

“Even though Rika-dono might find it hard to believe……”

Suzuno cleared her throat, then said this kind of opening remarks.

“Honestly our knowledge of home electronics is still stuck in the Showa period.”

“Only you are like that, isn’t it!”

Suzuno ignored Maou’s rebuttal.

“Sigh......it’s the same when I bought a mobile phone, how should I say it, even though the other person explained after confirming how much basic knowledge I have, but even if you tell me what this phone model can do and what it comes with, basically I don’t even know what is the meaning of this ‘what’ is.”

“Related to this point, I have something I wish to consult with Suzuki-san first……”

“Eh?”

“That Toshiba, does it refer to the electronics manufacturer?”

“You don’t even know about this?”

Ashiya’s question caused Rika to get a huge shock.

“W, wait a moment, wait a moment, I’m starting to think that going to an electronics outlet like this is very dangerous.”

Rika stopped walking and after thinking for a while, she raised her head and said,

“Ev, everyone, have you eaten? Why don’t we go eat lunch first, and take the time to revise some basic knowledge?”

“Ah……is it that time already? I don’t really have an appeitite because of the hot weather, so I forgot about it.”

Maou wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded to express his agreement.

“I haven’t eaten yet either……but……”

Suzuno gave a wry smile and nudged her chin towards Ashiya.

“The problem is whether that scrooge agrees to eat out.”

“Kamazuki Suzno……you can’t be thinking that I’m simply an iron rooster right?”

(T/N: Scrooge, Iron rooster: Basically different terms for miser.)

Ashiya replied Suzuno while putting on airs and then he turned towards Rika----

“As long as one meal doesn’t cost more than 300 yen, then I am also prepared to eat out.”

He announced this boldly.

““……””

Even Maou and Suzuno couldn’t help but feel stunned.

It can still be understood if it was 500 yen, but the things which can be chosen with 300 yen is very limited. With that price, even ordering the fixed menu at MgRonalds or Gyudon chain stores would be pushing it.

(T/N: Gyudon: Beef rice bowl.)

However, Rika’s expression was unfazed.

“Then we should go to that store. It’s fine if we go to a place I know about right? It’s quite near here.”

After saying this nonchalantly, Rika started to walk, leading the way.

“Th, there really is a place like that? A place to eat by spending just 300 yen……”

Maou, who followed behind Rika, asked this.

“Sigh, I did guess that it would become like this, even though I’m not sure if guys will be full eating there.”

Rika confidently reached the ground level and brought the three people to the front of a mixed businesses building.

After seeing the sign hung in front of the shop, Suzuno, being sensitive, was the first to react.

“Hanamaru Udon……it’s actually, udon?”

(T/N: An actual chain store in Japan. http://www.edokko.jp/2009/09/hanamaru-udon-thats-easy-on-the-wallet/)

Hanamaru Udon is an udon chain store which spread to the whole country from Kagawa Prefecture, the main production area of udon. Other than the udon main dish, it is well known for having all the branch stores in the country use a buffet style for customers to pick their side dishes and  toppings, and its most special characteristic is that high grade Sanuki Udon can be eaten for just 150 yen here.

(T/N: Sanuki Udon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanuki_udon)

“One, one hundred and fifty yen udon?”

The one who received the greatest shock wasn’t anyone else, but Ashiya.

Even though did not have any intentions of making things difficult for others, but still, he did not expect that there were food oulets which were cheaper than the amount he proposed.

“Even though I heard of it before……but this is where that Hanamaru is?”

Although Maou, who works in a fast food store, already knew about the existence of this store, but this is his first time visiting the actual place.

“A small bowl of udon here only costs 150 yen, if two side dishes are added, you can be full at around 300 yen.”

“Su, Suzuki-san, how did you know about this place?”

“I will come to eat here occasionally. The broth of Tokyo udon is too strong for me, the taste of the soup here is milder, so I quite like it, and this place doesn’t hur t the wallet either, right?”

“Yeah……”

“Sigh, anyway, let’s fill our stomachs here first, and revise some basic knowledge in the meantime before going to the electronics outlet. Even though I’m not too clear about this field, but it’s really dangerous for everyone in the current situation.”

Rika first demonstrated how to order one time.

The next was Ashiya, Maou, who copied what Ashiya did, and Suzuno, who was last in time, the four people ended up completing their orders on their own.

“Suzuno, you only ordered udon in soup?”

Rika couldn’t help but ask. Even Ashiya and Maou had ordered 150yen udon in soup, adding on fried yam and fried Chikuwa, but unexpectedly, Suzuno only ordered a 150 yen small bowl of udon in soup.

(T/N: Chikuwa: is a Japanese tube-like food product made from ingredients such as fish surimi, salt, sugar, starch, monosodium glutamate and egg white. After mixing them well, they are wrapped around a bamboo or metal stick and steamed or broiled. The word chikuwa ("bamboo ring") comes from the shape when it is sliced.)

“I want to try the taste first, directly tasting the small bowl of udon in soup.”

Suzuno replied simply.

Directly tasting means eating udon which is not cold or hot, but at a special temperature set by Hanamaru.

For this 150 yen price, besides the fact that it is cheap, more than that, it implies that the belief of Hanamaru hoping that everyone can easily eat Sanuki udon. This also shows that they are that confident towards udon.

“Since I decided to challenge it, then there is no turning back.”

“……What does that mean?”

After picking a four person table and picking up the chopsticks, only Suzuno was as focused as a master who is going to draw a sword, deep in thought in front of the bowl.

“T, then, let’s eat everyone.”

Rika announced like she was the student on duty for distributing the nutritious lunch, and Ashiya and Maou reached for the udon with their chopsticks.

“……Let’s eat!”

Suzuno opened her eyes abruptly and ate a large mouthful of slightly warm udon in one go.

“!”

She had only just bit down when Suzuno’s expression changed.

“This, this is……!”

“Hey, hey, Suzuno?”

Suzuno turned a deaf ear to Maou calling her from beside her and immediately begun her second wave of attack. After that, within one minute, she had finished one bowl of udon in soup in front of the three people.

The three people went into a daze because of such a bold eating manner. Suzuno, after swallowing the last mouthful of soup, sighed lightly, and after that, her shoulders started to shake uncontrollably.

“Why……why……”

“What, what’s wrong, Suzuno? Does it not suit your taste?”

Suzuno’s reaction was really too abnormal, therefore Rika also started to worry. However, Suzuno looked towards Rika with a fierce look in her eyes, and said with a sigh in a low voice,

“Why……does such a great udon, only cost 150 yen?”

“Eh?”

“Whether it is the thickness, texture, chewiness, salty flavour and the feeling when it enters the throat……it’s perfect in every aspect.”

“I, I see……as, as long as you like it……”

Suzuno maintained that strict expression, and picked up the bowl in a serious manner like she was a food gourmet and said,

“……I’m going to order another bowl!”

“Take, take your time.”

Maou watched Suzuno’s back, which can cause others to shudder and spoke as he ate his udon,

“It, it is very nice, but is it really that exaggeratedly good?”

“Kamazuki seems to like udon a lot, perhaps she has some special thoughts about it?”

Ashiya, using his chopsticks calmly, answered this nonchalantly. And Rika, for reasons not known to herself, felt shaken within once she heard this sentence.

Why does Ashiya know what Suzuno likes to eat?

Rika knew the two people are neighbours in the same apartment building, but is it possible that their relationship is good that they already knew each other’s eating habits?

“……Sigh.”

Once she thought of this, Rika quickly shook her head. It wasn’t anything strange at all. Even though her memories are fuzzy, but Rika herself also roughly remembered about what the people around her liked to eat.

Suzuno knew Ashiya much earlier than she did, and even lived next to him, which mean that to some extent, he would have chances to know what the other party liked to eat.

In order to get rid of such unsettling thoughts, Rika intentionally took a big bite of the fried pancake which she had added.

(T/N: Fried pancake: It’s more like tempura, but it’s a mix of ingredients, like fish and vegetables for example.)

“Then, about the key thing, the television, it’s fine if you’re not clear about it, can everyone tell me what type you are thinking of buying?”

Partly because she wanted to switch her feelings, Rika specially used an extra cheerful tone to ask this.

“It’s fine as long as I can watch television programmes.”

“I say.”

“Just now, Suzuki-san mentioned that the television in your home is a certain model from Toshiba……may I know if model 26 refers to the manufacturing nmber or model number or something?”

Even though Maou’s casual answer was troubling, but Ashiya’s question was also totally out of Rika’s expectations.

“Ah, no no, that actually refers to the measurements of the screen, or the size of the television itself……”

Rika, who answered, started to feel flustered, because the two meanings weren’t that different, so on a normal basis she would just answer appropriately.

However, Ashiya’s question went far beyond just being unfamiliar with a new home appliance.

For Rika herself, she definitely wasn’t familiar with electronics. But at least from since Rika was born, television and recorders already existed, after that only the recording medium and operating procedures changed a little, even blu-ray players, contrary to their appearance, weren’t that difficult to operate.

Right now, it was just that things that were done through analog before could now be done on digital screens.

However Ashiya’s question had a fundamental discrepancy from the so called digital divide.

“Since 26 is considered normal, then a little bigger would be 29 at most.”

“Eh?”

Rika frowned again because Maou said some strange things once again.

“Then I want to buy something a little bigger, a television around 27. 24 is really too small, if possible, I hope it can be around 26, 27 or 28……”

After measuring the numbers which Maou proposed, Rika finally understood what the other person meant, and realised that she was unable to make these people understand television via normal methods.

“You’re going off on your own again!”

“Eh?”

“Right now, the new home use televisions are 32 model at minimum. If there are no budget limitations, even buying 50 or 60 is considered normal, okay. If placed horizonally on the floor, the size is around half tsubo (one tatami mat).”

“To, to buy such a large television, what are they planning to watch?”

Maou’s question is considered reasonable.

“Because these people are stubborn when it comes to image or sound quality, so perhaps it is to let these people watch movies?”

“So even with normal television programmes, they would use such a large television to watch it?”

Ashiya, who felt the shivers due to hearing the half tsubo size asked this, Rika couldn’t help but imagine this scene.

“That, feels kind of irritating.”

It’s fine with movies or nature documentaries, but if such a large screen and high image quality were used even to watch normal news, parliament broadcastings and variety shows, there was really no meaning in that.

Once she tried to imagine a whole wall being filled with the image of a news anchor, Rika laughed lightly.

“Sigh, anyway, no matter what, those are things that are out of reach from us poor people. The one at my house is 26 inches, around this big. Basically, the ones sold right now are all flat screen televisions, so on the contrary, we need to look at the pedestal to decide where to put the television.”

Rika formed a rectangle in font of her to describe the size of her television screen.

“What is your budget?”

“40,1239 yen.”

Maou replied immediately.

“Why is it so precise?”

“Because we’re considering the situation of the household.”

“May I know if……40,1239 yen can buy a television?”

Ashiya asked nervously.

“Even though we researched before leaving the house……but we only found cheap second hand goods, complicated online shopping sites or information that it would be cheaper if broadband network was subscribed together……in the end, we still do not know how much is it to buy a television alone.”

“Yeah, for buying home electronics, it’s still better to check the actual thing itself first.”

After saying these opening remarks, Rika nodded lightly and said,

“As long as there is 40,000 yen, then it should be barely enough to buy around a 20 model small television?”

“Yes!”

“What……”

Maou gave a small victory pose because of Rika’s answer and on the other hand, Ashiya’s expression turned a little dark.

At this time, Suzuno, who had made additional orders, returned.

“That’s a really big bowl.”

This time, Suzuno brought back a bowl which was twice as big as the previous one and inside was the same udon in soup.

“Even a huge bowl only costs 400 yen, how do they earn money……with regards to Japan’s food situation, there is a new mystery. Then again, the topic seems to have returned to television now.”

Suzuno, who seemed like she had the leisure to eat and pay attention to her surroundings, said this as she ate the udon with a softer expression compared to before.

“My budget is around 70,000 yen. Would that be enough to buy a television?”

“70,000 yen should be enough to buy quite a good model. In less than a year, there is going to be a total conversion into the age of digital television, so some old models would suddenly become cheaper.”

“Th, there’s actually something like that……damn digital television……looks like you are going to obstruct me no matter what.”

It wasn’t known what Ashiya felt indignation for, causing people to worry if he would snap the chopsticks in his hand just like this.

“Another thing is……if we go to a second hand store, it would be possible to buy an old style huge CRT television under 10,000 yen……but analog signal can’t be received right now, so there would be no meaning in buying it.”

“Then why is it still being sold?”

Maou innocently raised a question.

“Because other than changing the antenna, digital television can be watched by connecting a cable to cable TV. With this, a set topbox can be rented from cable operators to watch digital television with old analog televisions. There seems to be quite a lot of people who do not wish to throw away their old televisions which can still be used.”

“Which means, even if CRT television or transistor televisions are used, they can still be watched with those equipment?”

“……ugh, I’m not too clear about that. Then again, aren’t transistors only used on radios?”

Suzuno asked this excitedly for unknown reasons, and Rika only shook her head to deny it. Then again, what is Suzuno thinking, asking about these things?

“Oh my, it’s nothing, Japan’s things do evolve at a very rapid rate, so I originally thought that old things would be eliminated immediately. I never expected that there are still technologies to preserve the old things, it makes me happy.”

“Even though it’s been bothering me for a while……but Suzuno, have you, like Emi, returned from overseas?”

“Eh?”

“Because you seem to frequently say things like ‘Japan’s this and that’.”

“……Ah, that, yeah, right. My family have actually been priests for generations, so I have been overseas all this time……”

Rika’s question caused Suzuno to, in a rare manner, chaotically try to find an excuse.

“You’re too focused on the udon already.”

Maou, sitting opposite Suzuno, mumbled, and Suzuno, hearing it, kicked Maou under the table with a red face.

Even so, perhaps because Suzuno wasn’t really telling a lie, so Rika wasn’t particularly suspiscious.

“So there are really people like you who are related to the spreading of religion. When I watched on television that there are Japanese pastors who go to the African mainland to promote Christianity, I was thinking that the world is really wide.”

“……So this country, also has those kind of people……”

Suzuno looked towards Rika in surprise.

“I had thought that the Japanese have no interest towards religion.”

“There’s a huge interest. Or why would mobile sites have fortune telling or fortune stick drawing sections.”

“You’ll be able to draw a fortune by calling to a certain place?”

“It’s not as if it’s a weather forcast or time reporting hotline.”

“……”

Even though Rika should not have raised these two examples on purpose, but Maou still fell silent because of this combination.

“Not only would the offices of information enterprises have a dragon god installed, even electronic factories would naturally ask a priest to pruge evil from the land before building the factory, on the contrary, there should be a small amount of people who have not drawn a fortune stick in their whole life right? I should have mentioned before that my family also opens a company, not only does the office in my home have an enshrined dragon god, even in the corner of the land used by the factory was used to worship Inari-sama. When I was younger, I would help to clean it up every day.”

“Is it a factory to make Inari sushi?”

Suzuno subconsciously looked towards the Inari sushi placed at the sushi section of the buffet.

(T/N: Inari-sama: A fox god. Inari-sushi: Sushi made by wrapping rice in tofu skin.)

“Hey, Suzuno, aren’t you acting too dumb like this.”

“Eh?”

Suzuno looked at Maou, who had turned to the side because he could not take it anymore, in confusion.

“Ahahaha! Oh my, that’s not it, I did say before that my family operates a factory related to shoes right. Oh yeah, since you have been overseas all this time. The Inari-sama I’m talking about refers to the shrine enshrining the fox god.”

“Oh, ah, ri, right, so it’s like that. That, I’m sorry……De, ah, Sadao-san! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier!”

Suzuno, who realised her misunderstanding a step late, blushed again, scolding Maou in a pathetic manner.

“For you to not know this thing even though you’re a priest is the issue. It’s the same for the mukae-bi from before……when you go back home, you might as well quit being a priest, and switch to opening an udon store.”

(T/N: Mukae-bi: Welcoming fire, lit at the entrance of Japanese homes during Obon to guide the spirits of the ancestors back home.)

Maou raised a perfectly reasonable rebuttal, causing Suzuno to, in that instant, shrink onto herself like she was going to disappear directly.

“Ow!”

Even so, Suzuno still did not forget to counterattack the taunts of the other party, having someone kick their thigh with sturdy straw sandals, Maou felt tears come to his eyes.

“Ah~ that’s so funny! I’m sorry, actually laughing at you like this, Sigh, even though I do not pray before lunch, and do not go to church on Sundays, but unexpectedly Japanese have a philosophy of expressing their determination and thanks to greater entities. Even though there are too many entities which made it kind of messy, but this did not happen in a few days.”

“Philosophy of giving thanks?”

“Hm~but for Suzuno, who formally spreads religion, perhaps you might not really accept this situation.”

Compared to Suzuno, who had a diginifed expression, Rika’s tone from the beginning to the end was very cheerful.

“Didn’t God say to love thy neighbour? So for those gods who say that people who do not listen should all be killed, they should not be counted as a god, isn’t it good for everyone to get along?”

“……!”

Just as Suzuno felt some surprise at Rika’s words----

“Hm? It seems like something happened?”

Maou, who discovered a customer quarrelling loudly at the shop entrance with a staff member, said this.

“Erhm, customer-san……”

It looks like a young female student worker was currently gesturing to explain something, but it did not seem to be transmitted to the customer.

“Ah……”

It wasn’t strange, because once one listened carefully, it could be noticed that that male customer seemed to be a foreigner.

On the other hand, the staff member, who discovered that the other party spoke English, became panicked and was unable to handle the situation in front of her at all.

Even though it would be fine as long as the other staff members went over the help, but there was a long queue in front of the cashier, and it looks like they could not just ignorei it.

“I’m going over for a bit.”

“Eh, hey, wouldn’t it be better not to interfere?”

Rika tried to stop Maou who stood up because he wanted to intervene. That male customer was about Maou’s height, and in very bad fashion taste, he was wearing huge sunglasses and had a head of loose afro hair which gave others a punk impression.

From how he shouted loudly without caring about the stares around him, he was clearly not a friendly type.

“Suzuki-san, don’t worry.”

However, Ashiya stopped Rika. Maou signalled to Ashiya and Rika with his gaze and walked between the staff member and male customer, who were in a conflict.

“About this, may I know what happened?”

Eh? Er, erhm……”

The crying female staff member looked towards Maou like she was asking for help.

Once Maou saw her expression, he instantly judged that he could not expect a calm report from the other person. That was a troubled look reserved for new staff members which said, ‘even I do not know what situation this is’.

(T/N: From now on, the text before the bracket is actually printed in English in the book and the text in the bracket is the proper sentence version of it. Yes, we are only showing you the horrible english in the actual novel because it is hilarious.)

“Hello guy. (I’m sorry, excuse me.)”

Maou, judging that the staff member had already gone into panic, turned around and talked to the male customer.

“She can’t grasp your request. What do you want her? (She doesn’t know what you’re requesting, what do you want from her?)”

“Eh, Maou-san can speak English?”

Rika spoke her mind with a voice which held surprise, causing Maou to feel a little proud of himself.

“Ah……”

The male customer looked between the female staff member and Maou and chose to speak to Maou in the end, saying,

“Here have fork Ha? (Do you have forks here?)”

“Fork? (Fork?)”

“I can see chopsticks like drumsticks. So, do you know the law what forbidden to use the fork when to eat UDON? (To me, chopsticks look more like drumsticks. Is there any law which says that it is forbidden to use forks when eating udon?)”

While saying this, the man looked at Maou’s eyes through his sunglasses. In response to this man with an exaggerated tone, Maou raised an eyebrow while replying,

“……don’t. But, if your wording make refine till tomorrow. You will be forbidden to get in UDON restaurant. (I have never heard of one, but if you do not change the way you speak for the better soon, you may be barred from entering udon restaurants.)”

In response to Maou’s counterattack, the man only laughed lightly.

After Maou told the female staff member that the man wanted a fork----

“Ah, alright, I’ll bring it over right away.”

Without waiting for the other party to order, the staff member ran inside the counter.

“You cool, considering young. (You look young, but you’re rather cool.)”

The man cheerfully used his fist to lightly bump against Maou’s shoulder and walked towards the queue for the self service ordering counter.

It looks like the man seemed to be able to understand the system here, but if so, why can’t be act after reading the atmosphere. Maou shrugged lightly.

“Thanks. (Thanks a lot then.)”

With complex feelings, Maou left the man and returned to his own seat.

“I have exceptional reason. (I also have various troubles of my own)……eh, ohh?”

After returning to his seat, Rika looked at Maou in surprise.

“……So mysterious……Emi, and Maou-san as well, why are you guys working?”

“Ah?”

“It’s nothing. Then again, since everyone is done, then it’s about time we set off. Besides the people in the store have increased.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Looking around carefully, Ashiya and Suzuno seemed to have finished their meal when Maou was talking to the customer. It wasn’t nice to continue taking up the seats in a small store, so it would be better to leave this place for their original purpose.

“Er, erhm……”

Just as the group reached the entrance of the store, the female staff member who Maou helped earlier caught up to them.

“Th, thank you so much for your help earlier! Th, this, the shop manager wants to give this to you……”

The staff member passed a gift coupon with coupon for a small bowl of soup noodle written on it to Maou. If it was the normal Maou, he would have accepted it immediately, but this time he shook his head and replied,

“There’s no need. Then again, even though I can understand that it is difficult not to feel nervous when facing a foreigner, but the other party is only a human, even if you do not understand what the customer means, you should at least let the other party understand this point.”

“Al, alright……”

“Next time, if a foreigner comes, it’s fine as long as you carefully observe what the other party wants to say, and respond accordingly. I will come again.”

“Alright! Er, erhm, thank you very much! Please come again!”

The female staff member gave a deep bow to Maou’s back as he left naturally. Ashiya seemed to feel proud like it was his own accomplishment, Suzuno followed behind Maou, her heart full of suspiscion and only Rika tilted her head to show her lack of understanding of the situation.

“You intervened once you saw that the other person was a girl.”

Suzuno said so angrily with disdain, Maou turned hishead and replied,

“It’s not like that. It’s just that, if it goes on, the atmosphere of the store will become worse and worse. With that, even us who are eating at the side would also feel uncomfortable.”

“Then at least accept that service coupon. I never thought that Maou-san would turn it down.”

Rika followed Suzuno and presented her doubts.
“Ah~ I also thought that is a slight failure, but I still cannot accept. As long as I go to that kind of place, my feelings will be biased towards the staff members no matter what.”

“Eh?”

“Once I see that girl just now, I think of Chi-chan when she was still new. Thinking back now, when I first knew Chi-chan, it was also because of the language conflict like just now.”

Maou smiled in a nostalgic manner.

“I don’t wish for the other person to develop a habit of following the shop manager’s orders to use promotional coupons to solve matters when she is new. If she doesn’t experience the pain of failure herself, then she would not be able to truly reflect on her own mistakes. If an attitude that using promotional coupons to escape from things is formed somewhere in the heart of the new recruit, it will only take away their motivation to improve. That’s why I thought that I shouldn’t accept it.”

“Even though I felt it was a waste from the bottom of my heart, but since you put it that way, then it can’t be helped.”

Ashiya, standing at the side and looking really regretful, sighed gloomily.

“On the contrary, I am starting to understand less and less why Maou-san would not know any television manufacturers……”

Rika crossed her arms and fell silent while thinking.

“Ah, let’s put it this way. Like the saying goes, one good turn deserves another, perhaps this act of goodwill will be repaid in the future, and weren’t we talking about love thy neighbour just now? As a staff member from the food food chain as well, as long as we improve continuously for the prosperity of the store, perhaps that girl will appear in front of us again as the strong opponent.”

“Putting it that way, you’re too reckless. Don’t tell me love thy neighbour is for the sake of letting the other person become your enemy?”

“Even if it’s written as enemy, it can still be read as ‘friend’ right? And Mags and Hanamaru are large companies, they should have a tolerance of this standard.”

Not know how serious he actually is, Maou and Ashiya continued to discuss, and Suzuno, hearing Maou’s words, suddenly raied her head and asked,

“That’s right, Rika-dono.”

Suzuno called out to Rika who was preparing to walk forward.

“Actually I’ve been meaning to consult your opinion from just now. If they are not counted as gods, then what are they?”

“Eh? Your meaning is?”

“If ‘the gods who say that people who do not listen should all be killed’ should not be counted as gods, then what are they?”

Rika spent almost 10 seconds to understand Suzuno’s question.

“Ah, ah, the topic just now? Even though I said it myself, I actually ended up forgetting……but, isn’t it obvious? The only people who will use god’s name to do bad things……”

Rika’s answer was very simple.

“are of course, humans.”

“Hey, what is this.”

The sunglasses man with a punk style afro hair walked out of Hanamaru udon, and immediately picked up the mobile phone to make a call.

And the language he used, was extremely fluent Japanese.

“Because you said that it was the main language of this world, I chose English, and as a result, I couldn’t communicate properly anywhere! Then again, since you knew that the target country is Japan, then from the start, set that country’s language for me! You caused me a lot of embarrassment, how are you going to pay for it!”

It looks like the other person on the other end of the phone did not apologise sincerely.

It can only be seen that the eyes underneath the sunglasses were slowly dyed with the colour of anger.

“This isn’t about communicating with one billion people right? Until now, I only succeeded in talking ot one person! I can’t trust what you say at all!”

The man who stamped his feet in anger quickly took off his sunglasses.

“Ah? Yeah, my stomach should be full, currently my energy is totally full. Yeah, yeah, even though my work increased thanks to a certain person, but I will do it properly. Ah! So troublesome.”

As for the colour of that man’s eyes----

Raising his head, those eyes which look towards the bright sunlight, were purple, matching his punk style.

“Alright alright, then today, I will do the work for a second time. In a rare chance, I had a reaction for the first time I did it yesterday, but the result was that I only happened to get a stronger reaction from a young lady from a normal family. Seriously, why am I the only one who has to do such a thing.”

After the man hung up, he walked towards the busy area of the city centre with some irritation.

In that afro, there was a pinch of purple hair, but ‘that person’ who was the only one who talked to that man did not discover this.

.

Just by walking for a short ten minutes, the angle of the light started to change.
Walking up the ramp next to the police station located at the West Gate of JR Yoyogi station, Emi started holding onto the faint hope that the other party might somehow be nearby.
Thinking about it carefully, when she met that lady in the white dress, she was at Tokyo Dome City, which was in the Bunkyo district. And it seems that it is quite unlikely for the other party to wander around aimlessly, who knows, she might surprisingly be hanging around Tokyo’s 23rd district.  It can’t be that lady in the white dress, carrying the fragment of ‘Yesod’, was just wandering around because she came to Japan for sightseeing. Since the angle of the light indicating the direction changed a lot after walking for a little more than ten minutes, it meant that just by following the path, the relative location between her and the other person had changed a lot.

From this, it can be seen that the other person is nearby.

“I remember that just in front……is the Meiji Shrine.”

The vast forest of Meiji Shrine spanned between JR Yoyogi station and Harajuku station, and as the Sando is parallel to the railway track, it can be reached after about 15 minutes of walking.

(T/N: Sando (..(....)) in Japanese architecture is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple.)

As for why Emi knows about this, it is because Meiji Shrine is a famous power spot, and she had visited this place before.

When she first came to Japan, Emi had came here because she thought she might recover her holy magic, but in the end, there was only a deep well which  she could not understand what power it had, and was totally useless. A more accurate way to put it is that Emi could not tolerate the tourists who came to visit power spots, and left quickly.

“Eh? It’s not the Meiji Shrine?”

However, after walking down the slope and confirming the light, Emi discovered that the direction indicated by the light was not towards the Meiji Shrine forest in front of her, but a path under the Shuto Expressway.

Even if she felt astonished, Emi still walked in the direction indicated by the light, and after that, a building appeared in front of her.

And at the same time, the light also slowly changed its angle, pointing directly to the upper levels of that building.

“……This can’t be true.”

It was a hospital.

In front of the building labelled ‘Saikai University Medical College Affiliated Hospital Tokyo Branch”, Emi hesitated.

Just in case, she tried to walk past the hospital, but the light methodically changed its angle to point behind her.

“What’s going on?”

It was already surprising enough that a reaction occurred in such a nearby place, but Emi could not guess the reason for the other person appearing in a hospital at all.

After referencing to her own situation, the greatest possibility is that the lady in the white dress worked in this hospital.

Whether it is angel or demon, when in Japan, they need to ingest food in order to survive. Sariel, who uses Wicked Light of the Fallen, currently worked hard as a shop manger in Sentucky Fried Chicken, and even Gabriel also showed signs of paying money at a convenience store.

The other natural explanation is that the lady needed to stay in hospital or had a medical appointment because she was injured or sick.

Regarding the true identity of the lady in the white dress, Emi already had a rough assumption. But even if that assumption is correct, there was no guarantee that she would use that name in this hospital.

Emi tried to probe the air around this place, but did not sense and holy magic or demonic magic, powers which were not normal in Japan.

If she was discovered when pretending to be a visitor for a patient, it will harm her social life, and just as Emi started having negative thoughts, not matching the style of a Hero, and wracked her brain to find ways to enter the hospital and investigate----

“Erhm……it can’t be, it’s Yusa-san right?”

Someone suddenly initiated a conversation with her form behind, causing Emi’s heart to almost jump out from her throat.

“Y, yes……eh?”

“Oh my, it’s Yusa-san after all……how coincidential. Does Yusa-san have any business at this hospital?”

The one who greeted Emi, was a person who was even more unexpected to her.

“Chi, Chiho’s mother?”

The person who came is Chiho’s mother, Sasaki Riho.

Why was she here, and she even came out from the hospital?

“Even though I have not told anyone yet……do you work near here?”

“Ah, yeah, erhm, that’s right.”

Because she could not tell the other person the truth honestly, therefore Emi answered vaguely. However, even so, Emi still discovered something strange in Riho’s words.

“Erhm……may I ask, about not telling anyone yet, does it mean something happened?”

Emi asked.

Riho, who looked slightly troubled, showed an anxious face which looked like she could start crying anytime.

Emi, seeing this, somehow had a bad feeling.

“Yusa-san, are you free now? If it’s convenient, can I trouble you to make a trip with me?”

After Riho said this, she turned to return to the hospital, seeing her back, Emi’s feeling started to turn into a firm thought.

Riho walked past the counter directly and invited Emi to come to the front to the elevator. At this time, for the first time, Emi noticed that on Riho’s sleeve, a ‘visitor’ badge, signifying that she was here to visit a patient, was pinned onto her sleeve.

After taking the elevator, which came after a long time, Emi, who remembered that she forgot to turn off her mobile phone, looked towards her bag.

“……”

The light which came from the small bottle within her shoulder bag was rapidly changing its angle.

It looks like the fragment of ‘Yesod’ was in this hospital after all.

“Please come this way.”

At this time, Emi’s heartbeat might be more anxious and shaken than the time when she ambushed the Demon Fortess in Ente Isla.

The patient room which Riho bought Emi to had a door plate with ‘Sasaki-san’ written on it.

In the patient room, there were four spaces separated by curtains, Riho, approaching one of them, opened the curtain slowly after waving a hand to Emi.

“……!”

Emi sucked in a breath.

.

Whether they set off from Hanamaru udon or from the station, they can reach the main store of Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances at the Shinjuku-Nishiguchi in less than 5 minutes. It was a rather huge electronics outlet directly in front of the Keio Long Distance Bus Passenger Station.

At Shinjuku-Higashiguchi, Sakurabaya, who opened a specialised building for shopping in order to preserve its individuality had already stopped its operations, and currently, only the two stores, BIG CAMERA and LABIT, Amada Denki were competing against each other, but at Nishiguchi, it can be said to be the playground of Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances.

(T/N: BIG CAMERA is a parody of BIC CAMERA. LABIT, Amada Denki, is a parody of LABI, Yamada Denki. Denki is electronics.)

Even though there are still electronic outlets which target specialised fields such as camera stores around the area, but based on the overall strength, Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances is without a doubt, the ruler of Shinjuku-Nishiguchi.

“This is the store in the service of the Demon King after all!”

Maou surveyed the outlet and said this gleefully.

Even though just buying washing machine, fridge and using points to buy a lightbulb cannot really be called in service, but anyway, the Yodogawa Bridge card of the Demon Fortress has already accumulated quite an amount of points. Since this points card was worth 6,139 yen at Yodogawa Bridge, so hoping to buy things here next time and using the points to save money is human nature.

 Considering this repeatable inbound marketing force, it was no wonder that businesses would put their upmost effort in having customers sign up for a points card.

After all, as long as they spend once, before the points are used up, the thought that ‘there are still points will make people want to shop continuously.

“Hey, Ashiya, is there anything in the Demon Fortress that can accumulate points?”

“Don’t think of such unnecessary things, just focus your attention on the shopping in front of you.”

Ashiya ignored it. It seems like he had widened his eyes, examining the flyers from the other stores.

Including Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances, the flyer of every shop naturally has a slogan ‘even if it’s 1 yen, as long as other shops are cheaper than here……’ or something similar on it.

Once Ashiya saw this slogan, not caring about the hot weather, he specially ran to Higashiguchi by himself, and took flyers from all the competitor stores and came back.

“Ashiya-san’s eyes are really serious.”

Rika, seeing this kind of Ashiya, smiled wryly.

“But, it’s not that different in reality, right? There’s no need to compare to that kind of extent……”

“No, I feel that what Ashiya-san did is correct.”

Even Maou felt that there was no need to nitpick over a few hundred yen, but Rika supported Ashiya’s method directly.

“Since the stores said so themselves, then we must definitely make use of this point thoroughly right?”

“……About that, even though it’s correct in theory, but it feels like we’re haggling too much……”

“Ah?”

Rika intentionally crossed her arms in front of her, and explained in a serious manner,

“Buying things is also about bargaining. The buyer wants to buy cheap things as much as possible, while the seller hopes to sell at a high price. For the seller, to what extent should they compromise through which method, and what reason can the customer use to bargain for the seller to back up to what extent, this is what doing business is. There is nothing more important than collecting information.”

“Bargaining huh.”

“And I feel that why people think it’s haggling too much is because theTokyoites feel that ‘slashing prices’ is purely just squashing down the price.”

“Eh? So you’re actually from Kansai?”

“Didn’t I tell Maou-san before? I was born in Kobe.”

Rika pointed to herself as she explained.

“……What do you normally shorten MgRonalds to?”

“Stop joking around, I have already been asked this question many times by Tokyoites.”

Even though this is an important matter to Maou, Rika seemed to not take this question seriously.

“In conclusion, how should I say this. About slashing prices, it’s actually a negotiation to be able to clearly see the relationship from now on.”

“Clearly see the relationship?”

“Yeah, for example……”

Rika carefully observed the other customers in the television section.

“Over there, there’s a couple around 50 years old and a staff member, can you see them?”

After looking at the direction Rika indicated, Maou nodded in reply.

“That staff member feels very skilled. For the terms which older people might find difficult to understand, he would explain them in detail with layman terms. Maou-san is also in the service industry, you should be able to understand that those type of people can easily leave a good impression on others, right?”

“Yeah, if they do not have complete product knowledge and the willingness to serve, they definitely would not unable to achieve that standard.”

“But look at that staff member, who do you feel he’s talking to?”

“Who he’s talking to……?”

From a bystander’s point of view, it looks like the husband was asking the staff member questions, and the staff member was answering the other person in a well executed manner.

“Even though it is the husband who is asking the questions, but that staff member seems to be answering the wife the whole time.”

Suzuno, who was looking in the same direction, expressed her thoughts.

“Because the staff member knows that the key person to clinching this purchase, is that wife.”

“So that means the husband’s wallet is managed strictly by the wife?”

Maou answered with a frown, Rika shrugged, shaking her head and saying,

“Wrong, wrong. Which is why men really are……something like television, isn’t it something that the whole family uses?”

“Ah?”

“What I mean is only allowing the person who knows to decide to buy it, and buying it after obtaining the understanding of all the users, the feeling after buying in these two situations is totally different.”

Ashiya, who had not looked away from the advertisement flyers, explained to Maou, who looked like he still didn’t understand,

“If they allow the husband to understand the product first and buy it before the wife understands, then there will be a difference between the thoughts between husband and wife about this purchase. As long as they can make the wife, who looks like she isn’t very good with machinery, accept this deal, then they will be able to buy in a more delighted manner. Judging by the current situation, the husband has already decided to buy it.”

“As expected of Ashiya-san, there is a difference in being a househusband after all.”

“I’m flattered.”

Ashiya had not raised his head and was still staring at the flyer.

“If you really want to talk about it, this is related to what Suzuki-san said about haggling. As long as you explain it properly and get the wife’s understading, and then provide some discounts or ways to increase points then this deal will go through. Other than that, the customer may also be able to receive a good shopping experience that is not only one with a careful service but they get a great deal as well. If you see this kind of shop, what kind of feelings will you get?”
“What kind of feeling, is it……”  “Perhaps you will develop the thoughts of [Let’s purchase from here next time]. And this has nothing to do with collecting points.
Suzuno was one step faster than Maou at understanding what Ashiya was trying to say.  “That’s right. And as long as the staff member still remembers that customer when they come next time, it will be even more perfect.”

Rika nodded in satisfaction, approving Ashiya’s and Suzuno’s answer, and Maou alone, who was still unable to understand, looked towards the couple mentioned in this topic. It looks like the staff member was bringing the two people to the delivery counter, and they have also settled quite a number of matters.

“In the end, slashing prices means ‘I will become your regular customer, so give me discounts’. And the result of the store turning it into a system is that points card. With that thing, even with introverted Tokyoites, they would be able to directly ask the other person to provide discounts, right?

Rika used her chin to gesture towards the points card which Maou held in his hand in a cherished manner.

“Uhhh……”

“Of course, this does not mean that the store which just carelessly give discounts. They need to frequently find the line where they can minimise their losses while causing the customers to return. So slashing prices is actually a type of ‘negotiation’. The aunties from Osaka are amazing, you know? Even though people tend to say that they are the representatives of Japan for stingyness, but as long as the store can get into their good graces, those people will bring their families along and spend a lot. To these stores, if there is a chance to make larger sales at a small profit, of course they will take a gamble. Because there is a possibility that both parties will be satisfied in the future, that is why it is possible to smoothly slash prices with other people in Kansai.”

From the expressions on Maou and Suzuno, to them, Rika’s words are almost like a concept from another world.

“Even though both parties are treating it like a business, but to be able to shop with careful calculations and finding places where compromise is possible on the level of human feelings, this is actual ‘negotiation of slashing prices’. But in the heads of Tokyoites, they only think about lowering the prices on paper, and those who do not wish to slash prices won’t slash prices at all, and in the eyes of others, they will still feel it’s haggling. Don’t just settle for the customer standpoint, since the other party wants to give us things so delightfully, then we definitely should use ‘talking business’ to attack proactively.”
“Every, everyone’s viewpoint is a little different huh……but, talking about this……”

Maou, who seemed to recall something, said,

“When I first bought the washing machine and fridge, even though I never said anything, the other person automatically took away the amount below the thousands digit. Is it the same principle?”

“It should be the timing is right, I guess? When did you buy them?”

“Around the beginning of summer……”

“Then that’s possible. At that time, the spring wave of house moving just passed, and it was the period where home appliances are having dull sales. At that time, you bought a washing machine and fridge at one go, of course the staff member would show their good side to you.”

“…..Then is it the right time to buy a television now?”

What kind of answer is Ashiya expected by asking this question.

“It’s considered not bad, I guess? Before moving into the age of full adoption of digital television, they should be hoping to increase the profits of television sales, in addition……”

Suzuno suddenly turned to Suzuno.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Erhm……”

Rika beckoned to Ashiya, and said after putting some distance between Suzuno,

“You must watch Suzuno closely, okay.”

“W, why……?”

“Think about it carefully, what is her budget?”

“She seemed to gleefully say 70,000 just now……”

When he said this, Ashiya suddenly raised his head.

“Ri, right! As long as the both of us went to find that same staff member together……”

“Do your best!”

Rika, who gave all her hints, lightly patted Ashiya’s back. Ashiya, who had buried himself in the advertisments with a stony face, changed his expression, showing an unreserved happy smile and subconsciously held Rika’s hand.

“Thank you, Suzuki-san, it was great to find you to come along after all!”

“Kya! Eh, ah, eh, eh, ye, yeah, don’t, don’t mention it.”

Because of Ashiya’s sudden action, Rika instantly turned red and looked at her hand which was being held.

“I will try my best to squeeze out a budget to buy a mobile phone from the 41,239 yen. See you later!”

“Kya, kyah!”

After showing a full faced smile to Rika who gave off a strange cry, Ashiya quickly ran to Suzuno’s side.

“Kamazuki Suzuno! Let’s go and look around together!”

“Why, why so sudden! What happened? Don’t, don’t pull me, let me go, disgusting!”

“……What is this.”

Maou looked between Ashiya who grabbed Suzuno and ran into the outlet, and Rika who froze on the spot with a totally red face.

“Hey, what exactly did you say to Ashiya?”

“…………”

“He, hello?”

Maou tried to wave his hand in front of Rika, but Rika did not react at all.

Gettting a feeling that he seemed to have met with a similar situation somewhere before, after Maou thought for a while----

“……Yosh!”

He clapped his hand next to Rika’s ear.

“Woah!”

After producing a sound which was different from a certain person, and did not sound cute at all, Rika finally regained her senses.

“Eh, eh, eh? I, I……”

“He, hello, can I ask a question?”

“Wah! Wha, what, so it was Maou-san, since when have you been standing there?”

“……About a few seconds ago. Now, can I ask now?”

“Wh, what is it?”

“You, have you actually……”

“Ye, yeah?”

Maou turned his head to look at Ashiya’s back, who had stopped a staff member and was continuously asking questions together with a stone faced Suzuno, then turned his gaze back onto Rika.

“developed feelings for Ashiya?”

“Wagh!”

At this instant, Rika’s face gave off the sound and steam of a humidifier and collapsed on the ground.

“He,hello, are you alright! I didn’t expect you to have this kind of reaction!”

Maou franctically supported Rika upright, and pulled her over to the bench nearby to sit down.

“Hey, Demon King.”

“Ah?”

“Why do I have to sit with you on the bench and drink tea?”

“What’s the matter, it’s nothing much anyway.”

“This makes me unhappy.”

“How mean.”

Maou and Suzuno were sitting together on a bench next to the escalator at Yodogawa Bridge Home Appliances.

Both of them were drinking wheat tea contained in a thermos flask which had been chilled in the fridge at home beforehand, and both of them had a box containing a television each at their feet.

As Suzuno and Ashiya bought a television each, therefore the staff member who served the two of them gave them quite a good discount.

Without discussing with Maou at all, Ashiya bought the cheapest stock clearance product in the store, a thin LCD television which costs 32,800yen. Even though the television Suzuno had chosen was the same size as Ashiya, but she bought a model which contained a bluray recorder and playback function.

Not only did the staff member help the two people take away the amount after the thousand digit, he also helped them add points which did not originally come with specially priced products.

As the staff member had misunderstood the whole time that the two people had a close relationship like family or boyfriend and girlfriend, Suzuno obviously looked unhappy from beginning to the end, even though the staff member tried hard to win her favour, from the result, it was also a good development.

The original budget of Maou and the others was 41,239 yen, but in the end, they only spent 30,000 yen including 5 percent warranty fee, so Ashiya seemed to plan to use the extra money to buy a mobile phone.

The reason for Rika following today was originally to fulfil the agreement made with Ashiya earlier, but from the result, the Demon Fortress also managed to buy a cheap television.

At least, if Rika wasn’t around, even if the inhabitants of the Demon Fortress came to the electrical outlet with Suzuno, the thought of buying things together would have never occurred to them.

“Hey, let me ask you, what do you think about those two people?”

“Those two people? Are you referring to Alsiel and Rika-dono?”

Maou used his chin to indicate the direction, at that time, Ashiya and Rika were running around the mobile phone area.

Compared to Ashiya, who seemed to be absorbed in the products area, Rika seemed to be hung up on something, she was repeatedly looking at Maou occasionally, but once she met his gaze, she would look away immediately.

In addition, her face looked a little red, was it because some of the hot air from outlet flowed into the outlet, or is it…..

“Rika-dono seems to stand out too much.”

“Ah?”

“Once those two people stand together, Alsiel’s dressing seems too plain. Even though they say one good point can cover seven ugly points, but if he doesn’t pay more attention to his dressing, wouldn’t it affect his social credit?”

“So, social credit, is it that serious?”

“Of course. Standing together with that guy would make Rika-dono’s beautiful dressing to seem overdone.”

“Then, have you ever thought why Suzuki Rika would dress so nicely? From what I see, that shouldn’t be her normal going out attire.”

“Why……because the shopping this time was initiated by Alsiel. Even though I do not know about how Alsiel and Rika-dono knew each other, but Rika-dono does not know that Alsiel is a demon. Since a guy invited her, then she should at least have prepared something specially for going out……”

When she nonchalantly spoke to this part, Suzuno suddenly felt something was wrong with what she said and fell silent.

“Even though this has nothing to do with the slashing prices just now, but according to that lady’s personality, do you think she would do such a meaningless thing?”

“……hey, hey, wait, Demon King, could it be!”

“Don’t forget that her personality is the kind that doesn’t care about details to the point that even with me, who she met for the first time, would speak unreservedly because I am a friend of a friend, do you think that kind of girl would intentionally dress up because of Ashiya’s invitation?”

“Don’t, don’t tell me Rika-dono……”

Suzuno was stunned at that moment, and even subconsciously dropped the thermos flask in her hand.

As 80% of the bottle contained ice, and a towel was wrapped around the outside to absorb the moisture, not only did it not make much noise, most of the wheat tea did not spill as well.

“Demon, Demon King, don’t tell me you wan to say that Rika-dono, is enamoured with Alsiel?”

“I asked her just now, and she produced a sound like a cry of a pitbull and fainted on the ground----wah!”

Maou had only spoken halfway when Suzuno could hold it in anymore and punched him.

“That hurts! What are you doing!”

“I’m the one who wants to know what you’re doing! Even if you’re dense, there should be a limit to it!”

“Ah?”

“No wonder Rika-dono keepts paying attention to here since just now! How did you ask her?”

“Ow……uh, I just asked her normally if she liked Ashiya----wah!”

This time, Maou also dropped the thermos flask because of the impact of being hit.

“A Demon King like youuu!”

“Suzu, Suzuno, ow, it’s hard to breath…….! There, there’s people watching!”

“……Ugh!”

Suzuno, who forgot about her surroundings and grabbed the front of Maou’s shirt, regained her sanity at the last moment.

“These, these kind of thing, isn’t it better to say it clearly……”

“What will happen even if it’s said clearly!”

Suzuno took a deep breath to calm herself down, and gasped for breath after sitting heavily on the bench.

“Well eh, it’s not as if it’s an issue about whether it’s possible or not…..”
Suzuno fiercely glared at Maou who was mumbling those words from the corner of her eye.  And then with a slight and sharp tone, she spoke at a volume only Maou could hear,  “This is different from Chiho-dono’s case, do you actually want me and Emilia to manipulate Rika-dono’s memories?”

“Ah?”

Because Maou was unable to understand the meaning behind Suzuno’s words, he let out a sound of cluelessness.

Perhaps this reaction was still within Suzuno’s predictions, so she only continued to explain with the same tone,

“Besides about us, Chiho-dono also knows about all of you. Even so, she still likes a guy like you. About the fact that you might be supressed by other people, Chiho-dono should be mentally prepared to the minimum level in her own way. However, Rika-dono is different.”

“……”

Even though Maou was thinking, “After it was mentioned again, it’s really troubling beyond imagination”, but if he really said it, it felt as if he would be killed by Reinforced Holy Hammer, so he could only keep silent.

“Liking Alsiel, will only cause Rika-dono to face an unfortunate future. If you do not wish for her to get involved like Chiho-dono, you should not be involved with her in the future.”

“Oh my, it may not only lead to an unfortunate future ……basically with regards to Chi-chan’s determination, it refers to dying right? It’s not even confirmed that things will become like that……”

“That is……”

Just as Suzuno was planning to retort, she recalled the conversation she had with Emi on the night they returned from Choshi as well as things concerning Alas=Ramus, and therefore spoke after some thinking,

“From an objective point of view, it’s not as if there isn’t a possibility the size of the excretion of a Paramecium.”

“So my chances of survival are that small.”

“But with Alsiel and Rika-dono, they don’t even have that small possibility. Demon King, even if you, Alsiel and Lucifer decide to all settle in Japan, it’s still impossible.”

“Is, is it that bad? Ugh, even though we don’t intend to do that from that beginning that is……”

“How long has it been since all of you have turned into this state? Who can guarantee that all of you would still maintain the same form in the future, or grow old like humans do?”

“Hm……”

“Even if you’re left with the physical strength of a human, and you have a body which needs to be treated with the medical treatment of the human world when you are injured, once you gather demonic magic, you are still a demon in the end. With that, even if all of you turned over a new leaf and found a human partner, that partner will still face a social misfortune----as long as all of you remain in that young body.”

“You actually think that we would go so far for humans, this actually is the more surprising point for me.”

“At this point, you’re still saying these kinds of things.”
Suzuno nodded nonchalantly.

“The correct answer cannot be found purely based on preconceptions. I interact directly with all of you in this country, as long as I make a comprehensive judgement based on all of your personalities, this conclusion will come naturally…………ah!”

At this point, Suzuno immediately glared at Maou like he was her father’s killer.

“Even so, that does not mean that I hold a positive impression towards of all of you! This is an objective observation after all!”

“I, I know already. Too, too close too close, I said I understand.”

Facing the inquisitor who suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and glared harshly at him, Maou could only show a careless smile to try to calm the other party down.

Suzuno maintained a strict gaze, looking towards Ashiya and Rika at the mobile phone section.

“Since Rika-dono is enamoured towards Alsiel, she would still need to face the bitterness of a broken relationship, or the eventual parting with the inhabitants of a foreign world. Do you think Emilia and I will approve?”

“……”

Perhaps she was just imagining things, after Maou readjusted his collear and picked up the thermos flask on the floor, he seemed to look back at Suzuno with a grim expression.

“You should know what I want to express right. If it’s possible, let Alsiel cut off all this ties with Rika-dono from today onwards. With this, the hurt felt by Rika-dono will also…...”

“Then, why didn’t all of you erase Chi-chan’s memories?”

“be kept to a minimum……what did you say?”

“The difference between Chi-chan and Suzuki Rika, is only whether they know about our true identities. If you do not wish for Chi-chan to meet with misfortune, it’s fine as long as all of you erase her memories right?”

Suzuno was shocked because of Maou’s question from out of the blue.

“What kind of criteria are you using to differentiate between Chi-chan and Rika? Chi-chan’s willpower needs to be respected as a friend, and Suzuki Rika’s willpower is not worth respecting?”

“It, it’s not like that! It’s only……”

“It’s only what?”

“……”

In response to Maou’s probing, Suzuno had nothing to say in return.

“Let me teach you how to easily change the tragic future of the Suzuki Rika who likes Ashiya.”

Maou said nonchalantly.

“It’s simple. We just need to let Suzuki Rika know that we are demons from another world in a way which she can believe in. If she’s so sacred that she doesn’t dare to approach us, it’s also a good thing for you and Emi, if Suzuki Rika still likes Ashiya even with this, it also means that she is interacting with us with a matching amount of determination. At least she would not feel sad in a one sided manner.”

“How, how is that possible! If that is done……”

“What will happen?”

“Then, then wouldn’t Rika-dono, also, also be dragged in as well?”

However, Suzuno’s tone had lost its firm stance.

“It would be good if the various parties of ‘our enemy’ do not know.”

Maou intentionally used ‘our enemy’ to express this.

“At the beginning, Olba dragged Chi-chan who did not know anything without any hesitation, you know? Don’t tell me you think Ciriatto and that those people who sent Ciriatto over, wouldn’t drag the Japanese who don’t know anything into this?”

Maou said this in an acute, calm yet confident manner.

“Even since Emi and I came to the center of human society in Japan, Tokyo, the thought about not wanting to drag the humans of this world into this doesn’t work anymore. If anything happens, what good would it do to hide our true identities from the people around us. Or is it in your point of view, our relationship with Suzuki Rika is only at the standard where a weak point will occur once our identities are found out?”

“This is warped logic! The relationships between people aren’t that simple!”

“What use would it be saying this to be, we are demon and human over here. Even though it would be logically more troublesome, but we have a good relationship with Chi-chan right now yeah? No matter what, ever since Emi didn’t think so much and started making friends, Suzuki Rika is already an involved party, it’s just that she had not met with any danger until now.”
“……”

“Even though it’s not known if it’s good or bad, but casually expanding human relationships, does not equate to dragging other people into our affairs, I also interacted with a lot of people because of work, and……”

Maou slowly got up, and started to do some backward stretches to relax the muscles in his waist.

“Even though this shouldn’t be said by me, but isn’t it boring going through life alone? Of course a comrade would be good right?”

Suzuno, at a total loss of words, lowered her head, with her hands on her lap, her shoulders shaking non-stop.

It was obvious that even though she could not rebuke on the logic, Suzuno still felt frustrated because she could not accept it on an emotional level.

Maou glanced at her state out of the corner of her eye and sighed out of his nose as if he was relaxing.

“Your way of thinking has always been too old fashioned. It would be just nice if you occasionally be like Emi and act without thinking.”

Seeing Suzuno’s hairpin shake because of the hatred, Maou placed his hand on her head.

“Don’t, don’t touch me!”

Suzuno, her eyes slightly red, pushed away that hand with some force.

“That, that is because you and Emilia are too relaxed! Even if I’m the only person thinking about it seriously, is there anything wrong in that!”

“There’s nothing too wrong about it. However, if those thoughts lean towards negative or meaningless topics, then it’s almost the same as giving up on thinking. Since the way of life of making connections with other people were chosen, then no matter how hopeless the situation in front of us is, it would be a happier life to live on by looking at the good side of things. Especially since I am a king, in order to take the people following me in the good direction, I have a duty to carry this way of life.”

“……King……”

Suzuno repeated what Maou said.

“T, then……”

“Hm?”

“If the direction which we thought was correct was actually wrong when we continue to look up, then what should we do?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Even though Suzuno asked this with some evil intent by picking at Maou’s use of words, Maou answered in a simple and bright manner,

“It’s fine as long as I allow the person who is confident in leading everyone to a better place push me down, and stand in front of everyone once more.”

“Ne, ne, Ashiya-san.”

“Yes?”

“Do Maou-san and Suzuno, have a very good relationship?”

“Eh?”

Ashiya looked towards the direction Rika pointed at,and discovered that Maou and Suzuno were making a ruckus next to the stairs. Even though they don’t look like they are playing around, it didn’t look like they were arguing over something minor either.

“Originally, they should be hostile towards each other.”

“Hostile towards each other……means?”

“However……”

Ashiya, with a troubled look on his face, said something which was opposite from what his expression portrayed.

“Recently, it is surprisingly not like this.”

“……it feels, like it’s a bit complicated?”

“That’s true, it is rather complicated.”

After softening his troubled expression, Ashiya looked directly at Rika’s eyes.

With just that, it was enough for Rika’s heartbeat to speed up by a few times.

“Perhaps one day, there might be a need to explain to Suzuki-san as well.”

Under the gaze which could only be described as sincere----

“……Yeah.”

Rika could only nod in response.

Ashiya had a side which Rika could not peer into. From the first time they met, Rika had already felt this.

And the relationship between Maou and him had an atmosphere which seemed like it could not be simply understood as supervisor and surbodinate, even though Emi seemed to view the two people with a hostility which was more than necessary, but Rika occasionally knew that Emi did not really dislike them that much in reality.

Basically, lacking common social knowledge to such an extent even though they had experience in operating a company was too strange as well.

Even though she accepted Ashiya’s explanation when they first met, but perhaps the ‘Maou Group’ which he talked about, might be a lie to cover up a certain huge past.

She had only met Ashiya three times, and it was only at a standard where they knew each other. If she was asked whether they were counted as friends, they shouldn’t be that close yet, so she was unable to casually gather information about their past.

In addition, from the beginning to the end, Ashiya had continued to use honorifics with her like she was an outsider.

Until now, with the guys from the same generation which Rika knew, she only needed one day to close the distance between them and become familiar, but with the wall between herself and Ashiya, far from being broken, there wasn’t even a crack on it.
I want to try to break that wall.

I want to understand the Ashiya on the other side of the wall even more.

These desires naturally grew in Rika’s heart.

Even though Maou and Suzuno looked like they disliked each other, but in the eyes of a bystander, the interactions between the two people were straightforward and honest.

Even though it’s a little strange to call this kind of relationship ideal, but she wanted to know more about what Ashiya thinks about, and what kind of life he led.

Rika suddenly had a realisation.

The hand which had been carrying the bag of stewed Sanma, Saba and and Iwashi naturally tightened.

“Ashiya-san.”

I----

“Do you want to just bring the information back first for today? In the beginning, it isn’t a must to decide to buy which mobile phone by today right?”

“Yeah, that is true……”

like----

“There’s no need to chose docodemo because of me, and budget is a issue as well, it’s better to think about it carefully after discussing it with Maou-san. And after that, if you still don’t have any idea……”

this strange guy.

“As long as you notify me, I can still come out to buy things with you.”

Rika proposed this with 90% sincerity and 10% calculation.

Because Ashiya was overexcited from the television being cheaper than he imagined, he lost his calm judgement.

According to Ashiya, he did not check what plan Maou’s mobile phone was using, Rika sincerely thought that as long as she matches with Maou’s contract, and let the two of them use another payment plan together, they would be able to get the functions they want at a cheaper price. And it was true that they did not have enough information in this aspect.

As for that remaining 10% of calculation, is that as long as she propsed this, perhaps she might create antoher chance to meet up with Ashiya, this kind of pure intentional action.

It was the same when she called Emi yesterday, for unknown reasons, she ill become very nervous when Ashiya is mentioned, and she never expected that tell other people about this would be such a difficult thing to do, at that time, even though Rika was still unable to understand her own feelings, but once she started to become aware of it, the answer was easy to see.

“……Next time, can I still trouble you again?”

Because once it was confirmed that there will be a ‘next time’, she already felt this happy.

“Leave it to me! With my self proclaimed title as the trump card of the customer service centre on the line, in order for the customer to choose the mobile phone which fits him the most, allow me to sincerely advise you on this!”

“I will look forward to it.”

Even though she did not know the other party very well, she still felt this happy because of that person’s smile.

Ah, seriously, this doesn’t match my style at all.

“Then, I will take this information back for today. After this, depending on Maou’s work situation, I will contact you again in the near future.”

“Yeah, I do have a job as well after all, we’ll discuss and decide the time then. Now then, we’ll part ways after the two people making a ruckus over there calm down……”

Before Rika could even finish her sentence---

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

A scream was suddenly heard from upstairs, causing Ashiya, Rika, Maou and Suzuno to momentarily freeze on the spot.

The customers in the store also showed expressions of confusion, looking around to find the source of the scream.

“Hey, what happened?”

“I, I’ll go take a look.”

Nearby, a staff member who looked like he was more senior ran up the stairs after saying this.

After Maou, standing at the bottom of the stairs, watched that staff member leave, he seemed to be concerned about something and turned towards Ashiya because of this.

And Ashiya, seemed to realise the same thing as Maou.

“Suzuki-san, can I ask you to wait here for a while?”

“Eh?”

“Hey, Suzuno, you should have realised as well right?”

Maou asked Suzuno with a grim expression and Suzuno also nodded with an unhappy look on her face.

“……I will leave Suzuki Rika to you, Ashiya and I will go check out the situation.”

After that, wihout waiting for Suzuno to reply, Maou rushed up the stairs directly, and Ashiya followed closely behind.

“Eh? Hey, Ashiya-san, Maou-san, wouldn’t it be better to not go over?”

Rika, who felt a little of this anxious atmosphere, said this like she was talking to herself. Suzuno, watching Maou and Ashiya disappear at the top of the stairs and rushing to Rika’s side, started to raise her guard.

The second floor is the floor where Ashiya and Suzuno bought the televisions.

Even though nothing special had happened yet, but for some strange reason, before and after the scream occurred, a suffocating atmosphere was felt from upstairs.

“……Rika-san, I think it’s better for us to wait outside the shop. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Eh, ah, yeah, but, Ashiya-san and……”

“They will be fine. They may look like this, but those two have been through many trials and tribulations.”

“What, what does that mean……ah, wait, wait a moment, Suzuno, you forgot the televisions!”

Rika finally managed to remind Suzuno to pick up the two televisions and ran outside the store under Suzuno’s guidance.

Outside was the usual Shinjuku. It looks like that scream was only confined to within the store, and the pedestrians on the streets did not seem to have changed much.

On the other hand, Maou and Ashiya immediately discovered a strange situation once when reached the upper floor.

The countless televisions which were displayed in the store that they were just fascinated by----

All their screens had shattered.

The scattered LCD panels sprawled across the floor, and the confused customers and staff members could only look at this scene, dazed.

“What, what happened?”

The staff member who ran up from the first floor to investigate immediately called a staff member over to understand the situation.

And that young staff member, just happened to be the man who served Ashiya and Suzuno.

“Erhm, that, uh, screen, the screens……the images used for display suddenly emitted a white light……”

“You said that all the screens glowed at the same time?”

“Because that light was as glaring as the flash of a camera, so I turned away at that instant, then……”

Another staff member who ran over, also said the same words like the first man.

“When I came to my senses, I discovered that all the LCD screens have shattered.”

“How, how can this kind of thing happen? R, right, first, first let all the customers take refuge outside! Also, quickly find someone to contact the fire department and police……”

Even though that staff member who investigated was unable to handle the situation too calmly because of the seriousness of the situation, but from how he immediately considered the safety of the customers and his ability to command the scene, he should be an outstanding supervisor.

Maou and Ashiya, who had just run up the stairs, were almost immediately asked to go downstairs by a staff member nearby.

After turning back to look at the level selling televisions, Maou walked downstairs and out of the store with a stern look on his face.

“Hey, what happened exactly?”

“Ashiya-san, are you alright?”

Suzuno pressed Maou as if he was the reason behind the incident, while Rika was just worried for Ashiya’s safety.

Even though Maou felt a little disheartened, he still cheered up and instructed Ashiya.

“Hey, Ashiya, to be safe, you should bring Suzuki Rika home.”

“Eh?”

“I will put my life on the line for this.”

Rika was shocked because of Maou’s sudden command, but Ashiya received the order in a straightforward manner.
“Suzu, Suzuki-san, let me bring you home. I remember you live at Takadanobaba……”

“Ah, eh, uh, erhm, wait, wait a moment, this is progressing so fast, I’m not mentally prepared, and I still have to tidy up my room, erhm!”

After watching Ashiya grab onto Rika and head towards the station, and Rika who left while descending into a panic for unknown reasons, Maou nudged with his chin to signal to Suzuno.

“We’ll talk on the way home. Anyway, after meeting up with Urushihara, call Emi over as well. Ah, Chi-chan needs to be contacted too. We need to tell her it’s dangerous around this time and not to come near the apartment.”

“Let me confirm something with you first.”

Suzuno’s tone of voice became sterner compared to before.

“That is demonic magic right. Is it related to Barbariccia’s group?”

“I don’t know. But let me explain first. Even though saying these things now is not much use, but it really wasn’t done by us.”

That suffocating air from upstairs was undoubtably demonic magic.

Of course, Maou and Ashiya did not do anything, Maou has also no idea how the drift of demonic magic was related to the mass destruction of the televisions.

But one thing was clear, it was definitely not a natural occurance.

“I know even if you didn’t say it.”

Suzuno quickened her pace with a stony look on her face.

Because they were walking quickly while carrying televisions, huge beads of sweat started to appear on both their foreheads.

“You were having a meaningless debate with me just now. Even if you did not specially explain, I also know that you were not the one behind it. And to think you are a ‘king’, being so cowardly at this kind of strange places.”

“Because I have been eating too frequently with people who are eyeing my life lately, so I became a little paranoid.”

Maou returned the scarasm with an easy smile.

“……Whatever you say. Anyway, lets go back quickly.”

Suzuno, in no mood to deal with this, turned away and led Maou to quicken the pace.

When they rushed back home with all their might, the two people who greeted them at Villa Rosa Sasazuka were Emi, whose expression was even more heavy compared to them, and Urushihara, who showed a rare stern expression.

“Bell, the Demon King was with you the whole time right?”

“Yea, yeah……Alsiel parted ways from me not that long ago……”

After hearing Suzuno’s answer, Emi showed a rather relieved expression. But almost immediately she glared at Maou with a stony face.

“Where is Alsiel? Quickly ask him to come back.”

“What, what’s up. Did something happen?”

Emi’s mental state was abnormal, that even Maou realised that her behaviour was rather strange.

Emi’s eyes flickered with an unease which was never seen before.

Even though she was his enemy, but her eyes had always burned with strong determination.

But the Emi right now seemed to have lost her way, and her gaze gave the feeling that she had been cornered.

Whether it was Maou, Urushihara or Suzuno, it was their first time seeing Emi show this expression.

“The me who had thought that if you were the cause, and the me who felt relieved that you weren’t the cause are now strongly conflicting in my heart. Let me confirm with you again, the Demon King and Alsiel have been with Bell the whole time, and yesterday, after returning from the housing agent, you have not gone out since right?”

Maou and Suzuno nodded at the same time.

After Emi confirmed this with a deeply sorrowful expression, she laid out a shocking fact,

“Chiho lost consciousness because of poisoning from concentrated magic. According to Chiho’s mother, since last night, her condition was already a little strange.”