Chapter 106
The foul smell of rotten eggs spread through the chilly air.
‘…Sulfur?’
Since the only thing that had changed around here was the appearance of the new man, it was not difficult to identify the source of the stench.
His complexion was deathly pale.
Beyond his long hair, which flowed freely because it was not tied back, yellow eyes cautiously surveyed the surroundings.
“Oh, who might this be?”
His gaze soon fell upon Aiden.
“Our VVVVV─, VIP guest, I see.”
The man’s manner was extremely polite, but every now and then, an inexplicable flippancy could be felt from him.
The deep smile hanging around his mouth was probably the reason.
“First, allow me to thank you for remembering to call Hell Service again today.”
When he spread both hands wide, his arms, unusually long even compared to his great height, assumed a posture that made it look as though he might devour Aiden.
Aiden seemed unable to avoid that impression either, because he briefly hunched his shoulders before lifting his head with a forced air of composure.
“Yes, I called you….”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask your purpose?”
“…That bastard.”
Both of their gazes turned toward me at the same time.
Hatred seemed to surge in Aiden’s eyes.
“First, break all his limbs and silence him, then make him kneel before me.”
“Hoho.”
And from the moment the man burst out of the monitor, I had not let my guard down for even an instant.
I had no intention of relaxing in front of a lunatic who looked like a real demon.
So.
When he pulled a black business card from his old, worn-out suit, I could not help being considerably flustered.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. As I mentioned earlier, my name is Milo, and I’m from Hell Service.”
I read the writing on the business card from a distance.
You’re not supposed to casually accept things from strangers.
『Hell Service Inc。』
The business card was more ordinary than I had expected.
The name written on it was Milo, too.
But….
‘……Senior Manager, Customer Relations Team?’
Huh?
“What is this? A world where even demons have jobs….”
The words slipped out of me before I knew it.
The man─Milo─briefly widened his eyes when he heard me, then drew his smile wider and laughed with a satisfied expression.
“Haha! That’s just how this world is. We’re actually a very sound company that has even completed its stock-market listing.”
Apparently, I had underestimated Risk City’s capitalist society a little.
When I did not accept the business card, Milo smacked his lips with slight disappointment before putting it back inside his coat.
“Still, because the world is like this these days, there’s even more work for us to do.”
“Enough work to make you commute through a monitor?”
Milo nodded at my question.
“Just as this city has a long history…. The history of black magic has grown long alongside it. Using electronic devices as a medium for transportation is practically standard in our industry now.”
I’m a little jealous.
The thought of going through all this trouble and then returning to the grocery store was already making me feel tired.
I hadn’t even done much since coming here yet.
‘An elevator crash, a rampaging brat of a younger brother, and now a demon’s appearance….’
Although we had been chatting peacefully like this, an ominous atmosphere that felt like it was stabbing the back of my neck had been lingering around us for some time.
I was starting to feel genuinely tired.
My body, unlike my mind, was perfectly fine, though.
Milo quietly raised his index finger.
“Although you’re someone I’m pleased to see again after such a long time…. Unfortunately, I’m very strict about separating business from personal matters.”
A gray-and-black flame flickered to life above his index finger.
Gasp.
I recoiled in horror when I saw it.
“Whoa, Amaterasu!”
“…Pardon?”
“If that hits me, won’t it keep burning until I die?”
Milo answered somewhat awkwardly, as though he could not tell whether I was joking or serious.
“Well, my flames do have more firepower than most…. But they’re not quite that powerful.”
“Ah.”
What a slight disappointment.
There was no harm in an enemy’s attack being weak, but for some reason, I felt thoroughly deflated.
At my reaction, Milo frowned with a displeased expression.
“…I’m starting to feel a little offended. I was originally only planning to break your limbs neatly, but perhaps I should just burn them off entirely─.”
If we were going to fight anyway, there was no need to wait for a starting signal.
Ambushes were most effective when carried out during a conversation.
Thump!!
Leaving the sound of my foot pushing off the floor behind me,
I threw a punch at Milo without hesitation.
It was such a successful ambush that even the ninja─the cat─in our grocery store would have given me a standing ovation.
‘…This won’t do.’
However, I instinctively realized that the attempt had failed.
“Oh dear.”
There was not the slightest trace of surprise or fluster in his eyes.
At the same time, flames burst out in front of me.
Kwaaang!!
The pressure was so intense that it felt like a high-pressure grenade had detonated right in front of my eyes.
I was pushed backward almost all the way to the wall, leaving a long skid mark on the floor.
This wasn’t some sort of Soulslike game, yet I almost tumbled backward until my stamina ran out.
When I let out a false cough to calm my startled nerves, a thick smell of soot rose from deep in my lungs.
It felt slightly hot, and even stung a little.
‘…They say that if your airway gets burned, the swelling can make it impossible to breathe.’
I wondered whether my regeneration would be faster, or whether the airway swelling would be.
I had no idea.
If I failed to survive this moment, there would be little point in worrying about what came afterward anyway.
Everyone except me wore startled expressions at the tremendous firepower of those flames.
“As expected….”
Aiden was none of my concern for now.
I naturally turned to Eleanor, who was standing beside me, and asked her,
“Hey.”
As though she already knew what I was going to ask, she quickly began explaining.
“Hell Service…. A corporation and organization made up of black magicians. I heard that each of its members has a high bounty placed on their head by the city government…. I never imagined Aiden’s connections reached that far─.”
“Check my eyebrows and hair.”
“……??”
If this world were really a game, I would not have worried about the state of my character’s customization, but sadly, this was the reality I faced.
I felt I needed someone to confirm that the flames exploding right in front of me had not left me bald before I could fight with peace of mind.
Eleanor Crossfell stared at me incredulously for a few seconds before letting out a small laugh.
Apparently, my words had sounded like a joke intended to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“…You’re fine. Did you put on some heat-resistant gel or something?”
“I didn’t, but that’s a real relief.”
I’m not becoming a roasted egg.
Could magic circuits strengthen hair, too?
‘I really hope so.’
While we chatted peacefully, my heart rate, which had risen to nearly 200 bpm, slowly fell.
Those few seconds were all it took, but they were enough for me to catch my breath.
Fwoosh─!!
The room was already awash with black, blazing flames, though.
Milo muttered in a low voice with a faintly dissatisfied air.
“Perhaps it’s because we’re indoors…. It’s difficult to use my full firepower.”
It was already more than powerful enough, but apparently, he was far from satisfied from his perspective.
When I gathered my magic circuits once more, only the temperature around us dropped noticeably.
A strange glint appeared in Milo’s eyes when he saw that.
“Hoho, Crossfell magic….”
Then he scratched his head.
“Now that I take a closer look, the person beside you is a direct descendant of the Crossfell family. Oh dear, if I interfere with the family without reporting it, I doubt I can get away with just one incident report….”
…Is this an opportunity?
I spoke with confidence.
“Yeah, you bastard. You had the nerve to rudely interfere in my family’s business first, and now you’re making a fuss…. If you understand that, why don’t you hurry home from work? If you leave now, I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”
“???”
Several question marks rose above Eleanor’s head when she heard me.
I lightly ignored her gaze.
Bluffing was all about doing it confidently.
Milo quietly muttered to himself as though he were pondering something.
“Three might be a little difficult…. Hmm….”
I could not make out exactly what he was saying.
The heat from the flames was intense, too.
But unfortunately, he did not lower his head and disappear, saying, “Oh dear, my apologies. I’ll be going for today…. Toodle-oo.”
“Well, it should be fine.”
Fuck.
If that was how it was going to be, he should not have said anything.
At that moment, Eleanor stepped in front of me.
“…You should run away now.”
“What?”
“You were only hired to help me find my brother, weren’t you?”
Her attitude almost looked composed at first glance.
Put another way, though, it was reckless.
“I’ll buy you time here, so you should leave just like this and….”
In that case….
Without hesitation, I looked down at her round, blue crown.
Bang!!
“…Ugh!!”
I gave her a knuckle rap.
Eleanor Crossfell looked up at me with her eyes wide from the incomprehensible act of violence.
“How are you supposed to fight if you start out already on the back foot? Come on, repeat after me. A fight is all about momentum.”
“…??”
When I raised my fist again, Eleanor opened her mouth in horror.
“A-a fight is all about momentum…?”
“Good.”
Just look at our opponent.
His entrance had been spectacular from the very beginning.
He had popped out of a monitor, carried a faint scent of sulfur, and wielded black flames….
In reality, flames approach a blue-white color as their temperature rises.
Therefore, those were the results of nothing more than putting on airs.
Why would he have made them black when they were not even eternal flames?
“Then, have you finished your conversation?”
That relaxed attitude was the same way.
No one knew what his true thoughts were right now.
I circulated the mana I had gathered around me.
The proficiency of 【Magic Circuits】, which seemed to be growing particularly quickly, rose at an astonishing rate.
【Absolute Cold】 was no different.
For some reason, it was increasing several times faster than the 【Telekinetic】 trait.
Well, good things were good things.
Satisfied, I charged at Milo once again.
Clang!!
Icicles rose wherever my feet landed, and the heat that had made the room as hot as a sauna instantly dropped.
“Goodness, charging recklessly the same way as before won’t accomplish anythi─. Oof!!”
Suddenly, the monitor flew toward the back of Milo’s head at tremendous speed.
He bent forward slightly from the completely unexpected impact.
And then.
Crack.
My fist slammed into his face.
With the sound of bones breaking, Milo’s body tipped backward.
However, it could not be said that he had fallen completely.
Like someone doing a limbo, he kept his feet planted firmly on the floor and stopped right there.
I wanted to continue riding that momentum, but as he fell backward, the long arm he swung struck my body as well.
From left to right.
Its trajectory was as clumsy as a telephone punch, but its shape was whip-like and long, making it difficult to avoid.
Of course, it was fast, too.
Bang─!!
A shock wave burst through the air.
My body cut through the air like a ball that had been thrown.
This time, even I had no choice but to roll miserably across the floor.
At any rate, we had seized the momentum.
“Are you okay?!”
“Mm.”
Eleanor rushed over to me while driving away the flames around us,
and I waved my hands around, repeatedly signaling that I was fine.
Whew, my head is spinning a little.
Still, if I had been hit without knowing it was coming, that would have been different, but when you know an attack is coming, you can endure almost anything at least once.
A short while later.
Milo slowly got to his feet.
It would have been normal for him to brace his hands against the ground as he stood, but the way he rose using only his core muscles while in that position looked quite bizarre.
His head turned toward Aiden behind him, then back to the front.
“Hmm.”
No matter how crazy Aiden was, there was no reason for him to suddenly throw a monitor at Milo.
Milo, who knew that better than anyone, stared at us with a curious expression.
“How strange. I couldn’t sense any influence of mana at all….”
It was because I had done it with telekinesis, obviously.
But I could not answer that way, so I quietly raised my middle finger.
“……Wait a moment.”
Then I noticed the red trickle of blood running down from beneath Milo’s face and cried out in surprise.
“You’re bleeding from the nose right now….”
“Ah, my apologies.”
He brushed his palm over his face as though wiping away a dry face wash, and before even a few seconds had passed, Milo’s face had returned to normal.
The crushed bridge of his nose had risen back into place as well.
What astonishing regenerative power.
But that was not what concerned me.
“I had never heard that a collateral branch of the Crossfell family surpassed its direct line. I’m seeing so many wonderful things today before I lea─.”
“What kind of demon bleeds?”
“…?”
No wonder my punches seemed to be landing so cleanly.
Had all of this just been part of his shtick?
If so, things had changed a little.
Until now, I had genuinely thought he was a real demon and had been seriously considering how best to deal with him.
“You scam artist of a bastard….”
This sense of betrayal.
It was difficult to put into words.
Milo answered with a strange expression.
“I don’t believe I have ever called myself a demon in my own words….”
I ignored his excuse and continued speaking.
“Of course, a real demon wouldn’t appear looking so classic.”
“…….”
Especially in this day and age.
I could at least have understood if he had been a pretty girl.
But apparently, my words had wounded his pride considerably.
I could tell just by looking at the thick vein bulging from his forehead.
“Hahaha…. Classic? What a joke. This is such a sophisticated style.”
“It looked cool when I saw it in Constantine….”
I suppose this was the result of the passage of time, too.
When I continued ignoring what he said, he finally erased the smile he had been drawing around his mouth.
At last, my provocation had succeeded.
“……Ha.”
With a low sigh, the black flames blazed more fiercely, as though conveying their master’s displeasure.
At that moment, Aiden, who had been silently listening to our conversation, suddenly shouted.
“What the hell are you doing…!! Do you think I sacrificed all those people to you just so I could watch this pathetic display?!”
Uh-oh, saying that right now seemed like a particularly bad choice….
“I’ll give the order again! Make that lunatic kneel before me right now!!”
Milo looked toward Aiden with a creaking motion.
His face had long since become expressionless.
“The more I listen, the more irritated I’m becoming.”
And then.
“Using my personal discretion here, I’ll begin with the settlement.”
Milo’s jaw opened unnaturally wide.
“……Huh?”
It took him less than a second to swallow Aiden whole.
“─Aiden!!!”
Eleanor’s sharp scream rang out.
Milo himself showed no visible change, to the point that it was hard to believe he had just gulped down an entire person.
“It’s salty, bitter, spicy, sour, and nutty…. And the aftertaste is slightly sweet. That must be what they call a soul.”
“…….”
Can I take back what I said earlier?
This actually looked a little like a demon.
Soon, white ice naturally began to bloom from one half of his body.
Black flames on one side.
White ice on the other.
The flames alone had been hard enough to deal with, and now he could use ice, too?
For the first time, an ugly appetite leaked from his gleaming pupils.
“I wonder what flavor that side has.”
He really was a black magician.
“…You said you were a VVVVV, VIP guest. Are you sure you can do this?”
“It’s all action taken according to the contract. Please do not misunderstand. And…. You haven’t entered into a contract with our company yet, so there’s no reason this should be a problem either.”
But perhaps Milo disliked my impassive expression compared to Eleanor, who was trembling with fear, because he stared at me and asked a question.
“Hmm, have you suddenly given up? Why are you closing your eyes….”
“…I really did become a jack-of-all-trades.”
“?”
A moment ago, I had awakened 【Absolute Cold】 in the elevator.
Now, there was only one trait left.
How could I deal with an opponent who used both ice and flames in a way that would earn me praise?
The method was simple.
─Fwoosh.
I would use ice and flames as well.
PROFIT!
Horror spread across Milo’s eyes as he looked at the yellow and red flames blazing around me.
“T-the Encard Inferno? How on earth are you using the powers of two families….”
My answer to that was simple, too.
“Good.”