But waitDevils live in the human world?!
Erina felt both curious and a bit uneasy.
She hadn't seen what a "devil" actually looked like yet, but standing in front of this mountain estate, it felt more like a den of monsters baring their fangs at her.
And yetwhen she peeked past the gates into the villa grounds, confusion clouded her eyes.
There were so many people moving around inside.
Wait, were all of them devils?
But they all looked human.
AndWhy were they all girls?!
Erina stared blankly for a moment.
She scanned the area again. Small groups of beautiful girls were chatting and walking together. Her eyelids twitched.
Some of those faces even looked familiar.
Like she'd seen them before.
Erina furrowed her brow, trying to recall.
"Hmm"
My Academy? Shuchiin?
A few seconds later, her eyes lit upshe'd figured it out!
Even though she was in Totsuki's section of the campus, it was all part of the same school grounds. It wasn't unusual to run into students from other departments.
Over time, their faces had stuck in her memory. Like that one with huge boobs who kept stuffing snacks in her mouth. Wasn't her name Hana?
Wait a sec!
Erina's eyes went wide.
"Shinomiya Kaguya?!"
"Wearing a maid outfit?!"
Erina stood there, eyes wide in disbelief.
"That's that's the Shinomiya heiress!"
She was completely fixated on Shinomiya Kaguya more specifically, on what she was wearing.
Gulp.
She swallowed hard, unable to control the reflex.
Kaguya in a maid outfit?
Erina blinked blankly. "Hisako I think I'm dreaming. Pinch me."
There was no way this was real. This had to be a dream. It had to be.
Devils and whatever other nonsenseobviously just part of this crazy dream. Stuff like that doesn't happen in real life.
Otherwise, how else could she possibly be seeing the proud Kaguya, that Kaguya, in a sexy maid outfit?!
We're talking about the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya conglomerate. The ice queen of Shuchiin Academy!
Someone that untouchable working as A maid?!
Erina rubbed her eyes hard, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. When Kaguya didn't magically disappear or change back into a business suit, Erina became even more convinced she was in some bizarre dream.
Was it because her "God Tongue" had been so picky lately that it triggered this weird stress nightmare?
Erina fell deep into thought.
Hisako Arato: "..."
She glanced down at her own hand, then looked at Erina. Her eyes scanned up and down, clearly debating the best place to pinch.
But in the end, she remembered she was dealing with the proud Miss Nakiri and wisely decided not to commit career suicide.
Instead, she pinched herself.
Feeling the sting of real pain, Hisako said seriously, "Miss Erina this isn't a dream."
She too was staring at Kaguya in the maid uniform, trying to process how surreal it all felt.
The Shinomiya family and Kaguya herselfthey were names that carried real weight.
Sure, the Nakiri family was a culinary powerhouse with deep roots, but compared to the vast Shinomiya enterprise that had its hands in multiple top-tier industries across Japan? It wasn't even close.
Yet here was their high-and-mighty heiress, in a maid outfit.
Did her family go to hell or what?
What the hell happened to make Kaguya Shinomiya end up like this?
Hisako remembered hearing somethingjust a snippet of gossip from the headmaster.
Something about trouble in the Shinomiya family?
At the time, she figured she'd misheard, but now yeah.
There's definitely been trouble.
But even then, what kind of family drama would land their heiress in maid service?
Besides, there hadn't been any news about the Shinomiya conglomerate collapsing or anything like that.
The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Her usually sharp mind just couldn't find a logical explanation.
"Wait this isn't a dream?" Erina snapped out of her trance at Hisako's words.
"No way."
"No freaking way!"
"Erina Nakiri?"
The sudden cold voice froze her in place.
Erina instinctively lowered her gaze.
A beautiful girl stood in front of her, dressed as a maid, her long black ponytail swaying slightly, and her blood-red eyes sharp enough to send chills down her spine.
Gulp.
The moment Kaguya locked eyes with her, Erina felt a chill run through her whole body. Her posture stiffened like a statue.
They were both daughters of elite families, but Erina could feel itthe overwhelming pressure. She was being completely overshadowed.
So this was a true top-tier heiress.
A trace of fear crept into Erina's heart.
She'd always been proud, borderline arrogantbut standing here in front of Kaguya Shinomiya, she felt none of that confidence.
Even though Kaguya was wearing something as uncharacteristic as a maid outfit she still had that powerful, untouchable aura.
Damn it!
It was the first time Erina had ever felt so humiliated. She clenched her fists in frustration.
Kaguya didn't seem to care about what was going on in Erina's head.
She simply stared at her blankly after saying her name, as if waiting for a response to confirm her identity.
Which only made the pressure on Erina worse.
Trying to calm herself down, Erina took a deep breath and forced herself to speak evenly. "Yes. That's me."
Kaguya nodded once. "The Master is waiting for you in the living room."
Master?
Both Erina and Hisako twitched at the word.
Kaguya had said it so casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world. But to them, it was like someone just smacked them in the face with a sack of bricks.
Kaguya had called someone Master.
And she looked completely serious.
No explanation, no hesitation. And most shockingly of allno shame.
She wasn't embarrassed. She wasn't reluctant.
If anything, she seemed proud.
Proud to serve this so-called Master of hers.
Most people wouldn't even qualify to be served by someone like her.
She turned away coldly, not even sparing them another glance.
That cool, indifferent vibe? Exactly the same as how she acted at school.
The only time Kaguya ever showed real emotion was when she was with Lynn. That's when the switch flipped and her chaotic rich-girl mode activated.
But to everyone else?
She was still the same frosty ice queen who didn't give a damn.
Erina and Hisako watched her walk away, then exchanged a silent look.
They both saw the same stunned expression reflected in each other's eyes.
—
In the end, it was Erina who nodded first and started walking after Kaguya.
Hisako quickly followed behind.
But now, their steps were a lot more cautious, and both of them were starting to feel nervous.
Who was this "Master" Kaguya spoke of with such loyalty?
Could it really be the devil people were whispering about?
Erina started furiously pinching her own thigh, trying to snap herself out of this madness.
But clearly, Hisako hadn't lied.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
Deep breath.
Erina inhaled a few times, clenched her lips, and tried to psych herself up.
"Come on, Erina. Don't chicken out now!"
Fwooosh!
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past.
Something black darted across the sky overhead.
Erina blinked and looked up on instinct.
And then she saw it.
A little girl. Flying. With wings.
"...?"
A giant question mark might as well have popped up over Erina's head.
What the hell was that?!
Wings? Flying?!
Is this even still Earth?!
In that instant, she felt like she'd been yanked through a portal into some kind of fantasy world she'd only seen in anime or video games.
Right beside her, Hisako's jaw dropped too.
For a second, she seriously reconsidered whether that pinch from earlier had been thorough enough.
Maybe she should do it again. Just to be sure.
.
.
.
Grayfia?
Nakiri Erina glanced up at the flying little loli overhead, then looked back at the expressionless Kaguya Shinomiya in front of her. She opened her mouth like she was about to ask something
But thenHiss!
Erina suddenly shivered and sucked in a sharp breath.
Wait... that was cold air!
She stared in shock as a visible chill radiated off Kaguya's body. Her pupils dilated.
Uh-oh. She'd just run into a real ice queen.
Erina trembled slightly, instinctively swallowing her question and falling silent. She obediently followed behind Kaguya with her head down.
Though now... she moved even more stiffly.
Something's wrong here.
Very wrong.
A rich lady from the Shinomiya family walking around in a maid outfit, calling someone "Master." A loli with wings flying around like that's normal. And now... this frosty, literal ice queen vibe?!
What the hell kind of place is this?
Both Erina and Hisako swallowed nervously. Their fingers fidgeted, and sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Hisako looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Lady Erina, where the hell did you bring us?!
Is this some underground gathering for the secret elite?
Where on earth did she even find this place?!
Hisako had a sinking feeling.
Whatever they'd gotten into... it wasn't normal.
It reminded her of the day Shuchiin Academy was attacked. That day had been the first time she truly realized the supernatural was real.
But even then, she never expected something supernatural to happen to her.
Wait, nothis isn't her fault.
This is all because of Lady Erina.
She was just the poor, innocent victim dragged along for the ride.
Hisako opened her mouth, wanting to back outbut in the end, she said nothing.
If she left Erina here alone, she'd probably end up crying.
So, she gritted her teeth, and her eyes hardened with resolve. If Lady Erina's in this, I'm in this.
Noticing the two of them had finally gone quiet, a flicker of satisfaction passed through Kaguya's crimson eyes.
Explaining everything going on in this manor to normal people would be way too much of a hassleso Kaguya had no intention of indulging their curiosity.
A little while later, Kaguya led Erina and Hisako into the main hall.
Despite their unease, the two couldn't help peeking out from behind Kaguya's back, glancing around curiously.
And then, a man with messy black hair and striking crimson eyes stepped into view. There was an air of mystery about him that made it impossible to look away.
As soon as they saw him, Erina and Hisako's eyes widened.
"Lynn?!"
Hearing that, Lynn raised an eyebrow and looked over at them.
"Oh? So you two do know who I am?"
Erina and Hisako exchanged glances. Finally, Hisako stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"As students of Shuchiin, it's hard not to know your name."
The head of the Supernatural Research Club. The man who possessed supernatural power. The one who saved not just Shuchiin, but all of Tokyo.
The feats he'd accomplished, the overwhelming strength he'd displayed in front of the whole schoolthere weren't many who didn't know who Lynn was.
Not to mention, lately, his Club had become the hot topic at school.
It was practically a dream destination for all the girls.
Mostly because... well, let's be honestthey all wanted to get into Lynn's harem and shoot straight to the top.
Of course, Lynn's ridiculously good looks didn't hurt either.
Strong, handsome, and mysterious? Yeah, girls were into that.
Lynn nodded thoughtfully at Hisako's explanation.
Meanwhile, Kaguya stepped forward, curtsied slightly, and gave a sweet, obedient smile.
The cold aura she'd been exuding earlier had completely vanished the moment they stepped inside.
Now, she gave off nothing but warm, gentle vibes. "Master, I've brought our guests."
"..."
Erina twitched.
This was the same Kaguya who'd been cold as an iceberg just a second ago!?
Her whole character just collapsed!
Erina had the weirdest look on her face. She wanted to say somethinganythingbut couldn't force the words out, leaving her looking painfully constipated instead.
So much to roast and yet she dared not say a thing. Pure agony.
But still, just being able to think like this meant she was already way more relaxed than before.
Even if she didn't know Lynn personally, at least he was someone from Shuchiin.
And more importantly, if Kaguya was calling him "Master," then that meant
Wait a sec.
Master?!
Erina's eyes snapped wide open as she stared at Lynn in disbelief.
So that means Lynn was the owner of this place?!
Then that must mean the devil who sent her that location...
"You're... Devil-san?" she asked, almost in a whisper.
Lynn smiled faintly. "Was the ingredient I gave you to your liking?"
Erina instinctively licked her lips. Her God Tongue tingled, almost like it was recalling that incredible taste.
But then Her cheeks flushed bright red.
That heavenly experience came at the cost of her 'sacrificing her body,' didn't it?!
As that thought hit her, Erina looked down, unable to meet Lynn's eyes.
Sure, it had been embarrassing over the internetbut at least there was a screen between them.
Now that she was standing face-to-face with "Devil-san," her buried shame came flooding back full force!
Especially now that she knew the Devil was none other than Lynn, the famous golden boy of Shuchiin!
Ugh.
Erina could feel her whole body heating up. She wobbled slightly, barely staying upright. If she could dig a hole and bury herself, she would.
Hisako noticed something was off with Erina and quickly reached out to steady her.
Only to mutter, "She's burning up..."
Lynn took one look at the scene and casually instructed, "Kaguya, cool down our guest, would you?"
"Yes, Master!"
Kaguya spun around, raised her hand, andwhoosha burst of icy wind surged straight into Erina's clothes.
"Hiii!"
Erina's eyes flew open, and she jolted hard, snapping out of her shame spiral in an instant.
So cold!!
She hugged herself tightly and shot Kaguya a look of pure betrayal.
But well, at least she was composed again.
Mostly.
Though she still didn't dare meet Lynn's eyes.
What now?
SuddenlyThud, thud.
Lynn tapped his fingers against the table, drawing her attention.
"You didn't forget why you came here, did you?"
He'd clearly noticed her flustered state, but didn't bother with small talk. He cut right to the point.
Sure, he was hoping to eventually rope Erina into his familia.
