Even the precious secondhand airconditioner let out a tortured groan.
"Enemy attack?!"
Ashiya reacted instantly, springing forward to shield Sadao with a defensive stance; a cold gleam flashed across his lenses.
Sadao jumped so hard he nearly upended the pickle bowl onto his own head.
When the dust settled, they saw a humanshaped dent in the tatami.
Lying in the pit was something vaguely personshaped?
The figure was a wreckclothes in tatters, caked with dust and dried blood.
Worst of all was the face: the bridge of the nose flattened, cheekbones grotesquely swollen, eyes purpleblack. It was as puffed up and multicoloured as an overfermented bun.
Only the long, chaotic, yet stubbornly purple hair provided the slightest hint of identity.
"Uu uwaa Ma Maousama"
The "unknown object" groaned, the sound thin and leaky like a broken bellows.
It strained to lift its head, peering at Sadao through eyes swollen to narrow slits, tears mixing with blood and snot.
"Help me please"
Sadao and Ashiya traded looks; each saw utter shock and confusion in the other's eyes.
That voice the purple hair and that form of address
"Lu Lucifer?!"
They blurted it out in unison.
"Lucifer? What are you doing here? I thought you were dea"
Sadao pointed at the crumpled heap, but the rest of his sentence jammed in his throat.
Because right beside Lucifer, the air rippled like water.
A boy in a crisp school uniform stepped casually out of the void and landed neatly in the cramped room.
It was Rei Ao.
"I brought him," Ling Qing said, brushing nonexistent dust from his hands, voice calm.
Thud.
Thud.
The instant Sadao and Ashiya saw Rei Ao, it felt as if an invisible hand had squeezed their hearts.
Cold sweat soaked their backs in a flash.
Why is he here?
Did that idiot Lucifer provoke this walking disaster?
Rei Ao's gaze drifted over the barebones room: peeling walls, creaking tatami, cardboard boxes in the corner holding all their worldly possessions, a lonely bowl of pickles on the table, and the secondhand A/C wheezing like it might quit any second.
"Tsk."
He arched a brow, half amused.
"So this is the standard of living for the Demon King's army?
Truly touching in its austerity."
His eyes fixed on Sadao.
"Maou, is this what you meant by 'lying low and biding your time'?"
Sadao snapped out of his shock, sweating even harder.
A stiff, fawning grin spread across his face; he rubbed his hands together and bowed slightly.
"Ahhaha RRei Aodono! What an honor to have you drop by!
This is all a huge misunderstandinghonestly!
We've been model citizens, working hard, never causing trouble. Right, Ashiya?"
He shot frantic signals to Ashiya.
Ashiya bowed an impeccable ninety degrees, like a textbook on proper etiquette.
"Indeed, Rei Ao-sama! The Demonpardon, Mr. Maouspeaks the absolute truth.
We toil diligently every day, pay our taxes on time, treat everyone with kindness, and would never dare step out of line. Please see our sincerity!"
Just moments ago they'd been lamenting over pickles and A/C paymentsnow it was as if that had happened to someone else.
Chapter 819: Loyal Demon King and Demon Generals...
Maou Sadao and Ashiya Shir were doing everything they could to distance themselves from Luciferwhile, without a trace, shuffling one step then another farther away from him, as if they wished they could carve a Mariana Trench between them on the spot.
Lucifer's face was swollen like a pig's head and his brain was still reeling from the beating,
but his basic survival instincts were intact.
The instant he saw Maou Sadao and Ashiya practically scrambling to cut ties with him,
panic struck.
"Uwaaah! Maousama, don't abandon me!"
Summoning strength from whoknowswhere, Lucifer shot out of the pit, clamping onto Maou Sadao's leg like a dying octopus.
Tears, snot, and blood soaked Maou's trousers.
"I'm your loyal subordinate Lucifer, Maousama!"
"Remember how I charged the front lines for you? Save me, I beg you!"
"Uuuuuu That demon he's terrifyinghe'll kill me!"
Maou Sadao's whole body trembled, his face turning a panicked shade of green.
He could feel unknown fluids soaking into his pantleg.
Even worse, Rei Ao's halfsmiling, halfmocking gaze was trained right on him.
"Let go! Let go right now! I don't even know you!"
Maou nearly lost his soul from fright, kicking hard to shake Lucifer off while yelling:
"Rei Ao-dono, don't listen to his nonsense!"
"I don't know this purplehaired delinquent. He's got the wrong guyno connection whatsoever!"
"Ashiya, get him off me!"
Ashiya Shir was sweating bullets.
He wanted to help, but one look at Lucifer's pitiful stateand the thought of getting blood all over himself, or worse, being mistaken for an accomplicekept him frozen.
All he could do was plead from the side:
"Uh Lucifer-san, please show some dignity!"
"Let go of Maousama. We truly don't know you. Keep this up and we'll call the police!"
He was trying to threaten an otherworldly fallen angel with the laws of this world.
"Maousama, you can't do this!"
"I'm Luciferone of your most loyal Four Heavenly Kings!"
Lucifer clung even tighter, wailing like a soul in torment.
"Get off! I'm just an ordinary parttimer, not anyone's Demon King, and I don't know any 'Four Kings'!"
Driven to desperation, Maou raised his free foot and slammed it into Lucifer's already battered face.
Thud!
"AaaAAARGH!"
Lucifer shrieked even louder.
Blood spurted from his nose as he flew backward, finally releasing his grip, then curled on the ground, clutching his face and writhing in pain.
Maou seized the chance to retreat several paces,
ducking behind Ashiya and patting his chest in lingering terroras though some prehistoric monster had just latched onto him.
Ashiya instantly sidestepped to shield Maou completely, watching the rolling Lucifer with a look that screamed "We're not acquainteddon't you dare rope us in."
Rei Ao folded his arms, watching the farce with amused interest: the former Demon King kicking his onetime righthand general;
the exDemon Marshal frantically denying any ties;
and the fallen angel who once looked down on all creation now bawling like a threeyearold whose candy had been stolen.
"Enough."
With that single, quietly spoken word, the room fell silent.
Even Lucifer stopped rolling and curled into a trembling ball.
Rei Ao's gaze settled on Maou and Ashiya.
"You really haven't caused troublethis I know. Otherwise"
He paused, and the unspoken threat made their scalps tingle.
"it wouldn't have ended with just a few kicks."
Maou and Ashiya bobbed their heads like pecking chickens.
"Yyes! Rei Ao-dono sees everything clearly!"
Rei Ao cast another glance at the shivering Lucifer.
"However, someone does want to stir up troubleand it seems he has a bit of a connection to you two."
He put deliberate weight on the word connection.
Maou and Ashiya understood instantly.
In perfect unisonlike trained soldiersthey pointed straight at Lucifer on the floor, heads shaking furiously:
"Don't know him!"
"Not close!"
"Never seen him before!"
"Absolutely no relation!"
Their determination to draw the line was almost aweinspiring.
Lucifer: ""
His heart hurt worse than his face.
Rei Ao chuckled at this ridiculous masterservant duo.
"Heh, your Demon Army sure has interesting hiring standards."
Losing interest in the spectacle, he turned to the window.
"Keep an eye on that troublemaker. He's got backing."
With that, his figure slipped into a ripple of space and vanished, as silently as he had arrived.
The shabby apartment was left with a shaken Maou Sadao, a wary Ashiya Shir, and Lucifer on the floor, devastated in body and spirit.
The secondhand airconditioner kept buzzing
as if mocking the pitiful fate of these three otherworldly visitors.
Evening.
Golden sunset bathed Tokyo's skyscrapers,
casting a warm filter over the bustling afterwork streets.
At the entrance of DOCODEMO Telecom, waves of uniformed employees began to spill out.
"Emiliachaaan~!"
A lively voice rang out.
It was Suzuki Rika, twentyone, sporting a neat chestnut bob and an everenergetic smile.
She jogged up to the redhaired girl ahead, whose graceful gait turned heads.
"So, so? Have you decided? That new Ox King yakiniku place!"
"I heard the meat is amazing and the prices are super friendly."
"It's Mondaylet's treat ourselves for surviving last week!"
She linked arms with Emilia, eyes sparkling with expectation.
Emilia, also in a tailored company skirtsuit,
had her long crimson hair tied in a neat ponytail, showing off a smooth forehead and elegant profile.
At the restaurant's name, her eyes lit up ever so slightlyclearly interested.
But
"Rika"
Emilia gave an apologetic smile, her crystalclear eyes drifting in the direction of home.
"Yakiniku sounds wonderful, but I'd like to head back early tonight."
Just thinking of the person at home who always put her at ease stirred a soft warmth inside her.
Besidesshe had something to discuss with Rei Ao: whether it was time to pay a visit back to Ente Isla.
~~~
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Chapter 820: Suzuki Rika, my wife's Best Friend!
"Ehhh~~~"
Suzuki Rika drew out the sound in disappointment, looking like a balloon that had lost all its air.
"Again?!"
"Emiliachan, lately you always go straight home after work! Don't tell me you're really hiding a secret lover at home?"
She jabbed Emilia playfully with her elbow, waggling her eyebrows.
In an instant two blushes bloomed on Emilia's cheeks.
"Rika! Don't be ridiculous!"
She denied it in a panic
but her averted gaze and racing heartbeat gave her away.
"Hehheh, you're blushing, you're blushing!"
Rika laughed even harder, as if she had discovered a new continent.
She knew Emilia's nature: if Emilia didn't want to talk, she wouldn't press.
Still, she sighed with a hint of regret.
"Fine, finebut next time you have to come out with me, okay? Promise!"
"Mm, promise."
Emilia exhaled in relief and nodded with a smile.
The two of them chatted and joked as they left the company building.
Rika was still planning what to order at their next barbecue when her casual glance toward the street suddenly froze.
"Whoa!!!"
She sucked in a sharp breath, grabbing Emilia's arm and shaking it excitedly.
"Emiliachan, look! Look over there! Such a gorgeous carand an even more gorgeous guy!!"
Emilia followed her gaze.
Across from the main entrance, in a temporary curbside space, sat a silvergray sports car with sleek, aggressive lines.
Its streamlined body reflected a cold, luxurious gleam in the sunset, drawing sideways glances from the whitecollar workers heading home.
Leaning against the car was an even bigger headturner: a man in a dark, perfectly tailored casual suittall, straightbacked, exuding effortless poise.
No simple outfit could hide that power radiating from within.
His features were handsome and deepset; a faint, lazy smile played on his lips, as though the surrounding bustle had nothing to do with him.
He lounged casually against the costly sports car, yet his gaze cut cleanly through the crowd and landed on Emilia.
It was Rei Ao!
Emilia froze, her mind blank.
HHow did he get here?
And in a car like that?
"Ahhh! He's looking this wayhe's looking! Oh my gosh, he's waving at us!!"
Rika was practically hopping with excitement, her face bright red.
"Emiliachan, is that hottie greeting us? Do we know him? Ah! He's coming over!"
Under Rika's incredulous stare, Rei Ao strode through the crowd with unhurried grace and stopped right in front of Emilia.
"Finished work?"
His voice was low and pleasant; his smiling eyes rested gently on her.
"RRei Ao"
Emilia's face felt hot enough to fry an egg, her heart pounding.
"WWhat are you doing here? And this car"
She got no further: Rei Ao opened his arms and pulled her into a firm embrace,
warm and possessive, shutting out all the surrounding noise and stares.
Emilia could even smell his familiar, reassuringly fresh scent.
"Obviously, I missed my wife."
His voice brushed her earteasing, openly affectionate.
"Came to pick you up."
"WWife?!"
Emilia blushed even harder, burying her face in his chest.
He did call her that in privateespecially at certain timesbut in public this was a first!
Beside them, Suzuki Rika had turned to stone, mouth gaping wide enough for an egg, eyes round as saucers.
Did she just hear
Wife?!
The man with the supercar, devastatingly handsome, was Emilia's husband?!
Good grief!
Emiliachan had hidden this way too well!!!
Rei Ao released the crimsonfaced Emilia and finally looked at the stupefied Rika.
With polite warmth he said, "Hello, I'm Rei AoEmilia's husband. And you are?"
Rika snapped back to life, standing ramrod straight like a soldier under inspection,
her voice quavering with excitement.
"GGood evening, Rei Ao-san! I'm Suzuki Rika, Emiliachan's friend and colleague. A pleasure to meet you!"
She bowed quickly and perfectly.
When she straightened, her gaze at Emilia was full of shock and reproachyou had such an amazing husband and never told me?!
Emilia chuckled awkwardly, explaining in a tiny voice, "Rika, this is Rei Ao um, my husband."
When she said "husband," it was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"Wow! Emiliachan, that's so unfairwhen did you get married?"
Rika finally found her voice, her gossip soul ablaze.
"Uh we haven't held the formal wedding yet"
Emilia's face reddened again.
"But we do live together like man and wife."
"A match made in heaven! Absolutely perfect!"
Rika offered her sincerest (and most gossipy) blessing,
her eyes darting between Rei Ao and Emilia
the more she looked, the more perfect they seemed.
A gorgeous couple, sheer eye candy.
Rei Ao chuckled, glanced at Rika, then looked back at Emilia.
"Judging by you two, were you heading somewhere fun? Shall I give you a ride?"
His tone was natural, as caring as a gentleman could be.
Emilia started to declinesaying they'd just go homebut Rika jumped in first, hugging Emilia's arm, nodding like a pecking chick, voice brimming with excitement.
