Tarak, located in the northern reaches of the Turk Kingdom.
“Huuu, haaa— The air around these parts really is the best. I never get tired of it no matter how much I breathe.”
An ordinary young man with black hair, strolling down the street, took a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction.
A demon disguised in the appearance he had as a human—Miyamoto Ken.
With a delighted heart, he slowly made his way, admiring the bustling city.
‘Coming here was the right call. I’m already getting reluctant to go back.’
The Demon Realm, filled entirely with negative energy, had been nothing short of an ordeal for him, who had once been a human, an Earthling.
Of course, for his current body, which had become that of a demon, it could be called a rather favorable environment, but…
‘Even so, I much prefer the air here over that stuffy air back there.’
He had thought he’d grown quite accustomed to the Demon Realm after living there so long, but now that he was actually out here, it felt as if his dulled senses were returning to life all at once.
‘Has it already been over twenty years since I fell into the Demon Realm?’
Which meant it had been nearly thirty years since he was transported to this wretched world.
Then, suddenly.
Ken stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow.
A train of thought that had abruptly surfaced left his mind itching.
If he had only returned properly, he would be living comfortably on Earth by now.
He had the capability for it.
And yet, somehow, he was in this sorry state…
“…Well, whatever. I’ve even found a fellow with a useful ability.”
But those thoughts that had flared like wildfire died down in an instant, as if they had never been.
As though a bucket of water had been poured over a spark before it could catch.
His expression much more at ease, Ken recalled yesterday’s meeting.
Tasked with a certain mission and dispatched to this continent to gather information, he had discovered a shocking truth.
Earth-made goods, which he had thought impossible to find in Auterica, were being openly traded.
Of course, they were still only circulating among the upper echelons, but even that was an incredible feat.
‘Because the number wasn’t just one or two.’
This wasn’t the level of a few personal belongings from a transported Earthling changing hands.
It was large-scale distribution handled directly by a massive trading company.
Moreover, the items being acquired through it were extraordinary as well.
*Click— Ssss!*
Having entered a deserted back alley, Ken pulled a metal lighter from his pocket, flipped the lid, and lit it.
A small flame flickered, accompanied by the faint smell of fuel.
It was one of the ‘Earth-made products’ being distributed by an Awakened named Hubert.
“…Who would have thought he could bring even something like this. Truly, there are all kinds of curious abilities.”
It was an object easily seen on Earth, but in this world, it was literally the cutting-edge novelty of another dimension.
And yet, he could bring such things over limitlessly, as he pleased.
Recalling the sight of him laying out an elaborate feast of freshly made Earth cuisine right before his eyes, Ken smacked his lips.
“…As I thought, simply leaving him be is too wasteful.”
The reason Ken had divulged the information his counterpart wanted and withdrawn obediently the day before hadn’t been out of simple goodwill.
It was merely because the preparations weren’t complete yet, and he had wanted to put the other party at ease.
‘An ability of that level could only be a Unique Skill.’
The Unique Skill that he himself could no longer use after becoming a demon.
It wasn’t the type of ability that could be stolen through any means.
The best method was to capture and enslave him, but there was the risk that his target would use ‘Return’ to flee back to Earth.
And he couldn’t exactly stick to the man’s side monitoring him forever, either.
‘In times like this, mind control is definitely the best option.’
If he made it so the target couldn’t even think of escaping, and forced him to serve him utterly while using his ability, he’d have no other worries.
Of course, Hubert would eventually become a settler and lose that useful ability, but since he said it hadn’t even been ten years since coming to Auterica, there was still ample time.
‘The problem is that I have no talent in that area…’
That was why he had needed time.
But that problem had just been resolved.
“You’re here.”
Ken’s voice echoed through the back alley.
“Tsk, must you call me out like this when I’m terribly busy?”
As if in answer, an elderly voice flowed from deep within the alley.
Soon, accompanied by the sound of shuffling footsteps, an old gentleman revealed himself.
Dressed in a pure white suit and holding a smoothly polished wooden cane, he tipped his white fedora slightly with a white-gloved hand and glanced sideways at Ken.
“Even for you, nothing is free. You know the price, yes?”
“Isn’t that already settled? I’ll hold up my end of the contract, so let’s get going.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Ken hadn’t been the only one dispatched from the Demon Realm to this land.
Among them had been a demon who excelled in mental-type abilities, and he had had the means to request cooperation.
‘Well, I’ll have to help this bastard out in return. That’s more than tolerable.’
Having tasted Earth’s cuisine loaded with MSG for the first time in thirty years, he was practically out of his mind.
Naturally, he had zero intention of cooperating with Hubert and receiving supplies.
He was, after all, a count-ranked demon of the Demon Realm.
For someone like him to fawn over a mere human merchant and receive handouts—how could that ever be possible?
‘Besides, there’s no telling when he’ll return to Earth.’
If nothing else, the amount of karma he’d amassed while building up that trading company must be staggering.
His physical abilities were decent as well, and seeing how he used his Unique Skill without any noticeable delay, the points he had spent must be considerable, but it was safe to assume he had enough stashed away to return to Earth at any time.
“I’ll lead the way.”
“Very well.”
Now was the perfect time, while the target was off guard thanks to yesterday’s visit, which had taken place in a friendly atmosphere.
After a brief while.
Two demons barged into Hubert’s office.
***
The place where a peaceful meeting exchanging information over a meal had taken place the day before.
“…What is the meaning of this?”
A rigid voice echoed from within the room, where bundles of documents lay scattered across the floor.
Hubert shot up from his office chair and glared at the uninvited guests who had appeared before him once again, grinding his teeth.
“Well, it’s exactly what it looks like.”
Ken replied with shameless levity to that reaction, grinning as he shrugged.
Despite that expression, he exuded a palpable killing intent, making clear he would slit their throats without hesitation the moment they tried to flee.
The attack happened in an instant.
He was someone who had already infiltrated this office undetected once before.
It seemed they had tightened security again after he left yesterday, making things slightly more troublesome, but to him the difference was negligible.
“Ho-ho, this child…? How fascinating.”
From behind him, the white-garbed old gentleman scrutinized the collapsed girl lying on the floor, stroking his beard.
Diana, the trading company president’s secretary, who had been handling minor tasks downstairs.
The reason she was here now was entirely due to her sharp sense of smell.
Unlike yesterday, when she had noticed the intruder’s arrival late, she had reacted sensitively to a scent she had memorized. Sensing something amiss, she had rushed to warn Hubert, only to meet with disaster alongside him.
“What? Does the brat have something special?”
“…Ah, it’s merely that she is a child of remarkable talent for a human. If one were to take her as a disciple and teach her well, she would make for excellent combat power. Heh heh heh.”
“Tsk, handle that on your own time. Let’s finish the business here first.”
The old gentleman spouted a lie nonchalantly and shrugged.
Even if they were in the same boat, he had no intention of sharing information about such a treasure.
‘Heavens, to think I’d follow that fool here reluctantly and discover a child bearing a divine fragment. Thanks to that imbecile, I’ve stumbled upon an unexpected windfall.’
Unlike Ken, a martial combatant who had lived merely a few decades, he was one who had studied the arcane for over a thousand years.
Though lacking in power and still only a baron-ranked demon, that was precisely why his insight was on another level entirely.
Suppressing his excitement with the composure of age, he feigned calm and approached the master of the office, who stood frozen, unable to act.
‘Excellent, just excellent. If I can make that boorish oaf owe me a debt and obtain a divine fragment on top of it…’
The old gentleman’s lips curled up slightly at the black desire boiling from deep within.
At the same time, he felt a strange fondness for the human called the trading company president.
Wasn’t this all thanks to that man?
‘Well, that doesn’t mean I intend to let him off. But I’ll at least make it painless.’
That was the greatest mercy he could offer.
Standing before Hubert, who stood rigid as though bewildered by the sudden situation, the old gentleman lifted his fedora.
And the moment a purple light flashed in his eyes—
“Kuk, what in the world are you…!”
“Heh heh heh, it will be over soon, so don’t resist. You’ll only make it harder on yourself.”
Mental barriers including 「Clear Mirror Still Water」 began collapsing helplessly.
Hubert staggered and fell limply onto the office chair behind him.
A sinister energy burrowed into his mind, ruthlessly crushing everything in its path and penetrating deeply inside.
‘Not bad. With this level of mental strength, he’s better than a mediocre archmage. If this man had seriously devoted himself to training, he might have reached Transcendence someday.’
To think he had reached the pinnacle of mental strength despite lacking any notable martial ability.
Had the invader been anyone other than himself, they likely would have failed to break through such a solid wall and suffered a backlash that damaged their mind.
Truly, the mental strength to build such a major trading company was nothing short of extraordinary; indeed, it was no coincidence he had accomplished so much.
‘Phew— What a pity. If only it weren’t for this Frances, with enough time he would certainly have become a hero. To think such talent would be broken like this. A tragedy, truly a tragedy.’
However, contrary to such thoughts, his face bore a faint smile, as though he were enjoying the current situation.
For all his affected dignity, he was still a demon who delighted in the ruin of others.
‘Good. Then shall I begin the work in earnest…’
But that smile did not last long.
Having crushed all resistance and reached the inner world.
There, a majestic sight he had never witnessed in his life was spread out before him.
“…What is that…?”
A fortress wall.
No, was it simply a wall?
He couldn’t comprehend it even as he looked upon it.
The wall stretched endlessly to the left and right, and soared upward as if to touch the sky.
Almost like a boundary dividing dimensions.
‘How can such a thing exist?’
Franches realized in an instant the moment he laid eyes upon it.
That it wasn’t simply large in scale.
If he clashed against it for a hundred days, his own body would shatter before he could leave even a scratch.
Truly, an impregnable barrier without so much as a single gap.
Though this was a spiritual world without physical substance, that thing surpassed the limits of what he could possibly imagine.
Such a thing, in the inner world of a mere merchant…
‘…I’m withdrawing.’
Though he hadn’t fully grasped the situation, Franches didn’t hesitate any longer and moved swiftly on instinct.
An unprecedented, intense sense of crisis—that something was terribly wrong—rang violently through his mind.
But.
“Hehe, leaving already?”
He had already come too deep to withdraw quickly.
Something blocked his path before he could retreat even a little.
The moment he faced it head-on, Franches’s soul was shaken violently.
‘Kuk! What is this…!’
This was a world where superiority was decided solely by mental strength, and where each other’s minds were at their most vulnerable.
The moment he met a pair of red eyes gleaming like rubies, the very foundation of the demon Franches’s existence began to twist and reassemble.
‘A-ah, no…!’
He tried to resist with all his might, but in this space where even time lost meaning, his struggles amounted to nothing and scattered away.
Thus, an eternity-like moment passed.
“We’ve come all this way. Won’t you chat with me for a moment?”
At the sweet voice of the being blocking his path.
“…Gladly.”
The dazed old gentleman replied in an uplifted tone, as though overcome with emotion.
“I shall obey your command...”
As though he had been bewitched by something.
***
“...Frances?”
The corner of Ken’s eye twitched.
Then he cautiously called to the colleague beside him again.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? How did the work go?”
It was a question tinged more with irritation than concern, but Frances, who had been trembling lightly, showed no particular reaction even as he was urged on.
No, there was a change of some sort.
Sway— sway—
The pure-white old gentleman was now twisting about in place as if he were drunk.
The wooden cane he had been holding was already rolling across the floor, and the fedora perched atop his limply swaying head hung precariously, as if it might fall at any moment.
“...Damn it.”
At that point, Ken had no choice but to accept that something was wrong.
Mental-type abilities were techniques with powerful effects, and their penalties were just as immense.
It was hard to believe, but it seemed that old man had failed at mental manipulation.
Against a mere merchant with no real martial power to speak of.
‘I’ll have to kill him.’
Ken’s gaze turned toward Hubert, whose head was still bowed low.
It was a waste, but it couldn’t be helped.
Now that the mental manipulation had failed, he couldn’t very well leave such an uncertain risk factor alone.
Just as he, hesitating in regret, was about to make his move—
Frances, who had been swaying incessantly, came to a sudden stop.
The old gentleman froze stiffly in place, as if someone had pressed a stop button.
“Phew— My apologies for that.”
And the next moment, he began to move smoothly, as if ice were melting, letting out a deep sigh as he straightened himself.
He picked up the cane that had fallen to the floor, adjusted his crooked fedora, and smoothed out his disheveled suit.
“...Frances? Are you truly all right?”
“Ah, do not worry. I am more perfectly fine now than ever before.”
“The mental manipulation? Did you finish it properly?”
“Hohoho, I am Frances. There was no problem at all.”
Ken stared silently at the old gentleman, who answered with his usual composure.
Certainly, he sensed nothing particularly wrong from him.
As if the swaying and staggering had all been an illusion.
“Then what happened? Why were you like that earlier?”
That was why he simply had to ask.
What sort of problem had occurred during the mental manipulation?
Just what had made a demon who wielded such dangerous power react like that?
“Ah, it was nothing much.”
That was why—
Ken could only frown at the answer that came back.
“I merely went to meet my master for a moment.”
“...What?”
“Ah— Are you perhaps jealous? Hohoho, do not worry. That person is the master of us all, so you too will soon be able to behold his august countenance.”
It was an utterly absurd, nonsensical answer.
Feeling a chill at that sudden drivel, Ken looked closely at Frances again.
A white fedora, a white suit, white gloves and white shoes, and a glossy wooden cane.
He looked like the same neat old gentleman as always.
But among it all, there was one thing different from before.
That alien element pierced vividly into his eyes.
‘His expression...’
It was not his usual unreadable expression, concealing some hidden scheme.
Softly curved eyes and the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
On that flushed face, as if he had met an idol, joy and ecstasy he could not contain were overflowing.
“...Fuck.”
A curse slipped from Ken’s mouth.
No matter how he looked at it, Frances was not fine.
He had gone mad. Completely and utterly mad.
And the cause had to be Hubert, the head of the trading company, whom he had been attempting to mentally manipulate just moments before.
‘If I deal with him now!’
At that, he turned his head back toward the direction of the office chair.
“Hah?”
In that fleeting instant, he let out a breathless sound at the world that had suddenly changed completely.
The space that, until just a moment ago, had been the trading company’s office.
Somehow, it had turned into a familiar landscape.
A sky tinged with violet, blackened earth, a vast wasteland without a single tree, and a dry wind brushing past his skin.
And even the yin energy that filled the air.
“...The Demon Realm?”
The sight was like the abandoned land said to be the most desolate even in the Demon Realm.
And—
“What do you think? Of my 「World of the Demonic Heavens」.”
Along with a bewitching voice that shook the soul, the being who suddenly appeared at the center of it all—
Suited this world to a bizarre degree.
“Welcome. To my world.”
Even though she clearly should not have.
With that peerless beauty, infinitely beautiful and endlessly noble, one that made him want to tear out his heart and offer it up at once.
“Now then...”
Like a single flower blooming in the middle of a desert.
The solitary, complete— king of the world smiled.
“Kneel while I’m asking nicely. If you don’t want to die.”
Along with words a little rough, ill-suited to that beautiful voice.