"Then, that makes them enemies."
Kikuri's tone darkened, her violet eyes narrowing ominously at Lynn and Iwanaga Kotoko.
Lynn gave her a calm look and replied indifferently, "Brat."
"?"
Was that… an insult?
Before Kikuri could react—
Whoosh!
A white blur shot past.
Thud!
Kikuri suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and was slammed face-first into the dirt.
A perfect face-plant.
Ai Enma's eyes stiffened. "Kikuri?"
Kotoko's eyes widened as she stared at the white-haired dog now perched atop Kikuri's back, elegantly grooming itself.
Then she murmured, "…That pet is crazy strong."
Inukimi flicked her ears and raised her gaze to Kotoko with pride.
Before becoming Lynn's pet, she was once a noble princess.
—
Some time later, inside the thatched hut, Kikuri regained consciousness, still covered in dirt.
Lynn sat on the tatami, his left elbow resting on the table, cheek on his palm, while his right hand gently stroked Inukimi's silky fur. His indifferent gaze remained fixed on Kikuri.
"Eek!"
Kikuri trembled violently, then immediately knelt on the floor opposite Lynn, too afraid to speak.
Just one move.
She was floored by his pet and knocked unconscious.
Terrifying!
Kikuri peeked nervously at Inukimi, who now purred comfortably under Lynn's touch.
Ai… what kind of monster did you bring to Hell?!
"Now, can we talk?"
Lynn's voice rang out.
Kikuri flinched again.
With a trembling smile uglier than a grimace, she stammered, "Yes, sir… please give your orders…"
"Tell me about this place first," Lynn said.
When he first entered, Lynn had assumed this Hell was under Hades' jurisdiction. But after sensing the area carefully, he realized, there was no powerful presence here.
Could this Hell be unrelated to Hades?
"Understood!"
Kikuri lowered her head and began her explanation.
"This is the Hell of the Japan region, once ruled by the great goddess Izanami."
Once.
That word stood out to Lynn.
He already had an idea of what it meant.
The gods of Japan had long faded. What remained were only a few scattered monsters and wild gods.
"Goddess Izanami?!"
Kotoko's eyes widened in shock.
This was her first time encountering a legend tied directly to one of Japan's primordial deities since becoming the Goddess of Wisdom.
And it turned out to be such a renowned one?
Her thoughts instantly grew uneasy.
Had they just barged into the domain of a divine being?
Japan's Hell…
Lynn was thoughtful.
"So," he asked suddenly, "this Hell is ownerless now?"
"Huh?"
Kotoko, still worried, was caught off guard by the question.
Kikuri nodded without hesitation. "Yes."
Kotoko's jaw dropped. "Wait, what about Lady Izanami?!"
Kikuri went quiet for a moment, then calmly answered, "The goddess… has perished."
Boom—
The words hit Kotoko like thunder.
"Wha…?"
She stared, dumbfounded. "Even gods can die?"
"If a god gets killed, they die," Lynn replied flatly.
"B-But…"
Kotoko stammered, "Who could possibly kill a god?"
Aren't gods supposed to be invincible?
Lynn cast her a sidelong glance.
This is what it means to have low perspective.
"This world contains Eastern pantheons, Greek gods, Indian deities, and also angels, devils, fallen angels…"
Kotoko fell silent, overwhelmed with a mix of sadness and shock.
This world… was terrifying.
"As this lord says, Japan's divine system is no more," Kikuri confirmed.
Kotoko sat in a daze.
If Japan's gods were truly gone…
Then what was she, the Goddess of Wisdom?
Lynn turned to Kikuri and asked, "Have the other pantheons not taken over this Hell yet?"
Kikuri shook her head and forced a bitter smile. "Perhaps…"
"They just don't care."
"But…"
She added, "Although the sovereignty remains in Japan, the resources and reincarnation systems have already been taken by other pantheons."
"I see," Lynn said. "And that led to the emergence of Hell Girl?"
Kikuri nodded. "With no souls, Hell couldn't maintain its rules. Collapse was inevitable."
So they created the Hell Correspondence system to forcibly recruit souls.
However…
Kikuri quickly distanced herself. "That was all the three-eyed spider's idea."
"Oh?"
Lynn smiled. "You and that spider must be connected somehow, right?"
"!"
Kikuri's eyes widened in disbelief.
He figured it out so quickly?
She began to squirm uncomfortably.
After finishing his inquiry, Lynn tapped the table again. "Let's move on to business."
"Yes, sir!"
Kikuri sat upright, nervous.
Lynn glanced at Ai Enma, who still looked absentminded, and said, "I plan to have her work for me. Any objections?"
"Eh?"
Kikuri looked up, confused. Her eyes said—
That's it?
Of course…
Ai was bound by contract to her true self. Escaping Hell wouldn't be easy.
But with this man's status, persuading the three-eyed spider wouldn't be impossible.
That said…
"I haven't finished my atonement," Ai Enma said calmly. "I cannot leave Hell."
Lynn raised an eyebrow.
Seeing this, Kikuri quickly clarified.
"Her parents are sealed deep within Hell. Unless Ai completes her atonement per the contract, they'll never reincarnate."
Kotoko frowned. "That spider again?"
Kikuri nodded silently.
Kotoko snorted. "Definitely the villain here."
Unethical. Manipulative. Abusive.
Typical shady operator.
"In that case…"
Lynn stood and grinned. "I'll go liberate her parents, and then…"
He looked at Ai. "Your life from then on belongs to me."
"?"
Ai blinked, startled.
But…
Free her parents?
That alone stirred something inside her.
"Accept it, Ai."
Kikuri spoke up.
"If this man says he'll do it, then he can."
Ai looked at her in confusion.
Kikuri's expression remained neutral.
She had always wanted Ai to escape this role.
She'd made some preparations, but…
Things would move faster with this man's intervention.
Still—
"Sir," Kikuri asked cautiously, "what will you do with the spider?"
Lynn glanced at her and immediately understood what she feared.
"If that spider dies, you'll disappear too?"
Kikuri nodded, smiling bitterly. "I'm its separated incarnation, created to monitor Ai's work."
If the spider died, she would vanish too.
Lynn rubbed his chin, then conjured a Demonic Chess Piece and smirked.
"Then…"
"Want to become a devil?"
"…Huh?"
"Devil?"
Surprise filled her gaze.
Lynn explained, "If I reincarnate you into a devil, the link with the spider will break naturally. As my Peerage member, you'll be free."
His Evil Piece carried high priority. Once she became his, the connection would sever.
Kikuri blinked, her voice trembling. "R-Really…?"
"I can?"
Lynn said nothing. He simply placed the Evil Piece on the table.
It was her choice.
Kikuri stared for a moment, then slowly reached out.
She didn't want to be that spider's pawn any longer.
So she chose to try.
Her fingers trembled as they touched the Evil Piece.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled open her kimono and pressed it to her chest.
Buzz—
The moment the Evil Piece entered her body, the sound of chains shattering echoed faintly.
A profound sense of freedom washed over her.
But she could feel herself now tethered to another entity.
Her eyes glazed over. In her mind, a scene appeared.
A vast, desolate realm… and far within it, a shadowy figure sat alone.
Lord Lynn.
The name echoed in her thoughts, followed by an overwhelming fear that made her forget to breathe.
Then—darkness.
Her consciousness faded.
—
Kikuri's eyes snapped open. She gasped for breath, and her vision slowly focused on Lynn's crimson eyes.
She stiffened instinctively.
"How do you feel?"
"…Phew…"
She let out a breath and smiled faintly.
"Feels…"
"…Pretty good."
"The spider's link is completely gone."
As she spoke, she felt genuine relief.
Never again would she be made to harm Ai.
Lynn nodded. "In that case, take your clothes off."
"…Huh?"
Kikuri froze.
Lynn sighed and pointed at Kikuri's chest.
"After becoming my Peerage, you gain new powers."
"Your Blessing info is engraved there."
"…"
Kotoko and Kikuri both looked down at her chest.
Even Ai seemed to glance over instinctively.
Sure enough, strange characters were etched on her skin.
But…
To check them…
Did she really have to…
Haa…
Kikuri's face turned bright red.
Why hadn't he warned her sooner?!
If she'd known, she never would've put it there!
(To be continued.)
***
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