As Yū dropped to one knee, the densely packed demons of all shapes and sizes seemed to receive the same command and instantly knelt in perfect unison.
For a moment, the entire plaza seemed to be swept by an invisible wave.
The demons whose bodies were as huge as mountains made dull thuds as they bent their knees, and even the ground seemed to tremble slightly. The demons with bat wings folded them away and lowered their heads. The demons with enormous heads and flames burning in their eyes reined in those flames as well, kneeling with utmost reverence.
Countless demons shouted in unison, "We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"
Their voices exploded above the plaza like thunder, deafening and echoing without end.
Their movements were orderly and devout, as though Kino were their sole faith and master. The spectacular sight made one keenly feel the supreme authority and deterrent power Kino possessed.
Kino sat on the throne with his legs crossed, looking down at the demons. He had to admit, it felt pretty damn good.
"Frank, choose one. You can sign a contract with them and use their abilities, but the price differs for each one."
Frank came back to his senses, walked forward, and looked over the demons below one after another.
They were all powerful, and each was different from the others.
Suddenly, Frank spotted a demon holding a greatsword wreathed in flames.
"Young Master, what kind of demon is that?"
"Yū?"
Yū glanced over and replied, "That's an Enchanting Demon. Its ability is to enchant and enhance different weapons. Its power isn't particularly strong among demons."
"That one, Young Master."
Frank's eyes lit up. Weapon enchantment seemed like a perfect fit for him.
Kino waved his hand, and the Enchanting Demon came before Frank.
"If you want my power, you have good taste. My price is ten souls offered to me every day... Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, the Enchanting Demon was struck several times with a whip across the back.
"Ah!" The Enchanting Demon let out a shrill scream, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Yū said coldly, "I'll give you a chance to rephrase that."
The Enchanting Demon stared in terror at the whip Yū raised again and hurriedly changed his words. "One soul a day. No, one soul every ten days."
His voice trembled with fear, and his eyes were filled with dread of Yū.
Only then did Yū finally lower the whip. Noticing Kino's strange look, she said, "Your Majesty, don't mind how badly he's screaming. He's fine. The whip just strikes his soul."
Kino nodded without saying anything. Since he had entrusted her with managing the demons, he would not ask too many questions.
He simply felt that Yū's attitude toward these demons was a little strange.
Kino looked at Frank and the Enchanting Demon and said, "Now that the price has been agreed upon, begin the contract."
Frank nodded. Souls were all he needed, and there were plenty of those in lousy little alleys like this.
A piece of parchment appeared in the Enchanting Demon's hand, bearing the terms they had just agreed upon. Frank pressed his thumbprint onto it, and a mysterious force instantly enveloped him and the Enchanting Demon.
As the light flickered, Frank felt a strange energy surge into his body. A faint rune appeared on his arm.
After the contract was completed, the Enchanting Demon returned to its original spot.
Frank drew the handgun from his waist. Red flames instantly appeared, flicking over the weapon like a lively serpent's tongue.
Wrapped in flames, the handgun began to twist and change. Its originally smooth lines became warped and ferocious.
The gun barrel gradually thickened, and complex patterns surfaced across its body, resembling demonic markings.
The muzzle expanded like a roaring maw, radiating a chilling presence.
Frank gripped the completely transformed handgun... no, hand cannon, feeling the immense power contained within it. An excited, slightly savage smile spread across his face.
"Yū, find me a demon with powerful defenses."
Kino was also somewhat curious. The weapon's ability was very similar to Ghost Rider's.
"Shan Gang, step out."
At Yū's selection, the largest demon stepped forward. It was dozens of meters tall, its body resembling black rock. If not for its eyes, one might have mistaken it for an ornamental mountain.
Yū introduced it from the side. "This is the Mountain Demon. Its strength and defense are both top-notch. Its only weakness is its speed."
The Mountain Demon pounded its chest and said disdainfully, "You humans really have no eye for quality. Come on!" Its deep voice rumbled across the plaza like muffled thunder.
It was extremely familiar with that Enchanting Demon. The fellow was always sneaking over while it slept to hack at the stones on its body and forge weapons. It often took half a day just to knock off a single piece. What could that tiny thing in the human's hand possibly do?
Frank pulled the trigger at the Mountain Demon without hesitation. The next moment, a tremendous boom exploded across the plaza.
A blazing beam of fire shot from the hand cannon's muzzle, surging straight toward the Mountain Demon with unparalleled force.
Before the Mountain Demon could react, it was struck by the overwhelming power. With a thunderous boom, its enormous body shuddered violently before crashing to the ground.
The surrounding demons were stunned by the sudden turn of events. The previously quiet plaza instantly fell into complete silence.
Amid the billowing dust, Frank held the still-smoking hand cannon, the excitement on his face growing even more intense.
Shan Gang got back up after only a short while. Only a few chunks of stone had fallen from his chest, and it had not affected him in the slightest.
Although that was partly because he had no defensive measures in place, his own weight was terrifying as well. The fact that it could actually knock him over was astonishing.
"Is the Enchanting Demon's ability really that powerful?"
Shan Gang could not understand it.
"I want it so badly."
The Enchanting Demon itself stared greedily at the weapon in Frank's hand. So it was not that its ability was weak—the weapon had been the problem.
"What a powerful weapon."
Yū also stared at the weapon in Frank's hand in surprise.
"After all, it's the crystallization of human warfare. Still, I'm surprised it can wield this much power."
Looking at Frank as he returned, Kino said, "Butler Frank, it seems you're very satisfied with this ability."
"Yes. Thank you, Young Master. Thank you, Miss Yū."
Frank could not suppress the smile on his face. He was already eager to test the abilities of other weapons.
"You're too kind, Butler. We're all serving His Majesty." Yū responded softly with a faint smile.
She knew very well that Frank was the person specially responsible for taking care of His Majesty's daily life in the real world. Giving him some assistance would definitely be worthwhile.
"Frank, recruit some people after you return. Retired soldiers would be best. Disabilities are fine too."
"Yes, Young Master. I happen to know quite a few capable people."
Kino wanted to establish a magical weapon squad, a unit whose firepower could rival that of an army.
As for whether there would be traitors, he could reclaim these abilities at any time.
Before you continue