Time ticked by. Utaha Kasumigaoka stood there, her expression shifting as she wrestled with her thoughts. It was easy to see how conflicted she was.
Leo wasn't in a hurry. He continued to toy with the glowing Evil Piece in his hand, looking as though he didn't care what she decided.
Neither of them spoke again, and the air in the room grew heavier.
"Phew..."
After a long, long while, Utaha finally let out a breath.
"I believe you're a Devil now," Utaha said with a sigh. "Only a Devil could be so precise in tempting people and luring humans, right?"
"That's a rather rude thing to say, senpai." Leo sounded displeased. "Everything I told you was true. I didn't lie about a single thing."
"That's what makes it frightening." Utaha spoke with the calm detachment of an observer. "Lies can sometimes be easy to expose, and they can't fool truly intelligent people. But the truth is different. If you find the right way to use it, even the cleverest people will fall for it and eventually choose to compromise."
"So, does that mean you agree?"
Leo held out the Evil Piece in his hand.
But Utaha didn't take it.
"Become a Devil, give up being human, become your servant, and work for you? How could I agree to all that so quickly?" Utaha gave Leo a long look. "Tell me honestly, Devil-kun. Had you already set your sights on me?"
Clearly, Utaha had figured something out.
"Would you like to hear the truth, Kasumigaoka-san? Or a lie?"
Leo no longer answered every question as he had before. Instead, he smiled and kept her guessing.
"Let's hear the lie first." Utaha always had a way of surprising people. As if she didn't want Leo to get the upper hand, she said, "I want to see what kind of clever lies a Devil can come up with."
"It's not clever. I'm just being honest." Leo shrugged. "I've told you already, haven't I? Devils are summoned by people, make contracts with humans, and receive a corresponding price in return for granting their wishes. That's our job. So any human with desires is a potential client of mine, including you, senpai. If that counts as setting my sights on you, then yes, I have."
"Now that's a clever lie. You're using one truth to cover up another. If I hadn't been prepared, I'd probably have fallen for it." Utaha folded her arms and nodded. "So, what's the truth?"
"The truth is, I'm probably not the only one who's set their sights on you." Leo watched Utaha's feigned calm and smiled meaningfully. "Humans with desires are my potential clients, but you're far more special than the average client. So I'm sure quite a few people, me included, have been keeping an eye on you in secret."
Utaha furrowed her brow, her eyes no longer calm.
"Why? What makes me worth all this trouble?"
Utaha asked, no longer quite so composed.
Unfortunately, Leo offered no further explanation.
"I've already told you everything you need to know. I even gave you extra friendly advice because of our relationship. I can't tell you anything more." Seeing how Utaha struggled to accept it, Leo added, "If you don't intend to enter the world we belong to, it's better not to learn too much. Knowing more wouldn't do you any good."
"Besides, I'm a Devil, and you summoned me. You could at least help me out with my work and my numbers. Instead, you're treating me like a free talking encyclopedia. That's a bit much."
"I'm not one of those schoolboys who are so crazy about you that they lose their minds just because they get to talk to you."
Utaha fell silent, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
But soon, she relaxed.
"What if I made a wish to you? I want to know everything I'm curious about right now."
Utaha made a request that caught Leo off guard—and intrigued him.
"That's an unexpected turn of events. You really are sly, senpai. Like a vixen."
Leo praised her sincerely, though his choice of words wasn't exactly flattering.
"Let's see."
Before Utaha could respond, Leo excitedly took out a device.
It was an Action Device used by Devils, the same kind as the one Yukino Yukinoshita had used to find humans with desires. After a few simple operations, all he had to do was enter the client's wish, and the device would automatically calculate the price required.
The price varied from person to person because not all humans were of equal value. The more valuable, capable, and gifted a person was, the greater the wish they could have granted.
For example, if a worthless vagrant wished to become the richest person in the world, then unless he truly had the potential to do so, the price he would have to pay to make that wish come true would be beyond imagination. He might even die, with his soul taken as well.
It was different for those with value, ability, and potential. Their lives and souls were worth a great deal. If a Devil wanted to collect a price based on that, they might have to work hard to grant an especially grand wish.
What was Utaha Kasumigaoka worth?
Let's just say... a lot.
She had many advantages over her peers, including her beauty, family wealth, connections, and literary and artistic talent. Even as an ordinary human, if she continued on her current path, she could achieve things that more than 99 percent of the people in the world could never accomplish. So her life and soul were incredibly valuable, making her one of the most valuable clients Leo had ever encountered.
And if her unique nature was taken into account, her value was even greater. It would easily surpass that of every client Leo had met so far.
She had the potential to come into contact with the world he belonged to anyway. All she wanted was to learn some information ahead of time, so the price she'd have to pay... could only be described as absurdly low.
When Leo saw the result displayed on the device—"one item of clothing she had worn"—he fell silent.
He knew there was nothing particularly meaningful about that price.
Just as celebrities' and great figures' clothes could fetch a high price no matter how old or worn they were, a piece of clothing Utaha had worn might not mean much to her, but Devils could simply keep it until she made a name for herself. By then, there would be plenty of people willing to buy it.
Leo had collected similar rewards in the past, so he knew that anyone who read those words and started thinking the wrong way ought to go face the wall and reflect on themselves.
But he also knew that if he asked for that reward, then in the eyes of Autumn Flower of Sobu High School, he'd be stuck with the title "perverted Devil-kun" for the rest of his life.
Trying to make me out to be a pervert, huh?
Fine, fine...
Leo promptly put away the Action Device and said to Utaha, "Give me a kiss, and I'll tell you."
The moment he said it, the air froze.
Utaha was stunned. Utaha fell silent. And, unsurprisingly, a look of contempt appeared in her eyes.
"Are you sure that's payment for a Devil's work? Or is it just your own personal desire?"
Utaha's skepticism was unmistakable.
"So what if it is?" Leo didn't care in the slightest and answered bluntly. "No matter what I ask for, if you pay it, I can grant your wish. Isn't that fair?"
"Besides, are you really losing out?"
"Look at this face. Would it really be so hard to leave a lipstick mark on it?"
Leo leaned his face toward Utaha. She jumped, and then blushed at the sight of him so close.
"Don't come so close, you perverted Devil-kun."
Utaha pushed his face away and fanned herself with her hand, trying to cool her cheeks.
Seeing her like that, Leo couldn't help laughing.
"Because of our relationship, I'll grant your wish first."
As he spoke, Leo raised his hand, and a magic circle appeared above it.
"The memories you're about to receive will show you the mysterious world you want to learn about."
"I'll give you the information now. We'll settle the reward later."
"As for becoming my servant... I'll be here whenever you change your mind, Kasumigaoka-san."
As he spoke, a flood of memories poured into Utaha's mind. Her head jolted, and her eyes began to lose focus.
Devils, angels, Fallen Angels, the Church, Sacred Gears, the Underworld... Utaha received knowledge of all kinds, quickly coming to understand what the mysterious world was, what Supernatural Power was, what the Underworld Society was, and what the truth was.
Utaha didn't know how much time passed as she absorbed it all.
When she finally came to, dizzy and lightheaded, her eyes slowly refocusing, Leo had disappeared. In his place lay the Devil Flyer he had used earlier. The simple magic circle drawn on it stood out so clearly, leaving such a deep impression.
"..."
Utaha was silent for a long time before stepping forward and picking up the Devil Flyer.
"Sacred Gear...?"
Having learned what made her special, Utaha's expression grew complicated.
Remembering what the knowledge Leo had given her said about the fate of Sacred Gear wielders who lost control, Utaha couldn't help shivering.
"That guy definitely did it on purpose."
Utaha cursed him in her mind, then lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling, saying nothing for a long time.
Before you continue