This Woman Was a Formidable Rival

At those words, several men in black had already begun to move.

"Shiho, I'll leave them to you."

"Yes, Master."

Shiho Miyano nodded and gently raised one hand.

Hum!

Light blazed, and a pale blue Magic Circle appeared in midair.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the next instant, several Wind Blades tore through the air, cutting straight across the men in black.

The men froze, their eyes filled with terror and shock.

They couldn't help looking down, where bloody lines were clearly visible.

Spurt! Spurt! Spurt!

Blood gushed out.

Every man in black had been sliced in two.

"..."

Watching this, Vermouth broke into a cold sweat, her face filled with horror.

Akemi Miyano stared at the corpses strewn across the floor, equally astonished.

She hadn't expected it.

Shiho had been the one to strike.

And she was so powerful.

Didn't that mean...

She could possess that kind of power too?

Lind looked at Vermouth, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Vermouth, was it? Let's have a little talk."

Vermouth shuddered at Lind's words.

Without hesitation...

She turned to flee.

But...

The moment she moved, her body froze.

An inexplicable pressure had enveloped her.

An utterly terrifying sensation rose within her.

If I move, I'll die.

That thought filled her mind.

"That was only a warning. I'm sure you won't do anything foolish again."

As his words fell, the pressure vanished instantly.

Thud!

Vermouth's legs gave out, and she dropped onto the cold floor.

Lind stepped over the corpses scattered across the floor, approached Vermouth, and gently lifted her chin.

Her pale, stunning face came into view.

Her snow-white bosom heaved with fear, almost bursting out of her clothes.

Under these circumstances, the contrast lent her graceful curves an inexplicably sensual allure.

Even Lind's eyes lit up at the sight.

"Y-you... who exactly are you?"

"What did you do to Shiho Miyano?"

Having calmed down a little, Vermouth spoke with unmistakable unease.

Lind stroked her golden hair and smiled faintly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lind, and I'm a Demon."

"As for Shiho, she's now my Devil's Familiar."

"A d-Demon?"

Vermouth's face was full of disbelief.

But those Wind Blades couldn't possibly have been an illusion.

"So you'd better behave."

Shiho Miyano came closer, long black wings spreading from her back.

"..."

Vermouth's pupils contracted.

Her entire worldview had suffered a tremendous shock.

After a long while, Vermouth gave a bitter smile and gestured in surrender.

"All right. Whatever you want from me, I'll cooperate."

Lind gave her an ambiguous smile. "You certainly know when to yield."

"I have no choice. After all, my lord, you're a Demon straight out of legend."

Vermouth sighed. "Resisting you as a mere human would be impossible."

"Then you know where the Black Organization's headquarters is?"

"Yes, but that gentleman isn't always there. I'll need to make some arrangements."

"You seem to know exactly what I intend to do."

Vermouth smiled. "After all, Akemi Miyano said she wanted to destroy the organization."

"That's my wish too, actually."

There was no lie in those words.

She had originally intended to wait for the Silver Bullet.

But now that a Demon had appeared, what the hell did the Silver Bullet matter?

Lind patted her head and smiled. "Then I'll leave everything to you. Don't disappoint me."

As his words fell...

The Magic Circle flashed.

Lind and the others vanished from the spot.

Inside a detached villa...

Vermouth's gaze was dazed.

So this was a Demon's power.

"What is this place?"

"My home."

Lind gave her a brief introduction and told her to pick whichever room she liked.

He was growing more and more pleased with this villa.

If it hadn't been so large, with so many rooms...

They would probably have run out of space before long.

Shiho Miyano entered Lind's room, her gaze wavering.

"Master, I still need to teach my sister magic."

"Have you forgotten what you promised me earlier?"

Lind sat down in a chair, casually took out the Door Key, and placed it on his lap.

At those words, Shiho Miyano trembled slightly.

I'd really lost my head earlier.

Even if I hadn't said anything...

This perverted master probably would have taken my sister as his Familiar anyway.

Now it was too late to say anything.

She gritted her teeth slightly, her ears already burning red, but finally nodded. "I-I know. I won't break my promise."

Hearing that, Lind immediately straightened in his chair.

An indescribable sense of conquest welled up in his heart.

In the next instant...

His sharp edge was already fully exposed, and he smiled faintly. "That's my adorable Familiar."

Shiho Miyano looked at Lind, her eyes full of shyness.

Yet deep within them lay a trace of inexplicable excitement.

As though, in her heart, she was anticipating something.

Then!

Like a little kitten, she slowly crawled toward Lind.

She gently touched the key.

That familiar scent and searing heat washed over her.

Chapter 14: This Woman Was a Formidable Rival

Since becoming a Demon, Shiho Miyano had been training hard.

Besides magic, she had chosen a blade as her weapon for close combat.

And the first lesson was the maintenance and care of blades.

It was physically demanding work.

Shiho Miyano's breathing gradually grew heavier.

First came cleaning, which required great care to establish a resonance with the blade.

Then came sharpening, to make it keener still.

Finally...

Came the stage of use and practice.

Outside the door...

Akemi Miyano stood frozen, holding the Spellbook.

She had meant to ask her sister for some guidance on magic, only to stumble upon her practicing bladework.

After a moment's hesitation, Akemi Miyano leaned closer.

She was deeply curious about everything to do with Demons too.

Gradually!

Akemi Miyano's skin flushed pink all over.

Her body trembled slightly, and she bent forward without realizing it.