Three days had passed since the incident, and the forced investigation into the House of Naberius had begun.
Thanks to Kuroka's enthusiastic cooperation, the investigation proceeded smoothly, unearthing mountains of evidence regarding the Naberius family's corruption, illegal experiments, and other atrocities that had been hidden until now.
As a result, the head of the Naberius family, along with its key members, were arrested.
The entire Underworld was shaken by the scandal—after all, this was one of the 72 Pillars, a prestigious noble house.
Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Great Satans, declared that such mistakes would never be repeated.
He announced strict prohibitions against the mistreatment of servants among the high-class devils, along with severe punishments for violators.
The Demon King's Mansion…
In one of the buildings where the young devils' gathering had recently taken place, a group of nobles from the 72 Pillars—specifically, those belonging to the conservative faction—had assembled.
Ironically, most of them were the same individuals who had attended the previous gathering, sneering at the reforms.
"Tch, the Naberius family really screwed up this time."
"Absolutely. They were far too reckless."
"But the Demon Lords are moving now. We'll have to lay low for a while."
"Damn those Satans… How we treat our servants is our own business! That's the privilege of nobility! Those guys understand nothing!!"
The nobles continued to spew complaints, their arrogance unchecked—until the door slammed open with a thunderous crash.
"My, my… What a bunch of noisy little mongrels."
"You've had your fun, old men—but now, it's time to face the consequences."
Standing at the entrance were two of the Four Great Satans themselves—Sirzechs and Serafall.
"M-My lords…?!"
"Sirzechs… Serafall… Why are you here?!"
The nobles gasped, their faces twisting in horror as the Satans strode into their secret meeting.
"We knew you'd slip up after the Naberius purge… But to hold a meeting this brazenly?" Sirzechs smirked, his crimson aura flaring.
"You've underestimated us for far too long, old men~!" Serafall giggled, her icy-blue power radiating alongside his.
The sheer pressure of their presence reminded the nobles—these two weren't just rulers. They were monsters, the strongest devils in existence.
"You've abused your privileges, disrupted the Underworld's order… and now, you've outlived your usefulness." Sirzechs' voice was final.
At his command, a squad of elite devils stormed in, seizing the nobles.
"W-Wait! I've done nothing wrong!"
"Sirzechs-sama! Please, let's talk!"
"Get your fucking hand out of me, filth! Do you know who I am?! I am a noble of the 72 Pillars! You lowborn scum dare lay hands on me?!"
Even as they were dragged away, the nobles kept screaming, invoking their status, making excuses, their pathetic defiance only proving their worthlessness.
"…Fools." Serafall sighed. "Our kind can't survive anymore without relying on other species, yet they cling to their hollow pride."
"Indeed." Sirzechs nodded. "They refuse to see reality, hiding behind outdated privileges… Pathetic."
"Still~" Serafall twirled a finger in the air, her smile returning. "This should clear the air a bit, don't you think?"
"Yes. The Underworld's shadows run deep… But we must change it, little by little." Sirzechs' eyes hardened. "For the next generation."
With that, the two Demon Lords turned and left—the now-empty room silent, save for the fading echoes of their footsteps.
Following the exposure of the Naberius family, other noble houses were similarly purged in a domino effect.
During that time, Kazuki was assigned as Kuroka's personal guard, sticking with her around the clock.
Or rather—
"Ka~zu~ki~♪ I'm bored, so play with me, nyaa!!"
"W-Woah?! K-Kuroka?! I get it, so let go of me!"
"Mmm~? No way, nyaa~♪"
"H-Hey! Where are you touching?!"
For some reason, Kuroka refused to let him go—in fact, she took every opportunity to cling to him.
At first, he found it annoying, but one day, he noticed her hands trembling ever so slightly. From then on, he let her have her way.
"Nfufufu~ You're actually happy about this, aren't you…? Meow~!"
Her breasts—as large as Rias's and as soft as Akeno's—pressed against him, sending waves of pleasure through his body.
For the past three days, he hadn't returned to the Gremory estate, staying instead as Kuroka's guard. And honestly, with all the pent-up frustration, he wasn't sure how much more he could take.
Just as Kuroka was playfully teasing him, a knock came at the door, and Sirzechs and Grayfia entered.
"Well, well, Kazuki, Kuroka. Hope we're not interrupting."
"Sirzechs-sama, Grayfia-san. Is something the matter?"
"Ah, yes… It's good to see you two getting along so well. I came to inform you that the situation has mostly been resolved."
With that preface, Sirzechs explained the current state of affairs.
The Four Great Demon Lords, including Sirzechs, had been striving to reform the antiquated ways of the Underworld. However, their progress had been hindered by the conservative faction—noble families of pureblood devils who clung to tradition.
Even as Maou, they couldn't outright ignore the influence of these high-ranking devils. Thus, the reformist faction had been waiting for the rise of reincarnated devils to shift the balance of power.
Recently, the incident involving the Naberius family had led them to Kuroka. They had been seeking an opportunity to make contact with her, and thanks to her testimony, they successfully purged the Naberius faction and other opposition forces.
"This victory would not have been possible without your cooperation. Thus, you shall both be rewarded. First, Kuroka, your past crimes were unavoidable, and there is room for leniency. Combined with your contributions this time, you have been granted conditional acquittal."
"Conditional?"
"Indeed. The condition is that you obey the directives of an assigned supervisor for three years."
"…"
Kuroka's expression soured. For a free spirit like her, being bound to someone's orders was nothing short of torture.
"Rest assured—Kazuki will be your supervisor."
But Sirzechs, well aware of her nature, had already appointed Kazuki. Not that Kazuki had been consulted beforehand…
"Kazuki, my apologies for the suddenness, but I trust you'll handle this well."
With a wink, Sirzechs made it clear—this was merely a formality to placate the nobles. Given that Kazuki had already vowed to watch over Kuroka, he supposed it couldn't be helped.
"Understood. You're fine with this, right, Kuroka?"
Kuroka nodded rapidly, her eyes wide—whether from shock or something else, it was oddly adorable. But she didn't seem to fully grasp the implications.
"Basically, as long as you're with me, you'll have a fair amount of freedom."
"!—Then that means…"
"Yeah. You can go see Koneko-chan now."
Kuroka clung to him tightly, her voice barely above a whisper as she murmured:
"—Thank you… Thank you, Kazuki~!!!"
Her hands trembled slightly. Kazuki gently placed his own over hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze.
"Kazuki, you too shall receive a reward befitting your contributions. Look forward to it."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
He had no idea what Sirzechs had in mind, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious.
"Then, I'll begin carrying out my duties as her supervisor immediately."
"By all means."
"Understood."
After excusing himself from Sirzechs, Kazuki turned to Kuroka—who was staring at him in confusion—and extended his hand.
"Kuroka, let's go see Koneko-chan!"
Her eyes widened before she quickly looked down, as if holding back something. And then—
"—Yeah!"
With a radiant smile, she took his hand.
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