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On the way back, Andrew looked down at his hand, feeling the energy surging inside him, and his mood got kinda complicated.
Up until now, he never really felt like a demon.
He always thought of it as just some cheat code that came with his isekai trip.
But today…
For the sake of gaining magic, he didn't hesitate at all to take three lives—didn't even blink.
That kind of coldness toward life… yeah, that's totally a demon thing.
Of course, Andrew didn't feel guilty for killing three pieces of human garbage.
If he could go back in time, he'd still kill those three scumbags for power.
Why were they marked red?
Simple.
Red names meant they had evil souls.
Which meant those three didn't just blackmail Shino Asada—they probably did some even more unforgivable stuff.
There was one thing that stood out.
Endou looked like just another punk, but how the hell did he find out about the bank robbery Shino got caught up in as a kid? And not just that—he even knew the exact model of the gun she used to shoot the robber?
Either he was a hacker, using that skill to dig up dirt and blackmail people...
Or someone powerful was backing him—maybe his family had money, or connections in the police.
Well, whatever capital or resources Endou had, he wouldn't be showing off anymore.
Andrew was pretty satisfied—he took out three scumbags, destroyed three evil souls, and got a nice boost of magic in return.
And this power made him feel a lot safer in this world.
The fire he used to burn the bodies earlier was actually hellfire—something demons naturally have.
He'd released it entirely by instinct.
That magic-compatible body of his? Probably another demon perk.
Should come in handy when casting spells down the line.
Just as he reached the front of the apartment, Andrew saw Nanami Aoyama struggling to carry a cardboard box up the stairs.
They both lived on the second floor, and watching her shaky legs tremble with each step, Andrew quickly set down his plastic bag and rushed over to help.
Nanami Aoyama felt the weight on her shoulder lighten and looked back—her cheeks immediately flushed red.
She clearly felt embarrassed being seen in such a clumsy state, but she quickly thanked him anyway.
"Thanks…"
"No worries, we're neighbors after all. Come on, let's get you upstairs."
Andrew smiled and lifted the box with ease. Nanami immediately felt like the box had become weightless.
She didn't dwell on it and gratefully accepted his help.
After they got the box to her door, Andrew gave her a quick wave and headed back to grab his plastic bag, then entered his own apartment.
He stuffed the groceries into the fridge and looked at the now full shelves with a satisfying sense of accomplishment.
Stocking up always felt kinda nice.
Just as he was about to cook up something simple for dinner, the doorbell rang.
He opened the door—and to his surprise, there stood a small, cute, blonde girl.
It was Mahiru Shiina!
"Shiina, what's up?"
Andrew already had a guess, but still asked anyway.
After all, he couldn't just let her take the initiative—he had to open the conversation so she could keep it going.
Mahiru's cheeks were burning red. Coming to his door like this was super embarrassing for her.
But despite how shy she felt, she still pulled out a lunchbox from behind her back and handed it to him, saying seriously:
"Here. I accidentally made too much for dinner. If you could help me finish it, that would really be a big help."
Andrew quickly took the box, his eyes lighting up again.
He had even planned on giving her a break tonight, not going over to scrounge dinner for once.
But wow—this little angel still made him a burger anyway.
"Uh… I'll head back now. Enjoy your meal."
Mahiru shivered a little under his fiery gaze.
Feeling more embarrassed than ever, she quickly looked away, dodging his eyes, then turned and practically ran back to her room.
"Thanks! I'll enjoy every bite!"
Andrew's voice echoed behind her, and Mahiru just ran even faster.
Andrew watched her flustered little back and couldn't help but laugh.
"Was it really necessary to run like that? It's not like I'm gonna eat her or something…"
Still… Mahiru really is adorable.
What now?
He was totally falling for her.
Kind of wanted to tease her again… No wait, he meant reward her!
Back in his room, Andrew happily ate the burger Mahiru gave him, then carefully washed the lunchbox clean.
Should he do what he did yesterday? Use the excuse of returning it to ring her doorbell again?
While Andrew was busy plotting, Mahiru was also sitting on her sofa, nervously wringing her hands.
She was torn.
If that jerk used the lunchbox as an excuse to come back and hug her again, what should she do?
She wasn't okay with that kind of thing.
No way she could just give in that easily.
What if he got what he wanted and stopped caring about her?
But… what if he didn't come?
At this point, even she didn't know whether she wanted him to come or not.
But one thing was clear—
If he shamelessly forced a hug on her again…
She'd probably… just go along with it. Half-refuse, half-give-in.
Honestly, she didn't hate being close to him. In fact, that part of her heart, the one that got hurt by her parents, had already been comforted by him more than once.
Even though he was kind of a jerk, and did those kinds of things to her…
When he held her close and stroked her head gently, she felt unbelievably touched.
As she was deep in thought, her phone suddenly rang.
Looking down, she saw it was that jerk calling.
Biting her lip, Mahiru hesitated for a second, but still answered nervously:
"H-hello… this is Shiina. What is it?"
Hearing how nervous she sounded made Andrew chuckle a bit inside.
He said seriously, "Shiina, your burger was seriously amazing. I ate every last bite."
"I've already cleaned the lunchbox. Mind if I return it now?"
Mahiru's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks heating up again.
Just as she thought—he was using the lunchbox as an excuse to come mess with her again!
"Nope! I'm about to go to bed. Just give it back tomorrow, it's the same thing."
"…Alright then. Goodnight."
Andrew replied with a disappointed tone, then hung up.
Mahiru heard the dial tone and suddenly felt kind of… empty.
She was the one who rejected him, but somehow she felt a little down.
Sighing softly, she laid down on her bed, breathing in the scent of her blanket, thinking back to last night's endless, earth-shaking passion…
Her face instantly turned red again.
"..."
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