Chapter 476. Kasumigaoka Utaha Cannot Escape
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka indeed had no intention of remaining a bystander.」
「Utilizing the infiltration techniques he had learned in the White Room back on Earth, he followed the impatient demons with ease. He trailed them all the way to their base outside the city without being detected once.」
「As for the Ultimate Four, Setsuna, and Kureha—none of whom possessed tracking skills—he had ordered them to stay behind in Buranikka.」
「After infiltrating the base, Ayanokouji did a quick headcount and found several dozen individuals. He abandoned the idea of prolonged interrogation and prepared instead to simply injure them one by one and heal them, extracting information about their "Great King" in the process.」
「To unify the world, one must become the joint ruler of humans, demi-humans, and demons; naturally, the assistance of a Demon Lord would be required.」
「If this so-called "Great King" was a man willing to submit to a superior, Ayanokouji wouldn't mind putting in some effort to subjugate him after defeating the Kingdom, making him a vanguard to consolidate the demon race.」
「However, if this King turned out to be an arrogant fool who didn't understand how to yield when necessary, Ayanokouji was prepared to appoint a new ruler.」
「As for the candidate, Eve Reese—who happened to be right in front of him—seemed quite suitable.」
「"What your fate will be depends on whether your master is an idiot or not. Try your luck, Eve Reese."」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stepped out, abandoning stealth. He was immediately spotted by the demons. They shouted "Who is it? Stop!" yet none dared to attack first.」
「Though a tank top paired with a cloak was poor fashion, Ayanokouji's natural aura was more than enough to compensate for the unsightly attire; his presence made the demons feel threatened.」
「Swish—」
「Ayanokouji initiated the attack, wounding one man. The demons were forced to retaliate, but before Ayanokouji—who fluently utilized over a hundred skills—they were no different from ants. They were all taken down swiftly and cleanly.」
「"Hmm~ So he's that kind of person. It seems your luck is quite good, Reese."」
「After completing the healing-interrogation, Ayanokouji swung his blade, slaughtering several dozen demons in the blink of an eye without so much as a flinch. He had already decided: discard that self-centered Great King and place Eve on the throne.」
「Sitting leisurely amidst the blood-scented base, Ayanokouji waited from afternoon until sunset. The poison in Eve's system finally wore off; she let out a moan and sat up, gradually regaining consciousness.」
「"W-where is this?" She was shocked, looking at Ayanokouji warily. "Who are you!?"」
「"Using such a tone with the Earth Emperor? You ungrateful thing, you are courting death~" Ayanokouji stood proudly, glancing at her with cold eyes. "Waking up only now... that was enough time for you to be played into a sow that cannot live without a rod."」
「"Guh..."」
「Eve looked around and saw the corpses, including the demons who had ambushed her. Connecting this with Ayanokouji's words, she finally realized what had happened.」
「She spoke with some reluctance: "I understand. I will repay the debt... so, what do you want?"」
「"What do I want? Heh, truly an ungrateful thing!" Ayanokouji laughed. "I am absolutely not seeking compensation from the standpoint of a savior."」
「Eve became even more confused. "Then you..."」
「"With your appearance, you are absolutely qualified to become my woman and serve me." Ayanokouji displayed the domineering spirit of the Earth Emperor.」
「"Regardless of anything, your body, your soul, your everything—from the moment I saw you, you were my plaything, forever a bird in my cage. Haha!"」
「Eve's expression changed instantly. If he simply wanted to mate with her, she would have felt nervous but not necessarily resistant—at most, she would have feigned disagreement while eventually yielding. After all, he had saved her and possessed great charisma.」
「But to be bound to his side for a lifetime was unacceptable. She hadn't expected him to be this kind of man and immediately prepared for combat. "A man like you? Don't even think about it!"」
「"That is no longer up to you, my dear little bird~"」
「Ayanokouji's words provoked Eve. She lunged forward, initiating an attack on the man. Knowing that someone who could kill dozens of demons without a scratch was no ordinary person, Eve went all out from the start.」
「Without the disadvantage of being trapped, her strength was actually quite impressive. Although she was significantly weaker than the Kingdom's Three Heroes or Three Braves, she was much stronger than someone of Setsuna's level.」
「Even so, Ayanokouji handled her with breezy indifference. He remained unharmed throughout the fight, and even touched various parts of her body during the exchange, leaving the inexperienced Eve filled with shame and indignation.」
「BOOM!!」
「Eve was sent flying, her head bloodied. The battle concluded; the victor was decided.」
「"Ugh..." Sobbing, Eve—on the verge of tears from anxiety—watched as Ayanokouji approached step by step. She thought it was the end, yet the man actually used Heal on her, restoring her to full health.」
「"Eh...!?"」
「Looking up and meeting his eyes, Eve realized his intention. He wanted to crush her and conquer her again and again until she surrendered completely, heart and soul.」
「"Damn it, don't look down on me!!"」
「But look down he did.」
「Rumble— Dust and smoke filled the air as the demon base collapsed, walls cracking in every direction after a long struggle.」
「By now, the moon hung high in the sky. Eve was panting heavily; she had lost count of how many times she had been healed. Her stamina was full once more, but her heart had grown timid with the urge to surrender.」
「Looking at Ayanokouji now, her body felt a faint heat... she felt as though she might actually be starting to like this man.」
「This was the "Stockholm Syndrome" Ayanokouji had intentionally cultivated; this was why he had used Heal on her.」
「Since he didn't intend to "win her heart" the way Hikigaya Hachiman did, Ayanokouji used these darker methods to quickly subjugate this Demon Lord Candidate.」
「Now that the goal was achieved, there was no need to fight anymore.」
「Ayanokouji walked up to Eve, pinched her chin, and gave a wicked smile. "You can absolutely never escape my palm, you ungrateful thing."」
「"U-ugh..."」
「The bewildered Eve blushed deeply; she no longer dared, nor wanted, to resist.」
「There, upon the ruins of the base, Eve gave away her first time.」
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