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Shiho Miyano had just become a demon.
Sure, she had this skill called "Heart of Magic," which was pretty powerful.
But when it came to basic common sense… she was still very much a newbie.
As her master, Edgar had no choice but to patiently guide her.
Though, as soon as he started teaching, he hit a wall.
Turns out, being a teacher wasn't exactly his strong suit either.
Still, seeing the red ink splattered on the carpet, Edgar felt like he needed to step up his game.
Shiho frowned slightly, as if sinking into the depths of the ocean, gasping for air with no relief.
In her daze, it felt like she was endlessly falling, saltwater flooding into her lungs.
Even though she already felt full, the more she "drank," the thirstier she became.
Then—
Her eyes flew wide open. Something inside her… shattered.
Every cell in her body screamed with excitement.
The magic flowing through her surged uncontrollably, like it was desperately craving something more.
The calm sea turned into a raging storm, dragging her down into the abyss.
Yet the magic didn't stop—it kept growing.
Did… I just level up?
[EXP +1][EXP +3][EXP +5]
Edgar, who had just finished his part, noticed the pop-up messages floating in front of him.
He blinked, surprised.
"Wait, what? Why am I getting EXP notifications?"
"Unless…"
His eyes lit up, and he quickly opened Shiho Miyano's status screen.
[Shiho Miyano][Race: Demon][Master: Edgar Lucifergus][Level: LV10][Skill: Heart of Magic]
Heart of Magic: All forms of magic become instantly understandable to you. You can master any spell at high speed.
As he suspected—she had leveled up.
So the experience gain came from her level-up?
"Looks like when my familiars get stronger, I get a piece of the action too."
Edgar could feel a slight increase in his own magical energy. A smile curled on his lips.
If that was the case…
Then if he had a whole team of familiars someday, he could just lie around at home and get stronger while doing nothing!
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains.
"You pervy master—you totally planned this, didn't you?!"
Shiho Miyano glared at Edgar, who had just woken up, and pounded on him with her tiny pink fists.
"Hey hey, don't blame me! I went through a lot just to help you, y'know!"
Edgar looked genuinely wronged.
And to be fair… he wasn't lying.
He had done some testing last night.
And found that if Shiho didn't have any affection for him, the magic-sharing effect wouldn't have hit that hard.
"???"
Shiho froze for a moment and stared at him like he'd just grown another head.
Did he seriously just say that out loud?
What, now I'm the one who took advantage of you?
"I-I'm gonna bite you to death!"
She attacked him with everything she had, but to Edgar it was barely a tickle.
He pulled her gently into his arms.
"Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you."
His voice softened as he stroked her silky hair.
After a bit of struggling, Shiho quieted down, mumbling under her breath, "Ugh, this jerk… totally got away with it."
"I was a first-timer too, you know. You didn't lose anything."
Edgar whispered the words right next to her ear.
Shiho's eyes twitched with surprise, but… a small, strange warmth rose inside her.
Weirdly enough, she didn't feel disgusted or regretful.
If anything…
He really did save her, didn't he?
Otherwise…
Even if those cursed spirits hadn't killed her, the Black Organization would've offed her the moment she became useless.
But now…
Not only had she survived…
Even her sister finally had the chance to live a life in the light.
"It's getting late. Let's wash up and take a quick shower."
The moment Edgar said that, Shiho blushed bright red and realized how sticky she felt.
Yeah, skipping a shower definitely wasn't an option anymore.
Edgar's private villa wasn't far from Kuou Academy.
Close enough that they didn't need a car or anything.
After crossing a few streets on foot, the school gates came into view.
Shiho looked at the school, puzzled.
"Wait… this 'important thing' you had to do… was just coming to school?"
"Yeah," Edgar said casually. "I need to transfer in. Gonna become a student here."
"…Huh?"
Shiho blinked. "Demons… go to school too?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
Edgar shrugged. "This whole school is actually run by demons."
Shiho's mouth dropped open. It took her a while to find her voice again.
"…So the world's already under demon rule?"
"Not quite," Edgar said with a shake of his head. "There are still plenty of forces out there strong enough to rival demons."
Then he quickly gave her a rundown of the situation.
"Wait—your childhood friend is the head of this place?"
Shiho suddenly felt a little awkward.
After all, last night… well, you know.
Seeing her nervous expression, Edgar chuckled. "Relax. There's nothing romantic going on between me and Rias."
"You sure about that, Master?"
Cough cough. "I mean, for now… who knows about the future?"
"Knew it. You really are the worst!"
Shiho rolled her eyes hard.
This guy…
Eating what's in the bowl while eyeing the pot.
"Seriously, with an appetite like yours, aren't you afraid of exploding?"
She grumbled to herself.
Jealousy started bubbling up inside her.
She was still a girl, after all.
How could she not be a little possessive?
"Edgar! You're here!"
A familiar voice called out from afar.
Wearing her school uniform, Rias walked over to greet them.
But her eyes locked onto Shiho immediately. "And who might this be?"
"My newest familiar," Edgar replied coolly.
Rias couldn't help feeling a bit sour.
Shiho didn't look like she'd done any combat training—just an ordinary girl.
Seriously? Edgar just brought her in because she's pretty, didn't he?
You've only been in the human world a day and you're already fooling around?
Feeling Rias's intense stare, Shiho straightened her posture.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shiho Miyano."
No matter what, she wasn't about to lose in terms of presence.
She was a beautiful girl too, after all.
"I'm Rias. Pleasure to meet you."
After exchanging greetings, Rias led both of them to the office to get Edgar's enrollment paperwork sorted.
"..."
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