Seeing that Yukinoshita Yukino said nothing, Hayashi Maki stopped teasing her.
Some things are flirting only in moderation; push too far and it backfires.
He dipped down to place a gentle kiss on her rosy lips, then tightened his arms, lifted her up, and softly set her on the bench to sit properly.
"Alright, I'll stop. I'm very satisfied today, so I'll let you off—for now. Yukino-chan may go wash the bento box."
Caught off guard by how he suddenly backed off instead of continuing to bully her, Yukino looked at his handsome face with a complicated expression, then lowered her head to tidy her skirt. She checked her buttons and bow to make sure nothing was out of place, and only then turned with her bento to leave.
A voice came from behind her.
"Will Yukino-chan come here again tomorrow?"
There was hope in his tone.
Yukino's cheeks flushed and her heartbeat quickened.
He wanted her to come tomorrow?
To do what—get bullied again?
She rolled her eyes at him, tossed her hair with a cool flourish so he'd have a beautiful view of her back, and walked away.
"No."
She wasn't stupid—come back tomorrow just to be bullied?
After saying it, her steps quickened on instinct; it looked a lot like a hasty retreat.
Hayashi Maki's lips curved. She wouldn't escape. Some things hinge on the difference between "once" and "countless times." How many times had he held and kissed her now?
Once Yukino left, Hayashi Maki turned toward a hidden corner of the rooftop.
"Satania—enjoy the show?"
"Ah! Y-you knew I was here?"
Flustered, Satania pointed at him; her face went scarlet.
Hayashi Maki nodded with a smile. "Of course. Your demonic aura is leaking all over the place. Hard not to notice."
She gaped.
"You… you know I'm a demon? Don't joke—how did you figure it out?"
He rolled his eyes. "Figure what out? You're not masking your aura at all. Any demon or angel could spot you."
"In other words, Satania, your demon training isn't up to snuff."
"Hah? 'Not up to snuff'? You're just a human—who are you to say that?"
Satania's face flushed with anger; her cute little fang showed as she glared at him. Insult her if you want, but don't say her training's lacking—she was working hard toward becoming a great demon!
Hayashi Maki flipped his right hand; a jet-black flame bloomed in his palm.
"Based on the fact you didn't sense my identity at all, I can say for sure your training's lacking."
Staring at the black fire in his hand, Satania froze.
"That's Hellfire from the forbidden zone…? You can hold it in your hand? Are you a demon too?"
He closed his hand and the flame vanished. Smiling, he nodded. "Congratulations, correct answer. You do have talent, Satania."
Praised, she straightened up, chin high, looking proudly at him.
"Of course! I am Kurumizawa Satanichia McDowell—destined to become a great demon!"
Then a thought struck her and her face changed.
"Wait—demons who can control Hellfire exist only at the legendary SSS-class! Are you… an SSS-class demon?"
Hayashi Maki arched a brow. This flame's that special? Surprised inside, he didn't hesitate on the surface.
"That's right. I'm the legendary SSS-class great demon."
Satania stared, then her gaze turned to awe.
"So you're a great demon, ehm. I'm terribly sorry—my behavior just now was rude. I… I wasn't peeking on purpose… I was here before you two came."
Fiddling with her fingers, she looked at him timidly, cheeks faintly pink—still very cute.
Hayashi Maki kept a stern face. "But you did watch. That violates Netherworld rules. If other demons hear of it, you'll be sent back ahead of schedule—maybe even expelled from the Netherworld if it's serious, right?"
Satania's face fell; she pleaded, watery-eyed.
"Please, great demon lord, don't tell anyone. I… I didn't see that much!"
"Seen is seen. If you want me to keep quiet, I need to see how sincere your apology is."
"Eh? What… counts as a sincere apology?"
The ditzy little demon asked in all seriousness—so guileless it made Hayashi Maki's fingers itch. A girl this easy to fool—if he didn't, should he leave her for someone else to fool?
He beckoned with a grave face.
"Come a little closer and I'll tell you."
"O-okay… I'm here. Then what—"
Then—
He pressed his hands to her slim shoulders, dipped his head, and kissed her.
Satania's eyes flew wide. Warmth on her lips, that distinct masculine scent—her head went fuzzy. Blood rushed to her brain, her eyes rolled white, and with a little "eep," she fainted dead away.
Hayashi Maki hurriedly caught her and couldn't help a wry smile at the unconscious demon girl. Not just a ditz—she was super pure. One kiss and out cold. Not built for teasing.
Still… the kiss felt a bit special. He sensed the faintest link between them, as if he could feel her mana fluctuations anytime.
He pulled up his Demon Panel.
Sure enough, Satania's name now appeared in the followers list, but like Yukino, it was only a preliminary contract—no mana seed planted yet—so it granted him no abilities. Which was normal.
He wasn't just contracting followers—he was choosing partners. If a casual kiss turned someone into a partner and handed him a pile of powers, he wouldn't need patience or care—he could just become a kissing fiend and peck every girl in sight to become invincible.
The panel would never leave a loophole like that. Contracting followers had to be a two-pronged effort—win both heart and body.
With Satania still out, Hayashi Maki sat on the bench with her in his arms and waited quietly for her to wake.
Ten-odd minutes later, the ditzy demon stirred. Seeing herself in his arms, her cheeks flared red; she was about to faint again when his dry voice cut in:
"C'mon, Satania, that's all you've got? Want to be a great demon and you can't handle that? Better go back to the Netherworld."
"Who says I can't! I can! I'm the great demon Kurumizawa Satanichia McDowell!"
Instant full HP: she bounced out of his arms, chest out, chin high, brimming with energy. If only her knees weren't shaking, it might have been convincing.
Hayashi Maki stifled a laugh and spoke solemnly. "Good—that's more like a great demon. In fact, I was assisting your great-demon training just now."
"Doing what only an SSS-class great demon can do. Yes, it breaks the rules—but only by breaking rules can you show the potential to become SSS-class."
Satania's eyes lit up.
"That makes sense!"
He was the legendary SSS-class, after all. She hadn't sensed his aura at all and took him for a normal human. If SSS-class is a legend, then of course it stands above rules—and if she was already doing what only SSS-class demons do, didn't that prove she had the potential to become one herself?
~~~
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