Grayfia Lucifuge appeared inside the Occult Research Club's activity room.
The moment her feet touched the human world, her brows knit together.
Something was wrong.
No—very wrong.
A tremor rippled through her soul.
The contract engraved deep within her very existence was reacting.
Which could only mean one thing.
The person who created that transformation artifact… is here? In this city?
Following the direction indicated by the contract, Grayfia vanished from the room in an instant.
Rias and the others were left staring blankly at the empty space she had occupied just a second earlier.
"Eh? We were just about to greet her…"
"Where did she go?"
The girls exchanged puzzled looks, but none of them thought too deeply about it.
Grayfia Lucifuge was a high-ranking devil of the Underworld. If she had business to attend to, it wasn't something they had the authority to interfere with.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, in a quiet living room not far away—
Izumi, who had been lazily sprawled across the sofa, suddenly sat upright.
He had felt it.
The contract he had once lost—no, released—had reappeared within the city.
Everyone else was out.
Even Ophis and Avrora Florestina had been dragged out to eat and wander around, freeloading as usual.
The house was completely empty.
"…So you came to me on your own initiative?"
A grin slowly spread across Izumi's face.
"Interesting."
"I really want to see who ended up with that transformation device."
His eyes gleamed with genuine curiosity.
Whoever possessed it couldn't possibly be weak.
As the contract's presence drew closer, Izumi simply waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
A moment later, space rippled—and Grayfia Lucifuge appeared directly inside his living room.
Their gazes met.
Grayfia's pupils shrank sharply.
Izumi, on the other hand, calmly rubbed his chin and looked her over.
"…So it was you."
"That transformation device—was it in your possession?"
As he spoke, Izumi casually curled a finger toward her.
Before Grayfia could even react—
The magical outfit covering her body dissolved instantly.
Light condensed, reshaped itself—
And a yellow-gold pocket watch landed neatly in Izumi's hand.
"…!"
Grayfia froze.
Her mind went completely blank.
Looking down at herself, she realized that only her ordinary clothing remained. Her usually expressionless face flushed crimson in an instant.
"Y–You—!"
Izumi was just as stunned.
He hadn't expected her to be wearing the transformation device as clothing.
"…Ah."
That explained things.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Her figure is… honestly impressive.
"Sorry."
"I didn't do that on purpose."
Grayfia shot him a glare filled with humiliation and anger, then hurriedly pulled out a black cloak and wrapped it tightly around herself.
Izumi, meanwhile, watched the entire process without the slightest hint of restraint.
Only after she finished adjusting her appearance did he finally speak again.
"You already know, don't you?"
"That item was something I created."
Grayfia fell silent.
Of course she knew.
Otherwise, she would never have come here.
He had reclaimed the transformation device effortlessly—and the contract bound to her soul pointed unmistakably to him.
"…Why didn't I sense the contract before?"
That was what troubled her the most.
She had met Izumi long ago.
Yet back then, the contract had shown no reaction at all.
Izumi glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand.
"When I made it, it ran off on its own."
"The core uses a Time Stone."
"And I only completed it two months ago."
"It's normal that you couldn't detect it before."
Realization dawned on her.
Everything finally made sense.
Grayfia took a step back, then bowed deeply.
This was gratitude.
The transformation device had come to her unintentionally—but it had saved her life.
Had it not appeared, her fate might have ended very differently.
Straightening herself, she spoke clearly and resolutely.
"I obey the contract."
"Izumi-sama… please allow me to become your maid."
"My body, my power, my existence—all belong to you."
Her voice held unwavering determination.
Izumi's lips curled into an amused smile.
"Grayfia."
"Are you sure?"
"Your current status isn't something trivial."
"I'm the one who set this contract—and I can just as easily annul it."
"I have no intention of forcing you."
"If you wish to refuse, I can void it right now."
She shook her head immediately.
"No."
"The moment I obtained that transformation device…"
"…my fate was already decided."
"If I hadn't accepted it, I wouldn't have used its power in the first place."
At first, she had thought the contract cruel—unreasonable, even.
It gave her no chance to refuse.
But after all these years, she had come to terms with it.
The man before her was the one who had created the artifact that changed everything.
That alone was reason enough.
She already knew Izumi's strength.
And now—
He was even stronger than before.
Serving a true powerhouse was no disgrace.
Seeing her resolve, Izumi raised his hand and crooked his finger toward her.
"Then show me your determination."
Without hesitation, Grayfia stepped forward and knelt before him.
A while later—
"Cough."
Grayfia wiped her lips and looked up at Izumi.
He chuckled softly.
Holding up the pocket watch, he let it glint in the light.
"Since you're mine now…"
"I'll upgrade it for you."
"Back then, my strength was insufficient."
"What I made wasn't strong enough."
"But now—"
"I can finally fuse the second gemstone into it."
"…You can still improve it?"
Izumi nodded casually.
"Of course."
"I made it. Why wouldn't I be able to improve it?"
"I'll handle it tomorrow."
"Are you staying here tonight?"
At that, Grayfia's face flushed again.
"I still have duties in the human world."
"…Next time."
"This time, I'm responsible for overseeing your group's journey to another world."
Izumi understood immediately.
"Well, that can't be helped."
"You can move in later."
"Or just stick with me once we reach the other world."
"I'm going there to have fun anyway."
Grayfia had no objections.
After taking her leave, she returned to the academy to finalize preparations—for both the inter-world expedition and Underworld affairs.
Now that she knew who her contractor truly was, she needed to arrange everything properly.
Only then could she serve him without worries.
After watching her leave, Izumi turned his attention back to the transformation device.
In its current state, it was no longer sufficient for Grayfia.
Even without transforming, her power had already reached S+ rank.
What he needed to do next was simple.
Fuse the Space Stone.
Once completed—
Grayfia Lucifuge would step beyond limits.
And reach the realm of Transcendents.