"Nee-san, are you really not going to the Human World with me?"
"I still have some matters to deal with in the territory. Once I'm done, I'll come find you."
After bidding farewell to Grayfia, Arlen grabbed his luggage and left the castle.
Soon, he arrived at a massive transportation hub.
This place resembled a train station from the Human World, but with a gothic, infernal aesthetic.
A train with sharp, angular styling, its body covered in glowing devilish glyphs, was currently idling on the tracks.
"It really is modern enough," Arlen muttered a complaint as he looked at the vehicle.
Naturally, this train led to the Human World.
Originally, High-Class Devils who had mastered magic could simply use Teleportation Circles to travel freely back and forth between the Human World and the Underworld.
However, since it was Arlen's first official trip to the Human World as a resident, he had to go through the formal passage for registration purposes.
Otherwise, it would be considered illegal entry, which could annoy the Sitri or Gremory clans who managed the territory.
Of course, Grayfia had already handled all the paperwork. Arlen just needed to show up.
...
Beep—!
The train's whistle sounded, echoing like a beast's roar.
Sitting in the first-class cabin, Arlen withdrew his gaze from the dimensional ripples outside the window and began to organize his belongings.
He didn't have many personal items.
Most of them were necessities for life in the Human World.
"Let me see... This should be the address of the apartment Nee-san bought for me. At least I don't have to worry about a place to live."
"But I don't have much money..."
Arlen looked at his wallet, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
He had originally wanted to ask for a bit more.
But Grayfia, under the pretext of letting him "get used to the harsh reality of the Human World," had cut his allowance of one hundred thousand yen in half.
"It's fine. I am a Devil, after all. When the time comes, I'll find some lowlifes to 'borrow' a little from. I trust they won't mind."
Before transmigrating, he had headaches over money. If he still had money problems after becoming a supernatural being...
Wouldn't being a Devil be pointless?
An hour later.
Arlen stepped off the train and took the elevator upward.
The Underworld station was built directly beneath the Human World's subway system, separated by a dimensional barrier.
Although they weren't far apart spatially, ordinary humans couldn't perceive it at all. Straying into it by mistake was impossible.
Walking out of the station, Arlen began to stroll around.
Kuoh Town.
Although it was just a town, it occupied a massive area; compared to a city, it wasn't lacking much.
Sure enough, the overall scale of this fused world was several times larger than that of his previous life.
Arlen had originally planned to "rob the rich to help the poor" immediately.
But, perhaps due to sheer luck, he couldn't spot a single thug or delinquent on the streets.
"Hmm?"
Just as he was preparing to head to his new apartment, Arlen's gaze sharpened.
On his status panel, the Devil Contract skill was flickering faintly.
"It seems my luck isn't too bad after all."
Arlen muttered to himself and spread his senses outward.
A moment later, his eyes lit up. "Found it."
With a blur of motion, Arlen's figure disappeared from the sidewalk.
"A ghost..."
Passersby who witnessed the scene rubbed their eyes in terror.
They looked up at the bright sun, yet cold sweat couldn't stop pouring down their backs.
...
"Everyone, could you please move out of the way?"
Miyano Shiho looked at the group of students in front of her. They had heavy dark circles under their eyes and looked as if they hadn't slept in weeks. She frowned deeply.
The alleyway was narrow. With the four of them blocking the path, she physically couldn't get past.
Hearing Shiho's polite request, the four "students" froze. Then, they all let out low, guttural roars.
"You can see it?"
"You can see me?"
"That's great."
"I'm going to eat her. Don't fight with me."
The delicate faces of the four students twisted and distorted. Their mouths split open all the way from ear to ear, emitting a foul, ominous aura.
"This..."
Shiho subconsciously took a step back.
Even if she wasn't a believer in the supernatural, she realized now that something was terribly wrong. These weren't humans.
Curses.
Almost instinctively, she turned and ran.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, Shiho felt herself bump into someone's chest.
Her body stiffened, and incomparable despair spread in her heart.
It's over.
There are monsters behind me too.
"No need to be nervous. I'm here to help you."
Arlen wrapped one arm around her waist to steady her, and with his other hand, he waved gently at the approaching monsters.
Boom!
Dark crimson light flashed, and a beam of concentrated Demonic Power tore through the narrow alley, engulfing the bodies of the four Curses.
The violent explosion kicked up a shockwave, causing Shiho's skirt to flap wildly in the wind.
"Gyaaaah..."
Amidst agonized shrieks, the four Curses were reduced to ash instantly.
[EXP +4]
Looking at the text information floating in his vision, Arlen's eyelid twitched.
His status panel really looked like something made by a cheap browser game.
"However, with my current strength, killing these Curses and gaining experience is a viable strategy."
Arlen nodded secretly.
If it was this easy, perhaps he could try farming experience to power-level quickly.
Miyano Shiho stared blankly at the empty alley, trembling as she asked, "They... what were they?"
"Low-level Curses."
Arlen explained, "Under normal circumstances, they only attack people who can see them."
"Then... could you be a Psychic?"
Shiho's eyes lit up, feeling as if a mysterious corner of the world had just revealed itself to her.
If that was the case...
The Black Organization would be nothing against power like this.
Could she ask him for help?
Why is this woman so excited?
Arlen looked at her carefully, suppressing a reaction.
No wonder she had the aptitude for a Servant.
It turned out to be Miyano Shiho.
But in this world, the timeline shouldn't be too chaotic, right?
Thinking about it carefully, it seemed okay, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Unfortunately, I am not a Psychic."
Shiho pressed on excitedly, "Then are you an Exorcist? Or a Magician?"
"No."
Arlen shook his head and said playfully, "Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Arlen. And my race is... Devil."
"De... Devil?"
Shiho opened her mouth, her scientific brain unable to process the data.
The person in front of her clearly looked no different from a human. How could he be a Devil?
"It seems you don't believe me."
Arlen smiled, and a pair of long, black, bat-like wings unfurled from his back.
Whoosh!
Air currents whistled, and under the pressure of his demonic aura, the entire alley seemed to darken.
"..."
Miyano Shiho's pupils contracted violently. She felt as if her entire worldview had been shattered into pieces.