Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V2 Chapter 26

Chapter 26: “Maybe he’s taken a liking to you?” ②

“Well, I can’t say for sure if you can kill Mammon or not. But if you think you can, go ahead and try.”

Satan didn’t tell Natsuki it was impossible for him.

It’s possible he saw something in Natsuki, something befitting a demon king. 

Natsuki laughed in response, with a daring, ferocious look, as if to say he was completely confident.

“Mammon is an arrogant bastard, but he’s also a coward at heart. He probably won’t fight head-on. But rest assured, no matter what happens, I’ll protect Haruko-san.”

“…Satan-san.”

“She’s the woman I love. I promise not to let her get hurt.”

“Alright. I believe you.”

It’s unclear what will happen between Satan and Haruko, but it’s evident he’s seriously in love with her. 

Including the fact that he’s Koume’s father, if Satan truly cares for his mother, Natsuki wants to believe he will protect her as he says.

“It’s kind of embarrassing how easily you believe me.”

Satan said with a wry smile, but then continued seriously,

“Just to avoid any misunderstandings, I should say that Mammon is a high-ranking demon, but he’s not my subordinate.”

“What do you mean?”

“I may have conquered the underworld, but I got bored afterward. So, I appointed strong demons like Lucifer as my officers and delegated various things to them. Mammon is one of those officers. He doesn’t hold any loyalty to me, nor does he care about the underworld. He just wants a position. But that’s how it works in the underworld, with the demons.”

“It sounds simple yet complicated.”

“Exactly. There are many like Mammon. It would be easy if I could just crush the troublesome ones, but it’s annoying when they act covertly. However, that’s fine by me. As for Mammon, I am on guard.”

“Is it because of Koume-chan?”

Satan shook his head.

“That’s part of it, but it’s believed that Mammon is under Samael’s command.”

“Samael, huh… That guy. Really troublesome. He even glared at me just for bumping shoulders at the convenience store.” (lie)

“He’s not around here that much. You don’t have to pretend to know him. Samael is a demon of the same rank as me. Sometimes we’re considered equal, but he’s a demon with power on par with mine. We’ve fought several times, but no decisive outcome has been reached.”

“Huh? But Satan is the demon king, right?”

“Eventually, we had to decide on the top spot. It came down to rock-paper-scissors, and I won.”

“That’s how you decide the top!?” 

“Mastery in rock-paper-scissors is also necessary for a demon king!”

“Alright, rock-paper-scissors!” 

In response to Natsuki’s challenge, throwing rock, the Demon King chose scissors. 

An indescribable silence followed. 

“Samael isn’t interested in becoming the demon king now, but there are those who support Samael. Some want to eliminate me and make Samael the new demon king, others aim to use Samael to plunge the underworld into war again, and some want to pit us against each other.”

“That sounds tough.”

“Indeed, it is. There are always those aiming for the top, no matter the era. This time, Mammon just happens to be using his position as Koume’s potential fiancé to his advantage.”

“But, it’s okay to kill him, right?”

“Yeah. If you can kill him, go ahead. Whether they’re returnees from another world, heroes, or humans, I don’t need officers who lose to humans.”

Despite Satan hiding his magical power, his mere presence sends a burning sensation across Natsuki’s skin. 

While feeling outmatched, Natsuki couldn’t help but be curious about how strong Satan really was, though he hoped they would never have to fight.

“If you ever need anything, let me know. I’m generally free, but I turn off my mobile during ballroom dances, so please be aware.”

“You’re very well-mannered!” 

“It would be rude to the instructor and Haruko-san if my phone went off during a dance!”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

As Satan stands up from the bed, he tells Natsuki with excitement,

“The serious talk is over. Now, let’s have some gossip with Alphonse, the three of us!”

“Eh?”

“Let’s get as excited as middle school students on a school trip night!”

Natsuki, just having become a third-year middle school student, hasn’t experienced a school trip yet. 

Although struggling to keep up with Satan’s high spirits, Natsuki can’t deny an interest in hearing about the romantic encounters Alphonse had with the goddesses of the North. 

Deciding not to be a spoilsport, Natsuki agrees to join the conversation.

〜Afterword〜

Samael-san is currently growing apples in Aomori and has no interest in being the demon king.