A Special Reward

“Hillisa, do you know who those people were?”

“I do not. They are mere nobodies.”

“This time it was just a group of novices, but there’s no telling if experts will show up next. We can’t stay here much longer.”

Seeing the magical girls obediently retreat, Belzebub reverted to her human form and returned with a brilliant smile, eager for praise.

“Master, how did I do?” Belzebub’s eyes seemed to sparkle like stars.

“You did wonderfully. I’ll give you a personal reward in a bit.”

“Yay!” Belzebub assumed she was getting a tasty treat.

“Hillisa, stand guard outside the door for now.”

“Yes, Master.” Hillisa’s expression was unreadable as she silently watched Liyahiss pull Belzebub into the bathroom.

“Are you going to undress yourself, or should I do it for you?”

“H-How embarrassing! This isn’t right, is it? This isn’t the kind of reward I had in mind!”

“What were you expecting? Stand still, and this will be over quickly.”

[Shadow Touch]!

Several slimy, black tentacles emerged from all directions. Some bound Belzebub securely, while others worked to free her body from her battle-torn clothes.

“Master, no! Our relationship hasn’t reached that stage yet…”

Seeing Belzebub suddenly flush as if with a fever, Liyahiss decided to cool her down. She moved her directly under the showerhead and turned on the cold water.

Belzebub shivered violently. “Why is it cold water?”

“Because you were blushing. I thought you had a fever, so I’m helping you cool off.”

“So this is the reward you were talking about?”

“That’s right. I’m personally giving you a bath. You should be grateful.”

Belzebub was so furious she felt a chill run through her, a mixture of shame and anger. To think I actually thought we were going to do… that. How could I have been so foolish?

Afterward, Liyahiss thoughtfully used [Auto-Cleanse] to dry her off, preventing her from catching a cold.

“Hillisa, bring a maid outfit that would suit Little B.”

Hillisa returned with a black-and-white maid uniform and a collar. With a deadpan expression, she forcibly dressed Belzebub in the outfit. Just as she was about to fasten the special accessory…

“Gah! I don’t want to wear this thing!”

Belzebub looked at her master with pleading eyes, hoping to be spared some dignity.

“Master, I’m begging you! As long as you don’t make me wear this, I’ll do anything!”

“Anything, really? Then let me test you: if x equals 6 times the arcsin of 0.5, what is the value of e to the power of ix?”

“Huh?” Belzebub’s brain seemed to short-circuit as it processed the question, ultimately simulating the Big Bang before shutting down completely. She clutched her head, her eyes spinning into spirals.

“Since Little B doesn’t like it, we’ll forget about it.”

Belzebub was instantly revived, feeling as if she had chosen the right person to follow. Her life was made.

“Alright, time to discuss serious matters. Where are we going to live from now on?”

“I have two friends whose families are very well-off. We can crash at their place,” Belzebub offered.

“Excellent. Then it’s settled. We’ll leave tomorrow morning. It just means we’ll have to sleep with broken windows tonight…”

“Master, I can fix the window,” Hillisa volunteered.

“Very well. Show me what you can do.”

Having received her master’s permission, Hillisa skillfully raised her right hand and gave it a flick. The shards of glass instantly flew back into place, leaving the window looking brand new.

Liyahiss and Belzebub both stared wide-eyed, their jaws dropping so low you could fit an egg inside.

“Belzebub, please step outside for a moment,” Liyahiss said, her eyes fixed on Hillisa. “We have something to discuss.”