"Morning, Natsuki-chan."
Roy waved.
"Call me Sensei, and stop patting my head."
Natsuki swatted his hand, narrowing her eyes. "Getting stronger's made you less respectful."
"No way, Natsuki-chan, you're my lifesaver. I respect you most."
"Your nickname says otherwise. Whatever… I'm here for business. Come with me."
Natsuki led Roy to the third-floor faculty office.
Unlike other teachers, hers was private, decked out with decorations fancier than the principal's.
Sitting on the sofa, Roy asked, "What's the business?"
"The U.S. and Claw."
"You're that plugged in?"
Roy was surprised.
He'd taken down Toichiro Suzuki less than an hour ago.
With the U.S. government likely suppressing the news, it should've taken longer to spread.
Unless…
"You've got a mole in Claw?"
"Yup. You didn't think Toichiro's management was airtight, did you?"
Natsuki poured herself tea, sipping. "Unlike typical terrorist groups, Claw's got ties with the U.S. government."
"With a clear HQ, planting spies is easy."
"Not just Japan—other nations, including the U.S., have moles there too."
"Your raid on Claw? Demon Lords and gods might not know yet."
"But the big human nations? They're all in the loop."
"So you're here to praise me?"
Roy sat up. "As a student, I crushed a global terrorist group. Your rep in the industry must be soaring, right, lil' Natsuki?"
"If you mean negative buzz, then yeah, it's historic."
"That bad?"
"I wish you had some self-awareness. To most, you're scarier than a Demon Lord."
Natsuki sighed.
Wiping out the jujutsu higher-ups on a whim.
Then forming Akatsuki and swallowing a world-class terrorist group.
Now, some global elites whispered the Red Dragon Emperor aimed to rule the world.
"Thanks to your antics, I've been swamped with government calls all morning. It's a nightmare."
"Got it. I'll handle it."
"???"
Handle what?
Natsuki's eye twitched as Roy nodded thoughtfully and stood to leave.
She summoned Chains of Discipline, blocking the door. "No running. Sit."
"Fine."
Roy sat obediently.
"What were you about to do?"
Natsuki demanded.
"Visit some high-ranking officials. Let 'em know Natsuki-chan's under my protection."
Roy added, "Don't worry, I've got limits. No body count."
"You don't need deaths to cause me more trouble."
Natsuki sighed again.
She got it—Roy loved solving problems with fists.
If brute force worked, he'd skip thinking.
"Forget the tangents. Let's get to business."
Roy blinked. "That wasn't it? Thought you were warning me to lay low."
"That's part of it, but mainly I'm here to confirm why you made Akatsuki."
Roy: "Public reason: finding legit targets to beat up, helping the people."
Natsuki: "My spy mentioned that. What's the real reason?"
Roy: "Giving my secretary work."
Natsuki: "???"
Roy: "Dead serious."
Seeing her silence, Roy explained Meredith.
He kept it vague, skipping his deal with Lefi, just saying a friend asked him to look after someone.
Natsuki's expression turned complex. "Starting a Demon Lord-level war for that? Classic you."
"It's not just that to me."
Roy needed a steady entry source.
As his strength and high-tier entries grew, Rias's contracts couldn't keep up.
After souring ties with Jujutsu High, his entry income tanked.
To secure enough entries, he gathered espers and formed Akatsuki.
But the entry system was off-limits, so he'd never spill that.
"[I don't care about world domination. If anyone's got complaints, come find me.] Pass that to the higher-ups, Natsuki-chan."
"Sounds like a taunt."
Natsuki quipped.
Relaying that verbatim would make elites paranoid, maybe even probe further.
"Don't worry about the government. I'll smooth it over."
"Just to be sure, you're not aiming to rule the world, right?"
"With that time, I'd rather train."
In a world of Demon Lords and gods, strength was everything.
Once he was unmatched, he'd rule without lifting a finger.
"Strength above all? Fits you."
Natsuki nodded, dropping the topic for another. "Interested in moonlighting as an Attack Mage?"
"Why the sudden pitch?"
"Attack Mage jobs mostly involve terrorists. Matches your 'legit beating' standard."
"True, but they're time sinks."
Unlike devil contracts, Attack Mage jobs were long-term.
Investigating groups, tracking, and raiding took steps.
Entries mattered, but daily training was priority.
Roy didn't want to trade sesame for watermelon.
Ideally, he'd have both.
He rubbed his chin. "How about Attack Mage jobs go through Akatsuki?"
"Through Akatsuki? Like delegating to its members?"
"Yup. Most members are strong enough for prelim investigations."
"Once they pinpoint a target, send me coords. I'll teleport and fight."
This way, Attack Mage jobs mirrored devil contracts.
Roy just had to fight and farm entries, saving time.
"Also, if there's a job where I can jump straight to fighting, toss it my way."
"…"
Natsuki's expression shifted.
She'd felt something off chatting with Roy.
His blunt words clarified it.
Helping people, giving a friend work—probably excuses.
This guy just wanted to fight.
"You went quiet."
Roy scratched his head, clueless. "My demands too strict?"
"No, your idea's feasible."
Natsuki snapped back, pulling a postcard from her pocket and handing it over. "Contact for Japan's Lion King Agency. Negotiate cooperation with them."
Meanwhile, Kuoh Town's west side.
In a rundown apartment, Shoko woke from sleep.
"This late already?"
Seeing the clock, realizing she'd overslept, Shoko sighed.
Yesterday's ordeal was too much.
Saved by Roy from Freed, she'd stumbled home in a daze.
She couldn't recall falling asleep, just vague nightmares.
Now, here she was.
Getting up, she smoothed her wrinkled clothes and left her room.
Opening the door, a pungent stench hit her.
Empty beer cans littered the floor.
The culprit, her father, snored in a corner.
"Ugh, again."
Muttering, Shoko started cleaning.
Her father stirred, groggily opening his eyes. "Shoko?"
"Yes, Father?"
"…Why're you home?"
"I forgot to set an alarm. Overslept."
"Oh… Hurry to school. Don't be too late."
Mumbling, he drifted back to sleep.
Shoko sighed, heading to the kitchen to make umeboshi ochazuke.
When she returned, her father was awake, groaning and clutching his head.
"Here, for the hangover."
"…"
He took the bowl, eating silently. His color visibly improved.
But instead of praising her thoughtfulness, he frowned. "Why aren't you at school?"
"I'm skipping today. Need to talk, Father."
"No more 'pull yourself together' nonsense. I'm sick of it."
"…Father, I've earned a lot recently."
Shoko hesitated, placing a bank card on the table. "Saved from my job. Twelve million yen."
"No need to tell me—wait, what?"
He froze mid-sentence. "How much?"
"Twelve million yen."
"…"
Silence.
Twelve million yen.
Even in yen, it was no small sum.
How could a high schooler earn that so fast?
Staring at his earnest daughter, trying to lift him from his past with this money, his mind blanked, body trembling.
"Father, what's wrong?"
"Shoko, stop."
Shaken, he adopted a rare fatherly tone. "Don't degrade yourself. I don't want you earning like this."
"…?"
Degrade herself?
Frowning, Shoko caught his meaning, her face flushing—not from shyness, but anger.
"What are you saying, Father?!"
"I'd never sell myself! This is from honest work!"
"Liar!"
He slammed the table, face twisting. "You think I'm blind?"
He remembered.
Since Shoko started her "new job" over a month ago, she'd come home late.
Sometimes, she'd text, staying out overnight.
He'd thought she'd moved on, leaving her deadbeat dad behind.
But no—she'd gone the opposite way.
"If you're not being kept, how'd you earn this much in a month?!"
"I raised you, and this is how you repay me?!"
"Father, I'm not kept. It's legit work."
Shoko repeated, frowning.
But her confidence wavered.
Roy had once said something about "buying her future."
It sounded romantic then.
Now? Wasn't that just long-term keeping?
No, she was overthinking!
She signed a work contract. This was just an advance!
"It's from my job."
Shoko doubled down, half-convincing herself.
"Nonsense!"
Her father watched her face.
Her brief guilt confirmed his suspicions.
"Call the bastard keeping you. I'll teach him a lesson!"
"It's not that! It's work!"
"Then what's the job?!"
"…It's confidential."
"Hmph, too scared to say."
"I…"
Unable to sway him, Shoko snapped.
Her father mattered, but she wouldn't let Roy be slandered.
He was good, not deserving malicious lies.
"If you insist, Father, I'll tell you the truth. Don't be shocked."
"Shocked? You think I haven't seen it all—"
Bang!
Shoko's fist smashed the table.
Cracks spread from her fist in a dull thud.
"I signed a devil contract, trained to get stronger, and gathered data."
"That's my job, Father. Anything else?"
The table, already worn, gave out, splitting and collapsing.
Her father, as if doused in cold water, lost his anger.
I've seen it all (crossed out).
This, I haven't seen (reaches for cigarette).
"No smoking. It's bad for you."
Shoko frowned.
"…Right."
He put it back.
Shoko blinked, shocked.
Since moving here, she'd nagged him about smoking countless times.
This was the first time he listened.
Why the change?
She glanced at the broken table.
Roy's words echoed.
Strength is everything.
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