Tristan checked his wares on the wagon for the umpteenth time since he departed from Grangold. The merchant had always been a nervous man, fearful about what his future would hold in store for him. And those last months, he had repeatedly been proven right to be afraid: he had been one stroke of bad luck away from being bankrupt.
Like so many other men, he had been victim of the brainwashing attack that had plagued the capital of the region. While he did physically recover as finely as any other victim, he was still concerned about any aftereffect the spell could have. Then only a small month passed before those damned spiders attacked the city. He had suffered several wounds amidst the chaos, and what little wares hadn't been plundered had to be open to the public for the sake of emergency. And then, just when he had started to financially recover, one of his caravans ended up in Lady's Village the precise day a group of powerful succubi from another world had attacked the place. Of course, he had heard about how it ended up being only a small part of the crisis that had mostly plagued Grand Noah, but what had only been a minor skirmish in this story had been yet another major blow to him.
Fortunately, the legendary hero Luka and his companions had dealt with the rising threat of the "Château des Cauchemars" (or was it the Château des Rêves? He couldn't remember) before it could further spread.
However, not everything instantly stopped the instant the demonic castle disappeared. A lot of monsters were still wandering around. Some of them had once again tried to destroy the world by bringing in a creature that had destroyed a large part of the freshly rebuilt castle of Grangold. The roads were even less safe than when the Monster Lord attacked… It was the worst moment to be a merchant.
So when he heard that one of the Legendary Heroes of the Seven Worlds offered his service for dirt cheap, he decided that he had to recruit him, if only temporarily. He couldn't affort to take a single risk.
Curiously, the hero didn't look anything like the image Tristan always had of such men: his clothes looked unusual and were a far cry from the armor always worn by knights, his red hair were half long and on the messy side, and instead of being equipped with a sword he was using a gun.
However, his position changed again when the man listened to him with a caring smile and accepted to help him for a minimal fee, even refusing a larger sum out of goodwill.
A few hours later they were on the road, walking the rocky, brown wastelands that made for most of Gold's Eastern district. They didn't see many monsters during most of their trip, with only the occasional harpy flying close by or a Scylla slithering away. It's only when they arrived in sight of Goddard than an unusually large group of monsters showed up: a mix of scyllas, butterfly girls and other locals had gathered on the middle of the road. The hero had signaled for the caravan to stop while he continued alone toward them. From the little Tristan gathered from afar, the toxic swamp was occupied yet again by a dangerous monster. The hero agreed that he would take a look into it, even as one of the scyllas stealthily attempted to grab him from behind. Tristan could swear he saw a ghostly harpy appear for a short second before all the monsters around him were knocked down by a gust of wind. Before they could recover, the man had broken away from the large circle and was shooting at them. A few monsters tried again to rush at him, but their spirit broke apart as soon as bullets started flying too close. Once the last monster had scurried away, the hero holstered back his weapon and returned to the group with a smile. Tristan was dumbfounded. His skills were so remarkable… It's only when one of his assistant tapped in his back that he recovered and started moving again. The large caravan arrived at Goddard without further issue, and Tristan attempted to offer the man an additional reward that the latter kept refusing before finally accepting the drink the merchant offered.
It's only when they were sitting together at the inn that Tristan noticed the unusual signet ring the hero was wearing. After what was likely one too many drink, he decided to ask him about it.
"It's something to keep contact with my friends back home…" was the only answer the hero gave him, all served with a sad smirk. Tristan wisely decided not to push as the man kept staring at the band on his finger for a long moment. If his question brought out this reaction, there was no doubt that the man had friends one could only dream of having. They were probably mourning his disappearance after no longer seeing him for so long... The tragic story brought a tear to his eye.
Eventually, Tristan decided to raise his tank to the name of the hero, and then to the name of all his friends who were certainly patiently waiting for him.
Far away from this world, a black-colored kitsune was browsing through thick volumes in hope of finding ancient spells to help her solve her current issue. She sighed in relief when she finally managed to find one that matched her criteria. She leaned back on her chair and allowed herself a small break after her victory. Of all the long years of her existence, whether it was as the Black Fox or as the secretary of Hell's Gate known as Meira, that latest issue was an unusual one.
That damn Mad Hatter… That unusual monster had teleported Kazuya away from this world for the sake of making a service to a friend of her who had organized a tea party. As of today, Meira still didn't quite get all the details, but the effects of his disappearance had been immediate, and did require an immediate action… Her duties prevented her to interfere directly, and even if they didn't, she wasn't sure she could do anything. The domain of Hell's Gate was soul and mind management, not dimensional transportation. She had no way to communicate with Kazuya. Someone else, however, had developed one…
She looked at the ring in her hand. It was the perfect catalyst for her work. Weaving the spell inside would be a challenge for most advanced magi, but for her it was barely practice. The hardest part was making sure it would arrive to its destination, which required to break Hell's Gate's ruleset… She hated making those kind of exceptions, but it was a small price to pay that would be returned tenfold.
Meira grabbed the tome under her arm and looked down one final time before leaving the library, fully appreciating those last seconds of reprieve before she would have to deal again with the chaos waiting her. She heard the cacophony as soon as she stepped in the disproportionately large medieval room that made for Hell Gate's office. The only furniture present besides the stone statues that were lining the walls was a medium-sized desk behind which was placed a chair with what looked like a large pillow with a smiley face drawn and headphones on its top. The pillow turned toward Meira when she entered.
"Did you find something? They're still restless down there…"
Meira nodded. "I did, lord Cushion-kun. I only have to give her this ring."
"Good… Also please remind her that while we will overlook her irregular work this time, we won't let it happen again."
"Do not worry, my lord. I will."
Hell's Gate secretary slowly continued her way toward the hole from which the noise escaped. She grabbed the ladder at its entrance with her free hand and slowly descended. The design of the room she entered was drastically different than Hell's Gate. The floor was marble white, while the walls were covered with strange machines and technological devices that periodically flashed.
"Come ooooooon! I just want Kazuya baaaaaaaack!"
"Someone keep that oversized kitten away from me! I'm trying to discuss with our little scientist here!"
However, her attention wasn't oriented toward the room, but its current occupants. Around a dozen feminine monsters were rampaging around the place, wrecking havoc and being responsible for the noise that had plagued Meira and her superior for the last few days.
She took a good look at them. Almost all of them shared a bond with Kazuya, one powerful enough to allow them to borrow a part of his mind and form a My Room in exchange for a small part of their power.
The day he disappeared, most of those demons showed up in Hell's Gate worried about their future. Meira reassured them that the man was in all likelihood fine since My Room didn't collapse, and she promised to look herself into Kazuya's disappearance. Someone else did beat her to the punch though.
"I found Kazuya! I sent him some supplies! …I hope. Those geographical coordinates weren't really precise… Why are you all looking at me like that?"
It's then that the chaos started. All the demons rushed in Dr Yui's laboratory and tackled the tengu scientist in so many attempts to be the next one sent there, ignoring her pleas that it was impossible to transfer living matter. And every single second since then…
She almost got rammed in by a brown and grey harpy who also had small wings on her head and a thick tail. The bird monster avoided her in a heartbeat even as she was moving at a superhuman speed.
"Shaaaa! I want to go to Kazuya first! He's mine!"
"No faaaaair! Kazuya's our! Liiiiiiz! Tell her!"
"Calm down Haru, we- did she just take off with the scarf we gifted him? AFTER HER!"
As she continued her descent, Meira ignored the two urban nekomatas that were chasing Camazotz like cats pouncing after a flying bird.
"Barghest! Please stop humping the capsule, this is fragile materiaAAAAL!"
"Kukukuku… You aren't quite in a position to make any demands… Now stop struggling or the thread will break and I shall eat you."
"Hey, isn't she our only contact with him? I don't quite think we can harm her… yet."
"I aGree. THis woULd only crEAte more probLEms… We muST first fOcus on GETting Kazuya any help he neEDs, and I tHINk I'm the bESt-suitED with my hEAling skILls."
"Hey! I joined him earlier and I can heal nutrient-kun just as well! Empuse! Stop Arachne from eating Yui!"
"Good grief…"
Meira looked at the scene of desolation in front of her. A black dog-like monster was frenetically hugging a transparent container clearly made to welcome a human. At the same time, a blue-haired scientist was dangling from the ceiling over a large purplish spider monster who had her jaw opened wide. Said spider was struggling against a human-sized alraune and a huge green mantis-like monster while a lamia was trying to keep her coils wrapped around a sphinx-like monster.
Then a young man appeared from nowhere in front of the lamia. Neither of them reacted in surprise, and the monster's tail rattled as she grinned threateningly.
"What? You're wanting to be eaten by me?"
"Huuh, Daji? I don't think I can deal with her on my own!"
"Come on, Yuna, you're my retainer… Show some spine!"
The man gulped, and Meira looked in the corner to see the large purple kitsune sitting at a table in a corner in front of a white-haired woman wearing a black dress. While the ambiance between the two was an oasis of tranquility in this sea of chaos as they were calmly drinking tea, the ears of the Black Fox informed her that her exchanges involved comparisons of the intimate moments they spent with Kazuya in way too much details.
"I will protect you boy… Don't worry…"
A large rabbit-like monster gently hugged the man from behind. While he no doubt appreciated her protective skills, he also started blushing as her large breasts were now resting over his head. Meira slowly continued progressing toward the scientist, unfettered by the current storm. She didn't slow down even as the lights suddenly went out and a small blond girl dressed on an idol appeared on top of a machine. The latter started talking in a sing-song voice while dancing energetically on her improvised scene.
"Welcoooome ladies, gentlemen and demons alike! Tonight in Nina's show is the so-much-awaited next chapter of our tragic story! All those demons are waiting for news of their beloved Kazuya after they heard that the famous Dr Yui managed to reach to him through dimensions! Will they finally see him again? Will they be able to help him? Or will they be forced to wait even more as alternate versions of themselves are enjoying their cute Kazuya-kun in their stead?"
"N-Nina, don't further tease them like that please…" The doctor started sweating heavily, still dangling above Arachne's wide opened throat. "We tried sending living tissues through, they don't survive… There's no way I can get you or anyone else to Kazuya…"
"Actually I can. Temporarily, but I can."
"WHAT?!"
"Eeep!"
"Hey!"
Everyone stopped whatever they were doing to stare at Meira, resulting in the poor dr Yui being dropped from the ceiling toward the dark abyss that made for Arachne's gullet. However, instead of being swallowed, she ended up on the ground a bit behind her predator, wrapped in black hair that was connected to a doll wearing a black and red kimono.
"…T-thank you Mukuro."
The black doll had already joined the other monsters, expectantly looking at Meira. "You're welcome. Now what it is about being able to send us to Kazuya?"
Meira looked down and raised her hands. "I said temporarily, don't get your hopes up so much." She showed everyone the ring that made for her latest creation. "But after a lot of work, I crafted an item which would allow him to exploit again his connection to his My Room even beyond dimensions. While he wouldn't be able to materialize there, you would be able to appear near him for a short second."
She could feel the wave of disappointment sweeping through the small crowd.
"Only a second… What can I do with nutrient-kun in only a second…?"
"It is enough to cast a spell and defend him against whoever is currently threatening him in times of need when he calls upon you. The only shortcoming I can think of is that you have to be in your place in Kazuya's mind for the spell to work, namely your own private place in My Room."
The monsters instantly scrambled and rushed out of the laboratory, except Barghest who remained confused for a moment before she followed suite. Meira smirked as calm finally returned in Hell's Gate.
"Good… Now on to us…" She stepped closer to the tengu while her red eyes started glowing. "While Kazuya probably appreciate your help, me and my lord grow slightly tired of your antics and your repeated passing over of any form of protocol and rules…"
Still wrapped in webs, Yui stumbled back slightly. "M-Meira-san, you're a bit scary…"
"Trust me, I am not as scary as what could be disturbed should you continue to prod around without restraint. We could feel things that aren't meant to be in this world stir after your latest stunt. Consider yourself warned." Meira showed a fanged smile while the tengu inventor was trembling in terror. The secretary then cleared her throat and calmed down her aura.
"From now on, I will require of you to ask us before any other interdimensional transfer. Can you make sure this ring arrive in Kazuya's hands? I do not think his partners will stay still for long should the hero not call them."
Dr Yui answered with a trembling voice. "I-I got a contact in the group of the hero that is always accompanying Kazuya. I'll ask her to give him."
Meira bowed. "Thank you for fulfilling my wish."
The secretary of Hell's Gate and wordlessly returned to her post by the side of Cushion-kun's desk.
"The girls already calmed down… You also passed the warning?"
Meira nodded. "I did. However, I am growing concerned about the future this route should Kazuya not return… I do not think the Mad Hatter was fully conscious of the reach her gesture would have."
"This route remains stable. I'm more worried about the one where he has taken another step that will bring him to her tea party. Aren't you Meira?"
She silently agreed.
"But for the moment…" Cushion-kun seemed to slump over himself on his chair. "Let us appreciate the return of tranquility in Hell's Gate."
Kazuya took another gulp of his drink and sighed before shaking his head. He was missing the bonds he had spent so much time building, and, if what Yui said was true, then they were missing him as well too…
…And yet, he didn't spend half as much time as he expected thinking about them. First his hand had been forced in the conflicts of this world, then his nature caught on and he naturally stepped in each time troubles popped up. As he leaned back on his chair, he started thinking about his predicament for what might have been the first time since his arrival.
I've been teleported to a medieval fantasy world just like in any isekai… I'm living something millions of people dream of… Having adventures with loyal companions, saving the world from the threats coming from the darkest corners of the universe… But it's not just a game or a challenge. This world is having it hard. Almost all of its rulers had been brainwashed at a moment or the others, it is under threat of complete erasure, there are incredibly powerful succubi roaming around…
He shivered as he remembered his unfortunate encounter near Harpy Village. He didn't have time to relax. People regularly called upon the Demon Hunter back home, but this world would need at least ten people like him. And besides, even dr Yui barely managed to set up a system to communicate through dimensions with Meira's help. There was no telling if he would ever be able to go back. No, the most he could currently do was helping the locals to the best of his skills against whatever the world was throwing at them. His mind drifted toward Daji again, as the kitsune had acted up after theoretically submitting. He wondered if letting her in the custody of that small golden one had been a good idea, but he had only kept hearing good things about the latter.
That damn Daji… Why am I getting so much attached to her…
He remembered her devious, mocking smirk, her playful golden eyes, her thick purple mane, her incredibly soft tails, her curvy, fully displayed shapes, her seductive manners… He stopped himself from thinking about it as he could feel his face heat up while he was forced to shift his legs. He groaned as he forced himself to acknowledge that he was enjoying her presence for all the wrong reasons. And she wasn't the only one: Arachne and even Titanoboa were also making him uncomfortable as well and yet… He never felt the courage to turn them away. Was it fear or desire that kept his mind on them?
He then spared another thought to Lampas and Mukuro. The two of them were now in Mephisto's custody after they stirred more troubles themselves by stalking him.
I stay attached to those troublemakers like a perverted masochist… I'm certainly nothing like the other heroes that also came to this world. I'm just a man with a gun and a will to defend the other, not someone who trained his whole life…
Kazuya moped a few more minutes before someone made his way to him. It looked like even if he didn't consider himself a hero, other people did. The man was humbly looking down to the floor in front of him.
"Greetings, hero, I apologize for disturbing you, but we need your help… Yet another dangerous, vicious monster had made the toxic swamp near our city their home and we're afraid that she would move on this village… May we ask you to take a look into this matter?"
This is the second time I hear about it. If both humans and monsters are concerned about this... It can't wait for someone else.
"Sure, I'll take care of it right now."
"Really? I mean we thank you from the bottom of our heart, but I'm sure a hero likes you must want to rest before fulfilling other demands first."
Kazuya gently smiled back. "No, I'm already rested, thank you. I'll pay my tab and get on this case."
He ignored the praise of the man as he distractedly paid the owner and left the building. Being considered the equal of the other heroes was still embarrassing to a great degree. The rumors of the famed Demon Hunter he regularly heard only made him feel more inadequate, as he thought he could never quite reach the expectations of those people.
And that wasn't considering their likely reaction should they learn of his perverted tendencies…
"Kazuya?! Wait for me please!"
The man turned back to see Luka's red cape flying in the wind as the purple-haired hero was running toward him at a superhuman speed. The hero stopped barely a meter from him, not even winded by his impressive sprint.
"Sorry to force myself on you like that, but I heard people in Goddard talk about you, and I'd like to join you to take care of… the monster in Gold's swamp."
"Sure…" Kazuya was slightly taken aback by the hero's presence and his sudden offer. He didn't even realize he had voiced his acceptance directly.
"Thank you… We won't be too much of two to take care of this."
As they continued toward Gold's Swamp, Kazuya started thinking about the implication of Luka's presence: he tried to ignore that the hero was treating him as an equal to focus on the fact that Luka said he needed his help. He remembered the two terrifying succubi that he had encountered near Harpy Village. If said monster was anything like them… Then maybe two of them wouldn't be enough to take her down.
"It sounds like she's going to be tough… Are there any other of your companions waiting for us at the swamp?"
"You could say that…" Luka awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"…That monster is actually one of my companions… It is a long story."
By the time they reached the marshes, Luka had explained the gist of said long story to Kazuya: he had recruited a monster named Cassandra that, in the past, got beaten by the Monster Lord for the title, before being more recently beaten by another Monster Lord from another dimension to get her to stop eating humans. Then the second most powerful monster in her village, Candy, had rebelled and absorbed a large part of her power. The moment Luka and his companions did beat said monster and returned Cassandra her abilities, she left them without a thank and went to Gold's infamous Toxic Swamp to participate in the magical girl tournament happening there. It's only after Luka beat her again that she joined the hero and settled down… only for a moment.
"She got her revenge on Candy and is now back at her full power. Normally, I'd deal with her alone or with Sonya, but she's too powerful for me to face on my own and Sonya is currently… unavailable."
Kazuya nodded as he absorbed all the information.
"She sounds… Persistent and ambitious."
"This is putting it very politely. She does remain one of my companions, but I'm wondering why I keep her around…"
So I'm not the only one who asks myself the question… Huh. Shows what I know.
Kazuya grimaced as the duo waddled through the mucky swamp. While his armor and clothes were protecting him against the noxious contact of whatever unidentifiable substance was making most of the marshes, he was still forced to suffer the pestilent smell and almost gagged on the noxious gas escaping. Luckily, they soon reached a steep hill that made for their destination. Unluckily, someone was eagerly waiting for them.
Kazuya pulled out his gun as soon as he saw the monster: she looked like a large throne of purplish pulsating flesh with overly feminine shape and surmounted by a mocking head with short green hair.
"Well, if it isn't Luka and one of those other heroes. No monsters are here to accompany you today?"
Luka sighed. He looked more jaded than impressed. "His name is Kazuya, and no, I didn't come with any other monsters. I didn't want them to make a mess by bringing everyone and ruin the little standing you have. If you would kindly please come back without kicking up a fuss, I'm sure we'll be able to make your return smoother."
Cassandra burst out laughing: a cold, cruel and inhuman laughter that made Kazuya tighten his grip on his weapon. Once she was done, she looked down on the duo.
"You're almost cute like that… But I refuse. I intend to be more than just a goon in your harem… With the Monster Lord that beat me out of the way, now is my time to shine. I will resume my plan of conquering the world once again… Noting will stop me this time, and certainly not a pair of wannabe heroes!"
She punctuated her sentence by summoning a whirlpool of slime that failed to catch either of her targets. Luka summoned the power of the wind and struck at the monster like a tornado, his holy blade tearing a large hunk of slime from his target. Kazuya didn't hesitate to support the hero in the slightest and imbued his body with a powerful recovery spell before aiming shots at Cassandra's head. Even as elemental explosions bloomed around her body, the large monster kept her confident smirk, seemingly not more inconvenienced than that by the numerous attacks.
"Mhmhmhmh… Now that I have all my power, I realize how pathetic you always were… I will swallow one, then the other, and then this whole world!"
The whole area darkened as Cassandra casted a powerful spell, and Kazuya felt himself going faint as dark energies sapped strength from his body. As he stumbled back a bit, a large corrosive wave of slime hit him. Feeling his lungs empty under a suffocating pressure, the man struggled in the gelatinous mass of goo that was attempting to dissolve him. However, before the slime could start to work, he felt the pressure suddenly decrease and the slime around him collapsing in a puddle. He coughed a few times and saw Luka slashing at Cassandra's slimy body with a primal fury, even as his moves remained graceful.
I can only dream of being as good with a sword… Let's not mope, we still have one hell of a fight ahead of us.
Kazuya imbued himself with a spell to protect his body against further magical attacks and resumed his assault, shooting at Cassandra's head again and again as it was her only visible weak point. The monster completely ignored him and instead focused his attention on Luka as she tried to smother him with thick tentacles of slime.
"Gnome!"
The hero summoned the power of the earth to free himself, but Cassandra dispelled the spirit just as fast and drowned him under a thick slurry of slime. Kazuya gritted his teeth as his shots weren't enough to break the focus of his opponent and let his companion free. He slowly exhaled and closed his eyes as he remembered the demons he had built a bond with. He could definitively use their help now…
Kazuya raised his fist. "Lucy!"
"…Who's Lucy? …GAHRGHRAAAHHH!"
A powerful lightning storm struck Cassandra's body as a ghastly woman appeared on the battlefield for a short second before leaving without a trace. Once freed, Luka didn't lose a second and returned to attacking Cassandra with Kazuya's support. Bullets and steel strikes started raining down once again on the large monster who responded in kind with her own brand of dark magic and slime waves. While Kazuya felt himself getting tired from fighting, he felt his hope rise as Cassandra's own attacks became more and more sluggish. She even periodically flinched or gritted her teeth under the hero's assaults. After she barely managed to dodge another attack and one too many bullet ricocheted on her skull, she threw one last wave of slime and dashed back away from the heroes.
"Fine, I yield, I YIELD! STOP ATTACKING ME!"
Both heroes stopped attacking but kept their weapons at the ready. A sour grimace on her face, Cassandra sighed.
"I get it, my dream of world conquest will remain a dream… stupid heroes…"
"You'll have to try in another world. This one is not yours."
"Then lower your weapons." Cassandra sneer. "It's over. I can no longer fight."
"No it's nooooOOOT!"
Kazuya was almost knocked away from behind by surprise. As he try to understand what was happening, he needed a moment to realize that he wasn't delirious but that what he thought to be a giant pastry was instead a large monster that looked like a cupcake. Luka was soon forced to dodge the same assailant in the same fashion.
"What the-"
The newcomer threw herself at Cassandra, and Kazuya could see strands of energy going back and forth between both monsters.
"GIVE ME BACK MY POWER!"
"NO, IT IS MINE AND IT ALWAYS HAVE BEEN YOU GIANT BLUEBERRY!"
"BODY REJECT!"
"OBESE PASTRY!"
Kazuya pointed his weapon at one monster then at the other as insults and attacks kept flying. Luka himself backed awasy slightly from the mess, too confused by what was happening in front of him. Both heroes could see the monsters weaken gradually as they lost their power: The two creatures kept getting smaller and smaller until Cassandra ended in the form of a purplish blob while Candy looked like a cupcake with lips. The most both could do was pathetically and ineffectively lunge at each other while throwing the occasional insult.
"Nobody will ever consider stuffing their stomach with you!"
"You're only good to be splatted against the wall!"
As they continued their insult contest, Kazuya lowered his weapon in bewilderment. This was… beyond dumb and pointless. A sad sight that was burning itself in his memories for eternity. A noise on his side attracted his attention, and he could see Luka's palm slowly drag across his face as the hero grimaced.
"…Sorry about that. They're not exactly my most reliable partners."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"I'll contact Mephisto and ask her to bring them… somewhere I guess. Far from each other. And from us. And from anyone else. Let's forget that ever happened."
Luka sighed and turned his back on the pathetic scene, harpy feather in hand.
"First round is on me."
When Luka entered back in Goddard's tavern, he didn't feel so much tired of his battle or relieved by his victory than he was ashamed by himself and his companions: today had just been cleaning up another mess one of them had left behind…
I hope that the lesson will stick this time…
Luka slightly envied Kazuya. As much as one of them seemed mischievous, the man only had to currently deal with three partners. As he kept recruiting any monsters that wanted to join him, he himself now had the responsibility of hundreds of them. Granted, having so many companions also presented advantages as well… But those last days he preferred being on his own and not having to look after everyone. Just like at the beginning of his adventures…
Still, he enjoyed the reward in company of the hero. The grateful villagers had offered them a hefty sum of gold, and the barkeep let them drink freely as much as they wanted. Even then, the two heroes remained reasonable and spent more times humbly accepting everyone's thank than drinking.
As the ambiance in the tavern calmed down, Luka finally remembered that Mephisto had a request for him.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot…" He riffled through his pockets before show a hand-sized device. "This belongs to Myusca. Mephisto got it from Vinum who took it away as a punishment, and considering how personal it looked she thinks that there could be some useful information about their world on it. She wanted to give it to Promestein since it looks like something you would find in a Tartarus, but we can't find her…"
It's probably because I didn't search her much in the first place.
"Since you have an experience with makinas, I thought that maybe you'd know more about it…"
Kazuya blinked repeatedly as he grabbed the item Luka was handing it.
"No way… a smartphone? Myusca's world is that close to mine?" The man started fiddling with the item. "And she didn't even lock it. Maybe there's-" He suddenly grimaced. "Of course, she would have taken pictures of herself with her victims… still, using one as a background picture…"
Kazuya looked up to see a passably confused Luka. "Oh, right, since magic isn't widespread in our world, we use these tools powered by electricity to communicate with each other. We can also use it to access and store information, as well as to take pictures. I wish I still had mine to take some, nobody will believe my story otherwise…"
Luka slowly nodded as he absorbed what he heard. "So… Mephisto was right about the information?"
Kazuya shrugged as his eyes were glued to the item's screen while he kept making repeated wiping motion with his finger. He periodically grimaced. "It depends on what she considered worthy of notes… So far, I didn't find anything interesting. Maybe after an hour or two…"
Luka remained afterward, staring at Kazuya who kept examining Myusca's possession. The red-haired man occasionally grunted, grimaced, and even recoiled slightly in front of whatever he was seeing.
If that Myusca is anything like the Lilith Sisters, I perfectly imagine what would her smartphone contain…
Now that I think of it, they have a family air… Could she be their lost sister or something like that?
After a few more minutes spent auscultating the device, Kazuya periodically brought it to his ear for an instant before typing in a few more things again. After a moment, he gave up and put back the smartphone on the table with a heavy sigh.
"That's what I thought… Of course, there won't be any network there, nor any wi-fi for that matter… You need an existing structure to use them. As to the information inside…" He pushed the phone slightly further away. "I don't think anyone besides another succubus or someone with unusual fetishes would be interested."
"So it's actually useless…" Luka slumped on his chair.
It's a shame. I hoped to learn more about that succubus that was brought in Grangold… I didn't even get a picture of her.
Kazuya shrugged. "It's not completely useless. You can still take pictures or use the other apps, but you can't use it to call someone and…" he chuckled. "I don't imagine anybody will manage to reach her now."
This was at that precise moment that someone jumped on the occasion to prove Kazuya wrong.
Myusca's phone started ringing.