Chapter 22: Saeko Busujima - The only thing I need is You
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"Save the world?"
"Sure."
Without the slightest hesitation, Lynn agreed to Saeko Busujima's request.
It didn't matter what the request was—accepting it first was always the way to go. After all, when and how it got done was entirely up to him.
With a warm smile, he spoke thoughtfully, "I have two plans—one is more aggressive, the other more conservative. Which one would you like to hear first?"
Could he really do it?
Saving the world?
Saeko's eyes widened in surprise.
She had asked more out of curiosity, wanting to see how this so-called 'Devil' would react to such an absurd request.
She hadn't expected him to take it seriously—let alone offer two different plans!
It seemed that what was an apocalyptic crisis for humanity was nothing more than a trivial matter to this Devil. His power was likely far beyond what she had imagined.
And, contrary to the legends, he wasn't hideous or terrifying at all. In fact, he was far more agreeable and approachable than she'd expected.
Pushing aside the distractions in her mind, Saeko pondered for a moment before saying, "Tell me the aggressive plan first."
"The biggest threat to this world right now is these undead, right?"
Lynn walked up to the window, gazing at the swarming masses of zombies below.
"That's right," Saeko said solemnly. "This crisis erupted suddenly this afternoon."
She turned to face him, her expression serious. "I don't know the exact state of the world right now, but with a virus this infectious, its spread must be terrifyingly fast."
"In the worst case scenario, the entire world could be overrun."
As a modern youth, she had seen zombie movies before.
She just never imagined that one day, they would become reality.
The thought of an entire world filled with these wandering corpses made her fall silent.
"And on top of that, even though this catastrophe has broken out, there's been no sign of the military responding."
She had already prepared herself for the worst.
"No problem," Lynn replied casually. "Even if the entire world ends up like this, I can just... wipe the surface clean."
Well, with his current strength as a High-Class Devil, that wasn't possible.
But just because he couldn't do it now didn't mean he wouldn't be able to in the future.
Saving the world didn't come with a deadline.
He could always do it after he became a Maou, or something even stronger.
Until then, this zombie-infested world would serve as perfect nourishment for his future peerage.
'Wipe... the surface?'
Did he mean what she thought he meant?
Saeko's eyelid twitched as she stared at Lynn.
He didn't seem to be joking.
Even humanity's ultimate weapons couldn't cleanse an entire planet, could they?
But...If it was a Devil...
"If you really did that," Saeko murmured, "wouldn't you also wipe out the surviving humans?"
Just like the undead.
Lynn shrugged. "That wouldn't be my problem."
'Such a callous attitude... definitely Devil-like.'
'Even though he looked completely human—'
Her gaze landed on the name tag on his uniform.
[Shuchiin Academy]
'Wait, Devils... go to school?'
She pushed the question aside for now and decisively rejected the aggressive plan.
"Let's hear the conservative plan instead."
As expected.
Lynn's smile grew even gentler.
"This one is much simpler."
He turned to face Saeko, the corners of his lips curling up slightly.
"I will grant you the power to grow strong enough to save this world yourself. Then, you'll be free to decide how to do it on your own terms."
Lynn had two goals in this world.
First, establishing a consistent hunting ground for his peerage to gain experience.
Second, recruiting new peerage members. And Saeko was an undeniable talent.
Hearing the second plan, Saeko froze for a moment.
To be honest, saving the world had never been her priority. At least not right now.
Her number one goal was simply to survive.
So the promise of strength—the ability to grow—was what truly drew her in.
She needed power.
She needed power to survive in this world.
And she needed power to protect others.
She glanced at Shizuka Marikawa, who was happily oblivious to everything happening around her.
Shizuka: "Naa?"
She still looked completely lost.
Saeko Busujima and the Devil were seriously discussing how to save the world?
A Devil?
Saving the world?
Wasn't that the punchline of some ridiculous joke?
And yet, the Devil himself had actually provided real plans!
"So kind!"
Shizuka had an epiphany.
Saeko: "..."
Without her protection, even if Shizuka didn't die to the undead, she would probably fall victim to other humans.
And in that case, dying to zombies might be the better fate.
In the apocalypse, humans could be more terrifying than monsters.
Saeko let out a quiet sigh, then spoke firmly, "I'll take the second plan."
The power to grow strong enough to save the world—That should at least help them survive.
"That quick?"
"Aren't you going to ask what the price is?"
Saeko's gaze remained calm. The mention of a "price" didn't shake her in the slightest.
She had learned by the age of five that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
Especially when making a deal with a being like a Devil.
Shizuka, however, gasped. "Eh? There's a price?!"
Right, things that even a five-year-old understood, some people still didn't get even in their thirties.
Saeko ignored Shizuka completely and met Lynn's gaze with unwavering determination.
"If it's something a Devil would desire, you may take anything from me."
"My body, my soul, my emotions, or even my memories."
All she needed was power.
Power to survive alongside her friends.
Lynn was silent for a moment, then grinned. "That's quite the resolve."
"But don't worry. The only thing I need—"
"Is you."
Saeko blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"I am honored."
"Then from now on, I belong to you."
.
.
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