After successfully getting far away from the battlefield, I landed in a spot that seemed good enough.
"...Whew. Looks like they didn't notice me, thank goodness."
Relief at having escaped safely overwhelmed any regret I felt over losing my home, and I just collapsed where I landed, sprawled flat on the ground.
"...What am I even supposed to do first now...?"
A bunch of things came to mind right away: build a new house, figure out which higher-ranking demons lived around here, or just go to sleep as I was...
There was plenty to do, but what I wanted most was to just rest like this.
I could always rebuild my house later, and unless it was an Arch Demon directly under one of the Primordial Demons, there were barely any demons who could actually threaten me.
As for sleeping... well, I could do that in a cave or something later.
So for now, I just wanted to be happy I'd survived the crisis and take a break.
Tap...
...Apparently, the demons here had no intention of letting me rest.
"...Just one."
I could feel someone approaching me.
Along with an overwhelming amount of magicules.
"Seriously, what is with today? My luck is absolute garbage."
Lamenting inwardly, I drew the Unique-grade sword hanging at my waist, something I'd happened to obtain by chance long ago.
Tap tap...
Judging by the footsteps, this wasn't the type to fight in close quarters like me.
And from the absurdly vast amount of magicules alone, it was obvious they specialized in magic.
"...A demon strong in magic, huh. If it were a Greater Demon, it'd be fine, but an Arch Demon..."
An Arch Demon on my level bombarding me from long range with magic would be a real pain to deal with.
Especially one of those Arch Demons that had survived for centuries without defeat and earned a title.
"...I don't even want to imagine it, but... if it's a Greater Demon that's survived for thousands of years, could I even win...?"
Even with three Unique Skills, I couldn't confidently say I'd beat a monster like that.
So I had to fight without caring about means or methods.
That was just how this place worked.
Thud!
"First, close the distance."
"Hup!"
Circulating my magicules in an instant, I charged straight ahead and swung my sword at their legs to gauge their skill.
...No, I tried to.
"...?!"
"...My body... won't move...?"
Right before my sword could reach them, my body froze, just like it had in my previous life when I was completely paralyzed.
"...Ghk!"
Maybe it was because that memory from my past life came back to me, but the sensation of my body refusing to move swallowed me whole, and instinctively I forced my magicules up, trying to move somehow.
But my opponent only...
"Hehe, you don't need to be so wary. I didn't come here to fight you."
Tap
Smiling as if I were ridiculous, she caught my chin between two fingers.
"...!"
Only then did I realize who it was I had tried to fight.
Long, beautiful pure-white hair that fell to her waist. Crimson eyes gleaming with an eerie light. And a face so beautiful it couldn't even be compared to anyone I'd seen in my previous life.
One of the Primordial Demons, and along with Rouge, known as the Queen of Demons and one of the most dangerous beings in hell: [Blanc].
In the future, she would gain the name Testarossa, and she was one of the strongest demons I could never hope to defeat.
"...Why exactly... has a Primordial Demon come looking for me...?"
I knew better than anyone that the gap in power between her and me was absolute and immeasurable, so I forcibly shoved down my fear.
If she noticed that fear, then given her cruelty, I might be reduced to her toy on the spot. My survival instinct was suppressing my terror.
An ordinary person might have leaked even more fear because of that survival instinct, but I was far from ordinary. I was a demon.
"Hmm? So you know who I am?"
Maybe my calm response piqued her interest instead, because she released the magic that had been restraining me.
Of course, that didn't mean I could run. If she wanted, she could erase me in an instant.
"...I'm a demon living in hell. There's no way I wouldn't know you."
"Hehe, is that so? Good. Then we don't have to waste time."
"...May I ask why you came to find me?"
Still holding my chin, she slowly extended an arm so slender and delicate it looked like it might snap with a touch, then stroked my cheek as she spoke.
And the words that came from those alluring lips were far beyond anything I'd imagined.
"Why? Simple. I want to make you my subordinate."
".........What?"
...What did she just say?
A subordinate? Who? To whom? Me? To the Queen of Demons?
"Hehe, there's no need to be that shocked. Think about it. The place you were staying was quite far from the battlefield, so why do you think the subordinates of [violet] and [yellow] suddenly started fighting there?"
"...Don't tell me."
"That's right. I do feel a little sorry about it, but I arranged it. Still, don't worry. I left my own subordinates behind after you left. They'll guard your residence in your place."
...If everything she said was true, then that meant she'd known about me for quite a while already.
And that made me wonder.
"...Did you really need to go that far for someone like me...?"
She was a queen.
One of the strongest beings in this hell, and one of those with the highest authority.
If she wanted to make me her subordinate, she could have simply crushed me by force the first time she found me.
And yet, she had deliberately lured me away from my home, then tried to persuade me with words instead of power.
Did she really need to go to all that trouble? That question rose in my mind.
"Someone like you? Hehe, it seems you think far too little of your own value. You're a demon who doesn't belong to any 'color,' aren't you?"
Now toying with my face with both hands, she smiled elegantly, as if she found this all amusing, and continued.
"At first, just as you're thinking now, I considered taking you by force if I had to. But... hehe, one demon changed my mind. So I thought it might be better to persuade you instead."
"......"
"But unfortunately, I can't leave my position for long because of violet and yellow. So I lured out their subordinates and drew you away. I truly want you. You, whose true worth even a Primordial Demon can't fully grasp."
The woman who symbolized cruelty kept pressing deeper and deeper into my mind, cornering me so I couldn't refuse.
So skillfully that I almost thought it didn't sound bad.
"...Even if I'm an irregular demon, different from the others? An incomplete one?"
She had been smiling the whole time, but at my question, her smile deepened even further.
"That doesn't matter. All you need to do is become my subordinate. In return, if it's power you want, I'll give you the position of my right hand. If it's strength you want, I can personally help you obtain it. Well?"
"...[Answerer]. What she just said..."
[Yes. There is a high probability that all of it is true.]
"......"
With even [Answerer] confirming it for the kill, I had no choice now but to decide.
...Well, it wasn't like the answer hadn't already been decided.
"...I have no choice but to accept..."
If I refused her now, there was a very high chance my second life would be shattered in a single second.
There was a reason she was called one of the most dangerous demons in hell.
Even in the original story, she'd shown no mercy to hostile humans.
"...Understood... Blanc."
In other words, I had no choice in the matter.
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