Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

Shinomiya Gan'an, the old man who wielded a vast zaibatsu and whose mere presence could shake the Japanese economy, sat regally in the main seat. He wore a dark kimono, his body withered, his once hawk-like eyes now clouded, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles and an undeniable air of illness. With each breath, a faint, muffled sound, like that of a broken bellows, emanated from his chest.

Across from him, a young man named Tsurugi was leisurely sipping tea, seemingly out of place in the surroundings. His smile was bright and genuine, as if he were visiting a long-lost friend.

"Cough cough cough cough!" Shinomiya Gan'an coughed heavily a few times due to the itching in his chest, and a little blood, along with droplets, splattered in front of him.

"Oh, my dear benefactor!" Tsurugi put down his teacup with a crisp sound. His voice, for some reason, had acquired a strange magnetism, like that of an old-fashioned radio host, accompanied by a pleasant tone.

"You look really bad today."

Shinomiya Gan'an only let out a hoarse groan from his throat.

"Speak your mind. My time is precious."

“Precious? Oh, of course, of course!” Tsugumi laughed even more heartily, spreading his hands wide.

"Time is the most luxurious commodity for ordinary people. However, I am here today to express my gratitude. My small company, VOX Technology, has made a great success in its debut performance thanks to your generous 'sponsorship'."

“I don’t want to hear your report,” Shinomiya Gan’an interrupted him. “Our deal is done. You saved Kaguya and me, and I gave you the funds and resources to get started. You should disappear now, not show up in my house!”

“Wow, money for goods, what a heartless way to put it.” Tsurugi’s voice became deep and rhythmic. He leaned forward slightly, and a thick darkness spread from beneath him, turning into invisible shadows that surged around him.

"Or have you already guessed that I killed your son?"

Having transmigrated, my only purpose is to kill, kill, kill! : 15. The Demon's Business Path

On the night Tsurugi made up his mind to accumulate power in this world, he gave up the opportunity to create the third character card, allowing himself to return to this world freely.

Then, he saved the father and daughter of the Shinomiya family who were standing in front of him, and naturally accepted their gratitude as a hero.

Next, he used his general AI skills to directly replicate AI software equivalent to the level of his world in 2035, named Vox-Genesis AI. With the support of the massive funds and background resources of the Shinomiya family, a monopolistic conglomerate, he established his own VOX Technology and then began a ruthless path of takeover.

Things had been going very smoothly up to this point. Tsugumi used her media demon powers to constantly spy on her competitors' secrets, and then used these secrets, along with a little violence, to make her VOX Technology expand at an extremely rapid pace.

This attention, these praises, this worship, are constantly amplifying his power as a demon.

But things naturally don't always go smoothly.

VOX Technology's expansion has been fraught with darkness and unspeakable aspects. Even if no one can find evidence of his guilt, and even if the prosecutor's office is afraid to initiate a compulsory investigation against him due to the existence of the Shinomiya family, this rapid expansion built on bloodshed and violence is enough to make him a 'weakness' standing between the Shinomiya family and the Shinomiya family.

For those enemies eager to bring down the Shinomiya Zaibatsu, they are happy to keep amplifying VOX Technology's bloody history of making its fortune as powerful evidence to attack the Shinomiya Zaibatsu.

Of course, for the Shinomiya Zaibatsu, these attacks were a negligible cost compared to the massive traffic and strong favor from the capital market brought by VOX Technology.

But the prerequisite is that the Shinomiya family can truly gain control of this unicorn company.

Can they? Of course not!

Tsurugi would not allow his tools to be held by others, even if it did not cause him any fundamental loss. He hated the feeling of being controlled by others.

Therefore, without control over the company, the Shinomiya family faced numerous questions regarding the head of the family's decisions, the most important of which was—

Shinomiya Yanan, an elderly woman who is over seventy years old and has just been diagnosed with cerebral infarction and many incurable diseases, is by no means a fool who listens to only one side.

And it's clear that Tsurugi can't influence and control his mind indefinitely through Goetia magic. Given his high position, any unusual behavior over a long period of time would inevitably attract a lot of attention and speculation.

Saburo Arasaka, the man who led the Shinomiya Zaibatsu to its current state and whose life seemed to have taken a different turn, had undoubtedly guessed some possibilities after repeatedly investigating the identities of 'Odin' and Tsugumi, who attacked them that night.

Of course, it was just speculation, and he was destined to find no evidence.

But this speculation alone is enough to make him suspicious of Tsurugi, and he will inevitably cut off his support for his company, or even turn to suppress and annex it.

It's not that Tsurugi can't handle these problems, but he finds them too troublesome!

He hated pointless infighting, but if he turned against the Shinomiya family, his violence wouldn't be enough to solve everything.

With so much precious time, he would be better off creating more big news, gaining more attention and support, and strengthening his own power!

Once he becomes powerful enough to transform VOX Technology, the source of his power, into the world's number one media conglomerate, all the problems can be solved in the most direct way!

Ha, I fucking hate all puzzle-solving and simulation games!!!

So he came here, and he found Shinomiya Yan'an.

He bluntly revealed the secret.

"Bang!"

Unexpectedly, Tsurugi was so blunt. Shinomiya Gan'an could no longer hold his teacup, and the scalding tea spilled out, staining the precious tatami mat with a dark stain. His withered hands trembled violently, and the dignified composure on his face could no longer be maintained at this moment.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Tsurugi, but there was little hatred in them.

"...I knew I was right. So what do you want?"

Shigu Gan'an didn't ask any unnecessary or pointless questions, such as what he was or why he killed his son—he clearly understood that the young man in front of him was absolutely capable of killing him and his remaining children right here!

"contract."

Tsurugi extended a finger and gently waved it in the air.

“Let’s review the terms. I saved your lives instead of killing you and your lovely daughter when I was about to turn you and your daughter into a pile of minced meat on the highway. In return, you paved the way for my ‘entertainment business’ with the wealth and power of the Shinomiya family. Isn’t that fair? A life for a penny.”

“But—” He changed the subject, his eyes narrowing slightly, a crimson light appearing undisguised in them.

"This is not a real contract after all; it has no binding force whatsoever. What I want to sign with you is a real 'contract'."

Invisible shadows churned and surged around him, gathering darkness that, despite Shinomiya Gan'an's forced composure, could not maintain, and converged on Tsugumi.

A dark blue striped tuxedo, a bright red bow tie, wires dangling around the body, and a television that replaced a head and face—

The moment he appeared, an aura from hell enveloped Shinomiya Gan'an.

The pungent smell of sulfur carried a deep, oppressive shadow, as if it had gathered countless dark energies throughout the area, almost scaring the old man into fainting!

His face was deathly pale, he was breathing heavily, his heart was pounding, and he was biting his lip tightly.

“Oh, you didn’t faint. You are indeed a very courageous person, ‘Arasaka Saburo’.”

Tsugumi, revealing her demonic form, looked at the old man who was gritting his teeth and forcing himself to stay upright, and spread her hands.

"Okay, I guess it might be because I'm not actually that scary?"

To be fair, his overly modern demonic form does lack the grotesque and twisted feel of other old-school demons, but perhaps because it is too anthropomorphic, his appearance still gives people a sense of 'Siren Head' panic.

But demons don't intimidate others by their appearance, but by the negative magic of 'sin' that leaks from them, originating from the very nature of humanity.

Seeing the old man's pitiful appearance, gripped by fear and powerless, Tsurugi's smile became even brighter. He could smell the stench of Shinomiya Gan'an's sinful soul.

The devil loves sinners, not for justice, but simply because he likes them. And Tsugumi, with his saintly persona, also loves sinners, because they give him a reason to solve problems in a simple way.

He slowly stood up and walked step by step to the front of Shigu Yan'an. He didn't care about the spilled tea, but slowly, slowly bent down and brought his face close to the old man's ear.

"So, can we have a proper talk now? Facing a real demon."

Shinomiya Gan'an's teeth chattered uncontrollably, while Tsugumi directly threw out her chips.

"I want to sign a deeper contract with you. I want the Shinomiya family to support me without reservation. In return, I will grant you a healthier body and a longer life."

Shinomiya Gan'an's body stiffened; he could feel his heart pounding erratically.

"A healthy body, the return of youth, strength returning to the limbs, and a clearer mind..."

He stared at Shinomiya Gan'an, and suddenly black ripples appeared in the red eyes on the TV screen. The moment he stared, Shinomiya Gan'an's will and thoughts began to crumble and collapse.

—Although it was devilish to slowly force him to make a deal with words, Tsugumi wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible.

He opened his hands, took out his Goetia grimoire, turned to that page, and chanted an ancient and blasphemous incantation, summoning a burning parchment into the void.

Devilian, the last spell to appear on the first level of the Goetia grimoire, is actually a common skill that high-ranking demons all learn. But what can you do when Tsugumi is essentially a sinful demon?

The contract stipulated the terms for both parties: Tsugumi would grant Shinomiya Gan'an magical powers to improve his body, and Shinomiya Gan'an would unconditionally support all his goals.

The loophole in the contract is obvious and simple—Tsugumi doesn't actually have the ability to make Shinomiya Yanan young again or banish illness. At most, his magic can make him feel more energetic and, through the new hypnotic energy he developed, make him feel better about himself.

He will still experience illness and aging, but he will be like an old car with a full tank of fuel. He can keep going on the road until his parts completely break down.

Shinomiya Gan'an raised her hand and finally signed her name.

The contract is now in effect. If Shinomiya Gan'an reneges on the contract, his soul will belong to Tsurugi.

"Then, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

Tsurugi smiled as he plunged his hand into Shinomiya Gan'an's body. Accompanied by his painful groans, the continuous infusion of magical power revitalized his body.

Tsuruga withdrew her hand, and Shinomiya Gan'an, panting heavily, slowly stood up, looking at her body with surprise.

They're back, they're all back! His body—it's like he's back to when he was twenty!

"From today onwards, VOX Technology will receive the unreserved support of the Shinomiya family!"

Shinomiya Gan'an seemed to have instantly forgotten her hatred for her eldest son, and looked at Tsugumi with a flickering gaze, speaking sincerely.

Tsurugi smiled enigmatically, not exposing Shinomiya Gan'an's ulterior motive of trying to place them on equal footing. He simply told him that if he encountered a suitable 'client' like himself, he might as well recommend him.

The demons' methods of corrupting humanity are nothing more than these few tricks—life, power, and wealth.

As for whether the old man would try to deal with him, Tsugumi was even less afraid—even if he really did invite some exorcist priest, Tsugumi had no reason to be afraid, right?

He did not believe he could find a being superior to a saint.

As Tsugumi left, satisfied, he passed by where Kaguya and Untaka had been. Ignoring Untaka's attempt to strike up a conversation, he instead smiled at the polite yet distant Kaguya.

"Miss Shinomiya, would you be interested in working for me? A life of freedom—oh, I can offer you a high-paying position in the photography department."

"Thank you very much for your kindness. I am very flattered, but I am still a student and not yet an adult, so I can only decline your offer."

Kaguya politely declined, but Tsugumi could sense the rejection and even fear in her words.

It seemed her good brother had said something to her. Tsugumi glanced at Shinomiya Un'taka, whose expression was terrible, then grinned, revealing sharp shark teeth, looking rather amused.

"Hmm... the power struggles within wealthy families, huh? If you ever want to compete with your two older brothers, remember to give me a call!"

After saying that, he smiled, left a business card, and disappeared around the corner.

Only the overhead monitor emitted flashes of electricity.

"...Kaguya, you'd better think this through."

Shinomiya Un'ei took a few deep breaths, glanced at his silent sister, gave her a silent warning, and then left the Shinomiya family's old house.

Kaguya looked at the simple business card with the VOX Technology logo in her hand. She wanted to throw it away, but for some reason, she stopped.

"...Perhaps I'll need it someday."

She quietly convinced herself and carefully kept the business card.