275. Aftermath of the Promotion Duel and Invitation to Four Satan.
Three days after his Promotion Duel, Kaito had already become one of the most famous figures in the Underworld. His popularity rivaled that of the Four Satans themselves.
Of course, the promotion duel ended up successful, and from now on, Kaito officially became an Ultimate Class Devil.
No devil ever questioned his position as the Leviathan Queen's King anymore. If anything, many believed the title no longer reflected his true standing and power. After all, Kaito was a reincarnated devil who had recently reincarnated, yet accomplished the impossible by defeating Sirzehs Lucifer himself, the strongest Satan, in less than a month.
To countless reincarnated devils, especially those born into lower-class or mixed-blood families, Kaito had become a living symbol of hope and their idol. His victory against Satan Lucifer proved that one's origins did not determine one's limits.
In fact, rather than stay just in role as Leviathan Queen, many believed Kaito deserved to be recognized as a Satan in his own right, expanding the current system from the Four Satans to the Five Satans. Surprisingly, the proposal wasn't dismissed; The elder devils and the Four Satans themselves had already begun to seriously discuss the possibility of changing the entire system for Kaito.
Undeniably, Kaito had truly succeeded in his goal, making a name not only in the Underworld but throughout the supernatural world.
Unfortunately, Kaito wasn't exactly all happy about his current situation, especially because he became incredibly famous for the very 'wrong' reason... just the courtesy of his bad luck.
>>>>>
Several days after the duel, Kaito was still stuck to his bed. His entire body was wrapped in bandages, and despite his remarkable recovery speed, the injuries he had sustained from fighting Sirzehs' True Form were far too severe to just heal it overnight.
In truth, Kaito could have recovered instantly by using one of his healing props, or simply asking the Chat Group system for assistance. But unfortunately, the girls had unanimously vetoed that idea. According to them, nearly getting himself killed during the duel and canceling his appointment for dinner together that night deserved punishment.
So, until they decided otherwise, Kaito was forbidden from using any shortcuts to heal and should recover naturally... and he easily accepted it. Besides that, after everything that had happened over the past week, in his opinion, getting time to rest is really good thing.
"Ow, ow... Aika, are you sure you know how to change bandages?" Kaito winced, "Ow! Not there! Don't press on the wound!"
"I am sorry, I am not a nurse~ after all, I am your strategist." Aika smiled innocently, yet there was still a dangerous glint in her eyes. "But don't worry, I have learned how to do it from online videos."
Kaito immediately looked horrified.
"...Y-You're still angry about the duel, aren't you? I already apologized... Aika-- Ouch, ouch, stop pressing on my wound!" Kaito groaned in pain, and even nearly jumped out of bed as Aika deliberately pressed against another wound. "You are even worse than Ravel and Manaka!"
"Oh?" Aika's smile somehow became even 'sweeter' as she casually applied a little more pressure. "What did you say?"
"AAAAAGH!..."I-I'm sorry, Aika!"
"Mmm." She tilted her head. "Good darling, now keep reflecting on your mistake."
"Yes..."
...
By the time the bandage change was finally over, Kaito felt worse than when it had started. Instead of feeling refreshed, every muscle in his body ached, and he couldn't help but groan in pain. He couldn't help but regret agreeing to let the girls take turns caring for him.
Aside from Sakuya, none of them had any real medical experience. To make matters worse, they had clearly taken the opportunity to vent their lingering frustration over his reckless duel.
"Aika, you were too rough..." Kaito lay weakly against the pillow, complaining, "At this point, I wouldn't even get better from all of your service to me..."
"Hmpph!" Aika crossed her arms and looked away. "Anyway, you'd better stay like this at least for 2 weeks."
Kaito's expression stiffened, "Isn't that a bit too much for punishment..."
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in!"
The bedroom door slowly opened, then Sakuya entered first, followed by Ravel and Lala. All three of them were carrying something carefully wrapped in cloth like a surprise.
"Oh? The product was finished?"
Lala nodded, "Yeah. We are here to show it to you guys!"
The moment Kaito saw it, he suddenly had a very bad feeling and a headache.
"...Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
""Pffft!!"
The girls exchanged amused glances before removing the covering.
There, standing proudly on a display stand, was a meticulously crafted figurine of Kaito, and it's not just any figurine.
It depicted him in his Magical Girl costume, striking the exact pose from the final moments of his duel with Sirzehs, his right fist coated in black Armament Haki as he prepared to deliver the decisive blow.
The craftsmanship was flawless, looks heroic, but Kaito didn't feel happy at all.
...
"...What the fuck. What the fuck!"
The moment he got a proper look at the finished product in Lala's hands, he couldn't help but ask, "Why does it look so good?!"
"What do you mean Kaito-kun?" Lala puffed out her cheeks in protest. "Of course, it needs to look good and pretty!"
"Indeed. We are going to sell it after all." Aika added and commented while touching the figurine directly, "Honestly, Kaito in magical girl form didn't look bad. "Maybe cross-dressing is your true calling, darling."
"No way!" Kaito retorted and hung his head in despair, "Ugh, from all of my actions during the duel, why is me wearing a magical girl outfit the thing everyone remembers?!"
"Should I use the system to delete the memory about it from all people in the underworld?! But that would be too expensive!"
He grabbed his head and groaned, "Damn it! What's wrong with people in the underworld?!"
"Duh, because it was the most impactful, and most people think you look so cool." Aika answered him with a giggle and added, "And Serafall-san and other Satans also endorsed it."
Sakuya nodded, "Especially Serafall-sama. She really loves it and promotes it everywhere in the underworld, ranging from giant billboards in the city center to the trending online clip of you with Sirzech-sama."
"..."
Ironically, Kaito's greatest fame wasn't coming from defeating Sirzech's Lucifer but was the magical girl transformation that he used to defeat him.
During the duel, countless audiences had witnessed Kaito's final power-up into his Magical Girl form just moments before he landed the decisive blow. Because the transformation happened immediately before Sirzechs' defeat, an outrageous rumor quickly spread throughout the Underworld.
'Kaito had only been able to defeat the strongest Satan because he transformed into a Magical Girl.'
Ridiculous as it sounded, the rumor was surprisingly convincing. After all, magical girls were already a beloved part of Underworld pop culture thanks to Serafall's long-running Magical Girl Sera-tan franchise. Now, everyone assumed it made sense for Serafall to want a fellow magical girl (boy?) as her peerage member, and many were curious about how to become a magical girl too.
As a result, Kaito's popularity exploded.
Even compared to the legendary "Oppai Dragon" of the original timeline, Kaito's fame spread at an even more ridiculous speed. Seeing this, Serafall wasn't about to let such a business opportunity and a chance to spread magical girl reputation even further slip away. She immediately proposed launching a large-scale merchandise and entertainment project centered around Kaito's Magical Girl persona, jointly managed by the Four Satans. The proposal was easily approved by the Four Satans and the girls together because everyone needed money.
Ajuka needed an enormous budget to rebuild the multidimensional arena that had been destroyed during Kaito and Sirzehs' duel. Meanwhile, Kaito's girls were already preparing for the engagement party, which was scheduled for the following month, which would require an equally impressive amount of funding.
Everyone was happy for this result, except for Kaito-- because he didn't really want to be famous for his crossdressing as a magical girl.
...
"Aaaahh!! My reputation... people will know me as a crossdressing magical girl... sob sob." Kaito wailed, looking utterly devastated, "How can I show my face in public without feeling embarrassed?!"
""Pffft!!""
The girls couldn't help laughing at their darling predicament. Even so, shortly after seeing Kaito genuinely depressed made them feel a little guilty, so they quickly tried to comfort him.
"Look on the bright side," Aika said with a reassuring smile, "Now, people in the supernatural world definitely won't bother us after watching the duel between you and Sirzech."
"It's just your usual bad luck at work, Kaito-san," Ravel added with a helpless smile. "At the very least, you can now pay for our engagement celebration without relying on my family's support. And no one will dare look down on us again."
"U-Um!" Lala suddenly raised her hand enthusiastically, "I don't think it's all bad!"
???
Everyone turned toward her as Lala explained, "Once I figure out how that transformation device works, maybe I can redesign the outfit into something much cooler! Something boys would actually want to wear!"
"I've been researching Teigu technology too, so maybe I can combine everything and alter the transformation sequence!" Lala added.
Hearing what she said, Kaito's eyes lit up... full of hope. Without hesitation, he slid off the bed and dropped to his knees before her, "Please, Lala-sama! I will do anything as long as you can get to change the magical girl uniform to something cooler!"
"Pffft!"
The room erupted into laughter while Lala waved her hands in embarrassment, "Umm! Then let's work together! With you, Nayuta-chan, Kayaba-san, and Minaka-san, I think we can figure it out together!"
"Sounds great, but I can't help feeling sorry for all the people in the Underworld who have already become your fans, Kaito-san." Ravel commented and then added, "Also, everyone already associates you with a magical girl outfit...wouldn't changing the design hurt our new business?"
"She's right," Aika agreed, "We were just about to launch the 'Magical Girl Kaito' merchandise line. I am sorry, Kaito, but---"
"No!" Kaito immediately shot back, "My dignity is far more important than merchandise sales!"
"Not to mention that I think it's better if I wear something cooler for everyone!"
"Besides, if I'm going to transform anyway, I'd much rather wear something cool!"
"If that ridiculous transformation device turned me into something like Kamen Rider or a Power Ranger instead... I'd happily use it every single day!"
Hearing what Kaito said, everyone couldn't help but be silent. After a while thought about Kaito's proposal, the girls finally expressed their opinoon.
"Well, I agree with you. Having a husband whose signature look is cross-dressing as a magical girl would be... rather unusual." (Aika)
"Indeed. It was lucky that Master looked quite good; otherwise, watching a grown man dressed as a magical girl would have been rather difficult to endure." (Sakuya)
"We can even make it a set later; everyone would be wearing matching outfits, showing that we are a close family!" (Lala)
"That's a good idea. Let me help with the design! I will also call Frenda, Misaki, and Misaka to help!" (Ravel)
...
Hearing the girls enthusiastically support the idea, Kaito finally let out a sigh of relief. His reputation in this world might already be beyond saving, but at least, if Lala succeeded, he would never have to suffer the same fate whenever he used Mystelteinn in the future.
With everyone's encouragement, Kaito was already itching to return to the Base World and begin researching a redesign with Lala as soon as possible. However, Sakuya and Aika immediately reminded him of his promise to speak with the Four Satans about the Base World, and Kaito admitted that it was equally important... so, Kaito could only hope for Lala to work on it alone for now.
After all, if the Devil race agreed to move, their Base World would gain a new faction and ally. Kaito also had high hopes for Ajuka to make a breakthrough in magical technology, as so far there were no scientists on Base World who were skilled in that field.
>>>>>
As promised, once he had fully recovered using his chat group points, Kaito headed to the agreed meeting place. Accompanied by Sakuya, he arrived at Sirzechs' private residence, where all Four Satans and Grayfia were already waiting for him.
The first person Kaito noticed was Sirzechs himself. Unlike Kaito, Sirzehs was still covered in bandages, with Greyfia standing quietly by his side. Seeing Kaito walk in looking perfectly healthy, Sirzehs couldn't help feeling a little envious.
He knew very well that the injury both of them had suffered wasn't something that could easily recover in just a matter of days. Yet Kaito looked as though nothing had happened. Sirzech suspected Kaito also owned a weapon that specialized in recovery, and he would ask for his help later on.
...
"Greetings, everyone." Kaito greeted the Four Satans with a smile before turning toward Sirzech, "And... First, naturally I'd like to apologize for the injuries you suffered during our promotion duel, Sirzech-sama."
Sirzech wryly smiled and explained, "Don't worry, it's part of the agreement before the duel. I wouldn't hold a grudge over it."
"Umm! In fact, Kaito-chan, thanks to your show!" Serafall suddenly interrupted with sparkling eyes, "Our Devil Race currently has a new blooming business: selling merchandise featuring the magical girl Kaito! I believe your Magical Girl merchandise so far is selling unbelievably well!"
"That's right. None of us expected that not only devils but also other races like fallen angels, youkai, and humans would be interested in purchasing your merchandise." Falbium added.
"..."
Kaito's eyes twitched, and he complained, "...Can we start talking to the main topic? I am here to fulfill my promise."
Hearing Kaito's words, the Satans nodded and let him sit down. Naturally, the four Satans were curious about what secret he wanted to share, and assumed it had something to do with the source of his power. Not only them, ever since the duel, Kaito had also become the single most investigated individual in the supernatural world.
Someone with his strength should have left traces somewhere, yet every investigation had reached the same conclusion: He was a nobody before and just a normal human.
However, they don't know that Kaito doesn't just want to share the secret of his strength and where he could get it; much more, Kaito wanted to invite them to join him in the base world.
...
Ahem.
Kaito cleared his throat before speaking in a calm, serious tone, "First off, I am here to offer an invitation as the leader of the base world.
He looked at each Satan in turn and added, "I want to invite the devil race to move into our world, and I assure... you all won't regret accepting that invitation."
????
Hearing from Kaito, the Four Satans could only stare at him in stunned disbelief because none of them had expected such an explosive revelation.
To say they were shocked was an understatement.
After all, not only had Kaito casually claimed to be leader of another world, but he had also invited the entire Devil Race to move there.
