“──And so, Agito-sama, I apologize, but Alaya -sama and Otokai -sama have gone off to the club together…”
Milphobia deeply bowed her head toward Agito, who was waiting alone in the exclusive VIP room.
“Ku-ku… that Kiwi…!”
Whoosh! Releasing a fierce surge of magical power, Agito’s face twisted into an expression so fearsome that even demons would flee in terror.
“This excites me…! For him to get along so well with Otokai —that must mean this is the first step toward him becoming my son-in-law… isn’t that the case?”
“Y-Yes…”
Overwhelmed by Agito’s unusually cheerful demeanor,
“Um, so, what shall we do? Shall we head to the club as well?”
“No, let’s leave the rest to the young ones… However,”
Agito folded his arms and groaned slightly.
“A club, huh? I’ve never been to one, but I’ve heard the security there is rapidly deteriorating. While I don’t need to worry about Otokai , Kiwi’s safety is a concern.”
“In that case, I think there’s no issue.”
Milphobia declared firmly.
“Shes-san should be sticking close by as a bodyguard.”
The Club
A club—a dimly lit space illuminated by garish, colorful magical lights, where people drank and danced wildly to the cacophony of music that some magical bird species might call noise.
The information was largely accurate.
“Kiwi-sama, please stay close to me.”
“Understood.”
Nodding at Shes’ calm, commanding tone as she clung to my arm, I glanced around the room, where deep bass reverberated in my chest.
…What a chaotic sight.
Demons drowning their livers in alcohol, others brawling over petty arguments like “Your elbow hit me!” or “Your knee was first!”—even demons shamelessly coupling in public.
If there’s a hell, it might look something like this.
“Yo, Kiwi! Havin’ fun?!”
“Well, enough, I suppose.”
Replying to Otokai , Agito’s red ogre daughter, who danced over with a drink in hand, I approached a particularly conspicuous table. Several demons slumped over, eyes wide open but completely still.
“Foaming at the mouth, dilated pupils…”
“Oh dear, are they dead? Acute alcohol poisoning?”
“No…”
I checked their breathing—it was there. I waved a hand over their mouths to catch the scent.
A mix of alcohol and a faintly chemical smell.
“I see.”
It seemed they were forcibly kept awake through some drug. I sniffed the glasses on the table—was the drug in these?
“Well, that’s for later. Let’s see the effects, shall we?”
I began using Dark Heal, targeting the nerves likely being overworked. As diagnostic and healing magic flowed through their bodies and minds, the process went incredibly smoothly.
“Ku-ku-ku… drugged patients are so compliant; they’re a pleasure to tinker with.”
Normally, attempting to channel magic into someone’s brain would trigger instinctive resistance—a survival reflex. But those whose brains were consumed by drugs didn’t exhibit such resistance.
It allowed for detailed observation of the brain’s live reactions.
…Oh? This is intriguing.
“Fascinating!”
I had assumed these demons were drugged, but I was wrong.
It wasn’t the drugs affecting their brains—it was magical power.
Some foreign magic had invaded their brains. It wasn’t something their natural defenses could counter, and yet it had entered.
This is… an utterly fascinating mystery.
“Ku-ku, ha-ha-ha… How delightful!”
“Uh… Kiwi? To me, it just looks like you’re patting the heads of passed-out demons. Is that really fun?”
“It’s exhilarating!”
From what I could see, their brains were deteriorating from the invasive magic. I quickly neutralized it with Dark Heal, using a method I’d refined when I freed Shes and others from the Death King Jarm’s control.
“All right, they should wake up in a bit. On to the next one!”
The club was littered with demons in similar states. I moved from one to another, repeating diagnosis and Dark Heal.
Eventually…
“Ugh… wh-what the hell are you…?!”
The goblin and orc I’d just healed regained consciousness. As they rose from the table, they glared at me sharply—clearly not the friendliest types.
“What did you do to us?!”
“Just a little Dark Heal. Thanks for providing such useful test subjects.”
“Don’t screw with me!”
The orc spat on the floor and snarled.
“I was in the middle of a good trip, and you had to ruin it!”
“Go buy us some replacement ‘drinks,’ punk!”
The two demons lunged at me, fists raised—only for…
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Kiwi-sama.”
Crunch! Shes’ fist buried itself into the orc’s temple, driving him into the table, which shattered as he slammed into the floor.
Simultaneously…
“Yee-haw, a fight! Let’s party!”
Otokai , wielding a spiked club, sent the goblin flying into the far wall with a sickening crack.
The commotion was so loud that it drew attention.
“Hey! What’s going on here?!”
A six-armed spider demon in a flashy suit stormed in. His eight eyes glared at me through his sunglasses.
“You’ve caused a ruckus. Are you ready to pay up?!”
“And what exactly have I done?”
“Take a look, genius! Your crew trashed my customers!”
“…Hmm, these are your customers? Then you must be the club owner?”
“That’s right. Name’s Iwagane, and this is my place.”
Iwagane lit a cigarette and scowled.
“Listen, pal, my customers were supposed to be wasted, but they’re waking up and leaving. That’s your doing, isn’t it?”
“Ah, the ones I Dark Healed?”
“Dark Heal…? Wait, don’t tell me…”
Iwagane’s expression shifted as he looked at me, likely realizing who I was.
…Some see me as a human hero allied with the Demon Nation. Others despise me as a mere human playing Dark Healer.
Which will he choose?
After a long exhale of cigarette smoke, he finally spoke.
“…I see.”
Stomping out his cigarette, he declared:
“You’re banned. Get out.”
And so, we were shooed out of the club.
“Damn, that was underwhelming. I was hoping for a bigger brawl.”
Otokai slapped my shoulder without a hint of remorse.
“Hey, I know another club. They’re more lenient about fights.”
“No, I’ve had enough of clubs.”
I started walking toward the market district in the capital.
…Alcohol, huh?
“I don’t leave mysteries unsolved. Let’s do some window shopping.”
