"Save the world?"

  "Sure."

  Lynn accepted Saeko's commission without hesitation.

  No matter what the request was, the best approach was always to agree first.

  How and when to fulfill it was entirely up to him.

  A warm smile appeared on his face as he spoke considerately:

  "I have two pns—one is more radical, the other more conservative. Which one do you want to hear first?"

  Could he really do it?

  Save the world?

  Saeko was stunned.

  She had only asked to see how this so-called devil would react.

  But now.

  She hadn't expected two pns.

  It was as if the apocalyptic crisis that threatened all of humanity was nothing more than a trivial issue for the demon before her.

  Lynn's power… was likely far more terrifying than she had imagined.

  And he was also much more agreeable than she had expected.

  Not at all like the hideous monsters described in myths.

  Setting aside her scattered thoughts, Saeko pondered for a moment before responding:

  "Let's hear the radical pn first."

  "The crisis in your world right now stems from these zombies, right?"

  Lynn walked over to the window, looking down at the horde of swaying zombies below.

  "That's right."

  Saeko nodded, her voice lowering. "This afternoon, the outbreak happened suddenly."

  She turned to Lynn, her gaze serious.

  "I don't know the full situation beyond the school, but with how contagious this virus is, the spread won't be slow."

  "In the worst-case scenario… it could affect the entire world."

  As someone who had seen zombie movies, she understood the horror of such an outbreak.

  But she had never imagined that something once confined to fiction would actually happen.

  The thought of a world overrun by the undead made her fall silent.

  "Moreover," she continued, "even after all this time, the military hasn't responded."

  She had already prepared herself for the worst.

  "It's fine."

  Lynn's voice was rexed. "Even if the whole world becomes like this, I can just clean the surface, can't I?"

  …Clean the surface?

  Saeko's eye twitched slightly.

  She silently stared at Lynn.

  He didn't sound like he was joking.

  Even humanity's ultimate weapons wouldn't be capable of cleansing the entire world, right?

  But…

  Could a devil really accomplish such a thing?

  However—

  "If you do that," Saeko said ftly, "the surviving humans would die too, wouldn't they?"

  Along with the zombies.

  Lynn shrugged. "Then that's none of my concern."

  That was a very demonic answer.

  Despite looking completely human—even wearing a school uniform.

  Saeko's gaze shifted to the name tag on Lynn's clothing.

  [Shuchiin Private Academy]

  Devils go to school too?

  She set that question aside for now and decisively dismissed the radical pn.

  "Tell me about the conservative pn."

  As expected.

  Lynn's smile grew warmer.

  "This one is even simpler."

  He turned to face Saeko, amusement in his eyes.

  "I'll grant you the power to grow strong enough to save the world. Then, when the time comes, you can decide for yourself how to do it."

  Lynn only had two objectives in this world.

  First, to use it as a regur training ground for his Peerage.

  Second, to recruit new members.

  And Saeko was undoubtedly a talent he wanted.

  Hearing the second pn, Saeko froze.

  To be honest, she had never actually wanted to save the world.

  At least, not yet.

  Her priority right now was survival.

  And for that, she needed power.

  The power to survive.

  The power to protect others.

  Saeko's gaze shifted to Marikawa Shizuka, their group's mascot.

  Shizuka: Huh?

  She still looked completely clueless.

  Saeko was discussing with a devil… how to save the world?

  A devil.

  Saving the world.

  Putting those two ideas together.

  Was this a joke?

  Yet, Mr. Devil had actually given a serious response!

  …Mr. Devil was a good person!

  Shizuka suddenly realized this.

  Saeko: "…"

  If she hadn't been taking care of Shizuka, the airheaded nurse wouldn't have sted long.

  If not eaten by zombies, she'd have been killed by other desperate survivors.

  And honestly, that might have been a far worse fate.

  The colpse of human civilization…

  Saeko let out a quiet sigh, then made her decision.

  "Then I choose the second pn."

  If she grew strong enough to save the world, that also meant they would be strong enough to survive.

  "So soon?"

  Lynn tilted his head slightly. "Aren't you going to ask about the price?"

  Saeko's gaze remained steady, unfazed by the mention of a price.

  There was no such thing as a free meal.

  She had understood this since she was five years old.

  Much less when making a deal with a demon.

  Shizuka, on the other hand, was stunned. "Eh? There's a price?"

  Saeko: "…"

  Yeah, some people never learned.

  Ignoring Shizuka entirely, Saeko met Lynn's gaze and spoke firmly:

  "If you wish, you may take everything from me."

  "My body, my soul, my emotions, my memories—"

  "If that is the price, so be it."

  She needed power.

  She needed to survive with her friends.

  And if she truly did become strong enough to save the world.

  Then perhaps she would.

  Lynn remained silent for a moment. Then, he chuckled.

  "You have quite the resolve."

  "But don't worry, all I need—"

  "—is you."

  Saeko blinked in surprise before a small smile formed on her lips.

  "Thank you for your favor."

  "From this moment on—"

  "I am yours."

  (To be continued.)