Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
*Ring!*
Around noon of the day after Tatsuo recorded his first song, Tatsuo was sitting in the living room of the penthouse apartment with Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, and Tio. Because today was the last day of Winter Break, he decided that he did not really want to do anything. So, he sat around with the people he knew and just enjoyed a lazy day.
However, the ringing of Tatsuo's smartphone would mark the end of such a lazy day. Because when Tatsuo checked the Caller ID, he saw the name "Maou Sadao."
'I guess he's finally ready to talk, huh?' Tatsuo thought to himself as he pressed the "Accept call" button and raised the phone to his ear.
"Hey, what's up, Maou-San?" Tatsuo asked in a casual tone.
'Now that I think about it, he's depicted as being so broke.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'Did Maou-San even have a phone in the anime? Well, he probably did since he got internet for Urushihara.'
{"Uh... Hey, Soramoto-Kun."} Sadao's slightly uneasy voice sounded over the phone. {"Do you have some time to talk today? You know... About... that?"}
"Sure." Tatsuo replied. "Where do you wanna meet? I assume you wanna pick a neutral area judging by how nervous you sound."
{"Hahaha..."} A hollow chuckle was Sadao's reply. "{"Actually, would you mind coming to my apartment? I'm kinda short on cash. So, I can't really afford to go anywhere right now."
{"Sire, you didn't have to tell him that."} Another male voice, Ashiya, Tatsuo presumed, said, sounding a bit further away.
{"Whatever, Ashiya."} Sadao replied. {"He already knows my situation when it comes to money. So, there's no reason to hide it."}
{"It still lowers your prestige, My Lord."} Ashiya countered.
Like that, Tatsuo continued to listen to the two demons from another world bicker back and forth. However, as fun as it was to hear the two bicker, Tatsuo decided to get the conversation back on track.
"Sure." Tatsuo said, replying to Sadao's earlier question. "Just text me the address and I'll make my way over there. Just let me know what time would be good. I don't wanna keep you from work if you have to go tonight."
{"Oh... Uh... yeah."} Sadao replied after a moment. {"I have to work the night shift. So, if you could come over soon, I'd appreciate it." }
"No problem." Tatsuo replied. "Let me just change clothes and I'll head over."
{"Alright."} Sadao replied. {"We'll be waiting."}
With that, Sadao ended the call, probably to save on a charge or something. Meanwhile, Tatsuo pulled the phone away from his ear with an amused grin on his face.
"So, who was that, Tatsu-Kun?" Mai asked with her eyes narrowed. "It wasn't a girl, was it? You're not going to meet a girl, are you?"
*Bang!*
While Tatsuo rolled his eyes at Mai's interrogative tone, Sumire produced a harisen out of nowhere and slapped her upside the head with it.
"Weren't you even paying attention, Mai-Chan?" Sumire asked in an exasperated tone. "He said it was Maou... That's the young man who works at the MgRonald's down the street."
Immediately, Mai's attitude did a full one hundred eighty degree turn. She stopped rubbing the spot where she got hit. Then, she smiled at Tatsuo.
"Oh, that's right. I remember now." Mai said cheerfully. "Well then, have fun, Tatsu-Kun. And don't stay out too late. Remember, you have school tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tatsuo replied as he stood up from the couch and stretched a little. "I won't be there too long, he' has to work tonight."
"Good." Mai said with a nod. "Well then, don't keep your friend waiting."
This time, it was Sumire's turn to roll her eyes while Tio giggled at Mai's antics. Kasumi, on the other hand, looked at Tatsuo with a hint of worry in her gaze.
"Tatsuo-Kun, is everything okay?" Kasumi asked in a slightly worried tone. "I mean, he sounded a little uneasy. Do you want me to come with you. If there's a problem, we can try to solve it together."
Hearing the concern in Kasumi's tone, Tatsuo could not help smiling.
"Don't worry, Kasumi-Neesan." Tatsuo replied. "He just wants to talk about something from a few weeks ago. He found out that I had supernatural powers. It was right after I came back from wyvern hunting, and I couldn't control my new power level."
"Oh..." Kasumi intoned, understanding in her tone. "Well then, if you explain things properly, there should be nothing to worry about."
"Exactly." Tatsuo replied as he stood up.
"Now that you mention it, I remember a few cracks in space opening about six or seven months ago." Sumire said as she thought back to something unusual. "And if I remember correctly, one of them had the same [Energy] signature as Maou-Kun. And another person came through with him. But I couldn't sense any danger from them back then, so I left them alone."
"Really?" Mai asked in a dumbfounded tone. "So, that guy is an alien? Well, I guess it makes sense why he was so handsome."
After reaching that point, Mai, with an infatuated smile on her face, turned to look at Tatsuo.
"But he's not close to as handsome as my Tatsu-Kun." Mai continued while leaning forward and emphasizing her cleavage.
Naturally, Tatsuo's gaze was drawn to the patches of soft flesh for a moment, making Mai pump her fists in her head. But Tatsuo's gaze did not linger for long. Instead, he turned around and started making his way out of the living room.
"Anyway, I'm gonna get going.' Tatsuo said. "I need to change clothes first. Then, I'll head out after I---"
*Beep!* *Beep!*
Before Tatsuo could finish, he was cut off when his smartphone beeped, alerting him of an incoming text.
"Never mind, I'll leave as soon as I get dressed, Maou-San just sent the text." Tatsuo said as he continued moving towards the living room's entrance. "So, I'll see you all when I get back in a few hours."
"Okay, by Tatsu-Chan~~~!" Sumire said energetically while waving her hands at Tatsuo.
"Be safe on the way, Tatsuo-Sama." Tio said, sounding a lot like a servant.
Shaking his head at Tio's attitude, Tatsuo headed to his room and got changed. Then, he made his way to the elevator to leave the apartment.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Tatsuo (Admin): So, I'm going to talk to Maou-San about everything I know.
Tatsuo (Admin): You think he'll try to attack me when he finds out?
Lici: No way
Lici: Maou was a good guy in the anime
Lici: He'll probably try to resolve things peacefully
Alfonzo: Lici's right
Alfonzo: I mean, the only reason the war in Ente Isla even started was because his generals were a bit dumb
James: Or too conniving
James: Intentionally misconstruing his words
James: Honestly, I wouldn't put it past that world's Lucifer
Lici: There isn't much mentioned about the other two generals, either
Lici: Could one of them have betrayed Maou?
Alfonzo: I doubt it
Alfonzo: But I never read the LN
Alfonzo: So, who knows
Akatsuki: Wanna let the rest of us know the story, too?
Akatsuki: Because I have no idea what you're talking about
Violet: I'm a little lost, too
Aletia: 🙂↕️
Tatsuo (Admin): Long story short
Tatsuo (Admin): Maou is a Demon King who came from another world connected to mine after trying and failing to conquer the world
Tatsuo (Admin): But the conquest went in a different way than he expected
Tatsuo (Admin): Instead of only making the humans in his world fear the demons to put them under his rule, his forces started massacring them
Tatsuo (Admin): So, the hero of that world said, "We can't have that"
Tatsuo (Admin): Then, she took down three of the generals, killing two of them and thinking she killed the third, forced the fourth back to the demon's base, and beat the Demon King until he was forced to run away to my world
Tatsuo (Admin): However, thanks to the low ambient magic power in the air in my world, Maou-San's demon form turned into a human one
Tatsuo (Admin): Then, he decided he would conquer my world, too
Tatsuo (Admin): But he wanted to do it by working his way up the corporate ladder of a fast food chain
Akatsuki: Seriously?
Akatsuki: Take over the world
Akatsuki: Starting with a... fast food chain?
Tatsuo (Admin): Yup, that's right
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway, while he was working, he accidentally found out that I'm not just a normal human, and thought I was from his world, there to get rid of him
Tatsuo (Admin): I managed to talk him down back then, though
Tatsuo (Admin): And now he wants to talk to me about it
Violet: That story is kind of sad
Violet: Everything is because of a misunderstanding
Violet: First his generals
Violet: And now your relationship is strained
Violet: You have to get through to him, Tatsuo-Kun
Akatsuki: Violet, you're a really nice person
Akatsuki: But I agree
Akatsuki: He doesn't seem like a bad guy
Tatsuo (Admin) I know
Tatsuo (Admin): So, I'll do my best to make him understand that I have nothing against him
Tatsuo (Admin): I'll try to help him if I can, too
James: If you really wanna help him
James: You should give him some money
James: Or maybe get Ashiya a job
James: I mean, there are two men living in that little apartment and Ashiya seems more like a househusband than a roommate
Lici: Well, technically, he's a subordinate, not a roommate
Lici: So, doing all the cleaning and cooking kinda falls in his job scope, doesn't it?
James: He's an army general!
James: Cooking and cleaning should never fall within his job scope
Alfonzo: Chill out, James
Alfonzo: Lici's just fucking with you
Lici: Lol}
{"Your destination is on the right"}
Chuckling to himself while chatting with the rest of the [Dimensional Chat], Tatsuo's attention was pulled away from the chat when the Map App on his smartphone let him know that he had arrived at his destination.
Upon hearing the prompt, Tatsuo looked away from his smartphone. When he did, what he saw was a small, two-story apartment building that was mostly made of wood with what appeared to be a sheet metal roof. There were windows on both stories facing the street while there was a staircase leading up to the backside of the second floor to the right.
"So, this is Villa Rosa Sasazuka." Tatsuo muttered to himself as he raised his head to get a good look at the building.
"Indeed, it is." A husky female voice replied from Tatsuo's left. "And it would seem Villa Rosa Sasazuka welcomes a guest today."
Looking in the direction of the voice, Tatsuo was met with the sight of a morbidly obese woman standing around 5'4" tall with pale skin, red eyes, shoulder-length lavender hair styled into large curls at the ends, and bright red lipstick. This woman wore a purple dress with a lavender shawl, black low-heeled shoes, a black wide-brimmed hat with a purple band, and a watch on her left wrist while carrying a designer purse.
When he saw this woman, Tatsuo could not help but stare. However, it was not because of the appearance described above. Instead, it was because of the enormous amount of [Energy] he could sense inside of her. What surprised him even more was the fact that he could not sense this [Energy] until he was aware of her presence.
"Now, now, don't you know it's rude to stare at a lady?" the woman asked with a grin. "Even if she is as radiant and beautiful as myself."
"Well, you are definitely one of the most radiant people I've ever seen in my life." Tatsuo said absent-mindedly.
"Oh, it would seem you have a descerning pair of eyes, young man." The woman said. "Either way, I am the owner of this quaint little apartment building, the Villa Rosa Sasazuka. My name is Shiba Miki. But I'd prefer is you called me Miki Ti."
"Uh... Sure, Miki Ti-San." Tatsuo said awkwardly. "I'm Soramoto Tatsuo. It's nice to meet you."
"Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is mine, Dear." Miki replied with a smile. "So, may I ask whom you have come to visit, Soramoto-Chan?"
"Maou Sadao-San in room one." Tatsuo replied.
"Ah, yes." Miki said with a nod. "My newest tenant. Rarely does he have guests. Well, I won't keep you any longer. Please enjoy your stay."
"Thank you." Tatsuo replied while bowing his head politely. "And once again, it was nice to meet you."
After saying that, Tatsuo walked towards the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Meanwhile, Miki watched as Tatsuo walked away. Then, when he started climbing the stairs, she headed towards the door on the first floor.
'So, that's the Void Empress' son, huh?' Miki thought to herself as she reached into her purse to get the key to her home. 'She came to visit me before she sent her avatar here almost forty years ago to let me know that she would not be a threat to this world. But I never expected to see the son she mentioned so soon. What have you gotten yourself into, Maou-Chan? Are you even aware that being involved with him could be more troublesome than your situation in Ente Isla?'
At the same time, Tatsuo was thinking about Miki, as well, while climbing the stairs.
'In the first season of The Devil is a part-Timer anime, it was alluded to that Miki was someone much more important than she seemed.' Tatsuo thought to herself. 'And with that much [Energy] swirling around in her, it's clear that speculation was right. I never got around to watching the second season, though. I never got my hands on the Light Novels, either. So, I don't know what she really is. But I'm almost certain she could spank Maou-San even when he's at his best.'
While continuing to ponder about the existence that was Shiba Miki, Tatsuo eventually reached the top of the stairs. Then, it only took him a few steps to reach room one, as it was the room closest to the stairs.
"Whatever, I can think about that later." Tatsuo thought aloud to himself. "For now, I gotta clear this misunderstanding with Maou-San. And just as I thought, he's not alone in there. Anyway, let's just get this over with. Don't wanna make the guy late for work. Otherwise, he'll probably never forgive me if I'm the reason he loses his perfect attendance record."
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
With that said, Tatsuo raised his hand and knocked on the metal door three times before waiting for one of the room's occupants to answer.